Before the cliff edge lay scattered footprints, with a piercing wind blowing.

Bi Suo immediately summoned the military craftsmen, having them compare the Northern Rong people’s iron ropes with the vine ropes commonly used by the royal army. He asked, “The Northern Rong used these iron chains… We have vine ropes, could we use vine ropes with iron hooks to temporarily build a ropeway for soldiers to slide across?”

The craftsman carefully examined the terrain and shook his head: “Our vine ropes can be used for climbing walls, but a ropeway crossing requires stronger, longer iron chains. It needs time to prepare. A hasty rope crossing would be far too dangerous. Forcibly using vine ropes would cost many lives!”

Tanmoluojia gestured for the craftsman to withdraw and turned his horse around.

Bi Suo rushed forward, “This subordinate is willing to risk crossing over to pursue Haidu Aling and prevent him from attacking Gaochang…”

From the traces at the cliff’s edge, it was clear that Haidu Aling had taken a desperate risk, losing a batch of subordinates before successfully escaping. He too could try taking the risk, to catch up with Haidu Aling as quickly as possible.

Tanmoluojia shook his head, “The terrain has been destroyed.”

Bi Suo froze, turning back to look at the opposite side.

Indeed, given Haidu Aling’s caution, he would certainly destroy the terrain after reaching the other side to prevent pursuit. Now even if the royal court sent their best craftsmen, they couldn’t build a ropeway within a day.

Sweating profusely, he said, “This subordinate will lead the central army south, through Sand City, to intercept Haidu Aling.”

Tanmoluojia’s face was expressionless: “Too late.”

Even if the army set out south immediately, their marching speed couldn’t catch up.

Bi Suo wiped his sweat.

Haidu Aling’s troops moved as fast as lightning. If Li Yaoying had already reached Gaochang, Gaochang could surely hold out for ten days to half a month, then the royal court would still have time to send relief. But if she encountered the ruthless Haidu Aling on her way to Gaochang… the consequences would be unthinkable.

His heart burning with anxiety, he said, “This subordinate can lead the elite vanguard south at top speed to reach Gaochang, letting reinforcements follow later!”

Tanmoluojia called over Yuanjue and handed him a bronze token.

“She will take the merchant road through Water City. Lead men to catch up with her first. When you find her, don’t go to Gaochang, bring her directly back to the royal court. If she has already reached Gaochang, stay to protect her. If there’s urgent military intelligence, you can seek aid from surrounding tribes.”

Yuanjue’s expression was grave. He responded with a “Yes,” sharply pulled his reins, and galloped south with over a dozen riders.

Haidu Aling had already fled. Gelou stayed behind to search if any of his subordinates remained in the river valley, while the others broke camp to return to the Holy City, reporting detailed military intelligence from recent days along the way.

Bi Suo followed behind, his heart truly uneasy. Several commanders who had been ordered to stay behind found him to inquire about the battle at Samu Valley. He answered absent-mindedly, asking about conditions in the Holy City.

One person said: “Although Haidu Aling failed to break out of the valley, quite a few men in the army were killed or wounded. When news reached the Holy City, those nobles in the city became panic-stricken. Someone with too much time on their hands took the opportunity to spread rumors, saying things like the Wakhan Khan personally led troops to attack, the Samu Valley army was annihilated, and even that you had died in battle. They claimed a hundred thousand troops were already at the city gates, each speaking as if they knew exactly what happened. I almost believed it! Several riots broke out in the city, with a group of nobles packing their valuables and crying out about fleeing the city to escape the disaster. It was chaos, and some even had their private soldiers charge the city gates. The inner city garrison sent people requesting aid, but with Haidu Aling right under our noses, how could we dare leave our posts?”

Hearing this, Bi Suo’s heart skipped a beat: “Riots broke out in the city?”

