The Blood Crown - Chapter 313

The group stayed up all night, discussing how to rescue Feng Ye.

Taoxian Road was a very secretive and narrow mountain path, winding and treacherous. Only local hunters knew it well. Feng Ye had brought several hunters with him to guide the army, a fact unknown to the Jin soldiers, and it was the greatest hope of breaking the siege. Once the snow melted, they would split into two groups. The main force would fight head-on, drawing as much of the enemy’s strength as possible to the outer perimeter, while a special force would sneak into Taoxian Road to help Feng Ye retreat along this route. With this inside-out coordination, there was a chance of rescuing him.

Although this plan was fraught with risks, there was no other option.

Yan Sikong stood in the courtyard, staring at the sky. He had been standing there for a long time, motionless.

It wasn’t until Yuan Nanyu interrupted him: “Second Brother, it’s too cold outside. Come inside.”

“I am watching the weather.” Yan Sikong pointed to the clouds above, “Last night, the five stars aligned, and the purple qi was faint. Today, the clouds are heavy, stacking up like mountains, rolling and stretching like silk…”

Yuan Nanyu was confused: “Second Brother, what do you mean?”

Yan Sikong turned to look at Yuan Nanyu, his eyes deep: “The alignment of the five stars is a great omen of good fortune. The purple qi represents the dragon’s energy, although still somewhat misty, it hints at a world-shaking sign, one that the stars and moon cannot obscure. This is a sign of the new ruler’s reign.”

Yuan Nanyu was stunned for a moment, then asked in surprise: “Does this mean the Wolf King is about to ascend the throne?”

Yan Sikong shook his head: “Not certain. The purple qi rises from the southwest, the direction where Feng Ye is trapped, but with the current situation, Feng Ye is far from the possibility of ascending the throne. Besides, he promised me personally that he would never usurp the throne.”

“Then, what about the clouds?”

“This cloud means the weather will clear soon,” Yan Sikong’s eyes brightened, “The sun will come out.”

Yuan Nanyu was overjoyed: “The sun will come out, the snow will melt, right? Second Brother, the snow will melt soon!”

Yan Sikong said, “I don’t know the condition of Taoxian Road. Even if the sun comes out, the snow won’t melt immediately. We need to send scouts regularly to check the situation and only move when the time is right.”

“Understood.” Yuan Nanyu, feeling a bit embarrassed, recalled what had happened the previous day. “Second Brother, I was too impulsive yesterday. I thought…” He pursed his lips, then changed his words, “Anyway, you are the most resourceful. We should listen to you.”

“Did you think I would abandon Feng Ye because of personal grievances?” Yan Sikong finished his sentence for him.

Yuan Nanyu awkwardly said, “No, I know you wouldn’t, it’s just…”

Yan Sikong patted Yuan Nanyu’s shoulder and said softly, “If he dies, Liaodong will fall with him. I will do everything I can to save him.”

Yuan Nanyu looked at Yan Sikong seriously, his expression hesitant.

“If you have something to say, just say it,” Yan Sikong sighed. “We’re brothers. There’s no need for secrecy.”

“Second Brother…” Yuan Nanyu shook his head, looking disappointed. “You say that brothers shouldn’t hide things, but some things… just like how you can see I have something hard to say, I can see it with you too. We both hide things from each other so as not to worry the other.”

Yan Sikong felt a mix of emotions in his heart but didn’t say anything.

“You’ve always been calm and steady since you were young, not easily showing your emotions, and rarely getting close to others. After we reunited, I found that your character hasn’t changed, but when it comes to Feng Ye, you become completely different.”

Yan Sikong turned away. “What’s the point of talking about this now?”

“I’ve been with Feng Ye for many years. I’ve seen him suffer day after day for you, and then I’ve seen you suffer for him. I just… don’t understand.”

“…Don’t understand what?”

“I don’t understand why, even though you both care about each other so much, you still torture each other.”

Yan Sikong’s heart tightened, and he took a deep breath. “You don’t understand, but I don’t either, but… it’s just like that.”

Yuan Nanyu lowered his eyes, looking despondent. “Second Brother, I just want you to be happy. If you want to reunite with your wife and daughter, I will help you persuade Feng Ye. But if you can’t let go of him…”

“I’ve let everything go.” Yan Sikong said flatly, “Do you remember the meaning behind the name my father gave me?”

“‘Sikun sees far, with no desires, so he is firm.’”

“Emotion and desire only make people short-sighted, vulnerable, and full of flaws. Only by letting go can one remain firm as a rock.” Yan Sikong looked at Yuan Nanyu. “You’re right. Feng Ye is still the most important person to me in this world, but I only wish to forget him in the martial world.”

Yuan Nanyu sighed and nodded.

Yan Sikong raised his head again, silently looking at the sky.

If the omen truly refers to Feng Ye, then the changing of the dynasty may be destined by heaven.

—

As Yan Sikong had predicted, the next day, the sky cleared, and the persistent frost and snow were slowly melting under the sun. During the melting process, the cold seeped deep into the bones.

