Nuit éternelle

Chapitre 15

Feng Xinglie couldn't help but chuckle. How did she even bring up the White-Haired Witch? She was someone who rarely reminisced about the past. Ling Yuxiang was truly capable, managing to get her to chat so freely with him, even bringing up things that were very distant and somewhat vague.

"She was a young and beautiful woman whose hair turned white because of a heartless man."

"Oh!" Ling Yuxiang nodded as if he understood, but his expression suddenly turned strange: "I've never seen a white-haired woman, but I have seen a white-haired man who did it for you!"

"How do you know that Sui Feng did this for me..." Feng Xinglie regretted his words as soon as they left his mouth. Ling Yuxiang's face turned as black as Bao Zheng's in an instant, except for the crescent moon on his forehead.

"Hmph!" Ling Yuxiang's arm suddenly tightened, as if he wanted to pull her into his embrace, hoping they would never be separated again, lest someone else take her away. "That's wonderful! He turned his youthful head white for you; he truly loves you deeply!"

"Why does this sound like something you'd hear from a cheap vinegar workshop? Am I supposed to be afraid of him?" Feng Xinglie pursed his lips, unconvinced.

"Hmph, and that Qingli too! Hong Qi only said one sentence, and you actually lost your mind for him! And that Qin Han, is he worth you jumping off a cliff for?" Ling Yuxiang was settling scores this time, bringing up both old and new grievances, only caring about spreading an extremely terrible acidic smell in the air, completely ignoring what Feng Xinglie was saying.

"How can you be so unreasonable!" Feng Xinglie was furious. She slapped his arm and was about to jump out of his arms! Completely disregarding the fact that the tree was three or four stories high, she was afraid that she would get hurt if she jumped down in such a messy and angry manner.

"Hey, stop! You...you're driving me crazy!" Ling Yuxiang hurriedly stretched out his long arms, and with great effort, he finally grabbed this reckless girl back, hugged her tightly, pressed his cheek against her ear, stared intently into her breathtakingly beautiful eyes, and sighed in a muffled voice: "I admit defeat. You say you're afraid of me, but I'm the one who's truly afraid of you! When you're sad and upset, I'm afraid; when you're injured or poisoned, I'm afraid; when you recklessly take risks, I'm afraid; when you're angry and throw a tantrum, I'm even more afraid. Today you really scared me to death! Tell me, are you more afraid of me, or am I more afraid of you?"

Who is more afraid of whom? Feng Xinglie looked into his extremely gentle and clear eyes without saying a word. Who can answer this question clearly?

She twitched her brow, exhaled, enjoying his body heat, rested her head on his shoulder, and sighed very softly.

"Ling Yuxiang, if one day I stand on the battlefield opposite you, what will you do?"

---------

[Border Storm: Chapter Twenty-Nine - Standing Side by Side with You]

"That day will never come!"

He answered loudly and decisively, as if making a vow, leaving no room for hesitation, which startled the birds in the forest, causing them to take flight in droves.

"How do you know? Things are unpredictable, anything can happen." They weren't on the same side to begin with. Warlord conflicts for power were commonplace in this chaotic world. Today's friend might not be tomorrow's enemy. If the emperor issued an edict, wouldn't you immediately be caught in a dilemma? It's not impossible for the Lie Army and the Ling Army to go to war tomorrow, is it?

"Because no matter where you are, I will come to you, always fight alongside you, live and die together, just like these past few times." The voice was soft yet extremely firm, and the two dark pools of the heart shone with an incomparably gentle light.

A gentle breeze rustled the branch beneath Ling Yuxiang's feet. He stood there, holding someone in his arms, yet appeared unusually casual and relaxed. His fiery red robes were dazzling, and the handsome man, as striking as a god, laughed heartily, his brows and eyes displaying a wild and beautiful arrogance: "Do you really think there's anything in this world that I, Ling Yuxiang, can't do? Besides, don't you have me? The mighty Wind King and War God of the Great Qin, Feng Xinglie, are you inferior to me?"

