At Ruo Shui in the Fallen City.
Contrary to King Jing of Tian’s expectations, Ruo Wen hadn’t entangled himself directly with Yunpei. Instead, he had deftly snatched away a crucial piece that was originally in the king’s hands. What made it worse was that, despite his break from Fen Tian, Ruo Wen could still command the state army at will. Though he had seemingly abandoned it, the army still gravitated toward him, as if he were its only purpose.
In the city’s government office, every night, Ruo Wen would spend time alone in a room without any light, forbidding anyone from disturbing him. Inside, there was nothing but a bed—no windows, the door sealed tight, plunging the room into absolute darkness.
He would sit on the bed, unmoving, his breathing heavy, filling the room with an unusual heat. It was something he couldn’t control, something he could only fully feel in the dark.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound of metal clashing echoed in the darkness. He couldn’t see, so it was impossible to know if he was hitting a sword with a knife or striking a blade with a gun that bore a distinct ring. Perhaps he was hammering on his own heart…
In the darkness, the sound was there, but no one could tell where it came from.
“Leader!”
Unexpectedly, Mang Hu stood outside the door, calling to him, his voice tense. It seemed he had worked up quite a bit of courage to disturb Ruo Wen at this time. He stood by the door, coughing nervously a few times.
“What is it?” In the pitch-black room, it was impossible to tell where Ruo Wen’s voice came from.
“Lo—Lord Luoying has sent word!” Mang Hu stammered through the door. “They say… Huang Bei Shuang… seems to be dead!”
Bang!
The door collapsed, and moonlight flooded the dark room. In the shadow of the fallen door, only Ruo Wen’s feet were visible, standing in the doorway like a menacing specter.
“Did you see the body?” Ruo Wen asked, his voice icy as he looked at Mang Hu.
“No, they just reported it.” Mang Hu scratched his head, unable to see Ruo Wen’s expression, and looking utterly terrified. “Should we… get the body?”
Ruo Wen stepped forward, his entire body illuminated by the moonlight, his face cold as ice. “What would I do with a body? Find her for me!”
“But… if she’s dead, how do we find her?” Mang Hu asked, dumbfounded.
Ruo Wen burst into laughter. “She’s tougher than I am. She’s not going to die so easily. Find her!”
Mang Hu nodded quickly. “That’s a job for Lord Luoying then. Leader, you can rest! And tonight… should we…”
Hearing this, Ruo Wen ruffled his short hair and replied indifferently, “Call Ruo Lan Fei and Ruo Wen Feng.”
Up until now, Ruo Wen had discarded countless women, including Ge Xin Wei, but he had never let go of Ruo Lan Fei and Ruo Wen Feng. When it comes to a man’s heart, sometimes it’s just a simple instinct. To Ruo Wen, these two women were like his saddle—not something he cherished, but something he couldn’t do without once he got used to it. Especially in moments of desire, though they could only temporarily quell his passion, it was enough to keep him from abandoning them.
The vast desert seemed lonelier, more desolate in contrast to the lush oases. The once-joyful ringing of copper bells had fallen silent. In its place, the pounding of restless hooves echoed through the air. The sound of war drums reverberated, followed by the thunder of armies clashing. Fighting for their nations, their homes, and themselves, they left behind lands ravaged and countless lives lost in vain.
Qing Yun brought Huang Bei Shuang back to the land of Ernaqi, where she once belonged, but now, another enslaved people had taken root there. Standing in the wind, she gazed over the endless, barren land, lost in thought. For a fleeting moment, memories flashed by—memories of countless ceremonies once held here, of the day before her wedding when she picked up a handful of this very soil, of her mother’s words, and her brother’s advice.
Now, after all this time, she never could have imagined that one day, upon her return, Ernaqi would have abandoned her so completely.
Why, humans… are you never satisfied?
Qing Yun embraced her tightly from behind, his lips brushing against her face as though trying to share some warmth with her cold skin. To his surprise, he tasted salty tears. He turned her to face him, his gaze full of affection. “Does it feel like too much to bear?”
Huang Bei Shuang shook her head. “It doesn’t feel like too much… it feels foolish.”
Qing Yun smiled. “How big can the greatest of troubles really be? When I win, I’ll show you. Then, I will grant all of your wishes.”
Huang Bei Shuang smiled faintly. “In Ernaqi, on the day of her wedding, every girl makes a wish to the heavens and sings a marriage song for her husband. So, many girls start preparing their wedding song as soon as they meet the one they love.”
Qing Yun nodded. “And you? Did you prepare one?”
“You’re greedy! My husband is King Zhan of Yunpei,” Huang Bei Shuang replied.
“Oh? Did you sing it to him?” Qing Yun’s brows furrowed slightly, a hint of displeasure creeping in.
Huang Bei Shuang shook her head. “He never heard me sing.”
With that, she turned away, her back leaning against Qing Yun’s chest, her gaze filled with sorrow as she looked out at the land that was no longer her homeland. And then, she began to sing her love song. It was short, very short, but it was genuine—like the song of an ordinary woman, so pure, so true...
“When flowers bloom and the moon shines bright,A smile for my dear as I bow thrice to the sky,Three wishes I make for you, my love:First, may your life be long and strong,Second, may you know my heart is true,Third, may we wait for the swallows to soar,To share together both joy and hardship.”
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