Night Song - Chapter 14
A wedding procession travels across the yellow sands. The cold wind blows the bride's veil, which is as red as fire. The silver bells on her wedding dress gleam in the sunlight and make a soft, shattering sound with the wind.
Jia Ye's gaze was also drawn to the procession, watching it gradually disappear into the distance. Her eyes seemed to be reflected in the gloomy hues of dusk, filled with a sense of bewilderment and melancholy.
His heart felt like it was blocked by something.
Struggling to survive in such a cruel and dangerous environment, keeping many covetous hands from getting their hands on her, what price did she pay?
He was clearly a child walking alone.
Lonely and isolated, yet never indulging in seeking solace or pleasure.
He couldn't figure out what belief kept her going.
“Special Shadow”.
"Um?"
What is Jiangnan like?
"...So beautiful, the whole city is a light green, lotus flowers bloom all over the lake...Beautiful in sunshine and rain, misty willows and painted bridges, and all sorts of vendors calling out their wares on the long street..."
With my eyes closed, I could see apricot blossoms and spring rain; with my eyes open, all I could see was the vast desert and yellow sand stretching for thousands of miles.
He suddenly felt tired.
Jia Ye did not speak again.
As the daylight faded during the journey, it was replaced by the glittering starlight.
The campfire flickered in the night, its flames roaring and the wind scorching.
On the border between Gumo and Kucha lies a small oasis, a tiny village nestled along the water, its houses scattered amidst the yellow sand. The only water source within a hundred miles is this sweet spring gushing from the desert, where travelers frequently stop to replenish their water and drink. A group of rugged Western men unload their horses outside the village, build a fire, and set up iron rods to roast a sheep they'd bought from the village. Sizzling fat drips onto the glowing embers, filling the air with a delicious aroma. Their hearty laughter echoes, creating a lively scene that even attracts the village children to watch.
A young man, his cloak draped diagonally, smiled silently as he watched the bustling crowd. The mutton on the grill gradually turned golden brown, and the man tending the grill skillfully sprinkled various spices and rubbed it with salt. The aroma of the mutton was so enticing that it made one's mouth water. A child of about ten years old kept swallowing his saliva and couldn't help but shout out.
"Brothers, you should go into the village. Doing so will attract wolves."
The men laughed heartily, not taking it seriously.
"What's there to be afraid of? If the wolves come, we can hunt them down, skin them, and have enough for tomorrow."
"We're not afraid of sandstorms in the desert, so why would we be afraid of wild wolves?"
"Is a man who has never killed a wolf even a real man?"
"The kid has a good heart, but it's a pity he's a bit timid."
The teasing remarks made the child's face turn increasingly red, and he became extremely uncomfortable.
The young man beside him smiled and gently scolded, then reached out and beckoned the child to his side.
"Thank you, young man. There are too many of us, and the brothers are used to being rough. Going in would only disturb the peace of the village."
“There are a lot of wolves this season. Last time, one of them even snatched a lamb that was grazing outside,” the child mumbled. “The village chief doesn’t allow us to leave the village at night.”
"Then why did you run out?" the young man chuckled. "Aren't you afraid your mother will scold you?"
"There are many of you, and you're at the village entrance, so nothing will happen." The instruction couldn't stop the child's love of excitement, and he smiled shyly.
"May I have your name."
"Thorp." Just as he finished speaking, a piercing scream suddenly rang out, flashing into the ears like lightning from the dark distance, followed by an instant silence.
The child's face suddenly turned deathly pale, and his lips trembled.
"It's a wolf!"
One wolf howl followed another, but the men remained silent, quickly leading their horses to the fire and forming a circle. They drew their gleaming sabers, their piercing eyes fixed on the direction from which the sound came.
"Don't be afraid, watch us kill the wolves." The young man stood up, as if facing a thrilling challenge, excited and delighted.
The howl of wolves is long and piercing, carrying far across the vast desert. They often arrive in packs with their howls, fierce and ruthless, moving like the wind, enough to make the timid tremble.
