Seeing that some were still being disobedient, Butcher Hu raised his Butcher's knife and slashed at the two people by the water vat.
Blood splattered into the vat, and soon, the water inside turned red.
This ruthless display of violence terrified the looting Rebel Soldiers, causing them to back away one after another.
Qin Sang tightened her grip on her Binoculars.
Damn it.
Butcher Hu actually stopped those men from frantically grabbing the water and Pancakes.
Butcher Hu kicked aside the two corpses on the ground, walked to the edge of the water vat, and furrowed his brows deeply.
"Who found this?"
In the courtyard, a man timidly raised his hand.
"Master Hu, it's me. I heard a rooster crowing this morning and found this place."
After speaking, the man also held up a rooster he had caught and presented it to Butcher Hu.
Butcher Hu glanced at the plump rooster and then scanned the crowd.
"Wasn't this courtyard searched when we entered the village?"
The men looked at each other, and someone stepped forward.
"Master Hu, I was the one who searched it. There was no rooster then, and I'm certain there was no water in the vat, let alone these Pancakes."
Butcher Hu did not doubt the man's words, and the suspicion in his heart deepened.
"Don't you have the brains to wonder why there was no water, no Pancakes, and no rooster before, but suddenly they're all here?"
"Have you forgotten why the hundred-plus brothers who came to this village before all died, with no wounds on their bodies and dry rations still in their mouths?"
Butcher Hu's questioning voice echoed throughout the courtyard. Some of the Rebel Soldiers realized something and, with faces turning pale, began to claw at their throats, while others remained bewildered, looking around for answers.
For a moment, the sound of dry heaving filled the entire courtyard. Butcher Hu said sternly:
"Everyone who just drank the water or ate the food, step forward."
Following this command, those who hadn't managed to grab anything or had arrived later retreated behind Butcher Hu.
Meanwhile, those who had eaten and drunk began to feel something was wrong. Their mouths were filled with bitterness, they felt nauseous, and they were on the verge of losing their breath. It felt as if a heavy stone was pressing on their chests, and their heads throbbed with a pain as if a knife had been inserted and twisted inside.
Watching the looters in front of him begin to clutch their heads, roll on the ground, convulse, and gradually fall into a coma, stop breathing, and turn stiff, Butcher Hu and those behind him couldn't help but shudder.
"The water is poisoned."
"This water can't be drunk."
"These Pancakes can't be eaten."
"Fortunately, I didn't grab any just now."
"Heavens, what kind of poison is this?"
"Who is trying to harm us?"
"Master Hu saved us; it was Master Hu who saved us."
Listening to the discussions of his subordinates behind him, Butcher Hu's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot.
With just one vat of water, he had lost over sixty of his men.
Did he even need to think about who it was?
It must be that detestable Widow Tian.
He had witnessed Widow Tian's mysterious and unpredictable methods last time. The deaths of these men were certainly her doing.
Butcher Hu forced out a few words through his gritted teeth:
"Search. Search for me! We must find the people of Tianjia Village, and I'll tear them limb from limb!"
"Yes, Master Hu."
Butcher Hu ignored the dead bodies in the courtyard and turned to go to Qin Sang's house. He pulled out a stool and sat in the middle of the courtyard, leaning on his Butcher's knife, waiting for his subordinates' reports.
After a while, a subordinate ran over anxiously, holding a bundle of ropes.
"Master Hu, this is bad! All those Human fodder have escaped!"
Butcher Hu tightened his grip on the handle of his knife, took the ropes, and examined them.
It was clear they had been cut by a blade.
He threw the ropes aside.
"Keep searching."
"Yes..."
After half an hour, the remaining subordinates had searched the entire Tianjia Village inside out. If there had been any earthworms, they would have likely been chopped in half.
When everyone gathered with nothing to show for it, their answers were all the same:
"Master Hu, we didn't find anyone."
"Neither did we."
"We searched the whole village three times; nothing."
Butcher Hu stood up displeased and scanned the people present.
"A bunch of useless trash."
They didn't even know that the people of Tianjia Village had secretly brought water and food into the village and had even been poisoned; they were all a bunch of stupid pigs.
Since the people of Tianjia Village had thought of poisoning them, they must have also expected a search of the village. They certainly wouldn't be so foolish as to stay.
Butcher Hu looked up and turned toward the back mountain behind the courtyard.
He narrowed his eyes.
He had a premonition that the people of Tianjia Village had definitely not gone far and were on this mountain.
Hiding on the mountain, Qin Sang held her Binoculars. Seeing Butcher Hu's gaze cast upward, a bad feeling welled up in her heart.
She had underestimated the intelligence of this group.
They hadn't all been poisoned to death.
Now, she feared they would enter the mountain to search.
Should she return to the camp?
Qin Sang looked at the forty-some men. She didn't retreat immediately, intending to see how things developed first.
She saw Butcher Hu speak with a murderous expression:
"Go, bring Torches."
His subordinates didn't understand.
"Master Hu, it's daytime. Why do you need Torches..."
Butcher Hu gave the man a displeased look.
"With you useless trash, do you even dare to enter the mountain to search for them?"
The men exchanged fearful glances.
"Master Hu, you mean the people who poisoned our brothers are hiding on the mountain?"
Butcher Hu gave a grunt of affirmation.
"We sent word into the mountains, so the people of Tianjia Village must have found out. They were afraid their homes would be burned, so they set a trap to poison everyone.
As long as we don't leave here, they will definitely not go."
Someone understood Butcher Hu's intention.
"Master Hu, do you plan to burn the mountain?"
A cold, indifferent smile appeared on Butcher Hu's lips.
"These Hundred Thousand Mountains are all connected. Once a fire starts, I don't believe they won't die."
This was the safest method Butcher Hu could think of. He wouldn't have to risk himself or his men by entering the mountain, yet he could still wipe out the people of Tianjia Village in one fell swoop.
It was just a pity that Widow Tian hadn't been violated by him.
She had made him flee in terror and lose face; burning her to death was too easy for her.
At this thought, a murderous glint flashed in Butcher Hu's eyes.
After understanding Butcher Hu's plan, the Rebel Soldiers all had a sudden realization. One by one, they excitedly went to prepare Torches. Before long, they had gathered dozens of them and, led by Butcher Hu, began to wind their way toward the back mountain.
Looking at the serpent of fire at the foot of the mountain, Qin Sang couldn't help but curse silently.
Butcher Hu had actually come up with such a cruel method as burning the mountain. This scum had completely lost his humanity and had turned into a total demon.
Thinking of the mountain fires in the future, where even thousands of firefighters had to spend enormous amounts of manpower and resources to control the blaze, or like in America, where a single wildfire could burn for over half a year, Qin Sang felt cold all over.
In these ancient times, a fire in a mountain that had been dry for over half a year would surely be a massive disaster.
Not a single soul among the people hiding in the mountain would survive.
Not to mention the thousands of living creatures that would be burned alive or suffocated.
Butcher Hu, you deserve to be hacked into a thousand pieces.
Qin Sang knew she couldn't withdraw; she couldn't allow herself to be the culprit behind this disaster.