The Double

Chapter 231: Escape

The horse stopped just beyond the archers' range, whether intentionally or coincidentally. The rider wore red robes, but they weren't the wide-sleeved variety—the cuffs were fastened tightly, making it resemble red armor more than anything else. Jiang Li had never seen Ji Heng like this before. Shedding that layer of frivolity and ambiguity, he appeared like a born commander. In that instant, Jiang Li recalled the rumors about Ji Mínghán. Though people said Ji Heng's looks resembled Yu Hongye's and weren't particularly similar to Ji Mínghán's, at this moment, she could see the shadow of the young Golden Crow General in him.

The same extraordinary arrogance, as if nothing could harm him.

Yin Zhili stood in the snow, his black armor cold and somber, his gaze even colder. He said, "Duke Su is quite bold."

"Is that so?" Ji Heng sneered. "That's exactly what I wanted to say to you. Daring to take my wife away—it seems the Prince's heir has no regard for his life."

"Your wife?" Yin Zhili was provoked by these words. "I'm afraid you won't have the chance to make her your wife."

The words were filled with murderous intent. Jiang Li, inside the tent, couldn't help but shout, "Ji Heng! Don't come closer! There are archers ambushing on all sides here! They want your life! Don't fall into their trap, leave quickly! Yin Zhili won't kill me, but he will kill you!Yin Zhili didn't stop Jiang Li from speaking. Instead, he looked at Ji Heng and laughed, "You see? Even Miss Jiang understands this logic. Do you plan to come forward or retreat?"

If he came forward, Ji Heng would surely die. If he retreated, in Jiang Li's eyes, Ji Heng would have abandoned her. For Ji Heng, neither was a good choice. The young man on horseback laughed, his smile full of mockery. "Yin Zhili, compared to your father, you're far too indecisive. Even your mother is more resolute than you. If your mother were here, no matter the cost, she wouldn't let me have a chance to survive."

Yin Zhili's face instantly darkened. His parents were his shame. Because of Yin Zhan and the Empress Dowager, he bore a fate forced upon him. From the moment he learned of his origins, he had never ceased to resent it. He was ashamed to mention anything about himself, yet Ji Heng had spoken of it before so many people, undoubtedly exposing his deepest fears for all to see.

He hated Ji Heng to the core.

Jiang Li was puzzled. Leaving aside Yin Zhili's father, what was the matter with his mother? Wasn't Yin Zhili's biological mother already dead? What grudge did she have with Ji Heng? No one could answer these questions for Jiang Li. Guards with swords still blocked her path. She was the perfect bait—she didn't even need to do anything, and Ji Heng would willingly step into the trap.

On the other side, Yin Zhiqing was struggling to break free. Lady Yin grabbed her arm and advised, "Zhiqing, don't go!""

"Mother!" Yin Zhiqing's eyes were red with anxiety.

Lady Yin's eyes also reddened. "Your father is already gone. You're my only daughter now. I know you have feelings for Duke Su, but he is your brother's enemy now. He wants your brother's life—how could he spare you? Besides, what could you do even if you went? It would only be a wasted effort.""Precisely because I can do nothing, I must do something!" Yin Zhiqing shook off Lady Yin's hand and said, "Mother, you don't understand!"

Lady Yin knew nothing of the past between the Ji and Yin families, nor was she aware of the affairs between Yin Zhan and the Empress Dowager. Yin Zhiqing had kept these matters from her, fearing that revealing them would shatter Lady Yin completely. It was better to let things remain as they were, even if mistaken. Perhaps ignorance of the truth was a form of liberation for her.

She ran outside the tent but was stopped by soldiers, unable to get closer, forced to watch Ji Heng from afar.

In that moment, Yin Zhiqing couldn't help but envy Jiang Li. She had such an extraordinary fiancé—a man deemed heartless and wicked by the world, yet willing to risk everything to save her from peril, heedless of the consequences. How could such a person exist in this world?

"Duke Su," Yin Zhili said, "Since you've come today, do not think of leaving."

Ji Heng raised an eyebrow. "That depends on whether you can keep me here."

"My Yin family troops—"

"Your Yin troops from the northern border of Qingzhou are currently... sparring with my Golden Crow Army," Ji Heng replied with a faint smile. "I'm afraid they won't be able to make it here for several hours."

Yin Zhili's expression shifted. "The Golden Crow Army?"

