Chapter One: The Desert Wasteland (Part One)

After feeling sad for several days, I happened to overhear some neighbors discussing the miraculous efficacy of the Guanyin of Childbirth in Buddhism. Moved by this, I immediately spent money to bring a statue of the Guanyin of Childbirth home. The couple worshipped it day and night, and to their surprise, the following year they indeed had a son. It was as if a dam had burst, and for eight consecutive years, they miraculously had eight sons.

On this day, the desert winds howled, and the raging sands obscured the sky. A wild dog darted into this rocky mountain area, resembling a piece of dry wood, its bony frame seemingly lacking even a sliver of fat. Yet, its pair of eyes shone with a haunting green brilliance, and its white teeth were bared outside its mouth.

After this, the couple was naturally overwhelmed with gratitude towards the Guanyin of Childbirth, and their faith in the divine was unwavering. The names of the eight brothers were indeed obtained shortly after the birth of the eighth child, when Mo Dagou had sought the help of a wandering monk at the village entrance, pleading repeatedly to receive them.

At that time, it was the late Ming Dynasty. This area, known as the desolate mountains, was located at the border between the Tatar state and the Ming Dynasty. Due to the advanced age and debauchery of the Ming Shizong Zhu Houcong, coupled with the corruption in governance, the Ming Dynasty was rife with undercurrents. The Tatar state sought to take advantage of this situation, attempting to revive the achievements of the 'Chengzu' and once again lay claim to the fertile lands of the Central Plains

The burly man, turning slightly, revealed behind him another man in a coarse cloth short jacket who had also just emerged from the cave.

Suddenly, it was unclear whether it was an illusion, but the earth and rock seemed to sway slightly, and then slowly moved aside, revealing a dark cave. Upon seeing this, the earth wolf let out a low growl, its emaciated body darting into the cave like an arrow. After a moment, a voice of reprimand echoed from within the cave: "What a filthy beast, daring to steal my food!"

The burly man seemed agitated: "How can it be the same? Think of us brothers; the name of the Eight Blades of the Northern Desert is well-known in this vast wilderness. The splendid scenery of Jitinghai is certainly incomparable to this damned desolate mountain. Here, we can have meat skewers, dumplings, blood sausage, and roasted meat"

To the north of the Great Wall lies the boundless expanse of the vast desert, a harsh and frigid land known as the northern frontier. Deep within this rolling sea of yellow sand stands a rugged mountain, stretching for dozens of miles.

At this moment, as the earth and rock were removed, the cave opened wide, revealing a burly man with a long beard, each hand grasping a charred yellow roasted leg of lamb, emerging from the cave. Upon seeing the scene outside where vultures were fighting over the carcass of a wolf, he spat and turned to say, "Second brother, I can no longer stay in this godforsaken place. A hundred miles of desolate desert truly makes a person feel like a bird has flown away."

The beast was seen half-crouching on the ground, sniffing as it walked along the roadside until it reached a large brown rock, where its sharp claws incessantly scratched at the stone.

The burly man, seeing that his second brother was ignoring him, anxiously said: "Second brother, at least say something! This damned place is stifling to death, like a bird that won't defecate or a hen that won't lay eggs."

Not long after, the Mo family couple passed away one after another. The eight brothers, still young, were deprived of upbringing and care, and they ended up joining the band of robbers in the nearby area.

Yet this wild dog seemed truly to be extremely hungry, as if it had set its sights on this piece of earth and rock. Its nose kept twitching, and it used its two front paws merely to scratch. After seeing it pounce and tug a few times without any effect, it suddenly leaped back, as if startled by something.

The wolves in this desert, due to the scarcity of food, are more ferocious than those elsewhere, and their sense of smell is also more acute

It is indeed true that the seemingly uneventful life at https://m.hetushu.com has been peaceful and safe. However, as I, Mo, have reached middle age with no offspring under my knees, I cannot help but feel sorrowful at the thought that the Mo family, which has been passed down for nine generations, will end with me.