A sudden surge of unease washed over her, her heart skipped a beat. Feng Xinglie was both annoyed and helpless. She had always been arrogant and conceited, but she hadn't expected that Ling Yuxiang, who seemed so conceited, was just as self-important as she appeared! His true nature was finally showing!

"Our personalities are ultimately different, and we will always have disagreements."

"Now that things have come to this, do you still want to deceive yourself?" Ling Yuxiang's phoenix eyes, bright as stars, radiated unparalleled tenderness. The dashing figure of his red robe fluttering in the air and his magnified handsome face could almost make any woman in the world suffocate! Feng Xinglie was also unable to look away for a moment. His slightly husky and sexy voice breathed hot air onto his face, causing his cheeks to involuntarily flush and his heart to pound even harder.

“Our starting points will never be contradictory. Perhaps you are indeed a bit willful and extreme, unwilling to compromise yourself, but in your heart you will always be the same as me, unable to help but consider the common people and the big picture, and... you will also be soft-hearted.”

He smiled radiantly, his eyes sparkling, and it was unclear where his confidence came from.

"If that day ever comes, as long as I don't betray you, you will never be able to bring yourself to kill me!"

Unable to resist spitting, Feng Xinglie pointed at his overly happy face, stubbornly denying anything and angrily saying, "Stop being so conceited! What do you have that makes me hesitate to kill you! Believe me, I'll kill you right now!"

"I don't believe it!"

With that same bright smile and that same firm tone, Ling Yuxiang had a "I've got you cornered" look on his face, making one's forehead veins bulge. He feigned surprise and asked, "I neither gamble nor visit prostitutes. I'm devoted, righteous, shrewd, gentle, handsome, and a peerless hero. Such a good man only appears once every thousand years. Is there any woman who would be willing to kill me?"

Feng Xinglie nearly fainted from anger at his shameless words. Without hesitation, he swung his slender arm and punched the man in the stomach with his tightly clenched fist. He managed to squeeze out two words through gritted teeth.

"Arrogant!"

You think you can take advantage of me just because I've given you a little respect?

"Ouch!" Ling Yuxiang cried out in pain, unable to muster any more true energy. He hurriedly stepped lightly on the branch, spun around, and carried Feng Xinglie down gracefully. He landed steadily on the ground, pretending to clutch his stomach, and stood by the river.

"Hmph! Now you know my fists aren't to be trifled with?" Feng Xinglie jumped down, waving her hand triumphantly, completely unaware that she was acting like a little woman.

Knowing her personality well, Ling Yuxiang dared not argue with her verbally anymore and quickly begged for mercy: "Marshal Feng is a peerless martial artist, brave and invincible, with profound internal strength. A single punch or kick can shake mountains and uproot forests. He can easily make millions of soldiers kneel and beg for mercy. Of course, he is not a pushover! I was blind to his greatness. Please be merciful."

Hearing such pleasant words, Feng Xinglie was in a good mood even before he could tell if they were true or false. He laughed and said, "You have good taste, I'll let you off the hook!" He hummed a little tune with a sense of accomplishment, bent down, picked up some pebbles from the ground, and threw them into the river to play with.

Ling Yuxiang chuckled inwardly. You clearly can't even bring yourself to hit me! But you're still putting on a brave face! Last time you hit me, a dozen punches came hurtling towards my face without any mercy. And this time? You didn't even use your internal energy. I don't know if it's my stomach or your own hand that hurts.

Thinking about it this way, half of the joy in my heart cooled down, and I felt gloomy, and my head started to throb. I wrapped my arms around the person who was throwing pebbles into the water for fun, and whispered softly in her ear.

"Lie, can't you just listen to me? Even if you don't care about yourself, can you at least think about me?"

Feng Xinglie shuddered sensitively, touched his slightly itchy ear, blushed slightly, and gave him a questioning look. He said casually and lazily, "When have I ever not cared about myself? I'm not willing to wrong myself for the sake of the world, how could I not care about myself? You're too suspicious."

