"Master, a band of strangers in black has come to attack us. Whatever you do, don't go outside. My brother and the others are fighting them off," Zhan Junru said, her face frantic.
Tang Ling hurriedly strapped on his saber, picked up his crossbow, and went outside.
Although the moonlight was fairly bright that night, the scene was utter chaos. Zhan Dongwen and the guards were locked in a fierce battle with a band of attackers.
Meanwhile, Zhang Kui stood firm outside the old madam's tent, while Li Quan guarded Tang Wen's tent.
"Master, you mustn't go!" As soon as Tang Wen emerged from the tent, Li Quan hurried to block his path.
"Don't worry. I'll deal with them. If anyone attacks the tent, kill them with your crossbow," Tang Wen said.
After all, it was nighttime, and everyone else had trouble telling friend from foe. But Tang Wen had noticed something peculiar.
Human aura rose above the heads of all his Tang household servants, and those wisps were especially conspicuous at night. Like glow sticks, they were visible from far away.
He could tell at a glance who belonged to his side and who was an intruder.
Thus, he targeted only those with no human aura rising above their heads.
In his previous life, Tang Wen had been a renowned medical expert, but also a military enthusiast. The international special forces headquarters had invited him to serve as a battlefield doctor.
At the time, he had been required to train alongside them for a year and had accompanied them on several missions, so he had some experience.
On top of that, this body had practiced martial arts for ten years, and he wore a lightweight bulletproof vest made of special synthetic fibers, which Luo Jun had obtained for him.
Using the Willow-Floating Step, he slipped through the chaotic crowd like a ghost.
An enemy's saber struck his body without hurting him, but one shot from his crossbow would take their life.
In just a few minutes, four or five bandits fell to his compact crossbow. The remaining dozen or so scattered and fled in terror.
At that moment, dozens of torches were lit.
"Master, five or six of our people are wounded," Zhan Dongwen said.
"Carry them into the tent at once so we can treat and bandage them," Tang Wen said. He worked for quite some time before finishing the dressings.
However, two household servants died from excessive blood loss.
"Ten of the attackers are dead. The rest all escaped," Zhan Dongwen reported once Tang Wen had finished.
"Master, I caught up with two of them. I killed one and wanted to capture the other alive, but unfortunately, he jumped into the sea and escaped," Zhao Du said as he came running back, panting.
"Who were they?" Tang Wen asked, his expression icy.
"We couldn't find out. Apart from their weapons and clothes, they had nothing on them that could identify them." Zhan Dongwen shook his head.
"They must have been pirates!" said Bu Feng, another skilled fighter who had recently joined the Tang household alongside Zhao Du.
Bu Feng possessed the strength of the ninth grade realm, while Zhao Du was currently the strongest of the Tang household servants and likely possessed the strength of ninth grade perfection.
His poor performance when lifting the iron weights during the sale of his service had been due to prolonged hunger and malnutrition.
As long as he had food to eat, a few days of recuperation would restore his strength.
"Did you see a boat?" Tang Wen asked.
"No, I didn't." Bu Feng shook his head.
"I chased them for more than a dozen li just now, but I didn't see any boats," Zhao Du said.
"Could they have come over the stone bridge?" Bu Feng asked.
"That's unlikely under normal circumstances. Pirates have boats, so they would certainly come by boat. That would also make it easier to escape if they ran into government troops. Of course, Su Mei Island is large, so we can't rule out the possibility that they hid their boat somewhere," Tang Wen said.
"Master, tomorrow I'll take a group of men to search all of Paradise Island and capture those who escaped," Zhao Du said.
"There's no need for that yet. We don't have enough men, and we certainly can't split up.
"Besides, we can't rule out someone else being behind this.
"For example, those people who seized our Tang family's farmland.
"Afraid we'll reclaim the land, they might resort to ruthless measures too." Tang Wen shook his head slightly.
"But we can't guard against everything this way. What if they come again tonight?
"We can't afford more injuries, let alone more deaths.
"If a few more people die, it'll probably scare away everyone who comes to seek shelter with us," Zhan Dongwen said, his face full of worry.
"We need to strengthen our defenses tomorrow. I brought back a batch of wire mesh. Tomorrow, have people cut down some trees and drive them into the ground.
