Chapter 4, The Land of Yellow Sand
Here, one can hardly see expanses of green grass or forests; instead, there is only a vast expanse of yellow sand and desolation. Occasionally, one might catch sight of withered trees standing tall in the darkness, their twisted trunks, combined with the howling wind, can be quite frightening.
From Lin Bin's perspective, the not-so-tall Xiongnu horse was panting heavily, its front hooves constantly trampling the yellow sand beneath. What he feared most was that the Xiongnu cavalry would advance from the direction they were hiding. If that were to happen, the dozens of warhorses would undoubtedly trample them into a pulp.
Lin Bin ignored Sima Tong, who was mumbling something, and ran ahead with his head down, his attention completely drawn to the distant moving lights. Before long, Lin Bin and the other two caught up with Gongsun Hong and Lu Wu Zuomu, who were lying motionless in a depression. In front of them, there were also moving lights, which were clearly the Xiongnu pursuers using the speed of their horses to encircle them.
The Xiongnu were skilled hunters, and under the dark sky, a chilling scream could be heard from afar at intervals; it was the sound of fleeing Han people being caught and killed. The screams grew closer to Lin Bin and the others, and in order to survive, they needed no urging; everyone ran desperately.
He couldn't help but think: "If those more than ten people hadn't attracted the attention of the Xiongnu, then all of us would probably have died, right?" For him, such a disguise was simply terrible.
Running over the undulating terrain during the long journey is quite exhausting, and the distance among the five individuals continues to widen. Lin Bin is not an effective leader; he is unfamiliar with everything here. However, as one of the elite paratroopers of the Republic, he possesses an excellent sense of direction, and the group continues to advance towards the northeast.
It is indeed true that the more one fears something, the more likely it is to happen. The leader of the Xiongnu shouted something in Xiongnu language, and more than twenty Xiongnu cavalrymen began to move. They divided into groups, and three riders charged towards Lin and Tu Shubin's direction at full gallop. In almost an instant, the hooves of the three warhorses struck the yellow sand as they raced past.
A sudden neighing sound came from the south, capturing their attention. Lu Wu Zuo Mu crawled on the ground and advanced up the slope, seeing several flickering lights at a distance, which made his heart race and nearly caused him to exclaim in surprise
A group of people looked on in despair as the encirclement by the Xiongnu grew tighter. The moving lights in the rear executed a maneuver to converge, and when they gathered together, a wailing sound akin to that of vengeful spirits echoed through the pitch-black night
Lin Bin was extremely worried that Dou Shiyan and Sima Tong would not be able to hold on. Both of them were in very weak condition, and if they remained in confinement for too long, it was likely they would lose their lives. Just as he was lost in these thoughts, a strange sound reached his eardrums, and the ground began to tremble slightly. It sounded like a group of people were running desperately, with dozens of warhorses chasing behind them. He remained motionless, lurking in place, tilting his head and fixating his gaze on the direction from which the sound was coming.
Gongsun Hong's face was filled with anger as he ran wildly, looking down on the indecisive Lin Bin in his heart, already contemplating the idea of escaping alone. Lu Wu and Zuo Mu also began to run frantically, while only Dou Shiyan remained crouched in place
He was running ahead, with Dou, Shi, Yan, and others behind him. They had been sprinting in complete darkness for over ten minutes
In the darkness, one cannot discern the direction or see anything. After being tripped multiple times, one can only silently get back up, despite having a mouth full of mud and a chin that is a bloody mess, with no one daring to cry out in pain. Accompanying them are the continuous sounds of sand being stirred beneath their feet and the labored breathing akin to that of an exhausted ox.
Lin Bin chose a direction to escape that was extremely desolate, with a very complex terrain characterized by undulating slopes. Fortunately, there were numerous sunken basins, and due to the low visibility of the surroundings, they had not yet been discovered by the Xiongnu.
These are some Xiongnu cavalry pursuing and capturing runaway slaves, and it seems they do not intend to kill the fleeing Han people immediately. Instead, they appear to be driving the fleeing Han in a manner akin to a hunting game, directing them towards a certain direction. They stop their horses on the slope to the left of where Lin Bin and others are hiding, grinning menacingly in the torchlight, playfully pointing their bloodied curved blades at the still fleeing Han, loudly saying something unknown.
