Chapter 76 Advancing to the Sixth, tomorrow separated by mountains
Hugu Xumi stared at the wolf pack and shook his head, saying softly, "Stay close to me."
His left hand, hanging down, reached behind him, protecting her from a distance.
Two wolves flanked him from the flank, while two more pounced from the front. Hugu wielded his broken sword, slashing, thrusting, parrying, and grappling with each strike ruthless and precise, aimed straight for vital points.
Wang Yuying clung tightly to him, her short sword flashing as she slashed fiercely, targeting the wolf's throat and abdomen. She discovered that the soft armor Zheng Yangzhi had given her was also protective against wolf claws; the wolf's sharp claws could tear through armor, but they would slip through the soft armor. Unfortunately, her notched sword was too dull, making it ineffective. Each time, she had to strike five, six, or even ten times to achieve the depth that a normal single strike could reach.
Hugu Xumi swept the sword in Wang Yuying's hand, then flipped his wrist to add another strike, finally cutting open the wolf skin, and the wolf let out a muffled groan.
“You hold the throat, I’ll cut.” Hugu and she divided the work, and the two cooperated perfectly. The sword light was like a screen, and blood and flesh flew everywhere, and the scene was red. This was the scene she had seen for the past few months. In the end, Wang Yuying had become somewhat numb.
They fought for an unknown amount of time, but by the time they had killed all the wolves, it was completely dark, and the sky was filled with countless stars, so close that they seemed within reach. Taking another sniff, they realized that even the stars smelled of blood.
Wang Yuying turned to look at Hugu Xumi. She had only intended to let out a soft sigh, but when she met his gaze, she couldn't help but curl the corners of her lips and smile at him.
Hugu Sumi froze for a moment, then slowly curled the corners of his lips in response.
Awooo—
Suddenly, a mournful wolf howl rang out, much louder than before, echoing through the night sky. A black figure slowly strolled over from the other side of the snow-capped mountain. Upon seeing it clearly, Wang Yuying gasped—she had never seen such a robust wolf! It was larger than a lion or tiger, reaching up to her chest.
She and Hugu Xumi turned their heads almost simultaneously, looked at each other, their eyes met, and they both understood that this was the real alpha wolf.
The alpha wolf stared intently at them, its green eyes burning with the flames of madness and hatred.
Wang Yuying was also staring intently at the beast, the chipped edge of the broken sword trembling slightly.
The alpha wolf continued to raise its paw forward, one step, two steps...
The grass remained completely silent throughout, making it impossible to determine who it intended to attack first.
Wang Yuying took a very low breath, and the alpha wolf suddenly leaped up and pounced on her wrist where she was holding the sword.
Wang Yuying immediately parried with a flick of her wrist, while Hugu Xumi leaped diagonally, thrusting his broken sword straight at the wolf's neck. Unexpectedly, the alpha wolf was cunning as a human, and made a feint. Its body twisted in mid-air in an unnatural way, dodging the two swords, and opened its blood-red maw to bite at Wang Yuying's throat.
Wang Yuying hastily parried with her broken sword, but the wolf's two rows of teeth snapped in two with a single bite.
After spitting out the sword, it reopened its blood-red maw. Wang Yuying's palms were covered in cold sweat, but she still held her breath and struck out with her palm, ready to fight bare-handed. Suddenly, she saw a broken sword being sent out faster and more ruthlessly than hers. Hugu Xumi flipped his elbow and wrist and stabbed it fiercely into the neck of the alpha wolf.
The alpha wolf opened its jaws wide and bit him right at the junction of his shoulder and arm.
A large gushing of blood gushed from the alpha wolf's neck, yet it still whimpered and twisted its head, ripping off Hugu Xumi's entire right arm! Blood gushed forth, and muscle and tendons clung like loose threads left after a piece of cloth had been torn. Wang Yuying swiftly picked up the broken sword from the ground and stabbed the alpha wolf ten times, pulling it out and stabbing it back in, her movements frenzied and ruthless. The alpha wolf quickly convulsed and died.
She threw the sword away with a bang, pried open the wolf's two rows of teeth, took out the severed arm, and tremblingly held it to Hugu Xumi's shoulder.
How could it possibly be connected!
"It's alright, it's alright," Wang Yuying kept repeating, flustered and making futile attempts.
