Chapter 61 The woman's thoughts were exposed, through...

The woman, her thoughts exposed, secretly glared at Zhu Mingyue through her fingers, then looked at Xie Pei and found that he seemed not to have listened to her sobs at all.

Xie Pei was clearly pleased by the words "our family," seemingly lost in thought but actually pondering them repeatedly.

The woman was both ashamed and annoyed, and muttered under her breath, "What's it to you?"

Zhu Mingyue heard it clearly, but he wasn't angry. He nudged Xie Pei with his elbow and warned him fiercely, "You're not allowed to go." He had no intention of interfering with Xie Pei's personal freedom. Usually, Xie Pei could do whatever he wanted, and he rarely said anything. But this was different. The other party was clearly treating him like a traitor.

The village chief should have been asked to organize a search and rescue operation in the mountains. At the very least, didn't Lin Damazi's family have any close relatives or friends in the village? Instead of seeking their help after the incident, they went to Xie Pei beforehand.

He understood that Xie Pei knew he had been hunting in the mountains since childhood and was more familiar with the forests, which was why he had come to ask for his help. But the mountains were not easy to enter, especially at night, when countless poisonous insects roamed. Even with a torch, one's vision was severely limited. A slight misstep could result in being unexpectedly bitten by snakes or insects or falling off a cliff in a daze, both of which could be fatal.

“Okay, I won’t go.” His tone was gentle, almost tinged with pleasure. He could clearly tell that Zhu Mingyue was concerned about his safety. Although he had lived in the village since childhood, his relationship with these people was limited to acquaintance; they had never interacted with him. They had never offered him a helping hand when he was in trouble, so he could naturally refuse their request without any qualms.

Upon hearing this, the woman cried even more desperately and tragically.

Zhu Mingyue wasn't the kind of person who enjoyed seeing others suffer. Hearing her standing at the door crying incessantly, he thought to himself that this wasn't a solution. What good would crying do? After a moment's thought, he still gave her directions: "We can't help you. You should go find the village chief before it gets too late. Perhaps everyone is still awake at this hour and we can gather more people to go up the mountain together."

The woman cursed the man in front of her for his lack of empathy. Although she had taken his words to heart, she still glanced at them hastily before leaving, her eyes filled with hatred.

Zhu Mingyue remained calm. Let them hate, it doesn't matter. They don't owe Lin Dama's family anything.

Er Ya sensed the other party's malice, craning its neck and staring at her with eyes sharp as swords, as if it were about to pounce and peck at her eyes at any moment. It was terrifying. Only then did the woman notice the presence of this raptor on Zhu Mingyue's shoulder by the moonlight. Fear gripped her, and she staggered and turned to run towards the village chief's house.

After everyone had walked away, Zhu Mingyue said, "Let's go back inside, it's freezing outside."

The two items were in a box in Zhu Mingyue's bedroom. Zhu Mingyue's good mood had been ruined one after another by Lin Dama's family, and he had lost his earlier excitement. He just wanted to send the gifts out as soon as possible to avoid being delayed again. He had a feeling that the man hadn't given up and might come over again later.

"Open it and take a look."

Xie Pei took the cloth bag, opened it, and his pupils contracted slightly. There was probably no man in the world who could refuse it, especially since what he held in his hand was a genuine, fine knife.

His throat tightened, but he still managed to look at Zhu Mingyue with some restraint: "Can I... give it a try?"

Zhu Mingyue nodded: "Let's go to the yard." He also wanted to see what Xie Pei was up to.

The blade gleamed coldly in the darkness, reflecting on Xie Pei's face. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes. He gripped the hilt tightly and suddenly swung the blade like a rainbow. Zhu Mingyue stared in disbelief. The blade sliced ​​through the air, causing a howling wind that whipped his hair across his face, but he seemed oblivious to it.

His impression of sword dancing was still based on martial arts dramas he saw on TV. The heroes in those dramas also had flashing swords, but seeing it in person was much more shocking than watching it on TV.

The martial arts moves on TV are all deliberate and meticulously crafted, but Xie Pei's are different. His are rough and primal, full of ruthlessness, and every move is filled with killing intent. Even though he knows that this killing intent is not directed at him, it is enough to completely intimidate him and make him unconsciously hold his breath.

