SFS Chapter 97 The Bandits Search for People
Chapter 97 The Bandits Search for People
With that in mind, one of them stayed behind to watch over the five people, while the other went into the village to report.
Soon, the man ran back, nodded to his companion, and made a 'please' gesture.
"Our boss invites you in. Once inside, you must not look around or ask any questions."
Meng Fuqing smiled good-naturedly, "I understand, brother, thank you."
As they spoke, the five men followed the bandits into Black Tiger Stronghold.
Along the way, Xie Jin's gaze kept falling on Meng Fuqing's face. It's no wonder he found it strange; in all the time he'd known him, he'd never seen Meng Fuqing smile so frequently.
Upon entering Black Tiger Stronghold, Meng Fuqing subtly observed his surroundings. Noticing Xie Jin's gaze, he couldn't help but step back and kick him.
After everyone calmed down, the noise around them gradually became clearer. They were led to the outside of a brightly lit house, where they could see people sitting in the hall drinking, making merry, and talking loudly.
After waiting outside for a while, Meng Fuqing and the others were led inside.
As soon as she stepped into the hall, she heard a deep, powerful voice ask loudly, "Is the visitor surnamed Meng? May I ask which Meng family you come from?"
Before Meng Fuqing could make a move, Xie Jin stepped forward first, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "I have long heard of the name of the chief of Black Tiger Stronghold. I am honored to meet you today. We come from Jizhou in the north. Our families are only slightly wealthy and cannot be considered powerful or noble families. The chief may not have heard of us."
Xie Jin was very familiar with the situation in the North, and with him around, their identities would not be revealed or exposed. Taking advantage of the pause in Xie Jin's speech, Meng Fuqing quietly and quickly memorized the faces of the people sitting on either side of her.
Finally, he raised his eyes to look at the Black Tiger Stronghold's leader, who sat in the highest position. This man was in his thirties or forties, with sword-like eyebrows, tiger-like eyes, a high forehead, a straight nose, and a thick beard. Meng Fuqing felt a sense of familiarity about him.
After a moment's thought, I couldn't recall seeing this familiar feeling in anyone before.
She thought to herself that perhaps Meng Linlang wasn't lying, and that the person the leader was looking for really had died at her hands.
Thinking this, the leader spoke again after drinking a cup of wine, "I've heard a little about the Meng family of Jizhou. My men reported that you all came late at night for the person I'm looking for?"
Meng Fuqing stepped forward and said, "We don't know whether the person the chief is looking for is male or female, old or young. We have only met many people along the way and saved some of them."
"Why don't you tell us, boss, who you're looking for and what their characteristics are? Maybe we'll just stumble upon them by sheer luck?"
Her words drew laughter from some people in the hall. One of them, a man with a mustache, sized her up and said, "You little girl, you really dare to talk back. You know nothing and yet you dare to bring people to my Black Tiger Stronghold? Aren't you afraid of losing your life!"
Another person scoffed, "A little girl like you, trying to make a fool of yourself? Among all the men in this room, do you have the right to speak?"
Before Meng Fuqing could speak, Xie Jin said with a half-smile, "This room can not only contain men and women, but also a eunuch. Why don't you come and have a contest with me?"
The man was instantly enraged and slammed his fist on the table, yelling, "You!"
Mu Feng and the other two all looked at him, the atmosphere tense.
Meng Fuqing seemed oblivious, her glassy eyes fixed on the leader of Black Tiger Stronghold. "I've heard that refugees entering Qingzhou territory cannot easily leave without the leader's permission. Everyone says the leader is colluding with the Hu people to plunder the refugees' property. But I don't think so."
Before anyone else could speak, the head of the gang, seated in a high position, asked with great interest, "What does the young lady think?"
"I suspect the main reason the chief is cooperating with the Hu people is to find someone. Firstly, it can prevent the Hu people from attacking Black Tiger Stronghold and causing heavy casualties among the brothers in the stronghold. Secondly, the shortest route for refugees from the north to escape south is through Qingzhou. As long as the person the chief is looking for is still alive, we may be able to find him through this opportunity."
Meng Fuqing didn't know this leader, but she knew one thing—in ancient times, even a rebellion had to be justified by the pretext of "purging the emperor's inner circle."
What she said was just an excuse for Black Tiger Stronghold to treason and collude with the enemy. After all, even in chaotic times, even if they were bandits, the label of treason and collusion with the enemy was still quite unpleasant.
It might sound outrageous to outsiders, but as long as the people of Black Tiger Village agree with it, that's fine.
The tense atmosphere between the two sides gradually dissipated through question and answer.
After he finished speaking, the smiles on the faces of the Black Tiger Stronghold members, who had initially taken it lightly, gradually disappeared.
The leader stared intently at Meng Fuqing, as if deep in thought.
Xie Jin glanced at the expressions of everyone in the hall, and finally his gaze fell on Meng Fuqing, and he curled his lips almost imperceptibly.
"Did you hear it from the brothers in my village, or do you think it yourself?" the chief asked again.
Meng Fuqing smiled. "I said it was just a guess."
The leader suddenly burst into laughter, "Hahahaha, I never expected that a woman like you could guess my thoughts based on hearsay alone. I truly admire you!"
Meng Fuqing couldn't tell whether he said this because he had truly hit the nail on the head or because he had flattered him well, so he simply said humbly, "You flatter me, Chief."
Du Chong stood up and said to Meng Fuqing and Xie Jin, "Have you two eaten yet? Why don't you come to my place? I'll treat you to a cup of tea."
After saying this, without waiting for Meng Fuqing and Xie Jin to refuse, he said something to his brothers on either side and walked straight out of the hall.
Meng Fuqing and Xie Jin exchanged a glance and followed.
The three arrived at a warm room, where Qi Liang, Mu Feng, and the other two waited outside. Soon, someone brought them tea.
The leader took a sip of tea, his gaze fixed on the void, as if recalling something. "To be honest, the person I'm looking for is my own son. His name is Du Rufeng, and he's nineteen years old this year. He has a leaf-shaped birthmark on his right shoulder."
Meng Fuqing asked, "If your son stood in front of you, would you recognize him?"
The head of the gang shook his head and gave a bitter smile. "When I parted from him, he was still young. I don't know if I, as his father, can even recognize my own son."
To demonstrate his dedication to helping the chief find his son, Meng Fuqing continued to press, "May I ask why the chief left home, and how old your son was when he left? Does he remember what you look like?"
The chieftain, looking distressed, drank another cup of tea. "Fourteen years ago, I was conscripted by the imperial court and sent to the border. During the battle between the two sides, I became a prisoner and lost contact with my family. Fortunately, I was born strong, and the Hu people took advantage of this and did not kill me. Later, General Xie led his troops into the Hu camp, and I was able to escape."
Four years ago, I left the border and returned to my hometown. Unexpectedly, my elderly mother passed away, my wife remarried, and my son was given away to another family. I searched for him in some places, but I have never been able to find him.
Having traveled a long way to Qingzhou, he heard that Black Tiger Stronghold had been stationed there for many years and had extensive connections, so he conceived the idea of replacing the stronghold leader. Unexpectedly, even after becoming the leader, his search for the leader remained fruitless.
Meng Fuqing originally only intended to listen casually and had no intention of searching for anyone, but when he heard the leader's name, "Born with Great Strength," he couldn't help but perk up.
Qi Liang was also naturally strong, was it just a coincidence? Meng Fuqing just felt that Qi Liang might be a bit too old.