Eleven just understand
"Beware! It's a wolf!" The seasoned hunter, Zong Bi, had already sensed something was amiss and hastily warned, just as he was about to turn his horse around to assist. However, his mount caught the scent of its natural enemy and refused to move forward.
Xiao Wu was stunned and didn't understand what a gray blind person was. Seeing that the black shadow had already stood up, it turned out to be a large brown bear. He suddenly remembered that the speaker of "Legendary Strange Fate" described the mountain as having a bear overlord, which could stand on two legs like a human and was called a human bear, also known as a gray bear. The ancients called it a "hu", with the saying going: "Deer fear jackals, jackals fear tigers, tigers dread hu", showing just how fierce it was.
Due to the heavy snow, this bear went into hibernation ahead of time, but was awakened by the noise. Naturally enraged, it glared with its triangular small eyes, opened its bloody big mouth and roared, wanting to find someone to vent its anger on. Unfortunately, Xiao Wu's mount happened to be in front of it, and the bear's two sharp paws slapped down, knocking the horse's head off. A bellyful of hot blood was pouring onto the bear's head.
Xiao Wu was caught off guard, relying solely on the warrior's reaction. As his body fell with the horse's headless corpse, an arrow shot out and hit Lian's nasal bridge. His bow power was so great that it could penetrate even shields and armor, yet it only pinned itself to Lian's face.
"Eldest Brother!" The opposite Han Jiu'er had never seen such a miserable state and let out a sharp cry.
"No!" Zhong Bi shouted almost simultaneously, but it was too late. It turned out that encountering a gray blind wolf was the most dangerous, and it was not like an ordinary wild beast. Being injured made it even more vicious, and it would only stop when it saw death. Therefore, hunting it required a fatal blow, otherwise, one would suffer its harm.
The rhinoceros has thick skin and tough flesh, and arrows can't kill it. Only a gun can pierce its weak point - the softest part of its body, the heart area, to kill it instantly. It is also aware of its weakness and pays great attention to protecting its chest. Only a top-notch hunter like Zong Bi dares to use his body as bait, waiting for the opportunity to make a fatal shot.
The little wok who had fallen to the ground did not know the reason, but saw the injured bear's ferocity greatly aroused, as if going crazy. With one palm, it fanned away the arrow on its nose, and with a surprisingly agile movement, its large body pounced towards him. Before he could think, he wanted to flip over and jump up like a sparrow, but unexpectedly forgot that he was wearing heavy armor, how could he jump up? His heart skipped a beat, and following the momentum, he rolled over like a lazy donkey, barely avoiding it. The bear had already heavily smashed out a large snow pit in his original position, and he was covered in cold sweat!
"Brother Gui, quickly save Fifth Brother!" Han Jiu'er saw Xiao Wu in danger and shrieked again.
Before Han Jiu'er shouted, Zong Bi had already jumped off his horse, grabbed the spear, and rushed over. He was anxious to save people and didn't care about waiting for an opportunity to kill absolutely. From behind, he stabbed a spear into the gray blind's fat buttocks, first luring it away before doing anything else.
Zong Bi had his reasons for not stabbing other parts of its body. It was because the gray blind usually liked to rub against pine trees to relieve itching, and the pine oil stuck to the skin on its back, forming layer upon layer, harder than armor. Only that buttocks were relatively soft and smooth.
The gray blind felt pain and turned around, let out a loud cry, rolled up its body, and rushed towards Zong Bi like a giant ball.
Good cattle! Zong Bi didn't even see the shadow of its heart, and with a shout of praise, he dodged to the side. Who knew that the ash blind man came even faster? The two edges of their bodies touched, and Zong Bi was bounced up, heavily crashing into an old tree trunk, snowflakes falling straight down.
Xiao Wu took advantage of the brief moment, grabbed the iron spear, and rushed to Zong Bi's side, pulling him up. Although the iron helmet covered his face, it was still visible that Zong Bi was in pain, frowning and squinting. Fortunately, this armor protected him, otherwise he would have been seriously injured.
