Luoshen’s gaze rested on Li Mu’s outstretched palm for a moment, then slowly lifted to his face.

“That young man from that day, was it really you?”

She asked him.

He nodded.

“It really was me.”

“A’Mi, you pitied and saved me then. How could I ever forget you all these years…”

Under the dreamlike moonlight, the man before her with familiar features poured out his longing and gratitude to her.

Luoshen also remembered completely.

At that time, the scene of the young man by the roadside with both hands nailed to a post, blood streaming from his palms, had deeply pierced her eyes.

So after her first request was refused and they had traveled some distance, she begged her sister tearfully again, which led to the ox cart turning back.

The atmosphere gradually seemed to become hazy.

That hand that had once suffered terrible torture, pitiable enough to evoke sympathy, slowly reached over and finally grasped her shoulder.

Just as he was about to draw her into his embrace, Luoshen suddenly raised both hands, pressing her palms against his chest and abdomen as he leaned close, and pushed hard.

The unprepared man was pushed back a step by the sudden burst of small strength from the girl before him, his foot stepping on a round pebble by the water’s edge, momentarily losing his footing.

“Splash.”

He fell into the water, creating a spray.

The ambiguous atmosphere that had just permeated from recalling their shared past vanished without a trace.

“A’Mi—”

Li Mu smiled bitterly, wiped the water splashed on his face, and called her name.

“Li Mu! I shouldn’t have pitied you that day! How can there be such a bad person as you in this world!”

Luoshen’s anger hadn’t subsided. She bent down to pick up a pebble by her feet and threw it at him randomly, hearing a “thud” without knowing where it hit him. She no longer looked at him and turned to leave.

Li Mu hurriedly climbed ashore from the water, caught up in a few steps, and embraced her from behind.

Luoshen grew angrier and struggled.

“A’Mi, they’re all watching…”

Luoshen heard him whisper in her ear. She unconsciously looked back.

Not far away, near the camp entrance, several guards’ silhouettes indeed stood there.

They seemed to be looking in this direction, wanting to come over but hesitating.

She stopped struggling, commanded him to release her, lowered her voice, and angrily said: “Li Mu, I helped you when I was small—does that mean I should now be treated by you like this?”

Li Mu directly lifted her up, walked to a flat stone by the shore, and set her sitting on it.

Luoshen twisted to get up.

Her shoulder felt heavy as he pressed her back down to sit.

Luoshen watched him slowly crouch by her feet, looking up slightly, gazing at her.

“A’Mi, you asked me why I insisted on marrying you. Because from that time on, I never forgot you again.”

Luoshen turned her face away, still refusing to look at him.

But he continued speaking regardless, his voice drilling into her ears.

“But until you questioned me last night, I had always prided myself on being deeply affectionate. Now I know that when you previously called me shameless, you were absolutely right. I am indeed an extremely selfish and shameless wretch!”

Luoshen started.

“Because of that past incident, plus other encounters, A’Mi, in this lifetime, even though I know I remain as humble as mud, far unworthy of you, I still cannot stop my obsession with wanting to possess you.”

“You are the only woman Li Mu has ever wanted to obtain in this life.”

Luoshen bit her lip.

Her chin still tilted up slightly, unwilling to face him directly.

But she heard him continue: “In my heart, I decided you were my woman. Not wanting you to marry another man, I schemed deliberately, forcibly obtained you, making you finally become Li Mu’s wife.”

“I am indeed shameless. My purpose in marrying you then was largely out of selfishness.”

“But after truly marrying you, knowing what a vivacious, lovely woman you are, I finally realized that marrying you as my wife was the greatest fortune of Li Mu’s entire life.”

“If I could have you face me day and night, hear you call me Langjun, among all the joys men might have in this world, even if there were ten thousand kinds, how could any compare to even half of mine?”

Luoshen listened until her face burned red and her ears felt hot. She covered her ears and shouted: “Stop talking! You really are a shameless wretch!”

Li Mu smiled slightly and stopped.

He didn’t speak again.

Only the gentle rustling sound of night wind passing through the reed beds remained in Luoshen’s ears.

