The morning of May 4th.
When the King of Hua rallied his hundred thousand troops, clearing the way with four cannons and preparing to launch the most ferocious assault on Li City, the soldiers sent ahead to scout returned with a report: “Your Majesty, Li City ahead is eerily silent. The city gates stand wide open, and atop the city walls, there are only straw men!”
“What?!” The King of Hua was stunned upon hearing this, but immediately burst into laughter, looking up to the sky. “Hahaha… That little girl Feng Xiyun must have been frightened by our cannons and fled!”
Huang Chao and Yu Wuyuan exchanged a glance, both sharing the same unspoken question — when had Feng Xi ever been one to flee at the first sign of trouble?
“Pass my order — the army advances into the city. After resting, we depart at the Hour of the Sheep to pursue the Feng army!” the King of Hua commanded.
“Your Majesty.” Liu Yusheng stepped forward to advise. “Yesterday’s battle was inconclusive. For the Feng King to abandon the city without reason and flee is suspicious. There may be a trap. Your Majesty should not enter the city immediately. It would be better to first send men inside to investigate before making any plans.”
The King of Hua paused briefly at these words, then looked toward Huang Chao. “What does my worthy son-in-law think?”
Huang Chao offered a faint smile. “Military Adviser Liu’s words are most apt. Your Majesty’s person is worth ten thousand — it would not do to venture into danger.”
“Very well!” The King of Hua agreed. “Military Adviser Liu, send a thousand men with one cannon into the city to investigate. If any Feng soldiers are found in hiding, bombard them!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
And so, a thousand Hua soldiers, escorting one cannon, cautiously made their way into Li City. At first, they advanced step by step with extreme care, but after passing through nearly half the city without encountering a single soul, the vast expanse of Li City lay utterly silent — save for the occasional cry of an abandoned cat or dog, there was no other sign of life. Gradually, the soldiers allowed the tightly strung nerves in their bodies to relax.
“Looks like the people of Feng were frightened off by our great Hua army?” one soldier said, eyeing the empty streets.
“They were scared away by our cannons!” another said, giving the cannon a pat.
“Wasn’t that Feng Queen, Feng Xiyun, supposed to be so formidable? How did she end up fleeing at the mere rumor of our approach?” another said with some disdain.
“What can a woman possibly accomplish? She’s probably scurried back to her room to embroider, frightened by our hundred thousand troops,” someone said brazenly.
“Hahaha… Well said! Women ought to stay home, cook meals, and bear children!” someone else laughed raucously.
“Can we send the signal to the military adviser now?” someone suggested.
“Send it,” said the deputy general leading the group.
Once the signal was sent, the thousand soldiers settled to the ground for a brief rest.
“Are you all ready to be on your way?”
The Hua soldiers had barely sat down when a clear, bright voice rang out. They turned their heads toward the sound and looked up — there, standing atop a rooftop to the left, was a woman clad head to toe in silver armor. She wore a phoenix helmet that concealed nearly half her face, leaving only a pair of brilliant, star-like eyes exposed — eyes that held a glint of playful mockery as they gazed down upon the soldiers. The cool morning breeze swept past, sending waves of black hair dancing behind her shoulders. Against the radiant glow of the morning sun at her back, she looked like a war goddess descended from the heavens — too dazzling to behold directly.
“So this is the cannon you take such pride in?”
She seemed to murmur the question to herself, and then the woman on the rooftop drew open the longbow in her hand, a fire arrow already nocked and ready. The Hua soldiers, who had been frozen in shock, snapped back to their senses at once.
“That’s the Feng King!” someone cried out in alarm. The memory of those terrifying, soul-shaking arrows from the day before rose vividly before every Hua soldier’s eyes.
In an instant, the entire Hua force leapt to their feet — some drawing sabers, some unsheathing swords, some reaching for their bows — every last one of them training their weapons on the figure atop the roof. They were still debating whether to shoot this lone queen dead on the spot or capture her alive and claim credit before their king — but before any conclusion could be reached, the queen on the rooftop broke into a radiant smile. In that single moment, the entire world seemed to become extraordinarily bright and vast; every empty rooftop around them was suddenly gilded with the iridescent light of colored glass, the ground seemed to bloom with a hundred flowers, and a faint fragrance seemed to drift through the air around them… Then, just as suddenly, the world darkened again. Every window of the surrounding empty buildings flew open at once. Before the soldiers could even register what was happening, arrows came raining down like a swarm of locusts — followed immediately by searing streaks of fire blazing across the sky — and then came the thunderous “BOOM!”
Through the haze, those star-like eyes seemed to cast one last glance downward, tinged with a faint sorrow. Consciousness slipping, one could almost still hear that cool, clear voice release a soft and quiet sigh — so fleeting, so laden with grief — rising up amid the thunderous explosion and the agonized screams… and yet somehow, it was all the more clear and distinct, as though it were the warmhearted and heartbroken cry of a beloved, stirring in those who heard it an endless longing and reluctance to let go.
