Chapter 24: Black Wind Village Is Being Targeted!

"Scholar Xie, I am well aware of your background."

"Your original village was destroyed in the war; you only escaped that fate because you were away taking the imperial examinations."

"But do you know? The authorities in the Black Wind Village area have begun investigating whether there is any connection between the villagers and the former Black Wind Stronghold."

"If you continue to associate with them so closely, you must be careful not to implicate yourself."

Chen Tong felt a chill in his heart upon hearing this, yet he maintained a smile on his face. He quickly pulled a silver ingot from his robes and slipped it into the intermediary’s hand, saying, "Boss Zhang, you have wide connections and are well-informed in this city."

"I hope you can pull some strings and see if there is any way to help my two benefactors."

"If this matter is resolved, I certainly will not forget your kindness."

Feeling the weight of the silver in his hand, Boss Zhang’s face broke into a satisfied smile, and he quickly tucked the silver away. He cleared his throat and replied, "Scholar Xie, since you are so sincere, I will point you in the right direction."

"You know that Black Wind Village is currently under the gaze of the authorities; their current identities are certainly no longer usable."

"However, this is not an unsolvable problem. I can arrange for them to be registered as immigrants."

"You know how the world is these days—as long as the money is right, no one will look too closely into these things."

Chen Tong felt a surge of joy and quickly asked, "Boss Zhang, that is a marvelous solution."

"To be honest, I have about one thousand taels of silver on hand. Would that be enough?"

"One thousand taels?" Boss Zhang’s eyes widened in shock.

In his impression, although Chen Tong was learned, he had never held a proper occupation. How could he suddenly possess so much money? Sensing the man's suspicion, Chen Tong smiled and explained, "Boss Zhang, it is simply my good fortune. Some time ago, I happened to find something in the mountains and sold it for this silver."

Boss Zhang heard this and, though he found it a bit suspicious, did not press further. After all, in these chaotic times, who didn't have a few secrets?

Boss Zhang nodded and said, "In that case, I will point you toward another bright path."

"Recently, a landlord was charged with a crime and his home was raided. His land is now being auctioned off by the authorities."

"If you are interested, you should look into it."

"Buying land serves two purposes: first, it provides a place for your two friends to settle; second, it allows for legitimate business, which is far safer than buying an official title."

Chen Tong’s eyes lit up. He felt this was indeed a sound idea and bowed to express his gratitude. "Boss Zhang, thank you so much! Your words have truly opened my eyes."

"If not for you, I truly would not have known what to do."

Boss Zhang waved his hand dismissively. "Scholar Xie, don't be so formal. If you have any other matters in the future, just come to me."

"However, you must act quickly. The news of the land auction has already spread, and there are surely many people eyeing it."

After thanking Boss Zhang once more, Chen Tong left with Xie Hu and "Little Mouse."

On the road back to Black Wind Stronghold, Chen Tong’s mood was exceptionally heavy. While one thousand taels was not a small sum, it might be far from enough to purchase land. Moreover, the competition for the auction would surely be fierce, and he would have to plan carefully.

"Brother Xie, are you really planning to buy that landlord's property?" Xie Hu couldn't help but ask.

Chen Tong nodded. "Second Chief, this is perhaps the best way out for us right now."

"With land, we can start some legitimate businesses. This will not only settle our brothers but also help us escape our current predicament."

"Little Mouse" added from the side, "Brother Xie, no matter what, we will listen to you. As long as it brings a better life for the brothers, we will do whatever it takes."

Upon returning to Black Wind Stronghold, Chen Tong hurried into the Great Hall and signaled for everyone to gather. Once the brothers were seated, Chen Tong took a deep breath and solemnly shared everything he had seen and heard in the city, especially the information obtained from Boss Zhang.

The crowd erupted in an instant, their expressions frozen in shock.

"What? The authorities are already watching our Black Wind Village?"

Tie Niu stood up abruptly, his eyes wide as copper bells, full of disbelief, as if he had heard a tall tale.

"How is that possible? We have kept a low profile in the village; how could they..." Tie Niu scratched his head, as if trying to find an answer within himself.

Wang Hu could not sit still either. He paced back and forth, his brows furrowed in anxiety. "What do we do? The names 'Black Wind Stronghold' and 'Black Wind Village' are so similar. The authorities would rather kill a hundred innocent people than let one guilty one go!"

"Most of our brothers have ties to the village. If we are all wiped out, what will we do?"

"Exactly! Are we really facing disaster?" "Should we run?"

As everyone chimed in, anxiety spread rapidly, and a tense, oppressive atmosphere filled the Great Hall.

Amidst the noisy discussion, Xie Qingshuang slowly stood up. She raised a hand to signal for silence and spoke with a grave expression.

"Brothers, we are now facing a critical life-or-death choice."

"Do we continue to take risks by acting under the identity of Black Wind Village, living in constant fear under the watchful eyes of the authorities?"

"Or, do we follow Brother Xie’s suggestion and try to find a way out for the future of Black Wind Stronghold by purchasing land and going legitimate?"

"I propose we decide by vote. After all, this concerns the fate of every one of us, and everyone should have a say."

The crowd was stunned at first, but then nodded in agreement. They knew this was the fairest way to resolve the matter.

A tense and serious vote began. The brothers walked forward one by one to receive paper and pens, their expressions focused and cautious.

A-Feng stood by the table, his hand trembling slightly. In his mind, he recalled his time in the village—the days of laboring with the villagers—as well as the times he had braved life and death with the brothers of the stronghold. He gritted his teeth and wrote down his decision.

"Little Mouse" seemed nervous. He swallowed repeatedly, glancing at Chen Tong and Xie Qingshuang as if drawing strength from them. Finally, he wrote down his choice and carefully placed the paper into the box.

After a tense tally, the results were out. The majority chose to follow the advice of Xie Qingshuang and Chen Tong.

Looking at the result, Chen Tong felt a mix of emotions, with a sense of gratitude surging like a tide.

"Brothers, how could I, Chen Tong, deserve such trust?"

"Rest assured, since you have chosen to believe in me, I will not let you down."

"We shall ensure that Black Wind Stronghold is no longer a den of bandits hunted by the authorities, but a place of peace, prosperity, and righteousness!"

Chen Tong’s voice was passionate and resonant, echoing through the Great Hall for a long time.

The crowd responded with a roar of support.

"We believe in Brother Xie!" "Let us fight together for the future of Black Wind Stronghold!"