On the walls of Gaochang City, Qu Wentai and Zhang Xiong also heard the low blare of horns. Their hearts sank, knowing the allied army of the three kingdoms was about to launch an attack.
Zhang Xiong carefully observed the enemy’s formation, remaining silent for a long time.
Qu Wentai hurriedly asked, “Taihuan, how do you think they will attack?”
“It’s hard to say,” Zhang Xiong shook his head. “Cavalry are too mobile when attacking a city, making it difficult to predict the direction of the assault. But one thing is certain – cavalry must dismount to attack a city. They’ve come in haste without siege equipment, and there’s no time to build scaling ladders now. The only option is to find some logs to ram the city gates. We have no civilian houses outside the city, but there are some tall poplar trees. Your Majesty, once we see where they’re cutting down poplars, we’ll have a general idea of where they’ll attack.”
Qu Wentai was about to reply when he suddenly froze. A thick plume of black smoke rose from within the enemy ranks outside the city. This black smoke was certainly not unfamiliar to him, having seen it at least three times before, but never as dense as this!
“King David’s Bottle!” the two men cried out in shock.
“Aha, King David’s Bottle!” Just as they spoke, someone ran up the city tower, eyes gleaming as he gazed down at the scene below, his face excited.
It was Mohexiang!
Indeed, it was King David’s Bottle.
First, the three people who had been struggling were stunned. Qu Zhisheng, jolted by the black smoke, regained some clarity. Shocked, he loosened his grip, and King David’s Bottle fell to the ground with a thud.
Then Long Shuangzhi, Ni Shu, Long Tuqizhi, and even the allied army behind them were shocked. Everyone momentarily forgot about the charge, lowering their bows and arrows, staring dumbfounded at this legendary bottle of gods and demons.
“Shuang… Shuangzhi…” Ni Shu mumbled, “Was it you?”
His words were incoherent, but Long Shuangzhi clearly understood. She shook her head in a daze: “No. Look at this smoke.”
Everyone stared at the rising smoke. It was extremely eerie, its color different from what Long Shuangzhi had produced before. It was black with a tinge of blood red, the two colors intertwined yet distinctly separate. Even stranger, the smoke seemed to have a life of its own. Unlike before when it billowed out in a single mass, now only a thin strand emerged from the bottle’s mouth, gradually thickening as it rose, reaching a height of ten feet while remaining concentrated and undispersed. The black smoke enveloped the outside, while the blood-red substance churned and twisted inside as if lightning was striking within primordial chaos, with something inside combining and transforming.
Xuanzang, his heart shaken, quickly ran over and pulled A Shu away. On the other side, Zhu Gui fearfully pulled Qu Zhisheng back.
Xuanzang asked in a low voice, “A Shu, what happened just now?”
“I don’t know!” A Shu replied, puzzled. “I was helping Chief Steward Zhu snatch the bottle from his bosom when it suddenly became scalding hot, and then… then it started smoking…”
For the first time, Xuanzang felt somewhat bewildered and uneasy. His eyes revealed deep concern as he murmured, “Could this humble monk have been mistaken?”
But Qu Zhisheng, looking at the smoke, laughed maniacally, shouting, “Akamana, come out! Come out quickly!” He laughed while pointing at the cavalry before him, “Kill all these people for me! Kill them! Kill them!”
The soldiers of the allied army retreated in fear. For a moment, there was shouting and neighing of horses, the formation in chaos, taking a while to settle down. The black smoke continued to churn, but no devil appeared to speak. Long Shuangzhi sighed in relief and turned to smile at the cavalry: “How can there be ghosts and gods in this world? Perhaps some of my smoke stones were left unused!”
Before she finished speaking, a sharp whistle suddenly sounded in the air, as if a gust of wind had swept across the land. Immediately, a rider at the front of the formation cried out, falling from his horse. After a brief struggle, he died.
Long Shuangzhi was stunned: “No! This is impossible!”
Ni Shu’s face also turned pale. He jumped off his horse and ran quickly to the dead rider’s body, examining it closely. Xuanzang also came over to inspect the body. They removed the armor from the corpse and checked the entire body but found no wounds.
“Ma… Master…” Ni Shu trembled all over, “What’s going on? He hadn’t eaten any hot grass!”
