“Lady! Let’s part ways here!” Tong Bahe looked at Huang Bei Shuang, having thought about it for a long time, and finally spoke up.
“Doing this job with you nearly scared me to death, lady, you’re definitely no ordinary person. I, Tong Bahe, don’t have the fortune to stay by your side. Let’s leave it at that. I wish you a safe journey!”
On the second day after escaping, Tong Bahe and the other fleeing bandits parted ways with Huang Bei Shuang. This was only natural—they were never meant to be companions. The bandits had stolen goods, and now their only thought was how to hide and avoid being caught by Ruo Wen; otherwise, it would surely mean death.
“You all take care as well. Let's say our goodbyes here.” Huang Bei Shuang smiled at him. She watched them slowly disappear into the distance. Only when they were completely out of sight did she finally turn around, as if using the silence to contemplate many things.
“Let’s sit down and rest for a while,” she said, without raising her head, her eyes fixed on the sand as she sat down by herself.
In front of her were the remaining ten guards and three maidservants of the bridal procession for the Ernaqi peace marriage (an alliance through marriage between tribes or nations), all of whom looked haggard and severely wounded.
Perhaps they had already guessed that she had something to say, because Qing Yun leapt onto his horse and deliberately distanced himself from the group.
“You should leave! Go back to E’naqi or find another nomadic tribe to rely on!” Huang Bei Shuang said firmly.
“Na Shou?” The thirteen people immediately stood up, looking at her in shock.
“You should leave!” Huang Bei Shuang repeated.
“I don’t want anyone else to sacrifice themselves for this humiliating marriage alliance. I will go to Yunpei by myself. You don’t need to come with me. Who knows what might happen once we get to Yunpei!” As she spoke, she scooped up a handful of sand from the ground, letting it trickle through her fingers as it softly fell.
“Protecting my people is my responsibility, and I’ve failed to do so!”
Hearing this, the group exchanged looks, but no one spoke, as if they didn’t know what to say.
“Na Shou!” After a long silence, someone finally spoke—it was Dao Qiu, one of the maidservants from Ernaqi, who now wore a man’s clothes. She moved closer, her expression resolute. “Na Shou, would you be willing to listen to Dao Qiu’s heartfelt words?”
Huang Bei Shuang looked up at her.
Dao Qiu smiled gently, “On the day we were chosen to accompany you, Ershou personally led the sacrifice, and together we made a vow: to protect E’naqi, we would sacrifice everything, no matter what hardships or difficulties we faced, and never back down. We all swore this, truly. The excitement of that moment still fuels my body to keep moving forward.”
“But when we faced the scoundrels of Ruo Wen, we truly experienced the agony of perseverance, the fragility of life, and the insignificance of dignity. Many of us fled, but many of us stayed. We followed you, keeping the promise we made, determined to see it through to the very end.”
“Na Shou, when you escaped, we were so happy. We all believed that even if you were alone, you would go to Yunpei and marry into the war alliance. However, that joy, that happiness for the sake of Ernaqi, could never compare to the moment when you returned to save us, risking your life. The feeling of that moment, I can’t describe it. It was then that I realized, when facing death, you might say you’re not afraid. But when faced with being saved, you can never say ‘no.’” As Dao Qiu spoke, she began to cry quietly, and seeing this, the others gathered around her, patting her shoulders in support.
Huang Bei Shuang listened silently, tears welling up in her eyes.
“Na Shou, let us stay with you! From now on, we will obey only your orders. Whether we live or die, it’s up to you!” One of the guards shouted. His voice was so firm that it encouraged the others to voice their feelings.
“Na Shou, Lian Huan is right. From now on, you are our master. We won’t go anywhere—we’ll stay with you. Don’t send us away!”
“Yes! Me too!”
“Me too!”
Echoing voices continued incessantly, and Huang Bei Shuang’s face was streaked with tears. She stubbornly rubbed her eyes, clenched her fists, and said nothing more. The fourteen people wept until they were utterly exhausted in the sweltering desert.
When Qing Yun returned, he was carrying a large bundle. He tossed it down, sending sand flying everywhere. “When you’re done crying, change your clothes!” he said with a smile.
“Where did you find such fine clothes?” Huang Bei Shuang looked at the bundle that Dao Qiu and the others had opened. Inside were beautiful garments, jewelry, and even weapons.
“I collected a bit of interest from Tong Bahe!” Qing Yun, still sitting on his horse, extended his hand and pulled Huang Bei Shuang onto the horse’s back. Addressing the group who were busy changing clothes on the ground, he said, “I’ll borrow your Na Shou for a conversation!” And with that, the two of them rode off.
“What do you want to say?” Huang Bei Shuang leaned against his chest and asked.
After creating some distance, Qing Yun stopped and looked at Huang Bei Shuang. “Make your decision! If you choose to be with me, I’ll take you away right now!” His words were direct, as if they had already shared a deep intimacy.
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