[翻譯] 一生之盟

*沒有江南授權。

*就是作業。

*如果轉載請先告知我。

*不是很了解武器。

*並且不了解蒙古/突厥風格人名的英文拼法，所以除了 Asura 這個大家都知道的拼法之外其他都是亂寫/ Google 找類似的。

*自己 proofread 的，語法錯誤可能有。

*發現有植物是 Google 不到的，於是強行取了近似。

*水平渣，這就是一塊磚。結尾部分真的很毀。

At the pass at the end of the world, bronze bells sounded heavily. A band of cavalrymen in black slowly rode out the valley. The armored soldiers surrounded their leader, held the reins and gazed at the distance from the height.

The scout in black leapt up from his hiding place in the grass. He pulled at his warhorse hidden in a hollow, turned over, mounted it and left speedily.

「My Archon, they have discovered us. Shall we proceed now?」 The young man with the keenest eyesight among the cavalrymen on the height spoke.

「Do not be hasty, Khongirad. Wait until they are ready to receive us in honor. I too need to contemplate.」 The Archon in the protection of the cavalrymen replied softly. He appeared to be thirty years of age, and his features were surprisingly fair and delicate. Unlike his subjects, he was not wearing armor but a belted fox-skin deel common among the Barbarian warriors. A slender saber nearly five chi long was strapped horizontally to the back of his flame-red warhorse.

No one dared act against the gentle-looking Barbarian lord. So the band of cavalrymen stood at the entrance of the valley in silence, followed the Archon』s gaze and observed the grassland of late summer. The vast grassland of the Midland spread before the valley of Tang-Wu Mountain. The purslanes and nightshades as tall as a horse』 knee swayed in the wind. All were tranquil to the extent of illusory. At the other side of the grassland, a large white tent could be barely seen, around which gleamed a sad, metallic light. The scout in black was riding toward that tent speedily.

Khongirad held high the standard of the Barbarian Archon. A bronze bell was ringing atop the pole in monotone. His palms were sweaty. This was his first time to follow the Archon to such an important task. He was the son of Tie Yan Barul, a warrior of noble birth in the Capital of the North. He always took pride in his courage and his skill with the blade, but now he could not suppress the tense feeling in his heart.

「My Archon, will they bring only two hundred people as promised? The people of the East are more malicious than wolves and shrewder than foxes. Let Khongirad test their strength for you.」 He rode closer to the Archon. He remembered his father』s teachings well. His death was far more unimportant than the death of the lord of Qing-Yang in the hands of the treacherous people of the East.

「There is no need.」 The Archon waved his hand lightly, 「such trickery would be beyond that man』s character.」

「In the year when we three rode to Midland on two horses, we saw the same grassland after going through the pass.」 He spoke softly, half a nonchalant remark and half a sigh, 「all these seem an irony to us, looking back.」

「Depart!」 He headed first down the height.

Khongirad was dazed for a moment. He was about to follow up before he halted abruptly and wrinkled his nose. The smell in the air made him uneasy.

「Do not mind. It is the smell of corpses.」 The Archon did not turn his head. He pointed to the low hill on the left, 「its is called Tu-Gu Hill, and two days ago the battle took place behind it. The bodies have begun to rot. They traveled thousands of li to graze here, but they would never return home.」

He held the reins, half-facing the hill. He bowed his head, closed his eyes and gave three soft claps before his nose. This was the respect the Barbarians paid to the tombs and bones they encountered when they grazed. They would pray to the great Partar god to guide the homeless spirits of the dead. The cavalrymen followed suite. Then they rode behind him one by one, the horsetails swinging leisurely on the thick grass.

When the cavalrymen were only three hundred steps from the tent, the tried Barbarians warriors sent their horses galloping. They shifted to the left and right, two hundred men forming the shape of goose wings. Each had a strong compound bow in his hand. Their edge-indented sabers rattled in the sheaths. Only Khongirad followed tightly behind the Archon with the standard high. For a moment his eyes rested on the warriors in silver armor surrounding the tent, and he turned to watched the Archon』s expression. He pressed hard on the hilt of the saber strapped to his saddle. He would dash forward at the Archon』s subtlest hint and lead the tried Leopard Riders to charge.

Yet the Archon merely bowed his head and rode on with lax reins. A piece of jade in the shape of half a ring dangled from the silver strings around his neck, tapping softly on his breast.