Xuanzang’s face grew grim as he lifted the corpse’s eyelid, his arm suddenly shaking. On the pupil of the corpse was a blood spot the size of a small grain of rice!
Xuanzang drew in a sharp breath: “Amitabha Buddha, this manner of death, this humble monk has seen before! When I was trapped in the well canal, pursued by those Sui Dynasty remnants, the pursuers later all died in this manner!”
Before he finished speaking, another whistle sounded in the air, and another cavalryman fell from his horse and died. The cavalrymen were greatly alarmed. Then came a series of shrill whistles, and the riders fell like wheat being harvested. The allied army immediately fell into chaos, with people shouting and horses neighing in panic.
No one saw where the lethal weapon came from, no one knew how they were dying. Even these brave knights couldn’t help but be terrified when faced with an invisible enemy, an opponent they couldn’t fight.
“Hold the formation! Hold the formation!” Long Shuangzhi also lost her composure. Just now, she had carefully observed everyone, trying to find the truth, but made no discovery. This princess known for her wisdom couldn’t help but feel a sense of powerlessness, truly understanding Qu Wentai’s predicament from before.
On the walls of Gaochang City, Qu Wentai, Zhang Xiong, and Mohexiang watched with wide eyes, not knowing what was happening. They only vaguely saw allied cavalry continuously falling from their horses, and then the allied formation falling into disarray.
Zhang Xiong suddenly said, “Your Majesty, this is our chance to turn defeat into victory!”
“You mean—” Qu Wentai also suddenly realized.
“Although I don’t know what’s happening outside the city, the allied army’s morale is already unstable. I have gathered a thousand elite iron cavalry. If we charge out of the city now to attack the enemy formation, we can surely break them!” Zhang Xiong said with conviction.
“Good!” Mohexiang was also excited, “Zhang Xiong, if you dare to attack, my thousand Fuli soldiers will lend you a hand! However, after defeating the allied army, King David’s Bottle must be handed over to me!”
Zhang Xiong and Qu Wentai looked at each other. Qu Wentai, being a formidable figure in the Western Regions, naturally knew the power of these thousand Fuli soldiers. After brief consideration, he knew that the fate of the nation was at stake and no longer cared about King David’s Bottle: “Good! Chief Zhang, please order the troops to attack immediately!”
Zhang Xiong and Mohexiang quickly ran down from the city wall to gather their cavalry. Zhang Xiong had been prepared early on, and Mohexiang had also gathered his Fuli soldiers, planning to protect himself and escape if the city fell. Now the two armies came together perfectly. Zhang Xiong ordered the city gates to be opened, and with a roar, two thousand iron cavalry thundered out like a surging iron torrent.
The city gate was just over a mile from the allied army’s formation, the perfect charging distance for cavalry. Both human and horsepower reached their peak, like two sharp daggers plunging straight into the allied army!
Long Shuangzhi and Ni Shu had long known things were going badly and were desperately trying to regroup their forces. The allied cavalry continued to fall until the entire formation fearfully retreated, a full seventy to eighty zhang away from King David’s Bottle, finally leaving the vortex of death. However, this retreat had sown the seeds of fatal disaster. On the battlefield, retreat for any reason triggers a chain reaction. The death of comrades, unknown fears, chaotic formations, and demoralized spirits had already turned the once-mighty allied cavalry into a flock of lambs awaiting slaughter.
Zhang Xiong and Mohexiang’s sudden charge left too little distance, giving the allied soldiers no time to react before these two iron torrents smashed into their formation. In cavalry battles, mobility and speed are key. When one side is stationary and the other charges in at high speed, the entire formation immediately collapses. Zhang Xiong and Mohexiang, having spent their lives in warfare, understood this principle deeply. After smashing into the formation, they didn’t stop at all, maintaining their horses’ charging speed, slaughtering allied warriors with their curved swords while leading their cavalry back and forth, tearing the dense formation to shreds.
The battlefield instantly became a hell on earth. Screams, shouts, the clash of swords, the sound of blades entering flesh, the thundering of iron cavalry, the thud of human and horse bodies falling, the whistle of arrows – these sounds shook the earth. The yellow sand before their eyes was instantly soaked with blood, turning into a muddy bloodbath!
