Chapter 35
Summer fell in to Fall
Chu Qiao and Viper were given the VIP General Quarters to stay in, and Chu Qiao felt at home and comfortable, even though the room looked dilapidated and poorly maintained.
Several housekeepers of the Xiuli military camp, who had cleaned the room earlier, knocked on the door to deliver a brazier, a pack of incense, a burner, and some tea candles to add coziness to the room. Chu Qiao opened the door and said:
"This is a luxury, a welcome fit for a General like me, but please set these aside. Thank you for bringing fire to ease the cold nights ahead."
Everyone bowed, careful not to speak, and quietly left the General Quarters.
At nightfall, Ge Qi wrote a letter to be sent to General He Xiao, informing him that General Chu had finally arrived after a week of searching and waiting. They had reached Xiuli Mountain.
Ge Qi knew the Deputy General would be overjoyed, but he wouldn't be able to come immediately due to the current situation of the Xiuli army at the Meilin border pass.
However, Ge Qi noticed a shadow, ninja-like, moving outside his quarters. Suspecting an intruder, he looked out of the window and saw a shadowy figure jump from the camp and climb a tree before vanishing.
Ge Qi had not yet been able to speak with General Chu. Their last conversation had been brief, and soon after, General Chu was gone again by the time Ge Qi awoke, recovering from his wounds.
Now, there was another danger threatening his reunion with General Chu, and something about it didn't feel right.
Yan Xun had waited patiently for twilight. In the absence of Zhong Yu, Yan Xun sent a junior spy to gather information about He Xiao's whereabouts and to locate the woman and another barbaric girl.
The spy returned just before twilight and reported both good and bad news to the Prince.
"Your Highness, I could not find He Xiao, but I can confirm that the whipping girl and another woman, who looks like a general, are in the Xiuli headquarters camp. They have settled in the Xiuli General Quarters."
Yan Xun turned his back and said, "Good."
Yan Xun then briefed his five royal escorts, including the junior spy, on the rules and protocols to follow. He said, "I don't understand why I have to become an intruder in my own borders and spy on my own army, but one thing is certain: we have a mission to accomplish.
This means no one will draw their sword. I will enter the Xiuli headquarters alone."
"The World, we are with you, but your life will be in danger," one of the concerned royal escorts said.
Yan Xun replied calmly, "Are you suggesting that I cannot defend myself, or that the Xiuli army would attack once they recognize me?"
"They will recognize you, Your Highness, but I am concerned for your safety. I took an oath to guard your life," the escort replied.
"Very well," Yan Xun said. "You will accompany me, just you. The rest will remain here and stay alert. Change your clothing; we will go in disguised."
After a while, Yan Xun dismissed everyone and began to walk. He had transformed from a prince-warrior into a poor man in shabby clothing. His horse, draped in black cloth, was unrecognizable as an esteemed mount.
If the guards underestimated them, even seeing His Highness' black horse, and bypassed the search, they could pass without being identified as VIPs.
After an hour of walking, they finally reached the Xiuli gate, which was about to close. Suddenly, the royal escort rushed to stop the gate from closing.
One of the guards, angry, said, "You are unidentified. The Xiuli headquarters camp is closing at this hour. We cannot let you in."
"Is it not too early to close?" asked the royal escort. "I have an urgent matter to discuss with Lieutenant Wu Danyu. I need to deliver an important message."
"We have to close the gate early. We detected an intruder earlier. I'm sorry, but we cannot accommodate you. Come back tomorrow."
Ge Qi, watching from the tower, noticed the two unidentified figures and sent someone to initiate an interrogation. A man with a long beard, robust build, and strong presence approached the gate to question them.
"Who are you looking for?"
"We are looking for Lieutenant Wu Danyu to deliver an important letter. If you refuse to let us in, we will return tonight and report that Xiuli headquarters rejected the envoy of the Prince of Yanbei. You know what that means."
The gatekeeper and the large military man exchanged glances, trying to decide whether to let the two pass. Suddenly, the large man said, "Your identification, please."
"Here it is," the royal escort said, handing over a piece of jade, marked with the black eagle, the symbol of the Prince of Yanbei. They allowed the two to pass without suspecting that the man behind the royal escort, who looked like a poor peasant, was someone of importance.
Ge Qi, observing from the watchtower, reacted in disbelief. "Why did they let them through? Go find out!"
One of his uniformed soldiers rushed toward the gatekeeper, who repeated the command. "Lieutenant Ge Qi wants to know why you let them pass."