After a moment, she finally couldn’t bear it anymore, turned her face, and looked at him.

He still crouched by her feet as before, but his gaze no longer fell on her, instead directed toward the small river beside them spread with moonlight, as if lost in contemplation.

“But people living in this world don’t have only love and affection.”

Just as Luoshen was secretly wondering, she suddenly heard him speak again.

His tone was no longer as gentle as before, but had become somewhat more serious.

Luoshen was startled. She saw he had also turned his gaze back.

The two of them looked into each other’s eyes.

He said: “A’Mi, I was born in the north. Since I can remember, this land abandoned by the Dayu court has been in constant warfare. Among the barbarian peoples, naturally there are good ones, but more are violent, tyrannical, worse than beasts. Those people, who once lived primitively on the borderlands, once they gained power, committed every evil. Following my father and grandfather, I’ve seen too much blood and tears of separation. You saw me being nailed by evil servants as a child and thought it a human tragedy.”

“But in the northern lands, right here, on this very ground beneath your feet, tragedies far worse than what I experienced have occurred. Every ruin you saw entering the city yesterday remains from innocent people suffering torment then. The barbarians don’t treat us Han people as human, slaughtering and humiliating, eating human flesh—such things are commonplace. Now that Northern Xia has collapsed and fragmented, various forces are taking advantage to rise again, demons dancing in chaos. The situation is even more tragic than before, and will only get worse.”

“The north is in chaos, the Southern Dynasty fights internally. This court that Lord Gao struggles to maintain cannot remain in false peace forever. My reason for coming to this place today, besides the great cause of northern expedition, is also to establish myself independently as soon as possible.”

“Only by grasping soldiers who obey my command can I fulfill my ambitions and protect you under my wings.”

“Otherwise, if even I myself am bound by constraints, in such chaotic times, let alone pacifying the Central Plains, even wanting to protect you would probably be a fool’s dream.”

“A’Mi.”

He called her.

“Last night you questioned me, and I know I’m in the wrong. You saved me as a child, which is why I can barely survive in this world today. Yet for my selfish thoughts, I forced you to marry me and suffer all kinds of grievances with me. Before you, I truly have nothing to say and nowhere to hide my shame. Moreover, my current position cannot give you stability. So when you wanted to leave this morning, I truly had no face to detain you. It was A’Ju…”

He paused, raising his hand unconsciously to touch his forehead.

“She went and returned this morning, spat in my face, and only then did I know your feelings toward me.”

Luoshen was stunned, staring fixedly at Li Mu as he slowly stood up from before her feet.

He was almost completely soaked, even his hair and eyebrows bore traces of water. His appearance should have been wretched.

But standing before her like this, he looked frank and open, towering and magnificent.

“A’Mi.”

He spoke again.

“That night when your father came to Jingkou to question me, I made a one-year agreement with him. I said that after a year, I would use the Western Capital as betrothal gifts and come again to marry you. If you’re willing to give me this chance again, give me some time, wait for me. When I take the Western Capital, by then the situation will be like a chess game, the world might change greatly, and the court might not look as it does now.”

“This place is truly harsh, and I don’t want you to suffer hardship with me here. Go back first. Remember my words—as long as you’re willing to want me, in the future, I will never betray you.”

She lowered her head in silence, never saying a word.

Li Mu waited a moment, a trace of darkness flickering in his eyes.

He clenched his fingers, slowly making a fist.

“A’Mi, if you truly see me as a flood or fierce beast because our paths differ, and are unwilling to be my wife anymore, then don’t feel too troubled. Though I cannot make insincere vows to obtain you, I repeat—in the future, if I’m fortunate enough to fulfill my wishes, even if the whole world becomes my enemy, I will not harm you or your parents.”

He finished speaking and said no more.

Night wind blew, stirring Luoshen’s skirt spread over the stone surface, breaking the moon’s reflection on the water, and disturbing her heart’s waves.

At this moment, she knew he was watching her, waiting for her answer.

But she didn’t know how to respond.

The scales in her heart swayed left and right, her tender heart knotted a thousand times.

