The Aftermath of the Battle
 
After Jiacha left, the White Tent King of Hor emerged from a winding, conch-shaped cave, trembling as he seated himself back on his throne. With shaky hands, he pulled out the turquoise hairpin of Zhu Mu, staring at it for a long time, unable to calm himself. Finally, he let out a deep sigh.
 
When the Hor ministers and Simbas (warriors) gathered again, the White Tent King spoke with frustration:
"People of the Hor mountains and rivers! A terrible thing has happened. Should we continue fighting or retreat? I think we should summon more reinforcements from the Aqin Plains!"
 
He then erupted in fury, stomping his feet and scolding his ministers:
"When in Yaze City, you were all brave in your armor, but on the eastern Ling Gabu, you’ve become softer than silk! Simbas who claimed to be warriors are like sheep, and Baturus (heroes) are like foxes. Your shining armor is nothing but tattered coats, your sharp arrows are mere spindles, and your precious swords are no more than weaving shuttles! You’re all useless in battle!
 
Especially you, Simba Mei Ruze! Back in Yaze, you couldn’t stop boasting about your courage. But ever since your skull was injured, you’ve been silent when you should speak and dazed when you should think. Have you been poisoned by wolfsbane? Are you near death? If not, then come up with a plan!"
 
Blame and Advice
 
The White Tent King was oblivious to his own mistakes and instead shifted the blame for the repeated defeats onto the Simbas from all the tribes.
 
Feeling deeply wronged, Simba Mei Ruze once again offered heartfelt advice:
"Great King, as strong as an ox’s neck! I have already advised you three times, and everything has turned out as I predicted. But it’s not over yet—worse outcomes still lie ahead!
 
Before we suffer even greater losses, it would be best to retreat to Yaze City. This way, you’ll secure happiness in this life and peace in the next. Your health will remain strong, and the Yellow Hor Kingdom will avoid disaster.
 
If you insist on summoning more troops, it will be like adding fat to meat, only to have it fall into Ling’s hands. If you try to seize Zhu Mu by force, such evil actions will only invite retaliation. If you aim to enslave others, you may end up destroying your own kingdom. My advice: it is better to be content and stay within your limits."
 
Mei Ruze’s words were spoken with good intentions, but Minister Duoqin was displeased:
"How can we, with so many people, fail to stop Ling’s heroes and then plan to retreat? It’s utterly disgraceful!"
 
The others remained silent, sitting quietly.
 
The Discussion and Tang Ze’s Song
 
At this moment, King Qu Da of the Garwa Tribe and Tang Ze Yuzhou privately discussed:
"The Hor army has suffered a minor setback here, and now the King and his ministers are arguing. What good will come of this? The White Tent King is so fixated on achieving his goals that, even with heavy losses, he refuses to change his plans. The King and his ministers need to sit down and properly discuss a strategy!"
 
After this discussion, Tang Ze Yuzhou addressed the Hor leaders:
"Leaders and ministers of Yellow Hor! Regret brings no benefit, and speaking in anger solves nothing. Please listen to Tang Ze’s song!"
 
He then began singing:
 
"In the great white central tent,
The White Tent King stands tall like Mount Sumeru,
The Yellow and Black Tent Kings shine like the sun and moon.
The six great ministers radiate like the stars,
Simbas and Baturus sparkle like constellations.
 
The conflict between Hor and Ling,
Is rooted in destiny from past lives.
Blaming anyone won’t help.
 
The mighty Hor army,
Now faces misfortune in war.
Glorious victories are nowhere to be found—
This is fate, preordained by time.
There’s no need to complain.
 
The White Tent King’s million-strong army,
Was never meant to invade Ling.
Simba’s three warnings were wise,
As clear as the lines on one’s palm.
If retreat is the plan, speak not of it aloud,
For others may mock you.
 
White Tent King, listen to me!
Send a prince and a Simba back home,
To recruit more troops.
From the twelve great tribes of Yellow Hor,
Gather an army of twelve thousand.
Yamu the Seer can foretell victory, defeat, life, and death,
His words, like thunder, echo across the Aqin Plains.
But if his counsel brings no benefit to your decisions,
Then even the loudest thunder has no value.
There’s no need to blindly believe it.
 
