Zhang Tian looked at the scenery before him, finally experiencing a sense of exoticism.
"Boss, the buildings here are so strange, all made of mud. Will they collapse in the rain?"
"And why are those girls all wearing veils? Are they too ugly to be seen?"
Fatty, standing beside him, blurted out a string of idiotic questions.
Zhang Qilin also seemed to be visiting for the first time, his gaze occasionally scanning the surroundings.
Zhang Tian didn't want to waste his breath explaining to Fatty at the moment.
"This is Wucheng in Xinjiang, considered the capital. The population and the number of towns are more than in ordinary places. If we want to go to the desert, we'll probably need to pass through Wucheng."
Shirley Yang spoke up from the side.
"Since we've already arrived in Wucheng, let's not rush. Why don't we go into the city and experience the warmth of the Xinjiang people?"
Zhang Tian said softly, and Fatty was the first to raise his hand.
"Boss, Fatty has been waiting for you to say this!"
"It's like a little carp jumping into a pond, fresh and new."
Fatty said, excitedly running towards the interior of Wucheng.
The others followed, their spirits lifted by the sight of the lively Fatty.
"The culture of the Xinjiang region is mainly divided into Silk Road culture, nomadic culture, and religious culture with Buddhism as its faith."
"Their clothing and customs are closely related to Buddhist culture."
Zhang Tian said as he walked.
Shirley Yang listened attentively. She cared a lot about Chinese culture and was eager to learn more.
Hu Bayi looked at Zhang Tian with surprise.
"Boss, I didn't expect you to know so much?"
Zhang Tian waved his hand and walked into the main city.
"No, these are just the superficial stories. There are deeper stories too."
Zhang Tian said, and Hu Bayi swallowed. Was Zhang Tian a know-it-all?
"Brother Zhang, what do you mean by the deeper stories?"
Shirley Yang also changed her address, making it sound more like she was part of the group.
"In the 'Classic of Mountains and Seas' and 'The Record of King Mu of Zhou', there are stories about King Mu of Zhou's western tour to Kunlun and his meeting with the Queen Mother of the West."
"These stories are not mere legends or baseless rumors; they are very likely to have happened."
Zhang Tian said, and Hu Bayi's eyes lit up.
If Hu Bayi had heard this before, he might have dismissed it as a story. But now, it was different.
If what Zhang Tian said was true, wouldn't that mean that Kunlun Mountain not only held treasures left by the Queen Mother of the West but also treasures from King Mu of Zhou?
But Zhang Tian had never mentioned it before. Did he not want these treasures?
What Hu Bayi didn't know was that Zhang Tian wanted them desperately, but given his current abilities, he decided against seeking the Queen Mother of the West's treasures. He'd focus on leveling up first.
Zhang Tian also thought of Kunlun Mountain.
Most people didn't know the precise location of Kunlun Mountain. In reality, Kunlun Mountain is located at the junction of Xinjiang, Qinghai, and western Tibet.
Strictly speaking, Kunlun Mountain also belongs to Xinjiang.
"Wait!"
Suddenly, Zhang Tian thought of something.
Western Tibet resembled a coiled dragon, with its high mountains stretching endlessly, like countless dragons twirling.
Qinghai faced the sea, and Xinjiang, being an important Buddhist region, was also known as the Land of the Qilin in the Nine Provinces.
Thinking of it this way, Kunlun Mountain was the best burial site, surrounded by three divine beasts!
"No, no, I can't think about it anymore."
Zhang Tian quickly pushed these thoughts away.
Zhang Tian feared that if he continued to ponder, he might not be able to resist taking Xiao Ge and Fatty to Kunlun Mountain for tea with the Queen Mother of the West.
"The scenery here is so beautiful."
Shirley Yang exclaimed, looking at the scene before her.
In Xinjiang, unmarried girls wore a hat they liked.
They kept their long hair. After marriage, they would tie their hair with a scarf.
