Les bandits des montagnes sont en mouvement

Chapitre 1

Introduction (1)

If she could choose again, she would only wish to be born as an ordinary woman, riding side by side with her beloved, roaming the world together.

The north wind whipped up yellow sand, obscuring the sky and the sun.

She couldn't see the way she came.

Two days ago, news came from the desert border that the Holy Sect's leader had suddenly passed away. The Holy Sect had a change of leadership overnight, and the members were filled with panic. At that time, Hua Mengyuan was drinking coarse tea in a simple little shop when, in an instant, her teacup fell to the ground and shattered into a thousand pieces.

That day, he said, "You should leave."

He said, "I don't want to see you again."

Her hands trembled slightly—she hadn't expected him to be so impatient, committing such an immoral act before even waiting for the succession. Compared to the sudden death of the cult leader, was her being merely banished as his wife a form of mercy?

She stood up and ran outside, but a guard rudely grabbed her: "Young Madam, the young master forbids you from returning to the palace."

She wouldn't listen: "I want to see Ah Xiao! Cheng Ji can't stop me from seeing the child!"

The guard pointed a finger, and her vision went black. She collapsed limply, no longer able to struggle.

When she awoke again, it was already past midnight. Staring blankly at the bright moon outside the window, she couldn't help but burst into tears. Her three years of marriage had ultimately failed to withstand his ambition. She had thought he was sending her away simply because of a letter from an old friend, but it turned out to be nothing more than an excuse!

She wouldn't let him disobey her, so he couldn't let her stay by his side any longer. What others saw as a deep and loving relationship turned out to be nothing more than this.

However, Hua Mengyuan ultimately failed to enter the pass as she wished.

A day later, a group of unidentified men in black cornered her and her entourage outside Yama City. They were pursued relentlessly, forcing them back into the desert. The guard, stabbed multiple times, died in the raging sandstorms of the Gobi Desert.

The man in black wore a garment embroidered with a sand scorpion symbol, indicating he was a member of the Demon Palace's guards.

—He was determined not to let her go and would not be at ease until he had killed her.

Her tears had dried up. The world was vast, yet she was all alone, surrounded by a desolate desert with nowhere to go.

There will be no warm embrace ahead, and behind you, only pursuers are close behind.

The wound on her leg throbbed with excruciating pain, blood sticking her skin and clothes together. She could walk no more; footsteps grew closer on the distant sand dunes. She could even picture the cold glint of their knives—two feet two inches long, broad blades capable of severing bone with a single blow.

She let out a long breath, gazing at the crescent moon on the horizon. The fear in her heart inexplicably vanished, replaced by an unusual calm.

Does everyone, like her, recall those unforgettable memories of their life before they die?

At this moment, she was not thinking of her husband of three years, but of a young man with a smile as bright as the sun.

That day, just like today, was marked by a cold, frosty moon and a biting north wind.

They huddled together for warmth. Three days had passed without food or water, and neither knew when they might suddenly die, making them cherish their remaining time all the more.

At that time, she didn't know Ji.

To be with one person for life, every girl dreams of this.

When Hua Mengyuan was seventeen, her father betrothed her to the only son of the Sword Saint. However, this seemingly perfect match ultimately became a disgrace for her, because the young hero, praised by all, eloped with another man the night before their engagement!

Hua Mengyuan was always a proud and aloof woman. She could not bear such an insult and ran away from home in a fit of anger, determined to find a man who was better than that man to appease her resentment.

She headed north, preparing to leave Tongyun Pass to the west. In the desert beyond the pass lived the only person in the world capable of withstanding the Sword Saint's twelve fragments of the Heaven and Earth technique—the leader of the Demonic Sect. She had heard rumors that the leader's only son possessed extraordinary talent, and that when he was a little over ten years old, he had sparred with a junior Sword Saint, winning by only half a move.

She wanted to find this person, and she also wanted to make the man who abandoned her look at her with new respect and never dare to belittle her again!

