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Zhumuo Warns the Heroes of Ling Gabu

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Zhumuo carried the twelve tail feathers of the disaster bird and went straight to the Datang Chamotan meeting site. She placed the feathers in the center of the gathering of heroes and anxiously sang:

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In this Datang Chamotan field,

Heroes of the holy Ling divine tribes,

Revered lamas under the sacred parasols,

Officers in shining armor,

Youths with fluttering banners,

Girls as radiant as mountain flowers,

Children with fluttering longevity knots,

Those above, sit under the trees and listen,

Those below, sit by the lake and hear.

Please listen to my report, Zhumuo's words:

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Yesterday morning, at that time,

A thief bird came flying by.

It was so ugly and strange,

Words can hardly describe it.

Its right wing stretched eastward,

Its left wing extended westward.

Its body was larger than three oxen,

Its sharp teeth resembled green peaks.

Each feather was thick and long,

As strong as a warrior’s arm.

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Suddenly, it landed on the treasure canopy,

Breaking the sturdy ropes that held it.

I told my servant Yuda,

“Quickly fetch the precious bow,

Quickly kill this beast!”

Yuda didn’t miss his mark,

He shot down twelve massive tail feathers.

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Chiefs of the tribes, take note,

This matter is as heavy as a mountain!

If you ask about its origin,

You must think back three years ago.

It was the year our Lion King went north.

Heroes from all tribes escorted him,

The cavalry guarded for eighteen stops,

The oxen carts guarded for twenty stops,

On foot, they escorted him for twenty-five days.

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They escorted him to the northern land of Qulong Nacha Gongma.

The king gave instructions to all the officers.

“If I return early, it will be two years,

If late, it will not exceed three years.

No matter what, within these three years,

I will triumph and return home.”

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Before mounting his horse,

He reined it in and stood before it,

Saying:

“I will go north to subdue demons.

Enemies may invade in my absence.

Patrol frequently on the three great mountain peaks,

Station sentries at the three great valleys,

Conduct reconnaissance on the three mountain slopes,

Guard the three great plains carefully.”

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The king spoke to us earnestly,

“Do not invade others without cause.

If enemies come to attack,

Fight bravely without regret!”

Did everyone remember the king’s words?

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Now, this strange event has occurred.

I, Zhumuo, find it suspicious.

First, ominous signs appeared during the day,

Second, bad dreams plagued the night,

Third, the disaster bird’s arrival is truly unlucky.

Do not hope for good fortune from this!

I urge all heroes to discuss this carefully.

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After her song, Chaotong of the Darong tribe thought to himself: These tail feathers look like they belong to the Hor disaster bird “Gangga Raosang.” It’s likely that the White Tent King is planning to lead an army to invade Ling Gabu, and this bird was sent ahead to scout. From Zhumuo’s song, it’s clear she’s urging the tribes to prepare for defense. The Hor Kingdom will certainly suffer if they attack! But what if I claim this bird is actually a divine messenger from Gesar? I’ll say the king sent it to deliver news of his return. Wouldn’t that be better?

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Pretending to be wise, Chaotong said, “Zhumuo, daughter of the Galo family! Don’t twist auspicious signs into something negative. I alone know the origin of this bird and can recognize these feathers!”

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He then fabricated a story, claiming these feathers were divine symbols sent by Gesar. He insisted the bird was a messenger bringing news from the king, urging everyone to stop worrying and to halt patrols and sentries.

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However, Chief Steward Rongchachagen saw through Chaotong’s lies and immediately stopped him. “Chaotong! You’re pretending to know what you don’t understand, spouting nonsense. I know very well where these feathers come from. This is a serious matter for Ling Gabu! The Yellow Hor Kingdom is surely planning to attack the holy Ling divine tribes with a sudden assault!”

