Free Web NovelChapter 165: Chapter 165: The Five Roads
The five roads stretched across the plain like choices carved into the world.
The first road was paved with black stone and lined with broken shields.
The second road crossed a misty river.
The third passed through a forest of red banners.
The fourth climbed a golden ridge under falling light.
The fifth descended into a shadowed ravine where no end could be seen.
Above each road floated a banner.
[Shield Road]
[River Road]
[Banner Forest Road]
[Golden Ridge Road]
[Shadow Ravine Road]
The gathered force argued immediately.
The armored remnant captain wanted Shield Road.
"Defensible terrain. Stone path. Clear formation."
A young climber from an unknown academy preferred Golden Ridge.
"High ground. Fast visibility."
A wounded scout warned against Banner Forest.
"Too many ambush points."
A merchant-looking climber wanted River Road.
"Water means supply and concealment."
No one wanted Shadow Ravine.
That alone made Qin Yuheng cautious.
The mission did not say one road was safe.
It said choose one.
Qin Yuheng did not try to command instantly.
He gathered information.
"Scouts," he said. "Who has detection skills?"
Three people raised hands reluctantly.
Qin Lian stepped forward silently.
"Formation readers?"
Qin Mo raised his hand with great reluctance.
Two others did as well.
"Healers?"
Four.
"Front-line defenders?"
Seven, including the remnant captain.
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Six.
"Support and ranged?"
The rest.
The armored captain frowned.
"You ask questions while the storm approaches."
Qin Yuheng looked at the timer.
[War Storm Arrival: 9 hours 47 minutes]
"We have time to avoid a stupid death."
That silenced some.
The captain’s eyes narrowed, but he did not argue immediately.
Qin Yuheng assigned quick scouting teams, each with strict limits: no deep entry, no engagement, return in ten minutes. He sent Qin Lian toward Shadow Ravine personally, because it was the least trusted road. Qin Mo inspected road banners from the center. Qin Yuchen remained with Qin Yuheng to prevent arguments from becoming fights.
The temporary force’s trust remained low.
[Trust in Qin Yuheng: 22% → 24%]
Qin Mo glanced at the number.
"Question asking gives two percent trust. Good to know."
The scouts returned.
Shield Road: strong defensive terrain, but many broken shield ghosts. Slow.
River Road: boats available, but current flowed backward and memory fog was present.
Banner Forest: dozens of false banners, likely command distortion.
Golden Ridge: shortest route, but falling light burned exposed targets.
Shadow Ravine: no visible enemies, but path markers changed when watched.
Qin Lian’s report was precise.
"The ravine hides space shifts. Dangerous but perhaps direct."
Qin Mo looked at the banner readings.
"Each road tests something. Shield tests endurance, River tests memory, Banner Forest tests command, Golden Ridge tests speed and exposure, Shadow Ravine tests path stability."
The armored captain said, "Then Shield Road. A force survives through defense."
The young climber argued, "We do not have time for slow defense."
Voices rose.
Internal conflict meter appeared.
[Internal Conflict: 18%]
Qin Yuheng finally raised his voice.
"Enough."
Gate Thunder Command Field did not activate.
Not yet.
Most of them did not trust him. Forcing aura outward would fail and might increase resistance.
He spoke plainly.
"Shield Road is safest for a disciplined army. We are not a disciplined army yet. Golden Ridge is fastest for elite climbers. We have wounded and remnants. River Road repeats memory risks. Banner Forest targets command distortion, likely dangerous with low trust. Shadow Ravine is uncertain, but we have path anchors and anti-separation tools."
The armored captain frowned.
"You choose the road no one wants?"
"I choose the road our force has the best tools to handle."
A healer asked, "And if the ravine splits us?"
Qin Yuheng took out the Unbroken Team Path Anchor, not revealing its full grade, and a lesser path-stabilizing crystal.
"We stabilize groups around anchor points. No one moves alone. If space shifts, stop and signal."
Qin Mo whispered, "We are using precious tools for strangers."
"Yes."
"That is commander behavior. I dislike how consistent you are."
The armored captain still resisted.
"Why should we follow you?"
Qin Yuheng looked at him.
