Chapter 18 Don't move the thread, it's entangled
At the hour of Yin the next day, the sky was still dark and the dawn was not visible.
Xunyun didn't care about the wound on his arm that had not yet healed, and ran towards the military camp like crazy.
She didn't have time to wait for the guards to come in and inform them, and she broke in regardless of any obstruction. Fang Yilan had just been awakened by the noise outside the house, and she got up in a hurry. Before she had time to dress properly, she saw Xunyun kneeling in front of her in a daze, and an ominous premonition suddenly surged in her heart.
"General! Please save the young lady." Xunyun's clothes on his arms were stained dark red, his voice was torn apart by pleading, and he handed a letter to Fang Yilan with trembling hands.
Fang Yilan took it, unfolded the letter and a frown instantly formed between his brows.
"Quickly gather all the soldiers and march out. The Lingque Battalion will follow me immediately!"
*
Outside Liangzhou City, the snow was heavy and the wind was strong. The coldness pierced the skin and flesh, and the pain was gnawing at the bones.
Chudie slumped weakly on the horse's back, her frail frame swaying slightly as the horse jolted. She wore a crimson cloak, the only vibrant color in the vast expanse of white.
The howling wind could not hide her heart-wrenching cough. She covered her red lips with a white handkerchief. When the coughing subsided a little, a pool of bright red appeared on the handkerchief, just like a cold plum crying blood.
The city gate was wide open, and a carriage was parked quietly at the gate, its curtains swaying in the wind, and a man in blue stood in front of the carriage.
Seeing the approaching horse, Wang Ben's eyes lit up, and he didn't care about the raging snow and wind as he rushed towards the approaching horse. Chu Die also saw the familiar figure from afar, and a smile flickered in her eyes. She shook the reins lightly, urging the horse to speed up.
In an instant, a sharp arrow shot down from the towering city wall and pierced Chudie's chest. Then she fell off the horse, just like a petal of winter plum blossom blown down by the frosty wind in the cold winter, being ripped off the branch and smashed to pieces.
The chaotic sound of footsteps came from far away, and Wang Ben's expression remained cold and calm from beginning to end, almost terrifying.
He slowly bent down and squatted in front of Chudie. He touched her cheek tenderly with his fingers. The cold touch spread from his fingertips. He gently stroked her and murmured, "In this life, I, Wang Ben, have only truly loved you. What a pity..."
"I wanted to cage you, but I still feel uneasy." His voice was hoarse, revealing endless regret. His hand moved down to the side of her neck and tightened his grip. "It would be better if you died in my arms. I will remember this moment forever, year after year."
Chudie, who was lying on the snowy ground with barely a breath left, suddenly opened her eyes, a cold light flashed from her sleeve, and she fiercely stabbed Wang Ben in the chest. But Wang Ben was not completely unaware, and he turned his body to the side, barely avoiding the vital spot.
Wang Ben suddenly straightened up and looked down to see the dagger on his chest, inches away from his heart. His features were distorted by rage, and he roared at Chu Die, "Why! I love you so deeply that I even spared your life, and you treat me like this!"
Every word seemed to be squeezed out from between teeth, revealing bone-eating hatred.
Chu Die gave a contemptuous smile and spat out a mouthful of blood. She glared at Wang Ben, clearly looking up at him, but as if she were looking at an ant: "You are worthy of it?"
He spat, "Traitor," with every word piercing his heart.
With a crisp "click", an iron shackle locked Wang Ben's ankle, and the other end was connected to Chu Die's wrist. It was a chain and a noose twisted from a lifetime of hatred.
The sound of horse hooves rang out, and Fang Yilan took the lead, leading the Linque Camp and galloping over. The horse's hooves flew high, splashing silver fluff all over the sky.
Chudie raised her head and smiled a gorgeous, charming smile, full of joy. She looked directly into Wang Ben's eyes and pronounced a resolute verdict: "You can't escape today!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she seemed to have used up her last bit of energy and was no longer able to support herself. She fell into the vast snow, with spots of crimson seeping out from under her body.
