CHAPTER 306: MERCHANT TRAIL

The supply depot burned like a beacon against the dawn sky. Thick black smoke twisted upward in oily columns, carrying the stench of charred flesh and melted metal into the crisp mountain air.

Grim stood amid the smoldering ruins, methodically harvesting ears from the scattered corpses while flames crackled around him.

His hands moved with practiced efficiency, the utility knife making precise cuts through cartilage.

"I’ve lost count, but hey I’m a collector at heart," he announced, wiping his blade clean on a dead elf’s tunic. "The collection is growing nicely."

Lianna watched from across the courtyard, her face pale but resolute. She’d tried to help with the grisly work, but her hands shook too much to make clean cuts. The week of torture had left her with tremors that would take time to fade.

"How can you do that so casually?" she asked, her voice carrying a mixture of fascination and horror.

"Practice," Grim replied simply. "After you kill someone and bexome okay wifh it, it becomes routine."

The depot had yielded more than just ears and supplies. Hidden in the commander’s quarters, they’d found detailed communication logs that revealed the full scope of elven operations in the region.

Three major strongholds. Seventeen supply depots. Over two thousand elven soldiers coordinating attacks across the entire eastern frontier.

"This is bigger than anyone realized," Captain Wei said, studying the captured documents by the light of burning buildings. "They’re preparing for full-scale conquest."

"Emperor Yanyu needs to see this," Sergeant Liu added. "The intelligence value alone justifies the entire mission."

Grim nodded, but his attention was focused on a different set of documents. Personal correspondence between elven commanders. Most of it was routine military business, but one letter made his blood run cold.

"They have more prisoners," he said grimly. "High-value captives from multiple kingdoms. Politicians, merchants, military officers."

"Where?" Huangyan asked, looking up from her own examination of captured maps.

"The central stronghold. Three days deeper into the mountains." Grim’s jaw tightened as he read further. "They’re planning to execute them publicly. A demonstration of elven superiority over human weakness."

More innocents suffering while they debated strategy and logistics.

"We can’t save everyone," Morris said quietly, understanding the conflict written across Grim’s face. "Willem taught me that. Sometimes you have to choose who lives and who dies."

"I know," Grim replied. "But knowing doesn’t make it easier."

They finished looting the depot as the sun climbed higher, transforming the mountain valley from a place of shadows into a scene of stark devastation.

Bodies lay scattered across the courtyard like broken dolls, their elven features frozen in expressions of surprise and terror.

The horses from the corral provided a welcome relief from walking. Eight animals of varying quality, but all capable of carrying riders and supplies across the difficult terrain ahead. Even poor horses were better than traveling on foot through hostile territory.

"Which route to the capital?" Captain Wei asked, consulting the captured maps.

"The main road would be fastest," Sergeant Liu observed. "But also most dangerous. Every elven patrol will be watching it."

"Mountain trails are slower but safer," Huangyan added. "Harder to ambush us in the narrow passes."

Grim studied the terrain carefully, weighing speed against security. The captured documents indicated increased elven activity along all major routes. Every choice carried significant risk.

"We take the merchant trail," he decided finally. "Follows the river valley. Good water, decent cover, and elven patrols avoid it because there’s nothing worth stealing."

"Except us," Morris pointed out.

"Except us," Grim agreed. "But they don’t know we’re taking that route."

The merchant trail wound through forested hills and river valleys, following ancient trade routes that connected mountain settlements with the lowland cities.

It was rough journey that consisted of narrow paths, steep grades, and stream crossings that could become deadly torrents after heavy rain.

But it was also a beautiful country. Pine forests gave way to deciduous woodlands as they descended from the high peaks.

Mountain streams sang over smooth stones, their water so clear you could see trout hiding in the shadows. The air grew warmer and more humid with each mile toward the lowlands.

"I’d forgotten how good it feels to breathe properly," Lianna said, drawing deep lungfuls of the thicker air.

"The mountains take everything from you," Zhang agreed. "Heat, breath, hope."

"But they also purify," Huangyan added thoughtfully. "Strip away everything that isn’t essential. Show you what you’re really made of."

They rode in comfortable silence for several hours, the horses picking their way carefully along the winding trail. The captured supplies had provided proper cold-weather gear, replacing their torn and bloodied clothing with warm elven cloaks and sturdy boots.

It felt strange wearing enemy equipment, but survival outweighed pride. Dead heroes accomplished nothing. Living soldiers could continue fighting.

The first sign of trouble came at midday, when they crested a hill and saw smoke rising from the valley ahead. Not the thin wisps of cooking fires, but the thick black columns that indicated burning buildings.

"Settlement under attack," Captain Wei observed, pulling out a spyglass to study the distant scene.

"How many?" Grim asked.

"Hard to tell from this distance. At least thirty elves, maybe more. They’re burning everything."

Through the enhanced vision of the spyglass, they could see tiny figures moving between burning buildings. Elven soldiers destroying a small farming community while survivors fled in all directions.

"We could go around," Sergeant Liu suggested. "Avoid the conflict entirely."

"Those are Yanyu citizens," Morris said firmly. "We can’t just abandon them."

"Tactically, it makes no sense to intervene," Captain Wei pointed out. "We’re outnumbered three to one, and our mission is to deliver intelligence to the emperor."

"Our mission is to protect the innocent," Grim corrected. "The intelligence is worthless if there’s no kingdom left to save."

He spurred his horse forward without waiting for discussion. The others followed, though several exchanged worried glances.

The descent into the valley took twenty minutes of careful riding. By the time they reached the outskirts of the settlement, most of the buildings were fully engulfed. The elves had done their work efficiently, spreading fire through the community like a plague.

"Disperse," Grim ordered quietly. "Hit them from multiple directions. No prisoners."

The attack came without warning. Grim emerged from a stand of trees at full gallop, Echo blazing with aurora energy as he struck the nearest group of elves. The mounted charge scattered them like bowling pins, his blade cutting down three soldiers before they could react.

Captain Wei and his sergeants attacked from the opposite side, their coordinated assault breaking the elven line into confused fragments. Arrows flew in wild patterns as panicked archers lost their targets in the smoke and chaos.

Huangyan and Zhang flanked the enemy positions, preventing escape while eliminating stragglers with brutal efficiency. Their elven weapons served them well, familiar weight and balance making each strike precise and deadly.

Even Morris and Lianna contributed to the slaughter. Morris wielded a captured spear with surprising skill, while Lianna used her limited fire magic to ignite enemy equipment and create additional confusion through the chaos.

The Rain was surprisingly low in this area, making it easier to cast fire magic.