The light of the sword is like the moon reflecting on Kyushu

Chapter 2037 Young Master Feng, how have you been?

The wheels rolled over the gravel in the Jishi Gorge of the Yellow River, making a sickeningly soft, crunching sound.

Feng Jiuxiao lifted the blue silk carriage curtain, and the outline of Kuozhou City looked like a crouching giant beast in the twilight.

We've been staying in small places all along the way, and the food and lodging have been quite basic. It looks like this time I can finally take a nice hot shower and get a good night's sleep!

Xiong Mengyan and her group of five followed from a distance in two cars, without coming over to greet them.

Feng Jiuxiao knew that Xiong Mengyan's immediate priority was to consolidate the results of her recent breakthrough in combat power, and she would undoubtedly be meditating diligently in the carriage for the next few days. Without a doubt, she would be following the Taoist cultivation method of "Three Flowers Gathering at the Top, Five Hearts Facing Heaven," guiding her internal energy to strengthen her meridians!

Feng Jiuxiao saw that the city wall was made of rammed earth and stone, three zhang high, with round wooden ribs as thick as bowls exposed in the rammed earth, which showed a black and shiny appearance after being exposed to wind and rain - it was obviously the method of the Tibetans, which had more robust bones than the brick city of the Song Dynasty!
The city gate was wide open, about two zhang wide, covered with rotten wrought iron sheets, the nail marks deep and pockmarked like a face. A piece of charred wood was wedged on top, with ancient Tibetan characters written in ink. He guessed from classical texts that it probably meant "the city where the two sides meet," and according to the Central Plains, it should be called "Kuozhou City." The strokes were gnarled and twisted, like swords clashing.

Eight Tibetan soldiers guarding the city stood at the gate, leaning on their scimitars. They wore faded, bare leather armor, their hair was braided and tied up, and they wore large earrings.

The leader of the group had a face as red as bronze, and his scabbard was engraved with a hideous ghost face. His eyes were glued to the salt bags on the camel humps of the caravan entering the city.

A Han Chinese merchant handed over a document stamped with the golden seal of Zongge City. He held it upside down with his thick fingers, rubbing his thumb on the oil stains of his barley wine-soaked felt coat. The merchant then subtly slipped a silver ingot into the merchant's pocket, grinning, "Sir, we are legitimate merchants..."

The leader immediately revealed a knowing, wicked grin. "We're the most hospitable people here, and we love you Han merchants the most. Come on in!"

"Om Mani Padme Hum..." A limping old woman walked past the car, shirtless, carrying a prayer wheel made of kudzu vines. With each step, she turned it, the six-syllable mantra creaking and swirling in the wind. Behind her followed pilgrims prostrating themselves, their foreheads calloused and bleeding, their knees smeared with mud and scabs from rubbing against the stone pavement. Their piety was so intense, it was as if they were carving the scriptures with their own flesh and blood!

At this moment, Yuan Zishan, Chili, Chang Zijin, and Erni all lifted the curtain to look out at the exotic scenery!
Seeing the pitiful state of those devout pilgrims, everyone felt compassion. Chili frowned and said, "The people here are truly devout to their gods!"

Yuan Zishan said, "Yes, there are also Buddhists among the Han people, but it is almost impossible for anyone to kneel every three steps and kowtow every nine steps for ten miles!"

Chili said, "Miss, you can't do it either?"

Yuan Zishan thought for a moment, then seemed a little lost in thought: "It's very difficult for me to do!"

Chili said, "If, I mean if, the master or madam, or the young master, were to fall seriously ill one day, and someone said that they must go to a temple to pray for a cure, requiring you to kneel and bow like this, would you, Miss, not be able to do that?"

Yuan Zishan asked, "Why do you think I can do it?"

Chili said, "Because you want them to recover their health, right?"

Yuan Zishan laughed and said, "Silly girl, your logic is based on conditions set for you by others, that kneeling is the only option. Isn't that nonsense? If you're sick, you should see a doctor! I don't believe that you can move the so-called heavens by torturing yourself half to death! If heaven has eyes, it will surely sympathize with the world. How could it bear to torment the world any longer?"

Chili said, "Yes, if God torments people half to death before blessing them with health and happiness, then what's the difference between Him and those evil people?"

Yuan Zishan said, "In the Central Plains, Buddhism emphasizes universal salvation, saying that saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda, and that it emphasizes great compassion and relieving suffering. So although I don't believe in Buddhism, I don't dislike it either. But here, I feel very disgusted by Buddhism!"

