"Brother Mu, something terrible has happened!"
"Qili Village has rebelled! The brothers sent to Qili Village to conscript Forced Labor were all killed!"
"We're going to war now!"
"It's over, it's over! I can barely even swing my sword!"
"I'm not going to die, am I? I'm still so young..."
Xu Yuan babbled endlessly beside Chu Mu, his face a mask of panic.
Although Chu Mu's expression was grave, a suppressed flicker of excitement seemed to resurface within him.
"Brother Mu, say something! Aren't you scared?"
Xu Yuan grew even more terrified, gripping Chu Mu's hand tightly and refusing to let go in the slightest.
"Shut up!"
Chu Mu hissed.
"Undermine the troops' morale, and the Thousand Households will have your head first!"
Xu Yuan shrank back, his face pale. He opened his mouth as if to say something but clearly didn't dare to make a sound.
Seeing him act like such a burden, Chu Mu couldn't help but frown. But in the end, he composed himself and said,
"Stick with me later. Don't you dare run off on your own."
Xu Yuan nodded frantically.
Chu Mu took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over their surroundings as he sized up the other Inspectors.
Once everyone understood the reason for the assembly, the initial uproar died down into a somber silence.
There were clearly many who were afraid, but there were also obvious exceptions.
Take his Team Leader, Li Gang, who had been grim-faced for days. His demeanor had now completely changed. His excitement was palpable, and he kept glancing toward the Thousand Households riding at the very front, his intentions written all over his face.
After a quick scan, Chu Mu withdrew his gaze. Following the news spreading, the chattering of the various Inspectors had already made the situation perfectly clear.
Chu Mu now had a clear picture of what had happened.
To put it simply, the burden of Forced Labor was too heavy, and some of the commoners were unwilling to comply. In the heat of their collective anger, they violently resisted conscription. Of the squad of Inspectors sent there, only one managed to escape.
The only remaining question was: was this a rebellion by a few individuals, or had the entire village participated?
'Qili Village...'
Chu Mu repeated the village's name in his mind, his brow furrowing with increased gravity.
Although he had never left Nanshan Town, he had made a deliberate effort to inquire about and understand Qinghe County.
He had, of course, heard of Qili Village. It was under the jurisdiction of Nanshan Town, located in the mountains to the town's northwest. It was named Qili Village because the path down the mountain was seven *li* long.
In this era, people lived off the land—if you're by a mountain, you live off the mountain; if you're by the water, you live off the water. Qili Village was nestled in the mountains, so its people naturally lived by them, and their ways were just as naturally fierce and hardy.
Moreover, how could those who made a living in the mountains not have some skills for self-defense?
What does one rely on for hunting?
Bows and arrows, traps...
If these skills could be used against the beasts of the mountains, they could naturally be used against people, too!
They might even be more effective.
When a wild beast is injured, it becomes more ferocious.
People, on the other hand, fear death. When injured, they become more fearful.
Chu Mu silently sized up the troop of Inspectors.
There were nearly two hundred Inspectors in total. Most had standard-issue gear: a suit of Armor and a Sword. The Inspectors who had joined them from the foot of the mountain were better equipped, some carrying Shields, others with Bows and Arrows or Short Crossbows.
The few cavalrymen accompanying the Thousand Households were even clad in Iron Armor, armed to the teeth.
This sight put Chu Mu somewhat at ease.
'Maybe we're just going into the village to catch a few thieves. The chance of the whole village resisting... isn't high.'
'Even if the entire village was coerced into rebelling, our side has nearly two hundred fully armed Inspectors. There shouldn't be any major problems.'
His mind heavy with thoughts, the vast procession finally left Nanshan Town and entered a region Chu Mu had never set foot in before.
Although Nanshan Town was located amidst mountains, the presence of the Treasure Mountain with its Iron Ore meant the road out was quite wide.
On both sides of the road, one could see many terraced fields carved into the mountainside. Covered in heavy snow, only their rough outlines were visible.
Not long after they left the town's limits, figures could be seen on the road—farmers at work and merchant caravans pulling goods. But without exception, upon seeing the vast procession, they all scrambled to the sides of the road, their faces filled with fear.
It wasn't hard to see that the title of Inspector was clearly not a welcome one in Qinghe County.
After another look around, Chu Mu's thoughts returned to the present. He silently mulled over the scenarios he might soon face and how he would respond.
The moves of the Basic Blade Technique played over and over in his mind as he rehearsed them from memory.
"Halt!"
A little over an hour passed before the procession reached a mountain path, where Li Jinghong raised a hand to signal a stop.
"On guard!"
The Hundred Households, He Ping, immediately shouted the order.
Li Jinghong stared at the small path leading into the mountain for a long moment before saying, "Send a few skilled brothers up the mountain to scout ahead."
"Everyone else, rest where you are. And distribute the rations we brought. Get a full meal in you."
"As you command."
He Ping immediately complied. He called over a few Squad Leaders, gave them some instructions, and then strode quickly toward Chu Mu's unit.
"Look sharp!"
"The Hundred Households is here."
Li Gang's spirits instantly lifted. He barked a few orders at Chu Mu and the others, then hurried to greet He Ping.
"Hundred Households."
"Take a few of your best men and head into the mountain to scout. Find out what the situation is in Qili Village."
After speaking, He Ping moved a little closer to Li Gang and whispered in his ear,
"Get it done cleanly. The Thousand Households gave this order personally. If you handle this assignment well, you'll catch his eye."
"Hundred Households, don't you worry."
Li Gang immediately guaranteed, "Even if I have to risk my life, I'll make sure this job is done beautifully."
"Good. Get going."
Watching Li Gang and He Ping converse, Chu Mu couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding.
'Judging by Li Gang's earlier demeanor, he's clearly raring to go, eager to show off his skills, earn some merit, and fight for his future.'
'Now the Hundred Households is seeking him out...'
Soon, Chu Mu's ominous premonition came true.
"The Thousand Households has ordered us to scout the situation in Qili Village. Who's willing to go with me?"
Li Gang, still visibly excited, strode up to Chu Mu's group and asked.
At this question, the few Inspectors who had been chatting idly fell silent. They glanced at each other, then each bowed their head without a word.
Chu Mu, naturally, had no intention of volunteering either. Although he wanted to distinguish himself, he wasn't yet ready to risk his life for it.
He wasn't too worried about Li Gang picking him. After all, he had only recently joined the Inspection Office and hadn't shown any outstanding abilities.
Of course, most importantly, Chu Mu hadn't yet entered their inner circle.
'For something like this, he'll definitely call on his own confidants. It shouldn't have much to do with me.'
Just as Chu Mu expected, seeing this reaction, Li Gang's expression immediately darkened. He then started calling out names directly.
"Lear, Wu Lengzi, Big Mouth, Three Legs, you four are coming with me!"
"Team Leader, maybe I shouldn't go... You know my situation. I've got old parents and young children to support. I really can't afford for anything to happen to me..."
"Me too! I've never even killed a chicken, how could I do something like this...?"
"I..."
The moment Li Gang finished speaking, the Inspectors he had named all started clamoring with excuses.
Meanwhile, Chu Mu quietly pulled Xu Yuan back a few steps. This turn of events was rather unexpected.
'If I remember correctly, these guys he named are usually quite close to Li Gang. How come they're flaking out at the critical moment?'
Chu Mu glanced at Li Gang's ashen face and couldn't help but mutter to himself internally.
'This Li Gang is kind of a failure as a leader...'
'If that's the case, things could get complicated...'