CALID Chapter 19

Appearance

In the dark and lengthy mountain path, Duan Xu and Han Lingqiu led the troops swiftly towards the crucial location where the Hulan army was transporting provisions to the rear.

The mountain road was dim, damp, and prone to slipping, but Duan Xu’s steps were still fast, albeit slightly restrained—just like Han Lingqiu’s. He had selected soldiers with fast strides, and the whole team moved as if they were flying.

Feeling the repeated glances from behind, Duan Xu casually said, “I’m quite tired. Does Lieutenant Han want to talk to me to boost my spirits?”

Han Lingqiu denied it, but his tense and stiff posture was clearly felt by Duan Xu. Duan Xu turned back helplessly, “You’re not worried that I’m a spy, planning to abandon you to the Hulan and leaving you with no way back?”

“Subordinate… has no such intention.”

“But Lieutenant Han originally came from the Danzhi. If you were to surrender to the Hulan, it would be like a fish to water. Wouldn’t that be faster?”

Duan Xu firmly placed this outrageous accusation on Han Lingqiu, but naturally, Han Lingqiu didn’t take it. He immediately refuted it.

“I have never hidden my origins from General Wu or the Tabai. I no longer remember my time in the Danzhi. Since I was rescued by a Han couple and brought to Daliang, I have been a Daliang person.”

“You simply don’t remember. But if you still had a wife, children, parents, or siblings in Danzhi, could you say you’re a Daliang person without any worries?” Duan Xu skilfully placed this hat back on him.

Han Lingqiu fell silent for a moment, struggling to say, “General, I was only fourteen when I came to Daliang.”

What wife and children could a fourteen-year-old child have? His new and old injuries all over his body didn’t seem like he had parents who cared for him.

“If you had no relatives, what if you were as close to the Hulan as you were to He Yan in the past, or simply trusted them completely and did things for them?” Duan Xu continued to press on.

“I don’t want to think about the past. I consider the old me dead.”

“What if one day you remember it?”

“That would be someone else’s life, not Han Lingqiu’s.” Han Lingqiu finally shook off the hat that Duan Xu placed on him.

He didn’t notice that he, who initially doubted Duan Xu, had been turned around by Duan Xu, becoming a debate where he proved his innocence.

Duan Xu laughed heartily, no longer pursuing the matter, seemingly satisfied with the answer. He casually said, “Don’t be nervous, I just want to get closer to you and have a chat.”

…Never seen anyone use such topics to get closer before.

They continued their whispered conversation as they hurried along. Before long, they reached the end of the mountain road, and the light brightened up. At the end of the mountain road, there were some large stones covered in moss. Looking down from behind the stones, one could see the winding official road below.

Indeed, this official road looked a bit shabby, seemingly neglected for a long time. It was probably left over from the previous dynasty and hadn’t been renovated until now. It seemed that although the Danzhi had taken over the territory, they couldn’t be bothered to manage it properly.

Duan Xu led the troops to conceal behind the giant rocks, ordering scouts to investigate the situation. He instructed the soldiers to form up, and when the troops reached the foot of the mountain, he first shot down the captain. After the captain fell, the archers quickly took down about seventy to eighty percent of the enemies, then charged down from the left flank to crush the enemy convoy.

“Our target is the grain carts, don’t get entangled in battles,” Duan Xu reiterated.

As soon as he finished speaking, the scouts reported the appearance of the grain convoy. Duan Xu asked a soldier for a special weapon, took out an arrow and placed it on the groove, lifting the crossbow with one arm as support, squinting his eyes to aim at the distant mountain.

The distance from the giant rocks to the official road was still far, and the strong wind made it difficult even for skilled archers to aim at a person riding a horse. The arrow rain in the second step of the suppression was mainly for the general location; what mattered was the scale.

But the one in Duan Xu’s hand was meant for a precise kill.

Han Lingqiu was somewhat worried and was about to persuade Duan Xu to let him do it. Then, amidst the biting cold wind, Duan Xu didn’t blink an eye, pulled the trigger of the crossbow.

