Chapter 138 Only able to see that icy cold gaze…

Chapter 138: Only That Bone-Chilling Cold Was Visible...

"Attack!"

Tuoba Wuxi finally gave the order.

Kediyan had just begun to smirk when a cold glint flashed before his eyes. Acting on his survival instinct, he swung his blade to block and barely dodged.

The clashing weapons emitted a piercing screech, sparks flying. Once he steadied himself, he finally realized something was wrong.

"What are you doing?!" His eyes widened in shock, unable to believe the scene before him—Tuoba Wuxi was raising his sword to strike at him?

"Are you out of your mind?!"

Kediyan cursed while hastily parrying Tuoba Wuxi’s attacks. He was older now, his strength and agility greatly diminished, but Tuoba Wuxi had also suffered severe injuries before, his martial skills far from what they once were. For now, he couldn’t knock Kediyan off his horse.

Kediyan’s men never expected Tuoba Wuxi to betray them at this critical moment, still treating his forces as allies. When a rain of arrows descended from behind, the unprepared soldiers were cut down in droves.

"Tuoba Wuxi, you’re insane! The throne is right before you, and you betray us now?!" A Shi Na Wu Jiu was stunned and enraged, just as baffled by the turn of events.

To them, Tuoba Wuxi was the least likely to oppose them. He was the son of the former Khatun, a noble pure-blooded Xianbei prince, backed by the entire Helan tribe, just one step away from the throne.

Hadn’t he been competing with Tuo Baxiao all along? Especially after Tuo Baxiao nearly killed him—didn’t he hate him? Yet here he was, helping Tuo Baxiao’s people? A Shi Na Wu Jiu could only feel absurdity.

Lan Zhu was stunned for a moment before her large eyes lit up with overwhelming joy.

"Brother!" she cried out in delight. "Brother, thank goodness! I knew you wouldn’t do such a thing!"

Her heart, which had been in her throat, finally settled as she let out a long breath. Gods knew how terrified she’d been—what if her brother had truly turned against them? She didn’t want to lose Ah Yan or her brother. Thankfully, that nightmare hadn’t come to pass.

"Counterattack!" Jiang Congyan, noticing the shift in the battle, pulled her horse to a halt and immediately commanded.

Though she didn’t know what Tuoba Wuxi was thinking, since he had betrayed Kediyan, she couldn’t let this opportunity slip.

At this moment, the night was dark, shadows flickering everywhere, the battlefield in utter chaos. Jiang Congyan’s forces were mostly encircled by the rebels, while behind the rebels stood Tuoba Wuxi’s thousands. Kediyan and A Shi Na Wu Jiu’s men were trapped in the middle like layers of a trap. After Jiang Congyan’s order, He Zhou and Qiumu Lingju led the Tumochuan reinforcements and the Xianbei Imperial Guards respectively, charging forward to flank the rebels.

This year’s new recruits were young men drafted from various tribes. Unsure if any among them were rebels, Jiang Congyan didn’t trust them enough to keep them close, instead dispersing them to various workshops. She had only a few hundred Imperial Guards and five thousand Tumochuan reinforcements. Tuoba Wuxi also had around five to six thousand troops. The rebels’ numbers were unclear, but given the chaos they unleashed, they were no fewer than their own forces. Yet now, with Tuoba Wuxi seizing the initiative, the rebels’ morale took a massive blow. Caught between two fronts, they began to crumble.

With survival on a knife’s edge, the tide of battle had turned, and everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.

Jiang Congyan glanced at Tuoba Wuxi amidst the fray. His pride ran deep.

Kediyan seethed with hatred for Tuoba Wuxi. He had been on the verge of seizing the royal court, only for everything to be ruined by him.

To this day, he couldn’t understand why Tuoba Wuxi had betrayed him. Had he never intended to cooperate from the start? Was it all just a ploy to trick him?

Even so, he couldn’t fathom why Tuoba Wuxi would help Tuo Baxiao. Why not just stay out of it? Claiming the throne would’ve served him better.

But now, none of that mattered. If this continued, he would lose.

Kediyan wouldn’t go down without a fight—

"Retreat!"

"Retreat eastward!"

Jiang Congyan was to the west, Tuoba Wuxi to the north, and the south was blocked by Rouge Lake. Their only escape was eastward.

"Stop him! Don’t let him get away!" Lan Zhu shouted, digging her heels into her horse to pursue.

The chaotic mix of men and horses, combined with the pitch-black night, turned the royal court's surroundings into a nightmare. Tents were trampled or set ablaze, while unfortunate herders and livestock caught in the melee were crushed to death—like something out of a demonic hell.

He Zhou didn’t know if the cunning Kediyan had a backup plan, or if, in desperation, he might attempt a last stand to capture the lady as a hostage. Fearing a repeat of what happened with Wudati Hou, he dared not deploy all his forces, keeping most of them close to Jiang Congyan. Thus, only Tuoba Wuxi’s few thousand troops could fully stop Kediyan.

