Dahuang Calendar Year 372, Fifth Day of the Ninth Month

Armies besieged the city.

Square formations stretched in a line in the distance from Dige’s gray city walls, the cold gleam of weapons and armor reflecting against the black waves churning in the moat.

Under the bright red banner of the Horizontal Halberd Army, Jing Hengbo shaded her eyes with her hand, facing the morning sun as she looked at the three flagpoles on the city wall.

The three flags of Dige.

In the center, the golden phoenix flag belonging to the founding Empress still flew as before, fluttering at the city’s head. The golden phoenix soared in mid-air on the banner, its black phoenix eyes gazing down at Dahuang with cold mockery.

On the left, the blood-red current Queen’s flag appeared very worn compared to the golden phoenix flag, and this wear had a reason—it had never been replaced.

It was still the original banner, the one she had slashed with a great X. Indeed, it had received no repairs whatsoever. The strong winds atop the city, frost, snow, and hail had made that tear even larger. From a distance, it looked like several torn black mouths sneering coldly in the sky.

All Horizontal Halberd Army warriors looked up solemnly, staring at that flag in disbelief.

The legend of when the Queen was exiled and angrily slashed the Dige flag beneath the city had long spread throughout Dahuang. Many soldiers of the Horizontal Halberd Army had heard of it, so they all had blood-boiling expectations for attacking Dige. Privately, they had also discussed whether, when they truly set foot in Dige and faced the iron walls directly, they could still see that flag marked with an X that had humiliated all of Dige.

No one held hope, including Jing Hengbo herself. Dige’s rulers would not allow such a humiliating flag to continue flying at Dahuang’s political center, would not allow a fallen queen’s oath to continue casting shadows over the heads of Dige’s people through a single banner.

Yet today beneath Dige city, they saw it again.

The moment they saw that tattered flag, everyone’s blood seemed to ignite—two years ago that woman had risked her life to make her voice heard beneath the city, and two years later she finally led her army back, using enemy sinews as thread and spears as needles to mend the Queen’s flag again!

The woman’s slightly lazy, hoarse voice seemed to echo in everyone’s ears, reverberating above the city.

“That’s my flag. My emblem is already carved on it—this X!”

“This X tells you: Today I’ll be the fool first, tomorrow you’ll all be fools!”

“This flag—someday I’ll come back to mend it. If you dare change it, whoever changes it, I’ll kill their whole family in the future!”

Someone, blood stirred, shouted “Aooo!” loudly: “Today Dige changes to my flag!”

“Today Dige changes to my flag!” Ten thousand troops roared together. The defenders on the city walls turned iron-pale, and the banners swayed restlessly.

Among everyone, only the one who should have been most excited—Jing Hengbo—remained calm.

She just stared at the Queen’s flag for a long time. From the moment she saw that flag, she seemed somewhat shaken, but this shock passed in an instant. Then she calmed down and examined the flag carefully from top to bottom, confirming it was indeed the same one she had slashed when she left.

At this moment, her expression was complex—sadness, anger, pain, helplessness, melancholy, desolation… The morning light reaching her eyes at this moment also became sunset, filled with the separation and pursuit of setting sun and people scattered to the ends of the earth. Only the expected excitement and joy were missing.

Beside her, Yelu Qi suddenly turned to glance at her, then at the Queen’s flag. A light flashed in his eyes, and he sighed softly.

Jing Hengbo’s gaze slowly turned to the right side—the Dige flag.

There was no flag there. The bare flagpole was also a section shorter than the other two, with mottled axe marks on it—still what she had left behind.

The Dige flag printed with white mountains and black waters, representing the State Preceptor, had not been raised again.

Though it was clearly an empty pole, Jing Hengbo raised her head, facing the sunlight, staring fixedly at that position. The sunlight was so intense it slowly dried the inexplicable moisture in her eyes.

At this moment, in this vast Dige, with mighty armies and boundless Dahuang, no one knew what she was thinking.

There was suddenly movement on the city wall. Soldiers were reinforcing the city defenses, running very urgently. In the distance on the city wall, yellow silk umbrella canopies meandered up to the city.

The Emperor had personally come to the city head.

