The last trace of feigned "amiability" on Weng Laojiu's face was completely shattered in this "open-minded" conversation, revealing his fierce and greedy true nature.
He pointed the tip of his knife at the crowd in the courtyard, his voice hoarse and icy, "Fine! I won't waste my breath with you! Let's be frank! You lot have to pay your 'toll' today!"
His gaze swept over the tense faces in the courtyard, finally settling on the village chief. "Those who have drunk the water, stay! The rest of you, take your wives and children and get out of here now! I promise I won't stop you, and I won't hurt a hair on your head!"
The courtyard erupted in chaos!
"fart!"
"brute!"
"You want to keep us brothers here to sell for money?! Dream on!"
The men of Liushutun were filled with righteous indignation, raising their weapons and shouting curses that shook the heavens!
Village Chief Chen's face was ashen, his voice trembling with extreme anger: "Old Man Weng! Don't even think about it! Not a single person from Willow Tree Village will be missing! If you're going to leave, we'll all leave together!"
His eyes held a resolute determination that showed he was ready to risk everything: "Want to mess with the people of our village? They'll have to step over my dead body first!"
"Let's give it our all!"
"Let's fight them!"
The roar inside the courtyard was deafening, and everyone's weapons were pointed at Old Man Weng and his group!
That tragic and heroic spirit of sharing life and death was like a volcano about to erupt!
The people from Wengjia Village outside the courtyard all changed color and involuntarily took a half step back.
The encirclement has loosened somewhat.
Old Man Weng's eyelids twitched at the force of the attack, but he forced a fierce look and threatened, "Fight?! What are you going to fight with?! Look at the broken sticks and tiles in your hands! Look at the knives and axes in our hands!"
He brandished his machete, its blade gleaming coldly. "Open your eyes and look! Whose territory is this?! Let me tell you, I've ambushed over a hundred of my brothers around this village! You won't escape!"
He tried to crush their will with even greater fear, his tone a mix of seduction and threat: "Is it worth risking your lives for those drugged, doomed fools? Think of yourselves! Think of your wives and children! Leave them here obediently, and I'll keep my word! I'll fill your water bags, provide you with food, and let you go safely! Those who stay are just fellow villagers; why risk your lives for them?! Isn't it better to live?!"
Hundreds of people?
These four words struck the hearts of everyone in Liushutun like a block of ice!
Old Wang and the others turned deathly pale instantly, and their hands holding the sticks began to tremble.
If there are really hundreds of people lying in ambush... then there is absolutely no hope left!
Just then!
A clear, decisive female voice rang out from the back of the crowd, piercing through the panic, "Bullshit! He's lying!"
Jiang Chan pushed through the crowd and walked to the village chief's side, her gaze piercing like an ice pick at Weng Laojiu, whose face had suddenly changed in the firelight: "Weng Family Village! Men and women included! A total of twenty-six people!"
"Twenty-six people! Not one more, not one less! Ambush with over a hundred people? Hidden underground?!" A cold, mocking smile curled at the corner of her lips.
The fierce look on Old Man Weng's face froze instantly, and for the first time, genuine horror appeared in his eyes!
Those around him turned pale and instinctively looked at Old Man Weng!
"You...you're talking nonsense!" Old Man Weng roared angrily.
"Whether it's nonsense or not, you know the truth yourselves!" Jiang Chan retorted without backing down. "If there really were hundreds of people, would we need to resort to drugging, deception, and these underhanded tactics?! We could just storm in and arrest them. Could we stop them?!"
These words were like a sharp dagger, piercing through the carefully woven lies of fear that Old Man Weng had created!
The despair in the eyes of everyone in the courtyard was quickly replaced by anger and a glimmer of hope!
It turns out the other party was just bluffing!
Old Man Weng was completely exposed and became furious, but seeing the renewed fighting spirit of the crowd in the courtyard, he knew that intimidation was useless.
He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his anger, and said in a cold voice, "Fine! Even if I don't have a hundred men! Don't forget! The women in the other place! Your wives and children! They all drank my water! And they're sleeping like logs!"
He pointed towards the women's quarters, his tone laced with malicious smugness, "You want to take them away? Dream on! You can't even drag them away! Now, I'm still keeping my promise! I'll let you conscious ones go with your wives and children! I'll even give you food and water! You won't lose out on this deal!"
He tried to seize the last point of division, saying, "Leave those irrelevant people behind in exchange for your own safety! You can calculate that yourselves!"
A brief silence fell over the courtyard.
Old Man Weng's words, like a venomous snake, burrowed into the hearts of some people.
Yes, one's own wife and children are the most important...
Jiang Chan's eyes flashed sharply, and she immediately raised her voice to ask, "Steward Weng! You mean that all conscious people can leave with their families? You'll provide food and water? You keep your word?"
“I’m a man of my word! Of course I keep my promise!” Old Man Weng replied immediately, a glint of triumph in his eyes.
"Okay! Got it!" Jiang Chan said, then turned around abruptly.
Like a whirlwind, she dashed towards the women's quarters amidst the astonished gazes of everyone in the courtyard!
The speed was astonishing!
She rushed to the door of the women's quarters and kicked the door open!
"Bang!" The loud noise startled the sleeping women in the house.
Aunt Zhao and the others sat up in alarm, asking, "What happened? What's wrong?"
"Get up! Anyone who doesn't want to die, come with me! Now! Immediately!"
"What? What happened?"
"...Ah...what's wrong? What happened?"
"Jiang girl? What are you talking about?"
“Girl Jiang…this…this is the middle of the night…the Mountain God…”
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