CHAPTER 131: CHAPTER 83: BANQUET IN THE DEVIL’S DEN_1

Xiao Yibo was directing his men to heat water. With over five hundred men needing to bathe, the amount of water required was frankly terrifying, and everyone was run off their feet.

Fortunately, a few days ago, when Xue Three had been bored in Mei Village, he had put his Dwarf Tribe’s racial talent to use

and built a large water supply facility for bathing.

In reality, it was just a large wooden pipe leading down from a large water tank, with fifty holes drilled into it to serve as fifty showerheads.

Xiao Yibo climbed a ladder with two buckets of hot water, poured them into the large tank, and then descended with the empty buckets.

Ahead, an area was cordoned off with a circle of tarpaulin to serve as the bathing space. It resembled the makeshift tents typically erected for weddings or funerals according to northern customs.

Despite this, bathing here, even with hot water, was still freezing cold.

But the men bathing were Barbarians, who, if nothing else, possessed a remarkable aptitude for withstanding the cold.

Groups of fifty took turns bathing. Even amidst the chilly wind, they howled and sang extremely grating ballads as they did so.

Indeed, Xiao Yibo felt very irritable. He knew he wasn’t truly part of this team’s inner circle; he was just a gofer—or, to put it nicely, a minor leader among the gofers. Otherwise, there was no way he would have been kept in the dark about the recruitment of these five hundred-odd Barbarians. Previously, watching cart after cart of military supplies and provisions being delivered to Mei Village, and seeing warhorse after warhorse being led into the stables, he had dreamed that one day he too would wear such exquisite armor and ride a tall northern warhorse, achieving great things alongside that formidable crew. But they seemed to have no intention of taking him along. Xiao Yibo didn’t think it was because they mistrusted him, even though he had personally killed his own father to survive. He felt that those people truly didn’t care about such things. They weren’t including him, not because they were wary of him, but simply because... they looked down on him. However, opportunities were something one had to fight for.

Having made up his mind, Xiao Yibo handed the two empty buckets to a nearby subordinate, wiped his hands on his clothes, left the inner residential compound, and headed towards the city gate tower.

In the open ground between the inner compound and the city gate tower, Siniang and the other married women were cooking. Seven or eight earthen stoves had been built the previous day, and now, with large pots set upon them, the aroma of a hearty stew began to fill the air.

Two iron pots also had steaming baskets placed on top, all filled with steamed buns.

Due to Zheng Fan’s preferences, unless there were no other options, the lords would not choose ’crusty pancakes’ as their staple food.

Actually, freshly baked crusty pancakes are very fragrant, crisp, and delicious, but dietary habits are truly hard to change.

On the road, Xiao Yibo saw Xue Three carrying a basket on his back.

His small frame carrying a large basket looked quite disproportionate.

"Xue San, let me take it."

"Okay, you take it."

Xue Three handed the basket to him.

When Xiao Yibo took the basket, a fragrant scent immediately wafted to him. There was no cloth covering the basket, allowing him to see it was full of bright white cubes.

"This is..."

It was soap!

Even well-off families, though they could afford it, would feel the pinch for a long time. And now, here was an entire basketful...!

"Let’s go," Xue Three urged from ahead.

"Okay, I’m coming."

Xiao Yibo, carrying the basket, followed Xue Three back to the tarpaulin-enclosed bathing area.

"Do you speak the Barbarian tongue?" Xue Three asked.

"Yes, a bit," Xiao Yibo replied.

As his caravan frequently transported goods around Hutou City, it naturally included many Barbarian merchant groups, so Xiao Yibo did indeed know some of the Barbarian language.

"Hmm, that’s good."

As he spoke, Xue Three reached in, grabbed two handfuls of soap, and tossed them directly into the tarpaulin-enclosed bathing area.

"Tell them it’s one piece of soap for every five men. Have them pick it up and use it themselves."

Xiao Yibo nodded and shouted Xue Three’s instructions in the Barbarian tongue several times. Then, he helped Xue Three toss the soap bars into the enclosure.

As he threw the soap, Xiao Yibo’s heart ached at the extravagance. Such expensive soap, being squandered like this...

"Alright, that’s enough. Let the men in the next batch get their own when they come in."

Xue Three dusted off his hands, job done.

My lord’s soldiers, he thought, might not need to be as dazzling as Templar Knights, but they should at least be clean and fresh. Heaven forbid My lord fainted from their body odor when he went to greet them and shake their hands.

"Xue... Xue San..."

Xue Three stopped and turned his head, looking back with some curiosity.

"What’s up?"

"Are you... Are you all leaving?"

"Wouldn’t it be a good thing for you if we leave?" Once we’re gone, this caravan business really will be yours.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yibo immediately knelt before Xue Three and said solemnly,

"Xue San, I want to go with you! I want to go out and brave the world with you all!"

"Oh? What’s this?" Xue Three said. "Trying to latch onto us now?"

"Xue San, I’m willing to work like an ox and horse for you! I can treat you as my own parents..."

"No, no, no! Don’t say that, don’t say that!"

Xue Three immediately waved his hand.

Damn it, he thought, being his father is too dangerous! Even if I, Xue San, am daring, I wouldn’t go around cursing myself for kicks.

"Alright, if you want to follow, you can. Hongba will be coming too. From your men, pick twenty or thirty trustworthy and skilled individuals to join us.

However, there’s one thing you must remember: once you’re with us, then life and death are decreed by fate, and riches and honor depend on Heaven."

"Understood!"

...