The Reticent Blade

Chapter 56 - The North Watching Pass

On the northern border of the Ruen Dynasty.

Two figures were trekking through a gravelly desert.

"That's why I say you really are a nuisance," Alluring Elegy complained. She was holding an umbrella and walking briskly beside Baili Gucheng. "We can't even ride a horse with you around."

"Living creatures cannot approach me. How could I wrangle a horse for you?" Baili Gucheng said with an unhappy expression, "If this is too much trouble, you can find a horse and go on ahead by yourself."

"That won't do," Yang Lu laughed lightly and brushed aside the hair that blew across her face. "How would I find you again if you ran away?"

It had nearly been a month since the moonlit battle between Baili Gucheng and Yang Lu.

Baili Gucheng had been severely injured by his sword qi that night. Only after half a month of recovery, during which Yang Lu attentively cared for him, did he recover enough to travel.

However, it was unknown if she took care of him out of the goodness of her heart or simply used it as a convenient excuse to keep an eye on him and prevent him from escaping.

Baili Gucheng eventually decided to set off while his injury was still healing. However, instead of heading straight to the capital to fulfill his agreement with Yang Lu, he opted to go to another city first.

A city on the northern border.

"Let me remind you, your injury is not healed yet, and you must not recklessly use your qi," Yang Lu turned to look at Baili Gucheng and continued, "I used my qi to suppress the chaotic sword qi inside you. Forcibly mobilizing your qi would waste all of my previous efforts."

"Got it." Baili Gucheng frowned, showing some impatience. "You have said that at least five times already."

Yang Lu’s constant chatter on the way was starting to wear on him, a person accustomed to solitude.

"Can't you be quiet for once?"

Baili Gucheng's disposition seemed a bit off.

Yang Lu glanced at Baili Gucheng and decided to give him some space.

She had noticed for some time that Baili Gucheng seemed increasingly agitated as they traveled further since their departure. His growing moodiness was not the only sign. He had also startled awake the last two nights and would often stare blankly into the distance.

Yang Lu observed all this but chose not to mention it. She was sure his behavior was related to that city.

She only knew that those fifty thousand people were very important to Baili Gucheng, important enough that he wouldn't hesitate to use his own life to protect them, but she did not know what had happened in the past.

She knew better than to ask Baili Gucheng... Some questions were best left unasked.

In the distance, a city gradually emerged from a hazy sandstorm.

Yang Lu took a measured glance at Baili Gucheng.

His snow-white silver hair fluttered in the wind. He took a deep breath, instinctively straightening out his plain white clothing, and patted off the dust from the long journey.

"We're here, let’s go," Baili Gucheng said softly, so softly that Yang Lu could barely hear him. Perhaps he was galvanizing himself.

It might be an exaggeration to call those battered structures a city. Unrelenting years of war and sandstorms had left it severely scarred. Even the city walls were merely built from random desert stones. They were unevenly piled, and made up less than half the height of a normal city wall. There weren’t proper arrow slits or battlements, just a low watchtower.

The grand city gate was barely wide enough for four horses to pass side by side. Only a single guard watched over the city gate, and he was dozing off against the city wall.

It was hard to believe that this was the city that secured the Ruen Dynasty's border.

Baili Gucheng stopped twenty paces from the city gate, gazing deeply at the dilapidated city before him.

Yang Lu glanced at him but did not intervene. She looked up and saw three grand characters written on the city wall: "North Watching Pass."

"North Watching Pass," Yang Lu murmured softly, "Such a grand name."

"Those three characters were written by the previous Emperor many years ago," Baili Gucheng said in a somber voice beside her. Look to the north, it says. Further north from here is the Northern Qiang region. All those years ago, the Emperor gave us the hope to expand and conquer."

Yang Lu did not comment further and approached the city gate.

The guard was snoring softly, and Yang Lu gently called out, "Mister, wake up~"

"Ah! Who's there?" The guard was startled awake and frantically grabbed his spear. In his haste, his helmet fell over his eyes, so he quickly used his free hand to adjust it.

"Heehee~" Yang Lu covered her mouth and laughed softly.

The guard focused his eyes and saw an extraordinarily beautiful woman laughing with her mouth covered, making him feel like he was still dreaming.

"Excuse me, mister?" Yang Lu waved her hand in front of the guard's eyes, but he still stared at her infatuatedly.

