Chapter 359: Be careful with flames when you wake up, let’s check even the extinguished ones again (2)

Even the mightiest martial experts under Heaven panic before a wildfire—imagine how a nameless soldier feels.

The squad under Jin’s command scattered in utter terror, driven by a single desperate thought: run.

It was then—

Suddenly, from beyond the small hill to the right of the mountain road, a cart soared into the sky.

A scene frozen in time!

The cart hung suspended in midair.

The giant in the harness had one leg stretched forward, the other bent sharply, his arms flung back, clutching the cart shaft like reins.

It was the posture of someone about to run—run through anything, even turn back time itself—as he flew through the sky.

But everything that rises must fall.

Boom!! Screeeeech!

The cart landed with a violent crash, wheels rimmed with iron grinding fiercely along the road, sparks flying everywhere.

It was the high-level Western trick they called a "drift."

The cart’s flaming wheels skidded straight toward Jang’s squad.

Only now did Jang realize what this was—the sensation of time slowing to a crawl, every heartbeat stretched a hundredfold.

This... damn it, is... a life-flashing-before-your-eyes moment—

Finally, smash!

A shattering blow to the lower body sent Jang hurtling through the air like a kicked pebble.

The heavens will punish me! I’ll be damned!

A memory he hadn’t thought of in years surfaced—

An old man cursing them during their first raid, rain pouring down...

Jang’s body traced a low arc and vanished into the bushes on the left side of the road.

****

Qing clenched her teeth, struggling to stabilize the cart as it skidded sideways from inertia.

Her feet ground into the dirt—shhhk—but they kept sliding.

Damn it, am I going to have to use my left arm again? She braced for the pain—

But then, thump, the cart shaft struck something, and the lateral force abruptly weakened.

Qing seized the moment, shifted smoothly into the straight-line acceleration of her Heavenly Steed Footwork.

What was that? Did I hit something?

Unintentionally scoring a victory, Qing tilted her head, then shrugged.

It’s mountain bandits clogging the road. Hitting a few isn’t exactly a crime.

“Out of the way! Rickshaw—no, carriage coming through! Ding ding! Move aside! If you don’t, you might just fucking die!”

She shouted in what she thought was a rough, gritty voice.

But her naturally clear, refreshing tone only made it sound like a gender-ambiguous, beautifully bright voice—low for a woman, soft for a man, still undeniably pleasant.

The intention to clear the road backfired—instead, all eyes snapped to her.

Wrapped in thick outerwear, Qing’s towering frame stood at nearly 176 in her homeland’s units.

Her chest girth alone made her broad enough to resemble a legendary barbarian chieftain.

Sure, among the barbarians, those over six and a half feet were common, so by their standards she was short—but with her bulk? Impressive enough.

A person pulling a cart faster than a fit soldier’s full sprint?

It looked bizarre—but seeing her physique, it almost made sense.

“Me too! Let me ride!”

“Save me! Take me too!” “Please, me too!”

Requests for a ride poured in from all directions.

A vein bulged on Qing’s forehead.

Do they think I’m some fucking rickshaw driver? Maybe I should feed them soup through their noses, make them regret ever meeting me...

Wait. No—

If I load them up, I can blend right in and slip through naturally, can’t I?

Come to think of it, it wasn’t a bad plan.

Qing slammed the brakes, skidding three zhang down the road to halt the cart.

Stopping instantly risked flipping the cart.

She raised a thumb and pointed backward.

“Hey! Get on! Six people, first come, first served! That’s what being comrades is about—living and surviving together! Who doubts their comrades, huh?”

The last part was awkward as hell.

It was a line meant for Ja-yu and Yeon Pa—to make them look like part of the military and escape suspicion.

Of course it sounded forced.

But the soldiers were desperate.

With flames chasing them and a "first come, first served" offer, who had the brain space to nitpick clunky dialogue?

“I knew you’d come through!” “Thank you!” “We’re saved!” “Move, I’m first!”

They rushed over.

Two, four, six, eight—

As soon as Qing confirmed the passengers, she kicked off the ground.

The unexpected jolt threw one soldier tumbling off the cart.

The reason you always wear your damn seatbelt.

****

The soldiers stationed at the eastern base of the mountain withdrew rapidly as soon as the flames rose.

Fleeing east, they spotted spear-wielding soldiers stationed atop a distant ridge.

The fleeing troops relaxed at the sight.

“Emergency! It’s an emergency!” “Wildfire!”

Huff, huff, whooo...

The exhausted soldiers collapsed past the barricade, sprawling on the ground, gasping for air.

A general with a helmet adorned by crimson tassels barked in fury.

“You dogs! What disgraceful conduct at the blockade line! Get your asses over that ridge, NOW!”

“Y-yes, sir...”

Even as defective trash, no soldier dared openly defy a general’s orders.

Shaking, they dragged themselves up the slope.

The moment they crested the ridge, they saw it—the scene on the other side.

Piled, naked corpses.

Nearby, soldiers in good spirits stripped the remaining bodies.

“What the hell—ugh.”

One soldier glanced down.

At the spear tip skewering through his chest—his heart—

A mouthful of blood poured out.

Already drained from running, his legs buckled, collapsing him completely.

“Hey, watch the coat! Hit the head—smash the skull! You cleaning the blood?”