Bring him to the battlefield quickly.
The reason Ling’s heroes are so formidable,
Is because their war gods grant them protection,
And their armor is blessed with divine power.
 
The war gods of Yellow Hor,
The three demon brothers—White, Black, and Spotted—
Reside in the Nine-Link Iron Shrine.
In the past, they weren’t fully summoned,
So do not lose faith in the gods.
Carry the sacred iron of the war gods with the army,
And divine their will for future actions.
 
As for the King’s war plans,
Death and miscalculations are unavoidable.
Success requires effort and determination.
To win, one must act decisively.
 
In the lands where Tibetans dwell,
Fire, water, and wood are natural blessings.
But demons, Yellow Hor, and Gesar’s warriors,
Are bound together by karmic destiny.
Even if you wish to escape,
It is impossible to break free.
 
Heroes, do not tremble with fear,
Nor provoke others with harsh words."
 
After the song, the Hor leaders agreed that Tang Ze Yuzhou was correct. They decided to summon Yamu the Seer, along with the sacred Nine-Link Iron Shrine containing the three demon brothers—White, Black, and Spotted. Additionally, they planned to recruit 12,000 reinforcements from the twelve tribes of Yellow Hor.
 
The White Tent King assigned his son, Prince Ra Wulaibu, along with Simba Tang Ga Yiguo, Baturu Chitu Nanlang, and one hundred soldiers, to return to Hor overnight to carry out these tasks.
 
Danma’s Assault and His Duel with Chizong Rouya
 
The next day, Danma of Ling rode out to battle. His white helmet was adorned with a white plume, and he wore shining white armor. Mounted on a silver-gray horse, he crossed the river and arrived at the Hor camp. With him, he carried five brass-tipped arrows, seven copper-tipped arrows, and nine iron-tipped arrows. He unleashed all of them into the camp, raining destruction like a hailstorm. Many Hor soldiers fell to the ground, wounded or dead.
 
Afterward, Danma drew his green-handled treasured blade and charged into the camp. With swift and brutal attacks, he killed many soldiers. Having taken numerous trophies, including plumes from helmets, he rode back triumphantly to Ling’s camp.
 
Hearing of this, the White Tent King’s son, Chizong Rouya, became furious. He donned his conch-shell armor and radiant spiral helmet, which was adorned with a crescent moon-like white plume. Mounting his flying white horse, he armed himself with a long spear and set off in pursuit of Danma.
 
At the Yellow River, Danma turned his horse around and prepared for battle. He knocked a silver-plumed arrow onto his bow and waited. Chizong shouted at him, "You purple-faced fool! Your time has come! Today, I’ll claim glory by taking you down!"
 
Chizong charged forward, thrusting his spear at Danma. Calmly, Danma swung his turquoise-handled sword and sliced the spear in two. Chizong retreated a few steps, holding only half of his spear. He then turned, nocked an arrow, and aimed it at Danma.
 
Danma sneered and said, "Oh, Prince Chizong, son of the White Tent King! Today, we meet at last. If I let you return alive, I am no longer worthy of being called Danma!"
 
The two warriors shot arrows at each other. Chizong’s arrow slashed Danma’s saddle in two and knocked off a few pieces of his armor. But Danma’s silver-plumed arrow struck Chizong’s forehead and pierced through his helmet.
 
Protected by the White Sky Demon God, Chizong miraculously survived. He drew his blade and charged at Danma. Unfazed, Danma fired another iron arrow, hitting Chizong’s horse. The beast collapsed, throwing dust into the air as both horse and rider fell.
 
Danma approached the fallen prince and mockingly said, "Prince Chizong! Have your wishes been fulfilled? And what about your father, the White Tent King? Surely, he must be satisfied now! Watch how I complete this task for both of you!"
 
With that, Danma unsheathed his green-handled sword and severed Chizong’s head, along with his helmet’s plume, his horse’s mane, and its tail. Victorious, he crossed the Yellow River and returned to Ling’s camp.
 
