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

Mu Nanzhao had no patience to pay attention to Gu Qingye.

But when he heard Gu Qingye say that someone had died, his face immediately darkened. "There has only been one sick person in Stone Village so far. Who told you that someone has died?"

Gu Qingye was a little afraid of him and stammered, "That's what everyone says, but I don't remember the specifics."

Mu Nanzhao's eyes were filled with ruthlessness. "Since it's just hearsay, don't spread it around as if it were the truth, understand?"

Gu Qingye had never felt such pressure before; she stood there stiffly, unable to move an inch.

Only after Mu Nanzhao had walked far away did her legs give way and she knelt down...

Before evening, Stone Village had already been dusted with ash.

The number of dead rats burned in the village that day was significantly less than the previous day.

And so far, no one has reported having a fever or cough.

The day is almost over.

Looking at the white expanse everywhere, Village Chief Zhao felt a rare sense of comfort.

He said to his wife, "You must be tired too. Let's go back and get something to eat and get a good night's sleep."

Halfway up the mountain, under a large elm tree.

Gu Xixi used the old doctor's medicine pot and stove to boil eggs.

There are also flatbreads, several kinds of pickled vegetables, and stir-fried dried cured meat.

These were all brought up by Zhao Niangzi this afternoon; you can eat them directly if you're too lazy to cook.

Gu Xixi broke the pancake in half, filled it with dried meat and pickled vegetables, and heated it by the fire.

"Master, it's time to eat."

The old doctor had just taken a bite when Little Flower came over and meowed.

The old doctor chuckled, broke off a piece, and gave it to the cat. "You greedy cat, you're tired of mice. Meat patties are much more delicious than human food."

Gu Xixi took the boiled eggs out and absentmindedly looked down at the village.

The situation in Mingming Stone Village has improved.

But for some reason, she felt uneasy all night.

She thought to herself, "Mu Nanzhao has been gone for most of the day, why hasn't he come back yet?"

After the two people and the cat finished eating, Gu Xixi tidied up the jars. Just as she stood up, she saw the flames rapidly gathering on the road below.

The flickering lights were clearly torches held by people.

More and more flames surged toward the village entrance.

Gu Xixi quickly put down the jar. "Master, something has probably happened in the village."

When Gu Xixi passed by Zhao Si's house, she noticed that the gatekeeper was gone.

Two pitchforks were carelessly left on the ground, indicating that the gatekeeper had left in a hurry.

But the door was still locked from the outside, and a faint light shone through the cracks.

Zhao Si's family probably doesn't know what's happening outside.

Gu Xixi did not tell the old doctor about this situation.

She helped the old doctor continue walking forward, thinking to herself that if things really went wrong, she would first ask Old Qian for the key and release the family, otherwise they would be too pitiful.

A mile or so from the village entrance, the road ahead was already blocked by people holding torches.

"I saw it clearly, there were soldiers in armor all over the outside!"

"They brought five large carts of firewood, and two horse-drawn carts loaded with wooden barrels, which might contain tung oil!"

"Tung oil mixed with firewood, they're going to burn us all to death!!"

Cries of sorrow filled the air.

Gu Xixi pulled the old doctor forward through the crowd, repeatedly saying, "Excuse me, everyone make way for the doctor! Let him go and talk to the people outside!"

After finally squeezing to the front, Gu Xixi saw Village Chief Zhao standing inside the fence, waving his right hand excitedly.

"Sir, please ask your officer to come over. I need to ask him why this firewood was suddenly brought in!"

"There's still hope for our village! They promised to help us source medicinal herbs this morning, so why are they suddenly burning the village down tonight?"

One of the soldiers said, "Stop shouting, they haven't said they're going to burn it yet."

“But so many people have died of illness in your village. Since you are the village chief, I will give you a definite answer.”

"It'll only be a day or two. Let everyone do what they want and eat as much as they want."

Upon hearing this, Village Chief Zhao could barely stand by gripping the fence with both hands.

His eyes were bloodshot as he roared in anguish, "No one in our Stone Village has died of illness! Who is lying! Who is it!"

At this moment, Gu Xixi and the old doctor finally managed to squeeze to the front.

Gu Xixi had already overheard the conversation between Village Chief Zhao and the soldier.

She rushed over and said, "I brought the doctor with me. He can testify that the plague in Stone Village is not that serious."

"Only one person is sick, and he has already taken medication."

"It's impossible that many people died from the disease; it must be a rumor spreading outside!"

The old doctor hurriedly nodded, "Yes, I am a doctor, and I dare to guarantee with my life that everything I have said is true!"

The soldier glanced at the two men, took a few steps back, and said nothing more.

Suddenly, a man behind them screamed in terror, "It's terrible! They're starting to move the tung oil!"

One sentence, like a drop of water falling into a hot oil pan, caused an uproar among everyone.

"Rather than be trapped here and burned alive, we might as well fight them!"

"Yes! Everyone, charge out together!"

Village Chief Zhao realized something was wrong and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Don't be impulsive! Listen to me, don't run away!"

"There's still room for negotiation. Don't get into a conflict with the soldiers."

Village Chief Zhao cried and bowed, but none of the villagers could hear him.

Gu Xixi was so dizzy from being jostled by the waves of people that she couldn't see clearly whether anyone was moving things outside.

She was only concerned with holding onto the old doctor tightly to prevent him from being pushed over by the people around him.

The soldiers stationed outside grabbed their weapons and shouted, "A riot has broken out! A riot has broken out!"

"By order of the higher command, villagers in the epidemic area are not allowed to leave their homes. Anyone who resists will be killed without exception!!"

Gu Xixi was squeezed against the fence and couldn't move.

Behind her were desperate and angry shouts, and in her ears was the creaking of the wooden fence under pressure.

Ahead, a dozen soldiers aimed their spears at the fence.

Looking further ahead, several soldiers jumped onto a cart and carried the tung oil onto the hay.

The moment the fence broke under the weight, Gu Xixi pushed the old doctor to the side with all her might, while her own body fell forward uncontrollably.

As the gleaming spear tip drew closer, in that final moment, the image that flashed through her mind was none other than Mu Nanzhao.

I'm sorry, Mu Nanzhao, I might have led you astray.

However, since you are the male protagonist, even if you take a few detours, you will definitely be able to wield power and influence in the future as you wish.

Suddenly, the force propelling the body forward stopped.

As her feet left the ground, Gu Xixi looked up.

Mu Nanzhao sat upright on a black horse, holding her arm with one hand. When he looked down at her, his face was shockingly sour.

Gu Xixi landed lightly in front of Mu Nanzhao.

Forgetting her first experience riding a horse, she blurted out, "I knew you'd make it!"

Mu Nanzhao gritted his teeth and said, "Shut up."

For some reason, he paused for a moment before saying in a cold tone, "You were almost a dead man."

Mu Nanzhao held his head high, and Gu Xixi couldn't see his expression because she turned her head away.

He could only force a smile and say, "It was a close call, but thank goodness for you."

A hearty laugh came from the man beside them, "Truly a loving couple!"