Book 21 Chapter 1 – Escaping Dragon From The Battlefield
Just as Xiang Shaolong got rid one batch of enemies, a scream came from his side. He turned around in shock only to see Zhou Liang falling over his horse, with a long spear piercing through his armor from the back and exiting to the front. Obviously the enemy who threw that spear was very strong.
He let out an earth shattering roar and was about to rein his horse to kill his way back but his followers on either side of him tugged at his reins hard, pulling him along as they escaped.
One of the enemy generals, leading a group of soldiers ran after them and shouted, “Xiang Shaolong, where can you run!”
Xiang Shaolong took a look at the surroundings only to see that only less than a hundred of his personal guards are left and the forests around them are all burning bright. He has no idea how many more enemies are out there.
Now that the enemy has caught onto him, it’ll be difficult for him to avoid them in this situation. Just as he was about to turn back and avenge Zhou Liang right before he died, there was a shrill screech as Eagle King swooped down from the sky, right into the face of that Zhao general, its sharp beaks pecking at that general’s eyes madly.
The Zhao general let out a frightening scream as he abandoned the spear that he was about to throw and grabbed Eagle King with his hands and both bird and human fell off the horse.
Because their general has met with misfortune, the pursuing army was sudden thrown into sudden chaos.
Xiang Shaolong knows that the Zhao general and Eagle King is as good as dead and felt that this opportunity should not be missed as he urged his horse to give chase.
He has just gone out about seven to eight feet when about a dozen Zhao soldiers came up from the left and right, raising their spears as they yelled and stabbed madly at their horses.
His personal guards on the left and right fell, becoming the target of ma.s.sacre for the enemy.
At this point in time, Strong Wind executed its extraordinary ability and could actually suddenly pick up speed and dash out of the encirclement. Suddenly, Xiang Shaolong felt that he is all alone.
Hot blood coursed through Xiang Shaolong’s veins as murderous thoughts welled up in him. He killed his way past the dozen odd Zhao soldiers who were charging from the left.
Luckily in this dense forest, arrows are of not much use. Otherwise he won’t even have the chance to fight before he’s taken down by arrows.
Cries and screams surrounded him, the atmosphere was extremely bleak.
From behind a clump of trees, Xiang Shaolong leaned on one side of Strong Wind as he charged into the enemy formation, waving his blade and slashing towards the opposing soldiers.
His target is the one right in front holding the torch and illuminating the path. Hundred Battles Blade slashed diagonally at that person’s shoulder and fresh blood spewed immediately as he fell off his horse.
The torch fell to the gra.s.s and immediately started burning.
As the enemy were still screaming, Xiang Shaolong’s strength seems to increase as he charged into their midst and waved his blade as he chopped and slashed.
The enemy hurriedly pulled out their swords to block him but did not expect their long swords to immediately break into halves as Hundred Battle Blade sliced through with an icy sheen. The Zhao soldiers fell. Xiang Shaolong dispersed the enemy and naturally killed his way towards where the light is the weakest.
By now the enemy has gained an overwhelming advantage. Although there are still skirmishes around him, it can no longer change the situation at hand.
A feeling of fatigue welled up in Xiang Shaolong.
Witnessing the death of Zhou Liang and so many of his men, he had the thought that he will not live alone. He gritted his teeth, turned his horse around as he ran back towards where the battle cries are the loudest. In a short instant he is out of the woods into the open plains.
Amidst the scattered trees, a group of a few hundred Qin soldiers were right in front, surrounded by thousands of enemy and fighting to their last breath.
Fury welled up in Xiang Shaolong as the murderous intent magnified again and he decided to go all the way out, slashing anyone in his way. The enemies who met him only ended up dead in an instant.
The Qin army saw that their Commander has returned and their morale was greatly boosted. Following in his bravado, they actually managed to fight their way out of the enemy’s encirclement and ran towards a small hill up ahead.
Just as war cries were rising behind them, the small hill up ahead were suddenly lit with hundreds of torches.
Countless Zhao soldiers swarmed down from the top of the hill, each of them carrying weapons for long distance fighting, which are precisely the weapons that are the bane to cavalry like Xiang Shaolong and his men.
Xiang Shaolong secretly sighed, knowing that Li Mu has covered all bases in his plan and have set up one obstacle after another in the woods long ago with the sole goal of apprehending and killing him.
By this time anyone would know that it is over for them and without waiting foe his orders, half of his men started escaping towards the two sides.
Xiang Shaolong could not stop them in time but knows in his heart that the enemy is deliberately forcing them to run towards the south.
