Chapter 3

Along the riverbank, boulders were scattered everywhere, but Yun Ye walked steadily. Just last night, he had vowed not to be weak anymore. His wife and children were in his heart, warming his entire chest. He was determined to take his family and venture into this unknown world. He believed that as long as they were not in a wilderness, with his dexterous hands, it would not be difficult to settle down here. He was no longer afraid of any beasts; the worst situation could not be much worse than this. Leaving the herd, he decided to survive alone on this barren land. Yun Ye considered this the first step in his new life.

His feet left deep imprints in the yellow sand, and a small horse limped and followed closely behind. This was a wounded horse abandoned by the herd. Wolves had torn the skin on its hind legs, which had quickly rotted under the scorching sun. In the early morning, the herd had gone to the grassland to graze, leaving it by the river to die. Yun Ye cleaned its wounds and applied precious white medicine, believing that in a few days, the wounds would heal. Yun Ye considered this his final act of gratitude to the herd. Then, he waved goodbye and set off on the path to find people. For some reason, the small horse struggled to stand up, glanced at the direction the herd had gone, and then laboriously walked toward Yun Ye. Yun Ye heard the small horse's hooves but did not turn around; he just slowed his pace. When Yun Ye stopped, the small horse stopped; when Yun Ye walked, the small horse walked. They walked and stopped, one man and one horse, along the long river, with a deep bond forming between them.

By noon, the sun had become intense, and sweat soaked through his clothes. Yun Ye found a patch of shade under a huge locust tree, whose bent branches covered nearly half an acre. The grass under the tree was short, making it a perfect resting spot. Yun Ye sat heavily on a protruding root, undid his shirt, and drank a large mouthful of water, feeling the heat dissipate. Just as he was about to rest for a moment, the small horse walked over and nudged him gently with its head, looking like it wanted to drink. Yun Ye took out a flat pan, filled it with water, and the small horse drank eagerly without hesitation. Yun Ye put down his backpack and checked the horse's wound. Fortunately, it had not torn open. Whether it was the effectiveness of the medicine or the horse's good constitution, a layer of membrane had formed over the wound, which explained why it could follow him for so long. Yun Ye leaned his head on his backpack, chewing on the remaining wolf meat. Food was scarce, so he had to conserve it. The small horse lay beside him, lazily chewing on the grass Yun Ye had cut.

"Do you just keep following me? I don't even know where I'm going. It's your bad luck."

"Do you know? Following a leader with no future, but I've decided, once you follow me, no regrets."

"The heavens silently threw me onto this barren land to fend for myself. I've accepted it. We two will live a colorful life in this world. In the future, we'll eat well and drink well, and you'll have your share of good times."

"From now on, you'll be called Wangcai. You'll bring us rolling wealth. How about that?"

"This name is too cool. Without a certain level of cultivation, no one could come up with such a name."

"Don't spit. I really like this name. Look at you, covered in mud. Not calling you this would be a waste."

Yun Ye chattered on, and Wangcai listened with closed eyes. Soon, Yun Ye's voice grew softer and eventually faded away...

A sudden, rapid hoofbeat woke Yun Ye. He sprang up and looked in shock toward the dense forest on the right, where the sound was coming from. Wangcai also stood up, obediently standing beside him, swishing its tail without making a sound. It was two horses, their hooves beating the ground in a quick, regular rhythm. These were not wild horses. Yun Ye felt his blood rush to his head, grabbed his entrenching tool, and charged into the forest like the wind, cutting through the underbrush and breaking through the shrubs, startling countless birds. Wangcai stayed far away, not understanding why his owner and big brother was acting so crazy. By the time Yun Ye, panting heavily, cut down the last patch of shrubs, the hoofbeats had already faded away. Watching the dust on the yellow earth road gradually settle, Yun Ye burst out laughing. Tears and snot smeared his face, but he didn't care, collapsing on the ground and then bursting into tears.

This was a trace of human civilization, a road that stretched into the distance, running parallel to the Yellow River. Yun Ye was certain it was the main road connecting to Lanzhou, now perhaps called the Imperial Highway. The two ancient people who had just ridden by seemed strange to him, even though he had seen many ancient people before, but they were mummies and dry corpses. Even the beautiful Lady Xinzhui from the Mawangdui tomb was no different.

The afternoon sun shone on the deserted ancient road, making it appear serene and desolate. For Yun Ye, it was a path to the unknown, a step to heaven or a step to hell.

