Chapter VI | Changzhou |Part III
Liang
3,437 years since initial death
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Even with the power of immortality at your side, there are times when you experience extreme levels of fear and anxiety.
Ming always acts accordingly to keep his true identity a secret. But this was one encounter he wasn't prepared for. As death lingered in the air around them, so died the sounds of war. The only thing to hear was the beating of one's own heart. Several eyes watched the Immortal's expressions as he thought of a response to these allegations.
His next words will determine his fate amongst the Kingdom. Anxiety caused him to stutter over his own thoughts as he desperately tried to ponder the perfect speech. However, his unstable mind cracked, and he sighed before surprisingly letting out a chuckle in response.
Just as his curious allies awaited his answer, Ming reached a conclusion. He hasn't lived this long just to succumb to the pressure. Everyone anticipated a speech, and a speech is exactly what they shall receive from him.
"Please, you enlighten me, commander." Ming started, keeping calm. "History is the key behind it all. See, you focus on your Kingdom and the path ahead, while I focus on the path that was left behind for me. I study my ancestors, I study the land I strive in and I study the path that a million generations walked on. Gunpowder is an elixir of immortality, one that I dedicated my time into researching. For a man of your wisdom, it surprises me how quickly you would launch an allegation without taking a mere moment of your precious time to read the dozens of parchments and literature that exist for a reason, you utter fool."
A few gasps were audible from the crew as Chuanguan himself raised an eyebrow to Ming's unexpected venting. Even his voice was beginning to grow louder and sound more ferocious. He was willing to let his wrath speak on his behalf as he fights another battle, only with vocabulary rather than a blade.
"There is a world outside this Kingdom that can change your perspective on reality! Once upon a time, there was a Roman Empire unlike anything you have seen. Their culture spread and I learned of it as I proudly adopted it. It is because of a Silk Road that I stand here today, to have traveled to parts of this world you can only dream of. Have you heard of Baghdad? Of course not! Why would you know the name of the grandest city in the world, one that holds more wisdom than any God damn Emperor or King that ever lived in your nation's history?!"
He had to catch his breath, noticing the angered expressions that looked back at him. His last line seemed to have struck a nerve in some of the crew.
"I have lived my thirty year life to its extent, yet I still find a reason to broaden my horizon. I learned to wield a weapon and defend my life from those who wish to take it from me. It's because I live with passion. Everything I do comes from the heart and soul, and forgive me for showing sympathy to the enemy that we blinded with ash, humiliated with beans, set ablaze with fire and drowned in the river or struck with arrows to their brains! It's inhuman! Call me a God! Call me a Devil! Hell, call me an Immortal for all I care, but try to understand the fact that I have spent my life learning and adapting to the world we live in before our inevitable deaths."
All this time, Chuanguan stood in complete silence without ever changing his expressions. It seemed as if he was ready to execute Ming on the spot.
"And just for your information, my name isn't Ming-Xu. It's a lie! You want to know who I am? I am Maalik Seti of the Fourth Egyptian Dynasty, and I don't stand here at your service. I'm not here to fight for what is right or wrong. I don't care to determine who the hell controls all the power in the world. I'm here because I crave exploration. I'm a spectator within the evolution of time and history, and I just so happened to be on your side today. You might as well kill me now and add me to the pile of corpses because my goals have been achieved. I've seen and heard enough, and I'd rather die with whatever dignity I still hold. Think of that the next time you question someone else's wisdom, you malum. Want to know what malum means where I'm from? It means you're a cock, you pig-ignorant, dull-brained, shit-eating skamelar! You just brutally killed so many people and you're suspicious of me just because I'm smart enough to read a book for once in my life?! You can go to hell and stick your head up a panda's rear, you dense, fucking malum!"
Tension struck the air harder than the conveniently timed wooden mast of a nearby Wu ship crash into the river after enduring so much fire. Ming stood satisfied, glaring at all the wide-eyed faces surrounding him. No words could possibly describe how insulted and offended most of the crew were, and he felt happy about it. Some of them even reached for their weapons just in case, but Chuanguan didn't move a muscle.
Ming had other ways to unleash his wrath, and this was one of them.
