Chapter 328: Zao Arena (I)

After simply filling their stomachs, Boren took Liu Xunyi and Tang Cong away from the Bajiao Pharmacy and came to the east of Lhasa City.

Compared with other places, Dongcheng is much more lively, with houses standing in rows and towers forming a network. It is a rare prosperous place in Lhasa City.

Although you can see many poor people in ragged clothes walking through the streets and alleys of East City, most of them are young and strong. The elderly, the weak, women and children are rarely seen, and there are also few pitiful corpses of people who have frozen to death or starved to death on the roadside.

Compared with the impoverished West City, the lifeless North City, and the corpse-strewn South City, the East City of Lhasa seems unusually full of vitality and vigor.

Faintly, Liu Xunyi could already sense a hint of the noisy and busy atmosphere of Huodu.

"It's not just in Luoshui City. Tubo has a very strict hierarchy system." While walking slowly in the bustling streets, Boren introduced to Liu Xunyi and Tang Cong, "This hierarchy system is inherited from the 'Gao Shen System' during the heyday of the Tubo Dynasty. At present, with the separatist alliances, the hierarchy division is not so detailed and complicated. Nowadays, people are only divided into nobles, commoners, pariahs and slaves. Among them, pariahs are the largest, accounting for 60% to 70% of the Tubo population. Commoners are equivalent to slaves, and nobles are the least. The four levels have their own ways, and no one can arbitrarily overstep their boundaries."

"The nobles should refer to the eight kings of Tubo and the dignitaries of their clans." Liu Xunyi speculated, "But what is the difference between commoners, untouchables and slaves?"

"Commoners and untouchables are both ordinary people. The only difference between them is whether they have land or not." Boren explained, "If you don't have land, even a businessman like me is also an untouchable."

Tang Cong subconsciously asked: "What about slaves? What's the difference between them and untouchables?"

"Slaves?" Boren shook his head and smiled bitterly, pointing to the cattle and horses on the street, and said bluntly, "Slaves are just like them, they are not considered human beings. Here, killing people at will is against the law, and even slaughtering animals at will will be condemned, but killing slaves... no one cares."

"Why?"

"Because slaves are born to be the playthings of nobles." Boren sighed, "Just like yaks, Tibetan horses, and even tea bowls and copper basins, they can be killed or thrown away at will. What's interesting is that nobles and slaves have one thing in common, which is 'hereditary succession'. Their descendants are of the same lineage. Unless they encounter special opportunities, it is difficult to change from generation to generation."

Tang Cong said thoughtfully: "So those who were frozen to death or starved to death on the streets were all slaves?"

"No!" Boren shook his head. "Most of those who live a miserable life are untouchables. There are a few commoners and almost no slaves."

"Why?"

“Because slaves are supported by their masters, they will not freeze to death or starve to death. Even if the master has evil intentions, he will kill them instead of driving them out.” Liu Xunyi continued.

"That's right." Boren said admiringly, "Mr. Ding San really didn't make a mistake. Brother Liu is really smart and he sees through everything."

"Thank you for your praise, dear brother." Liu Xunyi forced a smile and asked, "May I ask... why did you bring us here, dear brother?"

"I just said that the Tibetan hierarchy is strict and no one can arbitrarily cross the line." Boren did not answer but asked, "Slaves are not to be mentioned, and common people can also farm to make a living, but if the untouchables want to have enough food and clothing and change their fate, what should they do?"

Hearing this, Liu Xunyi couldn't help but look strange, as if he was quite interested in this matter.

"In fact, the hierarchy is just that it cannot be arbitrarily violated, but it is not impossible to violate it." Boren stood outside a round building with deafening noises, pointed his hand into the building, and said with a smile, "Sometimes, nobles will be merciful and give the lowly people a chance to change their fate. For example... the Zao Fighting Arena inside."

"Zang Wang Arena?" Liu Xunyi could guess something from the words, but did not say it directly. Instead, he asked, "What is the Zang Wang Arena? How can it change the fate of the untouchables?"