"Why! Why!" Wang Ben was really panicked, his pupils filled with fear. He lowered his head and stared at the cold and heavy shackles on his ankles, screaming madly on the spot. The mask of a modest gentleman that he had carefully painted before was now gone, leaving only the most primitive madness.
His heart was consumed by fear, and his instinct for survival drove Wang Ben to desperately try to escape. However, Chudie's body held his ankles tightly, making every move extremely difficult. With a sudden realization, he yanked out the dagger still lodged in his chest and slashed at Chudie's wrist.
Fang Yilan's eyes were focused to the extreme, the surrounding scenery became chaotic, only Wang Ben was clearly visible, becoming the only bull's eye in her vision.
"Don't—touch—her!"
The bowstring in his hand was tightened and the sharp arrow flew out.
An arrow pierced the throat.
Wang Ben was knocked back by the arrow and his feet plowed an inch-long ditch in the snow.
The dagger in his hand fell to the ground with a clang.
He touched the blood splattered from his neck in disbelief and took another step forward.
"I told you not to touch her!" Fang Yilan was completely consumed by rage. He put an arrow on the bow and pulled the bow, repeating the actions mechanically. Several arrows were shot out one after another, piercing Wang Ben's chest one after another.
Wang Ben was forced back little by little by the deadly rain of arrows until he could no longer bear it. His body swayed like a collapsing mountain and fell heavily backwards, landing on the snow and splashing a cloud of cold snow mist.
Fang Yilan dismounted and cut off Wang Ben's arm with a knife. He kicked the severed arm far away, then gently picked up Chu Die and handed her to Xun Yun who had arrived with him.
She mounted her horse again and led her troops into battle: "All troops, listen to my order! Attack Liangzhou!"
"Attack Liangzhou!" Tens of thousands of soldiers roared in unison.
Zhao Huaixu urged his horse to follow closely behind Fang Yilan. Suddenly, he was surprised to find that her back was unusually thin. Suddenly, a drop of rain fell on his face. He suddenly came to his senses and looked up at the sky.
The snow stopped.
…
Dear Alan,
I don't know if calling you that might seem impolite, but when I first met you, I felt a closeness. Perhaps deep down, I've always harbored a lingering admiration for you. I want to be a female general as unrestrained and uninhibited as you, galloping across the battlefield, so that no one in this world would dare to bully or humiliate me again.
Since the day Liangzhou City fell, my heart has been stabbed with daggers, each heartbeat a sharp thorn that pierces my flesh. Resentment has seeped into my bones, and I dare not and cannot forget it. I hope you won't blame me for lying when you open this letter. My time is short, and this is not an empty promise. I also want to join the game before I die, to add some weight to this fleeting life.
I wish that in my next life I can be ruthless and loveless, without pain or resentment, without any worries, and live a happy life.
Shen Chuci
*
Chudie was buried on the top of a hill not far from Liangzhou City, from where one can overlook the entire Liangzhou City.
Shuxue's eyes were red from crying and her body was shaking uncontrollably. Xunyun's eyes were red but she stubbornly refused to cry. Xiao Yue frowned and looked into the distance to the west while holding a sword.
Shu Xue collapsed on the ground, tears bursting out, her eyes red and swollen from crying, her hands tightly clutching the corners of her sleeves, and her body shaking uncontrollably.
Xun Yun stood aside, eyes red but stubbornly refusing to cry. Xiao Yue frowned, his long sword in his arms, gazing westward.
The cold wind blew, blowing up yellow paper all over the sky, and the wildly flying flames danced fiercely in the air, twisting into a whirl.
Like a fiery butterfly dancing.
"Why are you hiding here?" A clear and melodious voice came from behind him. It was Zhao Huaixu who came over.
Fang Yilan didn't look back. She sat quietly on the top of the mountain, gazing at the lights in Liangzhou City that were gradually lighting up.
