At night, in the wilderness of Tongguan County, six thousand people gathered on the endless loess plain to sleep outdoors.
The wind started to blow. It was still chilly in the early summer night. The Sixteen Hu tribesmen had all fallen asleep. Faint howls of wolves could be heard from the distant mountains. The shadows of the mountains and rivers were like a huge curtain.
The Big Dipper hangs in the sky, and the stars in the summer night are like light powder sprinkled in the sky, so brilliant.
On the ground, Chen Xing was wrapped in a blanket, staring at the campfire in a daze.
After leaving the Afang Palace, Xiang Shu fell silent. His subordinates did not disturb the three of them. They just lit a bonfire under a lonely tree in the wilderness. No one came to approach Xiang Shu. Only Chen Xing, Xiang Shu, and Feng Qianjun sat quietly.
Feng Qianjun untied the shroud, revealing the hunched body of his brother Feng Qianyi inside. He built a firewood rack by the Tongshui River and burned his brother's body.
The flames ignited and engulfed Feng Qianyi's body. His legs were amputated below the knees, and long-term use of a wheelchair caused his limbs to atrophy, like a child. A gust of wind blew, and the ashes rose to the sky. Chen Xing vaguely saw a faint trace of light rising and flying towards the brilliant galaxy in the sky.
Xiang Shu looked up and saw a broad and brilliant band of light overlapping in the Milky Way, like a huge river passing through the night sky.
"Did you see it?" Chen Xing said.
Xiang Shu frowned slightly.
"Heavenly Pulse," Chen Xing said, "the destination of all 'Tao' between heaven and earth. Laozi said that the metaphysical is called 'Tao'. The physical is called Qi. All things living in the world will one day break away from the form of Qi and return to the Great Dao."
Xiang Shu said: "Is that the spiritual energy of heaven and earth?"
"No," Chen Xing said, "The Heavenly Vein and the Earthly Vein are both rivers of a higher level than spiritual energy."
As his brother's body turned to ashes, Feng Qianjun put the ashes in a box, returned to the two of them, wiped a small jade plate, turned it over and looked at it in the residual light of the campfire. There were numbers written on it: Big Han Exorcist Feng.
"The largest base of Xifeng Bank was in Luoyang," said Feng Qianjun. "When my eldest brother took over the family business with my father, I was learning in Kuaiji. From the age of seven to sixteen, I only saw my eldest brother once every two or three years."
Chen Xing wrapped himself in a blanket and remained silent. He knew that Feng Qianjun needed to talk at this time to relieve his inner distress.
Feng Qianjun added: "At that time, Luoyang still belonged to the 'Yan State' established by the Murong clan."
Xifeng Money House acquired a fortune in Luoyang, the then famous capital, and maintained certain connections with the Jin people in the south. It secretly prepared to raise an army to expel the various Hu people, waiting for the right opportunity to welcome the Jin army to restore the country.
Later, Fu Jian sent troops to capture Dayan, and the city fell overnight. All members of the Murong clan were captured and surrendered to Fu Jian. It was also during this war that Feng Qianyi fled with his family in a hurry, but the war was chaotic, and all his family soldiers died in the war. His wife was killed by the chaotic army, and his two children died in the war. He also had his legs crushed by a chariot.
Upon hearing the bad news, Feng Qianjun immediately went north to look for his brother. After several years, he finally found his brother in Chang'an.
Feng Qianyi did not mention the past, but simply told him that this was something that had to be faced on the road to greatness. Since Great Yan had perished, the current target was Fu Jian. As Murong was also a minister who destroyed the country, he could try to win them over and make use of them.
"I still remember the day when I first met Qinghe," Feng Qianjun said absentmindedly, "She and her brother Murong Chong were imprisoned in the deep palace. My brother sent me to bring her some jewelry. Murong Chong didn't like to talk, but she was very happy. She asked me what my name was... asked me if the peonies in Luoyang had bloomed, and asked many things about the north..."
"...After the fall of Great Yan, I haven't been to Luoyang for three years, so I had to make up some lies to deceive her." Feng Qianjun came back to his senses, forced a smile at Chen Xing, and said, "Go home and tell big brother, big brother, just say that Luoyang, Guanzhong, Youzhou, Yongzhou, are all places for us Han people, how dare the Xianbei people regard Luoyang as their hometown?"
Hearing this, Xiang Shu stood up and left, leaving the conversation space to the two Han people, Chen Xing and Feng Qianjun.
