Love Beyond the Grave

"Kill... kill him!" the Huqi soldier roared, his voice hoarse and desperate, yet drowned out by the cacophony of battle.

An ambitious soldier indeed, understanding the strategy of capturing the leader first to defeat the enemy.

He Simu stood up and, in a flash, appeared before Duan Xu's horse. The chestnut steed seemed to sense an eerie aura of death and suddenly reared up, its front hooves kicking wildly in midair.

Duan Xu swiftly reined in the horse, steadying himself in the stirrups as the hooves crashed down before He Simu, kicking up a cloud of dust.

He Simu stood with her hands behind her back, looking up at Duan Xu on horseback. A faint trace of confusion flickered in Duan Xu's ever-smiling eyes as he frowned slightly, staring at the seemingly empty space before his horse.

"Duan Xu," He Simu called out softly, though even if she had shouted, he wouldn't have heard her.

In that moment of confrontation, the air seemed to freeze. The pitch-black sky suddenly brightened as countless crimson birds appeared out of nowhere, their wings adorned with vivid flame patterns, descending like a blazing inferno from the heavens.

The Danzhi army, locked in fierce combat, was thrown into panic. Soldiers dropped their weapons and fled in disarray, the once-stalemated battlefield collapsing like rotten wood. The Great Liang army's war drums thundered as soldiers raised their weapons and charged forward like a storm.

The fleeing Huqi soldiers glanced fearfully at the crimson birds overhead, terrified they might land on them, shouting in their native tongue.

Bathed in the morning light, Duan Xu, covered in blood, let out a soft laugh. Though blood streaked his face, his eyes crinkled slightly, revealing a row of white teeth.

An innocent and carefree smile, so perfect it seemed artificial.

Amid the overwhelming crimson, he parted his lips slightly and uttered a few simple syllables. Then he spurred his horse forward, brushing past He Simu, his cloak fluttering like a swift gust of wind.

He Simu turned to watch his figure charge into the enemy ranks. She narrowed her eyes slightly, twirling the jade pendant in her hand as blue ghost fire flickered.

Duan Xu had just spoken in the Huqi language.

The words he spoke bore a striking resemblance to the terrified cries of the fleeing Danzhi soldiers—clear and fluent, as if it were his mother tongue.

—"The Azure God's Calamity, burning all living things to ashes."

He Simu walked toward her intended prey—a Huqi soldier cowering on the ground, his eyes wide with terror as he stared at the crimson birds blotting out the sky. She patted his shoulder and whispered in his ear, "Congratulations. Good fortune will follow you in your next life."

The deal was rejected.

Perhaps it would be more interesting if Duan Xu remained alive in this world.

Duan Xu.

Was he truly Duan Xu?

Would Duan Shunxi—a man born into a family of scholars, aspiring to become a chancellor—possess exceptional martial skills, masterful horsemanship, and fluency in the Huqi language?

Or perhaps the real Duan Shunxi had died along with his servants at the age of fourteen, on the road from Dài Province to the Southern Capital, only to be replaced by someone else.

After all, the years between seven and fourteen were when a child changed the most. Even if he seemed different from before, no one would pay it much mind.

By the time He Simu returned to Liangzhou's prefectural city and re-entered the body she had borrowed, the sun was already high in the sky. She stretched her limbs and sat up in bed.

Yesterday, she had specifically instructed Chen Ying to eat breakfast at Song Da Niang's place without disturbing her. Judging by the peaceful silence, Chen Ying had obeyed her orders well.Just as He Simu was thinking this, the boy who couldn't handle praise started banging on her door with earth-shaking force, shouting, "Sister Simu! Great news! We've captured Shuozhou's capital city!"

His tone made it sound like he'd personally fought on the battlefield to take the city.

He Simu dressed and got out of bed. When she opened the door, Chen Ying immediately hugged her leg, looking up excitedly: "Sister Simu, General Duan has taken Shuozhou's capital! And he's still alive!"

He Simu bent down to tap his nose and said, "What does that have to do with you?"

Chen Ying grinned foolishly with joy, pointing outside: "Big brother General sent someone to fetch us!"

"..."

Raising an eyebrow in surprise, He Simu found herself being pulled along by Chen Ying as he ran excitedly to the courtyard gate, pointing at the carriage outside: "Look sister! Big horses! What a beautiful carriage!"

A large crowd of curious onlookers had gathered along the street, whispering about what was happening. Han Xiaowei by the carriage clasped his hands and bowed to He Simu: "Miss He, the General asked me to deliver a message."

He Simu returned the courtesy: "Please speak, Captain."

"With Shuozhou's capital now taken, your observations and counsel contributed greatly to this victory. The General specially invites you to continue serving as Treading White Diviner and come to Shuozhou."

"The General understands you dislike hardship, fear bloodshed, and remain detached from worldly affairs. But he promises to ensure your comfort and safety, with no coercion."

Han Lingqiu recited these words mechanically before bowing deeply: "Would you accept, Miss?"

He Simu narrowed her eyes slightly, smiling as she observed the man before her and the grand carriage beside him. For them to reach Liangzhou's capital so quickly, Duan Xu must have sent Han Lingqiu the moment Shuozhou fell.

Was Duan Xu determined to play this game with her to the end?

He Simu recalled Duan Xu's smiling face beneath the red birds and bright lanterns as he spoke of the "Azure God's Calamity." She smiled in return and extended her hand, hovering midair.

"The General's generous invitation leaves this humble woman no choice but to accept graciously."

Han Lingqiu supported her hand as He Simu stepped effortlessly into the carriage. Chen Ying ran back to gather a few belongings before joining her.

