Zhou Qiang conveyed a ssage saying he wanted to negotiate. Tan Fa heard this and couldn’t decide for a mont, after all, Yue Ying had already drawn up plans to attack Nanmu City, and the forces were nearly assembled.
"Tan Fa, I am here as a representative of the Nanmu City King, shouldn’t you notify your boss?"
Seeing Tan Fa hesitating, Zhou Qiang emphasized his words.
Tan Fa was taken aback and said:
"Fine, you guys wait here for a mont, and rember, don’t pull any tricks on , or else, be careful that I’ll eliminate you right here."
Tan Fa instructed one of his subordinates and, still having Zhou Qiang and others surrounded, turned to go to Star Moon Town.
A mont later, Tan Fa returned with Tan Zong.
Tan Zong moved forward a few steps, scanned Zhou Qiang, Long Yongjun, and the others, and said:
"So, you’ve co to negotiate?"
"We don’t have the authority to negotiate on behalf of our boss, we’re just here to relay a ssage. Our King of Nanmu City, Yang Xiao, wants to talk to the King of Shanyun City to resolve the dispute over Star Moon Lake. Let’s set a ti and place to et and talk, after all, harmony is most precious, right?"
Hearing the phrase ’harmony is most precious,’ Long Yongjun nearly laughed, but forcefully held it back.
Tan Zong, after hearing this, chuckled and said:
"What, are you afraid? You want to admit defeat now?"
"Tan Zong, you only need to report this matter to your boss. As for the specifics, that’s for the big bosses to decide, not for subordinates like us, don’t you think?"
Tan Zong thought for a mont and said:
"I can’t give you an answer right now, I need to ask the boss."
"No problem, we can wait. Just provide us a place to rest, you wouldn’t let us stand out in the snow waiting, would you?"
Tan Zong smiled and replied:
"Alright, it is against military convention to kill envoys. Tan Fa, take them to find a wind-shielding house to settle in temporarily and have soone guard them. If they show any unusual behavior, execute them on the spot."
"Yes, boss."
Tan Zong turned and left.
Tan Fa looked at Zhou Qiang and said:
"You heard what our boss said, the twenty of you had better behave yourselves, otherwise, don’t bla us for being impolite."
"Heh, how could we? Even if we were foolish, we wouldn’t send twenty n to their deaths, right?"
"Hmm, good that you understand."
Tan Fa led Zhou Qiang and the others to a nearby dilapidated building.
"This place is barely good enough to shield from the wind, go ahead and rest inside, but rember, no tricks."
Zhou Qiang and the others entered the building, and Tan Fa deployed about a hundred n to surround the place.
"Brother, could we have so firewood to light a fire?"
Zhou Qiang asked with a chuckle.
Tan Fa said irritably:
"Go find your own firewood. Only five people are allowed to go out."
So, Zhou Qiang, Long Yongjun, and three others headed towards Star Moon Town, chopping down a few large trees along the way, dragging the trunks and branches back to light a bonfire inside the ruined building.
Tan Fa grimly realized that while Zhou Qiang and company had started a fire, he and a hundred of his brothers were left standing in the icy, snowy wilderness, getting blasted by the Northwest winds.
Monts later, the aroma of roasting at wafted from the room, and Tan Fa and his n, slling it, were so enticed they wanted to curse their mother.
Zhou Qiang ca out and said to Tan Fa:
"Brother Tan, co in and warm yourself by the fire, have so roasted at to heat up?"
"Don’t try any slick tricks on , I won’t be fooled."
"Co on, just warming by the fire. With your hundred n outside, and our twenty here, even if we took you down, it wouldn’t solve anything. What’s there to be afraid of?" Long Yongjun said from the side.
"Afraid? I’m not afraid of shit, it’s just eating so roasted at, right?"
Tan Fa spoke loudly, then gave so instructions to his brothers beside him and brought two n into the broken house to sit by the campfire.
Long Yongjun handed a juicy piece of roasted Snow Wolf at to Tan Fa.
Tan Fa didn’t hold back, he grabbed it and started gnawing, indeed finding it delicious.
By the fire, eating the roasted at, their enmity seed to ease considerably.
Tan Fa let out a sigh:
"Ah, if only we didn’t fight, we could be brothers, enjoying drinks and at together in this freezing weather. What’s with all this fuss?"
"Brother Tan is right, aren’t we here to make peace on our own initiative?"
"Heh, let tell you, it’s lucky you ca for peace. Otherwise, Nanmu City would be in trouble. Our boss was getting ready to attack..."
Tan Fa suddenly realized his slip of the tongue and stopped talking promptly, eating the at in big bites.
Zhou Qiang and Long Yongjun were startled to hear this, but kept their composure, pretending they didn’t hear, and made small talk with Tan Fa. No matter how subtly they probed, Tan Fa ceased to discuss anything about attacking Nanmu City.
That night, Zhou Qiang and Long Yongjun and others spent the night inside the broken house, while Tan Fa and his n, unfortunately, had to stand guard outside, complaining incessantly and sneezing from the cold.
Eventually, they couldn’t bear it anymore, and Tan Fa led his brothers into the house to join Zhou Qiang and the others around the fire. With more people and plenty of wood, two more campfires were lit.
Zhou Qiang and Long Yongjun behaved very amiably, significantly reducing the guard of Tan Fa and his n.
Zhou Qiang insisted everyone take out their carried roasted at and dried fish to cook for Tan Fa and his n, who had been standing in the snow and wind for half a day, hungry and cold. They took the food without demur, heartily eating away, the earlier vigilant atmosphere gone, seeming almost like a joint celebration.
So loose-lipped soldiers let slip bits of information during their casual conversation:
"Man, what’s the good in fighting in this icy snowy weather? We’re the ones suffering the most."
So even inquired with Zhou Qiang’s n:
"Bro, how far is it from here to Star Moon Town?"
"Roughly forty kiloters, I guess?"
"Fuck, that far? We’d freeze on the way there too."
...
Zhou Qiang and Long Yongjun were attentive, quietly gathering these scraps of conversation, trying to gauge the situation in Star Moon Town, occasionally voicing complaints like "Peace is good, war only makes us brothers suffer," which resonated deeply with Tan Fa and his n.
The night passed without incident, and the next morning, Tan Zong ca over with his n and saw Tan Fa and his group sleeping around the campfire inside the house with Zhou Qiang’s people, frowning slightly. However, he also sympathized with the hardship of Tan Fa and his n, understanding how unbearable it must have been to stand guard all night in this icy snowy weather.
Seeing Tan Zong co in, everyone promptly got up. Tan Fa, who had been nervous, felt a bit relieved seeing that his boss wasn’t scolding him.
Tan Zong walked up to Zhou Qiang and said:
"I reported your situation to our boss last night. Our boss said negotiations are fine, but your boss needs to co to Star Moon Town tomorrow at noon."
"Star Moon Town? No!"
Long Yongjun imdiately objected.
Tan Zong was surprised, "Why not?"
"Star Moon Town is your territory. If our boss cos there, there’s no guarantee for his safety. That’s definitely not an acceptable location."
"Then where do you suggest we talk?"
"Star Moon Lake."
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