Actually, the matter of Chaimu Village is none of their business, and it wouldn't matter if they left today. However, Chaimu Village appeared in Xingxing's dream last night, and Zhu Lin felt that this could not be treated casually. It was necessary to stay and find out the truth.
Putting everything else aside, if he were to leave like this, Xingxing would definitely remember this matter in the future. The young man didn't want to see her struggling with this, so he naturally wanted to resolve the issue.
Before long, Zhu Qiuyu and his group returned from the swamp, followed by the village chief's family.
"So fast, what discovery did you make?" Zhu Lin asked, somewhat surprised.
“There’s miasma in the swamp, so we can’t get close, but that person can come and go freely, and the miasma doesn’t seem to affect him.” Zhu Qiuyu finished speaking and glanced at the village chief.
The village chief hadn't warned them about the miasma in the swamp. If they had accidentally wandered in, they could have easily lost their lives. However, when Zhu Qiuyu and the others stopped moving forward after discovering the miasma, the village chief and his family didn't show any surprise. Clearly, they already knew about the miasma in the swamp.
On the way back, the village chief's family pretended not to know anything. When they heard about the miasma, the family made exaggerated expressions as if they were frightened, insisting that they knew nothing about it.
The swamp was shrouded in black mist year-round, making it eerie and terrifying. In addition, a madman lived there, so the villagers dared not go there.
An ordinary person might have believed the village chief and his family's story, but the people from Xianwu Island were not so easily fooled. The village chief and his family had lied. The people of Chaimu Village had a secret that no one knew about, but they did not want outsiders to get involved. They even tried to lead outsiders to the swampy area with miasma, intending to kill and rob them.
Perhaps the madman is just a cover; they really want to use the miasma to kill people, and then throw the dead into the swamp without anyone knowing.
Zhu Qiuyu's mind was filled with conspiracy theories, and his gaze towards the village chief's family became unfriendly. Zhu Lin and the others noticed the change in their senior brother's emotions, and with a flash of their eyes, they sent the village chief's family away.
"Could you please go out and buy some eggs from the villagers for us? We need to take them with us on the road. Buy as many as possible, even if they are a little expensive," Zhu Changge said to the village chief.
The village chief led his family out, and only dared to speak after they had gone far enough away to make sure the man in white couldn't hear them anymore.
"Dad, those men in white were so domineering. That's our home! How could they send us away like that? It's like the house belongs to them and we're the outsiders." The village chief's son said indignantly.
"Alright, that's enough. Those guys are tough to deal with. They seem to have realized we deliberately led them into the swamp this morning, but they were too cautious and didn't fall for it. Now we're in a difficult situation." The village chief looked grave. He could tell those guys were skilled martial artists, and quite adept at it.
Even the little girl in the red dress is quite skilled; she's not someone they can handle. Oh well, they'd better hurry up and find a way to get them out of the village.
"Dad, can't all these people in our village do anything about them?" The village chief's son was rather simple-minded. He thought that their village had always won with numbers and had never lost a battle in all these years. Even if those men in white knew kung fu, there was nothing to be afraid of. They could still take them down.
"Slap." The village chief slapped his son on the back of the head. "Shut up, stop yelling. I said let it go this time, listen to me."
The village chief's wife couldn't bear to see her son being wronged, so she glared at him and said, "Just say what you're saying. Why did you suddenly hit our son on the head? The more you hit him, the dumber he'll become, you know? He's over twenty years old, why are you still hitting him?"
"You know the child is over twenty years old, yet you still protect him like he was when he was a child. You've spoiled him rotten. Otherwise, he wouldn't be so brainless now." The village chief glared and glared.
The village chief and his family kept cursing and swearing the whole way, while the village chief's daughter-in-law kept her head down and didn't say a word, like a quail.
After listening to Zhu Qiuyu's analysis, Zhu Lin's guess became less certain. He had previously thought that the madman must have had a grudge against the villagers, which was why he often came into the village to harm poultry and sometimes even kill people.
But the eldest brother's analysis also makes sense. Perhaps the madman was just putting on an act for them and was actually in cahoots with the villagers. The fact that this village could remain safe and sound in such a chaotic and famine-stricken time shows that the villagers are quite capable and resourceful.
But if those who come to the village for lodging fall into a trap and are tricked by the villagers into going to the swamp shrouded in miasma and dying, what about the refugees?
Natural disasters are common in many places, and refugees are everywhere. It is impossible that no refugees have ever entered Chaimu Village. So how did they deal with the refugees?
Zhu Lin was frowning and analyzing when he suddenly heard shouts, cries, and fighting sounds coming from outside.
"What happened?" Zhang Xiantao hadn't said a word until now. She was so obedient because she didn't dare to anger the men in white, but as outgoing as she was, she had been holding it in for so long and was about to lose her temper.
Hearing the commotion coming from the village, my mind was already far away; I couldn't wait to rush out and have a good time.
However, before Zhang Xiantao could make a move, the village chief and his family rushed back. As soon as they entered the house, they closed the door and used a thick wooden stick to prop it open to prevent the refugees from breaking down the door.
"What happened outside, Village Chief?" Zhu Changge asked calmly.
"Migrants have entered the village. There are quite a few, at least a hundred. We weren't prepared today, and we can't fight them head-on. We can only hide and hope they can leave quickly after they fail to steal anything." The village chief wiped the sweat from his forehead, his face full of worry and despair.
"Will the refugees just leave on their own if they hide? It's not that easy, is it?" Zhang Xiantao scratched her head, glanced at the tightly closed door, and a look of disappointment flashed in her eyes. It was impossible for her to go out and join the fun.
As the group from Fairy Mist Island exchanged glances, they suddenly heard screams coming from outside, from both adults and children, and could faintly smell the stench of blood in the air.
"The madman is coming! Those refugees are doomed. If they don't leave soon, the madman will kill them all!" The village chief's son shouted, his eyes lighting up.
"Smack."
"Dad, why did you hit me again? What did I say wrong?" The village chief's son covered his head, looking frustrated. Had his father taken the wrong medicine today? Why was he hitting him all the time?
"Shut up and go inside. Don't just stand there," the village chief scolded, exasperated. Then he glared at his daughter-in-law. "What are you doing hiding in the side? Even a coward can't hide as well as you. You two get inside!"
This time, the village chief's wife didn't argue with him anymore. As if realizing something, she grabbed her son and daughter-in-law by the arms and quickly went into the house.
The village chief pretended not to see the scrutinizing gazes of Zhu Lin and the others. He pressed his face against the door and peered through the crack to observe the situation outside, deliberately avoiding their gaze.
Zhu Qiuyu grabbed the village chief and forced him to face them, saying, "We are very confused about some issues, and we hope the village chief can enlighten us."
The village chief stomped his foot in exasperation. "What could an old man like me know? Don't let my position as village chief fool you; I don't really manage anything. Village affairs are decided by everyone; I can't make decisions alone. Asking me is useless."
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