King Xinchi's Wrath and the Fierce Assault on the Ling Camps

Upon hearing the report from Dawa Chacheng, King Xinchi of the Men Kingdom flew into a rage, declaring, "There will be no peace until our enemies are slain." He immediately ordered his man-eating red demon steed to be saddled, adorned its helmet with a coral crest topped by a silk red banner, donned his great roc coral armor, and fastened a jeweled belt of gold and silver. With a mirror shield on his back surrounded by thirteen golden victory banners, he hung a tiger-skin quiver on his right and a leopard-skin bow case on his left, fully armed with blade, arrow, and spear. Mounting his demon horse, he set off with his four ministers, Chamberlain Gula Tuojie, Dongjiong Dala Chiga, Zhongzanbu Dala Yueba, and the mighty warrior Alu Yuben, racing straight toward the Ling army's main camp.

King Xinchi and his four ministers crashed into the eastern camp of Ling, cutting down many of Danma's and Bara's soldiers left and right before surging toward the central camp. There, Bara Senda Adong mounted his snow-white warhorse and galloped forward to block Gula's path. Chamberlain Gula Tuojie nocked an arrow to his jeweled bow and sneered, "You white-robed, white-horsed little man, watch as I loose this arrow and topple you like thunder splitting a white boulder! If I fail, I am no hero!" Without waiting for a reply, he loosed his arrow with a sharp whoosh, striking Bara's white conch shield. The shield shattered into glittering fragments that scattered far and wide. Only thanks to the war god's purple life-protecting garment and the protective blessing of the ten thousand dakinis did Bara escape without injury.

Bara Senda Adong burned with fury and roared back, "You've spouted grand words many a time before, but truth and justice stand on our side! Gula, you old dog, I won't waste long-range arrows on you, I'll test your skill with my butcher's great cleaver!" Drawing his massive blade, he charged without hesitation. Chamberlain Gula Tuojie likewise pulled his crescent-moon eight-edged divine saber from its sheath, and the two heroes clashed in a furious three-round duel. Bara's cleaver was razor-sharp, its cold gleam unnerving. Gula's heart quailed, and he hastily reined his horse about and fell back. King Xinchi and Dongjiong then raised their blades together against Bara. At that moment, Chaxiang Danma drew his turquoise-hilted treasure sword and joined the fray, and after four exchanges, the five Men commanders found themselves unable to hold their ground and retreated toward the western camp of the Ling forces.

Heroic Stands

From the red-tasseled camp burst forth the great general Jiaqing Gama Zhandui, who swiftly barred King Xinchi's path: "You red-robed, red-horsed red dwarf, riding that man-eating demon steed, surely you are King Xinchi of the Men Kingdom? What fortune to meet you today! Long-range arrows or close-quarter lassos, short knives or long spears, choose your weapon, for today I shall settle this with you!"

King Xinchi was about to reply when Chamberlain Gula Tuojie wheeled his horse about and hurried over, scoffing, "Enough of your prattle, boy! Today, in this fair Ling camp, dwells the Lion King Gesar himself. If you're a true hero, come out and face him!" Raising his crescent-moon eight-edged divine saber high, he charged at Jiaqing Gama Zhandui and locked in combat for three rounds. Jiaqing Gama Zhandui's strength waned, and he withdrew in defeat. Just then, four young lords, Jiao Aba Seda Wa, Alubasen, the Rong’s son La Guo Benglu, and the Jia’s son Mani Garan, drew their blades and joined forces against Gula. Gula, hard-pressed, swiftly switched to his grey-shafted spear and thrust at each of the four in turn. One thrust pierced Jiao Aba Seda Wa's short spear guard, driving the long shaft through his heart and out his back. Gula hoisted the young lord on his spearpoint and galloped about, shouting in triumph.

Then Chaxiang Danma and Bara charged headlong at Gula. Danma loosed an arrow that struck Gula's spear, snapping the shaft so that the spearhead and Jiao Aba Seda Wa's body tumbled to the ground together. Fearing Danma's archery, Gula retreated several paces. The hero Danma then barred the path of King Xinchi and his five ministers, drawing his bow and firing three arrows in succession. The first struck near King Xinchi's vital point, shattering five coral victory banners, yet because the king's merit and lifespan were not yet exhausted, it did not take his life. The second arrow hit the golden-topped white conch faceplate of Gula's roan charger, sending bright red blood gushing from the horse's nose. The third struck Dongjiong Dala Chiga near his vital point, wounding him gravely.