The Horizontal Halberd Army also made low rumbling sounds, their gazes focused on Jing Hengbo, waiting for her command.

Jing Hengbo remained motionless, staring intently at the somewhat blurry tall figure under the yellow silk canopy.

Though he had become Emperor, that person was still dressed entirely in white, as if unwilling to let the change in status erase his most distinctive personal characteristic.

Under the yellow silk canopy, Zou Zheng saw the great army below and his heart tightened. At the front of those ten thousand troops, the one in fiery red robes was undoubtedly the famous, nearly legendary Black Water Queen Jing Hengbo. From this distance, he couldn’t see her features clearly, but that woman’s bearing was always different from others. Even at this moment of solemn military arrays and opposing armies, she still didn’t wear armor, sitting casually on her horse with a slightly tilted waist. Her bright red silk robes and slightly curled black hair fluttered in the wind. Behind her, the soldiers’ armor formed hard, rigid lines, while she was soft and languid like a roll of brilliant red silk.

The combination of iron blood and gentle charm—clearly discordant, yet at this moment it stirred the heart, like seeing a gleaming morning glow lifted by a bloodstained blade.

From far away, clearly unable to see faces, Zou Zheng suddenly felt that woman seemed to be smiling.

Lazily, slantingly, fingers playing with the reins, smiling at him.

This feeling made his heart tremble—could she have seen through something? No, from this distance, impossible!

Turning his head again, most of the soldiers on the city wall were staring at that corner of red clothing. On those young faces, wasn’t that also an expression of longing?

He couldn’t help but smile bitterly to himself.

Perhaps all the men in this city thought she was looking at them and smiling?

Natural beauty was just like this.

He relaxed somewhat. To avoid being too affected, he simply turned his gaze away. Then he saw the three flags of Dige.

He was stunned and couldn’t help but fly into a rage: “What’s with this flag?”

He clearly remembered that shortly after ascending the throne, he had ordered the Queen’s flag removed, leaving only two flags on the city: one the founding Empress’s golden phoenix flag, the other the golden dragon flag he had designed for himself.

Yet at this moment, three flags remained. The Queen’s flag fluttered in tatters, while his flag wasn’t there at all!

At this moment when the Horizontal Halberd Army had arrived, this situation made him even more embarrassed. Wasn’t this Dige showing weakness, waiting for others to come mend the flag?

Soldiers on all sides looked at each other, none able to answer. The city defense officer looked bewildered—he had never received any orders about changing flags.

Zou Zheng’s fist clenched tightly under his sleeve. Again he felt that uncontrollable, helpless feeling. But this wasn’t the time to investigate or lose his temper—that would only expose his incompetence. His gaze turned backward and saw that wide white skirt train following up the city wall in the distance. His heart couldn’t help but contract.

That strange woman had come too. No matter how he delayed, she didn’t seem anxious, as if certain he would hand over the imperial throne.

This made him irritable. He turned his head away from her and gestured for the city defense general to come forward and shout to those below the city.

“Black Water Queen! You are a subject of our Dahuang—how dare you rebel and lead troops to Dige city? Why don’t you quickly withdraw your troops and bind yourself before His Majesty? Do you really want these hundred thousand elite troops to all perish beneath this mighty city because of your wild ambition?!”

Jing Hengbo raised her head. But she didn’t look at the general shouting formulaic words.

“Gong Yin, come see me.”

The officer’s expression changed: “Audacious traitor, how dare you speak His Majesty’s name directly!”

Zou Zheng waved his hand. Hope suddenly kindled in his heart. It was said that the Black Water Queen and Gong Yin had once had considerable romantic feelings. Now she had ridden a thousand li and brought armies to Dige city because of a death decree, but didn’t this crazy behavior prove that the woman’s feelings weren’t dead? This was the attitude of wanting to confront him face to face for answers. If he could persuade her to change her mind…

His fist under his wide sleeves couldn’t help clenching tightly again.

If he could persuade her to change her mind, not only would Dige’s siege be immediately lifted, but the threat from that inexplicable woman behind him would presumably no longer exist.

He stepped forward and had someone relay his words: “If you wish to see me, bind yourself and come! I will naturally give you an explanation!”

