书城传记聆听史诗丛书-格萨尔王传:英文
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第55章 Ling Brings an Army...(2)

With Heavenly music and fragrance permeating every corner, the cloud descended slowly. Riding a white horse and wearing his armour, bright and shiny as silver, Chatsa Shigar looked more handsome than before. Then he dismounted and walked to the tent slowly.

King Gesar and his generals were delighted and cheerful. They all came out of the tent to welcome Chatsa Shigar. When they entered the tent, they asked Chatsa Shigar to sit on the silver seat prepared for him. Gesar’s generals came forward and offered their hada scarves to Chatsa Shigar in greeting.

When everyone was seated, Dainma, holding nine red and white hada scarves in both hands, came in front of Chatsa Shigar with great respect, and said:

“My revered Chatsa Shigar, we will be sure of defeating Chayo because we meet you here in King Gesar’s tent.”

Hearing what Dainma said, Chatsa Shigar looked pleased and said:

“Dear Dainma and you other heroes, I give you my best wishes. Today, I am happy to meet you on earth. When I heard that the State of Ling was ready to conquer Chayo, I decided I would try to help you.”

On hearing this, King Gesar and his generals were all very happy. Prince Zhalha offered his hada scarf to his father, and sat near him to enjoy his father’s love. Chatsa was pleased to see his son grown up and with a dignified appearance. However, they had no time to have a chat with each other. Chatsa Shigar suggested the countermeasures to defeat Chayo. Everyone got it and remembered.

The Ling army began its march against Chayo. After three months and ten days, they arrived at the sea. Monsters in the sea including the devil dragons, fish, turtles, dolphins and seals stirred up trouble, and the sea was immediately covered by a poisonous fog. Gesar ordered the use of the flying boat made by Myino and Wolang. Prince Wolang chanted prayers and the boat became larger enough for the Ling troops to board. Prince Wolang prayed again and the boat flew across the sea.

After 20 days, the boat flew near to the Long City Wall. The Ling troops disembarked and set up camps. While Gesar prayed together with ten other sorcerers. The Long City Wall of the Chayo State, with nine layers, was destroyed at once. Riding his Heavenly horse, Gesar fought among the towering mountains and high ridges. The Ling troops followed Gesar closely. Suddenly, the road ahead was fogged in. Gesar rushed into the fog alone but he fell from his horse and fainted. Gyaingar Pebo neighed to call the deities for help.

When Gesar came round, he found that everything around him including the flowers, trees, grasses, snakes, birds, fish and insects was oozing venom. Smelling a stranger’s odour, they began to move closer to Gesar. Gesar petted all those little creatures kindly. His kindness helped them to hold their venom and very quickly they began to respect Gesar. Then Gesar prayed to Heaven. It rained immediately and cleaned the air and the environment. The poisonous water became drinkable, the poisonous trees became fruit trees, and the flowers and grasses became sweet smelling herbs. The fragrance filled the air far and near.

The Ling army passed the miasma area and reached a place where Ngachi Gocho, a female Raksasa demon, was stationed. She ordered other demons to block the Ling troops on the road.

Four Ling demon generals, including Lhunla Chodain and Pentri Tritsang, all fired together and dozens of demons were killed. When Ngachi Gocho saw this, she stretched out her left hand and put the four generals and their horses into an iron box.

As the female demon rushed here and there with a strong momentum, Gesar changed into innumerable divine troops to cope with the attack. The demons withdrew and returned to their castle. Gesar immediately asked Zhaotoin and four generals, who were good at divine magic power, to launch a counter-attack.

The four generals approached the demon castle swiftly. They turned into 100 warriors with a valiant and bright look and then encircled the castle. And Zhaotoin changed magically into a child walking into the castle.

While Ngachi Gocho and the other demons were discussing how to punish the four Ling generals they had captured, they suddenly saw a child. The female demon became so excited that she shouted out loud.

Several other demons saw the child too. They leaped up to catch him. With a sudden change the child turned into a giant, towering into the sky. The giant threw a burning Diamond Club at the demons. Some of the demons who fled died slowly from burning, and the rest who fled out of the castle were killed by the warriors outside.

The horrible scene shocked Ngachi Gocho, the female Raksa demon, so deeply that she knelt down and begged the giant to spare her life. The giant ordered her to free the captured Ling generals and she opened the iron box. Then she knelt down again and asked the giant for forgiveness.

Zhaotoin accepted Ngachi Gocho’s submission and renamed her as Dorie Yongzoin, appointing her as one of the Good Buddhist Guardians.

Zhaotoin and his four senior generals returned to the Ling camp proudly. Gesar gladly rewarded them, and the Ling troops proceeded to march again.

After a nine-day trip, the Ling troops came to a marshy grassland. Ngada Namo, Chonggyi Shigar and Chana Namka Lhunseng went to scout the marshy grassland, where they found five wild oxen eating grass. Ngada Namo realized that these were devil oxen belonging to the Chayo King and his four ministers. The three scouts shot dozens of ordinary arrows at the devil oxen but they failed to injure them. The oxen roared and rushed toward the Ling troops. Many soldiers and generals were knocked down and some were injured or killed.

While Ngada Namo was praying quietly to Mars and the Dragon King, she took an iron arrow from her quiver and shot it with all her strength. The arrow struck the forehead of a devil ox but nothing happened. The howling ox ran like a mad bull at Ngada Namo. At the same time, Ngada Namo fired another shot. The second iron arrow entered the ox’s heart and the ox dropped dead. The other warriors followed suit, and fired iron arrows and killed the rest of the devil oxen.