Hugu Xumi glanced at her, then slowly sat down on the ground, supporting himself with his left hand. Wang Yuying immediately followed suit and knelt down, her knees touching the mud and grass.
Unable to reattach, she was in a state of panic. Seeing the blood gushing from the wound, she put the severed arm on the ground, straightened up, and tried to stop the bleeding with both hands. However, the warm blood continued to seep out from between her fingers, and the smeared flesh stuck to Wang Yuying's palms. No matter how hot the blood was, her hands grew colder and colder until her fingers were almost frozen.
Wang Yuying's originally fair hands turned red, and her armor was once again stained with blood. The blood reflected in her eyes made them turn red as well, and the tears that welled up looked like blood tears.
She gripped the exposed bone on his shoulder tightly, her lie flowing so smoothly: "Don't worry, I know a miracle doctor who can set severed arms and bring flesh back to life..."
As she spoke, she broke down in sobs, and soon her vision blurred; the countless stars in the sky were her tears.
"Why are you crying?" Hugu Xumi murmured, his voice weak and shallow, no longer as steady as before. "What's there to cry about..." He slowly raised the corners of his lips, revealing a cold smile that perfectly complemented the thick, overwhelming smell of blood emanating from him: "You're a fool. The Han people have invaded our land and abused our people. I wish I could devour their flesh and drink their blood. I approached you only to gain your trust, steal secrets, and plot against the state."
His eyes were cold, but he raised his left hand and gently wiped away her tears with his fingertips, the movement difficult yet tender: "After all, you work in the Ministry of War..."
Wang Yuying watched as Hugu Xumi's face visibly paled. At that moment, she had only one sentence in her heart that she wanted to say to him: "You can live even without an arm. Many veterans in the Western Expeditionary Army lost arms, but they all lived peacefully to their seventies or eighties." She begged him to be like her, to live as long as he didn't die, to live first and then talk about dignity... She even wanted to say that she was willing to live with him, to stay with him for a lifetime, but the words were stuck in her throat, choked with sobs.
Hugu still had a smirk on his lips, squinting at her with a cold and mocking expression.
Wang Yuying looked up at him, her eyes blurred with tears. Was it all just an act from beginning to end? Then how could he act so convincingly?
Hugu Sumi's thumb, which had been resting on the corner of her eye, trembled twice, then he moved it away, let it hang down, clenched it into an empty fist, and stopped wiping away her tears.
"Yingniang!" came Jingye's call from afar, accompanied by the sound of horses' hooves and the flickering torches. He had almost searched the entire grassland before leading a small group of men to this place.
Hugu Xumi glanced at Jing Ye, then turned his gaze back to Wang Yuying's face. He raised his left hand and struck her right shoulder with all his might. He felt the soft armor, paused for a moment, and then a fleeting look of relief flashed in his eyes.
Wang Yuying was pushed far away by Hugu Xumi and fell backward.
"Yingniang!" Jingye jumped off his horse and ran to Wang Yuying's side, kneeling down to catch her.
In an instant, Hugu Xumi picked up the broken sword without hesitation and resolutely plunged it into his own heart.
This was how Wei Yucheng died. Wang Yuying immediately burst into tears, her cries heart-wrenching!
At that moment, she couldn't distinguish the myriad emotions in her heart; she only knew that there was a force in Hugu, like a magnet pulling her. She struggled to break free from Jingye's embrace and rushed towards Hugu Xumi's side using both hands and feet.
"Yingniang!" Jing Ye tried to stop her, but she wouldn't listen. He simply lifted his leg and chased after her, stretching out his arms like ropes to tightly wrap around Wang Yuying.
"Don't go," he pleaded hoarsely behind her, his heart aching.
Wang Yuying looked down at the wound on Jing Ye's right wrist. It had stopped bleeding, but the edges were still rolled up, turning into a dark bluish-purple fleshy growth, mixed with some yellowish pus and dark red blood streaks, and the white broken tendons could still be vaguely seen.
His right hand, however, was limp and hanging down, unresponsive. Her gaze traveled upwards along his crimson cuff, where he too was covered in blood.
Wang Yuying stopped walking and remained where she was, letting Jing Ye hold her tightly.
She watched helplessly as Hugu Sumi fell backward with a smile, and involuntarily arched her back to ease her heartache.
Hugu Sumi had already fallen to the ground, the broken sword stuck in her left chest standing straight up. She felt as if this sword would remain stuck in her heart for the rest of her life.
