They set off as soon as it was light, and by this time, they had been traveling for almost six or seven hours.
The group dragged their weary bodies forward slowly, and before they knew it, they had arrived near Wadang Mountain.
The afterglow of the setting sun spilled across the mountains, casting a golden glow that seemed to add a touch of warmth to this desolate land.
However, the villagers were not in a good mood. The days of fleeing had left them physically and mentally exhausted, and every step they took felt particularly heavy.
How do we know this mountain is called Wadang Mountain?
It was said by a man surnamed Li in the village.
The man surnamed Li, whose given name was Li Dashan, was often away from home making a living and had a warm and cheerful personality.
Seeing that the villagers had been dejected since they began fleeing, and that they had finally reached this relatively safe area, he decided to tell them some local anecdotes to ease the somber atmosphere.
Li Dashan cleared his throat and began to tell his story.
His voice was loud and clear, attracting everyone's attention as soon as he opened his mouth.
"On this Wadang Mountain there is a Wadang Village, and in Wadang Village there is a Wadang King who strikes fear into the hearts of all."
Li Dashan's voice carried a hint of mystery, as if he were telling an ancient legend.
It is said that this King of Tile Ends was no ordinary person.
Many years ago, he accidentally killed someone, but somehow managed to escape the government's pursuit and fled to Wadang Mountain.
Taking advantage of the easily defensible terrain of Wadang Mountain, they gathered a group of ruthless criminals and established Wadang Village.
From then on, these guys became even more lawless. No passerby or merchant could escape being robbed and plundered by them.
Not only that, these beasts raped women, abducted girls, and committed all sorts of evil deeds!
Upon hearing this, the villagers' eyes widened in horror.
One of the villagers couldn't help but ask, "And then? What happened next?"
Li Dashan smiled slightly and continued, "Later, their fame grew, and they finally alarmed the imperial court, which ordered the mobilization of soldiers from nearby prefectures to form a force of more than a thousand men to suppress the bandits!"
"With so many people, the bandits must have been wiped out, right?"
"No!" Li Dashan shook his head.
"Even a thousand men couldn't wipe out those bandits?" the villagers asked incredulously.
"You wouldn't believe it, these usually arrogant and domineering bandits, when faced with the government troops who came to surround and suppress them, not only refused to fight, but also hid back in the deep mountains and forests and disappeared without a trace! As time went by, this thousand-man team ran out of food, but still couldn't find any trace of the bandits!"
"How come so many people couldn't find those bandits?" someone couldn't help but question.
“That’s right!” Li Dashan spread his hands helplessly. “Those bandits are too cunning. The state troops searched for a long time without success and had to withdraw. Then they reappeared and continued to harm the local people.”
"After that, the imperial court sent many batches of soldiers to suppress the bandits, but each time they returned empty-handed."
Upon hearing this, everyone couldn't help but ask curiously, "So how were they eventually eliminated?"
At this moment, Li Dashan deliberately paused, keeping everyone in suspense.
Some impatient ones couldn't help but urge, "Hey, stop dawdling and just say it!"
"Don't rush, don't rush, that's exactly what I was about to say!"
Li Dashan smiled and continued, "Later, the imperial court realized that ordinary soldiers were no match for these cunning bandits, so they sent a high-ranking official to personally lead the charge! This official was no ordinary man! He used to be a general! He brought a team of elite black-armored soldiers from the capital, and in just seven days, they completely wiped out the bandits on the entire mountain, even burning the mountain stronghold to the ground!"
Everyone applauded and cheered upon hearing this.
Some of the more observant among them then asked, "And how did this high-ranking official manage to suppress the mountain bandits?"
“You’ve hit the nail on the head!” A hint of smugness flashed in Li Dashan’s eyes. “As soon as the Black Armor Guard arrived at Wadang Mountain, the first thing that official did was to send his elite troops deep into the mountains to investigate the distribution of the mountain’s water veins.”
"What? A water vein? Weren't we talking about suppressing bandits? How did we suddenly get onto the topic of finding water? Boss Li, are you making this up to fool us?" someone shouted from the crowd.
