In the Moonlight

While Yaoying was reading the letter, Mobi Duo scanned the surroundings, silently estimating the number of people in Ale's tribe.

Ale glanced at Mobi Duo, a smirk curling at the corner of his mouth. "Young man, I recognize you. Don't think my men are fewer than yours—my brothers have crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Each one is worth five men. Even the old Chieftain of Wujili suffered losses at my hands. Since you're his son, you might as well call me Uncle."

Mobi Duo responded with neither humility nor arrogance, "I've long admired Chieftain Ale's reputation."

Ale stroked his beard and laughed heartily, his teeth sharp enough to easily tear through a person's throat. "Don't you want to reclaim your father's honor? Shall we have a contest?"

Mobi Duo's expression hardened. His right hand tightened around the hilt of his knife, his light brown eyes devoid of any warmth. "I am my father's son and the future Chieftain of my tribe. With a great battle approaching, as a commander, I cannot accept your challenge. After the war, I will seek your guidance."

Ale raised an eyebrow, giving him a sidelong glance with a mocking smile. "Better than your father."

Mobi Duo's face remained impassive, the scar near his cheek appearing even more menacing.

During their exchange, Yaoying finished reading the letter and asked Ale, "How many men have you brought, Chieftain?"

Ale glanced sideways at Mobi Duo.

Mobi Duo urged his horse away.

Ale guided his horse closer to Yaoying. He was not strong—short, thin, and lean as a sharp blade. Yet when he drew his sword on horseback, no one dared underestimate him.

"I've brought as many men as the Princess requested. Though I, Ale, care not for good or evil and only recognize money, once I make a promise and accept a deposit, I never break my word."

Yaoying said sincerely, "You've worked hard, Chieftain."

She had sought out Ale precisely because she knew he was a man of his word, and securing his promise was not difficult—while others might risk their lives for beliefs, he was willing to shed blood for gold and jade. Once paid, he would act without hesitation or wavering.

Ale picked up a dagger to clean his teeth. "I work for money; 'hard work' doesn't apply. But let me be clear: I serve only the Princess. The Royal Court cannot command me, and their war with the Northern Rong is none of my concern. No matter which side wins, the Princess must give me several chests of gold and that spicy liquor your trade caravan sells."

Yaoying nodded. "That is only fair. Regardless of the Royal Court's victory or defeat, you shall receive everything I promised."

Ale curled his lips. "What if I die?"

Yaoying replied meaningfully, "If the Chieftain unfortunately perishes, the gold will be delivered to your tribesmen."

Ale snorted through his nose.

If the Northern Rong were wolves, he and his men were merciless vultures. They wandered freely, their curved blades ready to strike anyone for hire—even defenseless elders, women, or children.

Over the years, they had accumulated countless blood debts. Many tribes longed to skin them alive, devour their flesh, and drink their blood. Yet every member of Ale's tribe was a fierce warrior, swift as the wind and without weakness. Small tribes dared not provoke them; large tribes avoided unnecessary conflict. They roamed freely, trading their souls for gold and silver coins.

Until one day, Princess Wenzhao sent a letter and a chest.The letter revealed the locations of all the Ale tribe's secret camps—contrary to rumors of their impregnability, they too had families, children, and camps dedicated to sheltering wounded comrades. Fear of endangering their loved ones had compelled the Ale tribe to guard this secret with utmost caution.

The chest, meanwhile, was filled to the brim with silver coins.

Faced with threats on one side and bribes on the other, the Ale tribe had no choice but to accept the chest of coins.

Ale had seriously discussed with his subordinates whether to eliminate Princess Wenzhao, who held their vulnerabilities, once and for all. The cost, however, would be exposing the tribe’s weaknesses. From then on, the Ale tribe would be relentlessly hunted by enemies until their eventual annihilation.

His subordinates firmly opposed the idea, preferring to die in the line of duty rather than implicate their families.

Weighed down by concerns, Ale hesitated. But after meeting Princess Wenzhao in person and learning of her protection by the Buddha Prince, he abandoned the notion.

Rather than court mutual destruction, it was better to earn more silver from Princess Wenzhao.

He would decide whether to kill her later—if she were ever driven out of the Royal Court and ran out of funds.

