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Finest Servant Chapter 609
🕑 Added 2023-10-31 09:57:12 +0000 UTCChapter 609 Beauty Never Ages, But Love Is Cut Short
Outside the city, the numbers of the nomads continued to swell, with the Turks converging from all directions. Horses stood shoulder to shoulder, men pressed against men, forming a dark cloud that slowly enveloped the entire plain.
The soldiers of the Great Hua Empire silently gathered together, back to back, slowly shifting their steps to form a tightly-knit circle. Heads held high, blades tightly gripped in hand, their bodies smeared with blood and faces streaked with gunpowder smoke. Facing an enemy force many times their own, not a single person displayed fear; their eyes radiated pride and resolve.
"Lin San, you should surrender. The Turks are not to be trifled with," a noisy voice rang out. Young Prince Zhao Kangning, captured by Xu Zhen, shouted loudly.
Li Wuling dashed over and smacked the young prince hard in the mouth with the hilt of his blade, angrily saying, "You disgraceful cur, selling out your own people for glory. How could Great Hua produce such a scum as you?"
Seeing Zhao Kangning's mouth bleeding and hearing his pig-like squeals, Li Wuling felt an intense satisfaction. Grinning, he said, "Now you understand, we people of Great Hua are not to be messed with either!"
The captured Turkic nobles stared at him, faces full of murderous intent. Salmu even ground his teeth angrily. Right Prince Tursun, who had been knocked senseless by a punch, had yet to regain consciousness; otherwise, he would have certainly lunged at him. Their royal court had been breached, their elites captured; this was unprecedented in Turkic history.
He looked back at the warriors behind him, seeing faces young yet filled with pride and resolve. Everyone silently stared at him, their eyes full of unyielding spirit.
His blood boiling, Lin Wanrong abruptly unsheathed his blade and roared, "The ground beneath Kyzil City will be our final resting place! Brothers, are you afraid?"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!" All Great Hua soldiers brandished their blades, their unified, mournful cries acting as their best response. The emotionally charged and tragic war horns caused the very earth to tremble momentarily.
Lin Wanrong stood tall, his blade at his side, a murderous aura radiating from his dark face. "Good men of Great Hua would rather die standing than live on their knees! Let the downfall of the Turkic royal court be our eternal glory!"
His resonant voice, like the ringing of bells and drums, echoed in everyone's ears, invigorating them. Tear-filled eyes gazed at him; amidst this ocean of nomads, no one harbored illusions of a lucky escape.
A brilliant red sun struggled to rise from the edge of the plains. The gorgeous dawn colored the sky red, illuminating their faces. Countless dark pupils sparkled in the gentle morning light.
Around them, the Turks silently closed in, enveloping them in a circle. From an aerial view, a seemingly endless sea of heads and black horses resembled crawling black dots, forming a slowly moving, immense dark ring. Fifty thousand horses thundered in unison, their roars filling the air like the rolling thunder of spring.
A golden dragon flag fluttered high above; the mere few thousand remaining soldiers of Great Hua stood defiantly at the very center, immovable. The savage expressions on the nomads' faces were clear to see. They advanced steadily, neither hurried nor slow, the breaths of men and horses rustling like silk worms in a spring night.
Separated by several hundred yards, the Turkic warriors gradually came to a halt. In the midst of their formation, a golden tent slowly rose. The Great Khan of the Turks, her back adorned with a golden bow and black arrows, stood on the watchtower, her eyes contemplative and her beautiful face glimmering faintly in the golden light.
"I say this for the last time," Yujia announced emotionlessly, her eyes piercing like lightning. Her crisp voice reverberated across both armies, measured and deliberate, "People of Great Hua, leave Salmu behind, and you may go!"
Silence engulfed the Great Hua formation. More than twenty Turkic nobles, including Salmu, were pushed to the front. Gags filled their mouths and blindfolds covered their eyes. They writhed and struggled as the shimmering edge of a blade danced dangerously close to their necks.
