A Madwoman's Journey Through the Song Dynasty

Chapter 13

"Splash!" The icy feeling told her they had fallen into a rapid current, with no time to breathe...

The icy river rushed forward, and he and she couldn't float to the surface...

"Huff..." Bai Qianqian felt like all the air had been sucked out of her lungs, it was so painful... Her consciousness gradually faded, she struggled to open her eyes, all she could see was a blurry red, "The river... is red?" Slowly she closed her eyes again, "Flying Eagle. I can't hold on much longer, what should I do..." Her heart ached so much... Her body was so cold...

Immediately afterwards, a soft sensation touched her lips, forcing open her cold lips and stubbornly giving her a breath.

"Qianqian, I will protect you, don't be afraid!" Despite his discomfort, Flying Eagle struggled to paddle, pulling Bai Qianqian to the surface...

It seemed like a long time had passed before Bai Qianqian opened her heavy eyes.

"So cold!" Bai Qianqian shivered uncontrollably, feeling her clothes were still wet. Looking around, it was so dark, she could barely see anything. Was it dark already? The wind was so cold… Besides the howling wind, she could hear the rushing sound of the river. Water… Flying eagle!

Suddenly remembering how she got here, Bai Qianqian's fear reached its peak. Where was Flying Eagle?!

I frantically searched around and finally touched a cold hand.

"Flying Eagle? Flying Eagle! How are you?" Confirming the hand belonged to Flying Eagle, Bai Qianqian anxiously patted his face. But there was no response.

An overwhelming fear swelled within Bai Qianqian, almost unbearable. "Flying Eagle! Wake up! What's wrong?" Flying Eagle, please don't be hurt! No, everything will be alright!

Bai Qianqian trembled as she fumbled for the golden arrow... she dared not think any further.

"Flying Eagle!" Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably, growing more and more urgent, impossible to stop. She touched the wound on his waist! The wound was still slowly bleeding...

It seems that the arrow was blocked by the eagle and deviated slightly from its direction, but its powerful momentum caused it to pass through the eagle's body, leaving a bloody hole!

"Flying Eagle! What should I do... what should I do... please wake up, please!" Her heart was in turmoil, and an endless chill swept over her, threatening to crush her.

Flying Eagle, you didn't dodge for my sake, you bravely blocked with your sword. If you had dodged, you wouldn't have been able to save me... But I would rather be the one injured! I don't want to see you lying beside me like this! Flying Eagle, you endured such severe injuries to rescue me from the rapids, only to collapse here from exhaustion, your body cold and helpless... I wish you hadn't saved me! Flying Eagle, please wake up, call my name again, look at me one more time, Flying Eagle!

Bai Qianqian anxiously tore off a piece of her skirt to bandage Feiying's wound. "Feiying, I won't let anything happen to you, never! Now, it's my turn to protect you!"

Thankfully, the teleporter was still there! Bai Qianqian gripped the teleporter tightly, bent down and kissed Flying Eagle's forehead, "Wait for me..." she whispered goodbye. Bai Qianqian activated the teleporter, and a beam of white light enveloped her, taking her back to her long-lost home, to the long-lost 32nd century...

Bai Qianqian's home in the 32nd century

"Qianqian! My dear daughter! You're back!" Mr. Bai was making dinner when a flash of white light appeared, and he was overjoyed to see his daughter. "Qianqian! What happened to you? Why are your clothes wet? Change them quickly!"

"Dad, can I borrow your compression bag?" Bai Qianqian asked her father anxiously, disregarding everything else.

"What's wrong? What happened? Why are you in such a hurry?" Mr. Bai could clearly see the immense heartache and worry in his daughter's eyes.

"I'm rushing to save people!" Bai Qianqian looked distraught.

"Well... alright." Seeing the determination in her eyes, Mr. Bai had no choice but to agree. After setting the time for her, Mr. Bai sadly saw his daughter off... Sigh, daughters grow up and leave home! For some reason, Mr. Bai thought of this old saying.

Chapter 43 A Brief Separation 2

Western Xia Imperial Palace

A fierce battle has erupted outside the imperial palace. Wanyan Kang, the second prince of Western Xia, has launched a coup, attempting to seize the throne from the eldest prince and become the new emperor. The situation at Xuanwu Gate is tense, with soldiers clashing...

"Your Highness, the battle at Xuanwu Gate is fierce, and our forces are at a disadvantage! We request reinforcements!" The Left General in charge of Xuanwu Gate sent someone to report.

