Chapter 1 : Disaster Strikes
1: Disaster Strikes
The sixteenth year of Pingyuan was an extremely turbulent time. From the imperial court down to the martial world and common folk, chaos reigned everywhere.
In the royal court, various factions watched as the emperor's health steadily declined and began openly and covertly battling for the position of crown prince. Regional powers grew restless, and barbarian tribes beyond the northern borders eyed the empire like hungry tigers.
The martial world was equally unsettled. Righteous and evil sects stood at daggers drawn, with constant disputes large and small. First, the Falling Shadow Sect, the foremost evil sect, began capturing young children from among the common people, using their heart's blood to refine medicinal pills.
When news spread, the martial world erupted in outrage. Denunciations rose from all sides. Soon after, the major sects joined forces to form an alliance and launch a united campaign. That same year, the alliance led by the Heavenly Pole Sect successfully defeated the Falling Shadow Sect. Its followers were wiped out entirely, and the sect master Shi Qinghan was gravely wounded and disappeared without a trace. Thus, the martial world welcomed a surface peace.
But our story begins with the alliance of sects that formed to crusade against the Falling Shadow Sect.
......
In the fourth month of the sixteenth year of Pingyuan, in a small village called Huailiu in the northwest region, a white haired village elder gathered all fifty six villagers together. They were discussing which family's young boy to hand over to the Falling Shadow Sect's Black Armor soldiers tomorrow. Yet faced with such a heavy decision, everyone present fell into dead silence.
Finally, a woman could no longer contain herself and began to sob. The man beside her pulled a long face and shouted roughly, "What are you crying for? You wretched woman, you know nothing but crying. Shut up!"
The woman looked delicate, but her temper was anything but weak. She stopped crying at her man's shout, but then shrieked back at him, "What's wrong with me crying! I'm crying because my son's fate is unknown. As his mother, I'm so worried I can't eat or sleep. Am I not allowed to shed a few tears for my child now?! At least I'm better than you as a father! You can't even protect your own son. Sent to that Demonic Sect, and now who knows if he's dead or alive. Wang Zhuang, let me tell you, if my son doesn't come back, I won't live either. You've been useless down there for a long time anyway. Just let your old Wang family line die out completely!"
As soon as the woman finished speaking, the Wang man stood up, his neck and face flushed crimson. His private secret had been exposed for all to hear. Overwhelmed with shame and fury, he raised his hand and slapped the woman to the ground, roaring, "You damn woman, stop spouting nonsense! You wretch, I think you haven't been beaten enough. Today I'll beat you into submission so you know who's in charge!"
Saying this, the man rolled up his sleeves, clenched his fist, and prepared to strike the woman's face. But in the next moment, his arm was grabbed.
The man turned his head and glared at the one blocking him, shouting, "Old Man Fu, stop meddling in other people's business. Let go!"
The man called Old Man Fu had graying temples, but his stature remained tall and broad, clearly a man still in his prime.
His expression was peaceful as he advised in a negotiating tone, "Sister Wang here was just desperate with worry for her child and spoke in anger. In reason, she is your wedded wife, and you shouldn't take out your so called manly pride on her. In right, as a grown man, you certainly shouldn't be competing with a woman for dominance. By both reason and right, you should calm down now and put away that fist."
His words clearly gave Wang Zhuang a way out. Though Wang Zhuang could barely read a few characters, he had enough sense to recognize this. The villagers already disliked him, and now everyone was looking at him with contempt. He could only snort heavily, turn around, and leave.
Old Man Fu signaled to his wife at his side. Madam Fu understood and walked over to help Sister Wang up, whispering words of comfort.
After this commotion, everyone's expressions grew even darker. Most of the men frowned and lowered their heads, their faces a mixture of resentment and helplessness. The women all looked sorrowful, tears streaming down their faces.
The cause of all this could be traced back to after the Lantern Festival. This northwest region was territory where the Falling Shadow Sect had taken root. In past years, apart from occasionally harassing the famous righteous sects and causing minor troubles, the Falling Shadow Sect almost never disturbed the common people. However, after the Lantern Festival in the thirteenth year of Pingyuan, groups of black armored figures began appearing in various counties and towns throughout the northwest. They called themselves Falling Shadow Sect envoys and demanded young boys from the common people to expand their sect's numbers. Those who complied received a modest compensation. Those who refused were slaughtered on the spot, their blood splattering everywhere. Their methods were extremely cruel.
This matter threw the common people into panic. The government office sent guards to station at the city gates, forbidding anyone from entering or leaving. But that very night, the county magistrate had his throat slit and died from blood loss, his body hung from the government plaque for all to see. This terrified the provincial governor. He packed his valuables overnight and fled to the capital, claiming the matter was grave and required reporting to the imperial court to send reinforcements to suppress the threat. But the people waited desperately for over half a month, and not a single reinforcement arrived. The imperial court was consumed by the struggle for the crown prince. Who had time to care about this small northwestern border region? From then on, the people here completely lost the imperial court's protection and could only be slaughtered at will.
