The Mistery of Belicena Villca walls and its high towers , but its population density was unmatched : around 1,000,000 inhabitants . Although there were fortified suburbs of poor aspect , behind the wall was the main part of the city : about 80,000 beautifully decorated wooden houses , with all their streets paved with green marble or granite . The " nationalists " had rushed to occupy it , stationing a regiment of 10,000 troops ; the reason : to control a famous factory of heavy guns and others of gunpowder and rifles .
China ' s stuff . Or perhaps of Confucius ´ rationalism . The funny thing was that in the wall of Lan- Cheu-Fu there was a Shen Hei , or " black door ", that received its name not because of the color with which it was painted , but because it belonged to the black market . With exemplary practicality , the Tsung-Tu 50 negotiated with the heads of organized crime the cession of that door . According to the arrangement , the gangsters would be in charge of keeping permanent guard , coordinated with the nationalist guard of the remaining gates ; they could then channel all the smuggling they wanted through the Shen Hei , without being bothered by the police . The profit that the Tsung-Tu made with this original pact lay in the tranquility of his troops , whom he could occupy in the war against the Japanese or fighting the Communists . The criminal Secret Societies were as old as China and it had always been possible to live with them : they represented the lesser evil . Instead with the Communists or the Japanese it would be impossible to coexist in peace . By giving them sovereignty over the Black Door , somehow he legalized illegal activities and achieved some oversight of the uncontrollable Black Market traffic . By not proceeding this way , and forcing the Societies to operate clandestinely , it would be necessary to guard the walls 24 hours a day and periodical armed clashes would have to be held with the smugglers .
The Kâulikas of Sining went directly to the Shen Hei and there they pronounced a password out loud . They immediately gave way to us . But once inside , we were not led in front of a crude criminal , head of a “ brotherhood of bandits ”, as Von Grossen ' s definition allowed us to presume . The boss of the Green Band was an old Chinese man of exquisite manners , who by the red ruby that he wore in the official cap declared to be a first category and first class Mandarin : such a sign signified the highest hierarchy in the Chinese aristocracy ; we also distinguish an image of a richly embroidered unicorn on his suit , insignia proper of the military Kuan : the civilian Kuan wore badges of birds .
He was called Thien-ma , that is , Sky Horse , and he surprised us with his knowledge about all our steps : he knew that we were Germans , that we came from Bhutan , that we explored Tibet at the same time as another German expedition coming from India , that we destroyed the Duskha village , that we mysteriously appeared in the Kan-cheu valley and arrived at Sining , and that now we were asking for help to travel to Shanghai . He spoke in learned Mandarin and he let a halo of intrigue form around his reports .
We were in a huge , luxurious house that might as well pass for a palace . The servants finished setting the table and the Kuan invited us to sit down .
– I will be happy to have lunch with you . I understand that you are Doctors , men of study , as well as warriors . So am I : years ago I reached the degree of Hamlin , which is equivalent to what you call professor , the highest title granted by the University of Peking . My specialties are Mathematics and Philosophy . I have thoroughly studied Taoism and I profess it : ours could be considered as a Taoist Society . It is because of that affiliation that we are natural allies of the Kâula Circle of Tibet : we consider that they know the hidden part of Taoism ; of all the taos , the Tao ; of all the roads , the Road ; the strategic Path that leads the Spirit to free itself from its material ties . Many of the members of the Green Band , upon retiring , are usually secluded in Kâulika monasteries .
Von Grossen and I , upon meeting Thien-ma , agreed that a new study on Chinese Criminal Societies was needed . Evidently it existed a suggestive confusion , perhaps originating from the common source that the Europeans had to know China were the copious reports supplied by the English , which would contain malicious and false information . After all , for the English the SS was also a criminal Secret Society ! Because the least of which Thien-ma could be accused was of being a typical criminal ; although the actions of his organization were at odds with the law . He , and all of his “ Band ”, were idealists , they had a spiritual goal to reach ; and they were in a devilish world . In such gnostic circumstances , the solution is always the same : the spiritual goal justifies any means used to break through enemy territory .
The 25 men of Sining-Fu and the six Lopas had lunch in a contiguous house . Thien-ma was accompanied by Von Grossen , Oskar Feil , Srivirya , Bangi and I , who were the ones who would continue the trip to Shanghai ; the first would return to Sining that afternoon , together with the Lopas
50 Tsung-Tu : Governor of the Province .
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