pre-knowledge: 1. Jiu Zhou(九州）means nine states. it's the name of this continent.
2. Try to imagine the map of China. In the long history of China, the war between Tribes from the north like Hun， Turks etc. and Empires living in the Middle of the continent continued for centuries.
3. In this story, there would be elves, magic,prophesy.... but somehow in a chinese way.
4. About 14 years ago，some writers got together. they hoped to create an fantasy world from ancient stories in chinese history. And maybe one day we could have a movie like the lord of the ring, or like the song of ice and fire.That's how the" world "Jiu Zhou come.
I followed Jiuzhou for a long time, of course along with different novels. This one is one of the best.
Like the writers slogan: we are a drop of water from the sea, one day thousands of them will become a sea.
So enjoy the Drama! May the iron armour stand!(from the novel)
Dynasty Duan, Yongning 15 ，June.Han Zhou （when a new emperor ascend the throne,he would give a name of this year like "Yongning" 15 means 15 years from the day he took the throne, Han Zhou a state's name ）
Where the hell does this idiot come from?
How doesn't he know the thirstier you are, the slower you can drink
The North of Han Zhou. Tribe Shuo Feng.
Mother, I've found someone.
He's not from our steppes of Han Zhou, He brings misfortune.
Mother,that's why I need him.
He'll bring me the news from outside.
There are nine different states in this world. They can't be all the steppes.
I want to know how the place looks like,where I haven't been, and how the people there live.
Shuofeng (Family name) Heye(name), you are 13 years old now.
You should remember that every moment, you are the future Master of the Tribe Shuofeng
Your responsibility is to lead our people to find the good meadow.
Then you will merry a strong woman as your wife,
so that our blood and flesh of the Tribe Shuofeng will continue.
Do you have it in your mind?
But Father says, one born in a open wild place should have a big heart
and a long term sight.
fetch me the salt.
Mother, there's a litte salt in the last bag in the tribe this year
Before night, feed him water four more times.
not more than half of a bowl.
then I'm allowed to keep him?
only if your father say yes.
Shuofeng Da-- Father of Shuofeng Heye
Master
You hunt more and more often recently.
But the prey taken back is less and less
If it goes on, It will not last long
until people starving to death.
The horses are too old.
Even I shot a deer,
I couldn't catch up it,
watching it running to...
what did you say?
Anything happened these days?
what did you just say?
Have you been THERE?
Please tell me the truth, don't make me worry.
I haven't been there.
Man on the steppes will not lie to his wife
Yes
I have been there.
But nothing happened,
I ride there nearby,
saw those black trees.
Please,..don't say it any more.
Never disturb those things again.
Rest assured,
I will never go there.
You know,
The weather became more and more abnormal this ten years.
It snows in June
the grass nearly stop growing.
Animals are all gone.
I only want to try my luck
If I could take any chance...
but I've never thought about
that even animals would not go there
don't say that any more, please...
I can't bear to listen.
Let's kill sheep.
Kill the sheep?
But the court asks for the sheep
Rules say, we have to pay tribute for East Continent each year,
1000 sheep, 500 oxen，and all the strong healthy horses.
Many died last year because of starvation.
We are far more out of number. How can we kill the sheep?
If we don't pay the tribute, we will be charged with rebellion,
The punishment will be genocide.
I'm Shuofeng Heye, what's your name?
I... I...
I'm Zhu(Family name) A Qi(Seven, nomally means the seventh son of Zhu family)---- fortune teller monk
I found you, you will be my slave.
I'm the son of the master of the Tribe Shuofeng on the North Continent.
you should be very proud for being my slave.
How far away from black forest?
7 days on horse
without a horse...
that's the distance of a life.
you'll never reach the water source
before you die of thirst.
well, never mind
the moment you decide to go there.
you have been a dead man.
The Nine states will be destroyed.
everyone will die.
I saw tears in everyone's eyes.
must go into the black forest.
must go to the black forest and find that person, must go to...
Father ,I'd like to have this man as my slave.
he can tell stories.
too skinny, he can't do the heavy work.
We won't feed the incompetents,toss him away.
Be quick, my father wants to see what you can
Doom
began at the night of Jun 19th,
Yongning 2 years
At that night
The royal capital city of Tian Qi, the Emperor of Great Duan
got his sixth son.
Muyun (Family Name) Sheng(Name)
Your come from the city of Tian Qi?
The Emperor tried very hard to hide
the secret of his son's birth.
But from that day on,
The winter comes earlier and earlier every year in Han Zhou.
in the south Yue Zhou
the heavy rainstorm caused a disaster
It happened an earthquake along the sea shore, then an isle rose
The sea quake swept counties and states on the coast.
2 counties in the east
thousands of villages became desolation.
The refugees were everywhere, and starvation spread on the Nine States
What kind of secret on earth ?
Mother of Muyun Sheng
is not only a Mei...(try to understand creature between ghost and elf)
Cut this man's tongue!
throw him away, we've never seen him.
...but the family Muru(another noble house)
hid a even more bigger secret.
I will kill you!!!
Things family Muru lost 300 years ago,
will be taken back
by the young master just born.
--Run! -Get out of my way!
Will you kill all the people in your tribe?
Disaster! The iron army of Muru is coming.
Close the door, hurry!
He's mine!
The great iron army of Muru,
he's not taller than horse's back...
you can't go,you can't go!
Father...--no, you can't
youcan't go
What has this man said ?
He was unconscious,
never opened his mouth.
The God Pan Da is watching over me
I will never lie to the master of steppe.
Father
it is said,
that sword can't take away your life.
then try to burn me to death.
One day you all will envy my......
my way of death!!!!!
you will die 100 times more miserable than I.
The Nine States will be destroyed.
All, all of the people will...
