HomeSheng Shi Di FeiChapter 89: First Display of Talent

Chapter 89: First Display of Talent

“Princess Consort, terrible news!”

Ye Li and her group were racing toward Suixue Pass without rest. The sudden military deployment from Nanzhao and King Li was too unexpected. The Black Cloud Cavalry’s earlier entry into the southern frontier had already drawn considerable attention, so their return journey couldn’t be as smooth as their arrival. Ye Li had no choice but to travel with only Dark Two, Dark Three, and a few Black Cloud Cavalry soldiers, while the others dispersed to return to East Chu separately.

“What happened?” Ye Li frowned, pulling her reins. The Black Cloud Cavalry messenger reported in a low voice, “General Wu Chengliang was assassinated, and the Yongzhou reinforcements were ambushed right after crossing the river. The entire army… was annihilated.”

Ye Li’s heart trembled. “How far are we from Suixue Pass?”

Dark Two replied, “Still half a day’s journey. However… Suixue Pass is already surrounded by over a hundred thousand Nanzhao troops. I’m afraid we won’t be able to enter even if we arrive.”

Ye Li said, “Take a detour. Forget about Suixue Pass—head to Yonglin first. King Li’s army should be arriving around now.”

“Yes, Princess Consort.”

At Suixue Pass, battle cries and war drums continued to shake the heavens as in previous days. Murong Shen watched the taunting Nanzhao generals below the city with a grim expression. Several days of defensive siege had seriously impacted the soldiers’ morale. Many commanders around him had been eager to sally forth and meet the enemy, but he had stopped them all. “General, please allow me to lead a sortie!” a young officer pleaded earnestly, his eyes burning with defiant anger. The Nanzhao soldiers hurled daily insults from below while they remained locked behind their walls, and this had built up tremendous frustration among the hot-blooded young officers.

“Silence! Right now, defending the city is paramount, not a contest of pride. We absolutely cannot allow Nanzhao forces to take one step into Suixue Pass—that is our purpose in guarding this border. Wait for reinforcements!”

The young officer looked at him skeptically and asked, “Will reinforcements arrive in time?” They only had 80,000 defenders, while the Nanzhao army surrounding them, combined with King Li’s forces from Lingzhou approaching from behind, totaled at least 300,000. Murong Shen fell silent for a moment before firmly stating, “They will arrive in time, as long as we can hold Suixue Pass. Therefore, do not engage in meaningless pride contests.”

Casting an unwilling glance at the jeering Nanzhao forces below, the young officer gritted his teeth and said, “Yes, General.”

“General!” A messenger rushed in. “General, reports from the front indicate that Yongzhou Commander Wu Chengliang led 20,000 troops as reinforcements. They were ambushed right after crossing the Yunlan River, and Commander Wu has fallen!”

Everyone present drew in sharp breaths. Murong Shen felt the world spinning before his eyes. Steadying himself, he demanded, “How is this possible? How could King Li move so quickly?!”

“Report! General, the Yongzhou Governor surrendered to King Li last night. Early this morning, King Li’s army breached Qingyuan City, and their vanguard will likely reach Yonglin City by evening.” All the commanders felt their hearts sink. Yongzhou’s garrison was already thin, and now its highest official, the governor, had surrendered to King Li—no wonder King Li’s forces had advanced so unstoppably. Instead of the expected ten days, they might not even be able to hold out for two more days before Suixue Pass was surrounded. At this thought, everyone felt chills run down their spines. Murong Shen laughed bitterly, “Excellent! Well done, Yongzhou Governor! Who is willing to go defend Yonglin City?”

Several young commanders stepped forward simultaneously: “General, I volunteer!”

Murong Shen looked at the grim-faced young men before him and nodded, “Good. Yun Ting, Xia Shu, I’ll give you 20,000 troops to hold Yonglin. Understood?”

“Yes, General!” The two young men responded in unison and left with their orders. No one asked how they were supposed to defend Yonglin with 20,000 troops, or for how long. Watching their departing figures, Murong Shen swept his gaze across the assembled commanders and said, “The same applies to us—hold Suixue Pass. Understood?”

“Yes, General!”

