Facing each other
"Young Valley Master! These are the murderers who killed Ah Li! Are you just going to let them go like this? Don't let me feel wrong about you for the first time! This time, even if you are the Young Valley Master, I will disobey orders and cut them into pieces to vent my anger."
…
"Yes! Sixth Brother is right! Chi Xun! Don't be so confused. Have you forgotten everything about the old Valley Master's kindness in raising you and the engagement between you and A-Li?"
…
"That's right! We can't let any of them go! Not even one!"
Everyone clamored for revenge, and the situation was a little out of control. He wanted to kill Qi Heng to vent his anger, and it would be best if he failed in his tribulation and died.
But Yuanli has now been enshrined as a god, and if he wants to completely escape from that man-eating heaven, he still needs to use him.
"Letting them all feed the wolves like this would be too easy for him. Blindfold them first and bring them back to the village, then we'll discuss it. It would be best if they can neither live nor die."
After that, everyone quieted down.
After blowing the bone whistle and seeing that all the wolves had returned to the depths of the forest, they covered Qi Heng and his group's eyes with three pieces of coarse cloth and brought them back to the village.
The terrain and routes of the village must not be remembered by outsiders, so on the way back to the village, Cha Suxun still took them wandering aimlessly in the mountains for about half an hour.
In addition to personal grudges, Cha Suxun deliberately took them blindfolded and climbed the most dangerous cliffs, adding threatening words, so that they would slip if they were not careful, which was very frightening.
Because they took a detour, they only covered half of the distance when some people in the team became weak in the legs and could not bear it anymore.
Although they were all trained and could die for the court at any time, they were not dead warriors. Who wouldn't want to fight harder to survive? When they were truly constantly teetering between life and death, how could they not be afraid?
After returning to the village, Chi Xun threw them into the woodshed in his backyard, but he did not intend to remove the black cloth covering their eyes. Then, feeling uneasy, he ordered people to bring rattan ropes to tie them up again.
This vine rope was woven from an extremely resilient, thin vine native to the mountains behind. The tighter you pulled, the tighter it became, making it difficult to break. It was usually used to tether pigs during the village's New Year slaughter. It was so strong that it could easily harness a struggling wild boar, making it the perfect choice for harnessing Qi Heng.
As Ami was tying the knot with all his might, he said, "Young Valley Master, with just a few of these bastards, do we really need to use the vine rope to tie them up? Wouldn't that be too much of a stretch?"
"Is this a waste of talent?" Cha Suxun asked.
"Well, that's what the teacher said. Valley Master, you really know everything." Ami looked at Cha Suxun with admiration, and the passion in her eyes was no less than when she saw her beloved girl.
"Ami, this cunning and foolish creature is no less capable than the wild boars in the mountains who are accustomed to brute force. Remember how your father taught you to tie up a wild boar? If you're not good at it, practice more. You can come out on top next New Year and bring honor to your family."
After changing the subject, Ami still had a childish nature and listened to everything he said, just thinking he was practicing tying wild boar's feet.
Cha Suxun saw Ami's powerful moves from the side and couldn't help but hold back his laughter. These people were bound to suffer no matter what.
"I'm very confident in leaving this place to you. Remember to lock the door when you leave."
After saying that, Cha Suxun patted Ami's shoulder gently to show that he was optimistic about her, then he walked out of the woodshed with his hands behind his back. When he arrived at the courtyard, Cha Suxun saw that they were still waiting.
"Young Valley Master, when do you plan to report this to the Old Valley Master?"
Seeing Uncle Jiu, who had just arrived, he wasn't surprised at all. Cha Suxun sat down leisurely, a smile on his face as he asked, "Why? Uncle Jiu, are you still worried about me? Are you afraid that I'll go ahead and send the culprit down the mountain?"
"That's not what I meant. I just felt that this group of people from Kyoto had hurt A-Li and deeply harmed the old valley master and his family. I should tell them immediately so that I can vent my anger."
Uncle Six, standing by, stopped him displeasedly, "Oh my, oh my, here you go again! You've lived to this age, yet you're still not as sensible as Gota. You keep saying those sarcastic things to flatter people. The Valley Master calls you Uncle Nine, but you're just being so pretentious and taking advantage of your age. If you say that again, I'll ask my eldest brother to beat you to death."
"Sixth brother, I can..."
Lao Jiu was about to argue, but before he could finish his words, his Sixth Uncle rolled up his sleeves with an even more ferocious expression, pretending to hit someone, and he fell silent.
"Shut up! You have no manners! How dare you act so loud and wild in front of the Valley Master! Kneel down and admit your mistake!" Chi Xi
Upon hearing this, Uncle Nine and Uncle Six immediately fell silent, plopping to their knees with exceptional determination. They both shouted in unison, "Valley Master, please punish me!"
"Uncle Nine has watched our Ah Li grow up. I think you were just too anxious to defend Ah Li and that's why you overstepped the bounds and offended her. Uncle Six, on the other hand, is innocent and has good intentions. He deserves to be rewarded. How can you wrongly blame him and punish him?"