"The Tibetan King's Arena is where Tsokdan selects warriors." Boren said with a smile, "In recent years, Tsokdan has repeatedly failed in the annual Northern Gada League. The noble warriors under his command are either mediocre or lazy, which makes him very unhappy. So two years ago, Tsokdan decided to recruit warriors from the people without any restrictions. This is the place where the poor can soar to the sky. Anyone who can win five consecutive games in the arena will be given fields and cattle and promoted to a civilian. If you can win ten games in a row, you will be summoned by Tsokdan and have the opportunity to become a warrior participating in the Northern Gada League. Once selected by Tsokdan, you will be promoted to a noble immediately. If you can perform outstandingly in the Northern Gada League, or even win the championship, you will be promoted to a higher position in the future, enjoy wealth and prosperity, and bless your descendants for generations. What do you think, is this a good opportunity for the untouchables to turn over a new leaf?"

"No wonder so many warriors have gathered here. It turns out that they all came here with the goal of leaping over the dragon gate." Tang Cong suddenly realized, "You brought us here, could it be that you want to..."

"That's right!" Boren nodded without denying it. "I want Brother Liu to participate in the duel to attract Tsodan's attention, and then successfully sneak into the Potala Palace."

"Today is the 27th day of the twelfth lunar month. It is expected that Codan has already selected the warriors who will participate in this Beigada League. If I enter the arena now...is it too late?" Liu Xunyi looked at the people coming and going, listened to the roars in the arena, and looked a little hesitant.

"It may be late for others, but for the swift and decisive Tsodan, it is not too late at all. As long as you have real ability, it is never too late." Boren complimented, "Tsodan's men are watching the fight in the arena. If Brother Liu excels, he may be summoned by Tsodan tonight."

Tang Cong's blood boiled after hearing this. He looked at Liu Xunyi eagerly and asked, "Master, what do you mean..."

"Besides this, there seems to be no better way." Liu Xunyi smiled bitterly, "We should give it a try. Now that we are here, there is no harm in giving it a try. But..." Liu Xunyi suddenly changed the subject, looking at Boren with embarrassment, hesitating, "I have never participated in a Beiga competition, and I don't understand the rules of wrestling. What if I get caught..."

"The rules are very simple," Boren said as he showed his stance and slapped his knees, explaining, "Two people fight bare-handed, and neither can touch the ground above the knees. The one who touches the ground first loses. The upper part can be used for attack and defense, and the lower part can only be used for tripping. The purpose is to throw someone to the ground, not to injure them, much less to kill them."

Having said that, Boren's eyes rolled around, and he said with sly delight: "More importantly, there are almost no masters in the arena, they are just a group of reckless men with brute force. Brother Liu has practiced real kung fu, so dealing with them is just a piece of cake. Hehe..."

"No experts?" Liu Xunyi asked in surprise, "But I heard..."

"Not only is there not many masters in the Tibetan King's Arena, even in the Potala Palace, there are also few decent masters. Most of them are mediocre and mediocre." Boren interrupted, "Brother Liu, don't be surprised. Tubo does have some martial arts masters, but most of them are tantric masters who hide in the ancestral temple all year round and rarely go out. They rarely participate in tribal alliance disputes, and they will not condescend to the market. Therefore, Brother Liu, as long as he uses a little trick, he will be able to shock everyone and shock everyone."

"Is there such a good thing?" Tang Cong exclaimed.

"We can't underestimate the enemy. After all, winning ten games in a row will consume a lot of our energy. If we are not careful, we may end up capsizing."

"Thank you for reminding."

"There is one more thing." Boren said hurriedly, "Everyone who enters the fighting arena must sign a life and death document. In other words, in the contest, life and death must be left to fate."

"Of course." Liu Xunyi didn't care and smiled faintly, "According to the rules of the martial arts world, this is how it should be. Do I have to go to the government to sue someone if I lose the fight? Haha..."

"Because life and death are determined by fate, there are many desperate people in the arena. Although brother Liu is a martial arts master, he still needs to be careful. You must know that even a rabbit can be brave in a hurry, let alone a human being." Bo Ren said seriously, "You two can't communicate, so continue to pretend to be dumb. Brother Liu will change his name to 'Bo Xun', and brother Tang will change his name to 'Bo Cong'. The three of us will pretend to be brothers, and I will handle all matters."

"It's a deal." After a brief discussion, the three of them resolutely stepped into the Zao Arena.

Listening outside the building, it was already extremely noisy and bustling. Entering the fighting arena, the shouting was even louder and more noisy.

The Zao Fighting Arena is a huge circular building with a radius of several hundred meters. It has three floors and an open space in the center, which is also the "arena" for competition.

At this moment, both upstairs and downstairs were crowded with people, surrounding the "ring" in three layers inside and outside, with at least several thousand people.

