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

The county magistrate was truly anxious; he was quite annoyed.

In other places, county magistrates only needed to report and pick any wild animal that a hunter could bring in to exchange for the bounty, and that would be enough to complete their task.

But he just can't do it!

He had no choice but to report the loss of soldiers last time, and somehow it reached the Emperor's ears.

This time, His Majesty wanted to eliminate the ferocious beast, so it was only natural that he thought of this white-browed tiger.

This is why the governor made the trip in person.

He feared the county magistrate wouldn't understand the matter and, to save trouble, would substitute something else.

The magistrate now has no choice but to capture this white-browed tiger in order to complete his mission.

Judging from the Emperor's determination in issuing this order to the Great Wei, if this matter is not handled well, he might be able to keep his head, but he will definitely lose his official hat.

That's why he gritted his teeth and made another concession, offering a reward of six hundred taels of silver.

Of course, if it were any other hunter, they wouldn't even have the right to negotiate.

The fact that Qin Shaolang and Chu Wu managed to take down two wild boars last time was too exaggerated. If anyone in the entire county is most likely to take down the white-browed tiger, it would be these two in front of them.

"Six hundred taels of silver, with one hundred taels to be prepared in advance. What do you two think? Do you have any further concerns?"

This time, before Chu Wu could speak, Qin Shaolang took the initiative to speak.

"My lord, I saw that white-browed tiger with my own eyes just a few days ago. It was enormous. Even when it was lying down, it could look me in the eye. The weapons we have are unlikely to be able to hurt its vital organs."

The magistrate remained silent.

He knew the white-browed tiger was big, but he never imagined it would be this big!

Unable to visualize what a colossal creature it was, he stood up, aligned himself with eye level, and mentally enlarged a cat to the same size.

The county magistrate was dumbfounded on the spot.

"Wow, can it really grow this big?"

Qin Shaolang nodded immediately.

"Yes, besides that, this beast also knows how to ambush and flank, eliminating scouts first, and constantly trying..."

Qin Shaolang recounted his previous encounter with the white-browed tiger in detail, then patted his chest and assured, "Your Excellency, everything I have said is true. If even a single word is false, may I never be reincarnated."

Although Qin Shaolang did not believe in these superstitious beliefs, in this era, such an oath was the best guarantee.

The magistrate paced back and forth in the county office with his hands behind his back, at a loss for what to do.

Even if he wanted to send soldiers over, given the cunning of that white-browed tiger, it would definitely run away beforehand.

But if too few people are assigned, wouldn't that tragedy repeat itself?

Just as the county magistrate was in a dilemma, Qin Shaolang spoke up.

"If Your Excellency truly wishes to give it a try, I would like to borrow your powerful crossbows and spears, as well as a large quantity of caltrops needed to deal with the horses."

The magistrate immediately looked at Qin Shaolang.

"How much do you need to guarantee you'll take down this beast?"

Qin Shaolang pondered for a moment.

"It should be possible within ten days. After I train the newly recruited soldiers, they will be ready to be put to use."

As he spoke, Qin Shaolang looked as if he had suddenly remembered something, took out a roster from his pocket, and handed it over with both hands.

"Your Excellency, they were refugees who had fled to my village. I saw that they were ragged and were braving the cold wind, and I couldn't bear to see them like this. I also happened to have some extra food, so I temporarily took them in as my own soldiers and gave them food to prevent them from wandering around and causing instability."

After Qin Shaolang's series of moves, the county magistrate had no choice but to agree, even if he didn't want to.

Regardless of their origins, these thirty people, once in Qin Shaolang's hands, would not become refugees.

If he disagrees, and these people cause trouble as refugees, the blame will fall squarely on his head.

If the task is assigned to Qin Shaolang, and they cause trouble, it will be due to Qin Shaolang's poor governance, and it will have little to do with him.

I glanced at the number of people.

"Thirty soldiers... I'll provide you with forty men armed with spears and swords, as well as three large carts of caltrops. Is that enough?"

Qin Shaolang immediately patted his chest.

"Thirty-two weapons will be enough."

The magistrate nodded emphatically.

"I hope you won't disappoint me. This matter should be completed no later than this month, but the sooner the better. The weather has been getting colder and colder these past few years. If the mountains are blocked by heavy snow, all our efforts will be in vain."

Qin Shaolang readily nodded.

"Yes, we will do our best to help the county magistrate solve his problems."

Perhaps the magistrate also knew that this white-browed tiger was not easy to deal with, so after the two agreed, he directly ordered his servant to fetch two hundred taels of silver from his own residence to cover the cost, so that the two could do their best.

Although two hundred taels of silver is not a small amount, it is nothing compared to the compensation for soldiers who are wounded or die in the army.

Subsequently, the county magistrate registered the list, and these thirty deserters were given a new identity.

We won't have to hide anymore.

"If the magistrate has no further instructions, the two of us will return to make preparations."

The magistrate waved his hand.

"No rush. In ten days, a concubine from the palace will be returning here. She loves watching people shoot arrows. If you two are skilled with bows and arrows, you can give it a try and have some fun."

Qin Shaolang didn't care about these things, but Chu Wu was particularly interested and asked about many details before taking his leave.

This time, it wasn't just Qin Shaolang and Chu Wu leaving the county town; a dozen or so soldiers followed behind them, pushing a wooden cart loaded with goods, and they returned to the village with Chu Wu and Qin Shaolang.

They only left after confirming that the items had been delivered.

Chu Wu looked at the sharp, thorny barbs and pondered for a moment.

"Brother Qin, what do you need this for? I remember it's something for dealing with horses."

Qin Shaolang glanced at him.

"A horse's hoof is harder than a claw. If we can deal with a horse's hoof, we can certainly deal with that big tiger. At the very least, it can ensure the safety of our team for the time being."

Chu Wu scratched his head, still unable to figure out how Qin Shaolang planned to use this thing.

After his last encounter with the white-browed tiger, he gained a profound understanding of tigers' sense of smell.

Things that a person touches will leave their scent, so the white-browed tiger will naturally be wary and won't be so easily fooled.

Qin Shaolang didn't explain much, but kept refining the plan in his mind.

After careful calculation, Qin Shaolang had a general plan in mind. The only thing he needed to do was to determine the terrain of the surrounding area.

"Call Li Hu here for me; it's time to ask him about the map."

Qin Shaolang worked from the afternoon until late at night, until everyone else had eaten, before he finally finished drawing the entire map.

There may be some discrepancies in specific locations, and the map's accuracy is far from sufficient, but overall it is not much different and is adequate for use.

"Let's eat first, let me think about it some more."

Qin Shaolang had lost his appetite because he had discovered a very serious problem.

The place where that white-browed tiger stayed was truly a geomantically auspicious place!