The warriors shot in unison, sending two hundred arrows into the ground. They held their reins in unison and drew their sabers in preparation for defense. The warriors in silver armor guarding the tent paid them no heed at all. Each of them had a lance eight chi long, with a tiger』s symbol made of pure silver hanging from the tip. Tall white feathers towered from their shining helms. Khongirad had never seen an army so ostentatious, nor could he imagine that a whole army might be entirely formed of handsome young men of similar height. He started to doubt their strength.

The Archon dismounted before the tent, strapping the saber on the horseback to the back of his waist. The leader of the warriors in silver armor lifted a corner of the tent. Khongirad followed the Archon closely.

The inside of tent was heavy with a drowsy smell of spice. In its center, incenses Khongirad could not name burned in a furnace with animal pattern. A smiling young man in a dress garment of delicate brocade stood by the furnace. He entreated the Archon to the arranged seat for the guest politely. Khongirad stood behind the Archon. The carpet beneath his feet was so heavy and fine and soft that his legs were almost unsteady. Yet he kept his vigilance and glanced around with his keen eyes. There was no sign of animosity on the other side. Only a few men were in the vast tent, all dressed as civil officials. There was even a young maid bearing wine. A baldaquin was elevated behind the hazy smoke. The warrior in black armor leaned to one side and supported his brow with one hand. A heavy lance was on the weapon stand beside him. A slender sword hung from his waist, sealed with a red string tied in a cross.

Shadowbearer the Emperor』s Sword! Khongirad had heard of this ominous sword that must not be unsheathed. Its bearer, then, must be the Emperor of the East. Khongirad was suddenly excited. Although the Emperor was his enemy, he had heard tales of his deeds, deeds no goodman of the Grassland could fail to praise in awe. He observed the Emperor with his eyes wide and could not help but be disappointed. The Emperor was not at all like the one in the tales. Tall and lean, he did not have the air of a tyrant who conquered four Lands. He even had a hint of illness. His face was so pale that his brows appeared as dark as ink. He was so lean that his eyes seemed to be extraordinarily deep. His head was lowered, and the long lashes covered his eyes.

「Let us begin, now that the lord of the Realm of Qing-Yang has arrived.」 The young official who had entreated the Archon to his seat stood up, 「your humble servant Xie Mo, the Young Minister of the Court of Worship of the great empire of Xie, will host the peace talk, as is his Majesty』s decree.」

There was no response. As though by a tacit agreement, the Emperor and the Archon lowered their eyes in the same manner and looked at the space before their feet.

Xie Mo glanced around, 「warfare is ominous. The common people suffer. In the fourteen days our armies had been fighting, tens of battles have took place, and both side suffered harm. Now the Archon is with his best Leopard Riders, but is hindered before the Tang-Wu Pass and cannot advance. We have no intention to press hard. Your humble servant believes that this is a good time for a peace talk.」

He started the ceremony with such pride that Khongirad』s heart was suddenly filled with fury. Yet the Archon did not speak, so he swallowed down his anger.

「Our army has been victorious for three battles in a row, killing more than seven thousand cavalrymen and taking over three thousand and five hundred warhorses alive, not to mention the gears and arms. According to the report of our scout, now the Realm of Qing-Yang has one camp of five thousand Leopard Riders undispatched, one thousand Phantom Bowmen and sixteen thousand light cavalry. These add to be twenty-two thousand, all of whom riders and each with two horses. So there are altogether forty-five thousand of horses and other livestock. Such a force might conquer Vastland in one sweep, but it has difficulties both in advancing and in retreating before the Tang-Wu Pass, the strongest of all passes in the East. Your humble servant hopes that he is not misinformed.「 Xie Mo had a smug and caustic smile on his face, one that Khongirad hated most.

He could tolerate it no longer, 「is it only riders that you have killed? Five thousand were but wandering herdsmen! They were exiled by the people of the Capital and ventured to cross the sea to graze in the East. Many of their kinsmen were already taken by the waves, yet more were killed as enemies by your country upon their landing. Are these what Grand Master Xie would call victories? Is the grass of the great Empire of Xie that dear? Are the lives of the people of the Grassland that worthless?」

Xie Mo gave a light snort, 「what if they were not warriors? Herdsmen should have stayed on the Grassland. If the grasslands of Vastland cannot support them, how is it that they may exploit the great Empire of Xie?」