Startled, Ling Yuxiang instantly realized something and looked at her with heartache, his eyes filled with deep worry. It wasn't so bad that she didn't cherish herself, but rather that she subconsciously harmed herself, repeatedly taking on the most dangerous tasks without realizing it—that was truly terrifying!

She might be able to escape once or twice with her own wisdom and skills, but what about four or five times? Who can guarantee that she won't get into trouble each time? The God of War is not a god after all; she is still human, with weaknesses and oversights! Even if we make it clear to her, if it's an unconscious behavior, she might not be able to control herself and it will only add to her troubles.

What should I do? Feng Xinglie, your personality is something I both love and hate. What am I supposed to do...?

His hand, which was holding hers, suddenly trembled. A deep unease welled up in Ling Yuxiang's heart. He didn't know how to express his feelings, only vaguely feeling that the person in his arms might leave at any moment and never return to his side. This feeling was so unfamiliar. He had never been defeated on the battlefield for decades and had never thought about fear. But at this moment, he was so terrified!

After throwing away the last pebble, Feng Xinglie stood up abruptly, let out a long sigh of relief, and felt extremely relaxed, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his heart.

"Let's go back to camp. Your general's guards have probably already twisted us so badly we don't know where we're going anymore."

Ling Yuxiang seemed to be frozen in place, staring blankly at her. When she called out to him, he did not respond at all.

"Yu Xiang?" Feng Xinglie waved his right hand in front of him, his handsome brows gradually furrowing. What was wrong with him? There weren't many things that could bother Ling Yu Xiang, so why was he so absent-minded? Sigh, he was probably worrying about something for no reason again! She was so focused on Ling Yu Xiang that she didn't even notice that the intimate nickname had just slipped out.

Clenching his fist, Feng Xinglie gently punched Ling Yuxiang in the chest and smiled knowingly at him: "I've already thought about the arrangements for Liejun and that group of refugees. I'm sure you know what I'll do. Don't worry, I, Feng Xinglie, have always been able to take things in stride. I won't be indecisive about what's rightfully mine. I've figured that out, so you don't need to worry that I have any lingering doubts."

He knew she was referring to her future plans, but that wasn't what Ling Yuxiang was most worried about. Seeing her cheerful expression, and knowing that talking to her wouldn't make her uneasy, he figured he'd just have to keep an eye on her and worry about her more. He could only force a smile to suppress his unease: "I know that, but after this battle, even if Qin and Qingqiu are slow to react, they've probably received the news by now. I don't know about Qingli, but Qin Han... never mind!" He shook his head, subtly pulling her into a tight embrace, laughing as they walked: "If you're not worried, why should I? And I'll just have to be called a nagging old woman by someone."

With a contented smile, Feng Xinglie let Ling Yuxiang's fiery red robes wrap them together, shoulder to shoulder, trudging through the thick dust, slowly walking towards the camp. The setting sun cast long shadows of the two of them, intertwining them, making it difficult to distinguish who was who. His strong arms encircled her, always making her feel warm and reliable.

He said that no matter what, he would go to her side and stand with her. He said that no matter what, he would always fight alongside her and share life and death.

Isn't that enough?

[Border Storm: Chapter Thirty - Why Did We Have to Do It Back Then?]

"Report!" The messenger drew out the word for an extremely long time, still unable to fully express the excitement and shock in his heart. He ran along the road paved with the glowing moonlight to the place that had left an indelible mark on their memories.

Yes, he couldn't forget. He would never forget that person standing arrogantly on the edge of the cliff, his mocking and indignant laughter; he couldn't forget the crimson blood drawn time and again by that golden dagger; he couldn't forget the resolute way that person's long black hair danced in the wind; and he could never forget that name that was etched into his very soul.

The wind is fierce!

If he is like this, what about his master?

Xiang Ju sighed silently, looking at the cliff in front of her. The gentle, handsome, and elegant master who always exuded tranquility and gentleness was gone. The white-robed man, half-lying among the wine jars on the ground, stared blankly at the cliff, ignoring the fierce wind that tousled his unkempt long hair. He raised his right hand, tilted his head back, and drank the wine.

From that day on, there were two things he never parted with.

A gleaming golden dagger, and countless bottles of wine.

