Uncanny Valley - Chapter 23
"We Hamo warriors have fought alongside the Southern Ming army for many years, shedding blood on the battlefield, and have never complained," Aliya retorted indignantly. "It was Li Dingguo who believed in evil magic, which is why we left. Are we to blame for that?"
"No, it's not just because of these things. General Bai, this is a matter of great importance, please speak frankly!" Helai calmed down and looked at Bai Wenxuan seriously.
Bai Wenxuan sighed deeply: "The young lady is not only exceptionally beautiful, but also exceptionally intelligent. Indeed, Li Dingguo has an even more important reason for doing this."
"What?" The Hamo tribe members all turned to look at Bai Wenxuan, waiting for him to continue.
"After three years of bloody fighting, Li Dingguo's army remained undefeated, but its food and supplies were long exhausted. The treacherous mountains and rivers of Terror Valley could not provide the army with the necessary supplies. In contrast, the Hamo tribe's mountain stronghold was much richer..."
Although Bai Wenxuan didn't finish his sentence, his meaning was clear: Li Dingguo had his eye on this fertile land and wanted to seize it for himself. The hearts of everyone in Hamo sank; this was a matter of life and death for both sides, and there was no possibility of mediation or compromise!
After a moment of silence, Aliya gritted his teeth and said, "The Hamo people have lived here for generations. If Li Dingguo wants to seize our land, he'll have to ask the scimitars in the hands of our warriors if they agree!"
“I know your warriors are all capable of taking on ten men each, but it’s useless.” Bai Wenxuan gave a bitter smile. “Li Dingguo has already filled the mountainside in front of the suspended lake with gunpowder and saltpeter. He’s just waiting for his order to blow up the mountain and divert the floodwaters to inundate Hamo Village!”
Upon hearing this, Aliya and the others all paled. Having grown up in the mountains, they knew the devastation of flash floods. Hamo Village was located in a low-lying area, adjacent to a mountain lake. If the lake were indeed breached, the floodwaters would instantly pour down, washing away the entire village completely!
After a long while, Helai finally came to his senses and said with a bitter smile, "What a vicious method... If that's the case, why did Li Dingguo send General Bai here?"
"This..." Bai Wenxuan hesitated, seemingly finding it difficult to speak.
“General Bai, you are an honest and kind man.” Helai’s bright black eyes sparkled. “Please speak freely.”
Bai Wenxuan hesitated for a moment before whispering, "Rumors in the army say that Helai is not only a member of the Hamo tribe, but also the most beautiful woman in the world. Li Dingguo couldn't bear to drown her, so he sent me to lure her to the 'Valley of Terror' so that I could...keep her...keep her in the army..."
Before Bai Wenxuan could finish speaking, Aliya was already glaring with rage, his hair and beard standing on end. He roared, drawing his sword: "Li Dingguo! You shameless devil! I'll fight you to the death!"
The other warriors also jumped up, ready to rush out after Aliya. Helai, extremely anxious, quickly shouted, "Stop! You can't go!"
The voice seemed to possess an irresistible magic, and all ten-odd young men stopped in their tracks. Helai breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "Li Dingguo is not only vicious, but also incredibly brave, with no equal. Moreover, he has so many warriors under his command. Going there like this is just throwing your lives away."
"Then what do we do?" Aliya's eyes widened in anger, his bloodshot eyes seemingly about to bleed. "Are we just going to sit here and wait for the flood to drown our entire tribe?"
Helai did not answer Aliya's words. She turned around, put her hands on Bai Wenxuan's arms, and said sincerely, "General Bai, please get up."
Bai Wenxuan stood up in a daze, and Helai led him to the magnificent main seat, bowing slightly: "General Bai, please sit here."
Bai Wenxuan, seemingly bewildered, allowed himself to be seated in the main seat. Helai took two steps back, facing him, and said, "General Bai, the lives of thousands of people, young and old, of the Hamo tribe are now in your hands. You are kind-hearted and will surely help us escape this calamity."
