After the avalanche, the wind gradually died down. The layered clouds dispersed, revealing a deep blue sky. The towering mountain peaks stood like a massive silver crown.
Bi Suo and his party were no longer visible.
Yuanjue returned to the strange rock pile, worried that the sleeping Yaoying might get cold. He added some dried horse dung to the campfire, rubbed his hands together, and looked up to examine her complexion. His gaze happened to meet another pair of watching eyes.
Su Dan Gu sat cross-legged, his emerald eyes lowered as he looked at Yaoying beside him. His gaze lingered on her face for a long time.
Though his eyes appeared calm and indifferent, without a ripple of emotion—as if he were merely staring absently at Yaoying—Yuanjue felt his expression was somewhat different from usual.
The Regent shouldn't have such a gentle look. He should be decisive in killing, without desires or attachments.
Only this way could those in the know distinguish between the Buddha Prince and the Regent.
Yuanjue felt somewhat dazed.
The benevolent and noble Buddha Prince and the blood-stained Regent were the same person.
When they were all younger, he and Bi Suo often couldn't tell the Buddha Prince and Su Dan Gu apart. They were the same person, just with different identities—what difference did it make?
Young and spirited, proud and arrogant, they believed themselves to be the most loyal to the Buddha Prince in the world.
Later, when they saw Su Dan Gu suffering from cultivation backlash, they immediately began treating them as two separate people.
They revered the Buddha Prince but feared the Regent.
When facing the Buddha Prince, they worshipped him with admiration.
When facing the Regent, they were cautious, tense, never daring to let go of their sword hilts for a moment.
Over time, they truly came to regard the Buddha Prince and the Regent as two different people.
Unbeknownst to them, they were one and the same.
As the Buddha Prince's guards, utterly loyal to him, witnessing his suffering since childhood, they still couldn't accept this identity as the Regent. Yet Princess Wenzhao, knowing nothing of all this, could understand the Regent and trust him.
Could it be that Princess Wenzhao truly was, as the legends said, sent by the Buddha to the Buddha Prince's side?
The Central Plains and the Royal Court were separated by thousands of miles. How could a Han princess end up in the Royal Court, through such coincidences and soul-stirring events?
Would this fate ultimately prove to be good karma or bad karma?
Yuanjue couldn't help but let his thoughts wander.
A soft crackle came from the campfire.
Yuanjue snapped back to reality. His brown eyes fixed on Yaoying, he opened his mouth but couldn't speak. Remembering the determination and calm on Yaoying's face in the moment before the avalanche—when she knew there was no time to escape and decisively clung tightly to Su Dan Gu—his heart still trembled with awe, leaving him momentarily speechless.
After a long pause, he turned to Su Dan Gu and called out dryly, "My Lord..."
Su Dan Gu lifted his eyelids, giving him a faint glance without speaking, his presence carrying an innate oppressive aura.
Yuanjue instinctively straightened his back, feeling a wave of tension. This was the familiar gaze of the Regent.
He changed his address: "Regent, General Ashina and I have searched the area. Most of the assassins on the mountain were buried by the snow, with only a few escaping. Before General Ashina could interrogate them, they took poison and killed themselves."
After rescuing Su Dan Gu and Yaoying, they had examined the assassins' bodies but found no items to identify them. They could only speculate from calluses on some men's hands and helmet marks that they were soldiers. The two had searched extensively and rescued several severely wounded assassins, but just as they were about to interrogate them, the men swallowed poison and ended their own lives.Su Dan Gu listened to him finish and said, "They are martial assassins raised by various noble houses."
Yuanjue carefully recalled, slapped his head, "They do resemble martial assassins."
At the foot of the Congling Mountains, various tribes warred with each other, and many defeated warriors became slaves, taken in and raised by powerful families to become martial assassins. It was said these families often had methods to control their martial assassins—if one betrayed their master, they would suffer cruel torment, making life worse than death, so martial assassins were extremely loyal, preferring death to surrender.
Yuanjue then reported several matters, glanced at Yaoying by the campfire, lowered his voice, and asked, "Regent, shall I first notify Princess Wenzhao's personal guards to come and fetch the princess?"
Su Dan Gu shook his head, speaking weakly, "It's not safe to send her down the mountain now. Their target is the entire party. Wait until dark, then you escort the princess down."
Yuanjue was stunned for a moment, pondered briefly, then suddenly understood, nodding in agreement.
Only a few people knew about the Regent's mission to Gaochang. Since the assassins were lying in ambush outside Sand City, it meant they had uncovered the Regent's purpose for leaving the city and knew he would return these days.
The merchant caravan at the foot of the mountain was killed by them—to cover their tracks and eliminate potential witnesses. They not only intended to kill the Regent but also targeted all caravans returning from Gaochang. This way, they could secretly eliminate the King's most trusted guard, severing the King's right-hand man, and later blame the deaths of the Regent and his guards entirely on bandits. Truly ruthless!
