Chief Armaments Master of the Ming Dynasty

The crossing of the Zhou River was a harrowing and lucky affair.

They found a shallow fork in the river where the current was slower, and in the darkest hour before dawn, enduring the icy cold water, they led their terrified mules, wading across the river step by step.

My cotton trousers and socks were instantly soaked, and the cold penetrated to my very bones.

Tian Ergou was short and almost got swept away by the current, but Lao Geng reacted quickly and grabbed his arm.

Shuanzhu was at the back of the group, struggling to push the mule, which was being swept sideways by the current, while nervously looking back at the road they had come from, fearing that bandits or something else might catch up.

Once ashore, everyone's lips were purple from the cold, and they were shivering uncontrollably.

Not daring to linger, the group stumbled and found a sheltered and secluded rocky hollow.

Old Geng and Shuanzhu, being experienced, quickly used their bodies and an old felt cloth to block the wind, while Lin Fan used a flint and steel to light the carefully preserved tinder, adding wild grass and dead wood collected along the way.

A precious flame finally leaped up.

The five people huddled together around the fire, greedily absorbing the meager warmth, and took off their soaked shoes, socks, and trousers to dry them.

The fire disc player dispelled some of the darkness and slightly alleviated the chill in my bones, but the cold weather still made me shiver uncontrollably.

Tian Ergou started sneezing, and Lao Geng's old injury throbbed with pain under the combined attack of the cold and moisture.

"This godforsaken place is even colder than the mountains to the south." Shuanzhu hugged his arms, his teeth chattering.

He was originally a veteran from Yulin Town. He had a scar on his face left by a Tartar scimitar, running diagonally from his brow bone to the corner of his mouth, which made him look somewhat fierce. In fact, he was a quiet and reserved person who only listened to Lao Geng.

Old Geng was his fellow villager and also came from the border army, but he was forced to become a deserter earlier due to the withholding of his rations and pay.

"This is nothing. It's like this up north. Spring is here and people are already freezing their teeth. When the coldest days of winter arrive, even ghosts can't stand it." Old Geng coughed twice, breathed on his hands to warm them, and his eyes were a little unfocused. "Back in Liaodong... that was real cold. You had to carry a stick to pee. Many brothers didn't die under the Tartars' swords, but they lost their fingers and toes to frostbite."

Han Jinhu carefully wiped the iron hammer he had brought from Wang Ziyong's unit with a piece of old leather. He valued it more than his own life—it was his livelihood, the soul of a blacksmith. "Even in this cold, it's better than staying in the south waiting to die. Brother Lin, once we cross the river, we'll be in Lubao Ridge territory?"

Lin Fan nodded and unfolded a simple map drawn with charcoal on coarse cloth—a map he had drawn based on his memory and information gathered along the way.

"It should be. Lubao Ridge is not a single mountain, but a mountainous area with crisscrossing ravines and complex terrain. Li Zicheng's troops operated here because it was easy to defend and difficult to attack, making it convenient for maneuvering."

He pointed to a few blurry marks on the cloth with his finger. "We need to find a place to stay, get some hot food, and find out what's going on. Blindly wandering around is more dangerous."

"There's hardly a human being in this place, where are we supposed to find out?" Tian Ergou said in a muffled voice, sniffing.

Having survived several close calls, he seemed to have become a bit bolder, but he still habitually relied on Lin Fan.

"Where there are people, there is news. No matter how desolate it is, there will always be passersby, people digging for medicinal herbs, and hunters. Just be careful." Lin Fan put away the map but showed no intention of leaving.

As the daylight faded, he took one last careful look at the rugged mountain shadows and deep ravines around him, then looked back at his companion whose lips were still purple and whose face was full of exhaustion.

"Don't rush off. Everyone's exhausted. It's pitch black, and we can't even make out the terrain. We'd better be careful not to slip or bump into something we shouldn't. Let's warm ourselves by the fire and take turns napping. We can set off when it's light and we can see the road clearly. Moving around will warm us up, but it'll also take a lot of effort, and that's exactly what we need right now."

As dawn broke, the group set off again.

The mountains on the north bank were indeed more precipitous, with exposed rocks that were dark red or iron-blue in color, and the trees were sparser and shorter, mostly drought-resistant thorns and crooked pines.

The path is intermittent, often requiring climbing or detours.

The air was dry and cold, carrying a unique smell of dust and minerals.

Around noon, they found several cave dwellings that had mostly collapsed on a sunny slope, next to a small patch of land that had obviously been leveled by humans but was now overgrown with weeds.

It was an abandoned village, or more likely, a temporary dwelling built by migrants who came to the mountains to reclaim wasteland in earlier years.

"Go in and take a look, be careful." Lin Fan gestured for everyone to spread out, gripped their weapons, and slowly approached.

The cave dwelling was empty, with only thick dust, scattered pebbles, and some bird and animal droppings.

But in one corner, Han Jinhu, with his sharp eyes, noticed something different—several stones deliberately arranged in a certain shape, next to which were burnt ashes, which were very fresh, no more than two days old.

"Someone has been here, and not just one person." Old Geng squatted down and carefully examined the ashes and nearby footprints. "The footprints are messy, indicating at least five or six people who rested here for a short time."

"Look at how these stones are arranged..." Shuanzhu fiddled with the stones with his scabbard. "They look a bit like... secret marks left by scouts in the army? I've seen similar ones in the night patrols back then, used to indicate directions and numbers."

Lin Fan's heart stirred.

Could it really be a scout from Li Zicheng's army?

Or is it from another force?

"No matter who it is, we shouldn't stay here any longer. Let's grab what we can and leave," Lin Fan said decisively.

They found half a broken earthenware pot, a rusted but still usable wood-chopping knife, and a few scattered, low-quality copper coins from the Hongwu era in the ruins.

Han Jinhu put away his wood-chopping knife as if he had found a treasure.

As we continued northward, the landscape became increasingly desolate.

Occasionally, you can see hillsides scorched by wildfires, with charred tree trunks pointing to the sky like giant tombstones.

They also passed by several small villages with cooking smoke rising from their chimneys, but when the villagers saw this group of outsiders carrying knives and guns and dressed in rags from afar, they immediately closed their village gates tightly, and shadowy figures holding bows, arrows, and clubs could be seen on the earthen walls, ready to defend themselves.

They dared not approach and had to take a detour.

A few days later, the dry rations were completely exhausted.

Hunger began to truly torment everyone.

Tian Ergou's gait was starting to feel unsteady, and Lao Geng and Shuanzhu's steps were also noticeably heavy.

Han Jinhu licked his chapped lips, his gaze occasionally sweeping over anything on the roadside that might be edible.

Lin Fan himself also experienced a burning pain in his stomach and dizziness.

Knowledge is powerless in the face of hunger.

That evening, they discovered a small, relatively damp depression beside a mountain stream, where some unidentified plants with thick leaves were growing.

Just as they were about to collect the materials, Tian Ergou, who was walking in front, suddenly let out a short scream and retreated.