[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-shao-song":3,"chapter-shao-song-shao-song-chapter-466":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Shao Song",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1558632,2024,"Chapter 466: Doujin 17: Commander Bei on the Balloon — He Who Seldom Speaks","shao-song-chapter-466",466,"\u003Cp>Doujin 17: Commander Bei on the Balloon — He Who Seldom Speaks\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many years later, standing on the Great Song Imperial Army Air Corps balloon test field, Commander Bei Yan could always recall that distant afternoon when Marshal Yue conquered Yuancheng. At that time, thunderous booms shook the ground beneath Yuancheng's walls, the battlefield was shrouded in rolling dust and smoke, mountains collapsed and the earth sank, and Bei Yan, carried by the howling north wind, soared toward the azure sky in his hot-air balloon, as if about to melt into that expanse of blue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Balloon Battalion Commander Bei Yan stared blankly downward. His ears were ringing, and he could hear no other sound, yet the entire battlefield lay spread before his eyes. The northern city wall of Yuancheng, at the southernmost edge, had completely collapsed; most of Yuancheng was veiled in seven or eight white clouds, appearing and disappearing. In the Great Song army camp, countless soldiers and civilians moved from chaos to order. After some time, starting from the south side of the main camp, a flood-like torrent flowed toward Yuancheng. Beneath Commander Bei's feet was an earthen mound the Jin army had piled up. One side of the mound had partially collapsed, and men and horses were tumbling about on it. Commander Bei recognized the Five-Colors Sun-Cupping Banner on the mound's surface and couldn't help thinking that the Jin Prince Wei was probably among that disorderly crowd of Jin generals—wondering if he was the unlucky one who had fallen from his horse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, the Jin army camp below was nearly in full mutiny, while Commander Bei's balloon, seized by the strong winter wind, flew northward. As for Commander Bei himself, he was like a wooden carving or a clay statue—he could hear nothing, could make no sound, and could not even move his body. He could only watch helplessly as the ground grew farther and farther away, the people on the ground growing smaller and smaller, like ants, until even the ants became indistinguishable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After an unknown length of time, Commander Bei slowly came back to his senses. His ears had stopped ringing. Standing high in the sky, he thought, \"Could this be a thousand zhang high?\" The hot-air balloon drifted slowly through the sky. Commander Bei steadied his mind, looked at the sandbags and bundled charcoal and firewood piled in the wicker basket beneath his feet, then glanced around. Clouds and mist swirled about; his balloon had already drifted to some unknown place. \"This time, truly deep in the clouds, I know not where I am.\" Even so, Bei Yan did not linger on the surrounding scenery. He took the safety rope that the balloon battalion soldiers routinely tied around their waists before ascending to prevent falling, tied another dead knot, and fastened it even tighter. Then he began to control the fire, letting the balloon descend at an extremely slow pace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After an unknown time, suddenly a thunderclap roared in the high sky. Commander Bei's ears rang again, and he was startled into stepping back. Because a long rope was tied around his waist, his foot landed right on the rope, and the rope tripped him, flipping him out of the basket. He hung suspended from the hot-air balloon. At that moment, the thick fog before him was blown away by the wind, revealing a mass of dark clouds not far above. Silver serpents danced wildly among them, and the ink-dyed clouds rolled and churned without cease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Commander Bei hung in the air, thinking: \"If this balloon drifts under those dark clouds, once it rains, the fire will be extinguished...\" He looked down at the sky below. \"Though this height may not be a thousand zhang, it is still several hundred zhang. Today I'm afraid I'll be smashed into meat paste, my bones and body lost without a trace.\" He couldn't help crying out, \"My life is over!\" In his terror, he actually fainted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After an unknown time, Bei Yan slowly woke. \"I'm still alive? It didn't rain after all? Hahaha...\" After a long shout, Commander Bei observed his surroundings. Under the glow of the setting sun, his balloon was still flying in the sky, though it seemed to be descending somewhat quickly. It was less than a hundred zhang from the ground, and he could already see the land. He could faintly make out a squad of riders in Jin armor not far away, chasing after him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Jin!\" Bei Yan was fully awake. With tremendous effort, he climbed back up the rope and tumbled into the basket. The hot-air balloon was now descending faster and faster. Bei Yan quickly threw the firewood and charcoal into the fire, which was already burning low, and tossed out the sandbags. Only then did he manage to halt the descent barely twenty zhang above the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bei Yan then leaned out and looked down at the twenty Jin riders on the ground. \"These damned Jin!\" Carried by the north wind, he could even hear the Jin soldiers' curses. They must have seen the tiger design on the balloon and known it was a Great Song balloon. A few Jin soldiers even drew their bows and crossbows and shot at the balloon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fortunately, these beasts can't fly,\" Bei Yan thought. \"At least that's something.\" Then he saw a mountain range stretching across his path ahead. \"Not good! I'm already exhausted. If I crash into the mountainside now, I'll probably be captured by the Jin.\" As if hearing Commander Bei's thoughts, the Jin riders also sped up. Bei Yan could even imagine their triumphant sneers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I need to fly higher and get over it!\" Looking at the few remaining pieces of firewood in the basket—the sandbags were all thrown out, and his helmet had flown off somewhere—Commander Bei stripped off his armor and threw it down. But the balloon only rose slowly. It was clear he wouldn't make it over. Finally, the balloon gradually deflated and landed not far from the mountaintop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the mountain, Commander Bei, lying in the balloon, looked out at the dead wood ignited by the remaining charcoal embers. The crackling sound of the burning mingled with the hissing of green branches catching fire. Vines, leaves—all the vibrant plants were scorched and curled up in the all-consuming blaze. Before his eyes was a sea of fire. In the flames, the surfaces of large trees were charred black, and the burnt branches became glowing hot coals. He realized he was surrounded by this ring of fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bei Yan immediately scrambled up and pulled out a dagger he carried with him. This dagger was originally one of the tools he used when he worked as a tattoo artist; he usually kept it on him as a memento. Now he used it to cut the ropes and slice the balloon fabric, which had some fire-resistant properties, and it worked quite smoothly. Quickly cutting off a piece of cloth barely enough to wrap himself, Bei Yan used his last ounce of strength to dash toward a cave he had spotted not far away...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This blaze shot up into the sky, reddening the night that had already darkened. Not far down the mountain, the twenty Jin riders stopped, preparing to return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Not sure how high or fast the hot-air balloons the Great Song made could fly; all details are approximate.\u003C\u002Fp>",1230,"2026-06-06T07:46:32.508Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","280a7211eb04436caed4ff4c2058afa18cc0c060dc8b1e0a12f3a5b2d9f90fcf","shao-song-chapter-467","shao-song-chapter-465",489,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fshao-song-cover.jpg"]