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If Song Ling had known that below the cliff lay a dense and somewhat eerie bamboo forest, perhaps she wouldn't have jumped down so resolutely.
Song Ling never believed in ghosts or gods, and there was nothing she was afraid of. The only thing she had a natural fear of was bamboo.
Perhaps it was because as a child, every time I made a mistake, I would be locked in a dark, empty bamboo house, or perhaps I was too naughty and often had to eat "stir-fried bamboo shoots with meat"...
Beyond this bamboo forest lies the vanguard camp of the Qi King's army, but it was completely different from what Shi Qing and the other person had imagined; she had never thought of venturing deep into the enemy camp.
But it was for...
"Ah Ling, this is enough, it's too dangerous ahead."
A hint of restlessness flashed across Song Ling's brows. He drew his longsword and cut down the last thin bamboo in front of him. Suddenly, the view opened up before him, and the person who had spoken those words was revealed to the world.
Suddenly, a bamboo hut appeared in the dense forest. Scattered bamboo leaves were piled up in front of the hut, there was a pot of tea, and a person dressed in white looked up. His eyes were calm but with a hint of wariness.
After receiving the order, the disciples told Song Ling that Shi Yu had disappeared as if he had vanished into thin air. They searched the entire city of Luoyang but could not find a trace of him.
Song Ling gripped the sword hilt tightly, gritted her teeth, and stopped not far from him.
Shi Yu's demeanor clearly indicated that he knew she would appear and was deliberately waiting for her.
"I thought we'd have to wait a few more days." Shi Yu chuckled lightly, as if there had never been any misunderstanding between them. "A-Ling, why are we so tense?"
"The tea I brewed is pretty good."
He gestured, but Song Ling's doubts only deepened. "You shouldn't have known I would come here, and you shouldn't have appeared in front of me again."
"No, I should be here." Shi Yu stood up and picked up the sword beside him. "If I weren't here, wouldn't you be heading to the military camp today?"
"What are you going to do? Murder? Set fires? Loot grain?"
“But you can’t go any further…” He still had a smile on his lips, but his eyes turned cold: “I watched you grow up, and your master entrusted you to me, so naturally I can’t watch you die.”
“Ah Ling, you know how I feel about you, and I don’t want to be your enemy.”
Song Ling remained unmoved and spoke with obvious sarcasm: "So, you're now one of the King of Qi's men? And you want to stand against us now?"
"Using what Huai Lai learned to turn a blade against your own family, you're truly an ingrate." Song Ling said, thrusting her sword forward, closing in step by step.
Shi Yu had no choice but to resist against her will, her tone becoming somewhat hurried, "Chu Yan's death has nothing to do with me, you can't do it because of Sui Yan..."
"Don't mention him to me!" Song Ling's eyes reddened with anger, and she began to strike harder. "You don't deserve it!"
Shi Yu was ultimately a physician by profession. Although she knew some martial arts, she was no match for Song Ling, especially since Song Ling had murderous intent.
Just as Song Ling plunged the longsword into his chest, a "thud" sounded...
At the same time, a white figure appeared behind her like a ghost, and before Song Ling could react, the other party drew his sword and stabbed it directly into her left shoulder from behind.
Song Ling's eyes glazed over for a moment, and in that instant, she saw the glaring bamboo pattern on the blood-stained sword... Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.
Shi Yu's eyes widened. Ignoring his own wounds, he drew his sword to help her up.
Song Ling's hands were getting weak. Before she lost consciousness, she heard a faint sigh behind her. He said, "Ah Ling, you've disappointed me so much..."
Song Ling suddenly laughed, and the world spun around her, plunging her into darkness.
It wasn't for nothing that she got involved; the culprit behind it all has finally come out...
-
"impossible!"
Deputy General Wang paced anxiously, "The strategist is clearly in Shannan Prefecture, how could he have fallen into the hands of the King of Qi?!"
"That brat, the King of Qi, is clearly trying to trick us!"
Several lieutenants were indignant, but the commander at the head of the table remained silent throughout. Lieutenant Wang rambled on for a long time before finally looking up, and couldn't help but wonder, "General, you don't actually believe that, do you?"
Looking at Qi Jun's declaration of war and the falsehoods in the letter, and noticing Yu Baizhou's stiff appearance, Wei Yan felt a little uneasy.
However, the battle plan has already been finalized, and everything is ready... Should we withdraw our troops because of this unverified news...?
After a long while, Yu Baizhou finally found his voice. It was unclear whether he believed it or not. His face remained calm, but his voice was somewhat hoarse. "The plan remains unchanged."
Wei Yan noticed that his hand, which was placed at his side, was trembling slightly, and he roughly understood what was going on.
The strategist wasn't in Shannan Prefecture; he had actually gone to Qi. But why did he do that? Why risk his life? Wei Yan was filled with unanswered questions.
Once the tent was quiet, Yu Baizhou was still staring blankly at what was in front of him.
"Jinghe, you go back first."
The general's appearance was truly unsettling, and Wei Yan ultimately said nothing, feeling that Yu Baizhou was too calm.
