Chapter 88: 87.2

Chapter 87: An Embrace (Pt. 2)

At the same time, in the forest. 

The sky was already growing dark, and between the thick tree branches above and the setting sun, it was quite dim in the forest. 

A dead tree trunk lay across two hilltops, almost like a bridge. A group of people, clad in black clothing, stood on top of it, motionless. Another group surrounded a man, who was tall in figure, wore luxurious clothing, and was adorned with jade and gemstones around his neck and wrists. He did not say a word, but each of his actions bore dignity. 

A white-clothed woman was casually tossed at his feet. Several other people bowed in greeting: “My king, this is the one who just ran in. A woman.”

The Northern King threw a glance at the woman, unmoving: “Put her over there.”

Time passed. People rushed by occasionally, some covered in blood, some carrying bodies on their backs. 

The Northern King was all the more silent now. He stood up wearily to pace. He had already been trapped here for a long time, and it seemed that there was no way out. The Yan Kingdom was familiar with the area and sent out men in advance to surround it and set traps to chase him out of the Northern Kingdom. 

At the outset, it had been a king personally leading his troops to the battle, but it became a king personally leading his troops to the slaughter. The Northern King released a long breath and gazed up at the heavens. He had never expected to have been betrayed by those he trusted, and betrayed so thoroughly at that. 

Only his lack of vigilance could be blamed, as well as that person’s patience and cold bloodedness. He even ignored the safety of his family. If he could escape from here, he would personally kill that traitor for sure!

“My king, the woman woke up.” A soldier reported. 

Liu Luoyi heard the clamor around her and opened her eyes. What first entered her vision was the greenery, followed by the men standing by her body. 

Liu Luoyi trembled and suddenly scrambled up, retreating a few steps until her back met with a tree. She stared at them, alarmed. 

The Northern King glanced at her, unbothered. He simply turned his head to continue looking at the sky, lamenting the passing of the seasons[1]. 

After waiting for a moment, and upon finding that no one made a move against her, she turned around to examine her surroundings. Based on the strange dress of the people around her, they did not seem to be from the Yan Kingdom. 

Liu Luoyi took a few more steps back, then took off running. After a bit, she stopped. No one had followed her, and before her was only dense forest. She had no idea where the road was, nor where to go. 

And under the oppressive forest canopy, who knew what dangers lurked. 

She hesitated for a moment, then at last turned around and walked back with extreme care. That man wearing overstated clothing had not moved and was, as before, gazing at the sky. The other soldiers looked at her occasionally, but without that man’s command, they would not speak with her. 

She sat down and hugged her knees, facing them with vigilance. 

“My king, what are the woman’s intentions?” The soldier who had just spoken before lowered his head and asked the Northern King. 

The Northern King said coldly: “Do not mind her. It will be dark soon. Build a fire.”

“Yes, sire!”

Soon, a blazing fire was set. Nights in the north were exceedingly cold, but with a fire, they were much more comfortable. The Northern King sat beside the fire, warming himself and rubbing his abdomen. 

“My lord, we have scoured the area. There is no food. We could only catch two rabbits.” The soldier lifted a rabbit, the creature struggling for its life as it tried to escape. 

The Northern King frowned, then nodded. A crowd gathered around the rabbits to discuss how to skin it. As the Northern King watched them, the furrow in his brow deepened. His experienced subordinates had all died while trying to break through the encirclement, leaving behind only these new ones. Loyalty was one thing, but there was not a familiar face among them. 

As he thought of those brave soldiers and good generals that had died in battle or been separated from them, he could not help but hold his fur coat a bit closer to himself. 

It was cold, indeed. 

Liu Luoyi was only wearing a thin dress. She was shivering from the cold. She wrapped her arms around her knees to try and warm herself, but this did not help very much. The cold night wind blew, truly difficult to bear. 

The Northern King glanced at Liu Luoyi out of the corner of his eye, looked back at the fire, then looked back at her. At last, he took off the beautiful fur he was wearing and passed it to the soldier beside him, his expression frosty. He gestured for him to give it to Liu Luoyi. 

“But my king, the woman’s identity is not certain…” The little soldier scratched his head. Then, his eyes suddenly lit up, “I’ve got it. This woman really looks pretty, so she must be a rare beauty!”

“You don’t understand anything.” The Northern King rebuked. He frowned at him, and this was enough for the little soldier to dare not say anything more. 

“She looks about the same age as my daughter.” When he spoke the word ‘daughter,’ his tone softened and worry floated in his gaze. He sighed deeply and did not look over again. 

The soldier tossed the coat beside Liu Luoyi in bewilderment, then returned. Liu Luoyi was taken by surprise and received a fright. She clutched the coat, unsure of what to do. 

She looked back at the man in charge. He did not look at her, but it did not seem like he had ill intentions. Gritting her teeth, she stuck her arms through and put on the coat. 

She refused to freeze to death here. 

Across from her, the rabbits’ necks were broken and their skins removed, but the crowd of men did not know what to do afterward. 

Liu Luoyi watched them, then mustered up the courage to say: “Remove the internal organs, then roast it.”

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Her voice was quiet but clear. The men turned their heads toward her and sized her up, then looked at each other helplessly. This group of soldiers had never been to battle, nor had they had to live outdoors. Growing up, killing cattle and sheep were all a matter of course, but for something as small as a rabbit, they had no idea where to start. 

Moreover, they were cooking for their king. What if they messed it up and got beheaded? After passing the task around to each other, in the end, they ended up in a stalemate. 

