The Nine Cauldrons

Yan Danchen

On the training field the next morning.

The chilly spring air hovered over the training field as numerous cavalry units huddled at the front gate. The sight of the seemingly endless sea of blackness within the cavalry battalion was like looking into a deep black pool. Many felt a suppressing aura, forcing themselves to hold their breath..

“Commander, all of my battalion’s soldiers have arrived,” said Bai Qi while wearing heavy cold-steel armor and wielding a one zhang (3.3 meters) long pitch black spear. He sat on top of his lively crimson horse, which stood taller than nine chi (2.99 meters).

(TLN: Zhang is a Chinese measurement equivalent to 3.33 meters, Chi is a Chinese measurement, about .333 meters)

“You may depart!” The silver-haired old man in a black gown, who was the first commander Lord Yi Hong, said emotionlessly.

“Depart!” Lieutenant Bai Qi ordered.

Behind him the numerous cavalries moved.

All five hundred soldiers wore high-quality heavy armors, held long spears in their hands, and sat on their black-marked horses that were each worth a thousand taels of silver.

As for the five centurion leaders, they all wore hematite heavy armors, held long spears, and sat on Green Maned Snow Horses each worth five thousand taels of silver.

Under the command of Lieutenant Bai Qi and the five centurions, five hundred soldiers of the Black Armored Army’s first and third battalions soon left Jiangning County City, following the road towards the direction of Hua Feng City.

On an official government road, approximately eighty li outside of Jiangning County City.
(TLN: li is a chinese measurement unit, about 500 meters.)

“Jia!” “Jia!” Jia!”
(TLN: Jia is the sound to order a horse move forward.)

More than ten fine horses galloped across the road, countless dust splashed.

“Grandpa! Why are we running? Could it be that deceitful man still dares to kill us in County City?” A youngster was riding on a fine horse, at the same time asking the old man beside him, that old man sighed, “Danchen, you don’t understand!” If we don’t run, our Yan family is really going to be finished!”

“Your father trusted that Wang Fang too much; not only did he fall into a huge trap, but he also gave Wang Fang dangerous information. Your dad’s business is finished! In addition, he now owes Wang Fang fifty thousand taels of silver! Fifty thousand taels of silver—even if we gave all that we have, it is still not enough! Let alone we actually don’t owe him anything, but it was this vicious wolf who took advantage of our Yan family. Now the only thing we can do is run, leaving Jiangning County and going somewhere else.”

The boy stayed silent.

He didn’t know what was going on….

Originally in Jiangning County, his family owned a wealthy business. Yan Danchen never had any problems with food or clothing ever since he was born. When he was younger, he went to Qing Hu Island and became a disciple of Qing Hu Island. He never thought that when he came home to visit this time, he would be welcomed with this incident.

His Yan family was doomed.

His dad’s business was finished, now, and the only option left was to bring all the valuables they had left and leave Jiangning County.

Originally, according to family tradition, when Yan Danchen grew up, he would return home from Qing Hu Island and start running his own businesses. On Qing Hu Island, Yan Danchen was considered a hard worker, and among a group of youngsters, he was considered pretty skilled. When Yan Danchen had nothing to do, he would imagine his life after he returned home and started his business. He would hire a few pretty maids and a few guards, and he would run his business smoothly and steadily. He would maintain his family properties and live a comfortable and peaceful life.

However, at present, his fortune was going to change.

“Father…” Yan Danchen looked at the man riding a horse in the very front from afar—that was his father Yan Xing! He was an astute businessman, but who would’ve thought that in just one tumble, the Yan family’s hard work of several generations would disappear instantly. The only thing remaining was the last little bit of valuables in the house.

Just when this youngster’s mind was still muddled from thinking of such things.

“Haha….old master Yan, where are you going in such a hurry?” Clear loud laughter was echoing in the sky, and the Yan family riding on their horses changed their facial expression.

They merely saw horses upon horses riding out from far away behind the weeds where the road splits. The first person had a head of loose long hair and his body was strong, holding a dark red long saber almost five chi (1.65m) in length. This man with loose hair laughed, “Haha, old master Yan, do you want to take your valuables and run?”

