Chapter 31
Back to the Frozen lake
The passing rain stopped, and the sky, revealing some of its soft blue hues, settled the after-rain smell of the fresh forest. Mossy grasses absorbed the water, and dew, like that of early morning, began to appear.
Viper saw He Xiao from a distance and could feel his pain, even though it wasn't her concern. Looking at He Xiao, who would be hanging from the pine tree tomorrow, she intervened, revealing their presence to him with her Mimi Gongzhu.
Though He Xiao had lost hope during those critical moments, Viper came to renew it today.
She approached Chu Qiao and said, "Mimi Gongzhu, why don't we change course? Let's help this man first and see his army of dry bones before their souls go to the underworld."
Viper also glanced at He Xiao, who wiped his face. Not wanting to share his private moments, he turned away from them and returned to the small firepit Chu Qiao had created earlier.
Chu Qiao, standing still, stared at the vast snow-capped mountains in the distance, not blinking.
A glistening blue-black lake reflected the grayish rainmaker clouds, which surrounded it like an umbrella.
Chu Qiao suddenly turned to Viper and asked, "Is this the direction to the frozen lake where you found me?"
Viper replied, "Yes, but we can take a shortcut."
Viper was willing to help and offered the shorter path.
Chu Qiao responded, "Maybe even a thousand caves won't help me recover my memories, but perhaps the frozen lake after the rain will. To be honest, I don't feel like I was their leader, this army of dry bones. Because if I was, I must have been very foolish to make them suffer and leave them in the state they're in today. I feel lost and responsible."
Viper sensed Chu Qiao's burden as she watched her Mimi Gongzhu stare into the distance. Unable to help the heaviness in her heart, she replied, "If we ride our horses along the shortcut path, we'll arrive by dusk."
Chu Qiao nodded and said, "We must help the ailing army of dry bones and find out what happened to them. Maybe I'll discover the missing pieces that lead back to the frozen lake. Xinger, Yuwen Yue, Prince of Yanbei?"
Viper remained silent, not wanting to complicate things for Mimi Gongzhu. She simply nodded and turned to prepare the horses and palanquin.
She took some weapons from the royal palanquin, wrapped Chu Qiao's indigo scarf in a brown canvas cloth to conceal it, mounted the black horse, and fastened the two brown horses and saddlebacks firmly in place. She whispered into the black horse's ear.
The horse suddenly bolted, pulling the royal palanquin toward Chu Jing Palace.
He Xiao watched Viper take the reins. When the horse approached him, it knelt down. Viper grabbed He Xiao by the shoulders and hoisted him onto her back. The horse stood and awaited Viper's signal.
He Xiao, unable to stay still, received a punch to the stomach from Viper. He groaned in pain.
"Wait! Where are you taking me? Ow… ow…" he grumbled, "This bat-girl will kill me faster than a thousand armies."
Viper replied, "I'll feed you to the crocs. So hang on, it'll be a path full of thorns and glimpses of the underworld."
He Xiao, his wide eyes filled with fear, reacted violently. "No! I'll take the crocs, but the underworld? No way!"
Viper, seemingly enjoying He Xiao's immature attitude, teased, "If you don't keep still and obey me, you'll wish hanging from that tree was more comfortable than riding with me."
Chu Qiao, still contemplating her plans and how she would react when she saw the Xuili Army, remained uncertain.
It would be her first appearance after a year of hibernation.
If there was an army, that meant war. She wasn't going to be a mere bystander or muse. She was going to reinforce an already dying army, an army that, to her knowledge, had been wrongfully abandoned despite their bravery and service to the Prince of Yanbei.
But who was this Prince of Yanbei? Was he the one Zhong Yu and Viper had argued about? Who was Yan Xun? What was their relationship before the frozen lake?
Questions lingered in her mind, but she had already decided to help the army she once led, protected, and fought for.
While escaping Chang'an, they had made Yan Xun appear as the rightful prince in their eyes.
They believed Yan Xun's orders were for her to return to them and that he had not abandoned them. Chu Qiao turned away from the breathtaking view as rain clouds began to gather, bringing with them thunder and lightning. She called for her horse and quickly mounted it.
She turned to Viper and He Xiao, who were ready for their short adventure.
Viper began the journey by taking some desert sand from a small pouch and blowing it onto the path. He Xiao tightly gripped her waist and closed his eyes, setting aside his role as General of the Xuili Army and becoming a simple man for this underworld ride.
Moments later, the hourglass sand seemed suspended in time.
