Chapter 18: Kill, Kill, Kill, Kill! Battle with the Enemy

This was the first time Chu Feng had ever seen a so-called Daxia soldier.

The men spoke with an accent completely foreign to the Great Qian, muttering in a tongue he could not understand. Sun Can kept shaking his head, praying for mercy, while Wang Wei hung his head low, seemingly unable to speak. The three Daxia soldiers watched the two of them as if they were mere toys.

"Let's go, we must report this to the authorities; this matter is beyond our control," Du Dahai urged, pulling at Chu Feng to leave.

"If we leave, won't they be killed?" Chu Feng asked.

"If they die, they die, but we cannot! It is their fate!" Du Dahai was unwilling to risk his life for Wang Wei and Sun Can. He finally understood why those two had never returned; captured by these brutal Daxia men, how could they have possibly escaped?

"There is a chance. We could try," Chu Feng said.

"Try? How? We have no idea how many of them there are, and they have blades. Even if there are only three, the two of us are no match for them!" Du Dahai was agitated. For common folk like them, encountering soldiers was their greatest fear. In times of chaos, hunger was the primary killer of the people, and soldiers were the second. Whenever war broke out, if civilians were caught in the vicinity, their doom was certain. There was a common saying among the people: "Better to meet a bear than to meet a soldier."

But Chu Feng felt no fear. In his past life, he had been more than just an outdoor survival streamer; he had been a soldier—a special forces operative. He had been through training camps, mastering various combat styles and lethal military techniques. He knew how to shoot, use a bow, and set traps. Saving two villagers from three men of this era was well within his capabilities.

However, that did not mean he would underestimate them. One should never underestimate an enemy, regardless of the circumstances. He had to be certain that there were truly only three of them.

"Village Chief, calm down. I will ask you one last time: if I am confident I can rescue them, are you certain you won't help?"

The question caught Du Dahai off guard. "What are your odds?"

"If there are truly only three, eighty percent!"

"Fine, tell me, how do we save them!"

...

"We are just commoners, we know nothing, please, masters, spare our lives!"

Sun Can was filled with regret. Had he known he would run into these Daxia soldiers, he would never have followed Wang Wei to catch wild hares! There were only three soldiers. Had they been with the main group of over twenty people, they would have been far safer than acting alone. But it was too late now. He could not understand the soldiers' language, and they could not understand his.

Seeing the soldiers' expressions, it seemed they were growing impatient and ready to strike. Sun Can had never imagined that his first time up the mountain would be his last. A wave of sorrow washed over him. "Oh, Heavens, save me! If I can survive this, I will never set foot on this mountain again." The Village Chief had been right; this mountain was truly cursed!

Seeing the Daxia soldier raise his blade, Sun Can instinctively squeezed his eyes shut. But after a long moment, he felt nothing but the biting wind and snow against his face. When he cautiously opened his eyes, he noticed the three Daxia soldiers had suddenly grown alert. They were gazing nervously toward the rear, as if they had heard something.

At that moment, Du Dahai jumped out. He glanced at the three men and immediately turned to run.

"Village Chief..." The hope that had just ignited in Sun Can’s heart was extinguished. Du Dahai’s presence changed nothing; he would only be captured along with them. And it appeared the Chief was alone. Sun Can felt a sense of despair.

The three Daxia soldiers muttered to each other. Two of them paired off and gave chase in the direction of the Village Chief. Only one remained to guard Sun Can and Wang Wei. This soldier had thick brows and a long beard, muttering something at Sun Can. Sun Can no longer had the strength to plead.

Suddenly, a *swish* echoed through the air. From the opposite direction of Du Dahai’s escape, an arrow flew through the air and struck the soldier in the shoulder. The Daxia man looked at the arrow in disbelief, clutching his wound in pain. The tip of the arrow was merely sharpened wood; its lethality was pitifully low. This single strike was not enough to incapacitate the soldier, but it was enough.

Chu Feng slung his bow over his back. Gripping an axe, he charged directly into the wind and snow. The Daxia soldier spotted him immediately. Wang Wei, though unable to speak, was not unconscious; he was simply in too much pain to utter a sound. When he and Sun Can looked up at Chu Feng, they were stunned. All commoners, upon seeing soldiers, would only flee—just as Du Dahai had done. They had never seen a commoner dare to fight a soldier to the death.

But Chu Feng dared! With a resolute expression, he raised his axe and ran toward them with unwavering strides.

Seeing someone attempting a sneak attack, the Daxia soldier raised his long blade. With a roar, he charged toward Chu Feng and swung with all his might. The strike was heavy and powerful, but Chu Feng did not meet it head-on. The combat techniques from his past life, now fully integrated into his present body, took over. Instinctively, he sidestepped the attack and swung his axe forcefully at the soldier.

In battlefield combat, it is always like this. No matter how high one’s martial skill, or how evenly matched the opponents, the moment they clash, life and death are decided in a single move.

Chu Feng had bet correctly. The Daxia soldier stared in disbelief at the thin, weak-looking commoner who seemed barely able to lift an axe. He never imagined he would die at the hands of such a man.

Wang Wei looked up, and Sun Can stared, dumbfounded. It was as if they were witnessing a god descend from the heavens; they watched Chu Feng without blinking.

"Keep your heads down, don't look at me, and don't speak!" Chu Feng dropped these words and scrambled up a tree with the agility of a monkey.

Before long, the other two Daxia soldiers ran back. Upon seeing their comrade lying on the ground, they rushed over in a panic. As they entered range, Chu Feng, hidden in the tree, moved. He raised his bow, took a deep breath, and aimed for the throat of one of the soldiers. The previous arrow to the chest had failed to incapacitate the first soldier; this time, he would aim for the neck. He didn't believe anyone could remain combat-effective with an arrow in their throat.

*Swish!*

Chu Feng, who had spent a lifetime hunting in the wilderness in his previous life, had never felt his marksmanship to be so sharp. The dull, wooden arrow struck the second soldier’s neck with lethal precision. The soldier staggered but did not fall. There was no fountain of blood, but the man dared not move. He sat on the ground, clutching his neck and looking toward the last remaining soldier.

Seeing this, Chu Feng no longer hid. He jumped down from the tree, axe in hand, and cut the bonds of Sun Can and Wang Wei.

"Pick up the blade and help me," Chu Feng ordered. Although Sun Can was trembling with fear, he obediently grabbed the long blade.

The last Daxia soldier saw this and began to panic. Chu Feng and Sun Can slowly closed in. The soldier backed away, only to find Du Dahai behind him, brandishing a wood-chopping blade, completing the encirclement.

"Brother Feng... what should we do?" Sun Can’s address to Chu Feng had turned into one of deep respect.

Chu Feng’s gaze grew cold. He did not know if these soldiers were scouts or outriders, but regardless, he could not let them go. If he did, they might call for reinforcements!

"All together now, kill him!"

Just as the three of them prepared to strike, the Daxia soldier decisively dropped his blade and knelt before them, prostrating himself in complete surrender.