Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 1655 - 1648: The Tragedy of 8 Han

Chapter 1655: Chapter 1648: The Tragedy of 8 Han

When the Advance Team took up their combat positions, Fulajie’er’s scouting concluded simultaneously. Her report made the Advance Team somewhat tense, as within a fifty-meter radius around them, at least seventy to eighty individuals were lying in wait, glaring at them like tigers eyeing their prey.

Barriers blocked the Advance Team’s path, forcing them to stop in their tracks. The hunters concealed in the shadows were slowly closing in on them.

"I’ll go handle them, create some noise, and you take the chance to retreat."

Hun Jiansi said this and was about to dismount his horse when Cheng Ziang stopped him.

"What are you doing?" Hun Jiansi glared at him and asked.

"If you plan to travel with us, then follow our rules," Cheng Ziang said seriously.

"What rules?" Hun Jiansi asked with confusion.

"Without the orders of the Saint or myself, no one is allowed to act on their own," Cheng Ziang declared.

"Are you insane? I’m not even one of your people," Hun Jiansi said with a slight frown.

"Then why are you tagging along with us?" Cheng Ziang retorted unceremoniously.

"I..." Hun Jiansi was momentarily at a loss for words.

"In short, play it safe. We don’t want trouble, and you shouldn’t stir any up either," Cheng Ziang continued.

"You plan to use your so-called equality to convince them?" Hun Jiansi tilted his head and asked mockingly.

"If you believe it’s impossible, it’s because your vision is too limited. We’ve resolved many situations without fighting; you should stick around and learn a thing or two," Cheng Ziang said confidently.

"Alright, I’ll wait and see," Hun Jiansi shrugged and stopped talking.

Holding Hun Jiansi in place, Cheng Ziang took a deep breath and then dismounted. Stepping through thick shrubs and wild grass, he casually walked to the barrier and shouted loudly in Kyushu dialect, "Hunters in the shadows, kindly come out. I know you’re there."

His words startled countless individuals, and low murmurs spread throughout the forest.

Cheng Ziang smiled and continued, "We are travelers from the west, not your enemies. We are merely passing through this treasured land and beseech you to clear a path for us."

Once his words fell, the forest sank into silence again. Cheng Ziang held his composure, narrowing his eyes to scan the surroundings.

Truthfully, this was the most dangerous moment. If the other party was unwilling to communicate, this would usually be the point at which they launched an attack.

But years of negotiation experience told him that most of the time, unless the opposition intended from the start to annihilate the Advance Team, they would often send a representative to initiate contact.

As expected, the silence lasted only a few minutes before rustling noises emanated from the forest. A dark-skinned man slowly stepped out from the underbrush, cautiously scrutinizing Cheng Ziang and the others.

His attire differed from other Kyushu inhabitants and bore unique designs characteristic of his native tribe.

He was dressed in short sleeves and knee-length pants, with burlap bindings wrapped around his wrists and calves. On his feet were simple but durable straw sandals.

His long hair was mostly braided and hung down his back, complemented by an oddly shaped straw hat atop his head.

To Cheng Ziang’s surprise, while the man’s clothing was simple, his equipment was anything but.

In his hands was a compact crossbow, and a seventy-centimeter waist dagger hung at his side. Its sheath was no less impeccable than those used by government soldiers.

What caught Cheng Ziang’s attention most was the peculiar armor the man wore. Described as peculiar because it was woven from rattan, fitted snugly to his body yet lightweight; its defensive capabilities remained unknown.

It seemed the ones surrounding the Advance Team were the Qi State hill dwellers mentioned by Hun Jiansi. By appearance and attire, they hardly resembled uncivilized "hill dwellers," though their equipment was somewhat outdated.

Considering the irreconcilable conflict between the Anxiang family and the Qi State hill dwellers, Cheng Ziang strongly suspected that calling these people "hill dwellers" was merely a derogatory term.

"I am Cheng Ziang. I greet the Manor Lords and the Manor Lords in the forest," Cheng Ziang said politely, clasping his hands in respect.

"You... You’re from Yin State? Why are you wearing a Ghost Race mask?" the man said, frowning as he pointed at Cheng Ziang’s mask.

