Chapter 4 Chapter Three

The dusk slowly fell, finally covering the desolate wilderness. This is a plain at the foot of the Kashgar Kunlun Mountains.Surrounded by mountains on three sides, the majestic peaks opened up an arc-shaped barrier, blocking all wind, frost and severe cold.On the other side of the barrier, a river flows quietly, separating this plain from the wider fertile land. Surrounded by mountains, the plain sleeps quietly in the embrace of the sky, away from the disturbance of the world of mortals; nourished by the river, hundreds of unknown wild flowers bloom in full bloom, decorating this ancient and peaceful land into a boundless sea of ​​flowers.

But in the past month, this fairyland on earth has completely changed its appearance. The smell of burnt ashes and blood permeated the air. In the twilight, the sound of clanking, low moans, and dull digging sounded one after another, mixed with the crisp sound of leather whips tearing flesh from time to time, making the night dark and terrifying . A little fire light lit up, and then the torches were lit one by one, forming a huge arc in an instant, winding along the river bank, illuminating the land. Under the dim light of the fire, a group of ragged people were working hard and numbly under the urging of knives, axes and whips.

They either lifted the hammer with difficulty and chiseled at huge rocks; or held the simplest tools and dug hard on the ground;Their pupils have different colors and seem to come from different ethnic groups. The only thing they have in common is the ropes around their necks and the snake-shaped branding on their arms. The large sea of ​​flowers and fertile soil have completely disappeared, leaving only the fissures after the land was burnt, criss-crossing.In the center of the fissure is a huge deep pit, and people covered in dust are still buried in it, digging continuously.I don't know how far to dig, and I don't know how deep to dig, as if I want to dig through the whole plain.

Next to the deep pit, a huge high platform has been built.The high platform is completely made of white marble boulders more than ten people high, and the ax is chiseled into huge sky steps, stretching into the boundless sky. Chong Jie knelt down on the white stone steps. With one hand on his chest, his piety is like this land, submitting obediently under the lofty night. That is the vast sky, the eternal place at the end of time and space, and the habitat of the legendary gods. Every time he took a step on the stone steps, he knelt down deeply, and each kneeling posture was slightly different, symbolizing different offerings and devotion.It is an ancient ritual that has been passed down for tens of thousands of years, and only a few people understand it. It is said that it is the etiquette used by the non-day race to worship the eternal god-Brahma.

He raised his head slowly, his eyes were almost as pale as the stone steps under his feet. His eyes turned to the end of the stairs, where the huge undead flag was flying in the wind.The jet-black banner spread endless haze in the night wind, as if the night outside the nine heavens collapsed at this moment, pouring down like breaking waves, covering the entire earth. However, even such a deep darkness cannot wrap a clear and bright shadow like the moon. Dressed in long white clothes, he sat indifferently under the banner of the undead. Yang Yizhi. There was still no expression on his face, and his clothes hung down from the end of the steps, like a shallow stream, intertwined with the mist in the night sky, floating gently under the banner of the undead.

This is the only Haojie in the dark night, but so lonely and sad. The heavy robbery finally came to the end of the ladder. He raised his head and stared at Yang Yizhi at the top of the platform, with a smile on his lips.He was not in a hurry to complete the last prostration, but looked back at the land illuminated by the fire. Those people who worked day and night seemed so small at this moment, like ants under the firelight, struggling hard under the urging of whips and knives and axes.Some people couldn't help groaning in pain, but their flesh and blood were immediately torn apart by the ruthless whip. Others could no longer bear the weight on their shoulders, and as soon as they let go, they were immediately crushed by boulders and spit out dirty blood.

The dirty blood splashed on the dark red ground, and the corpse was quickly dragged away and thrown into the river, and was taken away by the rushing water in an instant, without a trace. Zhong Jie looked at all this with a smile, without the slightest pity in his eyes. In his view, all people in the world are ants. These hard labors all come from the tribes that surrendered.Under the urging of the Mongolian army, they burned the gods they believed in, killed all the monks and relatives who refused to submit, but they still could not escape the fate of extinction. Since you have sworn allegiance to Brahma, you must dedicate everything you have.Strength, health, flesh, life.

Chong Jie looked at the huge pit under the steps with satisfaction. This is the foundation. The foundation of the Three Linked Cities.Only when the foundation is deep enough, deep enough to penetrate the ground, can an eternal and unbreakable capital be built. A smile appeared in Zhong Jie's transparent eyes.He withdrew his gaze, knelt down at Yang Yizhi's feet again, bowed down for a long time, as if he wanted to use his body to warm the cold stone steps under his feet. After an unknown amount of time, he raised his head and stared at Yang Yizhi: "Are you satisfied with my offering?"

Yang Yizhi didn't answer. Chong Jie stretched out his hand, and gently and reverently picked up a touch of white in front of him - it was Yang Yizhi's hand hanging beside the throne. This hand is like white jade, showing the pure color of moonlight, but on the wrist, there is a ray of incongruous scars, winding like a snake, and the bones can be seen deep. Chong Jie lowered his head, held that hand, and put it gently on his lips.Under the moonlight, the snake-shaped scars shimmered strangely, reflecting back on Zhongjie's pale mask. He whispered: "Look, this is the capital I built for you, and it will last forever."

