Jiang Jin felt uncomfortable as well. After a moment of silence, she asked in a low voice, "You just said your next step is to head to Shu County? Why choose to go there?"
Sun Yi's eyes looked a bit lost. Where else could they go besides Shu County?
But after hearing Jiang Jin's words, his heart suddenly felt unsettled for some reason.
He hurriedly bowed and said, "We don't know the situation in Shu County. We only heard that the Han people are in power, so... Does my lady know about the situation there? Please tell us."
Jiang Jin didn't hide anything. "I did hear some rumors about Shu County. I heard it is actually controlled by the Quzhao people. They just use a Han magistrate as a figurehead to attract more Han people to go there."
Sun Yi was startled and quickly asked, "Is this true?"
Jiang Jin shook her head. "I haven't been to Shu County, so I don't know the exact details. I heard about it from Lin County."
Zhu Wen was a bit confused. "Why would they want to attract us Han people over?"
Jiang Jin glanced at him. "For money and goods, of course."
She then briefly explained what she could about the situation in Lin County.
Sun Yi seemed to completely deflate. Before, they at least had a destination. Now, suddenly learning it was a wolf's den, where else could they go? Where should they go?
The nearby villagers who heard this news also became bewildered and sorrowful.
A tall man hesitated for a moment, then carefully asked, "Where is my lady planning to go?"
Jiang Jin looked at him. "We are going to Gefeng."
"Gefeng?" Sun Yi was shocked. "Does my lady know that Gefeng is under the jurisdiction of the Quzhao people? You absolutely cannot go there. None of those barbarians are any good."
Jiang Jin smiled. "I have business there."
Sun Yi's lips trembled, unable to speak. After a long time, he bowed again in thanks and led the villagers away with faltering steps.
At this time, Dong Si came over excitedly, "My lady, my lady."
Seeing him carrying a burlap sack of things, Jiang Jin couldn't help but twitch the corner of her mouth. This guy had gained so much experience looting corpses that he now carried a sack with him at all times.
Dong Si didn't know her inner complaints. He excitedly opened the bag to claim credit: "My lady, look, those Quzhao people were rich. We found over 6 strings of coins in total."
Saying that, he slyly pulled out two gold ornaments from his chest. "I didn't expect there to be gold too. These two should weigh about three taels."
No matter the amount, she couldn't dampen her subordinate's enthusiasm. Jiang Jin encouraged him, "You did very well. Keep it up."
Receiving the praise, Dong Si was indeed very happy and feigned modesty, "Hehe, it's all thanks to my lady's good teaching."
Jiang Jin was speechless. When did I teach you how to loot corpses? Didn't you learn that all on your own?
Zhou Sui and his men had already brought all the horses over, 16 horses in total.
Weapons and other items were also sorted and piled up, just waiting for the main group to arrive and load them onto the carriages.
There were no pits nearby this time, so they had to dig their own to bury the bodies.
Whenever conditions permitted, Jiang Jin was willing to dispose of the corpses. Kill them yourself, bury them yourself. The weather was hot, and she was afraid of causing a plague or something similar.
Yao Ji soon arrived with the main force. Except for those on patrol, all the soldiers went to help dig the pits.
On the other side, Sun Yi was surrounded by several people, all of whom were respected figures from the two villages.
Everyone looked from afar at Jiang Jin's strong and well-equipped troops, a flash of envy in their eyes.
An elderly man withdrew his gaze, sighed, and confirmed again, "Village Head, did they really say there's a problem with Shu County?"
Sun Yi nodded. "Yes, I'm afraid it's true. Let's discuss where we should go next."
A middle-aged man suggested, "Then why don't we go to Lin County? Didn't they say the chaos there was because the previous magistrate was killed? Now that our Han people are in control, it should be fine, right?"
Sun Yi fell silent. If Lin County previously belonged to the Quzhao people and had now changed hands, the Quzhao people would likely not let the matter rest.
If fighting broke out there, not only would they be unable to enter the city, but they would also likely be captured and killed by the Quzhao people to vent their anger.
Before he could speak, the elderly man pointed this out: "Lin County is probably unable to even protect itself. We can't go there. Sigh, is our only option really Sizhou?"
Sun Yi sighed. "We can't make it to Sizhou. It's too far, and our rations won't last until we get there."
Everyone grew sorrowful. They all knew in their hearts that even if they had enough food, they wouldn't necessarily make it to Sizhou.
The journey was perilous, filled with bandits, rampant barbarians, chaotic refugees, natural disasters, and man-made calamities.
Sun Yi felt physically and mentally exhausted. He looked into the distance, watching the villagers mournfully burying their loved ones and gathering their scattered belongings. He looked at their tattered clothes, their faltering steps, and their numb faces.
He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, there was resolve in his gaze. "I will go ask the lady who saved us and see if she can point out a clear path for us."
The elderly man stood up as well. "Yes, I'll go too. They are noble people; their knowledge is certainly beyond ours."
Seeing Sun Yi approach her again, Jiang Jin was a little surprised. "Does the Village Head need something?"
Sun Yi bowed solemnly to Jiang Jin. "I know this question might be presumptuous, but I still want to ask: is my lady going to Gefeng to stay long-term, or will you leave after your business is done?"
Jiang Jin raised an eyebrow, roughly understanding his intention. She thought for a moment before replying, "If things go smoothly, I will reside permanently in Gefeng."
Once she conquered Gefeng, it would belong to her, so naturally, she would stay there permanently.
Sun Yi nodded. "Does my lady know that Gefeng is a border town, and moreover, a barren land?"
Jiang Jin smiled. "Feel free to speak your mind, Village Head."
Sun Yi took a deep breath. "I want to ask my lady to point out a path for us. We... we truly don't know where to go."
Jiang Jin looked at him and asked, "Are you hoping to follow me to Gefeng to seek a stable place to settle?"
Sun Yi looked a bit embarrassed but also hopeful, very frankly admitting his thoughts.
"Yes. My lady is a capable person. If you believe Gefeng is a place you can stay permanently, it means there must be a good reason to do so."
Saying this, he let out a long sigh. "Since we fled our homes, we have encountered several man-made disasters. Nearly half of our villagers are gone, and most of our food has been robbed. We can't travel much further."
"If there is a way to survive in Gefeng, we are naturally willing to go there. That is why I took the liberty of coming to bother you. Please forgive me; we really have no other options."
Jiang Jin could see his sincerity, but she still asked, "Do you trust me that much, Village Head?"
The Village Head's expression was serious. "Naturally. If my lady hadn't saved us this time, we would have either been killed or captured by the Quzhao people to be slaves. It was my lady who saved our lives."
Jiang Jin looked around. There were roughly over 300 people left from these two villages, with young and middle-aged men and women making up about a third of them.
For a sparsely populated place like Gefeng, these few hundred people would be a good source of vitality and, more importantly, a precious labor force.
However, they had to walk the path themselves. She couldn't take on the burden of providing for them entirely, mainly because she didn't have the capability to do so right now.
Jiang Jin deliberated for a moment before saying, "You may. You can head to Gefeng, but I'm afraid you won't be able to keep up with our marching speed."