"This...send the order down, dispatch five hundred of the Crown Prince's personal guards to reinforce them." The eldest prince, Wanyan Ming, sighed softly. Kang, why are you doing this? Don't you care at all about the current situation in Western Xia? External threats are already severe; how can we bear internal strife?

“Your Highness, you…” The eunuch beside him was puzzled. Why didn’t the eldest prince send David from the capital? After all, they were not far away and had more ability to stop the second prince.

"Enough said, my mind is made up!" Kang, if you insist on seizing the throne of Western Xia... then take it, but make sure Western Xia can survive in this chaotic world, or at least prolong its existence for a few more years. I will minimize the losses in our war...

At Xuanwu Gate, Wanyan Kang was gradually gaining the upper hand. Just as he breached the city gate, two groups of troops suddenly stormed in—Wanyan Lie and the Wuya Sect's forces. Startled by this unexpected attack, Wanyan Lie's army panicked. Seeing the other group's swift and ruthless attacks, especially their leader, who was more terrifying than death itself—his cold smile and bloodied handsome face adding to the horror—Wanyan Kang's already fragile morale crumbled further, and the battle situation changed in an instant.

"You!" Wanyan Kang stared in disbelief at the cold sword piercing his chest, then looked in confusion at the sword's owner—an incomparably handsome but cold-blooded man. He had clearly been so far away just moments ago, and in the blink of an eye, he was...

"You deserve to die ten thousand times!" Thinking of the moment Bai Qianqian fell off the cliff, he spoke coldly, turning the sword hilt without mercy, leaving Wanyan Kang with excruciating pain.

Three days ago, when An Yan saw Bai Qianqian and Fei Ying fall off the cliff, he desperately wanted to jump down to save them.

"The current is rapid below, let's go downstream to search!" Wanyan Lie grabbed him, his face also full of sorrow.

He glared fiercely at Wanyan Lie, then coldly ordered his subordinates, "Kill all of Wanyan Kang's men! Leave twenty men with me to search downstream!" At that moment, he wished he could kill Wanyan Lie as well, but the grief in his eyes made him decide to spare him for the time being. (Who told Wanyan Lie to dare to forcibly kiss Qianqian before—An had been holding a grudge ever since, and now Qianqian was in such a dangerous situation because of him. If it weren't for the fact that Wanyan Lie was also remorseful and still had some use—sending his men to search for Qianqian and Feiying—he would have already made his move!)

After a day of searching, they only found Flying Eagle, who was seriously injured and unconscious. After properly settling Flying Eagle in, they continued searching for another day but still found nothing. There were no clues left at the scene, but they were certain that Bai Qianqian was still alive, but they didn't know where she was.

Later, news came that the Second Prince was about to launch a coup. Needless to say, how could An and Wanyan Lie let him have an easy time! His biggest mistake was provoking Bai Qianqian and her group. But now, Wanyan Kang, you should go to the underworld and cry foul if you think you've been wronged.

After Wanyan Kang died, the soldiers scattered like sand, some running away and others surrendering. An seemed still not satisfied, continuing to wildly stab with his sword, and in an instant, many more "Sandstorm" soldiers were killed or wounded.

A streak of white light flashed across the sky, landing in the direction of the Eastern Palace...

That light… For some reason, An’s heart pounded wildly, as if something important couldn’t be missed. He sheathed his sword and immediately spurred his horse to ride after it.

"Zicheng, I'm leaving this to you!" Wanyan Lie sighed as he looked at the tragically dead Wanyan Kang. He then spurred his horse to follow. The Eastern Palace was the residence of the Crown Prince. Would An be so blinded by rage that he would even kill the Crown Prince...? He still needed to hurry and find out what was going on. In case anything changed, he could try to stop him. He was quite confident in his own abilities.

"Where...where am I?" Bai Qianqian looked around at the completely unfamiliar buildings with a blank expression. Before her was a magnificent door, perhaps the kind of door found in palaces?

"Who are you?!" Wanyan Ming, who had just dismissed his attendants and was about to commit suicide by drinking poison, looked in surprise at the person who suddenly appeared in front of him. From the back, it was a disheveled woman—soaked to the bone, covered in mud, and with her hair in a filthy mess.

"Me?" Suddenly turning around, Bai Qianqian looked at the handsome man in front of her and asked anxiously, "Where is this? Is it far from Wolf Valley? I'm in a hurry to rescue people!"

