Chapter 69 How Can a Loyal Heart Overcome a General's Grievance 3 Upon hearing this, Quan Shu paused...
Upon hearing this, Quan Shu paused for a moment, then reached out and grasped the rusty longsword in her hand. With a "whoosh," she shattered the nameless mask.
The person behind the mask was Qi Cheng.
Compared to Quan Shu, Qi Cheng looked perfectly normal. His brows were frosty, and he seemed unapproachable, but the old scar on his neck was even more frightening and shocking to behold. The scar was extremely deep, as if his head might fall off at any moment.
Seeing this, Quan Shu suddenly became excited, pounding the ground and laughing loudly: "Qi Cheng, Qi Cheng, look at yourself now! Aren't you General Jiu Li! Aren't you the most trusted general of the Jiu Li Emperor! How have you fallen so low, even associating with demons and monsters like me?!"
Qi Cheng knelt before him and said, "I'm sorry, I'm the one who hurt you. But I didn't know what happened back then; I just wanted to save you."
Quan Shu's laughter stopped abruptly, her expression turning serious as she sneered, "You're talking nonsense! Your words and actions are no different from those of that treacherous minister! You're nothing but a faithless and treacherous villain!"
Six hundred years ago. On the banks of the Yinma River.
Ten-year-old Qi Cheng squatted on the riverbank at the Jiuli border, fiddling with a military formation diagram using pebbles. His father was a border general, and he had grown up listening to bugle calls. His greatest worry was that he couldn't find anyone who could defeat him.
Suddenly, a clear voice rang out: "Your formation is completely empty on the left flank."
Qi Cheng looked up. Standing on the opposite bank was a young man dressed in the style of the Mushu Kingdom, wearing a blue robe and cloth shoes, his eyes blazing like fire. That was Quan Shu, who had sneaked out.
Qi Cheng, unconvinced, scattered the stones and said, "You know anything about fighting?"
Quan Shu rolled up her trousers and waded through the water, picked up a pebble and quickly rearranged it, saying, "The supply line is too long, and the vanguard will be cut off if they rush forward. You should do it like this..." The pebble landed, forming a brilliant pincer attack.
The setting sun cast the shadows of the two boys endlessly long along the banks of the Yinma River. That night, they fought seventeen rounds with stones, each winning half the time.
Quan Shu said, "My name is Quan Shu, and I am a Mu Shu person."
Qi Cheng said, "Qi Cheng, from Jiu Li." He handed over the water pouch. "Will you come back to play chess again?"
Quan Shu tilted her head back to drink water, her eyes forming crescent moons, and said, "Come on! Next time I'll bring a real chessboard!"
Ten years later. In a secret cave outside Luoying Gorge, charcoal fire crackled. Quan Shu was still in her silver armor, and Qi Cheng's battle robe was covered in frost and dust. On the sand table in the middle, the border between the two countries was clearly visible.
Qi Cheng said, "My father said you are the 'Jade-Faced Rakshasa'." As he spoke, he placed a black piece, blocking Quan Shu's cavalry attack.
Quan Shubaizi stepped forward and said, "Don't you Jiuli also call me 'Ghost's Bane'? Let's stop the war. Continuing to fight will not end well for either country."
Qi Cheng said, "Both Mushu and Jiuli are small countries with scarce resources. War would be harmful to their countries and people. You have different positions, but I also hope that there will be a day when the war will end."
Quan Shu said, "Once the war is over, we can openly play chess at Yinma River. The day our two countries cease hostilities and become friendly will be the day we can drink and celebrate together."
Qi Cheng took a big gulp of wine and said, "If this wish is not fulfilled... when we meet on the battlefield in the future, I will do my best to kill you. If I die, it will be a case of getting what I wanted."
Autumn of the twentieth year of Zhaoming. Luoying Gorge.
Quan Jiajun roared, pointing at the dark mass of enemy troops at the valley entrance, and shouted, "General! It's Jiu Li's main force!"
The leading general was none other than Qi Cheng.
A metallic taste rose in Quan Shu's throat. She gripped her sword tightly and said, "Form ranks! Hold the pass to the death!"
