Some people ignored his arguments and backed down immediately, saying, "There have already been casualties in just a few days. The road ahead will definitely be even more difficult. If it really comes down to it, let's turn back!"

“If you want to go back, go back yourselves. Where is there a safe place now? Weren’t we harassed by these animals just the same in the base? It’s all the same no matter where you go.” Liu Gao saw that everyone’s emotions had been stirred up and many people were thinking of turning back, so he spoke up to remind them.

Once the thought of giving up takes hold, a million reasons will come to convince oneself: "If all else fails, we can just stay here. Didn't they promise to provide us with fertile land? We only wanted to have our own land when we went back to our hometown. Since they can provide it here, we might as well stay."

"You dare to stay in a place like this? We were just attacked down here, and the attackers didn't even show their faces. What can you expect?"

Lei Hanqing also joined in the persuasion. He was really worried that if too many people stayed, Captain Xiao and the others would cancel the trip, and his plan to return home would fall through.

Captain Xiao had no time to listen to their discussion. "You can decide these things yourselves. No one can make decisions for you."

After saying that, he led his men to patrol the surrounding area, not wanting the previous accident to happen again.

Once Yunqi returned to his camp, he asked Sicheng in a low voice, "You made such a promise so easily, asking them to set conditions. What if they make exorbitant demands?"

Si Cheng said, "As I said, we can refuse if things go too far, within our capabilities."

Seeing that Yunqi still disagreed, Sicheng specially explained to her, "After all, we didn't take care of it this time. Since we took on this task, it's our responsibility to be responsible for it. Besides, that corner was indeed our oversight."

Yunqi nodded in agreement, then expressed another concern: "I'm afraid that if something happens to these people in the future, they'll blame us. No matter how capable we are, we won't be able to take full responsibility."

Si Cheng said, "In this world, might makes right. If it weren't for our mistake, no one could have brought us down. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Yunqi was also afraid that after such a long period of peaceful life, Sicheng would become soft-hearted, which would lead to some trouble later.

This was a particularly difficult night. Many people were thinking about their next plans, while others worried that the trip would fall through and all their previous plans would be in vain.

In the latter half of the night, although some animals still came over, they were dealt with by the people of Pinghe Village before they could cross the first line of defense. This boosted everyone's confidence, and many people changed their minds.

After staying up all night, Gao Duowei finally came to our door just as dawn was breaking.

"We really didn't recognize your greatness. We didn't expect you to be so humble. We've been so disrespectful." Gao Duowei stretched out his hands from afar and greeted Si Cheng warmly.

Si Cheng politely extended his hands to shake hands with him. Having not received such treatment in a long time, Si Cheng was quite unaccustomed to it. "We are just ordinary farmers, not some kind of expert."

"It's true that the more capable a person is, the more humble they are. Last night, you guys turned all of us brothers into your fans. If we hadn't been holding them back, they would have rushed out to hug their idol right now," Gao Duowei said, half-exaggerating and half-truthfully.

Last night, everyone was incredibly envious of the fighting strength and weapons of the villagers in Pinghe Village. Some even had ulterior motives, but after seeing Village Chief Si crushing those cheetahs all by himself on the wall, they quickly abandoned those unrealistic thoughts.

Si Cheng said, "We are just ordinary farmers, and we don't beat around the bush. You can speak frankly about whatever you want to say."

Gao Duowei didn't expect the other party to be so straightforward, and he went straight to the point, saying, "Brother, you're so decisive. We really admire the weapons you have. We wonder if you could part with them?"

Si Cheng said, "This is really a difficult situation. As you can see, this is our life-saving weapon along the way. If we trade with you, we have no guarantee of success for the rest of the journey."

He phrased it rather tactfully, but his refusal was quite direct.

Gao Duowei: "We don't intend to exchange all of them. How about we only exchange half?"

Si Cheng shook his head. "It's not that we're being tactless, but so many people are counting on these weapons for protection. If we exchange half of them now, not only will we not be confident, but so many people who are eager to return home will also feel insecure."

Gao Duowei's face immediately tightened. "It's not as serious as you guys say, is it? I saw that your fighting ability last night was top-notch. With you in a team like this, even without those crossbows, we should be able to escort the people back safely."

As soon as he finished speaking, the villagers who were busy processing the animal pelts nearby immediately gathered around, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Yun Jianying retorted directly, "Why don't you take in all these people? Then our mission will be considered complete. We can even exchange them all for you without any problem."

Gao Duowei looked back at the huge crowd, which was almost half of their original number. If so many people went in, what say would they have in the future?

Gao Duowei said, "We can take in some more people, which will help lighten your burden. You only need to provide us with half of the crossbows. This way, it's a win-win situation for everyone."

The people of Pinghe Village were stunned by his shameless words. Wu Tianxiang couldn't help but speak up, "We can't afford such a win-win situation. Besides, these refugees are not related to us. Do you think we would pay such a high price for them?"

In negotiations, whoever shows weakness first will be at a disadvantage.

Gao Duowei said, "Since you brought them out, you should definitely make sure they are settled in properly. Now is such a good opportunity, and maybe they would be willing to do so. Why don't you ask them for their opinions?"

Si Cheng said, "Our agreement with the base is that we will only deliver people safely to their destination, and we will not be responsible for anything else. So, whatever their opinions are, it has nothing to do with us. As for these crossbows we have, you should know how rare pig iron and craftsmanship are these days. We will not exchange these weapons for anything. You should think of another way."

Dealing with someone like this who's so unclear-minded, if you don't get straight to the point, he'll keep pestering you, and Si Cheng doesn't want to waste his energy on such a person. Besides, since the other party is clearly trying to get something for nothing, he's even less inclined to waste words on him.