Создание гармоничной династии песен

Глава 20

Feeling the warmth of his hand as he took hers, Zi Mo suddenly felt immense happiness, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

These two are sensible people, Feng Xinglie noticed out of the corner of his eye and felt a sense of relief. After hearing Ling Yuxiang's words, she suddenly felt relieved, warm and comfortable. She stopped worrying about responsibility. He was right. Things had come to this point, and pursuing responsibility was useless. It was better to think carefully about how to face the situation.

“Those people shouldn’t be Qin Yue’s men, so there’s only one possibility.” Her expression suddenly changed, and she calmed down, staring intently at Ling Yuxiang’s handsome face: “They are the Southern Army that leaked out that day, the ones who surrounded you, Yuxiang. Although the Lie Army wiped out a large number of their soldiers at the location, they didn’t actually harm their main force.”

Ling Yuxiang's brows furrowed suddenly, a mixture of doubt and understanding in his eyes. Though he had hidden it well, it couldn't escape Feng Xinglie's notice.

Feng Xinglie suddenly revealed an extremely captivating smile, his stunningly handsome face instantly glowing with alluring charm. Ling Yuxiang was mesmerized, and the gentle breath he exhaled near his ear stirred his heart, filling him with tenderness: "Yuxiang, you once said you would stand shoulder to shoulder with me, live and die together, right..."

[Border Storm: Chapter Thirty-Nine - Never Forgive]

"But I won't agree!" The gentle voice turned strangely cold and hard in an instant. Suddenly, Feng Xinglie's hand, which was clinging to his body, twisted sharply, and several extremely gentle finger strikes were launched down in a row! Ling Yuxiang's mind went blank for a moment, and he instantly understood what she was going to do. But he had already fallen into her trap while he was distracted. The two of them were evenly matched in martial arts. She might not be able to succeed in a fair fight, but she took advantage of his momentary lapse in concentration to launch a sneak attack. By the time Ling Yuxiang gritted his teeth and tried to stop her, his entire body was already unable to move!

How many more times does she want to scheme against him before she's satisfied? How many times does he have to fall for her before he's wary?

Or is it that he's destined to fall for her?

"Feng Xinglie!" This heart-wrenching roar, complete with his full name, clearly showed that Ling Yuxiang was furious to the extreme! And heartbroken to the extreme!

His eyes, slightly red, glared at her fiercely, as if they wanted to pierce through her!

"What is your heart made of?! All the things I said to you were for nothing! Why do you pretend not to see my intentions?! Why are you so cruel to me?!"

Feng Xinglie seemed completely unaffected; his piercing gaze, capable of tearing a person to pieces, only elicited a gentle smile from her.

"What else can we do if we're not ruthless? Are we just going to watch you die? Are we going to watch the Baihui Pass descend into chaos, causing real bloodshed?"

Startled, Ling Yuxiang fell silent, but the surprise and heaviness in his expression, beyond his anger, betrayed his true feelings.

Without any further hesitation, she reached out and swiftly tore off Ling Yuxiang's red robe, then took off her own black outer robe and carefully helped him put it on.

Ling Yuxiang watched as her slender, fair hands so gently dressed him, even carefully smoothing out every wrinkle. His eyes were filled with such heartache that they almost spilled out, and his clenched teeth tasted the metallic tang of rust.

However, he couldn't say a word, he couldn't utter a single word!

Feng Xinglie changed into a fiery red outfit. His extremely handsome face, combined with the fiery red of his entire body, made him even more peerless and otherworldly, like a bewitching red lotus emerging from the water, so beautiful that it was impossible to look away.

Ling Yuxiang was in a state of utter confusion and his mind was completely blank. He had no intention of appreciating this extremely rare and breathtaking beauty.

Ye Piao and the others were stunned. They hadn't expected Feng Xinglie to do such a thing. But they heard her calmly instruct, "Ye Piao, take the Dark Pavilion troops and your prince and ride to Baihui Pass at full speed. His pressure points will release on their own soon. He still needs to command the entire army. Otherwise, I would rather knock him unconscious. Remember, you must break through the city quickly."

These words already carried a hint of farewell, and even the other members of the Dark Pavilion sensed something was amiss.

“Your Highness…then you…” When no one is around, most of the people in the Dark Pavilion still like to call Feng Xinglie “Your Highness.” When they utter the words “Your Highness,” they can recall the thrilling battle in the capital where they fought against ten thousand men with a hundred men.