Lin Wanrong's icy voice rang out clearly, "I too will say this one final time. Great Khan, save your cleverness for the forthcoming negotiations. Challenging my patience now is not the act of a wise person!"
Yujia's face grew icy, her eyes downcast, as if absorbing the emptiness of the plains. Except for the soft snorts of the warhorses, a stifling silence enveloped the field, resembling a powder keg ready to explode at any moment.
The sky gradually darkened, the oppressive clouds blotting out the sun. The plains became overcast and a chilly wind began to blow, contrasting the hot weather of late May. Old Gao looked up and sighed, "Seems like it's going to rain."
Lin Wanrong's face was solemn, his eyes emitting sparks of cold light, "Brother Hu, Old Gao, listen carefully. At any moment, if Yujia shows the slightest hesitation, you will lead our men and take Salmu with you. Go immediately! There may only be one chance, do not hesitate! Once we pass Yujia, the plains will be open roads. With Salmu and Tursun in our hands, none of the other tribes would dare lay a finger on you. Understand?"
His gravitas was unlike anything seen in a long while. Hu Bugui, Gao Qiu, quickly saluted, "Your orders will be obeyed!"
Li Wuling thought for a moment and asked, "And what about you, Brother Lin?"
"Me?" Lin Wanrong nodded with a slight smile, "If there's a chance, of course I'll go with you all! You know I'm afraid of dying."
Despite the tension, only General Lin could crack such a joke. Laughter broke out among the men. Only Ning Yuxi, silent as ever, seemed to sense something. She gently grasped his hand; his palm was wet with sweat.
After a prolonged silence, the voice of the Great Khan finally drifted over, "This is a choice you people of Great Hua have made. Blame no one but yourselves. Warriors, prepare to attack!"
"Roar—" The Turkic warriors, silent just moments ago, burst into a wolf-like howl. The curved blades in their hands gleamed menacingly as their horses stamped and whirled, shaking the earth beneath them.
"Brothers, prepare—" Lin Wanrong bellowed.
Every soldier's eyes widened in fury, unsheathing their weapons. A storm of blood and carnage was imminent. Even the usually elegant Fairy Ning couldn't help but tightly grip her longsword.
"Mute. You forced my hand."
"I've only ever pushed myself!" Lin Wanrong retorted.
Golden Blade Great Khan's eyes moistened for an instant, her teeth clenched audibly as she raised her golden blade. Suddenly, with a forceful swing, she shouted, "Warriors, for the glory of the plains—Charge!"
"Charge!" Amidst a tumult that seemed to shake the earth and mountains, countless Turkic war horses stirred up a cloud of dust that immediately enveloped the plains. The nomads surged forth like a wave of sand, howling like a ferocious pack of wolves, rushing towards prey they had long coveted.
"Our blood is the Great Wall of Great Hua! Charge!" The mute roared in fury. His cry and Golden Blade Great Khan's spirited command echoed across the plains simultaneously. Great Hua's people and the Turkic warriors were instantly stirred. Two streams, one large and one small, surged wildly across the grasslands.
Lin Wanrong waved his hand, and Hu Bugui's eyes turned blood-red as he stepped forward. With two swishing sounds, two fountains of blood erupted into the sky. Two headless Turkic nobles thudded to the ground. At the same time, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Great Hua soldiers, their eyes flashing with excitement and grim determination, shot out like a suddenly released net.
In an instant, the two raging currents fiercely collided. A cacophony of blade clashes filled the air, accompanied by the cries of war horses and the wails of soldiers. Misty clouds of blood, like blossoming flowers, dyed the plains red.
In this storm of blood and wind, the elite of Great Hua and the Turks finally faced off in a most brutal confrontation.
This was an asymmetric battle. Facing an enemy ten times their size, survival was no longer a consideration. Killing one was a gain. In this desperate situation, with a resolve to die, all the Great Hua soldiers erupted with enormous energy, taking on ten enemies each, bravely and fiercely. Young bodies fell one after another, but beside them lay countless nomads.
Blood clouded their vision; hatred blanketed the plains. Fire and blood were everywhere.