The bearded man was about to continue speaking when he was interrupted by the man in the short coat, leaving him feeling somewhat dejected. The man in the short coat then laughed and said, "In the end, Old Seven, you are still just driven by the cravings of your stomach, truly a waste of the name your parents gave you."

Do not kill, for the eldest is burdened with deep sins; do not steal, for the second is involved in petty theft and grave robbing; do not indulge in lust, for the third is excessively lecherous; do not speak recklessly, for the fourth is full of deceit and trickery; do not drink excessively, for the fifth is addicted to alcohol and will inevitably get drunk; do not be greedy, for the sixth is inherently avaricious and insatiable; do not indulge in gluttony, for the seventh has an abnormal appetite; do not be angry, for the eighth has a fiery temper.

This large rock appears unremarkable, yet it is a common sight in this desolate mountain area. However, it weighs several hundred pounds, making it a challenge even for a large creature, let alone the emaciated jackal before us

The undulating mountains, endlessly rising and falling, resemble the surging waves of a furious sea, while the Great Wall stands as a dragon battling against the tumultuous waves of time, with its flesh and blood spanning thousands of miles, guarding the descendants of Huaxia for generations—the heirs of the dragon

The wandering monk, having little ink left, saw that his refusal was in vain, so he simply bestowed upon Mo Da Gou eight names, which are Mo Sha, Mo Dao, Mo Yin, Mo Wang, Mo Jiu, Mo Tan, Mo Shi, and Mo Chen. The essence of these names is to signify the Eight Precepts of Buddhism.

It is said that the Mo family has been passed down for nine generations without a daughter. By the time it reached their father, Mo Dagou, he was born with congenital deficiencies. The superstitious villagers believed that if he were given a name associated with the King of Hell, who judges the book of life and death, he would be despised, making it less likely for this child to be taken away early by the ghost of impermanence. Thus, he was given the name Dagou.

The two brothers before me were indeed the second and seventh of the notorious Eight Blades of Inner Mongolia, who once roamed the sandy hills beyond the Great Wall. It is worth mentioning that these eight individuals were not sworn brothers; rather, they were genuine siblings, sharing the same father and mother, born of the same womb.

The wild dog was thrown out, landing heavily on the gravel beach. It struggled a few times but ultimately lost its strength, gradually falling silent. A few circling vultures in the sky quickly folded their wings and descended, vying with one another.

This man, however, was unlike the previously mentioned burly figure who was full of grievances. He first took a deep breath for himself, then slowly exhaled, as if he intended to expel all the foul air he had inhaled in the cave.

Gradually, the smoke from the cooking fires of the past is no longer seen in the mountains, leaving only the white bones buried beneath the yellow sands. During the day, the sandstorms make it nearly impossible for people and livestock to traverse, while at night, the jagged rocks emit a faint, eerie glow. Under the ravages of the wild winds of the northern frontier, they produce a mournful sound, reminiscent of countless old women weeping in low tones. This ghostly and sinister place is one where even bandits and evil spirits are reluctant to linger

At this moment, the short-clad man exhaled a mouthful of foul air, instantly feeling a bit more comfortable all over. He then spoke in a calm and measured tone: "Seventh brother, weren't we also wandering back and forth in this vast desert, engaging in that fruitless livelihood, just the same, just the same."

After the beast leaped away, it did not run off; instead, it stood on the distant gravel beach, its pair of eerie green eyes fixed intently on this patch of earth and rock

The prolonged warfare at the border between the two countries has left the border residents suffering immensely from the ravages of conflict. Even those mountain dwellers whose ancestors lived in the unscathed Shanshan region are gradually unable to endure the devastation of war and are relocating with their families in search of new opportunities. Moreover, many local citizens are conscripted as laborers for the military, enduring daily enslavement, truly living a life worse than death