Chapter 97

  Qing Xia had long expected that this road would not be so smooth, those hidden dangers and disasters would always find the most opportune moment to strike people heavily, only she hadn't expected everything to come so quickly, quick enough to catch people off guard.

  A torrent of arrows shot forth like a swarm of locusts, and Shi Xing's defense circle was utterly destroyed. His clever plan to divide the troops into small squads had reduced their combat effectiveness to almost nothing, also giving the enemy an opportunity to take advantage of them. Qing Xia raised her sword to deflect a row of flying arrows, grabbed Banbur's sleeve, and shouted loudly: "Follow me!"

  The newly recruited civilian soldiers had no combat capability to speak of, and the so-called small squad leaders were also shouting and killing in their daily lives. When they really arrived on the battlefield, they were all scared and fled with their heads covered. Shi Hang's personal guard was somewhat impressive, but unfortunately, he was sent out as a supervisor by Shi Hang, and only a few remained by his side. Qing Xia couldn't care about others, surrounding the war horses in a circle to block the outer arrows, and facing several pale-faced young men said: "Wait for me to rush out later, don't look back, run desperately forward, do you understand?"

  "Big Brother Xia," Li Xian said with a frown, "Where are we running to? Everywhere is flat land, the enemy can easily catch up."

  Qing Xia's eyebrows were tightly locked, and after a moment of thought, he said in a low voice: "Run back and surrender to the Qin army!"

  "Join the rebels?"

  Qing Xia's eyes widened and he said in a stern voice: "First ensure your safety before talking!"

  Having said that, he quickly mounted his horse and shouted at the crowd: "Go!"

  The earth-shaking cries of despair filled both ears, and the grain-pressing troops of Xichuan were in a state of utter chaos. Qing Xia led the crowd in a leftward and rightward charge, and incredibly, they actually broke through the throng of people.

  The voice behind grew fainter, and the people of White Deer Fortress were indeed more courageous than others. They were able to successfully ambush the Western River grain convoy because someone had secretly infiltrated the team and was very familiar with Western River's route and defense. This allowed them to devise such a meticulous ambush plan. The Western River people were caught off guard, almost without any counterattack power.

  "Not good!" Just as she was about to shake off the crowd behind her, Qing Xia suddenly felt a tightness in her chest. She hastily turned her head back, and with one glance from her phoenix-like eyes, it was as if a basin of cold water had been poured over her head.

  "You go first, I'll be right back!"

  "Qīng Xià!" Na Ke Duo grasped Qing Xia's hand and shouted loudly: "No way!"

  Qing Xia's hand fell heavily on his palm, and he said in a low voice: "Xi Linchen is still inside!"

  It was only then that everyone realized that Xi Linchen was not by their side. Qing Xia turned her horse around and shouted loudly, "No one is allowed to follow!" before charging towards the battlefield on horseback.

  Suddenly a wave of rockets came from the front, Qing Xia lightly jumped up and rolled to the ground. The war horse let out a mournful cry with several arrows in its body, and fell to the ground with a loud whinny.

  "Xilin!" Qing Xia shouted, jumping up from her seat and dashing out of the rows of rockets. Her figure was agile, like a swift cheetah, her eyes scanning the crowd, but where was Xilin Chen's shadow?

  With a swish, one knife blocked an incoming battle-axe, eyes turned cold, and with one kick to the opponent's abdomen, taking advantage of the momentary gap as they fell to the ground, instantly pounced, and from the sleeve mouth, a dagger flashed, slicing through the opponent's throat.

  "Xilin!" Qing Xia shouted loudly, her brow furrowed, as she charged into the chaotic battlefield, cutting down anyone who stood in her way. The remaining soldiers of Xichuan saw this and rushed to gather around Qing Xia.

  "Brother Xia!" Shi Xing, surrounded by a group of guards in the middle, was about to collapse when he suddenly saw Qing Xia's shadow. Overjoyed, he shouted loudly.

  Qing Xia turned around and saw Shi Xing and others, one knife cut down an enemy, and ran towards Shi Xing and others.

  "Have you seen Xi Linchen?" Shi Hang was taken aback and didn't respond.

  Qing Xia's eyebrows rose as she shouted loudly: "Has anyone seen Xi Lin Chen?"

  One of Shi Xing's guards stuttered: "Just now, I saw him heading towards the western mountain slope."

