Chapter 149: The Drifters

Early summer, with a hint of warmth.

Amidst the bustling crowds of pedestrians at the city gate, a few dark-skinned peddlers carrying shoulder poles had just bribed the soldiers guarding the checkpoint.

The bamboo baskets at both ends of their shoulder poles were covered with green vegetable leaves for camouflage, but beneath them lay several shields. Due to the uneven distribution of weight, the shoulder poles bowed sharply.

At another side gate, Gilha pushed a wooden wheelbarrow laden with bundles of straw, inside of which sharp weapons were concealed.

Following behind a carriage, Gilha slowly pushed the single-wheeled cart into the city of Chang'an. This was his first time visiting the prosperous capital of the dynasty.

Summer always invited rain, and the ground was soft and yielding, making it quite pleasant to walk upon.

The iron-rimmed wooden wheel rolled across the ground, normally leaving little trace, but the heavy weight of the concealed scimitars dug a winding groove into the earth.

Pushing the cart, Gilha arrived outside the Journey to the West Restaurant in the West Market. Pretending to converse with a merchant, he handed the cart over to them.

Bowing subserviently with a humble smile, he followed the merchant into the restaurant like a sycophant.

The restaurant was spacious and peculiar. In the center stood a high platform where a Tang native was telling a story while acting it out, which was quite entertaining. No wonder the prince yearned for this place; even the aroma of dishes drifting from the back kitchen was utterly enticing.

Without lingering or observing too much, they followed the merchant to a reserved guest room on the second floor, paying a month's rent in advance, and hid the bulk of their weapons inside the room.

Upon entering, a few men dressed similarly were sitting about casually.

The merchant smiled and said, "Welcome to Chang'an, Great Warrior Gilha!"

"Hmph, Xu Jiyang, this is your homeland. How can you just let us sneak in and cause destruction?"

Gilha cast aside his disguise, straightened his back, and stood tall like an iron tower with his dark, burly frame, speaking in a questioning tone.

In their eyes, the homeland was sacred and inviolable, and those who readily betrayed it could neither be trusted nor held in anything but contempt.

The atmosphere grew somewhat awkward. Xu Jiyang expressionlessly maintained a silent stalemate with the suddenly hostile Gilha.

A falling-out right now would benefit neither side. Furthermore, this was not a remote wilderness or forest unsuited for lurking and hiding; a place swarming with eyes and ears was utterly ill-suited for hunters to survive in.

Ying Changmu, who understood the atmosphere and grasped the current situation, smiled bitterly inwardly. He knew Gilha’s temperament well—always spoiling for a fight, and since warriors raised on the plateau lived by dueling, they would only submit to the one who defeated them and proved to be the strongest.

Straightforwardness and pugnacity were part of their culture. It was precisely because of this that warriors continuously emerged, allowing a nation formed by the union of twelve major tribes to have a chance at surpassing the Tang Dynasty, which possessed the vastest lands and resources.

However, now was not the time for infighting, nor did he like Xu Jiyang as a hunter. Yet, since their interests were aligned for the present, they could not afford to fall out. He resumed his smiling mediator persona. "Great Warrior Gilha, Xu has already sworn an oath to our gods on Mount Tianling. His homeland is now our royal capital, Lhasa! He is now, just like us, a subject of the Tsenpo and a believer of the gods!"

Xu Jiyang cast a grateful look toward Ying Changmu. Along the journey, Gilha had constantly provoked him, viewing his forbearance as incompetence, and each time it was Ying Changmu who stepped in to rescue the situation.

"Hmph! Then I hope you won't live up to the Tsenpo's trust!"

Ignoring Xu Jiyang, Gilha walked over to the dining table and sat down, eating with his hands from the dishes. The food was unexpectedly refreshing, especially the mutton, which tasted completely different from that of other places, devoid of any gamey odor.

Having stayed in other cities prior to this, they had now followed the Medical Saint into the city as he arrived in Chang'an.

"This mutton tastes even better than the kind back home. I really don't know how these Tang people make it. It seems roasting it over an open fire alone isn't nearly enough!"

Gilha swallowed large mouthfuls, his hands stained with grease and his lips smeared with oil. He grunted and praised the food, inexplicably swelling with ambition—this was surely the kind of thing His Royal Highness the Prince desired. Once the plan succeeded, victory would be within easy grasp.

Xu Jiyang stood quietly to the side, too lazy to speak. Perhaps playing along with the act outside earlier was what had angered Gilha.

"Hey, don't just focus on eating. The situation right now is this: the Medical Saint and the young chieftain of the highland barley tribe originally lived in this restaurant. According to the intelligence gathered, something happened not long ago."

Glancing at Xu Jiyang and seeing him standing sheepishly to the side, sensibly keeping to his station, Ying Changmu had no choice but to explain himself. Originally, all of this intelligence had been gathered outside by Xu Jiyang, who was formerly a secret police operative under the Inwookwei and knew their operations best.

"What happened? Isn't it enough for us to just carry out His Royal Highness the Prince's orders?"

Gilha wiped the grease from his hands with a linen cloth, picked up a bowl of ale, and gulped down the yellowish wheat beer, instantly invigorating himself. Even highland barley wine could not match this refreshing kick.

"The Manichaean sect has been wiped out, and our men have lost contact. It seems the Princess's Estate and the Inwookwei planned it together, and furthermore, the Medical Saint has already gone to the Princess's Estate!"

"What?!"

Hearing this, Gilha sprang to his feet. Because of his towering stature, he now stood a full head taller than Ying Changmu.

"How many of our men have gotten in?"

Ying Changmu remained unfazed, his deep-set eyes beneath a hooked nose looking somewhat fatigued.

"Half have entered, and over fifty are standing by outside the city. I plan to leave about twenty warriors outside to serve as our backup! What do you think? The brains of our highland warriors are no worse than those of the Tang people!"

Filled with confidence, Gilha patted his chest.

"Well, never mind. Let them enter the city in batches, disguising themselves as travelers coming and going through Chang'an. Take a good look at the dynasty as it stands today—this is the place His Royal Highness the Prince yearns for!"

"Why?"

Hearing Ying Changmu's sigh, Gilha did not quite understand and furrowed his heavy brows. If His Royal Highness the Prince had not explicitly demanded that he consult with Ying Changmu, he would not have wanted to take orders from him under any circumstances.

"It's already meaningless. The Princess's Estate is not inside Chang'an City, but out at Qujiang Pond! Moreover, we shouldn't rush to make a move; figuring out the situation clearly is what matters most! The long journey and lurking have left our warriors physically and mentally exhausted. It would be better to rest for a while and store up our strength!"

Ying Changmu sat down with the other two warriors, sliding a cushion over to invite Xu Jiyang to sit as well. They still needed this man for now, so he could not be pushed aside.

Gilha stood frozen in place for a long while before finally responding, "Understood. Then let's do it that way!"

Afterward, Ying Changmu arranged the remaining tasks, emphasizing that Gilha must not stir up trouble on the streets of Chang'an, let alone act on his own accord. Right under the emperor's nose in the Great Tang, they needed to exercise utmost caution to handle any possible emergencies.