She struggled for a long time, suddenly almost hating the man before her.

Hating why he had to place her in such a dilemma.

She had already made up her mind to have nothing more to do with him.

Yet he chased after her again, once more disturbing her heart.

He said he was a selfish person.

It was so before, and even at this very moment, it was still so!

Luoshen sat hugging her knees, motionless, but her eyes gradually grew hot.

She could only bury her face in her knees, no longer wanting to see this heartless man who only knew how to force her.

Seeing her evasive behavior like a helpless little girl, Li Mu’s heart, which should have hardened, instantly softened again.

He desperately wanted to hold her in his arms and cherish her tenderly, but fearing it would provoke greater resistance, he could only crouch before her again, gently patting her back with his palm, saying softly: “A’Mi, I won’t force you. Think slowly, take as long as you need. Even a lifetime—I’ll wait for you.”

Luoshen raised her head and pushed away his hand: “You still say you’re not forcing me! You’re clearly forcing me!”

She shouted, and tears of grievance fell.

Li Mu could no longer restrain himself, gathered her into his embrace, and kissed her tear-stained cheeks.

Luoshen twisted her body, not letting him kiss her.

While struggling, she suddenly felt him stop and lift her up quickly, also standing up rapidly.

Feeling suddenly suspended, she was startled and instinctively grasped his arms.

After reacting, feeling both shy and annoyed, she was about to scold him when her body stiffened.

She saw that across the shallow river, not far away in the dark night, a row of ghostly red dots appeared, seeming to hang in the air like small red lanterns.

Those small lanterns were densely packed and actually moving, approaching in the direction of the camp.

The black horse that had been leisurely grazing nearby now seemed to sense something too, uneasily pawing the ground and snorting.

Those rows of red lanterns grew closer and closer.

By moonlight, Luoshen finally recognized that these red lanterns were actually the eyes of a group of tigers and leopards.

Judging by the number, there were at least several dozen.

Luoshen was stunned.

Before she could react, Li Mu hooked up his long sword from the ground with his toe, grabbed it, then carried her toward the camp entrance while letting out a long whistle.

The guards were alerted, and the camp immediately erupted in sounds.

In the distance, faint, almost imperceptible whistle signals could be heard on the wind.

The beast pack immediately dispersed, seemingly preparing to surround them.

Fan Cheng led people rushing out. Seeing that pack of attacking tigers and leopards, he couldn’t help feeling horrified.

On this journey, they had encountered wild beasts before, but such a concentrated attack in these numbers had never happened.

With his experience, he immediately recognized that this pack of tigers and leopards attacked in such an orderly fashion—they were clearly being controlled by humans.

Though he had experienced battlefields and his guards were all elite soldiers who wouldn’t be so terrified even facing several times their number in enemies, facing encirclement by such numbers of wild beasts was still a first in his life.

He quickly steadied himself, shouted an order, and the well-trained guards immediately calmed down, dividing into two groups.

One group was responsible for protecting Luoshen, while the other formed defensive formations around the camp perimeter, readying bows and crossbows, prepared for battle.

Fan Cheng ran over: “Governor Li, do you know who is attacking?”

“Sister!”

Behind them also came an anxious shout.

Gao Huan rushed over with sword in hand, clothes disheveled. Suddenly seeing Li Mu, he was startled, then his eyes widened with wild joy.

“Brother-in-law! How are you here?”

Li Mu whispered in Luoshen’s ear to not be afraid, set her down from his arms, then ordered Gao Huan to lead people to quickly take her back to the center of the camp for protection, only then saying: “I’ve been here for months and have long heard that among the Hou clan of Chouchi, some are skilled at driving beasts, keeping fierce animals for battle assistance. Tonight’s attackers must be people from the Hou clan!”

The Hou clan also belonged to the Jie people, once following Northern Xia as enemies of Dayu.

Fan Cheng looked around the camp. A circle of ghostly red eyes could be heard making low roaring sounds from the beast pack. Knowing tonight would probably require a hard battle, his expression was extremely grave.

