13: Looking for someone

"It's the Fire Fox Demon! Escort everyone away!"

Zhang Xiangwen's voice came through. People in the rice field quickly grabbed a handful of rice each and bolted toward the village.

Meanwhile, the adult strongmen tightly guarded the perimeter, wary of potential dangers on the path.

The more than twenty members of the Guard Team, led by Zhang Xiangwen and Zhao Jun, remained behind to cover the retreat.

Seeing the Fire Fox Demon rapidly approaching, Zhang Xiangwen and the others wore solemn expressions.

In their eyes, there was a hint of determination.

Zhao Jun's expression turned cold, and he said in a deep voice:

"Xiang Wen, you take the others and escort the people back. I will take Ah Hu and the other two to cover the rear."

"Absolutely not!"

Zhang Xiangwen quickly refused. "The others can leave, but I cannot!"

"If you three don't have me and you restraining it together, you will certainly die!"

Hearing this, Zhao Jun smiled bitterly and shook his head. "The three of us are doomed anyway. Don't say anything more. Hurry and take the people away."

As soon as he said this, Zhang Xiangwen's expression shifted slightly, seemingly understanding Zhao Jun's intention.

He turned and glanced at the crowd, then said, "That's enough. If the two of us restrain it for a moment, the others will have enough time to escape back to the village."

Hearing this, Zhao Jun quickly glanced back and then nodded.

"Alright, fight and retreat!"

Once the two made their decision, the others immediately started running back.

Ah Hu and the other person, having been injured before, stayed behind instead.

At this moment, the Fire Fox Demon also drew closer. It was a fiery red fox.

Unlike an ordinary fox, its body was the size of a yak, and its eyes were scarlet like blood, revealing a bloodthirsty gleam.

It looked ferocious and stared fiercely at the four men, including Zhang Xiangwen.

The Yao Beast possessed some intelligence; when it looked at Zhao Jun and Zhang Xiangwen, the two people who ruined its plans yesterday, its ferocity increased even further.

"Roar!"

The fire fox roared; the sound was deafening, unlike a typical fox's cry.

Immediately following, it lunged forward fiercely.

Seeing this, the four men, including Zhang Xiangwen, held their machetes and went straight to meet it.

Under the coordination of Zhang Xiangwen and Zhao Jun, the fire fox was temporarily unable to do anything to them.

After a few more moves, Zhang Xiangwen roared:

"Retreat!"

As his voice fell, Ah Hu and the other person frantically ran toward the village.

Zhao Jun and Zhang Xiangwen, however, fought and retreated, refusing to get entangled with the Fire Fox Demon.

"Roar!"

Watching its potential meal escape, the Fire Fox Demon roared loudly, and its eyes became three times redder.

Immediately following, its aura suddenly increased slightly, and its speed also quickened.

"Not good! Retreat quickly!"

Zhao Jun cried out in alarm, hastily retreated, and barely managed to dodge the Fire Fox Demon's claws.

Zhang Xiangwen, having barely dodged the attack, clenched his fists and frowned slightly.

"Retreat!"

The two rapidly retreated, sprinting into the village.

The Fire Fox Demon, however, looked at the village with wary eyes and stopped advancing.

"Roar!" "Roar!" "Roar!"

The Fire Fox Demon angrily roared three times, circled twice, and then quickly turned and left.

Seeing it leave, Zhang Xiangwen and Zhao Jun exchanged glances, a hint of relief flashing in their eyes.

But upon closer inspection, one would find a subtle, almost imperceptible abnormality in Zhang Xiangwen's eyes.

"Let's go back!"

Zhao Jun spoke, and the two walked toward the village.

Not far from the village entrance, everyone had gathered. The rice harvested over the past few days was all stored here.

Once dried and threshed into rice, it could be distributed to every household.

However, even counting today's harvest, slightly more than ten percent had yet to be retrieved.

