Chapter 20#
Awa (2)#
An elder draped in a white cloak stood at the entrance of the Heavenly Observatory. In his hand, he held a wooden staff as tall as a man, its top crowned with a bundle of wool bound with beads, now somewhat soiled.
Jin Yue stood motionless, his heart filled with unease. The people in his caravan behind him had already dropped to their knees: “Grand Wizard.”
The elder looked down at Jin Yue from the high steps, his nostrils twitching. This gesture reminded Jin Yue of Akula from Yetai. He also recalled the saying that wizards could smell whether a person’s soul was good or evil.
“Hostage, come here,” the Grand Wizard said. “You must be cleansed here before you can meet the Heavenly Lord.”
The Heavenly Observatory was a tower, its interior vastly different from what Jin Yue had imagined: there were no bookshelves or books, only numerous medicinal pots simmering over fires. The scent of herbs and the aroma of cooked meat mingled into a faint but potent, strange smell. At a glance, half of the pots lined against the walls were boiling fragrant meat soup.
A spiral staircase ascended upwards. Seeing Jin Yue look up and around, the Grand Wizard explained, “The upper floors are for living. You’ve seen the Ever-Burning Fire during the New Year, right? The one dancing was me.”
Jin Yue replied cautiously, “I understand.”
This Grand Wizard was a bit scruffy, lacking the solemn dignity Jin Yue had imagined. He sat on a felt mat in the tower and beckoned to Jin Yue. Jin Yue sat down before him, and the Grand Wizard handed him a bowl of meat soup.
Jin Yue: “…?”
Grand Wizard: “Deer meat. Have you eaten it before?”
Jin Yue had not. Looking at the chunks of meat in the soup, he recalled the deer Yue Lianlou rode and the legends of the Gaoxin people’s worship of the Deer God. So he did not eat, sitting quietly.
The Grand Wizard took a swig of his medicinal broth, then abruptly stood up. He put on a flame-like mask, raised his wooden staff, and began to wave it while chanting incantations. All around, candles were lit, bright as day. Fine dust flew about, falling into Jin Yue’s soup bowl.
Looking at the soiled tuft of wool on the staff, Jin Yue grew even more hesitant to eat.
The staff tapped his forehead. Jin Yue remained perfectly still. The Grand Wizard scooped clear water from a basin and sprinkled it on Jin Yue’s body and face.
“Open your eyes!” the Grand Wizard bellowed sternly. “Let the deities of the Chivwang Plains inspect your soul!”
Though old, he possessed considerable strength. His staff struck the ground with a resonant thud. Jin Yue continued to kneel quietly, his expression calm, showing no tension or fear.
When the soup in the bowl had gone cold, the Grand Wizard stopped. He panted slightly, then grabbed a handful of Jin Yue’s hair. Jin Yue’s hair was wet, cold to the touch. The Grand Wizard gestured for him to dry it—apparently signaling the end of this so-called “cleansing” ritual. Jin Yue did not understand the ritual’s meaning.
The Grand Wizard turned, picked up the now-cold soup, and poured it back into the medicinal pot. “Man of Dayu, you’re not afraid of me?”
“Your dance was quite beautiful,” Jin Yue said respectfully. “Though I couldn’t understand it.”
The Grand Wizard burst into hearty laughter, his white beard quivering. He sat back down before Jin Yue and finally asked his name. “Are you Jin Mingzhao’s son?”
“This humble one is Jin Yue.”
The Grand Wizard looked him up and down, then laughed. “What a ‘frail and timid’ hostage!”
Jin Yue decided to seize the initiative. “Why did the Heavenly Lord have the Grand Wizard cleanse me?”
“It is not your body that needs cleansing, but your soul,” the Grand Wizard replied. “You are from Dayu, a slave—full of impurities. To meet the Heavenly Lord, these impurities must be removed one by one.”
“What impurities?”
“All life outside the Chivwang Plains, not blessed by the deities of the Chivwang Plains, is impure.” The Grand Wizard paused. “But you are quite clean. There is desire in your eyes, but no evil.”
Jin Yue smiled. “Can wizards truly smell whether a person’s soul is good or evil?”
“Sometimes by smell, sometimes by sight.” The Grand Wizard leaned back against a cushion, patting his own leg. “Some people are born destined to be evil—it is the sin allotted to them in life.”
Jin Yue said softly, “People are not born to suffer such hardships.”
“You are a slave of the Helan family of Yetai. You must know about the Wolf Eyes.” The Grand Wizard sneered. “Wolf Eyes are the mark of those chosen by the evil god. They will bring endless calamity to people and the land throughout their lives. Those who possess Wolf Eyes are born to bring disaster to the world—an fate that those possessed by the evil wolf cannot escape.”
Gale winds shook the snow from the tall trees in the forest. Helan Feng spurred his horse, racing like an arrow shot into the dark night.
