Volume 1 | North Bird Does Not Return
His eyes are very clear, and there seems to be a calm sea of stars inside …
The arrow was like a meteor, flying straight through the elaborate spider web under twenty Red Kite, and piercing the back of the tiger head below. No one knew how much power the arrow had, but the arrow directly pierced the thick and large skull of the beast. The tiger staggered, then crashed to the ground, dead before it could make any noise.
Gu Yun’s hand did not stop there, pulled the bowstring again with the second arrow, his back leaned against the door frame, then turned to a corner. Almost aimlessly, the arrow was released. The target is the person who throws the gold leaf on the observation deck.
There was a scream from the deck, an arrow grazing past a stranger’s head, nailing his hat to a nearby post, the arrow’s tail still shaking violently.
The man fell on the floor from his chair.
Gu Yun put away his bow. He turned to speak to the Black Armor soldier who was at the stake, “Planning to hurt others, arrest him for questioning.”
Only now did the man suppressed by the tiger slowly gather his consciousness, releasing small sobs. The people around him were in the same stage of fear and someone moved forward to help him out.
•••••
Under the Ting Yuan platform, an inconspicuous and thin figure disappeared into the crowd, using a commotion to board a nearby ship.
As soon as he arrived, he took off his head shawl, showing a man with black hair and eyes, his appearance was somewhat like that of a Middle Easterner. He was immediately allowed into the room to meet someone who was waiting for him.
He is a man who is approaching middle age, wearing white clothes and red robes with intricate embroidery. An oddly shaped and creepy stick stood beside him, his dark brown hair curly neatly combed, left hanging on his shoulder, with a large ceremonial ring pinned to his finger.
That is the messenger sent by the Pope.
The small black-haired stranger with respectfully dropped one knee, “Bishop.”
The bishop’s upper body is slightly leaning forward, indicating that he is listening.
“I’m afraid the results will be the same as you expected,” said the black-haired man. “In the hearts of these Easterners, Gu and his family have some kind of symbolic meaning, as long as the ‘black crow’ flies across the night sky, even though faced with a greater crisis, these fools will stabilize blindly like a flock of sheep have found their sheepdog. Their unreasonable beliefs are very difficult to understand, although in my opinion, many of them do not even know Gu Yun’s full name. “
The bishop pondered for a moment, “The ‘Seed’ does not cause casualties.”
“Almost nothing,” the black-haired man bowed his head. “The Marquis of Order happened to be at the Red Kite too, I don’t know whether his people were immediately arranged to mix into the crowd, or that our people had leaked traces of their existence, or if he himself had an extraordinary ability to sense critical situations. As soon as we planted the seeds, the black crow reacted immediately. Gu had killed the seed with one arrow shot from the Red Kite, and had also caught the ‘seed sower’ at the same time. “
The bishop leaned against the carved chair, his fingers rubbing his beard, “This is not the personal prestige of Gu, but the accumulation of three generations. The Central Mainland people blindly placed their trust in this black crow, almost forming a kind of strong belief for the Gu family. “
The black-haired man, “The Church has long discussed why there are gaps that often occur in Eastern society, but somehow their people are able to maintain this ragged peace. I think this belief is also one of the reasons.”
The bishop stood and took a few steps on the ship with his hands on his back. “This is our chance,” he murmured, “And it is not an unfortunate event at all 一 I have to write to the Pope, we can immediately implement Lou Lan’s plan.”
• Lou Lan is a country located along the Silk Road.
At this moment, the situation in the Qi Yuan tower was finally stable. The Royal Guards quickly arrived to ask for help and Gu Yun realized that his work here had been completed. He gestured to Shen Yi, motioned for them to leave now. His vision was already very blurry, and his hearing was also decreasing, the noise from all the commotion around him slowly becoming calmer.
Gu Yun said to the Black Eagle guards, “I will go first to take care of something. You follow His Majesty. If they want to go home, wait after everything is settled before you do. If they still want to play at the Red Kite, leave it. I don’t know if they will appear again. “
Chang Geng asked, “Yifu, how about you?”
At this moment, Gu Yun could no longer hear anything he said. He just patted the boy’s shoulder and hurried away.
