Chapter 96 – Feng Zhen Plains!
Wielding his spear, Su Ming stood at the foremost of the group. Behind him were the tribesmen who are not protected by the Mán-statue… There is not a single elderly amongst them. They were less than halfway through their journey, but Su Ming’s stride only grew steadier. Too much blood of the WuShan tribesmen had been shed in this patch of forest, where the souls of the dead lingered.
Besides Su Ming, the only Mán-cultivators who can still fight are Lei Chen and Shan Heng. Under the help of their tribesmen, the Patriarch and Nan Song were being treated as all of them hurried on their journey. Anxiety grasped at their heart.
As for Bei Ling, he was no longer fit for battle. Fresh blood flowed from his missing arm. If it weren’t for Chen Xin’s help, he would have fallen.
Shan Heng’s body was also covered in blood. In silence, he followed at the rear of the group. His wore a dazed expression of his face that seemed as if……
A mysterious force was keeping him afloat, as he continued to walk onward.
Above in the air, Grandpa Mo Sang and HeiShan’s Bi Tu battled. The blows from their exchange resounded throughout the night and persisted even as dawn approached. They would not stop until one of them is dead!
The wide valley of earth, the dazzling lights bursting in the sky, Nan Song’s life consuming Mán-Technique, all these were used just to buy more time for the tribe.
By the time dawn arrived, the tribesmen of WuShan were dead tired. They had been on the move for the past two nights. They could not hold on much longer in this cold, but gritting their teeth, persisted nonetheless.
The sky was already bright as sunlight enveloped the land. It offered the tribesmen in the forest a little warmth, but the chill of winter still pierced their bones.
“At the speed we are going, we can arrive at FengZhen tribe at around this hour tomorrow!” Lei Chen spoke softly beside Su Ming.
“Just one more day!” Lei Chen clenched his fists.
“Not one day, but half!” Su Ming croaked after a moment of silence.
When Su Ming broke his silence, Lei Chen inwardly heaved a sigh of relief. He was deeply concerned with Su Ming keeping to himself.
“Tonight, we should be able to reach the boundary of FengZhen tribe’s influence. Once we are out of the forest, it will be much safer” Su Ming spoke calmly.
“Please let this be a safe day…” Lei Chen turned back to look at the tribesmen. Seeing them on the brink of exhaustion, he sighed inwardly. When he looked forward at Su Ming, the latter’s thin frame seemed to carry the burden of the entire tribe.
Two hours later, a faint but resolute voice sounded out from the group. “Su Ming, let me stay behind”.
The one who spoke was Liu Di who previously played the tune of lament. Although rescued, he was severely wounded and could no longer press forward. He does not want to implicate his tribesmen.
Liu Di gave a faint smile at Su Ming who paused and turned back to look at home. Struggling as he stood, he walked towards a tree on one side. His wound, aggravated, bled once again.
“Just…… Go…” Liu Di retrieved his ocarina and held it by his lips, as if wanting to play a tune. But he no longer had the energy and merely gazed at the sky, awaiting his death.
Su Ming did not speak. He shut his eyes for a moment, before giving one last look at Liu Di. Without a word, his turned around and resumed the journey with his tribesmen.
Along the way, a few other tribesmen chose to stay behind to avoid slowing down the group. They wore smiles on their faces as they did so. Bei Ling thought of doing the same, but could not bring himself to say so in front of the tear-stricken Chen Xin who carried him.
The Marksman regained consciousness too mid-journey. Although he had lost both legs, he could still offer some battle power. On the back of a tribesman, he could at least still provide the power of a self-detonating Mán-Cultivator at the eighth level of blood condensation to hold the enemy back.
Su Ming kept his silence. He did not stop those tribesmen who insisted on being left behind, but his clenched fist grew ever tighter. He had to bring the tribe to safety at all cost, for that is the reason Grandpa entrusted the WuShan Tribe to him.
Only when the day at last turned to dusk did Su Ming’s vigilance begin to ease. He had left behind the expanse of the forest and entered the vast plains belonging to the FengZhen tribe. They are much safer now that as FengZhen Tribe will not allow HeiShan cultivators to enter its territory without prior permission.
When all of WuShan’s tribesmen arrived on the plain, the Patriarch and Nan Song had restored some of their cultivation base. It seemed that the disaster was finally coming to an end.
But suddenly, the earth shook. The origin seemed to be faraway, but its magnitude made its presence clearly felt even here.
“The Mán-patriarch’s seal… broke…” Nan Song closed his eyes and opened them, speaking slowly.
Following the spoken words, tension gripped the tribesmen of WuShan once again.
“The cultivators of HeiShan will take some time to follow our trail… But they can definitely reach us before we arrive at FengZhen.”
“If we are betting that HeiShan dare not enter the plains of FengZhen, we might as well throw away our lives…” Nan Song spoke softly.
