When Wang Wanli instructed him to go and find firewood to make a fire, Bu Yangying understood that their death was near.

It was a blessing in misfortune to regain warmth, even if it was short-lived, he thought as he cut branches from dead wood.

Bai Shan squatted and watched him, as calm as ever. When I die, will he mourn for me? Like tomorrow when Bu Yang Ming fell from a tree?

The moon rose from this side of the mountain, and the sun set from the other side of the mountain, and Bu Yangying rubbed a flint and a knife to make a fire, and it was easy to make a wisp of green smoke.

The flames flickered, spreading on the scraped bark and dead and dry pine needles, and Wang Wanli walked up to him. "The shy bride," the tall bearded general whispered, "the beauty of a flower." The beauty of fire is really amazing. ”

He's not like the kind of guy who talks about brides. As far as Bu Yangying knows, Wang Wanli dedicated his life to the night watchman. Did he ever have a woman, did he ever get married? The question was difficult to answer, so he only quietly fanned the flames. When the bonfire was blazing, he took off his hard hand, warmed his palm, and involuntarily let out a soft sigh, what could be a sweeter kiss than this?

Wang Wanli sat cross-legged by the fire, the swaying light shining on the resolute lines of his face. Only two of the five Rangers who retreated from the Wind Gap were left in hiding in the blue-gray wilderness of the Frost and Snow Fang.

At first, Yang Ying was lucky, hoping that the squire Daiji would stop the wild man at the mouth of the gorge, but after a moment of silence, the hunt sounded again, and the eagle reappeared, its majestic gray-blue wings soaring in the twilight sky. Daiji bent his bow to aim, but the birds flew off before he could release his arrows. Iban spat and cursed the wolf spirit and the shapeshifter in a low voice.

On the day after that, they saw the eagle at least twice, and the hunt remained in the mountains behind. One rings higher than the other, one close to the other. When night fell, Wang Wanli instructed Iban to take his own and his attendants' horses and move at full speed along the road to the camp heading east towards Yan and north. The others will divert his pursuers. "Send Bu Yangying," Iban discouraged, "he has quick hands, and is not inferior to me." ”

"Bu Yangying has another mission. ”

"He's still a kid. ”

"No," Wang Wanli said, "he is a man of the Guardian of the Seven Kingdoms. ”

The bright moon rises, Iban leaves the team, and Daiji walks with him for a while, and then turns back to cover up the tracks. The three of them ran southwest.

They traveled all night, hurrying up, sleeping in the saddle, resting only while they were drinking, and then moving on again. They tread bare rocks, weave through lush pine forests and aged snow, climb over ice ridges, and cross nameless shallow rivers. Wang Wanli and Dai Ji turned back from time to time to clean up the trail, but it was only in vain. They are constantly being watched. Every morning, every dusk, the eagle hovers over the top of the mountain, like a point in the long sky.

Once, as they walked across a low ridge between snowy peaks, the beast came out of its nest and roared, less than ten yards from the people. Although the beast was emaciated and hungry, Daigy's mare panicked, threw off his horse, ran away, and when he found it, he had tripped up the steep slope and broken his leg.

That day, Bai Shan had a full meal, and Wang Wanli insisted that everyone mix horse blood into oats to enhance their physical strength. The pungent taste of the wheat porridge choked on Bu Yangying, but he tried his best. Before they hit the road, they each cut a dozen raw strips from the horse's carcass, leaving the rest for the hungry beasts.

It's inconceivable for two people to ride together. Dai Ji volunteered to stay and surprise the pursuers, saying that he might be able to fight a few before going to hell. Wang Wanli refused. "If there's one Guardian who can walk through the Frost and Snow Land alone, it's you, brother. You can climb a mountain that horses can't climb. Go back to our old camp. Tell Yan Beixing what Bu Yangying saw and heard, and how he saw and heard. Tell him that the ancient powers have awakened and that he must face giants, wolf spirits, and something even more terrifying. Tell him that the eye of the tree has reappeared. ”

He can't go back. Bu Yangying thought as he watched Dai Ji disappear into the snow-covered ridge. He was like a tiny black beetle, crawling in the rippling white plains.

From that day on, every night grew colder and lonelier.

White flash wasn't always on the sidelines, but it was never too far away. Even if they were separated, Bu Yangying could feel his presence and was deeply gratified by this.

Wang Wanli is a man who does not smile, and he was seen riding a horse silently, his long gray braids swaying slowly, and there was no communication for several hours, the only sound was the light trampling of the horse's hooves on the stone and the cry of the cold wind.