In an instant, the arrow shot out, cutting through the air with a tearing sound, accurately piercing through the head of the leader on the high horse, a Hulan’s eye.

The Hulan’s head burst in an instant, and with a miserable scream, he fell from his horse. The Danzhi soldiers escorting the grain immediately went on high alert.

Duan Xu laughed and raised his hand, “Release the arrows.”

For a moment, arrows rained down, and the enemy’s miserable screams filled the air, but Han Lingqiu was staring blankly at Duan Xu. The scene of the arrow piercing through the eye was etched in his mind.

Duan Xu was accustomed to aiming at the eyes of prey when shooting arrows.

Many familiar scenes flashed through his mind, causing him a headache, but Duan Xu said, “Lieutenant Han, what are you standing there for? It’s time to go down.”

He lightly jumped off the rock wall and drew the Broken Illusion Sword from his waist. With one in each hand, he swiftly took lives, blood splattering everywhere. The few remaining Danzhi soldiers were swiftly dealt with, and they controlled the grain carts.

Han Lingqiu was a step slower. When he rushed to Duan Xu’s side, Duan Xu suddenly narrowed his eyes, pushing him away.

An arrow passed straight by Duan Xu’s arm, leaving a long bloodstain. The Daliang soldier standing between Duan Xu and Han Lingqiu couldn’t dodge it and was shot, falling to the ground slowly.

Duan Xu looked up and saw a group of Hulan soldiers emerging from the other side of the mountain, wielding bows and swords, surrounding them from a high vantage point. It seemed that there were thousands of them, like a massive dark cloud enveloping them.

He remained silent for a moment before laughing, “Ah, it turns out the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. We’ve been ambushed.

It was truly unfortunate, almost as if he had indeed led them to the Hulan, leaving them no chance of survival.

The leading Hulan stood atop the cliff, reprimanding the archers who had just released their arrows in a low voice in Hulan, then gestured towards Duan Xu and Han Lingqiu, before flattening his palm and slicing it through the air.

This gesture indicated that Duan Xu and Han Lingqiu were to be captured alive, while the rest were to be killed.

Duan Xu glanced at Han Lingqiu, then slowly turned his head to look at the surrounding Hulan soldiers. He weighed the sword in his hand, and blood flowed from his injured arm, tracing the character “broken” on the sword.

Just as the character gleamed brightly, a sudden, abrupt voice echoed in the valley. The same message was conveyed in both Han and Hulan languages.

“Hold on.”

It was a somewhat low, melodious female voice, breaking the tense atmosphere.

Under the clear blue sky, amidst the fierce northern wind, a deep blue flame suddenly ignited out of thin air. The eerie flame, seemingly rootless, burned exceptionally brightly, unaffected by the chilling wind.

From the flame, white silk threads grew, wrapping around it layer by layer, forming a jade-like, hexagonal palace lantern with hollow patterns. A slender acacia wood lamp stand grew from the top of the lantern, shining black.

Gradually, the figure of a woman appeared on the lamp stand. She sat with her legs crossed, her left hand caressing the strange flame, and her right hand resting on her knee. She wore a gorgeous red and white robe with triple layers, embroidered with the pattern of flowing clouds and honeysuckle on the outermost layer. Her long hair cascaded down to her waist, tied with a red ribbon.

Unlike her luxurious attire, her face was pale as paper, with only a conspicuous mole beside her phoenix-like eyes. Truly, she had an otherworldly beauty, unlike that of a living person.

A lantern in the darkness guides the way for people.

A lantern in broad daylight opens the path for ghosts.

The woman smiled slightly and spoke in Hulan to the Hulan soldiers on the mountainside, “I am but a humble ghost and did not intend to meddle in your affairs. But I couldn’t resist the temptation and ate the little brother you shot just now. He begged me to save these Daliang soldiers, and I agreed.”

The soldier who was shot through with an arrow earlier lay in a pool of blood, faint bite marks faintly visible on his neck.

