After being escorted back to the dungeon once more, Qin Ming could only sigh helplessly.
No matter how capable a person was, there were limits.
Facing more than a hundred outlaws while unarmed, escape was practically impossible.
Still, compared to before, his treatment had improved significantly.
The cell was relatively clean, lacked the foul odor of the previous one, and most importantly, there was food and drink.
Since morning, Qin Ming had barely eaten anything.
His stomach had long begun protesting.
He grabbed a roasted lamb leg and took a large bite.
The moment the meat entered his mouth, however, he nearly grimaced.
The strong gamey flavor was overwhelming.
The outside looked properly roasted, but the inside was still undercooked, with traces of red juices remaining.
Of course, that wasn’t entirely surprising.
In this era, simply having meat was already a luxury.
Salt was expensive, and cooking methods were relatively simple, so food was often prepared with practicality rather than refinement in mind.
Qin Ming then picked up a wine jar and took a sip.
The next instant, he nearly spat it back out.
This was easily the roughest wine he had ever tasted.
Sour, harsh, and carrying an odd fermented flavor.
Compared to modern liquor, it was worlds apart.
But that thought suddenly gave him an idea.
If he used modern distillation techniques, wouldn’t he be able to produce a far superior spirit?
And if he could do that…
There might be serious money to be made.
Just then, the dungeon door creaked open.
A figure carrying a torch stepped inside.
It was Yang Yulian.
The flickering firelight accentuated her striking features.
Anyone unfamiliar with her reputation would have a hard time imagining that such a beautiful woman commanded a notorious outlaw stronghold.
“Brother Qin Ming, I apologize for the inconvenience earlier.”
She bent down, placed the torch in a nearby holder, and poured him a bowl of wine.
“It’s fine.”
Qin Ming accepted the bowl.
“At least there’s food and drink here.”
Yang Yulian smiled.
“You know I genuinely want you to stay.”
“And I’ve already said that I’m willing to cooperate if my two conditions are accepted.”
She shook her head.
“But without taking the oath or accepting the mark, even if I wished to reward you, the others would never agree.”
“I told you before. I’m not interested in your money.”
That made her laugh softly.
“Then what exactly are you after?”
She leaned back casually.
“Most people in our profession seek freedom. Drink when they want, spend what they earn, and live boldly. What’s wrong with that?”
“Everyone wants different things.”
Qin Ming shrugged.
“I prefer a peaceful life, a warm home, and family.”
“As for money, there are plenty of ways to earn it.”
Yang Yulian raised an eyebrow.
“Really?”
“A hunter’s income isn’t exactly reliable.”
“We have former hunters in the stronghold. Most barely managed to survive. One encounter with a tiger or a bear and everything could be over.”
“Then I’ll do business.”
“Business?”
“Perhaps brewing alcohol.”
That made her chuckle.
“You sound a lot like Scholar Fang.”
“Scholar Fang?”
“The middle-aged scholar from earlier.”
“Ah, him.”
Yang Yulian nodded.
“He spends half his time advising me and the other half experimenting with wine.”
“Unfortunately, his wine isn’t very good.”
Qin Ming laughed.
“How did a scholar end up here in the first place?”
At the question, Yang Yulian’s expression softened slightly.
“When my husband was alive, he always wanted the stronghold to grow.”
“He believed that strength alone wasn’t enough.”
“You can only go so far relying on people who know nothing except fighting.”
“So he wanted a scholar to serve as an adviser.”
“Fang Jing happened to be the only scholar in his village.”
“And your husband convinced him to join?”
“Not immediately.”
Yang Yulian shook her head.
“Fang Jing was a true scholar. He’d never even killed a chicken before.”
“So how did he change his mind?”
“Persistence.”
A faint smile appeared on her face.
“My husband loved the story of the Three Visits to the Cottage.”
“He visited Fang Jing again and again.”
“Eventually, Fang Jing’s mother passed away.”
“He couldn’t afford the funeral expenses.”
“My husband provided the money and gathered many of the brothers to help organize the burial.”
“After that, Fang Jing joined us.”
“I see.”
Qin Ming nodded thoughtfully.
Yang Yulian continued:
“What I’m trying to say is that even though we’ve chosen this path, loyalty and gratitude still matter here.”
“Understood.”
“In times like these, people betray family, friends, and spouses for survival every day.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
“Take your Village Headman, for example.”
“He sold you out the moment his own safety was threatened.”
“The old bastard.”