“No!” Long Shuangzhi, protected by a group of cavalry, was unharmed but watched the horrific scene before her, her heart feeling as if it were being cut by a knife. She could hardly believe that her meticulously planned scheme, which had pushed Gaochang to the brink of national annihilation – needing only a wave of her hand to make it disappear forever from this desert – had suddenly been turned upside down. How could the devil in King David’s Bottle, which was just an illusion she had designed, suddenly exert its magical power again?
Long Shuangzhi stared blankly as her warriors were slaughtered like sheep. Anger surged in her heart, and she suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and fell from her horse.
“Princess!” The cavalry around her were greatly alarmed and quickly dismounted to lift her. Long Shuangzhi clenched her teeth tightly but remained unconscious.
At this moment, Ni Shu, with disheveled hair, fought his way out. Seeing Long Shuangzhi unconscious, he rushed to her side: “Hand the princess to me! Quickly, let’s fight our way out!”
The cavalry hurriedly handed Long Shuangzhi to him. Ni Shu placed her on his horse and, protected by a group of cavalry, desperately fought to break out.
Outside the killing field, Xuanzang anxiously watched this brutal slaughter, his face pale. He held A Shu tightly, silently reciting Buddha’s name, his heart filled with indescribable sorrow. Beside him, Zhu Gui protected Qu Zhisheng, both stunned by the fierce battle before them. King David’s Bottle lay nearby, its smoke slowly dissipating, but neither of them paid it any attention.
“Run quickly!” As the four watched, a roar suddenly came from within the military formation. Xuanzang hurriedly looked over and saw Ni Shu, covered in blood and a sorry state, wielding a curved sword and protecting Long Shuangzhi as they fought their way out.
Long Shuangzhi was still unconscious at this time. Ni Shu swung his sword with all his might, cutting down two Gaochang cavalry, then spurred his horse to break through the encirclement, fleeing northward towards the Flaming Mountains.
“Ni Shu!” Qu Zhisheng shouted angrily, “Put down Shuangzhi!”
He looked around, ran over to grab an ownerless warhorse, leaped onto it, and shouted at Zhu Gui: “Companion, give me King David’s Bottle!”
“Alright, alright,” Zhu Gui agreed, struggling to lift King David’s Bottle.
Qu Zhisheng tied the bottle to his horse’s back with reins, spurred his horse, and galloped after Ni Shu.
“Master, I’m going after them too!” A’shu quickly ran to the side, grabbed a horse, jumped on, and rode off in pursuit.
“A’shu!” Xuanzang called out anxiously. At this moment, Zhu Gui had also found a horse and was about to chase after Qu Zhisheng. Without a word, Xuanzang took the horse from him, mounted it, and rode off after A’shu.
“Hey, Master, why did you take my horse?” Zhu Gui shouted, jumping up and down in pursuit, but Xuanzang was already far away.
Zhu Gui was extremely anxious. He searched frantically and finally found a horse. Just as he mounted it, a sharp arrow whistled through the air, striking the horse’s neck. The horse let out a long neigh and toppled over. Zhu Gui fell with a thud. Before he could get up, he heard Moheduo shouting: “Qu Zhisheng, stop for me! Your father promised me that bottle is mine!”
He led a dozen Fuli soldiers out of the army formation and chased after Qu Zhisheng.
Zhu Gui stared blankly at the battlefield. By now, the three allied armies had been completely routed. Of the five thousand cavalry, nearly three thousand had fallen. The battlefield was littered with layers of human and horse corpses, a horrific sight. The remaining forces, led by Long Tuqizhi, were fleeing in panic. Zhang Xiong pursued relentlessly, managing to corner Long Tuqizhi with less than a thousand men.
Some chased, some fled. The battlefield, which moments ago had resembled hell, was now eerily quiet. It was noon, and the sunlight illuminated the blood-soaked ground. Some had just died, their blood still flowing, steam rising in the cold air. Overhead, a flock of vultures circled, these scavengers patiently waiting for their rare feast, waiting for the last groans and struggles of the dying to cease.
Zhu Gui watched silently, then suddenly sighed: “At the end of this game, who is truly the prey in the pit?”
At that moment, the city gates opened wide. The sound of hooves shook the earth as Qu Wentai, seeing the great victory, led his army out of the city. Zhu Gui straightened his robes, a faint smile appearing on his face as he went to meet Qu Wentai.
