Chapter 120 (1/2)

Chapter 120

Translator: Nyoi-Bo StudioEditor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Under the cover of the thunderstorm, deep rumbling of horse hooves reverberated through the ground, closing upon the small tent.

”Someone is here,” Zhuge Yue firmly declared before turning around and preparing his getaway by packing some gold and food. Having done that, he turned around and asked Chu Qiao, ”How are you? Can you walk?”

Chu Qiao nodded, ”Yes, I can.”

Taking out his dagger, Zhuge Yue cut the blanket up. Ignoring the fact that the kid was still sleeping, he lifted the kid up and tied him to his back.

Drowsily waking up, the kid rubbed his eyes and curiously asked, ”Uncle, where are we going?”

”Kid, those people who are after you are here,” without skipping a beat, Zhuge Yue calmly told him.

Under the roaring winds and rolling thunder outside, the kid trembled on Zhuge Yue's back, yet he tried his best to reduce his trembling.

”Kid, are you scared?”

Pale as a sheet, the child clenched his teeth and loudly proclaimed, ”I am not scared!”

With a cold smirk surfacing on his face, Zhuge Yue chuckled. Within his laughter, one could hear a clear sense of pride and confidence. Zhuge Yue replied to Mo'er, ”Good boy. Remember this, those people outside are not good enough to make us scared.”

In the darkness outside, torches that were drenched in pine oil were lit aflame. The flames produced wavered in the rain and wind but remained glowing with intense brightness. Someone shouted, ”Hand the kid over, we will let you live.”

In the darkness, a man turned around. His clear eyes that decorated his handsome face emitted a firm determination. With a serene gaze, he asked, ”Can you do it?”

The ever so elusive entity known as time had seeped away from between their fingers. Chu Qiao vividly recalled that night many years ago, when he was sitting high on his horse, asking her the very same question: ”Can you do it?”

Since then, their paths had been rough, filled with blood and death. They had stood on opposite sides of the war, and had even crossed blades many times, to the point they had almost killed each other multiple times. Even then, the overflowing crimson blood had not clouded each other's judgment. In the end, they chose not to swing the final blade that could end each other's lives. In this hesitation and indecisiveness, they even had days where they questioned their beliefs, their conviction. But at the end of all that, they still decided to pick up arms and fight back to back in this stormy night.

Without questioning each other's past, without questioning each other's future intents, without questioning each other's political views or alignment, they fought together.

There was only one reason for that—they must not die. Regardless if it was Chu Qiao or Zhuge Yue, they knew this place was not one that could die in.

Drawing a short blade, Chu Qiao lightly smiled. ”If you die here, I will light firecrackers in celebration that I no longer need to return your favor.”

A grin spread on Zhuge Yue's face, and was deeply etched into Chu Qiao's retina. This was probably the first time that Chu Qiao had seen him smile like that. It was so warm, so serene, without contempt, without sarcasm, without bitterness.

”I am afraid you will not get such a chance.” Withdrawing that smile, Zhuge Yue's gaze suddenly turned complicated, as though it was as deep as an abyss, trying to conceal something underneath. It felt so deep that Chu Qiao could not help but to avert her gaze for a split second.

Spreading his arms open suddenly, Zhuge Yue gently embraced Chu Qiao, and whispered to her, ”Follow me.”

Chu Qiao sniffled as intense emotions rose within her heart. Solemnly, she nodded, and replied, ”Be careful.”

Suddenly, a few whooshing sounds resounded. Zhuge Yue frowned and jumped up. The kid, sensing Zhuge Yue's sudden movements, quickly covered his head to prevent being hit by the tent.

With a loud crash, the raging winds battered the duo, as Chu Qiao's hair scattered, fluttering in the night sky like a swarm of black butterflies.

As the kid opened his eyes, he realized that the tent had been dismantled by the crowd outside. Standing on the empty field, they faced thirty over cavalrymen who had completely surrounded them. Each of the soldiers wore brown uniforms that were tailored not to hinder their movements. Tall and big, they seemed overwhelming.

”Hand that kid over. Do not make any pointless efforts of resistance,” the leader declared. Holding a sharp javelin, he coldly glared at Chu Qiao as though she was already defeated. However, his was met with a mere glint of a blade as Chu Qiao lurched herself into battle. He swiftly sidestepped to avoid the blow. His horse, however, was less composed than him, as it raised its front hooves in shock. At that moment, Chu Qiao's dagger had embedded itself deeply into its neck. With a hoarse shriek, blood spurted out, creating a rain of hot crimson liquid.

With that, that man had been flung off the horse, and he crashed into the ground. Before he could stand up, the dying horse stomped on his abdomen.

Another dying shriek reverberated within the stormy night. Before his subordinates could pull him to safety, the dying horse landed on him, dealing the final blow to his life!

The loud cracking of breaking bones was loud enough to pierce through the noise of the storm. One could almost imagine the state of the man under the horse right now. Then again, they hardly had time to think about that, as the man they were surrounding had dashed forth fiercely, much like a striking leopard! With a flash, an audible humming sound of the steel vibrating through air could be heard!

Coincidentally, at this very moment, a blinding lightning tore through the night sky, followed by rumbling in the heavens, while blood dyed the grass plains a crimson red.

The swirling winds around Zhuge Yue seemed to embody the flourishing of his blade, as he stormed forth on the offense with an intense aura of intimidation.

Chu Qiao was in such a weakened state that she had difficulty walking, but considering this life-or-death situation, she had little choice but to muster all her strength to fight. Initially, Chu Qiao thought that these people were from Xian Yang, and as such she could find help from Da Tong personnel, but she could not count on that anymore since Liu Xi had left Da Tong. In fact, she would only be faced with one possible ending if her identity was exposed. Her only way out was to break out of the encirclement.

After a flurry of clashing blades, Zhuge Yue forced back three enemies with a swing of his blade, but both sides had been injured. The enemies saw two wounded and one dead, while Zhuge Yue's chest had been cut by the enemy and was bleeding profusely.