Chapter 58: Where is she now?
The escort was puzzled. There was no place to hide in this narrow path, but there was no sign of the bandits.
The formation changed position on the spot, and the escort brother swept around.
"There's no place to hide here. The arrows were coming too fast, and the heavy snow was blinding me, so I didn't notice where I was going."
Lu Tingwan looked at the direction of the force on the arrow feathers. The arrow head was pressed down, with the right side of the arrow exposed more, and the left side was pressing into the wooden box. From this, he concluded that the person who shot the arrow should be at a high place.
She slowly turned along the arrow and pointed to the rocks on the right. Lu Tingwan pointed in the direction: "They are there!"
The escorts all looked in the direction she pointed.
In an instant, the iron chain dropped from the rock, and dozens of strong men stepped smoothly and steadily along the iron chain across the snow. The snow was shaken off where the iron chain touched, and heavy snow fell in the narrow path.
The escort was surrounded by bandits from front and back, with no escape possible.
The leader was carrying a huge knife, walking with a wild step, holding an arrow feather in his mouth, and looking at the prey with great interest.
"I'll open this road," the leader spat out the arrows and kicked a handful of snow. "This..."
"You used iron ropes to climb the rocks. If it weren't for the snow and strong wind, we would have discovered it long ago." Lu Tingwan interrupted the man.
The leader was Bai Tu, the second in command of Bai Ta Village.
It was this person who figured out their location just now, and now he still dares to speak so arrogantly.
The escort said cautiously, "Brother, you are coming down the mountain in broad daylight before night falls. Do you want money or your life?"
The big knife fell from the broad back and stabbed into the snow. Bai Tu laughed uncontrollably, and the younger brothers behind him laughed along with him. The bodyguards were real men and could not stand the mockery and teasing of the bandits.
"No matter if it's money or life, you have to get rid of the knife in my hand first." The bodyguard drew out a heavy long knife and took a defensive posture.
Bai Tu was not at all panicked when he saw this, and said lazily: "Second Boss, I don't want money or life, I just want this batch of goods."
"That would be fatal." The big brother of the escort smiled coldly. The loss of the goods was equivalent to breaking trust. For the escort agency, the goods were trust, and trust was life.
Bai Tu glanced at his people and smiled, "Brothers, this man is a fool. Did I say that Second Master wants his life?"
Lu Tingwan observed the equipment and weapons of these people. They had uniform weapons, arrow feathers and bowstrings, and their quality seemed inferior to the bows used on the battlefield. Could it be that the bandits had snatched them back from the officers and soldiers?
If that is the case, all the escorts today, including myself, will have to die here.
"Second Master Bai," Lu Tingwan said calmly as he pulled out the arrow feather from the escort vehicle. He then stepped down and handed the arrow feather to the driver.
Bai Tu looked at Lu Tingwan with a prying look in his eyes.
"Do you know me?"
Lu Tingwan said calmly, "I heard that there are two leaders in Baita Village. The eldest leader rarely comes down the mountain. When Second Master Bai comes down, he is like a hurricane sweeping away travelers' goods. He comes and goes without a trace. Seeing him today is indeed extraordinary."
Seeing Lu Tingwan's flattery, the escort couldn't help but sneer: "I have been protecting you all the way, but I never thought you would be a coward and become a bandit."
Bai Tu held the knife and watched the show.
"Don't worry, Brother Biao," Lu Tingwan said. "Second Master Bai hasn't even looked at what's inside this wooden box, yet he's frankly saying he only wants what's in it. He must have already inquired about the items this escort agency is transporting, which is why he specifically waited in the snow and didn't travel at night. So, no matter what happens today, this batch of goods must be handed over."
"As the old saying goes, 'As long as the green mountains remain, there will be no shortage of firewood.' The most important thing for you brothers is to keep your lives. If you fight to the death, what are your chances of winning, Brother Biao?"
