Of Mountains and Rivers 32
At that moment, Nanshan couldn’t understand why he didn’t dare look back into Chu Huan's eyes. Either way, by the time he returned to his senses, he’d already subconsciously avoided Chu Huan’s gaze. He soon found his own evasion very strange, so he summoned up his courage and shifted his eyes back. “I…..”
Who would’ve thought Nanshan had already forgotten what he was going to say during that short pause? He was like a distracted primary school student who was suddenly called out to answer a question – a jug of water instantly entered his brain and washed clean everything away.
Nanshan urgently thought: Something, I have to say something.
Hence, he instinctively reverted back to his native language. A flurry of Liyi words exited his mouth, but the more he tried to explain, the worse he made it for himself. “Didn’t I tell you to stay close to me? You can’t see them, so why would you just stand there motionless? Do you want to suffer from the detoxification procedure again? You scared me so much-”
Nanshan’s words came to an abrupt end – at this point, he felt he was just blabbering and all the words he was saying were nonsense. His feet shifted alternatively, feeling even more embarrassed now.
Fortunately, Nanshan had spoken with such disorderly incoherence – in addition, he spoke so fast it seemed to escape from the Earth’s gravity – the tactless Chu Huan didn’t understand a single word. Instead, his ears were flooded with mojibake.
Chu Huan wasn’t sure how to respond to this pile of mojibake during such a critical moment, so he could only play-pretend and calmly say, “Alright, I understand – you’re quite a glib talker. Can you find a way to block their horns?”
With this question, Nanshan finally had room to answer properly. He immediately appeared to let out a sigh of relief and hurriedly took advantage of this opportunity, “There’s too many – we can’t.”
Chu Huan: “What if it’s the one who’s just about to blow its horn?”
Nanshan hesitated for a moment before instantly rejecting this idea. “Although we can, as soon as they realise its horn can’t sound, another would replace it, so it’s useless.”
Chu Huan: “Once we begin fighting, the scene will be very chaotic. It’s unlikely each and every one of them would remember the full sequence. I believe they’re focused on the person in front of them – when the front one dies, the one behind would immediately take over the horn command.”
Nanshan’s eyes lit up as he immediately understood. “So the one behind must follow the one in front!”
“Can you lure them to chase after you?” Chu Huan asked in a low voice. “Once they’re enticed to chase, there would definitely be those who follow. Tell your clans-people to set an ambush – when the time comes, tell them to attack at the same time. It doesn’t matter if they use sneak attacks or crossbows – leave the individual ones, eliminate those in pairs. Their sequence will naturally be messed up after six or seven of them are killed.”
After listening to this, feeling resolute, Nanshan whistled. Suddenly, several clansmen who were hidden appeared – it seemed only the young and naive Dashan would turn himself into a live target. The older clans-people were far more experienced – when they reach a familiar terrain, they’d hide behind buildings, the woods, or bushes. Nobody would be able to find them, yet they could come out anytime and viciously eliminate the enemy.
Nanshan quickly explained what to do. Although he didn’t even tell them why they were doing this, due to his years-long prestige within the clan, even though the clansmen didn’t know why they had not the slightest objections. They immediately split up and prepared for action.
Nanshan lifted his Patriarch’s truncheon and placed it before Chu Huan. “Light it up for me.”
Chu Huan’s cigarettes were thrown away by Nanshan, but the lighter was still there. The truncheon was easily ignited. Once the tip kindled with the unusual-coloured flame, he hurriedly jumped out, emitting a glamorous halo.
As if their hearts were beating as one, once the flame was noticed, Chu Huan and Nanshan instantly split up. Sure enough, in the next moment, the ‘mad dogs’ were lured over by the flame and their sharp claws were right before their eyes.
The two ran along both sides of the front yard. At the very last second, Nanshan worriedly glanced back at Chu Huan’s back figure.
Even though he saw Chu Huan’s dagger technique, he still felt nervous, unable to help but think ‘what if that was just luck and next time it won’t be so accurate? Even if it wasn’t luck, what if something happens?’
This made Nanshan’s footsteps falter, almost allowing a ‘mad dog’ to catch up.
Nanshan absent-mindedly raised a hand and flicked. The ‘mad dog’ seemed to have received a brutal slap – its neck twisted to one side and, with a ‘ga-zhi’, snapped. Its head thumped loudly to the ground.
Nanshan forced himself to suppress the tragic scenes produced by his imagination and decided to believe in Chu Huan – because he remembered Chu Huan once said he’d never joke around with important matters.
But even though he made such a firm resolution, when he turned his head and found that Chu Huan’s figure had disappeared, Nanshan’s mind still became a mess – as long as he wasn’t able to see the other, he’d enter a perturbed state of mind.
Nanshan stabbed a ‘mad dog’ that’d run towards him. He grabbed the flat person sitting around the ‘mad dog's’ neck and, as if it was toilet paper, tore it in half before merely throwing it aside.
