Укротитель зверей

Глава 50

The main reason, of course, is this place. Although the barracks are dilapidated, the grim atmosphere remains. As soon as I close my eyes, I can see the faces of countless border soldiers, as well as the faces of the Ji family, whom I never dared to imagine.

What kept me awake was Elizabeth. She had been busy taking care of the elderly and children in the group all the way, but tonight she dragged a felt mat into the room, put it down next to me, and lay down with one hand supporting her head in my direction, as if she wanted to talk to me all night.

I'm actually a bit annoyed by this girl. The reason is simple: just because of the way she stares at Mo Li all day long, I don't really want to talk to her much.

In fact, I've been speaking very little these days. There are only two or three people in the horse team who can speak Chinese, and the only Mongolian phrase I know is "Saibainu," which I only learned because they greeted me patiently every day.

I followed the group every day, eating and drinking whatever they gave me. Sangza praised me for being well-behaved, and I would smile at him, keeping my principles firmly in mind and doing my best not to cause trouble for others.

"Ping An, what are you thinking about?" Elizabeth spoke first.

I blinked, considering the possibility of pretending to be asleep, but it seemed too late, so I could only answer her, "I wasn't thinking about anything."

Don't you miss Brother Mo?

I was taken aback by her bluntness.

Missing him? This is something as natural as eating and drinking; it doesn't need to be brought up specifically.

I blinked again, not wanting to tell her that every time I lie on my side like this, I have a hallucination that when I turn my head, I can see a pair of repressed and restrained dark eyes.

“You’re really not a talkative person,” Elizabeth muttered to herself, but she didn’t seem to be spoiling the mood at all. She continued talking, still in high spirits, “He’s such a good man.”

"..."

"He's skilled in martial arts, has great abilities, and takes such good care of you."

"..."

"I'm so jealous of you," she said frankly. "Being able to find such a good man."

I was the one who felt embarrassed by what they said, "We haven't..."

She interrupted me, her eyes wide, "Aren't you married yet?"

I blushed.

She smiled and said, "That's nothing. On our grasslands, as long as two people are in love, can sing together, and exchange hadas (ceremonial scarves), they can naturally become husband and wife."

My eyes widened in surprise at their open-mindedness.

She finally blushed as she said this, "Actually, I liked you very much when I first saw you, Brother Mo. I was sad for several days when I found out you were a girl."

I sighed, unsure whether to blame her poor judgment or Mo Li's flirtatious nature.

"Don't worry about it. I can tell I have no chance because he treats you so well." Elizabeth blushed and pushed me hard. I was caught off guard and almost rolled away.

Once I regained my balance, I sighed. Thinking about Sangza's two children, one was always full of bitterness and resentment, while the other was always surrounded by beautiful women. The difference was just too great.

"When he found out you were missing that day, he was so worried that his face turned pale. In the following days, he rode his white horse around, still thinking about rushing back to see you. He lost a lot of weight from all the hard work."

"He was with you guys those days?" I asked in surprise.

“No.” She shook her head. “Brother Mo asked us to take you to Mongolia. We have been waiting for you in the back mountain. He came twice with some people with him, but each time he came and left in a hurry and only said a few words to Father.”

"With some people?"

“Yes,” she nodded, “there was a woman in red, so beautiful.” Then she suddenly looked a little regretful.

I knew what she was thinking, so I shook my head. "That's the one in red, one of his subordinates. I know him."

It seems that Mo Li has reunited with his subordinates, which puts my mind at ease.

Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief, then looked on with envy, "You know everything about him."

How could that be? I chuckled to myself, trying to end the conversation, but then I saw that night in my mind's eye: his back as he carefully washed his face and hands by the stream in the valley, and when he stood up, a long, thin shadow stretched across the ground.

What I find hard to forget are always those insignificant little moments.

Elizabeth continued, "My hometown is just beyond the canyon. Do you know what Montenegro is like?"

I shook my head.