“Wild beasts fear fire. No matter how well they obey human commands, they dare not act rashly when encountering fire. Quickly have people light fires!”

Reminded by these words, Fan Cheng immediately ordered soldiers to dismantle tents and light fires.

Soon, clusters of bonfires were lit around the camp.

The beast pack, which had been surrounding and approaching, suddenly saw a wall of firelight ahead, stopped in place, paced uneasily, and roared continuously.

The whistle sounds seemed angry, suddenly becoming shrill.

The beast pack appeared fearful, gradually clustering together again, roaring as they slowly pressed toward the camp.

When they reached only about ten zhang distance, they finally feared the firelight. No matter how the whistles drove them, they didn’t dare rush in, only becoming more agitated, constantly roaring angrily.

The outer guards could already smell waves of animal stench, all looking grave as if facing great enemies, slowly drawing together to make the most effective counterattack when the beasts rushed in.

Li Mu turned around, gazing toward the distant source of those ghostly whistle sounds. After a moment, he called out loudly in Jie language: “I am Governor Li Mu of Yicheng! Who are you to Hou Ding? Since I came here, Hou Ding and I have minded our own business. Why do you drive beasts to attack?”

His voice was deep and resonant, carried far by the night wind.

The whistling stopped.

After a moment, accompanied by distant rumbling hoofbeats like an earthquake, hundreds of Jie cavalry poured out like a tide from the darkness at the wilderness’s end. At the front, a man of twenty-five or twenty-six with braided hair and leather robes sat high on his horse, eyes wide as if observing ahead. Seeing by firelight a Han man standing against the wind on a slope in the middle of the tiger-leopard encirclement, knowing he was the one who had just called out, he couldn’t help shouting loudly: “You are Li Mu? Not impersonating?”

Li Mu said: “A real man doesn’t change his name when walking or his surname when sitting. I am Li Mu. Who are you?”

This person was named Hou Li, eldest son of Chouchi King Hou Ding.

Several months ago, from when Li Mu led two thousand soldiers here under the Southern Dynasty emperor’s edict to take the post of Governor of Yicheng, Hou Li had constantly sent people to spy. He had long wanted to send troops while his opponent hadn’t established a firm footing to knock him down. But constrained by Hou Ding’s orders, he didn’t dare attack rashly.

Today he received intelligence saying a team of several hundred people dressed as Southern Dynasty folks had left Yicheng, seemingly returning south. The soldiers had bright armor and complete equipment, protecting several carriages in the middle with what appeared to be women inside. How could he restrain himself? So he devised this plan, intending a night raid—first to get spoils and captives, and second, to provoke Li Mu.

Li Mu’s name was known throughout the world because of the Battle of Ba Prefecture. Hou Li had long wanted to test himself against him. He hadn’t expected such coincidence tonight—stumbling upon success and trapping Li Mu here.

Thinking that if he could capture or kill him, he would surely become famous throughout the world, he couldn’t help being wildly joyful, laughing loudly: “Li Mu! You Han people have a saying—’seeking everywhere in vain, only to find it effortlessly.’ Tonight you walked into this yourself, don’t blame me for being impolite!”

After speaking, he ordered the beast drivers beside him to fully drive the tigers and leopards into the camp, and commanded the hundreds of archers he brought to follow the beasts and completely surround the camp.

With one command, arrows flew like rain.

Fan Cheng ordered his men to raise shields and counterattack with arrow formations.

A group of well-trained elite soldiers worked together and finally held back the Jie people’s offensive.

But this didn’t last long. The fire walls around them gradually began to weaken, while the tents available for burning had been mostly dismantled.

When both sides’ arrow formations paused briefly, the beast drivers again drove tigers and leopards to attack.

The guards shot arrows to block them. Though some tigers and leopards were hit, for wild beasts with large bodies and thick skin, unless hitting vital points, even if hit by arrows, there wasn’t much killing power. The pain in their bodies instead further aroused their bestial nature.

In moments, an injured leopard went mad and actually leaped through a gap where the fire wall had extinguished.

Fan Cheng roared angrily, drew his blade and charged forward with soldiers to surround the leopard and kill it together.

