Chapter 298: Should They Stay?
The next day, early morning.
Zao Ying woke up, her head splitting.
The lingering taste of a hangover was truly unpleasant. She slapped her head, then suddenly jolted awake. "Where am I?"
She looked left and right, realizing she was lying in a small stone hut. Aside from a bed, a table, and a clothes rack, there was nothing else in the room.
She quickly pushed open the door and stepped out, only to discover she was inside the enormous barracks of the "Guyuan Rebel Army." The place was filled with countless small, identical rooms, their doors neatly lined up, extending down both sides of a long corridor.
She casually pushed open a door and found one of her subordinates sound asleep inside, drooling, clutching his belly, and wearing an expression of blissful contentment.
That was clearly the foolish look of someone stuffed full, like a pig in clover.
Rubbing her aching head, she slowly exited the barracks. In the open space outside, the "Guyuan Rebel Army" was already engaged in their morning boxing drills.
The man who referred to himself as the "Old Guyuan Scoundrel" but whom others called He Jiu, stood at the front of the formation, demonstrating martial arts as over five hundred people followed his movements, practicing together.
Zao Ying broke out in a cold sweat after just two glances. She thought, *If I were to face these people, and they suddenly unleashed a killing blow, I might be finished in a single move.*
Seeing that she was up, He Jiu waved at her and chuckled, "`Boss Zao`, we're in the middle of our morning exercises. We don't have time to entertain you right now. Take your people and head to the mess hall for breakfast.`"
Zao Ying thought, *After such a good meal last night, breakfast today should just be thin porridge or gruel, right?*
She couldn't resist hurrying to the mess hall. A quick look revealed that they had prepared nothing but meat buns, bursting with savory filling. The fragrant aroma of meat and dough mingled in the air, and she could already picture the satisfied smiles on her subordinates' faces as they ate.
"`What kind of household is this, seriously?!`"
No, this wouldn't do. She had to go outside and see what this place was really like.
Waking her subordinates, she urged them to quickly go devour the buns. She, herself, took two buns, munching on them as she leisurely walked out of the barracks.
Leaving the small valley where the barracks were located, she found herself facing a flat, hard, gray road. This surprised her a little; as a horse bandit, she wasn't fond of such rigid paths, which were hard on horses' hooves.
Fortunately, a dirt path ran alongside the hard road, indicating that the road builders had long considered this issue.
She walked along the road and soon spotted a massive fortress. Its nine-meter-high walls clearly showcased the owner's
immense strength. Beside this great fortress were fertile farmlands, vibrantly colored buildings, and puffing little steam trains...
So many unimaginable things seen in such a short time clogged Zao Ying's mind, nearly overwhelming her senses.
Just then, a middle-aged man approached her, smiling. "`Boss Zao`, I am `San Shier`, the steward of `Gao Family Village`. For a distinguished guest like yourself to grace our humble, remote village, it truly makes our humble dwelling shine!`"
Zao Ying thought, *A steward... that means he's second only to the master. I shouldn't underestimate him. But that exaggerated expression he made when he spoke those last four characters... it just makes me want to punch him.*
She cupped her fist in greeting. "`Steward San`, I'm new here and unfamiliar with the local customs. Please forgive me for wandering around so haphazardly.`"
San Shier chuckled, "`Boss Zao`, what do you think of our `Gao Family Village`?`"
Zao Ying replied, "`Prosperous! Unprecedented! In these chaotic times of natural disaster, it truly is a rare and precious haven.`"
San Shier smiled inwardly. The probing was over. This morning, the `Heavenly Lord` had sent down a large scroll bearing a divine decree, instructing him to ensure `Zao Ying` stayed to train the cavalry. Now that he'd sounded her out, `San Shier` felt confident there was a good chance.
"`Four years of severe drought,` `San Shier` sighed deeply. `People are struggling to survive, bandits are rising everywhere, and Shaanxi... sigh... it's utterly destitute, with nothing left!`"
Zao Ying's head was a tangle of questions. "`What did you just say?`"
San Shier replied, "`Ah, in short, it means things are very difficult.`"
Zao Ying nodded. "`Indeed, it's quite difficult!`"
San Shier continued, "`Is the horse bandit profession, a rather promising one, also difficult?`"
Zao Ying shook her head with a bitter smile. "`Difficult, increasingly so. In the old days, when the harvests were good, raiding government grain convoys or tribute shipments was easy pickings. But after three years of severe drought, there are no more tribute shipments. The grain convoys are harder and harder to seize, and the imperial officials sent to oversee grain... they're practically demons.`"
A flash of `Hong Chengchou`'s gaunt face, the Grain Intendant of Shaanxi, crossed `San Shier`'s mind. *That skinny man is really formidable? Didn't seem like it.* But never mind, that wasn't the point.
"`Since it's getting harder and harder to plunder anything,` `San Shier` said with a slight smile, "`Boss Zao`, have you ever considered finding a secluded paradise, settling down, and living a stable life for a while?`"
Zao Ying instantly understood. *No wonder this man has been spouting nonsense at me for so long; he wants me to join them.*
Among bandit forces, alliances and absorptions were not uncommon.
Zao Ying had been courted before, but she had never agreed, for she held those factions in disdain.
But this time...
She hadn't outright refused. Thinking of the formidable combat prowess of the "Guyuan Rebel Army" she'd witnessed in Duzhong Village, and then recalling their luxurious barracks and the "Xi'an Eight Bowls" they ate...
...she felt a tiny stir of temptation.
If she allied herself with a force like this, she and her one hundred and twenty subordinates could live well in the future. Zao Ying couldn't help but ask, "`Are the 'Guyuan Rebel Army' and `Xing Honglang` from `Yongji` also enticed by this kind of persuasion?`"
San Shier smiled. "`Boss Zao`, please don't misunderstand. I've never used any sort of persuasive trickery. `Xing Honglang` stayed because she frequently did business with our village and became familiar with us over time. She can leave whenever she wishes; we wouldn't stop her. But now, she considers this place her home and has no desire to depart.`"
Zao Ying thought, *Oh?*
San Shier continued, "`As for the 'Guyuan Rebel Army' then!`"
He spread his lips, revealing slightly yellowed teeth, his smile deeply unsettling. "`The *real* 'Guyuan Rebel Army' is currently undergoing `Labor Reform` in our village's prison. The unit you saw is our `Gao Family Village Militia`!`"
"`What?!` Zao Ying gasped, astonished. "`You mean *that* unit is a militia?`"
San Shier chuckled, scrambling to a higher vantage point. "`Come, come, `Boss Zao`, let me show you the *true* 'Guyuan Rebel Army.'`"
Zao Ying followed him up, looking in the direction he pointed. Ahead lay a cluster of gray buildings that clearly served as a prison, with many strange, mesh-like gates. A large group of strapping men, just woken up, were being released from within... These men were clearly no ordinary folk; they were all formidable, even ferocious individuals.
Comments