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

"You fucking dare say that again!" Er Mazi, not satisfied with just one punch, roared at Li Hu, "You ungrateful wretch! Don't forget who taught you all your skills!"

Li Hu spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground and glared fiercely at Er Mazi.

Just as the two were about to fight, a hunter nearby quickly stepped forward and pulled them apart.

The two sat at opposite corners of the room, with Er Mazi still cursing and recounting the kindness he had shown Li Hu years ago.

In the past, such conflicts would have been quickly suppressed.

Because Li Hu had no choice!

Er Mazi was the only hunter in the village, and he was the most experienced hunter.

Without Er Mazi to lead the way, going into the mountains to hunt is at best a matter of luck, where you can only find some small wild animals to fill your stomach for a day or two.

Add to that the kindness shown to them in their early years, and even the biggest fire has to bow down to the need to make a living.

But Li Hu wouldn't listen to any of that now.

Just now, he thought of someone else.

"Qin Shaolang".

Although Qin Shaolang's reputation is still not very good, he is still considered a useless doctor.

But he knew better than anyone the changes Qin Shaolang had undergone in the past few days.

He and Chu Wu were dealing with the two wild boars. Li Hu had already investigated them and knew that the two beasts were wary and knew how to cooperate, making them tough opponents.

However, Chu Wu and Qin Shaolang were captured without sustaining any injuries.

This shows that the two of them have some skills.

Besides, yesterday's entanglement with the white-browed tiger also made it very clear to him that one of Qin Shaolang and Chu Wuzhong far surpassed them, the hunters, in decision-making and strategy.

At least until today, Li Hu had always looked down on the idea of ​​leaving out sentries.

He had no idea what benefits this would bring; he just felt that people should unite to fight wild beasts!

"Perhaps I should talk to Qin Shaolang and the others."

Sometimes it's just like that; a single thought can open up a whole new world.

Li Hu immediately thought of the advantages he would have after joining Qin Shaolang and Chu Wu.

That's because he's incredibly familiar with the mountains and forests!

This is something that Qin Shaolang and Chu Wu, two "newbies," could not possibly master.

In addition, he was also skilled at hunting, so he wasn't exactly a burden to them.

With a new patron, Li Hu naturally wouldn't suppress his dissatisfaction as he used to.

There is no father here, there is a place to keep the father!

Li Hu gulped down the wine on the table and stood up abruptly.

"What are you doing!"

Er Mazi immediately noticed the unusual situation and became extremely vigilant.

Li Hu simply gave a cold laugh.

"It's too hot in this room, I can't stand it."

Seeing Li Hu really heading towards the tavern door, Er Mazi's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally relaxed a little.

The cold wind blowing in from outside the door reduced the effects of the alcohol a little.

It seemed that even the anger in Li Hu's heart had been extinguished.

He stood outside the tavern, looking at the pitch-black night, and couldn't help but feel uneasy.

If Qin Shaolang and Chu Wu don't accept him, wouldn't this surrender become a joke?

If Er Mazi finds out, he'll end up pleasing neither side.

Faced with an unknown choice, Li Hu hesitated.

Just then, Er Mazi's dissatisfied insults came from inside the house. Perhaps thinking that Li Hu must have gone far away and couldn't hear these words, Er Mazi didn't try to hide them.

"Who does Li Hu think he is? If I hadn't taken him hunting back then, would he be where he is today?"

"An ungrateful wretch who can never be tamed, a greedy man who can never be satisfied!"

"What a waste!"

……

One sentence after another, like punch after punch, completely shattered Li Hu's hesitation.

As Er Mazi's most capable assistant, Li Hu couldn't possibly have made no contribution. If Er Mazi could remember these things, he wouldn't be so outspoken.

Li Hu took one last look at the tightly closed door, then suddenly turned his head and, with unwavering determination, stepped into the wind and snow.

……

Meanwhile, after a busy day, Qin Shaolang was in his house, preparing dinner for the deserters.

At this moment, a large group of people gathered around the campfire, drinking and eating meat, enjoying themselves immensely.

Suddenly, the elderly deserter stood up, holding a wine bowl.

"Gentlemen, Master Qin is kind and willing to make a roster for us and give us the status of family soldiers. We should be grateful. Why don't we all stand up and personally toast Master Qin with a glass of wine?"

Following the veteran's words, the deserters put down their food, picked up their wine bowls, and stood up straight.

It wasn't that they wanted to desert, but rather that the tasks assigned to them by their superiors were simply impossible to complete.

Heavy snow blocked the mountains, but they were temporarily assigned to guard an empty city abandoned by the Northern Barbarians on the frontier.

And there are no winter clothes!

There isn't enough food!

Even the weapons weren't a complete set, but rather the weapons they carried during the patrol that day!

Leaving aside whether they could survive the winter without food, once spring arrived and the Northern Di cavalry arrived, they would be doomed without reinforcements.

No one wants to take on such a death-defying job, especially since it's just a show put on by the officials to boost their own achievements.

They traded the lives of their soldiers for the merits of conquering new territories.

It's the same old story that happens every winter.

After Chu Wu's words, they immediately became deserters.

They had thought they would never have a normal way of life again and would be stuck in the mountains like wild men. But now, thanks to Qin Shaolang's magnanimity, they have regained their hope.

The eyes of each deserter held only a glimmer of light.

It was from the fact that there was meat in this meal, and Qin Shaolang's repeated emphasis that the wages were only temporarily owed and would definitely be paid in the future, that this was the reason why they were able to make such a decision.

They could tell that being Qin Shaolang's personal guards wouldn't be badly treated.

Chu Wu quickly stood up and picked up his wine bowl.

"Brother Qin, don't worry. I have some connections in the military. If I can settle them down, I can return to the army with peace of mind and keep foreigners at bay."

Qin Shaolang looked up at Chu Wu, pondered for a while, and then picked up his wine bowl.

"I will do what I promised you, but you must not break the rules I set. Without rules, there can be no order. I hope you can understand my good intentions and work together to uphold the rules I set. Soldiers should not make things difficult for the people they are protecting, and the people will give you their greatest support."

At this critical juncture, Qin Shaolang naturally brought out the rules he had set, and even added an explanation.

These deserters from the feudal era naturally lacked the awareness to grasp the deeper meaning behind it.

But that doesn't matter. As long as they abide by the rules, they will eventually feel the benefits of these rules and understand that these seemingly strict rules are not a restriction on them, but rather a source of their strength.

"Alright, enough of this small talk, everyone, let's drink!"

Qin Shaolang picked up the wine bowl and drank it all in one gulp.

More than thirty deserters drank wine with Chu Wu, and then each deserter went up to toast him individually.

Su Jin stood beside Qin Shaolang, occasionally refilling his wine.

However, as Qin Shaolang had already instructed, only a small amount of wine was added each time, and the firewood for heating the wine burned exceptionally fiercely.