"As you probably guessed, I'm going to lure those people away." Feng Xinglie said very softly, as if he were talking about something insignificant.

"What? This... how can this be..." Zi Mo said anxiously, wanting to rush to Feng Xinglie's side. Just as she was about to say something, she was interrupted by Feng Xinglie's firm and calm voice.

"Or do you really want to die alongside Ye Piao and your prince?"

Zi Mo was terrified and stood frozen in place, becoming like a wooden statue, unable to take a single step forward.

Do they want to die? Of course not! They especially don't want Ye Piao to die, or the Prince to die! They are Ling Yuxiang's loyal followers, their sole purpose in life is to live for Ling Yuxiang. His life is always their top priority. In their hearts, nothing can ever surpass him, not even reverence, affection, or anything else!

No matter what, as long as there is a glimmer of hope, Your Highness, you cannot die!

“But Your Highness, even if you go, will they give up chasing us? Besides, it doesn’t have to be you, we can also…” Ye Piao finally maintained his rare composure, and his opposition to Feng Xinglie’s actions was still based on evidence.

Feng Xinglie looked quietly into Ling Yuxiang's eyes, his clear and bright gaze showing no sign of confusion: "If you don't wear this red robe, they will naturally continue to pursue you. But I am wearing this red robe, riding the Chasing Wind, wielding a long spear, and possessing superb martial arts skills and imposing presence. 'He' will definitely be blinded by hatred. Although you have a strong killing intent, you lack the aura of a general. That man's ruthless eyes can be seen. Besides, you don't have much strength left to fight. If you can't lure them away, you will die first, and he will still chase after you relentlessly."

Hearing her calm analysis even at this moment, Ling Yuxiang's eyes grew increasingly sorrowful and profound. He felt utterly powerless at this moment, unable to salvage anything...

His voice was hoarse, like that of a desperate lone wolf.

"So you knew all along."

"If you can investigate, why wouldn't I? You seemingly covered up Hong Qi's affair decisively, preventing any major chaos, but in reality, you secretly investigated all the people he had contact with in the past. There are no secrets in this world. You found out about his relationship with the Southern Feudal Court, that Empress Dowager Xiao Yun had given birth to a son but abandoned him in the wilderness as a monster, that the child, your third brother, became the current leader of the Southern Feudal rebels, and you found out about Hong Qi's connection with him... The Dark Moon Sect is such a vast intelligence network. After all, Hong Qi also wanted to kill me. I intended to help you, so of course I would use the intelligence they knew. However, we miscalculated. We were too arrogant and didn't expect that he could see through our actions. Moreover, he hates you to this extent, completely disregarding his own consequences and recklessly ambushing you here."

Feng Xinglie's voice was frighteningly calm. With her eyes lowered, she spoke of such an unimaginable fact in a light tone, and then suddenly gently took his hand.

“Yu Xiang, I know that you have been comforting me and worrying about me all these days. You have truly cared for me and loved me, and you don’t want me to suffer any more harm. I am very touched, really, really touched. Over the years, no one has ever understood me so well or been so good to me. You said you would live and die with me, and you are not willing to abandon me even at this last moment. I am so happy.”

"But you know in your heart that this isn't just my choice. In this world, how many people can truly live and die together? As long as we live, we'll watch our loved ones leave one by one, and one day we'll leave too. If everyone committed suicide for love, wouldn't the world be in chaos? The bond of sharing life and death is precious, but isn't it also a sign of cowardice, a refusal to face reality? We're not children anymore. Sometimes we might want to be childish, even deceive ourselves, but there are still so many things waiting for you to do. If you act impulsively now and die with me, won't you regret it? Looking at the siege of Baihui Pass, whether we win or lose, without a leader and without a commander, the Ling and Lie armies will eventually perish. If I die, the Lie army will be in chaos; if you die, the Ling army will be in chaos. It might even trigger wars among nations, with warlords rising up everywhere. Won't you be sad then?"

"However, you know I'm willful and impulsive, and might even disregard the greater good and safety, so you can't risk knocking me out and going into danger alone. You're unwilling to abandon me, and you want to be willful just this once, to share life and death with me... But it's really a pity, Yu Xiang, you're very smart, you understand. I also have some things in my heart that are the same as yours. I don't want to hide them from you so exhaustingly. Feng Xinglie never does anything that he'll regret, so I don't want to die with you!"

