After entering the courtyard, the old man jumped off the sled and shouted at the top of his voice with a smile: "Old Huang, come out quickly and see my harvest!"

The mice pulling the sled and the net bag followed the old man's orders and dispersed like a tide, disappearing into the densely packed caves at the edge of the yard. Ma Ben and He Youfang then hurriedly opened the net bag, helped the pale-faced Jiang Ling to his feet, and stared warily in the direction of the old man and the big house.

With a creak, the door of the big house opened and a tall and thin old man wearing a fur vest walked out. He had a ruddy face, bright eyes, a slender neck and sloping shoulders. A straw rope was tied around his waist to prevent the vest from slipping off his sloping shoulders.

Some say he is an old man, but looking closely at his appearance and skin, he doesn't seem that old. Some say he is middle-aged, but his temperament is too steady. His bright eyes reveal the wisdom and insight that only a man in his seventies can have. Anyway, this man gives Ma Ben a contradictory and strange feeling.

"Well, I caught one more than you, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, I'm still better!"

"You stinky rat, you're just itching to see people poop, and you have to compete with me on everything. After all these years, is it fun?"

The old man in gray jumped in front of him, his rat-like mustache flying up, and shouted, "Interesting, very interesting!"

Old Huang rolled his eyes and ignored the old man. He walked down the stairs, walked around Ma Ben, He Youfang and Jiang Ling, and looked them up and down. The inquiring look made Jiang Ling's hair stand on end. He grabbed Ma Ben's arm tightly, tears in his eyes.

Old Huang suddenly shouted, "What's your purpose in coming here? Tell me—!"

"Wow! We're here for special training. We're good people. Don't kill us. Wuu ...

Jiang Ling couldn't stand the shock and confessed the truth while crying. Ma Ben was so angry that he shook her hand away and cursed in his heart, "You are so useless!"

The old man in gray came up and asked Lao Huang in a low voice, "Is it them?"

"I don't think so..."

"What should we do then?"

"How should I know? I didn't even know what to do with the two I caught, and you brought back three more. It's just adding to the chaos!"

The old man in gray hopped around a few times with his hands behind his back, a fierce look on his face: "Humph, no matter whether they are good or bad, killing them is the safest way, boys——!"

Countless big rats came out from every corner, surrounded the three people like a tide, squeaking and screaming. As long as the old man gave the order, they would pounce on the living people and gnaw them into bones.

Ma Ben's heart sank. It was over. This old man was clearly trying to silence me. Who knew what secrets this village had? Could it be a drug manufacturing den? Oh, if I had known, I wouldn't have brought Jiang Ling and He Youfang with me...

This time, Jiang Ling didn't cry. His eyes rolled back, and he fainted again. He Youfang was nearsighted, so he couldn't see the rats' hideous faces clearly, but the fear he felt was bearable. He and Ma Ben stood back to back, each imitating Ma Ben's example as he drew his combat dagger. They were Qilin students, and they had to fight to the death, even if it meant death. They couldn't be cowards.

"grumble--!"

At the critical moment, a white shadow rushed out from the house, grabbed Lao Huang's clothes and climbed onto his shoulders. It put its two front paws together and kept bowing to the old man in gray. It was Qian Duoduo's ferret - Yuanbao.

"Chi, chi, chi, chi—chi!"

Yuanbao bowed and called out to the old man, and accidentally fell off Lao Huang's shoulders. Lao Huang grabbed him by the waist and put him back on his shoulders.

"Hey, stinky rat, you're already old, can you be a little more serious? Look how scared you are of my little grandson!"

The old man then raised his rat-beard, his face full of joy, and said triumphantly: "Well, just now you scared a boy unconscious, and now I've scared a girl unconscious, we're even! Chirp, chirp, chirp!"

"childish!"

Ma Ben and He Youfang: ...What's going on? Are you trying to scare me? Damn, it's better to just kill me!