"They showed us this," the guard said, holding up the jade piece.
The soldier examined the jade and understood. However, he questioned further. "If they are from the Prince's envoy, shouldn't they be dressed more appropriately and accompanied by the Prince of Yanbei's cavalry?"
The three military men exchanged uneasy looks. Realizing the situation was unusual, they hurried to the command center to see Wu Danyu, who was on duty.
Meanwhile, the soldier returned to Ge Qi, who was in his quarters. Actively supervising the guards at the watchtower, Ge Qi said, "Sir, they claim to be the Prince of Yanbei's envoy, as they carry the black eagle jade. But given their poor attire, we're not so sure anymore."
Ge Qi, frustrated, felt a sharp pain in his back.
"Sir, do you need help? What's wrong?"
"Nothing, you fool. You're both smart and stupid at the same time. You deserve a promotion, but after a minute, I'll make sure you get demoted. Now, go find them!"
Without hesitation, the soldier went on foot to track down the suspected intruders.
Yan Xun and his royal escort had only a few minutes before the camp fully realized their presence as intruders. Hiding, Yan Xun shook his head, smirking in disbelief at what he was doing just to maintain a peaceful heart.
Would there really be peace after all this? Or would chaos follow? He wondered if he was ready to lose rather than win.
If He Xiao learned that he took his woman tonight, Yan Xun would know if He Xiao had only been using her to press more concerns about Xiuli, oversights Yan Xun had intentionally left. But if He Xiao truly loved the woman, Yan Xun knew he'd be in trouble, perhaps even accused of stealing another man's lover.
One rule guided him: He must not get caught snatching the woman from under everyone's noses. If he did, he would have to use his royal authority to make them obey.
Yan Xun said to himself, "Whatever happens, I must win tonight! I don't owe anyone an explanation!" He dismissed his thoughts and moved forward.
Chu Qiao was reading her chronicles, trying to reconnect with the mortal realm and distance herself from the underworld. Her powers had grown stronger day by day.
After searching endlessly through the thousand deserts and sand dunes, she suddenly found herself in the world of mortals. Yet, her return brought no clarity, her memories were gone. Patiently, Viper helped her, giving her the chronicles of Mimi Gongzhu, which Chu Qiao had drawn to remind herself of the events from the icy lake to the present.
The chronicles contained no written words, only drawings and symbols that helped Chu Qiao recall her past. Viper had meticulously recorded the moments between earth and the underworld so that when Mimi Gongzhu's consciousness returned, she could easily pick up where she left off in the mortal realm.
Chu Qiao stood and walked to the door. Viper followed, but Chu Qiao stopped her. "I need some time alone," she said. Viper understood and respected her desire for solitude.
"If you need help, just call me," Viper said as Chu Qiao slipped out of sight.
As she walked outside the VIP General Quarters, Chu Qiao noticed a shadow. Her keen senses told her that this was a familiar presence. She watched closely as another shadow passed. Although unarmed, Chu Qiao didn't feel threatened. Instead, she felt playful, like a child. She picked up a stone and transformed her bracelet into a slingshot.
The shadow reappeared, and Chu Qiao took aim. With a swift shot, the stone hit the royal escort on the head, knocking him down.
Yan Xun, surprised but not alarmed, pulled his unconscious bodyguard out of sight. He smiled to himself. "This woman is skilled," he thought. "She's not He Xiao's type. He Xiao wouldn't fall for a woman who knows how to use little killer weapons like this."
Yan Xun decided to play a game of hide-and-seek with her. When he sensed that she was following him, he threw three small balls on the ground. Smoke erupted, and as Chu Qiao became dizzy from the fumes, Yan Xun triggered a mechanism, sending a rope flying to a nearby tree. He swung toward Chu Qiao and, in one smooth motion, snatched her from the ground as she began to collapse.
As Yan Xun looked into her half-closed eyes, her indigo scarf revealed only a mysterious face beneath, and her simple Hanfu dress floated in the air. With a smirk, Yan Xun said, "I know I cheated, but it was the only way I could win tonight against such a hauntingly beautiful girl. I won't apologize."
Chu Qiao, feeling light-headed and weakened by the smoke, whispered softly, "You will pay for this…"
Yan Xun laughed out loud and said, "Sure, you can charge me a high price, and you're lucky to have found someone who can surely pay you back."