To prevent Jing Hengbo from losing hope and fighting desperately, he pointed below the city: “Reining in at the cliff’s edge is still not too late.”

Jing Hengbo raised her voice in cold laughter: “I’ve already led rebel troops to besiege the city—how can you expect me to rein in at the cliff’s edge?”

Zou Zheng glanced at Xu Pingran behind him and said through gritted teeth: “Dige city is strong with sufficient troops, and protected by Yuzhao and Kanglong. How can your mere exhausted army resist my mighty city? I know you feel unwilling, but as long as you lay down arms and enter the city to speak with me, there will naturally be a way out for you and the Horizontal Halberd Army. How about it?”

Jing Hengbo seemed to be in a daze, not answering for a long time. Zou Zheng stared at her figure, his heart anxious as boiling porridge.

After a long time, Jing Hengbo slowly said: “Gong Yin, why do you treat me thus?”

Her tone was desolate, as if looking at Zou Zheng, yet also seeming to look through him toward the clouds beyond. This seemingly questioning sentence was only like asking the distant clouds and endless sky.

Hearing this, Zou Zheng felt that if the woman asked such questions, there must still be room for negotiation. He glanced at Xu Pingran again and said: “Enter the city and I’ll naturally tell you the truth. Don’t worry—I can swear here that I absolutely won’t harm your life!”

He pressed his chest to show his oath, his fingers touching the hard feeling at his chest, which steadied his heart somewhat.

Under his robes was protective soft armor that Mingcheng had personally put on him this morning. Because of all the complicated matters, the couple who hadn’t been together for a long time had a rare moment of tender affection this morning. Mingcheng’s fingers had gently brushed under his chin, tying the silk bands of the soft armor.

Her voice was gentle as March drizzle: “This is precious armor treasured in the palace. I’ve kept it hidden for a long time, and now I’m giving it to you. You must cherish your life well—with you, there is me.”

Zou Zheng stroked his chest, thinking that at this critical time, husband and wife were still husband and wife. Mingcheng ultimately understood the big picture. In this Dahuang, wasn’t he the one who could depend on her for life?

The precious armor was indeed precious armor. He had already tested it—even a hundred-times-refined steel dagger couldn’t cut it at all. This gave him the courage to come up to the city and face these terrifying women.

The bright red banner flew, half-hiding Jing Hengbo’s face. She tilted her head slightly, as if listening to something, then smiled gently.

“Good, I’ll come.”

The ten thousand troops were silent. No one was moved by her decision, nor did anyone try to dissuade her.

It seemed that if she went to her death, everyone would accompany her.

Zou Zheng was quite surprised and delighted. He hadn’t expected Jing Hengbo would really be willing to enter the city alone for negotiations. He quickly glanced at Xu Pingran—that woman’s snow-white skirt train lay quietly on the ground, showing no expression or movement, as if it had nothing to do with her.

Zou Zheng hurriedly told the city defense officers: “Can’t open the city gates or lower the drawbridge. Arrange a hanging basket to lower over the moat and let the Queen ride the basket up.”

The general hurriedly went to arrange this. Zou Zheng also conveyed this meaning to Jing Hengbo. Seeing she had no objection and seemed ready to dismount, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Just as Jing Hengbo was about to dismount but hadn’t yet dismounted, when everyone’s attention was focused on her…

Suddenly someone on the city wall cried out in alarm: “What is that!” Then came a series of rattling sounds and a terrible scream: “Ah!”

The sound was so terrible it drew everyone’s attention immediately. They turned to see a black shadow flash past from behind a soldier on a rear city wall. They could vaguely see something extremely long like a tail or leg, gleaming with mottled scales in the sunlight. It flashed and disappeared.

When everyone rushed over, they saw the soldier slumped softly against the city wall, his neck hanging limply. Touching his throat bone, it was already shattered.

Everyone was in an uproar. Someone rushed to the city wall edge to look down, only vaguely seeing a long black shadow—like a snake but much larger than a snake—sliding and bouncing into the grass below the city and disappearing.

When the disturbance first arose, Zou Zheng hadn’t moved forward, instinctively shrinking behind the soldiers. Then from the corner of his eye he caught sight of Xu Pingran and couldn’t help being stunned.

