Chapter 14 The Night Meeting

　　Gumo was originally a vassal state of Guzi. 　　A hundred years ago, the king of Gumo was not willing to be a vassal, so he took over the defense of his own country and turned against Guzi. 　　The two countries have fought many wars and have won and lost each other's battles, which have continued to this day. 　　Unlike the trip to Shacha, this trip, travel and accommodation have been arranged by him, very different from a few years ago, the first fledgling overwhelmed. 　　As usual, Kaya was silent, silently riding a camel behind him, and only the tinkling of camel bells could be heard on the long road. 　　After that chance encounter in the early morning, the distance seemed to be a little more distant. 　　A distant wedding procession from the yellow sands, indifferent wind blowing up the bride's veil, red as fire, the wedding dress on the silver bell in the daylight flashing silver, and the wind together with the sound of broken light. 　　Jiayi's gaze was also attracted over, looking at that line of procession moving away, his pupils seemed to be reflected in the lush colors of dusk, blank and frustrated. 　　His heart felt like it was blocked by something. 　　Struggling to survive in such a cruel and dangerous environment, so that many coveted hands have no way to get their hands on her, how much she has really paid the price. 　　Clearly a child who walked alone. 　　Lonely and isolated, but never indulged herself in looking for support and enjoyment. 　　What conviction kept her going, he couldn't figure out. 　　"Shikari." 　　"Hmm?" 　　"What's it like in Jiangnan?" 　　"...... It's very beautiful, the city is full of light green, the lotus flowers that cover the lake are in bloom ...... sunny and rainy, the smoke and willows and painted bridges, and the long streets with all colors of hawking... ..." 　　The apricot blossoms and spring rain that can be seen by closing his eyes, and opening his eyes there is only the yellow sand of the desert that stretches for ten thousand miles. 　　He suddenly felt tired. 　　Jia Yu also did not speak again. 　　The light of the sky faded in the trek, replaced by brilliant stars. 　　Bonfires danced in the night, the roaring flames so intense that the wind sizzled. 　　There is a small oasis on the border between Gumo and Guzi, a small village living along the water, scattered with large and small houses, and the yellow sand drowned in one. The only water source within a hundred mile radius is the sweet spring gushing out from the desert, and there are travelers stopping to replenish their food and water. A group of rugged Western Region men unloaded their horses and gathered fire outside the village, set up an iron branch and roasted the sheep bought from the village, the nourishing grease constantly dripping on the red coals, and the aroma drifted extremely far. The rough laughter spread out, full of hilarity, and even attracted the children in the village to watch. 　　A young man with a slanting cloak and a smile on his hard and heroic face silently watched the crowd clamor and bustle. The lamb on the rack gradually turns golden, the man who holds the rack to turn the roast skillfully sprinkled with all kinds of spices, smeared with salt grains, the fat aroma induces people to salivate, a child of more than ten years old can't stop swallowing, can't help but raise his voice. 　　"Big brothers or go into the village, this will attract wild wolves." 　　A few hans laughed out loud, unimpressed. 　　"What are you afraid of, when the wild wolves come it's just the right time to beat and skin them, and you'll have your share for tomorrow." 　　"We're not afraid of the sandstorms in the desert, but we're still afraid of wild wolves." 　　"If you haven't killed a wolf, you're still a real man." 　　"The kid has a good heart, but it's a pity that he's a bit timid." 　　The teasing of every word made the child's face grow red and uncomfortable. 　　The youth at the side laughed and lightly rebuked, reaching out to summon the child to his side. 　　"Thanks little brother, there are too many of us, and the brothers are used to being rude, going in would rather disturb the quiet of the village." 　　"There are many wolves this season, and last time they took a lamb that was out grazing." The child mumbled a reply, "The village chief doesn't even let them go out of the village at night." 　　"Then you still run out?" The youth laughed at the drama. "Not afraid of your mother scolding you?" 　　"There are many of you, and you are at the entrance of the village, nothing will happen." The admonition could not stop the nature of the love of fun, the child smiled shyly. 　　"What's your name." 　　"Thorpe." Just as he finished speaking, a sudden, mournful howl rang out, thundering into his ears from the dark, dreary distance, and there was instant silence. 　　The child's face was suddenly white, and his lips quivered. 　　"It's a coyote!" 　　One after another, the wolf howled one after another, and the hans, silent, quickly led their horses to the fire in a circle, drew out their snowy sabers, and their gleaming gazes met the direction from which the sound had come. 　　