Even in the wind, the flame atop his truncheon did not sway. Under the dark and gloomy sky, it was like a shooting star flashing by, skillfully walking the ‘mad dogs’ around the buildings and woods.
Because the one attracting the creatures was very reliable, the herd of ‘mad dogs’ very soon considered the one holding up its horn to be the leader. One chased after the other, forming a line.
The flat person was just about to blow its horn and command its comrades to surround Nanshan, but it felt a stream of air blocking its horn – it couldn’t make a sound.
Nanshan seemed to discover this. He turned around and gave it a cold smile.
The flat person was just about to turn back and signal for the next person to take over, but as soon as it turned its head it discovered a scene of massacre. A triangular bayonet swept down from above – it accurately impaled the ‘mad dog’ and the flat person around its neck.
Chu Huan pulled out the bayonet. Towards the distant Nanshan, he stretched out his hand and pretended to take off a hat before dodging a wind arrow – then, he disappeared again.
The Liyi clans-people typically didn’t wear hats, so Nanshan naturally couldn’t understand what his gesture meant, but for some inexplicable reason, the tips of his ears began burning up. Nanshan forced himself to mostly focus on the enemies behind him, leaving just a small space for Chu Huan’s smiling expression.
Thinking about it this way, although he appeared firm and his steps deft, there were fifteen buckets of water overturning and flooding his heart.
Seeing Chu Huan succeed with one blow, the clans-people who were hiding in ambush immediately followed Nanshan’s previous orders – arrows were almost simultaneously released, precisely hitting the flat people on the ‘mad dogs’’ necks and mercilessly killing them.
As expected, the flat people’s commands fell into disorder. Four or five horns were blown at the same time, causing the ‘mad dogs’ to even pause momentarily, not knowing which one they should listen to. For a moment, the wind arrows were released completely at random.
Xiao Fang led a group of fellow clans-people to make a mid-kill, separating the enemy’s file into two.
The Mountain Keepers and flat people who drove the ‘mad dogs’ immediately broke into a melee.
Two Kicks placed his injured comrade, Dashan, behind the large white boulder and gave him a small crossbow for self-defence before rising and meeting the wind-opposing black creatures.
He seemed to have gone crazy from killing. Unable to escape the surrounding herd of Mutayi, he was hassled into fighting close combat.
Soon, there were two deep, bloody gashes on Two Kicks’ chest and back – he couldn’t help but stumble back a step.
It was this stumble that allowed a ‘mad dog’ Mutayi to abruptly pounce on him under its flat person’s command. It ruthlessly slammed against the youth’s back and knocked him to the ground before stepping on his spine.
The creature weighed at least a few hundred catties, so this one step almost snapped clean the other’s bones. Two Kicks’ vision went black and he exhaled in pain.
Flat Person: “Ah- Ha-yo!”
The ‘mad dog’ stepping on Two Kicks followed its master’s command and opened wide its mouth, preparing a wind arrow to end the little ant below.
Two Kicks struggled and bellowed. His fingers gripped relentlessly onto the fine grass around him.
Suddenly, his back lightened and Two Kicks was flipped over with excessive strength.
A dark triangular bayonet had mysteriously appeared. Just as the ‘mad dog’ opened its jaws, it rammed directly into its mouth and penetrated its throat. The ‘mad dog’ couldn’t even make a sound before its blood spurted everywhere. It just so happened that Two Kicks’ entire face was splattered on….. Unfortunately, the youth was so stunned he didn’t even have time to close his mouth.
Two Kicks: “…..Pei pei.”
Chu Huan picked up the trembling ball that was the flat person and casually wiped his blood-stained triangular bayonet on it. A hoarse and shrill sound exited the flat person’s mouth; Chu Huan listened carefully. It sounded a bit like the Liyi Clan’s native language, but its voice sounded too unpleasant and it spoke too quickly – with Chu Huan’s understanding, he couldn’t comprehend it.
Curious, he shook the flat person a few times. The flat person fluttered in the wind and, like paper, made a rustling sound. Like a country bumpkin who’d never seen the outside world before, Chu Huan said to Two Kicks in amazement, “Ai, this thing is so flexible!”
Two Kicks: “…..”
Then, Chu Huan gently poked the flat person with his triangular bayonet. With a ‘pu-chi’, the creature let out a fleeting blood-curdling screech. It struggled a little before dying.
Chu Huan wiped his hands before throwing the corpse aside. He regretfully said, “Too bad it isn’t very sturdy, am I right?”
…..Otherwise what? You would’ve made it into a pair of shoes?
Two Kicks looked at him as if he didn’t recognise him; he just dazedly nodded.
Chu Huan glanced at him, then took out a napkin from his pocket. Even he himself forgot which small restaurant he’d casually taken it from – it was so wrinkled crumbs fell from it and he couldn’t tell whether it’d been used or not. Yet, even though Chu Huan was sloppy to this standard, he still had the face to ‘treat himself leniently and strict with others’. He pointed at Two Kicks’ face with disapproval and said, “Hurry up and wipe it, ai-ya.”