Chili asked, "Is it those magical artifacts, like the human skin drum and the skull cup, that you mentioned that you're unhappy with?"

Yuan Zishan said, "Not only that! Buddhism in the Central Plains emphasizes the purification of the six senses and follows strict rules and regulations, such as abstaining from greed, killing, anger, and lust. But I feel that Tibetan Buddhism has very few rules! Do you remember that Joyful Dharma King?"

"Remember!"

"The 'Joyful Meditation' he practices is actually a dual cultivation method, which, to put it bluntly, is a despicable means of ruining a woman's reputation!"

"He's just a lecherous monk!"

"That's right! They openly humiliate women, ruthlessly seize and plunder, and disregard human life. They are not monks who live in peace with the world; they are clearly beasts in monk's robes!"

When Pang Shiwu's carriage arrived at the city gate, Feng Jiuxiao had already instructed him not to cause trouble, so he had already put on a smiling face. He got out of the carriage and went to the leader of the Tibetan guards at the city gate, and said with a smile, "I am a merchant from the Central Plains!"

The leading man sized Pang Shiwu up and down, his face full of wariness. "You're a merchant? Why do you only have three carriages?"

Pang Shiwu laughed and said, "We accompanied the young master to the front, and the caravan is behind us. Our young master has had a hard journey and wants to get into the city as soon as possible to take a hot bath, so he rushed over first."

The leading man was still suspicious. "Where is your travel document?"

Pang Shiwu immediately produced the documents. He had prepared a large quantity of these beforehand.

When handing over the document, Pang Shiwu also secretly slipped a silver ingot to the Han merchant, just like the one before him. The leader was already familiar with the process, and he knew how much the silver ingot was as soon as it entered his pocket. It was actually a large ingot of twenty taels, ten taels more than the guy before!

He immediately put on a smiling face, "Oh, you're a businessman! Welcome, welcome! We welcome businessmen the most here! Come in, come in!"

Pang Shiwu smiled, clasped his hands in greeting, and boarded the carriage. With a flick of the reins, the carriage started moving, and he continued to smile at the leading man!

The man in the lead waved with a smile, making sure the atmosphere of "welcome" was fully created!

The wheels rolled into the shadows of the city gate, and the strong smell of raw hides mixed with the pungent odor of ghee hit our noses. The horses pulling the cart snorted, and their horseshoes splashed water in the dents—brownish-yellow rainwater had accumulated in the cobblestones in the street.

The cobblestone path, worn smooth as a mirror by hundreds of yak tail brooms, still couldn't conceal the dried bloodstains hidden in the cracks. One can only imagine the countless fierce battles that must have taken place here in the past! It's said that during the Tang Dynasty, this was the front line of frequent battles between the Tang Dynasty and the Tibetan Empire!

Feng Jiuxiao looked to the east and saw a group of earthen watchtowers jutting out into the leaden-gray sky, each over three zhang tall, with their flat-topped drying platforms covered with colorful prayer flags.

A Tibetan woman was spreading a wet felt blanket on a stone wall to dry. The bright red and indigo colors clashed against the earthen yellow wall, scorching and crushing the dark clouds.

A Qiang blacksmith with a black turban was hammering a blade blank downstairs, the red flames reflecting off the copper bell hanging from the yak horn above the door—the bell trembled and rang softly with each strike of the hammer.

Suddenly, the sound of camel bells startled the street!

A caravan of white-tent merchants emerged from the street corner, their leather sacks laden with salt towering like small mountains. The lead camel had a golden bell tied to a scarlet necklace, and a man wrapped in a fur-lined robe sat between its humps, a fist-sized nine-eyed dzi bead hanging from his chest.

The caravan led the way with a gong, but behind them were three prisoners who staggered and were tied up in a string, their necks bound with cowhide ropes, and whip marks under their tattered clothes that had scabbed over.

Pedestrians indifferently made way, and the old Uyghur woman selling butter tea on the street didn't even look up, scraping her earthenware pot with a clinking copper ladle.

"Hiss!" Old Qian yanked the reins hard. Suddenly, a Qiang child wearing a Nuo dance mask darted out from in front of the cart, carrying half a blood-dripping lamb leg and leaping into the alleyway. Several barks of dogs erupted from the alley, mixed with half a sharp curse in Han language: "You damned wolf cub—" The last part of the curse was swallowed by the pungent smoke of sesame oil.

A sudden gust of wind swept up the smoke and fumes from the earthen stoves of the eateries along the street. The burnt aroma of sesame flatbread mixed with the sour smell of aged horse manure, and the damp, cold rain blended it into a turbid stream that filled our lungs.

