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墨書 Inktalez
"Liuli—" Huo Qubing leaped off his horse, a thousand words surged in his heart, yet he did not know where to begin. He simply said softly, "Come with me."
"Come with you?" Nangong Liuli shot him a cold glance and then laughed, "Where to? Back to Chang'an? To continue being toyed with by that lofty emperor? No! Absolutely not! I am no longer the Liuli of the past. I am now the Yan! I have long grown accustomed to herding horses and sheep, to the winds and sands of this vast desert. I was born as a Yi Zhi Xie person, and I will die as a Yi Zhi Xie ghost."
"No, let me explain..." Huo Qubing's words were cut short as Nangong Liuli suddenly turned around, drawing a knife and swinging it fiercely at him.
Caught off guard, Huo Qubing forgot to dodge, and the blade struck his shoulder, blood gushing forth immediately.
Nangong Liuli withdrew her knife and was about to strike again when she felt a chill at her neck—a dagger pressed against her throat.
"Stop the act! I can see that you two have feelings for each other; otherwise, that blow wouldn't have been so off-target, and the wound wouldn't be so shallow."
"Wolf Lord, you..." Nangong Liuli dropped the knife from her hand and began to step back slowly with Yi Zhi Xie.
Yi Zhi Xie looked at Huo Qubing but spoke to Nangong Liuli: "I understand your thoughts. You fear I will take you hostage to force your lover into submission, so you deliberately turn against him to make him hesitate. Now, I want him to withdraw his troops; otherwise, we all perish together!"
"Step back!" Huo Qubing shouted loudly, and the soldiers behind him slowly retreated ten paces.
"Very good." Yi Zhi Xie glared fiercely at Huo Qubing. "Over the years, you have killed countless members of my clan. Now, I want you to take your own life in atonement. Kneel before me! Otherwise, I will kill her."
Liuli tightly closed her eyes and slowly knelt beside Yi Zhi Xie. "Wolf Lord, spare him. I am willing to go with you."
"Go with me?" Yi Zhi Xie laughed heartily. "Indeed, I love you, but if Huo Qubing does not die, do you think he will let us go? Don't dream! Today, one of us must die!"
Liuli's face was streaked with tears. "General Huo is a man of his word; as long as he agrees to let you go, he will never go back on it."
"Shut up!" Yi Zhi Xie slapped her hard across the face. "He has killed my people and forced me into such a dire situation. Keeping him alive means the Xiongnu will never rise again. Though I love you, I will not sacrifice the interests of the entire Xiongnu for one woman."
Liuli scoffed coldly and turned to look at Huo Qubing. "And what about you? Would you forsake the interests of the Han for one woman?"
Huo Qubing slowly knelt down but kept his gaze firmly locked on Nangong Liuli.
If one were to say that Nangong Liuli's recent actions were merely a performance for the Wolf Lord, who could assert that she wasn't now putting on a show for herself in a desperate bid for survival alongside him?
After all, she now had a family and a position. Six years was enough time to erode a person's beliefs, not to mention the tenuous love that existed between them.
Yet, what had he fought for all these years? He had risen from a commoner to a general, journeying from Chang'an to Han Hai, traversing thousands of miles through wind and sand, all in hopes that she could live happily and joyfully.
As long as she found her place in the world, even death would be worth it. Huo Qubing slowly raised his dagger, poised to stab it into his heart when suddenly he heard a scream. Nangong Liuli abruptly seized the dagger from Yi Zhi Xie's hand and fiercely drew it across her own neck. Yi Zhi Xie, caught off guard, withdrew his hand too late, and the blade still carved a deep wound into Liu Li's throat.
Huo Qubing swiftly drew a sturdy bow from behind him and pulled the string taut like a full moon, shooting an arrow that struck true at Yi Zhi Xie's heart.
“Hahaha…” Yi Zhi Xie laughed uproariously, “Huo Qubing, you and I will both fall at the hands of women. But I lost because this woman loves you.”
Seeing this, Huo Qubing's soldiers charged forward on horseback, trampling Yi Zhi Xie's remnants into a bloody pulp.
“Liu Li, don’t be afraid. Among my soldiers are the best doctors and healing salves. I won’t let you leave me,” Huo Qubing said anxiously as he tore a strip of cloth from his clothing and hurriedly began to bandage Liu Li's wound.
“I’m fine,” Liu Li managed a long-awaited smile. “At the last moment, Yi Zhi Xie held back; he didn’t truly want me dead. Your shoulder…”
“It’s nothing; just an arm,” Huo Qubing replied with feigned nonchalance. “If I can sacrifice my life, why would I care about an arm?”
“You’re so foolish,” Liu Li said with tears welling in her eyes.
“Do you remember what I asked you six years ago?”
“But now I…”
Huo Qubing placed a finger gently on her lips. “I only ask you this: are you willing?”
Liu Li smiled. She didn’t answer directly but said, “You said you would prove your love through actions; you have already proven it.”
Huo Qubing withdrew his fingers and slowly covered her lips. After a long while, they finally parted.
"What are your plans?" Nangong Liuli asked.
"I'm not leaving; I will stay here," Huo Qubing said, holding her tightly. "When the Emperor wanted to arrange a marriage for me, I told him, 'How can I think of home when the Xiongnu are not yet defeated?' Now, if I were to return, I fear I would have no excuse to decline."
"What will you tell the Emperor?" Nangong Liuli laughed. "You are now renowned throughout the land; the Emperor will surely spare no effort to find you."
Huo Qubing chuckled as well. "I have my own ideas. But let's not talk about that now; it's been so many years since we last met, and I have so much to say to you."
Nangong Liuli sighed deeply. "Don't be anxious; we have plenty of time ahead of us."
That night, Huo Qubing took off his battle robe and dressed the deceased Wolf Lord in it before placing him in a coffin, stating that Huo Qubing had traveled far, worn out from his labors, and unfortunately passed away at a young age.
With Chang'an thousands of miles away, transporting the body back would likely result in decay beyond recognition. His soldiers were all his trusted confidants and would not betray him.
According to historical records, in the sixth year of Yuan Shou, Huo Qubing passed away.
Emperor Wu of Han was heartbroken. He summoned the Ironclad Army and arranged them from Chang'an all the way to Huo Qubing's tomb, constructing his grave in the likeness of the Qilian Mountains and erecting a statue of Horse Treading on Xiongnu in front of it.
Everyone lamented his untimely death, yet none knew that Huo Qubing was beyond the frontier, enjoying a breathtaking scenery never before seen in the Central Plains.
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