Chapter 387: Arrival at Nangao

"A plan that kills two birds with one stone? Interesting, tell me more." Kairos stared fixedly at Zhaluoke, who had transformed into human form, trying to glimpse some omen of the future from him.

"I went to great lengths to lure that Dwarf from the south of the world to here. He is on his way to Nangao, and this one carries a rare treasure."

"."

"Aha! I see it! I see those damned high walls burning!"

Following the Fateweaver's exposition, the fog of the future was unveiled. Kairos's excited screech echoed throughout the Jianqi Moyu, and a great host of Tzeentch Daemons under his command began to assemble.

"Looking toward home—the road is long—buying wine in a desolate village to soothe my worries—"

Sinuoli, of course, did not know what was happening in the Jianqi Moyu; he led his party along the main road toward Nangao. Considering it was already winter, the further north they went, the more desolate it felt.

The economic center of Weibei Liesheng was clearly not planned to be at the foot of the Changyuan, and the capital, Nangao, served mainly as a military and industrial hub, so it was naturally not as prosperous as Fuzhou.

The alert levels of the towns and villages along the way were also very high, with no entertainment options to speak of. The Changyuan could block the main forces of northern invaders, but there would always be small groups of stragglers that slipped through. Moreover, the closer one got to the Chaos Wastes, the more easily the people of Zhendan were corrupted.

"What a magnificent city!"

As the sun set in the west, Sinuoli gazed into the distance at the end of the horizon and exclaimed in admiration. As the western terminus of the Changyuan, Nangao was situated at the foot of the Aishang Shanmai, relying on the terrain to build nine lines of defense known as the "Nine Walls of Nangao." With their help, Nangao had never fallen since its completion.

"Brothers! Speed up! This is the administrative seat of Weibei Liesheng; there will be no shortage of good wine and food!"

"Report! Is the visitor the Dwarf King Sinuoli?"

"That is correct!"

"I am a garrison lieutenant of the inner wall, here by the order of the Princess to welcome you!"

"Aha? We are still several miles from Nangao City; is Her Highness the Storm Dragon so courteous?"

The Dwarf King sat on his ram and raised an eyebrow. Having someone to welcome them was a good thing, but the rank of the person who came was clearly insufficient, and it was unclear what it represented.

"The end of the year is approaching. We are conducting border trade with those outside the pass, but for safety and to avoid trouble, inspections are required for entering and exiting the city. Sending me here is just to give you a heads-up."

The lieutenant's speech carried a thick northwestern accent, but fortunately, this was not a difficulty for Sinuoli.

"Border trade? It seems that outside the Changyuan is not entirely the domain of Chaos; this move is indeed quite effective in easing conflicts."

The transmigrator muttered to himself. Border trade was trade between different countries and races; compared to free trade, its characteristics were fixed times, fixed locations, and official supervision.

"Who all comes to participate in the border trade? Barbarians?"

"Barbarian is a general term; if you break them down, there are several different factions. And besides Humans, the Hobgoblins on the grasslands also do business with us."

"Hobgoblins, what can they sell? Dire Wolves?"

As a king who enjoyed trade, Sinuoli knew a thing or two about these fellows. They were a variant of those small things from the Old World that could never be killed or burned away—bigger and stronger, but slightly less cunning, perhaps an attempt by Gork and Mork to find a balance between Goblins and Orcs.

They, along with the Ogres of the Aishang Shanmai, were powerful threats to the Changya Zhilu. Before the sea routes were opened, to reach Zhendan, one either had to cross the Aishang Shanmai or traverse the grasslands controlled by the Hobgoblin Khanate. Compared to the flat grasslands, the mountains had places to hide and maneuver, so the probability of passing through successfully was slightly higher.

"All kinds of livestock, and some unique resources from the grasslands. Those Khans need better gear and things that provide amusement!"

The lieutenant rode his warhorse alongside Sinuoli, and during their conversation, the gates of Nangao City came into view in the distance.

"Fellow countrymen, make way! By the Princess's order, let our Dwarf friends cut in line!"

In front of the city gate, many merchants and their carts and horses were gathered, queuing to enter the city. The lieutenant held his scroll high and cleared a path.

"Pass in front of this Demon-Reflecting Mirror; it's routine, please don't take offense!"

"Demon-Reflecting Mirror? What is this thing?"

Looking at the two-man-tall mirror placed in the city gate archway, Sinuoli frowned in confusion.

"The method for making this thing was offered by an alchemist some years ago; it can reveal the Magic Qi attached to people or objects!"

"Magic Qi, that is the Zhendan term for Chaos corruption. It's called 'reflecting,' but it's actually just mixed with certain materials sensitive to it."

Sinuoli figured it out after a moment of thought. There were many things in the Old World that had the same effect; the Order gods could all produce some, and his own Doom Anvil had the same function.

"Brother, is this thing reliable in its judgment?"

Because the system could display the various levels of corruption in a location, Sinuoli was accustomed to checking it upon arriving at a new place to determine how high a level of vigilance he needed to maintain.

But upon opening the indicator for Nangao City, the Chaos corruption index was quite high, with Tzeentch corruption being the primary type. If the Demon-Reflecting Mirror placed at the city gate was really working, that shouldn't be the case.

"It is definitely accurate! Ever since we had this thing, our city garrison has caught many evildoers trying to sneak into the city and confiscated many evil items." The lieutenant's tone carried a bit of pride; in his view, this was perhaps the result of Sinuoli being inexperienced.

The Dwarf party walked slowly past the Demon-Reflecting Mirror, but Sinuoli was not in a hurry to enter the city; instead, he walked around the mirror to examine it carefully, wanting to see if he could figure out the trick.

"Who!"

He suddenly felt a sharp gaze from behind, but when he turned around, he could not find the source in the crowd.

"What is wrong with you?" Gotrek, as his personal bodyguard, sensed his lord's anomaly.

"Tsk, notify the brothers, don't be too relaxed, keep your wits about you." Seeing that the party had all passed through, Sinuoli shook his head and said nothing more.

"Hey you Dwarf, are you the Storm Hammer Sinuoli?"

Before they could even admire the situation on both sides after stepping onto the main road of Nangao City, a group of strangely dressed Humans came rushing over from the opposite side, and the leader shouted loudly toward them.

"That is correct! Who are you, and what is your business?"

"I don't change my name when I walk, and I don't change my surname when I sit; I am Gualjia Hailanzhu!"

Looking closely, the person who came was a female warrior. She was quite tall, and the tight belt around her waist accentuated her broad shoulders. She wore strange hairpins and had a wild tattoo on half her face; she carried a Scimitar at her waist and a long bow on her back, heading straight for Sinuoli.

"Oh? It is actually her!"

Through the name, Sinuoli understood. This female warrior was a Banner Lord of the Manchu Tribe, nicknamed the Saibei Sky Wolf, ranked fourth on the Heaven Ranking, and was truly formidable.