Wu Yi then sounded the retreat.
The man at the front shouted for a while longer, but Liu Jing seemed to find it boring and sounded the retreat.
When the army returned to camp, Hua Wuduo, riding on her horse, vaguely saw Liu Xiu's figure. She wondered if she was seeing things, because she had not heard that Prince Che had come to the front lines.
Back at the camp, Liu Jing dismissed his soldiers and went to Liu Xiu's tent. Hua Wuduo tried to walk around outside the tent, but because there were soldiers guarding the area outside the Prince Che's tent, he dared not get too close and could not hear anything, so he had to give up.
Liu Jing made his intention to besiege Changping crystal clear, and Wu Yi received a series of secret reports that several groups of troops had been secretly moving from Changping to Shangdang at night recently. Shangdang was in the upper hand over Changping; if Shangdang fell, Changping would be in grave danger. Without further hesitation, Wu Yi ordered General Hu Weizhong and Prince Zheng to defend Changping, while he himself led tens of thousands of troops to Shangdang at night to reinforce Wu Qi.
Two days later, horns sounded, and Liu Xiu indeed launched a major attack on Shangdang. Following Liu Xiu's offensive, Wu Qi suddenly received an urgent report from Changping. Liu Jing's main force was also attacking Changping at the same time. Since Wu Yi had taken half of the defending troops with him, Changping was now in grave danger.
Wu Yi and Wu Qi were shocked to realize they had fallen into a trap. Wu Yi hurriedly led his troops back to Changping, intending to attack Liu Jing from the rear. However, to his surprise, Liu Jing seemed to have anticipated his plan and had ambushed several thousand soldiers in Xiafeng Valley halfway there. Wu Yi's army was caught off guard, and when he realized that it was Liu Jing who had ambushed him, Wu Yi understood that Liu Jing and Liu Xiu's main intention was to kill him. It would be good if Shangdang and Changping could be captured in this opportunity, but nothing was as important as killing him.
Wu Yi was surrounded and fought his way out for a long time without success. Countless soldiers continued to surround him, clearly determined to kill him today.
But to Liu Jing's surprise, just when he thought he had everything under control and Wu Yi, trapped in the valley below the cliff, was doomed to die, someone suddenly attacked him from close range. This person was Yuan Bai, who had recently returned to camp and been promoted to the rank of adjutant.
The murderous intent in Yuan Bai's eyes horrified him. He couldn't understand it. Yuan Bai was his classmate; they had studied together at Nanshu Academy. Though not like brothers, they shared a bond as classmates. Since Yuan Bai had followed him, he had never wavered. He had always trusted Yuan Bai, completely. Because Yuan Bai stuttered and rarely spoke, he had taken good care of him. He couldn't understand why, after only half a year of captivity, Yuan Bai would change his mind and submit to Wu Yi.
Hua Wuduo could have landed a fatal blow, but Liu Jing's personal guard desperately blocked it with his own body. Nevertheless, she still severely injured Liu Jing, and the other generals drew their swords and surrounded her. Facing the swarming soldiers, Hua Wuduo showed no panic. She leaped into the air, and in the blink of an eye, everyone saw the same move Wu Duo had used on the battlefield. In an instant, many of her soldiers fell to the ground. In the chaos, someone shouted "Wu Duo," recognizing her. Taking advantage of the confusion, she used her lightness skill to leap into the valley. Inside, a fierce battle raged, and it was impossible to distinguish one from another. She found Wu Yi's location amidst the chaos, flew over, and hurled a blinding grenade. When the dust settled, she had killed several men, snatched a spear and a warhorse from a soldier, and arrived at Wu Yi's side.
Many people around were choked by the smoke and dust, their eyes watering and coughing incessantly. Wu Yi and the others could no longer open their eyes. Hua Wuduo approached Wu Yi and whispered a few words. Wu Yi knew it was her. Although he was a bit disheveled, he showed a genuine smile.
