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A moment later Yuekepeng came to the tail of the cart. Kou Zhong opened the cloth cover and asked, “What happened?”

Yuekepeng, with grave countenance, said, “Ahead are three long wooden poles with three wolf heads that have just been chopped off, still dripping with blood – hanging from them. This is Qidan’s Huyan Jin trademark, the ‘Bloody Wolf Mark’ that intimidates the prairie. If one was the wolf heads but did not immediately leave all money and goods by the wolf poles, they will kill the other party entirely without leaving a single life.”

Frowning, Kou Zhong asked, “When do they usually make their move?”

“It’s hard to say,” Yuekepeng replied, “Sometimes they acted immediately, sometimes they waited for many days while you are frightened, and then they attack suddenly.”

“What’s Peng Xiong’s plan?” Xu Ziling asked.

Yuekepeng replied, “I did not expect that we barely entered Yan Yuan and immediately coming in contact with Huyan Jin. All we can do is to raise our vigilance, counter soldiers with arms, counter water with an earth weir [idiom].”

Both Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling cried, ‘Not good!’ inwardly. In the prairie, there was no danger that they could guard against, and now they had to take care of Ba Fenghan plus large quantities of congratulatory gifts. If the incoming enemy numbered in one or two thousands, attacking from four sides, eight directions, how should they deal with it?

Steeling his heart, Kou Zhong said, “We are coming outside to drive the mule cart, it will be more convenient to fight back as soon as we find out.”

The caravan continued their journey. Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling, using their precious horses to replace the mules, sat on the cart’s driver seat, forging ahead following the caravan. Passing the three hanging-high-on-the-poles, malevolent-and-terrifying, yet-also-pitiful – wolf heads, even with the two boys’ guts, they were still overwhelmed with shocking-the-eyes, astonishing-the-heart uneasy feeling.

Xu Ziling took back the Perished Moon Bow that he had given to Ba Fenghan, along with all the arrows and darts supply, and kept everything by his side, in preparation for the battle.

Yan Yuan [lit. swallow plains] was still charmingly tender and green, but the caravan’s mood has changed. This group of warriors from Jushi, who made light of traveling a thousand li to Longquan on revenge mission, ready to die, everybody was in the state of high alert, the previously relaxed and comfortable spirit was no more.

Yan River appeared ahead, snaking away into the distance. Yuekepeng ordered the troops to proceed along the river to decrease the possibility of the enemy attacking from the north. On the endless plain, apart from wild animals, they did not see any sign of human’s presence. Yet it did not calm everyone’s heart. Qidan’s Huyan Jin, Shiwei’s Shen Mohuan, and Gaoli’s Han Chao’an were the three most notorious horse thieves in the prairie. They come and go like the wind, appear and disappear unpredictably like a spirit or a ghost, scaring those who hear it out of their wits. No one knew when and where they would suddenly appear.

With a bitter smile Kou Zhong said, “I have never thought that the two of us, brothers would have a day where we are very scared and on edge like sheep waiting to be slaughtered, waiting for the coming of our allocated lifespan. If I can have a one-on-one duel against Huyan Jin, even if Xiaodi have my life shortened by ten years, I will be most willing.”

Looking into the distance straight ahead, Xu Ziling spoke heavily, “We can only take it one step at a time. This might be the most challenging hard battle we have to fight after Helian Fort. If we really cannot hold out, we can only give up our property, seize the path to escape, and then when Old Ba wakes up we will look for Huyan Jin to settle the account.”

After passing two sichen with no alarm, no danger, but everyone’s heart was like waves surging forth, the caravan stopped again.

From his position at the front of the convoy, Yuekepeng urged his horse to gallop back toward the two boys sitting on the cart, saying, “There is a jungle blocking our way ahead; shall we pitch camp earlier today, or take advantage of two more sichen of sun light to continue on with our journey?”

The dense forest ahead grew along the river, the terrain was starting to rise and fall unevenly. Under this kind of every tree or bush an enemy soldier, wind sighing and crane calling [both are idioms: panic and treat everyone as an enemy/at the slightest move] situation, it was completely understandable that Yuekepeng was intimidated at the first glance [another idiom] at the enemy who could hide inside the jungle.

