Chapter 25: Chapter 25: The New Leader of Hongshan Village

Uncle Shen Er's adobe house had its main door slightly ajar.Faint light drifted out through the crack in the doorway, casting a layer of pale orange glow on the white snow.

Shanwa walked ahead of Shen Qing, pushed open the door, and shouted, "Grandpa, Brother Qingzi is here."

Instantly, sounds of a chair scraping against the floor and someone getting up could be heard from inside the house.

Shen Qing followed closely behind Shanwa and stepped in.

When he entered the house, he discovered that Uncle Shen Er wasn't the only one present.

Several of the Shen Family elders from Hongshan Village, Tian Xiaohu from the Tian Family, Zhang Baqing from the Zhang Family, and a few other respected hunters from the village were all there.

As Shen Qing walked in, they all turned to look at the entrance, focusing their gaze on him and stood up.

In front of these people, Shen Qing did not show any sign of pressure; he walked in under their gaze with an unchanged expression.

Shen Er looked at him with a complex expression and asked, "Qingzi, you've come?"

"Mm," Shen Qing replied curiously, "Today's matters are pretty much settled. I'm not sure what Uncle called me over for?"

"There are some things everyone thinks we need to discuss further. Take a seat first."

Tian Xiaohu, quick to see the need, pulled out a chair and placed it in the chief's position.

This small detail, caught by Shen Er, left his heart filled with mixed feelings for a moment.

Shen Qing, without any embarrassment, sat down comfortably in the chief's seat.

Seeing him seated, the others took their seats as well, hinting at a sense of him being the leader.

Yet strangely, no one found this inappropriate.

Everything Shen Qing had done that day, they had all seen clearly.

The ferocity he displayed was still fresh in their minds, leaving them somewhat apprehensive.

It was precisely because of this ferocity that Shen Qing, who had just been a compliant young hunter in the village yesterday, had already become an important figure today, overshadowing everyone else.

The light from the oil lamp flickered from the disturbance of the air currents, becoming hazy.

The shadows of the people around, cast by the oil lamp, also swayed, drifting from side to side.

Once the shadows in the room stabilized, Shen Er spoke up, "Now that Qingzi has arrived, let's get straight to the point."

After his eyes swept over everyone and finally rested on Shen Qing's face, he said, "Today is mainly about the matter of Hongshan Village's new leader. Everyone wants to hear your opinion, Qingzi."

"The new leader of Hongshan Village?" Shen Qing frowned.

The so-called mountain driver is essentially the head of the hunters in a village.

This position is not considered vital, yet it's indispensable.

The mountains in this part of the world are not safe, and the mountain drivers who rely on the mountains for their livelihood often face various dangers.

Each village that lives off hunting selects a leader to take them hunting, to increase their chances of survival.

Chen Youguang, in his younger days, was a well-known hunting expert far and wide, despite his bullying of the villagers in Hongshan Village.

He created many safe hunting zones for the villagers and led them to avoid numerous risks.

A burly middle-aged man with thick eyebrows looked earnestly at Shen Qing and said, "Chen Youguang was the former mountain driver of Hongshan Village. Now that he's dead, the position is naturally vacant. There are many conflicts, big and small, within our village, and we need someone to fill the role to prevent major oversights in the future."

Shen Qing turned to look at him.

He remembered the man. Sёarch* The Nôvel(F)ire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

It was Zhang Baqing from the Zhang Family.

His hunting skills were excellent, and he often spoke up for the Zhang Family members, also establishing himself as a respected hunter in Hongshan Village.

The Zhang Family had always avoided being targeted by Chen Youguang and his people, thanks in no small part to this man's efforts.

Shen Qing pondered for a moment and asked, "Then I wonder if anyone has a suitable candidate in mind?"

From the few sentences exchanged and observing the reactions of those present, he had roughly guessed what was on everyone's mind.

The Chen Family was wiped out today, all because of him.

The strength he displayed in the process had indeed shocked them, making them somewhat wary.

Otherwise, with his experience and prestige in the village, the matter of becoming the mountain driver wouldn't have been brought up for discussion with him.

Moreover, after wiping out the Chen Family, each of these households had gained some benefits to an extent.

Therefore, their views of him were not only one of fear but also contained a hint of "respect".

That was why everyone was being so amicable around the table.

Zhang Baqing revealed a friendly smile and sincerely said, "I think, Qingzi, you are strong enough to take on the role of the mountain driver."

"What do you all think?" Shen Qing's gaze shifted from Zhang Baqing to the others.

"Baqing makes sense, I'm convinced by Qingzi, and I support him for the mountain driver position."

"I support him too."

"..."

The other few, including Tian Xiaohu, also voiced their support.

Shen Qing laughed and declined, "I am still young, and I don't hold much prestige in the village; I'm afraid it might be difficult to win everyone's acceptance."

Uncle Shen Er was quite surprised by Shen Qing's decision and advised, "Age isn't an issue, if you want to, I think everyone will definitely support you."

"To speak frankly, I admit to some strength and killing is not a problem for me, but when it comes to handling village affairs, I genuinely lack the experience. I wouldn't be able to manage being the mountain driver."

Shen Qing sat in his chair and gently shook his head, his thoughts adrift.

Right now, on one hand, he needed to practice archery, go hunting, recognize characters and read, and on the other hand, he was also planning to go into the city to study Martial Arts.

All of these were enough for him to be preoccupied with.

He already lacked the energy to be distracted by the role of "mountain driver".

Moreover, in his view, the "mountain driver" role came with a low cost-benefit ratio.

Aside from having some benefits in terms of hunting goods, and increasing his prestige in the village, there weren't many tangible advantages.

Instead of fussing over village affairs, it was better to find ways to make money, study Martial Arts in the county town as soon as possible, and become a distinguished person.

Why be short-sighted and remain trapped in this small valley, tethered by such small gains?

Shen Qing's face bore a smile as he observed for a while and then said, "I wonder if there are any other suitable candidates?"

As he spoke, his gaze slowly fell upon Zhang Baqing.

In his two lifetimes, Shen Qing had developed a keen sensibility in dealing with people.

He vaguely sensed that Zhang Baqing was quite interested in the position of mountain driver.

Since he himself was not interested, it would be good to extend a favor in return for something he currently needed.

Everyone at the table looked at each other with surprise.

Shen Qing's refusal had disrupted their original plan, and for a moment they did not know how to respond.

Seeing that no one at the table had spoken, Shen Qing looked meaningfully at Zhang Baqing and said, "I think Uncle Zhang is very suitable, but what do you all think?"

Indeed, as soon as Shen Qing mentioned it, waves of joy surfaced on Zhang Baqing's calm face.

Even though he thought he had hidden it well, Shen Qing had still caught it in his eyes.

Shen Qing knew that the next move was almost certain to be his.