A Wandering Youth

Chapter 30

Zhuge Dongge raised his eyes to observe the young master's expression, then cautiously said, "I implore the young master to spare his life... Chu Yi's physique is peculiar, and I wish to keep him to study him..."

"reason."

"In these chaotic times, the young master urgently needs talented people to stabilize the country. This person is reserved and steady, making him a suitable candidate. Furthermore, I have a lot of medical skills that I need to put to good use. If Chu Yi can pass on his skills to me, it would be even better if we could complement each other."

"Sir, you are celebrating too soon."

"Young Master may be annoyed by Chu Yi's unconventional moves, but Chu Yi is still firmly under your control. What worries do you have? I dare to remind you, Young Master, that Elder Zhu acted erratically before, but he was ultimately used by you. Didn't you tolerate and subdue him? Rather than forcing Chu Yi to his death, it would be better to recruit his subordinates. I urge you to consider this carefully."

Qiu Ye sat indifferently in the armchair, her face calm and her eyes cold.

—The Battle of Sanyuan Gorge was later confirmed to have taken place on the first day of the lunar month. He had actually infiltrated Wei Chong's army camp, lured the Liao army into the trap, and secretly helped Ma Liancheng win a minor victory in this battle.

—What exactly does the first-year student want to do? He's escaped from my grasp several times, only to reappear unexpectedly from all around...

In a moment, he suddenly remembered Wu Sanshou's righteous and awe-inspiring appearance, and realized: it was all for him.

Zhuge Dongge quietly watched his young master's expressionless face, his heart filled with worry for Chu Yi. He seemed to know that despite his pleas, the usually aloof young master was not someone who would be easily moved by a few words. He could only bow deeply in the face of Chu Yi's indifference, silently retreat, and turn to leave the camp.

...

The battle on the battlefield seemed endless, with the sounds of wind and snow, screams, and cries mingling together and echoing through the sky.

Qiu Ye gazed into the distance, estimating that the time was almost ripe. He slowly drew his longsword, and with a swift stroke, it swept forward like a whirlwind, carrying with it a flurry of snowflakes.

Amidst the numerous dark and gloomy scenes, a bright white figure outshone thousands of fluttering whites. Its tall stature resembled a startled swan soaring into the sky, its hands gathering a dazzling, fiery red light, like a blazing red sun bursting forth and shimmering as it fell to earth.

—Wherever the red light shines, nothing can stop it.

Leng Shuangcheng lowered her head and slipped into the alley, walking steadily along the base of the city wall.

His gaze remained fixed on the corner where the walls met, trying his best to make out the terrain. With each familiar face he found, his heart sank a little deeper.

Leng Shuangcheng reached out and stroked the stone wall, looked up to confirm the direction, and strode forward.

A soft, boneless, fiery red whip silently lashed towards the back of his head.

Hearing the sound of the wind, Leng Shuangcheng leaped up and landed lightly three zhang away. Turning around, he saw a figure in a bright red cloak.

"Young Miss." Leng Shuangcheng turned her right hand upside down, placed it behind her arm, and bowed.

Cheng Xiang emerged from behind a residential building with a gloomy expression.

"Do you know you deserve to die?" Cheng Xiang stared into Leng Shuangcheng's eyes and said coldly.

"I don't know." When Leng Shuangcheng first saw Cheng Xiang, a barely perceptible look of surprise flashed in his eyes. He said somewhat eagerly, "But I am truly delighted to see Miss here."

"Oh? If you knew I was going to kill you, would you still be happy?"

Leng Shuangcheng stared directly at Cheng Xiang, her expression unwavering, and said calmly, "If Miss wants to kill Chu Yi to vent her anger, Chu Yi will not retaliate. However, before that, I beg Miss to have mercy..."

"Whom do we pity?"

"The people of this city."

"Why?"

"Because the ancient city is about to collapse."

