Chapter 22: The Enemy Approaches

At the same time, the other villagers heard the sound as well.

"Listen, everyone! Is that someone riding horses this way?"

"And it's not just one person! It must be at least several dozen horses to make such a ruckus!" Elder Yang pressed his ear to the ground to gauge the vibrations, his heart sinking with dread.

"Father! The barbarians are attacking!"

Upon hearing his eldest son's words, Village Chief Yang felt his heart leap into his throat. He shouted at the top of his lungs, "Everyone, hide in the tall grass nearby! Quickly! Hurry!"

The villagers of Qingyuan Village had never seen such a scene, and many were so terrified their legs turned to jelly.

"Run, everyone! The barbarians show no mercy—if they catch us, they’ll chop off our heads!"

Someone in the crowd screamed, throwing the already panicked group into further disarray. Those running faster trampled others to the ground; some even ran over their neighbors. The air was filled with the helpless cries of the elderly and the shrill shrieks of children. The orderly formation Village Chief Yang had established completely collapsed.

"Don't run blindly! Line up and enter the grass in order!"

But no matter how hoarsely Village Chief Yang and his family shouted, the others were only concerned with their own survival, terrified that falling behind would lead to capture by the enemy.

Wang Qiaohui had strained her lower back while wielding an axe the day before, and she had been complaining of pain throughout the day's journey. Li Tianhe had already hoisted his mother onto his back, while his eldest son, Li Zhe'an, took over the bundle from his basket.

"You brat, put me down! I can still walk!" Wang Qiaohui patted her son’s back in a panic as he carried her on his shoulders. "Why are you carrying me? Go carry Jin-yu and Jin-xiao! They are small and can't run fast!"

Li Chuxiu scooped up six-year-old Su Jinxiao under his arm.

"Second Brother! I don't need you to carry me, I can run on my own!" Su Jinyu waved her hand and darted away. She quickened her pace, reaching the waist-high grass ahead to scout a path for the Li family.

As the sound of hooves grew closer and then faded, the villagers hid one by one in the grass. Elder Yang and several strong men from the village stayed behind to cover the rear, ushering the remaining elderly and children into the brush. Once everyone was hidden, the Village Chief signaled for absolute silence. Some crouched, others sprawled flat; they held their breath so tightly that their faces and necks turned bright red.

Everyone listened as the hoofbeats grew clearer, accompanied by the harsh, guttural shouts of the barbarians driving their horses. Their hearts pounded as if they might burst from their chests.

Su Jinyu quietly parted a gap in the grass to peer out. She saw a group of men dressed in exotic attire, their style and color palette clearly distinct from the people of Great Sheng. She made a rough count: there were about fifty or sixty of them. They did not seem like an vanguard of an army; many were wounded, and their faces betrayed a weary, defeated look. In all likelihood, they had been routed in battle a few days prior and were fleeing from the north.

Zhou County was situated at the border between the north and south, not far from the northern provincial cities, which aligned perfectly with the information Village Chief Yang had received.

Only when the sound of hooves faded into the distance did the villagers dare to breathe a sigh of relief.

"They’re gone, they’re gone. That scared the life out of me; I almost wet my pants!"

"It was terrifying! Thank goodness Elder Yang reacted so quickly, or we might not have lived to see tomorrow’s sun!"

The villagers were overwhelmed by the feeling of having narrowly escaped death.

"Village Chief, now that those enemy soldiers have headed south, they shouldn't come back. It seems we’re out of danger!"

Village Chief Yang thought the same and nodded. "We are lucky. But we must still be on our guard against mountain bandits and thieves; we should remain cautious as we continue our journey."

The villagers were delighted, relieved to have avoided the barbarians and no longer fearful. Only Su Jinyu frowned, lost in deep thought.

*Something is wrong.*

Suddenly, alarm bells rang in her mind. She pushed through the grass to find Village Chief Yang.

"Grandpa Yang, we must leave this place immediately! Those enemy soldiers will return! Once they reach our village and see it empty, they will realize we have fled. They will then track our footprints and chase us down!"

Village Chief Yang and the two clan elders looked at each other in confusion. "Little Jinyu, why do you say that?"

"Did you notice? That group had forty or fifty men, but more than half were wrapped in bandages—they were clearly defeated and wounded. Why would such a small, broken group dare to march brazenly into Zhou County? They know that if they are discovered, they will be hunted down by the local garrison. If they don't enter the town, they could simply skirt the main roads and escape undetected. But they are taking the risk of entering the village, which means they are starving and desperate for supplies. If they arrive at our village and find it empty, do you think they will just give up? They will hunt us down immediately to steal our food!"

After she finished, there was a long silence. The Village Chief and the elders were stunned that a thirteen-year-old girl could grasp such tactical realities.

"Little Jinyu, our village owes you a debt. If it weren't for your sharp mind, we would have been in grave danger!"

The villagers, who had been complacent in their safety, were suddenly filled with lingering fear.

"Little Jinyu is truly brilliant and resourceful! For someone so young to have such foresight—I am ashamed to compare my own wisdom to yours! This girl is destined for greatness!" Elder Liu remarked with firm conviction.

Seeing the high regard the elders held for her, the villagers began to truly admire her. The Li family, along with Su Jinxiao, beamed with pride at the praise directed toward their own.

Elder Chen stroked his beard, looking thoughtful. "According to Jinyu’s logic, that enemy group is heading in the direction of Second Brother Su and his family. Oh dear, I fear they are in dire straits!"

Some villagers sighed with pity, while others muttered that it was his own fault. Second Brother Su had kept his plans secret and abandoned the village to save his own skin, disregarding the lives of everyone else. Such disloyal and unrighteous behavior deserved no sympathy, even if they fell into the hands of the enemy.

The people of Qingyuan Village were in no position to care whether the Su family survived or not. Following Su Jinyu’s advice, Village Chief Yang immediately set a new route, ordering the villagers to form up and push toward Qishan Mountain. It was a race against time—a battle of wits against the barbarians. Winning meant survival; losing meant the death of the entire village.

The sun dipped toward the western horizon. To outrun the enemy, the people of Qingyuan Village quickened their pace. Even Zhao Ergou, who had previously complained of exhaustion after only a few steps, dared not let his guard down. If they were caught by the returning barbarians, they would surely lose their heads.

By the time they passed through the dense forest and reached the foothills of Qishan Mountain, the sky had turned completely black.