A half-lame, bearded man quickly responded, running to the front of the crowd to start counting.
Ruowen maintained his composure, looking directly at Hou.
Shortly after, the bearded man returned, lowering his head as he reported, “Leader, about a hundred young ones are missing.”
Hearing this, Hou narrowed his eyes dangerously, staring at Ruowen. “So you intend to split off?” At these words, some bandits who were unaware of the situation were shocked, quickly retreating from Ruowen’s side, whispering among themselves about the fate of those who split from the group.
Ruowen said nothing, swiftly drawing the sword at his waist. With a flash, the cold light of the blade passed before Hou’s eyes. Hou tilted his head slightly, and when he looked back, about a hundred men had gathered behind Ruowen. Hou laughed, “It seems you planned to leave in two groups, never intending to force your way out! Young, but not lacking in courage!”
Ruowen’s sword moved with the wind as he said, “I’m only taking people, not splitting off.”
Hou laughed heartily, “Letting you go brings me no benefit. I should kill you here to appease the ghosts!”
Ruowen frowned, pulling down his cloak with one hand, his pupils gradually changing from deep purple to blood red. As he moved, the hundred or so men behind him immediately unsheathed their weapons, facing Hou’s forces that outnumbered them tenfold, ready to risk everything.
Unexpectedly, amidst the tense atmosphere, Hou remained unmoved. He casually said, “Many women are foolish and narrow-minded, fond of petty tricks, unable to see the bigger picture.”
Ruowen was suddenly confused. Seeing that Hou showed no killing intent, he lowered his sword and asked, “What do you mean?”
Hou tapped the curved sword hanging at his waist and said directly, “Your splitting off was inevitable. I’m not surprised. What surprises me is that a foolish woman came to tell me herself that her son was planning to leave, and that those who split off should be drawn and quartered.”
Ruowen was a bit surprised, “Mother?”
Hou didn’t answer, only continuing, “Foolish woman, do you know why she did this?”
Ruowen raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue. It was a habit identical to Hou’s, which made Hou laugh. He stroked his full beard and said, “The Iron Thorn Clan has always believed in curses. She once swore that your unsealed precious sword would one day drink my blood, cut my flesh and bones, forcing me to kill my son!” He paused, then swiftly drew his sword and pointed it at Ruowen. “Son, I could kill you. I absolutely could. But I won’t kill you, not today. When the day comes that the wronged souls under your sword are as numerous as mine, I will come to kill you.”
Ruowen asked directly, “You’re willing to let us go?”
Hou swung his sword, “That’s right, but on one condition, if you agree!”
“Speak!”
Hou clapped his hands three times, and two women were pushed out from the crowd amidst the commotion. One was Ruojun, her face ashen, and the other was Qingchun, covered in wounds, kneeling on the ground. Hou reached out and grabbed Ruojun, saying coldly, “I want you to kill her with your own hands!”
Ruowen’s eyes turned cold, and he replied, “And if I don’t?”
“Then I’ll kill you!” Hou said decisively.
Ruowen looked at his mother, seeing those cold eyes devoid of life. Suddenly, he felt that this woman might not be his mother at all; she was just another Hou, cruel and vicious, wishing for the whole world to perish with her. But even so, he had never thought of killing her. She and he had no connection, he had always thought.
Ruojun looked up and saw Ruowen’s long sword. Suddenly, she let out a cold, long laugh. The sword she had unsealed with her own hands was now about to take her life, her miserable and hopeless life. Ruojun had never laughed like this before. The sharp sound seemed to tear through the sky, chilling the hearts of the men around.
Amid this laughter, Ruowen gripped his sword tightly, slowly pressing it against Ruojun’s neck. The cold white blade cut into her skin, and blood seeped out, flowing along the edge of the sword and dripping onto the yellow earth. Everyone held their breath, but Ruojun herself showed no fear, continuing to laugh maniacally.
