Emergency
Nieyao was the product of a tyrant. Perhaps it would be fairer to say it was the product of a state because he invested so many precious minerals and conscripted his denizens to labour in the elements regardless of time of the day. By the time the city was complete, three rulers had stepped down. If Beussent wasn’t so busy constructing the city, they could’ve launched the war on the Central Plain considerably earlier.
To say Nieyao was a symbol of authority and wealth would only be partially correct for the reason that it was also a symbol of Xiacang people’s might. They erected a gold pillar and colosseum out of precious stones in their city for their warriors to exhibit their prowess when their sovereign offered them the opportunity. Nobody knows if Xiacang Guya – the sun’s guardian – still stood or not ever since the city was “cursed”.
While Black and White Reflection covered the accomplishments of Nanjiang’s warriors, none of their issues thus far had detailed how the city fell to ruin. If it did, I wouldn’t be throwing darts in the dark. I could only make the conjecture that Six Evils was most probably the reason for the city’s downfall based on Luo Ming’s history.
Since Nieyao sat between Baimu and the region of Nanjiang that the imperial court had jurisdiction over, the imperial court must seek permission from Baimu if they wanted to march into Nieyao. Heisina Tribe’s unexpected revolt introduced another factor that needed to be accounted for.
Upon making eye contact with me, Heisina Duohua scuttled back. Her intuition was spot on. I was thinking that, if we could offer her to Baimu in exchange for permission to enter Nieyao without any hindrance, it would be a solid deal for us. Young Shiyi unlikely approving was one reason I dropped the idea. My second reason for ruling it out was because, although Heisina Duohua was withholding information of some sort, her anger hinted that there was more to the “rebellion” than the semantics told us.
“What are your plans?” The purpose of my open-ended question was to give Duohua full authority over her decision.
“I… shall bid you farewell here and now.” Duohua conveyed to Young Shiyi, “Thank you for rescuing me. I have an entire state on my tail, so… I can’t implicate you… especially you, Miss. You have been the nicest to me ever since I set foot in the Central Plain. Farewell.”
“Wait.” Young Shiyi stopped Duohua. “Tell us where you’re going if you’re going to leave. You said an entire state is after you. Do you realise how many are going to be after you? You’re practically marching to your death if you blindly stroll out there.”
Touched, Douhua cast her gaze down and shook her head, teeth digging into her lips. It was unlikely she didn’t think she needed help. More than likely, she was wary of us, or rather, me.
“You’re not alone, are you?” I questioned.
Duohua juddered.
“If you don’t mind, we can turn a blind eye to you. Of course, what I mean by not minding is witnessing your tribe’s extermination.”
“How do you know my tribesmen have been taken captive?” Duohua sealed her mouth with her hands right after.
“It’s not hard to guess. It wouldn’t make sense for you to be hiding out in the Central Plain when your appearance makes you stand out, would it? Either you’re here to execute a mission or have been on holiday for quite some time in the Central Plain. Based on your circumstances, the former is unlikely. Unless they’re crazy, nobody would send you on a solo mission. Since your entire tribe is taking part in the revolt, I presume your tribe prefers to act as one.
“For Wu Ba to personally capture you, you can’t just be another face in the crowd. If even you have been apprehended, your tribesmen are either detained or offed. I just made a random guess from those two options.”
“… You’re correct on both accounts. Not only have they captured my tribesmen but also killed the majority of them. Of the thirty-six people who came to the Central Plain, including me, there are only three of us left. Three are detained, and nine are on the run. I don’t want you to be n-”
“Stop. Give me some leads. I’ll rescue them. After that, you are to tell me who you really are and what happened at Baimu.”
Duohua’s reaction told me she didn’t expect my suggestion, but she quickly extinguished her rekindled hope. “If you can save them, I’ll tell you anything, but you’ll fail… You’re no match for them.”
“Don’t jump to conclusions before you try. I’m pretty good at dishing out pain.”
“I couldn’t care less if you killed yourself. I don’t want her to risk her life. Don’t put yourself on a pedestal. You think Wu Ba is tough? He’s only an official of Baimu in the Nine Provinces; he mainly does business. Although he can fight, he’s inferior to me. The truly dangerous ones are his two subordinates.”
I regarded Young Shiyi with my eyes and then tucked my arms under each other: “Tell me more.”
“One of them works for an assassination organisation in the Central Plain. They have a pristine record as they’ve never failed to execute their targets. They’re called Aut-”
“Autumn Water Sword Sect?”
“Y-you know them?”
I pointed to the corner that was now the two assassins’ crib: “Those two I knocked out are from the organisation.”
