Chapter 8: Lost and robbed, entering the grassland

The crystal marble is wrapped in felt, waiting for the person who will own it in a corner of the tent, and the same marble is still watching over each other.

"Brother Wen, this is cloud stone. It looks like the colorful stone used by Nuwa to mend the sky in the cartoon."

"I don't know what it is, but it's what allowed me to come back safely."

"You've already reached the limit of what you can change, Brother Wen, are you really willing to do whatever it takes to get him back?"

"I'd like to try again if I can."

"Hey, go ahead and bully me, a single guy. Brother Wen, if you really want to do this, I'll stick with you until the end. After all, this is something that's hard to come by in life, let alone ask for. If you need me to do anything, I'll do my best."

"Well, thank you then."

"polite!"

"Why should we be so polite?" Yue Chi handed Liang Sheng a washed peach. More than two months had passed in the blink of an eye. Now that Qiqi's basic skills had gradually stabilized, Liang Sheng asked her to start learning how to hold a sword and practice the swordplay. Liang Sheng's teaching was ruthless and quite strict.

"Take this sword." Yue Chi threw a long sword to Qiqi. The sword had a slender body and simple patterns. The sword stem had no hoop, but was wrapped with a round black cloth and a thick layer of cotton rope. It was light and comfortable to hold in the hand.

"This is the Fengyin Sword!" Liang Sheng walked towards the sword and looked at it curiously. When Qiqi pulled it out of the scabbard, the sword shone silver in the sun. If you listened carefully, you could hear the faint and tiny sword sound coming from the sword.

Qiqi gripped the sword tightly in her hand and swung it with a test move. The light blade rotated with her arm, and she used it in accordance with her own strength. This sword was very suitable for Qiqi. Even falling leaves were snapped in half by the sharp blade with a light touch. Qiqi knelt on one knee and clasped her fists in thanks. Yue Chi helped Qiqi up. He was not one to borrow flowers to pay tribute to Buddha. "Alright, I have passed on everything I can give you. How much you will learn in the future depends on you."

"This sword, is it..." Yue Chi nodded. The Fengyin Sword belonged to Wen Ranqi, but it was not Wen Ranqi who asked him to give it to Qiqi. That person neither revealed his name nor showed his face. Every time Yue Chi saw him, he just looked at his slender back, with a black robe wrapped around his body. He was like a mysterious prophet who knew everyone's secrets. Yue Chi could not beat him, and it was wishful thinking to want to plot against him. In the end, he could only choose to obey and believe.

Yue Chi asked Liang Sheng to continue teaching Qiqi martial arts, practicing internal skills in the morning and swordsmanship in the afternoon. Qiqi only had time to herself in the dead of night, when everyone was asleep, and only then did she have the chance to look at the wooden hairpin he had hidden under his pillow. He would quietly swallow his pain, but his longing could not be calmed. The more exhausted he became, the clearer Wen Ranqi's words and actions became in Qiqi's mind.

Wen Ranqi is the goal he persists in and the driving force of his efforts.

"What are you thinking about? We still have an hour before dinner. Keep practicing." Liang Sheng hit the dazed Qiqi with a bamboo stick. "Keep your hands steady and arms raised straight. Use strength in your waist, and breathe out of your Dantian. Keep your feet steady, keep your eyes on the sword, and swing it cleanly and efficiently."

"Qiqi, got it!" After consuming a few bamboo sticks, Qiqi returned to her training in earnest under Liang Sheng's strict guidance. The occasional chime of the Wind Singing Sword was like a whisper, and Qiqi took it as Wen Ranqi's admonition, a constant reminder. The Fire Tribe's territory encompassed the entire northern grasslands, their primary source of income being sheep and horses raised for trade with other tribes. The tribe's members were known for their passionate and forthright personalities, favoring long whips and short axes, which suited their physiques and seemingly sturdy builds.

After many twists and turns, from a small path to a deserted grassy road with only a few people, Wen Ranqi led the horse and carefully arrived at the place of the Fire Tribe during the tour.

But it would take him three days to reach Mandar, the main city of the Fire Tribe.

"Mr. Ran, my daughter and I can only accompany you here. There is a resting place not far ahead. You can stay there for a night before continuing on your journey."

"Thanks, uncle."

"I wish you peace."

"Goodbye." Wen Ranqi waved goodbye to the herdsman uncle and his daughter who were traveling with her. Following the herdsman uncle's directions, Wen Ranqi soon came to a wooden house and a tent. Three horses were tied outside the wooden house. The rich aroma of milk wafted out, and the sound of people inside the wooden house was continuous.

"Are you from the south?" Wen Ranqi was greeted by a young woman, speaking a southern dialect with a northern accent. Her hair was adorned with ornaments, she was dressed in a pale red cloth, and her face was beaming. Wen Ranqi followed her and was ushered to the only available seat in the cabin, slumping in the wooden chair. He could finally get a good night's rest. Now that he had joined the Fire Tribe, he no longer had to worry about Wen Shi finding him.

"Boss, I want half a pound of beef, three bowls of milk tea, and half a pound of sangpo and half a pound of dried mutton, and a pot of water."

"Okay, guest, take a rest. We will definitely prepare it for you."

Wen Ranqi was enjoying a comfortable meal. The wooden house fell silent. Everyone seemed to be quiet at the same time. There was only the sound of gurgling swallowing.

