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The mountains near Yuhang were once a summer retreat for aristocratic families, with countless manors built there. Every summer, the area was awash with gorgeous scenery and a constant stream of traffic. However, in recent years, the world has become increasingly chaotic, and bandits have gradually appeared in the mountains, so this beautiful scenery has naturally disappeared.

However, even though the nobleman was gone, the nobleman's followers were still there. For example, the Hungry Tiger Stronghold in the West Mountain belonged to the Lu family. Not only did they provide money and food, but they also specially stationed elite soldiers there, just to gain more benefits in the troubled times.

"Boss, a group of fat sheep are coming towards us and will be at the foot of the mountain at noon." Early in the morning, a confidant came to report.

Lei Hu yawned, pushed the woman in his arms away, and walked out of the house shirtless. He picked up the wine jug on the table and gulped down a few mouthfuls before asking, "Where did you come from?"

Their scouts were spread out very far, and it was impossible for a large group of refugees to be discovered only when they were right in front of them, so this question was reasonable.

The confidant hurriedly said, "They came from the east, so they must have been robbed before."

To the east lay the Gu family's territory, with several other scattered factions. It was impossible for refugees to pass through without being divided. It was like a gnawed sparerib: little meat and hard bones, making it difficult to eat.

"Are there many people?" Lei Hu asked casually.

"Quite a few, and most of them are light and strong." The confidant said immediately.

No wonder they were able to escape from Gu's territory. Lei Hu laughed: "If they can't stop them, then it's our turn. Recently, there are always some bastards who want to show off their power to us. We have to fight a tough battle."

I don't know what's going on, but lately, someone's been trying to steal business from Hungry Tiger Village, snatching away the meat right before their mouths several times. The refugees they've driven out aren't enough, and the village's stewards are complaining. The rewards for the pigs and sheep have been reduced. If this continues, Hungry Tiger Village might be taken over by Wang Mazi and his gang. Lei Hu has no intention of giving the position of head of the village to anyone else. Now that such a big deal has suddenly come along, isn't this the perfect opportunity to show off his power?

With the leader's order, the entire Hungry Tiger Camp was mobilized, even the elite Lu Clan soldiers, who were served with wine and meat and served as the central force. Lei Hu was ready to fight with all his might, determined to achieve great success. Only by standing firm now, when chaos broke out in Jiangdong, could he stand out and fight for a way out.

By the time the sun reached its zenith, at the foot of the mountain, the troops from Hungry Tiger Village were already stationed by the roadside. Lei Hu narrowed his eyes, watching the group of refugees slowly turning the corner. He saw the group split into three groups: tall men holding wooden spears in the front, the elderly and the weak huddled in the middle, carrying baskets and bundles, and several large carts trailing behind, guarding the rear. Although they all looked ragged and dusty, their spirits were undiminished.

"Is this a village relocation?" Lei Hu stroked his chin, a thought already forming in his mind. Only a large, rural clan like this could have such a complete arrangement. Where was the latest war zone? These refugees must have traveled hundreds of miles, and they're still in one piece. It's truly remarkable.

However, the more such a team there is, the more benefits it will have. After escaping all the way from the Gu family, it is probably already at the end of its strength, and it will fall into his hands.

Licking his thick lips, Lei Hu showed a ferocious smile and stared more closely at the spearmen at the front of the line. The key was how to defeat this group of people as soon as possible.

Without urging his men and horses ahead, he sat quietly on his horse, watching the refugees approach from afar until they were only four or five hundred steps away, almost under his nose. Then he blew a long whistle. With this whistle, the bandits ambushed on both sides shouted angrily and rushed out.

A hundred or so ferocious bandits armed with swords and spears suddenly rushed out, causing the formation of the refugees to become chaotic in an instant. The warning gong sounded, and the spearmen standing in the front also lost their composure and retreated in panic.

With this retreat, the originally neat formation was broken up, and those carrying luggage at the back were in even greater disarray. Some even put down their backpacks, as if trying to pull out weapons from them for self-defense. But the bandits refused to give them the chance, and rushed forward with fierce eyes and shouts.

Lei Hu also rushed out on his horse, followed by the elite of the Lu family, enough to protect him. At this time, he had to show the majesty of the big boss to convince his brothers.

