The bowstrings sang as several arrows flew toward Haidu Aling, who was dressed in a gauze skirt. The gleaming arrowheads whistled past his braided hair. He darted aside, one hand wielding a blade in defense while the other gripped Yuchi Damo. In the cramped space, he dodged left and right, using screens, bedding platforms, and long tables as cover while attempting to break through the encirclement.
More and more imperial guards joined the attack, turning the arrows into a downpour. His eyes showed no fear as he leaped into the air, charging straight into the rain of arrows. An arrow whistled past his cheek, spraying blood. His towering figure suddenly froze mid-air before tumbling to the ground. When he raised his head again, half his face was a bloody mess.
Seeing him wounded, the commander of the imperial guards shouted with increasing excitement: “Shoot! Kill the assassin, and a hundred gold pieces will be yours!”
Haidu Aling’s face darkened, his eyes blood-red, his light yellow pupils overflowing with cold killing intent. He rolled on the ground, dodging the swooping arrows, and rolled toward a corridor pillar. Still clutching Yuchi Damo tightly, his right hand tore open his clothes. The tattered dress instantly shredded, revealing the tight-sleeved garment underneath.
At Lady Yina’s command, the shout of “hundred gold reward” spread throughout the palace. All palace guards rushed toward the hall, their footsteps merging into a tidal wave that made the entire palace tremble.
The previously festive hall had devolved into chaos.
Yao Ying stood at a high vantage point, her clothes fluttering in the wind, watching the battle in the hall without blinking.
Amidst the flashing blades and swords, Haidu Aling struggled desperately, like a furious trapped beast.
Shadows moved in the long corridor as Lady Yina, dressed in magnificent attire, ascended the stone steps surrounded by imperial guards. Looking at the surrounded Haidu Aling, she sneered: “Haidu Aling, did you think I wouldn’t recognize you just because you dressed as a woman? To think you’re a Northern Rong prince, yet you disguise yourself as a woman, like a rat in the gutter, trying to sow discord between my husband and me, plotting rebellion. How dare you wear armor and command ten thousand cavalry?”
Haidu Aling remained silent.
Lady Yina raised her voice: “I know it’s you! You’re just a lowborn raised by beasts! It was my uncle who took pity on you and gave you a chance at life. You ungrateful beast, betraying kindness with malice, how dare you try to poison Jin Bo! You’re unworthy to be a child of the Wolf Clan! Today I’ll deal with you on behalf of my uncle! I’ll use your skull as a wine cup for Jin Bo!”
Haidu Aling’s clothes were in disarray, his appearance wretched, half his face streaming with blood. Through the dense crowd of guards, the forest of blades, and the spiderweb of arrows, he met Lady Yina’s gaze and laughed loudly: “Yina, all your brothers fell to me in battle. What makes you think you can kill me?”
Lady Yina’s expression turned icy as she coldly snorted, her eyes filled with contempt. She declared loudly: “Jin Bo was protected by the Wolf God and survived the catastrophe. He has already returned to Ya Ting to report to his uncle about your assassination attempt! The Khan will surely issue a death warrant for you! Haidu Aling, even if you are the Northern Rong’s greatest warrior, how can you alone resist the pursuit of hundreds of warriors? From today onwards, there will be no place for you to hide in the northern desert or western regions. You won’t escape even if you grow wings!”
“If you’re sensible, surrender now, and I’ll let you die quickly.”
After speaking, she didn’t even glance at the captive Yuchi Damo but pointed toward Haidu Aling.
The guards wielding knives, spears, and clubs pressed forward layer by layer, shrinking the encirclement and blocking all of Haidu Aling’s escape routes, waiting to trap him completely.
In this desperate situation, Haidu Aling’s face grew solemn. He remained silent, seemingly aware that he was surrounded by no escape, having given up hope and preparing for a final stand.
A satisfied smile appeared on Lady Yina’s lips.
She had been closest to Jin Bo and his brothers since childhood and had always resented how Haidu Aling, raised among wolf packs, had stolen the spotlight from her cousins. The Northern Rong royal family were all descendants of the divine wolf, of noble birth. How could Haidu Aling, this parentless lowborn, this foreigner, be worthy of being a Northern Rong prince?
The guards slowly approached the hall. The few at the front were so excited their eyes gleamed, but none dared to strike first. Haidu Aling was the Northern Rong’s greatest warrior, his reputation formidable, and they dared not act rashly.
The archers on the outside continued drawing their bows, arrows flying toward Haidu Aling, who flashed behind a corridor pillar to dodge.
Lady Yina stood behind the crowd and, seeing the guards’ hesitation shouted: “Whoever takes his head will become a commander of ten thousand households and receive a hundred gold pieces!”
The guards were encouraged, and cheers erupted.
Three guards raised their long swords, steeled their nerves, and charged toward Haidu Aling with a shout.
Haidu Aling’s light yellow eyes suddenly widened as he coldly surveyed his surroundings. Drawing energy to his core, he roared in fury: “Seeking death!”
This roar carried internal force, like the howl of the king of beasts, overwhelming in its momentum. The hall’s tiles shook, and dust sprinkled down.
