The sunlight was piercing. When Chu Qiao first saw that person, she only felt a helpless amusement. Zhan Ziming’s gaze naturally fell upon Chu Qiao and Liang Shaoqing, two people whose dress and appearance were strikingly different from the others. She looked at them silently for a moment, then suddenly seemed to remember who they were.

“Fifth Young Lady, these people are all escaped slaves from our mansion. Five are still on the run, but this old servant has already captured the rest,” said the elderly servant.

“So they’re all escaped slaves from the Zhan residence?” Chu Qiao was slightly taken aback. Slaves rarely escaped because, without money or travel documents, they would quickly be recaptured. How had so many escaped from the Zhan residence at once? What had happened?

“Keep these two here, send the others away,” ordered the elderly servant, who acknowledged with a sound and then led the people away. Zhan Ziming wore a sky-blue dress, dressed quite simply. She glanced at Chu Qiao and Liang Shaoqing, then said, “You two aren’t slaves. You may leave.”

Chu Qiao was startled and asked, “You’re just letting us go like that?”

“What else would I do?” Zhan Ziming replied coolly. “With your skills, I couldn’t keep you here anyway. Rather than having you escape on your own later, I might as well be generous and let you go.” After speaking, Zhan Ziming turned and left, not sparing them another glance, displaying quite a strong character.

Chu Qiao and Liang Shaoqing looked at each other in astonishment, never expecting that they could leave so easily, completely beyond their expectations. A servant approached them and, seeing they were not poorly dressed, spoke respectfully: “This way, you two. Since the Young Lady has allowed you to leave, you should hurry on your way.”

“Thank you, sir,” Liang Shaoqing politely asked, “May I ask where we are?”

“This is the Zhan residence,” the servant replied. “This is our Zhan family’s mansion in the Tang capital, located in the east of the small city. If you head west after leaving, you’ll soon see the central square.”

Chu Qiao nodded. This place was quite remote; it seemed the Zhan family didn’t have much influence in Bian Tang.

“Sir, do you know what happened here? Why are there so many escaped slaves?”

“I know about this,” Liang Shaoqing suddenly said. “I was also among those who escaped.”

Chu Qiao was startled and turned to ask, “What happened?”

“The Crown Prince of Bian Tang is getting married. The Zhan family, to curry favor with those above, offered one hundred slaves as human sacrifices. When they found out, they all fled.”

“Human sacrifices?”

“Don’t you understand? It means using living people as sacrificial offerings. There are earth sacrifices, fire sacrifices, and sky sacrifices—burying alive, burning alive, and feeding people alive to eagles to summon the souls of ancestors, burning incense and praying to announce joyous events.”

“What?” Chu Qiao suddenly stopped walking, her face drastically changing, almost unable to speak. Pointing at the direction where the group of people had just been taken, she exclaimed loudly, “You’re saying those people…”

“Yes, they all fled after learning they would be sacrifices. We’ve been searching for them for a long time,” the old servant said with a smile. “Fortunately, we caught them all. Otherwise, even old servants like me would have been used as sacrifices. You two are quite lucky.”

Chu Qiao’s face turned ashen, her lips pale blue. Suddenly, as if remembering something, she grabbed the servant’s sleeve and asked urgently, “What about Jing Zisu? Where is she? And the other two called… called… right, called Jin Lian and Cai Ka. Have they been used as sacrifices? Have they been sent away?”

The old servant’s face showed panic as he stammered, “The… the three sisters from the Jing family were sent away early. They were in the first batch. By now, they’re probably already at the Meishan Imperial Tomb.”

A thunderous boom echoed in her mind, as if lightning had exploded inside her head.

Chu Qiao’s mind went blank, her vision blurring, unable to utter a single word in her haste.

The Great Xia had lost face this time. Zhao Chun’er had created a loss of chastity incident herself, but it hadn’t achieved the expected effect of capturing Chu Qiao, nor had it successfully provoked the Tang officials to advocate for war. Instead, she had ruined her reputation. It was a case of “losing the chicken and the rice ladle too”—despite all her calculations, she had achieved nothing. Fortunately, the Xia Emperor was a formidable ruler with many children, and he quickly sent another princess for a marriage alliance. This time, both Great Xia and Bian Tang were careful, fearing another incident.

On the sixth day of the ninth month, the Meishan Holy Temple was filled with commotion. According to Tang custom, before marriage, the Crown Prince must pay respects to ancestors, setting up an altar for live sacrifices and proclaiming to the world, to display his filial piety. Although the content of these live sacrifices seemed heinous to Chu Qiao, to the locals it was an extremely ordinary matter. Just a few thousand slaves, altogether worth less than a good horse—no one would truly care about it. However, what no one knew was that as the royal carriage gradually approached the Meishan Imperial Tomb, a massive conspiracy was slowly enveloping the empire.

Estimating the distance to the shore to be no more than a thousand meters, Chu Qiao, carrying her backpack, slowly moved to the stern of the boat. Taking advantage of the crew’s inattention, she secretly slipped into the river.

It was already autumn, and the river water was very cold. A thousand meters wasn’t far, but by the time Chu Qiao swam to the shore, she was already slightly out of breath. She had been sick and injured for some time, and her body hadn’t fully recovered, making such strenuous activity inadvisable.

The moon was bright, the stars sparse. This was the necessary waterway to Meishan County. For secrecy, Chu Qiao had boarded a cargo ship heading to Meishan. Taking advantage of the waterway’s speed, it took less than a day to reach this southernmost imperial tomb of Bian Tang. Choosing a secluded spot to swim ashore, hidden behind the shadowy trees, Chu Qiao quickly changed her clothes and opened her backpack, taking out everything she had brought. Grappling hooks, steel needles, throwing knives, daggers, ropes, lock-picking tools, soul-befuddling incense, as well as some dried food and travel money.

The best scenario would be to meet Li Ce and then get the people from him without having to fight. That would be ideal.

But dealing with minor officials could be more difficult than seeing the king himself. Chu Qiao knew well that in her current predicament in Bian Tang, where every step was fraught with difficulty, she might still have to rely on herself. Whether out of moral duty or conscience, she couldn’t let Jing Yue’er’s sisters be buried alive. This was something she had to deal with. After putting everything away, Chu Qiao stood up, looked at the stars in the sky, determined her bearings, and then ran quickly eastward along the river.

Meishan, also known as South Meishan, was a mountain peak in the south of Bian Tang. To call it a mountain wasn’t entirely accurate. From a distance, Meishan was just a huge cliff. The cliff was no more than a hundred meters high, towering and majestic. It looked like a giant rock, forming a ninety-degree angle with the ground, straight up and down, with no obvious protrusions, as if it had been cut with a knife. The interior of the cliff had been completely hollowed out. Bian Tang had invested enormous human and material resources to build the holy temple inside the cliff. Below the temple were the tombs of Bian Tang ancestors from thousands of years. At thirty meters above the ground, there was a terrace built of marble, protruding outward, very spacious, easily accommodating over a thousand people. The top of the cliff had been completely flattened into a huge square.

Chu Qiao squatted far away in the dense forest, holding paper and pen, carefully drawing the geographical environment of the Meishan Imperial Tomb and the surrounding guards. After a full day, as night gradually descended again, she had made up her mind to attempt. Because she knew that live sacrifices would be carried out the night before the formal ancestral worship. If Li Ce didn’t come tonight, those people would surely die unjustly.

And she couldn’t take that risk. Silently eating two pieces of dried food, time passed minute by minute. The sunset faded, the crimson at the edge of the sky gradually dimmed, and finally, night fell.

Chu Qiao slowly stood up. Tonight’s moon wasn’t good; the clouds were thick. She slightly narrowed her eyes, then limbered up her muscles and joints, crouching as she quickly headed toward Meishan under the cover of night.

