At dawn, dozens of black shadows leaped down from the city wall behind Ningcheng like ghosts, galloping in the morning mist, their horses' hooves lightly stepping on the dry grass, making almost no sound.
Their route was very clear, heading straight towards the Wind Valley, taking every step carefully but not dragging their feet.
The Wind Valley is a steep mountain with cliffs on both sides towering into the clouds like the fangs of wild beasts, squeezing the only passage into a narrow and deep place.
Strong winds rage in the valley all year round, blowing up sand and gravel that cuts like a knife through bones.
When they reached the valley entrance, the leader Huo Pingchang reined in his horse and stopped, looking deeply at the dim mountain road ahead.
He slowly raised his hand and whispered, "Stop."
The team stopped immediately and everyone held their breath.
Huo Pingchang's eyes were as sharp as an eagle. He scanned the surroundings and said in a deep voice,
"Go ahead and check it out!"
A cavalryman immediately turned his horse's head and rode away. The sound of his hooves was rapid but rhythmic, echoing in the valley and raising a few wisps of dust.
Soon, the cavalry returned, stopped in front of Huo Pingchang, and reported with a bow:
"Reporting to Da Sima, there is nothing unusual ahead!"
Huo Pingchang did not immediately order to advance, but narrowed his eyes calmly and looked at the surrounding mountains carefully.
The uneasiness in his heart did not dissipate.
"Go to the location I told you."
With his order, several spies quickly dispersed and headed towards several commanding heights on the cliff.
A moment later, the agreed signal was faintly heard from the top of the mountain. The spies returned one after another and reported in a low voice,
"Grand Sima, already in position, no abnormalities!"
Huo Pingchang then breathed a sigh of relief.
No one is more familiar with the ambush locations in the Gale Valley than him. Huo Yan's plan to ambush him here is simply a piece of cake!
He raised his hand and signaled, "Enter the valley."
At this moment, a clear voice came from behind.
"Father!"
Huo Pingchang's back stiffened and he slowly turned around.
Helian Yu stood quietly on the horse, his black clothes fluttering in the wind, and he held the reins so tightly in his hands that his veins were faintly visible.
In the morning light, his eyes were as cold as a pond, fixed directly on Huo Pingchang.
Everyone was shocked. They had never expected him to appear so suddenly, nor had they noticed his approach.
Helian Yu rode his horse slowly forward, the sound of the horse's hooves crushing the dry fallen leaves was particularly clear in the quiet valley.
He walked to a position several dozen steps ahead of the team, then turned his horse's head slightly and faced Huo Pingchang head-on.
"Father," he called again, "where do you want to go?"
Huo Pingchang stared deeply at his son whom he hadn't seen for a long time, his brows slightly furrowed, and the gloom in his eyes deepened a little.
He had sent people everywhere to look for Helian Yu's whereabouts, and had long thought that he had died in the war. He never expected to see him here today.
"Where are you from?" Huo Pingchang just asked in a deep voice.
When the father and son met, there seemed to be no trace of closeness between them.
There was indifference in Helian Yu's eyes, and suspicion in Huo Pingchang's eyes.
After a moment of silence, Huo Pingchang narrowed his eyes and said in a cold tone, "Where are those things?"
Helian Yu did not answer, but met his sharp gaze with a calm and resolute tone.
"Father, let me ask you first...where are you going?"
Huo Pingchang looked at him solemnly. The person in front of him had become very different after this trip.
He tightened the reins and said, "It's none of your business, get out of the way!"
"Heh..." Helian Yu smiled lightly.
"Father...are you planning to abandon my mother and me just like you abandoned Madam Huo and Huo Zhengze?"
As soon as the words fell, the valley fell into deathly silence.
Huo Pingchang's face instantly darkened, his veins bulged, as if he had been hit in the reverse scale.
He suddenly leaned forward from his horse, his eyes wide open, and pointed at Helian Yu's nose and cursed:
"You rebellious son!"
His voice was hoarse with anger, and there was a hint of madness in his eyes.
"Get out of here! Don't force me to do anything!"
Helian Yu remained motionless, sitting steadily on his horse, his expression cold and calm, as if his father's anger was just a trivial storm that could not shake him at all.
He looked at Huo Pingchang steadily, and there was only strangeness in his calm eyes.
There was a time when his father was the person he admired most and the role model he aspired to be.
But now, the man in front of him was nothing but a coward who was willing to abandon everyone just to survive.
Helian Yu tilted his head slightly, looked up at the beacon fire in Ningcheng in the distance that had not yet been extinguished, and his voice was as calm as the surface of a frozen lake in winter.
"Father, as the general defending the city, abandoned the city and fled, leaving the people of Ningcheng to die?"
His words were neither light nor heavy, but they were like a sharp blade, piercing Huo Pingchang's chest.
Huo Pingchang's face turned redder and a hint of anger flashed across his eyes, but he couldn't refute it.
Helian Yu did not stop. He slowly glanced around and his eyes fell on the faces of those close followers of Huo Pingchang. His expression was cold and a sarcastic smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"My guess is that Father wants to go to South Vietnam."
Huo Pingchang's heart skipped a beat. He suddenly tightened his grip on the reins, a hint of vigilance flashing in his eyes.
Seeing this, Helian Yu's smile deepened, and with undisguised mockery, he said in a playful tone,
"What? Father plans to go to South Vietnam, change his name, marry, and have children? Just like he did a dozen years ago?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Huo Pingchang became furious. He tightened his grip, turned his horse's head sharply, and rushed straight towards Helian Yu.
The two horses were almost close to each other, their hooves splashing dust on the mud. Huo Pingchang's eyes were sinister and murderous.
But he didn't move his sword directly—
“Bang!”
With a crisp sound, Huo Pingchang slapped Helian Yu hard in the face.
The force was so great that half of his face was knocked aside. Blood instantly seeped out of the corner of his mouth, and a tooth was loosened and rolled onto the muddy ground with blood foam in it.
Helian Yu was hit so hard that his head tilted to the side, and his ears were buzzing.
He did not turn around immediately, but slowly raised his hand and wiped the blood from the corner of his lips.
Then he chuckled softly.
It was filled with sarcasm, disdain, and a chilling chill.
"Evil creature!" Huo Pingchang roared, his eyes red, and suddenly grabbed his collar, almost pulling him off the horse.
Helian Yu steadied his body and slowly raised his eyes, his gaze as calm as ice and deep and bottomless.
He spoke each word with a firm voice, carrying an unprecedented sharpness—
"If the father wants to escape, he has to step over his son's body!"
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