Volume One: The Hidden Dragon in the Abyss Chapter 70: Clash

The moonlight wove its silver threads through veiling mists. Somewhere in Qingzhou, an isolated peak stood alone, its cliffs sheer and unyielding, thrusting skyward like the proud neck of a camel raising its head to the heavens, or perhaps like a pillar propping up the very sky and stirring the winds and clouds. The peak seemed to bind earth and sky, its treacherous stone faces utterly impassable, and the mountain winds fierce and biting—no path could be found.

Yet on this night, two figures suddenly leapt to its summit.

“Achoo…”

A biting wind swept past, making Xu Wei sneeze involuntarily. Wang Chuan quickly set down his pack and pulled out a coat, wrapping it snugly around her shoulders.

“Brother Chuan, I’m all right,” Xu Wei hurried to say, though her heart grew warm at his care.

“Just hold this for me!” Wang Chuan insisted, not to be refused, before busying himself with setting up the tent and bedding.

It was a marching tent, and though Wang Chuan had chosen the smallest, once opened and pitched, it was still quite large—spacious enough for two carriages side by side. He’d carried this mountainous pack all the way, with Xu Wei in tow, just because she had wished to see the summit.

Her heart ached watching him, for she could do little to help.

“Though the people nearby have tried every possible means, they have never glimpsed the true face of Mount Lu. It always seems like a fairyland, visible yet unattainable. But now we’re here, and it’s nothing so extraordinary,” Wang Chuan said, gazing out at the endless scenery. “That’s how it becomes shrouded in mystery—common folk love to imagine wonders.”

“Then, Brother Chuan, are you a sage?” Xu Wei asked with a smile.

“If one rides the natural order of heaven and earth, mastering the subtlety of the six breaths, and wanders beyond all boundaries, then what else is required? Thus it is said: the perfected man is selfless, the spirit man leaves no deeds, the sage bears no name,” Wang Chuan replied with a shake of his head. “I still have many things I can’t let go. I’m not there yet. It’s getting late, you should rest.”

“All right.” After a pause, Xu Wei’s cheeks flushed as she whispered, “And you, Brother Chuan?”

“You sleep inside—I’ll keep watch outside,” Wang Chuan replied as if it were only natural. “Don’t worry about me, Wei’er. With my strength, I could climb to the heavens or descend to the abyss. This chilly mountaintop wind is nothing.”

He gazed into the distance, letting the wind caress his face. Under the silvery glow, the vast forests below shimmered with a million points of light, flowing endlessly toward the horizon.

Wang Chuan was moved by the majesty of the world. It seemed like a distorted reflection in water—familiar yet strange, shifting and elusive, flickering in and out of focus. It felt as if he could stir the heavens and earth with a wave of his hand, manipulate the winds and clouds. Everything before him seemed unreal, even his own existence growing indistinct, as if he might dissolve into the luminous moonlight, fading away bit by bit.

Suddenly, there was a soft sound from inside the tent. Wang Chuan snapped from his reverie, his gaze growing alert.

“What’s wrong?” he asked with concern.

The beauty within, radiant as ever, her skin still tinged with the flush of cold, poked out her delicate face, looking even more lovely.

“Brother Chuan, you should wear this,” Xu Wei said, unable to bear it, handing him both their coats.

“Very well. Now hurry and sleep, I’ll keep watch outside,” Wang Chuan replied.

Xu Wei nodded, her peerless features tinged with a nameless shyness. Though she usually did not act distant, there was a quality to her that made frivolous thoughts impossible.

They fell into silence once more.

“Brother Chuan, come inside.”

The sudden invitation startled Wang Chuan. Xu Wei, after speaking, hid her head under the covers.

“Do you regret this?” Wang Chuan appeared inside the tent without a sound. Yet now he was in no rush; after a moment’s thought, a mischievous smile played at his lips. “I’ve never been through this before, but I’ve heard that, according to custom, it’s the girl who prepares the bed to invite the man in, and helps her husband remove his clothes…”

“But if that’s the case…” Xu Wei began, then caught herself, protesting, “You’re not allowed to think such naughty thoughts!”

“What naughty thoughts?” Wang Chuan chuckled, lying down slowly beside her.

Xu Wei, though she seemed delicate, was in truth quite bold, offering no resistance. Yet beneath the covers, her form trembled ever so slightly.

“Brother Chuan, we’ve left the others behind—will they be all right?” Xu Wei remembered to ask.

“With me here, you’re safe. As for them, they’ll be fine. I can contact Duan Changfeng and Tian Xingzi at any time and keep track of their movements. But never mind them—how rare it is for just the two of us to have peace.” Wang Chuan sighed. “Wei’er, the road ahead may only grow more perilous. Countless hands push me from behind; I fear taking a single misstep, sometimes losing my clarity and failing to see the truth. But with you here, I have no fear.”

Xu Wei was startled. Wang Chuan often shared his heart with her—a world she could barely imagine, let alone touch.

She poked her head out, seeing him lying beside her, propped on one arm, gazing at her.

His figure was slender, solitary, almost forlorn, evoking both tenderness and a hidden sorrow that brought tears to her eyes.

“Brother Chuan, you’re so strong and clever—you’ll be all right,” Xu Wei said earnestly.

“If only that were so,” Wang Chuan replied with a gentle smile, studying her.

Cherry lips, pearly teeth, brows as if painted, delicate earlobes like white jade—her lovely face seemed to glow with a gentle warmth, lighting the pale tent and filling it with fragrance.

Tenderly, Wang Chuan drew her into his arms, her cool, slender body bringing relief to his feverish skin. “Are you cold?”

Xu Wei murmured assent, nestling softly against him, her petite form delicate as a porcelain doll.

