Yuchi Chong slowly nodded. A veteran of countless battles, he had faced every kind of danger. Although these three beggars had appeared under decidedly strange circumstances, there was no need to attack before they showed any genuine hostility. At least for now, his side held a considerable advantage in both numbers and strength. Yuchi Chong gave Yang Mingwei a meaningful glance. Understanding at once, Yang Mingwei called out, "We're also passing through and taking shelter from the snowstorm. You three are welcome to warm yourselves by the fire." His voice left many of the soldiers' eardrums buzzing. Clearly, he had projected it with his internal power, intending to display their strength and warn the newcomers against any rash moves.
The three beggars strode over to the burning front hall. Naturally, they felt much warmer near the roaring flames. One sniffed and said, "Eh? There's even the smell of roast meat in there!" In fact, it was perfectly natural for him to smell roasting meat. The front hall contained quite a few dead horses, as well as the bodies of five soldiers.
Another beggar said, "There's something rather unusual about that smell."
The elderly beggar leading them spread the sacks draped over his body on an exposed stone platform and sat cross-legged on them. Then he took a large wine gourd from his back, unscrewed the stopper, and swallowed several mouthfuls. "You two always talk too much. Can't you see these are government troops? These officers have kindly allowed us to warm ourselves by their fire. Stop spouting nonsense before you anger them."
From the number of sacks on the elderly beggar's body, Yuchi Chong already knew that he must hold an extremely senior position in the Beggar Gang: he was a Nine-Bag Elder. Yuchi Chong slowly approached and asked with