Whenever he has free time, he comes to the top of Zijin Mountain.

Seeing him like this, Xiang Ju felt indignant and heartbroken more than once, but in the end he could only stand quietly to the side and watch. He didn't have the courage to go up to him. He couldn't be reckless. He couldn't be like that person, nonchalantly snatching the wine from his hand, or even stepping on his drunken master's white clothes without hesitation. So only that person could make someone like his master look at him differently and treat him differently.

This time, Xiang Ju took a deep breath and slowly walked to the front of the terrifying man in white.

The man in white gently stroked the golden dagger in his arms, his calm, clear eyes, devoid of any trace of drunkenness, glanced at him indifferently, and slowly spoke: "What urgent report is it now? Has the prince taken action?"

Xiang Ju shook her head with a bitter sigh: "Although Sister Lianji rose up to help him, their relationship is not what it used to be. I understand Sister Lianji's personality. She wants to use Qin Yue to make our people of Great Qin kill each other and fall into misery, so that powerful enemies from all sides can carve up our country and make the two culprits suffer. I think the prince is probably wary of her words now. Even if Sister Lianji has deep feelings for him, she probably hates him because of Feng Xinglie."

"My brother's prolonged inaction is only because he's afraid of Qingli and Ling Yuxiang!" The white-robed man sneered, his deeply furrowed brows remaining unchanged. "My brother will never understand the bond between Xiang Lian and Xing Lie. He's hoping Xing Lie's death will allow him to completely capture Xiang Lian's heart, but he's never considered that the relationship between Xiang Lian and Xing Lie is entirely different. Xiang Lian's cunning is almost on par with Xing Lie's. Why can't she see through his tricks? Hahaha..."

A shallow, sinister laugh spread across his lips, a laugh that brought tears to his eyes, but it emanated not joy, but a morbid pleasure: "He meticulously plotted to trap me and force Xinglie to his death, yet he still can't win Xianglian's heart! Xinglie is dead, and Xianglian will never forgive him! I've been in pain these past few days, but hasn't he been in pain too? He brought this upon himself, this is what it means to reap what you sow!"

"Master..." Xiang Ju felt she couldn't bear to watch any longer. This person was no longer their elegant young master; he was like a sick zombie, a walking corpse, completely devoid of any positive emotions.

But his vision remained sharp, and his methods ruthless. Despite his constant drowning of sorrows in alcohol and his seemingly listless handling of mundane tasks, he had already meticulously considered every detail. Qin Han was destined to be a ruthless hero, but for Feng Xinglie…

"You can leave now." Qin Han's voice grew colder, as if she didn't want to see him at all.

Xiang Ju gritted her teeth and whispered, "Master, you shouldn't be so dejected. You should take care of your health so that we can restore the great cause of unifying Qin!"

"Restore the Great Qin? Take care of your health? Do you even have the right to say that to me?" A sharp gaze, tinged with coldness, fixed on Xiang Ju's head, making Xiang Ju feel icy cold all over, as if she were standing naked in the snow. Qin Han's cold words reached her ears, causing her to tremble violently, almost to the point of falling over.

"If only I had known this would happen, why did I do it in the first place?"

Xiang Ju shivered, her expression flickering, but she said, "What does Master mean by that...?"

"Do you really think I, Qin Han, would be kept in the dark? Do you think I can't see through what you people are thinking?" These cold words seemed to pierce no one's heart. Qin Han took a few deep breaths, her anger clear: "After all these years, do you really not understand what kind of person Xing Lie is? After receiving the secret guarantee, you stirred up trouble around me, even secretly sending people to tip me off, saying I intended to seize her military power. And what was the purpose of the Tianshan snow in that cup of wine?"

Facing the furious man, Xiang Ju felt cold sweat soaking his clothes. He had always known that Qin Han was not incompetent, but he never expected that his master had seen through everything all along, but simply did not say it.

Today, his seemingly benevolent words have truly angered this sleeping lion.

