Chapter 288 The Way Home Part 18

The seasons turn from winter back to winter and spring arrives and the buds on the branches begin to bloom. The scent of first buds filled the air as a single small horse carriage rode steadily along the dirt road.

Sitting inside the small horse carriage, Kazan grabbed the small hat on the bench and put it on the head of the three-year-old child. He fit the winter hat on the child's head and said with a smile, "Meiji, if you want to look out the window, you must wear a hat." He glared at Meiji. "That's what your grandma said."

Meiji obediently lowered his head and asked Kazan to put the thick wool hat on his head. He looked at Kazan and said, "But grandfather, I'm wearing so many layers of clothes, and I feel very hot."

Kazan gently rubbed Meiji's hat and said, "You don't want to get sick before you see your father, do you?"

Meiji shook his head.

Kazan smiled and said, "Then put on that hat."

Kazan picked up the book and continued to read why Meiji was still looking at the forest through the window as the small horse carriage slowly drove by the dense forest.

"General," said the soldier driving the carriage.

Kazan put down his book, pushed the curtain aside, and stuck his head out. "What is it, soldier?"

The soldier said, "General, we are approaching the first post."

Kazan said, "Good, it's about time for lunch." 

The soldier asked, "Do you want to rest there for one night and continue tomorrow. If we leave early in the morning, we should arrive at the main training camp after sunset."

Kazan turned around, looked at Meiji and said, "Just rest here tonight and continue tomorrow morning. The young lord needs to rest." He lowered the curtains and continued to read.

The soldier nodded and continued to drive the small horse carriage along the one-way street. When the small horse carriage was one hundred yards from the first watch post, there was no one coming out to stop and check the horse carriage.

"That's weird," the soldier said, looking at the treehouse ahead. "Is there no one on duty?"

Suddenly, an arrow fell from the sky and hit the soldier's right chest, nailing him to the wooden frame of the carriage.

"General..." The soldier growled in pain.

Kazan grabbed Meiji's left arm and hugged Meiji tightly, while his left hand tightly grasped the hilt of the sword.

"Hey, the old soldier inside that carriage, if you want to live, walk out with the kid," Azi shouted from outside the carriage.

Seeing that the situation was not conducive to him and hearing footsteps coming from around the small horse carriage, Kazan knew that he was outnumbered and decided to surrender first to avoid putting Meiji in danger. He quickly untied the sword fasten by his belt and put the sword on the bench.

Kazan looked at Meiji and said, "As a Bayarmaa, you will not shed tears in front of the enemy. Do you understand?" Meiji nodded. "If you promise not to hurt us, we will come out."

Azi shouted, "I promise, but if you don't walk out after I counted to ten, I will let my people shoot at the carriage. One...two...three."

Kazan shouted, "We are unarmed. We are coming out now."

Kazan quickly opened the curtain and saw a middle-aged man standing around the small carriage with twenty people. Kazan slowly stepped out of the carriage, jumped off the platform, stretched out his arms, and picked up Meiji from the platform.

Azi strode towards Kazan and Meiji. He stared at Meiji with a wicked smile on his face and said, "You are just a cute little baby, who knew your father is as tough as an iron wall. Let's make a bet. Do you think your father will save you or continue to defend the Golden Gate. I wonder... how many sword's swings will it take to chop off your little head." He leaned forward reaching for Meiji's chin with his right pointing finger.

Just when Azi was still an inch away from Meiji's chin, a vine spurted out from the ground and penetrated the middle of Azi's right palm. More vines rose from the ground and quickly enveloped Azi and the twenty soldiers. 

Kazan pulled Meiji behind him and saw the vines dragging Azi and his twenty soldiers to the trees by the roadside. The vines penetrated the hands and feet of Azi and his twenty men. The vines quickly formed a ring, grabbed their necks, and tied them to trees on the roadside. Kazan saw more tiny vines the size of silk threads rising from the ground, piercing the bodies of Azi and Azi's twenty men. 