Kou Zhong spoke decisively, “The enemy will come sooner or later, and I would rather they come sooner than later. If I were Huyan Jin, I would not attack tonight where we have the river behind our back, waiting in tight formation for the incoming attack. He would leave us in the predicament of waiting for dawn, one’s head resting on a spear, not getting any good sleep all night, and then tomorrow will still have to face the currently no room to advance or to retreat situation.”

“That makes sense,” Yuekepeng said, “We might as well avoid this forest region, pass through the hill area through the night, perhaps we can break away from the enemy.”

Shaking his head, Xu Ziling said, “Huyan Jin should be in the dense forest.”

Taken aback, Yuekepeng said, “How could Xu Xiong be so sure?”

Kou Zhong did not want to waste his tongue to explain Xu Ziling’s surpassing-others spirited sense; he said, “Because that is the best place to ambush us. Naturally Huyan Jin, who has deep knowledge of this area, won’t want to miss it.”

His heroic spirit suddenly aroused, Yuekepeng laughed aloud and said, “If they want to come, let them come then! I want to let Huyan Jin know that our Jushi men are absolutely not to be bullied.”

Galloping along the caravan, he gave orders in Jushi language, to encourage his men’s morale. By the time he was back at the head of the procession, the caravan deviated from the Yan River and took a detour.

Kou Zhong spoke to Xu Ziling, “Peng Xiong is indeed a talent, his character is also good; we simply have to try to preserve his life.”

Xu Ziling sighed and said, “Even if you preserve his life, it will be useless. Supposing both the men and the goods were lost, how would he answer his king? It would be better for him to die in the line of duty with all the honor and glory.”

Frowning, Kou Zhong said, “Is there a way to satisfy rival demands, that can both save the people without having to lose the property?”

Smiling bitterly, Xu Ziling said, “I just hope that there will only be a few hundred men coming, so that we could counterattack first, to chop down Huyan Jin’s dog head.”

The sun was falling beyond the western horizon of the plains, the red-spread-with-green-stitched-together grassland was covered in a layer of light red sunset color. The wind blowing across the grass was like an embroidered landscape of silk roll, yet inside it danger was lurking on every side.

Without-border, without-limit silence pervaded the vast heaven and earth before their eyes. To the left, the green forest reached the sky, the road ahead extended into the undulating hills like a ripple in the water, with random clusters of trees sprinkled in between.

After thinking hard, the two boys still could not find a good way. The sound of hoof beats suddenly arose. From the forest to their left suddenly rushed out endless stream of black-cloth-wrapped-around-their-heads, battle-armor-covering-their-bodies Qidan horse thieves, covering the mountains and the plains, from about half a li away, charging toward them, their battle cry shook the heavens.

Fortunately this side has been prepared. Immediately they arranged the carts into a ring, with the warriors hiding behind the carts, bending their bows and putting up their arrows, protecting the camels on the other side.

Suddenly from the front battle cry shook the heavens as well; another group of horse thieves appeared from behind the hills, divided themselves into two prongs, one team went straight to attack the head of the caravan, the other team rounded toward the right side. Immediately the caravan was in the inferior position where three sides were the enemies.

Sucking in a mouthful of cold air, Kou Zhong said, “My Niang! There are at least three thousand of them.”

How could they fight this battle?

Even if Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling could kill their way out of encirclement, Ba Fenghan, Yuekepeng, and all his men would be done for.

Looking at the enemy’s alarming-the-heaven-moving-the-earth terrifying offensive, the color of blood was drained from Yuekepeng and the others’ faces. What they were confronting was no longer a group of savage horse thieves, but an army that could overturn a kingdom and exterminate a tribe. Relying on their insignificant strength of a few hundreds men, it would only be like a praying mantis spreading its arms to block a carriage.

The Qidan horse thieves were approaching continuously.

Kou Zhong suddenly shouted loudly, “Peng Xiong! Retreat immediately, we’ll meet again at Longquan.”

With a lash of his whip, the three horses reared in pain and pulled the cart out of the formation, going at an angle toward the northeast corner where the enemy’s military strength was the weakest, precisely between the enemy coming out of the jungle and rushing down from the hills.

