Crash!
The burly men behind the young man immediately split off two to block in front of him.
The remaining people also bent their bows and nocked arrows, aiming at Jin Feng.
The village chief quickly ran to the middle, anxiously explaining:
“Jin Feng, Little Tiger saw someone riding into the village and shouted bandits randomly. Your Granny Zhou thought real bandits had come, so she struck the gong.”
The village chief pointed to the side, where a five or six-year-old child was having his trousers pulled down by his father and getting spanked.
An old woman with white hair held a gong in her hand, standing awkwardly to one side.
Fortunately, it was a false alarm.
Jin Feng put away his crossbow and hung it on his waist, performing a scholar’s salute to the young man in green robes: “Greetings, young master!”
Upon seeing the bailiffs following the young man, Jin Feng immediately guessed his identity.
He still couldn’t avoid it.
However, from what he could see now, this marquis seemed not to be a pervert and was quite polite.
The young man waved his hand, and those burly men immediately dispersed.
Pointing to the crossbow in Jin Feng’s hand, he smiled: “I’ve always heard that when bandits enter a village, the villagers are scared and kneel on the ground. This is the first time I’ve seen someone daring to resist.”
Jin Feng turned his head to look, and indeed, the villagers were all empty-handed at this point, only his Mancang and the other one holding crossbows.
However, Jin Feng did not look down on these villagers, because he had personally seen the men running back from the brick kiln with weapons, which must now be hidden in the nearby grass.
This was the village’s tradition, a survival method summarized at the cost of countless blood.
If the bandits only demanded money and grain without going too far, they would endure it.
Because the bandits had superior numbers, and most of the village’s young men had joined the army, the remaining people truly couldn’t fight the bandits.
Money and grain were important, but not as important as the lives of the whole family.
But once the bandits killed innocents indiscriminately, they would definitely resist to the death.
The bandits knew this too, so when they came to collect the annual grain each year, they didn’t push too hard.
Both sides tacitly maintained a strange balance.
Situations like Jin Feng openly charging out with a crossbow were very rare.
“Young master may not know, bandits usually come to collect annual grain after the autumn harvest. Coming in late spring likely means new bandits, and to establish authority, they might kill innocents indiscriminately.
I am the tiger-slaying hero; the more resolute I appear, the more the bandits will fear me, and they might abandon their plan to establish authority.”
Jin Feng’s mind worked quickly; after realizing the mistake, he immediately found an excuse.
“Then aren’t you afraid the bandits will get angry and kill you?”
“If that’s the case, I’d rather die fighting than be captured and slaughtered!”
Jin Feng straightened his chest, proudly saying: “We scholars would rather die standing than live on our knees. Besides, I’m not a pushover; killing one breaks even, killing two is a profit!”
Life is like a play, all about acting.
Regardless of how much struggle Jin Feng had in his heart before charging over, at least his current momentum was indeed tragic and heroic.
From the reactions of those guards and the slash marks on their armour, Jin Feng confirmed that the young man in front of him was not an ordinary young master, likely from a military background.
What do such people admire most? Isn’t it warriors who face death without fear?
Sure enough, upon hearing Jin Feng say this, the young man and the warriors behind him cheered in unison!
“Well said, this is the spirit a great Kang warrior should have!”
The young man directly dismounted: “Constable Zhang said you are accomplished in both literature and martial arts; now I see it’s true, worthy of being the hero who single-handedly shot a fierce tiger!”
Jin Feng was just about to speak when he saw Guan Xiaorou leading Tang Dongdong and the others rushing out from the small path.
Each one held a crossbow like Jin Feng’s.
Even little Xiao’e was the same.
“Brother-in-law, we’ve come to help you fight the bandits!”
Xiao’e shouted from far away.
Crash!
The armoured guards suddenly tensed up, surrounding the young man again.
“Xiaorou, it’s a mistake; they’re not bandits. Quickly put down the arrows.”
Jin Feng now finally understood the village chief’s mood earlier and quickly stood in the middle of the road.
He saw that the crossbows in the women’s hands were all strung; if anyone got excited and pulled the trigger, it would be a big trouble.
Seeing the women put away their crossbows, Jin Feng then wiped the cold sweat from his forehead: “Sorry, young master; my wife is eager to protect her husband. I hope the young master won’t blame her.”
In feudal society, the hierarchy was strict, most emphasising superior and inferior distinctions.
A commoner pointing an arrow at a noble was enough to warrant beheading.
He had just done it once and barely turned the page, who knew the girls at home would do it again…
If the young man got angry out of embarrassment, it would be over.
This was a guy more terrifying than bandits.
“Hahaha! It’s fine.”
Not only was the young man not angry, he laughed happily: “They say birds of a feather flock together; indeed, you are the tiger-slaying hero, and even the women and children in your family are extraordinary!”
“Young master overpraises.”
Jin Feng, neither humble nor arrogant, asked: “May I ask what brings the young master to this remote mountain area?”
“I’ve heard there’s a hero here who single-handedly shot a fierce tiger, and I admire him.”
The young man said: “Qinghuai has come uninvited; I hope the hero won’t take offence.”
Whether it was genuine courtesy to the wise or just for show, Qinghuai’s surface manners were impeccable.
The grand marquis had personally come to the door; Jin Feng knew he couldn’t escape today no matter what and generously made an inviting gesture:
“Would I have the honour of inviting the young master to my humble abode?”
“I’ll be intruding.”
Qinghuai nodded, not mounting his horse, and followed Jin Feng into the village on foot.
The villagers wanted to follow and watch the excitement but were chased away by the village chief.
On the way, Qinghuai saw Xiao’e still holding the crossbow and couldn’t help but find it amusing:
“Little girl, do you know how to use a bow and arrow?”
“Of course!”
Guan Xiao’e proudly lifted her head.
“Do you see that bird’s nest on the tree? If you can hit it, this will be yours.”
Qinghuai smiled as he took out a jade pendant from his waist.
The jade pendant was white and lustrous, clearly not ordinary.
“I don’t want stones; I want something tasty.”
Xiao’e glanced at the jade pendant and shook her head.
The naive her had never seen jade before and didn’t know that this small piece was enough for her to eat delicacies for half a lifetime.
“No problem.”
Qinghuai beckoned, and a guard behind immediately took a lamb leg from the saddlebag on the warhorse.
The lamb leg was smoked, shiny with oil, looking very delicious.
“Don’t cheat, okay.”
Xiao’e swallowed, raised the crossbow in her hand.
The bird’s nest was on the treetop more than ten metres away; with Xiao’e’s archery skills, the chance of hitting it was only about fifty percent.
But perhaps stimulated by the lamb leg now, she actually succeeded in one shot.
The arrow passed through the bird’s nest and flew nearly a hundred metres upward before falling.
A glint flashed in Qinghuai’s eyes as he picked up the lamb leg and handed it to Xiao’e: “Little girl, can you let me see the crossbow in your hand?”
