Chapter 183 (1/2)
Chapter 183
Translator: Nyoi-Bo StudioEditor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The man froze and knelt on the ground. ”I do not dare.”
”So you think that I'm colluding with the enemy to betray my country? Or that my brain has a problem?”
Sweat trickled down the official's forehead. Nervously, he said, ”I am muddle-headed. I do not dare.”
The man looked up without even staring at him. ”Since you do not dare, then you know what to do.”
”Yes, yes, I know,” the man stood up and ordered his soldiers, ”Retreat, retreat! The troops at the back, retreat first. The others, follow behind in order.”
The man in purple turned around. Before he left, his look met Chu Qiao's. The young lady was dressed in white and appeared frail. Her eyes were big. She grabbed the reins of her horse and remained silent. The wind brushed past her hair and created a perfect radian pattern, just like a drop of ink which had made contact with water.
The enemy forces, made up of over 3,000 people, retreated right in front of them, sparing the group of 1,000 ”refugees”. The battle began by surprise and ended by surprise. Someone finally stepped up and asked softly, ”Are they just leaving like that?” Everyone stared on in awe. After a long time, someone replied, ”Didn't you see that General is here? They were scared away by her.”
”He Xiao, reorganize the army first. I'll be right back.” As Chu Qiao prepared to chase after the enemy, He Xiao was shocked and pulled Chu Qiao's reins back. Loudly, he exclaimed, ”General, please don't! If you fall into the enemy's hands, we can never atone for our sins, even if we die.”
”Don't worry,” Chu Qiao smiled. ”Nothing will happen. That person…” Her words suddenly stopped. Which word would she use to describe the relationship between them? Enemies? Opponents? Or…”Is my friend.”
Even if Chu Qiao did not witness this personally, she could probably guess the identity of the opposition. No one, other than Yan Xun, was able to match the force given out by her arrow. Her horse had sprinted for less than half an hour before she saw two people standing under a giant tree. One of the people approached her and laughed and said, ”Miss Xing'er is here. Young Master said you would be here. I was just worrying about this.”
The moonlight was pale. The giant tree was like a big umbrella, standing tall against the snowy plains. Although its branches and leaves had wilted, it still remained upright. Zhuge Yue stood under the tree and looked at her without saying a word. The white horse strolled casually around him and neighed happily upon seeing Chu Qiao, as if it had met someone familiar.
Yue Qi droned on as he led the reins of her horse. Chu Qiao jumped off her horse and smiled at Yue Qi, saying, ”I didn't expect to see you all here. Are you all doing well?”
”Miss, who are you asking? Are you asking if I'm doing well? Yes, I am. I can eat and sleep. I married my wife not long ago too,” Yue Qi smiled and answered.
Chu Qiao was slightly distressed but managed a laugh. ”Congratulations then.”
”Yue Qi, go to the front and tell Yu Cao to slow down, lest he drops into the crevasse.”
Yue Qi turned around and replied to the man standing under the tree, ”Young Master, Yu Cao is a commander from the northwest. Instead of worrying about him, you should worry more about whether I will drop into the crevasse on my way to deliver the message to him.”
Zhuge Yue raised his eyebrows upon hearing his words, as anger flashed across his eyes.
Yue Qi raised his hands hurriedly and answered, ”Alright, I'll go now. I'll take this as a gesture of your concern towards your subordinates.” Finishing his words, he got onto his horse and rode into the distance with a fling of his reins.
Barely two months had passed, but it felt like an eternity to Chu Qiao. Too many things had happened within this timeframe. After the war with Xia had begun, problems had happened in great abundance, especially between Yan Xun and herself. Zhuge Yue's words had come true, sentence by sentence. She spent great effort to walk towards him as countless emotions started to well up from within her. At that moment, she was unable to comprehend all of them. Their relationship was excessively awkward, causing her to be able to find a topic for conversation. She stood there, dazed, like a wilted tree on the vast plains.
”Did problems surface internally on your side?” Zhuge Yue opened his mouth and asked, seemingly inquiring about top-secret intel.
Chu Qiao froze and looked at him, perplexed. What was he trying to say? Was he trying to probe into the Yan Bei army's intel?
”Your people led me here,” Zhuge Yue remarked slowly. ”I guess that someone wanted to use my hand to eliminate this army. I didn't expect it to be your troops.”
Despite guessing the intentions behind this episode, Chu Qiao felt angered upon hearing his words. She bit her lower lip and clenched her fists tightly, looking down on the ground and remaining silent.
”Be careful. You met me this time. It might be Zhao Che the next time,” Zhuge Yue uttered as he prepared to leave with his horse.
Chu Qiao was shocked. She took two steps forward and called out, ”Zhuge Yue!”
Zhuge Yue turned around and looked at her as he frowned with his head slanted. Chu Qiao thought for a long while before asking, ”Will this implicate you?”