Ordinary people would stop moving forward if they discovered fierce dogs in a village.
But the more fiercely the dogs barked, the more it showed that the incoming people were not afraid of them and were still advancing.
Lin Yunchu turned to look at Pei Huaiyuan. These people insisted on coming forward—were they actually looking for him?
If that was the case, their situation was now extremely dangerous.
The villagers were harboring malicious intent, watching them like predators.
The elderly doctor couple also behaved strangely, and their intentions were unclear.
Now, yet another group had come after them.
Lin Yunchu’s palms began to sweat slightly.
Attacked from both front and back—how could they break out of this situation?
Pei Huaiyuan’s sharply defined face was cold and heavy. He was basically certain these people were most likely here for him.
Those bastards were like pests—wherever he went, they followed, not giving him even a moment’s rest.
They were cruel and vicious. He had narrowly escaped them the night before.
If they caught him again this time, he would likely not survive.
And their intentions were extremely sinister. Seeing the young woman beside him, they would definitely not let her go either…
“Or should we…”
Lin Yunchu instantly understood what he wanted to say and replied, “Husband and wife are like birds in the same forest; when disaster strikes, they fly separately? You think so little of me? Since we came together, we will leave together!”
“Don’t panic, don’t be afraid! With me here, nothing will happen to you.”
Although her heart was in chaos, Lin Yunchu remained calm and firmly believed she would be fine—she definitely would be fine.
As the villainess in the novel, she was supposed to survive until the very last chapter.
So this kind of situation was nothing to her!
After mentally reinforcing herself, she suddenly felt much more confident.
“You rest a bit more. I’ll go take a look. Don’t worry, if I live, you live!”
“Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. Stay with me—even a tiger won’t scare us!”
“……”
Watching her pat her chest and cheer herself on while clearly terrified but pretending to be calm, Pei Huaiyuan suddenly felt like laughing.
Or… could he really try trusting her?
If he failed this mission, could she complete it for him instead?
But that thought was quickly dismissed. Unless he was already dead, the intelligence they had sacrificed so many comrades to obtain could not be handed to anyone outside the organization.
“Creak…”
“Aiyo…”
As soon as the door opened, Lin Yunchu was startled.
An old woman stood at their doorway, her cloudy eyes furrowed. Under the dim moonlight, her face flickered in and out of shadow, looking eerily strange as she stared at them.
“Grandma…”
Lin Yunchu felt a bit uneasy.
“Didn’t I tell you? Don’t come out at night,” the old woman said unhappily.
“Outside…”
“Outside is chaotic!” she cut in impatiently.
“We…”
“You two staying here is safe,” the old woman said bluntly.
Lin Yunchu felt completely suppressed.
Because she could clearly sense killing intent in the old woman’s eyes.
She now somewhat regretted coming into this village to gather evidence.
What kind of place was this?
How had she dared to enter so recklessly?
“Go back!” the old woman barked.
“Okay.”
Lin Yunchu obediently returned to their room and quickly shut the door.
“This old lady is not right. She doesn’t seem kind at all. Our situation is worse than we thought.”
“Agreed,” Pei Huaiyuan nodded.
“We shouldn’t panic. We just stay steady and respond accordingly. As long as we don’t panic, they’re the ones who will.”
Lin Yunchu nodded firmly.
“……”
Pei Huaiyuan: She’s exceptionally good at comforting herself.
“Knock knock knock…”
Before they could finish speaking, there was another knock at the door.
Lin Yunchu looked at Pei Huaiyuan. He nodded.
She opened the door again—and the old woman was still standing outside.
“Things are very chaotic outside. I have a cellar at home—no one knows about it. You two should hide there,” she said, her tone now softer than before.
“……”
Lin Yunchu still couldn’t read her true intentions.
“Thank you, Grandma,” Pei Huaiyuan said first.
Lin Yunchu quickly followed, “Thank you, Grandma.”
Under the old woman’s guidance, they entered the woodshed. In the corner, a pile of firewood was stacked. She moved it aside and opened the cellar entrance.
“Go down. There’s food inside.”
“If I don’t come to call you for a long time and things outside seem safe, you can come out on your own.”
“……”
She brought them down, yet also told them they could leave on their own—Lin Yunchu still couldn’t understand her.
“Don’t worry, this old woman won’t truly harm you,” she said before leaving.
The cellar was pitch black, nothing visible. Only faint dog barks could be heard above, along with their own breathing.
Soon, the barking faded, and the surroundings became eerily silent.
“Hiss…”
Lin Yunchu heard a painful sound beside her and immediately reached for his hand.
“Are you uncomfortable?”
Pei Huaiyuan didn’t respond, but his breathing grew heavier.
“Hey, are you in a lot of pain?”
“I…” His voice turned weak instantly as he gritted his teeth. “I can still hold on for now.”
This life of his was saved by his comrades at the cost of their lives—he had to endure as long as he possibly could.
No matter how hard it got.
Lin Yunchu couldn’t see the moisture in his eyes, but she could hear the trembling in his voice.
He was forcing himself to endure.
He must have agreed to enter the cellar because he knew he had completely lost his combat ability outside.
“We have to hold on,” Lin Yunchu tightened her grip on his hand.
Pei Huaiyuan instinctively tried to pull away—but couldn’t. Instead, he felt a gentle, warm strength.
It made him feel a rare sense of safety again.
“Hey…” Lin Yunchu was about to say more, when she heard steady breathing beside her.
He had fallen asleep.
Outside.
The men of Qiu Family Bay thought the intruders were here to capture them and rescue the women and children they had taken, so they were on full alert.
The intruders were indeed here for Pei Huaiyuan. Before entering the village, they had already been intercepted, and they naturally assumed the villagers were protecting “Black Eagle.”
As long as they eliminated these people, they could find Black Eagle.
With the constant barking of dogs, communication was impossible.
Once both sides met, they immediately opened fire.
The pursuers fired first. This confirmed to the villagers that their judgment was correct—only police carried guns.
But they refused to lose.
Life had already been miserable enough. They had finally stolen women into the village—now someone wanted to take them away? They would never agree.
At first, only a dozen men came out.
Then more and more villagers joined.
The skirmish escalated into a full-scale battle.
After sending Lin Yunchu and Pei Huaiyuan into the cellar, Elder Granny Qiu and Old Doctor Qiu stepped out together.
They stood at a distance, watching the brutal battle unfold with cold, indifferent eyes.