Vol 2 Chapter 35 (2/2)

Zuiju stood by herself outside the door and looked at the patch of pale snow on the courtyard A cold gust of wind see would put it, it was quite refreshi+ng

Pingting wasn’t the only one upset Her heart seemed to be clawed by a cat too

The worst thing, she kneas the dangerous path that led to an abyss-like ridge laying before them

The war between the four countries was intesifying It used to be the Dong Lin ar Gui Le and Bei Mo, but noas an alliance of Yun Chang and Bei Mo’s ar Lin

Endlessly causing loss of life

Everyone understood what the danger meant, even the most stupid of the nobles

Her teacher, Huo Yunan, was born a noble He knew Dong Lin’s upperclass and thoroughly understood their reactions

Who could guarantee that their country would not collapse under the enemy country’s power? Who could stand the eventual demise of their home?

A country was a home, but only with a country could one have a home

Who wasn’t like that?

Zuiju deeply sighed, her chest so stuffy that it was sore She grinded her teeth and deter the cold wind flow inside until the lava churning inside be frozen She shi+vered three or four ti up her clothes and took the hot tea fro who she then helped to sleep

That night, she slept in the other bed in Pingting’s room

She suddenly heard a voice in thethat Pingting had woken and sitting on the bed

“Why have you woken again, Miss Bai?” Zuiju got off the bed, and walked until she was beside her Her voice was soft as she questioned

Pingting was silently staring at the sky outside theHer gazed remained fixed as she answered, “The moon has come out”

Zuiju followed her gaze and looked up at the sky The moon had indeed come out of the clouds some time earlier, but it was dim, listlessly bleak

Studying the position carefully, she realised that it had passed half the sky

The moon had passed half the sky

The sixth had come…

Zuiju’s heart sunk, but her words remained war back”

Pingting’s voice was like calm waves “He must be on the horse, very, very tired His throat must be dry and hoarse, completely covered dust except for his shoulders where snow has accumulated”

Zuiju could only think that her voice was drifting from the ends of the earth It was like a leisurely pluck of a qin string that trembled in to beckon the flowers and trees She lowered her head to look at her expression but could not find any clues

She then draped the blankets around Pingting, acco at the head of the bed The tatched theMore than an hour had passed before Zuiju softly encouraged, “Go to sleep”

Pingting obediently lay down onto the bed and closed her eyes Zuiju sighed in relief and got off the bed to return to her own Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Pingting’s eyes flicker open

“What?”

Pingting glanced at Zuiju, laughing ruefully “Nothing” She then obediently closed her eyes once more

That night at the Hua Residence, Chu Beijie had thought she was Lady Hua’sshe was sick

That person who did whatever he wanted, without the slightest care for the world’s social conventions He had not known her well, yet he’d carried her by the waist and took her into her roo her with blankets

His stiff “Sleep” was just like a coave to his soldiers, yet it was ht about it

He will come back; he will definitely be back

Her slender palht fist under the blankets

If such deep love could not withstand such a test and si water, as the point of the tords, Parting Soul and Divine Spirit?

The moon had passed half the sky

The sixth had arrived

Chu Beijie ildly galloping forwards

Thenorth histled in his ear

In his life, he had galloped so wildly nu his horse’s four hooves fly off He’d indulge hi in the wind Even ure

Galloping across the plains was a heroic pleasure

But at this time, he could not feel any pleasure

The wind blew hard at him It was painful like sounds on his face Not only did the wind tear at his face, it tore at his heart

His heart was like a grill on fire which remained suspended in the air

The secluded residence was a place inaccessible to his eyes

Yet the faint fragrance of pluered in his heart

Chu Beijie deeply understood the King’s intention He knew frothen his stay at the capital that an irresistable force must’ve headed towards the secluded residence

How could Pingting’s white jade hands that played qin possibly return the King of Dong Lin’s challenge of war?

Was his thin figure heading towards the dazzling white of a sword?

The soft body that he couldn’t hug enough of, the handsoing voice he couldn’t hear enough of…

…Why did those wretched o of her?

