The Emergence of a Bunch of Fools

The so-called hidden path.

In reality, it was an extremely concealed crevice in the rocks, covered by dense vegetation on both sides, connecting the Great Qian Empire and the borderlands.

This was not a secret passage of the Dingyuan Prince's Mansion.

Nor was it some hidden, mystical pathway.

Its existence and origin were merely a coincidence of nature.

Wu Yingxue had stumbled upon this rocky crevice by chance. She was not the only one who knew of it; many villagers living nearby were also aware of its existence.

However, none of them would ever speak of it.

They all kept it hidden.

But now.

Blood flowed freely, flesh lay scattered, broken bones and shattered organs were strewn about.

The scene before them was like a descent into hell. Bloodstains were everywhere, and the once lush vegetation used to conceal the path was now dyed a dark crimson.

It sent chills down one's spine.

"What in the world... what happened here!?"

Wu Yingxue's pupils contracted, and her hands gripping the spear trembled slightly—not out of fear, but fury.

She couldn't imagine.

What could have happened here, how many had died, to create such a horrifying scene.

"Calm down, Yingxue."

Xu Xi reached out, placing a hand on Wu Yingxue's shoulder, stopping her from rushing into the crevice.

His innate martial vision, a skill of the Xiantian realm, allowed him to "see" more details that were otherwise hard to notice. He was certain that the path beyond was not safe.

...

[You witness a scene akin to a living hell.]

[The rocky crevice, which you once saw as a safe escape route, is now unusually littered with corpses and dismembered limbs, shattered beyond recognition.]

[You keenly sense that something catastrophic has occurred here.]

[You stop the young girl and the villagers from entering the crevice.]

[You instruct the people to spread out and search for any possible clues. Soon, someone discovers traces of hiding in the snow.]

[Following the trail, you find two people hiding in a cave not far from the crevice. They appear terrified at your arrival.]

[You patiently reassure them and offer them dried demon meat.]

[Your efforts to calm them prove effective, and they gradually settle down.]

[You begin to question them about their identities and whether they know what happened at the crevice.]

[Through their sobs, they tell you that they come from a village on the other side of the crevice in the Great Qian Empire. Unlike your group, who sought to flee the borderlands, they were desperate to leave the Great Qian.]

[The Great Qian, by now, had fallen into chaos.]

[Excessive taxes, widespread rebellions, and harsh punishments had deeply scarred every ordinary person who longed for peace.]

[Unable to endure the terror, the villagers collectively decided to leave the Great Qian, fleeing to the dangerous borderlands, which, though equally harsh, at least lacked the corruption of greedy officials.]

[However, their escape was soon discovered by the border army of the Great Qian.]

[The other end of the crevice was sealed off by the military, and the fleeing villagers were driven back with swords and spears, forced into the borderlands during the peak of the demon horde's winter rampage.]

[By now, only these two remained from what was once a large village.]

Angry?

Furious?

Bitter?

Not really.

After listening to their tearful account, Xu Xi slowly walked out of the cave where they had been hiding.

Snowflakes fell, and a cold wind howled.

Xu Xi's expression was calm, seemingly devoid of any emotion, but that wasn't the case. Deep within his chest, his heart beat more fiercely than ever before.

A sign of the turmoil raging within him.

"The demons of the borderlands devour people."

"The demons of the Great Qian also devour people."

"In this world, in this era, there is no escape from being devoured."

Xu Xi closed his eyes, remaining silent for a long time before reopening them.

A surge of emotions welled up within him, the fiery blood of a martial artist urging him to act. But he chose to remain calm.

The situation was far too dire.

Rage alone would not solve anything.

"Sir, what should we do next?" A young woman in red and white robes approached, her face filled with confusion.

Behind her were the equally bewildered residents of Qingniu Town, as well as people from other towns who had chosen to follow them along the way.

The crevice was no longer passable.

The other end was blocked by the border army.

Such a narrow passage offered no room for evasion once entered.

It was clear that entering the crevice was out of the question.

"The next step..."

In the midst of the snowstorm, Xu Xi's gaze swept over the crowd of listless, numb faces. As his eyes moved, so did theirs.

The people of the borderlands had only two options.

One was to stay in the borderlands, facing the great demons of the Xiantian realm and the endless hordes of demons from the Ten Thousand Mountains.

The other was to force their way through the border, confronting the armored and armed border army, and the once-mighty "great figures" of the Great Qian.

Xu Xi remained silent.

Neither path was easy.

Whichever they chose, blood would be shed, and lives would be lost.

If they had to choose, forcing their way through the border seemed the better option.

Recently, with the uprisings within the Great Qian, many of the border troops had been redeployed, leaving the border less heavily guarded than before.

Moreover.

The number of border troops was finite, unlike the demons of the Ten Thousand Mountains, whose numbers were overwhelming and despair-inducing.

"But relying on me alone is not enough. Even with Yingxue, it's still insufficient."

"With my current strength, I am far from capable of taking on an entire army."

"The best way to defeat an army is with another army."

Xu Xi hesitated.

The people followed him in search of survival.

But now, would they still be willing to fight the border army?

Xu Xi did not hide his thoughts, openly sharing them with everyone. Surprisingly, no one chose to leave after hearing his plan.

Why was that?

"Brother Xu, we no longer have a home."

A honest-faced man stepped forward from the crowd, revealing the true reason.

The people of Qingniu Town, and those from other towns, followed Xu Xi not because of some extraordinary charisma he possessed.

Xu Xi himself doubted that was the case.

He had never spoken words to deceive or manipulate.

The reason they stood here, choosing to follow Xu Xi, was simple and heartbreaking.

Their homes were gone.

They had no food.

In the midst of the demon horde, many had already lost hope, becoming like the walking dead. But they were willing to follow Xu Xi, searching for a path to continue living.

"Then, follow me."

The wind ceased, the snow paused, and Xu Xi raised his long blade high with a smile.

...

[The sudden turn of events at the crevice disrupted your original plan.]

[You realized that if you wanted the people to survive, the only way was to force their way through the border and enter the Great Qian.]

[If they stayed in the borderlands, they would either be devoured by demons or freeze to death in the winter.]

[They had no other choice.]

[Their only option was to risk their lives for a future.]

[You laughed heartily and taught everyone the Fool's Technique.]