Chapter 348: Can’t Be Too Cautious

Yan Yu stood motionless for a long moment.

In the end, it was Uncle Luo who carried her down and brought her into the Arrow Tower.

Her little bald donkey came along too. It wouldn’t do to leave the donkey outside without a proper place to stand.

Gouzhu also darted inside, pressing tightly against Yan Yu, refusing to leave her side.

The Arrow Tower was packed. Village Chief Luo squeezed his way over and asked with concern, “Xiao Er, are you alright? Are you hurt? Let Grandpa Luo take a good look at you.”

“Grandpa Luo, I’m fine. Look, everything’s perfectly fine.” Yan Yu moved her arms and legs to show the worried villagers.

After explaining the situation outside, she learned that her mother had taken a group to the Arrow Tower on the northern side.

Yan Yu: …

She’d fought her way in here like mad, only to pick the wrong tower!

Yan Yu glanced down through the trapdoor into the cellar – it was packed to the brim.

“The northern Arrow Tower is backed against the mountain. If it really comes to it, there’s still a chance to retreat up the slope.

The eastern Arrow Tower is by the river. We can send some people there. If it gets bad, they can float across on rafts.”

Crowding everyone together isn’t necessarily a good thing.

Village Chief Luo eyed the quiver she’d brought back, and after hearing that the Northern Rong had dispersed into different households, he began to think things over.

“Xiao Er, how do you have so much strength?” San Tie asked in amazement.

He and Er Tie had been right there at the Arrow Tower entrance, seeing it all with their own eyes.

That stick Xiao Er was swinging made the air whistle with each blow, and every swing took one down – one after the other, like stacking firewood!

“I don’t know either. I was just anxious and went all-out… and that’s what happened.”

Yan Yu thought back on her performance just now.

Echoes flashed through her mind: Headcount +1, headcount +1…

Two taels of silver each!

It was as if a dam had burst open in her mind, a howling wind rushing in. No way to stop it, even if she tried…

Yan Yu said, “We can’t let the Northern Rong wreak havoc in our village. If they take our grain, how are we going to survive the winter? Now that they’ve split up, it’s the perfect time to strike.”

The villagers’ tactics were far too cautious.

Living in Border Town, they’d have to get used to this way of life sooner or later.

Look at Master Lu and his family – that’s how true Crouching Tiger people handle things.

If you can’t win, run. If you see a window, strike.

And right now was the window.

Opportunities like this don’t last long.

Yan Yu didn’t wait for the few old men still stuck in indecision. As head of the Young Scouts, she picked out a few nimble, sharp-eyed, quick-footed teens who were good shots with a bow.

The moment they heard they’d be going out with their leader to ambush the Northern Rong, their eyes practically lit up with fire.

Yan Yu quickly ran them through the tactics.

It all boiled down to one sentence:

As long as you can keep yourself alive, shoot them dead, shoot them dead, shoot them dead!

The Young Scouts’ bamboo crossbows weren’t individually owned. After daytime training, they were all stored together in the cellar beneath the Arrow Tower.

Now, that policy proved absolutely right.

Yan Yu patted Gouzhu on the head and whispered, “Go!”

Gouzhu bolted out, immediately drawing the attention of the Northern Rong.

“Charge!”

At Yan Yu’s command, all the men holding up shield-doors surged into action.

Wherever there were people, they charged straight in.

Behind the wooden barricades huddled five or six individuals. As soon as the Northern Rong entered firing range, they dropped the barricades and raised their crossbows to fire in unison.

Then they quickly ducked back behind the shields, reloaded as they advanced, and once ready, launched another volley…

The sudden change in tactic caught the Northern Rong completely off guard.

The Bamboo Crossbow wasn’t about high-ground advantage—it thrived at close range.

Whether man or horse, at this distance, without armor for protection, mere flesh and bone simply couldn’t withstand such a concentrated assault.

By the time the Northern Rong realized something was wrong and tried to escape, it was already too late.