She tilted her head slightly and said, “Brave soldiers of Hulan, would you do me the favour of letting them go?”

The group of people on the mountain and below wore expressions of disbelief—it was truly a ghostly sight. For a moment, there was silence, as most people rubbed their eyes in disbelief, unable to immediately respond to her words.

But Duan Xu, without blinking, stared at the unfamiliar female ghost in the sky, pursed his lips, and then called out, “Little He.”

The female ghost ignored him, as if she didn’t know who he was calling.

Duan Xu smiled and said, “Stop pretending.”

The female ghost seemed to chuckle softly, then slowly turned her head. A black crow landed on her shoulder, followed by countless crows falling like black rain onto the mountainside, their black, glossy eyes darting around. Strangely, not a single crow cawed, creating an eerie silence.

Blinking her pitch-black eyes, she smiled and said, “Is there still someone daring to bully you? I never expected our little fox to stumble like this.”

The Hulan soldiers on the mountainside finally reacted. They were clearly intimidated by this strange spectacle. After a rustling sound, the officer at the forefront shouted loudly, “May the divine protect us, how dare these heretics pretend to be gods…”

Before he could finish saying the word “ghost,” He Simu gave a light sigh. Suddenly, his body was engulfed in blue ghostly fire. After a scream, he turned into charred bones and collapsed to the ground.

He Simu shifted her gaze over and, in Hulan, laughed, “Did you really think I was negotiating with you? Living or dead, you’ll always recognise me.”

When she appeared in her cold and beautiful true form, there was a completely different aura from He Xiao, devoid of laziness and laughter. Even when she smiled, it was fierce, arrogant, and impatient, like a knife that would cut at a glance.

Seeing the situation finally loosen up, the Hulan people turned and fled, shouting for divine protection, leaving this eerie and dangerous place. A flock of crows scattered in alarm.

Duan Xu turned his head and saw his bewildered Daliang soldiers, as if they were trapped in some kind of illusion, standing motionless. After a moment of silence, he walked to the side of the Daliang soldier who was pierced by an arrow and ultimately died at the hands of the ghost.

He was a boy from Liangzhou, only fifteen years old.

He squatted down, closed the soldier’s round eyes, and whispered, “Rest.”

Then he stood up and walked step by step to He Simu’s side. With his injured and blood-stained hand, he grasped the suspended acacia wood lamp stand. She turned her head and looked down at him amidst the flying crows.

There were a few spots of blood on her face, presumably from biting the soldier’s neck just now.

Duan Xu then took out a clean handkerchief from his pocket with his other hand and, as he did when they first met, reached out to hand it to her, saying, “Wipe the blood off your face, Miss Ghost.”

He Simu glanced at the handkerchief in his hand, then looked back at his face and said coldly, “And then?”

“Then, as an exchange…” Duan Xu touched her face with the handkerchief, her face as cold as the wind.

He slowly wiped away the bloodstains on her face, even teasingly saying, “Miss Ghost, can you leave me with the memory of bumping into a ghost?”

Considering the bewildered state of the Daliang soldiers, they probably wouldn’t remember how they managed to escape death. It was likely that the Danzhi soldiers wouldn’t recall why they retreated or why their leader died either.

He Simu leaned in closer to him, staring into his eyes at a very close distance, hoping to find a trace of fear or disgust in his eyes, to prove that his carefree and unflappable appearance was entirely a disguise.

Duan Xu blinked, but there was no hint of insincerity in his eyes as he said, “What’s this? Need a reintroduction?”

“I am called Duan Xu, the Xu of Feng Lang Ju Xu, with the style name Shunxi. May I ask, who might the lady be?” He asked.

He Simu smiled gently with lowered eyes, then lifted them to gaze into his clear eyes and said slowly:

“I am nothing but a humble being, the king of ten thousand ghosts.”

Her words were modest, but her tone was arrogant.

She smiled as she took the blood-stained cloth from his hand and proceeded to clean the blood from his injured left hand, then said slowly, “Obviously, I am not called He Xiaoxiao, and you are not Duan Xu.”