Chapter 0100 The Rising Sun

Chapter 0100 The Rising Sun

Two days later, the Buddhist Son returned. As for what he had experienced there and whether he was treated poorly, he didn't say a word. He simply told everyone one thing: the Kumo Xi people had agreed. Additionally, the Gaoche also seemed to have intentions of withdrawing. The Rou Ran's stance remained unclear; they might be trying to play both sides.

Everyone: "…"

Negotiations between nations were supposed to be a serious and challenging matter, but how could it sound so simple coming from the Buddhist Son's mouth, as if discussing what to eat tonight?

Qu Yunmie didn't think much about it. He only sneered at the Rou Ran's attitude: "I will kill the Xianbei, and the Rou Ran are no different."

After all, it was the Rou Ran who had shot arrows at him, and they had always been in cahoots with the Xianbei. Even if they surrendered, Qu Yunmie didn't want them.

Xiao Rong sat quietly on the side, thinking back to what he had said to Di Fazeng a few months ago. He had mentioned that Qu Yunmie wouldn't stop here, but he thought it would happen after Qu Yunmie became emperor. Unexpectedly, plans couldn't keep up with changes, and the Rou Ran's decision had accelerated their own demise.

Thinking about Di Fazeng, who was still guarding Chenliu, Xiao Rong rubbed his nose, considering sending him out after the New Year.

While Xiao Rong was lost in thought, Yu Shaoxie asked the Buddhist Son what the Kumo Xi had offered as a sign of loyalty. After all, this was a covert operation, and the Buddhist Son wouldn't have revealed the need for the Northern Pacification Army's cover unless he was absolutely certain the Kumo Xi were on their side.

Mi Jing took out a scroll of parchment from his sleeve and slowly unfurled it before everyone. They all leaned in, and Xiao Rong recognized it first: "A… city defense map? The city defense map of Sheng Le?!"

Mi Jing: "It's a map of Sheng Le. These marked areas are the result of the Kumo Xi's years of secret observation. Every time their people entered the city, they noticed important deployments in these places, but things may have changed since then, so we can only use it as a rough reference."

Everyone: "…………"

Yu Shaoxie sighed in amazement: "So they've always had ulterior motives against the Xianbei. They want to take over Sheng Le City!"

Qu Yunmie: "No."

Everyone turned to look at him, and he nodded approvingly: "They want to avenge the former royal clan. Good courage, but not very smart. The brutality of the Yumen clan is just as bad as the Murong clan. Why serve such masters?"

He shook his head in disappointment, receiving no response. Qu Yunmie looked around, puzzled: "Why aren't you speaking?"

Everyone: "…"

We don't know what to say.

After an awkward few seconds, Jian Qiao spoke up: "But how can we be sure this is really the map of Sheng Le? What if it's fake?"

Sheng Le wasn't like Jinling, where foreigners could disguise themselves as merchants and enter. Sheng Le kept its doors closed to the Central Plains, and any attempt to approach them would result in immediate execution, even before the main army arrived.

Hearing this, others also fell into distress. At this moment, Mi Jing shook his head: "General Jian, rest assured, this is indeed the map of Sheng Le."

Gongsun Yuan was puzzled: "How can you be sure?"

Mi Jing: "Because the locations on this map are almost identical to what I saw nine years ago. Any minor discrepancies might be due to changes in the past nine years. This map can assist the Northern Pacification Army's next move, but The King and the generals shouldn't rely on it completely. The Kumo Xi are right; it should only be used as a reference."

You came to Sheng Le nine years ago?!

In an instant, several people present were shocked by this revelation.

But everyone knew that after the Yong Dynasty moved south, the two years Mi Jing spent defending Zunshan Temple were a deep scar in his heart. Anyone with a bit of tact wouldn't bring it up.

They tacitly avoided the topic, knowing that the map was genuine. Qu Yunmie felt disgruntled because no one had responded to him earlier. Seeing everyone care so much about Mi Jing's feelings made him even more annoyed. He couldn't help but wonder why everyone treated the Buddhist Son so well.

However, he didn't deliberately provoke Mi Jing and remained quiet.

Qu Yunmie had taken the map to examine it closely. Xiao Rong watched him, seeing that he hadn't acted impulsively. Xiao Rong smiled slightly, then turned his head and, while Qu Yunmie wasn't looking, raised his hands and gave Mi Jing two thumbs up.