Those spreading rumors must have been Northern Rong spies who had infiltrated the Holy City beforehand to create chaos, trying to open the city gates from within to let Haidu Aling enter. If their scheme had succeeded, Gelou and the other defending commanders would certainly have sent troops back to help the city, allowing Haidu Aling to march straight in!

That person smiled and said: “It wasn’t anything serious. I heard the temple’s warrior monks step in and quickly quell the riots.”

Bi Suo felt lingering fear – fortunately, the experienced Pamirs who remained guarding the royal temple were well-versed in handling such situations, preventing disaster.

The army soon returned to the Holy City. The blaring of horns sounded, and civilians sprang into action, bringing food and wine, competing to come out and welcome the army. Young women carried crystal-clear fine wine forward, singing ballads and scattering fresh flowers.

Men and women, young and old had all changed into festive clothes. The city was filled with joy, thunderous with celebration.

Tanmoluojia led Bi Suo and the others to avoid the surging crowds, returning to the city through secret passages and heading straight for the palace to receive officials.

Sudan Gu was still alive. The common people found nothing strange about this, believing it was because the Buddha’s son received heaven’s protection that Sudan Gu could escape death.

The officials felt differently – they wouldn’t believe those legends.

Everyone entered the great hall to see Sudan Gu standing before the steps in full military attire, emanating a murderous aura. They were terrified, but then thinking of how he had defeated the Northern Rong and the nobles who had harmed him were executed, they couldn’t help but become excited. First came a round of praise and glory, requesting to hold celebration ceremonies and prisoner presentations, then they strongly denied any connection to the former head of the Xue family, and finally hinted at taking the opportunity to annex Northern Rong territory.

Bi Suo frowned – just after winning one battle, the officials’ ambitions had already inflated.

Tanmoluojia neither agreed nor disagreed, dismissing the officials to summon military commanders. He calmly handled military affairs, assigned tasks, and directed troop movements.

“The Northern Rong tribal nobles are riddled with contradictions. The Wakhan Khan has suffered a great defeat and the allied forces have already scattered. Mopi Duo is pursuing the remnants while other armies strictly guard the passes. Don’t try to eliminate the Northern Rong in one strike – force them to fight separately and defeat them one by one.”

The commanders all responded in agreement. This way, the Northern Rong could not recover their strength for several years.

Order after order was issued. Everyone had their plans and departed with their missions.

During this time, Bi Suo worriedly glanced at Tanmoluojia several times, but encountering his two ice-cold gazes, didn’t dare speak up.

After the commanders left, Tanmoluojia walked out of the great hall and stood before the long steps, looking down at the magnificent palatial buildings below.

In the afternoon a great wind arose, the sky darkened, and clouds churned. The halls and palaces were bathed in heavy twilight. Beyond the palace walls, waves of people filled the streets and alleys as civilians left their homes to celebrate victory, with laughter and cheer echoing throughout the Holy City.

All under heaven rejoiced, and all lands celebrated.

The common people were at peace, but she was in unknown peril, likely in danger.

It was he who had changed plans last minute, making her leave early.

Because Li Xuanzhen’s arrival made him realize she would eventually leave, Mopi Duo’s embrace made him unable to suppress the greed in his heart, and when she slept soundly using his thigh as a pillow, he couldn’t control his hand wanting to touch her.

The scriptures in the books, he had long memorized backward and understood thoroughly. He had his way, not caring for worldly views, walking alone for one lifetime, passing in the blink of an eye. His only companion was but a dream bubble.

But the bubble was so beautiful and tempting.

Initially allowing her to follow the army was his moment of indulgence.

If he didn’t let her go, he didn’t know what he would do.

All troubles were but guidance – letting go was liberation.

He let the person go, but couldn’t let go of his concern.

Dark clouds rolled across the sky, covering heaven and earth, surging with momentum as flashes of snow-bright lightning crossed between the clouds.

The wind’s howl filled every street and alley.

Tanmoluojia raised his eyes to gaze at the dim horizon, the wind filling his sleeves, making them flutter wildly.

