Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
As Gu Shenwei fell into the roaring flame and awakened from the icy chill, he opened his eyes. The coldness from the inside to the outside was similar to the symptoms of Qi deviation but without the stinging pain.
In his ear came Old Man Mu’s boastful voice. “You should all thank me. If I hadn’t rushed in at the nick of time, you’d all have gone home and cried with a handful of cremated remains.”
Then he really heard a faint cry.
He sat up and felt a burning pain which even overshadowed the chill in his body. He looked down and saw the thick bandage on his bare left chest — another scar on his body.
“Where’s she?” This was the first and foremost concern of Gu Shenwei.
Old Man Mu, who didn’t even have time to express his pleasant surprise, was stunned a moment before he asked, “You mean Lotus? I don’t know. I didn’t see the corpse either way. She was probably taken away by that madwoman Han Fen. There was fire everywhere and I was busy saving people and didn’t notice anything else.”
“I want to see the Second Consort.” This was Gu Shenwei’s second sentence. He had to take advantage of the chaos to collect the remnants of the Royal Court, and the Second Consort was one of the most important pieces.
Long Fanyun took one step forward and said, “Counselor Fang already went there. He said that the Dragon King could rest assured.”
Fang Wenshi knew the Dragon King’s strategy so it would be alright for him to meet the Second Consort, but Gu Shenwei still didn’t feel at ease. Not only was the chaos full of opportunities but it was also full of change. One step wrong, he might fall from the hunter to prey.
Queen Ju motioned for Old Man Mu, Long Fanyun, Red Bat, and the crying Xu Yanwei to withdraw from the tent, leaving the couple alone.
They had rarely met in the past year. Looking at her, Gu Shenwei felt very strange and even couldn’t even remember her name. “I’m sorry for dragging you into this.”
Queen Ju smiled. The apology showed that they were, after all, truly an estranged husband and wife. This man would never have feelings for her, and she just wanted to hold onto her status. The Ju family of the Stone Kingdom was in a very unstable situation and the only thing she could use to save herself was the title ‘Queen.’
She knew her place.
“The world is falling into chaos now and no one can avoid it. I’m happy to be with you at a time like this.”
The two lapsed into silence for a moment, and Queen Ju started to talk about the latest situation in the Norland. “The Royal Court had been reduced to ashes, but all of the forces are still fighting in the ruins. The fact that you’re still safe has made the Dragon Army an important force. Red Bat and Long Fanyun will brief the Second Consort and Tuosai respectively. They are waiting for your news of your condition.”
“Tuosai?” Gu Shenwei knew him as King Riyao’s son who used to be loyal to King Kuari. Gu Shenwei didn’t understand why he would care about his condition.
“Hmm. King Riyao is dead, and Tuosai announced his succession to the title while having more than ten thousand cavalries under him. The frontier army is said to be on its way back. Eventually, he may have more than a hundred thousand horsemen in total and will become an important figure of the Norland. Counselor Fang and the Second Consort all consider him their most important ally at the moment.”
“In fact, the whole Royal Court has been waiting for news of your status. King Kuari has nothing left, and his remnants joined Tuosai’s army; King Rizhu’s troops were almost wiped out, but his general Zhesu fled back to the Naihang Tribe in the West with part of their army and he will definitely stage a comeback. He sent a letter saying thank you for taking care of his son Liman; King Dari and his whole family all fled to the East and it is said that they are taking refuge with one of his sons; the other several kings either ran away or left to continue fighting for the throne. King Shengri is now the most powerful but neither does he have the absolute advantage.”
“How long have I been asleep?” Gu Shenwei was surprised. He felt that his duel with Lotus was not too long ago and that so much shouldn’t have happened so fast.
“Three days and two nights.”
Gu Shenwei jumped out of bed which pulled at his wound and forced his body to stiffen. He had missed too much and had to make it up as soon as possible.
Queen Ju carried out her duty as wife by helping him put on his clothes.
“How did you get out?”
“The Royal Court was not heavily guarded during the melee. We concocted a plan and ran away.” Queen Ju paused a moment and felt that there was no need to conceal it, so she added, “Instructor Shangguan played a key role in the plan.”
Without saying anything, Gu Shenwei grabbed the saber and sword on the table and walked out of the tent.
Over forty guards were waiting outside. It was a group of silent swordsmen from the Big Snow Mountain. Ever since the Dragon King had been wounded, they had hardly left the tent. Now after seeing him walking out, they still didn’t say anything but instead lined up to escort the Dragon King to the main tent as usual.
This was a mixed camp built in the wilderness. More than half of the soldiers were female soldiers of the Land of Fragrance, while the other portion were the horsemen of the Second Consort. In total, there were over two thousand soldiers, a small but well-guarded army.
The soldiers saw the Dragon King and all bowed to show their respects, as more and more people surrounded him. As Gu Shenwei walked to the gate of the main tent and stood facing the crowd, a shout of joy suddenly broke out in the camp.
Fang Wenshi came up in a hurry with a smile on his face. He opened his arms and seemed to want to give the Dragon King a bear hug but put his arms down when he was three steps away from him, and wiped his forehead. “What a coincidence. I’ve been out for the last few days and just came back today. And even before I got to the camp, I happened to hear the great news that the Dragon King has revived.”
The situation reported by the military counselor was similar to that of Queen Ju’s but in more detail.
During the period when Gu Shenwei had been unconscious, the relative balance of power had constantly changed. In all, there were four kings who claimed control of the capital city and proclaimed themselves as Khan but were driven away by another force in just half a day. In the end, the different parties reached a tacit understanding that no one would send troops into the ruins.