Xuanzang rode at full gallop and quickly caught up with A’shu. The two followed Qu Zhisheng’s trail towards the Flaming Mountains.
Outside Gaochang City were stretches of vineyards. Further north was the desolate desert leading to the Flaming Mountains. After riding for about ten miles, they reached the foot of the mountains. They entered Xinxing Valley along the river valley and began racing along the narrow mountain path on the west bank, heading deeper into the valley. On both sides, the Flaming Mountains glowed red under the dim, fierce sun, like two burning furnaces, making one’s mind dizzy, as if they might turn to ash at any moment.
The mountain path was winding, and neither could see Qu Zhisheng ahead, let alone Ni Shu and Long Shuangyue. However, the echo of hoofbeats in the valley assured them they hadn’t lost the trail.
“A’shu,” Xuanzang sighed, noticing A’shu’s tense, focused expression, “Is this King David’s Bottle so important to you? Is it worth risking your life for?”
A’shu was stunned: “Master, you knew?” Xuanzang nodded silently. A’shu looked ashamed, “I’m sorry, Master. I lied to you.”
“It’s alright,” Xuanzang waved his hand, smiling. “This monk is like the wooden fish in a monk’s hand. As long as it helps you achieve your wish, you can strike it as you please.”
“Master, I…” A’shu’s eyes reddened. “Master, no one in this world has ever been as kind to me as you.”
Xuanzang sighed deeply: “You’re still a child. When you grow up, you’ll understand that those who are best to you are your family. They are the ones who care about you most in this world.”
“Family…” A’shu pondered, tears rolling down his cheeks. He wiped them away, seeming to have made a decision. He looked up at Xuanzang, “Master, I lied to you. I’m not from Samarkand, I’m Persian!”
“I know,” Xuanzang smiled.
A’shu was stunned: “You knew this too?”
Xuanzang nodded: “When I buried your uncle Yezdin, I found travel permits from Parthia and Merv on his body. Parthia and Merv are west of Samarkand, close to Persia. So you must have set out from Persia, passed through Parthia and Merv, then through Samarkand to reach the Western Regions.”
A’shu was truly shocked now: “Then… why didn’t you…”
“Why didn’t I expose you?” Xuanzang smiled. “You’re still a child, alone in a foreign land. If you wanted to conceal your identity, how could I expose you? A’shu, do you have a father?”
A’shu showed deep longing: “Yes.”
“Then my promise still stands,” Xuanzang said. “I will take you back to your hometown, to your father’s side.”
A’shu looked bitter: “But, Master, I can’t go back.”
Xuanzang was very surprised: “Why not?”
A’shu hesitated for a long time before saying: “Master, I’ll tell you the truth. My uncle Yezdin was a secret envoy of the Persian Emperor. He traveled thousands of miles to the Western Regions, carrying out the Emperor’s secret mission to escort King David’s Bottle to the Tang Dynasty!”
Xuanzang was startled: “King David’s Bottle was to be sent to the Tang Dynasty by the Persian Emperor?”
“That’s right,” A’shu said. “I don’t know the specific reason. I’m still young, and my uncle didn’t tell me everything. When we left, my uncle swore to the Emperor that he would complete the mission even if he couldn’t be buried in the Tower of Silence after death. My family is a prominent one in Persia. My father wanted me to experience the prosperity of the Silk Road so I could take over the family business in the future. That’s why he let my uncle bring me along. I never expected that my uncle would…” His voice choked, and he wiped away tears. “Master, King David’s Bottle was lost while in my uncle’s possession. I must help him find it and then deliver it to the Tang Dynasty!”
Xuanzang frowned deeply, seeming to ponder something. After a while, he asked: “Back in Yiwu, it was you who secretly infiltrated the inn to assassinate Qu Zhisheng, wasn’t it? And killed his three guards?”
“It was me,” A’shu admitted frankly. “But I didn’t want to kill anyone. I just wanted to take King David’s Bottle. I knocked them out with a brick to the back of their heads.”
Xuanzang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. This child was truly cunning beyond his years, daring to break into the inn and leaving the battle-hardened palace guards in such a sorry state.
