Chapter 145 (1/2)
Chapter 145
Translator: Nyoi-Bo StudioEditor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
”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!