“Yes, I understand. Go early and return early.” Xi Lin Chen nodded and said solemnly.
Qing Xia mounted her horse and rode toward the county seat. It took quite a while to reach the county, and she asked for directions all the way to the recruitment office. People on the road saw that she, a young woman, was also going to enlist and stared at her. Qing Xia paid no attention to the surrounding gazes and finally squeezed through the crowd that was three layers deep inside and out. On the large white notice board, she clearly saw the recruitment announcement for the Qin Kingdom’s Northern Border Camp.
Every year when winter came and New Year approached, it was when the Xiongnu people were most rampant. At such times, both Great Qin and Xichuan would deploy heavy troops to guard the borders, preventing the Xiongnu from finding opportunities to exploit. In recent years, Xichuan had always been defended by the great general Yan Hui, while Qin Kingdom had consistently relied on the war god Qin Zhiyan.
Seeing that the first requirement on the notice was that one must be a registered Han citizen, knowing that the Banbuer brothers had no hope, Qing Xia led her horse out of the crowd. However, her heart began to churn like tidal waves.
Since coming here, she had always tried to suppress those names deep down, not thinking about them, not asking about them, as if she truly was just the woman Xia Qing who had wandered beyond the frontier, having no connection whatsoever to those two brilliantly talented men who looked down upon the world with pride.
There are many things in life that are destined to become mere scenery, impossible to become the crystallized pattern in one’s palm. She did well in this regard, striving to integrate into this kind of life, forgetting the twenty-first century, forgetting Military Intelligence Division 9, forgetting her former comrades, forgetting her childhood friend Tang Yu, and also forgetting Southern Chu, forgetting Chu Li, forgetting Qin Zhiyan, and even forgetting the name of this body’s original owner.
But there were some imprints she could never forget, and all of this was disrupted once again after Xi Lin Chen’s appearance.
It turned out that some things she had never truly forgotten. All she could do was force herself not to think about them, or force herself not to suffer so much when thinking about them. Those past memories were truly not beautiful memories for her.
Perhaps, except for the Greenwood Hall beneath Dragon Ridge Mountain.
“Jema Agu!”
Banbuer’s voice suddenly rang out, interrupting Qing Xia’s thoughts. She looked up and saw Banbuer and Nakedo leading their horses over dejectedly, looking listless. One could guess what had happened.
Qing Xia kept a stern face and said irritably, “You two brats, do you want to worry your mother to death?”
The two knew they couldn’t escape a scolding and didn’t talk back, just followed behind Qing Xia, mounted their horses, and trotted along.
“Qin Kingdom just has too many problems. Tomorrow we’ll go to Xichuan to join Yan’s army, and we can still fight enemies on the battlefield!” Nakedo suddenly said loudly. Banbuer kept making eye signals at him, but even though his eyes were nearly cramping, Nakedo didn’t notice.
Qing Xia frowned and suddenly reined in her war horse, turned around angrily, and said sternly, “You two, are you still stubbornly determined to join the army?”
Banbuer said nothing, but Nakedo stiffened his neck and said loudly, “Yes!”
With a “whoosh,” Qing Xia lashed out with her whip, striking Nakedo’s hand harshly.
Nakedo cried out in pain, seeing a long bloody mark on his hand that stung fiercely. Banbuer had never seen Qing Xia lose her temper before and was stunned into silence, his eyes rolling as he stared at Qing Xia’s face.
“That strike was on behalf of your mother.” Qing Xia sat on her horse and said coldly, “If you’re going to learn from that irresponsible Xuda Lie and just walk away, then from now on, you’re no longer friends of mine, Xia Qing.”
“Jema Agu.” Seeing that she was truly angry, Banbuer wanted to say something nice to comfort her.
But Nakedo was straightforward and said loudly, “How is Xuda Lie irresponsible? He went out to achieve merit and become a hero. We northern people have strength, so we should go to the battlefield to kill enemies!”
Qing Xia looked at him coldly and said sternly, “Fine, you three brothers go off happily to achieve merit, but leave your mother at home. In these chaotic times with soldiers and bandits everywhere, your mother worked hard to raise you, and now that you’ve grown up, you don’t care about her anymore. You’re leaving your little sister and old mother at home, waiting for bandits to come with knives?”
The two were stunned, obviously not having thought of this point. Banbuer lowered his head and thought for a while before raising his head and saying seriously, “Jema Agu, you’re right. I won’t join the army.”
Qing Xia snorted coldly, turned to look at Nakedo, and asked, “What about you?”
Nakedo immediately lost his resolve, just feeling that what Qing Xia said made sense—it was indeed improper to abandon their mother like this. After thinking, he finally gritted his teeth and said reluctantly, “Then I won’t go either.”
Only then did Qing Xia’s anger turn to joy as she said with a smile, “That’s right. Let’s go back so your mother won’t worry.”
