Led by the village chief, everyone carefully hid in the forest.
Everyone hid behind dense bushes or beside the thick trunks of big trees. They held their breath and dared not make a sound, just waiting quietly.
Time passed minute by minute, and after everyone hid, a quarter of an hour had passed. However, the sound of horse hooves that made everyone worried did not sound as expected, and there was not even a shadow of a horse.
At this time, some people in the village could not help but complain.
"Oh, I said the village chief is just making a fuss. Look how long it's been, and there's been no movement. Even if they have horses, they don't necessarily mean they are bad people. Maybe they are just passing merchants. They won't do anything to us."
A young and energetic young man frowned, his face full of impatience. While muttering to himself, he couldn't help but stick his head out to look at the official road at the foot of the mountain. His expression seemed to say that it was really unfair for him to hide.
"Yeah, it's been a quarter of an hour and no one's passed by. Is it possible that they didn't even go this direction? We're just waiting here and delaying our journey. It's a waste of time."
An elderly villager also echoed this, shaking his head helplessly, his eyes revealing obvious dissatisfaction, and his words were full of complaints about this ordeal.
"Why don't we go down and continue on our way? If we keep wasting time like this, we don't know if we can reach the next destination before dark." Another villager suggested anxiously. He stood up, patted the leaves on his body, and stared at the road below the mountain, as if he couldn't wait to start his journey again.
Everyone was complaining one after another, and the forest, which had been a little quiet because of hiding, was now gradually becoming lively again. However, mixed with this liveliness were doubts about the village chief's decision and an eagerness to continue on the journey.
In the forest, there were some impatient people who were eager to try, muttering that the village chief was too cautious and had delayed everyone's journey.
As they spoke, they pretended to get up and prepare to go down the mountain, completely ignoring the village chief's previous concerns and instructions.
At this moment, suddenly, a cloud of smoke and dust rose from the direction of the official road at the foot of the mountain. The smoke and dust came with great force and quickly spread in all directions.
At the same time, a rapid and loud sound of horse hooves came like thunder. The "da da da" sound came from far away and seemed to shake the ground slightly.
Everyone was startled by the sudden noise and stopped in their tracks. They all widened their eyes and looked down the mountain nervously.
In the midst of the thick smoke and dust, a huge group of soldiers were rushing towards this side quickly.
A rough count revealed that there were actually two or three hundred people in this team.
Each of these soldiers was fully equipped, their armor gleaming with a cold metallic luster under the sunlight. They had helmets, shoulder pads, wrist guards, etc., as if their entire bodies were wrapped in a solid steel fortress, exuding a majesty that no one dared to underestimate.
The war horses under their crotch were even fatter and stronger, with clear muscle lines on their bodies. When they ran, their hooves were full of wind and their manes fluttered in the wind. It was obvious that they were rare and good horses.
The leader walking at the front of the team was particularly eye-catching.
He was a big, strong man with broad shoulders that seemed to be able to carry a mountain.
His face was stern and his eyes were as sharp as lightning. Just by standing there, he exuded a terrifying aura. People could tell at a glance that he was not a good person and was not a tough guy to be messed with.
When everyone saw this scene, the impulse they had to rush down the mountain disappeared in an instant, and was replaced by faces full of fear and worry. No one dared to breathe, and could only crouch down again, hiding in the secluded place of the forest, nervously watching the aggressive group of soldiers at the foot of the mountain.
They all opened their eyes wide, their faces full of fear, and their bodies involuntarily shrank back, wishing they could find a crack in the ground to hide in.
Then, he quickly covered his mouth tightly, fearing that he would accidentally make the slightest sound and alarm the team below that looked like they were coming in full force.
The young man who had been shouting the loudest just now, originally with a look of unconvinced, was now so frightened that his face turned pale and his lips were trembling slightly.
He covered his mouth tightly, but his breathing became rapid due to excessive nervousness, and his nostrils kept flapping, making an extremely slight "whoosh" sound. This slight movement scared him so much that his heart almost jumped into his throat. He could only desperately control his breathing and try to make it smoother.
An elderly villager nearby was also very frightened. He covered his mouth and secretly thanked God that he did not run down the mountain on impulse.
He thought of what he had heard about the actions of officials and could not help but mutter to himself, "In this world, those officials are more terrifying than gangsters.
At least the gangsters can sometimes abide by the "rules of the underworld", but once these officials become unreasonable, they can really beat people to death.
They have power and influence, and they can find any excuse to control us ordinary people, and then we won’t be able to argue even if we are right.”
Everyone covered their mouths, not daring to breathe, and huddled in a secluded place in the woods, staring at the majestic team at the foot of the mountain without blinking, hoping that they would pass by quickly so that they could breathe a sigh of relief.
It seemed that this group of people were about to pass by quickly on the official road.
Suddenly, the leader walking in front pulled the reins hard, and the tall horse that was originally running wildly with all four hooves spread out suddenly let out a long neigh, raised its front hooves high, drew a half arc in the air, and then stopped steadily.
The general's action instantly disrupted the team's forward rhythm.
He raised his arm high and gestured, signaling everyone behind him to stop.
The moment the soldiers received the order, they all pulled the reins, the sound of horse hooves stopped abruptly, and the entire team went from moving to stillness in an instant.
At this moment, the leading general's eyes were as big as copper bells, and his gaze revealed a ferociousness that made people feel frightened.
He rode on his horse, looking down at the endless stream of refugees on the official road.
At this moment, a glimmer of excitement flashed in the general's eyes, and that glimmer was like a hungry wolf seeing its prey, full of greed and bloodthirstiness.
The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, revealing a sinister smile, and then he shouted at the top of his voice: "Brothers, didn't the master ask us to go and suppress the bandits? Humph! Look, there are 'bandits' everywhere!
"These refugees are always wandering around, and there's no guarantee they'll commit some crime. Now that we've run into them, this is a godsend opportunity. Kill them!"
His voice was like a huge bell, echoing over the silent official road. The cruelty and coldness in his words made everyone who heard them feel a chill in their hearts.
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