Yang Lu raised her voice a little and called out, "Mister city guard~"

The guard finally snapped back to reality and stuttered, "Wha, what? What can I do for you?"

"Me?" Yang Lu pointed at herself and waved her hand, "I'm fine. He's the one who needs something from you."

She then pointed to Baili Gucheng who was twenty paces behind her.

The guard tilted his head to look behind Yang Lu and saw a head of silver hair. His face turned ashen, and his stutter worsened as he yelped, "I-it's th-the madman!"

He then turned and fled into the city gate, loudly shouting, "Quick! Close the city gate! The madman is back!"

Inside the city gate, there was a brief moment of silence, then things became chaotic. The previously lazy soldiers suddenly sprang into action as if they had received an imperial order.

The city gate slowly closed, locking Baili Gucheng and Yang Lu outside.

Yang Lu turned back and looked at Baili Gucheng with a puzzled expression. His head was slightly bowed and his face was hidden in shadows. She couldn't make out his expression.

After a while, a man appeared on the city wall, dressed in a lieutenant's military uniform. He was about fifty years old, and led a group of soldiers to keep watch over the two travelers.

"Baili Gucheng... It really is you!" the lieutenant said through clenched teeth when he saw the snow-haired man twenty paces away. "What are you doing here?!"

Baili Gucheng took a step forward. "Uncle Qi—"

"Stop!" Lieutenant Qi demanded, "Stay where you are! Not one step closer!"

Baili Gucheng froze mid-sentence, and he silently withdrew his foot.

Baili Gucheng remained silent for a moment before speaking again, "Uncle Qi, I have come this time—"

"I am not your uncle!" Lieutenant Qi shouted again, "No one at the North Watching Pass has anything to do with you."

Baili Gucheng knelt in the dust with a thud, pressing his forehead to the ground as he pleaded, "Uncle Qi, I am aware of my grave sins and did not come for forgiveness. I came to the North Watching Pass to deliver an important message. Please listen to the warning of a sinner!"

The lieutenant glared coldly at Baili Gucheng as he knelt before the city gate.

Seeing that the lieutenant did not interrupt him anymore, Baili Gucheng continued, "The weather is getting colder, and Northern Qiang will soon invade. I would never have troubled the North Watching Pass with my presence if it were like in previous years. But this year is different!"

Baili Gucheng relayed the plot Yang Lu had revealed to him and said, "The North Watching Pass has been forsaken by the Imperial Court! Uncle Qi, please listen to me. Take everyone south!"

"Are you done?" the lieutenant asked frigidly.

Baili Gucheng nodded silently.

"Hmph. Even if what you say is true," the lieutenant spat, his arms crossed. The North Watching Pass is the first city on the border. How could the court abandon us? What you're saying is ridiculous. "

"The Emperor loves his people like his own children. With fifty thousand soldiers, families, and refugees here at the North Watching Pass, the Emperor would never make such a foolish decision! As long as those Northern Qiang barbarians dare to come, the men of the North Watching Pass will always be here to face them!"

Baili Gucheng anxiously insisted, "Uncle Qi—!"

"Say no more!" The lieutenant flicked his hand. "Go back to where you came from. The North Watching Pass does not welcome you!"

Yang Lu finally couldn't stand it anymore. "I can’t believe how ungrateful you all are!" she scolded with a frown, "He came all this way with severe injuries to deliver this message. How can you fail to recognize a good person’s noble intentions!"

"Shut up!"

"Shut up!"

Two voices shouted simultaneously. The first came from the lieutenant, but the other came from behind Yang Lu.

Yang Lu turned around in surprise and saw Baili Gucheng glaring at her.

Yang Lu pointed at herself and incredulously asked, "Are you talking to me?"

Baili Gucheng stood up stiffly and dusted off his knees. He cupped his hands to the lieutenant and said, "Uncle Qi... I will leave now."

The lieutenant snorted coldly and turned away.

"Let’s go," Baili Gucheng said softly to Yang Lu. Yang Lu huffed in annoyance but still followed silently.

The figures of the two gradually faded away, and the silhouette of the North Watching Pass was engulfed by a sandstorm.

"So what's the plan now?" Yang Lu asked angrily.

Baili Gucheng went still for a moment and made his decision.

"To the capital. Somebody must die."