The group quickened their pace, and in less than half an hour, they saw houses. It should be a small town, with houses sporadically scattered at first, but following the terrain upward, they could see smoke rising in the distance, clearly indicating this was a large village.
A few households living at the entrance of the village heard the commotion and peeked out. Seeing so many people and horses shocked them, and they quickly slammed their doors shut, hiding inside.
Zhao Hanzhang heard the slam and looked towards the sound. She saw a young man sneaking out of a courtyard, avoiding their gaze, and darted into the village.
Seeing this, Zhao Hanzhang raised her hand to stop everyone and, after glancing around, pointed to a deserted area nearby and said, "Let's camp here tonight. Uncle Qianli, make sure to keep everyone in check; no one is allowed to disturb the villagers."
