Chapter 70: Revival (II)

On a low hill not far from the Talas River, dense clusters of black dots were in motion.
The clinking of horse hooves in the wilderness surely indicated an army.
However, it was difficult to discern their true identity from their attire. Though they wore Tang Dynasty-style armor, it was stained with blood, and their hair was messy and greasy, resembling a chicken nest—far from resembling the neatly groomed Tang people. Moreover, the Governor of Anxi had just fought a decisive battle against the Arabs, and the defeated Tang troops were retreating eastward from the Talas River valley. How could there still be Tang soldiers heading west at such a critical moment?
If such an army existed, refusing to flee after defeat and instead fighting to the death against the Arabs, its commander must surely be insane!
There were many herders in this area, who moved with the seasons following the water and grass. This year, the Talas River had abundant water, allowing lush grass to grow, so they had moved from the region around Kulan City to here.
For them, whether the Tang sent troops or the Arabs took control, life continued as usual with no significant change. After all, no matter who ruled, even if taxes were imposed harshly, they wouldn’t be charged to these herders. If pushed to the limit, who didn’t have a sturdy curved knife?
The herders of the grasslands could become warriors once on horseback. Though they avoided trouble, they weren’t afraid of it either. But in situations like this, it was naturally not their place to intervene. It was just a slightly larger “caravan.” If the Arabs asked later, they could answer confidently!
Thus, as they moved through the scattered yurts, the army encountered no resistance at all.
“Brother Kuo, we’ve already passed the Sangjar Pass by fifty li. Why can’t we see even a single Arab?”
Zhang Yanji, worn out by the monotonous journey, complained while holding the reins with one hand. Since the battle at Sangjar Pass, they had traveled over fifty li. After encountering the “mountain elder,” they saw the “mountain grandson,” and crossed another grassland, yet they still hadn’t spotted a single Arab scout.
“Could it be… could it be that guy got the location wrong, causing us to travel in vain?”
“Impossible!”
Li Kuo interrupted, “Commander Gao clearly stated in his letter that they were heading from the Ussun Sea area toward Talas City. The Ussun Sea must be nearby. We’ve been following the map the whole way—how could there be a mistake?”

“But, but, why isn’t there any sign of the Battle of Talas at all? The Talas Valley is so vast—do we really have to search along the valley?”
It wasn’t really Zhang Yanji’s fault for being overreactive; there were simply too many places in the Talas area where battles could be fought, and General Gao hadn’t specified the exact location, so how could everyone know where to look?
“That letter was sent over a month ago—how could General Gao have predicted so much!”
Li Kuo found it amusing. Zhang Yanji could be quite heroic when brave, but when he acted foolishly, he was endearably silly.
“Hmph, in my opinion, the battle is probably already over. Otherwise, why wouldn’t there be any signs? And you, pushing everyone to hurry along, only to find that the battle is already over when we reach the vicinity of Talas. Well, whether it’s a victory or a defeat, it has nothing to do with us!”
Zhang Yanji spread his hands and deliberately raised his voice.
“Fools, nothing but fools!”
Zhou Wucai shook his head. “What a perfectly blue sky today!”
“What do you mean?”
As soon as Zhou Wucai spoke, Zhang Xiaolangjun sensed he meant no good, tensed up, and asked cautiously.
“Do you know why it’s so blue?”
Zhou Wucai smiled slightly, revealing the adorable dimples on his chubby cheeks.
“W-why?”
Although Zhang Yanji knew the boy was trying to trick him, he still couldn’t help asking.
“Because you’re too ‘naive,’ lazy guy!”
Zhou Wucai chuckled lightly and leaped off his horse.
“As for whether the battle is over or not, it’s not up to you to decide.”
Seeing Zhang Yanji’s annoyed and resentful expression, Zhou Wucai shrugged. “Of course, it’s not up to me either!”
“Hmph, that’s more like it!”
Zhang Yanji dismounted angrily and followed Zhou Wucai to see what he was up to.
“In my opinion, if a major battle takes place by a river, the river will surely be stained with blood. We just need to go to the edge of the valley and take a look—by the color of the river, we can tell how the battle is progressing. If it’s light red, it means the battle just started; if it’s bright red, it might be in full swing. And if it’s dark red, that means the battle is already over!”
Zhou Wucai ignored Zhang Yanji behind him and strode toward the nearby Talas River. This area was likely in the lower reaches of the river. Although the evidence supporting this theory wasn’t as clear as in the upper reaches, it was still possible to get a general idea.
“Is it really that mysterious? Don’t try to trick me, kid.”

Zhang Yanji shrugged skeptically and asked Zhou Wucui for an explanation. “Last time I went to Zhongnan Mountain with you, you lied to me, saying that by observing the stars at night one could predict one’s romantic fate, and that I would meet someone special within seven days. But along the way, I didn’t encounter anything but a nun with a face full of scars!”
Zhou Wucui didn’t expect him to still remember this and smiled awkwardly. “Uh… that was a miscalculation, a real miscalculation.”
After a brief pause, he emphasized, “But this time there won’t be any deception. We just need to go to the river valley and look down…”
By the time he spoke, Zhou Wucui had already reached the bank of the Talos River and leaned forward.
“Ah! Ah!”
Instead of letting out an exclamation as usual to tease Zhang Yanji, Zhou Xiaolangjun cried out in shock.
“What’s the big deal? Why such a fuss?”
Zhang Yanji thought Zhou Wucui was joking and didn’t pay much attention, walking toward the riverbank as well.
Only when he reached Zhou Wucui’s side and looked down did he understand why Zhou Xiaolangjun was so upset!
“It’s a corpse, a corpse… no, not a corpse, it’s…”
Zhang Yanji felt his stomach turn upside down, and the rice porridge he had drunk earlier came rushing up his throat.
There was a severed arm hanging from a protruding rock. Perhaps washed by the river for a long time, the bloodstains on it had been washed away, making it appear even paler and more eerie at first glance.
What was even more terrifying was that there wasn’t just one severed arm in the river! From afar, the once crystal-clear Talos River was filled with countless corpses and debris of people and horses. The once pure and sacred river now resembled a hellish realm!…