"What should we do?" Xiao Wu panted and asked. The two youths fought side by side again, but this time it seemed even more dangerous than when they faced the Liao army in the stone cave.
"Aim for the opportunity, stab its left chest's heart, it's its weakest point!" Zong Bi's words were hesitant, judging that this gray blind child should have suffered from the hunter's loss and learned a lesson, but it was a bit tricky.
Sure, here is the translation:
As expected, Hui Xiongzi let out a thunderous roar, his palms alternately waving to cover his chest, as he stumbled forward step by step towards the two reckless youngsters, wanting to tear them into pieces.
Han Jiuer's small face turned pale as he remained on the horse, turning his head to call out for other helpers, but not a single person was in sight. It turned out that everyone under Zong Bi's command knew that the Fourth Prince liked to hunt alone, and even if they heard the beast roaring, they didn't dare enter the forest to assist.
"Can't see!" Xiaowu awkwardly shook the iron spear, feeling that the heavy armor had bound his limbs, making it impossible for him to use his usual agility. Even if he saw the enemy's weak point, he wasn't sure he could hit it.
"Watch me!" Zhong Bi, after all, had been through many battles and was used to seeing fierce beasts. He held his spear still, gathering all his strength for a fatal blow.
The grey blindman had approached the two young men, apparently, it was somewhat wary of the two long guns that shone with a cold light, and did not rush to attack, baring its sharp teeth, also waiting for an opportunity to strike.
Xiao Wu felt the killing intent of Zong Bi, and even more so the killing intent of the madman opposite him. He suddenly made a strange move, pulling down his iron helmet with one hand, and then quickly removing his armor.
"Second Brother, what are you doing?" Han Jiu'er on the other side grew anxious and, without regard for anything, urged her horse to gallop over. Fortunately, the horse was timid and thus saved her life.
Zong Bi has concentrated all his attention on Hui Sang Zi, and can't be bothered to pay attention to Xiao Wu's strange movements. Meanwhile, Xiao Wu is thinking that instead of being passive in heavy armor, it's better to be lightly dressed and take the initiative.
Hui's eyes immediately picked out the weakness, and the young man opposite him, busy removing his armor, could only hold his gun with one hand. How could he let go of this opportunity? With a low growl, he pounced on Xiao Wu.
"Got it!" Zong Bi also captured the weakness of the blind wolf, and his spear flashed out like lightning, hitting its left chest heart, blood splashing out, he showed a satisfied expression, according to past experience, this beast should have fallen to the ground immediately.
Something unexpected happened, the gray blindman who was blocked by the heart of the spear, became even more fierce, a palm broke the spear, turned around and jumped with four limbs, opened his big mouth to bite towards Zong Bi who lost his weapon.
Zong Bi's eyes stared at the gray blind child's white fangs and the inverted thorns on its crimson tongue, which were right in front of him. His soul flew away, and he thought it was all over, but he still didn't understand why it wouldn't die even after being stabbed in the heart.
At the critical moment, Hei Yanzi's fluffy head and face suddenly paused for a moment, and something extra appeared, stiffly leaning back, Zong Bi escaped the kiss of death, recalled his soul, and looked closely, it was actually Xiao Wu who had thrust his iron spear into Hei Yanzi's mouth and out through his skull.
The little wolverine let out a muffled roar, using all its strength to push against the iron spear, until it pinned its head to the ground. Its mouth and nose were bleeding profusely, but it still struggled with its four limbs, apparently unable to understand how it had been defeated.
When the fresh blood stained all the snow around, this gray beast finally stopped moving. Zong Bi cursed and jumped onto its belly with a dagger, aiming at the remaining heart cavity and stabbed it, but was stunned to find no heart. He suddenly realized something and stabbed open its right chest, and indeed, this gray beast was the legendary "Reversed Heart Demon" of the Northern Tribe, born with its heart in its right chest, a rare occurrence that they had encountered!