The five ministers wheeled and attacked the northern camp, intent on trampling it into pulp. There, the leaders of the Hor and Northern forces, Adanam, the red-faced Kamba Yuden, Sinba Meruze, and Tangga Jiebu, met them head-on. Amid the fierce clash, Adanam swiftly drew her long spear from its case and stabbed Gula twice. Gula, caught off guard, had no choice but to retreat to a distance. At that moment, the gravely wounded Dongjiong Dala Chiga blocked the path of the Northern heroine and sang:

"Girl riding your white-bronze steed,

Are you not she of the Eight Great Mountains of Yarkang,

Watchdog of the 'Lu' demon,

The one called Adanam?

Poor little ones of Lingga,

When men are spent, women take their place;

When teeth fall out, the gums still chew;

A girl dons armor and bears arms!

Today my eyes have truly seen it all.

With turquoise ornaments beneath a white helmet,

How unseemly before your elders!

Clad in colored armor over woolen robes,

Hung with three weapons and conch tassels,

How unseemly before heroes!

With conch bangles and a drawn great bow,

How unseemly before your foes!

Listen, you wild woman!

As the dark-headed Tibetans say:

The sheep doomed to die

Walks itself to the wolf's den,

And after death lies in the wolf's maw.

A girl comes to her death at the Men,

Her life ends meeting Dongjiong.

This arrow upon my jeweled bow,

Granted by the God of Joy,

Today it shall end your life!"

He loosed his arrow and snapped the black tasseled banner atop Adanam's white helmet. Before she and Sinba Meruze could return fire, some five hundred soldiers of the red- and black-tasseled regiments were cut down. The five Men Kingdom ministers, heedless of danger, drove straight for the southern camp, felling seven more riders with back tassels along the roadside. The Jiang Kingdom's senior officer Yucao, Qimei Jiaduo Labu, and Seba Bengsi Guoguo fought with all manner of weapons but could not wound the five ministers. Finally, King Xinchi declared, "We have shown our might enough for today, let us return to the fortress."

Waving his red command banner for retreat, the five ministers spurred their horses to the upper Abeng Zhacha, passing through the Ramma Rongtsan Gorge, and returned triumphantly to the Men Kingdom stronghold. Yula, Gade, Niben, and Prince Zhala pursued but could not overtake them.

The King's Sorrow and the Hero(“Jiao Aba Seda Wa”)'s Fall

In this single battle, the five Men ministers had slaughtered the Ling forces wholesale, piling corpses across the upper plains and turning the lower plains into a river of blood, as if the King of Hell himself had laid out a great feast of flesh and gore. When the lords and subjects of Lingga gathered, the Invincible King Gesar ordered that the bodies of the fallen heroes, from every tribe, be cast into the Southern River. The king himself went to the riverbank and saw the waters dyed red with blood, choked with bones and corpses. He thought: That such demons could slay so many of my soldiers! If this continues, Lingga cannot survive. At this, tears fell unbidden from his eyes. Suppressing his grief, he recited a brief secret mantra for the transference of souls. In an instant, all the bodies cast into the river vanished without trace, like a flock of birds startled into flight by a hurled stone.

The Invincible King Gesar returned to his fair divine tent, where he found the old Chief Steward and Bara seated inside, supporting the back of Jiao Aba Seda Wa. The king placed his right hand on Jiao Aba Seda Wa's head and asked, "Do you recognize me as Gesar?" Jiao Aba Seda Wa replied, "Though I recognize you, I am no longer master of my body, I can only await death. I have no regrets, but I have one plea for all: O heroes of Lingga, do not let my blood be shed in vain, demand vengeance from Gula!"

As he spoke, King Gesar poured nectar into Jiao Aba Seda Wa's mouth. But Jiao Aba Seda Wa's eyes rolled upward, and he passed away. For three days, the people of Ling offered grand sacrifices to the departed, and the sound of ritual instruments echoed throughout the camp. On the third day, the body was cremated. A wisp of blue smoke curled three times within the divine tent, then drifted off in a faint azure haze toward Dokham Lingla and vanished.