After a short while, Xie Pei sheathed his sword and stood upright in the center of the courtyard. Zhu Mingyue stood quietly to the side, having watched the entire visual feast from beginning to end, and was still somewhat reluctant to leave even after it ended.

A solitary but enthusiastic round of applause erupted in the courtyard. "Beautiful! Beautiful! This knife suits you perfectly." It was as if they had become one with it.

Xie Pei walked towards him, his eyes gleaming. "Thank you, the knife is very good, I like it very much." Xie Pei made a living by hunting, and he didn't need a knife to deal with his prey; weapons that were easy to throw were more likely to hit their targets. However, owning a knife of one's own was a dream for many young people, but this dream gradually faded away with the passage of time.

Zhu Mingyue asked curiously, "Who did you learn from? That's amazing!"

Xie Pei: "Self-taught, by looking at picture books." The picture book was bought by Xie Hong on a whim when he was young. It contained many moves, but Xie Hong flipped through it twice and then, not interested, threw it in a corner to gather dust. So it ended up being his. He was a loner when he was young, so he often stayed in his room looking at this only picture book he had found. He looked at it with great interest, and he had read every move and style in it countless times and knew it by heart.

Zhu Mingyue couldn't help but click her tongue in amazement. Everyone says that theoretical knowledge is useless, and that superficial theoretical knowledge cannot support practical operation. Someone like Xie Pei must be exceptionally gifted.

Perhaps his admiration was too obvious, Xie Pei remained silent for a while before saying, "If you want to learn, I can teach you." Even learning just the basics could be enough for self-defense. The situation was becoming increasingly tense. Less than a few days after the Ghost Festival, the imperial court dispatched an army from the capital, which marched through Ganzhou. Everyone who saw it was filled with fear, worried that the next step would be to conscript soldiers from Ganzhou and march south.

Xie Pei had a premonition that this day was not far off. He was not afraid of fighting, but he was worried that after he left, Zhu Mingyue alone would not be able to deal with the wolves and tigers in the village.

"Let's forget it!" Zhu Mingyue hesitated for a moment but ultimately refused. He decided against it. If it were a lightweight carbon fiber knife like the ones from later generations, he could barely learn to swing a few moves. This knife was too heavy, and people with average physical abilities couldn't use it.

He explained, "I feel more comfortable holding a kitchen knife." Chopping vegetables and chopping people are actually no different.

Xie Pei: "..." He was speechless. Putting everything else aside, Zhu Mingyue was indeed very skilled with a kitchen knife. She couldn't lift a heavy object with her hands or shoulder, but she could chop a large bone raw. The contrast was too great. However, Zhu Mingyue did convince him.

Zhu Mingyue: ? ? ?

He thought he saw a complicated expression on Xie Pei's face. Was it just his imagination?

He chuckled twice and changed the subject: "Let's not talk about this anymore. There's one more thing you forgot."

The cone-shaped dart was only as long as his hand, and it was easy to overlook when it was tucked next to the knife.

Xie Pei took the iron dart. "What is this?" He had never seen such a thing before.

“A rope dart,” Zhu Mingyue added slowly, “There’s no rope version.”

Zhu Mingyue had been thinking that Xie Pei spent his years running and fighting with prey in the mountains. When he encountered prey and could not get close, he could only throw an axe. Animals are cunning and can not always hit the target. Xie Pei would have to repeatedly pick up the axe and throw it, which was very troublesome. Throwing it into thorns would also tear his clothes or skin.

If we are to make a suitable weapon for him, we need to make up for this shortcoming.

After much thought, I realized that the rope dart was the perfect solution.

Rope darts are also suitable for long-range surprise attacks, are portable and easy to retrieve quickly, which are things that axes or bows and arrows cannot do.

The only drawback is that the rope is difficult to thread precisely through thorns, but this doesn't seem to be a problem for Xie Pei once he masters it. After all, Xie Pei can wield a dagger with his bare hands, so throwing a dart with his bare hands is certainly no problem for him.

Xie Pei also showed great interest in the iron dart. "A rope dart?" He saw the hole at the end of the dart and pointed, "A rope-threaded one? How do you use it?"

Zhu Mingyue nodded: "This is a weapon I saw by chance in a book. It's not tied with a rope because the length of the rope varies from person to person, depending on their physical strength and height. The length of the hemp rope can range from one to three zhang. You can adjust it according to your needs."

