During the noon break, Bai Sheng was lying on the long bench in the space, enjoying durian. This was the first batch of fruit from the durian trees in the space. Due to the small size of the trees, each tree only bore one fruit.
However, the durians watered by the spiritual spring water were exceptionally fragrant, mellow, and sweet, tasting many times better than the Monthong durian Bai Sheng had eaten in the real world.
With every bite, Bai Sheng's eyes would squint in satisfaction, and she couldn't help but let out contented sounds.
Lu Ye couldn't stand the smell of durian, but he dared not tell his darling that the food she ate was too smelly. He directly went to the stable to take care of the young horses. There were many new foals in the herd, and someone needed to look after them from time to time.
Similarly, Henger, Shanhai, Baoyu, and others were also keeping a distance from the durian smell.
They were very confused. How could their master's noble mouth possibly eat that yellow, poop-like, stinky thing?
Shanhai had vomited several times. How terrifying must something be that could make a snake vomit!
In short, they would not go near their master as long as she did not finish those stinky poops.
At this time, the sun was shining high in the sky over Red Tree Slope, with bright sunlight everywhere, making one feel sleepy.
Everyone on Red Tree Slope was taking a nap in their rooms. The road construction workers would set up straw huts to rest wherever they were working. Currently, the road starting from Bai Sheng's doorstep to the town was almost finished, reaching the main road north of Huangsha Village.
The patrol team of Red Tree Slope's guard was patrolling the surroundings on horseback.
Wang Xiao Ma and Lu Yun were riding one horse, while Wang Gui Er rode a horse alone.
The three of them dismounted and hid behind a sand dune. From a distance, they saw several men looking around the Elder's house. Two of them casually approached the warehouse, suspiciously trying to peek inside through the crack in the door.
"These people are definitely suspicious!" Wang Gui Er said nervously.
He hadn't expected such a thing to happen on their patrol day. He was both scared and excited. He had rehearsed fighting with bad guys many times in his mind, and each time he was victorious and the bad guys were defeated.
The team leader, Wang Xiao Ma, whispered, "Let's not act rashly. How about this: Yun, you are small, so even if you are discovered, you won't alert them. You go around the back of the house and call the Elder out. Gui Er and I will keep them occupied."
"Okay!" Lu Yun agreed and disappeared with a whoosh. Yun's skills were even better than his. He had to work harder in the future by following the Elder.
He was the leader of the fourth team of the guard and had to become very strong, otherwise, he would feel guilty about being the leader.
Lu Yun cleverly avoided the sight of those men and hid in the corner of the house, waiting for Xiao Ma and Gui Er to attract their attention.
"My good sirs, are you looking for work?" Wang Xiao Ma walked up to them, leading his horse, with Gui Er following behind him with his horse.
Seeing the two of them, a glint of surprise flashed in the eyes of the men, but they quickly resumed their honest and docile demeanor.
One of the short, stout men smiled heartily, "Yes, little brothers, my family is out of food and water and cannot make a living. We heard that Red Tree Slope is recruiting, so we came to take a look."
Another square-faced man frowned and sighed, "My parents have starved to death, and I cannot go on. Please take me in, master."
No matter how they tried to conceal it, these men did not look like ordinary farmers. Wang Xiao Ma's palms began to sweat, but he forced himself to remain calm and said with a smile, "We are not the masters, we are just looking after the horses for the master. The people in charge here are all taking their midday nap. If you want to work, you need to register. Why don't you tell me your situation first, gentlemen?"
The men exchanged glances and nodded with a smile.
Lu Yun took advantage of their inattention and slipped into the house.
Henger, who was dizzy from the durian smell, hadn't paid attention to the situation outside the space. When he came to his senses, he saw Lu Yun knocking on Lu Ye's door. He immediately sent Lu Ye out of the space using his consciousness.
Lu Ye opened the door and saw his younger brother Lu Yun, who looked very nervous. "What's wrong, Xiao Yun?"
Lu Yun whispered, "Brother, we've spotted some very suspicious people. They've been loitering around our house, looking around, and specifically peeking into the warehouse. Hurry up and go take a look."
Lu Ye's face tightened, and he strode out. Lu Yun immediately followed him.
About ten meters away from the door, those men were chatting with Wang Xiao Ma. Gui Er stood beside them with a stiff body, and he visibly relaxed when he saw Lu Ye coming out.
Lu Ye's gaze swept over them one by one.
Although these men were poorly dressed and their faces were dirty, they had strong, muscular bodies and steady breaths. They were definitely martial artists.
Two of them had black spots and flesh tumors on their faces, which were very similar to the symptoms of eating human flesh for a long time, as described by the darling. In this case, these people were certainly not good people.
Wang Xiao Ma caught sight of Lu Ye, his heart immediately steadied, and he raised his hand to introduce them, "This is our Elder master."
Upon seeing Lu Ye, the men were slightly stunned for a moment, then they showed honest, flattering smiles and bowed to Lu Ye, "Greetings, Elder master."
Lu Ye nodded faintly, "If you are interested in working for my family, please come back this afternoon. The people in charge are taking their midday nap."
"Yes, yes," the men said, bowing and leaving.
Wang Xiao Ma and Gui Er immediately stepped forward.
Wang Xiao Ma said, "Master, these people don't look like they're here to apply for work at all. They look more like they're here to gather information."
Lu Ye looked at Wang Xiao Ma and, wanting to understand the recent learning progress of the guard team, smiled and said, "Xiao Ma, how did you see that?"
Wang Xiao Ma pondered, "If they were here to apply for work, they wouldn't be so rude as to wander around the master's door and look around. Ordinary poor farming families are timid and fearful, they wouldn't be so bold."
"Also," Gui Er frowned, "they are all strong, which means they haven't been starving for a long time. They are lying!"
"Yes, you have observed very well," Lu Ye nodded and smiled. "Anything else?"
Lu Yun rubbed his ear and said, "Our family has so many rooms, but they specifically peeked into the warehouse. This means they knew the approximate location of the warehouse beforehand, and someone might have told them in advance."
Lu Ye's eyes lit up, and he looked at Lu Yun with admiration, "Xiao Yun's deduction is very reasonable. There are many people working on Red Tree Slope, and our family's situation is not a secret. Someone must have leaked something to them."
"How hateful!" Gui Er said angrily, "Our family gave them a way to live, but they turned around and betrayed us. They are truly ungrateful wretches!"
Wang Xiao Ma also said with a somber face, "Don't be angry for now. There are too many people working on Red Tree Slope, and no one can be sure who revealed the secret. However, these people don't look like farmers at all. Ordinary poor farmers rarely come into contact with them."
"Xiao Ma's analysis is very reasonable," Lu Ye patted his shoulder. This young boy was calm, rational, and meticulous, and he was worth cultivating. "What do you think they are like?"
Gui Er said, "They are definitely not farmers!"
"They don't look like soldiers either," Lu Yun said. He still remembered the guards that Prince Yu had brought last time.
Wang Xiao Ma pondered, "If they are neither civilians nor soldiers, then they must be bandits!"
"Correct," Lu Ye said with great satisfaction, "You three performed very well today. I will have Ma San record it for you."
All three were filled with excitement. They hadn't expected to achieve merit on their fourth team's first outing. The other teams must be very envious!
Lu Ye put away his smile. "Xiao Ma, pay more attention to those men this afternoon and see if they come to apply for work. Also, Lu Yun and Gui Er, quickly inform everyone. After dinner, all the residents of Red Tree Slope will have a meeting."
"Yes!" All three considered themselves soldiers going to battle.