"Waaaah, Second Master, I can't bear to part with you."
Upon hearing the news, Er Gouzi slipped and slid to Xia Zhiying's legs, whereupon he grabbed her thigh and began to wail.
Xia Zhiying turned to the three people beside her and gave them an awkward smile. Then she forcefully pulled her leg out of Er Gouzi's arm and said gently.
"Er Gouzi, all good things must come to an end. Now I have found someone I want to follow and I am ready to start a new life."
As for the knock-offs, didn't you all live just fine before I came along?
Er Gouzi understood the resolute meaning in the Second Boss's words and realized that if he forced the Second Boss to stay, he would inevitably become disliked.
He absolutely couldn't leave a bad impression on the second-in-command at the moment of parting, so he wiped away his tears and said with a smile.
"Second Master, Er Gouzi understands. You can go now. We will definitely manage the stronghold better and better."
If one day you get tired of being out there, come back to the village. There will always be a place for you here.
Xia Zhiying patted Er Gouzi on the shoulder with satisfaction. He was indeed one of the few smart people in the stronghold. Now he could speak with some skill. It was worth all the teaching she had given him these past few days.
Thinking of this, she cleared her throat, smiled at the still mournful faces of the villagers, and announced her decision.
"A country cannot be without a ruler for a day, nor can a mountain stronghold be without a leader for a day. I will definitely leave."
If you trust me, after I leave, let Er Gouzi take over as the leader, and then select a new second leader through a martial arts competition.
With these two leaders, one skilled in literature and the other in military affairs, the stronghold wouldn't fall apart.
Seeing that their second-in-command was determined to leave, the bandits glanced at Er Gouzi, whom the second-in-command had handpicked. Although Er Gouzi was fairly clever, they still felt he was unreliable.
Therefore, someone asked hesitantly, "Second Master, as you know, we people are not very bright and may be deceived at any time. We only feel at ease following you."
Since you're determined to leave, could you please take us with you?
After he finished speaking, the others immediately chimed in, "Yeah, how come I didn't think of that? We could have the second-in-command take us away together. Old Li, you're really smart."
"That's a great idea. That way we won't have to separate from the second-in-command."
"But we can't do anything except use our strength. Would our master want us?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire room fell silent once more. The bandits turned their expectant gazes toward Xia Zhiying, while Xia Zhiying subconsciously turned her head to look at Xu Jinhuan beside her.
Although she was reluctant to part with these obedient subordinates, her new master had just rejected the suggestion to take everyone with him, which meant he probably didn't think much of them.
Therefore, after thinking for a moment, she turned her head and looked at the bandits apologetically, "Brothers, I am truly honored to see how reluctant you are to part with me."
But this time, Xia has embarked on a path of no return, a path that leads only forward. He might lose his head at any moment. Therefore, I'm sorry, I cannot take you away.”
Xia Zhiying thought her kind words would persuade the bandits to stay in the mountains, but they became even more agitated after hearing that there was danger involved.
"It's that dangerous? Second Master, then we must follow you even more closely. We will protect you."
"Yes, Second Master, you're usually so weak and frail, you can't even beat a good old woman. How can we let you leave alone?"
"That's right. When the time comes, Second Master, you won't even know who to cry to. Let us come along."
After listening to the bandits' words, Xia Zhiying's veins bulged on her forehead. She had felt a little sad about parting, but now not only was there none, she was filled with speechlessness.
If you're reluctant to let her go, just say so. Why do you look down on her kung fu? Is it because she didn't want to learn martial arts properly? It's clearly because she wasn't born with the right aptitude. After practicing for many years, she still ended up back to where she was before she started practicing martial arts.
Xu Jinhuan silently read through these, feeling a sense of感慨 (gan3kai3, a complex emotion encompassing both adrenaline and resentment), realizing that compared to these, the reckless men in his own team didn't seem so reckless after all.
Because the poaching went relatively smoothly, she walked forward in a good mood and addressed the crowd.
"Gentlemen, there is no need to worry about the safety of the second-in-command. Once he arrives in our territory, he will be a highly skilled technical expert and will enjoy the highest level of security protection."
Her treatment was naturally top-notch; there would absolutely be no chance of anyone bullying her.
The bandits looked at Xu Jinhuan suspiciously, and one of them asked with concern, "Really? You won't let the second-in-command get hurt? You won't starve him?"
Xu Jinhuan was speechless. She wasn't involved in human trafficking, so why would she suddenly stop feeding people?
"No, although this road may be somewhat dangerous, I can guarantee that our technicians will not be harmed before I die."
The bandits were relieved, but one of them asked curiously, "Little girl, you look so thin. What do you do in your group?"
"Could you talk to your boss and let us join? Look at these muscles I have; I'm a real expert at fighting and swearing."
The gaunt Xu Jinhuan glanced at the man upon hearing this and replied with a forced smile, "I am indeed the boss you mentioned."
The bandits blinked blankly, looked at Xu Jinhuan, then at their second-in-command, their unease deepening.
They walked up to Xia Zhiying and spoke in what they thought was a soft voice.
"Second Master, why don't you reconsider? This boss over there doesn't seem to be doing well. He probably can't even withstand one of my strikes. How am I going to protect you then?"
Xu Jinhuan finally understood Xia Zhiying's feelings. Speechless, she drew her long sword and slashed at the door.
"What's that girl doing? There's nothing in front of her, what is she chopping at?"
"Yeah, could she be out of her mind? We need to talk to the second-in-command and tell him not to go with her. What if she suddenly stabs him in the middle of the night? He'll be waiting for us in the underworld."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a few "crack" sounds were heard, and the large door made of fine mahogany by the former leader shattered into pieces in front of everyone.
"Damn it, I think there's something wrong with my eyes!"
"This...this is what she did?"
"But her knife clearly didn't actually hit the door!"
The bandits stared blankly at the thin, bony girl in front of them, momentarily speechless.
But in his heart, he was exclaiming wildly, "The second-in-command is indeed the second-in-command. His eye for people is much better than that of us roughnecks!"
"Miss Xu, do you have new plans?"
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