Seeing Xuanzang’s silence, A’shu thought he was angry and became a bit uneasy. He turned his head to look at him and said, “Master, please help me.”
“A’shu,” Xuanzang thought for a moment and said, “Buddhism teaches about the arising and cessation of causes and conditions. This ceases, and that ceases; this arises, and that arises. King David’s Bottle coming to Gaochang naturally has its cause, and it will have its effect. These are things you cannot control. You’re still young; don’t try to shoulder responsibilities you can’t bear. Just as when Gaochang is about to fall, how many brave warriors with swords in hand and horses under them can only watch the smoke rise over the city walls, weeping blood, unable to stop it? A’shu, I don’t want you to sacrifice yourself in vain for this evil object.”
“Master,” A’shu said softly, “I understand what you mean, but this is my mission. Without King David’s Bottle, my life has no meaning. Master, I want to complete my mission and then stand in the sunlight of Persia.”
Xuanzang said nothing more, sighing inwardly.
By now, they had chased deep into the Tianshan Mountains. The mountain path was covered in white snow, making it very slippery. The two slowed down, proceeding cautiously. As they rode, Xuanzang suddenly reined in his horse.
The path had come to an end. Ahead was a low mountain ridge. Ni Shu was holding Long Shuangyue’s hand, standing on the peak, their horses left at the foot of the mountain. Perhaps because there was nowhere else to go, the two were gazing ahead, looking somewhat confused. At the foot of the mountain, Qu Zhisheng was climbing up, holding King David’s Bottle, not far from the two.
A’shu was overjoyed and jumped off his horse: “Master, let’s hurry!”
Xuanzang quickly stopped him: “Wait, A’shu. Have you noticed something strange about this ridge?”
A’shu looked around, puzzled. Xuanzang pointed to their surroundings: “Look, we’re deep in the Tianshan Mountains in the dead of winter. Snow covers all the peaks. Why is there not a speck of snow on this ridge?”
A’shu finally noticed that the ridge indeed had no snow. The bare rocks and vegetation were exposed, with no large trees, only low wild grass. Stranger still, much of the grass was lush and green as if the harsh winter couldn’t touch this place at all.
As they hesitated, they heard the urgent, muffled sound of hoofbeats from the valley behind them. They turned to look and saw a group of about a dozen riders galloping along the mountain path in the distance. Though they couldn’t make out their faces, they could tell from their attire that it was Moheduo and his men.
“Let’s go up first and figure it out later,” Xuanzang decided quickly, pulling A’shu up the mountain.
As they climbed, the two felt increasingly strange. The temperature seemed to rise the higher they went. Soon, they were sweating profusely, as if a giant furnace beneath the mountain was heating the ridge.
By now, Qu Zhisheng had climbed to the top of the ridge. He placed King David’s Bottle on the ground, wiped the sweat from his face, and looked at Long Shuangyue, panting and smiling tenderly: “Shuangyue, don’t be afraid. I’ve come to save you.”
“Bah!” Ni Shu was furious. He drew his curved sword and pointed it at Qu Zhisheng. “Qu Zhisheng, don’t think I’m afraid of you!”
Qu Zhisheng kicked King David’s Bottle at his feet and sneered: “Ni Shu, now that King David’s Bottle has proven itself to be a true magical object, it also proves that Shuangyue never lied to me. Why are you still clinging to her?”
Ni Shu was both anxious and angry, but as he looked at King David’s Bottle, his eyes were filled with fear: “You… have you gone mad? Shuangyue was indeed just deceiving you. She never loved you!”
“Bullshit!” Qu Zhisheng roared, swiftly drawing his curved sword and placing it on his arm. “Whether she loves me or not, let’s let King David’s Bottle judge!”
As he was about to cut himself, Xuanzang and A’shu had just climbed to the top of the ridge. They quickly called out: “Third Prince, don’t be rash!”
As Xuanzang called out, he ran to Qu Zhisheng’s side. It was then that Xuanzang suddenly realized that behind Ni Shu and Shuangyue, flames were roaring as if the entire mountain was burning. A massive wave of heat hit him, making him feel as if he were inside a furnace!
Looking closely, he saw that behind the mountain peak was an enormous natural pit filled with fiery coal. The exposed coal was piled like mountains, burning on its own for who knows how long, turning the entire mountain peak red-hot day and night. Xuanzang suddenly understood, remembering that yesterday the princess had asked him to bury her and Qu Deyong’s bodies together in the fiery furnace in the Tianshan valley – this must be the place!
