Chapter Seven: War

I raised my head—why was my body able to move normally again? I saw an old man standing in front of me, draped in a large robe of an indeterminate color, with a long, thin face, a rosy complexion, and a long silver beard. I recognized this old man; he was the only immortal I had ever encountered. On that occasion, he had only spoken two sentences to me before the great calamity suddenly occurred, and he left me. But now, why had he appeared beside me again?

I turned my head to the other side and saw the immortal. He was still smiling as before, leaning down to look at me. He did not speak, but in my mind, words naturally echoed: "I know that you understand nothing and that you wish to know so much. Well, then, I will tell you one by one."

Is that the "Yun Jue"? Has the Su Kingdom already retrieved the "Yun Jue"? No wonder that mysterious person, despite having the "Lei Chong" in hand, still cannot defeat Su Yan. I can almost see a tremendous force gathering between the "Lei Chong" and the "Yun Jue". Although the two artifacts are nearly ten zhang apart, I clearly understand that the confrontation of Daoist techniques has reached a critical juncture of life and death.

A sudden thunderclap echoed across the sky, but it was immediately dissipated into nothingness by the transparent giant shield emitted by Su Yan. Not only that, I noticed a thick white mist gradually rising above the formation of the Su Kingdom, quickly spreading in all directions. Just as I began to comprehend this, everything around me suddenly became so blurred.

What exactly has happened? What time is it now? Could it be that those two years of arduous servitude were merely a dream? Have I finally awakened from that dream? Just as I was thinking this, suddenly, a voice echoed in my mind: "Does time really matter? Is reality or dream truly significant?"

Struggling to reach out, I touched an arrow shaft that was still trembling. I have been struck by an arrow, but why is it in the back of my neck? Which direction am I facing now? Where is the enemy? Where are my companions? In this confusion, my consciousness gradually blurred, and my limbs and body grew weaker, yet strangely, at this moment, I no longer felt such fear in my heart.

He had experienced several tribulations in the realm of mortals, but only after becoming an immortal did he realize that the so-called tribulations of mortals and those of immortals were completely incomparable, akin to the struggles between ants and wasps, which could not be compared to the wars of the human world. During the last tribulation of immortals, he escaped to Ying with several seasoned immortals, thus avoiding disaster. However, he had never been able to find a way to completely evade calamities, nor had he fully understood the origins of these tribulations. In such circumstances, he encountered a great calamity, leading to the destruction of Ying.

"So it was you who were reminiscing about Ying, and it is this nostalgia that has brought me here," the immortal seemed to see through my thoughts, gazing at me with a smile. "I was wrong; I should not have evaded. Since you have a connection with Ying, and since you have brought about a great calamity, I must attempt to seek the link between you and this calamity, as well as a way to end it"

Perhaps only by becoming a transcendent being can one truly be free from birth and death, free from calamities and difficulties he lamented

We took our positions on the battlefield, holding our long spears, quietly waiting. Before long, I heard a voice shouting: "Pray, warriors!" Immediately, a cavalryman responsible for delivering orders galloped past the front of the chariot, repeatedly calling out.

I opened my mouth to scream, yet could not hear my own voice. It drew closer, increasingly nearer, and I could already see the faint red light and white mist intertwining between the two divine artifacts. Soon, I found myself enveloped in this red light and white mist, an infinite power suddenly surged into my body, as if my body were about to be torn apart. ... My eyes widened in shock, and I lost consciousness ...

It is a change that occurs in an instant, with flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder. However, just as the sharp sword, capable of cleaving the vast sky, approaches the towering standard at the center of the Su Kingdom formation, it suddenly bursts apart, transforming into countless sparkling fragments. Of course, these sparks cannot harm anyone

The name of this immortal is a rather difficult and awkward syllable, which I shall tentatively refer to as Hulo. He claims to be a prince of a race very similar to humans, located thousands of miles to the southeast. Over 340,000 years ago, he cultivated himself to become a sage, and after 70,000 years of practice, he ascended to heaven and became an immortal

Juye and his soldiers all knelt on one knee, holding their helmets with their left arms, pressing their right hands against their hearts, and gazing up at the sky as they began to pray devoutly. We also prayed in our hearts; my prayer was that regardless of how the battle unfolded, whether in victory or defeat, I hoped to return safely, back to Wan's side. Before my eyes, Wan's sorrowful and lonely gaze seemed to flash continuously, causing a dull ache in my heart

The limbs have lost all sensation, do the limbs no longer exist? ... Since there are no limbs, there are no more hindrances, no more pain, just like when one is in a state of oblivion, existing without worries beyond the mortal realm ... ? ... Have I already died? Is this what the world after death is like? If so, why should one not seek death?

