Everlasting Longing

Тhis mаn wаs thе leadеr! Jun Qiluо immеdiаtеly understoоd this.

Нe was аlso dressеd in tурiсаl Liаo attirе, though similarly clad entirеlу in blaсk, he wоrе аn аdditionаl lаrgе сlоak trimmеd with marten fur. His kinglу аura nеeded no dеliberatе displaу; it wаs еvidеnt in his еvеrу movemеnt.

Нe wаs thе lеadеr of thоsе twenty ridеrs, аnd thesе twenty men сarried a mоrе fоrmidablе presenсе thаn the оthеr fiftу-sоmе Liаo реoрle. Frоm their upright riding рosturеs аnd shаrp, glеаming еуes, it was clеar—why they had аrranged for thеse twentу to соnfront thе one hundred twenty so-called Imperial Guards of the Great Song, while sending fifty or sixty to capture these defenseless merchants.

Almost simultaneously, this man also caught her gaze as she studied him. Even though she was completely hidden by Shao Tiemin, his pair of deep blue demon eyes could effortlessly pierce through all obstacles to find hers!

"The princess is a fake!" the red-haired giant said in the Khitan language. "And we can't find the leader!"

"You always think killing will give you answers!" a man beside the leader spoke without a trace of humor. Then he swept his gaze over the group of merchants, finally settling on Shao Tiemin. He turned to look at the leader on the tall horse—"Could the child he's protecting be Jun Chengliu's son?"

"It's just a child," the leader uttered in a low, utterly emotionless voice.

"But he's the leader; the item must be on him!"

"If we kill them all, it doesn't matter if we don't find it! As long as it doesn't reach Western Xia, that's enough!" the red-haired giant shouted loudly again.

However, the next moment, a whip lashed out, sending him flying three zhang away, coughing up blood.

No one knew when their leader had produced a whip! It was only after the red-haired giant flew out that they clearly saw the man's hand holding a pitch-black whip shimmering with golden light. The bandits all stood quietly and solemnly to the side, and the red-haired giant, once he steadied himself, dared not touch the bleeding, bone-deep whip mark on his cheek, for he finally understood that his presumptuous heroics had angered his boss. Whether he would live or die next would depend on whether the leader remembered past sentiments.

Yet, the leader with blue eyes paid him no further attention, as if nothing had happened at all, speaking in his usual icy tone: "That child has fine eyes."

In other words, the leader had taken a liking to the boy with beautiful eyes; on a deeper level, it meant he intended to take him as a servant.

One of his close aides—Duoluo Qi—immediately walked toward the group of merchants.

Jun Qiluo whispered to Shao Tiemin, "If I'm captured later, don't resist. That man just wants to take me as his servant."

"Kid! You're lucky! Come on!" Duoluo Qi grabbed Jun Qiluo's hand and pulled her straight toward the leader. For his giant-like physique, the force he used could be considered very light, yet it still made her wince in pain, her brows tightly furrowed.

This was more than Shao Tiemin could bear!"Release the young master!" He could not stand by and watch his young mistress suffer! How could the esteemed young lady of the Jun family endure such humiliation? So he swung his broadsword with all his might, aiming for Duoluo Qi's back—Duoluo Qi did not turn around, merely drawing his own blade to block the strike aimed at his spine, halting the descending blade perfectly; with a swift flick, he not only knocked Shao Tiemin's sword away but also severed the tendons in his right hand!

Duoluo Qi then turned, ready to thrust his blade straight into Shao Tiemin's heart—Jun Qiluo, seeing this, immediately rushed over, pushing Shao Tiemin aside and using her own body as a shield to take the blow meant for his heart...

Fortunately, Duoluo Qi stopped in time—"Duoluo Qi!" The leader rode over, calling out to him just in time; thus, he refrained from finishing the kill, pulling Jun Qiluo toward the leader instead.

Then, the leader narrowed his icy blue eyes, taking in her face, smeared with mud yet unable to conceal its extraordinary beauty.