She had been so afraid of Haidu Aling back then… When he told her to go to Sand City, she didn’t ask a single question, leaving quietly. In her letter, she only said she had caused him trouble and thanked him for his understanding.

Tiny, weak lights began to shine in every corner of the palaces and neighborhoods. The fierce wind raged, dark clouds pressed down on the city, thunder roared, layers of black clouds enveloped everything, cold lightning danced wildly, and the lights of ten thousand homes all dimmed.

Tanmoluojia gripped his sword and turned around in the howling wind.

A blue-white lightning bolt tore through the night sky, illuminating the horizon as if a giant hiding in the black clouds was swinging a long sword, cleaving the entire heavens.

The snow-white lightning lit up Tanmoluojia’s face, illuminating his scarred features and also revealing the quietly surging waves in his eyes.

Bi Suo stood before him, looking at his deep jade eyes, and said: “My king, the overall situation is settled, I will guard the Holy City well…”

He had arranged everything, except considering himself. Now, he should have been selfish once.

Deafening thunder exploded in the sky, roof tiles shook, and heaven and earth trembled.

In the rumbling thunder, Tanmoluojia quickly leaped down the long steps, mounted his horse, and galloped away. His tall, straight figure was lonely and isolated as if wanting to ride the wind home.

Bi Suo rushed down the stone steps after him, followed by several personal guards on horseback, escorting him out of the city through the corridor.

The army had won victory, so there was no curfew in the city tonight. Bursts of joyful laughter came from behind the ward walls. The thunder rolled on, the clouds pressed lower and lower, and the soldiers on the towers felt they could reach up and touch the black clouds.

Several fast horses shot like arrows through the empty corridor, hoofbeats like thunder, the wind making clothes rustle loudly.

Bi Suo waved the bronze token at the guards on the corridor walls, signaling them to notify the tower guards to open the city gates.

The soldiers on the corridor walls held torches, running back and forth as the orders spread toward the city gates.

Suddenly, a faint light floated from ahead as fast horses galloped towards them, the riders wearing the attire of royal temple warrior monks.

“Regent, General!”

The warrior monk galloped up to everyone, not waiting for his horse to steady before clasping his hands and saying: “The Princess has been waiting for some time.”

Bi Suo frowned, slowing slightly, and said: “Tell Princess Chima I’ll see her tomorrow.”

The warrior monk scratched his head, spurring his horse to catch up: “General, it’s not Princess Chima… it’s Princess Wenzhao. The Princess heard the Regent and General had returned and waited at the royal temple. Seeing it was dark and court meetings were over, but the Regent and General hadn’t returned to the royal temple, the Princess had to come herself…”

Wind sounds, thunder sounds, hoof sounds, lightning flashing, making the corridor bright as day.

After galloping several horse lengths ahead, Bi Suo realized what the warrior monk had said and sharply pulled his reins, freezing like a wooden chicken.

A moment later, he viciously whipped his mount, catching up to Tanmoluojia at the front.

“Regent — Princess Wenzhao is in the Holy City!”

This shout was drowned in the booming thunder, but just as Bi Suo thought Tanmoluojia hadn’t heard, that tall figure suddenly paused, his stallion rearing with a neigh and coming to a stop.

Tanmoluojia turned his head, a flash of lightning crossing the night sky. His face was dark as a storm, like a rakshasa demon, his jade eyes suffused with blood-red darkness, a murderous aura emanating from his entire being.

Bi Suo’s heart trembled slightly, not knowing if he was helping or harming him, and turned to ask the warrior monk: “Where is the Princess?”

The warrior monk pointed in the direction he came from: “The Princess is behind.”

Just as he finished speaking, the sound of orderly hoofbeats came through the wind, torchlight flickering, as over a dozen personal guards escorted a cloaked woman slowly riding forward.

