The Cold-Hearted Princess Who Transmigrated Here

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the two of them arrived at the foot of the mountain and met up with everyone.

Everyone was ready and waiting for the two to arrive so they could set off immediately.

Seeing Miss Xiyue reappear before him, Mingzhe felt an urge to cry. When he was trapped in the mountain stronghold, he really thought he would never see her again in this lifetime.

Upon seeing the real person, he was deeply moved and filled with remorse. "Miss, I'm sorry, Mingzhe has troubled you."

He was supposed to be doing something for the young lady, but he ended up not only failing to get the job done, but also causing her to travel a long way to rescue him.

"It's alright, you're mine, so naturally I have to take responsibility for you."

Dongfang Yu wished he hadn't brought Mingzhe back; Xiyue's damned sense of responsibility was infuriating him.

He must, absolutely must, find a way to incorporate himself into Xiyue's responsibilities as soon as possible.

And it must be the primary responsibility.

"Everyone, let's hurry up and leave, lest the villagers come after us, and we'll be in trouble!"

Wang Xiyue repeatedly scanned Mingzhe's entire body to confirm that he was unharmed, and the anxiety she had felt all day finally subsided completely.

She mounted her horse and led the way away.

She was in a state of high and low mood all day, and everyone was exhausted by her antics. They needed to go back to the inn early to rest and recuperate, as there were many things waiting for her tomorrow.

The overcast sky couldn't stop the group from speeding along the road.

Returning like an arrow.

-

"Chief, something terrible has happened!"

"Chief, that little beggar has disappeared."

Two urgent voices made Li Xiong pause in his leisurely eating.

He waited until everyone had left before calling the little beggar over for a meal, and also to ask for his opinion.

If he can accept Lan Hua, he can live with her family and get married when he reaches a certain age. If he really doesn't like her, he can be her younger brother or become the son of another family. As long as he doesn't leave, he can accept it no matter what.

As it turned out, that kid actually left.

I wonder if he was thinking of suicide and jumped off a cliff?

Li Xiong finished the rest of the wild vegetable porridge in one gulp, then got up and went back with the person who had reported it.

Standing to the side, Li Can quickly followed, explaining as he walked, "Chief, I tied that kid up very tightly; there's no way he could break free."

Li Xiong glanced at him indifferently, "Why are you in such a hurry? I'm not blaming you."

We need to go to the scene to find out exactly how they escaped.

When the two arrived at the main house, they found a large crowd already gathered there, chattering about what was going on with the little beggar.

When Uncle Ming saw the chieftain arrive, he quickly cleared the area, saying, "Alright, alright, everyone disperse. Go back to sleep early, we have to go hunting tomorrow."

"The chieftain will handle things here; there's nothing to worry about."

He tried to comfort others, but he had a bad feeling that something was about to happen.

"Everyone, let's go back quickly!"

Li Xiong looked at Uncle Ming, "What's going on?"

Uncle Ming was indeed the first to discover that the person was missing. He originally came to talk to the little beggar, but before he could even begin, the person was gone.

“When I first came in, the rope was just lying on the ground. There were no other signs of damage. The doors and windows hadn’t been pried open. Obviously, someone outside helped him escape.”

“I checked him carefully during the day and he didn’t have any such weapon.”

After saying that, he handed the cut rope to Li Xiong.

Uncle Ming recalled that when he first met this kid in the city during the day, he felt that the boy was very clever.

He had tried to find out more about the boy from beginning to end, both openly and secretly, but his answers were always flawless, which made him believe that the boy was a helpless orphan.

I can't believe he was fooled. That kid is really cunning and kept it well hidden.

Li Xiong looked at the clean, sharp cuts on the straw rope with a puzzled expression. How sharp must a sword be to achieve such an effect?

It was a cut cleaner than any knife he had ever seen, as neat as slicing a melon with a kitchen knife.

He planned to send people to search thoroughly to see if the boy had been rescued by the villagers or if an outsider had actually broken in and taken him away.

He basically didn't believe in this second possibility, nor did he dare to believe it.

Before Li Xiong could even get comfortable on his stool, he heard Uncle Liu's terrified voice coming from afar again.

"Chief, something terrible has happened!"