At first, everyone could comfort themselves that they were just sending their children to learn martial arts. Even if it was a Demonic Sect, at least they taught combat skills. Better than losing their lives. So they sent away their young boys on schedule. But later, a rumor began spreading among the people that the Falling Shadow Sect wasn't actually taking boys to teach them martial arts at all. They were using their heart's blood to refine medicine.
When this news broke, the entire martial world was shocked. The master of the Heavenly Pole Sect denounced the Demonic Sect members as inhumane and insane. Afterward, the Heavenly Pole Sect united with other sects to form an alliance and decided to jointly crusade against the Falling Shadow Sect. However, after the grand mobilization ceremony in the third month, the martial alliance still hadn't set out. They delayed and delayed until mid April.
The people's hopes were dashed one by one. Their faces turned ashen with despair. Some even abandoned their property and land, taking their entire families to flee to distant places for refuge. But when the city gate guards saw them with their big bundles and entire families in tow, and learned they came from the northwest border, they shook their heads and refused. They said they didn't accept refugees and wouldn't allow them to enter the city. Thus, their last hope for survival was cut off.
Today was the final deadline for Huailiu Village. They needed to select two young boys to hand over to the Black Armor soldiers by tomorrow. Before this, their village had already sent away nine boys. Now the entire village only had two male infants in swaddling clothes and two boys around seven or eight years old. One was the Zhang carpenter's only son, and the other was Old Man Fu's young son. In truth, they had no choice, but no one could bring themselves to voice this cruel decision.
The old village elder coughed heavily twice, his expression filled with grief and helplessness. "Let Yuanhu and Jiaxu go."
A woman in the crowd fainted on the spot. This woman was the Zhang carpenter's wife. The carpenter held her, tears streaming down his own face, his mouth trembling but unable to utter a single word of refusal.
He had fathered a son late in life. At sixty years of age, he finally had a son, only to face the prospect of a white haired man burying his black haired child. How could he accept this? To defy the order would mean his own death, which he could accept. But he couldn't bear to watch his wife, who had followed him for most of her life, die with him.
Old Man Fu paced back and forth, his back straight as a rod. After a while, he stopped and said with a solemn expression, "Continuing like this isn't a solution. There's a limit to how many boys the village can send away. Who can guarantee that after the Demonic Sect finishes collecting boys, they won't start taking girls too? And when all the children are taken, will they then conscript the grown men? Greed is endless. Our constant submission and retreat only buys temporary peace. No one can guarantee they'll stop."
"So what do you think we should do?" The old village elder waved his cane and asked in return.
"Relocate the entire village." As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd showed no reaction, because Old Man Fu had proposed this idea before.
But no city would take them in. Abandoning their property and land only to end up displaced and dying in a foreign land, for people deeply attached to returning to their roots, this was absolutely not the best choice. Even if they died, they wanted to die on the land that birthed and raised them.
Old Man Fu naturally understood everyone's concerns. He continued to persuade, "If no city will accept us, we'll build our own. The world is vast. There must be a place where we can settle. If we go further north, there's plenty of land. We can spend some time clearing fields and building houses. In a few years, we can create another Huailiu Village!"
He spoke with genuine sincerity, but the old village elder just glanced at him and shook his head repeatedly. "Further north is so desolate. The land is barren. How is that a place for humans? We probably wouldn't even have clean water to drink. Fu Ming, I know you mean well for everyone, but right now, apart from sending the children, there is no other way."
"I am the village elder. I have to think about everyone in the village. You don't want to see Huailiu Village end up completely slaughtered, do you?"
Old Man Fu fell silent, his fists clenched tight.
The atmosphere in the gathering fell into heavy silence once more. Just then, a clear voice of indeterminate gender suddenly rang out from the distance.
"I'll go!"
Old Man Fu's brows immediately furrowed. He turned to look at his eldest daughter running toward him, Fu Peibai.
He called her his daughter, but the village had always treated the Fu family as having two sons. The reason was simple. Fu Peibai, at sixteen years old, didn't look like a girl at all. She wore coarse hemp clothes year round and played with the village boys, catching fish and hunting birds. Her originally fair skin, inherited from her mother, had been tanned dark from the sun. Only her eyes remained bright.
Even in a remote mountain village like theirs, they wouldn't raise a girl to behave this way. Even if she didn't study, she should be taught some needlework and raised to have a gentle and quiet temperament. Yet Old Man Fu paid no attention to his daughter and let her run wild.
Fu Peibai ran closer, bent over with her hands on her knees, and panted, "I'll go. I'll go in Jiaxu's place." When she looked up after speaking, she smiled freely, revealing a row of gleaming white teeth. Anyone watching would think she was rushing to some wonderful place. But this was clearly a death mission.
Old Man Fu had just started toward Fu Peibai when the tall, thin girl nimbly dodged to the other side of the crowd. She grabbed the shoulder of a brawny man in front of her, stood on tiptoe, and called out to her father from across the distance. "Don't come over here, Dad. You can't hit your daughter in broad daylight."
