Chapter Fifty-Three: Journey to the Southern Dian Kingdom

To preserve the original data, Master Liu brought Zhang Desen a map and marked the approximate locations according to Tang Shijie’s drawing. Tang Shijie’s map was left aboard Zhang Desen’s spaceship, not taken along. Then came the preparations: Zhang Desen entrusted the spaceship and some agricultural equipment to Liu Yuting for management.

Liu Yuting happily accepted the task. Since Zhang Desen decided to take one of the spaceship’s two lifeboats with him, the two could communicate through the communicator whenever possible—this delighted Liu Yuting, easing her worries about separation.

However, to avoid detection by the Terrans, the communicator could not be used frequently; Zhang Desen would initiate contact only when he deemed it safe. Still, having this spiritual connection was comforting.

Preparations continued in earnest. Facing a civilization like this for the first time, what challenges awaited? Zhang Desen, though battle-hardened, had never contended with such an enemy. This new challenge filled him with anticipation and not a little pressure.

The next day, Li Longfang joined Zhang Desen and his team for preparations. After more than a month, the craftsmen arranged by Master Liu had finished a batch of basic equipment. Though humanity in this universe still dwelled in the era of cold weapons, they could now manufacture artillery.

With information brought from the original universe, homemade guns and explosives were produced, including the Brown Bess muskets Zhang Desen had first asked Master Liu to replicate. These firearms loaded powder and shot from the front and required a ramrod to prepare before firing.

Zhang Desen quickly trained a team specialized in firearms. Unexpectedly, before the month was up, Master Liu had his household guards outfitted in uniforms modeled after the Northern Expedition Army from Zhang Desen’s original universe, two sets per person. The designs met Zhang Desen’s requirements completely, even issuing standardized large sabers to be worn on the back. Except for lacking pistols and using Brown Bess muskets, they were almost identical to the Northern Expedition Army of old.

This reminded Zhang Desen of the Iron Army, filling him with excitement and nostalgia.

However, the Chancellor’s household guards under Li Longfang looked down on these items and were reluctant to equip them. Zhang Desen did not insist, planning to let them learn firsthand on this campaign why conservatism could not prevail.

On January 13th, Zhang Desen’s birthday, the Liu family held a celebration for him, attended by Chancellor Zhang Chengwei, the Second Prince Zhao Guangzhou, and others.

Afterwards, Zhang Desen was ready to depart. On the day of departure, Zhang Chengwei came to see him off. Zhang Desen expressed his gratitude, then, accompanied by Li Longfang and Zhao Chengming, went to Zhonghe Wharf in West Capital City, closest to the Liu household. For convenience, they planned to travel by water to Yunnan.

They would first take a boat from Zhonghe in West Capital through the Tian Song Water Gate to Yangzhou, then upstream along the Yangtze River to Yunnan. Of course, Master Liu and his daughter also came to see them off.

Once everyone had escorted the group to the wharf by Zhonghe closest to the Liu residence, they exchanged farewells. The sails rose, and the fleet left the dock, parting ways.

With the Chancellor’s support, there would be no problems before leaving the borders of Daxing, and even someone to look after them.

The trade fleet numbered about five thousand, including the guards led by Li Longfang and Zhao Chengming. Of these, fifteen hundred Liu household guards were armed with firearms, another fifteen hundred belonged to the Zhang household, and the rest were merchants and associated personnel.

The journey included selling goods in Nan Dian and purchasing products in Yunnan to sell back in West Capital. Officially, it was a trade fleet.

The voyage went smoothly. Upon reaching Yunnan, two thousand would guard the fleet and assist in commercial activities, while the remaining thousand would be responsible for support and coordination.

Due to the technological gap, Zhang Desen planned, upon reaching the target, to bring only a few for a special operations-style mission.

After about a month, the Liu family’s fleet arrived in Dali, Yunnan. Zhang Desen was pleasantly surprised to find that in this universe, Dali was indeed called Dali, making it less likely he would misname it.

