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墨書 Inktalez
The scent of Crabapple Blossom wafted through the night breeze, mingled with a strong metallic tang of blood. Dark clouds drifted across the horizon, a remnant cloud obscuring the crescent moon, casting a dim light that enveloped the earth through the thin veil of darkness.
Night Star closed his eyes, inhaling the fragrance of Crabapple Blossom, listening to the sound of the tides. His tongue seemed to taste the briny flavor of the sea.
How could there be a sea in the grasslands?
He was surprised and wanted to lift his gaze to see what was happening, but his eyelids felt heavy and he couldn't raise them. Night Star felt incredibly tired... his heavy body seemed to weigh like an iron weight, continuously sinking. In the thick darkness, he suddenly recalled the first time he found that woman.
That woman, White Hair, looked fresh and radiant, lying peacefully and vulnerably amidst the ruins left by war.
In the gray haze of gunpowder smoke, amidst the ugly scene filled with corpses and blood, she alone quietly closed her eyes, her expression serene and ethereal, untouched by dust.
Perhaps from the moment he first saw her, his subconscious had already been deeply moved by her tranquility. Taking her back and saying he wanted to study her was merely an excuse.
Otherwise, why would he repeatedly oppose his mother, who never liked him, and carefully protect her in front of that emperor?
Night Star wandered in his memories and suddenly felt that his wounds no longer hurt; the continuous flow of blood became less terrifying. Thinking of Mo Xier brought him an inexplicable sense of peace. It was as if a force tightly bound him, calming his frantic heart.
At the moment Night Star fell to the ground, a dark figure suddenly emerged from a concealed spot on his right side, supporting him tightly. It was Qinglong, whose imposing presence exuded a chilling aura; his handsome features showed no emotion.
Qinglong supported him and called out worriedly, "General, I’m late! You must hold on!"
He glanced anxiously at Night Star's tightly closed eyes, raised his hand to press several acupoints to stop the bleeding, and carefully laid him down on the ground. Then he looked up angrily at Dun Zhu.
"Look at the good you've done!" Qinglong's tone was filled with barely contained anger as he drew the concealed soft sword from his waist and swung it indiscriminately at the woman in front of him.
Dun Zhu was startled and instinctively retreated repeatedly, the chilling sword energy closing in on her. She was drenched in cold sweat, her palm that had just gripped the hilt to stab Night Star now glistened with beads of perspiration. Summoning all the courage she had in her life, she raised her hand to defend herself.
In an instant, the clash of blades echoed, and in that moment of sparks flying, Qinglong did not even furrow his brow, relentlessly pressing forward.
Dun Zhu's tear-streaked face was filled with terror; the tremendous impact caused her to lose her grip instantly. Her hands trembled, and blood gushed from her split palm.
Ignoring her half-exposed body without a robe, shame, anger, and dignity made her feel as if she were being fried in hot oil.
"Mo Xier..." the man on the ground slowly uttered a name.
Dun Zhu instinctively turned to look back. Could this be the person he loved?
In that moment, her heart felt like it was being sliced open. A sudden chill spread across her chest; looking down, she saw her bodice torn by the sharp blade, revealing what could not be hidden beneath.
"Pervert," she shouted angrily, eyes wide with humiliation as she instinctively covered her chest with both hands. In the moment she turned to run away, the soft sword pierced through her back, and a mouthful of blood gushed from her lips.
The mingling of blade and blood under the moonlight gradually revealed a strange crimson hue. Dun Zhu's eyes widened as she gasped, leaning forward.
In her final moments, a wave of sorrow washed over her. She was still young, unmarried, had never left the grasslands, had not seen the most beautiful sights of this world, had not heard the sounds of rivers and mountains, and had never confessed those three deepest words to Night Star.
Tears flowed slowly from the corners of her eyes. Unlike Night Star, she did not close her eyes; instead, they remained wide open in a state of disbelief.
"You murderous fiend like you deserve to die a thousand times over," Qinglong spat on the motionless body before turning towards where Night Star lay. He crouched down and reached out to check for Night Star's breath; there was still a faint sign of life.
Qinglong remained calm as he pulled out a small jade vial from his pocket and poured out a brown Revival Pill. This pill was extremely precious; there were only three in total.
This was something he had accidentally saved, a severely injured Female Master. While fleeing, the Female Master had coincidentally run into a wealthy household that he was tasked to assassinate. At that moment, he was also there, preparing to carry out the assassination after nightfall.
That household belonged to the most corrupt official in the court. The Female Master collapsed beside him, covered in blood, with countless black-clad pursuers behind her. In a moment of desperation, he took the Female Master and hid in a woodshed. The woodshed was dark and damp; the Female Master’s body was burning hot, her face pale, looking as if she might not survive much longer, yet she clung to his hand tightly.
In his line of work, being cold-blooded and ruthless was paramount. Qinglong had adhered to this principle for a long time, but ultimately, due to his youth, he felt compassion and saved the Female Master.
After waking up, the Female Master hurriedly left. He was curious about her background, but she said nothing, leaving behind three Revival Pills as repayment for saving her life before disappearing into the bustling crowd.
