Chapter 94: The Thatched Roof Blown Away

"Heh, Princess, we must determine their destination. Cai Cong has brought five hundred men, clearly on guard. Ambushing him now is extremely difficult; we risk being counter-killed by those five hundred elite soldiers. So, let him go where he pleases. We will lie in wait along the road, and when he returns to the post house, we will shower him with arrows until he is dead."

Mr. Zhuge struck the table firmly as he spoke. The others clapped in approval, and even the Princess’s face brightened with joy as she nodded.

"No time to lose. Go find a servant from the post house and get clear information on where they are heading. White Wolf, you will tail them for a while, scout the route for suitable ambush spots, and return to report to me."

White Wolf nodded coldly and strode away. He was an incredibly proud man who held everything in contempt. Even standing in a crowd, his arrogance made him seem completely out of place in the mundane world.

"Pah, what a piece of work. Walking around with that stiff face all day; I really want to punch it in," someone spat in the direction White Wolf had gone. No one else spoke up to object; while they despised his arrogance, they were deeply wary of his archery skills.

"He is a wandering knight-errant; they have always been this way. If I hadn't saved his mother years ago, I wouldn't even be able to hire him. Be polite to him; he kills people as easily as slaughtering chickens," the Princess said gravely. She felt a profound sense of helplessness regarding White Wolf; he was simply impossible to tame.

"Enough, do not provoke that mad lone wolf. Everyone, check your swords and blades; I fear there will be a great battle soon." After Mr. Zhuge finished speaking, the others dispersed, leaving only the Princess and Mr. Zhuge staring at each other in silence.

The five hundred men surrounded Cai Cong like an iron barrel. Anyone attempting to approach his carriage had to face the onslaught of a hundred soldiers. The yamen runners brought by Du Yunlong were pushed to the outer perimeter, trailing far behind, which left Du Yunlong feeling awkward. He said nothing, however, and simply rode his horse alongside the carriage.

From the moment the sun rose until it reached its zenith—switching from carriage to horseback and back—Cai Cong was jolted until he felt dizzy and nauseated. Finally, they arrived at the mountain village mentioned by Du Yunlong.

One cannot fathom the shock without seeing it: walls built of mud mixed with weeds, topped with weathered, graying thatch. The wind whistled through gaps on all sides; Cai Cong couldn't imagine a single dry spot in the house during a rainstorm.

Many of the village children were stark naked, their bottoms bare; occasionally, one might wear a loincloth, which was a rare sight indeed. They carried firewood toward their homes. The children of the poor learn to be self-reliant early; while others played, they had already learned to work to ease their parents' burdens.

Cai Cong, dressed in fine brocade robes and wearing Cloud-Flow boots, looked like a character stepped out of a book. The children watched him with eyes full of envy and curiosity. They dared not ask for such fine clothes; they would be content with anything that could cover their shame.

"Where is your village head? Take us to him," Du Yunlong said gently, handing a piece of sugar cake to a child.

The child took the cake and, amidst the envious gazes of the others, cheered as he ran toward the village head's house.

The village head's home was likely the best in the village. Why? Because it had tiles on the roof.

Cai Cong did not enter. Although it was the best house, it looked like a relic from the former Sui Dynasty, and the roof beams were broken. Cai Cong was genuinely afraid that if he went inside, he might be crushed.

He ordered his men to set up a few stools and a table by the roadside and invited the timid village head to sit.

"Greetings to the officials. It’s a poor, remote place with nothing good to offer; I hope you won't mind these two cups of clear water," the village head said, clearly recognizing Du Yunlong. He spoke with a flushed face and eyes cast downward.

"I’ve been thirsty along the journey. Many thanks, elder brother, for the water. Lord Marquis, would you like some? This is mountain spring water; it is the most sweet and crisp—delicious!" Du Yunlong drank the water heartily and warmly invited Cai Cong to taste it.

After taking a sip, Cai Cong found it exceptionally sweet. He turned to Tang Yi and said, "When we head back, buy some of this spring water to take with us. It must be excellent for brewing tea." He then turned back to the village head and asked, "Elder, why are there no able-bodied men in the village? Have they all gone into the mountains?"

"Yes! Everyone in the village has gone into the mountains to scavenge for food. Little one, are you the child of the local magistrate?"

As the village head spoke, he fished a handful of pine nuts from his sleeve and placed them in Cai Cong’s hand. This was a significant gift for him; usually, he would only give one or two to his grandson to satisfy a craving.

Cai Cong did not stand on ceremony; he picked up a pine nut, cracked it open, and said with a smile, "Truly fragrant!"

Only then did the village head smile. He had been terrified that Cai Cong would find it beneath him, which would have been a great humiliation. He hurriedly pulled out another large handful to press into Cai Cong’s hand.

Du Yunlong quickly held him back and complained, "Village head, this is Marquis Cai Cong, a great official from Chang'an. He is here to help you find a livelihood. Mind yourself, and don't offend the Marquis!"

The village head trembled and knelt on the ground, terrified. He understood nothing of the world and did not know how high-ranking a "great official from Chang'an" was, but he knew it must be higher than the county magistrate.

"Elder, quickly rise." Cai Cong helped the village head up, glared at Du Yunlong, and said with a smile, "Elder, I heard your village is rich in furs and medicinal herbs. Is that true?"

"It is, it is all true! Little Lord, are you looking to buy?" The village head nodded like a chick pecking at rice and started to stand up.

"Do you have any on hand? Bring them for me to see. If they are truly of good quality, my Cai family will send a merchant caravan to deal with you, collecting your goods monthly or quarterly. When the time comes, I will also teach you some methods for cultivating medicinal herbs so you can look forward to a better life."

Before Cai Cong could finish, the old man bolted into his house, leaving only a cloud of dust swirling in the air.

"Gousheng! Go fetch the herbs your father dried! Go quickly! If you’re slow, I’ll break your legs!"

The village head returned clutching a bundle, shouting loudly at a snot-nosed boy. The child was so frightened his hair seemed to fly as he ran.

The village head then gently placed the bundle on the table and slowly opened it. As soon as the bundle was unfurled, all the dogs in the village began to howl madly. When it was fully opened, all the dogs lay on the ground whimpering, some even urinating in fear.

A yellow and black striped hide lay exposed before everyone. The village head picked it up and gave it a shake, and the majesty of a beast king rushed toward them.

"A magnificent pelt!" Cai Cong exclaimed. This tiger skin was nothing short of perfect. The fur was soft, the whorls were clear, and most importantly, the tiger was missing only one tooth; there was not a single flaw on the entire body.

"How was this achieved?"

"If the Little Lord wishes to know, this was hunted by my son. Three arrows were fired straight into the tiger’s mouth, killing it on the spot. The only pity is that one of the tiger's teeth was knocked out by an arrow."

The village head spoke of the hunt with immense pride, his stutter gone. His son was the second-best hunter in the village, and he... he was the best.

"You old rascal! I've been here several times, yet you never brought this out. Were you afraid I would steal your tiger skin?" Du Yunlong laughed and scolded, reaching out to touch the fur with longing in his eyes.

"How could that be! I intended to keep this as a family heirloom, but since the Little Lord wants to provide a livelihood for the villagers, this old man gives this skin to him as a token of gratitude."

The village head spoke lightly, but the reluctance in his eyes was plain for all to see. Such a tiger skin would be a treasure even in Chang'an!