Gengu laughed smugly, "Want to go to Mount Taibai? Beg me, and I'll take you there."
Tianquan turned around, still not speaking, only looking at him coldly.
Gengu took a step back, waved his hand, and said with a wry smile, "Your kung fu is better than mine. Besides, you're an adult and I'm a child. If you want to bully me, there's nothing I can do."
Tianquan said in a deep voice, "If you know, then say it; otherwise, shut up."
Gengu turned over and pointed behind him: "Taibai Mountain is in that direction. When I was a kid, I went there to hunt countless times every year. I could walk there with my eyes closed."
Tianquan frowned slightly, not quite believing it. Gengu took a few steps in that direction and said, "There's nothing I can do if you don't believe me. I don't have time to lie to you. My sister and the others will also be going to Taibai Mountain. I don't have time to care about you. Go wherever you want."
Tianquan had no choice but to follow him at a distance, one in front and one behind, heading towards Mount Taibai.
The Chaotic Scroll, Chapter Nine: If You Like It (Part Three)
Updated: 2008-10-04 15:09:29 Word Count: 4190
It's the last day of September, and the book is probably going to be released tomorrow, so I'll post two more chapters today. This is the second chapter.
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The two had been traveling for almost half a month, and the weather was getting colder and colder. The weather should have been warm in April and May, but the further they went, the more the weather turned. Frost and snow gradually appeared in the forest, and the north wind brought a heavy snowfall that lasted for several days. The snow was up to their calves, making it even more difficult to walk.
However, both of them were very energetic. Tianquan had profound internal strength, and Gengu had been freezing since childhood. He could even catch snow rabbits with his upper body bare in the snow. They didn't care about the cold at all.
One day, they arrived at a mountain forest, and Gengu suddenly turned around and said, "Hey, I'm hungry and need to get something to eat. Just so you know, I won't share with you."
He said this several times almost every day, and he really wouldn't give him a single hair. Even if he caught ten rabbits, the boy would make them all into dried meat and carry them with him, never sharing them.
Tianquan pretended not to hear. They had been traveling together for so long, and he hadn't said more than three sentences, which were nothing more than: "Shut up." "Let's go." "Stop."
Gengu squatted down and carefully searched for snow rabbit burrows under the tree roots. Every now and then, he would grab a handful of snow, sniff it, and then stuff it into his mouth like a steamed bun. Usually, he could catch several fat rabbits in a short time, but today seemed to be unlucky. He was almost full from eating snowballs, but he hadn't even touched a single rabbit fur.
He looked around dejectedly, when suddenly he heard Tianquan say calmly, "Ten steps to the left."
Gengu pursed his lips and deliberately looked to the right, but after searching for a while, he found nothing. Tianquan then said, "Seven steps ahead."
Gengu gritted his teeth and pounced as instructed. A snow-white object suddenly leaped up, and before he could catch it, it darted away. Gengu ripped off his shirt, revealing his bare torso. Despite his young age, he was incredibly strong. He grabbed a handful of snow, rubbed his hands together, and then Tianquan said again, "Twelve steps to the right front."
Before he could finish speaking, Gengu darted out like an arrow, leaping up and landing with a powerful leap, just like a tiger. When he stood up again, he was indeed holding a large, plump snow rabbit, its limbs still twitching. He laughed heartily, carrying the rabbit over to Tianquan, and said, "Thank you. I'll share most of the rabbit meat with you today!"
Tianquan smiled slightly and was about to speak when suddenly a deafening howl came from not far away, followed by the ground trembling, as if some huge wild beast was charging towards them. The two looked at each other, and Gengu whispered, "This commotion sounds like a bear."
The two waited a while, only to feel the resounding sound growing closer, causing the snow on the treetops to fall in a rustling sound. Gengu drew his broadsword, eager to try, while Tianquan said, "Wait, it seems there are more people." As soon as he finished speaking, a dozen or so people came running frantically from the forest, all dressed in simple tiger-skin clothing, carrying either hunting forks or bows and arrows. Judging from their attire, they must have been hunters from the mountains.
They were covered in blood and looked terrified. When they saw Tianquan and his group, they waved and shouted wildly, but they were not speaking the Central Plains language or the Khitan language. They were just mumbling incoherently, as if telling them to get away quickly.
Gengu's expression changed slightly: "They are Jurchens!"
He went to meet them and asked a series of questions in Jurchen. The hunters quickly returned to the group, one grabbing his hand and running, while the others waved to Tianquan, urging him to run. Tianquan didn't move. Gengu turned back and said, "Hey! It's a mother bear! They killed the cubs, and the mother bear is injured and has started to go berserk. Let's climb a tree and hide!"
