Chapter 19

"Dislike these, do you?"

A hoarse voice woke me up. A fat man, dressed in a gray-patterned fur robe, who looked like a swindler from head to toe, approached me, and my eyes lit up instantly.

"It's Master Xia..."

"You are... Sir Ting."

I thought for a moment and spat out a name.

"Master Xia has a good memory..."

He smiled warmly, habitually rubbed the fat on his belly, and I remembered who he was.

His name was Zheng Ting, known as Sir Ting, a self-proclaimed rogue from the maritime province. It was said that his family had a long history of slave trading, mainly capturing local women from the coastal areas of Silla, training them slightly, and selling them as the famous Silla maids.

Obviously, the maritime market of Liangshan was one of his bases. We had met once when the official army was counting the captives and spoils of war.

"Do you have any women..."

I frowned, looking at the unclothed parts between the legs of these foreigners, feeling somewhat disgusted.

"Do you want to buy a woman, Master?"

He took the cue and came closer, starting to introduce his business enthusiastically.

According to his own boasting, his business extended from the barbarian states and Japan all the way to the frozen tundra in the far west. After all, whether in times of chaos or peace, whether in the mainland or the maritime provinces, there was never a shortage of sources for human smuggling.

This time, the storm had blown his ship off course, causing significant losses in manpower and goods, so he had come here to rest and recover, hoping to recoup some of his losses.

"Stop the nonsense, do you have any suitable women..."

I listened to him ramble on about his heavy losses and became impatient.

"Yes, yes, just one string of cash."

He held up one finger, showing a pained expression as if it was a difficult decision.

"You can take this woman away..."

I glanced at her and felt a surge of anger, realizing I had been cheated.

"This skin-and-bones creature, looking like a skeleton, can be called a woman!"

I roared at the object huddled in the tent.

"Where are the secondary sexual characteristics, the curves, the cleavage?"

"Besides not having an Adam's apple, how can this make anyone aroused? Do you want me to masturbate to a living mummy? I'll have nightmares..."

Well, I seemed to have accidentally shouted out something along with my principles.

"Anyway, just feed her, you don't lack food and drink here, right?"

Zheng Ting, though somewhat confused, wiped the spittle from his face and tried to argue.

"I just want a servant who can work and be used, not a sickly person to take care of..."

I suddenly thought of a possibility.

"Hey, you didn't just pick up a near-dead person from the wilderness and pass her off to me, did you?"

"Don't look at her like she's about to die. She was quite strong when she struggled, flipping over several of my men and almost escaping."

Clearly, I had guessed part of the truth, and his expression changed. He quickly changed the subject.

"Once she's fed, she'll be a good worker..."

"What use do I have for a woman with such strength? To plow fields or chop wood?"

I became even more agitated, spitting out my words.

"I want a woman who can serve in the hall, front and back, top and bottom."

"There's nothing I can do... The storm was severe, and the weaker women couldn't withstand it. Only this one survived..."

"Fine, fine, let's make it half a string of cash. You can use her for now. Once she's fed, she can work."

He rubbed his forehead, which had no sweat, and said with a pained expression.

"Whether you beat her or bury her, it's up to you. At least give me some compensation for the expenses of transporting her here..."

We finally settled on three hundred coins. I used a rope to lead away this human-like creature, along with a tattered blanket, not wanting her to freeze to death a few steps away.

"Things are complicated in the mountains now, it's hard to find new sources..."

He couldn't help but complain.

"If the negotiations with the Qingzhou army go well, we might get a few hundred more. Even the families of officials might be available."

Unfortunately, he didn't want to talk more and hurriedly let me go.

Well, one unexpected goal achieved: I got a cheap laborer with unknown attributes.

Returning to Aguda, I had some gains. I traded some paper products with a boat captain from the inland river and got a pair of fur-lined boots. Among the items were incomplete books and some old documents.

I flipped through them and found some news from Luoyang, which were several official notices torn from somewhere.

In the name of the Luoyang Military Council, they were recruiting brave men from the Henan and Hebei regions to suppress the rebellion in the Pinglu, Wuping, and Yanshan towns, led by traitors in the capital.

It seemed that the powerful minister had just quelled a political crisis and was eager to demonstrate his military might and authority, clearly a military adventure to shift the focus. However, this was far from what I had hoped for.

Suddenly, the street became lively. A few men in blue robes were hammering something into a post, surrounded by a crowd.

I frowned and pushed through the crowd, clearly seeing a white paper with black ink, a joint warrant for arrest. Although much of the ink had faded, those in front who could read were already discussing it.

"Is this an imperial edict?"

"Why is there a warrant from the Luoyang Criminal Department?"

"Not just that, the key is the order from the Prince of Zhao."

Hearing this, I felt a jolt.

I remembered that the Prince of Zhao was the title of the powerful minister who was the regent of Luoyang. From a certain perspective, a warrant issued by the Prince of Zhao's office was far more effective than an imperial edict or a decree from the palace.

The State of Zhao, one of the Seven Warring States, was a major power, second only to the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn period. It seemed that the regent was not far from the supreme position of the emperor.

I pushed forward, causing some complaints and curses, and finally saw the words clearly.

"There are remnants of the Yuanheng traitors on the run, the leader being Amro, dead or alive. Whoever captures him will be granted the title of County Lord, with a fief of a thousand households, a third-rank salary, a reward of fifty million coins, and a marriage to a member of the imperial family."