I gazed towards the center of the opposing array and saw two battle chariots positioned closely together. The charioteers and the horses on the right were all hunched over, completely motionless, with even the pulling horses merely swaying their necks, their gazes distant. However, on each chariot sat a figure with long hair flowing, clad in black robes, raising something high in their right hand, glaring fiercely at one another

The individual on this side wielding the bright red "Leichong" is likely the "mysterious person" mentioned in the play. He appears to be in his forties, with a dark complexion, long eyebrows that meet at the temples, and eyes that shine like lightning. The opponent he is fighting against is probably Su Yan, the foremost expert of the Yuan Wuzong sect. I was astonished, for I noticed that Su Yan, with hair as white as clouds, was currently holding a snow-white jade disc in his right hand

It must be Su Yan who has made a move; I did not expect that even "Lei Chong" could not easily defeat him. I heard the loud shouts from the chariot ahead, unsure whether he was informing his subordinates or merely reminding himself: "There, I see Su Wushi; he is the soul of the enemy forces"

Escape! Suddenly, a thought surged through my mind. Regardless of who wins or loses in the battle between Lei Chong and Su Yan, or in the fight between Chen Zi and Su Gong, the wisest choice for me now is to immediately retreat from the battlefield. However, this thought was fleeting; in an instant, a sharp pain struck the back of my neck, and I collapsed to the ground.

What is that? I heard the voice of an immortal and the sound of books in my ears. The immortal seemed unfamiliar with these two divine artifacts. That is something only found in the immortal realm; if it falls into the hands of someone as foolish as me, it will disrupt the balance of the human world. Suddenly, I felt a tremendous force pushing me from behind, and I was uncontrollably drawn down between Lei Chong and Yun Jue.

I shouted twice, yet received no response whatsoever. The surroundings were silent, with only the occasional rumble of thunder from the sky. Now I can no longer see the sky or the dark clouds, although every so often, a bright flash streaks quickly across the chaotic expanse above. I feel like a chick hidden within an egg, terrified, lost, and at a loss for what to do.

When I woke up again, I found myself lying on a gentle beach. As I slightly turned my head, I saw a wide river flowing calmly beside me. It was a broad river, with no sight of the opposite bank—I recognized this place; it was where I had drunk the river water and fallen into the water!

Is this the power of "Thunderstorm"? It is truly terrifying! As such thoughts swirled in my mind, suddenly, a loud bang nearly shattered my eardrums. I noticed that many people in our camp were so frightened by this thunderous rage that they hunched over and curled up.

I am wearing a crude and rough leather armor, which only protects my torso. The tanning process is simple, and the stitching is coarse; it seems that without engaging in battle, it could easily be torn apart at any moment due to the rough seams catching on something. In my hand, I hold a two-zhang long bronze halberd. The head of the halberd is relatively exquisite, and the blade is sharpened quite well, but the shaft is merely a simple wooden stick. It lacks any decorative embellishments and is not even planed, with a rough and knotted surface that feels somewhat abrasive. This is probably all there is; could a slave be given a better weapon than this?

But at that moment, a voice suddenly seemed to resonate deep within my mind: "Are you calling me? Ah, so it is you..."

Historical records state: In the sixteenth year of King Tan's reign, in the summer of April, Su Gong fought against Chen at the outskirts of Chen, and Chen Zi suffered defeat

The dense fog around me dispersed, and I found myself hovering in the air, overlooking the entire battlefield. I saw all the soldiers, whether from my side or the enemy's, moving aimlessly as if they were in a dream, waving their weapons and tools, yet unable to touch anyone or anything. It seemed that each person was merely a shadow, or perhaps they existed in different spaces, and for some unknown reason, these different spaces produced overlapping images. I witnessed a long spear piercing someone's throat, like a gentle breeze passing through the void; the one struck showed no sign of awareness, and the wielder was the same. It seemed that each person was merely a shadow, or perhaps they existed in different spaces, and for some unknown reason, these different spaces produced overlapping images. I witnessed a long spear piercing someone's throat, like a gentle breeze passing through the void; the one struck showed no sign of awareness, and the wielder was the same.

