The camp was quieter than usual, though not for lack of tension. The failed assassination attempt on Hui Jian had cast a shadow over every corner of the settlement, even if no one spoke of it openly. Whispers moved through the camp like cold wind through the trees, chilling anyone who dared to listen. But Hui Jian, ever watchful, knew better than to let the silence lull him into complacency. The enemy within was still plotting, waiting for another moment to strike.
Hui Jian moved through the camp with a steady pace, his senses attuned to the atmosphere around him. The people barely acknowledged him as he passed. That was how he liked it. Being underestimated had served him well so far. Let them think he was nothing more than a capable survivor, holding the camp together in the face of the beastmen's threat. But in the back of his mind, Hui Jian knew that the beastmen were not his only enemies. There were others—like Lei Xing—who would try again, but this time with subtler methods.
Rumors had begun to circulate in hushed voices, carried on the breath of those who sought to undermine him. He could feel the camp's trust in him slowly eroding, bit by bit, like the frost gnawing away at the edges of a frozen pond. The whispers said he was ambitious, that he wanted to seize control of the camp for his own gain. They weren't entirely wrong, but ambition was not a sin in this world—it was a necessity.
Fang Ru, one of the few in the camp who had stood by Hui Jian's side, approached him later that evening. His face was clouded with uncertainty, the weight of rumors pulling him in different directions. "Hui Jian," he began cautiously, "there's been talk. Some are saying that you've been making decisions that only serve yourself. That... you're using the camp's struggle to rise in power."
Hui Jian met his gaze without flinching. "And what do you believe, Fang Ru?" His voice was steady, calm, cutting through the rising wind like a blade.
Fang Ru hesitated. "I don't know. I trust you... but the way things have been lately, I can't ignore what I've been hearing. Some are starting to question if your methods are too harsh."
Hui Jian nodded slowly, as if considering Fang Ru's words carefully. "I understand your concerns," he said, "but let me ask you this: would you rather someone who makes difficult decisions or someone who hesitates and lets us all die?"
Fang Ru shifted uneasily, his loyalty clearly warring with the doubts that had been sown in his mind. "I... I don't know if it's that simple."
"It never is," Hui Jian replied, his voice low but firm. "Survival isn't about what's easy or comfortable. The North Plains don't care about fairness or kindness. The only thing that matters is who's willing to do what's necessary. I don't deny that I have ambition, but that ambition is the reason we're still alive. Without it, we'd all be dead, and you know that as well as I do."
Fang Ru's expression softened slightly, though the uncertainty in his eyes hadn't fully faded. "I just... I just hope you're right."
Hui Jian placed a hand on Fang Ru's shoulder, his grip firm but not forceful. "I am. Trust me, Fang Ru. We're not fighting just the beastmen—we're fighting the very nature of this world. And I promise you, I'm prepared to do whatever it takes to win."
Fang Ru nodded, though his thoughts remained troubled as he walked away. Hui Jian watched him go, knowing that the seed of doubt had been planted, but also that Fang Ru's loyalty hadn't wavered completely. Not yet. There was still time.
As the night wore on, a new threat began to loom over the camp. Scouts returned with grim news: the beastmen were closer than anyone had anticipated. Their warband would be upon them by nightfall, and there was no longer any time for debate. The council, as expected, dissolved into chaos, their discussions once again mired in indecision. The weight of leadership had crushed their resolve, and it was clear to anyone watching that they were incapable of making the hard choices.
Hui Jian, however, had already anticipated this moment. He gathered Ren and a few of the more capable fighters—those he knew he could trust—and laid out a plan. There would be no defensive stand. The camp's walls were too weak to hold against the sheer might of the beastmen's attack. Instead, Hui Jian proposed a preemptive strike, using the narrow gorge outside the camp to their advantage. It was the perfect place for an ambush, where the beastmen's numbers would mean nothing.
"We have no other choice," Hui Jian told them, his voice cold and clear. "If we wait for them to attack, we'll all die. But if we strike first, we can turn the tide in our favor."
Ren, always the pragmatist, nodded in agreement. "You're right. We've seen what they can do. If we don't act now, we'll be overwhelmed."
The others were hesitant, but Hui Jian's calm resolve convinced them. They couldn't rely on the council—this was their only chance.
Under the cover of darkness, Hui Jian led his group to the gorge, positioning them strategically among the rocks and cliffs. The air was tense, the cold biting deeper as they waited for the beastmen to arrive. Hui Jian's mind was sharp, his thoughts guided by the subtle influence of the Frozen Mind Gu. Every move had been calculated, every step planned. This ambush wasn't just about defeating the beastmen—it was about solidifying his control over the camp.
As the beastmen approached, their heavy footsteps crunching through the snow, Hui Jian watched from his hidden vantage point. The warband was larger than expected, but that only made the ambush more necessary. His fighters were ready, their breaths shallow and quiet as they prepared for the signal.
Hui Jian raised his hand, his eyes locked on the leader of the beastmen. When the moment was right, he dropped his hand, and the ambush began.
The first strike was swift and deadly. Arrows flew from the shadows, piercing the thick hides of the beastmen before they even realized they were under attack. Ren and the others leaped into the fray, their weapons flashing in the moonlight as they cut through the confused and disoriented warband.
Hui Jian moved with precision, his every strike deliberate. In the midst of the chaos, he unleashed the power of the Beast Strength Gu, his muscles surging with unnatural strength as he crushed the skull of a beastman with a single blow. But his true plan lay not in the battle itself—it lay in the positioning of his own fighters.
Yong, one of the conspirators who had plotted against him, had been placed in a dangerously exposed position. As the fight raged on, Hui Jian made no move to protect him. In the confusion, Yong was struck down, his death swift and unnoticed by the others. Another threat removed, another obstacle cleared from Hui Jian's path.
When the last of the beastmen fell, the group stood victorious, though battered and bruised. The camp had been saved, but Hui Jian knew the true victory lay in the minds of those around him. They would see him as their savior, their leader. The whispers and rumors would fade, drowned out by the sound of his triumph.
As they returned to the camp, Fang Ru approached him once more, his face a mix of gratitude and lingering doubt. "We couldn't have done this without you," he admitted. "But... are you sure this is the right way?"
Hui Jian met his gaze, his expression calm and unflinching. "There is no right way, Fang Ru. There's only survival."
Fang Ru nodded slowly, the weight of the words settling over him like the cold night air. Hui Jian had won another battle—both on the field and in the minds of those who followed him. But the war was far from over, and Hui Jian knew that his greatest weapon would not be his strength, but the quiet manipulations and hidden plots that would guide him to his ultimate victory.
The camp was his, even if they didn't realize it yet.