Chapter 161: The Welcome and Hostility of Songxi Village (Please Follow for More)

"Village chief, village chief, something terrible has happened."

The courtyard where the village chief lived was the farthest from the national highway in Songxi Village; when Lam entered with her phone, Chief Nixia Dunzhu was rendering yak butter.

"Don't rush, take your time, Lam," said Nixia Dunzhu, over sixty but looking closer to eighty, his face lined with wrinkles except for his sharp eyes. "What big thing could possibly happen here?"

Lam said anxiously: "I found Kangjiacuo."

"Clang—!"

Nixia Dunzhu dropped what he was holding, his expression stunned.

"You… what did you say?" His voice suddenly turned hoarse. "Say it again."

"I said, I found Kangjiacuo," Lam handed him her phone, the livestream camera now focused on two unconscious Tibetan men on the ground. "Look— isn't this the one on the left Kangjiacuo?"

Nixia Dunzhu snatched the phone and leaned close, his expression darkening unpredictably.

After a long silence, he said: "It is indeed him."

"Then what do we do now?" Lam asked urgently. "If Kangjiacuo falls into the police's hands, he'll definitely be sentenced to death."

"Death sentence?"

Nixia Dunzhu picked up the fallen basin. "Isn't he deserving of death?"

"But… but… Kangjiacuo is your son."

"Lam!" Nixia Dunzhu looked at her sternly. "I know Kangjiacuo has helped your family a great deal, but that doesn't erase the monstrous crimes he committed. If he doesn't repent, capture is inevitable."

"You're a college graduate—you should understand this."

Lam understood perfectly. She had even looked up the criminal code; Kangjiacuo's crimes were enough to warrant ten death sentences.

But law was law, and sentiment was sentiment. Lam understood, yet she couldn't separate them so cleanly.

She stood there, holding the phone, for a long while.

"The police from Quanshui Lake have already arrived there—if we move quickly, we might get there before them…"

Before she finished, Nixia Dunzhu raised his voice, his expression grim: "Lam!"

Lam trembled all over, tears streaming down her face.

"Kangjiacuo funded my education and paid so much for my father's illness—I can't just turn away. If you won't go, I will."

Saying this, she turned and walked away.

She ran through the village, and soon two trucks, carrying over a dozen strong men from the village, armed with several hunting rifles, rumbled onto the national highway, racing toward Songxi Daban.

Hearing the sound of the trucks fading away, Nixia Dunzhu's expression grew complex; finally, he dropped the yak butter in his hands.

Qin Yun checked the auxiliary drone's condition and found it completely destroyed—the bullet had pierced straight through, shattering the core components beyond any possibility of repair.

He turned to the monitor, his expression weary.

"This drone accompanied me for so long—I never thought it would end like this."

With one drone gone, his livestream footage would be less flexible; he'd have to return and replace it.

He glanced at the two men on the ground, then walked back to the pickup truck. When he saw what was in the back, his face changed.

"Holy shit, all that hide and meat?"

"How many protected animals did they kill?"

"So brazen—completely ignoring national laws, openly poaching. Absolutely insane."

"At least a dozen hides—I see Tibetan antelope, Tibetan gazelle, blue sheep, Tibetan wolves… damn, this must be worth a fortune."

Qin Yun moved the camera away and counted: "Thirteen hides total—two Tibetan gazelle, six Tibetan antelope, two blue sheep, three Tibetan wolves. These poachers' main target is Tibetan antelope hide—called 'soft gold,' worth a fortune."

"Just this truckload is worth over three million—enough to land them in prison for life."

Qin Yun shook his head. These two weren't amateurs—they'd killed a man. Who knew how many wild animals they'd ruined?

He rummaged through the truck and found another rifle with ammunition, plus several finely crafted machetes.

He didn't care about the gun or ammo, but the machetes intrigued him. Still, they were stolen goods—he could only stare longingly.

From Quanshui Lake to here was over fifty kilometers; even if police drove fast, it would take over an hour to arrive.

Before they came, he could only wait on-site.

He chatted casually with netizens while occasionally checking on the two men on the ground.

The scar-faced man's injuries were worse—cracked sternum, shattered jawbone; even breathing carried the stench of blood. The bearded man, aside from his swollen, pig-like face, had no major injuries—maybe just a mild concussion.

"Damn, still unconscious after all this time?"

"Hahaha, that was a gun—did Qin Ye really hold back?"

"Qin Ye, you didn't kill them, right? Even if it was self-defense, with your skills, the court will still rule it excessive defense."

"Laughed to death."

Qin Yun felt a vein throb on his temple.

"Enough, you guys. This is righteous justice—no such thing as self-defense here. Under the People's Republic of China, any citizen facing an armed criminal has the right to unlimited self-defense."

He'd barely finished speaking when his ears twitched—he stood up abruptly, staring toward the national highway.

Two pickup trucks appeared in the distance. His expression shifted slightly; he launched the drone and zoomed in.

