Dressed as a farmer's widow, she brought her daughter to stock up on food and reached the top

Tian Guilan raised her eyes nonchalantly, glanced ahead, chewed a cucumber, and said vaguely: "Xiuying was just scared by those bandits. Those bandits are still far away from us. Is there any need to hide? What a fuss."

Tian Guilan had made up her mind; she wouldn't hide anyway. She felt that even if the bandits really attacked, she wouldn't be afraid at all. After all, she was the bandit leader's benefactor!

She even hoped that the bandits would attack soon, so that she could become the wife of the village chief. From then on, those people would have to bow and scrape when they saw her.

The other elders paid no attention to Tian Guilan. They knew that Zhang Tainan was killed because Tian Guilan's family was sneaky when building the wall. If they had built the wall carefully, how could those bandits have easily climbed over the wall and entered?

If Tian Guilan insisted on doing so, and anything happened, it would be her own fault. After someone kindly reminded them, no further words were wasted, and the elderly people hurried towards a secluded place.

Behind the village gate, a group of men stood in formation, their heads covered with wooden planks, and on top of them, thick straw. This camouflage provided some protection while making it difficult for the enemy to detect them.

On the lookout tower, the village chief was shouting at the aggressive bandits at the foot of the mountain.

"You must be the heroes of Black Tiger Mountain, right? Our Futian Village has been rooted at the foot of this mountain for over a hundred years. So, we're actually neighbors! I'm just wondering, why don't you rob those wealthy officials in the city, who are so rich and well-off, and instead come all the way to our Futian Village?"

The second-in-command roared viciously, "Who are you neighbors with? Stop trying to be friendly here! We're bandits, we rob whoever we want and kill whoever we want. It's none of your business to talk nonsense here!"

The Third Master also chimed in sarcastically, "Hmph, stop pretending! Everyone knows that your Futian Village is incredibly wealthy. Wouldn't we be foolish to leave you as a fat sheep?"

The village chief knew he had to continue dealing with these bandits to buy Xiuying enough time. So, he remained calm and responded with a helpless look on his face, "Where did you hear these rumors? If we're really as rich as you say, why are our people still staying in this mountain valley instead of moving to the city to enjoy a more comfortable life?"

The second and third in command exchanged a glance, a flicker of hesitation in their eyes. The old man's words seemed to make sense. If they were truly wealthy, why would they cling to this mountain village instead of moving to the city to live a carefree life?

They secretly thought that if they had money, they would have bought a few big houses in the city, married eighteen concubines, and enjoyed themselves to the fullest.

Zhou Dazhu approached the second and third in command and said in a low voice, "Don't listen to that old man's nonsense. Let them open the door and we'll go in and find out the truth."

At this moment, he was very nervous. His identity must not be exposed. If the villagers found out that he was the bandit from the Black Tiger Stronghold, they would definitely capture his son Xiaoxiong to threaten him.

Previously, Zhou Dazhu had sent a few trusted bandits to sneak into the village, intending to bring his son out. However, these bandits disappeared without a trace. Now it seems that these guys either ran away for fear of death or were killed by the villagers. Fortunately, they did not seem to reveal their identities.

The second-in-command yelled at the top of his voice, "Stop your rambling! Since you've sworn that your village has no silver, then just let us in and take a look! We'll find out whether there is any or not!"

The village chief's face darkened, and he responded, "Don't joke around. Our village has had rules since ancient times, and we never allow outsiders to enter casually."

Zhou Dazhu was so angry that he gnashed his teeth and couldn't help but curse under his breath: "Bullshit! Do you think I know nothing? This Futian Village is clearly a village with mixed surnames, and you are still using the rules to fool people here!"

When the Third Master heard this, he shouted at the village chief without a second thought, "Don't try to quibble! This is clearly a mixed-surname village. Stop talking nonsense and let us in! Otherwise, you'll be in trouble!"

The old village chief and Yang Qingfeng, standing on the observation tower, were both stunned when they heard this. How on earth did these bandits know that the village was a mixed-surname village? The village had extremely strict controls on entry and exit, requiring detailed registration. The entire village was securely guarded, so it was logically impossible for the bandits to learn this information.

Wang Daya and Wang Dali, armed with wooden shields, hurried up to the observation tower. Wang Daya said anxiously, "Old Village Chief, Young Master Qingfeng, everyone has already taken shelter as Madam instructed. Madam has asked us to cover your evacuation."

The old village chief and Yang Qingfeng were bewildered, genuinely confused as to what Xiuying was up to. Hadn't they originally agreed to fight these bandits to the bitter end? The old village chief had even written a suicide note long beforehand.

The old village chief subconsciously glanced at Yang Qingfeng, who was also full of doubts, and slowly said: "Let's listen to Xiuying. She must have her own reasons for doing this."

Outside the village, the group of bandits were staring at the two people who were evacuating from the watchtower.

The second-in-command muttered suspiciously, "Huh? Why are they just leaving in the middle of a conversation?"

The Third In Commander had a smug look on his face and laughed carelessly, "Humph, maybe they'll just go down and open the door for us! These country bumpkins have been frightened into surrendering before the fight even started. After all, they're just a bunch of farmers, how could they have the guts to fight us? Look at those guys on the wall, they've probably been so scared by us that their legs have gone limp, they don't dare to move an inch."

The second in command also laughed unrestrainedly, "Hahaha, that's right! Once we get into the village, we'll have plenty of food to eat, and there will be plenty of young ladies for us to choose from. Aren't good days coming soon?"

Zhou Dazhui, however, looked solemn, staring deeply in the direction of the village, and said coldly: "I don't think things are that simple." Based on his understanding of the villagers, these villagers would never open the door and surrender easily.

Moreover, I heard from Guangzong that during this period of time, the villagers have been practicing bows and crossbows and studying close combat. Even the elderly people in the rear are not idle and are busy preparing food for the young people. It can be seen that the villagers are determined to resist to the end.

After a long wait, the sturdy and tall village gate remained motionless.

The second-in-command finally couldn't hold back any longer and shouted at the top of his voice to the village, "Listen up, everyone inside! Our patience is limited. Don't be ungrateful! Open the door immediately!"