She lay down and looked up at the sky. "There is a vast grassland. Our people all live in yurts, which are snow-white and scattered like pearls on the grassland. There are cattle and sheep, as well as horses. The snow-white sheep walk very slowly, like clouds."

Elizabeth's voice was full of anticipation. I listened quietly, gradually becoming more and more fascinated, and couldn't help but say, "This is truly a wonderful place."

She smiled at me happily, revealing a set of white teeth. "Yes, I grew up there and I've always missed it."

"Then why did you leave?" I asked curiously.

“Because of my mother,” Elizabeth said matter-of-factly.

"Your mother?" I looked at her with a curious expression.

“My mother is a Han Chinese. Although she married my father, she always missed her hometown. But we couldn’t open a ranch inside the Great Wall, so we chose to settle down on the grasslands near the southern border so that it would be convenient for her to go back and visit. Later, more and more merchants came to buy horses there, and gradually some Mongols followed and opened ranches there, so there were many ranches.”

I nodded. "And what about your mother?"

“She’s dead.” Elizabeth’s voice lowered slightly.

I had a pretty good idea of what was going on, and as soon as I opened my mouth, I regretted asking that question. Then I felt sad because I felt sorry, and said, "I'm sorry."

“It’s alright, my father loves her very much, and she has always been doing very well.”

"But you have never gone back."

“It used to be possible to go back. Montenegro is north of Mexico. In the past, you could reach Montenegro by simply passing through Mexico. However, Mexico later annexed many tribes on the grasslands and closed its borders. Entry and exit were subject to repeated checks, which gradually made it inconvenient. Now that there is a war, it is even more impossible.”

"Why is it impossible? Isn't it just a matter of crossing the canyon?"

“That’s because my father is amazing; he knows the way,” Eliza said proudly. “Everyone else thinks this is a dead end, but only my father knows how to get around the Mexican border back to Montenegro. That’s why Brother Mo asked him for help.”

It sounds like asking someone to transport a shipment...

I said "oh," trying my best not to think that I was the one being asked for a favor.

3

As night deepened, Elizabeth's voice gradually softened, and she finally fell asleep.

I was wide awake, lying on my back on the felt mat, listening to the wind whistling through the abandoned barracks, and looking up at the sky above the hole where the stars seemed about to fall, each one so close I could reach out and touch them.

I don't know if my current life can be described as one of constant wandering and displacement.

Actually, I don't really care where I live or what kind of life I lead, but I miss him very much.

Where is he now? Has he confirmed with his leader that the priest was a fake? Has he dealt with those elders who colluded with the enemy and betrayed the sect? Is he thinking that I am still waiting for him to come?

These things are certainly full of dangers, but I don't want to force myself to fear things I don't know.

Since he said "wait for me," then he will definitely come back.

At this moment, I miss him terribly and desperately wish that if I turned around, I could see a pair of black eyes—his eyes.

Desire compelled my body to move, and though I knew it was impossible, I slowly turned around and opened my eyes.

All I could see was darkness. Just as I was about to laugh at my own foolishness, two points of light suddenly flashed before me. The small room was pitch black; where did the light come from? In an instant, I snapped back to reality—it was a pair of eyes!

I tried to scream, but my mouth was suddenly covered by a heavy hand. Elizabeth, who had been sleeping with her back to me, was also startled awake. She rubbed her eyes, sat up, and looked back. Before I could warn her to be careful, the person who had covered my mouth struck with lightning speed, delivering a blow to the back of her neck and knocking her unconscious on the spot.

I opened my eyes wide in terror and fought back with all my might. But this man was incredibly strong; his ten fingers, like iron fans, gripped my mouth and nose tightly. I couldn't breathe; the suffocating sensation drained all my strength, and I was about to suffocate to death in his hands.

A warm breath approached my ear, and I heard a very low warning voice, "Don't move! If you dare to make a sound, I'll kill her."

As he spoke, a scimitar fell to the neck of Elizabeth, who had collapsed to the ground. Dim starlight streamed through the broken roof, illuminating the bloodstains on the scimitar.