The guards surrounding him felt the roar explode beside their ears. They grew dizzy, their hearts pounding like drums, their internal organs feeling as if they were being sliced and stirred, leaving them barely able to stand.
A series of clattering sounds rang out as swords fell to the ground. Several guards nearest to Haidu Aling clutched their ears, screaming in agony, their bodies trembling as blood trickled from their lips.
The other guards retreated in fear, remembering Haidu Aling’s heroic image on the battlefield, fighting a hundred men alone. Like being doused with snow water, their survival instinct temporarily suppressed their fevered desire for glory.
Lady Yina stepped back, her face ashen.
On the wall, after Haidu Aling’s roar, Yao Ying, hiding in the shadows, also felt thunder in her ears and her heart racing wildly.
She steadied herself, fingers lightly gripping her sleeve.
Yang Qian stood beside her, gazing toward the hall with furrowed brows, his right hand tightly gripping his sword. He said: “Haidu Aling truly deserves his title as the greatest warrior.”
Yao Ying remained silent.
In the great hall, after Haidu Aling’s roar drove back several guards, he charged through the encirclement with one hand still holding Yuchi Damo. Swift as a rabbit and fierce as a falcon, he was like a steel blade, directly tearing through the guards’ blockade. Several arrows whistled toward him, but he swept his hand, creating a gust that knocked the arrows to the ground inches from him.
Lady Yina continuously screamed orders, and the guards gritted their teeth and continued charging forward. Several dozen, even hundreds of people surged forward – even without weapons, they could crush him by sheer numbers.
Haidu Aling fought four or five guards simultaneously, remaining calm in the crisis. His defense was impenetrable, as if he had three heads and six arms, advancing and retreating at will. Where his long sword fell, flesh and blood flew, and guards collapsed.
The hall was packed so tightly that not even water could flow through. Bodies tangled together, torchlight flickered, and those outside could no longer see what was happening inside. The guards were squeezed together, barely able to turn around, but the deadly struggle continued, screams never ceasing.
One guard after another fell as Haidu Aling, bathed in blood, fought like a wild beast.
Those who met his gaze were frightened into retreat, their legs trembling.
His lips curled into a smile as he spotted a gap. Still holding Yuchi Damo, he burst through the encirclement, leaped onto the roof, and his tall figure vanished into the vast night.
Lady Yina’s furious roar rang out: “Quickly chase after him! Kill without mercy! Don’t let him leave Gaochang alive!”
The guards responded loudly, gripping their swords tightly as they gave chase.
In the hall, corpses lay strewn about, blood everywhere.
Fallen torches had ignited the brocade curtains, and flames quickly devoured half the hall. The fire blazed fiercely as shouts echoed throughout the palace.
In the distance, Yang Qian gazed long in the direction of Haidu Aling’s escape, his heart stirred, his hand on his sword hilt cold as snow.
He had practiced martial arts since youth and was rather prideful, with rakish habits, always loving to compete with others. Just moments ago, he had been eager to jump down and test his skills against Haidu Aling. Now, he suddenly understood why his elders always laughed at his recklessness and naivety. There were always greater powers in the world. Haidu Aling was a first-rate master – his showy techniques might impress others, but they were merely flowery movements. If he had charged in, he certainly wouldn’t have survived the other’s killing moves.
Yang Qian withdrew his gaze and turned to Yao Ying: “The Princess predicted correctly. Lady Yina indeed couldn’t kill Haidu Aling.”
Yao Ying spoke softly: “For Haidu Aling to dare enter the palace alone, he must have been confident in his escape. Though he appears rough, he is quite calculating. His actions may seem rash, but they are well-planned.”
Yang Qian said reluctantly: “It’s a pity he escaped this disaster.”
Yao Ying’s expression remained calm.
Though she couldn’t kill Haidu Aling – with Xie Qing still severely wounded and others no match for him – that didn’t mean she was powerless. After identifying Haidu Aling, she immediately ordered Xie Chong and others to deliver Jin Bo’s distress message to Lady Yina, informing her that Haidu Aling was plotting with Yuchi Damo to kill her.
Lady Yina had indeed fallen for the trap, setting up an ambush, hoping to strike first.
Though the ambush failed, Haidu Aling’s identity was exposed. What would Khan Wahan, Jin Bo, and the other princes do to him when he returned to Northern Rong? His troubles would cascade, and in the days to come, his pursuers would be as numerous as fish crossing a river.
Even if he could turn this danger into safety, the Northern Rong’s internal conflicts ran deep, and confrontation was inevitable. He was too young now, unable to suppress the Northern Rong nobility. Even if he killed Khan Wahan and his son, he couldn’t convince the nobles and would face resistance everywhere.
The fire raged to the sky as the night wind blew cold.
Yao Ying pulled her cloak tighter, the blazing firelight reflecting off her mask.
Haidu Aling would surely never know that tonight’s trap was her way of letting others do her killing. The Northern Rong had instigated wars between Central Plains countries, hoping to profit from their fighting. She was giving them a taste of their own medicine, intensifying the conflict between him and the other princes. Once the Northern Rong split apart, they couldn’t launch an expedition.
