Chapter 37: Chapter 37: Roadblocking Newbies
The two n shared so simple, idle chatter, their conversation punctuated by constant laughter.
After the idle talk, Li Ming saw that the atmosphere had ward and their bond had strengthened. He sighed, his expression turning serious as he finally got to the point.
"Younger Brother Cheng, about what happened today... I’m still a bit shaken just thinking about it.
I heard about it after coming down from the mountain. I was so worried I didn’t even wait to get my share of the at. Thankfully, when I got ho, I found my family was safe.
I heard you drove off so vagrants at the south end of the village today. If it weren’t for you, not only would my family have suffered, but other families would have been in trouble too.
So, I mainly ca tonight to thank you for stepping in to help."
Cheng Guanghai shook his head. "Brother Ming, there’s no need for that. This is our village, too. When there’s danger, of course we have to stop it."
Li Ming smiled. "That may be true, but I won’t forget this kindness.
By the way, the village chief gathered a bunch of people over there tonight. Did you not get a notice?"
Cheng Guanghai paused. "What notice?"
Li Ming frowned. "It seems you didn’t either. I just ca from Chen Shanhe’s, and the Chen Family didn’t get a notice either. It looks like the village chief only called for his own Jin clansn."
Hearing this, Cheng Guanghai fell into deep thought.
Li Ming’s expression turned grave as he said,
"At a ti like this, for the village chief to not call everyone together to discuss today’s events, but instead only summon his Jin clansn... I’m afraid he’s putting his own interests first. Younger Brother Cheng, we need to be wary of this."
A glint appeared in Cheng Guanghai’s eyes. He looked at Li Ming, a silent understanding passing between them. He didn’t ask any follow-up questions, simply nodding with a calm expression.
"Brother Ming, I’ll be careful. The village chief ca to my house this morning and asked
to go hunting in the mountains. I politely refused. I don’t want to end up like Chen Jiang."
Hearing this, Li Ming’s brow furrowed...
「On the country road north of the village.」
Cheng Zongyang didn’t know the situation of the various families in the village, nor did he know what was happening at ho.
He kept a watchful eye on his surroundings, his feet never stopping as he hurried through the darkness toward Shuikou Village.
Between Golden Bridge Village and Shuikou Village lay another village called River Pool—one of the very villages that had raided Golden Bridge today.
To avoid trouble, Cheng Zongyang didn’t light a torch. Fortunately, there was a bit of moonlight, which was enough to vaguely make out the road’s condition.
Near the southeast entrance of River Pool Village, four young n lay prone in a dry earthen ditch beside the road. They were dressed in rags, their faces sallow and gaunt.
The four lay there in a daze, each clutching his stomach and enduring the gnawing pangs of hunger.
"Brother Ergou, I’m so hungry," the short, skinny young man on the far left whispered weakly.
"Don’t talk. Save your strength," the young man on the far right also whispered weakly.
"Brother Ergou, instead of just lying in wait here, we’d have better luck checking rabbit holes in the mountains."
"Yeah, who travels at this hour? We waited all day yesterday for nothing."
"That’s enough. Soone is definitely coming tonight!" the boy in the lead said, his tone firm.
"Why?" one of the younger boys asked, confused.
"Aren’t you starving? How do you have the energy for so many questions!" the leader shot back, offering no explanation.
"I think I hear footsteps!" the boy on the far left suddenly whispered urgently.
The others imdiately fell silent, straining their ears.
"Brother Ergou, you’re amazi—mmph!"
A companion clamped a hand over his mouth before he could finish.
The four of them lay motionless by the ditch, each tightly gripping a nicked Firewood Knife.
Cheng Zongyang saw that an intersection for River Pool Village was not far ahead. He grew slightly more vigilant, but didn’t slow his pace.
People from River Pool, Shuikou, and Dongtou had all invaded Golden Bridge Village today. He refused to believe they hadn’t conspired together.
He didn’t think anyone would be lying in ambush at an intersection this late, but you never knew.
Soon, the mont he rounded a bend and entered an open stretch of the country road, four figures burst out from the earthen ditch on his left.
"HALT!"
"DON’T MOVE!"
The four of them brandished their knives, shouting at Cheng Zongyang almost in unison.