While he talked, another Mutayi pounced towards him. Chu Huan punched the side of its neck, causing the ‘mad dog’s’ head to twist to one side. Before it could turn back, Chu Huan’s dagger was already in his hands – he beheaded the flat person on its neck. After watching Sister Spring remove their blood, brains, and poison sacs a few times, Chu Huan had memorised the ‘mad dogs’’ entire anatomy – he already knew how to use the least effort to eliminate these things.
After handling the flat person, Chu Huan refused to do any extra work, so he told Two Kicks, “I’ll leave the silly big one to you.”
With a turn of his back, he left.
Two Kicks and the ‘mad dog’ that’d lost its commander looked at each other for a moment.
‘Mad dog’ Mutayi: “Ro-”
Before its heart-moving roar completely sounded, Two Kicked jumped up and half-cut its neck.
Two Kicks’ inner self-esteem seemed to experience an intense sting. He ignored the bloody wounds on his chest and back, and valiantly rushed out.
The ‘mad dogs’ that’d lost all command lost the spirit of cooperation. Although fierce, they were no longer able to strategically organise their wind arrows. The Mountain Keepers, who all appeared to have been fighting these creatures since birth, killed the disorganised flat people one after the other; very soon, they were at the advantage.
Nanshan extinguished the flame atop the truncheon and commanded imposingly, “KILL THEM ALL!”
Their retaliation and the bloodbath began.
Xiao Fang immediately brought a few people to the mountain’s foot and formed a blockade line, not letting a single ‘mad dog’ escape.
Chu Huan rubbed the tip of his foot against a ‘mad dog’ he’d just killed. The flat person that was on its neck had half of its face cut off by his wind dagger and was currently rolling around the ground howling. These little things didn’t have any fighting powers, so Chu Huan ignored it for a moment.
He looked up. It seemed they were at the last stages of their sweep.
Hence, Chu Huan decided to goof off. He cleaned and stored away the dagger and triangular bayonet. While he picked up the flat person, he recalled his flashy actions in front of Nanshan.
“It seems I was too flamboyant,” he self-reflected.
At this moment, Chu Huan suddenly heard simultaneous shouts from behind him. “Bitch King!”
Chu Huan almost shuddered. He looked back and only then discovered he’d somehow approached the Patriarch’s yard. A row of wild children who were protected within the yard had climbed on top of the wall to look and wave excitedly at him.
Flower Bud and her little attendant whispered to one another, “How do you say ‘let us play’?”
Her little attendant was quite the straight-A student – hearing the question he immediately answered in Mandarin.
Thinking she was whispering, Flower Bud directed the other children, “I’ll say ‘one, two, three’, then we call out that, you hear me? One, two, three-”
The children pointed to the half-dead flat person in Chu Huan’s hand and called out in unison, “Bitch King, let us play!”
Chu Huan: “…..”
Was this something to play with?!
Chu Huan annoyedly glanced at Horsewhip, who was standing guard at the yard entrance. Horsewhip bashfully smiled and said, “Good bitch, it’s okay.”
Chu Huan: “……”
This form of address was almost making him lose the desire to interact with them.
Little Bald-Head was especially excited. In order to demonstrate his familiarity with Chu Huan, like a nimble meat insect, he swung off the top of the wall and was about to leap down.
Seeing this scene, Chu Huan's calm and composed manner immediately disappeared. He hurriedly threw the dying flat person to the cubs on the wall then, relying on his long legs, turned around and ran.
With no village ahead and no inn behind1, the pitiful Little Bald-Head rode the wall. He discovered that although he’d experienced a life-and-death situation with his true love, his true love’s true nature was that of a scum. Seeing the children’s eyes on him, he suddenly felt a strong sense of sorrow. Riding the top of the Patriarch’s wall, he sobbed with grievance.
The moment Nanshan saw Chu Huan walking toward him, the heavy weight on his heart instantly lifted. He was a serious person – realising there was something wrong with himself, he immediately pondered over why.
It wasn’t until Chu Huan stretched out a hand and waved it before him did Nanshan realise he was staring blankly at the other.
Nanshan parted his lips, appearing as if he wanted to say something, but his eyes were dazzled by the light reflecting off Chu Huan’s platinum ring.
He stared before his eyes darkened. In the end, he completely retracted his gaze and remained silent.
Nanshan was holding the Patriarch’s truncheon in one hand, half his body covered in blood – he had this lonely and pitiful look to him.
Chu Huan pulled back Nanshan’s shoulder. Feeling something was strange, he asked, “Ai, what’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing.” Nanshan felt a bit lonely. He gritted his teeth. After a moment, he pulled himself together and forced a smile, asking Chu Huan, “I’m going to check on my people, are you coming?”