On the high mountains, the wind never rests. Now he often sleeps without dreams: he can't dream of wolves, he can't dream of brothers, but he has emptiness. The cursed land of the gods, there is no room for even dreams, he told himself.

"Is your sword still sharp, and you can walk in a shadow?" asked Wang Wanli through the flickering bonfire.

"My sword is a relic of Mo Yiyan, the crown prince of the previous dynasty, and was forged by Gan Tiesheng. ”

"Do you remember the oath you made?"

"Don't dare or forget. "It was a man's oath of eternal life. Once exported, there is no turning back. The fate of this world is ruled by it.

"Then repeat it with me, step by step. ”

"Yes. Under the bright moon hanging high, the voices of the two were one, and Bai Shan and the mountains were their witnesses. "The long night is coming, and I will keep watch from now on until I die. I will not take a wife, nor a fief, nor have children. I will not wear a crown, and I will not compete for honor. I will do my duty and die in my life. I am the sword in the darkness, the guard against the high walls, the flame against the cold, the light at dawn, the horn that awakens the sleeper, the shield that guards the kingdom! I give my life and glory to my guardians, tonight, and night. ”

After the recitation, there was only the crackling of the fire and the slight sigh of the evening breeze between heaven and earth.

Bu Yang stretched his burned palms, the oath echoing in his mind, and he prayed to his father's nameless gods to brave himself to death. It's almost time for the horses to reach the limit of their physical exhaustion. Bu Yangying knew that Wang Wanli's horse would not even survive tomorrow.

The bonfire faded and the warmth faded. "The flames will be extinguished," said Wang Wanli, "and if the penal colony falls, all the fires of the world will be extinguished." ”

Bu Yangying had nothing to say. He nodded.

"I'm not afraid of death. "That's half a lie.

"It's not as simple as you think, step by step. ”

He didn't understand, "What do you mean?"

"When they catch up, you'll have to surrender. ”

"Surrender?" he blinked incredulously. The savages do not take these men, whom they call crows, as they are taken prisoners, and there is only one way to die in their hands, unless ...... "they keep only the oath-breakers, and only the deserters." ”

"That's the role you're going to play. ”

"No," he shook his head desperately, "I can't. ”

"You will. That's an order. ”

"Orders? but ......"

"Remember, we dedicate our lives and glory to the Guardians for the sake of the kingdom. Are you a man of the Guardians?"

"Yes. But—"

"There's no 'but', step up. Only yes, or no. ”

Step up to the shadow of Naoko. "Yes. ”

"Well, listen, once you are captured, you have to take the initiative to beg for mercy, just as the female savage begged you in the first place. They will ask you to cut the black cloak to pieces in front of you, and they will ask you to swear in the name of your father's grave to spit on and curse the brothers in the penal colony and Lord Yan Beixing forever. Whatever you are asked to do, you are not allowed to disobey it, and you will do it...... But in your heart, you have to remember who you are and remember your vows. March with them, dine with them, fight with them until the time comes. Your task is: to observe. ”

"Observe what?" said Bu Yangying.

"I don't know," said Wang Wanli, "that your wolves saw them digging in the valley of the river. Is there anything worth looking for in that remote and cold wasteland? Is it found? This is the answer you must pursue, and you must figure it out before returning to the side of Lord Yan Beixing and his brothers. Remember, this is my trust. ”

"I will live up to my promise. Bu Yangying reluctantly answered. "But...... You're going to tell them the truth, right? At least tell Yan Beixing, tell him that I never broke my oath. ”

Wang Wanli stared at him through the flames, his eyes unfathomable. "The next time we meet, I'll tell him. I swear. He gestured toward the fire. "Add some firewood, more warmth and light. ”

Bu Yangying ran to chop more branches, split each one in half, and threw it into the fire. Trees have been dead for a long time, but they have come back to life in the fire. The roots of the wood rotate and burn, emitting yellow, red, and orange light, like a dance of fire.

"Okay," Wang Wanli said suddenly, "get on the horse." ”

"Get on the horse?" Outside the campfire, it was pitch black, and the cold night was enveloped. "Where?"

"Turn back. Wang Wanli mounted his tired mount. "Hopefully, the fire will lead them forward. Come on, brother. ”

Bu Yangying put his hands back on and pulled up his hood.

The horses were reluctant to leave the campfire. The sun was gone, and a waning moon cast a cold silver light, shining on the treacherous road ahead. He didn't know what Wang Wanli's plans were, but maybe there was still a chance, and he sincerely hoped for it. For whatever reason, I don't want to be a broken oath.

