#322 - Death and Life (Part 2)
"Big Brother Wang, I... I have a family to support, I really can't die here. S-sorry!"
As the first镖师 (biāoshī,镖师 were armed escorts who protected goods during transport in old China) struggled to shout these words, turning to flee into the distance, the same thought rapidly spread and grew in the minds of the other 镖师.
Unlike the enemy's suicidal assassins, they, despite engaging in the business of "taking people's money and helping them avoid disaster," were ultimately just ordinary martial artists.
If their opponents were merely common bandits robbing travelers, they might not have minded risking a fight.
But these assassins were clearly not to be trifled with, and they were at a disadvantage, so most of the 镖师 were unwilling to risk their lives.
Just as the masked man had said—
It wasn't worth risking their lives for a few taels of silver.
"I'm going to get reinforcements!"
"You son of a bitch! Come and chase your grandpa!"
"Damn! I don't want to die!"
"..."
In a short time, another seven or eight 镖师 successively fled the battlefield, leaving behind shouts that were either honest or deceitful.
The masked man did not chase after these people, but turned his blade and continued to attack the few who had not yet escaped.
The encirclement suddenly tightened, and the pressure on Wang Qian instantly increased several times.
"Hahahaha! Don't struggle! You can still escape now!"
The masked man laughed and swung his blade again. Wang Qian was already blocking an attack from another direction, and it was too late to respond. His left arm was immediately cut open, leaving a bloody gash.
However, he didn't even frown, as if the blade hadn't struck him at all.
It must be said that Wang Qian's courage to fight to the end was admirable, but it seemed meaningless.
After all, after those 镖师 escaped, it was only a matter of time before the Stone Gate Escort Agency was defeated. There was no one for miles around, and it was unrealistic to expect reinforcements.
So, as long as they couldn't hold on, Old Zhang and Agou would not escape death in the end.
Unless...
"G-Grandpa!"
Curled up on the dilapidated cart, Agou tightly clutched a broken sword in her arms, her eyes wide open as she asked, "How much longer will you be?"
"Soon, soon!"
Old Zhang sat cross-legged beside her, his face extremely anxious.
"Just a little more!"
"B-But... ah!"
A cold light flashed past Agou's head, scaring the little girl into shrinking her neck.
She looked at the figures flying around her, suddenly fumbled out a wine skin from somewhere, and then "glugged" down the last bit of shaojiu (烧酒, a type of Chinese liquor) into her mouth.
"Ah! My wine!!"
Old Zhang subconsciously let out a wail at this scene.
But at this moment, Agou dropped the wine skin and laboriously pulled out the sword from her arms, raising it high above her head with both hands.
"Y-You bad guys!"
"Don't bully Grandpa!!"
"..."
"Swish!"
Several dark figures suddenly exerted force and broke through the already crumbling defense line, shooting towards Agou.
But Agou was not afraid, and even jumped off the cart, staggering towards the killers.
"Ya! Eat my sword!"
The childish voice, filled with drunkenness, echoed in the night sky. This scene was truly a bit comical.
But if things continued to develop like this, the comedy would soon turn into tragedy.
After all, Agou's combat power was probably worse than even a stray dog, let alone fighting professional killers.
Fortunately, Old Zhang finally came through at the last moment, completing the preparations for casting his escape technique.
"Pa!"
Flashing behind Agou, he picked up the "fierce" little girl, then turned to look at Wang Qian's position.
Old Zhang hesitated for a moment, then ran towards the latter.
"Escort Wang, quickly—"
The hurried shout came to an abrupt halt.
Because at that moment, Wang Qian, who was fighting three opponents alone, finally couldn't hold on and was stabbed in the chest.
"This!"
Old Zhang suddenly stopped, took one last look at Wang Qian's swaying body, and then decisively made a series of hand seals.
"Whoosh!"
A bright light flashed, and smoke and dust rose everywhere.
The figures of an old man and a young girl disappeared into thin air.
Da Ning, Shuzhou City.
Inside a small, pitch-black room, a little boy sat cross-legged on the bed, his chest rising and falling rhythmically.
His movements at this moment were almost identical to those of a martial artist meditating, but there was no flow of true qi between heaven and earth in his breathing.
In short, he was just sitting there.
"Creak~"
Suddenly, the door was gently pushed open.
The little boy immediately opened his eyes in a panic, as if he had been caught in the act of doing something terrible.
But when he saw who it was, his expression slowly relaxed.
"Ran'er, it's me."
Zhang San closed the door behind him with a complicated expression and slowly sat down beside the little boy.
