Zhuge Yue sneered and drank alone without saying a word. The wind blew between the two of them, bringing with it an icy chill. Chu Qiao looked at Zhuge Yue, and all the past events passed by in a trance. She was stunned and a little dazed, holding the wine glass, and she didn't know what to say.
"I saw that person."
"Who?" Chu Qiao asked.
“The man who led me to kill the officers and soldiers of the Southwest Town Government.” Zhuge Yue raised his head and said slowly, “His name is Cheng Yuan. He is now the commander-in-chief of the Yanbei Army and has replaced Wu Daoya. Currently, apart from Yan Xun, he is the most powerful person in Yanbei.”
Chu Qiao lowered her head silently and said nothing. Zhuge Yue looked at her, thought for a long while, nodded, and said: "You are right to retreat to the inland of Yanbei. The forces in the Yanbei army are intertwined and it is not a place for you to stay."
Chu Qiao smiled, "Well, I had a good year."
"That's good," Zhuge Yue smiled. "He who is in a position should make his own decisions. The Yanbei army is full of mixed forces, and the Datong Guild is deeply rooted. If it weren't for the threat from our army, Yan Xun would have been sidelined and deposed long ago. One or two knowledgeable and kind people are useless, and the seizure of power has become an inevitable situation. It would be of great benefit to you if you could understand the reasons behind this."
Chu Qiao nodded and said, "I understand that achieving any goal requires a price. A little setback won't defeat me."
Zhuge Yue smiled, his fox fur cape hugging his slightly green chin. Zhuge Yue was handsome, and within this handsomeness, there was even a hint of evil. At this moment, he was sitting in front of Chu Qiao, saying words that only the two of them could understand. Chu Qiao suddenly felt that this person knew her very well. There are some things that Yan Xun doesn't understand, and even she herself doesn't want to face them. However, he can find out everything through clues, including her dreams, her beliefs, her hopes, her happiness, her troubles...
This is a terrifying man. He has a keen sense of battle, superb martial arts skills, artistic political tactics, and strong family power. However, Chu Qiao still couldn't figure out what he wanted all these years.
Yan Xun wanted revenge, he wanted to flatten Daxia and dominate the world; Zhao Che wanted the throne, he wanted to enrich the country and strengthen the army, and become a great leader; Li Ce also wanted Daxia, he wanted to recover the lost territory and revive the glory of Bian Tang. And Zhuge Yue, what does he want? No one knows, and no one can see clearly. Looking at those dark eyes, Chu Qiao felt as if she was about to fall into them. His gaze was like a whirlpool, looking at her deeply. Although he seemed calm on the surface, there was a burning fire inside.
Maybe, maybe he once said what he wanted. In the misty Jiangnan of Bian Tang, he held her, suppressed his pride and anger, and said in a low voice: "I need you, too."
How come words like this sounded like they came from his mouth? However, those words eventually became her obsession, a nightmare that she could never overcome in her lifetime, and a joke that could never be responded to.
“Zhuge Yue, swords are merciless on the battlefield, and the court is also unpredictable. Please take care of yourself.”
Zhuge Yue smiled gently, revealing a rare gentle expression. He looked at the goddess statue in the center of the hall and said slowly, “Those can’t hurt me.”
Everyone has a weak spot, and his will soon be covered by someone else's, and then he will no longer have a weak spot.
Zhuge Yue stood up. His slender figure was extraordinarily handsome under the moonlight. He looked like a marble sculpture, with a brilliant glow on his face. He quietly raised his head and looked at the tall statue of the God of War. The beautiful face of the woman was shining with a fierce and imposing heroic spirit. Ancient time had carefully carved out the dark red armor on her body. There were fine marks on the whole piece of red cloud stone, as if there were blood vessels flowing through it. She held a sharp battle axe in her hand, standing back to back with the goddess of fertility, with sharp and fierce light in her eyes, like angry flames and knives.
Zhuge Yue was in a trance for a moment. He could not explain how he felt when he first saw the statue. In his trance, he seemed to see a person through it. That person was just like the sitting Martial God, with firm beliefs and noble ideals. In the past, he had scoffed at all these things. Having been involved in family affairs since childhood, he was accustomed to intrigues, conspiracies and traps. The idea that human nature is evil had long been deeply rooted in his heart, and scheming and speculation had become a necessity in life.
But later, he gradually understood that people do not live only for themselves. People can have great ideals. When a person works hard for his ideals, it is the most beautiful time. Once, he didn't know what force was supporting her, and why she was so steadfast. He never believed in fate. Sometimes, he even thought that maybe God was on her side. Maybe even God would not be willing to let down such a person!
Some feelings that made him feel hateful and even ashamed had already been planted in his heart. He hated his own cowardice and madness, but he could not resist the burning desire in his heart that grew stronger day by day. He couldn't figure out when it started. They were so young back then, and she was not even as tall as a horse's leg. How could such a ridiculous relationship arise?
However, in the many nights that followed, I would always think of the child's eyes when he left, which were strong, fierce and unyielding, like an angry little leopard that would never succumb to the hunter's whip. He thought, he must have been confused, confused for many years, confused by such a firm belief, confused by such a sharp look, and the words she had said to him many times, "Zhuge Yue, just watch!"
