Wei took advantage of the moment when Chun and 'Cliff Tiger' were talking.
His right leg swung outward, hooking against the rock face. With a sharp pull, he hauled himself up and rolled onto the narrow ledge.
The instant 'Cliff Tiger' saw him, he stepped forward half a pace. But what met him was Chun's furious glare. It stopped him cold, and he retreated almost without realizing it.
"Have you lost your mind?" Chun hissed, forcing her voice low, though the rage in it was impossible to hide.
"The people of the village treated you well. When you were trapped in the mountains, it was Lin who led the rescue party to save you. It was my mother and the villagers who took care of your family. Have you thrown your conscience to the dogs?"
'Cliff Tiger''s eyes burned like red coals. His grip tightened around the axe handle.
"Chun, move aside. I am not going to argue with a girl."
He bent slightly at the waist, his gaze locked on Wei, searching for the next opening to strike.
"Chun, get behind me."
Wei did not wait for her response. He shoved her firmly against the cliff wall and stepped in front of her. The hunting knife in his hand came up without hesitation, its tip aimed straight at 'Cliff Tiger'.
"I get it now," Wei said, his voice edged with mockery. "You were the one who led the bandits in, weren't you?"
"Spit. Do not slander me," 'Cliff Tiger' shouted. "You are the bandits' inside man. No. Your cursed father is the one. Lin was working with them. No… he is one of them."
His words tumbled over each other, incoherent and wild. But the fire in his eyes was real.
Chun froze. She stared hard at 'Cliff Tiger', as if trying to decide whether he had truly gone mad.
"'Cliff Tiger'," she said, unable to stop herself, "are you out of your mind?"
"Nonsense," he roared. "Do you know what I saw?"
His voice rose higher and higher, driven by rage and fear at the same time.
"I was taking the lower path under the cliff, heading back to the village. Just as I was about to reach the top of the slope, I saw A Xiu from the village. She was holding her child. She jumped into the water channel off the cliff. She… she died right in front of me. Her body smashed apart. Her brains were everywhere."
His voice shook violently, as if the blood and terror of that moment had surged back into his mind.
"Then her husband jumped down after her. I was completely stunned. I could not even move."
He swallowed hard and continued, breathless.
"After that, I heard shouting from above the slope. It was Lin. You know how he threatened the pregnant woman, A Gu.
He said, 'Do not be afraid. Once you reach the bottom, it will all be over.'"
"That is impossible," Wei shouted, his face flushing red. "My father was stalling the bandits. How could he be hunting villagers?"
"I thought I was mistaken too," 'Cliff Tiger' said, panting. His voice dropped lower, urgent and strained.
"Then I heard fighting.
I heard explosions.
I did not dare to move... No... I wanted to understand what was happening.
But then I heard your father talking to the bandit leader. That was when I finally understood what was really going on."
Wei felt his breath tighten. A cold sense of dread crept up his spine. Even so, his hand clenched harder around the hunting knife.
The two men stood facing each other, like bulls ready to charge, neither willing to yield.
Chun remained close to Wei, almost unconsciously aligning herself with him. After a moment, she reached out and rested her hand lightly on his arm.
Her voice softened as she spoke.
"Brother 'Cliff Tiger', can we move to that wider spot over there? You can take your time and tell us everything."
'Cliff Tiger''s breathing was still rough, but his emotions seemed to settle a little. Fear still lingered in his eyes, stubborn and unmistakable, as if it refused to let go.
-----------------
On a bigger platform beneath the cliff, Wei and 'Cliff Tiger' faced each other, both gripping their weapons tightly. Chun stood between them, small and tense, as if trying to hold two collapsing worlds apart.
'Cliff Tiger''s anger had not faded. He spoke in a low voice, recounting what he had seen, yet there was something guarded in his tone, as though he were hiding part of it even from himself.
"I saw more than ten bandits," he said. "They surrounded your father and the pregnant woman, A Gu."
"Bandits from Erlong Mountain?" Wei asked.
"I do not know," 'Cliff Tiger' replied after a brief cough. "But they were using the kind of weapons bandits always use. I saw A Gu begging them. She was holding her belly, like she was about to kneel."
His voice dropped even lower, uncertainty creeping in. "Your father did not say anything at first. Then… then someone answered him. That voice. That look. Even in my dreams, it still wakes me up."
'Cliff Tiger''s face remained pale. His eyes wandered, as if still trying to avoid meeting that gaze again.
"The bandit leader?" Wei asked, his chest tightening.
'Cliff Tiger' nodded. He imitated a hoarse, heavy voice, each word dragged out with cruel calm.
"You did well."
"This burden would only slow everyone down."
"You have successfully led us here. I imagine more villagers have already escaped from the other side."
"Leave one behind, and the rest might live."
"You have completed your task."
"As for the others, not a single one of them will get away."
Wei burst out in protest, his voice sharp with anger. "That only proves my father was sacrificing himself. He was drawing the enemy away to give the villagers more time to escape."
"Then why did he have to sacrifice a pregnant woman?" 'Cliff Tiger' shot back.
"And A Xiu's family."
"That young couple. Their child was only just born."
"All of them died."
Wei could not make sense of it. His thoughts tangled together, pulling his heart in opposite directions.
'Cliff Tiger' continued, his voice steady but heavy.
"I heard A Gu cursing your father."
"She was shouting as loud as she could."
"She said, 'If I had known, I would have seen that you meant to send us to our deaths.'"
He paused. His throat bobbed as he swallowed.
"She did not even finish shouting before one of the bandits reached out."
"Just like that."
"One squeeze."
"He crushed her throat."
The color drained from Wei's face in an instant.
In his mind, he heard it clearly.
A sharp crack.
'Cliff Tiger' kept speaking, his words merciless.
"Your father… at that moment, it was like something inside him finally snapped."
"He shouted, 'No.'"
"And then…"
"He pulled out a ceramic jar from his clothes and hurled it straight at the bandits."
The scene exploded in Wei's vision.
The jar shattered.
Black fire oil and sharp bone shards sprayed in all directions.
Flames raced along the ground and swallowed the first man whole.
The man screamed, flailing wildly as he stumbled into his companions.
Then came more explosions.
More fire.
Flames leaped between the bandits. Roars, curses, and shrieks tangled together into a single wall of sound.
Wei suddenly looked up. His voice shook with fury.
"You saw all of this. You saw my father fighting with his life. Why did you not go help him?"
'Cliff Tiger' panicked. His eyes darted away, and his words fell apart.
"It was too fast. Everything happened too fast. I did not have time. I did not react."
Wei let out a cold laugh.
"You were afraid."
"You just wanted to save your own life. That is all."
He rose to his feet, open contempt filling his eyes.
'Cliff Tiger' stood as well, retreating several steps, like a wild animal driven into a corner.
"But later," he stammered, desperate to defend himself, "later the bandit leader did not retaliate."
"Instead… he talked with your father."
Wei froze.
"That is impossible."
"I heard it," 'Cliff Tiger' said. His voice dropped to a whisper, yet every word cut sharply through the air.
"Your father called him…"
"It sounded like… 'General.'"
Wei's breathing stopped.
"General?"
"You mean those bandits were soldiers in disguise?"
'Cliff Tiger' stared at him, eyes bloodshot. His voice was so low it was almost a murmur, yet it struck like a hammer.
"Your father…
and those monsters killing our people…
were on the same side."