Kazan was shocked when he saw this scene because he had never seen anything like this before. He wanted to know who had the power to carry out such an attack, whether this person was a friend or an enemy. Kazan heard soft footsteps walking towards him and Meiji. Kazan looked in the direction of the footsteps and saw a young man about sixteen- or seventeen-years old walking towards him, with a red fox walking beside him. Kazan looked at the young man, whom he did not recognize.

The young man with long silky black hair, tied into a ponytail with a red ribbon, wearing dark clothes, walked straight to Kazan and Meiji. When Kazan noticed that the young man was looking at Meiji in particular and even showed a warm smile to Meiji, he pushed Meiji behind him. He slowly retreated to the carriage, only to find that the soldier driving the carriage was still alive. The soldier could not move because he was nailed to the carriage frame by an arrow.

"Don't be afraid." The young man smiled warmly. "I'm not here to hurt you, General Bayarmaa."

Kazan asked, "So, you know me?"

The young man smiled and said, "The Bayarmaas are well known through Tanzang. Of course everyone knows you. Also, we have met some years ago."

"I'm sorry, I have a bad memory," Kazan said, looking the young man up and down. "Thank you for saving me and my grandson. If you need anything, I will try my best to fulfill it."

Meiji secretly looked at the young man from behind Kazan.

The young man looked at Meiji with a smile, looked down Meiji's wrist, squatted down and smiled at Meiji. He pointed to the red brass bell braceleted on Meiji's right wrist. "I saved you and your grandfather's lives, so, can I have this one as a thank you token."

Meiji shook his head.

The young man smiled and asked, "Why can't I have it?"

"This is my mother's," Meiji said, holding out his left wrist. "You can take this."

The young man said with a smile, "You are so generous, but I prefer the one on your right wrist, but it doesn't matter if you don't want to give it."

The young man walked up to the wounded soldier, checked the wounded soldier and said, "Pulling out the arrow will kill him." He turned to look at Kazan. "General Bayarmaa, when I pull him forward, please cut off the arrow to prevent him from bleeding." The young man jumped on the carriage platform and put his hands on the shoulders of the wounded soldier. He looked at the wounded soldier. "This is going to hurt."

Kazan pulled the wounded soldier's sword from its scabbard. The young man pulled the wounded soldier forward and Kazan swung the sword quickly, and the arrow was cut off.

After Kazan bandaged the wounds of the wounded soldier, he said, "You and the young master can go inside to rest together, and I will drive the carriage. Since it is not safe, we will continue to move forward until we reach the main camp."

The wounded man nodded and walked into the carriage.

Kazan stood opposite the young man and Meiji and said, "Thank you for saving us. If you need anything, come to us at the base camp."

The young man smiled and said, "Oh, if we meet again, I will ask for payment."

Kazan said, "Meiji, go inside and stay with your injured brother." He jumped on the carriage platform and started to drive away.

The young man smiled and watched the small horse carriage slowly drive away from him. He walked up to Azi, who was pressed by vines and on the verge of death. He said, "In the last moments of your life, I suggest you think of your loved ones and make amends for everything you have done wrong." He approached Azi and whispered. "This is the price you must pay for threatening the lives of members of a Bayarmaa." He began slowly walking away from the dying men, stopping when the red fox didn't seem to want to follow him. He turned and looked at the fox that was sniffing at the dying men's feet. He sighed and continued to follow the carriage that was still vaguely visible in the distance. "Kaizen, it's time to go. If you can't keep up this time, I won't wait for you."

Kaizen caught up with the young man and said angrily, "As a friend, after everything I have done for you, you treat me like this... What a waste of my efforts."

The young man looked down at Kaizen and said with a bright smile, "Your help is not free, why should I be nice to you." He continued walking, admiring the majestic mountains in front of him with a smile on his face. "The Hellfire Apex is indeed very beautiful; it doesn't matter if it's the southern part or the norther part."

Kaizen said, "As long as it doesn't erupt, it will stay beautiful, don't you agree?"

The young man looked down at Kaizen, and the left corner of his lip raised. "Mmm..." he replied.