The winds of Suyan often carried a scorched scent. The locals were accustomed to calling it the "smell of stone."
Xiao Nanhui, however, felt it was the scent of the sun roasting the earth.
Leaving Suyan for over a decade had not managed to erase this scent from the depths of her memory. The moment she stepped onto this land again, the recollections were stirred almost instantly.
Now, as the cold wind rushed deep into her nostrils, she detected a different scent within it.
It was an earthy, fishy smell mingled with water vapor.
It was like the scent in the air on a midsummer night just before a torrential rainstorm.
Of course, this was merely a fleeting thought in her mind. She had no time to discern the true meaning behind it, for her entire focus was concentrated on the straight silver light before her eyes.
Pingxian let out a low hum in the air. The blood-stained spearhead glinted with a cold light, piercing through the heavy mist before embedding itself firmly into the rock wall. The friction between the spear and the stone produced a piercing screech.
The weight of two people doubled the momentum. Her body slammed hard against the rock wall, and the Emperor jolted in her arms. She could feel his weight pressing through her breastplate against her ribs; the compression of her chest made her cough violently.
The surrounding wind grew stronger, and the mist was rapidly dissipating.
Soon, she and her Majesty would become two targets on this barren rock face. Even a second-rate archer could pierce them through with a single arrow.
With both shuttle chains snapped, she had nothing within reach to climb or use for leverage. Fortunately, they were only a few yards from the cliff top. As long as they passed this final hurdle, they would be safe for the time being.
Taking a deep breath, Xiao Nanhui felt along the rock wall with her feet for a foothold, then spoke to the man in her arms. "Your Majesty, you must step on my shoulders to get up."
Su Wei looked at her deeply. Without a word, he silently gripped Pingxian and, using the strength she provided at his waist, pulled himself upward with force.
At that moment of exertion, the cliff face before them let out a crisp crack. A fissure spread from where Pingxian was embedded, and loose stones tumbled down into the bottomless abyss, as if reminding them of the terrible fate that awaited a single misstep.
Time was running out; she could not afford to hesitate.
Xiao Nanhui concentrated all her strength into her shoulders, doing her utmost to hoist the man before her upward.
Simultaneously, the stones beneath her feet crumbled away. She was left hanging by Pingxian, suspended in mid-air.
In that moment between life and death, everything before her seemed to slow down. A faint whistling sound echoed from the distance, stimulating her five senses.
A voice was mingled within it, urgently calling her name.
She slowly raised her head and looked up.
Amidst the continuously falling debris, a hand was suspended right above her head.
It was a slender, fair hand with well-defined joints. Around the wrist of that hand hung a string of high-quality prayer beads; it looked almost like the hand of the Buddha himself.
What was happening today? Why did she keep feeling as though her past lives were flashing before her eyes?
"Xiao Nanhui! Give me your hand, quickly!"
The man's voice pierced through the thunderous roar of the surroundings, drilling straight into her eardrums.
The desire to live made her instinctively reach out, wanting to grasp that hope, but reason made her freeze.
She was still wearing heavy armor. Even without it, she was far too heavy for someone who did not practice martial arts.
If he could not pull her up, she would likely drag him down the cliff with her instead.
He was the reason for her existence as a general of Tiancheng; she could not violate her oath and duty.
Xiao Nanhui stared blankly at the man's face, suddenly thinking: if the last image she saw before death was this usually expressionless face suddenly becoming stern and losing emotional control, it would be a rare sight indeed.
At this very moment, he truly did wear that expression.
*Crack.*
The last bit of support shattered. Xiao Nanhui felt Pingxian tilt before it slipped from the rock wall. Her body, like a heavy stone monument, slowly tilted backward, poised to be smashed to pieces after a long fall.
Then, her flipping vision halted in the next instant.
A force gripped Pingxian, stopping her descent.
Xiao Nanhui looked up along the spear. That hand was firmly clutching the spearhead of Pingxian. The sharp point had cut his hand, and blood gathered into several lines, trickling down the patterns on the shaft.
"Your Majesty..."
She instinctively wanted to let go, but the man, as if able to read her thoughts, barked sharply.
