Visitors from Afar: Kunlun Slaves

The journey from Chuanshu to Nanzhao was truly through thousands of mountains and cliffs.

The perilous peaks and rugged cliffs are endless, and the sharp, precipitous ridges are chilling.

On land, you either have to cross mountains or take detours; no matter how fine the horse or how steady the driver, you can't go fast.

However, if you make good use of waterways, you can save a lot of travel time.

The Green Jade River, south of the royal city, was called a stream in ancient times. It is unknown when it became such a large river after a flash flood.

Since the Nanzhao existed, passenger boats, fishing boats, and cargo ships have been constantly on the river all year round.

Especially around the time of the Third Month Festival, fishermen and boat owners would decorate their boats, picking at least a few bundles of wildflowers and tying them to the awnings.

Those who were extravagant and refined decorated their boats with large floral patterns made of brightly colored fabrics.

The Third Month Festival is a festival to commemorate Bodhisattva Guanyin.

Legend has it that during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang, Bodhisattva Guanyin manifested her power and subdued the demons that were causing chaos in the Nanzhao Kingdom, bringing favorable weather, free from floods and locust plagues.

During the period from the 15th to the 21st of the third month, the people of Nanzhao would choose a day to find a small earthen temple nearby that enshrines Guanyin, and offer incense and pray for blessings.

At that time, passenger boats on the water will light up, and monks and nuns will chant sutras praising Bodhisattva Guanyin and scatter flowers on the water.

Night markets were open both inside and outside the capital, allowing people to enjoy themselves all night long and experience the rare nighttime fun.

But the bustling crowds were always concentrated in towns, or at least near the city walls.

Elsewhere, little preparation is made for the Third Month Festival.

This year is different.

Recently, many people have been taking boats to dock about 20 miles south of the city.

They stepped onto the grassland there, and after walking two or three miles, they could see the Emerald Rock Slope.

The surrounding mountains are mostly covered with trees, or have been cultivated into farmland.

However, this hillside is impossible to cultivate into farmland because of the dense, hard Shitou that are deeply embedded in the ground.

The soil on the slope, which extends for miles around, is not thick enough to support large trees.

However, the slope is shady and the area is rainy, so a lot of moss grows on the rocks, which is why it has earned the name "Emerald Rock".

Looking around, the entire hillside is covered with piles of blue stones, uneven in height, interspersed with a few small trees and sparse wild grass.

Yet, this very place became the site where the Commander of the Great Tang Inner Guard challenged the Righteous King Nanzhao to a duel!

The challenge was so loud a few nights ago that the news spread like wildfire, and no one knows how far it has gone.

Many of the people who have recently come here are renowned swordsmen and martial artists, as well as members of the Nanzhao army.

Two days before March 15th, neither side of the challenge had shown up, but some of them, already sleeping outdoors, decided to settle down in the vicinity.

This stay actually benefited the fishermen and boat owners in the vicinity.

Aside from those who are truly poor and rely solely on their own dry rations and wild water, other people who see the boatmen cooking river delicacies are always willing to buy some to try.

Some people also hired boatmen to travel between this place and the city, both to carry messages and to deliver food and wine daily, for which they were paid generously.

The relatively desolate section of the river thus appears somewhat prosperous.

"It's a complete mess. How do these people cook? It smells so awful."

An old man with a jade crown and green robe, sporting a bushy beard, stood at the bow of the boat, looking at the nearby boats with a look of disgust.

When stewing fish in an earthenware pot, the fish is put directly into the water without any good seasonings to mask the flavor, so it will have a fishy smell when it first boils.

Skim off all the foam, and after cooking for quite a while, the fishy smell will fade and the fishy aroma will emerge.

The old man, however, didn't bother to think about it further and had already taken out several golden pellets, each about the size of a thumb.

"Uncle Qing, come back."

A deep voice came from inside the boat awning.

Upon hearing this, the old man turned and went back.

Inside the boat awning was a flat, wide wooden box. A middle-aged man with short beard and sword-like eyebrows sat cross-legged on the box, staring at the old man.

"I've said it so many times, our line of work easily leads to bad karma. We might kill or harm some people while doing things, and that's one thing."