He grinned, showing a few teeth. Even the most oblivious person could tell what Xiao Rong meant: "Buddhist Son, you're amazing!"

Mi Jing looked at him calmly and returned a polite smile, though he thought to himself: "Thanks, you're also quite hopeless."

When Qu Yunmie turned back with the map, Xiao Rong instantly resumed his normal demeanor, standing there as if nothing had happened.

Honestly, the map wasn't that helpful for the surprise attack. They had already identified weak points on the city walls through scouts' reports, and once inside, Qu Yunmie wouldn't need the map. He just needed to follow the city walls, avoid drawing attention, reach North Gate, kill all the guards, and let their forces in.

As for what to do after entering, it was straightforward—kill their way out. Sheng Le's palace wasn't special; it was located in the center of the city, just like other palaces. With or without the map, they could find their way.

The map's true value lay in proving the Kumo Xi's determination. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. The Xianbei's power was waning, and the Kumo Xi alone couldn't stand against the Northern Pacification Army. The choice was clear.

Yet, throughout history, those who made the right choice were few and far between.

People often have a gambler's mentality and pride. Absolute rationality doesn't exist in human nature. From birth, people are influenced by various factors. Instinct drives them to strive for more, making it harder to let go of what they have. If they can't let go, they fight until the end, even when they realize they're wrong. They prefer a glorious death to a humble life.

The Yumen clan thought this way, and outsiders didn't know the Murong clan's thoughts.

As for the Kumo Xi, it was hard to say whether they learned from the Yumen clan's mistakes or simply wanted revenge, regardless of who they served.

Life and death have no right or wrong. Those who assess the value of the dead are the living. The dead don't care; they've paid their price. In this unfair world, the only fairness is life and death. Everyone has one life, and that's all they can offer.……

After ruining six brushes, Xiao Rong finally made a successful product. Afraid of losing face if he couldn't blow it properly, he always tried it in his tent. Now that he succeeded, he immediately walked over to Qu Yunmie, hands behind his back.

Qu Yunmie was sharpening his Snow-Drinking Spear, sprinkling water on it occasionally and adjusting the angle, squinting to ensure the silver tip was smooth. His eyes seemed to surpass the vision chart, noticing flaws invisible to others.

Xiao Rong: "…"

So, the scratches on the Chi Long Sword weren't due to his craftsmanship but lack of time.

Many things had happened recently. Xiao Rong originally planned to confront Qu Yunmie about the Chi Long Sword, but once he arrived at the camp, he forgot. Now, remembering it, he realized Qu Yunmie would soon depart again. Without a buffer of marching, the battle would begin as soon as he mounted his horse.

Xiao Rong approached quietly, stood behind Qu Yunmie, and blew the whistle he had made.

A clear and melodious sound, like a bird's chirping, rang out behind Qu Yunmie. However, he wasn't startled; he simply turned around and looked at Xiao Rong's hand: "You've been busy for days just to make this?"

Xiao Rong frowned, dissatisfied with his reaction: "I blew it so loudly, and you didn't react at all."

Qu Yunmie: "You've been standing there silently for a while. Even Snow-Drinking knows something strange is happening."

Xiao Rong: "……"

He looked at Qu Yunmie with disdain. "The King should call it by its full name. Calling a weapon 'Snow Drink' sounds too strange."

Qu Yunmie turned his head back and continued grinding. He said to Xiao Rong, "It's my weapon, so I'll call it whatever I want. As long as it's mine, I can call it anything I like."

Xiao Rong watched his back for a moment, then picked up the whistle again. He pulled the bamboo strip inside while blowing into it, producing a different bird call that was melodious and varied in pitch. After enjoying it for a bit, he walked around to Qu Yunmie's front and held out the whistle in his hand.

He said, "This is called a bird whistle. The sound it produces is almost identical to a bird's call, and no one can tell the difference. Moreover, it's loud, and you can use it to communicate with other infiltrating soldiers or alert people outside about whether to move or stop. It's very simple to use; three short blows followed by a long one sounds just like a redbreast's call."

As he spoke, Xiao Rong demonstrated it for Qu Yunmie.

After the demonstration, he offered the bird whistle to Qu Yunmie again.

Qu Yunmie looked at it but didn't immediately take it. Instead, he wiped his hands on a towel nearby before picking up the small bamboo rod.