That thunderous explosion simultaneously startled the Hua forces outside the city. They had just received the signal and were preparing to advance, and now reflexively raised their blades and spears, drawing back their longbows.
“King of Hua, this is a final gift from this junior, Xiyun, to you on behalf of Li City!”
The cool, clear voice drifted over, light and unhurried — as if it came from beyond the nine heavens, yet as intimate as a whisper breathed beside the ear. It carried a faint, shallow mockery. Among the hundred thousand troops outside the city, not a single one failed to hear it with perfect clarity.
“Bombard Li City!”
Hearing that dismissive, taunting voice, the King of Hua erupted in furious rage. He roared the command out loud, no longer caring whether anyone remained inside the city, no longer caring about the fate of the thousand soldiers he had sent in to scout — alive or dead unknown. He wanted only to blast Li City to rubble with his cannons, to blow Feng Xiyun to pieces, to satisfy the hatred in his heart and vent the rage of one who had been humiliated.
Huang Chao and Yu Wuyuan exchanged a glance, and, almost imperceptibly, both gave a slight shake of their heads.
“Beyond Li City lies the Valley of No Return,” said Yu Wuyuan, watching the smoke and flames rising from inside the city. His expression carried the compassionate sorrow of a monk. “The Valley of No Return… What a fitting name.”
Huang Chao’s gaze fell on the King of Hua, who was trembling with rage, every hair and whisker bristling. This ruler, who had governed the wealthiest nation of Hua for decades, had long cultivated an arrogance that saw no one as his equal. He was far too confident in his golden-armored army, far too certain in his one-of-a-kind cannons. And that violent, explosive temper… Hah… How wonderfully convenient.
“If you hadn’t said that final line, Hua Yitian would not have been enraged to the point of bombarding an empty city.” Several dozen li away from Li City, Feng Xi shook his head at Feng Xi with profound disagreement. “Though Feng has no shortage of men and resources to rebuild a city, if one trouble can be spared, why go out of one’s way to invite it?”
“How was I supposed to know he’d be so petty — that he couldn’t even take one little joke?” Feng Xi shrugged, raising a hand to remove her phoenix helmet and giving her head a casual shake. She let out a long breath. “Why has the weather suddenly gotten so hot?”
She tilted her head back to squint at the sun hanging high in the sky, felt the thick, heavy weight of the armor on her body, and then cast a sideways glance at the loose, thin black robe worn by the person beside her. The disparity left her feeling distinctly aggrieved. At this moment, only the two of them were on the road — the Feng Cloud Cavalry had already withdrawn the previous night, and the Arrow Rain unit was likely not far from the Valley of No Return by now.
“Still, I’ll definitely make Hua Yitian pay back Li City with interest!” Feng Xi turned to look back in the direction of Li City, her words firm and resolute. Her left hand idly twirled the phoenix helmet.
“What are your plans going forward?” Feng Chang asked.
“Originally, within the Valley of No Return, I wouldn’t have feared his cannons. But now that Huang Chao has arrived, I cannot help but be cautious. Those cannons that are utterly useless in the King of Hua’s hands might, in his, be worth a thousand troops and ten thousand horses!” Feng Xi frowned slightly. “He had five cannons — I’ve already destroyed two. The remaining three…” She paused mid-sentence, and her eyes suddenly shifted, fixing themselves pointedly on him.
Feng Chang felt her gaze land on him. After ten years of friendship, how could he not know what it meant? He immediately moved to head off the words that were about to leave her mouth, extending one hand as if to block them. “Don’t come looking to me for this!”
“Black Fox…” Feng Xi’s voice suddenly turned soft and sweet. The smile that bloomed across her face was more radiant than the sun overhead. She flicked her whip, and her white horse immediately sidled up alongside the black one. The two horses fell into step side by side, their riders less than two feet apart. “Black Fox, I know this costs you absolutely no effort at all!”
“It costs you no effort either — the queen need only fire a fire arrow,” said Feng Chang, completely unmoved. He flicked his whip, and the black horse surged ahead by a step.
“Black Fox.” Feng Xi reached out a hand and seized the reins of the black horse. Both horses came to an immediate halt. “Think about it — I, a frail woman, have already fought three battles in a row. You, a grown man, haven’t broken a single drop of sweat. That just can’t be right by any reckoning. So please, just this one small thing — I’m begging you!”
“The Hua army attacked Feng — of course it falls to the Feng King to fight. What does it have to do with Lanxi of Feng?” Feng Chang said lazily, making clear that he had nothing to do with any of it.
