Chapter 67: Longevity Town

Xiong Yibai gritted her teeth. In the distance ahead, down the hillside, she spotted a relatively large courtyard—that was her last hope!

She shouted toward the courtyard at the top of her lungs:

“Help! Murder! Help—!”

This time, the wooden gate of the courtyard swung open.

A middle-aged man in a sweatshirt, stocky in build—Uncle Lu—poked his head out and said impatiently:

“What’s all the noise? Murder? In broad daylight…”

His words cut off abruptly because he saw a refined-looking young woman, covered in dirt and disheveled, running desperately toward them.

Not far behind her, about ten masked thugs with knives chased relentlessly!

Uncle Lu’s face changed drastically. He turned back and bellowed into the house:

“Damn! Trouble for real! Grab your tools! Everyone out! A girl’s being chased!”

He snatched up a shoulder pole leaning against the door and yelled to Xiong Yibai:

“Little girl! Hurry! Run this way!”

Hearing him, Xiong Yibai mustered her last bit of strength and charged toward the courtyard gate.

But her heart sank. With just this one uncle, could he handle the pack of ferocious bandits behind her?

Just as she rushed through the gate, dozens of people surged out from the modest courtyard!

Men and women, all getting on in years—some wielded hoes, others shouldered shovels. A plump auntie brandished a fire poker, and an old grandpa even held up a small stool!

Their faces burned with anger as they shouted:

“Who’s the fool daring to cause trouble in Longevity Town?”

“I was this close to a winning hand!”

“My clear suit was one tile away! What bad luck!”

The bandits had closed in, and one uncle charged fastest. He swung his hoe while cursing:

“Screw you! Daring to interrupt my mahjong game?! I was about to win!”

He swept viciously at the legs of the lead bandit!

“Ah!”

The bandit screamed and collapsed, clutching his leg.

“Beat ’em!”

“Break their legs!”

“Make ’em pay for my clear suit!”

The villagers were fired up. Though advanced in age, years of farm work had left them strong and precise in their strikes!

Hoes targeted legs, shovels smacked backs, fire pokers whistled through the air!

Outnumbered and fighting on home turf, they charged with unstoppable momentum!

The bandits had never faced anything like this.

They preyed on lone travelers, but against these dozens of furious villagers…

Resist? They couldn’t even organize!

Flee? Their retreat was cut off!

The scene turned one-sided in an instant.

Curses, screams, and the dull thuds of farm tools on flesh filled the air.

Xiong Yibai took the chance to duck behind the gate, leaning against the wall and gasping for breath.

The fight (or rather, the beatdown) ended quickly.

In less than three minutes, all the pursuing bandits lay on the ground, groaning and unable to move.

Their legs were all messed up—either broken or swollen. The villagers clearly knew “better to break one finger than injure ten,” striking with precise measure—

to completely cripple their mobility.

The mahjong uncle wasn’t satisfied. He smashed the handle of his hoe into the butt of a bandit trying to crawl up, cursing:

“You little turtle bastard! Still moving?”

Uncle Lu walked up to Xiong Yibai and asked with concern:

“Little girl, you okay? Just you? Do these guys have more accomplices?”

Xiong Yibai said urgently:

“Uncle, aunties, grandpas, grannies! Thank you! I have three female friends up ahead on the road—they’re surrounded by more of them! Can you help rescue…”

The mahjong uncle cut her off:

“Lead the way! Daring to interrupt my mahjong? They’re asking for it!”

Uncle Lu shouted: “Folks! More girls trapped up ahead! Follow me!”

“Let’s go!”

“Grab your tools!”

“Get ’em!”

And so, the scene that Ren Queyue and Zhao Shutong witnessed in their moment of despair unfolded—

Xiong Yibai led dozens of furious villagers to the site!

They immediately surrounded the two bandits in a counter-encirclement!

An old man shouldering a hoe roared:

“Daring to get rough in Longevity Town! Think we’re dead?”

An auntie charged with her shovel raised:

“Three men bullying girls? Shameless! Beat ’em!”

Farm tools rained down. The two bandits wailed like children and fled in panic.

Xiong Yibai quickly said to Zhao Shutong, who was supporting Ren Queyue:

“There’s a first-aid kit in the car—bandage her and stop the bleeding! Where’s Little Honey? Has she come back?!”

Zhao Shutong pointed to the vast fields by the roadside:

“About ten bandits chased her into the fields! She hasn’t returned!”

The villagers heard this:

“What?! More?”

“They chased her into the cornfield?”

“Trampling the crops! Those damned pests!”

The villagers’ anger flared even higher!

Uncle Lu waved his hand:

“You all hear that? Another girl’s being chased in the fields! Anyone who can still move, follow me! Take the shortcut!”

They knew the land like the back of their hands—every path, every ridge clear as day.

Dozens followed Uncle Lu, bypassing the main road and cutting through fields and trails.

Xiong Yibai, unfamiliar with the paths, followed the villagers’ footprints.

Meanwhile, deep in the fields, in a lush corn patch taller than a person.

Feng Miwan felt like she’d run herself ragged.

She’d never pushed this hard, not even on the track!

The snapping of cornstalks pursued her closely from behind.

Thanks to her superior stamina and reflexes, Feng Miwan weaved between the stalks, using the tall crops for cover, and evaded capture.

But now her speed had slowed, her stamina nearing its limit.

“Damn! This chick’s slippery as an eel!”

“Spread out and surround her! See how long she can hide!”

The bandits grew anxious and began fanning out to encircle her.

Just as Feng Miwan felt cornered, a roar erupted from outside the cornfield!

“Who’s the bastard trampling my corn!”

“Stop right there!”

“Surround ’em! Don’t let a single one escape!”

Suddenly, Feng Miwan saw dozens of villagers burst in from all directions around the cornfield, wielding “weapons” and seething with rage!

They formed a counter-encirclement around the stunned bandits!

Uncle Lu led the charge. Spotting a bandit who’d just trampled several cornstalks heavy with ears,

his eyes reddened with heartache. He smashed his shoulder pole into the bandit’s knee:

“I’ll make you trample! I’ll make you! These are all hand-planted by me!”

The other villagers raged too:

“Pay for my corn!”

“Break their legs! Gotta break ’em!”

“Think this is your backyard?!”

Farm tools zeroed in on legs and feet!