In the mountain cave, Rong Pu raised his hand while his other hand clawed desperately into the cliff wall.

“Whoosh!” A streak of fire shot past Tie Ci’s eyes, striking precisely the section of iron cable that had been severed earlier, causing the cable that was about to fall to surge upward violently.

It was less than half a zhang in front of Tie Ci.

Tie Ci took a deep breath.

Suddenly, a heavy weight struck her back as the basket crashed into her.

Tie Ci spat blood in midair and resolutely let go.

Using the force of this collision, she flew through the air toward the iron cable that had been lifted by the arrow.

In this moment, she looked down and saw only crowds like waves below, with white light and blue electricity crisscrossing above the waves. She could no longer see Xiao Xueya.

“BOOM.”

The tremendous sound was like ten thousand people simultaneously beating giant drums from underground, or like ten thousand firecrackers going off at once, or like thunder born from the earth’s depths, splitting the dark soil and pale rock, instantly shattering the mountain’s bones.

The massive vibration and noise had doubled effects in the terrain surrounded by high mountains on all sides. The echoes continued endlessly. People in the mountain caves above had already stuffed cotton in their ears but were still knocked to the ground by the shock, their entire heads buzzing and dizzy.

The mist on the mountainside was instantly dispersed by the shock waves, but was immediately replaced by surging clouds and dirt thrown several zhang high. The air was filled with black and red, with thick smoke rolling.

Nothing could be seen clearly.

Pingzong, barely standing, stared red-eyed at the area below, but she could neither see clearly whether Tie Ci had managed to grab the iron cable nor whether Xiao Xueya had been able to escape at the last moment.

She couldn’t help but shout: “Little Aunt!”

Then shouted: “Governor!”

The sounds of explosions continued, and her weak cries were swept away by the rolling smoke and continuous explosions.

Combining the strength of Haiyou and the neighboring provinces of Zhongzhou, Anqing, and Jixi, emptying almost all the gunpowder stores of these provinces, mobilizing large numbers of soldiers and civilian workers, rushing supplies day and night by both water and land routes—long convoys had stopped beneath this carefully selected low mountain that was already half-hollow due to its numerous caves.

Without time to recruit more civilian workers, all students from Yueli Academy joined the effort. Some flattened the low mountain, others hollowed out the mountain body to place gunpowder. Mathematics Academy students worked sleeplessly day and night, calculating the weight of baskets, the weight of iron cables, the mountain’s elevation differences, and route designs, ensuring the baskets would operate smoothly for convenient midair hiding and final rescue operations.

Haiyou gathered all its blacksmiths for emergency iron smelting. The entire mountain base was deeply buried with three-chi-long spikes, ensuring that after the explosion, if these strangely armored people could somehow survive, they would definitely fall onto these iron spikes.

The underground also had a layer of fierce fire oil buried—after the explosion, it would burn continuously. In short, they would rather destroy this entire mountain area than fail to kill all these people here.

Rong Pu hadn’t been able to sleep properly for a month because of this.

He had also arranged suicide squads and made all subsequent preparations, but he hadn’t expected that in the end, Tie Ci would personally take action.

Everyone knew that if Tie Ci hadn’t gone personally, if she hadn’t captured the enemy leader, these people couldn’t all have been lured up.

If even half had remained, it would have meant endless future troubles. Daqian didn’t have more time and energy to prepare another battle like this in Haiyou.

But now…

If this entire batch of people was eliminated but the Emperor was gone…

“Your Majesty! Your Majesty!”

Countless people shouted in front of the mountain caves, their voices carrying for miles from top to bottom.

The noise startled all the wild beasts in the mountains, and distant lone wolves howled at the moon in response.

But there was no echo from the mountain valley.

As the shouting continued, people’s faces grew paler and paler.

At first, there was deathly silence in the mountain caves, then someone began to cry. Rong Pu swayed as if about to collapse, Pingzong’s face was pale, and she tried to rush down several times but was firmly held back by those beside her.

