strictlysupreme Chapter 106 'After being disfigured, he hid in his room, afraid to see anyone'
Chapter 106 'After being disfigured, he hid in his room, afraid to see anyone'
Having just experienced an earthquake and lost a member of their own clan, the villagers are physically and mentally exhausted.
The closer they got to Black Tiger Stronghold, the more uneasy they felt.
In the past, the bandits they had encountered were all wicked and ruthless killers. Young Master Xie's men were taciturn, and when they took the Jiang family away, they did not explain what had happened in the village, only saying that everything was fine.
With so many bandits following them, they couldn't help but feel uneasy, fearing that those people would turn on them and bite them if they saw money.
The only person who could make them feel safe was Meng Fuqing.
Meng Fuqing was unaware that the villagers were completely oblivious to what had happened in the mountain village, so he did not specifically go to the village chief to discuss the matter.
So the group followed along, confused and bewildered, and arrived at Black Tiger Village.
From afar, the entrance to the mountain stronghold was brightly lit, and the figures were hurried but not flustered.
The village was clearly located halfway up the mountain, yet the houses built there did not completely collapse due to the earth's upheaval.
The bandits guarding the gate didn't stop them when they arrived, and simply opened the gate to let them in. Before they even stepped inside, a burly man in a cloak came forward to greet them.
Du Zhong stood at the entrance of the mountain stronghold and looked out. He saw that the carriages and horses parked on the mountain road stretched as far as the eye could see. He laughed and said, "I heard from Ru Feng that Miss Meng could rob things in the city without breaking a sweat. Now that I see it, it is indeed true. Even I, a bandit leader, am ashamed of myself!"
"Boss, you flatter us. It's all thanks to the bravery of your men. It's a pity the earth dragon turned over so suddenly that we couldn't bring everyone back..."
Du Chong waved his hand, "Even if you stayed in the mountain stronghold, you might not survive unscathed. You can only blame fate for this, not you."
The situation in the mountain village was not good, especially the place where refugees were held, which was rudimentary and had collapsed. Many people were injured. The council hall, on the other hand, was well-preserved, with only a corner of it collapsing.
When the earth dragon turned over, they had just finished a battle with the Hu people and gathered in the council hall to discuss the follow-up matters. Therefore, most of the people who could make decisions were not in a problem.
After realizing what was happening, they did their best to save people, and by then the injured had been properly settled in.
Meng Fuqing looked around but did not find Xie Jin.
She asked, "Where is Young Master Xie right now?"
Du Zhong glanced at Meng Fuqing, his expression inexplicably hesitant, "Young Master Xie, he... he..."
Seeing that he stammered for a long time without being able to explain himself, Meng Fuqing became even more puzzled.
Given Xie Jin's skills, he shouldn't be easily injured. But judging from Du Zhong's appearance, could he really be injured, and seriously so?
At this moment, Qi Liang walked over, glanced at his father, and explained succinctly, "Young Master Xie has been disfigured."
A corner of the council hall collapsed, and it just so happened that it was the corner where Xie Jin was. Even though Xie Jin managed to escape in time, one of his cheeks was still scratched by the broken tiles.
What made Du Zhong hesitate was that when Xie Jin's face was scratched, he personally witnessed Xie Jin's disguise fall off, revealing a face he had seen before.
He had seen the owner of this face twice at the border. The first time, the other person was just a little child. The second time, the other person's demeanor was so outstanding that he had become as dazzling as his parents.
Things are different now; Xie Jin is now wanted by authorities everywhere.
His concern was that if Meng Fuqing didn't know Xie Jin's true identity before, but now she did, the news would be detrimental to Xie Jin if it got out.
After a moment's thought, Meng Fuqing understood what Du Zhong was thinking and simply asked Qi Liang, "Is the injury serious?"
Qi Liang shook his head and gave a mocking smile, "Like a little girl, hiding in her room and afraid to come out and see people."
Meng Fuqing: "..."
Du Zhong: "..."
The two men looked at Qi Liang with increasingly strange expressions.
The former knew why Xie Jin dared not come out to see people, but was shocked by Qi Liang's explanation.
The latter, however, tried to convince himself that his son was unaware that Xie Jin's parents had been kind to the Du family, and that ignorance was no excuse, which is why he refrained from slapping Qi Liang on the head.
Qi Liang, feeling scrutinized, couldn't help but touch his nose. "What? Did I say something wrong?"
"Go ahead and tell Xie Jin if you dare." Meng Fuqing said this, pondering what "disfigurement" meant. Could it be more serious than Mu Feng's? Was he really unable to show his face in public?
Thinking about asking Ling Jiu later, he then told Du Zhong about arranging for the villagers to stay overnight.
Just out of respect for Meng Fuqing, Du Zhong would make proper arrangements for the villagers, not to mention that there was a doctor among them.
Their Black Tiger Village doctor used to be an itinerant doctor who also practiced swindling, witchcraft, and poisons. In short, he dabbled in a little bit of everything but was not proficient in anything.
The people of Black Tiger Stronghold had suffered under his rule for a long time.
The villagers were so astonished to see Meng Fuqing and the leader of Black Tiger Village chatting so happily, as if they had known each other for a long time.
They killed a lot of bandits!
Could it be that there are two more groups of bandits on Siqing Mountain?
The villagers' minds raced with ideas, but after much thought they couldn't come up with a solution. In the end, they could only sigh in admiration—Qingyatou is truly a capable girl!
Meng Linlang alone found every moment inside Black Tiger Stronghold particularly unbearable.
Qi Liang and the leader of Black Tiger Stronghold are getting so close, have they already recognized each other?
Did Xie Jin tell Meng Fuqing what she said?
Did Meng Fuqing know that he had secretly tripped her up?
Although, although, she only wanted Xie Jin to gradually shift his attention from Meng Fuqing to her.
If she didn't do this, how could she possibly compare to Meng Fuqing?
Thinking of Ling Jiu's methods, she shuddered. No, she would never do it again.
Just as she was lost in thought, a clear gaze swept over her from the crowd and then left, but Meng Linlang was so flustered that she didn't notice it at all.
After a quick inventory of the supplies brought back from Qingzhou City, the thrilling day came to an abrupt end.
The room where Meng Fuqing slept now had Shan Qiyu and two children.
There were too many people; only four people stayed in her room, while the other rooms were filled with makeshift beds on the floor.
Having slept under the open sky for so long, the villagers can sleep soundly as long as they can find some shelter from the wind and rain.
After many days, Meng Linlang was in bed again, but she tossed and turned and couldn't sleep. She was in pain and her thoughts were in turmoil, making it impossible for her to fall asleep.
After tossing and turning countless times, she heard Meng Wan'er, who was sleeping next to her, ask her sleepily, "Linlang, why aren't you asleep yet? It'll be dawn soon if you wait any longer?"
She yawned after she finished speaking.
Meng Linlang paused, wanting to confide in Meng Wan'er and say everything she wanted to say.
However, she dared not and could not, because her family did not believe her, let alone others.
She forced a smile and said softly, "I'm probably too tired. I'm going out to relieve myself. Do you want to come with me?"
She didn't receive a reply from Meng Wan'er, only the sound of soft breathing.
After putting on her clothes and tiptoeing to the door, Meng Linlang breathed a sigh of relief. Just as she stepped out of the room, her mouth and nose were covered by a pair of icy hands, and her whole body was forcefully dragged out.