Prime Minister Fu’s subordinate generals privately thought their Prime Minister had mostly gone mad.

At such a critical juncture, at the border fortress between two kingdoms, to suddenly mobilize all defensive troops—if anything went wrong, the Western Xia cavalry could attack and plunder their cities at any moment.

However, Fu Yangui couldn’t care about all the objections. His mind was set on intercepting her as quickly as possible, then having the soldiers return to their positions. Even if it meant taking a risk for her sake, it was worth the gamble.

He had thought he would have to pursue her until nightfall, so when he saw her leading the He family army toward him, he stood frozen for quite a while. Only when someone beside him reminded him did he snap out of it and ride forward.

Fu Liujing from eleven years ago, that weak scholar who was always led around by the nose by Yue Changling—how could he have imagined that one day, they would meet in such a confrontational military formation?

Their horses stopped at a distance of ten zhang. Changling narrowed her eyes slightly, glancing at the formation behind him. “You certainly brought enough troops, but I didn’t expect you’d dare come this close to me.”

Fu Yangui nonchalantly rode a few steps closer. “I came here specifically to find you. What harm is there in getting a bit closer?”

“Find me?” Changling let the blade rest in her hand a moment longer. “Prime Minister Fu’s rebellion has succeeded. Coming here at this time, I’m afraid you’re worried we’ll ruin your ‘grand enterprise’ in the future, so you’ve come to ‘suppress the bandits,’ haven’t you?”

“Everything I’ve done has been for you.” Fu Yangui gazed deeply at her. “Back then, Shen Yao betrayed the Yue family. Today he lies dead at Longmen Mountain, which can be considered revenge for your Yue family. Now your identity has been revealed to the world. If you’re willing to stay, I promise not to touch a single soldier of the He family. As long as you’re willing, everything I possess can be shared with you.”

Changling had been planning to strike after he finished his threats, but unexpectedly, as soon as he opened his mouth, he began speaking such inappropriate and irrelevant words. She found herself absurdly speechless in response.

“I know you can’t accept me right now. I can wait—one year, two years, even ten years… a hundred years I can wait, as long as you’re willing to stay. I can do anything…” At this point, Fu Yangui couldn’t help but take another step forward. “I’m willing to return everything I owe you…”

“I don’t have time to discuss such nonsense with you here. I’ll only ask you one thing,” Changling directly interrupted him. “Where is He Yu?”

After all his heartfelt sincerity, how could he have known she would remain completely unmoved, focused solely on caring about another person? Fu Yangui’s heart sank, and those eyes filled with deep affection involuntarily turned cold. “He is naturally in my hands. If you want to see him, come with me, and I’ll let you meet.”

Changling looked at him unmoved. “Let me give you some advice. Hand him over now, and I can still spare your life.”

“Do you think if I die, he can live?” Fu Yangui gently shook his head. “Changling, after all these years, you’re still so self-righteous, thinking that possessing supreme martial arts means you can look down on everyone… Yes, you can attack me, and none of these experts behind me are your match. So what? I’ve already issued military orders—whether I’m captured or killed, they will turn a blind eye. Your most skilled tactic of ‘capturing the king to catch the bandits’ is completely useless with me.”

Changling’s brow furrowed slightly.

“Do you know why?” Fu Yangui smiled. “Because I only want you to stay by my side. If I can’t fulfill this wish, even if I have an empire within my grasp, I can discard it like worn shoes. A mere life… that’s even less worth mentioning!”

As soon as his words fell, the person on horseback leaped forward, the long blade flying swiftly. Fu Yangui watched the blade light attack but neither dodged nor avoided it, closing his eyes until the blade tip stopped at his throat.

Changling’s face finally showed some emotion beyond its usual calm. The next moment, her body flipped, and she pulled Fu Yangui off his horse, landing in front of her own camp. Sure enough, though the many experts and soldiers behind Fu Yangui were shocked, they ultimately didn’t advance.

“I told you.” Fu Yangui slowly opened his eyes and gazed at her. “It’s useless.”

“What exactly do you want?”

