Twilight War

05

Yuan Ran was filling a copper pot with water by the river, and behind him a group of traveling merchants were sitting around a bonfire.They are traveling traders who went to the north of the Great Wall to find animal bones.

Ever since Huangxuanjin fought a battle at Juyongguan and betrayed Donghuang, the snow north of Juyongguan has never melted.Even in August, there is a severe cold and wind knife, and the frost is thousands of miles away.

They said that too many people died, and the grievances of the dead turned into frost. When the traitor died, the snow would melt.

In the past, there were few people in the northern border, and now it is even rarer.Someone found the bone of a strange animal under the snow in the north of Juyongguan, and made a fortune by selling the animal bone, saying that the animal bone can be used as medicine, and if the animal bone is burned to ashes, the dying person can live for several days after taking it In the past, there was a wealthy businessman in the south of the Yangtze River who lived for several years by relying on the bones of exotic animals.

They are a caravan formed by a group of scattered merchants, ready to try their luck.

After filling the water, he took the copper pot and walked to a young man named Li Jin, who was from Jinling and came to try his luck.

He was about the same age as Li Jin, and they chatted quite well along the way.

"I heard that it's hard to find these alien bones. The snow in Juyongguan is full of white human bones and broken armor. You said that the battle of Huangxuanjin was so terrible that hundreds of thousands of people died. .” He squatted beside Li Jin and said.

"Let's say a few words, the boy from Huangxuan's family is amazing now." The leader of the escort, Li, glanced at him, "It was said that he disappeared from Huayin, but it turned out that King Fu had just sold the Northwest Five Cities for another." As the emperor, he returned to Chang'an. It is said that he is controlling a hundred-foot bone snake, and red bone flowers are blooming all over the city. When the flowers fall on people, whoever he wants to die must die."

Yuan Ran wanted to say that Huangxuan Jin was evil enough, but he couldn't help but think about the huge bone snake hovering over Chang'an, and the red bone flowers falling on Zhuque Street. He had never seen it before, but It might be as red as a poppy.He shook the water in the bowl, thinking that it must be a sad and grand picture.

"It is said that there is going to be a war again, and we are going to fight Vaner and Arthur." Captain Li

"How many soldiers are there in Donghuang? Don't let him be the scourge. Don't have another battle at Juyongguan. He killed everyone. As for myself, I ran to others and became a traitor." Yuan Ran explain.

"It will be a good fight." Li Jin said suddenly.

"Why are you still helping that traitor?" Yuan Ran clicked his tongue, complaining that Li Jin didn't follow him.

"The so-called war is nothing but a fire that burns for thousands of miles." Li Jin said in the light of the fire, the profile of the young man was so thick that it could hardly be melted in the flickering light.

"You don't want to fight, do you?" Yuan Ran looked at the boy and asked.

"Is there anything wrong with war?" Li Jin looked at him, Yuan Ran felt that only the most innocent people would have such eyes, but when a person can say this sentence with such innocent eyes, then he is the greatest. madman.

"It's getting late, go to bed." Captain Li stood up and said.

The journey was quite smooth, and the businessmen who came back in the past had never encountered the snow roar in the north and the wolves in the wild.On the fifteenth day of the night, they camped in the long-abandoned Juyongguan Pass.

Hundreds of black forehead bands are tied on the trees in the pass, like willows when the wind blows.

Yuan Ran led the long-haired horse and stood under the tree, feeling a little desolate in his heart.

"Thousands of 10 people died just like that." He sighed.

"I used to hear stories about the Huangxuan family." He followed Li Jin, who was also staring at the million-dollar forehead, and said, "It's a pity..."

"It's no pity, some left for a more grand return." Li Jin said.

Yuan Ran looked back at Li Jin, "Why do you always turn against me?"

Just as he was about to complain a few more words, he saw the boy's hand holding the rein was rubbed with blood, and the blood was stained on the rough hemp rein...