"Wow! This child is too beautiful!" Only then did Duoluo Qi truly see the child's ethereal features. Their leader was renowned throughout Great Liao as a handsome and imposing man, yet this child, once nourished and strengthened, might even surpass him. Such typical southern elegance was unseen in Great Liao!

The blue-eyed leader lifted her chin with the handle of his whip, wanting to examine her face more closely. However, the rough whip handle left a fine cut on her chin.

Jun Qiluo endured the pain, turning her face away, but those blue eyes bore down on her, leaving nowhere to hide.

"Skin like water!" the man murmured in a low voice, a flash of understanding in his eyes, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth; in an instant, he had pulled her onto his horse.

This action startled everyone! Even Duoluo Qi, who always regarded his leader's actions as sacred, gasped, wanting to speak but unsure what to say... He firmly believed his master had no inclination toward men; yet as he opened his mouth wide, unable to make a sound, he was no longer so certain.

Jun Qiluo struggled with all her might! She dared not speak, afraid her voice would confirm the man's suspicion—he doubted she was a woman; she knew his thoughts. And his domineering act of pulling her onto his horse indicated he still needed a bit more proof. In the south, in the Central Plains, her height and build were not cause for suspicion, but among these rough, towering barbarians, they had reason to doubt her. No! She could not be exposed! Nor would she accept such humiliation!

The man's one arm encircled her struggling body and hands, while his other hand moved toward the collar of her robe...

"Don't—"

Almost simultaneously, as she weakly pleaded, Shao Tiemin, who had been lying on the ground in a semi-conscious state, crawled up like a madman, gripping his broadsword with his left hand, and with great effort, swung it at the blue-eyed leader. Duoluo Qi, standing nearby with his back turned, had not expected this man to still have the strength to attack and was too late to stop him; but the blue-eyed leader was not worried, only somewhat annoyed at his own underestimation and somewhat admiring the Central Plains man's determination to protect his master at all costs. He had never seen a Central Plains man with such spirit! He almost felt a sense of mutual respect for him!The blue-eyed leader did not move, but suddenly lifted her into the air, spun around, and kicked Shao Tiemin out of his sight. Then he settled back onto his horse as if he had never acted at all. Shao Tiemin, who had fallen beside Duoluo Qi, spat out a mouthful of blood before fainting once more, his face taking on the ashen hue of death. Duoluo Qi immediately drew his knife and pressed it against Shao Tiemin’s chest, awaiting the leader’s command.

He released her clothing and asked in Chinese, "Is he your man?"

His meaning was clear—if yes, he would die. But what if the answer was no? She stared into his rare and exceptionally fierce blue eyes, wanting to know the difference between the two outcomes. Yet, even if he didn’t have to die, how much better could his fate be? Right now, she should be worrying about herself!

"You have only two fates," he whispered in her ear, offering a heartless and vile answer: "Become a camp prostitute for everyone or my personal whore..."

A sharp slap echoed as her palm struck his face—this was her response.

The blue-eyed man’s face instantly froze into an icy mask, but his eyes blazed with dangerous flames, his entire body radiating a deep, resolute intensity.

Everyone around them gasped and held their breath—rather than endure humiliation, she would choose death! And she had no intention of dying at the hands of this filthy man. So, after slapping him, she immediately drew the dagger from his waist and, without hesitation, plunged it toward her own heart—but faster still, as she felt a sharp pain at the back of her neck, she fell into unconsciousness, the dagger dropping into the yellow sand...

And so she fell into the arms of this domineering man, her headscarf slipping off in the wind and sand, her raven-black hair cascading like a stunning waterfall, swaying in the breeze.

"My heavens! She is a great beauty!" Duoluo Qi voiced the shared sentiment of everyone present.

"Such a fiery temperament..." The leader studied Jun Qiluo for a long while before looking up at Duoluo Qi and his other silent deputy, Dahe Jiyao, instructing, "Take those who are not yet dead over there, along with these survivors, all to the north!" Without waiting for his subordinates’ response, he spurred his horse toward the Helan Mountains, followed by twelve of his men.