Chapter 113: The Secret of Kunlun

Cheng Lu gave a dry laugh. "Ha! If it weren't for you, Chen Mu, disrupting the imperial court, oppressing the gentry, hoarding wealth internally, and waging wars externally, leaving the Great Xia in misery and our neighbors filled with resentment, why would I have ever bothered to overthrow your Great Xia Dynasty?"

This outburst left Chen Mu stunned. Was he talking about him? Was he talking about Great Xia? Was this not utter nonsense?

"Oh, so you were the ones behind the Yin Tang organization."

Cheng Lu said indignantly, "It was me! It was I, Cheng Lu!"

"Your cannons may have repelled our armies, but they cannot silence the voices of the masses."

Chen Mu sneered. "The masses? You mean those few dozen wealthy families? They only know how to oppress the commoners once they have money and power; why keep them around?"

"As for our neighbors, perhaps some harbor resentment, but ever since I began expanding our borders, the people of Great Xia and other nations have exchanged goods, ensuring everyone has enough food and clothing."

"Look at Great Xia and its surrounding vassal states—is there any place that isn't better off than before?"

Cheng Lu wanted to say more, but Cheng Tang interrupted him.

"Chen Mu, let me ask you: where did your technology come from? Why, in just three short years, have you managed to surpass us?"

Chen Mu countered, "That is what I should be asking you. Where did your technology come from?"

Cheng Tang shook his head. "It seems your late father did not tell you. Very well. I fear this time, the Naturalist Faction has won."

Chen Mu frowned, staring at Cheng Tang. "The Naturalist Faction?"

Cheng Tang continued to shake his head. "The power of lightning bridges the mystic; the Kunlun peaks reach for the dual heavens. Alas—the world is about to change!"

With that, Cheng Tang lowered his head and refused to speak further.

Chen Mu chuckled. "Fine, keep your secrets. Once you are in prison, you will have plenty of time to talk."

With a wave of his hand, soldiers stepped forward to bind the three men, gagging them with socks before dragging them away.

Following this, the Great Xia army took control of the city defenses and began taking stock of the people and resources. The city was populated entirely by the Isa people—over one hundred thousand of them. The number of young men was remarkably low, suggesting heavy casualties in the previous battles.

While inspecting the palace, Chen Mu discovered documents left behind by the Cheng family. They showed that the Isa people living in the region—stretching from the Gulf in the west to the Iron Mine City in the east—had been concentrated into three locations.

The first was the Iron Mine City, the second was this capital, and the third was the Coal City to the north. After the defeat at the Iron Mine City, its inhabitants had been relocated to the capital.

At the Coal City, there remained many able-bodied laborers and their families.

The records also noted that to the south of the desert lay an endless sea, and to the north were desolate peaks; the Isa people had never ventured beyond those points.

However, Chen Mu knew that beyond those mountains lay a vast plain, and beneath the snow-capped peaks, there was a path leading to this region. It was the very path Li Feng had used to establish contact with him.

After gaining an understanding of this land, Chen Mu realized the soil was too barren for mass migration. It would be better to keep it as a vassal state. As for the oil resources here, they could not yet be extracted or utilized, so there was no need to rush.

But with the language barrier, how was he to support a new king?

Just then, an Isa man walked past the palace gate. Upon seeing Chen Mu, he shouted in pleasant surprise, "Honorable Chen Mu?"

A guard stepped forward to block him. "Halt! What business do you have?"

Chen Mu turned around. Wasn't this that clever Isa man from the Iron Mine City?

"It's you? You speak the Great Xia language?"

Seeing Chen Mu engage, the guard stepped aside, allowing the Isa man to enter. He walked in happily, stopped a few meters away, and performed a local bow.

"Honorable Chen Mu. That day, I returned and entered the palace as a servant. I like the Great Xia language, so I learned it. It is very good."

Chen Mu smiled. "Not bad. You really are quite clever. What is your name?"

"My name is Avanti, honorable Chen Mu," Avanti replied respectfully.

Chen Mu muttered to himself, "Avanti, Avanti... yes, a fine name."

"From this day forth, you are the King of the Isa Kingdom."

Avanti was completely stunned. It took a long time for him to recover, and he hurriedly bowed again. "Honorable Chen Mu, Avanti is willing to serve you."

"Hahahaha..." Chen Mu laughed heartily.

From that day on, the Isa Kingdom became a vassal of Great Xia, and they signed the Rakshasa Treaty. Should any foreign enemy invade the Isa Kingdom in the future, Great Xia would send troops to support them.

Having arranged matters here, Chen Mu set off for home, accompanied by the three Cheng family prisoners and carts filled with local specialties.

Much of the Isa Kingdom was desert, but crops could be grown in the coastal and oasis regions. This time, Chen Mu took away a variety of foodstuffs: wheat, barley, onions, pistachios, and more. He also brought back unique daily necessities and a herd of camels.

Upon returning to the intermediate fortress, Chen Mu had barely entered his room when a soldier reported that a group of strange people had been waiting for a long time, requesting an audience.

Chen Mu was puzzled. "What is strange about them?"

The soldier replied, "Their clothing looks quite similar to that of the Cheng family."

Chen Mu stood up abruptly and paced the room several times before saying, "Bring them in."

Chen Mu sat waiting. After a while, the soldier brought in ten people. To his surprise, the leader was a young woman.

She wore her hair in the style of a Great Xia court lady, adorned with gold hairpins and jade pendants. With her arched brows, phoenix eyes, small cherry mouth, and fair, rosy skin, she looked nothing like someone who had lived in the snow-capped mountains for years. Even within the Great Xia imperial palace, such beauty would be considered peerless.

The nine women behind her were also dressed as guards, with pistols hanging at their waists.

Chen Mu waved a hand. "Distinguished guests have traveled from afar. Please, have a seat."

"Little woman Long Xueyao pays respects to the Crown Prince of Great Xia." The woman bowed but did not sit.

Chen Mu nodded. "Snow-dusted jade on the island, the white jade capital in the clouds—a fine name. Since you address me as the Crown Prince of Great Xia, I assume you consider yourselves immortals from beyond the mundane world?"

Long Xueyao lowered her head. "I dare not claim the title of immortal; we are but hermits. We grew up in the snow-capped mountains and do not involve ourselves in worldly affairs."

"However, the Observer Cheng Lu has neglected his duties and harbored wild ambitions to seize the world. His crimes are unforgivable. I ask that Your Highness allow me to take this sinner back to the mountains to be dealt with according to our laws."

Chen Mu raised an eyebrow. "Observer? Observing what?"

Long Xueyao replied calmly, "If Great Xia faces the peril of destruction, the Observer is to return to the mountains to report, and we shall emerge to provide salvation."

Chen Mu narrowed his eyes, carefully weighing Long Xueyao's words. Had he not traveled through time, those muskets and cannons from the snow-capped mountains would indeed have been weapons beyond their era.

If it weren't for the fact that the Cheng family was so few in number, and that he had cleverly intercepted their steam locomotives to develop even more powerful firearms and artillery, he certainly would not have been their match.

Could it be that the prophecy known only to the emperors of old—"Heaven protects Great Xia; the flame and blood of Yan and Huang shall never perish"—referred to these hermits in the snow-capped mountains?