Weren't You After the Gold and Silver in My Black Wind Stronghold?
Zhou Wanwan looked at the bandits and said:
What's wrong with you all? Didn't you want to come and visit our mountain village?
I'm in a good mood today, so I'll take you all for a walk around the mountain village!
One of the robber leaders immediately knelt down on the ground:
"Heroine, please spare us! We will never dare to do it again. We were wrong. We have elderly parents and young children to support."
"The lives of thousands of people in this entire mountain stronghold are in our hands!"
"Yes, yes, please have mercy!"
Zhou Wanwan smiled faintly and said:
"Don't be so afraid. Becoming a bandit in the mountains is something we have no other choice."
After all, many people are starving these days. I just wanted to show you what our mountain village is like.
Zhou Wanwan led the remaining bandits step by step into Black Wind Stronghold.
The bandits looked up and saw the scene before them, and were instantly stunned, standing there dumbfounded, unable to utter a word for a long time.
They had originally thought that mountain strongholds were all dilapidated thatched huts, old and simple, but the Black Wind Stronghold in front of them was completely different.
The houses are neatly arranged, the buildings are magnificent and imposing, and every detail is exquisitely and grandly constructed.
It didn't resemble a bandit stronghold in the mountains at all; on the contrary, it was more magnificent and wealthy than many aristocratic mansions in the city.
Zhou Wanwan turned to look at everyone and smiled faintly:
"Aren't you after the gold and silver treasures of my Black Wind Stronghold?"
Don't worry, we may not have much else here, but we have plenty of money and treasures. You can look to your heart's content.
She then led everyone towards the back of the mountain village, intending to show them the fields and orchards on the back hill.
As you walk down the mountain to the farmland, the scene before you is even more astonishing.
Vast fields were neatly tended, and crops were growing well everywhere.
Autumn is just around the corner, and the fields are teeming with life.
The sweet potato vines Manman the ground, growing lush and green, forming a vast expanse that looked exceptionally vigorous.
The wheat field beside them was thriving, with heavy ears of wheat drooping down, a sight to behold of a bountiful harvest.
It just so happens to be the sweet potato harvest season, and many villagers are busy working in the fields.
The freshly dug sweet potatoes were piled up like small mountains, Manman the field to the brim.
Each sweet potato is large and plump, firm and round, with a bright skin, and looks powdery and thick. The yield is surprisingly high.
The bandits all squatted down, looking at the sweet potatoes and asking, "Are these red-skinned ones edible? Is this grain?"
Zhou Wanwan looked at Zheng Xing'an beside her and said, "Xing'an, we need to have these sweet potatoes prepared, both roasted and steamed, so that everyone can try them."
Zheng Xing'an had no idea what Zhou Wanwan was thinking. Why would she invite these bandits to eat sweet potatoes? It was just too strange.
The bandits didn't dare to utter a sound, and soon, plates of sweet potatoes were served.
One type is roasted sweet potato, and the other is steamed sweet potato.
The bandits sat at the table, whispering among themselves, "Are these sweet potatoes edible? Is she trying to poison us?"
"Is this thing edible? Why is it all blackened after roasting?"
"I'm too scared to eat it, I'm terrified! What does she mean by that?"
Zhou Wanwan looked at them and said, "Don't worry! There's no poison. If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't go so far as to poison you."
Those people looked around and saw that there were soldiers in armor everywhere, standing ramrod straight.
The bandits were trembling with fear. "What sins have we committed? Why must we go and steal treasure today?"
"Could this be the effect Lord Nie wanted? To wipe out all of us mountain bandits in one fell swoop?"
"Oh dear! You guessed right, it couldn't be more like this. That old scoundrel from the Nie Family is far too cunning. We can't escape now, so let's just eat!"
The bandits ate while crying, and Zhou Wanwan rolled her eyes and said, "Can you stop making it sound like I'm torturing you? This is all food, eat properly."
The bandits ate a roasted sweet potato and said, "You know what, this steamed sweet potato is really delicious!"
"It really smells delicious, and it's even a little sweet. Is the Black Wind Stronghold so kind of him? He's actually treating us to sweet potatoes!"
After finishing the sweet potato, Zhou Wanwan smiled faintly and said:
"Xing'an, you must register the location of their mountain stronghold. Don't even think about lying."
You cannot afford the consequences of lying.
Zheng Xing'an began registering the 68 villages in total, many of which had come from other provinces.
Zheng Xing'an looked at them and said, "You've gone to all this trouble, traveling from Jiangnan Prefecture to this remote and impoverished place. Was it worth it?"
The bandit leaders clutched their heads and wept bitterly, "It really wasn't worth it! We had no idea the bandits of Dongshan Prefecture were so formidable!"
"Isn't she only 6 years old? My 6-year-old daughter is still drinking milk at home! The quality of these bandits in Dongshan Prefecture is too high."
The registration was completed quickly. Zhou Wanwan looked at them and said:
"You've come to me today because you want money, so logically I should kill you."
However, Heaven cherishes life, so I intend to give you a chance.
Either you gather a batch of gold and silver jewelry from each of your mountain strongholds and send it over.
Either you submit to our Black Wind Stronghold and become a part of Black Wind Stronghold.
We will take unified management of your illegal settlements.
This is equivalent to a conglomerate, with Zhou Wanwan building her own branch.
Those bandit groups looked at each other, but no one dared to utter a sound.
Zhou Wanwan didn't rush them. Let them think what they want; all she wanted was a result.
One of the bandits slammed his fist on the table and said, "You're just a little girl, acting on a whim. Who do you think you are? Do you really think we're afraid of you?"
Zhou Wanwan glanced at him indifferently and said, "So you mean...?"
The bandit looked at her and said, "Of course we'll be fed and watered well, and then when we want to leave, you'll let us go!"
Zhou Wanwan sneered, "Is that so? You want to leave now? If you want to leave, you can leave now."
"You don't need to provoke me. I'll leave right now. I don't care to stay in your mountain stronghold."
"You think I don't know what you're thinking? You just want to keep us in the stronghold to serve you? Bah! No way!" the stronghold leader roared.
He had barely finished speaking when the vines outside wrapped around him and pulled him out.
He let out a bloodcurdling scream, "What are you trying to do?"
But the vines pulled him outside, and he quickly disappeared from sight.
Everyone was trembling with fear, not daring to breathe. They saw Zhou Wanwan smiling and assumed she was easy to talk to.
Zhou Wanwan smiled faintly and said, "In our mountain stronghold, it's best to follow some rules, otherwise who knows what might happen."
Zhou Wanwan didn't want these bandits to die, but the trees were a different story; those trees wouldn't tolerate Zhou Wanwan being wronged.
Ten bandit leaders knelt down in the tunnel. "We are willing to let you take over our stronghold, we only beg you to show mercy."