The usually peaceful small city of Yonglin was now shrouded in solemnity. Shops along the streets were tightly shuttered, and not a single pedestrian could be seen. Compared to the oppressive tension of the besieged Suixue Pass, Yonglin’s walls were already alive with flashing blades and thick with bloodshed. At the city walls, assault troops desperately tried to climb ladders to reach the top, only to be driven back by stones and arrows from the defenders above. As the front ranks fell, others rushed forward to take their place. Likewise, defenders on the walls periodically fell to enemy archers below, their bodies broken beyond recognition. No one had time to care about such things anymore—everyone was caught in a frenzy of killing. All had forgotten they were fellow citizens of Great Chu, once brothers-in-arms. Once engaged, it was kill or be killed.

“How about it? Shall I go first?” On the city wall, two young commanders maintained stern expressions.

“I’ll go!” Drawing his sword, one of the young commanders turned and left.

The one left behind watched his companion’s departure with a helpless snort, then turned to cut down an enemy soldier trying to scale the wall while the defenders were distracted by arrow fire.

The city gate opened, and the young commander led a contingent of troops charging out, breaking into the enemy formation to relieve pressure on the wall defenders. The young commander led from the front, cutting down countless foes. Soon, a burly middle-aged man blocked his path, sweeping his great blade to clear the area around him. He sneered, “Has Murong Shen run out of men, sending a wet-behind-the-ears boy to block my path? If you’re smart, open Yonglin’s gates to me now, and I’ll spare your life!”

The young commander’s sword-like eyebrows twitched as he coldly laughed, “This young master doesn’t accept nameless ghosts. What rebel are you? State your name so I can leave you an intact corpse!”

“I am Sun Wei, King Li’s personally appointed Western Army Vanguard!”

The young commander rolled his eyes. “Oh, so you serve that traitor Mo Jingli. Sun Wei… never heard of you. Be good and accept your death!” His sword struck fast and fierce, showing no mercy as it cleaved toward the self-proclaimed Western Army Vanguard. For a time, he had the older man completely flustered, until finally the man who had looked down on this “mere boy” fell by his blade. The young commander spat contemptuously, “Just a pushover, yet you dare show off in front of this young master?” With their vanguard slain, the attacking force fell into disarray. The commander defending the walls seized the opportunity to lead another sortie, and before long, the assault force retreated in panic.

“Xia Shu, how was that?” Back on the walls, watching the enemy’s disorderly retreat, the young commander who had just demonstrated his prowess was beaming with excitement, finally having vented the frustrations of the past few days. The young man called Xia Shu frowned slightly as he gazed into the distance, “That was probably just their advanced scout force. Although we drove them back when their real elite troops arrived…” The young commander’s brow furrowed as well, his earlier joy of victory gradually fading. Never mind tens of thousands of troops—even tens of thousands of pigs could trample their small force to death. With only 20,000 men, defending the city was already difficult enough, let alone making sorties. Unlike Suixue Pass, if they remained purely defensive, King Li’s army could simply bypass their small city of Yonglin. It would be troublesome but not impossible. Once Suixue Pass fell, their isolated garrison of 20,000 would be nothing but a prize waiting to be claimed.

“Who cares? Let them come—this young master will drive them back all the same! I, Yun Ting, am no coward who fears death!” the young commander declared proudly.

Xia Shu’s expression gradually brightened into a smile. “Well said. But remember, the next battle is mine.”

Perhaps because their vanguard scouts had been so thoroughly defeated, the main force arrived slower than expected, with war drums only heard outside the city the next morning. Standing on the city walls looking down, even Yun Ting couldn’t help but draw a sharp breath, “Did Mo Jingli bring every soldier in Lingzhou?” The area before Yonglin City wasn’t particularly open, but the dense mass of waving banners and countless figures made one reluctant to even estimate their numbers. Xia Shu said quietly, “Back in the capital, everyone said King Li was an incompetent fool, but looking at this, that’s not entirely true.” The orderly, imposing formation of King Li’s army below hardly seemed like something an incompetent could command. Yun Ting twisted his mouth and said, “Either he has capable advisors, or he was playing the fool. Could an incompetent raise an army in rebellion? That’s madness.”

Several riders emerged from the opposing formation, including a middle-aged man who wasn’t a military officer. He called up to the walls, “Defenders above, listen well! Open the gates immediately and let us pass!”

Yun Ting sneered, “Who are you? You think we’ll open up just because you say so?”

