Chapter 5: The Wolf's Eye Under the Moon

The Cangying heard Xuanying shout: "Everyone, escort the princess on foot through the mountain wall. We will return once we are fully prepared."

The falcon spoke softly: "Your Majesty's golden words of concern bring peace to my heart; how could this mere pain possibly affect me!"

The Cangying, however, thought: Your Majesty, health is of utmost importance. As two rough men, we are indeed unable to take care of everything. It is essential to have such meticulous women; even if their martial arts are superior, their delicate thoughts surpass ours by tenfold.

The hawk sighed and said, "But now these Mongolian Tartars are aware of this place as well. I advise you to abandon the treasure hunt and make your escape as soon as possible"

In the blink of an eye, these green eyes began to surge down the slope like waves

However, he then seemed to recall something, his expression somewhat worried, and said: "He is a Han person, and although he has not been with our tribe for long, he is bound to face some difficulties. My three friends, if Allah grants us success in finding the treasure of the Naiman King and we return home safely, you must persuade him to return to his homeland"

Xuanjing felt an extreme sense of frustration. As a top master of the Quanzhen Sect, he had a remarkable reputation in the martial world, enjoying unimpeded success and being a well-known figure. Since the Quanzhen Sect had submitted to Kublai Khan, it had always been highly valued by the Mongolian emperor, receiving countless rewards each year and enjoying many conveniences in its dealings, never suffering any losses. However, who would have thought that today, facing an unknown individual, he would repeatedly fail, not only sustaining injuries himself along with his favored disciple but also causing Princess Jiuhe to lose an arm, enduring significant hardship.

The falcon closed its eyes and thought with a bitter smile: If there truly is a deity, He would not show mercy solely to you. Anyone who enters this labyrinth is likely to face calamity.

Li Shuxiu, upon seeing this, smiled slightly and made a gesture inviting them to proceed. The three of them eagerly followed her towards the bonfire, chose a spot to sit down, and soon someone presented them with deliciously roasted horse meat. Upon seeing this delectable dish, the three of them were transfixed, resembling famished ghosts, and they didn't even bother with pleasantries, grabbing the horse meat and shoving it into their mouths.

Lap's expression was one of extreme agitation as he shouted: "Allah will punish these infidels; they will die in the labyrinth. They will either die at our hands or succumb to the divine power of Allah"

The Kazakhs have lit a fire and are looking over at the golden eagles, waving enthusiastically to greet them. Li Shuxiu walked over to them and said in a hearty tone: "Three friends, we are life-and-death companions, so I won't say much in gratitude. We have roasted some horse meat and prepared some mare's milk wine, so come over quickly and enjoy it together."

Li Linhong asked: "If you injure the Mongolian Tartars, won't that provoke retaliation?" The Mongolians are tyrannical and do not tolerate any form of resistance. Other ethnic groups, including the Han, often have to endure humiliation in silence; otherwise, they would face brutal massacres.

Rap laughed and said: "His martial arts are so high, naturally he has a solitary temperament. Our clan's ancestor, the valiant demigod Bolah, was also quiet like him, speaking little."

Upon realizing this, he suddenly awoke, thinking to himself: If someone were to report to the Emperor, claiming that I am incompetent in my duties, not only would I fail to protect the princess, but I would also be unable to capture the perpetrator. From then on, my status in the court would plummet, and I would become a laughingstock in the martial world. This cannot be; I must devise a plan to capture all these rebels and bring them back for punishment.

The eagle knows that this is not an ordinary hyena, and it is likely the very beasts it encountered earlier. They are larger than typical hyenas, with tough skin and flesh, and are exceptionally cunning

The eagle hastily finished eating horse meat, drank a few cups of mare's milk wine with Lap and others, and asked Lap: "Why is that brother Li Shuxiu sitting alone over there"

The falcon trembled all over, yet a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. He shouted to Li Linhong: "Let us protect His Majesty. Child, head towards the distant lake."

He felt a myriad of emotions as he reminisced about today's battle, inevitably finding his heart and mind filled with joy, a sense of complete relaxation, as if every moment of this life-and-death struggle was imbued with supreme pleasure, making it hard to part from.

Li Linhong laughed heartily and said, "I appreciate your concern, brother." Yet, in his heart, he thought: How amusing it is that you, a man, are so bashful.

Upon hearing that there was no need to kill, Li Shuxiu immediately felt a sense of relief, let out a long sigh, and extended her delicate hand to push against the chest of Tiande to expel the blood. Lapu hoisted this person onto his shoulder, raised his head, and walked over to the Mongolian people, returning this individual to Xuankjing.

Lapdao: "He may have lived in other tribes in the past, not alongside us. However, everyone in our tribe has received great kindness from him, and we naturally treat him as one of our own family."

The way she speaks the Hasak language so fluently, I thought she had lived here for most of her life

Zhao Sheng murmured softly, "Brother Cangying, what is wrong"

He thought this way, yet his face remained calm as he bowed to Lap and expressed his gratitude in gentle words

Zhao Sheng asked: "He must have driven away the Mongolian Tartars who bullied you, just like today."

He glanced at the Mongolian soldiers, then at the Kazakhs, and thought to himself: Originally, the situation between the two groups was not so dire. After a fierce struggle, although deeper animosities were formed, they surprisingly managed to cease hostilities. This is truly absurd. However, the losses on both sides now are incomparable to those at the beginning. It is evident that while the conflict may be halted, it is merely a case of fighting poison with poison, quenching thirst with poison.

