A bang quivered land and stirred up dust. Fire and smoke flared in the center of drilling ground.

I was dumbfounded by the bang. Having realized what happened, I blurted with shock, “Yu Zhang King.”

The situation changed so quickly. Cloud of smoke and dust covered the ground under the terrace. Nothing was discerned. Clamor and neigh mixed.

The place where General Xu Shou reined to stand just now was blown into a deep pit!

As the soldiers in black armors were protected by thick shields, though the explosion blew some down, casualty was low. Only Xu Shou riding his horse, as well as his guardians, was in the position of the pit. I was afraid that his body was broken into pieces.

A man alive just now disappeared thus before me.

As the bang deafened me, my brain was blank. Horribleness and shock mixed in my mind and cold sweat penetrated my clothes.

When I trembled and buckled, I saw a black flag of chief general rising aloft in smoke from left-wing troops.

The flag fluttered windward. A black steed jumped out, on which Xiao Qi rode. He pulled out his sword that flashed like lightning breaking the sky.

The flash ignited my excitement.

The uncommon excitement suddenly made me crazy.

“To Chahan, assassinate him!” With a snort, Helan Zhen looked back to order his underling.

“Yes!” A underling took his order and left.

“Wait a moment.” The bearded man cut in. “Young master. The bastard already prepares for it. I am afraid that someone leaked it!”

“So what?” Helan Zhen tightened his hand that clenched my shoulder; I immediately felt so painful.

Biting my lips, I endured it with silence.

The bearded man was worried to persuade him. “Now the situation is bad. Please order us to retreat quickly.”

“I, Helan Zhen, don't know the word of retreat in my lifetime.” He said with loud laughter and ferocity, “Xiao Qi, today I and you die together!”

His dare-to-die squad said in unison behind him, “We are willing to die with young master!”

Standing stiff, the bearded man had eye contact with Helan Zhen for a moment. Eventually he sighed and bowed, pressing down his sword. “I would like to follow you.”

The horn in the ground sounded low and grave.

Xiao Qi's august and calm voice penetrated through the clamor and fluster to the distance. “Gangsters assassinated the envoy and try to disturb our border. They should be killed!” Comforted by his voice, the soldiers at the ground became composed soon.

Xiao Qi was seen to wield sword and ride on horse. He shouted, “All soldiers and generals follow my orders. Blockade the surroundings. When meet the gangsters, not spare and kill them.”

After transient silence, all shouted in unison, “Kill them--”

The shouts sounded like thunder and their sabers were pulled out.

The situation changed transiently.

A spark with whistle sound came at Xiao Qi. He reined to retreat. The spark hit ground and exploded like thunder. The slab on ground broke and flew around. At same time, a few black figures like ghosts jumped out of the surrounding soldiers.

Sabers sparkling, a black figure leapt up and threw a white thing at Xiao Qi. Cloud of lime powder overspread his surroundings. Respectively from left and right, two persons rolled to his horse. They wielded sabers to cut horse hooves.

In the cloud of lime, spears, swords and sabers glittered to slash. A volley of the weapons attacked Xiao Qi who on horse held his sword.

These took place in a blink.

However, a shield wall moved quicker. Black iron shields glistened and loomed as if they fell from the sky.

Five guardians in thick armors jumped out of the chaos, quickly as lightning. Long sabers in hands, they pieced together their shields in front of Xiao Qi's horse. The shields like an invulnerable wall resisted the first round of the attacks.

Be resisted, the six assassins changed their formation to break out of an encirclement.

All of Xiao Qi's guardians shouted at and encircled the assassins to fight.

Abruptly a long neigh resounded to the sky. Xiao Qi spurred horse to run out of the encirclement.

Two of the six assassins whistled and jumped out to chase him. The other assassins closely fought against the guardian. The assassins were so desperate to stop the guardian, so the two assassins were set free to chase.

The two flanked Xiao Qi. They tried to spear Xiao Qi down.

How did death befall; nobody could see it.

A flash shone in the ground and flew high.

Assassins’ spears made victim's blood splash three feet while the general's sword made a kingdom bleed!

Xiao Qi slashes them in a blink. He on horse leapt over, cloak billowing and sword glistening.

At the place where they fought, a show of blood rain fell. The two assassins fell down, being beheaded.

The cloud of lime did not clear away yet. The white powder was stained with blood, drifting in air and falling in red and white on ground.

Ambush, confrontation, sortie, counterattack, killing assassins, these took place transiently.

“Consort of Yu Zhang King is here. Freeze!”

The shout broke out from the beacon terrace in south of the ground and shocked the troops.

