“Captain, we’ve chased two li and still haven’t found Sir,” an old soldier said worriedly. “Has something happened?”
They had taken time to lead the horses down the hill, which slowed them down.
“Shut your cursed mouth,” another soldier snapped. “Sir’s driving a carriage. The bandits, on foot, can’t possibly catch up. What could go wrong?”
“Captain, look over there. Looks like bandits,” another soldier said, pointing at the hillside.
Iron Hammer followed his gesture. On the slope beside the official road, a few figures were running up the hill.
“Captain, should we chase them?” the soldier asked.
The bandits were only two or three hundred metres away. They might still catch them.
“Forget it. Chasing them means abandoning the horses to climb the hill. It’ll take too long. Finding Sir comes first,” Iron Hammer decided after a moment’s thought.
“Lucky for them,” the soldiers muttered, glancing at the bandits’ retreating figures before galloping after Iron Hammer.
The carriage was slower than a lone rider. After another li, they finally spotted it.
Jin Feng heard the hoofbeats, glanced back, saw Iron Hammer, and stopped the carriage.
“Have the bandits scattered?” Jin Feng asked.
“They’ve all fled,” Iron Hammer said with a grin. “Thanks to your brilliant plan, Sir.”
“Let’s head back,” Jin Feng said, looking at the sky. “It’s getting cloudy. Rain’s coming.”
“Yes, sir,” the soldiers replied, escorting the carriage back to the battle site.
Qing Mulian, along with the female soldiers and Guan Xiao Rou’s group, waited by the roadside. A few old soldiers were inspecting the bodies the bandits hadn’t taken.
“Why’d you come down?” Iron Hammer asked, frowning.
“The bandits fled down a small path. Monkey’s keeping watch,” Qing Mulian said.
Jin Feng looked where she pointed and saw Monkey crouched on a small mound, watching below.
A steep, narrow trail beside the mound led downhill.
“Bandits are just a rabble. Once their courage is broken, they won’t dare return,” Jin Feng said. “Can you tell where they’re from?”
Many bandit groups tattooed their members to foster loyalty and prevent desertion. Other groups often refused to accept tattooed bandits.
“No tattoos on them. Can’t tell where they’re from,” an old soldier inspecting the bodies replied.
“What about their weapons?” Jin Feng asked. “Training archers isn’t easy. A bandit group with over twenty archers isn’t ordinary.”
This was why Jin Feng equipped his soldiers with crossbows. Archers required years of training, but crossbows could be mastered quickly. Anyone, man or woman, could learn to aim and fire in days.
“Just common machetes and long blades you can buy anywhere. The bows look homemade, made from all sorts of wood,” the soldier answered.
Boom!
Thunder rumbled nearby, and the sky grew darker.
Jin Feng sensed something off about the ambush but found no useful clues.
Looking at the heavy black clouds, he said helplessly, “Rain’s coming. Let’s move and try to reach shelter before dark.”
“Alright,” Iron Hammer replied, urging the soldiers to mount up.
Soon, the convoy sped along the official road.
Learning from the earlier ambush, Iron Hammer sent Monkey ahead to scout.
Summer rain came quickly. They hadn’t gone far when drops began to fall.
It started as a drizzle but soon turned into a downpour. Despite their straw raincoats, the soldiers were soaked.
“Iron Hammer, we’re already drenched. Tell everyone to slow down,” Jin Feng said, wiping rain from his face and pulling the reins.
The rain was too heavy, severely limiting visibility. The narrow mountain road made speeding dangerous.
The soldiers slowed their horses.
“Iron Hammer, send someone to catch up with Monkey. Have him check for a place to take shelter,” Jin Feng said.
“Got it,” Iron Hammer replied, calling over a soldier to chase Monkey.
Ten minutes later, both returned.
“Sir, there’s a cave on the hillside two li ahead,” Monkey reported.
“Let’s go take shelter,” Jin Feng said, leading the convoy through the rain.
After rounding a bend at the mountain’s base, Jin Feng saw a dark cave about thirty metres up the right side.
They tied the horses and carriage at the base and climbed the steep path to the cave.
The cave was small, just over a man’s height and a metre wide, but deep. From the entrance, they could see only three or four zhang in before it was pitch black.
A pile of ashes sat at the entrance, and three or four metres in, there was a stack of dry firewood and grass.
“Sir, wait outside. I’ll take some men to check inside,” Iron Hammer said, lighting a pine-resin torch and entering with two soldiers.
The ashes and firewood suggested others had sheltered here, but caves could harbour snakes or vermin. Jin Feng didn’t object, letting Iron Hammer investigate.
Holding the torch, they walked over thirty metres into the cave before stopping.
“This cave’s deep,” Iron Hammer said, inspecting carefully before shouting, “Sir, come in. It’s clear.”
“Alright, let’s go,” Jin Feng said, letting Guan Xiao Rou and the others enter first, followed by the female soldiers, then him and the male soldiers.
As dusk fell, their clothes began to dry by the fire, but the rain showed no sign of stopping.
“Brother-in-law, when can we leave?” Xiao E asked, tugging at Jin Feng’s sleeve playfully at the cave entrance.
“This rain won’t stop anytime soon, and it’s almost dark. Even if it stops, we can’t travel mountain roads at night. We’ll likely have to stay here,” Jin Feng said, looking outside. “Iron Hammer, start a fire and cook. Make sure the smoke doesn’t blow back into the cave.”
“Got it,” Iron Hammer replied, leading soldiers to build a simple canopy with straw raincoats at the downwind entrance. They lit a bonfire and began cooking porridge in a hanging pot.
“Xiao E, go inside. I’ll call you when the food’s ready,” Jin Feng said, ruffling her hair.
“I don’t want to. It’s too dark inside, and even the rocks are black. I’m scared,” Xiao E said, shaking her head. “I’ll stay out here with you.”
“Black rocks?” Jin Feng’s heart skipped a beat. “What kind of black rocks? Bring me one to see.”
Natural black rocks were less common than other colours, so Jin Feng’s first thought was coal.
But when Xiao E brought him a rock, his breathing quickened, and he rushed into the cave.