Qin Ming couldn’t help muttering the insult.
Yang Yulian laughed.
“At least here, when someone promises silver, they actually hand over silver.”
Qin Ming remained silent for a moment.
“I need some time to think.”
“Fair enough.”
She stood.
“Everyone chooses their own path.”
“I won’t force you.”
Then she said something entirely unexpected.
“You may leave.”
Qin Ming stared at her.
“Really?”
“I’ve already had a horse prepared for you.”
She tossed him a silver ingot.
“And twenty taels as travel money.”
“When you’ve made up your mind, come find us.”
Qin Ming caught the silver and paused.
“There is… one thing.”
Yang Yulian looked amused.
“What now?”
“Could you lend me another eighty taels?”
She blinked.
“Why?”
Qin Ming explained the recent military levy.
Without one hundred taels in contributions, he would be required to report for military service within five days.
Yang Yulian listened quietly.
Then she removed a gold bracelet from her wrist and handed it over.
“I don’t have that much silver with me.”
“Take this instead.”
Qin Ming was stunned.
The bracelet was clearly valuable.
Its craftsmanship alone suggested it was worth well over a hundred taels.
“This is too much.”
“It’s only a possession.”
Yang Yulian waved dismissively.
“Return it whenever you can.”
For a moment, Qin Ming genuinely felt touched.
Whatever her profession might be, she had shown him remarkable generosity.
Perhaps the world wasn’t as simple as dividing everyone into heroes and villains.
“I’ll repay you,” he said seriously.
“With interest.”
“I’ll look forward to it.”
Before he left, Yang Yulian tossed him a wooden token.
“Take this as well.”
“It identifies you as a guest of Yu Family Stronghold.”
“No one will stop you from leaving.”
Qin Ming accepted the token and offered a respectful salute.
“Thank you.”
Then he turned and walked away.
Outside, dawn was approaching.
The eastern horizon had begun to brighten.
Mounting the horse Yang Yulian had provided, Qin Ming urged it forward and rode toward home.
From a hillside overlooking the road, Yang Yulian watched his figure gradually disappear into the distance.
A faint smile played on her lips.
At that moment, Fang Jing stepped beside her.
“You’re really letting him go?”
He sounded puzzled.
“A newly married young man?”
Yang Yulian laughed.
“How could we possibly keep him here?”
Fang Jing frowned.
“You’ve already shown him tremendous goodwill.”
“If he refuses to join, wouldn’t it be safer to eliminate future risks?”
“A thousand soldiers are easy to find.”
Her eyes remained fixed on the distant road.
“But a truly capable leader is rare.”
“For ordinary people, I wouldn’t waste this much effort.”
She paused.
“What we need are exceptional individuals.”
“Recruits can always be found.”
“But most are ordinary stones.”
“People like Qin Ming are different.”
Fang Jing nodded slowly.
“He is talented.”
“But he still refuses to join.”
“He’ll come back eventually.”
Yang Yulian’s smile deepened.
“In times like these, peaceful lives rarely last forever.”
“Sooner or later, reality will force a decision.”
“Just as your husband eventually persuaded me to join?”
Fang Jing asked with a faint smile.
“Exactly.”
“Then perhaps one day he’ll return on his own.”
“Perhaps.”
A moment later, Yang Yulian’s expression became serious.
“Starting tomorrow, have the various groups leave the stronghold and scatter into the mountains.”
Fang Jing immediately grew alert.
“What happened?”
“A message arrived earlier.”
“The provincial authorities are organizing a major anti-bandit campaign.”
“Within two days, several hundred trained soldiers will arrive.”
“There will also be more than eight hundred militia supporting them.”
Fang Jing’s face changed.
“That’s far larger than previous operations.”
“A new provincial administrator has taken office.”
Yang Yulian’s voice carried a trace of irony.
“Suppressing outlaws brings both money and political achievements.”
“The local gentry are happy to cooperate.”
“Why wouldn’t he do it?”
“That makes sense.”
Fang Jing nodded.
“What are your orders?”
“We won’t confront them directly.”
“According to our informants, we need to make the performance convincing.”
Her gaze drifted toward the stronghold below.
“We’ll evacuate the main force.”
“Leave behind a handful of elderly and infirm men to guard the place.”
“The authorities will get their victories.”
“And they’ll have enough prisoners to claim credit.”
“I understand.”
Fang Jing bowed slightly.
“I’ll make the arrangements immediately.”
With that, he turned and departed into the fading darkness.