An Yanbing, Xiao Yingkai, and others were ahead, while Black Wind Stockade's Great Leader Huang Heilong and his group were behind. Judging by their appearances, it seemed the previous events were all a misunderstanding.
However, this completely broke the villagers.
"Why can't Black Wind Stockade be destroyed?"
"Were Li Xian's senior brothers and sisters not so powerful? Wasn't Black Wind Stockade unable to resist? Why did they stop at the last moment?"
Both villagers and hunters wore expressions of disappointment and despair. This meant that Black Wind Stockade could still remain entrenched in Qingliang Mountain and continue to persecute the villagers.
Even the village chief Yang Baishu, who had always trusted Li Xian, fell into a rare silence. He didn't say a word, only looking exhausted, as if he had aged many years in an instant. He swayed and left Qingliang Mountain.
If Li Xian and the others couldn't eliminate Black Wind Stockade, who else could they rely on?
Therefore, even the usually talkative village chief Yang Baishu was filled with despair as he left the place.
No one knew what had happened inside Black Wind Stockade, nor what Huang Heilong had said to make An Yanbing and Xiao Yingkai stop and give up.
It was all baffling.
"Senior Brother Xiao Yingkai, Senior Sister An Yanbing, why, why didn't you destroy Black Wind Stockade? Huang Heilong wasn't your opponent!"
As they walked out of Black Wind Stockade's gates, Li Xian could no longer hold back. He saw the despairing and broken eyes of the villagers, and the dejected figure of the old village chief Yang Baishu as he left. Li Xian could no longer accept it.
Therefore, he loudly voiced his confusion.
"Junior Brother Li Xian, Huang Heilong is indeed no match for us, nor are those Black Wind Stockade leaders. However, Huang Heilong has an unusual background and cannot be killed."
Xiao Yingkai's expression was grim. The day's events felt like a disgrace, leaving him exhausted. He had set out to eliminate evil for the people, but what had it become?
"No matter how unusual Huang Heilong's background is, Black Wind Stockade is wicked and deserves to be destroyed!"
Li Xian continued to question. Could his background be more unusual than their Black Eagle Sect? Moreover, Black Wind Stockade had committed countless evils and deserved to be executed.
"Huang Heilong comes from the minor aristocratic family, the Huang Family."
An Yanbing, who had been silent, spoke. Her voice was cold, as if devoid of warmth.
But upon hearing this, Li Xian's eyes widened abruptly, his face lost its composure, and his voice trembled with disbelief: "How can that be? How could Huang Heilong come from the minor aristocratic family, the Huang Family?"
Li Xian felt a profound sense of powerlessness.
"Yes, Junior Brother Li Xian. After repeated confirmation, Huang Heilong does indeed come from the minor aristocratic family, the Huang Family. Even if Huang Heilong's reason for coming to Qingliang Mountain is special, we cannot touch him. He has the Huang Family behind him! The consequences would be unimaginable if we did!"
Xiao Yingkai sighed helplessly.
Li Xian closed his eyes in despair, unable to accept this reality.
The minor aristocratic family, the Huang Family, was currently the most powerful martial arts family in Anyuan County Town. Even the government had to consult the Huang Family's stance on official matters. The Huang Family harbored ambitions to annex all the gangs and sects in Anyuan County Town, but due to the complex relationships behind each sect, they had not yet been able to achieve it.
The minor aristocratic family, the Huang Family, possessed terrifying strength, and no gang or force in Anyuan County Town dared to provoke them lightly. The reason the Huang Family had not yet made a move was that they were waiting for these sects to expose their flaws and weaknesses. Once caught, even if their backing forces intervened, the Huang Family would have justification.
This made the Huang Family the most overbearing force in Anyuan County Town.
And Huang Heilong was a member of the minor aristocratic family, the Huang Family. If he were killed, and the Huang Family investigated afterward, they would find a pretext and trace it back to their Black Eagle Sect. Then, the Black Eagle Sect would bear the wrath of the Huang Family, which An Yanbing did not wish to see.
