Ye Qingcheng stayed at Black Cliff Village for a few days. Each day, the bandit leader took her around the village and told her about its affairs. As for Xiao Wangye, he was probably too busy recently to come and see her.
"Miss Ye, look, this is the warehouse of our Black Cliff Village. It's full of treasures. Would Miss Ye like to go in and see if there's anything you like?" The bandit leader pointed to a house and said generously to Ye Qingcheng.
"Great leader, are there any particularly valuable medicinal herbs in this warehouse?" Ye Qingcheng wasn't very interested in treasures. After all, even if they were given to her, she wouldn't have space for them, but she was interested in all the precious medicinal herbs in the world.
"Miss Ye, I don't know much about medicinal herbs, but there are some in this warehouse. You can go in and take a look." The bandit leader said, leading Ye Qingcheng over.
The two guards at the door saw them and stood up, shouting loudly, "Greetings, Great Leader! Greetings, Second Leader!"
Ye Qingcheng was startled by the voice, and Bi Xi was so frightened that she immediately hid behind Ye Qingcheng. The bandit leader reprimanded them, "Keep your voices down, you've scared your Second Leader."
"Heh heh, Great Leader, Second Leader is visiting us for the first time. We want her to feel our enthusiasm," one of them said with a chuckle.
"Alright, stop your chatter. Hurry up and open the door. Your Second Leader wants to go in and have a look." The bandit leader pointed at the door and said to the man.
The person who had just spoken took out a set of keys, pushed open the door, and said, "Great Leader, Second Leader, please come in."
Ye Qingcheng and the bandit leader walked into the warehouse and looked around. There were indeed quite a few gold and silver treasures. Ye Qingcheng casually glanced at them, and the bandit leader immediately said, "Miss Ye, which item do you like? Just take it."
Ye Qingcheng looked around but didn't see any medicinal herbs. She said to the bandit leader, "Thank you for your kindness, Great Leader. There are so many treasures in this warehouse, but I won't accept rewards without merit. Great Leader, please show me what medicinal herbs you have." Although these things were valuable, Ye Qingcheng was originally a daughter of a noble family and married into a royal residence. Even if she wasn't favored, she had seen plenty of treasures in the royal residence.
"Miss Ye is truly extraordinary, viewing wealth as nothing more than dirt. I, Hu, admire you." For some reason, the bandit leader had been flattering her at every opportunity these past two days. Ye Qingcheng found it a bit speechless. Had he forgotten that she had just extorted a sum from him?
The bandit leader led Ye Qingcheng to where the medicinal herbs were kept. "Miss Ye, look, these are all of them. No one in the mountain village understands this, so they've been kept here all along. I don't know if they can still be used." kuAiδugg
Ye Qingcheng looked at them one by one. They were all relatively common medicinal herbs, which could be bought at pharmacies outside. At this moment, a box caught Ye Qingcheng's attention. She picked it up and opened it. It was a box full of herbs. She looked closely and then smelled it.
"Great Leader Hu, do you remember where you got these herbs?" Ye Qingcheng showed the box of herbs to the bandit leader. If she wasn't mistaken, this was the most elusive herb, Wugencao, used in the aphrodisiac that Lin Xiao had mentioned that day.
The bandit leader looked at the herbs and thought carefully, then shook his head. "I don't remember where they came from. Herbs aren't valuable things, unlike gold and silver jewelry, which would have records. I'll ask around the village to see if any of my brothers can remember."
"Then I'll trouble you, Great Leader. Can I take this box of herbs with me?"
"Of course. No one here knows how to use these herbs, so you can take them all if they are useful to you."
After leaving the warehouse, the bandit leader led Ye Qingcheng in another direction. As they passed a courtyard, they saw several women embroidering. One of them, a gentle and beautiful woman, was teaching others.
The bandit leader saw Ye Qingcheng looking inside and explained, "This is the courtyard of Third Brother's wife. She is exceptionally skilled at embroidery, and all the women in the village come to her to learn."
Ye Qingcheng knew that the Third Brother the bandit leader mentioned was the third-in-command of Black Wind Village. He was said to have gone down the mountain on business, and Ye Qingcheng hadn't met him yet. Originally, Hu Xiaohu was the second-in-command of the mountain village, but Ye Qingcheng had cured the bandit leader's joint pain. The bandit leader greatly admired her and insisted that she become the second-in-command. Now, Hu Xiaohu had become the third-in-command, and this third-in-command would be the fourth-in-command in the future.
At this moment, the woman saw them and walked over. "Great Leader, what brings you here?"
"I'm taking the Second Leader around the village," the bandit leader said, pointing at Ye Qingcheng.
The woman looked at Ye Qingcheng and said, "They all say the new Second Leader of the village is a beauty. Today I finally get to see her."
"Greetings, Madam." Ye Qingcheng wasn't sure how she should address the woman.
"Second Leader, you can just call me Yu Luo," the woman said with a slight smile as she looked at Ye Qingcheng.
"Hello, Sister Yu Luo. My name is Ye Qingcheng." This woman appeared to be a bit older than Ye Qingcheng's original self. Ye Qingcheng shamelessly called her sister.
"Sister Ye, if you have nothing to do in the village, feel free to come here and sit. The women in the village often come here."
"Sister-in-law, you go and attend to your business. I still need to take the Second Leader to see more," the bandit leader said, preparing to lead Ye Qingcheng away.
At this moment, Yu Luo saw the box in Bi Xi's hand and exclaimed, "Oh?"
"What's wrong, Sister Yu Luo?" Ye Qingcheng noticed her gaze fixed on the box in Bi Xi's hand.
Yu Luo looked and pointed at the box. "This box contains herbs, doesn't it? I heard that the Second Leader is a divine doctor who cured the Great Leader's joint pain of many years. These herbs must be useful."
"Sister Yu Luo, do you know this kind of herb?"
"Yes, these herbs grow on the mountains in my hometown. Sister Ye, I'll go in first. You go and stroll with the Great Leader." Yu Luo then left. Ye Qingcheng felt that her mood seemed a bit off.
Ye Qingcheng spent the entire day with the bandit leader, touring the mountain village. When it was time for dinner, the bandit leader hosted another banquet, celebrating Ye Qingcheng's joining Black Wind Village.
"Miss Ye, you have an extraordinary aura and excellent medical skills. You've also cured my joint pain of many years. You are the benefactor of Black Wind Village. Welcome to Black Wind Village. From now on, we will share honor and disgrace with Black Wind Village. You must lead the brothers to a good life. The rise and fall of Black Wind Village rest on you alone." The bandit leader kept praising Ye Qingcheng at the banquet.
"Great Leader, you flatter me too much." Ye Qingcheng's face was filled with a black line as she listened to the bandit leader's words.
"Miss Ye, don't call me Great Leader. Call me Brother Hu. To be honest, ever since I saw you that day, my heart has been like a deer leaping about. I can't eat or sleep without seeing you all day. Miss Ye, would you be willing to be the mistress of Black Wind Village? As long as you are willing to marry me, Hu, Black Wind Village will be yours to command from now on." The bandit leader's face was a little red from drinking. He mustered his courage and boldly confessed.