Night was gentle, and the bonfire lit in the valley was gradually warming up...

Horses formed a large group in the distant darkness. On this side of the field of vision, tents surrounded the bonfire, forming a small camp. Search: (\Complete\Book\God\Station\) to read high-quality literature for free. The members of the Bamboo Records hadn't slept yet. After the day's battle, they needed to review and reflect on the battle immediately, while the feelings in their hearts hadn't dissipated, to ensure that they wouldn't repeat the mistakes they had made in the next battle. However, in the night, there were always people who secretly cast their eyes in a certain direction in the valley, revealing curious and gossipy expressions.

Half of the Bamboo Records team came from the Dulonggang camp, and knew something about the relationship between Ning Yi and Hong Ti. The rest were mostly curious. Like Yuwen Feidu, the youngest member of the team, he was a child taught by the joint efforts of everyone in the Dulonggang camp. He was intelligent and lively, and had learned all kinds of martial arts. Although only fifteen years old, he had already shown signs of becoming a master. At this time, during the discussion, he was glared at by one of his masters for secretly asking questions.

But it's conceivable that there would be no shortage of secret discussions and gossip this night...

Ning Yi took a bowl of meat soup, walked to the stone in front of the tent, handed it to the woman sitting on the ground, and then sat down beside her. Hong Ti took a small sip from the bowl.

The erected tent was not far from the wooden house. A bonfire was lit in front of the tent, and the firelight shone on their faces, flickering on and off.

"Two questions." Ning Yi looked at Hong Ti, who was wearing black martial artist clothes and a cloak, and smiled, "First of all, what's the deal with 'Blood Bodhisattva'? Isn't 'River and Mountain Iron Sword' that I came up with nice? You're a woman, why did you take such a nickname?"

"Your 'Blood Hand Butcher' isn't very well known either." Hearing Ning Yi's question, Hong Ti also laughed. She paused with the small bowl in her hand, "I also wanted to be called 'River and Mountain Iron Sword', but nicknames are given by others, what can I do..."

The woman looked up at the sky with a smile, as if in recollection: "Here in Lvliang, my name is Hong Ti. In the beginning, I always wanted to help people. So they called me Bodhisattva, called me Red Bodhisattva. But this name doesn't scare people. Later, there was fighting in the mountains, and I killed a lot of people. The brothers in the mountains said that calling me Red Bodhisattva is not as good as calling me Blood Bodhisattva... This name has only been around for the past year or two. Even if I want to change it, I can't. You... just bear with it."

"Primitive totem worship..." Ning Yi muttered softly.

"What?"

"Nothing." Ning Yi smiled. As far as he was concerned, although he didn't know the situation in Lvliang Mountain in great detail, he had heard about Hong Ti's previous situation in the mountain stronghold.

Early on, after taking over the mountain stronghold from her master, she regarded it as the greatest responsibility on her shoulders. Hong Ti didn't shy away from killing people, but the core of her personality was actually rather weak. She was more like a woman who was suitable for marrying and raising children. Therefore, while possessing superb martial arts, her companions in the stronghold might not respect her. Just like when she ran to Jiangning to kill Song Xian, it was said to be her responsibility as the leader of the stronghold, but in reality, it was more like being forced by the people in the stronghold. Until she rectified the Qingmu Stronghold under Ning Yi's guidance, the people in the stronghold still loved her, but had very little respect for her.

At that time, she was called "Red Bodhisattva," and it wasn't wrong. It wasn't until later that she hardened her heart and dealt with the troublemakers in the stronghold, killing some and splitting off others, that the stronghold began to truly grow. After that, she more or less kept her distance from her subordinates in the stronghold, and maintained strict rules, which made the Qingmu Stronghold what it is today. She finally turned into the Blood Bodhisattva, whose fierce reputation shook Lvliang in external killings. Frankly speaking, the more dangerous this place is, the more barbaric the nickname is, and the more barbaric it is, the more useful it is than civilization. The River and Mountain Iron Sword, when placed here, really can't infect many people.

However, in more than a year, transforming from the title of "Red Bodhisattva" to the image of "Blood Bodhisattva", Ning Yi could only imagine a thing or two about how many things Hong Ti had experienced in places he didn't know. It was impossible to empathize with what she had gone through.

Thinking of this, Ning Yi didn't want to mention it too much. He changed the subject: "Then... the martial arts tournament to recruit a husband, what's going on... How can I beat you..."

Hong Ti was about to answer when Ning Yi asked about the martial arts tournament to recruit a husband, but he asked the second half of the question, and her expression suddenly froze, and her face turned red. After the Liangshan incident, the two had a period of intimacy, but that was a year ago. Now that they had just met, she felt a little uncomfortable. Ning Yi watched this scene with interest. After a long time, Hong Ti returned to her usual expression and glanced at him.

"That's just rumors." Hong Ti said softly, "You said you were coming to Lvliang in your letter. After I received the letter, I told Grandpa Liang. Grandpa Liang might have secretly done something... something. Then I met some people entering the mountain. Their main purpose was to contact the Qingmu Stronghold, for the sake of the amnesty edict of Lord Tan of the capital. Many people in Lvliang Mountain also know about this, so they gathered towards the Qingmu Stronghold. When it was made public, I don't know why it turned into me holding a martial arts tournament to recruit a husband. Grandpa Liang said that this doesn't matter, as long as everyone is willing to go to the Qingmu Stronghold to discuss matters, it proves our status, and business will be easier to do in the future. So everyone who goes there is treated with care. But I think Liheng, you will be more clear about the amnesty edict, so I want to wait until you come to make a decision."