At least one hundred horse bandits suddenly appeared.

“Horse bandits!” Someone from the Yan family shouted in shock.

They only had about a dozen people, so how could they win against the hundreds of valiant horse bandits.

“Run!” The Yan family didn’t slow down, and they desperately sped up in hopes of escaping.

“Haha, our brothers have been waiting here a long time for old master Yan.” Another laughter resounded, and from the front of the fork in the small road, another crowd of one hundred horse bandits rode in.

The Yan family immediately pulled on their horses’ reins.

“Master!”

“Brother!”

Quite a bit of people looked toward the head of the Yan family, Yan Danchen’s father, Yan Xing.

There were horse bandits blocking them from the front, and horse bandits chasing them behind. What were they supposed to do?

“Brothers, please let our Yan family go; I would be most grateful! All of you brothers, how many taels of silver do you want; just say it out loud.” Yan Xing said loudly. At this stage, the only thing he could do was to use money to negotiate for their lives.

“Oh, old master Yan, how much are you willing to pay?” The horse bandits’ leader with loose long hair laughed. “We have so many brothers who have to get married and raise their kids—that all costs money.”

“Here are fifty thousand banknotes!” Yan Xing pulled out a thick stack of banknotes and said, “If your brothers spare us, you can have all of these banknotes.” The Yan family looked at those horse bandits and did not even try to fight back, considering they were extremely outnumbered.

“Tsk, tsk, so generous.”

The horse bandits’ leader smiled, “But I am a little bit greedy.”

Yan Xing bit his teeth, “Our Yan family’s valuables can all be given to you! Please let us live. Otherwise… when the bank notes are ripped, it would be worthless.” Yan Xing’s tone contained a thinly veiled threat; at worst, they could rip the bank notes, so that the horse bandits couldn’t use them either.

“Eh?” The horse bandits’ leader laughed, “Old master Yan, the gold and silver you are carrying should be all of your valuables. Actual gold and silver are of course hidden inside the house! You can ruin the bank notes, but can you ruin your gold and silver?”

Yan Xing’s facial expression changed.

Indeed, when he ran away, he put strips and strips of gold behind the last horse. These strips were all of their savings for emergencies over the generations. Of course, their valuables would not be banknotes.

“Our brothers not only want your silver taels, but we also want Master Wang’s silver taels! If we don’t kill you, how can we receive Master Wang’s silver taels? So, all of you must die!” The bandit leader laughed, “Master Wang also ordered us to bring this message to you, have a good journey!”

Yan Xing‘s face was turning purple due to anger, he mournfully yelled, “Old Wang, if I am dead, I won’t let you be happy even if I become a ghost!”

“Brothers, kill them!” The bandit leader suddenly yelled.

Suddenly, the two groups from the front and the back, numbering about two hundred horse bandits, rushed towards the group of a dozen people.

Yan Xing growled angrily, and at the same time, he pulled out his battle knife from his waist.

“Father, bring Danchen and run.” Yan Xing roared and then immediately rushed to the front.

Facing about two hundred horse bandits, how could this small group of a dozen people survive?

“Pu chi!” “Ah!”

The young men from the Yan family were killed one by one, and there were only four people remaining who had inner strength. Yan Xing, Yan Danchen, his third little brother, and his grandfather.

“Mother!” Yan Danchen mournfully yelled, as he dodged a knife from a horse bandit and stabbed the horse bandit’s throat with a sword.

His mother who didn’t have any inner strength died in the first wave of killing.

Yan Xing was like a crazy person. Even after being stabbed three times in a row, he was still killing non-stop. “Father, you must hurry and bring Danchen away!” Yan Xing persevered in creating an obstacle in front of his father and son to let them escape. After he fell for the trap, he finally realized the truth in the end. His business was all over, and he had no more regrets.

There were many times when he considered killing himself!

Yan Xing felt ashamed, and at this moment, he wasn’t afraid of death anymore. He only wanted his son to stay alive!

“Danchen, hurry up and go!” Yan Xing raged.

“Danchen, go!” Grandfather also yelled.