Chu Qiao, still dizzy, drifted back to sleep in his arms as Yan Xun calculated the distance. He landed smoothly on his horse, with her, a sleeping beauty, in his arms.
Tempted to cut short the thrill, Yan Xun reached to remove the woman's scarf when, suddenly, another woman appeared and shouted, "No!"
Yan Xun quickly realized someone was chasing them, though he couldn't see who it was. He called out, "Show yourself, if you dare!"
Viper slowly emerged from the shadows of the tall forest trees, stepping sideways from darkness into light. Yan Xun was right, it was the fierce whip girl.
Viper looked ferocious, her eyes and lips full of fury. Dressed in furry boots and a fitted outfit covered in shackles, with a glowing whip in hand, she resembled a hungry wolf ready to tear its prey apart.
Yan Xun swallowed nervously, unprepared for this confrontation. His escort, sensing the tension, stepped out from the shadows and drew his sword toward Viper. Yan Xun smiled and said to his guard, "You know what to do!"
With that, Yan Xun tapped his horse, Blast, and they rode off with the sleeping beauty still in his arms.
The rest of Yan Xun's four royal escorts arrived but found no trace of him or his horse. Viper encountered them in the woods and demanded, "If you tell me where your boss is, you might live to see tomorrow with your heads still attached to your necks." She lashed her whip at them three times.
The four escorts, overwhelmed by the pain, surrendered and said in unison, "We swear, we don't know where our boss is. We were waiting for him, and then you appeared."
Sensing their honesty, Viper dragged another man from the darkness and threw him toward the four escorts. "You will help me find my Mimi Gongzhu, or I will send your souls to the underworld."
The five escorts laughed mockingly and said, "Really? Is the underworld still in operation?"
Viper laughed with them but then quickly turned serious, her face fierce. "Do you want me to show you?"
At that moment, a cold wind blew, hinting at an impending storm. Viper's anger flared, her eyes glowing a deep, bloody red. She said, "My powers are uncontrollable at night. Now, what was it you said earlier?"
"We didn't say anything," one of the escorts replied quickly, trying to save their lives. "We were just amazed by you."
"Good. Do we have a deal then? Help me find Mimi Gongzhu, and I'll let you live another day."
"We agree, we agree!" they replied in unison. Viper hypnotized them and used the shackles around her neck to bind their hands and necks together.
A few hours later, Ge Qi and Wu Danyu arrived at the forest, their way illuminated by the torches of nearly half the Xiuli army. They found Viper, cloaked in a black hood that concealed her face. No one dared look directly at her, except for the five escorts, who remained silent, their earlier fierceness subdued by her powers.
Viper, still angry over losing track of Chu Qiao, suddenly remembered He Xiao. Ge Qi approached and asked what had happened.
Clearly upset, Viper snapped, "That's exactly what I was going to ask you. What happened?"
Ge Qi replied, "We chased the intruders, but they left the camp."
Wu Danyu approached and asked, "Who are you? Are you the whipping girl?"
Viper raised her hand to strike Wu Danyu, but Ge Qi quickly intervened. "My apologies for not properly introducing her. Lieutenant Wu Danyu, this is Viper, a trusted ally of the Xiuli army."
"Nice to meet you, Viper," said Wu Danyu. But Viper ignored him entirely, turning to Ge Qi. "Call He Xiao. I need to talk to him and hold him accountable for what happened. These five escorts won't reveal who the man was that took Mimi Gongzhu."
Ge Qi, stunned by what he heard, asked, "What? Are you referring to General Chu?"
"Yes!" Viper snapped, her voice harsh. She wanted to strike Ge Qi but held back, knowing he was still recovering from his wounds.
Ge Qi asked in disbelief, "General Chu is gone again? She just arrived, and now she's gone? Was it the intruders who took her?"
"Shut your mouth! If you're only going to ask more questions instead of finding answers, then stay quiet!" Viper stormed off, with the five royal escorts trailing behind her like a cavalry of her own.
"My apologies," Ge Qi whispered to himself, feeling sharp and dull at the same time. "I've already sent word to He Xiao, and I expect him to arrive at Xiuli Mountain tomorrow." Ge Qi fell silent, deep in thought about General Chu, while the rest of the military followed him back to Xiuli headquarters.
The moon shone brightly, its light partially obscured by dark clouds. A cold wind blew, sending shivers through the soldiers. That night, all their questions were answered: General Chu was missing, taken by a mysterious figure, a handsome man in a black hood who had captured the bea
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