Magomet Timov - The Path of Li

The warrior shook his head, chasing away the obsession, and tried to capture the vision of sparkling clear mountain water, rushing by in a swift stream like the River of Time. But even this clear liquid was coloured by blood. The warrior sighed and closed his eyes again. After all, he had lived a decent life as a common man, a warrior, a military leader, and even an Emperor! He loved and was loved. The warrior raised the blade above his head, lifting it to heaven, and, closing his eyes, plunged into the crimson waters… The Tiger looked gloomily from the bushes on the opposite bank, watching the Man reach for his Claw and press it to his chest, his lips moving in an effort to utter something. Life was already leaving the tortured body. The Man opened his eyes for the last time to reflect the darkening sky, took a deep breath, stretched out and died… The Tiger shook his forehead, paying an involuntary tribute to the courage of an unknown creature, which did not beg for mercy in his last minutes and slipped into the thicket. The Man who found peace on the shore was the one who had been the hope and horror of the people of the Great Empire for the last decades. Now he went on his last Path beyond the Crimson Rivers.

Chao Li, better accepted in his circles as 'Stone Head', truly lived up to his nickname. As a matter of fact, during the patrol, he has let a traveller enter the camp-a camp whose sole purpose of being in distinguished. An old man has appeared in a hastily patched-up dress at the edge of the marge so that Livay He, the leader of the gang, was taken by surprise. A gang of robbers, who just moments ago were happily dining, froze in surprise, looking at the crooked figure of the stranger wandering towards their fires. Livay was the first to come to his senses as a true leader would. He put his bowl of rice on the flat stone that they had for the table, slowly got up to meet the old man and, stretching out his hand, and said:

"Stay where you are, old Man. I have no idea how you got into the camp, but the next step will be your last step," The old man froze. It seemed that he was frightened to the point of trembling in his knees, but the experienced eye of the leader caught a slight spark of mockery in the stranger's dim eyes.

"I am sorry if I bothered your morning feast" – an old man has spitted back at Livay He. His voice temper made the leader realise he might not be speaking just a too ordinary traveller. "I was not aware you have set up the camp here; perhaps if I knew, I would have taken another path." On the contrary, Livay put his hands on his hips and took a step towards the old man.

"Livay He does not fight with children or old people", the robber dropped casually, slightly bowing his head in front of the uninvited guest. "We only here to take what ours, right boys?" The "gang", who had previously listened cautiously to the dialogue between the leader and the strange guest, began to gurgle in relief, and the old man took this gurgle as a dull approval. He could sense the leadership of Livay He in the crowd. "As for this cunning rascal Shitou, who managed to sleep on you," he raised his voice in a dramatic manner, "he will get what he deserves as soon as he returns to the camp from his shift." "You are a cruel leader", the old man bowed. "…cruel but fair," the strange traveller finished his sentence, raising his eyes and looking straight at the bridge of He's nose. He recoiled involuntarily.

"Otherwise, how could you explain that you have massacred a family from Mozun village? Have they eaten from gold plates and wore silks?" A leader has frozen, same as his gang. They were uncertain what could have to lead a strange traveller to say those words. They have all glanced upon the path a man has taken to see whether he brought with him Emperor troops. Without any hesitation or shyness, an old man grabbed a lump of rice from Liveys bowl and squashed it a ball. He pushed a lump down his thought without any hesitation and started at the gang. "And you undoubtedly grew this rice yourself and did not take it in Gymea, burning down a dozen houses and leaving residents homeless on the eve of the spring rains?" An old man has leaned on his walking stick and glazed straight into the eyes of the most wanted robber of the Shaanxi province. Livay carefully tore his gaze from the old man's watery eyes and looked over his shoulder. The two of his stealth Warriors have jumped out of the bushes. "He killed A Stone head!" shouted one of the robbers, lifting Chao Lin's bloody robe above him. At the same moment, when he spoke those words, an arrow has pierced his throat.

He collapsed to his knees, clutching his neck and moments later, another arrow has struck another robber. Livay has pulled out his sword and shouted down at the man, 'Who are you and What do you want from us?'. An old man has glanced the surrounding and enjoyed the panic which runs through the crowd of robbers. One after another, a soldier we're dropping dead from flying arrows. They have run out like ants in a different direction, the smartest of them dashing to bushes to hide. "You haven't realised it yet? Didn't you?" The old man sighed while He shook his head in shock. "I am your punishment…"

The old man said it in a most convening and calming voice that Livay hasn't doubted his intentions. He dropped everything he had in his hands and dashed down towards the forest. But the arrows were faster. The same arrow that brought down his soldier has struck him right into the shoulder. Livay was shocked but couldn't feel the pain struggling through his body, and he took a few more steps before his legs lost all the power, and he has collapsed on the ground. A man full of indifference have grabbed Levay's bowl and sat on the grass next to this mascara, and ate the rice. One of the old man's soldiers has appeared from the bushes. He was a young man, in leather armour, walking slowly towards an old man. He hanged his bow on his back and stuck the arrows in the leather purse strapped to his belt. 'Master, you have started to dine without me', a young soldier spitted with humour at the old man. And in exchange, an old man has waved his hand and gestured for him to sit next to him. Once the young soldier stepped into the sun, we could clearly see he was just a youngster with a short, trimmed moustache. He had a sharp eye, and his glance was full of focus, which indicated him being an experienced warrior… He was an adult, not a youngster. He was wearing solid leather armour without metal linings, characteristic of wealthy warriors and soft boots. A lone archer's glove adorned his left hand, while the second glove was carelessly tucked into a typesetting belt, consisting of metal plaques with ornaments. His name was Li Zicheng, an excellent warrior and trusted Man of Luo Yang.

Once Li has taken sit next to the old man, he fearless grabbed the rice and started to devote it with no emotions towards the massacre he has created. They have been starving for the past few days, and the resources have finished. In addition, they had not eaten anything for a couple of days: the supplies have come to an end, and all the game in the vicinity was scared away by this robber gang, which, in a picturesque disorder, completely exterminated it across several dozen lis. The old man put down the empty bowl, took a handkerchief from his belt, and carefully wiped his lips and hands. Then he got up, walked slowly to the spring and, filling the empty bowl with water, thoroughly rinsed his mouth. He returned and sat down opposite Li Zicheng, affectionately looking at the young man devouring the dried roe deer meat found in the bag of the gang leader.

"Was I right?" The old man asked the warrior as if continuing the agreement begun earlier. He looked up for a second, distracting from his pleasant occupation for a moment, and shook his head. "No and no," he said. Luo Yang looked at the young man with interest. "But everything happened exactly as I predicted: they were stunned and puzzled by my sudden appearance. If we followed your tactics and simply attacked from an ambush, then most of them, accustomed to living in a state of constant danger, would quickly sort out the situation and strike back. It wouldn't be good for us…

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