Feng Qianjun smiled helplessly: "But the Murong clan of Dayan was destroyed by a Han Chinese. Wang Meng obeyed Fu Jian's orders and won the battle, but it also caused the people in the four passes to suffer. They also looked down on Wang Meng because he was an official of Fu Jian. Tianchi, do you hate them?"
Chen Xing thought of his father's death, and then looked at Xiang Shu who was lying on the ground, leaning against a rock not far away.
"My father said before he died that no matter if they are Hu people or Han people," Chen Xing said slowly, "they are all residents of this great Shenzhou. When the Five Hu people went south, many people were killed or injured, and innocent people died in the war. But when the Eight Kings fought in the Jin Dynasty, every time was it not like this? The Han people who migrated south with their clothes and clothes still had the idea of revenge. If it were the soldiers and civilians who died in the Eight Kings Rebellion, where could they find someone to seek justice?"
"In the final analysis, it's nothing more than stopping the war." Chen Xing sighed, "What's more, if this rebellion is not eradicated, when it breaks out on a large scale, I don't think the Hu people or the Han people will have to fight anymore. The end will be the same, which is death."
Feng Qianjun remained silent, looked down at the Senluo Knife in his hand and weighed it.
"Are you planning to go north with the Great Chanyu?" Feng Qianjun asked.
"I don't know." Chen Xing frowned anxiously. "Time is running out. I still don't know why everything has returned to silence. At least in the next three years, I have to find magic power for everyone. Even if I don't care about it afterwards, at least someone can fight against the master that Feng Qianyi mentioned. There are definitely more exorcists in the world than just the two of us. There must be someone who can carry on the torch..."
Chen Xing got the first clue, which was related to Dinghai Pearl. Although the details were not clear yet, according to records, in the second year of the Wanfa Return to Silence, Dinghai Pearl still contained powerful magic power, so it must be related.
But the world is so big, where can we find it?
Feng Qianjun said: "Leave the investigation of the Ba Luan incident to me. I will set off early tomorrow morning."
Chen Xing: "Where are you going?"
Feng Qianjun said: "Maybe we can sneak back to Chang'an secretly, or go to Luoyang, or look for the tomb of the Eighth King, to investigate who Big Brother met during his lifetime, and how he got the knack of driving away resentment. You just need to concentrate on finding your Dinghai Pearl."
Chen Xing immediately said: "Brother Feng, we can't be impatient about this matter..."
Feng Qianjun thought: "I can roughly control the Senluo Knife, although in a different way."
Chen Xing had never expected that the magic weapon, which was once driven by the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, had now absorbed resentment and was used for his own benefit. It was as if fate had determined to fight darkness with darkness. The thorns, black vines and withered tree monsters all over the mountains had a powerful effect. Feng Qianjun's identity had also been completely changed, as it had invoked the art of all things in history, awakening the mountain and sea tree people and leading the endless life.
He became a dark exorcist.
If you rashly invite resentment and forcefully activate the Senluo Knife in this way, it will definitely cause great damage to your body. Chen Xing repeatedly reminded Feng Qianjun, and Feng Qianjun explained: "Don't worry, you can't use magic in a place without resentment."
That's true. The prerequisite for Feng Qianjun to use the Senluo Sword and summon the withered tree monster and bloodthirsty vines is to be in a place filled with resentment. As long as there are no large-scale dead bodies around, the sword will lack the power of resentment and cannot be used.
"Give me some more time," Chen Xing replied, "let me think about it carefully."
Seeing that he couldn't persuade Chen Xing, Feng Qianjun nodded and motioned for him to go back and rest. Chen Xing wanted to sleep under the tree, but Feng Qianjun moved him and asked him to go to Xiang Shu's side.
Chen Xing walked across the open space and came to Xiang Shu. Xiang Shu said nothing and closed his eyes. A hoarse crow cry was heard in the distance, and Xiang Shu woke up suddenly. With a little fear and panic in his eyes, he looked towards the place where the crows flew by.
Chen Xing observed Xiang Shu curiously, and seeing that he quickly regained his composure, he whispered, "I have to go find the Dinghai Pearl. Unfortunately, all the records I brought out from the Yin-Yang Mirror are gone."
"I know the place," Xiang Shu said, "Follow me."
Chen Xing: "!!!"
The map on the last page was called "Daze". Chen Xing had made many guesses, perhaps it was Yunmeng Daze, but this place only existed in legends and its exact location could not be found today.