The middle-aged man announced, “I am the Governor of Yongzhou. Yongzhou has already submitted to King Li—you should immediately open the gates to welcome His Highness King Li into the city!” Hearing this, Yun Ting couldn’t help but curse under his breath, “I wondered who it was, turns out it’s this traitor. Heaven’s gate is wide open yet you wouldn’t take it; having turned traitor, you should know better than to show your face.” In one smooth motion, he grabbed a bow and arrow from a nearby soldier and without hesitation, loosed the arrow at the Yongzhou Governor.

“Ah?!” The boasting Yongzhou Governor was yanked aside by someone next to him, the arrow whistling past his ear. He screamed in terror, nearly falling from his horse. Yun Ting clicked his tongue in disappointment, “Such poor luck with that shot.” The Governor’s attempts at persuasion having failed utterly, one of his companions waved for him to be escorted back to their lines. Then, looking up at the two men on the wall, he called out, “Would you be Commanders Yun Ting and Xia Shu up there? You have at most twenty or thirty thousand troops—you cannot possibly hold against our two hundred thousand. Why persist in this futile resistance? We’re all children of Great Chu after all. Wouldn’t it be a shame for either side to suffer needless losses?”

Yun Ting spat and sneered, “What nonsense! So you still remember you’re a child of Great Chu? This young master thought it was some traitor’s dog barking down there.”

The man below darkened slightly but quickly resumed smiling, “The Emperor has lost the Mandate of Heaven. King Li is the true Son of Heaven. Naturally, we should follow King Li’s commands…”

“Pah!” Yun Ting loosed another arrow, unconcerned when his target easily dodged it. He shouted angrily, “I’ve seen plenty of shameless people, but never one quite as shameless as you! ‘Lost the Mandate’… did the Emperor kill your parents or steal your wife? ‘True Son of Heaven’… you think we haven’t heard the stories out here on the frontier? Seducing his future sister-in-law before marriage, caught in the act with a woman on his engagement day. Oh, and don’t forget—fainting during his wedding ceremony… If you’re that weak, stay home and rest instead of coming out to embarrass yourself!”

Standing beside him, Xia Shu’s expression grew awkward as he listened to Yun Ting’s tirade delivered without even pausing for breath. The defending soldiers burst into laughter, and even King Li’s troops below showed strange expressions. The commander trying to negotiate their surrender looked like he wanted to dig a hole and crawl into it. He pointed at Yun Ting furiously, “You little brat! Just wait until you fall into my hands—I’ll make you wish you were dead!”

Yun Ting lifted his chin, looking down with contempt, “This young master will be waiting.”

Far behind the massive army, Mo Jingli’s face had turned black as ink, his cold, murderous aura making the commanders around him afraid to make a sound. Though they were far from the front, Yun Ting’s words had been projected with inner force, and the martial artists among Mo Jingli’s commanders had heard every word. It was no wonder their lord’s expression was so terrible. “Storm the city! I want that boy alive!” he commanded.

“Yes, my lord!” Someone waved, and thunderous war drums began to beat as the troops started their assault.

Mo Jingli wanted a swift victory, hoping to take most of the territory south of the Yunlan River before imperial reinforcements could arrive. So he showed no mercy even to this small city of Yonglin, given its proximity to Suixue Pass. This time, Yun Ting and Xia Shu felt pressure many times greater than the previous day. Just defending the walls took all their attention—there was no possibility of mounting another sortie. Even if they could spare the troops, such a small force would have no hope of return once swallowed by the tens of thousands below. Massive wooden rams began battering the city gate, making even the walls themselves seem to shudder with each thunderous impact. Defenders fell one by one, yet the enemies trying to scale the walls seemed endless. Yun Ting and Xia Shu swung their weapons tirelessly, filling gaps left by fallen soldiers, the air thick with the stench of blood.

Watching their defenders grow fewer and fewer, Yun Ting’s white battle robe now splattered with blood, he remarked, “Just my luck—my first time commanding troops in battle, and we’re facing total annihilation?”

“Don’t worry, the court will posthumously promote you to general,” Xia Shu said with a slight smile, his lips twitching.

“Thanks for the comfort. But this young master would rather these bastards die first!” Yun Ting replied, his sword flashing to strike down an enemy trying to flank Xia Shu, then grabbing the corpse to hurl it down at the soldiers climbing the ladders below.

