Chapter 34: End and Beginning In the dead of winter, it snowed heavily. Ouyang Lie walked quickly through the manor in the wind and snow. Although he was wearing thin clothes, he did not feel cold at all. Thanks to his second brother, he is now in good health, but his father has fallen ill. After entering the main house, Ouyang Lie slowed down his pace and tiptoed to the door of his father's bedroom. He stopped two maids who wanted to come forward to greet him. Just as he was about to go in, he heard his father's slightly weak voice coming from the room. "...My family has nothing to do with Ouyang Xiu, we just share the surname Ouyang. The family business in Baituo Mountain was built by me and my brothers, fighting with swords and guns, but it has nothing to do with the surname Ouyang. When you and the eldest brother compile the family tree in the future, there is no need to rely on Ouyang Xiu..." "Feng'er, you were born with me in mind, you are strong, domineering and ruthless, which is good. In the Western Regions, if you don't want to be dependent on others, you have to be ruthless and strong. But your elder brother is like your mother, he is too gentle and soft. I hope you can give in to your elder brother a little in the future. You know, brothers are united, their strength is strong. You are indeed brave and invincible, but your elder brother is more talented in business than your father. He can take care of the rear for you, so you can gallop freely without worry..." "In my life, I have traveled across the desert, killed countless people, started from scratch, and built a huge family business. All these things are enough to make me happy. But you and Lie'er are my greatest pride in my life... Logically, I should be satisfied with my life, but there is still one regret... Although Lie'er is married, I don't have a grandson, nor do I see you get married..." "Feng'er...you must protect the Ouyang family and expand its branches and leaves..." My father talked a lot. Ouyang Lie stood at the door, listening quietly to his father talking to his second brother in the room, and occasionally heard Ouyang Feng respond.
After a while, his father's voice gradually stopped. Ouyang Lie's heart tightened. Just as he was about to go in, he saw Ouyang Feng walking out silently. Ouyang Lie looked worried and asked in a low voice, "Father?" "He's asleep." Ouyang Feng instructed the maid at the door, "Listen carefully to what the old man says." After that, he said to Ouyang Lie: "Brother, let's go out and talk." Under the eaves of the main house. The two brothers stood side by side in front of the porch, looking at the heavy snow falling outside. After a moment of silence, Ouyang Lie asked, "Father's illness..." Ouyang Feng shook his head. "Father is not actually ill. He is just... about to die." The life span is coming to an end... Ouyang Lie looked dazed for a moment, and murmured: "How could this be? He was apparently quite energetic in autumn, still able to eat large chunks of meat and drink large bowls of wine, and often took his old brothers on horseback hunting... Besides, hasn't father already mastered the second level of the Dragon Elephant Prajna Sutra?" Ouyang Feng said softly: "Father has not had any health problems until now. But... maybe he worked too hard when he was young and consumed too much energy. Even if he has cultivated the second level of the Dragon Elephant Prajna Sutra, it can only keep him healthy, but it can't increase his lifespan." Ouyang Lie was distracted again. Yes, my father had a very hard time when he was young. At the age of fourteen, he traveled alone from the Central Plains to the Western Regions on horseback. After fighting for more than ten years, he gathered seventy wolf riders. After occupying Baituo Mountain, there were constant fighting in the first ten years. We defeated one group of caravans after another that wanted to seize Baituo Mountain. It was not until twenty years ago, when my father was over 40, that things gradually settled down. Nowadays, how many people don’t even live past the age of 40? Most of my father's old brothers have passed away now, and many of them did not live past the age of forty. My father had spent half his life galloping across the desert, riding horses and fighting, with countless scars all over his body. To be able to live to this age and die of natural causes is already considered... Ouyang Lie took a deep breath and looked at Ouyang Feng with hope in his eyes, "Second brother, do you have the pill that cured my chronic illness?"
