On the winding and thorny and weedy mountain paths, four or five servants escorted a group of ragged slaves westward, day and night, and one of the unkempt women was a little slower on her feet, and was whipped by the servants, but she seemed to be unconscious, her eyes were dull and dazed, her clothes were tattered, her exposed skin was covered with scars, and her burned face was even more ugly and disgusting.

The officer who whipped her couldn't help but spat her, and cursed: "It's all this girl, we're two days late, and I don't know if the boss will blame her, in my opinion, it's better to solve her on the road, just her body and bones, she can't stand it when she gets there, and it's a waste of our brother's effort." ”

The dark-faced officer who was walking side by side with him glared at him, and said angrily: "I think you are reluctant to give her a few puffs of cigarettes, I can warn you, this is specially explained by the above, this woman must live, the tobacco in your bag is for her life, smoke leisurely, otherwise when she falls ill and loses her life, we will be unlucky." ”

"I know, I know ......," the previous officer said with a hippie smile, "I'll just say it casually, how can I be so ignorant, Brother Zhao don't take it seriously." As he spoke, he looked up at the sun that was still hanging high, yawned, and said, "I see it's still early, and these miscellaneous people really can't walk, or let's find a place to rest first, anyway, we will definitely be able to rush over in the evening today." ”

When the servants who were in front heard this, they did not object, and they drove the slaves into a heap and squatted on the ground with their heads in their hands, while they themselves found a clean place to settle down and gathered together to smoke opium.

The curling smoke drifted into the nose of the woman who had just been whipped, and she suddenly became restless, groping and staggering towards the servants, but she had a rope tied around her waist, and was bound to the group of slaves, and after a few steps, her waist was tightened, and at the same time someone pulled her hair, and kept cursing, and some people began to beat her, and as soon as the head was opened, the group of slaves seemed to be crazy and took her as an object of venting, and punched and kicked.

The servant who smoked opium and was in a state of excitement laughed and watched the slaves' madness like a good show.

At this moment, there was a sudden sound of horses' hooves not far away, and the dark-faced officer was the first to react, standing up and looking ahead vigilantly.

The Xishan mine they are going to at the moment is a secret industry of the Yan family, rich in an ore called black iron ore, which has brought huge profits to the Yan family in recent years, but the environment in the mine is very bad, and a large number of miners die every year for various reasons, and there is a shortage of manpower.

Of course, this kind of thing can't be known by outsiders, so every time they send someone there, they are very cautious, and they choose extremely secluded and difficult paths, not wanting that someone will pass by this time, if they leak the secrets of the main family, they will not be able to eat and walk around.

Only now it was too late for them to dodge, and the sound of horses' hooves was getting closer and closer, and almost instantly three men in crisp military uniforms appeared in front of them.

The man at the head grabbed the reins, and under the hard-shell large-brimmed hat, a pair of obsidian-like eyes indifferently swept over the group of slaves who were scuffling together, and his gaze finally stayed on the faces of the servants, "What's the matter?" he asked in a light tone, his voice had the texture of gold and stone, rich and magnetic, very good-sounding, but it also revealed a sense of alienation that rejected people thousands of miles away, which made people feel afraid.

The messenger known as Brother Zhao hurriedly bowed forward and replied respectfully: "If you go back to the military master, these are the fugitive slaves of the rich family, and the younger ones are ordered to escort them back to the city and hand them over to their master's family for disposal. So saying, he glanced at the servants, who immediately understood, and quickly drove the group of slaves aside to make way for the three men.

The leader frowned, obviously not believing his words, the axe-chiseled and slashed face seemed to be coagulated with a layer of frost, and the thin lips pursed a resolute arc, and before he could speak, he had already scared the servants into a cold sweat.

"Young marshal......" a man behind him stepped forward and whispered in his ear, "we still have business to do, and we have no time to waste on these idle things." ”

Jiang Chengfeng thought for a moment, then nodded, and took the lead in stepping forward, and when he passed in front of the woman who had just been beaten by everyone, he couldn't help but glance at her more, but he grabbed the reins again.

He dragged the woman's jaw with his horsewhip and looked closely, a hint of surprise crossed his dark and deep eyes, fleeting, but it did not escape the eyes of the man who had just opened his mouth to warn him.

"But the young marshal thinks something is wrong with this woman?" Han Bin also took a closer look at the woman in front of him who was dirty and couldn't see her true face, and really didn't understand where she attracted the young master of his family.

"Nothing. ”

Jiang Chengfeng let go of the woman, turned the horse's head and wanted to leave, but he didn't want the other party to suddenly reach out and grab the horsewhip that he had not completely withdrawn, and muttered in his mouth: "Don't leave me...... Brother Ruting, take Xiaoyue with you......"

This intermittent sentence made him stunned, and he asked tentatively, "Your name is Xiaoyue?"

The other adjutant behind him couldn't help but look at the woman, "Her voice seems to be ......"

Before Shi Lei finished speaking, he was glared at by Han Bin, his head has never been bright enough, although he hasn't figured out the situation yet, but it's always right to talk less, so he shut up in a sneer.

"Don't leave Xiao Yue behind, they always beat Xiao Yue, Xiao Yue is so scared ......"

Jiang Chengfeng looked at the strange-behaving woman in front of him with complicated eyes, she didn't seem to hear his question at all, she kept talking to herself, her expression was very painful and helpless, and she kept tearing her hair with her hands.

He couldn't bear it a little, leaned over slightly and stretched out his hand to her, "Come up." ”

"Young marshal......" Shi Lei was stunned, "Are you going to take her with you?" Such an ugly girl, although her voice does look a little like someone, this face is really flattering.

Han Bin glanced at him, took the heavy money bag from the package he was carrying and threw it directly to the stunned officer, "We bought this woman." ”