Lin Bin instructed them to control their breathing rhythm, and then covered the three individuals. While assisting Dou Shiyan, Dou Shiyan's body was trembling continuously, and the arrow in his left arm had not yet been removed. Lin Bin tried to cover Dou Shiyan with yellow sand, but it was insufficient to conceal his form; upon closer inspection, one could see a sandbag quivering incessantly. Lin Bin had no choice but to add more yellow sand until the trembling became less noticeable.
Lin Bin is now extremely worried that Dou Shiyan and the others might not be able to withstand the pressure and suddenly reveal themselves. The newcomers did not stop but instead rushed past them. The situation he feared did not occur, and before he could feel relieved, over twenty large figures suddenly appeared amidst a chorus of "Yo Ho" shouts.
Such a lengthy description occurred in a very brief moment. After Lin Bin helped them conceal their presence, he hurriedly made every effort to eliminate the footprints around them, uncertain in the darkness whether he had managed to erase them all.
Lin Bin knew that Gongsun Hong was right, but he had an instinctive feeling that something was amiss. He looked at the figure that continued to crawl forward and felt a stir in his heart. Ignoring the crowd's objections, he rushed towards Sima Tong, saying, "You all go ahead, do not stop, I will catch up shortly."
Lin Bin looked at Si Ma Tong, as the shadow in the darkness, which was continuously making sobbing sounds, crawled forward. In the tranquil night, the faint sobs were distinctly audible.
Dou Shiyan and others were left in a daze. When they regained their senses, they began to follow suit. They dug out the depressions but found themselves unable to bury themselves. They hurriedly sought help from Lin Bin, yet they also thought that if Lin Bin were to assist them, who would then help Lin Bin.
... ...
Before the people arrived, their voices had already reached us; it sounded as if the more than ten individuals had fallen into a state of hysteria, with their terrified cries growing ever closer. Further back, there were shouts of 'Yo ho, yo ho,' which sounded extremely excited. It was at this moment that the sound of hooves trampling on the sand began to become clear.
Do not hesitate, the young scholar is already dehydrated, and the Xiongnu pursuers are closing in. If we do not leave now, we will die here!" The speaker was Gongsun Hong
What should we do? We are being pursued from both front and back! Even Gongsun Hong, who has always been very calm, now speaks with a tone full of anxiety
Unlike others who were at a loss, Lin Bin remained remarkably calm at this moment. He quickly dug into the soft yellow sand on the ground, which was originally a desert with a thick layer of sand. In no time, he had excavated a small elongated pit. He reached out, pulled Sima Tong, and threw him into the pit, saying, "Take off your clothes and cover your head, try to hold your breath as much as possible." He then covered Sima Tong's curled-up body with yellow sand again, and in an instant, Sima Tong seemed to have vanished into thin air.
Lin Bin came to a halt, and the entire team also paused. They made every effort to ensure that their height did not exceed that of the slope.
Gongsun Hong suddenly saw Lin Bin, who was running at the front, come to a sudden stop, his figure swiftly turning as if he intended to turn back. This made Gongsun Hong anxious, causing him to break out in a sweat. At this critical moment of life and death, there could be no delay. In his view, this fleeing group had two burdens: the physically weak Sima Tong and Dou Shiyan, who had an injured left arm.
Lin Bin, concealed in the yellow sand, felt his nerves tighten once more. His gaze became exceptionally sharp, instinctively calculating how long it would take for the approaching person to arrive here. Before long, when he saw the figure of the newcomer appear on the slope, he instinctively thought to himself: "They have arrived"
Lin Bin had just crouched down beside Sima Tong when he was firmly grasped by a pair of hands. He did not speak, but instead picked up Sima Tong and dashed away in a chaotic manner. It was not that he was soft-hearted and could not bear to leave Sima Tong behind, but rather that leaving Sima Tong in place would inevitably expose their location. If the Xiongnu discovered Sima Tong lying on the ground, they would certainly check the surroundings. If the Xiongnu followed the footprints, no matter how far they ran, it would be in vain. It was not that he was soft-hearted and could not bear to leave Sima Tong behind, but rather that leaving Sima Tong in place would inevitably expose their location. If the Xiongnu discovered Sima Tong lying on the ground, they would certainly check the surroundings. If the Xiongnu followed the footprints, no matter how far they ran, it would be in vain.
