Unyielding Spring Mountains - Chapter 76: Side by Side

Following the trail of hoofprints forward, the road was littered with signs of battle, and every dozen or so zhang, there were corpses, most of them Qi soldiers.

The bloodstains and scattered armor were undeniable evidence of a fierce battle having taken place here.

They followed the blood trail deeper into the desert. As they crested a sand dune, the sounds of combat reached them from up ahead.

Wei Zhen halted at the top of the dune and saw the scene below:

The Qi soldiers were besieging Jin’s warriors. A dark mass of roughly a hundred men surrounded fewer than twenty Jin soldiers. In the very center, a man with a jade crown and silver armor wielded a long sword, his imposing aura as sharp as a blade. The fiery glow of the sunset reflected on his handsome face. With every movement, his attacks were ruthless—one strike cleanly severed an enemy’s neck.

People surged toward him from all directions, but his feet were already surrounded by corpses. Blood dripped steadily from his sword’s tip, and though his arm was wounded and still bleeding, he seemed oblivious to the pain, continuing his relentless slaughter.

Though he could fight ten men at once, the soldiers behind him couldn’t withstand the Qi soldiers’ siege, falling one by one.

“Men of Qi! Take the Jin general’s head, and the king will reward you with a hundred gold coins!”

The soldiers’ morale soared, and they charged at him with frenzied determination.

Qi Yan’s thigh was injured, and he fell to his knees. Still, he swung his sword, decapitating another man.

The encirclement grew smaller, and the soldiers around him dwindled.

Qi Yan panted heavily, his blood-stained hair dripping with beads of blood. Just as he saw an enemy soldier raise a blade to strike him, an arrow flew from behind, piercing that man’s throat.

The enemy fell, and in his blurred vision, Qi Yan saw a fiery red figure, dozens of warhorses charging down the sand dune. He spotted Wei Zhen at once.

The charging cavalry clashed with the Qi soldiers, drawing many of them away from Qi Yan’s remaining troops.

Wei Zhen dismounted from her horse and ran to Qi Yan, cupping the youth’s blood-streaked face in her hands. “Qi Yan.”

His face was covered in blood and his eyelashes were soaked with blood mist. Weakly, he gazed at her.

The guard, Nanzhu, stood in front of them, turning back to say, “There are too many enemies! Princess, take the general and leave! We’ll handle things here!”

Qi Yan propped himself up with his sword. “No!”

Nanzhu struggled to fend off the enemy soldiers. “General, you’ve been fighting nonstop since last night. You’re severely wounded and can’t hold out any longer. Go!”

Qi Yan tried to stand but lost strength and collapsed onto Wei Zhen.

Seeing the enemies pouncing toward them like wolves, Wei Zhen struggled to lift Qi Yan and said to the men beside her, “Help me get the general on the horse.”

Wei Zhen returned to her horse, untying water pouches and flatbread, then hurried over to Xingye, her warhorse.

She mounted and made Qi Yan lie across the horse’s back. With a forceful whip, she cried, “Hyah!”

Wei Zhen urged the horse to gallop away. Sand and wind poured into her mouth and nose, making her cough heavily, but she knew she couldn’t stop.

However, soon enough, the sound of pursuing horses came from behind.

“Stop! Stop now! Or this arrow will pierce your back!”

Wei Zhen turned her head, her hair swept up by the wind, and saw an enemy soldier drawing his bow.

She lowered her body just as the arrow whizzed past her head and buried itself in the sand ahead.

The enemy soldier only saw the woman bend down and rummage through a bag hanging from her saddle. When she turned back, she was holding a small crossbow aimed directly at his chest.

“Swish, swish.” Two enemy soldiers fell to the ground, shot by her arrows.

Wei Zhen tried to reload but found her quiver empty.

With more pursuers chasing her, she had no choice but to stay low and keep riding.

Just as they were about to cross over a sand dune, Xingye(horse) suddenly froze. Wei Zhen’s eyes widened in horror.

Ahead, a cloud of dust rose into the sky, and a violent wind whipped up a massive sandstorm. The wall of sand stretched to the heavens, seemingly capable of engulfing everything.

“It’s a sandstorm!” someone behind her cried out. “Run!”

The guards tossed their helmets aside and spurred their horses into a desperate gallop.

