“Kill!”

Accompanied by battle cries, a Tartar’s blade and axe cleaved squarely through a scout’s shoulder. The force was so great that it split the man in two.

A spear thrust from behind, and the man screamed as he fell to the ground.

“Er’Dan! Go!” The older scout was already covered in blood. Seeing the youth crawling out from under a Tartar’s body ahead, he threw the leather pouch in his hand over.

The youth was also covered in blood, both his own and the Tartars’. He reached out to catch it.

By now, whether Tartars or scouts, all lay on the ground – some dead on the spot, others still gasping their last breaths.

The youth frantically went to help a nearby companion. This companion’s thigh had been struck by a blade and axe, spurting fresh blood. A flying spear was also embedded in his chest, his pupils were dilated, and though he was still convulsing, he was beyond saving.

The battle was brief but brutal. In the blink of an eye, only the two of them remained alive.

Urgent hoofbeats accompanied by howling came from the distance.

The older scout quickly scrambled up. His legs and arms clearly bore wounds.

“Quickly, into the mountains, into the mountains,” he shouted.

The horses were scattered around. The two climbed onto their mounts and galloped away.

Behind them came the sound of arrows cutting through the air.

Thud, thud – both man and horse were struck. The man pitched forward onto the horse’s back, and the horse, stimulated by the wounds, galloped even faster, soon plunging into a dense forest.

The sounds of pursuit were quickly left behind.

After an unknown amount of time, they had passed through the forest and returned to the wilderness.

The youth felt his whole body growing cold. He reached down to touch his thigh, and the dull ache became more intense.

“Er’Dan, how are you?” the older man asked weakly from beside him.

Only then did the youth see that his companion was struggling to sit up from his horse’s back, with an arrow embedded in his shoulder.

“Uncle, how are you?” he asked in panic.

“I’m fine, just took an arrow in the shoulder. What about you?” the older man asked.

His face was slightly pale, and his speech was weak.

The youth withdrew his hand from his thigh.

“I’m fine,” he said.

The older man breathed a sigh of relief.

“Then let’s hurry. We have too many wounds. If we don’t get back quickly, we’ll die from blood loss,” he said.

The youth nodded and spurred his horse fiercely again.

After running for an unknown duration, the youth felt his body growing colder and colder, his consciousness becoming more and more blurred. He lay sprawled on the horse’s back, his hand covering his leg.

That sticky, slippery feeling…

He could even feel the gap of the wound and the blood gushing out more and more violently…

A thud brought his scattered consciousness back together. Looking to the side, he saw only one horse. And the person on the horse…

The youth suddenly sat up and looked back, seeing the older man had already fallen to the ground, motionless.

“Uncle!” he cried out, turned his horse around, jumped down, and rushed over.

The older man lay motionless, his face pale, lips blue-purple, his body already cold.

The youth burst into tears.

How could he just die…

He touched the wound on his leg, and because of this movement, the blood seemed to flow even faster.

At this rate, he would die from blood loss before making it back…

He sat on the ground in bewilderment.

Dead?

All dead…

His gaze unconsciously swept over his waist. Something white…

The tourniquet…

The youth reached out and pulled it out.

This thing, could it save lives?

“…everyone watch me, use it like this…”

A man’s voice rang in his ears. Blurry scenes also appeared before his eyes, with noisy companions all around.

“…above the wound…use this stick to twist it tight…”

The youth vaguely tied it on based on his remaining impressions, then instinctively climbed onto his horse, lay on its back, and galloped across the wilderness.

“Er’Dan. Er’Dan.”

Voices, sometimes distant, sometimes near, kept ringing in his ears.

“Give him medicine…”

The choking sensation of liquid pouring in made the youth cough, and his scattered consciousness also cleared up. He slowly opened his eyes.

Still alive…

“He’s alive! Sir, he’s alive!”

Joyful shouts rose one after another, and heads big and small peered down at him.

“Er’Dan!” The officer pushed everyone aside and shouted with joy.

Alive!

The youth suddenly raised his hand, then heavily placed it on his chest.

“…battle map…” he murmured. Having said this, as if he had completed his mission, his head tilted to one side again and he fainted.

Someone took the leather pouch from his chest.

“Sir!” The man opened it, saw what was inside, and his hands trembled with excitement.

“We got it! We got it!” the officer shouted with great joy.

Amid the cheering, they didn’t forget about this scout.

“Can he still be saved?” he turned and asked.

A military physician was carefully examining the scout’s wound. He cut open the clothing, revealing the wound on the thigh.

“My heavens, it’s massive bleeding…” the military physician cried out in alarm at the width of the wound. “But, but how could this be?”

How could he not be dead? With such a wide wound, even immediate stuffing with cotton cloth wouldn’t guarantee saving his life! Not to mention this scout had run for so long…

His gaze fell on the white cloth above the wound, tightly bound with a wooden stick.

“Is this…that thing called a tourniquet?” the military physician murmured, his hands trembling with disbelief as he touched it.

Qi Yue learned about the impending battle while at the wounded soldiers’ camp.

This time, no military physician accompanied them to the wounded soldiers’ camp.

“Accompany what? Everyone’s gone to the front. This time it’s going to be a major battle,” the remaining auxiliary soldier said irritably, looking at Qi Yue and the others with an unfriendly expression. “Not like you people who have so much free time.”