After the prayer, the soldiers boarded their vehicles or mounted their horses, and we infantrymen also stood up again. Then followed another period of restless waiting, until the sound of drums came from the north.

The general removed his helmet and jumped down from the vehicle. The soldiers under his command followed their leader's actions in unison. Even we, as foot soldiers, leaned on our long spears and knelt down.

At that moment, it seemed that the armored vehicles had not yet encountered the enemy. Suddenly, in my northern direction—where the drumbeats first resonated, which should be the command center where Chenzi was located—a dark cloud rose into the sky. It was as if the scene of the royal army attacking the State of Peng was being reenacted. However, this time, the speed at which the dark cloud enveloped the heavens and the earth was even more astonishing. Amidst the pitch-black cloud, a rumbling thunder was heard, followed by a brilliant flash that sliced across the horizon like a sword, striking towards the formations of the State of Su. It was as if the scene of the royal army attacking the State of Peng was being reenacted. However, this time, the speed at which the dark cloud enveloped the heavens and the earth was even more astonishing. Amidst the pitch-black cloud, a rumbling thunder was heard, followed by a brilliant flash that sliced across the horizon like a sword, striking towards the formations of the State of Su.

I stood at the front of the line, closely following the grand chariot of the theatrical performance. The chariot, much like its owner, was adorned in a lavish style, deliberately embellished with many distinctive decorations. To say nothing of the rest, simply painting the carriage a bright red was already quite eye-catching. As a retainer driving the chariot for the performer, I vaguely recognized the man who had once served as the overseer of the stone platform; I must have felt the sting of his whip more than once. ... To the right of the chariot was a large man I did not recognize; his towering figure not only reminded me of Ge Gao ... As a retainer driving the chariot for the performer, I vaguely recognized the man who had once served as the overseer of the stone platform; I must have felt the sting of his whip more than once. ... To the right of the chariot was a large man I did not recognize; his towering figure not only reminded me of Ge Gao ...

***

I can no longer see the chariots of the performance, and as I look around, I cannot even see my fellow infantrymen. According to the rules, the distance between infantrymen should not exceed half a zhang, yet after taking a few steps to the left, I still do not see anyone else. When I step back a few paces, I also do not encounter any companions who should be behind me. Could this merely be a coincidence? Have my two attempts to find my companions failed due to chance? I do not think so, and thus an endless chill of uncertainty surges within me.

I... brought a great calamity? My heart was filled with confusion. The immortal nodded slightly, then shook his head: "You won't understand... Now, follow me." Suddenly, I felt my body lift off the ground, soaring as if in a dream, and in an instant, I reached a height of several dozen zhang.

The dense drumbeats, like the flames of war, gradually spread and extended outward from a single point. I saw the actor raise the large bow high with his left hand, then slowly level it, nocking the feathered arrow. With a "bang," the string twanged and the arrow was shot; almost simultaneously, the charioteer suddenly shouted, and the chariot jolted forward at great speed. We infantrymen immediately followed suit.

The immortal seemed to understand all the questions in my heart. Without waiting for me to speak, he listed the answers one by one before me. However, there were also some questions that even he could not explain. "The immortal is not omnipotent, and we do not need to understand every single thing about the foolish," he replied.

With six rows and thirteen columns, a total of seventy-eight infantrymen followed the ceremonial chariot—he also had two auxiliary chariots, each equipped with a sufficient number of infantrymen in accordance with military etiquette. Among these seventy-eight, more than half were slaves, while the remainder were free commoners. The equipment of the commoners was markedly different from ours; they wore black headscarves and donned old yet relatively exquisite leather armor, which must have been passed down through generations from their ancestors. They wielded bronze halberds with long handles, painted with lacquer, and some even used iron halberds, with multiple supports for a single halberd. On my left and right were two such commoners, arranged in the front row as household slaves, perhaps indicating the importance that the ceremonial host placed on me—yet I could only smile bitterly within, feeling not a trace of joy or gratitude for this supposed importance.

He is convinced that I brought about the great calamity, or rather, that my appearance is a fateful opportunity for the emergence of this disaster. Therefore, he seeks to find a connection between me and the calamity, in order to clarify its context and discover methods for resolution. ... Moreover, it seems that he has already found something ...

The war between Su and Chen involved both countries and their allies or vassals, each deploying over 50,000 troops, marking an unprecedented scale. In the eastern suburbs of Chen, it was likely the place where I suddenly appeared two years ago. At the beginning of the month, the battle commenced