Aesop's Fables

  All the way, at dusk, they arrived again at the place where Xie Ou's caravan was ambushed. The camels were still tied to the carts, and not far away, there were scattered horses. Among the sand dunes, more than a dozen corpses were lying, including several bodyguards holding weapons. Night Wolf and his two men killed so many people, it was indeed extremely brutal. Perhaps because this caravan was not large in scale, Night Wolf did not bring a large group of people, but unfortunately ran into Amun's hands.

  Amun ordered Isor to stop the chariot, and with a sigh said: "It's really an unfortunate encounter. This time we can't bring back all of their bodies, so let's give them a good burial first."

  That night, after burying the dead and driving off the camels and horses, another wagon was left behind. Arin split it into many long wooden bars, stuck them in the sand dunes where the bodies were buried, like a small forest, leaving recognizable marks. He and Iso did all this while Xiao stood by, watching, not wanting to destroy a wagon, but not stopping either.

  Amon made a very strange discovery, the ability he obtained from the underworld did not disappear, and he could sense the emotional changes of the master and servant, but he had to enter a deep meditation state. What's going on? Is it that this special ability was "brought out" from the underworld, or is it that some kind of ability he originally possessed happened to be awakened?

  It's there if it is, Ah Meng didn't think much of it. The various divine techniques he cultivated were already unimaginable and magical powers for ordinary people, so one more would be even better.

  Xiao was transporting goods to the city-state of Uruk this time, and on his way back, he didn't bring much with him. He had a bulging pouch of cash in his arms, which is why the Night Wolves were chasing after him relentlessly. He clutched the pouch tightly all along the way, not even taking it out to sleep, holding it close to his chest.

  The next morning, the three continued on their journey, riding in a covered carriage and changing horses along the way, which was indeed much more comfortable. At noon, Arin held Xue Dingyi in his arms, took out a water bag to feed him water, dripping it onto his lips and gently moistening them, just like feeding a baby milk.

  Xiao didn't have anything to say, so he made small talk: "You must also be from Eju, only people from Eju love cats this much. Cats are symbols of the gods and are revered and pampered. My family has raised several cats, if you like them, I can give you the best one, it's great at catching mice!"

  Amun smiled and shook his head: "You keep it yourself, how can I take away what you like? This cat is not a pet, it's my friend, who has been ill recently." Then he asked another question that made Xi Ou very nervous: "How much money did you bring this time, to attract the attention of robbers?"

  Xiǎo subconsciously hugged his chest with both hands and took a step back, saying: "It's not much, just worth about ten or so divine stones."

  A few dozen divine stones are worth several hundred gold coins, not a small amount. But Amun knew he was lying, and even if he didn't use the Detect Divine technique to probe for anything, he could still tell from Hiori's reaction and tone that this merchant wasn't telling the truth. In fact, Hiori had more than twenty-five divine stones on him, and in his haste yesterday, he made a promise like a bandit, offering Amun triple the reward, which would be at least seventy-five divine stones, an enormous sum that ordinary people couldn't even imagine!

  Xie Ou was so nervous that he couldn't help but feel a sharp pain, and his words were laced with hidden meaning. He was worried that Armon would see through something or insist on checking his wallet. Fortunately, Armon only asked casually and didn't intend to probe further. Xie Ou secretly breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the sweat on his back.

  Xiao's reaction was crystal clear, and he couldn't help but find it a bit amusing. Amun only wanted to save the person and didn't want the huge reward, nor did he want to extort the merchant; he was just teasing Xiao. This man was timid and stingy, always sweating profusely, which was quite entertaining. Most of the men in Duoke Town were robust and sturdy, rarely seen like this.

  At this time, Amun was just sixteen years old, and his appearance had already become very mature, but he still had a boy's heart. Amun's next move shocked Xiao again, as he took out a delicate copper bottle from his pocket, opened the stopper, hugged the cat with one hand, and fed it wine with the other hand, little by little.