Thinking of the Fire Fox Demon from just now, Zhao Jun said in a deep voice, "That beast must have targeted us. It will probably be difficult to go back out there."

Zhang Xiangwen glanced at the four large sheds where the rice was stored and frowned slightly:

"Although it's not as much as last year, if we live frugally, it should be enough to last until next autumn's harvest."

Zhao Jun also nodded in agreement.

"Let's see tomorrow. If we really can't go back, we'll just forget about the rest."

Zhang Xiangwen nodded and looked at everyone, saying:

"Everyone, you are tired today. After threshing the rice, stacking it up, and covering it with waterproof boards, everyone should go back and rest."

After speaking, he and Zhao Jun exchanged a look and headed toward the Medical Hall with Ah Hu and the other person.

The three men, including Zhao Jun, needed to rest at the Medical Hall, and Zhang Xiangwen also needed to return.

As for Xu Jing?

Zhang Xiangwen could leave, but she needed to stay temporarily to help.

Before long.

The four returned to the Medical Hall. Just as they entered, they heard a weak shout.

"Is that Xiang Wen?"

"Hurry home and take a look! Those two bastards, Tie Niu and the other one, went over there earlier."

Hearing this voice, Zhang Xiangwen's expression suddenly changed. His figure was like an arrow shot from a bowstring; he scaled walls and crossed courtyards, rushing toward his home.

As soon as he arrived in the courtyard and saw the destroyed front door, his body stiffened involuntarily.

"No!"

"Yaner!"

Zhang Xiangwen's face was pale. He let out a low growl and quickly rushed into the house.

But upon entering the house and clearly seeing the situation in the main hall, his expression froze.

"A single slash to the throat, extremely decisive!"

Zhao Jun walked in, his pupils slightly contracted, and he said, "Zhao Shitou was slashed once in the chest. He was beaten in the chest and bled to death!"

Hearing this, Zhang Xiangwen recovered his senses and quickly ran into the inner rooms.

"Yaner, where are you?"

"Chu Yuan!"

But after searching both inner rooms, there was no trace of Zhang Yan or Chu Yuan.

Zhang Xiangwen ran out and saw Zhao Jun squatting on the ground, his face full of surprise and doubt, saying:

"These two were injured by that knife from your house. Yaner is very likely fine."

Hearing this, Zhang Xiangwen looked up at the wall and indeed saw that his knife was missing.

His expression anxious, he quickly ran out of the courtyard and started searching in the village.

"Yaner, where are you?"

"Dad is back! Come out and see me!"

Hearing the shouts, the crowd at the village entrance rushed over.

Xu Jing quickly asked, "Husband, what happened to Yaner?"

Zhang Xiangwen glanced at the families of Tie Niu and Zhao Shitou, and said with a cold expression:

"Tie Niu and Zhao Shitou died in our house, and Yaner and the others have disappeared."

As soon as he said this, the expressions of everyone present immediately changed drastically.

"Yaner?"

Xu Jing's face instantly turned pale, and she anxiously murmured:

"No way. Yaner won't be hurt!"

At this time, Zhao Jun walked over. "There is blood from a third person at the scene. We need to find them as soon as possible."

Someone called out, "Quick, everyone help look for them."

The crowd scattered immediately.

The families of Zhao and Tie Niu looked at each other, somewhat unable to believe the information they had heard.

Zhang Xiangwen gave them a cold look, said nothing, and pulled Xu Jing away.

"Husband, where do you think Yaner and the others might have gone?"

Xu Jing asked with a worried expression, all while continuing to shout loudly.

Zhang Xiangwen frowned slightly, then seemed to think of something, and said, "You go search the Ancestral Hall. I'll go to Chu Yuan's house."

"Okay!"

The two separated.

"Yaner?"

"Er Gou!"

For a time, the entire village was shouting the names of the two children.

Inside Chu Yuan's home.

Chu Yuan had just heard the roar of the Yao Beast, and soon after, he heard the continuous shouts of the villagers, causing his eyes to flicker slightly.