"Besides that, we should still be kind to others."

Uncle Qing put away the pellet. "Master, I think the people of Nanzhao are fierce and ruthless. Breaking a few earthenware pots is something a normal swordsman would do. No one will suspect our identities."

The man was none other than Yuwen Chiming, the patriarch of the Yuwen Lineage.

Yuwen Qing, one of the clan elders, had not left his residence for many years and was used to a life of luxury.

This long journey must have left him quite angry.

Yuwen Chiming shook his head and said, "This matter Tongxin shouldn't have been too difficult, but he died here in Nanzhao. Who knows if it wasn't because he was usually fierce and had made too many enemies, causing this unexpected trouble?"

Yuwen Qing clenched his fist, and it cracked with a loud snap.

"Wasn't the Tongxin killed by Hai Donglai? Those hateful Inner Guard!"

"When Tongxin died, Hai Donglai hadn't arrived yet, and there shouldn't have been a group of Inner Guard in the Nanzhao Royal City capable of killing him."

Yuwen Chiming said, "We don't necessarily need to deal with Hai Donglai personally this time, but people like Zheng Hui will definitely be targets we need to deal with."

"We can't let them get too alert beforehand and know what weapons we're using."

Yuwen Qing nodded. "But if Duan Zhong were really left to face Hai Donglai alone, what are his chances of winning?"

Yuwen Chiming wasn't embarrassed and casually replied, "Fifty percent, I guess."

"Fifty percent?"

Yuwen Qing pondered for a moment and said, "Duan Zhong, whose weapon back then was a ring, was already considered a first-rate figure. Although he hasn't fought outside in recent years, he has been honing his skills in Tubo, and I've heard he has some amazing feats."

"Hai Donglai is terrifying, but he must be injured, and we'll be interfering in his plans later."

Yuwen Qing looked at the flat, wide wooden box, revealing a hint of apprehension, yet unable to suppress his excitement.

"In the past two years, you have become adept at using this treasure, as if its former master has been resurrected. I think you would have a 50% chance of defeating Hai Donglai alone."

"So, based on that calculation, Duan Zhong only has a 50% chance of winning?"

Yuwen Chiming didn't say much.

When he was young, he would set a goal for himself and like to break it down into multiple steps. Being able to prepare for one step well meant he had a better chance of success.

Back then, when his elders asked him about things, he would often say that he was 60%, 70%, or even 90% sure.

However, after he became an elder and the head of the family, he gradually became fond of another explanation.

There are only two outcomes in anything you do: success or failure.

Therefore, when asking whether something can be accomplished, saying you're 50% sure is always a safe bet.

"Duan Zhong's current strength is impossible for outsiders to fathom, but Hai Donglai is a monster. Even with this treasure, I wouldn't have much confidence in a one-on-one fight with him."

Yuwen Chiming touched the wooden box and smiled.

"Fortunately, besides Duan Zhong and us, we'll have more helpers."

Yuwen Qing asked in surprise, "Does Tubo still intend to send more experts?"

"All their top warriors must be on guard against the Tang army, and they also need to keep people in the capital. This time, a high priest died outside, so I'm afraid they can't send anyone decent."

Yuwen Qing guessed, "Is it that mysterious ally of yours in Chang'an?"

Several members of the Yuwen Family knew that their patriarch had allies in the Chang'an court.

The world is not just Chang'an and Huaixi. In times of turmoil, they often exchanged intelligence and shared their merits and benefits.

With officials in the imperial court getting promoted, the Yuwen Lineage's power grew even more smoothly, and many of its members held important civil and military positions in the regional military governorships. Why wouldn't they be happy?

However, that person's identity was shrouded in mystery; apart from the head of the family, no one knew his true face.

Moreover, in recent years, the Yuwen Family has not received any more mysterious intelligence or benefits, as if the other party has reaped enough credit and contact with them has been severed.

"That's him."

Yuwen Chiming sighed as he mentioned that person.

"I originally thought he was a man of great ambition, someone who would rather die than live in poverty than be cooked in luxury."

"But I only learned this year that person probably has ulterior motives; his real aim is not to achieve great things, but rather to become an asset to our grand plan."