While – just like Yuekepeng – Xu Ziling was thinking that Kou Zhong was not loyal to his friends and was running away to the wilderness alone, Kou Zhong shouted loudly, “Ling Shao! Five-Colored Stone!”

Xu Ziling understood immediately. He leaped and somersaulted to the top of the cart, while calling out, “You go throw the goods away!”

“No time!” Kou Zhong replied. Each hand reached a quiver of arrows, slung the quivers behind his back, he pounced forward, landing on the Thousand-Li Dream, which was at the very front pulling the cart. One hand grabbed the bow the other hand fetched the arrows, he released strings of arrows like a string of pearls toward the enemies on both sides.

Xu Ziling stood on the shaking and jolting cart, steady as Mount Tai, he pinched the Five-Colored Stone between two fingers and lifted it up high above his head. Secretly performing the Motionless Fundamental Image, using Incantation Method, he shouted in Tujue language, “Kou Zhong, Xu Ziling are here; whoever dares, come seize our Five-Colored Stone!”

With the brilliant scheme that the quick-witted Kou Zhong came up with surely they did not have to worry that Huyan Jin would not come.

First of all, in the Central Plains, Kou Zhong had defeated Ku Ge, the son of another big Qidan tribal chief Mohui, and slaughtered more than a hundred Qidan men, hence he tied deep enmity with the Qidan tribe.

Secondly, the Five-Colored Stone was snatched away by Qidan from Mohe people’s hands, and has been in their possession for many years, becoming the symbol of victory, honor and disgrace of their people; it was of great significance. They would definitely not allow the Stone to fall back into Mohe people’s hands. Furthermore, after Bai Ziting obtained the Stone, he would be able to, in a way that justifies the use of the term, become the sovereign over the various tribes of Mohe.

By comparison, the congratulatory gifts from the various kingdoms of Turpan were just a small matter.

Speaking about affairs, there is the difference between slight or important, urgent or non-urgent [you guessed it: another idiom]. Huyan Jin was completely oblivious that the cart had the immobilized Ba Fenghan inside; he only thought that if he let the two forced their way out of encirclement and escaped to the wilderness, intercepting them later would be more difficult than ascending to the heavens. Plus there was not much of daytime left, the night was coming.

Sure enough, from within the enemy ranks a loud shout was heard, giving orders. Although the two boys did not understand Qidan, just by looking at the entire enemy cavalry turning around to chase them, they knew that they were halfway to success. The other half was how to kill their way out of the encirclement, and break away from the enemy’s pursuit.

Which was nearly impossible.

No matter how much of divine steed the Thousand-Li Dream, three fine horses were, after rushing along the entire day, plus they were pulling a cart half full with cloth and silk, there was no way they could beat the Qidan horse thieves, who grew on horseback, no matter how fast they ran.

But the two had no other choice.

Xu Ziling made another somersault. Quick like apes and monkeys, he flipped from the tail of the cart to inside the cart. Ba Fenghan was still sleeping soundly, totally unaware that the two boys were facing life and death crisis.

Xu Ziling grabbed a bolt of cloth; he was about to toss it out of the cart to lighten the load of the horses when suddenly his heart was moved. Shaking the cloth with both hands, he stretched out nearly two zhang of wild hemp cloth.

The cart was going against the wind. The two-zhang long hemp cloth fluttered behind the tail of the cart, as if a big tail suddenly grew behind the cart, which fluttered wildly due to the brushing wind, creating loud ‘Whoosh! Whoosh!’ noise.

This moment the enemy riders were surging like a tide from the left side. Xu Ziling transmitted his power into the cloth, the long cloth swept across the grassland like a solid wall, accurately shrouding five riders charging over so that both the men and the horses suffered a crushing defeat, stumbling the riders coming behind them that one after another they lost their footing and knocked against each other into a heap.

Hope grew in Xu Ziling’s heart, thinking that this tactic was indeed one move, two gains; it could both deter the enemy and decrease their load. Hurriedly he put the hemp cloth tactic into full swing.

At the front, Kou Zhong, who was controlling the cart while attacking the enemy at the same time, was also extremely busy.

