The camp was a scene of devastation. Bodies lay scattered across the snow, their blood staining the once pristine white. The survivors moved like ghosts, their faces hollow with exhaustion and grief. The wind howled through the shattered barricades, carrying with it the stench of death and defeat. No one spoke, not even the wind, as the camp struggled to come to terms with the terrible losses they had endured.
Ren stood at the center of it all, his armor cracked and smeared with blood. His once sharp eyes were clouded with fatigue. He looked around, seeing only the remnants of what had once been a fragile, tenuous alliance. Wei Shuang and his loyalists were dead, their bodies among the fallen. For all his ambition and posturing, Wei Shuang had failed to save himself. In death, he left a power vacuum that the camp was too fractured to fill.
Hui Jian observed the scene with an expression of calm detachment. His heart, cold and steady, had already moved beyond the battle. In the chaos of the previous fight, he had managed to secure what truly mattered—valuable Gu worms from the fallen fighters. The Torch Beetle Gu, the Snow Cloak Gu, all now hidden within the camp's resource safe, beyond the reach of prying eyes. Even the few primeval stones scattered among the bodies were safely in his possession. With each step, his power in the shadows grew stronger, while the rest of the camp faltered.
The aftermath of the battle was nothing but a series of predictable motions. The wounded were tended to, and the dead were counted. Crude graves were hastily dug in the snow, though the ground was too frozen to bury them deep. There was little time for grief—survival was all that mattered now.
Ren tried to rally the survivors, calling out orders and organizing the defense for the next inevitable wave of beastmen. But the cracks were already showing. Fear and despair had taken root deep within the camp. The leaders who remained were divided, their trust in Ren shaky at best. And in that growing uncertainty, Hui Jian saw his opportunity.
His thoughts shifted to Tao Lin. She had grown increasingly suspicious of him since the last battle, her sharp eyes following him when she thought he wasn't looking. He knew she wasn't alone in her doubts. Others were starting to whisper, to wonder about his true intentions. They weren't wrong to be cautious—he had been manipulating events from the start. But now was not the time to confront them openly.
Hui Jian's plan required patience, subtlety. Let Tao Lin and her group whisper in the shadows. Let them gather their strength. He would deal with them when the moment was right.
For now, his focus was on ensuring that the camp's final moments were precisely as he had envisioned them.
The scouts returned with grim news. The beastmen had regrouped and were preparing for a final assault. This time, their numbers were overwhelming. The camp's defenses, already weakened by the earlier attack, would not hold. Panic spread through the survivors like wildfire. Faces that had once been filled with determination now showed only fear.
In the council tent, the remaining leaders gathered in desperation. Their voices were frantic, their discussions laced with uncertainty. Ren led the meeting, though his voice lacked its usual authority. His mind was elsewhere, clearly worn from the endless battles and the weight of leadership.
"We can't hold them off again," one of the leaders said, his voice shaking. "We barely survived the last attack. If they come at us with full force—"
"We'll die," someone else finished grimly.
The mood was dark, hopeless. And in that darkness, Hui Jian saw his moment. He stepped forward, his voice calm and steady in the chaos.
"There is another option."
The council turned to him, surprised by his sudden interjection. Hui Jian rarely spoke during these meetings, preferring to let others take the spotlight. But now, his words carried weight. In the silence that followed, all eyes were on him.
"We can't fight them head-on," he continued, his tone measured. "But we can use the terrain to our advantage. The beastmen won't expect us to retreat. We can lead them into a trap, draw them into the narrow gorge to the west. It's a natural bottleneck. If we collapse the entrance after they're inside, we can buy ourselves time."
"And then what?" Tao Lin spoke up, her voice sharp with suspicion. "Run? Hide in the snow like animals? That's not a plan—it's a death sentence."
Hui Jian met her gaze without flinching. "If we stay here, we die. The beastmen will overrun the camp. But if we can delay them, buy ourselves even a few hours, we can send a small group to escape. A handful of us, with enough supplies, can survive long enough to reach safety. The rest of the camp will have to hold the line."
The tension in the tent was palpable. Tao Lin's eyes narrowed, her suspicion clear. "And who gets to be in this 'small group,' Hui Jian? You?"
He smiled, a small, calculated expression. "The strongest fighters, of course. Ren, myself, a few others. We'll need to lead the escape. The rest will stay and fight to give us time."
Ren's brow furrowed. He didn't like the plan, but he knew there was no other option. The camp was doomed, and Hui Jian's proposal was the only thing that offered even a glimmer of hope.
"We'll need to make sacrifices," Hui Jian added, his voice soft but firm. "We can't save everyone. But if we plan this carefully, we can save enough to start over."
The council was silent. No one wanted to say it, but they all knew Hui Jian was right. They had no choice.
Ren finally spoke, his voice heavy. "We'll make preparations. Hui Jian, you and I will handle the escape route. The others will organize the defenses."
Tao Lin glared at Hui Jian, but she said nothing more. Her suspicion remained, but in the face of certain death, even she couldn't argue against the need for survival.
As the meeting broke up, Hui Jian moved quietly through the camp, speaking with the few allies he had cultivated. Ren was firmly in his corner now, though the man didn't even realize it. Hui Jian's subtle manipulations had made sure of that. Ren trusted him, saw him as a voice of reason amid the chaos.
But Hui Jian wasn't done yet.
He made his way to the resource safe, where the camp's remaining supplies were kept under strict lock and key. The guards, weary from battle, barely noticed his presence. Inside, the precious Gu worms were hidden among the rations, safely tucked away until the time came to use them.
His next move was to speak with the overseer of the supplies, a quiet man named Lu Shan, who had been part of the camp's logistics since the beginning. Lu Shan had no particular loyalty to anyone, but Hui Jian had made sure to keep him on his side with small favors and promises of safety.
"We need to cut off certain groups," Hui Jian whispered, his tone low and conspiratorial. "Make it look like a mistake. Delay their access to critical supplies. The beastmen will finish the job."
Lu Shan's eyes flickered with unease, but he nodded. "Understood."
Hui Jian's plan was in motion. The dissenters would be left to fend for themselves, weakened and vulnerable, while he and his chosen few prepared to escape. The beastmen were closing in, and the camp was on the verge of collapse. But Hui Jian was ready. Everything was falling into place.
As night fell, the camp prepared for its final battle. The cold wind carried the scent of death, and the darkness was heavy with the weight of impending doom. Hui Jian stood at the edge of the camp, his eyes fixed on the horizon where the beastmen would soon emerge. His mind was sharp, his resolve steeled.
The time for decisive action was near.