He suddenly raised his head, and at that moment, the smile on his face faded away from the devil's ridicule and harshness, and looked so pure, as if he was just a child waiting for someone else's judgment: "do you like it?" Yang Yizhi was speechless, he had dispelled all the joys, sorrows, sorrows and joys of human beings, like a piece of lotus stamens that bloomed since the birth of heaven and earth, spotless. Just like what he once said to the first generation of non-heavenly kings: ——My child, nothing in this world is eternal. His eyes, with the insight of a god, penetrated the birth of splendor and glory, and saw the death of dilapidation and decadence.

Yes, nothing lasts forever in this world.Even gods will decay and re-enter reincarnation. So he was silent, neither happy nor sad because of it. After waiting for a long time for an answer, Chong Jie raised his head, as if realizing something: "Oh, I forgot, you are still a god." With a wave of his sleeves, seven clay pots suddenly appeared on the high platform. Seven identical clay pots, each with an eye carved on it.Or jet black, or fiery red, or emerald green eyes, these eyes are inlaid with the most transparent gemstones, under the faint starlight, shining strangely. Chong Jie reached out and opened a clay pot.A black triangular snake head popped up immediately, jumping out of the clay pot more than three feet high.It protruded from its forehead with an inch-long crown of flesh, dotted with golden markings.The original eyeballs have been gouged out, leaving only two strange holes, against the background of the golden spots all over the body, revealing the terror of a demon god. In the legend, it is called "the demon of the demon night". But facing the heavy robbery, all its viciousness turned into trembling. It shrank and wanted to retract into the clay pot, but it didn't dare to dodge the hand extended by the heavy robbery. He picked it up and put its fangs on the bare on the arm. The poisonous snake suddenly curled up, as if accepting its own judgment, and bit Chong Jie's wrist. His skin, which was so white that it was almost transparent, was immediately polluted by a jet of black snake venom. The snake venom expanded rapidly along his blood vessels, pointing directly at the ventricle. Chong Jie seemed to be slashed by a huge blade of nothingness, and suddenly bowed down, trembling uncontrollably. With his other hand, he strangled his throat, as if the only way to relieve the pain he suffered.But the pain rushed out from the depths of his soul, completely irresistible, and in an instant, his pale clothes were completely wet. After a long time, his face gradually returned to calm.The pitch-black snake also seemed to have been drained of all its strength, and fell to the stage with a thud, and slowly swam back into the pot listlessly. Chong Jie took a few breaths, and slowly opened the second pot. Every pottery pot inhabits a demon from the depths of hell, every pottery pot represents a crime committed and is being endured by all living beings, and every pottery pot is the asceticism of the king of heaven A great vow made at that time. I will perform on the suffering of all living beings, and I will bear all the suffering of all living beings. Finally, the seven demons in hell imprinted hideous scars on his wrist one by one. The life that had been robbed was almost completely withered, and the long silver-white hair also turned into a ball of gray chalk. But there was a smile in his eyes, because he could worship the gods. He carefully pulled up Yang Yizhi's wrist, like a demon in Yao Ye, he used his teeth to bite a small opening on the snake-shaped scar. The blood overflowed, like the morning glow, falling on the blue and purple of the eastern sky. Chong Jie pressed Yang Yizhi's wound with his broken wrist.His pulse was throbbing, and black blood gushed out of his wrist, poured into Yang Yizhi's body, and immediately melted without a trace. Yang Yizhi felt as if he had received an electric shock. The god-like calm and dignity faded from him, and he, like Chong Jie, bowed in pain and huddled in the large white robe. The night wind on the wasteland suddenly became strong, blowing his hair loose.The jet-black long hair fluttered in the air, blending with the undead flag, regardless of each other. At this moment, he is no longer a god, but a mortal suffering the same pain as the king of the sky. Under the dots of starlight, the sky reflects the color of ashes, as if mourning the pain of the gods. Chong Jie laughed. This is his offering.The blood of the sevenfold demon snake can create a god, and it can also convert a mortal. As a result, the power of the god faded away, and the body temporarily returned to Yang Yizhi, the man full of compassion. The blessing of Brahma has appeared, and Chong Jie doesn't need to endure this kind of asceticism, but he still does not hesitate to use his own blood to raise the curse of the seven demons, just to let Yang Yizhi return to this world when he wants. Only a quarter of an hour, Yang Yizhi can maintain a clear mind. A quarter of an hour is enough for him to see clearly all the suffering in this world. Also see clearly what He has done for Him. Chong Jie likes to see Yang Yizhi's expression at the moment. Every time he creates a great suffering, he will not hesitate to bear the severe pain, and use the power of asceticism to awaken Yang Yizhi's soul. He liked to see this man, but there was nothing he could do with pity. Yang Yizhi slowly raised his head from the white robe, the wild wind scattered his messy hair on his face, making him look weak and sad, just like the smear of the moon hanging alone in the sky.His gaze crossed the vast night, searching for figures struggling