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

In the kitchen, Qin Shaolang used the light from the skylight to coat two prepared pheasants with mud, and then buried them in the earthen stove that had just been turned off.

They kept adding firewood inside.

This is a simplified version of Beggar's Chicken recipe. As for the simmering time, it will take at least two or three hours.

During this time, firewood had to be added continuously.

Fortunately, this is not the Central Plains region, but a remote village, so the timber resources here are quite abundant.

Looking at the fire in the stove, Qin Shaolang couldn't help but stroke his chin.

"Everyone is saying that winter came early and is very cold this year. I don't know if this little house can withstand the wind and snow."

Thinking of this, he looked up at the roof. The house wasn't actually that big, which showed that the previous owner hadn't put much thought into its construction.

But thanks to this, although the house is old and not often maintained, it can still be used to a near-perfect state.

Of course, if you want to repair it carefully, it's no different from simply tearing it down and rebuilding it.

As soon as he made up his mind, Qin Shaolang's mind immediately became active.

"How about we just get a new room?"

"There's a lot of frost and snow here, but not much rain. It should be fine to make a cave dwelling for temporary shelter. And even if that big tiger comes over, we only need to block the main entrance. We can even make the entrance narrow, only wide enough for one or two people to pass through..."

Qin Shaolang silently calculated in his mind. This was not an exaggeration; it was a judgment he made based on the white-browed tiger's last actions.

It will definitely try to break into the village.

Having already achieved at least two victories over humanity, it now only holds a degree of awe towards large numbers of people.

As for those who are alone, they can act with impunity.

"This is really troublesome."

Qin Shaolang felt a chill run down his spine when he thought about what happened today.

This white-browed tiger is truly troublesome, and it has most likely already memorized his scent.

God knows when it will suddenly appear.

We need to get this cave dwelling repaired before then, otherwise... once Su Jin and Su Tang are alone, they won't be able to defend themselves with their thin arms and legs.

However, repairing the cave dwelling required money, and he had already spent the money on various miscellaneous items.

Qin Shaolang pondered for a long time by the campfire, but still couldn't come up with a suitable solution.

If he wanted to get more money, he had to find a way to hunt again, and the most suitable prey was the white-browed tiger that forced him to spend money to defend himself.

Things seem to be stuck in a vicious cycle.

"My lord, someone is looking for you outside. She brought some wild vegetables to thank you for saving her life."

……

"Brother Qin, I'm back."

Chu Wu walked to the door with a smile on his face, then glanced inside and laughed.

"Sister-in-law, you don't need to worry about going to the tavern anymore. That guy has already been sent home by the tavern staff."

Su Jin quickly bowed and thanked her.

"Thank you, Second Uncle."

Chu Wu laughed heartily and waved his hands repeatedly.

"Not at all, sister-in-law, there's no need to be so polite. Where is my elder brother now?"

As Chu Wu entered the kitchen, Qin Shaolang also looked up.

"How is it?"

Chu Wu glanced back to make sure Su Jin and Su Tang hadn't followed, then sat down next to Qin Shaolang to warm himself by the stove fire.

"I beat them up, and I broke the arm of the one who started it. Don't worry, Brother Qin, I have brothers in the government, they'll help me cover this up, so don't fret."

Qin Shaolang took a deep breath.

"In the future, don't be so reckless. If you decide to offend someone, it's best to eliminate them completely and leave no room for future trouble."

Chu Wu never expected that Qin Shaolang would say such vicious words.

He looked at Qin Shaolang with suspicion.

"Brother, have you finally figured it out?"

Qin Shaolang nodded slowly.

"Yes, your guess was right today. Er Mazi never intended for us to come back alive."

Just moments before, the woman Er Mazi had bought came over with half a basket of wild vegetables, ostensibly to thank Qin Shaolang for saving her daughter.

In reality, she was trying to give Qin Shaolang a heads-up.

This morning, while she was helping the hunting team prepare breakfast and lunch, she inadvertently learned about Er Mazi's plan.

Upon learning that the two had returned, they rushed over to find them.

It was only because Er Mazi wasn't given a share of the profits from hunting wild boars that he harbored such murderous intent.

The world was far darker than he had imagined.

It was also because he learned of Er Mazi's plan that Qin Shaolang realized one thing: the government was not very effective in controlling people in these remote villages.

If one's hands and feet are clean enough, it's perfectly normal for one or two people to die in a village like this.

To avoid becoming prey for others, Qin Shaolang had no choice but to bow to the ways of the world.

"Chu Wu, we won't go to the mountains for the next few days. I'm worried they might still try to harm us."

Chu Wu nodded readily.

"I'll listen to Brother Qin. I'm tired anyway, so it'll be nice to drink and chat with Brother Qin."

Qin Shaolang nodded slightly.

"Besides that, I have another question: how many people do you have on your side?"

Seeing the serious look in Qin Shaolang's eyes, Chu Wu pondered for a moment before speaking.

"There are about thirty deserters. I know more than forty of them who work for the government. Brother Qin, to be honest, I couldn't bear to see them freeze to death in the snow and ice, so I took it upon myself to lead them as deserters."

Qin Shaolang did not concern himself with Chu Wu's background.

After he had determined Chu Wu's temperament and character, his background became the least important thing.

He immediately picked up a piece of firewood and began to draw on the sand on the ground.

"I want to carve out a kiln like this in the mountains, with an entrance that can only allow two people or one person to pass side by side. This way, it is impossible for a large wild animal to suddenly break in, and even if it wants to take action, digging in the soil will cause quite a commotion, giving us enough time to deal with it."

Chu Wu scratched his head.

"Brother Qin, is it really necessary to go to such lengths to deal with a tiger?"

Qin Shaolang looked at him intently.

"It might not be to deal with that tiger; it could be some other large wild animal. Don't forget, their noses are far more sensitive than ours. If someone provokes them, they can always find them by smell. And..."

Chu Wu looked at Qin Shaolang with curiosity.

"And what?"

Qin Shaolang suddenly shook his head, his eyes filled with solemnity.

"Remember when we set six traps but only caught five? I have good reason to suspect that because winter came early this year, the wild animals in the mountains haven't stored up enough food for the winter. Perhaps those large animals... I hope my guess is wrong."

Qin Shaolang's words sent a chill down Chu Wu's spine.

Beast tide.

He had witnessed it firsthand once: those ferocious beasts broke into the village under the cover of night, and the unsuspecting villagers were powerless to resist. The next day, he and his soldiers searched the village all day and found only two villagers who had survived by sheer luck.

The rest... all perished in the beast tide.