Chapter 166

Chapter 161 - Dusk's Afterglow

Xiao Chiye was like having a basin of cold water thrown over his head. He sat up, staring at Xiao Fangxu for a moment. His mind went blank, as if someone had punched him so hard that even his chest felt hollow. He suddenly pushed Xiao Fangxu away and tried to get off the bed to put on his boots, but he stumbled against the table corner and almost couldn't stand up. He couldn't find his damn boots anywhere.

Chen Yang and Gu Jin were originally standing guard outside the tent. Seeing the curtain pulled aside, Xiao Chiye, like a wandering spirit, had one foot in his boot and the other on the ground, without even putting on his outer robe, as he went to untie Langtaoxue's reins.

Gu Jin was the quickest to react. He stepped forward, grabbed the reins, and urgently called out, "Your Highness!"

Chen Yang followed closely behind, about to go in and look for clothes and boots.

Xiao Fangxu bent down and came out, puzzled. "You didn't know? This happened a long time ago. When he went to Tea State."

Chen Yang looked at Xiao Fangxu's expression and suddenly understood. He smacked his forehead and turned around, shouting, "Tea State! Your Highness, it's Tea State! Young Master is fine!"

The sound of his voice startled Xiao Chiye back to his senses. He turned and rushed at Xiao Fangxu, his eyes reddening from agitation. When he reached Xiao Fangxu, he circled around him and finally wiped his face, saying, "Dad!"

* * *

The scar on Shen Zechuan's palm had already faded, leaving only a mark.

Once August passed, the rains in Cizhou ceased, replaced by heavier frost and colder weather. Yao Wenyu had recently caught a cold and spent most of his time indoors, hugging a hot water bottle. Fei Sheng still followed Shen Zechuan closely, while Li Xiong rarely mentioned Lei Jingzhe anymore.

"Sis, Han Jin is still in prison?" Shen Zechuan asked Fei Sheng after finishing his medicine, standing by the window.

Fei Sheng replied, "Yes, my lord is merciful and hasn't killed him. Yet he continues to defy authority without any sign of remorse."

Holding the porcelain bowl in his hand, Shen Zechuan studied its patterns for a moment before saying, "He's Han Cheng's younger brother, after all."

Fei Sheng's gaze dropped involuntarily, a shiver running down his spine. He knew that after Han Cheng publicly executed Qi Huilian, Shen Zechuan's decision to keep Han Jin alive was not to use him as leverage over Qidu, but for some other purpose. Fei Sheng dared not guess, nor did he want to. As a bodyguard, he was Shen Zechuan's dagger, ready to carry out whatever task Shen Zechuan assigned.

Raising his eyes, Shen Zechuan observed the cold sunlight shining on the ground, melting the frost into tear-like marks. He smiled inexplicably and said, "Release him."

Fei Sheng acknowledged the order.

Shen Zechuan continued, "Give him a bath, new clothes, and provide him with food, a soft bed. From this day forward, don't ask him to do anything. Let him enjoy himself freely."

Fei Sheng didn't dare question and replied once more before retreating. The moment he left, Qiao Tianya entered through the curtains.

"A letter from the Northern Frontier," Qiao Tianya placed the letter on Shen Zechuan's desk. "Riders were dispatched urgently, it must be something important to convey to the master."

"Has Yuan Zuo recovered?" Shen Zechuan inquired as he began to open the letter.

Before Qiao Tianya could reply, Shen Zechuan's expression changed as he read the contents of the letter multiple times.

"It pertains to the winter trade," Shen Zechuan paused for a moment. "I will personally travel to the battleground to discuss this matter with the King of the Northern Frontier."

* * *

The weather in the Northern Frontier shifted swiftly. The autumn sun was scarce, but when it did shine, it was scorching enough to make one shed their clothes.

Xiao Chiye returned to the battleground at the end of August and remained there for the time being. Since his defeat, he had not rested. Whether it was escorting supplies northward or communicating with the Great Realm to the west, he led these missions tirelessly. It seemed that Xiao Fangxu had thoroughly worn down his edges, turning him into a willing baggage officer.

When Chen Yang went to fetch water, he saw Xiao Chiye training a horse on the withered grassland. Though it was called training, it was more gentle in reality. The horse, snowy white with a touch of black on its chest, was the one Lu Yizhi had intended for his wife. Xiao Chiye had brought it along during his last errand and decided to train it himself.

Xiao Fangxu rode up from the other side, swooping down fiercely. He brushed past Xiao Fangxu with a whoosh, leaping into the air again along the edge of the grass before spinning and taking flight once more.

Xiao Fangxu dismounted, tossing the reins to his adjutant behind him. He removed his helmet, spat out the dirt in his mouth, and squinted at Xiao Chiye. After a while, he shed his heavy armor, stripped off the saddle from his own mount, then turned around to beckon at Xiao Chiye from afar.

Zuo Qianqiu leaned on the railing, his white hair fluttering in the wind as he watched the father and son side by side. Wu Ziyu rushed over and vaulted over the railing. The Northern Iron Riders and imperial guards behind them surrounded the area, leaving no room for anyone to pass.

Tan Taihu was squeezed so tightly that he couldn't free his hands, stretching his neck to shout, "What's going on here!"

Wu Ziyu raised a steamed bun and shouted through the commotion with his hoarse voice, "If Second Young Master wins today, the transport team will be treated like lords this month! We'll get two extra scoops of food at every meal!"

Seeing this, Zuo Qianqiu chuckled and said, "Aye still has a few years before he can beat his father."

"Second Young Master, show your mettle!" Tan Taihu wiped the sweat from his flushed cheeks and yelled defiantly.

Zuo Qianqiu asked, "What if the Duke wins?"