At this moment, she had no idea that at the same time, a world-changing event was occurring fifteen miles away in the wilderness. The empire was in turmoil from all four directions, with galloping horses and soldiers with bloodshot eyes rushing toward her location!

After traveling for more than half an hour, she finally arrived at the foot of the Meishan Imperial Tomb. Looking from afar, several guards were patrolling back and forth. Major events would take place here tomorrow, so the people here couldn’t help but be cautious. Chu Qiao quietly observed for a while and discovered several not-so-obvious sentries. She silently noted them in her mind, then took a deep breath and began to sneak forward carefully.

Taking advantage of the darkness of night, Chu Qiao carefully avoided several spots monitored by hidden sentries and quickly reached the foot of the mountain. Without further hesitation, she took out the grappling hook from her waist, its tip wrapped with sound-dampening cloth, held it in her hand, and waited quietly.

A sudden gust of wind blew, making the leaves rustle loudly. Chu Qiao hesitated no longer, threw the grappling hook with a whoosh, and with a faint clack, the hook firmly latched onto the second-level terrace. At this time, the leaves were still swaying, completely covering the sound of the grappling hook. With a series of quick movements, Chu Qiao gripped the hook with both hands, rapidly pushing off against the stone wall with her feet. Agile and nimble, moments later, she had silently landed on the second-level terrace.

Facing downward, body bent, with a forward roll, Chu Qiao had already escaped the moonlight’s illumination. The woman quietly opened the door, slipped in, and thus easily infiltrated the most heavily guarded imperial tomb in Bian Tang territory.

Chu Qiao half-crouched on the ground, carefully observing her surroundings, which were silent and quiet. Since the holy temple was built by hollowing out the rock wall, the structure inside presented a spiral-like ascending architectural pattern, somewhat in the ancient Roman style. But Chu Qiao’s goal was very simple: the place where the slaves were held captive. She just needed to head toward the smelliest, dirtiest, most dilapidated place.

Chu Qiao didn’t dare to be careless. This imperial tomb had a special terrain, and there must have been many soldiers inside. If she alarmed them, she might not even be able to escape, let alone rescue anyone. She carefully crawled forward, blending her body with the dark corners, not daring to reveal herself at all.

About half an incense stick’s time later, she successfully avoided five guard patrols and arrived at the underground first level. Just then, a deadly sound of footsteps rang out from the corridor on the left. Chu Qiao immediately stood up, pressing her body tightly against the wall in the corner. There was nothing here that could provide cover. If the other person lit a torch, she would be immediately exposed.

The footsteps drew closer, but Chu Qiao felt a glimmer of hope—only one person was coming, not too troublesome. The iron door opened, and a head peered out from inside. The person was quite young, holding a torch, seemingly on patrol. The person’s eyes scanned around, then immediately spotted Chu Qiao. The young woman wore a tight black-gold combat outfit, and when she saw him, she smiled, her smile clear and bright, momentarily causing him to freeze. Then, a throwing knife flew out, hitting him hard on the head with a bang. The soldier’s eyes rolled back, and he immediately collapsed. Chu Qiao rushed forward and caught his body, letting him slowly fall to the ground without making a sound.

For Li Ce’s sake, Chu Qiao didn’t deliver a fatal blow, but the strike with the knife handle was enough to make this person sleep until morning.

Still not at ease, Chu Qiao administered a large dose of soul-befuddling incense before turning to leave. After walking for more than half an hour, she finally heard faint crying sounds. Following the sound, she heard the crying grow louder, interspersed with women’s furious screams and struggles. She frowned and hurried forward a few steps. Just then, two soldiers seemed to hear the noise and came forward to check. The two came together, and there was no time for niceties. Chu Qiao struck first, stabbing fiercely with her dagger, while her other hand formed a claw. Before the two could make a sound, she sent them to hell.

The pungent stench was everywhere, with the air filled with nauseating odors.

Chu Qiao pushed open the door and was immediately shocked by what she saw. In the huge stone chamber, there were over a thousand young girls, the oldest no more than twenty, the youngest only eleven or twelve. Their hands and feet were bound together as they crouched fearfully on the ground. Two half-naked soldiers were each holding down a completely stripped woman, moving vigorously, letting out beast-like, satisfied growls.

The surrounding women were all crying, but none dared to stand up. Chu Qiao looked on angrily and saw that one of the women had a very familiar face—it was Jing Cai’e, one of the women from the Jing family. Anger immediately surged to her head. Chu Qiao slowly walked forward. The surrounding women seemed to notice her entrance only now, all looking at her in terror. But the two soldiers remained oblivious, still indulging in their pleasure.

Chu Qiao drew her dagger and plunged it into the side of one soldier’s carotid artery. His eyes immediately bulged, blood spraying out in an instant. The man, like a convulsing fish, fell to the ground in panic, unable to make a sound.

Chu Qiao didn’t even look at him and walked directly to the other man. This man’s companion was already on his way to the netherworld, but he was still at the peak of excitement, wildly moving. Almost without needing any technique, she brought down her dagger, leaving a trail of blood.

“Ah!” The slaves immediately screamed out, but they had been screaming and crying all along, so it wouldn’t arouse the suspicion of the soldiers above.

Chu Qiao helped Cai’e up. The young woman was mentally confused, shaking all over in fear. She stared blankly at Chu Qiao, her eyes bewildered, unable to say a word.

“Cai’e, Sister Cai’e,” Chu Qiao’s heart ached as she held the girl’s thin shoulders and said in a deep voice, “I am Yue’er. I am Jing Yue’er. I am your sister. I’ve come to rescue you.”

“Yue’er?”

Cai’e seemed dumbfounded. She stared blankly at Chu Qiao, and suddenly, tears and mucus streamed down her face. She threw her arms around Chu Qiao and cried loudly, “Yue’er! Yue’er!” Perhaps she didn’t have much feeling for Jing Yue’er, but in this environment, her sadness and fear suddenly burst forth. Chu Qiao hugged her, gently patting her back, her throat choked with emotion as she comforted her: “It’s alright now, it’s alright.”

“Yue’er?” From among the crowd, a young woman ran forward with a shocked expression, yet hesitated to come closer. Chu Qiao looked over and saw it was Jin Lian, who had once met her with Jing Zisu. The young woman’s upper clothes had been torn off, leaving only a bright red undergarment. She stood there, her skin showing an unhealthy paleness, her eye sockets red, with tears streaming down her face.

“Sister Jin Lian.”

“Yue’er,” Jin Lian bit her lip, sobbing uncontrollably. Chu Qiao picked up tattered clothes from the ground, but couldn’t properly dress the two. Fortunately, as the weather had turned cold, Chu Qiao was wearing multiple layers. She took off her outer coat and middle garment and put them on the two women. She reached out to wipe the tears from their faces, forced a smile, and said, “Don’t cry anymore. I’ve come to take you away. Where is Sister Zisu?”

Jin Lian’s tears fell again in a cascade as she said sorrowfully, “Sister Zisu was taken away yesterday. They said she was sent to the upper level to serve someone. I don’t know where she is.”

Chu Qiao frowned and said firmly, “If she’s serving someone, she should be safe for now. Let me take you two away first.” After cutting the ropes binding Jin Lian and Cai’e, the three were about to leave. Just then, a thunderous chorus of cries suddenly erupted from behind. The woman cried out loudly, “Miss! Save us, please! We don’t want to die! Save us!”

Chu Qiao hesitated slightly. The woman looked desperate, kneeling on the ground and kowtowing to her. Their tender white foreheads were bleeding from the kowtowing, the blood flowing on the ground like little red worms.

“Yue’er?” Jin Lian cautiously held Chu Qiao’s hand, seemingly wanting to say something, but when Chu Qiao looked at her, she was too frightened to speak.