That woman of deep waters and high mountains, with amazingly composed bearing, had shown no movement since coming up to the city. But now she suddenly stepped forward, staring at the dead soldier, her expression changing slightly.

Zou Zheng was somewhat surprised and couldn’t help glancing at the soldier’s corpse too. Except for his shattered throat bone making it look strange that he’d been suddenly strangled to death by a giant snake, the corpse showed nothing unusual. He didn’t know why this cold woman accustomed to seeing death would lose color over this corpse.

His thoughts were still on below the city. Turning his gaze back, he saw Jing Hengbo had already dismounted. In fluttering red robes, head slightly lowered, she was walking toward the hanging basket lowered from the city wall.

His heart leaped with joy. He quickly called for soldiers to clean up the corpse, then had a row of soldiers stand before the city wall with loaded crossbows aimed at the Queen in the hanging basket, in case she suddenly attacked after coming up the city.

He stared at the Queen’s steps, suddenly feeling something was not quite right, but couldn’t tell what exactly was wrong. He laughed at himself for being overly nervous and quietly wiped his sweaty palms on his clothes.

Watching the Queen actually sit in the hanging basket and slowly being pulled up, as the basket continued rising, his anxious heart gradually calmed.

Seeing the basket was halfway up, he turned to smile at the officer beside him: “If we cut the rope now and let Her Majesty the Queen fall and become mincemeat, that would also be quite delightful.”

Before the officer could respond with flattering laughter, someone suddenly laughed: “Really? If I cut you in half right now, I’d also find it delightful.”

The voice was lazy, slightly hoarse, with a slightly rising inflection at the end—enchanting to hear.

Zou Zheng had never heard this voice, but instinctively knew it was bad news. His heart thundered as he tried to retreat.

But there was already a hand at his chest—snow-white, slender, elegant, with delicate fingertips. The movement was light yet incredibly precise, reaching directly for his robes.

Still that lazy, hoarse voice, laughing: “Strip off the skin and see what kind of creature you are!”

As this voice emerged here, there below the city under the great banner, two figures shot out like lightning. One slightly ahead, without looking back, scattered something with his hand. Golden light flashed all over the sky. The other was forced into a somersault and pulled back by his officers, who shouted “Young Marshal, you cannot!”

Pei Shu, who had been slowed by the hidden weapon attack and pulled back, cursed furiously: “Yelu Qi, you treacherous scoundrel!”

A silver-black figure flew gracefully like a wild goose, crossed half the moat, climbed the rope, leaped into the hanging basket, then used the basket to spring upward. When the soldiers on the city wall, following their officer’s urgent command to “quickly cut the basket,” hurriedly severed the basket’s rope, he had already appeared atop the city wall.

At this moment, Jing Hengbo was reaching directly for Zou Zheng.

A white shadow flashed—Xu Pingran appeared, flicking her fingertip to deflect the snow-white hand away.

“You are quite cunning,” Xu Pingran’s lip corners curved in mocking smile, saying lightly, “but unfortunately I’m here. However you come, it’s a dead end.”

“Really? Then we’ll have to test that.” Jing Hengbo’s laughter was lazy and drawn-out.

Two slender figures flashed apart immediately. Red shadow and white shadow crossed each other, their skirts flying. Zou Zheng was staggered by the swirling currents created by the two women and hurriedly retreated behind Xu Pingran.

But Jing Hengbo was relentless. Her figure flashed and she appeared behind Zou Zheng, reaching for him again.

Xu Pingran’s eyebrows rose, revealing a trace of anger in her eyes. She was about to turn and give this woman who didn’t know her limits a lesson she’d never forget, when she suddenly felt cold behind her and murderous intent all around, pressing like chaotic rain.

She stopped and slowly turned around.

Opposite her.

On the gray stone battlements, Yelu Qi stood in the autumn sun. His silver-black robes rippled in a flying arc, his long sword held straight and steady, like an autumn stream, looking down from his height, aimed directly at the center of her brow.

His smile remained, with several points of mysterious charm. His voice in the autumn golden wind was relaxed and gentle.

He said:

“Your opponent is me, Madam.”