Volume 1, Chapter 16: Another Wave of Bandits Is Approaching

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Shen Yuehua spun Su Ping’an around twice, and only after seeing that his injuries were not severe did she let out a sigh of relief.

“Second brother, you’re hurt too? Hurry and see the doctor! What are you doing here? Don’t you have any sense at all?”

Su Ping’an mumbled, “There are too many injured people, and there’s only one doctor. Everyone is lining up, but I don’t want to wait. I saw you all here, so I came over to check.”

“Check what? What’s there to see? Haven’t you seen your mother or father before? Come on, come on, get in line quickly.”

Shen Yuehua pulled both father and son away, not forgetting to give Shen Shuli a brief instruction.

“Daughter, you watch these two. Your father and I will go tend to our wounds and be right back.”

Shen Shuli understood her father's intention in leaving these two bandits with her.

These two mountain bandits tried to sneak away when no one was paying attention, but Shen Shuli kicked them back one by one.

“Speak! Which gang are you from? Why are you here in Peach Blossom Village today?” Shen Shuli’s eyes were cold as she looked down at the two men on the ground.

They had already been stabbed several times by the villagers; their injuries were serious but not fatal.

Terrified, they only wanted to answer anything asked, hoping to be spared.

“It was your village’s Liu the Cripple who tipped off our leader.”

“He said Peach Blossom Village and several nearby villages planned to flee, and that some people in the village had bought a lot of grain outside.”

“Our leader was worried that his penned sheep would run off, so he sent us down the mountain to slaughter sheep in nearby villages, so you fat sheep wouldn’t escape and benefit others.”

Shen Shuli hadn’t expected that her own actions had triggered such a butterfly effect.

These bandits came down the mountain early because they caught wind of their planned early escape. Her feelings were complicated.

“Where is Liu the Cripple? Also, how many squads did your gang send? What are their missions?” Shen Shuli pressed on, stomping hard on one of the man’s wounds.

She wondered if the village where her grandfather lived was also targeted by these bandits. As for the other villages, she couldn’t possibly cover them all.

“Ah! It hurts! I’ll talk, I’ll talk! I’m cooperating, please spare my feet, miss!”

“Speak quickly!”

“Liu the Cripple is right in your village. He’s our Blue Dragon Camp’s informant, often tipping us off. We give him some grain as payment.”

“Our leader only sent this squad — we’re the vanguard. Our mission is to slaughter all nearby villages first. There’s a logistics team responsible for transporting grain behind us, about a hundred or so strong, they should arrive in about two hours.”

“I don’t know anything else! Please let me go, miss! I was forced into this too!”

Thinking of the hundred-plus bandits still coming, Shen Shuli’s heart sank.

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She must make arrangements early.

Shen Shuli dragged the two men and handed them over to the old village chief.

This matter required an explanation to the villagers.

“Village Chief, I just learned from these two bandits that they’re coming to our village today because of a man named Liu the Cripple from our village secretly tipping them off.”

“The bandits didn’t just send this squad; there are over a hundred more coming to take our grain. We must prepare early!”

Hearing this, the village chief’s face changed drastically.

He never expected that the bandits were summoned because of his distant nephew!

Had he known it would bring such disaster to the village, he would never have taken pity on them and let them stay.

What a curse!

He had hoped Peach Blossom Village might escape this disaster, but now there was a large bandit force approaching.

Just thinking of those fierce bandits made his legs go weak.

Thankfully, his son supported him in time.

Watching Shen Shuli’s retreating figure, the chief asked his son, “Old Da, what do we do now? There’s a large bandit force coming. How can we survive this?”

“Father, no matter what, we have to try our best. I’ll go find Brother Dahai to discuss a strategy. After all, he’s a scholar. Given the situation, maybe only he can come up with a plan.”

If not for Su Yunhai’s timely leadership in defending against the bandits, Peach Blossom Village would have been slaughtered long ago.

“All right, we’ll follow your lead.” The village chief, unable to stand, sat down against the earthen wall and said, “Tie up these two first. Also, quickly detain Liu the Cripple and his family. Don’t let them escape!”

“Yes, father!” Li Rui immediately sprang into action.

Su Yunhai and Su Ping’an had already tended to their wounds.

Shen Shuli called her parents aside to inform them of the situation. Su Ping’an, curious, came over and listened intently.

“What? More than a hundred bandits coming?” Su Ping’an’s eyes widened in fear, his voice inadvertently rising.

Nearby villagers all heard him.

Their faces paled, and exclamations broke out.

“A huge bandit force is coming to our village?”

“Heavens, it seems fate is determined to leave us no way out!”

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“Wah, my husband was just killed by bandits. How are my children and I supposed to live now?”

“The thirty bandits we just fought were already so hard to deal with. If more than a hundred come, how can we fight? We should run while we still have time!”

Su Ping’an, knowing he had caused trouble, immediately crouched down, curling into a ball and covering his head, waiting for his father’s slap.

Su Yunhai only glanced at his son, said nothing, but his expression was grave.

This news had to reach the villagers sooner or later; better they be prepared.

At that moment, Li Rui hurried over.

“Dahai, do you have a moment? There’s something important to discuss.”

Su Yunhai knew what he wanted to say and nodded. “I do. I also have something to discuss.”

Li Rui intended to pull Su Yunhai aside away from the crowd, but Su Yunhai stopped him.

“Brother Rui, time is short. It’s better if everyone hears this together.”

Li Rui thought it over and agreed, his eyes full of hope as he looked at Su Yunhai.

“Dahai, do you have any ideas? Those bandits number over a hundred. Our village’s able-bodied men combined might only be twice that number.”

“But we’re just ordinary villagers. At most, we slaughter chickens and pigs. How can we compete with these ruthless bandits?”

“Besides, we already suffered many injuries just from the thirty bandits. What can we do now? Do you have a strategy?”

No matter how much Li Rui racked his brain, he felt Peach Blossom Village had no chance of victory this time, sweat beading on his forehead in anxiety.

Su Yunhai had yet to come up with a solution, but Shen Shuli quickly spoke up.

“Father, I have an idea. Would you like to hear it?”

Su Yunhai’s eyes lit up immediately. “Speak, let’s hear it.”

Shen Yuehua, Su Ping’an, and the surrounding villagers, overhearing the discussion about how to resist the bandits, unconsciously gathered closer.

At this moment, every villager’s gaze fell on Su Yunhai’s newly found daughter with the golden hair.

They were eager to know what good ideas this young girl could possibly have!