When it comes to playing the role of aristocratic young men, Wu Ming and Kang Shouli truly embodied the characters.
Even Huang Ying and Xiao Yu were no strangers to such situations. Although Laozi Wang Qiao was shrewd, he was still momentarily fooled. First, he arranged a courtyard for the five to stay in, and immediately dispatched people to investigate news about the Hu cavalry.
“Haha… Sister Huang Ying was so amazing just now! Those people behind that old man couldn’t even tear their eyes away!”
After returning to the courtyard and closing the door, Xiao Yu happily said to Huang Ying.
“There are people spying outside the courtyard! Old man Wang Qiao still doesn’t trust us completely!”
Qin Hu walked to the window and observed, speaking in a low voice.
“That’s natural… However, we’ve brought news about the Hu cavalry. No matter what, they’ll have to take it seriously, believing it might be true rather than dismissing it outright!”
Wu Ming looked around at the four people: “Now, do you all believe we are in the Daxia Dynasty?”
“To be honest… I still find it hard to believe. However, the layout of this village, the clothing of the people, and the furniture all resemble the Da Zhou dynasty with a touch of antiquity…”
Huang Ying said with a bitter smile.
“Indeed… One person might deceive us, but ten, a hundred people all doing the same…”
Xiao Yu also wore a bitter expression.
“Now that we’ve confirmed the local customs and sentiments differ from Da Zhou, we can be certain we are in another realm… The Hu cavalry will inevitably arrive!”
Wu Ming said: “If we want to preserve our lives now, we must seize the opportunity! Miss Huang Ying! This part will trouble you! Especially regarding the villagers’ training level and any experts here, it would be best to know everything clearly!”
“I understand!”
Huang Ying agreed without hesitation.
She knew she was physically weak and lacked Xiao Yu’s mysterious background. If sacrifice became necessary, she would be the first to go without hesitation. Therefore, she immediately wanted to demonstrate her value.
To these villagers who spent their days in the countryside, where even an old sow could be mistaken for Diaochan, Huang Ying was like a celestial fairy. With just a little effort, she could make a group of laborers lose all sense of direction.
“Big brother… this humble girl…”
Seeing Huang Ying smoothing her hair and walking out with a delicate greeting, the village soldier on surveillance immediately “betrayed” them, showing excessive eagerness and answering every question. Except for Kang Shouli, the other three couldn’t help but smile.
As night fell.
After having a meal with the seemingly uneasy village head Wang Qiao, Wu Ming gathered the five of them together again.
“How much did you find out, Miss Huang Ying?”
“A little!”
Huang Ying said softly: “From what I’ve learned, the Daqing Village is dominated by the Wang family, with extensive kinship ties, mostly of the same clan, numbering over a thousand. With the unstable times, they usually train over a hundred village guards. The most skilled martial artist among them is Wang Yin, the son of Wang Qiao. It is said he has already reached the fifth level of the physical realm, a true expert with abundant energy!”
“After receiving our warning, Daqing Village has already begun to secretly prepare, repairing the earthen walls. However, I really don’t have much hope…”
“Moreover… I even heard a saying that we are the cause of disaster, bringing the Hu cavalry with us. If a real army attacks, binding us and handing us over might just help them survive the crisis!”
“Bang!”
Kang Shouli slammed his palm on the wooden table, filled with hatred: “No wonder they sent people to watch us, it’s for this reason!”
“In times of chaos, suddenly having several people with unknown identities appear, anyone would be cautious…”
Wu Ming had already mentally prepared for this.
Given the village’s xenophobia, allowing them to stay overnight was already strange.
Probably, Wang Qiao kept them because he truly regarded them as important figures being pursued by the Hu cavalry, and even prepared to sell them for a good price, which wouldn’t be surprising at all.
“When the first wave of Hu cavalry arrives, they will naturally know how formidable they are!”
Qin Hu interjected.
“Before that, we should still be careful!”
Wu Ming concluded, his expression turning somewhat serious: “I have a few more questions, do you all remember what happened before losing consciousness?”
“Do you mean how we were pulled in, Ming Brother? I don’t know…”
Xiao Yu blinked innocently: “That day… I was studying at home, suddenly everything went black, and I ended up here!”
“The same for me…” Huang Ying’s face turned solemn: “At that time, I was just playing the guqin in the Baihuaguan, there was no abnormality around!”
“I was preparing to kill someone!”
Qin Hu grinned ferociously, making Kang Shouli shrink his neck: “I… I was in a tavern with several friends, composing poetry and appreciating the moon…”
“I was just at my doorstep when disaster struck out of nowhere!”
Wu Ming said last, thinking about the jade pendant in his bosom.
All these people had crossed over randomly, and not a single one mentioned the jade pendant.
Recalling the scene where magical arts and talismans were all rejected, Wu Ming’s heart grew heavy:
“There must be some issues… Where exactly did Lin Qi get this jade pendant? Why is it connected to the Temple of the Main God? Also… his identity as a transmigrator…”
Wu Ming’s expression turned solemn, while the others assumed he was worrying about the future.
“Dang!”
“Dang!”
“Dang!”
Suddenly, a series of urgent gong sounds rang out, piercing and jarring in the night, with gradually rising voices and occasional cries of panic, making Wu Ming and the others’ hearts sink.
It seemed the Temple of the Main God wouldn’t even grant them a single day of peace.
“Old people, women, and children stay at home! The village guards go to the armory!”