"Um, this is the Western Xia Imperial Palace, about three days' journey from Wolf Valley. Who are you going to save, young lady? If possible, could I send some people to help you?" It's good to do a good deed before you die. Wanyan Ming asked gently.

How did it get transmitted here? "What's the date today?" Bai Qianqian asked uncertainly.

"It's the third day of the tenth month, young lady, what's wrong?" Before he could finish speaking, the woman in front of him suddenly burst into tears.

“Three days have passed! That flying eagle…” Bai Qianqian dared not think any further, her anxious heart sinking even deeper.

Chapter Forty-Four: Reunion

"No, I need to go back three days!" Bai Qianqian frowned deeply, her face filled with sorrow. "But... what if the transmitter malfunctions again..."

"This... young lady, what are your plans?" Hearing her mutterings, Wanyan Ming was somewhat dazed. His hearing had always been quite good, hadn't it? So, he must have misheard? Back to three days ago... what teleportation device? Or, is there something... wrong with this girl? After giving the disheveled girl in front of him another serious look, Wanyan Ming decided, with great embarrassment, that it was the girl who had the problem.

"I'm planning to...go to Wolf Valley!" Without even bothering to tidy herself up, Bai Qianqian turned abruptly, intending to push open the magnificent door, leaving behind hurried muddy footprints on the ground.

The door suddenly opened before she could act. A ray of sunlight, accompanied by a long, slender shadow, appeared at the doorway.

"Qianqian...you're here!" the man murmured hoarsely in the sunlight.

Tears welled up uncontrollably in her eyes again. With a choked sigh, she ran towards him and threw herself into his arms. "Flying Eagle! You're still here, you're here, that's so good, so good..." she sobbed, her words tumbling out incoherently.

A sharp pain shot through his waist from her sudden impact. Flying Eagle staggered slightly, barely managing to steady himself. "Qianqian..." He held her tightly, his body trembling with lingering fear. He had thought that after her sudden disappearance, she would never return. He had never dared to face her departure. He had always firmly believed she would come back. Those three short days felt like three years, thirty years—he had finally waited...

"He should rest..." The gentle tone was filled with disappointment. An, who had arrived a step later and was hiding to the side, reminded him softly when he noticed the cold sweat on Fei Ying's forehead.

"Dark?" Reminded by him, Qianqian suddenly remembered Feiying's injury, inwardly cursing herself for being so careless. She hurriedly looked anxiously at Feiying's waist; the dark red blood was so shocking—it was from the collision just now… "Feiying!" She looked at him with heartache and reproach. How could he be so inconsiderate of himself…

"The poison on that arrow hasn't been completely removed yet; you should have a way to deal with it," An reminded him again, a bitter smile playing on his lips. He still couldn't keep up with him; he'd lost again. It was time to let go... With that, he turned and left.

"Damn!... Thank you." Qianqian understood his feelings and expressed her sincere gratitude.

"You're welcome. For your wedding... I'll give a generous gift." He turned to look at her, a secretly cheerful smile playing on his lips, then turned away again, a hint of melancholy creeping in. Qianqian, this is the smile you wanted to see, isn't it? A smile that's no longer gloomy...

"Brother! Are you alright?" Wanyan Lie, who arrived later, called out before he did.

"Lie, I'm fine..." Wanyan Ming was surprised and slightly delighted to see his rarely seen third brother.

“I’ve taken care of things outside for you, so you can just be your king.” Wanyan Lie patted his slightly thin elder brother and said with great pride. “As for me, I’ll continue to travel the world. The life of a carefree hermit has always been my aspiration, so you don’t need to worry about me.”

"Lie, you..." Wanyan Ming put his arm around Lie's shoulder in disappointment. "Since you've made up your mind, I won't stop you anymore. Take care!"

"Hehe, you too." Wanyan Lie seemed to have accomplished a great task and breathed a sigh of relief. Luckily, he had a sensible older brother who was so generous in letting him go, saving him a lot of trouble. Once he relaxed, he noticed the two mud figures beside him. (Bai Qianqian was covered in mud, which had shifted during their embrace.)

"You are... Qianqian!" After careful examination, he finally confirmed that the disheveled woman struggling to move the patient was Bai Qianqian. "You finally appeared. Two days ago, when Feiying was unconscious, he kept calling your name. Although he woke up in the evening, you could tell from his restless appearance that he was worried about you. Sigh, it's really good for him. He, a patient, kept sitting on the bed, staring at the door, just hoping..."

