Xu Jinhuan silently shook his head. It didn't seem likely. The Crown Prince had long wanted to kill them all, so he wouldn't have gone to such lengths.

Moreover, the person just now didn't show any hostility, otherwise Xu Jinhuan wouldn't have stopped for a while before noticing.

So who is it?

Xu Jinhuan couldn't come up with this idea even after racking his brains.

Well, since they've taken action, they won't stay hidden forever. We'll find out who it is eventually.

Xu Jinhuan was confident in her martial arts skills. Since undergoing the cleansing and marrow-refining process, her supernatural abilities and internal strength had been enhanced to varying degrees. Now, even the most skilled imperial guards would have to kneel and beg for mercy.

Xu Jinhuan took the pigeon back to the house, fed it some water and food, and then sent it away.

After doing all that, she went to talk to Xie Datou and the others about Lei Tingjun, saying that the traps they had set up could now be activated.

Meanwhile, Wuyou, who was hiding in the woods, looked at the dagger on his thigh, pulled it out speechlessly, and then skillfully took out a bottle of wound medicine from his chest and began to apply it to himself.

"No wonder Master was tempted. She's a ruthless person. If these two get together, will I still be able to enjoy reading stories?"

As Wuyou tore off a piece of cloth to bandage herself, she kept muttering to herself.

"Well, things will work themselves out. Maybe the master will become more tolerant after he has a wife!"

After Wuyou finished brainwashing himself, he happened to see a gray pigeon flying in the sky. So he waved his hand and used his lightness skill to catch the pigeon in his hand.

“Little one, you’re going out in this heavy rain. We’re in the same boat, so I’ll give you a ride.”

After muttering to himself, Wuyou flew down the mountain with the gray pigeon.

Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, he sped off towards the capital. However, after traveling only halfway, Wuyou keenly noticed the disguised guards of the Fifth Prince's residence, as well as spies hidden in various locations.

Wuyou quickly flew to a large tree, concealed herself, and carefully observed the people.

After the Fifth Prince's guards and spies left, several small groups of men quietly followed behind them.

It seems the Crown Prince and his men were worried that the spies wouldn't deliver messages in time, so they sent people to follow them directly, ready to take action if necessary.

Wuyou silently kept the situation in mind, and only after everyone had left did she use her lightness skill to rush back to Deyilou.

Not long after he returned to Deyilou, the river breached a dam, and the surging waters rushed towards the surrounding villages. Many fields were instantly surrounded by floodwaters, and the villagers' houses were also flooded.

"Everyone get out of the house quickly! The flood is coming!"

"Run up the mountain quickly, it's higher up there!"

The villagers quickly packed their bags, dragged their families along, and drove their chickens, ducks, cattle, and donkeys towards the mountains.

Therefore, the guards who were preparing to go up the mountain were scattered by the villagers who were fleeing in panic, and even the spies were pushed to the side of the guards by the villagers.

"What's going on?"

"I heard they said the dam collapsed. Let's hurry up the mountain. Didn't our master want us to go up the mountain to rescue Miss Xu?"

The two guards were too far apart, so they had to shout loudly to pass on their messages to each other.

The spies exchanged glances, their eyes filled with disbelief. So the Fifth Prince had gone to such lengths just to save a woman?

So, will they continue to follow?

Before they could figure it out, they were pushed up the mountain by the people who were rushing up the mountain...

At this time, Xu Jinhuan and the others on the mountain had made all the preparations.

Outside the mountain stronghold, she also specially arranged for people to build a simple pavilion in the gaps in the woods, and have people patrol and guard it there.

Anyone who tries to enter the mountain village will be turned away, but they will be told which caves are suitable for living.

If they want to force their way in, Xu Jinhuan welcomes them anytime; plenty of traps and weapons await them!

On the way up the mountain, Lei Tingjun's bodyguards had a completely different idea from Xu Jinhuan; they wanted to take advantage of the crowds to reach the mountain stronghold.

“I remember there seem to be people living on this mountain. Should we go there and stay for a few days? We won’t stay for free; we’ll pay them,” one of the guards said suddenly, his eyes darting around.

Another bodyguard not far from him immediately chimed in, "Sure, I'll go with you, and we can split the accommodation costs. But do you know which direction it is?"

Their conversation indeed attracted the attention of the nearby villagers.

"Huh? Someone lives here?"

“I remember there used to be an old hunter who lived in the mountains, but he seems to have passed away last year.”

"I remember there's a group of people on the mountain, they all look fierce and menacing, they don't seem like good people. Let's not take that risk, let's find a cave to stay in for a few days."

"Yeah, what are you all thinking? With so many of us, how big of a house would it take to fit us all in?"

The villagers chattered amongst themselves, their voices punctuated by the wailing of children and the frantic squawking of chickens and ducks—it was noisier than a market.

Because these people are not from the same village, but all live near the riverbank, it is difficult for them to reach a consensus.

“Our village won’t get involved in this mess. Go ahead if you want, but don’t blame me for not warning you, the people living there are not easy to deal with.”

After saying that, the village chief of Dawang Village led his villagers to continue searching for the cave.

The village chiefs of the remaining two villages were closer because of their marriage ties. The two village chiefs exchanged a glance and could see from each other's expressions that they were both eager to try.

They once happened to encounter Ma Wencai's band of bandits, but the two managed to hide in time and were not discovered by the bandits.

The two men witnessed bandits robbing the imperial court's disaster relief funds, and those chests of gleaming silver were instantly and deeply imprinted in their minds.

After the bandits rode away triumphantly, their fear subsided, but a surge of greed welled up in their hearts.

In my dreams, I see boxes upon boxes of silver ingots gleaming with a silvery light.

This is a great opportunity!

Don't think those country folk are stupid. Those people dressed in fine clothes and with long swords at their waists are definitely not ordinary people.

They might be the kind of bodyguards with swords often mentioned in operas. With these people by their side, even if they fight with bandits, they can quietly hide.

When both sides are exhausted, they will come out to pick up the scraps and then quietly leave with their families.

Oh my, just thinking about it makes me feel so happy.

After exchanging a smile, the two called to the villagers to walk together towards the mountain village.

The guards exchanged glances, and seeing that the operation had gone smoothly, they smiled at each other with satisfaction.

The spies and guards scratched their heads, remembering their master's instructions, and followed along.

So when the guards of the mountain stronghold were on patrol, they saw a huge crowd of people walking towards the stronghold.

"Quickly, go tell Boss Xu!"