Essence 《The Chronicles of Heroes of Groups Two and Three: The Tale of the Young Ranger Xiao Ji》 - The Ranger

#LittleIntel# Finally, the '游侠小基传' part of the 'Tan City Incident' section is about to temporarily conclude in this post. (Worked hard for probably no less than 8 posts, now let's first treat ourselves: Wow! The posts with '小基传' content are all very exciting! Love it!) (Well, the stuff in parentheses, if you want to critique it, go ahead...) Of course, the end of the '小基传' serialization does not mean the 'Tan City Incident' content is finished; rather, the following biographical content related to the 'Tan City Incident' will comprehensively and fully supplement the 'Tan City Incident.' As for the next story, it will be — 'Tomato's Tale!'
Picking up the pen again to continue it is very important, as it proves that AoXiang is still here at 7723. — Blessings to AoXiang.
_____ The black horse ran hard. Facing the suddenly appearing figure ahead, it let out a sharp neigh. But it seemed that Xiaoji had no intention of signaling the black horse to stop.\_____ The person blocking the way seemed surprised that his command words had no effect. Watching the horse pressing closer step by step, he revealed a trace of panic, curled his lips, gritted his teeth, and let out a contemptuous snort. Suddenly, he drew something shiny from his hand, reflecting a glaring light in the sun.\_____ Xiaoji tugged the reins. The black horse stopped just a few steps away from the wide blade about to hit it. The horse lowered its head and stared at the obviously threatening sword, inhaling sharply. Xiaoji on its back looked down with a smile at the person in soldier attire who had drawn the weapon.\_____ "You bastard! Are you deaf? Or just a plain fool? Don't you know all entries and exits of the city gate are strictly inspected, huh? Riding a tall horse, thinking you can skip the line and come and go as you please? I'll tell you this, in front of me, you're in for trouble! Get lost and go back!" Before Xiaoji could speak, the soldier in disguise twisted his fierce expression as if a napping dog had been kicked and let out a roar.\_____ "Gate Captain, not to be trifled with. So glad to see you indeed." Xiaoji still responded to his threat with a smile, though it is unclear whether he noticed, Xiaoji looked at him with squinted, playful eyes.\_____Hearing Xiao Ji's words, Cai Bu Nüe's expression looked as if he had run into something. He squinted one eye to scrutinize Xiao Ji and asked, “You know my old man? But pulling strings won't work…”\_____“I didn't come here to leave the city, and I never said anything about leaving the city, did I?”\_____“You… hmph, it seems you really aren't here to leave the city, but rather—to court death!”\_____Cai Bu Nüe suddenly widened his eyes, his face possibly turning red with anger, and both nostrils flared. It seemed he finally realized that he had been played by the guy on the horse earlier. Xiao Ji had never intended to have a serious conversation with him. However, being provoked by Xiao Ji like this, the carefully crafted image he had been pretending to maintain was completely torn away by himself, revealing his original ugly appearance. “Damn it, you're playing me, huh? Trying to pull tricks? You're still too inexperienced! It doesn't matter what your motives are, since I've got time, I'll play with you to the end!”\_____Ignoring Xiao Ji on the horse, he spat and shouted his declaration of war, while simultaneously swinging his big knife horizontally toward Xiao Ji. The black horse lowered its head in alarm. Watching the blade come at him fiercely, Xiao Ji showed no sign of fear; instead, a look as if a child had just had a mischievous idea appeared on his face. Seeing the black horse lower its head, Xiao Ji shifted his body down and wrapped his arms around the horse's neck, just avoiding the blade's edge. Two of his fingers free, Xiao Ji plucked a mane hair from the black horse's neck as hard as he could… right in front of him, Cai Bu Nüe, caught off guard, did not retract his knife and was knocked into the air by the horse's raised legs. However, this city gate officer didn't seem like someone ordinary. Cai Bu Nüe stabilized himself midair, did a sideways flip, planted the knife into the ground, and landed firmly.\_____Xiao Ji, now wearing a surprised expression, dismounted the black horse, ran up to Cai Bu Nüe, held out his hands, and said, “Ah! How careless of me… I'm so sorry, the horse got out of control. You weren't hurt, officer, were you? But you just drew your knife to chop me without a word, and this really… I'm just here on some business and have never caused any trouble in my life. Officer, you stopped me for no reason and even wanted my life—this is unreasonable, not allowed by the law, right?”\_____“You bastard! Damn it!”How dare you, how dare you, repeatedly humiliate me! You insolent commoner, how to deal with you depends entirely on my mood! And now that I want you dead, you must die for me!” Cai Bunuye's expression looked as if he had been driven to a desperate situation and suddenly went mad, his exposed teeth sticking out awkwardly. His body trembled as he pulled the big knife from the mud, then wildly slashed at little Ji in front of him.\_____Dodging the downward blade by turning to the side, little Ji stared at the rage-stricken Cai Bunuye with a piercing gaze and said, “Wow! You really want me dead! General Bing, let's talk this over! I have no choice but to fight back!” Little Ji's words, however, didn't seem to be addressed to Cai Bunuye, and neither were his previous words. But Cai Bunuye clearly didn't notice. He laughed maniacally: “Fight back? Fine! But don't make me laugh to death! You insolent commoners actually think you can defeat me? Who am I? I am the City Gate Captain Cai Bunuye, the living deity you worship day and night!”