Chapter 249: The Shooting of Manlun

Saina smiled calmly, revealing no trace of the emotions hidden beneath. Consequently, she remained unable to discern any new thoughts he might have.

After hesitating for a long while, she couldn’t suppress her curiosity any longer: “What are you planning to do?”

“I haven’t quite figured it out yet, but I’ve suddenly had an idea,” the man replied nonchalantly. “We’ll see when we run into Yeli.”

Sha Yi found Saina’s behavior somewhat embarrassing.

At first, his words had given her a heavy, melancholic feeling, but when she actually asked, he wore an expression that seemed utterly detached.

She felt helpless, yet there was also a strange, indescribable sensation.

Unable to articulate it, she had no choice but to let it go.

Fortunately, Saina didn’t seem inclined to elaborate further. Instead, he turned to glance at the gradually brightening sky and couldn’t help but complain, “This winter has been unusually cold. Even at dawn, it feels no different from the middle of the night.”

Hearing this, Sha Yi looked up, and the uneasy feeling in her heart intensified.

Yet, the lean man had already turned away, his back to her as he walked ahead slowly.

…

When they headed to the place where Yeli’s group had previously gathered, they didn’t bring many people. However, Jialuo and Kasan both came along, bringing the unconscious Yelai with them. The rest of the participants were all from their own group, while Kapa stayed behind to guard the unconscious members from Yeli’s side.

According to Kapa, Yeli had brought about a dozen men, and Saina’s observations during the arrangement confirmed this.

Since Xiyi had also taken a considerable number of people when he pursued them, Sha Yi didn’t dwell too much on the numbers. She simply instructed the group to carry enough arrows and crude bronze-tin weapons. Even so, they still held a numerical advantage.

The gathering spot wasn’t far from where Kasan said Yeli had hidden the animal hides and food. Following Kasan’s directions, they quickly dug up the hidden supplies.

However, they didn’t have enough time to transport everything before they unexpectedly ran into Yeli’s group.

Enemies meeting face-to-face naturally sparked intense hostility, especially given their deep-seated grudges and the sudden turn of events. Yeli’s side was no exception.

Chased relentlessly by Xiyi, the group appeared utterly exhausted. Each of them bore injuries, some light, others severe. Clearly, they hadn’t had an easy night.

Of course, the only thing worth celebrating was capturing Tuge—everything else had been a disaster.

Under such circumstances, Yeli must have been filled with regret.

Especially when he saw Kasan standing on their side—his dark gray pupils practically burning with fury.

She also spotted Manlun. This was her third time seeing him, and while he looked the same as before, his demeanor was different each time.

The first time, he was still part of Yeli’s group, his face full of disdain and dissatisfaction. The second time, he stood beside Yeli, exuding arrogance. Now, the third time, though he remained by Yeli’s side, he looked panicked—likely aware that Yeli’s power was crumbling.

But unfortunately, he had no chance to turn back. No matter how much he regretted it, he had to press on. After all, with someone like Jialuo around, begging for mercy was nearly impossible.

The two women were also on Yeli’s side, their faces as pale as Manlun’s.

Beside her, Jialuo remained unusually calm.

It seemed the cold ruthlessness in his bones had taken over. Faced with the betrayal of Manlun and the two women, he showed no anger or frustration—just eerie composure.

To others, this might seem like a good sign, but Sha Yi knew better. When Jialuo displayed such calmness, something brutal was bound to follow.

Quietly averting her gaze, Sha Yi began scanning the opposing group of nearly twenty people for Tuge.

It wasn’t easy. After a long search, she finally spotted him at the very back, squeezed between others.

Tuge seemed to be doing relatively well. Though bound and guarded by two men on either side, he didn’t appear to have been mistreated.

However, his small, thin frame made him hard to spot, especially when crouched and obscured by others.

It was unclear whether Yeli had deliberately hidden him or if Tuge simply couldn’t handle the frantic running through the forest. Either way, he wore a miserable expression.