The three entered a trance-like state, surrounded by the same mossy forest. Viper demonstrated her power as she slowly gathered the scattered sands, which formed spiraling currents before returning to her pouch. No one spoke; they simply watched, mesmerized by the power of the sand.
The hunting wind began to blow, lifting their hair as it quickened their journey. He Xiao held onto Viper tightly. Chu Qiao, on the other hand, quickly grabbed her indigo scarf, which the wind embraced, swirling it gracefully before settling it around her neck like a beautiful drape.
The horses continued running as the mossy forest grew darker and darker, even at their rapid pace.
The forest grew darker, and the fog thickened. The trees, massive and covered in large, sharp thorns, stood silently like sentinels of the underworld. A human would not survive an accidental encounter with one of these menacing sentinels.
The sky above them was gray, no sunshine, not even moonlight. No living creatures could be seen, only three warm bodies riding through the desolate paths. As they neared the end of the black forest, another glimpse of the underworld appeared before them.
Viper, showing a rare moment of concern, glanced at the man firmly gripping her waist, his eyes closed, his sharply defined face appearing even more handsome, athletic, and refined in her view.
Viper thought to herself: Viper, don't get lost, or he'll be lost in the dark.
The sound of slowing hooves echoed as the trio ascended a steep, narrow path, bordered by the mountainside on one side and a valley on the other.
The horse's hooves sent rocks tumbling down, their echoing crashes creating a chilling sound. Chu Qiao, calm and composed, glanced below and saw a bottomless pit of darkness. But soon they reached the summit of the winding, dangerous path. Before them lay the underworld headquarters.
All was dark, with only a faint glimmer of moonlight breaking through the clouds. Tall, newly built Chinese-style buildings stood amongst dilapidated, decrepit structures, shabby and overgrown. The sight was eerie, unlike anything seen on the surface, this was a realm beneath Chu Jing kingdom, a shortcut to the frozen lake.
Viper let He Xiao take in the view, though for Chu Qiao, it wasn't her first time.
Viper said, "The danger is gone. You may open your eyes and enjoy the view."
But how could He Xiao enjoy this unsettling scene? "Enjoy the view?" he repeated, incredulously, as he opened his eyes.
His eyes widened in horror as he took in the dark surroundings. Nothing was beautiful, only the omnipresent darkness. He turned to look at Viper, his curse and salvation.
In a hoarse voice, he said, "Am I dead now? Is this where I pay for my sins? This place… it's the open mouth of hell, and it's the worst of my nightmares."
Chu Qiao laughed and said, "Welcome to the underworld headquarters. That over there is the forgotten river, where the Higanbana flower grows. Its scent steals your memories and guides you from death to the afterlife."
He Xiao exclaimed, "General, let me pay for my sins on earth! Don't let me rot here!"
Viper replied calmly, "This place isn't for you. Only elite underworld spies are permitted access and to stay here." As the cold wind blew against her face, she flashed a sly smile.
He Xiao said nothing in response. He could feel the goosebumps rising on his skin. The creeping sense of doom was overwhelming. No ordinary person could endure the underworld for long.
Suddenly, Viper scooped a handful of sand from her pouch once more. She recited ancient oracles, and He Xiao shouted, "Oh no, not again!"
A blinding light engulfed them, and they reappeared by the frozen lake. He Xiao, pinching his body and face, grunted, "Did the tour of hell end? Am I back on earth?"
He stomped his feet on the icy lake and saw the blue twilight as the daybreak began to unfold.
Chu Qiao, smiling like a child, approached him and said, "You'll be alright. I'll help you erase that nightmare of a trip to the underworld. Then, you can return to your normal life."
Viper removed his hands from her waist and said, "You only got to hold on because, without me, you wouldn't have survived another day."
In her usual bossy tone, she commanded, "Move!"
He Xiao, realizing his savior was waiting, quickly came to his senses. He gently dismounted and knelt by the icy lake, feeling the sharp sting of frostbite but ignoring the pain.
"I owe my life to the bat-girl," he whispered.
He Xiao then formally introduced himself to Viper, speaking in a deep voice, "Thank you for saving your 'gorgeous hero.' I am He Xiao, Deputy General of the Xuili Army, and a native of Hong Chuan city. You have just arrived in the land of my ancestors."
Chu Qiao smiled at the two of them and said, "Well, let's both welcome Viper!"
She winked at He Xiao, and he smiled back.
Still not in the mood for pleasantries, Viper said, "Pay me back when you get the Xuili Army out of their dry bones."