He had been secretly observing Wang Ran for several months and knew that the latter really wanted to practice martial arts.
But Li Suyue had always been against it, so he didn't say much.
"You're still not asleep. If your mother finds out, she'll definitely scold you."
Reaching out to touch Wang Ran's head, Zhang San smiled, "Go to sleep soon."
"..."
Wang Ran obediently nodded, burrowed into the quilt, leaving only a pair of big eyes outside, watching Zhang San get up and walk to the door.
Then, the figure in his sight suddenly stopped and turned back to ask:
"Ran'er, why do you want to practice martial arts?"
"!!!"
A glimmer of light flashed in his eyes, and Wang Ran quickly got up, excitedly "woo-woo-ah-ah" gesturing with his hands for a long time. Seeing that Zhang San didn't understand, he ran to the table and picked up an ink brush to write on paper.
This ink brush was invented by Wei Changxian when he was idle. The core was an ink block. Although it was not as easy to use as a pencil from his previous life, it was no problem to write a few simple words.
"Swish, swish, swish!"
Soon, Wang Ran wrote a line of words neatly and held the rice paper in front of Zhang San with a hopeful expression.
"Okay, let me see..."
Zhang San smiled and looked at the line of small words, then suddenly froze.
He thought that a child of this age would want to practice martial arts for reasons such as "upholding justice."
But he didn't expect...
"Let's go, let's ask your mother if she'll allow it."
Da Feng, the Gobi Desert in the Western Regions.
The sound of crickets echoed across the yellow sands, and fireflies fell for tens of thousands of miles.
The bright moon shone, and the night wind still blew, as if the fierce battle just now had never happened.
After Old Zhang and Agou escaped using their escape technique, the remaining few 镖师 also had no need to fight to the death, and they all found opportunities to escape.
The masked men then scattered to track down Old Zhang and Agou.
So, at this moment, only Wang Qian was left in this vast desert.
Fresh blood kept pouring from his chest, soaking the yellow earth beneath him.
Such injuries would have killed an ordinary person long ago.
Even though Wang Qian was a middle-stage Third Rank martial artist, he knew that he only had a few breaths left to live.
Those who worked as escorts rarely had a good ending, and Wang Qian had long understood this.
So, in the last moments of his life, he didn't have any regrets or unwillingness.
He only missed the two people who were tens of thousands of miles away.
They should be living well, right?
He had originally thought that he would have a chance to ask Young Master Wei to let him see Ran'er when he grew up.
But alas...
"Neigh!"
Not far away, the old horse pulling the cart suddenly raised its head and let out a long neigh.
Wang Qian struggled to reach into his arms and slowly fumbled out an ink brush stained with blood.
He had accidentally seen this novel item after coming to Da Feng.
At that time, he just thought that Ran'er couldn't speak, and having such a pen would be very convenient, so he subconsciously bought it.
Only after buying it did he realize that he probably wouldn't have the chance to give this pen to his son.
And now, there was indeed no chance.
"..."
Trembling, he held the ink brush in front of his eyes, his vision slowly becoming blurred.
"Ran'er, you and your mother must be well..."
"Dad is leaving..."
"Thud."
His broad palm fell weakly, and the ink brush rolled and fell into the pool of blood, as if writing a father's last words.
Shuzhou City.
When Li Suyue saw the line of small words written by Wang Ran, tears instantly welled up in her eyes.
She suppressed her tears and gently touched Wang Ran's head.
"Ran'er, Mom promises you..."
"..."
Hearing these words, Wang Ran was first stunned, then a happy smile appeared on his face.
He ran around the room excitedly a few times, then tightly grabbed Zhang San's sleeve, while his other hand kept gesturing in the air.
Zhang San smiled and asked, "Ran'er, do you want to start practicing now?"
"!!!"
"Okay, then let's start now."
Looking at Li Suyue, Zhang San didn't say much and led Wang Ran out of the room.
Moonlight streamed in through the window, and the room became quiet again.
Clutching the rice paper tightly in her hand, Li Suyue could no longer hold back the tears in the corners of her eyes and suddenly leaned over the table and cried out loud.
Tears wet the line of small words, blurring the ink, turning into the appearance of a man melting into the sudden surge of thoughts.
"..."
"Ran'er, Dad will teach you martial arts when he comes back this time!"
"!!!"
"Hahaha, okay, then you must be good and listen to your mother at home..."
"..."
The handwriting became more and more blurred, just like everything blurred by time.
But no matter what, it could never blur a father's promise.
"Dad promised me."
