Chapter 54: Mountains and Seas (7)

Sometimes, a kind word can inspire a weary traveler struggling through the Gobi Desert to keep moving forward; sometimes, a single glance can urge a comrade fighting in enemy ranks to raise his sword with determination.
What is a brother? A brother is not some drunkard who indulges in pleasure under the moonlight; nor is he a hypocritical scholar who preaches virtue but shies away from action. (Note 1) A brother is the older brother who offers his shoulder for you to lean on when you’re exhausted and desperate; a brother is the confidant who drinks with you to drown your sorrows; a brother is the guy who’s willing to fight for you without expecting thanks!
It’s easy to find gold when times are good, but hard to borrow even a bottle of wine when fortune wanes. Only those who offer help in times of need truly deserve to be called brothers!
Xian Yu Cheng felt a surge of courage. He stepped forward and swung his spear.
“Then let’s fight fiercely tonight!”
Born into a military family, he had a solid foundation in martial arts. From basic training to close combat and weapon usage, he had learned exceptional skills under the guidance of master instructors. Just the basic movements of using a spear took him three years to master. (Note 2) His precise movements left the Tibetan soldiers no chance to counterattack—only to defend themselves.
The Tang soldier felt warmth spread through his chest, and tears streamed down his face.
“Fight fiercely!”
What if they were doomed not to break through today? What if they would never see the sun again? At least, tonight they stood like men on this vast land, defending their dignity and that of their nation with their weapons.
Xian Yu Cheng felt as if divine strength flowed through his arms. He stepped to the side to create some space, then swung his spear horizontally. Most of the Tibetan soldiers carried swords, but before they could get close, their bellies were pierced by the sharp spear, sending out agonized screams.
“You bastard brats! I’ll fight you to the death!”
Since he had already survived by a miracle, the Tang soldier had no more burdens. He swung his sword with fierce determination.
With one long and one short weapon, working together front and back, they forced the Tibetan soldiers to retreat in panic.
Thud! The Tang soldier created a one-foot-long wound in the chest of a Tibetan warrior, and blood gushed out like boiling water.
“Not bad—real man. What’s your name?”
Xian Yu Cheng wiped the blood from his face and asked in his hometown dialect. At that moment, he felt as close to the Tang soldier as an old friend from Guanzhong.
“Huh?”
The Tang soldier was stunned, speechless.

“I asked you your name. Are you not from Guanzhong?”
Xianyu Yucheng lifted a Tubo soldier who had rushed forward and repeated loudly.
“Oh, my name is Laomu! I’m from Liangzhou!”
The Tang soldier finally caught the words through Xianyu Yucheng’s strong Guanzhong accent and replied cheerfully.
“Do you have a wife and children?”
“Of course! My wife is the second daughter of my father-in-law, and she gave birth to a chubby little boy for me. My father-in-law sells tofu, and that boy has skin as smooth as tofu.”
At this, Laomu laughed foolishly.
“Hmm, then you must get out alive—for your wife and child!”
“Yeah! General, you must get out alive too!”
“Since ancient times, Liangzhou has produced heroes. Don’t let people look down on you!”
Xianyu Yucheng took another difficult step forward and praised him.
“The general is the real hero!”
Laomu patted his chest, his eyes filled with admiration.
The Tubo centurion in charge of capturing Xianyu Yucheng was furious—his dozen men had been overwhelmed by just two Tang invaders, a situation that would make people laugh at the thought of it!
“Spearmen, use your spears to strike at their lower bodies hard. Kill that officer first—whomever takes his head will be rewarded with five hundred sheep!”
He could see that the Tang general wielding the lance was from a noble family, his movements precise and powerful, making the best use of the lance’s length.
In contrast, the Tang soldier with the sword, though much stronger, fought chaotically, swinging wildly without any strategy—purely brute force!
At this command, several Tubo spearmen jumped forward from behind, holding wooden poles with silver snakes at the end, aiming them at the boy’s lower body.
“Sssss!”
The silver “snake heads” hissed as they bit their prey, plunging their venomous fangs into the boy’s knees and calves, lapping up the bloody fluid.
“Ah!”
Xianyu Yucheng screamed in pain and collapsed forward.
“General!”
The Tang soldier pushed aside his curved sword and rushed to Xianyu Yucheng’s side, desperately slashing at the wooden pole at the back of the spear. But the pole, coated in tung oil, was incredibly hard—how could it be cut by a sword with a chipped blade?
The Tubo soldiers grinned viciously and pulled the spears back, forcing Xianyu Yucheng to stumble backward like a trapped beast.
“Damn you, Tubo brutes! Come at me if you’ve got the guts!”
The Tang soldier swung his sword at a nearby Tubo soldier, trying to ease some of the pressure on the boy.
“You overestimate yourself!”

