Chapter 2: The wind from the Mirage Sea blows away the haze
Li Linhong looked around and said, "This. This."
As the words were only half-spoken, a scream suddenly echoed from behind. A knight stumbled in, and Li Linhong was caught off guard, being knocked off his horse by the man. The knight's horse lost its balance, throwing him off its back, but the man deftly maneuvered in the air like a swallow, landing steadily on the ground.
Li Linhong came to his senses and hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, there are still pursuers behind us. We must quickly find a place to hide. If we can enter, others can naturally enter as well"
Cang Ying said: "Yu City is nearby, let's quickly rush out while they are not paying attention. Follow me as we run, no matter what trouble arises behind us, you must not hesitate at all."
Zhao Sheng tightly grasped the sleeve of the Cangying, crying and laughing as he said: "Cangying brother, do you really know magic?"
Cang Ying Dao: "Moreover, there are countless treasures of gold and silver piled within." Li Linhong exclaimed in surprise, his mind becoming muddled, momentarily blinded by greed, and he fell silent.
The hawk erupted in a fit of wild laughter and said, "If that is the case, I shall ensure that they come and go without return, perishing entirely in the vast desert"
The agile Kazakh approached, lifting his veil to reveal a graceful and handsome face. He carefully examined Zhao Sheng and the other two, bowed, and asked in Chinese, "Are you Han people"
Zhao Sheng noticed that the expression of the eagle was somewhat off, and he cast a pleading glance at Li Linhong. Li Linhong, feeling helpless, could only sigh and think to himself: This kid has a problem with his head; sooner or later, he will cause a bigger mess. Alas, I have boarded a pirate ship with His Majesty, and it seems there is little hope of escaping.
The Cangying said with a smile: "Your Majesty, if anyone tells you that there are magical spells in this world, it must be slanderous and nonsensical; you must not believe it. What I use is pure Yang internal energy, which is warm and intense, upright and just, continuous and unending"
The falcon gently grasped Zhao Sheng's small hand, slowly channeling internal energy into the little emperor's body through the Laogong acupoint in his palm. After a moment, Zhao Sheng felt a warm sensation enveloping him, as if he were soaking in warm water
Li Linhong was still trying to get close. He affectionately placed his hand on Li Shuxiu's shoulder and said, "This young man, both of us share the surname Li. Perhaps we were family a hundred years ago. Haha, who would have thought that I, old Li, could actually encounter a relative in this desolate place"
That was a kingdom established by the barbarian tribes in ancient times. Later, the barbarian tribe encountered a plague, and all perished in the valley, causing Yucheng to become a ghost town, disappearing without a trace from that point onward
Zhao Sheng had naturally heard of the concept of internal energy, and at this moment, experiencing it personally, he felt it was incredibly marvelous. A sense of admiration suddenly arose in his heart, and he quickly said: "That Brother Cangying must be a renowned master in the martial world."
Upon hearing this, Li Linhong thought to himself: The Cangying brothers are well-versed in pure Yang internal energy. I have heard that only those with a youthful body can cultivate internal energy that can be called "pure Yang". It seems that the Cangying brothers have yet to experience the pleasures of a woman, what a pity, what a pity
The Cangying urged the horse while shouting: "Look at their attire, one group is of Kazakh descent, and the other group consists of Mongolian Tatars"
The hawk was momentarily stunned by their questioning, feeling a whirlwind of thoughts and a chaotic mind. However, after a brief moment, his thoughts gradually became clearer, and he resolutely stated: "Since my youth, I have accompanied the armies of the Song Dynasty in their campaigns, encountering many extraordinary people and events. Among them was a peculiar old man who, before his death, showed me a map that accurately recorded the location of Yu City. Your Majesty need not worry; I am quite confident, and with Your Majesty's great fortune to bless me, I will surely be able to find the location of Yu City." He firmly reiterated: "Since my youth, I have accompanied the armies of the Song Dynasty in their campaigns, encountering many extraordinary people and events. Among them was a peculiar old man who, before his death, showed me a map that accurately recorded the location of Yu City. Your Majesty need not worry; I am quite confident, and with Your Majesty's great fortune to bless me, I will surely be able to find the location of Yu City."
