A husband found in the village? I bought a regent for a penny!

To think further ahead, from the most utilitarian perspective...

Gu Xixi hopes that Daye's world will be reorganized as soon as possible and stabilize.

He Jinglan is the eldest daughter of the He family, and also He Jinghui's younger sister and only close relative.

Although Gu Xixi was unaware of the specific plans of Mu Nanzhao, He Jinghui, and others.

However, the He family's stirring up trouble in the capital must be part of an overall plan.

To ensure He Jinghui has no worries, it is essential to protect He Jinglan.

Upon arriving near the village entrance, before even seeing the large locust tree, the first thing that came into view was a dense crowd of people.

Those standing at the back were mostly elderly people, women, and children.

Everyone was armed, staring menacingly ahead.

Seeing that a fight hadn't broken out yet, Gu Xixi breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that she had arrived in time and that the two sides should still be in a standoff.

She and Sister-in-law Qin stepped forward and stood with the others.

Because there were too many people in front, they couldn't see the bandits on the other side.

I don't know what's happening, and I haven't heard any noise yet.

Aunt Zhou happened to spot the two who had just arrived and quietly waved, "Here! I have an empty seat here!"

Gu Xixi and Qin Dasao also wanted to hear what was happening, so they carefully squeezed through the crowd to Zhou Dasao's side.

The three huddled together and communicated in very low voices.

Sister-in-law Zhou: "Village chief, my husband Lao Zhou, and your husband Lao Qin are leading all the able-bodied men in our village at the forefront."

Gu Xixi: "How many people are coming from the other side?"

Sister-in-law Zhou: "We who are standing at the back just counted them several times. There are twenty-one. There's no mistake."

Gu Xixi: "Do they have a leader?"

Sister-in-law Zhou: "Yes! One with no beard, a wide, round face, a sallow complexion, and a face full of wrinkles and triangular eyes."

It sounds very distinctive.

Gu Xixi: "What did they do just now? What did they say?"

Sister-in-law Zhou: "When these people entered the village, they were carrying several empty carts. They were stopped by Lao Qin on patrol. They tried to force their way in after a disagreement, so Lao Qin rang the bell."

Sister-in-law Qin: "Then my husband, Old Qin..."

Sister-in-law Zhou: "Don't worry, Lao Qin didn't suffer any losses. Our people aren't pushovers either. Several young men rushed forward and started fighting those people."

"The village chief arrived shortly after, and everyone else followed. The scoundrel on the other side didn't dare to act rashly, so he retreated all the way to the other side of the big locust tree."

Just then, Old Qian's loud shout came from ahead, "A bunch of thieves!"

"Now that we've stopped you, you'd better be smart and get out of here!"

A moment later, the man let out a few raucous, hoarse laughs and arrogantly declared, "You're the ones who should know better than to back off!"

"Do you know who these grandfathers are? You'll be terrified if I told you."

"We are the lone wolves of the Northwest, bandits from the north of the Black Mountains!"

"If you obediently make way, my brothers will go into the village to load a few cartloads of grain, and then we'll spare your lives!"

Old Qian gave a heavy sneer, "I have heard of the bandits in Black Mountain."

"Ten years ago, the Northwest Army quelled bandits throughout the region. The bandit leader of Heishan was beheaded on the spot, and his head was displayed in the prefectural city for three days. The rest of his followers either died or scattered."

"From then on, even three-year-old children were no longer afraid whenever mountain bandits were mentioned in the Northwest."

Old Qian's tone immediately became more forceful, carrying an air of confidence that rivaled that of his opponent.

"What do I have to fear today, facing a bunch of scoundrels who come from who-knows-where, these foxes borrowing the tiger's might?"

Several young men behind him burst into laughter.

Someone shouted, "That's right, riding a skinny old horse, what kind of mountain king are you pretending to be!"

The bandit leader's face twisted with rage. "We are the bandits, you are the people; we are the wolves, you are the sheep!"

"You're only doing this because I haven't lost my temper yet, and you can still talk back."

"If you really anger me, be careful, I might slaughter your entire village!"

As the village chief, Lao Qian has always taken it upon himself to protect the entire Huachidu Village.

He hated nothing more than hearing words like "massacre of the village."

"As expected of you, you beasts who won't listen to human speech. If you're not afraid of blood splattering here, then come and try!"

He gripped a thick iron bar, about the thickness of a clothesline pole, and slashed it through the air, aiming it directly at the bandits opposite him.

The brief moment of relaxation quickly turned tense again.

Gu Xixi, Sister-in-law Qin, and Sister-in-law Zhou also stopped talking.

Sister-in-law Qin brandished the long knife a few times in mid-air to get a feel for it. "Hmm, no problem. I'm used to cutting medicinal herbs every day, so this knife is quite handy."

Only then did Sister-in-law Zhou notice that Sister-in-law Qin was holding a terrifying knife.

"Where did you get this rare item? It looks like the kind that government officials wear."

A long sword made of fine iron is not cheap; you would never find such a thing in a rural household.

Sister-in-law Qin continued swinging the knife to get a feel for it, and casually replied, "I found it."

The shouts of the men at the front rang out in unison, mixed with the sounds of metal clashing.

This was the first real fight. Gu Xixi's eyes sharpened, and she gripped her axe tightly in front of her.

Sister-in-law Zhou was shocked once again.

Imagine a pretty, refined young woman suddenly grabbing an axe; the impact would be immense.

Sister-in-law Qin was already in a charging stance. "You guys follow behind me, and the three of us mustn't get separated."

"Xixi is not strong, so just close your eyes and swing the axe in a circle. I guarantee those people won't dare to get close."

The melee gradually spread from the front lines.

More and more villagers took up arms.

Gu Xixi was observing the situation, considering where to poison the poison so as not to harm her own people.

Suddenly, a shifty-looking man ran over and stabbed a young woman in the back with a shovel.

Gu Xixi caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of her eye, and without thinking, she closed her eyes and swung the axe with all her might.

"Aaaaaaahh ...

A series of screams soared into the sky.

Gu Xixi's heart trembled, and she dared not open her eyes, afraid of seeing a scene that was too bloody.

After all, it was the first time he had ever hit someone.

Could he really have been killed by the chop?

It wasn't until Sister-in-law Zhou gently tugged at her sleeve, "Hey, Xixi, look, open your eyes and look."

Gu Xixi opened her eyes a crack, then slowly widened them.

The man with the shovel was slumped on the ground, a large patch of hair gone, revealing his scalp.

His shovel was long gone, and he was trembling like a leaf, shaking his head and muttering in a trance, "Don't kill me, don't chop me up, I don't want my head cut off!"

Sister-in-law Zhou looked down, pinched her nose, and disdainfully fanned the air with her hand.

"You're scared to death by this? And you still want to rob someone!"

Almost simultaneously, Sister-in-law Qin swung her long knife horizontally, striking a running bandit in both legs, causing blood to splatter everywhere.

Seeing this, Sister-in-law Zhou walked leisurely towards the big locust tree.

The village had made preparations in advance; they had hung many thick hemp ropes on the branches of the big locust tree, and now they came in handy.

Sister-in-law Zhou called two elderly women to help her tie up the fallen bandit like a dumpling.

To prevent them from acting up again once they recover.

One, two, three...

The number of bandits still standing on the field is decreasing.

The bandit leader panicked. His eyes darted around, and he spotted the most delicate and slender girl in the chaotic crowd.