Chapter 266: Alibaba and the Forty Thieves

Reading For most people, allowing their wives, sisters, or daughters to go to war is blasphemy against the gods and they cannot go to heaven after death.

This is undoubtedly the most cruel punishment for believers in religion. Of course, the exception may be the Kurds, who share the same beliefs and have always had a tradition of women soldiers. But the problem is that even if there are female soldiers, they are all female soldiers only. How could there be a female leader leading a group of male soldiers? This is completely against the grain in the extremely male-dominated Gulf region!

Zhou Ming was not interested in other people's religious affairs, so after a moment of daze, he immediately came back to his senses and said to her, 'Respected female leader, first of all, I am very sorry for coming uninvited. Secondly, I need to go to Mahad immediately to meet your Sheikh Qa'oran, because I am here today with a message from the Republic of Kurdistan.'

As the guide translated Zhou Ming's words bit by bit in Kurdish, Zhou Ming could see that the militants on the other side all had their eyes lit up, looking at each other excitedly. The female leader also froze, looking at Zhou Ming with an expression of disbelief.

Zhou Ming said this on purpose. He also understood very well how much killing power his words had on these Kurds. You have to know that the Kurds, as one of the most populous ethnic groups in Western Asia, have historically have always been oppressed and ruled by other nations. Therefore, they even more urgently want to establish their own nation-state than the Jews, to decide their own political, economic and cultural affairs, and not to accept the rule of other nations.

The Kurdish armed forces were established for this very reason. Now they heard that Zhou Ming had brought news of the Republic of Kurdistan, how could the Kurds not be thrilled?

But after the initial excitement, the female leader in charge of the group said doubtfully, 'It is no secret that we Kurds want to establish our own country. Therefore, your words are not convincing. Or rather, what makes you bring this news?'

In the face of the Kurdish female leader's questioning, Zhou Ming sighed inwardly: it really wasn't that easy to fool!

But then, it's only natural. After all, as the woman said, the Kurds' desire to establish their own country is completely public knowledge. They even went to war with the government forces in Sulaimaniyah. So if anyone who brings news of the establishment of a country can be let go, that would be a bit retarded.

Nevertheless, Zhou Ming did not give up. He asked the female leader in return, 'Are you the chief of the Kurdish Mahad settlement?'

The female leader shook her head and said no. Zhou Ming then said, 'If you are not the chief, then why should I tell you the news I brought for the chief?'

'You damned infidel, do you know who she is? She is the daughter of our chief, the princess of Kurdistan!'

Upon hearing the guide's translation, the Kurdish militants there immediately shouted angrily, even threatening to point their guns at Zhou Ming.

Zhou Ming didn't care about their threats because if they were going to shoot, they would have already done so. They were just making a show. However, What interests Zhou Ming is that the female leader is actually the daughter of the Kurdish sheikh he wants to meet. No wonder these soldiers are willing to follow her orders.

Compared to these radical Kurdish guerrillas, the female leader, who was the daughter of the Kurdish chief, was much calmer. She gestured to her soldiers to be quiet, and then said to Zhou Ming, 'It is true that there are some things should be discussed with the sheikh, not with me. But that's only if you can actually see the sheikh. If you're like this, as soon as I give the order, I'm afraid you'll be

(This chapter is incomplete, please turn the page) immediately beaten to a sieve, right?'

Zhou Ming nodded seriously in response: 'I believe this very much, but your highness, the noble Princess of Kurdistan, you don't know one thing: you are already surrounded, aren't you?'

Hearing this, the female leader froze for a moment. Zhou Ming then turned around and gave a knowing whistle. With the whistle, there was a sudden burst of gunfire in the surrounding valleys. The gunfire seemed to come from all directions and reverberate in the valleys. The Kurdish guerrillas on the opposite side were startled, and one after the other they looked around in panic, a little at a loss.

The female leader immediately shouted, 'This is impossible! This surrounding valley is our area of activity, and there is no way that your large army could be ambushed there. From the sound of the gunshots, there should be at least more than 500 people. Our sentries would have noticed!'

Zhou Ming folded his arms in resignation and said, 'This is human nature: people always think that their logic is correct, and they can even deny the facts that are happening right in front of them.'

'And,' Ming continued, 'I know you're angry now, and I admit that you could have killed us before my people launched their attack, but I can only say that would have been pointless, because I have come to bring you good news, not to fight with you. So if you understand this, please take us to Mahad, okay?'

The female leader, who had been silent until now, suddenly smiled after these words. She said to Zhou Ming, 'We Kurds respect the strong. You people from Huaxia have proven your strength. We welcome you.'

Following the female leader's words, the Kurdish guerrillas behind her all put away their guns. Then the female leader told her subordinates to go and start the car, while she and a few guerrillas got into Zhou Ming's minibus.

Then a different whistle was blown, and nine dark figures were seen running down from the hills in different directions and returning to the car.

