My enemies became my companions

Chapter 641 Head (Bonus Chapter - Three Chapters Combined)

Chen Yi followed the steward out of the quiet room with unsteady steps, his face still showing signs of dejection.

The steward led him to the best inn in town, arranged his accommodation, said a perfunctory "Take care, sir," and then turned to attend to other matters.

As Chen Yi stepped into the room, the struggle he had just experienced vanished from his eyes. He weighed the Zhigesi waist token he had regained in his hand.

Having previously passed through the underworld, the territory of King Wuliang, the mountains are like a maze, and the forests are like a ghost realm. If those heretical remnants who were purged by Gongsun Guan were truly hiding in this area, their lair would surely be extremely well-hidden and heavily guarded.

An ordinary scout would likely find nothing, let alone a person, not even a bone fragment. Relying on him to search inch by inch? That's like looking for a needle in a haystack, a sure path to certain death.

Only by integrating into their "network" can we let them guide us.

These hidden heretics are also human beings; they need to eat, drink, and relieve themselves, maintain their functions, and worship the holy deity. Therefore, they inevitably need to continuously obtain resources from the outside world.

Especially for resources like salt, iron, copper, and cloth, which are difficult to produce in the mountains, there must be secret channels. Local strongmen like Yankan, who are resourceful and have connections everywhere, are the most suitable helpers.

"Chen Yi!" A voice filled with urgency and worry rang in my ears.

Her gaze was sinister, like a vengeful ghost seeking death.

Chen Yi turned his head slightly and saw that Donggong Ruoshu had floated to his side again, looking at him with an expression that seemed to say, "How can I redeem you?"

"It's all over, it's all over, it's all over!" Donggong Ruoshu circled around him, her voice urgent and rapid. "Twelve hundred taels! That fat, dark-skinned man was obviously setting you up! How could you be such a gambler? Oh dear, if Qin Yue knew her father had gambled like this..."

"Chen Yi, listen to my advice!" She suddenly floated in front of Chen Yi, her face full of earnestness, "Turning back is still an option. It's not too late to stop now. Look at you, it's only been a few days and you've already lost everything. Think of Qin Yue, she's so young, she can't be without a father! And...and Miss Yin! If she knew you'd gambled away everything here, how disappointed she would be. She's practically your legal wife, and you..."

Chen Yi's head was throbbing from her noise, especially when he heard Yin Weiying's name. His brows furrowed involuntarily. He didn't want to pay attention to this idiot's chatter and just wanted to find a place to sort out his thoughts.

however……

"Shh!" Chen Yi's eyes narrowed suddenly, and he raised his hand sharply, signaling Donggong Ruoshu to shut up.

Donggong Ruoshu was startled by his sudden seriousness and instinctively covered her mouth (although covering her mouth was useless...), staring at him with wide eyes.

Chen Yi held his breath and listened intently.

A very faint, deliberately hushed conversation was coming from above them.

The voice wasn't a local accent; it sounded like a barbarian language. Most importantly, the words had a peculiar rhythm, and the origins of several phrases could be discerned.

The Cult of Light and Darkness?

Chen Yi narrowed his eyes, recognizing these people as members of the Divine Cult, but he wondered if they were heretics.

It just so happens that they've arranged to stay at the same inn as me...

It seems that what made Yankan let him pass was not some local product, but a person.

That makes sense. Yankan is a local strongman in this area, after all. Even if he has little influence, the garrison soldiers wouldn't bother with a little local stuff.

The conversation upstairs was extremely faint, and it seemed as if some kind of simple sound-isolating magic array or barrier had been set up, making it impossible for ordinary people to hear.

Chen Yi's eyes darkened slightly, his mind raced, and then he slowly closed his eyes, focused his mind and calmed his breath, suppressing his aura to the extreme, like a lifeless stone.

At the same time, a wisp of pure sword energy, thinner than a strand of hair and almost invisible, quietly emanated from his fingertips, gliding along the cracks in the rough wooden floor and silently probing towards the source of the sound.

Although it was terrible that his meridians were severed and he fell back to the fourth rank, it also made his use of sword intent and world more meticulous.

Thus, sword energy became his extended ears.

Furthermore, with just a few minor adjustments, one can even understand barbarian languages.