About half an hour later, the soil stopped being thrown about, the rolling clouds turned into wisps of black smoke, and through the black smoke one could vaguely see the completely transformed landscape below—the entire mountaintop had collapsed, with clusters of fires burning everywhere. In the flames, twisted and destroyed flying vehicles and various severed limbs could be faintly seen.

Like hell itself.

Seeing this scene, everyone lost hope and collapsed powerlessly. Pingzong squatted down and pulled at her hair forcefully.

Instead, Rong Pu remained standing, holding a telescope, ignoring the choking smoke and fire, standing at the cave’s edge, continuously searching.

He pulled Pingzong up and thrust a telescope into her hands: “Keep looking.”

Pingzong knocked the telescope away: “How could anyone survive this? Even I couldn’t survive this!”

“I believe she won’t die!”

Pingzong looked up at Rong Pu’s eyes.

They were the same eyes reddened by the night’s vigil and smoke, seeming to brim with tears.

Yet they held more powerful confidence and determination than hers.

Pingzong took the telescope.

More people brought out telescopes.

Unable to see clearly from inside the caves, everyone climbed on the cliff walls, enduring the black smoke rising from below and the bitter mountain wind that seemed capable of blowing a hole through one’s chest, searching inch by inch, foot by foot.

A student inadvertently raised his telescope and saw something hanging on the dark mountain wall opposite, rotating in the wind.

He immediately called out. Rong Pu raised his high-end telescope, looked for a long time, then put it down and let out a long breath.

Pingzong joyfully ran over, about to ask him something, but when she looked up, she froze.

As Rong Pu quickly turned his head, a crystal drop flew from the corner of his eye.

…

Half a quarter-hour later, Pingzong descended to the opposite cliff face.

There was a smooth cliff wall with a small protrusion below.

Half a section of iron cable hung on the cliff wall, swaying gently in the wind.

Pingzong stood stunned in the wind.

Just moments ago, she had clearly seen Tie Ci hanging from this iron chain, swaying in the wind, looking as if she had fainted.

How had she disappeared in the blink of an eye?

…

Tie Ci felt wind blowing past her ears.

Someone was carrying her on their back as they ran.

While running, they were saying to someone beside them: “Hurry up, stop dawdling. That guy instructed us to be quick when snatching people, especially when snatching people from under Rong Pu’s nose. We’ve waited so long for this opportunity—don’t let you ruin it.”

The other person said breathlessly: “My qinggong has never been as good as yours. Are you sure that little princess didn’t notice us just now? If she discovered us, then again we’d have to…”

The person in front immediately became impatient: “Shut your ‘what ifs’!”

Tie Ci had been semi-conscious before but had been desperately gripping that half-section of iron cable, even wrapping it around her wrist. With her feet supported by that small protrusion, she hadn’t been blown off the cliff while unconscious.

Hearing this familiar tone and conversation now, she immediately became alert.

Before opening her eyes, she thought, could she really be dead? To actually simulate such impossible scenes and conversations.

After opening her eyes, she saw the cliff face before her—towering and precipitous, facing the blue sky, almost straight up and down. Being carried up the mountain, her entire body leaned backward, so someone behind her continuously supported her with their hands to prevent her from falling.

The person supporting her muttered incessantly: “Ah, I didn’t mean anything by it. I have no intention of disrespecting the dragon body. Urgent circumstances, urgent circumstances. Your Majesty, please don’t blame me, don’t cut off my claws…”

Tie Ci knew this “Your Majesty” didn’t refer to her.

She felt like laughing and looked up at the starry sky, but as soon as she tilted her head back, hot streams flowed from her eye sockets.

The person carrying her was very sensitive. The moment she tilted her head, he sensed she had awakened. Unable to turn back, he concentrated on climbing while saying: “Your Majesty, it’s been many years since we’ve met. I hope you’ve been well.”