"Hahaha... What a ridiculous joke! How could an ancient city that has stood for five hundred years collapse? Even if it did collapse..." Her laughter was as melodious as silver bells, then she paused heavily, saying with a hint of sarcasm, "What does it have to do with me?"

Upon hearing this, Leng Shuangcheng suddenly turned and left.

Cheng Xiang's face was icy cold. With a flick of her wrist, the whip flew swiftly, striking Leng Shuangcheng from behind. "You think you can just leave like that? Not so easy!"

Leng Shuangcheng did not turn around, dodged the whip's shadow, and continued forward.

"stop!"

Leng Shuangcheng did not stop.

"Don't regret it once you leave!"

Leng Shuangcheng walked steadily forward, his indifferent voice carried through the wind and snow: "This city is indeed in imminent danger, Miss, you should leave quickly."

As Leng Shuangcheng's resolute figure walked further and further away, Cheng Xiang's expression shifted between light and shadow amidst the swirling snowflakes. She pursed her red lips tightly, furrowed her brows, and with a "whoosh," leaped forward.

Leng Shuangcheng, who was ahead, smiled subtly and slowed down.

"Is what you said true?" She stared intently at Leng Shuangcheng's face, and asked hesitantly, "Zhao Yingcheng and that young master Bixie are fighting a bloody battle on the front lines, isn't it all to preserve this ancient city?"

"Illusion".

"An illusion?"

"May I ask, young lady, how many main forces did the two young masters contribute?"

"Xueying, Zhao Yingcheng's personal guards, and the evil-repelling youth."

How many people are there?

"Only enough to fight one-fifth of the enemy forces."

"The more we fight to the death, the more we can deceive the Liao army," Leng Shuangcheng said with certainty, looking at Cheng Xiang.

Cheng Xiang lowered her head and pondered for a moment, as if she had regained her senses. Then she looked up and said quickly, "They intend to use every last bit of their remaining strength to make the Liao people believe that there are no more troops to stop this city?"

“Yes,” Leng Shuangcheng said calmly.

Cheng Xiang was speechless for a moment.

After a moment, Cheng Xiang spoke again: "It really is just like the ruthless style of these two... risking so many lives to put on a show, just to make the enemy feel safe to enter the city..."

Leng Shuangcheng suddenly bowed again: "Miss is a person of great righteousness. I implore you to start rescuing the people now. Take away as many as you can."

"I was patrolling the outer city just now when I noticed people pouring out of the city, scattering and fleeing for their lives..."

"This is exactly what Chu Yi is worried about."

"Why?"

"The two young masters have a meticulous plan, and the people of this city are also part of their scheme. By letting the people out of the city, they want to convince the Liao army commander from every angle that the city is in grave danger and will not be able to be defended at any moment. If the people flee, it means that there is absolutely no support or defense in the city; if the people do not flee, the Liao army will inevitably massacre the city after it is breached."

At this point, Leng Shuangcheng's face showed extreme worry: "The Liao army's last line of defense was with crossbow carts. Chu Yi guessed that after the Zhao army was wiped out, they would unleash a hail of arrows to slaughter the civilians..."

"The north gate of this city faces Liangyue Mountain. Could you please instruct your men to lead the people over this mountain and escape to Xigong?"

"Wait!" Cheng Xiang raised her hand and said coldly, "How could I possibly have such power!"

Leng Shuangcheng remained silent for a moment, then respectfully bowed and knelt down: "This humble subject kneels to greet Princess Changping on the first day of the new year."

Cheng Xiang remained unmoved, accepting Leng Shuangcheng's prostration without any hesitation. She stood gracefully in the snow, her fiery red cloak fluttering in the wind.

"You really know a lot!" Cheng Xiang said with a charming smile, her eyes sparkling. "You actually dare to use the lives of all the people in the city to pressure me."

"I wouldn't dare," Leng Shuangcheng replied calmly, lying prone in the snow.

"You dare not? If you didn't dare, why would you try to trick me with words? If you didn't have the guts, why would you have entered this city alone?"

Leng Shuangcheng bowed his head in silence.