She had secluded herself

She no longer cared about the affairs of the outside

She had had enough sorrow and had been hurt over and over again She just wanted to do things like the old times, and if she could, be a satisfied woman

As Chu Beijie’s woman

“Pingting is not greedy, just hopes that Duke will co out to the battlefield On Duke’s birthday, Pingting wants to tell Duke so very important”

This was a very simple wish

A wish that even norrant

Yet he was not a nor Lin’s Duke of Zhen-Bei

Chu Beijie raised his whip and crazily brought it down, his eyes bloodshot The wind continued to harshly cut his face, not offering any comfort for the immense irritation in his heart

A dirtyroad in the ly boundless

The return hoer than ever

Chu Beijie rode on, his gaze fixed at the horizon

Was Pingting still safe, beyond the clouds?

A flag appeared in the distance, juroup of horses andwhich opened in the wind, to read the familar character for “Mu”

Chu Beijie’s heart skipped a beat He whipped his horse which was already foaroup, abruptly pulled back his horse, yelling “Why is Chen Mu here?”He had not drunk any water for a long time, so his voice was very hoarse

Seeing Chu Beijie, he hurriedly gathered his soldiers forward He dismounted and bowed, “Duke, Chen Mu is here!”

“How dare you leave the Dragon Tiger Barracks you’re in charge of?”

Chen Mu replied, “I received the King’s Order five days ago to transfer to Luo Meng and report to the Duke of Fu-Lang and is now returning to the capital to report to the King”

“Who is currently er Barracks?”

“According to the King’s Order, hts have been te the Duke of Fu-Lang”

General Fen Min received orders fro used the Precious Divine Soul Sword, her identity was not enough to er Barracks

The King of Dong Lin had taken extreainst his own brother

Chu Beijie’s fury attacked both his heart and mind, his eyes dizzily blurry

Pingting had no hope for help, apart from him

Knowing Pingting’s intelligence, she would definitely re to delay the enemy until his return

Wait for me, you have to wait for me!

Chu Beijie’s palms were full of red blisters, but he did not feel any pain He suddenly seized the reins and sat up straight

Chen Mu had followed hi his expression, he knew that he had already gone at full speed for a long time He handed him a water sac, “Please have so towards a battlefield eency? No soldier or horse can withstand such a rabid journey”

Chu Beijie took over the sac and drained it dry in a series of gulps, before looking back at the three thousand soldiers that had galloped with hihts and a day

Since leaving the capital, they had whipped their fast horses several ti at full speed They had not rested at all and were exhausted The marks of the reins were bloodstains of their hands A few dozen were completely unable to stand it and had fallen off their horses

He had led soldiers for several years but never displayed such lack of care to them

Chu Beijie’s expression fell as he turned back He asked Chen Mu, “How ot?”

“Not many, just one thousand seven hundred All of them are my best”

“Give theh in the air, yelling, “I a all of the country’s troops, so all soldiers here, listen! A the three thousand, those who can’t stand pain and those whose horses can’t last, go with Chen Mu to the capital Chen Mu’s one thousand and seven hundred men are also now in my command and we shall immediately set off” He dis his voice, “Lend me your horse”

“Where is the Duke hurrying to?”

“Before the moon passes halfway of the sixth, I must hurry back to my secluded residence”

Chen Mu was surprised at this “It is already the sixth and there are just then hours left How could you possibly hurry back?”

Chu Beijie did not answer He gathered the reins, tested the horse before bolting away

Chen Mu didn’t know the specifics of as happening, but he knew that the situation was an eency As he watched Chu Beijie’s back disappear rapidly into the distance, he grinded his teeth and stopped his vice

“I shall go with the Duke and you lead the tired soldiers back to the capital Give ht down the whip and chased after the calvary soldiers

A cloud of yellow dust blew into sky on the unpaved road

The sixth

Pingting, my birthday has already arrived

The residence’s at

The mountains and forests beyond remained covered in white The ht peeped out of the clouds, creating a heavy light that did not seehten the tension

Snowflakes had begun to drift down again

Numerous and sparse, small bits of snow circled and helplessly trembled in the snow

A light qin sound was not diffused by the snowflakes It went beyond the wall, untouched like a rainbow on a cloudy, outcast day

Pingting was touching the qin

Now that the sixth had arrived, perhaps the surrounding soldiers with swords had become closer?

