Ji Die comforted Ping Ping, then looked outside the door, naturally sensing the ill intent of the newcomers.
"Who are you?" He didn't panic, calmly observing their attire as he asked.
"Yang Yuanwai has some questions for you. If you don't want to suffer, then come with us!" One of the burly men, accustomed to being overbearing, was displeased that this country bumpkin dared to question him.
Yang Yuanwai wants to ask me something?!
Could it be related to that Black-Clothed Old Man?
Ji Die was startled, instinctively associating this matter with the Black-Clothed Old Man, and a wave of worry washed over him.
"Brother Ji, I'm scared." Li Pingping huddled in his arms, worried about her father.
"It's alright, Ping Ping, Brother is here. Let's go see." Ji Die reassured her, deciding to go with the two men.
Besides, these two clearly wouldn't give him a chance to refuse...
"Have you decided yet?!" One of the burly men urged.
Ji Die said nothing, holding Ping Ping as he followed behind the two men.
He didn't ask where they were taking him, assuming they wouldn't answer even if he did. As he followed, he noticed that the village was silent, with no one in sight, as if all the villagers had been taken away.
Seeing such a grand display, Ji Die's eyes flickered.
At this moment, in the open space outside the village, people were gathered in a dense crowd—elderly, children, women, and young adults—all with bewildered and fearful expressions.
Some of them still had dirt on their bodies, having been forcibly brought here while working in the fields, completely unaware of what had happened.
"Yang Yuanwai, may I ask why you've brought us all here?" The village chief of Wenhe Village, an elderly man in his sixties, stood before a corpulent man, his posture very low.
Who would dare not to, with those menacing strong men surrounding them?
"Village Chief, don't worry. I'm not a bad person. I'm just here to investigate some matters. As long as you answer me honestly, I'll let you go very soon." Yang Yuanwai wore a purple silk robe that looked slightly bulky, but no one dared to mock him.
He spat out a grape skin and glanced at the village chief before him.
"Yes, yes, yes, we will certainly tell you everything we know." The village chief chuckled, knowing that beneath that benevolent facade lay a ruthlessness that would devour people without leaving bones.
Just then, two burly men emerged from the village, leading a young man.
Seeing the familiar villagers ahead, Ji Die's gaze fell on a corpulent man at the front of the crowd.
This person was Yang Yuanwai, who had encroached upon his family's land!
And Steward Zhang, from a few days ago, was also here, standing behind Yang Yuanwai.
Ji Die hid the coldness in his eyes and shifted his gaze away from the two of them.
"Ping Ping." Li Yi was also here, and seeing his daughter held by Ji Die, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Uncle Li." Ji Die greeted him and walked over, setting Ping Ping down.
The two burly men who had brought Ji Die over then walked up to Yang Yuanwai and respectfully said, "Yuanwai, all three hundred and ten people from Wenhe Village are here."
"Why did it take so long?!" Yang Yuanwai glanced at him indifferently.
"This subordinate deserves to die." The burly man quickly lowered his head.
"Don't let it happen again!" Yang Yuanwai reprimanded him but didn't pursue it, smiling as he looked at the villagers who had no idea what was happening.
"Since everyone is here, I won't beat around the bush. I'm sure you're all very curious about why I've called you here."
Upon hearing this, all the villagers quieted down, waiting for his next words.
Yang Yuanwai said loudly, "The reason I've called you all here is because there's a murder case that's connected to your Wenhe Village."
"I need to know now, who left the village seven days ago!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the villagers in the open space immediately erupted like a boiling pot.
"It's a misunderstanding! Yang Yuanwai! We know nothing about this!" All the villagers, including the old village chief, changed their expressions.
They never expected to be implicated in a murder case and all claimed they hadn't left the village.
Seven days ago?
That day seemed to be exactly when he went to town to sell Spirit Medicine.
Could it be that the other party already knew the Black-Clothed Old Man died nearby?
Ji Die noted the date, subtly lowering his head without showing any abnormality.
Li Yi, who was beside him, also noticed this and secretly glanced at him.
He remembered his daughter giving the wild ginseng to Ji Die for him to sell in town, but he wasn't sure if it was exactly seven days ago.
"Anyone who provides a clue will be rewarded with ten taels of silver by this Yuanwai!" Yang Yuanwai wasn't surprised when no one admitted anything, directly offering ten taels of silver as a reward.
For these villagers, this was definitely a huge sum, and he believed no one could refuse this temptation.
Sure enough, a sharp voice quickly rang out,
"I know who it is! That day I was working in the fields and saw Ji Die leave the village and not return for several hours!"
This was a farm woman who, while busy in the fields seven days ago, had seen Ji Die leave the village.
Now, under the temptation of ten taels of silver, she immediately exposed Ji Die.
"Ji Die." Yang Yuanwai thought about it for a moment but didn't remember such a person. However, that wasn't important.
"Who is Ji Die?!" He looked around.
"Yuanwai, it's that boy." Steward Zhang excitedly pointed at Ji Die in the crowd.
The surrounding villagers, fearing trouble, quickly distanced themselves from him upon seeing this, and even Li Pingping was carried away by Li Yi.
This feeling of being abandoned by the world made Ji Die's heart heavy.
He didn't resent the farm woman, his face returning to calm as he looked at Yang Yuanwai and said, "I did leave the village seven days ago, but it was to sell wild ginseng in town. The person you're talking about wasn't killed by me!"
"Whether it was you or not, once I apprehend you, I'll naturally have a way to find out." Yang Yuanwai sneered and ordered,
"Go and take him down!"
"Alright." Steward Zhang excitedly strode forward, not putting Ji Die in his eyes at all, and reached out to grab him.
"Boy, surrender obediently, and you'll suffer less physical pain."
"Get lost!" Ji Die's lips trembled. Thinking of how he had been exploited by these people over the years, and now they were trying to apprehend him without asking any questions, an infinite rage suddenly surged within him.
In an instant, the Spirit Qi in his lower abdomen suddenly surged throughout his body, and he punched forward.
"You're still too green for me." Steward Zhang's face was full of disdain. He had practiced martial arts for years and didn't put a boy who couldn't even eat his fill in his eyes.
He stopped in place and punched forward.
With a crunch, the sound of bones shattering rang out.
Steward Zhang, with an expression of utter disbelief, flew backward like a dead dog.
"How is this possible?" A deathly silence fell over the surroundings, and the villagers stared with wide, disbelieving eyes.
To actually punch someone so far away, was this boy a monster?!
Was this still the Ji Die they knew?
The woman who had spoken earlier turned pale and lowered her head.
Fearing that Ji Die's gaze would fall on her.