"Since you have such courage, why don't you personally lead the people to escape?" Cheng Xiang sneered, her voice rising.

"To be honest, I originally intended to guide the people out of the city after scouting the route, but now that I've met Miss, I feel even more that Heaven has been kind to this ancient city..."

"Stop trying to flatter me. Get up. I still have some scores to settle with you."

Leng Shuangcheng stood up quickly and looked calmly at Cheng Xiang: "Is Miss still angry about the gambling den?"

“Not that one.” Cheng Xiang smiled gently, her red lips parting slightly in the biting cold wind. “It’s for the triumphant return of loneliness.”

Leng Shuangcheng was slightly taken aback.

In an instant, Cheng Xiang's face turned cold: "Do you know that Lonely Triumph is actually going to break off our engagement for your sake?"

31. Entering the cave

These words were like a thunderclap suddenly erupting from dry land, leaving Leng Shuangcheng dumbfounded. He stood upright in the cold wind, unable to suppress the astonishment on his face.

Cheng Xiang scrutinized Leng Shuangcheng's face, then suddenly gave a mocking smile: "Every year on New Year's Eve, Lonely Triumph would disappear without a trace. But this year, after the gambling den incident, as soon as Young Master Bixie spread the word, he immediately appeared before me. Ironically, I thought he had come all this way for me, and I was deeply moved. I never expected that after arriving, he would actually demand the annulment of this imperial marriage... What's even more ridiculous is that no matter what I did, he wouldn't budge, no matter what the reason was, he just rushed all the way to the ancient well platform..."

Leng Shuang stood silently in the snow, watching Cheng Xiang's cold smile without saying a word.

"I couldn't understand it at all until Qiu Yeyi forced him to prepare a pill to control Wu Sanshou. He resisted to the death, preferring to endure the pain of the nails in his bones rather than make a move. Only then did I realize it was for you, because only you had been close to Wu Sanshou, and only Wu Sanshou knew where you were!"

"First Day of the Lunar New Year, if you were me, what would you want me to do?" Cheng Xiangling flicked her whip, the long whip scattering the pure white snowflakes, sending them flying haphazardly through the air. "You're a man! Lonely Triumph actually risked the world's condemnation for you!"

Leng Shuangcheng stared at the snow for a moment, seemingly having made up her mind, then raised her head and said firmly, "Before Chu Yi dies, I beg you, Miss, to tell me about Wu Sanshou."

"Okay, what do you want to know?"

Where is Wu Sanshou right now?

"He was banished into the underground passage by the young master of Bixie."

“Is that really so…” Leng Shuangcheng murmured, his expression dazed.

"Is there anything else you're worried about?" Cheng Xiang frowned and said coldly.

"No, I was just curious. Does Miss intend to kill me in front of Young Master Lonely?" Leng Shuangcheng suddenly stared intently behind Cheng Xiang and smiled slightly.

Looking at Leng Shuangcheng's face, Cheng Xiang's expression of surprise and uncertainty returned: "Don't try to fool me..."

"Let's do it." Leng Shuangcheng's voice rose slightly as he swept the moonlight into his waist, standing quietly in the snow.

Cheng Xiang gritted her teeth and finally turned around to look behind her.

Behind me was a desolate scene, with howling winds and swirling snowflakes, but not a single person in sight.

Her heart sank slightly. She quickly turned her head, but only saw a figure disappearing into the distance. She couldn't help but shout loudly, cursing viciously, "Chu Yi, you heartless bastard..."

Cheng Xiang stood resentfully in the snow for a long time before reluctantly walking back the way she came. When she reached the street, it was crowded with people, making a racket. Suddenly, she snapped out of her daze, pushed through the crowd, and stumbled towards a mansion.

Crossing the courtyard and pushing open the lattice door, you enter a warm and cozy inner room.

Cheng Xiang walked straight towards the bedchamber.

The person on the bed was pale and thin, and was resting with their eyes closed in the bed curtains.