Gongsun Hong took deep breaths of air, and the moment he was dug out from the pile of yellow sand by Lin Bin, he was on the verge of crying out loud. Had Lin Bin not hurriedly covered his mouth, it was uncertain what might have happened. Once Gongsun Hong calmed down, he saw Lin Bin unearthing the corpse of Sima Tong. Having narrowly escaped disaster, he couldn't help but exhale a sigh of relief, feeling immensely grateful to be alive. However, he felt a sense of joy at Sima Tong's death, as it meant one less burden. But when he saw Dou Shiyan and Lu Wuzuo lying motionless on the ground, his relief vanished.
Lin Bin knew that one could not stay in the yellow sand for too long; if one did not suffocate to death, one would be fainted by the scalding sand, and in that case, death would not be far off. However, there were not many choices at the moment
Lin Bin instinctively held his breath, his muscles tensed once more, and his body, buried in the yellow sand, slightly arched, resembling a coiled spring ready to leap and strike at the enemy.
After about five minutes, the world returned to a state of silence. Lin Bin crouched down and sat up, using both his hands and feet to crawl up. He made his way to the spot where Dou Shiyan and the others were hiding, determinedly digging through the yellow sand. Before long, his fingers brushed against burlap, and he quickly inserted them into the sand pile, lifting the person entirely out.
In addition to Gongsun Hong, Dou Shiyan and Lu Wuzuo Mu, who were successively dug out from the sand pile by Lin Bin, had already lost consciousness. When it came time to dig out Sima Tong, Lin Bin felt a damp sensation in his hands as he dug through the yellow sand, which startled him greatly. What he unearthed was a corpse; Sima Tong's back was sunken, and there was a significant amount of blood coming from his mouth and nose. The nasal cavity was free of sand, indicating that he had died while being trampled. His half-open eyes were filled with sand and * illustrations *.
He suppressed the pain in his left rib and rolled violently on the ground, his originally gray and white camouflage uniform quickly blending with the sand beneath him. He grabbed a handful of dry grass nearby and pressed it against his head, lying face down with his back to the sky, his nose filled with the bitter taste of yellow sand. His body trembled strangely as he sank into the yellow sand, and at that moment, it was nearly impossible to discern that the elongated, slightly raised shape was a person.
Lin Bin could feel a sharp, burning pain radiating from his injured left rib. Due to the long-distance run, he had lost a significant amount of bodily fluids, and his throat was terrifyingly dry. He had initially intended to stop and take out the gauze from his chest pocket to bandage himself, but the current situation did not permit it
Lin Bin reburied Sima Tong's body with yellow sand. He looked sadly at a pendant chain made of a small stone tied with hemp rope that had been removed from Sima Tong's neck. In his memory, Sima Tong had a strong desire to live, but in the end, he still died
Since the Han Dynasty, hundreds of thousands of Han people from the border regions have been captured by the Xiongnu, yet very few have actually made it to the grasslands. Generally, those who survived were women and children, while a significant number of strong men perished along the way. Their bodies stretched from the northern frontier of the Han court all the way to the Yuanju Xushan. The Han people living in the border regions referred to this route as the Ghost Gate Road, implying that it is a one-way journey with no return.
Until the Xiongnu left, Lin Bin still did not dare to move. The hooves that had been magnifying before his eyes were almost suffocating. Fortunately, the spot where they landed was slightly distant from Lin Bin's head; otherwise, the ground would definitely be a mess of red and white from a shattered skull. Even so, Lin Bin's face, covered by dry grass, was still painfully splattered by the sand.
Once again, a sound of falling echoed, followed by Sima Tong's choking sobs, which were filled with despair. Sima Tong tried several times to get up but could not; he had exhausted all his strength. His chest felt heavy and uncomfortable, and despite his strenuous efforts to breathe, he could not draw in more air, as if his throat were on fire.