Chapter 38

The sun had completely sunk below the horizon, and a crescent moon was beginning to show its face in the east, casting a bright, clear glow over the sky above Beijiao Village. The situation inside Beijiao Village was vastly different from what Xu Dong had seen before.

In the threshing ground, the local villagers had been freed, while, in contrast, the members of the self-defense team from Nanjiao Village were now bound with their hands and feet tied, waiting inside. The roles had been reversed; the villagers were jubilant, while the self-defense team members looked as if they had lost their closest relatives, a sight that was quite satisfying to see.

Upon closer inspection, it was not hard to notice that the physical condition of these self-defense team members was rather... poor. Some had swollen faces and bruised lips, others groaned from various fractures, and some were even more pitiful, lying on the ground, only able to gasp for breath, too pained to move. From their miserable state, it was clear that they had been beaten up. As for who had beaten them, Xu Dong could guess even if he thought about it with his toes.

At this moment, Beijiao Daxiong was sitting on the bench where Cidao had been sitting earlier. Two burning torches, crackling with fire, were stuck beside him, illuminating the rugged yet strong features of this man in great detail. Without Cidao, the self-defense team was like a saber-toothed tiger without its fangs and claws, even worse than a sick cat.

Beijiao Daxiong had easily taken care of these people using only wooden sticks, stones, and his fists. Once the oppressed villagers of Beijiao were freed—do not underestimate this group of the elderly, the weak, and the sick; when they turned vicious, they could even scare themselves to tears. So, in no time, these evildoers were tied up and confined in the fence, looking like stray dogs, awaiting their final judgment.

Of course, there were those who remained defiant, like a man with a sharp face and a monkey-like chin. This man had a habit of speaking in a sarcastic tone and was the one who had once threatened to light Xu Dong on fire. He was among the first to join Yang Cunzhang and Cidao, a fervent admirer of Cidao's bravery. He could not stand to see Beijiao Daxiong sitting confidently in front of the fence, thinking that this muscle-headed man had only managed to capture them because Cidao was not around.

He struggled to sit up, spat a thick wad of phlegm to the side, and glared at Beijiao Daxiong's back with his triangular eyes, gritting his teeth and saying, "Hmph, do you think tying us up solves this? I'm telling you, not a chance! When our Lord Cidao returns, do you think we won't burn this shabby village to the ground? And as for you, you won't have it easy either. If I don't torture you, my name will be read backward!"

Beijiao Daxiong merely smiled lightly and asked without turning his head, "Do you know who held back your Lord Cidao?"

The man with the triangular eyes sneered disdainfully and said nonchalantly, "Oh, you mean that kid? Ha, he has some skills, but he's nothing compared to Lord Cidao. Just wait, it won't be long before Lord Cidao returns with that kid's head."

The shabby Third Uncle, who was squatting nearby, could not stand the man's arrogance and grabbed a stone from the ground, throwing it with a whoosh, striking the man's cheek, making him scream in pain as his face swelled up.

The man with the triangular eyes glared fiercely at Third Uncle.

Despite his scrawny and shabby appearance, Third Uncle's eyes took on a fierce look when he glared, and he raised his voice, saying in a shrill tone, "Damn, last time when your Cidao tried to catch Dongzi, he ended up with a blackened face. Who's to say Dongzi won't give him another hard time this time?"

The man with the triangular eyes just sneered, "Nonsense! The gap between Awakened and ordinary people is like the difference between the sky and the abyss, even Mondo can't bridge it! Your Dongzi is just a stronger ordinary person; how can he defeat an Awakened? Are you kidding me?"

At this moment, Beijiao Daxiong, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up, "Who said Dongzi is just an ordinary person?"

The man with the triangular eyes sensed something amiss and his expression changed, then he quickly shook his head and declared, "Impossible, he was just an ordinary person that day. There's no way he could have awakened to become a warrior in just a few days. Do you think the fruit of power is that easy to obtain?"

However, just as he finished speaking, a rustling sound came from the distance, carried by the wind. This sound seemed to have a magical effect, and everyone in the fence perked up, craning their necks to look into the darkness from where the sound was coming. The ordinary villagers of Beijiao also looked in that direction with anxious expressions.

Among those present, only Beijiao Daxiong was confident, for he had seen Xu Dong's fierce side and had this blind, unwavering confidence.

As everyone waited with bated breath, a tall but slender figure gradually became clear. A pair of worn-out leather boots entered the range of the torchlight first, catching everyone's eye. At that moment, everyone seemed to forget to breathe, and the atmosphere quickly became tense, the threshing ground so quiet that a pin could be heard dropping.