In the past, the next step would be a massacre, with anyone who dared resist being eliminated, the elderly and weak killed, women and children abducted. Once the entire group of refugees had completely dispersed, they would have no choice but to flee in the direction they had left. The road ahead faced the Lu family manor. Once the penniless, exhausted, and hungry refugees reached the manor, someone would naturally come forward to gather them up and turn them into slaves. Lei Hu had done this routine countless times, and today he was going to show off his skills!

Despite his high spirits, Lei Hu didn't spur his horse to its maximum speed, simply following the vanguard and sprinting into the chaotic crowd at just the right moment. It was only then that he realized something was amiss. The spearmen had indeed broken up, but at some point, they had reorganized into formations of varying sizes, some wielding long weapons, some short weapons, and even some holding rattan shields as a protective shield.

Where did the shield come from?

Lei Hu was confused for a moment, and the next moment, screams rang out.

"They have crossbows! They have crossbows!"

Along with that cry, a whirring sound pierced the air. The enemy's formation truly had crossbows, and in sufficient numbers, they could advance and retreat with the smaller formations. The carts following behind had already been arrayed horizontally on the flanks, and the longer-range longbows had already begun firing rapidly, raining down arrows.

No, this was an ambush! Lei Hu was a veteran after all, and he immediately shouted, "Retreat! Retreat and form a team!"

We couldn't flee at this moment, or the casualties would only increase. Reorganizing the formation still offered a fighting chance. However, even after he shouted, no one listened. Those who had previously charged into the enemy formation seemed to have been caught in the smaller formations, fragmenting into scattered soldiers of varying sizes. Bloody Bravery was now useless, and he could only watch helplessly as he was hacked to the ground and lost his life.

Cold sweat broke out on Lei Hu's back. This guy couldn't be a village soldier, could he be a government soldier in disguise? In Yuhang, is there such a strong government army?

However, it was too late to think about anything. The prey on horseback was so conspicuous that arrows were already flying towards them, and those terrifying small formations were coming from all sides.

Lei Hu's lips trembled, and he finally shouted, "Retreat, retreat quickly!"

He didn't want to lose his life in vain.

What had been an ordinary "business" had inexplicably turned into a catastrophe. After half a day of fighting, someone actually escaped, fleeing in a panic towards the mountain stronghold. At least they still had a camp; if they could hide inside, they could escape. Where did this villain come from? Didn't he know the relationship between Hungry Tiger Stronghold and the Lu family?

However, upon reaching the camp, the bandits, having narrowly escaped death, discovered they had stumbled into another trap. In just half a day, the camp had been seized, leaving those who had escaped only to walk into a trap, their last chance of survival gone. By nightfall, the battle was over, and only a few remained to clean up the battlefield. The rest of the troops entered the Hungry Tiger Camp.

After taking over the Lu family's farm, some of them changed into bandit clothes, while the other group remained as refugees. They split into two groups and rushed to Lu's farm under the cover of dusk.

…

"Lei Hu is a killer who only knows how to be sneaky and cunning."

At the farm, the manager's face had been gloomy for several days. The summer harvest and planting were approaching, and the land needed to be reclaimed and cultivated, requiring a significant amount of manpower. There were so many refugees, yet not many were flocking here. Could it be that Mr. Lei was planning to have him recruit from outside the city?

He said that instead of creating two separate fortresses, merging them would be more effective. It was too late to play with checks and balances; sooner or later, it would only delay the real work.

Just as I was thinking about how to deal with this troublesome matter, someone suddenly came to report excitedly: "Manager, there is a wave of refugees coming on the road. It seems that there are many young and strong people, and there are no elderly, weak, women or children in sight."

This feature was so obvious that the steward was delighted and immediately asked, "Where did it come from?"

"It should be in the direction of Hungry Tiger Village." The subordinate immediately reported.

"Okay!" The steward immediately stood up and gave an order, "Let the guards move and quickly collect the refugees!"

Needless to say, these were the refugees Lei Hu and his men had previously dealt with. Having just been robbed by bandits, they were now frightened and ready to scatter again. They had to use the Lu family's name and offer them some sweet treats to steady their hearts and get them to willingly join the Lu family.

Fearing his men might not be able to perform their duties properly, the steward personally followed them outside and soon came upon the refugees trapped by the guards on the main road. As expected, they were covered in dirt and dust, not even daring to raise their heads. Some were covered in blood, clearly frightened by the beating.