"Ha, you all just wanted to become my right-hand men openly and legitimately if Feng Xinglie were gone, slowly seizing real power and climbing the ranks, didn't you? You've followed me since childhood, yet Xinglie, who came along halfway, took away all the glory that should have been yours, so you're all resentful, aren't you? I never intended to take her life, I just wanted her to stay by my side in my final days, to put aside all other important matters and watch over me, just me. But at that time, I didn't know she was... I couldn't overcome the gender barrier. I was afraid he would worry, and I didn't dare to tell him loudly. I thought I could only keep him by the most despicable means. He'd always been so good to me, he wouldn't be angry with me, and I could slowly explain to him and let him slowly accept me... But I didn't understand her at all. I never expected her to be so fierce. My selfishness and cowardice ultimately killed her... I..."

Qin Han laughed so hard his whole body convulsed. His steps faltered, and his hand holding the wine jar trembled so violently that he could no longer hold the heavy object. With a "crack!" the jar fell to the ground and shattered. He bent over and vomited, spitting out a pool of black blood. The liquid, which was faintly fragrant with wine, mixed with specks of scarlet blood, looked strangely vivid and slowly flowed on the ground.

Xiang Ju looked up in horror and worry. The final days? What did he mean by the final days? Master, this is… He grabbed the swaying Qin Han and caught a glimpse of the thin, bluish mark on her right wrist, which was now so clearly visible against her fair, translucent arm. Xiang Ju was stunned, as if struck by lightning, and stammered, “The poison of the Green Gu…”

The most wondrous poison in the world is the Green Gu. Those afflicted with it gradually weaken and suffer endless torment. Even with the best medicine and divine physicians, if the source of the poison cannot be found, their lives will be in danger.

Qin Han swayed a few times, straightened up, and lightly wiped the blood from her lips, her face even paler.

"I won't explain it to you clearly because I am an emperor. Water that is too clear has no fish. I want Qin to become strong, and I must use all kinds of people. Besides, human nature is greedy, and there's nothing shameful about you having such thoughts. But I can't help but hate you, and I can't help but hate myself. I hate myself for not being able to speak frankly with her, I hate myself for not seeing her true nature clearly, and I hate even more why I actually had a sliver of doubt in my heart, why I actually changed my nature for the sake of becoming king, and why I worried about my throne! Why did I do that in the first place… Heh, I should actually say that to myself more…"

A wave of sorrow washed over Xiang Ju, her mind completely blank. So that's how it was… But how could this be…

He stood there like a puppet, blankly and bitterly saying, "Master, the Wind King is not dead."

Qin Han's shoulders trembled suddenly, and his previously dejected eyes shone with the deepest sharpness and joy. As if afraid that he had misheard, he spoke slowly and deliberately.

"What did you say?"

"Wind King... Wind King isn't dead, she's at the border..."

Xiang Ju slowly recounted the border war, but his heart had already sunk to the bottom. He also understood that even if Feng Xinglie had not died, Qin Han could no longer fully trust them; at most, they could only have a master-servant relationship.

Hearing the details of the border conflict, the look of surprise on his face grew even stronger. The man who had been tormented by countless days and nights until he was no longer the same as before finally regained a bit of his former spirit.

"It must be her, it's definitely her!"

Xi Suifeng could not accept another person as the commander of the Fierce Army; that person was definitely Feng Xinglie!

I will find you no matter where you are, and I will make you listen to the things I haven't had a chance to say yet. I want to explain everything to you, apologize, and tell you the true feelings I had for you during the time we spent together—feelings that were far more than just brotherly or familial! I want…

No one in this world knows you better than me! I will make up for everything I owe you, and this time you won't be able to run away!

The usually gentle Qin Han finally broke into a crazy smile.

"Immediately dispatch troops to scout out the strength and weakness of King Yue, and summon all the generals who can mobilize manpower. I want to take back the entire Great Qin as quickly as possible!"

Xinglie, wait for me. This time, you must wait for me...

[Border Storm: Chapter Thirty-One - Between Men]

Days are like the night wind in the desert, covering a thousand miles in an instant.

The eagle spreads its wings and soars high, its golden wings covering the sky and earth.