Thinking this, Yuanjue felt a surge of guilt.
When they saw the corpses on the mountain path, he and Bi Suo had thought the Regent had gone mad and killed them. He had even resolved to fulfill his vow, not realizing that at that time, the Regent was severely injured and surrounded by layers of assassins.
Fortunately, the danger had passed without incident. Now the Regent was safe, and Bi Suo, disguised as him, would go down the mountain and surely take all the personal guards below to draw the assassins' attention, seizing the chance to uncover the mastermind and find the true culprits.
There might still be lookouts below. Sending Princess Wenzhao down now would not only be unsafe but also arouse suspicion. If it alerted the killers, it would be disastrous.
Better to wait until dark.
Yuanjue slowly pieced together the reasoning, his eyes flickering as he stole a glance at Su Dan Gu.
Actually, the best plan would be to have Bi Suo take Princess Wenzhao with him, using her as bait alongside him to lure out the true mastermind.
But the Regent would never allow Bi Suo to do such a thing.
Yuanjue dismissed this fleeting thought.
For now, it was best for Princess Wenzhao to conceal her identity and stay with her personal guards. Once they secretly returned to the royal city and dealt with the conspirators there, the princess would be safe.
The campfire burned quietly.
The firelight cast a glow on Yaoying's delicate face, her snow-white cheeks tinged with a faint blush like rouge.
Su Dan Gu leaned over, his fingers gently pulling aside the cloak covering Yaoying, creating only a small gap to prevent cold air from rushing in. He rolled up her sleeve, his fingertips pressing softly against her jade-like wrist.
Her pulse was steady, her palms gradually warming, her skin smooth and warm, unlike the icy cold when she had thrown herself against him.
...
When the snow cascade thundered down with a roaring, earth-shaking crash, Su Dan Gu had already awakened.Yaoying was the first to react. Though she could have abandoned him to save herself, she didn't. Untrained in martial arts and lacking physical strength, she exerted immense effort just to drag him along. As snowflakes swirled wildly and the ground trembled beneath their feet, she trembled with urgency, her nails digging into his shoulders as she pulled and tugged desperately. In her panic, she muttered a few phrases in a Han dialect that sounded far from refined.
In that moment, Su Dan Gu’s consciousness was hazy, yet his mind remained unusually clear.
As the avalanche approached, the one dragging him was merely a young girl in her teens.
From beginning to end, Yaoying never let go of him.
In the end, she tried to push him toward Bi Suo, hoping Bi Suo could carry him to safety in time. But the wave of snow arrived in an instant, swallowing Bi Suo and Yuanjue’s figures in the blizzard.
She sighed softly, "I won’t get to see my elder brother again…"
Amid the roaring collapse of the mountains and the avalanche’s fury, Yaoying bent down, spread her arms without hesitation, and tightly embraced Su Dan Gu, shielding him with her fragile body.
Her soft arms wrapped around him, pressing close, a faint, sweet fragrance lingering in the air.
Regaining consciousness, Su Dan Gu fumbled with his hands, pressed the back of her head, and held her protectively against his chest. With a few swift rolls, he carried her to shelter beneath a massive rock.
The Snowy Mountains crumbled, and after the earth-shattering chaos, the world was left wrapped in pristine ice and snow.
Su Dan Gu cradled Yaoying, who had been knocked unconscious by the blizzard, and checked her breathing.
At that moment, her body was icy cold, her breath as faint as a wisp—like a handful of fresh snow in one’s palm, destined to melt away under the sunlight.
…
Life is fleeting as lightning and dew, all phenomena impermanent. The myriad things of this world follow the law of birth and cessation, ultimately returning to stillness.
Su Dan Gu regarded life and death with detachment.
Yaoying longed to live, yet at the critical juncture between life and death, she risked everything to save him.
Su Dan Gu withdrew his fingers, adjusted Yaoying’s cloak, and gently pressed it down.
His injuries were severe. After checking her pulse, he closed his eyes again to meditate.
Yuanjue glanced at him, then at Yaoying, his gaze shifting between them before he pulled out rock-hard dry rations from his robe and began toasting them over the fire.
The stiff naan bread gradually emitted a faint aroma of wheat.
Yuanjue occasionally looked up at Su Dan Gu and Yaoying. After what felt like an eternity, he gasped in delight and exclaimed, "Regent, Princess Wenzhao is awake!"
The campfire’s glow flickered across Yaoying’s face. Her brows slightly furrowed, her eyelashes fluttered gently, and she slowly opened her eyes.
The first thing she saw was a pair of brown eyes brimming with joy.
Yuanjue gazed at Yaoying, circling around her excitedly. "Princess, does your head hurt? Are you feeling unwell anywhere?"