Li Xiong frowned. What could be more serious than losing a person?

"What could be so urgent?"

Li Can was also exhausted. Every day was "not good," and even the chieftain was annoyed with him.

Uncle Liu didn't have time to pay attention to anyone else. His legs went weak, and he knelt down in front of Li Xiong. "Chief, we're doomed."

Seeing his dazed expression and pale face, Li Xiong knew that the sky might really be falling.

Uncle Liu's voice trembled, "Our formation has been broken."

Although the formation is a cage, it is also their protective umbrella!

The barrier they had always been so proud of was gone, and the villagers would no longer have any security in these wild beasts-infested mountains.

After hearing what he said, Li Xiongru felt as if he had been struck by lightning.

He jumped to his feet and ran quickly toward the back door as if facing a formidable enemy.

He couldn't believe that anyone could break this formation. He had heard from the older generation that it had existed for nearly a hundred years. How could it be broken so easily?

Once he stepped out of the small gate, he saw that the misty scenery had completely disappeared, and a winding path suddenly appeared before him, with the surrounding trees and flowers revealing their true colors as if the layers of mist had been cleared away.

Could it be that the little beggar we brought back today has some extraordinary backing? Could he have come in as an undercover agent on purpose?

But their village was extremely poor, what did they have that others would covet? And if he really had a powerful figure backing him up, wiping them out would be a piece of cake.

He couldn't understand why that kid, who seemed so important, would be willing to come back with them on his own initiative.

The newcomers only broke through the formation and rescued the little beggar; they did not cause any damage or harm anyone else.

He couldn't understand it at all.

Uncle Ming, who followed shortly after, had been running all the way here and was already panting, but that was nothing compared to the terror he felt at what he was seeing.

Compared to the familiar, blurry scene he once knew, the present seemed so unreal, as unbelievable as a dream. He was completely lost. "Chief, what should we do?"

"What's going on?"

"How did it break..."

The formation has been broken, which means that they have all been exposed to all wild beasts and outsiders.

Without household registration, they will be identified as rioters and vagrants wherever they go, and the government will have a reason to kill them directly.

The older villagers are unlikely to leave their homeland, so this place is very likely to become a paradise for wild animals.

Whether you go or not, it's a dead end.

Thinking of the possible fates he might face, Uncle Ming couldn't help but burst into tears. He knelt down facing the direction of the formation.

He pounded the ground with his fists in anger, almost collapsing to the floor. "It's all my fault! It's all because I'm senile and brought back a menace! It's all because of me! I deserve to die... I deserve to die..."

That hunched back, filled with grief and indignation, seemed as if he were about to commit suicide at any moment. Li Xiong temporarily suppressed the despair in his heart and helped him up. "Uncle Ming, we'll be alright, believe me."

"As long as I have a breath left, I will protect everyone."

Li Xiong believed he was brave and calm enough that he was not afraid even when facing a pack of wolves or the king of beasts.

But now, faced with this situation that is completely out of his control, his panic has grown stronger.

He tried his best to regain a sliver of reason. "Uncle Ming, could you ask a few elders for me if they have any ideas on how to repair this great formation?"

"Li Can, go and tell everyone to come here and gather. Also, bring all the torches and tools from home. We must repair the wall tonight."

Night had fallen, and the wild animals were preparing to come out to hunt. They had to complete their defenses before the animals discovered the village, or the entire village would be doomed.

Because repairing the wall was a matter of life and death, everyone except the elderly and infants who were unable to move was present.

Even five- or six-year-old children came to help pick up the broken stones. Everyone cooperated seamlessly like never before, working together to do what they could.

Everyone shares the same goal: to build the last line of defense for their homeland.

The men quarried the huge stones, transported them, and then built the wall.

The women cut down trees and made spiked fences to protect themselves from small wild animals.

The younger generation helped out, serving tea and water, whittling bamboo to make arrows...

By the time everyone had implemented all the measures they could think of, it was almost midnight.

The roars of wild beasts rose and fell, but they did not advance any further.

Despite their exhaustion, all the villagers strained to keep their eyes open and stare at the dark forest before them.

Except for the baby sleeping soundly in the mother's arms, no adult can rest in peace, for everyone is afraid that once they fall asleep, they will never have the chance to wake up again.