But these weary men showed no fear. Without exchanging words, they had already assigned the best positions for attack and defense, waiting intently in the stillness, only hearing the wolf's increasingly close howls.
Suddenly, a sharp wolf howl rang out. A man looked puzzled, lay down on the ground, and listened carefully.
"What?" the young man asked in a deep voice.
“There are people here,” the man replied, looking surprised. “Two horses came from that direction. That shout just now was the alpha wolf giving the order to attack. It seems their target isn’t here.”
The young man paused for a moment, then said calmly, "They're really unlucky."
"Are they travelers heading out at night?" Thorpe's compassion overcame his fear. "Is there any way to save them?"
The young man shook his head and sat down. "It's too far, and there are too many wolves. Going there will only result in more deaths."
"But there are so many of you." And you all look very brave.
As the child spoke, his face flushed red. "The village chief said that survival in the desert is not easy, and only by helping each other can we live well."
"You're a good kid, and the village chief is right." The young man praised him, but his eyes betrayed a cold indifference. "But I can't risk my brothers' lives to save complete strangers. Everyone knows how dangerous wolves are. It was their own carelessness that they didn't get here before sunset. Who can they blame?"
The child was at a loss for words and stared blankly into the dark distance.
The wolf pack's howls grew more urgent, and the man who had spoken first became increasingly solemn.
"The wolf pack is in disarray. Looks like they've met their match. I wonder who this person is, managing to take on so many wolves at once." He listened again, utterly astonished. "And they even protected the horse."
Thorpe only half understood what he was hearing, but knowing that the other person was not dead, he couldn't help but smile.
The young man's gaze froze for a moment. "Are you sure you didn't hear wrong?"
“There’s no mistake.” The man answered confidently. “The horse is coming this way.”
Indeed, their hearing was extremely accurate. Before long, figures appeared faintly in the distance, and two fine horses, one in front of the other, came into view. The riders were wrapped in white veils and rode at great speed, arriving close in the blink of an eye.
"What amazing horsemanship!" He managed to escape from a pack of wolves.
The young man stood up unconsciously, his sharp eyes fixed on the person on horseback.
The wolves followed the horse, waiting for their chance to leap and attack. The moment they got close, they were struck as if by an invisible hand, falling from mid-air, convulsing, and dying. Their numbers dwindled, and they gradually dared not approach. When they saw their prey step into the firelight, they let out a dejected whimper, circled a few times, and then left unwillingly.
The sound of hooves drew near, finally stopping not far from the campfire. The man on horseback leaped down, his nimble movements drawing cheers from the many men who were accustomed to riding horses year-round. Unwrapping the cloth covering his face, he revealed a young man with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes.
The unremarkable man behind him dismounted; he was thin and small, barely reaching the chest of the Western Region man. His dark eyes silently observed the group of people by the fire.
"I apologize for disturbing you all, the wolf pack was really chasing us too fast." The young man stepped forward and apologized according to the etiquette of the Western Regions, his clear voice showing no trace of tension from being in danger.
The young man by the fire smiled, his gaze deepening as he reflected the flames. "My friend, what are you saying? Such skill, moving so freely among a pack of wolves, is truly admirable."
Being a child, Thorpe approached with an expression of pure admiration. "How did you manage that? Did you kill a lot of wolves and are you going into the village to rest?"
The boy did not underestimate the other person just because they were a child. "No, we're just passing by to get some water, we won't go into the village, thank you."
"Go in, the village chief will definitely welcome you like heroes and will prepare a lot of things to treat you," Thorpe enthusiastically urged, eager to show off the good fortune he had just witnessed to his companions.
The boy smiled and slipped a piece of silver to the boy. "Could you buy some dry food for us from the village? Anything will do."
Thorpe stared at the silver nugget in his palm for a moment, then looked up, nodded, and ran quickly back to the village.
