Chapter 4: Mysterious Soul-Cutting Gorge

  Fifteen miles southeast of Duanhun Gorge, there is a steep and precipitous ridge called Canglong Ridge by local people.

  Canglong Ridge became famous in the southern Xinjiang region not only because it is adjacent to the legendary death zone of Duanhun Gorge, but also because Canglong Ridge was the old nest of Mu Hailin, the leader of the Iron Rider Alliance, one of the four most notorious bandits in southern Xinjiang.

  Today's Lop Nur is not the life forbidden zone called by humans after a hundred years, but a huge lake with an area of over 3,000 square kilometers, surrounded by dense Populus euphratica forests, lush grass and fertile soil. Along the lakeshore live tens of thousands of Mongolian, Han, Uighur, Xibe and Tibetan herders.

  Especially the Silk Road along the lake, I don't know how many foreign adventurers have been attracted to come in groups from afar, just to uncover the mysterious veil of the disappearance of the ancient Loulan Kingdom.

  To the west of Xinjiang, Persia (Iran) is connected; to the east, it borders the Hexi Corridor; to the north, it connects with Dihua (ürümqi); and to the south, it reaches Hetian (Khotan). This prosperous trade route has always been a place where horse thieves and bandits have made their fortunes for thousands of years.

  At the beginning of the Republic, Yang Zengxin, the governor of Xinjiang, took control of the central government and used his power to suppress the revolutionary party members who had launched the Ili uprising. He seized the fruits of the revolution with ease. However, the vast land of Xinjiang did not become stable as a result, on the contrary, bandits became more active and rampant.

  Since ancient times, the most effective way for government officials to deal with horse bandits has been to offer them amnesty and recruit them into their own ranks, which is also why there is a saying that "officials and bandits are one family".

  Mu Hai Lin is now facing a crucial decision in his life, whether to accept the offer of amnesty and become a general under Yuan's presidency, or to repay a favor to Yang Zuanxu, the former leader of the Ili Revolutionary Party, by helping him launch an attack on Dihua and responding to the revolutionary party's planned war against Yuan. These two completely different choices have made Mu Hai Lin unable to sleep soundly for days.

  This year, Mu Haolin is thirty years old in virtual age, and it is the golden age for a man to stand up. When Ma's banditry is definitely not going to end well, Mu Haolin is very clear about this. However, whether to rely on the great governor Yang Zengxin or follow the revolutionary party to rebel, Mu Haolin cannot easily decide, because he is not alone and must consider the interests of his more than 800 brothers under him.

  Longjiao Peak is the highest point of Canglong Ridge. At this moment, Mu Hailin, wearing a black sable coat and a hat made of the same material, was standing under the snow-covered silver pine at the summit, walking back and forth on the snowy ground with his hands behind his back, apparently pondering something important.

  At this time, the sudden rumble of cannons from the direction of Duanhun Gorge immediately attracted Mu Hailin's special attention.

  The thick snow on this silver pine was also shaken by the sudden sound wave, and the snowflakes fluttered and rustled.

  Mu Haolin, who had been an artilleryman in the Beiyang Army, could naturally tell the difference between thunder and gunfire.

  "One, two, three…… nineteen, twenty, twenty-one." Mu Hailin gazed out at the direction of Duanhun Gorge, silently counting the cannon fire in his heart. After a while, he didn't hear any more cannon fire coming from that direction, and suddenly, Mu Hailin's heart skipped a beat.

  "Twenty-one rounds, this is a 21-gun salute, the highest specification and most grand festive celebration!" Mu Hailin muttered to himself: "It seems that when Yang Zengxin was appointed as the new governor of Xinjiang, he only fired thirteen rounds of artillery. Who is this person, what's the occasion, that they would fire twenty-one rounds with such fanfare?"

  "Listening to the cannon fire, it should be coming from inside the Soul-Breaking Gorge. With such a huge commotion, there must be at least fifty cannons with a caliber of over 100mm firing simultaneously to create such an earth-shaking sound. How can there be artillery positions inside the Soul-Breaking Gorge? Fifty or more heavy cannons, what kind of power would possess such strength? Has the thousand-year-old curse of the Soul-Breaking Gorge been broken?" Mu Hailin stared blankly in the direction of the Soul-Breaking Gorge, muttering to himself.

