Volume One: The Hidden Dragon in the Abyss Chapter 119: Seeking Refuge

"Where are you going? Are you really going to kill the Demon Emperor?" the Lord of Yu asked with a frown.

Wang Chuan and the others were traveling slowly with the main army back to the capital.

"Perhaps, but not for anyone else. I do it for myself; I have my own reasons," Wang Chuan replied. "Weier, you should return to your maiden home for a while. Your Majesty, you should also trust that I will return soon."

Even a man like the Lord of Yu had personally led the army to boost morale.

"How soon is 'soon'? Can you really defeat him?" the Lord of Yu could not help but ask.

"If I cannot win, then there is little meaning in me staying here," Wang Chuan shook his head.

He could protect one region, but he could not protect the entire world. And if things continued this way, the Demon Emperor would march south sooner or later. Was he to hide from him forever? With Wang Chuan's pride, he would never accept such a fate.

"Let us stop here."

As they neared Pu City, Wang Chuan had to part ways with them. He tapped on the carriage. They had reached a riverbank and needed to cross.

"Husband," Xu Wei peeked out.

"Weier, I must go now. You all should head back," Wang Chuan said.

"Are you leaving now?" Xu Wei asked, stunned.

Going to the vast grasslands to assassinate the Demon Emperor was extremely dangerous—a journey with nine deaths and only one chance of survival. A sudden, intense fear of losing this man surged within her. Yet, she had never tried to stop him. For some reason, her eyes turned red, and she stepped out of the carriage.

"I have planned this for a long time; this journey will not change, and I have absolute confidence. Do not worry. I am certainly not the type to foolishly throw my life away, so you needn't be overly concerned," Wang Chuan said, holding her and gently patting her back. "I will return soon."

"It's a promise, then," Xu Wei said earnestly.

She felt an indescribable ache in her heart. She hugged Wang Chuan tightly, resting her forehead against his chest. Sometimes, she wished Wang Chuan could be more selfish and live only for himself. But that was likely just her own selfishness; she had no right to ask that of him.

"So, you are just going to leave Weier alone?" the Lord of Yu approached, sounding somewhat angry. "I agreed once when you wanted to take her away, but what do you take her for? Someone to be brought and discarded as you please?"

"Father-in-law, it is not that I wish to play the hero," Wang Chuan said to him. "The Barbarian army has already marched south. The Han military is weak, and my Emperor is still inciting internal strife. How can they be a match for the valiant Barbarian army led by the Demon Emperor? Now, while the Demon Emperor has just emerged, there is still a chance."

"Then go! And you had best not come back!" the Lord of Yu retorted.

"Take good care of Weier for now; I will return," Wang Chuan smiled and said earnestly. "I have left contingencies in place. If it becomes absolutely necessary, someone will emerge to protect you all."

"Brother Chuan, you... you must return safely... I will wait for you... I will always be waiting..." Xu Wei held him tightly.

Wang Chuan nodded, kissing her cherry lips to comfort her.

"Wang Chuan, leave behind a poem before you go," the Lord of Yu looked at him. "What is the matter? Aren't you usually quite adept at composing poetry? Can you not write one today?"

"Bring me pen and ink," Wang Chuan sighed upon hearing this. "Weier, I will never write poetry again... Later, I will play a piece of music for you—the song I have always loved the most."

Wang Chuan looked at the capital city before him, then at his beloved, and set brush to paper.

*The cold cicadas chirp mournfully,*
*Facing the long pavilion at dusk,*
*The sudden rain has just ceased.*
*Drinking in the tent at the city gate, listless,*
*In this lingering moment,*
*The orchid boat urges departure.*
*Hand in hand, we gaze at each other with teary eyes,*
*Choked with silence, unable to speak.*
*Thinking of the journey ahead, through thousands of miles of mist and waves,*
*The evening mist hangs heavy, the sky of Chu is vast.*
*Since ancient times, lovers have mourned the pain of parting,*
*How much more so in this cold, bleak autumn season!*

*Where will I wake from my wine tonight?*
*On the willow-lined shore, with the morning breeze and the waning moon.*
*From this point on, the years will pass,*
*And all the beautiful scenes will be in vain.*
*Even if I had thousands of tender feelings,*
*To whom could I speak of them?*

After putting down the brush, his figure appeared somewhat desolate and lonely. The cool breeze felt like water, and the encroaching night made the scene seem quite bleak.

When Wang Chuan played the zither again, there was none of the previous murderous intent of clashing swords and galloping horses, nor the illusion of being trapped in purgatory. Everything was as usual; he simply played an ordinary piece, one they had never heard before. The melody was light, tight-knit, and possessed an upbeat, rhythmic quality.

In the end, he truly left. That evening, a waning moon hung cold and faint in the star-dimmed night sky. Wang Chuan stepped onto the river and departed, seemingly dissolving into the night. Xu Wei was already bathed in tears, crying inconsolably.

...

*Pfft...*

"Wang Chuan has chosen to kill the Demon Emperor after all. At a time when the Jin army is annihilating the Xia, a man like him would rather shoulder the greater righteousness than accept the greater evil. But how can it be so easy? Does he not understand the path he is treading?" Xu Qing wiped blood from his mouth. "But tell me, why didn't you stop him either?"