Biaotou swept his eyes over the bandits. There were twenty-seven of them, armed with sharp weapons and familiar with the terrain. He was not sure whether the bandits had reinforcements, so acting rashly was not a good idea.
He could die, and his brothers would wait and do it a few more times, earn money and go home to reunite with their families for the New Year.
Even if he fought to the death, he would only have 30% chance.
But he found it difficult to give orders.
Bai Tu on the opposite side clapped his hands and cheered: "Second Master, I think this young master is quite sensible. He was able to accurately judge my position just now. I like to deal with smart people."
"We are not bloodthirsty. As long as you leave the goods behind, Master Bai will ensure your safe arrival in Fufeng Town."
Without waiting for Biaotou to order the goods to be handed over, Bai Tu pointed with his right hand, and the bandits swarmed forward and unloaded the goods. Biaotou and his brothers, including Lu Tingwan, were held at knifepoint by the bandits and dared not move.
After untying the ropes, the bandits dismantled the boxes of goods one by one and tied them back with iron chains.
Originally thinking that the bandits would stop, Bai Tu saw that Biaotou had a fierce look on his face and didn't want to let the tiger go back to the mountains and leave trouble.
The subordinate whispered a reminder: "Second boss, the boss has ordered not to kill anyone, and to fight quickly and decisively."
Bai Tu was unwilling to give up, so he ordered the escorts to be blindfolded with black cloth and sent out through the narrow passage.
Bai Tu was wary of the young master, and after thinking about it, a cunning look appeared in his eyes.
"I want him."
Lu Tingwan's scalp went numb from being stared at. Before she could resist, she felt a sharp pain at the back of her neck and then lost consciousness.
The escort was sent out of the narrow road, and the bandits used the iron chain to transport the goods away, then flew over the cliff and disappeared in the snow.
Lu Tingwan was half asleep and half awake, feeling the bumps and running, as if he had been walking around the mountain for a long time, the sound of the wind on the cliff, the crows and magpies in the deep forest, and the howling of wild beasts.
During this time, I could also hear women, children and kids talking and laughing.
Where is she?
When he opened his eyelids, the light was blocked by the black cloth. The sky was dark at this time, and torches were lit in the White Pagoda Village, like stars falling in the snowy night.
At night, the wind in the village was blowing wildly. The head of the village was sitting on a wide chair in the main hall, wiping the newly made bow and arrow, waiting for the good news that Bai Tu and his men had returned with great success.
The subordinates lifted the tiger skin door curtain, and the wind and snow rushed in. Only after the curtain was lowered did the wind outside be blocked.
"Big boss, the second in command is back."
The subordinates bowed, and the boss turned around nonchalantly, his long legs falling from the bamboo chair. He was wearing a wolf coat and a forged copper beast mask that covered half of his face, but his originally proud outline could be clearly seen, and his deep eyes were filled with hostility.
"Did you get the goods?"
His voice was deep and youthful. He put down the bow and arrow and casually picked up a dagger to continue wiping it.
Bai Tu was the first to lift the door curtain and strode in, his voice rough: "Stinky boy, brother is back."
The boss Xie Zhao raised the corners of his lips.
"Guess who my brother brought back?"
Xie Zhao narrowed his eyes, a sharp look flashing across his face: "People? Didn't you say you are not allowed to bring outsiders back?"
Bai Tu approached, picked up the cup in front of him, and drank it all in one gulp. "I see that this man is extremely intelligent, and you warned us not to kill anyone. I'm afraid that if I let him go, there will be hidden dangers. So I brought him back. Maybe he can still be of use."
Xie Zhao knew that Bai Tu was uncontrollable and didn't know who he had brought back this time.
"Bring it up." Bai Tu waved and Lu Tingwan was pushed in.
After taking off the mask, she was distracted for a while. The light in the main hall was dazzling, so she had to dodge and her eyes inadvertently locked onto Xie Zhao in front of her.
Then move on to the bow and arrow on the old wooden table.