On seeing these nine people, the female leader's face turned black. She asked Zhou Ming, 'Is this the army you have ambushed around?'

Zhou Ming nodded as a matter of course and replied, 'Of course. This is a minibus, not a train, and it can only fit so many people.'

In fact, the situation just now was the commotion caused by the desert squad. Zhou Ming was worried that it would be difficult to convince the other party with just a mouthful of words, them to sneak into the surrounding mountains by night and try to create as big a crowd as possible to boost their own morale.

'You cunning liar!' the female leader angrily slammed her hands down on the table.

'I'm sorry, but I never said how many people I had in ambush, and at least 500 was your guess, not mine,' Zhou Ming said innocently.

The female leader screamed, looking a little crazed after being made a fool of. Zhou Ming just watched her from the side. Now that they were in the car, with some Desert Squad members here, he didn't feel that the other party still had the ability to threaten his safety.

But in the end, the female leader reached out and grabbed the guide by the collar, lifted him up, then drew her pistol from her waistband and aimed it at his head, firing as the guide let out a terrified scream.

With a gunshot, the guide's head was shot through with a bloody hole, and scarlet blood mixed with grey brain matter burst out all over the floor.

'I'll show you Chinese people, this is the punishment for playing with me!' The female leader put the gun back on her waist and said to Zhou Ming in English, 'From now on, I will be your translator. Without me, you will be executed by any Kurdish guerillas you encounter!'

After the female leader had said this, she sat down in her seat. Zhou Ming was also very helpless about the female leader's waywardness, but anyway, it was only a guide who was going to die, and it didn't have any decisive role, so let him die. After all, you can't really take off the Kurdish princess's trousers and spank her just because of such an insignificant dead person.

(This chapter is not yet finished, please turn the page) You are just waiting to be chased and killed by the angry Kurds until the end of time.

The guide's body was then thrown out of the car, and the female leader told her guerrillas to drive. After a nearly two-hour drive, Zhou Ming and the others finally arrived in Mahad.

Although this is the centre of Kurdish settlement, it looks much like an ordinary county town in China. It is divided into four main streets running east, west, south and north, and the emir and all the Kurdish nobles live in the palace in the middle.

The palace is a square, earth-coloured castle with four onion domes at the corners, which shine in the light, as if they were really the spokes of the wheel of fortune.

After passing through the gatekeeper's inspection, Zhou Ming's minibus drove into the palace and entered the middlemost emir's palace.

After getting out of the car, Zhou Ming and the others were arranged to rest in a side hall. The female princess leader told Zhou Ming that her father had other guests and asked them to wait here for a moment. If necessary, she could provide them with drinks and maidservants.

Zhou Ming refused without thinking about this strange request. God knows why she said that. Besides, they haven't even met the Emir of Kurd yet, and it would be improper to start having an affair in his palace.

So, Zhou Ming and the others waited here for about half an hour before someone finally came in.

He was a tall Kurd with piercing eyes. Even before he arrived, his loud laughter could be heard: 'I heard that the Chinese emissary has brought the news of the founding of the Kurdish state. Welcome!'

From his words and the translation by the female leader, it can be seen that he is the Kurdish chief, Gaoran.

After some initial introductions and pleasantries, Chief Qaoran invited Zhou Ming and the others to sit down. Zhou Ming asked curiously, 'Respected Chief Qaoran, do you really hope for the establishment of the Kurdistan Republic?'

Gaolan nodded and said, 'Very much so, very urgently. Mr. Zhou Ming from Huaxia, you may not know, but we Kurds have suffered enough oppression and domination by other peoples over the past few thousand years. We dream of having our own country!'

Zhou Ming then asked him, 'So, my esteemed Chief Ghaolan, before I tell you my news, would you like to hear a story?'

This sudden question made Ghaolan pause for a moment. He obviously did not understand what Zhou Ming was up to, but he still agreed Zhou Ming. Zhou Ming then said, 'I am very grateful to Chief Jao Lan for his patience. My story happened a thousand years ago, in Badina.'

'At there was a powerful Arab empire in Badina, but it was later invaded by the Mongols and the empire was defeated. However, a young prince escaped the war and hid in a cave. But this the cave was actually a gang of robbers. After listening to the young prince's story, the robbers felt sad and took in the young prince, promising to help him overthrow the Mongol rule.'

Zhou Ming continued, 'Later, the Little Prince grew up day by day, and finally he became the leader of the bandits. On the day of the Mongolian Khan's wedding, the Little Prince led his people to drive the Mongols away!'

After Zhou Ming's story, Gaolan said: 'If I'm not mistaken, this is the story of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, but you've changed it a bit. I just don't understand what your intention is in telling me this story.'

'Chief Emir al-Ghaoul, you are the little prince in the story, the Saddam regime is the forty thieves, and the ones invading Iraq now are the Mongols in the story. What I mean is that I hope the Kurds can join forces with Saddam to resist the American invasion,' said Zhou Ming.