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Chapter 40
“Ah Qiao!”
Xu Lianqiao lay on the ground, tightly shielding the little girl beneath her.
With her eyes shut tightly, she seemed to hear Brother Ning calling her at that critical moment.
At this moment, Xu Lianqiao thought she must look utterly embarrassed.
She gritted her teeth and braced herself to be stabbed. She hoped the strike would be light and prayed it would only happen once. She was terrified of pain and even more afraid of death.
It was hard for someone like her to imagine how anyone could be so cruel to people like them.
She silently vowed that if she survived this ordeal, she would stop being lazy. She’d go to bed early, wake up early, and live her life diligently. She even resolved to give up eating meat and commit to a vegetarian diet.
The more she thought, the more frightened she became. She truly didn’t want to die like this.
She started feeling cold all over and instinctively held the child closer. She silently counted, “One, two, three…”
However, even after she counted to ten, the pain she feared never arrived.
She forced herself to focus and realized the sound of clashing weapons had stopped.
“Ah Qiao.”
Ning Yuan called her again, and Xu Lianqiao finally came to her senses.
“Ah Qiao, it’s okay.”
“Ah Qiao, are you hurt?”
Ning Yuan comforted her and reassured himself at the same time.
“They’re all dead.”
“Don’t be afraid, Ah Qiao.”
Ning Yuan knelt down partially, placing his hand on Xu Lianqiao’s shoulder.
Gradually, Xu Lianqiao’s tense body began to relax.
It wasn’t an auditory hallucination—Brother Ning had really called her.
She didn’t have to die… This was her first thought.
Her second thought was that it might be a bit premature to swear off meat entirely.
“Brother Ning.”
She called softly, testing his reaction.
“I’m here.”
“It’s okay now.”
Xu Lianqiao lifted her head and sat up, gripping his hand. Her heart was still pounding, and the fear hadn’t completely subsided. She had been terrified.
As she stood up, she accidentally caught sight of a corpse lying beside her—so close to her…
“Don’t look, Ah Qiao.”
Ning Yuan pulled her away gently, helping her stand while offering comforting words.
Xu Lianqiao nodded and sniffled, looking pitiable.
“My… legs feel weak.”
When she tried to stand properly, she realized her legs wouldn’t support her.
“It’s my fault, Ah Qiao. Don’t be afraid.”
Ning Yuan blamed himself for not protecting her better.
Xu Lianqiao lowered her gaze to the baby, oblivious to the chaos, and felt a lingering fear. Her anger flared as she thought of Li Ming.
How could he, as a father, abandon his own child to save himself?
He reminded her of her own father—selfish and infuriating.
“Ah Qiao, don’t leave.”
Ning Yuan tugged at her sleeve. It was then Xu Lianqiao noticed that his voice sounded faint and breathless.
She looked down and saw a streak of red on her beige sleeve.
The child wasn’t hurt, nor was she…
It must be Brother Ning…
When Ning Yuan rushed over to shield Xu Lianqiao earlier, he exposed his back to the enemy, allowing an arrow to strike him in the waist and abdomen.
“Brother Ning…”
Xu Lianqiao panicked, realizing he was injured because he was protecting her.
“I’m fine. Don’t worry, Ah Qiao,” he said weakly.
But how could she not worry? There was so much blood—she had never seen anyone bleed so heavily before.
Xu Lianqiao nervously examined Ning Yuan’s pale face. His lips were bloodless.
For the first time, she saw him looking so fragile.
Ning Yuan could no longer hold on. He leaned against Xu Lianqiao before slowly sinking to his knees.
“Stop cleaning up!” Xu Lianqiao shouted to the others still dealing with the corpses nearby. “Your general is injured!”
“Come over here! Hurry!” she called out, her voice trembling with panic.
Ning Yuan’s breathing grew fainter, but she could barely make out his words: “Don’t be afraid.”
How could she not be afraid? She was more terrified than ever.
She could feel his body temperature dropping as he leaned against her. Only the hot blood flowing from the arrow wound in his back reminded her of his life slipping away.
“It’s okay, Ah Qiao, don’t scare yourself,” Ning Yuan murmured, his voice barely audible.
“Ah Qiao, don’t cry.”
“I can’t bear to see it.”
The more he spoke, the more Xu Lianqiao wanted to cry.
“Come here!”
Although the others arrived quickly, it felt like an eternity to Xu Lianqiao.
Time seemed to stop as she watched his blood flow endlessly…
_
Xu Lianqiao was a woman and lacked the strength to help Ning Yuan onto the horse. Moreover, Ning Yuan was unconscious. Left with no choice, she carefully handed him over to Yang Pingwei, who helped him mount the horse.