“… The other one is one of Baimu’s elites. He accompanied Wu Ba to the Central Plain as an assistant; however, his real task is to search and take us in. They’re the ones who killed my tribesmen… Ah Su is the royal family’s adept.”
Rather than be impressed with the two pugilists described, I was more impressed with Duohua’s background. “You just proved yourself to be someone extremely important. Else, they wouldn’t dispatch the royal family’s elite to capture you, would they? That’s all I need to know for now. Get back in the sack.”
I didn’t give Duohua time to appeal, shoving her back in and sealing her accupoints. I didn’t seal her five senses or knock her out; I only immobilised her. Sharing a cosmic moment with me, Young Shiyi rearranged the room and heated the tea back to the temperature it should be a while ago. I then put Wu Ba back in his sitting posture before and opened his eyes.
“Strange. I feel so tired.” Wu Ba tried to shake out his fatigue. “Where were we?”
“You just mentioned Heisina Duohua.”
Wu Ba stopped to jog his memory then said, “Yes, yes, Heisina. Y-”
“I know who she is. I just want to confirm if it really is her or not. Heisina Tribe are dissidents in your state. She’s important, isn’t she?”
Wu Ba’s accomplishment flitted across his face: “She is, indeed. There are nine of them still on the run. I hope you can aid me before I return to Baimu.”
“Well…” I chuckled under my breath. “Want to see our true prowess?”
“I dare not question your competence! His Majesty stressed not to accost you.”
“Good. Now, tell me: are you using them as hostages?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Why are you asking the obvious? You expect us to search an entire city for nine people? They’re obviously bait.”
“But… how are we going to lure them out when they’re in hiding?”
“Simple: hand them over to us. We’ll ride around the city and whip them until they come out. We just have to butcher them after. Easy, isn’t it?”
“You butcher people with swords?”
“Don’t mind it. It just rolled off my tongue.”
“I see… Do you plan to start now? It is late now.”
“Better early than late.”
“It is never too late to learn, and everyone has his field of specialty. I have learnt much from our meeting.”
Knowing the sayings of another’s culture is one way of establishing friendship. Though Wu Ba used the two sayings oddly, it proved why he was a foreign diplomat for Baimu.
“Please step after me.”
Okay, I take back the part about him being a qualified foreign diplomat. That is not how you use those lines.
Wu Ba picked up his sack, while I shoved the two girls from Autumn Water Sword Sect into the cupboard. I left some money on the table and a note for the concierge to not touch anything in the room.
I would’ve believed Wu Ba if he told me he was a local of Cuiwei Town based on how well he knew his way around – and even the fact that the narrow lane existed. It’s not uncommon for foreigners to take shelter in abandoned shrines, temples or what have you, yet they lodged at a mansion.
Wu Ba reported to them with a secret knocking rhythm, then answered a few questions in Nanjiang’s language prior to having the doors opened for him.
At a glance, there were fifteen or so people, half of whom were armed with loaded mechanical bows. Although they regarded him, they showed nothing but animosity for us, prompting Wu Ba to scold, “They’re our guests. Stand down.”
Upon entering a room, someone brayed, “Who’s there? Wu Ba?”
“Yes.”
“Come in. How did it go?”
“About time you came back. Cuiwei Town has been jinxed these last few days.” Despite his complaint, his reclined posture and the look of fulfilment on his face as the five girls massaging his limbs told a different story.
“What happened? Did something happen to our prisoners?”
“Of course not. Who do you think I am? Just bizarre things have been happening. Somebody stole the two tigers we’ve been raising. The local magistrate and other officials suddenly fell ill, leaving us with nowhere to lodge. I went to meet up with our informer in the trope, only to listen to him quaver about some demoness’s advent and some dog?”
“Pet dog?” Young Shiyi voiced.
The man’s eyes flew open.
“Thanks, Wu Ba,” I expressed.
With that, Wu Ba passed out for the second time on the same night.
Young Shiyi and I chortled. As I rubbed my hands, I said, “What do you want with The Demoness and her pet dog? How about we settle the score here and now? Otherwise… you won’t be able to read tomorrow.”
Glossary
Swords and butchering – In Chinese, “slashing” is a verb commonly associated with a broadsword saying, while “stabbing” is reserved for the sword version. It’s not wrong per se, but it’s not colloquial to use them the way Ming Feizhen did.
Okay, I take back the part about him being a qualified foreign diplomat. That is not how you use those lines. – It’s one of those instances where someone tries to use gufeng style but uses it incorrectly. Specifically, Wu Ba uses a way of saying “to walk”, which you can use as a means of saying “follow me” in some contexts, but his way of saying it doesn’t work.
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