130

"I'm afraid I'll have to sleep out in the wilderness again tonight," Wang Bo muttered to himself, wiping the sweat from his brow. He no longer felt any fear about sleeping in the open. After all this time, how few nights had he actually spent sleeping under a proper roof?

Just then, a wisp of white smoke slowly rose from the hillside not far away. Seeing the smoke in the distance, a glimmer of pleasantly surprised hope appeared on Wang Bo's face. Where there was smoke, there were people; and where there were people, it meant he would not have to sleep in the wilderness. Given the choice of finding shelter from the wind and rain, who would willingly sleep out in the open? With hope kindled, Wang Bo naturally quickened his pace.

Quickly scrambling over the hillside, Wang Bo indeed spotted a small village not far ahead.

Pan Er was the acknowledged rogue and scoundrel of Pan Family Village. Not only was he gluttonous and lazy by nature, but he also excelled in petty thefts like stealing chickens and dogs. Occasionally, when he spotted a lone traveler on the road, he would moonlight as a highwayman. His usual method was to hospitably invite travelers into his home and then rob them of their money when they lowered their guard. If they offered no resistance, that was the end of it, but should anyone resist, he wouldn't mind playing the executioner. Most travelers chose to submit to their fate, considering they were in unfamiliar territory and right on the villain's home turf. This racket allowed Pan Er to live a fairly comfortable life. Thus, when he was wandering near the village entrance and saw a figure approaching from afar, his scheming mind became active once more.

However, as that figure drew closer and closer, he realized it was actually a ragged beggar, which instantly plunged his mood into the depths of depression.

"Bah!" Pan Er spat viciously and said with an unlucky expression, "I thought a piece of game was coming our way, but it turns out to be just a stinking beggar." He was about to turn back to the village, but feeling too resentful to let it go, and adopting a reckless, in-for-a-penny-in-for-a-pound attitude, Pan Er strode out to meet the beggar.

At this moment, Wang Bo still had no idea that he was about to plunge into mortal danger.

Before even reaching the village entrance, Wang Bo saw a figure walking toward him, which left him utterly baffled. "Could the villagers here be so hospitable as to come out and welcome me?" Carrying a shred of doubt, Wang Bo continued walking toward the small village.

"My good brother, you've had a hard journey. Come on over to my place to rest and have a sip of water," the man said suddenly as Wang Bo drew near.

The moment the man spoke, Wang Bo immediately felt something was amiss. The man appeared extremely enthusiastic, but his smile was intensely hypocritical, and his eyes revealed a greed that ordinary people could hardly conceal.

"This fellow is either a criminal or a thief." Within a single exchange, Wang Bo perceived the hypocritical nature of the person before him. Yet, Wang Bo remained very puzzled. He was certain he had never met this man before, and he was equally sure that no one knew about the gold he carried. In the eyes of outsiders, he was just a beggar; what could a beggar possibly have that would make him a target?

How could Wang Bo know that Pan Er was merely acting out of spite, driven by a reckless, nothing-to-lose mentality? If Wang Bo had known that, he would have been even more conflicted.

"My good elder brother, you are far too kind," Wang Bo replied with a look of gratitude, while his mind raced frantically to figure out what he should do.

"What's with the kindness? Using all these formal addresses, I'm not used to it. My name is Pan Er, you can call me Brother Pan or Second Brother," Pan Er said boisterously. Then, with one hand, he grabbed Wang Bo and pulled him toward the small village.

Wang Bo initially wanted to refuse, but his puny limbs were no match for Pan Er. With no other choice, he was dragged by Pan Er toward the settlement.

The closer they got to the village, the more uneasy Wang Bo felt in his heart.

Pan Er turned out to be quite talkative, chattering endlessly along the way about all sorts of things. However, every topic revolved around Wang Bo's background, where he was heading, and what he intended to do—as if he was determined to dig up every last detail about him.

Wang Bo found this intensely repulsive, which only reinforced his conviction that the man before him had impure motives and heightened his vigilance even further.

After entering the village, Wang Bo carefully scrutinized his surroundings, studying every household and every path in meticulous detail. Since he knew this man's intentions were foul, Wang Bo naturally had to observe his potential escape routes. He had no desire to tumble to his doom on the road to Yingchuan.

Just then, the two of them crossed paths with an old man coming from the opposite direction. Upon seeing Wang Bo, a trace of reluctant pity flashed across the old man's face. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but abruptly stopped himself.

"Murderous intent!" Wang Bo felt a chill sweep over him from the side, and turning his head, he caught sight of Pan Er glaring at the old man with a somewhat ferocious expression.

Witnessing this scene, Wang Bo's heart turned bitter. "I never expected this Pan Er to have killed people before; things are looking bad. I must find a way to escape from here quickly, otherwise, my life is definitely forfeit." Wang Bo remained silent, but his mind spun rapidly, weighing methods of escape.

"Sigh," the old man let out a heavy sigh, then turned and slowly walked away.

"Second Brother Pan, who was that?" Wang Bo asked.