After paying the money, Wen Ranqi asked the proprietress for a separate small tent. After paying the high accommodation fee, he lay down comfortably. His relaxed heart began to make him sleepy, and soon Wen Ranqi fell asleep.

The owners of the three horses were still in the cabin. After discussing, they quietly left. The wolves on the grassland began to howl. The moonlight was as white as snow. Wen Ranqi spent his first peaceful and comfortable night on the grassland.

But good luck is not always partial. Wen Ranqi lost his direction in the vast grassland under the scorching sun. Yes, he galloped across the fields and deviated from the main road, walking into an endless, uninhabited grassland.

"Horse, horse, do you know how we should go?" The old horse shook its head and just lowered its head to eat grass, not understanding Wen Ranqi's words. It was the same everywhere, chasing the sun should be right. Wen Ranqi pulled the stubborn old horse to the opposite direction.

"Tie Le, my eldest brother is not here, and it will take several days for him to return from the south. It should be okay for us to rob someone."

"Of course, this fat sheep must have a lot of good things, more than what we earn from selling the sheep."

"Brother, there's no one around here. God is really helping me."

"Let's go and see that kid."

Wen Ranqi walked for a long time, but before he had even covered a few miles, he was exhausted. Fortunately, his water bag had enough water. He took it off and crossed the horse's back. Three horsemen with whips appeared on the horizon. Wen Ranqi saw hope. He waved at the three people with his hands and feet, shouting, "I'm here! Help me! I'm lost."

The three men rushed straight towards Wen Ranqi and surrounded him on horseback, roaring in a dialect that Wen Ranqi could not understand, and their whips crackled on the horses' backs.

"I'm lost. Does anyone know which way to go?" Wen Ranqi asked, pulling out a piece of silver. The youngest man snatched it away without saying anything. The three men continued to sneer as the circle of encirclement gradually shrank. One of them retreated, walked over to Wen Ranqi's horse, and began to collect his luggage.

Useless clothes were thrown on the ground, and even dry food and water bottles were taken away.

"Second brother, there is no money."

"Search him, Third Brother!" Tiele ordered the two men to seize Wen Ranqi and begin to search him. The gold and silver were too heavy, so Wen Ranqi had already exchanged them for silver bills for easier carrying. Along with a few pieces of fine white jade and a small bag of silver, all the valuables on Wen Ranqi were taken by the man the two men called Second Brother.

"Let me go! How dare you rob in broad daylight? Aren't you afraid of being punished by the chief of the Huolie tribe?" Tiele rubbed the gleaming dagger back and forth on Wen Ranqi's face, gritting his teeth and saying, "The chief? Who is he? An old man who won't die. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't be able to do this. Boy, I advise you not to scream. We will kill you here. No one else can see your body. At night, the wolves on the grassland will eat you clean."

Wen Ranqi was kicked and curled up on the ground in pain, unable to cry out. He cursed in his heart, "Damn it, I got lost and robbed, this is really unlucky!"

One of them said, "Second brother, why don't you just give it a knife..."

"It's getting dark soon. There's no one to help him get out. He doesn't know any martial arts. If the wolves come, he'll be dead. There's no need for us to kill him."

"Then listen to your second brother."

"Let's go home." The three of them whipped their horses and rode off in style. Wen Ranqi recovered his strength and walked to the horse, picking up the clothes that had fallen on the ground and putting them into a cloth bag. He had no money left for food, water bottles, or anything else. Where should he go in this vast grassland?

Wen Ranqi's abdomen was still aching. He lay on the horse's back and walked aimlessly, "Horse, horse, they say an old horse knows the way. Take me out."

Tana counted the number of sheep, and Wen Yuhan was guarding beside them with a horse and hunting dog. This year they would have a good harvest of sheep.

"It seems like there's one missing."

"Are you sure? It's not dark yet. I'll look for it again."

Tana and Wen Yuhan hugged each other, then mounted their horses and set off with their hounds, crossing plains, rivers, and hills all the way west. Wen Ranqi half-opened his eyes, a warm blanket draped over him, the flickering flames of the fire shining into his eyes. A herdsman sat beside the fire.

"Thank you for saving me." Wen Ranqi's dry throat made a hoarse sound. Seeing him wake up, the herdsman gently stroked his back and fed him a bowl of water.

"I see you're so cold, so I'll warm you up first. My house is only a mile away."

"Thank you. What's your name? You saved me. I'll repay you later."

"You don't need to repay me. Helping others is what we grassland people do. My name is Albugu, what's yours?"

"Wen, Ranqi, just call me Xiaoran."

"Okay, Xiaoran."

Tana waited anxiously outside the tent. Wen Yuhan finally returned with the hounds and a lost lamb, along with a man and a horse. Wen Ranqi dismounted and bowed, and Tana returned the greeting, a steppe-style courtesy. Wen Yuhan took Wen Ranqi into the tent to settle her down. Tana quietly led Wen Yuhan out. After the previous incident, Tana still had a lingering fear of strangers, especially those from the south.

Wen Yuhan held Tana's hand comfortingly and said gently, "Don't be afraid, he is Xiao Ran, my brother Wen Ranqi."

That night after the mysterious man left, Wen Yuhan told Tana about his past in detail. Tana also knew about Wen Yuhan's experience. Looking at Wen Ranqi sitting by the fire in the shed, she finally felt relieved.

"Can I call him Xiaoran too?"

"Of course, he's your brother too."