"Changhe was killed by that refugee!"
Someone in the crowd shouted low, instantly breaking the deathly silence. Li Yunping, holding back tears, knelt beside Li Changhe’s body, turned his head to look at Tian Shoushan, and asked with a sob:
"Uncle Tian, what exactly is going on?"
"Most likely those Yuan remnants."
Li Gengye squeezed the words through his teeth. His gaze swept like a knife over Tian Shoushan, who stood with his head lowered in shame and silence, then glanced at the surrounding villagers, shouting in a low voice:
"Li Tongyan!"
Li Tongyan wiped away his tears upon hearing this, stood up, cupped his hands to the villagers, and said loudly:
"Tonight we have disturbed you, fellow villagers. Please disperse for now; there is no need to linger here."
After speaking, he bowed and helped Liu Yunfeng up, whispering in his ear:
"Please, Uncle, take your men to control those refugees first, to prevent anyone from causing trouble in the chaos. We will follow shortly."
"Alright, alright..."
Liu Yunfeng had been kneeling before Li Gengye, shrinking in fear as if sitting on pins and needles. Hearing this, he felt as if he had been granted a great pardon, repeatedly assenting and hurriedly leaving with his men.
Tian Shoushan and Ren Anping lifted Li Changhe from the ground and walked toward the backyard. Just as they entered the courtyard gate, a heart-wrenching cry came from the main room; Lin Shi had heard the bad news and fainted on the spot. Tian Wan and another Lin Shi held back their tears, one tending to the fainted woman, the other hurrying to find a doctor.
"Big Brother..."
Tian Shoushan gently laid Li Changhe down, tears in his eyes. Just as he was about to speak, Li Gengye waved his hand and said in a hoarse, weary voice:
"Anping, go check on Lin Shi. Shoushan, you go help Liu Yunfeng watch the refugees. Without a stance from my Li family, he will likely be tied up."
"Yes."
Tian Shoushan paused for a moment, wiped away his tears, and withdrew. Ren Anping also nodded dazedly and turned to attend to Lin Ping'er.
With no outsiders left in the backyard, only the Li brothers remained, their suppressed sobbing echoing in the night.
Li Gengye finally lost control. Like a wounded lone wolf, he slumped beside his eldest son and let out a low, mournful howl:
"Changhe, ah—"
The brothers also began to weep. Li Tongyan and Li Yunping showed some restraint, but Li Chixi, being young, cried his heart out, fainting several times.
————
It was the third watch of the night. Lixi Village was in chaos. Old Man Xu leaned on his hoe alone, walking unsteadily toward the back mountain. Following the winding path, twisting and turning through overgrown weeds, a continuous stretch of grave mounds appeared before his eyes.
Old Man Xu stopped to look. Sure enough, a youth in tattered clothes, with a beast-skin garment tied around his waist, was sitting leisurely by a small tombstone in the corner. His legs were splayed apart, and he seemed to be muttering something.
His ears twitched slightly. The youth looked up sharply. Seeing that the newcomer was just an honest-looking old farmer who seemed too old to walk properly, he actually clapped his hands, tilted his head with a smile, and said:
"Old man, where do you come from!"
Old Man Xu did not answer. He deliberately walked very slowly, shakily making his way to the front. He feigned vigilance as he glanced at the youth, then knelt beside the grave, hugged the tombstone, and began to cry and complain in a low voice.
The youth listened carefully. He could vaguely hear words about great vengeance being achieved and the master resting in peace. His heart stirred.
He had been orphaned and displaced since childhood. For the first half of his life, he worked as a tenant for others, practicing diligently with his dagger every night, his only wish to one day personally cut off Li Gengye's head to sacrifice to his parents.
Now that his great vengeance was partially achieved, he felt immense satisfaction. He had thousands of words to say, but no one by his side to share the joy and satisfaction. Why not have a chat with this old man and then kill him? Wouldn't that be perfect?
Thinking of this, the youth smiled and said:
"You come to these Yuan family ancestral graves to cry; aren't you afraid the Li family will trouble you?"
"This old man doesn't have many days left..."
Old Man Xu wiped his tears and responded. He glanced low at the youth, then his expression changed drastically. He prostrated himself and said:
"Young Master!"
"Hmm?"
The youth was startled, thinking to himself:
"Has this old man seen me at the village entrance? Or should I just kill him and escape to avoid trouble?"
But Old Man Xu covered his tears and spoke again:
"The Mistress often held the Young Master to sit in the fields, so I recognize you. I still remember three black moles on your foot, which can be proof."
Old Man Xu had lived over seventy years and had become a wily old fox. He forcibly turned logic on its head, shocking the youth into dispelling his killing intent. The youth froze for a moment, then hurriedly asked:
"Then do you remember my mother's appearance?"
"Naturally, I remember."
Old Man Xu pulled a branch from the grass pile and used his hoe to loosen the soil, beginning to draw carefully.
The youth was extremely excited, yet he kept looking down at Old Man Xu with a gloomy expression. Thoughts flashed through his mind; one moment he thought he should just kill him, the next he felt he should tie him up and ask more about his mother.
Not long after, Old Man Xu finished the drawing and stood up. Though he was a farmer, he often painted door gods and auspicious symbols for the villagers. Over the years, he had developed some skill in painting; with just a few strokes, he outlined the character's spirit vividly.
"Mother!"
The youth flipped over and knelt to look. Seeing those vaguely familiar brows and eyes from his dreams, he immediately began to cry low. Twenty-two years of grievance and suppression surged into his heart, and tears gushed forth like a spring.
Old Man Xu sighed mournfully beside him, constantly speaking of the Mistress's virtues. For a moment, the youth could not stop his tears even more.
"I still remember the Master's appearance. Let me draw it."
Upon hearing Old Man Xu's words, the youth believed him eighty percent. He wiped his tears and nodded without looking up.
Old Man Xu raised his hoe to loosen the soil for the drawing, but a ruthless glint appeared in his eyes. The hoe was raised high, the bright silver blade flashing lightly in the moonlight. It suddenly fell, smashing toward the youth's neck.
The youth had been running with the refugees all day, exerting himself to assassinate Li Changhe, and then shaking off Tian Shoushan in the reed marshes. He was already exhausted from depletion. Now, amidst the great joy and sorrow, his legs had long turned to jelly. He had neither the heart nor the means to dodge, and was struck squarely by Old Man Xu.
Old Man Xu had farmed all year round, and his body was still healthy. This smash made a dull thud, causing bones to crack. The youth fell straight to the ground, his head tilting up, eyes rolling back, limbs twitching continuously, and white foam spewing from his mouth.
The old man took advantage of his fall to land another hoe blow squarely on the youth's head, thoroughly ending his breath.
Old Man Xu was still not at ease. He smashed randomly a dozen more times, sending flesh and blood flying, white