Chapter 37: 37

Since Mu Zhiming was full of questions as to why Xiao Ren was here, at the border, he soon went back downstairs. However, Xiao Ren was no longer in the inn. Mu Zhiming asked the innkeeper about Xiao Ren’s whereabouts, and the innkeeper replied: “Ah? The guest just now? After having his meal, he left without saying anything or asking for a room.”

Mu Zhiming thanked the innkeeper, then went back to his room, feeling more and more confused.

At that moment, Xiao Ren had left the village on horse, heading all the way to the border between the two countries. Half-an-hour after crossing over the oasis lake, Xiao Ren found a group of Gouji merchants camping in the desert.

Xiao Ren went all the way to meet with the leader of the merchants, who was inside a small tent. There, the leader of the merchants took out a small rosewood box and opened it. Inside, there were three small black pills.

“Is this ‘that’ medicine?” Xiao Ren narrowed his eyes. “It’s so small, how can three pills be worth a thousand gold pieces?”

The leader of the merchants replied in broken Great Jin language: “Locked soul, a herbal medicine, you know? Grows only here. It’s precious. This pill, boiled with that herb!”

Xiao Ren: “Tsk, tsk.”

The leader of the merchants continued: “Men eat it, it protects the heart. It resists all poisons!”

Xiao Ren keenly captured some of that information, and asked: “Women can’t take it?”

The merchant said: “Can, it also protects the heart. But if woman eats it, she’s infertile for three years. Why asking so much? Not buying?”

“I’ll buy it. How can I not buy it, when I’ve been entrusted to do so. Here, the money is ready.” Xiao Ren cunningly smiled. “However, in addition to these three pills, I’d like to buy one more.”

“Yes, money.” The leader of the Gouji merchants ambiguously replied.

“Can I exchange that extra pill for news?” Xiao Ren said with a smile. “I promise you, this is absolutely good news.”

The leader of the merchants: “What news?”

Xiao Ren leaned closer, until the firelight of the camp wavered on his face, making his facial expression look sinister and terrifying. In a low voice, he said: “Gu Heyan, do you know that man? He’s the Commander-in-Chief of the Rong Yan Army. I’ll tell you a way to capture him alive. If you take this information to the Gouji Khan, won’t you be able to get countless riches and honours?”

As he laughed wickedly, Xiao Ran thought: ‘What a coincidence. Although I was just passing by that small village, who would have thought that I would bump into Gu Heyan, the General of the Yulin Army? Besides, as I looked more carefully, I confirmed that no one was around him, except for that Gongzi who doesn’t seem to know any martial arts.’

Xiao Ren felt that he was really lucky to obtain this extra pill for free. Once he gets back to the Capital, he’ll sell it and make a lot of money!

“Do you want to exchange it or not? The pill for the piece of information I have.” Xiao Ren winked at the leader of the Gouji merchants.

The leader of the Gouji merchants pondered for a moment, and then nodded: “Exchange.”

—

At the village inn, the moonlight outside the room looked thin and cool, while inside the room, the flame of the candle resting on the wooden table trembled slightly. Mu Zhiming was sitting at the table, looking at the papers that contained the drawings from the stone, pondering over the words written in the Gouji language, when all of a sudden, he shuddered.

Gu Heyan stood silently to close the window, and once he was done, he turned his head to look at Mu Zhiming: “Go to bed early.”

“Mm-hmm.” Mu Zhiming nodded as he put down the papers in his hand. After remembering today’s incident, when they ran into Xiao Ren by chance, Mu Zhiming’s heart felt inexplicably uneasy: “Let’s go back to the barracks tomorrow after we visit that old lady.”

”
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Gu Heyan: “Hmm.”

After a night of shallow sleep, and a terrifying dream, they left the inn in the afternoon after eating something. The two of them went to the dilapidated ancestral temple at the end of the village. After walking further on, they arrived at the home of Granny Feng.

The host welcomed them into the house and said: “I’m sorry, but my grandmother is in a bad mood today. She only allows one person to visit her.”

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Mu Zhiming said: “It’s already a great honour for Granny Feng to be willing to see us. I’ll go meet her.”

The host nodded and led Mu Zhiming into the inner room. The inner room was small, the windows inside looked clear and transparent. There were many decorations that were unique to the Gouji Kingdom hanging everywhere. Sitting on a blue and white cushion with a cloud pattern, laid an old white-haired woman covered in a thick, bright red coat. Beside her, there was a brazier with burning charcoal to keep her warm.

