Chapter 5

In the village of North Cape, many residents have either left or died, leaving only 16 households with fewer than 40 people, all of whom are native villagers. As for why they haven't left, on one hand, it's due to their deep-rooted attachment to their homeland, and on the other hand, it's because of the lack of labor force, leaving them with nowhere to go—no village would accept these women and children who consume food without contributing.

Among these fewer than 40 people, those over 50 years old make up half, and the remaining half are either women or children. Even the three remaining able-bodied men, after today's attack by the mountain guard dogs, have been reduced to just Uncle Da Xiong himself.

When Xu Dong heard this news, he instinctively showed a look of surprise and turned his head to look at the man beside him: "Since they have almost lost their ability to work, who do they rely on for survival?"

North Cape's Uncle Da Xiong sighed deeply but said nothing.

Xu Dong thought for a moment and couldn't help but be moved. Could it be that the livelihood of nearly 40 people rests on the shoulders of this strong man standing beside him, who is as robust as a bear? At this thought, his perception of this constable changed dramatically.

The mountain guard dogs attack the village on average once a month. After today's incident, North Cape Village will likely enjoy at least 30 days of peace. This attack caused significant losses to North Cape Village, not only killing two able-bodied men but also injuring more than ten people. More importantly, almost all the livestock in the village were killed, and most of them were gnawed down to bare bones.

It was clear that the customs and practices here were largely the same as in the world Xu Dong had lived in before, where burial was considered essential. Xu Dong and Uncle Da Xiong helped transport the dog carcasses to the village cemetery, then dug pits to bury them. Following Uncle Da Xiong's instructions, they repaired the traps around the village—though these clever mountain guard dogs had almost never triggered them.

According to Uncle Da Xiong, although the traps were not very effective against the mountain guard dogs, they were better than nothing.

After handling these post-incident tasks and returning to the village, Xu Dong found that all the villagers were busy. They gathered the dog carcasses in one place, then built a fire, skillfully removed the fur and gutted the dogs. Someone then picked up a bone cleaver and chopped the dog meat into large pieces, distributing them evenly among the households. Those who received the dog meat immediately threaded it with grass ropes and hung it under the eaves to dry as a food reserve.

It was evident that they had done this before, as they divided the dog meat in an orderly manner.

At this moment, a girl with a ponytail, who was helping, saw Uncle Da Xiong and immediately ran over, seemingly excited by something extraordinary. She chirped, "Dad, we found ten dog carcasses in one house. The person who killed the dogs was really smart, using a water vat to set up a simple trap..."

The girl was around 16 or 17 years old, with clear features and particularly fair skin. Her beauty was such that it instantly caught the eye.

As she spoke, her eyes caught sight of Xu Dong standing beside her father, and she suddenly let out a soft "ah." It was clear that this girl was quick-witted and immediately realized that this boy, who was about her age, was likely the one she had been praising.

Her face turned red to the neck, revealing a charming and innocent demeanor.

Uncle Da Xiong chuckled and introduced them.

However, what left Xu Dong speechless was that this adorable girl was named Shengnan.

In the Great Chen Empire, most people do not have surnames. Only nobles or those with significant influence in the area are entitled to a surname. For example, Uncle Da Xiong, as the village constable, was fortunate enough to have a surname. However, if his descendants lack the ability to inherit his position, they do not deserve to bear the surname North Cape.

Knowing this rule, Xu Dong introduced himself as Xiao Dong.

The dog meat was quickly distributed, and even Xu Dong received a portion. After gutting it, it weighed about 50 pounds of bone and meat.

During this period, an unpleasant event occurred, one that could be described as adding insult to injury.

The village chief of North Cape Village packed his belongings and left overnight, reportedly to take up a position in South Cape Village, which was rebuilding after a flood. This village chief was none other than the owner of the rural villa, the old man who had peeked from the eaves but dared not join in the fight.

Although this village chief was not popular, in the legal system of the Great Chen Empire, the village administrator plays a crucial role in the village's survival. If the position of village chief remains vacant for more than 30 days, the village will face either being annexed by another village or its residents being distributed elsewhere, a bleak outcome.

Regardless of the outcome, it would be a devastating blow to Xu Dong—North Cape Village would cease to exist.

Without North Cape Village, there would be no prosperity, and after 30 days... Xu Dong's fate would be to return to dust, with his jewelry and ornaments ending up in a pawnshop.

Of course, the position of village chief can be filled through recommendation or appointment by a higher authority. However, the biggest problem was that the village's population did not meet the legal requirements—50 households or 110 people. In principle, North Cape Village was no longer a village but a settlement.

Even the most foolish villager knew what the village chief's departure meant—soon, they would be transferred to other places like goods, and those who had lost their ability to work would not likely encounter a neighbor as kind as Uncle Da Xiong.

