Before the house was raided, the maidservant of the Prime Minister's residence absconded with t

When the cloth covering Tao'er, Ayan, and Dongkui's faces was removed, the midday sun made them squint.

The first thing you see is the three large characters "Tiger Head Stronghold" hanging high above the gate, written in strong, bold strokes, exuding a domineering,江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry) spirit.

Tao'er and Dongkui looked around and found that Tiger Head Village was much larger than they had imagined.

Even Ayan looked at it curiously.

The village was much bigger than he had imagined.

The stockade walls were tall and sturdy, complete with arrow towers and sentry posts. The guards were all in high spirits, patrolling back and forth with long spears in their hands.

The entire village is built against the mountain, with wooden houses scattered along the mountainside. A main bluestone path leads directly to the main hall at the top of the mountain, making it look quite impressive.

The terrain is easy to defend and difficult to attack, making it a place where one man can hold off ten thousand.

No wonder the imperial court was helpless against the bandits of Jingmeng Mountain; they were utterly at a loss.

I heard that all the encirclement and suppression efforts have ended in failure!

Just as Tao'er was about to carefully observe the layout of the village, a burly man with a fierce face shouted sternly, "What are you looking at!"

Behave yourself, don't look around, and don't even think about running away!

Let me tell you, once you get outside Tiger Head Village, there's no way you can escape!

If you dare to even think of running away, you're doomed.

Dongkui shuddered in fright, and Ayan frowned deeply.

They all knew in their hearts that Tiger Head Stronghold was large in number and heavily guarded, and the chances of escaping were extremely slim.

"Let's go!" Hu Biao, the second-in-command, waved his hand, and several henchmen escorted the three men deeper into the village.

Tao'er then saw the second leader's face clearly; he was not disfigured or scarred.

Perhaps he went down the mountain to rob people while masking his face to avoid being recognized and seeking revenge later?

Hu Biao was a lean, middle-aged man with sharp, eagle-like eyes. He carried two short knives at his waist and walked with a powerful stride.

He ordered his men to lock the three men in the woodshed on the west side, and instructed them, "Keep a close eye on them. This is a gift I'm giving to the chief. If they escape, you'll lose your heads."

His subordinates readily agreed.

After Hu Biao finished speaking, he left with the others.

The woodshed was dark and damp, piled high with firewood and hay.

Their guard was a young henchman, who looked no more than seventeen or eighteen years old. He held a wooden stick in his hand and stared at them nervously.

He shoved them into the woodshed and deliberately said in a menacing tone, "Go in and behave yourselves!"

Then he closed the door to the woodshed, and Tao'er heard the sound of it being locked.

I thought to myself, they're really keeping a close watch on us; they're not giving them a single chance to escape.

However, Tao'er hadn't originally intended to escape immediately.

First, if one is unfamiliar with the terrain and the specific situation in this mountain stronghold, then running away rashly would be a dead end.

Another point is that King Cheng will soon find out that he lied to him at the city gate, and he will definitely continue to investigate him and Ayan.

If we can stay here for a while with a sense of security, it might be a good place to take refuge temporarily.

When she finally leaves, she will collect all the good things here into her spatial storage.

Over the years, the bandits of Jingmeng Mountain must have stolen a lot of good things. They can use them all to make wedding dresses for her. Wouldn't that be wonderful?

Consider those good things as compensation for arresting those few people!

At this moment, Dongkui's face was pale, and Ayan's brows were furrowed.

Although Tao'er was a little uneasy, she remained calm on the surface.

She put aside her previous thoughts and plans, and made a gesture that brought Dongkui and Ayan closer to her.

The three sat leaning against a pile of hay, and Dongkui and Ayan looked at Tao'er at the same time.

"Little Peach, what should we do now?"

Will those people...?

"Will they kill us?"

Dongkui trembled, her voice so soft that only the three of them could hear it.

Although she had escorted merchant caravans with Master Li, her martial arts skills were only so-so, far inferior to these incredibly fierce bandits.

I'm afraid I won't be able to protect the young master and the others when the time comes.

Tao'er gently shook her head, her tone certain: "They wouldn't kill us."

None of the three of us look like we come from wealthy families, and we don't have any money on us. What good would killing us do?

At most, they'll sell us for money, or marry us and have sons.

"But that gang leader said he wanted to marry you..."

What if he really wants you to have a son for him?

Dongkui looked worried; her eyebrows were practically fighting each other.

Tao'er smiled slightly, a sly glint in her eyes: "Don't worry, Sister Dongkui, I have a way."

She lowered her voice: "Think about it, even though we've been robbed, we're not necessarily in a hopeless situation."

What is the biggest deficiency in this kind of knock-off?

What we lack most are people who can get things done. If we can prove our worth, we might even be able to make some money before leaving.

Ayan looked at her with a puzzled expression: "Little sister Tao'er, what are your plans?"

Just as Tao'er was about to speak, footsteps and voices came from outside.

She immediately made a shushing gesture, then walked along the wall, squatted down, and listened carefully against the wooden door.

"Sigh, the boss is throwing a tantrum again."

A rough, hoarse voice complained.

"They said the food wasn't to their liking, and they overturned the table."

Another voice chimed in: "How many chefs are there now?"

Is this the eighth one?

If this continues, none of the people in our village will have anything to eat.

"Who can argue with that!"

No, it's not this, it's not that; it's either too bland or too salty, either too plain or too oily.

I think Fatty Qian's cooking skills are pretty good. It's just everyday food, what, you think he can make royal cuisine?

"Keep your voice down!"

If the head of the gang hears this, I'll get whipped again.

Everyone knows he's the best eater; nothing is more important than eating.

Never mind, let's just hurry up and deliver the food!

There are three more locked up in the woodshed.

The deliveryman sighed and walked away.

A moment later, the door to the woodshed opened a crack, and the guard handed in a broken bowl containing three dark, hard cornbread buns, a small dish of pickled vegetables, and an earthenware pot filled with water.

"Eat up, don't starve."

The guard muttered something as he closed the door.

Tao'er didn't find it offensive, but she was wary.

She took out a silver needle from her bosom and tested it on the cornbread and pickled vegetables. Only after confirming that it was not poisonous did she feel relieved.

"Eat up, you'll have the energy to think of a solution."

As she spoke, she divided the food into three portions.

One steamed bun was not enough to fill her up, so Tao'er took out three pieces of mung bean cake from her bag (actually from her spatial storage), kept one for herself, and gave the other two to Ayan and Dongkui.

"I bought these earlier, intending to eat them on the way."

Tao'er casually offered an explanation.

The three of them finished eating in silence. Tao'er told the other two to rest for a while, while she closed her eyes to rest, but actually listened carefully to the sounds outside.

She needed more information, more about this mountain stronghold, more about the personal habits of its leader, Zhang Fei, and so on.

Around noon, footsteps sounded again outside, this time even more chaotic.

The door to the woodshed was opened, and Hu Biao, the second-in-command, personally led a group of men to take them away.

"Let's go, the boss wants to see you."

The three were led out of the woodshed and walked uphill along the main bluestone path.

Tao'er thought to herself: I wonder what kind of person this leader is?