Chu Qiao suddenly strode forward and spent a full half incense stick’s time cutting all the ropes. Looking at the roomful of women, she said slowly and emphatically: “Listen to me. I cannot possibly save all of you, but I can tell you that there are fewer than two hundred guards outside, while there are over a thousand of you. If you gather your courage and run, they may not be able to capture all of you. You might die, you might escape, but you’re meant to be sacrificed anyway. Since you’re facing death either way, you might as well take this chance. Now, this is the underground first level. After going out, turn left onto a staircase. After going up, keep turning right, pass three intersections, and you’ll reach the main gate where you can rush out. Those who are afraid, fear death, or lack courage, stay here and wait to die.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the group suddenly stood up with a whoosh and then ran out like madwomen, afraid of being left behind. The foul stench from their bodies wafted past Chu Qiao’s nose, so unpleasant. Chu Qiao stood still, took a deep breath, and suppressed the anger and sadness in her heart.

“Li Ce, come and see what your country and your people are doing.”

“Yue’er, aren’t we leaving?” The room had quieted down, with no one else left. Jin Lian came forward and asked softly.

Chu Qiao slowly shook her head: “We’re not going that way. With so many people, they’ll alert the guards. Follow me.”

“I’m sorry, it’s not that I don’t want to save you all, but I can’t. I don’t have that kind of power. I’m sorry.”

With a stinging sensation in her nose, Chu Qiao took a deep breath and led the two Jing family members toward the direction she had entered from. An hour later, Chu Qiao finally managed to get the two Jing sisters out. After making some arrangements, she returned once more to the Meishan Imperial Tomb. With her previous infiltration experience, this time seemed much simpler, especially since the women’s escape had nearly alerted all the guards in the entire imperial tomb.

Chu Qiao didn’t know how many had escaped, nor did she have time to care. She now had to find Jing Zisu and rescue her. Because if people escaped or died, she might be taken back as a sacrifice. Chu Qiao still had strong feelings for her sister.

Sneaking all the way, the chaos below provided Chu Qiao with an excellent opportunity to move. She almost walked openly all the way up without anyone stopping her. It seemed that important figures hadn’t arrived yet, and the defense here wasn’t as tight as expected.

Just as she reached the top level, a woman’s sobbing suddenly came through, and the voice sounded very familiar. Chu Qiao stepped forward and saw a woman in white carrying a basin of water, walking slowly while sobbing, her tears dropping into the basin, splashing small and large water bubbles.

“Searching everywhere without success, but finding it without effort!”

Chu Qiao’s heart leaped with joy, and she stepped forward, about to stop Jing Zisu, when she suddenly heard a woman coldly say, “What are you crying about? Do you want to die?”

Chu Qiao froze, stunned!

“Princess!” Jing Zisu knelt with a thud and cried out loudly, “Please, save my two sisters! They are about to be sacrificed alive! Please, save them!”

Zhao Chun’er snorted coldly, not even looking at her as she walked past, saying coldly, “If I didn’t need more people by my side, do you think someone as lowly as you could serve me? Don’t daydream. Say another word, and I can send you back to join your two sisters anytime.”

Why was Zhao Chun’er here?

Chu Qiao’s mind raced. Wasn’t she supposed to have returned to Great Xia? Why was she in Bian Tang’s Holy Temple? Why was she staying here, and what was her purpose?

However, before she could think further, a rush of hurried footsteps suddenly approached. Zhao Chun’er turned around, with several guards protecting her. A middle-aged general in his thirties, dressed in military attire, walked over to Zhao Chun’er’s side. Zhao Chun’er greeted him with a flowery smile. The man had thick eyebrows and a fierce look, with a ferocious expression. He grabbed Zhao Chun’er’s waist and then reached out to roughly fondle her chest, sneering, “The little slut is getting plumper.”

Zhao Chun’er’s eyes flashed with anger, but she quickly concealed it. She smiled and hooked her arm around the man’s neck, asking, “How did it go?”

“Mission accomplished.”

“Really?” Zhao Chun’er was immediately delighted. The man leaned in and asked with a lewd smile, “Don’t you want to give me a reward?”

Zhao Chun’er dodged slightly and said, “There are people around.”

“So what? I like being watched.” With that, the man tore open Zhao Chun’er’s clothes, revealing the red undergarment beneath. The man let out a low growl, then pushed Zhao Chun’er down in the corridor and pressed himself upon her, ripping off the undergarment and biting at the whiteness of her chest.

“Mmm,” a soft moan immediately followed. The man’s rough actions were like those of a savage beast. The soldiers and guards on both sides didn’t withdraw but watched with great interest. Jing Zisu knelt on the ground, constantly kowtowing, seeming to have been frightened out of her wits.

Just as Chu Qiao was considering whether to step forward and eliminate this pair of despicable people, a sentence suddenly drifted to her ears, exploding like thunder!

Zhao Chun’er gasped forcefully while asking, “Li… mmm… is Li Ce really… dead?”

“Louder!” The man bit hard on the red bud on Zhao Chun’er’s chest, his teeth grinding forcefully. “Scream louder!”

“Ah!” Zhao Chun’er arched her body suddenly and cried out, “Quick, tell me!”

“He’s dead! You little slut, your husband is dead. Are you sad?”

A muffled thunderclap sounded in Chu Qiao’s mind. Her vision blurred and darkened, her thoughts momentarily frozen.

Li Ce. Dead? DEAD!!!

After their carnal act, the man stood up. Zhao Chun’er, despite being a princess, knelt on the ground to dress the man. The man laughed smugly and said, “With you and Li Ce both dead, and those fearless fools from the Datong Association as scapegoats, Bian Tang will have no choice but to wage war against Yan Bei. The manifesto has already been distributed throughout the country. Soon, the armies from the four major military districts of North Shu, South Qiu, Liao Dong, and Xin Yang will all converge on Meishan. Those idiots in the Central Army are also firmly under our control. When the war starts, I’ll hold military power. Then, let’s see who in Bian Tang can stand against me!”

Zhao Chun’er said sinisterly, “I only want the heads of those two people.”

“Rest assured, if he promised you, I will make it happen.”

The man laughed heartily. Just then, a scream suddenly came from below. Jing Zisu’s face changed, and she staggered to her feet, kneeling beside Zhao Chun’er, crying out loudly, “Princess, General Zhong Peng, save my sisters! The live sacrifice has begun! Please, save my sisters!”

The North Shu military commander, Bian Tang’s the murderous King Zhong Peng! General Zhong Peng, who had buried alive a hundred thousand Southland Yi people at the Battle of South Qiu! It was him?

“Who is she?” Zhong Peng narrowed his eyes and asked deeply.

“A servant.”

The man chuckled, “Not bad looking.” With that, he stepped forward, pulled up Jing Zisu, his fingers sliding across her neck, and then with a “rip,” her clothes were torn open, revealing the white skin beneath!

“Beast!”

Chu Qiao shouted coldly and immediately sprang forward. Her mind was still occupied with the news of Li Ce’s death, her eyes bloodshot. She swung the dagger in her hand, immediately taking down a guard. Rolling on the ground, she delivered a fierce kick to Zhong Peng’s knee. The man’s body weakened, and he fell to the ground with a thud.

“Assassin!”

Almost simultaneously, many guards appeared. Chu Qiao showed no fear, her moves vicious, her speed astonishing. In a short time, she had taken down four people.

But just then, an angry shout suddenly rang out. Zhao Chun’er held a long sword against Jing Zisu’s neck. The blade had already cut into Jing Zisu’s neck, with blood trickling down. The woman coldly looked at Chu Qiao and said in a chilling voice, “The world is truly small. We meet again so soon.”