Suddenly, he knows very clearly that as long as they can charge their way up to the top of the hill, there’ll be a chance where they can escape into the hilly terrain and extricate themselves from danger.
By now there are only 50 odd men by his side. He immediately shouted, “If you want to live then come with me!”
He kept Hundred Battles Blade back into its sheath on his back and pulled out the flying needles around his waist as he clasped the horse with his thighs and charged, both his hands continuously throwing out needles. The enemy soldiers all fell to the ground as they were hit by the needles.
Amidst the chaos, Xiang Shaolong had thrown out close to a hundred flying needles, until both his arms were numb. By then he had used up all his needles and behind him corpses filled the ground, a distressing sight.
By now only about a dozen odd med was with him but they have successfully gone up the top of the hill.
Hundreds of enemy soldiers were attacking them madly like preying wolves and tigers.
Once again Xiang Shaolong tool out Hundred Battles Blade.
By now his body was filled with a dozen odd large and small bleeding wounds but he could not feel any pain at all.
As he waved his precious blade, screams were heard and the corpses of his enemy on the fight filled the ground.
Without even looking, Xiang Shaolong slashed behind him and killed another enemy who was coming up on him from the back.
In front of him, a person ran up on foot with a spear and aimed it straight at Strong Wind’s neck.
Xiang Shaolong had no choice but to throw his precious blade and aimed it instead at that person’s chest and pin him to the ground.
He felt a sudden heart-rending pain behind his shoulder blade, something had struck him.
Xiang Shaolong was in so much pain he collapsed on the back of his horse and his guards risked their lives to charge their way to him and cover him.
Xiang Shaolong was thinking to himself that this is the end.
In that instant, he thought of his beloved wives and concubines far away in Xianyang, and also thought of Lady Ni, Zhao Ya, Zhao Qian and countless people and incidents.
Just at this moment of life and death, he could feel Strong Wind dodging left and right as it kept increasing its speed and ran.
The battle cries were gradually getting fainter behind him.
Darkness was surrounding him.
He held Stong Wind’s neck in a death grip, feeling as one with his horse. He consciousness gradually faded and he finally lost all senses.
He regained consciousness slowly and suddenly woke up in shock, only to feel his entire body racked with pain and felt extreme thirst.
He can’t help but groan and open his eyes.
The autumn sun hung in the middle of the empty sky.
For a brief moment, not only does Xiang Shaolong have no idea where he is, he’s also not sure what had actually happened.
He sat up with much difficulty and was shocked to see Strong Wind collapsed on its side a few feet away, it’s neck twisted in an unnatural position, it’s nose and mouth filled with foamy fluids which had solidified.
Xiang Shaolong felt his whole body shaking as he finally remembered what happened last night before he fainted.
Strong Wind had carried him and escaped from the battlefield and sacrificed its own life in order to save his.
Ever since Ji Yanran gave him the horse, he has spent more time with Strong Wind than with any of his beloved ladies.
It’s loyalty to him has never changed and reduced at all.
Xiang Shaolong can no longer control his emotions as he hugged Stong Wind’s body and cried manly tears!
He has lost.
Lost to the most famous general of that era, Li Mu.
That’s not because he has planned poorly, but because Li Mu is too smart.
Now his only hope is that he has successfully hindered Li Mu from catching up with the troops led by Teng and Jing before they can reach Zhongmou, otherwise their decoy troops that was meant to look like they’re attacking Handan will be totally wiped out.
Luckily this time around the person in charge is the mature and stable Teng Yi who is capable of handling any situation.
If it was Jing Jun, he’ll definitely turn back to save them and it would be akin to suicide.
It’s a miracle that he’s able to survive this time.
He can imagine that Li Mu will certainly dispatch his men to search for his whereabouts.
Once he thought of this, Xiang Shaolong felt a surge of instinct to survive. He first checked his injuries and can’t help but thank Uncle Qing for making, and Qin Qing for sewing this armor for him. Although he was struck by a few arrows and hit by swords many times, there were only three spots which split open and he only suffered superficial injuries, with the would behind his shoulder blades to be the deepest. The other injuries were all on his arms and limbs and were all superficial injuries which will not hinder his movement.
He removed his bag from Strong Wind’s body and took out the clothes inside. He beared with the pain as he peeled off his armor and clothes which had stuck to his flesh and dried blood. He tore off pieces of cloth and bandaged his wounds. After changing into the daily wear that warriors usually wear and securing the climbing equipment around his waist, his mood turned a little for the better.