These nobles watched them like monkeys for entertainment, completely useless. Even though they knew this woman’s status was not to be trifled with, the auxiliary soldiers no longer had pleasant faces.

What was there to fear?

At worst, they’d die.

Their lives were cheap as grass anyway.

Qi Yue was greatly shocked.

This was the first time Qi Yue had come to the official hall since returning to Wei City.

However, Chang Yuncheng, who learned of the news, didn’t feel surprised. He didn’t need to guess what this woman had come for.

“Perfect timing for a meal,” he said with a smile, extending his hand.

Qi Yue placed her hand in his.

The personal guards in the room were startled and hurriedly withdrew.

This time Qi Yue had come alone, not even bringing A’Ru.

“Good,” she laughed. “I don’t know how skilled the cooks here are. Let me cook personally instead.”

Chang Yuncheng smiled.

“Good,” he said, not releasing her hand but pulling her outside. “I’ll watch how you do it.”

“You can pick the vegetables,” Qi Yue laughed.

The official hall’s kitchen witnessed a rare sight today. Two cooks stood trembling outside the door, attracting curious glances from passersby.

“Old Deng, have you been kicked out of your job?”

Everyone asked with laughter.

The two cooks didn’t dare speak carelessly, mumbling and pretending not to hear, occasionally stealing glances through the door crack.

Qi Yue reached out and dabbed flour on Chang Yuncheng’s face, then burst into laughter. Before she finished laughing, Chang Yuncheng had already casually smeared black ash from the fire poker onto her face.

“Hey, this is very hard to wash off,” Qi Yue protested.

“I don’t mind if you’re ugly,” Chang Yuncheng laughed heartily.

The laughter and play didn’t affect Qi Yue’s cooking skills. Soon four dishes and a soup were served on the table.

To save trouble, they didn’t go to the dining hall specifically. They simply set up a small table in the room next to the kitchen, sitting close together to eat.

Chang Yuncheng ate happily, his chopsticks never stopping.

“Slow down,” Qi Yue said with a smile.

“I don’t dare slow down. Who knows if someone will come to steal my food,” Chang Yuncheng said.

Qi Yue paused, then remembered which incident that was.

She looked at Chang Yuncheng eating in big mouthfuls, his expression focused as if he were doing something extremely important and serious. Her heart felt both happy and bitter.

“Eat slowly. This time, if anyone dares to steal your food, I’ll beat them away,” she said seriously.

Chang Yuncheng couldn’t help but laugh, his face showing some mischief.

“Really?” he asked indistinctly.

“Of course it’s real,” Qi Yue answered.

Chang Yuncheng then shushed her and nodded his head toward the outside.

Qi Yue paused, then heard a familiar voice from outside.

“Where’s Chang Yuncheng? Have you seen him?”

Zhou Maochun asked with glaring eyes.

The two cooks timidly looked at this furious old man.

“No…” they shook their heads.

Zhou Maochun stared at them as if trying to see through their hearts and lungs.

“They said he went to eat…where’s the best restaurant around here?” he asked.

With these words, the two cooks breathed a sigh of relief, and so did Qi Yue inside the room. She also removed the hand covering Chang Yuncheng’s mouth.

Chang Yuncheng was already bent over with laughter, unable to hold his chopsticks.

“So you only know sweet words…” he laughed.

Qi Yue reached out to pinch him.

“Making fun of me, you scared me to death,” she laughed.

Chang Yuncheng laughed and held her in his arms, saying nothing, just holding her.

Qi Yue also said nothing, letting him hold her, looking at him with a smile.

The two just stayed quietly embraced for a moment like this.

“Alright, we’ve eaten and drunk our fill. We should set off now,” Chang Yuncheng patted her and said.

Qi Yue nodded and looked up at him with a smile.

“But there’s one thing,” Chang Yuncheng extended his hand again, his expression serious. “You must stay with me.”

This already surprised Qi Yue greatly. She nodded without hesitation and stood on tiptoe to kiss Chang Yuncheng’s chin.

When they saw that several carts had been added to the army formation, especially when they saw that woman, all the officers and soldiers were terrified.

“You’re crazy!” The garrison commander looked incredulous. “You’re actually letting your wife go to the battlefield!”

Before, not knowing her identity, this woman being strong-willed and unable to back down for face’s sake was understandable. But what was this about now?

“Chang Yuncheng, this is too outrageous! Playing around in daily life is one thing, but how can you still be playing at a time like this!” he shouted loudly, jumping with rage.

Chang Yuncheng sat on his horse, looking at the woman at the back of the formation still instructing her disciples about something, and smiled.

“Playing?” he looked at the garrison commander. “Have you ever seen anyone play with their life?”

The garrison commander was stunned.

“Anyone who dares go to the battlefield – which one is playing?” Chang Yuncheng’s expression was serious, his gaze sweeping over the soldiers marching at quick pace. “Commander, are you playing?”

Playing your mother’s head! The garrison commander stamped his feet.

How the hell could this be playing!

This was real!

He paused and also looked toward the woman in the direction of the supply convoy. A disciple was hanging up a large banner with the prominent character “医” (Medicine) written on it.

Once could be called acting in a fit of pique, but twice meant it was for real.

Really risking their lives?

The problem was, could this group of people who had been making a daily spectacle of acting and playing around really do it?

Lives weren’t something to play with!