Chapter 2

Shen Shiliu’s room only had a single dimly-lit oil lamp, its glow was the size of a bean, similar to that of a firefly.

He was sitting by the window. Most of his face was hidden under the shadow of the lamp,only a portion of it was visible and he appeared to had fallen asleep. Shen Shiliu did not wear a hair-crown(1), his hair scattered all over. Two small beauty marks the color of cinnabar rest under the corner of his eye and on his earlobe, looking like they were created by a needle.

The only meager source of light in the room was all taken in by this pair of beauty marks, almost too blinding.

Watching him under the light, his charm seemed to have multiplied three times more than usual. 

Shen Shiliu’s eyes narrowed to see Chang Geng standing in the doorway: “Where are your manners, who did you just call?”

In reality, he was only approximately 7-8 years older than Chang Geng, and was not yet married. He was fully aware of his good-for-nothing nature and had fully prepared to live this life alone unable to wed a wife. But suddenly he got a son whom he did not have to raise himself; he wanted nothing more than to hold firmly onto the boy. Without anything else to do, he could only assert his role as his “father” to emphasize the point.

Chang Geng ignored Shiliu and carefully put the medicine bowl in front of him: ” Drink while it’s still hot, it’s no longer early, hurry and lie down after you finish drinking.”

Shen Shiliu puts aside the hyun(2) and took the medicine bowl: “How ungrateful, was it not a good life being my son? I have wasted so much effort in treating you so well.” 

Shen Shiliu then bent over to search around the desk and due to his eyesight, the tip of his nose appeared as if it could graze its surface. Chang Geng had no choice but to respond: “What are you looking for? Let me look for you.”　 

All year round, Xu Baihu seldom stays home, he is a good and honest man who was very kind to Chang Geng, although he does not often communicate with his stepchild. Thinking about it, Chang Geng had spent these most crucial years of his life with this improper Adoptive Father. 

Chang Geng truly felt frightened as he recalled.

But his irritability did not usually last long for Shen Shiliu truly loved him as a son, and was not taking advantage of him despite what his words may sound like. 

Every time he went out, no matter near or far, no matter what his business might be, he will surely present Chang Geng with some small toys or snacks. Chang Geng didn’t love these things, but he can’t help but love the fact that Shiliu kept him in his thoughts at any time and any place.

In short, every day that Chang Geng saw Shiliu, his irascibility would be extremely strong, but the moment he would not see the man, concern raised up in him.

Chang Geng sometimes thought to himself: although Shen Shiliu was not a martial man, nor was he scholarly, nor was he someone who can at least work himself to the bone, but in the future, will there be anyone who would be fooled by his good looks?

Shen Shiliu: “It’s for you, open it.”

Maybe it was a slingshot, maybe a package of cheese, nevertheless, it could not be anything of worth – Chang Geng opened the box without any expectation and scold: “You have to learn to save money even if we have some to spare, moreover, I am…” 

There was an iron wristband(3) in the box!

Chang Geng was startled: “This… Where did you get it?”

Shen Shiliu: “Shh – don’t let Shen Yi hear, this is not a plaything, he will start nagging again if he saw – do you know how to use it?”

Teacher Shen himself was watering the flowers in the courtyard. His hearing wasn’t impaired, he could clearly make out the conversation inside the house. He did not know what to do with this half deaf person who uses himself to measure others. 

Chang Geng seldom let his delight showed: “Thank you…”

Shen Shiliu: “Thank who?”

Chang Geng quickly cried: “Father!”

“Submit to whoever feeds you(5), bastard!” Shen Shiliu laughed and put his arm around Chang Geng’s shoulders, sending him off. “Go home, don’t go stay out too late on the month of Forsaken Spirits.”

Chang Geng listened to it for a while and pondered, it turned out that today was July 15th.

“Is it appropriate?” Chang Geng silently thought.

Teacher Shen: “Iron wristband that was made by the best kind of iron, the three blades inside were created by Master Qiu Tian Lin himself. After the Master had passed away, they have stopped producing and selling it… defective goods?”

Shiliu did not answer.

Teacher Shen: “All right already, don’t play coy with me – do you really want to raise him as your own son?”

He said with a shameless face: “There are loads of people who resent me already.”

Chang Geng did not know what other people’s dreams were like.

The wind of that day was like a white fur, ruthlessly passing by, the blood from his wounds had already condensed into ice slag before they could flow out, the roar of the wolves was far and near, he could no longer smell the rusty scent of blood, every breath brought in more pain, and the bittersweet scent that cut deep into one’s bone.Chang Geng’s limbs were stiff, his lung burning. He thought that this snow would swallow him whole.　　　　 

When Chang Geng woke up again, he found that someone had used their outer coat to wrap him in and carried him away. 

It was immensely vivid. The sensation from the dream of Shiliu’s hands carrying him still lingered on his body. Chang Geng still could not comprehend, wassn’t that person a sickly man? In such frightening ice and snow, how can there be such steady and powerful hands?

Chang Geng looked down at the iron buckle wrapped around his wrist. He did not know what kind of material it was made of, even after pressing against his body for a night, it did not warmed up even the slightest. With the coolness of the cold iron, Chang Geng quietly waited for his heart and boiling blood to cool down, sneered, and mocked the ridiculous thought of “Seeing your Father in a Spring dream”, then went to lit up the lamp and started his reading as usual…

Suddenly, there was a “rumbling” sound in the distance, the ground and the small quarters were shaking and vibrating. It was only a moment later that he remembered that counting the days, it should be about time that the “Giant Kite” of the Northern Patrol unit returned.

“Giant Kite” was a large ship with a length of more than 5,000 feet. The ship had two wings and was composed of thousands of “flaming fins”. When the Giant Kite would take off, all the “flaming fins” would sprout out white steam altogether, creating a dreamy imagery, every “flaming fins” burned Ziliujin(6) the size of a bowl inside, flashing a faith purple-red gleam in the vast expanse of smoke. It seemed like a million lights.

Since fourteen years ago, the Northern Barbarian bowed to pay their tribute. Every year on the 15th of the first month, there would be dozens of Giant Kites setting off from the border areas. They each would take an established route, their might displayed for thousands of miles. They could also observe each and every move of the barbarians. 

The Giant Kite was loaded with nearly a million pound of Ziliujin, its returning footsteps were a bit heavier than when it took off. You can hear the angry blowing noise of “flaming fins” from within 20, 30 miles.

The Northern Patrol unit would set off on the first month of the year and would only return in six months time after departing.