The legendary Golden Crow Army had not been seen for years. Ever since the Golden Crow General, Ji Mínghán, disappeared, the army's tiger tally had vanished as well. The court seemed to tacitly accept that the Golden Crow soldiers had long disbanded and returned to civilian life, that they no longer existed. Even Yin Zhan, after extensive investigation, had confirmed their disappearance, which was why he felt so secure in believing that eliminating Ji Heng would ensure peace. The imperial guards and soldiers in Yanjing were merely nominal, no match for the hardened warriors forged in bloodshed.

Had Yin Zhan known the Golden Crow Army still existed, he would never have made such arrangements, never chosen the path of mutual destruction with Ji Heng so recklessly. He would have reconsidered his strategy. But now Yin Zhan was dead, and the Golden Crow Army had suddenly reappeared—a devastating blow to Yin Zhili. Sure enough, Yin Zhili stared at Ji Heng, his face a mix of shock and fury. "You deceived him!"

"All is fair in war," Ji Heng said with a light laugh. "The most foolish approach in this world is to trade life for life."

He had done it on purpose! People said Duke Su was shrewd and ruthless, and the rumors were indeed true. He had taken calculation to the extreme. Even during that confrontation at the Red Mansion, when he seemed to stake everything, he had hidden cards up his sleeve. Having witnessed countless performances, his skill in playing along was unparalleled, fooling everyone. He would never reveal his greatest asset first, merely luring the enemy deeper before devouring them bit by bit.

Yin Zhili suddenly burst into laughter—whether self-mocking or sarcastic, it was unclear. "My father schemed endlessly, yet he fell to you. It seems you are a man of capability, worthy to be my opponent. Today will be your death!" With a wave of his hand, the archers swiftly aimed their arrows at Ji Heng.

Even if the Golden Crow Army had tied down the Yin family troops, here in the wilderness, there were still hundreds of archers and soldiers. Ji Heng stood alone, outnumbered and overwhelmed. How could he fight his way through and take Jiang Li with him?

Jiang Li's heart burned with anxiety.Ji Heng let out a cold laugh as Yin Zhili commanded, "Fire the arrows!" Instantly, the sky filled with a dense volley of arrows, all aimed at Ji Heng alone. Suddenly leaning low over his horse, Ji Heng produced a shield from behind, blocking some of the arrows while drawing the sword at his waist.

From their first meeting to acquaintance and then friendship, Jiang Li had seen Ji Heng kill only with that ornate fan. This was the first time she witnessed him wield a sword. The blade gleamed with a cyan light, and even from a distance, one could feel its chilling aura as it was drawn inch by inch from its scabbard. Holding the shield in one hand and the sword in the other, he resembled a young, valiant general, charging unstoppably through the storm of arrows and blades, as if traversing mountains of fire and seas of blood, sweeping all before him.

Yin Zhili frowned tightly, seemingly surprised by Ji Heng's audacity in charging forward despite the arrow rain. On the snowy plain, the lone rider approached from afar. Just then, a hidden archer suddenly cried out, clutching his throat as he fell. A ghostly shadow appeared beside him, moving with lightning speed and quickly darting to others.

"Death warriors! They're death warriors!" someone exclaimed in alarm.

Yin Zhili demanded, "You brought others?"

"Not many," Ji Heng replied lazily from his horse. "My seventy-two Flying Dragon Cavalry were wiped out back then. The newly formed Flying Dragon Cavalry now numbers less than half of what it once was, but it's more than enough to deal with you." He sneered, "What do you think, Young Master Yin?"

His laugh seemed to animate the falling snowflakes, but his amber eyes held nothing but cold detachment and ruthlessness. The Flying Dragon Cavalry moved like phantoms, emerging from nowhere to slit the archers' throats. The archers, however, had to focus entirely on Ji Heng, leading to more and more falling. Even so, Ji Heng alone could hardly withstand so many arrows, and some managed to wound him. Yet he paid them no mind, pressing onward until his horse neared Jiang Li's tent. Yin Zhili's expression grew even colder, a trace of frantic anger seeping into his voice as he shouted, "All of you, attack!"

He wanted Ji Heng to die right before Jiang Li's tent—to let him see her but be unable to take her away, to force the lovers apart forever, to make Ji Heng die with everlasting regret!

The arrows suddenly intensified, almost obscuring Ji Heng from view. It created a surreal illusion: were the heavens shedding white snowflakes or a black rain of arrows? Under such circumstances, survival seemed nearly impossible for Ji Heng. Jiang Li screamed, and Yin Zhiqing, taking advantage of the chaos and lack of supervision, rushed over, pleading, "Brother, I beg you, spare Duke Su!"

"Yin Zhiqing!" Yin Zhili roared furiously, "Get back!"