He raised his head high and strode forward: "This is the Lu family manor. Where did you escape from?"

No one answered his question, so the steward chuckled, "Did you just get robbed? Don't worry, the Lu family is a prominent Jiangdong clan, known for their kindness. As long as you submit to the Lu family, you'll have food to eat and won't be harassed by bandits anymore."

I don't know which of the two sentences, "having food to eat" or "not being harassed by bandits," touched people's hearts, but the group of refugees became agitated, and someone shouted, "Are you really from the Lu family?"

"Yes, I am the manager of this manor," the manager said proudly. This was a well-practiced tactic: first, use your status to pressure people, then make them kneel down and count their heads, then give them a bowl of hot porridge. This basically won them over.

However, before he could continue, a high-pitched cry was heard.

"They are the evil thieves of the Lu family, kill them!"

What, what... The manager was stunned to see that the group of refugees who had been huddled together timidly just now actually pulled out the long swords and short spears hidden behind their backs and rushed towards him viciously.

His mind was in a state of confusion, and the last thing the highly respected steward could think of was "absurd." He had already made his identity known, so how could these peasants dare to attack him? There were also family soldiers around, were they really desperate?

However, it was useless to say anything. A group of people rushed up and fought with Lu's family soldiers.

…

"It's really a turbulent time."

Lu Xin had been having a real headache lately. Out of nowhere, a fire had broken out in the backyard. The Lu family's farm outside the city had been repeatedly attacked. Rumors suggested that there had been trouble at Hungry Tiger Village, and they had already dispatched a number of elite troops, hoping to resolve the situation quickly.

As for the refugee rebellion, whether it was true or not was unknown. In short, the refugees who had been gathered were now under strict supervision and could not continue to cause chaos. However, even so, other families were probably already seeing it as a joke, and with his brother's downfall, it was truly a double whammy. Sometimes Lu Xin wondered if these actions were the result of some family having ulterior motives, just testing the waters.

The more this happens, the more we must not let our guard down. My brother is already on his way back. By the time he reaches Jiangdong, he should be able to calm the situation. Furthermore, the deal with the Wu family cannot be delayed. We must collect the silk money as soon as possible.

Thinking of this, Lu Xin turned to his men and asked, "How's the raw silk collection going?"

"Six ships of silk have been shipped back, and it will take two more days to collect all the silk." The servants replied hurriedly.

"Okay, let them hurry up and not affect the mulberry garden and delay the important work." Lu Xin was also glad that the trouble had just happened. If it had happened a few days earlier, the silk reeling would have been affected.

The head of the trading company had given the order, so who would dare to neglect it? So every link sped up, and more and more boats, large and small, headed towards the warehouse on the river bank.

Lu's warehouse was also located near the dock, offering convenient loading and unloading, and a prime location. Basket after basket of raw silk was brought down like flowing water and piled up in the warehouse, waiting to collect 1,500 dan before it could be delivered to Wu. Seeing the silk pile up in the warehouse, the steward, who had been working hard for days, breathed a sigh of relief and simply instructed the servants to keep a close watch on it and make sure it didn't get lost.

Of course, this is just talk. This is Lu's territory. No ships from outside can get in. What kind of trouble can happen?

After nightfall, the two teams of servants, divided into two groups, began their rounds as usual. As the moon rose higher and higher, the men grew sleepier. One of the servants yawned and rubbed his eyes. "Is it time for the shift change?"

"The night watchman's drum hasn't been struck yet. We probably have to wait another half hour." Another one answered weakly.

"Get up and walk around, don't fall asleep." The servant stood up after hearing this, pounded his thigh hard, and was about to take a torch to go out.

Unexpectedly, at that moment, there was a sudden sound of something heavy falling outside. They both started at the same time, their doze instantly awakened, and they rushed out together. The moment they pushed open the door, they saw a figure rushing towards them, holding a sharp knife. They were wearing black clothes and masks, and only the exposed eyes were shining, like a pack of green-eyed wolves.

"Yes, there are thieves!"

The servant shouted loudly, but that was all he could do.

Half a minute later, when Lu's men arrived, all they saw was billowing smoke and raging flames. The warehouses were already on fire, illuminating the night sky red.