Chapter 78 Fortune and misfortune are intertwined; the beast reaps abundant rewards (Please continue reading)

Wine can embolden a troubled mind, but it can also cloud one's judgment. Pang Long said, "Since Madam asked about Zheng Xuezhang, I cannot remain silent, nor dare I not speak out."

Li Xian asked, "How is it?"

"How about it..." Pang Long took a sip of wine. He was rough in appearance, but his alcohol tolerance was not good. After only a few sips, he was already slightly drunk: "You need to be prepared."

“I’ve been to the Blackwater Gang. It’s a gang of all sorts of people, and their methods are extremely cruel. Yesterday, I went to the Blackwater Gang to collect a debt and saw a giant sail with a thousand bodies, screaming and wailing. Even I was deeply moved.”

Li Xian asked, "Madam, are you handing me over to the Blackwater Gang?" Before he could finish speaking, he already knew it was impossible. It wasn't that Madam was protecting him, but rather that there was no profit to be gained from it.

Pang Long shook his head. "Of course not. Zheng Xuezhang was seriously injured, how could he dare to mention this matter? That night he injured several of my men and slashed the main gate, so I asked him to pay me nine hundred taels of silver in compensation. He wouldn't dare refuse."

"but……"

At this point, Pang Long sighed, "A woman as divine as Madam looks at us as if we were mere specks of mud. Not to mention you, even I feel the same way."

“I once thought that since you showed your talent during the winter hunt and made Madam remember your name, perhaps Madam would value you and intentionally cultivate you.”

Li Xian thought to himself, "Although Commander Pang is older than me, he is much more naive than I am."

When Pang Long said this, it sounded more like self-mockery. He put down his wine bowl and said seriously:

"The lady said she would send you to garrison... Heihe Village."

"I see." Li Xian understood and felt relieved.

Heihe Village is located downstream of the Heishui River.

Because of water supply issues, there are many disputes with the Blackwater Gang, making it extremely dangerous for the guards stationed here.

Li Xian and Zheng Xuezhang have a blood feud over the killing of Li Xian's son.

Heading to Heihe Village to garrison would put them closer to the Blackwater Gang, and without the protection of a village, the dangers of which are unimaginable.

Heihe Village has long been without guards, and the villagers have been bullied. Water is scarce, and the yields of thousands of acres of land in that area have been consistently poor.

What merit or ability does Zheng Xuezhang possess to command the lady to hand over the person? And how dare he command the lady to hand over the person?

Madam, you see, since Li Xian has a grudge against the Blackwater Gang, this whole affair started because of him. Sending him to guard Black River Village serves two purposes: first, as a form of punishment, and second, he will surely do his best and rack his brains to deal with the Blackwater Gang.

This matter is in her favor.

That's all.

As for Li Xian's fate, she clearly didn't think much about it.

"The matter is settled. Tomorrow, you should go to Heihe Village to take up your post."

Be careful.

Pang Long shook his head repeatedly, lamenting the loss of his young assistant. He wondered if they would ever meet again after this parting.

"Okay! I'll be careful." Li Xian took a sip of strong liquor, the dust settled, and he felt unusually calm.

...

...

The day of leaving the village.

Li Xian carried a bag on his back, a long sword at his waist, and a large bow on his back.

"This journey will be extremely difficult."

"but……"

"And it's more free!"

Danger means freedom, and freedom means danger.

Li Xian was the only garrison in Heihe Village, and with no one to supervise him, he was completely free.

However, that area was the most chaotic, with Mountain Wind Village and Blackwater Gang both located there, a melting pot of all sorts of people, making it extremely dangerous.

"The mountains there are high and the rivers are long. If we really can't win, it's even easier to run away secretly."

Li Xian is not rigid.

Heihe Village is located about eighty li west of Zhuangzi. It requires crossing four large mountains, making it a long and arduous journey.

Midday.

Having reached the halfway point of the mountain, Li Xian gazed into the distance and saw a winding river. Because the water was hundreds of feet deep and appeared black, it was named the "Black Water River."