In the darkness, countless torches gathered like a long fiery dragon, with loud shouts echoing from time to time.
As soon as the five of them came out, they were surrounded by a group of village guards. At the forefront was none other than Wang Qiao, accompanied by a tall, imposing man with a dark complexion like iron.
“Village head, the Hu people indeed did not come for us. We can go and see for ourselves. If not, we are willing to surrender and accept whatever punishment you deem fit!”
Wu Ming said decisively: “The Hu people are fierce and cruel; they will not spare Daqing Village. My friend Kang and I have some connections around here. If we are to seek reinforcements…”
This speech, both soft and firm, immediately caused Wang Qiao’s expression to fluctuate.
He stroked his sparse beard, then suddenly waved his hand and laughed: “Esteemed guests, you’re joking! We came merely to ensure your safety. Since things have come to this, why don’t you accompany this old man to observe from the wall?”
Daqing Village was surrounded by an earthen wall, resembling a small city, with torches already lit atop it.
As Wu Ming and the others followed Wang Qiao up a watchtower, they heard distant hoofbeats, though the exact number of riders was unclear.
“Based on my experience, the Hu cavalry outside will definitely not exceed ten riders!”
Qin Hu suddenly said, his ears twitching: “The Hu people organize their cavalry in units of ten, with a squad leader for ten, a captain for a hundred, and a general for a thousand. A ten-squad leader is usually a Tu Lu warrior, and a hundred-squad captain’s unit includes a shaman priest…”
Wu Ming and the others exchanged glances, their hearts sinking.
Since the mission involved the presence of a shaman priest, it was clear that the attacking force was a hundred-strong unit, with the riders outside merely the vanguard.
Although Daqing Village had about a hundred village guards, compared to a hundred grassland cavalrymen, it was like comparing heaven and earth.
“Village head…”
A piercing scream came, followed by a blood-soaked villager running to the base of the wall, being pulled up in a basket.
“What happened?” Wang Qiao saw the man’s ears and nose had been cut off, his face darkening.
At the same time, Wang Yin stepped forward, his imposing figure shielding Wu Ming and the other four.
“They didn’t come to chase anyone… but demand we offer food, women, and allow them to rest in the village before they’ll leave…”
The villager, with a mournful face, relayed the Hu people’s terms, making Wang Qiao’s expression darken.
Food and women could be managed, but allowing the Hu into the village meant surrendering to slaughter.
At this moment, he deeply realized the difference between the Hu and ordinary bandits or rebels. These were locusts, intent on destroying the very roots of Daqing Village!
“Everyone, I apologize for my earlier suspicion!”
After his expression shifted, Wang Qiao suddenly came before Wu Ming and the others, bowing deeply: “I beg you all to lend your strength and help save Daqing Village from this crisis!”
“Of course!”
Wu Ming helped the old man up with both hands: “According to the information we previously gathered, the Hu force attacking us should not exceed a hundred riders!”
“Indeed! Although the north of our Daxia is in chaos with Hu incursions, it hasn’t reached this area. This should be a small group that slipped through, conducting a raid deep into our territory!”
Wang Qiao’s heart sank, but he remained composed on the surface: “If we can hold out for a few days, perhaps we won’t even need to wait for reinforcements before the enemy cavalry retreats…”
“Give the orders! Bring out all the weapons from the armory. At a time like this, we can’t afford to be stingy anymore. Wang Yin, you’re in charge of the overall defense!”
Wang Qiao, now calm, displayed some competence in command.
“I understand!”
Wang Yin, with a cold face, began to deploy the defenses.
“What do you think the chances are that Daqing Village can hold out?”
Wu Ming and the others became idle bystanders, unsure whether to leave or stay. As the sound of approaching hooves grew louder, Wu Ming’s heart raced, and he quietly asked Xiao Yu.
“It’s hard to say… Batu warriors are at least capable of defeating ten men, equivalent to our third or fourth level of the physical realm. As for the shaman priests…”
Xiao Yu bit her lip.
“Are the shaman priests’ magic strong?”
Although Wu Ming had some memories from his previous life, knowledge about this aspect was extremely scarce.
“It’s hard to say…”
Xiao Yu pondered for a moment before speaking softly: “Shaman magic, like Taoist techniques, can harm even experts at the ninth level of the physical realm if given time and proper preparation. However, if caught off guard and attacked directly, a shaman priest or Taoist without defense is almost no different from an ordinary person… Of course, this is only the case for lower-level practitioners. However, the shaman priest in a hundred-man unit would only be of this level… What I fear most now is that the shaman priest can heal wounds and boost morale…”
Swish!
Suddenly, dozens of arrows flew in, whistling through the air, with cries of the wounded echoing on the earthen wall.
“Hu cavalry archers!”
The thought had barely crossed Wu Ming’s mind when he saw an arrow, like a venomous snake, darting out of the darkness and striking Xiao Yu’s delicate neck.
Plop!
Blood sprayed, splattering onto Wu Ming’s face.
The warm, fishy scent reached his nostrils, yet Wu Ming’s expression remained impassive as he watched the girl collapse to the ground, motionless.
Dead!
This knowledgeable, mysterious, and cunning girl had died so suddenly, right before Wu Ming’s eyes!
“Indeed… No one in this vast world is immune to death! This is the Temple of the Main God, then?”
Wu Ming quickly crouched down, exhaling deeply, as if sensing that the Temple of the Main God had finally unveiled its veil, revealing its sharp fangs to him!
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