"Amnesty edict..." Speaking of this, Ning Yi's face became serious, and he shook his head slightly contemptuously, "Tan Zhen is taking the first fire from Privy Councilor Tong Guan. This is the impact after Zhang Jue's death last year. The bosses in the capital are also starting to be afraid, so they want to consolidate the defense line from Yanmen Pass to Taiyuan, and then from Taiyuan to the capital. Although Tong Guan has retired, he is still promoting and participating in this matter. Although it is said that the discipline after the amnesty must be strictly enforced. But the people responsible for the amnesty are Tan Zhen and Tong Guan's people, the people responsible for supervision are Tong Guan and Cai Jing's people, and the people responsible for supervising these supervisors are those censors and historians, most of whom also have relationships with some big families in the north, and even if they don't have relationships... the person at the very top is a bit fond of greatness and success, so the Censorate is currently a... place that only swats flies and doesn't hit tigers, so there's no point in expecting them..."

Ning Yi babbled about these things, and Hong Ti didn't necessarily understand, but she listened carefully. Ning Yi naturally understood this, smiled, and treated it as a joke: "You don't need to worry too much. Since someone is coming, I expected their attitude. Are there people from the Zuo and Qi families in the north?"

Hong Ti thought for a while: "I heard... it seems that a big merchant's background is surnamed Qi, and then there are people from General Dong, and people from the Wusheng Army on the border... There have been many people passing by these days, and Grandpa Liang probably knows the specific details best."

"Then Tian Hu should have sent someone too, right?" Ning Yi asked this question, and suddenly thought, "By the way, that little bandit seems to be Tian Hu's man. Why did he suddenly have a brain fart and attack me? I'll kill him if I get the chance."

"But he's already dead," Hong Ti said.

Ning Yi was stunned: "I remember... he escaped. I saw it."

Hong Ti leaned against the stone and smiled lazily: "You wrote in your letter that you would arrive earlier. You were late, and I was worried that something had happened to you, so I came out of the stronghold. I've been waiting for you on the road recently. When I saw the battle tonight, I went to ask someone for the reason, and then I went and killed Qiu Mengtang and his confidants before returning to the wooden house."

"Uh... ah?" Hong Ti said it lightly, but Ning Yi couldn't help but be stunned. Then he smiled dumbly, and after a moment of calm, he shook his head and smiled again, gently holding her hand. The two of them were sitting side by side on the stone, Hong Ti didn't resist, just looked at the firelight, her eyes becoming more and more peaceful and quiet.

"Whatever... the amnesty edict isn't a big deal. It's easier to do many things after having a title, but it's difficult for those responsible for logistics. Most of these people who are said to be amnestied can't be commanded, but with a title, they want military pay and military equipment. When we were doing the budget this time, everyone was cursing for half a month. The Prime Minister's Office can deduct most of it and use it where it should be used, but there will always be a small part that will be divided up. However, the Prime Minister's Office still has the final say on how to divide it up..."

The light flickered, and Hong Ti just listened quietly.

"Now that I'm here, you don't need to worry too much about things like negotiations. I shouldn't officially show my face, but... whether it's the Zuo family, the Qi family, Dong Pang'er, or whatever general or tiger king, since they want to talk business, I'll peel a layer of skin off them one by one..."

Ning Yi said softly, and then continued to talk to himself for a while. Hong Ti closed her eyes and fell asleep peacefully beside him...

After a while, Ning Yi took a deep breath and looked at the sky. Then he looked at the sleeping woman beside him, and at the curious figures in the distance... This woman grew up in an environment like Lvliang, and should be alert in any situation, and any sound could wake her up, but she slept so peacefully and quietly in his voice...

"Let's not go with them tomorrow, let's just go by ourselves... Yes, that's decided."

When he carried the woman back to the small house, he said in a low voice, making the decision.

The penetrating midnight had long passed, but on the other side of the mountains, the summer night's wind had not calmed down. In the village on the mountainside, lit by fire, a riot swept and spread. Small-scale killings suddenly appeared between several courtyards that originally belonged to the chief of the large village. On a larger scale, people were frightened and uneasy, running around aimlessly. At the outer village gate, people had already packed their bags and quietly descended the mountain.

The death of the little bandit -- especially the fact that he was killed by the Blood Bodhisattva -- brought such a terrifying scene of all beings to the mountain village. Some people watched blankly, some fled in fear, and some began to seize the opportunity and fight desperately. In such turmoil, a team of people was going up the mountain road. Led by Tian Shi and Yu Yulin, more than two hundred people brazenly charged back to the village gate from the front. Then they spread out and surrounded the area, rushing into various parts of the mountain village.

This team, which was originally a guest in the mountain village, intervened in the turmoil in the night as the master. Lou Shuwan walked in the crowd, her face pale but firmly watching her subordinates.

The small leaders who resisted in the mountain village were beheaded, and then they used the prestige of Tiger King Tian Hu to quell the riot in the mountain village.

The bloody aura was weakening her body in a sense, but it was further strengthening her spirit. The birdcage that once nurtured the canary had already been broken when Hangzhou City was breached, but she was still unaware at that time. In the Lou family at that time, only her father and eldest brother were fully aware of this. Now she finally understood why Ning Yi rushed into the Lou family and killed her father and eldest brother, because in the mind of such a tiger-like person, only they were worthy of being opponents on the balance of victory and defeat, and could cause trouble for him.

There was no doubt that she paid the price for this. Afterwards, her experiences during her escape and under the command of Tiger King allowed her to understand this unprincipled hardness. Especially with her second brother, Lou Shuheng, having been completely cast into the abyss and unable to recover, she had no way out.

There were no stars or moon in the dark night. In the mountains, which were filled with firelight and blood, there was no other way but to move forward.