"May we be an ordinary couple in the next life!" A sentence from the bumpy cruise ship suddenly echoed in her mind. She stared straight at the corpse of Hugu Xumi, and suddenly her blood surged, her vision went black, and she fainted in Jingye's arms.
As soon as her body went limp, Jing Ye felt a sudden panic, as if he had stepped into thin air. His heart pounded wildly, and his face turned even paler than Wang Yuying's.
"Yingniang, Yingniang?" He checked her breathing with trembling hands. Thankfully, she had only fainted. Jingye's right hand was too weak, so he used his arm to support her, lifted her horizontally onto the horse, and then embraced her in front of him.
"Take the body of the Northern Di King back." He gave only this order to his subordinates, then turned his horse around and rode back to the military camp as quickly as possible under the moonlight.
*
When Wang Yuying woke up, the first thing she saw was the top of the tent; it seemed they had returned to camp.
Her thoughts were still somewhat sluggish. Her gaze slowly moved down to the blankets covering her, the felt blankets she was lying on... wait, it seems she's not wearing armor!
Wang Yuying lifted the quilt and saw her undergarments. She immediately pressed the quilt down and used her other hand to protect her lower abdomen.
"Yingniang, you're awake." A hoarse male voice rang out.
Wang Yuying looked in the direction of the sound and found Jing Ye sitting not far from the felt rug, with dark circles under his eyes, having been guarding for an unknown amount of time.
Perhaps out of concern that she might be cold, a pot of charcoal was still burning inside the tent in the middle of summer, half black and half red, with sparks dancing in the air.
He handed her a kettle, and Wang Yuying sat up to take it. She took a sip and found it was warm. She returned the kettle to him, and Jing Ye plugged it, put it back on the table, and then turned to look at her, saying without blinking, "Yingniang, you're pregnant."
He paused for a moment, then said, "The doctor said it's been almost seven months."
Wang Yuying's hand, which was resting on her lower abdomen, moved slightly. During the previous battles, she had been so shaky and heavily armored that she had overlooked the subtle fetal movements. Now that things were quiet, she could feel her child reaching out or kicking, with a small bump on her belly.
"The doctor examined you and said everything is fine, you two are both doing very well."
Wang Yuying pondered for a moment, then pressed on, "Which doctor examined you?"
A hint of regret flashed across Jing Ye's face, but he quickly regained his composure: "I was unaware of the situation at the time, and I was burning with anxiety. The news spread to almost all the military doctors. But don't worry, no matter what happens, I will definitely protect you this time."
Jing Ye reached out and grabbed Wang Yuying's hand, holding it tightly. She curled her fingers and scratched his palm as a response.
After a moment, she said, "I'll rest a bit more first."
Jing Ye nodded, knowing she needed to rest: "Go to sleep."
Wang Yuying lay down again and closed her eyes. Jing Ye continued to wait by the felt blanket. After a short while, a junior officer came from outside the tent to deliver a message: "Vice Commander, you are summoned to the commander's tent for a meeting."
Jing Ye looked at Wang Yuying and saw that she was asleep with her eyes closed and her breathing even. He then tiptoed out.
Normally, when discussing matters in the commander's tent, it should be the commander-in-chief Yuan Wancheng who summons the troops. However, after a short while, Yuan Wancheng lifted the curtain alone and entered Wang Yuying's tent.
She immediately opened her eyes.
Yuan Wancheng, adhering to etiquette, sat down with his back to Wang Yuying, not even glancing at the blanket: "Lord Wang, I have something to discuss with you."
"Marshal, please speak."
“I implore you, sir, to abort the child. This child must not be kept.” Yuan Wancheng’s tone was calm and fluent. “Although I have already made arrangements, there are many spies in the camp, and no one can guarantee that this matter will not reach His Majesty’s ears. If His Majesty finds out, you can only accuse the informant of slander if you are unborn. If you are fortunate enough to keep it a secret from His Majesty, then you should let it pass without a trace, as if it never happened.” Yuan Wancheng sighed. “Aye will certainly not be able to bring himself to do it, so I had no choice but to send him away and secretly explain the consequences to you, sir.”
Yuan Wancheng closed his lips and spoke again: "I have prepared a bowl of abortion soup, and I have tried to use as little as possible, but I still feel bad for you, sir."
Wang Yuying remained silent.
