The golden evening sun hung atop the peaks of the western mountains. Its crimson rays dyed the layered forests a deep red, while a few unknown birds streaked across the sky, leaving behind solitary cries. The scene was one of profound tranquility.
Suddenly, a figure burst from the woods, staggering toward the camp.
"Someone! Come quickly!"
"General Xiao has been ambushed in the forest!"
"Send reinforcements immediately..."
Before long, the main camp fell into a state of chaos. Those who heard the news began to discuss it fervently.
"Is it true? An assassination? Which General Xiao?"
"The Senior General of Dongling!" someone replied.
"I heard the one who came back to report was his personal guard. He was covered in wounds. There’s no telling if the General is dead or alive."
"How could this happen?! Who would be so bold?"
"Exactly! Someone from Northern Yue just died yesterday, and now it’s the envoy from Dongling. Who has the audacity to do this?"
"Utterly lawless! Isn't this intentionally stirring up trouble for our State of Wei?"
"Indeed, indeed... what are we to do?"
Outside his tent, Ye Zhao listened to the chatter of the crowd. He cast a detached glance toward the distant woods. The forest remained quiet and peaceful, showing no outward sign of the deadly struggle occurring within.
Aside from an initial flicker of surprise, he felt no great surge of emotion. He was, as they say, powerless to help.
He turned to go back into his tent, but after only two steps, he froze. His eyes were drawn uncontrollably back to the forest as a memory surfaced in his mind.
Not long ago, the words spoken by the two children before they left replayed clearly in his ears.
What did Fatty Jin say?
They... were going hunting?
Startled, Ye Zhao sprinted in one direction. Reaching Xie Yusong’s tent, he called out urgently, "Yusong! Quickly, send someone to check if the Fourth Prince and Jiaojiao are in the camp!"
Xie Yusong, who was helping his father manage the camp's logistics for the autumn hunt, saw Ye Zhao’s frantic state and asked in confusion, "What do you want with them?"
Ye Zhao’s breathing was slightly ragged, yet his voice remained steady and calm. "They said they were going out to hunt this afternoon. I don’t know if they’ve returned, or if they went into the same forest as General Xiao."
"What!" Hearing this, Xie Yusong was also shocked. He immediately dispatched men to inquire about their whereabouts.
If they happened to be in the same woods as Xiao Hongfei, then they were likely...
In grave danger!
Both men understood the gravity of the situation. When the scouts returned to report that the two had indeed entered that forest and had not yet come back, Xie Yusong hurried to report the matter to the Emperor of Wei.
As for Ye Zhao...
The sun slipped further behind the mountain. In the fading glow of the sunset, people in the camp saw a black horse bolt out, galloping toward the distant forest.
One man squinted for a long time before saying to those beside him, "Hey, does that look like Ye Zhao to you?"
Upon hearing the name, the surrounding crowd looked toward the receding figure on horseback.
"I must say, it does look a bit like him..."
"A bit? That’s Ye Zhao! I’d recognize him even if he were turned to ash!" Zhang Zuyao stated emphatically.
"Huh?" Seeing his certainty, the others were skeptical. "Where is he riding to?"
Someone was the first to realize and gasped, "That direction... isn't that...!"
Someone else finished the thought in a daze, "Isn't that the forest where General Xiao was ambushed? What is he doing running in there..."
The scene fell into a stunned silence.
In the crowd, Xie Yusong naturally recognized the disappearing silhouette. He started toward the main tent, but halfway there, he paused and turned in another direction.
*“To guard against accidents, the moment Ye Zhao leaves the camp, report to me immediately.”*
His father’s aging voice echoed in his mind, causing Xie Yusong to change his plans. He believed his father must have already made his own arrangements.
***
After an unknown amount of time, a cry of surprise erupted from the gradually dispersing crowd. "Look! Aren't those the Duke of Anguo and the Duke of Zhenguo?!"
"They’ve actually gone after him..."
Following Ye Zhao’s solitary charge into the woods, a group of dozens more galloped into the forest.
Ye Zhao did not ride fast as he traversed the woods. He kept a sharp eye on his surroundings to prevent an ambush while searching for the two children, shouting the names of Wei Yang and Wei Jiaojiao at the top of his lungs.
"Fourth Prince! Wei Yang!"
"Jiaojiao!"
"Fatty Jin!"
"Where are you..."
As the sky darkened, the unease in Ye Zhao’s heart grew stronger. He couldn't say why, but this forest gave him a very bad feeling. The deeper he went, the tighter his grip became on the reins.