Golden Blade Great Khan swung her blade rapidly; her attacks were like a tidal wave, relentless. Endless nomads threw themselves into the fight, seemingly cropping up from the earth itself. They aimed to crush Great Hua with their overwhelming force.
Amid the boundless slaughter, soldiers from both sides kept falling. The Great Hua people lost a man each time one fell, but the nomads seemed like an endless tide, quickly washing away the prior bloodstains and attacking anew.
Golden Blade Great Khan unleashed three waves of continuous attacks without pause. Hu Bugui, his face smeared with blood, had already non-stop beheaded eight prisoners. Eight bloody heads lay scattered at his feet. Not only was Zhao Kangning pale with fear, but the Young Khan was also ashen-faced, his lips trembling incessantly.
These were the elites of the Turkic people, whom anyone would hesitate to provoke. Yet, Golden Blade Great Khan commanded her troops in a frenzied rush, hacking and killing, not even furrowing her brow.
As the Great Khan of the Turkic people, Golden Blade Great Khan couldn't possibly ignore the sentiments of her tribes and recklessly turn all these Turkic nobles into souls under Great Hua blades—especially when among them was her own younger brother, the future lord of the plains.
This was a ruthless tactic, and also a gamble. With each wave of her attack, Great Hua would show no mercy in killing the captives. What Golden Blade Great Khan was betting on was that she was more ruthless than the Great Hua people, aiming to force them into collapse first! Only then would she have the chance to save Salmu.
Though Yujia held an overwhelming advantage, the pressure in her heart far exceeded that of the people of Great Hua. This was a contest neither side could afford to lose.
Hu Bugui had fewer and fewer captives left in his hands; the remaining ten or so were made to kneel one by one on the grass, including Salmu. Looking at the Young Khan shivering in the wind, the Great Khan's face turned pale and her body trembled uncontrollably. The mute’s eyes were bloodshot, and he felt a sensation of suffocation, as if his heart was about to shatter.
"Charge!" Amidst a sky filled with the glow of blood, the two looked at each other. Tears were clearly visible in both their eyes, but suddenly, like two barrels of gunpowder, they exploded in unison. Two roars shook the heavens and the earth. Their steeds, like lightning, tore across the plains as both commanders, as if mad, roared and charged at each other. In that moment, only the cries of battle could make them forget everything else.
Countless people from the Turkic tribes and Great Hua followed behind them, with dust and firelight blending into one on the grasslands. Blades clashed, and a mist of blood filled the air. The green grass was no longer visible; all one could see was red. Everywhere there were people. One could hear Yueya'er's furious roars but could not see where she was.
Lin Wanrong's eyes were wide open; his sword moved faster with each swing, as more and more enemy soldiers fell beside him. His arms were already numb.
"Ah!" Gao Qiu, following behind him, grunted as an arrow struck his shoulder, blood flowing freely. Xu Zhen's arm was also injured, and the youngest, Li Wuling, stayed close to protect them both. Their blades had become chipped from the fighting.
The mute fiercely thrust his blade deep into the body of an opposing soldier, watching him fall with a cry of agony. His vision was completely enveloped in red, his eyes blurred, and his mind numb. At that moment, no one could be clear-headed.
"Thief!" Fairy Ning had just defeated the enemies around her and looked up to see a mountain-like horde of soldiers closing in on the thief, surrounded by the cold gleam of Turkic blades. She shouted in urgency, her body shooting forward like a whip, her sword drawing two streaks of lightning in the air.
With a thunderous noise, dozens of enemy soldiers and horses were sent flying. Limbs scattered through the air. Ning Yuxi's face was pale; she landed beside him, panting heavily, "Thief, how are you?"
"I'm fine," Lin Wanrong took a deep breath, shook his head to wipe the blood from his face, and grinned, "Yueya'er is fierce, almost catching up to me. Sister, I'm afraid we're really going to die here!"
Tears shimmered in the Fairy's eyes as she wiped the blood from his forehead, speaking softly, "Don't worry, you're my thief. We'll face life and death together."
