Chapter 39: Clear Spring Washing Wood Heart (Part 2)

  I looked at Song Mingwei, his helmet was nowhere to be seen, his hair was disheveled, blood dripping from his forehead, and his body seemed to have been fished out of the blood. He had one hand tightly wrapped around me, and the other desperately waving.

  After a while, we left the battlefield. He was panting with blood flowing from the corner of his mouth, but still smiled at me: "Fourth, Second Brother came late."

  He tied me and him together, galloping towards Yufeng like crazy, I held his waist tightly, but found that my hands were full of his blood, his waist was bleeding profusely, dripping all the way. I helped him block the wound, trying to stop it. Song Mingpei was more familiar with the terrain than the Nanzhao soldiers. He dodged and weaved, leading me to a stone gorge with cliffs on both sides, where there was only a narrow path that could accommodate one person or one horse. He took me in a frantic dash, with ten original family brothers' soldiers, all covered in blood, chasing behind us. As they passed through the stone gorge, the pursuing soldiers who were unfamiliar with the terrain became fewer and fewer.

  After passing Shiyan Gou, we climbed up Yufeng. Finally, the war horse really couldn't climb anymore, and Song Mingkui let us stop. He wanted to abandon the horse and proceed on foot, but as soon as he got off the horse, he immediately fell down, closed his eyes tightly, and lost consciousness.

  We pulled him into a cave in the depths of the mountain forest, and as I cleaned his wounds, I discovered that Song Erge, who was usually so carefree and radiant, had scars all over his robust body. There wasn't a single unblemished spot on him. Some of those scars were from long ago, possibly even before he entered the Purple Mansion. I couldn't help but shed tears. Song Erge, what kind of hardships have you endured? Who inflicted these wounds on you? Was it Liu Yansheng or Yuan Feiqing?

  Song Mingkui told us about his life experience, saying he was from Jiangsu Huaiyin, the son of a private school teacher. On the way to Ningbo, their family encountered robbers and were robbed of all their belongings except for one thing: everyone in the family was killed except for him. To avoid being sold as a slave, he had no choice but to sell himself. Is what he said true? Was Zhang Demao his disguise? Was Li Rukui his bitter fate? What kind of extraordinary tragic life experience did he really have?

  We twelve people lit a bonfire in the cave, melted some snow water, cleaned our wounds and tended to the injured. I divided the group into two teams to keep watch while I stayed beside Song Minghui, and amidst fear and trepidation, we welcomed the bloody dawn.

  Half a mile away, Song Mingyue, who had been unconscious, suddenly opened his eyes and looked at me sitting beside him, seemingly very happy. I secretly thanked heaven and earth, tears streaming down my face, and choked out: "Second brother, don't sleep anymore, you promised to take Mu Di and escape."

  Song Mingkui exerted himself to sit up, stretched out his hand to touch my face, but pulled the wound and fell back down. I was so frightened that I quickly pressed against him, checking if he had bled again. In this era, there is no artificial blood transfusion, and people who lose too much blood can only resign themselves to fate.

  I forced myself to calm down and looked at his wound, which was still bleeding profusely. His lips didn't have a single drop of blood on them, and the look in his eyes was warm and gentle. He pulled my hand and said softly, "Si, are you okay?"

  Qian Yu shook his head vigorously, but tears welled up in his eyes. I rubbed my eyes hard and forced a smile, saying: "With Second Brother here, Mu Qi won't get hurt."

  He also smiled, closed his eyes, and breathed lightly, as if trying to calm the severe pain of the wound. After a while, he suddenly spoke up: "Muxin, have you ever wondered why your second brother copied your article?"

  "What's wrong with him? Why did he suddenly tear off the most sensitive big-character poster?" I said gently, "Don't worry about it, Second Brother. You're injured now, don't think too much, just rest well. Tomorrow we still have to flee for our lives."

  Song Mingkui opened his eyes, and a strange light rose in them: "Right, tomorrow we will still be fugitives."

  He grasped my hand tightly: "Mugun, tomorrow let Second Brother take you away from Xi'an, away from the original home, away from everything. We'll go to a life in a paradise on earth."

