"Brother, I'm hungry."
"Didn't you just eat a handful of soybeans this morning?"
"They were gone after a few farts."
"Just bear with it a little longer, I'll give you another handful when it's light."
"Oh..."
Before the roaring campfire, two boys leaned weakly against each other, their eyes vacant, gazing up at the dark night sky.
Beneath their tattered clothes, their small arms and legs were thinner than the firewood beside them.
Whoosh!
The firelight flickered, and a figure appeared eerily at the other end of the campfire.
"Who's there?!"
The two boys sprang to their feet simultaneously, each holding a rusty wood-chopping knife, their wolf-like eyes fixed on the figure.
Chen Ke was astonished. He had thought the two boys were too hungry to stand; he hadn't expected them to be so alert.
Indeed, those who could survive on Chicken Mountain were no ordinary people.
Chen Ke remained unmoved, coldly asking, "And who are you?"
Hearing Chen Ke's standard human language, the two boys' eyes widened in surprise.
Wang Xiaowu, who had been complaining of hunger, exclaimed with delight, "You, you're my benefactor, aren't you?!"
Benefactor?
His older brother, Wang Xiaosi, was much calmer, clasping his hands in a fist salute, "Do you remember any old acquaintances here?"
Old acquaintances here?
Chen Ke's expression was strange, a thought flashing through his mind. "You mean, his name is, what's it again, Liao something?"
"Liao Changhe!"
The two boys exchanged excited glances, simultaneously sheathing their cleavers and bowing respectfully, "Greetings, benefactor!"
Chen Ke said coldly, "I'm no benefactor."
Back in this bear-man's cave, he had saved two people: the Third Prince of the Purple Eagle Clan, Yin Tianzheng, and Liao Changhe.
Right, this Liao Changhe was once a centurion in the Qin Kingdom?
Thump!
Overwhelmed with excitement, Wang Xiaowu fainted from hunger.
Chen Ke shook his head helplessly, took out some sweet wine and braised meat from his ring space, and stepped forward.
The firelight flickered, filling the air with the aroma of meat.
Wang Xiaowu, now awake, clutched a large piece of tendon, tearing at it with abandon, his mouth dripping with oil.
In his memory, he had never tasted anything so delicious.
Wang Xiaosi wiped away tears with one hand, patting his younger brother's back forcefully with the other: "Xiaowu, slow down, eat slowly."
Although he was drooling with hunger, his stomach throbbing as if on fire, Wang Xiaosi forced himself to eat.
It wasn't that he didn't want to eat, nor that there wasn't enough food; he simply didn't want his benefactor to look down on him.
Chen Ke sat cross-legged to the side, coldly saying, "You eat too, and answer me when you're full."
Wang Xiaosi glanced shyly at Chen Ke, grabbed a piece of braised meat, tore off a large chunk, and swallowed it without even chewing.
In the blink of an eye, he had finished a large piece of braised meat, then grabbed another piece and continued to chew voraciously.
Chen Ke stood up and walked into the cave.
Wang Xiaosi and Wang Xiaowu, thinking their benefactor had gone to relieve himself, didn't pay any attention and ate even more diligently.
Inside the cave, a smoky, charred smell filled the air. The blackened stone walls still bore the marks of his battle with the bear-man.
In the darkness, Liao Changhe strode out, looking at Chen Ke excitedly, and knelt on one knee: "Liao Changhe greets my benefactor!"
Chen Ke coldly replied, "I merely happened to be there. Don't forget, I almost shot you."
Liao Changhe stubbornly shook his head, saying in a deep voice, "My benefactor has the heart of a bodhisattva. If Changhe were also tormented and lost his soul, killing me would be helping me find liberation."
"How did you know I would return?"
Liao Changhe awkwardly scratched his head: "Actually, I didn't know either, so I came up with this clumsy method of having Xiaosi and Xiaowu guard this place."
Chen Ke was speechless. He'd starved the two children to the point of desperation, only giving them a handful of soybeans a day, just to gamble on luck?
What if I hadn't come at all?
However, Chen Ke could also tell that when Xiao Si and Xiao Wu mentioned Liao Changhe earlier, their expressions were full of respect, suggesting that Liao Changhe wasn't such a harsh person.
It could only be said that the living conditions here were too poor, and everyone was struggling.
Chen Ke's tone softened, and he said helplessly, "Tell me, how do you want me to help you?"
Liao Changhe's face lit up with joy, and he knelt down again after standing up, his voice trembling, "Thank you, benefactor!"
"Get up and speak," Chen Ke said warily, "My abilities are limited; you'd better not have too high hopes."
"No, no,"
Liao Changhe stood up, stammering, "As long as you can help me, I'll kowtow and burn incense for you every day."
(Is he cursing me to die?)
Chen Ke's face darkened, too lazy to waste words: "How do you want me to help you?"
"Grain, benefactor, we need grain."
Chen Ke guessed, nodding and saying, "I have some here, leave it for you. I'll bring you more next time I come, and also some winter clothes."
Liao Changhe looked at Chen Ke in astonishment, his face flushed red, stammering, "Um, benefactor, it's not just a few of us."
Chen Ke nodded again: "I know, you probably have some men, so let's say fifty."
Liao Changhe's face turned even redder: "Benefactor, even more than that."
"Even more? How many?" Chen Ke asked nonchalantly.
Liao Changhe didn't dare look Chen Ke in the eye, his head drooping, forcing a smile: "Three, three thousand men."
"Alright, then..." Chen Ke was about to nod in agreement when he suddenly realized something, his voice rising eight octaves, "How many men?!"
Liao Changhe was flustered, whispering, "Three thousand men."
Hiss!
Chen Ke heard clearly this time, and couldn't help but gasp.
Liao Changhe had mentioned before that he had several hundred men under his command.
Chen Ke pretended not to know this, hoping to win them over with food.
He didn't really think these men were capable of anything, but they had at least made a name for themselves in Jigong Mountain. The second of his many escape routes was finally taking shape.
But he never expected that what he thought were a few hundred men would suddenly become three thousand!
Three thousand men—how much food would that take?
Liao Changhe knelt on the ground, his eyes red-rimmed, looking up at Chen Ke: "My benefactor, my life has long been yours, and the lives of these three thousand men under my command are also yours!"
Chen Ke remained silent. Three thousand lives—this was no joke.
With a thought, Chen Ke controlled the mouse pointer and clicked on Liao Changhe.
As a long list of skills unfolded, Chen Ke was utterly shocked.
Eighty-eight skills!
Martial arts, archery, horsemanship, medicine, detection, stargazing, reconnaissance, military strategy, battle formations... all these indicate that Liao Changhe was once a soldier, and of a high rank!
In addition, there were trap-setting, gathering, planting, animal husbandry, fishing, embroidery, blacksmithing… a wide variety of life skills.
What shocked Chen Ke even more was that most of these eighty-eight skills were "proficient"!
Chen Ke stared blankly at Liao Changhe, his eyes wide.
When he rescued Liao Changhe from the cage, how come he hadn't realized this guy was so capable?
Had he stumbled upon a treasure?