“Feng Xinglie is selfish and cruel. I can’t exchange your life for the lives of the world. I don’t want to die with you. I just want to tell you that many things in this world cannot be had at the same time. Sometimes you have to make a choice. I can’t tell whether such a choice is right or wrong, and I can’t explain it. But I don’t want you to regret it because of a moment of impulse, because… I understand you too.”

She pursed her lips and smiled radiantly, a smile so beautiful and genuine that it was more captivating than the flowers of spring, so dazzling and bright that it stung the eyes, leaving them dazzled and hazy.

A rumbling sound gradually rose in the distance, and a dark, blurry mass of figures, resembling beans, appeared at the far end of their line of sight. They probably hadn't expected Wang Jinyong to be so useless, being intercepted and killed so far from their ambush site.

Feng Xinglie chuckled and looked straight into Ling Yuxiang's eyes, as if trying to burn an indelible mark into his soul, unwavering and resolute.

"This time, I'm still extreme, still willful, still cruel, but this time I'm not desperate. I don't want to die, not even a little bit. Yu Xiang, believe me, I won't die, and tell Sui Feng too, I won't die! As long as there's a sliver of hope, I won't give up, so neither you nor he can give up..."

Wild geese cried mournfully, the east was already showing the first light of dawn, and the dark clouds in the distance gradually grew larger and more numerous. Although the night was about to depart and the dawn was near, at this moment, Ling Yuxiang's eyes were so dark that not a single ray of light could be seen.

With a gentle sway, Feng Xinglie sat cross-legged on the Ta Yan, silently watching her ride the swift steed. She took his cyan spear, her fiery red body exuding a passionate and unrestrained energy, as if she wanted to burn her entire body to ashes—a different kind of splendor never before seen.

He stared intently into her beautiful eyes, wanting to pour out his heart to her, but it was as if a lump of raw coal was stuck in his throat, preventing him from making a sound or opening his mouth.

She seemed to have so much to say, but in the end, she just turned her head away and didn't leave a single word behind.

Feng Xinglie spurred his horse and cracked the whip, the white horse and red shadow transforming into a sharp arrow, galloping away into the distance.

At this moment, Ling Yuxiang's desire to keep her was almost insane, yet he still couldn't bring himself to call out to her.

Ling Yuxiang watched her figure grow smaller and fainter in the rising sun, biting his lower lip so hard that his teeth dug into his flesh, and a trickle of bright red liquid slowly dripped from the corner of his lips, yet he seemed completely oblivious. He wanted to reach out, but no matter how hard he tried, no matter how unwilling he was, his drooping hand couldn't be raised even an inch.

She ran and ran, never looking back even once.

He watched her walk away, never once calling out to her.

They're not children anymore, but sometimes they can be just as naive.

If there's no goodbye, then it's not the end, is it?

If there's no looking back, then it's not a final farewell.

His heart was breaking, the pain was excruciating, but why couldn't he call out to her, why couldn't he keep her?

Ling Yuxiang suddenly understood what she meant.

This wasn't just her choice; deep down, wasn't he making the same choice?

Feng Xinglie understands Ling Yuxiang; while he himself was still confused about his feelings, she had already made a decisive choice.

She didn't want to hurt him, didn't want him to face cruelty alone, so she still made the choice for him in the most self-destructive way.

He could only watch helplessly as she left.

You're always like this... always like this...

When you don't understand, it hurts; when you do understand, it hurts even more!

Overwhelming pain engulfed his entire body. Countless negative emotions, including helplessness, despair, anxiety, sorrow, pain, and anger, swirled together in a chaotic mess. Ling Yuxiang's vision was filled with confusion. With all his might, he roared in the direction she had left, almost a howl.

"Feng Xinglie! If you dare to die like this, I will never forgive you!"

I will never forgive you, and I will never forgive myself.

Border Storms: Chapter 40 - From Deepest Pain to Awakening

The members of the Dark Pavilion escorted Ling Yuxiang and rushed towards Baihui Pass at top speed, each of them wishing they could use their fastest speed.

Apart from a small group of pursuing soldiers who were quickly dealt with, there were no further pursuing troops behind them.

Feng Xinglie's operation was very successful. Most of the more than 5,000 elite cavalrymen were led away and disappeared. After running for more than two hours, Ling Yuxiang suddenly flipped off his horse, rising more than 10 feet into the air, and finally sat steadily on Ta Yan.