Now, all the attention turned towards Chuanguan. It was his turn to deliver Ming's fate. The look in his eyes remained glared and his expression has always been dark and sinister enough to scare a lion. This is the look he has had for as long as Ming has known him. Sometimes, the Immortal even wonders if Chuanguan appeared the same way during his birth. The thought of an angry, grumpy and silent baby emerging from a mother's womb should make him laugh, but it had the opposite effect.
The commander turned to face his crew, observing the rants coming from the deck. The Wuyue were outraged at the foreigner's offensive remarks, and they looked towards their leader for the signal to deal with this insolence. Suddenly, they were answered.
"Cowards!" Chuanguan's scream echoed against their eardrums, silencing their protests. Even Ming was somewhat surprised by this response. "Not one man amongst you has the courage to speak the truth in the face of your commander. The foreign Luoma carries a ballsack larger than our forces and yet you cower behind me."
He whipped his head and looked straight into Ming's soul beyond his eyes. It was so sudden and direct, that the Immortal thought he was about to die; permanently. "If my father could hear you now, a fate worse than death would await you."
"But you're not like your father, are you?" Ming answered back, keeping his chin up. He wasn't expecting this outcome, but there's still a chance he'll be decapitated or strapped to the front of the ship to be used as a ramming device.
Chuanguan snatched Ming's arm and raised it towards the sky, turning his head back towards the deck again. "This is the man you should aspire to be! An army of Mings is what I require to banish the Wu. Turn your outrage against the Huai, release your demons and deliver enough wrath to frighten the enemy into submission from the sheer presence of your aura!"
Ming's hand was lowered and gripped tightly as Chuanguan shook it proudly. As the confrontation ended, it seemed a more personal conversation was in order between the two of them.
"Luoma, I want you to join me on one more mission. Afterwards, you are to disappear." Ming was still trying to process the earlier statements but was snapped back to reality by these words.
"What do you mean by that?"
"You do not belong here. Not with this crew, not in this kingdom. If what you have told me is true, then you must turn your attention elsewhere far from this war. My history is mine to pursue, not yours. You must pursue your origins and leave me with mine."
Their handshake concluded, and the commander smiled for the first time in his life before turning to his quarters. Ming on the other hand was left alone to ponder this interaction.
To break the silence, their next orders were delivered. By the command of the King, Qian Liu, they would pass through the river once more and commence an attack on the Chang Prefecture. There, they would face off against the Wu major general, Xu-Wen. Although the men were exhausted, they followed through with their orders and sailed back down the river. It was tricky maneuvering around the floating wreckage, but that obstacle was eventually passed.
Upon reaching land and marching towards the battle, they realized their luck had run out. Despite an overwhelming victory at the river, fate had now sided with the Wu state. General Xu-Wen was there in person and personally defended the site against the attack. As a taste of their own medicine, the Huai were able to launch a trap against the Wuyue, covering soldiers in oil and setting them ablaze on the spot.
The fight was short but still deadly. Two Wuyue generals fell during the battle. Hundreds of more soldiers were killed by fire, arrows and even hand-crafted explosives. It was clear that Ming and Chuanguan weren't the only ones with gunpowder on their side.
"Retreat, my soldiers!" Chuanguan's voice echoed through the inferno, forcing the Wuyue to sprint back towards the shore.
Ming tried to stay close to his commander's side. Despite what was previously said, he didn't want his closest ally to die. But rather than running, he found himself standing still alongside Chuanguan.
The commander wasn't retreating. He stayed and watched the carnage as Wuyue soldiers ran and screamed in terror. They had delivered so much death and destruction to the enemy, and now they got to experience it themselves.
"Commander!" Ming wasn't willing to leave him behind. "We should run, why are you hesitating?"
"I refuse to leave until every living man under my command escapes safely, and that includes you, Maalik!" Chuanguan's voice was raised to accommodate to the chaos that blasted their ears. Ming didn't want to admit it just yet, but hearing the commander use his real name was heartfelt.
