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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 134: The Moon Over the Women's Wall
At the moment of the scream, Xiaomi burst out of the Cave Dwelling. By the time Ming Junwei arrived after calming Song Yao, a group of people at the table had already gathered in the courtyard.
These folks were slow to drink; despite their flushed faces and heavy stench of alcohol, they still retained their senses and coordination. They exchanged glances with one another, realizing that Chao Yifan was missing.
"This brat," Ming Junwei muttered under his breath as he looked toward the source of the noise. He noticed that the surrounding area had been stirred up, with extinguished candles being lit one by one until the place was brightly illuminated.
Old Shepherd stepped out of the Cave Dwelling, squinting at the crowd with an unhappy expression. "You kids, despite my countless reminders, why don’t you ever listen?"
"Sir, our friend probably drank too much. Could you take us over there? It must be a misunderstanding." Although Ming Junwei had no idea what trouble Chao Yifan had caused this time, Old Shepherd was generally a decent person. So he put on a thick face and addressed him as 'Sir,' urging him to help them find Chao Yifan.
An Zheng reached the courtyard entrance and suddenly remembered something. He called out to Su Lan and Zeng Yadong, "We should all go out; only Song Yao and the Zombie are left in the courtyard."
Su Lan looked at Zeng Yadong, who actually wanted to see what was happening but couldn’t resist Su Lan's pleading gaze. He reluctantly agreed with An Zheng's suggestion and ran back into the Cave Dwelling to grab his Miao Knife, waiting at the entrance with An Zheng and Su Lan.
The group hurriedly surrounded Old Shepherd as they made their way to the scene of the incident. Along the way, they encountered many villagers rubbing their sleepy eyes, holding torches or lanterns as they rushed forward, chattering and speculating wildly. During the day, it hadn’t seemed like there were many people around, but at night it became apparent just how alert these villagers were. By the time Ming Junwei and his group reached the site of the incident, the courtyard was already crowded with people peering over both walls.
"This is bad," Ming Junwei thought as he glanced at the main gate. He realized they were right in front of the house where a Zombie had escaped during the day. Jin Bo had mentioned that this household was home to three widows and their Zombie husbands.
In their haste to leave, apart from Ming Junwei and Xiaomi, most hadn’t brought any weapons for self-defense. In contrast, nearly everyone who had squeezed into the courtyard was armed with makeshift weapons—some wielding hatchets or sickles, others carrying shovels or poles. Given this situation, if things escalated even slightly, Ming Junwei and his companions might not even be able to escape from the courtyard.
Ming Junwei stopped a few people who intended to enter with him and whispered, "Go back and grab some household items; let Dr. An keep an eye on things."
Cao Liang hurriedly pulled Luci and Wheat back; Xiao Wei, too lazy to turn back, bent down to pick up a brick from beside the door, weighed it in his hand, and tucked it into his clothes.
Old Shepherd glanced back at them without saying a word, waving his hand to disperse the crowd as he led the three of them inside. The onlookers recognized Old Shepherd and automatically made way for him, though they looked just as confused. A few stepped closer and heard the commotion inside, along with a woman's wailing. The door to the Cave Dwelling was wide open, and many people had already entered. Outside, a crowd gathered, trying to peek through the windows, but someone had drawn the curtains shut.
"Uncle, you need to hurry and see what's going on!" Just then, a young man rushed out from inside. Upon seeing Jia Laohan, he looked as if he had found a savior, but his expression darkened when he noticed Ming Junwei and the others behind Old Shepherd. "You all need to leave; you're not welcome here."
"Brother, it's a misunderstanding," Ming Junwei said, sweating profusely. He could tell from the young man's attitude that Chao Yifan had likely caused some serious trouble.
"Who are you calling brother? Get lost!" The young man was unyielding, shaking his head and raising his hand as if ready to strike.
"Quiet down," Old Shepherd snapped back, signaling for the three to quickly enter and not draw attention.
Xiao Wei shot a fierce glare at the young man, who defiantly raised two middle fingers in response.
Inside the Cave Dwelling, without Old Shepherd's presence, it felt even more cramped due to the three women living there. Although it was somewhat organized, it became increasingly crowded with more people. Under Old Shepherd's lead, they squeezed into a side room. Upon hearing that Jia Laohan had arrived, those inside quickly made space for them.
As soon as they entered, their expressions fell. They saw three lifeless Zombies lying on the bed while three scantily clad women wept over the bodies. Chao Yifan was pinned to the ground by several strong men; judging by his dirt-covered face, he had likely taken quite a beating. A bloodied axe lay on the floor, with bloodstains trailing from the earthen bed to the window—clear signs of a crime scene. Chao Yifan continued to struggle futilely, cursing loudly with an unending stream of profanity. The surrounding crowd wore expressions filled with rage as if they wished nothing more than to see him dead.
Seeing this scene ignited Xiaomi's anger as well; he immediately rushed over and began shoving the men holding Chao Yifan down. A scuffle ensued between them as they pushed and shoved each other back and forth, turning the previously quiet Cave Dwelling into chaos once again. One of the women on the bed jumped down with a loud cry, picked up the axe from the ground, and charged at Chao Yifan. Ming Junwei hurried over to intervene while the onlookers shouted insults at him. They grabbed Ming Junwei and hurled rural curses at him; although he felt furious inside, he had no choice but to suppress his anger. No matter how much he tried to explain himself, they remained unresponsive and spat in his face.
Suddenly—
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Three sharp sounds rang out from above as Old Shepherd shouted sharply with his whip, finally managing to restore order in the nearly uncontrollable situation.
"Enough shouting! Everyone disperse!" Jia Laohan's stern expression commanded attention, and the noise of the crowd gradually subsided. Aside from a few men still grappling with Xiaomi and Xiao Wei, the rest fell silent and stepped aside. A woman sat on the ground, wailing in despair, her axe thrown aside. Although Xiaomi and Xiao Wei were formidable fighters, their two fists could not match four hands, especially since it hadn't reached a life-or-death situation yet. Old Shepherd separated the brawlers and bent down to help Chao Yifan up.
Regardless of whether he had been genuinely drunk or just pretending earlier, Chao Yifan was now mostly sober. He wiped away the blood from his nose and glared at the crowd, spitting angrily as he surveyed them.
"Are you hurt?" Ming Junwei quickly supported Chao Yifan, being cautious.
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