Salif was busy exchanging glances with a young girl, while May Dal wasn't even listening to Dof Dal's speech.
They were escorted for a short distance. As they were leaving, Ibra grew unusually quiet, lost in thought—so much so that everyone noticed.
"Is everything alright?" asked Babam Ba.
"I have a very bad feeling," Ibra replied.
"That's normal," said Tierno Diagne. "We just left a place full of lunatics."
Ibra was right.
No sooner had Tierno finished speaking than the sound of galloping horses echoed behind them. They were being followed—by Neub Dal and his group.
Tierno immediately understood—they were in serious trouble.
As soon as they arrived, Neub Dal spoke first:
"You're really stupid to come here with that traitor Tierno Dal just to insult us!"
"The stupid one is you," Tierno replied calmly. "All I see is a bunch of failures."
"You dare challenge me now?" Neub Dal snapped. "I must be dreaming."
"I can't believe you're still alive," said Dramé Dal. "I stabbed you myself—and I enjoyed it."
"That was a mistake," Salif intervened. "And Tierno forgave the one who did it. We're here to support those who want it—we're not forcing anyone."
"I don't care about your words," Neub Dal spat. "You think we're animals."
"You people are exhausting," said Babam Ba, fed up. "Who do you think you are? We want peace!"
Knowing the Dals too well, Tierno signaled his friends to stay silent and not respond to the provocation.
"I raped and beat a virgin girl," Neub Dal continued coldly. "And the fact that nothing happened to me proves that you are nothing."
"Indeed," said Tierno calmly.
"You're cowards," Neub Dal added.
"That's true," said Thiam with a forced smile. "We're the biggest cowards in the world… but we should leave now."
"You're not going anywhere," Neub Dal replied, humiliated.
Tierno had expected this.
Earlier, Madiaw Thiam had secretly prepared them. He had ordered Modou to hide sturdy sticks under his horse, unnoticed by the others.
As for Tierno, he carried a large amount of chili powder.
They had a plan.
Tierno signaled Modou.
"You didn't forget anything?" he asked.
"No," Modou replied, slowly backing his horse—drawing everyone's attention, exactly as planned.
While all eyes were on him, Neub Dal and his group failed to notice what Tierno was preparing.
Tierno quickly untied the pouch of chili powder, then suddenly spurred his horse forward.
Neub Dal's entire group chased after him without thinking.
A fatal mistake.
While they were distracted, Modou distributed the hidden sticks.
Galloping against the wind, Tierno turned and threw the chili powder straight into their faces.
The effect was immediate.
They screamed, clutching their eyes—just as the others struck them with sticks.
Neub Dal and his men howled like children, blinded and helpless.
Tierno and his group seized the moment and fled, urging their horses forward at full speed.
On the way back, they laughed, mocked their enemies, and celebrated their victory.
Once home, they told everything—but only to Madiaw Thiam.
Abdoulaye noticed that his son's clothes were stained with blood and told him to change.
Seeing this, Nogaye pretended not to notice and quietly went into the kitchen.
The next day, under the pretense of buying vegetables, Nogaye went to Salif's shop.
"Have you had good sales today?" she asked, trying to sound casual.
"As usual," Salif replied.
"That's good," she said, sitting down. "And yesterday?"
"I wasn't working."
"Oh really? Why?"
"We went to Watch Dal," Salif admitted—then froze. "Ah… I just told you everything."
"Exactly," Nogaye said with a victorious smile. "That's why I came. I was born long before you, remember? Anyway… bye."
And she left, satisfied.
Meanwhile, Mous Dal remembered that Neub Dal had sworn to cause chaos. Concerned, he went to find him.
What he saw was shocking.
Neub Dal and his group were in terrible condition, their eyes streaming with tears, their bodies shaken.
The sight was so pitiful that even Mous Dal felt tears rise to his own eyes.
Without wasting a second, he rushed back to Watch Dal to call for help and bring them back.