Luoshen was filled with hatred in her heart, hating her own blindness for being so deceived by this person.

Knowing that this kind of person was most treacherous and ruthless, and if pushed to desperation, there was probably nothing he couldn’t do, she quickly told Fan Cheng to retreat.

“What do you want?”

Murong Ti said: “Prepare a healthy horse at the valley entrance, with a long whip, dry rations, water, flint and steel. I’ll leave on my own.”

He stared at Luoshen.

“Once I’m out of the valley entrance, I’ll naturally release her. If you dare tamper with these things, prepare to collect her corpse.”

Luoshen immediately turned to Fan Cheng: “Do as he says. Let him leave here immediately!”

Fan Cheng hesitated slightly, then ordered people to prepare the items.

His duty was primarily to protect Madam’s safety, not to capture this Xianbei person who had infiltrated under the guise of a refugee.

Moreover, this was also Madam’s intention. He knew she didn’t want A’Yu to suffer any harm.

The things Murong Ti wanted were all commonly available military supplies. In no time, everything was ready, including the horse, waiting at the valley entrance.

Murong Ti slowly stood up.

His build was already more slender than ordinary men, and having been so severely ill earlier, he had become gauntly thin. It was hard to imagine that he still had such strength to carry the continuously struggling A’Yu, who weighed at least several dozen jin, striding toward the valley entrance. Upon arrival, he mounted the horse, holding what seemed to be a long whip he was using as a weapon in one hand, while the other still carried the struggling, crying A’Yu.

“Let her go now!” Luoshen said angrily.

Murong Ti turned his face, looked at her deeply, and finally slowly bent down to place A’Yu on the ground.

A’Yu, freed, called out “Madam” and ran crying toward Luoshen. But unexpectedly, after just a few steps, Murong Ti suddenly cracked his whip.

The whip tip coiled around her ankle.

A’Yu fell to the ground at once.

Luoshen had been blocked behind Fan Cheng, but seeing A’Yu crying as she approached, she instinctively stepped forward, reaching out to catch her. Suddenly seeing that Murong Ti had actually whipped and tripped A’Yu again, seemingly intending to change his mind and detain her again, she flew into a rage and immediately stepped out from behind Fan Cheng.

“Murong Ti, what exactly are you trying to do?”

At this moment, with a “crack” sound by her ear, a black gust of wind seemed to sweep before her. Before she could see clearly, she felt her waist tighten.

Looking down, she saw that the long whip that had just tripped A’Yu was now coiled around her own waist.

The whip tip was like a spiritual snake – the moment it touched her, it instantly wound around her slender waist, wrapping tightly several times.

Luoshen cried out in alarm.

Fan Cheng reacted, realizing something was wrong. He lunged forward, reaching to grab her, but was still too late.

Murong Ti yanked hard, and the whip body suddenly went taut as a rod. Luoshen’s entire body was pulled by an enormous force, tumbling forward to the front of the horse.

Murong Ti quickly bent down, grabbed her back, and lifted her onto the horse.

“Stop him!”

Fan Cheng roared sternly, pursuing at full speed.

Hundreds of soldiers at the valley entrance quickly surrounded them, blocking the way.

Luoshen cursed angrily, struggling with all her might, when suddenly she felt something like a mosquito bite on one side of her neck.

Murong Ti held a dagger against the side of her neck, lightly drawing it across, cutting through her snow-white skin.

A line of crimson blood slowly flowed from where the dagger tip had passed, trickling from her skin in a shocking sight.

Controlling Luoshen, he looked at Fan Cheng with cold eyes but a hint of a smile at the corners of his lips.

Fan Cheng’s heart and courage were both shattered. No longer daring to forcibly obstruct, he watched helplessly as Murong Ti carried Luoshen out of the valley entrance, sent people to quickly notify Li Mu, and pursued them himself with his men.

…

Murong Ti, holding the woman on horseback, galloped wildly across the vast wilderness, leaving that city farther and farther behind.

The wild wind struck his face head-on, beating against him violently, making his cheeks ache, but also increasingly stimulating his nerves at this moment.

It had been years since he’d felt such stimulation and excitement, slowly heating up the cold blood in his body once again.

The pricking sensation under his skin throughout his body seemed ready to burst through his flesh at any moment. Hot blood surging, it seemed to transport him back to childhood scenes of eagles, hounds, healthy slaves, and galloping horses hunting across the grasslands and forests of Dragon City.

Only back then, he was the hunter.

Today, he had become the prey.

He knew that group of people would continue pursuing him relentlessly.

He also knew that soon, Li Mu should join the chase, swearing to tear him to pieces.

But far from being afraid, his blood that had been cold for years was stimulated by this approaching life-and-death hunt and chase, boiling again, his heart thundering like drums, his eyes red as blood.