Hua Wu hurriedly took out the water bottle she was carrying and splashed some water on her eyelids. Wu Yi opened his eyes and looked at her, but at that moment, he heard Liu Jing's hoarse voice from the top of the cliff: "Kill, don't worry about my injuries, kill Wu Yi, kill."
In an instant, Liu Jing's generals reorganized their troops and continued to besiege Wu Yi in the valley.
Because Hua Wuduo was dressed in white, Liu Jing's soldiers in the valley were unaware of the events that had just transpired on the cliff top and were therefore unsuspecting. She blended in and, taking advantage of the chaos, slaughtered countless Liu Jing soldiers. Step by step, she protected Wu Yi, carving a bloody path towards the valley entrance.
Another horde of people surged forward. Hua Wuduo roared, leaping into the air, her spear flashing, golden rings shooting from her ten fingers, countless silver threads flying past, severing countless bodies. Chaos erupted in Liu Jing's army, yet she managed to carve a bloody path through them. She turned and shouted, "Yi, follow me, hurry!"
Hua Wuduo protected Wu Yi as they rushed out of the valley.
On the mountain, Liu Jing murmured, "Disguise technique, how come I didn't think of it? So it was you! No wonder, no wonder, you can cultivate..." Liu Jing suddenly pointed in the direction of Wu Yi and shouted, "Kill him! Whoever can kill Wu Yi will be rewarded with ten thousand taels of gold and be granted the title of Marquis of Ten Thousand Households."
Upon hearing this, the generals charged at Wu Yi with even greater frenzy.
Du Xiaoxi turned around and led his men to guard the valley entrance, trying to buy some time so that Wu Yi could retreat.
Hua Wuduo and Wu Yi fought and retreated. The road in the valley was narrow and long, and the entrance to the valley was on the upper peak. Hua Wuduo saw that Captain Fan Di and his soldiers were chasing after them. Du Xiaoxi was obviously no match for them, and his fate was now unknown.
She unfolded her spear, and the golden rings on her ten fingers gleamed brightly in the sunlight.
She turned and smiled at Wu Yi, oblivious to the bleeding wound on her shoulder, and said firmly, "They want to kill you, not me. You go first. Liu Jing is already seriously injured and won't last long. Fan Di is no match for me. Although they outnumber me, I will seize the opportunity to capture Fan Di. As the saying goes, 'To catch the thief, first catch the king.' I don't believe that once I capture their leader, they will dare not obey me!" Seeing his hesitation, she added, "The situation is unfavorable for us, Yi. Don't hesitate any longer. This is your only chance. Yi, believe me, I will give you enough time to leave!"
He ignored her, jumped off his horse, and, disregarding the urging of his soldiers, walked step by step toward her.
They were covered in blood, the stench of which was nauseating. Both of them were injured, and the blood on their bodies was indistinguishable as to whether it was their own or that of the enemy.
They were so close, their gazes intertwined, his restraint and reluctance, her momentary confusion and subsequent unwavering resolve, all reflected in each other's eyes, with nowhere to hide.
The warmth of his palm made her tremble slightly. His palm rubbed against her face, repeatedly, wiping away all the bloodstains. This was the fourth time he had shielded her from the blood.
He said, "This is the last time."
She gazed at him, becoming somewhat entranced without realizing it, and murmured, "A scholar will die for one who understands him."
His heart skipped a beat. He had never imagined that there could be a woman in this world whom he could truly love, who would give him his whole heart in return. If there was anything in this world besides the throne that he could aspire to, that he would want to possess at all costs, it was her before him. Even more than the throne… Thinking of this, he was startled. He abruptly withdrew his hand, released her, turned, and leaped onto his horse, leaving only a stiff "Be careful," before leading the rest of his men away. He left only a troop of men behind for her.
After running a few feet, he stopped and turned around. He found that she was still standing in the same place looking at him. His gaze tightened and he saw her raise the long spear in her hand, wave it at him and shout: "Do I look like Zhang Yide, who scared away Cao Cao's million-strong army at Changban Slope in the Three Kingdoms period!"