Tianquan shook his head. Gengu wanted to say more, but suddenly they heard a bear roar from behind, followed by a huge, dark beast charging towards them. It was indeed a bear, much larger than they had imagined, with multiple wounds and one blind eye, chasing after them like a madman.
This kind of crazed mother bear is the most terrifying; even Gengu felt a chill and involuntarily took a few steps back.
The bear smelled human scent and grabbed at him. Tianquan was still there, slowly raising his divine bow and drawing an iron arrow. Just as the bear's claws were about to smash his head into a watermelon, everyone exclaimed in surprise.
Suddenly, with a sharp "thud," he had already drawn his bowstring, the string taut as a full moon, the arrows like shooting stars—three arrows fired in quick succession, striking the mad bear squarely in the heart. The mad bear roared, pulling the iron arrows out with its paw, blood gushing out like a fountain. Tianquan took a step back, nocked three more iron arrows, and drew the string, ready to fire.
Gengu caught up from behind, raised his broadsword, leaped up, and sliced off half of the bear's head with one stroke. The bear staggered a few steps, collapsed to the ground, and finally died.
The Jurchen hunters cheered loudly, and a group of them rushed forward, surrounding the two of them. They asked them many questions in their own language, and some even picked up Gengu, praising his bravery repeatedly. Tianquan cupped his hands and said, "It was nothing, not worth mentioning." The Jurchens, seeing that he was so capable yet so humble, couldn't help but admire him even more.
Gengu turned around and said, "So you speak Jurchen."
Tianquan remained silent.
A Jurchen hunter laughed and said, "Merchants used to say that most southerners were weak and only knew how to indulge in pleasure. In my opinion, that's all nonsense. Two southerners came to our tribe before, a man and a woman. The girl was delicate but stronger than us men, let alone the two heroes we met today."
Tianquan's heart skipped a beat: "Two Southerners? Was that girl petite and slender with big eyes and a pointed chin?"
The man shook his head and said, "No, she looks sickly, but she's much stronger than us."
It's not Zexiu and Xiaoman. Judging from this person's description, it sounds somewhat like Yaoguang. Could it be Tianji and Yaoguang?
The Jurchens were warm and hospitable. Seeing that they had killed the mad bear, they extended a warm invitation to them to visit their tribe. Tianquan, thinking of Tianji and Yaoguang, took Gengu and went to the tribe with them.
After walking along a mountain path, we indeed found their tribe in the valley. Tents were erected there, and many people were busy below, some brushing furs, some hanging clothes to dry, and children chasing each other with simple wooden weapons. The scene was very warm and lively.
Several hunters carried the dead bear down the road and called the women to clean it up. They recounted their encounter with Tianquan and Gengu, and the men, women, and children of the tribe crowded around to see them, filled with admiration and envy.
Just as Tianquan was about to ask the hunter where the two southerners he mentioned were, he suddenly heard someone in the crowd shout, "Tianquan!"
He was startled. A young man dressed in hunting attire rushed over and grabbed him, grinning from ear to ear. It was none other than Tianji! He exclaimed, "Heavens! I can't believe it! Yaoguang said you would definitely come here, but I didn't believe it. You really came!"
Tianquan also laughed and said, "How did you end up here? Did you chase Yaoguang and end up with the Jurchen tribe?"
Tianji waved his hand and said, "It's a long story! It's all because of those inexplicable Khitans..."
Before he could finish speaking, a girl shouted, "Tianquan!" It was Yaoguang. She was so excited that tears welled up in her eyes. She rushed forward, grabbed his hand, and wouldn't let go, repeatedly saying, "You've come! You've come!"
After the two men finally calmed down, the Jurchen people warmly invited them to eat and drink. The bear they had just hunted had been skinned, cut into large pieces, and roasted over a fire. The group feasted and drank two leather bags of strong liquor. Tianji was already slightly drunk, and he squinted at Gengu, asking, "Who is this brat?"
Gengu didn't even look at him. Just then, a Jurchen woman came and invited him to drink and eat meat, so he got up and left.
Tianquan said, "He is... a Khitan. Some things happened while you were away. He is now one of the young master's guards."
Yao Guang asked anxiously, "How is my mistress? Why wasn't she with you?"
"She should be with Zexiu now. We encountered the people from Tiansha Shifang on the way, and we were forced to separate. They are probably also heading towards Taibai Mountain."
Upon hearing that Zexiu was also there, both of them fell silent.
Tianji snorted and said, "Why is he getting involved? He thinks he's righteous all day long..."
