“Damn it! You dare to dodge…” David Harris flicked his wrist, pulling back the horsewhip and raising it high. At that moment, he caught the glare from William Clark, who was shielding the old village chief.

This is…! David Harris's hand trembled. William Clark's furious gaze was just like a wild beast in the jungle, sending a chill surging through David Harris's heart. For a moment, he actually forgot—or rather, didn't dare—to bring the whip down again, as if afraid of provoking a counterattack from this human beast.

“Master Liu, we just want to ask clearly, what is going on here?” William Clark stared at David Harris. This was a skill he had honed while hunting in the jungle: when anger and killing intent were fused together and he locked his gaze on the other party, it created an intimidation so strong that even a vicious lone wolf would often choose to back down in the face of such eyes.

“What do you mean, what's going on?” David Harris shouted in a shrill voice, “What do you want to ask?”

“It was always Master Du who came before, but today…” William Clark paused, glancing at the bandit leader, “We’re afraid that if we give this to you, and if Master Du comes again, we won’t have anything for him, and our village…”

“Du Wu will never come again.” The bandit leader, sitting tall on his fast horse, wore a look of pride between his brows. “I’ve already killed him. He won’t appear again. From now on, I! Ethan Brooks! am your new guardian Longxuan! All you need to do is give me the tribute you owe.”

“That’s right! Our Big Brooks is now the new guardian Longxuan here…” David Harris shouted excitedly, “Now hand over the tribute!”

The village chief’s seeking gaze fell on William Clark's face. He felt that he was already old, and the young man’s chest had just given everyone a sense of security. Maybe it really was time for this young man to make the decision.

William Clark nodded. The village chief, with a sense of reluctance, held the clay jar in both hands. David Harris yanked the jar away roughly, nearly pulling the unsteady village chief to the ground. Luckily, William Clark was quick and hurriedly steadied the old man. He stared nervously at Ethan Brooks, silently praying that this would resolve things, though his instincts told him it wouldn’t be so simple.

“If Mr. Brooks has nothing else, we’ll be heading back now.” The village chief bowed and turned, supported by William Clark, heading toward the nearest wooden house.

“Wait.”

Ethan Brooks's shout carried a hint of displeasure, and William Clark's heart instantly sank. In recent years, when he went to town to sell things, he’d heard storytellers say that whenever a new bandit replaced the old, the first time they came to extort, the new bandit would always stir up trouble in the village to teach the residents a lesson, so that in the future, they wouldn’t dare challenge his authority.

Ethan Brooks glanced at the gold coins in the clay jar and said coolly, “This protection fee is too little.”

“It’s not less.” The village chief hurried to explain, “It’s the same amount every year…”

“That was Du Wu’s share.” Ethan Brooks's words were cold and menacing. He tossed the clay jar back into William Clark's arms. “I want three times that amount.”

Three times! The old village chief shuddered, his face bitter as he looked at Ethan Brooks. “Mr. Brooks, if that’s the case, our village will have nothing to live on for the next half year. Could you possibly give us some leeway…”

“Hahaha…” Ethan Brooks's rough hand swung forcefully through the air, his tone chilling. “Looks like you still don’t know who’s in charge here. My word is law! You dare resist? Very well! David Harris, they won’t give it, will they? Take it! Take whatever you want, however you want! I want this village to be an ‘example’ for the others, so they’ll see who dares defy my rule!”

The bandits’ eyes instantly gleamed with excitement. Robbery! This was their favorite thing to do. Watching those powerless villagers scream and struggle in vain was the most exhilarating thing!

The front hooves of more than thirty fast horses suddenly reared high, letting out excited whinnies before the charge. Several bandits whistled gleefully, lit torches, raised their sabers, and rushed toward the houses throughout the village.

“Mr. Brooks, please don’t…”

The old village chief tried to step forward to stop them, but the fast horse in front of him seemed not to see him at all, charging straight at him.

William Clark reacted quickly, dragging the old village chief out of the way as the frenzied horse thundered past them.

“Mr. Brooks, we can gather three times the amount…” William Clark looked up and said anxiously, “Please, let everyone…”

“Too late.” Ethan Brooks threw his head back and laughed, watching his men run wild and wreak havoc. “Since you dared to bargain with me, you must pay the price this time. You won’t do it again in the future.”

Not far away, savage hooves kicked down one wooden door after another. The terrified cries of villagers rang out as the bandits leapt from their horses, stormed into houses, looted and smashed belongings, and some even pinned women to beds, tearing at their clothes.

Firelight, screams, neighing horses, and chaotic, swaying figures all mingled in the howling wind and snow, dragging the once peaceful village into a hell of agony and carnage.

“There’s one more family here!”