In the middle of the night, he got up in the middle of the night and was going to find Captain Li for a drink, and Captain Li took up a room that looked quite nice.However, the traveling merchants who came and went also almost destroyed the house, and half of the sandalwood sword frame was burned, so it is estimated that they did not know the goods.

This room is built like a watchtower, and you can even see the outside of the pass from the windows.I think it used to be the residence of the generals inside the pass, and those generals who took off their armor sat here, dressed in Donghuang Yanju clothes, brewing a pot of plum wine, looking at the wild grassland outside the pass, and at some point they would plan to A barbarian from a horse.

Yuan Ran looked at the half-burned sword frame with pity, thinking about what kind of sword could fit into such a sword frame, and what kind of person could waist this sword.

"Let's have a bowl of sweet potato roast, the night here is very cold." Captain Li sat on the ground and handed him a bowl of wine.

The two of them drank three jugs of wine in a short while.

"Did you hear the flute?" Captain Li asked him suddenly.

Yuan Ran shook his head, "Who would play the flute in this cold weather, you are drunk."

"I heard that too," he said suddenly after a while, "I'm drunk too..."

The two raised their heads and looked out of the window that had long since lost its pane.

It seems that the moonlight between heaven and earth falls here.

On the ruined city wall, a young man plays his flute under the moonlight.

The moonlight falls on the thousands of miles of white snow in front of Juyongguan. It should be a very quiet painting, but the moonlight and snow seem to be shaking.

"Xuexiao!" Yuan Ran said with wide-eyed eyes. He heard that there are often snowstorms in the northern region. If you encounter a snowstorm, you just need to stand quietly where you are.Because that will be the biggest scene of your life, and it will be the last.Thousands of miles of snow roared like a wave, and you seemed to be standing alone at the head of the river, watching the snow form mountains and seas.

Snow is much quieter than water, but when snow gets angry it is even more violent than water.

"It's not Xuexiao..." Li Biao frowned and said.

It was indeed not Xue Xiao, the Xue Xiao was vibrating like a wave, but the snow outside Juyongguan was vibrating as if it had been plowed.

Yuan Ran wanted to go downstairs quickly to see what was going on, but just as he walked to the door, he found that Li Biaotou was completely stunned.

"what happened?"

"Come and see."

Yuan Ran looked back out of the window.

Millions of monsters fell into the snow in the wind, and countless armored skeletons woke up from under the snow.

Someone beat the Kui drum, accompanied by the young man's flute.

Those skeletons woke up like bewildered children, but when the Kui drum sounded they became the most resolute army.

They took up their swords, even though their swords were long gapped.

In the white snow, two black banners of reversed double swords were raised, and the banners fluttered in the wind and snow.

"I swear that I will return with my soul, and my family and country will always be here..."

Escort Li couldn't help reading these words.

The young man played the flute at the gate, and tens of thousands of skeleton soldiers lined up under the city wall.

He wanted an army, an army that would fight where his sword pointed, an army that would be absolutely loyal to him.

Apart from the dead soldiers of the Huangxuan family, who else is willing to offer their bones for him in the end?

They are back.

The Huangxuan family is back.

Come, join me and burn this world that has drained your blood dry!

Burn up this world that has long forgotten you!

06

At the gate of Chang'an City, the owner of the noodle stall looked at the boy in front of him who had eaten four bowls of noodles.

The young man is handsome, but he did not expect to be so edible.The boy's clothes were tattered and heavy, so he might have come from the north.

Those fleeing from the north were reluctant to throw away their clothes, and would rather burn themselves to death in such heavy clothes.

He weighed whether to give the young man extra face, he was afraid that the young man would not be able to pay the money.

"Where did the guest come from, the north?" The boss asked tentatively, wanting to find out if the young man could afford to pay.

"North. I came here with quite a few people, but they walked slowly. I'm hungry, so I'll come over to eat a bowl of noodles first, and wait here." The young man picked out noodles again after speaking.