"If you let go now, it shall be the crime of deceiving the sovereign and defying an imperial edict!"
He added his other hand. She could see those hands trembling, and something warm dripped onto her face.
"The armor! Take off your armor!"
She snapped back to her senses, using her other hand to reach back and unfasten the buckles of her armor.
The Guangyao Battalion was most proud of this Guangyao Armor, yet the suit was extremely complex to put on and take off; it was nearly impossible to unfasten the interlocking buckles from the outside with one hand.
However, in a stroke of luck amidst misfortune, Yan Zi’s sword energy had struck her from behind earlier. Her armor had already been sliced in half down the back and was currently hanging precariously.
With a forceful twist of her wrist, the entire breastplate fell away, followed by the waist guard and the two pauldrons...
She immediately felt a lightness spread through her body, and the strength that had been completely drained seemed to slowly flow back into her. She gripped Pingxian tightly and exerted herself to climb upward.
Blood flowed over the polished steel spear shaft. Xiao Nanhui felt her grip becoming incredibly slick, and she was just a fraction away from being unable to climb further.
The person pulling her had also reached his limit, looking as though he was about to give way.
At the final moment, she spotted a clump of camel thorn grass by the cliff edge. It was the most common plant in this barren land; though thorny, its roots were buried deep and tough.
She lunged for it, finally using the last of her strength to scramble onto the cliff top.
In the next moment, the thunderous roar that had been humming in her ears suddenly erupted into a deafening din, bellowing past beneath the cliff behind her.
The two survivors panted for a while before slowly crawling up from the ground to look down into the abyss.
It could no longer be called a chasm.
She had initially thought it was the sound of the wind, but now she realized that even the desert sands could not make such a noise.
It was not the wind; it was the sound of water.
The waters of the Tianmu River, dammed for many years, were pouring down. The turbid river water, mixed with the sand and stone accumulated over ages along the banks, surged downstream with heavy, unstoppable force, like a pack of beasts released from a cage.
Ding Weixiang had finally succeeded.
Having survived a disaster and seeing news of victory, Xiao Nanhui felt she should be joyful, yet the danger she had just experienced left her exhausted and her heart in a tangle.
The surging river water arrived along with the howling north wind, blowing away the mist that had shrouded the land.
Xiao Nanhui saw that on the other side of the river, the swordsman in purple still stood where he was. She could not see the expression on his face, but she felt the murderous aura emanating from him more clearly than ever.
In this round, she had won.
"He cannot cross for the time being."
The person beside her spoke suddenly, startling her out of the standoff.
The Emperor's long hair scattered in the wind, dancing along with his ink-dark robes. Everything between heaven and earth seemed to lose its color in his presence, save for the speck of bright red on his hand, which was exceptionally striking.
She fell to her knees with a thud. "Your Majesty, please sentence this subject to death!"
In truth, at this moment, let alone asking for punishment, it would not be too much to perform the full kowtow of the five prostrations to the man before her. He had just risked his life to save hers. Such an act, even if performed by an ordinary person, would merit her deepest gratitude, let alone when the person was the most noble figure in Tiancheng.
The river continued to roar in her ears, and for a long time, Xiao Nanhui heard no response.
Apprehensively, she tilted her gaze up slightly, only to find the Emperor looking at her.
He remained expressionless, though his face was somewhat pale, as if the person who had been so stern and sharp just moments ago was someone else entirely.
"Of what crime is my official guilty?"
"This criminal subject made an error in judgment, nearly placing Your Majesty in grave danger, yet Your Majesty remembered the bond between sovereign and subject, rescuing me from peril..."
"Official Xiao looks more agreeable in plain cloth."
The man's abrupt sentence interrupted her self-reproach. She froze, unsure for a moment how to respond.
Most of her Guangyao Armor had been removed, leaving only half a bracer and her helmet. After a thought, she quickly stripped off the remaining pieces and rotated her wrists, feeling much lighter. She then prostrated herself again to await orders.
She had returned to the way she looked when she was a squad leader. Dressed in ordinary cloth, she looked plain and unremarkable, not at all like a general.