She seemed a little afraid. “Brother Chuan, be gentle…”

At her words, her body trembled, unable to suppress a shiver. A subtle allure emanated from her fragile frame.

“Then… shall we consummate our marriage?” Wang Chuan, holding her softness, breathed in her faint, girlish fragrance, his heart stirring.

Curled in his embrace, Xu Wei nodded shyly, murmuring, “Since I came with you, I belong to you. Mother said you’re trustworthy.”

She had never resisted his touch; the first time he held her, she’d been startled but not truly repulsed.

After a long time, Wang Chuan exhaled, holding her cool, silken form, unable to let go—wishing to hold her forever and shield her all his life.

Xu Wei’s cheeks were still flushed, lost in a lingering, indescribable sensation.

Her bright eyes shone as she wrapped her small hands around Wang Chuan, revealing a radiant smile. “Brother Chuan, so this is what it’s like…”

She, who usually seemed so delicate, could burn with such passion.

Wang Chuan pinched her nose affectionately. “Let’s sleep for now. We have a long life ahead.”

Xu Wei pressed close to his chest, whispering, “Brother Chuan, will we always be together?”

“We will. I’ll always protect you,” Wang Chuan promised. “When the spring dries up, the fish share the land, moistening each other with their breath, nourishing each other with their lips. If that day comes and we’re in danger, we’ll lean on each other and carry on together.”

Xu Wei giggled, touching his face, lifting her own to smile sweetly. “Brother Chuan, I can’t sleep.”

“Then let me tell you a story,” Wang Chuan offered.

“Yes, please!” Xu Wei’s spirits lifted instantly.

Wang Chuan gathered his thoughts and began, “The story takes place in a distant land. The princess of a small vassal state was married off to the emperor of a great nation. A general was sent to escort her. As they traveled together, feelings grew between them. One snowy night, the general kept watch at her cave, never overstepping his bounds. But before long, the princess found him frozen stiff, and they spent that cold night in each other’s arms…”

Wang Chuan paused, noticing Xu Wei had already fallen asleep.

She was exhausted.

Raising his brows, he tucked her in more securely, held her close, and soon drifted off himself.

That night, neither found true rest.

…

“General Duan, ten miles ahead lies the Qing Shui River,” a young soldier reported.

Wang Chuan had handed over command entirely to Duan Changfeng. To these Jin troops, the young, renowned general was far more reliable than the famed Wang Chuan.

The army paused to rest. Yang Hao and Tian Xingzi were present, consulting with several officers.

Marching north to attack Luo City, they were gradually leaving Qingzhou’s borders, when they found themselves surrounded by pursuing forces from all directions.

Their retreat was now completely cut off. As the encirclement tightened, it threatened to become a deadly trap.

“The Qing Shui River? Didn’t we receive word three hours ago that Wei forces were massing there?” Duan Changfeng tapped the map. “The surrounding counties can muster twenty or thirty thousand, mostly infantry. The prefecture itself can field a hundred thousand, though they’ll need another three hours to arrive. Including the pursuing troops, they mean to pin us here and annihilate us. Gentlemen, which way should we go?”

“If all three routes are blocked by Wei forces, then why not head east, pass through Cen County, and strike straight for Luo City? We could avoid the Wei troops to the north, couldn’t we?” Yang Hao suggested.

“No, we can’t go through Cen County. The Wei army from Chuzhou has deliberately diverted there—they’re not afraid we’ll take that route,” Tian Xingzi replied. “Cen County’s terrain is impassable for cavalry—we’d be trapped. The name ‘cen’ means a small, high mountain, and the waters converge into rivers. Horses can’t get through at all.”

Cavalry were highly mobile, but dense forests and steep mountains were their weakness—a fact every soldier knew.

Yang Hao flushed with embarrassment.

“How deep is the Qing Shui River?” Duan Changfeng asked.

“Horses can cross,” Tian Xingzi seemed to anticipate his thoughts. “Legend says that thousands of years ago, during a terrible drought, a sage passed by and with a stroke of his hand drew the river, whose sweet, clear waters never dried and nourished the people since—that’s the Qing Shui River. It’s a small stream, the deepest part less than ten feet, the shallowest barely waist-high, easily fordable on horseback. The narrowest section is only nine feet across—logs can be laid as a bridge. If you wish to cross, General, we can seek out the best spot.”

Even Yang Hao now saw the river’s importance.

Compared to the thirty thousand infantry to the west and their own forty thousand light cavalry, some parts of the river favored infantry, others cavalry—

Such was the terrain advantage in battle.

To the east, Wei’s Chuzhou army was approaching; behind lay the Qingzhou troops; north was Luo City, where Wei’s main force gathered.

It was said they had dispatched fifty thousand to intercept.

The situation was dire.

Duan Changfeng closed his eyes in thought. Just then, Wang Chuan’s voice sounded in his mind, making him straighten at once.

“General, I have a plan: we can make a rapid strike on Cen County, then abandon our horses and escape on foot. To the north, we could assault Luo City; eastward, Jin itself is but a thousand miles away—His Majesty will surely send troops to meet us at the border,” a young officer ventured.

The others looked at him as if he were mad, barely concealing their contempt.

Abandon the horses? Was his head kicked by a horse?

It was eight hundred miles north to Luo City; did he expect to run there and storm the city on foot, surrounded by Wei forces on all sides?

The same was true eastward: Chuzhou’s army only needed ten thousand light cavalry to cut them off, and they’d be trapped like beasts.

Duan Changfeng ignored him, unwilling to waste words.

He spurred his horse, raising his whip and pointing into the distance. “By order of His Highness: strike west at the Wei army, and drive straight for Luo City!”

“This battle—we shall win!”

Their morale soared like a rainbow.