Aliya calmed down and a thought struck him: "That's right. Bai Wenxuan is Li Dingguo's closest confidant. If he can side with the Hamo tribe, there is still a chance to turn the tide."
Bai Wenxuan looked embarrassed and remained silent for a long time before muttering, "I drank too much today and, thinking of personal matters, leaked military secrets. I am already disloyal and unjust to General Li and the Ming Dynasty. What Miss Helai just said is going to push me into an abyss of no return."
"Li Dingguo is no longer the General Li he once was!" Aliya couldn't hold back any longer and stepped forward to say, "He has sold his soul to the devil. Now, his heart is filled with evil, and the devil controls his army. If General Bai continues to be deluded and follows him in committing evil, then he will truly be doomed!"
Bai Wenxuan swayed slightly, his expression blank, as if his deepest pain had been touched. Helai was also deeply moved: "Our Hamo tribe has lived in the mountains for generations, peaceful and untroubled by the world. Li Dingguo is so cruel, wanting to exterminate our entire tribe; he is no different from a demon. He will surely be punished by Heaven. General, you are acting on behalf of Heaven, how could you be disloyal and unjust? I now represent thousands of young and old Hamo people, General, please accept my bow!"
At this point, Khlai actually knelt down and bowed deeply. Aliya followed suit, turning over and kneeling beside Khlai, while loudly proclaiming, "General, please act in accordance with Heaven's will!"
"Please, General, follow the will of Heaven!" the other twelve warriors repeated in unison, and they all knelt down with a clatter.
Bai Wenxuan closed his eyes and looked up. After a long while, he finally nodded sadly, and two streams of turbid tears flowed down his face.
Afterwards, Helai invited the then-high priest of the Hamo tribe, and the group discussed the matter for the entire afternoon. As evening approached, Bai Wenxuan left the village and returned to his military camp in the Valley of Terror to report to Li Dingguo. The Hamo tribe then selected two swift and strong warriors who set off that very night to make contact with the Qing-Burmese army.
The next morning, all the able-bodied men of the Hamo tribe were gathered together. Helai told them about Li Dingguo's conspiracy, and the crowd was filled with righteous indignation, determined to fight to the death.
Helai led thirteen warriors ahead. They prepared four rattan boxes. When they reached the vicinity of the Valley of Terror, Aliya and three other brave men crawled into the boxes, while the rest of the warriors carried the boxes and followed Helai into Li Dingguo's camp.
Bai Wenxuan was already waiting in the camp. He led the group to the outside of Li Dingguo's military tent. Li Dingguo's entourage blocked the doorway and wanted to inspect everyone and the boxes.
“None of them were carrying weapons. I’ve already checked the gifts the Hamo tribe presented to General Li in the box; there are no problems,” Bai Wenxuan said from the side. He held a position second only to the commander in the army, and his entourage immediately stepped aside, allowing Helai and the others to enter the tent.
Li Dingguo sat upright in his tent before a plan, carefully studying a sheepskin map on the table. Behind him stood two guards with their hands on their swords. This legendary, invincible "demon" was clad in armor, with a square face, long beard, thick eyebrows, and piercing eyes, exuding an extremely imposing aura. Bai Wenxuan first respectfully performed a salute: "General, Helai, the daughter of the Hamo tribe chief, has arrived."
Li Dingguo looked up and saw Helai gracefully stepping forward, her right hand clasped to her chest, and bowing deeply: "Helai pays her respects to the valiant General Li Dingguo of the Great Ming Dynasty." The warriors behind her also put down their boxes and knelt down in unison: "Greetings, General Li."
Li Dingguo looked at Helai, seemingly quite satisfied, and said, "Good!" Then he stood up from his chair. He was tall and strong, and his rise immediately exuded a very imposing aura.