  "Heavens, if I'm not mistaken, today should be the grand day of President Yuan's ascension to the throne!" Mu Haolin suddenly clapped his hands on his forehead, "Twenty-one gun salutes, this must be someone giving a congratulatory celebration for President Yuan's ascension in Beijing!"

  Muhailin was well aware that among all the forces in Xinjiang, there was absolutely no one who possessed heavy artillery with a caliber exceeding 100 mm. Even 75 mm mountain guns and field guns were rarely seen.

  "Could it be that President Yuan's people secretly broke the curse of Duanhun Gorge and quietly stationed a large number of troops inside?" The more Mu Haolin thought about it, the more he felt this possibility was growing.

  President Yuan was able to obtain the national treasure, ask for the world, ascend to the throne and proclaim himself emperor. He must have been blessed by heaven and protected by the gods, a true dragon son of heaven. It seems that only someone with such profound good fortune would be able to break the cursed thousand-year spell of the Soul-Breaking Gorge!

  The Mu family's ancestral teachings state that whoever can break the curse of Duanhun Gorge and gain recognition from the magical fertile land, the descendants of the old Mu family will acknowledge as their master and follow to the death. It is for this reason that Mu Hailin chose Canglong Ridge as the location of the Iron Rider Alliance's headquarters, because Mu Hailin upholds the ancestral teachings to guard closely the mysterious land of Duanhun Gorge which has been cursed by the gods.

  It is said that for thousands of years, the old Mu family has been exploring the secrets of the Soul-Taking Gorge, and every generation has had a Mu descendant die because of it. The Soul-Taking Gorge has become an inescapable nightmare for the younger generations of the Mu family!

  "Damn it, I don't care anymore! Today, I'll risk everything and charge into the Soul-Breaking Gorge to see which god can build a heavy artillery position inside!" Mu Haolin gritted his teeth and stormed towards the Soul-Breaking Gorge direction, heading down the mountain to the big camp.

  As soon as he arrived at the Hou Village entrance, he ran into his third brother Mu Haitao, who was holding a horse whip and looking anxious.

  "Lao San, what's wrong with you? You're so flustered. What are you doing?" Mu Hailin asked with a serious face.

  "Big brother, Duanhun Gorge, there were a lot of cannon shots inside Duanhun Gorge just now. The sound was so loud that it made people's ears numb even from far away! All the brothers at home in the village heard it." Mu Haitao said excitedly: "I'm sure, there must be someone inside Duanhun Gorge right now!"

  "Go, prepare the horse, and go take a look!" Mu Hailin didn't say much to his younger brother either, making a very decisive decision.

  In a moment, a line of fifty strong horses came galloping down the mountain from the Iron Rider's Fort on Blue Dragon Ridge. Wherever their hooves trod, they splashed up the snow and sent it swirling and flying in all directions, raising a thin mist that hung in the air.

  Fifteen miles away, it's neither near nor far, and galloping on horseback won't take half an hour.

  About a hundred meters from the entrance of Duanhun Gorge, Mu Helin reined in his snow-white horse.

  In the midst of neighing horses, a group of knights followed closely behind, their movements uniform and precise. At a glance, it was clear that these men were well-trained and skilled in horsemanship.

  Mu Haitao urged his horse forward, and from the rear of the team he emerged, his horse's hooves treading in small steps, standing shoulder to shoulder with Mu Hailin.

  "Older brother, I'm going!" Mu Haitao said calmly.

  "With me around, when will it be your turn to show off, you little brat!" Mu Haolin raised his whip and gave a moderate lash on the sable hat of his younger brother.

  "For over a thousand years, the Soul Severing Canyon has been the fate of the eldest son of our Mu family! Mu Haolin raised his whip and pointed at the lifeless entrance of the canyon in the distance, laughing loudly and magnificently, "Today, it's finally my turn, Mu Haolin!"

