After traveling through time, I was raised by a little brat

Unexpectedly, the bandit leader's seemingly carefree, unfettered life came to an abrupt end the next day. That very night, the third brother accidentally stumbled upon the leader's hidden secret. By then, most of the men in the mountain stronghold were starving, their faces emaciated, their complexions sallow, and their bodies emaciated, as if a single breeze could blow them to the ground. Yet, even so, dozens of them struggled to hold on, clinging to a shred of life and energy.

The third bandit, starving and unable to sleep, was wandering around the stronghold when he suddenly caught sight of the rich aroma of meat. At first, he thought it was the Yingtianfu soldiers down the mountain, cooking a fire. But the smell was coming from the wrong direction, seemingly from a corner of the stronghold. He figured his second brother must have caught some prey.

So, he followed the alluring aroma all the way, hoping to get a piece of the pie to fill his growling stomach. However, when he finally followed the smell to the edge of the cliff, the scene before him was like a thunderbolt, and he was completely frozen in place.

The bandit leader was sitting at a simple stone table, chewing the food in front of him. On the table lay a horrifying pile of things—the bodies of a group of children! Those poor children were covered in blood and mutilated, clearly having been brutally murdered and dismembered.

"Brother, you...how could you do such a heartless thing? These children are our brothers' own flesh and blood!" The third brother widened his eyes and looked at the bandit boss in disbelief, his voice trembling with extreme anger and fear.

"Hmph, so what? Now is a year of famine, and every household is struggling to fill their stomachs. It's not uncommon for people to eat their own children in order to survive." The bandit leader curled his lips nonchalantly, without a trace of guilt on his face.

"Third brother, since you're here, why not try some too?" The bandit leader casually picked up a bloody piece of meat and handed it to the third brother, staring at him with a threatening look. The second brother also stopped eating and looked at the third brother. It was obvious that if the second brother dared to refuse, the surrounding men who were watching him with eager eyes would immediately rush over and besiege him.

The third brother looked at the piece of meat emitting a wafting roasted aroma, his stomach churning. However, facing the bandit leader's aggressive gaze and the crowd gradually gathering around him, he knew he had no choice. Helplessly, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and take the piece of meat. He took a light bite, chewed it with difficulty a few times, and swallowed it down, suppressing his nausea.

Seeing that the third brother had obediently eaten the piece of meat, the bandit leader smiled, nodded with satisfaction and said, "Not bad, a man who knows the current situation is a hero." Then, he gestured for the third brother to open his mouth to check whether he had really swallowed the meat. After confirming that it was correct, he waved him away.

The third brother walked back to his own house in a state of despair. As soon as he closed the door, he could no longer suppress the pain and remorse he felt within him. He desperately dug his fingers into his throat, trying to disgorge the piece of meat he had just swallowed. Over and over again, he retched until he finally vomited a large pool of bitter, yellow water. He then collapsed to the ground, weeping softly.

Tears streamed down his cheeks as he slowly climbed to his feet. His red, swollen eyes revealed a resolute determination. He walked to the table, picked up a pen, and began writing on the paper with trembling hands. Every stroke seemed to pour out the endless emotion and thoughts from his heart.

After finishing the letter, he breathed a sigh of relief and called out to the door. Soon, a trusted confidant hurried over. He solemnly handed the letter he had just written to the confidant and instructed, "Be sure to hand it over to the leader of the Yingtianfu Army in person!"

Meanwhile, the stronghold's security work continued in an orderly manner. However, due to the tedious and difficult nature of the job, it had long been replaced by the Third Brother's men. Meanwhile, the Assassin Boss and the Second Brother's men were leisurely enjoying their rare leisure time on the cliff edge.

The third brother's trusted confidant, carrying an important letter, descended the winding mountain path. After a difficult trek, he finally reached the foot of the mountain. Without hesitation, he raised aloft a white flag, signaling his intentions. Seeing him approach alone and holding a white flag, the Yingtianfu army lowered their guard and allowed him into the camp.

When he arrived before Tang Qi, he first bowed respectfully, then quickly took out the letter from his bosom and presented it to Tang Qi with both hands. Having completed his mission, he felt relieved and took the bowl of steaming hot brown sugar water and a bowl of sweet and delicious white porridge handed to him by the Yingtianfu soldiers, and began to eat and drink with big mouthfuls.

Liao Xinyin, standing nearby, watched everything unfold before his eyes, his heart filled with doubt and worry. He frowned and said to Tang Qi, "Brother Qi, can we really trust this letter? What if it's a trap? After all, the village has always been relatively united. Why would they suddenly start fighting at this critical juncture? And the timing is unbelievably coincidental, arriving just when we were about to lose our patience."

Tang Qi didn't respond immediately, but instead fell into a brief moment of contemplation. After a moment, he looked up at Liao Xinyin with a determined gaze and said, "No, I think we should believe this letter. While this matter is indeed somewhat suspicious, this may be our only chance to reduce casualties and successfully eliminate these bandits." With that, Tang Qi decisively issued an order, leading 200 elite soldiers to prepare to ascend the mountain, while the remaining 300 remained at the foot of the mountain, closely intercepting any bandits attempting to escape.

At this moment, the village was filled with an atmosphere of tension and anticipation. The third brother carefully dug out a jar of wine from the depths of the yard, a treasure he had long hidden away. Then, with determined steps, he walked towards the cliff.

As soon as the lid of the wine jar was opened, a rich and mellow aroma instantly gushed out, like an invisible wave. Just smelling this aroma, the third brother, who had not yet tasted the wine, felt a little dizzy and intoxicated.

The third brother, holding a wine jar, filled each of his brothers' glasses. He raised a glass and looked respectfully at the eldest brother, seated at the head of the group, saying, "Brother, I've followed you through the martial arts world for so many years, and what I admire most is your character! This time, the stronghold is facing such a huge crisis, but I firmly believe that with your wise leadership, we will be able to overcome this difficult time!"

The eldest brother took the wine glass and drank it all in one generous gulp. Then, in his gruff voice, he responded, "Haha, Third Brother, you're absolutely right! There's no way the Yingtianfu army can keep besieging us like this forever. Sooner or later, they'll realize the difficulty and retreat! Then, our stronghold can resume its former freedom and ease!"

Hearing the eldest brother's words, the second brother beside him quickly raised his glass and echoed loudly: "That's right, eldest brother, you are absolutely right! As long as we brothers are united, there will be no obstacles that we cannot overcome. After those government troops retreat, we can still drink to our heart's content, eat meat to our heart's content, and continue to live our carefree and happy lives!"