Chapter 024 - The Tiger Enters the Village
In the blink of an eye, another seven days passed.
During the day, Li Yuan was practically bursting with excitement. After all his tireless efforts, Calico had finally allowed him to ride on its back. But that evening, his high spirits vanished.
Late at night, he headed down the mountain as usual. However, before leaving Little Ink Mountain, he heard an uproar in the distance—wailing, screaming, furious shouts, heavy crashes, and even the clash of weapons.
Carried by the cold winter wind, the tumult swept through the darkness, both frenzied and terrifying.
“What’s happening all of a sudden?” Li Yuan muttered, a sense of dread tightening in his chest. He quickened his pace homeward. As soon as he reached Little Ink Village, he spotted a crowd gathered outside, buzzing with alarm. They stayed like that until nearly dawn before finally dispersing.
Li Yuan waited quietly, observing that the lights in his own house were still on. Through the oiled-paper windows, he could make out the silhouettes of multiple people speaking with Yan Yu, most notably Auntie Wang and Feng’er.
After about another hour, they left. Then the house went dark.
Certain there were no prying eyes, Li Yuan slipped like a ghost among the trees and quietly knocked at his back door.
Yan Yu opened it in a hurry, pulled him inside, and locked it.
“We’ve lost... The county troops were defeated,” she said, voice trembling. “Word came in this afternoon. Then, after nightfall, the Red Lotus Rebels showed up at the county walls and started attacking. So many people have died in the county, and no one knows the full situation yet.” Her eyes were filled with fear, and her hands felt ice-cold in his.
Li Yuan frowned. “But didn’t we hear they were on a roll just a few days ago? How did everything go wrong so quickly?”
Yan Yu shook her head, struggling to stay calm. “I don’t know. But if the county troops have fallen, the men from Little Ink Village who marched out might not have made it either. Auntie Wang just came by, crying that Uncle Wang is probably gone. And Feng’er was sobbing over Bear. She’s sure he’s been killed too.”