I was already delirious from suffocation, but when I saw his movements, I immediately snapped to attention, my hands and feet stopped moving, and I became completely still.

He seemed quite satisfied with my reaction, loosening his grip slightly. Cool air seeped through his fingers, carrying the heavy smell of dust and blood from his hand. I just breathed in greedily, and the blurry vision caused by suffocation slowly dissipated, finally allowing me to see the person's face clearly.

The old house was dilapidated, and apart from the few glimmers of starlight falling through the broken roof, it was pitch black. The man's face blended into the darkness, with only his eyes gleaming.

I'm cold.

This dark-skinned man had an eagle-like face and wore tattered armor stained with blood. At first glance, I knew he was no good.

Moreover, he is Mexican!

I took a moment to catch my breath and then looked away from him, turning my gaze to Elizabeth, who lay unconscious on the ground. I lowered my voice and asked, "What do you want me to do?"

His scimitar was still resting on Elizabeth's neck, his eyes glancing at me sideways, exuding an air of superiority even without saying a word.

He spoke in Chinese: “You know how to cross the canyon. I need you to lead the way and get me out of here.”

How did you know we knew the way?

“I heard your conversation.” He said sternly.

It seems he has been lying in wait here for a long time, probably before we arrived. I just don't know how he hid himself. Such a tall Mexican man should be very conspicuous anywhere.

I moved my stiff neck and glanced at his attire again, and I roughly understood.

Are you a deserter too?

When he heard me say that, his eyes widened, a hint of anger flashing in them, but he didn't refute me, only letting out a cold snort.

I coughed inwardly, realizing I must have been right. This person certainly didn't look like an ordinary soldier, but just like even the worst-tasting radish is still a radish, even the highest-ranking deserter is still a deserter.

Thinking about this made me less afraid, and I withdrew my hand from the golden silk cord wrapped around my waist. Although Mo Li had taught me a few moves just in case, there was always a chance of something going wrong. If I made a careless move and he hurt Yili first, even though she wasn't my closest relative, she was still a companion on our journey. I had already seen too much death and injury, and I didn't want to see another one.

I was slightly relieved. Since he needed our help, he probably wouldn't harm Elizabeth now. As for getting him out of that canyon, that wouldn't be difficult for Sanza either.

But... I glanced at Elizabeth on the ground again and quietly swallowed.

Brother, if you're having trouble, just say so. Why resort to violence and make things so ugly? One of the children in this family already hates Mexicans. If you continue like this towards his sister, we might all end up fighting. The atmosphere will be really tense.

The man didn't care what I was thinking. He moved his body and said again, "Go out and tell them I need food and water, and also, tell them to prepare to set off now."

I hesitated for a moment, then said cautiously, "We have food and water, but it's too dangerous at night. We originally planned to leave tomorrow morning."

He glared at me, pressing down on the curved blade in his hand. Although Elizabeth was unconscious, she still moved slightly in pain.

I was terrified and broke out in a cold sweat. I immediately waved my hands at him and nodded vigorously, "No, no, I'll go tell him right away."

He nodded, then took something out of his pocket and tossed it at my feet, seemingly unconcerned. “Take this to that old man and tell him that if he can get me through the canyon, this is a reward for him.”

I looked down and saw a patch of emerald green on the ground, which still shone faintly in the darkness. It turned out to be a fine piece of jade ornament.

I've seen many things like this before, but their sudden appearance in this desolate place took me by surprise. Seeing my expression, he revealed a hint of mockery in his eyes and said, "If you behave, I... I'll reward you too."

I glanced at him, said nothing more, and silently picked up the jade from the ground and left.

Everyone else was fast asleep. Apart from the sounds of a few sentries on the outskirts, the camp was completely silent. The wind in the distant canyon grew increasingly terrifying, sounding eerily ghostly in the still night.

There were sentries outside the camp. As soon as I stepped out of the wooden hut, they noticed me and waved to me from a distance. One of them even called out something in Mongolian.