The Battle of Chaos Chapter 97: The Tragic Thorn

Yun Luoxuan suddenly brought up her own name, which greatly surprised Li Qiutong. “Miss Yun, where did you hear about General Li Qiutong?”

“I once heard a senior mention that the Tang Kingdom has a young general—an extraordinary martial talent—who, not yet twenty, had already reached the Sacred Martial Realm. Such a youthful hero is not easily forgotten.”

Li Qiutong hesitated for a moment, pondered, then said, “Indeed, General Li is the defender of our Northern Tong Pass. His martial talent is remarkable. Though he looks young, is quite handsome, and usually very friendly, his strength is absolutely real. In our barracks of thousands, we’ve taken turns challenging him, but not one of us has managed to hurt him.” Li Qiutong praised himself without a hint of embarrassment, speaking with great conviction.

Along the way, Li Qiutong chatted with Yun Luoxuan about many things, sometimes aimless, but fortunately Yun Luoxuan didn’t seem annoyed and joined in with genuine interest.

The distance from Northern Tong Pass to Chang’an was considerable; it would take several days of steady travel to arrive. Having set out early in the morning with Yun Luoxuan, they had now been on the road for nearly a full day, and the sky was gradually darkening.

“Well, Miss Yun, shall we stop here for today? There’s a river ahead—why not rest by it for the night?” Li Qiutong suggested from outside the carriage.

“Of course, a day’s jostling has surely tired everyone out,” Yun Luoxuan agreed.

With her approval, Li Qiutong brought the carriage to a halt. The rest, though unsure of the reason, obediently followed his lead.

Xu Yang approached and asked, “What’s wrong? Why are we stopping?”

Li Qiutong was about to answer, but Yun Luoxuan stepped out and said, “Brother Xu, let’s rest here tonight. It’s not safe to travel too long without a break.”

Since Yun Luoxuan had decided, Xu Yang could not object. Li Qiutong then helped Yun Luoxuan down from the carriage.

“Thank you, sir.”

“It’s nothing, Miss Yun. Why don’t you rest in the shade of the trees ahead? I’ll fetch some things from the back and prepare dinner for everyone,” Li Qiutong said, then turned to leave.

As Li Qiutong walked away, Xu Yang asked with concern, “Miss, did he say anything inappropriate to you?” Truth be told, Xu Yang disapproved of having a group of strangers travel with them to Chang’an, especially with that man sharing a carriage with the young lady. But since Yun Luoxuan insisted, he could only accept.

“Brother Xu, you worry too much. Young Master Li is a good man. You could tell from the way he dealt with those bandits, and he’s been nothing but proper along the way. But are you sure he isn’t a martial artist?”

“Absolutely. There’s not a trace of martial essence in his body,” Xu Yang replied confidently.

“Alright, then please go and check the surroundings.”

“Understood.”

Meanwhile, at the rear carriage, Hei Shou and Bai Pang were unloading supplies under Rose’s supervision.

Qin Shuyu, seeing her son approach, teased him with a hint of jealousy, “My son, now that there’s a young lady, your mother is all but forgotten. Why don’t you go keep your Miss Yun company instead?”

Flustered by her words, Li Qiutong’s face turned red as he hurried to explain, “Mother, I was just concerned—see, I came to you as soon as I got off the carriage.”

Madam Qin looked at her son and couldn’t help but laugh. “You silly boy, can’t you see I’m teasing you? Tell me, is this Miss Yun the very ‘Sister Yun’ you’ve always pined for?”

Li Qiutong was startled. “How did you know?”

“Isn’t it obvious? There’s Bilu, Zhu Yan’er, and the Yu sisters—all beautiful, elegant women—yet you’ve never shown the slightest interest. But with this girl, whom you’ve just met and whose face you haven’t even seen, your eyes and tone immediately changed. And her surname is Yun. How could I not guess?” Qin Shuyu analyzed with certainty.

Li Qiutong was speechless. “Was the change in me really so obvious?”

“If you don’t believe me, ask Rose.”

Rose glanced at Li Qiutong and nodded silently.

Qin Shuyu continued, “Son, your mother supports you. That young lady seems very nice—gentle, courteous, and though I can’t see her face, I’m sure she’s a rare beauty.”

“Mother, these things take time,” Li Qiutong replied helplessly.

That night, the group sat around the fire, enjoying dinner. Though camping in the wild, the meal was especially sumptuous: fish caught by Xu Yang from the river, wild goose shot down by Xu Yue, and with Li Qiutong’s culinary skills, a pot of vegetable and fish stew, and roast goose seasoned with fresh herbs, filled the air with fragrant aroma.

“Miss Yun, what do you think of my son’s cooking?” Qin Shuyu asked.

Yun Luoxuan gently set down her bowl, genuinely praising, “It’s delicious. The fish soup is rich and sweet, yet surprisingly light, leaving only a faint, fresh aftertaste. I must say, Young Master Li’s skills are admirable.”

Li Qiutong, hearing this, could only smile foolishly, while Qin Shuyu, exasperated with her son, continued, “Indeed, my son is quite the cook, though ingredients were scarce today. Miss Yun, if you like, once we reach Chang’an, let him truly show off his skills for you.”

“Oh, I couldn’t impose,” Yun Luoxuan replied, a little surprised by Qin Shuyu’s sudden warmth.

Qin Shuyu smiled gently. “It’s nothing. By the way, Miss Yun, you’re at the age for marriage—may I ask, has your family arranged a match for you?”