Khongirad was totally enraged by his disdain. He took a step forward and pointed at Xie Mo with a trembling hand. Then he directed his hand to the silent Emperor. 「Indeed! It is true that the Grassland is too infertile for farming and cannot feed many, but our people are born of their parents and raised with hardship. You of the East claim that we have invaded your land, but what is the fact? Some poor herdsmen grazed their horses on your grass! And you killed them for warriors, trading their heads for bounty! You call us the Barbarians, but who is the more savage? Is that the benevolence and justice of the East? Is such a king a king of the East? A beast from the Grassland would do better!」

The Emperor sitting on the high baldaquin opened his eyes before Khongirad』s voice faded. His eyes were pure black and akin to those of a tiger. Khongirad shivered. He felt cold without good reason. He was like a bird with an arrow in his chest, and the Emperor』s gaze was that penetrating arrow.

The Archon placed his hand firmly on his shoulder, suppressing his fear.

「What a good child.」 The Emperor spoke softly before he lowered his eyes again.

「Grand Master Xie should continue.」 The Archon』s voice was as calm as still water, 「we have come for peace, and we ask for Xie』s conditions. What are the conditions of the great Empire of Xie?」

「The Archon may take his Leopard Riders, but as for the rest, they shall leave all their horses behind and return to the North on foot. Every year from now on, Qing-Yang shall send a thousand warhorses, two dragon-blood horses and ten additional stallions in tribute. All the cavalrymen of Qing-Yang shall retreat behind the Highsnow, and Xie will build a city within thirty li of Southwatch. There will be a garrison of one thousand, commanded by the Protectorate of Vastland.」

「You!」 Khongirad glowered so hard that he almost felt his veins bursting.

The Archon suppressed him, 「are these all?」

For one moment Xie Mo did not reply, not expecting such a calm response. Then he smiled, 「the rest are trivial. The Archon shall address the great Empire of Xie as 『the High Dynasty』 and address his realm as 『the Low Dynasty.』 Once a year, the Archon shall write a letter person to celebrate his Majesty』s day of birth. It is heard that the Archon and his Majesty were childhood acquaintances, and it is taken that the Archon knows his Majesty』s birthday?」

「You are not qualified to demand such of me.」 The Archon glanced at Xie Mo and gestured at the Emperor, 「he is the only person here that may give me conditions. Make him tell me in person that he wants the people of Qing-Yang to submit their arms like the disgraceful defeated, abandon the warhorses that have accompanied them for life and become the servants and slaves of Xie forever. I would like to hear that, dearly.」

「This…」 Xie Mo adjusted his expressions and produced a smile, 「my lord has suffered a severe headache lately. He does not meet with his ministers, but he has come for the Archon in spite of his illness. Talking is fatiguing, and the Archon should not force him. I spoke what my lord had told me in person before we came. Xie Mo dares not make the slightest change to the content.」

He waved his hand and summoned the wine-bearer, 「the peace talk would not have progress if all are wroth. The Archon has traveled far. Let us rest a while and relieve the Archon』s weariness with some wine.」

The wine-bearer was a petite girl. Keeping her head low, she moved forward timidly on her knees and held the silver tray to the Archon. Perhaps because she was too afraid of the might of the Barbarian lord, the maid would not raise her head. She was trembling, and the liquid almost splashed outside the wine vessel.

The Archon was silent and did not take the wine.

Khongirad felt a little pity for the maid. He thought that she was like a caged bird in this hostile tent, and the cage was barbed.

He stood in front of the Archon, 「we Barbarians do not drink the wine of the enemy. It would mean a fight to death if we drank it. Today we have come for peace, and we will not drink any wine of yours, nor eat any meat.」

His father Tie Yan had taught him that. The Archon must not consume any food or drink. This was Tie Yan』s first teaching.

「A useless thing that cannot propose a toast!」 Xie Mo scolded softly.

The maid trembled even more. Suddenly the tray was tilted and the vessel slid down. For an instant Khongirad was idle and could not help but try to catch the vessel in midair. Then he felt something wrong. The maid did not move to his direction. As he bowed a silver gleam appeared in her hand, and she went behind Khongirad』s back.

「Assassination!」 Khongirad yelled, 「the Archon takes care!」

He turned around abruptly and was dazed. The steel thorn in the maid』s hand was several cun from the Archon』s chest. The Archon gripped her wrist as tightly as he would a snake. Expressionlessly, he torn down her soft long hair with one hand. The maid struggled, and to Khongirad』s surprise, her chin had the grayish color of a shaved man.

