"Your Highness, how can these barbarians be so ill-mannered?"
“We came here on His Majesty’s orders, yet they are so negligent. They should at least host a banquet to welcome us and wash away the dust of our journey, if not greet us from ten miles away.”
But they've settled us in these shabby stone and tile-roofed houses, saying the barbarian king will come to see us immediately. We arrived in Guiyun City at 9 PM, and now it's almost midnight, but he still hasn't come. We've been sitting here in vain, and these barbarians haven't even offered us a cup of hot tea, nor have they provided any servants. I really don't know if they're uncivilized or just arrogant!
In the main hall of the mansion in Guiyun City, Jin Ziyi couldn't help but complain as he looked at the gloomy-faced Prince Jing, Jin Pingwu. As the prince's attendant, he was indignant to see these barbarians treating him so disrespectfully.
Having waited here for so long, the so-called new barbarian king still hadn't arrived, which made Jin Ziyi not only dissatisfied but also furious.
After Jin Ziyi finished speaking, King Jing crossed his arms, looked the crude roof beams up and down, and said disdainfully:
"You should know that in the past, they all lived in caves and in the wild, eating raw meat and drinking blood."
"If it weren't for that Qin..."
"If His Majesty hadn't sent a large army to subdue them, who knows what they would be like now. But no matter what, these guys aren't very bright. Ultimately, they're different from us. How can we judge them by ordinary standards?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Jin Ziyi said indignantly, "Even so, isn't this too much neglect of the Prince?"
"You must know that Your Highness is..."
King Jing raised his hand to interrupt, and said coldly, "Alright, enough with the nonsense, go and ask what's going on."
"It's been so long. Even if it's from more than ten miles away, it should have been over by now. Besides, isn't this the heartland of the Southern Barbarians?"
"Yes, Your Highness, I will go and inquire." Jin Ziyi then walked out.
As soon as he stepped outside, Jin Ziyi raised an eyebrow. He saw a large group of people walking towards him. Each of them was tall and straight, with sallow faces, messy black hair, and bulging muscles showing through their open chests. They exuded a fierce aura.
In the middle of the crowd stood an old man leaning on a beechwood cane. Compared to the others, he was noticeably smaller. His face, etched with deep white hair, looked as if it had been cleaved by a knife and axe. The crisscrossing wrinkles and his unfathomable eyes made him appear as if he were on the verge of death.
But at this moment, he grinned, revealing his yellow teeth.
"I am busy with clan affairs and have failed to greet you properly. Please forgive me."
Jin Ziyi glanced at him and said unhappily, "So you're the newly appointed barbarian king? You've kept the prince waiting for quite a while! You're putting on quite an air!"
After saying this, Jin Ziyi turned and walked into the door with a cold face. The barbarian guards who were walking towards him changed their expressions and glared at his back. One of them snorted and strode forward, but the old man stopped him with one hand and continued to walk forward with a smile.
Inside the main hall, King Jing had already heard the commotion outside. He sat upright in his chair, squinting at the doorway, waiting for the barbarian king to arrive. Jin Ziyi and the other guards stood aside, watching coldly.
But before the person arrived, a hoarse laugh rang out first:
“My name is Wu Li, and I am not worthy of the title of barbarian king. I am only temporarily serving as the chieftain. Moreover, since we live in the same land, how can my barbarian tribe claim to be king?”
The old man stepped through the door, cupped his hands in greeting to Prince Jing, and smiled.
King Jing raised an eyebrow and said, "Oh? Is that how it is now? Wasn't Wu Kui known as the Great King of the Barbarians before?"
The old man casually found a chair and sat down, sighing, "Alas, that's all in the past."
"Things in this world change too quickly; we barbarians must also learn to adapt."
King Jing narrowed his eyes and looked the old man up and down, who did not seem to be a "barbarian" at all. He said directly, "I will not beat around the bush. I have already made it very clear to your people when I came here."
"As you all know, Da Gan is currently experiencing internal strife. After landing at Nan Gang, the rebel army is now marching towards Nan Ze. Fortunately, their forces are not numerous, and the person leading them is none other than the traitor Qin Ze."
"Since they have come here alone, this is a golden opportunity to suppress them. His Majesty has decided to use a large force to quell the rebellion, but to achieve a decisive victory, we also need your barbarian tribe to send an army to join us in suppressing them."
"You've kept me waiting so long, I suppose you were discussing things with your people?" King Jing looked Wu Li up and down, who was all smiles, and then said indifferently:
"So? What's the result of the discussion? How many troops can we send?"
Wu Li stroked his messy, pale beard and said:
"The rebels don't have many troops, and since Nanze already has a large force, isn't that enough?"
"Hmm?" Upon hearing this, King Jing's face immediately darkened, and he said coldly:
"Didn't I say that Qin Ze is here this time too? He's a cunning fellow. If we want to kill him in the chaos of battle, we must lay a tight net and not let him escape."
"Barbarians have always been skilled in warfare, and their alliance with us against the enemy naturally greatly increases our chances."
"I wonder what the barbarian king means by saying this?"
Wu Li simply stroked his beard but did not reply.
King Jing shook his head, displeased, and said:
"You should know that a few months ago, the barbarians sent hundreds of thousands of troops to Beiliang to suppress the rebels. Unfortunately, they fell into the traitor's trap at Yanluo Mountain, resulting in a great defeat. You probably know better than I how many people died in that battle."
"This is a blood feud!"
"The traitor is so violent and has committed such heinous crimes against the barbarians. Not to mention you, even we are filled with resentment. Now that the traitor has come here, it is the perfect opportunity for us to kill him in one fell swoop."
"With our enemy at hand, are you really going to stand idly by?"
As he said this, King Jing shifted his gaze from Wu Li to the barbarians beside him.
Without a doubt, these people must be the upper echelons of the barbarian tribe.
At this moment, King Jing saw that their faces had turned ugly, and some of them were even red-faced and angry.
But Wu Li remained unmoved, as if he hadn't heard a thing.
"Killing so many of you is a blood feud, and it must be avenged!"
"I've always heard that the barbarians are full of martial spirit. From the old and frail to the young, they are all brave and courageous men. Is it different now than before?"
"Are these still barbarians? Have we come to the wrong place?" Jin Ziyi said sarcastically from the side.
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