Thinking that even the strongest hunter would have no chance of survival if he encountered a counter-mind demon, Zong Bi felt a chill run down his spine and sat down on the corpse of Hui Yanzi, taking off his iron helmet and lifting his head, still disbelievingly staring at Xiao Wu: "Yue Fei brother, how did you think to stab its mouth?"
"How did I think of that..." Xiaowu also couldn't shake off the fear of almost dying, muttered to himself, "I think, since we can't find its weakest point, let's attack its strongest point..."
"Weakest point? Strongest point?" Zong Bi and Xiao Wu's eyes intertwined, coincidentally touching on a battlefield truth that affected their respective lives: If according to military strategy, one should use strengths to attack weaknesses, but conversely, how could the enemy not know their own weaknesses and certainly defend against them, allowing the opponent to take advantage of the situation? In this case, it's better to attack the enemy's strongest point; once you defeat the enemy's strongest point, all other points will naturally collapse.
From this moment on, Xiao Wu took "the strong beats the strong" as the ultimate principle of a warrior, and it complemented his previous understanding of "advancing as retreating", step by step guiding him towards the pinnacle of his destiny.
"Stinky Fifth! You scared me to death... you rascal, bandit soldier..." Han Jiu'er let out a joyful shriek and dismounted her horse, pummeling and scolding Xiao Wu.
"Hey! I'm just wondering, why do Han women like to be so harsh and cruel with their words when they take a liking to a man..." Zong Bi said with a sour tone, having been left out in the cold.
"You little devil, you dead Tartar! Just watch me tear your stinky mouth to shreds..." Han Jiu'er was utterly humiliated and couldn't help but let Zong Bi also taste her fierce and ruthless mouth.
The bright moon is in the sky, and the stars are twinkling. On a vast expanse of silver-white snowfield, more than ten bonfires have been lit. On the iron racks above the bonfires, large and small game animals with their skins removed hang in full view, being roasted until the fat drips down and the aroma fills the air. All around sit the Jurchen warriors who have returned from a day of hunting, laughing and chatting as they savor the spoils of the hunt.
On the bonfire in the middle, a huge bear was being roasted, its skin completely stripped off, its four paws chopped off, only the fur on its head remaining intact, still showing its ferocity as if it were alive.
"Little devil, why is it still staring at me? Is it not dead yet?" Han Jiu'er, who was sitting directly opposite Gray Blindman, although she was sandwiched between two brave hunting bears, was still a bit suspicious.
"Yes! According to our tribe's shamanic teachings, all things have spirits. The spirit of this blind man might be standing right behind you!" Zong Bi said with a deliberate attempt to scare her.
"Oh no!" The little girl was naturally timid, and Han Jiu'er was indeed frightened, hugging her small body tightly to Xiao Wu. This action was completely natural, although she was the precious daughter of the Han family, but being in a foreign land, she had nothing to rely on, so she treated Xiao Wu as her only support.
"Don't be afraid, Ninth Sister, Brother Zong is just teasing you..." Little Wu's face was full of embarrassment, thinking about the propriety between men and women, pushing her away wasn't right, but not pushing her away also wasn't right.
"Yue Fei, stop pretending, with a daughter like Xiao Jiu, I don't know what good fortune you've accumulated over several lifetimes?" Zong Bi squeezed his eyes at Xiao Wu.
"Pfft! You're the one who's Ilha!" Han Jiu'er already knew what Ilha meant, her small face flushed red as she sat up straight. She was at an age where childhood was fading and emotions were about to awaken. Being teased by Zong Bi like this several times, and having had a crush on Xiao Wu for some time, although he didn't have the heroic appearance of a great hero in her heart, she was still drawn to his extraordinary bravery and heroic spirit. Her tender heart couldn't help but flutter.
"Zongbi brother, stop talking nonsense! Yue Fei has already married his wife and doesn't dare to have any other romantic thoughts. How could he possibly think of someone as heavenly as Ninth Sister? We ordinary people wouldn't even dare to dream about it." Xiao Wu said seriously, thinking of his own wife at home, with a hint of tender feelings in his eyes. This was the first time he had been away from home for so long, and it was truly an unforgettable experience. Putting aside the twists and turns along the way, they had traveled all the way to the icy lands of the north. Now that Han Jiu'er is safe, they should return as soon as possible. Who knows how worried Han Da will be about his daughter? If news gets back to Xiangzhou, it would only cause the Han family unnecessary worry.
