Lao Huihui's heart pounded violently in his chest.
These people were truly terrifying.
Even the Prince of Qin's estate, the most prestigious and powerful princely fief in the entire realm, was apparently standing on their side without hesitation. Such a level of influence was something even the White Lotus Sect could never hope to achieve.
Yet that was not what shocked him the most.
What truly shook Lao Huihui to his core was how orderly, rational, and restrained these people were. From beginning to end, no one had tried to suppress him through status alone. Even after he had attacked Zhu Cunji in public, the Prince's heir had not exploded in rage, had not screamed for execution, and had not thrown his weight around as an imperial relative.
Instead, he had spoken calmly, even casually, as though they were equals having a misunderstanding rather than enemies clashing on a street.
That alone placed this group in a completely different category from the imperial court.
Why had Lao Huihui risen in rebellion with his mixed cavalry in the first place?
On the surface, it was because wages had not been paid, because his men had been driven into a corner where survival itself demanded violence. But beneath that was something deeper, something far more bitter.
It was the entrenched discrimination.
He and his people, the Hui and other frontier folk, had always been treated as lesser beings by the Han officials. They were useful when fighting was needed, expendable when peace returned, and despised at all other times. Titles, laws, and morality were weapons used selectively against them, never shields meant to protect them.
That was what Lao Huihui truly hated.
Yet here, the princely heir before him, and even the inspector who clearly held real authority, had shown him no trace of contempt.
It was unexpected to the point of disbelief.
Fang Wushang waved his hand impatiently. "Since this was only a misunderstanding, I will not arrest you for disturbing the peace. I still have several districts to inspect today. Frankly speaking, I'm drowning in work."
Without waiting for a response, he turned and hurried away, already barking instructions to his subordinates as he left.
Zhu Cunji, on the other hand, watched Fang Wushang's retreating back, then turned toward Lao Huihui with a grin that looked far too eager for a man who had nearly been strangled moments earlier.
"You've been to a lot of places, haven't you?" Zhu Cunji said enthusiastically. "The vast grasslands of the northwest frontier, most of Shanxi, Henan, Hubei, Sichuan, even Yunyang. Come, come, tell me, which places are the most beautiful, the most interesting?"
Lao Huihui stared at him blankly.
"Come on, don't hold back." Zhu Cunji grabbed his arm with friendly familiarity and pulled him out of the room, guiding him straight toward the Kulinan. "Sit, sit. Tell me everything."
Before Lao Huihui could protest, he was already ushered into the passenger seat.
The engine started slowly, releasing a deep hiss and a steady, ominous thrum. The vibration traveled up through the seat, into Lao Huihui's bones, making his scalp tingle.
This was the first time in his life he had ever sat inside an automobile.
The sheer sense of power contained within this iron contraption unsettled him deeply. As someone who had spent most of his life on horseback, he instinctively understood danger.
This thing was far more frightening than a warhorse.
If this frivolous princely heir decided to ram someone with it, even the finest cavalry would be helpless. There would be no charge, no evasion, no counterattack. One would simply be crushed.
Zhu Cunji nudged him with his elbow. "Hey, Lao Huihui, don't space out. I asked you, where are the best sights?"
Lao Huihui stiffened slightly. "Please don't call me that in public."
"Oh, right, right." Zhu Cunji scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Then what should I call you?"
After a brief silence, Lao Huihui let out a soft sigh. "My name is Ma Shouying."
Zhu Cunji raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Your real name?"
Ma Shouying nodded faintly. "Yes."
Zhu Cunji looked genuinely surprised. "You're actually telling me that?"
"I don't know why," Ma Shouying replied honestly, "but I feel I can trust you with it."
Zhu Cunji burst out laughing. "Heh!"
As the Kulinan rolled forward at a steady pace, the two men talked. Ma Shouying spoke of mountains layered like waves, of rivers cutting through valleys like silver blades, of border towns where wind howled day and night and grass stretched endlessly to the horizon.
Zhu Cunji listened with bright eyes, occasionally slapping his thigh in excitement.
"I must go see that place someday!"
Ma Shouying glanced at him. "As the Prince of Qin's heir, you can't really leave Xi'an, can you? Those places will always be beyond your reach."
Zhu Cunji only laughed. "With Dao Xuan Tianzun watching over us, this heir actually does have ways. Hehehe."
Ma Shouying did not press him. A man who had survived years of chaos knew one thing well. If someone wanted to speak, they would. If they did not, asking was useless.
He changed the topic, his tone turning serious. "Prince Heir, I am not yet one of your people. I am still considering whether to join you in the future."
Zhu Cunji blinked. "What's there to consider? I joined without even thinking twice."
Ma Shouying remained silent, his thoughts churning.
He had originally suspected that Zhu Cunji was the hidden mastermind, using Dao Xuan Tianzun's banner as cover to rebel and seize the throne. But the more he listened, the more he observed, the more it seemed that this man was not the true core at all.
Rather, he felt like someone who had joined later, swept along by something far larger than himself.
Lowering his voice, Ma Shouying asked, "Prince Heir, then who truly leads this faction? And what is your ultimate aim?"
Zhu Cunji spread his hands. "The leader? Naturally, Dao Xuan Tianzun."
Ma Shouying turned his head to look at the towering golden statue in the distance, his expression complicated. "I don't mean that kind of leader. I mean a person. A mortal leader."
In his mind, Dao Xuan Tianzun was no different from the White Lotus Sect's Unborn Venerable Mother, a symbol used to rally followers. Real power, he believed, always rested in human hands.
Zhu Cunji laughed softly. "Oh, in the mortal world? Then it's naturally the Saintess."
Ma Shouying leaned closer. "Could I meet her and speak with her?"
Zhu Cunji looked puzzled. "Speak about what? Are you planning to swear allegiance?"
That was exactly what Ma Shouying had been thinking. He wanted to see the mortal leader of this Dao Xuan Tianzun faction with his own eyes, to judge whether she was worthy of his loyalty.
Zhu Cunji chuckled. "You outsiders really don't understand how things work here. But you're in luck. It's almost evening. I'll take you to the market square, in front of the Immortal Treasure Mirror. You'll see the Saintess there."
Ma Shouying's eyes lit up. "Many thanks."
The Kulinan headed toward the bustling market square.
By the time they arrived, dusk was settling in. The square was already crowded. Workers who had just finished their shifts sat down in neat rows, opening five copper meal boxes, eating while waiting for the evening program.
When Ma Shouying saw the enormous mirror, his breath caught.
Inside it, people were moving.
A beautiful young girl appeared on the screen, no more than ten years old.
Ma Shouying gasped. "What is this? Why is there a giant girl inside?"
Zhu Cunji laughed. "This is an Immortal Treasure Mirror bestowed by Dao Xuan Tianzun. It can show the past and the future."
Ma Shouying's eyes widened in disbelief.
The image shifted again. Two Mongolian children appeared, holding bundles of wool, speaking earnestly about sheep and grasslands.
Zhu Cunji gestured at the screen. "These woolen sweaters are exploding in popularity. My consort bought five, and all my wives are fighting over them. Merchants are rushing to the northwest like mad. The nomads have sold all their wool at sky-high prices."
Ma Shouying sucked in a sharp breath.
He was Hui, and many of his men raised sheep as well.
"Can you really get rich?" he asked instinctively, then quickly corrected himself. "No, not rich. Just enough to live well. To eat until full. Is that really possible?"
For the first time in many years, hope crept quietly into his heart.