Xuanzang ran behind Qu Zhisheng but was unable to advance further due to the intense heat. Ni Shu and Long Shuangyue in front had truly reached a dead end.
Seeing Xuanzang approach, Qu Zhisheng immediately pointed his curved sword at him, saying coldly: “Master, haven’t you harmed me enough already?”
Xuanzang replied sincerely: “Third Prince, I am a Buddhist disciple. I would never dare to have thoughts of harming others. I came here because I don’t want the Third Prince to make a grave mistake!”
“What grave mistake could I make?” Qu Zhisheng sneered.
Xuanzang pointed at Long Shuangyue: “If you push her one step further, do you want her to jump into the fiery furnace?”
Qu Zhisheng seemed to notice for the first time that behind Long Shuangyue was the burning coal field. He was startled, quickly threw down his sword, and said anxiously: “Shuangyue, you… why did you come to such a dangerous place? Come back quickly! Come back quickly!”
Ni Shu was so angry his nose was crooked. He thought to himself, isn’t this all because you forced her? Now you’re pretending to care, what game are you playing?
Long Shuangyue understood Qu Zhisheng deeply. She knew that no matter how absurd his actions were, they always came from a place of sincerity. She couldn’t help but smile bitterly: “Third Prince, you know in your heart whether I deceived you or not, don’t you?”
Seeing that the burning coal field had singed her hair, Qu Zhisheng was extremely anxious. He pleaded: “Shuangyue, it doesn’t matter whether you deceived me or not. Can you… can you come over here first? It’s too dangerous… too dangerous over there!”
“Dangerous?” Long Shuangyue turned to look at the burning coal field beneath her feet and smiled desolately. “Third Prince, ever since I jumped down from the ochre slope outside Jiaohe City on horseback, I had already wagered my life on this game. When I followed you to the Gao Chang palace, plotting to overthrow Gao Chang, I was surrounded by enemies. One misstep would have left me dead without a burial. The fact that I’ve lived until today is already lucky!”
Qu Zhisheng gazed at her painfully and said: “Shuangyue, they all think I’ve gone mad, that I’ve become a fool. But I’m not mad, nor am I a fool. The Master and others have been trying to make me believe that you were deceiving me, that you came to my side to destroy Gao Chang. I didn’t want to believe it. Why? Not because I was so muddled that I couldn’t tell right from wrong, but because I wanted to keep our most beautiful memories. Truly, Shuangyue, the month you spent by my side was the happiest time of my life, and it will be my happiest memory. Since you were destined to leave me, why can’t I keep this memory to accompany me? Why must I force myself to face the truth?”
“But,” Long Shuangyue was somewhat surprised, “but my feelings for you were all fake!”
“Fake?” Qu Zhisheng smiled gently. “Let the Master tell us, what is real? What is fake? In Buddhism, this world before us is all illusory, but in my view, even the ants beneath our feet are living real lives. Shuangyue, even if you were deceiving me, weren’t you putting your heart into the act? Didn’t you ever imagine yourself as the person who loved me? Didn’t you ever immerse yourself in the emotions of loving me?”
As Long Shuangyue listened, her expression seemed somewhat dazed. She slowly recalled the moments she had spent with Qu Zhisheng in the Gao Chang royal city.
“Shuangyue, if you truly put your heart into it, then that is love! Have you ever put so much effort into anyone else in this life?” Qu Zhisheng smiled happily, slowly extending his hand towards her. “Come, Shuangyue. If you want to leave, then go! I’ll just think of it as you leaving me, but I will still believe that we loved each other.”
Long Shuangyue also seemed a bit lost: “Was that love?”
“Yes,” Qu Zhisheng nodded firmly.
“No!” Ni Shu shouted. “Shuangyue, where has your wisdom gone? Where has your intelligence gone? He’s bewitching you!”
Qu Zhisheng glared at him angrily: “Ni Shu, let me ask you, do you love her?”
“Yes!” Ni Shu shouted without hesitation.
“So do I,” Qu Zhisheng nodded. “Then, who loves her more deeply? You or me?”
