The old man in the thin sleeveless shirt, with a white beard, looked at least fifty.
He chased after them, sniveling and crying, which made A'Jiu's eyes widen in surprise.
"Don't mind him," said Wang Shi, her hands behind her back, walking with a light step.
A'Jiu trotted to catch up.
She glanced back silently. The old man was sitting by the roadside, exhausted.
"What's going on up ahead?" Wang Shi craned her neck to see.
A'Jiu followed her gaze and saw someone holding a large white banner, on which was clearly written: "Pleading for the People, Give Us Back Our Green Mountains and Clear Waters."
The person was perched in a tree, vigorously shaking the white banner.
At least two to three hundred refugees were on the road, gradually observing the scene.
"What are you people doing?"
"Yeah, why are you blocking the way?"
"Are you some kind of refugee militia? I'm telling you, we've lost our homes. With just your twenty-odd people, we'll fight to the death to bite you all to death."
Someone in the crowd took the lead. A burly man in his thirties stepped forward.
He wore a head covering and a mask, and his only cotton vest was riddled with holes, with tufts of cotton stuffing sticking out.
The person shaking the banner in the tree immediately yelled down:
"I never intended to kill anyone. The world is in chaos now. The officials have pushed us to a dead end. Are we supposed to sit and wait for death?
You ignorant people, you think you'll find peace in Lingnan? Hahaha..."
A'Jiu squinted at the person in the tree. He looked familiar, but his face was so dirty that she couldn't be sure.
"What's wrong? Shao De, did we run into robbers?" Cai Lihua dared not walk closer, stopping about twenty paces away.
Meng Shao De had already taken down Zi Yu's bow and arrow, removed the wrapping of cloth, and was ready for any eventuality.
"Don't worry, I'm here." Meng Shao De glared menacingly at the person in the tree amidst the dark crowd.
He glanced back at A'Jiu and his mother, then shielded the women behind him.
The person in the tree laughed, gripping the flagpole with one hand and supporting his waist with the other.
"Don't dream. The road to Nanling has long been cut off by the dog emperor."
Upon hearing this, some of the older people exchanged worried glances.
What were they to do?
"Brother, what is the purpose of you and these people blocking our way?" the burly man called out.
The person in the tree waved the banner: "If we unite, we can surely carve out our own world and no longer be controlled by the imperial court."
This statement terrified some of the elderly people on the road, who fainted. This was clearly a rebellion.
More terrifying than refugee armies, more frightening than bandits.
"We can't even get food."
"Madmen."
"If you keep blocking the road, we won't be polite."
Only a few young people were filled with righteous indignation. They were the pillars of their families, and they understood the severity of the current situation.
A'Jiu, from a distance, looked at the person in the tree again. Those words sounded so familiar.
"Speak, how do we fight? How many people do we have?" The hot-blooded men were all eager to prove themselves.
It was better to have a plan than to lead a family of refugees aimlessly.
"A'Jiu, what should we do?" Cai Lihua was frozen in fear. "Shao De..." Huh? Where did he go?
Upon closer inspection, Meng Shao De had three arrows nocked and was aiming at the person in the tree.
"Don't block the way, or you'll taste my arrows."
The person in the tree was not intimidated. Instead, he smiled. "A fine bow, fine arrows... Please, sir, calm yourself."
The person jumped down from the tree, walked through the crowd, and came directly to Meng Shao De. His eyes scanned the bow up and down.
"Brave warrior, forgive my presumption, but may I have a word in private?"
A'Jiu tilted her head and looked. This time she was sure. It was indeed Ma Peng.
Meng Shao De was surprised. He relaxed the tension on his bowstring and turned to his wife and child, saying,
"Don't worry."
They walked to the side of the road, and all the blocked refugees turned to look.
They saw the burly man from earlier talking to the person carrying the banner by the roadside.
"Oh? You have a place to stay?" Meng Shao De's eyes lit up upon hearing Ma Peng's words, but then he became suspicious.
"Why do you look so familiar to me?"