He had never spoken to her like this before, but Yin Zhiqing ignored him, her panicked eyes fixed on Ji Heng. "Brother, please let him go!"

"Yin Zhiqing, have you forgotten your surname is Yin? Are you siding with him too?" Yin Zhili retorted, "You've lost your mind!"

"The one who's lost his mind is you!" Yin Zhiqing persisted relentlessly. "Do you even know what you're doing? You'll regret this! If you kill Jiang Li, you'll live to regret it!""If she is destined not to belong to me, what does it matter if I kill her? I won't regret it, because I'm not like you!" His tone had completely descended into madness.

At this moment, Yin Zhili truly felt a murderous intent toward Jiang Li surge within him. He had adored Jiang Li from the moment he heard of her deeds, even before he had ever met her. For the first time in his life, he had been so drawn to a girl, yet though she appeared gentle, her eyes held no trace of him.

No matter what methods he employed, her heart remained as unyielding as a rock, immovable. Yin Zhili thought, since he couldn't stop Jiang Li's feelings for Ji Heng, he would destroy her instead. At least if he couldn't have her, neither would Ji Heng. It was then that Yin Zhili suddenly realized the blood flowing in his veins was indeed identical to that of Yin Zhan and the Empress Dowager. They were equally selfish and ruthless, preferring to betray the world rather than let the world betray them.

Those dark, obscure instincts had always lurked within his bones. His noble demeanor and concern for the world were, in the face of reality, utterly insignificant. When someone was destined to be sacrificed, Yin Zhili would still be the first to sacrifice others to preserve himself, following the inclinations of his heart. As for this fate forced upon him, in the end, did he truly have no power to choose? Even if Yin Zhan pressured him, even if fate cornered him, if Yin Zhili had been willing to give up everything, he might not have reached this outcome.

It was merely his own unwillingness to accept defeat. Because of that unwillingness, he embraced this ending. He knew that walking this path might ruin his reputation, but at the same time, he might gain everything through it—the world, and her.

Jiang Li paid no mind to Yin Zhili's thoughts. She only saw the figure on horseback drawing closer and closer to her. His three-foot sword gleamed cold and bright, as if capable of cutting down everything in its path. He charged fervently from the vast snowy plains like a blazing fire, nearing her with every moment. Jiang Li mustered all her strength, struggling to break free from the two soldiers holding her. The next instant, she saw Ji Heng's sword slice across the soldiers' necks. He reached out to her from his horse, which nearly crashed into the tent. Jiang Li strained to extend her hand toward him. He grasped it, pulling her onto the horse. At the same time, a scream from Yin Zhiqing echoed in Jiang Li's ears: "No!"

Then came the shrill cry of Lady Yin: "Zhiqing!"

The horse didn't pause, swiftly turning around. Jiang Li glanced back and saw Yin Zhili's blade piercing through Yin Zhiqing's chest, while he stood stunned, as if he hadn't expected this outcome.

No wonder Yin Zhili hadn't tried to stop Ji Heng when he charged over—he had intended to stab him from behind, never imagining that Yin Zhiqing would take the blow for Ji Heng.

Jiang Li couldn't help but look back, her heart aching with sorrow. She didn't dare speak, lest she distract Ji Heng, yet she couldn't dismiss her concern for Yin Zhiqing. She didn't know how severe Yin Zhiqing's injury was, but it was clear she truly loved Ji Heng. If she were to die like this... Jiang Li couldn't articulate what she felt.

Lady Yin let out a wail and rushed over swiftly. Yin Zhili numbly released his grip and stepped back. Blood continuously spilled from Yin Zhiqing's mouth as she gasped, struggling to speak: "Yin Zhili, you... let them go... and let yourself go too...""Why?" Yin Zhili asked numbly.

"I... I didn't want him... to get hurt..." Yin Zhiqing spat out a mouthful of blood. The rise and fall of her chest gradually ceased, her breathing stopped, her eyes remained wide open, but her head tilted to the side and she moved no more.

This beautiful girl who had been like a blazing fire now lay in the snow, devoid of her former vitality and radiance. The swirling snowflakes fell, quickly covering her face, making her body seem to turn cold almost instantly. From life to death—it happened in just a moment.

Madam Yin's mournful cries echoed between heaven and earth. Suddenly, Yin Zhili burst into loud laughter, his eyes icy cold. He turned and commanded all surviving men, pointing at Ji Heng's retreating figure: "Kill him!"