"This criminal subject cannot escape blame, but please allow me to come forward and tend to Your Majesty's wounds."
The Emperor did not speak. He walked toward a spot away from the cliff edge, where there stood a desert poplar that looked as though it had been dead for a long time.
What did this mean?
Xiao Nanhui felt awkward, feeling that she could neither advance nor retreat. After a moment's thought, she followed him.
The Emperor's pace was slow; it seemed the recent ordeal had exhausted his strength as well.
His left hand hung at his side, the entire arm covered by his sleeve. The bloodstains on the cuff had already dried, barely visible against the dark fabric.
Such a superficial wound might be nothing to someone like her, but Xiao Nanhui knew that the man before her had likely suffered few bruises since birth, let alone bloodshed.
She felt unease, but even more so, guilt.
"Your Majesty, this subject..."
She stopped mid-sentence as she realized something.
Even for an ordinary martial artist, pulling someone onto a ledge in such a situation required technique and physical strength. He had no foundation in martial arts and only Pingxian to hold onto; he had likely done more than just cut his palm.
The more she thought, the more she felt something was wrong. She spoke up urgently, "When Your Majesty pulled me up just now, was there any discomfort in your arm?"
The man did not speak. He had reached the desert poplar and came to a halt.
She was persistent. In her urgency, she forgot some of the etiquette between sovereign and subject, taking several quick steps forward to confirm her suspicions.
"Is it dislocated? Please let me see..."
"Do not come over." The man turned around, the expression on his face cold and indifferent. "Do not come over. I wish to be alone for a moment."
She stopped, her face full of confusion.
She looked at the arm hidden beneath his wide sleeve. He had not moved that arm since the beginning; she should have noticed sooner.
Xiao Nanhui opened her mouth to say something, but the man read her intent with a single look.
"Xiao Nanhui, do you intend to defy an imperial edict?"
This was the second time today he had used the crime of defying an edict to pressure her.
"This subject would not dare. I..."
"Just stand there."
Having said this, he finally revealed a trace of weariness, slowly sitting down on the ground beneath the desert poplar.
Xiao Nanhui stole a glance. It was a standard meditative posture, exactly like the one monks used when chanting during great temple assemblies.
The current situation was truly bizarre. She felt uncomfortable all over, her heart fluttering with uncertainty.
"Your Majesty, this subject is fearful. I am a person of guilt; perhaps I should..."
"I pardon your crime."
"Thank you, Your Majesty! Your Majesty's grace is something I shall never forget. Please give me a chance to—"
"Xiao Nanhui, you are quite noisy."
Noi... noisy?
*Understood, I shall shut my mouth now.*
After muttering silently to herself, Xiao Nanhui sat down about five paces away from the tree. Her posture was a standard military crouch, which, combined with the desolate scenery, made her look seventy percent pathetic and thirty percent dejected.
The man was different.
He only frowned slightly, but otherwise, no expression of pain showed on his face. He sat there quietly holding his left arm, as if it were not dislocated but merely sensitive to the cold.
His dark outer robe, which usually seemed so averse to filth, was stained with sand and dust. He did not brush or flick it away, letting the fine sand rest on him as if he had been sitting under that dead tree for a very long time.
The wind howled, mingled with his low murmurs. It was the same sound she had heard when she had sneaked into the small tent that day. At the time, she had found it eerie, but now it sounded somewhat like Buddhist chanting.
The low, reciting voice was like the echoes of whispers from an ancient temple, making one feel a sense of unreality in a daze.
After an unknown amount of time, she saw his tightly knit brows gradually relax. His pale face returned to its usual thin and cold appearance, with only a bit of sweat at his temples speaking of his recent lack of peace.
He seemed... to be constantly and deliberately suppressing his emotions.
Xiao Nanhui was surprised by this sudden deduction, yet the more she thought about it, the more truthful it seemed.
She knew that those in high positions were accustomed to hiding their emotions to prevent others from deducing their preferences—they called it "showing neither joy nor anger." But even so, it should never reach the level of the man before her, who pretended to be fine even when in pain.
