After marching for two days, the Great Qin army finally reached the last checkpoint on the way to White Deer Plains – One Sword Gorge.
One Sword Gorge had ancient origins, first becoming famous over a thousand years ago during the Battle of White Deer Plains. In that battle, the Second Emperor of Qin personally led a hundred thousand troops to ambush three hundred thousand elite Xiongnu forces at this location, decisively crushing the Xiongnu cavalry and thus reversing the Han people’s disadvantageous position in battles against the Xiongnu. It could be said to be the turning point that secured the orthodox Han dynasty’s foundation.
One Sword Gorge became famous throughout the world from that moment!
Qing Xia sat on horseback, gazing at the snow-covered, towering peaks of One Sword Gorge, and couldn’t help but admire the Creator’s miraculous magnificence. She nimbly jumped down from her horse, gathered her tools, walked to the foot of the mountain, stretched her hands, feet, and neck, then grabbed hold of the slippery glacier surface and began slowly climbing up the snow-covered, towering peak.
The modern Military Intelligence Division 9’s Agent 003 was not only an expert in assassination, concealment, and intelligence theft, but also an extreme sports enthusiast. She secretly participated in extreme sports competitions held around the world every year – this was one of the most important among her few hobbies, and rock climbing was her most skilled and beloved among all extreme sports. She could even climb the smooth glass surfaces of skyscrapers using only the gaps between glass panels, showing her technique had reached a certain level of mastery. If the Tokyo mission could be completed successfully, she had even planned to use her vacation to climb Mount Everest, but unfortunately, she no longer had that opportunity now.
Although One Sword Gorge was famous for being a gorge, its mountain terrain was steep, forming an overall towering rock mass that reached into the clouds. In the very center of the peak, however, it appeared as if a divine giant’s axe had split it horizontally, creating a deep mountain ravine that was vertically precipitous and dizzying to look at, inspiring fear at first sight.
At this moment, on the vast white snow-covered mountain, Qing Xia clung to the cliff face like a small gecko, rapidly climbing upward at a speed visible to the naked eye.
It was now evening, with the sun setting in the west. The world was bathed in red light, golden and brilliant. The enormous snow peak was like a young maiden draped in sunset clouds. Qing Xia’s petite body suddenly made a leap and reached the absolute summit of the peak.
A pure white twin-leafed immortal grass grew tall on a standing rock. Qing Xia clapped her hands and walked easily toward that orchid. Her snow ermine short coat wrapped her entire body like a small fox, with the ermine hood and tail scarf covering her face, leaving only a pair of dark eyes exposed, crystal clear like stars.
Qing Xia walked beside that orchid, tilted her head to examine it carefully for a moment, then suddenly reached out with a “pop” sound and completely pulled it out.
Qing Xia smiled faintly, her smile sliding into her eyes, curved like a crescent moon, revealing cunning cleverness.
“Wasn’t it said that they always grow as twin stems? How is there only one lonely plant here?” Qing Xia said in a low voice. After thinking for a moment, she reached into her clothing and took out a green wooden box, just about to put the plant inside. Just then, she heard a sharp “swoosh” sound rushing toward her face. Qing Xia, being extremely alert, dodged backward, stepped across empty space, and immediately spun around, avoiding that fierce strike. Only then could she see clearly that what came at her was actually a silver soft whip, reaching up from below the cliff in a reverse curl. Qing Xia’s pale hand grabbed it in midair, gripping it tightly, then with a sudden forceful pull, immediately yanked the person below up.
“Standing atop the highest peak, viewing all mountains as small – who would have thought to encounter such an extraordinary and refined woman on this summit of ten thousand mountains! Ha! This humble one is truly blessed with romantic fortune!”
Fragrant wind brushed her face, rich and pungent. Qing Xia furrowed her brows tightly and retreated with a flash. She heard a whistling sound of something breaking through the air, and a man in splendid clothing appeared before Qing Xia with his ornate robe fluttering, wide sleeves flowing, and black hair flying. He wore brocade clothes and sable fur, a jade-green belt, had sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, a heroic bearing, eyes like morning stars, and a face like polished jade. In one hand he held a whip, in the other he waved a feathered military strategist’s fan. The corner of his mouth bore a trace of worldly, irreverent evil smile, and his pair of fox-like narrow eyes revealed an undeniable shrewdness. Standing against the wind at the cliff’s edge, he seemed ready to ride the wind and return to the heavens.
“It’s you?” Qing Xia frowned and said in a deep voice.
“What? The young lady actually recognizes this humble one?” The man obviously hadn’t recognized Qing Xia and spoke loudly, very happily approaching closer.
At this moment, a cold gleam flashed with a “swoosh” sound, striking coldly toward the man. The man’s form suddenly turned, nimbly retreating, narrowly avoiding Qing Xia’s throwing knife by a hair’s breadth. Standing far opposite Qing Xia, he smiled evilly at the corner of his mouth and said loudly, “I thought you were an orchid in an empty valley, but unexpectedly you’re a thorny rose. You have character – I appreciate that. I wonder if the young lady is married, or already betrothed to someone?”
Qing Xia smiled coldly and said, “What? Does the young master want to take an seventeenth concubine? Oh, that’s right – it’s been a year since we met. The young master’s harem of female relatives has probably expanded long ago. Seventeen concubines must be ancient history by now.”
