The afternoon sun painted the towering peaks and ancient trees with strokes of gold, casting long, peaceful shadows over the path. The air, crisp and sweet, filled the lungs of the friends as they walked, each step a quiet communion with the vast, wild beauty surrounding them. A rare sense of tranquility settled over the group, a fleeting reprieve before the dangers that lurked unseen.
"It reminds me of home," Zhao Renshu said, a wistful note in his voice.
"Big brother, your home looks like this?" Yuping asked, his young eyes wide with curiosity.
"We live on a big mountain. There are many peach trees there," Zhao Renshu explained. "In spring, when the peach blossoms are in full bloom, it smells very good."
"Wow, I want to go there one day," Yuping exclaimed, a dream in his voice.
"Don't run away without asking your parents," Zhao Renshu chided gently.
The group approached a deserted, barren area, where there were no trees or grass; the only thing left was bones. Yuping was taken aback and instinctively moved closer to Zhao Renshu.
"Xiao Yuping, don't be scared. Big brother will protect you," Zhao Renshu comforted, putting his left hand on Yuping's back and rubbing lightly.
"What happened here?" Ping'an asked, her gaze sweeping over the grim landscape.
"It will be like this until we merge onto the main road," Ruilin explained, a worried tremor in her voice. "We must hurry up. Many Wastelanders patrol this area."
"How far?" Guo Baiyu asked, assessing their surroundings.
"A half-day walk," Ruilin replied.
Guo Baiyu looked at the surrounding environment. If the Wastelander barbarians decided to attack them, they would have nowhere to hide. Just then, an arrow flew from behind and landed on the ground in front of the group. The group stopped. They turned around, and there was a line of horsemen on the top of the same hill that they had passed not too long ago. They heard a loud whistle. Then the army cheered and raised their weapons.
Ruilin panicked. "Saviors, jump up on my back! Yuping, carry big sister!"
"But, my lady—" Guo Baiyu began.
"Hurry up!" Ruilin urged.
Zhao Renshu and Guo Baiyu jumped onto Ruilin's back, and they took off.
Ping'an swiftly jumped onto Yuping's back, and they too began to run.
The barbarians of the wasteland pursued them relentlessly. The newly born Yuping's legs were not fully coordinated, so he couldn't keep up with his mother's speed.
Thirty barbarians caught up with Ping'an and Yuping. A barbarian threw a rope clamp, with two small stones tied at both ends, at Yuping's legs. Yuping tripped and tumbled forward.
Ping'an jumped up and held one of her swords in her hand. As she spun in the air in a circular motion, she knocked six barbarians off their horses. She then ran to Yuping.
"Ping'an!" Guo Baiyu and Zhao Renshu shouted in unison; their voices filled with alarm.
Ruilin circled back to her son and Ping'an.
When the remaining twenty-four barbarians rushed towards Ping'an and Yuping, Zhao Renshu sent out ten icicle talismans straight to the charging barbarians. Guo Baiyu also sent ten magic arrows directly at them. Zhao Renshu and Guo Baiyu jumped off Ruilin's back and went straight to the fallen barbarians. Zhao Renshu saw Yuping bleeding, which made him very angry.
"How dare you hurt a baby?" Zhao Renshu said angrily. He drew out his sword and started attacking the barbarians, killing them one by one.
The leader on the top of the mountain sent his entire army straight to the outnumbered friends.
Ping'an, Guo Baiyu, and Ruilin rushed to Yuping. His entire left side had little cuts and skin burns.
"Xiao Yuping, can you still run?" Guo Baiyu asked, his voice gentle.
"Yes," Yuping said, tears streaming down his face.
Guo Baiyu looked at the mother and son. "You two, go now."
"But—" Ruilin began to protest.
"No but just go!" Guo Baiyu insisted.
A horse rushed towards them. Guo Baiyu grabbed Ping'an's belt and threw her onto the back of the approaching horse.
"Baiyu!" Ping'an shouted, drawing her three swords. "Go and protect him!" Her swords expanded, but they did not protect Guo Baiyu; instead, they followed her.
"Just go!" Guo Baiyu shouted, conjuring his bow and swords. He shot out one single arrow at the charging Wastelanders. Then, the single arrow multiplied into fifty arrows, heading straight at the charging Wastelanders.
Ping'an, Ruilin, and Yuping took off, heading straight forward. Zhao Renshu, on horseback, reached out his left hand toward Guo Baiyu.
"Baiyu!" Zhao Renshu shouted, trying his best to get as close to Guo Baiyu as he could. "Grab my hand!"
Ping'an, Ruilin, and Yuping stopped and waited for Guo Baiyu and Zhao Renshu.
Guo Baiyu stretched out his hand, but an incoming arrow hit the horse behind Zhao Renshu, and the frightened horse changed its direction abruptly.
"Stupid horse!" Zhao Renshu shouted angrily.
Seeing that her savior was left behind fighting the Wastelanders alone, Rulilin made the agonizing decision to leave her newborn and return to save him.
Ruilin kissed her son's forehead from a distance. "Yuping, don't be afraid."
"I am not afraid," Yuping sniffed, his voice small but firm.