Li Linhong said: "Brother Cangying is a person of grace and ease, how could he lower himself to compare with those of the various sects and trades in the jianghu? Although his skills are high, he has always looked down upon fame and fortune. Am I right, Brother Cangying?"
Zhao Sheng opened his eyes wide, speechless, unable to utter a single word
Li Linhong shouted loudly and rushed into the illusory mountain wall. Seeing him safe, the eagle let out a long sigh and glanced around. Indeed, in the distance, there were mountains and waters, and the birds were chirping, resembling a paradise beyond the world.
The hawk insisted on having Zhao Sheng sit in front of him, unfastening his dirty cloak and wrapping Zhao Sheng tightly within it. However, the nighttime temperature dropped sharply, incomparable to that of the day, and the cold wind was biting, making it difficult to endure. Zhao Sheng had not anticipated that this scorching desert would turn unbearably cold; dressed too lightly, he was now shivering uncontrollably.
Zhao Sheng asked with a trembling voice: "We do not know who these people are, and we have not provoked them. Why are they pursuing us relentlessly?"
Li Linhong sensed that the situation was not favorable and thought to himself: It seems that they are not in cahoots with those Tartars; perhaps there are some past grievances. At this moment, it is better to avoid trouble than to invite more, so it would be wise to cultivate a relationship with them.
The Cangying said with a smile: "That mountain wall is merely an illusion of a mirage. It was discovered by the barbarian king by chance within this winding mountain wall that stretches for dozens of miles, and there is only one remarkable entrance that leads to this magnificent canyon. Thus, a grand city was built here.
The Cangying raised Li Linhong, lifting the empty sword sheath and placing it in front of Zhao Sheng, glaring fiercely at the Kazakh people. Seeing his unfriendly expression, they also drew their weapons, staring back at him without any sign of retreat.
Zhao Shengque exclaimed: "How does the skill of that elder brother Cangying rank among the best in the world"
The falcon gently advised, "Your Majesty, I have heard from others that within this desolate desert, there exists a secluded canyon, where lies an abandoned ancient city known as Yu City. The scenery there is picturesque, with abundant game; living there for a lifetime would hardly pose any difficulty."
The eagle, deaf to all sounds, instead charged fiercely towards a mountain wall, causing Zhao Sheng to scream in horror, covering his eyes, unable to bear to look any longer
However, his makeup is quite skillfully done, and it is uncertain whether his companions are aware of it
He said: "Brother Cangying, do you know magic? How can it be so hot?"
Li Linhong exclaimed: "It would be better for us to search for an oasis than to look for a deserted ancient city; isn't that like searching for a needle in a haystack, a futile effort"
Li Linhong laughed heartily upon hearing this, feeling quite pleased in his heart, yet humbly replied: "You flatter me, you flatter me. I am merely somewhat skilled in my abilities and clear-headed; as for other talents, I possess none."
Li Linhong peeked out from behind the mound, feeling anxious, and hurriedly asked, "Who are these people sneaking around in the desert at this late hour, looking for trouble?"
Li Linhong also curiously asked: "Little brother, how do you know about these strange methods? Can you find the way to Yucheng?"
A commotion erupted behind them, as it was evident that those people had spotted the two knights. Soon, the sound of hooves became dense and numerous, indicating that they had no intention of letting them escape
The falcon, having received flattery, felt quite excited in his heart. He grasped Li Linhong's arm and exclaimed: "Your Majesty, if we are to speak of Brother Li's abilities, he is certainly above me and never below me. He has served in the military for twenty years, charging into battle with courage and determination, taking the enemy's head from the midst of ten thousand troops as if it were a simple task, and has achieved remarkable military accomplishments. Such bravery, I can only look up to in admiration."
