After hearing Lilian’s words, Ensi sighed again and continued to speak.

  “The southern part of the Empire knew that their strength was completely lacking. Thus, it was only by capturing strong men to expand the number of their troops could they continue to struggle!”


  “What happened after that? Why didn’t they come back?” Mike then asked.

  Ensi heard Mike’s words and sighed before speaking.

  “The group of the people who were left of the southern part of the Empire brought them to the Sea of Heaven.”


  “Sea of Heaven? Do they know the route to that place?”


  Mike continued with his questions.

  Ensi nodded and then continued to say, “That’s right!”


  “Then, what happened after that? Didn’t they come back?”


  Ensi gave Mike a meaningful look before speaking.

  “We don’t know whether they are dead or alive. As for coming back? Hmph, do you think that if had they come back, would Condon village have become like this?”


  After hearing this, Mike could not help but sigh.

  After sorting out his thoughts for a while, Mike asked again.

  “What about now? I heard that you guys had thought about resisting before?”


  When Ensi heard Mike’s words, she suddenly became unusually agitated.

  Then, she stood up and began to chase Mike and Lilian away.

  “If you guys are just here to mock us, then please leave immediately!

  “We don’t welcome you here! Hurry up and go! Hurry up!”


  When he saw the sudden change in Ensi’s mood, Mike immediately tried to explain.

  “Village Chief Ensi! I didn’t mean it like that!”


  “Then, what did you mean? Didn’t you come here to see us make a fool of ourselves? Hurry up and leave!”


  As they were pushing and dragging, Mike finally exclaimed, “I actually came here to help you!”


  Ensi suddenly calmed down after hearing Mike’s words.

  Then, she stood up straight and sneered.

  “Help us? Don’t be ridiculous, okay? Are you going to fall for this trick because of me now?”


  Mike and Lilian became a little confused after hearing Ensi’s words.

  Lilian glanced at Mike.

  Mike also saw a lot of information from Lilian’s eyes.

  So Mike nodded at Lilian and took a step back slightly.

  Lilian approached Ensi to reassure her.

  “Village Chief Ensi, don’t worry. We are really here to help you.

  “Can you tell us what happened here?”


  Ensi’s mood eased a little after hearing Lilian’s words.

  Then, she asked, “Are you really here to help us?”


  Lilian nodded.

  “Don’t you guys have any other ideas in mind?”


  Lilian realized that Ensi still did not trust her and Mike.

  So, she said to her, “We really came to help you! Do you know about Nanlian Town?”


  Ensi nodded.

  “Of course I know. What’s wrong?”


  Lilian smiled and said, “The crisis involving the bandits in Nanlian town was solved by the two of us!”


  Hearing this, Ensi fell into deep thought again.

  Then, she said, “It looks like it… I haven’t seen the bandits of Nanlian Mountain these days!”


  “Are you really here to help us?”


  Ensi asked again.

  Lilian maintained her smile and said to Ensi, “Absolutely! Of course, we wouldn’t lie to you!”


  “Okay!” Ensi said loudly.

  “In that case, I’ll tell you everything here! But…”


  Lilian saw that Ensi still had some doubts.

  So, she asked, “What’s wrong, Village Chief Ensi? Don’t you believe us?”


  Ensi nodded before continuing.

  “How can you prove that the bandits on Nanlian Mountain were suppressed by you? Do you have any evidence?”


  Mike, who was standing at the side, heard this.

  He smiled and took out all the materials he had plundered from the Nanlian Mountain fort.

  Ensi looked at the pile of gold and silver jewelry in front of him.

  Her eyes immediately widened.

  Mike smiled and spoke to Ensi, who was a little stunned.

  “Village Chief Ensi, you can now believe that we are genuinely here to help you!”


  Ensi took a gold pendant out from the pile of gold and silver jewelry and held it tightly in her hand.

  Tears were flowing down the corners of her eyes.

  “Old man, I’ve finally found the pendant that you gave to me!”


  Seeing Ensi’s current emotional state, Mike remarked, “Ensi, does this pendant remind you of something in the past?”


  Ensi finally looked at Mike positively.

  Then, she responded to Mike.

  “This is the pendant my husband gave me before he left Condon Village!

  “After he left with the leftover people of the Southern Empire, he never came back.

  “Later, the bandits of Nanlian town repeatedly invaded our village.

  “And this pendant was taken away by them during one of their invasions!”


  Now, Mike finally understood her past. Then, he spoke again.

  “So, that’s what happened. I finally understand now!”


  Then, Mike spoke again.

  “After the men in the village left, what did you live on? I saw that the crops in the village seemed to have been abandoned!”


  When Ensi heard Mike’s words, tears fell again.

  So she said, “Just after they had left, there were still at least some young girls taking care of the farmland in the village!

  “But later, when the bandits appeared, they captured and killed these young girls.

  “The rest of us then completely lost the ability to work.”


  Mike and Lilian listened attentively to Ensi’s words.

  When Lilian heard Ensi’s story, she flew into a rage.

  “I really didn’t expect that there would be such a hateful group of bandits in this world!” Lilian said angrily.

  Then, Ensi continued.

  “Later, we really had no choice. The remaining women in the village then made a decision.”


  “Decision? What decision? Could it be…”


  Mike seemed to have guessed what Ensi was going to say.

  Ensi nodded and said to Mike.

  “That’s right. The remaining young girls in the village decided to negotiate with the bandits for food and money in exchange for their bodies, in sympathy with us elders!”