…

Yaoying understood well that the Ale tribe could serve as a blade in her hands but could also become a weapon for others. Trusting them completely was unwise. After discussing methods for urgent communication and arranging her own extraction—all while carefully avoiding any disclosure of the Royal Court’s deployment plans—she finalized the arrangements.

Mobi Duo, listening nearby, couldn’t help but smile faintly. The way she negotiated with Ale resembled that of a shrewd, ruthless merchant.

Once the plan was set, the two departed White Spring. Two of Yaoying’s personal guards tore off pieces of their clothing and remained behind.

Mobi Duo asked, “Why aren’t they returning to camp?”

Yaoying replied, “If Ale acts suspiciously, they can send word in time.”

This drew a genuine laugh from Mobi Duo.

After traveling several miles through swirling dust, a horn sounded in the distance. Mobi Duo galloped to the front of the column, calmly gestured for the light cavalry to advance while the rest fell back, and dispatched scouts to assess the situation.

As the group ascended a hill, a soldier rode back to report: “Scouts from the forward post have spotted a Northern Rong light cavalry unit—about fifty or sixty strong—heading directly toward us. Your Highness, shall we evade them or engage?”

“Are you certain there are only fifty or sixty?”

“Only that many! A force of hundreds would have been detected much earlier!”

Mobi Duo glanced at Yaoying, hesitation flickering across his face.

Yaoying removed her face veil and asked, “Your Highness wishes to engage?”

Mobi Duo nodded. “No one knows why this light cavalry is here. Evading them might pose future risks. It’s better to conserve our horses’ strength and confront them directly—our chances are higher. My forces outnumber them several times over, so we stand a fair chance. The Regent has ordered all camps to form an encirclement, hunting down any isolated Northern Rong scout cavalry. Sufficient troops are deployed to the west, south, and north—only the eastern flank remains unguarded. If we let these few dozen Northern Rong riders slip away, they could break through our net.”

Yaoying responded immediately, “Then do not hesitate on my account, Your Highness. Engage them.”

“If I have underestimated them, Princess, retreat with your men at once—do not concern yourself with me.” Mobi Duo clasped his hands toward Yaoying, turned his horse, and drew his long blade. “Men! Prepare for battle!”The soldiers drew their swords in unison, rallying around Mobi Duo. Over two hundred cavalrymen fanned out like a slowly unfolding folding fan, while several swift horses shot out from the flanks like arrows released from a bow. Mobi Duo, gripping his curved saber, urged his horse forward. The entire formation resembled a fully drawn bow, its string taut, the arrows poised to strike.

Under the protection of her guards, Yaoying retreated to the gentle slope of a hill, gazing into the distant sky.

Hidden behind the hill, they remained invisible to anyone approaching from the west, yet they could see the newcomers clearly.

The Northern Rong light cavalry indeed moved swiftly. While the sound of their horns still echoed in the air, clouds of yellow dust billowed in the distance, rising several zhang high. Dozens of riders emerged from the dust, charging toward their position.

Mobi Duo signaled his guards to wave the flags: "Form the battle array!"

The soldiers responded swiftly, advancing quietly.

As the Northern Rong light cavalry drew nearer, sweat beaded on Mobi Duo’s temples, but his hands remained steady, firmly gripping his curved saber.

The soldiers awaited his command.

Mobi Duo raised his hand, and just as the soldiers were about to release their arrows, he suddenly roared, "Wait!"

Deafening battle cries and agonizing screams filled the air ahead, but these sounds did not come from their side—they originated from the Northern Rong light cavalry. They were fighting among themselves, with the riders at the rear pursuing and killing those in front. Both sides wore identical uniforms, yet they clashed fiercely as they charged forward.

"What’s happening? Are the Northern Rong turning on each other?"

Mobi Duo frowned.

"Which way do we go?!"

"We can’t escape! Let’s fight these Northern Rong dogs to the death! We’ll perish together!"

"The message must be delivered!"

On the sand dune, Yaoying shuddered as she heard the furious shouts carried by the wind. "Your Highness, they’re Han people! The ones being pursued are Han people!"

The messenger relayed her words to Mobi Duo, who frowned deeply. Upon closer inspection of the entangled Northern Rong cavalry, he noted that all wore the same armor, making it impossible to distinguish Han from Northern Rong.