“Leave me behind. Take Brother Ning to the physician quickly,” Xu Lianqiao said through her tears, wiping them away with her sleeves. She knew she rode too slowly and didn’t want to delay Ning Yuan’s treatment.
Yang Pingwei remained composed under pressure, moving with the precision of a trained soldier. He took the general away to safety, leaving others to clean up the situation.
Someone later approached her. “Brother Ning will be alright, won’t he?” she asked anxiously, seeking reassurance like a child in need of comfort.
“Don’t worry, miss. The general is strong and will pull through,” the man reassured her, although Ning Yuan’s injuries were severe.
Xu Lianqiao wiped her face again, blaming herself. If she had done better, Ning Yuan wouldn’t have been hurt. She felt utterly useless.
_
Once everything was settled, Xu Lianqiao joined the others as they left. She looked back at the empty space they had fought in, now returned to its usual state. Yet, she couldn’t forget how much blood had been spilled there.
Along the way, Xu Lianqiao was distracted, only realizing later they hadn’t returned to the inn. Instead, they arrived at a secluded house on the outskirts of the city.
“The general is injured. Staying in a crowded inn isn’t suitable,” someone explained.
“Oh,” Xu Lianqiao replied quietly. It didn’t matter where they were as long as Ning Yuan was safe.
“Miss, this way,” someone said, noticing her worry. They led her to the room where Ning Yuan was being treated.
Even before entering, Xu Lianqiao could smell blood—Ning Yuan’s blood. She wanted to go inside but hesitated. People were moving in and out, bringing medical supplies. She feared her presence would hinder the physician’s work, so she stood uncertainly in the yard.
Panic gripped her heart. She regretted so many things: swearing never to eat meat again, losing her temper at Ning Yuan that morning. If she could take it all back, she would.
“Miss, you should clean up and change your clothes,” Yang Pingwei said, standing before her.
Grasping at hope, she asked, “How is Brother Ning?”
“The physician is still treating him,” came the uncertain reply, making her heart tremble. Her fingers were icy cold.
_
“Brother Ning will be fine, right?”
“He’s so powerful. He’s the King of Zhenbei, the invincible King of Zhenbei.”
But as Xu Lianqiao spoke, her voice gradually became softer.
How could it be okay…
Brother Ning is still human. He can be injured and bleed like anyone else.
Everything seemed to slow down…
It felt like a dream.
After a long wait, someone finally came out of the house.
Yang Pingwei stepped forward and asked, “Physician, how is he?”
The physician, who looked to be about fifty years old, wiped his damp hands.
“The bleeding has stopped,” he replied.
Xu Lianqiao’s worry deepened.
“But I can’t say when he’ll wake up.”
Her heart sank again.
Xu Lianqiao’s entire body weakened. Her vision blurred as she felt herself falling into a bottomless abyss. She kept falling…
_
Ning Yuan had a long dream.
At first, he saw himself as a child, standing alone on a cliff. Everything around him was gray.
A thick fog continued to rise.
He ran forward, trying to escape, but no matter how hard he ran, he couldn’t get out.
Exhausted, he stopped and lay down on the cold ground.
Then, suddenly, someone appeared beside him.
A girl’s voice called him “Big Brother” in a sweet tone. Her smile was as bright and warm as early spring sunlight.
Her warmth dispelled all the fog around him, allowing sunlight to reach him for the first time.
But in the blink of an eye, heavy rain began to pour. The overwhelming force seemed ready to tear them apart.
He clung to her hand with all his strength, but he couldn’t hold on.
The sunlight was gone, leaving him surrounded by an even darker and wetter storm.
For a moment, he wanted to give up entirely.
“Don’t die, please. Don’t leave me.”
“What will I do if you’re gone?”
“Wake up! If you don’t wake up, I won’t speak to you ever again!”
“Aren’t you supposed to be so powerful? You can do anything, can’t you?”
“Ah, you always go back on your word!”
Her cries pulled him back from despair.
When Ning Yuan finally regained consciousness, he felt something warm and close to him.
Even in his half-asleep state, his first reaction was panic.
This couldn’t be happening. Someone lying next to him? It couldn’t be a woman!
Terrified, Ning Yuan forced his eyes open.
It was pitch black.
Even as he managed to open his eyes, he saw nothing but darkness.
He couldn’t move his hands or make any sound from his throat.
The realization frightened him.
Then, suddenly, he noticed his fingers could move.
At least he could still move, he thought.
But there was someone next to him!
Reaching out in the dark, Ning Yuan touched another person lying close to him.
Startled, he gasped.
He tried to sit up quickly but aggravated his wound.
The pain shot through him, but his concern for the situation overtook it. He urgently needed to know if his surroundings were real.
God wouldn’t do this to him, would He?
Before he could think further, the person next to him suddenly hugged him.
***
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Vyl[Translator]
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