CHAPTER 53

 

The Journey and Divine Guidance

 

For four days, King Gesar traveled alone on horseback until he reached the gray earthen cliffs of Garba Jiarang in the Hor territory—the place where his brother Gyatsa had died and been cremated. He stayed for seven days by the stone platform where Gyatsa's body had been laid, praying daily to the heavens for a dream visitation, but received no sign. On the dawn of the eighth day, the heavenly goddess Langman Gam appeared in his dream and instructed: "When you pass Tola Mountain, you will meet the departed. Do not delay now; go quickly!"

 

The goddess continued: "As you proceed from here, my nephew, the Great Lion King, on the path you travel tomorrow, you will encounter fierce road-blocking demons. Keep your bowstring taut with vigilance, and do not panic when you meet them. One is the long-armed demon of Hor, who can seize whatever his eyes see; another is the far-sighted demon, who can see a three-month journey's distance; and the third is the mighty strongman demon, from whose grasp escape is nearly impossible. They are patrolling the high mountain peaks. Prepare your swift-flying divine arrows and shoot steadily at them; the arrows themselves will deal with them."

 

Thus, Gesar spent a day sharpening his arrows until their points were exceedingly keen. Early on the third day, he shot the swift-flying "Thunderbolt Divine Arrow" toward the Hor direction. The arrow roared with a thunderous noise, accompanied by lightning and hail, and sped forward like the wind.

 

Overcoming the Demons and Ominous Obstacles

 

On the mountain ridge along the road to Hor, the three demon kings—Long Arm, Far-Sight, and Strongman—were patrolling. Hearing a distant rumbling, Far-Sight said, "I don't know if it's a black eagle or something else flying this way. Everyone be on guard; let me see clearly first."

 

As he spoke, he looked into the distance. Suddenly, he cried out in alarm: "Oh no! That's a divine arrow! You two, come quickly! Long Arm, grab it!"

 

Long Arm rushed out first, spreading his arms wide. He seized the arrow by its shaft and held on tightly, while the other two demon kings clung to Long Arm's body, trying to pull the arrow down. But the divine arrow had greater force; it lifted all three demon kings into the sky and then hurled them down into the turbulent waves of the Yellow River, drowning them.

 

Crossing Yarlasawu Mountain, Gesar encountered a long-horned wild bull emerging from a rocky cliff. Its blood-red tongue flashed with lightning, its black tail resembled southern storm clouds, and its roar was like the clash of giant cymbals. This was the soul-animal of the White Tent King. The Great Lion King taunted it: "You pretentious old wild bull! With your petty tricks, do you really think you can challenge me? If you truly wish to show your might, sharpen your horns on that cliff—grind them sharp before we compete! Dance upon the cliff and shatter the rock—then you'll have proven something. I will sharpen my weapon on the green turf, and you'll see how keen it becomes; I will dance on the grassy plain, making the mountains tremble and the earth shake, causing you to quake in fear. Then I will shoot an arrow at you—that will be my victory!"

 

The wild bull thought: "He says he'll sharpen his blade on soft grass—can't I sharpen my horns on hard rock? He says he'll make the earth shake on the grassland—can't my four sturdy hooves kick this cliff apart?"

 

So, it vigorously ground its two long horns against the rocky cliff until they were worn down, yet they did not become sharp. It then kicked the cliff fiercely with its four hooves until they were dislocated, but the cliff did not budge, let alone crumble. Now unable to move, the bull stood helpless. The king mounted his horse, nocked an arrow, and shot. The arrow struck the bull's forehead, piercing through to its tail. Instantly, the bull tumbled from the cliff. The king offered the bull's blood in sacrifice to the heavenly gods and continued on his way.

 

Soon, two crimson mountain peaks blocked the path. Seeing the king approach, they clashed together like cymbals, sending碎石 tumbling down in an attempt to halt his advance. As the king pressed forward, the peaks collided even more violently. The king said disdainfully: "You two red peaks, capable of destroying all of Hor, clash so pitifully without inspiring fear—you'll only bring about your own destruction. I have traveled many places in Jambudvipa and seen great mountains collide. They draw apart to gain distance, pause, and then strike with force that could shatter the world—that is true power!"

 

Hearing this, the two red peaks thought it made sense. They drew apart and paused for a long while. At that moment, Jang Gapeibu, carrying the king, leaped over them. When the peaks finally collided again, they used such excessive force that they destroyed themselves.

 

The Heartbreaking Reunion with a Brother's Spirit

 

After two more days of travel, Gesar arrived at the entrance of the Tuoduo Dalong mountain valley. Suddenly, he caught the scent of smoke and thought, "Are there people here?" Looking closely, he saw it was Dozan, sent by Hor to guard the valley pass. Dozan was boiling tea, with a horn-patterned great bow hanging from his elbow, three red-tailed sharp arrows placed before him, humming a tune while mending a roe deer snare. The king and his horse transformed into a mother and fawn musk deer, passing before him one after the other. Dozan ran to grab the fawn by its hind leg. Just as he was about to seize it, the two deer bounded onto a high cliff inaccessible to anyone but deer. Without hesitation, Dozan climbed after them. Then the Great Lion King transformed into two tigers, turning to pounce. Terrified, Dozan twisted to flee, but the cliff was steep and the path narrow, leaving no room to turn. He tumbled down into the abyss. Thus, the king eliminated the demon Dozan.

