Chapter 148: The Journey of Fifteen Soldiers
Unlike the instantly nervous Yu Xingzhi and Wang Ruyi, Ma Huaizhen remained unfazed as he settled back into his wheelchair and said calmly, his expression unchanged, "You've come at just the right time."
Initially, Ma Huaizhen was concerned about these three people behind him, but since the other party had willingly come to them, he no longer held back.
Upon seeing the opened wooden boxes on the second-floor corridor, Yan Shiyuan's face turned pale.
"Who gave you permission to open them?! Ruyi, was it you?"
Facing Yan Shiyuan, Wang Ruyi felt guilty. Upon hearing his words, she dared not speak and quickly waved her hands, avoiding eye contact.
Witnessing this scene, Yu Xingzhi discreetly limped towards Wang Ruyi, cutting off their visual connection.
Wang Ruyi widened her eyes, unable to discern the young man's friendly expression. All she could see from his direction was his strong jawline.
Ma Huaizhen smirked and calmly asked, "I'd like to ask the owner, aren't you afraid of scaring away the few guests by displaying these things in the inn?"
Yan Shiyuan took two steps forward, his face growing even more grim. "These are not 'things'."
Ma Huaizhen asserted, "They are your comrades."
Yan Shiyuan ascended to the second floor, lifting the overturned willow wood box from the ground. "If you knew, you would respect them even more."
After carefully studying Yan Shiyuan's expression for a while, Ma Huaizhen unexpectedly softened his attitude and said quietly, "Boss, please don't be angry. We just have some things that we're not quite clear about and we'd like to ask you to explain."
The middle-aged man picked up the pieces of the corpse from the ground and carefully placed them back in the box, one by one.
To Qiao Wan, this scene seemed horrifying, but with the memory enhancement from Jing Yongxin, she found herself unable to feel any "fear" towards this box of body parts.
After closing the wooden box again, Yan Shiyuan glanced at Ma Huaizhen.
Although the man was disabled, his cultivation was unfathomable, clearly not someone he could provoke.
If she were to clash with him here and he ended up injuring himself, it wouldn't matter. But if he were to harm this meticulously maintained inn...
Ma Huaizhen took the initiative to step back, and Yan Shiyuan fell silent for a moment before also making a concession. "What do you want to ask?"
"About this inn," Ma Huaizhen said, "and these few boxes."
"As you can see, this box contains all my comrades."
Ma Huaizhen asked, "Are you under the 'Summer' flag?"
A look of surprise crossed Yan Shiyuan's face. "Does my taoist friend know about the 'Summer' flag?"
Ma Huaizhen replied, "For several hundred years, the cultivation realm has divided into eight armies to deal with the demon realm..."
"Let me tell you the truth," the man said with a half-smile. "I belong to the 'Cold' flag."
Yan Shiyuan asked, "Is it because of your injuries, taoist friend?"
Ma Huaizhen calmly answered, "I was wounded on the battlefield."
"Oh, I see," Yan Shiyuan muttered. He looked up and the gloom and wariness in his eyes faded significantly.
Ma Huaizhen continued, "The 'Summer' and 'Cold' flags are located in the north and south respectively. I know very little about the 'Summer' flag. However, I have heard that they suffered heavy losses in the battle at Fufeng Valley."
In order to maintain control, the cultivation realm divided all their forces into eight directions and formed eight banners, each guarding one of the 'Eight Gates'.
In the northeastern direction, there is a flag with the word "Cang", in the eastern direction, there is a flag called "Kaiming", in the southeastern direction, there is a flag with the word "Yang", in the southern direction, there is a flag with the word "Shu", in the southwest direction, there is a flag with the word "Bai", in the western direction, there is a flag called "Changhe", and in the northwestern direction, there is a flag called "Youdu".
The Xuanwu Sect, the Lingxiao Sect, and the Qingyun Sect are all located in the southern part of the Thirteen Continents and are under the jurisdiction of the "Shu" flag.
In this battle, a disciple of the Cloud Smoke Sect, Feng Zhao, betrayed and joined the demon realm, resulting in a disastrous battle for Fufeng Valley. Many elite disciples from the Xuanwu Sect, the Lingxiao Sect, and the Qingyun Sect were killed or injured. After this, these sects struggled and within one or two hundred years, they were either merged or completely destroyed by other sects.
If Ma Huaizhen was not completely certain before, then combining these jade plaques, it is not difficult to reveal the true identity of the Yin Soldiers on the street.
Mentioning the past, Yan Shiyuan stayed silent for a while, feeling deeply saddened. "You're right. I was indeed a cultivator under the Shuzi Sect."
