Border Soldiers: My granaries are full of grain and meat, and I guard this region.

Soon, all the people of Qijia Village arrived at the village entrance, each carrying farm tools and looking tense. Qi Changlai, also supported by others, leaned on a cane and came to Qi Feng.

"Little madman, is what you're saying true? Little Liu told us that bandits are attacking from the west."

Seeing everyone's tense expressions, Qi Feng nodded slightly.

"It's alright, I've brought people with me. Everyone, just stay in the village. There are barricades and walls, they can't break in. Just follow my instructions."

After Qi Feng finished speaking, he turned and looked out of the village. Hearing this, everyone could only obey Qi Feng's order and stay in their respective positions.

Soon, it was past noon.

Qi Feng stood behind the barricade, squinting as he looked westward. The thirty county soldiers he had brought stood inside the wall and on both sides of the village road, in the formation they had trained in. No one spoke; they were all staring into the distance.

In the past, faced with such a scene, they would have been looking around and whispering among themselves.

But without Qi Feng's orders, they all stood still, like statues.

The men Qi Feng brought were not the county soldiers they usually saw, which reassured the villagers of Qi Family Village. However, since they were all farmers, their faces still turned pale when they learned that bandits were coming.

Qi Xiaoliu led a dozen or so young men to guard the east and west sides of the village, each carrying a hoe and a machete; none of them were empty-handed.

Qi Changlai stood at the door, leaning on his cane, looking into the distance. He then looked at Qi Feng, but didn't ask any questions. He just kept comforting the people of Qi Family Village.

As the village chief, he knew all too well that the bandits themselves were not the scary ones; what was scary was the fear in their hearts.

According to Qi Feng's current arrangements, as long as the village is well-defended, with the addition of barricades and walls, there should be no problem holding Qi Family Village. The only concern is that someone might panic and run away, causing the others to follow suit. In that case, the village would collapse before the bandits even get in.

The sound of horses' hooves gradually rose in the distance, and several dark figures appeared in the west. Everyone who saw this scene tensed up involuntarily.

Qi Feng squinted at the distance, while Ye Ling Shuang raised her longbow and hid behind the wall.

Of the thirty county soldiers, fifteen were crouching behind the wall, their bows and arrows poised to fire, so only fifteen were actually present.

As the sound of horses' hooves grew closer, the crowd could see the group clearly. They were all dressed in fine leather armor, wearing felt hats completely different from those of the Sui Dynasty, with curved swords at their waists and bows hanging on their horses.

Qi Feng narrowed his eyes slightly, a heavy feeling rising in his heart.

The equipment of the cavalry alone is so excellent. It is said that the main force of the Rong has as many as 30,000 such cavalry. No wonder the Sui Dynasty could only defend against the Rong and could not launch an attack. On the plains, facing such cavalry is no different from being lambs to the slaughter.

The twelve riders got closer and closer to the village entrance, finally stopping about two hundred paces away.

The man at the head of the group was burly and rode a tall, dark brown horse. He reined in the horse at the front of the procession and looked toward Qijia Village.

Qi Feng and the man exchanged a glance from afar. The man was expressionless, his gaze sweeping from the barricades to the wall, then from the wall to the pale faces of the people in Qi Family Village. His gaze was calm and cold, as if he were sizing up prey.

The look in their eyes alone made everyone in Qijia Village gasp. They didn't look like bandits at all. If bandits entered a village, their eyes would only be filled with greed, but this group of people looked more like executioners, cold-blooded and cruel.

"Qi Feng, are we really going to fight them?"

Liu, the head constable, asked a question quietly behind Qi Feng, and couldn't help but swallow.

Qi Feng's lips moved almost imperceptibly.

"No need, we just need to defend Qijia Village. As long as they can't break through, we'll win if we hold Qijia Village. Military Advisor Zhong and the others will send more troops to support us."

Liu, the head constable, nodded and said nothing more, but his palms, which were gripping the long sword, were already soaked with sweat.

Even though it wasn't hot in early spring, everyone's backs were soaked with cold sweat.

Qi Feng didn't move, nor did the twelve riders, and an eerie silence fell over the arena.

Finally, the twelve riders dispersed their formation, and three or four of them, as if obeying the leader's command, lightly spurred their horses and galloped around Qijia Village.

As soon as the twelve riders moved, everyone's attention was drawn to them, especially the men, women, and children of Qi Family Village, who were afraid that these people would suddenly attack them.

Qi Feng remained calm. He knew that this group of people were currently investigating whether there were any gaps in Qi Family Village, or searching for any hidden troops in Qi Family Village.

Putting everything else aside, the barricades and walls surrounding the village alone were not something this group could break through, so Qi Feng wasn't panicked. However, he had also deduced the characteristics of this group from the movements of the Da Rong cavalry.

They are treacherous and cunning, like a pack of wolves.

Before long, the three or four riders circled back and reported the news to the leader.

The man suddenly smiled and gently spurred his horse toward Qijia Village. The other eleven riders followed behind him, and everyone quickly gripped their weapons.

"Master Qi, shall we fight?" Chief Liu immediately drew his bow and nocked an arrow.

Qi Feng shook his head, his expression calm.

The twelve riders stopped about a hundred paces from the village entrance. The leader turned his head and said something to the person next to him. The person next to him laughed. Although the voice was not loud, it sounded particularly jarring in the quiet environment.

Just as everyone's nerves were becoming increasingly tense, Qi Feng finally spoke.

"Stay calm, they're trying to win you over psychologically. We have barricades and walls, they can't break through. They're doing this just to make you more nervous, and then break your own nerves."

Upon hearing Qi Feng's words, the tension that had been building up gradually eased, and Qi Feng also breathed a sigh of relief.

Seeing the changes in the people of Qijia Village, the leading cavalryman narrowed his eyes and nodded to his companion beside him.

The rider broke away from the group and slowly rode his horse toward the village entrance, looking extremely relaxed, as if he were strolling in his own backyard.

The distance between them grew closer and closer, until finally, the rider stopped at a rather ambiguous distance from Qi Feng.

The location wasn't exactly close; ordinary crossbows wouldn't seem to be able to reach it. But it wasn't far either, putting immense pressure on the people of Qijia Village.

Seeing that the people of Qijia Village still hadn't made a move, the scout couldn't help but sneer and say something that the others couldn't understand.

The eleven riders behind him also burst into laughter.

But in the next second, Qi Feng moved swiftly, drawing his bow and nocking an arrow in one fluid motion.

His sights were set on the ranger who was closest to them.

Whoosh!

The arrow shot out, heading straight for the rider's face!