Chapter 132: The Westerners of Chizhou

What is going on here? How could a Westerner have ended up in this place? Surely he isn't trying to control these savages and turn them into soldiers? Could they even learn to use firearms?

The Westerner was just as startled to see Chen Mu. Isn't this man a Great Xia citizen? Why would a Great Xia citizen come to such a place? How did he even get here?

At that moment, the savages beside him began shouting at the Westerner, asking how they should deal with this captive. The Westerner thought for a moment, pacified the savages, and then addressed Chen Mu in the Great Xia language:

"You are from Great Xia, aren't you?"

Chen Mu nodded. "And you are a Westerner."

The Westerner was shocked. "How do you know about the West?"

Chen Mu smiled. "The West launched an attack on the Hua Kingdom, only to be defeated by the alliance of the Hua Kingdom and Great Xia. Later, the West fled to the Kingdom of Isu, where they were defeated by us again and driven even further west."

The Westerner’s expression shifted several times. "How is that possible? How could Great Xia defeat the West?"

Chen Mu chuckled. "Believe it or not, that is the truth."

The Westerner pondered for a moment before asking, "How did you get here, and what is your purpose?"

Chen Mu replied coolly, "I came with the army, riding in a vehicle."

The Westerner was startled once more. "A vehicle?"

Chen Mu nodded. "Yes, an electric tracked vehicle."

The Westerner leaped up, letting out a sharp, piercing shriek as if someone had stepped on his tail. "What!? Electric!?"

Chen Mu offered a faint smile. "Why are you so surprised?"

The Westerner stared at Chen Mu with a grave expression for a long time. Then, he spoke rapidly to the savages, gesturing wildly as he did so. The savages swarmed forward and pounced on Chen Mu.

Chen Mu gave a faint smile. Understanding the Westerner's intentions, he offered no resistance and allowed the savages to bind him. A group of them then carried him away, trekking until they reached a valley. The terrain here was incredibly complex, like a labyrinth. After passing through a "gate" and making over a dozen turns, the group arrived at a "nest."

They took Chen Mu’s sword and locked him in a mountain cave, leaving two men to guard the entrance. Chen Mu was not anxious; he sat where he was and began to regulate his breathing to heal his injuries. He knew the Westerner intended to use him as a hostage to bargain for a vehicle so he could escape this place. The Westerner had clearly realized from Chen Mu’s attire, weaponry, and demeanor that he was no ordinary man and held significant value as a hostage. Taking his sword was merely to secure their leverage.

However, Chen Mu had no intention of waiting for his men to rescue him.

As darkness gradually fell, Chen Mu’s injuries had mostly stabilized. The guards at the entrance had grown relaxed, chatting and howling to one another at the cave mouth. Chen Mu maneuvered his bound hands from his feet to his front, pulled a hidden dagger from his boot, and sliced through the ropes.

He stretched his limbs, crept quietly to the entrance, and suddenly grabbed one man by the neck, pulling him back with force until he fell unconscious. The other man turned at the noise, only to be met by Chen Mu's fist. Stunned and reeling, he was quickly put down and lost consciousness.

Chen Mu dragged both men into the cave and stepped back out, intent on finding the Westerner. He searched the perimeter, looking for anything resembling a structured building. The structures here were nothing more than hovels made of brushwood that would leak in a heavy rain. However, one hovel stood out from a distance. Its roof was covered with wooden planks and draped with tattered cloth—it clearly belonged to someone of "status."

"Heh, this must be it."

Seeing that no one was nearby, Chen Mu walked straight over. As he approached, he heard snoring from inside. He lifted the curtain and darted in, pinning the Westerner to the ground with his knee while clamping a hand around his throat.

The Westerner woke in terror, struggling desperately but to no avail. He tried to scream, but could only manage muffled, guttural sounds. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness and he recognized Chen Mu, the reality of his situation dawned on him. He had never imagined that after being stripped of his sword, tied up, and guarded by two men, Chen Mu would be able to escape—let alone track him down to his own room.

The Westerner stopped struggling.

Chen Mu loosened his grip slightly, and the Westerner immediately took a ragged, gasping breath.

Chen Mu whispered, "I advise you not to shout. Otherwise, I will have no choice but to kill you first and then fight my way out."

The Westerner nodded vigorously. "Mm-hmm."

Chen Mu looked at him. "Who are you? How did you end up here? What is your objective?"

The Westerner, seeing no other options, decided to confess honestly; there was no point in lying anymore.

"My name is Lewis. Ten years ago, I was sent here with a dozen companions on a mission to search for resources like oil, iron ore, and coal."

"We trekked across vast deserts to reach this place. We thought that because it was close to the sea, there would be abundant resources. But while there are two rivers here, there is very little vegetation."

"We discovered this mountain had many trees and thought we would come here to forage for food, but we were caught in a landslide. I was the only survivor of my team."

"Later, I discovered this tribe. I used a flint to perform a trick, and they came to view me as a god."

At this, Lewis looked up at Chen Mu.

Chen Mu nodded; Lewis’s story sounded plausible. It seemed the Westerners had been harboring ambitions of searching for resources as early as ten years ago.

Chen Mu’s expression turned fierce, radiating the killing intent he had honed on the battlefield as he asked coldly:

"Then why did you lock me up?"

Lewis shuddered. "I... I was afraid your army would come looking for you and cause trouble for me. I wanted to use you as leverage to trade for a vehicle and resources."

"Then I planned to take you with me, force them not to pursue, and once we crossed the harbor, I’d just drop you off. Then I could return to the West."

Chen Mu laughed and shook his head.

"Didn't I tell you? The West has already been defeated and has fled even further west. If you return to the Snowy Mountains now, you will find nothing but an empty valley."

Lewis was stunned. "What? Are you telling the truth?"

Chen Mu: "Obviously."

Lewis asked again, "But it wouldn't be empty. What about the people of the Hua Kingdom?"

Chen Mu: "The entire population of the Hua Kingdom has migrated to Great Xia. I personally designated a territory for them."

Lewis’s eyes nearly popped out of his skull. "Designated? You designated land for them?"

Chen Mu smiled faintly. "Indeed. My name is Chen Mu, the Crown Prince of Great Xia. Naturally, I have that authority."

Lewis gasped, a chill running down his spine. "T-t-t-the Crown Prince?"

Chen Mu chuckled. "Do you understand now? If you truly harm me, the armies of Great Xia will hunt you to the ends of the earth to kill you."