The roar coming from under their feet became louder, the Red Kite slowly landed on the Ting Yuan platform. Gu Yun and Shen Yi walked side by side. The night snow was very heavy. Chang Geng held the robe that Gu Yun left in his hand, trying to chase them until a Black Eagle warrior prevented him.
The soldier said, “Your Majesty, please stay. Grand Marshal is not wearing winter clothes in the capital, the situation outside is still chaotic, please don’t leave your subordinates.”
Suspicion suddenly appeared in Chang Geng’s heart 一 why didn’t he use it? With Gu Yun’s body, obviously not because he was not afraid of the cold.
There were also the words ‘your eyes’ that Shen Yi cried out with anxiety, it also made him feel like there was a bone stuck in his throat.
Chang Geng could not be reminded of Shen Shiliu who ‘played blind and deaf’ while still in Yanhui City. Of course, Shen Shiliu’s eyes and ears were part of the discomfort he used to play tricks, but Chang Geng had confirmed that there were situations where he really couldn’t see. Is that just to deceive Xiu Niang and the barbarians who intend to infiltrate the Northern Border?
The more he thinks, the more likely he will become anxious. Chang Geng’s heart suddenly filled with anxiety, even to the point that the soldier diligently escorted them back to the Marquis manor, the feeling still did not want to subside.
Chang Geng returned to his room, he could not fall asleep even after circling in bed. After sending Cao Niangzi and Ge Pangxiao away, he secretly put on his coat and ran to Gu Yun’s room to wait.
Gu Yun’s place is very clean, with a kind of neatness and cleanliness seen in military men, and there is no excessive decoration. There were books on the table, steam-powered lamps used, and calligraphy hanging on the wall, the calligraphy read, “Life Is Inevitable”, it seemed that it was Gu Yun’s own handwriting.
Apart from the new fox fur coat hanging on the bed, the Marquis bedroom almost looked shabby.
Chang Geng waited a few moments and subconsciously fell asleep on the small table. When his chest was pressed, he immediately dreamed of things that were not pleasing to the eye.
In the fog, Gu Yun seemed to stand in front, with his back facing towards him. Chang Geng who was in a dream was not restrained by the shackles of boundaries, the action was far bolder than reality, he intimately pulled Gu Yun from behind, “Yifu.”
Gu Yun slowly turned around, but his eye sockets were completely empty, two tears-like streams of blood trickling down his cheeks, “Calling me?”
Chang Geng screamed and sat down, a cold wind swept through the entrance. He looked at the people who came from outside with confusion.
Gu Yun did not think that Chang Geng was in his room, he quickly closed the door and asked, “Why are you here?”
His voice was hoarse and his face also looked unhealthy.
The cold air hanging inside Chang Geng’s chest could finally come out when he saw Gu Yun. For a moment, he could not distinguish between dreams and reality, he almost had the ecstasy of being able to find something again after he thought it was gone.
Gu Yun stood near the door frame for a moment, experienced a wave of dizziness, and weakly gestured to Chang Geng, “Come and help me 一 I still have to take you to the palace tomorrow to greet His Majesty for the new year, be careful so you can get up right time.”
Chang Geng held his elbow and helped him to the side of the bed, “Yifu, what’s wrong with you?”
“On the way back, they dragged me to North Camp, I drank too much.” Gu Yun did not bother to take off his shoes and fall into bed with his back. He had just taken medicine, his head was still throbbing loudly, he said tiredly, “Come back to rest early.”
Chang Geng’s brow furrowed 一 Gu Yun’s body did have the aroma of wine, but it was not heavy, and each of his remarks sounded clear, it did not look like he was ‘drinking too much’.
However, he did not wait to ask again. Gu Yun fell silent, fell asleep as his head touched the pillow.
Chang Geng had to take Gu Yun’s shoes and socks off alone and pull the blanket for him. He always felt that the cold feeling in Gu Yun’s body could never be warm, he burned the steam of the room in the same degree and rested beside the bedpost, calmly staring at Gu Yun’s sleeping face.
“I don’t let my imagination get lost.” He repeated the words three times in his heart, and then, like an anxious little animal, he approached Gu Yun a little, as if he wanted to sniff the scent on that person’s body, but unconsciously held his breath.