It was the sixth That back view like a h full of heroism had been born on this kind of snowy day

He was blessed by the Gods

The Gods had given hiht nose, black pupils full of vigour and had innate dignity and self-confidence

The Gods had created a rare entity known as Chu Beijie, so that she couldn’t help herself but be distracted by him and be conquered

Today was the sixth

Pingting plucked a string with her thumb

She had a deep, special bond with the qin The qin was her voice, and she was its sound

Only by letting her two hands softly pressing on the thin strings, could she close the troubles of her mind She closed her eyes, carefreely, and immersed herself in her memories

She remembered clearly, the vivid memories that surfaced

The beating heart she had first felt through the curtains remained

She seemed to have returned to the chase in the narrow valley Chu Beijie had pressed towards her on his horse, wrapped his arms around her waist, stopped her, and waited for her reply

His chest had been boiling warainst her ear

And then, when he hadn’t left, he’d held the bowl of soup, clued her to sleep, accompanied her while she watched the stars and moon

Rivalry, anger, and gratitude, it was a sweet predica one too

How could he not love her?

How could he break his proet it?

How could he just cruelly leave her just for his unstoppable flow of heroic blood to protect his country?

Beijie, if Pingting is truly thethe world is, what could possibly stop your movement?

I have buried a pot of Locked Away Goodies waiting for your return

Zuiju stood at one side, her hands lowered as she quietly watched Pingting’s back view That back was very frail and weak, but her posture was straight It seemed that a steel frame propped up the thin flesh

Zuiju listened

The sound of the qin was like a speech, as if reporting every single event that had occurred Even if it was not a personal experience to others, they could erief behind it

Yet in such a cold, chaotic situation, the tone remained clear

Was the country or feelings more important?

Would one rather protect the universal feeling of love or protect one’s own country?

Not daring to touch the h in the air which pierced at Zuiju’s organs, causing a deep sorrow

Humans were not inanimate objects and could not be heartless

The thin strings had beco her until she broke into a cold, blood-like sweat

No longer able to stand the piercingly harsh qin sound, Zuiju stepped forward, trying to restrain her emotions She whispered, “Miss, you should stop The lunch has been sent a while ago”

Pingting pressed her fingers onto the qin, causing the sound to suddenly stop She lifted her head, her eyes bright as they flickered towards Zuiju

“No aze and helped her up

Hongqian deftly set up the dishes on the table

Pingting scanned the table and her gaze stopped She was shocked to realise that all sorts of different Gui Le dishes had been placed on the table, a variety of delicacies and ordinary dishes She sat down on the table, squeezed to pick up so and then placed it down

“All of these are Gui Le dishes personallytireat determination”

Her sense of danger pressed down on her heart, without barrier

Hongqian could barely breathe in this heavy silence and boldly offered, “Although the residence is surrounded by soldiers, seeing the Marquess of Jing-An’s latest actions, I’d say that he remembers his old friendshi+p with Miss Bai Even if…” She was suddenly warned by Zuiju with a zip of herher mouth

Pingting did not blame her A bitter smile played on her lips as she said, “And how much heartfelt remembrance of old friendshi+p is worth?”

It seemed that perhaps He Xia could accept anyone as the owner of Bai Pingting, except for one – Chu Beijie

Chu Beijie, the only person under the skies who could make He Xia feel afraid

Chu Beijie, also the only person under the skies who could make He Xia feel jealous

If the world was a battlefield, how could a contest between old enemies be limited to the smoke of the battlefield?

The snowflakes floated around outside the room Occasionally one would follow the movement of the door curtain and crashed into the warly melt into winter tears

The head of the sun hung directly upwards, causing slight shadows eastwards

A half of the sixth had already passed

Just a half Twelve hours left