The Battle Over the Mountain God
 
The Hor and Ling Gabu armies remained facing each other across the Yellow River. One day, the White Tent King gathered his ministers to discuss an important matter: the Maqin Bongla Mountain in the east was known to be a sacred and powerful place. Prolonged occupation by the Hor army might anger the mountain god. To seek the god’s protection, the White Tent King decided to send a tribute.
 
General Silatuoga was chosen to lead the mission, along with fifty knights from each of the twelve major tribes. They carried offerings, including one hundred warhorses, armor, helmets, and banners. Each soldier also brought a colorful arrow, a ceremonial scarf, a copper plate of roasted flour, and a plate of butter.
 
When everything was ready, Silatuoga mounted his steed, "Multi-Talented Wild Goose," wearing white armor and a white helmet that looked like clouds swirling around the mountain. Accompanied by six hundred warriors and pack mules, they set out toward the mountain.
 
On the other side of the Yellow River, Ling Gabu’s heroes noticed the movement. At first, they thought the Hor army was preparing to attack. But upon seeing their ceremonial equipment, they realized it was a mission to worship the mountain god. They quickly reported this to the Chief Steward.
 
“If they gain the favor of the Maqin Mountain God, it will be like driving a nail into the heart of Ling Gabu,” said the Chief Steward. “This is bad for us. We need to send heroes to intervene.”
 
Jiacha, Sipan from the Darong tribe, and Danma set out with fifty knights of the Golden Plume. They crossed the Yellow River as if they had wings and pursued the Hor group along a mountain path. They eventually intercepted them on the side of a ridge, within an arrow's distance.
 
Jiacha rode forward and shouted, “No one is allowed to approach the Maqin Bongla Mountain God without permission from me, King Benba! Do you dare to act recklessly before the mountain god? Watch how we Ling Gabu heroes deal with you!”
 
Silatuoga stepped forward, fitted an arrow to his White Conch Bow, and held another arrow between his thumb and forefinger. He replied, “The Maqin Bongla Mountain God is a sacred deity of all people in the southern continent. Although we Hor have not occupied this land, we are free to travel this long road and go wherever we wish!”
 
With that, he loosed an arrow straight at Jiacha. Jiacha quickly dodged to the right, and the arrow grazed his left shoulder, injuring nine Golden Plume knights behind him. The arrow sparked as it flew further into the mountainside. Silatuoga shot a second arrow, which Jiacha dodged again, but another nine knights fell behind him.
 
The Defeat of Silatuoga and Jiacha’s Heroism
 
Danma shot an arrow, sending seven or eight enemy soldiers tumbling off the cliff. Seeing this, Sipan intervened and said, “We’ve killed enough. The more we kill, the heavier our sins will be. These soldiers no longer have the strength to resist. Let’s stop and catch up to Jiacha to help him.”
 
Danma thought for a moment, agreed, and put away his bow. Meanwhile, Jiacha had pursued Silatuoga all the way to within an arrow’s distance of the Hor camp. Silatuoga, realizing that he was about to be caught, cried out in despair, “Oh, warriors of the Twelve Black-and-Red Tribes! Mighty Sinba! The King of Death is chasing me—come save me!”
 
Despite his cries, Silatuoga didn’t dare to look back and kept running forward. Jiacha, patient and precise, shot an arrow that struck Silatuoga’s horse. The horse collapsed to the ground, throwing Silatuoga off. Before Silatuoga could recover, Jiacha caught up, drew his blade, and in one swift motion, cut Silatuoga in half.
 
Back in the Hor camp, the soldiers were in chaos. A few knights ran back and forth, shouting, “Charge! Charge!” But not one of them dared to leave the camp. Calmly and methodically, Jiacha removed Silatuoga’s armor and helmet, tied them to the injured horse, and began walking back toward the Ling camp.
 
Seven or eight Sinba warriors attempted to pursue Jiacha from a distance, but when they saw Danma and Sipan coming to reinforce him, they turned back immediately. Once the three heroes had left the area, the remaining Hor soldiers, who had been hiding near the cliff, cautiously made their way back to the Hor camp.
 
Jiacha’s Bold Charge
 
The next day, as the sun warmed the land, Jiacha, the King of Benba, was fully armored and gleaming like the full moon on a clear night. His attendant Mudadayu brought his steed, and Jiacha mounted it with ease. He galloped toward the Hor camp like a god of war, leaping across the vast plains with unparalleled grace.
 
At that moment, the Hor camp was holding a meeting on the lawn in front of the main tent. Sinba warrior Meiruze exclaimed, “That white rider on the white horse is here again! We can’t let him harass the Hor camp anymore. Gather everyone immediately! Put on your armor, take up your weapons, and form six defensive walls. Don’t let him break through!”
 
The soldiers quickly donned their armor, armed themselves, and formed a defensive formation as per Meiruze’s orders.
 
Meanwhile, Jiacha, swift and fearless, crossed the Yellow River as if he had wings. He reached the Hor camp, where his presence struck terror into the hearts of the Hor soldiers. The White Tent King, unable to face him, fled from his war tent to hide in a smaller tent nearby.
 
Anu Sipan’s Charge into the Hor Camp
 
After delivering his bold declaration, Anu Sipan galloped across the Yellow River and charged directly into the Hor camp. His first target was the Sinba warriors’ camp, where he fought fiercely and broke through their defenses. From there, he stormed into the White Tent and Black Tent camps, slashing and cutting down enemies in his path.
 
He collected a bundle of red, white, and black plumes, tying them to his horse as trophies of his triumph. Anu Sipan then turned his attention to the outskirts of the camp, where he encountered Hor officers Tangze Yuzhou, Tangna Zejia from the Black Tent, and Jiechou from the Riba tribe.
 
Tangna Zejia was the first to confront him, shouting, “Hey, you black barbarian! Stop running! Tighten your armor and prepare to die!” Tangna quickly loosed an arrow aimed straight at Sipan. Sipan reined in his horse and had just drawn half of his sword when the arrow struck the exposed blade. He dodged to the right, and the arrow flew off into the distance.
 
Tangna then drew his own sword and charged at Sipan. But Sipan, with agility and precision, swung his blade first, striking Tangna’s leg and causing him to fall from his horse.
 
At that moment, Tangze Yuzhou and Jiechou arrived to back up Tangna. Tangze shouted, “Hey, you black barbarian from Ling! Do you know where this Red Thunderbolt Arrow will land? Knocking you off your horse is no big deal. Watch closely—your body is the target!”
 
Tangze fired an arrow at Sipan, but Sipan swiftly dodged behind a massive boulder. The arrow hit the boulder with a loud “crack,” shattering it into pieces. At the same time, Sipan retaliated by firing two arrows. The first arrow flew toward Tangze, who skillfully caught it mid-air and tucked it into his tiger-skin quiver before retreating. The second arrow struck Jiechou’s saddle, splitting it into two.
 
Despite the intense clash, all three warriors maintained their composure. After the encounter, each retreated to their respective camps.
 
Sipan returned to the Ling camp, where he was greeted with cheers and celebration. His brothers welcomed him back, offering tea and wine as a reward for his bravery. Sipan’s courage and skill were praised by all, and he stood proudly among the heroes of Ling.