Linjiangtun
The night was as dark as ink, turning the mountains and valleys into a chaotic blur. Only a few faint lights from the distant riverside village flickered in the cold wind, like will-o'-the-wisps.
Gu Tieshan chose to spend the night in a shallow, naturally formed cave on the shady side of the mountain ridge. The entrance was hidden by dense vines, making it extremely secluded. The cave was small and damp, but enough for the group to huddle together and ward off the biting cold wind outside. They dared not light a fire, relying solely on each other's body heat and their two thick cotton-padded coats to keep warm.
Shen Lanjun barely slept a wink all night. The child in her arms slept soundly, but her ears were filled with the howling wind outside the cave, the sound of the river flowing in the distance, and Gu Tieshan's occasional heavy breathing due to his injuries. By the faint moonlight filtering into the cave, she could see that even in his sleep, his brows were slightly furrowed, as if he were fighting against something.
As dawn broke, Gu Tieshan quietly got up and gestured for Shen Lanjun and Xiao Chen to go out with him.
The three of them lay prone behind the rocks on the edge of the mountain ridge, carefully observing Linjiang Village below in the dim light of the morning sun.
The village was small, with a few dozen households scattered on the gentle slope of the river bend. The houses were low and dilapidated, mostly with mud walls and thatched roofs, giving them an air of poverty and isolation. A main road, worn white by countless footsteps, meandered through the center of the village, connecting a small dock on the riverbank to a path leading out of the mountains. Several old wooden boats were moored at the dock, gently swaying with the current.
By this time, early risers were already moving about in the village. Several men, dressed in bulky, tattered cotton-padded coats, carried tools and hunched their shoulders as they headed towards the riverbank or the land at the foot of the mountain. Women in their courtyards were beating their frozen clothes with wooden mallets, producing dull thuds. Occasionally, the barking of dogs and the crying of children would drift through the air, adding a touch of life to the otherwise lifeless village, yet also revealing the hardship of struggling to survive.
"Look over there." Xiao Chen, with his sharp eyes, pointed to a relatively neat house with a courtyard wall at the highest point of the village. "That house looks different."
The house, with its blue bricks and gray tiles, stood out among the other thatched huts, though it showed signs of age. The gate was tightly shut, and there seemed to be a figure moving around at the entrance.
“It should be the home of the village chief, Zhao Shouren,” Shen Lanjun murmured, the scattered information provided by the organization flashing through her mind. “This person controls the village and has many connections with outside forces, so we need to be extra careful.”
Gu Tieshan's gaze was calm, like that of an experienced hunter, not missing a single detail. He noticed several men on the outskirts of the village who appeared to be strolling around, but whose eyes were actually constantly scanning their surroundings. "There are sentries hidden," he said succinctly.
The situation was more complicated than expected. The village appeared peaceful on the surface, but in reality, it was tense beneath.
"We can't rush in," Gu Tieshan decided. "Let's find a place to stay on the outskirts of the village first and get a feel for the situation before we go in."
The three quietly retreated, making their way along the mountain ridge towards the more secluded forest behind the village. They needed to find a foothold where they could observe the village without easily being discovered.
After searching for almost a whole morning, just as they were passing through a dense hazelnut forest, a low growl and shouts of men suddenly came from ahead!
Gu Tieshan immediately gave a hand signal, and the three of them quickly hid behind a tree.
In a clearing in the woods, a burly man dressed in an animal skin coat stood facing off against a wounded and enraged wild boar! The boar was quite large, with menacing tusks, and an arrow lodged in its shoulder, dripping with blood, which only fueled its ferocity. It growled, pawing at the ground, and charged suddenly at the man!
The man remained calm in the face of danger. He lowered his body slightly, gripped a thick-backed machete firmly in his hand, and with sharp eyes, he neither dodged nor avoided the attack. He seized the momentum of the wild boar charging towards him and suddenly swung the machete to the side!
"Pfft!"
A flash of light, and blood splattered! The thick-backed machete cleaved precisely into the wild boar's neck! The boar continued its charge, staggering forward a few more steps before collapsing to the ground with a thud, its limbs twitching, clearly beyond saving.
The entire process was clean and efficient, demonstrating the man's exceptional courage and skillful hunting techniques.
A hint of approval flashed in Gu Tieshan's eyes. This man was quite skilled, and he seemed to be a local hunter.
The man breathed a sigh of relief after dealing with the wild boar, kicking its body to confirm it was dead. He wiped his sweat and was about to bend down to process his prey when he suddenly looked up, his gaze flashing like lightning towards the direction where Gu Tieshan and his two companions were hiding!
"Who's there? Come out!" he shouted, his voice booming and wary, his grip on the machete tightening once more.
Gu Tieshan felt a chill run down his spine. This hunter had such keen senses! He gestured for Shen Lanjun and Xiao Chen to calm down, and then stepped out from behind the tree, spreading his hands to indicate that he meant no harm.
“Passersby who heard the commotion, come and see.” Gu Tieshan said calmly.
The hunter sized up Gu Tieshan, his gaze lingering for a moment on the broadsword at his waist and his composed demeanor. He then glanced at Shen Lanjun and Xiao Chen, who followed him out. He noticed that Shen Lanjun was holding a child in her arms, and his wariness lessened slightly, but he did not completely relax.
"Just passing through? These days, not many people dare to venture into this old forest," the hunter said in a deep voice. He was around forty years old, with a rugged face and dark skin, but his eyes gleamed with the sharp glint of a forest hunter. "My name is Geng Dashan, and I live nearby. Where are you from?"
"They came from the south, fleeing from disaster," Gu Tieshan said succinctly, without revealing any further information.
Looking at their tired expressions and simple belongings, especially since Xiu Niang and Shuanzi had timidly followed behind, Geng Dashan was about 70-80% convinced. In those chaotic years of war, he had seen many people fleeing with their families.
“This place isn’t safe. It’s dangerous for you to wander around like this.” Geng Dashan put away his machete and pointed to the wild boar on the ground. “You’re lucky you ran into me. If you don’t mind, I have a wooden hut halfway up the mountain where you can rest temporarily. It’s better than you sleeping in the open.”
This was undoubtedly a timely help. Gu Tieshan and Shen Lanjun exchanged a glance.
"Thank you very much, Brother Geng." Gu Tieshan clasped his hands in thanks. Right now, a place to stay provided by a local hunter was far safer and more reliable than searching blindly on their own.
Geng Dashan waved his hand: "It's nothing, it's not easy being away from home. Help me get this big guy back, we'll have meat for dinner tonight!"
With Geng Dashan, a local expert, as their guide, they quickly arrived at a secluded wooden cabin halfway up the mountain. The cabin was small, built with large logs, and simply furnished, but it provided shelter from the wind and rain, and had a kang (heated brick bed) and a simple stove. For them, who had been wandering and displaced, it was paradise.
Looking down at Linjiang Village, which remained calm yet harbored hidden turmoil, Gu Tieshan knew that temporary peace had been achieved, but the real contest had only just begun. Whether Geng Dashan was friend or foe remained to be seen. The true test they would face was the village chief, Zhao Shouren, and the unseen undercurrents within the village.
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