  The enticing aroma of wine wafted through the carriage, and even Iso, who was driving the horses in front, couldn't help but take a deep sniff. This was clearly a high-quality fine wine. Amun had bought this bottle of wine in Sumur, originally intending it for Schrodinger, and had purchased two bottles at the time. After Schrodinger drank one bottle and left, Amun never touched the remaining bottle, keeping it in his pocket waiting for Schrodinger to return and continue drinking.

  There was no wine in the carriage, and Xiao Yu, who had just calmed down from his fright while driving through the desert, also felt a little hungry. He licked his lips, looking surprised and regretful, saying: "Such good wine, you actually use it to feed the cat!"

  Ammon explained: "This cat is my friend, I know it likes to drink wine, and the better the wine, the more it likes."

  Xiǎo: "We're also friends."

  Amon raised his eyes and looked at him: "I saved you, are you heartbroken about the huge payment that will be paid? Are there any complaints in your heart, I fed the cat with fine wine, but didn't invite you to drink?"

  Amon, this kid is really direct, as if he saw through Xiao's little thoughts at a glance. Xiao dodged his eyes and didn't dare to look Amon in the eye, answering somewhat flustered: "No, of course not! As soon as we arrive at Haicheng City-State, I will pay you thirty divine stones as compensation, thank you is not even enough!"

  Amun smiled slightly, knowing that his previous words had made Xiǎo a bit uncomfortable. He lowered his head and continued to focus on feeding the cat. Xue Dingyuan seemed not to be truly unconscious, but rather too lazy to move or open her eyes. When the wine was brought to her lips, she surprisingly stuck out her pink little tongue to lick her mouth, looking very pleased. She drank half a bottle of wine before letting out a slight belch, then buried her head in Amun's chest and rubbed against him, as if she had fallen asleep.

  For the first time in two days, Ah Mon saw the cat move, apparently it was recovering, and he couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. He put the remaining half bottle of wine back into his pocket, saving it for Xue Dingyuan to continue drinking tomorrow. Since Xue Dingyuan could drink wine, he could also be fed some meat soup at night.

  At dusk, Armon ordered the carriage to stop and rest. He got off the carriage and set up a pot among the sand dunes, making a pot of fragrant meat soup. After it cooled down a bit, he picked up the cat and fed it a small amount. Xue Dingyuan ate less than before, but still closed his eyes and drank half a pot, then continued to sleep. This time Armon was not stingy and made another full pot of thick meat porridge, inviting Xi'ao and the coachman Yiso to eat together.

  Aesop was a slave and couldn't sit down to eat with them, so he waited until Amun and Cheo had finished eating before he ate his fill. The meat stew that Amun made was much more delicious than the dry rations that the caravan brought, and Cheo also ate with relish, praising it nonstop. It might not be comparable to the delicacies of the city-state, but what could be better in the desert?

  After dinner, the sky had already darkened, and a starry sky on the desert was exceptionally beautiful and bright. Ah Mon found a gentle sand dune, sat down quietly, and began to meditate and cultivate his divine technique again. These days have been through so many things, even walking in the underworld, but the basic meditation of the divine technique, he hasn't stopped for a day.

  At dawn when the sky was slightly bright, they continued on their journey. Xiao looked at Amun with a curious expression and asked cautiously: "My benefactor, are you a divine magician?"

  Ammon calmly asked back: "Why are you asking this?"

  Xiǎo explained: "I saw you sitting upright under the starry sky for half a night, only a noble divine technique master would meditate like this. That's why I dared to ask. If you are a divine technique master, please forgive Xiǎo's offense and disrespect."

  Ammon shook his head and said, "No, I am not a divine magician."

  At this time, Aesop sat on the shaft and explained: "Master, in my hometown and even farther away, there are many people who like to sit quietly and think deeply about life, existence and other profound questions. They are not wizards... Sometimes I also like to sit under the starry sky, use my heart to feel everything, thinking about all kinds of stories in the world."

  His words relieved Amun, and no further explanation was needed. Without saying more, they also encountered other merchant caravans along the way. After several days of trekking, the sand dunes gradually disappeared into the Gobi Desert, where shrubs and wild grasses grew on the Gobi, and finally arrived at the border of the Egu Empire's Haicheng City-State.

