It all started with one person becoming a shaman, but the Stand user...

Although it goes without saying that these defensive facilities are far more rudimentary than a real military fortress.

However, for displaced people, defeated soldiers, and even small groups of bandits who lacked heavy equipment and a tight organization, it was an insurmountable barrier.

An ordinary mob of 100 or 200 people probably wouldn't even be able to touch the outer wall.

Huang Liu stepped forward and struck up a conversation with someone, and immediately someone let them in through the gates of the castle.

But the men standing guard at the gate had their eyes fixed on Qing Hemiao with undisguised vigilance, their hands always on the hilts of their knives or the shafts of their spears.

After all, they also need to go out to buy things, hunt in the mountains, and chop firewood.

Except during special periods, the barricades on both sides of the gate and the gate itself are not moved frequently during the day.

Therefore, many cities in ancient times that were breached from within were infiltrated by various pretexts.

Upon entering the castle, the first thing you see is a small square, surrounded by low houses and livestock sheds. The ground is fairly flat, but it still feels crowded and rough.

The air was filled with the complex smells of livestock manure, firewood smoke, and people living together.

About fifteen minutes later, someone must have gone to report it.

A group of people came in from not far away, taking the initiative to greet them.

The man at the front was extremely burly, half a head taller than the average person, with broad shoulders, taking large strides, and landing with a steady and powerful gait.

He wore a faded coarse cotton coat with a sleeveless fur vest over it, and a cloth belt was casually tied around his waist. He exuded a fierce and capable aura honed by the mountains and fields.

Behind him followed a dozen or so men of varying ages, their clothes a jumbled mess; some wore short jackets, others draped in old cloaks.

But each of them had sharp eyes, agile figures, and a casual yet fierce and battle-ready posture.

"Wulang, this is Daoist Qingmiao!"

Huang Liu quickly stepped forward and introduced the two parties.

The burly man at the head of the group, Huang Wulang, immediately put on a smile, strode up to Qing Hemiao, stopped about three steps away, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and spoke in a loud voice:

"Huang Wu, I have met Daoist Qingmiao! Your esteemed name has recently become widely known. I should have taken the initiative to pay you a visit, but I have troubled you to personally come to my humble fortress. I am truly sorry for my neglect, Daoist!"

The words were spoken politely and considerately, with impeccable manners.

Qinghe Miao followed suit and returned the greeting with clasped hands:

"Master Huang is too kind. It is I who have taken the liberty of coming here to bother you. I should be the one apologizing. You have already given me a great deal of face."

Huang Wulang's eyelid twitched almost imperceptibly.

It would be a lie to say that I wasn't wary when the other party suddenly came to me.

However, the place where they agreed to meet was, after all, their own fortress, where there were no fewer than several hundred skilled warriors, all of whom were close to their own kind.

When someone comes to your door alone, it's not appropriate to avoid them; it would be undignified.

"Master, what are you saying! We are too busy welcoming honored guests!"

Huang Wulang laughed heartily and gestured to the side, indicating "please."

"The mountain is simple, and there's not much to offer. If you don't mind, please come inside for a chat and a cup of coarse tea to ward off the cold."

As he spoke, he kept a certain distance from Qinghe Miao and personally led the way.

They led the people onto a fairly wide main road.

On both sides are rows of houses built along the mountainside, most of which are also made of earth and stone, making them sturdy and durable.

Soon, the group arrived at a relatively spacious courtyard in the center of the castle.

The house in the center of the courtyard is taller than the other buildings, and its walls are made of large rubble stones, making it look very sturdy.

Huang Wulang stopped in front of the house, turned around, and in front of Qing Hemiao, instructed Huang Liu, who was following behind him:

"Sixth Uncle, we must not neglect our honored guest. Go and make sure the stove in the hall is burning brightly, and prepare some wine and food, and make sure it's hot."

"Yes, Goro!"

Huang Liu quickly agreed and turned to make the arrangements.

Once inside, the number of followers dwindled considerably; only five or six men, clearly trusted confidants of Huang Wulang or men of considerable standing within the clan, followed him in.

The others remained outside the compound.

Chapter 46 The Legacy of the Tang Dynasty

The lobby is quite spacious, but the furnishings are extremely simple, even crude.

The massive beams and pillars are exposed, bearing traces of tree bark and chisel marks, crisscrossing and supporting the high roof.

The ground was compacted mud, and in the corner were several pottery jars and a few benches.

The only thing that stands out is the large hearth in the center of the hall, which is built of stones.

The firewood inside was being rekindled, and the orange-red flames danced, dispelling the chill from the room.

As the host, Huang Wulang naturally took the seat at the head of the fire pit without hesitation.

There was a complete animal skin laid out there.

Qinghe Miao was given the first seat on his left.

The other five or six Huang family men who followed them in sat scattered around the lower part of the room or around the fire pit, their eyes still fixed on Qing Hemiao.

Huang Wulang sat down, watching as his clansmen served him brown tea in rough earthenware bowls. He gave his guests a slightly apologetic smile and began the conversation:

"The food of people living in the mountains is rather simple. Please forgive my poor palate, Taoist priest."

"Not at all, Master Huang is too modest."

Qinghe Miao took a small sip of tea, glanced at the system panel status bar that only he could see, and said calmly:

"All beings are equal. In this chaotic world, it is already remarkable that such a sturdy fortress could be built against the mountain to protect the clan and its members in peace. Of course, practicality is the best policy."

Tea from the Tang Dynasty tasted quite strange.