I was astonished and recollected Xiao Ye who had been disguised as me before entering the camp. With worry I turned my sight to the beacon terrace. There was indeed a woman in red bound on the terrace, behind who two men laid sabers on her neck.

Fake consort was a real trap. She was poisonous bait.

The soldiers already hold their weapons for fighting. When they heard the coercion, they were confused in clamor and looked in unison at Xiao Qi.

The man on the terrace shouted, “Bastard Xiao Qi, if you want to keep your consort alive, you come alone to duel with me!”

Troops like tide flowed to besiege the beacon terrace. A passage was left to reach Xiao Qi.

He reined to stop, giving laughter. “Leave the consort. I spare you as a full corpse.”

His voice was composed and killing-intensive.

The man on the terrace screamed and laughed. “I kill your wife before you killed me.”

I could not help shout, “Don't --”

As soon as I shout, Helan Zhen gave a quick pinch on my cheeks.

“What do you want to say?” He whispered coercively beside me. “What is your don't? Don't save her? Too bad, you are here. He can't hear; even you shout at your best.”

He smiled. “However, I wonder about the fact: he is willing to risk his life to save 'you', or not.”

I turned my head and bit his hand.

Pained, he slapped me.

I blacked out and tasted blood in my mouth. As I buckled, he held me.

“Look, he really goes and save you...”His ghost-like voice floated into my ears.

I was still in unconsciousness and darkness while I felt both sadness and happiness.

I didn't want him to fall in the trap of saving the fake consort. However he rushed to save... Bitter warmth gushed out from my heart.

Xiao Qi alone gallops his horse to reach the front of the terrace. The assassins on the terrace aimed their arrows at him.

However he reins to stop and shouted “Move!”

The troops which he was flanked with burst in sudden roar.

Five lines of soldiers moved their shields to make a wall before him. Volleys of big stones were shot at four corners of the terrace. Stones smashed all assassins, who uttered painful cries. The catapults had been set. It meant that Xiao Qi had known their scheme and laid trap for them. Archers who laid in ambush on terrace corners were shot by the stones and fell down. On ground, they died from falling or being killed.

I closed eyes immediately.

The stones, which flew before me, were dangerous. Death of the “consort” on the terrace was unknown. Xiao Qi eventually acted. He pulled out his sword and pointed at the terrace. He order aloud, “Attack and occupy! Kill without sparing!”

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The order horrified me for it was resolute and brutal.

What a Yu Zhang King, what a man. He would rather lose his wife than be coerced by his enemy... However what if I was on the terrace. If I were there, are you so resolute and brutal as such?

“Sadly, he doesn't care you...” Helan Zhen was full of hatred while he smiled malicious. He raised my head to force me to look ahead. “Clearly he doesn't care but have to save you. After all you are his prawn to win over the aristocrat. You are still very useful. He doesn't want to give up you. No worry!”

His each word stabbed my heart while I realized that what he said was true.

I was a so important but just a pawn. My death or wound was not so important.

Tear blurred my sight. I blinked it back. Now the troop formations were changed. Soldiers put up scaling ladder on left and right side of the terrace. Shooting arrows, they covered the soldiers of crack team to climb up. The crack team was disciplined well, bold and experienced. Helan's dare-to-die squad resisted them desperately. They retreated in defeat, being killed one by one.

The fake consort was held to the center of the terrace. The man holding her shouted, “The consort is here. Xiao Qi, if you dare...”

His voice broke off.

An arrow with white feather pierced his throat.

Xiao Qi's arrow missed nothing.

He was proud on horse, bowstring still vibrating.

Having closed my eyes, I felt sad slightly.

I recollected scene of the feasting army, in which he had been distant too and his black helmet with whit feather atop and his heroic figure conjured up my memory. The past and present scenes overlaid at this moment. Wild wind messed my hair and I stirred up an undescribable feeling.

All the members of the dare-to-die squad were killed.

The troops cheered. The soldiers who had occupied the terrace carefully took the “consort” down.

Xiao Qi returned sword into case and galloped forwards.

This time he was alone without attendants; just a side-general followed him.

Behind me, Helan Zhen caught his breath abruptly and clenched my throat.

I opened mouth in vain, uttering nothing. A surprise shout was throttled.

No. Xiao Qi. It was not me!

At that moment, I recalled a sad thing: Xiao Qi did not recognize me as he had not glimpsed me yet.

The soldiers held the “consort” to Xiao Qi; she was near him.

Xiao Qi reined to stop. The consort struggled off to walk to him, skirt and hair fluttering in wind.

She raised head and an arm.

Meantime, the side-general in silver armor behind him leapt ahead and wielded his spear with a red fringe to clang in the air. His spear intercepted a flying thing. The wounded consort leapt like a deft hare. From her sleeve, she shot a glittering thing.

