Death Scripture

King Rizhu’s encampment had just been built, and weeds inside the tents had not yet been removed. Horses trampled muddy paths between the tents, leaving them soft like carpets.

The air was filled with the smell of urine from livestock and noises from soldiers. Those who were ignorant of the rules of the grassland would be taken aback at the scene, thinking that they had entered the territory of savages.

Gu Shenwei came to meet King Rizhu with a squad of guards. Those guards were swordsmen from the Great Snowmountain. Dragon King had not taken Maid Lotus with him at the suggestion of Fang Wenshi. “It would not matter in the Western Region. However, the customs in Norland are different, and it may give rise to contempt,” Fang Wenshi advised.

At the gate of the encampment, a Naihang cavalry caught a glimpse of them. He raised his arm and then pointed toward the inner encampment. He told them in his poor Central Plains Chinese, “There. Go.”

No one informed King Rizhu of their arrival.

The encampment seemed to be in disorder. The cavalry rode around recklessly. If they managed to stop their horse or swerve at a critical moment, those who were nearly hit would shout angrily while the troublemaker rode away laughing as if nothing had happened.

The whole army was undisciplined and coarse. Even untrained swordsmen from the Great Snowmountain could not accept their behavior.

The behavior of soldiers reflects the character of their commander. Gu Shenwei began to form an impression of King Rizhu. Although Fang Wenshi had spoken of King Rizhu, he had not given a specific description. All Gu Shenwei could remember was that King Rizhu was a bad-tempered, violent man.

Some soldiers recognized the Dragon King and pointed him out to their fellows. Soldiers on horseback kept passing in front of the Dragon King and his team, staring at the Dragon King without fear.

At first, some mistook Long Fanyun for the Dragon King. When they were told that the pale young man was the real Dragon King, they were taken by great surprise. Later, they commented loudly. Although they spoke their local language, their tone was full of scorn.

Fang Wenshi had reminded the Dragon King, “Norland is a great power, so people in Norland are proud. Unlike people from the Central Plain, they do not know courtesy or hide their emotions. If you feel offended by someone, please do not get angry; they may not have malicious intentions.”

Fang Wenshi had not mentioned the most important part: Like Supreme King and Cloud King, Dragon King had not been recognized by Khan yet; so far, their titles were only self-declared.

Gu Shenwei did not mind this. He had been despised in the five kingdoms of Xiaoyao Lake. He was prepared to face overt neglect and disdain. Besides, he knew how to earn respect.

On the surface, Gu Shenwei was warmly received along the way. However, this was mostly because of the king’s banner. The owners of every encampment wanted to please the leader of one thousand soldiers and the generous guests from Golden Roc Fort.

“If Fang Wenshi saw this, he must attribute it to my not drinking. But I believe this has nothing to do with drinking. Without powerful strength, I can not win their respect,” Gu Shenwei thought to himself.

King Rizhu’s tent was not much different from that of an ordinary soldier. It was only built on three sides, with one side open to the north– more like a shelter than a tent. The ground inside was not covered by layers of carpets as those of Norland nobles were. The weeds were only slightly cleared, and the ground was uneven and lightly trampled.

Two topless soldiers were washing a strong, handsome stallion with hair as red as fire. Even a man ignorant of horses would admire it.

“Pretty,” Long Fanyun praised. In this encampment, everyone talked freely without fearing punishment.

A soldier washing the horse stroked its body gently, looking like a youth in love for the first time. He said, “You could never find an equal to this. Flame Foal is the best horse in the world.”

Fang Wenshi nodded; however, he was not attracted by this horse as others were. He poked his head in the tent and looked around, but he found no one inside. He asked, “May I ask whether His Highness King Rizhu lives here?”

The soldier continued to gaze at the horse as if he had not heard his question.

The other soldier standing on the other side of the horse came forward and replied, “You must be the Dragon King. King Rizhu is taking a nap. I will wake him up.”

When they saw the soldier’s face, Gu Shenwei and the rest were amazed. He was not a common soldier, but General Zhe Su who had led his men to beset Gu Shenwei’s encampment a couple of days ago. They never expected that Zhe Su would do such work as washing a horse.

Zhe Su was a fat, tall man with dark skin. When he walked, he stumbled as if he lost his balance. He entered the tent, walked around a table, and stopped in a shady corner. He kicked two feet and shouted, “Old Cha, wake up! You have a visitor.”

Moans inside the tent reached Gu Shenwei’s ear. It seemed that King Rizhu refused to get up. Zhe Su kicked him again and raised his voice. Then Flame Foal gave a loud neigh from outside the tent.

“Ah, who? Who arrived?” King Rizhu asked in a lazy voice.

“Dragon King. You invited him here,” Zhe Su yelled out as if he was speaking to a deaf person.

King Rizhu Chake Lege, called Old Cha by his subordinates, finally got up. He snatched a big bowl from the table and drank all of the liquor inside. Then he walked out of the tent, stripped off his clothes from his upper body, and pushed aside the soldier washing the horse. Old Cha grabbed the wooden bucket and then poured the water over himself, washing from head to foot. He shook his head vigorously, shaking the water from his body like a lion. Then he pulled Flame Foal in close whispered in its ear.

So far, King Rizhu had not cast a glance to his visitor.

Fang Wenshi felt embarrassed, so he coughed and intended to make an introduction. Gu Shenwei shot a glance at him to stop him, for this was an opportunity for observation, not a moment of contention.