  I stood there, stunned, but Song Minghui struggled to sit up halfway, embracing me in his arms, and continued excitedly: "When you sat among a big pile of red plums, crying for your brother, I thought to myself, why wasn't it me who went instead? How lucky Big Brother is!"

  I suddenly realized he was talking about what we said before rushing down the mountain, he gently pushed me and said: "Let's forget everything, forget so-called national hatred and family feud, leave this chaotic world, go wandering with just the two of us, live a free and easy life, Mu Ge," He smiled so happily, his eyes filled with longing: "Second brother knows, you don't love fame, wealth, or silk and satin, what you've always yearned for is that kind of life, second brother's heart has also been longing for that kind of life, but on this path, no one has ever given me the chance to choose."

  His voice suddenly turned bitter, that smile also became a twisted bitter laugh, his eyes also had some hateful intention. He raised his head again, grasped my hand and said seriously: "Don't be afraid, Sheng Sheng won't leave you, Second Brother actually has an antidote, I... Mu Di, I don't want to be your Second Brother, I want to be your husband."

  I was shocked beyond words, looking at that young and handsome face, gazing at me seriously, the shock, heartache, shame, and regret in my heart surged like a tsunami, mixed together, leaving me breathless.

  Mugwort, you've always been arrogant with your two lifetimes of memories, claiming to be emotionless and understanding the world. However... however, you were actually oblivious to the fact that a young man had loved you for nearly six whole years, until he generously accompanied you to the point of death, only then did you realize.

  Mugwort, you're so ashamed to be human in two lifetimes, you've completely wasted your life... I wanted to speak up, but my voice was choked by tears, and I couldn't resist his hopeful eyes.

  Fei Ge said he loves me, but can't rush to the throne of Emperor Huang. Fei Bai said he wants me for a lifetime, but knows that I am in a place where I am protecting the golden branches and jade leaves of King Jing Xia.

  In this turbulent era, especially at this critical moment, the one standing by my side is unexpectedly Song Mingyue.

  He was the only one who fought bravely, protecting me with his battered body, while he could have returned to Luoyang with Yuan Feiyan and achieved great merit, and would have been highly valued by the Yuan family. With his talent and Yuan Feiyan's feelings for him, it was only a matter of time before he entered the Yuan family and made a name for himself in this chaotic world.

  "Second brother, I...I'm so unworthy and unqualified, how lucky am I to have earned your favor?" I wept, but dared not look into his eyes again, as if afraid of shattering the gaze of a naive child staring at the sweetest sugar gourd in the world.

  But Song Mingwei gently wiped away my tears, I looked up at him, his clear eyes filled with emotions looking at me: "Muyi, do you know that when I first joined Xiao Wu Yi, it was just a temporary decision, but since I had you, since I had Xiao Wu Yi, Er Ge, I only then felt that... originally this dirty world also has good things, Muyi, I..."

  At this time, a young soldier rushed in with a big knife and said in a frightened tone: "The Nanzhao army is attacking the upper Jade Peak."

  We were all shocked, Song Minghui's eyes were like a lantern in the daytime, and he slowly stood up with his hands on my shoulders. Replacing him was the coldest killing intent. He didn't wear armor, but simply tore off a piece of cloth to tie the double halberds firmly to his hands. He turned back to me with a brilliant smile: "It seems that Second Brother is destined not to accompany you in that peaceful life you dreamed of, however..."

  I followed Song Mingkui out of the forest and came to the edge of the cliff, where I saw the lights below like a giant dragon winding its way, and the sound of "Capture the original non-smoke" echoed back and forth.

  "Four, do you know?" Song Minghui said softly with his back to me, joyful and deep: "In this life, Song Minghui has only done two things that followed his heart. One was to make a sworn brotherhood with Xiao Wuyi, and the other..." He turned around, his starry eyes looking at me, smiling, black snow falling on his scattered hair, long hair fluttering in the wind like a beautiful ink jade waterfall. "That is to come down the mountain with you today, even until this moment, I do not regret it, so...".

  His tone changed, and he said solemnly: "Muke, you must promise Second Brother that you absolutely cannot fulfill the oath of brotherhood with Xiao Wu. No matter what happens to Second Brother, no matter how much suffering or hardship you endure, you must survive, you must hold on until reinforcements arrive."