Cheng Zongyang’s guard shot up. He drew his own knife and faced them, his eyes scanning the darkness for any others.
It was too dark to make out their faces, but from the sound of their voices, he could tell they were young.
"DROP YOUR STUFF, AND WE’LL LET YOU PASS!"
The leader, Er Gouzi, yelled nervously at Cheng Zongyang, brandishing his Firewood Knife nacingly.
"We just want your things! We don’t—don’t kill people!"
Cheng Zongyang’s eyes darted past them, scanning the darkness to their left, right, and rear. "The rest of you can co out," he called out calmly. "There’s no point in hiding."
At his words, Er Gouzi and his three companions froze. They instinctively glanced to their left, right, and rear, as if searching for soone.
A small smile touched Cheng Zongyang’s lips.
’They fell for the bluff that easily.’
’So there’s no one else. Good. Just a few rookies, wet behind the ears.’
’As long as they weren’t grown n with knives, he wasn’t worried about what a few inexperienced kids could do to him.’
’Their voices are trembling when they speak, yet they think they can actually cut soone down?’
He took a mont to light his torch.
As the torch flared to life, the faces of Er Gouzi and his friends were faintly illuminated.
Cheng Zongyang advanced slowly, deliberately deepening his voice.
"I know this isn’t what you really want. You’re starving. We’re starving, too. I don’t want any trouble, but if you push , I’ll cut you all down!"
As he spoke, the torchlight illuminated his own face as well.
However, just as Cheng Zongyang’s face was also revealed before them, the leader, Er Gouzi, instantly froze.
He seed to rember sothing, and a shiver ran through him. "Bro-Brother Cheng!" he stamred. "What are you doing here?!"
When Cheng Zongyang heard this, his brows furrowed.
’I don’t know anyone in River Pool Village, do I?’
The three boys with Er Gouzi jumped in fright at the na "Brother Cheng" and instinctively backed away.
"You know ?" Cheng Zongyang asked with a frown.
Ergou’s expression soured. "I... I’ve seen you before, but you don’t know ! Brother Cheng, you can... you can go. We won’t rob you."
Cheng Zongyang stared at them. They were clearly afraid of him. He asked, puzzled, "You’ve heard of ?"
This ti, none of the four said a word, and they retreated a few more steps.
Now, Cheng Zongyang was certain.
’Either I’ve beaten them up before, or they’ve seen
beat soone up. And not just kids—I’m talking about taking on several adults at once.’
Seeing the situation was resolved, Cheng Zongyang couldn’t be bothered with them any longer. He hitched the wicker basket higher on his back, adjusted the coarse linen straps on his shoulders, and turned to leave, torch in hand.
But the next mont, he stopped, turned his head to look at the leader, and asked a question:
"Instead of lying in wait here trying your luck, why not go into the Outer Mountain to forage? You’d have a much better chance there than ambushing people here, wouldn’t you?"
Seeing that Cheng Zongyang had no intention of hitting them, Er Gouzi relaxed a lot and replied:
"I knew soone would definitely co by tonight, so I waited here."
"For sure?" Cheng Zongyang asked, surprised.
Er Gouzi nodded nervously.
"Well, people from several villages went to Golden Bridge Village today, right? I figured soone might be worried about their relatives in those other villages and would travel through the night to visit them. So I decided to wait here and try to get sothing off them."
Cheng Zongyang looked at Ergou, genuinely surprised now. "What’s your na?"
’This kid’s pretty sharp, to have thought of that.’
"My na is Xu Ergou."
’Xu Ergou?’ Cheng Zongyang murmured to himself. He seed to recall sothing and asked again,
"Who is Xu Dahua to you?"
Ergou jumped, backing away a few more steps. "He’s... he’s my older brother," he stamred.
Now, Cheng Zongyang understood.
’He was one of the guys I beat black and blue in the mountains. All for a young wild boar.’
’And Xu Dahua’s buddies got their fair share of the beating, too.’
’This kid must have been there, too. I just didn’t recognize him.’
Cheng Zongyang didn’t linger. The thought of being charitable and leaving them so food never even crossed his mind.
’Still, that Xu Ergou kid has a good head on his shoulders.’
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