Both sides were competing against time, to see whether the Qidan horse thieves could close the siege one step ahead and thus cutting off the cart’s way out, or the cart could escape through the gap before the enemy closed in in front of them.

If in Kou Zhong’s stretched hand was not the Extinguished Sun Bow, mighty and powerful, definitely the enemy would be able to close in, shoot the three fine horses dead, and achieve their goal.

Kou Zhong laughed aloud. The cart swerved from the enemy on the left. Steering the Thousand-Li Dream, he aimed to hilly area where they were coming from, toward the weak point at the tail of the enemies, which were now charging from the right and the front. Powerful arrows were shooting constantly. Hardening his heart, he did not shoot the people but shot the horses instead. One after another warhorses tumbled, the riders from behind could not stop their momentum, they were tripped, and created a chain reaction so that immediately the battle array was in big chaos. It was hard to stop at full speed!

In the blink of an eye the cart broke the siege, all the enemies were now chasing from behind.

Xu Ziling shouted, “You are in charge of steering the cart; as long as the cart does not overturn, we will succeed!”

Another bolt of hemp cloth was released, the force was applied ingeniously, the hemp cloth wrapped itself around the feet of nearly ten enemy riders; the horses lost their footing, the men on the saddle were thrown forward, none was narrowly and luckily escaped.

The cart rushed up the hill. By the time it crossed the hilltop and was charging wildly down the slope, the sun already disappeared under the plains.

The cart was hidden inside the dense forest in the depth of the hilly, mountainous area. Finally they were able to temporarily escape the pursuing troops, but they had not escaped from the danger yet.

The three horses’ mouths were foaming; if they were forced to continue, they would definitely collapse from exhaustion.

Some of the enemies chased past them, so that now there were enemies on four sides and eight directions. Were it not for the vastness of the dense forest on the hilly area, plus it was deep in the night, plus they deliberately took meandering route, perhaps the enemy would have advanced to this place by following the wheel tracks.

But when dawn came, they would lose this advantage completely.

The in-and-out torches light and the sound of horse neigh were moving to the other edge of the hill. The two breathed a little sigh of relief, while at the same time they were well aware that next time they might not be so lucky.

Kou Zhong said, “If you were Huyan Jin, and you came here only to find an empty cart and three horses, what would you think?”

Of course Xu Ziling understood what he meant; he wanted to execute the troops deployed to mislead the enemy tactic, to make Huyan Jin think that they were abandoning the cart and the horses to escape. Shaking his head, he said, “Even if I have to die in battle, I will never abandon the horses.”

Kou Zhong said, “They are three first-class spirited, thoroughbred horses; Huyan Jin might take them as his own, in which case we’ll wait until Old Ba wakes up, and then we’ll get the horses back, while chopping Huyan Jin’s dog head along the way to be brought back to Da Xiaojie, signifying the completion of our mission.”

Voices and torchlight were coming again from the distance, slowly heading straight toward the jungle where they were. It looked like this time they could not escape.

Xu Ziling sighed and said, “If from shame Huyan Jin turned to rage and kill the three horses to vent his anger, won’t it would be too late for regrets?”

Hugging him on his shoulders, Kou Zhong said, “Ling Shao, please answer my question first: if we stake it all to fight, what will our chance of success be?”

Xu Ziling replied in displeasure, “Naturally the outcome will be we fight with all our might and die in battle.”

“That is for sure,” Kou Zhong replied, “Let me use my illustrious name, Kou Zhong, as a guarantee; if Huyan Jin or his men strike treacherously and murder our treasured horses, we will immediately strike back, and will not run away until we get rid of Huyan Jin to avenge our horses. Whether we succeed or we fail, on the whole we can still answer Old Ba. If we are unfortunate and die in battle, due to Huyan Jin does not know Old Ba’s existence at all, perhaps he, LaoGe will be able to escape this calamity and later on wipe away this hatred and dishonor.”

The enemy finally reached the edge of the jungle. Xu Ziling’s heart was finally moved. “Very well!” he said, “Let’s do it as you say.”

The two put their plan into action. They selected a big tree with particularly dense branches and leaves, using the wild hemp cloth tied hastily near the top of the tree to make a cradle-like hammock, and then also using the hemp cloth as a stretcher, they lifted up Ba Fenghan and put him in the hammock. They had just hidden themselves well when the enemy’s shouts and yells came as they discovered the cart.