It seemed reckless to stay, but this was the role of a good leader. It's admirable how much his commander cared for his troops. But risking a leader's death here still seemed extreme. Ming's anxiety was increasing in worry of him. "You mustn't risk your death here! Your Kingdom will suffer wit-"
Ming was shot to death instantly with an arrow to the head. His vision faded to black and suddenly, he screamed.
No longer was he standing in broad daylight outside an enemy base. He was now surrounded by complete darkness and the charred blackened bodies of his allies atop of him.
Seeing your death coming gives you time to prepare for it physically and emotionally, even if it was only for a second. However, when death arrives unknowingly, it feels different. For that one moment, you barely have time to realize the situation when your mind becomes lost. Ming never even had a chance to witness his life flash before his eyes.
It took him a moment to catch his breath and calm down, but he had a terrible headache. The smell was also awful, although it was to be expected after each corpse around him, including himself apparently, had been recently burnt to a crisp. He didn't hesitate to leave the pile and try to make it out of the camp without being seen.
Fortunately, most of the guards were asleep. It was past midnight, and the darkness helped cover his tracks. Surprisingly, despite having been set on fire previously, he felt cold. Some of his armor had broken off, while other parts seemed to have hardened over him. Overall, it was uncomfortable. Furthermore, he felt his back. Something didn't feel right.
His staff was missing. However, this didn't appear to be a major problem. The spoils of war are typically contained nearby, especially in a military camp like this. Just as he predicted, a pile of scattered weapons taken from the battlefield were laid close by to the carcasses of his fallen allies.
Many spears, axes and single edged sabers were left here, as well as a few crossbows. Shoving a couple of them aside carefully, he spotted the wooden hilt he's come to admire for the past few centuries. He's taken great care in maintaining his staff's longevity. Wielding the very same weapon an ancient wizard once used to defeat the Saxons so long ago, the immortal explorer was ready to make his escape.
However, escaping proved to be far more difficult than he had imagined. Due to his screaming upon revival, it didn't take long before a few guards appeared carrying torches to illuminate their dark surroundings. There was no time for Ming to form a plan, he was immediately spotted in the open.
He had a few choices. Using his staff, he could single handedly defeat everyone and simply walk out the front gate like a legendary hero. Perhaps he can surrender instead. Even if they execute him, he'll simply return like nothing occurred. Or, just maybe, there was one other option. It was the most straightforward plan that came to mind, and it might just work.
He ran. He ran faster than he had in a long time, since Pompeii at least. He just wanted to make it back home, to leave everything here behind. A few screams could be heard coming from behind him. Then, the unmistakable whistle of an overhead arrow was heard next.
Ming's limit had already been reached. He's not dying here again. But he couldn't run for long, not in this armor. The guards were beginning to gain on him. There were only three of them. It was hard to tell considering how dark it was.
None of it seemed to matter, as Ming ran into some trouble of his own. Straight ahead, he could barely make out the outline of a creature. The amount of noise he was making seemed to alert it, so did the guards' shouting behind him. That proved to be a mistake.
The creature ahead was a lone Asian black bear. Normally, it would be asleep at this time. But with no dens nearby or hollow trees to sleep in, it resorted to resting out in the open. All the noise awakened it, as it looked straight towards Ming. He would rather take his chances with the angry Asian men trying to kill him than even attempt to get within a meter of that beast.
He had to act quick to avoid getting mauled. Convincing the bear that he doesn't taste good because he's too burnt didn't seem like the brightest idea, even with how messy his Mandarin is anyways. There was one other idea stirring in his head, and he stopped for a quick moment. The guards behind were close, he had to go now.
The bear growled aggressively, whether it was out of aggression, hunger or both; Ming didn't really care. Suddenly, he picked up a rock from the ground below and threw it. He aimed for the bear itself, hitting it in the head. This did nothing except further angering the animal. It growled again and started charging towards him.
That was when Ming turned around himself and ran in full retreat. Just ahead of him, a guard ran towards him with his sword drawn in the air. There was only one way this was going to end. As death approached him from both sides, he had to act fast.