"It's nothing," Pan Er waved his hand dismissively and continued, "Just some old madman from the village. Come on, we're almost at my place." With that, Pan Er resumed dragging Wang Bo toward his house.

The closer they got to Pan Er's home, the more anxious Wang Bo's heart became. Because up to this point, Wang Bo still hadn't figured out how to slip away. If he bolted rashly now, it would surely arouse Pan Er's suspicion, and by then, his little life would truly be finished.

"Look here, little brother, this is your Second Brother's humble home," Pan Er said proudly, pointing at a house.

Wang Bo followed Pan Er's finger with his gaze, and after taking it in, his desire to flee grew even stronger.

Pan Er's house was nothing like an ordinary village dwelling. The courtyard walls were exceptionally tall—nearly the height of two men stacked together—making the earthen walls look towering and majestic. The front gate was remarkably tall and thick. Looking at the building before him, Wang Bo couldn't help but sigh; this was no ordinary peasant's home, it had all the imposing aura of a manor.

Yet, this imposing aura now struck terror into Wang Bo's heart, and that thick front gate seemed like a hideous maw, waiting eagerly to swallow him whole.

"Little brother, why are you daydreaming? Come on in." While Wang Bo was sizing up the entire estate, Pan Er had already pushed open the front gate and stood at the entrance, smiling warmly as he invited Wang Bo inside.

As for Wang Bo, he had no idea what to do. If he went inside, his puny frame would surely be devoured down to the bones without a trace. If he refused and turned to run, his current limbs were absolutely no match for Pan Er; he was trapped squarely between a rock and a hard place.

On the other side, Pan Er clearly grew somewhat impatient, urging him while stepping closer to Wang Bo.

"I was simply overwhelmed by how magnificent your house is, Second Brother," Wang Bo hurriedly spoke up as Pan Er reached his side. "You must have put a tremendous amount of effort into building this place, Second Brother."

"Hahaha!" Pan Er burst into a hearty laugh, then turned his head to look at his own house and said with utter complacency, "Naturally! To tell you the truth, little brother, this house is the fruit of many years of my hard work." Pan Er was extremely satisfied with the shock his home had brought to Wang Bo. Over all these years, the majority of his ill-gotten gains had been poured into this very house. Whenever he looked at those towering walls and the thick gates, a sense of deep self-satisfaction always welled up inside him.

As for why Pan Er went to such lengths to construct such a grand place, there was a method to his madness. First, it would puzzle travelers, making them think he was a generous, wealthy, and bold hero. Once they were willing to step inside his doors, it would be a trap with entry but no exit. Second, such towering walls and grand courtyards gave him a sense of security; Pan Er was well aware of the saying that those who commit many injustices will inevitably bring about their own destruction.

"Alright, little brother, enough of that. Hurry up and come inside, let your elder brother treat you properly," Pan Er said, tugging Wang Bo toward the doorway.

At this moment, Wang Bo felt a profound sense of despair. He had never found an opening to escape; could it be that this was a disaster he was simply fated to face?

"Wicked wretch! What are you trying to do?!" At that exact moment, a voice boomed from behind them, filled with absolute majesty and fury.

Pan Er knew all too well who the owner of that voice was; without even looking, he knew it had to be that meddlesome village head.

"Village Head, why do you have so much free time that you always have to go against me? I want to host a banquet for my sworn brother, is even that not allowed?" Pan Er turned around, glaring at the village head with eyes full of naked threat.

"How could this old man not know your real intentions?" The village head stood fearlessly, completely ignoring Pan Er's threat.

Faced with the village head, Pan Er felt a profound sense of helplessness. Although he feared nothing in the village, if he wanted to continue living here, the old man before him was someone he absolutely could not afford to provoke. Pan Er hadn't wanted to mess with the village head in the first place, but the old codger was notoriously meddlesome, having ruined several of his schemes already, which had driven Pan Er into a rage.

The appearance of the village head made Wang Bo realize that his turning point had arrived. If he failed to seize this opportunity, he would surely die without a burial site.

"Young beggar, don't listen to Pan Er's deceitful nonsense. This fellow is a local rogue and scoundrel who specializes in petty thievery and vile acts of plunder," the village head said righteously to Wang Bo.

"Little brother, don't listen to that old fool's nagging. Come inside with your brother and have a drink," Pan Er said as he reached out to grab Wang Bo.

Wang Bo quickly sidestepped, dodging Pan Er's grasp, and hurried over to the village head's side. Then he declared to Pan Er, "I could tell long ago that you were no good man!"

"Good brat! How dare you toy with me like this?" Hearing Wang Bo's words, Pan Er instantly flew into a rage. He stared viciously at Wang Bo, his eyes filled with murderous intent, and his face twisted into a ferocious scowl, completely stripping away his previous rustic disguise. Fortunately, the village head was right there, otherwise he would have pounced and inflicted violence on the spot.

Seeing Pan Er's expression, Wang Bo couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret for what he had just said. However, regret was useless now; he could only pin all his hopes on the village head standing beside him.

"Hmph, boy, you'd better watch your step," Pan Er sneered threateningly before turning on his heel and stomping into his own house.