"Brother Wu, with a husband like this, how fortunate is she?" Han Jiu'er softly sighed, seemingly admiring yet disapproving, just like an adult, precisely the most moving posture of a young girl who has just grown up.
"Haha! Can a great man only have one woman? And can a good woman be content with just one husband? General Yue Fei, if you don't mind me saying so, I want her to be my Ilha." Zong Bi gazed at the breathtaking beauty of Han Jiu'er illuminated by the firelight, and for a moment he was enchanted, blurting out his true feelings.
"You little demon, speaking demonic words, what you say is no different from the barking of dogs and oinking of pigs! I thought that a true hero and good woman should be faithful to one love until death!" Han Jiu'er's small face turned cold, and she scolded the majestic fourth prince of the Jin kingdom as being worse than pigs and dogs. However, she mistakenly blamed Zong Bi. It turns out that the Jurchen custom has a practice of levirate marriage, where a woman who is widowed can be married by her late husband's brothers or nephews, and even sons can marry their stepmothers. Although this goes against Han people's moral principles, it is a way for the nomadic nation to survive and thrive.
"Beauty is in virtue, and talent is in integrity!" The ninth lady said it well! Xiaowu nodded in agreement, feeling inspired. The prosperity of the Song Dynasty was related to the fall of the Tang Dynasty due to the loss of etiquette and discipline. As a lesson for governing the country, Confucianism was revived, and the study of reason flourished, promoting self-cultivation, family regulation, and governance of the state. This led to an emphasis on ethics and strict adherence to rituals. From then on, scholars who wrote tragic songs about brave warriors were numerous, but there were hardly any martial heroes whose names would be passed down for centuries. However, there was one exception, which is a story for another time.
"Some families can't surpass your two clever mouths, I've long heard that the Central Plains are rich and the Jiangnan region is elegant, with countless beautiful women in between. I think there must be more than one little Guanyin (Goddess of Mercy), and one day we'll have to take our sons to experience it for themselves." Zong Bi was forced to reveal his inner thoughts,
"If you come alone, you are a guest. If you bring soldiers, you are an enemy." The young Wu Xing's concern for the country made him sensitive to the military tone in Zong Bi's words, and his speech was tinged with warning.
"If the Great Song is prosperous, we will naturally surrender to you. If not, then why don't we three become one country?" Zong Bi replied straightforwardly. The Jurchen people had already established a country, but they still retained their nomadic hunting nature, with the strong being king as a matter of course.
"Haven't you heard the words of the sage, that the barbarians having a ruler is not as good as the Xia Dynasty being destroyed? Since ancient times, China has been the orthodox dynasty, and all the Yi tribes have come to pay homage. If you dare to bring your army here, our Great Song will have thousands and millions of heroes like Wu Ge to welcome you!" Han Jiu'er was quick-witted and sharp-tongued, sarcastically ridiculing Zong Bi.
"Is that so? One day, I'll lead a million troops to conquer Jiangnan!" Zhong Bi was enraged and threatened in a stern voice. At the time, he was just one of many princes of the Jin Dynasty, with only a thousand soldiers under his command. Due to his young age, he didn't even have the qualification to go into battle, yet he spoke such big words.
"Alright, I'll return it to you one day, with a horizontal spear and a horse stepping on the yellow dragon!" Xiao Wu also issued an ultimatum without being polite. At that time, he was just a villager in the countryside of the Song Dynasty, struggling to make ends meet, and his words were indeed empty and unrealistic.
"It's like that, so the young lady can only come up with a long-sleeved good dance to turn the spear into a plum blossom!" Han Jiuer was clever and saw the two guys pinching each other's fire, about to turn their faces, and hurriedly spoke to resolve it.