Moreover, for transportation convenience, Nan Dian had dug a canal from the Jinsha River to the Lancang River that passed right through Dali City, allowing the fleet to dock directly at Dali.

Zhang Desen and his companions first entered the Liu family’s main trading house in Dali to rest and unload, intending to spend the night and discuss their next steps.

The trading house manager who greeted them was named Zhou Jintang. Upon hearing the name, Zhang Desen thought it suited his profession well, and the shrewdness in Zhou’s eyes suggested nothing could stump him.

He quickly arranged accommodations for Zhang Desen’s group and informed them that preparations for sightseeing in Dali were ready, offering an opportunity to explore the local culture. However, Zhang Desen and his companions declined, as they had other matters to attend to.

Business affairs were handled by Zhu Chengshun, sent by Master Liu. Despite not being in West Capital, the Liu trading house was still impressive. Zhang Desen mused whether, in his original universe, the Liu family might have made the Fortune Global 500.

But there was no time for such thoughts now; their task was to locate the Terrans’ base in the area. After bathing and an hour’s rest, Zhang Desen had people gather reports of strange events in Yunnan, hoping to find clues.

The collection yielded a surprising number of bizarre incidents, most trivial—haunted water jars, miraculous babies prescribing medicine, fairy apparitions that turned out to be disguised humans, and so forth.

Many were frivolous, wasting Zhang Desen’s time, so he summoned Li Longfa and Zhao Chengming to help sift through and identify possible leads.

As Zhang Desen grew weary from searching, Zhao Chengming suddenly exclaimed:

“There’s one here, right in Dali City—what? It appears every night, look!”

Zhang Desen and Li Longfang immediately joined him. The report described something quite unexpected—a potential lead. It seemed they’d have their hands full tonight.

The case involved a monster frequently appearing in the city, half-human, half-monkey.

According to the report, the creature appeared during the third watch (between eleven at night and one in the morning). Witnesses described it as monkey-like, often wearing a metal helmet and metal claws, with glowing red eyes. On its chest was a strange metal plate, tightly fitted to its flesh, as if part of its body.

Its body was covered in thick black fur and stood about two meters tall. It could leap effortlessly onto rooftops, attacking people with its long, venomous claws, appearing and vanishing mysteriously.

It would appear at the third watch, grab one or two victims regardless of gender, stun them with electricity from its mouth, and carry them off. None had ever returned, leaving the populace terrified.

At midnight, every household locked their doors and windows, praying the monster would not find them.

Attempts to destroy it had failed; organized attacks could not injure it. Even stabbing it with blades drew no blood, and those with metal-handled weapons risked being killed by the creature’s electrical discharge.

In the end, it always escaped with several victims, who never returned, while it itself continued to appear regularly and punctually.

Reading this, Zhang Desen and his companions grew serious. The monster’s strength and agility were remarkable. Zhang Desen wondered if it was another tool used by the Terrans to collect human specimens.

Since it seized people and vanished each time, tracking it might lead directly to the Terrans’ lair, saving much time. He turned to Li Longfa and Zhao Chengming:

“It seems we ought to pay this monster a visit. What do you think?”

“We are at your service!” both replied.

Zhang Desen frowned. “I’d like to hear your opinions.”

Li Longfang spoke first: “Master…”

Zhang Desen interrupted, “Just call me Desen. I never get used to ‘Master.’”

“I… find it hard to say.”

“Take your time. What’s your suggestion?”

“My thought is, perhaps we should send some skilled trackers after it?”

“If we use trackers, we might lose it before we even start. The creature could take to the skies. Zhao Chengming, what do you think?”

Zhao Chengming replied, “I think we should kill it on the spot and see who comes to rescue it, then track them…” He seemed less confident as he spoke, realizing he’d hit a dead end.

But Zhang Desen said, “If you ask me, we should kill it on the spot. If a Terran comes to rescue it, they’ll likely arrive from the air. The equipment on my lifeboat can track them, and once we know their general location, we can search the area. That would be much quicker.”

“Yes, we will obey your command!” both replied.