Most of the slaves brought back by Han Dan Aqi were executed. The execution process, however, turned into a murderous carnival for the men of the tribe.
The open space to the west was filled with bonfires day and night. Drunken men, shouting and howling, used cleavers already soaked in blood to slit the throats of slave after slave. Some even drove a group of strong slaves into the horse enclosure, turning it into a bloodbath where bets were placed.
The secret gathering under the sacred tree between Yang Ruoning and Han Dan Chun at night became unusually silent because of this. The summer night breeze no longer carried the fragrance of grass and trees, but a foul stench of blood. The distant mass graves were filled with fresh body parts, attracting countless vultures. The shrill cries they made while fighting over scraps sent shivers down one's spine.
All slaves taller than a wheel would be killed, Han Dan Chun told her.
It's genocide. This was Han Dan Aqi's method of conquering most of the northern frontier and making everyone submit to him.
Indeed, Han Dan Aqi sowed seeds of fear in everyone's heart when they were young, making them grow up in fear, making them dare not, and unable to, resist his authoritarian rule.
Yang Ruoning thought that no matter what method it took, she would help Han Dan Chun and the shaman grandmother end this disaster.
Yes, no matter what method.
The moment Yang Ruoning heard that the shaman grandmother had finished her solitary spiritual cultivation and returned to the tribe, she went to find her. She wanted to know what the shaman grandmother had seen in her spiritual vision, hoping for a clue.
"The gods told me that the foreign girl under the sacred tree will help the tribe walk out of darkness."
"Huh? That's it? Did the gods say anything else?"
"Such a prophecy is already a great blessing, why would I ask the gods for more?"
Hearing this, Yang Ruoning found it both infuriating and amusing. "The foreign girl under the sacred tree? Grandmother, there are many people from Da Song or other tribes here. There are many foreign girls under the sacred tree, okay? So the gods might not be talking about me."
"I know."
What?! "Then why were you so sure it was me from the beginning?"
"The first time I saw you, I felt it was you."
"But what if it wasn't me?"
"Then I mistook the person."
Hearing the shaman grandmother say this, Yang Ruoning's face was already dark. "Grandmother, this is something that puts me at risk of losing my head! You can't be so casual about it."
"Don't all those sold here live like this? Even if Miss Yang doesn't agree to my request, your chances of getting your head cut off might only increase, not decrease."
Uh... Forget it, it's pointless to argue with the shaman grandmother now. Getting rid of King Aqi and leaving this place quickly is the way to go.
"Besides, Miss Yang, you are also a person facing death, aren't you?" the shaman grandmother said leisurely as she left.
Yang Ruoning was stunned. What did the shaman grandmother mean by that? She didn't believe this old woman possessed any extraordinary divine abilities. She was an atheist and didn't believe in supernatural phenomena. Perhaps the shaman grandmother said this only to warn her that she had no way out and had to help Han Dan Chun get rid of King Aqi. Everyone dies eventually, so no matter what, she was right.
On her way to the stables, she passed by where the captives were held. The sun was very strong that day. Those pitiful people looked like wilted plants, devoid of any life. Yang Ruoning heard someone say that in a few days, King Aqi would select a few women and children for a sacrifice to the gods, and the rest would be killed.
Thinking of their tragic fate, Yang Ruoning couldn't bear to look at them any longer. She lowered her head and walked away quickly. But after a few steps, she stopped. She looked around. Everyone had gone to dinner, and there was no one nearby.
She backed up and then whispered to a boy huddled in the corner, "Hey! Hey!"
The boy was scantily clad and covered in dirt, making it impossible to even discern his gender.
The child looked up, glanced at her quickly, and then lowered his head again.
"Hey! Little fellow!" Yang Ruoning called him again. "Come here! I mean no harm, I just want to give you this." Yang Ruoning took out a few fruits and shook them at him. These were fruits she had brought for Blake.
The child hesitated, unsure whether to take them. At this moment, people around also looked up. They stared intently at the food in Yang Ruoning's hand, but no one dared to move.
"Uh, you guys..." Yang Ruoning seemed to understand the reason. She took a bite of a fruit, chewing exaggeratedly. The fruit was indeed very sour, and Yang Ruoning's face contorted in a sour grimace. "Ah, this is a bit sour..." She coughed a few times after swallowing. She thought, no wonder they suspect these are poisonous fruits, they could really make someone pucker to death. But this was the only edible thing she had.