In this world, some people would be his natural allies, some would become allies of interest.

But there was another kind of person who, even when faced with immediate interests, could never possibly stand with him.

Li Mu – from the first sight of this person at the palace banquet in Jiankang, he knew the other was not Xu Mi.

This person and himself could never become even temporary, interest-based allies.

So, just as he wouldn’t try to seek affairs with Gao Qiao, against Li Mu, this Southern Dynasty military general from humble origins, by natural instinct, Murong Ti had from the beginning classified him in the enemy camp.

On this journey, having once again escaped death and finally returning north along what he considered the safest route, he had underestimated the degree of physical damage those days in prison had inflicted on him.

Not long after escaping Southern Dynasty controlled territory, due to the hot weather, lack of medical treatment, and inability to rest, the already festering wounds on his body became enemies capable of killing him.

He developed fever and lost his strength.

Even the bravest leopard cannot overcome physical illness and pain. He became utterly fragile.

He was very clear that continuing this way, he would never make it back to Dragon City. The only outcome awaiting him was to collapse and die, becoming one of the countless white bones along this northward wilderness road.

He had no choice. Changing into dead people’s clothes, using the survival items from the bundle Murong Zhe had given him, with his crude but barely adequate disguise techniques that could somewhat conceal his true appearance, he transformed into a pitifully blind woman and followed refugees’ footsteps, finally reaching the nearest place where he might receive help, successfully obtaining rescue.

His initial purpose was to continue living, while also spying on the enemy’s city defenses and troop deployments, planning to quietly leave once his injuries healed.

But everything seemed destined, naturally presenting this heaven-sent opportunity that pushed her before him.

Being able to capture Gao Qiao’s daughter, Li Mu’s wife, was no less than enormous compensation for his southern journey, worth risking anything.

He wanted to restore his country, conquer the world, avenge his shame, and exact revenge. From the time he fell from the Prince of Lingzhi to become a mocked plaything in Luoyang Palace, there hadn’t been a single day he wasn’t living in danger.

A throw of life and death, half-human half-ghost. Having come to this point, even if it meant risk, what harm was there in gambling once more?

Wild grass rolled in waves, heaven and earth vast and boundless, leaving not the slightest trace of his passage. He absolutely would not leave the slightest trace that would allow them to track him.

Leaving Yi Cheng, heading north again, to Longxi, past Xiao Pass – those people, including Li Mu, would never be able to catch up with him.

The next meeting would be at Dragon City, the ancestral seat of his Murong clan.

Gao Qiao could never possibly march thousands of li to wage war.

As for Li Mu, even if he wanted to attack Dragon City in retaliation, he would first have to pass through the two great mountains of Western Jin and Northern Xia blocking the way. With his meager forces today, what ability did he have?

When that time came, how things would go would be for him, Murong Ti, to decide.

…

Luoshen couldn’t distinguish north from south. With her hands bound, she was carried by Murong Ti traveling across the wilderness.

This Xianbei person’s energy was so vigorous it no longer seemed human. He traveled day and night without rest, continuing for four or five days straight, stopping only a few times to let the horse regain strength before immediately setting off again.

Until this moment, when night once again enveloped them and she lay prostrate on the horse’s back, barely breathing, seemingly about to die at any moment, did she finally feel the horse beneath her stop.

Murong Ti lifted her down from the horse, removed the ridiculous woman’s clothing from his body, spread it on the ground, and laid her down upon it.

Finally able to lie on solid ground, Luoshen took a long time to catch her breath.

Sound of footsteps. Murong Ti returned from fetching water at a nearby stream.

The rope around her wrists was untied. He handed her dry rations and a freshly filled water gourd. Seeing her still with eyes closed, he placed them beside her hand, saying: “I once learned tracking techniques from the best hunters on Dragon City’s grasslands, so naturally I also know how to shake off those tracking me. Li Mu cannot possibly catch up to me. I advise you to listen to me and not make futile resistance.”

“If you obey, I won’t tie your hands anymore, so you can be more comfortable.”

On the day she was first carried away by him, she had tried to seize his dagger when he was off guard, so these past few days, except for eating and necessary relief, her hands had been constantly bound, even during brief sleep and rest.

Luoshen still kept her eyes closed, as if she hadn’t heard.

A slightly cool finger touched the side of her neck, gently stroking the scar on her jade neck that had been cut by the dagger tip that day.

“I won’t harm you. I have my limits.”

“Look, this is almost healed. In a few more days, even the trace will be invisible…”

Kneeling beside her, his lips near the girl’s ear, he said softly.

His special experiences in youth made him resist, even extremely loathe, physical contact from others, whether male or female.

