Volume One: The Knight of the Forest Chapter 54: Dog Eat Dog (Part Four)

The ones lying in ambush halfway up the mountain were none other than Boyd, the leader of the Grizzly Gang, and his elite men. This time, the Grizzly Gang had brought out all their best, intent on profiting from chaos. When Boyd saw the soldiers hurriedly setting their own ambush opposite, he immediately realized that, as he had suspected, tonight would not be simple. Though Gu Huiyang had not set this trap specifically for Boyd to fall into and reap the spoils, the situation was clearly designed to wipe out all their enemies at once.

This thought made Boyd grind his teeth in fury. Even though he had already guessed it was an ambush, the fact that his suspicions were confirmed filled him with rage at having been deceived. Soon, however, he regained his composure. In any case, he reckoned that Gu Huiyang would not survive the night either. Inwardly, he cursed: "Anyone who tries to outwit me never lives to see the dawn!"

As dusk deepened and still no sign of the soldiers from Berrion or Nolanburg appeared, not only did the bandits drawn by the promise of bounty grow restless, but Gu Huiyang himself became agitated. What had seemed a sure thing was now slipping out of control. Though his face remained calm, turmoil roiled within him.

Boyd and his men, opposite, were growing impatient as well. It was no small feat to keep these savage, irritable bandits quietly enduring mosquito bites in the wild. While the three factions endured the tension, each unwilling to make the first move, suddenly the sharp whistling of an arrow cut through the night, shattering the uneasy deadlock. The arrow, loosed from the ambush where Gu Huiyang had stationed the expendable bandits, flew straight towards Boyd and his men.

Though the arrow struck no one, Boyd, already seething, could no longer contain his wrath. Grabbing his massive axe, he roared and charged downhill with his brothers, descending upon the two groups of bandits hiding in the thickets like tigers unleashed.

The two groups of bandits, dragged here by Gu Huiyang to spring the trap, were utterly bewildered. None knew who had fired the arrow, but seeing the ferocious onslaught, they had no choice but to hastily prepare for battle. They numbered over sixty, and, seeing only thirty or forty men charging at them, their confidence swelled.

Before they could even engage, however, they were met by a hail of throwing axes and javelins from the Grizzly Gang, losing over a dozen men in moments. Though the Grizzly Gang was outnumbered, their warriors were far more formidable than those of the Hound Gang or the now-destroyed Blood Wolf Gang. Each was clad in heavy armor and wielded massive axes or warhammers, with throwing axes and javelins for ranged assault.

Before the fighting even closed, two or three volleys of these heavy missiles tore into the unshielded bandits, the javelins punching straight through bodies, the axes cleaving heads open in grisly sprays. Even those with shields fared little better; their makeshift wooden or wicker shields splintered under the force of the Grizzly Gang’s missiles. One man’s shield, pierced by a javelin, offered no resistance as the weapon drove straight through into his chest, killing him instantly.

The ferocity of the Grizzly Gang was on full display before the fighting even became hand-to-hand, and the conscripted bandits quickly regretted getting involved in this mess. But the die was cast—they were forced to fight, their spirits already broken, and the outcome was as grim as expected.

Indeed, once combat was joined, the towering, powerful Grizzly Gang warriors swung their axes and hammers with deadly precision, each blow claiming a life. Blood sprayed and flesh flew, turning the battlefield into a slaughterhouse.

One of the bandit leaders, relying on his strength, tried to face Boyd himself. Sword in hand, he charged, but Boyd, standing six feet tall and weighing over two hundred pounds, knocked him to the ground with his shield, then stamped on his neck, snapping it instantly. Blood frothed from the man’s mouth as he died on the spot.

Seeing such overwhelming might, the remaining bandits lost all will to fight. They fled towards the woods where Gu Huiyang and the Hound Gang were hidden, hoping that, being more numerous and better trained, they could make a stand.

Gu Huiyang, observing from the side by moonlight, was stunned. He saw clearly that the attackers descending from the hillside were the Grizzly Gang. Although the two gangs seldom interacted, he had met Boyd a few times and recognized both their weapons and fighting style at once.

Realizing who the combatants were, Gu Huiyang felt the situation had spiraled out of control. He suspected this might be a trap set by the young lord of Nolanburg and the Grizzly Gang, and that he had foolishly walked right into it, thinking to ambush others.

But now, with the bandits he had brought exposed and quickly routed by Boyd’s furious assault, and his own position compromised, he had no good options for retreat. He could only order his men to attack, hoping to crush the Grizzly Gang, weakened by their previous fight, before devising a plan to escape back to Raven Ridge.

Leading his men into the fray, Gu Huiyang stopped the fleeing bandits and rallied them to fight at his side, combining forces to destroy their common enemy. They charged together at the Grizzly Gang, who were now in pursuit.

When Boyd and Gu Huiyang finally confronted each other, their eyes blazed with rage. Each believed himself the victim of betrayal, each saw the other as a shameless traitor.

After a furious glare, the two sides clashed. The Grizzly Gang, having used up their throwing axes and javelins in the previous fight, could only grit their teeth and charge through the Hound Gang’s arrows. Some fell, but the distance was short, and within moments, they were fighting hand to hand.

Individually, the Grizzly Gang warriors were stronger than those of the Hound Gang, but now they were outnumbered more than two to one. With no formation to speak of, the fight devolved into deadly skirmishes—if one’s axe felled a foe, two more would attack with spear and hatchet from either side, stabbing and slashing until blood ran freely.