Tianquan asked, "What are you doing here? What did you just say about Khitans? What's going on?"
Tianji angrily said, "It's the Khitans! I was chasing after Yaoguang, but they were trapped by a group of Khitan soldiers. They said it was an order from above not to let martial artists wander around. Old Sha's men dispersed most of them and sent them all back to Mount Bugui, forbidding them from crossing the border again. After I found Yaoguang, we broke through the encirclement together and fled all the way here. Only then did the Khitans stop chasing us. Heaven knows what's wrong with them!"
Tianquan listened in silence, pondering without making a decision.
Yao Guang sighed, "Fortunately, they didn't kill anyone, otherwise Mr. Sha's men would have been wiped out. Now, all of us from No Return Mountain have been dispersed, leaving only a few of us. I find this situation rather strange; it seems to be specifically targeting No Return Mountain."
Tianji, still furious, continued, "What good can the Khitans be! They just rely on their strength! And you even have Khitan brats with you, they're so annoying!"
Just then, Gengu returned. Hearing what he said, he sneered, "Only incompetent people try to get justice with words. If you can't outmaneuver others, all Khitans are bastards and you are all good people."
Tianji slammed the leather bag down and stood up, ready to teach this insolent brat a lesson. Tianquan grabbed him, saying, "Sit down! What kind of person takes their anger out on others?"
Tianji bit her lip and remained silent.
Gengu sneered, cut off a piece of bear meat and ate it in large bites, then remained silent.
Tianquan pondered for a moment and said, "Let's stay here for a few days and see if the young master and Lianyi will take this route. It would be best if we could meet up with them."
Tianji suddenly stood up and said, "I'm tired, I'm going to sleep! Wake me up when you arrive, my lady."
He turned and went back into the tent. Yao Guang looked at him with difficulty, then at Tian Quan. He said, "Go ahead, he always listens to you." Yao Guang nodded and said, "I'll go and persuade him." She glanced at Gen Gu and hesitated, then said, "Little brother, I'm sorry, that's just his temper. I'll apologize to you on his behalf."
Gengu smiled and said softly, "It's alright, I didn't take it to heart. You're too kind, sister."
His eyes crinkled with laughter, making him look innocent and adorable. Yao Guang breathed a sigh of relief; he was such a good boy. She nodded to him before going into the tent to comfort Tianji.
******
The heavy snow that had been falling for several days finally stopped, and the forest was covered in a blanket of white snow.
Xiao Man exhaled into the sky, and white mist immediately enveloped her head. Her nose turned red from the cold, and she stared blankly at the sky before suddenly saying, "Ze Xiu, I'm hungry."
Zexiu sneered, "You're really living a carefree life as a mistress. When you go out, someone will do your bidding and someone will even be your hunter."
Xiao Man clung to his back, her eyes wide: "But you said yourself that I walk too slowly, so you have to carry me. I don't know how to hunt, so I have no choice but to ask you for help."
"Yes, yes, please sit down, my lord. I will hunt a wild boar for you right away."
Zexiu put her down on the ground, rubbed her shoulders, shook his head, sighed, and then looked around to see if there were any rabbit burrows or fox dens.
Xiao Man leaned against a tree, idly playing with her fingers. She turned her head unintentionally and suddenly exclaimed, "Ze Xiu! Come and see! There looks like a tent over there!"
Zexiu walked over and, sure enough, there was a valley below, a rare patch of green land, densely packed with countless tents, and people walking around. He said, "It seems to be a Jurchen tribe. We can go down and take a look."
Xiaoman grabbed his clothes: "I've heard people say that the Jurchens are savages who eat raw meat. Are we going to eat raw meat?"
Zexiu couldn't help but chuckle: "Who told you that all Jurchens eat raw meat? You're so narrow-minded. Although they are not as civilized as the Song people, they are all simple and hospitable, much better than some cunning southerners."
He carried Xiaoman on his back and headed towards the valley. Xiaoman whispered, "Zexiu, aren't you a Song person?"
He didn't speak for a while before saying, "Why are you asking this? Are you going to ask about my birth date, family background, parents, and finally whether I'm married?"
Here we go again. Every time she tries to ask him something, he uses this trick to shut her down completely. He never talks about himself, and it seems he also refuses to let others ask him.
Xiao Man punched him, then suddenly laughed and asked, "So, are you married or not?"
Zexiu smiled and said in a low voice, "What if I said I got married?"
Xiao Man almost fell off his back.
The Twisted Scroll, Chapter Ten: Treasure (Part One)
Updated: 2008-10-04 15:09:30 Word Count: 4292