Chapter 120 Snow Covers the Heart, Red Plum Blossoms Emerge
Yang Xiao looked at Yang Zhen inquiringly, "Do we have any sharp arrows in our house?" Afraid that Yang Zhen wouldn't understand, she gestured with her hand, "The kind that can split wood from a hundred paces away."
"What are you doing..." Yang Song stood up upon hearing this, "You want to shoot Bai Ming?"
Yang Xiao was taken aback for a moment, then shook her head with a smile. "How could that be? It's best to settle the battle fairly and squarely. What kind of skill is it to shoot a sneak arrow?" She looked earnestly into Yang Song's eyes with a smile. "Brother, don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I have a clever use for this arrow."
“I do have a sharp arrow,” Yang Zhen patted Yang Xiao’s shoulder again and laughed, “but it depends on whether you have the strength to do it.”
"Really?" Yang Xiao suddenly became interested. She smiled and looked at Yang Zhen. "I used to be weak, but things are different now. Why don't you try it yourself, Father?"
“Alright,” Yang Zhen nodded readily, resting his elbow on the table. “Come on, try and see if you can bend me.” He looked up at Yang Xiao, who was standing there. “Quick, this is a method your mother taught me.”
Yang Xiao nodded and smiled, then stepped forward and shook Yang Zhen's hand. "Then I'll begin."
As soon as the words were spoken, the table made a dull thud, and the heavy wooden table was moved a few inches by the force of the two people. The two hands clenched on the table trembled incessantly, and large beads of sweat slowly slid down Yang Xiao's temples, but Yang Zhen still looked up to observe Yang Xiao's expression.
The table made another noise. Yang Xiao gritted her teeth and pulled Yang Zhen's hand. After a tremor, their hands gradually tilted a little towards Yang Xiao.
"Wow, that's quite a bit of strength." Yang Zhen nodded approvingly and patted Yang Xiao on the back with satisfaction. "Looking at it this way, you certainly have the strength to draw a bow. So, I'll not only give you the sharpest arrows, but I'll also provide you with a good bow, how about that?"
Yang Xiaoli stood there panting, straightened up, smiled, and clasped her hands in thanks to Yang Zhen, "Thank you, Father."
"Alright, you've got the arrows. Go back and rest. Tomorrow will be another tough battle." Yang Zhen smiled as he welcomed Yang Xiao out the door and patted her on the back.
Yang Song followed them out, saying, "Don't worry, we're here."
With the setting sun behind her, Yang Xiao smiled at the two people behind her, raised her hand and clasped her hands in a fist salute, "Whether on the battlefield or behind the battlefield, I will not lose!"
She raised her bow high and turned to run out of the courtyard.
Her figure gradually merged with the rosy clouds, heading towards a vast sea on the horizon.
As the days drew closer, Yang Xiao felt inexplicably nervous. She endlessly checked the array diagrams and arrows, wandering around the room for ages before impulsively stuffing them into her combat boots and locking them in the closet.
But she still felt uneasy. She sat at the table with a lamp lit, and somehow drew several topographical maps. Without exception, every single one of them was wildly wrong.
She threw all the drawings into a drawer, but took them out again and again before leaving. In the end, she burned the rest, keeping only the most absurd one.
She carefully wrapped the fake map in layers, like bandaging a wound, and placed it in a drawer before confidently taking the arrows and following Xiao Yan to Longcheng.
He met Bai Ming at the front lines.
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The rising sun on the appointed day hung impatiently in the sky, silently urging Xiao Yan's surging army to arrive.
The blinding white light pierced through the morning mist, tightening an inelastic string in Yang Xiao's heart.
Like a misty, oppressive drizzle, snow dust fell in abundance, instantly transforming into countless feathers that fluttered in the air. The sound of horns echoed across the vast white expanse, clearing a path forward.
Yang Xiao rode his horse with his spear in hand, staring expressionlessly at the fluttering banners below the hillside. However, her red-clad figure seemed to sense something and kept shaking its head slightly.
The white-clad general at the foot of the mountain, leading the charge, was just like her, spear in hand, his gaze fixed on the mountaintop. But the fog was thick, and their eyes never met.
Yang Xiao let out a soft sigh of relief, and the hot air she exhaled immediately turned into tiny, steaming water droplets, making the fog in front of her even thicker.
