be scraped clean and cured with nitrate, otherwise it won't work..."Xu Huaiyi heard this, raised his eyes, and excitedly asked, "Was it the alpha wolf I shot"Gu Huanxi nodded. "Village Head Xu said,...As soon as the three sat down, Village Head Xu couldn't wait to ask, "Waiyi, what happened ahead Why did it take you so long to come back"

Xu Huaiyi explained, "Asking around took some time, and I wandered around for a bit. I asked several refugees to get a clear understanding before I could feel at ease."

"Now that everything is clear"

"Well, I guess so..."

"Xu, the village head, saw his face was grim and nervously probed, "Is something wrong ahead"

Xu Huaiyi nodded. "Three groups of people stopped in the forest, all wealthy businessmen. One of them was from our Tong County, surnamed Liao, and the other two were from other prefectures. They met on the road and decided to travel together. They stopped here to rest, and luckily they encountered a group of refugees asking for food. They sold them some information, saying that the road ahead was impassable because bandits were blocking it. They didn't rob the refugees, as there was nothing to take, but they only robbed passing merchants. At first, they didn't believe it, so each sent their guards to investigate, and sure enough..."

Xu Cunzhang was stunned, muttering to himself, "Bandits Could bandits rob us We're refugees, aren't we"

Xu Huaiyi pondered for a moment, "It's hard to say. Our team isn't quite considered refugees at the moment. We have ample food and women. Those two things alone make us a target."

"If you put it that way," Xu Chuang said with a pale face, "even if we're not wealthy merchants, we could still be robbed if we go there"

Xu Huaiyi hummed, "We have to make the worst-case plan and can't be complacent."

Upon hearing this, Village Chief Xu stammered, "Then, then, will we still be able to make it through"

Before Xu Huaiyi could speak, Xu Changsong said anxiously, "Father, bandits have come down to block the road and rob us! You still want to go this way For this kind of situation, we should immediately report to the officials and send troops to suppress the bandits. That's the right way to do things. Don't think about anything else, our few people going there is just sending ourselves to our deaths. Haven't you seen those wealthy households with guards at their gates They wouldn't dare go any further! Father, please don't be impulsive..."

This statement is not so much an exhortation to Xu Village Head as it is a message for Xu Huaiyi.

Who is Xu Huaiyi Today, he is labeled as a fierce warrior, a ruthless fighter, and a master. Any of these labels are enough to strike fear into people's hearts. And after his heroic act of charging out to slay wolves, it becomes even more heart-wrenching. People worry that his hot blood will lead him to recklessly challenge even bandits.

But he's a bandit after all. In the past, just hearing those two words would make ordinary people tremble in their boots. All they could do was run and hide; who would dare fight them

That's a dead end.

Other people's thoughts were similar, almost none of them had thought about facing the bandits head-on. Avoiding was the wisest choice, but no matter how they walked, it was still a problem.

Xu Huaiyi then shattered their illusions, "There's no way around it, this is the only road to the capital. Going further, both sides are mountains. We can't just walk, unless we climb them, but those mountains are towering and stretch for miles. Even a young and strong man would take ten or even half a month to climb over them. We'd have to leave behind everything but some provisions – our carts, food, and belongings And could we possibly abandon the elderly and children"

At these words, everyone's face turned ashen.

The atmosphere became heavy and oppressive.

In silence, Xu Huai-xiao asked timidly, "What if we turned back"

Xu Mao-yuan let out a long sigh, "You idiot! There's no turning back. We can't go back, we can only move forward. Turning back would be a dead end."

There is still hope ahead.

Xu Huai Xiao looked at Xu Huai Yi with a desperate hope, "Can't we turn back"

Xu Huaiyi calmly said, "Second brother, we've been out for over half a month now, and we've traveled almost halfway. Now that we turn back, we avoid bandits, but we can't avoid refugees. Those refugees who are slowly catching up are almost starving to death. When the time comes, they will be more terrifying than bandits. Moreover, no one can guarantee that there haven't been newly formed bandits along the roads we've traveled. When faced with wolves in front and tigers behind, what will you do"

Xu Huaiyi didn't say anything.

The answer is unique, the only way is to find a way through this path.

Village Head Xu was the first to calm down. "Huaiyi, are those bandits just after money and don't care about their lives"

Huaiyi Xu nodded. "According to those people, this is the current situation. As for whether it will get worse in the future, who knows."

"So how did they make their fortune They didn't rob everyone blind, did they"

"No, they're not desperate enough to go that far yet. If they were really that ruthless, the merchants wouldn't stand for it either. What if they pushed the merchants into a last stand They would be the ones who lose out."

Xu, the village head, understood. “It’s just like shaving off a layer of skin, right Like those thugs collect protection money, take the money, and let them leave safely”

Xu Huaiyi pondered, "Their appetite is not small. Scraping the surface won't do, it has to hurt their bones and muscles, or else those three wealthy households wouldn't be so conflicted about which option to choose."

"Are they reluctant to pay silver"

“Well, Old Master Liao's idea is to unite with the other two families and go in without paying. Together, their combined households, guards, and servants number over fifty people, which gives them some fighting force. It is said that the bandits are only a hundred or so, and some are recent refugees who haven't fully adapted yet. However, the other two families are hesitant. They don't want to gamble because they have many women in their households, and the consequences of losing would be unbearable. But asking them to pay such a large sum of silver and grain is also difficult for them to bear, so they are stuck in this dilemma in the forest. Now they are caught between two options.”

"When did they get here"

"Yesterday at noon."

Xucun Chang frowned, "We've been discussing this for a whole day and night, but we haven't come to a conclusion. It seems we shouldn't hold out much hope..."

If those three could unite and forcefully break through, they could seize the opportunity to pass as well. But obviously, this light is not easy to borrow.

As for Xu Cunzhang's thoughts, Xu Huaiyi understood perfectly. He smiled and said, "Borrowing light is not good to borrow, but it can be cooperative."

How about we cooperate

"If we go in with them, our sheer numbers will crush those bandits. Even in terms of combat power, the three families' guards, plus a few from our village who are fearless against wolves, aren't any worse."

"The village head's eyes lit up. “Can it really work Would those wealthy landlords be willing to look down on us and cooperate with us"

Xu Huaiyi said with certainty, "They can only hope for it." After saying that, he changed the subject, "Of course, everything still needs to be discussed in detail. How can we cooperate so that everyone benefits We shouldn't take advantage of others, but we also shouldn't let them face disaster."

"Xu, the village head nodded. From despair, he saw hope, and his confidence gradually began to rise. 'Yes, yes, you're right. We need to talk this through properly...' "

Seeing this, Xu Chang was dumbfounded. "Dad, you, you agreed"

How could you be so easily swayed by Xu Huaiyi

Xu, the village head, scolded angrily, "What else can you do Can we rely on reporting to the officials or sending troops This world doesn't care about us anymore. We have to find our own way out of this. Just go and bring Liu your uncle and Gao your second uncle. Let's discuss it together."

This is a book about the history of Chinese civilization. It covers topics such as ancient Chinese dynasties, philosophy, art, and culture.

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d9zwbiquge0yjwxwffzwo resentment, waiting to succeed before seeking revenge."Gu Huan frowned.Xu Huaiyi continued, "If he really had such intentions, could we just ignore it We can't help with other things, but finding a...