Chapter 92

The wild expanse, the sky low over the trees; the river clear, the moon close to people.

Chen Wuji and Yuan Jinshi were wrapped like zongzi, lying side by side under the main house's eaves.

Huo Sanniang knelt beside them, softly sobbing.

"Wife, not dying is Dafu; these are just minor injuries, it's fine!" Chen Wuji comforted.

He really wanted to rest.

But he seemed to be everyone's focus now, with people constantly coming and going around him.

"What do you mean it's fine? You're in this state and still say it's fine? To bandage you two, I almost used up a bolt of Fire Hemp Cloth." Huo Sanniang said angrily, "Why do you have to push yourself so hard?"

"Wife, I can't avoid pushing myself." Chen Wuji said helplessly.

If he doesn't push himself, the whole family will all drop dead.

How could he not push himself?

Huo Sanniang realized her words were problematic, she fell silent, then softly sobbed again; from time to time a crystal tear rolled from the corner of her eye, which she gently wiped away with her sleeve.

"Older sister, I think my husband needs proper rest; crying is useless, people should stay whole and alive, with all their bits intact—that's a good thing." Shen Youwei walked over with two bowls of soup, handing one to Licentiate Yuan, who was attending to Yuan Jinshi.

Chen Wuji looked at Shen Youwei with a bewildered expression.

How weird her words sounded.

What does "everything is still here" mean?

"You dead girl, you always say unpleasant things, don't you?" Huo Sanniang glared at Shen Youwei, took the soup bowl, "I'll feed him."

"The words may be rough but the sense is sound; I think my husband is amazing! Really amazing!" Shen Youwei said.

"Don't encourage him; if you encourage him two more times, he'll think he's invincible." Huo Sanniang scolded.

Shen Youwei whispered: "Older sister, my husband is doing this for us."

"I know, but I don't want him to risk his life protecting me."

……

After finishing the bowl of soup, Chen Wuji's ears finally grew quiet.

The Chen clan's clansmen, under Chen Bushi's leadership, were outside the courtyard shouting at those bandits; almost half the village could hear their cries of pain.

Chen Wuji listened a bit; it seemed Chen Bushi had even called over several old men from the Yuan family, not knowing exactly what they were doing.

Although this was an extremely dangerous night, there was no doubt it was also the night the Chen clan established its prestige in Xishan Village; Chen Wuji, by his own strength, gave the whole Chen family a fierce bearing.

Bandit refugees are a topic that makes commoners change color when spoken of.

Yet the Chen clan, with just a dozen or so households, kept all those bandits who had sneaked into the village at night.

This is momentum.

Chen Wuji could foresee that after today, Xishan Village would be completely different.

The Chen clan would no longer be that once-despised, arbitrarily oppressed Chen clan.

This family, hiding countless secrets, seemed to follow Chen Wuji's steps, choosing to reveal its ruggedness and show its sharp teeth.

The door of the neighboring room opened; the young woman who had just been brought into the house wore a brand-new dress, walked up to Chen Wuji, and knelt down.

Chen Wuji's complexion suddenly turned somewhat unpleasant.

He could see at a glance that the young woman was wearing the very dress he had bought for Huo Sanniang.

Although he didn't like it, he felt more helpless.

His wife's boundless kindness left him truly at a loss for words……

She herself couldn't bear to wear the skirt, yet giving it away was remarkably generous.

"Can you help me kill someone? I'm willing to be your ox and horse, to serve you for generations!" The woman stared silently at Chen Wuji, opening her mouth with fierce words.

"On what basis?" Chen Wuji countered.

"When asked his name, he damned well refused to speak, bent on death."

Now he suddenly ran out and blurted, "Help her kill someone—do I owe you, Laborers?"

"That person is very rich," the woman said.

"Stop, what's your name?" Chen Wuji said.

"Xue Hongdou!"

Chen Wuji snorted, "Turns out you're not mute; I thought you were a mute!"

"You're a good person, and those two older sisters are good people too, but if I don't die, I will bring you a calamity that could overturn heaven; I can only seek death. They will surely come after me here; those people are brutal, I dare not gamble." Xue Hongdou gave a bleak smile.

"Between dying alone and me taking you all to die with me, I can only make this choice."

"Then why are you willing to say this now?" Chen Wuji retorted.

"Your clan is very united and also brave; there is a possibility of defeating that person." Xue Hongdou said.

"I don't mean for you all to trade your lives for mine; this life of mine is meaningless to me. I just want to speak this out, then leave it for you all to choose."

Chen Wuji said in a deep voice: "Speak clearly!"

Xue Hongdou quietly looked at Chen Wuji and calmly said: "My home is at the foot of Que Wei Shan; inside the mountain hides a band of mountain bandits, numbering about twenty or thirty; they rarely raid villages, so most people don't know about them."

"These people mainly rely on looting caravans and wealthy households for a living, and basically they go to other prefectures and counties to do this; it's said that they have amassed a large amount of silver in the mountain."

Chen Wuji frowned: "How did you get involved in a feud with such people?"

"My father used to be one of them," Xue Hongdou said. "Although my father has withdrawn, his every move is still under their surveillance."

"That Leader recently took people to Beidi Commandery; before leaving, he came to my house and said that upon his return he would marry me and my sister, and if anything went wrong, he would kill our whole family."

"My father felt fear but had no choice; he could only let me and my sister temporarily hide in the mountains, yet unexpectedly the Xianya, in order to complete its assignment, resorted to such extreme measures."

Chen Wuji remained silent for a moment, then said: "If it weren't for you, you might as well die; I don't think I can save this life of yours."

Xue Hongdou lightly nodded: "In that case, please, sir, tell the two older sisters not to give me food or drink anymore; starving to death would be somewhat easier."

Having said that, she prepared to get up and return to her room.

"Wait!" Chen Wuji shouted, "Does your father know where the bandits' Old Nest is?"

Xue Hongdou shook her head, "My father now lives in the village; they say they've changed strongholds twice as a precaution, but my father is familiar with the surroundings of Que Wei Shan, so he should be able to guess."

"You said that bandit gang has a lot of silver—just how much is 'a lot'?" Chen Wuji asked.

"Tens of thousands of taels of silver." Xue Hongdou said, "That's the amount my father knew before he went down the mountain."

"When will they return from Northern Land Commandery?"

"I don't know." Xue Hongdou shook her head, "Those people, each time they go out, stay away for months—long for several months, short for over a month—no one knows when they'll come back."

"How are we going to get back all that silver they looted?"

"Merchant caravans, and also escort bureaus."

"Tsk, this person's brain is indeed a good thing—how strong are they?"

"According to my father, they seem to be deserters from the border army."

"Still, you're really professional—you've found me a good option. Forget it, you might as well wait to die."