Both armies arrayed themselves in battle formation, and the rousing war drums suddenly resounded in their ears, causing their hearts to pound. Each drumbeat felt like a hammer pounding on Yang Xiao's chest, forcing her forward while simultaneously suffocating her.
Xiao Yan rode alongside Yang Xiao, giving her a slight nod. "Go, but be careful. Follow my orders."
"Understood." Yang Xiao replied coldly, urging his horse forward slightly.
Amidst the watchful eyes of the crowd, she drew Yang Zhen's horn bow, pulled out a sandalwood arrow that had been prepared beforehand from her boots, and placed it on the bow.
In an instant, all was silent, except for the resounding war drums and the echoing of the chest.
Yang Xiao closed one eye, but saw Bai Ming's figure standing on horseback even more clearly. The silver spear gleamed in the snow, further highlighting his resolute yet worried eyes.
She gritted her teeth and hardened her heart, pointing the arrow directly at where Bai Ming was.
The soldiers behind her fell silent, their eyes fixed expectantly on the arrow she clutched in her hand.
With a "snap," the arrow flew from the bow, tearing through the snow-covered sky, and pierced straight towards Bai Ming.
The arrow, carried by the wind, hurtled towards Bai Ming without warning. Everyone's heart leaped into their throats, staring in disbelief at the scene unfolding before them.
With a sharp "whoosh," the sandalwood arrow flew past Bai Ming's head and landed firmly on the flagpole behind him.
Everyone hurriedly turned around to look, only to see the white banner swaying a few times in the cold wind before crashing straight to the ground. The sandalwood arrow, however, was firmly embedded in the flagpole, with such force that the flag-bearing soldier had to use all his strength to hold onto the flagpole and avoid being dragged off his horse.
The arrow struck the flagpole and pierced Bai Ming's heart.
"Good!" The men behind Yang Xiao were like a pot boiling over, waving flags and shouting wildly; Bai Ming's soldiers also cursed and swore, and the front of the two armies was immediately boiling and noisy.
"Giddy up!" Amidst the incredulous gazes of the crowd opposite, Yang Xiao spurred her horse and charged down the mountain, the red banner billowing behind her as it cut through the wind.
Looking at Yang Xiao's dashing figure, Bai Ming felt a pang of pain in his heart. Her red clothes, red horse, and red flag made her seem like a raging fire burning in the snowfield, rushing towards him.
He looked up and met Yang Xiao's gaze. Those all-too-familiar eyes held none of the previous fiery passion, only suppressed heartache and unspeakable sorrow.
His eyes were slightly red, and he opened his mouth to call out the name he had called a million times, but the nickname etched in his heart was stuck in his throat like tears, unable to be uttered.
Seeing Yang Xiao attack with her spear, Bai Ming gritted his teeth and raised his spear to fight her. The weapons clashed, producing a sharp sound. Bai Ming was so shocked that he leaned back. He quickly swung his spear and parried again.
Yang Xiao's offensive was as swift and fierce as ever. Bai Ming had seen this kind of unstoppable momentum thousands of times before, but he never thought that the same tactics they used to fight together would be used on him without any error.
As he parried the attacks, Yang Xiao's figure gradually blurred. In the midst of their exchange, Bai Ming seemed to see again their first encounter. Her strength was already extraordinary, but the heroic spirit and killing intent in her eyes were no different from before.
Back then, he recognized Yang Xiao by the silver spear in his hand, but now they are completely enemies on the battlefield, each move deadly.
Bai Ming felt a sudden pang of pain in his heart, completely unable to accept that his former lover, with whom he had shared deep affection and fought side by side, was now standing on the front lines, battling against him.
His vision blurred, and a bitter feeling welled up in his heart, but he clenched his teeth tightly to keep the tears from spilling out.
In a daze, Yang Xiao's expression suddenly appeared clearly before his eyes. That heartbreaking yet resolute gaze reflected in Bai Ming's mind, and his thoughts were abruptly pulled back to the night before the ambush in Nanyang, after the confession.
"Do not be distracted in tomorrow's battle."
The gentle admonition in his ear merged with Yang Xiao's worried yet resolute gaze, and Bai Ming suddenly realized something. He gripped the gun tightly and attacked Yang Xiao with all his might.
But it was all too late. With a clang, his spear shaft was jolted open, and the silver spear that had once been a heartfelt gift was now pointed directly at his neck.