Within the sword energy's perception, the voice became much clearer; it was the steward's voice, speaking respectfully:
"...Rest assured, Your Excellencies, everything has been arranged by the boss. That official surnamed Chen from the Zhige Division has taken the bait. He is heavily in debt and has nowhere else to turn but to obey. He will be responsible for clearing the checkpoint and ensuring that we...pass through the checkpoint safely."

The boss instructed that this matter was top secret, especially regarding that man surnamed Chen; not a single word could be leaked! He only needed to know that it involved releasing local goods, nothing else. That was the safest approach.

The manager's voice disappeared, as if he had left. After a brief silence upstairs, several undisguised sneers rang out.

A rough, hoarse male voice, filled with disdain, said: "Hmph, Zhigesi? Sounds impressive, but he's just a gambler who's been manipulated! What an idiot!"

Another slightly shrill voice chimed in: "Exactly! This kind of trash dares to clear the way for us? If it weren't for the boss saying his connections with the royal family would be useful, I would..."

"Silence!" A woman's voice abruptly interrupted, not loud, but carrying an undeniable authority. "Keep your mouths shut! Gamblers are gamblers, but don't forget he's from the Prince's mansion. The plan cannot fail! Especially..." The woman paused, seemingly confirming the surroundings were safe, before lowering her voice to continue, "...especially Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. There can be absolutely no mistakes! The arrangements there are crucial..."

"Everyone knows this, there's no need to elaborate."

Suddenly, another aged voice rang out, clearly extremely sensitive to the words "Jade Dragon Snow Mountain".

The upstairs fell silent instantly, with only heavy breathing. Clearly, this person held a high position of prestige among the people, and his tone suggested he came from a chieftain's tribe.

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain...

Chen Yi raised an eyebrow. The territory of the Boundless King was located at the border of Sichuan and Yunnan, a treacherous place filled with miasma, indeed a good place to hide filth and evil...

But... Jade Dragon Snow Mountain?
It is located deep in the southern border region, further west, adjacent to Tibet. It is covered in snow all year round, towering into the clouds. It is a sacred mountain that is famous throughout the southern border region and even the entire southwest. It is a frontier that even the royal palace cannot fully control, and it is the source of countless legends and beliefs.

Why would the heretical sect of the Light and Dark Cult be so concerned about Jade Dragon Snow Mountain?

"They're still looking for their lair? Looks like... this is more important than their lair..."

...............

An inn is, of course, an inn, but in these towns with few rules and regulations, it is also a brothel.

The lobby on the first floor also serves food and drinks, and after nightfall it becomes a haven for pleasure-seeking, with the sounds of string and wind instruments filling the air, and the scent of perfume mixed with the aroma of alcohol permeating the atmosphere.

Chen Yi's room was on the second floor, in a very good location. He could overlook the lively singing and dancing in the lobby below, and could also faintly hear the joking and panting coming from the next room.

As night fell, there was a gentle knock on the door, and outside came the chirping of birds.
"Greetings, Master Chen. Boss Yankan instructed us to come and attend to you so you may rest."

The door opened, and a fragrant breeze wafted in. Two or three graceful and beautiful women, some Miao and some Han, filed in. They wore light gauze skirts that outlined their beautiful curves, their eyes full of affection and their glances were charming.

"Master Chen," the leading woman said in a sweet voice, her eyes sparkling, as she brought over the tea and tried to snuggle closer, "I heard you had a bad day, Master. Don't let yourself get upset. Let me massage your shoulders to help you relax?"

Another woman holding a pipa sat down with a charming smile, her jade fingers lightly plucking the strings, and a soft and charming melody flowed out: "Yes, Master Chen, one should enjoy life to the fullest when one is successful. Losing money but winning a beauty is also a happy thing."

They were well-trained, their movements gentle yet provocative, their words soft and sweet, their breath fragrant, trying to soothe the official's frustration after losing the bet and keep him firmly in this den of debauchery.

Chen Yi's eyes were glazed over, and he was about to scratch and pinch here and there.

However, just as the woman carrying the soup was about to lean against Chen Yi, a sudden change occurred.

"Wow--!!!"

A piercing scream suddenly rang out behind Chen Yi without warning, and then a disheveled, pale-faced "female ghost" burst out from the wall behind Chen Yi!