He continued: “Your Majesty, we came here from Dafeng on our Majesty’s orders. We only arrived yesterday and have been lurking in these mountains. Please don’t blame us for not helping earlier. Our Majesty instructed that you and Rong Pu surely had complete preparations and didn’t need our interference—it would be bad if we spoiled the great plan. Our Majesty only repeatedly instructed us that at the most dangerous moment and the moment after victory, when Rong Pu’s vigilance is lowest and your mood is best, that’s when carrying you off and running would have the greatest chance of success.”

Tie Ci listened with pursed lips, thinking that after so many years as emperor, that scoundrel was still a scoundrel.

Mu Si, unusually like Zhao San, chattered on: “Our Majesty said to carry you away and run straight to Dafeng. As for the Daqian people, he knows you definitely want to take care of them, but he absolutely cannot let you do so. By kidnapping you, you’ll have no responsibility. If the people of the world want to curse someone, let them curse him. In any case, he’s determined not to let you take risks again…”

He said: “Your Majesty, you always think of the Daqian people. You should also think a little of yourself and our Majesty. These past years, our Majesty has been working hard. The mutual trade has given Daqian many conveniences and preferential treatment. There’s never been any friction with the Daqian people in Broken Mirror City. Those who mistakenly enter Dafeng territory are all politely escorted out. These years, he’s also spared no effort within Dafeng to preach and reduce hatred between the two countries. This time when Daqian suffered disaster, His Majesty was prepared to open the borders to allow Daqian people to take refuge. When the time comes, hiding in Dafeng’s icy wilderness, let’s see where those bastards can find them. Our Majesty said that before then, you should go first. Everyone trusts you, so they’ll definitely follow. Then it will be like the two countries becoming one family…”

He couldn’t help but laugh, his voice brimming with longing: “If—I mean if—the two countries really break the ice and become permanently friendly neighbors, or even if Dafeng returns to Daqian, then… then could we return to the capital for a visit?”

Zhao San beside him also smiled.

Tie Ci couldn’t smile.

She also couldn’t speak—she was afraid that if she opened her mouth, she’d be choked by sobs.

On Mu Si’s back, with tear-blurred eyes, she looked back and saw people below like ants, bustling about searching, but due to fixed thinking patterns, they all assumed she must have fallen down and no one thought to look up.

Mu Si talked while moving with great agility, leaping and flying on the nearly vertical mountain wall. His skills had improved considerably from before.

Tie Ci suddenly grabbed his shoulder.

She said on Mu Si’s shoulder: “Go down… go down…”

Mu Si froze.

After a long moment, he understood something and said bitterly: “There are no living people down there.”

“Go down.”

“No.” Mu Si said: “You want to find General Xiao, right? But my mission is to rescue you and leave. We can’t be discovered by Rong Pu. Don’t worry—Rong Pu will definitely search for the General. He has far more people than us.”

Naturally, he wouldn’t listen to Tie Ci and climbed quickly. He had almost reached the cliff edge, where shadowy figures above clearly indicated more people waiting to receive them.

Tie Ci suddenly sighed softly.

She looked down, and below, someone finally reacted and looked up from afar.

Zhao San, afraid she was unhappy, said gently from behind: “Your Majesty, please take better care of yourself. When our Majesty sees you like this, who knows how heartbroken he’ll be.”

Tie Ci smiled faintly: “You should go to the capital now.”

To take away those who should be taken, and sweep the graves of the departed.

Before she finished speaking, she suddenly flipped down from Mu Si’s back.

Mu Si and Zhao San were caught completely off guard. They never imagined Tie Ci could suddenly move. Mu Si reached behind his back and indeed, the straps used to secure Tie Ci had broken.

Worried about reliability and to restrain Tie Ci, they had used iron chains, yet they had still broken.