The horses were fast, and in a short while they could see the village in the distance. But all three simultaneously frowned tightly, seeing black smoke rising into the sky from afar. Countless figures were running out from the village head, and sounds of battle cries and wailing rose to the heavens. Qing Xia exchanged glances with Banbuer and Nakedo, all shouting fiercely as they spurred their horses into a mad gallop.
Qing Xia didn’t know how she stumbled and staggered into the village. There were burning fires everywhere, familiar faces everywhere, but those people who had been kind and simple in daily life had now all turned into cold corpses, fallen in various hideous postures in every corner of the village. Blood had long since congealed, despair spilled over every inch of ground, bright red blood had soaked through the white snow plains, and the air carried a nauseating stench. Qing Xia’s eyes had already turned red, her heart filled with vast wilderness-like desolation, her steps unsteady, as if each step required enormous effort.
“Mama!” A shrill, tragic scream suddenly rang out. Qing Xia’s body was firmly rooted to the spot. She turned her head and saw Aunt Doihua’s broken and battered corpse.
This woman who had borne four children was no longer young. She was already in her forties, her face bearing the weathering of a lifetime of hard work. But even so, she still hadn’t escaped the fate of death, and in the most cruel and inhumane manner.
The corners of Qing Xia’s eyes were almost slightly twitching. She stared wide-eyed, not wanting tears to fall, her fists clenched tightly, bloodthirsty killing intent rampaging through her chest. It had been so long since she had felt such hatred, such uncontrollable desire to have a heavy machine gun in her hands so she could rush out and kill all those scum. Her lips trembling, she untied the large fur coat from behind her, covered Aunt Doihua’s body with it, and put the torn pants back on her underneath.
She knew her heart had been carved out by the flames of war. Why was it that wherever she went, she had to encounter these things? That bloodshed and slaughter followed her like shadows, following her footsteps to cover all the lands she could walk upon. Was it her fault, or the fault of this era? Did she bring disaster to this place, or was this the disaster inherent in this chaotic age itself?
When emperors play their games, what fault do the common people have?
They were all civilians! They had already fled the flames of war to this place, so why wouldn’t Death slow his steps?
“Ah!” Nakedo suddenly roared fiercely, his voice shrill like a ghost’s wail, filled with enormous grief and inexpressible despair. He jumped up, rushed into the house to get a long knife, his eyes red like a wild beast’s, then leaped onto his horse and charged toward the gate.
“Stop!” Qing Xia grabbed the horse’s reins, her face cold as she shouted sternly.
“Let go of me!” Nakedo’s eyes were red as he shouted, “I’m going to kill them!”
“Going like this—is this revenge?” Qing Xia’s eyes were wide and round, not retreating a single step as she said sternly, “This is suicide!”
“Let go of me!” Nakedo could no longer listen to any words. His eyes were completely blood-red, his lips trembling, veins bulging on his forehead. He suddenly turned his head and shouted fiercely at Banbuer, “Banbuer! Are we just going to let Mama die for nothing?”
Banbuer, his face streaked with tears, got up from the ground, wiped his face with the back of his hand, also rushed into the house to get a knife, climbed onto another horse, and was about to charge out. Qing Xia blocked in front of the two, her eyes rimmed with red, but she still stood at the doorway, refusing to give way.
“Xia Qing!” Nakedo drew his long knife and pointed it at Qing Xia, shouting loudly, “You get out of my way!”
Qing Xia held her head high, looking at these two youths who had suffered such a great change, feeling her heart was already in unbearable pain. The meticulous care that Aunt Doihua had shown her over this past year appeared before her eyes again. Tears flowed down her gaunt cheeks, but she still blocked in front of the two, saying sternly, “I cannot let you go to your deaths.”
“Move aside!” Nakedo suddenly brought his knife down. Qing Xia didn’t dodge at all. Banbuer cried out in alarm, and Nakedo hadn’t expected Qing Xia to not avoid it at all. The blade veered sharply at the last moment, but still opened a large gash on Qing Xia’s shoulder.
“You! Why didn’t you dodge?” Banbuer jumped down from his horse, ran to Qing Xia’s side, nervously supporting her and shouting.
“If you still consider me your sister, then listen to me.” Qing Xia’s face was snow-white, the wound was large, and blood gushed out like a spring. Her voice was very soft, leaning against Banbuer, as if she might faint at any moment. But she still stared with wide eyes, looking pitifully at the two youths.
Nakedo threw down his long knife and suddenly cried out, breaking into sobs.
“Jema Agu!” Banbuer held Qing Xia’s increasingly limp body, crying and calling her name.
Qing Xia tightly grasped Banbuer’s arm and used all her strength to say sternly, “Find Amouye and Xi Lin Chen. You must find them.”
When she woke up, the sun was already setting in the west. Qing Xia even thought everything had just been a dream. She opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw were Xi Lin Chen’s calm eyes. His forehead was wrapped in gauze—clearly he had been beaten. But this did nothing to diminish his tranquil temperament. Seeing Qing Xia awaken, his eyes immediately sparkled with light, and he quickly picked up a porcelain bowl and brought it to Qing Xia’s lips.