"In the south?" Chen Xing asked.
Xiang Shu did not answer, but moved aside a little to leave room for Chen Xing.
Chen Xing came closer, and Xiang Shu said, "Let's go back to Chi Le Chuan first. We need the support of our tribesmen for many things."
Chen Xing calculated the time. When he left Huashan, he still had four years left. Now that summer had arrived in Shenzhou, there were only three years left. Time was very tight, but he did not rush Xiang Shu and could only nod.
Late at night, the plain was extremely quiet. Xiang Shu suddenly opened his eyes and looked into the distance.
Feng Qianjun had already stood up from under the tree, carrying his brother's ashes, and mounted his horse. As he passed the perimeter of the temporary camp, he raised his hand and waved at Xiang Shu.
Xiang Shu closed his eyes again, and Feng Qianjun disappeared into the twilight.
At midnight, the Demon Palace was filled with omnipresent blood-red light.
A huge heart as big as a house was hanging in the air, beating slowly. Tangled and twisted blood vessels covered the strange giant heart and spread to every corner of the Fantasy Demon Palace.
Thousands of blood vessels seep into the walls, absorbing nourishment from the resentment in the earth. The light of the earth veins is refined into an endless supply of purple-black aura, which is injected into the heart along the blood vessels.
A scholar wearing a mask and a black robe, holding the body of Princess Qinghe in his arms, slowly walked into the Magic Palace.
"This mortal," the heart said hoarsely, "is so out of control."
The scholar said: "Feng Qianyi was eager for revenge, and his plan was discovered by the holder of the Heart Lamp, which disrupted our plan."
The voice in my heart was furious: "How foolish! You have wasted the magic soldiers you spent so much effort to train!"
The scholar replied: "Feng Qianyi has been burned to ashes, which can be regarded as his punishment. My Lord, please calm down. There are always people. There are still hundreds of thousands of herdsmen in the ancient Chile League. It is enough to fill this gap. But Shulü Kong..."
After a short silence, the scholar said leisurely: "The best warrior outside the Great Wall... even if he was chosen as the guardian of the exorcist, he shouldn't be so unbelievably strong. It's really strange, why did Xindeng choose him?"
"I am just an ordinary person," the heart said slowly, "no matter how strong I am, I am still limited. Why should I be afraid?"
The scholar replied respectfully, "My Lord, you don't know that although the Chi-Le Chuan tribe outside the Great Wall has a limited number of people, it is still a force that cannot be underestimated. Otherwise, we wouldn't have gone to such great lengths in the past. If we can recruit Shulü Kong, it will surely save us a lot of unnecessary trouble."
"This is not something you should worry about right now. How can we resolve the Myriad Spirits Formation?" the heart hissed, "I have been dormant for many years, and I absolutely do not want to fail because of such an accident. For example, last week, the exorcist has already killed two of your subordinates!"
The scholar said: "Now that Fu Jian destroyed the Great Wall and exiled Shulü Kong, there will be no threat to Chang'an in the short term. We are still in the dark, and Chen Xing has followed Shulü Kong and fled to the outside of the Great Wall. I believe he will not return to the Central Plains for the time being. Send Zhou Zhen to eliminate them both, so that they can no longer affect the resurrection of my master. Of course, now that everything has returned to silence, the Mind Lamp can still play a slight role. Even if we ignore it, it will not cause much trouble... my master."
The scholar placed Princess Qinghe on the altar just below the huge heart and requested, "Please grant this girl a new life. From now on, Chang'an's Wanling Formation will have to rely on her."
The heart sneered, and a little blood condensed and slowly flowed down along the membrane wall. With a slight sound, it dripped onto the body of Princess Qinghe. The body emitted bursts of red light and was filled with resentment.
In late summer and early autumn, the remaining sixteen Hu tribes led by Xiang Shu left the Great Wall and entered the vast sea of grass. It was the first time that Chen Xing saw such a magnificent and boundless grassland. The sky was high and the land was far away, and the birds were flying. Compared with the prosperous city of Guanzhong, the north of this majestic Shenzhou was another scene.
As they headed north, more and more people joined them with their families. The Qiang and Di tribes had lived in Guanlong for a long time, but they were not treated well. The wars between the tribes were long-lasting, and they were heavily taxed when they went to war. After years of drought, the people had no choice but to give up their farmland and follow the Great Chanyu northward to find a new way to make a living.