He smiled faintly, and one could even vaguely see the animated expression on her face. He concealed his gaze, turned his horse, and led his troops away in a cloud of dust.
It was late at night when the young master entered the tent. When the tent curtains fell, they blocked out the starlight.
Gongzi Xun looked tired. When Gongzi Qi saw him enter, she stepped forward and asked, "How is it? Do you have any more news?"
Gongzi Xun shook his head, his voice tinged with sadness, and said, "This humble general searched the valley and surrounding areas for miles overnight but found nothing, only this." He then took something from his robes and handed it to Gongzi Qi. Before Gongzi Qi could take it, Gongzi Yi, standing nearby, reached out and took it. It was a painting, wrapped in soft silk, presumably cherished by its owner. At this moment, the silk was stained with large patches of blood and mud.
Gongzi Yi slowly unfurled the silk handkerchief. Bloodstains had soaked into the scroll, which unfurled under the sheen of the oil paint. Both Gongzi Yi and Gongzi Qi could see the painting clearly. Gongzi Yi staggered back several steps, a change in his dark eyes. He said, "I want to see the person alive or dead. I'll go find them myself!"
He grabbed the helmet from the table, ready to leave, but was stopped by Prince Xun, who said, "Your Highness, when I arrived with my troops, there was blood everywhere on the ground. It seems they fought for a long time. Most of the enemy's bodies have already been collected and buried on the spot. I was also treated as a spy, so even if I am dead, my body may have been taken away by them..."
"What did you say?" Gongzi Yi's gaze suddenly turned to Gongzi Xun. Gongzi Xun abruptly stopped what he was about to say, a look of regret and worry flashing across his face. He said slowly and deliberately, "Prince Cheng, Wu Duo is very likely already dead."
Gongzi Yi's gaze was as cold as a blade as he firmly stated, "Impossible, she couldn't be dead."
Young Master Xun was taken aback.
At this moment, a captain shouted loudly outside the tent: "King of the North, news has come from the enemy camp."
"Speak quickly!" Gongzi Qi said.
The captain entered the tent, bowed, and said, "I just received a report from a scout. At Hai hour (9-11 PM), Liu Jing's army beheaded a spy who was said to be a fake Yuan Bai wearing a mask."
Upon hearing this, Gongzi Yi staggered back several steps until he bumped into the table behind him before stopping.
Gongzi Qi's expression was unfocused.
Gongzi Xun's gaze also darkened.
After a long silence, Gongzi Qi waved his dry hand to the captain who had come in to report, signaling him to leave. The captain withdrew from the tent.
Gongzi Qi turned to Gongzi Xun and said, "Thank you for your hard work."
Gongzi Xun glanced at Gongzi Yi, sighed, and said, "This humble general takes his leave."
Gongzi Qi nodded.
Gongzi Yi gripped the blood-stained silk handkerchief in his hand tightly, his dark eyes revealing a sinister intent.
Gongzi Qi called him several times, but found that he did not respond at all. After a while, Gongzi Yi finally raised his hand and waved to him, signaling him to leave.
Gongzi Qi could only sigh and leave the tent. Just as she was about to lower the tent flap, she turned back to look at him with worry, only to see that Gongzi Yi had already turned around and placed the painting in his hand on the table.
Under the oil lamp, Gongzi Yi slowly unfurled the scroll on the table. On the unfurled scroll, he was choking Hua Wuduo by the neck.
My trembling fingertips gently traced the all-too-familiar face I had drawn, as if I had returned to the past...
I've always known she carries this painting with her... and I secretly hope she always does...
As my fingertips moved, until they reached that striking bloodstain on the painting… my fingertips suddenly trembled and curled up.
Outside the tent, Wu Qi still stood at the tent entrance with the curtain lifted, looking back at Wu Yi inside who was gazing at the painting, his eyes dark.