This battle is unavoidable.
An arrow pierced the guard's chest, blood splattering onto Quan Shu's face. One of his uncles, impaled by a spear against the cliff face, roared, "Little Shu! Go!"
Quan Shu's vision began to blur. He knelt on the ground, leaning on his sword, black blood gushing from the corner of his mouth. He seemed to suddenly understand something, gave a self-deprecating laugh, and said, "A general should die on the battlefield... submitting to the clear principles of justice!"
Before he could finish speaking, a hail of arrows had already engulfed the silver-armored warrior.
As Qi Cheng charged through the rain of arrows to the front lines, before he could even see Quan Shu's horrific state, his deputy suddenly shouted from behind, "By His Majesty's decree, Qi Cheng has colluded with the enemy general and betrayed them on the battlefield! Execute him on the spot!"
Jiu Li's blade instantly turned and was aimed at Qi Cheng!
Three days later. A deserted village on the border of Jiuli.
A intercepted secret letter lay open in front of Qi Cheng:
"Luoying Gorge presents a golden opportunity to eliminate Quan Shu and also to remove a major threat to your country. If they come to Quan Shu's aid, they will be confirmed as colluding with the enemy; if they stand idly by, their army's morale will collapse. Either way, they will die. This plan will succeed."
He recalled how, before the expedition, the King of Jiuli patted him on the shoulder and said earnestly, "General Qi, this battle concerns the fate of the nation. You must take good care of yourself."
It turns out that "take care of yourself" meant that no matter what choice he made, he would not escape death.
He took his knife and walked towards the Yinma River, where he cut his own throat, staining the river with his blood.
"This game was a dead end from the very beginning."
After hearing all this, Fan Yu suddenly summoned his spear, held it in mid-air, pointed it at his heart, and said, "I acknowledge my father's crimes! Today I will repay the blood debt of the Quan family with my life!"
Fan Yu ripped the skull off his neck, letting out a shrill laugh, and said, "Pay back the debt? Hahahaha! Lord Xia, do you know this Lord Qiu beside you..." He suddenly pointed his finger at the silent Fu Ye, "Do you know what connection she has with your family?"
Fan Yu froze upon hearing this, and said, "What did you say?"
Quan Shu said, "I framed the God of Marriage, I caused that little girl to go mad and die, and I took her in as a ghost and encouraged her to seek revenge. I did it all!!! But compared to what your family did, it's nothing! Back then, your family's 'only son' who was executed was taken to the executioner's block by this Autumn God beside you!"
Fan Yu was struck dumb, turning sharply to look at Fu Ye. Fu Ye was pale, but still stood ramrod straight, only briefly closing her eyes.
Six hundred years ago. The Kingdom of Mushu. A winter night.
Five-year-old Fan Yu returned home with his mother from the Spring God Temple outside the city after praying for blessings. In the temple, they met a Taoist priest who, upon seeing Fan Yu, said, "This child is destined for greatness, but he is also destined for bloodshed. He must be sent to the border in hiding until he comes of age to avert disaster."
Fan Yu was the only son in his family, and the youngest child born to his parents in their old age. His parents had extremely high expectations for him and would not allow anything to go wrong with their only child. Du Zhengsi had no suspicions and, after arranging everything, sent someone to escort Fan Yu to the southern border.
Five days later, the Du family's carriage stopped at the street corner.
The elegantly dressed woman lifted the carriage curtain and saw the little beggar huddled in the snow. The child looked up, and his frostbitten, purple face bore a striking resemblance to Fan Yu.
The woman said without room for argument, "Take her back."
The butler hesitated and said, "Madam, this...this is a maid."
The woman's eyes were sharp as she said, "So what if she's a girl? Clean her up, teach her to read and write and learn martial arts. From now on, she will be my son's substitute."
From then on, the nameless beggar became "Young Master Du". In the study, she practiced calligraphy on tiptoe; on the training ground, she gritted her teeth and drew her bow. The steward's stern reprimands and the lady's scrutinizing gaze were ever-present, but they also gave her a warmth and comfort she had never experienced before, along with the warmth of brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.