This casual remark, like a gentle breeze and rain, extinguished the sparks in Xiao Wu's and Zongbi's eyes. The three of them looked at each other, their faces filled with increasingly intense smiles, until they all burst out laughing together. Their clear and melodious laughter echoed above the bonfire, making even the stars in the sky blink with envy.
These three naive young men, never thought that tonight's half-true and half-false words would come true one by one in the future, but it is unknown whether it was a joke made by history or an intentional arrangement of fate.
The next day, Xiao Wu proposed to leave, but Zong Bi tried his best to persuade him to stay, saying that it was hard for two sworn brothers to part ways. Han Jiu'er also said she wanted to play for a few more days. Xiao Wu couldn't resist and had to stay on.
In the following days, Han Jiu'er didn't know what to do or think, and only asked Zong Bi to take her out for a stroll, but wouldn't let Xiao Wu accompany them. Perhaps she didn't want to give Zong Bi an excuse, so she deliberately kept Xiao Wu at arm's length.
Xiao Wu fell into a leisurely life, watching the Crown Prince's army training every day, and thus learned about "striking the ball". The so-called "ball" originally referred to a round ball made of leather stuffed with hair - ?, the Song people were good at kicking it with their feet, called "cuju". While the Liao people liked to ride horses and hit the ball, called "striking the ball", commonly known as horse cuju, this "ball" was made of wood, wrapped in animal hide.
The Jurchen people learned to play Cuju from the Khitan, with a field having two pillars at each end, a board between them and an opening below for the goal. The goal was made of a netted sack. Players were divided into two teams, each holding a long-handled mallet, and whoever got their horse to enter the opponent's goal first would win.
Xiao Wu saw the woman, a true warrior, in the midst of striking the ball, riding her horse at high speed, her entire body freely flying between the horse's back and belly, as if playing a game. Suddenly, she had an epiphany: no wonder the northern tribes' horsemanship was superb, mostly trained through this ball-striking exercise. This ball-striking seemed like a game, but it was actually inseparable from battlefield combat, fully showcasing the characteristics of horse riding and cavalry warfare. The Jurchen people combined this with their traditional archery and hunting styles, adding heavy armor, giant spears, and powerful bows - how could they not create an invincible iron cavalry that dominated the world?
At this time, Xiao Wu had no idea that he would become one of the first Song people to understand the details of the Jin army. Perhaps when history faces a choice of fate, it is not accidental to favor someone, but has long laid down the foreshadowing, but some foreshadowing, even the parties and contemporaries did not know, and later generations can only pursue the growth of heroes from the scattered clues that have been passed down.
The night before the farewell, Zong Bi held a grand feast to bid farewell to Xiao Wu and Han Jiu'er. That night, the prince's tent was wide open, with fires burning everywhere inside, tables were lined up, filled with food, fruit, wine and meat in abundance.
The Jurchen girls from the nearby area came in droves, dressed to the nines, and mingled with the young nobles of the Crown Prince's personal army, eating, drinking, and having a great time. According to Jurchen custom, this was the perfect season for expressing love and seeking partners.
Xiao Wu didn't like the noise, quietly sitting in a corner, enjoying the exotic scenery that was about to bid farewell. Suddenly, the drums and music started loudly, and the crowd at the banquet heard the sound and got up. Xiao Wu hadn't reacted yet, but was submerged in the intense Jurchen dance.
Those young men and women, in pairs, surrounded the bonfire, their hands and feet moving in circles, swaying and twisting. The men were like fierce tigers, while the women seemed like gentle deer, their movements elegant and charming. They danced and sang, the melody soft and sweet, a delightful sight to behold.
"Congratulations, young master!" A soft voice came from beside his ear. Xiao Wu turned around in surprise and saw a Manchu woman in a bright red dress, bowing her head, folding her sleeves, and curtsying with the etiquette of a Han woman, wishing him good fortune.
"Little girl is fine! Dare... dare ask who you are..." Xiao Wu hastily returned a bow, hesitating for a moment.
"What's wrong, don't you recognize me?" The young woman slowly raised her head, revealing a face with a thousand charms and a shy smile.