In just one day, the situation changed dramatically. Under Yan Bei’s instruction, the Datong Association killed Crown Prince Li Ce, who was halfway to the Holy Temple, and also killed Princess Zhao Chun’er, who was hastily returning to Great Xia. The Emperor in the palace was assassinated, and though not fatally wounded, he was bedridden. Bian Tang’s power center instantly collapsed. Everything was like a massive tornado, leaving Bian Tang in ruins wherever it passed.

Subsequently, as if everything had been predicted, the five major armies of South Qiu, North Shu, Xin Yang, Liao Dong, and the Central Army rushed to the Holy Temple overnight to participate in the bloody military protest presided over by North Shu military commander Zhong Peng. The terrain was flat, with an open view.

On the high second-level platform of the Holy Temple, a desolate autumn wind blew. The giant bronze cauldron was already red-hot. The Datong warriors sat on the ground, each with a calm expression. Their arms were tied, but their backs were straight. Below, the various armies were shouting to “Kill the Yan Bei dogs,” “Kill the Datong traitors,” “Eliminate the treacherous officials.” Those voices were so loud, flying fiercely in the north wind, breaking through layers of sky.

For the Datong warriors, all those in power across the continent had an indescribable disgust.

At this moment, the nobles were sneering, the soldiers were roaring, and everyone in the scene had bloodshot eyes, as if congested with blood. Zhong Peng stood before the crowd, both hands raised to signal for quiet. His voice was very rough, like metal, coldly shouting aloud: “Kill!”

“Kill!” The soldiers shouted in unison, their voices breaking the sky. Several Central Army guards seized a Datong warrior, pressed him before the bronze cauldron, making him kneel with his neck bent. The furnace was blazing, the red light scorching the man’s hair and beard. An executioner raised his battle blade high, suspending it over the warrior’s neck, and shouted: “Do you admit your guilt?”

The warrior was in his thirties, with bronze skin. He turned his sorrowful gaze toward the endless square, suddenly opened his mouth and shouted: “Datong will not perish!”

With a “swish,” a stream of blood shot skyward, immediately staining the white marble steps red. The warrior’s head was immediately cut off, falling into the boiling, burning bronze cauldron. Instantly, a cloud of black smoke rose, with a sizzling sound echoing in the ears. The troops began to cheer, numbly celebrating the death of a “treacherous” Datong rebel.

“Next!” Zhong Peng said coldly. Another Datong warrior was brought to the cauldron’s side. Blade raised and fallen, the shout “Datong will not perish…” was only half completed, but the cheers below were like a tidal wave, so fervent and intense that one could hardly bear to hear.

Another person was brought up. The man’s eyes were as cold as ice and snow, looking with such disdain at the Bian Tang soldiers. The man suddenly broke free from the soldiers behind him, shouting Datong’s slogan, and headfirst crashed into the scorching cauldron. Brain matter splattered, blood sprayed, flowing like a stream. People were shocked, and the cheers diminished a bit. A young woman in her early twenties was brought before the cauldron. She was very beautiful, with clear eyes, looking kind and harmless. But she, too, let out a sharp cry, and then died.

Gradually, people’s voices grew hoarse, while the believers of the Datong Association still came forward one by one, without fear, without crying out. They were as calm as if going on a journey, their eyes not fanatical like in textbooks, but very calm, very determined, walking forward one by one, dying for their beliefs.

Chu Qiao felt as if all the sensory cells in her body had died. Her eyes were bloodshot, her arms rigid, her fists tightly clenched. She fumbled for the dagger tied to her arm, quietly waiting for an opportunity, but the suffocation in her chest seemed about to burst through her body and explode her chest. The killing continued, but the cheers below grew fainter and fainter. Each dying warrior showed no fear. They were like martyrs, fearlessly shouting their slogan, so calm, so confident, so unstoppable.

“Datong will not perish!”

“Datong will not perish!”

“Datong will not perish!”

Would it truly never perish? Yes. For thousands of years, dynasties had changed, emperors had turned to dust, noble families had washed away, and powerful factions had dissipated like smoke. Yet, only the Datong Association—an organization that arose from farm fields and emerged from suffering—passed down from generation to generation, from one lineage to another. No matter how the government tried to exterminate them, no matter how many bounties the nobles issued, they could still rise from ruins and stand tall amid seas of corpses. It was an organization like a plague, impossible to eradicate, forever attached to the decaying empire like a shadow to its form.

People in the crowd began to grow restless. Among the nobles, some even vomited. Zhong Peng’s gaze gradually darkened. He felt he should find a submissive warrior to stabilize morale. Then he turned to look through the crowd and suddenly spotted a very young child. The child was no more than twelve or thirteen, bound hand and foot, huddled behind the other warriors, his face already white with fear. Seeing Zhong Peng looking at him, he became even more frightened, his lips trembling.

Zhong Peng was delighted. He grabbed the child, quickly brought him to the bronze cauldron, pressed down his head, and asked with a cold smile: “Child, if you just admit your guilt, I’ll spare your life.”

The scene instantly quieted down. All eyes focused on the child. He was small and thin, with a very delicate appearance. Around him lay more than ten headless corpses, scattered haphazardly, their blood flowing out and soaking his pants. His eyes were red, as if he wanted to cry. He fearfully raised his head and looked at the dense army, countless people. He suddenly became so afraid, so afraid that his whole body was trembling.

Zhong Peng’s voice once again sounded nightmarishly in his ears: “Child, the princess was killed by your people, the Crown Prince died by your hands, and the one commanding the wolf troops is someone disguised as one of your people. You’re about to attack Bian Tang, aren’t you?”

The child was terrified, trembling too much to speak.

“Speak!” An explosive, angry shout suddenly came. The child was so frightened that his knees went weak. He was like a terrified rabbit, mouth wide open, but unable to make a sound. General Zhong Peng, like a demon, shouted fiercely: “Speak!”

“Datong will not perish,” the child suddenly cried, shouting loudly while weeping: “Datong will not perish. Everyone in the world should have food to eat.”

In an instant, like an arrow, accompanied by the child’s tender voice, it pierced through the barriers in people’s hearts.

The noblewomen began to cry, their voices growing louder and louder, not knowing if they were sad or afraid, or perhaps it was the fear of one faction showing weakness before another. But how ridiculous—weren’t they the ones who controlled destiny? Weren’t they the ones high above? But why, amid this child’s trembling cries, as the Datong Association warriors fearlessly went to their deaths, was the entire dynasty trembling?

With a clang, the executioner’s blade fell to the ground. The longtime executioner was trembling. He howled like a broken beast and turned to flee. The supervision soldiers immediately shot arrows. The man hadn’t run ten steps before he was shot into a sieve.

“Go build your Datong in the underworld!” Zhong Peng snorted coldly, grabbed the child, and threw him whole into the bronze cauldron.

“No!”

Chu Qiao cried out in grief. The child’s figure flashed once before disappearing into the raging fire. A piercing scream rose to the heavens, like a demon’s night owl, making even battle-hardened old soldiers cover their ears.

“You madman!”

Chu Qiao shouted: “I will not let you go!”

“So impatient already?” Zhong Peng snorted coldly and strode forward. The man’s muscular arm grabbed Chu Qiao’s collar and said cruelly, “Are you in such a hurry? Then let you go first.”

“Soldiers! Do you know who this woman is?” Zhong Peng lifted Chu Qiao and shouted: “This is one of the rebel leaders from Yan Bei. It was she who released the Great Xia princess, conspiring to provoke war between us and Great Xia. It was she who bewitched the Crown Prince and then ruthlessly killed our prince. Tell me, should this woman be executed?”

“Execute her!” Angry roars echoed across the open plain before the temple. Zhong Peng’s eyes almost shot fire as he proclaimed: “Good! Today, we will use her to consecrate our military banner!”