Including the two hidden archers in the trees, Awa’s group numbered ten. With only nine people escorting a wizard of the Heavenly Observatory to seek the Celestial Star, he now realized something unusual: Awa was no ordinary figure.
The ground was strewn with blood. Helan Feng reined in his horse, grabbed his bow and arrows, and sprinted along the blood trail. Four corpses lay on the ground, but the richly dressed young man was nowhere to be seen. The moon, bright as a blazing lamp, intermittently illuminated Helan Feng charging through the dense woods.
At last, the sound of clashing weapons grew nearer. Before him opened a low valley. Awa was half-kneeling on the ground, someone raising a blade to strike down.
Helan Feng instantly drew an arrow, nocked his bow, and released. The arrow flew swift as wind, piercing the swordsman’s shoulder!
The man screamed and fell. Awa looked up, startled: “You!”
Helan Feng scanned the valley, his heart sinking in shock. Including Awa, two figures lay on the ground, decapitated. The remaining three were closing in on Awa.
Living and dead together made ten. Helan Feng’s mind was crystal clear: the attackers were Awa’s own escorts.
Having killed so many, the attackers were determined to see Awa dead. Helan Feng leaped down from the height, firing arrows in rapid succession, but the men were prepared, their swords knocking them aside. He found an opening, rolled on the ground, and shielded Awa.
“Wizard, are you badly hurt?”
“Not too badly.” Awa gritted his teeth. “Thank you.”
Helan Feng thought the man was tough. Awa bore several knife wounds, one arm cut nearly to the bone, yet he still struggled to stay upright. In his hand, he clutched a large, blood-stained blade, clearly having fought fiercely before his injuries and exhaustion forced him to brace against a rock for defense.
The man pierced by the arrow hadn’t even removed it, now joining the other three to encircle them again. The clouds had parted, the moonlight clear, falling on Helan Feng. The three before him froze.
“Wolf eyes?” the leader sneered. “You’re Gaoxin?”
Helan Feng said nothing, raising his bow toward the speaker.
“We brothers have never killed a Gaoxin before. Today, we’ll broaden our horizons,” the man laughed. “The Gaoxin wolf cubs still aren’t all dead? Is it because your lives are too worthless to die easily, or because the deities of Chivwang Plains are too merciful to exterminate your kind?”
With each word, he stepped forward. Helan Feng held his ground, then abruptly released the string.
The man reacted swiftly, his sword deflecting the arrow.
“Do you know who this person is?” He faced Helan Feng with ease, even pointing at Awa as he spoke. “Do you know how many lives are stained on his hands? If you save him today, he will kill even more tomorrow, slaughtering the five great tribes of Northern Rong!”
“Bah! Wasting words on an evil clan member!” another shouted. “Having wolf eyes, he’s marked for death by all! No need for talk!”
Helan Feng ignored their words entirely. He carefully assessed the situation: one of the three was injured, but the other two were still combat-ready. He needed a way to incapacitate two at once to avoid killing. Feixiao was above; if he could carry Awa up there, they could escape.
Before the speaker finished, the leader suddenly took half a step forward, drawing his sword to thrust at Helan Feng! Helan Feng dodged instinctively, unaware that another man on his side raised a blade, its flat side slapping toward his face. He was kicked in the side and fell instantly, landing atop Awa.
Helan Feng immediately arched his body and sprang up, his face flushing with shame—the two were toying with him like a plaything, laughing heartily after their success.
With his bow in his left hand, his right pinky flicked two arrows from the quiver at his waist. In the space of a breath, he loosed two shots—first striking the man with the blade, then instantly aiming at the sword-wielding leader. His arrows were swift and precise. The swordsman screamed, clutching his throat, and collapsed.
Helan Feng felt his heart empty—he had killed someone.
But only for a moment’s pause—the swordsman closed in, his blade piercing deep into Helan Feng’s thigh. The man’s iron claws clanged as they raked toward Helan Feng’s throat. Awa, behind Helan Feng, suddenly raised his blade and slashed at the man’s ankle. Seizing the chance, Helan Feng gripped the sword. Killing intent, the scent of blood, fear, and desperation—all drove him mad. He dropped his bow, grabbed an arrow, and drove it straight into the swordsman’s eye!
“Wolf cub!!!” the swordsman shrieked in agony. “You are the Killing God of Chivwang Plains, the enemy of the deities! You are doomed to a life of destitution, to die an unnatural death! With no friends, no one to rely on!”
Foul blood spattered across Helan Feng’s face. He let out an angry roar, driving the arrow in to the hilt. The swordsman died instantly, silent at last.
Inside the Heavenly Observatory, the Grand Wizard had Jin Yue extend his hands. He rolled up Jin Yue’s sleeves, then paused in surprise. “You’re a slave of the Helan family of Yetai?”
“Yes.”