Yeli didn’t look much better. From the moment the two groups met, he had been glaring at them.

As for their side—whether intentional or not—they remained silent as well, making communication impossible.

Indeed, speaking first was difficult. Whoever broke the silence would inevitably lose the upper hand, so both sides stubbornly held their ground.

But Sha Yi wasn’t worried.

Because besides them, Xiyi was also involved. Prolonging this stalemate was clearly disadvantageous for Yeli’s group. Yet, Yeli remained stubborn, refusing to back down.

This was likely his only bargaining chip—he knew they wouldn’t abandon Tuge.

A thought struck her. If Xiyi had pursued them all night, Yeli must have anticipated they’d target his gathering spot. So why had he rushed back here?

Beyond the hidden supplies, there had to be another reason.

Her gaze flicked to the unconscious, bound Yelai. Perhaps they’d hoped the men left behind would safely retrieve him.

But in that case, sending a few men would’ve sufficed. Why bring the entire group?

After some thought, she concluded that Yeli might have wanted Tuge to counteract Yelai’s drugged state. Beyond that, she couldn’t think of anything else.

Lost in thought, she barely noticed Jialuo’s slight movement beside her.

When she turned, she saw he had already taken an arrow from someone nearby and drawn the bowstring taut.

In the blink of an eye, the black-tipped, red-feathered arrow shot forward.

Sha Yi was stunned.

So was everyone else—especially Yeli’s group.

But the arrow found its mark in an instant. No amount of shock could undo it.

A dull thud, a pained groan—and one of Yeli’s men collapsed to his knees.

Manlun.

The arrow struck true, piercing his left chest.

Standing at the front of the group, he was close enough that Jialuo’s full-strength shot sent the arrow clean through his body.

A bone-chilling laugh escaped Jialuo’s lips. “This is the price of betrayal, Manlun. When you made your choice, you must’ve been prepared for the consequences. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“You… you…” The burly man’s neck bulged with veins as he struggled to speak, but his strength failed him. With a final, desperate reach toward his killer, he collapsed in defeat.

The tense silence shattered. Panic erupted among Yeli’s group. Even after facing Xiyi and Saina’s arrows, they couldn’t withstand this blow—especially the two women from the old cave settlement, who trembled uncontrollably.

Yeli, though not as visibly shaken, was equally terrified.

In contrast, their own side remained composed—except for Saina, who couldn’t resist leaning toward Jialuo. “Since when did you learn to use a bow? It’s rude to just take someone else’s arrows!”

His tone was hostile, making Sha Yi sigh inwardly. But Jialuo shot back just as sharply, “What’s the difference between a bow and a throwing spear? You’re an idiot. Besides, I didn’t take *your* arrow, so shut up!”

“……” Watching the two men bicker despite their superficial camaraderie, Sha Yi was at a loss. She stepped back, letting them continue.

But the moment she withdrew, both fell silent and turned to her.

Kasan chuckled but said nothing.

Meanwhile, Yeli seized the opportunity. By the time they looked back, he had already calmed his group—and, more importantly, dragged Tuge in front of himself as a human shield, as if fearing another arrow from Jialuo.

Clearly, fear made people irrational.

Logically, Jialuo had already fired one arrow—at Manlun. He wouldn’t shoot again so soon. Someone as calculating as Yeli should’ve realized this, yet he still used Tuge as a shield, revealing his paranoia and ruthlessness.

But it wasn’t entirely his fault. He didn’t know arrows weren’t always fatal. His prior encounters with archery had been in pitch darkness. Now, in broad daylight, witnessing a one-shot kill, he was understandably terrified.

The real blame lay with Jialuo—vengeful and merciless.

Yet, if Jialuo was so ruthless, why hadn’t he shot Yeli first?

Eliminating Yeli would’ve made dealing with Manlun trivial.

Sha Yi couldn’t understand. Had Jialuo’s impulsiveness clouded his judgment again?