So he just watched, and kept watching, watching her emerge from her cocoon as a butterfly, watching her reach the top, watching her become exhausted, watching her fall again and again, and get up again and again, even though she was covered in pain, she never wavered.
In this world, is there anyone who will stay with you even when you are in complete hell? Who will stay with you when you have nothing? Who would give up his life and follow till death? Who else will stand by you unwaveringly after being ignored?
Yan Xun, you are so lucky, but you don’t know how to cherish it.
Zhuge Yue sneered, then turned and walked out. There was a howling wind outside, and his cloak was blown up with a whoosh, and the corners of his clothes fluttered. He left straight away. If he couldn't get it, he might as well let it go. In Zhuge Yue's life dictionary, the word "request" never existed.
“Zhuge Yue!” Chu Qiao suddenly shouted. Zhuge Yue's body trembled and he stopped. The girl ran over eagerly, her footsteps sinking deeply into the snow.
Zhuge Yue turned around and frowned slightly, "Anything else?"
Chu Qiao took off the Broken Moon Sword from her waist, held it flat in her hand, handed it to him, and said solemnly, "Take care on your journey."
Zhuge Yue looked at the sword in her hand, but did not take it, nor did he have any intention of returning the Canhong sword at his waist.
Chu Qiao was a little embarrassed, but still held the sword stubbornly, looking at him steadily, like a child who was sulking because he couldn't get any candy and was refusing to eat.
"What does this mean?"
Chu Qiao bit her lip, thought for a moment, and finally said: "The full-scale war between Yanbei and Daxia is about to break out. It is inevitable that we will meet on the battlefield. I will not show mercy, and you don't have to care about me anymore. We..."
Zhuge Yue's expression suddenly turned cold. He lowered his head and frowned slightly. Chu Qiao felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze and her voice gradually became quieter.
"Xing'er, to be honest, if we meet on the battlefield, will you really chop off my head?"
Zhuge Yue's voice was low and soothing. It seemed as if these words did not come from his throat, but came out through his heavy heartbeat. Chu Qiao's palms were cold, but beads of sweat were dripping down. Her mouth was dry. She took a deep breath, suppressed the discomfort in her heart, and said slowly: "I won't kill you, but I will do my best to defeat you."
A deep laugh was heard slowly. Zhuge Yue lowered his head and shook it gently. He said nothing, but took the sword from Chu Qiao's hand, held it upside down, stepped on the snow, and turned away.
"Unfortunately, I can't."
It's not that he can't, but that he doesn't want to, because he always knows that sometimes, for them, failure means death.
And how could he deprive her of the only bargaining chip for survival?
Chu Qiao bit her lip. Something was pressing in her chest and abdomen, causing pain in her chest. She looked at his straight back, feeling so cold that it pierced her bones. She lowered her head and spoke word by word, "Life in the world is like being in a thorn bush. If the heart does not move, then the person will not move rashly, and if the heart does not move, then there will be no harm. If the heart moves, then the person will move rashly, hurting the body, hurting the bones, and suffering all kinds of pain in the world."
Zhuge Yue's steps were abruptly stopped. He still remembered these words. It was so long ago, so long ago that he was still a gloomy and cold teenager and she was still a child with nothing. The lights on the Lantern Festival were flickering, and he tentatively asked her to read these words aloud.
How ridiculous! Zhuge Yue raised the corners of his mouth coldly. If you don’t move, you won’t get hurt?
"I have already been pierced by thorns." The hoarse voice echoed on the top of the mountain. The strong wind blew past, instantly blowing the voice into pieces.
The snow started falling again.
On the east side of the Minxi Mountains, a group of ordinary merchant caravans were setting up camp. They were probably Zhuge Yue's men. Chu Qiao stood in front of the temple, watching the man's back gradually disappear in the wind and snow, and felt a chill all over her body. She walked in alone, picked up the wine jug on the mat, tilted her head back and took a sip. The warm liquid flowed down her throat, bringing with it a spicy and mellow taste.
Looking up, she saw the Martial God's eyes staring at her fiercely, as if blaming her for her recklessness and disregard for the overall situation. On the other hand, the Mother Goddess's eyes were gentle, as if she understood all her sufferings. She slowly collapsed to the ground, sat down against a tall pillar, hugged her knees, and looked so thin, like a child who had not grown up. When they set out on the second day, they suddenly heard a burst of hurried horse hooves behind them. On the white snowy field, they saw a horse galloping towards them. The woman on the horse was wearing a silver-grey fox fur cloak, which was a little too big for her. She came from the east and saw Chu Qiao's group and did not stop, but ran straight towards them.
He Xiaoying raised his sword-like eyebrows, rode forward, and said in a deep voice: "Who is it? Tell me your name!"
The woman turned her head to look at him, raised her eyes, smiled brightly, and even swung the whip twice more vigorously and rushed forward. He Xiao frowned and stepped forward to stop him, but the woman raised her eyebrows and said in a clear voice: "Jixiang, kick him!"
The warhorse under her crotch seemed to understand her words. It suddenly stopped, neighed, and stood up the moment He Xiao approached. It kicked He Xiao's warhorse in the belly with its two front legs. He Xiao's warhorse let out a wail and fell to the snow.
He Xiao was quite agile and he landed on his feet after a forward roll on the ground. However, his helmet fell off and his hair was covered with snow, making him look very embarrassed.