Just as this was resolved, the whistle sounds grew even shriller. The remaining tigers and leopards, one by one with red eyes, ran back and forth outside the increasingly small fire walls, roaring continuously.

Once the fire walls were extinguished, even without considering the assault of those hundreds of Jie people, just these dozen or so maddened fierce beasts rushing in would make it difficult to escape unscathed tonight.

Fan Cheng gritted his teeth, turned to Li Mu and said: “Governor Li, tonight probably won’t end well. I’ll lead the brothers to cover you and hold the rear. Please take Miss away. If she suffers any harm, even if we die ten thousand deaths, it won’t escape our guilt!”

Li Mu seemed not to hear, his gaze fixed on Hou Li’s direction beyond the beast encirclement. After a moment, he turned and whistled.

His black horse galloped over.

Li Mu turned to Fan Cheng, who looked confused, saying: “You must protect my wife well! When I go out, use arrow formations to cover my exit from the beast pack. I’m going to capture that Jie person!”

Fan Cheng was shocked.

If they could subdue that Hou Li, this desperate situation would naturally be resolved.

But with just himself, one man and one horse—not to mention how to capture someone from hundreds of people’s encirclement, even breaking out of this beast circle would be extremely difficult.

“Governor Li—”

Fan Cheng hesitated somewhat.

“Just follow my instructions.”

Li Mu said.

His tone didn’t seem particularly authoritative.

But the unquestionable feeling in his words and expression struck directly.

Fan Cheng suddenly remembered the legend that Li Mu had once single-handedly rescued Gao Huan from the thousands of troops of Prince Linchuan’s rebel army.

He fell silent and nodded in agreement.

Li Mu slung his sword on his back, took an iron staff from a guard’s hand, then came beside his black horse, affectionately stroking its ears, then tore off a corner of his clothing to blindfold the horse’s eyes, leaped onto its back, shouted once, and drove the horse over the fire wall toward the beast pack.

Fan Cheng knew the success or failure of this move related to his and hundreds of men’s lives tonight. How could he dare be careless? He had already assembled the archers, and as soon as Li Mu charged toward the beast pack, with one command, soldiers shot arrows at the pack in unison.

Li Mu sat steadily on horseback, using his leg strength to drive the blindfolded black horse straight forward.

Just approaching the beast pack, a tiger and leopard roared and leaped at him from left and right, swept away by his heavy staff.

Accompanied by two painful whimpers, the tiger and leopard’s bodies flew out, rolling on the ground over ten times before stopping.

Having swept away the first two, two more leaped at him, also swept away, as he spurred his horse toward a gentle slope at one side.

In the sound of hoofbeats, front, back, left and right, over ten tigers and leopards quickly surrounded and pursued, their roars shaking the sky.

Li Mu gripped the horse’s belly tightly, charging up the slope at full speed. At the moment of reaching the top, he suddenly pulled the reins with a long whistle. Using the full charging momentum and high ground advantage, he drove his black horse to leap with all four hooves, like a heavenly steed carrying him soaring over the beast pack rushing up ahead, flying over ten zhang before landing on the ground.

Now the beast pack was left behind.

And the distance to Hou Li was only a few zhang away.

Just as the black horse neighed and its four hooves touched ground, Li Mu made a flying leap, rolling down from the horse’s head to the ground.

That scene left Hou Li and those near him dumbstruck, still not having recovered when they saw a black shadow rushing toward them swift as lightning.

He finally reacted, his hair standing on end in terror, but it was too late.

Li Mu had reached Hou Li’s horse, the long sword on his back unsheathed.

A flash of cold light like flowing water passed by, the sword edge severing both front hooves of Hou Li’s mount.

The hooves were cut clean off at the knees. With neighing sounds, the horse collapsed to the ground.

Hou Li fell from horseback, tumbled once, and was just about to shout for guards when his neck suddenly felt cold, instantly making his hair stand on end.

That cold long sword was placed against his neck.

And he still maintained his previous kneeling posture.

Looking up, he met a pair of coldly merciless dark eyes.