Another dozen bodies of the Northern Rong littered the ground.

When people who had only known defense realized the weapon in their hands could strike back and win—it was astonishing what they could do.

The men holding the Bamboo Crossbows seemed to awaken to something inside them.

Those carrying the wooden shields became more aggressive. No longer content to stay under the Arrow Towers, they pursued the Northern Rong wherever they fled.

Outside the towers, the Northern Rong forces scattered in all directions.

Yan Yu and a few boys were among those following behind the wooden barricades.

She picked up the wooden stick she’d thrown earlier, took cover behind the shield, eyes sharp and ears alert. Her young voice rang out like a curse to the Northern Rong as she swept up any stragglers without mercy.

More and more men emerged from the Arrow Towers.

If there weren’t enough Bamboo Crossbows, wooden sticks would do.

Who knew the terrain of the village better than them?

The tide of battle turned in an instant.

Hunter and prey switched roles in the blink of an eye.

Yan Yu’s little squad kept moving north.

As they drew closer, they saw three of the Qi uncles dragging bodies—both men and horses—off to the side…

Qi Da and Qi Si wiped the recovered iron arrows in the dirt and handed them to Qi Wu. Qi Wu sprinted up the Arrow Tower and passed the arrows to Madam Rong.

Seeing Yan Yu and her group approach, Qi Da and Qi Si lit up with joy.

“Are you alright? How’s your dad? And Heng’er?”

Their simple questions brimmed with deep concern.

Yan Yu answered each one, then firmly waved away Qi Si’s offer to carry her up the tower. She ran up herself.

“Mom! Big Sis!” Yan Yu called out with delight.

Until she saw them with her own eyes, she couldn’t rest easy.

“Huh? What’s that smell?” She caught a whiff of medicinal broth.

“Your mother was a bit shaken up. Just drank her medicine. Damn those Northern Rong cowards, too bad their horses didn’t throw them off and kill the lot…” Madam Cui fumed, cursing the Rong invaders in every creative way she could think of.

Yan Yu looked over worriedly.

Li Xuemei gave a small shake of her head. “I’m fine, look, I can still handle a crossbow!”

But Yan Yu wouldn’t be reassured so easily. She went to her uncle, Physician Cui, and confirmed it several times before her heart settled.

Seeing her daughter safe and learning that both Yan Lao’er and Yan Xiangheng were secure at the Government Office, Li Xuemei visibly relaxed.

And with that release, fatigue began to catch up to her.

“Mom, take a break. There aren’t many of the Northern Rong left in the village. Once we’ve rooted out the rest… we can all go home and have a good night’s sleep.”

Li Xuemei looked up at her sharply.

Yan Yu smiled at her mother.

Then she quickly climbed down the Arrow Tower.

She instructed Brother Ertie and Brother San Tie to each take a few people and act.

Ertie and San Tie thought she was planning to stay behind. Without asking questions, they split into two groups and took off.

Yan Yu patted Gouzhu on the head and watched them disappear into the distance.

Once they were out of sight, she was just about to move out when Uncle Qi Si stopped her.

“Xiao Er, where are you going?”

Carrying a wooden stick and bringing the dog with you… what exactly are you planning to do?

“Uncle Qi Si, I’m just going for a walk to check things out,” Yan Yu said, making it up as she went.

But there was no way Qi Si would let her go.

“You stay here. If anything needs checking, I’ll go take a look.”

“Uncle Qi Si, just listen…” Yan Yu tilted her head and pointed upward. “Isn’t that Grandma Qi calling you?”

The moment Qi Si turned his head, Yan Yu took off running with Gouzhu.

By the time Qi Si realized what had happened, he slapped his thigh and grabbed his own stick, chasing after her.

Qi Si was tall with long legs. In just a few steps, he caught up to Yan Yu and her short little legs.

Seeing that she couldn’t shake him, Yan Yu had no choice but to beg him sincerely to go with her.

(End of this chapter)