"That's enough." Flying Eagle frowned and uttered a soft remark. Why hadn't he been so long-winded before?

"Flying Eagle!" Bai Qianqian murmured, her voice filled with both heartache and sweetness.

"Hehe, I won't bother you any longer, I'm leaving!" With a sly laugh, Wanyan Lie winked at Flying Eagle and wisely made his exit.

"Flying Eagle, promise me that even when I'm not by your side, you must take care of yourself and never neglect yourself again, okay?" Bai Qianqian said solemnly, looking at him.

“Okay, ...but don’t leave me...at least don’t leave easily…” Flying Eagle looked at her intently, as if trying to make up for the time they hadn’t seen each other for many days.

"Okay, I promise you!" Bai Qianqian smiled sweetly.

Next, she placed him in the healing coffin, then washed off the mud and tried to dress herself up, wanting him to see the most beautiful version of her when he woke up...

Chapter Forty-Five: Drifting Leaves

“Flying Eagle… Thank goodness, you’re still here. I thought…” After getting dressed, Bai Qianqian came to the healing coffin and quietly looked at Flying Eagle’s deep face, tears welling up in her eyes again.

The door suddenly opened, and a strong medicinal smell wafted in. Outside stood a cold and refined woman, holding a bowl of thick, dark medicine, steaming hot. She showed no reaction to Bai Qianqian, but narrowed her eyes slightly when she saw the flying eagle in the treatment coffin. Setting down the medicine, she scrutinized Bai Qianqian.

"Hello, may I ask who you are?" Bai Qianqian has always been very interested in beautiful women.

"Call me... Piaoye." After looking Bai Qianqian over, Piaoye was sure that she meant no harm.

"Piaoye... Hello, I'm Bai Qianqian!" Bai Qianqian happily shook her hand. "You've been taking care of Feiying these past few days, right? Thank you!"

"You're welcome, I'm doing this for someone." Piaoye's tone remained cold, revealing no change in her emotions.

For some reason, Bai Qianqian felt that she resembled a shadow from her memory, but she couldn't quite place it—Piaoye…

"Entrusted by someone? That's a rather unusual explanation. Are you a doctor or something else?" Bai Qianqian was a little puzzled. There were no female doctors in the palace, and she didn't seem like a palace maid either. What was her true identity?

"We're just... acquaintances." They used to be assassins for the Hall of Death, but despite being in the same faction, they rarely spoke. Their missions also meant they seldom met, and she had already repaid the favor she owed him. They were merely acquaintances. Since leaving the Hall of Death, she was no longer the witch Bingye; she changed her name to Piaoye.

"Know her?" There shouldn't be many people who know Flying Eagle. He used to be an assassin, so logically... could it be... she is... "You are... the witch Ice Leaf!" A confident and excited voice came from Bai Qianqian's mouth.

"It's not like that anymore." From now on, she would live her own life. Although it was quite troublesome to escape the pursuit of the Hall of Absolute Killing, at least she was free now and didn't have to live a life of constantly killing or trying to kill... "Now, he should be alright, right? Then I've completed someone else's request. Farewell." After saying this indifferently and reasonably, Piaoye turned to leave.

"Wait! Piaoye... if you'd like, can we be friends?" Bai Qianqian gripped her hand tightly, her gaze fixed on her expectantly. "I admire you, I like you a lot! Can we be friends?"

"You..." At this moment, Piaoye was surprised. No one had ever looked at her so sincerely before. Her emotions wavered slightly. Friends? They seemed so far away from her... "No need, I'm not used to it." She refused calmly. Right now, she was constantly being hunted by the Absolute Killing Hall. She was the very embodiment of danger; how could she involve others?

"You have something on your mind? Hehe, I'm not afraid of trouble. Don't worry about anyone harming me. Isn't Flying Eagle just like you?" Bai Qianqian once again dispelled her concerns, the concerns she saw in her eyes.

"...Okay, from now on we're friends!" For the first time, Piaoye showed a genuine smile, the first time she'd let her guard down. This feeling...was very satisfying. No wonder Flying Eagle protected her so much, even sacrificing his own life.

"Piaoye, you have such a beautiful smile. You should smile more often!" Bai Qianqian smiled infatuatedly. Hehe, she'd made another beautiful friend!

"I...smiled?" Did I just smile? I can't even remember the last time I smiled. "Thank you, but I have to go to Dali for some business. Once I'm done, I'll be truly free. Then, I'll come find you." With another stunning smile, Piaoye gracefully departed.