  Amun thought to take out the pass, but unexpectedly entering Egypt was smoother than he had imagined. Theo had been back and forth on this trade route many times and was familiar with the tax officials and soldiers guarding the checkpoint. After paying the fee, they entered directly. Iso was his slave and Amun was his bodyguard, so after a brief greeting, they were not inspected and entered the border, and all the prepared documents were not used.

  After entering the border, Xi Ao said to Amun with some difficulty: "Here is already within the territory of Egypt, but I will have a business number only when I arrive at Cape City, and I can pay you your reward there." The implication was that he hoped Amun would continue to escort him until they reached the main city of Cape City State.

  "Good timing, I'm also heading to Haicheng City. Let's travel together for a bit. I heard you're planning to head back to Meng Fei Si directly, but I have some business to attend to in Haicheng City, so we'll part ways there."

  From the border checkpoint to the main city, there is still a long way to go. Along the official road, many villages and towns are passed through. The largest town is a port on the north coast with a population of tens of thousands of people, making it very prosperous, just like a small city-state. Xi'ao explained to Amun that since the overland traffic between this city-state and the Hittite kingdom's Syria city-state was cut off by flooding, trade between the two city-states has relied on sea transportation, so this port town has become prosperous.

  However, the trade of the entire city-state was affected to some extent, with more than half of the three major trade routes being lost.

  The maritime trade between the Aegyptian Empire and the Hittite Kingdom is more convenient to depart from various ports belonging to the Dreamflight City-State at the mouth of the Roni River, without having to go around to the Cape City-State. The Cape City-State is currently a transit station for cargo trade between the Balen Kingdom and the Hittite Kingdom, and land transportation between the Aegyptian Empire and the Balen Kingdom still has to pass through the Cape City-State.

  After a few days, they finally entered the city of Haicheng. Ahmon saw with his own eyes the prosperity of this city-state. He had been to the capital of Balen, and if he said that it was prosperous, then everything would be seen, but the human atmosphere in different places is different. Most areas of the Haicheng city-state have poor land, and agricultural products are not rich, but trade is quite developed, so there are countless shops and stores in the city-state, where you can see special products, delicious food, and fine wine from all over the world. The streets and alleys also feature performances by artists from various countries, dazzling to behold.

  This is a city full of vitality, amidst the chaos, there is a sense of life. Walking through the streets and alleys, smelling the aroma of various delicacies, looking at the dazzling array of goods, and seeing people enjoying fine wine and food, watching performers, or haggling over prices, one feels a strong sense of dynamism.

  If there's someone who is tired of the world and wants to commit suicide, they should be brought here for a walk, a stroll, and a feel. It's likely that their suicidal thoughts will dissipate. Amun, who had just escaped from the dark underworld, felt great when he arrived here. His heart was resilient, but as a young boy, what he had been through was a bit too heavy, and he needed to relax in a place like this, where he should be lively and cheerful at his age.

  Xie Ou was still very considerate of the person who had saved his life, not only arranging for Amun to stay in an inn, but also having Yso drive a horse-drawn carriage with Amun to play around the city-state for two days, going to all sorts of lively places. Although Yso was a slave, he had a rich experience and a belly full of stories that were never-ending, making him a very interesting guide.

  On the third day, Xie Ou invited Ah Meng to his store in Haicheng City and had the shopkeeper, Hembert, count out thirty divine stones in front of him. He placed them on the counter and said, "My benefactor, this is your reward. Please don't be polite, you must accept it."

  Xiao's expression and tone were as sincere as possible, but Amun could feel his body tense up a bit, like he was grasping something tightly and trying to pull it back, with a feeling of his heart being clenched. —— Whoever takes out such a large sum of wealth would feel heartbroken.

