Chapter 1: Water Dragon Chant · The corpses stretch endlessly across the desert
The falcon listened to Zhao Sheng's nod, and an inexplicable surge of joy welled up in his heart. He eagerly helped Zhao Sheng onto the warhorse, and once everything was ready, he and Li Linhong shouted in unison. The two horses galloped across the desert, heading towards the starry curtain of the sky.
After thinking for half a day, some thoughts in his mind were vague and tumultuous, yet he always felt a sense of incompleteness. He became troubled, and when he touched his waist, he discovered an empty sword sheath. A sudden joy arose in his heart without reason. He lifted the sword sheath to take a look and saw a line of small characters engraved on it: "Wishing General Zhao success in his endeavors, may the Song Dynasty restore its former glory: Zhao Sheng"
The eagle exclaimed fervently: "Indeed, the words of the Crow Brothers are undoubtedly correct. Let us go, Your Majesty, we shall depart at once. I see that the winds in the desert are quite strong this evening; Your Majesty's esteemed body must not be exposed to the chill of the wind."
Li Linhong also jumped off his horse, embraced the eagle, and exclaimed excitedly: "Brother Eagle, you truly are something! I originally thought you had been captured by that group of Tartars. Where did those Tartar pursuers go?"
The two individuals drew closer to each other, and the soldier clearly saw a young child, approximately eight or nine years old, sitting behind Li Linhong. He quickly regained his composure, hastily dismounted, bowed down, and exclaimed: "Your Majesty, I have miscalculated the time, causing Your Majesty to wait here for a long while. I humbly request Your Majesty to impose punishment."
The hawk felt a sense of confusion in its heart, pondering for a moment, utterly at a loss, and said: "I do not know why they all died"
Who am I and how did I end up here among these dead? They are all soldiers, and they are all Mongol Tatars. What has happened here? How did these Tatar soldiers die so tragically, and how is it that I survived?
The initial journey of the group went quite smoothly, as they were supposed to meet with their contact. However, someone unexpectedly displayed wealth along the way, which aroused the suspicion of the Mongols, leading to a pursuit by a group of over one hundred Mongolian cavalrymen, who chased them into the desert. Nearly all twenty guards perished in battle, with only Li Linhong and Cangying surviving, remaining steadfast in their loyalty to protect Zhao Sheng's safety
He gazed for a while, then turned over and mounted the horse. Without needing any urging, the horse let out a joyful neigh and galloped away with all its might from the edge of this inferno
Li Linhong clapped his hands and laughed, saying: "It is also the protection of the ancestors of the Great Song Dynasty that ensures Your Majesty's safety. No matter how fierce and malicious these Mongolian Tartars may be, they cannot compare to Your Majesty's boundless blessings."
This young man is the last orphan of the Southern Song royal family, named Zhao Sheng
The falcon shook its head and said: "What are you all talking about? Isn't Brother Crow right here?"
The fly asked A Qing: Who are you
Surrounding him lay a multitude of corpses, all in a state of dismemberment, with entrails scattered everywhere, and blood seeping into the sand, turning even the soil a deep crimson. The scattered heads, blown by the evening breeze, rolled about like balls, as if possessed by vengeful spirits, making their way directly towards him.
The fly replied: I am the fly. Maggots feed on decay, transforming into flies, born from mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
The figure glided through the air for a moment, arriving beside him, whispering in his ear: "I have nagged you countless times, no one else can see me, only you, O Eagle, only you can speak with me"
Li Linhong cursed and said: "Cangying, you have made your old mistake again; there are no crows here."
The hawk said bitterly: "They. They all died under the blades, unaware of who struck them."
For some reason, he looked at those dead bodies and felt a twinge of envy in his heart
Behind the horse, a group of bizarre beasts followed, resembling hyenas but with a mix of black and white fur, about the size of the giant wolves found in the mountains. The soldier let out a furious roar, raised his sword sheath, and charged madly towards the beasts. Upon seeing him rush forward, the beasts showed no fear; instead, they emitted sinister laughter and surged towards him from all directions
Li Linhong and the Little Emperor immediately jumped up, and the Little Emperor exclaimed: "If we die, it could be due to quicksand or perhaps a sandstorm"
A soldier, his face covered in blood, groaned softly as he opened his eyes, reached out to support himself, and slowly sat up. He appeared to be around twenty years old, dressed in military attire and wearing a helmet. His expression was dazed as he numbly patted various parts of his body with his palm, seemingly checking for injuries. After a moment of activity, he felt relieved, looked around, and was suddenly taken aback.