The riverside market was filled with pine branch stalls, where vendors spread out wolf skins, cordyceps, and coarse woolen yarn dyed madder red in the mud. Two Tibetan soldiers with curved knives at their waists dragged a thin Han Chinese merchant from a salt stall, tore open the lining of his felt hat, and shook out a few strands of smuggled tea.

As tea dust drifted by, Han merchants hunched over with forced smiles, while Tibetan soldiers' boots crushed freshly picked alfalfa, releasing a foul-smelling green sap that resembled an unripe soul.

Chili said, "It's really lively, with all sorts of people and all sorts of things happening."

Yuan Zishan said, "It's a border town, a commercial hub, and with so many people, there's bound to be a lot of trouble."

The cart came to a slight stop. Before us stood a double-eaved wooden house, its window frames covered with semi-transparent sheepskin. A black wooden plaque above the door bore the inscription "Yuelai Inn" in gold Han script, but below it, a line of Tibetan characters had been slashed with a knife. It was probably a child's prank. The iron eaves jingled in the north wind, but it couldn't drown out the sound of the Dharma drum drifting from the Lama temple south of the street—thump, thump, thump—which made a dried lynx skull hanging on a horse post clatter.

"Crack!" A piece of broken tile suddenly fell from the eaves.

Feng Jiuxiao raised his hand and flicked his sleeve, causing the shattered tiles on the bluestone slab to swirl away like wisps of smoke.

Behind them, at the entrance of the tea and horse shop, a Tangut girl wrapped in a fox fur was tending to the embers in a brazier. The firelight illuminated the bronze wolf pendant hanging from her chest, and also revealed the frozen refugee huddled in the corner—his purplish-black, stiff hands still clutching a withered ear of wheat.

Here, heaven and hell seem to be separated by only a thin line.

Feng Jiuxiao suddenly remembered the saying: "Behind the red gates, meat and wine go to waste, while on the road, frozen corpses lie."
The Tangut girl wrapped in a fox fur coat had a priceless bronze wolf pendant around her neck. Yak meat was roasting on a brazier in front of her, while a frozen corpse was curled up in the corner opposite her!

This scene is truly an eyesore!
Chili also saw the dead body. "Miss, is that person dead?"

Yuan Zishan replied, "Yes!"

"How come no one has claimed the body after someone dies? If this happened where I'm from, someone would have reported it to the authorities long ago!"

"I guess that person just died, otherwise they wouldn't have left their body lying on the street for days without anyone taking care of it."

"What's the name of the officer in charge here, Miss?"

"It seems they call him City Lord, or Great Chief."

Suddenly, Feng Jiuxiao said, "Let's stop here. We'll stay at the Yuelai Inn tonight!"

The carriage stopped, and everyone got off.

Feng Jiuxiao said to Chili: "This place is quite special. This Kuozhou City holds a very high position in Tubo. It is a strategic location of Qingtang Tubo, also known as the Qusiluo Tubo Kingdom. Its ruling structure combines Tubo traditions and local characteristics. The chief official here is directly appointed and directly subordinate to the ruler of the Qusiluo Kingdom, and his status is quite high!"

Zeng Yong said, "Really? Isn't this just like your Imperial City Guard? Apart from the emperor, no one's word matters."

Feng Jiuxiao said, "That's right! According to the secret report from the Imperial City Guard, there are troops stationed here, stationed at the Karima Warrior Camp, mainly to guard against the Central Plains and Western Xia. In addition, the lamas here can also participate in politics and have the right to adjudicate daily disputes."

Zeng Yong frowned. "What? A lama adjudicating a dispute? That's way too much meddling!"

Feng Jiuxiao said, "This is nothing! Just look at the piety of those pilgrims, and you'll know how secure the position of these lamas is in the hearts of the people! To reverse this situation, only a figure with the great talent and ambition of Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han could do it!"

Is Zhao Guangyi capable?

"Whether he can reclaim the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun is still uncertain!"

Chang Zijin said, "I don't think he can do it! He couldn't even conquer the Khitan, let alone this place! The mountains are high and the roads are long; at least half of the troops would die of exhaustion by the time they reach here! This is a high-altitude region, not only is the climate cold, but the air seems thin as well. Ordinary people would have trouble even breathing here. As for unifying Tibet, it's really as Jiuxiao said: only a peerless figure comparable to Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han could turn the tide! When that happens, the whole world will be unified, the government will be unified, and the abolition of this cannibalistic serf system will not be empty talk or fantasy!"