"Brother Xu, Brother Xu..." Yan Mo ran over in a hurry. "The Barbarian army is getting closer and closer. I heard that several northern prefectures have fallen, and the refugees are fleeing south. The local people are terrified and want to leave. They say the Barbarians are burning, killing, and looting—is it true?"

"It is," Xu Qing could only nod.

Ever since the fall of the Hua Kingdom, the Barbarian army had charged in, using that route to invade the Central Plains. Although the Hua army fought bitterly, many areas had fallen, and the north had completely collapsed.

Yan Mo froze upon hearing this, his own heart settling into a cold calm. "What should we do then?"

"We leave too. This place will fall sooner or later; we cannot hold it," Xu Qing gestured to the ground, referring to their current location. He was acutely aware of the situation on both sides and held no hope. Even with a person like Wang Chuan, his presence alone was not enough to turn the tide of the war. The time was not yet right. Moreover, Wang Chuan had already gone north to the grasslands to assassinate the Demon Emperor.

"Do we really have to move?" Yan Mo asked. The two women also instinctively looked at him; Xu Qing had become the pillar of this household.

"We must go. One day we will return, and it will be soon," Xu Qing told them. "The day of driving out the Barbarian army is not far off."

As one side wanes, the other waxes; Xu Qing was waiting for that day, and he was full of confidence.

"Sir," Yan Mo suddenly bowed deeply to him. "I have learned much, and now that the country is in crisis, it is the time when I am needed most. Thank you for your guidance and help all this time. Finally, I implore you to teach me the art of war."

"You want to learn the art of war? It is not impossible," Xu Qing sighed.

"Mother, I am leaving home to serve the country," Yan Mo said, bowing to his mother.

"Mo'er," Han Keru stumbled, her body swaying. "You are still so young—must you leave your mother too?"

"Ambition knows no age, and you have taught me since I was small about family, country, and the world," Yan Mo insisted, speaking earnestly. "I have achieved much in both literature and martial arts, and I can protect myself in the future; Mother, do not worry. I must go to resist the Barbarians and protect more people. I hope that everything I have learned can be put to good use."

Xu Qing went over to support Han Keru, seeing her agitation. The little girl, though not understanding what was happening, ran over to hug her mother.

"Mother, you must take care of your health. When I return, I will surely come home in glory," Yan Mo knelt and kowtowed earnestly. "Brother Xu is a man to be trusted. Follow him and leave this place. He will protect you, and you will not be alone for the rest of your lives. That is good; I can rest easy."

*Sigh...*

Xu Qing also sighed silently. These people always carried so much—did they never grow tired? Although he understood such people well, he still hoped it did not have to be this way.

The moon moved westward, and the world seemed to grow quiet. After dinner, Han Keru quietly packed her son's luggage, drifting into a daze several times.

"Yan Mo is already very sensible; he can take care of himself," Xu Qing came over and folded a few clothes for him. "Since learning martial arts from me, he has been growing taller—he's already as tall as you, isn't he?"

"Yes," Han Keru nodded gently.

"Don't worry, it will be fine," Xu Qing took her hand. "If anything happens in the future, I will protect him."

Only then did Han Keru feel a little more at ease, leaning against him. That night, she tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Xu Qing held her, gently comforting the woman.

The next day, after seeing Yan Mo off, she wept for a long time. It was now time for them to leave as well.

"Father, where are we going?" Yan Shu-yi had been calling him that for a while; she held Xu Qing and asked. She had lost her playful spirit lately and could sense that something had happened. Her brother had already left, and now they were leaving their home.

"We are going to the Yu Kingdom," Xu Qing had thought about it carefully. If there was one last peaceful piece of land left in the world, it would be the Yu Kingdom. Comparing the Lord of Xia and the Lord of Yu, he trusted the latter more. Those who choose to protect rather than abandon what they have are far stronger. He also worried that someone might try to harm the Lord of Yu in the current situation; he hoped Wang Chuan had left behind some contingencies.

"Is it that far?" Han Keru worried. It meant crossing half the Divine Province.

"It will be fine; it is safer there. We will settle down first," Xu Qing said. The Xia Kingdom would soon fall entirely under the iron hooves of the Jin army. Yet, at this very moment, the Lord of Jin was still unhurriedly executing his plans, conducting a war of national annihilation. Did he really not know? Even if he unified the Central Plains, he would still have to face the Barbarian army later. With the strength of only one nation, he would never be able to hold them back.

As Xu Qing and the others traveled west, they saw many people fleeing along the way.

"The elders say they have never seen such an experience of leaving their homeland, even during the natural disasters of the past, no matter how bitter or difficult it was," Han Keru sighed.

"Because even back then, everyone could support one another to keep going. Now, the situation is truly too severe," Xu Qing said.

"Xu Qing, when do you think we will truly drive out the Barbarian army?" Han Keru asked him. It was the first time she had shown concern for the situation.

As far as Xu Qing knew, Wang Chuan had gone to the grasslands to kill the Demon Emperor, and Tian Xingzi had gone to the Martial Arts Academy to seek reinforcements. It was possible that both would fail.

"If you want the truth, I do not know," Xu Qing shook his head. "They are all waiting for an opportunity. I do not know when it will come, but that opportunity has not yet arrived."