Chapter 25 Determination

After winter began this year, there was only one snowfall, and it wasn't even heavy, so when there was a chance for temperatures to rise and warm up in early winter, all the snow on the sunny slope melted away.

However, in the shaded areas and in the forest, there was still accumulated snow.

Thus, the snow wouldn't cause too much trouble for the enemy; there were few places on that road that could accumulate snow. But the snow did bring some problems for Gao Yuan, who, in order to achieve the tactical objective set by Wei Guo, had to go as straight as possible, to run at top speed over the shortest distance to try and get in front of the enemy to block them. This required him to cut through the forest.

Overcoming mountains, passing through woods, climbing cliffs, and jumping down precipices.

He couldn't just seek speed; he couldn't let himself get injured or even die—if that happened, Luo Xingyu would truly be beyond help.

Gao Yuan didn't know how many times he had fallen; he sat down on the ground, sliding down from the accumulated snow in the forest.

After moving quickly across a very steep section of cliff that wasn't quite vertical, Gao Yuan grabbed a tree to halt his momentum. Then he covered his face with his hands, completely disregarding the thicket of brambles ahead as he plunged right through it.

His face and hands were covered with scratches, but Gao Yuan didn't care in the least.

He had only one goal—if the enemy was passing by with Luo Xingyu, Gao Yuan had to get ahead of them.

To rescue Luo Xingyu was his only goal.

As for killing the enemy, that was a secondary goal, and it could even be dispensed with.

Right now, Gao Yuan just wanted Luo Xingyu to be safe, even if it meant exchanging all of his supplies to achieve it. Unfortunately, he knew well that this was unlikely.

In the world of adults, there are no multiple-choice questions; you have to go for everything.

So it was either kill the enemy to rescue Luo Xingyu or be killed by the enemy.

Of course, there was also the worst possibility—that Luo Xingyu was already dead, and Gao Yuan was left with nothing but revenge.

But none of that needed to be considered right now. Gao Yuan's mind was a blank slate, and apart from occasionally stopping to ascertain his direction, the only thing he could do was run, sprinting rapidly through the forest.

Mountains are climbed, not run, thus the term "mountain climbing."

Gao Yuan was truly running through the mountains, but he felt nothing akin to the freedom as the wind.

Two hours had passed, and Gao Yuan's lungs burned like there was a fire inside them. He wasn't willing to waste even the time it would take to stop and open his water bottle, instead bending down to hastily stuff a handful of snow into his mouth.

The snow on the ground was just a thin layer, dirtied by a dark layer of dust. Along with the snow that crammed into his mouth, there were a few pine needles, but Gao Yuan could no longer bother about those.

His physical strength was at its limit, his legs felt as if they were filled with lead, yet Gao Yuan firmly believed he could break through his limits.

Anyone with long-distance running experience knows that when you hit your limit, it feels like you can't run another step—but once you break through the physical limit, afterwards you feel lighter with each step, as if you cannot feel tired at all.

Scaling over a small ridge, the view before Gao Yuan suddenly opened up; he was at the summit.

Looking down, he could see the village at the base of the mountain, and just a few tens of meters down from where Gao Yuan was, there were cliffs of varying heights.

The direction was slightly off, but the distance was not far. Just by being at the edge of the mountain's peak, Gao Yuan could block the essential route down the mountain.

Why it was an essential route was because other areas were too treacherous to be passable at all.

Gao Yuan jumped onto a trail and began to run forward along it; after a small curve, he came to a stop.

A protruding stone formed a corner, where Gao Yuan could hide behind, making it impossible for people on the road to see him.

The terrain here wasn't particularly dangerous. Gao Yuan knew there was a stretch that was very narrow, allowing only one person to pass, with a cliff on one side and a several hundred-meter drop on the other—a single misstep could result in a deadly fall.

The spot Gao Yuan had chosen, aside from offering a good hiding place, had no special advantages—the path was relatively wide, and it was even flat.

He took out his axe, removed the leather cover from the axe head, and pressed against the stone, beginning to regulate his breathing.

He was too tired, his limbs weak, breathing ragged—it wasn't a good time to make a move.

Gao Yuan began to try and analyze the situation like Wei Guo would, to make a clear judgment before deciding on his next action.

Gao Yuan felt his pace was fast, and the distance he had come to get here was roughly the same as the distance from the village to this point, so he wasn't at too much of a disadvantage in terms of distance. But those people had roads to follow here—they were, after all, still roads, and much easier to traverse compared to his overland journey.

So, Gao Yuan couldn't be completely sure that he had gotten ahead of the enemy.

He needed to stay calm, to think, to absolutely remain calm, and must not panic!

Gao Yuan constantly admonished himself in his mind, desperately trying to cool down.

Wei Guo had already taught him an important lesson just before; Gao Yuan knew how significant it was for him to remain calm.

In the face of a crisis, it is impossible for many people to maintain composure, which is why some can rise against the tide, while most cannot.

