Chapter 140: Going to the Wu'an Military Camp

Only after the black-clad leader had completely stopped breathing did Zheng Dali say in a low voice, “Young Master, he is dead.”

Wei Wuji remained silent, struggling to calm his emotions.

“Can you tell where these men came from?” Wei Wuji asked Zheng Dali as he returned his sword to its sheath.

Zheng Dali examined the corpse carefully, then searched the black-clad man from head to toe. At last, he said helplessly, “Young Master, I truly cannot tell. None of them bears any distinctive mark.”

Wei Wuji felt a little disappointed. If they had found something proving the man’s identity, he could have lodged a complaint with Marquis Wei when his lordship returned.

“Who could have saved me?” Wei Wuji murmured.

Turning around, he looked toward the woods behind him and called out loudly, “Friends over there, I am deeply grateful for saving my life. Please come out and let me meet you, so that I may at least offer my thanks in person!”

His voice carried far, and the entire forest seemed to echo with it.

After waiting for a while, no one answered, and no one emerged.

“Honored warriors, please come out and let me see you!” Wei Wuji shouted again, unwilling to give up.

After another pause, there was still no response.

“Young Master, I think they left long ago,” Zheng Dali said as he approached. “If they intended to show themselves, they would have come out after we subdued all the assassins.”

Knowing that Zheng Dali was right, Wei Wuji stopped pressing the matter. Yet the doubts in his heart only grew heavier.

Those who had come to kill him had left no trace. Why had those who saved him done the same? Wei Wuji could make no sense of it.

“Young Master, are we still going to the Wuan Camp?” Zheng Dali asked quietly, worry evident in his voice as he considered the road ahead.

Wei Wuji cast him a sidelong glance before replying firmly, “Why wouldn’t we? Do you think there will be more assassins ahead?”

Zheng Dali was left speechless. They were already close to the Wuan Camp, and the likelihood of encountering assassins there was certainly small.

“Do you think a few petty rogues could frighten me?” Wei Wuji declared with renewed bravado. That, at least, was something he could take pride in.

Although his palms had been sweating moments earlier, he had remained fairly composed.

“How many men did we lose?” Wei Wuji asked next. This time, the guards had suffered because of him.

“Young Master… nine died in battle,” Zheng Dali answered in a low voice. The men who had fallen were his comrades of many years.

As guards, they had always been prepared to give their lives for their lord. Even so, seeing living men die still left Zheng Dali gloomy.

“They were heroes,” Wei Wuji said slowly.

Several guards lay on the ground, their bodies covered in wounds, yet their hands still gripped their long swords tightly.

“They must be given a proper burial, and their families must be generously provided for.” Wei Wuji looked at Zheng Dali and spoke with solemn emphasis.

“I understand, Young Master!” Zheng Dali bowed. Such matters required no instruction; he would have seen to them regardless.

Once the dead had been attended to, it was time to thank the living. This was no empty ceremony—Wei Wuji’s gratitude was entirely sincere.

Those who were willing to protect him with their lives deserved his respect and thanks.

“You have all worked hard today as well. I, Wuji, offer you my thanks.” Wei Wuji clasped his fists, then bent deeply at the waist before them.

“I would not dare…” Zheng Dali and all the other guards bowed at once, unwilling and unable to accept such a gesture.

“Protecting you is our duty, Young Master. How could we accept such a profound courtesy from you?” Zheng Dali explained solemnly on behalf of the others.

“Today, you all risked your lives without hesitation. I, Wuji, will never forget it!” Wei Wuji bowed once more, engraving every person present in his heart.

Straightening, he walked to the center of the battlefield, amid the scattered corpses.

He had seen too much by now. Even such a savage scene could barely stir his emotions.

“Gather the bodies first,” Wei Wuji said slowly, closing his eyes.

It was not only the guards who had died. Nearly twenty of the warhorses they had been riding had also perished.

At Wei Wuji’s command, the guards set to work. The bodies of their fallen comrades were carried out one by one and laid neatly in rows.

The black-clad men received no such treatment. Their bodies were roughly piled together, likely to await a funeral pyre.

While everyone was occupied, Zheng Dali moved close to Wei Wuji and whispered, “Young Master, this place is still too dangerous for us to remain long.”

“Why?” Wei Wuji asked in confusion.

“I believe you should reach the Wuan Camp as soon as possible,” Zheng Dali replied gravely. He still felt that staying where they were was far too dangerous.

After several seconds of silence, Wei Wuji nodded. No one could say for certain whether another danger awaited them, but it could be avoided. They had no time to waste in reaching the Wuan Camp.

Moreover, this was not merely a matter of taking responsibility for his own life; it was also for the sake of the guards. If Wei Wuji reached safety, they would naturally be less likely to die.

“Very well. We will do as you suggest,” Wei Wuji said solemnly. There was no point in being stubborn about such a matter.

Then he immediately added, “But we must leave some men behind to guard the guards’ remains.”

Zheng Dali nodded. It went without saying. However, with the horses that remained, there were not enough mounts to carry everyone away.

The order was quickly passed down and carried out. Before long, Zheng Dali had selected ten guards to stay behind. They were the men with the fewest wounds and the greatest remaining strength.

“Young Master, everything has been arranged. The brothers who remain will see to the fallen and make proper arrangements for them,” Zheng Dali reported.

He certainly had no intention of staying behind. He had to accompany Wei Wuji before he could feel at ease.

Wei Wuji turned back for one last look and saw that the guards who had remained behind were watching him as well.

He nodded to them, then turned away. “Let us go.”

Mounting his horse, Wei Wuji gave the reins a sharp tug and galloped away, surrounded by his guards.

This time, they no longer cared about the roughness of the road. They urged the horses to their utmost speed.

Every moment earlier they reached the Wuan Camp meant one more measure of safety.

“Young Master, how should we handle what happened today? Should we report it to the Wuan Magistrate?” Zheng Dali asked as they rode.

Wei Wuji said nothing. He was deeply conflicted as well, with no clear idea of what to do.

They had failed to obtain conclusive evidence. Without proof of who was behind the attack, what purpose would reporting it serve other than making him lose face in Wuan City?

Yet to say nothing and let the matter end there did not suit Wei Wuji’s nature. He was not a man who willingly accepted losses.

“Do not report it for now,” Wei Wuji said solemnly. “I will remain at the Wuan Camp for a few days. We shall wait until our lord returns before deciding what to do.”

What use would it be to report the matter to the Wuan Magistrate? It would be better to take it directly to Marquis Wei and let him judge right and wrong.

“Yes…” Zheng Dali did not object.

In his view, leaving the matter to Marquis Wei was undoubtedly the most appropriate course. The strength of the Shadowwind Office was no mere rumor.

After that, no one spoke again. They hurried toward the Wuan Camp with all their might.

Wei Wuji’s thoughts, however, remained in turmoil. Images of the danger he had just faced continued to flash through his mind.

His own weakness—and especially the helplessness he had felt in the face of danger—tormented him deeply.

“Other kinds of weakness might be bearable, but being weak even in a fight… that is truly humiliating,” Wei Wuji said with a bitter smile.

At that moment, a desperate cry to become stronger began to ring out ceaselessly in the depths of his heart.