Chapter Twenty-Four: One Bears Responsibility for One’s Own Actions

The leader of the ruffian soldiers collapsed in a pool of blood. Though the other six men quickly surrounded them, only one among them held a weapon. More importantly, the overwhelming aura radiating from Gu Jun at that moment sent chills down their spines; it felt as if they were back on the battlefield, where companions fell screaming with every blink of an eye.

Who could say they wouldn't be next?

That old terror surged anew. In the eyes of these six, Gu Jun was no longer a cripple, but an executioner come to claim their lives.

"Who... who on earth are you? We haven't eaten in days, we're starving—there's no need to kill us, is there?"

These deserters were already like startled birds, fierce only in appearance but hollow inside. Bullying helpless peasants was one thing, but confronted by someone as formidable as Gu Jun, their bravado evaporated.

This quickly put Jiang Chen at ease; he knew the situation would not spiral out of control. If violence broke out, Gu Jun might not be able to handle all of them alone, and Jiang Chen would be forced to intervene—something he wished to avoid.

It wasn't that Jiang Chen feared these ruffians, but he didn't want to reveal his own skills over such a trivial matter. Since crossing into this world, he had deliberately concealed his strength, both to avoid frightening Wu Yue and to keep an ace up his sleeve.

Imagine: everyone knew him as the down-and-out scholar, weak and powerless, orphaned and raised on the charity of neighbors. If he suddenly revealed himself as a master whom dozens of strong men couldn't touch, their shock would know no bounds.

Such a scene was best postponed as long as possible. Jiang Chen understood that flaunting one's abilities was unwise; only by keeping one's edge hidden could one remain invincible.

"Don't do anything rash—we'll leave right away. There's no need for blades or guns," one of the frightened deserters stammered.

Even as they fled, these cowards managed to snatch the landlord's pot of meat soup. Watching them scramble away, one could well imagine the pitiful state of the Da Qian army.

Gu Jun said nothing, his face cold as he stared at the corpse of the ruffian leader. As the body on the ground grew colder, Gu Jun's thoughts seemed to drift far away...

The glory of Da Qian, when thirty thousand iron cavalry once swept all before them, would be no more.

"Damn it! If you're so capable, why didn't you kill them all!"

The landlord's shrewish wife suddenly hurled a lump of mud at Gu Jun. The tear tracks from her earlier terror still streaked her cheeks, but now Gu Jun became the target for her frustration. In her eyes, if only Gu Jun had acted sooner, their guard would still be alive, and, more importantly, their meat soup would not have been stolen.

Gu Jun ignored her, tossing his knife aside and sitting back down, silently gnawing on a piece of dry, hard flatbread.

The shrew was about to explode again, but Jiang Chen glared at her and snapped, "Didn't you see how that ruffian died? He killed him!"

That sharp reminder silenced her. Fear drained the blood from her face as she realized how foolish she had been; if she angered Gu Jun, who was to say he wouldn't kill again?

Wouldn't their whole family become lambs to the slaughter?

Thus the bloody conflict sparked by the ruffians came to an end. The refugees began to keep their distance from Jiang Chen and Gu Jun, not wanting trouble or to witness any more killing.

That was for the best; keeping to themselves and not interfering in each other's affairs benefited everyone.

As dusk approached, Jiang Chen and Gu Jun parted ways with the larger group of refugees. The hundreds of others would continue south, drawn by the promise of fertile land and a warmer climate.

But what awaited them, no one could say.

"Once we cross the next hill, we should reach Gucheng County. Shall we rest a while?" Gu Jun pointed ahead and suggested.

Truth was, both men had the stamina to march another hundred li without issue. Perhaps this was a subtle test, but Jiang Chen saw no need to stop.

"Brother Gu, I know you're looking out for me, but I can keep going. We're not far from our destination."

"Alright," Gu Jun replied.

Just then, the sound of galloping horses echoed from the distance. The two men slipped into the roadside grass, watching a company of soldiers thunder toward them.

"General, those damned refugees are just ahead! They even have knives—I suspect they might be enemy spies in disguise!" The speaker was one of the six deserters who had fled earlier; the rest were there as well. Somehow, they had encountered this cavalry unit and, like villains, were the first to cry foul, accusing the refugees of being enemy agents.

The general in the lead roared, "How dare they run wild in my territory and kill Da Qian soldiers! We'll skin them alive and wipe them out to the last man!"

Spurred on by the ruffians, the general didn't bother to distinguish right from wrong. He simply assumed the refugees were enemy spies. With over fifty cavalrymen under his command, it would be child's play to overtake the defenseless refugees.

As the hoofbeats faded, Jiang Chen turned to Gu Jun. "This is bad. Once they catch up, none of those refugees will survive!"

"A man must answer for his own deeds. This trouble is mine to bear—I can't let so many people die on my account. I'm going back."

Jiang Chen did not stop him. He understood Gu Jun's temperament and knew the man had long since stopped valuing his own life. How could he now stand by and let others die for his sake?

Yet, even if they rushed back, their feet could not outrun horses. By the time they arrived, the refugees would already have met a tragic end.

But fate left them a path. Just then, another rider approached from behind—a lone cavalryman about to pass by. If they didn't act now, when would they?

Jiang Chen suddenly stepped out, blocking the rider's way. The young man, perhaps seventeen or eighteen and clearly less skilled in horsemanship, yanked the reins to stop his horse, the animal rearing up in surprise.

"Damn you! Why are you blocking my way?"

Jiang Chen replied politely, "Forgive me—we're in desperate straits and have no choice but to resort to this."

"What do you mean—" the young man began, but before he could finish, Gu Jun struck him from behind and pulled him from the saddle.