Qinglong slowly brought a brown pill to Night Star's mouth, supporting Night Star's head with his left hand to help him swallow it.
He had never tried whether this Revival Pill had miraculous healing effects; even when he himself was gravely injured and on the brink of death, he had not dared to consume it.
Because in his heart, regardless of whether the pill worked or not, only the most important person could take it—not himself.
After a while, Night Star slowly opened his eyes. His face was as pale as paper, his cracked lips devoid of color, and the wound on his chest continued to bleed slightly.
Qinglong finally felt relieved. He tore a strip of cloth from his own clothing and wrapped it around Night Star's chest. Finally kneeling on the ground, he shamefully said, "Please do not blame me for being late, General."
When Night Star woke up and looked up at the endless sky filled with stars, Qinglong thought he would blame him. Unexpectedly, Night Star's first words were, "Mo Xi'er is still suffering in the palace; I must survive and return to save her..."
"General..." Qinglong hesitated for a moment but decided to speak up. "We should return quickly; Li Qingfeng and Lord Liu are still in the military camp. This is a critical time; please do not let others gossip about you!"
He had sensed something was off for a while but couldn't pinpoint what it was. His intuition told him that if a general leading troops did not stay overnight in the Military Tent, rumors would surely spread.
"Alright." Night Star struggled to sit up and said loudly, "Help me back." He coughed lightly; suddenly something lodged in his throat made him exert himself slightly and spit out a mouthful of blood. His throat felt dry and painful; Night Star suddenly felt dizzy and collapsed again.
Qinglong was startled and immediately rushed forward to support him. "General? General!"
No matter what, the unconscious man could not be awakened. Qinglong noticed that the general's body had become extremely hot, and his handsome face was deathly pale, devoid of any color.
Bending down to check the general's wounds, he found that the recently stopped bleeding had reopened at some point, staining the newly wrapped pieces of cloth a horrifying crimson once again.
Fear slowly spread from the depths of Qinglong's heart; for the first time, he felt terrified at the thought of his master dying.
He lifted the general onto his back, wanting to find someone nearby to provide treatment. However, apart from the Three Major Tribes and his own military camp, there were no other villages in sight.
Fortunately, he had often been injured during missions before, so he at least knew some methods of saving people. Carrying Night Star on his back, he walked step by step toward an unknown distance, sweating profusely without realizing it.
"If the general goes, then I won't live either," Qinglong said calmly to his master on his back.
Night Star remained silent. Occasionally, the sound of cicadas could be heard in the air; it was clearly an unusually quiet and peaceful night, yet Qinglong smelled a strong scent of blood and a pervasive aura of danger.
After a moment of contemplation, Qinglong spoke again, "General, Miss Xi must be waiting for good news about your return."
He paused for a moment, hesitating before continuing, "The old woman doesn't like Miss Xi. Not long ago, Miss Xi suffered greatly and was called into the palace by the Empress Dowager. There is also a wolf-like emperor in the palace..."
Suddenly, there was a response from behind him. Night Star let out a weak whimper while lying on his back, as if in agreement.
Qinglong couldn't help but feel overjoyed; a layer of happiness suddenly appeared on his cold brow as he continued, "General, you must hold on! Miss Xi definitely doesn't want anything to happen to you; she must still be waiting for you to return and rescue her!"
Night Star's drooping fingers suddenly moved slightly. With all his strength, he raised them in mid-air and pointed in one direction, his voice weak and hoarse as he said, "Ahead... there is a cave."
Qinglong's eyes brightened as he took a few steps toward that direction and indeed discovered a "cave." However, this cave on the grassland was somewhat strange; it was recessed into the ground, resembling a tunnel formed by subsidence.
Crouching down slightly, Qinglong entered the tunnel carefully. As he felt his way forward in the dark, he found that the lengthy stone path gradually opened up behind him.
The sound of flowing water faintly reached his ears. The night traveler’s vision and hearing were exceptionally sharp in the dark, perhaps due to the nature of his mission, so Qinglong did not feel hindered in his sight.
He found a corner to place Night Star down and immediately went to gather some dry branches, lighting them to illuminate the surroundings.
He glanced at the stone walls around him, covered in moss and fungi. Combining this with the sound he had just heard, he searched nearby and indeed found a channel of underground water.
Carefully cupping some leaves, he fed a little water into Night Star's mouth. He peeled away the tattered, blood-stained clothing to reveal the well-defined curves of his body underneath. His skin was as pale as jade, marked by scars accumulated from years of battle.
Everyone knew the Invincible General was extraordinary and unmatched in the world.
But who could understand the pain and hardships behind that?
Sighing, Qinglong took out a small cloth bag from his pocket and spread it on the ground. Inside was a collection of various containers filled with antidotes and healing salves.
As an assassin and Shadow Guard, carrying these items year-round was not unusual for him.
Qinglong found a bottle of the best healing salve among them, uncorked it, and poured it onto Night Star's wounds.
Night Star furrowed his brows, his eyes tightly shut, with his eyelashes trembling. His handsome face was devoid of color, revealing a vulnerability unseen by ordinary people.
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