Chapter 43: Kucha Part 5

The altar crumbled, exploding black fire. Dust and thick smoke rose from the ruins of the Kucha Royal Palace. Xiang Xian looked back to see A Huang spreading its wings and flying toward them.

“Go!” Xiao Kun said. “They can’t catch us now!”

The two mounted warhorses outside the city and withdrew northward.

The Tianshan Path was crammed with rescued civilians. When the Giant Ape arrived carrying Chaosheng, many Uyghurs were terrified and shouted in alarm.

“Where’s Hulü Guang?” Xiang Xian kept glancing back.

“Bringing up the rear.” Wu Yingzong reverted to human form and said.

They had fled more than twenty li from Gumo. In half a day, the distant Gumo City was shrouded in eerie demonic mist and ghostly fog, transformed into a city of the dead.

Just as Xiang Xian and Xiao Kun had calculated, the Demon Persons did not pursue. Yet the refugees from Gumo numbered over a hundred thousand, including many elderly, weak, sick, and wounded. The fleeing procession snaked along the Tianshan Path, and if the enemy attacked again, they would be hard-pressed to resist.

Xiao Kun frequently looked back, full of worry.

“Don’t worry,” Xiang Xian hopped onto an ox cart and sat down. “They won’t come. Right now, they’re all scrambling to get out of that ring.”

“That was so much fun,” Chaosheng climbed aboard too. “Got any more? Give me one.”

“This one’s genuine,” Xiang Xian pulled out another Red Blood Gold Ring. “Here, and there’s a reverse one saved for Xiao Kun.”

Zheng Yong and Wang Zongshi had also returned, traveling with the main refugee group. Beside them was the soot-covered Grand Vizier, Li Er Man.

“Pleased to meet you,” Xiang Xian said. “I’ve heard so much.”

Li Er Man panted heavily. Xiao Kun said, “Where’s my token?”

“Here.” Wang Zongshi produced a Cloth Package containing the Imperial Jade Seal that Zheng Yong had instructed him to retrieve.

“You’ve got good instincts,” Xiang Xian eyed Zheng Yong and laughed. “Smart guy. Come, let’s get friendly?”

Zheng Yong said nothing and bowed before retreating.

Li Er Man was clearly furious. He said, “You… you…”

“I am Xiao Kun, Liao Exorcism Envoy of the Great Liao Demon-Exorcism Division,” Xiao Kun stowed the Jade Seal. “I was tied up with mundane affairs earlier and couldn’t come meet the Grand Vizier in person. Please don’t take offense.”

Li Er Man glared at the two, then at Wu Yingzong on horseback nearby, and then at Chaosheng in the cart. Hulü Guang had caught up too and called, “Master!”

Hulü Guang walked alongside the ox cart. Xiang Xian reached out a hand, but Hulü Guang waved it off. “Master, you sit. I’ll walk.”

“No need for so many rules.” Xiang Xian pulled him up. Hulü Guang hopped into the cart bed, sitting to the side without crowding Xiang Xian or Xiao Kun.

“Where’s my Echoing Voice Insect?” Xiao Kun said.

Hulü Guang hurriedly removed it and handed it over. Xiao Kun’s expression changed. “How did it get damaged?”

“I… I don’t know. Sorry.” Hulü Guang tensed up, about to explain, but Xiao Kun waved it off, his face clearly pained. Xiang Xian said, “Give it here, I’ll fix it. Easy.”

Li Er Man recognized Hulü Guang. He said, “You’re that… Bila Ge’s… You’re Bai Ju Er?”

“Yeah,” Hulü Guang said. “His Majesty the King sent me to take your head!”

Li Er Man’s eyes widened in disbelief. Xiao Kun wasn’t worried about him fleeing—after all, no matter how fast, he’d be a turtle against Hulü Guang.

“Take… my… head?” Li Er Man said.

“Yep.” Xiang Xian said lazily. “But our Lord Xiao doesn’t want to kill you right now. We’re just taking you back to Gaochang. Whatever blood feud you have, settle it with the Gaochang King yourself.”

Everyone expected Li Er Man to tremble in fear, but instead, he erupted in fury and roared, “What right does he have to take my head!”

Li Er Man’s sudden rage startled everyone. He bellowed from horseback, “Bila Ge! I demand a duel with him! What right does he have?!”

“Quiet!” Xiao Kun and Xiang Xian said in unison.

“Whether he duels you is his business.” Xiang Xian said. “No more fussing right now. Behave and stay with your people, or Grandpa really will have to beat you.”

Li Er Man kept cursing in Uyghur. Xiang Xian abruptly raised his hand and unleashed a fireball that grazed his ear and struck the mountainside along the Tianshan Path. The explosion made many civilians cry out, thinking the enemy had returned, and they crouched down.

Having witnessed the power of Xiang Xian’s casual strike, Li Er Man shut his mouth, knowing better than to provoke him. Xiao Kun called over Wang Zongshi and had him take Li Er Man away.

Blazing Flames flared around Xiang Xian again. Suddenly, millions of fireballs erupted in a earth-shaking barrage toward the Tianshan Path’s weakest point. Everyone ducked and covered. Xiao Kun said, “Calm down!”

Xiang Xian: “?”

Xiao Kun: “…”

Xiang Xian: “I just blew up this road to keep them from following.”

To the north on the Tianshan Path, the eastward route was severed. The cliff collapsed, massive boulders tumbling to block nearly four li of the path, obstructing any army’s passage.

“Though they have other routes,” Xiang Xian exhaled. “At least it’ll slow Mr. Liu down.”

Xiao Kun: “You scared me there. Thought you’d gone mad.”

Xiang Xian laughed.

“Where to now?” Hulü Guang looked up at the sky; it was already dusk.

“East,” Xiang Xian said. “First to Licheng, then we’ll figure it out slowly.”

A Huang returned, folded its wings, and perched on Xiang Xian’s shoulder.

“Mr. Liu is mustering his forces,” A Huang said. “Gumo City inside and out is full of dry corpses. Looks like they’re preparing to march.”

“Korla probably can’t hold,” Xiao Kun said. “We need to notify my father as soon as possible.”