“Wait!” A clear, crisp shout suddenly rang out. The crowd was startled and turned to look. In the wild, overgrown plain, dozens of horsemen galloped quickly toward them. The man in the lead wore a blue robe with ink-splashed bamboo designs, holding a sword on horseback, shouting loudly: “Hold your blade!”

The newcomer moved with extreme speed, had sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes, and held a long sword. It was none other than the Great Xia noble from the Zhuge clan, Zhuge Fourth Young Master, who had recently come to Bian Tang to offer birthday congratulations.

Zhong Peng silently cursed his bad luck and was about to strike, when suddenly Chu Qiao nimbly darted away, sliding the knife along her arm, the sharp blade cutting through the ropes binding her arms.

“Catch her!” Zhong Peng shouted, and the Central Army soldiers immediately rushed forward.

“Young Master!” Yue Qi shouted, bent his bow, and shot an arrow that hit the cliff wall hard. Zhuge Yue spurred his horse forward, leaping nimbly like a monkey, grabbing the arrow and jumping up. Following closely, Zhuge Yue’s subordinates fired arrows one after another, their archery skills astonishing, using strong bows and crossbows, creating a laddered path of arrows in the cliff wall.

The tide-like army immediately boiled over, rushing forward to prevent Zhuge’s people from approaching. Three thousand imperial guards swarmed forward, protecting Zhuge’s subordinates, holding off the five allied armies. Bows were drawn, and the horses’ nostrils puffed out warm white mist. A great battle was about to erupt.

“Everyone stop!” In an instant, Zhuge Yue had leaped onto the second-level terrace. Holding a gold jade token, gathering his breath, he shouted: “I have the Tang Crown Prince’s token in hand. The Tang Crown Prince orders all armies to stand down. He will arrive shortly!”

The autumn wind was fierce, the gale howling. The man stood with his blue robe fluttering, jade face with star-like eyes, proudly standing on the terrace, looking indescribably heroic and handsome. And what he said shocked everyone. Elder Liu was startled and immediately stepped forward to ask loudly: “What did you say? His Highness the Crown Prince will arrive shortly?”

“Yes,” Zhuge Yue turned around, coldly glanced at Zhong Peng, and said solemnly: “Li Ce is not dead. He will soon arrive with troops.”

“You’re talking nonsense!” Zhong Peng shouted harshly, afraid he would say more, and loudly ordered: “Kill him!”

The Central Army soldiers on the second level rushed forward. Zhuge Yue sternly shouted: “Are you rebelling?”

“Young Master Zhuge, as a subject of Great Xia, instead of avenging your princess, you forcefully speak for Yan Bei and repeatedly interfere in our Great Tang’s internal affairs. What exactly is your intention?”

“Zhong Peng! As a subject, you don’t think of loyal service to your country, but instead conspire to disrupt governance and lead troops to pressure the palace. What is your intention?”

Zhong Peng wiped his bloody mouth and coldly shouted: “I see you’re like the Crown Prince, both bewitched by this little demon!”

Zhuge Yue’s face turned cold, and he immediately wielded his sword with unbelievable speed! The Central Army warriors could hardly believe their eyes. Blood splashed, and figures tumbled. Zhuge Yue quickly fought his way to Chu Qiao’s side, picked up a battle blade from the ground, and threw it to her, shouting, “Follow me and charge!”

Zhuge Yue moved like a ghost, leading the way into the mass of people. Cold light flashed, and the tide-like soldiers had already gone blood-crazy. In the cruel melee, enemies were everywhere. Chu Qiao followed behind him, her arms numb from the recent binding, but she still quickly adjusted herself, staying close behind Zhuge Yue. Her breathing became heavy as her strength gradually depleted.

Yue Qi and the others were protected below by the imperial guards. Seeing the danger above, they wanted to rush up, but the narrow path at the base of the cliff was heavily guarded by the North Shu army. The imperial guards had to guard against the five allied armies that outnumbered them twentyfold while also confronting the North Shu army behind them, making it difficult to even protect themselves.

The strong charge caused the crowd to continuously scatter. Just as they were about to enter the interior of the Holy Temple, Zhuge Yue let out a long sigh. His sword traced a circle, and a streak of blood immediately splashed up. The man grabbed Chu Qiao’s arm, leaped, and jumped into the Holy Temple. Zhong Peng and others were greatly shocked that they could break through such tight defenses and hurriedly attacked from behind.

“Zhuge Yue! Great Xia will punish you!”

With a large number of pursuers behind them, Chu Qiao shouted as they ran. Zhuge Yue’s face was ashen. With one hand holding his sword and the other tightly gripping Chu Qiao’s hand, he navigated through the narrow, maze-like corridors, avoiding answering.

“Your family will punish you!”

Chu Qiao continued to shout: “Leave immediately. They won’t do anything to you. Don’t accompany me to your death!”

With a bang, the two rushed into a spacious hall. Zhuge Yue kicked the door shut and bolted it. Immediately, violent door-pounding sounds came from behind. Fortunately, every door here was made of iron, and it was impossible to break down in a short time.

“Are you crazy? What are you doing here? Have you forgotten what you said before? Why do you keep interfering in my affairs again and again?”

Chu Qiao punched Zhuge Yue in the face, like an enraged lioness, her eyes blood-red, shouting: “You’ll die, don’t you know you’ll die?”

“And don’t you know that if I had come a moment later, you would already be dead?”

The man finally erupted in anger. His mouth corner swelled from Chu Qiao’s punch, oozing a few streaks of blood. He pressed Chu Qiao against the wall, his tone low but filled with immense anger: “What do you think you are? A savior? Buddha? You stupid woman, you’re an idiot, a fool, a moron!”

Chu Qiao’s eyes were red, too emotional to control herself. “So what if I’m an idiot? So what if I’m a fool? Then why did you come back? I would rather have died fighting on the terrace just now than watch you accompany me to death!”

Zhuge Yue’s gaze suddenly calmed down. He heavily closed his eyes, then slowly turned his head away, laughing self-mockingly: “Because I’m even more foolish than you.”

The air suddenly became quiet. Just outside the door, wolf-like pursuers were approaching. Massive crashing sounds came one after another, and the soldiers’ shouts and curses continued to rise. Chu Qiao’s eyes stung. She suddenly felt like crying. She turned her head away helplessly and said word by word: “I don’t want to owe you a favor.”

“You already owe me a lot.”

Chu Qiao immediately turned back and shouted: “I don’t want to owe you a favor!”

“If you don’t want to owe, then stay alive to repay!” Zhuge Yue turned around, his eyebrows raised, shouting fiercely: “Didn’t you hear me? If you dare to die, I’ll hunt you down to King Yama’s palace in hell!”

Would one still fear pursuit after death? Chu Qiao cursed silently to herself, resisting the urge to cry. She turned away and calmly said, “I know where Zhao Chun’er is. If we find her, the rumors will collapse on their own.”

“Good, I’ll draw away the pursuers, and you go find her.”

Chu Qiao nodded, about to turn away, when Zhuge Yue suddenly grabbed her.

The man’s gaze was profound, as if something was hidden beneath, so deep, so deep that one couldn’t see clearly. He suddenly opened his arms and gently embraced Chu Qiao’s shoulders, then placed the Broken Moon sword in her hand, saying solemnly: “Be careful.”

Chu Qiao’s nose tingled, and her voice was muffled. She nodded heavily: “If you die, I’ll set off a hundred strings of firecrackers, celebrating that I no longer need to constantly remember to repay your favor.”

Zhuge Yue smiled freely and lightly turned his fist: “I’m afraid you won’t have the chance to set off those firecrackers.”

“Take care.” Zhuge Yue nodded. “You go first. After you leave, I’ll open the door and lead them in the opposite direction.”

Chu Qiao nodded, glanced at him, then turned and ran away.

The corners of her eyes were moist, but no tears flowed down.

“It’s all right, nothing will happen.”

