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

Chu Wu shook his head vigorously, just like a rattle drum, when he heard Qin Shaolang's question.

"No way, Brother Qin, you can rest assured about that. We will never let a word slip, and we usually avoid each other."

Qin Shaolang pondered for a moment.

Chu Wu brought the deserters over after their second meeting, and he explained in detail why they had become deserters.

In addition, the villagers have been very curious about this group of people who suddenly appeared in the past few days, which suggests that they did a very good job of hiding.

The governor, who is above the county magistrate, is most likely not here for them.

"It just so happens that the magistrate is also waiting. Let's see what the situation is like first."

Chu Wu immediately nodded, and the two mingled in the crowd, carefully observing their surroundings.

About half an hour later, Qin Shaolang finally saw a group of people escorting the carriage, with thick cotton cloth tied to the wheels.

If this were in an ordinary household, who would be willing to waste it like this?

He must be the governor.

Sure enough, when the group arrived, the magistrate hurriedly went to greet them.

"Your humble servant is here to respectfully welcome Your Excellency the Governor."

The carriage curtain was lifted slightly, and the governor inside gave some instructions in a low voice. Then he waved his hand, and the carriage returned the way it came.

Qin Shaolang looked on with suspicion.

"What important thing did they tell us?"

Clearly, the governor had come from afar, yet he left without even stopping for a sip of water; the matter he was about to give was not simple.

The county magistrate, looking distressed, returned to the county town with a low sigh.

Qin Shaolang patted Chu Wu on the shoulder.

"Let's go, we should go pay them a visit."

The two arrived at the entrance of the county government office and handed over the pheasants they had brought with them. The servant standing at the door looked at them with considerable surprise.

"You two commoners know to bring gifts to see the magistrate; you're quite sensible."

Despite showering them with praise, the servant refused to move, simply watching the two with a smile.

Chu Wu smiled憨厚ly, took out a dozen copper coins from his pocket, looked around, and then stepped forward to put the coins into the servant's pocket.

"It's cold outside, this is a small token of our appreciation for the drinks. We hope you'll accept it."

The servant nodded after receiving the benefit.

"Alright, I'll go and inform them right away."

After the servant left, a hint of impatience appeared on Chu Wu's smiling face.

These servants wield pitifully little power, but their methods for amassing wealth through it are anything but small.

A classic case of a petty person gaining power.

Qin Shaolang just smiled sheepishly. He wasn't really familiar with this kind of thing. Who in the army would dare to extort the people like this? They must be tired of living.

Even without any reason, if ordinary people kneel down on the spot and shout, "It is we commoners who have blocked the way of the officials," it is enough for the soldiers to go back and write tens of thousands of words of self-criticism.

Qin Shaolang's experience in bribery was ultimately too limited.

Unlike Chu Wu, who was quick to see through the servant's thoughts at a glance.

Today, Qin Shaolang finally understands why Chu Wu didn't spend all the money and exchange it for more valuable goods.

Because silver is the hard currency in official circles.

"It seems I should keep some money on me; I might need it for some things."

Before long, the servant hurriedly came out of the county government office.

"You two are the magistrate's favorites, brave men, please come with me."

Chu Wu and Qin Shaolang then followed the servants all the way to the county government office.

"Heroes of Chu and Qin, oh dear, I've missed you both terribly these past few days. You two are unaware of the truth, but I've been swamped with official duties lately, and I haven't had the chance to pay you a visit several times."

The magistrate was even more enthusiastic during this meeting than he had been the last.

Chu Wu still clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"It is our good fortune that Your Excellency remembers us, and it is our honor that Your Excellency has come to this remote and impoverished place. Of course, Your Excellency cannot act rashly. If you need to use us, please just send someone to inform us."

After Chu Wu uttered these words, the county magistrate's face was full of smiles. He took Chu Wu's hand and led him to sit down in the guest seat, and then invited Qin Shaolang to sit down to the side.

He then frowned, but remained silent.

Chu Wu immediately clasped his hands in greeting.

"I wonder if Your Excellency has any worries? My brother and I will do our best to help you resolve them."

The magistrate looked around, sighed, and then spoke.

"It's not that I want to trouble you two, but the autumn harvest has just ended. It's a crucial time for people to rest and recuperate, tend to their fields, cut timber, and prepare for the winter."

"But the governor just came and said that the current emperor suddenly went to court a month ago, saying that he dreamed that the flag of the Great Wei was pounced on by a wild beast."

"Therefore, the border counties were ordered to hunt down and exterminate the most ferocious wild animals in the vicinity. They were also required to hand over the heads of these wild animals."

Upon hearing this, Chu Wu immediately understood that the magistrate had gone through all this trouble simply to lower the price he was offered in exchange for the two men working for him.

Chu Wu immediately patted his chest.

"We brothers will certainly do our best to deal with the magistrate's troubles, but we don't know which ferocious beast is the most dangerous, or where it is."

The magistrate licked his lips, unsure how to respond.

The most formidable creature is undoubtedly the white-browed tiger. If he investigates it thoroughly, he will naturally use his soldiers to surround and annihilate it, thus completing the task assigned by His Majesty.

But those were all attempts he had made before.

Nowadays, even the regular soldiers in the county town have absolutely no experience in hunting.

Moreover, having lost the advantage of armor protecting their bodies, they were just a group of ordinary people with a little bit of discipline.

Just like last time, their formation was broken up by the white-browed tiger, and coupled with their unfamiliarity with the terrain, they lost several soldiers and injured many others.

That white-browed tiger was indeed formidable.

With a determined look, the magistrate immediately spoke.

"Two brave warriors, if you can capture that white-browed tiger, I will personally offer you the two hundred taels of silver that my county has offered as a reward. In addition, I will add another two hundred taels of silver as an extra reward."

Since you can't catch a wolf without risking your cub, let's offer four hundred taels of silver to get these two strong men to agree.

With their abilities, they could take down two wild boars at once. If the two of them worked together and gathered some more men, they could definitely deal with this white-browed tiger.

Chu Wu looked around, and after exchanging glances with Qin Shaolang, he looked troubled.

"Your Excellency, that white-browed tiger is truly ferocious. It's not a matter of how much money we have, but taking him down is very troublesome. We'll need to gather manpower from all over the village and devise a plan..."

Before Chu Wu could finish speaking, the county magistrate gritted his teeth again.

"Six hundred taels of silver, I can give you fifty, no, one hundred taels of silver in advance for preparation."

"As long as we can capture that white-browed tiger, everything else is negotiable."