Thunder crashed and lightning flashed, blue-white light coming in waves, shadows dancing as the woman rode slowly, as if descending from heaven on lightning bolts.

The atmosphere in the corridor was heavy.

Tanmoluojia gripped his reins and stopped in the middle of the corridor, his figure frozen still like towering mountains.

The woman seemed completely unaware of the dark undercurrents surrounding them. Seeing Tanmoluojia’s group, she appeared delighted and spurred her horse forward to meet them. The wind blew back her cloak hood, revealing a face of stunning beauty, her sleek glossy black hair wrapped in a gentle glow under the lightning’s illumination, as if haloed in flowing light.

She waved to Tanmoluojia, her face like a blooming flower: “General Su…”

With an enormous boom, a thunderbolt exploded above everyone’s heads, as if heaven and earth were splitting apart, mountains and ground shaking.

A sudden pattering sound arose atop the corridor walls as clouds surged and raindrops smashed down heavily, drawing a curtain of rain ten thousand feet high between heaven and earth.

The rain grew increasingly dense, pea-sized raindrops rolling across the courtyard walls and roof tiles, water splashing in all directions.

The torches were extinguished by the rain, plunging the corridor into darkness.

Tanmoluojia stood motionless in the rain, letting it wash down his face without moving a muscle.

Yaoying made a small sound of surprise, pulled up her hood, and rode closer to Tanmoluojia.

He remained silent, his jade eyes fixed on her, reflecting the lightning from the horizon in their depths.

Yaoying smiled at him: “I’ve been at the royal court so long, but rarely see rain here…”

As she spoke, she untied a cloth bag from her waist, raising her hand to try to shield Tanmoluojia from the rain.

“General, you must be wounded, don’t get wet…”

The next moment, her breath caught in her throat.

Tanmoluojia suddenly leaned down and tightly gripped her wrist, his fingers burning hot.

Yaoying froze.

As rain poured down, he pulled her closer inch by inch. Yaoying looked up at him as his scarred face drew nearer and nearer.

The thunder stopped, and cold raindrops struck Yaoying’s eyelids, making her tremble uncontrollably.

Tanmoluojia’s eyes lowered as he gripped her hand. His other hand rose to brush aside her long hair, his palm pressing against her neck as he drew her into his embrace.

He held her and slowly closed his eyes.

Several raindrops gathered on his eyelashes, trembling slightly before finally dropping from their tips with tiny splashes.

Yaoying’s forehead pressed against his chest, leaving her dazed and unable to recover for a long while until she could finally feel her heart pounding.

His powerful arms encircled her back, his heartbeat steady and slow, his body rigid as iron.

The rain poured down.

The personal guards in the corridor stared at the two in astonishment.

The warrior monk looked shocked and was about to spur his horse forward when Bi Suo caught sight of him from the corner of his eye, shook his head, and made a hushing gesture.

Rain cascaded like a waterfall, enveloping the two figures.

Bi Suo signaled all the personal guards to withdraw.

All meetings of love and impermanence make it hard to last long, life in this world holds many fears, life more precarious than morning dew. From love comes worry, from love comes fear, if one parts from love, there is neither worry nor fear.

Luojia now had a weakness.

His meddling would be useless – better to let Luojia indulge himself a bit before Princess Wenzhao left.

The royal court’s guards withdrew, while Yaoying’s guards looked at each other, unsure of what to do.

First Mopi Duo, now the royal court’s Regent… the guards secretly thought their lord would be furious.

Cold rainwater slid down her collar and across her warm skin, making Yaoying shiver all over.

The arm around her shoulders immediately released her. She raised her head to look at Tanmoluojia so close before her, eyes wide with disbelief, shock, confusion, bewilderment, and uncertainty flashing through them.

This expression was just like when she first saw him eat clean meat, wearing a face of stunning shock as if struck by lightning.

Afterward, whenever he dined, she would secretly watch him.

