Chen Sheng felt he needed to remain calm, so he cleared his throat and said, "Alright, I'll gather the villagers right now and emphasize everything that needs to be explained. Ugh, those bastards, they're like persistent ghosts!"

"Thank you for your hard work, Uncle Village Head."

"Oh, you guys are the ones who are really working hard!"

Chen Sheng felt his face turn red. Master He and the others were just new villagers in Shiligou, but now they had taken on a great responsibility.

"Is the school still open as usual these days?"

“Nothing usually happens during the day, and adults don’t have time to look after children, so it’s safer at school.”

"Alright, you've thought of everything." Chen Sheng sighed. Indeed! Those brats, if the teacher didn't keep an eye on them during the day, who knows how much trouble they'd cause! It would be a real problem if they delayed the patrol team's work.

Soon after, the sounds of gongs and drums rang out in Shiligou.

Every household rushed to the assembly point, waiting for the village head to give instructions.

Many of them already knew the news and were in a state of panic at home! The village head's gong and drum were undoubtedly a lifeline. Discussing things together was much more reliable than talking to their own wives!

Seeing everyone assemble so quickly, Chen Sheng was still a little unaccustomed to it. If it were always this fast, he would save himself so much anger!

However, now was not the time to be angry, so he kept it brief and told everyone about the bandits lurking nearby.

For the villagers, what they had heard before was just hearsay, but now that the village head has sounded the gong and drum, it is official news, and it is a done deal!

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief!

"Local head, when are those bandits coming?"

Chen Sheng's face darkened upon hearing this. "You unlucky bastard, how am I supposed to know when those bastards are coming?"

"That's not what I meant. Haven't we been waiting for them for ages? We've been waiting for them to come!" The young man who spoke had helped dig traps before. He was short and hadn't been selected for the patrol, but that didn't dampen his enthusiasm! Besides, he was working at the kiln now. Defeating the bandits was protecting his home and his hard-earned job!

"Yes, village head, we old men aren't to be trifled with either. If those bandits dare to come, I'll risk my life to confront them!" An old man with white hair and beard stepped forward, filled with righteous indignation. He had relatives who died at the hands of bandits; no matter what, this was a blood feud!

Influenced by the old man's inspiring speech, many people began to voice their support, expressing their determination to fight to the end.

Even someone like Liu Meixiang, unusually, didn't utter any discouraging words. She was still quite frightened, though. She was doing well now and had no intention of fighting bandits! However, if the villagers could protect her and her daughter, she wouldn't hold them back. Even if it meant sacrificing some food, she would accept it.

Several patrol members passed by and, hearing the shouts of the crowd, quickly declared, "Don't worry, folks! Our patrol team trains day and night, and we'll make those thieves pay!"

"Hehe, well done! Third son, when we get home, your mother will stew some meat for you!" The speaker was clearly the third son's mother.

Seeing everyone's reaction, Chen Sheng said, "We can't fathom the thoughts of these bandits. Regardless, classes are still going on as usual at the school. We must be extra vigilant these next few nights."

“We know, village head.”

Don't worry!

...

Nothing happened on the first day.

Nothing happened the next day.

He Yingyuan shook his head. This was not a good sign, and his suspicions grew even stronger.

After listening to his analysis, Gu Qingshan tightened the patrol team's vigilance, so in the eyes of the villagers, the patrol team's patrol frequency became even more frequent!

In the afternoon, a gust of wind suddenly blew up, followed by dark clouds that seemed to foreshadow rain.

Looking at the chilly wind blowing outside, Qin San Niang couldn't help but think, "A storm is brewing."

He sighed inwardly. Offending Xie Yuyan wasn't so bad, but if he really made an enemy of the Prince of Zhennan, that would be a much bigger sin!

However, for now she can only choose to trust He Yingyuan's judgment and change her mindset. If they really save the future king, then they will have done a great service in supporting the emperor!

Qin San Niang frowned. For her child and her own future, she was determined to fight! As long as they could defuse this attack, everything would fall into place. As for what came after, that was up to Xiao Chang'an to handle.

After noon, it started to drizzle, and the weather grew colder.

Xiao Chang'an, whom Qin San Niang had taken a liking to, sneezed unexpectedly. Yuan Lang couldn't help but worry that he would catch a cold, but there weren't many fur coats in the countryside. Fortunately, Sister Wu's handiwork was passable. He quickly took out an outer robe and draped it over Xiao Chang'an's shoulders.

"Don't worry, I'm not that delicate. Besides, I feel much better now that I've been cured of the poison." Xiao Chang'an wasn't lying; he had been frail since childhood and spent most of his time at home.

His grandmother couldn't bear to see him suffer, saying that he was the son of a military family, whose ancestors had fought their way through the deserts, so she had his father take him to the frontier for training. Unexpectedly, his frail body became strong from then on, though he himself knew that he often suffered from dizziness. Fortunately, on the battlefield, he never showed it to others thanks to his strong will.

He had suspected before that someone might have tampered with his food, but his trusted confidants were all carefully selected, and Yuen Long was in charge of his meals, which he could absolutely trust.

He had been thinking about it over the past few days, and the only possible mistake was during his childhood in the mansion. He never expected that person to have played such a big game. He had really been very patient all these years!

Heaven didn't forsake me! That person never imagined that what he intended to kill would turn into a blessing in disguise, freeing him from the fall and allowing him to obtain the Crouching Dragon!

Amidst his conflicting thoughts, Xiao Chang'an said calmly, "Yuan Lang, tonight, you will still go down the mountain. If Mr. He and the others are in danger, you must ensure their safety."

“Yes!” Yuan Lang replied, then added, “Young master, you must be vigilant if I am not around at night.”

Xiao Chang'an picked up the book in his hand, which he had bought from He Yingyuan. "Don't worry, do you think I'd just sit here and wait to die? Besides, you're right at the foot of the mountain. If there's any danger, I'll sound the alarm."

Yuan Lang thought of the whistle that Qin Niangzi had given him. The sound was deafening! He wondered what it was made of. Fortunately, he had one too. He would go back and have someone study it!

That night, Yuan Lang put on a straw raincoat and bamboo hat, braved the light rain and hurried down the mountain. He leaped up a big tree and found a suitable place to meditate.