“Brothers, hold fast for your young master! If these traitors get through, Suixue Pass is finished. That pass has stood for hundreds of years without letting those southern barbarians take one step forward—we can’t let it fall on our watch!” Yun Ting raised his arm and shouted. The defending soldiers roared in response: “Defend Yonglin to the death!” Soldiers stationed within the empire’s interior could never truly understand the mindset of frontier guards. Defending the nation’s gates was their greatest honor and mission, a responsibility etched into their very bones.

Several miles from Yonglin City, in the forested hills, Ye Li stood in the shade of a tree on a hillside, gazing into the distance where the sounds of battle could be heard even from so far away.

“Young… Master, Yonglin City is about to fall,” Dark Three reported urgently.

Ye Li lowered her head and said, “To hold out this long with only twenty thousand men is quite impressive. Who’s commanding Yonglin’s defense?”

Dark Two replied, “Two of General Murong’s lieutenants, Yun Ting and Xia Shu.”

Ye Li frowned, “Just two lieutenants?”

Dark Two nodded, “Suixue Pass doesn’t have many commanding officers. These two are General Murong’s most promising officers and his favorites. That Yun Ting even killed King Li’s vanguard commander yesterday.” Ye Li’s brow furrowed, “Is Mo Jingli with the army?” Dark Two nodded, pointing to where some banners waved in the distance, “King Li should be over there. Young Master… should we…?” Ye Li shook her head, “Mo Jingli must be heavily guarded, and he is no weakling. Trying to capture the leader first is almost impossible. Dark Two, Dark Three.”

“Yes.”

“Choose some men yourselves and kill the Yongzhou Governor.”

Dark Two and Dark Three exchanged glances before responding clearly, “We obey!”

Ye Li commanded sternly, “Only kill the Yongzhou Governor—do nothing else and withdraw immediately.”

“Yes! But you, Young Master…?”

Ye Li let out a soft breath, looking up at the azure sky, “I’ll go with the Black Cloud Cavalry.” The Black Cloud Cavalry commanders standing behind her looked at her with respect. Though they were supposed to follow the Princess Consort’s orders anyway, a Princess Consort with nimble martial arts and a clever mind was more acceptable to these proud and powerful warriors than some delicate, merely talented noble lady. Though they hadn’t known her long, these past days the Princess Consort had ridden with them covering hundreds of miles daily, crossing mountains and rivers without complaint. She was even more agile than ordinary soldiers, earning the Black Cloud Cavalry’s genuine loyalty to their lady.

Dark Two and Dark Three also knew that although they were called shadow guards, the Princess Consort didn’t need constant protection. The Princess Consort assigned them various missions for their future benefit, hoping they could one day stand proudly in the open rather than remain hidden bodyguards. “We obey,” said Dark Two, exchanging a glance with the Black Cloud Cavalry commanders who said: We leave the Princess Consort’s safety to you.

The cavalry commander raised an eyebrow in acknowledgment.

“Is everything ready?” Ye Li asked, turning around after Dark Two and Dark Three left with their men.

“Young Master, all preparations are complete. We can move out at any time.”

Ye Li nodded, “Good. Split into four routes and enter the battlefield from both flanks in a crossing pattern. The remaining forces should prepare to move in a quarter hour.”

“Yes!” The situation on the battlefield grew increasingly desperate. At first, only one or two enemies would manage to climb the wall before being immediately killed, but now those reaching the top could kill several defenders before being stopped. Though they hadn’t yet caused major damage, it clearly couldn’t last much longer. Yun Ting finally had no breath left for shouting and cursing, silently swinging his weapon, his young face showing obvious exhaustion beneath its killing intent. Xia Shu’s right arm had been slashed open, forcing him to switch to his left hand, fortunately just as deadly with the blade.

As one wave of attackers briefly subsided, another surged forward. Xia Shu’s sword swept an enemy from the wall, when suddenly another appeared, lunging at him with a vicious expression. “Xia Shu!” Yun Ting cried out in alarm, throwing off an enemy to rush over. Xia Shu only had time to freeze for a moment before watching his attacker’s fierce expression turn to shock as he fell backward off the wall.