“How dare you say it has nothing to do with you?!” Feng Xi immediately erupted. “Think of the bond between us — ten years of friendship! Think of how many times I’ve helped you over these years! How many times I’ve saved your life! Think of the hospitality you’ve received as a guest of honor in Feng these past days… and you dare say it’s not your concern!” Growing more agitated with every word, she shot her right hand out and grabbed Feng Chang by the collar, her posture suggesting she was about to haul him right off his horse. “How dare you remain indifferent to whether I live or die! You black-hearted, black-lunged, black-livered, black-gutted black fox…”
“In these ten years, it is I who have saved you more times — don’t get it the wrong way around.” Feng Chang raised one long, slender, pale, and elegant finger and waved it in front of Feng Xi’s face, cutting off her torrent of words before she could continue. “And as for the hospitality I’ve received at your nation these past few days… shall I enumerate how much of my food, clothing, and resources you have consumed over these ten years? Not to mention the gold and silver wasted cleaning up the disasters you’ve caused — disasters I had to take care of on your behalf… Woman, in these ten years, it is you who owes me a great deal. I ask that you put that brilliantly unrivaled brain of Feng Xiyun’s to good use and think it through carefully — do the calculations properly. As for the inferior brain of Bai Fengxi… let’s not bother with that.”
“Uh? Well… but…” Stumped by this rebuttal, Feng Xi had the air knocked somewhat out of her sails, finding herself a little short on grounds to stand on.
“Are you certain you won’t release ‘the queen’s jade hand’?” Feng Chang pointed at the hand gripping his collar, then pointed ahead. There, a cloud of dust was rising — it looked like riders approaching at speed. “Honestly, your shameless, unmannerly appearance right now is something your subjects — who worship you like a deity — truly ought to see.”
“If you don’t take care of those three cannons, I’ll… I’ll peel your skin, eat your flesh, gnaw your bones, and drink your blood!” Feng Xi spat out viciously as she released her grip.
She immediately let go of his collar, and while she was at it, smoothed out the creases her grip had left in his collar. By the time those approaching riders were still dozens of zhang away, she had already settled back into her saddle with composure and dignified grace — and of course, the phoenix helmet had been replaced, sitting properly and squarely atop her head.
“It’s always said that I’m one thing on the outside and another within. But in truth, it is you who are truly two-faced. At least I am the same person in front of others as I am behind closed doors,” Feng Chang said, regarding her with a look of resigned admiration.
Feng Xi watched the riders drawing closer and closer, and said with something of a reflective air: “Between ruler and subject, interaction is governed by proper decorum — and one must not speak in jest. Jest leads to disrespect; disrespect leads to carelessness; carelessness and breach of decorum give rise to defiance and resentment. Since Feng Xiyun is the ruler of a nation, she must naturally carry the royal authority befitting a ruler.” She cast him a sideways glance. “As for you — Bai Fengxi has been wild and unconstrained for ten years. Save the ceremony where you can.”
By the time her words trailed off, those several dozen riders had pulled up and dismounted before them.
“Your Majesty, are you alright?” Xu Yuan bowed from the front of his horse.
“All is well,” Feng Xi said with a calm nod. “Have the arrangements ahead all been made?”
“Your subject has followed Your Majesty’s orders and made all the necessary preparations,” Xu Yuan replied.
“Good. Then it is time we set out as well.” With those words, Feng Xi flicked her whip and rode forward.
May 9th. The King of Hua led his army in pursuit of the Feng forces to the Valley of No Return.
“Wretched Feng girl — let’s see where you run to this time!” the King of Hua growled furiously, glaring at the Feng army’s formation ahead.
In the days of pursuing the Feng army, he had felt as though a cat were being toyed with by a mouse. The whole way, the Feng forces had launched unrelenting surprise attacks, yet whenever he deployed his forces in full for a decisive confrontation, they would vanish without a trace. From Li City to the Valley of No Return — a distance of two hundred li — they had taken five days to travel. Not only had they failed to take a single life from the Feng army, they had themselves lost twenty-five thousand men.
Without a single proper battle having been fought, he had inexplicably lost twenty-five thousand men. The King of Hua gripped the hilt of the sword at his waist so tightly his knuckles whitened — as though it were Feng Xiyun’s neck he was squeezing. He looked up at the sky, and the fire in his chest burned a few degrees hotter. Even the heavens seemed to work against him — for the past several days, the blazing sun had hung mercilessly overhead. Though it was barely the fifth month, the weather had turned unseasonably sweltering, and along the way, no small number of soldiers had collapsed from heatstroke, unable to rise.
“The Valley of No Return — one wonders whether it truly lives up to its name,” Huang Chao narrowed his eyes and gazed forward.
“Of course it will be that girl who finds no return!” the King of Hua said through gritted teeth.
Huang Chao heard this and could not help but glance back at the King of Hua with a faint smile — though at this moment, the king’s attention was entirely fixed on the Feng forces ahead, and he did not notice the mocking, sardonic expression on the face of this “worthy son-in-law” of his.
Suddenly, “BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!” A series of thunderous explosions rang out. Looking back, they saw the cluster of tents that had only just been set up in the westernmost section of the Hua army’s camp burst into towering columns of flame. The thunderous sound continued to rumble ceaselessly from within those tents, and in an instant, the Hua army fell into complete chaos.
“That is…” Even the ever-composed and unflappable Huang Chao could not help but show a flash of shock at the sight.
“That’s the Fire Bomb Camp!” the King of Hua cried out in alarm. “Yushan! Liu Yushan!”