Wei Zhen’s body trembled, and in her panic, she spotted a stone outcropping in the distance. She urged her horse there, taking Qi Yan and sheltering within.

The surrounding solid stones formed a natural haven against the wind.

No sooner had they entered than the sandstorm roared in.

The wind howled furiously, and the stones around them shook violently.

Xingye curled up around them. Wei Zhen tore off part of her robe to shield Qi Yan’s face, then covered her own face with her veil and huddled down beside him.

Outside, the thunderous sound was like lightning crashing and booming.

Wei Zhen shrank between the horse and Qi Yan, closing her eyes in fear.

Suddenly, a hand reached out, holding her tightly.

Qi Yan had woken up and was shielding her beneath his body.

She didn’t know how long it took before the sandstorm finally subsided and the howling wind grew quiet.

Wei Zhen’s mouth was full of sand. She braced herself against the stone wall, coughing until she spat out the sand.

Turning around, she saw Qi Yan lying there. She crawled on her knees to his side, patting his cheeks and calling his name. Frantically, she took out a water pouch and poured water over his mouth and nose, fearing the sand had choked him.

“Cough, cough.” Qi Yan turned his face away and spat out the sand. He weakly glanced at her before his eyes closed again.

His breathing gradually steadied, and he slipped back into unconsciousness.

Wei Zhen poked her head out from behind the stone wall. All she saw was endless yellow sand, the desert completely empty. The pursuers were gone.

Breathing a long sigh of relief, Wei Zhen returned to the stone shelter and began tending to Qi Yan’s wounds.

Carefully, she removed his armor and inner clothes, her heart full of anxiety. In her previous life, Qi Yan’s body had been covered with scars, which she guessed were from his time lost in the desert.

But in this life, his condition was better than she had imagined.

His upper body was drenched in blood, mostly from his enemies. The armor had protected him well, and his injuries were limited to his arm and right thigh.

He must have heeded her warning and brought more soldiers along before setting out.

Wei Zhen carefully dressed his wounds, then fed him some flatbread and water.

By the time she was done, she was utterly exhausted.

Night slowly descended. Wei Zhen leaned against the stone wall, her breathing shallow. The night was like water pouring from a silver bottle, spilling over her.

She found solace in the hardship, smiling as if everything was meant to be.

Had Qi Yan not healed her eyes, she wouldn’t have been able to tend to his wounds in the night or witness the splendid stars above.

The gentle night wind soothed the turmoil in her heart.

Turning to look at the peacefully sleeping youth beside her, Wei Zhen lay down beside him.

The desert at night was bitterly cold. Though it was only May, the once-gentle breeze soon turned into a bone-chilling draft.

She placed her hand on his face, wiping away the sand.

Gazing at the water pouch nearby, she calculated that between the two of them and the horse, the remaining water and food could last about three days.

A gust of wind swept over, and fatigue washed over her.

“Swish, swish—”

Wei Zhen was awakened by a clamor. At first, she groggily thought it was the sound of the wind, but then she heard the frantic neighing of the horse and snapped her eyes open. She focused her gaze and saw a vulture perched on Qi Yan’s body.

The giant bird was massive, its beak hooked like a scythe. Its wings had not yet folded, likely having just descended from the sky. Hearing the commotion, its pitch-black eyes swiveled, landing on Qi Yan with a bloodthirsty gleam.

It eyed the man beneath it, its beak lunging toward his wounded arm.

Wei Zhen drew her sword and slashed at the vulture’s left wing. It screeched in pain, flapping its wings to take flight, blood dripping from the sky.

A vicious glint flashed in its eyes as it dove down toward them.

Just then, an arrow pierced through its chest, and the vulture plummeted to the ground.

Wei Zhen turned around to see Qi Yan gripping a bow. He let the weapon fall from his hand, clutching his chest as he knelt, lifting his gaze weakly toward her, his eyes distant. “Ah Zhen… Why are you here?”

He looked around at the surroundings. “Where is Nanzhu and the others?”

Wei Zhen said, “Yesterday, you were gravely injured and passed out. I brought you out first.”

Qi Yan’s eyes reddened as he stared at her, struggling to his feet. Despite Wei Zhen’s attempts to stop him, he began limping forward with stubborn determination. When she tried to pull him back, he gently pushed her hand away, his body swaying unsteadily as he continued to limp ahead.

