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Dangerous Connections
墨書 Inktalez
The flames of war raged on, and the cries of battle echoed continuously. The Great Yan Kingdom was on the brink of collapse, as the powerful Celestial Empire had already breached the imperial city. King Yan looked despondently at the scene before him; the foundation of the Great Yan Kingdom, built over hundreds of years, was being destroyed in his hands.
"Father, we must leave quickly! If we delay any longer, we won't be able to escape!" A clear and anxious voice rang out as a girl who appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen rushed up to the city wall.
King Yan gazed at his beloved daughter. Since the day she was born, she had been surrounded by a unique fragrance. With her snow-white cheeks, delicate nose, and cherry-like lips pouting, her eyes sparkled like glass. Her oval face glowed with a rosy hue, and her skin was translucent and smooth like water droplets. He was certain that his daughter would grow up to be a stunning beauty, so he named her Yan Wushuang, meaning "one of a kind," and bestowed upon her the title of Princess Wushuang.
As the ruler of the Great Yan Kingdom, how could he flee like a coward? He smiled lightly and summoned his most trusted general. Grasping his hand, he solemnly commanded, "Long Aiqing, this is my final decree to you. I order you to protect the princess at all costs and ensure her safe departure from the imperial city. I have long been aware of your feelings for each other. If you can survive this ordeal, the Princess Wushuang will become your General's Wife!"
General Long Ze, clad in armor and wielding the Seven Star Sword, glanced at the Princess Wushuang beside King Yan. The next moment, he clasped his fists and replied earnestly, "Rest assured, Your Majesty. Long Ze will vow to protect the princess with my life."
"No! Shuang'er won't leave! Shuang'er no longer has an Empress. If Father doesn't leave with Shuang'er, then Shuang'er will stay here with Father!" Wushuang tightly clung to King Yan's arm, tears streaming down her cheeks as she refused to let go.
"Shuang'er, be obedient. As the king of the Great Yan Kingdom, how can I flee like a lost dog? If you don't leave now, you will be humiliated by those enemy soldiers. If you are still my daughter, then for my sake, maintain some dignity and leave with Long Aiqing immediately!" Seeing that time was running out, King Yan grew anxious and signaled Long Ze to take Wushuang away.
Understanding the urgency of the situation, Long Ze made a decisive move. He pressed on Wushuang's acupoint to immobilize her and carried her down from the city wall step by step. Wushuang could only watch helplessly as she was taken further away from her father. She knew that this farewell would mean eternal separation…
Long Ze selected a group of soldiers to protect the Princess Wushuang as they fought their way out of the imperial city. They initially thought they would be safe once they broke free from the city walls; however, they were unaware that the Crown Prince of the Celestial Empire had already set an ambush outside. He had admired the Princess Wushuang for a long time and was determined to make Wushuang his own.
The two groups were soon surrounded by archers. After a fierce battle, only a dozen of them remained against hundreds of enemies. What should they do? Were they destined to perish here?
Crown Prince Jin spotted the breathtaking beauty on horseback and ordered his archers not to harm even a hair on the Princess Wushuang. Seeing her delicate face filled with fear made him weak in his bones. The archers dared not shoot at Wushuang's position, allowing Long Ze to seize the opportunity to break through their encirclement with Wushuang.
Arrows flew toward them in a flurry as they fled. Even though Long Ze was highly skilled in martial arts, he could not evade such a dense barrage of arrows. Wushuang sensed that he must have been injured from behind. Once they escaped into the forest, she anxiously discovered that Long Ze had been struck by three arrows in his back, causing her to panic and cry out in distress.
"Are you okay? You must hold on. You promised my father to protect me, and you also promised me that you would marry me, didn't you?" Yan Wushuang said, growing more anxious, her eyes filled with unease as Long Ze's complexion grew paler and blood poured out in large amounts. He was close to losing consciousness.
Long Ze struggled to maintain his awareness, weakly looking at Wushuang and saying, "My princess, I fear I cannot hold on much longer. You must get off the horse and escape immediately. I will lead them away in another direction. Remember, do not stop, just keep running forward!"
"No... I don't want to leave you, Long Ze. Look at me. Think about our vows. I still have the jade pendant you gave me. We promised not to be apart, not to be apart!" Wushuang cried, tightly embracing Long Ze with tears in her eyes, taking out their matching jade pendants that fit together perfectly like a pair of dragon and phoenix charms.
The jade pendants were split into two pieces, delicate and translucent, in a milky white color. One piece was engraved with a dragon design, while the other featured a phoenix design. This was a family heirloom of the Long family, said to have been given by King Yan after an ancestor of the Long family saved his life long ago. The pendant not only represented a certain power but also granted protection from the spirit within to its possessor.
Looking at the joined jade pendants, Long Ze smiled. In this life, being loved by Wushuang was enough for him; he had no regrets. He held her hand tightly and whispered his final words in her ear before wearily closing his eyes.
Wushuang was heartbroken and dismounted as he instructed. Looking at the unconscious Long Ze, the man she loved most in this life, she would not let him down. She urged her horse forward quickly while she fled in another direction.
Crown Prince Jin had already laid ambushes along several routes just in case. Unfortunately for Wushuang, she was discovered by them. Not knowing what to do, she could only run desperately forward, but there was no path ahead. Facing the bottomless cliff and with pursuers closing in behind her, what could she do? Who would come to save her?
"My princess, there is no way forward. You might as well come to my side willingly. I swear I will treat you wholeheartedly from now on and will never let you suffer even the slightest harm!" Crown Prince Jin said as he looked at Wushuang standing at the edge of the cliff, feeling impatient. He had long desired Wushuang; this attack on Yan Kingdom was actually aimed at obtaining her.
Yan Wushuang did not hear any of his words; all she could think about were her father and Long Ze. She wondered how they were faring now? However, she had no chance to meet them again. Gripping the phoenix-shaped jade pendant tightly in her hand, she slowly closed her eyes. A final tear slipped down her cheek as she leaped off the cliff, instantly disappearing from Crown Prince Jin's sight.
"Wushuang..." Long Ze suddenly awoke from his fainting spell and instinctively rushed toward the cliff's edge. By the time he arrived, he could vaguely see Crown Prince Jin's party leaving without any sign of Wushuang among them. Looking at the cliff, could it be...
"No, it can't be?" Long Ze dragged his severely injured body step by step to the edge of the cliff. It was eerily quiet up there; a gentle breeze brushed past as if telling him what had just happened. Holding onto the Dragon-Shaped Jade Pendant tightly, Long Ze gazed down into the abyss with acceptance and murmured softly: "My princess, wait for me..."
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