The Holy Emperor stumbled down the mountainside, his short robe in tatters and his hair half undone. Seeing the purple Yulin Camp not far away, he glanced back several times to find no one pursuing, and slowed his pace, walking gradually towards it.
Suddenly hearing war drums in the distance, a smug smile appeared on the Holy Emperor’s lips. “No matter who comes to save you, it will be like moths flying into flames. So, it’s more realistic to consider how to kneel at my feet and speak pleasingly…”
After walking a few more zhang, the purple-clad Yulin guards patrolling nearby spotted him and immediately rushed over, shouting.
“Commander Xiao, they’ve discovered us and are now gathering their forces, forming a battle formation,” a deputy general ran over, pointing towards the Yulin Grand Camp’s position. “The smoke is rising from the slope behind them. His Highness must be on the mountain!”
Xiao Weiran gazed intently at where the smoke column was rising for a while before turning his attention to the soldiers poised for action. He coughed twice, then spoke slowly but forcefully, “I’ll ask you one last time. Those who don’t wish to bear the name of traitors from now on can still withdraw…”
“Commander Xiao!” A burly man came up from behind, striding forward and shouting, “Give the order! Even if I have to lay down my life on this hill, I’ll ensure His Highness’s safety!” Before he finished speaking, the other soldiers also began shouting enthusiastically, “Commander Xiao, give the order!” The echoes resounded throughout the valley, “Give the order… Give the order…”
“Very well!” Xiao Weiran declared proudly. “Regardless of victory or defeat, life or death in this battle, endless wars await us in the future. We must fight this one beautifully!”
“That’s Weiran,” Xia Jingshi said, frowning slightly. “We have the advantage in numbers, but the Yulin Grand Camp is well-rested…” Feng Suige calculated quickly in his mind while saying, “The Yulin army will focus all their energy on forming battle formations. The number of people surrounding the mountain will surely decrease. Should we find a more hidden mountain path to go down from the rear and then try to break through to join the reinforcements from Lu City?”
“We can, but,” Xia Jingshi glanced calmly at Feng Suige, “Yi Xiao must stay behind to take care of Xiyang.” Feng Suige scratched his head in frustration. “I want to take Xiyang down with us and send her directly to the nearest town for treatment after we break through.”
“Calm down. She can’t withstand much jostling. If something goes wrong in the chaos, it’ll be too late for regrets,” Xia Jingshi gestured to a nearby officer, signaling him to go and order the troops to assemble. “If possible, I wouldn’t want to leave Yi Xiao here either, but everyone here except her is male. They can’t help with Xiyang’s wounds.”
Feng Suige thought for a while before turning hesitantly to look at Yi Xiao, who stood nearby in a daze. “Alright, with her here, I’ll be more at ease.”
Only after the last healthy horse disappeared from view did Yi Xiao, carrying the water skin and dried food left by Feng Suige, slowly walk back into the forest.
Hearing Yi Xiao’s footsteps, Feng Xiyang slightly lifted her eyelids. “Where is he…”
“The troops from Lu City have arrived. The two of them led the team to break through, telling us to wait here,” Yi Xiao crouched beside her, opening the water skin and bringing it to her lips. “Drink some water.”
Xiyang shook her head. “I’m not thirsty— Can you move me to a place where I can see them… I want to look at him one more time.” Yi Xiao was taken aback and firmly refused. “Your wound has just stopped bleeding. Moving again will cause it to burst open— I don’t have the strength to carry you back and forth. Let’s just wait here for news.” With that, Yi Xiao put the water skin aside and sat down, leaning against a tree trunk.
She still hadn’t told Feng Suige that the fatal stab Feng Xiyang received was from her hand, though it wasn’t intentional.
But she didn’t feel guilty about accidentally injuring Feng Xiyang. Apart from Feng Xiyang being Feng Suige’s sister, any goodwill she had towards Feng Xiyang had vanished after she privately released the Holy Emperor. Now, all that remained was sympathy.
