The team moved in silence. None of them used their movement techniques—drawing attention now would be foolish. Speed was less important than remaining unseen.
After some time, Jun Jie raised a hand, signaling them to halt.
"We're close to the ambush point," he said calmly. "Before we get there, I need to know your abilities so we can coordinate properly. Ming De, you go first."
Ming De stepped forward, confident as ever. "I use sword techniques that rely on brute force. My speed is solid, but I don't have much in the way of defense."
Jun Jie nodded. "Understood. Ya Fen?"
She crossed her arms and raised her chin slightly, her voice laced with pride. "I'm from the Ya Clan of Red Forest Village—the ruling clan and the only one there. Our specialty lies in surveillance and investigation techniques. I can detect hidden threats, spot ambushes, and locate concealed enemies well before they act."
Lin Shu narrowed his eyes slightly. He didn't like her smug expression, but he couldn't deny the value of her skill. Surveillance techniques were rare, and for an entire clan to be built around them was even rarer.
Informants and trackers... that must be how they maintain control over an entire village, Lin Shu thought. They sell information, not pure strength.
"Good," Jun Jie said. "That's a critical skill for this mission. Now—Lin Shu?"
Lin Shu stepped forward, his voice calm and clipped. "I'm a close-range fighter. High speed, strong bursts of power, decent defense. I don't have ranged techniques."
It was a half-truth. Everything he said was accurate—except the last part. Lin Shu had a ranged technique, but they didn't need to know that. Just because they were from the same institute didn't mean he trusted them. He wasn't the kind of fool to lay all his cards on the table.
Jun Jie gave a short nod and turned toward Yan Qing.
"You?"
"I'm similar to Lin Shu," Yan Qing replied. His tone was steady, composed. "Close-range strength, decent speed and defense, but i do not have any long-range attacks."
Lin Shu glanced at him. Something was different. The boy wasn't as naive or soft as before. Back at the mine, when Ya Fen mocked him, he hadn't flinched or reacted. Looks like he's learning, Lin Shu thought.
Jun Jie considered their words for a moment, then spoke.
"That makes three of us with the same fighting style. I'm also a close-range fighter, but I do have one long-range technique. Still... none of us can heal wounds or deal with poison. That makes Ya Fen's detection skills even more important. We'll need to avoid being caught off guard entirely—if we take a bad hit or get poisoned, no one here can patch us up."
The team absorbed his words silently.
Jun Jie's eyes swept over them. "So stay sharp. Every move we make has to count."
The team moved swiftly, and soon, they reached the location of the ambush: a large bridge stretching over a roaring river. The river's powerful currents churned beneath, striking fear into anyone who dared to gaze too long at its depths. The bridge itself was robust, wide enough for six carriages to cross at once, and it was situated on a critical route connecting various major cities like Auralis, Emberwake, and Ironclad Ridge. Many travelers passed this way, and it was a known strategic point, making it the ideal location for an ambush—if done right.
Jun Jie paused at the edge of the bridge and turned to his team, outlining the plan. "We have three options," he began, his voice steady. "First, we can wait and destroy the bridge once they're on it. However, this would mean we'd lose the spoils and only be able to kill them. We might not even destroy it in time before they escape, and none of us have a ranged technique strong enough to take down the bridge quickly. Plus, we'd be stuck on it ourselves, risking exposure and possibly getting crushed when it collapses. So, I don't think that's the best option."
He continued, his tone thoughtful. "The second choice is to ambush them before they cross the bridge, or after they've crossed, hiding in the forest. Lastly, we could hide beneath the bridge and ambush them from below."
Jun Jie looked at the group, awaiting their thoughts.
Lin Shu spoke first, his voice calm and sharp. "I say we attack before they reach the bridge. Hiding beneath it is too risky. If they have a technique that exposes us, we'd be forced into the river. And if they realize they're being attacked while crossing, we'd be trapped. We'd have nowhere to escape to, and the river would swallow anyone who tries to flee."
He paused for a moment, considering. "As for waiting until they reach teh edge of the forest and prepare to go into the bridge... I think that's the best time. Once they're nearing the edge of the forest, they'll be lulled into a false sense of security. The area ahead will seem open, and they'll relax. Once they cross into the shadows again, their guard will be up, and it'll be harder to catch them off guard. We should strike when they feel safest."
Jun Jie's eyes narrowed in thought as he considered Lin Shu's suggestion. After a long pause, he nodded. "That's a solid plan. Attacking when they feel safe is definitely our best shot. But I still think we need to prepare for the possibility that they might run for the bridge the moment they're attacked, leaving everything behind. We need a clear view of the bridge, just in case we can't kill them immediately."