“Your servant is here!” Liu Yushan came rushing over in a panic and threw himself to his knees. “Your Majesty, our Fire Bomb Camp has suddenly and inexplicably caught fire. Your servant suspects…”
“Suspects? What is there left to suspect?” The King of Hua roared, drawing the long sword at his side and swinging it through the air. “It has to be that wretched Feng Xiyun’s doing! She must have sent people to infiltrate us! Go and find them — find those Feng spies! This king will have them torn apart by five horses!”
“There is no need to search for them.” A gentle voice drifted over unhurriedly, and from a distance, Yu Wuyuan came walking over with measured calm. “Your Majesty, it would be more prudent to first send men to rescue the injured and extinguish the fire.”
“And just let the Feng spies escape?! This is outrageous! This king absolutely must root them out — unless I cut them to pieces, I cannot quench the hatred in my heart!” The furious King of Hua wanted nothing more than to seize the Feng spies and punish them severely.
“Your Majesty, this was not done by Feng nationals.” As he spoke, Yu Wuyuan had already walked up before the King of Hua. His gaze settled on the king, carrying a kind of serene calm that soothed the mind and spirit. “Just now I went to the western camp. From a distance, I caught a fleeting glimpse of several shadows moving like phantoms. By the time I arrived, they had already vanished without a trace. The level of skill such movement required — no ordinary Feng soldier could possess it. Even among martial world experts, few could claim qinggong of such surpassing excellence.”
“Then who was behind this?” The King of Hua’s voice dropped involuntarily by several degrees.
In the scorching summer heat, amid the roaring columns of fire, Yu Wuyuan in his white robes was like a cool, clear spring — capable of calming the heart and settling the spirit. Even the explosively furious King of Hua was soothed with just a few quiet words.
“Your Majesty, please first issue the order to rescue men and extinguish the fire.” Yu Wuyuan repeated the same point, speaking without haste, clearly and calmly — as though that were truly the most pressing matter in the world.
“Yushan, pass the order — put out the fire first, hold off on chasing the spies for now.” The King of Hua finally issued the command, though he was inwardly puzzled — how was it that he, a king of a nation, had been moved to comply by this man? A few quiet, understated words from him, and one simply had no choice but to listen — as though to defy this man would be to defy the will of the gods and Buddhas themselves.
“Yes, Your Majesty!” Liu Yushan hastily accepted the order and withdrew.
“Done by martial world experts?” Huang Chao’s brow furrowed slightly as well. “Why would people from the martial world involve themselves in this?”
“Baifeng Heixi spent ten years in the martial world building a name for chivalry and benevolence, bestowing favors upon countless people. Would there not be those among the martial world willing to serve them out of gratitude?” Yu Wuyuan replied, as unhurried as ever.
“Since the fire bombs are destroyed, then the remaining three cannons have likely not survived either,” Huang Chao observed, looking toward the flames in the western camp. By now the sound of explosions had grown considerably fainter — the entire store of fire bombs in the camp had likely been nearly exhausted — and in their place rose the agonized cries of soldiers caught in the blaze, caught like fish in a pond.
“Indeed. They were pushed into the Fire Bomb Camp and destroyed in the explosion as well,” said Yu Wuyuan, glancing toward the King of Hua.
“What?! My cannons…” The King of Hua let out a pained cry of dismay. He knew how difficult those cannons had been to make — each one had cost tens of thousands in gold and taken three full years to complete. And now they were all destroyed? He immediately made for the western camp, as though he could not bring himself to believe it until he had seen the wrecked remains with his own eyes.
“You still won’t make your move?” Yu Wuyuan’s gaze settled on Huang Chao.
“The time isn’t right yet.” Huang Chao smiled and watched the King of Hua’s retreating figure. “It seems Feng Xi understands deeply that ‘to defeat the enemy, one must first throw his mind into disorder.’ These past several days, the Feng Cloud Cavalry has kept him so flustered and restless, so harried and overwhelmed.” Then he turned his gaze toward the Feng army ahead, whose formation remained perfectly composed. “In any case, everything I need to prepare — I’ve already prepared.”
“The Valley of No Return… is it truly a place from which there is no return? And who, exactly, will find no return?” Yu Wuyuan’s gaze drifted forward, growing somewhat distant and hazy.
Back inside the Feng army’s royal tent, hearing the thunderous explosions coming from the Hua army’s direction, Feng Xi could not help but allow a faint smile to cross her lips. Her gaze swept toward Feng Chang, who was seated at ease in a chair, leisurely savoring a bottle of fine Lansheng wine preserved by a previous-generation Feng ruler. As though he sensed her looking at him, Feng Chang raised his cup slightly in her direction as a toast.
“What was that sound?” The other five generals of the Feng Cloud Cavalry inside the tent looked in some bewilderment at their queen’s brilliantly radiant smile.
“That is a great gift that Young Master Lanxi has given to Feng,” Feng Xi said lightly. “The remaining three cannons of the Hua army — at this very moment, they have all been destroyed in the fire.”