Gradually, the migration team had more than 10,000 people, creating a spectacular scene. When passing through the Great Wall, the Qin generals did not dare to stop them and had to open the gate to let them pass. When they arrived at Caohai, Xiang Shu's people found carriages from somewhere, purchased all the necessary supplies before leaving the border, and finally gathered into a caravan, heading towards the end of the world, the Chi Le River.
What kind of place is that? Chen Xing asked Xiang Shu's followers, and the answer was that it was the last inhabited area in the north of Shenzhou.
Further north, there are vast expanses of tundra and snow with snow drifting in the wind. It is a desolate scene and very few of the people who went north have returned.
The major branches of the Five Barbarians in Guanzhong originated from Mount Baitou, Xing'an Mountains, Xiliang and other places, and finally became the Ancient Chile League under the Chile River. It is also the common birthplace of the Xiongnu and Tiele people, and the common hometown of all ethnic groups collectively referred to as "Hu" by the Han nationality.
Just as the song goes, over the Chi Le River, at the foot of the Yin Mountains, the sky is like a dome, covering the surrounding areas.
"They lived as nomads, and there were few doctors," Xiang said, "They bought medicines from the Central Plains along the way and brought them back to Chi Le Chuan."
Chen Xing wrote a prescription and asked Xiang Shu's subordinates to buy it. In his spare time, he sat in the carriage and watched Xiang Shu write and draw on a piece of paper.
Feng Qianjun's sudden departure without saying goodbye made him very worried, but the most urgent task was to find out the whereabouts of Dinghaizhu as soon as possible. As long as the magic power returned to the land of China, Chen Xing's burden would be half lifted. He believed that in time, the ancient profession of exorcist would eventually revive and gather powerful forces to fight against the master behind Feng Qianyi and the "Ba" they created.
The best plan for now is to hope that Fu Jian will stop carrying out large-scale killings and control the resentment a little.
Chen Xing said: "I really have no idea what the 'Da Ze' mentioned in the book is."
Xiang Shu's index and middle fingers slightly hooked the charcoal stick. Different from the pen-holding posture of the Han people, his slender fingers looked very beautiful as he outlined the winding mountains, rivers and terrain on a piece of parchment.
Chen Xing: "Ah!"
Xiang Shu only took a glance and was able to remember the map on the last page of the ancient book in the Exorcism Department. He showed it to Chen Xing and said, "Is it here?"
On the map, there was a lake, and behind it was a mountain that was broken into three parts and towered into the clouds. There were a lot of forests dotted on the sides. The terrain was very strange, with a lake on the plain and a mountain in the lake, and the word "Telewen" was written next to it.
"Yes, yes, yes!" Chen Xing was overjoyed. He took it and said, "You actually remember everything!"
"It's not Yunmeng Lake, nor is it in the south." Xiang Shu said casually, "Legend has it that it is far away, to the north of the Chilechuan River. The Tiele people's name is Erqilun, and in Xiongnu language it is called Karaksha, which means the place where the dragon fell and died."
Chen Xing was surprised and asked, "Have you been there?"
Xiang Shu: "I saw it in a book an old man gave me when I was a child."
Chen Xing looked down, then looked at Xiang Shu. Xiang Shu changed a piece of parchment and began to recall the scene on the penultimate page of the book on another piece of paper.
"You also have books," Chen Xing asked in surprise, "where are the classics stored?"
"Why?" Xiang Shu asked coldly, "Only you Han people are worthy of reading and writing?"
Chen Xing hurriedly explained that this was not what he meant. He just wanted to see where the ancient books in the Chile League were stored, maybe he could find some clues.
The carriage was moving forward on the grassland, and the mountains shrouded in clouds in the distance were vaguely visible. At that moment, everyone in the team cheered. Chen Xing suddenly looked up and turned the hillside. He saw tents standing in rows on the vast land, with mountains behind and rivers beside. The late summer wind blew, and a magnificent picture seemed to be slowly unfolding before his eyes.
We have arrived at Chi Le Chuan.
Chen Xing was shocked by the scene before him. Under the Yinshan Mountains, in the gentle embrace of the Kunlun River and the Dahai River, the vast grassland was like a blanket, supporting nearly 200,000 herdsmen. Tents were spread from the hillside to the foot of the mountain, and it seemed endless as far as the eye could see!
At the beginning of autumn, almost all the nomadic people outside the Great Wall migrated towards Yinshan Mountain to worship the sacred mountain of the Sixteen Hu people and join the ancient Chile League.