“I don’t want anything. I only want you to stay.”

Changling couldn’t tell whether he had truly gone mad or had simply calculated that she wouldn’t easily kill him.

What had this ambitious hero experienced to suddenly turn into such an obsessive madman?

Changling lowered the blade from his neck and stepped back. “It seems He Yu isn’t in your hands. Since there’s nothing to discuss, let’s just fight.”

Seeing Changling about to turn around, Fu Yangui pulled something from his chest. “See for yourself what this is.”

With a jingling sound, it was that longevity lock.

Changling’s eyes trembled. She reached out to take it, and Fu Yangui didn’t stop her. But seeing her hold the lock for a long time without speaking, he said, “Changling, just because you’re unwilling to come with me, you can disregard his life or death?”

Finally, she slowly spoke. “Where did you bury him?”

Fu Yangui’s whole body shook. “What did you say?”

Before he could finish asking, a clear “crack” sounded. Changling struck Fu Yangui’s chest with one palm. He flew backward, fell to the ground, and coughed up several mouthfuls of fresh blood before stabilizing.

His attendants came forward to help, but Fu Yangui raised his hand, signaling them to step aside. This palm strike was extremely heavy. Supporting himself with one hand on the ground, after quite a while he shakily stood up. “How did you figure it out?”

The implication was an admission.

A trace of pain appeared between Changling’s brows. She pointed to the indentation on the back of the lock. “This is an arrow mark…”

Fu Yangui was slightly stunned—he had only wanted to randomly find an object to prove Ye Qi was in his hands, and when he removed the lock, he hadn’t noticed the mark on it.

“If he were still alive, bringing him here would be far more useful than bringing this lock…” Changling’s voice was hoarse. “It seems you didn’t notice the arrow mark, which means he was hit by more than one arrow…”

Fu Yangui wanted to explain further, but just as he opened his mouth, he saw something glistening fall from beneath her lowered eyelashes.

He had never seen her cry.

Even back then, when she rushed desperately to save him, only to hear Shen Yao personally reveal the truth about the Mutual Heart Gu poison… she had never shed a single tear.

Yue Changling had always been as hard-hearted as stone toward everyone, but now she was actually shedding tears for him.

Fu Yangui pressed his hand to his chest. Jealousy gnawed at his bones like a parasitic worm, drilling into his flesh and spreading to his heart. But more than that was fear—fear that this would make her hate him even more. He couldn’t bear any more of her hatred. “I didn’t intend to kill him. He sought death with all his heart… Even if I hadn’t acted, he still couldn’t have escaped death!”

Changling’s eyelashes slowly lifted.

Whether it was her gaze or something else that was too cold, for that instant, Fu Yangui felt as if he’d been stung.

“That you can admit it is the best outcome. There’s nothing left to say between us.”

He saw the overwhelming killing intent and finally fully realized that no matter what he said, he could never keep her by his side.

“Fine,” Fu Yangui’s gaze suddenly changed. He retreated two steps, mounted his horse, but his eyes fell upon the war chariot. “If Second Young Master Yue wants to bring the Young Master and all these… righteous people to perish together with me, on the road to the Yellow Springs, Fu Yangui will not be lonely.”

Seeing Changling’s expression change, a smile curved at the corner of Fu Yangui’s lips. “Are you surprised? Can’t you understand how I knew Yue Changsheng wasn’t dead?”

He pointed to his own chest. “Because back then, I was the one who sent the flying hawk message to the Three Heroes of Maoshan to have them save him… If you don’t believe me, you can ask Hero Luo…”

Astonishment flashed in Luo Zhou’s eyes. “So the flying hawk message back then was…”

Fu Yangui stared intently at Changling, his face showing a sickly flush from his severe injury, though he seemed completely unaware, breathing heavily. “I’ve been trying my best to make amends. From the moment I mistakenly killed you, I’ve done everything possible to correct it, but you remain unmoved. Tell me, what exactly must I do… for you to be willing to return to my side? Are you really going to force me, force me to use your elder brother’s life to make you submit?”

