The snow beneath their feet was stained red with blood as the camp's warriors clashed with the beastmen horde. The howling wind carried the cries of the fallen, and the thick air of the North Plains reverberated with the sound of metal clashing against beastly hide.
Hui Jian stood at the edge of the battlefield, his eyes cold and sharp as they scanned the chaos below. The attack had come swiftly, just as he had anticipated, but the camp was not prepared. Not for this. The beastmen came in waves, hulking brutes with fangs bared and weapons drawn, their war cries shaking the ground beneath them.
The frontlines were chaotic, fighters scrambling for their lives. Hui Jian watched carefully as Ren, leading the charge, unleashed his Frost Armor Gu, a thin layer of shimmering ice forming around his body as he struck down a beastman with a swift blow to the neck. The armor cracked under the pressure of the next attack, but Ren moved with precision, calling upon his Ice Spike Gu to impale an approaching beastman with a jagged spear of ice.
For a moment, Ren seemed unstoppable, his Gu giving him just enough protection and strength to hold the line. But Hui Jian knew it wouldn't last.
Further to the right, Wei Shuang's loyalists were fighting desperately, their Torch Beetle Gu illuminating the dark battlefield, making them easy targets for the beastmen. A group of three loyalists huddled together, swinging their crude weapons wildly at the oncoming horde, but without offensive Gu, they were no match. One by one, they were picked off, their blood freezing as it soaked into the snow.
A few of the camp's fighters managed to hold their ground, using their Swift Step Gu to dart in and out of the fray, avoiding the beastmen's heavy blows. But they too were faltering. Hui Jian watched as one fighter, a young woman named Mei, barely escaped a fatal blow by a beastman's club, only to trip on the icy ground. Her Swift Step Gu was exhausted, its essence spent, and she couldn't react in time. The beastman's next swing sent her crashing to the ground, lifeless.
Hui Jian's expression remained unreadable as he observed the battlefield. His mind worked quickly, noting the weaknesses and strengths of those around him. Ren was fighting valiantly, but even he was tiring, his Frost Armor barely holding against the relentless onslaught.
And then there was Fang Ru. Hui Jian's eyes flickered toward him. Fang Ru was fighting bravely, his determination admirable, but Hui Jian knew that this battle would only harden his resolve or break him completely. Fang Ru had a small Snow Cloak Gu—a utility Gu meant for hiding and scouting, not battle. Still, he used it to evade the beastmen's sight, slipping through the shadows of the night, picking his moments carefully.
But Hui Jian knew that no amount of evasion would save them. The beastmen were too many, their forces too strong. The camp was crumbling, its fighters falling one by one, and yet, Hui Jian stood still, unmoved by the desperation around him.
He had seen enough.
His hand drifted to the pouch at his side, where his own Gu rested, unused. There was no need to reveal his strength here. No need to fight in a battle he had already decided would be lost. His thoughts shifted to the supplies he had secretly gathered—the primeval stones, the few rations left, and the precious resources that would ensure his survival once the camp was no more.
Wei Shuang, as expected, was the next to fall. Hui Jian saw it unfold from a distance—the beastman that lunged at him with an overwhelming force, and Wei Shuang's futile attempt to block the attack. He had no Gu to defend himself, and his sword shattered in his hands as the beastman's club came down. With a sickening crunch, Wei Shuang's body crumpled, his blood pooling in the snow around him.
The loyalists who remained scattered, their morale shattered by the loss of their leader. Some tried to flee, but the beastmen were merciless, cutting them down as they ran.
Hui Jian's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile. Everything was going according to plan.
...
The camp was tense. The wind swept through the barricades, carrying with it the unmistakable scent of blood. The bodies of the beastmen lay strewn across the frozen ground, but the victory came at a steep cost. Wei Shuang's loyalists were dead, and the camp had suffered heavy losses.
As the survivors limped back, defeated and exhausted, Hui Jian remained silent. His sharp eyes scanned the field, taking in the bodies and the loot they left behind. More importantly, he was searching for something that had far greater value than the scattered weapons and gear—Gu worms.
Among the dead lay Jian Yi and Mai Yu, two of Wei Shuang's most loyal followers. Each had carried precious Gu, tools that could shift the balance of power within the camp. And Hui Jian intended to take them, but he wasn't the only one with such ambitions.
