A gentleman does not stand under a precarious wall.

Even those not gentlemen would rather avoid standing beneath a collapsing wall.

Seeking benefit and avoiding harm is an instinct shared by all living things.

Han Cheng, who thoroughly understood this principle, naturally practiced it at this moment. He cherished his own life dearly.

Under his command, several torches were thrown over the wall. As the torches arced through the air and landed on the ground, they illuminated farther into the distance. The people standing on the wall, clutching their weapons and straining their eyes, could now see further into the night.

It was quite an effective strategy.

Of course, there were conditions under which this method could be used.

This approach would be out of the question in late autumn, winter, or early spring, when dry and withered vegetation was abundant.

If used during those times, before the enemy even appeared, the entire perimeter of the tribe might end up engulfed in flames.

Fortunately, that wasn’t a concern now.

Firstly, it was the time of year when green grass was growing vigorously. Secondly, there wasn’t much dry debris around the outer walls of the Green Sparrow Tribe.

Larger branches had long since been gathered and burned for ash to enrich the fields, thanks to the tribe’s hardworking people. Smaller fragments had been collected and placed in a corner of the deer pens as bedding.

That’s why Han Cheng was so confident when giving his orders.

The torches outside gradually dimmed and died out. The people on the wall stared wide-eyed into the darkness. Third Senior Brother and others gripped their bows, ready to release arrows when they saw a suspicious shadow.

Yet, strangely enough, even under such scrutiny, nothing unusual was seen.

Especially after the noise had awakened the slaves in the compound, who, under Han Cheng’s shouted orders, returned to their huts, the area outside the wall grew quieter.

The torches sputtered out, the illuminated area shrinking, yet still no movement was detected.

Could it be that these intruders were the kind who could turn invisible at night as long as they kept their mouths shut?

Otherwise, it would be impossible for anyone to sneak so close without leaving a trace, especially with so many people on guard.

Han Cheng stared into the now-peaceful surroundings, his thoughts running wild.

Not because he had a particularly imaginative mind, but because tonight’s events were too eerie.

“Divine Child, could it be Fu Jiang and the others…”

After quite a long wait, the eldest senior disciple, equally perplexed, walked over and spoke up.

He was implying—maybe Fu Jiang and the dogs were mistaken?

Han Cheng looked at the dogs, still pawing at the doors and barking into the night, and shook his head firmly.

The tribe’s dogs were well-trained and obedient. They wouldn't raise such a ruckus unless something truly unusual had occurred.

If they were barking this frantically tonight, something was definitely near the perimeter.

“Divine Child, I’ll lead a team—”

Knowing that something—or—something was lurking out there but not being able to see it was frustrating beyond belief.

After holding back for some time, the battle-hungry Shang couldn’t take it. He walked up and requested permission to lead an armed patrol outside the walls—his plan: stab or capture the intruders and turn them into slaves.

Partly because he couldn’t tolerate anyone spying on their tribe.

But also because, ever since bronze weapons like spears and halberds had been widely adopted, no enemy had dared challenge them.

Shang and the others had only tested their bronze weapons in the game so far, but they were itching for a real fight.

But that desire would remain unfulfilled for now.

Han Cheng rejected the request without even thinking.

Usually, unless the situation was overwhelmingly favorable, he didn’t permit anyone to leave the safety of the walls, even during the day, much less at night, with so many unknowns.

After denying Shang’s request, Han Cheng stood on the wall and loudly repeated the order: no one was to leave the walls without permission.

“We wait for daylight—let’s see who dares disturb our tribe!”

He tried to rally the crowd with those words.

But deep down, he didn’t expect much. He doubted anyone would be foolish enough to wait until daylight once the element of surprise was lost.

Yet, as time passed, the dogs never stopped barking. Their howls didn’t diminish even slightly.

This forced Han Cheng to reconsider. Maybe there was a tribe dumb enough to stay.

But whoever you are, you won’t meet a good end!

Han Cheng, sleep-deprived and agitated, clenched his jaw and vowed silently.

If you’ve got the guts to hang around—we’ll see who wins come daylight!

The intruders did have guts. Even as the sky lightened into dawn, they remained.

However, Han Cheng still didn’t immediately send anyone out.

It wasn’t because there were too many enemies, or the Green Sparrow Tribe wasn’t ready.

The problem was… nothing looked out of place.

The surroundings were calm and peaceful. Not a single person was in sight.

The weirdness of it all left Han Cheng completely puzzled.

He looked at the dogs—some were still barking.

Their voices had turned hoarse from a night of nonstop barking. They couldn’t possibly be barking at nothing.

Even Han Cheng, who had great faith in the dogs, began to doubt.

After making a full round atop the wall and still discovering nothing, Han Cheng finally gave the order:

The Eldest senior disciple, Shang, and others were to take rattan shields and bronze weapons and leave.

The slingers and archers stayed ready atop the wall, prepared to launch a ranged assault if anything went wrong.

At the same time, the dogs who’d been barking all night were released.

As soon as the gate opened, the dogs, led by Fu Jiang, charged like wild horses.

Without hesitation, they kicked up dust clouds, racing straight toward the bamboo forest east of the tribe.

Standing atop the wall, Han Cheng and the others finally understood.

So that’s why no one could see the enemy—they were hiding in the bamboo grove!

The fighters kept their formation, weapons in hand, and followed the Eldest senior disciple in a wide arc toward the rear of the forest, to cut off the intruders’ escape route!