Chapter 22: Friends

Two monks came and went without even entering the refugee camp; they merely made the porridge served over the past few days a little thicker. This served as a roundabout confirmation that the refugee camp was a dark place, a corner so desolate that even the light of the Buddha was unwilling to shine upon it. It seemed that if the people here died, they would not be going to the Western Paradise of Ultimate Bliss, but would likely roll in the depths of hell, atoning for the sin of their own poverty.

Li Po, who had been quiet for several days, finally set his sights on the human market, which was just within reach. There was little choice in the matter, as the options before him were few.

The so-called human market was not much different from a vegetable market, a horse market, or a meat market. The only difference was that the "goods" here were living, breathing human beings. Li Po did not know much about the human market, but he knew enough. In winter, the human market in the northern city of Mayi was very bleak. However, unlike other trading venues, the worse the situation, the cheaper the price of the "goods" became.

It was possible to sell slaves there openly, as the slave trade was legal in Mayi. The imperial decree issued during the Kaihuang era to emancipate serfs had failed to fundamentally alter the social structure of the Great Sui. Various types of slaves remained an indispensable supplement for the great aristocratic families of the dynasty. For a long time, Mayi, as a major frontier city, had been the primary trading hub for slaves in the Jin region. Most of these slaves were war captives. But now, with the Great Sui and the Turks having been at peace for many years, the primary source of slaves had shifted; dispossessed farmers, impoverished families from within Mayi city, and others all appeared in the market.

Of course, the slave trade was only one function of the human market. It also served as the primary labor market for Mayi. Men and women could register their names and specialties there, waiting for headhunters to select and hire them for various tasks. To Li Po, the human market and the refugee camp were very similar; they were both the darkest corners of Mayi. People died constantly in the refugee camp, and in truth, they died constantly in the human market as well. The only difference was that the dead in the refugee camp were refugees, while those in the market were slaves. Regardless, both were destined for the mass graves, with no other place to go.

The refugee camp was close to the human market. Although refugees were not allowed into the city, they were permitted to enter and exit the human market freely—the implication of which needed no further explanation. The human market was inevitably a gathering place for all sorts of people. Li Po did not enter casually; he merely wandered around the perimeter, and soon, hostile glares were fixed upon him. They did not approach to question him directly, likely deterred by the short blade at his waist.

This gave Li Po a preliminary impression of the market. As he had guessed, it was surely filled with human traffickers, and they must have kept a retinue of idlers or, perhaps on a higher level, professional swordsmen. It was safe to conclude that this was a rudimentary criminal syndicate, rooted in the underclass yet capable of colluding with the authorities; otherwise, such a business could not survive.

Unlike before, Li Po did not have much of a plan. It was clear that finding a way to survive in the human market was not as simple as peddling fish. If he acted rashly without understanding the local rules, not only would he gain nothing, but he might also risk his life. Of course, if he had any other way, Li Po would never have come to the human market to try his luck.

After two days of pacing, the fires in the refugee camp gradually died out, and the shadow of death once again loomed over the camp. After a light snowfall, a child and a woman died. By this time, one could no longer see any elderly people or very young children in the camp. As Li Po had anticipated, watching the two corpses being carried out made him feel the cold bite even deeper, to say nothing of the others.

There were many in this world who took death in stride, and Li Po was one of them. However, there had never been anyone who truly regarded death as a homecoming. When those around you die one after another, the impact on the survivors is unparalleled. It was like a region plagued by an epidemic; those who fell ill later often died much faster than those who came before. This was because their spirits had already begun to collapse, and naturally, they perished more quickly. That day, more than a dozen people died in the southern refugee camp, proving this point.

Li Po touched his sunken cheeks. He knew that if things continued this way, he would not be able to hold on much longer. So, braving the bitter cold, he squatted at the edge of the refugee camp for two days until he finally waited for the people he needed.

Two men carrying firewood trudged toward the city gate. They habitually glanced toward the base of the gate, and both seemed to heave a sigh of relief, their steps becoming noticeably lighter. However, their joy was short-lived as a hateful voice drifted over from the side: "The two brothers are here again. You've kept me waiting for quite a while."

The two men stopped helplessly, trying to look angry. One of them, puffing out white clouds of breath like an ox, said, "Big Brother Li, we won't fight you anymore. Don't block our path; we still need to get into the city."

It was evident that the past few days had been hard on them; they had developed a psychological trauma just from coming into the city to sell wood. Li Po, however, acted as if he saw nothing, stepping closer to them with a smile as bright as a blooming flower.

"I've been waiting here for a few days..."

"We aren't giving you our firewood."

"I just wanted to ask the two brothers for a small favor."

"We aren't giving you our firewood."

Seeing that words were failing, Li Po immediately changed his expression. He shook his fist and threatened, "Come with me, or I'll drag you both into the camp, strip you naked, and throw you out of the city."

The two men were brothers who had inherited their father's trade, making a living in the mountains. Like many men of the northern regions, they were strong and rugged, with clear traces of nomadic ancestry. They were not particularly bright, but both could be considered capable fighters. The strength of the Great Sui was rooted in such ordinary yet tough northern men. The brothers were surnamed Shi, one of the prominent clans of Mayi, a name left behind from when General Shi Wansui led his troops to hold off the Turks at Mayi. The two brothers were named Shi Da and Shi Er.

Both were furious, yet they were also afraid. Having been beaten by him twice in succession, they both knew they were no match for Li Po. Furthermore, Li Po's threat was so vicious that it sent a chill down their spines. Shi Da, feeling a mix of shame and anger, instinctively reached for the hilt of his blade.

Shi Er, being the calmer of the two, pulled his brother back. "What kind of favor? We cannot give you our firewood. If we lose the wood again, we won't have the face to go home."

Seeing that he had made his point, Li Po put his smile back on. "I don't want your firewood. You two just need to accompany me to the human market and sell your wood while you're at it."

"Besides, your leader said that we should visit each other often in the future, which means we're friends. I would never rob a friend."