Li Linhong caught up with them, riding alongside, and laughed as he called out: "Indeed, although the Cangying brothers are young, I, Old Li, have long heard of the reputation of the Cangying in the Nine Provinces." After saying this, he reached out and patted Cangying on the shoulder, his expression quite friendly
After stabilizing himself, he immediately let out a few shouts in Kazakh. After a moment, eight or nine horses followed in one after another.
With such thoughts in mind, a knowing smile appeared at the corner of his mouth
Li Linhong and Zhao Sheng felt an overwhelming sense of uncertainty, yet looking at the fervent gaze of the eagle, they dared not speak up in rebuttal
Upon hearing the words "Ghost City," Zhao Sheng's face instantly turned pale with fright, and he exclaimed, "Brother Cangying, are you asking me to spend the night in Ghost City? This absolutely cannot be allowed."
Li Linhong cursed inwardly: This troublemaker will eventually get me killed. With no other choice, I could only urge the horse to charge out from behind the mound.
The person nodded and smiled, saying: "My name is Li Shuxiu, and I am also Han. These are all my friends; everyone, please put away your weapons." He then spoke a few words in Kazakh to his companions, who showed great respect for Li Shuxiu, following his instructions without any hesitation
At that moment, Lan Zhu stopped the eagle, smiled broadly, and said: "What this young man said is correct; the three of us are all Han people."
The two rode side by side for a while, only to see the nightfall descending, with the evening wind howling in their ears, resembling the wails of ghosts and monsters, and the cries of myriad beasts. Zhao Sheng felt a bit anxious and asked, "Brother Cangying, what kind of place is Yucheng, and how far do you think it is?"
The soaring eagle galloped wildly without regard for the path, gradually approaching a mountain rock as solid as iron. This rock extended endlessly to both sides, dividing the vast, desolate desert like a screen.
The three of them rode for about the duration of two tea breaks. The eagle's gaze was sharp, and suddenly it spotted, under the distant starry sky, two groups of cavalry standing in formation, seemingly confronting each other in conversation. He quickly made a gesture, guiding Li Linhong to a mound, and said: "It seems there are some people over there"
The eagle discerned that Li Shuxiu's command of the Chinese language was rather poor, indicating that she had been living in the border regions for quite some time and had nearly forgotten her Chinese. In contrast, her proficiency in Kazakh was exceptionally refined.
The eagle, upon hearing his delicate voice and observing the person's appearance, realized that he appeared to be quite young. He had a tuft of mustache on his lips, curved like that of a Kazakh, yet there was no doubt that this person was Han. In an instant, the eagle understood that the mustache was fake and that this person was a woman disguised as a man
Li Linhong exclaimed in astonishment: "Do not act rashly; it would be better to wait until they leave before departing." Before his words had finished, he saw the eagle shake its reins and, in an instant, dash out swiftly while also shouting loudly.
The horse collided silently with the mountain rock, penetrating through the stone, as if the mountain wall were painted in ink and wash out of thin air; with a gentle touch, it simply dissipated.
Li Linhong angrily said: "Cangying, you have led us to a dead end!"
Li Shuxiu's face showed embarrassment as she gently exerted force to free herself from Li Linhong's arm and returned to her companions, where they began to discuss quietly.
The Cangying was momentarily taken aback upon hearing this, pondering to himself: where did the title "Cangying of the Nine Provinces" come from? Looking at Li Linhong's expression, he noticed his eyes flickering, directly winking at him, and suddenly it dawned on him. This fellow was speaking nonsense, randomly assigning him a grand nickname. He thought to himself that he had joined the army since childhood, traveling far and wide with the troops; when would he have had the time to wander the martial world?
Zhao Sheng dismounted from his horse and took a deep breath of the air, feeling that the wind here was distinctly different from that in the desert, filled with the fragrance of flowers
Li Linhong is merely an old soldier, lacking the capability to be a formidable opponent. However, these two individuals flatter each other, causing Zhao Sheng to beam with joy, and the earlier feelings of fear have long been cast aside.
Zhao Sheng hurriedly asked: "The Mongolian Tartars are indeed here. They have come to capture me."