Chapter Thirty-Two: Drawing in the Net

"Excellent, truly worthy of Hu San's reputation."

Zhou Xing nodded, his feelings growing ever more complicated. Although Hu San had modified the Horizontal Blade technique considerably, at its core, it remained rooted in its original form.

Previously, not having seen Hu San in action, Zhou Xing could let matters rest; but now, facing the formidable opponent Xiong Ba, Hu San naturally displayed the exquisite finesse of the Horizontal Blade.

At first, Zhou Xing felt only anger; later, his heart grew cold. Hu San's mastery seemed to surpass his own, reaching another realm—the very realm Zhou Xing had always strived toward, yet unexpectedly appearing so effortlessly in this young man's hands.

The questions he had been ready to ask vanished completely, replaced only by a bitter smile. At this level, what meaning was left in accusing someone of stealing techniques? Those who knew might think the matter was as it seemed; those who did not might suspect Zhou Xing was the one who had learned Hu San's blade style illicitly!

At that moment, the Third Chieftain was also observing the battlefield, watching the Black Bear Army's strength. Seeing the events unfold, his face showed no surprise. He simply remarked, "Hu San's prowess is startling, but what's even more surprising is that White Bear seems to know Xiong Ba is no match for Hu San. Could it be that White Bear has actually fought Hu San before?"

"If that's the case, and Hu San managed to escape from White Bear unharmed, then that's no simple feat!"

The newcomers on the platform had already lost all composure. The Bear Squad, though momentarily cowed by Hu San and their captain's death, soon regained their former arrogance under White Bear's leadership, growing even more brazen. After a moment's thought, the Third Chieftain signaled Scarface, the commander below.

Relieved at last, Scarface—who had been glancing furtively back ever since White Bear appeared—hurriedly passed down the order.

A sharp sound echoed. Both warring parties—whether the disorganized newcomers or the elite Bear Squad—suddenly felt the ground give way beneath their feet, followed by chaos and horses and men tumbling.

"Just as expected!"

Hu San felt a tremor underfoot; looking around, he saw an entire area beside him collapse, revealing a pit lined with deadly spikes.

Everyone who fell was impaled instantly.

Some survived the initial fall, only to be skewered and left howling in agony. Even Hu San, seasoned as he was in killing, could not help but shudder at the horror.

"Fire!"

The elite bandits, already withdrawn from the trap, joined with the first group of newcomers. At the order, they drew bows and unleashed a rain of arrows, covering the area completely.

Except for a handful from Group Nine and a dozen elite men led by Snake Fang, all others—including Man Shi and his team—died either in the pit or under the hail of arrows.

When the arrow storm ended, only corpses remained. Of the thousand newcomers, fewer than fifty survived.

As Hu San watched, he saw the ground suddenly erupt and White Bear, disheveled, burst from the pit, two arrows stuck in his shoulder, fleeing down the mountain without looking back.

"Hiss—his survival skills are incredible!"

Hu San couldn't help but suck in a breath. Seeing the dense spikes in the pit, he could imagine the horror of falling in—there was not a single spot to stand.

Had Hu San himself been caught off guard and trapped, he would likely have been gravely injured, if not killed. Yet White Bear not only survived but evaded the subsequent arrow rain—an impressive feat indeed.

Unbeknownst to him, White Bear's survival was largely due to luck; a bandit's shield had cushioned the spikes beneath him, otherwise he'd have been impaled like a candied fruit.

After that, it came down to real skill. The trap's deadliness lay in its initial strike; if one survived the first moment, it was difficult for the trap to claim them, though this was true only for experts.

After this battle, counting those lost in previous rounds, the Second Division's survivors numbered barely two hundred, a conservative estimate.

Licking his lips, Hu San led forty traumatized youths toward the mountain summit. The bandit overseers, who should have stopped them, dared not speak before Hu San's imposing presence and the carnage around them.

Scarface opened his mouth, but could only sigh, allowing Hu San and his surviving forty to withdraw.

At the summit's temporary resting place, the Third Chieftain appeared. Though the survivors nursed thoughts of revenge, wishing to flay him alive, they could only show respect.

After the ceremony, the Third Chieftain looked at Hu San and said expressionlessly, "You performed well, killed Xiong Ba. I shall recommend you to the Chieftain for honors."

"As for what just happened, it was a necessity of war, not cruelty. In this battle, everyone, myself included, is but a pawn. Do not bear resentment. The more damage we inflict on the Bear Squad now, the easier it will be for Wolf Heart Village to wipe out Black Bear Village one day."