After looking at Helai, Li Dingguo glanced at the men kneeling on the ground and said coldly, "You left without saying goodbye, violating my military discipline!" His gaze was like lightning, filled with a terrifying penetrating power. The warriors had long since disregarded life and death, but under such a gaze, they all felt an irresistible fear from the deepest part of their hearts, and they all lowered their heads, silent as cicadas in winter.
After a moment of silence, Li Dingguo suddenly shouted, "Guards!" Immediately, a close attendant rushed into the tent: "General!"
"Take Helai to the western tent and let her see her seriously injured father first."
"Yes, ma'am!" the attendant replied, gesturing politely to Helai, "Please come with me, young lady."
Helai nodded calmly and followed his attendant. The warriors, however, felt a chill run down their spines: according to Bai Wenxuan's information, if Li Dingguo had sent Helai away, it meant he was about to make his move. Their lives, and even the survival of their entire tribe, were now at a critical juncture! They held their breath, closely watching Li Dingguo's every move, not daring to relax for a moment.
Li Dingguo paced back and forth in the military tent, his hands behind his back. His steps were forceful, each one seemingly weighing heavily on everyone's hearts. The atmosphere inside the tent was almost suffocating. Bai Wenxuan stood to one side, outwardly trying to appear calm, but his palms were involuntarily sweating profusely.
Finally, Li Dingguo stopped and pointed to the boxes, asking, "What are these?"
“This is a gift from our Hamo tribe to General Li,” the warriors quickly replied, “to repay the general for saving our chief’s life.”
"Hmm." Li Dingguo turned to Bai Wenxuan. "Open it and let me take a look."
Bai Wenxuan agreed, walked to a box, opened the lid, and stepped aside: "General, please!"
Li Dingguo glanced at it briefly and saw that the box seemed to be filled with precious medicinal herbs such as cordyceps. He nodded: "Okay, close it."
Bai Wenxuan didn't move. He paused for a moment and said, "General, there is something under these medicinal herbs. It is the most precious treasure of the Hamo tribe. I dare not disturb it without permission. Please take a closer look, General!"
"Oh?" Li Dingguo, unsuspecting, took two steps forward and bent down to rummage through the medicinal herbs. The moment his right hand slipped inside, he sensed something amiss and frowned in surprise. In that instant, someone suddenly sprang up from under the herbs, grabbing Li Dingguo's right arm tightly with their left hand, while a cold glint flashed in their right hand as a curved blade slashed towards his neck.
Li Dingguo reacted with lightning speed, dodging the attack with a swift movement. The blade missed its mark, striking the attacker's shoulder, instantly tearing open the flesh and causing blood to gush out. Li Dingguo roared and swung his right hand with unstoppable force, sending the attacker and his knife flying far away.
The man hiding under the medicinal herbs was none other than Aliya. Seeing that his attack had failed to kill, he used the momentum to flip and leap into the air, charging at Li Dingguo with his sword. Two guards in the tent, already swords drawn, blocked Li Dingguo's path, shouting, "Guards! Assassin!"
The dozen or so attendants waiting outside the tent rushed in, while the other warriors of the Hamo tribe also leaped up and pulled out weapons from their chests. The two sides clashed, and the small military tent was instantly thrown into chaos.
Li Dingguo appeared to be seriously injured, his armor stained crimson with blood. His followers fought desperately, surrounding him in the center. However, he only paused briefly to catch his breath before drawing his sword and charging out of the circle.
Seeing this, a Hamo warrior immediately brandished his scimitar and charged at him. He did not back down and met the attack head-on with his own sword. As the swords clashed, the Hamo warrior felt a sharp pain in his arm and wrist, and his scimitar was deflected far away. Before he could react, another flash of light appeared, slicing a terrible wound across his waist.
Li Dingguo had the upper hand, but instead of pursuing, he walked towards Bai Wenxuan, who was standing at the door, and growled in a low voice, "You betrayed me?!"