 

Continuing from there, he ascended the long,连绵 Tola Mountain within Hor territory, catching sight of the distant Balo Snow Mountain, Suori Mountain, and Jiaola Mountain. Remembering the heavenly prophecy, the king felt an even deeper longing for his brother Gyatsa Xiega. He pressed on to a place called Benba Gaqiong at the mountain's base. Suddenly, the divine horse lay down and refused to move further. The king struck it twice with a white vine whip, tightened the reins, and spurred its sides with his stirrups, but the horse remained still, only shedding tears in silence. Puzzled, the king wondered what was wrong.

 

Beside the road stood a roadside shrine called a "Bonkhang," its four walls enclosing images of a hundred thousand deities. On the white pema grass wall-top was the nest of a sparrowhawk—the form Gyatsa's spirit had taken after death. Gyatsa, originally an incarnation of the white swan deity, could have been reborn freely after death. But to avenge himself upon the White Tent King, he had made three fierce vows to devour the flesh and blood of the Hor people. Because of this, and having been polluted by the evil vapors sprayed by Hor, he had not been reborn in a pure human form but had instead taken possession of a robust sparrowhawk's corpse, becoming a hawk. Now, seeing the golden helmet of the Great Lion King, he was so overjoyed that he abandoned the flock of sparrows (the spirits of dead Hor soldiers) he was chasing and swooped down to land on the king's precious bow.

 

Unaware of these circumstances, the Great Lion King angrily said, "Truly, even in this accursed Hor land, a hawk dares to bully me like this!"

 

He drew an eagle-feathered arrow and was about to stab the hawk when the chestnut horse suddenly reared, preventing the strike. The hawk flew up into the sky. Then the chestnut horse spoke: "Ah! Thoughtless Gesar! You are truly 'fair-skinned yet devoid of wisdom, high in status yet understanding nothing'! You long for your brother daily, yet when he comes, you try to stab him with an arrow. That hawk is Bumba Gyatsa! Think of Gyatsa in life—his stature so grand it could not be concealed by the longest armor, his noble form too weighty for any steed to bear, his countenance like the full moon, his eyes like the morning star, his authority high as the heavens, his wisdom deep as the ocean. That hero who stood between heaven and earth has now been reborn as a hawk the size of a hand, dwelling in these desolate wilds where hunters roam, nesting on old walls of pema grass, seeking refuge with powerless roadside deities in such hardship. Even if you, great king, feel no pity for him, why would you try to kill him with an arrow?"

 

The horse then pawed the ground fiercely, rolled over, swished its tail incessantly, and struck its head against the wooden beam of the Bonkhang, tears as large as beans falling from its eyes, expressing boundless sorrow. Startled, the king sighed, "I am truly inferior to a horse, a mere beast!" He sighed repeatedly, then looked up into the sky. The hawk, reluctant to leave the Great Lion King yet afraid of being mistaken and killed, dared not approach, only flapping its wings in the air. Overwhelmed with grief, the Great Lion King called out: "Brother Xiega! I did not know you had been reborn as a bird. I thought only that a Hor bird had come to bully me. Please come here; let us two brothers talk in detail!"

 

Hearing this, the hawk flew down but still dared not come close, alighting on top of the Bonkhang. The Great Lion King pleaded again: "Please come here; let us two have a good talk." But the hawk kept glancing warily at the precious bow and arrows, hovering nearby.

 

The king was filled with remorse and self-reproach: His aunt had foretold he would meet his brother here, yet when the moment came, why had he not realized? As a human, he had failed to recognize his brother, while his brother, reborn as a bird, still recognized him. Had the horse not intervened in time, his brother might have perished by that very arrow. No wonder he was now wary and dared not approach! Thinking this, tears fell like dew from leaves. The hawk on the Bonkhang also brimmed with tears. The two brothers and the divine horse were all too sorrowful to speak.

 

After a while, the divine horse said: "Hero Gyatsa, the Great Lion King truly did not know you had taken the form of a hawk. Had he known, how could he have tried to stab you? Land on my back; how I wish to carry you once more!"

 

The hawk indeed landed on the horse's back and said: "If I had not become this ugly form, I would have brought you some fodder and water. But now I am a hawk, eating only the sparrows that are the reborn spirits of dead Hor soldiers—I have nothing else. And you cannot eat such foul things. There is truly no help for it. Who could have imagined I would come to such a wretched state?"

 

The divine horse Jang Gapeibu comforted him: "Better than a hundred offerings of fodder and water is the joy of meeting you today. In the past, when you, hero Gyatsa, rode me, I displayed my gait to people, and you displayed your martial prowess to enemies. Your weight was no different from the Great Lion King's; I felt your solid presence. But today you are so light on my back, lighter than a woolen saddle blanket. Who could have imagined you would become like this?" Saying this, tears streamed down.