  Qing Xia turned her head to look, and saw that the western mountain slope was densely packed with the shadows of enemies, countless bowmen waiting in formation, forming a pocket-shaped net. In the sky, there were bloodthirsty cold lights flickering slightly. Qing Xia gritted her teeth, seized an ownerless war horse, turned over and jumped onto it.

  "Brother Xia!" Shi Xing hastily shouted loudly, and the guard beside him hurriedly pulled him back.

  "Hey Xia brother, isn't that the enemy's camp over there......"

  The sound of Shi Xing's voice grew increasingly indistinct and distant in the air, the cold wind whizzed past his ears, Qing Xia urged on her horse with a whip, galloping across the battlefield littered with corpses and carnage. In his mind, all he could recall was Xi Lin Yu Jiao's eyes wide open before she died and her mutilated corpse.

  Something mustn't go wrong!

  Qing Xia was muttering to herself in a low voice, her face almost numb from the cold wind, her whole body seemingly trembling slightly, but she still sat firmly on the war horse, without a hint of fear as she charged up the western mountain slope!

  "Someone!" the enemy soldier suddenly shouted loudly, and a silver arrow flashed over instantly. Qing Xia's body suddenly shifted to one side, and with a sudden movement of his hand, he grasped the flying arrow in mid-air, and without thinking, he threw it back. A blood-curdling scream immediately rang out, and the enemy soldier who had shot the arrow had a large hole opened up in his forehead, his eyes wide with incredulity, before tumbling down the slope with a loud crash.

  "Quickly, get down!" Another loud shout, and a dense hail of arrows came in like a swarm of locusts. Qing Xia leapt up, landing on the horse's back, dodging the deadly arrows by a hair's breadth. Just then, the horse let out a mournful whinny, its front legs buckling as it fell to the ground. In an instant, Qing Xia sprang off, landing lightly on all fours like a cat, and darted forward with incredible speed.

  "Up with the rolling stone!" The enemy soldiers shouted in unison, and for a moment, all eyes were on this seemingly thin and weak little soldier. Qing Xia's gaze was icy cold, her eyebrows and eyes sharp as frost, and suddenly she flung out the hook lock from her waist. With a swift whooshing sound, the sharp iron claw plunged into the abdomen of the middle-aged man who had been issuing orders. The enemy army instantly fell into chaos. Qing Xia pulled hard on the hook lock, using the momentum to climb upwards, and in an instant, she was among the crowd. Countless enemy soldiers swarmed towards her, but Qing Xia's hands moved swiftly, pulling back the hook lock with a speed that seemed like the thousand palms of Buddha, sending the sharp hook lock swirling through the air like a crimson lotus flower blooming instantly around her, its bloodthirsty edges blocking those who dared to approach her.

  "Xi... Lin... Chen!" Qing Xia looked around, only to see the mountains and fields filled with the corpses of countless Western River soldiers who had tried to charge up the slope. Xi Lin Chen was just a weak and bookish young scholar, not skilled in martial arts, and now he was caught in this chaotic battlefield - how could he possibly survive? Despair slowly rose up in Qing Xia's heart as she frantically looked around, but she couldn't find even a glimpse of that frail young man.

  Xilin Chen, you can't get into trouble.

  Qīng Xià was silently pondering in her heart, all along she had thought it was herself protecting them. Only now did she realize how they had supported each other through this journey, if there wasn't Xī Lín Chén, Bān Bù ěr, and Jiǎo Yǒu Nà Kè Duō, what would be the meaning of everything she had done? In this world, she had no direction, no stance, not even a name, no family, no attachments, and didn't know what to do from day to day. If she lost them again, where would she go?

  Xilin Chen, you can't have anything happen to you. At first, I was powerless and couldn't save your brother and sister. Now, how could I possibly allow you to disappear under my nose?

  I've gotten used to waking up every morning and seeing your clear eyes first thing. I've gotten used to watching you smile faintly as you bring me a steaming hot water basin and towel, with a small spoon holding green salt foam next to the cup for rinsing my mouth. I've gotten used to you neatly arranging my armor on the clothes rack, those thick cotton robes are always placed by the brazier, heated to a warm temperature, it's very comfortable to wear. I've gotten used to getting up every night to tuck in your bedding, and moving you from the foot of the bed back to the brazier.

  In this vast and desolate world, you and I are the same kind of people, without a country, without a home, without a single relative. So how can I let you wander alone in the darkness once again?

