Chapter 145

“Ah? Is it? Who is so brazen to snatch things from you? That’s too much!” Chu Qiao pretended to be angry.

“Hurhur, you feel this way too,” Yan Xun laughed and nodded. “Yes, it’s too much. I have been standing by a tree for over ten years. Now that it’s finally bloomed, how can I allow someone to step on it? Although the flowers are not that beautiful nor graceful, they have followed me for so long. Even a toilet bowl that has been used for a long time carries some sentimental value. I value loyalty. Don’t they think they have gone too far?”

Chu Qiao’s face turned red. She shouted, “Hey! Yan Xun, you’re too much! Comparing me to a toilet bowl!”

“Haha!” Yan Xun reached out his arms and lifted Chu Qiao up, putting her in front of him onto his horse. He wrapped his arms around her waist and smiled, muttering, “I will fight anyone that dares to take from me.” His voice was light. His breath landed on Chu Qiao’s fair neck, causing her hair to stand on end.

“Don’t worry, no one will take from you. Your flower knows where exactly to bloom.”

The winds were strong. The army’s golden flag flew over their heads. Chu Qiao leaned in Yan Xun’s embrace, her concerns and worries dissipating in an instant. Li Ce was right in saying that one person only had one pair of legs. Since she had decided to head west, the sceneries and weather in the northern route was none of her concern.

She was elated. When they reunited, she saw a different Yan Xun. He was no longer the depressed prince in Zhen Huang City, no longer the imprisoned man full of hatred, nor the lunatic that rampaged his way out of Zhen Huang City. He was full of warmth, appearing relaxed. He resembled the eloquent, bubbly teenager by the lake many years ago. Having escaped from the prison in Zhen Huang, they were no longer their old selves.

The sunlight was blinding, making the landscape appear yellow. Two eagles belonging to them circled around their entourage. Their wings were big, and they danced in the air.

“Giddyup!” Yan Xun whipped the horse. The horse raised its hooves and accelerated. The yellow dust was stirred high up behind their tracks.

“AhChu!”

The winds were strong. Even if they were near to each other, they needed to shout before they could be heard.

Chu Qiao tried hard to turn back and shouted, “What did you say?”

“I’m bringing you home!” The man held his whip and raised his hand, pointing to the horizon towards the northwest. With a sharp look in his eyes, he said, “Back to our own kingdom!”

The sky was azure blue. The winds drifted freely in the air. The white eagles spread their wings and circled in the sky. In the distance, the artemisia blanketed the entire landscape. The winds were cold and blew towards their direction, flipping the soldiers’ cloaks into the air. Their heavy body armors clattered against the sheaths of their swords, making a crisp, clanking sound. In the distance, Beishuo Pass—Yan Bei’s first important line of defense—could be seen. This was the passageway from the eastern mainland into Yan Bei. The tall city gates were like a dragon in slumber, lying along the end of the horizon.

In front of Beishuo Pass was the well-known Huolei Plains. It was back then, right on this piece of land, that Yan Bei’s Lion King, Yan Shicheng, swore to fight against the Xia troops along with his sons, losing their lives in the process. Red Huoyun flowers bloomed around the vast piece of land. It was known that these flowers used decomposing human flesh as their source of nutrients, and could only be spotted near graveyards and mass burial sites. The flowers bloomed brighter if there was more flesh. After the big battle that year, the Huoyun flowers on Huolei Plains bloomed for nine years, appearing bright red all along regardless of the season.

In that instant, Chu Qiao seemed to witness that tragic, passionate battle many years ago.

The horses galloped across the vast land. The clouds were red. The ensigns flew high up in the air. The fully-equipped soldiers and their bloodthirsty cries were everywhere, from the dense forests, to the isolated snowy mountain peaks, to the vast deserts. The warriors, with their body armors on, fought to the death at every corner of Yan Bei. The women wielded weapons to defend their country too. Tragic musical tunes echoed everywhere, along with the local folk songs. A generation of people had died, but their eyes did not close with the passing of their souls. Their heartbeats, which had advocated the idea of freedom, did not stop. Their blood was still flowing in the form of these red flowers, blooming over every inch of land. This was their way of reminding the next generation of children from Yan Bei to put their passion and loyalty to good use. This piece of sacred land was a living depiction of past events!

This was a noble piece of land! No words could describe its majesty. Every blade of grass, every tree, every stone, every grain of sand had witnessed the tragic events that had unfolded upon this place. At the same time, after each tragedy, its inhabitants stood up in the face of stubbornness!

Yan Bei! Yan Bei!

Over these nine years, she had repeated these two words countless times. Yan Xun, along with herself, had bore the brunt of humiliation, surviving countless life and death situations. This was all in the hope that they would go back to Yan Bei one day. Presently, she stood on the soil of Yan Bei, inhaling its cold, dry air. Seeing the herds of cows, sheep, and horses, she started to cry.