Thus, under the clear moonlight on the southern bank of the Karl River, the last two great gangs battled savagely. Both sides were hardened veterans, elite fighters with iron wills, unafraid of death. The struggle soon reached a stalemate.

Amid the carnage, one of the Grizzly Gang captains, clutching a gaping wound in his abdomen, staggered to Boyd’s side. Blood bubbling from his lips, he gasped, “Boss, go! Don’t let all the brothers die here… Live on, for us… avenge us… Go!” With that, he collapsed.

Boyd cradled his fallen comrade, unleashing a thunderous roar of rage. Wiping the blood from his face, he glared hatefully at Gu Huiyang, who was just as battered and bloodied, then gritted his teeth and ordered a retreat.

After the brutal battle, barely twenty of the Grizzly Gang could still stand. Exhausted, they fled the field.

Seeing the Grizzly Gang withdraw, Gu Huiyang breathed a heavy sigh of relief. He was at his limit as well; of the fifty-odd elite men he had brought, over half had fallen. Staring at the bodies of his fallen brothers, he was overcome with grief. With a heavy heart, he ordered the survivors to return to Raven Ridge.

Red Fox Ridge was not far from Raven Ridge—closer than the Grizzly Gang’s base at Windbell Hollow. Gu Huiyang and his dispirited followers returned to their mountain stronghold just as the moon reached its zenith.

But horror awaited them. The stronghold was strewn with corpses. The store-cave for money and provisions had been broken open; all the food, furs, and valuables were gone. The hall was in chaos, blood pooling on the floor.

Even the pure white wolf pelt on Gu Huiyang’s chair was gone; whoever took it also smashed the stone-built leader’s seat to pieces, exposing the hidden compartment beneath and making off with its secret treasures.

Seeing the devastation of his lair, Gu Huiyang was beside himself with rage and heartbreak. He drew his sword and hacked wildly at anything in sight, venting his fury.

This pain was even greater than the loss of half his elite fighters. Not only had he lost his home and all his hard-earned wealth, he blamed himself for his overconfidence—what had seemed a certain victory had ended in devastating defeat because of his carelessness. And he cursed Boyd, convinced that he had betrayed him to the lord of Nolanburg and helped destroy everything.

After a while, Gu Huiyang let out a furious roar and gathered his men. He would lead them to Windbell Hollow to take revenge on the Grizzly Gang!

By now, he was in a state of utter rage, and his men, seeing the ruin of their home, were equally incensed. When their leader called for vengeance, they shouted in agreement, vowing to destroy Boyd and his men, to avenge their brothers—now, with nothing left, they were ready to die fighting if need be.

To make haste, Gu Huiyang and his followers took the Knight’s Road straight to Windbell Hollow. Meanwhile, Boyd, having just returned to his own stronghold, was also consumed by fury.

For his stronghold too was strewn with corpses, all valuables and provisions looted. The raiders had been thorough, searching every corner—even the feed troughs in the livestock pens.

Fists clenched, Boyd stared at the devastation and roared, “Gu Huiyang, tonight I swear to kill you! Brothers, follow me to Raven Ridge—we’ll slaughter those hounds and avenge our dead!”

His men echoed his call, their only hope now to fight for vengeance. If they gave the Hound Gang time to recover, they would have no peace, not even in Windbell Hollow.

Boyd’s party also took the Knight’s Road. At night, the forest was too dangerous—wild beasts prowled and ambushes were hard to spot. The broad, moonlit road offered safety and speed.

And so, both Gu Huiyang and Boyd, filled with fury, hurried toward each other on the same road, unaware that their enemy was approaching from the opposite direction. Inevitably, they collided halfway.

Enemies met, eyes blazing with hatred. Words were pointless—blades were drawn and the two battered gangs clashed again. Axes swung, spears thrust, knives slashed. Fresh from a brutal battle and an exhausting march, both sides fought with desperate fury, driven mad by vengeance.

Though exhaustion weighed on them all, none dared relax. Hesitation meant death.

As the two leaders and their battered men struggled on, suddenly the sound of marching feet erupted nearby. The noise grew, and soon hundreds of armored soldiers surrounded them.

At the sight of the lord’s troops, both sides halted and stepped back ten paces, wary of what would come next.

Gu Huiyang was left with only sixteen or seventeen men, all wounded; Boyd had just nine still standing, all bloodied and spent.

Gu Huiyang planted his weapon in the earth, looked up at the moon, and laughed bitterly. “Boyd, I never thought I’d fall to a pig like you. I had no grudge against you—why did you join with that lord to destroy me? With all Raven Ridge dead, do you think you’ll get the land? Is being a lapdog for someone else really better than being a wild bear, free to hunt in the forest?”

Boyd was taken aback—he had not even begun to accuse Gu Huiyang, and yet the man had started cursing him. Boyd spat back, “I don’t know what you’re talking about! If you hadn’t sent someone to propose splitting the loot, how would I ever have gotten involved tonight?”

“What!” Gu Huiyang cried in shock. “I never sent anyone to talk to you!”

Boyd snorted and pulled a sheepskin map from his coat, tossing it to Gu Huiyang. “This is the map your man Billy brought. The place and time are written clearly. Still denying it?”

Gu Huiyang unrolled the map and, seeing it, beat his chest in despair. “We’ve both been played! Billy was captured by that lord long ago. The one who brought back this map was sent to persuade me to surrender. I planned to capture the lord and trade him for our prisoners!”

As Gu Huiyang collapsed emotionally, Boyd felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over him. All strength left his body and he slumped to the ground, muttering to himself, “How could I have been so foolish? How could I have been so foolish…”