Li Xiong was also staring blankly into the darkness. He was indeed very desperate at first, but no matter how pessimistic he was, he had to let others see hope, so he got everyone moving.

Doing more work always increases your chances of survival.

After working for most of the night, he realized something was wrong. Under normal circumstances, with such a commotion, the beasts should have noticed by now.

Even if they were lying low at the beginning, it's impossible for them not to launch any probing attacks later on.

There is a wolf pack of more than 100 on the mountain where their village is located. It is understandable that other animals dare not come over, but it seems illogical that they do not show up.

The wild beasts weren't entirely silent either; the howls of wolves were ever-present, seemingly coming from both near and far, and sometimes even appearing to be right near the pool.

They had clearly spotted them, but for some reason, they hadn't attacked.

Li Xiong was unaware that it was because of the beast-repelling powder scattered by Mo Yun and others, coupled with the strong sedative and beast-repelling drugs that Wang Xiyue administered a second time, that the wild animals dared not invade the village.

Wolves are very intelligent animals. When they saw their companions inexplicably collapse and could not find the cause, coupled with that unpleasant, pungent smell, they had no choice but to turn back from the pile of fat meat in front of them, and ultimately all of them returned empty-handed.

Seeing that everyone was just listlessly enduring it without any real improvement, Li Xiong decisively gave the order.

"Since there hasn't been a beast tide for so long, there should be nothing tonight. Everyone doesn't need to worry too much. Now we'll split into two groups and take turns keeping watch."

"Women, children and the elderly should go back and rest; they don't need to come over."

"Remember to close all doors and windows, and try to brace them from the inside with wooden stakes."

He looked at Li Can and said, "I'll take fifteen men to guard the area first, and you can bring the rest to replace them in two hours."

Li Can hesitated, noticing the chieftain's cracked lips and bloodshot eyes.

Physical labor is not only tiring and makes you hungry, but also makes you sweat a lot. No one has time to drink water, let alone boil water.

Everyone was basically exhausted and listless, but he understood that the chieftain was under the most pressure because he bore the heaviest responsibility.

The first half of the night is when wild beasts are most likely to attack and are most ferocious, and even if he wanted to take their place, his abilities wouldn't allow it.

Apart from the village chief, no one can guarantee the safety of the villagers.

They believed everything he said without question.

As long as he is there, they have nothing to fear.

He was their pillar of strength.

He now hates that little beggar so much. He should have never brought him back; he should have let him starve to death outside.

Because of this little brat, he almost killed them all. When he gets the chance to see him again, he'll definitely cripple him.

After selecting the first group of people to stay, Li Can quickly led the rest of the group back to catch up on sleep.

They need to recover their strength as soon as possible so they have the energy to replace others.

Perhaps after passing through that most frightening stage, everyone gradually began to get used to the sense of crisis.

Perhaps realizing that the herd would not make any unusual moves, those who remained gradually relaxed and were no longer filled with fear and anxiety.

Several of the older children had already lay down on the ground and started sleeping.

Other young people who were in better spirits sat on the ground, leaning against the wall or huddled together, and began to doze off.

Seeing that everyone was exhausted and probably nearing their limit, Li Xiong figured that even if they forced themselves to keep going, they would likely be at their last gasp. He suggested that they eat their fill first, so that they would have more energy and a better chance of winning in the face of unknown risks.

He walked over to the person who was leaning against the wall and almost asleep, and reached out to wake him up, "Uncle Liu..."

"Second Uncle, wake up."

Uncle Liu looked dazed, clearly still not having recovered his senses. "Chief, what's the matter?"

"Could it be..."

Li Xiong immediately interrupted his wild thoughts, "Don't worry, nothing happened. Take two people to the canteen and bring up the cured meat and a bag of grains from upstairs, and also bring a pot for cooking porridge."

"Let's cook something to fill our stomachs first."

"Bring over whatever water is left over."

"Yes, chieftain."

Although everyone closed their eyes to rest, none of them were truly asleep. Now, upon hearing the village chief mention cooking, they instantly woke up and perked up, beginning to prepare to light a fire to make a barbecue grill and set up a temporary stove.