"Oh." The boss nodded. "There has been a disaster in the north recently, and the snow keeps falling. They all want to escape to Chang'an, presumably at the foot of the emperor. But now the people in Chang'an want to flee outside."

"But today the city gate is closed, and I don't know why."

"They all say that Huangxuan Jin is the tyrant of the Divine Phoenix, and will bring disaster."

The boy lowered his eyebrows and mixed the noodles in the bowl, "If someone saved tens of thousands of people, would you call him a hero?"

he asked suddenly.

"Of course it's a hero!" The boss quickly said, "That's a great hero."

"No, you won't. Because you don't even know. You don't even know that someone is bleeding where you can't see. Drain the blood," the boy said.

"That's because we don't know. If we knew, then he would definitely be included in the history books, and his stories are told on the streets and alleys."

"Yeah... you guys don't even know..."

"Okay, pay the money first." The boy took out an oilcloth bag from his waist, and unfolded the oilcloth bag, which contained more than ten copper coins.He picked out five copper coins from it and placed them on the table.

The shop owner knows that this kind of oilcloth bag is commonly used by traveling traders. After soaking the linen cloth with pine oil, put the copper wallet in it, and then put it on the waist.The edges and corners of the copper coins in the girdle can make those traveling merchants feel at ease.

Seeing the shabbiness of the young man, the shopkeeper couldn't help but feel a little sympathetic.But at least it paid for the meal.

"It's a good thing they don't have to eat. They can survive this journey." The young man said to himself, counting the remaining money.

The store owner was a little strange when he heard it, but was immediately attracted by the storytellers around him.

There was a storyteller on the street, and there was a sign in front of him, saying that there was a thief on the road, and he hoped that all the heroes would show their face and give him some money for the journey.

The boy threw three copper coins over, "Tell me about the iron lock case."

"The guest officer is talking about Huangxuan leaving jade in white clothes to cross the river and return in blood?" The storyteller bowed respectfully, "This master may not know, and now no one talks about Huangxuan."

"Speak about Qi Cheng!" Suddenly someone around said.

"Okay, then I'll start with Qi Cheng's gift to the moon." The storyteller accepted the reward.

"It is said that Qi Sheng was only sixteen years old and had not yet become famous. He rode through Wumeng and met a girl. The girl showed him the way, and he said to the girl, I don't have much now, but I have a The moonlight can be given to the girl. When I came here, I saw the full moon in the lake behind the mountain. I liked it very much, so I gave it to the girl. Miss, don’t forget to get it on the fifteenth day of the bright moon.”

The storyteller said with a clever smile that the counselor and lobbyist who traveled across 24 countries once gave the girl a piece of moonlight.

What a spirit, what a madness.

It is said that before his death, Qi Cheng once drank a horse from the Yellow River. He suddenly remembered that girl back then, so he rode his horse to Wumeng, and finally saw an old man with white hair.He got off his horse and asked the old man if he could receive that piece of moonlight...

In the end, he led his horse to the Mingyue Lake. It was a fifteen-month night.

He said that Jiangnan and Jiangbei are crisscrossed, and in the end, there is nothing but a pool of moonlight...

Everyone praised, but the young man sat at the table with his head tilted, as if he was aggrieved.

"Has no one mentioned Huang Xuan?"

He looked at those listeners, "Does anyone want to listen to Huangxuan?"

No one answered him, they were still listening to Qi Cheng and Ji Qianzhong's first meeting.

The boy tapped the table with his chopsticks, "Does anyone want to hear about Huangxuan?"

He raised his head, his eyes were mournful, like a crazy actor, he looked at a six-year-old boy looking around, "Do you want me to tell you about Huangxuan?"

The boy was a little shy and dared not speak.

The boy smiled, "Come and let me tell you."

"You and I will break the prison of the founding father, and I will tell you about the night talk at Xuanhu Temple!" The young man suddenly stood up from the bench, he was in rags, "I will tell you about crossing the river in white clothes and returning home in blood! Banquet of sweet osmanthus! You and I will send half of the Jianghu to the battle of Chisong!"