Wei Guo was not there, and Gao Yuan had to make his own judgments. However, at that moment, his mind was chaotic, making it impossible for him to calmly and accurately assess the situation.

```

There must have been a deviation in Fang Xiang's bearing; the question was whether the enemy, taking this route, had not yet reached this place or had they already passed by?

If they hadn't arrived yet, an ambush could be set here; if the enemy had already passed, Gao Yuan would have to give chase.

The advantage of an ambush here was the favorable terrain and the chance for Gao Yuan to recover some strength. However, if the enemy had already passed, lying in wait would mean he would forever lose his chance to save Luo Xingyu.

If he started descending the mountain following this path, the benefits seemed greater. If the enemy hadn't arrived, Gao Yuan could still ambush them at the next spot, but the downside was that he had to keep moving without rest. Most importantly, he might leave traces that the following enemy could discover.

Traces—thinking of this, Gao Yuan finally understood the right course of action.

It's easy to make some analysis and judgment about others while sitting on a couch, drinking tea, chatting, and watching a computer. Any keyboard warrior can do it, as there's no cost for them even if they are wrong.

In life-or-death situations, when the lives of the people you care about most hung in the balance, and just before you must fight for your life—to stay calm and find the right method to solve the challenges you face is not something ordinary people can achieve. A mistake could mean someone dies, or even oneself. Not everyone can bear this kind of pressure.

Gao Yuan left the rock and walked briskly down the mountain, till he turned along the cliff top's narrow path.

In the section of the road shielded from the sun by the mountain, a thin layer of snow finally appeared, just enough to hold footprints.

Most importantly, there were only footprints going up the mountain, none coming down.

His heart raced with excitement, for he had found the key to saving Luo Xingyu.

They had climbed up from here, proving Xiang Weiguo's judgment correct. Furthermore, the footprints indicated the enemy had not yet descended via this route, meaning if they did return this way, Gao Yuan still had a chance to ambush them.

Additionally, from the tracks, Gao Yuan could tell that the footprints were left by at least four people.

Four, not one, which meant the enemy had sufficient manpower and capability to decide to take Luo Xingyu with them rather than kill her, and that was crucial.

Gao Yuan compared his own foot with the snowy prints. The enemy's prints varied in size, but even the smallest wasn't much smaller than his.

Xiang Weiguo had mentioned that a person's foot size correlated with their height. Although Xiang Weiguo just said it in passing and had never formally taught Gao Yuan how to identify footprints, discerning them from the snow was the simplest method. Gao Yuan concluded the visitors were four men.

Good, key information had been gathered, allowing for a rational analysis and decision-making.

The decision was to return to that large boulder at the turning corner and lie in ambush.

Gao Yuan went back behind that boulder. He stood behind the rock wall, his breathing gradually becoming steady.

Drenched in sweat and with a dry mouth, Gao Yuan pulled out his water bottle and drank down the last of his water, then removed the bottle from his person and placed it on the ground.

Ten minutes passed, and Gao Yuan couldn't help but feel a bit anxious.

Twenty minutes went by, and he once again felt an urgent burning sensation.

Thirty minutes elapsed, and the excitement and pleasure he had felt from making a sound analysis and decision had long faded. Now, Gao Yuan felt as if every second lasted an eternity.

The sweat dripped away, and his soaked clothes became wet and cold. Gao Yuan felt chilled.

He couldn't afford to let his body cool completely, so he began moving his sore limbs, needing to warm up once again.

Should he walk back down the road? That way, if the enemy truly used this path, they would encounter them sooner.

The moment this thought crossed his mind, he could hardly restrain himself from acting on it immediately.

It was hard for Gao Yuan to remain calm, and while warming up, he suddenly slapped himself hard with his left hand.

"Stay calm! Stay calm! You must stay calm!" he whispered admonishingly to himself, then slowly exhaled.

If he walked back down the road, the advantage of surprise could be utterly lost, and the ambush could turn into an encounter battle. Being outnumbered four to one, the most important thing was to rescue Luo Xingyu, not just to find her, because she wasn't lost but taken. Therefore, he couldn't go back—he had to ambush here.

Having made his judgment, Gao Yuan calmed down again. Knowing the right action to take, he did what was correct.

Gao Yuan's breathing eased, calmly and rhythmically maintaining his activity to prevent his limbs from stiffening and his body from cooling down.

Though he was only battling his own thoughts, in that moment, Gao Yuan seemed to undergo a significant metamorphosis, a vital transformation.

Emotions made Gao Yuan anxious, yet reason allowed him to stay cool-headed—it was a strange state, one seldom achieved by many.

Finally, while moving, Gao Yuan stopped in his tracks—he had heard a sound.

"Hurry up…" A man's voice, cursing and impatient, floated over on the breeze. Gao Yuan ceased his warm-up exercises, his right hand drawing the axe from his waist, his left hand gripping the knife in reverse hold.

They were coming, finally coming—truly coming!

```