Top-notch Little Horseman

In the potato field to the east, tender green seedlings sprouted from the yellow soil, row upon row, neat and orderly.

Ayu and his group from Chenjia Village have arrived and are squatting at the edge of the field, loosening the soil with hoes.

When Zhu Zi saw Ye Chen and the others coming from afar, he shouted happily.

"Sir Ye, these seedlings are growing exceptionally well! My father said he's lived for over sixty years and has never seen such good crops!"

Ye Chen nodded to him, walked over, squatted down to look at the seedlings, and reached out to pinch the soil on the ridge, saying, "The soil is still a bit dry. Zhuzi, you guys should water those ridges on the west side thoroughly today."

"Monkey, go fetch some water from the spring."

The monkey, who had just collapsed to the ground panting, let out a groan upon hearing Ye Chen's words: "Captain... I don't have any strength left..."

He was truly too weak to get up from the ground.

"Training is training, and carrying water is carrying water. Get up!"

The monkey wobbled to its feet, picked up its bucket, and headed toward the spring.

Zhu Zi followed behind Ye Chen, watering the plants while muttering, "Lord Ye, someone came to the village a few days ago asking about you!"

"When did this happen?" Ye Chen asked, raising his eyes slightly.

"Three days ago, a tall, thin man, wearing gray clothes, spoke with a non-local accent!" Zhu Zi thought for a moment and said.

"I walked around the village entrance, asked Ayu a few questions, and then left."

"What did you ask?" Ye Chen asked, his gaze slightly narrowed.

"When asked where Lord Ye lived and how many people were in Huangchen Pass, A-Yu said he didn't know and then left," Zhu Zi replied.

Lin Chen's eyes twitched, and he said with a serious expression, "If any strangers come to inquire in the future, don't say anything. Just report it to me."

"Understood!" Zhu Zi nodded.

Ye Chen looked at the sky and had a bad feeling in his heart. He was afraid that someone was watching him.

We've lingered long enough at Desolate Dust Pass; it's time to retrieve some weapons and elevate the pass to a higher level.

……

The next day, Ye Chen called Monkey and prepared to go find Er Gouzi to get weapons.

On this day, Hong Chengye and Uncle Laogen passed through Huangchen Pass.

They set off from the Third Horse Camp on official business to Zhenbeibao, and stopped here for a rest along the way.

Upon entering, one sees Ye Chen and the monkey about to leave, along with a dozen or so people stabbing a straw man in the yard.

"What are you doing?" Hong Chengye stood at the gate of the courtyard, his eyes wide open.

"Getting ready to go to the foundry to get some equipment," the monkey chuckled.

"I'm asking, what are they doing?" Hong Chengye glanced at the monkey and then asked the Smokers who were training.

"Oh, you mean that? They're training. It's called physical training," the monkey said, proudly bending his arm to show off.

"Lord Hong, look, it's the result of hard work!"

"Physical training?" Hong Chengye frowned. "This is the first time I've ever heard of this term."

Ye Chen smiled and said, "Lord Hong, please come in and have a seat!"

With Hong Chengye's arrival, he had no choice but to abandon his plans and focus on entertaining Hong Chengye first.

Hong Chengye sat down on the stone bench, took the bowl of water that Ye Chen handed him, and took a sip.

"I heard you guys are doing quite well here!" Hong Chengye said with a smile.

"I just grew some grain to support myself," Ye Chen said with a slight smile.

"Yes, you're taking this self-preservation too seriously! By the way, General Chen asked me to ask you how your potatoes are growing."

"Your reputation for managing horses has spread far and wide; now everyone in the Right Guard Garrison knows you!"

Ye Chen nodded slightly without saying a word.

Hong Chengye took another sip of water, his smile fading, and said somewhat seriously, "There's one more thing you need to pay attention to."

"Recently, several villages in Dingyuan County have been attacked by bandits, and the villagers' stored grain has been looted. You must be extra careful at night."

"Is the news confirmed?" Ye Chen became serious.

"How could a report from the government be false?" Hong Chengye stood up and patted Ye Chen on the shoulder.

"Where do these bandits come from? How many are there?" Ye Chen asked, frowning slightly.

Hearing Hong Chengye's words, he remembered what Zhu Zi had said and felt uneasy.

"The report said there were dozens of groups, big and small, with the largest group having about two hundred people," Hong Chengye said in a low voice.

"Your Desolate Dust Pass might become a target, so you'd better be well-prepared and extra careful!"

"Okay. I understand." Ye Chen nodded.

After Hong Chengye left, Ye Chen gathered everyone together.

"Starting tonight, night watch will be increased to two people per shift, in three-hour shifts. You must notify me immediately in case of any situation."

"It's best if they don't come. But if they dare to come, we'll make sure they don't leave alive!"

"From now on, weapons must be at your side at all times, ready for battle!"

He thought for a moment, then looked at Smoker and said, "You go with Monkey and find Er Gouzi to retrieve the sniper rifle."

With sniper rifles, every shot will be a kill, greatly enhancing the defenses of Huangchen Pass.

"Okay, leave it to us." Smoker nodded.

……

Ye Chen and Qin Mengyao prepared a sumptuous dinner to welcome Monkey and Smoker, but what they received instead was a letter.

Smoker, carrying a long gun, rode his horse into the desolate pass.

"Captain, Captain, something terrible has happened!" Smoker shouted as he rushed in.

His shouts startled the entire Desolate Dust Pass, and all the horsemen rushed out. Ye Chen and Qin Mengyao both looked over.

"What's wrong?" Ye Chen strode over and asked.

Smoker, panting heavily, dismounted and handed the letter to Ye Chen, who was walking over.

Ye Chen took the letter, frowned slightly, and opened it.

The letter was very simple. It said that the monkey had lost one hundred taels of silver gambling at the gambling den and was now inviting his captain, Ye Chen, to come and talk about how to pay off the debt.

"What happened? Tell me, what exactly happened?" Ye Chen frowned and asked the Smoker.

"Captain... After we retrieved the guns from the foundry, we prepared to return to Desolate Dust Pass, but Monkey was called away by his fellow villagers."

"I waited for him for several hours, and what I got was... this letter. It said that if he wanted the monkey's life, he would personally deliver the letter to you."

"If that's the case... then this is aimed at me." Ye Chen frowned slightly.

"Although the monkey is a bit of a rascal, he knows what's important and what's urgent. He wouldn't have gone off to play around; someone must have set him up."

"I'm just his team leader, not his father. Why should he come to me to talk about his debts?"

"From what you're saying... someone is specifically targeting you. Is it to swindle money or to swindle people?" The Smoker immediately understood.

Liang Biao then walked over, knowing what had happened, and looked at Ye Chen seriously, saying, "Captain, they're trying to lure you out of Huangchen Pass. It's obvious they're after you!"

"Since you know it's targeting you, you absolutely mustn't go. You'll have to think of another way!"