The Trust Of Men

For the second hunt, they set forth at daybreak. Despite being the beginning of summer, mornings were still rather cool and crisp. An Sun followed the rest into the woods, riding in the back. He often rode alone. There were almost ten in the group he trained with, yet not one he could call a comrade.

For a long time now, it was apparent to An Sun that his comrades didn't like him very much. By now, the other troops started taking note of An Sun's strength.

Compared to the rest, he was quicker, stronger, and smarter in numerous tasks. It was clear he had the experience. This naturally upset numerous members of the troops fighting for a higher rank. Thus, they outcasted him.

For days, he noted their looks of disdain. But behind those gazes, he saw envy. An Sun was no stranger to being the odd one out. In comparison to the years of mockery and hidden scorn he encountered within the An Clan, the troops shunning was that of being hit by a child's small fist.

Even though An Sun showed very little interest in their opinions, he needed their trust and teamwork to make it through this training. There was nothing more important and reliable on the battlefield than having your men's trust.

Something he lacked at the moment.

A faint wind blew through the forest. Over their heads, the tops of the trees narrowed in the deeper they walked. The troops split into ten groups. This would show the level of cooperation and skill within the groups.

From their previous victory in the first hunt, the troops felt confident. However, An Sun's group was an hour into the hunt, and they had yet to encounter a single animal - not even a worm. While this didn't faze An Sun too much, the same couldn't be said for his team members.

"Damn it! Why can't we find a single animal in these woods?" A man named Fan Mingli fussed.

An Sun sat solemnly on his horse, his long black hair stirring in the wind. He glanced over at the man who spoke. Fan Mingli was a frail, broad-faced boy with an unpleasant voice and freckles on the bridge of his nose. Despite this, he managed to get through the training due to his quick skills and tactics.

"Just be patient. It's only been an hour." An Sun kicked his horse forward.

"Ass," Fan Mingli cursed low enough so An Sun could not hear. Unfortunately, An Sun caught his words clearly but didn't bother to respond.

After a while, their talking receded, and the woods grew silent apart from the sound of their horses' feet against the grass. The men galloped off down the trail, still without a prey in sight.

"Wait," An Sun suddenly raised his hand with a frown.

"What? Did you hear a squirrel?" The men snorted and snickered.

An Sun said nothing and looked ahead. While the other men watched him with ridiculing gazes, An Sun's eyes narrowed. Just then, they caught the sound of rustling. It sounded like an animal.

The young man named Fan Mingli's eyes brightened. "Haha, first prey!"

Without waiting for his team members, he took the bow from his back and charged to the sound. When An Sun saw the young man rush forward, he cursed under his breath.

"Get away from there, now!" An Sun shouted as he kicked his horse forward. His sword was already out.

Fan Mingli, who heard his shouts, clicked his tongue followed by the roll of his eyes. However, when he looked back ahead, his breath caught in his throat.

Not five feet from Fan Mingli's horse stood a black bear. It had been feasting on the carcass of a deer when it suddenly heard Fan Mingli approaching.

Shielding the carcass, its teeth were exposed angrily. They were sharp, like white daggers. Paws rooted to the ground, there was no doubt the bear was ready to clobber him if he made any sudden movements.

The sight of the bear gave Fan Mingli's horse such a fright, it jerked so hard that he had fallen. The horse ran away in fear, while Fan Mingli groaned in pain after falling from his stead.

When he looked up, the bear was already charging at him. He let out a sudden cry of pain. The bear's sharp teeth tore into the flesh of his foot. Fan Mingli cried in agony while attempting to yank his foot from the bear's jaws. He could feel its teeth sinking deep into his flesh the more he pushed back.

"Ngh...Help me!"

The other men instinctively looked at each other, seeing extreme fear in each other's eyes. Fighting a man was an easy feat, but a bear…unpredictable.

Just then, the swift and almost beautiful sound of a sword hummed in their ears. When they looked over, An Sun had jumped from his horse and charged - sword in hand.

He stabbed the back of the bear, setting off a deep growl from it as it swung a claw at its attacker. An Sun dodged and took a few steps back.

"Get him out of here!" He commanded, never withdrawing his gaze from the bear.

An Sun's shouts brought the men back to focus. Looking at the scene, they mustered up the courage to grab Fan Mingli while An Sun distracted the bear. Seeing them drag Fan Mingli to a safe area, An Sun let out a huff.

Cowards.

However, recalling the situation in front of him, a string of curses unraveled from his tongue as the bear advanced. He tried to dodge a swing from its massive claws, but it struck his side and he tumbled into the ground.

A heat of searing pain shot through his arm, but he hardly had time to think when the bear charged again. An Sun seized the sword by his side and blocked the bear's vicious jaws with the blade. It was inches away from his face, warm drool pooling onto his skin.