Ruilin smiled. "Good boy, listen to big sister." She kissed him again, then took off, and went straight to Guo Baiyu, where hundreds of arrows flew in their direction.
Ruilin ran towards Guo Baiyu as fast as she could. Guo Baiyu conjured his Earth talisman, and a dirt wall rose up, blocking some of the arrows. Ruilin stretched out her hand. Guo Baiyu grabbed Ruilin's hand and jumped onto her back, then Ruilin quickly turned around and went straight to her son.
Qingyu stood on the top of the mountain. She picked up a small stone and sent it directly to the dirt wall. The magic stone destroyed Guo Baiyu's dirt wall. Qingyu smiled, but said with tears in her eyes, "Baoshi, this is for you."
Guo Baiyu's solid dirt wall turned into dust. As hundreds of arrows fell on them from where the dirt wall had been, a second wave of arrows was released from the Wastelanders. Ruilin ran as best as she could, trying to outrun the incoming arrows. Suddenly, Guo Baiyu and Ruilin heard a fast passing swoosh noise up in the air. They saw ten big hooks that looked like umbrellas flying through the air, destroying the incoming and falling arrows. Guo Baiyu and Ruilin caught up with Zhao Renshu.
"Ping'an, leave now! We are coming!" Zhao Renshu shouted, urging her on.
"Yuping, you hear that? They are coming," Ping'an said encouragingly.
"I can still run," Yuping insisted.
"Good boy," Ping'an smiled.
Ping'an held Yuping's hand, and they rode towards the main road. On the way, Ping'an saw hundreds of long, silver-white shields blocking them, the shiny white shields moving towards them in a formidable line.
"Sister, I can't stop," Yuping cried, his legs giving out.
"Go straight to them!" Ping'an commanded. "When I tell you to turn right, you turn."
The young and brave Yuping charged right into the shields.
"Xiao Yuping, turn now!" Ping'an shouted.
Yuping turned sharply, and Ping'an, holding her sword tightly in her hand, used her sword to collide with the shields, making a metal-like piercing sound. The injured Yuping tripped on his legs again; he tumbled about fifty feet away and lay on the ground. Ping'an rushed to him. They were completely surrounded by the army in white, each soldier holding half of a shield.
Zhao Renshu, Guo Baiyu, and Ruilin tried to outrun the Wastelander barbarians. They saw many soldiers in white charge towards their direction. When the soldiers approached Ruilin, they divided into two rows, one on the right and one on the left. The soldiers attacked and fired arrows at the Wastelander barbarians.
The Wastelander barbarians knew that they were on Horsemen Land territory. If there were hundreds of Horsemen soldiers here, then this meant that there would be thousands standing behind them. The leader whistled, and the barbarians retreated.
Ruilin slowed down, and then she stopped completely. An older centaur, dressed in armor, emerged from the crowd. Ruilin walked to the man with Guo Baiyu still on her back. She caressed his face, and he caressed hers. They put their foreheads together, and he kissed her on her forehead.
King Shammek said softly, "My Queen, are you alright?"
Queen Ruilin nodded.
Zhao Renshu chuckled, and the soldiers immediately aimed their spears at him. He quickly raised his hands in surrender.
Ruilin looked at the soldiers, smiled and nodded, and then they withdrew their weapons.
"This is my King Shammek, the leader of Horsemen Land," Ruilin introduced. She looked at Shammek. "These are my saviors." She looked around frantically, then panicked. "Yuping! Did you see Yuping?"
"No," King Shammek replied. "I saw you, and then I went straight to you. Who is Yuping?"
"Our son," Queen Ruilin said, tears welling in her eyes.
King Shammek smiled. "You gave birth?"
"Yes, the man on my back helped me," Queen Ruilin confirmed.
King Shammek placed his right hand on his chest and nodded to Guo Baiyu and Zhao Renshu in thanks.
"Siyuan is behind us," King Shammek said. "If he is not here then Siyuan has him. Let's go home."
The young Yuping cried on the ground, admitted defeat because he had nowhere to run, and his first two legs were badly injured.
Yuping cried and said, "Big sister, big sister, leave me and you go!"
Ping'an jumped off the horse safely and knelt beside him. "Xiao Yuping. Don't worry. Big sister won't let anyone hurt you." In her heart, she issued the command, "Swords, protect your master." Her sword turned into fifty swords, enclosing her and Yuping. They acted like a protective cover, shielding them inside.
A very handsome young white Centaur with white skin, white hair, and green eyes stared at them. Then he pointed at them with a sharp spear. He stabbed into the sword shield, but the spear broke in half, and an electric bolt shocked his hand. He shook his right hand several times and looked at the two strange figures inside the shield.
"Sister, I'm scared," Yuping cried.
Ping'an held Yuping tightly. "Don't be afraid. I'm with you."
The soldiers started pulling away one by one, making way for King Shammek and Queen Ruilin. Guo Baiyu was still on Queen Ruilin's back.
King Shammek and Queen Ruilin looked at each other.
"That sword...." King Shammek murmured, his eyes fixed on Ping'an's shield.
"Ping'an!" Guo Baiyu called out, then he fell off Ruilin's back and collapsed to the ground.