Lowering the curtain, Wu Qi turned to look at the night sky. A crescent moon hung in the sky, as if it were her faint smiling face, always so carefree and at ease... Suddenly, she heard a hoarse voice from inside the tent call out, "Wu Duo..." Wu Qi couldn't help but tremble.
When he learned that Wu Yi was trapped in Lower Maple Valley, he had just repelled a fierce attack by Liu Xiu. Seeing Liu Xiu retreat, he disregarded everything else and hurriedly led Gongzi Xun to Lower Maple Valley, where he happened to encounter Wu Yi heading towards Shangdang. Upon learning that Wu Duo was surrounded, he immediately sent Gongzi Xun to rescue him. However, when Gongzi Xun arrived, all that remained were corpses. Gongzi Xun brought back the severely injured Du Xiaoxi, but he could not find Hua Wu Duo.
After that, Gongzi Xun led his men to search the vicinity again and again until dawn broke, when a scout came to report that Yuan Bai had been beheaded.
Beheading...head and body separated, a corpse without a complete body. Thinking of this, Wu Qi felt as if something was missing from his chest, and he staggered away.
Once again, she stepped forward without hesitation in her most critical moment.
At the academy, she saved his life three times.
In Luoyang, she selflessly shielded herself in front of him, falling into a deep valley and her fate remains unknown.
In Changping, she once again stood in front of herself, her smile so resolute.
After more than a year apart, when he saw her again, she said, "Yi, I miss you so much." It was the first time she had said such a thing, but he said nothing. In truth, his longing for her had never faded.
She once said, "Why do I always instinctively shield you when you're in danger? Have I become addicted to being a bodyguard? Or am I just stupid…?" That's how she appeared to him at that moment. His gaze was gentle, but thinking of her yearning for freedom that he couldn't give her, he reluctantly told her, "You're stupid." She slammed her hand on the table, turned and left, while he stared blankly at her retreating figure. In truth, he was stupid too.
She said, "A scholar will die for one who understands him."
Inside the tent, he slumped down, the candlelight flickering, his shadow thin and lonely.
In his heart, what could be more important than the empire? Nothing! He had no attachments, not even her. He had no weaknesses, none at all.
As she parted, she turned back and smiled brightly at him. Blood was flowing from the wound on her shoulder, but she seemed unconcerned and said firmly, "They want to capture you, not me. You go first, and I'll find an opportunity to capture their general in one fell swoop. As the art of war says, 'To capture the enemy, first capture their king.' I don't believe that once I capture their leader, they'll dare disobey me!"
Seeing his hesitation, she added, "Yi, believe me, I will give you enough time to leave!"
He said "Be careful" again, just as he had in Luoyang, cruelly leaving her behind once more. But after galloping a few steps, he stopped and turned to look at her.
But then she brandished her spear at him with great enthusiasm, laughing loudly, "Don't I look like Zhang Yide, who scared away Cao Cao's million-strong army at Changban Slope in the Three Kingdoms period!"
You don't look like...not at all...
His heart was pounding; he tried to press down on Hu, but couldn't control himself.
He shouldn't have left her alone. He knew that leaving her there would have meant certain death, yet he still chose to keep her. Had his selfishness, his ruthlessness, his cruelty reached the point where he could abandon her? If so, why did it hurt so much? Why did it feel like he had lost the most important thing in his life? He clutched his chest, trembling uncontrollably. The most important thing… was the empire! But… she was dead… no, she wasn't dead, she wouldn't die! He suddenly stood up, grabbed his helmet, and saw Gongzi Qi with tears streaming down her face.
Seeing him suddenly leave the tent, Gongzi Qi was taken aback at first, but then, seeing that he was holding a helmet and wearing armor, she blocked his way and said urgently, "You can't go."
Prince Yi remained silent.
Gongzi Qi said, "Yi, we must not lose our composure under any circumstances. Wu Duo will not easily abandon us. She is highly skilled in martial arts and quick-witted. Even if she cannot defeat us, she will not fight head-on. Perhaps she accidentally lost the painting. Perhaps she exchanged clothes and masks with someone else and escaped. The person who died may not be her. Yi, do not panic. Just now, I sent spies to gather information and others to search. Yi, now we can only wait."