He himself stood on higher ground, taking a bow from one of his subordinates. He nocked an arrow, aiming it from afar at Ji Heng. Then his hand shifted abruptly, redirecting the arrow toward Jiang Li.

Slowly, he drew the bowstring.

Jiang Li was held in Ji Heng's embrace as he sat behind her. The horse galloped swiftly—she could only see arrows flying like rain around them, falling into the snow until the ground seemed blanketed with them. Some of the death warriors Ji Heng had brought along had fallen, but even more archers lay dead. Corpses lay scattered across the plain, the snow beneath them gradually stained crimson.

This was clearly not a battlefield, yet it was more brutal than any war. The disparity in strength destined this conflict to be fought with lives as the price. Ji Heng's words had been mocking, his demeanor relaxed, showing no concern for Yin Zhili. But only Jiang Li, by his side, could clearly perceive that at this moment, he was using every ounce of his strength to protect her safety.

In truth, he wasn't certain either—he couldn't be completely sure they would emerge unscathed. Yet he strove desperately to ensure Jiang Li wouldn't suffer the slightest harm.

Just then, she suddenly felt Ji Heng lurch forward violently behind her, as if something had struck his back. Jiang Li's heart tightened, and she was about to turn around when Ji Heng's voice sounded by her ear, gentle and even carrying a comforting smile: "Don't look back."

"Ji..." Jiang Li's voice trembled.

"Hmm?" he replied with a light laugh. "It's alright now. We've broken through."

His horse leaped over the arrows shot by the archers. The death warriors behind them no longer lingered in battle—like a sudden raid, they killed their targets, burned the supplies, then left with graceful indifference. The only difference was that raids relied on catching the enemy off guard, while they had charged into danger fully aware of the death warriors and traps awaiting them.

How could this possibly succeed?

Beyond the vast white plain lay a forest frosted white by snow. Ji Heng's horse plunged into it, though pursuers seemed to follow behind. Jiang Li's heart pounded wildly. She couldn't speak—distracting Ji Heng now would only add to his troubles. Yet at this moment, she suddenly despised her own helplessness. She regretted not having learned even a fragment of martial arts when Xue Zhao was training—then she wouldn't be so passive, reduced to a bargaining chip used against Ji Heng.

She had accomplished nothing worthwhile, yet she'd dragged him into such a messy disarray.

Suddenly, he tapped her head lightly, as if he could see into her thoughts, and said with a laugh, "Don't overthink it. You've done nothing to let me down."Jiang Li forced a faint smile. "Have we... shaken off those people?"

"Not yet," Ji Heng replied with a light smile. "Yin Zhili isn't as ruthless as his father, but he's more cunning than Yin Zhan. To be absolutely safe, we should go deeper. We'll be secure once Wen Ji makes contact with me."

Jiang Li fell silent.

On the other side, Yin Zhili watched as the archers jointly shot down some of the dead soldiers who hadn't retreated in time, while the rest swarmed forward and killed them. Some had retreated quickly, not lingering in battle—they weren't true soldiers but seemed like mere instruments of death. Their moves were vicious and their methods bizarre. He had heard rumors of the Golden Crow General's seventy-two Flying Dragon Riders, but that unit had been completely wiped out during the siege at Red Mountain Temple. Yet Ji Heng had secretly rebuilt another. This new Flying Dragon unit might not match the valor of his father's, but it was even more ruthless and cruel.

With fewer than forty men, they had inflicted heavy casualties on these hundreds. The ground was littered with corpses in disarray. He could only watch helplessly as Ji Heng took Jiang Li far away, disappearing into the dense forest. Yin Zhan had likely anticipated everything before his death, except that Ji Heng commanded such a fearsome force and that the Golden Crow Army had not declined—the tiger tally had not vanished. Ji Heng had been secretly amassing troops, all for this day.

In this game of chess, who had more patience? Who was the oriole waiting behind the mantis?

Yin Zhili waved his hand, sending a portion of his men in pursuit. He wanted to chase them personally but was dissuaded by the trusted aides Yin Zhan had left him. If he gave chase now and fell into Ji Heng's trap, and something happened to Yin Zhili, the Yin family's army would be left leaderless, quickly scattering into disarray. Even without the Hongxiao Emperor sending forces to attack, the Yin troops would likely turn on each other first.

For the sake of the bigger picture, he had to let go.

Yin Zhili retreated to the edge of the tent, his gaze falling to the ground. There, scattered hairpins and jewelry lay beside a large pool of blood—it was here that Yin Zhiqing had been stabbed through the heart by his own hand. He stared blankly at the blood, the madness in his eyes gradually fading, as if he had finally realized what he had done. Staggering, he took two steps back.