"Don't be afraid, watch us kill the wolf." The youth rose to his feet as if faced with an exciting challenge, excited and cheerful. 　　The wolf's long and piercing cry, which traveled extremely far in the open desert, often attacked with howling packs, fierce and cruel, running like the wind, enough to make the timid tremble. 　　But this group of dusty men but all without fear, without conversation has been assigned the best attack and defense position, quiet in the concentration to wait, only to hear the wolf closer and closer to the horn. 　　Suddenly sounded a very sharp wolf howl, one of the hans showed doubt, crouched on the ground and listened to the side ear. 　　"What?" The youth asked in a deep voice. 　　"Someone." The hanyou answered as he listened, looking astonished. "Two horses are coming from over there, and that sound just now was the head wolf ordering an attack, so it seems the target isn't here." 　　The youth was silent for a moment and said faintly. "That's bad luck for them." 　　"Were they travelers making the night journey?" Thorpe's sympathy overcame his fear, "Is there any way to save them." 　　The youth shook his head and sat down. "It's too far and there are too many wolves, going there would only send a few more lives." 　　"But there are so many of you." And they all seemed so brave. 　　As he spoke, the child reddened, "The village chief said it's not easy to survive in the desert, and that helping each other is the only way to get by." 　　"You are a good child, the village chief is also right." The youth praised with his mouth, but in his eyes was a matter-of-fact coldness. "But I can't risk my brothers' lives to save irrelevant people. They all know how powerful the wolves are, and it's their own carelessness that they didn't make it here before sundown, so who can blame them." 　　The boy held back his words and stared blankly into the dark distance. 　　The cries of the wolves grew more and more urgent, and the man who spoke at the beginning grew more and more solemn. 　　"The wolves are in disarray, it looks like they've run into a hard spot, I wonder what kind of people can handle so many wolves at once." Voldy listened again, amazed. "And shielded the horse." 　　Thorpe listened half-heartedly, but knew the other man wasn't dead, and couldn't help but smile cheerfully. 　　The youth's gaze stunned for a moment. "Are you sure you heard correctly?" 　　"Never wrong." The hanyou replied with certainty. "The horse is coming this way." 　　Indeed, he heard it extremely accurately, and before long, figures appeared faintly in the distance, and two steeds, one in front of the other, came into sight. The person on the horse was wrapped in a white masked scarf, and drove extremely fast, and in the twinkling of an eye, he had already run close to the front. 　　"What a powerful horse control technique." He was able to escape from the wolves. 　　The youth unconsciously stood up, his sharp gaze fixed on the person on the horse. 　　The wolves followed near the horse, waiting for an opportunity to leap and attack, just as they approached it was like being hit by an invisible hand, falling from mid-air and twitching to death, the number of them getting smaller and smaller, gradually not daring to come forward. To see the prey stepped into the fire within the shroud, disheveled light whine, turned a few circles, unwilling to go. 　　The sound of hoofbeats got closer, finally stopped not far from the campfire. The person on the back of the horse leaped down, light and agile posture makes many years with the horse companion in the heart of the man drank a cheer. Unwrapping the cloth scarf around his face, he was a young man with sword brows and starry eyes. 　　Behind a person flat and no surprise dismounted, body size is small and thin, not as high as the chest of the Western Region Han. A pair of dark eyes silently surveyed the group of people by the fire. 　　"Sorry to disturb you all, it's really because the wolves are chasing too fast." The young man stepped forward and apologized according to the Western Region's etiquette, his clear voice completely devoid of any hint of nervousness of being in distress. 　　The youth by the fire rippled out a smile, his gaze reflecting the flames deepened. "My friend, what are you talking about, this kind of skill, but can move freely in the wild wolves, really admirable." 　　In the end, he was a child, and Thorpe came up with an adoring face. "How did you guys do it? Did you kill a lot of wolves and have to go into the village to rest?" 　　The teenager did not take the other party lightly for being a child. "No, we're just passing through to get some water, not going into the village, thanks." 　　"Go on in, the village headman will welcome you like heroes and will prepare many things to entertain you." Thorpe urged enthusiastically, desperately wanting to show off what he had just seen in front of his partner in good humor. 　　The teenager smiled and slipped over a piece of silver. "Could you buy some dry food from the village for us, anything at all." 　　Thorpe froze for a moment as he looked at the silver nugget in his hand, tilted his face up and nodded, scampering back to the village. 　　