He then looked at the group and proposed the next part. "How about we split into two teams? Ya Fen, you'll go with Ming De and me. We're stronger so we'll take the front, and I want your surveillance skills to keep track of the enemy. As for Lin Shu and Yan Qing, you two will hide beneath the bridge. You'll be faster than us, and when the enemy's distracted or has lowered their guard, you can strike from below."
The plan was solid, covering all angles. If the first ambush failed, the second one, from beneath the bridge, would catch them off guard. Everyone nodded in agreement, acknowledging that this strategy had the most flexibility.
Lin Shu thought for a moment, his mind turning over various possibilities. "If things go wrong, what's my escape route? he wondered. The moment I cross back onto the bridge, I'll be exposed. I can't use the river—it's too dangerous, even for me. The currents are deadly. If I jump, I might survive, but I'd be pulled under before I could swim out. That's out of the question."
He mentally crossed off other escape ideas, focusing on the task ahead. I guess I'll have to hope this goes smoothly. This is the best ambush point we have. There are no other routes we know of that they planned on using. If we attack after they cross the bridge and the small forest ahead , we'll be forced into open fields, which would give them time to prepare. The river's roar will mask our movements, making this the best spot for an ambush—if we can pull it off.
With a final nod, Lin Shu turned his attention back to his team. There was no turning back now. If they failed, they would be in a precarious position with no good escape. But if everything went according to plan, it would be a swift and decisive strike.
Lin Shu moved to the edge of the bridge and glanced down at the roaring river below. The current was wild and violent, crashing against the rocky banks with a fury that promised death to any who fell in. On the left side of the bridge, Yan Qing was already preparing to climb down, using specialized tools to secure himself to the side. But Lin Shu had a better idea.
Unlike Yan Qing, Lin could grow bone spikes from his body. With careful precision, he positioned himself beneath the bridge, his hands gripping its underside tightly. He then summoned spikes from his shoulders, back, and feet, driving them into the wood and stone. Slowly, he extended them like growing vines, letting them burrow deeper into the structure until he was fully secured. It was a hidden, stable position that even gave him a sliver of hope for escape—if things went wrong. Still, he knew better than to count on that. If their ambush failed and their enemies survived, they would undoubtedly check under the bridge. And if they captured Ya Fen, Jun Jie, or Ming De, they might even force information out of them.
Lin Shu had no illusions. He would do the same if it meant protecting his own life. he would give up everything if death was on the line. So he couldn't expect others to act differently.
On the other side, Yan Qing had successfully attached himself below the bridge using climbing gear, securing his footing and keeping out of sight. Both of them were stationed at opposite edges, watching for any signals or signs of the Jiang clan. If the first ambush failed, it would be their job to strike fast and end the fight before the enemies could recover.
Time passed.
In the forest, just within the tree line, Jun Jie, Ya Fen, and Ming De were perched on a tall tree, hidden beneath thick leaves. They had been waiting for quite a while now. The atmosphere was growing tenser by the second.
"Ya Fen, do you sense anything yet?" Ming De whispered, his voice tight.
"Nothing," she replied, eyes locked forward. "Just a few bloodbeasts nearby. No carriages, no cultivators."
Ya Fen was using her clan's surveillance technique—threads of Qi-infused light strung throughout the forest and along the road. These near-invisible threads would alert her if anyone passed through, though they couldn't reveal exactly what triggered them. To make up for that, she wore the Eye of the Owl—a special mask that enhanced vision, allowing her to see farther and more clearly, even in the dark.
"They should've arrived by now," she muttered. "What's taking them so long?"
"Maybe they changed routes?" she added, voice uncertain.
"I doubt it," Ming De replied. "This is the fastest path to their destination. The alternatives are too dangerous or too slow. Something might've happened to delay them..."
Silence fell over the group. A strange unease crept in. The Jiang clan's carriages should have shown up already.
"Do you think we should leave?" Ming De asked, his tone quiet but sharp. "I'm getting a bad feeling. And… have you noticed? Not a single other carriage has passed by. That's not normal."
Jun Jie frowned, saying nothing. Ming De continued, "I know the Empire's grip is weakening, and demonic cultivators are running rampant. Clan skirmishes are growing worse too. But still—this is a major route. Even with the unrest, there should've been at least one or two caravans coming through by now."
They exchanged tense glances. The silence of the road, once a strategic advantage, now felt like a warning.