Despite the arrival of the Red Demon Army, life in Zhou Village began to return to a quiet, measured rhythm. Suspicion lingered, but the villagers were nothing if not practical. They had seen war, starvation, and worse. A few tents on the outskirts and soldiers who mostly kept to themselves—well, it wasn't ideal, but it wasn't cause for panic either.
They had the time and the patience to wait the army out. After all, the army would be called away at some point in time.
Children played once more in the village square while the farmers went to the fields. The hunters went into the wood every morning and returned before dusk. It wasn't peace, not truly, but it was tolerable.