During those days recovering in Yi Cheng, even when that girl child named A’Yu touched him while caring for him, he felt extremely uncomfortable and merely endured it. Except for applying medicine to his back, he forced himself to handle everything else.

But somehow, the several touches from her didn’t make him feel disgusted.

As he whispered, his lips almost touched her tender earlobe.

Luoshen’s hair stood on end. She suddenly opened her eyes and swung her arm, slapping away his approaching face.

She crawled up, pulled out the woman’s clothing beneath her, and threw it at him.

“Murong Ti! You truly are the most treacherous and disgusting person I’ve ever seen in my life!”

“If you dare harbor evil thoughts toward me again, I won’t live! If you capture me but gain no benefit, while simultaneously offending both my father and my husband, I don’t think you’d make such a losing deal!”

Murong Ti’s face was slapped away, his figure frozen for a moment. He slowly turned back, staring at Luoshen.

Though starlight was dim overhead and the distant mountain moon was but a crescent, his eyes shot out sword-like gazes containing hidden anger, clearly visible.

“I know the world all despises and looks down on me. When I was in Luoyang Palace, the people of Luoyang made me their joke. Even three-year-old children knew folk songs to humiliate me to the extreme.”

“What about you? How could you think well of me?”

“But only I know what extraordinary shame and humiliation I’ve suffered, what blood feuds I bear!”

Luoshen shook her head.

“Murong Ti, are you saying I have no right to judge your actions?”

“You’re wrong. I despise you not because of your past in Luoyang Palace. You were indeed a pitiful person then.”

“What disgusts and makes me despise you is you as a person!”

“Revenge and washing away shame are naturally justified. If you were a true man, you should stand tall and upright, relying on your own abilities to return the hatred and humiliation others imposed on you.”

“But you use revenge and washing away shame as excuses, stopping at nothing to achieve your goals, using every extreme method available. Being such an inhuman person, on what basis should I sympathize with you or think well of you?”

Murong Ti’s figure stiffened for a long time. Suddenly he stood up from the ground, grabbed Luoshen and threw her onto the horse’s back, dealt with the traces left from their stop, then mounted and continued forward.

Luoshen could feel that he seemed to have been angered by her words.

They were getting farther and farther from Yi Cheng.

She believed Li Mu should have long since learned that she had been taken away by Murong Ti.

It was also an intuition that he must have already set out to search for her.

But heaven and earth were vast, the wilderness boundless. A person placed in the wilderness was as tiny as sand slipping through fingers.

If Murong Ti continued carrying her north and they entered Longxi, probably truly as he said, she would never be found by Li Mu again.

Luoshen fell into endless anger and despair.

Murong Ti seemed to have changed direction, continuing forward.

These days, he had been constantly changing direction, not always heading straight north.

Another day, another night. Deep into the night, the horse beneath them was also foaming at the mouth, its hooves constantly slipping, before it finally stopped by a stream, ending this leg of the journey.

He put down Luoshen and bound her hands and feet.

Probably because they were far from Yi Cheng, he had relaxed somewhat. Not fearing firelight would attract Li Mu, he built a fire for the first time. He left and soon caught two wild rabbits, returning to gut and wash them by the stream, skewering them on branches and roasting them over the fire.

When cooked, he extinguished the fire, untied her, tore off a rabbit leg, wrapped it in clean leaves, and handed it to her, saying: “I’ve been making you eat dry rations all this time. I’ve wronged you.”

Luoshen stared at the fire pile before her still emitting residual smoke, slowly took it, and ate bite by bite.

When finished, he handed her another piece.

Luoshen shook her head.

After a day and night, his mood seemed to have improved. Seeing her refuse more food, he wolfed down all the remaining meat himself, then went to the stream to fetch water.

This time when he returned, he actually held a bunch of wildflowers.

“When I escaped Luoyang that day, I swore an oath that when I attack back to Luoyang in the future, I will slaughter the city, killing everyone in it, to vent the hatred in my heart. But you saved me, so I owe you gratitude. If you think this improper, tell me, and in the future I won’t slaughter. Leaving those people’s dog lives would not be impossible.”

As he spoke, he placed the wildflowers in his hand on her knees.

Luoshen looked at the bunch of wildflowers on her knees and suddenly understood.

That day when she went to see A’Yu and sat on the threshold talking, he must have already awakened and overheard.

Her heart suddenly beat faster, not daring to look up.

After a moment, she suddenly grabbed the wildflowers and angrily threw them at the person opposite.

“Murong Ti! Stop saying these nice things to me! If you truly appreciated that I saved you, you should send me back!”

After shouting, she looked around – the wilderness was pitch black. She couldn’t help covering her face with her hands and crying aloud.

