A Lonesome Fragrance Waiting to be Appreciated 1

64

She blinked.

The flashy command flags were really too bright to look at but after so much plotting, she had realised that they weren't part of a game. Each word she said could send several hundred soldiers, who still had families waiting back at home, to their deaths.

As for Chu Beijie, who had retreated ten kilometres for her, he had been wrong once more.

He would never be able to guess that Pingting could be so cruel, merciless.

Her eyes were dry but she couldn't even shed half a tear. Somewhere in the immense, dense forest, lay a battlefield. Pingting slowly got up and went through the tent flap to outside.

She found the forest of Mount Dianqing.

Beijie, it's me, it's me again. For Yangfeng and for the several thousand people of Bei Mo who've lost their homes.

Pain and regret rippled through her body, attacking her from the inside. She wished that this was all a dream.

"Could this be a punishment of my previous past life?" Pingting bit her red lip, not wishing to say more.

The potential bloodshed of her complicated plotting, how was it fair to the person who'd once so tenderly placed daisies in her hair?

She missed him, missed him! Pingting clutched her chest in pain but remembered that she was also the main advisor and the promise she made to Yangfeng and her unborn child.

Parting Soul – her Master was right – her soul had left. Her homeless soul wanted to be picked up by the wind and carried into the Zhen-Bei Ducal Residence, where she could play "Heroes and Beautiful Women" once more.

It was really a pity that the wind nor the mountain wasn't the place she wanted to be at for it only messed up her hair and did nothing to move her lonely spirit.

"They say a hundred years pass like a dream, but this dream is really long." Surrounded by strong winds, Pingting muttered, "It's so damn painful."

Ze Yin was probably leading his army to where they were as the sky was slowly being dyed red.

Ruohan was probably still damaging the rope bridge.

Even if she feigned indifference – she knew it was too late.

Perhaps the two of them never had another chance to come back together.

Her thoughts almost made her laugh. Once the tactics were decided, there was no further use for an advisor. She was free to think about any rubbish she felt like thinking. In approximately two hours, Ze Yin should have successfully captured Chu Beijie.

If Chu Beijie was captured, he'd utterly hate her, a hatred that seeped from his bones.

Then again, he was almost always composed and would probably escape. Her heart beat wildly, as if his escape was a better solution, but she knew that he'd still hate her nonetheless.

Her heart darkened at the thought.

If Chu Beijie died in battle...Pingting had been constantly avoiding the thought but now she couldn't help but to worry over it.

"You live, I'll live as well. If you die, I'll die with you." When she had said that, she was in Chu Beijie's arms, feeling like she could melt into water.

Pingting bit her lip into a sad smile. It was best if Chu Beijie died. Then she could easily giver her own life to him and be together.

"Give me your life." She only came back to her senses when she said this, only to realise that she was sitting on a patch of grass near the tents. Wary eyes of the few soldiers, who had been left to protect their main advisor, watched.

The sky was still changing when a bomb exploded not far from her. The air was temporarily filled with ashes. Pingting stood up and silently cursed herself for daydreaming again.

"Kill!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!"

She wasn't directly in front of the command tent but could still hear the coming battle cry.

Pingting was horrified. She turned backwards, her eyes widening.

The Dong Lin army!

Impossible, how could this be?

"Kill! Capture the enemy advisor alive!"

"Duke has commanded for the capture of the enemy advisor alive!"

Chu Beijie's command flag appeared on the outskirts surrounding the camp and countless Dong Lin soldiers rushed out from the trees.

The sky was bloody red.

"Protect the main advisor! Protect the main advisor!"

The few remaining soldiers rushed up to defend, but since most of the army was with Ze Yin, their efforts were in vain against the massive Dong Lin army.

Her soldiers, soaked in blood, retreated towards her with their swords in hand.

"We must give up on the campsite! My Lady, get on the horse!"

Give up?

Lost, she had lost to Chu Beijie. It was more than just obvious.

She still lost in the end.

Pingting widened her eyes and dazedly forced onto the horse by her soldiers. A gaunt, blood-stained face popped into her view.

"My Lady! We must give up on the campsite! Run! Run!"

The hoarse, wild screams of the dying soldiers entered her ears. Pingting finally came back to her senses.

"Whip! Run! Run!"

Her ears were ringing, red pools of blood reflected in her shiny black pupils.

After her soldiers had gotten her on the horse, they went back and took up their fight against the intruders.

"Ahh!" Someone screamed again.

Pingting turned away, her horrified eyes meet with another pair of eyes that almost stopped her heart.

Beijie, do you want to kill me?

The moment their eyes met, Pingting's heart shattered. She never realised that a person's heart could shatter into thousands of pieces so easily, so quietly.

Through her tears, Pingting stiffened as she caught sight of Chu Beijie leaping over the fence, surrounding the campsite.

Against her will, she turned her horse and whipped it.

Run, run into this huge forest. Away from this person so I'll never see him again.

This felt so familiar to her; it was like a replay of back then.

The same actions taken and the same actions felt.

"Pingting!" Chu Beijie's deep voice came somewhere behind.