Wu Gen rode his horse and walked dejectedly on the way to the Xiang army camp.
Mo Xin brought a message from Zhang Yuan and ordered him to rush back to the camp and carry out the mission. Zhang Yuan did not explain clearly what was so urgent, but asked Mo Xin to guard the beacon here instead of Wu Gen.
Naturally, Mo Xin didn't want to come. Barren Tomb Ridge had always been a dangerous place in the camp that was rumored by word of mouth, and no one could stop it.
But military orders are hard to disobey, and I have been trembling all the way here. Only when he saw Wu Gensheng's lively appearance did Mo Xin feel relieved.
Thinking that the full moon night was still far away, Wu Gen left the bell behind and rushed to the camp.
It is almost the end of the year, and everything around us is depressed and lifeless.
Frost and ice blocked the road along the way, and the skinny horse beneath him fell several times, knocking Wu Gen to pieces.
"Good luck and good fortune, no taboos." Wu Gen muttered as he walked into the camp, his right eye twitching along the way. This was not a good sign.
We walked to Zhang Yuan's residence by familiar means. As soon as we met, Zhang Yuan said, "Take care of yourself quickly and follow me to Feiguan."
Wu Gen said with a sad face: "My Lord, I have been working hard these days to live in isolation and protect our territory of Zhao. Why was I suddenly recalled? I am really worried about my humble position. Please let me go back."
Zhang Yuan didn't talk nonsense and threw a piece of silver over, "If ordinary servants and officers spoke like this, they would have been killed long ago.
As the New Year approaches, according to military regulations, we have to go to Feiguan to pay homage to the martyrs. I think you usually have a lot of tricks and a cunning temper, so you are suitable for this trip. In addition, as the New Year is approaching, there are many rewards in the camp, which just compensate for your hard work these days. Go ahead and leave tomorrow. "
Wu Gen stuffed the silver into his arms and said with a cheerful smile: "Captain, could you tell me earlier? I will definitely fight to the death and follow you to death."
"You crow's mouth, what do you say about death during the Chinese New Year? Get away." Zhang Yuan was about to fight, but Wu Gen quickly slipped out with a smile.
After a night's rest, Zhang Yuan led three people, each with a powerful horse. Only Wu Gen drove a carriage, loaded with sacrificial objects, and hurried westward out of the camp gate.
Except for Wu Gen, the other four people are all middle-aged people. Along the way, the four of them ignored Wu Gen and discussed the sacrificial matters on their own.
From the conversations between several people, Wu Gen heard that the so-called abandoned pass he went to this time was located in the desert, and he did not know what year it was built.
However, there has always been a rule in the army. During the Qingming Festival and the end of the year, soldiers from any country must send people to worship and are not allowed to attack each other. It's just that the places where they worship are different.
It was originally a routine matter, but for some unknown reason this year during the Qingming Festival, none of the people who sent out sacrifices returned. The rear army sent people to investigate and found that all these people had died in Feiguan, their faces were distorted, but there were no wounds on their bodies.
After searching carefully, no clues were found, so the matter was dropped. As the New Year approached, the army needed to send people to offer sacrifices again, so Zhang Yuan was asked to lead the team there.
For three days in a row, there were no waves on the road. The further we walked, the more desolate the surroundings became. The ground was full of dark brown gravel, which meant we had reached the edge of the desert.
The five people camped and rested in a sand willow bush. This was also the last supply point before entering the desert.
The four of them gathered around the fire and chatted together, while Wu Gen wandered around bored. Seeing him wandering around was really annoying, so Zhang Yuan threw a bottle of wine over and let him relieve himself outside. It's extremely cold at night in the desert, and without anything to warm yourself up, I'm afraid you won't be able to survive the night.
The night was already dark and several people had fallen asleep. Wu Gen boxed outside for a while and was about to return to the camp. Suddenly, I felt a chill in my heart and slowed down my pace.
A black crow sat on the poplar tree outside the camp. Its dark red eyes looked like a ghost in the night.
This sudden appearance of the crow gave Wu Gen a rather bad feeling. It is said that in this desolate place, where no birds are flying and no trace of human beings are left, the sudden appearance of a crow really reveals something fishy.
He reached out and picked up a stone and slowly approached the poplar tree.
Crow was staring at the camp, feeling the threat behind him, and turned his head to look at Wu Gen. When he saw the stone in Wu Gen's hand, the crow was not only not afraid, but instead tilted his head and looked at him playfully.
Wu Gen felt a little frightened in his heart. He always felt that the crow had read through his thoughts, and the hand that was about to throw stopped.
One person, one bird, and four eyes faced each other, and the atmosphere was a bit strange. After a long confrontation, Wu Gen suddenly rose up and shot stones like arrows at the crow on the tree. At the same time, without looking, the knife in his hand was slashing behind him.