On the day her home was ransacked, she wore a brocade robe symbolizing mortal rain and calmly awaited her death. In the end, she was rescued by He Dian.
Fan Yu's voice trembled as she asked, "Fu Ye, what he said... is it true?"
He suddenly remembered the complicated look Fu Ye gave him when they first met, and how she always woke up in the middle of thunderstorms.
Fu Ye replied, "Yes." Her voice was soft yet clear. "I am your shadow. The one who was to be executed back then was me."
Fan Yu staggered, as if all his strength had been drained away. He looked at Quan Shu's distorted face, then at Fu Ye's calm eyes, overwhelmed by a tremendous sense of absurdity and disintegration.
His father was a treacherous villain, he himself was the son of a sinner, and even his only trusted friend was a substitute whose life had been stolen by his family! The seasonal order he guarded, the principles and justice he believed in, were like a huge, cold joke!
"ah--!!!"
Fan Yu roared to the sky, not out of anger, but out of despair at the complete collapse of his faith.
"Liars! They're all liars! This God! This fate!!!"
On the other side, Quan Shu's maniacal laughter abruptly ceased. Qi Cheng appeared before him at some point, holding his long sword, which he had long forgotten, in both hands, and said, "General, do it. This life is owed to you."
Complex emotions surged in Quan Shu's crimson eyes. Looking at Qi Cheng, he seemed to see the blood-soaked light of Luoying Gorge. He cleaved the longsword in two with a single palm strike, raised his rusty sword, let out a superhuman roar, and brought it down with a devastating slash!
Pfft!
Blood splattered everywhere!
The scalding liquid sprayed all over Quan Shu's face.
Qi Cheng's head rolled to the ground, but his eyes remained fixed on Quan Shu's direction, his lips moving silently. Quan Shu looked down; as she severed Qi Cheng's neck, her sword also embedded itself deeply in her own arm, exposing the bone. He seemed oblivious to the pain, merely looking at Qi Cheng's head, then at his own bleeding arm, letting out a strange, hoarse laugh.
Quan Shu hissed, "This sword is dull."
A relieved smile slowly spread across the blood-stained face of the severed head, which said, "In the next life, be more shrewd..."
Quan Shu's strange laughter suddenly stopped, and a single, cloudy tear fell from her eye.
Everyone present, whether human, god, or ghost, was terrified. Chaos erupted as people scattered in all directions, shattering the jade platters of delicacies. Those who had been waiting to be eaten fled with the various little demons. The scene was utterly chaotic.
Fan Yu paused for a moment, as if she had made up her mind, and then left with Fu Ye.
Feng Xi said, "Let's go too."
Yan Chao said, "Okay."
Feng Xi asked, "Would you like to go and see Tiandu?"
Yan Chao hesitated for a moment, then said, "Never mind, maybe next time."
Tiandu. Tianjia Palace.
Fan Yu knelt before the palace and said, "Your Majesty, I humbly request to resign from my position as the God of Summer. I am morally deficient and unworthy to be a god."
Yao Qi said, "The debts of the father are not the son's fault. You are worthy of the position of Xia God."
Fan Yu kowtowed repeatedly and said resolutely, "I am burdened with sins and unworthy to be a god! I beg the Emperor to allow me to banish myself to Luoying Gorge and forever guard the loyal soul of the Quan family!"
Outside the hall, Fu Ye waited quietly. When Fan Yu came out, her steps were unsteady, and she had changed from her red robes to plain linen clothes.
Fu Ye said, "I don't blame you for that, and I've never regretted not being your friend." She paused, looking into Fan Yu's lifeless eyes, "But if you insist on doing this, I won't stop you."
Fan Yu paused, but without turning around, she said in a hoarse voice, "I'm sorry. Take care."
Fuye stood there, gazing in the direction he had disappeared. After a long while, the wind lifted her hair ribbon, which fell silently.
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Author's Note: I would call this chapter the "Bitter Gourd Conference," because everyone has their own hardships, and none of them have it easy.
I'm not making any more promises. First, I ran into some problems, then my computer had some issues too. I'll just update normally from now on. I'll update as soon as I finish writing, and then revise it later (bitter smile).
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