Gritting his teeth, An Sun thrust the blade back even further. His eyes glanced to the side to see the other men watching him on the side, they seemed fearful, but he noticed behind that fear…was satisfaction.

"Fucking bastards…" An Sun muttered under his breath.

With all the strength he could muster, he shoved the bear with his sword. Just before the bear snapped its jaws at him again, he rotated the sword in his hand and shoved the blade down its throat.

The bear squirmed, struggling even more viciously and its claws reached for his face. An Sun dug the sword deeper down its throat until he saw blood pooling from its teeth.

When it went limp, he finally released a loud breath and relaxed his arms, hands still on the hilt of his sword. As he panted and tried to regain his breath, he looked up at the sky with a deep gaze.

He wondered if Rin was having less of a shitty day than him. He bet she was. In comparison to him, the girl was less impulsive. A smile flashed across his eyes.

An Sun crawled out from beneath the bear and withdrew his sword from its mouth, before sliding the longsword back into its scabbard. He walked toward the group, and his eyes caught sight of Fan Mingli leaning weakly against a tree.

An Sun's eyes narrowed, and he quickly squatted down. Pulling aside the fabric of his pants, Fan Mingli groaned in pain. An Sun ignored his cry of pain and lowered his gaze on his leg. His gaze went cold.

"Why didn't anyone start treating it?" An Sun's voice was usually magnetic and calm, but now it was coated in icicles, making the men shiver in fright.

A mix of emotions warped their faces until finally, their expressions stiffened.

"U-Uh well…" One of the men stuttered.

They had already been ashamed and aggrieved the moment An Sun jumped in first to save Fan Mingli while they watched. Now hearing his cold, menacing voice filled with annoyance, their guilt deepened.

"Can we move him somewhere?"

An Sun grit his teeth and took in a deep breath before he managed to get his temper under control. However, this action made his features look even more chilly.

"If we move him, he won't ever be able to use this leg of his ever again."

A sudden silence descended over the party. The men looked at An Sun uneasily, and no one dared to speak. An Sun saw Fan Mingli's face change and the other men exchanged glances. He sighed. His eyes landed on his injured ankle once again.

Without any particular expression on his face, An Sun said, "That is if we don't treat it in time. If it's treated properly, we can move him and rest somewhere, then bring him back in the morning. Injured or dead, we don't leave a man behind."

Oddly enough, his indifferent voice gave the men a huge sense of relief, calm without a ripple of shock, sounding like all would be fine. Fan Mingli stole a glance at the cold faced man and a new spark of light seem to flash within his gaze.

For many of the men at that moment, a new sense of admiration for An Sun developed.

…

After treating Fan Mingli's wound to the best of their capabilities, An Sun ordered three of the men to come along with him to find shelter, while the rest stay and guard Fan Mingli.

When they went out to search, it seemed warmer. Though the wind had died by then and the sun was higher in the sky.

The men who followed An Sun walked in the back with awkward expressions. After witnessing An Sun not only courageously save Fan Minglil, but also slay a bear, their intimidation heightened.

Meanwhile, An Sun was squatting near the ground, tracing evident footprints in the dirt. His eyes curved into an unexpected smile that sent chills down the men's backs. Not even a few minutes later, a cave appeared near the end of the forest, hidden by a row of trees.

While the other men were stunned, An Sun indifferently turned back, "Let's return and bring the others. We'll set up camp here for the night."

When they brought the others back to the cave, An Sun sat heavily on a flat rock as the others settled in. His arm was throbbing. He ignored the looks they gave him, the silent caution in their gazes, and pulled up his sleeve. A bloody gash ran across his arm. It was a ghastly sight.

Fan Mingli gasped. "You're injured?"

Hearing the shock and almost disbelief in his voice, An Sun raised an eyebrow and chuckled coldly.

"Do you think I'm invincible?"

"That…" Fan Mingli stumbled on his words.

It wasn't just Fan Mingli; none of the men noticed An Sun was injured. From the beginning, his movements and actions were that of a woundless man.

"I'll still be able to use this arm for the hunt. Although my movements may be a little strained." An Sun said and tore a piece of cloth to bandage the wound.

"You're still going to hunt?"

An Sun cast a glance at the group of men, his eyes seemingly dull.

The words that came out of his mouth were like daggers as he laughed mockingly. "Do you think I'd rely on you to hunt?"

It didn't take a genius to grasp the meaning of his words. If he couldn't rely on them to save him when he was attacked, how could he rely on them to hunt for more animals?

Buried in their upset reflection, the men didn't dare look up at An Sun's expression. Ignoring their guilt, he stood up.

"Where are you going?" A troop member couldn't help but blurt out.

Without turning his back, An Sun responded.

"To get dinner. I don't plan on starving tonight."

The troop who asked stood awkwardly while staring at the cave entrance. Even though he was injured, he still planned on hunting.

So cool...