Chapter 18 BullHeads II

　　—Civilization is inherently expansionist and aggressive; advancement and barbarism often coexist.

　　Su Ziqi and her four companions had changed into the garments of the Gongyou Clan and continued to lodge in the great hall of the giant tree upon the pyramid sacrificial platform.

　　The rooms above the second floor had originally been prepared for the Yellow Clan Celestial Gods; the living facilities within the treehouses were nevertheless complete, including both bathing chambers and latrines.

　　Rainfall in the forest was abundant. The Gongyou Clan had devised waterstorage devices at the treetops, channeling water through wooden pipes into barrels within the treehouses; wastewater was likewise conducted by wooden pipes to the roots.

　　None of the five had expected so primitive a forestdwelling clan to possess such advanced systems of water supply and drainage. The simultaneous presence of advancement and backwardness within this civilization struck them as exceedingly strange.

　　Great Chieftain Gongdian of the Gongyou Clan had issued a gag order to every clan member who had seen the humanclan celestial gods. At the same time, under the pretext of preparing a major sacrificial ceremony, he declared the pyramid platform of the inner city a forbidden zone; without the Great Chieftain’s express command, no one was permitted to set foot upon it.

　　Yet in this world there has never been a wall that does not let the wind through; human mouths can never be permanently sealed.

　　Only Gongkong among the clan members received the Great Chieftain’s special permission to enter and leave the sacrificial platform freely.

　　Gongkong visited Su Ziqi’s party frequently and soon became thoroughly familiar with them.

　　Since the last appearance of the Vimana in the sky, a considerable time had passed without any further sight of them.

　　One day, approaching noon, Gongkong came again.

　　“Gongkong, are we being imprisoned by your people? Remaining cooped up in this tree hollow all day is unbearable,” Su Ziqi said on behalf of the group, voicing their true feelings.

　　“Yes, we are not that… what was the word…” Zheng Ya, who had already learned some of the native tongue, said, “Ziqi, how do they say ‘prisoner’?”

　　“Kuka.”

　　“Right—we are not prisoners.” Zheng Ya protested to Gongkong in the native language.

　　“Celestial sisters, you are all so beautiful and our honored guests; how could we bear to imprison you?” Gongkong’s face still wore its trademark grin as he spoke with oily glibness. “What we are doing is entirely for your own good, to protect you. After a further period, if the matter settles, the Great Chieftain will lift the ban.”

　　“You are the intelligence chief of the Gongyou Clan. Is there any news of our ship and the missing personnel?” Su Ziqi asked.

　　“According to reports from our agents in the capital, the underground prison guarded by the BullHeads has recently been placed under extremely tight security and the number of guards markedly increased. The other celestial gods are very likely confined there. As for your conveyance, I speculate it is most probably hidden inside the Green Clan’s pyramid.”

　　Yang Zhiyuan and the other two remained unaccounted for; the Kuafu itself had vanished without a trace. Reflecting upon their present plight, Su Ziqi and her companions could not help feeling deeply dejected.

　　“However, I have one piece of good news. Through my efforts the Great Chieftain has permitted me, these next two days, to take the celestial gods into the outer city for a change of scene.”

　　Since arriving in Wangqiu City the five had never yet walked the streets of the outer city. Hearing that Gongkong would take them there, every face brightened at once; the gloom of confinement within the tree hollow was swept away.

　　They followed Gongkong out through the innercity gate into the outer city.

　　This was a wondrous world—an entire city built among the giant trees of the forest, utterly different from the environment Su Ziqi and the others had known upon Earth.

　　Walking upon the groundlevel streets beneath the giants they saw only a sparse scattering of people; overhead, however, the sounds of daily life rose clearly. Looking upward they beheld a scene of bustling activity: people flowed like rivers across the gallery bridges that linked the trees, apparently needing never to descend to the ground.

　　At the bases of the trees stood many stables and livestock sheds. Some of the drainage pipes discharged sewage directly onto the earth; the streets reeked everywhere of human and animal waste.

　　“Gongkong, where are we going?” Su Ziqi asked, covering her nose.

　　“To a tavern I know well,” Gongkong replied.

　　He had originally intended to avoid the crowds by remaining on the ground, but seeing that Su Ziqi’s party could scarcely endure the stench, he led them up the stairway of a giant tree.

　　The gallery bridges between the giants formed a labyrinth; both sides were lined with shops of every description. Compared with the lifeless ground streets, the world among the trees presented an entirely different aspect: throngs of people moved busily to and fro, all manner of folk brushing past one another.

　　This was the first time the five had set foot among the giant trees of the outer city. It was another world—people living in the trees, traversing the bridges, birds and insects hidden among the foliage, great red fruits hanging ready to be plucked and tasted, sweet and refreshing. The surrounding prosperity and peace filled them with novelty.

　　They were about to pause and observe the daily life of these alien natives more closely, yet Gongkong had no wish to linger; he walked ahead without stopping and urged them to hurry.

　　He led them up another flight of stairs, across further bridges… and at last halted before an inn. Su Ziqi raised her eyes to the signboard and read the four characters “Azure Dragon Hostel.”

　　“Ah… what wind has blown the Third Young Master here?” The proprietress at the door beamed and ushered them inside.