"Rescue those people. The ones the Northern Rong are hunting might be useful to us," he ordered.

The soldiers acknowledged the command.

Seeing the few surrounded by the Northern Rong cavalry, Mobi Duo hesitated no longer. He charged out from behind the hill, abandoning the battle formation.

"Follow me into battle!"

The soldiers roared in response, following him. The sudden emergence of two hundred men was like a divine army descending from the heavens. The Northern Rong light cavalry below the sand dune were taken aback but did not retreat. Instead, they grew even more frenzied, slaughtering the remaining Han people. It seemed they knew there was no way out and were determined to kill the Han at any cost.

With each swing of their long sabers, one Han after another fell to the ground.

Guards escorted Yaoying to a higher, safer location. She glanced back repeatedly, her heart suddenly racing with unease.

The strong wind whipped up dust and sand. The words shouted by the pursued Han were unmistakably in the official language of the Wei Dynasty.

Yaoying’s hands trembled as she turned her horse around.

"Raise the flag! Go and assist them! Tell them to run this way!"

Four of the guards acknowledged the order, hoisted the flags, and galloped down the slope.

Below the hill, the pursued Han people were astonished to see Mobi Duo charging out. One of them, spotting the moving flags on the hill, broke into an expression of incredulous joy.

"Princess Wenzhao!"

"Run that way!"

The few attempted to break through the encirclement, but the elite Northern Rong cavalry, even at the cost of their own escape, clung to them relentlessly. Mobi Duo’s soldiers, unable to distinguish friend from foe, found themselves somewhat restrained.They darted left and right, repeatedly attempting to break through the encirclement.

Yaoying followed the personal guards down the slope, her heartbeat quickening and her palms sweating.

The guards charged ahead with raised banners, shouting in dialect again and again to guide the fleeing Han people.

Amid a shower of arrows, a black horse was the first to burst through the Northern Rong cavalry's encirclement. It brushed past Mobi Duo and galloped swiftly toward the banner.

Yaoying’s heart ached as she rushed forward.

Soldiers around her raised their swords and fought fiercely. The black horse charged toward her, its rider not clad in armor but in a common herdsman’s narrow-sleeved leather coat, wielding a pair of gleaming golden hammers.

Yaoying froze.

For a moment, she thought she was dreaming again.

But the roars and battle cries around her were so vivid—horses neighing, blood and flesh flying, blades clashing, arrows whistling like a sudden downpour, hooves trampling over sand dunes, yellow sand swirling like clouds across the earth.

The scene from her dream had truly materialized. Overwhelming joy was instantly replaced by terror. Her body turned cold as she spurred her horse toward him, its hooves flying.

"Brother—"

As if he could hear her call, the man fixed his narrow phoenix eyes on her unblinkingly, as though afraid she might vanish. He tugged the reins, galloping toward her and reaching out his hand.

The sound of hooves seemed to echo in Yaoying’s heart.

Don’t be so reckless, don’t let it be like the dream!

"Watch out!"

The black horse was swift as lightning, closing the distance in an instant. Suddenly, it stepped into a hole. With a piercing neigh, its front legs stumbled, throwing the rider off.

The man tumbled several times on the ground, his helmet falling off. He staggered to his feet, his black hair disheveled, face splattered with blood, his phoenix eyes as red as blood.

Yaoying reined in her horse, dismounted, and stumbled toward him, her vision blurred with tears.

There was no sudden long blade thrust from the side, no fatal stab, no torrent of blood. He stood before her, safe and sound, as tall and strong as before...

Yaoying was ecstatic. In that moment, three years of separation, fear, worry, and pain vanished without a trace. She could recall nothing else, spreading her arms and throwing herself into his embrace, holding him tightly.

"Brother!"

The man swayed slightly, looking down at her. His narrow phoenix eyes remained fixed on her unblinkingly. His lips moved, but his words were drowned out by the deafening battle cries.

She had called him Li Zhongqian.

He should correct her.

But she had rushed toward him so urgently, so joyfully, clinging to him with such devotion, her eyes brimming with tears as if he were the most important person in her world to her...

He closed his eyes and raised his arms to hold Yaoying.

A Yue, I’ve found you.