Changling silently put on the longevity lock, turned back to mount her horse, and said, “No one can make me submit.”

“You only have three thousand troops. I have far more than thirty thousand here, and more armies will keep arriving. Do you really think you can win?” Fu Yangui said. “The people behind you aren’t commanders you personally trained. Can you recreate those legends of one against ten, one against a hundred?”

Before Changling could speak, a loud, resonant voice suddenly came from not far behind: “Who says she can’t!?”

Everyone turned toward the sound. Accompanied by the sound of charging horns, a mass of cavalry appeared blackly in their field of vision, vast as a forest covering the wilds, rumbling like rolling thunder, approaching with earth-shaking force—the general riding at the forefront was none other than Wei Shaoxuan of Western Xia!

Wei Shaoxuan rode ahead with a squadron of soldiers, dismounted before Changling, knelt on one knee with clasped fists, and declared loudly, “Wei Shaoxuan, General Supervisor of Western Xia’s Three Armies, following the orders of my father Wei Xingyun, specially dispatches the Yue Family Army to fight shoulder to shoulder with the Second Young Master and bring the Young Master back to camp!”

Changling thought she had misheard. “What army did you say?”

Wei Shaoxuan raised his head, stating firmly word by word: “The Yue Family Army!”

Suddenly, ox horn trumpets shook the heavens. Looking around, the banners fluttering in the wind bore prominently the character “Yue.”

Wei Shaoxuan stood up and untied a military tally from his waist, presenting it forward. His voice trembled slightly. “My father said it has been eleven years since he parted with you at Taigu Gorge. He has kept this military tally for eleven years. Today… it returns to its rightful owner!”

Changling almost instinctively accepted the military tally. Carved on it was the character “Yue.”

This military tally—she had personally given it to Wei Xingyun back then.

Wei Shaoxuan knelt again and called out loudly, “We welcome the Second Young Master back to the army!”

“We welcome the Second Young Master back to the army!”

Behind Wei Shaoxuan, all the soldiers knelt in unison. Changling dismounted and looked back at them. Every person before her eyes was too familiar—each one was a brother who had once followed her through battles, fighting across the realm with blade and spear!

“Second Young Master… you’ve returned…”

“Second Young Master… do you still remember me? I’m little Zhang. Ah, but I’m not little anymore. Yet you’re still so young…”

These comrades—just looking at the armor they wore, one could tell… they were no longer the small soldiers of yesteryear. Many had risen to high positions, but in this instant, they gathered together, kneeling before their general, just as in years past.

Changling finally couldn’t suppress the heat in her eyes.

She also lifted her robe and knelt, bowing in return to all the old Yue family generals. This scene fell in everyone’s eyes, all finding it unbelievable.

Everyone knew Wei Xingyun commanded a million mighty soldiers and held a position in Western Xia second only to one, above all others. Even though he had emerged from under the Yue family, times had changed. Why would he, upon hearing of Second Young Master Yue’s resurrection, send his own son to personally lead a great army, willingly returning military authority?

Mingyue Zhou didn’t understand. Seventh Uncle didn’t understand. Fu Yangui understood even less.

But the Yue Family Army understood.

In this world, even if most people were cold and ungrateful, there would always be those who wouldn’t forget kindness and righteousness, wouldn’t break their backbone, and wouldn’t let their passion cool in the endless years.

Changling stood up, wiped away the hot tears at the corners of her eyes, and commanded, “Mount up!”

All the old generals, upon hearing this, mounted their horses in unison. Wei Shaoxuan rode at her side, looking at Fu Yangui ahead. “Prime Minister Fu, Eastern Xia and Western Xia haven’t warred for many years. I wonder if today you’d like to experience whether our Second Young Master can still recreate those legends of one against ten, one against a hundred?”

Fu Yangui’s shocked expression gradually faded, replaced by an extremely ironic smile. “I never imagined… I still couldn’t bring you back in the end…”

Changling said, “You may go.”

Fu Yangui was stunned. “You won’t kill me?”

Wei Shaoxuan wanted to advise against it. “Second Young Master…”

Changling raised her hand slightly and looked at him calmly. “While I haven’t yet changed my mind.”