This is not a filming set, nor is it a fictional movie plot. Everything in front of us is real, they are all flesh and blood people, they can get hurt and bleed, they can die, they can feel sad and sorrow.
Fang Yilan slowly lowered her eyes and looked at the handful of sand in her palm: "I can't change anyone's path, let alone save anyone's life."
"It's so cold." She exhaled a breath of white air, which turned into an almost inaudible sigh.
Warmth, wrapped in a familiar breath, came over her, and a dark cloak was draped over her shoulders. Zhao Huaixu sat beside her and comforted her softly, "Everyone in this world has their own destiny. General, there is no need to worry."
The snow fell again.
Fang Yilan turned her head to look at his thin body, then generously unfolded one side of her cloak and gently placed it on his right shoulder. Their shoulders and elbows leaned against each other, their body temperatures blending quietly, creating a small space in the cold.
This bone-chilling mountaintop didn't seem so icy anymore.
Fang Yilan was so cold that he clasped his hands together, rubbing them back and forth, and blowing out hot air into his palms from time to time.
"General, you're so kind to me, aren't you worried that I might be someone like Wang Ben?"
Fang Yilan frowned, puzzled as to why he would compare her to such a despicable person. She turned the passive position into the active one and asked, "Do you think you are?"
"Of course not," Huai Xu said slowly, as if he had guessed her answer, "Huai Xu has always been the most grateful and repaying person."
A bony hand reached out, gently wrapping her hand with an unyielding tenderness, and warmth instantly spread along her fingertips.
"For example, if the general gives me a corner of this great banner, Huaixu will repay it with a warm hand."
Fang Yilan didn't follow up on this, but instead continued the previous topic, her eyes curved mischievously as she looked sideways at him: "What is your destiny?"
Zhao Huaixu shook his head helplessly, revealing a faint, wry smile: "General, why do you always try to test me?"
"General, you just need to know that my destiny is closely intertwined with yours, so please don't abandon me easily." Zhao Huaixu's eyes were like deep pools, and the moonlight fell into the depths of his eyes, as if he wanted to see through Fang Yilan.
The silver moonlight sprinkled on the vast mountainside, their shadows overlapped, and the edges of their outlines were dotted with halos, making their shadows vague.
Fang Yilan watched the person next to her getting closer and closer. She subconsciously wanted to step back, but just as she moved, she suddenly felt her hair being gently pulled. She glanced sideways and saw that it was Zhao Huaixu's pine green earring, which had somehow become entangled with her hair.
In a hurry, she could only reach out and gently hold his head to prevent him from getting any closer, saying, "Don't move, it's entangled."
She was answered with a low laugh.
"Yeah, it's tangled."
Fang Yilan pretended to be deaf and averted her gaze, lowering her eyes as she tried to untangle her hair from being caught. She didn't dare to use too much force, fearing that she would accidentally hurt his earlobe. The light was blocked, so she had to move closer. Her warm breath occasionally burned the side of Zhao Huaixu's neck, causing the skin there to ripple slightly.
Fang Yilan glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and noticed that his throat rolled slightly.
She also felt like there was something foreign in her throat and swallowed unconsciously.
Fang Yilan tried to solve it for a long time, but it was dark and his vision was obstructed, so he couldn't solve it successfully.
“Let me do it…”
"Okay, it's solved..."
One of them just turned his head to the side, and the other just raised his head, and their noses bumped into each other unexpectedly, and their breaths were filled with the scent of each other.
Fang Yilan looked at the thin lips so close to her, her pupils suddenly shrank, her heart skipped a beat, and then she jumped up.
Fang Yilan put her hands on her hips, pointing her fingers frantically at the path down the mountain, forcing a dry laugh: "Ahaha, the moonlight is nice tonight, but it's getting late, we should go back as soon as possible."
After saying this, he patted his frozen face with both hands: Lust makes one lose one’s mind! Lust makes one lose one’s mind!
Without waiting for Zhao Huaixu's response, he hurried down the mountain.
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