Lady Yin had carried Yin Zhiqing's body back into the tent; it was too cold outside, and she feared her daughter would freeze. Yin Zhili stood outside the tent, lacking the courage to step inside. He had killed his own sister. Whether or not they shared blood ties no longer mattered—they had grown up together in the Yin family, sharing joys and sorrows... and now, he had ended her life with his own hands, even if unintentionally.

He stood outside the tent for a long time before finally lifting the flap and entering.

Inside, shielded from the wind and snow, it was hardly any warmer. The stove had long gone out, leaving only cold ashes. Yin Zhiqing lay on the ground, and beside her, Lady Yin had collapsed over her, as if overwhelmed by grief and fainted from crying.

Yin Zhili approached, his voice trembling. "Mother."Lady Yin did not answer him. Yin Zhili crouched down, and suddenly his hands began to tremble. A faint cry escaped from his throat as he reached out and turned Lady Yin over from Yin Zhiqing's body.

Madam Yin's face was still streaked with tears, her body retained a trace of warmth, and a thin line of blood marked her neck. The knife lay fallen on the ground, its fresh bloodstains not yet dried. Madam Yin had taken her own life before her daughter's body, using the very blade with which Yin Zhili had accidentally killed Yin Zhiqing.

"No—" Yin Zhili cried out in despair.

Madam Yin was dead—what more could she do? For her, her husband was gone. Though he had long neglected her, he had still been her pillar of support. Until her dying breath, she believed it was her fault that Yin Zhan had distanced himself. Now, her daughter lay brutally slain before her eyes. She couldn't bring herself to kill Yin Zhili—he hadn't meant it, and he was the future hope of the Yin family—yet she could never accept this reality. So she chose to end her life, expressing her fury and sorrow in this irrevocable act.

Yin Zhili wept bitterly.

He had mistakenly killed his own sister—it was his fault—and now Madam Yin was dead by her own hand. Before coming to Yunzhong, he had thought his family was no different from any other. But in a single night, everything had changed. Those around him departed one by one, as if debts from a past life had collectively come due. Looking back, the Yin family now stood with him as its sole survivor.

It seemed he was utterly alone in this world.

Ji Heng still had Jiang Li, but what did he have? Nothing. He picked up the knife from the ground, his expression turning dazed in an instant. Unsteady, he lifted the blade and pressed it against his own neck.

One swift move, and it would all be over—this damned fate, these burdensome responsibilities—everything would vanish!

Yin Zhili closed his eyes. Outside, the howling wind and snow sounded like wailing ghosts, eager to burst in, or like a demon's temptation, luring him into a dark vortex from which he might never see light again.

With a clatter, the knife fell at his feet. Yin Zhili reopened his eyes.

No. It was different.

Having sacrificed so much, it would be cowardly not to fight back. Ji Heng, because of Jiang Li, now had a weakness. But he was the opposite—he had lost everything. The deaths of Yin Zhiqing and Madam Yin had extinguished the last trace of tenderness in his heart. From now on, his heart would be as hard as iron, truly becoming a son of the Yin family.

Perhaps this was what Yin Zhan had hoped to see.

As if fulfilling that wish, Yin Zhili slowly rose to his feet, refusing to glance at the two corpses on the ground. His expression grew cold and twisted. He would reclaim all that was rightfully his. No matter what, unless death took him, he would never turn back.

...

The sky darkened gradually. In the wilderness, the path grew indistinct. Jiang Li and Ji Heng came to a stop before a cave.

"Let's rest here for a while," Jiang Li said softly. "It seems we've shaken them off. Yunzhong is desert terrain—Yin Zhili likely isn't familiar with forests and wouldn't dare venture deep. We can rest and wait here for news from Wen Ji."

There was no response from Ji Heng for a long moment. Jiang Li turned to find his head resting on her shoulder. His hand still gripped hers tightly, yet he was unconscious."Ji Heng!" Her heart tightened, and without another thought, she reined in her horse and tried to pry open Ji Heng's hand, intending to dismount and check on him first. But Ji Heng's grip was too tight. Jiang Li struggled hard to free her hand, only for Ji Heng to tumble headfirst from the horse.

Jiang Li was stunned.

On Ji Heng's back, a black arrow was embedded—slightly lower than the center, half of it buried deep. The blood had nearly congealed, a shocking, gruesome sight. All along the way, he hadn't uttered a word of complaint, instead responding to her with smiles.

It turned out he had been forcing himself to endure.

(End of Chapter)