234 Fleeting Breath (1/2)

Standing on a carpet in front of the An Clan leader, was a tall, middle-aged man, clad in his golden armor, sword by his side. His eyes were dark and cold, with no emotions passing through them. From where he stood, An Hongyu's face looked cold and displeased. But even then, the man's expression did not change.

”Tell me, what brings you here…General Guo.” An Hongyu did not hide the bitterness in his tone.

”I assume you've received the letter from the scout.” General Guo mentioned.

”Right, the letter…” An Hongyu leaned in his chair, resting his chin on his fist. ”I had my servant read it aloud. But after the first sentence, I decided to have it burned.”

Despite the mockery in his expression and tone, General Guo remained unfazed.

”In that case, I brought another. His Majesty suspected such an accident would happen.” General Guo took a letter from his pocket and handed it to the nearest servant.

Seeing his cool and collected composure, An Hongyu scowled. His hands resting in the armrest clenched, the sound of a crack coming from the wood. When the servant passed him the letter, his eyes coldly rested on it for a moment before snatching it. Reading its contents, An Hongyu's expression gradually changed.

His eyes swept over to General Guo and narrowed. ”You want to form an alliance?”

”The Northern Empire would like to, yes.” The answer came with no hesitation, clear and crisp.

There was a silence then, and General Guo could feel the tightness in the air around them. An Hongyu looked down at the letter again and tightened his lips behind his thick, black beard.

”The Bai family along with the emperor himself, offer to provide you a share of land, resources, and protection from any enemies that shall come your way in the nearby future.” General Guo paused as if he were weighing what he would say. ”That is if you promise to withhold your attacks in the north and further empires. If we're to align with one another, we do not wish to associate ourselves with conflict among other regions.”

There was silence. Silence, apart from the sound of the slowly crackling braziers in the heated room. An Hongyu's face was still; utterly still. General Guo said nothing, allowing the clan leader a moment to his thoughts.

After a few minutes, An Hongyu set the letter down, his thick fingers rubbing the ends of the paper, wearing it a little.

”I will consider your offer,” He paused. ”Until then, we will hold off our attacks. Only in the north.”

Lowering his head, General Guo stepped out of the yurt and walked to his horse. Along the way, he could feel the eyes of numerous Tuhan men and clan members watching his movements intensely.

Disregarding their stares, General Guo approached his horse…when he suddenly stopped. Flickering his eyes across the campgrounds, they landed on a figure wearing a hooded white cloak. The pure color of white compared to the dark surroundings, they were like freshly fallen snow, soft and crisp. The hooded cloak hid their features, but for a moment, General Guo felt as if he had seen a familiar face.

Or more precisely, familiar eyes.

He stared at them for a few more seconds and glanced away. Perhaps he was missing the girl too much.