Tanmoluojia released Yaoying, the blood-red tint fading from his eyes, and casually took the cloth bag she was clutching tightly, helping her put on her hood and tie the strings.

His movements were natural as if he had only leaned down to take what was in her hands and happened to embrace her in the process.

Yaoying became even more dazed, doubting whether the embrace had been her imagination.

“General?”

She called to him softly.

Tanmoluojia shifted his gaze away, his wet chin glistening: “My old wound acted up just now, I lost composure for a moment. Please forgive me, Princess.”

His voice was dark and hoarse.

Yaoying’s brows furrowed slightly, wanting to say something, but Tanmoluojia gently squeezed his horse’s flanks and rode away.

She wore a puzzled expression.

When he had embraced her just now, she had suddenly lost her senses, her heart racing, but his breathing hadn’t even changed. His entire being was ice-cold, emanating a fierce killing aura, completely different from Mopi Duo’s nervous passion when he embraced her – there was no sense of surging emotion.

Yaoying remained lost in thought in the rain for a while before pulling her cloak tight and following him.

The rain grew heavier as the group silently returned to the royal temple, all soaked through, each returning to their rooms to change clothes.

Bi Suo first escorted Yaoying back to her quarters, instructing servants to bring charcoal fires and medicine to prevent cold, then went to see Tanmoluojia.

Just as he walked out of the long corridor, he saw a dark figure standing before the stone steps, completely drenched, jade eyes shot through with blood vessels, a faint red tinge between his brows.

“Why is she in the Holy City?”

He withdrew his gaze and turned to walk into the corridor, asking softly.

As if asking Bi Suo, yet also asking himself.

Why hadn’t she left?

Bi Suo followed behind him, smiling, “My king, I cannot guess Princess Wenzhao’s thoughts. You should ask the Princess directly.”

Tanmoluojia said nothing, but as he walked, he suddenly stopped, his brows tightly knitted.

Bi Suo was startled, thinking something was wrong, and quickly rushed forward.

Tanmoluojia gave a muffled grunt and vomited a mouthful of fresh blood, several streaks spattering down, immediately staining a patch of his clothes red.

“Regent…”

Bi Suo looked at him, both worried and relieved.

From the moment Li Yaoying left, Luojia had kept his emotions tightly wound, enduring and suppressing them without showing anything unusual, but this blood had been congesting his chest the whole time. The longer it stayed, the more damage it caused. Now that he had seen her safe and sound, he finally relaxed and coughed up the congested blood.

Tanmoluojia’s expression remained calm as he wiped away the blood streaks and closed his eyes briefly.

“It’s nothing.”

He said lightly, walking a few steps before stumbling and collapsing to the ground.

Bi Suo’s face changed drastically as he rushed forward to support Tanmoluojia, who had lost consciousness, his eyes tightly shut.

How could it be nothing? He was unwell.

Bi Suo called for Pamirs and had the unconscious Tanmoluojia carried back to his secret chamber to change his soaked clothes.

His body burned like fire, rigid all over, his consciousness hazy.

Bi Suo fed him several pills and forced several bowls of soothing medicine down his throat, but he still burned with fever, his mind unclear.

The informed physician rushed over in the night to examine him, shaking his head with a sigh: “It’s not his martial arts acting up, no signs of qi deviation.”

Bi Suo asked anxiously: “Then what’s the cause?”

The physician said: “The king may be too exhausted… with busy official duties plus having to be constantly vigilant on the battlefield, he’s mentally and physically exhausted. Combined with using his martial arts, his body couldn’t take it. It’s also possible that these days of emotional suppression with no release have triggered his old condition.”

“How should we treat it?”

The physician frowned: “The king must first stop using his martial arts and take medicine to recover. These days he absolutely must rest well and keep his spirits up…”

Bi Suo had the physician personally prepare the medicine, watched Tanmoluojia for a while, and then called for Pamirs.

“Go invite Princess Wenzhao.”