Half a day later.
A team of seven or eight people.
Stay outside a row of yurts.
Suddenly it was everyone from Chen Yulou.
They set out from Shuanghei Mountain early in the morning and headed north towards the majestic Kunlun Mountains.
now.
Finally crossed the vast black desert.
I saw that everyone's robes, jackets and cashmere gowns to keep out the cold were all covered with snow particles, and their leather boots were also covered in mud and dust, making them look dusty.
However, each of them had clear eyes and showed no signs of fatigue. Instead, they looked at the small village in front of them with great interest.
This is almost after leaving the Turks.
They saw human life for the first time.
The village is not big.
Sparse houses are located at the foot of the mountain.
At a glance, there are only about ten households in total.
It is slightly different from the traditional Uighur yurt. The house in front of you is white, with earthen wood as beams, and the roof is not waterproof felt, but a mixture of soil and weeds, forming a flat or slightly arched structure. .
It looks somewhat similar to the Tantric Buddhist Temple.
"It should be the Gekun tribe."
Chen Yulou looked at it for a moment and suddenly said.
"Gu Kun?"
"What tribe is this?"
Hearing these two words, everyone felt indescribably strange.
The land of the Western Regions has been recorded in history.
Sai, Wei, Wusun, Yuezhi, Qiang, Rouran, Gaoche, Turk, Uighur, Tubo, Khitan, Mongolian, Manchu, Xibo, Sauron, and Tuyuhun have lived on this land. Etc. clan.
But many of them have disappeared in the long river of history.
There are also many ancient people who changed their names.
Or differentiate, assimilate, and disperse in other forms.
But even so.
This was also the first time they heard about the tribe of Kun and Kun.
“A small country that existed in the Qin and Han Dynasties, in the north of the Xiongnu, was annexed and subjugated by the Xiongnu in the early Han Dynasty.”
“In addition.”
"The reason why you haven't heard of it is because it does not belong to one of the thirty-six countries in the Western Regions."
Chen Yulou explained softly.
Although the country was subjugated, the descendants of Li Kun have never disappeared. Some of them were assimilated by the Xiongnu, but more of them traveled to Central Asia.
The name of the tribe.
In addition to Gekun, there are also Jiankun and Hegu. In the Tang Dynasty, these people were called Xijiasi, and in the Yuan Dynasty, they were called Qierjisi.
Until later generations.
Still active in the Western Region.
But the name changed to Kirgiz.
While talking.
The door of a yurt was suddenly pushed open from inside.
Then a boy wearing a sheepskin coat and a round lambskin hat with a rolled brim came out.
Looks like six or seven years old.
With a whip in his hand, he should be preparing to go out to herd or herd horses.
Suddenly a group of strangers appeared.
The little boy was obviously stunned for a moment, and then shouted something. Soon, two more figures, a man and a woman, came out from behind the door.
The man is in his thirties, with deep eyes, a high nose, a beard like a steel needle on his chin, and his long hair is simply tied back, making him look evil.
As for the woman beside him, she is much gentler.
But the anxious look on his face could not be concealed at all.
Seeing his parents come out, the boy obviously gained a lot of confidence. He turned around and pointed at Chen Yulou and talked to them.
It sounded unexpectedly familiar.
It is clearly also a Turkic language.
What Oona and the others said are almost 70% to 80% similar.
"Gongga?"
Soon.
The man stood up.
He raised his right hand, placed it across his chest, and slowly said two words.
Chen Yulou immediately understood that he was asking who they were. He did not waste any time and made the same gesture, "Gisiyak."
It meant that they were the ones coming here. , no malice.
Hearing this, the man did not immediately put down his guard. Instead, his sharp eyes like a falcon became more solemn, looking back and forth at the group of people.
“Are you... Han Chinese?”
For a while.
After confirming that the person who came has no malicious intent.
The man spoke again.
Unexpectedly, what he spoke this time was Chinese, but compared to Oona, Azhiya, and Pat, the man couldn't speak a single sentence.
“Not bad.”
"We are traveling traders heading to Central Asia, but when passing through the Black Desert, we encountered a storm and lost all our goods..."
Chen Yulou responded simply.
Give them an identity.
It’s okay in southern Xinjiang. There are very few Han people in northern Xinjiang. Except for traders traveling on the ancient Silk Road, they are often not seen for several years.
Compared with the appearance of people from the Western Regions.
Han people are very easy to identify.
Regardless of clothing, language or appearance.
There is a big difference between them.
“Wait, Black Desert?”
Listen to Chen Yulou’s words.
The man frowned, his face full of disbelief.