"Phew—" Wang Bo let out a long sigh of relief, then hastily bowed to the village head and said, "Thank you, Village Head, for saving my life. I truly wouldn't have known what to do otherwise."

"Could it be that my young friend knew this Pan Er was a bad sort from the very beginning?" the village head asked with a look of astonishment.

" Unprovoked displays of courtesy mask a thief's heart," Wang Bo replied.

"Wise," the village head nodded with a smile, then added with a worried frown, "Pan Er is a man who holds grudges and seeks revenge for the smallest slights. Although this old man can protect you for a moment, but..." The village head left the sentence unfinished, but how could Wang Bo not understand his meaning?

"Rest assured, Village Head, I will leave after nightfall," Wang Bo knew all too well that this was a place of trouble and not somewhere to linger. He had thought he could get a sound night's sleep today, but never expected to run into such a terrifying ordeal.

Wang Bo followed the village head to his home, where the old man treated him with generous hospitality, serving him a hot, hearty meal. Afterward, Wang Bo clutched his bundle and closed his eyes to rest and build up his strength—he knew he had to flee tonight, and without good physical stamina, he wouldn't make it.

When Wang Bo woke up again, oil lamps had already been lit inside the room. Peering through the window, he saw that the outdoors was pitch black. Although he didn't know the exact hour, Wang Bo knew it was time for him to leave. Otherwise, once Pan Er came looking for him, he wouldn't even be able to walk away if he wanted to.

Wang Bo got up, strapped his bundle securely to his back once more, and bid farewell to the village head. Naturally aware of Wang Bo's intentions, the village head offered no dissuasion and escorted him out the door. Thus, Wang Bo cautiously slipped out of the village head's residence.

The entire village was devoid of a single sound, terrifyingly quiet. Confronted by this atmosphere, Wang Bo felt a brief wave of cowardice, but he pumped himself up and crept stealthily toward the village entrance.

He reached the village exit without a hitch, and Wang Bo felt immensely fortunate. His observations earlier that day had indeed paid off handsomely.

Once out of the village, the terrain outside was relatively flat. Wang Bo scanned his surroundings carefully for a moment, and finding no signs of trouble, he broke into a brisk run.

Knowing full well that he was fleeing for his life, Wang Bo dared not slack off in the slightest, running without a single pause along the way. According to the village head's instructions, there was a small grove of trees to the north of the village entrance, and the woods were fairly dense; if he could make it to that forest, he would likely escape with his life.

Meanwhile, the situation on the other end was quite different. Pan Er had already been infuriated by his encounter with the village head, and Wang Bo's remarks had only added fuel to the fire. Upon returning home, Pan Er flew into a violent rage. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, until a sinister thought took root in his mind.

"Since that old fool ruined my good deed, and that little beggar didn't know what's good for him, I'll just slaughter them both with a single blade tonight. Let's see who in this little village dares to cross me after this!" Pan Er muttered viciously, turning to pull out his weapon. Yet, he didn't dare to act rashly; after all, the village head still held considerable authority in the village. If he brazenly stormed into the village head's home to kill, it would inevitably spark public outrage among all the villagers. By then, he wouldn't be able to come to a good end, and he would lose his footing in the village entirely—something Pan Er was unwilling to risk. Thus, Pan Er waited patiently until the outside world was pitch black, guessing that most of the villagers had already drifted off to dreamland, before grabbing his saber and heading toward the village head's house.

Just as he had anticipated, the majority of the villagers were fast asleep. The entire settlement was deathly quiet, without a sound. Far from feeling scared, Pan Er was extremely satisfied, a bloodthirsty smile spreading across his face.

Stealthily arriving at the village head's courtyard, he could faintly see that a light was still burning inside. Pan Er let out a couple of eerie, hollow chuckles, leaped over the wall into the courtyard, and crept up to the front door, raising his foot to kick it open. At that very moment, however, the door swung open on its own, and the village head walked out with his hands behind his back.

"Old fool, you can't blame me for this. You brought this upon yourself!" Pan Er roared, suddenly launching a ferocious ambush. With a sickening squelch, he hacked the village head down to the ground.

Staring into Pan Er's ferocious face, the village head was both shocked and enraged. "You... you will die a horrific death!" Glaring fiercely at Pan Er, the village head spat out his final words before letting go of life entirely.

"Even if I die a horrific death, I'll still outlive you!" Having killed the village head, Pan Er hurriedly rushed inside to find Wang Bo. To his intense fury, however, Wang Bo had already fled. Touching the bed and finding it still somewhat warm, he figured the brat couldn't have gotten far. Brandishing his steel saber, he bolted out in pursuit.

Not long after Wang Bo had started running, a dark shadow appeared at the village entrance. Through the moonlight, the distant retreating figure of Wang Bo was faintly visible, and the dark shadow let out a chilling, eerie laugh.

Who else could that dark shadow be but Pan Er? Staring fixedly in the direction where Wang Bo had vanished, Pan Er wore a ferocious grin that appeared preternaturally pale and terrifying under the moonlight.