The fleeting panic in Yang Xiao's eyes was immediately concealed. Looking into Bai Ming's eyes, which had gone from lingering surprise to heartache, she felt as if her heart was being squeezed tightly, and a series of sharp pains came from her.
The gun that once witnessed their friendship now bears witness to their enmity. And now, the outcome is decided.
She choked back her tears, biting her lip to hide her emotions, but couldn't help looking at Bai Ming's reddened eyes and his slightly bobbing Adam's apple.
This was not the outcome she wanted at all.
She opened her mouth as if to say something, but then clenched her teeth tightly, afraid that if she relaxed, tears would spill out. She gripped the gun tightly in her hand, a throbbing pain shooting through her head. Looking into Bai Ming's pained eyes, her heart ached as if it were being ripped out by a knife.
Chi Lian seemed unable to bear the scene before her any longer, letting out several mournful cries from her throat. Bai Ming's steed, Ta Yue, also trotted its front hooves, raising its head and neighing.
It seems that Yang Xiao herself came up with the name Ta Yue.
She clenched her teeth, swallowing the bitter, suffocating feeling rising in her throat, but the gun in her hand remained motionless, pointed directly at Bai Ming.
He seemed to be unable to hold back any longer, and let out a soft sigh. That barely perceptible sniff and murmur instantly turned into a mist and dissipated into the air.
Bai Ming stared at Yang Xiao with tears in his eyes, powerless to lower the gun he held in his hand, letting it hang limply at his side, offering no further resistance. Yang Xiao's figure gradually blurred before his eyes, tinged with a crimson halo.
He closed his eyes, forcing himself to stop looking at the desolate scene before him, but he couldn't help but open his eyes again, gazing longingly at Yang Xiao's appearance, even if it was just for one more glance.
Xiao Yan's ranks were already in an uproar, with generals and soldiers brandishing their weapons in celebration of the victory. The cold wind whipped Yang Xiao's cloak, and in Xiao Yan's eyes, her dashing and proud figure seemed to carry an added touch of sorrow.
Unable to see Yang Xiao's expression, the crowd cheered and rushed forward to capture Bai Ming alive. Xiao Yan, holding the reins on the hillside, frowned, a pang of sorrow rising in her heart. She looked at Yang Xiao, sighed softly, and gestured to the soldiers beside her, "Sound the retreat."
A crisp and loud sound rang out, and the tension in Yang Xiao's mind snapped. She looked up at Bai Ming one last time, then suddenly pulled on her horse, put away her spear, and rode off.
Bai Ming could no longer hold back his tears, hot tears streaming down his cheeks. The tear tracks stung like needles in the cold wind, but he felt nothing. He watched as the crowd gradually dispersed, and the crimson that had ignited his entire world faded into the distance, like a drop of blood falling into a lake, disappearing without a trace in the blink of an eye.
Yang Xiao's figure gradually receding into the distance was like a candle flame in the snow, flickering and extinguishing in the cold wind, disappearing into the vast snow.
His hands trembled as he looked up at the snowflakes falling from the sky. The tear tracks on his face gradually dried, only to be soaked and melted again by his gushing hot tears.
Bai Ming sighed deeply, burying his face in his hands to hide his unstoppable tears. None of the soldiers behind him dared to come forward to comfort him, seemingly unable to accept that the general who had shared joys and sorrows with him was now an enemy general, nor could they accept that the two who had once loved each other were now fighting each other in close combat.
Everything that just happened felt like a nightmare.
He wiped away his tears, turned around and looked at his fallen battle flag and the arrow stuck in the flagpole.
The general's banners were long buried under the snow, lifeless and devoid of their usual imposing grandeur. The arrow was also covered in snow, and the scene of the humiliation he had just suffered reappeared before his eyes. With tears in his eyes and clenching his teeth, he gripped the arrow tightly and pulled it out with all his might.
Snowflakes fell from the arrow shaft, melting into Bai Ming's palm. His hand trembled slightly, no longer feeling the coolness of the melting snow. The arrow was made of sandalwood, its surface jet black yet smooth and warm to the touch.
He forced back his tears as he examined the arrow, only to find some marks on its fletching. Startled, he was about to hold it up to the sunlight to check when he realized that enemy troops might be lying in ambush. He gripped the arrow tightly in his hand, quickly waved his hand, and ordered his troops to return to camp.
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