“We cannot afford to do so.” Su Ming paused in his step. Turning around towards the dark forest, he saw the Patriarch who recovered some of his cultivation, and then …
The Patriarch of WuShan, a man in his forties, looked at Su Ming. This La Su that he never paid attention to in the past, left a deep impact on him. With a soft sigh, he nodded his head.
“I will stay too.” Lei Chen spoke without hesitation and stepped forth to stand beside Su Ming.
Su Ming watched him, and he too watched Su Ming, his mouth opened to a honest smile.
“You once said I cannot leave before you. If we are to die, then we shall shut our eyes together.”
“I will stay behind too” Nan Song heaved a deep breathed. His age-worn face seemed even more ragged right now, but a feverish flush of pink surfaced on that dispirited countenance.
“And me too!” The Marksman who lost both his legs spoke.
“I will stay as well!” Bei Ling said resolutely, turning around to face Su Ming, so as not to see. Chen Xin’s tears.
“Marksman, you cannot stay behind, you have to a.s.sist the Patriarch in protecting the tribesmen… And when all of you reach FengZhen safely, you can teach archery to our La Sus…” The one who spoke was Shan Heng.
This man whom had maintained his silence all the while walked out from the group. He rarely spoke, but now that he did, his words were undeniable.
“As for you Bei Ling…” Shan Heng walked to Bei Ling’s side, his expression conflicted.
“Uncle Shan Heng, I…” Bei Ling protested, but suddenly, Shan Heng’s right hand rose and struck the back of Bei Ling’s neck, who collapsed immediately, unconscious.
“You are the tribe’s hope in the future, you cannot stay.. I will.” Shan Heng said calmly, and walked towards Nan Song. Standing there, he stood and looked at the familiar faces of his tribesmen for a long time. Then, he lowered his head.
The WuShan Patriarch remained in silence. Stepping forth, he retrieved a piece of beast bone the size of an infant’s fist and pa.s.sed the ordinary-looking piece of bone to Su Ming.
“Take this, it comes in a pair. When its colour turn red, it means that we have reached FengZhen, and that we are safe.”
Su Ming received it without a word, and placed it cautiously in his arms.
The WuShan tribe Patriarch took a last deep look at those who chose to stay behind. With a soft sigh, he turned around with resolution and lead the tribesmen towards the direction of FengZhen. Most of their ordinary tribesmen were safe, but their experiences along the way made them turn around to look at the four who chose to stay behind, tears in their eyes.
Then, someone raised his arm to wave at the four. Quickly, in the midst their cries, all of the tribesmen waved farewell to Su Ming’s group. They understood that the four mean to sacrifice, like other tribesmen before them, that they will use their flesh as shields to act as the last line of defense for the tribesmen.
“Brother Su Ming.” A childlike voice came from among the group. It belonged to Tong Tong, who ran out from the crowd. Su Ming stepped forth and squatted down, patting the young girl’s dry hair.
“Brother Su Ming, once all this is over and when Grandpa returns, can you help Tong Tong look for Pi Pi?”
A faint smile crept on Su Ming’s face. He kissed the girl’s forehead and nodded.
The little girl broke into a sweet smile. Gazing at Su Ming, she suddenly spoke soft beside his ear.
“Brother Su Ming, I have a secret that even my parents and Pi Pi do not know. You have to come back, and then I will tell you the secret.” The girl bit her lips and ran back to the group. Tears flowed uncontrollably from her eyes.
Su Ming watched her join the crowd and wave back at him. As his tribesmen disappear into the distance, the faint smile on his face gradually fade.
The surrounding was all quiet, and the moon grew clearer in the night sky. It was a full moon that hung high in the heavens, and it seemed to amalgamate with the vast lands, arousing a killing intent.
The moonlight that bathed the land seemed to be much brighter than usual, painting defined shadows of the four on the plain. In silence, they held their resolution. Su Ming sat crossed-legged, beside him was Lei Chen. Opposite them was Nan Song, his eyes closed. Shan Heng was not far away, sitting alone. He gazed at the night sky, seemingly in contemplation.
“Lei Chen, sit behind me. Your cultivation base is lacking and will not be effective in battle. I will share my blood qi with you and watch your back.” Nan Song spoke slowly.
Without hesitation, Lei Chen rose to sit beside Nan Song. Using some unknown means, Nan Song caused the both of them to be enveloped in blood red aura.
No one spoke anymore. They waited for the arrival of HeiShan’s pursuers. Sitting in silence, Su Ming scooped some snow in his uninjured left palm and washed it clean. Then, he retrieved a small vial and poured out a single blood-red pill. Clenching it in his fist, he shut his eyes.
Time pa.s.sed slowly, Four hours later, when the moon in the sky reached its climax. Su Ming, his eyes shut, felt that the blood inside him was riling.
“They are here!” Nan Song spoke.
Su Ming’s eyes opened.