It all started with one person becoming a shaman, but the Stand user...

"The Taoist priest is truly remarkable! He is definitely no ordinary hungry man or Xiao Tong!"

He straightened up, nodded to Qing Hemiao, and said firmly:

"As I suspected, this man is a spy for the local bandits. And there should only be one powerful bandit group in this area, the 'Lu Ba Shan' gang, which is located thirty miles to the northwest!"

Even bandits need to eat.

In this freezing winter, firewood, rice, oil, and salt are essential.

They are all hard currencies, even harder than gold.

Gold can be stolen again, but once this is exhausted, people will die.

So many people have gathered here in Qinghemiao, yet they still manage to cook every day, with smoke constantly rising from the chimneys.

It was almost inevitable that they would be targeted by those with ulterior motives.

Upon hearing Huang Liu's words, Qing Hemiao's first reaction was one of delight.

He lowered his head, tapped the motionless bandit scout with his toe, and asked with a friendly smile:

"Bandits from the Northwest? I wonder... does your fortress have any dealings with these heroes? Or rather, should this man be handed over to you for disposal? After all, he's an acquaintance of yours?"

That statement is not without merit.

They're all in the same boat!

It's not uncommon anywhere for landlords and powerful clansmen to collude, exchange goods, and even divide their spoils.

"Oh dear! Taoist priest! You mustn't say such things carelessly!"

Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, Huang Liu glanced at the growing number of disaster victims who were eagerly watching the spectacle, and waved his hands repeatedly, saying:

"These bandits are notorious thugs who have been entrenched in the mountains of Northwest China for years. They are ruthless and vicious, and have been causing havoc in the area for years! Two years ago, they tried to raid our Huangjiabao village, but we drove them back! They also killed or wounded several of our strong men. What kind of relationship do we have with them? If you want to deal with them, you can do so yourself."

"Okay, I see."

Qinghe Miao nodded, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with Huang Liu's explanation.

He listened to whatever the other person said for the time being, and then asked:

"What kind of behavior do these bandits have? What is their reputation in this area?"

"not good."

Huang Liu thought for a moment and answered truthfully and affirmatively:

"They've committed countless atrocities, from murder and robbery to kidnapping women, and they often massacre entire mountain villages without cause. They're infamous for all sorts of evil deeds. It seems they've set their sights on you, Taoist Master. We must be on guard!"

When it comes to bandits, local strongmen like Huangjiabao would often set up roadblocks to collect "tolls" in order to protect themselves during chaotic times, and they would also exploit the refugees who came to rely on them.

Their methods of annexing land and driving out tenants were sometimes quite cruel.

From some perspectives, they are no different from bandits.

But the problem is, banditry is a promising profession.

Even their original ecological niches have been occupied by semi-armed local warlords like Huangjiabao.

One can only imagine how ruthless and despicable those guys who can still survive under the guise of bandits must be.

This is one of the reasons why Huang Liugang was unwilling to get involved with bandits in front of so many disaster victims.

Its reputation is truly awful.

These landlords and powerful families still had some standing in the local area.

"That's good!"

After listening, Qing Hemiao simply replied.

Before anyone could understand what he meant, he casually stomped his foot down again!

Unseen by others, the Stand [Red Hot Chili Pepper] simultaneously slammed its Power A fist, crackling with tiny electric sparks, into the bandit scout's chest with the movement of its thigh!

Yura!

Since it was their first time killing someone, they also used a Stand (a metal object) to prevent themselves from being inexperienced.

Iron spikes instantly condensed inside the opponent's body, piercing through their vital points from the inside.

The sound was masked by the sound of bones breaking.

The whole process was extremely decisive.

The bandit scout's body stiffened abruptly, his eyes widened in shock, and blood gushed from his mouth. He died before he could even utter a proper scream.

[Congratulations on defeating the LV6 bandit! You have gained experience points, which have increased slightly.]

The system notification rang in Qing Hemiao's mind immediately.

trouble?

Isn't this experience point coming to you on its own?

It wasn't until Qinghe Miao casually lifted his foot that everyone realized the person on the ground was motionless, with a noticeable cave-in in his chest and blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, clearly indicating that he was no longer alive.

Huang Liu was startled and subconsciously squatted down, reaching out to check the bandit's carotid artery and breathing.

I got one and there was absolutely no fluctuation.

The surroundings fell silent for a moment. The disaster victims who had been whispering just moments before all stopped talking and their eyes were filled with awe again.

It seemed that only then did he recall the imposing presence of the young Taoist priest before him.

After a moment, Qinghe Miao's indifferent voice rang out again:

"Manager Huang, please inform the person in charge of your fortress when you return. Tell them that... I, Qingmiao, wish to meet with him."