"Everyone, search the bodies! Gather anything useful—supplies, weapons, and Gu!" Ren's voice cut through the cold night, issuing the command that Hui Jian had expected.
Camp members began spreading out across the battlefield, combing through the dead. Some were looking for food and weapons, but others had their eyes on the more valuable prize—any Gu left behind by the fallen. The tension grew as people realized that the Gu could be the key to their survival in the coming battles.
Hui Jian moved quickly, but not so fast as to draw attention. He had to act with subtlety. He reached Jian Yi's body first, crouching beside it as if inspecting the corpse for supplies. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw others drawing closer, their eyes flicking between the bodies, looking for the telltale signs of a Gu worm.
With practiced precision, Hui Jian slipped his hand into Jian Yi's cloak and found it—Torch Beetle Gu, still nestled in its protective pouch. The Rank 2 Gu could create light in the darkest of nights, a vital tool for anyone in the North Plains. He pocketed it swiftly, feigning a search for other items as the others arrived.
"Nothing here but a few broken weapons," Hui Jian said calmly, standing up and stepping away from the body.
One of the other searchers gave him a suspicious glance, but they were too focused on their own hunt to question him further. As the others moved on, Hui Jian turned his attention to Mai Yu's body. Time was running out. The scavengers were closing in, but he needed to recover the Snow Cloak Gu without drawing suspicion.
The ground around Mai Yu was slick with blood, making it difficult to search. Hui Jian pretended to struggle with the corpse, muttering about the mess of the battlefield. When no one was looking, he slid the Snow Cloak Gu from its hiding place, tucking it into his sleeve before anyone could notice.
Just as he stood up, another camp member approached. It was Tao Lin, one of the sharper-eyed survivors, who had been quick to spot valuable items in the past.
"What have you found?" Tao Lin asked, her voice sharp.
Hui Jian forced a small, tired smile. "Nothing of real value. Just broken blades and some scraps of food. The Gu must have been lost in the chaos of the battle."
Tao Lin frowned, clearly unconvinced. She looked over the body of Mai Yu, her eyes lingering on the spot where the Snow Cloak Gu had been moments earlier. But there was no evidence left behind, nothing for her to accuse Hui Jian of. After a few moments, she sighed and moved on to search another body.
Hui Jian relaxed slightly, but the tension wasn't over. Others were still searching, and there was one last body to deal with—a wounded loyalist, barely alive. The man was breathing faintly, his eyes flickering as Hui Jian approached. There was no Gu on him, but he was still a witness. If he lived, he might have seen too much.
The dying man reached out weakly, his voice barely a whisper. "Help… me…"
Hui Jian knelt beside him, placing a hand on the man's chest as if to comfort him. But his expression was cold, calculating. He leaned in close, his voice barely audible. "I'll help you. You won't suffer any longer."
With one swift motion, Hui Jian pressed his blade against the man's throat, ending his life quickly and quietly. The blood seeped into the snow, and the body was still.
Satisfied that no one had witnessed the act, Hui Jian stood and glanced around. The scavengers were still busy with their searches, and the camp remained unaware of the true events unfolding around them. The Gu were safely hidden on his person, and the last of Wei Shuang's followers were dead.
He moved swiftly back toward the camp, careful to keep his demeanor calm and collected. He had to cover his tracks.
As Hui Jian returned to the camp, he raised his voice, feigning urgency. "I went back to check the bodies! Some of them might still be alive—we need to finish off any survivors!"
Ren, ever quick to respond, gathered a few others and followed Hui Jian back to the battlefield. Together, they searched the area, finding only the dead. Hui Jian had made sure of that.
"It's over," Ren said grimly, wiping blood from his blade. "We got them all."
Hui Jian nodded, his expression calm but focused. "We had to be sure. We can't afford any loose ends."
The others murmured in agreement, their attention turning back to the camp and the pressing issue of survival. As they dispersed, Hui Jian slipped away, heading for the resource safe. Inside, where the camp's supplies were kept under lock and key, he hid the Torch Beetle Gu and Snow Cloak Gu among the other rations and goods. No one would suspect that these valuable resources were now under his control.
Back in his tent, Hui Jian allowed himself a brief moment of satisfaction. The camp had no idea what he was truly capable of. With every passing day, his influence grew, his power solidified in the shadows. And soon, when the time was right, he would reveal just how far he had come.
The camp might have survived the battle, but Hui Jian was the one truly winning the war.