Qiao Wan crossed her hands and placed them on her knees, sitting up straight, quietly listening to Yan Shiyuan as he told the story of what happened back then.
She still had many things she didn't understand, such as the Blue-eyed Evil Buddha and the "Wen Si Xing Zhu Sword."
"I am a timid person, even on the battlefield I didn't dare charge forward. It was the same in the battle of Fufeng Valley, so over time, all the work of cleaning up the battlefield fell to me."
...
The strong and cold winds of Fufeng Valley blew relentlessly throughout the year.
The demon realm approached aggressively, causing heavy losses to the cultivation world. The battle seemed to be overwhelmingly one-sided. In this situation, many Qi-refining disciples from small sects were dragged onto the battlefield. There were even some who had just opened up their Dao domains and learned to cultivate Qi.
"To the north, that's where the big shots are battling."
One evening, after cleaning up the battlefield, while sitting together and eating dry bread, Cao Luping said something with a mysterious look on his face.
People are divided into different classes, just like the battlefield is divided into areas that must be fought for and abandoned.
Those so-called important people are like a powerful sword that can move mountains, capable of single-handedly defeating millions of soldiers. They have nothing to do with us disciples who practice cultivating qi.
But this doesn't stop a group of people from sitting together after the ceasefire, holding their wounds, eating cold and hard military rations while gossiping.
"I heard that Yuqing Spiritual Master, who leads the 'Cold' flag, single-handedly defeated 480 demons from the demon realm, causing chaos and even making the Great Snow Mountain behind the Northern Realm crack."
Behind the Great Snow Mountain is the stronghold of the demon realm, so most of the top fighting power in the cultivation world belongs to the 'Cold' flag, the so-called 'important people's battlefield'.
As for our Fufeng Valley, it may not be as earth-shattering as the north, but we rely on our own strength to fight our way out.
"What? Do you still want to compare with Yuqing Spiritual Master?" Miao Chunhui laughed.
Cao Luping also laughed, "How could I compare with Yuqing Spiritual Master? I just thought, it would be great if we could win this battle someday."
"It's almost time," spoke a round-faced girl in a red dress named Zhang Xia. She had a piece of armor on her knee that she was mending.
Despite the bloodstains on her face, Zhang Xia's gentle features couldn't be hidden. She smiled slightly and said, "I heard that the higher-ups have started a counterattack recently."
"A counterattack?" Miao Chunhui asked curiously, "How are they counterattacking? Feng Zhao, do you have any news?"
"It is said that the war god of the demon realm, Su Buhuo, went missing a while ago," said a pale and handsome young man in the crowd with a smile. "Recently, Meng Guangze, the head of Taiping College, has joined forces with Kunshan. They decided to launch an attack on the demon realm's stronghold and, taking advantage of the situation, seal the leader of the demons and cut off the head of the demon realm."
"This is news from a few months ago," Zhang Xia sighed, lost in thought. "I wonder if it was successful or not."
Cao Luping said, "This sealing is said to extend from the east to the Seven Peaks and Ten Ridges, to the west to the mountains of Kunshan, to the north to the Great Snowy Mountains in the North Realm, and to the south to the thirteen provinces of Qizawa, nourished by the spiritual veins of the world."
"The Qizawa Province in the south?" Yu Baocheng asked in astonishment. "Yunpan, isn't that your hometown? Do they have spiritual veins there?"
Yunpan, also known as Cen Yunpan, smiled faintly. "Yes, my family is indeed from there, and we do have a spiritual vein in our estate."
Yu Baocheng was about to say something else but was immediately silenced by a secret gesture from Cao Luping.
The Cen estate was located near the southern border. There were originally thirty-six disciples who came, but now only Cen Yunpan remained after thirty-five had died. It's pointless to bring up such matters now.
"If we can win," Cao Luping smiled, "I will immediately leave the mountain."
Someone quickly asked, "You won't practice cultivation anymore?"
"Yes, who was it that wanted to become a sword immortal before?"
"Well, I don't want to cultivate anymore," Cao Luping waved his hand. "I don't have the talent to waste time on the mountains. Life is too short. I can't afford to delay time on the mountains while my mother waits at home."
After cultivating for hundreds of years, finally achieving success, so what? Looking back, the hearth at home had grown cold, the thatched house was in ruins, and there were a few more graves in front of the door.
"What about you, Jing Yongxin?"
"Me?" The dark-skinned teenager smiled awkwardly and pursed his lips. "I want to go home. I miss my mother."
Upon hearing this, the men in front burst into laughter.
