Chapter 5 Reunited After Crossing a Thousand Mountains (Part 5) Qingyuan, the road to the Yellow Springs is cold…
A profound despair and the familiar chill gripped her once more. It was as if time had reversed, and she was once again the girl who hid in the crevices of the cold artificial hill, trembling as she watched the flames engulf everything, only able to await her death.
She stood frozen in place, her limbs and bones seemingly frozen in time, unable to move even her fingertips. The shadow of death, carrying a scorching heat, descended once more with unmistakable clarity, choking her breath.
Vision began to blur, the firelight distorted into eerie spots, and consciousness, like a kite with a broken string, was being slowly pulled away from the heavy body and plunged into boundless darkness...
That's all.
Struggling is futile.
She slowly closed her eyes, the last bit of taut strength draining from her body, letting the thick, suffocating darkness completely engulf her.
It's better if he's dead.
Qingyuan, the road to the underworld is cold, please walk slowly...
I've come to keep you company.
"General! You mustn't go! The fire in the woodshed is out of control! The roof beams are about to collapse!"
"Get out of the way!" Chu Huaili's usually meticulously styled black hair was disheveled by the heat, a few strands falling between his tightly furrowed brows. He abruptly pushed aside the soldiers' obstruction. All composure and self-control, all weighing the pros and cons, vanished at that moment!
He was a step too late.
That year, the peach blossoms were in full bloom. He held his military medals and rode back to the capital, only to see a wedding sedan chair winding its way through the city gate.
Ye Yixiang, dressed in her wedding gown, became someone else's wife. He stood in the middle of the street watching the bridal sedan chair disappear into the distance, his palm bleeding from the sharp corner of the medal.
Now, as the scorching heat beat down on his face, he stared at the rickety window frame, as if he could see the curtains of the wedding sedan chair falling again.
"Who dares to stop me again!"
He snatched the bucket and poured water over himself, water droplets rolling from his chin into the gaps in his chainmail.
"Court-martial!"
This time, even if the King of Hell himself were to arrive, he wouldn't be able to delay even a moment longer.
The next moment, he shot into that scorching hell without hesitation, like an arrow released from a bow!
Flames instantly licked at his clothes and cuffs, emitting a burnt smell, but he felt no pain. Only one thought screamed in his mind: Find her! I can't lose her again!
"Bang--!"
A palm strike, imbued with internal force, violently blasted open the burning door, sending splinters of wood and sparks flying. Thick smoke billowed in like a monstrous beast, stinging his eyes and blurring his vision. He squinted, his gaze sharp as lightning, rapidly scanning the chaotic room. Finally, in a corner, he spotted a slender figure huddled up, almost swallowed by the smoke.
My heart suddenly tightened!
“It’s alright now.” He rushed to her side, his voice hoarse from inhaling smoke, yet carrying a resolute and reassuring strength, trying to dispel the despair and fear that filled her eyes. He reached out and pulled her into his arms.
Ye Yixiang's consciousness was already blurred, and violent coughing made her thin body tremble like a leaf in the wind. In her hazy state, she only felt a reassuring and familiar presence approaching, and heard a voice that, even though hoarse, was etched into her very bones.
She struggled to lift her heavy arm, her cold, trembling fingertips instinctively touching his ash-covered, taut cheek. Her eyes were unfocused, and she murmured weakly, "You really... came back... Yan Qing..."
The name she had buried deep in her heart, which she thought she had long forgotten, slipped out unexpectedly in her moment of confusion.
Banquet is ready!
His arm around her suddenly stiffened! He was frozen in place, his breath caught in his throat!
In that moment of distraction.
Crack—! Boom!!!
A deafening crash came from above! A main beam, long scorched by flames, could no longer hold on and, with towering flames and immense force, collapsed in their direction!
A scorching heatwave and the aura of death descended upon us!
"Danger!"
Chu Huaili's pupils contracted sharply, all his shock and memories shattered by the imminent danger! In the nick of time, almost instinctively, he held the person in his arms even tighter, as if he were ingrained in their bones, and used his broad back to shield them from the falling hot wood and raging flames!
"Ugh!" The heavy impact and burning pain made him groan, and a metallic taste rose in his throat.
But without the slightest hesitation, he exerted his strength and, holding her like a ferocious beast fighting for its life, sped off toward the door he had already chosen!
With a deafening roar, the roof of the woodshed collapsed completely the moment they were gone. Flames shot into the sky, and sparks rained down, illuminating half the night sky and his pale yet resolute profile.
Chu Huaili rolled on the ground with Ye Yixiang in his arms, narrowly avoiding the last collapsing debris, and used his body to firmly protect her, shielding her from all the flying sparks and impacts.
The air was filled with the acrid smell of burning flesh and the strong odor of burning wood. His back was a mess, his clothes torn to shreds, revealing the scalded flesh beneath.
"General!"
"Quick! Save the general!"
The soldiers gasped and swarmed around him, frantically trying to brush away the still-smoking clothes and stray sparks from his back.