Although it was the coldest time of the year, the arena was hot and sweaty. Many people had taken off their shirts, revealing their strong and muscular bodies. They crowded around and shouted and waved their arms to cheer for their relatives and friends.

At this time, two sturdy men of equal build were entangled with each other in the open space, stretching and pulling each other, dodging left and right, and fighting fiercely.

In the arena, most people are watching the fun, and very few actually participate in the competition.

Most of those who are eager to try are watching secretly, hoping that they can avoid the "tough guys" and if they are lucky enough, they can encounter five "soft persimmons" in a row and finally get a piece of land.

The barbarians are strong and powerful, and those who dare to play in the game are the best. They can be roughly divided into two categories. The first category is the sturdy men who are more than nine feet tall, like iron towers, with broad shoulders and thick waists. The second category is short and stocky, only five or six feet tall, but with broad and fat bodies, strong limbs, standing on the court like a round "big meatball".

In a contest between the two, each has its own advantages, and a shorter person may even be able to more easily knock down a tall and strong opponent.

Of course, victory or defeat ultimately depends on the true strength of the two people.

At this time, the duelists were of similar height and extremely strong, with arms as thick as their legs. Even a well-proportioned person like Liu Xunyi looked a little "fragile" in the arena. As for the short Tang Cong, he looked like a child in front of the burly men.

On the north side of the third floor of the round building, a middle-aged man in a deep blue Tibetan robe was sitting leisurely on a chair, staring intently at the battle. Behind him, six or seven burly men in fur coats and Tibetan knives on their waists stood in a row with expressionless faces.

The fighting arena was very crowded, but there was no one around the middle-aged man, and no one dared to approach him easily. It was not difficult to see that this man must be of a noble status.

"call!"

"Oh!"

Suddenly, a loud noise was heard from the field, and a bald man with a height of more than ten feet, a broad back and a full beard was seen. He lifted his opponent high above his head, shouted loudly, and threw his arms forward with force, knocking his opponent several meters away.

After his opponent landed on the ground, his body twitched violently a few times, then his limbs straightened and he became motionless.

"Zomba! Zomba! Zomba!"

In an instant, the whole audience was in an uproar, and countless spectators shouted the winner's name in unison, their admiration evident in words.

In the field, Zongba clenched his fists, raised his arms high, and showed his strong body like steel to the crowds in all directions. He kept shouting something loudly, with spit flying everywhere, staining his dirty beard.

"What are they talking about?"

Amidst the noise, Liu Xunyi, who was confused, leaned forward and asked loudly to Boren beside him. But even so, his voice still seemed insignificant amid the deafening shouts.

"This man has won nine games in a row today." Boren explained loudly, "He is today's hero. As long as he wins one more game, he will be eligible to be summoned by Tsokden and have the opportunity to rise from a pariah to a noble."

Liu Xunyi asked in surprise, "In the Zangwang Arena, are there many people who have won ten games in a row?"

"It's rare." Boren shook his head and said, "There are many people who win five games in a row, almost every month. But there are not many people who win ten games in a row. Many people stop when they see the profit, just to get a share of the land. Therefore, there are usually only a few people who win ten games in a year."

As everyone was cheering, Zongba suddenly waved his arms and roared. Although he couldn't understand his language, Liu Xunyi could clearly sense that he was looking forward to the last challenger.

"Brother Liu, do you want to go up and give it a try?" Boren said jokingly, "According to the rules here, if you can kill a warrior who has won nine games in a row, it is equivalent to winning five games in a row, which saves you a lot of effort."

"This……"

"Zomba!"

Without waiting for Liu Xunyi to reply, the middle-aged man sitting on the third floor suddenly shouted. Although he looked ordinary, his voice was exceptionally loud and full of confidence.

As soon as the shout was heard, the noisy arena suddenly became quiet, and everyone's eyes were focused on this person.

"Who is he?" Liu Xunyi asked in a hissing voice, "Could it be the Tibetan King Cuodan?"

"No." Boren replied solemnly in a low voice, "He is the person that Tsodan trusts the most, and the number one warrior in the Tsodan tribe, Bansang."

Having said this, an indescribable excitement suddenly burst out in Boren's eyes, and he turned his sharp gaze straight to Liu Xunyi.

"My dear brother, what are you doing..."

"Brother Liu, this is a God-given opportunity. Time does not wait for us. Our chance to enter the Potala Palace has come!"

……

(End of this chapter)