115: Chapter 115 Four Maids

After Su Bai finished his explanation, he looked at Zhou Qingying.

As he spoke, the anger on Zhou Qingying's face gradually melted away.

After hearing the whole story and looking at the four young girls again, her previous anger vanished completely.

Her eyes were filled with sympathy as she looked at the four of them.

So... that's how it was.

She had misunderstood him.

A hint of guilt welled up in Zhou Qingying's heart.

She walked up to one of the girls and took her small hand in hers.

The girl was startled and looked up at Zhou Qingying in terror.

A gentle smile had replaced the expression on Zhou Qingying's face, and she spoke in a soft voice:

"Don't be afraid. You've suffered in the past, and I misunderstood you just now."

Then, Zhou Qingying looked at the other three girls and said softly, "From now on, this is your home. No one will dare to bully you again."

These simple words caused the eyes of the four girls to turn red.

"Madam!"

They could no longer hold it back and burst into tears, kneeling on the ground and sobbing uncontrollably.

Looking at the girls crying on the ground, Zhou Qingying's own eyes began to redden.

She turned back and gave Su Bai an embarrassed look.

Su Bai just watched her calmly, then broke into a grin and laughed.

...

Red candles flickered, and the gauze curtains hung low.

Only this bedroom in the Generals Mansion was filled with the warmth of spring.

Zhou Qingying leaned lazily in Su Bai's arms, her fingertips unconsciously tracing circles on his chest.

Her voice carried a hint of laziness, lightly stroking Su Bai's heart like a feather.

Zhou Qingying spoke softly:

"Husband, your handling of those Bandits' families today was truly an act of merit."

She paused, then changed the subject with a faint sigh. "It's just... the bandit problem inside and outside Yunzhou City is truly rampant. The Black Wind Stockade was a large one, but those scattered small groups of Bandits are as numerous as the hairs on an ox. You wipe out one nest today, and another crop springs up tomorrow, just like weeds in a field that can never be fully cleared."

She was merely making a casual observation.

However, while the speaker was casual, the listener was attentive.

Su Bai's hand, which had been gently stroking her hair, paused slightly.

Bandits...

He had been pondering how to truly temper the young men of Su Family Village into a fierce army capable of and willing to fight.

Su Bai felt that no matter how loud they shouted on the training grounds, it was ultimately just for show.

A blade that has not tasted blood can never be considered a sharp weapon.

And now, Zhou Qingying's unintentional remark had directly pointed him in the right direction.

Wasn't the entire area around Yunzhou City a ready-made training ground?

Those Bandits terrorizing the countryside were perfect to serve as whetstones for his new recruits.

Suppress the Bandits!

Once this thought emerged, it could no longer be suppressed.

This would not only train the troops but also win over the hearts of the people, and even allow him to expand his power legitimately by seizing the Bandits' money, grain, and supplies.

Three birds with one stone—no, it was practically many birds with one stone!

Su Bai's arms around Zhou Qingying tightened unconsciously.

Zhou Qingying was momentarily squeezed so hard it hurt. She gave him a push and said coquettishly:

"Ow, you're hurting me... What are you thinking about so intently?"

Su Bai snapped out of it, looked down at the charming Zhou Qingying in his arms, and a meaningful smile appeared on his face.

Then, he gently covered Zhou Qingying with his body and said suggestively:

"Wife, you truly are my lucky star."

...

The next day, just as the sky was beginning to brighten.

On the training grounds of the West City Barracks, the morning mist had not yet dissipated.

"Assemble!"

A thunderous shout suddenly erupted across the training grounds.

Ma Lie's powerful voice prompted more than a hundred young men from Su Family Village to quickly line up.

Although their movements were still a bit stiff, they were already much better than when they first arrived.

Dressed in black, Su Bai stood on the high platform with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over every face below like a hawk.

Wherever his gaze landed, everyone subconsciously straightened their backs.

"Brothers."

Su Bai looked at the men below the platform, filled with emotion. These were the foundation for his future rebellion.

He spoke in a loud voice:

"You have all worked very hard during this period of training, and I am very satisfied."

A hint of joy appeared on the faces of the men below.

However, Su Bai changed his tone, and his voice suddenly became sharp.

"But! I must tell you, just sweating here is far from enough! A true warrior is not only physically strong but must also possess a powerful mind."

"The day after tomorrow!"

Su Bai held up two fingers and said, each word carrying immense weight:

"Early the day after tomorrow, after everyone has eaten their fill, take your weapons and follow me out of the city to... suppress the Bandits!"

"Boom!"

The entire training ground instantly erupted in an uproar.

"What? Suppress Bandits?"

"Are we going to battle and kill people so soon?"

"I... I've never even killed a chicken..."

Most of them were farmers who had been scratching a living from the soil until recently, having rarely even seen a village brawl. The fear in their hearts at suddenly being asked to risk their lives against cold-blooded Bandits was predictable.

Especially since, not long ago, the Bandits of Black Wind Stockade had just ransacked their Su Family Village.

In their memories, those brigands and Bandits were all vicious and evil.

They were no match for farmers like themselves.

Thus, after Su Bai finished speaking, the entire group began to grow restless.

"Shut up!"

Su Bai barked, his voice roaring like a great bell.

His voice, bolstered by Spiritual Qi of the Foundation Establishment Stage, instantly swept across the entire training ground.

The entire training ground fell silent instantly.

Su Bai swept his cold gaze around and said slowly:

"Scared?"

Then, Su Bai paused, and when he spoke again, his voice carried a clear note of sarcasm.

"What are you afraid of? Dying?"

"A bunch of useless trash!"

"Have you forgotten how, just a short while ago, those hundreds of Bandits from Black Wind Stockade cornered you in the ancestral hall like pigs and dogs?!"

"Forgotten how they grinned and said they would slaughter our Su Family Village, make the men slaves, and the women... don't you know in your hearts what would happen to the women?!"

"If I hadn't arrived in time that day, the grass on your graves would be growing tall by now, every single one of you!"

Su Bai's words, though true, made the men present feel a bit uneasy.

That scene of being surrounded in the ancestral hall...

...was a nightmare that none of them could ever erase from their lives.

That despair of waiting for death, that helplessness of watching their wives, daughters, and sisters under the lecherous gazes of the Bandits—they never wanted to experience that a second time in their lives.

In the crowd, after Su Bai's words fell, many people clenched their fists.

Seeing their reaction, Su Bai spoke in a loud voice once more:

"In this dog-eat-dog world, might is right! The blade is the law!"