Old Man Fu was so angry his jaw clenched tight. He forced a smile and said, "I won't hit you. Just come over here first and go home with your mother."
"I'm not going back. I know what you're all discussing. You're planning to send away Yuanhu and Jiaxu, right? I told you, I'll go in Jiaxu's place!"
"Ridiculous!" Old Man Fu finally lost his temper and shouted.
The old village elder slammed his cane heavily on the ground and shook his head. "Stop this nonsense, Little Bai. They specifically want young boys. How can you, a girl, go in their place?"
Fu Peibai stiffened her neck and replied with full confidence, "I'll just disguise myself as a boy. Since I'll die either way, what does it matter if I'm discovered? Even if it's a mountain of swords and a sea of fire inside, even if it's the deepest hell, I'm going in Jiaxu's place!"
At this, everyone was startled by the teenage girl's bold declaration.
The old village elder sighed deeply, still thinking it impossible. But the Fu family had to send someone. Whether it was a daughter or a son wasn't his decision to make. He would let Old Man Fu decide for himself.
"Fu Ming, choose one. Jiaxu or Peibai."
Old Man Fu's face was rigid. After a moment of silence, he announced loudly, "I won't send away any of my children. Tonight, I will take my family and leave this place. We'll head north and exit the border."
As soon as he finished speaking, a man stood up and shrieked, "No! If you leave, those Black Armor soldiers will hold us collectively responsible. The entire village will die! You can't be this selfish, abandoning the lives of the whole village. You can't leave!"
Though heartless, these words were the truth.
Old Man Fu closed his eyes for a moment. His face turned iron gray. It had been sixteen years since he hung up his armor and went into hiding in Huailiu. He had long integrated into this village. He had grown attached to the mountains and waters, the neighbors and fellow villagers. If he were heartless, he would have taken his family and fled to safety long ago. He had stayed and offered kind advice because he couldn't bear to see his fellow villagers slaughtered. But now, disaster had reached his own family. No matter how kind and compassionate he was, he couldn't just watch his child walk to certain death.
"Tonight at the hour of the rat, I will take my family and leave heading north. Those willing to come, gather at the village entrance at that time. I, Fu, dare not guarantee anything else, but as long as I have a mouthful of food to spare, I will share it with you. I will not go back on my word." After saying this, Old Man Fu grabbed Fu Peibai and walked away without looking back.
The crowd could only watch the family of three's long shadows stretching out in the setting sun.
......
Night fell. Dark clouds hung heavy in the sky, obscuring stars and moon alike.
Inside a farmhouse in Huailiu Village, three men were furtively discussing something. One of them was the man who had earlier harshly forbidden Old Man Fu from leaving. This man had a sharp face and a weasel like appearance that suggested ill intent. His subsequent actions indeed proved that appearances reflect the heart.
He produced a packet of powder from his chest and poured it into a wine jar.
A man beside him asked in a low voice, "Old Six, are you sure this drug will work? That Old Man Fu knows martial arts. If we fail, we're in for it."
The man called Old Six smiled smugly. "Don't worry. This could knock out ten oxen. You two just act natural later and don't give yourselves away."
The other two exchanged a glance and nodded.
After finalizing their plan, the three extinguished the lamp, picked up the wine, and left the house.
Once their figures disappeared into the night on the way to the village entrance, an elderly man with a gaunt figure walked out from the latrine at the side. It was the old village elder. He sighed heavily and shook his head repeatedly. "A sin. What a sin."
At this hour at the entrance of Huailiu Village, the four members of the Fu family waited with light packing. But apart from them, no one else appeared. Only the sound of willow leaves rustling in the gentle night breeze could be heard.
Fu Peibai knew how stubborn and set in their ways these villagers were. She yawned and said, "Dad, let's go. They won't come."
Old Man Fu frowned and said in a low voice, "Let's wait a bit longer."
Fu Peibai pouted and turned to tease Fu Jiaxu, who was dozing beside her.
The eight year old boy barely reached Fu Peibai's waist. She patted her little brother's head and asked with a smile, "Is little Jiaxu sleepy?"
Fu Jiaxu didn't know where they were going. He only knew he had been fast asleep when his father pulled him up, saying they were going on a long journey. He had always been gentle natured, never throwing tantrums. He simply did whatever his parents and big sister told him to do. He was extremely obedient.
Fu Jiaxu nodded and mumbled an assent. He had a fair complexion and white teeth, round eyes, and still had some baby fat on his cheeks. He was adorable.
Fu Peibai pulled him affectionately into her arms and patted his back. "Lean on your big sister and rest for a while."
Madam Fu looked at her two children with loving tenderness. From the corner of her eye, she noticed three figures appear on a small path in the distance. She pointed and said, "A-Ming, look over there. Someone seems to be coming."
Old Man Fu squinted to take a look. Indeed, there were three people. He was secretly pleased that after months of persuasion, someone had finally listened. But as those three men drew closer, the pleased look on his face faded. The three men approaching carried no luggage and brought no families. Clearly, they weren't coming to head north with him.