He Xiao replied, "I'll keep my word. When the time comes, don't hesitate to ask for it."
Although it was autumn, the lake remained frozen, cold and unyielding. Small cracks ran along the surface, and the water beneath the clear ice shimmered in the fading light.
In the distance, a majestic black horse stood on the icy surface, a solitary figure nearby. A man, dressed in a casual purple robe with intricate gold hems, wore a solemn expression. His sword-like brows framed his handsome face. Slowly, he walked in his black bearskin boots, offering flowers, incense, and burning paper snows in remembrance.
He had arrived earlier than the previous year to commemorate the incident at the frozen lake. Kneeling on the ice, he fought back tears of regret. But as the heaviness in his heart became too much to bear, a single tear fell onto the ice.
The lake suddenly began to foam.
Chu Qiao, feeling a sharp pain in her back, paled. The entire ice surface started to bubble and steam. Viper and He Xiao rushed to evacuate her as the ice cracked around them.
"Mimi Gongzhu," Viper asked, "are you cold but burning inside?"
Chu Qiao, unable to speak, only nodded.
He Xiao urged, "We need to get her out of here. Let's head to Hong Chuan city so she can rest."
Viper nodded but warned him, "If you trick me, I swear I'll finish what I started and hang you from that pine tree."
He Xiao smiled as Chu Qiao began to lose consciousness. Viper caught her before she fell.
Suddenly, they were surrounded by men. He Xiao stepped forward, ready to defend them.
Meanwhile, the brooding prince by the lake heard the ice begin to crack beneath his feet. He calmly observed the changes until one of his men whispered in his ear, "Your Highness, we have company."
Narrowing his eyes, Yan Xun asked, "Who?"
"It's He Xiao, Your Highness."
"He Xiao?" Yan Xun questioned, surprised. He expected the Xuili General to be manning the Meilin border, not here.
Yan Xun mounted his horse, the cracking ice having ceased for the moment. He ordered his escort to leave the area.
A Yanbei lieutenant approached He Xiao, saying, "General, why are you here? Is there urgent news?"
Before He Xiao could answer, a voice rang out from a distance, "Did you come to bring me news or a concubine?"
The man, Yan Xun, rode closer, his sly smile tinged with sadness. He studied He Xiao and, in mock surprise, said, "Why are you dressed so poorly? Did you forget your Yanbei uniform?"
He Xiao remained silent, simply staring at Yan Xun.
Yan Xun approached, observing the two women behind He Xiao. One appeared to be from a barbarian tribe, fitting his description perfectly with a whip clipped to her waist. Her fierce lips suggested danger, but her face looked like that of an angel. The other woman resembled Princess Jasmine from Aladdin, dressed in white with an indigo scarf draped over her face and neck, revealing only her eyes.
Yan Xun squinted, focusing on the woman in the scarf.
At that moment, Viper was holding her, as she had passed out.
He Xiao spoke, "Your Highness, I apologize for the disturbance. Please excuse us."
He Xiao knelt before Yan Xun and said, "Your Highness is too kind. I am not here to offer a concubine. This is an emergency, and I will explain later, but for now, we must move out."
He Xiao did not want to reveal Chu Qiao's identity to Yan Xun just yet. His priority was for Chu Qiao to see the Xuili Army before reporting anything further.
Yan Xun's look shifted from formal to lighthearted as he responded, "Come now, ride back with us. Let me help one of your servants here."
Yan Xun dismounted, failing to recognize Chu Qiao due to the indigo scarf that coincidentally matched his robe that day.
He approached Viper, who, to his eyes, resembled a barbarian woman, and took the woman wearing the scarf into his arms. As he did, he felt a sharp pain in his hand but continued walking, assuming it was frostbite.
Viper was about to pull out her whip when He Xiao gave her a sharp look and a slight shake of his head. Viper understood and remained still.
Yan Xun cradled Chu Qiao in his arms. Two soldiers came to assist him, helping him onto his horse first and then supporting the unconscious woman as they gently lifted her onto his horse.
Her eyes remained closed, and she was unaware of her surroundings.
He Xiao could do nothing but allow his Commander-in-Chief to assist them. Viper, now quiet and serious, watched as Yan Xun gently laid the woman's face against his chest, where she slept soundly like a baby.
Yan Xun guided his horse to walk slowly, careful not to disturb the woman in his arms. The rest of the escort, including He Xiao and Viper, mounted their horses, and they rode away from the icy lake, heading toward the grasslands of Yanbei.
As they traveled with the envoy, the Yanbei Prince felt a strange sense
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