"Kill that demoness! Kill her!" The Golden Blade Great Khan had boundless fury in her eyes, her teeth grinding with a creaking sound as she waved her golden blade, pointing at Ning Yuxi.
The blades glinted coldly as countless enemy soldiers closed in on Fairy Ning.
With a sharp cry, Ning Yuxi leaped into the air, her long sword dancing swiftly, leaving several streaks of silver light. The cold wind was as fast as lightning, stirring up dust and spraying blood everywhere. Countless enemy soldiers were decapitated.
However, the Turkic forces were endless, too numerous to count. A boundless volley of arrows, filled with mournful whistles, aimed at the airborne Fairy and shot towards her. The sounds of blades and wind mixed together; rivers of blood flowed.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!" Hu Bugui's eyes were wide open with fervor as he charged into the crowd of captives. His blade moved like lightning, not even blinking as he cut down four men in one swift motion, their blood splattering and blurring his vision.
The youngest captive, merely a child of five or six, was roughly pinned to the ground by the fierce men of the Great Hua. He struggled and trembled, his faint whimpers barely audible. It didn't matter whose son he was; before the bloody blade, his fear was a natural response he couldn't suppress.
Staring at Hu Bugui's blood-dripping curved blade, Yujia trembled violently. Her face turned deathly pale, and her teeth sank deep into her red lips, causing a slow trickle of blood to ooze out.
"Salmu—" Her long eyelashes quivered slightly as tears began to flow. She stood still, and the momentum of the attackers suddenly weakened.
Upon hearing her call, Lin Wanrong lifted his head. In Yujia's tearful eyes, he saw heartbreaking vulnerability and indecision flash past like a bolt of lightning. His heart tightened, and he had to resist the urge to turn away. But such a rare opportunity couldn't be missed. Summoning his strength, he yelled, "Old Hu, Old Gao, let’s go, quick!"
He cleaved through the men around him, and though their onslaught lessened, the crowd enveloped him like a swarm of ants. Protected by a Fairy Sister by his side, who skillfully wielded her sword, her cheeks were drenched in sweat that clung to her veil.
"General, let's go together!" Gao Qiu and a few others hacked their way through the surrounding men and gathered hastily, shouting vigorously.
Looking at Salmu, then back at the blood-soaked men of Great Hua, Yujia's eyes flickered erratically as she clenched her teeth. Opportunities like this came rarely in a lifetime; missing it meant never getting it back. ‘Farewell, Yujia,’ he thought.
Lin Wanrong grabbed Ning Yuxi's hand and shouted, "Sister, let’s go quickly!"
All the Great Hua soldiers turned their horses around and bolted, braving a rain of arrows. Salmu's small body struggled continuously in Hu Bugui's grip. Yujia's eyes were moist, her hand gripping her blade was slightly trembling, uncertain whether to raise it or lower it.
Without orders from their Great Khan, the attackers were bewildered and their attack weakened. In an instant, the men of Great Hua broke through, carving a bloody path.
Leading the charge, Hu Bugui broke through the encircling enemies like a surging dragon, rushing out and leaving no room for anyone to stop their journey home.
Trailing at the end and under a thick barrage of arrows that shot towards them like a swarm of locusts, they may have been fleeing in a disheveled manner, but their spirits had considerably lightened. As they galloped side by side, Lin Wanrong, panting, said, "Fairy Sister, we're finally going home!"
Ning Yuxi nodded slightly but couldn't hold back a violent cough. Her face turned pale, and a faint thread of blood oozed from the corner of her mouth. It was a shocking sight against her radiant skin.
"Sister!" Lin Wanrong was horrified and reached out to her, ignoring the dense rain of arrows behind them.
The Fairy had been running around for days, her old illness still not fully recovered. Today, she had fought through armies to save him, expending a great deal of energy and leaving her utterly exhausted. Her face was ashen as she looked at the thief and faintly smiled. "I'm alright, just a bit drained. Thief, I have an uneasy feeling, as if someone is following us. I fear today's events are not yet over. Could it be that heaven really wants to punish me?"