"Don't underestimate its small size. If used properly, it can be quite powerful. You can swing it around freely using your body. If you sharpen the head a bit, it can kill with a single blow."

Xie Pei weighed the rope in his hand, his face full of eagerness. He was quick-witted, and just from Zhu Mingyue's simple verbal description, several ways to use the dart rope had already come to mind. He was tall and strong enough to try a rope that was nearly two zhang long, but he didn't have such a long rope at home, so he could only suppress his eagerness and wait until tomorrow.

"No, it's still too cold outside." Zhu Mingyue tightened his cotton coat. He was sensitive to the cold and his body wasn't as resilient as Xie Pei's. If he was exposed to the cold wind for too long, he would definitely catch a cold the next day.

A coat fell and was draped over his body, warm and filled with the faint scent of fallen leaves and Xie Pei's body temperature.

Zhu Mingyue felt most of the chill in her body dissipate. "Aren't you cold?" He shrank his neck a little further in, showing no intention of returning the clothes.

Xie Pei found it amusing, "It's not cold, you wear it."

Zhu Mingyue didn't refuse anymore. She knew that Xie Pei was definitely not cold at the moment. He had just finished practicing with his sword and must have been sweating a lot. He was also very hot-tempered, so it would be strange if he felt cold.

"Sigh!" He sighed, put his hands in his pockets to keep them warm, and looked at the door, saying, "Guess when they'll arrive."

Xie Pei shook his head: "Soon."

As the two were talking about rope darts, they could vaguely hear noisy footsteps coming from afar.

Zhu Mingyue, who had originally planned to go back to her house after accompanying Xie Pei to try out the knife, decided not to go back to her house for the time being. She was sure that Lin Dama's family would not give up and would probably bring the village chief to act as a persuader.

Sure enough, the footsteps stopped at the Xie family's door, and then the knocking started again.

Zhu Mingyue glanced at Xie Pei, gesturing for him to open the door.

Having found a powerful backer, Lin Dama's wife seemed to have gained confidence. She held her head high and stood tall, remaining silent and waiting for the village chief to speak for her. The village chief, however, seemed a little embarrassed, his tone apologetic: "It's so late, I'm sorry to bother you."

Xie Pei remained silent, realizing he had indeed disturbed them.

After all, he is the village chief, and any actions taken in the village in the future will require his approval. No one dares to offend him. Zhu Mingyue stepped forward and said politely, "It's alright, village chief, please tell me what you need."

The village chief glanced at Lin Dama's wife, who was standing to the side with a smug look on her face. He was annoyed that he had decided not to speak and was instead being forced to beg for help. After a moment of hesitation, he finally spoke up, "I'm here because of Lin Dama's matter. Xie Pei has been hunting in the mountains since he was a child, so he should be more familiar with the situation there. That's why I was thinking of having him come with us to the mountains to find him." He then looked at Xie Pei.

Xie Pei remained silent, seemingly leaving the decision entirely to Zhu Mingyue.

"Sigh, these are two living, breathing people after all, it's really hard to bear." The village chief was good at judging situations, and he understood everything at this moment. He quickly turned his gaze to Zhu Mingyue and lowered his posture considerably. "I didn't want to trouble Xie Pei so late at night, but this Lin Dama's family begged me to be the mediator, and I really had no choice! I even called Zhengyang, and we're waiting to meet at the foot of the mountain."

Against the torchlight, Zhu Mingyue could clearly see that Lin Dama's wife's face immediately froze after the village chief finished speaking.

Zhu Mingyue almost burst out laughing. Funny, really funny!

Lin Dama's wife didn't speak up herself, but instead put the village chief in charge of asking for help. Her intentions were obvious. She was thinking that if she spoke up, she wouldn't be the one to ask, and she wouldn't have to owe the Xie family any favors in the future. She had a very clever plan.

Unexpectedly, the village chief was not someone she could easily outmaneuver. He was quite shrewd and made it clear that he hadn't come to plead for her; rather, it was Lin Dama's wife who had dragged him there to do so. She had even offered up her own son, yet she was putting on a show of being in a difficult position. Now, the Lin family not only owed the Xie family but also the village chief.

Zhu Mingyue, having seen enough of her complicated expression, finally spoke slowly, her tone hesitant: "It's not that Xie Pei doesn't want to go up the mountain to rescue people, it's just that it's really dangerous up there at night. Perhaps we should wait until dawn tomorrow..."