On that very day of the cremation, the Jiang prince Yula Toju cried out in fury: "What use is lingering here like this? The vile enemy, Xinchi and his five ministers, has turned our great Lingga camp into a sea of blood and inflicted such a bitter defeat. If this continues, will there be any Ling soldiers left? This grudge, I, Yula alone, shall avenge today!"

The old Chief Steward was alarmed: If Yula charges alone into such a powerful Men Kingdom army, what will become of him? He resolved to send the fierce warrior Bara Senda Adong to assist him. The Chief Steward counseled, "Hero Yula, be at ease, a single man on a single horse cannot overcome an enemy. As Tibet has long said: 'A good man needs help, lest he be like a drowning fox; a fine archer needs a good thumb-ring, lest he shoot as if at night.' Bara Senda Adong, ever steadfast, shall go with you, for today's urgency demands it. To storm the passes, cut down generals, and break through heavy ranks, heroes must fight side by side, whether through courage or cunning, adapt as needed!"

With that arrangement made, the two heroes prepared their gear. Yula Toju, the Jiang prince, donned a turquoise celestial helmet with a green silk banner, wore turquoise-colored armor, and belted a silk sash strung with eighteen strands of pearls. He hung a tiger-skin quiver on his right, a leopard-skin bow case on his left, and armed himself fully. Leaping onto his swift green dappled steed, he looked like a blue dragon bursting from a lake, so fierce that none dared look upon him directly.

Bara Senda Adong, ever unflinching, saddled his Dongri thousand-li steed, donned a glistening white conch helmet with a white silk banner, and wore a white conch armor patterned like stars circling the sun. With tiger-skin quiver and leopard-skin bow case, fully armed, all in white, helmet, armor, and horse, he resembled a wind-driven cloud.

The two heroes rode side by side. At the upper Abeng Zhacha, they encountered fifteen Men Kingdom scout cavalrymen and slew them all. Passing through the Ramma Rongtsan Gorge, they saw beyond the plain of Namaitang, before the Nimu Golden Bridge, the Men Kingdom army camp spreading like swirling smoke, tents arrayed in neat rows: tiger-tent facing tiger-tent, leopard-tent facing leopard-tent, conch-tent facing conch-tent. Around them stood three hundred tents of every kind and two thousand eight hundred tents of varying sizes and heights. The vast plain seemed to shrink to a narrow strip. The entire camp was shrouded in haze like a dark night, with bustling chaos as if heaven and earth were collapsing. Amid it all, a demonic figure paced back and forth.

The Capture of Dawa Chacheng and loyal to the King Gesar

Hero Yula Toju wheeled his swift green steed, and the horse shot off like the wind toward the Men's eastern camp. In moments, he cut down nearly a hundred of the army of Dongde Yuega, slashing left and right. Bara Senda Adong plunged into the western camp and wrought havoc, felling many of the green-tasseled soldiers. Amid a thunderous din of shouts and clashing steel, Men Kingdom Dawa Chacheng and Men Kingdom La Guo Bengren quickly drew their long swords and blocked Yula's path, saying, "You, the blue-clad, blue-horsed blue dwarf, and that white-clad, white-horsed white dwarf, two fools shoulder to shoulder, overestimating yourselves as you charge into the Men camp, showing off before heroes! Today, with the sun shining full, let us see who is the true hero and which warhorse is the swifter. Yesterday at dawn, the brave five ministers of Xinchi fought your Ling camp into a sea of blood, piling bones across the plain, are you satisfied, boy? You blue one, barging into our Mens, is a pitiful sight indeed. I'll shoot you both one arrow each and shatter your hearts into a hundred pieces, if I fail, I'm no hero!"

He loosed an arrow at each of them, but neither Yula nor Bara took any harm. Yula drove his Dawn-Star ancient blade into the chest of Yuzhu Tuocan, who toppled from his horse. Men Kingdom Dawa Chacheng, seeing the tide turn, wheeled his mount and fled without daring to look back. Yula gave chase, cut him off, and said, "You blue-clad, blue-horsed fan of a man, though I've never seen you before, you seem a hero of sorts. But before me, Yula, you don't amount to much. Better to think carefully of how to treasure that life of yours!"