  Amon didn't want to make things difficult for him, why save one person and then bear a grudge? He waved his hand, his tone was very calm and firm: "Xiao, you should be grateful that you are still alive, so you can continue to enjoy these, but don't forget that the bodyguards and those guys you hired are already dead. I'll only take ten of these divine stones, thank you for your reward! The remaining money will serve as compensation for the families of the deceased."

  Xie Ou was so moved that tears almost flowed down, took a few steps forward and grabbed Ah Meng's arm, saying: "Thank you, my benefactor! If you have time to pass by Meng Fei Si, please come to my house as a guest, I will give you the best hospitality!"

  Esso was also deeply moved, took ten divine stones from the counter, knelt on the ground with both hands and handed them to Amun: "Hero, I thank you for those unfortunate people, pray for your bravery, integrity, generosity and kindness!"

  Amon took the divine stone and put it in his pocket, but Iso forgot one thing in his excitement. The law of the Egu Empire also stipulates that slaves are not allowed to touch the divine stone, and if they do, they will be cut off a finger for each time. And he picked up ten divine stones at once!

  Under the circumstances that no one noticed, the shopkeeper Humbert suddenly shouted loudly: "Mr. Xio, this slave Iso has touched ten divine stones, which is a serious violation of the imperial decree! He relied on his eloquence and had said many over-the-top words and done many over-the-top things, which cannot be tolerated!"

  No one expected that in such a seemingly touching scene, something like this would happen. Humbert's voice was loud and all the companions heard it, while Iso's face turned pale in an instant, but he bit his lip and didn't speak. Armon was shocked in his heart, looking at this slave, suddenly remembering the scene where he was interrogated by Xiao Gu in Duketown.

  Xiao was visibly angry and very dissatisfied that Schubert had loudly exposed Iso's mistakes. Why couldn't he just pretend not to see it? Iso was a very capable slave, eloquent and wise, highly valued by Xiao. If it weren't for Iso's quick reaction and timely driving him to escape into the depths of the desert, Xiao would have been dead by now.

  But in full view of everyone, Humbert spoke out loud and it was not good for Seo to openly defy the imperial decree.

  Amun glanced at Humbert and found that the shopkeeper was looking at Eso with a mixture of annoyance, hatred, and schadenfreude. Why was this? This mentality may not be difficult to understand, just like Xiao Gu's desire to punish innocent Amun in the past, stemming from a deep-seated jealousy.

  Xi'ao suffered a great loss this time, although it was all the old master's money, but if accounted for, it would also be a loss for the Haijiao City-State's commercial house. The thirty divine stones just now were taken from the account of this commercial house. And as a slave, Iso has been increasingly favored by the old master in recent years, and his status is even higher than that of the shopkeeper, Humbert has long been jealous of him, and Iso often ridiculed him several times before.

  This time Aesop saved the old man again, and in the future he will be even more unscrupulous! Humbert happened to catch him making a mistake, of course he had to deal with him!

  Xiao was in a dilemma in front of his partner, looking at Amun with pleading eyes: "Benefactor, how should this slave be dealt with?" He obviously didn't want to cut off Iso's fingers, or else he wouldn't have asked so many questions. Slaves were also his wealth, and disabling one, especially the most capable one, was a loss, which he couldn't bear.

  Amon asked Iso with a smile, "What kind of reason do you need to keep your fingers?" He wanted to hear how the slave would defend himself. If it didn't work out, he would spend a lot of money to buy the slave on the spot and take him away, so as not to bother anymore.

  Aesop knelt on the ground, lifting his head and trying to keep his voice calm: "Lord Hesios, this hero, the imperial decree indeed stipulates that a slave's hand cannot touch the divine stone, but the empire also has another decree. Slaves are their master's property, as long as they do not quarrel with others, how to dispose of them and when to dispose of them are decided by the master."

  Xiao nodded and said, "Yes, it's up to me to handle this, but I cannot violate the Empire's laws. Everyone saw you touch the Divine Stone. Amun asked if you want to keep your fingers, what reason can you give me?"

  "Can you listen to a story I tell?" Aesop asked slowly. "It's something I saw in my early years, the story of a wise man from afar named Pythagoras."

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