Donggong Ruoshu's tongue was sticking out very long.

"Ghost!!!"

The beauties who were just moments before smiling sweetly and exuding charm instantly turned pale. The tea clattered to the ground, the fruit plate was overturned, the pipa string snapped, their eyes rolled back, and they all fainted.

The room was instantly left with only Chen Yi and a smug-looking Donggong Ruoshu.

"Hmph!" Donggong Ruoshu stood with her hands on her hips, floating in mid-air. "Trying to seduce you? No way! With me here, let's see if they dare to come again."

Chen Yi rubbed his ears, which were stung by the scream, and glanced at her helplessly: "...Next time you scare someone, can you at least give me a heads-up?" He walked to the table, poured himself a glass of cold tea, and ignored the mess on the floor.

Donggong Ruoshu glanced at him and said earnestly, "You gambled so much and made a big mistake. You can't make the same mistake again."

Chen Yi rubbed his forehead and then explained the situation to her in detail.

The young lady from the Eastern Palace's eyes lit up, and she said, "You're so clever!"

"Who's as stupid as you?" Chen Yi kept saying.

“What nonsense are you talking about?” The young lady from the Eastern Palace paused. “I am very wise.”

Chen Yi was silent for a moment, then said, "Great wisdom."

"Of course." Donggong Ruoshu proudly puffed out her chest, which was already worthy of pride.

Even as a ghost, she remained graceful and alluring.

Over the next few days, Chen Yi seemed to be truly immersed in this gentle paradise. He gambled during the day and booked a private room by the window at night, ordered the best wine, listened to seductive music, and watched the dancers downstairs swaying their hips, chugging one glass after another.

His eyes were glazed over, his behavior was unrestrained, he would slap the table and laugh loudly from time to time, and even drunkenly talk to thin air, and even argue with thin air.

Bystanders remarked, "He's gone mad with gambling!"

That night, Chen Yi seemed to drink an unusually large amount.

He staggered up the second-floor corridor, carrying the half-empty wine jug, humming an off-key tune indistinctly.

He went up one more floor, and was so drunk that he couldn't hold on any longer. He slumped against the door with a loud thud.

"Uh... open the door, open, open the door..." He pounded on the door while hiccuping, his voice indistinct, "Little, little beauty, open the door, have another drink with me... I have plenty of... money..." The little noise inside the door instantly fell silent.

It seemed that the people inside were also caught off guard by this sudden disturbance.

Chen Yi slammed his fist on the door and shouted angrily, "Miss Li! You only entertain others! You don't like me, do you!"

After a long while, a faint response came from inside the door: "Sir, you've entered the wrong room..."

"I didn't go to the wrong place... I, Chen Ming, didn't go to the wrong place..." Chen Yi's body, pressed against the door, tensed slightly. His eyes were still blurry with drunkenness as he mumbled incoherently, even kicking the door with his foot. "Open the door, quick... open the door quickly, Miss Li, I saw you go in..."

Seemingly unwilling to cause trouble, a woman's voice rang out from inside the room, and she followed up with a smile, saying, "Lord Chen... there has to be a first-come, first-served order. You can go find another girl."

"How can you pick up other people but not me?"

"Lord Chen has seen far more than you can imagine; I'm afraid you look down on our meager skills."

"You think I'm good enough? I'm not very knowledgeable."

"Why would Lord Chen, who works for the government, be so ignorant?"

Chen Yi said, "I'm a virgin."

"........."

No matter how hard Chen Yi knocked on the door, there was no response for a long time, but his goal had been achieved.

Using his sword energy, Chen Yi scanned the scene inside. There were three men and one woman. All three were at the sixth or seventh rank in cultivation. They didn't look like Han Chinese; they seemed to come from some chieftain's village. The oldest one was at the fourth rank, and judging from his clothing, he seemed to be of Naxi ethnicity.

………………

The sun was high in the sky when the steward finally woke Chen Yi from his hangover. He yawned repeatedly, rubbed his sleepy eyes, and staggered to the rocky embankment, still smelling of alcohol from the night before.

Seeing his dejected appearance, Yan Kan smiled and said, "Brother Chen, it's about time. We should get going."