After emptying the clean water in the bottle that Strong Wind was carrying, he took off the precious sword ‘Blood Wave’ that was tied around the reins and remembered that this is a famous sword that was once given to him by Li Mu. Conflicting feelings surged up in him unexpectedly.
By now it is getting dark. He had wanted to spend some effort to bury Strong Wind, or at least cover him with some soil but he could hear hooves-beat coming from somewhere far away. He had no choice but to bow respectfully at Strong Wind’s body to express his thanks before starting on his escape with feelings of devastation and extreme sadness.
He is extremely familiar with travelling in the wilderness. Initially, whenever he ascends to a high point, he’ll be able to see the torches of his pursuers.
They are like the grim reaper, entangling him in such a way that he is unable to determine what is the correct direction to Zhongmou.
By dawn, although he has temporarily thrown off his pursuers, he was totally lost and could only run towards the mountain cliffs.
When he was sitting down and resting at a dense forest at the top of a hill, his whole body felt as if it’s falling apart. Not only is his mind in turmoil, his body is extremely exhausted.
Blood was oozing out of many of his wounds and the pain was unbearable. The feeling of utter defeat is enough to make anyone despair.
If not for the fact that he had undergone strict special task force training in the past, he surely will not be able to pull himself together at this point in time.
But he knows that this moment is the most important point in the route of escape.
Because it’s easy for the enemy to find out where Strong Wind had collapsed and died, so they’ll definitely make use of the opportunity that he is on foot and unable to travel far to push on the search for him. If he were to fall asleep now, he may end up in the hands of the enemy by the time he wakes up.
Xiang Shaolong gritted his teeth, gathered his spirits and after a short recovery of his energy, meditated according to the Mohist meditation method.
In a short while, he was calm and his whole body relaxed and during that time his energy was recovered swiftly. After about an hour of such meditation, he jumped up and used his strong sense of willpower to overcome the exhaustion his body is feeling and continued on his flight for life.
He deliberately picked routes at the cliffs where beasts and men will find difficult to cover and used his climbing gear to move along. This is surely a move that his enemies will never expect. Otherwise if he were to choose to travel on flat open wilderness, how can he ever outrun horses on four legs.
Once it’s dark, he rested next to a waterfall, his whole body in so much pain that he can’t even move his fingers.
In a short instant he was fast asleep and by the time he woke up the sun was gradually rising.
His ears first heard the swooshing of the waterfall, mixed with the sounds made be insects and birds. The scene around him was serene. Xiang Shaolong opened his eyes and sat up only to see the waterfall on his left coming down from the cliff high above in a silvery cascade, the lake next to him foaming with white bubbles as the water crashed down on its surface, crashing back to the side of the cliff again in tight circles. The scene was magnificent.
He looked at his surroundings again to see countless mountains surrounding the area with trees growing wildly.
Xiang Shaolong can’t help but be impressed and wondered why had he not noticed that the scenery here is so special yesterday?
Inspired by the surroundings where opportunities for survival abound, he felt a strong surge of drive and vowed to live to return to the people who love and care for him.
In the past, when he lost contact with Tao Fang at the Zhao border after they ran into horse thieves, there was a period of time where he was roaming around in the wilderness. So now he is of course familiar with it and is able to pick wild vegetables to curb his hunger.
He thought that he may be the first human to ever step foot in this desolate wilderness and a sense of satisfaction welled up in him.
The place where Li Mu ambushed him is around the borders of Zhao and Wei, north of the city walls of the state of Zhao, so it’s a higher possibility that he is right now within the borders of Wei. Once he ascends the peak nearby and can have a further look, he would be able to find the easily identifiable Yellow River or maybe the route he took in the past when he went to Wei from Zhao. From there he will be able to determine his plan to return to Zhongmou.
Once he thought of this, his spirits lifted and once he decided on the highest mountain peak nearby, he gritted his teeth and climbed his way up.
He can’t help but be thankful that he had been practicing martial arts every day for the past few years, otherwise by now he won’t have the stamina to go on further.
But when he saw the wild eagles circling around the top of the mountains, he can’t help but be reminded of Zhou Liang who died in the battle and the loyal Eagle King who died for its owner and he could feel hot tears br.i.m.m.i.n.g in his eyes.
Are humans naturally selfish creatures? For various gains, they will rally around the excuse of protecting the country and the people and keep on killing one another. What’s the point of all these?
What is most hateful is that he is part of such killing wars.
In a war, there’s no one who can truly win. Even the victorious will have to pay a terrible price to win.
