Wei seemed to glimpse something moving in the pitch-black forest.
Not beasts.
A line of villagers, their hands bound behind their backs, were being shoved forward, stumbling out of the shadows.
Some faces were familiar. Others were not.
There was no sound of frantic shoving.
No dying screams.
Only low breathing filled the air, uneven and strained.
Now and then, someone failed to hold back a sob.
It slipped out quietly, quickly swallowed, as if even crying felt pointless.
They walked like people who already knew how this would end.
Every pair of eyes carried something heavy and dull, like ash pressed deep into the gaze.
Wei's eyes moved quickly across their faces.
One.
Then another.
Then another.
Somewhere inside him, a small and stubborn hope still struggled to survive. A foolish hope that refused to admit what he already understood.
Until the very end.
That was when he saw his mother.
In that instant, it felt as if the world itself had been seized and held still.
No one shoved her. No one handled her roughly.
There were no obvious wounds on her body, only dust clinging to her clothes.
Yet she stood perfectly upright.
Her back was straight, as if she were forcing herself to remain standing through sheer will alone, refusing to bend no matter the weight pressing down on her.
"Your mother," 'Cliff Tiger' whispered softly.
"From the start, the general treated her with unexpected courtesy."
Wei's throat tightened.
"He had her untied right there."
"And he even told his men… to invite her out."
"Invite?" Wei could hardly grasp the word.
"Yes." Cliff Tiger's mouth curled into a cold, crooked smile. "The General even had someone bring over a saddle and place it on the ground."
"Asked her to sit."
Wei's fingertips began to tremble.
In his mind, the scene formed on its own.
Firelight flickering in the darkness. Spears and blades surrounding the clearing. Figures standing all around, their presence heavy enough to crush anyone who dared lift their head.
And his mother was seated there.
Her back straight.
Unbroken.
"She kept watching your father", 'Cliff Tiger' said. From the beginning to the end.
"She did not cry. She did not beg."
"She only watched him."
Wei knew that look.
He had seen it his entire life.
It was the expression his mother wore only when she looked at his father. A quiet intensity, as if every word she wanted to say had already been swallowed and sealed deep inside her heart.
'Cliff tiger' gave a cold snort. "The General didn't say a single word. He just stood there, watching your father."
Confusion flickered in Wei's eyes.
"Now you understand," "Cliff Tiger' sneered. "Your father is nothing but a coward who clings to life. He talks about wanting a quiet life, then turns around and sells out the whole village."
Wei's chest tightened suddenly.
Cliff Tiger lifted his head, his cold smile deepening. "Your father looked at her. Your mother shook her head—just a little. She didn't say a word.
"But do you know what the villagers were saying?"
"What do you mean?" Wei's face had gone pale.
"Didn't you say you'd lead them away?!"
"You said we only had to hide for one night!"
"You knew this would happen, didn't you?!"
"You traded the whole village for your own life!"
"Heh."
The General watched it all, calm, almost detached. He even gave a faint nod.
Then he turned to your father.
Wei knew what that look meant.
It wasn't a question.
It was a threat.
In Wei's chest, worry and fear twisted together—along with a trace of pride he almost refused to admit.
"My father would never give in," Wei said.
Cliff Tiger raised his head and looked at him, eyes full of mockery. "He nodded. Wei. Your father agreed.
"I heard it with my own ears. He said, 'I'll go with you.'"
"A Thousand Man Commander? Bullshit. He's just a coward who ran from the battlefield. Back then he killed for the Mongols without blinking, and now he pretends to be a good man?"
The color drained from Wei's face.
"That's impossible! My father isn't like that! He never talks about war, never touches weapons—he can't even watch someone kill a chicken!"
No. This damned Cliff Tiger.
I can't let anyone know.
Even if it's true, no one else can know—not outsiders, not the villagers. My father raised me. I won't let him carry the names 'traitor' and 'liar' in his old age.
The voice inside him was almost screaming.
I have to protect him. No matter what.
But Cliff Tiger was merciless. He spat on the ground. "Kid, open your eyes. Back then your father stood at the village gate, waving a knife for ages, and in the end your mother had to kill the chicken for him. Your father's a coward. Isn't that embarrassing?"
"You thought your father was a hero? Look at you—just like him. A pair of spineless cowards, father and son."
Wei looked up.
In that moment, the man in front of him no longer seemed like Cliff Tiger.
He was the General—the one who saw through everything, who controlled everything.
The next instant—
Wei charged forward, eyes burning red.
-----------
Chun had been watching Wei closely, as if she had known all along that he would lose control.
Her face pale, she grabbed Wei's arm, but her gaze stayed fixed on 'Cliff Tiger'.
"'Cliff Tiger'—whether it's Uncle Lin or Wei, I swear they've never hurt anyone in the village. On the contrary—"
'Cliff Tiger' was in his thirties, his lean, solid muscles fully on display. He wasn't tall, but facing a boy, he clearly didn't take him seriously at all.
"Oh?"
He steadied himself, a mocking smile tugging at his lips.
"Did I hit a nerve? Getting worked up now?"
His cold laugh cut Chun off. "Chun, step aside. Kid, let me teach you a proper lesson today."
The axe spun once in his hand, a vicious gleam flashing in his eyes.
"Who do you think you are, acting tough in front of me? You—hell, you couldn't even beat the dog I keep at home!"
Wei's chest felt like it had been stuffed with fire, rage surging through his blood.
But then he did something no one expected.
He pushed the hunting knife into Chun's hands. She froze for a split second, and Wei had already stepped forward again, placing himself squarely in front of her.
Even 'Cliff Tiger' was thrown off by the move. The axe in his hand suddenly felt awkward—neither here nor there.
If he threw it away, what if the boy and the girl attacked him together?
If he kept it, then here he was, a grown, powerful hunter, facing a boy who didn't even bother with a weapon. It felt… embarrassing.
"'Cliff Tiger'," Wei said, his voice steady. "Let's fight like men.
No knives. No axes. Just fists.
If I win, you agree to one condition."