Chu Qiao said softly, then quickly ran up the Holy Temple stairs toward where she had heard the sounds earlier.

With a bang, dust swirled as the door was kicked open. The young woman nimbly rushed in, swinging her dagger and plunging it into a guard’s neck. Another guard drew his sword, but before he could fully unsheathe it, a gleaming silver sword flew over and pierced through his chest.

Chu Qiao was covered in blood, her black-gold robe making her tall, slender figure appear even more striking. She dusted off her hands, picked up the dagger and sword, and coldly looked at Zhao Chun’er, whose face had changed dramatically as she sat on the bed. With a cold smile, she said, “I didn’t expect we’d meet again so soon.”

High on the mountaintop stood Bian Tang’s majestic imperial tomb, and atop the royal family’s Holy Temple was a vast, open platform. Chu Qiao pushed Zhao Chun’er along, kicked open the platform’s main door, walked out, and locked the iron door behind them. On the plain below the Holy Temple were thousands upon thousands of Great Tang soldiers, standing by and awaiting orders from Commander Zhong Peng. When they suddenly saw Chu Qiao walk out from inside, everyone was shocked and shouted in unison.

“Soldiers of Great Tang! Open your eyes wide and look at this person. Who is she?” Flinging aside the huge cloak, Zhao Chun’er’s grief-stricken face was instantly exposed to the sunlight. There was a moment of shocked silence from the noisy crowd, but almost immediately, cries of disbelief broke through the eardrums, rising like a mountain flood’s reverse flow.

Thunderous crashing sounds came from behind, and the huge iron door emitted beast-like muffled roars. Dust flew, and wood chips fell. Zhao Chun’er trembled slightly, her face as pale as a ghost. Chu Qiao, gripping Zhao Chun’er’s collar, called loudly to the soldiers below Meishan: “Soldiers, your country is vast, your army immensely powerful. You occupy the most fertile lands on the continent and have the hardest-working people! You have ruled this continent for thousands of years, defending the orthodoxy of the Eastern Continent with your blood and sweat, resisting foreign barbarians, and protecting the people of Xi Meng. You are knights of supreme glory. But today, right here, you have been blinded. You have been deceived. Conspirators and ambitious people have used you. They have set up a shameless trap, trying to shift disaster eastward, trying to provoke war between Bian Tang and Yan Bei, wanting to let the flames of evil burn on the soil of Great Tang!”

A wave of bewilderment rippled through the crowd. These dust-covered soldiers didn’t know how to respond to everything they faced. Some shouted, some questioned, but more people were calculating in their hearts: what was all this about?

“You are soldiers. A soldier’s responsibility is to protect the interests of the motherland and safeguard people’s lives. So, tell me, what are you fighting for?”

The long wind swept across, and the endless withered grass made wolf-like howls. The sunset was like blood. Chu Qiao stood against the wind and said in a deep voice: “Soldiers bleed to protect their country, to protect their hometown, to protect their parents, wives, and children! And you, what are you fighting for? For so-called dignity, or for this Great Xia princess who is alive but has repeatedly deceived you?”

The crowd instantly boiled over. Chu Qiao shouted: “Wake up! Think about what consequences you’ll face! Yan Bei’s iron cavalry will charge into Great Xia, and your peaceful, vast territory will be ravaged by war. Your property will be confiscated, your parents slaughtered, your wives and children violated. Your houses, your fields, everything you have will turn to ashes in the flames of war! Eventually, both you and Yan Bei will be severely weakened, and at that time, the powerful enemy lurking in the north, the butcher’s knife waiting vigilantly on the side, will hang over your heads. Then, Great Tang will repeat the catastrophe of three hundred years ago. And this time, it won’t just be Jin Wu, but also Liao Dong, Bian Shu, South Qiu, and East Ling. You will fight to the death until you lose your last foothold!”

“Boom!” A muffled explosion suddenly burst overhead. A massive thunderclap exploded in the sky. In the soldiers’ eyes flashed lightning-like brilliance, red like a bloodthirsty glow.

The iron door behind emitted a collapsing, dying scream. The sunset was like blood, the wilderness like iron. The majestic peaks were like a sword through the sky, and the snow-white imperial tomb Holy Temple stood tall. Chu Qiao, in her black-gold robe, stood tall, sword in hand, facing the blood-eyed Central Army soldiers with just two people, and below the mountain, that vast, ocean-like mighty army.

The sunset cast golden rays, illuminating her pure, beautiful face. The woman pointed her sword diagonally and coldly addressed the richly dressed Bian Tang elders standing in the square: “Soldiers! You have been betrayed!”

In an instant, like a volcano erupting, a raging flood mingled with fierce reefs broke through the fragile dam. The soldiers’ clamor was like roaring thunder. The slender woman called out loudly: “Great Xia is not benevolent, its monarch is tyrannical by nature. For a hundred years, their desire to destroy Tang has never died. We have a common enemy! We share a blood feud. Yan Bei is a friend of Great Tang, and we will never kill each other!”

“We will never kill each other!” Suddenly, a shout rang out from the crowd. The soldiers who had traveled thousands of miles only to find they had been tricked roared in anger, waving their battle blades and shouting: “Kill all Xia dogs! Fight! Fight! Fight!”

“Don’t shout! Don’t shout!”

The deputy commander of the South Qiu army, Bai Bi, shouted: “Shoot her dead! Shoot this witch! Kill her!”

However, before he could finish, soldiers raised their bows, and dozens of sharp arrows suddenly shot forth, instantly piercing through Bai Bi’s wide-open throat!

“Soldiers! Return to your camps, obey your leaders, support your monarch, and don’t be fooled by those with ulterior motives. Bian Tang has no war, firmly resist!”

“Bian Tang has no war!”

“No meaningless wars!” The crowd was in a madness, with tens of thousands of arms waving in the air. Zhao Chun’er’s eyes were red, filled with grief and indignation. She slowly turned her head, glaring at Chu Qiao, saying viciously and coldly: “You lowly woman! You bewitching demon!”

Chu Qiao turned to look at her coldly and said slowly: “I told you before, you are not my match. You never will be.”

“Don’t leave! Don’t leave!” On the tide-like square, officers still desperately shouted, trying to persuade: “We have military orders! For the honor of the empire, for the dignity of the army!”

“To hell with military orders!” The soldiers exploded in anger. The earlier inexplicable troop deployment had already made these people uncertain. Now, seeing the supposedly dead Great Xia princess standing perfectly fine before their eyes, who would believe the so-called conspiracy theory that Yan Bei was plotting against Great Tang? Especially after witnessing those Datong warriors who faced death without fear, hearing Chu Qiao’s inflammatory words, the soldiers’ reluctance to go to war completely erupted. These people were not the idle Central Army dandies of the imperial capital, not those fantasy-obsessed people who dreamed of a great empire but had never experienced war. They came from South Qiu, North Shu, Liao Mang, and Xin Yang, all ordinary poor people. They joined the military only for three meals a day and that little salary for their families. If the country were truly in danger, men would not shirk their duty. But if war started for no reason, what difficulties would it bring to the families of these commoner soldiers? People wouldn’t forget the several unbearable northern expeditionary wars, wouldn’t forget the villages full of widows and orphans after several battles against Huai Song. War had become the most detested thing, the most hated matter in the heart of this nation. Years of continuous failures had destroyed their confidence in war. If at the beginning they could still be motivated to march thousands of miles, vowing to die in military protest, now they had completely lost faith in a decisive battle.

The supervising soldiers trembled as they raised their bows and arrows, wanting to shoot those dispersing soldiers, but the next second, they too threw down their bows and arrows and followed the crowd.