Such an outcome has been laid down in stone since time memorial and no one can change it but wars are still continuing without a stop.
Even if under a unified power, power struggles and murders have never really stopped.
Before dusk, he has ascended one of the peaks and the great land lay before his eyes.
He was immediately stunned by what he saw.
The remaining light from the setting sun cast a sad yet beautiful glow upon the vast land below as it stretched into the horizon.
Behind it there were grand mountains and cliffs, looking dangerous yet magnificent.
Although he could see a river winding along the valley, he is certain that it is not the Yellow River.
Far away towards the left he could vaguely make out terraced fields on a hilly slope. As it is now autumn, the harvesting period, the golden fields look especially outstanding when framed against the lush green wilderness.
Behind the hill, smoke was rising from chimneys, and it looks as if there could be a small village of sorts over there.
Xiang Shaolong was hesitant. He was sure he’s never been to this place and the only way now is to ask for directions along the way but that may also reveal his whereabouts.
That night, he slept among the crevices of a huge stone and the next morning he tried to look for a route down the mountain. Only then did he understand why there is a saying, ‘going up the mountain is easier than coming down the mountain’.
After much difficulty, he finally managed to arrive at the foot of the mountain after noon.
He has finally decided to go to that village and have a look and travelled towards there through the night. By now his clothes are tattered and torn in many places and he has not shaven for days. He looked absolutely like a dest.i.tute vagabond.
Although he is on the run, but amidst the wilderness, looking at the rivers and streams with the vibrant yellow and red colors of the autumn forests, the scene is extremely beautiful. The scenic route also helped to elevate his feelings of loneliness.
From the top of the mountain, those chimney smokes looked very near but after walking for half a day, there was still no sight of the village.
Before the sky got dark, he plucked some wild vegetables to stave his hunger and spent the night next to a small lake.
He slept until the middle of the night when suddenly there were sounds of dogs barking and human voices.
Xiang Shaolong woke up in shock and knew that something is amiss. He hurriedly broke off a hollow reed nearby and hid amongst the weeds in the lake, breathing thru the reed.
He had just hidden himself when a team of a hundred odd men came right to the edge of the lake with hunting dogs.
The dogs were frantically sniffing the area where he was sleeping.
He heard someone say, “Xiang Shaolong must have been here and ran away when he heard the dogs barking. If we can capture him this time, just the reward alone is enough for us to spend for the rest of our lives.”
Xiang Shaolong heard the Han accent in their speech and was stunned. Now he knows that when Strong Wind ran, he actually brought him within the Han border so if he just continue travelling towards the West, he’ll reach the Qin borders sooner or later.
But then he thought about it again. Since the Hans are certain he is within their borders, they’ll naturally barricade the paths leading towards Qin so if he travel Westward, he’ll just be falling right into their trap.
The only way now is to hide until the danger is gone, until the enemy relaxes their guard before trying to find a way to return to the Qin border.
At this point in time, someone came right up to the edge of the lake shining a torch, reflecting the surface of the lake into a sea of red.
One of the men laughed, “If you were him, won’t you try to run away quickly?”
Someone else answered, “But the dogs keep barking, maybe he’s still hiding nearby. Why don’t we release the dogs and let them run after him, won’t that save us much effort?”
Such a suggestion was immediately met with agreement by everyone else.
The ropes were loosened and five to six hunting dogs shot towards the forest next to the lake like arrows, followed by the sounds of a fight between a howling wolf and the barking dogs, the sound gradually getting fainter.
Only now did the pursuing soldiers realize that they have been misled, the hounds were running after a nearby wolf and not Xiang Shaolong. They all ran shouting after the dogs.
Xiang Shaolong climbed up back to sh.o.r.e, all wet and knows that he has now become the number one war criminal which the six states have all put a bounty on. Unless he returns to Qin, otherwise no matter how big the world is, there won’t be a place for him. He dare not stop and gave up the thought of going towards the village to ask for directions. He turned around and went towards the east, going further and further away from Qin.
That night, he escaped back to the mountainous regions and started climbing cliffs and mountains again. Luckily most of the state of Han is filled with mountainous terrain, otherwise his enemies would have caught up with him long ago.
Now that he knows that he is in the state of Han, he took a closer look at his surroundings and could slowly make out some recognizable mountains and rivers. He was ecstatic and travelled towards the Jing family village, the place where Jing Jun was born.
Three days later, the familiar scene of the Jing family village appeared before his eyes.
By now he is skinny beyond recognition and weak but he is finally relieved and could no longer hold on as he collapsed into a dead faint.