The man paused, looked at Qing Xia carefully for quite a while, then suddenly understood and said, “Truly, where in life do we not meet again! That day this humble one’s family had urgent business, and after rushing back, I thought of the young lady constantly, unable to eat or sleep. I never expected to meet again today – it seems the fate between this humble one and the young lady is truly deep.”
So this person was the same brocade-clad young master from a year ago whom Qing Xia had encountered in Bailian Prefecture, who had used Qin Zhiyan’s false name and wanted to take her as a concubine. Life’s encounters were truly strange and wondrous – the two had brushed past each other that day, yet today they met again on this snowy mountain summit!
“Is that so? You think it’s fate, but I see it as an evil connection. I must take my leave now. Please do as you wish, young master.”
Having said this, she released the whip in her hand and turned to leave. But unexpectedly, the brocade-clad man suddenly laughed loudly, and the long whip in his hand seemed to have a spirit of its own, suddenly coiling like a spiritual snake toward Qing Xia’s right wrist. Qing Xia furrowed her brows, rolled on the ground, nimbly avoiding the man’s attack, pulled out the dagger stuck in the ground, and turned to slash at the long whip. With a “swoosh” sound, the long whip broke into two pieces. Just then, fragrant wind suddenly rushed toward her from the side, and the man’s low laughter sounded near her ear. Qing Xia was startled to find her wrist already caught in someone’s grasp.
“Jade bones and icy skin, a face like peach blossoms – how could this humble one not be captivated by such a person as the young lady?”
Qing Xia laughed coldly, and her wrist immediately slipped out like a loach, sliding from the man’s palm. She counter-grabbed, seized the man’s wrist, and used a small grappling technique to control his wrist.
The brocade-robed young master chuckled carelessly and said, “It’s exactly this temper of the young lady’s that needs proper correction – otherwise, how could you enter my family’s main gate?”
“How beautifully you think!” Qing Xia smiled coldly, grabbed the brocade-robed young master’s long whip, and with lightning speed tied a military knot on the man, laughing as she said, “You can continue waiting here for your romantic encounter. I still have business to attend to and won’t play with you anymore.”
Qing Xia smiled, leaped off the cliff, and quickly climbed down along the smooth cliff face.
Cold wind whistled in her ears, and the earth stretched white for ten thousand li. Qing Xia was agile, like a white ape of the snow mountains, sliding down along the ice wall. But when she had just slid to the mountainside, she heard breaking wind sounds from above. Looking up, she saw that brocade-robed young master’s slightly feminine smiling face rushing toward her again, less than two steps away from herself.
“Hmph!” Qing Xia immediately felt a trace of mild anger rise in her heart. She shifted her center of gravity downward, swung her arms to traverse, and in an instant, with extreme boldness, whistled downward like a great bird.
The man above made a sound of surprise, very amazed, but then immediately laughed and quickly followed down. Just then, a series of “swoosh swoosh” sounds suddenly came from below. Qing Xia looked down and saw five or six black shadows rapidly climbing up the mountain, about to approach her.
Qing Xia was furious in her heart. This man was extremely troublesome and his identity quite suspicious – she hadn’t expected such complications to arise here. She raised her head to glare angrily at the brocade-robed young master and said furiously, “What do you want?”
Seeing Qing Xia stop her movements, with hands and feet gripping rock crevices and sticking firmly to the cliff face like a gecko, the brocade-robed young master smiled and said, “Two choices: first, you come home with me to be my concubine, let me keep you in my private chambers and cherish you well. Second, give me the twin-stem lotus in your hand, and I’ll let you leave safely.”
“So you were after this all along.” Qing Xia paused and said in a deep voice, looking at the twin-stem lotus flower in her hand. Its white petals were crystal clear, like early winter snow, gleaming with pure white light.
“Not entirely.” The brocade-robed young master laughed heartily and said, “If the young lady is willing to go back with me, this humble one is willing to make the painful sacrifice and let the young lady have this once-in-a-century twin-stem lotus.”
“Hmph!” Qing Xia snorted coldly and said icily, “That depends on whether you have the ability.”
Qing Xia pulled off her hat with one hand, and her black hair instantly cascaded down. On the white snow mountains, in the cold wind, it was like a bolt of finest silk, smooth and lustrous, complementing her bright brows and white teeth, magnificent and beautiful, like a mountain spirit.
The brocade-robed young master stared slightly stunned, then suddenly clapped his hands and laughed loudly, appearing extremely happy.
Qing Xia placed the twin-stem lotus in her hat, then suddenly stood up dangerously on the cliff face, turned her head back and said coldly, “This is farewell – we’ll never meet again!” Having said this, she suddenly released her grip and whistled down the precipitous cliff!
The brocade-robed young master’s face changed, and he cried out, “Hey!”
Qing Xia’s figure was extremely swift, sliding down the ice like a projectile, extremely dangerous, instantly disappearing onto the glacier and turning into a wisp of white smoke.
Before long, the sound of horse hooves clattering arose, and Qing Xia rode her horse, leaving a trail of snow mist on the snowy plain.
The brocade-robed young master and several subordinates stared dumbfounded as they watched Qing Xia gradually distance herself, losing even the slightest interest in pursuit.
In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Qing Xia returned to the main camp. She rushed into the military camp, dismounted from her warhorse, let the guard soldiers lead the horse away, and walked quickly with three steps made into two toward the tent of the army physician, Elder Cangxu. She lifted the curtain and called out, “Old sir, I’m back!”