Yula cast his lasso, which looped cleanly around Dawa Chacheng's neck. Bara hurried over to assist, and together they bound the Men Kingdom prince's arms behind his back like iron rings, wound his chest like a ball of thread, then hoisted him onto a horse and rode straight back toward the Ling camp. At once, Men Kingdom Yuzhu Dajie, Yuyue Dajie, and Yuzi Dajie came one after another, racing to rescue their comrade. Prince Yula wheeled his horse and cut down Yuyue Dajie and Yuzi Dajie in two strokes. Bara, meanwhile, wheeled his horse to the right and mowed down three hundred white-tasseled soldiers, and seven demon generals of the Men Kingdom perished beneath his great cleaver.

Then Bara dealt Yuzhu Dajie a blow to the head, splitting his white helmet and peeling a strip of scalp that flopped over his face. Yuzhu Dajie quickly bound his head with a red handkerchief and fled to the summit of Sun Rock above the Ramma Rongtsan Gorge. There, he kicked a boulder the size of thirteen piled wild yak carcasses until it tottered precariously, and bellowed, "You two who call yourselves heroes of Lingga, if you are birds, fly across the sky; if you are golden-eyed fish, swim across the water; if you can become tornadoes, leap straight over the mountainside. Otherwise, where is your road to survival?"

Yula said to Bara, "Let me shoot him." But Bara replied, "Let me take this shot today. He holds a perilous vantage now, unless we pray to the war gods for a blessed arrow, we'll both be crushed to powder by that rock's debris." So saying, Bara Senda Adong drew his white conch jeweled bow from his left leopard-skin case and a white divine arrow from his right tiger-skin quiver. Nocking it to the string, he silently prayed to the war gods of the Flower Fortress, then sang to Yuzhu Dajie atop the crag:

"Boy, do you know disaster looms?

The great garuda soaring in the sky

Spreads its six wings in the air,

O viper, do not writhe in vain,

For you shall soon fall to its mighty beak!

You whelp of the Men,

Backed against the rock for cover,

Feet planted on the boulder in your pride,

Boy, do not struggle in your death throes,

For the unerring divine archer

Will end your life with one arrow!

Upon this conch arrowhead

Rides the Great White Brahma King;

Upon this golden arrow shaft

Rides the fierce deity Gezuo;

Upon this turquoise arrow tip

Rides the Great Dragon King Zuna;

Upon this black iron arrowhead

Rides the Dharma Protector Lord;

Upon these white-feathered fletchings

Ride the dakinis of longevity!"

With that, Bara loosed a mighty arrow like thunder striking a red cliff. Stones burst into fragments that rained down like hail, dust filling the sky and shrouding the plain of Namaitang and the fortress of Dongri Langzong in a gloom as dark as night. Men Kingdom Yuzhu Dajie was blasted from sight, gone without a trace. Thanks to the war gods' protection, Prince Yula and Bara emerged completely unscathed.

The two heroes escorted the captive Men Kingdom Dawa Chacheng straight back to the Lingga headquarters. Before the radiant divine tent of King Gesar, they raised a nine-fathom iron pillar and tethered Dawa Chacheng to it like a dog. Beside him, they laid out a silk cushion spread with all manner of fine foods. Danma approached the captive and taunted, "Well now, Men Kingdom Dawa Chacheng, why are you bound in black ropes and fallen into the hands of Lingga's champions? Does fair Lingga lack a watchdog, that they must use a Men Kingdom prince as their door dog?"

After this round of mockery, Dawa Chacheng replied, "Chaxiang Danma, I am now a captive against my will, I have no heart for jokes. Please plead with the Lion King to spare my life. I swear to serve him henceforth and to win merit on the battlefield in days to come."

Danma said, "Well, your words ring true, and it is customary to speak for those who seek mercy. Today, I shall plead for you." He then indeed entered the king's tent and sought clemency on behalf of the young Men commander. The king granted it, saying, "The gods above have decreed that Men Kingdom Dawa Chacheng shall be born to aid Lingga and serve as a minister of King Gesar. Let the Qiju tribe send five men, the Zhongju five, and the Qiongju five, fifteen in all, to escort Dawa Chacheng to Ling. He shall be placed in the custody of the regent Dongqu Lubudapan, confined where the sun does not shine by day and the stars do not show by night. He shall be given ample food and clothing. When the Men war is concluded, he shall be released and sent home to govern his own kingdom."

With that decree, the fifteen escorts led Dawa Chacheng away and set out for the land of Ling.