Upon hearing this, Li Dashan not only didn't get angry, but instead chuckled and joked with the man.
"That's why I say you can't be an official; your knowledge is too shallow! Think about it, those bandits hide in their mountain stronghold for months on end. They might be able to stockpile some food in advance, but what about water? Can they really store water in advance like they do food?"
Upon hearing this, the villagers, who had been somewhat confused, seemed to be suddenly awakened, and they all showed expressions of sudden realization.
Seeing that everyone understood the reasoning behind it, Boss Li's smile grew even brighter.
He cleared his throat and continued his vivid narration: "Well, after that high-ranking official had a firm grasp on the water veins of the entire Wadang Mountain, he sent out men who spent three days investigating each water vein one by one. And guess what? In less than a day, they easily wiped out Wadang Village, which was hidden at the confluence of the two water veins, along with all the bandits inside!"
"well!"
Upon hearing this, a thunderous cheer erupted from the crowd, rising and falling, echoing through the valley for a long time.
The villagers of Stone Village were overjoyed, their excitement overflowing.
They looked as if they themselves had been rescued from dire straits...
And so, the group continued their journey with great enthusiasm.
As they walked, they gradually saw other figures ahead, also carrying heavy packs, hurrying back the way they came.
Everyone is focused on moving forward, so why would anyone want to turn back?
Could something have gone wrong up ahead?
The village chief and his family, who were at the very front of the procession, were the first to notice something was amiss.
The village chief waved to stop the procession behind him, then strode forward and stopped a young man who happened to be walking towards them and was also heading back.
A family member poured a full bowl of water from their water bottle and handed it to the young man, asking gently, "Young man, what happened up ahead? Why are you all rushing back?"
Upon hearing the village chief's words, the man wept uncontrollably, his face filled with terror.
His voice trembled as he said, "You all must not go any further! There are bandits lurking ahead, each one vicious and ruthless. In just a few days, many people have already lost their lives at their hands!"
Just a few days ago, a group of refugees passed through here.
For reasons unknown, these refugees harbored malicious intentions and decided to become bandits and plunder.
Even more shocking is that these bandits were utterly lawless, daring to rebuild a sizable new bandit stronghold on the site of a former bandit stronghold that had been abandoned for many years.
From that time on, the bandits became even more brazen in robbing civilians passing through the area.
Whether they are wealthy merchants or impoverished farmers, once they fall into their clutches, they are unlikely to escape their fate.
They either become his accomplices or their lives are in danger.
This sudden bad news was like a bucket of icy water, poured over the hearts of everyone present.
You must understand that what we are facing now are bandits, not the disorganized and undisciplined refugees who only wanted to rob food before.
Even that small group of refugees almost threw their entire village into chaos.
Now that these fierce and brutal mountain bandits have taken over, the situation is even more critical than one can imagine.
Forward or backward?
The road ahead is fraught with danger, and refugees are watching us from behind...
The group was suddenly caught in a dilemma.
Fear and confusion were evident in everyone's eyes.
The village chief stood in the center of the crowd, his brow furrowed, unable to make a decision for the time being.
He knew in his heart that this decision concerned the life and death of the entire village, and that the slightest mistake would lead to utter ruin.
After careful consideration, the village chief decided to let everyone rest in the nearby woods for the night.
"Although this place is still more than ten miles away from Wadang Mountain, it is close to the bandit's den, and danger may come at any time. Tonight, we will add two more groups to the night watch and take turns on duty. Everyone must be alert and not slack off in the slightest..." The village chief patiently and repeatedly reminded the villagers.
As night fell, a campfire was lit in the forest, and the villagers sat together, talking in hushed tones.
Wang Xiuxiu sat to the side, holding a piece of dry food in her hand, but her heart was not at peace.
Just then, a low horn sound came from afar, as if it were coming from the direction of Wadang Mountain.
The villagers immediately tensed up, standing up and looking into the dark forest.
The village chief's face was grave. He said in a low voice, "Everyone, don't panic. Keep quiet and see how things go."
Wang Xiuxiu gripped the dry rations in her hand, silently praying: I hope to get through the night safely...
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