Chapter 100: The End of the World (III)

After Li Huaizhong’s ridiculous performance, many soldiers of Kulan City, who had been deceived, threw down their weapons and stared blankly at their king.
What was going on? It was he who had called on everyone to turn against the Tang people and take up simple weapons to fight them, yet it was still him who now urged them to give up resistance and surrender to the Tangs. How could he play both the good guy and the villain in just one go?
In their eyes, the king was the messenger sent to earth by the fire god Ahura Mazda, meant to share weal and woe, life and death with the people of Kulan City. So why, when a mere curved sword was placed against his neck, did his knees bend and he collapse to the ground?
Shouldn’t the king be a leader who set an example for the people? Why was it so difficult for him to make the same choices as ordinary citizens and soldiers?
Confused looks turned toward Li Huaizhong, making the terrified king of Kulan blush red up to the roots of his neck. He tried to say something to restore his image in their eyes, but after a few mumbles, he lost his strength and desire to explain further.
What more could he say now? Should he explain to his soldiers that he had conspired with the Arabs to hand over Kulan City, so they could rightfully become their slaves?
Perhaps after this awkward performance, his sacred image among the people of Kulan City had been completely shattered.
But pride clearly wasn’t worth much. As long as he could survive and continue as their comfortable king, even if it meant kneeling before Gao Xianzhi to untie his boots, it was still acceptable.
After all, not everyone lived for dignity.
Li Huaizhong tried his best to stay calm to comply with He Runshi’s demands. Yet the man’s knife never stayed more than an inch away from his neck, preventing him from breathing deeply for fear that a slight shake of the wrist might cost him his life.
As long as one was alive, there was still hope for anything. But if dead, even mountains of gold and silver wouldn’t belong to him.
He didn’t want to die. He still had beautiful concubines waiting to comfort him. He couldn’t die—he hadn’t enjoyed his comfortable life enough yet!
“General Akbar, ah, no… General He, I’ve done everything as you ordered. Can you let me go now?”

Li Huaizhong, with extreme caution, winked at He Runshi and spoke softly. If conditions permitted, he would have immediately knelt down and paid him the highest respects, but right now his movements were restricted. Not to mention kneeling, even a simple nod might result in the blade cutting his throat.
“Stop talking nonsense. If you don’t want to go to heaven to join your Fire God, then be obedient.”
He Runshi wasn’t fooled by this tactic and snapped a cold reply.
“Ah!”
Li Huaizhong was shocked. He had thought the other party would release him after the soldiers of Julan City surrendered, but instead, they acted like thugs, resorting to kidnapping and extortion.
“Tell everyone to kneel down with their hands clasped together and not resist!”
He Runshi glanced at the dense crowd on the city walls and pressed Li Huaizhong further, ensuring everything went smoothly.
“Okay, okay! Kneel down, hands clasped, no resisting, no resisting!”
By now, Li Huaizhong was completely subdued by He Runshi. He would do whatever she said, never daring to think of defiance.
Although the soldiers were ashamed to make such a choice, Li Huaizhong was still the ruler of Julan Country, leaving them with no choice.
Without firing a single shot, He Runshi quelled the rebellion on the western city walls, sighing in relief.
“Li Kuo, it’s up to you now!” He Runshi clenched her left fist and sighed, looking at the massive forces of the Abbasid army outside the city. …
The loud sounds of drums gradually faded as dawn broke, and the battle on Julan City’s walls had long ended. After a night of fierce and even brutal fighting, the Anxi army finally held Julan City, preserving their dignity and pride.
All the dirty, vile, and despicable acts remained hidden in the darkness of night. With the arrival of light, the Anxi Tang army finally felt the long-absent warmth.
The morning sun spread warmth across Julan City, and the soldiers guarding each gate were filled with extreme joy at their victory. This victory held great symbolic significance for them. The crushing defeat at Talas dealt a severe blow to the Anxi army, which had not lost in any foreign wars in recent decades, severely damaging their confidence. But this victory in the defense of Julan City restored their spirit—the spirit of never giving up, no matter if the enemy outnumbered them or if the ruler of Julan Country betrayed them; the Anxi soldiers would fight to the last second!

In fact, the Arabs did indeed bet everything on the Western City. Li Huaizhong’s promises were far too tempting to ignore. Thus, their attacks on the Northern and Southern Cities were merely for show. As for the Eastern City, Abu Muslim didn’t even equip his troops with basic siege equipment like ladders and battering rams.

The focus of this battle lay entirely on the Western City and Li Huaizhong. So when He Runshi used the emperor as a pawn to command his troops, all of the Arabs’ hopes shattered in an instant. No one would open the city gates for them to achieve their ambitions; no one would cooperate with them to attack the Tang forces. They faced a highly united Anxi army, whose strict defenses and strong will left them suffocating. After a night of fierce fighting, Abu Muslim finally chose to withdraw his troops.

