Chapter 661: Chapter 660: Holding Position

The hands of these three people, at a glance, were clearly those of seasoned martial artists. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Among them, two had particularly developed and powerful thenars, indicating strong grips, with clear calluses and hard skin on the tiger’s mouth and palms.

Obviously, whether they usually wield swords or knives, their combat skills should be impressive.

The remaining person was slightly different from the other two; his thenar was not as developed, and his palms didn’t have particularly noticeable calluses.

His calluses were at the fingertips of his right middle and index fingers, invisible at first glance, but palpable if touched; the skin on the pads of these two fingers was distinctly coarser than the others.

Zhu Yu gestured to the rune to help turn over the man with tough skin on two fingers, face up, and upon close inspection, indeed there was a clearly discernible vertical crease on his nose tip.

Zhu Yu understood and said to the rune, "Go into the woods, find the weapons they lost earlier, especially the bow and arrow, and make sure to collect them safely."

The man initially had a gloomy expression and said nothing, seemingly wanting to kill with his eyes when Zhu Yu and Lu Qing examined his hands. But upon hearing the other party instruct to search for his lost bow and arrow, his face immediately changed, revealing a trace of panic subconsciously without saying a word.

The rune strode into the forest, returning after a while, indeed carrying two knives in his hands.

"Second Master, no bow and arrow were found," he shook his head at Zhu Yu.

This left Zhu Yu a bit puzzled. She was sure her judgment was correct, so why couldn’t they be found?

Lu Qing noticed the confusion on her face and said to the rune, "Go back to where you found the two knives and check from the tree tops.

Operating a bow and arrow on a tree is not convenient to hide; perhaps it was hung on a treetop."

No sooner had he spoken than the person tied up in front of them changed his expression dramatically.

The rune glanced at the person on the ground, nodded, and returned to the woods.

Fu Lu picked up the two knives from the ground, weighed them in his hands, swished a couple of times, and with some disdain, curled his lips, "Using these crappy knives to fight is like directly offering your head on a platter to the enemy."

Saying this, he stacked the two knives together, gripped them with both hands, and exerted force. With a crack, he snapped the knife with bare hands.

Not only was Zhu Yu quite surprised, but the three on the ground turned pale instantly, seeming a bit more dispirited.

"This is the first time I’ve witnessed your strength!" Zhu Yu gave Fu Lu a thumbs-up.

Embarrassed by the compliment, Fu Lu chuckled twice, then seeing the look Lu Qing gave him, he said, "Thank you for the compliment, Second Master. Though I have strength, vigilance is still necessary. After all, two fists can’t take on four hands. These few people I can manage, but if there are more, it won’t be easy."

"That’s reasonable! Better tie them up tightly and keep a close watch!" Zhu Yu nodded seriously.

"Got it!" Fu Lu agreed readily.

After a while, the rune returned, having indeed found a bow and arrow hanging on the treetop. It was clear from the position it was deliberately chosen. If standing on that tree, ready to shoot arrows stealthily, the quiver was positioned just right for quick drawing, aiming, and shooting targets.

As expected, the bow and arrow were not well-crafted. Fu Lu disdainfully threw them into the fire where they crackled as they burned rapidly.

The three were angry but dared not speak, other than clenching their teeth and glaring at the four, lest in a fit of rage they say something they shouldn’t.

Later, Zhu Yu kindly had the rune and Fu Lu offer some water and food to the three, but they kept their mouths tightly shut, neither eating nor drinking.

The rune and Fu Lu didn’t bother to force-feed them, simply leaving them be without further attention.

It continued like this until late at night. After Zhu Yu stifled countless yawns, Lu Qing finally signaled the rune to prepare bedding for the Second Master for the night. Fu Lu moved the three farther away to avoid disturbing their rest, making sure to retie the ropes on them to prevent any mishap.

"Throw them over there, and let them starve overnight. By morning, they should be hungry and thirsty enough to talk," he told Fu Lu, "Though if any wolves or wild beasts end up using them as midnight snacks... well, that’s just their bad luck."

Fu Lu clasped his hands in agreement, and with the ease of lifting vegetables, he grabbed the ropes, lifting each of the three separately to a spot by the woods, casually tossing them down, then checking and retying the knots behind them one by one.

Busy with the third, the rune on the other side called him, urging Fu Lu to hurry as the Second Master was tired, and the bedding wasn’t easy to set out without help.

Hearing this, Fu Lu hastily tied the third one’s rope and rushed over to assist.

The three thrown at the woods’ edge initially didn’t move, silently exchanging glances.

One lay sideways, eyeing the four preparing to rest, ensuring none were watching them before quietly saying to his two companions, "Third Brother, Fifth Brother, the knot by my hand, that fool didn’t have the time to tie it tightly."

"Shh..." The one he called Third Brother quickly gestured to silence him, glancing at the four on the other side, "Stay put, wait until they all settle down before doing anything."

The man nodded, lying there silently, making no more moves.

Thus, the three lay stiffly like logs by the woods, letting the cold ground seep through their not-so-thick clothing, yet remained motionless.

Meanwhile, Lu Qing and Zhu Yu were the first to retire. With the rune and Fu Lu taking turns at watch by the fire, they finally agreed the rune would sleep first, to be relieved by Fu Lu later.

Soon, Fu Lu was the only one keeping watch.

Initially, he checked on them a few times, seeing they didn’t move, he gradually relaxed, sitting back against a large tree, seemingly drifting into a half-asleep state.