Yun Ye found signs of human habitation. As he was about to return to civilization, he felt hesitant. Heaven or hell? Should he take this step? In this world, he was a non-existent person, like a pool of water where a stone had been thrown, causing ripples that might or might not submerge him. The unknown was terrifying. Knowing nothing about this world, he felt an overwhelming fear. Sweat dripped from his chin. Wangcai stretched its head over and licked his sweat, as if to comfort him.

Standing by the river, he carefully washed the dirt off his body with the river water. His clothes were tattered and barely covered his body after nearly a month of struggling. He cleaned himself thoroughly and tied the clothes around his body. Fortunately, his backpack was made of soft cowhide and was undamaged. Seeing Wangcai covered in mud, he washed him as well. The cold river water made Wangcai neigh happily.

He took large strides on the yellow earth road, not caring where he was going. Following this main road, he would surely find people. The footprints, hoofprints, and wheel tracks on the road became denser, indicating he was getting closer to villages and cities. His heart was no longer filled with panic. When faced with a situation, one must be bold. Turning a corner, he heard the noise of people. Looking in the direction of the sound, he saw several ox carts parked in a circle by the roadside, with a flag on one of them, the large character "Tang" fluttering in the wind. Yun Ye's heart skipped a beat. Indeed, he had returned to the Tang Dynasty, though he didn't know which emperor was on the throne. Yun Ye watched the ancient people with interest. They wore blue robes that reached their knees, trousers made of hemp, and cow-ear hemp shoes. Their hair was tied up high and secured with wooden sticks. This was the attire of commoners, he supposed. A few of them wore leather armor and carried horizontal swords, looking fierce and imposing. The leader was a burly man with a full beard. Yun Ye watched from the side, then, holding his horizontal sword, he strode over to him.

"Little Qiang boy, daring to rob the grain carts, what a bold move!"

Yun Ye quickly retreated, waving his hands and speaking in a Shaanxi accent, "Sir, who is the Qiang boy? You must have mistaken me."

The big man paused his sword in mid-air, his eyes full of suspicion. "Hey, a kid from Guanzhong, how did you end up in Longyou? Where are your parents?"

"No parents. My master passed away, and I came out of the mountains alone. It's just me."

The big man sheathed his sword and stared at Yun Ye from head to toe, even coming close to sniff him.

"No sheep smell, you're from Guanzhong. Why is a young kid wandering around?"

"What if the wolves get you?"

Wangcai, seeing the big man grabbing Yun Ye, couldn't stand it and bit him. The big man let go, raised his left hand to dodge, and caught Wangcai's chin with his right hand. Wangcai yelped in pain, and the big man laughed, patting Wangcai's back and saying, "Good horse." The other men also laughed at Yun Ye and Wangcai's predicament. Wangcai, afraid of strangers, hid behind Yun Ye and peeked at them. The leader was still looking at Yun Ye. Yun Ye's clothes, though tattered, were finely made and had a strange style, the material not quite hemp but not ordinary. Yun Ye's clear features and smooth skin, along with his delicate hands, clearly indicated he was not from a common family. He wore a pair of leather boots that were strange but well-fitted. The big man felt a bit regretful for his earlier rudeness and softened his tone. "Where are you headed, young master?"

"I have lived in the mountains since childhood with my master. Recently, my master passed away, and after mourning for three months, the place where we lived was destroyed by a flood. I had no choice but to come down the mountain. I encountered a pack of wolves, but I managed to escape. I decided to go to Chang'an. Could you tell me how far it is to Lanzhou?"

"Lanzhou is less than sixty miles away. With your build and a wounded horse, it will take you two days."

"Where are you all transporting grain? What year is it? I've lost track of time in the mountains. Please tell me."

"Both the master and the apprentice are clueless. Don't you know that His Majesty ascended the throne last year? Remember, it's now the second year of the Zhen Guan era. As for where the grain is being transported, that's military information." The big man was dismissive of Yun Ye's questions, as if everyone in the world should know that his great emperor, Li Er, had ascended the throne last year.

Yun Ye felt as if his head had been struck by a heavy hammer. The second year of the Zhen Guan era, Li Shimin. The Prince of Qin. He had not escaped the dark manipulation of the wormhole and had been thrown back 1,300 years. Thinking of his wife and children, whom he had left behind, he felt an overwhelming sense of loss. He muttered to himself, "How can I live so long?"

"Don't you like it? Isn't His Majesty's ascension a great event?"

"Of course, I like it. How could I not? His Majesty's ascension should be celebrated by all."

"Then why are you crying?"

"Out of joy."

"Then cry more, and cry for your master too."

{Piaotian Literature}