Chapter 366 - 204: Odd People

Chapter 366: Chapter 204: Odd People

"Arturo, of the Shache Kingdom!"

The man announced his identity.

Arturo, from the Shache Kingdom, one of the Thirty-Six Kingdoms of the Western Regions.

Arturo’s piercing gaze was aggressive, making no attempt to hide his intentions.

He glanced at the small cup on the table, then swept it to the floor with a wave of his large hand.

CRASH!

The cup shattered on the ground.

Arturo lifted a wine jug with one hand and began to chug it down.

"Ugh! This wine is terrible!"

After smashing the cup, Arturo tossed the wine jug aside, smashing it as well.

Xie Luohe walked out from the kitchen holding a cleaver and stood silently behind the counter.

Zheng Xiu glanced at his wife, shook his head, and took a small sip of his own drink.

"If you’re here to drink, then drink. Don’t go smashing things." Zheng Xiu set down his cup, pointed at the shards on the floor, and smiled. "You’ll have to pay for that."

Zheng Xiu’s frighteningly calm reaction made Arturo’s heart thump.

’So he really *is* the one pulling the strings in secret!’

’The books were right. You can’t judge Central Plains People by their cover!’

Arturo’s arrogance subsided. He grabbed a piece of cured mutton from the table, stuffed it into his mouth, and mumbled as he chewed, "We have plenty of gold in the Shache Kingdom. Name your price, Boss Mo."

Although the Shache Kingdom was small, it was rich in mines, especially gold mines.

When Zheng Xiu didn’t answer, Arturo grinned. "As long as you hand over the route map that crosses the Great Desert into the Central Plains, Boss Mo, you can have as much gold as you want!"

Zheng Xiu just smiled and pushed the jug of wine in front of him toward Arturo.

Arturo was taken aback. As the saying goes, ’friends are made over wine.’ He thought Boss Mo wanted to test his tolerance for alcohol and become good friends. Delighted, Arturo unhesitatingly lifted the jug and chugged it down in one go.

Only after Arturo had finished drinking did Zheng Xiu speak. "My wife and I are just common folk living here in Richan Town. We ended up here by accident ten years ago after getting lost in a sandstorm. We have no idea what this ’Green River’ you’re talking about is, General."

Arturo’s expression changed drastically, and he was about to erupt.

He suddenly recalled the strange state of his subordinates a few days prior, then looked at Boss Mo’s fearless expression.

"This meal is on me."

Zheng Xiu stood up, his left hand behind his back, and made a "please leave" gesture with his right.

Xie Luohe silently brought out a whetstone and began to sharpen her cleaver, producing a harsh, grating sound.

"Good! Good! Good!"

Arturo’s tolerance for alcohol was clearly much better than that worthless Monk’s. After two jugs, his face wasn’t even red, and his heart rate was steady.

He laughed three times, said nothing more, and turned to leave.

Xie Luohe came around the counter with her cleaver and walked to her husband’s side.

"Should I?"

Xie Luohe brandished the cleaver.

"Yes."

Zheng Xiu smiled, stroking the back of Xie Luohe’s smooth hand.

Xie Luohe’s long hair fluttered as she prepared to rush out and kill him.

But Zheng Xiu said, "Tonight, I’m craving your specialty, fennel-stewed lamb head."

After Arturo left, Ri Di rushed in, looking flustered.

Seeing the shards on the floor, he was stunned. "D-d-did a fight break out?"

He wasn’t sure if Boss Mo could fight.

But he knew for a fact that Xie Luohe was a formidable fighter.

That was why he had dared to let Arturo come into Mohe Pavilion alone after learning he was looking for them.

"Not really."

Zheng Xiu reassured Brother Ridi with a few simple words, telling him not to worry.

That evening, Xie Luohe cooked a feast for Zheng Xiu.

And in turn, Xiaozheng made sure his Madam had several feasts of her own.

「A few lazy days passed.」

The clan’s expert scout, who had ventured into the Central Plains to gather intelligence, crossed the Great Desert once more and returned to the valley.

The young man’s name was "Ding," or Ri Ding in full. Ten years ago, he was just a snot-nosed little boy clumsily learning Archery from Xie Luohe. Now, ten years later, he was capable enough to stand on his own and cross the Great Desert alone.

Ri Ding’s skin was tanned brown, and his feet were cracked and bloody.

He was visibly thinner, but upon his return to the valley, his eyes shone with a brilliant light, as if he had undergone a baptism.

"Master, Madam."

Ri Ding now lay in bed, his breathing weak, but his gaze was exceptionally clear.

Upon seeing Xie Luohe and Gongsun Mo enter, he struggled to sit up.

He had called Xie Luohe "Master" and Gongsun Mo "Madam."

Zheng Xiu pursed his lips.

’I want to hit someone.’

Ri Di, who was beside them, urged Ri Ding to quickly share his intelligence from the Central Plains.

Ri Ding began to recount the information he had gathered.

Zheng Xiu listened the entire time without saying a word.

Xie Luohe’s expression shifted several times, finally settling on one of pure worry.

As it turned out...

About ten months ago, the Northern Barbarians, having spent years recuperating and rebuilding their strength, had rallied their forces. They assembled a great army and invaded the heartland, splitting into five columns and breaking through several weak points along the border.

About ten years ago, after General Zheng led his army to repel the Northern Barbarian Army, Daqian had gained a moment of respite.

But now, the old Emperor had been killed by Cheng Xiao. With no new Emperor enthroned, Daqian’s internal conflicts had surfaced, plunging the dynasty into a period of extreme instability. The King of the Beiman, as if he had known this all along, launched a sudden attack, engulfing the northern lands in the flames of continuous war.

The people of the north fled south in droves. With the battle lines stretched thin, even the Divine Martial Army was powerless to turn the tide and was exhausted just trying to cope.

At the same time, the hidden dangers planted by the old Daqian Emperor’s early tyranny and neglectful rule were completely ignited during this critical period. All across the land, grassroots rebellions raised their banners, hoping to use the opportunity to overthrow the Daqian Court and establish a new Heaven.

Among the many rebel groups, the most formidable was the "Chu Mountain Army." They were united, well-equipped, and within just a few months, had spread like wildfire. They planted the "Chu" banner in city after city, amassed an army tens of thousands strong, and entrenched themselves in the south. Becoming warlords in their own right, they took advantage of the Court’s hollowed-out southern garrisons and showed signs of splitting the country into north and south.