The scouts sent by Liang Huiyong kept bringing back reports: it was too cold in the mountains, and the snow was melting very slowly. At this time, it was possible for people to pass through Taoxian Road, but it was difficult for horses.

By now, Feng Ye had already been in the mountains for four days. The Jin army was waiting for them, starving and with morale low, eager to take advantage of the situation, but Yan Sikong knew that Feng Ye would never lose his fighting spirit, even to the death. However, he might attempt a desperate breakout while he still had strength left.

So they could only wait for one more day, otherwise, Feng Ye would risk his life to escape.

Yuan Nanyu had already gathered the troops, ready for another direct confrontation with Duoyan Wei. Liang Huiyong still needed to stay in Guangning, so Yan Sikong would personally lead the troops through Taoxian Road to rescue Feng Ye. He always disguised himself in front of others, using the new identity that Liang Huiyong had given him—Assistant General Mao Yuan. His subordinates were somewhat suspicious of his identity, but the Feng family army took him as a Liaodong army officer, and the Liaodong army took him as part of the Feng family army. Therefore, no one dared to question him and simply followed his orders.

After waiting for a day, they finally set off at night, heading toward Daming Mountain, less than thirty miles from Guangning Wei.

Before leaving, Yan Sikong was about to mount his horse when he was suddenly pulled back to the ground by a force. Looking down, he saw Feng Hun biting his cloak.

“Hun’er?” Yan Sikong petted its head. “How did you run out of the mansion?”

Feng Hun wouldn’t release the cloak, whining constantly.

“You… you want to come with me?” Yan Sikong guessed that Feng Hun must be worried after Feng Ye hadn’t returned for so many days. He comforted it, “I can’t take you. This battle is too dangerous. We may have to cross mountains.” He tried to pry open Feng Hun’s mouth. “Hun’er, let go.”

But Feng Hun refused to release its grip. Its grayish-blue wolf eyes stared at him sharply.

“Hun’er,” Yan Sikong rubbed its fur, his expression serious, “I know you’re worried about him. He’s surrounded by the enemy, and it’s dangerous. I’m going to rescue him now. I will bring him back.”

Feng Hun stared intently at Yan Sikong.

“I swear, I will bring him back,” Yan Sikong gazed into the wolf’s eyes. “Trust me.”

Feng Hun finally released its grip and continued to watch him.

Yan Sikong mounted his horse, exchanged one last look with Feng Hun, and spurred the horse into a gallop.

Before dawn, Yuan Nanyu, leading the Feng Wolf Cavalry and two thousand firearms soldiers from the Thousand Machine Camp, fought Duoyan Wei at the foot of Daming Mountain. He launched a firework signal, notifying Feng Ye in the mountains and also signaling Yan Sikong, who was secretly approaching Taoxian Road.

Taoxian Road truly lived up to its reputation as a secretive path, rarely known even to the locals. Its winding, narrow, and treacherous nature was unlike anything Yan Sikong had ever seen. In some places, it was so cramped that only one person on horseback could pass at a time. With the snow blocking the way, there was no way forward.

According to their original plan, if Feng Ye could lure Duoyan Wei to Taoxian Road, they could annihilate a significant portion of the enemy army. But when Feng Ye discovered that Taoxian Road was blocked, he wisely chose to head up the mountain instead, keeping Taoxian Road hidden from Duoyan Wei.

After three days of clear weather, the snow had melted most of the way, but the road was still muddy, and some places were difficult to pass. Yan Sikong led the army, holding torches and digging as they went. Just before dawn, they finally cleared a path through Taoxian Road, coincidentally timed with the fireworks signal indicating that Yuan Nanyu and Duoyan Wei had begun their battle.

Yan Sikong ordered the fastest march into the mountains to help Feng Ye break through.

Based on the scout reports, they marched quickly and soon spotted the Jin army.

By this time, most of the Jin soldiers, especially Duoyan Wei, were engaged in combat with the Feng Wolf Cavalry. Feng Ye led his troops down the mountain, attempting to fight his way out, but the disparity in numbers was still significant. Several breakout attempts had failed, and he was forced to retreat each time.

Yan Sikong gave the order, and five thousand light cavalry surged forward, surrounding Feng Ye with an inside-out pincer movement. They seized on the weak points of the encirclement and fought desperately.

For a moment, the mountain echoed with the sounds of shouting and killing. Blood sprayed in all directions, as if fertilizing the land that was about to awaken.

Although the Jin army was confused by the sudden appearance of these “heavenly soldiers,” they responded quickly, blowing their distinctive horn signals to call Duoyan Wei for reinforcements.

On Yan Sikong’s side, the battle cries and flags went up as he directed his soldiers to form battle lines and engage the enemy. The battlefield was a chaotic storm of sword blades, flashing lights, blood splattering, and the sounds of horses’ screams and human wails, as though cries from hell itself, sending shivers down one’s spine.

Finally, through the sea of corpses and rivers of blood, they created a gap in the encirclement. Amidst the chaos, Yan Sikong’s eyes locked onto a figure—dressed in a blood-red battle robe, wielding a long spear, standing on a fiery-red war horse.

Feng Ye!