In an instant, an open space was completely cleared. The soldiers threw down their battle blades to express their determination not to fight. In the square, except for the bewildered Central Army, the four allied armies of South Qiu, North Shu, Liao Dong, and Xin Yang all withdrew. The Central Army soldiers held their battle blades, faces pale, hesitating before the three thousand black-armored imperial guards.

Just then, with a thunderous boom, dust flew to the sky. The heavy iron door was broken open, and Central Army Acting Military Commander Zhong Peng, holding a blood-stained battle blade, followed by many pro-war faction forces, angrily approached Chu Qiao.

“Capture this witch!”

The sunset was like fire, and the woman’s robe fluttered in the wind like burning flames. She looked at the approaching Central Army soldiers, slowly drew her battle blade, and revealed a contemptuous smile at the corners of her mouth.

The Central Army soldiers had directly faced this beautiful swordswoman before and knew her prowess. For a moment, no one dared to charge forward.

Am I going to die?

Chu Qiao’s lips curled slightly into a faint smile. Her eyes were so bright, like the blue sky in June. There was no fear, no intimidation, just a bit of concern, and more than that, an immense belief.

It’s a pity that until death, I still can’t see you once. Until death, I still can’t see Yan Bei once, the place I’ve fought for all my life.

Chu Qiao turned her head and looked to the northwest. The clouds on the horizon were fiery red, as if a great fire was burning. The wind blew the banners on the flagpoles. The crimson rose flowers were splashed ferociously on the white and blue-edged flag, like scalding blood, burning hot, flowing in the howling north wind. From the peak of the mountain came the sharp cry of a hawk, a sound so piercing, just like the Yan Bei war hawks that Yan Xun spoke of so many times. Their gray-brown wings spread out, striking the high sky.

“Yan Xun, I’ve done everything I could. Now, I’m about to die. I’ve never feared death; I only fear that I cannot die as I’ve imagined. Now, I’m giving my life for my belief. I have no regrets because I know you will surely inherit our belief, keep our promise, and walk forward strongly, unyieldingly, and steadily. I love you. I’m willing to give you everything. Now, I’m leaving a step ahead of you, but my eyes will forever watch you, my heart will forever accompany you, watching you raise the golden battle flag high, leading the people of Yan Bei out of that barren land, leading the people of Xi Meng out of that confining cage. You will not disappoint me! May you be brave! May you be strong! May you be safe! May you fulfill the revenge in your heart and realize what you and I hope for!”

The fierce wind rose violently, raising clouds of withered grass in the sky. The pines and cypresses swayed, and the earth was ferocious. The North Shu army, seeing their commander, let out a low gasp. Zhong Peng’s eyes swept sharply toward the North Shu soldiers, like a ball of fire.

“Capture her alive!”

Zhong Peng’s voice was deep, mixed with tremendous, indescribable anger.

Zhao Chun’er turned her head, looking coldly at Chu Qiao, sneering viciously: “You’re finished.”

“Am I?” Chu Qiao smiled disdainfully, then looked at those wolf-like Central Army commanders: “I said before, I never allow myself to be in a passive situation.”

“Oh? What else can you do?”

Indeed, what else could she do? She had fought to this point, completely exhausted, with no possibility of fighting her way out. Her arms were trembling, barely able to hold the thick-backed battle blade. Her throat burned with pain, and her injuries were severe. But she still stood there, looking contemptuously at those who wanted to capture her alive to use as leverage against Yan Bei, smiling coldly.

“I cannot choose how to kill you, but at the very least, I can choose how I die.”

As soon as the words fell, Zhao Chun’er suddenly cried out in alarm, reaching out to grab the hem of Chu Qiao’s robe. But Chu Qiao moved faster, leaping from the high platform of the mountaintop. Her elegant robe spread like an eagle’s wings, fluttering magnificently under the blue sky!

“Ah!”

Terrified screams echoed throughout the scene as everyone covered their gaping mouths in shock.

Zhao Chun’er was completely stunned. She stood there with her hand outstretched, only tearing off a fragment of cloth. The South Qiu imperial silk was soft and smooth, like fine white jade, caressing the skin of her fingertips with snow-like coolness.

Zhong Peng roared in fury, his eyes bloodshot, kicking down a Central Army soldier and rushing forward two steps, only to shout in rage, helpless to change anything.

The nobles of Bian Tang were stunned. Standing on the second-level stone platform, watching the woman’s resolute descent, certain thoughts slowly emerged in their minds. What exactly was right, what was wrong? Had they truly been blinded, deceived, and manipulated? Was everything this woman, who would rather die than surrender, said true? Had they been wrong?

Thousands upon thousands of Great Tang soldiers stood dumbfounded, the entire scene completely silent, as if everyone had turned to stone. The anger that had built up in their hearts during the days of pursuit suddenly subsided. What were they fighting for? The army was the nation’s sword, but could it not have its thoughts? If the army were merely a weapon, what disaster would befall the country if this weapon fell into the hands of conspirators?

Silence fell across heaven and earth. The people’s screams and gasps instantly distanced themselves from her. Chu Qiao’s body fell decisively from the mountain peak, down the cliff that seemed carved by a knife. Eagles cried out in mournful rage, the sound so shrill, as if howling loudly.

Time was incredibly slow yet incredibly fast. The wind blew past her ears, and the fluttering military banners resembled a surging tide. There were South Qiu’s crimson battle flags, North Shu’s jet-black battle flags, Liao Dong’s earth-yellow battle flags, Xin Yang’s light blue battle flags, and Bian Tang’s fire rose.

But at that moment, Chu Qiao seemed to be dazzled. Her body fell rapidly through the air, but that golden-based, black-eagle-emblazoned Golden War Eagle flag pierced her eyes like lightning!

“Look!”

A soldier suddenly shouted. Almost at the same moment Chu Qiao leaped from the mountain peak, a black line appeared on the horizon!

That line was like a small stream, but in an instant, it transformed into a rushing river, from a line to a face, magnificent and howling like a hundred rivers converging into the eastern sea. In a flash, it became an endless black ocean!

Fight for freedom!

With a thunderous boom, Yan Bei’s Black Hawk Army charged in perfect formation. Battle cries rose to the heavens as thousands upon thousands of cavalry surged from the horizon, advancing with an overwhelming momentum, roaring and galloping. They waved their battle blades, clad in armor, like an angry ocean. They roared, fierce as a storm, their hooves stomping hard on Bian Shu’s land, raising huge clouds of dust.

That was Yan Bei’s Army of Freedom! The Yan Bei iron cavalry swept across the northwestern lands, forcing even the fierce Bahama family to bow and retreat! The continent’s number one elite army that even the iron-blooded Great Xia Military Police Brigade could not withstand!

In an instant, all of Meishan was in an uproar. People were so terrified they could hardly believe their eyes. At this turbulent moment, when Great Xia had clearly prepared to attack Yan Bei with vanguard troops already deployed, and Bian Tang had also rebelled to fight Yan Bei to the death, the most formidable military corps of the northwestern continent, the number one enemy of the entire Xi Meng land—the Yan Bei Black Hawk Army—appeared on Bian Tang’s border territory.

“My goodness!”

Elder Liu immediately collapsed to the ground, murmuring.

“The demon of Yan Bei has come!”

A surge of hot blood instantly rushed to her head. Her body suddenly burst forth with its last bit of strength. The woman, still rapidly falling through the air, pulled out the grappling hook from her waist and quickly threw it out! With a click, the hook firmly caught an ancient tree on the cliff wall. The intense vibration nearly tore Chu Qiao’s arm apart, but she still firmly controlled her falling momentum.

Zhong Peng cursed loudly, drew the battle blade from his waist, and hurled it forcefully at Chu Qiao.

Chu Qiao hurriedly turned in mid-air to dodge, but Zhong Peng, as the number one military figure in Bian Tang, had an astonishing accuracy. With a cracking sound, the rope above the grappling hook broke, and Chu Qiao’s just-stabilized body instantly fell again!