The surroundings were so quiet that only the wind and the rustling of leaves could be heard. He wasn't sure if it was an illusion, but he felt there was a strange scent in the air.
The smell gave him an indescribable sense of familiarity. He had definitely smelled it somewhere before!
But for a moment, he couldn't recall what it was.
It wasn't until he saw a fire rapidly igniting at the edge of the woods that Ye Zhao suddenly realized...
It was oil! The scent of petroleum!
Someone had poured a massive amount of oil into this forest!
Ye Zhao’s heart leaped. He accelerated, calling out to the two children repeatedly.
"Fatty Jin!!!"
"Jiaojiao!!!"
"Answer me if you can hear me!"
Time passed, and the surrounding trees began to be consumed by tongues of flame.
The forest was already dry and flammable in this season; with oil acting as an accelerant, the fire quickly swept through the woods. Within fifteen minutes, it had become an unquenchable inferno, nearly reaching the heart of the forest.
"Cough... cough cough..."
The smoke grew thicker. Ye Zhao covered his nose and mouth with his sleeve and continued forward on his horse.
Soon, he heard the faint sound of silver bells from the right. Ye Zhao pulled the reins and moved closer. The sound of clashing weapons became increasingly clear.
Before him was a small clearing surrounded by walls of fire. Dozens of men were working together to surround and kill a single person.
Is it him?
Ye Zhao recognized at a glance that it was indeed the "General Xiao" who was reported to be under attack. He hesitated over whether to recklessly rush in to save him, as doing so did not conflict with the plan he was currently implementing.
But when his gaze fell upon the two small figures—only waist-high—being protected behind the man, his pupils constricted.
"Jiaojiao? Fatty Jin?"
Well, now he had to save them whether he wanted to or not...
Ye Zhao’s original purpose for entering the forest was to ensure the safety of these two children. Of course, on that basis, there were other things he needed to do.
Spotting a gap in the line of black-clad assassins, a plan formed in his mind.
With a *rip*, Ye Zhao used a knife to tear strips of cloth from his hem. He quickly tied his loose hair into a ponytail and shed his bulky outer robe to allow for easier movement.
But plans often fail to keep pace with changes. Ye Zhao had intended to take advantage of the fact that they hadn't noticed him to fire cold arrows and pick them off one by one.
However, he saw a man about to strike Xiao Hongfei from behind with a blade.
"Xiao Mu!"
The loud shout not only caused both fighting parties to pause but also stunned the reinforcements who had just arrived behind him.
In that moment of distraction, a sharp arrow whistled from a distance toward Xiao Hongfei, grazing past his shoulder in an instant.
Hearing a muffled groan behind him, Xiao Hongfei whipped his head around and saw a fallen man in black. Only then did he realize he had been saved.
After only a brief pause, the two sides resumed their slaughter.
But this time, Ye Zhao was exposed.
In the heat of the moment, Ye Zhao heard Wei Yang wailing, "Why is it you? What use are you here? I want my Imperial Father! Imperial Brother!"
"Father, come save me... Imperial Brother, waaaaah..."
Wei Jiaojiao gripped Xiao Hongfei’s hem with one hand and Wei Yang’s chubby hand with the other, dodging and weaving. She looked far more composed than Wei Yang, her eyes fixed resolutely on the enemies rushing forward. She found a moment to snap back, "Stop crying! I’m not even crying, why are you?"
"Waaaaah..."
Wei Yang was pale with fright, unable to stop his howling.
Two men in black turned toward him. Ye Zhao quickly drew his bow to counterattack, not forgetting to retort to Wei Yang in his mind: *You brat! I came to save you, and you’re still complaining?!*
Before this, he never knew his archery was so good. One arrow struck one of the men. The other became wary and blocked Ye Zhao’s first few shots, but in the end, he couldn't withstand Ye Zhao’s speed and precision. One arrow followed another so rapidly that there was no time to defend, and every shot was dead accurate.
The two were quickly dealt with, but it was useless; even more men in black were now swarming toward Ye Zhao.
This wasn't a solution...
Watching the enemies close in, Ye Zhao gripped the reins with one hand. Looking at the three surrounded people, his gaze darkened. He stowed his bow, drew his blade, and used a cloth to blindfold his horse.
"Jia!"
The horse’s hooves reared high. The sturdy black steed became like a gale, carrying its rider as it charged forward.
Someone shouted, "Come back!"
