Who is toying with this mortal world? How far has it gone, only to start again from the beginning? The blood, the tears, the prayers, and the fatigue – all must return. For what purpose? Who knows?
The young Sa Man, perhaps because of his young age, was pure, or perhaps because of his purity, he knew gratitude. With the keepsake from the old woman tucked in his bosom, he resolutely left the wandering refugee group and headed south.
He walked for a long time, his body covered in increasingly deep frostbite, his features now quite blurred. Only his clear eyes remained, carrying an undeniable determination. He walked for three days in the desert, finally reaching the border city of Yun Pei.
“I want to see the King!” he said fiercely to the guards at the gate.
The guards, having seen many such refugees, burst into laughter, saying, “Go away! The King has no time to see you! What are you, anyway?”
Sa Man was kicked away violently. He lay on the ground, his eyes staring straight at the sun in the sky. “Good child…” He recalled the old woman’s words. No one had ever praised him, nor hugged him. He couldn’t even remember when he started wandering, nor did he know how old he was – maybe eight, maybe nine. No one cared about him, let alone praised him as a good child. Thinking of this, Sa Man’s eyes filled with tears again, falling drop by drop into the parched yellow earth.
“Let me in!” He jumped up and shouted, his weak body only able to produce a hoarse sound.
His shout startled the guards. “Has this kid gone mad?”
Ten guards surrounded him, looking at the small, diseased body before them, seeming ready to add a few more kicks.
“What are you doing?” At this moment, a man with a long braid walked over. He seemed to be of higher rank than these guards. He pushed through the crowd and looked, “Where did this child come from?” His voice sounded calm, without mockery or surprise.
“Brother Yun Zai, this kid says he wants to see the King!” a fat guard replied. “He must be sick. We were about to send him packing.”
“I’m not sick! I want to see Zhan Bie!” Sa Man shouted.
“Zhan Bie? Who’s Zhan Bie?” The fat guard laughed wildly. “Have you guys ever heard of him?”
The other guards also laughed, “We’d be ghosts if we had!”
But the man called Yun Zai’s eyes turned cold. “Which Zhan Bie?” he asked.
Sa Man wiped his mouth and shouted, “The great hero who was sent as an envoy to Yun Pei!”
At this, the guards laughed even more uproariously. “We’re all heroes here, but we’ve never heard of any envoy Zhan Bie! Kid, get lost, or we’ll use you for target practice.”
The boy was stunned, unable to process this for a long time. Who was a hero? Heroes were nameless. How could he know that the heroic son in the old woman’s words had long been under house arrest in Guang Han Palace, never even seeing the King’s face, left only with a hero’s dream!
In a flash, Yun Zai hoisted the child onto his shoulders. A few guards were startled, “Brother Yun Zai, what are you…”
Yun Zai tossed down a small bag of gold. “He’s just a child. Let it slide. I’ll keep an eye on him!” Saying this, he carried Sa Man into the city.
It was on that very day that Yun Pei deployed defenses, expanded its borders, and silently began preparing the battlefield. Within three days, they had incorporated Xue Yuan, Ruo Shui, and Gua Zhou into the war zone, forming a warning line separating them from Fen Tian and Hu Gai. From Na Zhan’s perspective, he absolutely would not allow the war to be fought on Yun Pei territory.
On the fourth day, Queen Consort Huang Beishuang of Guan Ying received another secret message: Someone from Hu Gai had come seeking Zhan Bie. The person was only nine years old and, upon inquiry, came only to report the death of Zhan Bie’s mother. If granted an audience, he would enter Ning in three days; if not, he would be immediately deported.
After much consideration, Huang Beishuang ordered that he be received.
It wasn’t Yun Zai who escorted Sa Man into Ning and Guang Han Palace; it seemed that several people had taken turns along the way, but the journey never stopped. After just three days, they reached the palace. The child was shocked. Huang Beishuang sat beside Na Zhan, looking at this small, thin child, knowing that anyone entering Yun Pei from that hell outside would be stunned by this dreamlike splendor and peace, as if in a dream.
The child sat down on the floor, staring blankly at the King on the throne.
“Bring Zhan Bie out!” Na Zhan leaned back in his chair and ordered.
The child quickly looked around. Before long, Zhan Bie appeared. Although his face showed some anxiety and haggardness, his body was still well-fed and plump. Having been confined in Guang Han Palace for so long, apart from lacking freedom, he had been well-fed and well-rested. The soldiers behind him gave him a push, and he stood in front of Sa Man, looking at him in confusion.
Sa Man knelt on the ground. “Brother! Grandmother is dead!” As he spoke, he took out the purple waistband left by Zhan Bie’s mother, which was embroidered with eight characters: “Heaven-sent child, named Zhan Bie.” This was indeed his mother’s. Upon seeing it, Zhan Bie was overcome with emotion. He lifted Sa Man with both hands, “Nonsense! How could my mother be dead? She said she’d wait for my return!”
Sa Man burst into tears, “Grandmother is still waiting for you! Grandmother is waiting for you beneath the yellow earth!”
Hearing this, Zhan Bie flew into a rage. He turned and pointed at Na Zhan, “It’s all your fault, putting me under house arrest! If you had sent troops, Hu Gai wouldn’t be in this state today!”
Na Zhan merely smiled, “Hmph! If Tian Du’s army could easily take Hu Gai, my Yun Pei heavenly troops could do the same! Relying on others to survive is worse than dying from the start!” His words poured cold water on Zhan Bie, who trembled with anger but had no outlet for it. Na Zhan leaned back leisurely, “You shouldn’t blame me. Putting you under house arrest saved your life. Don’t forget, it was Tian Du who occupied Hu Gai!”
Na Zhan’s words caused two people to shudder simultaneously. One was Zhan Bie, the envoy from Hu Gai, who seemed to awaken from a dream, his fists clenched, eyes blazing with hatred. The other was Queen Consort Huang Beishuang of Guan Ying, who turned back to look at the King worriedly, suddenly feeling an ominous premonition.
“I want to leave!” Zhan Bie shouted.
Na Zhan smiled lightly, “Wu Ji Hai, return his dark bow to him, and provide him with a warhorse. Order all city gates not to obstruct him!”
Zhan Bie looked at Na Zhan and unexpectedly bowed deeply, took the waistband from Sa Man’s hand, and strode out of the palace.
Sa Man stood blankly in the hall, not knowing what to do.
At this moment, Huang Beishuang nodded to Ye Pei beside her, who went over and led Sa Man to her.
“Good child! Where is your home?” Huang Beishuang looked at him with pity.
“No home!” Sa Man answered.
“No relatives either?” Huang Beishuang asked, unsurprised.
“None!”