At night, Shen Qingwan climbed up and saw a small reservoir, but it had almost dried up.

Only a few drops of water trickled from the cracks in the stone.

At this rate, in a day, it would be completely dry.

Remembering that she had plenty of stored water in her space, Shen Qingwan shouted down below, “There’s a reservoir up here, but the water outlet is blocked by stones. If I move them, the water will flow down. Get your containers ready, and I’ll release the water for you!”

Hearing this, the people below were overjoyed.

They hurriedly lined up with their buckets and water bags, eager to collect every drop.

“We’re ready, sister-in-law!” Lu Dahe shouted.

With that, a rush of water cascaded down as soon as Shen Qingwan removed the obstruction.

The villagers quickly filled their buckets, moving swiftly to avoid wasting any water.

After filling a bucket, they promptly switched to the next one, transferring the water into their pouches.

Shen Qingwan released a whole ton of mineral water from her storage.

Only when the people below said they had enough did she stop and climb down.

Once she stopped pouring, the water from the stone wall quickly ceased as well.

The villagers assumed the reservoir had emptied and didn’t think much of it.

After everyone had filled their containers, they began descending the mountain.

Shen Qingwan carried a wooden bucket and a few water pouches filled by Bai Yong’an for her.

Bai Yong’an initially wanted to help her carry the water, but his strength was limited.

Thankfully, Shen Qingwan was strong—she lifted the bucket with one hand effortlessly.

The others also carried their buckets, with water pouches slung around their necks.

With this much water, they could last for several days.

As they reached the foot of the mountain, Shen Qingwan heard urgent shouting from ahead.

A bad feeling struck her, and she quickened her pace.

The other men also sensed something was wrong and followed suit.

“Zhao Laosan, you’re despicable! Our villages have always been neighbors, yet you dare rob Dahe Village?”

The village chief of Dahe Village glared at Zhao Laosan, the leader of Zhao Village, his chest heaving with anger.

Their two villages had never gotten along, but their disputes had always been minor.

Now, on this journey of survival, where everyone was struggling, Zhao Laosan had actually led his people to rob them!

Zhao Laosan spat on the ground and sneered, “You have the audacity to talk? If your village hadn’t killed so many bandits, those outlaws wouldn’t have gone on a rampage and slaughtered so many villages! Our Zhao Village had over three hundred people, and nearly half were killed. It’s all because of you!”

“Robbing you is nothing—I’d rather kill you all! If it weren’t for your actions, our village wouldn’t have suffered so much loss in people, food, and valuables. Hand over your grain and money, and maybe we’ll spare your lives today!”

The village chief of Dahe Village was stunned.

Zhao Laosan was actually blaming them for fighting back against the bandits?

Did he think resisting was wrong?

“Zhao Laosan, stop your nonsense! Do you think Dahe Village is afraid of you?”

The village chief ordered the strong men with machetes to the front, those with hoes behind them, while the elderly, women, and children stayed in the back.

Zhao Laosan was bold, perhaps thinking that Dahe Village had lost many able-bodied men and was now weak.

“Attack! Take everything!”

At his command, Zhao Village’s people charged forward aggressively. The Dahe villagers never expected to be ambushed here.

“Ah! Help! Don’t take my things!”

“Get away, you bastards!”

“My grain—don’t steal my grain!”

Chaos erupted. Someone rushed to the back to snatch supplies. The attackers showed no mercy, stealing from the elderly and children alike.

Lu Wenguang hurriedly loaded his family onto the mule cart and stood guard with his machete—anyone who approached would be cut down.

Beside him, their dog, Da Huang, barked furiously, warning off the attackers.

“Don’t take my food! That mule cart has more food—they’re the richest! Go rob them instead!”

In the midst of the commotion, Da Tou’s mother shouted loudly.

Her words rang clear over the noise, and many people turned their eyes toward the mule cart.

Shen Qingwan had just returned and heard what she said.

She quickly set down her water bucket and told Bai Yong’an to watch it before charging toward the cart.

Without hesitation, she killed those trying to get close.

Seeing their fellow villagers being bullied, the men who had gone to fetch water threw down their containers and grabbed their weapons to join the fight.

Shen Qingwan wielded a dagger mercilessly.

Zhao Laosan saw Dahe Village’s reinforcements arriving and shouted to the surrounding refugees, “They have water and food! If we take it, we can survive!”

The refugees, who had sharp eyes, had already noticed the villagers carrying water down the mountain. Water and food were what they needed most. Taking advantage of the chaos, they rushed in to loot.

Even if Zhao Laosan couldn’t get anything, he was determined to ensure Dahe Village suffered.

“Water! There really is water! So much water!”

“We’re saved! We have water now!”

The refugees scrambled for the water. Bai Yong’an was too terrified to protect it and could only clutch the water pouches Shen Qingwan had given him, hoping they wouldn’t be stolen.

Shen Qingwan didn’t have time to worry about the lost water. She lunged at Zhao Laosan, grabbing him by the throat. The forty-year-old man was no match for her—once she had him, he couldn’t resist.

“Stop! Or I’ll kill him!”

Her voice rang out, and Zhao Village’s people froze as they saw their leader captured.

“Father!”

Zhao Laosan’s two sons, Zhao Gensheng and Zhao Genniu, immediately stopped fighting.

With their leader caught, Zhao Village’s people hesitated and began retreating.

As the dust settled, they saw the ground littered with the dead.

The refugees who had been looting water were also driven away. Despite their efforts, over half the water had been stolen or spilled, leaving only about a third of it intact.

“Let my father go!” Zhao Gensheng glared at Shen Qingwan.

She wasn’t afraid of him.

With Zhao Laosan barely clinging to life in her grip, she finally threw him several meters away with ease.

The sight of her effortlessly tossing a full-grown man left the Zhao villagers horrified.

“This is your only warning. Try this again, and none of you will leave here alive. Now get lost!”