At a single glance, Mu Zhiming knew that this elderly woman was the person he was looking for, so he hurried forward to bow at her: “Granny.”

The old woman’s voice was old and slow, but kind: “Child, why did you come to see me?”

Mu Zhiming replied: “I like to learn about the local customs, so I travelled all around the country to learn from different places. During this last trip, I came across this place by chance. When I saw the big stone with carvings at the entrance of the village, I was instantly interested in it, so I would like to ask you to guide me.”

The old woman looked at Mu Zhiming. Although her eyelids were drooping, the wrinkles and furrows were deep in her skin, her eyes weren’t cloudy at all. With a smile, she said: “Child, you’re lying to me.”

Mu Zhiming was surprised at first, but then he knelt down and bowed. With a straight face, he said: “I’m an Official of the Ministry of Rites. The Emperor appointed me, Mu Zhiming, as an envoy, to come here and find out the reason behind the war strife between both countries. I implore this old lady to listen to me and solve some of my doubts.”

“An envoy….” When the old woman heard this, her hands trembled slightly with excitement. After a long sigh, she said: “I thought I would never hear the word ‘envoy’ again in my entire life….”

She slowly stretched out her right hand and removed a bracelet from her old wrist. Then, she handed it to Mu Zhiming with trembling hands: “Child, look at this. Do you know what it is?”

With utmost respect, Mu Zhiming took the bracelet with both hands. At that moment, he was able to see the bracelet was made of agate beads as red as blood, and golden beads. The bracelet was strung with a deep red string, and the golden beads were engraved with the word “Gouji”. Stunned to see this, Mu Zhiming said: “Is this the Gouji Kingdom’s most precious treasure in the world? The eighteen blood beads bracelet? I heard that it had been lost for many years, and no one knows where it may be.”

The old woman smiled happily: “It is. I didn’t expect you to be so knowledgeable at such a young age. This was given to my grandfather’s family by Khan Baal. When he was young and fled all the way here, my grandfather was the first to hide him. In order to protect him, my grandfather got his hand broken, so Khan Baal gave my grandfather this bracelet as a token of gratitude.” As she said this, she seemed to have fallen into a distant memory. As she tilted her head, she breathed a long sigh. “Back then, the Gouji Kingdom and the Great Jin had a close relationship. Ah, how lively our village was. But now, sigh….”

Sorrowful sighs take her back to many years ago. At some point, prejudice began to spread.

It may be because of those mercenary guards of White City. Whenever the Gouji people entered White City, they were charged a higher entry fee.

It may also be because of the unkind and unrighteous County Magistrate in White City. Relying on the fact that the Emperor was as far as the Heavens, he raised the taxes. The taxes for the locals were 5 out of 10, but a foreign tax was also implemented, taking 7 out of 10.

It may as well be because the Prefectural Magistrate1, who came down to inspect, when seeing the Gouji people said with disdain: “These barbarians from a small country are coveting the prosperity of the Great Jin.”

Then, the conflicts will begin to accumulate one after another. When tolerance ceases and only narrow-minded prejudices remain, everything will eventually explode.

Once Mu Zhiming learned the reason behind it, he said goodbye and left. However, before he could leave, the old woman asked Mu Zhiming with a trembling voice: “Child, can I still see such peace?”

She can still hear the crisp sound of camel bells coming from the depths of the desert, as well as the foreign songs being sung by a caravan echoing across the vast sky. When she asks them why they come to these lands, they answer: “I have come for you, old friend.

—

On their way back to the inn, Mu Zhiming told Gu Heyan about what he heard just now. After hearing the whole story, Gu Heyan was moved: “A thousand-mile dam can be destroyed by a small anthill2.”

Mu Zhiming nodded in agreement: “Exactly, and….cough….”

”
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Gu Heyan frowned and looked at Mu Zhiming: “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong. Ah, maybe it’s because it’s a little cold today.” Mu Zhiming waved his hand. “Let’s go back to the inn and pack our luggage so we can return to the military camp as soo-….cough….”

When Gu Heyan looked up at that sky, he realised how dark and windy the night had gotten. After thinking that if they travelled in such a rush at night, Mu Zhiming would surely get sick, he said: “Let’s rest for the night and set out tomorrow morning.”

“But….cough, cough, cough….” Mu Zhiming coughed so fiercely he had to cover his mouth, and it even took a long time for him to recover. After that, he had to say: “Alright.”

At night, the wind rose exponentially, and the cold snow covered the yellow sand. Although the village was quiet and peaceful, not far away, a group of Gouji soldiers galloped towards the village at high speed holding torches….

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