Bai Wenxuan, pale-faced, retreated step by step outside the military tent, Li Dingguo following closely behind. Just then, a soldier came running up and, seeing the scene, was stunned: "General?! What's wrong?"
Seeing that his armor was disheveled and his expression was flustered, Li Dingguo realized something and shouted, "Report the military situation first!"
The soldier knelt on one knee: "Reporting to the general, the Qing army, the Burmese army, and the Hamo tribe are besieging our camp from three directions!"
Li Dingguo was now perfectly clear-headed. He raised his head and let out a maniacal and desperate laugh, then said viciously, "Pass on my orders: all soldiers are to defend their positions. Anyone who deserts without permission will be executed!"
"Yes, sir!" the soldier replied, but did not leave. He simply looked back and forth between Li Bai and the other man with worried and puzzled eyes.
"Go now! This is none of your business!" Li Dingguo shouted sternly. The soldier kowtowed deeply, finally got up, and hurried off to relay the orders to the various barracks.
"Why are you like this?!" Li Dingguo stared wide-eyed at Bai Wenxuan, who was not far away.
Bai Wenxuan also drew his sword at this moment. His expression was extremely complicated. After a long while, he murmured, "General, it is I, Bai Wenxuan, who have wronged you..."
"Sorry? Fine! Fine!" Li Dingguo's eyes were practically spitting fire as he raised his sword and approached Bai Wenxuan step by step.
...
Inside the military tent, thirteen Hamo warriors led by Aliya engaged in a fierce battle with Li Dingguo's personal guards. Both groups were seasoned veterans, having crawled out of piles of corpses, and their fight was bloody. After a breathtaking and brutal battle, only Aliya survived, and he was covered in wounds and exhausted. Without catching his breath, he forced himself to go outside the tent to find the wounded but still alive Li Dingguo.
At this moment, the sounds of battle echoed around Terror Valley as Li Dingguo's army fought a desperate battle against enemies attacking from three directions. The area around the main general's tent, located at the heart of the military camp, was eerily quiet, the air thick with the scent of death.
A trail of blood stretched westward from the entrance of the military tent, extending for about twenty or thirty paces. At the end of that trail stood a tall figure. Although his face was not visible, Aliya recognized him at a glance: this person was Li Dingguo.
Aliya gripped his scimitar tightly and crept forward. After taking more than ten steps, he noticed that there was another person in front of Li Dingguo: Bai Wenxuan.
Near the two men, bloodstains were scattered, indicating a fight had taken place. The outcome of that fight was frozen in the rustling mountain wind, clear to all.
Bai Wenxuan's longsword had slipped from his grasp and was swinging far to the side, its blade bent. He himself was kneeling before Li Dingguo, his head pressed against the ground, a posture almost indistinguishable from lying prone.
Li Dingguo's longsword rested against Bai Wenxuan's neck; a mere flick of his wrist would be enough to end his life. But he didn't. Both remained motionless, like statues. Only blood continued to gush from the wound on Li Dingguo's shoulder, dripping onto the grass.
Aliya was so nervous he could hear his own heart pounding. Finally, he quietly approached Li Dingguo from behind, and the other man seemed unaware. Aliya held his breath, gripped the knife with both hands, and plunged it fiercely into Li Dingguo's vital area at the waist. With a soft "thud," the blade pierced through the flesh, all the way to the hilt!
Aliya was initially overjoyed, but then felt a sense of astonishment: Li Dingguo had been stabbed, yet showed no reaction. He struggled to pull out the curved blade, and only then did the man sway before collapsing straight down. His eyes were wide open, staring at the sky, two lines of bloody tears streaming down his cheeks; he had been dead for some time.
Bai Wenxuan knelt on the ground, his body trembling slightly. Although he was unharmed, his body was stained with blood. Aliya walked to his side and gently nudged him: "General Bai?"