At that moment, a sharp whistling sound broke through the sky. The black legion had reached the foot of the mountain. A black-robed man in the lead held a powerful crossbow, bent it, and nocked arrows. Three powerful arrows were released in rapid succession, with an astonishing skill, as if the arrows had eyes. With three sharp thuds, they incredibly and skillfully embedded themselves from top to bottom in the rope at the upper end of the grappling hook!

Zhong Peng was furious, his gaze fierce as he grabbed a guard beside him and hurled him down at Chu Qiao.

The black-robed man shouted coldly, drew the thick-backed battle blade from his waist, raised it diagonally with one hand, and then with lightning speed shot it toward the wildly screaming soldier.

A wave of terrified screams erupted from the crowd. The battle blade plunged into the soldier’s skull with a muffled sound, then firmly embedded itself in the rock face of the cliff. But the soldier’s falling momentum was not reduced; instead, he was split in two along the blade that cut through iron like mud. The blade cut through his skull, neck, torso, and abdomen. The crowd could even hear the sound of bones and flesh crushing amid the piercing screams. Large amounts of blood dripped from above, falling on Chu Qiao’s shoulders. Then the man, split in two, fell rapidly past Chu Qiao’s left and right sides, hitting the ground hard, with blood splashing everywhere, a bloody mess!

The crowd was boiling with excitement, countless people’s jaws trembling violently. During this time, the Black Army troops got closer and closer. Zhong Peng had completely lost his mind. He raised his battle blade high, shouting angrily at the soldiers: “Kill! Kill! Shoot her! Shoot her dead!”

People were stunned, no one was following his orders.

Zhong Peng was enraged. With one swing of his blade, he cut off half of a guard’s head, shouting: “Shoot her dead! Shoot her dead!”

The Central Army troops, as if awakening from a dream, bent their bows and nocked arrows. Arrows instantly swarmed like locusts.

Chu Qiao was still in shock when she heard someone from the Black Legion shout: “Jump!”

Without thinking, she let go, and her body instantly fell like a cloud riding the mist. Dense arrows shot above her head, the cold killing intent making her scalp tingle. The weightless wind seemed about to tear her lungs apart; her breathing was difficult, and she could hardly catch her breath. The ground was getting closer and closer. She could see how many pebbles, how many blades of grass were on the ground. The previous soldier’s flesh and blood were like a muddy pulp, and she could imagine what she would look like if she fell.

But she wasn’t afraid. There was a belief in her heart supporting her, making her unhesitatingly make this series of decisions. She was even full of joy, that fulfilling happiness, immense delight, uncontrollable joy, spilling from the corners of her mouth. In this life-or-death moment, she completely lost all fear and worry, like a child returning home, smiling happily.

The warhorse neighed fiercely, its hoofbeats like thunder!

The man’s black cloak fluttered in the wind. The warhorse reared up, and the man stretched out his hand, embracing her waist. The warhorse, unable to bear the weight, immediately knelt, but he firmly and steadily held that slender figure!

Under the blood-red sunset, their hands firmly gripped each other. The man placed her on the horse’s back, then spoke to the horse in a deep voice: “Black Wind, stand up!”

The jet-black warhorse, as if possessing intelligence, immediately leaped up. The black flag legion behind shouted in unison, their voices jubilant, like a surging black wave!

“A Chu.”

The man lowered his head, his features still as they were at parting, only thinner, but something different seemed to have come alive. It was the spirit from many years ago, in the hunting ground outside Zhen Huang City, on the banks of Chi Shui Lake during the Lantern Festival, behind the rockery cliff wall at the Zhuge mansion—the pure smile that the young man once possessed.

Free, unrestrained, and filled with unwavering confidence in the future.

After breaking out of Zhen Huang, this young hawk finally spread its wings. No more shackles could hinder its flight. The world was so vast, and he could finally fly freely.

“Yan Xun.”

Chu Qiao smiled, genuinely happy from the bottom of her heart. She tightly gripped his hand, feeling her blood seemingly flowing hot. His chin was bluish, clearly he hadn’t shaved for a long time, dusty and weary. But his expression was still so familiar. This was the person who had fought alongside her for eight years without betrayal. This was the person who had endured humiliation with her for eight years without abandonment. This was the person for whom she had given almost everything, without regret.

In the moment between life and death, who can you truly trust?

Chu Qiao smiled brightly, then opened her arms and tightly embraced Yan Xun’s broad chest. She smiled at the corners of her mouth, but tears streamed down, moistening the man’s cold armor, wetting the man’s steady heartbeat. Through countless brushes with death, countless endurances of humiliation, countless displacements, she never felt bitter, never would give up, because she knew she was never alone. In her most desperate moments, that person would always stand up, sheltering her from the storm, fighting alongside her, never giving up.

Yan Xun’s chin rubbed against her smooth forehead. His voice was still as calm and peaceful as ever, but within it seemed to be surging, burning emotions about to burst forth: “I’ve come.”

Upon hearing the terrible news, setting aside all matters, he traveled day and night without rest, rushing back thousands of miles to his homeland. Leading soldiers, crossing mountains and rivers, swift as a cunning rabbit, leaving no trace. In eight days, he created a record for rapid marching across the continent, establishing a new military legend. Thousands of troops howled, myriads of horses galloped, seizing Yaguan Pass, breaking enemy camps, through many dangers, many twists, but when he saw her, he simply said lightly, “I’ve come.”

After experiencing magnificence and returning to simplicity, between them, not many words were ever needed.

“A Chu, we fight side by side.”

Yan Xun proudly raised his head, looking at those trembling Bian Tang soldiers. Chu Qiao sat in front of him, also raising her head, her eyes still glistening with tears, but it did not diminish her matchlessly beautiful appearance.

The young woman shook her blade, pointed at those pale-faced Central Army soldiers, and proclaimed loudly: “Good, let those petty people witness Yan Bei’s iron cavalry!”

Zhong Peng’s eyes immediately twitched. He hurriedly looked toward the crowd of nobles but did not see the eyes he wanted to consult. Desperate, he wanted to commit suicide.

Just then, the sound of hooves suddenly thundered from the distant north. Great Tang’s blood-red rose battle flags howled across the sky. The man at the front wore silver-white armor, leading fifty thousand wolf soldiers, galloping on horseback, arriving in a single breath.

“Li Ce is here! All conspirators and rebels, show no mercy!”

The autumn wind rustled, sweeping across the turbulent land. Bian Tang’s army was in complete uproar. At this moment, Li Ce and Yan Xun simultaneously bent their bows, their arrows pointing directly at the conspiring rebel Zhong Peng. In an instant, arrows shot forth like meteors. The man roared, still trying to wave his blade in defense, but with two muffled thuds, two sprays of blood burst open simultaneously on his chest.

Zhong Peng staggered back, seeming to want to escape. At the same time, the iron door behind was kicked open. A man in bright green attire emerged with a sword. With a flash of sword light, he cut the general’s throat.

Blood and foam sprayed out. The man made a gargling sound, then fell heavily to the ground, his eyes still open in death!

Dust rose, blood splattered, and the setting sun’s remnants were like flowing crimson tears.

The wilderness was like iron, the mountain passes like blood. Chu Qiao leaned in Yan Xun’s embrace, looking at the majestic Meishan Imperial Tomb, looking at the endless vast plain, looking at the boundless sorrowful wild grass, looking at Li Ce’s military attire, looking at Zhuge Yue’s fluttering robe corners. Suddenly, she felt so tired.

Red clouds filled the sky, on a desolate, barren plain, and only the eternal wind slowly blew.

—

I’ve been sick these past few days. The “Bian Tang Volume” is now complete. The next volume will be the “Yan Bei Volume.” I hope everyone continues to support.