After being silent for a while, he reached out and pointed in the distance, which was the direction they came from.
Between the Black Desert and Kunlun Mountains.
Separated by the Gobi Desert that stretches for dozens of miles.
As a nomadic people, hunting is almost engraved in the blood of the Kirgiz people.
The location of their village.
It is like being sandwiched between snowy mountains, the next door and the desert. The environment is not bad.
But even so.
They also dare not enter and leave the Black Desert easily.
That is a cursed land.
Especially now that it is still the windy season, invisible sandstorms are sweeping across. No matter how skilled the hunter is and how keen his sense of smell is, he will have a narrow escape if he encounters one.
Now...
These Han people actually said that they survived the sandstorm and escaped all the way here.
How is this possible?
Tour's first reaction was that these people were talking nonsense.
He lived for more than thirty years.
I have never seen anyone survive the storm.
But as I glanced over, I saw that these people in front of me were dusty and exhausted, and even the sand and dust on their soles could not be faked.
Suddenly.
An idea flashed in his mind.
"How many people were in your team originally?"
"Nearly a hundred."
Hearing his sudden question, Chen Yulou reacted instantly and stretched out a finger. At the same time, his expression was just right. There was a flash of pain.
One hundred people.
Only seven or eight of them left alive.
A narrow escape indeed.
Tul sighed, raised his hands, and placed them between his slightly lowered eyebrows.
"Bakshi will protect you."
For more than two thousand years, the Kunkun people are like quicksand, living by water and wandering around.
Except for the most ancient primitive beliefs.
Believe in heaven and earth, mountains and rivers, wind and rain.
They also believe in Tianfang religion, Tibetan Buddhism and shamanism.
Bakshi is what they call the shaman.
“Thank you.”
Chen Yulou nodded secretly. These descendants of Kun and Kun are similar to Ouna and other Turks, and they all believe in shamanism and shamanism.
"Oh, by the way, I forgot to introduce you. My name is Tour, and this is my wife Aigu."
Tour also came back to his senses.
Pointing to the woman next to him, he introduced.
Then he pulled the boy who was still confused and touched his head, with a bit of pride in his eyes.
“My son Salleh.”
Salle.
It means strength, fearlessness and courage in the Kun language.
No wonder Tour is so proud.
When choosing a name, their tribe has to ask a wizard for divination and ask Bakshi before they can decide on it. This almost made it clear that his son would grow into a lion-like man in the future.
"What a name!"
Although Chen Yulou doesn't understand.
But his eyes can penetrate people's hearts.
How could I not tell what Tu'er was thinking at this moment, and he smiled immediately.
Hearing this, Tour's impression of them went up several levels again. He turned around and made a gesture of invitation, "You must be tired after escaping from death."
"Please come to my house as a guest. I can't guarantee anything else, but I will definitely satisfy you."
Hearing this.
The few people behind him who had never spoken a word subconsciously fell on Chen Yulou.
The food they brought with them on this trip was enough to last for six or seven days.
So, hunger does not happen.
But it is Chen Yulou's decision to stay at the moment. Whether to enter or leave now, of course, depends on how he chooses.
"Thank you."
"Then we won't bother you."
Unexpectedly, Chen Yulou did not refuse, but readily agreed.
Tour immediately asked his wife to prepare the meal.
He led a group of people into the yurt.
The house is not too big.
There is a stove hanging on the fire pit, and the boiling goat milk exudes a rich fragrance.
It also makes the house warm as spring.
Ayigu walked to the other side and worked hard to prepare food.
The little guy leaned against his father.
With a pair of blue eyes, he looked at the group of people curiously.
The group sat down cross-legged one after another.
Received the goat milk tea sent by Tour.
Hua Ling took a sip curiously. This drink, which she had never come across before, was unexpectedly delicious. The rich milk aroma was mixed with the fragrance of tea leaves, giving it an indescribable sweetness.
The rest are just dabbling in it.
After all, I am here for the first time and I am a guest, so I shouldn’t be too presumptuous.
Chen Yulou talked to him briefly.
He is well-informed and has the ability to speak like a lotus. In just a few words, he described a prosperous world for Tour that he had never seen before.
Not long after, Ayigu sent food.
Pancakes, mutton, butter tea, and a horse meat pilaf.
Although Tour has always said that the herdsmen are poor and do not have much food to entertain them, the rich fragrance and exotic food still attracted everyone at once.
Even the partridge whistle didn’t hold back.
As for Yang Fang and the others, their index fingers twitched.
“Brother Toole’s family has horses?”
Finally, Chen Yulou asked about the purpose of his trip.