Yaoying looked dazed, lost in thought for a moment before gradually coming to her senses. Remembering the scene before she fainted, she tentatively moved her hands and feet.
Fortunately, she could still feel her limbs. When the overwhelming snow crashed down, she had thought she would be buried in ice.
Surviving a great disaster surely brings later blessings.
Trembling with lingering fear, Yaoying silently comforted herself. Struggling to sit up, her throat dry and itchy, she coughed a few times and asked, "Where is General Su?"
Yuanjue was taken aback.
Her first words upon waking were to ask about him.
Clearing his throat awkwardly, Yuanjue felt torn between answering and staying silent. Timidly, he pointed a finger toward the side.
Dizzy and coughing incessantly, Yaoying rubbed her aching head and followed his gesture.
Beside her sat a figure in silent meditation.Su Dan Gu sat cross-legged, silent, his emerald eyes quietly watching her. It was impossible to tell how long he had been observing.
Anyone else would have jumped in fright by now.
But Yaoying only froze for a moment before her gaze fell upon the wound on Su Dan Gu’s chest. Seeing it had been bandaged, she let out a relieved sigh and smiled brightly. "Are you feeling better, General?"
Su Dan Gu lowered his eyes and gave a soft "Mm" in response, then picked up a water pouch and handed it to her.
Yaoying’s throat was sore. She took the pouch and tried to pull out the stopper, but her arms felt weak and limp. After a few attempts, she couldn’t manage it.
A hand clad in a black leather glove reached over, its fingers deftly removing the wooden stopper for her.
Yaoying smiled gratefully at Su Dan Gu and raised the pouch to drink.
As the water slid down her throat, she paused in surprise.
The water was warm—not scalding hot, nor unpleasantly cold—just the right temperature to soothe her dry, aching, and hoarse throat.
Yaoying slowly swallowed the warm water, feeling comforted throughout her body.
Su Dan Gu remained silent until she had finished drinking and her complexion had regained a bit of color. Then he said, "The strife within the Royal Court has dragged you into it, Princess. You’ve suffered because of it."
Yaoying smiled lightly and replied, "You exaggerate, General. The Buddha Prince and you are my saviors. How could I speak of being burdened?"
Yuanjue, standing nearby, watched her and nodded inwardly in approval.
Su Dan Gu averted his gaze and looked up.
Yuanjue had been waiting for his instructions. Seeing Su Dan Gu’s glance, he immediately straightened up, alert.
Su Dan Gu lowered his head and retrieved a silver token engraved with swirling cloud patterns from his sleeve.
"Bi Suo acts too rashly and can only operate in the open. Follow him and inform the city lords that the Wang Temple’s Imperial Guards are recruiting new personal guards. Have them report all troop movements over the past six months, including rotations and deployments of the central, right, left, vanguard, and rear armies. Compile a roster. Remember, do not alert the military advisers or clerks in the army."
Yuanjue understood the implication behind his words and broke into a cold sweat. He acknowledged the order respectfully and took the silver token.
"This subordinate will proceed with caution."
The Regent suspected collusion between court officials and military commanders, which was why he bypassed the army entirely and sought information from the city lords regarding whether any of the five armies had mobilized troops without authorization. This would help identify those most likely involved.
Although the city lords were not military commanders, they managed local affairs and populations and would certainly have taken note of any troop movements within their jurisdictions. Inquiring with them was more discreet—not only would it yield accurate reports, but it would also avoid raising suspicions. Besides, it was customary for the Wang Temple Imperial Guards to issue recruitment notices and solicit recommendations through the city lords whenever they needed new guards, so the military commanders were already accustomed to such procedures.
After giving his orders, Su Dan Gu glanced at Yaoying.
Yaoying blinked at him, waiting for him to speak.
He and Yuanjue had been speaking in Brahmi, which she didn’t understand. Still, from the tone of their conversation, she could guess that the situation was tense—Yuanjue’s furrowed brows were practically standing at attention like flagpoles.
Su Dan Gu looked at Yaoying but remained silent for a long while, seemingly unsure of how to handle her situation.
Not wanting to cause him any trouble, Yaoying took the initiative and asked, "Is there any way I can assist the Regent? If there’s anything I can do to help, please don’t hesitate to ask. Under the Buddha Prince’s protection, it is only right that I share his burdens."
Su Dan Gu studied her. Though she had just awakened, her face still showed traces of exhaustion, with faint shadows under her eyes and her hands, clutching her cloak, red from the cold.
To remain so composed so soon after waking suggested she was accustomed to living in constant fear and uncertainty.
After a brief pause, Su Dan Gu said, "When night falls, Yuanjue will escort you down the mountain."Yaoying was taken aback and asked, "What about General Su?"
Su Dan Gu slightly furrowed his brows.
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