\_____“Cai Bunuye! You can't be so arrogant anymore!” A furious voice interrupted Cai Bunuye's arrogant speech, but it wasn't little Ji speaking. At some point, the civilians who had been lining up had surrounded the two, and the voice came from a young man among them. This shout immediately stirred responses from the surrounding civilians, and a torrent of complex but anti-Cai Bunuye remarks erupted from the crowd: “That's right, that bastard Cai Bunuye has been bullying people for far too long!” “He even said he could dispose of us as he pleased, he doesn't regard us as human!” “Why should we obey his orders? Attack! Kill him!” “Yes! Kill him!” Confronted with the sudden surge of public anger, Cai Bunuye stopped moving, scanning around with a fierce gaze, shouting at the civilians glaring at him: “You want to rebel? This place is under my control. Anything such insolent commoners dare to do, I'll arrest and execute you all!” Cai Bunuye's threat had some effect, as the advancing civilians mixed fear into their angry expressions.\_____“I came here for a purpose, one of which is to liberate the civilians here and open the city gates. And giving you, the power-hungry tyrant who brutalizes the people, a lesson is something I will do along the way."Xiao Ji approached the dishes that were being distracted by the civilians and didn't provoke Cai Buye, speaking softly. 'Wh…what?' Cai Buye only then began to react. At that moment, Xiao Ji's hand grasped the wrist of the hand that was about to raise the knife. Cai Buye tried to twist his hand free but found that the hand held by Xiao Ji had lost all strength. 'A person in power should do what is good for the people! This is also something you should reflect on and consider! As for the bad things you have done, then accept the punishment appropriately!' Xiao Ji spoke loudly, then glanced at Cai Buye's face, which showed a terrified expression from being unexpectedly restrained, and a smile appeared. His foot, hidden behind Cai Buye, swept toward Cai Buye's ankle. From the impact, Cai Buye's body was lifted into the air, completely losing balance. Watching Xiao Ji's smiling expression, Cai Buye fell backward to the ground.\_____"Ah! Everyone, attack together!" Cai Buye being knocked down seemed like a signal, and the oppressed civilians rushed forward all at once. At that moment, seeing the angry faces of the civilians, Cai Buye seemed to regain some awareness, and stammered fearfully, 'D-Don't come over!' If Cai Buye was truly caught by the civilians, there would be no escaping death.\_____However, as the civilians surged forward, an unusual sound suddenly emerged from the other side, inside the city. It was the clash of many weapons, mixed with the overwhelming roar and cries of countless soldiers, sounding like a stampede of an army. The noise shook everyone's eardrums as if the entire city were trembling. Turning his gaze toward the city, Xiao Ji showed a resolute look. At that moment, from the direction of the city, a civilian ran toward them, unsteady and nearly falling, his clothes stained with blood. Seeing a group of people at the city gate, he suddenly began to cry out: 'Quick, run! The kingdom's army has entered the city! They are killing everywhere! Don't get stuck here! Move aside, I…I don't want to die yet!'\_____This shouting immediately threw the surrounding civilians into chaos. They abandoned Cai Buye and began pushing one another and scattering in all directions. Yet this only caused the city gate, which could have been their escape route, to be tightly blocked.\_____In the midst of the chaos, one hand was raised in the crowd, and a loud shout was heard: 'At this rate, everyone will die here! No one will escape!'Hearing this, everyone stopped moving and looked toward the source of the voice, realizing it was the young man who had knocked Cai Bu Jiao down. \_____ "The city gate is a safe place to escape. And Qingcheng's army is unable to move around the alleys, so we have enough time to leave. We've already defeated Cai Bu Jiao, so our travel will no longer be restricted. We don't need to panic at all, let alone push each other. If you push too hard, many people will find it hard to get out, but with the city gates wide open, each of us can get out!" "Besides, isn't there something more important than pushing and shoving here? Your family!" Xiao Ji kept turning around, sincerely calling out to the civilians watching him. A voice from among them said, "Why listen to him? Escaping is the priority!" But then someone responded, "It was this young man who knocked Cai Bu Jiao down. He's our benefactor. Without him, the city gates might still be under the control of the soldiers. We should listen to him......" "Hmm, I think you're absolutely right. We need to leave in an orderly way for everyone to leave." Although the opinions were somewhat complicated, at least the civilians seemed to be calmed by Xiao Ji. Xiao Ji bowed and said, "Thank you all for listening to my humble opinion. I don't think you should waste more time here. Think carefully about your own plans. Brothers who didn't bring valuables can still rush back to retrieve them, but the mandala city that has weathered storms and is in danger here—shouldn't brothers turn back together to drive out the wolves to protect their ancestral legacy?" Of course, if everyone pushes open the other half of the door, there will always be room to retreat. ""Alright!" Rarely, at this moment, most of the civilians who had come from different paths responded in unison.
