The carriage across from them was snow white and spotless, the Screaming Wind mare watching him proudly and silently.

Ten years, and everything remained the same.

Li Chaoyang’s voice rang out from within the carriage, hollow and cold, with a hint of absent-mindedness: “The Emperor of Qiong Kingdom has issued three imperial edicts summoning you back to court. Why do you resist the decree and refuse to comply?”

Lu Qianqiao said indifferently: “Now that there are no wars, why should I come and go at their beck and call, scheming with others in the imperial court.”

“Peasant soldiers are rioting, Qiong Kingdom is in constant internal turmoil – how can you say there are no wars? In three more months you’ll face your transformation tribulation. Would you rather shrink your head like a turtle and die in the Imperial Tomb, dying with the title of a demoted general? Do you think I would pity you and allow your willfulness? You have brought no glory to our clan, nor will you be permitted to bring any shame upon it.”

He smiled faintly with slight mockery: “Dying under peasant soldiers’ blades wouldn’t be shameful?”

The carriage fell silent for a moment, then the fine green bamboo curtain slowly rolled up, and Li Chaoyang’s ice and snow-like countenance appeared inch by inch before his eyes.

Two almost identical faces with deep, gentle contours. Only his nose was too stubbornly straight – they said he resembled his father in this, that man who had once held overwhelming power in Qiong Kingdom’s court, only to see his supporters scatter when his tree fell.

Li Chaoyang’s eyes looked at him, yet seemed to look through him at something unknown. It had always been this way – her treatment of him was perpetually absent-minded and cold, the same as her treatment of everyone else.

“So your choice is to live out your final three months in debauchery with a bunch of little immortals and demons stinking like bugs? Who was that little immortal who released the crow? How dare he spy on our clan’s secrets – you spend your days mixing with such people?”

He didn’t answer.

After ten years, he had finally learned not to show any emotion or speak any useless words when facing her.

She still spoke so indifferently: “These matters aside, I’ve never expected much from you anyway. Since you’re unwilling to achieve military merit before death, then come back with me. At least don’t die outside and bring disgrace.”

Lu Qianqiao still didn’t answer.

Li Chaoyang’s scattered gaze finally focused somewhat on his face: “You would defy me?”

He nodded, calmly stood up, and dusted the mud from his robe.

Her red double pupils precisely met his indifferent eyes – she was angry. The bamboo curtain slowly lowered, her figure disappearing into shadow.

“You’ve grown increasingly bold.”

The two War Ghosts across from him walked toward him, clasped their hands together, and bowed coldly: “Please make your move.”

What was meant to come would still come.

He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again moments later, his deep black pupils had become two, overlapping – not a pure-blood War Ghost, his eyes weren’t red, only these fierce and terrifying double pupils could prove the restless War Ghost blood flowing within him.

Clasping his hands together, he returned the bow: “…Please.”

Though she hadn’t seen Qiuyue for less than a month, Xin Mei still felt as if thirty autumns had passed. She hugged its neck and nuzzled it repeatedly while Qiuyue flapped its wings and occasionally turned back to gently peck her head with its large beak to show affection.

“Qiuyue, Lu Qianqiao seems to have been found by enemies, ones with red eyes too. Two against one, plus whoever’s in the carriage – he’s being ganged up on, right? Do you think he’ll die?”

Xin Mei felt uncomfortable remembering those two people’s eyes.

You were imprisoned by him for so long, and now you’re finally free – why worry about him so much? Qiuyue shook its head dismissively.

“You’re saying he won’t die?” Xin Mei stroked her chin, thinking hard. “Last time when he killed that tiger demon, he was quite formidable, but this time seems different. When he killed the tiger demon he had his paralyzed face, but just now he actually wasn’t paralyzed!”

Only you could come up with such bizarre reasoning! Qiuyue let out a long “squawk.”

“Right, you agree with me too.” Xin Mei nodded seriously. “Besides, he said he’d make a Heavenly Lady for me, and he hasn’t finished it yet!”

You… what are you planning? Qiuyue stared at her warily.

Xin Mei giggled: “You’re saying we should just wait here for a bit? Good idea, let’s wait one hour before flying back to check. One hour should be enough time for them to finish fighting, right?”

That’s not what I meant! Qiuyue was in tears – what was with this completely mismatched conversation? Someone save it!

Blood slowly slid down his face, and everything in his vision seemed to turn red.

Lu Qianqiao relied on sheer pride to force himself to stand firm on the spot, his body like a boulder, unmoving. Beside him, the two War Ghosts’ snow-white clothes had been stained red with blood.

A cold flash appeared before his eyes – were they coming again? He swung his long whip, meeting that fierce cold light without showing weakness.

Through the green bamboo curtain, Li Chaoyang watched his face and body covered in fresh blood, but the pair of eyes hidden behind the blood had never shone so sharply bright, as if telling everyone that even if beaten to the deepest level of hell, he would not retreat – he could still fight, he could fight again.

The youth from ten years ago who still retained some delicacy and childishness had been tempered by time into a famous blade. He was gradually growing to resemble his father – those tightly pressed lips, and eyes that remained firm no matter what, never willing to expose any weakness.

She suddenly felt somewhat nostalgic, remembering how she had once been infatuated with a man who possessed such eyes. Unfortunately, he was an ordinary person. Unfortunately, at that time she wasn’t as heartbroken over the decline of the War Ghost clan as she was now.