  "Xī Lín Chén!" Qing Xia waved her long knife, shrill and sharp cry, the sound pierced through the clouds, echoing far away on the snowy plains of ten thousand miles!

  More and more people gathered around, layer upon layer, Qing Xia was covered in wounds, exhausted physically, but still had a firm conviction that supported her, making her stubbornly stand there, not falling for a long time.

  From noon till sunset, the entire snowfield was stained red, the cries of killing gradually faded away, and the soldiers of Xichuan either died or escaped, with no one left. On the western slope, the woman covered in blood finally fell to the ground with a thud as the last ray of sunlight disappeared from the horizon.

  A strong smell of blood emanated from her body, everywhere was sticky, and it was impossible to distinguish whether it was hers or someone else's. Her face was as pale as paper, her hands were no longer visible in their original color, the helmet on her head had long since fallen off, and her black hair was scattered behind her, with some stuck to her cheeks by blood. Her breathing was rapid, big mouthfuls, as if she wanted to gasp out her lungs, and a pair of eyes had already turned bloodshot. However, her legs no longer had any strength to stand up, she grasped the hilt of her sword, knelt on the ground with both knees, slightly bowed her head, but her eyes still looked forward slowly through the gap in her black hair.

  A team of more than 2,000 people, however, took a step back in front of her, trembling with fear.

  The north wind was blowing fiercely, sweeping across her thin and weak shoulders. She seemed to be on the verge of collapse, as if she would fall down at any moment. However, after a long time, she still maintained that posture, coldly staring at the group of stone-like men in front of her.

  Everyone was frightened, holding the war knife in their hands, but no one dared to take a step forward. It was the same just now, she seemed to be unable to hold on any longer. However, from noon to afternoon, to sunset, to the arrival of night, she still stood there like an impregnable fortress, flashing with bloodthirsty light, not retreating a single step.

  Bodies piled up like small hills in front of her, a crimson trickle winding its way through the snow. Qing Xia's voice was hoarse, heavy with exhaustion and killing intent: "You... killed him?"

  No one could answer her. They had killed too many people today, and no one knew who this frail little soldier was talking about. All they could do was look at her cautiously and approach slowly.

  No one answered, Qing Xia's mind was really confused for a moment. She was too tired, she could hardly imagine how many people she had killed, and how long she had persisted. However, it was already too late. When she escaped, she forgot about him, so heaven did not give her another chance to make up for it. Tears flowed slowly from the corners of her eyes, leaving bright white marks on her bloody face. Her lips trembled like broken butterfly wings, and finally, she slowly spat out a sentence: "You... really killed him."

  A faint pain flashed in his eyes, Qing Xia's eyebrows tightly furrowed, as if the pain was like a sword piercing through his heart. Suddenly, with a loud thud, he fell forward heavily into the pool of blood, and from then on, he didn't move at all.

  The White Deer Plain mercenaries cautiously approached, dozens of soldiers lined up in a row, very carefully one step at a time, finally arrived by her side, slowly turned over her body.

  "Second leader, she's a woman!" A soldier suddenly shouted in horror, the huge noise around them thundered, and the Bailu Yuan warriors who were frightened by Qing Xia all exclaimed in unison. Who could have imagined that the soldier who had killed dozens of people with his own strength would be a woman?

  The middle-aged man called the second leader had a white cloth wrapped around his lower abdomen, and it was the big man who had been used as a target by Qing Xia to burn his intestines.

  "Get the woman! Tie her up, I'll kill her with my own hands!" The originally flawless plan had paid such a huge price because of this woman's sudden appearance, how could he not be furious? A group of people roughly tied up Qing Xia, their brutal movements causing her to frown. She slowly opened her eyes, the dazzling torches making her dizzy for a moment. When she finally came to, she suddenly heard a loud slap, a heavy palm print on Di's face.

  Qing Xia's body fell to the ground with a thud, and a large foot heavily trampled on her cheek. The mud and sand at the bottom of the foot scraped against her skin, causing a sharp pain.

  "Falling into my hands, I will definitely make you taste all kinds of cruel punishments in the world, and it's not in vain for you to come to this world. With a gritted teeth, he tore off the armor on Qing Xia's shoulder, and with a loud rip, a large piece of white skin was exposed to the air, especially dazzling in the midst of the bloody sky."

