Chapter 1471: Do Not Get Involved
Chapter 1471: Chapter 1471: Do Not Get Involved
Qin San Lang looked at the sky and said, "Let’s start transporting down the mountain now. It might take more than one trip. We need to make two trips. We’ll first place the goods at the camp at the foot of the mountain. Once all the valuables are moved down, when the people from Hundred Wolves County arrive, we’ll transport everything back together."
White Wolf Village is perilously located on the mountaintop of a great mountain, difficult to ascend, and not easy to descend, so the only way is to transport goods this way.
However, everyone was quite cheerful, after all, it was a fortune.
"Alright, we’ll follow your lead and start moving the goods now." Hu Company Commander said, leading the soldiers to start transporting the valuables.
Company Commander Cao, Company Commander Jin, Xie Cheng, and Niu Dabao also used horses to transport the found valuables.
Meanwhile, Qin San Lang was with Hong Dao and the others, waiting for the people from the Hundred Wolves County Government Office at White Wolf Village.
During the wait, the village was filled with cries and commotion. Hong Dao went to see, and after a little more than a quarter of an hour, came back to tell Qin San Lang, "Sir, those are the good family women who were kidnapped; they are weeping. A few women, having heard that they were rescued by us, want to come and thank you."
Actually, what those women said was much more straightforward. As soon as they heard they were rescued by a few Lord Company Commanders, they immediately declared they wanted to repay their gratitude by offering themselves.
To be honest, it’s understandable for these women to have such thoughts. After all, they were defiled by bandits, and suddenly a group of soldiers, including some Company Commanders, came, naturally wanting to hold onto them, seeking a way out for themselves.
But Qin San Lang had told everyone not to get involved with those women.
Though they are pitiable, getting involved would be very troublesome. It’s better to restrain a bit and ignore them.
"Don’t bother with them. When the people from Hundred Wolves County arrive, they will handle it. If they dare to make trouble, severe military punishment awaits." Qin San Lang was thinking of Gu Jinli. He had been out for so long and wasn’t sure how Xiao Yu was doing now. Would Xiao Yu be afraid alone in Hundred Wolves County?
"Oh." Hong Dao hurriedly ran back to the courtyard and told the women, "Stop making noise. We are here to eliminate the bandits. Rescuing you was just incidental. The people from the Hundred Wolves County Government will be here soon. You should clearly state where your homes are, and they will send you back."
"Military officer, military officer, save us! We can’t go back. Our purity is tainted; we can’t return anymore. The only path is to follow you soldiers!" Some women were crying, kneeling on the ground and kowtowing.
Seeing this, although Hong Dao felt a pang of compassion, he could only say, "We are heading to the Northwest to resist Rong; we cannot take you with us. You must first go through a hearing, conclude the case of the bandits, and then decide whether to return home or go elsewhere to make a living."
"Go elsewhere to make a living? We are a group of women sullied by bandits. Where can we make a living? Who would want us? Our families also despise us. If you don’t take us with you, you end our livelihood!" The women, almost driven mad by the bandits, suddenly encountering these soldiers, were determined not to let them go.
"If your family doesn’t accept you, you can find a widower to marry or become a servant. There’s still a way to live. We truly can’t take you with us." After Hong Dao finished speaking, he turned and left, not wanting to be entangled with these women any longer.
"Stop, if you dare to leave, I’ll kill myself in front of you. Let your Lord Company Commander meet us!" The woman, menacingly, warned Hong Dao, her eyes filled with malice.
Hong Dao glanced back at her, sneered, and turned away.
Bang!
A dull thud sounded behind him; the woman had really run into a wall, bleeding profusely from the head injury.
Hearing the noise, Hong Dao did not look back, merely saying, "Your life is your own. If you wish to die, no one can stop you."
After saying that, he left.
Though these women were pitiful, he did sympathize with them. However, as the Lord Company Commander said, it’s best not to get involved with such women, or else it would be an endless trouble.
"Stop, you stop!" The woman didn’t die. Seeing Hong Dao was still leaving, she shouted hysterically, wailing and crying within the house.
Hong Dao pretended not to hear and went to report the matter to Qin San Lang.
Qin San Lang nodded, continuing to wait for the county’s people.
And after this incident, those women seemed to understand that these soldiers would not take them away and gradually stopped causing a scene.
Another two hours passed, and County Magistrate Chou, leading the people from Hundred Wolves County Government Office, arrived, accompanied by dozens of soldiers from the Hundred Wolves County Military Office.
"Company Commander Qin, thank you, thank you! You have rid Hundred Wolves County of a significant danger, and I am immensely grateful." County Magistrate Chou rushed over, shaking Qin San Lang’s hand like meeting one’s father, almost crying with joy.
Hahaha, initially thinking that after being robbed by Mrs. Kuang’s group of shrews, the Hundred Wolves County Government Office would be impoverished. Unexpectedly, this Qin fellow was so capable, wiping out White Wolf Village and also finding many valuable items.
He had seen in the camps at the foot of the mountain, the carts were loaded with valuable stuff.
"Company Commander Qin, where’s the inventory of the loot from White Wolf Village? Let me have a look. Once I finish checking the valuables against the inventory, you can depart." County Magistrate Chou asked with a big smile.
However, Qin San Lang replied, "Lord County Magistrate, Vice General Fang is going to report the matter of the bandits to the Capital City Ministry of War. The valuables and inventory will be handed over to Vice General Fang, so there’s no need to trouble Lord County Magistrate."
What!
You damned fool, say that again!
"Company Commander Qin, are you intending to appropriate the loot from the bandit village? That is a capital crime!" County Magistrate Chou was almost infuriated to death. Taking a bit was fine, but wanting to take it all and leave nothing for the Hundred Wolves County was over the line.
Qin San Lang said, "Military regulations state that if the army exterminates bandits, the obtained valuables do not need to be handed over to the local government office but must be submitted to the superior, who will then deliver them to the Ministry of War to be allocated as military salary and distributed to each army."
Quoting Criminal Law to Qin San Lang was useless; within the military matters, certain Criminal Laws do not apply.
County Magistrate Chou was stuck: "But your soldiers’ families emptied our government office’s supplies, and we also have to clean up the aftermath. Can’t expect us to work for free?"
Qin San Lang: "Hundred Wolves Mountain has Nine Villages; besides White Wolf Village, there are eight other villages. Lord County Magistrate can lead people to search those eight villages. There should be plenty of good things to find."
Plenty of good things, my foot!
Boss Bai is the bandit leader of the Hundred Wolves Mountain Nine Villages. The remaining eight villages must hand over seventy percent of their plunder to White Wolf Village. All the good stuff is hidden in White Wolf Village; the other eight villages would only have a little leftovers.
But Qin San Lang no longer discussed this topic. After telling County Magistrate Chou about the situations in the bandit village, he started beating the gongs and waving the flags to gather the troops, preparing to descend the mountain back.
Dong Dong Dong!
Zhang Tu was beating the gongs and waving the flags, shouting, "Westward Army, gather, prepare to descend the mountain!"
As soon as this sound came out, soldiers scattered across the village gathered together, a large group of hundreds of people. County Magistrate Chou was frightened, daring not to stop Qin San Lang from leaving.
He could only smile and say, "Company Commander Qin, thank you for your hard work, safe journey."
After speaking, he recalled something, got startled, and grabbed Qin San Lang’s arm, asking, "Company Commander Qin, are all the escaping bandits dead? No bandits hiding in the mountains, right? If you leave and they rush out to kill us, what are we to do?!"