Feng Xiyang didn’t understand love, and Xia Jingshi’s feelings weren’t the result of constant wearing down. Of these two people caught in the situation, the one who fled gave no chance at all, while the one who pursued made more mistakes the more he tried, unable to stop.
It was unclear whether she was the third person in this tangled relationship.
Her heart was conflicted.
She had always hoped for Xia Jingshi’s happiness and thought such a passionate woman would be enough to warm his cold and lonely heart. Who knew it would end up like this?
That person’s thoughts were always difficult for her to fathom.
In the Yulin army’s main tent at the foot of the mountain, the Holy Emperor, having washed and changed into a general’s armor, looked much more spirited. Sitting comfortably in a large chair, sipping the fragrant tea offered by the Yulin army, he said coldly, “There are only about a hundred people on the mountain, so just form ranks to block the rebel army coming from behind. I want Xia Jingshi and Feng Suige—once we capture them, the rebel army will naturally retreat.”
“Your subject obeys!” The heavily armored Yulin general responded, quickly exiting the tent. The Holy Emperor’s fingertips lightly traced his wrists, bruised from being bound, and he muttered grimly, “The humiliation I’ve suffered, you will repay a thousandfold!”
Xiao Weiran stood on a slightly elevated hill under the protection of two deputy generals, watching the two armies facing off in the distance. Suddenly, his brow furrowed, and the deputy general beside him exclaimed, “Look! The Yulin army has split into two!” “The situation is not good,” Xiao Weiran continued gravely. “They’re preparing to hold us off while attacking the mountain—we can’t wait any longer. We must end this quickly!”
The deputy general responded promptly, blowing a loud whistle. Immediately, the sound of drums thundered from the battle formation, and the cavalry at the front of the ranks shouted as they swept toward the distant purple army.
The thunderous drum beats startled the troops who had just reached the middle of the mountain. Xia Jingshi listened intently in surprise, “Weiran ordered a quick attack?!” Feng Suige’s expression immediately changed. “Could there be some unusual movement in the Yulin Grand Camp? Could it be the Holy Emperor…”
“Whatever the case, we need to speed up,” Xia Jingshi looked back worriedly towards the mountaintop. “Every moment we delay puts them in more danger.”
Feng Suige nodded, gripping the reins and quickening his pace. The entire team immediately followed closely.
Feng Xiyang’s injury, the Holy Emperor’s sudden disappearance… The tense atmosphere before the bloody battle spread like a mist among this team.
Ning Fei led a group of soldiers, hurrying through the dense forest.
Since they had split up and advanced, they had encountered Yulin Camp’s pursuing troops several times, each time narrowly escaping. He had left the severely wounded soldiers scattered in various civilian areas, while he continued with the remaining men.
Counting the days, if all went well, Xia Jingshi should have already joined up with Weiran and perhaps had already returned to Lu City. Thinking of Lu City, Ning Fei’s heart softened involuntarily. His wife was there, along with his unborn child.
A sound of stumbling came from behind. Ning Fei looked back to see a soldier who had been lightly wounded in the last encounter falling to the ground. Looking at the others, they were all out of breath as well.
With a slight sigh, Ning Fei went forward to help up the fallen soldier, saying softly, “Everyone’s tired. Let’s rest for a while before moving on.”
The soldier looked at him gratefully, panting as he sat down nearby.
Licking his dry lips, Ning Fei took the water skin from his waist and shook it. There was a faint clanking sound; not much water was left. He looked around and walked towards the lower ground.
The dried food was enough to last a few days in these mountains, but water was essential. It would be best to find a clean water source nearby, otherwise…
Hearing the sound of water, Ning Fei jumped down from a protruding rock and ran into a mountain hollow. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks, his pupils constricting at the sight before him.
There was indeed a small stream ahead.
But.
On the forest edge by the stream, densely packed and resting, were all brightly armored Jinxiu cavalry. And they all looked up in surprise, staring at Ning Fei who had suddenly rushed into their line of sight.