The Farming World (27)

"Gentlemen, where do you hail from?"

Qiu Qi stood with his arms crossed, a rare, beaming smile on his face, in quite a good mood.

His two sleepless nights spent digging the trap were not in vain; its effectiveness was not bad at all. The three men inside were all tall and robust, clearly not ordinary folk, yet they were all trapped within. This proved his efforts were not wasted.

However, Pei Gang Lin's mood upon seeing him was far from good. Though he was momentarily stunned, not expecting the Zhong family, described by Zhou Lao San as insidious and malicious, to have such a beautiful youth, Qiu Qi's mocking smile quickly darkened his temper.

The youth's expression clearly indicated that this trap was his doing! What would an ordinary farmer be doing digging such a deep pit right outside his house? Utter nonsense!

Pei Gang Lin was truly frustrated, wanting to curse out loud.

Of course, it was only a thought. Though he had a fiery temper, he wasn't brainless. In such a clearly disadvantageous situation, he certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to reveal his identity and admit he came to cause trouble.

It seemed the Zhong family was not only as difficult as Zhou Lao San had said but also had some issues. What ordinary villager would be so idle as to dig a trap outside their own home?

Pei Gang Lin forced a hearty, approachable smile, cupping his hands.
"Young man, we apologize for the intrusion. My two brothers and I were just passing by, feeling thirsty. We originally intended to ask for a bowl of water, but unexpectedly fell in here. We hope you will be lenient with us..."

This explanation was quite plausible. The Zhong family lived at the end of the village, on the only path to the villages further down, so travelers often stopped to ask for water.

But did Qiu Qi believe it?
No! Never!

Who was Pei Gang Lin? He was a former soldier, a survivor of battlefields, and then a local tyrant in town for many years. His aura was distinctly different from ordinary people.

Tall, imposing, and radiating a forceful presence, his handsome, resolute face bore a scar that only enhanced his fierce demeanor. His long, narrow phoenix eyes flashed with a cold light, making it clear he was not to be trifled with.

Moreover, Qiu Qi possessed vast knowledge and a keen eye for people. If he were so easily deceived, then his decades of survival experience in the hellish apocalypse would truly be wasted.

Qiu Qi smiled a non-smile, kicking a stone at the saber on the hip of the man beside him, producing a metallic clang.
"Big brother, next time you want to lie, remember to prepare better. Carrying sabers and clubs, passing by in broad daylight, who are you trying to fool? Tell me, who sent you here? Whose men are you in town?"

His tone was even more professional than someone in the trade.

Pei Gang Lin's pupils contracted, but he quickly regained his composure.
"Young man, you've misunderstood. We truly were just passing by, on our way to the lower village to collect a debt. We meant no offense."

His words subtly hinted at their identity as men from a gambling den. In that case, carrying sabers and clubs into a village wouldn't be strange. Within a hundred-mile radius, every village had a few prodigal sons who shouldn't have incurred debts.

The two burly men beside him also put on simple, innocent smiles, echoing that it was just a misunderstanding. They looked quite convincing.

"Misunderstanding?"

Qiu Qi stroked his chin, his gaze assessing them from head to toe, full of hidden meaning.

In truth, he already guessed who sent these people. Within a hundred-mile radius, only the Zhou family had an irreconcilable feud with the Zhong family and could afford to hire people. What ordinary villager would be so idle as to waste money on revenge?

Today, he didn't directly act but wasted time interrogating them, simply to find out which faction in town these people belonged to. Then, he could use this as an excuse to recruit a few of them to work for him, ensuring that when chaos erupted later, there would be some martial artists in the village to maintain order.

Previously, he considered arranging a marriage with Zhong Guang Ming, largely due to the latter's "Third Master" status. Now, with people delivering themselves to his doorstep, and the leading man in the pit looking quite handsome... Hmm, he could consider switching to this group.

Thinking this, Qiu Qi no longer bothered with their explanations.

He looked directly at the Zhong family members, who were secretly peeking from the courtyard gate, and called out:
"What are you still hiding for? Come out quickly and tie up the one with the scar on his face. Give him a good bath, then bring him to my room. The other two can continue reflecting in the pit."

Tie him up, give him a good bath, bring him to his room... Why did these words sound like those of bandits abducting women?

The Zhong family members were all stunned, their eyes wide with surprise and suspicion.

Pei Gang Lin was also dumbfounded. The sudden turn of events caught them off guard. They had considered countless possible responses, but never expected Qiu Qi to utter such words.

The two burly, seemingly honest and naive men leaned close to their boss's ear, carefully asking:
"Big brother, does he mean what we're thinking?"
Abducting men!