Though outnumbered and caught between two fronts, the rebels eventually forced open an escape route.

However, just as they broke free and turned toward their stronghold, they slammed straight into another army.

The earth trembled.

A distant thunder rolled across the sky.

After a night of fierce fighting, the horizon glowed faintly with dawn. In the dim morning light, a massive dark tide swept the grassland like a roaring beast, its maw gaping wide.

Kediyan yanked his reins, halting his horse, raising a hand to signal his troops to stop.

He squinted at the approaching shadow. As it drew nearer, the towering figure at the lead became clear—his face went pale, lips quivering.

It was Tuoba Xiao!

He had returned!

Not only had he escaped the trap, but he had also defeated the ambush Kediyan had set along the way and returned so swiftly. Was he truly such a genius, unbeatable no matter the trap?

As Tuoba Xiao raced back toward the royal court, the devastation before him was staggering—homes and tents engulfed in flames, the royal tent burning brightest of all. Soldiers wielding torches fought in utter chaos, trampling over one another, friend and foe indistinguishable.

Rebellion had indeed broken out.

And her—was she safe?

Tuoba Xiao’s blood ran cold, then boiled with fury. His muscles bulged with tension. His grip on his silver spear tightened until his knuckles cracked, the force nearly deforming the weapon.

The eastern path was blocked by Kediyan’s forces, but Tuoba Xiao didn’t slow down. Unafraid of danger, he charged ahead, desperate to find her, hold her, kiss her—only then could he suppress the fury and terror gnawing at his heart.

Seeing him charge straight for him, Kediyan ducked behind his men, only to realize Tuoba Xiao wasn’t even looking at him—he cut through the ranks like a whirlwind.

Alone, Tuoba Xiao should have been vulnerable to a coordinated attack. A lucky shot might even have struck a fatal blow. But the rebels were already demoralized, and the sight of his towering, wrathful figure radiating killing intent so sharp it seemed to cut the air filled them with dread. Not one of them dared strike at him as he stormed past.

Kediyan hesitated, then felt relief.

Whatever reason Tuoba Xiao had for ignoring him, it worked in his favor.

He bolted to escape, but while Tuoba Xiao paid him no mind, his men did not share the same mercy.

Some followed Tuoba Xiao into the royal court, while the rest cut off Kediyan’s retreat to the east.

Tuoba Xiao raced through the ruined court straight to her tent—only to find it reduced to charred wreckage. His heart sank. Grabbing a nearby soldier, he snarled, "Where is the Khatun?"

His jade-green eyes blazed with fury, his sheer presence left the man speechless.

Just as he was about to unleash his rage, A Long arrived with urgent news: "My king, a large force is fighting to the west. The Khatun may be there."

"Move!"

Tuoba Wuxi was locked in battle with A Shi Na Wu Jiu’s men. Though Kediyan had fled, he’d left a sizable force behind to cover his escape.

Casualties mounted on both sides. The ground was strewn with mangled bodies, trampled repeatedly by charging horses. Severed limbs and spilled organs painted the earth crimson, the flickering firelight making the bloodstains sting the eyes.

A Chun and A Fei could barely stomach the sight, covering their mouths to suppress their nausea.

Jiang Congyan went pale, white as snow, yet she couldn’t look away from the battlefield.

Was she imagining things, or did she spot an unusually tall figure in the distance?

In the dim morning light, her neck tilted slightly upward as she squinted to see more clearly. Through the thick morning mist, a familiar shape took form.

She wasn’t imagining it!

He had returned.

"Tuo Baxiao!"

She instinctively called out, but her voice was too hoarse, lost in the noise of battle. Yet, the man seemed to pause for a moment.

Tuo Baxiao had heard her call his name.

He scanned the surroundings but couldn’t spot her.

An illusion? No, it wasn’t.

Squinting his keen eyes, he scanned the crowd until he finally caught sight of a figure.

Clad in black riding attire like the soldiers around her, with light armor and a helmet, she was hard to spot. Yet, Tuo Baxiao noticed that slender frame.

Spurring the Li Eagle onward, he charged toward her. As the distance closed and the thick fog dissipated, he finally saw clearly.

It was her—she was unharmed!

Without hesitation, he galloped straight toward her.

Jiang Congyan could see Tuo Baxiao clearly now.

Though she had believed someone as capable as him wouldn’t be easily outmaneuvered, until she laid eyes on him, she couldn’t shake the worry.

Now, he had returned completely unscathed.

Jiang Congyan felt a rush of relief and was about to smile when—

A flash of steel gleamed from his flank, streaking toward him. In that split second, she didn’t even have time to scream his name. Her eyes widened abruptly, pupils contracting to dots, as all she could see was that icy, lethal arrow.