The horse, like a mad thing, easily broke through the encirclement, rearing its hooves and letting out a shrill neigh.
Taking advantage of the scattered assassins, Ye Zhao vaulted from the horse to Xiao Hongfei’s side. He scooped Wei Yang into his arms, drew his waist-saber, and shouted to Xiao Hongfei, "Grab Jiaojiao, we’re retreating!"
Xiao Hongfei reacted instantly. He tucked Wei Jiaojiao under his arm. Almost the moment Ye Zhao moved, he followed.
"Ye Zhao!"
Hearing the voice, Ye Zhao looked back.
Amidst the towering flames, a troop of riders was approaching them.
"Shian..." Ye Zhao murmured in a low voice.
Seeing the two familiar figures at the front of the troop, Wei Yang nearly burst into tears. "Duke of Anguo, Duke of Zhenguo, you’ve finally come to save us!"
Wei Jiaojiao also called out, "Grandfather!"
Arrows fired from a distance temporarily prevented the assassins from closing in on Ye Zhao and the others.
Seeing the number of rescuers, a glimmer of hope flashed in Ye Zhao’s eyes. But then his gaze flickered upward. Seeing a burning branch about to crash down, he shouted in alarm, "Don't come over!"
"Whoa!" The branch crashed down right in front of the stopping horses.
"Quick! Fire!"
The troop was blocked by the fire. Wei Xiyang reacted quickly, ordering his men to loose arrows to interfere with the assassins' approach.
Looking at the surrounding fire and the enemies still lunging forward, Ye Zhao no longer hesitated. Since he couldn't capture these people now, he would stick to his previous plan.
Ye Zhao shouted to Pei Shian and the others, "Go! The fire is too big!"
Having said that, he picked a direction and turned to run. Xiao Hongfei retreated alongside him, defending as they went.
"Come back!"
Amidst the waves of heat, Pei Shian watched that receding back and suddenly screamed, "Tianshu!!!"
In the middle of the sea of fire, Ye Zhao looked back. There was only a moderate distance between them, yet for a moment, they were speechless.
*I am not Tianshu...*
Seeing the deep affection and panic in the other man's eyes, Ye Zhao wanted to say it.
But the situation did not allow for words. Thus, before the eyes of the crowd behind him, he fell silent for a moment before leaving a very calm sentence: "Wait for me to come back."
Then, he never looked back again.
Watching the figure grow distant in the firelight, Pei Shian felt as if words Ye Zhao had once said during an idle chat were echoing in his ears.
*“Shian, do you know which phrase, whether between friends or acquaintances, you must be most careful of?”*
The young man had smiled as he revealed the answer: *“The person who tells you to wait for them to come back, or the person who says they are waiting for you.”*
*“Especially if they say it after looking back—it is highly likely they are trying to deceive you.”*
*“Be careful not to be tricked...”*
The young man’s voice, ending on a playful note, replayed over and over in his ears.
"No... no..." A trembling voice rose. Looking at the black silhouette that was already becoming blurred, Pei Shian’s face turned as white as paper. His dazed eyes slowly regained focus. "Come back... come back!"
"Tianshu! Come back!"
Pei Shian struggled to rush forward. Wei Xiyang was startled by his suicidal movement and grabbed Pei Shian’s arm just in time, hauling him onto his own horse and pinning him down. He roared, "Do you want to die?! Jumping into a fire—do you have nine lives?"
"Tianshu! Tianshu!!"
"Pei Shian, can you wake up?!"
Wei Xiyang reined in the horse with one hand and restrained the man with the other. After shouting, he glanced at the now-empty direction and did not hesitate. He made a split-second decision. "Retreat! If we don't leave now, it'll be too late!"
In such a massive fire, being able to control the horse and keep it from bolting was already a stroke of luck. The priority now was to find a way out.
Wei Xiyang usually appeared more hot-tempered than anyone, but when truly faced with a crisis, he was more composed than anyone else.
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
东陵 | Dongling | A neighboring state/region.
萧鸿飞 | Xiao Hongfei | The Senior General of Dongling.
石油 | Shiyou | Oil/Petroleum (used as an accelerant in the forest).
萧木 | Xiao Mu | A shorthand or nickname for Xiao Hongfei used by Ye Zhao.
张祖耀 | Zhang Zuyao | A minor noble/character present at the camp.
卫西扬 | Wei Xiyang | The Duke of Zhenguo, Wei Jiaojiao's grandfather.
