“Xiaobei… sor… sorry… wahahaha…”
Qing Mulian tried to explain, but before she finished, she could not hold back again.
The female soldiers, veteran soldiers, including the wounded on the ground, all laughed along with Qing Mulian.
For a moment, the mountaintop was filled with laughter.
“Husband, control Sister Mulian!”
Tang Xiaobei was furious. She shook Jin Feng’s sleeve and acted coquettishly.
“It’s fine. Let them laugh. They’re not laughing at you.”
Jin Feng rubbed Tang Xiaobei’s hair.
In fact, most of the female soldiers and veteran soldiers were not mocking Tang Xiaobei. The earlier battle had been too tense. Many thought they would die here.
Now that the danger was temporarily lifted, they relaxed all at once. Their mental state changed greatly.
Laughter was just a way to vent their emotions.
Soon, some female soldiers laughed and then cried.
The veteran soldiers’ eyes reddened too.
This battle had been too brutal.
Of Jin Feng’s ten personal guards, six had died in combat. The remaining four were injured to varying degrees.
Qing Mulian’s ten female soldier guards suffered smaller losses since they were mostly in support positions, but two still died. Among the survivors except A-Mei, all were injured.
Jin Feng did not interfere with them. He helped Tang Xiaobei sit on a rock. “Come, let me check your foot.”
Though she wore socks, Jin Feng could still see a large swelling on her ankle.
“Husband, there are so many people here…”
Tang Xiaobei said with a red face.
In feudal times, unless one truly could not afford shoes and socks, women could not casually expose their feet outside, or it would be seen as improper.
This idea was deeply ingrained. Jin Feng had no mood now to reason with Tang Xiaobei. He just pulled her a few steps further. “Now the rocks block it. They can’t see.”
Only then did Tang Xiaobei agree to let Jin Feng remove her sock.
Sure enough, the ankle was sprained, swollen into a shiny lump. This injury could only heal with rest. Jin Feng had no better method.
He could only have Guan Xiaorou support Tang Xiaobei and ask Old Tan for acupuncture when they returned.
By now, the veteran soldiers and female soldiers had mostly vented their emotions.
“Sir, what do we do now?”
Qing Mulian asked, “Go back or stay here?”
“The war horses are blinded by the flash. We have so many wounded. If we meet bandits on the way back, it would be bad.”
Jin Feng thought for a moment and said, “I remember Heishuigou is not far from here. Why don’t we go to Heishuigou first? Liang Ge and Old Zheng seized the bandits’ small tower there. It’s well-equipped with heavy crossbows and catapults. We’ll be safe once we get there.”
“That works,” Qing Mulian nodded, then suddenly remembered something. “Sir, none of us have been to Heishuigou. Do you know the way?”
“We don’t, but there’s someone who does.”
Jin Feng looked at the hunter. “Brother Tang, you should know how to get to Heishuigou, right?”
“Yes, yes. I go there often. It’s just five or six li to the north. If you need to go, I’ll lead the way.”
The hunter nodded repeatedly.
“Then I’ll trouble Brother Tang.”
“No trouble, no trouble. Sir, call me Tang Fei or Old Tang. Don’t call me Brother Tang anymore.” The hunter said with a red face.
“Alright, I’ll call you Old Tang then.” Jin Feng did not insist.
“Sir, what about these bandits?”
Qing Mulian pointed down, a flash of killing intent in her eyes. “Kill them?”
The two female soldiers who died were her personal guards, growing up with her since childhood.
If they had died on the battlefield, Qing Mulian might not feel so bad, but they were killed by bandits. This made her feel stifled.
Killing intent rose in her heart.
“They have no resistance left. No need for senseless killing.”
Jin Feng thought and said, “Leave them here for now. They’re all blind anyway and can’t run. When we reach Heishuigou, I’ll have Liang Ge send people back to notify the village. The village can send more hands to bring them back.”
“Sir, shouldn’t captured bandits be reported to the authorities?” Qing Mulian asked.
“I think there are still some unclear matters here. The bandits can’t be handed to the authorities yet. Lock them in Maomao Mountain first.” Jin Feng frowned.
“Not hand them to the authorities?”
Qing Mulian narrowed her eyes slightly. “Sir, are you suspecting… County Lieutenant Zhao?”
Without waiting for Jin Feng’s reply, she muttered to herself, “Yes, if Liang Ge captures Heishuigou and we find evidence of his collusion with bandits, he’s dead. So he might act desperately and hire killers to intercept us!”
At this point, Qing Mulian’s eyes turned angry. “Is this county lieutenant crazy? Colluding with bandits is a capital crime. Murdering nobility is an even greater offence. It could lead to the extermination of three clans. He dares to act!”
“Even a cornered rabbit bites. Besides, this is just my guess. It may not be accurate.”
Jin Feng said, “We might be wrong.”
“How could we be wrong? During the morning negotiations, I sensed his killing intent. It must be him, no mistake!”
Qing Mulian said through gritted teeth, “Sir, rest assured. This county lieutenant is dead!”
“Don’t be impulsive. Even if County Lieutenant Zhao did it, without evidence, you can’t touch him.”
Jin Feng said, “A county lieutenant is not a clerk. He’s a proper court-appointed official. You have no merit or position. Killing him without cause would bring big trouble to your brother, Marquis Qing, and the entire Qing family.”
“Then do we just take this loss?” Qing Mulian asked agitatedly. “Our brothers died for nothing?”
“Of course not,” Jin Feng said. “I’ll handle this. If you trust me, leave it alone.”
“I understand.”
Qing Mulian hesitated but finally nodded.
“Old Black, make a few stretchers. Carry the injured brothers. We’re going to Heishuigou to find Liang Ge.”
Jin Feng said, “Right, remember to hide the bodies of the fallen brothers. Don’t let bandits come and desecrate them after we leave.”
“Got it.”
Old Black agreed and took people to work.
Meanwhile, the tall hunter, sweating profusely, ran to the outside of Xihe Bay village.
After covering for the short hunter, he waited in the mountains for a while but did not see his companion return. He knew things were bad.
He wanted to search along the official road but feared meeting bandits.
After much thought, he decided to come to Xihe Bay to report and ask them to send rescue.
He did not stop once on the way, running continuously until he finally reached Xihe Bay.
Just as he was about to enter the village, he met two patrolling veteran soldiers.
“Who are you?”
The veteran soldiers saw the tall hunter was unfamiliar and blocked him, asking.
“Big brother… I’m from Han Family Village… hunter Han Feng…”
The tall one leaned on a nearby tree, panting. “Bandits… ambushing Mr. Jin…”