“But you bear no slave mark.”
Jin Yue smiled. “Perhaps because I was never destined to be a slave.”
The Grand Wizard laughed heartily, showing no anger. “You Dayu people have quick minds indeed.”
“My mother was a princess of Dayu’s former dynasty, my father a renowned general. At my birth, a enlightened monk once said I would become a general and a minister, galloping across battlefields, commanding the winds and rain, with the power to alter worlds. He also foretold a life of peace and smooth sailing, free of disasters, with children and grandchildren filling my house, and growing old with my spouse.” Jin Yue spoke calmly. “That monk was one even the Emperor of Dayu trusted, claiming he could divine my fate. Yet here I am in Northern Rong, a mere slave.”
“That proves slavery is not your destined path,” the Grand Wizard said. “Or perhaps that monk’s reading was flawed.”
“And you, Grand Wizard? Can you see the fate of everyone under heaven? Can you guarantee you won’t err?” Jin Yue asked. “Gaosin people are born with green eyes. If the deities of Chivwang Plains are truly merciful, why would they bring the calamity-bringing Wolf Eyes into the world?”
The Grand Wizard frowned. “To allow the Son of God to experience the myriad affairs of the mortal world.”
“And who is this Son of God?”
“The Heavenly Lord of Northern Rong.”
“So to let the Heavenly Lord gain experience, they create those with Wolf Eyes to make the people of Chivwang Plains suffer?” Jin Yue laughed. “Your deities are merely so-so.”
The Grand Wizard grasped his wrist and, with a clink, locked iron cuffs on both wrists. The cuffs were linked by chains, which were deeply embedded in the wall. Jin Yue was now imprisoned within the Heavenly Observatory.
“Child, you are so clever—why not guess further why you are here in the Heavenly Observatory?” the elder asked softly.
Jin Yue sensed no ill will from the Grand Wizard and even felt a strange sensation: the Grand Wizard pitied him. The elder before him might not fathom fate, but he already understood life and death. In his eyes, Jin Yue was not a man of Dayu, not a slave of Yetai, but merely a teenager. The elder saw his own past in the boy, while Jin Yue, gazing at the Grand Wizard’s face, faintly perceived his own coming fate.
“The Heavenly Lord of Northern Rong wants you to decide whether I should be killed?”
The Grand Wizard sighed deeply. “There is a saying in Northern Rong: an eagle that takes flight too early cannot return to its nest. If a person is too clever, their life will surely be difficult.”
Jin Yue’s heart suddenly lightened. The fact that the Heavenly Lord still needed the Grand Wizard to judge his fate meant he wasn’t ready to kill yet. Jin Yue went straight to the point: “So, what do you think? Should I be killed?”
The Grand Wizard met his gaze without evasion. “Yes.”
Jin Yue nodded. “This is my fate?”
Grand Wizard: “Yes.”
Jin Yue hid his hands within his sleeves, sitting straight. He wore the garb of a Northern Rong slave, yet his long hair was not braided according to Northern Rong custom, remaining in the Dayu style.
The Grand Wizard started involuntarily, sitting up straighter. Before him, the young man wore a faint smile, his dark eyes reflecting the flickering firelight within the tower, shimmering like stars.
Jin Yue spoke word by word: “But I have never believed in fate.”
Helan Feng released his grip and staggered to his feet. His hands were covered in blood, initially warm, now growing thick and cold.
He had killed someone—two, in fact. His ears buzzed, his mind forcing him to recall the sensation of killing, yet simultaneously ordering him to stay alert: one attacker remained!
The injured swordsman truly charged at him. Wounded in the shoulder, his blade strokes weakened, but Helan Feng, dazed, was too slow to evade. His chest was slashed open, tearing both clothes and flesh. The swordsman then kicked him in the abdomen, sending him flying and crashing hard to the ground.
A decapitated corpse lay beside him—an archer, his quiver nearly empty, holding only one black arrow with white fletching. Yet Helan Feng recognized that bow: years ago at the Langsai Tournament, he had seen the Azure Deer tribe use such a bow, its entire body black and red, carved with intricate patterns of a wolf pack in pursuit.
This was a bow only the imperial palace guards were permitted to use.
The swordsman threw himself over the dead swordsman’s body, shouting, “Brother!” Helan Feng shook his head. He saw the swordsman rise again, dragging his blade, heading toward Awa. They did not care whether Helan Feng lived or died—their target had always been Awa alone.
Helan Feng also heard Awa shouting— “Gaosin man! I allow you to use that arrow!”
The Gaoxin wolf-cub knelt on his left knee, his right knee on the ground, blood flowing freely from the wound on his leg. Moonlight illuminated his thick brown hair and pale blue-green pupils. Drawing the white-fletched black arrow from his quiver, Helan Feng’s heart pounded wildly: he had not been mistaken—this was the Wolf Arrow.