Chu Huaili seemed not to hear him. He was breathing heavily, coughing up a few specks of black ash. Ignoring the excruciating pain in his back, he immediately looked down to check on the person in his arms, his voice filled with undisguised anxiety: "Ye Yixiang? Ye Yixiang! How are you? Speak!"
The woman in his arms coughed violently a few more times, slowly opened her eyes, which were red from the smoke, and looked at him blankly with unfocused eyes. She seemed not to have fully recovered from the extreme shock and confusion, and instinctively shrank into his arms.
A sharp pain surged through his back, which he forcibly suppressed. His expression regained its usual coldness, and he gave a deep, stern order to the surrounding soldiers, each word as if chilled to the bone:
"Investigate the fire thoroughly! Find the arsonist! Seal off the camp; entry is permitted, but exit is not! Anyone who disobeys will be executed!"
His gaze swept across the still-burning ruins like a cold blade, his eyes chilling to the bone, filled with murderous intent.
The acrid smell in the air wasn't just from the wood, but also from the bait he had carefully laid out—the batch of grain that was supposed to lure the snake out of its hole.
He had sensed something amiss in the army early on, deliberately allocating some of his provisions here, laying a trap to lure the hidden venomous snake out to bite. But he never expected the enemy's actions to be so swift and ruthless! Even more unexpectedly, this meticulously planned hunt nearly dragged her into it, making her a sacrifice!
The thought of the consequences if he had been even half a step slower sent a chill down his spine, mixed with a raging rage that surged through his body, threatening to shatter his proud self-control. His knuckles clenched so tightly they turned white, making a faint cracking sound.
No matter who is hiding behind this, whether human or ghost, he will definitely drag them out of the gutter and grind their bones to dust!
In his arms, Ye Yixiang's long eyelashes fluttered slightly, her consciousness hovering on the edge of thick smoke and burning pain. The lingering scent of blood and acridity, and a faint… faint trace of his unique, cold, and familiar aroma, filled her nostrils. This aroma was so familiar, it abruptly unlocked a long-sealed corner of her memory.
Five years ago, on a rainy night, the smell of blood was just as strong...
On the night the palace collapsed, the flames dyed half the sky red.
Shouts of battle, cries of agony, and the clashing of weapons shattered the once peaceful and prosperous scene.
With the desperate protection of her guards, she, as the last bloodline of the former dynasty's imperial family, managed to escape that blood-soaked hell. However, in her panic, she strayed into the Misty Forest on the outskirts of the capital, a place perpetually shrouded in poisonous miasma.
The thick, foul miasma, when inhaled, brought a sharp, stabbing pain, blurred vision rapidly, and finally plunged into complete darkness, along with consciousness, sinking into an endless swamp of chaos.
She didn't know how much time had passed before she struggled to wake up amidst a violent cough. Her eyelids were too heavy to open, and she could only sense a blurry blur of light and shadow moving before her eyes. Her throat felt as if it had been burned by embers, dry and painful, and she couldn't make a sound.
Fear gripped her instantly! Had she been taken back again? Where was she? She instinctively tried to curl up, but found herself weak and powerless, finding it extremely difficult to even move a finger.
"Awake?" A gentle, slightly hoarse male voice rang out from not far away, his tone revealing obvious concern.
She trembled with fear, desperately trying to shrink back and scream, but could only manage some broken, hoarse gasps from her throat, like a wounded little animal.
"It's alright, don't be afraid." The voice drew closer, still gentle and patient, with a strange, comforting power. "It's safe here, no one can hurt you."
"Don't worry if you can't speak these days. Wait for me to treat you with herbs for a few days and you'll be fine." A pair of warm but slightly rough hands gently supported her trembling shoulders, pressed her back into the soft bedding, and carefully tucked her in.
The movement was careful and carried a sense of cherishing, which strangely eased her tense nerves.
She stared blankly in the direction of the sound, seeing only a blurry halo before her eyes. She couldn't make out the speaker's appearance at all, but could only judge that it was a young man by his voice.
In the days that followed, she relied on this unfamiliar voice and care in this chaotic, dark, and silent world.
During the day, he would go out to gather herbs, and she could hear him quietly closing the door as he left. In the evening, he would return, carrying the crisp scent of the mountains and the faint aroma of herbs, and then bustle about in the small kitchen, brewing medicinal soup.
The earthenware pot gurgled and the aroma of medicine filled the air, becoming the clearest scent in that dark period.
One day, a kind, old woman's voice rang out from the side: "Your throat is affected by miasma and you can't speak for a while. Don't worry, Yanqing said it's nothing serious. He goes into the mountains every day to find the best herbs for you. With some treatment, you will definitely get better."
She shrank back in fear.
The old voice chuckled again, "Don't be afraid, young lady. I'm the old lady who lives next door. It was Yanqing who rescued you in the mountains. This boy is kind and honest. He lives a hard life himself, but he gave you the best mattress."
A note from the author:
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