“You must be Hou Ding’s son Hou Li?”

He heard that Han person speak his name in his own language.

…

Luoshen also understood Jie language.

In the Gao family’s children’s classroom, one subject required the children to learn barbarian languages.

The instructors were all barbarians who had surrendered to the Southern Dynasty.

When Li Mu first called out in Jie language to the other side, Luoshen’s heart was filled with anxiety.

She waited in the tent with A’Ju and the maidservants.

A’Ju guarded the tent entrance with a knife while she waited anxiously, straining to hear the sounds outside.

Tigers and leopards roared, soldiers clashed, and stray arrows occasionally flew past outside the tent, making sharp whistling sounds as they tore through the air.

Later, the sounds of soldier confrontations gradually disappeared.

She heard what seemed like more guards outside her tent, Fan Cheng’s commanding shouts almost breaking his voice.

She could no longer bear it. Despite A’Ju’s attempts to stop her, she lifted the tent flap and walked out.

What she didn’t expect was to see Li Mu charging alone into the beast pack, galloping past on horseback, then breaking into the Jie people’s side.

The distance was somewhat far, and it was nighttime. After he rode down the gentle slope, she couldn’t see very clearly.

During the agonizing wait, she only faintly heard various chaotic shouts from that direction.

She held her breath, hands tightly clenched into fists, so tense her nails almost pierced her palms.

Fortunately, the wait wasn’t very long.

Very quickly. So quick it almost made her unable to believe her eyes.

The Jie people actually recalled the tigers and leopards into cages, and the hundreds of people surrounding the camp also withdrew.

Then she saw Li Mu return on horseback, dragging a human figure in his hand, coming back to the camp entrance and throwing the person to the ground.

He had gone out alone and captured tonight’s Jie leader! He had forced back this group of fierce enemies!

Luoshen had heard Gao Huan describe to her more than once how Li Mu had single-handedly rescued him from thousands of troops.

Luoshen had always felt it was somewhat exaggerated.

Perhaps Gao Huan had overstated his martial skills and courage.

But tonight, she had witnessed firsthand how he relied on his own strength to turn the situation around.

To call it shocking would be no exaggeration.

In her ears, the cheers of the guards rang so loudly they almost burst her eardrums.

But Luoshen didn’t notice at all.

She stood outside the tent, watching Fan Cheng’s ecstatic expression as he abandoned her and ran toward that direction.

From afar, she watched Li Mu surrounded by guards.

Everyone was so excited.

His face also bore a smile as he said a few words with the guards surrounding him. Suddenly, he turned his face, his gaze seeming to look toward where she stood.

Luoshen’s heart jumped violently, seeming somewhat guilty, and she hurriedly turned to hide back in the tent.

At this moment, she heard another burst of joyful shouting behind her.

She turned back to see Gao Huan running over.

“Sister! Brother-in-law caught the Jie leader! We’re safe!”

He was elated, his eyes shining, ran to Luoshen’s side, gesticulating excitedly, shouted a few times, then turned to leave.

Luoshen’s gaze involuntarily fell on his back.

She was startled.

An arrow was actually stuck in his buttocks.

It must have been hit by a stray arrow when he was confronting the Jie people with the guards earlier.

Only because his emotions were too high, he didn’t feel the pain and was completely unaware.

“Sixth Young Master, you have an arrow in your buttocks!”

Qiongshu, who had also come out, saw it and cried out.

Gao Huan seemed to be under a freezing spell, suddenly stopping his steps, frozen in place.

He slowly turned his head, felt his buttocks, raised his hand to see a palm full of blood, his eyes suddenly widened like saucers, screamed once, and with the arrow still in place, actually sat down on the ground.

“Brother! Be careful!”

Luoshen was greatly alarmed.

Accompanied by Gao Huan’s pig-like scream of pain, she ran toward him and carefully turned him over.

The arrow shaft had been broken by his sitting on it, but the arrowhead had been driven deep into the flesh, almost invisible.

Gao Huan lay on the ground, his handsome face twisted in pain, moaning: “Sister, I’m going to die, quickly call brother-in-law to save me—”