“Stabbing the chest feels nice, but these guys are so soft. Stabbing the Northern barbarians—now that’s satisfying. Muscles everywhere. Ptooey, how does a paid soldier get this weak?”

“These trash soldiers, typical. Still, don’t ruin the coats—look at that quality. We could sell this winter’s issue for a good price.”

“Wouldn’t it be smarter to keep the uniform and sell this?”

The dying soldier’s mind drifted as the voices faded.

How can they... kill people, loot their gear, laugh like beasts... unforgivable... they’ll face Heaven’s wrath, they’ll rot in hell...

Then a thought hit him.

The same sounds echoed whenever they raided villages.

Ah... I’m going to hell too.

Should’ve lived righteously...

But regret that arrives at death’s door is just regret—not true remorse.

****

From about seventy percent up the ridge, the general overseeing the scene looked down.

A long line of evacuees emerged from the winding road below.

They wore furs over armor, massive steel crossbows on their backs, half with crescent blades.

Northern Army warriors.

True to their reputation, they boldly climbed the ridge.

Even panting, they saluted the general properly.

“Sir! Sergeant Sam Yeonjong of Chungmaeng Squad reporting!”

“Good. Report—what of the blockade?”

“General! The wildfire breached the southern firebreak. I withdrew everyone under my discretion.”

“Chungmaeng? If I recall... Changyang Squad was west of you?”

“We retreated at the first sign of firelight, merged with any operatives along the way. That is all!”

“Hrmm... well done. Assist the rear, await orders.”

“Sir!”

The general’s expression hardened.

The flames breached the line.

Chungmaeng handled the southern right flank—meaning the left flank’s fate was unknown.

The bigger problem—the wildfire was headed straight for them.

Wildfires climb faster uphill than down.

It wouldn’t spread south along the Namnyeong Mountains—it would ride the winds west.

And they were directly west, on high ground.

The general sprang into action.

“Inspector, the fire’s breached the line—southern flank’s compromised.”

“What? What kind of firebreak did they dig? Worthless fools. So? What now?”

“We must withdraw.”

“Withdraw... withdraw...”

The rooster-helmeted man scowled, then sneered viciously.

“Fine. I’ll grant you a great honor—a glorious mission, personally decreed by His Majesty.

Hold the current barricade with one squad. If traitors escape, kill them.

If the area becomes completely uninhabitable, report it.”

In other words, stay until the flames are on top of you, execute anyone fleeing, die if necessary.

Refusal? Not an option.

Once “His Majesty’s decree” is invoked, refusal makes you a traitor.

“...Understood.”

“Good. Do your duty. If you earn merits, maybe you’ll be made a great general. Maybe even a statue, hmm?”

The adjutant seethed at the whispered orders.

“He’s sending them to die... fucking silk-robed bastards, never faced the barbarians, acting all high and mighty...”

“Not everyone will die. Recruit thirty from Daesun Squad.”

“You think thirty will volunteer? Under your command, they’d jump into fire, but this is literal fire.”

“Thirty. Prioritize those without families. Soak uniforms, send the steel crossbows and crescent blades with the retreat force, travel light.

From now, move the barricade up the ridge.

If the fire’s within a hundred zhang, full retreat.”

“Sir!”

The Northern Army scrambled, repositioning barricades atop the ridge.

Busy with retreat preparations—

Suddenly, from beyond the winding road, a massive cart—

A rickshaw?

The general rubbed his eyes.

Looked again.

A rickshaw, packed with soldiers, racing up the ridge, pulled by a giant.

“What in the...?”

The giant had Herculean might fit for Xiang Yu himself.

Not even the Northern Army had men like this.

Why was such a warrior mixed in with the rejects?

But that’s how it was—

Even capable soldiers could be labeled trash if their superiors disliked them.

You could be a hero pulling carts for comrades—still trash in the system.

Like him.

“...What the hell...”

“Whoa, is that human strength?”

Despite the chaos, soldiers turned, stunned at the sight.

“That’s a waste to kill—a warrior fit for my unit.”

“Orders?”

“Raise the flag—let them through. A talent like that shouldn’t die here.”

Even climbing a steep ridge, the rickshaw’s speed never faltered.

The adjutant grabbed a flag, ready to welcome the warrior.

****

Qing gasped—huff, huff, whooo, huff, huff, whooo—racing with all her might.

Dragging a cart with eight people for ten li straight—

Even the mighty, supreme, unparalleled Qing was breathing hard.

Each breath sent daggers of pain through her side.

Yet it was... tolerable.

In fact, after a point, the stabbing ache felt oddly satisfying—like peeling off an old scab.

Hard to describe.

But the sweat was unwelcome.

Moisture soaked her thick layers—underwear drenched, skin clammy—

And it’d been so long since she sweat this much, it irritated her even more.

Her heart pounded, lungs struggled—every time she inhaled, her side jabbed painfully—

Sweat dripping, vision blurry.

Irritation level: MAX.

So when someone blocked the road, her temper snapped.

“Move! Or I’ll flatten you!”

“Wait, stop!”

But Qing had learned plenty of tricks over ten li of mountain roads.

She kicked off the ground, gripped the shaft—

The wheels kept turning, cart rolling—

But the back dropped, front lifted, using leverage—

Hanging from the shaft like a horizontal bar, Qing shot both feet straight forward—

And BAM!—her feet slammed square into the chest of the fool blocking the road.