and working in the middle of the night. Chong Jie knelt down in front of him, cupped his sleeves hanging on the ground, and kissed reverently. His voice was gentle and cruel: "See, this is your power." "Your believers use their piety to build an eternal city to worship you." Yang Yizhi's body trembled violently. Was it him who was the root of all this? What happened while he was asleep? He slowly closed his eyes, unable to bear to take another look. Zhong Jie's smile became more vivid. This is the result of his pious asceticism, which even the gods cannot change. He stood up suddenly, waved his hand, took off the flying black flag, and gently held it in front of Yang Yizhi: "This is the world I have prepared for you." Pale fingers moved slowly along the pattern of the flag, drawing out an infinitely vast territory bit by bit: "Where the blood is stained red is the land I conquered for you." "All people will use blood and dirt to worship you, the only god in the world." Yang Yizhi's eyes were a little jerky, and he hesitated to look at the flag in Zhongjie's hand. Gradually, he recognized the territory represented by those patterns. ——The area north of the Great Wall has almost turned into blood! He couldn't help frowning tightly. Could it be that the world has collapsed so much during the period of his deep sleep? Chong Jie smiled, moved his fingers westward, and suddenly stopped at a spot that hadn't been stained by blood. This is the only isolated island surrounded by a bloody sea in the north.And this point is so inconspicuous, if it is not deliberately pointed out, no one will notice its existence. "This is the last leg of our journey in the north. Dal City." His long nails tapped lightly on the flag: "Dar City, a small city at the end of the earth. Behind it, there is an endless desert. This city is the settlement of the Orang tribe. A kind of mine has become extremely rich. There are more than 5,300 residents in the city, all of whom believe in Zoroastrianism. They have been living for a long time, trading with Mongolian, Tibetan, Han and various ethnic groups in the Western Regions. They have not been attacked by war for a hundred years. The residents of Dar City live and work in peace and contentment, with ample food and clothing.” He paid close attention to Yang Yizhi: "Seven days later, more than 5,300 lives will bear the wrath of Brahma." "It's your wrath too." Yang Yizhi stared at the blood-stained map, speechless for a moment. Chong Jie's hand continued downward, unfolding the folded map: "Afterwards, the north will be unified. After a short rest, our army will march south." His fingers crossed the Great Wall on the map, and stroked the territory of the Ming Dynasty inch by inch: "That's where you came from." "This time, the great nation that has been immortal for thousands of years, the brilliant civilization that shines in the East, and the rich homeland where hundreds of millions of people live... will all kneel at your feet." The flag woven with horsehair made a piercing sound under his caress. ——This is the world I prepared for you. The night was darker, and under the haze of the flag of the undead, Zhong Jie raised his head and smiled, and said word by word: "Do you like it?" He still maintained his kneeling posture, waiting patiently, waiting to appreciate his pain, his anger. Yang Yizhi was speechless for a long time, only let out a desolate long sigh.The sound of sighing could not be passed down from the lonely high platform to the land that was suffering. Suddenly, the divine light in his eyes gradually dimmed, as if he was about to fall into the control of God after a brief sobriety. "Are you going to sleep again?" Chong Jie stood up abruptly, with unfinished regret on his face.He stared at Yang Yizhi, and stretched out his hand, as if to touch the devastated face in front of him. That is not the cold face of a god, but has the warmth of a person, the joy, anger, sorrow and joy of a person. Chong Jie stared at him for a long time, and sighed softly: "Say it, tell me your wish." A trace of astonishment appeared in Yang Yizhi's distracted eyes. Chong Jie looked at him, the corners of his mouth raised, and a mocking smile appeared: "I should thank you, shouldn't I?" The smile slowly sank, and two cruel sharp knives protruded from his eyes: "Because of you, our army can slaughter the city and destroy the country, and we are invincible." "It's you who imprinted blessings on the banner covered in blood and filth." "It's you who turned the world into a battlefield, with bones stretching to the sky, and blood flowing into rivers." Yang Yizhi closed his eyes suddenly, these words made him feel a stabbing pain in his heart, he couldn't bear it, but he couldn't get rid of it, he could only let it draw deep bloodstains in his heart. Chong Jie carefully enjoyed his pain, and said proudly: "So, in order to commend your achievements, before you fall into a deep sleep, you are allowed to express a wish." "If this wish makes me feel interesting, I will promise you." Yang Yizhi lowered his head, breathing lightly, his body trembling in the night wind, struggling to keep himself awake for a moment. Suddenly, he grabbed Chong Jie's hand, raised his head with difficulty, and said word by word: "I want to see her." Chong Jie was taken aback, as if he didn't understand the meaning of his words.After a while, more astonishment appeared on his face: "You want to see her?" Yang Yizhi nodded with difficulty. Jealousy, resentment, and unwillingness are like waves in the Chengtan, flashing through the depths of Zhong Jie's eyes, turning into sharp sarcasm little by little. He gently pushed Yang Yizhi away, and said lightly: "You will see her when you wake up again."