Chapter - 41 Boundless Desert (10) (1/2)
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Clearly seeing all of this, Jebe pounced on the opportunity. Before the sound of the arrow piercing through the air had faded from everyone's ears, the arrow had already hit Bogurchi's back, right where his heart was. The spectators gasped in shock. But strangely, even though this arrow was shot with great force and caused a wave of pain to shoot through Bogurchi's back, it didn't penetrate his clothing and fell off onto the ground. Bogurchi reached down, picked up the arrow, and inspected it. It turned out that Jebe had actually taken off the arrowhead as a show of mercy. He flipped himself back onto the saddle and shouted: ”I am seeking revenge for my Khan. I don't need your mercy!”
”I, Jebe, never show any mercy to my enemies! That last arrow was to exchange one life for another!”
When he saw Bogurchi hit, Temujin was devastated. However, now that he realized that Bogurchi was not dying, he was overjoyed. At this moment he would have absolutely been willing to trade all of the sheep, oxen, and horses in his tribe in exchange for Bogurchi's life without the slightest bit of hesitation. Hearing Jebe's remark, he immediately answered: ”Alright, there's no need to go any further. You let him go so I'm letting you go. His life for your life.”
”I'm not asking to exchange my life for his life.”
”What then?” Temujin was puzzled.
”I'm asking for an exchange for his life!” Jebe answered, pointing at Guo Jing, who was standing by the door of the hut. ”I ask that the Khan not trouble this boy further.”
”As for me…” He continued, raising one of his eyebrows higher. ”I wounded the Khan and deserve whatever punishment that comes to me. Bogurchi, come on!” As he finished, he pulled the arrow from his shoulder and, with blood still dripping off of it, fitted it onto his bow. By now, Bogurchi's underlings had re-supplied him with six more quivers of arrows. ”Alright, let's try this again!” Bogurchi replied as he showered Jebe with arrows. The arrows were coming so fast that they seemed almost connected, creating a chain of arrows in the air.
Seeing the situation, Jebe, holding himself up by hooking his foot through the stirrup, flipped himself beneath his horse's belly. Leaning sideways so as to not hit the ground, he aimed and fired a shot at Bogurchi's stomach. The white colt, not waiting for his master to pull the reins, instinctively dodged to the left. Unfortunately, the shot from Jebe was much faster than any normal shot and the colt was not able to get out of the way in time. With a thud, the arrow hit the colt in the head and instantly brought it down.
Lying on the ground, Bogurchi dare not risk Jebe shooting a follow up shot; he immediately twisted around and fired another shot, snapping the bow in Jebe's hand. Losing his weapon, Jebe cursed the fact he wasn't able to fight back any longer, and he had to resort to zigzagging in an effort to dodge Bogurchi's shots. The Mongolian soldiers present all began to shout and cheer for Bogurchi as he loaded another arrow onto the bow. ”He really is quite a hero!” Bogurchi thought as he aimed for Jebe's back and let loose.
A great marksman never misses when it matters and this arrow hit Jebe on the back of his head. Jebe's body shook and he fell off the horse, the arrow falling to his side. Bogurchi, not able to bring himself to kill such a hero, had also taken the arrowhead off of his arrow. Bogurchi loaded another arrow onto his bow and aimed at Jebe before turning towards Temujin: ”Great Khan, I ask you to show mercy and let him go!”
By now, Temujin had grown to admire Jebe's courage and skill, so he shouted: ”Are you still not going to surrender?”
Seeing Temujin sitting there in all his glory and magnificence, Jebe was suddenly won over. He ran over as fast as he could and, with his head lowered, knelt down in front of Temujin.