_____ The civilians' busy steps began to move, yet they appeared orderly. Cai Bujiao, lying on the ground, did not stand up. He looked up at the blue sky, his gaze seemingly vacant. At that moment, several civilians rushed toward him, seemingly not noticing he was lying on the ground. Just as they were about to step on Cai Bujiao, a hand grabbed his shoulder sleeve and dragged him out of the crowded area. He frowned and suddenly straightened up, seeing Xiao Ji crouching in front of him with a black horse. Xiao Ji wore his habitual smile. Cai Bujiao's expression suddenly turned angry: "What are you doing! Haven't you teased me enough? I want to die! There's no point in living anymore!All the dignity of being a soldier is gone! I want to die, so just let me die!” The smile on his face disappeared, and Little Ji responded with a serious expression: “Your life still has meaning, right? And no one can take away your dignity as a soldier—not me, not civilians—because it will always be with you. And the way to protect it is to go to the city! If you want to die, I won't stop you. I just think you should die appropriately, not miserably.” Cai Bu Nüé continued to look at Little Ji silently, but her expression had changed. “By the way, this is your sword. If you think what I did before was too extreme and hurt you, I apologize sincerely. Really, I'm very sorry. But I truly hope that in your heart, you still have the will to defend the Altan City.” Looking at the great sword smeared with mud dust handed to her, Cai Bu Nüé widened her eyes, took it back into her hands, wiped off the mud, and stood up, turning her back on Little Ji as she walked toward the city. “I indeed made many mistakes before. If I survive, I hope to return to being a good soldier... Hero, who are you? Can you tell me?” Little Ji watched Cai Bu Nüé's back and shook his head with a smile: “As a ranger, one shouldn't leave a name behind...” “Oh, I see.” Yes. You owe me no favors. \_____ After securing the black horse, Little Ji climbed the guard wall beside the city gate, placing his hands on the slightly damaged protruding bricks on the wall. Within the city, he saw firelight flickering like phantoms. It seemed that the city had cruelly ordered the burning of the Altan City's accumulated wealth and the residents' homes. Yet the sounds of shouting and killing were still continuous... He opened the large bundle he had originally left on the black horse but had now brought with him, spreading it on the ground. Little Ji looked at the books inside, each recording strategies and military methods, holding a lit torch in his hand. “Master under the moon, the texts you left me are no longer needed, because I have already understood what you truly hoped I would grasp. Books are dead, and old rules cannot handle change... This is the first battle that I have learned from.” Little Ji released the torch, and the books were set alight, sending a long wisp of black smoke rising above the city gate... \_____ Coming down from the city wall, he saw the black horse outside the city gate looking at him with eyes full of reproach. Little Ji smiled and said, “Sorry, Black Horse.”Sorry to keep you waiting so long, but—” Xiao Ji stretched out his hands from behind his back, waving them in front of the black horse; in his hands was a bottle of wine. The black horse's eyes immediately gleamed. Xiao Ji tied the wine with a pre-prepared rope and hung it around the black horse's neck, then mounted the horse. “This wine is something special, taken from the tower above the city gate. You should drink it sparingly, Black Horse. Alright, let's go.” The black horse lowered its head and bit the wine bottle to drink, carrying Xiao Ji as it left the Tancheng. Meanwhile, the sound of galloping horses came from the city gate.