Murong Ti watched her cover her face and weep, saying nothing, only picking up a wildflower from the ground, holding it in his hand and bringing it to his nose to smell.

After a while, when her crying gradually subsided, he said gently: “I’m only taking you back to Dragon City first. As for future matters, we’ll discuss them slowly.”

Luoshen hugged her knees, continuing to bury her face in her legs, sobbing quietly for a while before finally stopping. She said: “I’m tired. I’ll go wash up and sleep.”

Her voice was full of exhaustion.

“Good.”

Murong Ti’s voice remained gentle.

“We won’t travel tonight. Go wash, and after washing, go to sleep. If you obey, I won’t tie your hands. I’ll keep watch for you.”

Luoshen stood up, walked to the stream edge, waded into the water, bent down, and washed her dust and sweat-stained face, hands, and feet.

Murong Ti turned slightly away from her, listening to her disturbing the water, making splashing sounds.

A moment later, Luoshen suddenly cried out, her voice full of terror.

Murong Ti spun around: “What’s wrong?”

“Snake! A snake bit me!”

She screamed, covering one leg, unable to stand steady, and fell into the water.

Murong Ti immediately went over, lifted her from the water, and placed her on the ground by the stream.

“It hurts—”

Her face was pale, eyes wide, one hand pointing at her leg, voice trembling, her whole body shivering.

“Don’t be afraid, let me look. Water snakes should be non-venomous.”

Murong Ti’s expression was grave. While comforting her, he rolled up her wet skirt, exposing a smooth, fair leg, and by moonlight lowered his head to examine the wound where the water snake had bitten her leg.

Luoshen seized this opportunity, grabbed a stone the size of a large bowl beside her, gritted her teeth, aimed at the back of his head, and with all her strength, smashed it down hard.

Thud!

A solid, dull sound.

Murong Ti collapsed face-first to the ground.

In the moonlight, Luoshen saw blood continuously gushing from the hole smashed in his head. His body writhed, struggling with difficulty, seemingly trying to get up. She couldn’t help but feel her hair stand on end. Screaming once, she closed her eyes and smashed down hard again. Opening her eyes, she saw he finally lay motionless, apparently dead.

Her hands went limp, the stone fell to the ground, and her whole body shook uncontrollably, almost unable even to sit steady. But fearing this Xianbei person wasn’t completely dead, she forced herself to calm down, supporting herself as she crawled up from the ground and found his dagger.

She had intended to stab him several times in the chest, but gripping the dagger, she truly couldn’t bring herself to do it. Giving up in dejection, she instead took the rope he had used to tie her and bound his hands and feet.

Finally finishing all this, she could no longer hold on and collapsed to the ground, covering her face and crying.

She cried for a while, gradually stopping her tears, then crawled up again and gathered all the things on the ground – dry rations, water gourd, flint and steel – packing them all up. Finally, carrying them, she stumbled to the horse tethered to a rock, sat weakly against the stone, and began keeping her eyes open, waiting for dawn.

Dawn finally came.

Luoshen gathered many wild grasses and branches, piling them on a high spot nearby into something like a large haystack, then set it alight.

High walls and deep moats, beacon towers connected to each other.

The army used beacon fires to transmit messages. Luoshen had heard her brother say that between large beacon towers, once lit, even if separated by ten li, they could be seen from far away.

This was the only method she could use.

All around was endless wilderness. With Murong Ti dead, she was alone and had no idea where this place was, unable to distinguish directions. Rather than blindly setting off and encountering wild beasts or other mishaps, it was better to stay here and rely on this foolish method of waiting for opportunity – perhaps there was still a thread of hope for survival.

If Li Mu pursued to the vicinity and could see the beacon fire in her direction, he would definitely come looking.

The fire had to be big. The bigger it was, the thicker the smoke and the higher it rose, so people could see it from far away.

It was this thought that sustained Luoshen. She continuously used the dagger to cut grass, picked up branches, and threw them into the fire. When hungry, she randomly gnawed a few bites of remaining dry rations. When thirsty, she went to the stream to drink some water. When truly exhausted, she sat on the ground for a while to catch her breath.

Her face was blackened by smoke, and her tender hands were cut by grass blades’ serrated edges, covered in wounds.

But she seemed oblivious, maintaining the fire continuously for an entire day.

The day passed like this. She didn’t see the scene she had hoped for, but she was already exhausted and could no longer do anything.

The fire gradually died out, leaving only a wisp of black smoke still slowly drifting upward above the fire pile.

She stopped. Sitting by the water, crying while breaking apart the last remaining piece of flatbread. She saved half to eat tomorrow.

Tomorrow she would continue burning fires.

As long as she kept burning like this, her husband would surely find her sooner or later.

She told herself this over and over again in her heart.

Only this way could she continue to hold on.