Resettlement

The soldiers guarding the stockade had heard gunshots coming from down the mountain. At first, they thought it was the Government Army about to attack the mountain again, so they gripped their crossbows and hid behind the battlements to be on guard.

Someone leaned down and saw a group of people breaking through the mountain pass and heading straight for the village gate. The one riding the black horse at the head of the group was Shen Jingchuan.

Shen Jingchuan looked up at the stockade wall and shouted, "Open the gate!"

The guards dared not delay. Several of them rushed down the wall to move the bolt and open the gate, while another turned and ran wildly towards the back of the village to report to Hu Tieniu and Zhao Kui.

The gate had barely opened halfway when Hu Tieniu and Zhao Kui, accompanied by several guards, quickly came out to greet them. Hu Tieniu stepped forward, cupped his hands in a fist salute, and spoke in a loud voice:

"Young Master Shen! What brings you here?"

Zhao Kui followed behind, bowing respectfully. "Young Master."

The crowd filed into the village gate, and the village guards quickly worked together to push the heavy gate back into place and lower the bolt.

Hu Tieniu and Zhao Kui led the way, guiding the group straight to the Hall of Righteousness in the center of the mountain stronghold.

After entering the hall and taking their places according to rank, Shen Jingchuan pointed to Lin Weiyuan and the others, and introduced them to Hu Tieniu and his companion:

"This is my father-in-law's family; you should all know them, right?"

"Yes, of course I know him!" Hu Tieniu quickly stepped forward, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to Lin Weiyuan, "Chief Escort Lin, Young Master, Second Young Master, we're old acquaintances."

Lin Weiyuan raised his hand in a gesture of support and smiled:

"Chief Hu, it's been a long time."

Lin Yue chimed in with a smile, his tone slightly teasing:

"Chief Hu, our whole family has come here to beg for your food. We just don't know if you'll welcome us?"

Hu Tieniu was taken aback, his face full of doubt, and he turned to look at Shen Jingchuan:

"Young master, what... what's going on?"

Shen Jingchuan waved his hand, indicating that everyone should sit down first, and then recounted in detail what had happened in Yuxi Prefecture.

After hearing this, Hu Tieniu slammed his hand on the wooden pillar beside him, causing dust to fall from it, and roared angrily:

"These corrupt officials! All they do is bully ordinary people, and now they're even trampling on you respectable merchants like you, without any regard for reason! This world is so unfair!"

After he finished cursing, he turned to Lin Yue and quickly said:

"Second Young Master, you're being too polite! How could I, Hu Tieniu, not welcome you? Our two families became acquainted through a fight, and besides, I already knew that Young Master Shen is your son-in-law."

Our Azure Cloud Stronghold has always been under the leadership of Young Master Shen. Now that you've arrived, the position of leader of the stronghold naturally belongs to Chief Escort Lin. From now on, everyone in the stronghold will obey Chief Escort Lin's orders!

As he spoke, he bowed deeply to Lin Weiyuan. Zhao Kui, standing beside him, also stepped forward and bowed in greeting.

"Your subordinates will heed Chief Escort Lin's instructions from now on."

Lin Weiyuan quickly reached out to help, waving his hands repeatedly:

"No, no, no! Our family is just here to seek refuge. The rules of the stronghold remain unchanged. We'll still be governed as before. There's no need for this, Chief Hu."

Shen Jingchuan, sitting in the main seat, laughed upon seeing this:

"Alright, Tieniu, you can go back to what you were doing. You'll still be in charge of this stronghold. What, you want to abandon me? My father-in-law and his two brothers-in-law did come here to seek refuge. If there's anything the stronghold needs their help with in the future, they certainly won't refuse. Don't think about anything else."

If something really goes wrong, do you really expect them to take the blame for you? Don't even think about it.

"Young master, that's really not what I meant!"

Hu Tieniu's face turned red with anxiety, and he quickly explained:

"I'm sincere! You know I'm just a roughneck, I can't read a single word. I used to be able to manage these few hundred brothers, but now there are more and more people in the village, and I can't take care of many things."

Chief Escort Lin has traveled all over the country and is very knowledgeable. With him in charge, the stronghold will only get better and better. I am truly Qi Ingestion and have no intention of shirking my responsibility."

Shen Jingchuan waved his hand, interrupting him:

"Alright, you don't need to explain anymore. Just listen to me. Go and arrange accommodations for my father-in-law's family. My two wives have also come up the mountain this time. You'll have to take good care of them from now on, understand?"

"Does this require your instructions, young master?"

Hu Tieniu immediately patted his chest and replied, "For the two ladies to come to my mountain stronghold is an immense honor for me. I will risk my life to protect them. Young master, you can rest assured that as long as I, Hu Tieniu, am alive, I will never allow them to be in the slightest danger."

"Alright, I know what you mean." Shen Jingchuan nodded.

Hu Tieniu immediately turned around and shouted towards the door, "Someone come here!"

Immediately, a village guard rushed in, bowed, and accepted the order.

"Go and clear out that area behind the village, then thoroughly clean that small courtyard there, and prepare all the bedding and supplies. Go and get it done right away."

The guards withdrew in response.

Hu Tieniu then turned around and smiled apologetically at Shen Jingchuan:

"Young master, I've kept that small courtyard behind the stronghold for you ever since I finished building it. It's always been cleaned regularly. It's perfect for Chief Escort Lin and his family to stay there this time. It's very spacious. What do you think?"

"Okay, let's go, take me to see it."

Shen Jingchuan stood up.

The group walked towards the back village and soon arrived at their destination.

The courtyard was located at the deepest part of the entire mountain village, with a steep cliff behind it, making it a very secluded place.

The courtyard walls were neatly constructed, and the houses inside were connected, easily accommodating not only dozens of people, but even a hundred or two.

This was specially built by Hu Tieniu when he renovated the mountain stronghold, thinking that Shen Jingchuan would have a more comfortable place to stay when he came over. It had been empty and hadn't been used by anyone until today.

Shen Jingchuan looked around inside and out, quite satisfied, and nodded:

"Okay, let's do it your way."

After settling things over with his lodgings, Shen Jingchuan turned and walked towards the front of the stockade, climbing up the main wall and looking down to inspect the defensive arrangements below.

He stood by the rampart for a moment, then with a flick of his wrist, a heavy, black Maxim Heavy Machine Gun appeared in his palm, which he then mounted on the rampart.

Hu Tieniu stood to the side, and when he saw the object appear out of thin air, he showed no surprise whatsoever.

Shen Jingchuan reached out and patted the cold gun barrel, then said to Hu Tieniu:

"This is called a machine gun, it's much more powerful than the submachine gun I gave you last time. Find a few of your most trusted brothers to guard this thing, I'll teach you how to use it later. With it here, we don't have to be afraid of any number of the Government Army coming down the mountain."