Wu Gen's projection skills have always been very good. He grew up in a village and developed this skill. Not only does he have perfect shots, but he can make perfect shots within ten steps.
The crow seemed to have seen through Wu Gen's movements. It grabbed the branch with its claws and turned in a circle, avoiding the stones, and stood firmly on the branch again.
The knife struck the ground hard, but there was nothing unusual about it. Just now, he had a feeling that there was an inexplicable danger lurking behind him, so Wu Gen suddenly took action.
"Quack." The crow made a mocking sound and flapped its wings and flew away.
Wu Gen stared at the sky and returned to the camp silently.
Zhang Yuan was already standing in front of the tent with a knife in hand. When he saw Wu Gen arriving, he asked, "What's the matter?"
Wu Gen looked back and said, "It's a strange bird, it's late at night, it's a bit evil."
"Be careful, we are about to enter the Huangquan Desert. It is not peaceful there. If anything goes wrong, please warn us in time." Zhang Yuan ordered and walked into the tent.
The next day, the five people packed up and walked into the desert.
As soon as they entered the desert, the new wind was fierce and the gravel was raging, blocking the sky and the sun. The five people trudged through it with difficulty, and even the horses were unwilling to move forward.
The strong wind blew for two days and finally subsided on this day. The scene in front of me has almost completely changed. The sand dunes are rolling and the original landmarks can no longer be found.
Zhang Yuan has been in the army for many years and is quite familiar with this. He looked at the sun and continued moving forward with a few people. After only five miles, the horse suddenly became restless.
These horses are all the authentic Sanshan horses of Zhao State, which are very tame and have excellent endurance. For some reason, he didn't listen to his master's orders today and turned around to leave.
The five people comforted him gently, and finally had to dismount and lead him forward. But such an abnormal thing cast a shadow on everyone's minds.
After climbing over a tall sand dune, the five people stood on the top of the dune, all of them opening their mouths wide.
Under the setting sun ahead, a huge ship was sailing slowly in the sandy sea in the distance. The ship is completely black, with a circular ring on the tall mast.
The hull of the boat was in tatters and dilapidated, with large and small mottled scars on it. The dark windows on the cabin were like eyes, staring coldly at the five people on the dune.
"I didn't expect the legend to be true." Zhang Yuan muttered to himself.
"What is that?" Wu Gen felt that something on the ship was attracting his attention, so he asked.
"Ghost ships. Legend has it that there are ships traveling on land in the Huangquan Desert, carrying the souls of the undead who unfortunately died in the desert to the underworld." Zhang Yuan swallowed, "It is said that anyone who can see the ghost ship may encounter misfortune." When he said the last sentence, Zhang Yuan's face looked a little gloomy.
The other three people all had ashen faces. They did not expect to encounter such an ominous thing during this sacrifice.
Wu Gen silently looked at the ghost ship going away, and inexplicably, a burst of sadness suddenly surged in his heart.
Under the setting sun, the dilapidated hull plowed through the sand and gravel, chasing the sunset all the way west. In the wind, there was a faint and ethereal song.
"Let's go." Zhang Yuan said in a deep voice.
A few people made up their mind and walked down the sand dune to continue moving forward. The atmosphere was much duller than before.
After walking for a few more days, I didn't encounter anything strange, except that the original yellow sand turned darker.
In the early morning, several people finished eating and were getting ready to go. Suddenly, Zhang Yuan exclaimed, "Here we are, we finally arrived at the abandoned city."
On the distant horizon, a winding low hill stretches across the desert like a long snake. The sun was shining brightly, and the low hills were tinged with bright red.
A few people pursed their chapped lips and headed towards the low hill.
Walking closer, Wu Gen found that the low hill was very regular, with bulges at regular intervals. When the sand is peeled away with hands, a broken stone wall is revealed.
The stone walls that stretch as far as the eye can see are all artificially constructed. It's just that it has been invaded by wind and sand all year round and hidden under the sand dunes. The protrusions are the beacons where soldiers are stationed.
Looking at the city wall that stretched as far as the eye could see, Wu Gen was horrified and speechless. How many people and lives would have to be used to build such a magnificent wall.
Zhang Yuan looked solemn and led everyone to salute from a distance. No matter who built these walls, as a soldier, the senior guarded the barren passes and split the desert. Such actions are worthy of the respect of future generations.
After walking along the city wall for half an hour, passing beacons one after another, a black spot appeared in the distance, which looked very eye-catching in the uniform desert.
Zhang Yuan looked happy, "That's Guancheng, and the sacrificial hall is in it."
After walking for so many days, the five of them finally arrived at their destination, and the five of them couldn't help but feel a little excited.
When he got closer, Wu Gen discovered that this was a city wall close to the city wall. Although most of it had been covered by yellow sand, the majesty of this place could still be seen vaguely. According to regulations, this Guancheng can accommodate at least 10,000 people.