"The fallen brothers will not have died in vain. I swear to avenge them by destroying Black Bear Village. As for you, rest well; you won't be called to the battlefield for now."

The survivors could only respond in assent.

After this battle, the Black Bear Army suffered heavy losses; over two hundred elite Bear Squad members perished, nearly wiped out. Ordinary bandits lost five or six hundred, leaving them severely weakened.

With night falling, morale plummeted. To prevent an unpredictable rout, Black Bear had to halt the attack, granting Wolf Fang's bandits a respite.

Yet everyone knew, after such losses, tomorrow's assault would be a fight to the death.

Wolf Fang's summit had only one path leading to the hidden valley, surrounded by mountains; there was no escape. If the defense failed, death awaited all.

Tension gripped both camps; the thousands killed in the pit still lay there, no one willing to clear the grisly remains.

The mountain wind howled, ghostly flames flickered, as if countless vengeful spirits wandered. Even hardened bandits shrank back, burying themselves in trenches, unwilling to glance at the carnage.

Despite the Third Chieftain's strict orders, night patrols avoided the area, detouring at a distance, making the place even more eerie.

In the brightly lit main hall, the Third Chieftain sat sternly at the head, flanked by two commanders.

Zhou Xing stood at the front, blade in hand, with several bandit captains below.

In the hall's center, leaders and elite members of the First Division gathered; Hu San and Snake Fang stood as the two surviving leaders from the Second Division.

The Third Chieftain's gaze was cool as water. He swept his eyes across the hall and spoke in a deep voice, "All of you witnessed today's battle. The Bear Squad, Black Bear Village's elite, was largely destroyed by the Second Division led by Hu San. When this is over, I shall seek honors for them."

"With the Bear Squad gone, Black Bear Army's strength is weakened by at least forty percent. If we make good use of our terrain and traps, victory will surely be ours."

"In the earlier battle, the Second Division set an example. Now it's time for the First Division to defend. You are grown men; your strength must be equal to or greater than the Second Division's."

"In tomorrow's battle, I will personally lead my guards and fight alongside you. Let me be clear: we have no retreat. Anyone who shows cowardice will face my blade without mercy."

His gaze swept the room, cold murderous intent chilling everyone into silence. The Third Chieftain slammed the table, stood, and began assigning defensive positions, "First Group, take your orders..."

After a while, all defensive plans were set. The Third Chieftain ordered meat to be brought, and everyone feasted together.

When the banquet ended, on the quiet hillside, Hu San gazed up at the moon, pondering the day's battle and tomorrow's prospects. Perhaps due to the sacrifices, even the Third Chieftain felt a twinge of pity, for this time the surviving Second Division youths were spared from the front lines; their only role was to guard the rear.

Their treatment differed vastly from the First Division—not that danger was absent, but it was greatly reduced.

At this point, the mountain stronghold was tightly guarded; sneaking down the secret path without alerting others was a hopeless dream. With the Black Bear Army holding the mountain base, even if they escaped, death awaited.

Thus, to leave safely, they must survive tomorrow, or wait until Black Bear forces attacked the stronghold.

While thinking this, Hu San suddenly raised his brows, eyes shifting toward the darkness nearby. He called softly, "Yan Fei, Liang Chuan—is that you?"

At his words, two young men emerged from the shadows. In the cold moonlight, they stood upright—it was none other than Yan Fei and Liang Chuan.

"Why aren't you resting? What brings you here?"

"Third Brother, we can't sleep. We saw the day's battle—it was a matter of life and death. We're deeply worried about tomorrow, and don't know what to do."

Yan Fei and Liang Chuan exchanged glances; Yan Fei spoke first, not hiding his anxiety.

"Sigh!"

Hu San sighed, pressing his lips together. "Given the situation, I fear the Third Chieftain plans to use our strength to wear down the Black Bear Army. As for victory, that's wishful thinking."

"After today's carnage, to prevent surprises tomorrow, the Third Chieftain will surely oversee things himself. So at first, you'll need to give your all—only by fighting fiercely can you preserve your strength."

"When the enemy breaches the stronghold, all traps will be useless. At that moment, the Third Chieftain will certainly not stay for a last stand."

"I don't know what means he has to escape, but the stronghold will be chaos then—a perfect chance for us to slip away. So, you just need to last until then."