Feng Jiuxiao said, "I have a feeling that Tibet will definitely be unified in the future, but you and I will not live to see that day!"

Yuan Zishan suddenly asked, "What about the Khitans?"

Feng Jiuxiao hesitated for a moment, "It can also unify!"

Yuan Zishan suddenly laughed, "Who unifies whom? I remember a schoolteacher once said that the Central Plains has been divided and united many times, but unification has always been accomplished from north to south. There has never been a southerner who successfully launched a northern expedition! Aren't you afraid that the Central Plains will be unified by the Khitan?"

Feng Jiuxiao said seriously, "Actually, it doesn't matter if the Central Plains are unified by the Khitan. They did a good job of dividing the country into north and south. If they can still preserve the Han system and treat the people well after unifying the Central Plains, then it doesn't matter either!"

Zeng Yong said, "If the Song court were to hear your remarks, they would certainly consider you a traitor!"

Feng Jiuxiao disagreed, "History is written by the victors. If the Song Dynasty eventually unified the Khitan, then what I said today would be treasonous to the Song Dynasty. But if the Khitan really unified the Central Plains, then what am I to the Khitan?"

Pang Shiwu smiled and handed the reins to the Tibetan young man who had come closer. "Brother, you are naturally a hero of the Liao Dynasty! Because your prophecy has come true!"

Feng Jiuxiao walked into the shop. "The reason I think it doesn't matter who unifies the world is because this world belongs to the people. Whoever can make the people live a good life should be the ruler of the world. That's why I said earlier that it would be best if the Song Dynasty unified the world. It must be a kingly army, a benevolent army. As a second choice, it could be the Khitan, because they are the closest foreign race to us, they admire Confucianism, and they value benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness. But other foreign races are not acceptable! We must not let them become the ruler of the world! Take Tibet, for example. Once the world falls to Tibet, wouldn't the people be miserable? Serfs everywhere, children would be skinned alive or have their bones removed, and when they finally grow up, they would be captured to be used for dual cultivation. Would they have any way to survive?"

Everyone fell into deep thought.

The Tibetan young man looked quite like Tashi, who was killed by the jade mantis. He had a dark face, white teeth, and a smile that was cleaner than the snow on the snow-capped mountains!

"Gentlemen, what would you like to eat?" His Chinese wasn't very fluent, but it was understandable.

Feng Jiuxiao said, "Bring plenty of beef, fifty catties first, and bring out all the dishes on the menu."

The young man was taken aback. "Fifty pounds of beef? All the dishes? But we have more than sixty dishes, and there are only eight of you..." The word "people" he uttered sounded a bit like "re-".

Chili laughed, "Eight still!"

Yuan Zishan said, "Don't make fun of him! Can you speak Tibetan? Why don't you say a sentence in Tibetan and let him judge it?"

Chili immediately pouted, "Oh, just kidding, I didn't mean to make fun of him." The young man also laughed and said, "It's okay, it's okay."

Feng Jiuxiao pointed at Big Wolf and said, "You go ahead! He can eat a lot; fifty catties of beef won't be enough for him! You bring fifty catties of beef first, and prepare another fifty catties in advance. If we have enough tonight, we can keep it to take tomorrow. It won't be a waste of our time. Understand, young man?"

The young man looked at Feng Jiuxiao and thought to himself, "Judging by your age, you're younger than me, aren't you? You speak with such an old-fashioned air, and you actually managed to fool me." But he only thought it for a moment, and immediately smiled and said, "Understood, I'll arrange it right away!"

There are not many customers in the store.

There were only two tables of guests, all of whom were businessmen. One table had five or six people, whose accents sounded like they came from the Shanxi and Shaanxi areas, while the other table had seven or eight people, whose accents sounded like they came from the Jiangnan area.

Just as he was about to sit down, a soft, alluring voice rang out from the doorway: "Oh dear, what a coincidence! I've run into you here again. Young Master Feng, how have you been?"

Chili immediately snorted.

Chang Zijing immediately glanced at Yuan Zishan.

Yuan Zishan remained unmoved, neither looking at Feng Jiuxiao nor Xiong Mengyan, her eyes lowered as if she were resting, seemingly oblivious to everything.

Feng Jiuxiao glanced at Yuan Zishan and, seeing that she didn't react, the tension in his heart eased a little. Then he immediately turned around and saw her slender, silk-like, crescent-shaped, alluring eyes and her bright red lips that resembled flames!

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