Chapter 181 - 178: Discussing Countermeasures
"This ’big brother’ of yours... I’d be more than happy for him to come looking for me." A faint smile curved Ye Xing’s lips. He glanced at the bandit leader’s corpse on the ground, then sheathed his sword.
By now, the hundred-odd bandits were either dead or injured, and the rest had all fled.
The people of Lantian Village were overjoyed, celebrating their new lease on life. They had been pulled back from the brink of death—snatched from the Ghost Gate itself—and the sheer excitement was palpable.
"We’re not going to die!"
"The bandits are dead or gone! We’ve survived! This is wonderful!"
"That Young Hero is incredible! He drove all those bandits away by himself!"
"The Young Hero is here! Everyone, come and thank our savior!"
The villagers were just that sincere. At the old village chief’s call, a crowd of them rushed over and began bowing to Ye Xing, thanking him profusely.
Their gratitude for Ye Xing came from the bottom of their hearts. Their village had been on the verge of a massacre, and it was this Young Hero who had driven off the bandits and saved them all. It was only natural that they felt a deep sense of indebtedness to him.
"Thank you, Young Hero! Thank you for saving our village!"
"Young Hero, Lantian Village will never forget your immense kindness. This is a little money the villagers have gathered—"
"Ah, please, Village Chief, there’s no need. It was no trouble at all," Ye Xing said gravely. "The bandits of Triangular Mountain seem to have three chiefs. I only killed their Third Village Chief. I’m afraid the Great Village Chief and Second Village Chief will come back for revenge."
The moment Ye Xing finished speaking, the entire village entrance fell silent.
Panic returned to the villagers’ eyes, and their faces filled with unease. Some suggested they flee immediately, while others proposed reporting it to the Government Office. The silence at the village entrance lasted only a moment before it erupted into a clamor of overlapping discussions.
Neither option seemed particularly good. Fleeing had its pros and cons. While it would allow them to escape the bandits’ wrath for now, it was only a temporary solution. Lantian Village had vast fields and crops—the very foundation of their lives. Their homes were all here. If they abandoned the source of their livelihood, they would become homeless refugees, a fate perhaps no better than being slaughtered.
As for reporting to the Government Office, that would only be a temporary fix. The Government Office might send soldiers to protect them, but those soldiers couldn’t stay in Lantian Village forever. They would be stationed there for a while at most before having to leave. Such was the disadvantage of being a mere village.
In the Southern Tang Country, villages typically only had their own local militia; there were no permanently stationed government soldiers. A settlement had to be at least the size of a town to warrant a garrison. Places like Phoenix Town, Green River Town, and Sunset City had soldiers. As a major city, Sunset City’s garrison was naturally larger and stronger than those of Phoenix Town or Green River Town, which were merely towns under its jurisdiction. The highest official in a town was a County Magistrate, while the highest official in a city was a Prefect.
Only settlements at the town level or higher received the protection of a military garrison. The small villages in the surrounding countryside could only pray for good fortune, as they were often harassed by bandits.
While the village had a militia, it could only fend off small bands of robbers. They were essentially useless against a medium or large-sized gang of bandits.
The villagers argued heatedly over the two proposals, but in the end, neither seemed reliable. Helpless, many of them turned to look at Ye Xing, their eyes filled with pleading.
The old village chief forced himself to step forward, struggling to find the words. "Young Hero, I was wondering... would it be possible for you to stay in Lantian Village for a few days?"
Ye Xing looked at the old village chief with some amusement, then shook his head. "I expect the bandits from Triangular Mountain will be back to attack either tonight or tomorrow night. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of them before I leave." ’Triangular Mountain isn’t far from here,’ Ye Xing reasoned. ’Once those escaped bandits get back and the Great Village Chief hears the news, it won’t take him long to rush over. I’d bet the Great Village Chief of Triangular Mountain is at the Martial Arts Fourth Realm. I just displayed the power of a Martial Arts Fourth Realm expert myself, and I’m all alone. When they hear about this, there’s no way they won’t come seeking revenge.’
Ye Xing’s words were the reassurance they desperately needed. The once worried and panicked villagers were overjoyed to hear that he would help them eliminate the bandits. Before this, if Ye Xing had claimed he could wipe out the entire gang, they never would have believed such a young man could be so powerful. But now, having witnessed his strength firsthand, they practically revered him as a god.
"Heroic Big Brother, my name is Xu Chong! Can I be your disciple and learn Martial Arts?"
A group of earnest-looking youths rushed up to Ye Xing, their eyes filled with longing as they pleaded.
"Er..." Ye Xing was taken aback for a moment, then laughed. "’Heroic Big Brother’? What a strange way to address someone. Haha, I’m still a novice myself. I’m not taking on any disciples for now."
"By the way, who here can ride a horse? I need someone to make a trip to Green River Town!" Ye Xing’s gaze swept over the crowd as he spoke gravely.
"I can! I can!" The young man named Xu Chong, standing beside Ye Xing, quickly spoke up.
"Good. I need you to go to the Great River Gang in Green River Town. Give this token to their Left Guardian, Ma Feng, and tell him to gather his men and come here to deal with the bandits of Triangular Mountain." Ye Xing spoke with gravity, handing the young man a token as he finished.
Ye Xing himself wasn’t particularly afraid of the Triangular Mountain bandits. However, they were numerous, and he worried that the villagers might get caught in the crossfire and suffer casualties. Thus, he decided to summon the Great River Gang to eliminate the bandits directly.
"I’ve been to Green River Town a few times, so I know where the Great River Gang headquarters is. They’re the biggest gang in town! I can’t believe you know one of their top people, Heroic Big Brother. This is great! If the Great River Gang gets involved, those bandits are as good as dead." Xu Chong was ecstatic. He took the token from Ye Xing, leaped onto a horse, and galloped off in the direction of Green River Town.
’That kid looks like a sturdy one,’ Ye Xing thought with a small smile. ’And his riding is pretty good, very steady.’
With his messenger sent, all he could do was wait. Though the distance wasn’t great, a round trip would take time, not to mention the time needed to muster the gang’s forces. Ye Xing wasn’t anxious; he settled in to wait at Lantian Village.
After about a shichen, Ma Feng finally arrived at Lantian Village. He rode atop a massive Golden Tiger, leading a large contingent of gang members.
The Great River Gang’s procession was vast and mighty, with somewhere between three and five hundred men. All of them were in high spirits and fully equipped, riding their tall horses as they entered Lantian Village.