A young girl's thoughts are always tinged with a touch of willfulness and stubbornness. To make it easier to move around, she concealed her stunning beauty and disguised herself as an inconspicuous little girl. A month before her eighteenth birthday, in Fengle Plain, she met Su Shijie, the young chieftain of Black Wind Village.

Introduction (2)

Her mount had died in the jaws of wolves, and she had her eye on Su Shijie's tall black horse, but he was disdainful, scoffing, "A young lady like you, robbing someone in broad daylight, aren't you ashamed? If you're so capable, come and take it yourself!"

She was unconvinced and actually tried to take the horse. Although she lost, he was very principled and eventually let her ride his horse, claiming that walking would help her practice her lightness skill. At first, she didn't take his words to heart, but seeing how hard he worked chasing the horse every day, she occasionally let him ride with her once or twice. Over time, it became a habit, and she stopped avoiding the idea.

He was going to the Thirty-Six Kingdoms of the Western Regions, while she was going to the Demon Realm Desert. They accompanied each other for over a month until they reached the border.

Shijie was a cheerful boy with light tan skin that contrasted sharply with his pearly white teeth, making him shine like the sun. She liked him very much and wanted to be his friend for life.

We're just friends.

Because he wasn't the kind of man she envisioned—not gentle enough, not refined enough, and a bandit at that. Besides, when a man and a woman can be so close and talk about everything, where is the love in that?

In the early spring of the following year, Hua Mengyuan resolutely set foot on this land.

But a sudden sandstorm in the Gobi Desert stopped her in her tracks. The sandstorm struck in the dead of night, and before she could disguise herself as a young girl, Su Shijie grabbed her and pulled her out of the inn.

The deserted village shop behind them was quickly ravaged by the wind and sand, tilting precariously. He pulled her along, racing against the gale, until they found a small rocky hill to take shelter from the storm.

Still catching his breath, he was about to say a few words of comfort when he suddenly froze and fell silent.

"Xiaomeng, you...how could you..."

Knowing she could no longer hide it, she had no choice but to reveal the truth: "Shijie, my real name is Hua Mengyuan."

On the Dragon Fang Ranking, in the dream of the martial world, lies Hua Mengyuan, the most beautiful woman under heaven.

He was speechless, and the two of them were in an awkward silence when a hurricane carrying sand and gravel swept in like a howling ghost. Without thinking, he pulled her into his arms and bent down, the sand and stones hitting his back painfully.

She was sheltered by his broad, warm embrace, completely unharmed. She couldn't help but cling to his shoulder and whisper, "Shijie, no matter who I am, I'm still Xiaomeng."

After a long while, he finally gave a soft "hmm".

The sandstorm lasted for a day and a night. When everything subsided, all that could be seen was a vast expanse of white, devoid of any human habitation.

They supported each other for a long time until they could go no further. Hua Mengyuan had been pampered and praised since birth, and Su Shijie still had unfulfilled ambitions. Neither of them had ever imagined that they would die in such a place.

But if it weren't for these circumstances, we wouldn't have met.

To die with someone by your side is a kind of fate, isn't it? As she lay dying, she leaned on his shoulder and sighed softly, "If I die here today, will you regret it?"

He thought for a moment, then smiled softly and said, "It is fate, there is nothing to regret."

She shook her head: "I'm not as good as you. I miss my parents... They must have been worried sick about me ever since I ran away from home, but I never thought I would never be able to go back in this lifetime... I'm so unfilial, when I go to the underworld after I die, will the King of Hell sentence me to a terrible crime?"

He put his arm around her shoulder: "No, Xiaomeng is such a good person, and your parents must be kind and compassionate people too. They'll understand you. No matter where you are, they'll only miss you, they won't blame you..."

She couldn't help but laugh: "You talk as if you're my parents."

He said in a serious tone, "If I have a daughter in the future, I hope she can be just like you. Just as good at fighting, just as unreasonable, just as... beautiful..."

As he spoke, his eyes shone brightly, as if trying to see into her very soul. She didn't look away, but bit her lip and chuckled, "Being unreasonable is considered a virtue? You're insulting me!"