Back at the camp, Danma hung Chizong’s head and plume outside the treasure tent as a trophy. Jiacha and the other Ling warriors gathered to discuss the battle. All the heroes praised Danma for his bravery and offered him the finest khatas in honor of his valor.
 
The Hor Army’s Counterattack and Gade’s Retaliation
 
Three days later, at dawn, a loud commotion broke out in the Hor camp. Soldiers were moving large objects, and three men rolled two massive boulders, each three times the size of a yak.
 
Ling warriors began to speculate:
"What are they doing?"
"Are they building a fortress?" someone guessed.
 
The commander of Ling’s forces interrupted, "Stop guessing! None of you are right. They’re preparing to launch boulders, regardless of what the stars say today. Who are those three men rolling the stones? Look closely—my eyes aren’t what they used to be."
 
Niben and Dapan squinted and reported, "That big man in the red cloak looks like Duoqin. The tall, thin one bustling around the boulders seems to be Zaqing. And the other—it looks like Tang Ze Yuzhou."
 
The commander nodded grimly. "Zaqing is their expert at launching boulders. By the looks of it, they’ll fire at us this afternoon. If we don’t prepare in time, we’ll suffer heavy losses. Gade, start assembling the counter-launchers. Niben, Qulu, and Senda, go find larger boulders!"
 
The three warriors rolled a massive boulder, so large that two men couldn’t wrap their arms around it. They prepared the launch mechanism, built the stone platform along the Yellow River facing Hor’s camp, and lit juniper incense while offering pure liquor as a blessing.
 
As the warriors gathered to watch, Gade donned his black cloak and hat. A treasure mirror hung on his chest as he gripped the boulder’s release rope with one hand and waved a black flag with the other. With a loud "Whoosh!" the immense boulder was launched into the air.
 
The Clash of Boulder Launches and Gade’s Revenge
 
At the same time, the Hor soldiers were conducting rituals for the White, Black, and Spotted Demon Gods. They sacrificed goat meat, tossed roasted barley flour like dice, and Zaqing chanted incantations.
 
Both Hor and Ling launched their massive boulders simultaneously, and the mountains trembled as the stones tore through the sky. Ling’s boulder chased after Hor’s and collided with it above the White Tent King’s grand camp. Hor’s boulder shattered into two pieces. One piece fell into the Hor camp, killing or injuring hundreds of soldiers and leaving many others stunned by the impact.
 
The other fragment, along with Ling’s boulder, flew toward a southern cliff near Ling’s camp. The stones smashed into the cliff, shattering it into pieces. Dust filled the air, and the falling rocks crushed hundreds of Gade’s soldiers.
 
Seeing the devastation in Gade’s forces, Zaqing was overjoyed. He mocked Gade’s misfortune, hurling insults and laughing with glee.
 
Enraged by the loss of his men and Zaqing’s taunts, Gade’s fury boiled over. He tore off his black cloak and hat, donned his armor, and mounted his warhorse. Armed with his Thunderbolt Blade and bow, he charged across the Yellow River, heading straight for the Hor camp.
 
Once inside, Gade fought savagely. From a distance, he shot arrows, and up close, he slashed with his sword. Hor soldiers fell in droves. Zaqing, wielding a whip, confronted Gade near the White Tent division.
 
Gade sheathed his sword, lunged forward, and grabbed Zaqing by both arms. With a mighty swing, he flipped Zaqing upside down, his head pointing to the ground and his feet in the air. Like a hawk catching a sparrow, Gade grabbed Zaqing by the waist, shook him violently, and slammed him to the ground. Gade then pounded Zaqing with his fists, hitting him so hard that his internal organs spilled from his mouth.
 
With Zaqing defeated, Gade returned to Ling’s camp, exuding an aura of invincibility. The Ling warriors praised him as a true hero. However, Jiacha, seated high above, remained silent and expressionless.
 
Gade felt uneasy and thought to himself, "Jiacha has always been a decent man. Hor and Ling are locked in a life-or-death struggle, and I’ve taken down one of their fiercest warriors. Why isn’t he happy? He’s so different from King Gesar. Those two brothers—one wise and the other foolish—are worlds apart. Something must be weighing on his heart. I fear he may not find peace or long life…"