Chapter 104: She Was Lucky to Strike First
“Exactly! What’s with the arrogance? We’ve all been exiled together, facing everything side by side. But the moment Yu Luo was taken, you refused to let Zhang Yuan go rescue her? Fine, once we leave the mountains, let’s go our separate ways!”
Yu Shanhai’s wife, Liu Lan, also stepped forward. This time, the Yu family stood firmly together, collectively aiming their anger at Zhou Xiaoqin.
Sensing that the situation was turning against him, Zhang Yuan knew he was in the wrong but had no idea how to smooth things over. Suddenly, Bai You’s wife spoke up.
“Everyone, lower your voices! If we make too much noise and attract those mountain bandits, we’ll all be doomed.”
As she spoke, Bai You’s wife discreetly pinched Bai You’s waist, giving him a meaningful glance.
Bai You immediately understood her signal.
“Zhang Yuan, I have to say something. As the head of your family, you need to take responsibility. Your sister-in-law’s words just now were completely out of line! If it weren’t for Yu Luo’s sacrifice, how would we have managed to escape right under the noses of those archers and bandits? We owe her everything!”
Usually, Tao Fanghua was outspoken, but at this moment, she remained silent, hugging her knees and lowering her head in contemplation.
“Exactly! We’re all heading to the wilderness. It’s said that after crossing Jiuchong Mountain, there’s still a month’s journey ahead. If we don’t stand united, how will we even get there? And once we do, we’ll be on our own. We all know how harsh life will be there, so if anything, we should be more united than ever. What’s the point of arguing now?”
Seeing how things were unfolding, Liu Mingxia, the head of the Liu family, had no choice but to step in.
Among the four families, the Liu and Bai families were the weakest. Without the Yu and Zhang families, they wouldn’t have made it this far. But Liu Mingxia also knew that most of the credit belonged to the Yu family—while Zhang Yuan’s actions this time were undeniably selfish.
“My husband is right. But Tao Fanghua, you are the most in the wrong! We understand that you don’t want your husband to take risks—we all love our families. But look at our situation!
We’re supposed to be in this together. If everyone only cares about themselves, how will we make it to the wilderness alive? And once we get there, how are we supposed to survive?”
As soon as Liu Mingxia finished, his wife, Zhao Qiuyue, voiced her own displeasure at Tao Fanghua.
Even though the Liu and Bai families weren’t skilled fighters, they never shied away from labor. Since they knew they couldn’t contribute much in times of crisis, they made sure to work harder than anyone else.
But seeing how the Zhang family had already begun weighing their options before even leaving Jiuchong Mountain, they couldn’t help but wonder—if things got worse, would Zhang Yuan sell them out to save himself?
“This time, I was indeed wrong. Let’s stop arguing. Bai You and Liu Mingxia are right—we shouldn’t be so selfish.”
Feeling the weight of everyone’s criticism, Zhang Yuan finally admitted his mistake.
However, it was clear to everyone that his apology was insincere. Still, at this point, no one wanted to push the conflict any further. They were all waiting—waiting until they left the mountains before settling things once and for all.
The group remained in the tomb for another full day and night. Every now and then, they spotted figures darting across the mountain ridges. Seeing this, everyone felt a sense of relief—they had made the right call by listening to Yu Luo and staying hidden.
Finally, on the third night, Yu Zhengqing woke everyone up, planning to travel under the cover of darkness.
For five or six days, they navigated the mountains, evading bandits and wild beasts. At last, they reached the base of Jiuchong Mountain and were greeted by an open plain.
A vast expanse of white stretched before them, dotted with tall, barren trees. The winter cold had long since stripped the branches of their leaves.
Staring at the breathtaking snowy landscape, the group let out a collective sigh of relief.
They knew that the wilderness lay ahead, and the challenges there would be far greater. But after their harrowing journey through the mountains, they had had enough.
It took them a full day to descend, and by the time they reached the foot of the mountain, night had fallen once more.
Luckily, after some searching, they found another cave to rest in.
That night, the mood was noticeably lighter. Though still exhausted, a few rare smiles appeared on people’s faces.
“I wonder if there’s a town up north. If there is, we should buy a few carts. Also, I don’t think we need to keep wearing these officer and prisoner uniforms anymore. We can switch back once we get closer to the wilderness. Traveling in civilian clothes will make things much easier along the way,” Yu Zhengqing suggested.
Having crossed Jiuchong Mountain, they now faced a one-month trek to the wilderness. But Yu Zhengqing didn’t want his family to suffer too much. If possible, he wanted them to find a small town where they could rest for a while.
But before anyone could respond, Zhang Yuan suddenly spoke up.
“Now that we’ve left the mountains, we should divide our supplies tomorrow and go our separate ways.”
His words instantly darkened the expressions of the Bai and Liu families.
They weren’t afraid of hardship. If they had chosen not to escape but to continue on to the wilderness, it was because they believed in the possibility of survival and perhaps one day returning home.
But now, with Zhang Yuan abandoning them, why would the Yu family continue protecting them?
“Zhang Yuan, what do you mean by this? Are you saying we’re a burden to you? Our families have worked just as hard as everyone else. You can’t just dissolve our alliance like this!”
The first to react was Liu Mingxia. His eyes turned red with urgency.
“I don’t mean anything by it,” Zhang Yuan replied indifferently. “I just think that if we can’t get along, why force it? Even if we stick together now, do you really think we’ll remain one big family once we reach the wilderness?”
Hearing his heartless words, Liu Mingxia was left speechless.
He turned to Bai You, but Bai You, a frail scholar, had no idea how to respond either.
“Zhang Yuan, so this was your plan all along? Using us until you didn’t need us anymore, and then leaving us behind?”
Yu Zhengqing’s patience had run out.
He had genuinely wanted everyone to stay united until they reached the wilderness.
After all, they had killed the guards escorting them. Among the women they had saved was Zhang Yuan’s own wife and daughter.
Yet now, Zhang Yuan was turning his back on them, without a shred of gratitude.
“Fine, leave if you want. Just make sure your mouths stay shut—because if they don’t, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”
Amid the tense standoff, Ye Jiamai’s voice rang out, calm yet dripping with sarcasm.
She had anticipated this.
And she had struck first.