Chen Yang was about to say something when Tan Taihu loudly continued, "Then we'll run around the pasture barking like dogs—"

Wu Ziyu and Gu Jin behind him immediately jumped up to silence him.

Zuo Qianqiu seized the opportunity and said, "Great! Aye, did you hear that? If you lose to your father in the race, your entire team will have to bark like dogs!"

Xiao Chiye raised his finger to whistle. Langtao Xuejin circled out and ran to his side. He mounted the horse and asked Xiao Fangxu, "Where to?"

Xiao Fangxu seemed hesitant as he asked, "Where…?"

Before he could finish his sentence, he had already charged forward on his horse.

The imperial guards jeered in unison. Tan Taihu struggled to speak through gritted teeth, exclaiming, "How can this prince still be so dishonest!"

Waves of Taidao Snow Robe shot out like a black arrow, and the wind suddenly whistled. The bright sun in the sky was blinding, and the silhouettes of the father and son racing on their horses were almost identical. Tan Taihu burst through the clouds with a fierce determination, chasing relentlessly after Xiao Chiye, closely tailing him as they overlooked the arrows flying side by side. The grass was trampled by the horses' hooves, and the endless field swayed in the wind. They resembled stars plunging into the sea, leaving long trails across the grasslands.

Xiao Chiye listened to the wind while gazing at Xiao Fangxu's back.

Xiao Fangxu wasn't old yet; how could he be? He appeared as robust and energetic as ever, seemingly no different from two decades ago. If he raised both arms, he could lift his two sons up and toss them about in laughter on the grasslands.

Xiao Chiye gradually caught up. Waves of Taidao Snow Robe was stronger and younger than the horse Xiao Fangxu rode. It dashed forward vigorously, its eyes fixed on the horizon as if nothing could stop it.

The two men ran neck and neck, drenched in sweat. The sun beat down on their backs, scorching them. This might be the last blazing summer day in Libei this year.

At the finish line stood a stone monument engraved with the names of the Libei Iron Riders who had fallen in battle over the past year, along with the eagles that had perished alongside them and the horses that had carried them. Just as the father and son were about to reach the end, Tan Taihu dashed ahead of them, circled around, and landed on the monument, securing first place.

"This is my eagle," Xiao Chiye slowed down and declared, "So I win."

"This is my land," Xiao Fangxu also halted, turning to Xiao Chiye and pointing at the ground beneath their feet. "I arrived here eight hundred years before you."

Xiao Chiye coldly disregarded the remark.

They dismounted their horses as the sun was setting. Xiao Fangxu stepped onto the stone stairs and stood in front of the stele, brushing away the dust on its surface. The strong wind here tousled his hair, exposing a few strands of white as he said, "My brother is also here."

Xiao Chiye followed behind, standing beside Xiao Fangxu.

"A decade ago, I brought your elder brother here," Xiao Fangxu pointed to a spot. "There was a boy named Sui Ning. His name was rather peculiar, and he was the same age as your brother."

This stone tablet is scraped clean of old names every year and inscribed with new ones. It signifies that generation after generation of Northern Li's Iron Riders have been here, yet also that they vanish from this very place. The tablet leans against the Cranes' Mountain, where they eternally rest. They are both the winds of Cranes' Mountain and its stars.

"I want to be here," Xiao Chiye pointed at the center, "where there's ample space, a prime location, and a great view."

"This is my spot," Xiao Fangxu said selfishly, "I'll take it all."

"What about my mother?" Xiao Chiye tilted his head, scrutinizing Xiao Fangxu. "Are you leaving her alone in Great Realm?"

Xiao Fangxu remained silent. He looked past the stone tablet, catching sight of Cranes' Mountain. Then, as if blinded by the setting sun, he turned around to gaze in the direction of Great Realm. The wind made it difficult for him to keep his eyes open, so he said, "We can gaze at each other across the distance, forever locked in a mutual stare."

Xiao Chiye followed his gaze outward.

"We live within it, and we die in its embrace. The people of Libei rest upon mountains and rivers, basking in the blazing sun. Regardless of gender, they forge iron-like spirits." Xiao Fangxu opened his palm, and the strong wind passing through it felt as gentle as his wife's long hair – this was the only indulgence he had allowed himself over the past few decades. "One day, I will return to her bosom."

Xiao Chiye gazed at the endless sea of grass rolling in the distance, like an unceasing flood. Everyone's joys, sorrows, partings, and reunions were but fleeting moments in the grand scheme of the universe, washed away in an instant, leaving behind silence and erasing all traces.

How precious was the encounter of two souls.

Xiao Fangxu turned around and punched Xiao Chiye, then raised his arm to give him a hearty embrace. But he quickly released his hold and said, "It'll take you a few more years to surpass me!"

"Who knows?" Xiao Chiye patted his own chest, subtly hinting at their difference in height.

Xiao Fangxu took a few steps forward, pretending to pick something up from the ground. Still traumatized by the horse dung incident, Xiao Chiye immediately turned and ran. Upon seeing this, Xiao Fangxu burst into laughter.

The wind continued to blow as the father-son duo made their way back under the setting sun.

Before nightfall, Xiao Chiye, drenched in sweat, stripped off his upper garments and stood in the river for a quick rinse. The shimmering water reflected golden light that danced across his muscular back as he splashed water with a wooden bucket.

Xiao Chiye leaned down and rinsed the bindings on his arms. Though the refined steel had been rendered useless by the beating, he had yet to replace them. He removed the worn-out dog leather ropes as he pulled them out and said, "Give me another—"

With dust on his sleeves, Shen Zechuan stood on the riverbank slope, the remnants of the sunset splashing across his robe, mingling with bits of grass.

Xiao Chiye missed him terribly.

He appeared before Xiao Chiye just as the last vestiges of daylight faded.