410: Chapter 410 What's going on? Why is the ground shaking?

The villagers living near Mount Zhuque had long been shrouded in the shadow of its bandits, fearing them to the extreme. If they showed the slightest disobedience or refused to give up their grain, the bandits truly dared to resort to ruthless murder.

On this day, Zhao Fusu led a group of over a hundred people, disguised as a merchant caravan, as they slowly passed through Xixi Village.

They had traveled a long distance and looked travel-worn. Using the excuse of being thirsty, they asked the villagers for water to drink, taking the opportunity to inquire about the Mount Zhuque Bandits.

As soon as the villagers of Xixi Village heard the words "Mount Zhuque Bandits," their originally kind faces were instantly replaced by anger.

A grey-haired elder trembled with rage, his cane thumping heavily against the ground as he cursed loudly, "Those bandits who deserve a thousand cuts are simply not human!"

“Every few days they come to our village to scavenge, robbing us of every last grain we've worked so hard to grow!”

The old man's face was filled with fury.

“Exactly!”

“During last year's autumn harvest, just as we had finished stockpiling the grain, they arrived and didn't leave us a single grain of rice.”

“Our whole family, young and old, was counting on that grain to survive!”

The young man speaking had bloodshot eyes and clenched fists, saying through gritted teeth, "My parents starved to death just to leave the food for us siblings!"

A middle-aged man nearby was also full of rage, his fists clenched as he said hatefully, "Isn't that the truth! A few days ago, they came to steal grain again. My wife couldn't bear to lose that bit of rations and tried to hide it, but the bandits found her and kicked her to the ground."

“I stepped forward to stop them, and they hit me hard with the back of a blade. My back still hurts now! These beasts deserve a miserable death!”

A somewhat attractive young woman, with tears in her eyes, lamented, "My child is only a few years old and had to watch the bandits steal our things, crying their eyes out in fear. Not only did those bandits show no mercy, they even viciously threatened the child. To this day, the child often has nightmares at night, muttering 'the bandits are coming.' When will these days ever end!"

The villagers spoke one after another, condemning the bandits' evil deeds, every word saturated with bone-deep hatred.

The flames of anger burned in their eyes, as if they wanted to incinerate these bandits into ashes.

Zhao Fusu and the others listened quietly, their hearts filled with indignation at the bandits' behavior, while their determination to eliminate them grew even stronger.

“What's happening? Why is the ground shaking!”

Someone suddenly shouted in terror, their voice sharp and trembling.

At this moment, the First Emperor, who was protected in the center by everyone, looked solemn and frowned slightly, saying, "It doesn't look like an earthquake to me."

“Correct!”

“This isn't an earthquake!”

General Wang Jian, having campaigned for many years and possessing rich experience on the battlefield, had ears that twitched keenly. He instantly judged the situation and said with a serious expression, "This is the sound of a herd of horses running!"

“The bandits are coming!”

Zhao Fusu quickly climbed to a high point and raised his binoculars to look into the distance. He saw a group of ferocious bandits heading towards them.

The vanguard was a group of riders, numbering over a hundred.

Following behind were several hundred more bandits.

“The bandits are coming!”

This news was like a heavy bomb, instantly exploding among the villagers of Xixi Village.

The villagers were shocked upon hearing this, their expressions freezing instantly as fear spread through their eyes like a tide.

An old woman was so scared her face turned deathly pale, her lips trembling uncontrollably as she muttered to herself, "Why are they here again..."

“Why are they here again...”

Her eyes were full of despair and helplessness, as if the end of the world was approaching.

“Exactly, they just came a few days ago, why are they back again? What do they want to do!”

A middle-aged man roared in anger, but behind that anger was hidden deep fear. Beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down his forehead, his hands clenched unconsciously, and his body trembled slightly.

The young woman held her child tightly in her arms, her eyes full of terror and worry.

The children were so scared they wailed loudly, their cries echoing through the village, adding to the atmosphere of tension and fear.

The villagers stood rooted to the spot, at a loss, with anger and fear intertwined in their hearts.

They hated the bandits' greed and brutality, yet felt a deep dread of their martial force, not knowing what kind of calamity they would suffer this time.

The entire Xixi Village seemed to be shrouded in a thick haze, falling into a state of deathly silence and despair.