663 Towards Death (1/2)

There were no good news from the south, only bad news. A list of names was sent back to the tribe from the battlefield at intervals; each name representing a dead Desolate Man warrior.

The Desolate were simple and yet determined, similar in the ways of the Tangs. They could stay silent, but would not become despondent, no matter the difficulties they faced. Even if the situation was harsh, the women would still hum songs while washing and hunting.

As time passed, the situation in the south grew more and more desperate. The intervals between each list, and the length of those lists grew longer and longer. The old, the weak and the women left behind in the tribe did not have the mood to sing anymore. The entire plains grew quieter and the atmosphere grew more and more repressive with every passing night. One could hear the vague sounds of people crying. Even the strongest Desolate woman could not help but feel sorrowful when she saw the name of her son on the list.

One day, the Desolate woman in charge of caring for Ning Que and Sangsang finally saw her son's name on the list. She began to cry, and the women around her gathered around to comfort her.

Ning Que let the heavy door blinds of the tent down and walked back to the bed to continue giving medicine to Sangsang. Sangsang drank two mouthfuls and stopped. She looked up at him and said, ”What's the point of us hiding here? I'm going to die anyway.”

”There's no need to feel guilty. The Desolate are like us; no one would stand for their existence. Even if they had not taken us in, the West-Hill Divine Palace and the countries in the Central Plains would not allow them to live.” Ning Que said.

Sangsang shook her head lightly and said, ”But if we hadn't come, they would not die so quickly.”

With that, she spread out her palm and stared at the black chess piece in a daze. The chess piece was the last one she had left from that match at the Lanke Temple.

The number of deaths in the tribe increased and her sickness worsened. The tent grew colder and a layer of frost spread over everything. Only the black chess piece in her hand remained warm and moist as before.

Ning Que hugged her against himself and said, ”Don't worry. Even if the Desolate cannot hold on any longer, we can still head to the north. We can visit the Hot Sea and look at the sights. Eldest Brother said that even if the sea froze over, we could still catch a few variable platyfish if we break through the ice. The old yellow bull likes them a lot, so they must taste pretty good.”

Sangsang said, ”You know I'm not worried about that.”

Ning Que kept silent.

Sangsang said softly, ”We escaped from Lanke Temple to the Xuankong Temple, and then from the Wilderness to Chaoyang City and then back to the Wilderness again. Then, we made it here. I'm tired of running...”

Ning Que was about to say something but was stopped by Sangsang.

Sangsang said, ”In Chaoyang City, you told me this. The future and death are actually very similar. If it is already predestined, then there is no point in worrying. If it could be changed, then there is no need to worry. We just have to work hard at changing it.”

Ning Que said, ”That's what Teacher said.”

Sangsang replied, ”The world is very big, but if there is really nowhere for us to live in, then we both know that the situation cannot be altered anymore. Then why should we worry? Death means that there is no future. Shouldn't we learn to accept things if we can't change anything?”

Ning Que smiled and said, ”Well said.”

Sangsang lowered her head bashfully.

Ning Que told her, ”I never thought that my Sangsang would be so ladylike now.”

Sangsang replied, ”I am but just a little handmaiden.”

Ning Que said, ”Let's not mention that Grand Secretary Zeng Jing is your biological father. You are a lady of Yama's family. There is no one else more noble than you on Earth.”

Sangsang did not reply to that because she knew that he wanted to change the topic. She said, ”I do not wish to hide anymore.”

After a long silence, Ning Que asked, ”Why? Do you feel uneasy? Or do you think that we are like rats on the street? I told you when we were little, that no matter whether we lived like gutter rats that everyone hates, or poisonous snakes that everyone is afraid of, we should still be that to live on.”

Sangsang said, ”I know that I cannot live for a long time. Since this is so, then why should we live as rats or snakes? If you think that this is called being uneasy, then let it be so.”

”Perhaps we are destined to live in such difficulty.”

”What is destiny?”

”A Lucky Chance?”

”Teacher once said that I was his Lucky Chance. Then what is mine?”

”Your Lucky Chance is me, of course.”

”Don't joke around. I don't know why, but I feel like I should head south now.”

”You'll die if you head south.”

”I will die if I don't anyway.”

”You've got a point.”