The soldier panicked, screaming loudly, turned over and got up, staggering a few steps, trying to escape from this vast field of bones. Little did he know that he had stepped on something, and a squelching sound echoed in his ears, as if he had stepped on a caterpillar. He quickly looked down and felt a wave of nausea rise in his stomach
He began to tremble, and a glimmer of light suddenly flashed through his dazed mind. He shouted, "Indeed, this is the writing of the Emperor, where is the Emperor, where is the Emperor!"
He infused his inner strength into his shout, allowing the sound to carry far away on the evening breeze
The eagle asked, "What brings you here, crow?"
The young child, still bearing traces of tears on his face, saw him kneeling and immediately burst into inconsolable sobs. He jumped off the horse in one swift motion, extended his delicate little hand, and helped the eagle up, crying out: "Brother Eagle, please get up. As long as you are fine, I thought I would never see you again."
They quickly drove away the crows and vultures from the pile of corpses, which were gorging themselves on the remains.
At this time, the Southern Song dynasty had completely fallen under the iron hooves of the Mongolian Tatars, and the young emperor Zhao Bing drowned himself in the sea, nearly extinguishing the bloodline of the Song dynasty. A group of loyal ministers from the Southern Song, after much effort, found a young child from the vast sea of people. After verification, they claimed he had the last bloodline of the Song royal family, and secretly brought him to the Western Regions, planning to hide his identity for a while. They intended to wait until the opportune moment when the Tatars had relaxed their vigilance, to plot for future great matters.
Zhao Sheng, being young, was overwhelmed with gratitude towards these two individuals. He appointed Li Linhong as the Minister of War and Cang Ying as the Commander of the Armies of the Realm, and ceremoniously inscribed their names on the scabbards of their swords. The inscription on Cang Ying's sword scabbard originated from this event, but unfortunately, his longsword was lost as a result.
He directly crushed the head of a corpse, causing the brain matter and blood to splatter out. The person's eyeballs bulged out from the head, blood-red and staring fixedly at the soldier, truly embodying the phrase "death without closing one's eyes"
Beneath the vast and dark night sky, the stars twinkle faintly, appearing and disappearing. This expansive desert is enveloped in silence, stretching out in all directions, leaving one to wonder whether the heavens cover the earth or the earth supports the heavens.
The crow took a breath, shook itself in the air, and in an instant disappeared, just like a nightmare
The eagle suddenly jolted and shouted: "That's right, that's right, Yucheng."
The two individuals immediately displayed expressions of shock, falling silent and standing motionless like wooden figures. After a while, Li Linhong dryly smiled and said, "I fear. I fear that it is the great prosperity of the Song Dynasty, and that the heavenly court has dispatched celestial soldiers and generals to protect His Majesty thoroughly, which cannot be ruled out."
Zhao Sheng was originally quite close to him, but at this moment, seeing his expression, he couldn't help but feel afraid. However, Cang Ying was extremely resolute, and on his youthful face, there appeared a stubbornness akin to that of an elderly person. Left with no choice, Zhao Sheng could only nod and say: "Since Brother Cang Ying has said so, then we shall follow your lead."
The eagle was also deep in thought when suddenly a dark figure appeared before it, floating in mid-air, cloaked and with eyes glowing red, its face indistinct, staring at the eagle like a ghost
She replied: I am from Shanhai Gate, specially here to guide you into the path, bestow upon you immortality, and cleanse your heart of its dust.
Li Linhong forced a smile and asked, "It was your brother nicknamed Crow who told you, wasn't it"
The Cangying turned to look at the two people beside him and said joyfully: "Your Majesty, I know of a good place where we can shelter from the wind and rain, allowing us to stay for a while."
