Chapter 226: Chapter 224: Next Life_1 Chapter 226: Chapter 224: Next Life_1 Rescuing people in Xiliang territory was like snatching food from the tiger’s mouth. The dangers were imaginable.

Xiliang soldiers came one after another continuously. Even though Shen Liangyu’s Huying Camp was brave and battle-hardened, two fists were no match for four hands. Half of the twenty Elite Soldiers of Huying Camp had died. Most of the Dong family’s dead men had also perished. Even Shen Liangyu had taken a blow. If the blow hadn’t deviated, she might have died on the spot.

Shen Qingzhu wielded a longsword in one hand and a short blade in the other. Wherever the blade went, it took lives. But there were too many… Xiliang soldiers, really too many! No matter how brave Shen Qingzhu was, she found it somewhat difficult alone. Her arms became heavy. Amidst the intense, labored breathing, her vision blurred, filled with white mist. Blood fog splattered on her face and froze, hanging like icicles on her eyelashes. She moved nonstop through the Xiliang soldiers like a swallow. She faintly heard the neighing of warhorses from above. Taking the chance to catch her breath, she looked up and saw the approaching figure of Xiao Sa astride a horse… The person had not yet arrived, but the killing intent was already palpable.

Since Bai Qingyan had been injured, such a figure had appeared countless times in Shen Qingzhu’s dreams. Shen Qingzhu had also blamed herself countless times for not protecting the eldest daughter, causing the Bai family army to lose their infallible and invincible Young General Bai!

But now, she was back!

Tears welled in Shen Qingzhu’s eyes, melting the blood ice hanging on her lashes. She roared, gripping both blades tightly, as if boundless courage and strength surged from her feet, capable of slaughtering a thousand Xiliang thieves.

The sound of bone whistles kept coming from above. Xiao Ruohai, carrying Bai Qingyun, twitched his ears.

[Xiao Ruohai, Shen Qingzhu, quickly retreat with Nine to Shaoyang County!]
The bone whistle sounded repeatedly, commanding them again and again. He heard it very clearly.

Xiao Ruojiang, atop a black horse, saw Xiao Ruohai covered in blood and shouted “Brother!” He spurred his horse toward Xiao Ruohai, extending his hand. Xiao Ruohai swiftly sheathed his sword and grabbed Xiao Ruojiang’s hand. As he was pulled onto the horse, Xiao Ruojiang dismounted and landed steadily on the ground.

Xiao Ruojiang’s eyes were calm and cold. He stabbed a Xiliang soldier through the chest. As he withdrew the blade, blood splattered. He shouted at Xiao Ruohai: “Go!”

Xiao Ruohai gripped the reins with one hand, held a blade in the other, glanced at Bai Qingyun on his back. Turning back, he saw Bai Qingyan, sternly astride her horse, her eyes dark, drawing her bow at lightning speed. The killing intent chilled hearts and courage.

The arrow whistled past Bai Qingyun’s ear, piercing the neck of the Xiliang soldier who had raised a blade at Xiao Ruojiang.

Bai Qingyun’s ink-black hair, sticky with blood, was lifted by the arrow’s wind. His bloodied fingers twitched by Xiao Ruohai’s side.

Bai Qingyan’s eyes reddened. She quickly approached and finally saw Bai Qingyun tied tightly to Xiao Ruohai with cloth strips. He wore Xiao Ruohai’s outer robe. Except for his face, there was no intact skin on his exposed body. Her eyes filled with rage.

Whatever tortures Bai Qingyun had endured were visible to the naked eye. Anger flared in her heart. She drew another arrow, wishing she could kill all the Xiliang dogs who had harmed Bai Qingyun.

She shouted: “Take Nine away quickly!”

Xiao Ruohai nodded, bit his teeth, spurred the horse: “Hyah!”

As the horse jostled, Bai Qingyun, leaning softly against Xiao Ruohai’s back, barely managed to open a slit of his eyelids. He vaguely saw Bai Qingyan riding past him.