Four black shadows shot like sharp arrows into the midst of the massive army with terrifying speed. Like black tornadoes, they cut through all opposition, quickly splitting the army’s formation into segments. The grey battlefield was suddenly carved apart by these black forces.

“What is that?” Yun Ting cried out in shock, watching as black-clad riders below drew bows and, seemingly without even aiming, loosed three arrows at once to strike down three men trying to scale the wall. Then even faster black whirlwinds swept past, reducing the scaling ladders to splinters in an instant before the mounted warriors galloped away as if through space.

Xia Shu clutched his burning wound, forcing a smile as he said, “It’s reinforcements! Quick, loose arrows!” With the scaling ladders destroyed, pressure on the walls suddenly decreased. Xia Shu quickly ordered the soldiers on the wall to provide covering fire for the black-clad riders below. From their vantage point, they could see clearly that while the reinforcements weren’t numerous, their imposing presence and combat prowess, combined with the thundering of thousands of hooves, had thrown the enemy into confusion. Cavalry was rare in the south, and watching the black riders below, Xia Shu’s tired eyes suddenly blazed with recognition. “Quick, Yun Ting, prepare to support them getting into the city.” Even though these riders could each fight a hundred men, prolonged combat while surrounded by tens of thousands would still be dangerous.

“Good, I’ll go out to meet them!”

Xia Shu shook his head, “No need. Just guard the gate—they can fight their way in themselves.”

Yun Ting gave Xia Shu a strange look but decided to follow the advice of his slightly older comrade.

While the Black Cloud Cavalry was sweeping through the battlefield, Mo Jingli was watching with his commanders from the enemy rear. He hadn’t taken this small city of Yonglin too seriously—everything had gone too smoothly so far. Taking Yonglin would practically secure half of Great Chu’s territory. Even Mo Jingli himself hadn’t expected such smooth progress. He glanced sideways at the Yongzhou Governor standing nearby, a cold glint in his eyes. Someone who would betray one master could easily betray a second. This man was still useful now but in the future…

Whoosh! Several hidden weapons cut through the air toward Mo Jingli in the crowd. He alertly dodged aside as his guards immediately formed a protective circle around him. “Assassins! Protect His Highness!” Several shadows burst forth from all directions, but instead of attacking Mo Jingli behind his layers of guards, they engaged the outer guards while one turned back toward the cowering Yongzhou Governor. The Governor tried to scream but couldn’t hear his voice. He felt only a cold sensation in his chest as a dagger pierced his heart. Looking up in terror into a pair of cold, indifferent eyes, he heard a low voice by his ear: “By order of the Princess Consort of Prince Ding—for the crime of treason against your sovereign… death!”

“Withdraw!” Dark Two yanked the dagger from the Governor’s chest, blood fountaining forth. He spun to slash the throat of a guard rushing from behind, calling to his still-engaged companions.

They quickly broke free and scattered, swiftly melting into King Li’s troops until they disappeared.

Mo Jingli’s face darkened as he looked at the lifeless Governor on the ground. The commanders around him wore equally grave expressions tinged with hidden fear and worry. They hadn’t caught all of the assassin’s words, but they’d heard that final “death to traitors” quite clearly. For the Governor to be killed so cleanly amid an army, surrounded by guards—how could it not chill them to their cores?

Before Mo Jingli could even express his rage, someone cried out in alarm: “What is that?!”

Looking where he pointed, they saw black-clad riders suddenly crisscrossing the battlefield. After several charges, the front ranks were already showing signs of breaking. “Where did the South get so many cavalry?” These riders moved with incredible speed, weaving crossing patterns that made it impossible to count their numbers from a distance. The battlefield seemed filled with black cavalry, leaving trails of corpses in their wake. The narrow terrain outside Yonglin prevented their full army from deploying, and for the moment they found themselves unable to counter these riders.

“The Black Cloud Cavalry!” Mo Jingli gritted out.

The Black Cloud Cavalry! Everyone shuddered again, with the more timid already unable to hide their pale faces. The Black Cloud Cavalry—the elite force of Prince Ding’s household, perhaps the most formidable unit in all of Great Chu. They answered only to Prince Ding himself and the mistress of his household whom he acknowledged. If the Black Cloud Cavalry was here… then Prince Ding must be nearby!

