“All right, all right!” Huang Bei Shuang gently patted their backs and smiled. “I’m fine, aren’t I? Why are you crying? And don’t kneel. Come sit and let’s talk.”
The thirteen people sat down, unable to take their eyes off her, feeling a renewed vigor and no longer lost in despair.
Huang Bei Shuang looked at each of them in turn. Seeing that, although they were covered in dust, they were free of serious injuries, she finally relaxed. With a smile, she said, “Jiang Lei and Yun Zai have come too!”
The two stood and bowed.
“Then... has Zhan Bie left the pass?” she asked after some thought.
Jiang Lei shook his head. “Zhan Bie’s thirst for vengeance only grows stronger. He’s determined to leave the pass, with clear intentions of assassination. However, he couldn’t get past me and was unable to leave. Eventually, he had no choice but to enlist in the army and has now joined the Cloud Pei National Guard. Na Xiu, you must be cautious. There’s a chance he may desert the battlefield and come to assassinate you.”
Upon hearing this, a cold chill crept into Huang Bei Shuang’s heart as she recalled the black bow on Zhan Bie’s back. She felt a deep unease. After a moment of thought, she asked again, “Was it His Majesty who sent you to find me?”
The thirteen nodded, and Lian Huan replied, “Master Qing said you were no longer in this world, but His Majesty didn’t believe him. He said, ‘If alive, I must see her. If dead, I must see her body.’ Even Queen Guan’s tomb has been built now!”
“Haha!” Huang Bei Shuang laughed. “That’s just like him!”
Ye Pei and the others exchanged glances and asked, “Na Xiu, have you and Lord Qing…?”
Huang Bei Shuang nodded without offering further explanation. Instead, she asked, “Did His Majesty send a message through Brother E Xiu?”
Lian Huan shook his head. “No, E Xiu doesn’t know about your situation. However…” He shot a glance at Ye Pei, who took out a small embroidered pouch and handed it over. She had been carrying it close to her chest throughout the journey, and it was still warm.
Huang Bei Shuang accepted the pouch, holding it in her hands for a while, gently rubbing it. Her gaze grew distant as she muttered, “Soil from my homeland…” Her expression became unfocused, making it impossible to tell what she was thinking.
The thirteen people waited in silence for her response, none of them daring to urge her.
After a long while, Huang Bei Shuang let out an awkward laugh. “Why aren’t any of you speaking? Shouldn’t you be urging me to go back?”
The thirteen of them knelt down together and responded, “We will follow Na Xiu’s decision!”
Huang Bei Shuang sighed, slowly standing up. As she extended her hand, a seven-colored bird flew over, landing on her fingers with its long, elegant tail feathers spread out, chirping incessantly. This must have been the king's paradise bird she had trained!
“Hong... Did you miss me? I’m sorry for leaving you behind in Guang Han Palace.” Huang Bei Shuang smiled at the bird. “Now that you’re back in the northern desert, are you feeling especially happy?”
As she continued talking to the bird, the thirteen kneeling before her merely watched in silence.
After some time, seemingly having made up her mind, Huang Bei Shuang turned to Lian Huan and the others and said, “Let’s go! Let’s take a walk outside!”
* * *
In the Northern Desert
The most powerful nation in the region was Tian Du, which had been closed off for ten years, its barriers many and difficult for outsiders to penetrate or understand.
For a decade, the weaker nomadic and slave tribes living around Tian Du had sought alliances and intermarriage with other ruling tribes in search of protection. Among the various powers—Hu He, Ma Sui, Mi Zan, and Yun Pei—Yun Pei was the first choice. The reason was simple: although distant, Yun Pei was vast, prosperous, and politically stable. Gaining its support was akin to receiving a blessing from the heavens, and in the best-case scenario, one might even be granted a fertile piece of land, as had been the case with the Er Na Qi tribe.
Since the migration of the 7,000 members of the Er Na Qi tribe, the Gur Hachi Oasis in the northern desert had been continuously inhabited by another nomadic tribe. The people living there now, as always, fought fiercely for survival, battling over food and water.
Huang Bei Shuang stood on a small sand dune, gazing into the distance against the light, a faint, almost imperceptible smile on her face. She stood before the thirteen, extending her hand to open the small embroidered pouch, gently tipping it over. Fine sand poured out, scattering in the wind.
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