Amidst his forced smile, a hint of disdain flashed in his eyes. The Prince's mansion seemed powerful and unparalleled, but even the Zhige Division was composed of such worthless individuals—all show and no substance. But if it weren't for this, how could this person have served them? Thinking of this, he smiled even more enthusiastically.

Yan Kan led Chen Yi to a carriage covered with a thick felt.

A burly man sat on the carriage shaft; he was one of the four men upstairs. His eyes swept over Chen Yi warily.

Yan Kan patted the cart shaft: "Brother Chen, everything's taken care of. Just follow this driver and show your face when you pass through the checkpoint. Have a safe journey!"

Chen Yi gave a vague reply, his gaze inadvertently sweeping across the carriage. Under the thick felt covering, three familiar voices were lingering within: the owner of the aged voice, the cold and stern woman, and another rough and hoarse male voice.

With the driver and the three people in the carriage, three men and one woman, that's it.

The carriage creaked as it left Xiemaping and rolled onto the ancient Tea Horse Road. The mountains on both sides were steep and the trees blocked out the sun. The narrow road was covered with deep ruts and hoofprints.

The mist lingered in the deep valley, occasionally punctuated by the cries of unknown birds and beasts, making the silence even more profound. The wheels of the car wheels creaked monotonously on the muddy road.

Upon reaching a strategic pass, the carriage was stopped by guards and awaited inspection by the customs officer.

"Stop the car! Inspection! Documents!"

The customs officer had a stern face. The driver handed him the customs clearance document and the goods list. He didn't rush to take them, but instead gave a look to the guard next to him. The guard understood and opened the list, then leaned out to lift the felt tarpaulin in the carriage to take a look.

The customs officer was an important position in the border area. He was in charge of the entry and exit of the checkpoints, inspected the goods of merchants and travelers, collected taxes, curbed smuggling, and investigated spies. Because of this, the wider the scope of his responsibilities, the more money he could make.

Chen Yi then slowly jumped down from the other side of the carriage, took out the dark Zhige Division waist token, waved it in front of Guan Si, and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Official business of Zhige Division."

The weapon pattern on the waist badge exuded a murderous aura, and Guan Si's expression changed slightly. He immediately stopped his guards.

He immediately stood up straight and became respectful: "So you are a high-ranking official from the Prince's Mansion. Why didn't you say so earlier? My apologies! Please let me through!"

The checkpoint's wooden fence was quickly raised, allowing the carriage to pass smoothly.

After passing the checkpoint and traveling some distance, night fell, and the carriage stopped. It was time to set up camp and rest. Chen Yi got up to gather firewood, but when he returned, he found that the felt cloth had been lifted.

Three figures nimbly jumped out of the car; it was the same three men and one woman from before.
Chen Yi happened to look over, and his face instantly showed astonishment: "Who...who are you? Weren't you supposed to be transporting goods...how come...you're people?"

Magogei merely glared at him fiercely, while the burly man scoffed, waved his hand impatiently, and said in broken Chinese, "Shut up! Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask! Mind your own business!"

His eyes were fierce; clearly, Chen Yi's drunken banging on the door and his frivolous address of her as "Miss Li" that night had already disgusted him.

He greatly admired the woman named Magogeyi.

Then, the man from Zhigesi seemed to be intimidated by him, muttering "More money, more money is a must" as he turned around. Jabale glanced at Magogeyi with a smug look.

The team moved on.

Chen Yi already knew the names of the three men and one woman. The woman was called Maguogeyi, and the other two men were called Jiabalie and Xigu, respectively. The Naxi elder had never revealed his name, and others only respectfully called him Moba, which means "wise man" or "elder".

The mountain path became increasingly rugged. As we passed several Wa villages, several desiccated heads hung starkly from tall wooden poles at the village entrances. Their狰狞 faces were frozen in the expression of death, filled with shock, fear, and resentment...

The Wa village welcomed them and set up a feast in the open air. Jiabale was very excited. He put his arm around Xigu's shoulder, drank heartily, and chatted with the Wa men around him, full of heroic spirit.

They spoke loudly in a barbarian language, shouting all sorts of words without restraint. Their words were a jumbled mess, but they were saying that in some tribe, only those who could hunt down five or six heads were true heroes.