"You're already this old and still thinking about your mother instead of finding a wife?"
But after the laughter died down, everyone fell silent for a moment, gazing at the cold moon in the night sky, gnawing on their dry rations.
No one knew who whispered softly, "I miss my father too."
"I worry about my mother. She is the only old person at home, and I don't know if she can take care of herself."
"I miss my daughter. When I left, she was just this tall."
"Please, let's not talk about it. Why talk about these things? It's making me cry."
After a moment of silence, everyone looked at each other.
Cao Luping joked, "If I go back, I will use my skills to become a national teacher."
Yu Baocheng slapped his thigh, "If I go back, I will marry three or five wives!"
"If I go back," Jing Yongxin laughed, "I will take my little brother around for a walk."
Stopping her work, Zhang Xia tilted her head and thought, "If I go back, I will..."
The girl's eyes shimmered and unintentionally fell upon Yan Shiyuan.
"Oh, by the way, Yan, what about you?"
Miao Chunhui nudged him, "We're asking you, if we win this battle, what do you want to do?"
Yan Shiyuan paused, "Me?"
"Hey, what about you?" Miao Chunhui smiled and asked, "Why aren't you saying anything?"
"Just don't push him, everyone knows our 'Yan Lord' is a bit timid."
"Hahaha, who was scared to move a step when they first went to the battlefield, almost peeing their pants? If it wasn't for me being quick, your head would be in danger." Cao Luping laughed and said, "Don't worry, as long as you take good care of our letters back home, when we go to the battlefield, I'll protect you, little brother."
Him? Yan Shiyuan chuckled.
He doesn't dare to hope for that. In the current situation, it has been over three months trapped in Fufeng Valley, without any sign of reinforcements.
But since the atmosphere was good, he didn't want to spoil the mood of his comrades, so he casually said, "If I were to return, I would open an inn."
Glancing at Zhang Xia, the round-faced girl in the red dress, Yan Shiyuan's throat felt a bit dry.
Then, he thought of making Zhang Xia the inn's hostess.
Actually, everyone knew that they had been struggling here for more than three months, with no sign of reinforcements and no possibility of them ever arriving.
Who could have imagined that this battle would last for a full three months, with the enemy surrounding them from all sides, and that thirty thousand people would be trapped and most of them starving to death in this valley?
Now, with no ammunition or food left, the only thing they could do was to look up at the cold moon in the night sky after each ceasefire and weave a dream of peace.
Someone sighed softly, "If we could go back, I would build a thatched cottage in front of the mountain, plant a few peach trees, and have a mountain stream in front of the door. I would fish there on normal days, cook a delicious meal with the fish I catch, and invite you all to join me for a drink."
"If, if Yuqing Spiritual Master could come here to save us, that would be great."
"Someone with the ability to move mountains with a single sword..."
The voices of the conversation grew quieter and quieter.
Someone began to sing softly, "At fifteen, I joined the army, and at eighty, I finally returned."
Once upon a time, there was a village where a mysterious person lived. People wondered who could be living in that house.
Looking into the distance, they realized it was the home of a noble family, surrounded by towering pine and cypress trees.
A rabbit sneaked out of a dog's den, while a pheasant flew down from the rafters.
In the courtyard, wild vegetables grew in the fields, and water spinach grew in the well.
As the grains were pounded to make rice, the vegetables were gathered to make soup.
The meal was cooked in no time, but they didn't know who it would be shared with.
Standing at the door, looking east, tears fell and stained my clothes.
Gradually, everyone fell silent and gazed at the cold moon in the sky.
The next day came, but the reinforcements still hadn't arrived.
The morning sun was stained red with blood.
No one could imagine that in this desperate situation, Feng Zhao, a young and handsome man, would betray them and join the demon realm. He teamed up with the Blue-eyed Evil Buddha and dealt them a fatal blow.
Little did they know, this was the power they had underestimated.
A golden light swept across the battlefield, claiming the lives of many.
In the face of such overwhelming strength, human lives seemed worthless, like ants.
"Hurry up and run!!" Cao Luping was covered in blood, like a hedgehog pierced by arrows. He desperately turned his head and roared, "Run quickly! Take our family book and run together!"
The man's eyes were almost bloodshot.
"Now is the time!! Run for your life!"
"If you're scared and weak, don't sacrifice yourself here!"
As Yan Shiyuan felt the thick stack of family books in his arms, tears streamed down his face.
Miao Chunhui was dead.
Yu Baocheng was dead.
Even the youngest one among them, Jing Yongxin, was dead.
Stumbling forward all the way.