「An assassin of the Heavenly Web?」 The Archon shook his head, 「it would have went smoothly. Why do you never remember to cover up your larynxes?」

As quickly as a light drop of water, the saber Shadowmoon was unsheathed from the table. The assassin in a maids disguise did not manage to retreat before he was cleaved in half from the chest. Blood splashed all over Khongirad. Xie Mo』s complexion immediately changed. He took several hurried steps back. Perhaps because of the shouts of Khongirad or perhaps because of something else, the warhorses whined outside the tent. Countless sabers pierced the tent fabric. The handsome and seemingly useless Royal Guards of Xie were now ferocious tigers, cutting the tent open and rushing in.

Khongirad drew his saber. His legs were steady, but he managed to scream, 「beasts! Come over!」

The Archon was still sitting erect in his seat. He stared at the Emperor immobile on his high baldaquin. His gaze did not waver, 「is this the trap you have set for me? Ji Ye…」

Suddenly he stood up and took Khongirad』s hand, his voice calm and grave, 「we fight our way out! Follow me!」

「He who takes Lyu Gui-Chen』s head shall be rewarded with thousands of gold and a hereditary title of a marquis!」 Xie Mo』s voice sounded outside the surrounding men, 「all of you, charge!」

Innumerable people crowed over in an instant. Incited by the enormous bounty, the Royal Guards in silver armor rushed toward them, ignorant of death. Countless sabers slashed and fell, and Khongirad could only fend from above his head with his saber, waiting to be cleaved into pieces. Yet one saber was faster than all other. The Archon, who was usually quiet and refined, unsheathed his slender blade of five chi and gave a slash. His movement was simple and plain, but faster and more powerful than any other and at the precise moment when the Royal Guards raised their blades. Blood bloomed on several chests. However thick and hard the silver armors were, the Royal Guards could not be protected from the might of that slash.

「Do not fear!」 The Archon gave Khongirad a forceful push from his armpit. 「No one will pity you for you fear on the battlefield, and those who do not fear death survive!」

He took the lead and met the Royal Guards』 sabers above their heads. For a moment Khongirad was dazed. Then he followed behind the Archon brandishing his blade, roaring. Metallic lights flashed before his eyes, followed by scarlet blood and an odor so thick that he wanted to vomit. Khongirad could not tell how many had rushed into the tent in the madness, or how many arrows had flown with shrill whistles from the outside and landed behind those mad warriors in silver armor. Yet the enormous bounty propelled the young warriors forward, sending their flesh and blood under the keen edge of the Archon』s saber. The grayish saber, coated with blood, gave out a ghostly light.

The Leopard Riders rushed in. The tent was not large, but so many were slaughtering in the crowd. Moans could be heard everywhere. Blood dropped onto the thick, fine carpet. Corpses fell heavily. The mask of the peace talk was torn. Khongirad felt his blood rushing to his head in the naked enmity. He bellowed and brandished his saber, following his lord who conquered wherever he went.

「Stand aside!」 The voice was low but had extreme authority.

The Royal Guards gave way. The taciturn Emperor picked up the heavy lance beside him. The strike of the lance was like a lightning behind the clouds. There was no sign of it, and the tip was pointed to Khongirad』s chest.

In the last instant a powerful arm pushed Khongirad away. The saber met the lance, each with the force of thunder. The Emperor』s and the Archon』s shoulder plates clashed. They looked at each other with murderous scrutiny.

「Indeed. You want to kill me.」 The Archon spoke softly, 「I did not believe it until you made the move yourself!」

「If I do not kill you, you will kill me. Perhaps not today, but it will come in time. Your Highness,」 the Emperor shook his head, 「only the winners may survive in this world. Your people need the land of the East to live, but my people need it too. It is a fact that will never change, even if we die along with countless other emperors!」

He withdrew his lance abruptly and swung it in a gigantic semicircle.

They barely hit each other. Blood gleamed atop the Archon』s shoulder. The Emperor』s helm fell on the ground with a loud sound.

One of the Archon』s sleeves was drenched in blood. The lance had taken him on the shoulder. The supple shoulder plate was slashed open, under which blood and mangled flesh were visible. The keen saber had aimed at the helm of Emperor, leaving a bloody gash at the corner of his eye.

「Ji Ye!」 The Archon roared abruptly.

「What do you have to say?」

「I…」 the Archon』s lips were trembling, 「I will never kill you! I never have the idea of doing so!」

He pulled forcefully at the straps of his breastplate and found a dim piece of iron. He seemed to be controlling his hands with great willpower, but he could not help but tremble when he held the piece of iron. In the end he hurled the iron at the Emperor.