"No more." Ouyang Feng shook his head and sighed, "Even if there is, I'm afraid it can't cure father. That medicine can only heal injuries and cure diseases, but it can't prolong life." This year's one drop of precious dew has cured my eldest brother's illness. The next drop will have to wait until next autumn. Furthermore, the therapeutic effect of "Zhenlin Ganlu" is limited to curing serious injuries and terminal illnesses of mortals. But my father’s illness is not terminal, he is just dying and his life is coming to an end. Although the precious nectar is good, it cannot prolong life. Ouyang Lie thought Ouyang Feng was comforting him, his eyes were full of self-blame, "If I hadn't taken that pill..." "If you hadn't taken the pill, you wouldn't have survived this winter, and you might have died before your father." Ouyang Feng looked at Ouyang Lie and said slowly, "I think your father would never want to see his son die before him." With the comfort of his second brother, Ouyang Lie felt better, although the self-blame in his heart was not completely gone. He looked at his second brother, who was already half a head taller than him, and asked: "How much time do you have, father?" Ouyang Feng was silent for a while, then said sadly: "At most half a month. If it's fast, maybe in these few days." After a pause, he said to Ouyang Lie: "My father regrets not having a grandson." Ouyang Lie smiled bitterly: "I got married too late. If I had gotten married a year earlier, maybe..." Ouyang Feng asked, "Is sister-in-law pregnant?" "My health has just improved in autumn, so..." Ouyang Lie shook his head helplessly. "Try your best." Ouyang Feng said softly, "If it's really too late, you can lie to your father if necessary. I don't want him to leave with regrets." Ouyang Lie nodded silently. Ten days later. Another snowy night. The old owner, who had been bedridden for nearly a month and was becoming increasingly thin and haggard despite having no symptoms, suddenly became energetic and his face was rosy. He got up from the bed, put on a neat riding suit, picked up the old knife with a patina on the handle, went to the courtyard, and danced with the long knife in the snow with a cloak on. Ma Yue's father Ma Tie, Dong Yun's father Dong Fang and other old Wolf Rider brothers all came and gathered on the sidelines to watch him dance with the sword, cheering. "Good job, big brother! Your skills are still as good as ever!" "Ha, many horse gangs have threatened before that old thief Ouyang hasn't taken action in person for more than ten or twenty years. He is probably too old to lift a knife. We should let those guys take a good look at the wolf rider leader, who is still strong and healthy!" "Haha, those idiots who dared to say such things would have been chopped to pieces by the Second Young Master a long time ago. The Second Young Master is even more powerful than the eldest brother was back then. He has the names of White-robed Shura, Blood-handed Yaksha, and Western Dragon King, each one of them is more famous than the last!" "That's right, big brother has a successor! The Wolf Riders are even more powerful! Our White Camel Villa... each generation is stronger than the last!" The old owner laughed and scolded: "You old fellows, your skills haven't improved, but your tongue has become more and more eloquent as you age! Why haven't I seen you so eloquent before?" After saying this, he looked at his old brothers and laughed. Ouyang Feng, Ouyang Lie, and Li Mingyue were also watching quietly from the sidelines.
Seeing the old owner laughing happily, Ouyang Feng gave Ouyang Lie a look, and Ouyang Lie hurried forward and bowed: "Father, I have a great news to share with you." The old owner asked, "Happy event? What happy event?" Ouyang Lie took a deep breath and said: "Father, Mingyueer has been diagnosed with pregnancy." "What?" The old owner was really delighted and looked at Li Mingyue: "Is this true?" Li Mingyue lowered her head and responded softly, seeming shy and timid. The old owner laughed loudly, "Great, great! My Ouyang family is finally going to have branches and leaves!" Ouyang Lie bowed again and said, "I beg you, father, to give me a good name." "Name it? It's my turn to name it!" Lao Zhuang pondered for a while and said with a smile: "Got it! My Ouyang family is famous for its martial arts. If it's a boy, he will be named 'Ouyang Ke'. Ke means invincible in battle and unstoppable in attack! If it's a girl..." For a long while, the old owner did not mention his successor. When everyone looked carefully, they saw the old owner standing in the snow, leaning on a sword, his hair and beard fluttering in the wind, a smile on his face, but he was no longer alive. …… Next autumn. The grass is growing and the eagles are flying; the autumn is high and the horses are fat; the three hundred new wolf riders who have been trained for a year have finally been formed. Ouyang Feng led 220 generation wolf riders and 300 new wolf riders, a total of 500 cavalrymen, each with three horses. They hid during the day and moved out at night and attacked Gaochang Royal City directly. They marched a thousand miles in five days and appeared outside Gaochang City on the morning of the sixth day like a god descending from the sky. Before the laxly guarded city gate guards could react, Ouyang Feng took the lead and rushed into Gaochang City on horseback. With the help of insiders in the city, five hundred wolf riders captured the city in one battle. The Gaochang royal city thus changed hands. (End of this chapter)