A daily intelligence report; in chaotic times and famine years, grain is plentiful.

Before they knew it, it was pitch black all around.

Chen Mo completely tamed the wild horse, put the reins back on, and led it through the mountains and forests.

This was undoubtedly a fine horse, and Chen Mo had spent a considerable amount of time taming it.

Traveling at night was too dangerous, and he had already told his family beforehand, so Chen Mo decided to go home early the next morning.

Chen Mo looked around, found a cave, and led his horse inside.

This cave halfway up the mountain isn't very big, but you can still rest there for the night.

Chen Mo gathered some firewood, lit it, took out some dry rations for a quick meal, and continued feeding the horses to strengthen their bond.

After finishing their dry rations, they leaned against the stone wall, preparing to rest for a while.

Just then, several indistinct voices suddenly came from not far away.

Chen Mo suddenly opened his eyes and immediately stomped out the fire.

Hearing other people's voices in this desolate wilderness is not a good thing.

Especially in these chaotic times, strangers are the biggest threat.

Chen Mo immediately became alert, quietly stood up, signaled the horses to be quiet, and then followed the direction of the sound, quietly walking out of the cave.

He leaned against a tree and looked down the hillside not far away.

Below, a bonfire was lit.

Not far away, upon closer inspection, one could see several men dressed in unfamiliar attire.

Their attire was clearly different from that of the ordinary villagers, and they all carried knives at their waists as they talked around the campfire.

Chen Mo held his breath and listened carefully to their conversation.

"I clearly heard a noise here just now, where did they go?"

One of the rough voices spoke up.

"Did you hear me wrong? Now we're in big trouble, we won't be able to get down the mountain before dark."

Someone replied.

"That horse has been missing for so many days, it's probably not even around here anymore. Why don't we just go back tomorrow? What's the point of looking for it anymore..."

Another voice complained.

"That horse?"

Listening to their conversation, Chen Mo couldn't help but frown.

He recalled the system's intelligence; this horse had actually escaped from a bandit's den.

What a coincidence!

Chen Mo remained motionless, not daring to make any noise.

"You still dare to go back?"

The man with the gruff voice stood up.

"Have you forgotten what the chieftain ordered? That's the best horse in Qingfeng Village. The chieftain only tamed it a few days ago, and it's already run away. If we come back empty-handed, we're definitely going to suffer..."

"But we've been searching for several days now. They might have gone to Black Wind Ridge. We've been away from the village for so long. If we don't go back soon, the village chief will think something has happened to us."

"That's what the bystander replied."

"Even if something happens, we have to find that horse first. Don't go back if we can't find it."

One of the men, who appeared to be the leader, shouted in a commanding tone.

Qingfeng Village?

Listening to the conversation of the four people below, Chen Mo became increasingly nervous.

These people are undoubtedly the bandits of Qingfeng Village.

You should know that the imperial court sent troops to deal with the bandits in Qingfeng Village to the north.

The fact that Zhao Canjiang's troops had been locked in a stalemate with the bandits for so long without being able to wipe them out shows that these bandits were definitely not ordinary brigands.

Now, Chen Mo is all alone, and he has just tamed the other party's lost horse. If he were to expose his whereabouts first, he would definitely lose his life.

Moreover, now that they have left Black Wind Ridge, Chen Mo is not familiar with the terrain in this area, and even with a horse, it would be difficult for him to escape.

The most urgent task is to leave quietly.

Chen Mo dared not make any big movements and began to move stealthily.

"Second brother, I heard there are quite a few government troops nearby. What should we do next?"

One of the younger voices asked.

The atmosphere around the campfire immediately became much more somber upon mentioning the government troops.

"What else can we do? Let's find the horse first, then go back and reunite with the chieftain. This time, the government troops' encirclement and suppression was too sudden, and our Qingfeng Village suffered heavy losses."

"It's just a horse, it's not worth risking our lives."

"Yes, we've worked so hard for so many days, we don't want to go back empty-handed."

"I passed through Black Wind Ridge yesterday and saw what looked like a village at the foot of the mountain, and there seemed to be a lot of farmland in the mountains. Maybe that village has a lot of supplies."

At this moment, one of the bandits suddenly spoke up.

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo, who was about to leave, couldn't help but stop in his tracks.

The village at the foot of Black Wind Ridge?

Isn't that their Lingtou Village?

These bandits have also set their sights on the village?

No wonder the system's intelligence has been frequently reporting supplies abandoned by bandits lately; it turns out that quite a few of these bandits have already made their way to the Black Wind Ridge area.

Although the village has now united into a collective and is building a fortified village, most of the villagers are ordinary people with few weapons and are no match for these fierce bandits.

If the village were to be looted by them, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Chen Mo leaned against the tree trunk and continued to gather intelligence.

"Looting the village?"

"I've heard that there are government troops patrolling near Black Wind Ridge. What if we run into them..."

"What's there to be afraid of? The main force of the government troops is currently tied up in the north by the village chief, so they won't bother with those small villages."

That's true, but it's always better to be careful.

"If we can't find the horse, we can tell the chieftain this news and make up for our mistake."

Listening to their conversation, Chen Mo was certain of one thing.

As for Qingfengzhai, we don't yet know the situation in Lingtou Village.

However, if these bandits were allowed to go back and inform the village, the village might suffer as a result.

Just as the bandits said, if the main force of the bandits really wanted to attack the village, the government troops wouldn't have the time or resources to stop them.

"The village is short of food right now, but that village will definitely have plenty of grain after the autumn harvest. Since we're already here, and that village looks remote, it probably won't be very guarded. It's a perfect opportunity to strike. Why don't we go and rob some money first and then go back?"

"There are only four of us. What if we run into a tough opponent?"

"What's there to be afraid of in a run-down village?"

They discussed it and had already decided to take action.

Chen Mo felt a growing unease.

The Wang family was already troublesome enough, but if they were targeted by bandits, not only would it be difficult to complete the grain requisition task, but the safety of the villagers would also be a major problem.

"Alright, let's not talk about this for now. We'll discuss it with the chieftain before taking action. Get some sleep, and we'll continue looking for horses tomorrow."

The bandit leader gave the order again.

"When we look for the horse tomorrow, we can also take the opportunity to find out more about the village."

"Okay, let's do it this way."

Hearing their words, Chen Mo knew he couldn't stay any longer.

These bandits are no ordinary people, and Chen Mo is not confident that he can deal with them all.

But if we let them go, Qingfeng Village will likely set its sights on the village.

With no other option, Chen Mo had to take a gamble.

He turned around, preparing to go back and get his bow and arrows.

Just as Chen Mo turned around, he suddenly heard one of the bandits whisper, "Wait! There are people nearby!"

Chen Mo was immediately startled.

broken!

Discovered?