“You’re saying she has something like a firearm in her hand?”
Feng Yi returned a step earlier than Shen Qingge and reported everything he had just witnessed to Liu Ji’an in full detail.
Especially the weapon in Shen Qingge’s hand.
Having seen the power of that small object, Feng Yi was even more shocked than Liu Ji’an.
“I’m not sure what exactly it is, but it’s definitely a weapon a hundred times more powerful than a firearm. It looks small, but its power is immense. If we had something like that, we wouldn’t have to fear anyone.”
Liu Ji’an thought for a long time. He had already confirmed that Shen Qingge was no longer the same Shen Qingge as before.
Although her appearance and body were the same, her soul was different.
It sounded unbelievable, but only this explanation could account for her drastic change and why she possessed such a powerful weapon.
Liu Ji’an couldn’t help but grow curious about her past.
What kind of experiences had she gone through to gain such abilities?
…
“What we need to discuss now is what to do with those people.”
Someone immediately spoke up, “Why not just let them go? Their leader is already dead. Without someone leading them, they probably won’t harm anyone anymore.”
“That’s not right. They’ve done plenty of bad things. We can’t just let them off so easily. What if they harm others again? Wouldn’t that be on us?”
“But they were forced to do those things. If they didn’t, they would’ve died. They had no choice.”
“…”
Everyone began arguing intensely.
Half believed those people were forced and deserved sympathy.
The other half believed that wrongdoing was wrongdoing, and they should be held accountable.
The argument grew so loud that the village chief’s head began to ache.
He turned to Liu Ji’an and Shen Qingge for help. “Ji’an, Ji’an’s wife, what do you think?”
Shen Qingge said nothing, leaving the pressure entirely on Liu Ji’an.
After thinking for a moment, Liu Ji’an said, “Tongzhou City is just ahead. I used to pass through there often when escorting goods.”
“By coincidence, I got acquainted with the prefect there. We can send these people to Tongzhou and hand them over to the authorities.”
The village chief nodded immediately. It was naturally best to hand them over to the authorities.
And the sooner, the better—to avoid future trouble.
“Everyone, pack up quickly. We’ll leave now and head to Tongzhou City to hand them over.”
After packing, they wasted no time. They tied up the remaining people and escorted them to the county office in Tongzhou.
The journey was smooth. Liu Ji’an had sent word ahead.
The prefect didn’t dare delay. That same day, he interrogated everyone. The guilty were punished, and the innocent were released.
Among those released were several women responsible for cooking.
They hadn’t done anything wrong. They were only forced to cook, which wasn’t considered a serious crime. They were simply reprimanded as punishment.
After being released, their next destination became a problem.
Liu Ji’an originally planned for them to stay in Tongzhou under the prefect’s care.
But the prefect had no way to arrange that—unless they were locked up again.
If these women traveled alone during the famine, they would either be killed or sold.
After being released, they knelt before the village chief.
“Village Chief, please have mercy and take us in. As long as we have food, we can do any kind of hard work.”
“Please, take us in.”
They begged while kowtowing repeatedly.
Their pitiful appearance softened many people in the village, especially the single men.
A few of the women were quite attractive, making those men stare greedily.
“Village Chief, why not let them stay?”
“Yes, they’re pitiful. If we don’t take them in, they’ll surely die. Let’s treat it as doing a good deed.”
Persuaded by them, the village chief began to hesitate.
At that moment, Shen Qingge stepped forward and said, “We cannot keep them.”
The village chief asked, “Ji’an’s wife, did you notice something?”
Shen Qingge shook her head. She couldn’t explain it clearly—it was just her instinct telling her these women were not as simple as they appeared.
“They are not of our kind; their intentions will differ. If we keep them, it may bring endless trouble.”
However, the villagers didn’t take her warning seriously. Many still spoke up for the women.
Liu Ji’an’s mother said, “Village Chief, maybe we should reconsider.”
“What’s there to reconsider? They’re so pitiful—how can you be so heartless?”
The crowd’s hostility began to turn toward Shen Qingge.
Liu Ji’an stepped in front of her, signaling her not to say anything more.
At this point, the villagers had already softened. Without solid evidence, nothing she said would matter.
If these women truly had problems, keeping them under watch was better than letting them harm innocent people elsewhere.
The village chief finally said, “Since most people agree to take them in, they can travel with us for now. We’ll decide again when we reach Yong City.”
“Thank you, Village Chief. Thank you, everyone.”
There were nine women in total. They were distributed among nine households, specifically those with enough food.
Having shelter and not going hungry filled them with gratitude.
But one woman refused to go to her assigned place. Instead, she looked pitifully at Liu Ji’an, who was watching nearby.
“Village Chief, may I stay at this gentleman’s home?”
“If not for his help, we might have been imprisoned. I will never forget his kindness. I’m willing to serve him in any way to repay him.”
Though she said “repay,” her intention was obvious.
She clearly meant offering herself.
The men looked at Liu Ji’an with envy and jealousy, especially the single ones whose eyes burned with resentment.
“What…?” The village chief looked at Liu Ji’an awkwardly.
Just as everyone thought Liu Ji’an had no reason to refuse, he suddenly blacked out and collapsed into Shen Qingge’s arms.
Even after leaning on her, he secretly pinched her finger.
The Liu family immediately rushed to carry him back to rest.
Only Shen Qingge followed calmly behind.
Because she knew—he was faking it.
Not only that, he had deliberately leaned into her.
“Did Liu the Fifth faint from happiness or fear?”
“Probably fear. His wife is terrifying—maybe he’s afraid she’ll deal with him.”
Everyone laughed.
Their attention soon returned to the woman.
She was the most attractive among the nine, and many people had their eyes on her.
The village chief said, “You should go to Liu the Lame’s house.”
The woman sobbed softly before agreeing, “Thank you, Village Chief. I was thoughtless earlier.”
“It’s fine. What’s your name?”
“My name is Ying Huan.”