Both he and the string of sarira beads on his wrist exuded a coldness. It was a temperament cultivated through years of nearly ruthless discipline, like an ascetic monk specializing in Buddhist law, severing all seven emotions and six desires only to eventually attain Buddhahood after saving all living beings.
So, could it be... he was actually... he was actually the reincarnation of a Living Buddha?
Xiao Nanhui nodded unconsciously, thoroughly convinced by her own guess.
This would explain the precious sarira beads on his hand that ten million pieces of gold could not buy, and it made sense of his friendship with Master Yikong of Yongye Temple. It seemed no one had expected this Living Buddha to be reincarnated into the imperial family, and since the Su lineage had always been thin, this "Living Buddha" was trapped upon the throne.
As she thought this, she studied the man's features and actually began to find him somewhat benevolent and kind. Her courage grew accordingly.
Regardless, before you "become an immortal," you are still a mortal.
She moved forward quietly.
"Your Majesty, the arm cannot be left like that. If a permanent injury is left, it may cause inconvenience in the future."
The man said nothing, but the continuous chanting in his mouth stopped.
Xiao Nanhui's backside shifted forward again. She felt her movements were utterly undignified, yet she did not dare stand up and startle him, so she could only shuffle forward.
"Your Majesty..."
"It is merely a dislocation. It only needs to be reset."
Oh? Was there a chance?
She shuffled several more times, carving a small trench in the dirt beneath her.
"May I take a look?"
"Do you understand the art of bone-setting?"
Xiao Nanhui did not dare hide the truth and spoke honestly.
"I... know a thing or two."
"Do you know it, or do you not?"
In the next moment, she was already able to touch his sleeve. Faster than words could say, she gripped the man's upper arm and shoulder blade and exerted force. With a muffled groan, the bone clicked back into place.
"I didn't know it before, but I know it now."
After Xiao Nanhui spoke, she suddenly felt she was getting a bit carried away. But for some reason, the current atmosphere of fleeing for their lives gave her a surge of boldness, as if if she didn't act out now, she would never have the chance again.
Whatever, she would worry about it after they survived.
She thought the Emperor would suppress her with a few words, but he only looked at her once before standing up without a word.
"The flow from the upstream dam will gradually slow, and the collapsing sand and stone on both banks will eventually fill the gullies here. It may not even take half a day for the east and west banks to be reconnected. This is not a place to stay for long."
Xiao Nanhui stood up as well. "The dam is destroyed. The Guangyao Battalion upstream will be able to cross the river and launch a general offensive in a few days. By then, the Subei army will also advance toward Sanmu Pass. Tiancheng has already won more than half the battle. Your Majesty's predicament will naturally..."
She stopped halfway, realizing her words lacked conviction, and her voice trailed off.
If they wanted to wait for Lu Songping to come to their rescue, the best way was to stay put. But if Lu Songping came, the White Clan's people would come too. If the ones who arrived were enemies rather than friends, what were her chances of winning if she fought alone?
"How far is the journey from here to Sanmu Pass in Yanxi?"
Xiao Nanhui collected her thoughts and surveyed the terrain, speaking conservatively. "If we travel day and night and take some shortcuts, perhaps we can reach the vicinity of the ancient city of Yanxi in three days."
As she finished, she suddenly understood the Emperor's next plan and could not help but feel a bit apprehensive.
"Your Majesty, the journey ahead is arduous. I fear..."
"If my official can walk it, so can I. The White Clan used the mist to launch a surprise attack this time; they may have already opened secret passages within the Tianmu riverbed. It is not safe to stay near the riverbank. With the upstream dam destroyed, they will surely be concerned about their rear. Heading north at this time is the safest choice."
The Emperor was right.
But...
Xiao Nanhui looked down at her own disheveled state, then up at the empty-handed Emperor. She began to regret that when she jumped from the carriage, she hadn't wrapped some of the cakes and pastries to bring with her.
A gust of cold wind blew, sending the last leaf from that desert poplar into the sky. It was a truly miserable and desolate sight.
"The road ahead is long. I must ask Official Xiao to lead the way quickly."
***