In other words, if North Cape Village were to be erased, the villagers would face a tragic death!

That night, they ate dog meat. For these farmers, meat was a luxury. While the children, who didn't understand, were devouring it, the others were heavy-hearted, their expressions like wax.

That night, Xu Dong was accommodated in the shed of Uncle Da Xiong's house. The next morning, he woke up, or rather, was awakened by a strange sound in the yard. He had tossed and turned, only falling asleep around one or two in the morning.

Putting on Uncle Da Xiong's old clothes and packing away the village-style shirt and pants, Xu Dong rubbed his sleepy eyes and stepped out. A cool breeze blew, making him feel a bit cold and instantly dispelling his drowsiness.

A scene in the yard caught Xu Dong's attention.

Uncle Da Xiong was holding a dark iron rod, and in front of him was a frame hanging a long piece of cloth. He continuously swung the iron rod, and strangely, the cloth would flutter just as the rod was about to touch it.

Xu Dong focused and was startled. The iron rod contained such powerful force that the wind made the cloth unable to stop fluttering. He could manage to do this with a few swings, but to do it with every swing was astonishing!

After about 15 minutes, Uncle Da Xiong finally stopped. He was drenched in sweat, his exposed upper body glistening, his well-developed muscles even more striking, reminiscent of a bodybuilder on screen.

Noticing Xu Dong, Uncle Da Xiong nodded and smiled, "Awake? Did you sleep well last night?"

Xu Dong could only smile bitterly. Anyone in his situation, knowing they had only 30 days to live, would not sleep well.

"Uncle Da Xiong, I need to know some things. It's very important to me. Please tell me," Xu Dong said straightforwardly due to his urgency.

Uncle Da Xiong smiled frankly, "If I know, I will tell you everything."

Xu Dong pursed his lips, "From the wide and sturdy village road and the number of houses, I can see that this village was once very prosperous. I can't understand what caused its decline, to the point where even the village chief has fled."

Uncle Da Xiong, not only the local constable but also a native villager, sighed and began to recount.

Originally, North Cape Village had only 20 to 30 original residents. Later, a villager discovered an iron mine at the foot of Gray Cloud Mountain. This news somehow leaked. As an important resource, the iron mine naturally attracted officials. Following them were various large and small private enterprises and ordinary people who saw the potential for wealth.

This led to the rapid development of the small village of North Cape.

Unfortunately, the good times didn't last. Even though experts from the government believed the iron mine could be mined for at least 30 years, it turned out to be a false promise. Within just ten years, the iron mine was depleted.

With the withdrawal of government and private financial resources, the development of North Cape Village was abruptly halted. However, North Cape Village backed by Gray Cloud Mountain, which, although a border between the Great Chen Empire and another country, was rich in natural resources. The miners turned into hunters, easily maintaining their livelihood.

Thus, North Cape Village remained relatively prosperous.

Two years ago, the year Uncle Da Xiong became the constable, the forest rangers on the mountain began to die mysteriously one by one. The village chief, upon discovering this, immediately suspected the neighboring country, thinking they were secretly attacking by killing the rangers to prevent the villagers from hunting on the mountain.

However, investigators found that the bodies were covered in bite marks from mountain guard dogs, ruling out the possibility of a border attack by the neighboring country.

The mountain guard dogs, for some unknown reason, first killed all the rangers and then began attacking passing hunters. Over time, the hunters dared not go up the mountain and had to find other means of livelihood, thus beginning the exodus of North Cape Village residents.

The mountain guard dogs even attacked the village at regular intervals. Despite their numbers being much fewer than the residents, these mad dogs were skilled in coordinated attacks, often causing significant casualties.

They were also extremely cunning, and even the guards were helpless. Several attempts to clear the mountain were unsuccessful and resulted in several deaths, so they eventually ignored the problem.

Thus, North Cape Village declined, leading to the current situation.

"Let's not talk about this anymore! It's heart-wrenching," Uncle Da Xiong patted his buttocks, stood up from the stone bench in the yard, and suddenly looked at Xu Dong with a fiery gaze, "Xiao Dong, you managed to kill ten mountain guard dogs, so you must have some skills. Can you help Uncle Da Xiong?"

Help? This was a challenge? Xu Dong instinctively wanted to shake his head and wave his hands—what a joke, they were not in the same weight class, and fighting him would be self-inflicted pain. Xu Dong wouldn't do such a losing thing.

At that moment, Xu Dong felt a tremor in his mind, as if a silent phone had suddenly received a call, vibrating rapidly. This feeling was clearly the signal of the mission system being activated!

At the same time, a message flashed through his mind:

You have interacted with a native of this plane, triggering a special mission...

Refusing this mission will not result in any punishment, but it will cause the native to have a worse impression of you, leading to unpredictable changes...

Do you accept?

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