Chapter 20 This is a master
"Anyone who passes through the Savage Valley while being escorted into exile by the officers and soldiers must be the family of a serious criminal of the imperial court."
The one-eyed man glanced at Qin Xiangnuan, not minding showing off his wealth. He hung the fresh meat of the hunted beasts in the courtyard of the thatched hut and said calmly, "A while ago, soldiers were escorting rebels. They encountered tigers and wild wolves in the Savage Valley. They all died in the mountains and their bodies were never found."
"The imperial officers and soldiers were so frightened they peed their pants, but they managed to escape alive. But do you know how they escaped?"
The one-eyed man paused. Seeing that Liu, Qi, and other women had turned pale with fear, he deliberately lowered his voice and pointed in the direction of the chief constable in a sinister tone, grinning, "They knocked the exiles unconscious and fed them directly to wild wolves and tigers. Only after they were full did they escape."
"I see you can't get out of Savage Valley, so I'll be kind enough to give you two full meals."
"It also allows you to go on the road with a full stomach."
The one-eyed man sat on the ground, patted his mud-stained shirt, swung the axe in his hand, and chopped at the round wooden stake.
Qi was so frightened that she almost cried, and immediately started arguing with Qin Wen, making a big fuss.
Madam Qin managed to hold her ground, but her figure swayed twice. She stared at the peaks of Savage Valley, patted Liu's hand gently, and said, "I'm afraid we won't have the chance to see Guang'er again. What... can we do?"
"Cousin, go and help."
Qin Xiangnuan's eyes rolled, and she pushed Qin Feng to the side of the one-eyed man, and gestured for him to help chop wood.
Qin Feng was naturally obedient. He forced a smile awkwardly, snatched the axe from the one-eyed man, and helped with the work while sweating profusely.
"May I ask your name, brother?"
Qin Xiangnuan walked up to him and asked in a humble manner.
The one-eyed man looked at Qin Xiangnuan and replied unhappily, "Wang Qiang."
It sounded like a pseudonym used by someone traveling the Jianghu. Since he could make a living at the foot of the Savage Valley and could enter and exit the valley safely, he must be quite capable. Perhaps he also carried a deep blood feud or a lot of past events. Qin Xiangnuan could see it, but she didn't bother to delve into it. She just said politely, "Brother Wang is capable. We were exiled here from the capital and we still have to go north."
"Although we won't have such a prosperous life after leaving the capital, at least our family is reunited and everything is together, which gives us peace of mind."
Qin Xiangnuan fished out two pieces of silver from her sleeve. They were both taken out from her space and kept on her in case of crisis. Now they came in handy. Without telling the officials and the people in the general's mansion, she stuffed them into Wang Qiang's hands and said, "Brother, since you know the terrain of the Savage Valley, could you please lead us there? I promise to reward you handsomely."
If you want to persuade people, there are only two ways: emotion and profit.
The officials are the ones who are interested in profit. As long as they can be given benefits, they will not treat people harshly.
Qin Xiangnuan stared at Wang Qiang's expression, hoping to see some change from it, but to her disappointment, Wang Qiang's face, which looked ferocious, remained as cold as before even when he saw the silver. He smiled and weighed it twice, "I live in the mountains, and I don't have any use for silver on a daily basis. It's really useless for you to give me this, young lady."
This method doesn't impress him?
Qin Xiangnuan frowned slightly. Things were much more difficult than she thought.
The chief of the officers naturally knew what Qin Xiangnuan was thinking. He was thinking that if he wanted to get out of the Savage Valley safely and complete his mission smoothly, he would naturally need Wang Qiang. He hesitated for a moment and walked over, acting like an official. He raised his head and looked at Wang Qiang with his nose and said, "Do you know who we are? I order you to take us through the Savage Valley." The chief of the officers held the scabbard hanging at his waist and raised his chin.
"Oh, sir, you're joking. I'm just a commoner, earning an honest living and never making a mistake. You have no right to order me around, do you?" Wang Qiang was bold. He hunched over and walked over to the side, clearly annoyed by them. He urged, "My temple is small, and we can't accommodate you all. After tonight, you should hurry up the mountain and into the valley."
Dare to contradict the official? Qin Xiangnuan stared at his back and got to know him better.
Someone with such courage must not be an ordinary farmer.
After Qin Feng finished chopping the wood, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and ran back to Qin Xiangnuan, muttering a little dissatisfiedly, "Little cousin, why are we being so polite to him? Look at the food stored in this room. If we take it all away, it will probably be enough for ten days to half a month."
"He's alone. Let's tie him up at night and go into the mountains..."
Qin Feng spoke carelessly. He had no bad intentions, but the method he came up with was reckless.
Qin Xiangnuan stared at him with a frown, dragging Qin Feng to a corner. She pointed at each hemp rope in the courtyard and said, "Look carefully, can you see any difference? If you can't see anything, then all my teachings to you were in vain."
"What?" Qin Feng was a little unhappy with her scolding. At first, he looked around casually, but gradually he focused his attention and muttered silently with a frown. Finally, his eyes became extremely bright and he exclaimed in surprise, "Formation?"
His voice made Wang Qiang turn around. Qin Xiangnuan raised the corners of her lips and nodded at him, trying her best to answer with ventriloquism, "That's right."
"I've noticed since I walked in. Every rope here is useful. They're probably traps. If you really want to attack in the middle of the night, not only will you never come back, you might even die. He's able to live alone in this deep forest, so he must be able to protect himself."
Even though Qin Xiangnuan had been through hundreds of battles, been in and out of the battlefield countless times, and seen the flash of swords and the sound of gunfire, he was not 100% sure that he could break the trap he set up, so he decided to ask Wang Qiang to lead them into the Savage Valley. Apart from this, there was no other possibility.
"Brother Wang, can you please have a moment with me?"
Qin Xiangnuan's eyes rolled twice, and she put on a sweet smile again. At this moment, she lowered her posture and used her appearance as a little girl. No matter how cold Wang Qiang was, he couldn't reach out and hit someone who smiled. He could only put down the work in his hands and follow Qin Xiangnuan to the outside of the thatched hut.
"If you have something to say, tell me."
Wang Qiang rubbed his left eye, feeling unhappy.
Qin Xiangnuan was not discouraged. She simply placed her hands lightly in front of her, bowed, and said, "May I ask what method can I use to persuade Brother Wang? Whether it's something or sincerity, as long as you ask, Nuannuan will definitely do it. I also hope that you can give everyone in the General's Mansion a way out."
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