Viewers on the livestream saw the trucks' contents and gasped. Qin Yun then retracted the drone and turned to the comment section.

"Holy shit, what's going on?"

"I saw several guns—can people in China carry guns freely now?"

"They're Tibetans—they can legally apply for hunting rifles. I just checked."

"Holy shit, could these be the poachers' accomplices?"

"Very likely."

"Qin Ye, be careful."

Qin Yun's face darkened. He grabbed the gun from the ground, hesitated while loading, then chose not to. A real gun meant real consequences—he had to consider what came after. Still, he slipped the bullets into his pocket; if trouble came, he wouldn't be helpless.

He picked up the gun and walked toward the highway.

In under two minutes, the two pickups stopped nearby, and over ten men stepped out.

What puzzled him was that their leader was a young Tibetan woman with a beautiful face.

"Qin Ye, I'm your fan—Lam from Songxi Village," Lam smiled, hands pressed together before her chest. "Tashi Delek."

Tashi Delek meant good fortune and well-being—a Tibetan blessing.

Qin Yun exhaled slightly. Though the girl looked kind, the Tibetan men behind her stared at him with unmistakable hostility.

"Tashi Delek," Qin Yun returned the greeting with a chuckle. "Didn't expect to have fans up here in the highlands."

Lam didn't beat around the bush. After the greeting, she got straight to the point.

"Qin Ye, I just saw you apprehend the poachers in the livestream. The scar-faced man is the disgrace of Songxi Village. According to Tibetan custom, we have the right to punish him by our own laws. Please hand him over to us."

Qin Yun's heart sank; his left hand tightened involuntarily around the gun.

He feigned surprise: "These two poachers hunted many protected animals and even shot at me—that's a serious crime. Handing them over to you doesn't seem right. Why not wait for the police from Quanshui Lake?"

Lam sighed inwardly. She knew it wouldn't be easy.

But she'd seen with her own eyes how Qin Yun had beaten Kangjiacuo and the other man. Even with over ten men and hunting rifles in hand…

The rifles were only for intimidation—they weren't allowed to fire.

So if it came to a real fight, could ten men really take on Qin Ye? Lam doubted it.

"Qin Ye, this is our Tibetan custom. For Tibetan poachers, even the Living Buddha won't bless them. Songxi Village punishes poachers with the harshest methods."

Qin Yun would never hand them over. Though the Tibetan girl spoke politely, once the men were out of his control, who knew what would happen?

He shook his head: "The police from Quanshui Lake are almost here. Lam, you can wait until they arrive to discuss this."

Lam stared at Qin Yun's unyielding face. She realized force might be the only way to take Kangjiacuo.

Before she could speak, Danzeng Zhandui stepped forward, holding a hunting rifle.

"Kid, get out of the way, or we won't be polite."

He raised the rifle and aimed it directly at Qin Yun.

The livestream viewers erupted in shock.

"Holy shit, how bold? Pointing a gun at Qin Ye?"

"Amitabha—no, Living Buddha, protect this Tibetan man."

"I thought they were here to enforce some stupid custom, but now it looks like they're here to rescue the poachers. I strongly suspect Songxi Village is involved in poaching."

"Very likely. I agree."

"The poachers fired guns and killed people—we saw it all. Evidence is clear. What's the point of taking them away?"

"True…"

The livestream comments exploded.

But facing the threat of firearms, Qin Yun frowned. His gaze swept over the Tibetan man, then settled on Lam.

"Lam, you intend to forcibly take them away?"

Lam's expression changed—she heard the serious warning in his tone.

She was indeed his fan. She'd seen Qin Yun's combat ability.

But…

Since she'd come out to retrieve them, she never planned to return empty-handed.

She waved her hand—her dozen men immediately surrounded Qin Yun. The drone above recorded every moment.

"Qin Ye, I'm sorry, but I must take him. He must face Songxi Village's punishment."

Saying this, she ordered the man with the rifle to keep aiming at Qin Yun, while others rushed toward the scar-faced man and the bearded man.

Qin Yun didn't move. If these people dared do this under live broadcast, what did they fear? If they shot him now, it'd be too big a loss.

In just a moment, these Tibetan villagers brought back the man with the scar; they ignored the bearded man entirely.

Lamu waved her hand: "Sorry, Master Qin, when the police arrive, our village will explain everything to them."

With that, everyone reboarded the vehicles; the engines roared as they turned around and sped off.

Once the two vehicles were out of sight, Qin Yun turned to the drone's camera. He wasn't upset—only shrugged: "I hope this girl Lamu is telling the truth, or else their village is in for trouble."

What Tibetan customs? Who are you trying to fool?

Qin Yun wasn't a three-year-old child. What era are we in now? What custom could possibly outweigh our nation's laws? Absolute nonsense.

After chatting with online viewers for another twenty minutes, the wail of a police siren finally echoed along the national highway.