He tossed and turned in bed late at night, and just as he finally made up his mind to ask for clarification, he saw that the other person was dressed neatly and looked ready to set off in secret.
A thought flashed through Wei Yan's mind, and he rushed forward to snatch the dagger from his hand, his tone urgent, "We only have one day left before we march. If you disappear from the camp at this time, wouldn't you be falling right into the hands of those bastards?"
Yu Baizhou pursed his lips. "I've arranged everything. I'm just going to investigate. I definitely won't expose myself. Shi Qing hasn't sent any messages for a long time. I'm afraid she really has..." fallen into enemy hands.
Wei Yan understood his unspoken meaning, but still resolutely stood in front of him, "What if this is a trap set by the Qi army? General, you have always been calm and composed on the battlefield. How can you let such a dubious letter cloud your judgment!"
"Does the General not trust the strategist's abilities?" Wei Yan paused, finding it difficult to speak. "Even if something were to happen to the strategist, after all the effort she has put into our Southwest, would she want to see you, General, so blindly devoted?"
"I know you're worried about her, but who among us isn't?" Wei Yan seemed to see that figure before him, and his words were tinged with difficulty. "From initially helping us solve our food problem, to later dealing with the epidemic and the war, Miss Song has been a great benefactor to our Southwest Army..."
"That's precisely why the King of Qi sent this letter to control the general. Does the general really intend to abandon our hundreds of thousands of troops and the people of the entire southern border just for a letter whose authenticity is unknown?"
"I didn't mean to..." Yu Baizhou moved his lips, unsure how to refute, "I just wanted to secretly take a look..."
What if it's true?
What if war breaks out and the Qi army uses this as leverage? He had never considered it, or rather, he never dared to consider it.
Just then, a voice from the tent entrance broke the tense atmosphere between the two.
"Does the general want to see if I'm still alive?"
Upon hearing this, both Yu Baizhou and Wei Yan froze, and then their eyes flashed with indescribable excitement.
Yu Baizhou, disregarding Wei Yan's presence, rushed to her side, "A-Ling, you..."
"I'm fine." Song Ling shook her head slightly and looked at Wei Yan, who was walking behind her. Wei Yan also looked worried.
"Jinghe, I want to talk to the general about something. Why don't you go back and rest first?"
Wei Yan clasped his hands together, glanced at the two of them, understood in his heart, and smiled happily, "Alright, alright, I'll go back to sleep first."
"It's good that the girl is back, otherwise the general might have impulsively stormed the enemy camp alone."
These words undoubtedly earned him a glare from someone, but Wei Yan remained oblivious, letting out a sigh of relief as he withdrew.
-
Even after Wei Yan left, Yu Baizhou's tense expression didn't relax at all. His gaze was fixed on her somewhat pale face. "Are you alright? Those villains, Prince Qi, they..."
“A-Zhou,” Song Ling sighed softly, her eyes stinging as she looked at his worried expression, “What did I tell you? Don’t worry about me, don’t lose your composure…”
"If I don't come back today, what are you going to do?"
"I..." Yu Baizhou stammered, his eyes dimming slightly, "I don't know, I..."
Everything was done on impulse, a side of him he had only seen many years ago. But he didn't regret it.
Seeing his unrepentant attitude, Song Ling felt anxious and helpless. After all, he was doing it for her, and she wasn't someone who didn't know what was good for her.
“You shouldn’t be so flustered and lose your composure.” Song Ling pulled him to a small couch nearby and pressed him down to sit on the edge of the couch. Her tone was gentle. “I don’t want to be a hindrance to you. General, you can always remember that.”
"It will not become the obstacle that prevents you from choosing the people."
If that day ever comes, she will end her own life rather than become a sinner against the people.
Yu Baizhou saw the decision in her eyes and felt a pang of panic. He quickly stood up and took her hand, "I was wrong, A-Ling, don't be angry, and don't do this..."
"Don't be angry," Song Ling said, slightly tired. She sat down next to him in a daze for a moment, just as a sharp pain suddenly shot through her shoulder...
"hiss--"
"You're injured!" Yu Baizhou's eyes widened as he looked at the bloodstains on her left shoulder that were beginning to soak through her clothes. "I'll go get the army doctor."
“It’s too late,” Song Ling said, taking his hand and then pressing it against her cheek. “Have you forgotten that I’m a doctor? If the general goes to disturb the military doctors, the deputy generals will definitely find out. Let me rest.”
"The wound has reopened. General, would you mind coming to my tent to fetch the medicine box?"
Looking into the tenderness in her eyes, Yu Baizhou couldn't bring himself to refuse. "Then tomorrow, you must have the army doctor come to see me."
"good."
-
Song Ling opened the medicine box, took out wound medicine and bandages, looked up and saw the man in front of her looking nervous and somewhat troubled. Suddenly, an idea came to her mind, and she asked with a smile, "General, would you like to help me change my dressing?"
"What?"
Yu Baizhou nearly dropped the medicine box in his hands. "But we're a man and a woman..."
"Men and women shouldn't touch each other?" Song Ling clearly wasn't going to let him off the hook, her eyes darting around before she asked, "But haven't we been intimate?"
The man's face flushed red, turning into a ripe red apricot.
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