Yuwen Chiming laughed, "That's good. He's already obsessed, and he'll be even more willing to go to great lengths for this."

The green water rippled, and the small boat turned and left.

Not long after Yuwen Chiming and Yuwen Qing landed, they sneaked into the Righteous King.

The Yuwen Family members they had dispatched separately had already arrived at the Prince's residence to meet up.

Duan Zhong reserved a garden specifically for them to meet.

Sure enough, right there, Yuwen Chiming saw the allure of his ally's massive investment.

There were dozens of men dressed in tight-fitting clothes and wearing straw hats, each of them standing there, their breathing incredibly long.

With Yuwen Chiming's keen senses, he could detect a metallic, coppery odor emanating from them.

Duan Zhong was also scrutinizing these people.

"He is one of the three commanders of the Inner Guard. His official identity this time is that he is with the second group of Great Tang envoys, responsible for investigating the incident involving the first group of envoys."

Duan Zhong said, "So, he didn't come to my residence, but he secretly sent his trusted men to bring these people to my residence just now."

"Brother Chiming, would you like to test these men's skills with your sons?"

Yuwen Chiming simply smiled and said, "This is the Righteous King. How dare we usurp the host's place? Please, Righteous King, send someone to give it a try."

Duan Zhong's gaze shifted slightly.

Two Duan Family guards, having received a signal, stepped forward, their broadswords drawn and crossed in front of Duan Zhong.

When!!

Duan Zhong flicked his right middle finger, and one knife collided with another, shattering simultaneously.

A rain of steel fragments flew towards the men in straw hats.

Thick cloth clothing was torn apart like ethereal water vapor, and a straw hat was shattered, revealing a human face.

These people all had dark brown skin, curly hair, thick and wide lips, and their bone structure was quite different from that of the people of the Nanzhao tribes in the Central Plains Nanzhao.

They turned out to be a group of Kunlun.

A piece of iron shot towards the Kunlun's eyeball, but the Kunlun simply closed his eyes.

Despair!

The piece of metal bounced off his eyelid, causing it to dent for a moment and leaving a white spot.

The Kunlun seemed to be a little stimulated. Suddenly, he turned his head and saw a bird's nest in a tree about four zhang away and nearly two zhang high.

He suddenly moved, leaving the tattered cloth on his body in mid-air, and in two quick steps, he reached out.

The Duan Family guards were momentarily stunned, only to find him already standing under the tree, holding a bird in his right hand, having bitten off half of the bird's body.

"So fast!"

The Duan Family guard who had lost his knife felt a pang of anxiety and couldn't help but look at the other Kunlun, only to see that they all had blank expressions.

Even the steel fragments from the crossbow, as strong as the small crossbow, left no marks on them.

Are all these Kunlun skilled in such martial arts?

"I knew his poisoning skills were top-notch, even surpassing his martial arts. I never imagined he could also create poison-manipulated figures."

Yuwen Chiming's eyes shone brightly, and he immediately revealed the origins of these Kunlun.

I've long heard that there's practically another city beneath Chang'an.

It was known as the Ghost Market, the Underground River, and the Gold and Silver Cave, with tens of thousands of people coming and going, doing all sorts of businesses that were difficult to do openly.

Even the commander of the Inner Guard, if he wanted to create poison-infused humanoids, would probably only be able to find an opportunity in such a place.

Yang Su, a powerful minister of the Great Sui, also loved to create poisonous humanoids. He once concluded that Kunlun slaves were more resistant to poison, but they were quite expensive.

I wonder how many people that commander of the Inner Guard used up to train such a batch of finished products.

Duan Zhong looked at the bloodthirsty Kunlun and smiled, "Good!"

Yuwen Chiming couldn't help but smile.

"We are greedy for achievements, while the people there have become deluded," Righteous King, his anger rising.

"Even Bodhisattvas cannot overcome greed, anger, and ignorance; they still need the Buddha's salvation. This time, with our complete alliance, how can the mere Nanzhao region, even with Hai Donglai joining forces, possibly withstand us?"

If someone were to ask him now what his chances of winning are, he might not say it, but he would certainly have only one thought in his mind.

Will we win? Yes, we will!

(End of this chapter)