Mu Ning glanced at her map and decisively ordered, "Alright, we'll take a detour. Hurry, move."
"Yes."
The Jinyang troops quickly directed the civilians to change their route.
Jingzhe assigned several people to lead the way ahead, as they were familiar with the terrain.
To ensure safety and rapid response during the march, the civilians were organized based on their villages into squads, platoons, and companies, following military structure—though a squad was not composed of 9 or 12 individuals, but rather one family as a squad, even if that family had 20 members.
For smaller families, they were grouped by population size, with several small families forming a squad. A squad leader was chosen, so they could support each other on the road and quickly find the person in charge if needed.
Then, platoon leaders and company leaders were elected, while battalion commanders were appointed from the Jinyang troops.
Thus, the group was broken into small units; each Jinyang soldier took responsibility for several hundred civilians, making the column highly mobile.
Over the days of escape, the civilians had gradually learned to obey—unquestioning compliance.
As soon as the order was given, the temporary battalion commanders led the civilians under their charge in an orderly change of direction into the forest.
Hua Ruo watched the civilians, who were now moving more like a cohesive army, and a complex expression crossed her face.
She couldn’t help but remind him, "The traces left by over twenty thousand civilians aren’t easy to erase. The cavalry of the Jiao army will easily notice. How do you plan to deal with them?"
Mu Ning glanced at her. "Why erase the traces?"
Hua Ruo was puzzled. She looked up at Mu Ning, whose calm demeanor sent a jolt through her. "You want to lure them into the side roads and kill them?"
Mu Ning smiled. "Right. Killing them on the main road is too easy to detect, and the mess is hard to clean up. We don’t have much time, so it’s better to draw them into the mountains."
Killing them in the mountains might still be discovered, but it would certainly be harder. By then, they should have covered considerable distance.
Of course, if the Jiao cavalry didn’t notice them, that would be best—since they were escorting civilians, the column couldn’t move quickly.
Hua Ruo was astonished. "Are you sure? Easily over a hundred cavalry—that’s not an easy fight."
Mu Ning had brought only two hundred Jinyang troops and over thirty Dragon Shadow Guards on this return journey.
Most of the Jinyang soldiers served as battalion commanders, responsible for the civilians in their units.
Others handled the group’s safety, scouted the road conditions, and managed the food and supplies along the way. Fortunately, they had horses and carts.
The Dragon Shadow Guards acted as scouts, checking for any threats to the column and allowing for early countermeasures.
The division of labor was clear, and their actions were efficient.
Mu Ning smiled. "If they dare come, I dare kill them!"
Hua Ruo gripped her blade tightly and said no more—this was a chance to see Mu Ning’s and these soldiers’ combat strength.
Ma Feng walked briskly behind a flatbed cart loaded with their grain and belongings, including his two young grandsons.
His eldest son pulled the cart up front, while other able-bodied family members pushed and steadied it. He and his wife only had to walk; when tired, they could rest on the cart.
His wife handed him water. "Drink some."
Ma Feng took it and gulped down several mouthfuls. "Hurry up—there might be trouble soon."
He had noticed from afar that Lady Mu was conversing with the soldiers, then the route changed, likely because they encountered the Man Yi army.
His wife quickened her pace. "Mm, thank goodness they sold us so much grain at a low price—otherwise, we couldn’t have moved so fast."
"Hey, that dried vegetable they sell is really good. I’m looking forward to Fengzhou now," said his younger son with a chuckle.
Chen Xi not only sold them grain but also gave some small packs of dried vegetables to sell, kept from their own rations.
As village chief, Ma Feng had some savings, so he bought a portion—unexpectedly, it tasted surprisingly good.
His wife chided him playfully. "Enough, you’re too fixated on food. When we reach the north, you’d better work hard. Our family has many mouths; this journey will consume plenty."
They hardly dared slack on food now—they feared falling behind the column. Lady Mu had said she wouldn’t wait for stragglers.
In this chaotic world, being abandoned to act alone meant death—no doubt about it.
Jingzhe led Mu Ning, Hua Ruo, and the Dragon Shadow Guards up a hillside. "This is the best ambush spot. If the Jiao cavalry follow, we’ll strike here."
Hua Ruo frowned slightly, looking at the civilians hurrying below. "That’s at least forty or fifty zhang from the trail—too far. Besides, they ride fast."
She didn’t understand Jingzhe’s logic. If they used bows, this distance exceeded their range.
If they charged for close combat, by the time they got there, the cavalry would have long vanished.
Moreover, infantry against cavalry was inherently disadvantageous.
At this point, the best approach would be to set simple traps, rope snares, and the like.
Mu Ning glanced left and right, then shook his head with a smile. "Not far."
Her expression turned serious. "Take cover, everyone."
The group quickly found suitable ambush positions and concealed themselves.
Watching their swift movements, Hua Ruo was a little surprised. This unit kept challenging her perception of them—strange tactics aside, their discipline was impeccable.
Looking at their deployment, she noticed the line was stretched quite long, nearly encircling the area, yet there seemed to be a certain pattern. Her eyes flickered—was this a new kind of strategy she hadn’t seen before?
For now, she couldn’t figure out the principle or purpose of this formation.
Mu Ning drew the Dragon Feather Crossbow from her back. Actually, she hadn’t used it in a long time.
The Dragon Feather Crossbow was immensely powerful—Ge Feng’s greatest secret weapon. That was why they never once used it in Sizhou, for fear of someone learning its secrets.
Hua Ruo was shocked once again. "Is that a crossbow?"
Throughout the journey, many of Mu Ning’s soldiers carried odd-looking packs. She had wondered what they were—and now she saw they were crossbows.
Mu Ning wore a faintly proud expression. "This crossbow is called the Dragon Feather Crossbow, created by my lord herself!"
Hua Ruo drew a sharp breath. Forget the crossbow’s power—the fact that someone could develop such a weapon already spoke to Mu Ning’s lord’s exceptional skill.
She couldn’t help but ask, "Long range?"
Mu Ning smiled. "At this distance, no problem."
Hua Ruo fell silent. She realized her worry had been unnecessary—Mu Ning was clearly an old hand who needed no advice.
Mu Ning turned to Jingzhe. "Are all our people deployed?"
Jingzhe nodded. "Rest assured, Captain Mu."
As she spoke, the civilians had all passed, leaving the trail littered with footprints and signs of passage.
Hiding on the hillside were those Jingzhe had brought, along with Dragon Shadow Guards—about fifty to sixty in total. Now, only the rustle of wind through leaves broke the silence.
About half a kè later, hurried footsteps approached. Mu Ning and the others looked up to see several of Jingzhe’s scouts striding over.
"The Jiao cavalry followed. They’ll arrive soon."
Mu Ning nodded. "Take cover. Prepare to engage!"
Not long after, a cavalry unit of over a hundred Jiao riders appeared in sight.