The question caught Yun Luoxuan off guard and startled Li Qiutong as well. There was nothing subtle about it.

But Yun Luoxuan maintained her composure and answered truthfully, “My father did once arrange a marriage for me.”

“Have you ever met your fiancé?” Qin Shuyu pressed on.

Yun Luoxuan shook her head. “However, we may be wed before long.”

Li Qiutong fell silent, lowering his head to gnaw at a goose leg in silence.

The atmosphere grew awkward. Yun Luoxuan slowly rose. “Please, continue eating. I’m going to the river to wash up.”

“Miss, let me go with you,” Xu Yue offered, setting down her bowl.

“No need. I’ll go alone. If anything happens, I’ll call you.” With that, Yun Luoxuan left the fire.

Xu Yang kept a watchful eye in that direction, wary of any trouble.

Qin Shuyu leaned over and whispered in Li Qiutong’s ear, “Xiao Tong, you’re second to none. I believe in you. Go after her and say something.”

Li Qiutong nodded in silence, then turned to follow Yun Luoxuan.

Xu Yang moved to stop him, but Qin Shuyu quelled him with a single sentence: “You’d best sit still, or the Xu family will never get another Pure Yang Pure Yin Pill, and you can await an early grave.”

“Who exactly are you?” Xu Yang’s face changed dramatically, and Xu Yue reached for her sword.

Qin Shuyu calmly dabbed her lips, saying nothing further. But within, the Xu siblings were thunderstruck. Because of their Yin-Yang constitutions, they were acutely sensitive to martial essence, able to practice the peerless Sun Blade and Moon Sword, but with a fatal flaw: the imbalance of Pure Yang and Pure Yin in their bodies meant most with such constitutions died before the age of ten. Only the Xu family’s head had found a top-tier physician to concoct a special medicine to maintain the balance. The matter was the family’s deepest secret—even Yun Luoxuan knew nothing. Yet this woman had spoken of it openly; there could be only one explanation.

“Are you the Master Hongyu that my father once mentioned?” Xu Yang asked.

Qin Shuyu neither confirmed nor denied, but her silence was assent.

Xu Yang’s tone shifted to utmost respect. “Forgive us, Master. We didn’t know your identity and have behaved rudely. Please don’t take offense. If you need anything in the future, my sister and I will answer your call.”

“That’s enough, sit down. Just don’t disturb my son,” she said.

Xu Yang glanced that way, hesitated, but finally sat down.

By the river, Yun Luoxuan stood quietly, gazing at the clear waters.

“Miss Yun, are you alright? My mother may have spoken out of turn. Please don’t mind her,” Li Qiutong approached gently.

Yun Luoxuan turned and smiled. “I’m fine, Young Master Li. You worry too much.”

Li Qiutong joined her at the bank, both watching the slow-moving current.

“Miss Yun, do you wish to marry that person?” Li Qiutong gathered his courage to ask.

Yun Luoxuan looked up at the sky, took a deep breath, and replied, “In this world, it’s not a matter of what I wish or don’t wish. Some things cannot be decided by desire alone.”

“Perhaps. Life is always so contradictory.”

“Young Master Li, you and I are mere fleeting acquaintances—perhaps never to meet again. Still, I will remember these few days with you. They have been light and easy.”

“I…” Li Qiutong had only just begun to speak when a sudden voice interrupted them.

“Li Qiutong, prepare to die.”

Startled, both turned. In the darkness of the woods stood a figure shrouded in black robes, face completely concealed.

“Who are you?” Li Qiutong demanded.

The man in black laughed. “My name is Cijian, and I’ve come to kill you.”

Li Qiutong shielded Yun Luoxuan behind him. “Were you sent by Prince Ming?”

“There’s no need to stall for time,” Cijian sneered. “We already know—after you defeated five thousand Mongol cavalry alone, your vitality was shattered and your martial essence destroyed. Now, you can’t even match an ordinary man.”

Li Qiutong said nothing—his gaze locked on the assassin.

Cijian wasted no more words. Instantly, he gathered his martial essence. As a master assassin, his speed was unmatched; before Li Qiutong could react, a flurry of razor-sharp energy projectiles shot toward them.

Li Qiutong instinctively turned and shielded Yun Luoxuan with his body, completely covering her.

“This time, I can finally protect you,” he murmured with a smile.

Countless spikes pierced Li Qiutong’s back—a gory sight, his once sturdy back now a mangled, bloody mess.

“Young Master Li, are you alright?” Yun Luoxuan cried out in alarm.

“I’m fine,” Li Qiutong replied, his bloodied lips barely moving. Steeling himself, he stood, facing the stunned Cijian.

Behind him, Yun Luoxuan saw the gruesome wounds, blood still dripping, black and red mingling, each gaping hole a terror. Her heart felt unbearably heavy.

But Li Qiutong looked calmly at Cijian. “You’ve picked the wrong man.” As he spoke, a forceful wave of azure martial essence erupted from his body. A blue dragon soared upward, coiling around him. Under the emerald glow, his wounds began to heal at a miraculous rate.

Li Qiutong rolled his neck lightly. “It’s been so long since I fought—I might have trouble controlling my strength, so be careful.” With that, he strode toward Cijian.

Sensing danger, Cijian tried to flee, but was suddenly entangled below the waist, unable to move.

Li Qiutong’s approach pressed down on him like a mountain. In desperation, Cijian shouted, “I’ll take you with me!” He summoned a shield of martial essence bristling with spikes, curled into a ball, and charged straight at Li Qiutong.