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The crowd, alarmed by the steward’s words, listened closely as he continued: “I have visited the Hor Kingdom many times. They have such birds, called ‘Gangga Raosang,’ also known as the ‘disaster bird.’ It is the soul bird of the White Tent King. This white feather belongs to the White Tent King, the black feather to the Black Tent King, the yellow feather to the Yellow Tent King, and the purple feather to Sinba Meruze. The other feathers belong to the chiefs of various Hor tribes.

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People of the divine Ling tribes, heed the king’s instructions! Station sentries at the valleys, patrol the mountain peaks, and conduct reconnaissance on the slopes. Be vigilant against enemy invasion!”

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Jiacha Proposes a Reconnaissance Mission

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When Jiacha Xiega heard these words, his face darkened like storm clouds, and his angry eyes flashed like lightning. He jumped off his horse and shouted to his brothers, “Hor and Ling Gabu have never had old grudges or new conflicts. The White Tent King has no reason to stir up trouble and create enmity. However, the world is unpredictable, so we should send someone to patrol and investigate. I, the brave Jiacha, will go. Agile Danma can go. Swift Dongzan can go as well. If a single rider is not enough, then let the Long clan send seven riders, the Zhong clan send seven riders, and the You clan send seven riders. A total of twenty-one knights can go together to investigate what is happening in Hor.”

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Jiacha advised everyone, “Young trees are easy to cut, small fires are easy to extinguish, and tiger skins must be tanned starting at the head. When dealing with enemies, we must strike first and strike hard!”

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Chief Steward Rongchachagen responded, “Brave Jiacha! When you are calm, you are as compassionate as the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. But when you are angry, you are like the wrathful Horse-Headed King. Please listen patiently to this old man’s advice. The Long, Zhong, and You clans should each send three riders to investigate. However, among so many heroes here, determining who should go requires careful discussion.”

 

Jiacha grew even more anxious after hearing this. He said impatiently, “Steward Rongchachagen, don’t act so superior just because you’re older! Since you’ve decided to send someone to investigate, why say this person can’t go or that person can’t go? Who exactly should we send? Who is truly the right person for this task?”

 

Jiacha’s gaze swept over the heroes from all the Ling tribes until finally, it landed on Danma. Danma’s family had always been as close as kin to the royal family of Ling. There was no hero in Ling like him, nor a marksman as skilled as him. Danma was calm, sharp, and resourceful. Any mission entrusted to him was completed flawlessly. For this reconnaissance mission, no one was more suitable than Danma. Thus, Jiacha entrusted this critical task to him.

 

Danma, who regarded Jiacha as a brother, would never hesitate to follow Jiacha’s orders, even if it meant going to a demon’s lair to face death. After bidding farewell to his brothers, Danma leapt onto his silver-gray horse and rode off without delay.

 

At that moment, Zhumuo’s maid on her right carried a golden jug filled with fragrant tea, while the maid on her left carried a silver jug filled with fine wine. Zhumuo herself held a longevity knot, auspicious silk, and a khata scarf as gifts to sincerely wish the hero Danma a safe return.

 

Danma, accompanied by twenty-one knights, left Ling Gabu and rode forward. Before long, he sped ahead, riding alone. He reached the white road of Hor and climbed to the top of the highest mountain to survey the Hor Kingdom.

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From there, he saw the red plain of Yulang Gongwa, teeming with troops from the twelve black and red divisions of Hor. The plain was packed with people, smoke from cooking fires covered the land, and the area was so crowded it seemed as if even a single embroidery needle couldn’t fit.

 

Looking more closely, Danma observed that the right flank of the Hor army consisted of the White Tent Division, the left flank was the Yellow Tent Division, and the center was the Black Tent Division. The remaining nine divisions were divided into three groups following behind the main forces. Leading the vanguard was a force of 20,000 Hor warriors, the elite Baturu soldiers of Sinba. All their camps’ gates pointed toward Ling Gabu.

 

Notes

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Baturu: Means "warrior" or "brave man."

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