“Oh?” Hearing this, all the generals turned in surprised delight toward Feng Chang — only to find that the man merely narrowed his eyes in a languid expression, as though thoroughly lost in the fragrant richness of the wine.
“The King of Hua has no patience to speak of. Whether tomorrow or the day after, he will launch his assault. Qi Shu, the rest of you, go and make your preparations,” Feng Xi instructed.
“Yes, Your Majesty!” The five generals withdrew.
“It seems you have no understanding of how to properly appreciate wine. This ‘Green Leaf Lansheng’ ought to be served in the ‘Cloud Dream Jade Cup’ unique to Wushan — only then does it fully reveal its refinement and grandeur. The ‘Cup Snow’ from Jingdexuan is still a touch too provincial.” Feng Chang swirled the wine in his hand, examining the pure-white porcelain cup with a discerning eye, and gave a slightly regretful shake of his head.
“The King of Hua’s hundred thousand troops have been whittled down by nearly thirty thousand by my hands. Now all his cannons have been destroyed. In what remains of this battle, Huang Chao will likely have to make his move himself.” Paying no mind to what he had said, Feng Xi lifted the tent flap and stepped outside, standing with a slight furrow of her brow as she studied the Hua army’s formation ahead.
Feng Chang followed her out of the tent, though he still held the wine cup in his hand, looking utterly at ease — as though he were accompanying a close friend for a leisurely drink in the back garden. As he stepped through the tent entrance, he even paused to smile a grateful thank-you to the serving girl who had lifted the curtain for him, causing the girl’s heart to leap like a startled deer and her cheeks to bloom red.
Once they had walked some distance away, Feng Xi glanced over at him with a slightly furrowed brow. “I only brought four serving girls with me on this campaign, and I’ve already assigned two of them to attend to you. You’re not going to poach these last two for your own camp as well, are you?” She dropped her voice. “Don’t you dare go scattering your romantic attentions around!”
“Hmph…” Feng Chang gave a soft laugh and looked at her with mild helplessness. “What have I done?”
“Sigh…” Feng Xi also sighed with mild helplessness. “You don’t have to do anything. Women see you and behave like bees drawn to flowers — they can’t help themselves from gravitating toward you. Among the Four Young Masters, you, Hei Fengxi, have by far the most romantic entanglements. Take Yu Wuyuan — though he’s called the number one young master, I’ve never heard of a single woman’s name being linked to his.” As she spoke, she continued walking forward. After a few steps, she turned back to glare at him. “Though it’s hardly surprising — you alone occupy two identities. Naturally you get twice as many as anyone else.”
Feng Chang listened to her quiet grievances, the faint smile on his face never wavering. He gave the half-cup of fine wine in his hand a casual swirl, watching the ripples it stirred. Then, abruptly, he asked: “How does the Feng Cloud Cavalry stand?”
“Two hundred and twelve injured, thirty-seven dead.” Feng Xi raised her gaze skyward, her voice slightly subdued.
“Don’t you have the Han family’s medical formula? Why haven’t you prepared Purple Mansion Powder?” Feng Chang’s gaze stayed fixed on the pale green wine in the cup.
Feng Xi glanced at him at these words, her expression flat. “The medicinal ingredients in that formula — I’m sure you’ve looked them over as well. They are all extremely rare and precious. Take just one of them — ‘Xuandi’ — setting aside its price of a thousand gold per leaf, finding even a single stalk at an ordinary apothecary is a feat in itself. Gathering all those ingredients is no easy matter for me at the best of times, let alone producing it in large quantities in the field.”
She paused, then sighed again. “No wonder that old man Han held firm at a thousand gold per dose — and no wonder the King of Hua wiped out the entire Han family for that formula.”
“This may prove useful to you.” Feng Chang thought for a moment, then drew a piece of silk from his sleeve. “While in the Hua capital, I paid a visit to Pinyu Pavilion and asked Jun Pinyu to take a look at the Purple Mansion Powder formula. She modified the rarer and more costly ingredients, working from their medicinal properties. The potency may not equal Purple Mansion Powder’s, but it far surpasses a standard wound-healing medicine.”
Feng Xi took the silk cloth, read over the formula written out in neat, delicate characters, and then looked more carefully at the pale blue silk it was written on — it looked very much like a half-worn handkerchief belonging to a woman. She looked up at Feng Chang, and a look of amused mockery had already spread across her face. “To think that the ‘Wooden Bodhisattva,’ Jun Pinyu herself, has also favored you with her affections. Sigh! Is it really only I who sees you as a fox? Everyone else — including that clever Hua beauty — is utterly convinced you are a virtuous, chivalrous, and brilliantly handsome young gentleman?”
Feng Chang’s gaze drifted over Feng Xi’s face. He tilted his head back and drained what remained in his cup, then looked at her with a thread of amusement. “Is it the handkerchief from Jun Pinyu that troubles you — or is it the fact that Feng Xiyun, who excels in both civil and military arts, has actually been outdone by Jun Pinyu in the art of medicine?”