  Mu Haolin's hands suddenly clenched into fists, and he bowed solemnly towards the sky. "The ancestors of the Mu family are watching from above. I, Mu Haolin, the 34th generation descendant, will follow the teachings of my ancestors and venture into the Soul-Breaking Gorge once more. My goal is to secure a land of peace for the future generations of the Mu family. Today marks the auspicious day of the new emperor's ascension to the throne in our great China. I, the unfilial son Mu Haolin, have decided to take advantage of the new emperor's good fortune and attempt to break through the deadly curse of the Soul-Breaking Gorge. Ancestors, if you are watching over me, please bless your unfilial grandson with good fortune and success!"

  "Nobody is allowed to move forward half a step without my order!" Mu Hailin turned his head and roared at Mu Haitao and the other forty-eight Iron Rider Alliance brothers, then he fiercely squeezed his legs around the horse's belly, pulled the reins hard, "Charge!" With that, he galloped towards the entrance of Duansheng Canyon.

  Duanhun Gorge, with steep cliffs on both sides that plunge into the clouds, stretches north-south, and when looking up, only a thin line of sky can be seen, emitting a faint glow.

  Mu Haolin galloped his horse along the valley path with a tense expression, although it was his first time entering this treacherous terrain. However, based on the map of Duanhun Gorge passed down from his ancestors, Mu Haolin had already memorized every detail of the six-mile-long valley path in his mind.

  However, after passing more than three miles, the castle wall and gate that suddenly appeared in front of him, which was obviously man-made, with a height of over 15 meters, immediately made Mu Hailin stunned.

  Mu Hailin swallowed hard and gazed intently at the city gate in front of him, which he had no idea when it was built, and slowly approached it on horseback.

  Above the city gate, in the center, "Tang's Fort" three large golden cursive characters shone brightly.

  As he approached, Mu Hailin clearly saw that under the city wall, there were two shooting holes on either side, each with a black muzzle pointing forward in the square shooting hole. Judging from the gun mouth, Mu Hailin could confirm that these were two Markov heavy machine guns. What made Mu Hailin feel strange was that this castle tower had obviously built a machine gun bunker, but not even half of a person's shadow could be seen.

  Mu Haolin took a deep breath, dismounted his horse, adjusted his collar, and with both hands clasped in fists, loudly shouted towards the city gate: "Mu Haolin, the great leader of the Iron Riders Alliance from Canglong Ridge, has come to pay respects. I wish for your esteemed presence to appear before me!"

  At this moment, Tang Dynasty was sitting in the study of the inner city, lying on the red wooden desk painting and writing, looking at the title, as if writing some kind of plan book.

  "Boss, there's a stranger approaching, already at the first checkpoint!" The wristwatch beeped with a mechanical cat sound, and on the screen appeared Mu Hailin dismounting his horse, standing solemnly, cupping his hands in respect, looking very serious and courteous.

  "Ah, finally someone's here!" Tang Dynasty excitedly jumped up and punched the air, but soon his smile disappeared and he asked seriously: "I remember that the radiation source in Duanhun Gorge was just cleared a few days ago! How could someone dare to rush in suddenly? Doesn't he fear the death curse?"

  "I don't know, judging from the usual practice, the person who came might have been attracted by the sound of the salute fired from the base." The little cat was obviously not a suitable military strategist. "Boss, should we let him in or kill him?"

  "Let him in! I'd like to see what kind of person is so bold and arrogant. With just one person, he can't stir up much trouble." Tang Chao said with a sneer.

  Then, Mu Hai Lin, who was far away in the valley, stared at the two thick city gates that were obviously cast from fine steel, slowly opening to the left and right.

  Silent and still, no one was in sight, everything seemed eerie. Mu Hailin swallowed hard again, with the psychology of a dead pig not fearing boiling water, he cupped his hands towards the city gate and bowed, "Thanks!"

  He fell and immediately flew onto the horse, galloping through the city. Not far from running, Mu Hailin subconsciously turned his head to take a look, and those two heavy steel castle gates were indeed closed again.