There were several obvious knife marks on the wooden table, as well as cuts left by arrows.
Xie Zhao's voice drifted over: "Is this the useful person you mentioned?"
Bai Tu licked his lips and smiled: "That's right, when we ambushed him, this person was able to accurately guess where he was hiding and our intentions. We didn't want to spare his life."
Only then did Lu Tingwan feel lucky that he had escaped the disaster.
Xie Zhao also became interested after hearing this: "Bring it here."
Lu Tingwan was pushed and stood at the bottom of the stairs. Xie Zhao supported his knees with his hands, slowly walked down the stairs, and looked down at Lu Tingwan.
After a close observation, Xie Zhao realized that this person was not a man. His bony knuckles and cheeks revealed a deep outline.
Both sides looked at each other. They had heard that the leader of Bai Ta Village was decisive and efficient. Lu Tingwan thought that he must be a big man with a beard, but he never thought that he was so young. Bai Tu even called himself his brother, but he regarded him as the leader. He thought that this man must have something extraordinary that made the people of Bai Ta Village willing to submit to him.
"What's your name, sir?"
Lu Tingwan remained calm and composed: "My name is Jiang Yanli, nice to meet Master Xie."
She was not surprised to know her own name was Xie Zhao.
"Miss Jiang."
Lu Tingwan looked surprised. This person recognized her as a girl at a glance, but she had already become indifferent to it. Luo Yunchu and Cheng Xianzhi had also seen it at a glance before, so she was not obsessed with it.
"Are you acquainted with Chairman Jia from Qingfeng County?"
Lu Tingwan was confused. She didn't know who the President Jia he was talking about was, nor did she know why he asked that.
"In reply to the boss, I am just passing through Qingyao Mountain and do not know any President Jia."
"Really?" Xie Zhao put his hands behind his back, twirling an arrow feather between his fingers. "Then how did you get together with the people from the escort agency?"
Lu Tingwan replied truthfully, "However, the snowy road was difficult to travel on, so I went with a companion to look after me. Brother Biaotou was so kind that he wanted to escort me to Fufeng Town. Unexpectedly, we ran into the brothers from Baita Village on the narrow road."
Seeing that she was avoiding the important point, Bai Tu reminded her again: "Boss..."
Xie Zhao raised his hand to signal him to be silent, and asked, "My brother said you are smart and can be used by me. I wonder what is so special about Miss Jiang?"
Lu Tingwan didn't want to get involved with the bandits. Qingyao Mountain had become very famous, and now he seemed to be the king of the mountain, very powerful and awe-inspiring. However, the greater the fame, the greater the troubles that would come.
Seeing that Lu Tingwan was hesitant to respond, Xie Zhao warned, "Anyone who enters Baita Village will only have two options."
"First, enter my White Pagoda Village and serve me. Second, those who are unwilling to serve me will be killed."
Only then did she understand why he took off his mask in front of her. She had been to this village and seen the true face of the leader. If she wanted to leave, she had to leave her life behind.
In the current situation, she could only take a step back and make plans. "I see that the arrows used by the brothers in the village today are official arrows. If I am not mistaken, these official arrows were also cut from the people transporting the goods by the leader."
"But the boss dared to rob such a batch of imperial supplies. How could a defenseless child like me dare to do whatever I want in front of the boss? I will just let him order me around."
Xie Zhao said with satisfaction: "He who knows the current affairs is a hero. Dealing with people who know the current affairs saves time and effort."
He glanced at Bai Tu. Even Bai Tu, who was usually the most anxious and eager for quick success, could save her life. It seemed that this man must be a wise man who knew how to understand the times and seize opportunities.
The weapons used by the bandits must have been captured and then modified by someone proficient in equipment to become bows and arrows that are more suitable for the terrain here.
As for where she came from, Lu Tingwan couldn't guess for sure. She was not familiar with the Baita Village for the time being. If she wanted to take the opportunity to escape, she must first gain the trust of the boss.
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