The other person in the distance did not approach. Instead, he tied his horse to a tree, walked to the lake to wash his face, and could only see a hazy silhouette from the fire.
"If you don't mind, please sit with me," the young man suggested with a smile. "We're all just travelers anyway, so let's not be picky and just rest by the fire for a bit."
"Thank you for your kindness, but we are used to traveling and need not trouble ourselves." The young man nodded politely, politely but firmly declining the warm invitation, and went to the lakeside to light another fire.
It was indeed a skillful and experienced way of starting a fire. Then, he unloaded his belongings from the horse, fetched water to boil soup, and spread out two soft blankets on the ground. His movements were clean, efficient, and extremely proficient.
After washing her hands and face, the small figure sat down on the blanket, leaning against the tree waiting for the water to boil, motionless as if she had fallen asleep.
Two bonfires faced each other from a distance. One was grand and dazzling, while the other was so small that it was not worth looking at and its noise was extremely low, completely suppressed by the rude men's shouts and laughter.
The unexpected incident had passed, and the mutton was roasted to perfection. They began to feast and drink heartily. Strong liquor in soft sheepskin pouches was passed from hand to hand, and the knives used for cutting meat gleamed in the firelight. The Western Region men ate with gusto, indulging themselves to the fullest. Meanwhile, on the other side, it was extremely quiet, and their diet was very simple. They swallowed coarse dry rations with water, not even glancing at the meat despite its aroma.
"What are they eating?" the young man asked Thorpe, who had wandered up to him, seemingly casually, and handed him a piece of savory meat.
“Dried meat and flatbread.” Thorpe scratched his head, not understanding why the other person didn’t light a fire and roast the wolf meat already there.
"What does that person look like?" The person, who was always keeping an eye on the short man, couldn't even make out his face.
"You mean that little girl?" Thorpe smiled, his face slightly flushed. "She's very pretty."
"It's a young girl?" The young man was taken aback.
"She's about my age, and I've never seen such a beautiful girl." Thinking of that face, the child kept looking over, only able to see the faint glow of the firelight. "She's like a snow fairy."
A boy, a young girl, venturing into the desert at night... such skill...
The young man pondered for a moment, then picked up half a roasted lamb and walked over.
"Eating only dry rations must be too uncomfortable, right? When you're out and about, you'll find friends. Please try our cooking."
The boy stood up and took it without refusing.
"Thank you, my friend. I have nothing to repay you with but my heartfelt wishes."
The young man smiled, his gaze sweeping over another person sitting a little further away, surprised by the other's youthful appearance. "At your age, how could you be traveling through the desert at night? Don't you have any other companions?"
"Just the two of us."
"How can we be at ease? The desert is dangerous and unpredictable, with wolves and bandits. Where are you going? Or perhaps you could travel with us for a while?" the young man said reproachfully, as if offering well-intentioned advice.
"We're going to Gumo to find our uncle. We're used to this route, so there's no need to trouble you all."
"Are you from Gumo?" The young man's eyes darted around. "Are you... siblings?" The way you get along... doesn't seem like it.
“That’s my young lady,” the young man corrected. “Something happened at home, and I’m escorting her to Gumo.”
"Where do you come from?"
"Dunhuang," the boy answered fluently. "Your Excellency wishes to go there?"
"We are traveling merchants, often traveling between countries." The young man laughed heartily, exchanged a few more pleasantries, and then politely bid farewell before returning to the camp.
The burly man by the fire approached curiously, "My lord, is everything alright?"
"It's not clear at the moment."
"Could it be...? Didn't they say someone was coming from over there recently?" The question was left unsaid, but everyone knew what it referred to.
"How could that be? If they didn't, they wouldn't bring such a young girl along; wouldn't that be a burden?" a man retorted.
"You forgot? The murderer in Shache Palace a few years ago was a child of about ten years old, who was said to be quite handsome," the young man coldly reminded him. "Perhaps it's the same one."
His companion was speechless, still believing it was impossible. "That was three years ago, and the ages don't match up."