This was undoubtedly a sensible choice, yet also a painful one. After all, for the Arabs, their victory at Talas was achieved with the help of nearly a hundred thousand non-Arab soldiers. Moreover, Talas itself was under direct Arab control. The only outcome of the battle was the killing of over twenty thousand Anxi soldiers, weakening their main force. But in terms of the absolute number of casualties, the seventy thousand soldiers from the Arab coalition died far more than the Tang forces from Anxi.

Therefore, Abu Muslim pinned all his hopes on pursuing victory and capturing the four towns of Anxi. Only in this way could he prove his exceptional military leadership to the Caliph and Prince Mansur, and secure his rule over Transoxiana. But now, nothing of this was possible. The Tang forces, through a brilliant and heroic defense, taught him never to underestimate the determination of a Tang soldier!

The Anxi army’s tenacious will and unyielding fighting spirit undoubtedly impressed Abu Muslim greatly! As an enemy, he felt sorry for the Arab army and the Caliph, but as a soldier, he was proud to have such an outstanding opponent.

Now, Gao Xianzhi could safely lead the remaining troops to evacuate the four towns, while Abu Muslim’s reliance on speed advantage was gone. In other words, for the Arab Empire, the Battle of Talas merely served to defend their homeland—they failed to seize the four towns of Anxi as they had hoped!

Perhaps many years later, on some quiet night, Abu Muslim would still remember that fierce battle, remembering that young man in black armor standing atop the walls of Julan City…

Outside the north gate of Julan City, the evening wind blew gently.

When the sunlight on the city walls ceased to be faint, when old friends turned into piles of yellow earth, when the blood on the blades dried up, and when war disguised all sins under the guise of righteousness, all Li Kuo could do was “pour wine to repay his lord’s kindness.”

“I really didn’t expect you to come here.”

The young man tossed the leather bag to He Runshi and smiled slightly. The friendship between gentlemen is as pure as water, and his acquaintance with He Runshi could be described as remarkable. After all, his journey to Heshibei alone saved not only himself but also countless comrades, embodying the indomitable spirit of the Tang army in Anxi.

Pulling out the cork, He Runshi drank the turbid wine in one gulp and shrugged, “Would you believe me if I said I came all this way just to drink this bottle of wine?”

“I believe you!”

Li Kuo nodded in approval. “There are many people in this world whose intentions we cannot fathom. Perhaps Brother He is one such extraordinary person.”

He Runshi had single-handedly turned the tide of battle, securing a crucial victory for the Anxi army. Li Kuo felt he owed him a great debt. In fact, the young man had always doubted He Runshi’s true identity, and that doubt grew stronger after their chance encounter in Ashibei City.

He had never had the chance to confirm his suspicions, and now, upon meeting again, things turned out this way. He Runshi was no longer Akbar Hussein, the general sent by the Abbasid Empire to Ashibei City, but a Tang man—a Tang man worthy of respect by all the soldiers of Anxi.

“You must be wondering why I did this.”

With his hands behind his back, He Runshi gazed at the distant mountains. “Actually, people like me have lived in Samarkand for generations. Our memories of the Great Tang have long faded. If I weren’t yellow-skinned and black-haired, I might have forgotten entirely.”

Pausing for a moment, He Runshi continued, “I owe my gratitude to two people—one is Erwa, and the other is you. You both showed me that no matter where one lives or what religion they follow, their core nature remains unchanged. That resilience, that spirit of compassion—perhaps that’s why I chose to return. Or rather, it’s a call, a call from ancient wildness. We are all descendants of the Yellow Emperor and Yan Emperor. We all share the blood of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, don’t we?”

“A call from ancient wildness…”

Li Kuo silently repeated He Runshi’s words, momentarily stunned into silence.

“Where are you going?”

Realizing He Runshi had already walked away, the young man suddenly raised his head and called after him.

He Runshi turned his back and walked toward the narrow path, trampled countless times before, just as he had come alone and in silence at first.
“It doesn’t matter. No matter where I am, I’m still a Tang person. I’ve regained my ‘wildness’.”
He Runshi leaped onto the horse’s back and whipped it hard.
“Remember, you promised to take good care of Erwa.”
He Runshi glanced back and smiled slightly. “If anything happens to him, no matter how far you hide—whether at the ends of the earth or the corners of the sea—I’ll come after you. After all… this strong liquor of yours is truly damn good!”
The sound of the horse’s hooves gradually faded away as the sunset stretched the shadows, and the rider and horse eventually disappeared into the withering grass under the evening light.
When will you return?
Perhaps, it’s not just the memories of those pure and glorious days that are taken away by that bowl of rough liquor.
Volume 6: Huainanzi