Walking into the deserted Guancheng and stepping on the uneven sand dunes, Wu Gen felt a little heavy in his heart.
Under the sand dunes, there should be the barracks where the troops were originally stationed. The huge Guancheng could not withstand the changes of time and turned into a pile of ruins.
A tall building stands in the middle of Guancheng, with a majestic pavilion and flying eaves. Although half of it has been covered by yellow sand, the original momentum can still be seen.
This high hall was obviously built later, otherwise it would have been submerged by sand and dust.
When they arrived at this place, Zhang Yuan asked Wu Gen to unload the sacrificial objects in the car. There were three animals, a giant candle, high incense, and a large bundle of white grass.
According to military laws, servants cannot enter. Wu Gen had no choice but to stay outside, while Zhang Yuan and others entered with sacrificial objects.
Wu Gen didn't know the specific sacrificial process, so he was not allowed to participate, so he just hid in the car and was lazy. Ever since he saw the ghost ship, he had been looking bleak and silent.
After waiting in the car for a long time, but still no four people came out, Wu Gen had to prepare dinner first.
At night, the wind howled fiercely in Guancheng. The wind blew through the sand and stones, like a woman wailing and wailing. Wu Gen hid in the car and took a nap. In a daze, he vaguely saw a woman's face moving in front of his eyes.
Huoran stood up, and Wu Gen was startled and broke into a cold sweat. This ghost place is so evil, even if I have stayed in Barren Tomb Ridge, I still feel a little scared.
Seeing that the four of them still hadn't come out, Wu Gen simply sat up and waited in the car all night.
The sky was getting brighter, but there was still no movement among the four of them. Wu Gen could no longer bear it, got up and walked to the Xiangtang.
The wind in the desert is strong, and the sand has already poured into the Xiangtang. It was pitch black inside, and a cold feeling could be heard.
Sliding down the gentle slope of the sand dune, Wu Gen reached the high hall.
It is quite spacious inside, measuring dozens of feet, and there are murals on the walls. With the sunlight coming in, Wu Gen looked at the contents of the mural.
On the murals, there are all mighty generals, leading thousands of soldiers, rushing towards the surging black mist.
In the black mist, all kinds of ferocious ghosts and monsters are swarming out. Some are of unknown height, and the mountains beside them are as straight as a mound beneath their bodies. Some bodies are like water, rushing forward like a rolling river.
The farther back you go, the more the characters in the murals dress more like today's people.
In the last picture, a burly middle-aged man, holding a long spear in his hand, looks majestic, flying towards a strange person like lightning.
The stranger on the opposite side was holding a long spear and had blue eyes, fighting with the middle-aged man.
Walking past a pair of murals, Wu Gen felt as if he had stepped into it, walking on battlefields, hearing the sounds of killing and witnessing tragic songs.
Under the endless city walls, I don’t know how many ancestors and heroes were buried and how much blood and tears were poured out. But now, all that is left is the sorrow of the wind and the bones of the dead soldiers.
Mountains and rivers are everywhere in the sky, and there are no people in sight.
With a long sigh, Wu Gen took his mind back and walked to the deepest part of the high hall.
There are no other statues here, only a huge torch is enshrined, and the flames are blazing, as if it is burning.
Under the torch is a stone table. The stone table was originally made of white jade, but now it was stained with a layer of black. From the moment he entered, Wu Gen discovered that the Xiangtang seemed to have been smoked by fireworks, with black marks everywhere.
The stone table is covered with a thin layer of white grass. On the white grass are some wine and three animals. Two giant candles and four long incense sticks have been burned out.
There were several people lying in various places in front of the table, and they were the four people participating in the sacrifice.
Wu Gen was startled, took out the knife and moved forward slowly, without approaching rashly. If there is anything fishy here, you can withdraw it in time.
When they walked up to the four people, their faces were all distorted, as if they had encountered something terrifying before their death.
He carefully put his hand in front of the noses of several people. The three of them had died, and only Zhang Yuan was still breathing. But his pulse was weak, his teeth were clenched, his face twitched from time to time, and his expression was very painful.
He gently patted Zhang Yuan's armor, but there was no response from the other party. I tried various methods, but to no avail.
Seeing that the opponent's pulse is getting weaker and weaker, in such a cold place, if he doesn't receive treatment, he may freeze to death here.
Frowning, Wu Gen dragged Zhang Yuan and climbed out of the Xiangtang.
After just a few steps, the ground suddenly shook, dust fell from the roof, and cracks appeared in the surrounding walls.
No, it's an earthquake. Wu Gen secretly shouted, stumbling and dragging Zhang Yuan outside.
Just after running a few steps, the huge stone beams and tiles on the roof fell. Wu Gen hugged Zhang Yuan and dodged left and right, barely avoiding the heavy objects falling from time to time.
After a long time, the surrounding area calmed down. The two were trapped in a small space, surrounded by rubble and rubble.