Huang Wulang was quite pleased with Qinghe Miao's evaluation, but he also felt a slight pang in his heart. He forced a smile and tentatively asked:

"Does the Taoist priest think... the world is in chaos right now?"

"If we start counting from the Tianbao era of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, there have been various natural disasters and man-made calamities for over a hundred years now. It has been a chaotic era."

This passage also thanks to the [General History (Proficient)] ability for providing some simple knowledge points.

I remember it very clearly.

It seems this ability isn't entirely useless; I should try to improve my proficiency in it whenever I have time.

As he spoke, Qinghe Miao glanced at the system panel again, confirming that there were no abnormalities in the status column. He then proceeded to check the system.

The taste is still weird.

"Master Dao is truly insightful! However, those are all things of the past, so please be careful with your words."

This topic is a little sensitive.

Huang Wulang hesitated for a moment, then waved to a few of his men:

"I'll have a good talk with the Taoist priest. You don't need to stand here anymore. Go and rest. I'll call you if I need anything."

The group exchanged glances, then stood up, clasped their hands in greeting, and left the hall, leaving only two people guarding the entrance.

The hall fell silent, with only the occasional crackling of firewood burning in the hearth and the soft sound of Qinghe Miao idly turning his rough pottery teacup.

The taste is too strange; I really don't want to drink any more.

Seeing this, Huang Wulang also put down his bowl and took the initiative to change the subject:

"We still don't know where Changxian Township is, or who your esteemed master is, or how to address him."

The young man before him, from his words and actions to his demeanor, gave him a sense of being unfathomable.

At this moment, he finally began to understand Huang Liu's act of repaying him.

I really can't understand it.

It resembles everything, yet it resembles nothing at all.

Qinghe Miao's expression remained unchanged, and he delivered the same prepared speech:

"My master's Taoist name is Waigua (Waigua), and I have been practicing under his tutelage since childhood. My Taoist name is my real name; Lord Huang can simply call me 'Qingmiao.' As for Lord Huang, he is called 'Fifth Brother,' perhaps he is the fifth child in his family?"

Huang Wulang was slightly taken aback, thinking to himself, "Does this young man not even know this custom?"

But he quickly covered it up, explaining with a smile:

"Master, you misunderstand. 'Wulang' is not my family's ranking, but my ranking among the male members of my clan. I am not very talented, but I am considered to have some ability among my brothers. The elders of the clan have been kind to me and have allowed me to temporarily manage the affairs of the fort. Master, you can just call me 'Huang Wulang'."

Well, after going around in circles, the two still didn't know each other's nicknames.

"Yes, Huang Wulang."

Qinghe Miao readily agreed and immediately cut to the chase, ceasing all pleasantries:

"Does Master Huang know of the bandits of Luba Mountain in the Northwest?"

Upon hearing Qinghe Miao mention Lu Bashan, Huang Wulang's eyes narrowed.

He had already learned about yesterday's events from Huang Liu, and had some idea of ​​what was going on.

However, it remains unclear what the other party's specific purpose is at this moment.

"Those guys from Luba Mountain... well, they were defeated soldiers from Liu Ye's side who fled back when the Jin King's army attacked Youzhou a couple of years ago. At first, there were about thirty fierce soldiers. Over the years, they've occupied Luba Mountain and coerced and gathered a lot of desperados and refugees who couldn't survive. Now they probably have nearly a hundred men."

He pondered for a moment, sighed, and began to organize his thoughts:

"This gang has more than ten sets of armor, and even military-issue crossbows! With these, they have been running rampant in this area for miles around, robbing, kidnapping, extorting, and committing all sorts of evil deeds."

Even our Huangjiabao has been harassed by them, suffering losses. Now we can only rely on Wubao to barely protect ourselves.

His tone carried a hint of helplessness and resentment, suggesting he had been the target of a lot of trouble.

Holy crap, what the hell? Nearly a hundred people?

There's also armor, and crossbows?!

The numbers and equipment situation left Qinghe Miao speechless with astonishment.

This seems to be "a little" different from the monsters in the first stage of the "newbie dungeon" that he had imagined.

He originally thought that having fifty or sixty people would be the best he could hope for.

In fact, Qinghe Miao's understanding of this period was somewhat skewed.

This is also related to his bandit background.

Since Zhu Wen usurped the Tang throne, officially ending the Tang Dynasty's 289-year reign, the world has not been completely reorganized like a game update.

Whether it's personnel, equipment, systems, or personal grudges, the so-called "bandits," "powerful figures," and "warlords" currently active on the Chinese mainland in this era are all involved.

Most of them are relics from the old Tang Dynasty.

Its core and origins are inextricably linked to the Tang Dynasty, which was not yet completely extinct.

And what was the Tang Dynasty?

It was a dynasty whose capital fell six times, whose emperor was driven away nine times, yet it always managed to recover.

One of its main sources of fighting power came from the regional military governors (fanzhen) that emerged under a special system.

It can be said that Xiao He was both the cause of their success and their downfall.

The Tang Dynasty is now over, and the emperor has been replaced by Zhu Wen, the Prince of Liang.

But those warlords who controlled their own territories were still the same warlords, and their soldiers were still the same soldiers.

In addition, this is a martial arts world.

In such a fierce environment, becoming a bandit wasn't something anyone could do; many of them were not ordinary people.

Of course, this also proves that Huangjiabao, a semi-military armed group, is probably not a simple character.

This choice might just be the right one.

“That Lord Huang.”