They marched cautiously, moving as silently as they could, following the footsteps of their coming, until they reached the pass between the two mountains, from which an icy stream flowed. Bu Yangying remembers this place, where he used to drink horses before he fell.

"Unfortunately, the water began to freeze," Wang Wanli commented, "I wanted to go down the stream, but there would be traces on the ice, revealing my whereabouts." Now it is close to the cliff, and there is a bend half a mile ahead that can be hidden. He rode into the pass. Bu Yangying looked at the distant fireworks for the last time and followed.

The farther they rode, the tighter the cliffs on either side became. In the moonlight, the stream is like a ribbon, guiding them straight to the source. The rocky shore was full of ice, but under the thin crust, Bu Yangying could hear the murmuring of water.

There had been a landslide along the road, and a huge rockfall had broken through the middle, but their dwarf plough horses had squeezed through. The mountain wall then becomes tighter and steeper, and the stream extends to a towering waterfall. The mist shrouded in mist like the gasp of a behemoth ice beast, and the rushing water glowed silvery white in the moonlight. Bu Yangying looked at the waterfall in frustration. Dead. He and Wang Wanli might be able to climb up, but the horses can't. Without horses, they did not have long on foot.

"Move fast!" Wang Wanli commanded. The big man on the pony galloped towards the waterfall, passed through the curtain of water, and disappeared without a trace. He hadn't been seen for a long time, so he grabbed his mount and followed. His horse tried to escape, and the icy water beat him with his frozen fists, and the bitter cold tremors kept him breathing.

And then it passed. He was soaking wet and shivering, but it was over after all.

The crevices in the rocks are so narrow that they are difficult to pass, but when they pass, the road is wide open and the ground turns into soft sand. Droplets froze on Bu Yangying's face. White Flash angrily walked through the curtain of water, shaking his body, shaking his fur, sniffing the darkness around him suspiciously, and finally raising his legs to pee on the edge of the stone wall.

Wang Wanli had dismounted, and Bu Yangying did the same, "It turns out that you know this place." "A brother told me the story of tracking a shadow lynx across a waterfall, and I was younger than you at the time. He unsaddled his horse, took the chew and reins, and combed his mount's shaggy mane with his hands. "The trail runs through the core of the mountains. When the dawn comes, if they don't notice, we'll go on our way. I'll be on duty for the first shift, brother. After speaking, Wang Wanli leaned against the rock wall and sat on the sand, becoming a vague black shadow in the cave.

Through the sound of rushing water, Bu Yangying heard the subtle sound of steel and leather rubbing, and Wang Wanli had drawn his sword in his hand:

He took off his wet cloak, but it was too cold and damp for him to take it off.

White Flash spread out his body and curled up beside him to sleep, his hands. Bu Yangying was grateful for his warmth, and thought of the bonfire in the wilderness in his heart, I wonder if it will be extinguished at this moment? If the penal colony falls, all the fires in the world will be extinguished. At one point, the moonlight cast a few pale streaks on the sand through the curtain of rushing water, but it soon faded and everything was dark again.

Drowsiness finally hit, and nightmares followed. He dreamed of burning castles and of dead people crawling out of graves. When Wang Wanli woke him up, it was still dark all around.

Wang Wanli fell asleep, and Bu Yangying would lean his back against the cave wall, listening to the sound of water, dawn.

At dawn the next day, they each swallowed a half-frozen horse, and then saddled it and put on a black cloak. Wang Wanli made six torches when he was on duty, and now he takes out the dried moss from the saddle bag, soaks it in oil, and ties it up. He lit the first one, and the darkness was first, and the pale flame led the way, and the shadow led the horse to follow. The rocky tunnel winds and turns, at first downwards, then upwards, and becomes steeper and narrower, until at last the horses can barely pass. Get rid of them when you go out, Bu Yangying thinks as he walks, the eagle can't see through the rocks, right? We will get rid of the pursuers, go straight to the fist peak, and report everything to the old bear.

But after hours of trekking, when they saw the sky again, the eagles were waiting for them. It perched on a dead tree at the top of the slope, more than a hundred feet taller than them. White Flash jumped over the rocks and pounced on it, and the bird flapped its wings and flew into the air.

Wang Wanli's gaze moved with the eagle, and his lips tightened more and more.

"It's a nice place," he declared, "there's shelter above, and there's a secret passage behind it, so they can't sneak up." Is your sword still sharp, step up?"

"Yes," he said.

"Let's feed the horses first. Poor brutes, thank you for their heroic service. ”

Bu Yangying fed the last handful of oats to his mount, stroking its soft bristles, while White Flash swam restlessly among the rocks. He tore off his hand and soothed his burned fingers. I am the shield that protects the kingdom!

