In times of chaos and famine, I traded one pound of rice for two royal flushes.

"Or, in ten days, they will become wolves capable of protecting themselves."

Qin Shaolang's voice rang out again, carrying an unquestionable determination.

"Or, you two can go and keep the maggots in the outhouse company."

Zhao Wu and Wang Tiezhu exchanged a glance, both seeing the resolute look on each other's faces.

Fight!

It's just training!

Compared to cleaning outhouses, forcing a bunch of cowards to kill someone doesn't seem so unacceptable.

"Yes, sir!"

The two responded in unison, their voices loud and clear, carrying a sense of tragic determination, as if they had given up all hope.

Qin Shaolang nodded in satisfaction.

That's the kind of execution he needs.

"The bodies cannot be left." He turned to the pile of white corpses in the center of the yard. "Find some dry firewood and oil, and burn them all."

He then pointed to the pile of blood-stained clothes.

"Take these clothes to the stream behind the mountain, scrub them vigorously with wood ash, wash them clean, and then let them air dry."

"Now, everyone get moving!"

Once the order was given, the entire courtyard was bustling with activity once again.

With Zhao Wu and Wang Tiezhu supervising them, the able-bodied men dared not slack off anymore.

Some people went to the woodshed to move firewood, some went to the kitchen to find kerosene, and some carried the corpses and threw them into a large pit dug in the center of the yard.

Qin Shaolang personally directed the operation.

"Don't pour all the oil in at once; drizzle it over the firewood and layer it."

"The bodies must be piled up with gaps to ensure air circulation so that they can be burned thoroughly."

His commands were methodical and clear, with each step precise and distinct, as if it were not the first time he had done something like this.

The able-bodied men, while working with fear and nausea, secretly sized him up with awe.

Who exactly is this Mr. Qin?

They know medicine, they can kill, and now they're even so professional at burning corpses...

Soon, a small mountain of corpses and firewood was piled up.

Qin Shaolang took a torch and threw it in without hesitation.

call!

Flames shot up, instantly igniting the dry firewood soaked in kerosene.

Flames soared, and billowing black smoke, carrying a nauseating acrid smell, rose straight into the sky.

The firelight shone on everyone's faces, flickering intermittently.

Everyone stared silently at the raging flames, which contained the lives of dozens of people who had just been alive.

Only at this moment did they truly realize it.

An era has come to an end.

Another era, dominated by the man before us named Qin Shaolang, has begun.

Qin Shaolang did not look at the pile of flames.

He turned and walked toward the woodshed where they had been imprisoned.

The door was still open.

It was empty inside, with only a damp, musty smell.

He went inside and stopped in a corner.

Su Jin and Su Tang should have been placed in a room nearby.

Walking down a dimly lit corridor, he saw a faint light coming through the crack in a room's door.

It is candlelight.

He tiptoed to the door and gently pushed it open.

The room was very simple, with a wooden bed and a table.

Su Tang was curled up on the bed, covered with a tattered quilt. She seemed to be asleep, but her small body was still trembling slightly.

Su Jin sat on the edge of the bed, holding a pair of scissors she had picked up from somewhere, watching the door warily.

Upon seeing that it was Qin Shaolang, her tense body relaxed slightly, but she did not put down the scissors in her hand.

"Outside……"

She spoke, her voice a little hoarse.

"It's over," Qin Shaolang said succinctly.

He went into the room, closed the door, and shut out the burning smell and noise coming from outside.

Su Jin's gaze fell on him.

His clothes were stained with large patches of blood, some of which had turned dark brown.

A faint smell of blood permeated the air.

She didn't ask him how many people he had killed, nor did she ask about the details.

She simply looked at him quietly, her clear eyes filled with complex emotions.

"Are you injured?" she suddenly asked.

Qin Shaolang was taken aback and looked down at himself.

He was covered in other people's blood, but he himself was completely unharmed.

"no."

"That's good." Su Jin nodded, as if it were just a casual question.

There was silence in the room.

Only the candlelight flickered gently.

"What are your plans next?"

Finally, Su Jin broke the silence.

"This will be our home from now on," Qin Shaolang said, looking at her and uttering each word clearly.

Family?

Su Jin pondered the word, her eyes somewhat dazed.

How long has it been since she last heard that word?

From the moment her family was unjustly accused and their entire household was raided, she no longer had a home.

"It's not safe here." Su Jin quickly regained her composure. "The news of Black Wind Stronghold's destruction will spread quickly. Other bandits and the government will be watching this place."

Her analysis coincided with Qin Shaolang's.

This woman is indeed extraordinary.

"So, I need time," Qin Shaolang said. "I need to build this place into a true fortress."

"We also need manpower," Su Jin added.

"That's right." Qin Shaolang gave her an approving look. "Those people outside are the first batch of personnel."

Su Jin fell silent.

She could guess how Qin Shaolang would "reform" those people.

That would inevitably be a brutal, iron-fisted approach filled with blood and fire.

"Will they listen to you?"

"Yes, they will." Qin Shaolang's tone was calm, yet filled with absolute confidence. "Because they want to live."

Su Jin stopped talking.

She knew that Qin Shaolang was telling the truth.

In this chaotic world where human life is as cheap as grass, simply being alive is the greatest luxury.

To survive, people will do anything.

Just like her, she could kneel down and beg for mercy to protect her sister, and she could abandon all dignity.

"Go to sleep." Qin Shaolang glanced at Su Tang, who was still trembling slightly on the bed. "Starting tomorrow, there are many things to do."

He turned to leave.

"Wait a minute," Su Jin called out to him.

She stood up, walked up to him, and carefully took out something wrapped in a handkerchief from her bosom.

I opened the handkerchief, and inside were two steamed buns that were still warm.

"I hid it." She handed him the cornbread. "You...you must be hungry too."

This is the dinner the bandits gave them.

It was dry and hard, making it difficult to swallow.

She and her sister each shared one. Her sister ate half of it and couldn't eat anymore, but she left hers untouched.

Qin Shaolang looked at the cornbread in her hand, and then at her thin face.

He didn't answer.

"I'm not hungry."

He turned around and opened the door.

"From now on, we'll eat white flour buns and rice every meal."

Eat as much as you want.

After saying that, he walked out and gently closed the door behind him.

Su Jin stood there, stunned, still holding the two dry, hard cornbread buns in her hands.

Outside the door, Qin Shaolang leaned against the wall and took a deep breath.

How could he not be hungry?

He hasn't had a drop of water since noon, and after another intense battle, he's starving.

But he can't eat it.

That was what she saved from her own mouth.

He touched his empty stomach, but the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up.

This feeling isn't bad.

He straightened up and walked towards the kitchen.

There was plenty of food there, and he needed to fill his stomach first before he would have the strength to protect this newly established "home".

But he had only taken two steps when he saw Zhao Wu rushing over from the front yard with a look of panic on his face.

"Sir! Something terrible has happened!"

"Something's happened!"