“Impossible!” Mo Jingli said coldly. “That sickly Mo Xiu Yao couldn’t possibly have gotten here so quickly!” He had left the capital in secret—even if Mo Xiu Yao had received word and immediately given chase, with his frail health it would take at least several more days to arrive. Even if he did arrive, he’d be in no condition to command troops.

“Then… who’s commanding this Black Cloud Cavalry?” a general asked tremulously.

Mo Jingli snorted. He was certain Mo Xiu Yao wasn’t in Yonglin, but then who was commanding the Black Cloud Cavalry? Feng Zhi Yao? No, that wasn’t right either—Feng Zhi Yao couldn’t command the Black Cloud Cavalry…

“Your Highness, large numbers of cavalry are approaching from the south!”

Mo Jingli started. “How many?!”

“Many… uncountable… scouts were all shot dead trying to get close!”

Everyone looked south, where they could see rolling dust clouds and shifting shadows beyond the treeline, with thundering hoofbeats that seemed to make the very ground tremble. It would take thousands of horses to create such an effect.

“Your Highness…”

The retreat gong sounded, and the attacking army withdrew like an ebbing tide. At the same time, Yonglin’s gates opened to admit the black-clad riders before heavily closing again. On the walls, Yun Ting and Xia Shu exchanged glances of relief as they watched the enemy retreat. If these reinforcements hadn’t arrived when they did, they surely would have fallen.

Yun Ting wiped the blood from his sword before sheathing it, asking curiously, “Xia Shu, who exactly came to help us?”

Xia Shu sighed, “In the future, don’t brag about growing up in the capital if you can’t even recognize this. You must have spent all your time collecting street gossip.” To know about King Li’s scandal with his sister-in-law yet be clueless about something so important…

Yun Ting tilted his head and blinked, then suddenly stared at Xia Shu with wide eyes, stammering, “Xia… Xia Shu, it couldn’t be… could it be what I’m thinking?” Xia Shu rolled his eyes, “What else could it be?” Yun Ting finally let out a loud cry and raced down from the wall. Xia Shu shook his head helplessly but followed. The legendary Black Cloud Cavalry—he was curious too, wasn’t he?

Below the city wall, the wide street was packed with men and horses, all in black. Yet neither man nor mount made the slightest sound. The entire street was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. As soon as Yun Ting descended from the wall, he felt an overwhelming wave of killing intent and pressure. His previous excitement instantly sobered as he straightened up to look at the figure at the front.

The person in front also wore black but unlike the others wasn’t mounted. Instead, they stood quietly holding the reins of a black stallion. Yun Ting immediately noticed the difference—compared to the mounted warriors, this person seemed small and gentle, completely lacking the riders’ fierce, elite bearing. Their eyes even held a faint smile as they looked at Yun Ting. But Yun Ting knew this didn’t mean they were weaker. On the contrary, this person had to be the leader.

“I am Lieutenant Yun Ting of Suixue Pass. Thank you all for your timely aid. May I ask… how should I address you?”

Ye Li gazed calmly at the nervous yet expectant young officer, finding it somewhat amusing though her face remained serene. “Lieutenant Yun, would it be convenient to speak somewhere else?” While Yun Ting was still dazed, Xia Shu who had caught up said, “Of course, this way, please. I am Lieutenant Xia Shu of Suixue Pass.”

Ye Li nodded, turning to address the Black Cloud Cavalry behind her: “Rest in place.”

“Yes!”

Two thousand Black Cloud Cavalry dismounted in perfect unison, their coordination amazing to behold.

Yun Ting, coming to his senses, said, “You must all be tired from your journey. Why not rest in our camp?”

Ye Li replied somewhat resignedly, “I’m afraid there’s no time for rest. Let’s not waste effort on that—Yonglin must have many wounded who need attention. However, these war horses will need tending.” Xia Shu naturally understood. Although Suixue Pass didn’t have many cavalry, they still had enough fodder to supply two thousand horses for some time. He nodded, “Young Master, rest assured, I’ll have someone see to it right away. This way, please.”

Ye Li nodded, following Xia Shu toward the military camp not far from the base of the wall.

Yun Ting, still somewhat dazed, looked back at the black-clad riders who were now either sitting in meditation or cleaning their weapons after sending their horses away, then at Ye Li walking away with Xia Shu accompanied by several guards. He shook his head to clear it before hurrying to catch up.

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