They crouched in the underground cellar, using a stone brick to prop up the jar bottom. Combined with the jar’s perfect fit, no one suspected this was the entrance to a cellar.

The searchers had no patience to focus their attention on a broken jar. In apparent frustration, they picked up a stone that had been carelessly discarded nearby and hurled it viciously at the large jar.

With a crisp sound, the large jar shattered into pieces. The pursuers burst into laughter, as if they had encountered something truly delightful.

Seeing that the Mino tribe’s courtyard was only so large and they had searched everywhere without finding any place to hide people, the leader had no choice but to lead his men in retreat.

In the cellar, Qin Yining, Lu Heng, and Ha’er Bala listened to the retreating footsteps and gradually breathed sighs of relief. However, they dared not make the slightest movement, still propping up the entrance, not daring to show any flaws.

Outside, Chagan Bala frowned with a pained expression as he saw off the searching soldiers. Having had a jar smashed for no reason during the search, such small people like them dared not voice the slightest complaint, lest they invite even greater trouble.

Seeing Chagan Bala’s cowardly appearance made the soldiers feel even more pleased, as if they had gained great satisfaction.

After these people had all gone far away, Chagan Bala dared not go to the back courtyard, but instead went to the front hall to huddle together with his tribespeople for warmth, secretly instructing them never to reveal the secret.

In the cellar, Qin Yining asked Lu Heng in a low voice, “What were they saying outside just now?”

Because the space was large and had ventilation openings, in the late autumn weather approaching winter in the northern Tatar lands, the cellar was actually much warmer than outside.

Lu Heng couldn’t see Qin Yining clearly in the darkness, but still groped closer to her and whispered in her ear everything he had heard.

Qin Yining listened attentively, then frowned and said, “I feel this matter isn’t over yet. Given Si Qin’s caution and cunning, he has very likely already set up an inescapable net outside. They didn’t find anything this time because they didn’t expect the Mino tribe to have a cellar. When Si Qin becomes more desperate, they’ll take action.”

“I think so too. It’s just that leaving the cellar rashly now might be seen by the lookouts they’ve left behind, and it’s not convenient for Chagan Bala to observe whether the searchers have actually withdrawn.”

Qin Yining said, “Then let’s wait here for now and think of a way to get out when it’s deep into the night.”

Lu Heng nodded in agreement.

Ha’er Bala couldn’t quite understand what they were saying, so Lu Heng quietly explained it to him again, finally saying, “We can’t continue staying here. If we don’t find a way to leave, we might very well be caught by Si Qin. Then the Mino tribe would be in danger.”

Upon hearing this, Ha’er Bala nervously bit his nails, as if making some tense decision.

After a long while, Ha’er Bala finally said, “When night comes, let’s find a way to slip out and leave the capital.”

“You’re also leaving the capital?” Lu Heng asked worriedly. “The Mino tribe still has so many tribespeople. You need to protect them well. Opposing the cunning fox Si Qin, given his ruthless nature, might very well be a dead end. I advise you to be cautious and ensure everyone’s safety first.”

Ha’er Bala smiled emotionally upon hearing this and said cheerfully, “I knew we saved the right people. I know you two are righteous people who wouldn’t ignore us just for your own safety.”

Lu Heng helplessly rolled his eyes and said, “What time is it, and you still have the mood to joke around. If you hadn’t helped us, we would have been caught long ago. During this time, we brothers have been together day and night—we’re blood brothers now. If we did anything to betray the Mino tribe, could we still be considered human?”

Ha’er Bala was extremely moved by these words and emotionally sniffled.

Actually, speaking truthfully, they had known Lu Heng and Qin Yining for really not very long. Just now, for a moment when being searched by the pursuers, he had felt regret and even thought that if they were really discovered, they would definitely find a way to escape first and not care about the life and death of the Mino tribe.

But reality showed that they were still upholding righteousness.

The Tatars, through years of trading with Great Zhou, had developed some bad impressions of Great Zhou people, thinking them all treacherous and cunning people not worth deep friendship.

Now he truly saw through everything completely. Great Zhou also had honest people, and Tatars also had petty people like A’na Ri.

The three of them huddled in the cellar, quietly listening to the movements outside and conversing in low voices. Since Qin Yining and Ha’er Bala couldn’t communicate in the same language, Lu Heng served as translator between them, creating quite a harmonious scene.

Time quickly passed to deep night.

Just as Qin Yining and Lu Heng were considering whether they should climb out, they suddenly heard Chagan Bala’s low voice from outside.

“It’s safe now. Come out quickly—the patrolling people around have left.”

Hearing this, the three immediately crouched and moved to the opening, moved aside the jar bottom and other items, and climbed up to the ground one by one, covered in dust and dirt. Breathing the air filled with damp earth and cold, hard scents, Qin Yining shivered from the cold night wind.

Chagan Bala pulled them quickly into the house.

Several people sat around the fire, and tribespeople brought them steaming hot rice soup and dry flatbread.

Qin Yining ate a few bites of flatbread with the hot rice soup, then said in a low voice, “I don’t know if the martial law in the city is still as strict now. If it has relaxed somewhat, we should hurry and leave the city. Everything can be planned at length once we’re out of the city.”

Lu Heng nodded and conveyed Qin Yining’s words to those around them.

Upon hearing this, the Mino tribe members fell into contemplation.

Especially Ha’er Bala and Chagan Bala.

Initially, whoever could take revenge would become the Mino tribe’s chief—this was already sworn before the ancestral tablets.

These brothers were naturally not cowards afraid of death. Although acknowledging two Great Zhou people as tribal chiefs felt somewhat awkward, after spending this time together, they had gained deep understanding of Lu Heng’s temperament and methods, and truly trusted their character.

If the Mino tribe were to have such intelligent and knowledgeable people as chiefs in the future, even if their tribe would never again be as populous as before or possess vast fertile grasslands, the surviving tribespeople should all be able to live good lives.

“Second Master Lu, I’ve also told you that we Mino people stick to our word like nails—we absolutely won’t go back on it. Now Second Master Lu and the Princess are our tribal chiefs. From now on, everything is entrusted to you!”

Only in this moment were Ha’er Bala and Chagan Bala most harmonious, without their usual mutual disdain, thinking only of repaying Qin Yining and Lu Heng for killing A’na Ri and avenging their parents.