_____Two li outside Tancheng. Because the last courier station leading to Tancheng is quite far from the South Gate, a pavilion was built here for weary travelers or trading caravans taking a rest. From this pavilion, one could glimpse the distant appearance of Tancheng.\_____A horse and rider slowly approached, but from afar, the rider could hear a beautiful sound of a zither coming from the pavilion. Upon getting closer, the rider saw a woman in red clothing seated in the pavilion named 'Scenic View,' playing the zither. As for her appearance, even if she could not rival the beauty of an entire kingdom, she was captivating enough to enchant everyone.\_____“The wanderer Xiao Ji passes by so leisurely, I wonder if the crisis of Tancheng has been resolved, or if the plan of Qingcheng has failed? Just now I saw the city lord rushing out; it's probably the latter.” Such words poured out of the pavilion like a clear spring. “Wanderer Xiao Ji, don't disappoint my good intentions. Come in, enjoy some tea, and listen to my music.”\_____“Of course.” Xiao Ji dismounted from the black horse and walked step by step into the pavilion, though without a smile.\_____Xiao Ji sat at the side of the pavilion, gazing at the exquisitely crafted zither with its clear patterned lines, and asked, “Did you wait for me here, lady?”\_____A cup of clear tea with floating green leaves was handed to Xiao Ji. As he took it with both hands, a faint, delicate fragrance filled his nose, seeming to be minty. But it was unclear whether the scent came from the tea or the beauty beside him. “That's how it is, but also not necessarily. ‘That's how it is' means I did not wait for the wrong person; indeed, the wanderer's reputation is well-deserved. ‘Not necessarily' means that I had thought I might be waiting for Qingcheng.”Hmm, although I had told him in advance that soldiers should be stationed at both the north and south gates, it seems he completely ignored it. As for me, I just wanted to clarify my own thoughts and enjoy the scenery, so I ended up here alone, hehe.” The woman's words, as if capable of melting the soul, and the teasing laugh at the end suddenly left a deep impression in Xiao Ji's mind.\_____Xiao Ji placed the lifted teacup back on the saucer and shifted his gaze to the woman's face, only to find that her eyes, bright and sparkling, were narrowed in a smile as she looked at him. Xiao Ji said, “Are you in cahoots with Qingcheng?! Who exactly are you!” A sharp gleam appeared in Xiao Ji's eyes as he stared at the woman.\_____The woman watched the change in Xiao Ji's expression, and her radiant pink lips curved naturally upwards. She gently parted them to reveal her white teeth: “No, you can't put it that way. I'm not exactly ‘in cahoots' with Qingcheng. If you, Ranger Xiao Ji, need to address me, please call me Xiao An. I'm very happy to hear you call me that.”
(Who exactly is this woman called Xiao An?)
(To be continued. The serial of Ranger Xiao Ji's 'Tan City Incident' concludes here.)\— — — — —\〖Mini Drama〗\Chronicles of Heroes II & III: Black Horse Sang's Autobiographical Rants (Part 1)\_____My name is Black Horse, species 7723 Continental, from the Western Region, Obama. (Not the alpaca, it's Obama!) Originally, our tribe lived happily and joyfully on peaceful grassy plains. (There were no river crab beasts there!) But ever since the river in our homeland's plains suddenly started exuding oil on its own, (not gutter oil!) our tribe's good life was disrupted.\_____All kinds of grotesque creatures suddenly appeared from everywhere, holding unusually huge bamboo tubes (I only learned they're called barrels in towns) and crazily poked the black, oily river water into the bamboo. But that was the only water source that our tribe depended on! Greedy people were not satisfied; they began hunting us who drank the river water…\_____I stopped drinking the river water. (Water like that, I'm not drinking it! I'm not sick!) But they didn't let me off because of that. (Damn, are they blind? I'm not that handsome!) So, along with my fleeing clan members, I bravely and firmly began my rolling journey. (Uh, while escaping, I slipped and rolled down the hillside))\_____Lost and separated from my family, and starving, I was finally discovered by a passing hero who had a child with him. Kind-hearted, he saved me and brought me back to his home. He is Yuexia, Xiaoji's master, and beneath him is Xiaoji, also an adopted disciple.\______Yuexia told me that one reason he took me in was that he knew lonely Xiaoji hoped I would become his companion. (But even now, I still feel that at that time Xiaoji kept staring at my butt, probably just interested in my tail that waved back then…)\_____There was a feeling that I might be the only one left in the world from my own family.
(End of post)