Chapter 64: Chapter 63: Abandoning the Pawn to Protect the Chariot
"The investigators, Gu Masters, relentlessly pursued from behind, while a large army blocked the path ahead.
This hunting team, like prey caught in a hunter's trap, had nowhere to escape.
One of the elders gritted his teeth and suggested, "There's no other choice. Order the troops to rest on the spot. Once they surround us, we'll fight them head-on."
Another elder analyzed calmly, "I've already sent out the message using messenger Gu. Considering the distance, if we can hold on for a day and a night, our clan's reinforcements will arrive."
"That's why I suggest we engage in hit-and-run tactics, fighting and escaping at the same time, sacrificing a small number of people. We can endure until the reinforcements arrive."
"Nonsense! Do you think the people who ambushed us wouldn't have anticipated that?" Another elder exclaimed angrily.
"Why else would they arrange forces ahead of us? It's to surround us! Run? Where can we run?"
The elders were disheartened for a moment, with no way out. They couldn't see any hope of escape.
"No, wait!" At that moment, an elder carefully examining the map pointed excitedly to a location.
"Do you see? In the front-left direction, there's a valley!"
"This valley is like a pocket, with a wide opening but a narrow passage. As long as we can escape into the valley and guard the entrance, they won't be able to attack us easily."
The other elders looked over and were filled with joy.
"Good, that's a great idea!"
"Although it's a desolate valley with no resources or food, we don't need to hold out for too long. Just one day and night, and our clan's reinforcements will arrive!"
"Excellent, change direction immediately and head towards the valley!"
The elders issued the command, and the troops immediately turned towards the left and proceeded forward.
"Investigate the movements of the two squads in front and behind us. See how they react!"
The investigating Gu Masters quickly returned with the results.
"Report! Their forces have accelerated again! Both squads are advancing faster than us!"
"Good!" Upon hearing this news, several elders were surprised and delighted.
"They will accelerate to chase us, surely they have just discovered the valley and guessed our intentions."
"They want to intercept us before we enter the valley, but we won't allow it. Speed up! Spread the command, discard anything that slows us down, at all costs, advance at the fastest speed!"
The three squads on the left, right, and center all turned and headed towards the valley, which was over a hundred miles away. They pursued each other, moving at a rapid pace.
"Report! They are still faster than us! They are expected to catch up with us in half an hour!" The investigating Gu Masters reported constantly.
"Can we increase our speed further?"
"Sir, it's not possible. This is already the maximum speed!"
"Although we have discarded many supplies, we still have some wounded, so..."
The elders' faces turned grim. They knew it was time to make a difficult decision.
"Abandon the wounded!" One of the elders suddenly shouted.
"Are you crazy?" The other elders quickly intervened. To be honest, they had also entertained such thoughts, but none of them wanted to voice it out.
"Now is not the time to hesitate. Abandoning a small number of wounded is better than being caught up and losing half of the people!"
That elder gritted his teeth and said, "To exchange the lives of a few for the lives of many, they should feel proud! Since none of you want to say it, let me be the villain. When we return to the clan, I will accept the punishment!"
Ignoring how the elders argued and made decisions, within the team, an atmosphere of unease prevailed.
Most Gu Masters didn't know what was happening, only that they were previously on a hunting expedition and suddenly started rushing at a rapid pace. It didn't even feel like rushing, but more like fleeing for their lives!
Among the crowd, the four members of Zhou Ming's team rode on wolves, racing wildly. Zhou Ming managed to spare a glance at the rear, where a black dot had turned into a small army of chasing shadows.
"You were right. This operation targeting our clan is definitely not something that a single clan could carry out."
"Why would they dispatch dedicated personnel and set up ambushes just to capture a group of low-level Gu Masters like us?"
"There's only one explanation: the three major clans have joined forces! Only that would give them enough strength to plan such an extensive operation, even targeting our small hunting team. They're determined to annihilate our Zhou family!"
Looking back again, the shadows representing the pursuers gradually grew larger, indicating that they were getting closer and closer...
"We can't go on like this. At this rate, we will definitely be overtaken by them!"
Zhou Ming turned back and said in a low voice to the three people, "Get ready, we will engage with them soon."
The three of them trembled, their faces grave, feeling a heavy weight in their hearts.
After running for over half an hour, the two groups of pursuers behind had merged into one, getting closer and closer to the hunting team. The Gu Masters in the rear could even see the triumphant smiles on their faces.
"We can't go on like this; they will catch up soon. Let's fight! Attack while retreating!" one of the elders shouted.
"Have the wounded been gathered?" the elder who proposed abandoning the wounded asked.
The subordinates shivered and replied, "They have been gathered."
"Good. Now abandon those wounded!" The elder's face was cold, and his tone indifferent. "Whether they like it or not, they will impede the pursuers from the rear. We'll take this opportunity to create distance and make a final push to escape into the valley!"
Although several other elders showed varying degrees of reluctance on their faces, in the end, no one spoke up in opposition, and they all silently agreed to the proposal.
At the rear of the formation, Zhou Ming and the others, who were prepared to engage in battle, watched in astonishment as a large group of people were suddenly abandoned without warning.
Every one of them was injured, some more severely than others. Some were unaware of what had happened and anxiously or angrily chased after the main group, while others seemed to have realized they had been abandoned. They either resigned themselves and sat paralyzed on the ground or turned around and charged at the approaching enemies from the rear!
The first battle between the two forces erupted in this manner, and shockingly, the vanguard of one side turned out to be a group of wounded!
"How could they do this!" Zhou Yu exclaimed in disbelief.
"Losing the tail to save the head, sacrificing pawns to protect the chariot. The elders who made this decision were indeed decisive and ruthless! However..."
Zhou Ming glanced at his teammates, who couldn't accept what they were witnessing, and silently sighed in his heart. "They overlooked an important issue: those abandoned wounded, they all have loved ones, friends, and teammates!"
"The team is likely to fall into chaos..."
Within the formation, the elders who had just ordered the abandonment of the wounded quickly received news from their subordinates.
The team was in chaos!
Some of the comrades of the abandoned wounded couldn't accept the decision of the elders and, disregarding their own lives, directly broke away from the team to fight side by side with their abandoned comrades, resisting the pursuers from the rear.
"Idiots! They're a bunch of idiots! They don't know what's good for them!" The elder who proposed abandoning the wounded was now furious, his face cold as ice.
"Leave them be; the team should continue moving forward! If they want to stay and fight, let them. It will delay the pursuers from behind for a while longer!"
The other elders exchanged glances, their eyes filled with complex emotions.
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