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The relationship between the Qiang people and the Southern Xiongnu wasn't particularly bad, primarily because there was no deep-seated historical hatred between them. However, neither was there any particular sense of gratitude or favor. As soon as the Qiang chieftain Rinagu finished speaking, several Qiang men stepped forward, ready to act.
"That won't do!" Fei Qian stated sternly, stopping Rinagu's vengeful impulse. "My dear White Stone brother, the gifts I intended for you have mostly been recovered. But what about my losses? I lost four carts and twenty men. If you kill all these people, who will I seek compensation from?"
"But the sheep and horses these Chinazi left behind should cover your losses, shouldn't they?"
Fei Qian shook his head, speaking very seriously. "My dear White Stone brother, those are my spoils of war, not compensation paid by this group for my losses. Those are two different things."
Rinagu looked at Fei Qian, then glanced briefly at Ma Yan. Although still somewhat dissatisfied, he didn't say anything more. After all, Fei Qian's words held logic, and more importantly, there was military force ensuring that logic was respected.
Rinagu's words had mostly been venting frustration. Of course, if Fei Qian hadn't objected, he would have gladly gone through with it, especially since he intended to use this bowl, as Fei Qian had mentioned, to hold offerings for the White Stone God. Now it bore a scar...
×××××××××××××
Rinagu left with the goods. Fei Qian had the Xiongnu captives tied up in a line, preparing to take them back to the Beiqu camp.
"Young Lord Fei, I still don't quite understand why you gave those things to that Qiang man..." Huang Cheng asked, moving closer to Fei Qian as he walked beside him.
"If not for that reason, the Qiang likely wouldn't have helped us, and we might not have found this group of Xiongnu... Heh. Besides, now that the Qiang have this exquisite bowl for offering to the White Stone God, won't they want matching food, wine, and cloth? These additional desires will gradually consume their already meager wealth..."
Luxury goods were, by nature, derivatives of human desire.
Huang Cheng scratched his head. "But what if they run out of money and try to rob us again?"
"Then we teach them one thing: either wipe us out completely in one strike, or every single one of them will pay the price for such actions..." Fei Qian looked at the Xiongnu captives sandwiched within the procession. "We must thank generations of Han border troops. Nowadays, whether Qiang or Xiongnu, they have been slaughtered to the point of losing their former pure savagery..."
Now only the Southern Xiongnu remained. The once even more savage Northern Xiongnu had been driven towards the Alps. But now, on the lands once belonging to the Northern Xiongnu, north of the Wuhuan, a minority group called the Xianbei was rising. And near Lake Baikal, a people called the Tiele were gradually moving south...
These newly emerging Hu peoples were the true inheritors of the barbarian mantle.
Fortunately, they weren't particularly powerful yet.
Fei Qian turned to Ma Yan. "Brother Chengyuan, the mountain road near our camp isn't fully repaired yet. I think since these Xiongnu had the strength to rob our goods, they certainly have the strength to carve out a proper mountain road... If any are disobedient, I trust you know what to do..."
Ma Yan, seated on his horse, cupped his hands and smiled. "Naturally."
Though he smiled, combined with the blood smeared across his face, it created a rather chilling impression.
×××××××××××××××
"Goddamn it! He didn't remember I was his nephew when he had the army clubs out! Only after the beating did he come talking about military discipline and whatnot—useless crap! So what if we grabbed a few women? What's the big deal? I'm a bandit, not a soldier! Who needs all those rules? Do they fill your stomach?" A burly man with a full beard, wearing a yellow turban, muttered impatiently. He swaggered forward, but after a few steps, he seemed to feel a lingering pain in his backside and couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath. "Damn it, this injury just started getting better, and now he calls for me again. Hmph! If he doesn't offer me some benefits this time, I won't acknowledge him as my second uncle anymore..."
The bearded man walked on, suddenly tripping over something on the ground. He stumbled forward several steps, nearly falling.
"Son of a bitch! Who left a knife here! Almost made me fall!" He turned his head, grumbling as he walked over to the knife on the ground. Suddenly, his eyes lit up...
What a fine new ring-pommeled sword!
The scabbard was covered in high-quality cowhide. Fine hemp cord was tightly and evenly wrapped around the hilt, feeling excellent in the hand...
The bearded man looked left and right. Seeing no one seemed to have noticed, he secretly drew the sword out a little. A cold, watery gleam met his eyes, the fish-scale pattern along the spine looking utterly enticing.
The bearded man chuckled gleefully, quickly sheathed the sword, and hid it inside his robes. He then continued forward to a tent, coughed a few times, and shouted, "Hey, Second wha— I mean... Chief Guo Da, I'm here!"
The bearded man stood waiting for a moment but got no response from inside the tent. He called out again, then grew impatient, lifted the tent flap, and ducked inside.
But not long after, the bearded man emerged, his face pale, panicked. He lifted the tent flap and scurried out stealthily, like a thief...
"Chief Guo! Where are you going so late?"
Two men walking from the edge of the camp ran right into the bearded man, Guo Niujiao.
"Chief Han, Chief Yang," Guo Niujiao said, his expression panicked. "This... I'm just taking a stroll... Yeah! Just taking a stroll!"
"Oh..." One of the men shook his head slightly, a hint of sarcasm in his tone. "Our Chief Guo is quite the man of leisure, huh? What, out for a stroll as soon as your injury's better?"
"Ah, haha... Well, you see..." Guo Niujiao laughed evasively and tried to turn away.
Suddenly, the other strong man grabbed Guo Niujiao. "Chief Guo, what's that in your robe?"
"Nothing! Nothing!" Guo Niujiao flusteredly twisted away from the man's grasp and tried to leave.
"Halt!" Chief Yang shouted. "Guo Niujiao, why are you hiding a blade?!"
Just then, a shrill, miserable scream came from a large tent in the camp: "Chief Guo Da! Chief Guo Da has been killed!"
Guo Niujiao's expression changed drastically. He immediately lowered his head and charged forward, trying to rush out!
Chiefs Han and Yang looked at each other, then shouted in unison: "Guo Niujiao, halt! Men! Seize him!"
*****
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