Feng Xi heard this and gave a light laugh, waving the blue handkerchief in her hand. “‘She sends her handkerchief to her beloved, hoping he will think of her.’ I only feel it a shame — all that deep feeling from those beauties, wasted. Think of when Dan Feixue was rejected by you and drew her sword to sever all ties and become a Daoist… Very well, setting aside all those beauties from the martial world who pined for you in years past — just looking at the three of them now: Feng Qiwu, who waits in silent resignation; Hua Chunran, who has devoted her heart to this war; and Jun Pinyu, who sends her handkerchief to convey her feelings — all three are women of exceptional character, nature, talent, and beauty. Why is it they cannot see through your heartlessness and lack of feeling? Why do they not understand that within the mind of the elegant and refined Young Master Feng, what resides is not romantic love for a beautiful woman — but rivers, mountains, and the imperial throne?”
Feng Chang heard this and merely smiled with graceful composure. He turned the empty cup in his hands and tapped it with the thumb ring on his finger, producing a clear, bright, and faintly hollow sound. After a long silence, he said lightly: “I’ve found it somewhat curious myself — why is it that everyone appreciates me, and yet you alone are the exception?”
“Because I am Feng Xi.” Feng Xi looked down at the blue handkerchief in her hand, and a faint trace of pity touched the smile at the corners of her lips. “Just as you gave me this formula… it was because I have already promised to give you the Feng Cloud Cavalry. Naturally, you hope that when they reach your hands, they will still be fifty thousand soldiers intact.”
At this answer, Feng Chang’s brow arched very slightly. Then he smiled a faint smile and said nothing at all.
A moment of quiet settled between the two of them. One studied the blue handkerchief in her hands, seeming to carefully examine the formula written upon it; the other turned the wine cup in his hands, his expression serene, though from time to time a deeply meaningful smile flickered in his eyes.
After a long silence, Feng Chang gazed toward the Hua army’s formation and said: “You once said the Blood Phoenix Formation was to be saved for a true worthy opponent. Huang Chao is opponent enough. In this battle against him… the Blood Phoenix Formation should be able to give full display of its power.”
“The Blood Phoenix Formation…” Feng Xi suddenly let out a faint sigh. “If it were only a battle against Huang Chao, I would have complete confidence — I would not be defeated by his hand. But…” She stopped mid-sentence.
Feng Chang turned to look at her and waited quietly for her to continue.
“There is still Yu Wuyuan by his side!” Feng Xi drew a deep breath, as if to ease the inexplicable constriction pressing against her chest. She turned her head toward Feng Chang, brow still faintly knit. “I believe we both carry the same ancestral teaching.”
Feng Chang lowered his gaze to the empty cup in his hand, and then his eyes flickered. “You’re saying he is from the Yu family?”
“Don’t forget what the martial world says of him… Tianren… Who else but someone from the Yu family could bear that title?” Feng Xi said in a low, heavy voice. Then, without realizing it, she raised a hand to cover her eyes. Without realizing it, those words slipped out in a quiet murmur: “It is truly wishful thinking, after all… He cannot… I cannot… It is all just wishful thinking.”
Feng Chang looked at her, and the peaks of his brows suddenly cooled. After a long pause, he said at last, his tone light: “Will Yu Wuyuan break the Blood Phoenix Formation?”
“Not necessarily.” A faint smile curled at the corners of Feng Xi’s lips. She lowered her hand and looked at her palm, slowly closing her fingers around it. “After all, my Blood Phoenix Formation is not the same as my ancestors’.”
“Yu Wuyuan… of course…” Feng Chang suddenly hooked his lips into a mysterious smile.
May 10th.
“Your Majesty, you intend to take the field yourself?” Early that morning, Liu Yusheng entered the royal tent and found the King of Hua already clad in full armor.
“Of course!” The King of Hua drew his sword and slashed it through the air in a sweeping arc. “I came here at the head of a hundred thousand troops, my morale blazing — ready to take down Feng in a single stroke! And yet here we are, without having had a single proper engagement with the Feng army. Instead, we’ve been led around by their schemes and lost thirty thousand men! If our army does not strike now and press our advantage, our fighting spirit will erode with time, and by then, I will have no choice but to retreat in defeat!”
“Commanding the army is what generals are for — why must Your Majesty personally take such risks? Your person is worth ten thousand, and you are the very pillar of our nation — you absolutely must not suffer any harm!” Liu Yusheng urged him earnestly and anxiously.
“No!” The King of Hua raised his sword with passionate fervor. “This time I will personally take the field — I will lead from the front, inspire the fighting spirit of our soldiers! I will personally command fifty thousand troops to destroy the Feng Cloud Cavalry in a single blow!”
“Your Majesty…”
Liu Yusheng was about to press his objections further, but the King of Hua had already strode out of the tent in great steps. Outside, troops stood arrayed as far as the eye could see, war horses whinnied and stamped, and all waited for the command of their king.