Run--
Yan Shiyuan's head was dizzy, and he gasped for breath.
Escape--
"Yan Shiyuan!" A familiar roar sounded again. Cao Luping cursed in anger, "Watch out!"
Before he could finish the last word, it got stuck in his throat.
Suddenly, warm blood splattered all over Yan Shiyuan's body as he turned his head in astonishment.
In front of him, Cao Luping had blocked that deadly golden light for him.
The man's body was covered in bright red blood, and it started to crack and fall apart, leaving behind a pile of broken limbs.
Before he died.s eyes were filled with anger and even tears of blood, as he said, "Run..."
"When we get to the battlefield, I'll protect you, brother."
...
He couldn't escape.
He watched helplessly as his comrades fell one by one. The figure in the robe, the Blue-eyed Evil Buddha, was getting closer and closer. Yan Shiyuan. trembled all over and cowered behind a pile of corpses, biting his teeth tightly.
As he held the letter from home to his chest, Yan Shiyuan closed his eyes and prayed desperately, his tongue becoming dry.
Don't see him, don't see him, don't see him.
His heart raced.
Thump, thump, thump.
Yan Shiyuan opened his eyes just a crack.
The Blue-eyed Evil Buddha approached slowly.
Blue-eyed Evil Buddha walked casually, stepping on a mountain of corpses, as if taking a leisurely stroll in a garden.
The young monk had a faint smile on his lips, and his clear and gentle eyes were like a peaceful pond.
Even though their gazes didn't meet, Yan Shiyuan felt a chilling sensation when he caught a glimpse of those sparkling eyes.
A beam of golden light soared into the air.
Yan Shiyuan 's mind was shaken, and his limbs turned ice-cold.
But the golden light was not heading towards him.
Along with the golden light, the piles of corpses around him shattered into pieces!
He was hiding beneath the bodies of his comrades, surrounded by his fallen friends...
Burying his head even deeper, Yan Shiyuan trembled uncontrollably, tears streaming down his face.
It was because of his own weakness and cowardice.
He was too afraid.
Even in this moment, he was hiding beneath the corpses of his comrades, using their lifeless bodies as a shield to survive.
Although the evil monk didn't glance at him, Yan Shiyuan somehow knew deep inside that the monk had noticed this timid soul hiding beneath the corpses of his comrades.
The first beam of golden light pierced through Miao Chunhui's chest.
In a distant land, there was a wicked Blue-eyed Evil Buddha. He used his power to harm others. One day, he used his golden light to cut off the delicate neck of a girl named Zhang Xia. She had a gentle smile, but it quickly disappeared.
Another beam of golden light came and sliced Cen Yunpan in half. It was as if time had stopped for a few hundred years, yet it felt like only a moment had passed.
The Blue-eyed Evil Buddha walked away, leaving destruction in his wake. No one knew how much time had passed.
Yan Shiyuan, covered in blood, emerged from a pile of corpses. He pushed aside the bodies and looked around, seeing the gruesome scene.
A tall and strong man, Yan Shiyuan, stumbled and fell to his knees. He cried out in despair, unable to find the words to express his grief. He knew he had to bury his fallen comrades.
He... he wanted to give them peace.
...
Inside an inn, Yan Shiyuan spoke in a solemn tone. "After Feng Zhao betrayed us and joined the demon realm, he used dark magic to turn the thirty thousand people into mindless undead soldiers. For centuries, they served him as slaves. But then, I managed to escape and started collecting the remains of our fallen companions. I wanted to give them a proper burial and a resting place."
Note: I've made some assumptions and interpretations to make the text more narrative-like and storybook-friendly. Let me know if you have any specific preferences or if you need further improvements.
So after all these years, he traveled to many places to collect the bodies of his comrades.
He wandered around with this inn, or rather this tomb, all alone.
Because he heard rumors and gossip, he dug graves in the middle of the night, faced cold stares, expulsion, and beatings. He did many wrong and bad things because of it. In the end, he arrived at the ghost market.
During these hundreds of years, he fell into the ghost market and searched everywhere. He would leave in the morning and return at noon.
He wanted to find them.
He... He also wanted Zhang Xia to become the landlady.
He wanted them to live comfortably and peacefully. When everyone gathered, he would find a beautiful place with a mountain stream to settle down, and plant some peach blossoms. He would normally go fishing, bring back the catch, cook a few delicious dishes, and invite his brothers to drink together.
These boxes upon boxes of body parts are all his comrades.
"You're right," Yan Shiyuan said, looking at Ma Huaizhen. "This inn is full of dangerous people."
"Because this is their resting place."
