Qingqing’s voice, a little hoarse with a babyish tone, could be heard from the room.
Luo Lu turned his head towards the room. The door was ajar, and he couldn’t see what was happening inside from his position.
Luo Lu’s restless heart suddenly calmed down.
The outside world had already changed. Yongfeng Village could trap people, but it couldn’t trap their hearts. Even if their generation could barely hold on, the children would eventually go out.
Luo Lu pondered for a long time and finally made up his mind. He looked up at Xie Jiang, “This matter is of great importance and concerns the future of Yongfeng Village. It’s not something I can decide alone.”
This was his agreement to Xie Jiang’s proposal.
However, it would only happen after he had complete control over Yongfeng Village.
Luo Shou became excited again. His brother had thought it through! They would follow Young Master Xie!
Luo Shou had always trusted his elder brother. Since his brother said so, it must have been well-considered, and this course of action would bring more benefits than harm to Yongfeng Village.
He knew it!
He knew Young Master Xie was sent by heaven to help them!
Luo Lu wanted to take a gamble.
He gambled that this young, unassuming Young Master Xie would one day reach the highest echelons of the court.
Even the abducted heir of the Duke of Wei would one day be unable to catch up to Young Master Xie.
He gambled that his decision would not only lead Yongfeng Village out of the deep mountains but also bring a bright and brilliant future to its people.
Xie Jiang was not surprised by Luo Lu’s decision. “Then let’s discuss how to resolve the issue of the West Village.”
Luo Shou excitedly dragged a stool and sat opposite Xie Jiang.
Xie Jiang said to Luo Lu, “You sit too.”
“Yes.”
Luo Lu found that from this moment on, he subconsciously began to obey her commands.
The young person before him possessed an innate aura of high status and absolute authority, commanding reverence and submission.
Luo Shou grinned, revealing his gums. “Does Young Master Xie have a solution?”
Young Master Xie had said he would know when the time came, and this was that time!
Xie Jiang, however, said to Luo Lu, “Is Chief Luo preparing to make a move on his birthday?”
Luo Lu didn’t ask how Xie Jiang knew. He merely glanced at Luo Shou, but it wasn’t out of suspicion that Luo Shou had revealed the information.
Luo Shou himself didn’t know about this matter, so he couldn’t possibly have told Xie Jiang.
But the division of Yongfeng Village into East and West villages was likely revealed by Luo Shou, probably during one of his rants about the people of the West Village.
Someone as shrewd as Young Master Xie could grasp the whole picture with just a few words.
Young Master Xie was indeed very trusting of his life-saver.
Luo Lu wondered if he should scold him for his lack of caution or praise him for his discernment.
This time, Luo Lu did not avoid Luo Shou. He told Xie Jiang everything he knew about Luo Zhongtong’s plans and his own preparations and countermeasures.
Xie Jiang listened and nodded.
Luo Lu was quite capable, doing better than she had expected.
It was no wonder he could force Luo Zhongtong to take a desperate risk and seek external help.
Seeing that Xie Jiang seemed to approve of his response, Luo Lu couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. As the chief, he dared not be negligent when the survival of the East Village was at stake.
Luo Shou’s eyes bulged as he listened. The East and West villages were about to engage in a life-or-death struggle, and he knew nothing about it.
He wanted to ask his brother why he hadn’t told him about such a major event! Did his brother not trust him that much?
Luo Shou’s eyes turned red.
Seeing his shocked and dejected expression, Luo Lu knew he had misunderstood. He knew Luo Shou well. Although he was still childish, he was not someone who didn’t understand the gravity of things.
He had his reasons for keeping it from Luo Shou.
“Don’t overthink it. The reason I didn’t tell you about this was to use your ignorance to keep Luo Zhongtong and his men off guard.”
Luo Shou looked at his brother abruptly.
“Originally, if it really came to a confrontation, our East Village would not only be more than capable of dealing with the West Village, but we would certainly not be the ones to perish.” Luo Lu said this with confidence.
Luo Shou nodded. That was indeed true.
Although Luo Zhongtong had gradually gained power over decades, his brother was the legitimate chief, and the foundation of Yongfeng Village for over a hundred years was in his brother’s hands.
The East Village had endured and tolerated until now because they did not want to engage in fratricide and bloodshed, as they were once like family.
But Luo Zhongtong and the people under him were becoming increasingly ambitious, wanting to emulate the bandits of Huanglan Mountain to grow stronger through killing and plundering!
It was utterly foolish.
Yongfeng Village had remained peaceful until now because they were isolated from the world!
Isolation didn’t mean not interacting with the outside world, but not doing wicked deeds in the outside world.
Once they became the second Huanglan Mountain bandits, the imperial court and the common people would not spare them!
Yongfeng Village would no longer be able to remain peacefully detached from worldly affairs!
The people of the West Village only saw the bandits of Huanglan Mountain raiding and plundering without effort, only saw them drinking heavily and eating heartily, and dividing wealth with large scales, but they failed to see that the imminent doom of the Huanglan Mountain bandits was already upon them!
It was true that the imperial court had attempted to suppress the bandits multiple times in the past and had failed.
But who knew when the imperial court would free up its hands and dispatch a general skilled in forest warfare to suppress the bandits again?
The bandits of Huanglan Mountain would not always be so lucky to escape alive.
Didn’t they get slaughtered mercilessly, leaving no survivors, when they fell into the hands of Young Master Xie and Young Master Xu a few times before?
Go and look at the tower of heads outside the glass factory. It is said that the road in front of the glass factory is a place that even the chickens, ducks, cats, and dogs in the village dare not approach.
If they don’t want to be peaceful mountain dwellers, why would they rush to become bandits? Isn’t that seeking their own death?
Luo Shou, at his age, understood this principle, but Luo Zhongtong, who had lived for decades, did not.
Perhaps Luo Zhongtong didn’t misunderstand, but his greed had blinded him.
If those damned people of the West Village wanted to die, they could die far away, and no one would stop them, but the East Village chief had a sword hanging over his head!
The East and West villages were bound to be irreconcilable.
Luo Lu continued, “But now, the West Village has enlisted the Luo father and son as allies. Although the Luo father and son are imperial fugitives and stray dogs, as the saying goes, even a broken ship has three pounds of nails. With this, our East Village has become the weaker party.”
Hearing this, Luo Shou thoughtfully said, “Brother, are you afraid that if I knew our plans, I wouldn’t be able to hide it on my face and be discovered by the people of the West Village?”
Luo Lu nodded, “Let the West Village believe that we are unaware of their schemes, so they will relax their vigilance.”
Luo Shou understood his brother’s intention, but understanding it didn’t stop him from feeling a little uncomfortable.
He was no longer a child; he wanted to fight alongside his brother.
Xie Jiang said, “Chief Luo is right. Lu Xuan’s side, like a broken ship, still has some strength. With the West Village colluding with the Luo father and son, the East Village is in great peril this time. Even if the East Village wins in the end, I fear it will be crippled thereafter.”
This was one of the reasons why Luo Lu, despite meeting Xie Jiang for the first time, had pondered for a long time before choosing to pledge allegiance to Xie Jiang.
The bandits of Huanglan Mountain had been coveting Yongfeng Village for many years. After this battle, Yongfeng Village’s armed forces would be greatly depleted, and the bandits of Huanglan Mountain would not give Yongfeng Village any chance to breathe.
The survival of Yongfeng Village was imminent.
He and a few of his confidants were even considering how to arrange for the old, the weak, the women, and the children of the village afterward.