At this moment, the way these bandits looked at Zheng Quchi changed from the initial ferocity and vigilance to a look of uncertainty.
It seems she wasn't lying. A person's mouth can lie, but such skillful craftsmanship cannot. She truly is a carpenter.
"Are you really going to join us as highwaymen?" Their questioning gazes swept over her.
A middle-aged man with a scar on his face asked, "Xing'an, where did you bring this person back from? Is he trustworthy?"
The man named Xing'an was probably the leader of this bandit group. He said, "When I met her, she was being chased by the government. A group of them were chasing a little girl and kept calling her a bandit. I found it interesting and, seeing that she had nowhere to go, I brought her back."
"Xing'an, you're being too impulsive. Lately, these government officials have been searching everywhere for our people. Could she be a spy sent by the government?" someone warned.
Upon hearing this, Zheng Quchi quickly tried to clear his name, saying, "That can't be! With my abilities—I can't write poetry or fight—how am I supposed to be an undercover agent? By repairing wood or carving wood?"
Although Zheng Quchi's appearance was very deceptive, these people were like rats in a dark ditch, hated by everyone, and had no sense of security. They were naturally alert to any slight disturbance, so they did not completely trust her.
Zheng Quchi continued to argue, "I really am a carpenter. Have you ever seen an undercover agent from the government send someone who does carpentry?"
The bandit just stared at her menacingly without saying a word, while Xing'an asked her, "Since you're a carpenter, what kinds of things can you make?"
Zheng Quchi subconsciously replied, "I... I can do anything."
Xing An paused for a moment: "...Pretty arrogant, huh? Do you know how to repair crossbows or antler wood grappling hooks?"
Upon hearing this, Zheng Quchi exclaimed, "That's all?"
But she outwardly showed some hesitation: "Well, this kind is military-grade. I'm just an ordinary carpenter, it's not a big deal..."
Xing'an said calmly, "You wouldn't just kill them, would you?"
Zheng Quchi suddenly braked and turned around halfway, decisively saying, "I know! I know it all!"
This sounded like a lie, and the bandits didn't believe a single word of it.
Xing'an looked intently at Zheng Quchi and said to the bandits, "Since she knows how to do it, why not let her repair those broken tools?"
"No, how can we entrust such a matter to an outsider?"
The bandits then objected, probably because they didn't trust her.
Not only her as a person, but also her craftsmanship.
"Then what if we leave it to you? Who knows how to fix it?" Xing'an asked.
Immediately, the previous clamor and complaints vanished without a trace, leaving only silence.
"Besides, she's just like an ant in our hands now. If she has any disloyal intentions, we can crush her with one hand. Why would you worry about the betrayal of an ant?" Xing'an laughed.
Zheng (Ant) thought to himself, "I'll teach you to be arrogant and cocky. You'll regret it someday!"
Zheng Quchi blinked his big, expressive eyes and said obediently, "I won't betray you. I originally wanted to work with you. I heard that you don't harm civilians or kill living beings, you only rob wealthy travelers. It's admirable that you bandits are like this. I don't have any other skills, I'll do whatever you tell me to do."
Xing An smiled and looked at her, saying, "Xiao San and Xiao Qi, you two keep a close eye on her. If there is any unusual activity, come and report to me immediately."
Xiao San and Xiao Qi replied, "Yes."
"You two take her to the armory tomorrow morning."
"We understand."
After giving them his instructions, Xing'an said to Zheng Quchi, "Didn't you want to join us? Then you should perform well. If your results satisfy us, you can join us."
Who wants to join you?
Making people start working without discussing salary is nothing short of exploitative.
Although she was inwardly complaining, she gratefully agreed on the surface, saying, "Don't worry, I will definitely do my job well."
——
The next day, Xiao San and Xiao Qi led Zheng Quchi deep into the cave, but instead of getting darker, it gradually opened up and became brighter until they saw a sinkhole in front of them. Then she saw a scene she had never expected.
Her first reaction was—
That's it, they definitely won't leave her alive.
My second thought was, are they planning a rebellion?! There are weapons displayed here.
All sorts of knives, swords, spears, halberds... were available, but these ordinary weapons were clearly not enough for them. Some of the stone niches also contained various strange things whose functions she couldn't understand at the moment.
This is the bandits' "armory"? It's practically the size of a military depot!
But the army has tens of thousands of men, so where did this road bandit gang of a few dozen people get all these outrageous gadgets?
She swallowed hard, then stepped forward and picked up a long, thin, bamboo-tube-shaped object.
As soon as she started examining it, the mistress panicked: "Hey, hey, don't touch that! It's dangerous! Put it down!"
The mistress walked over and tried to push her away to take back her things, but Zheng Quchi easily stopped her on the spot with one hand.
She stared intently at the bamboo tube, then leaned closer to sniff it: "Oh, it smells like gunpowder, saltpeter, charcoal powder, sulfur..."
The third party was just a teenager, and he couldn't hide his surprise as he asked, "How...how do you know what's in here?!"
What's this called?
With no one else around, Zheng Quchi's expression immediately lost its "innocent and naive" quality, instead revealing a hint of oppression.
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