 

The hawk replied: "Though I am on you now, I feel only sorrow and grief. My claws might cause you pain—how can this be good?" With that, it flew up and settled again on the Bonkhang.

 

Gesar said: "Brother! Please come to me. Let us speak of our parting. I swear by the Three Jewels, I will never harm you with bow and arrow again. If you do not come to your younger brother, I will suffer more than dying nine times over!" He then cast aside the bow and arrows that had made his brother uneasy.

 

The hawk urgently advised: "Younger brother, this is the main road of Hor. How can you cast aside your bow and arrows? You must keep your weapons ready at all times." As he spoke, he flew down and landed on the cushion before Gesar. He continued: "Meeting you today brings me great joy. Since being reborn as a hawk, from morning till night, I am often filled with rage, killing the sparrows that are the reborn Hor soldiers, feeding on their flesh and blood. Killing a large sparrow is like killing a great Sinba; killing a small sparrow is like killing a Hor soldier. I kill many every day, yet I cannot exterminate them all. In idle moments, I feel heavy-hearted and depressed. I wanted to return to Ling, but feared my appearance would become a laughingstock for villains, especially bringing greater sorrow to Rousa and her child, so I did not go. Later, while chasing sparrows, I met a gray eagle that had flown from Ling. I asked it for news of Ling, and it said you had not yet returned. I asked how many bird companions it had; it said it had many, but for some reason they all remained soaring above the high-walled city shimmering with rainbow light, while it had returned alone. I guessed the eagle did not recognize you, and the rainbow light over the city might be an omen of your return. From that day, I felt much happier. Especially this morning, seeing your golden helmet, I was overjoyed and landed on your precious bow, just to see your true form! How happy we were together in the past. Who would have thought that today we meet—you as a man, I as a bird, and the divine horse Jang Gapeibu—in three different forms? That the noble Great Lion King has such an ugly brother is truly sorrowful!"

 

Hearing Gyatsa's heartfelt words, Gesar could only utter "Brother..." before tears streamed down his face, choking his speech. When he calmed somewhat, he said: "Though I am a divine son who saves the people, I could not save my own brother!" He broke down weeping again. The hawk said: "In the past, when we three brothers lived in the divine city, you sat on the golden throne, and I and our younger brother Maerle sat on either side, singing joyful songs—how blissful it was. Later, when you went to Northern Yarkang, everyone saw you off with banners waving, helmet plumes fluttering, music playing, offering farewell toasts. Now you return from the north to find our homeland made wretched by the White Tent thief colluding with Chao Tong. I wish I could offer you a welcoming cup of wine, but I cannot. Had I not died, I would surely have gone to Yaze City and slain the White Tent thief with my own hands, but now it is impossible!"

 

Gesar said: "You and our brother Maerle, with unfulfilled aspirations, gave your lives for the country—what a great loss for Ling Gabu! Otherwise, we three brothers together could have severely punished Hor, and you would not have to grieve so. When I went north before, you were like a bright, full moon, guarding the sacred capital, looked up to by the tribespeople. Even far from home, knowing you were there brought me peace and warmth. But now, brother..." His tears flowed like a spring.

 

The hawk also sighed deeply: "Enough, say no more. Dwelling on this will only deepen our sorrow. Tell me in detail about subduing the Demon King Lutsan and why it took so long. I truly wish to hear."

 

Gesar, also feeling the conversation had become too sorrowful, recounted his experiences in the demon kingdom one by one. The two brothers and the chestnut horse shared many more memories, both joyful and painful, and spent the night by the Bonkhang.

 

That night, the hawk, fearing the disaster-bird Gangga Raosang might harm the king, kept vigil by his pillow until dawn. Gesar thought, if he did not eliminate this disaster-bird, his brother would live in constant fear. So he stayed there for three days.

 

Parting Vows and the Path Forward

 

On the morning of the third day, as Gesar prepared to depart, he said to the hawk: "This meeting of ours has brought boundless joy and happiness. I will surely heed your words, exterminate the Hor butchers, slay the White Tent thief with my own hands to avenge you and our fallen brothers, and leave a praiseworthy legend for the black-headed people. I hope you will not cling to this hawk's form but soon be reborn in a sacred pure land."

 

The hawk replied: "When I died, I made three fierce vows: If I cannot eat the White Tent thief's heart raw, drink a mouthful of his blood, and retrieve my helmet plume for cremation, I would rather remain a hawk forever!"

 

Gesar said: "Very well, brother. When I place a saddle on the White Tent King's neck, I will send the chestnut horse, transformed into a white egret, to bring you word. Then your wishes shall be fulfilled. Until then, please stay by the left side of the Bonkhang and do not wander far. As for destroying the White Tent King of Hor, have no doubt—it will be done."

 

With these words, he bid farewell to his brother and continued on his way. The hawk accompanied him for a long stretch of the road before turning back, filled with melancholy.

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