　　“Proprietress, give me the usual private room and serve the best wine and dishes without stinting. After the meal arrange six guest rooms; keep the change as my tip.” Gongkong pressed several gold coins into her hand.

　　Upon the continent of Mu one gold coin exchanged for a hundred silver, and one silver for a hundred copper. A single gold coin purchased a great deal. The proprietress held one coin, blew upon it, and listened beside her ear: “Thank you for the Third Young Master’s generosity. As usual, shall I send a few girls to keep you company?”

　　“Damn it, am I that sort of man?” Gongkong’s face hardened as he reprimanded her. “Less idle talk—bring the dishes at once. And tell everyone: without my permission no one is to disturb us.”

　　The proprietress withdrew, abashed, thinking as she went that the Third Young Master’s soul must have been stolen by the three women at his side. Ordinarily he always required the house’s leading courtesans to pour wine; yet none of these three appeared prettier than her own flowers. It seemed men always preferred the novel.

　　The tavern was a treehouse roughly seven stories above the ground. They entered a private chamber whose open window faced the main thoroughfare leading from outer to inner city.

　　The view was excellent; no treehouses obstructed the line of sight. Looking down through the window one could survey the entire main road at a glance.

　　Dishes quickly filled the table. While the company was eating with gusto, the sound of horns rose from beyond the distant city wall.

　　“What is that sound?” Su Ziqi asked curiously.

　　“Celestial Sister, it is nothing—simply continue eating. Come, Uncle Dong, let us drink.” Gongkong brushed the matter aside, pouring wine into Dong Yifeng’s bowl and offering a toast.

　　“No—you are certainly concealing something from us.” Everyone gathered at the window and looked outward.

　　Seeing he could no longer conceal it, Gongkong said: “There is indeed something today. The envoys of the BullHead Clan are about to arrive.”

　　“The BullHead Clan? The bullheaded monsters created by the Green Clan gods of which you once spoke?”

　　“Exactly them.”

　　“What business have the BullHeads in Wangqiu City?”

　　“Presumably the annual human sacrifice.”

　　“Human sacrifice? What does that mean?”

　　“Every year our human race must offer a certain number of boys and girls under the age of six to the Green Clan of Evil Gods.”

　　The five were shocked and began to discuss among themselves: “What? So cruel? We had thought the threeeyed celestial gods a high civilization, never imagining such barbarity.”

　　At that moment a column of riders outside Wangqiu City sounded their horns before the outer gate.

　　“Open the gates! Open at once!”

　　“Who are you?” A soldier upon the wall peered down; when he clearly discerned the appearance of the riders below he could not suppress a start.

　　Beneath the gate a banner fluttered in the wind, bearing a white bull’s head upon a green field. A troop of BullHeads clad in green helmets and armor, fully armed and swaggering, sat astride camelhorses and demanded entry.

　　A BullHead who possessed only a single horn squinted upward at the gate guard and called arrogantly: “Open the gates at once! I am Vanguard General Gao Yuan, sent by Great Chieftain Jiang Li of the BullHead Tribe on an embassy to the Gongyou Clan. Report immediately to Gongdian and bid him come forth to receive me!”

　　After a short interval the gates of Wangqiu City opened and a welcoming party emerged.

　　Gao Yuan, nicknamed the “OneHorned Invincible General,” was a renowned warrior among the BullHeads.

　　The human soldier upon the wall had heard of Gao Yuan’s fame. Several days earlier orders had already arrived that BullHead envoys would visit Wangqiu; upon seeing the embassy below the guards hurried to report upward.

　　Colonel Yao Gang, who commanded the gate, received the news and swiftly informed GuardArmy Grand General Gong Wei. Gong Wei at once organized a welcoming party to ride out and receive them.

　　From the high window of the distant treehouse Su Ziqi and her companions gazed toward the main thoroughfare.

　　They saw a troop of yellow cavalry pass, followed by a troop of green cavalry.

　　Though the distance was considerable and the features of the green riders not entirely distinct, the five could still faintly discern the two great horns rising from each head.

　　Gongkong had already described to them the forms of the various intelligent races upon this planet, yet seeing with their own eyes the bullhorned humanoid monsters still filled them with considerable astonishment.

　　“To think such monsters truly exist!” Professor Dong Yifeng murmured. “Ziqi, tell Gongkong I wish to meet the BullHeads.”

　　After Su Ziqi translated, Gongkong’s tone admitted no argument: “Absolutely not! The Green Clan of Evil Gods has already issued warrants for your arrest throughout the land. The BullHeads are the claws and fangs of the Green Clan; under no circumstances may they learn that you are here.”

　　“No wonder you were so kind today as to take us out—your real purpose was to keep us away from the BullHeads.” Su Ziqi suddenly understood.

　　“Sister Ziqi, that was indeed my purpose. Yet rest assured: once the situation settles I shall do my utmost to persuade the Great Chieftain to lift your confinement.” Su Ziqi was six years older than Gongkong; by now he had grown thoroughly familiar with her and always addressed her with shameless familiarity as “Sister Ziqi.”

　　“Oh—so you admit it is confinement after all!”

　　“Well… celestial sisters, each of you is as lovely as a flower. What we are doing is protecting you. Should you fall into the hands of the Green Clan, every one of them is an expert at crushing flowers; you would have no good days ahead. Therefore I beg your understanding!”