Wei Zhen hurried to catch up, only to see his eyes were bloodshot. “I have to see them. I am their general. No matter what, I should not have left my troops behind…”

“Qi Yan!”

Her voice called out from behind, making the young man halt his steps.

He turned around and saw her dark eyes glistening with tears, gazing at him.

Her hair was disheveled, her body covered in dust and bloodstains.

It was as if he suddenly awoke from a deep dream, his hand brushing over his eyes. “I’m sorry, I just woke up. I wasn’t trying to—”

Tears glistened in his eyes. The girl rushed to him, her red dress throwing itself into his arms, clutching him tightly.

Wei Zhen gripped his shoulders. “I understand.”

Qi Yan’s injured leg gave out, and they both collapsed onto the yellow sand, the scorching sun burning their backs.

His gaze was dim, his hands trembling as he muttered, “It’s my fault. During the battle at the canyon, so many soldiers shouldn’t have died… I killed them…”

Wei Zhen shook her head, feeling a dull ache in her heart as she listened to his words. Tears fell from her eyes one after another. “The Qi army of tens of thousands was nearly annihilated there. You only had so few soldiers, but you did more than enough. You didn’t lose. From the start, it was never your fault. It was Ji Yuan and those treacherous people working from the shadows. You can’t take it all upon yourself…”

Her voice choked as she pressed her forehead against his. “You have to pull yourself together. We will go back together.”

Qi Yan’s face was pale, his disheveled hair hanging down, making him seem both lonely and fragile.

He forced a bitter smile, his voice full of self-mockery. “Can I even go back?”

Wei Zhen looked at his miserable, vulnerable appearance, her heart aching with sorrow. She deeply understood his current state of mind.

He had left full of ambition, standing side by side with those warriors. Now, ambushed and abandoned, he was the only one left.

No one could have foreseen such a tragic outcome.

“Qi Yan, I know you are not someone with a fragile will. If you have nothing left, then you must stand up again…”

“I will stay with you…” Tears shone in her eyes as she held him tightly. “I will always be with you.”

“We will return to Jin together.”

The sand and dust swirled around them, tears falling one by one onto the yellow sand.

The young man looked up at her. She leaned in and kissed his dry lips, her tears falling and moistening their lips.

She whispered softly, “Don’t be afraid. Don’t despair. I will always be with you, no matter where you go…”

His eyes locked onto hers for a long moment. Finally, it seemed he awakened from that darkness. His arms wrapped around her, holding her close.

As if countless words and emotions were all condensed into this embrace.

He cupped her face, lifting his sleeve to wipe away the tears on her cheeks, his eyelashes trembling as he whispered, “Don’t cry anymore, alright? I clearly said I wouldn’t let you be wronged by anyone, but I keep making you cry.”

Wei Zhen knew how much he was suffering inside. Even though he needed an outlet for his emotions, he was still comforting her.

The two of them supported each other as they walked back to the stone wall.

Wei Zhen gathered the scattered belongings on the ground. When she returned, the young man was standing motionless beside the horse, quietly staring at the dusty horizon.

His disheveled hair clung to his face, his armor removed, leaving only a thin undergarment. His arms, already wounded, had reopened from drawing the bow. Blood dripped from his fingertips, staining the earth. Yet he paid no attention to it, his face icy and his body standing rigidly, like a cold, sharp blade.

It was as if the boyishness of the past had peeled away, and something new had emerged from within.

For a moment, Wei Zhen saw a glimpse of the man he would become—the future King of Jin.

Qi Yan heard her approach, concealing the coldness in his expression as he turned around and grasped her hand. “When you came, did you find out how the King is doing?”

Wei Zhen shook her head. “I don’t know. The King and the Qi army are still fighting. You just woke up. Eat something before we set off.”

Qi Yan accepted the piece of flatbread she handed him and raised it to his lips. Just having awakened from a coma, his lips were pale, as if he could collapse at any moment. But he still forced himself to mount the horse. The morning light was soft and faint, coating him in a shattered halo.

Wei Zhen couldn’t help but worry. In his current state, could he really make it out of the desert?

The two of them mounted the horse together. He wrapped his arms around her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder. Wei Zhen looked out at the yellow sand stretching endlessly before them.

She had said she would stay with him and walk side by side. But ahead of them lay the vast, treacherous sea of sand—endless and dangerous.

What awaited them on their journey forward was still unknown.