He had not yet had the chance to fall asleep when he suddenly heard a series of eerie laughter coming from the hills on both sides. The sound was sharp and cunning, filled with greed and ferocity. He sprang up, aware that a crisis was at hand, yet secretly felt a sense of exhilaration. He grabbed the drowsy Zhao Sheng beside him and whispered, "Your Majesty, something terrible is afoot"

At that moment, a strange cry came from behind, and a giant hyena circled around the campfire, leaping agilely towards Zhao Sheng's slender figure.

Moonlight spills into this desolate canyon, dreamlike and ethereal, tranquil and silent. The air is somewhat cold, seeping into the skin inadvertently, causing one to shiver involuntarily

The tired eagle sat back down beside Li Linhong, and Zhao Sheng hurriedly ran in front of him, asking with concern: "Brother Eagle, are you hurt?"

Zhao Sheng had not eaten for an entire day and was already so hungry that his stomach was pressing against his back. At this moment, upon hearing Li Shuxiu's words and catching a whiff of the aroma from over there, his stomach immediately began to rumble. Li Linhong said grandly, "Since we are all good friends, let us not stand on ceremony."

Li Shuxiu then walked to a distance, gazing at the crowd that had gathered in a circle, her eyes vacant and her expression serene, lost in thought.

The Mongolians and Kazakhs were long awakened by this sound, and they hurriedly got up, shouting loudly to mount their horses. However, as soon as they leaped onto the horse's back, those horses immediately fell to the ground, convulsing all over, foaming at the mouth, and were on the verge of death

Lap looked serious, nodded vigorously, and said: "The Mongolian Tartars want to take away my fiancée Anman, the most beautiful girl in the village. All the able-bodied men of our tribe have gone out to graze and hunt, almost allowing them to succeed. If it weren't for Brother Li driving them away in defeat, the situation would have been dire."

In an instant, he felt an overwhelming heaviness in the world, and an uncontrollable sense of boredom surged within him. He trembled all over, hurriedly closed his eyes, and forced himself to sleep, eagerly anticipating the arrival of disaster.

Zhao Sheng let out a chuckle, nestling in the embrace of the Cang Ying. The Cang Ying felt a surge of emotion within, secretly thinking: Since His Majesty treats me with such kindness, I must protect him at all costs, even if it costs me my life. However, with this large group of people flooding into the canyon, although they have temporarily ceased fighting, what the future holds is hard to say.

Amidst the chaos and turmoil, the hawk raised its head and looked up, only to see, in the darkness of night, countless large hyena heads emerging from the cliffs on either side. Their heads were fixed with pairs of glistening green beastly eyes, seemingly grinning as they stared at the prey below the cliffs. They emitted bursts of mocking laughter, as if the hunting nobles were watching the trapped prey.

Li Shuxiu gently patted Zhao Sheng's hand, picked up a handful of sand and poured it over his small hand, rubbed it a little, and then used a cloth to wipe his hand clean, saying: "Children have delicate stomachs; if they eat meat with dirty hands, they might upset their stomachs. The sand here is very clean and can be used to wash hands."

Li Linhong replied in panic, "Yes. It is hyenas, hyenas in this desert." He perked up his ears, listened carefully, and his lips trembled uncontrollably as he said, "Listening to this commotion, there must be at least more than one hundred of them. Oh my God, we should run quickly."

The Taoist of Tiande said: "I am only afraid. I am only afraid that there are mechanisms in this valley, that someone has locked us in here."

Li Linhong let out a loud roar, drew out his wolf-tooth club, and struck it against the hyena's head. With a resounding clang, the hyena flipped over, blood oozing from its head. Shaking its head, its gaze gradually became increasingly fierce

Lap said: "After killing the Mongols, our entire tribe will immediately migrate elsewhere. However, the elders of the tribe pulled out a map and said that there is a sacred land in this desert where our ancestors once dwelled, appointing me to lead the bravest young men of the tribe to search for that paradise. Brother Li Shuxiu is very righteous and insists on coming with us."

Li Linhong was invigorated and his beard bristled with excitement as he shouted: "You can count on your older brother Li. But how do you know there are lakes inside?"

The Cangying returned to the Kazakh people and said to Li Shuxiu: "Let this person go back, the Dazis will not go back on their word"

The eagle exclaimed in confusion: "How should I know who I am? I can only guess."

The Kazakhs were also filled with anger; twelve of them had come, and at this moment, nearly half had perished at the hands of the Mongols. Thinking of this, their hearts ignited with fury, revealing fierce expressions, and they cursed under their breath. Judging by their demeanor, they were not willing to let this matter rest easily.

Who would have thought that several Mongolian soldiers would angrily curse and strike the wall fiercely with their knives and iron hammers. Princess Jiuhe exclaimed in anger: "This is truly outrageous, wasn't this mountain wall originally fake? How has it turned back into stone?"

He enjoys the days filled with such fierce battles, relishing the fear, excitement, surprise, and joy experienced on the brink of life and death. In a daze, the eagle feels as if he has long been dead, a mere shell of a person, lost and disheartened; only in the moments of fighting against formidable foes does he truly feel alive again, achieving a rebirth

The Mongolian soldiers set up camp against the mountainside, resting on the spot. The Mongolians value loyalty above all; just moments ago, three of their compatriots had fallen in battle. If they had all died on the battlefield, it would have been one thing, but two of them had taken their own lives for the safety of the princess. At this thought, anger surged in their eyes as they glared fiercely in this direction, their lips pressed tightly together, remaining silent.