"Ah, forget it, I'll leave these fruits here. You guys figure it out." With that, she placed the fruits in the cage and left.
She planned to go under the sacred tree again tonight to get more food for them.
She thought that the tree itself was innocent. If it truly had a soul, it wouldn't like to see people being killed in front of it, under the guise of sacrifice.
Ah, that's why the sacred tree told the shaman grandmother to lead the tribe out of darkness, Yang Ruoning suddenly realized.
*************
Since Blake had caused such a great disturbance to Ah Jing's stallion that day, Yang Ruoning had kept him tied up in the open space behind their tent for days. She wanted to release him after his heat period passed, but Blake was quite displeased about losing his freedom, and he would ignore her when she fed him each day.
Today, having finally learned that his heat period had ended, she prepared those fruits to pacify the horse. When Blake saw Yang Ruoning, he bared his teeth, turned his head away, and shuffled sideways with small steps, indicating he didn't want to see her.
Yang Ruoning patted his head and said, "Alright, I know you're unhappy with me, but keeping you tied here these days was for your own good. But from today onwards, you're free again." As she spoke, she untied the reins.
Blake neighed, his forelegs lifting into the air, and then galloped towards the grassland behind without looking back. Yang Ruoning laughed and shouted at him, "Eat your fill and remember to come back, Blake."
*********************
Late at night the next day, Yang Ruoning tiptoed towards the cage holding the captives. Hearing her voice, the boy immediately looked up.
Yang Ruoning lowered her voice, "Hey, I've brought you food."
Earlier, under the sacred tree, she had filled a small pocket with food. Han Dan Chun watched nearby, not stopping her. He seemed to know she was taking so much food to deliver to the captives. However, Han Dan Chun did tell Yang Ruoning that she should go when everyone was asleep late at night, and advised her to be careful and not get too close.
Yang Ruoning spoke and gestured at this moment, trying to tell them she was bringing food. Han Dan Chun said that these people probably couldn't understand her, which was why they had been hostile yesterday.
A person next to the boy looked around and moved closer. Yang Ruoning took the food out of the cloth bag, stuffed it all into his arms, then took out a gourd shell, poured water from the water skin into it, and handed it to him.
"Eat slowly, I'll come again tomorrow at this time," she said, and then quickly slipped away.
For three or four consecutive days, Yang Ruoning would bring them food late at night. She noticed that the boy's identity seemed unusual; the others always waited to see him take the first bite before daring to eat their own food.
Thinking they would die in a few days, Yang Ruoning sighed inwardly, unable to bear to look at them any longer. She wished she could do something, but she was powerless.
She tidied herself up and prepared to stand up and leave. Suddenly, a hand grabbed her from behind. "On the night of the full moon in two days, do not be here." The childlike voice carried an inappropriate calmness and authority.
"So you can understand me."
"Remember what I said," the boy said, then retreated. Yang Ruoning suddenly realized something. She didn't say anything more, just nodded at him, and then turned to leave.
So, the next night when Yang Ruoning brought them food, she handed them a knife covered in thick rust, its blade long gone. After receiving the knife, the group exchanged glances, unsure why she would give them such a useless weapon.
The boy asked, "What is the meaning of this?"
Yang Ruoning said, "If you want to kill someone, please use this knife."
The person next to him said something to the boy. Yang Ruoning couldn't understand, but she could guess most of it. She explained, "Of course, if you can actually succeed, that would be great. I don't like that person either. My mission is to send him to God as soon as possible to face judgment. However, as you know, he is very powerful. If you fail, I want to offer you a plan B, an alternative solution. This plan is simple: you just need to make a cut on him with this knife."
"Just a cut?" the boy asked.
"Yes, but remember to make it deep, it must draw blood."
"Just this?" the boy's tone was full of doubt.
"Yes, this is no ordinary knife. I call it the 'Tetanus Blade'. You just need to make a cut on him like this, and leave the rest to the unseen hand of God." Yang Ruoning stood up. "He won't die on the spot, but you need to be patient and give the 'magic of God' some time."
"Who are you?"
"Me? I'm just an ordinary person who happens to know a bit more about the 'magic of God' than you, or in a sense, I'm not an 'ordinary person'." Yang Ruoning winked at him and said with a smile. "Goodbye, I hope you can go home safely."