The Tibetan centurion picked up a long spear and threw it at the Tang soldier. The spear traced a perfect arc through the air and landed precisely on the soldier’s back.
“Ugh!”
“Ugh!”
The Tang soldier was pinned firmly to the ground by the spear, letting out primitive cries of pain. He struggled desperately with his hands, seemingly trying to grab the sword that had fallen nearby.
“Lao Mu!”
Xian Yu Cheng, filled with grief and fury, mustered his last strength to throw the spear at the Tibetan centurion.
The Tibetan centurion never expected the young man to abandon his weapon. It was now too late to dodge; he could only instinctively bend to the side, resigning himself to fate.
The spear pierced his chest, tearing away a large piece of flesh. The centurion screamed in agony, clutching his stomach and cursing, “Kill him! Kill this little bastard!” The Tibetan soldiers, following orders, raised their steel knives to attack Xian Yu Cheng. Bound hand and foot by the spear, the young man could do nothing as the knives neared his face.
The young man closed his eyes, a bitter smile forming on his lips.
After a long while, the expected intense pain did not come. Xian Yu Cheng opened his eyes and looked around. He saw the Tibetan soldiers holding their swords fall to the ground one after another, with feathered arrows stuck in their backs.
“Lord Commander!”
Covered in blood, the young man could no longer hold back his emotions upon seeing Li Kuo and burst into tears.
“Where are you hurt?”
Li Kuo leaped off his horse and rushed to Xian Yu Cheng, lighting a torch.
In the flickering light, Li Kuo saw several spears embedded beneath Xian Yu Cheng’s knees, leaving him in shock.
“These bastards!”
The young man slammed his fist into the ground, raising a cloud of dust.
“Hold on. I’ll help you pull the spears out.”
After thinking for a moment, Li Kuo decided to remove the spears for Xian Yu Cheng. Prolonged penetration of weapons into flesh not only hindered bandaging and led to excessive bleeding but also caused the wound to fester and infect, threatening life.
Li Kuo tore a clean piece of white cloth from his undergarments and held it in his mouth. “Hold on. I’m going to pull them out!”
The young man pressed one hand on Xian Yu Cheng’s left leg and grabbed the spear embedded in his flesh. With a strong pull, he finally extracted one of the spears. Red-black blood gushed from the wound, soaking Li Kuo’s clothes.
Li Kuo quickly removed the cloth from his mouth and wrapped it tightly around Xian Yu Cheng’s leg several times.
“Hold on. It will be over soon!”

Although Xianyu Yucheng’s face was already pale, Li Kuo didn’t want to delay. Better quick pain than prolonged suffering—every extra second only added more agony to him! Following the same procedure, he pulled out several long spears and simply stopped the blood from flowing out of the wounds, finally letting out a sigh of relief. “It’s okay, it’s okay. I’ll take you home, Brother Kuo will take you home.” Seeing Xianyu Yucheng’s dazed expression, Li Kuo thought he was worried about his own injuries, so he smiled slightly to encourage his good friend. “Brother Kuo, Lao Mu… Lao Mu sacrificed himself to save me…” Xianyu Yucheng, wounded, rushed over to Lao Mu and held his cold, rough hands. By then, Lao Mu was already dead, his body icy cold, with a pool of black blood gathered on the ground beside his wound. The young man took out the leather bag from his waist and poured most of the strong liquor beside Lao Mu. “Brother Lao Mu, let’s have a drink together.” After saying that, the young man, with tears in his eyes, tilted his head back and drank the remaining liquor as if it were water. The scorching liquor burned his throat, his stomach, and his numb heart. His limbs and head trembled uncontrollably, and he felt the ground shaking side to side. The sky seemed dark as if pressing down on his chest, making him feel suffocated. Howls of wolves came from a distant valley. “Awoo!” “Awoo!” Suddenly, an unprecedented sense of loneliness and fear overwhelmed Xianyu Yucheng. He heard Lao Mu’s honest laughter in his ears again. “My wife gave birth to a really beautiful child—a chubby boy with skin as smooth as tofu…” But that laughter instantly turned into the mocking laughter of a vengeful spirit, mocking his stupidity and incompetence. The scene of the spear piercing Lao Mu’s back flashed through his mind, and he felt a bitter taste of blood rising in his throat, causing extreme discomfort. He staggered around Lao Mu’s body, his legs giving way, and he finally collapsed to the ground, vomiting violently. As he vomited, hot tears streamed down his face. He lay on the ground, banging his head against the hard ground while wailing, “Lao Mu, get up damn it… Didn’t we agree to live for your wife and child? Didn’t we agree to fight our way out together? Talk to me, okay? Talk to me… What am I supposed to do now? You’re dead! You’re finally at peace, but what about your wife and child? When will you be able to go home? Oh God…”

Note 1: Tuhou: Tuhou was a throwing game played by scholars and officials during banquets in ancient times. It was an activity characterized by calmness, composure, and strict adherence to etiquette. During the Tang Dynasty, many variations of Tuhou emerged, such as “Yi Er,” “Guan Er,” “Dao Er,” “Lian Zhong,” and “Quan Hu.” Tuhou, along with ancient Chinese football and Go, were all transmitted to Korea. According to the “New Book of Tang: Records of Goryeo,” “The rulers of Goryeo lived in Pyongyang, and the people there enjoyed playing Go, Tuhou, and cuju.”

Note 2: Building a foundation: This refers to the initial stage of learning, which is essential for those studying martial arts. The quality of practice during this stage directly affects future mastery in martial arts, which is why many wealthy families would hire renowned masters to guide their children.

Note 3: Inner garment: Also known as a lining garment, it is the shirt worn under Hanfu, serving to coordinate and complement the overall outfit.