The Northern King had long since picked up on these thoughts of theirs. He casted a cursory glance at them, then asked: “Can you cook?”

Liu Luoyi was dazed for a moment before realizing that he was speaking to her. She nodded. 

“Come over here.” The Northern King said. His voice was bold and rough with a heavily imposing manner, as if he would brook no argument. 

Liu Luoyi looked at the forest, which was now completely pitch black. She knew that she could not leave on her own, and she did not think that they harbored ill will toward herself. So, she stood up intrepidly and took those poor little rabbits. 

Her hands shook as she touched the rabbits’ flesh, but she quickly restrained the movement and, pretending that she was used to roasting rabbits in the wilderness, she did her best to remove the rabbits’ innards. She grabbed a tree branch and used it as a spit to roast the rabbits. 

There were not any spices or seasonings, but as the skin of the roasting rabbits turned golden, a savory scent wafted through the air. All of the men, hungry after not eating for a whole day, started to drool in anticipation. 

Even though there were only two rabbits, and the soldiers could only watch on as the Northern King had them, they were quite satisfied. 

Now done roasting, Liu Luoyi passed the two spits to the Northern King. The Northern King accepted them, put them up near his nose and sniffed, then nodded, his eyes full of approval. 

“When this king[2] was young, I often cooked rabbits in the wild. They would smell just like this.” The Northern King sighed then took a bite, his face full of contentment as he chewed. 

He passed the remaining spit to Liu Luoyi, gesturing with a lift of his chin. 

Seeing her neither haughty nor humble, candid expression, he suddenly roared with laughter. He patted her thin shoulders heartily, almost as if he was going to smack her clean into the fire. 

“Good job, young woman.” He smiled, then chomped on the rabbit meat. 

The two of them said nothing more and ate their rabbits in tranquility. The Northern king slept in his clothes. Liu Luoyi remained on guard against them, and at first she dared not close her eyes. As the night deepend and she gazed at the dimming fire, she clutched the jade pendant in her hand and drifted off to sleep. 

The next morning, Liu Luoyi was woken up by yelling. Someone picked her up and dropped her on the ground. Liu Luoyi ached all over and was now thoroughly awake. In front of her she could only see a jumbled mess. Many people were fighting with each other, blood staining the once peaceful forest. 

Her eyes widened in terror, but she did not make a sound. She scrambled to stand up, hoping to escape, but she was picked up by the back of her collar and dragged off in a different direction. Just as she thought to struggle, she heard a man’s rough voice: “Young woman, where are you going?”

She was thrown over his shoulder and carried away. The man was very strong and carried her like she was a little chick. The view before her shook and swayed, making Liu Luoyi feel a bit nauseous. 

After running for a long time, she was dropped onto the ground. She saw the Northern King standing there, covered in fresh blood and a broadsword in hand. A man in Yan armor collapsed in front of her. 

Liu Luoyi was startled. She retreated a few steps, her heart beating crazily. 

“Those who pursue this king are seeking death!” The Northern King’s blade work was awe inspiring. His movements were so fast that they were almost invisible. Soon, the ground was covered in bodies. He gripped his blade and laughed. His whole body was covered with a killing aura, so while the soldiers surrounded him, they dared not draw closer. 

Liu Luoyi was almost hit, so she ran a few steps away and hid behind the Northern King, only her head peeking out. 

The number of reinforcements at his back increased. The Northern King saw this and raised his blade. An excitement that belonged on the battlefields lit up his eyes. If he was going to die here today, he was going to bring them down with him!

But in his Northern Kingdom, he had no successor. He thought of his own two daughters, whom he did not know whether dead or alive, and his clear eyes revealed a trace of grief. 

In the next moment, someone dropped out of the sky. A great wind swept out from the center, sending the surrounding soldiers flying. The leaves rustled, the sand whooshed, and that person landed in front of the Northern King. 

She was expressionless, but her eyes were filled with killing intent. She only held a dagger, but it seemed as if she was wielding the force of a long blade. Her scattered, black hair covered one of her eyes, revealing a high nose bridge and red lips. 

Such a sight made others marvel. 

“L-Li’er!” The Northern King did not recognize her at first, but after taking a closer look, he dropped his blade. Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, he launched himself forward, hoping to embrace the daughter he had longed to see. 

Who knew that, having not seen him, Wei Chili would dodge his embrace and kick him away, rushing over to embrace Liu Luoyi. 

“Xiao Liu’er, Xiao Liu’er…” She said over and over again. She held her tightly to herself, as if she wanted to merge their bodies into one. She called her name as she sobbed.  

“Xiao Liu’er, I found you. I was scared, I…” Wei Chili did not finish her words. She only held Liu Luoyi close, her eyes red. Tears poured out of her eyes. This was the first time she cried since she had arrived in this world.

She had never cried in front of someone else before, but today, she sobbed in front of Liu Luoyi, her face covered in tears. 

The author has something to say:

Northern King: Boohooohoo, my precious daughter does not love this king anymore, she even kicks me…

The translator has something to say:

So, it turns out that quite a few people want the rest of this novel to be translated. I don’t know how often I’ll be able to get a chapter out, as I’m working on two other priority projects and two side projects. However, I’ll see what I can do, and as soon as I finish with one of the priority projects, I’ll be able to put more time into this one.

Also, I worked on some of this after getting my wisdom teeth out and was kind of high from the pain meds, so if there’re typos and such, please let me know in the comments and I shall fix them~

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