She had been strong all along, regardless of her environment. However, at this instant, her tears trickled uncontrollably down her face. Chu Qiao sat on the horse’s back, a white cloak draped over her back. She looked up and straightened her back. She was not sad nor disappointed, but felt a flurry of complex emotions within her chest instead. It was the mixed feelings she felt, a combination of excitement at finally having her wish come true, together with the fatigue of having been through many battles. She knew that from this day onwards, they would no longer have to live their lives on tenterhooks, no longer have to worry about getting killed, no longer have to predict the motives of other people. No one could kill or threaten them anymore. They no longer had to submit to anyone. They had stood up for themselves!

Yan Bei, I’m finally here!

The horse took a step forward. The man wore a black cloak. His eyebrows were raised and tilted, like two sharp swords. He remained silent, following behind her. He led the entire army, staring at her quietly, staring at her solemn face, staring at her as she trembled, staring at her as she quietly teared up.

In this world, only he could understand her. Only he could understand how she felt presently. They were the same. The day when he saw Beishuo Pass, he was unable to control himself. He did not cry in front of the civilians and soldiers of Yan Bei. However, when he got back to his tent and closed its curtains, he started to cry silently. His tears were hot, trickling uncontrollably down his determined face, which he had maintained all these years. That day was the first time in nine years that he allowed himself to get dead drunk. In his drunken stupor, he seemingly saw his own father patting him on the shoulder, laughing while saying, “Rascal, you have grown up. You’re as tall as me now!”

“This is Beishuo,” the man said calmly, pointing to the grey city under the sunset.

Chu Qiao turned back and stared at Yan Xun with liveliness in her eyes.

As the sun set and released its golden glory, the man sat on the horse’s back, his eyes calm and voice steady. He wore a simple black military outfit, similar to that of the soldiers. He was about 20 years old, young, lean, upright, and handsome. His eyes were filled with glory, like a well of unknown depth.

Age did not define how old a person was, only experiences could.

Looking at him, Chu Qiao suddenly thought of the young man who deliberately missed his shot many years ago on the royal hunting ground. She thought of the warm, young prince on the streets of Zhen Huang and the glowing waters of the lake. The young man looked at her while laughing. His head was gleaming. She thought of the dark prison cell in the royal capital, the cold snowflakes that drifted into their cell, the raging northern winds, their hands intertwined through the thick wall…

At that instant, looking at the contours of Yan Xun’s face, Chu Qiao seemingly relived the ups and downs of these eight years. One young man got back to his feet from the mud and pools of blood, making slow and difficult steps on his journey to recovery.

The northern winds were cold. The flag with an eagle symbol flew over her head. The highlands of Yan Bei welcomed its new master. Chu Qiao’s blood started to boil. She was able to predict: An era has ended. A new generation will arise here!

She was elated to be the direct witness of all these changes. After all, she had stood by the man’s side with unwavering determination!

Yan Xun turned around, taking a step forward with his horse. He said calmly to Chu Qiao, “AhChu, welcome home.”

The cries of the eagles reverberated in the sky. Neat sounds of horses’ hooves echoed from the front. The city gates of Beishuo City slowly opened up. Yan Xun looked up slowly, the sunlight radiating on his face.

As they entered the city, someone approached them. Yan Xun pointed to the person in front, saying, “AhChu, this is Huanhuan, the most unreasonable person in Yan Bei.”

The young lady was dressed in a smart-looking set of horse riding equipment. Her chin was covered in a cloth made of camel hairs. Her eyes were like two shiny grapes. Hearing Chu Qiao’s name, she was shocked. She sized up the tall girl with her eyes, before exclaiming, “You’re Chu Qiao?”

“Princess Huan, the sharpest knife in the highlands of Yan Bei. It is Chu Qiao’s honor to be able to see you.”

The wind blew into the door, messing up the young lady’s hair. Huanhuan looked at Chu Qiao closely, her eyebrows resembling that of Yan Xun’s. She was 18 or 19-years-old and had inherited the tall figures of previous Yan ancestors. Her skin was fair, and the contours of her face were defined, carrying with it an element of beauty. She laughed and said, “You’re here. No wonder.”

Yan Xun frowned and chided, “Huanhuan, don’t be so rude.”

“Alright, Brother,” Huanhuan laughed. She patted Yan Xun on the shoulder, laughed, and said, “Zhen Huang City is a damned place. They have led you astray. It’s either rules or etiquette.

“I’ve heard about you,” Huanhuan turned around, revealing a mouthful of white teeth. With a friendly tone, she said, “You accompanied my brother for eight years in the royal capital, suffering a lot. In order to rescue the army, you fought with the Xia troops. Bravo!”

“Princess, you led the Huoyun Army to defeat the Batuo barbarians in Yan Bei. It has become a legend,” Chu Qiao said.

“Hurhur, I am a descendant of the Yan family. If I don’t kill them, they will kill me. I can’t compare to you. You are a living legend of Yan Bei,” Huanhuan laughed. “I heard that my brother has brought a woman back. I was worried for a while that he let you down. Since it’s you, I don’t need to worry anymore!” the young lady smiled sheepishly, made a face towards Yan Xun, and dashed out of the door.