At this moment, the distance actually represented strength. The camp of King Shengri was close to the south of the ruins. Tuosai and another king were stationed more than three miles from the east and west side, and a dozen miles further out were the remnants of the other kings.
As for the Second Consort and the Dragon Army, they were too few and could only camp thirty miles away and ‘watch the fire’ from a distance.
“But the most powerful force in the Royal Court is not the kings but rather the hundred thousand Court Attendants Army left by the Khan who have taken over the palace, which is the only remaining part of the Royal Court. The generals claim that they would not recognize anyone as the new Khan until the real murderer is captured.”
“Real murderer?”
Fang Wenshi sighed, “This is the source of chaos in the Royal Court. As for how the Khan died, there are many different opinions. All the kings seem to be suspect, and even the Court Attendants Army are no exceptions. Many people are even accusing others with the reason that they are playing the trick of a thief crying “Stop, thief!” And some people even say…”
“Some people even say that I am the assassin.”
Fang Wenshi bitterly smiled and nodded. “They lauded the Dragon King to the skies, saying that you threw a short sword from ten miles away which flew into the tent and killed the Khan. But it’s alright because this way, not many people believe it.”
The counselor stared at the Dragon King, obviously still having some doubts at heart.
“I did not kill the Khan.” The main tent was empty, and Gu Shenwei couldn’t help look around. There was no protector behind him now, and he had to rely entirely on his own abilities to protect himself. “It’s the Waning Moon Hall.”
Gu Shenwei briefly introduced Lotus’s plan and actions.
Fang Wenshi was stunned by what he heard. “This is… This is really strange. What’s Lotus got against men? Or she…” He gave the Dragon King a suspicious look and did not continue guessing. “So King Shengri is actually the Waning Moon Hall’s puppet. No wonder he always attains a narrow victory even when his strength is not the strongest. His opponent’s leading generals have either suddenly died or become betrayers every time. So it was that group of madwomen playing tricks behind the scenes.”
“Has Lotus ever shown up?”
“No. But there’s a saying that the Khan was killed by a couple of enchantresses. Though very few people are taking that seriously, it turns out that that’s the truth. The Norland was destroyed by a group of women…” Fang Wenshi kept shaking his head and suddenly said in a very firm tone, “So there’s a reason behind the saying that women are disasters and that it’s better to stay far away from them.”
Gu Shenwei knew what the counselor really wanted to say. Fang Wenshi had been trying to express this idea from the very first word in their meeting. “Dragon King, I’ve been telling you not to be sentimental but I’ve done a very bad job myself. But I’ve got rid of it now. Seriously, I swear to Heaven that to any women I…”
Fang Wenshi couldn’t think of the right word to express his feelings. When he saw Queen Ju again, his former infatuation had completely disappeared. His youthful love had come late but left quickly. It seemed as if it were a memory of another person.
The only thing he cared about now was the attitude of the Dragon King.
“I believe you.” Gu Shenwei quickly ended the conversation to avoid further embarrassment on either side.
Fang Wenshi heaved a great sigh of relief and inwardly vowed to be loyal to the Dragon King but kept his composure on the surface. As a counselor and a military adviser, he could not show his loyalty on his lips like a reckless young boy. “The Second Consort is a woman so she’s not reliable. She only wants to use the power of the Dragon King to go to the Western Regions to meet that Prince Duodun. She may cross the river and then tear down the bridge.”
“Let’s get to the river together first.” As an outsider, Gu Shenwei had to ally with the nobles of the prairie if he wanted to establish a foothold in the Norland or even merely have a finger in the pie. “What’s going on with this Tuosai?”
“Alas, it is still because of women. Tuosai was charmed by that Luo Ningcha and would do anything for her. He even forgot about avenging his father. As a new king with no future, his only value is his title as the old Khan’s grandson and the army under him, I’m afraid we may go our separate ways before even arriving at the river.”
Things were better than Gu Shenwei had imagined, and even if he had never been asleep, this was probably the best he could have gotten.
“The Land of Fragrance has been of great help,” Fang Wenshi suddenly said. “Especially Instructor Shangguan. The Second Consort wanted to break up the alliance before the Dragon King woke up, and it was all her mediating that created this stalemate. Not only did she confirm the safety of the Dragon Army and choose this camp, but she also borrowed a thousand soldiers from the Second Consort to station here.”
“Where’s she?”
“She has been staying with the Second Consort. Honestly, that’s the only reason I believe the Second Consort.” Fang Wenshi ignored the fact that Shangguan Ru was also a woman and he was unaware that he had been advising the Dragon King to stay away from the Unique King’s daughter all this time until now.
Gu Shenwei was slightly surprised that the counselor showed an extraordinary respect for Shangguan Ru, one that was neither love between a man and a woman, nor veneration among the unequal, but rather a kind of empathy as if Shangguan Ru was a leader who stood head and shoulders above the crowd.
“Very good.” Gu Shenwei had enough information now. “Many people are interested in the Court Attendants Army left by the Khan, aren’t they?”
Fang Wenshi solemnly nodded. “All the forces are trying to win the support of the hundred thousand horsemen. In fact, the Court Attendants Army has the sole ability to decide who can become the new Khan.”
“Then let’s also join in.”
The hundred thousand soldiers were not only a powerful force but also the Norland’s foundation that could restore stability as soon as possible. The Waning Moon Hall wouldn’t let them play their part to their hearts’ content.
Gu Shenwei clearly remembered that he had hit Lotus with his palm which would severely injure her if not kill her.
Gu Shenwei hoped that he had revived earlier than Lotus, as he wanted to meet the real Hall Leader of the Waning Moon Hall before their next duel.