After examining it for a while, Qu Yunmie put the bird whistle to his lips. Without pulling the bamboo strip inside, he blew hard.

A sharp whistle rang out, making Xiao Rong cover his ears in discomfort. Squatting on the ground, he shouted at Qu Yunmie, "Whose bird would make such a loud noise! Be careful not to blow it apart!"

Qu Yunmie laughed and looked at Xiao Rong, asking, "The other day, I saw you drawing blueprints and looking for blacksmiths. I thought you were going to make something bigger."

Squatting there, Xiao Rong found the position quite comfortable and didn't get up right away. Frowning, he said, "You're talking about the grappling hook. After thinking it over, I decided it wasn't practical. A four-zhang-high wall—no one has the strength to throw a few-jin-heavy thing up there."

Qu Yunmie raised an eyebrow, about to speak. Seeing his expression, Xiao Rong quickly interrupted, "Okay, okay, I know you can do it, but what good does it do if only you can? You could climb up anyway. Those who can't climb won't be able to throw it either. Besides, throwing it would make a lot of noise, and if the rope breaks halfway... In short, the disadvantages outweigh the benefits. It's better to let the soldiers go up empty-handed."

Jian Qiao is capable... He said the army could find at most four or five people, and they ended up finding exactly five. Jian Qiao found a smooth, straight tree and had these people try climbing it. They went up like monkeys, swiftly and easily.

The wall might be harder to climb than the tree, but with their skills, they shouldn't have much trouble.

Five people, plus Qu Yunmie, made six. Even with Xiao Rong's cheats, he couldn't feel any reassurance, but he didn't tell Qu Yunmie what he was thinking. Instead, he tilted his head and stared at the reflection in the copper basin on the ground for a while. After a moment, he suddenly looked up and said to Qu Yunmie, "I brought the Chi Long Sword."

Qu Yunmie's eyes showed confusion. He didn't understand why Xiao Rong mentioned this. He wouldn't give the Chi Long Sword to him, and besides, no one uses a slender sword in battle.

Thankfully, Xiao Rong didn't know what Qu Yunmie was thinking, or he would have kicked him even while squatting. Blinking, he regarded Qu Yunmie as a general for the first time and asked, "Do you think I could fight on the battlefield?"

Qu Yunmie: "…………"

His question stunned Qu Yunmie. He carefully examined Xiao Rong's eyes and realized he wasn't joking. After a long pause, he finally said, "You are a scholar, an advisor, a strategist. Strategists don't need to fight."

Xiao Rong: "Prime Minister Gao is also a scholar, your father's advisor, and the strategist for your father, your brother, and you. Yet he can lead troops personally, let alone fight on the battlefield."

Qu Yunmie: "You are different from him."

Xiao Rong hugged his legs, then suddenly let go and stood up. "What do you mean by different? Am I less brave than Prime Minister Gao, or am I less healthy?"

Qu Yunmie: "……"

Life is full of pitfalls.

He quietly watched Xiao Rong, feeling a bit sweaty. Finally, he came up with an answer that wouldn't anger Xiao Rong: "It's not you; it's me. I'm not as ruthless as my father. I won't let my strategist risk his life."

Feeling proud of his response, Qu Yunmie silently gave himself a thumbs-up. However, Xiao Rong looked at him coldly and said, "Smooth talker."

Qu Yunmie: "……"

He paused for a moment and asked Xiao Rong, "Do you really want to fight on the battlefield?"

Xiao Rong crossed his arms. Qu Yunmie thought he wouldn't respond, but then he heard him say stiffly, "No."

He felt himself being gradually assimilated by this era. He saw the process happening but didn't resist it. After all, regardless of whether he wanted to or not, from the day he arrived here, he was part of this era. It was better to blend in than to be excluded.

But one cannot completely abandon their roots. The eighteen and a half years of his past influenced every aspect of Xiao Rong. He had many thoughts, but whether they were truly his genuine feelings would only be determined by his actions.

Qu Yunmie put down his weapon, the Snow Drink Spear, which landed with a dull clang. He stood up and looked at Xiao Rong's slightly sullen side profile, then asked, "Then why did you ask if you could fight on the battlefield?"

Xiao Rong glanced at him, not pleased, and replied, "Because I don't want to be too far from you."

Hearing this, Qu Yunmie suddenly pursed his lips but couldn't help letting out a laugh.