A hunt returned in the mountains, and Bu Yangying heard the barking of the hounds. "They're here in a moment," said Wang, "and take care of the wolves." ”

"Bai Ling, come here," Bu Yangying called. The snow wolf barely ran back to him, tail raised high behind him.

On the ridge less than half a mile away, wild people appeared. The hounds were at the front, and these gray-brown beasts, mixed with the blood of wolves, were menacing and barking. White flashes grinning teeth and hair stands on end. "Relax," Bu Yangying whispered, "don't move." Overhead, there was the sound of flapping wings, and the eagle stopped on a jutting rock, screaming in triumph.

The hunters cautiously approached to avoid being attacked by arrows. Bu Yangying counted them, and there were fourteen people in total, plus eight dogs. Their huge round shields were made of wicker, covered in human skin, and painted with skull motifs. About half of them covered their faces with rough helmets made of wood and cooked leather. On the left and right wings, one hand on each side attached the arrow to a short bow made of wood and horns, but did not release it. Others were armed with spears or mallets, and one held a stone axe with a split. It was evident that the tattered protective gear they had on had either been snatched or had been obtained from dead rangers. Savages neither mine nor smelt, and north of the Great Wall, there are few blacksmiths, and forges are even rarer.

Wang Wanli drew his long sword.

Bu Yangying stood side by side with the tall ranger, long claws in hand. The air was cold, but sweat blurred vision.

They stopped ten yards before the entrance to the cave, and the leader stepped forward alone. His horse climbed gently up the rugged slopes, looking like a goat. As he got closer, Bu Yangying heard a gurgling sound—it turned out that men and horses used bones to protect their bodies: cow bones, sheep bones, the remains of goats, bison, and deer, and the giant bones of mammoths...... and human bones are worn on it.

"Jingle Shirt," Wang Wanli shouted down coldly and politely.

"You deserve to be called the King of Dry Bones. The man's helmet was made of the skull of a giant, and his hands were stitched from top to bottom, with numerous bear claws sewn into the leather.

Wang Wanli scoffed. "I didn't see any kings, only a dog with chicken bones, making noises as he walked, swaggering in the market. ”

The wild man hissed in exasperation, and his mount stood up. It's really worthy of the name, Bu Yangying thought, the other party's bones are loosely connected, and as long as they move, they will tinkle and ring. "yes, I'll hear your bones rattle later, Wanli. I'm going to cook yours, use your ribs as chain mail, knock your teeth to make necklaces, and use your skulls to drink porridge. ”

"Okay, I'll be with you to the end. ”

For this invitation, Ding Dong shirt was embarrassed. The black-clothed brothers are guarding the narrow entrance of the cave, and the number of people does not make a difference, at most only two people can be the same. One of his female warriors led a horse and squeezed over, presumably a "spearwoman". "Fourteen to two, crow, eight dogs to a wolf," she cried, "fight or run, you're all doomed." ”

"Show them," Jingle Shirt ordered.

The woman pulls out the loot from her bloodstained pocket. Iban's bald head was as round as an egg, so she shook it with her ears. "He's brave," she said.

"But he still died," said Clankler, "and so did you." He flashed his tomahawk and waved it overhead. It was fine steel, with a cold glow on both sides—Iban had always protected weapons. The other savages gathered around Jingle Bell and shouted insults. There are a few who choose the target of ridicule to step up. "Boy, your wolf?" cried a thin young man with a stone flail, "and he will be my cloak before the sun goes down." ”

"Ignore their taunts," Wang Wanli gave Bu Yangying a meaningful gaze, "remember your mission." "Chase the crows," the roar of the jingle shirt overshadowed the noise. "Shoot the arrows!"

"No!" Bu Yangying scrambled to speak before the fight began, and hurried two steps forward. "We surrender!"

"They warned me that mongrels are natural cowards," Wang Wanli said coldly, "I finally understood." Get out of here with your new master!

Bu Yangying's face was flushed, and he slowly descended the slope and came to the Jingle Shirt Horse. The leader of the wildlings looked at him through the eye hole of his helmet, "What's the use of the freedmen being cowards?"

"He's not a coward. A hand lifted his goatskin helmet, revealing a head full of messy red hair. "He is the illegitimate son of the city of North Underworld, and he is the one who let me go. Let him live. ”

Bu Yangying and Rui Lei met their eyes, speechless.

"I want him dead!" insisted the King of Dry Bones, "the black crow is a cunning bird. I don't trust him. ”

On the rocks overhead, eagles flapped their wings and screamed in exasperation.