He is like a drunken imperial concubine, and also like a witch who worships the sky.

"Which one do you want to listen to? I'll tell you!"

Everyone looked back at him one after another, thinking that he was a lunatic.

The store owner was also a little panicked, since it looked fine just now.

"Then... let's listen to the Osmanthus Banquet." The little boy said timidly.

"Osmanthus banquet..." The young man suddenly lost his mind and said: "Osmanthus banquet, I forgot. I can't say it. I forgot..."

He is like a Yanshi whose clockwork has been pulled out of the hands of a Yanshi craftsman.

Everyone concluded that this must be a lunatic.

"What are you doing here?" Seeing that he was a lunatic, it was pitiful, and everyone gathered around, "Where is your family?"

"I'm waiting for someone."

"Wait for who?"

"Waiting for a lot of people. My family. People who danced with me in the spring day." The boy said.

He was pushed and shoved by the crowd, staggering.

In the confusion of figures, the child just now suddenly raised his head, looked at him and asked, "Is the boy from the Huangxuan family born a hero?"

The boy froze for a moment, then laughed again. There were noisy voices around him, but he heard the child's words clearly.

"Yes, the youngsters of the Huangxuan family should be born heroes."

Suddenly, the earth shook and the wind howled.

The boy looked at Fengchen in the distance and said, "The person I was waiting for has arrived."

People turn back.

On the official road in Chang'an, an endless line of troops came with dust and dust. Their armor was torn, but they were by no means broken.Everyone can feel the momentum of swallowing thousands of miles like a tiger.No rout can have such momentum.

The blood-stained banner of Ni Shuangjian rustled in the wind.

The army approached, and they saw the army clearly.

Bones, under the armor are all bones...

Suddenly, the lacquered city gate behind everyone opened wide!

Behind the city gate were the heavily armored General Tianquan and the twelve iron guards. Their armor was the most precious black iron armor. Those people who had never seen such a battle knelt down in panic.

General Tianquan got off his horse with twelve guards, knelt down in front of the crazy boy, "Welcome Your Majesty!"

"Congratulations, Your Majesty!"

Hundreds of people shouted.

But the boy didn't look at them, he chuckled and looked at the skeleton army in the distance.

"Are you the tyrant of the Divine Phoenix?" the child raised his head suddenly and asked, and the adults beside him quickly covered his mouth.

Huang Xuanjin turned around and looked at the child, then nodded.

"But you only have two eyes, and only one mouth." The child pulled the adult's hand, and he suddenly became bold.

"They say you have three eyes and two mouths, and you can eat children. You let your officers and soldiers come out every day to catch crying children."

"But I only have two eyes." Huang Xuanjin bent down and looked at the child.

He closed his eyes, his eyelashes straight.

When he opened his eyes again, his eyes were like molten gold and glass, burning flames and changing dreams.

The child screamed and covered his eyes.

The so-called burning pupil at dusk is exactly that.

Huang Xuanjin closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, they turned black again.

It's like the color after everything has been burned.

He helped up the imperial chariot with the copper bell hanging on it, and then boarded the four-horse chariot. He took the reins from the attendants and rode the four-horse horses into the city.

"You haven't told me about the osmanthus banquet yet!" the child suddenly called out behind him.

"It's not necessary." Huangxuan Jin said on the Chexuan: "Remember me! You only need to remember me!"

"I am Huangxuan Jin!"

"In the past I took a car from Kunlun to Fusang; in the past I chased the sun and drank all the rivers and rivers!" The young man shouted and galloped across the fifty-foot Suzaku Street.

The bone snake hovering over the Zichen Palace heard the sound of Che Xuan running over the sandy road, and it meandered through Chang'an's sky, which seemed to be suppressed by countless dark clouds.

The torn fur on the young man was blown up in the long wind.

He is back with his host of hosts!With hosts that would lay down their bones for him!

Behind him is the great twilight that follows him...