“Me! Of course, it’s me!” Ni Shu shouted. “Three years ago, I fell in love with her at first sight. That year, the King of Yanqi agreed to my proposal to marry her to me. It was because I loved her, cherished her, that I agreed to wait three years before marrying her. For the one you love, are you willing to endure waiting for her for three years?”
“Very well,” Qu Zhisheng said with determination, walking to Ni Shu’s side. The two faced each other, glaring.
“Ni Shu,” Qu Zhisheng said somewhat desolately, “In this life, I am destined to lose Shuangyue! But I believe I love her more than you do. Today, let’s make a bet!”
“Aha, they’re here!” At this moment, Moheduo’s voice came from the hillside. Xuanzang and A’shu turned to look and saw Moheduo leading more than a dozen Fuli soldiers up the slope, forming a semi-circle around them. They all had their bows drawn, arrows aimed at the group.
Qu Zhisheng turned to glance at Moheduo but ignored him, staring coldly at Ni Shu: “Our bet is about who loves Shuangyue the most!”
“How do we bet?” Ni Shu asked.
“You let Shuangyue step aside,” Qu Zhisheng said calmly.
Ni Shu was somewhat surprised. Qu Zhisheng threw away his curved sword and mocked: “Are you afraid I’ll harm you? This is between two men, why involve a woman?”
Turkic warriors couldn’t stand this kind of humiliation. Ni Shu’s face turned ashen as he gently pushed Long Shuangyue aside. Long Shuangyue said softly: “Ni Shu, don’t bet with him.”
Ni Shu also threw away his curved sword and said proudly: “I, a descendant of Ashina, offspring of the wolf ancestor, how could I fear a small bet? Qu Zhisheng, how do you want to bet?”
“King David’s Bottle is right here,” Qu Zhisheng pointed to the bottle nearby. “I, Qu Zhisheng, will make my last wish to Akamana today: Let’s jump into this fiery furnace together. Whoever loves Shuangyue more, King David’s Bottle will let that person live!”
Xuanzang and everyone else were stunned. Even Moheduo on the hillside was frightened. This Gao Chang prince had gone mad, truly mad. That burning coal field could melt even a piece of steel, let alone a living person. If King David’s Bottle were thrown down there, even Akamana would perish.
“You… you’re Freaking crazy!” Ni Shu looked at the fiery furnace behind him, wiped the hot sweat from his face, and was momentarily speechless.
“Haha, am I crazy?” Qu Zhisheng laughed loudly, turning to smile desolately at Long Shuangyue. “Shuangyue, I’ve gone mad for you.”
With that, he let out a great roar and lunged forward, grabbing Ni Shu around the waist. They rolled down the cliff together, Ni Shu unable to dodge. The two tumbled down towards the fiery furnace.
“Ah—” Xuanzang and Long Shuangyue cried out simultaneously, rushing forward to grab the two, but they were too late. The two had already rolled down the slope. Xuanzang and Long Shuangyue reached the edge of the cliff, nearly falling over themselves. Fortunately, A’shu ran over at this moment, reaching out to pull Xuanzang, who in turn was holding onto Long Shuangyue. Although A’shu was small and not very strong, this slight assistance was enough to prevent them from falling in.
After regaining her balance, Long Shuangyue immediately let go of Xuanzang and rushed to the edge of the cliff to look down. She breathed a momentary sigh of relief. The cliff here wasn’t vertical but at an 80-degree incline. There were many protruding rocks on the slope. At this moment, Ni Shu’s hands were tightly gripping a protruding rock, while Qu Zhisheng was hugging his waist. Despite there being rocks below for footing, Qu Zhisheng wasn’t using them. Instead, his legs were flailing wildly, desperately trying to pull Ni Shu down. Ni Shu’s face was red with exertion, the scorching rock burning his hands, causing them to sizzle and smoke, but he didn’t dare let go.
“Qu Zhisheng, let’s talk this over. Come up quickly!” Long Shuangyue’s face changed color with anxiety. She quickly untied her belt and lowered it down. Xuanzang also lay beside her, helping her hold the belt. Even lying on the cliff edge, they were hit by the burning heat wave from the coalfield, barely able to keep their eyes open, their scalps feeling as if they were being roasted.