"That bird hates you, Bu Yangying," Rui Lei said, "and for a reason. He was originally a man, but he died at your hands. ”

"I don't know," Bu Yangying replied honestly, trying to remember the faces of the men he had killed at the mouth of the gorge. "You said the king of the outer parts would take me in. ”

"Not bad," Rui Lei said.

"The leader is far away from here," said Jingle Shirt, "Raven, stab him." ”

The big spearwoman narrowed her eyes: "If this crow wants to join the free people, he must rely on his true skills. ”

"I can do anything. "It's hard to exit, but Bu Yangying said it anyway.

The bone armor of the jingle shirt resounded with wild laughter. "Kill Wang Wanli, mongrel. ”

"Don't even think about it," Mr. Wang said. "Turn around! Step up and die!"

It was too late, it was fast, Wang Wanli's sword had already slashed in front of him, and the long night bounced on the ground, and the force of the collision almost shook it away from Bu Yangying's hand. He staggered back. Whatever you are asked to do, you are not allowed to disobey. He clenched his sword in both hands and fought back neatly, only to be swept away carelessly by the tall rangers.

The two of them went back and forth, the black cloak was intertwined, and the young man used his quick dexterity to resist the ferocious power of Wang Wanli's left-handed sword.

In an instant, Wang Wanli's sword has nowhere to go, left, right and right, like a rainstorm, the sword moves with his heart, chic and free. Bu Yangying only felt that his arm was gradually numb.

Even though Bai Flash tore the ranger's calf with his teeth, Wang Wanli still steadied himself. But at that moment, when he twisted, a flaw was revealed.

Bu Yangying handed out a sword and backhanded. The Ranger stepped out of the way, as if the blow had not worked, but then a series of vermilion teardrops appeared in his throat, bright and vivid, like a necklace of rubies. In the end, blood gushed like a spring, and Wang Wanli fell.

Bai Shan's mouth and nose were also dripping blood, but the long-handled sword was only at the tip of the edge, in the last half an inch. Bu Yangying drove the snow wolf away, knelt down and hugged his brother. The last glimmer of light was fading from Wang Wanli's eyes. “...... Sharp. He said, his crippled fingers rising and falling. He's dead.

He knew, Bu Yangying thought numbly, he knew what they were going to ask me to do. He suddenly remembered Nalan Invincible, remembered Little Eyed Musheng and Black Tower, and thought of the brothers who stayed in the penal colony. Am I going to lose them from now on, just as I have lost my brothers Bu Yangming, Bu Yangnan and Bu Yangfei? Who am I? What am I doing?

"Help him up. A pair of rough hands were pulling him. Bu Yangying did not resist. "Is there a name?"

Rui Lei replied for him: "His name is Bu Yangying, and he is the bloodline of Bu Yangchen in the North Underworld City. ”

Rui Wen smiled: "Hehe, who would have thought that the famous Wang Wanli would die at the hands of the bastard of the noble lord!"

"Poke him," Jingle Bell insisted. The eagle flew towards him, resting on the bone helmet, and screamed piercingly.

"He surrendered," Ruilei reminded them.

"Yes, and he killed his own brother to prove it," said a short, mediocre-looking savage man in a rusty iron half-helmet.

The clank-shirt rode closer, and the bone armor kept ringing. "That's a lewd deed done by wolves. Wang Wanli's death should be counted on my head. ”

"Hehe, we've all seen you leap forward. Rowan scoffed.

"He's a wolf spirit," said the King of Dry Bones, "Raven! I don't like him. ”

"If he's a wolf spirit," said Ruilei, "can he scare us?" the others shouted in agreement. Through the scorched skull's eyeholes, Clankle glared at Bu Yangying viciously, but eventually had to give in. What a bunch of free people, Bu Yangying thought to himself.

They built a pyre of pine needles, shrubs and broken branches from pine needles, shrubs and broken branches where Wang Wanli fell, and burned the bodies on the spot. Some of the wood is still green, so it burns slowly and smokes, and the black feathers rise high into a bright clear sky. Jingle takes a few scorched bones, and the rest of the people roll dice to decide where the other things belong. It was Rui Lei who got the cloak.

"Shall we return to Fengsheng Gorge?" Bu Yangying asked her. He didn't know how he would feel when he faced the mountain again, or whether his horse would be able to hold on.

"No," she said, "we have nothing after that." She looked at him with a look of pity in her eyes. "The king of the outer part of the fortress has led a large army south of the river, and the mighty man is heading towards your place of exile. ”

Bu Yangying was secretly frightened.