“This is a Heart-Protecting Pill; it can guard the heart vessels. No matter how severe the injury, it can preserve your life.
This is a Lightning-Summoning Talisman; throw it out to call down a bolt of heavenly lightning.
This is a Hundred-Poisons Antidote Pill; keep it in your mouth to neutralize any poison.
This is—”
Jiang Xingyan stood to the side, being helped into her armor and packing her kit by Qiu Yan and Chun Xue.
She watched as Yun Chunfeng pulled items out one by one from his storage pouch.
First, he covered the table, then moved on to the bed.
He even wanted her to take his sacred sword with her.
She couldn’t help but laugh softly. “I’m going on a raid, not a picnic.”
Yun Chunfeng acted as if he hadn’t heard, continuing to search for anything useful.
He had sent pleas for help to all eight of his senior brothers, but not one had responded.
It seemed that after the incident where Fifth Senior Brother intervened last time, their master had found out.
Now was precisely the time most entangled with the workings of Fate. If his senior brothers stepped in to help, it would only backfire, rendering all their efforts vain.
This was the Heavenly Dao’s trial for the Young Lady, and the price for returning from death.
“Young Lady, Brother Yun is so worried.”
“Mother, Xiao Ya is so worried.”
The two of them frowned and looked up at Jiang Xingyan simultaneously, their expressions pitiful.
She felt a sudden daze.
Why did it feel like Xiao Ya and Brother Yun even looked somewhat alike?
“General, it’s time.”
The tense voice of Xin Zhui outside the tent snapped Jiang Xingyan out of her random thoughts. She slung her quiver over her shoulder and strode out.
Yun Chunfeng hurried after her, clutching an armful of various large and small bottles.
“Young Lady, take them, please take them all?”
Jiang Xingyan felt like laughing, but a pang of sadness hit her nose instead.
She didn’t know what lay ahead on this path.
She could only hope to come back alive.
To set Brother Yun’s mind at ease, she reached out and selected a few easy-to-carry items, tucking them into her pack.
“Take good care of Xiao Ya. I will return.”
Yun Chunfeng’s eyes grew warm, and his throat was already tight with emotion.
“Mother, Xiao Ya will be good.”
In Yun Chunfeng’s arms, Xiao Ya’s little mouth quivered.
But to keep her mother from worrying too much, she held back her tears.
Not daring to look back at the eagerly watching Xiao Ya, Jiang Xingyan swung onto her horse, summoned her five hundred elite cavalry, and set off under the cover of night.
The sound of hooves rose, churning up dust and dirt.
Yun Chunfeng stood holding Xiao Ya at the camp entrance, watching until the night returned to silence.
Only then did Xiao Ya’s tears begin to patter down onto the back of Yun Chunfeng’s hand.
“Be good, Xiao Ya. Your mother… she will definitely be fine.”
Far away, in the small courtyard Jiang Xingyan had recently bought, Huo Ci seemed to sense something.
He clasped his hands together, praying with utmost sincerity for A’Yan’s success and safety.
He, who had never believed in gods or ghosts, found himself at this moment hoping more than anyone that deities existed in this world, that they might protect A’Yan and ensure her safe return.
No matter what price he had to pay, he was willing.
——-
Xin Zhui had been quietly observing the General’s wife.
Would she be tired after such a long, hard ride?
The armor she wore was so heavy; it must be so hard on her.
Maybe he could find an excuse to suggest the Madame stop and rest for a while?
“General, I—”
“Fall behind, and you can roll right back to camp.”
Xin Zhui closed his mouth, disgruntled, and kept close to Jiang Xingyan’s side.
The Huo army was highly disciplined. They had long since muffled their horses’ bits, so aside from the thunder of galloping hooves, no other sounds accompanied their journey.
The five hundred riders traveled all night. As the sky began to lighten, Jiang Xingyan called the troop to a halt.
They had arrived at a valley, complete with a cave, a stream, and lush grass.
Both men and horses could rest properly.
“Water the horses and rest up. We move again at nightfall.”
Jiang Xingyan dismounted, her legs feeling so swollen they might as well not belong to her.
She let her horse go to drink from the stream and graze.
Not bothering with formalities, she grabbed her waterskin, took several long gulps, leaned back against the stone wall, and was asleep in an instant.
She didn’t know how long she had slept, only that she was awakened by the tantalizing aroma of roasted meat.
Opening her eyes, she saw Xin Zhui inside the cave, roasting a wild rabbit he had caught, some fresh fish he’d procured, and even a young wild boar.
As Jiang Xingyan started to get up and stretch, Xin Zhui spotted her and excitedly waved her over. “General, come quickly! I saved a rabbit leg for you!”
Seeing the group of soldiers gathered around, all staring intently at the meat in Xin Zhui’s hands, she felt a bit awkward and declined politely. “You all eat it. I’m not hungry yet.”
No sooner had the words left her mouth than the rabbit leg was passed from Xin Zhui’s hand, from one soldier to another, until it ended up in hers.
Jiang Xingyan stopped pretending. She was genuinely starving. She stuffed the meat into her mouth in two bites and hurried out.
By the time Xin Zhui noticed, she was already dragging a whole deer back into the cave.
“This isn’t enough for everyone. Roast this too.”
The soldiers cheered softly, “The General is mighty!”
Jiang Xingyan smiled wryly; she had to admit she was benefiting from Huo Ci’s exceptional martial skills.
By the time the group was full and satisfied, Jiang Xingyan had already become familiar with every one of them.
With time to kill, she began vividly recounting tales of spirits and monsters she had read about in the past.
Stories about female ghosts blocking the road, or seductive demons taking form.
A tale of three travelers who, after passing a graveyard, suddenly found a fourth companion amongst them, yet strangely, no one could identify who the extra person was.
Or two people crossing a single-plank bridge one after the other, the one in front answering a call one second and vanishing the next.
Everyone puffed out their chests and claimed they weren’t scared.
“What’s so scary about that? I’d even dare to sleep a night in a graveyard!”
“Yeah, General, tell us something more thrilling!”
But when darkness fell and it was time to remount and continue, they all instinctively paired up in twos.
Every now and then, they would softly call out the name of the person next to them.
They called it ‘looking out for each other’ and ‘boosting morale.’
Jiang Xingyan suppressed a smile, the tension she’d felt before setting out now completely gone.
These soldiers usually trained with such stern faces; she never expected them to be so amusing.
She didn’t notice a certain pair of eyes secretly watching her all along.
Seeing her smile, their owner grinned too.
Then, abruptly realizing something was wrong, he raised his hand and gave himself a sharp slap across the face.
“Xin Zhui, what madness is this?”