Chapter 108: Making Concessions

"Up ahead." Qin Xiangnuan, hiding in a corner, secretly observed the bandits, pointing somewhere and silently speaking with her lips. Jiang Lin nodded, and the two of them sneaked in tacitly, quickly finding the hidden courtyard at the back. Qin Xiangnuan pointed overhead, stepped on a slightly crooked willow tree nearby, climbed up, and sat lightly on the branch, eavesdropping on the conversation inside the house.

From here, we can't see the specific situation inside, but we can only hear someone say, "We finally found some good sheep today."

"They brought a lot of food, including rice, flour and meat, which is enough for us brothers to eat for several days!" Someone couldn't help but said excitedly, but soon another rough and hoarse voice spoke up, "Let's follow the old rules and keep 30% of those things, and send the rest down the mountain." After he said that, the room became very quiet, and it was obvious that everyone else was reluctant.

Qin Xiangnuan frowned. She guessed something from their conversation, but she was not sure.

"Don't forget, they need this more than we do. Why are we going up the mountain?" The rough voice sounded again. This time, no one refuted it. They just asked, "What about those people? I think they have some status and already know we live here. They will definitely come here in the future. Instead of waiting for their revenge, it's better to put an end to it all and kill them directly."

Qin Xiangnuan became more and more certain of her guess as she listened to their unfamiliar jargon.

"Forget it, just knock him out, drag him out, and throw him to a safe place. Don't hurt anyone..." A rough voice ordered, and messy footsteps could be heard. They were heading to the small courtyard in the east. Qin Xiangnuan had a plan in mind. She jumped down from the willow tree and suddenly appeared in front of the bandits. Seeing her, several of them took two steps back in fear, saying in panic, "You, you, you! Why are you here?"

"Shouldn't you be in the east yard?"

His voice caused the people inside to come out. A sturdy man, about 1.98 meters tall, emerged, clearly the group's leader. Qin Xiangnuan looked at him and asked, "Can we chat? What's your name?" The other bandits, surprised by her courage, stepped in front of him and said, "Who do you think you are? You dare to confront my big brother..." Before he could finish his words, he was pulled aside by the bandit leader.

"Okay." The man nodded, "Just call me Black Boss."

He looked at Qin Xiangnuan carefully and asked everyone to leave. Only he, the second-in-command, and Jiang Lin remained in the room. The burning fire crackled. Qin Xiangnuan looked at the bacon and dried food hanging in the room. She sat on a chair and looked at the gang leader openly, without a trace of fear or terror in her eyes. This could not be faked. Qin Xiangnuan was truly not afraid.

"I didn't expect that you would be the first to dare and be able to sneak out."

The gang leader looked at Jiang Lin, then returned his gaze to Qin Xiangnuan. "She's actually a woman." This surprised Qin Xiangnuan. She was dressed so well that even Qin Feng wouldn't have recognized her, but the man before him knew her identity instantly. "How did you know?" Qin Xiangnuan asked, and the gang leader's eyes softened.

"Ears, there are very small holes in your ears."

Ah! Earring holes! Qin Xiangnuan raised her hand and touched it. Sure enough. The black boss was very observant. "Because my wife has the same piercing, I saw it at a glance. However, as a woman, you are able to stand up and fight for it. I admire you. I can let you go and let you go down the mountain. I can also return half of the things you brought with you. But if you have other requests, I'm afraid... I can't do it."

The gang boss has made the biggest concession.

"No." Qin Xiangnuan answered firmly. The black boss's expression froze instantly. The second-in-command beside him said in a bad tone, "Big Brother has already given you a chance, but you couldn't seize it. Don't think that you can do anything just because you can sneak out. How many people in this mountain stronghold know about this? Even if you have wings, there is no way you can fly out of here unscathed!"

The two sides were about to fall out, but Jiang Lin said calmly, "No need to rush, why not listen to what she has to say."

Qin Xiangnuan looked at Jiang Lin. From his words, he knew Jiang Lin had guessed something. "You weren't originally bandits, were you?" Qin Xiangnuan said bluntly. "Judging from the condition of the house, you've only been living here and doing this for a few months. If I'm not mistaken, you originally lived down the mountain, possibly from the town ahead."

"Your families, former friends and relatives are still living in the original place. You specifically look for people in the mountains, plunder the food they bring with them, and then distribute it to the people in the village. Am I right?" After Qin Xiangnuan finished speaking, the gangster's face changed. He narrowed his eyes and looked at Jiang Lin and Qin Xiangnuan and asked, "Who are you?" It seemed that they really kidnapped the wrong person today.

Qin Xiangnuan thought the gang leader was worried, so she said calmly, "Don't worry, we'll report you to the police."

"Afraid?" The second-in-command sneered twice. He looked at Qin Xiangnuan with a mocking look. His previous worry disappeared. He sneered and said, "I was hoping you could report to the police and bring the people in charge here. Unfortunately, even if they heard what you said, they wouldn't come! They only know how to drink human blood and eat human flesh. How many times have we looked for them, but to no avail?"

The second-in-command slammed his hand on the table, his eyes red with anger as he said, "If there were any other way, do you think we would be willing to do such a despicable thing? It's not just to survive!" The black boss looked at him, "Stop talking."

After they calmed down, Qin Xiangnuan asked in a gentle tone, "What happened? Can you tell me? Maybe I can help?" The second in command turned his head to look at Qin Xiangnuan, looking her up and down, and said with disdain, "You? Just you? Don't be ridiculous. You can't lift anything with your hands or carry anything on your shoulders. Do you think you can carry a hoe to a heavy site?"

"Second brother!" The gangster stopped the second in command from speaking. He looked deeply at Qin Xiangnuan and Jiang Lin.

The two people before him were definitely not ordinary people. Perhaps there really was a chance for a turnaround. Thinking of this, the black boss pointed to his side, stood up respectfully, and said, "Since that's the case, please listen to me, I dare not lie. Everything I did was... forced." Qin Xiangnuan and Jiang Lin exchanged a glance and followed the black boss into the inner room. The place was very clean and looked like the black boss's residence. Next to his pillow on the couch was a red bellyband that looked like it was used by a child.