Due to the geographical and cultural influences, the girls here were generally good-looking.
It was a pity that Zhang Tian couldn't see many of them.
Because this era was so backward, even in the Xinjiang region, adults rarely let girls go out. Not to mention encountering bad people, they might even be targeted.
Therefore, generally, it was women who went out. Girls were protected, unless they were from nomadic families, where girls might ride warhorses and roam.
Fatty circled around, returning with some disappointment.
"Alas, there are no beautiful… no special cultures."
Fatty sighed.
He almost let slip a forbidden word.
"Due to the era, unless there are large gatherings, young people, especially girls, generally don't go out."
Zhang Tian said, interrupting Fatty's fantasies of seeing beautiful women.
"By the way, boss, I just saw a large courtyard over there. It was very beautiful, and it looked like a wedding ceremony."
Fatty pointed to a spot not far away, speaking excitedly.
"Shall we go and see the bride?"
Fatty was somewhat excited, and Zhang Tian gave him a sideways glance.
Even if it was a wedding, the chance of you seeing the bride is zero!
"Forget it, Fatty. Let's just wander around the city. We won't go in. We'll buy some local specialties on our way back."
Zhang Tian patted Fatty's shoulder.
This guy was like a child when he went out, easily attracted by new things.
"Okay, but, boss, I also saw many foods over there that we haven't seen before. It's a shame I don't have any money."
Fatty lowered his head, and Zhang Tian thought of something.
Although Xinjiang had undergone reforms, the currency was still not widely circulated.
"I have gold bars here. We should be able to exchange some money."
Shirley Yang took out two small gold bars from her pocket.
This stunned Zhang Tian. Good heavens, as expected of Shirley Yang, so thoughtful!
"When I came to China before, I was worried about currency issues, so I brought some gold. Now, I've brought it here."
She said, and Zhang Tian nodded.
"Thank you, Ms. Yang."
When Fatty saw the money, his heart leaped with joy, and he waved his hand quickly.
"Ms. Yang, I'll go exchange it!"
Saying that, Fatty took the gold bars and scurried away.
Zhang Tian casually walked up to a stall.
He planned to inquire about the local prices first, to avoid Fatty being ripped off again.
"Gulu gulu jiji..."
The boss spoke a string of words, and then Zhang Tian was bewildered.
Zhang Tian, Shirley Yang, Hu Bayi, and Zhang Qilin stood frozen.
Only the boss spoke for a long time, his face turning red.
"Um, I think the boss is complimenting our good looks, right, Seumnida."
Zhang Tian said, giving a thumbs-up, and the boss quickly reciprocated with a thumbs-up.
"Jililigu lu pa pa..."
The boss spoke another string of words and clapped his hands excitedly. Good heavens, Zhang Tian understood even less.
"Is there a translator?"
Zhang Tian looked around.
"Over there."
Suddenly, Zhang Qilin pointed to a spot not far away.
"Xinjiang Translator."
He saw a sign hanging outside a mud house.
Zhang Tian was flustered.
There is, why didn't you say so earlier?
With a dark line across his face, Zhang Tian walked wordlessly towards the sign.
Ten thousand alpacas were running wild in his heart.
Mandarin was not yet widespread in this era, let alone in remote areas like Xinjiang.
Moreover, most people couldn't understand the dialects of every region.
It wasn't Zhang Tian's fault for being depressed, but fortunately, there were always guides in every place.
Soon, Zhang Tian entered the translation shop. The translator was an uncle with a black beard and a small hat on his head. His beard was curled, making him look peculiar.
He looked like the Genie from Aladdin's lamp.
"Oh, my dear foreign guests, do you want a gold-plated translation or a silver-plated translation?"
The shopkeeper spoke, and Zhang Tian was speechless. He thought Zhang Qilin speaking late was awkward enough, but now there was this strange boss!
Zhang Tian blinked and smiled.
"What do you think..."