Amro, I broke out in a cold sweat. Wasn't this the alias I used when I escaped from Luoyang? The faces of a group of young people, along with their admiration, reverence, and sorrow, flashed before my eyes.

I was just a passerby, how did I become the leader of the remnants? What did my predecessor do to provoke the regent to such an extent? Unfortunately, I couldn't think of it at the moment.

Fortunately, I used an alias, and the physical description was clearly inaccurate. If people were to follow this warrant, many would be mistakenly identified. I was pushed out of the crowd with mixed feelings.

"Old Xia..."

A voice called me back to my senses. It was Luo Ke-di, who was patrolling the street with his men.

"I heard you bought a woman."

"What, so soon?"

I was taken aback.

"Of course, you're the only one who has taken care of that fat man's business these days."

"However,"

He leaned in with a mischievous look.

"You have quite a unique taste. Everyone knows you bought a woman who would be blown away by the wind."

"You guys are really observant..."

I complained. I bought a woman as a cover, you should be relieved now.

"Let me show you some real entertainment."

He led me through several streets, past a noisy dock, and to a stage with a fresh earthy and wooden scent, surrounded by cloth screens.

"What is this?"

I saw several women in exotic costumes slowly dancing and singing on the stage. A few people were already standing below, looking puzzled.

"These are Japanese miko performances."

Luo Ke-di explained to me.

"Quite a rare treat."

"Really?"

I saw the expectant look on his face and reluctantly stayed.

To be honest, the costumes of the Japanese miko at that time were not as beautified and modified as in later times, designed specifically for erotic appeal. The colors were not bright, and there was no exposure of the armpits or loss of dignity.

Although they spoke mostly in Chinese, their dances to appease the gods were incomprehensible, and their strange instruments and incomprehensible singing made people drowsy.

Surprisingly, more people gathered, showing great interest, which surprised me. When did the ancient Chinese, or these pirates and merchants, develop such a refined appreciation for foreign entertainment?

The music and rhythm became faster, and the crowd began to show a certain anticipation and understanding. The previously drowsy and impatient people suddenly became excited.

A group of women in masks appeared. The moment I saw their costumes, I understood. These ancient ritual costumes were essentially just a few strips of cloth wrapped around their bodies, and they were wearing nothing underneath.

As they moved vigorously or jumped high, the shaking and swaying, along with the turning eyes of the onlookers, produced some heart-felt exclamations and various gasps.

The dancers were not particularly beautiful, but they were young and full of energy. Wearing masks, they performed various mythological stories, which I could understand to some extent, thanks to my research on the ancient Japanese chronicles to prove the long-standing incestuous traditions in Japan.

Well, I can admit that in the face of a strip-tease performance, cultural and religious differences are just trivial.

As the performers were drenched in sweat, the miko performance finally ended, leaving many people with lingering gazes, unwilling to leave.

Then, a middle-aged woman with a worldly air stood up and spoke fluently, thanking the audience and explaining that these women had taken vows to rebuild a shrine called the Monobe Shrine and had sailed to China to raise funds.

Then, some people stepped forward and threw money into a box, and the sound of coins clinking filled the air.

I couldn't help but complain. What were a group of Japanese miko doing at the maritime market hosted by the powerful Liangshan?

Raising funds to rebuild a shrine? Do you think everyone is like the famous Aiko from Izumo, who is so famous that people flock to her wherever she goes?

The Chinese don't buy into the Shinto religion from a small country like Japan. Raising funds by dancing alone probably wouldn't even cover the travel expenses.

But what I saw changed my mind.

"Lord..."

"Please accept our gratitude and hospitality."

With the call, the first few people who threw money were welcomed in, followed by more people asking about the prices.

I suddenly understood something. It seemed that the ancient profession had some commonalities across time and place.

Although these Japanese miko were not particularly beautiful, with short legs, flat faces, and rough, dark skin, they were still acceptable to the Liangshan crowd.

This made it easier to raise funds to rebuild the shrine and achieve the goal of improving the gene pool. Clearly, the legends of various immigrants seeking genetic improvement in Japan, which persisted until the start of the Meiji Restoration, were not baseless. It would be even better if there was someone named Aiko.

Well, under the guise of miko, they not only raised funds but also sought genetic improvement. It seems that the modern Japanese sense of propriety was lost here.

But for me, after being influenced by modern AV aesthetics, these ancient Japanese women, who had been confined to a few islands and had long-term inbreeding, were not appealing.

At least, they needed to be the result of decades of genetic improvement by American soldiers in Japan, with a more mainstream aesthetic.

I threw a white coin into the box and said as I was greeted.

"Well, it's just a bit of resentment towards AKB48..."

I quickly retreated in the background noise of frog and cicada calls, accompanied by the eager panting and moans of the crowd, and fled as fast as I could, not even saying goodbye to Luo Ke-di.

This was too embarrassing for me. Watching a group of performers in AVs is one thing, but participating in it and providing entertainment for others is another.

"Leaving, are you?"

Luo Piao-qi, sitting cross-legged in a tent nearby, said without turning his head.

"It seems you have no interest in the Japanese miko or their goods."

"But you are quite familiar with foreign customs."

"Continue to have someone follow him."

"Understood."