As the sun sets, its rays shimmer like gold, and a fish scale the size of a copper coin hangs from the fishing hook.
It is entirely dark yellow, shining like gold.
The two stood silently on the ground, neither of them speaking, both staring intently at the fish scale.
Several breaths passed before Xiao Yiming finally spoke:
"It's definitely not a black carp; it doesn't have those kinds of scales."
"It looks like a koi fish tail."
Prince Qing stepped forward and picked up the golden scale, his eyes filled with regret: "It's rare to grow this big and still have such a beautiful appearance."
He raised his eyes and looked at the water again.
The ripples on the water had subsided, leaving only withered flowers and broken leaves.
"Let's go fishing again next time, Your Highness," Xiao Yiming said with a smile.
Prince Qing threw the golden carp into the water, and in a short while, the golden carp sank to the bottom of the deep water.
"I'm not coming." Prince Qing took off his straw hat, shook his head, and turned to leave.
Xiao Yiming immediately followed, but frowned and said, "It can't escape. Maybe we can catch it next time."
Prince Qing, with his hands behind his back, shook his head and said with a smile:
"If we can't catch it this time, it's not worth the effort to keep waiting for it."
"It's not mine."
Xiao Yiming stopped and turned to look at the water.
Prince Qing took a few steps and, seeing that he hadn't followed, turned around and looked at him: "What are you standing there for? Let's go back, it's almost dark."
Xiao Yiming turned his head, touched his head, and smiled.
"What? You still want to bring it up?" Prince Qing laughed, arms crossed.
"Yeah, I'd like to give it a try," Xiao Yiming said.
“But I’m going back now. Aren’t you going to come with me?” Prince Qing pursed his lips.
"Let's go, kid!" He turned around, shook his straw hat, and walked on.
Xiao Yiming turned his head and looked at the water one last time.
A moment later, he reluctantly withdrew his gaze, turned around, and ran towards Prince Qing.
Upon catching up with Prince Qing, he said, "Your Highness, we've arrived."
Prince Qing remained silent, only nodding slightly.
And it was at this moment—
There was a "plop" sound.
The two turned to look at the water at the same time. The splashing water was incomparably beautiful under the setting sun, and ripples spread from the inside out on the sparkling water.
Prince Qing pouted:
"See that? It must be leaping out of the water."
"But we didn't even see it."
He looked at Xiao Yiming and continued:
"It's clear that neither of us is destined to get this fish."
Xiao Yiming sighed helplessly: "Your Highness is right."
"What is destined to be yours will be yours, and what is not, you cannot force."
As the sun set and the evening breeze gently blew, the perfectly preserved lotus flowers swayed, and the water finally calmed down. Prince Qing laughed at Xiao Yiming's words.
So Xiao Yiming also started laughing.
The green lotus and red lotus leaves sway gently in the breeze, broken poles remain on the shore, Xiao Yiming, dressed in black and soaking wet, and Jin Weizun, wearing a brocade robe but covered in mud.
And then there was that koi carp that was never caught and never seen again.
The fading twilight faded rapidly, its mottled colors disappearing, leaving it dull and lifeless.
Then it turned grayish-white, and finally, the black as thick as inkstone swept in, spreading across the entire scene and memory.
Jade and gold fly, and at this moment, the clear wind and bright moon are especially suitable for the night.
Shot by several arrows and covered in wounds, Xiao Yiming collapsed to the ground in the quiet night and slowly closed his eyes.
And so he fell into a deep sleep.
——
Yan Cheng stumbled toward the scarred barbarian general, his head buzzing, making it almost impossible for him to hear his companions.
As he approached the blood-soaked body, he opened his mouth and shouted.
He heard no sound, so he reached out his trembling hand to try to turn the body over. When he finally turned the body over, the terrible scene he saw made Yan Cheng immediately fall to the ground.
Blood and flesh were mixed together haphazardly, obscuring his face, but the thick, viscous blood spoke volumes.
Bai Hanzi died, and his younger brother Bai Miao died in Yanluo Mountain last year, thus ending the Bai family line.
Overwhelmed with grief, Yan Cheng sat on the ground in a daze until he remembered something else. He then practically tumbled and crawled to the wolf king's side.
His long-time companion lay motionless on the ground, one of its eyes gouged out and its jaws torn apart. Yan Cheng could hardly believe that the enemy could do such a thing with a broken knife stuck in its back, but his companion's corpse was right in front of him.
Yan Cheng embraced the wolf's body, which was slowly growing cold, and whimpered silently, unable to extricate himself from his grief.
Until one moment, he suddenly regained consciousness, and his eyes turned bloodshot.
He suddenly stood up and staggered to the body of Prince Qing.
With a "whoosh".
He pulled a knife from the waist of his companion, then sat down on the ground and, with his last remaining strength, sawed at Prince Qing's neck.
The blade dragged across his neck with a chilling sound, while the barbarian soldiers beside him shouted, "General, leave it to us!"
Your wound needs to be bandaged!
The voice was urgent and full of worry, but Yan Cheng couldn't hear it; his mind was still buzzing.
He gritted his teeth, still sawing at the bloodied and mangled neck with all his might. In the constant sawing, tears finally burst forth, mingling with the blood on his face, making his face look both angry and grief-stricken.
Finally, the neck was sawed open. Yan Cheng grabbed the head and leaned back. The barbarian soldiers behind him supported him. He stared blankly at the head, his eyes unfocused.
"General! General!" the barbarian soldiers shouted into his ear.
As the buzzing sound gradually subsided with each call, Yan Cheng finally slowly regained consciousness.
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