Noticing the boy had brought both the veiled hat Duan Xu gave them and the rented suona, He Simu watched as Chen Ying hugged these items, stammering: "They might be useful later..."

Hmm... for more stealthy eavesdropping, or perhaps to play at Duan Xu's funeral?

Patting Chen Ying's head, He Simu said, "What a thoughtful child."

Across from Liangzhou lay Shuozhou's Ji City. The Snow-Treading Army had secured the route between Ji City and Shuozhou's capital, bringing five cities under Great Liang's control. A direct official road now connected Ji City to the capital, making travel swift.

Rocking gently in the carriage, He Simu rested with closed eyes. Chen Ying pressed against the window, murmuring, "So this is Danzhi..."

Glancing outside, He Simu noted Shuozhou's architecture mirrored Liangzhou's—dark gray tiled roofs, blue brick walls, and stone-paved streets. Yet more shops displayed Huqi script on their signs, with these establishments appearing particularly lavish.

Their facades bore flame patterns resembling those on the red birds she'd seen the previous night.That was the totem of the Azure God, the deity worshipped by the Huqi people. In the Huqi language, Danzhi meant "the great realm of the Azure God."

Chen Ying looked around for a while before turning back to He Simu and saying, "Sister Simu, my grandfather told me our family's ancestral home was actually in Lucheng, Shuozhou. When my great-grandfather was alive, the Dasheng Dynasty still existed, and the Huqi people hadn't arrived yet. The entire Shuozhou belonged to us Han people."

"Later, the Huqi people attacked, destroyed the Dasheng Dynasty, and my great-grandfather fled south with his family to Liangzhou. They ran out of money, lost their land, and eventually couldn't even afford food."

"When my grandfather was still alive, he would occasionally talk about Shuozhou. He said that in his lifetime, and likely mine too, we might never return to Shuozhou. But I made it back! I returned to Shuozhou."

Chen Ying looked both sad and excited. He gazed out the window into the distance and whispered, "I still want to see places even farther away."

He Simu leaned her arm against the window, watching Chen Ying absentmindedly. With just a thought, she could travel anywhere in this world. Not just Shuozhou—she had been to all seventeen states north of the Guan River and even the Northern Abyss.

She cared nothing for war, much less distance. But for mortals like Chen Ying, these were chasms they could never cross in a lifetime.

Mortals were truly small and pitiful, their life's journey spanning only a tiny stretch, turning to dust in the blink of an eye.

She patted Chen Ying's head, and he snuggled up beside her.

Halfway through their journey, the carriage suddenly jolted violently amid loud noises, startling Chen Ying awake. He jumped up, shouting, "What's happening? What's going on?"

He Simu calmly lowered the curtain and leaned back. "We've been ambushed."

"Ambushed?! By... by the Huqi people?" Chen Ying stammered.

"Exactly."

The clashing of weapons outside the carriage door signaled a fierce battle. Chen Ying huddled close to He Simu, too scared to step out. He whispered, "Where are we? Will Brother General come to save us?"

"We're still far from Shuozhou's capital. From what I saw, there are at least a hundred ambushers, and we only have a dozen or so here. The young general won't be able to help us in time."

He Simu chuckled, thinking to herself that it wasn't even certain whether this ambush had anything to do with Duan Xu.

Chen Ying panicked. "Then what do we do? Are the Huqi people trying to capture you to make you read the winds for them?"

"Then let's go. Reading winds for them is no different from reading winds for anyone else. If the Huqi people want my help, they won't let us starve. You might even eat better than in Liangzhou." He Simu spoke casually, but she noticed Chen Ying's expression change.

He stared at her in shock, his cheeks puffing up with anger. "Sister Simu, how can you help the Huqi people?!"

"They drove my great-grandfather from Shuozhou to Liangzhou! Why do they have to steal others' homes when they already have their own? Why did they chase us all the way to Liangzhou? Why did they kill my father?! Our ancestors lived here for generations—why should we suffer under them? And now you want to help them?! No! I'd rather die than help them!" Chen Ying's voice was fierce, but tears streamed down his face uncontrollably.He grabbed He Simu's hand and cried, "Sister Simu, please don't help them either, okay?"

He Simu's gaze was as calm as still water as she looked at Chen Ying's tear-streaked little face. Outside, the clashing of swords and shouts continued, the carriage swaying like Chen Ying's unsettled heart.

"Sigh... alright." He Simu let out a long sigh, patting Chen Ying's shoulder reassuringly with a smile. "Luckily, there's a mountain nearby with plenty of unmarked graves."

"What?" Chen Ying looked puzzled.

He Simu pinched her fingers together solemnly and said, "I can divine the future. The Han ancestors in these graves can't bear to see their descendants suffer like this—they'll jump out of their tombs to beat the Huqi people's heads. Quickly close your eyes, cover your ears, and count silently to a hundred. By then, they'll have chased the Huqi away!"

Chen Ying immediately obeyed, shutting his eyes and covering his ears as he began counting silently.

He Simu's gaze cooled slightly. The lantern-shaped jade pendant at her waist emitted a faint blue glow, then floated up, growing larger until it transformed into a genuine hexagonal crackle-glazed glass lantern.

Cradling the Ghost King Lamp, which struck fear into the hearts of all ghosts, He Simu rested her chin atop it and murmured, "A hundred or so people—will five Evil Ghosts be enough to feast?"

Blue flames suddenly flickered to life inside the lantern—Ghost Fire.

"Or would it be simpler to just set everything ablaze?" He Simu raised her hand, twirled her index finger in the air, and snapped her fingers crisply.