The Emperor caught hold of the iron. It seemed to be a piece of a broken saber, with splintered edges, 「what is this?」

「A piece of one of the twelve sabers you bought in Nan-Huai. I have kept it, because I hoped that I could return you the favor someday. I brought it with me, and I intended to tell you that I could submit to you, so long as you would restore the North to its peace and return the Barbarians their grasslands to graze!」

The Emperor held the piece of iron. He looked lost.

「It has been so many years and you come to me with this shard of iron. Ha, ha ha.」 He suddenly pressed his brow hard, shook his head and laughed softly, 「fool. You fool. It has been so many years, and you are still such a fool!」

In the instant his strike was like a lightning penetrating the clouds. The Archon had not expected such an attack at all. The tip of the lance touched the Archon』s throat before Khongirad could give out the warning.

「Despicable! Shame of you!」 Khongirad shouted.

「Child, it is always your best moment to attack when your enemy is not on his guard!」 The Emperor eyed him coldly.

The Barbarian warriors charged as though they were mad. The Royal Guards thwarted them with their flesh and blood. In the sounds of moaning and slaughtering, the Emperor and Archon looked at each other in silence.

「Do you hear it? Lyu Gui-Chen, do you see it? It was not my ambush that killed seven thousand of your warriors, but the fire in the depth of their hearts. They have blades in their hands and must kill to survive. Yet you are a child, and you do not understand their hearts,」 the Emperor laughed softly, 「which is why I say that you are an idiot!」

「Halt!」 The Emperor spoke.

The attacks continued. His voice was drowned by the sounds of the massacre.

「Stop!」 The Emperor shouted aloud.

It was the voice of a tiger. It rose above all else and sounded in the tent like thunder.

The men were stunned. They suspended their blades in midair.

「We have the invincible stallion and armor of the Iron Buddha and the lightning-quick cavalry of the Order of Heaven, and you would not believe that you could best the Barbarians with wooden sticks and straw arrows and resort to trickery and manipulation?」 The Emperor shook his head.

「My head… My head hurts much.」 He suddenly raised his eyes, and his pure black eyes were as bright as burning flame, 「so, your Highness of the Realm of Qing-Yang, I vow to you by this piece of iron and all that happened between us in the past twenty years: No soldier of Xie will step on the land of Qing-Yang while I am alive, otherwise I will die penetrated by blades, and my soul will fall into the nine depths of hell and never reincarnate!」

There was a deadly silence. The men could not believe that the Emperor would propose an alliance now. Yet the Emperor threw away his lance and held the piece of iron high. He pressed it abruptly so that the decaying blade cut his hand open, and gushes of blood flowed down the patterns on the iron.

The Archon held out his hand and gripped the iron. With hard force he also cut his hand open, 「we vow by this piece of iron. I will never step on the land of the East from now on, from this day to my death.」

Slowly, the blood mingled together and fell on the carpet drop by drop.

「So be it?」

「So be it!」

The Archon released his grip and turned around, 「Khongirad, let us leave!」

「We will never meet again. Ji Ye, I have one last question for you.」 The Archon turned his head and gazed at the Emperor as he exited the tent, 「if you had known then that we would come to such an end, would you still come to save me?」

「Lyu Gui-Chen… You have become the Archon, and you are asking me this before my subjects…」 The emperor smiled stiffly after a long silence.

「If I had known that we would come to such an end in those chaotic times of war, why would we struggle and try to fight a bloody way out with each other? Would we fight so that we might point our blades at each other in the end? What a tragic finale. If we had known we would not survive to this day!」 The Emperor spoke softly, 「yet those times have passed. The warriors of Wild-Dust are dead. Our alliance no longer holds. In this world Ji Ye and Lyu Gui-Chen are no more. Only the Valorous King of Xie and the Archon in the Capital of the North remain.」

He shook his head, 「Lyu Gui-Chen, leave. Do not ask about my heart. Both of us have abandoned our hearts for a long time.」

They looked at each other. The Archon』s eyes dimmed and turned gray like the ashes of a dead fire. Finally he left, never to return. This was their last meeting in their life. Either adhered to the vow and never stepped on the land of the other. They must look into the distance from the two sides of the Skyspan Strait if they would like to meet again. Yet the Strait was so wide that even one of the Winged Race could not see one side of the ocean from the other side with the keenest eyesight.