The other man in the distance didn't approach, tethering his horse to a tree and walking over to the lake to scoop up the water and wash his face, only a hazy back visible from the fire. 　　"Sit together if you don't mind." The youth suggested with a smile. "We're all travelers out here anyway, so we won't be too fussy and make do with a rest by the fire." 　　"Thanks for your kindness, we are used to traveling, no need to bother." The young man nodded courteously, politely and firmly declined this room's warm invitation, and walked over to the lake to raise another fire. 　　Indeed is the old-fashioned and skillful way to get a fire, and then unloaded the objects from the horse to get water to cook soup, spread two rolls of soft blankets on the ground, the action is clean and skillful. 　　After washing his hands and face, the thin figure sat down on the blanket, leaning against the tree and waiting for the water to open, motionless seems to have fallen asleep. 　　Two piles of bonfire opposite each other, a pile of grand eye-catching, the other pile compared to a small not worth seeing, the sound is also very low, completely coaxed by the coarse man's drink and laugh. 　　An accident past, mutton also roasted fire full, began to eat and drink, sheepskin soft bag of wine in a pair of hands in the pass, cut meat knife in the firelight shine, the western region of the Hanzi eating method is a feast, indulge and enjoy. Over there, however, it was as quiet as could be, and the food was extremely simple, so that the water gulped down the rough dry rations, and did not look more than once at the fragrance of the meat. 　　"What do they eat?" The youth asked Thorpe, who had wandered over to his side, seemingly offhandedly, handing over a piece of greasy meat. 　　"Jerky and pasties." Thorpe scratched his head, wondering why the other man didn't raise a fire and roast ready-made wolf meat. 　　"What did the man look like?" Always keeping an eye on the smaller man, he couldn't even see his face. 　　"Is that the little girl, you mean?" Thorpe smiled with a little red face. "Very good-looking." 　　"A little girl?" The youth froze. 　　"About my age, and I've never seen a girl so pretty." Thinking of the face, the child looked over so often that he could only see the faint glow of the fire. "It's like a snowy mountain nymph." 　　Young man, childish girl, desert night walker ...... such a body ...... 　　The youth pondered for a moment and lifted half a slice of roasted sheep and walked over. 　　"It's too hard to just eat dry food, isn't it, going out is being a friend, please try our handiwork." 　　The teenager stood up and took it without excusing himself. 　　"Many thanks friend, there's nothing to return, only wishes of the heart." 　　The youth smiled, his eyes skimming over the other man sitting slightly further away, surprised by the other's boyishness. "At your age, how is it that you travel the desert at night, and have no other companions?" 　　"Just the two of us." 　　"How can this be reassuring, the desert is dangerous and unpredictable, there are wolves and bandits, where are you going? Or will you travel with us for a while?" The youth spoke out in rebuke, as if admonishing with good intentions. 　　"We are going to Gumo to look for our uncle, this road is customary, there is no need to trouble you all." 　　"You are from Gumo?" The youth's gaze shot up, "Are ...... brother and sister?" The situation ...... of getting along was not like that. 　　"That's my lady." The youth corrected. "Something has happened at home, and I am escorting her to Gumo." 　　"Where did you come from?" 　　"Dunhuang." The teenager answered fluently. "Your honor is going?" 　　"We are walking merchants, often traveling between countries." The youth smiled brightly, exchanged a few more pleasantries, and turned back to the camp with a polite farewell. 　　The big man by the fire curiously approached, "Lord, there's nothing wrong, is there?" 　　"Can't see it for now." 　　"Will it ...... not be said recently that there are people coming from over there?" Didn't say it out loud, all know in their hearts where they are referring to. 　　"How can it be, if it will not bring such a small girl, that is not a burden." A man denied. 　　"Have you forgotten? The one who killed someone on the Shache Temple a few years ago was a child in her teens, and was said to be quite outstanding looking." The youth coldly reminded. "It might be the same one." 　　The companion trailed off, still thinking it impossible. "That was three years ago, and the age doesn't match." 　　The youth was quiet for a long moment. "Tomorrow pay attention to see where they go, really want to go to the Gumo is just, if to the Tortoise ......, a touch of sinister stern color swept past. 　　"Toward Guzi let them taste our means." The crowd understood. 　　"It is just right to catch that girl to take a closer look, fairy in the end looks like." 　　A roar of laughter, mingled with coarse, vulgar jokes, rose from the blurred figures sleeping by the fire. 　　The dunes to his left slid noiselessly down a fine wisp of dust, and a pair of dark eyes flickered slightly and quietly hid themselves.