“Your Majesty, you intend to take the field yourself?”
Huang Chao, who had just arrived, took note of the King of Hua’s attire and could not help but ask. Behind him followed Yu Wuyuan, who swept a brief, impassive glance across the assembled army before his gaze settled calmly back on the King of Hua.
“Indeed. Today I will crush the Feng army and send them scattering like fallen blossoms!” The King of Hua looked out at the fifty thousand golden-armored troops poised and ready before him, his confidence absolute.
“My Lord, please, you must help me persuade His Majesty,” Liu Yusheng said, turning to Huang Chao in a panic the moment he saw him.
Huang Chao heard this and simply offered a faint smile, bowing slightly. “Your Majesty’s martial prowess is unrivaled in the world, and the morale of the army is soaring — this time, victory over the Feng army is assured!”
“Hahaha — truly the finest son-in-law I could ask for! Those words go straight to the heart of this king!” The King of Hua laughed heartily, then waved a hand. “Bring me my warhorse!”
A magnificent horse, red as a rolling cloud, was led forward by a groom — a creature of extraordinary bearing, spirited and proud.
“What a magnificent horse!” Huang Chao could not help but express his admiration at the sight. “This horse could truly be called the king of horses — it will surely help Your Majesty charge and cut through the enemy. That little Xiyun is no match for Your Majesty!”
Liu Yusheng heard these words and cast a suspicious sidelong glance at Huang Chao — but the man’s features still bore that air of innate, aristocratic pride, and his smile at this moment appeared sincere and respectful, as though he genuinely believed in the King of Hua without reservation.
And Yu Wuyuan, throughout all of this, simply watched in stillness. Occasionally, a flash of sorrow and compassion passed through his eyes.
“Hahaha…” The King of Hua vaulted onto the horse in one fluid motion, his bearing remarkably vigorous. “My worthy son-in-law, hold the rear and watch — watch as I break the Feng Cloud Cavalry!”
“Boom, boom… boom, boom…”
The war drums thundered out. The golden-armored Hua army began to move. The King of Hua sat astride his horse in full armor, an imposing and formidable presence. Fifty thousand troops — armor gleaming, warhorses powerful, banners billowing like clouds, spears standing as thick as a forest — bore down on the Feng forces with surging, overwhelming momentum.
And ahead, the Feng army appeared to have long been prepared. Thirty thousand troops were arrayed in formation out in front, three great banners flying before the lines bearing the characters Qi, Lin, and Cheng. The formation’s presence was powerful and concentrated — though ten thousand strong, not a single voice was raised.
Behind both armies, tall viewing platforms had been erected. Feng Xi and Feng Chang stood atop their platform, watching the movements of the two forces. And far across the field, atop the opposing platform, stood Huang Chao and Yu Wuyuan.
Below, the Hua army continued its relentless advance, while the Feng army remained perfectly still — still enough that one might almost suspect the Feng forces were being overawed by the Hua army’s momentum and did not dare make a move. But when the Hua army closed to within ten zhang of the Feng forces, a single “BOOM” — a heaven-shaking drumbeat — rang out from the Feng formation, and then the Feng army’s voice rose as one: “KILL!” In an instant, thirty thousand Feng soldiers swept forward like a great wind, charging headlong toward the Hua army.
The Hua army was like someone who needed to shout three battle cries before striking — and found their opponent launching a sudden assault at the second shout, catching them completely off guard and sending them into frantic disarray. The white-clad Feng soldiers charged into the Hua formation like a surging dragon, rearing its head and swinging its tail, scattering the Hua ranks into complete disorder. Then, like an untameable raging dragon — spreading its claws and baring its fangs — they tore the Hua formation into pieces.
The sounds of battle below could shake the very clouds, yet the viewing platform high above seemed to exist across a vast and distant expanse of time and space — cold, detached, aloof — watching from the outside as blades and swords, blood and fire played out in the world below.
“Compared to the Feng Cloud Cavalry, the Golden Armor Cavalry is like a fine-looking egg — the shell looks hard, but it shatters with one strike,” Huang Chao said on the platform above, shaking his head as he watched the battle unfold below.
“Rather than waiting for the enemy to move, strike first — break the Hua army’s momentum in a single blow, for when morale is broken, the formation falls apart. In this battle, the King of Hua’s defeat is already certain,” said Yu Wuyuan. Yet his gaze drifted not to the battle below but toward the distant viewing platform on the other side. From this distance, it was impossible to make out who stood upon it — and yet he knew she must be there, must be watching, just as he was watching, watching something neither of them wished to see…
“The Feng Cloud Cavalry has deployed thirty thousand troops, with three of the six generals taking the field,” said Feng Chang, his gaze scanning the field below. “Qi Shu leads the center, Lin Ji assists on the left flank, Cheng Zhi supports on the right — all three forces advancing together, striking in a single sweep, giving the Hua army not even a moment to regroup. This battle is what one would call a fierce assault.”