Eldest Young Lady? Is this a dream… How could the Eldest Young Lady appear here?

“Eldest Young Lady…”

Bai Qingyun opened his mouth. His extremely weak voice was drowned in the deafening sounds of battle.

He could feel the killing intent in Eldest Young Lady’s gaze, as fierce and sharp as before. Her red cloak flapped like an eagle spreading its wings, holding the shooting sun bow, invincible as ever.

“Eldest Young Lady…” His fingers twitched, wanting to grasp the fluttering cloak of Eldest Young Lady but caught nothing… His entire body couldn’t move. Only his black eyes turned, trying to follow Bai Qingyan, but the jostling took him further away. His consciousness gradually was swallowed by the darkness.

Did Eldest Young Lady come to save him?

But how could Eldest Young Lady, weak and ill, draw the shooting sun bow? He must be dying, thus dreaming…

What a wonderful dream!

Dying in a dream where Eldest Young Lady came to save him, where she didn’t abandon him for being an illegitimate son, left him with no regrets in this life.

He knew that if the Eldest Young Lady were truly here… She would save him! Just like every time before when he was punished to kneel in the ancestral hall, the Eldest Young Lady always saved him!

He wished there truly was a next life.

In the next life, he would still be a member of the Bai family!

In the next life, he would still serve in the Bai family army!

As long as Seventh Brother was still alive, as long as the legitimate son was alive… The Bai family’s legacy had hope!

He had always scorned the rule of legitimate sons being protected by illegitimate ones. But at this critical moment of life and death, he finally understood why the Bai family rule existed!

It wasn’t because Grandfather was biased, but because society saw legitimate sons as the true bearers of the family name!

The Bai family’s legitimate son could not die!

Bai Qingyun watched as the bright spot inside Qiushan Pass grew further away, thinking his end had come, regretting not knowing if Seventh Brother survived.

Inside Qiushan Pass, Bai Qingyan led nearly a hundred riders, charging furiously through enemy lines, slashing heads, pulling own soldiers and dead men onto horsebacks, and retreating to the high grounds. They then raised crossbows to cover the climbing Elite Soldiers and Dong family dead men.

The Xiliang soldier pierced by Bai Jinzhi’s silver spear seized it tightly. Bai Jinzhi, gritting her teeth, couldn’t pull it out. Seeing Xiliang soldiers closing in with raised blades, she held her breath, her mind blank, roaring to pull out her weapon.

“Fourth Sister! Pick a blade!” Bai Qingyan shouted hoarsely, charging towards Bai Jinzhi, drawing the last three arrows from her quiver, and shooting them.

Hearing the call, Xiao Ruojiang turned, moving faster than his thoughts. He leaped, slaying a Xiliang soldier with a swipe, and shielded Bai Jinzhi, back to back, against incoming attacks.

Three arrows. One pierced a soldier’s chest. One, his throat. The third missed.

A blade chopped into Xiao Ruojiang’s shoulder, almost severing his arm. Roaring, he turned and beheaded the attacker!

“Fourth Sister!” Bai Qingyan extended her hand.

Gritting his teeth, Xiao Ruojiang lifted Bai Jinzhi to Bai Qingyan. Only once Bai Jinzhi firmly clung to Bai Qingyan’s armor did he regain his senses: “Eldest Young Lady…”

Bai Qingyan glanced at the distance, seeing Huying Camp’s brave warriors pulling Shen Liangyu onto horses amidst arrow rain, yelling: “Retreat!”

Shen Qingzhu eyed a startled horse without a rider, sheathed her short blade, grabbed the saddle, and leaped on it: “Retreat!”

“Retreat!”

Huying Camp and the Dong family’s dead men, upon hearing, seized nearby comrades, mounted, and ascended the steep slopes.

Bai Qingyan, leaning from the rocky slope, pulled arrows from a corpse, shooting at Xiliang soldiers. She shouted at the approaching Shen Qingzhu: “Go first! Hurry!”