Yuan Wancheng then said crisply, "Aye will be back in an hour, sir. Please hurry."
"I will never have an abortion," Wang Yuying refused in a deep voice.
More than ten years ago, when she had just gotten married, she wanted a child and fantasized countless times about becoming a mother. Later, she suffered from cold and had difficulty conceiving. She tried to get pregnant many times but failed. She was disheartened and secretly regretted it.
Now this child has arrived silently, and after surviving the fierce battles on the battlefield, is still safely inside her, mysteriously fulfilling a wish from many years ago.
She not only had to give birth, but also ensure that her bloodline grew up and reached adulthood.
Yuan Wancheng hesitated several times before finally pursing his lips and exhaling through his nose: "I am truly ashamed, as my entire family is in the capital."
After a short while, Wang Yuying raised her eyelids: "Therefore, I beg you, sir, to help me and Aye. If we succeed, we will share the glory with you. If we fail, I will take full responsibility and will certainly exonerate you."
Yuan Wancheng remained silent.
Seeing that he wouldn't agree today, Wang Yuying changed the subject: "What did the Marshal do with the corpse of the Northern Di King?"
The mere mention of the word "corpse" still sends shivers down my spine, as if a thousand arrows are piercing my heart.
"Our Celestial Empire has always upheld propriety and righteousness. Since the Northern Di King has committed suicide to preserve his integrity, we should naturally be moved by his loyalty and valor, and order his remains to be returned to his homeland for burial." At this point, Yuan Wancheng smiled. "The Di people have lost their ruler and are disintegrating. They will be unable to invade the south for the next fifty years. This is truly a blessing for the nation and a good fortune for the people!"
...
A hundred miles away, the Di people were secretly burying their king according to their custom.
Hugu Xumi's right arm was stitched back together, and he was dressed in a royal robe and his hair was restyled. In accordance with his previous will, no treasures were left for his burial. Only his last blood-stained armor and clothes, along with a pouch he always carried with him, were placed in the coffin. The pouch, soaked in blood, had become stiff and its color had faded to a dark red. Only the pattern of twin lotus flowers could be faintly discerned through the stitches.
The coffin of the Northern Di King was buried deep in the pit, the grave was filled with soil, and it was trampled flat by ten thousand horses, leaving no mark. All the Di people who participated in the funeral returned to the royal court and committed suicide.
*
The capital city, the Forbidden City.
The Minister of War was kneeling in the imperial study, presenting the emperor with a report of victory from the border: "Congratulations, Your Majesty! The royal army has achieved a great victory, striking directly at the Northern Di court! The Di king is dead, and his various forces have collapsed."
At first, the emperor remained indifferent to the words "congratulations" and "victory," but his lips twitched slightly when he heard the word "death."
After a moment, he tapped his index finger lightly on the table, his eyebrows curving as he asked, "How did Hugu Sumi die?"
"Your Majesty, it was suicide." The Minister of War gestured with his head down, "The King of the Northern Barbarians plunged a broken sword into his heart."
The emperor's expression softened, but the smile on his face was quickly replaced by a dark cloud. The light tap of his index finger turned into a firm press—the Hugu Sumi would remain in her heart forever.
The emperor suddenly felt as if a thousand needles were pricking him, and he felt as if he were falling straight down.
After dismissing the Minister, he was sitting quietly behind his desk, deep in thought, when suddenly someone outside the door announced, "Your Majesty, a secret report."
Judging from the voice, it was a secret guard who was specifically tasked with delivering messages about her, and the emperor immediately summoned him.
The imperial guard presented a secret letter, which the emperor personally unsealed and took out. It contained only one line: "General Wang is seven months pregnant. This is to inform you."
The emperor scanned the words one by one, his expression remaining normal until the fourth word, when he froze, his face showing astonishment, surprise, shock... a thousand emotions flashed across his face like a revolving lantern, until finally he was left only in a daze.
pregnant?
Why doesn't he recognize this character? What does it mean when a woman and a star are put together?
Is Yingniang pregnant?
Suddenly, a string snapped in the emperor's mind, and the belief that supported him crumbled rapidly. A chill ran from his feet, two gusts of cold air shot up and spread throughout his body in an instant. He was covered in goosebumps and shivered from the cold even in the sweltering heat of summer.
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Author's note: Regarding Mi, the key point is: the afterlife.
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