"Fasten the wire mesh to the timber and fence in our entire camp. Then we'll only need a few people to guard the gate.
"When the time comes, even if another group attacks us,
"they'll at least have to get past the wire fence first," Tang Wen said.
"Iron is too expensive. Even army camps couldn't possibly use iron structures for their defenses. They usually put up a wooden palisade around the camp, then build watchtowers and post sentries," Zhao Du said.
"Master, we'd best organize a group of archers too. With a wooden palisade around us, we can shoot anyone who attacks," Bu Feng said.
After all, these men could never have imagined the wire barriers used along modern borders.
Tang Wen took them straight into the "warehouse" to show them his wire mesh. It was woven from heavy-gauge wire and stored in rolls. Unrolled, it stood over four meters high.
Unless the enemy had black-clad cannons, even firearms would struggle to breach it.
Of course, large bolt cutters had yet to be invented here in the Chu Kingdom. Otherwise, the wire fence would not have been nearly as useful.
Zhao Du and the others pulled at it with all their strength for a while, but the wire mesh only bent slightly, leaving them all astonished.
"With this, things will be much easier. Then we can build a wooden watchtower every few dozen meters to help us attack and defend," Zhan Dongwen suggested.
"Then this will be our fortified camp!" Zhao Du said with a hearty laugh.
After breakfast, Tang Wen gathered everyone in the open space outside the tents.
The bodies of the two servants killed in battle lay on door planks at the front. Their wives and children clung to the bodies, their wails shaking heaven and earth.
"Everyone, I, Tang Wen, have been distributing porridge for several days, and in doing so, I've welcomed all you brothers and sisters here.
"Now we have food to eat, clothes to wear, and somewhere to live. We no longer have to go hungry, suffer the cold, or sleep on the ground.
"But some people don't want us to live well. Last night, bandits brazenly broke in to steal our food and clothing.
"They were trying to snatch away our rice bowls. Without food or clothes, we would starve or freeze to death-or be killed by them.
"These people are guilty of monstrous crimes. Tell me, what should we do?" Tang Wen stood ramrod straight and asked loudly.
"Kill them!"
"Tear them into ten thousand pieces!"
"Report them to the authorities!"
The crowd erupted in fury.
"Quiet, everyone!" Tang Wen pressed his hands downward, and the clamor subsided.
"You're right! If we want to live well, we can't let their schemes succeed!" Tang Wen roared, then walked over to the two bodies.
His face filled with grief, he bowed three times before them. "You sold yourselves into the Tang household just one day ago, only to meet such a cruel death. Rest assured, I, Tang Wen, will avenge you."
After speaking, Tang Wen went over and gently helped their wives up. "They died for the Tang household, and we will never mistreat you. Junru, bring the silver."
Looking grief-stricken, Zhan Junru slowly approached with two hundred taels of silver on a tray.
"Ladies, one hundred taels for each of you. This is a small token from the Tang household.
"If you no longer wish to stay here, I can arrange a carriage to take you off the island.
"And I'll give you an additional ten dou of rice." Tang Wen handed the silver to the two widows.
"Master Tang, we won't leave. We want to sell ourselves into the Tang household, including my children.
"We don't want a single coin. From now on, we'll all be servants of the Tang household. We want to avenge our husbands.
"Master Tang, please keep these hundred taels for us for now. We'll come to collect them when we need them."
Tian Xiuer, one of the bereaved family members, dropped to her knees, clutched Tang Wen's thigh, and sobbed.
"That's right! From now on, my whole family will be servants of the Tang household.
"Please avenge my husband, Sun Wang, Master Tang! Avenge him!
"I, Zhou Xue, will work like an ox or a horse to repay your great kindness, Master Tang."
The other widow knelt and clung to Tang Wen's other thigh, crying out alongside her.
"Father, we'll avenge you! Avenge you! Master Tang..." At once, all four children broke into a chorus of sobs, and many people wiped away tears.
"That's right! Our people cannot die for nothing. We must unite as one. Whoever tries to snatch away our rice bowls, we'll fight them to the bitter end!" Zhao Du waved his fist.
"Master Tang is the one who feeds and clothes us! We'll obey Master Tang!" Zhan Dongwen raised his hand and shouted, lending support at just the right moment.
"That's right! We'll obey Master Tang..."
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