Jabale, heavily intoxicated, deliberately pointed at the heads and said to Chen Yi in a barbarian language, "See these? These are all the heads of Han dogs! Aren't you scared? Hahaha!"

The Wa people's loud laughter echoed through the valley.

Chen Yi looked up.

The newly hung children's hair buns are still tied with red strings, while the old skulls have weathered into holes, and the eye sockets of crows have become black holes from pecking at them.

A wild and cruel laugh echoed through the woods, startling a flock of crows into flight.

Na Magoge frowned, finding Jiabale too flamboyant and noisy. The Naxi elder, however, kept his eyes closed, his lips moving slightly as if he were reciting scriptures, seemingly oblivious to the tragic scene before him. Of course, in their eyes, it was not a tragedy, but an honor.

The Wa people have an ancient custom of headhunting and sacrificing to the spirits. When a young boy in the tribe comes of age, if he is the first to kill a human head, he will be adorned with a crown and feathers and be called a warrior. There are many Han Chinese villages outside the mountains, and there are also merchants, salt and tea traders passing through the area. Therefore, most of the heads are Han heads.

For several days, guided by Naxi elders, the team ventured deeper into Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The air grew thin and cold, and the surrounding area was filled with snow and exposed black rocks.

The elder spent most of his time resting with his eyes closed, remaining silent and taciturn.

That day, after turning past a huge glacial pass, the view suddenly opened up, revealing the outline of an ancient and eerie altar made of massive black stones. Standing in the cold wind atop the snow-capped mountain, it appeared particularly mysterious and oppressive under the pale sunlight.

The elder, who had been silent all along, suddenly opened his eyes. His cloudy old eyes flashed with an astonishing light. His body trembled violently as he struggled to jump off the carriage. Ignoring the cold snow, he prostrated himself on the ground, pressing his forehead deep into the snow, and shouted in a trembling yet fervent voice:

"!"

The other three immediately knelt down and shouted.

The mountain path became increasingly steep and difficult to traverse. Occasionally, frozen or gnawed bones could be seen by the roadside, left uncollected. Jabal kicked aside a leg bone blocking his way and sneered, "Another unlucky fellow. In this godforsaken place, a dead person is treated like a dead wild dog."

Magogei glanced at them coldly: "These people were meant to die here; it's all fate."

Jabale nodded, glancing at Chen Yi who was following behind up the mountain. He lowered his voice and said to Magogeyi and Xigu in their tribe's barbarian language, "This Han dog is useless. He's an eyesore. Taking him along might be a disaster."

Xiguchao pointed to a prominent cliff with a bottomless ice crevice below, pursed his lips, and revealed a fierce glint in his eyes: "Let's find a place and kill him, which will also be a way to free his mind."

Maguge remained expressionless, which could be considered tacit approval.

As they set up camp at dusk, Chen Yi caught a frozen wild rabbit in the nearby snow. He built a fire and roasted it, the oil dripping and crackling, releasing an enticing aroma.

Jabale walked over and said in broken Chinese, "Hey, brother, you got some... rabbit, are you roasting it?"

Chen Yi didn't even look up, turning the rabbit over: "Do you want some?"

Jabale was taken aback by his words, then revealed a malicious smile: "Eat! Why aren't you eating? Are you hungry!"

He swaggered over, reaching out to grab the rabbit's leg, while simultaneously calculating how to make a safe move and avoid being caught off guard.

"Thanks, bro, it smells... deliciously grilled."

He bent down and reached out, his fingers just plucking the roasted rabbit from the ground.

In that instant, the twig in his hand, skewering the roasted rabbit, whistled through the air and pierced toward Jabale's throat.

Before Jabale's sinister grin could even turn into shock, blood splattered all over his face.

puff!

The branch pierced his throat, the immense force causing him to stagger backward several steps. A strange, gurgling sound was muffled by his broken throat, and blood gushed out continuously, splattering onto the pristine snow.

Chen Yi remained expressionless, then suddenly twisted and flicked his wrist.
Click.

Jabal's head was ripped off his neck and stuck to the top of a tree branch.

A cold wind blew, and the head swayed, bloody and steaming hot, tightly strung together, just like the Han people's heads seen in the Wa village before.

(End of this chapter)