"Your Highness!" Ye Piao said in a slightly heavy tone, unsure of how to persuade him.

The atmosphere among the members of the Dark Pavilion was terrifyingly oppressive. They had escaped death, but each of them carried a heavy burden in their hearts, something almost suffocating. If the Prince were to turn back now, disregarding his own life, they wouldn't know whether to stop him or follow him.

Ling Yuxiang, however, did not react with the excitement and indignation that everyone had expected, nor did he clamor to go back and fight alongside Feng Xinglie to the death. Instead, he gently and softly stroked his black coat and touched the mane of the swallow he was sitting on, his indifference and calmness as if nothing had happened: "Let's go to Baihui Pass. The battle is tense right now, and we can't afford to delay even a moment. Let's make the most of our time."

He suddenly tightened the reins, and the swallow seemed to have a spirit, letting out a long neigh, drawing a black lightning bolt across the desert.

The crowd exchanged bewildered glances, feeling that the prince was unusually calm, even... frighteningly so, but no one could quite put their finger on why.

"Your Highness...aren't you going to care about the Princess anymore...?"

"Stop guessing. We'll never understand what the prince and the others are thinking." With a soft sigh, Zi Mo spurred her horse and chased after them.

Only those two people themselves can truly understand and comprehend their thoughts.

There were countless conspiracies and characters involved. Ye Piao and his companions weren't stupid, yet they only had a vague understanding of the situation, or were completely kept in the dark. However, Ling Yuxiang and Feng Xinglie knew everything perfectly well. They could instantly guess the origins of the army that ambushed them, and even their thoughts seemed crystal clear.

These two extraordinary individuals, besides each other, who else could understand them?

Feng Xinglie's journey in the vast desert, without water or food, against five thousand men, is fraught with peril. How could the prince possibly remain calm?

Ling Yuxiang appeared calm and composed, but his galloping horse had already left Ye Piao and the others far behind, leaving the people behind looking disheveled and exhausted.

His chest, his tightly clenched hands, were already covered in blood, his nails digging deep into his flesh, deathly pale. His eyes stared blankly ahead, empty as if he could see nothing. It was almost summer, and a strong wind was blowing against his face, yet he felt a chill creeping through every inch of his skin, a chill that reached his heart, freezing him into ice, shattering him into pieces.

I gave a sarcastic laugh. The wind swept through my head and it really did calm me down, but how tragic was this calm!

There was no misunderstanding, no confusion, no ambiguity between them, so why was he still so upset?

He and she have never been weak in their methods. If they have doubts, they will naturally investigate. They will naturally find out about his third brother, whom he has never met. They will naturally know that the person's goal is him. She has the Dark Moon Sect in her hands. She can find out and guess about the information, but she definitely knows more than he does.

Perhaps being too smart and too sensitive isn't necessarily a good thing.

They always kept many things unspoken. He suppressed the Hong Qi matter, and Feng Xinglie tacitly never mentioned it again. Even when it came to feelings, neither Ling Yuxiang nor Feng Xinglie believed they needed to say "I love you." And wasn't this time the same...?

Was she wrong? She did... absolutely right! What does it matter if Feng Xinglie dies, in order to prevent the world from suffering?

He couldn't understand a thing about her actions, nor could he criticize or blame them, nor did he find them unreasonable or inappropriate. But it was precisely because he understood and knew her that he felt even more distressed.

Ling Yuxiang felt such intense pain that he wanted to tear his reason apart, yet his mind remained so clear that he made the most direct instructions about what he was about to do.

The pain was excruciating, yet he was also acutely aware; this torment showed no sign of abating. The agony within him repeatedly surged within him a frantic urge to turn his horse around and rush back to her side, but his extreme clarity and reason relentlessly told him that he had to go to Baihui Pass, he had to go…

Feng Xinglie's resolute decision only added a touch more rationality to his mind.

Suddenly, Ling Yuxiang remembered Feng Xinglie's words.

“I’m afraid of you. I’m afraid that one day you will be caught in a dilemma between the people of the world and me.”

Ling Yuxiang couldn't remember what he was thinking back then; perhaps he hadn't even considered it carefully. Because he knew, he understood Feng Xinglie, so he knew she wouldn't put him in a real dilemma; she would make the choice for him without hesitation! As long as it was someone Feng Xinglie truly valued, she would do everything in her power to protect and safeguard them, even at her own expense.