•••••
The next day, even when Chang Geng felt that he had just closed his eyes and his nightmare didn’t have time to finish, Gu Yun had woken him up. He joyfully followed Marshal Gu to the Palace to greet brother in his name 一 Emperor Long An.
On the way, Gu Yun said, “Regardless of how His Majesty treats you, you must not think too much about it. When the Grand Empress was alive, he did not get along with the Royal Empress, but it was a matter of the older generation and had nothing to do with you … .. Damn, what is this bad luck. “
Chang Geng was absently listening when he heard him cursing under his breath. Chang Geng looked up to find that Gu Yun was staring at the horse carriage with a frown.
It is a train from Hu Guo Temple.
The Great Liang royal family practiced Buddhism, and even Gu Yun’s strict grandfather was no exception. Especially the current Emperor, at every opportunity where he has free time, he will always sit and discuss all matters with the abbot.
But to talk about the thing Gu Yun hates the most, they are not strangers on four sides, but these bald heads.
In particular, the abbot of the Hu Guo Temple had a crow’s mouth, and from an early age, he had confirmed that Gu Yun would bear the bad affinity and fight the fate of all his relatives.
The Marquis of Order had put all his anger into being unable to marry the monks of the Hu Guo Temple.
Emperor Long An’s personal assistant Li Feng 一 slowly ran out when he saw Gu Yun coming.
The man was sturdy and almost as tall as Marshal Gu, but three times wider. Born with two small feet, when taking small steps, he resembles a tree with large leaves that sway in the wind, very elegant.
This person’s last name is Zhu, others call him Eunuch Zhu when face to face, but behind his back, people refer to him as ‘Little Feet Zhu’
Little Feet Zhu did not have a very good reputation. He raised two “adopted children” outside the Palace. They always stick themselves in face powder and makeup, no one knows what for.
Because Great Liang had expanded their sea routes earlier, the habits of the general public were not as careful as the previous dynasty. There are many shameful secrets and unspeakable things hidden in every official and aristocrat, so the matter of Little Zhu’s Feet should be nothing if these eunuchs do not allow their children to take advantage of their rank and name for their personal benefit.
Little Zhu’s feet came in front of Gu Yun and smiled. “The Marquis and His Majesty have arrived? His Majesty the Emperor is talking to Master Liu Chi from the Hu Guo Temple. They have instructed that if you two are here, you can immediately enter, the Abbot Liao Chi said that it had been a long time since he last see you 一 oh, just in time, the teachers are out! “
During their conversation, two monks came out from inside.
Gu Yun knew the person who was leading the front, the man had a wrinkled face, full of sadness, as if he had never eaten a full meal in his life. It was the Abbot of Hu Guo Temple.
Gu Yun’s gaze couldn’t help but fall on the man behind him. He was also a monk around twenty or thirty years old, wearing a snow white robe. His face is as beautiful as a painting. Stepping on the small footprint in the Palace with his clean and neat shoes, he looked like a divine creature walking on snow to arrive.
Although Gu Yun hated bald head people, at that moment, he still could not help but be reminded of the legend of a monk who had gone to Tianzhu from the previous dynasty.
• References to the monk San Zhang in the work “Journey to the West” which has traveled to Tianzhu to obtain Buddhist teachings for his people.
As if the young monk could feel something, he looked up to meet Gu Yun’s gaze. His eyes were clear, and it seemed like there was a calm sea of stars in it, which could make people sink in with just one glance.
The young monk cupped his hands together, greeting Gu Yun from afar.
Gu Yun seems to have broken up from a dream and averted his gaze, he thought, ‘Why am I staring at the bald head?’
He paid no attention to the others, looked away rudely and asked Little Zhu’s Feet “Who is that little white face with the bald donkey?”
Little Zhu’s feet had watched Gu Yun grow since he was a child and had understood his personality, he quickly replied, “That is the abbot’s sister, teacher Liao Ran, who has just returned from traveling abroad.”
Gu Yun thought, ‘What kind of bad name is this, just by hearing it I feel bad luck.’
Who would have thought that the more he wanted to avoid the others, the more they insisted on coming to greet him directly.
↩↪
Fragrant Incense 8 