Chapter 44: Flying Sand (I)

Li Kuo spread his arms and, for once, pulled a face at Zhang Yanji.
Seeing Li Kuo act like this, Zhang Yanji widened his eyes in disbelief—he couldn’t believe such behavior came from his brother Kuo. In Zhang Yanji’s eyes, Li Kuo seemed to have changed ever since he arrived in Anxi.
He was no longer joking around with his comrades as before; instead, he became serious and reserved. He no longer readily agreed to requests from high-ranking officers but would carefully weigh the pros and cons before making a decision.
He had become more pragmatic, more profit-driven—more like a frontier general!
There was a time when Brother Kuo, along with his childhood friends, practiced military drills in the training grounds of Chang’an City, holding wax rods and enduring the scolding of instructors and the harassment of frontier generals. There was a time when Brother Kuo, together with his close friends from Chang’an, fought bravely for the justice of Dezi and Xiao Liu, even at the risk of offending the powerful. There was a time…
Zhang Yanji suddenly missed those days filled with sweat and tears. Though those times were harder and more exhausting than now, they gave him an extraordinary sense of joy.
But ever since Brother Kuo came to Anxi, he had to worry about various military affairs and countless civil lawsuits. He thought more, took on more responsibilities, and naturally, gave more in return. He could tell that Brother Kuo was forcing himself to change—to become more like a high-ranking official, more like a decisive leader. He knew this transformation was extremely painful for Brother Kuo, but he couldn’t do anything to help; he could only watch…
He was afraid that one day Brother Kuo might become as cold-hearted and profit-driven as Yang Zhao or Li Linfu. If that happened, even if Brother Kuo became a high-ranking minister, what good would it be? If that happened, he would rather go back to the days when he studied at the Imperial Academy!
It wasn’t until today that he realized Brother Kuo hadn’t changed—his heart hadn’t changed at all! He was still the same Brother Kuo who cried and laughed with everyone, only now his name was preceded by a series of titles!
External appearances are just disguises. As long as one’s inner convictions remain unchanged, what we once guarded together will never disappear.
Zhang Yanji didn’t know how long it had been since Brother Kuo had relaxed like this—maybe half a year, or a year? His nerves were too tense; he needed time to rest!
“Brother Kuo!”
Zhang Yanji suddenly stood up and threw himself into Li Kuo’s arms. “Brother Kuo, you haven’t changed. That’s great, really great…”
“Pfft!”

Li Kuo was amused by the boy’s exaggerated actions and laughed, shaking his head repeatedly. “Of course I haven’t changed. Uh, loosen up a bit—I can’t breathe.” Li Kuo was tightly wrapped around the neck by Zhang Yanji, and unable to breathe, he slapped Zhang Yanji’s back several times hard. “Oh!” Only then did Zhang Xiaolangjun realize his mistake and quickly stepped back, saying, “I, I…” “No need to explain. I already know you!” Li Kuo gently tickled Zhang Yanji’s nose and smiled helplessly. Zhang Yanji quickly pushed Li Kuo’s hand away. “Brother Kuo, I’m already so grown up!” By then, two rosy patches had appeared on Zhang Xiaolangjun’s pale cheeks, looking just like two cooked red-skinned eggs. “Commander, commander! The brothers have prepared the food. Hehe, it’s excellent rice porridge—come and have a bowl!” Pu Dachui waved his hand and ran over from afar. When he got closer and saw Zhang Yanji beside Li Kuo, he couldn’t help but glance over. “Huh? Brother Zhang is here too? Why are there so many tears on your face? Oh! Could it be… hehe, I’d better leave quickly so as not to ruin your moment. Keep chatting…” Pu Dachui’s mouth was stretched wide like a bowl, revealing two rows of yellow teeth, with many undercooked rice grains stuck between them. “Dachui, stop talking nonsense!” Li Kuo knew he was misunderstanding things and glared at him fiercely. “You didn’t even call me even though the food is ready. I think your ‘personal guard’ is itching for punishment. I should send someone to beat you dozens of times to tighten your flesh!” Li Kuo joked by patting Pu Dachui’s body and threatening him. “Commander, spare my life! Please spare my life!” Pu Dachui pretended to cry out in pain and begged for mercy. “Enough. Since the porridge is ready, let’s stop talking nonsense here. Come on, let’s go drink it!” Li Kuo shook his head with a wry smile and strode toward the camp not far away… Late at night, in the palace of Kuixi City. A red candle suddenly lit up the pitch-black room, its orange glow instantly illuminating the entire space. A armored soldier carrying a sword hurried into the room and knelt down in front of a golden statue in human form. “Your Majesty, the king, Ruitaiel has fulfilled your trust. He found a group of lost lambs fifty miles outside Kuixi City.” The soldier named Ruitaiel stretched out his words deliberately, adding a rolling tone to win the king’s favor. Everyone in Kuixi City knew that the king loved to talk to those who could speak with a rolling tone, believing them to be wise men sent by God to the world.

“Oh? They must pass through Quixi City?”
The voice came from the golden statue, carrying a clear hint of delight.
“As you wish, my Majesty!”
Raitel lowered his head even further, causing his waist to tighten and his hips to arch naturally, turning his entire body into a round, plump ball.
“These lost lambs have offended the majesty of Allah, yet they fail to recognize their mistake. Now they intend to pass by the city of Allah’s Son. It’s like a fox trying to steal some smoked meat left by a hunter by the road, carelessly stepping into a trap. My Majesty, I implore you to convey Allah’s will and capture all these lambs!”
Raitel’s greatest strength lay in his ability to deliver even the most ordinary sentence as if reciting the Quran, without any pauses. Of course, this also catered to the King’s preferences.
“Oh, no, no. Raitel, though your long sentences are so beautiful and graceful, reminding me of the distant Sgar Snow Mountains.”
After a brief pause, the King turned around, revealing the only face visible on his body. He hadn’t worn this golden armor in a long time, and it now felt somewhat tight.
Hmm, this armor is stuck in my armpits and really uncomfortable; it seems I need to make some adjustments!
“Though it is beautiful and graceful, ah! Just like the Sgar Snow Mountains. But it seems too complicated, obscuring the actual meaning of the words. I can hardly understand what you’re trying to say.”
The King shook his head and said, “Of course, I don’t want to hear you repeat it. I just want to see these lambs locked in my cage, awaiting Allah’s judgment.”
“I’ll act immediately upon your command!”
Raitel lowered his head, which he had slightly raised, and responded with a whining sound like an old dog.
“Go now. Well, my most trusted Raitel, hurry and retrieve Huurl’s handwritten document for me. I can clearly feel that this armor no longer fits properly.”