“We, the Kizi people, raise sheep and horses in every household.”
Tour said slightly proudly.
In the entire village, his family has the most cattle, sheep, and horses, and those are their hope for survival.
"Can you...sell us some horses?"
Chen Yulou put down the butter tea in his hand and said seriously.
“Selling horses?” Tour was stunned.
“Yes, we lost our goods and the last camel was killed to survive. Now we want to go to Wush, but we definitely can’t get out with one pair of legs.”
“If possible. , we want to buy some horses from you for transportation."
Chen Yulou nodded.
Northern Xinjiang has produced horses since ancient times.
Not only is the endurance amazing, but it also has an unimaginable ability to withstand the extreme climate of severe cold and heat.
It has been the birthplace of war horses since ancient times.
“Of course it’s possible.”
“But I don’t know how many horses you want?”
Hearing the seriousness in his words, Tuer did not dare to hesitate.
Wushi is far away in southern Xinjiang, and even he has never been there. In this cold winter, it is really difficult to cross the Kunlun Snow Mountains without horses.
"It's best to have two horses per person."
"That's sixteen!"
Tour did a simple calculation, and then he stood up with a leap, sixteen Horses, this is not an ordinary business, even if his family has the most horses.
But it's far from enough.
After all, the village is still dominated by cattle and sheep.
Horses are generally used for hunting, traveling or transporting goods.
In addition, unlike cattle and sheep, which can be fed as long as there is grass, raising horses takes a lot of effort. Not only do they need good grass, but they also have to be fed beans and salt to ensure that they do not lose weight.
His family only has four big horses.
Two of them are already past their age and can no longer afford long-distance travel.
“This is a troublesome matter.”
“I have to go to other houses and ask, I should be able to get it together.”
Tour frowned and thought for a moment , grabbed the felt hat placed aside, stood up and was about to leave.
However.
Before that.
Chen Yulou stopped him and signaled that he didn't need to be in such a hurry.
At the same time, he looked back at Kunlun, who immediately understood and took out a few golden beans and bags of salt from his baggage.
A large part of the Western Region.
Because it is located in a remote location.
To this day it is still a barter method.
Just like in Laoxiong Ling Miao Village.
Gold and salt are hard currencies wherever they are placed.
This is why Chen Yulou asked Kunlun to take these with him before setting off.
From the beginning, he had planned to buy a horse.
It’s just...
Whether it is from the Mongolian, Uighur or Kirgiz people, it depends on who they meet first.
“No, why do we need so much?”
Look at the gold on the table.
Tul immediately waved his hands.
That gold is enough to buy a team of horses.
"You can't be empty-handed. Besides, brothers Tour, why don't you take a look at these bags first."
Chen Yulou smiled.
Hand over a bag of salt.
The latter hesitated.
However, when he untied the bag and looked at the salt inside which was as white as snowflakes and as fine as sand, he was stunned for a moment, and his eyes turned red immediately afterwards.
I sensed something was wrong with my father.
The little guy also turned his head and took a look.
“Is it salt?!”
Salie stared, he had never seen such fine salt.
Growing up, all I ate was rock salt as rough as gravel, which was not only rough but also difficult to swallow.
The changes in father and son also alarmed Ayigu.
Until she took the handful of fine salt that her husband poured into his hand and handed it to her, it glowed like broken silver under the firelight. She gently twisted a little and put it in her mouth to taste.
Then...
This woman in her thirties, with cheeks cut red by wind and frost, burst into tears.
See this scene.
Yang Fang and others couldn't help but look at each other.
What is within easy reach for them is actually such a luxury for Tour and his family.
For a time, everyone could not hide their emotions.
“Brother Tour, I wonder if this is enough?”
"That's enough...that's enough."
The iron-clad man in Tour's eyes were red at this moment. He also took a taste and couldn't believe that there was such a good salt in the world.
It is simply a reward from Bakshi.
"Brother Chen, just wait."
"I will go find the tribesmen right now. With this salt, they will definitely be happy to sell the horses."
"Salie, take care of the guests for me, don't lose the face of the Kizil people."
Leave a sentence.
Tul grabbed the felt hat and put it on his head.
Then he pushed open the door without looking back and left quickly in the cold wind outside.
See this.
Chen Yulou couldn't help but shake his head and smile.
He originally thought about asking the old foreigner to follow him, but now it seems that the value of these salts is higher than he imagined.
"Brother Chen, do you want it?"
Partridge Whistle was the first to react and asked in a low voice.
“No need.”
"Just wait, we will be on the road in about half an hour at most." (End of Chapter)