"The Great Chanyu is back!" A child saw the caravan on the bank of the Kunlun River and shouted.
The beautiful woman washing her gown by the river stood up and sang a loud song, and the warriors in the convoy sang along. Xiang Shu was still sitting in the open carriage, putting away the parchment, and resting his long legs on the edge of the carriage. He adjusted his posture and half-reclined comfortably.
Thousands of horses came out from the ancient Chile League and galloped towards them, led by several young men, including the Xiongnu and Tiele people, who shouted loudly, but Xiang Shu ignored them. In an instant, the young men gathered on both sides of the convoy, talking in a flurry and asking Xiang Shu questions with a smile. Chen Xing did not understand the language they used, so he could only listen blankly. But from their expressions, he guessed that they kept asking Xiang Shu where he had been during this period of time.
Xiang Shu's mouth corners curled up slightly, showing a slight smile, and the troops following him shouted, so the group of young people turned around and helped unload the goods and move things, and resettle the people.
A young man speaking Xiongnu language stretched out a wooden stick and went into the truck bed to hit Chen Xing. Chen Xing quickly dodged with anger between his eyebrows. He must have said, "Why did you rob a Han Chinese back?"
"Get out!" Xiang Shu finally said in Tiele language.
The young man laughed and galloped away on his horse.
People kept approaching, as if asking Xiang Shu for instructions. Xiang Shu either didn't answer or just said "hmm" lazily. Then the people took the Hu people from the interior of the country away for resettlement. The people and the Hu people who had followed Xiang Shu to the north seemed very excited, as if they had found their long-lost relatives here.
Chen Xing said: "It seems that they are not living very comfortably after entering the customs."
That is the comfort and sense of freedom of returning home. Compared to staying in Chang'an City, abiding by the various rules set by Fu Jian, studying, becoming an official, and taking imperial examinations, these barbarians obviously prefer to return to the grassland and live a free and easy life. It is truly their nature.
Xiang Shu did not answer. He saw that there were fewer and fewer people in the convoy, and finally only the two of them were left. The two carriages were pulled into a valley under the mountains east of the Ancient Alliance.
There are very few people living here, and when they saw Xiang Shu coming back, everyone cheered.
The carriage stopped in front of the largest tent and Xiang Shu jumped out. Chen Xing suddenly thought that since Xiang Shu was the Great Khan and had already passed the marriageable age, could he have a wife and children at home?
But there were few people in this valley, and the place where Xiang Shu lived was very quiet. The royal tent was built against the mountain, occupying the source of the stream, which showed his respected status.
Many people came to greet Xiang Shu. Xiang Shu said something in Tiele language, and then they dispersed. Chen Xing looked around curiously and asked, "Is this your home?"
Xiang Shu said, "I will call a meeting of the elders first, and you can do whatever you want."
As he spoke, Xiang Shu gave a few instructions to everyone, presumably to arrange for the placement of Chen Xing.
At that time, someone brought a horse over, and Xiang Shu jumped on the horse and galloped out of the valley with a "gig".
Chen Xing: "Wait a minute! I don't understand what you are saying!"
As soon as Xiang Shu left, many Tiele young men came over, looked at Chen Xing curiously and started talking.
Chen Xing's mouth twitched, and he had to nod politely.
Someone threw him a wet cloth, and Chen Xing hurriedly said, "Thank you." Then he wiped his face, thinking that when entertaining guests in the frontier, they had to wash their faces first.
Everyone mumbled a few words, and then burst into laughter. Someone pointed at the tent and Chen Xing said, "Okay, let's go and rest now. Thank you for your trouble."
Chen Xing lifted the tent and entered Xiang Shu's house, where he saw a large blue embroidered blanket on the ground. There were many furnishings in the room, including bedding, tableware, and a low table. There was also a screen shipped from the south. The lighting was very good, and there was a snow-proof window on the top of the tent, making the inside very bright.
There is also a bookshelf in one corner, which is filled with ancient books with pictures and texts of various ethnic groups.
But because the owner had been away from home for a long time, the things were covered with dust.
The Tiele boy outside came over with another bucket of water, pointed at the table, patted Chen Xing on the shoulder, and said something in Xianbei: "Start now, clean it up, and clean the king's tent before the Great Khan comes back."
Chen Xing looked down at the rag in his hand, then looked at everyone, smiled and answered politely in Chinese:
"Fuck you."