The guard yelled, swinging his sword downwards in an attempt to kill his enemy. Ming on the other hand was faster, clenching his staff and aggressively deflecting the attack. Taking a sidestep behind the guard, he swung the blunt end of the staff to knock his enemy forward. Now, the guard was the closest entree for the bear. Then, Ming ran around the scene and continued straight ahead into the forest.
All he could hear was the screaming that ensued behind him. The other two guards became distracted by the bear. As they fought it off, their main target was already long gone. Ming had escaped into the night, allowing the forces of nature to cover him as he continued to run out of sight.
It took him days of endless journeying on foot through fields, forests and farmlands before he reached civilization that was larger than a mere hut or two overlooking a river. Luckily enough, it was the kingdom's main capital city, Qiantang. He may have starved to death during that time, but he couldn't even remember if he actually died or not. The whole experience had him exhausted, and at this point he just wanted a soft bed and some warm food.
To his surprise, nobody could recognize his appearance. Despite demanding that he had to meet the Wuyue commander, he wasn't allowed into the fort. His identity was erased, and nobody would believe him.
A recently written parchment was brought over. On it, the name Ming-Xu was crossed out, stating this person doesn't exist. Beside it was another name, reading Maalik Seti. He was labeled dead, defeated in battle and left to burn with the others.
Chuanguan survived and had locked himself within his quarters, refusing to speak with anyone. This of course couldn't stop Ming from barging in or stealthily approach him during the night. But none of that happened. Taking one more look at the parchment, he knew his time had run out. Maalik is dead, and he needs this nation to believe it.
Shortly after the battle, Xu-Wen, the Wu major general, would attempt to negotiate peace between the Wuyue and Wu states. Surprisingly, it worked and there were no major conflicts between the states for over twenty years. Meanwhile, Qian Liu died in 932 AD. His son, Qian Chuanguan was crowned the new leader of the kingdom. He would later change his name to Qian Yuanguan due to unknown reasons.
However, Ming never stuck around long enough to notice or react. By that time, he was already long gone.
His name changed. His former identity was erased. New and old nations alike welcomed him back. Warfare crept into his inner life. Allies and enemies left remarkable impacts. It was all the same, everywhere he went.
Whether it be battling the Byzantine Empire in the Middle East or going on Viking expeditions in the northern seas between Norway and England; he experienced all of it.
But one change occurred. Since the beginning of his immortality, he's searched for a quiet, peaceful life. Upon entering Ireland and forming a new alliance, he made the decision to settle there permanently.
Overlooking the grand Atlantic Ocean atop the majestic Cliffs of Moher, the lone Immortal built a shelter for himself. It was rich with vegetation and barnyard animals, surrounded by the greenest grass he's seen in his life. It was his own settlement to live in away from the chaos of Earth's inhabitants. This was his home now.
Throughout this whole time, he had never forgotten Chuanguan, nor his advice. For the short time he had known him, he learned so much from him. But there was still one lesson he was ready to follow, and it involves adventuring once more.
Ming's story ended, until his desire for exploration returned. Upon embarking out of Ireland to face the next trial of life, he made a grand decision.
Just as his commander once told him, it's time he pursues his origins.
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Historical Notes:
Although they tend to be shy, Asian Black Bears are extremely aggressive towards humans and can attack even when unprovoked due to their relation with tigers. It is common to find men with mutilated heads and scalps, others ultimately being killed by the bears after being torn apart with sharpened claws and teeth.
The bears are in danger because of deforestation as the human population continues to grow and communities spread. Legal hunting for sport also poses a threat as hundreds of bears are killed annually, sometimes illegally.
Qian Chuanguan's (Or Yuanguan at the time) palace was burned down along with the treasury in 941 CE. Chuanguan lost his mental wellness and became vulnerable to attacks as he was the king of the entire state. His enemies in Southern Tang demanded an attack to conquer Wuyue and kill King Chuanguan. However, the Tang Emperor instead sent emissaries to wish him well, a proper recovery and to offer him gifts.
Qian Chuanguan died on September 17, 941 CE. He was 53 years old.
Qian Chuanguan (Yuanguan)
The Byzantine Empire was founded in 330 AD and lasted until 1453 AD. At their peak, they controlled several parts of Europe and the Middle East, including Northern Africa.
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