Xiao Rong: "……Why are you laughing?"

What's so funny?!

Seeing Xiao Rong's angry expression, Qu Yunmie wanted to laugh again but managed to hold it back. He composed himself and said, "Because in the past, it was always me who had this thought. Now we've switched places. I—"

He was still pondering his words when Xiao Rong started laughing. "You feel the tables have turned. Now it's my turn."

Qu Yunmie: "……"

Although Xiao Rong's words matched Qu Yunmie's thoughts, Qu Yunmie still needed to defend himself: "I also feel uncomfortable here."

Xiao Rong watched him point to his own chest.

Qu Yunmie: "Being worried about and missed by someone feels good, but if I worry about and miss that person too, it doesn't feel so great. No one wants this war to end more than I do, Ah Rong. I promise you, for the next six days, I won't leave your sight. Just look ahead, and you'll see where I am. On the seventh day, I will return victorious. I will bring back the heads of the Xianbei general and that Rou Ran man to vent your anger."

Xiao Rong: "……"

What would he do with two heads?

Blinking, Xiao Rong suddenly asked, "What about the Xianbei emperor? Where will you take his head?"

To honor his parents? Then bring those two along too, for good luck.

However, Qu Yunmie shook his head. "I don't plan to kill the Xianbei emperor."

Xiao Rong slowly blinked, then his eyes widened.

You didn't spare the young emperor of Central China, but now you're going to spare the Xianbei emperor?!

Whether or not he kills him isn't that important because the Xianbei are gone. Even if this emperor survives, he will be under house arrest. Xiao Rong is just very confused: "I remember you were always talking about killing the Xianbei emperor. Why did you change your mind now? What do you want to do?"

Qu Yunmie smiles at Xiao Rong: "I'll tell you later."

Xiao Rong: "... Pretty mysterious."

Xiao Rong looks aside, lost in thought. Qu Yunmie waits for a moment, observing his expression, then can't help but ask: "Ah Rong, do you still trust me?"

Xiao Rong's jaw moves as he turns his head halfway and slowly lifts his eyelids: "If you return safely, I'll trust you. If you don't come back—"

Qu Yunmie finishes the sentence for him: "You'll haunt me even in death."

Xiao Rong looks at him and lets out an inexplicable laugh. Under Qu Yunmie's puzzled gaze, Xiao Rong slightly shakes his head.

He says: "No, I've learned some things now. If someone wants to harm you, it's not your fault. So I don't need to haunt you even after death. If you don't return, our connection in this life is severed. All the past will dissipate from the moment my heart stops beating. Why should I hold it against you? If you truly don't come back, I wish you a peaceful and smooth life in the next, free from war. As for me, you don't need to worry anymore, because in your next life, there won't be me."

Qu Yunmie's expression changes, and Xiao Rong knows he's angry but insists on finishing his last sentence: "I'm not threatening you; it's just the truth. If there is indeed a next life, I will beg every person or deity I can find to never meet you again."

Qu Yunmie looks at him for a while, then pulls up the corner of his mouth and smiles: "Impressive."

"In terms of hurting with words, no one can match you in this world."

He laughs again: "Actually, maybe someone could surpass you in hurting others, but when it comes to hurting me, you're unmatched."

Xiao Rong looks back at him, unmoved by whatever Qu Yunmie says.

Qu Yunmie lowers his eyes, takes two deep breaths, and speaks to Xiao Rong again: "I want this life's connection, and I want the next life's connection too. Whether we entangle or not isn't decided by you alone. Before heaven and earth, you and I are the same. If you can pray, so can I. Who do you think will win in stubbornness?"

After saying this, he picks up the Snow-Drinking Spear of Revenge and gives Xiao Rong one last smile: "I don't want to argue with you, but I will win this. I don't care if it's a cursed or blessed connection. Since it's mine, no one can take it away, not even you. Do you think the Northern Pacification Army is a place where you can leave once you enter?"

"Seven days from now, the gates of Sheng Le will be open. Mr. Xiao, I hope to see you in Sheng Le at sunrise. Remember, don't be late."

Then, Qu Yunmie turns and leaves, his steps heavier than usual, indicating that he's not as calm as he appears.

Xiao Rong watches his departing figure until he has been gone for a while. Then, he speaks to the empty tent: "I'll go."

As long as you give me the chance.