The sharp whistling wind rushed toward her face. The long whip tore a corner of the bamboo curtain, and Li Chaoyang felt the pain of the fierce wind cutting her skin. She reached up to touch it lightly – Lu Qianqiao wielding his long whip was staring at her with burning eyes.

He was provoking her – he actually dared to provoke her when he had only one breath left.

She suddenly spoke: “Enough.”

The two War Ghosts covered in fresh blood immediately stopped, turned and walked to stand beside the carriage, as if those bleeding wounds belonged to someone else. Their red pupils remained ice-cold, only now when they looked at Lu Qianqiao, there was a trace of awe.

“Your temper is quite like mine, very admirable to me. But though you have our clan’s proud spirit, you are still half ordinary human. The transformation tribulation at twenty-five is no different from a death sentence for you… such a pity, such a pity.”

She said “such a pity” twice, her voice finally gradually softening. After a while, she suddenly asked: “…The jade token I gave you as a child, do you still carry it?”

Lu Qianqiao lowered his head and took from his money pouch that mottled jade token. It was soaked in blood, his name on the token bloody.

A mottled, poor quality jade token – this was the simplest and cruelest identification of War Ghost clan status. He was mixed blood, even lower class among mixed bloods, because he hadn’t even inherited red pupils. The abilities he possessed might be shocking among ordinary people, but really weren’t much within the War Ghost clan.

Now that he had grown up and seemed much stronger, able to fight two War Ghosts to a draw. But whether that was through real skill or merely through sheer pride, perhaps only he himself knew.

Li Chaoyang extended a hand from behind the bamboo curtain, beautifully shaped, yet her palm and five fingers were covered in thick calluses. True War Ghosts were forged through countless hardships – whether male or female, they never considered weakness and incompetence beautiful.

“Give it to me.”

He placed the jade token in her hand.

“Today you’ve impressed me. This jade token is no longer needed.”

Her beautiful fingers closed, then opened – the jade token had crumbled to powder.

“That young lady just now, who is she?”

Li Chaoyang’s casual question struck his heart like a boulder. Lu Qianqiao suddenly looked up, staring fixedly at her behind the curtain.

“She’s quite pretty. Do you like her?” She asked very calmly.

“…No.”

She seemed not to hear his weak denial. The Screaming Wind mare whinnied softly, the snow-white carriage gradually moving away as she said: “Thinking about it now, I’ve never done anything a mother should do for you. For these final three months, I’ll have her accompany you. When you die, I’ll have her accompany you forever too.”

Lu Qianqiao was greatly shocked. Seeing the Screaming Wind mare silently leap onto the clouds, he pressed one hand against his severely painful chest and grabbed Lie Yunhua’s reins with the other, trying to give chase. But his vision kept going black and his body grew heavier – he seemed about to collapse.

Lie Yunhua nestled beside him, lovingly supporting his trembling upper body with its head. Blood from his body dripped steadily, staining the entire patch of grass red. His strength seemed to flow away with the blood – he couldn’t even successfully mount the horse.

“It should be about an hour now, right?” Xin Mei tidied up the messy snacks in front of her, brushed crumbs of osmanthus candy and pine nut candy from her clothes, and stretched.

Qiuyue crouched on the treetop, curling itself into a ball and pretending not to hear. It didn’t want to go back!

Xin Mei climbed onto its back and was about to speak when she saw that snow-white, exquisite carriage from before slowly approaching, stopping in front of her for a moment before flying away.

They seemed to be Lu Qianqiao’s enemies, right? Xin Mei rolled her eyes as she observed the carriage before her. Beside the carriage stood two very magnificent spirit horses with those red-eyed people from before sitting on them, their white clothes stained with blood.

Noticing Qiuyue trembling slightly beneath her, Xin Mei patted its back, very puzzled: “They look like defeated roosters – what are you afraid of?”

…Could you not be so fierce in everything you say? Qiuyue wiped its bitter tears with its wing – this truly was fearlessness born of ignorance…

“Seeing they’re all covered in blood, Lu Qianqiao probably isn’t doing well either. Let’s hurry back and check.”

Xin Mei patted its back, and it reluctantly spread its wings.

Lu Qianqiao was leading Lie Yunhua step by step forward slowly. He just felt he couldn’t stop – if he stopped, he might never be able to move again.

“Lu Qianqiao!”

Someone seemed to be calling him in the distance, sounding like… Xin Mei’s voice.

Using all his remaining strength, he turned around. In his blood-red vision, he saw Xin Mei jump down from Qiuyue’s back and run quickly to him, looking him up and down in shock, finally carefully reaching out to poke him several times, asking: “Are… are you dead?”

Not dead, but if you keep poking it’ll be hard to say.

She turned to look at the forest with a large section carved away and sighed: “Did you just fight a herd of elephants?”

He wanted to laugh. The whole world slowly relaxed.

“Who told you to come back…” His voice was very low, somewhat hoarse, and he really was laughing. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll make roasted pelican for you to eat?”

Qiuyue vengefully slapped him on the back with one wing, and this usually imposing general softly fell down, completely out of strength.

So weak! She pouted: “You’re still acting tough. If you roast Qiuyue, I’ll roast your horse!”

Lie Yunhua snorted disdainfully. Lu Qianqiao lay on his back on the ground, the last image in his vision being her face bending down close to his, before sinking into endless darkness.