Pondering, Chu Mu slowly wandered through the courtyard, meticulously observing every detail, leaving nothing overlooked.
After circling the courtyard once, Chu Mu turned his gaze to the house before him.
The roof was thatched with straw, the walls built of mud bricks, unplastered, their yellowish surfaces stained with years of grime, clearly aged.
The layout of the thatched house was quite similar to Chu Mu's own small courtyard.
At the center was the main hall, flanked by a room on each side, and to the south, a kitchen.
The wooden doors of all the rooms stood wide open, the interiors dark and shadowy, obscuring any view inside.
The few inspectors following Chu Mu were not particularly bold, sticking close behind him, none daring to stray even half a step.
After a moment's hesitation, Chu Mu finally walked toward the rooms.
"Bedroom…"
By the light of a torch, Chu Mu surveyed the furnishings, forming a judgment in his mind.
The room's setup was starkly simple: a bed and a cabinet.
The bedding was gone, leaving only bare wooden planks.
The cabinet doors hung open, its interior completely empty, with nothing else to note.
The main hall was even simpler, furnished only with a table at the far end, also bare of any items.
With a glance, Chu Mu seemed to notice something. He stepped forward quickly, ran his hand across the table, and brought it to his nose. A faint fragrance wafted into his nostrils.
"Incense?"
Chu Mu frowned. The scent was identical to the incense used at home to honor his late father's memorial tablet.
In other words, this table had been used to hold someone's memorial tablet.
A tablet, an incense burner…
Chu Mu pursed his lips, a few guesses forming in his mind.
He scanned the empty hall, ensuring nothing was missed, before heading to the side room.
The side room's furnishings were just as simple, no different from the bedroom: a bed, a cabinet, both equally empty.
He then wandered through the kitchen, finding nothing of note.
Everything in the house that could be taken had been removed, and it was tidied remarkably clean.
This was starkly different from the cluttered scenes in the other houses they had passed.
"Let's go."
Chu Mu waved his hand and headed out of the courtyard. Encountering Wu Shuo, who had just passed by, he briefly recounted the situation inside.
What happened next was not Chu Mu's concern.
Qili Village was small, and with over a hundred inspectors flooding in, it didn't take long to turn the place upside down.
As Chu Mu had expected, they found nothing—no trace of a single living person.
The entire village was deserted, its people gone.
But in just half a day, could an entire village—dozens of households—flee far in the vast mountains during the depths of winter?
Could they truly cover all their tracks?
After a brief rest in the village, barely swallowing some dry rations, the group set off again amid shouts.
Their goal was clear: to pursue the escaped villagers of Qili Village—or rather, the rebels.
Night fell, stars glittering brightly.
The snow-covered mountains glowed faintly under the moonlight, reflecting a soft luminescence. At He Ping's command, the torches that should have been lit were extinguished.
The inspectors pressed on through the night, weaving through the forest, following the traces left by the villagers.
After nearly a day of relentless marching, blood and exhaustion marked every inspector's face. Yet, under the weight of authority, none dared complain, silently trudging forward.
The only sound from the group was the crunch of boots on snow.
Chu Mu walked quietly at the rear, exhausted but forcing himself to stay alert.
Everyone knew that catching up to the villagers would inevitably lead to an unavoidable clash.
The ambushes they had faced on the way and the scene in the courtyard made it clear: while most of their opponents were likely ordinary folk, there were dangerous individuals among them.
Chu Mu's mindset was conflicted.
He wanted to catch up quickly, to dive into the chaos and test his blade skills in real combat, honing his mindset and confirming his recent progress in swordsmanship.
Yet he also hoped they were chasing the wrong direction, even if it meant wasted effort, as it was far better than risking his life in a deadly fight.
After all, his gains from this mission had already far exceeded his expectations.
Taking further risks would be disproportionate to the rewards.
But clearly, none of this was within Chu Mu's control.
He paused, surveying the dim surroundings, his gaze settling on the footprints in the snow.
Though the inspectors' tracks obscured much, the traces of the villagers—livestock hoofprints, droppings, and wheel marks from wooden carts—remained unmistakable.
Even if they were chasing the wrong direction, these signs suggested they wouldn't return empty-handed.
"Livestock, carts…"
Chu Mu frowned, peering into the distant darkness.
Fleeing with families and belongings would surely slow them down.
At their pace, it wouldn't take long to catch up, staining these mountains with blood.
"They won't just sit and wait…"
Chu Mu scanned the surrounding darkness. The dense forest was shrouded in shadow, and in this dim night, an ambush like the one they faced during the day…
His thoughts were interrupted as a piercing scream suddenly shattered the silence of the forest.
The cry was shrill, filled with pain, striking like a hammer into the hearts of the already weary and fearful inspectors.
As if it were a signal, more anguished cries followed, erupting one after another within the group.
"Light the torches!"
"Quick, light them!"
"Take cover! Enemy attack!"
An inspector shouted, and soon, torches were ignited, their flames pushing back the darkness, revealing the wounded and wailing among them.
"Careful, take cover!"
"Northwest! Someone's in the northwest!"
"Chase them! Follow me!"
"There's movement over there too—I saw it!"
"Don't panic! Squad leaders, team captains, organize your men!"
"Shield bearers, forward!"
"Archers, prepare to counterattack!"
In an instant, the silence erupted into chaos.
He Ping shouted commands, maintaining order while organizing a response to the unseen assault.
Though sudden, the team had learned from previous ambushes in the forest. After the initial chaos, they quickly regained effective order.
But in the darkness, the enemy seemed… silent.
…
*(Chapter End)*