The Troubles of Xiaoyun Village

Once again, it's the spring of March, and the refreshing breeze uplifts people's spirits.

Following his usual routine, Liu Laosan slept in until the sun was high, ignoring his chattering old mother. He quickly had a few bites of rice and prepared to go out in search of some amusement.

Liu Laosan is the youngest brother of Liu Xi, the mayor of Yunlai Town. Liu Xi is an educated man who has participated in the imperial examination multiple times to obtain the title of scholar, but unfortunately, he has always fallen short. However, the county magistrate of Beiguang County appreciated him and recognized his talent, appointing him as the mayor of Yunlai Town.

Originally, villages and towns were not officially recognized by the imperial court. Below the county level, there were only villages, and towns did not exist. However, this village had developed to a certain extent, with a population and economic strength far exceeding other villages, so it became a town, which was accepted by everyone as the norm.

Yunlai Town had a population of over three thousand people, and nearby villages were also dependent on Yunlai Town. While Liu Xi became the mayor of Yunlai Town, Liu Laosan was the happiest member of the family.

He was already known in Yunlai Town as a lazy and idle man. Despite being over thirty years old, he had not yet married and spent his days

idling around. Now, taking advantage of his brother's powerful position, he became even more unruly.

Today, he had made an arrangement with Li Ergou from the town to have a cricket match under the phoenix tree at the east end of the town. However, to his surprise, when Liu Laosan strolled over to the phoenix tree, he didn't see a single soul.

Angered, he let out a few curses and, still unresolved, went to look for Li Ergou at his house.

Li Ergou and Liu Laosan were both well-known troublemakers in Yunlai Town. Li Ergou lived in the east of the town, not far from the old phoenix tree. Liu Laosan quickly arrived at Li Ergou's doorstep.

Upon entering, he saw a woman dressed in floral cloth washing clothes. Liu Laosan whistled, "Sister-in-law, is Li Ergou home?"

Li Ergou's wife was acquainted with Liu Laosan, and she turned around, tucking her hair behind her ears, and said, "Oh, it's Lao San. Your brother Ergou went out early this morning. Why, didn't he come looking for you?"

Liu Laosan replied, "No, he didn't. I was just wondering about that myself. Could it be that he's afraid he can't defeat me, the Golden Armored Cricket King, and slipped away secretly?"

Then he chuckled and said, "Your sister-in-law is so remarkable. It's a waste for her to be with such a coward. Since Ergou isn't here today, how about..." He winked suggestively.

Li Ergou's wife didn't take it seriously and spat, "Hmph! Always fooling around. I heard there was trouble in Xiaoyun Village last night. Your brother Ergou probably went to see what was happening."

Liu Laosan was just teasing, and even if the woman actually allowed him, he wouldn't have the courage to do anything. He knew that Li Ergou was different from him. While Liu Laosan had his brother Liu Xi's influence, Li Ergou had earned his own reputation through actual confrontations. He had beaten up many local troublemakers.

After leaving Li Ergou's house, Liu Laosan muttered to himself, "Xiaoyun Village is not far from Yunlai Town. What kind of big trouble could have happened? Well, I should go and see for myself."

Saying that, he quickened his pace towards Xiaoyun Village. Not long after leaving the town, he suddenly heard the sound of a horse behind him. When he turned around, he coincidentally saw Yunlai Town's mayor, Liu Xi, and the town constable, Wang Changtong, riding horses towards him.

"Lao San, what are you doing here?" Liu Xi, with two mustache strands, had an air of scholarly elegance about him. If it weren't for the slight resemblance in their appearances, it would be hard to believe they were brothers.

"Hehe, Brother, you're here too. I heard about the trouble in Xiaoyun Village and thought I might be able to lend a hand," Liu Laosan chuckled.

Wang Changtong smirked sarcastically, as Liu Laosan's notorious reputation was well-known in the surrounding areas.

Liu Xi said, "Nonsense! Go back home immediately."

Liu Laosan stubbornly pleaded, "Brother, let me come along. Second sister-in-law's maternal family is in Xiaoyun Village. As her uncle, I should go and check on them, shouldn't I?"

After contemplating for a moment, Liu Xi eventually agreed to let Liu Laosan join them.

Liu Laosan happily climbed onto Liu Xi's horse, and with the two horses and three men, they set off for Xiaoyun Village, kicking up dust and dirt as they rode away.

They were not far from Xiaoyun Village when Wang Changtong, who had been silent the entire journey, suddenly reached out and stopped Liu Xi. "There's a smell of blood."

Despite the distance from Xiaoyun Village, the scent of blood had already drifted so far. Liu Xi realized that the situation might not be simple. Only Liu Laosan, still oblivious, followed suit and sniffed with his nose, finding no scent at all. He gave Wang Changtong a distrustful look.

At that moment, a group of people rushed towards them in a panicked manner. Liu Laosan's eyes lit up as he noticed Li Ergou among them. He dismounted his horse and walked towards him.

Liu Xi and Wang Changtong exchanged glances and then dismounted as well. They intercepted the group and asked about the situation.

"Ergou, what happened? Why do you look so terrible?"

Liu Laosan noticed that Li Ergou, who usually acted arrogantly in the countryside, appeared extremely disheveled today, with weak legs as he ran.

Upon hearing Liu Laosan's voice, Li Ergou finally saw him and immediately leaned on Liu Laosan's shoulder. "Lao San, run! They're dead, all dead!"

Liu Laosan was confused. "Who died? What are you talking about?"

Li Ergou's voice had turned hoarse, and his eyes were slightly red. "They're all dead. Everyone in Xiaoyun Village, more than a hundred people, even the dogs were not spared!"

At that moment, Liu Laosan finally realized the gravity of the situation. He stared at Li Ergou in disbelief, unable to comprehend everything he was saying.

"How...how did they die?"

"How else could they die? They were killed! Bodies scattered everywhere, blood flowing like rivers!"

As Li Ergou spoke, perhaps recalling the scenes, he suddenly vomited, turning away and emptying his stomach.

Liu Laosan paid no attention to him. Instead, he looked at Liu Xi, whose face had turned pale. It was clear that Liu Xi had also learned about the tragedy in Xiaoyun Village.

Liu Xi and Wang Changtong quickly mounted their horses and headed once again towards Xiaoyun Village. They had no time to spare for Liu Laosan, who remained behind.

Liu Laosan watched as Li Ergou and the others supported each other and walked away. He glanced at Liu Xi's figure and, for some reason, made up his mind. He started running in the direction of Liu Xi.

After everyone had left, a person slowly emerged from behind a large tree. This person was dressed in simple peasant clothing, with handsome features, but his face remained expressionless, as if he were a... robot.

Indeed, this person was one of the thirty primary-level robots deployed by Gu Qing near Beiguang County.

And now, Gu Qing's consciousness was inhabiting this particular robot.

Without a word, five more robots walked out from the side. Gu Qing pointed in the direction that Li Ergou and the others had departed, and the five robots immediately chased after them with a speed comparable to that of horses. The fate of Li Ergou and the others was self-evident.

Gu Qing thought to himself, "The one with the beard seems manageable, but the other one seems formidable. I can't wait any longer. If I raise any suspicion, these few robots alone won't be enough to capture Yunlai Town."

Without further hesitation, Gu Qing swiftly headed towards Xiaoyun Village.