"Our appearances cannot be shown to others, hence this recourse," Cheng Ziang said, brushing aside the subject.

"Is that so? You’re really not spies for the settlers?" the man asked, eyebrows still furrowed.

"We hail from West Outer Heaven, en route to Shengyuan Prefecture," Cheng Ziang replied.

"What business do you have in Shengyuan Prefecture?" the man asked.

"To seek an audience with the Emperor, naturally," Cheng Ziang said.

"An audience?"

"By the Saint’s orders, we escort the Saint to Shengyuan Prefecture for an audience with the Emperor to save the common folk of West Outer Heaven," Cheng Ziang stated.

"You’re going to see Emperor Wu on behalf of the Demon Clan? Utterly delusional," the man said with obvious ridicule, despite his stoic expression.

"Does the Manor Lord find it so unimaginable?" Cheng Ziang asked calmly.

"Preposterous. Do you think you’re someone important enough to persuade Emperor Wu to abandon his conquest of West Outer Heaven? Utter nonsense," the man declared.

In their exchange, Cheng Ziang keenly caught onto a critical clue—the man seemed quite informed about Kyushu’s current situation, or else he wouldn’t mock their efforts.

"How should I address the Manor Lord?" Cheng Ziang asked respectfully.

"They call me Bahàn. I live nearby," the man said openly without reserve.

"And around here..." Cheng Ziang hesitated to inquire.

"Around here is all my brothers and sisters. We heard travelers passing through and suspected settlers’ spies, so we brought people to intercept," Bahàn explained.

"Settlers refer to..."

"Those bastards from the lowlands!" Bahàn suddenly erupted in anger.

"I see." Cheng Ziang nodded.

Through their dialogue, Cheng Ziang roughly confirmed that these people were indeed the Qi State hill dwellers referred to in Kyushu. As for the "lowland settlers" mentioned, it was likely the Anxiang family—outsiders who had taken over their homeland.

"We’re only a small group. Why muster so many people to confront us? Isn’t that overkill?" Cheng Ziang asked.

This remark immediately darkened Bahàn’s expression, though he didn’t lash out. After a prolonged silence, he lightly sighed and said helplessly, "If we weren’t outmatched by those settlers, why would we empty our nests to fight?"

"I know something about it. The Anxiang Clan has many skilled fighters, and you can’t contend with them; is that so?" Cheng Ziang probed.

"Hmph, skilled fighters or not, they retreat with their tails between their legs. Settlers, one comes, one dies. We strip their skins and hang them at the mountaintop, letting them see what happens when they provoke us," Bahàn said viciously, his teeth unconsciously baring into canines.

"Do you harbor such hatred for the settlers?" Cheng Ziang asked.

"How could we not hate them," Bahàn said, glaring at Cheng Ziang, his eyes blazing with fury. "They occupy our homeland, slaughter our wives and children, and rob us of our belongings. Once, they were destitute refugees from the Northern lands, yet they act so domineering and savage, devoid of principles."

"Now, they reside in the flatlands, connected by water networks, cultivating fertile fields, commanding slaves. They live in comfort, while we—who should have been the rightful owners of this land—are driven into barren wilderness, searching mountain cliffs for patches to farm, starving and suffering daily."

"Does the Imperial Court not intervene?" Cheng Ziang asked with a slight frown.

"The Imperial Court, the Imperial Court, huh..." Bahàn, upon hearing those words, seemed on the verge of hurling curses but instead deflated, like the wind sucked out of his sails.

"The Imperial Court ignored us for so many years, yet recently sent officials saying they’d take over our villages and towns. Hmph, neglect us for ages, but now swoop in? They should return our lands to us first before meddling with anything else!"

"The Imperial Court sent officials to take over your villages and towns?"

This statement visibly startled Cheng Ziang. After all, in a feudal society, government administration rarely penetrated deeply into rural towns.

The concept of "Imperial authority stops at the county" was prevalent in Ancient Times, with perhaps only Empire Qin Shi achieving true integration of administration into rural regions. Most of the time, local clans and gentries governed townships in place of the state.

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