Tears welled up in the thief's eyes as he exclaimed, "No, we're going home right away. Any punishment should fall on me, not on you!"
The Fairy gently shook her head, about to speak, when suddenly she felt a surge behind her. The sound of hooves thundered like spring thunder, intensifying instantly. Leading the charge was the Golden Blade Great Khan, bow in hand, her eyes cold yet resolute, fresh tear stains on her cheeks.
With this exertion, the Turkic archers increased their arrow fire dramatically, like a driving cold rain. The Turkic horses were far superior to those of the Great Hua soldiers. They pursued from all sides, aiming to close the encircling trap. Screams filled the air as Great Hua soldiers at the rear fell from their horses, reducing their numbers by fifty to sixty in an instant.
Lin Wanrong's eyes were bloodshot. With a backward slash, he cut down a pursuing Turkic soldier, but their numbers were massive and their horses superior. In a moment, hundreds had overtaken him, threatening to close the circle they had just broken through.
"General Lin!" Hu Bugui and others at the front were alarmed and were about to turn back to help.
"No!" Lin Wanrong leaped up, decapitating a Turkic warrior beside him and roared, "Brother Hu, go! Take Salmu back! Disobey, and you die!"
"General!" Hu Bugui let out a furious roar, his eyes blood-red.
"Kill!" As the Turkic numbers continued to grow, and the encirclement was about to close, Ning Yuxi suddenly leaped into the air. She mustered all her strength, and her long sword split into two, emitting two rays of sharp light, like the most dazzling rainbows.
This attack was the culmination of her entire power. Dust flew, blood splattered, and hundreds of Turkic soldiers were decapitated, sent flying. In that brief moment, she had bought precious time for the Great Hua soldiers. The five to six hundred soldiers at the rear broke through the crumbling encirclement and charged out.
"Witch, I'll kill you!" A shout rang out, and an ink arrow, with a chilling scream, flew at an incredible speed towards Fairy Ning's chest.
That last attack had almost depleted all of Ning Yuxi's strength. Faced with this formidable arrow, enhanced by Yujia's expert archery, who could stop it?
Fairy Ning's face flushed red. She dodged to the side like a willow in the wind, deflecting the arrow with her palm. The ink arrow narrowly missed, whistling past with a gust of wind.
Before she could catch her breath, another ink arrow suddenly appeared at the feather end of the first, its speed even faster, momentum even greater than before.
Two Stars Chasing the Moon! The Great Khan's signature technique!
Gritting her teeth, Fairy Ning let out a furious but delicate cry. With her hands together, she managed to push the arrow upward in the nick of time. The ink arrow skimmed past her ear, its wind like a knife, severing a few strands of her hair.
"Sister, be careful!" No sooner had the words left his mouth than the tail of the second arrow launched a miraculous third. The dark, sturdy arrowhead spun rapidly, buzzing as if it were a top in flight—swift as a wisp of smoke, shooting straight toward her chest. The arrow's speed and force were almost ethereal, leaving no trace to follow.
Ning Yuxi's hands had not yet retracted, and her chest was completely unprotected. How could she possibly block this earth-shattering arrow?
‘Is this my punishment?’ A tragic smile flickered in her eyes as she looked longingly at Lin Wanrong, only to feel as though she had crashed into a boulder and was sent flying sideways.
"Thud!" The sound of the arrow piercing flesh and shattering bone was clear. Even amidst thousands of soldiers, the noise sounded as if it were right next to one's ear. Yujia glanced over, and her eyes widened in shock, her gaze turning vacant.
"Why, why..." Her eyes were hollow, her lips trembling as she muttered to herself.
Endless blood gushed from the mute man's chest, blooming like a bright red rose. And yet, he was smiling.
"Snap!" The beautiful Golden Blade Great Khan's bowstring, along with her heart, shattered. She collapsed to the ground like a withered leaf, her eyes vacant, her soul departing in an instant.
