Ding Dachui and Ge Laosan had stationed people outside to keep watch, but it was useless against the new boss.
The people the new boss had stationed were skilled and could sound timely alarms, but—
Even alarms seemed futile.
This was a military camp, filled with the girl’s people. Even if they discovered her, what could they do?
The new boss had no way to escape, even if she grew wings.
Would she become desperate and fight to the death?
Ding Dachui glanced worriedly at the woman, only to see her eyes filled with fear, devoid of their previous brilliance—was the new boss afraid of that girl?
That girl was truly formidable. During the fierce siege that day, she showed no trace of panic, calmly tending to the wounded. Even though she clearly sensed something off about their identities, she pretended not to notice and dared to employ them as guards—
If the new boss was playing a long game to catch a big fish, was this girl deliberately inviting the wolf into the house? Did she have the confidence to round them all up once they were inside?
The girl was sharp-witted too. Previously, she hadn’t paid them much attention, even ignoring them. But the moment the new boss arrived, she immediately zeroed in and blocked the door.
Was she about to expose them?
Was the new boss so frightened because she feared her plans would fail?
Ding Dachui’s chaotic thoughts flashed by in an instant as the girl’s voice sounded again, now right outside the tent.
A sneeze could serve as a warning, but it couldn’t stop her.
“Uncle Dachui? Are you there?” The girl’s voice was clear and polite. “May I come in?”
And if he said no? They couldn’t hide in the tent forever.
Ding Dachui glanced at the new boss. She seemed to have lost her soul, standing motionless and silent—she must be devising a brilliant plan.
“Ah, miss,” Ding Dachui stammered, taking a deep breath. “What is it?”
“You’re here, Uncle,” the girl’s voice brightened, and her next words followed swiftly: “—Then I’m coming in.”
As she spoke, the tent flap was lifted.
The girl stepped inside with a smile, her gaze sweeping over the three people in the tent—
Ding Dachui stiffened, while the already rigid new boss abruptly turned her back to the girl.
The girl’s eyes landed precisely on her back.
“Uncle, you—have a guest?” she asked, her expression curious.
Strange—Ding Dachui felt he might be imagining it, but the new boss seemed to be trembling.
“Well, actually, yes,” Ding Dachui forced himself to continue, struggling to stay calm.
To be a good blade, one must not only know how to kill but also how to speak.
When a skilled hunter encounters a difficult prey, they shouldn’t think of running but should advance instead—that might bring a chance of survival.
Ding Dachui took a deep breath, stepped forward, and looked at the girl, shielding the new boss and shifting from defense to offense: “What instructions do you have, miss?”
Chu Zhao smiled, tilting her head slightly to peer past him at the woman standing with her back turned, and casually fabricated an excuse: “I heard you had a guest, Uncle, so I came to see.”
Then her expression turned serious.
“Uncle, you are my saviors, so your guest is also my honored guest.”
With that, she bowed to the woman.
“This humble girl greets the guest.”
The bow seemed to startle the woman, who spun around abruptly.
“No,” she said, reaching out to grab Ding Dachui’s arm. “I’m not a guest. I’m here to find… my husband.”
Husband… Ding Dachui froze, feeling as if the arm she gripped had been dislocated all over again.Chu Zhao looked dazed as realization dawned—so the uncle's wife had come looking for him.
"—A Zhao."
Xiao Man's voice came through just then, and she rushed in with a chill gust of wind. Seeing the woman standing beside Ding Dachui, she froze in place, her tone turning strange.
"What—are you doing?"
She had specifically tried to avoid Xiao Man, yet she was discovered so quickly. Chu Zhao smiled, observing the girl whose face and body were tense with nervousness.
"Xiao Man, you came at the right time." Chu Zhao pulled Xiao Man's arm and said, "Uncle Ding's wife is here."
Uncle. Ding's. Wife.
Xiao Man stared stiffly at the woman across from her.
Everyone in the tent, except for Chu Zhao and A Le, grew visibly uneasy, but Chu Zhao found nothing odd about it. Instead, she revealed a knowing smile.
She had been keeping an eye on these hunters posing as guards. Though she hadn’t spoken much with them, observing them over the past few days had only confirmed her suspicion—they were local bandits.
She trusted Xiao Man, of course, but she also wanted to help her. Xiao Man had resorted to desperate measures to win over these bandits out of necessity. Now that Xiao Man’s crisis had passed, the bandits were the ones in danger—trapped by her and confined within the military camp.
After all, they were bandits. If pushed too far, they might fight to the death.
Especially today, after she had spoken with the officers, she noticed the two bandit leaders—identifying the leaders among them was actually quite easy—exchanging uneasy glances. Sure enough, they soon slipped away to whisper in private.
No matter what, she had to move forward. To avoid complications along the way, it was best to cut the Gordian knot: lay all cards on the table, speak openly, and renegotiate terms. Only then could they work together with one heart. That’s why she had decided to confront them directly.
Unexpectedly, she had stumbled upon a special situation.
Chu Zhao studied the woman beside Ding Dachui. Dressed like a hunter, her face was veiled and her features unclear. Noticing Chu Zhao’s gaze, she seemed nervous and fearful, bowing her head even lower—
A shy auntie, then.
No need to be so tense.
Cutting straight to the chase, Chu Zhao looked around at everyone and said, "I know who you are."
At these words, their expressions grew even more peculiar.
Not giving them time to overthink, Chu Zhao continued, "But it’s not a big deal. I—"
She looked at Ding Dachui, his wife, and Ge Laosan.
"—have been hiding my identity too."
She smiled as she spoke.
"Xiao Man kept your identities from me, but I figured it out. Xiao Man also kept my identity from you, and you haven’t been able to guess it."
"So there’s no need for you to be nervous. Since we all have our own secrets, we’re even."
After she finished, the people in the room looked even more bewildered. Except for Ding Dashen, whose face remained hidden as she kept her head lowered, the others seemed to understand—and yet, as if they hadn’t grasped anything at all.
"What exactly are you trying to do?" Xiao Man waved a hand, as if to dispel the unsettling confusion, and grabbed her. "If you have something to say, come to me directly—"
Chu Zhao pressed her hand down. "Xiao Man, before, you needed their help, so you did the talking. Now, I need their help, so I must speak for myself."
Xiao Man bit her lower lip, glanced briefly at Ding Dachui and his group—then quickly averted her eyes—and turned away with a snort. "What difference does it make?""It's about sincerity," Chu Zhao said, then turned to Ding Dachui. "Uncle Ding, you should know that I'm heading to Yunzhong Commandery, but the road ahead is even more dangerous than that night. So I need to persuade you to join me in facing these perils."
So that's what this is about, Ding Dachui thought to himself. Today not only brings unexpected encounters, but I have to hear the same words twice.
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