Following the leather boots were a pair of sturdy legs, with trousers stained with dried blood...

Then, everyone saw a tattered coat, the surface of which was also covered in fresh blood.

Finally, a young, pale face appeared before everyone's eyes. His features were clear, and his eyes, like cold stars, added a striking brilliance to his otherwise ordinary and plain face.

Beijiao Daxiong stood up with a thud, the chair tipping backward and making a clattering sound. Immediately, the villagers of Beijiao burst into loud cheers, the unease in their hearts finally dissipating.

The man with the triangular eyes let out a shrill scream, "Impossible, where is Lord Cidao? Lord Cidao would never abandon us!" In the minds of these self-defense team members, Cidao's strength was far beyond what ordinary people or newly awakened individuals could defeat. They naturally did not believe that this young man had such power and assumed that Cidao had left for some reason without a fight.

As Xu Dong approached, he glanced at the man. Then, as if in response, he casually dragged a barely alive body from behind him and threw it in front of him like a burlap sack. The man's face was so swollen that it was unrecognizable, and his entire body was bloated, looking like a full burlap sack. Seeing his condition, one couldn't help but think of those miserable human punching bags.

The self-defense team members recognized the man's clothing and their faces showed a mix of disbelief and horror, their eyes suddenly fixed on Xu Dong's face, revealing a ghostly fear.

Several of the self-defense team members were familiar with the two Fei brothers and had heard about their encounter that night. At the time, Xu Dong's strength, though formidable, was still within the realm of ordinary people. Now, in the blink of an eye, he had appeared, having defeated Lord Cidao in a direct confrontation, a shock that was hard to comprehend!

The man with the triangular eyes, imagining his own impending fate, finally lost control and burst into tears, kneeling on the ground and repeatedly bowing in Xu Dong's direction, "Sir, I was wrong, I really was wrong. I shouldn't have violated the interests of Beijiao Village, and I shouldn't have treated your villagers like this. Please, sir, have mercy and don't kill me..."

With the first one, naturally, came the second. In just ten seconds, all the self-defense team members from Nanjiao Village were begging for mercy, promising to repay Xu Dong as oxen or horses in their next life if he spared them. Of course, to Xu Dong, these words were as worthless as toilet paper.

However, he was not a ruthless person, and if things could be resolved peacefully, it would be best to do so, especially given the current environment, where killing would have a very negative impact.

Beijiao Daxiong tied up Cidao and then began to arrange for the villagers to eat and drink. He then pulled Xu Dong aside and asked in a low, uncertain voice, "Dongzi, give Uncle Daxiong a hint, how do we resolve this mess?"

Beijiao Daxiong calling this a mess was not without reason. Releasing these people would likely lead to them harboring a grudge and returning to seek revenge. Xu Dong could leave, but Beijiao Daxiong and the villagers could not abandon their homes.

If they were to kill everyone... aside from whether they could bring themselves to do it, the act itself would bring endless trouble.

Thus, neither releasing them nor killing them was a viable option, which was why Beijiao Daxiong felt a deep sense of helplessness.

At this moment, Xu Dong suddenly asked an unrelated question, "What kind of village is Nanjiao Village, that it could hire Cidao as a security officer?"

Beijiao Daxiong was slightly taken aback, "Nanjiao Village's fruit wine is actually quite popular in the city..." But as soon as he said it, he negated it himself. Unless the village produced gold, it was impossible to receive such exaggerated attention! Moreover, the popularity he referred to was not like the popularity of Lafite wine in Xu Dong's previous life, but more like the popularity of cheap and good-quality Erguotou.

The gap between Lafite and Erguotou... let's not talk about it, it's all tears.

He looked at Xu Dong, hoping to get some clues from him.

Xu Dong just smiled and pointed upward, "Nanjiao Village seems to be preparing for something big. Because of this, we, who are not even small fish, can rest easy."

PS: I just realized someone has given a tip, thank you, Zheng Zuxin, for your support and attention.

Lately, the number of recommendation votes has decreased, possibly because the story isn't as exciting as it should be. Just like a prostitute can't wait for sexual desire to come before serving a client, a writer can't wait for inspiration to strike before writing.

For now, my skills are not yet refined, but I am not a single-celled organism living off food and waiting to die. I am constantly striving and improving.

So... please give me your recommendation votes and add me to your favorites. The Extraordinary Fan List still has many empty spots, and I ask everyone to join me in this battle!

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