King Rizhu Chake Lege was tall, and not as fat as Zhe Su. The muscles that once bulged up had shown signs of loosening under the wear and tear over years, but he was still strong. His hair was still black, but his thick beard was pale grey, and his face was flat and broad, like a fierce dog, although his nose was not as long.

King Rizhu got dressed. Zhe Su thought King Rizhu let the Dragon King wait too long, so he walked up to King Rizhu, and forced him to look towards the Dragon King. He said, “Look, this is the Dragon King. You’re not inviting him here to appreciate the horse.”

King Rizhu’s eyes turned sharp immediately. He fixed his eyes on Gu Shenwei and asked, “Are you the Dragon King?”

“Yes, I am.”

Fang Wenshi moved to dismount, but once he noticed that the Dragon King and his guards did not move, he sat back and said, “Your Highness…”

“Call me Old Cha.”

“What?” Fang Wenshi puzzled.

“Don’t you understand me, you son of a bitch? There is no palace. Where did ‘Your Highness’ come from?”

Fang Wenshi had reminded the Dragon King not to mind Norland people’s rudeness. But when he faced it, his face turned red. His eloquence did not work on such an occasion.

“Well, Old Cha,” Gu Shenwei said as he jumped off his horse. He then walked towards King Rizhu and said, “You can call me Dragon King.”

King Rizhu was stunned, and then he burst into laughter. He said to Zhe Su, “I like this guy. Go get him a bowl of liquor.”

“I never drink,” Dragon King replied.

King Rizhu was surprised. He looked at him with despise and said, “It’s not common to meet a man who does not drink.”

“I’m glad that I do not need to prove that I am a man,” Dragon King countered.

King Rizhu laughed again and said, “You must be from the Central Plain. You are an articulate man.”

Fang Wenshi had just got over the shock. He got off the horse, trying to join their conversation but finding no chance. King Rizhu walked to the Dragon King, gripped him by the arm, and walked towards the tent. He ignored the rest and said, “Come on. It does not matter if you do not drink. Let’s talk about something more important.”

Gu Shenwei was not accustomed to being gripped, so he gently withdrew his arm.

Fang Wenshi and Long Fanyun were about to follow Dragon King, but Zhe Su stretched out his fat arm and stopped them. He said, “Although Dragon King does not drink, you must want one.”

Before Fang Wenshi refused his advice, he was pushed to a nearby tent. Long Fanyun did not leave with the guards until he received the hint from the Dragon King.

“Dragon King, are you used to living in the grassland? Norland is not like the Western Region, let alone the Central Plain. All the generals and soldiers here have suffered a lot. If you ask me to sleep on a soft bed, I will not fall asleep,” King Rizhu said with a laugh.

“I’m fine here. I am not particular about beds,” Dragon King replied.

“I see,” King Rizhu said with a nod. He put on a coat, and shouted at the soldier beside the horse, “Take it out for some exercises.” Then, he explained to the Dragon King, “Horses should not always live in a comfortable environment, same as us humans. Look at Zhe Su. If he becomes fatter, no horse could carry him. If he can not ride, he is not qualified to be a man in Norland.”

Gu Shenwei gave a superficial “hum.” Until now, straightforward, rude King Rizhu had not come to the point.

The soldier rode away on Flame Foal. King Rizhu stared at the Dragon King with his small eyes. He became more stern, even a little fierce. King Rizhu said, “Gu Lun and Old Man Mu are my enemies; I can’t imagine that they are connected to you.”

“I have no choice.”

“No, you do. Gu Lun was dead, so my hatred towards him disappeared. I could let it go. But Old Man Mu, that bastard! He slept with my woman and humiliated her in public. He made me a laughingstock in the grassland. Dragon King, would you not get revenge if you were me?”

“Of course, I would.”

“Exactly. Now you have a choice. You can turn Old Man Mu over to me, and we will be friends. Or you can continue to protect him, and you will be the enemy of Naihang Tribe.”

“You does not give up avenging you concubine. I will also not forget to avenge the Gu family. It is widely said that you hired killers from Golden Roc Fort to kill the Gu family. Is that true?”

Gu Shenwei did not listen to Fang Wenshi’s advise. On the contrary, he proposed to avenge the Gu family in front of King Rizhu. King Rizhu had meant to let the Gu family go, but Gu Shenwei had mentioned it deliberately.

Obviously, King Rizhu was astonished after hearing his words. He never cared for courtesy and treated his subordinates as his family. But no one dared to challenge his authority. After pausing for a while, he lost his temper.

King Rizhu overturned the table, and roared, “You are a fucking asshole! Do you think you’re a big shot with the title of Dragon King? Whatever your plan is in Norland, it will never succeed! When you return to the Western Region, you will find that all of your soldiers have been killed. Son of a bitch! Even my shit is nobler than you! You are just a son of a servant. You’re meant to be a servant.”

Their negotiation broke down in this way. Before Fang Wenshi and others drank a half bowl of liquor, they had been thrown out of the tent in astonishment.

Gu Shenwei and his men went back to their encampment. On their way, Fang Wenshi kept pursuing what had happened, but Gu Shenwei refused to answer. After they rode for several miles, Gu Shenwei told Long Fanyun, “I want that Flame Foal. Bring it to me tonight.”