The Blackwater Gang was established along the river, and its shipping industry was thriving. It was said that they had set up a large formation on the river and captured many famous martial arts masters.

"Heihe Village is located downstream of the Heishui River."

"But it's not by the river, it's in the mountains."

Li Xian held a simple map. The map hastily depicted the location of the Blackwater River, the mountains, and the Black River Village.

The approximate location can be determined.

They traveled another ten miles or so.

Li Xian turned right and found a hidden path. Entering the path, he looked around and saw only trees; he was now deep in the secret forest.

"The direction should be correct."

Li Xian muttered to himself.

Suddenly a shout was heard.

"Help...help me!"

"A tiger...it's a tiger!"

A tiger's roar echoed through the mountains and forests.

Li Xian looked in the direction of the sound and saw a large worm chasing three or five men. It had a gaping maw and a huge body, but it moved incredibly fast through the mountains and forests.

It was clear that the man was about to die in the tiger's jaws.

Li Xian swiftly drew his bow and shot an arrow. The arrow pierced the tiger's mouth, pinning the worm to the tree.

"Are you alright?" Li Xian walked quickly over.

"N-nothing...it's nothing..."

One of them had wet pants. But when he saw Li Xian's clothes, his knees buckled and he knelt down again: "Guard...guard sir, you...you've finally come."

"Oh?" Li Xian asked in surprise.

“We…we’re from Heihe Village. Our old man was eaten by a tiger,” the man said.

"Are there many tigers here?" Li Xian asked.

"It's not just a lot, it's a plague." The man counted on his fingers, "Tigers, bears, leopards, deer... we see them all all the time. Isn't it strange that it's so hard for us to make a living?"

"You know, these wild beasts are all plump and strong, but we can see them but can't eat them. If things go wrong, we might even get eaten instead."

"Alright, where is your village? Take me there now."

Li Xian drew his bow and arrow, channeled his inner energy, and hoisted the tiger onto his shoulder. Although they hadn't reached the village, he had a gut feeling that while there were many external enemies here,…

It suits me better.

Before even entering the village, they had already captured a mountain tiger.

Although we lack Zhuangzi's elixirs and resources, this mountain tiger, by skinning, cutting its flesh, and boiling it into soup, is incredibly beneficial for strengthening the body.

Selling them would make you a fortune!

"Grandpa, you're awesome! Awesome!"

The men were all filled with envy when they saw Li Xian carrying the large tiger on his shoulder.

"lead the way."

Li Xian kicked hard, lifting the tiger horizontally. The tiger's claws were the size of his head, and their sharp claws could easily tear open the skin and flesh with a light scratch.

"Alright, sir, come with me."

The man walked ahead.

After wandering through the forest for more than ten miles, we finally saw the true face of "Heihe Village" deep in the mountains.

"It should be called Black Mountain Village."

Li Xian muttered to himself.

There were no rivers in sight, but mountains and forests appeared one after another.

"Grandpa, there used to be a river flowing through this area. Unfortunately, someone dug a canal and stole it."

"If we want water now, we can only go to the mountains to find a stream."

"But... this amount of water is enough for cooking, but it's far from enough to irrigate the farmland."

"We still have to take hoes and compete with the neighboring village for them."

“But the Blackwater Gang is protecting the neighboring village, and our guards haven’t come for a long time. We can’t take them by force. We can only use what they have left after they’ve used it all.”

The man said.

It's common for farmers in rural areas to fight over water; if the fighting gets too fierce, it's not uncommon for people to die.

"It is now mid-November, in the middle of winter, so the matter of fighting for water is not urgent for now."

Li Xian patted the tiger's body.

While traveling, he saw traces of wild boars, bears, and other wild animals.

This place is abundant with wild animals.

Martial artists can eat, nourish, train, and soak... Here, time is flexible, and there are plenty of beasts to hunt, so eating and training are not problems.

There is still room for improvement in [Four Directions Fist], [Qingfeng Leg], [Azure Palm], and [Great Luo Blade].

It's much more comfortable than Shijiazhuang!

Good fortune and misfortune are intertwined; it is indeed so!

(End of this chapter)