“Father.” Even though Yan Danchen was in the midst of suffering, nevertheless, his grandfather dragged him away. They dashed out of the crowd, filled with the flashing of knives and swords, and ran towards the west.

“Bu!” “Bu!”

A knife stabbed through Yan Xing’s chest, and another one slid directly through his neck, sending his head flying.

A shocked Yan Danchen turned around and saw that scene.

The horse bandits’ rampage only lasted a few breaths, and soon the only people left in the Yan family were Yan Danchen and his grandfather.

“Haha, want to escape?” A few horse bandits were chasing after them.

“Father, mother, uncle…” Yan Danchen, who had always lived like a prince, never thought that he would see this scene today. After taking a quick glance behind him, he saw the roaring horse bandits waving their battle knives coated in blood, riding on battle horses, and chasing after them. The horse bandits always rode on horses, so they were experienced riders, moving closer and closer in a very short period of time.

“Danchen, run!” Danchen’s Grandfather yelled. At once, he held a long knife and tried to stop the horse bandits.

“Grandfather!” Yan Danchen’s facial expression changed.

Just at this time, the ground shook drastically.

“Huh?” The horse bandits’ leader quickly turned his head around. He saw a majestic black current behind him rushing over from far away. Everyone was wearing heavy black armor, including the battle horses. Every battle horse was eight chi tall, and every cavalryman was holding a long spear.

Their terrifying speed made them look like a growling steel flood!

“Black Armored Army!!!” The bandit leader’s facial expression changed, “Separate, brothers, separate!!!”

However, quite a few horse bandits didn’t realize the Black Armored Army that was still originally a hundred zhangs away could rush over in just a few breaths. The majestic Black Armored Army didn’t slow down even for a moment, as if they were crushing ants. They rushed into the forefront of the horse bandits and killed them. The occasionally shining light from the long spears took countless amount of lives.

“This…” Yan Danchen looked at the terrifying army in shock.

“The Black Armored Army; it’s the Black Armored Army.” However, Yan Danchen’s grandfather was happy, and right after that, he changed his facial expression. “Danchen, hurry up and get out of the way.” During the Black Armored Army charge, it would not be a surprise if they got killed along the way.

But it was too late!

The Black Armored Army’s speed was too fast.

From crushing the horse bandits to rushing beside Yan Danchen and his grandfather, it took less than one breath.

“Hu!” A long, black spear whistled through the air.

Yan Danchen and his grandfather were completely shocked by the tense majestic aura the Black Armored Army was emitting; they didn’t even have the will to fight back. Under such pressure, as if the sky was falling down on them, when the Black Armored Army rushed in and killed, even warriors wouldn’t have the will to fight back.

“Peng!” A long spear suddenly turned and shook twice in front of Yan Danchen and the old man. Yan Danchen and his grandfather were blasted away into the field away from the battle.

“I, I am not dead?” Yan Danchen blanked out for a little while, as did his grandfather.

A lancer from the Black Armored Army wore a dark red heavy armor. He pulled up on his reins while holding his long spear and stopped beside them.

Yan Danchen stared at the lancer blankly, remembering that he was the one who had used his spear to blast them away, saving them.

“You two, hurry and go. Don’t let those lucky survivors of the horse bandits kill you.” The lancer smiled lightly.

“Brother Qingshan, what nonsense are you telling them, hurry up!” Another lancer wearing a dark red heavy armor yelled.

“Jia!”

At once, the lancer speaking to them was on his horse and left quickly.

The grandfather looked at the departing Black Armored Army and sighed. “We are so lucky. Danchen, that is the Gui Yan Sect’s Black Armored Army! If the Black Armored Army run into normal people while hurrying on their journey, they will slow down and not harm anyone. However, once they see bandits or horse bandits that kill and take valuables from people, they will kill them all to practice before a real battle.”

While looking back, he saw some lucky, pallid survivors of the horse bandits far away, “Danchen, let’s hurry up and leave.”

“Brother Qingshan? Qingshan? Black Armored Army?” Yan Danchen murmured. Immediately afterwards, at his grandfather’s urging, he mounted the battle horse, which escaped into the field beside him, and quickly ran away following his grandfather.