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

"Second brother, the government troops may have already besieged Qingfeng Village, and we don't know what the situation is on eldest brother's side."

Cai Sheng sighed again.

Upon hearing this, Liang Ming's face gradually darkened, and he slowly said, "Third brother, Qingfeng Village is gone."

"What?"

Cai Sheng and his men were immediately alarmed.

"Second Brother, what happened at Qingfeng Village?"

Everyone around looked puzzled.

"The main force of the government troops besieged Qingfeng Village, and the village has already been captured. I don't know much about the situation of my elder brother."

Liang Ming said in a low voice.

These things were also told to him by Chen Mo.

Considering that the main force of the government troops had previously besieged Xiling Peak, it was clear that the battle at Qingfeng Village had ended.

Cai Sheng and the others looked worried and remained silent.

They followed Xu Yuan and Liang Ming to establish Qingfeng Village, and their friendship was so deep that they had risked their lives for each other. Although they left the village now, it was only because they went down the mountain to find Liang Ming.

Now that the village is gone and the chief has disappeared, they are at a loss.

"It must have been that good-for-nothing Lin Lang who did it. Big brother shouldn't have trusted him so much. If second brother were here, how could the government troops have captured Qingfeng Village so quickly?"

Cai Sheng complained with dissatisfaction.

But now that Qingfeng Village has been destroyed, there's nothing they can do to change it.

"Second Brother, now that the stronghold is gone, we have nowhere to go. All the brothers are willing to follow you. Wherever you go, we'll go!"

Cai Sheng looked up and said.

The dozen or so brothers behind him nodded and looked at Liang Ming.

Liang Ming did not respond immediately, but turned to look at Chen Mo.

Chen Mo is now the actual leader of this team.

Chen Mo stood to the side, quietly observing Cai Sheng and the others.

Chen Mo had witnessed Cai Sheng and his men's abilities, and these people, who came from bandit backgrounds, had a ruthless quality in their eyes.

Their encounters with the officers and soldiers objectively relieved some of the pressure on Black Wind Ridge.

The team is currently short-handed. Although they only have about twenty people, their combat strength is significantly higher than that of the villagers.

Chen Mo pondered for a moment before speaking, "The conditions on the mountain aren't that good right now. If you don't mind, I can provide you with a place to stay in Black Wind Ridge. But let me make this clear: if you want to join, you must follow my rules."

These men were notorious bandits from Qingfeng Village, and they carried a bandit-like air about them, making them difficult to control.

Upon hearing this, Cai Sheng immediately replied, "Don't worry, as long as we follow Second Brother, the brothers will definitely abide by the rules."

Compared to Lin Lang's men, these brothers who were used to following Liang Ming were indeed more disciplined.

His brothers behind him also breathed a sigh of relief. They had been hiding and running for days, going hungry every day, and had long wanted to find a place to catch their breath.

"Let's talk about it when we get back."

Chen Mo waved his hand, signaling the team to follow and head towards the sinkhole camp.

Cai Sheng glanced at Liang Ming, just about to catch up with him.

"Let's talk when we get back."

Liang Ming patted him on the shoulder.

The crowd immediately followed, their eyes involuntarily drawn to the wild boar being carried by Chen Mo and the others.

Wild boar meat?

The Lingtou Village they once looked down on seems to be doing quite well now...

About half an hour later, the group returned to the mountain where the sinkhole was located.

Deep in the mountains, there is a temporary hiding place, surrounded by trees and bushes. Although the location is not as secluded as the sinkhole camp, it is enough to avoid ordinary patrols.

"You can settle down here temporarily for now," Chen Mo said. "Brother Liang will lead you to guard this place. You just need to help us defend against the government troops, and we will provide you with food every day."

As he spoke, he looked at Liang Ming.

After spending so many days together, Liang Ming understood Chen Mo's intentions.

Cai Sheng and his group were, after all, from Qingfeng Village, and their banditry hadn't been eradicated, so their discipline was definitely far inferior to that of the villagers.

Perhaps because of this concern, Chen Mo did not take them to the base camp.

"Don't worry, Chen Mo, I will lead them to guard this place well."

Liang Ming promised.

"Okay, I'll have someone bring you some food in a bit."

Chen Mo nodded slightly.

He believed in Liang Ming's character and abilities, and that with his leadership, these twenty or so people could surely become members of Lingtou Village.

With their addition, dealing with the government troops in the vicinity became much easier.

The sky was getting dark.

The area below the mountain was quiet, but a campfire was burning in Cai Sheng's temporary shelter at the campsite.

Logically speaking, any movement by government troops searching the mountains should attract attention.

But Cai Sheng and the others clearly didn't care and continued to make a fire for warmth.

Chen Mo and Liang Ming carried several bags and walked into the temporary camp.

Upon seeing Cai Sheng and the others chatting and making a fire, Liang Ming frowned.

"Put out the fire."

Liang Ming said in a deep voice.

"Second brother, it's very cold in the mountains. How can we manage without a fire?"

Cai Sheng complained.

"Eliminate them! Your ostentatious behavior will attract the attention of the government troops!"

Liang Ming said in a serious tone.

Upon seeing Liang Ming's expression, Cai Sheng knew he had angered him and quickly put out the fire.

"Hey everyone, I brought you some food."

Chen Mo then stepped forward and placed the bag containing the food on the ground.

Cai Sheng and his men were already starving, and when they smelled the food in the bag, they immediately surrounded it.

They were completely unceremonious, reaching directly into the bag to grab food. When they saw there was some meat inside, they snatched it and stuffed it into their mouths.

"You can't even say thank you?"

Liang Ming frowned, his tone clearly showing some dissatisfaction.

He knew these brothers were starving, but since they had joined Chen Mo's side, they should at least change their bad habits.

Cai Sheng and the others paused, then quickly cupped their hands in apology and said, "Sorry, sorry, we've been starving these past few days. Thank you, Brother Chen."

The others also realized what was happening and thanked them repeatedly.

"Thank you, Brother Chen."

Chen Mo didn't seem to care much and waved his hand, saying, "It's alright, you guys go ahead and eat."

Everyone snatched up all the meat, and then picked up potatoes and stuffed them into their mouths.

"Brother Chen, don't worry, we definitely won't take your food for nothing. Once we've recovered in a few days, we'll go with you to fight the government troops, and we'll be at the forefront."

Cai Sheng spoke up.

In their view, hiding in Black Wind Ridge now is no different from being a bandit in Qingfeng Mountain back then; it's just a change of location to oppose the government.

Although the place we're hiding in now is a bit worse, at least we have enough to eat and we don't have to suffer the same disdain as before.

"No rush. The most important thing now is not to kill government troops, but to defend our base. You all rest and recuperate first. Set up temporary accommodations here, and we can give you your missions after this storm has passed."

Chen Mo said calmly.

"Brother Chen is right, we will follow your arrangements."

Others chimed in with agreement.

Chen Mo then turned to Liang Ming and said in a low voice, "Brother Liang, let me have a word with you..."