Fu Yangui bit his teeth, gazed at her with complex emotions for a long while, and finally issued an order, shouting a retreat.

Watching the Eastern Xia army gradually depart, Wei Shaoxuan couldn’t help but urgently say, “Second Young Master, letting him go is no different from releasing a tiger back to the mountains…”

“His days are numbered. Whether I kill him or not, what difference does it make?” Changling said. “If he died today, Eastern Xia would inevitably fall into endless chaos, and the innocent who would suffer would ultimately be the common people. And Shaoxuan, you… the troops you brought aren’t sufficient to attack cities and seize territory, are they?”

Wei Shaoxuan was suddenly shocked—he hadn’t expected that just by listening, Changling could tell this grand display had an element of bluff.

Changling looked back at this army of kings behind her. Though it appeared hastily assembled, it also seemed as if it had been planned long ago. She had too many questions in her heart but couldn’t ask them in front of Mingyue Zhou and the others. She only asked Wei Shaoxuan one thing: “Your father sent you to provide reinforcements. After you return, how do you plan to explain this to the Western Xia Emperor?”

Wei Shaoxuan moved slightly closer to Changling and said in a low voice, “Second Young Master need not worry. Actually, all of this was arranged between Marquis He and my father long ago. The arrangements going forward…”

“Marquis He?” Changling couldn’t help but interrupt him. “You mean, He Yu?”

“Marquis He didn’t mention this to the Second Young Master?” Wei Shaoxuan saw how shocked Changling was. “Actually, Marquis He’s identity is…”

Wei Shaoxuan’s words remained unfinished. Seeing Mingyue Zhou quietly drawing closer a few steps away, he had to cut his words short. “The details must wait until the Second Young Master returns to Western Xia to be explained fully.”

At this moment, a lone rider suddenly appeared ahead. Two people were on the horse’s back, shouting loudly in this direction, “Master—”

It was Fu Yanyang and Zhou Qin.

Changling urged her horse forward. Before she could ask, she saw Zhou Qin wipe away tears and cry out, “Master, the Young Marquis, he…”

River mist rose vast and boundless. The setting sun scattered on the water’s surface, countless soft halos floating within.

Changling stood on the opposite bank of the Longmen River, gazing into the distance, watching the river’s golden waves roll like the Milky Way flowing east.

Fu Yanyang said they had witnessed with their own eyes Ye Qi being pierced by ten thousand arrows. Yet after Fu Yangui took the longevity lock, he hadn’t brought him back to shore.

So it seemed that now he should be sleeping in these waters, just uncertain where he had drifted.

She couldn’t help but grasp the longevity lock hanging over her heart, listening to the river waves lapping against the rocks one after another, her five fingers gripping tighter and tighter.

Suddenly, with a “crack,” the longevity lock separated, and a silk handkerchief crumpled into a ball floated down gently.

A breeze passed by. In a glimpse, she saw there were words on the handkerchief.

Changling’s heart shook. With sharp eyes and quick hands, she caught the handkerchief, her hands trembling as she unfolded it.

The handkerchief had been soaked in water, and the characters were somewhat blurred, but one could still discern the writer’s strokes rising and falling, each character upright and proper.

The letter said:

In this life, you and I have faced countless tribulations, not treated kindly by mountains, rivers, and all things.

Yet how wondrous—though my soul was severed in years past, after parting we met again in the mortal world.

How long does one live? To me, seeing you was ten years in a glance.

From our meeting until now, barely one year, yet like a hundred lifetimes.

The world is unpredictable, fate is not ours to control—these words deceive me not.

This departure has no return date; harboring regret is useless. Forgive me for leaving without farewell.

If fortunate to live safely, a thousand mountains and ten thousand rivers ultimately cannot prevent our reunion.

If Yin and Yang take separate paths, I wish you will not be bound to one person, one heart, one world.

My heart’s attachment ends here, so I write here. My handwriting is hasty—I hope you won’t blame me.

I pray for your lifelong peace and security.