The middle-aged man shuddered, slowly raised his head, and stared intently at Xu Xinghe's exposed eyes, as if trying to determine the truthfulness of her words.

After a good ten seconds, he suddenly lunged at the cage, gripping the cold bars tightly with both hands, his face almost pressed against them, his voice trembling uncontrollably, "We are the people of Shiwa Village! Those who live in the village are all fake! They are devils, they have kept us locked up here for almost a year! Please get out and find someone to save us! Please!"

His voice wasn't loud, but it exploded in Xu Xinghe's ears like thunder, confirming her guess.

Hearing their conversation, the people around them looked up, their eyes gleaming with renewed hope. They struggled to get closer to the cage and started talking all at once.

"Yes, we are indeed people from Shiwacun!"

"They've taken over our house and are keeping us here to suffer!"

"Girl, please save us, save our child!"

The chaotic sounds, interspersed with a woman's sobs and a child's whimpers, were heartbreaking.

Looking at their desperate yet longing eyes, Xu Xinghe felt a pang of sadness.

These innocent people not only had their homes occupied, but were also imprisoned in these dark and gloomy dungeons to suffer, and might even face the threat of death at any time!

She suppressed her emotions and asked the middle-aged man, "Do you know who they are? Why are they arresting you?"

The middle-aged man was panting heavily, his eyes filled with fear. "I don't know! They came suddenly, broke into the village in the middle of the night, arrested us all, and locked us up here. They were dressed like ordinary people, but they were armed with guns and were ruthless. Anyone who resisted was... was killed."

His voice choked with emotion, and he couldn't continue, "They let us live, but they didn't give us any decent food or water, just wanting us to slowly wait to die!"

These spies not only infiltrated the area under false identities, but also treated innocent villagers with such cruelty; they were utterly depraved!

Xu Xinghe took a deep breath. "Don't worry, I will definitely come to rescue you. But I need to find someone right now. He was probably brought in a while ago. He's an adult male, very strong. Have you seen him?"

As soon as she finished speaking, the people in the cages immediately stirred, their eyes filled with eagerness.

An old woman said tremblingly, "Yes! There is such a person! Young lady, will you really come to save us? Please don't lie to us!"

“I never lie,” Xu Xinghe said solemnly. “But you must keep this a secret. You can’t let anyone outside know I’ve been here, nor can you reveal that I’m looking for someone. If I’m exposed, they’ll be furious, and you could all be killed, understand?”

Upon hearing this, the previously noisy dungeon instantly fell silent. Fear appeared on everyone's face as they nodded in agreement, no one daring to utter another word.

They knew the cruelty of those demons and would never dare to risk their own lives or the lives of those around them.

Seeing their fearful expressions, Xu Xinghe softened her tone and said, word by word, "Please trust the country and trust me. As long as you wait patiently, I will definitely bring people to rescue you all and let you see the light of day again."

The word "nation" was like a warm current, instantly striking a chord with the long-suppressed emotions of the people.

Some people couldn't help but sob softly.

A young woman asked, choking back tears, "You...you really can save us? We've been locked up here for almost a year, and we thought we'd never get out. You're not lying to us, are you?"

"I swear on my life, I will save you." Xu Xinghe raised his hand. "As long as you tell me where that person is, once I find him, I will immediately try to contact rescue efforts and get you out of this hellhole! If I break my promise, may I be struck by lightning!"

Seeing her swear an oath, everyone finally put aside their last bit of doubt.

The middle-aged man spoke again, "A while ago, someone was indeed sent here, very similar to what you described, tall and strong. But he wasn't locked up here, but in a deeper place, and... and there were guards watching over him."

"Things? What things?" Xu Xinghe's heart tightened, and she quickly asked.

The middle-aged man looked frightened and shook his head. "I don't know exactly what it is. I've only heard strange noises coming from over there, like dogs barking, but even more frightening. We can only stay here and haven't been able to go in."

Xu Xinghe nodded, a guess forming in her mind.

It's highly likely that it's a wolfhound trained for espionage.

These wolfhounds are often fed human flesh, making them extremely cruel.

They don't see humans as their masters, but as prey, as food. So once they find someone they don't recognize, they'll swarm around them, deal with them, and finally eat them!

Xu Xinghe thanked the middle-aged man, then turned to look at the people in the other cages. As she walked in the direction they were pointing, she softly comforted them, "Please bear with me a little longer. I will bring rescue soon. You must take good care of yourselves and don't give up hope."

As she passed each cage, she would stop and give them strength.

The people in the cage watched her retreating figure, and their previously despairing eyes regained their hope. They nodded in agreement, and some even whispered, "Be careful, young lady."

The passageway grew narrower and the light grew dimmer.

The musty and bloody smells in the air grew stronger, and a faint, low sound, like the panting of a wild beast, could be heard coming from the darkness ahead.

Xu Xinghe gripped the pistol tightly, but his steps did not falter in the slightest.

Jiang Linchuan is most likely ahead, and no matter what dangers lie ahead, she must get through them!

They hadn't gone far when the space suddenly opened up in front of them, revealing an open area. Opposite them was the entrance to another passage, with several large wolfhounds chained up on either side of the entrance.

These wolfhounds have messy fur, strong muscles, and exposed fangs. Each one is as robust as a calf. Although they are chained with heavy chains, the chains are long enough to cover the entire passage area. Anyone who gets close will be viciously bitten and killed, with no chance of survival.

Before Xu Xinghe could get close enough, the outermost wolfhound pricked up its ears, turned its head sharply, and stared intently in her direction with its bright green eyes, letting out a low growl from its throat.

Immediately afterwards, the other wolfhounds also became alert, pacing anxiously around the chain, growling incessantly.

Xu Xinghe felt a chill run down her spine and dared not step forward rashly.

She thought quickly for a moment, and with a thought, took out a piece of fresh raw meat from her spatial storage.

The space was filled with a large amount of food, all prepared in the past and capable of being kept fresh for a long time. At this moment, the piece of meat still had traces of blood on it, indicating that it had been slaughtered not long ago.

She aimed at the open space outside the pack of wolfhounds and threw the meat there.

With a dull thud, the meat fell to the ground.

The previously restless and growling wolfhounds instantly quieted down, sniffed the meat, and immediately swarmed around it, frantically fighting for it, making satisfied swallowing sounds.