Lost his composure? Yes, he had lost his composure. He stood there, stunned and dejected.
The setting sun was like blood, and the wind blew across the grassland, causing the grass to rustle and eagles to cry.
Wu Yi retreated to Changping Commandery. Liu Jing repeatedly clamored outside the city, but Wu Yi paid no heed, simply keeping the city closed. Changping Commandery's walls were formidable, and Liu Jing dared not easily attack. Although he sent men outside the city daily to clamor, Wu Yi remained steadfast in his defense; a direct assault would surely result in heavy casualties. Liu Jing was at a loss.
Wu Yi sat in his room, lost in thought, unable to eat or sleep, for three days straight. These three days felt like thirty years to him; the news he longed for never came. Gongzi Qi, because Liu Xiu was preparing to attack Shangdang again, hurriedly returned to Shangdang County. Before leaving, Wu Qi was still trying to persuade him, as if trying to persuade himself, saying that Wu Duo would surely be alright, and reminding him not to lose his composure, because Wu Duo's temporary disappearance had ruined their plan to encircle and annihilate Liu Jing.
He nodded, smiling as he saw Wu Qi off. Then, he frantically worked for two days and two nights, arranging everything with his generals. He was about to continue working when the young master urged him to go back to his room and rest. Once inside, he sat there for three whole days. He couldn't eat, he couldn't sleep… When he closed his eyes, he saw her beheaded. He and Wu Qi both knew that she was probably really dead. Beheading—even in death, she couldn't leave a complete body…
Suddenly, the door was pushed open, and the blazing sun streamed in from the heavy doorway. A man rushed into the room and said, "Your Majesty, the soldiers guarding the city say that a very strange person has arrived outside the city. That person is riding a horse and heading straight for the city gate. Just as they were about to draw their bows to shoot, the person seemed to collapse on his horse and has not responded since. He is only holding a wooden sign with the word 'Surrender' written on it. I have already ordered..."
Before he could finish speaking, Wu Yi's figure had already disappeared from his sight.
The horse remained outside the city, neither moving forward nor backward, grazing on the grass by the moat. As the sun set, a golden halo spread across the grassland, and the wind blew, causing the wasteland to sway in one direction, as if calling out and beckoning.
The man on horseback remained motionless. Ignoring all attempts to stop or dissuade him, Wu Yi ordered the city gates to be opened and rushed out. Du Xiaoxi, Gongzi Zheng, and the others followed and chased after him outside the city.
Du Xiaoxi followed closely behind Prince Yi, saying, "Your Majesty, I fear there may be a trap. This humble general should go first..."
Wu Yi, with red eyes, said, "No need, she has little left."
Du Xiaoxi was stunned, and Gongzi Zheng's eyes widened in disbelief.
Wu Yi rode up to Hua Wuduo's horse first. Looking at her unconscious body on the horse, holding a surrender sign, he didn't know whether to cry or laugh. He carefully lifted her off the horse and saw that her mask was gone and her face was bloodless. His heart ached slightly.
The prince scrambled to lead the horse over, saying, "Your Majesty, place her on the horse's back..."
“No need.” Gongzi Yi interrupted Gongzi Zheng. He held her, brushed her disheveled hair, and said softly to Gongzi Zheng as if afraid of disturbing her, “Could you help me put her on my back?”
The young master was taken aback, but did as he was told.
Many years later, whenever Gongzi Zheng, who had become a high-ranking official, saw the sunset on the horizon, he would recall this scene from that day.
Under the setting sun, King Cheng Wu Yi carried his adjutant Wu Duo step by step toward the city gate.
Countless soldiers guarding the city watched as their king carried a wounded soldier into the city. The soldier, dressed in enemy uniform, was unconscious, but still held up a small wooden sign that read "Surrender," which obscured his face. It was an extremely ridiculous scene, but the king's expression left them all speechless.