Therefore, at the last moment, they chose to give up.
Otherwise, Huang Heilong would have certainly died.
"No wonder, no wonder Black Wind Stockade could establish itself in Qingliang Mountain and harm the surrounding people for years without the government of Anyuan County Town intervening. It turns out they already knew Huang Heilong came from the minor aristocratic family, the Huang Family, and turned a blind eye, letting him do as he pleased."
Li Xian finally understood why Black Wind Stockade had committed so many evil deeds within Qingliang Mountain without anyone intervening, and why there was almost no news of Black Wind Stockade's atrocities in Anyuan County Town.
It wasn't that there was no news, but rather that it had already been controlled by the county government.
The root cause of all this was Huang Heilong, the Great Leader of Black Wind Stockade, coming from the minor aristocratic family, the Huang Family.
Even now, his senior brothers and sisters, after learning the truth, could only give up helplessly. This was because the Huang Family's influence in Anyuan County Town was too strong, almost surpassing all other sects.
As An Yanbing, Xiao Yingkai, and the others failed to eradicate Black Wind Stockade, the surrounding villagers became increasingly disappointed. They no longer had the initial excitement and fervor, only fear.
Black Wind Stockade would become a nightmare that would haunt them for the rest of their lives, until their deaths.
"It seems the late Body Tempering Realm Major Leader of Black Wind Stockade was right. Their Great Leader Huang Heilong indeed has a close relationship with a major power in the county town."
Su Mo, on the other side, heard this and lamented the pity, with a hint of surprise. He hadn't expected Black Wind Stockade to be something even Li Xian's senior brothers and sisters couldn't completely resolve. He had learned about the connection between Black Wind Stockade's Great Leader Huang Heilong and a major power in Anyuan County Town when he killed a Major Leader of Black Wind Stockade in the mountains.
He just hadn't expected Huang Heilong's background to be so strong that even Li Xian's senior brothers and sisters were helpless.
Just as all the villagers and commoners were in despair, Li Xian's senior sister, An Yanbing, stepped forward. She told the villagers that although Black Wind Stockade had not been destroyed this time, they had promised not to come down the mountain to collect taxes or forcibly seize the hunters' prey again.
This was a compromise An Yanbing had achieved. Since Huang Heilong couldn't be killed, she had to guarantee the interests of the villagers below the mountain.
Therefore, she forced Black Wind Stockade to make this promise. Fearing An Yanbing and the others, Black Wind Stockade could only reluctantly agree.
As soon as this news broke, the commoners immediately came to their senses. Black Wind Stockade would no longer persecute them?
As long as Black Wind Stockade didn't continue to oppress them, their lives could improve.
And with this promise as a guarantee, in the following days, the villagers began to have hope for their lives again. The hunters also actively went into the mountains to hunt, no longer fearing that Black Wind Stockade would snatch the prey they had worked so hard to catch.
The facts proved to be true. After An Yanbing and the others' guarantee, Black Wind Stockade indeed stopped snatching hunters' prey and no longer came down the mountain to collect taxes. This made the commoners very grateful to Li Xian's senior brothers and sisters.
Although Black Wind Stockade still existed, their lives were finally better. At least they no longer had to live in fear.
Su Mo, on the other hand, had no reaction. Uncle Chen Shan next door had started hunting in the mountains during this time, as had Zhang Tieshan's family. It was as if the shadow that had loomed over the village for years due to Black Wind Stockade had already dispersed.
Young hunting experts like Li Goudan and Chen Mazi also went into the mountains one after another.
Shuanglin Village was developing in a good direction.
"The Black Eagle Sect, Li Xian's sect, considering that our land is barren, will be recruiting disciples in our Shuanglin Village and the surrounding villages during this period. As long as they have good aptitude and talent, they will be eligible to enter the major sects of Anyuan County Town, and even have the opportunity to become esteemed Martial Artists."
Village Chief Yang Baishu recently released this news in the village.
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