  Qing Xia was already too weak to struggle, couldn't even move a finger. She was trampled underfoot, her clothes torn apart, yet in front of her eyes flashed Xi Lin Chen's eyebrows and eyes. If she hadn't met him herself, perhaps he would still be alive, would have been rescued by someone else, would be living well somewhere, absolutely not here, wouldn't have died on the battlefield.

  Tears flowed silently, she had lost all her strength and could only lie here quietly, waiting to be humiliated to death. Her mouth was stuffed with a cloth strip, her hands and feet were tied up, and she couldn't even commit suicide. Like a lifeless wooden puppet, her heart was filled with vast desolation and despair. Many faces floated slowly in front of her eyes, this life, just over twenty years, yet seemed so long, almost endless. Now that everything was finally coming to an end, her mind suddenly felt empty, many faces floating slowly in her mind, she looked at their faces but couldn't call out their names.

  "Two leaders!" A guard suddenly shouted loudly: "Someone has come!"

  Everyone heard the words and rushed to look down at the mountain slope, only to see a winding dragon-like torch, countless horses galloping on the snowy ground, coming from afar under the distant sky, from one point to a piece, covering the entire mountain and plains, overwhelming the heavens, like a turbulent tidal wave, rolling back against the wind. The whole world seemed to be shaken at that moment, and the kind of horror crept up people's spines, straight into their hearts, and the entire life was screaming in terror.

  "It's Yanzi Camp!"

  Terrifying screams emanated from the depths of their souls, horrific shrieks that sent countless people trembling in unison, as the earth's rumbling echoed the crowd's terror.

  One person, two people, ten people, a hundred people, soon thousands of people shouted in unison, their voices echoing through the air, converging into a massive torrent!

  It's the Flame Letter Camp! The war myth of a hundred battles and a hundred victories, the terrifying legend of iron-blooded absolute killing, the dark night army that can stop children from crying at night. On such a stormy and eerie night, with ghosts and monsters lurking around, they swoop in, trampling the moon!

  The defeated soldiers fled like a tidal wave, one wave after another, in terror towards the north. No matter how much they were stopped, the great banner of the Yanzi Camp was unstoppable wherever it went, and it was extremely difficult to encounter any resisting troops, let alone these mobs?

  Qīng xià felt that time had passed for so long, she lay on the cold snowy ground, her blood seemed to have frozen stiff, and her exposed skin could no longer feel the cold. Her eyes were already blurry, and in a daze, she only saw those panicked white deer mercenaries fleeing, behind them was a row of raised flags and armor-clad regular soldiers slowly walking towards her side.

  Innumerable boots surged to both sides like a tide, clearing a path. In the silent air, a pure black warhorse thundered near, and the person on the horse jumped down from the horse with ease. A pair of white deerskin boots stepped onto the snow-covered ground stained with blood, taking large strides towards Qing Xia as he ran over.

  A wave of good Sichuan peppercorn fragrance suddenly came face to face, Qing Xia's eyes were sour, and in this familiar breath, she suddenly felt a sharp heartache.

  Her mind must have been blurry, she self-deprecatingly thought of curling up the corners of her mouth, but her frozen eyelids were stiff, and before she even saw the face in her illusion, she already wanted to cry.

  I must be dead. Qing Xia thought to herself, she wanted to blink her eyes to confirm if she was still alive, but suddenly felt herself being tightly hugged in someone's arms.

  "Emma..."

  A mellow voice, like a cup of warm wine, poured into Qing Xia's throat. She strained to lift her stiff neck and slowly looked up.

  Phoenix eyes, sleeping silkworm eyebrows, high nose bridge, slightly pale and thin cheeks. This face had echoed countless times in her heart, but at this moment of life and death, she seemed to be stunned. The rope behind her had been untied, she slowly raised her stiff hand, the palm full of fresh blood slowly stretched out, lightly touching the young general's cheek.

  "Qin... flames?"

  An uncertain voice, a slightly rising tone, softly echoed in the air.

  "...... I ...... am not dreaming, right?"

  Her voice was low and hoarse, as if scorched by charcoal, but she still managed to smile. After the desperate slaughter, among countless corpses, in a chaotic sea of blood, her trembling voice whispered:

  Qin's eyebrows furrowed, the pain and longing in his eyes surged out like a vast ocean, gradually tightening his arms to hold that cherished body tightly in his embrace. He whispered softly, word by word:

  "Emma, I'm late."

  All the flowers in the world burst into bloom in an instant.