“Because I no longer want to play games with the King of Hua. In this battle, I intend to crush him completely.” Feng Xi’s gaze shifted from the clash of the two armies below toward the distant platform across the field, taking on an expression that was far-reaching and prolonged. “My true opponent is over there.”
Below, from within his layers of protective guards, the King of Hua found a creeping dread rising from the very depths of his heart.
All around him — the piercing screech of steel against steel, the battle cries of thousands upon thousands of soldiers, the agonized screams of the wounded and the dying, the vivid crimson spreading across the ground, the thick and clinging smell of iron in the air… all of it pressed in upon his eyes and ears at once. The white-clad Feng soldiers cut through the formation with the ferocity of tigers. The golden-armored cavalry he had so long believed to be invincible — when they met the enemy head-on, they could not withstand a single saber stroke, a single sword thrust. Gold and red mingled across the ground, broken only by rare flashes of white. And ahead, that white seemed to blot out the sky as it surged toward him — like a great and crashing tide rolling in — and a bone-deep terror, colder than ice, rose unbidden within him, as though something was about to swallow him whole. The hand gripping his sword trembled involuntarily; his palm was damp with sweat. The “Charge! Kill!” he had so long been ready to shout was lodged fast in his throat — he could neither swallow it nor force it out. His breathing came shallow and rapid, his face flushed crimson, and yet his pupils contracted relentlessly.
“The Feng Cloud Cavalry truly lives up to its name!” Huang Chao watched the battle below with blazing intensity in his eyes. “The three-force formation uses the center as its commanding force, with both flanks in supporting roles — seemingly split yet cohesive, never dispersing! The general commanding the center force must certainly be Qi Shu, the foremost of the Feng Cloud Cavalry’s six generals. Even amid a forest of swords and spears, his command remains absolute. Excellent! A man of great general’s bearing!”
After a long moment without hearing an answer from beside him, he glanced up — and found that Yu Wuyuan’s eyes were fixed unmoving toward the distance, toward the platform opposite. He seemed to be in a trance, as if his spirit had left his body.
“Valley of No Return… no return…” he murmured quietly, as though the words had slipped out unbidden from some dream. That face of his — always calm and transcendent — now wore an expression of the faintest hope, as though it were the joyous acceptance of a fate arranged by destiny itself, mingled with the sorrow of one who cannot escape that fate. So lost, so helpless… so bittersweet and bereft… so heartbreaking to behold…
“Wuyuan!” Huang Chao seized Yu Wuyuan’s shoulder abruptly.
The grasp seemed to startle Yu Wuyuan profoundly — as if he were a transcendent being about to shed the dust of the mortal world and take flight, pulled suddenly back to the earthly realm. He turned his head slowly. In the moment of turning, the expression on his face vanished, and the Yu Wuyuan who was serene and transcendent — yet carrying within him a trace of attachment to and compassion for the mortal world — was restored.
“Wuyuan, don’t forget your promise to me!” Huang Chao’s gaze fixed on him with absolute intensity, and he said each word with deliberate weight: “You swore you would help me hold this world in my hands. Until this world is in my grasp, you cannot abandon me. You must not… you intend to go to her and…” The final words, however, could not be voiced.
Yu Wuyuan gave a faint smile — as calm as calm could be, as serene as serene could be. He patted the hand Huang Chao had placed on his shoulder. “I know. I will help you hold this world in your hands. This is my choice. And she…” His gaze drifted back to the distance ahead, and what came next seemed to float out of him like a sigh on the gentlest of winds: “She… is only…”
“Wuyuan, you wouldn’t be thinking of…” The proud and domineering Huang Chao now stood there with his brow deeply furrowed — as though some terrible thought had sprouted in Yu Wuyuan’s mind, and he was adamantly opposed to it, wanting to uproot it before it could take hold.
“Huang Chao, you need not worry. I chose you — and we of the Yu family never abandon the choices we make halfway through.” Yu Wuyuan’s gaze drifted, hazy and elusive — so gossamer-light it could not be grasped, could not be touched.
“Very well.” Huang Chao shifted his gaze back to the battlefield. He shook his head at the sight of the golden-armored cavalry in complete disarray. “The King of Hua has lost what looks to be twenty thousand men. It’s time to call him back. I need to preserve fifty thousand cavalry for my own use.”
“As his son-in-law, you may signal the retreat in his name. I imagine the King of Hua, utterly exhausted from being trapped within the formation, would welcome the ceasefire — he simply cannot bring himself to be the one to say so,” Yu Wuyuan observed, sweeping a languid glance over the scene below. Then he turned and descended the viewing platform — there was nothing left for him to watch.
“Look there…” A faint smile tugged at the corner of Feng Xi’s lips as she reached out a hand and pointed toward the scene below.
Feng Chang’s gaze followed the direction of her pointing hand. He looked at the longbow drawn into the shape of a full moon, three arrows nocked and ready — and could not help but let a subtle smile cross his features. “Three arrows from a single bowstring! Will the King of Hua fall in this battle?”
His last words had not yet finished falling, when the three long arrows from the formation below shot out like lightning.