Bai Wenxuan suddenly raised his head, his face deathly pale, devoid of any color. After a long while, he murmured, "A...Alia?"
“General Bai, please rise. That demon is dead.” Aliya said, reaching out to help Bai Wenxuan up. Bai Wenxuan slowly stood up, looking at Li Dingguo’s corpse not far away, his expression as if he had just returned from another world.
He had just narrowly escaped death; he could already feel the cold blade against his neck. But the sword ultimately did not strike.
Why is this happening?
Did Li Dingguo die from exhaustion at the last moment?
Or perhaps there are other unknown reasons?
Alia had no time to ponder these questions, for he saw Khlai rushing toward him. He quickly went to meet him and asked in his native language, "How is the chief?"
Helai gasped for breath, tears welling in his eyes, and said in a sorrowful voice, "Father... has been killed by Li Dingguo's men."
Aliya let out a painful howl, turned and ran to Li Dingguo's corpse, swung his knife and cut off the dead man's head, cursing, "Li Dingguo! You demon, you will go to hell!"
Khlai seemed horrified by the bloody scene. She took a step back and asked Aliya, "Did you...kill him?"
“Yes!” The warrior proudly raised his head. “Respected Helai, please stay here. This is the safest place now. As for me, the battle is not over yet.”
After saying this, Aliya ran towards the battlefield where the sounds of battle were deafening.
...
Although Li Dingguo's army was besieged on three sides, the soldiers possessed astonishing strength and courage. They fought fiercely for a long time and still held their own until Aliya appeared before them. This young man from the Hamo tribe was covered in blood and exhausted, seemingly so fragile that he could be pushed over with a single finger, yet the object in his hand possessed a terrifying power.
"Li Dingguo is dead!" Aliya climbed to a high place and shouted hoarsely with the last of his strength, then threw Li Dingguo's head into the battle.
As if their source of strength had been drained, the fighting spirit of Li Dingguo's army collapsed instantly. Some were killed in shock, some chose to surrender, and others were routed and fled into the jungle. The last force of the Southern Ming resistance army thus disappeared from Chinese history.
The Qing and Burmese armies celebrated their victory. But the most excited were the Hamo warriors, who had won a "holy war" and saved their tribe's fate. Alia was lifted high into the sky by his people, becoming the greatest hero in Hamo history.
Numerous signs indicate that the terrible conspiracy is only one step away from being carried out! While the Hamo people secretly rejoiced, they all deeply abhorred Li Dingguo's cruelty and malice.
On the other hand, although Li Dingguo was dead, his lingering influence was still terrifying. His wide-open, bloodshot eyes were filled with anger and hatred, and no one dared to meet his gaze.
Helai tried several times to close the dead man's eyes, but even when he covered his eyelids with his hand, they would open on their own after he let go. The old priest who arrived saw this and said worriedly, "He is filled with resentment and cannot rest in peace. Although he is dead, his demonic nature remains. I'm afraid he will continue to wreak havoc on the area in the future."
Hearing this, the Qing soldiers were not too bothered, but the Burmese and Hamo people, who had lived there for generations, couldn't help but feel uneasy. Bai Wenxuan felt guilty, and his expression changed drastically.
"What should we do? There has to be a solution." Helai was at a loss and could only turn to the old priest for help.
“I think the best way is to seal him in a blood vial.” After thinking for a long time, the old priest finally said, “Let the people of our tribe curse him for generations, so that his soul will wander in hell forever, without any support, and he will no longer be able to harm people.”
Helai's body trembled violently: "The curse of the blood vial? This... isn't this too cruel..."
“Dealing with demons requires ruthless methods,” Aliya said from the side. “Respected Helai, you shouldn’t be so soft-hearted. Ensuring the safety of our people for generations to come is the most important thing! Moreover, this is also revenge for our fallen chief.”
When her father was mentioned, Helai paused for a long time, tears welling up in her eyes. She didn't raise any further objections, which was considered tacit approval.