Chapter 217: Feign East, Strike West

Upon hearing a bell chime, because their location was relatively far from the village entrance, the sound was not very clear.

Everyone was a bit dazed.

Until the second and third chimes, the bell sounds became denser and more urgent.

An Qinghe exclaimed in astonishment, "I didn't mishear! Someone is striking the bronze bell!!"

Gu Xixi instinctively moved to run and see what was happening, but she suddenly stopped, "No, I'm still on patrol; when the situation is unclear, I must not abandon my post."

Qin Dasao said anxiously, "It must be bandits entering the village; let's quickly grab our weapons and go help at the village entrance!"

The more such a time, the more we need to stay calm.

Gu Xixi pondered for a moment, her gaze sweeping past several people toward the golden wheat field, then lifting to look farther away.

"No." She murmured, "We absolutely cannot leave now."

"Although Huachi Du Cun has only one entrance, beneath the big locust tree, that is the ordinary route for ordinary people."

Gu Xixi pointed to the wheat field stretching into the distance; the harvested wheat stalks each family had gathered these past two days were still piled at the field's edge.

"Our village actually has another place where one can enter."

To the east are fields; at the far end lies a stretch of stony beach wasteland, which doesn't even reach the official road by eight poles, there is no proper thoroughfare—it's a desolate, uninhabited place.

At the edge of the fields, a series of ditches hard to cross were dug; far from where the villagers dwell, walking there is rough and uneven, and one misstep could land you in the ditch.

Therefore, no one ever comes into the village from that side.

But it is not completely impassable.

He Jinglan suddenly understood, her face turning grave: "The bandits who stormed the village are surely after the grain; they can't guarantee they won't send some people in from this spot to create a diversion, seize the grain, then coordinate inside and out to take the grain away via the main road."

An Qinghe scratched his head, striving to grasp the meaning: "So they're causing a ruckus at the village entrance now, just to… feint east and strike west?"

He Jinglan nodded, "That's possible."

She paused, then said, "But it could also just be a bunch of petty thieves, not that clever."

Qin Dasao had already reached out and pulled the two children to her front, protecting them tightly.

She felt at a loss, only able to ask Gu Xixi, "Should we just stay here and do nothing?"

"What if, as Miss Ru said, nothing is happening on our side?"

Gu Xixi replied, "If nothing happens here, that's naturally best."

"If the village entrance can hold, fine; otherwise, in the worst case, the whole village retreats into the deep mountains, at least we can preserve our families' lives."

She left the rest unsaid.

If someone were to directly invade the heart of this village, whether everyone could escape unharmed would be uncertain.

Qin Dasao blurted out anxiously, "If we flee to the back mountain to hide, these wheat fields and our household belongings would all be ruined, wouldn't they?"

Having spoken, she herself realized that, at a life‑or‑death juncture, still worrying about these external possessions seemed a bit excessive.

Qin Dasao said sheepishly, "Gu Xixi, don't blame me; I was momentarily muddle‑headed. I've finally earned a bit of money lately, bought some new household items, and now I'm starting to care more about money than my life."

Gu Xixi, however, could understand: "These days are improving thanks to you two working yourselves to the bone; who would willingly hand over what they've earned? Moreover…"

She gave the crowd a comforting smile: "Sometimes losing money while still being alive is, in its own way, another kind of sorrow."

Several people curled their lips, but they could hardly manage a smile.

A mountain wind blew past, making the unharvested wheat rustle softly.

They stared nervously toward the far end of the wheat field.

Shitou suddenly pointed at a patch of wheat and shouted, "Someone's in there!!"

That was still Gu Xixi's wheat field; the stalks were tall and lush, the large heads of grain each drooping, making it hard to see what was hidden inside.

Everyone fixed their gaze on that patch of wheat.

He Jinglan whispered, "A normal adult's height, walking normally, would make it impossible not to see anything."

An Qinghe stared, analyzing, "Only a thief would sneak in and hide himself in there."

Everyone's heart jumped.

The wheat's trembling drew nearer and grew larger, as if someone were moving through it and about to emerge.

Qin Dasao clutched Shitou and Qinger tight, her eyes fierce like a she‑wolf guarding her cubs.

He Jinglan glanced calmly, then silently placed the three of them behind her.

Gu Xixi stepped forward to take the front line, while slipping her hands into her sling bag and calmly opening a large paper packet.

It was poison—the most toxic kind she carried; previously, when she and Mu Nan Zhao encountered danger on the border, she had used it on the Northern Li troops, and after returning, with the help of Old Doctor Langzhong, she had refined it to be even more precise.

It is absorbed faster and takes effect more powerfully.

When preparing, Gu Xixi had specially divided it into large and small packets to suit different moments.

After all, the raw materials for poison are still expensive; good steel should be used on the blade's edge.

And the opponents before us are an unknown number of bandits; Gu Xixi also has to protect the few people behind her from any mishap.

We must use the large packet—steady and safe!

An Qinghe swept aside his usual smiling demeanor, set his face stern, and stood shoulder‑to‑shoulder with Gu Xixi.

He drew from his deer‑skin waist belt a dagger with an ox‑bone scabbard.

The dagger left its sheath, flashing a blood‑thirsty gleam.

This dagger had once slain wild wolves in the desert; today, using it to cut down bandits is most fitting.

In silence, each person readied themselves for combat.

The wheat suddenly parted, revealing a man's face.

Gu Xixi produced the large packet of poison, simultaneously fixing her gaze; the hand that was to scatter the powder jerked to a halt.

"Uncle Chen? How can it be you?!"

The others also recognized Chen Dafu; after breathing a sigh of relief, they felt their hearts pounding.

Chen Dafu crawled out, bending his waist, and heaved the large bundle of things he was dragging onto the ground heavily.

Clang clang clang, the sound of heavy metal objects hitting the ground, dust kicked up from the ground.

Only then did everyone understand why he walked in that posture.

He Jinglan examined each one, saying, "Long blade? Axe? Firewood chopper? And what are these?"

Gu Xixi looked and said, "Besides the two long blades that count as weapons, the rest are just everyday tools and farm implements."

An Qinghe said, "But judging by their equipment, they're far inferior to the horse bandits who specialize in robbing caravans in the desert."

Horse bandits all carry knives, and each of them has at least a few lives on their hands.

Without Gu Xixi needing to ask, Chen Dafu wiped his sweat, panting heavily, and said, "Just now Xiao Liu and Xiao Ma said it was too hot, so they went to the Clear Water Channel to wash up and cool off."

"As it turned out, they found these hidden in the weeds beside the Clear Water Channel near our fields."

"I saw the master coming this way a moment ago, felt something was off about these things, and wanted to bring them all over to show the master and ask how to deal with them."

Gu Xixi and the others silently looked at the weapons.

Then they all raised their heads to look at Chen Dafu, their eyes filled with a strange fervor. An Qinghe even revealed a deceitful, smug smile.

"Hehehehe..."

The bell at the village entrance kept ringing.

Chen Dafu felt a creepy sensation on his back from being watched, and said, "Master, Miss He, why are you all staring at me?"