In adversity, if someone is there to accompany you, a simple smile can dispel fear. That day, the cold moon was like frost, and the north wind blew in gusts, just like today.

He looked at her smile, hesitated, and whispered in her ear, "Xiao Meng, if we can still live, we..."

Introduction (3)

But he didn't finish his sentence, because at that very moment, the clear sound of camel bells rang out from the sand dunes above.

It was at that moment that she saw Ji.

Ji saved them.

He was the very son of the leader of the demonic sect she had been searching for—a gentle, affectionate, handsome, and intelligent man who would pick flowers for her to adorn her hair, his eyes sparkling with tenderness.

He said to her, "Meng'er, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. I love you."

Although everything seemed perfect, she still had some doubts. She went to Shijie to discuss it, and he smiled as always and said, "Xiaomeng, as long as you feel happy, that's all that matters."

She was too young then to see the hint of loneliness in his eyes. She thought that their closeness that night was just the vulnerability that everyone experiences before death.

Therefore, she chose the person who confessed his love to her.

The day after she agreed to Ji's request, Shijie took his leave, his back to her, a lonely figure, without looking back.

After that, Hua Mengyuan became the young mistress of the Demonic Sect and had a lively and adorable son with Ji.

Everything seemed to have settled down, until that day when Ji threw a letter with the name "Su Shijie" on it in front of her.

Every word in the letter expressed her longing. When she mentioned the scene of being trapped in the desert, she felt as if it were a lifetime ago, and she was filled with anger and loneliness.

Hua Mengyuan gazed at the bare cliff in the distance, below which lay the Deer Cry River Valley, hundreds of feet deep, its waters long since dried up at this time of year. If she were to fall in, she feared not even a trace of her bones would remain.

Someone nearby spotted her and called out, "She's up ahead! Right there!"

Someone else shouted, "The new leader promised Mr. Wen that he would definitely bring the young mistress back alive!"

—Isn't the new leader Ji? And who is Mr. Wen?

She paused slightly, but had no time to think about it. The pursuers were right behind her. She used the last of her strength to stand up and moved forward step by step.

The cliff edge of the valley was almost in sight, and the shouts behind her grew louder. She stood on the edge of the cliff, her long hair and clothes fluttering wildly in the raging wind.

The group of men in black looked terrified. The leader said, "Young Madam, please don't do anything foolish! As long as you come back with us safely, we promise not to harm you in the slightest!"

She sneered, "Where is Ji? Tell him to come see me!"

The man hesitated for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "He can't even protect himself, young mistress should take care of yourself first."

Her expression changed, sensing something amiss, and she said, "Isn't Ji the new leader?"

"Of course not." The man sneered. "A spoiled brat dares to aspire to rule the world? What a joke!"

When she calmed down and thought about it, she felt as if she had been struck by lightning, and could hardly speak: "Then...who is the new leader? And who is Mr. Wen?"

The man said, "As long as the young mistress comes back with us, she will naturally know." He then reached out to grab her wrist. She had no time to hesitate; she only thought that she couldn't be taken back by them no matter what. With a resolute heart, she took a step back and said, "Hua Mengyuan is not an unknown figure in the martial world. How can my life and death be decided by others? Whoever wants to capture me, don't even think about it!"

After saying that, she lightly leaped backward.

There was nothing but empty space beneath my feet.

The feeling of plummeting made her feel like she had become a bird, finally able to spread her wings and fly away from this boundless desert, across mountains and rivers, back to where it all began.

At the beginning, he said, "Xiaomeng, if we can still live, we..." What would we do? If there were more time, if he could finish speaking, would she agree to him?

Many years later, she finally realized that the days when she was a little girl traveling with him were the happiest time of her life, but by then, he was no longer by her side.

He said, "I want to find a girl who can ride horses and drink alcohol to come up the mountain and be my wife."

He added, "She doesn't need to be too pretty." He was looking at her with a grin as he said this, "As for looks, she just needs to be a little prettier than you."