At this point, Qing Hemiao's heart couldn't help but pound twice.

"now?"

Huang Liu looked up at Qing Hemiao with some uncertainty.

He was increasingly unable to understand the Taoist priest in front of him.

"Of course I'll visit; any time is convenient for me."

Qinghe Miao was polite.

"If Steward Huang finds it convenient, he can go together when he goes back to report later."

"Huh? This...this..."

Huang Liu's mouth dropped open, and he was speechless for a moment. He quickly tried to explain:

"That is somewhat impolite. I need to go back and inform my husband, Goro, so we can arrange a time together. How about that?"

Although they had previously invited the other party to visit their castle as a test and to make friends.

But there has never been a suitable time.

So now that the Taoist priest has just killed someone, he wants to see their fortress's young master. What does that mean?

It is clear that the young master of their fortress still needs to make the decision himself.

"Whatever you like."

Qinghe Miao nodded indifferently, appearing quite reasonable:

"Then I'll have to trouble Manager Huang."

After returning the greeting, Huang Liu dared not ask any more questions. He quickly bowed and took his leave, then hurriedly went down the mountain back to Huangjiabao.

After Huang Liu left, Qing Hemiao remained calm and instructed two seemingly composed disaster victims beside him to carry the corpses on the ground to a distant place to dispose of them.

It's simply a matter of digging a hole and burying them, or simply pushing them into a deep valley.

They gave some rice and vegetables to the workers, and the disturbance quickly subsided.

Compared to the majority of people who lie dead on the roadside in this chaotic world, this ending is already quite good.

As for the rest, the creatures in nature and nature itself will solve it.

Chapter 45 Visit

Qinghe Miao did not rush to leave before returning to his own world.

Instead, they randomly selected a few disaster victims and inquired about the reputation of the bandits in the area, as well as some rumors about Huangjiabao and them.

As for Huangjiabao's reputation, he had already inquired about it during his time there.

Neither good nor bad, they were just ordinary landlords and powerful families with a certain level of military strength.

The fragmented information that was finally pieced together basically matched what Huang Liu said.

At least on the surface, there is no evidence of collusion between the two parties.

"Yes, the information matches up, so they haven't lied to me yet."

Qinghe Miao thought to himself.

Although he didn't really care whether Huangjiabao was actually colluding with bandits.

It would be best if they colluded, giving him a perfect excuse to take down Kouchi in one fell swoop!

It's always good to do some research beforehand and prepare yourself mentally.

After dealing with all of this, he quietly returned to his own world.

To avoid the fact that killing someone of the same kind for the first time would affect his family, Qinghe Miao did not go home immediately this time.

Instead, he deliberately stayed a little longer on the hill behind his house.

I let the cold wind blow on my face and clothes for a while, gazing at the undulating mountain ranges covered in ice and snow in the distance.

Let your emotions cool down and settle down slowly.

Perhaps it's due to the system, or perhaps it's because the soul, having lived two lives, is inherently resilient.

Qinghe Miao adapted much faster than he had imagined.

I went to bed a little later than usual that night.

The next day, Huang Liu's reply arrived as expected, accepting the invitation.

It was nearly noon, and the winter sun was high in the sky, illuminating the mountains brightly and reflecting dazzling light.

At this hour, everything seemed to huddle in the cold. The vast wilderness appeared empty and silent, with hardly a human figure to be seen. Only the occasional crow flying by let out a hoarse cry.

Looking into the distance, the so-called "Huangjiabao" does not have the tall brick and stone walls of a real city.

It is more like a tall earthen wall built against the steep mountain, using a mixture of loess and gravel, with key parts reinforced with large logs, forming a simple but practical defense system.

Several watchtowers were set up on the wall, and blurry figures patrolled on them.

The castle is not very large, estimated to be able to accommodate a few dozen to a hundred households, more like a large mountain village.

A few wisps of smoke were rising gently from inside the castle.

A mountain breeze swept by, bringing with it the subtle scent of life within the fortress.

If you don't look at the foot of this mere mountain, you'll find countless unidentified corpses lying there.

The scene before me truly matches some of the modern people's fantasies about rural landscapes.

Huang Liu led the way, pointing ahead and saying:

"Master, our fort is just ahead. We'll arrive after passing the outer moat and a few wooden fences."

Qing Hemiao, who had come alone, remained calm and nodded.

"Let's go."

The closer you get, the clearer the defensive details of the bunker become.

The simple yet practical trenches, chevaux-de-frise, and wooden fences advance in layers, showcasing the wisdom of our ancient ancestors in warfare.

During those decades of chaos, the church's founders experienced mostly war.

The guards on the watchtower had obviously spotted them long ago. One of them leaned out and called out to confirm, his bow and arrow still drawn, but he remained vigilant.