“She is not the consort!” The side-general shouted to warn him, leaning sideways to shun the sleeve arrow. At same time he speared her.

The guardians around them repelled the fake consort far from him.

“Keep her alive!” Rushing before her, Xiao Qi asked in serious tone, “Where is the consort?”

My heart almost jumped out as I could not struggle off to shout.

A shriek of laughter came along. “My mission is not completed. Young master. Beg your pardon.”

Uttering the last word, Xiao Ye reduced to silence. She seemed to commit suicide.

“Stupid!” It surprised me that Helan Zhen was calm and indifferent to her death.

Before I watched what happen next, my body was dragged by Helan Zhen onto his horse. He held me tight before him.

His horse neighed and galloped out of the nook to the drilling ground where Xiao Qi stayed.

I was startled when horse neighed and wind whistled.

In morning twilight, armors glittered and spears were held dense and tidy, which looked like black-iron tide before me.

In the center of the tide, Xiao Qi's god-like figure was drawing closer in the twilight.

Over the tide of thousands people and the abyss of death, his passionate gaze met mine.

I could not see his face under helmet while his gaze was branded on my memory.

Before me the formations combined at once: cavalries and infantries stood behind thick shields and their spear stuck out. With their shouts in unison, they besieged us.

Thousands of arrows were aimed from all directions at me and Helan Zhen. Arrows on bowstrings and sabers in hands, these weapons glitters with killing light. I and Helan Zhen could be killed immediately.

Xiao Qi raised his hand and all clamors were gone.

Helan Zhen's hand that throttled me began quivering and sweating. His grip tightened a little.

I smiled as he was nervous. At this moment, I was his only stake. He lost half as he felt fear.

“Yu Zhang King, hope that you are well.” Helan Zhen smiled gracefully.

“Helan Prince, Long time no to see.” With loud laughter, Xiao Qi's glance moved over Helan Zhen to me.

His glance showed that he totally looked down on him.

Helan Zhen's cold hand stroked my cheek and smiled at Xiao Qi. “Look, who do I bright to you?”

Xiao Qi's smile faded and his eyes got full of ferocity.

“It has been long time. Don't you recognize her?” Smiling maliciously, he pinched my chip.

I bit my lips and stared at Xiao Qi. Apparently I wanted to watch him clearly but tear dimmed my eyes.

After three years, our first meeting was unexpectedly on such occasion.

At this moment, what did he regard me as consort, wife or pawn? Maybe, these were neglected.

His transient decision made or marred me.

Thinking of this, I got calm and free, fearing nothing.

Our eye contact seemed to communicate so much but eventually we both were silent to face each other. Our silence irritated Helan Zhen much.

He flicked his wrist to pull out a sharp dagger and laid it on my neck.

As he threatened them with the dagger, archers behind Xiao Qi drew their bow sting to the full.

“General!” The side-general in silver armor gave a surprise shout and tried to continue. However Xiao Qi raised hand to stop him.

Xiao Qi's gaze was profound, which made me feel odd. It was like a feeling that when sunshine of summer noon beat down on face so blazing that your eyes could not open and you felt satisfied and succumbed.

I closed my eyes as if I was indeed scalded by the sun, and sighed with smile.

Forgot it. Life and death were decreed by fate. What I could do was to be composed to confront death; thus I lived up to my clan.

“What do you want?” Xiao Qi asked with calm voice which I heard like thunder.

The question meant that he was coerced by Helan Zhen and had to negotiate with him.

Helan Zhen roared with laughter. “Nice, what a couple of hero and belle!”

I could not blink back my tears.

“First, open the south gate to let my people leave, and your troops don't chase them.” Keep laughing with ultimate joy, he went on. “Second, if you want your woman, you are alone to fight me. If you win, I don't hurt her a little.”

Xiao Qi sneered. “That's all?”

“Yes, it is a deal!” Helan Zhen snorted and shook his rein to take steps back. Again, he held me tight.

Before the troops and under gazes, Xiao Qi spurred horse out of troop formations. His black helmet with a white feather atop was eye-catching and his cloak billowed in wind.

He raised right hand slow and gave an order -- “Open the south gate.”

Beyond the gate was forest on steep mountains. Once Helan's people fled inside, it was hard to chase.

Helan Zhen kept his dagger on my neck and held me before him. With his people, he reined to retreat to the gate.

The gate squeaked to open.

With cold dagger blade on my neck, I looked back to have profound eye contact with Xiao Qi. My heart throbbed with tenderness at this deathly moment. Due to a hurry glance before leaving, I could not see his expression clearly, and Helan Zhen already turned and galloped ahead to a path on the mountains.