The eagle sighed and thought to itself: You have come to seek me, what is your esteemed purpose
This statement is entirely untrustworthy, yet Zhao Sheng, a young child, has a considerable trust in Li Linhong. Zhao Sheng believed this casual remark wholeheartedly, instantly turning his worries into joy, and exclaimed: "Then are we not safe, Uncle Li, Brother Cangying? Shall we still go to the Golden Horde?"
The Cangying and Li Linhong exchanged a glance, and they both saw a look of bewilderment in each other's eyes. Li Linhong thought: Over a hundred Tartars have died this time, and although I do not know who is responsible, it is likely that this border area has already stirred up a great uproar. If we insist on heading to the Golden Horde now, would we not be captured by the Mongolian emperor there and suffer misfortune? But if we spend the night in this vast desert, we would only die faster. Yet the surroundings are boundless and indistinguishable, making it impossible to tell east from south, west from north. Where should we go to find a place to rest?
A Qing asked the fly: Who are you?
He took a deep breath, quickened his pace, and in an instant, dashed several zhang forward, leaving the pile of corpses far behind. At that moment, he saw a brown horse charging towards him, which, upon seeing him, let out a neigh that sounded like a cry for help
Li Linhong, approximately forty years of age, with a beard and a demeanor of loyalty and valor, was initially unable to discern the identity of the visitor and seemed to be contemplating an escape. However, upon hearing his voice, he was immediately filled with joy and exclaimed: "Cangying, Cangying, Your Majesty, it is Cangying"
The soldier was taken aback and thought to himself: Indeed, the Falcon, the Falcon, that is my name
The soldier stared blankly at the scene before him, his heart a tumult of hope, fear, desolation, and anguish. He thought: Is this what death is? This once vibrant human being, who held the esteemed position of being the pinnacle of all living things, has now become a pile of lifeless flesh, reduced to a feast for beasts. All the grandeur, cleverness, honor, and indignation experienced in life have completely vanished into thin air
In a fit of rage, he completely disregarded the uselessness of the sword sheath in his hand, fixating instead on the leading beast. The beast leaped into the air, opening its gaping maw to bite down on him. The soldier, channeling all his strength into his arm, swung the sword sheath and executed a move known as "Old Wind of Hexi." The sword sheath struck the beast's head like an iron rod, sending it flying away.
He wanted to flee, but his limbs were weak, and he stumbled as he walked. He felt the urge to vomit, yet his stomach was empty, and nothing came up. In despair, he could only move slowly among the piles of corpses, thinking as he walked:
The cold wind in the desert at night, mixed with sand and gravel, blows against his face, causing extreme discomfort; yet he breathes deeply, filled with the joy of having narrowly escaped death. After racing for half an hour, he sees in the distance a knight hesitatingly wandering beside a small mound. As he approaches closer, he recognizes that the knight is his comrade, and he cannot help but feel overjoyed, shouting loudly: "Li Linhong, Li Linhong, I am here!"
Brother Li, the crow is not a bird, but a living person
After the beast landed, a hint of timidity appeared in its eyes. It glanced behind the soldier and let out a few chirps of laughter. In an instant, these beasts bypassed the soldier and surged toward the pile of corpses behind him, looking as if a beggar had encountered a kind-hearted person distributing porridge.
They meticulously planned, employing layers of disguise, and dispatched a team of twenty to escort Zhao Sheng to the vicinity of Qili'er City. Initially, they contemplated sending Zhao Sheng to the Golden Horde, where the defenses were not as stringent as those of the Yuan Dynasty, allowing for greater room for maneuver.
Zhao Sheng, with a face full of panic, grabbed Cang Ying's hand and said, "Brother Cang Ying, please do not scare me, and do not fall ill. I beg you." He knew that although Cang Ying was loyal and quite brave, he occasionally suffered from bouts of madness, which made his behavior somewhat reckless. Being still young, Zhao Sheng was most afraid of ghosts and deities, and in such a situation, he was instantly terrified to the point of losing his senses.
He recognized that this was his horse
The crow began to laugh and said, "If you walk straight ahead along the southern ladle star, there is another good place there, do you remember?"