…
The palace was in chaos.
Yang Qian escorted Yao Ying from the palace.
Yao Ying instructed him: “When the Lord of Yuchi returns, the next step is to arrange personnel. Lady Yina just showed no regard for her lord’s life – he can make more demands.”
Haidu Aling wouldn’t kill Yuchi Damo. The less Lady Yina cared about her husband, the more determined he would be to keep Damo alive.
Yang Qian grunted in agreement. He understood Damo – the man excelled neither in letters nor martial arts, his greatest skill being submission. By now, he should have gained Haidu Aling’s trust according to plan.
Xie Qing waited outside the palace gates. Learning that Haidu Aling hadn’t died, his brows furrowed slightly as he helped Yao Ying into the carriage.
Yao Ying had spent long in the wind atop the wall, and her body was cold.
Xie Qing handed her a hand warmer. She took it in her palms, feeling slightly warmer.
Yang Qian stood outside the carriage, watching it leave. Suddenly, he ran after it, knocked on the window, and asked: “Princess, since you knew Haidu Aling wouldn’t die, why did you insist on entering the palace?”
He, Yuchi Damo, and Xie Chong had rehearsed tonight’s plan repeatedly. The princess didn’t need to appear, but she had insisted on entering the palace. He had thought she wanted to witness Haidu Aling’s death personally.
Just now, when Haidu Aling escaped, everyone was incredulous, yet the princess remained remarkably calm, showing she had known the outcome all along.
Knowing the ambush would fail, why enter the palace?
Yao Ying held the hand warmer, slowly exhaled, and said with a light laugh: “To be honest with you, Fourth Young Master, this way I’ll have fewer nightmares.”
She had once been Haidu Aling’s captive. He had been very arrogant, knowing she was just a weak woman who couldn’t escape his grasp, patiently trying to break her like one would train a hawk, forcing her to submit.
Many nights, exhausted, hungry, afraid, and desperate, she had curled up trembling, secretly thinking she might as well give in to Haidu Aling.
The next moment, she would grip the Bright Moon Pearl that Li Zhongqian had given her and clench her teeth.
“Before, I was terrified whenever I saw Haidu Aling.”
Yao Ying raised her hand to smooth her hair, smiling at Yang Qian.
She knew Haidu Aling would lead iron cavalry to trample the Central Plains, and knew that Li Zhongqian in the book died fighting him. How could she not fear him?
“So tonight I had to enter the palace, to witness Haidu Aling’s ambush with my own eyes, to see him wounded. When I face him again, I’ll be braver.”
If she couldn’t avoid it, she would face her fear directly.
Her tone was playful as if joking.
Yang Qian couldn’t smile. He gazed at her for a moment before saying seriously: “The Princess must have suffered greatly.”
His sister was about the princess’s age, innocent and carefree, knowing no sorrow, daily worried only about which clothes and jewelry would make her stand out and earn her beloved’s praise. Yet the princess had wandered in foreign lands, traveling thousands of miles, not knowing when she could reunite with her brother.
Yao Ying closed her eyes briefly, remembering those desperate, helpless days after Li Zhongqian left, the lecherous gaze of the Yelu clan’s crown prince, the greedy stares of other princes…
As bitter memories surged forth, her eyes grew warm.
A noble, cold figure flashed by, as if great beams of bright light poured down, washing away the dark, cold memories like the tide.
Yao Ying came back to herself. The hand warmer in her hands spread comfortable warmth, her fingers cozy, her heart flowing with warmth.
She remembered her time at the Buddhist temple, following the monks to morning prayers.
Amid the Sanskrit chants, the man sat dignified in the Buddhist hall, holding a lotus, and wearing bright red robes like fire. He had looked at her, his eyes like crystal, transcendently elegant.
Unable to recite the scriptures, she had blinked at him.
His gaze was clear and faint as he looked away.
Yao Ying laughed softly, “Later, I met a very good person.”
Her eyebrows and eyes were full of smiles, her voice gentle and melodious.
Yang Qian could sense her relaxation now and couldn’t help but feel relieved for her. He asked curiously: “Was that person the Buddha’s Son?”
Yao Ying nodded: “The Buddha’s Son treated me very well.”
Yang Qian recalled the rumors in the city and wondered: why did the princess say the rumors were false?
He hesitated for a while, not daring to voice his thoughts, watching as the carriage wheels rolled into the night before turning back to the palace.
With Haidu Aling escaping from under their noses, Lady Yina was furious, dispatching all her guards to hunt him down.
Yang Qian led a group of drunken noble youths charging into the palace, drawing his sword and volunteering: “My lady, our lord has fallen into villainous hands and is in mortal danger. As his subjects, we cannot stand idly by! Please allow us to rescue our lord! I will cut Haidu Aling into ten thousand pieces!”
With that, he slashed through a seat.
Lady Yina gave him a cold glance and nodded her approval.
Yang Qian immediately asked her for bronze tokens to leave the city.
In her fury, Lady Yina didn’t think too much and ordered the tokens brought.
Yang Qian accepted the tokens, and knelt in respect, his lips curling slightly.