Zhao San, clinging to the mountain wall, pulled out a pocket watch to look at it, his face bewildered: “That can’t be right. Didn’t Jingxu say she couldn’t move for a full hour? There’s still a bit of time left!”

“Exactly!” Mu Si’s hand hung in the air as he said irritably: “She just jumped!”

The two looked down and indeed saw Tie Ci’s rigid body plummeting straight down.

Zhao San screamed, looking as if he wanted to jump down too.

How could they explain this to His Majesty!

Mu Si grabbed him: “Look!”

Zhao San looked down.

With a “poof,” a magnificent large flower suddenly bloomed in their field of vision.

It was also like a huge cloud drifting through the mountain valley.

Tie Ci was tethered beneath this cloud, her descent gradually slowing, also floating down through the mountains like a cloud.

Cheers erupted from the mountains below.

Mu Si and Zhao San both breathed sighs of relief, only then realizing their backs were soaked with cold sweat.

At this moment, Mu Si deeply sympathized with Murong Yi.

He had always mocked Dan Shuang for being stubborn as a mule and hard to pursue, boasting about how easy it had been for him to pursue Tie Ci back then.

In his opinion, the Daqian Emperor was the real stubborn mule.

…

Tie Ci looked up at the giant umbrella above her head.

So this was what a real parachute looked like.

The parachute that Second Senior Brother had imitated back then was actually far inferior to the genuine article.

She had originally prepared for a risky gamble. She only needed a few blinks of time to recover, calculating that when she regained ability, she shouldn’t have completely landed yet. Though it would be somewhat dangerous, it wasn’t completely without chance of a safe landing.

Who knew that because she still wore the muscle suit, the parachute automatically deployed in midair.

These people’s equipment was truly excellent. This time it was entirely because their leader was captured, catching them off guard, restricting their movements, and trapping them on a narrow platform where many people had little space to maneuver and many powerful functions couldn’t be used.

And Daqian’s luck this time was heaven-defying. In Tie Ci’s original plan, she intended to appear personally to lure them onto the platform, then blow up the paths down the mountain and destroy the platform.

But she didn’t know the enemy had parachutes. If they had really executed this plan, she might not have been able to escape, and many enemies could still have fled.

Rong Pu’s plan included capturing the leader, but he didn’t sufficiently understand modern military combat styles. Under normal circumstances, commanders don’t need to personally enter battle. When other soldiers encountered provocation, they would just blast the people to death and might not necessarily pursue them up the low mountain.

In the end, it was Tie Ci and Xiao Xueya who, for an extra layer of security, went to steal the muscle suits. Their false surrender and accidentally obtaining Xilin achieved today’s victory.

Understanding these connections, Tie Ci felt sweat pouring down her back.

This time they had succeeded by luck, but what about next time?

How many more troops did Master have on her side?

She had guessed the enemy didn’t have many people, but what if she guessed wrong?

The success at Qingyang Mountain was almost impossible to replicate.

The Battle of Qingyang Mountain would have been impossible to succeed without her, Xiao Xueya, and Rong Pu gathering together.

Moreover, the accidentally obtained hostage had played a more powerful role than imagined. Often, just holding him casually in front would make the soldiers below, even when they had many opportunities to attack, afraid to act rashly for fear of injuring him.

Such caution could only mean the opponent’s identity was extremely, extremely important.

With such an incredibly important person dead at Qingyang Mountain, what kind of opposition and retaliation would Daqian face?

With a “zing,” Tie Ci landed, and countless people ran toward her.

The platform below no longer existed. Everywhere were ravines filled with corpses and destroyed mechanical parts. Clusters of flames burned sporadically in the black soil, and the air reeked of burned human flesh.

Many people searched among the debris. Actually, most people had seen the scene when they lost Xilin as hostage and fell into the crowd. The foreign warriors finally displayed their powerful firepower—countless white and blue lights sliced through the darkness, crisscrossing back and forth. In the blink of an eye, it seemed even heaven and earth were cut into countless fragments, so much so that people’s retinas were still flashing white and blue.