Lin Wanrong's eyes were wide open, his steps erratic, but he stood his ground, refusing to step back. Uncontrollable blood poured from his nostrils, ears, eyes, and mouth, dripping onto his chest, shoulders, abdomen, and thighs. In an instant, he was covered in blood.
The trembling ink arrow was deeply embedded in his chest; its golden feathers were as beautiful as the face of Yueya’er flickering before his eyes.
He clenched his teeth, standing steadfast, never once retreating.
The unparalleled triple-arrow combo! Yujia had concealed that crucial third arrow from everyone! Its might was earth-shattering, able to pierce metal and shatter stone. She was truly the pride of the grasslands!
"General Lin—"
"Brother Lin—"
Hu Bugui and Gao Qiu turned their horses around, yelling and crying, tears flowing like rain. They spurred their horses, ready to rush back, but heard General Lin's roar: "Go—go now—"
"General—"
"Old Hu, have you forgotten my words?! Go, go now—ugh—" Lin Wanrong tried to close his mouth, but blood poured out like a torrential rainstorm, flowing from his ears, nose, and mouth.
"Ah—ah—" Gao Qiu pounded his chest and stomped his feet, the thumping sounded like a drumbeat, and all the soldiers from Great Hua broke into tears.
"Go, everyone follow me and go, no one is allowed to look back!" Hu Bugui pursed his lips solemnly, bowing deeply toward General Lin, then turned his horse and sped away, his tears and sweat streaming down together. Countless soldiers from Great Hua followed him, their tears falling like rain.
"Thief—" Ning Yuxi woke as if from a dream and threw herself at him, her tears like a burst dam. She hugged him tightly, touching his face, his hair.
Blood, so much blood! The thief's blood!
"Sister, I've told you," he gasped for breath but was smiling, his eyes filled with tenderness as blood rained down. "All the punishment, I'll take it alone. It has nothing to do with you. This arrow is my repayment to Yueya’er. Now, I owe her nothing, and I'm very happy."
"Thief," the Fairy's tears flowed like a fountain as she clung tightly to him, her cheek pressed against his chest. She allowed the endless blood to stain her hair and face.
The thief's eyes gradually lost focus, his palms icy as snow. Suddenly, he widened his eyes: "Sister, I want to go home. Mom is calling me—"
His hand abruptly stopped in mid-air, and he spoke no more.
The Fairy felt as if her heart had stopped. Gently, she closed his unseeing eyes, wiped the tears from his cheeks, and lightly kissed his cold lips. "Thief, let's go home."
Li Wuling, who was running at full speed, was biting his lip to hold back tears when he suddenly felt a chill behind his ears. Reaching up, he was shocked: "Look, look—"
"Look at what?!" Hu Bugui, wiping his eyes, shouted angrily.
Little Li was horrified: "It's, it's, it's snowing!"
"Bullshit! Snow in late May—” Before he could finish, he too felt the icy chill. Looking up, he found that the sun had disappeared, and a howling wind had begun to sweep across the plains. The sky was filled with dark clouds. Willow seeds gently swayed in the air, softly falling and gradually covering everyone's vision. The snowflakes were crystal clear, as if made of water.
"It's snowing, it's snowing, it’s goddamn snowing—" Hu Bugui screamed through his tears, and everyone else broke down in loud sobs.
Feather-like heavy snow fell continuously, striking faces and hair, landing on the plains and merging with the red bloodstains.
Snow in late May—a phenomenon that was rarely seen even in a hundred years. The sight shocked everyone. The Turkic people widened their eyes, knelt down, and prayed to the heavens.
Yujia sat quietly in the middle of the plain, her eyes half-closed, neither speaking nor crying, completely silent. Flakes of snow danced around, slowly landing on her smooth black hair, as if adorning her with a beautiful small flower.
In the midst of the falling snow, her beautiful, jade-like temples seemed to be stained by a few snowflakes. At first faint, they gradually grew more noticeable. Bit by bit, speck by speck, the color began to mottle, until it was as white as snow, her temples tinged with the frost of autumn...