"You do not need to trust me. Follow the plan because it matches our tools and time."
That answer worked better than asking for loyalty.
The captain studied him.
Then grunted.
"Temporary obedience. Not trust."
"Enough."
The panel changed.
[Force Road Selected: Shadow Ravine Road]
[Trust in Qin Yuheng: 24% → 31%]
[Discipline: 41% → 48%]
[Internal Conflict: 18% → 10%]
Qin Mo looked at the numbers.
"Temporary obedience gives seven percent trust."
"Focus."
They entered Shadow Ravine.
The air cooled instantly.
The sky narrowed into a dark strip above them. The ravine walls were smooth black stone, marked with faint silver lines. Every few hundred meters, the path forked, but when they looked back, the previous fork vanished.
Qin Yuheng organized the force into five squads.
Squad One: front scouts, led by Qin Lian.
Squad Two: shield and defense, led by the armored captain.
Squad Three: wounded and healers, protected center.
Squad Four: formation and support, led by Qin Mo.
Squad Five: rear guard, led by Qin Yuchen.
Qin Yuheng moved between center and front, issuing instructions through visible signals, not command field.
The first space shift happened after thirty minutes.
The rear guard vanished from sight.
Panic rose immediately.
Internal conflict spiked.
[Internal Conflict: 10% → 24%]
A climber shouted, "He led us into a trap!"
Qin Yuheng did not defend himself verbally.
He activated the path anchor.
A silver thread appeared, pointing through the ravine wall.
"Qin Yuchen is not lost. The path folded."
Qin Mo placed a formation marker.
"Do not move! If you chase blindly, we split more."
The armored captain barked at his defenders.
"Hold position!"
That helped.
Trust rose slightly.
Qin Yuheng used the path anchor and True Soul Guiding Lantern together. The lantern flame pointed not forward, but toward a narrow crack in the wall.
Qin Lian found the hidden passage.
They reconnected with Qin Yuchen’s rear squad after ten minutes.
No casualties.
[Force split recovered.]
[Trust in Qin Yuheng: 31% → 39%]
[Discipline: 48% → 55%]
The armored captain looked at Qin Yuheng differently.
Still not trust.
But less doubt.
The ravine continued.
Then the first enemy appeared.
Not from ahead.
From the shadows of the force itself.
Several temporary allies suddenly turned black-eyed and attacked nearby members.
[Shadow Road Doubt Wraith]
[Ability: Possess distrust shadows]
[Weakness: Trust resonance, path light, exposed core]
Qin Yuheng’s eyes sharpened.
The road attacked distrust directly.
Those who doubted became entry points.
The first possessed climber swung at a healer. Qin Yuchen intercepted without injuring him. Qin Lian cut the shadow behind his feet. Qin Mo activated path light. The wraith screamed and emerged.
Qin Yuheng struck its core.
More wraiths appeared.
The force began to panic again.
Qin Yuheng made a choice.
He activated Gate Thunder Command Field, but only offered it.
"Those willing to accept coordination, step into the field. Those unwilling, hold position and do not interfere."
This mattered.
No force.
No domination.
The armored captain looked at him.
Then stepped forward.
Several defenders followed.
Then healers.
Then scouts.
The command field expanded, not to all, but to enough.
[Trust in Qin Yuheng: 39% → 52%]
[Temporary force partially accepts command field.]
The battlefield changed.
With willing coordination, the Doubt Wraiths lost easy entry points. Qin Yuheng directed squads cleanly. Qin Lian exposed shadow cores. Qin Mo stabilized path light. Qin Yuchen protected the rear.
After twenty minutes, the attack ended.
Casualties: two injured, none dead.
The ravine opened into a wide black basin.
At its center stood the road guardian: a massive shadow knight carrying five broken banners on its back.
[Shadow Ravine Road Guardian]
[Level: 38]
[Type: Distrust and path division guardian]
[Warning:
Guardian strengthens if force trust falls below 40%.]
Qin Mo looked at the trust panel.
[Trust in Qin Yuheng: 54%]
He exhaled.
"Good thing we did not start with boss."
The guardian raised its sword.
The Fourth Gate’s first true battle began.