Ruowen frowned, moving the tip of the sword to her chest, searching for her heart. Then he looked up at Ruojun and said softly, “You are free now, Mother.”
With these words, he thrust the sword through her heart. Ruojun’s shrill laughter stopped abruptly. She looked down at the sharp sword piercing her body as if in that instant she had returned to Iron Thorn, still a priestess on the hunting festival day. She had only been in a long nightmare, finally waking at this moment. In that split second, her eyes were no longer cold. She bent over the sword, placing a reverent kiss on the blade.
That scene made everyone present widen their eyes in silence.
Ruowen watched expressionlessly as his mother fell to the ground. Once a person dies, it means they have severed all connections with their surroundings.
“You can go now!” Hou said.
Ruowen stood still, looking deeply at Hou, then stepped forward to pick up Qingchun who was sitting on the ground. He then led his hundred or so men, mounting their horses and leaving the camp. Qingchun rode with Ruowen, leaning against his back. She secretly looked back at Ruojun’s body lying at Hou’s feet, her heart suddenly aching. She had wanted to ask her, “When will we leave?” But now, she would never get an answer.
Ruowen’s group didn’t look back, galloping away fiercely. Unexpectedly, Hou suddenly threw his large sword from afar. The blade spun through the air, hitting Qingchun squarely in the back with a whoosh. Qingchun, holding onto Ruowen’s waist, only let out a muffled cry, gritting her teeth, before coughing up blood. Ruowen felt a sense of foreboding and was about to turn back to check when he felt a tightening around his waist. Qingchun said softly, “Elder Brother, I’m fine. Don’t stop.”
At that moment, Ruowen felt as if all the wind and sand in the world had turned into a raging fire, burning his insides. He lost all sensation except for the rhythmic sound of horse hooves pounding the sand and the expanding cold wetness on his back. He knew it was Qingchun’s blood.
Seeing that Ruowen didn’t even look back and was almost out of sight in less than a quarter of an hour, Hou suddenly roared, “Son, this sword is my gift to you. From now on, we part ways. The next time we meet, it will be a matter of life and death. Don’t speak of past ties!”
Hou’s words echoed in the air before fading into silence. The two hundred or so people gathered outside the camp all followed Ruowen into the desert. After galloping for dozens of miles, Ruowen finally saw a small oasis on the horizon. His face covered in gray sand, he finally turned back to smile at Qingchun.
It was the first time he had smiled at her. He had wanted to say, “Hold on a little longer, there’s an oasis ahead.”
But she, as if asleep, had already fallen into an eternal dream. As the bright moon emerged from the clouds, Ruowen’s horse gradually slowed down. He felt the grip around his waist loosen and saw Qingchun’s arms, which had been holding him, slowly slide off his body.
Ruowen said nothing. He tore off a strip of cloth from his clothes and tightly bound Qingchun’s body to his own, then spurred his horse towards the oasis. In the end, he arrived with nothing and left with nothing.
The shifting sands trap wandering souls, long passions burden sons and daughters,
From the beginning, swords and blades lead the way, leaving all desolate.
Time flew by, the wild sands remained unchanged. Two years passed in the blink of an eye. At nineteen, Ruowen had become a bandit leader in the northern desert who couldn’t be ignored. His life was simple, consisting only of swords and brothers. Of course, some brothers betrayed him, but through fights and struggles, people came and went. He didn’t mind; those who stayed shared both fortune and misfortune; those who left either took their souls and left their bodies, or relied on their abilities to split off and break away. To him, life was just about these few types of people and these few matters.
Ruowen was very fond of women. Immersing himself in a woman’s body was a form of comfort for him. Since he first tasted the pleasures of the flesh at thirteen, he had never been without the joy of intimacy. Sometimes, after a successful raid, he would be particularly excited and call for ten or more women to serve him in one night. But he never had anyone he especially cherished or liked. In his heart, a woman’s body was not worth lingering over.