  I understand Song Mingwei's meaning, war means that as a weak person, I will be subjected to hellish destruction. In front of my eyes, many maidservants' corpses appeared in the Zi Xuan Villa, disembowelled and scattered all over the Zi Garden. If I were captured alive, even if my true identity as Yuan Feiyun was not discovered, I would probably still be unable to escape the enemy's humiliation. However, Song Mingwei insisted that I must live on, even if it meant going against Xiao Wuyi's oath. A warm current grew in my heart like wild grass, and I looked at Song Mingwei with a great struggle within me. I decided to let him have no worries, so I nodded vigorously, smiling, not letting tears fall.

  At that moment, I was no longer afraid. I learned from Song Mingyue and tied the emotions to my hand, not retreating, facing the climbing soldiers of Nanzhao and fiercely swinging at them, one knife after another, letting the pungent bloody smell spray onto me.

  At this time, I saw a person in the team who seemed to be the leader, directing the army with a language similar to Minnan dialect. I took down a bow and arrow from a dead body of a Nanzhao soldier, drew out a long arrow, borrowed the enemy's torch, aimed at him, and shot. "Ah" sounded, that general fell down, the Nanzhao soldiers' team began to riot, and temporarily stopped attacking.

  After about half a watch, with a long whistle, the arrow feathers cut through the sky and rushed straight to Yu Feng. We could only use one side of our weapons to block it, constantly retreating deeper into the dense forest. Darkness enveloped us again. I didn't know how many brothers were following us, nor did I know how much blood Song Mingpei had shed. There was only the dull sound of footsteps in front, and I could only hear Song Mingpei's breathing getting heavier and heavier.

  After an unknown period of time, the eastern sky struggled to reveal a pale white, and a red sun burst out like a fireball, as if burning away all the ugliness in the world, illuminating this bloody universe. I raised my eyes and saw that we were standing beside a precipice, with our last child soldier behind us, his back covered with arrows like a porcupine, his young eyes filled with blood and tears, softly calling out: "Mother, I'm back."

  After saying that, he died with his eyes open, as if expecting his mother to come and welcome him, put new clothes on him, and cover his eyes with her trembling hands.

  At this time, my tears had dried up, and my heart was like a withered well in a desolate wilderness. I turned back to see Song Mingkui's body pierced by numerous arrows, blood flowing ceaselessly. He leaned against a large tree, panting heavily, his eyes also dull and lifeless.

  The footsteps behind us grew louder, and a tall figure blocked our path. Those purple eyes, sharp and cold, stared at me and Song Minghui. My nightmares of the past now stood vividly before my eyes, reminding me that the sixteen years I had spent with Xi were truly happy times.

  Song Mingkui blocked in front of me, gritted his teeth and rushed forward, shouting wildly: "Hurry up."

  I couldn't move at all, surrounded by a group of Nanzhao soldiers. I swung my sword wildly, and when I looked around, Song Mingyue was being forced to the edge of the cliff by Zitian Warlord. His movements were getting slower and slower. I dodged to the side, holding my sword and rushing over to help Song Mingyue, but it was too late. Zitian Warlord had already stabbed his crescent moon knife into his left chest. My mind went blank, but my body was boiling with hot blood, and I let out a loud, hoarse cry: "No!"

  I rushed over, Zi Tong's eyes gleamed with a cold light as he sneered at me, and his hand swiftly drew out the Detached Moon Knife from Song Minghui's body. Song Minghui's blood gushed out like a fountain, and he fell backwards, tumbling down the cliff.

  I rushed over, leaned on the cliff edge, his body was like a lone leaf drifting away, his black hair floated in the air like petals, reflecting his pale face, smiling at me, so desolate, so carefree, as if death was the greatest joy for him.

  I can no longer think rationally, the words I just agreed to were thrown aside, at this moment, I only thought of jumping down to pull him back, but a severe pain in my back stopped all my actions.

  Before I fell into a complete coma, I felt that I had fallen into an embrace filled with the smell of blood. A pair of excited purple pupils were scanning me up and down, as if measuring the most satisfying prey. He whispered triumphantly in my ear: "Heh! Zhěnmò Liè, finally caught you."