The tribe Shuofeng harbor an escaped convict
the punishment will be confiscation of your ancestral property。
They took away our sheep an oxens.
We will all die.
The God of destroy is coming,
the Tribe Shuofeng will extermination.
It's you, it's you,
you brought the misfortune
Shuofeng Heye
Never do anything in vain.
I'll seize our sheep back.
You will get our sheep back?
You don't even have a horse, how could you seize things
from the most ferocious calvalry of Duan Empire.
I can risk my life.
Risk your life?
If you die, can the sheep even come back?
Go!
Kua Fu lived in the cold and barren Shang Zhou since ancient time.
(Kua Fu,in ancient story, they were giants, who never stopped chasing sun until their last breath)
But they've never given up finding more fertile habitat。
300 years ago,
the strongest troop among Kua Fu
bilt an altar.
They were up to invade territory of Human.
Our ancestor swore to protect our land
with their lives.
Every man taller than horse's back went to fight the war.
Here.... is the battle field.
We wan?
Right.
Ancestors killed every Giant intruding our land,
took Han Zhou back.
The honor of the North Continent was spread
on the Nine States Continent.
But because they risked their lives,
most of the elite army died on the battle field.
Not for long,
they were smashed by
the league of Household Muyun and Household Muru,
became 8 Tribes.
The 8 Tribes
stand for not only 8 different family names,
but different armed services.
Army?
My father once told me
8 Tribes
once united and fight the enemies.
Longge were archers,
Shuofeng and Helan were Cavalry,
Kusu were infantry.
Suqin were Engineers,
Danyao were Mystics,
Heshu understood horse whisper,they were horse trainers.
Suoda traded,
and managed money and food.
As time goes by unknowingly，
when men from 8 Tribes
met outside their own land,
they tend to kill each other.
Each Tribe has been feuding with another for many generations.
They even don't connect with each other.
In fact, our ancestor
considered to unite the 8 Tribes.
but they failed, were driven by other Tribes from
the Mid Han Zhou till the North Hanzhou.
It's suffering here.
Shuofeng
was once a name terrifying its enemies.
now.....
We are the last ones left.
In my lifetime,
if I can't
rebuild the name of Shuofeng
and the glory of the North Continent,
you will take the burden over.
Remember,
never give up your life easily.
This is the Bird called Shuofang
They'll fly back.
(The bird Shuofang was born on the steppes,they don't have legs, begin to fly over the world right after its birth. They float in the sky when they sleep. Its mission is to find a new homeland for barbarians, but only one of a million can find new land, others exhaust their lives and fail. If Shuo Fang prejudices its death, they will fly back home.Where they fall down, was the first home of barbarians, called "Shuofang Yuan" the steppes of Shuofang.)
Danzhu,cook all the food we have
let people eat up.
Even a drop of milk won't be left.
In 3 days the troops of royal court
will come for our tribute sheep.
What we can offer
are bones and shit of the sheep
and
the corpse, who would not ride to south with me.
Master,
Where are we going?
We are going to the middle part of Han Zhou.
the north of Steppe Shuofang
the source of River Huta
There's a valley
where sun shines during all the year.
It rains from June to September,
snows from December to February.
The wind blows in October.
There are fruit trees and bushes on the hillside.
There are black fertile soil in the valley.
You can hunt,
you can grow crops，pasture
you will then not need to bear the hardship for migrating
We WILL GO THERE!
If this place is so wonderful,
how can it be left to us?
No, it's not left to us.
It's the territory of Suqin Liefeng.
Suqin Liefeng?
He mines for the people of East Continent, produces iron items.
We will seize Suqin Liefeng's land?
not seize
but take back
That's our ancestors' land,
Home of Shuofeng
it belongs to us.
the drunk one live, the sober one die
The drunk one live as a slave
The sober one die as a warrior.
Anyone is willingly to be a slave, go ahead , drink.
May the dead follow me.
Master, willing to be on your side!
Grandpa, this tattoo is for the dead.
why do you paint it on your face? (boy's name Sa Tan)
Grandpa is old,
can't walk any more.
Father...
Brother
Master
Father, it's so unfair for one mauled by many..
This family from Tribe Helan last such a long time
they do have something.
but why they don't stay with their own tribe?
Maybe we can help them?
No,
we sit and watch.
when they settle，we can rush over, grab something.
it will save our strength.
How can we do this!
That's the rule of God Pan Da.(God of Barbarians, wolf's head, bear's back. sun is in one eye, moon in another,eagle's wings,yak's hooves.）
Only strong ones live,
the weak can't waste the resources on the North Continent.
However, strong or weak is not absolute
only one thing can make weak strong.
What is it ?
Fear
Master,
where are you going?
to stretch my arms and legs.
I'm Helan Dao(knife),leader of the Tribe Helan,
who are you? (Names from left to right: Helan Tieduo--iron flower, Helan Dao,Helan Tieyuan--iron wheel)
Shuofeng Da from the Tribe Shuofeng
From now on, our tribes are brothers.
Brother Shuofeng you win again.
we compete all the way for about a months,
you always win.
Maybe you misread the position?
Brother, admit it, you lose. that's shame.
Brother Shuofeng
-can you teach me to shoot arrows? -gladly
I’m no match for you in shooting arrows, let's wrestling.
Come on, brother.
come here...let's have a fight.
wait for me
Father,
we've found a camp.
Where
over there.
They've drunk.
we wait.
Until?
Dawn
with alcohol, they will sleep soundly by then.
Shuofeng Heye
Do you still remember the story of Kua Fu?
that's the battle-axe made of the Kua Fu's leg bone。
I hope you will lead our Tribe to that kind of life.
South of Han Zhou, Tribe Suqin
Zi Yan
stay here,
no one can be let out.
Father,
Suqin Ziyan