Ni Shu’s hands were gripping the rock, seeing the belt dangling in front of him but not daring to let go to grab it. He was holding his breath, not daring to speak. Qu Zhisheng’s entire body was suspended in the air. Hearing Long Shuangyue’s voice, he mumbled: “Shuangyue, do you know what the happiest thing in this world is?”
“I don’t know. Will you come up and tell me?” Long Shuangyue was extremely anxious but had no way to help.
“It’s to live for you and die for you,” Qu Zhisheng’s voice choked up. “Shuangyue, I truly love you, but in this life, I don’t have the fortune to be with you. This Ni Shu, I know you don’t love him. It’s just that your father covets his power and wants to marry you to him. So I’ll drag him to death with me. Let you live freely in this world.”
“Bull… bullshit,” Ni Shu finally managed to say after a long while, but as he spoke, his hand slipped, nearly losing his grip. Frightened, he quickly hugged the rock tighter.
Long Shuangyue’s tears flowed: “Zhisheng, is this how you love me? You drag Ni Shu to death with you. You might find peace, but after his death, the Turkic court will turn their anger on me. How am I supposed to bear that?”
Qu Zhisheng hadn’t thought of this and was stunned for a moment. After hesitating, he said: “Master, please tell Tong Yabghu Khagan that Ni Shu died by my hand. Ask him not to trouble Shuangyue.”
“Third Prince,” Xuanzang said, “Ni Shu is the leader of the Ten Surnames of the Turks. Even if Tong Yabghu Khagan could understand, do you expect this humble monk to persuade ten tribes one by one? Come up quickly. The Princess has seen your heart. Believe that you can have a perfect ending.”
“She doesn’t love me,” Qu Zhisheng sobbed. “Even if I wait until all the snow on the Tianshan Mountains melts and all the water in Jiaohe dries up, I still can’t make her love me.”
By now, Ni Shu could no longer hold on. His hands were slowly slipping down. He didn’t dare speak, only looking up at Long Shuangyue pleadingly. Long Shuangyue said desolately: “Qu Zhisheng, do you want to force me to die? Fine, if you want to die, I’ll die with you!”
With that, she let go of the belt and stood up suddenly, jumping down. Xuanzang was horrified and quickly lunged forward to grab her, pulling her back to the edge of the cliff. “Princess, you must not! A’shu, hold the belt tight!”
A’shu quickly lay on the ground, grasping the belt.
Long Shuangyue’s legs were dangling below, but her arms were held by Xuanzang. Qu Zhisheng shouted from below: “Master, what’s happening to Shuangyue?”
“She wants to jump down!” Xuanzang shouted. “This humble monk can barely hold her!”
Qu Zhisheng was terrified, his voice trembling: “Ma-Ma-Master, please hold her tight. Don’t let her fall. Shuangyue, please don’t scare me, alright?”
Long Shuangyue’s expression was desolate: “Zhisheng, Ni Shu, I don’t know who I love, but I know that in this world, only you two love me the most. If you die, why should I live on? My game is over, so let my life end with it! Isn’t it good for the three of us to die together?”
“No!” Qu Zhisheng cried loudly. “Shuangyue, will you go up, please?”
“If you die, I must die,” Long Shuangyue said.
“I…” Qu Zhisheng looked down at the fiery furnace beneath his feet, his face full of reluctance, as if it were heaven. “Master, I beg you to hold tight. Shuangyue, I won’t die, so please don’t die either, alright? I beg you. If you truly love Ni Shu, I’ll let you both go! As long as you’re happy for life, I’ll do anything.”
“Alright!” Long Shuangyue said. “Let go of Ni Shu, and both of you come up.”
Qu Zhisheng sighed deeply: “I will let Ni Shu go, but I won’t come up. Shuangyue, this is where I belong now. I wish you and Ni Shu a lifetime of happiness! When your children are grown, bring them here to see me. That will be enough for me. Shuangyue, goodbye.”
[1] Shitan, or coal, was used relatively early in the Western Regions. In the “Records of the Western Regions” by the Eastern Jin monk Dao’an, it is noted that two hundred miles north of Quzi (Kucha), there is a mountain. At night, the mountain glows with fire, and by day, it only emits smoke. The coal from this mountain is used for smelting iron, and it consistently supplies the needs of the thirty-six countries.