A moment later torches light were everywhere around the tree, they could not even count how many enemies were there.

Looking at it, the two boys’ scalp went numb. If there was no Ba Fenghan, they could break the siege and escape like handling a butcher’s cleaver with ease. But now, even if they stake everything, they would – no doubt – die. At best they could only kill Huyan Jin to be buried together with them. However, this man was able to go on the rampage across the prairie, committing countless offending Heaven and reason crimes yet still managed to survive, naturally his martial art skill was surly and unreasoning, among his men were surely some capable men and martial art masters.

The shouting suddenly stopped.

More than a dozen riders galloped over and stopped near the cart.

A burst of sharp, unpleasant to hear voice spoke some Qidan words, which they did not understand at all, and then, completely beyond the two boys’ expectation, the voice continued in Han language, “Liang Gongzi! Don’t you think this matter is very strange? These three horses are highest quality warhorses, why did those two kids abandoned their horses and run away? In my opinion, these three horses can at least run another hundred li.”

Another young voice, which the two felt somewhat familiar, replied, “In the Central Plains, those two have been besieged many times, yet they were always able to escape relying on their qinggong. My guess is they were afraid of leaving hoof marks, hence they abandoned their horses? Huyan Dashuai [great commander], what do you think?”

Gnashing his teeth, Huyan Jin said, “F*ck their eighteen-generation ancestors; even if they run away to the edge of the sky, I will chops their dead bodies into ten thousand pieces.”

Kou Zhong gripped the Moon in the Well’s hilt; as soon as Huyan Jin issued an order to kill the horses, he would immediately pounce down to stake it all against him until you die, I live.

That Liang Gongzi spoke with a cold laugh, “Outside the Great Wall, everything is unfamiliar to them, where could they run to? Even if Dashuai is willing to let them off, there’s no way Shen Mohuan, husband and wife, and Bielegunatai would allow them to deliver the Five-Colored Stone to Bai Ziting. What’s more, Ku Ge is conducting large-scale recruitment efforts, he will do everything not to allow them returning to the Central Plains alive; we only need to hurry to the grassland region at full speed, so that no matter how fast their legs are, in long distance race, they would surely lose to the horses’ legs.”

Kou Zhong’s tiger-body slightly shook, he leaned over to whisper in Xu Ziling’s ear, “He is Liang Shidou’s dog kid, Liang Shunming.”

Xu Ziling was stunned.

They had the predestined affinity to meet with Liang Shunming only once, and it was under a very unpleasant circumstance. At that time they were just insignificant soldiers at the beginning of prying into the martial art way, and under threat from Du Fuwei, they came across Liang Shunming, who were hanging out with people from Lu Lingchen’s family.

According to reason, Liang Shidou was Xieli’s hunting dog. The Qidan wanted to expand their power. There was no reason for Liang Shunming and Huyan Jin to walk together. Yet since the fact was like this, there must be a reason that they did not understand.

Huyan Jin laughed like an owl, brimming with grim, merciless overtone, he said, “All right! We’ll just see how far these two crafty and cowardly kids can run.”

And then he added, “These three spoils of war; how about I give Gongzi one?”

Liang Shunming promptly expressed his gratitude.

The two boys heaved a sigh of relief, knowing that Huyan Jin would not kill the horses to vent his anger.

Huyan Jin issued a string of orders in Qidan language. The sound of bugle horn flashed, and the enemies quickly departed.

As if agreeing by chance, the two boys turned to look anxiously at Ba Fenghan, who was lying in the hammock. They were wild with joy at the same time.

Ba Fenghan’s two eyes were wide open, emitting unprecedented strange light. A hint of smile brimming with murderous intent escaped out of the corner of his mouth.

Finally, the Great Method of Exchanging the Sun, like stealing the heaven, exchanging the sun [idiom: engaging in fraudulent activities, see Chapter 2 title], was able to snatch him back from the death deity’s [mythological figure (such as the Grim Reaper) in charge of taking the souls of those who die] hands. Moreover, his power was stronger than before.