After some sarcastic exchanges, Cha Suxun took his seat and looked at Elder Chi Xi with an awkward expression. He then glanced at the chairs behind him and the people standing and kneeling. "Why are you all standing? Sit wherever you want. Treat yourself like you're at home. There are no restrictions here."
Cha Suxun made it very clear whether one could sit or not.
"Uncle Nine, why are you still kneeling? Well, since you're so particular about rules, then just follow them. Uncle Six, you're not at fault according to the rules. Stand up and sit down. You don't have to be punished together."
Uncle Six stood up decisively, thanked Cha Suxun immediately, and sat up, leaving Uncle Nine alone kneeling among everyone. Although he always cared about his reputation, he felt a little embarrassed.
"Let's get back to the point. I plan to tell my father about Qi Heng and his group right away. I won't let the thieves go, so don't worry. I will discuss it with my father before making a decision. Does anyone have anything else to say? If so, let's talk it over and resolve it as soon as possible so I can go down the mountain early to buy things for A-Li."
Hearing this, everyone looked at each other, and finally, after Elder Chi Xi stood up, they all stood up.
"Since Young Valley Master has something to do, we will go back first. You can go about your business."
After chasing the people away, Cha Suxun returned to his house and went to his father. Although his father was in the house and did not go out, he would know about all the big and small things in the valley within half an hour after they happened.
"Father, what do you want to do with Qi Heng and his group?"
Hearing this, my father stopped weaving the basket, picked up his pipe, took a deep puff, and after a long silence, he sighed, "I want to cut him into pieces! Let him suffer every inch of torture! However, his ancestors for three generations have served in the imperial court. If he died in our Jiwang Valley, there would be no peace in the village..."
"This world is never peaceful. If my father wants, he can chop it into pieces and throw it far away. No one can blame us in Jiwang Valley."
"The truth will eventually come to light. No matter how far we throw it, there's always the risk of it being exposed. There are so many innocent people in the village, all relying on us. How could we betray their trust? Would we risk their lives to avenge our own small family's personal grudge? If we were just a small family with less responsibility, I would kill him without hesitation, even if it meant one life for another."
When my father said this, he was filled with resentment yet helpless.
"As long as Father wants, I can do it, and I will definitely not affect the peace of Jiwang Valley in the slightest."
"It's not that Dad doesn't love Li'er. It's really... with so many people, Dad really doesn't dare to gamble. It's all Dad's fault for being incompetent. His own child was bullied outside, and he couldn't even take revenge."
The father was in great torment. On one hand, there was his own daughter, and on the other hand, there was the worry about the lives of hundreds of innocent villagers. He couldn't make a choice.
This was the first time he felt some regret.
If I had chosen the position of national teacher given by the late emperor, and let Chi Xi take everyone away, would such tremendous power have been able to protect everyone?
"If Qi Heng had committed suicide and died at home when he was found, it would be different, Father." Cha Suxun's tone was calm and certain, as if he was stating a fact rather than an assumption.
"You want to fake a suicide in the mansion of a Dali Temple official? Impossible, child. I know you desperately want revenge, but you can't be impatient about this matter. You must consider everything carefully. We must discuss a foolproof method. Revenge must be taken, and everyone's lives must be saved. Think about it, think about it again..."
"Father has plenty of ways to torture him without revealing any traces on his skin or body, and finally remove the marks. Father, just torture him until he's in a state of wanting to live but not die. When the time comes, I'll tell you, and once the marks are removed, I'll make sure he returns home and commits suicide."
My father was a little bit incredulous, but also worried and doubtful. "It's not that I don't believe you, but I really can't imagine how you can make him return home and commit suicide."
"When Qi Heng dies, Dad will naturally understand everything. Dad, don't let your mind wander, calm down, and don't let Li'er know that Qi Heng is here, lest she be sad and do something stupid. Just pretend that he doesn't exist. I still have to go down the mountain, so don't save lunch for me. Dad, believe me."
Dad nodded slightly, but he was still in a bad mood.
"Don't always think about her, think about yourself. Run down the mountain every day, and don't be afraid of tiring yourself out."
"It's okay, Dad. I'm leaving now."
"Slow down! The mountain road is slippery!"
Having been delayed for too long today, Cha Suxun was afraid that the candied fruit shop would sell out early, so he took a shortcut and quickened his pace when going down the mountain.
But even so, when he rushed to the shop, they had just sold out the last few. The back of the girl who left after buying something looked very familiar, and looked exactly like her.
In fact, he looks more like her than A-ri.
"Oh, sir, you came at an unfortunate time. Our store has a daily sales limit of 100, and the last few have just been sold. Please come back early tomorrow."
"Wait, I'll offer double the price. Can you give me an extra portion? My wife is having severe morning sickness and has no appetite. It would be better if you could give me a smaller portion so I can take it home to relieve her greasy feeling. Please do me a favor."
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