On the surrounding mountain walls, countless small holes several chi deep were left by those guns, crossing the thirty-zhang mountain platform, crossing the space beyond the platform, and falling on mountain walls a hundred zhang away, still able to leave such deep marks.

No one believed that under such concentrated weapon fire, anyone could survive.

But ultimately, they couldn’t let heroes’ flesh and blood be buried with enemies. Even if it took half a year or a full year of digging, they had to dig the people out.

Rong Pu had already ordered that students who had stayed in caves for support and those previously hiding in underground caves should all come out to clear the battlefield.

He swore to Tie Ci that he would definitely find Xiao Xueya and requested His Majesty to return and rest first. Tie Ci neither spoke nor answered, but found a relatively flat spot on the ground, sat down, and waited.

When called to eat, she didn’t go. When called to rest, she ignored them. She just sat there. When hungry, she ate food brought to her. When tired, she leaned against the still-warm cliff wall and lay down briefly, but whenever anyone came up from below, she would immediately open her eyes.

This wait lasted from deep night until dawn, then from dawn until dusk.

During this particularly long and difficult time, she mostly kept her eyes open, appearing to be thinking, but she knew she wasn’t thinking about anything.

Ever since Murong Yi had sent both Zhao San and Mu Si to take her away, the string that had been taut within her seemed to suddenly loosen for a moment. She should have immediately considered the next steps—what to do if the enemy became enraged and retaliated madly, what to do if the enemy’s military strength was more abundant than expected… But at least for now, she didn’t want to think about anything.

She thought of the great ships that had covered the sky and earth on the Jinsha River, of Murong Yi passing her gifts through the small window while isolating himself on the ship, and of Xiao Xueya in the distance, his back straight as he crossed the gangplank and walked alone into an even lonelier moonlight.

She then thought of the last time she saw Dan Shuang, still in the campus of Daqian Academy, also a back figure carrying books into the dining hall. At that time, Dan Shuang’s steps were light and quick, her whole being radiating relaxation and happiness.

Dan Shuang gradually walked away in the campus. After the fireworks ended, darkness enveloped the white jade railings in front of Chengqian Hall. She leaned against the railings, watching Xiao Wenliu finish their final conversation and turn back into the hall. Just as he was about to cross the threshold, Wen Liu turned back and waved at her.

Then her vision filled with wind and snow. Father Emperor stood at the bottom of the steps in Ruixiang Hall’s courtyard, pointing at the flying dragon wall screen behind her and saying something, then got into his sedan chair, leaving her with his final, slightly stooped back.

And at that time, Murong Yi, wrapped in a great cloak, turned back with a smile.

That was the last smile he gave her before parting.

He, he, they—the people she loved and cared about most were also gradually leaving before her eyes.

Human joy is brief, but separation is bitter.

Yet joy is too short and separation too long—so long that this entire life feels endless, with no hopeful shore in sight.

Many people stood to the side, looking worriedly at His Majesty the Emperor, wanting to comfort but powerless to do so.

They could only dig more desperately.

Everyone knew that the longer time passed, the less hope there was, but no one said a word about giving up.

The pieced-together bodies were scattered and broken, but they had to be assembled one by one for identification. Many people vomited while assembling, then continued after vomiting.

Time passed both slowly and quickly.

Tie Ci’s entire body had stiffened, even her consciousness gradually becoming muddled. Vaguely, someone came to pull her, speaking through tears, and someone seemed to be arguing while others sighed. The surroundings were chaotic, but she was very tired and didn’t want to care. Whoever approached, she would slap them away.

His Majesty the Emperor had never been willful in her life, but today she left everyone helpless.

Only Rong Pu never came forward, neither persuading nor sighing, only accompanying her from afar.

“Let His Majesty rest,” he said.

Her layers upon layers of heartbreak needed an outlet for release.