Chaos Of Beauty

ꦼ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜɪʀᴛʏ-ᴛᴡᴏ

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO: Gui Wan

Flowing frost from the sky appears not to be drifting.[1]

The night wind intensifies, blowing against the body with a biting chill, lining the sky is a curtain of snow, spinning in such fluttering manner, descending like the scattered catkins of the willow trees. Gui Wan tightens her hold on her skirt, increasing her walking speed, night is falling, Military Advisor inviting her over right now, must be because the situation has already reached a critical stage. As she silently ponders, touches of coolness lands on her face, she reaches up to gently feel it, traces of water still remains, raising her eyes to sky, thousands and thousands flakes of snows in full bloom, her heart is abruptly hit with pain, the scene of horrifying red amongst the snowy grounds vividly rolls out before her eyes again, and instantly, her breathing shows clear signs of stuffiness, she hurriedly withdraws her line of sight, not daring to look at the snow again.

The big courtyard by the city gates is temporarily made the army's main camp, commoners who lives near the gates were all moved deep into the city within a day, and so the originally desolate streets, only sees the figures of soldiers right now. The sky shrouded in darkness, the big courtyard dyed in a layer of white, tiles glowing in silver radiance, light grey bricks rendered a gorgeous white.

Harsh conditions of winter chilling, sun of spring nowhere to be seen.

General Lin having left the crisscrossed paths of the mortal world, did he actually take spring away with him as well?

Heart wrung in pain, a sour feeling hitting the tip of the nose, Gui Wan strongly collects her mind, before stepping into the courtyard, a thin and tall soldier awaits inside the courtyard, respectfully saying: "Military Advisor has gave orders, may gentleman follow me." With not another word, he makes a sudden turn, and leads the way.

The two people snakes their way through to the master room, now already converted into the military discussion chamber, along the way, not even half a white banner is seen, nor does the soldier show the slightest look of mourning, Gui Wan creases her brows with doubts, when the soldier's steps comes to a stop, silently standing before the room doors. Gui Wan understands his meaning, and lightly knocks.

"Is it Madam Lou? Please enter." Tone loud yet quivering.

Pushing open the doors, the warm air entangled with worries, inside the chamber is a pan of red burning charcoal, she pa.s.ses by the fire pan, looking around the inside of the chamber. Stood in centre of the large empty room is a well-made coffin, beside it is a sandalwood burner engraved in silver, and from it light swirls of smoke rises, the scent of sandalwood faint yet drawn out like thread. Looking around in a daze, she is surprised to find Military Advisor's hunched body sitting at a chair, eyes big and round like bra.s.s bells, as he stares towards the coffin.

"Military Advisor?" Steps coming to a stop, Gui Wan calls out from three steps distance away.

Turning his head as though he had just awoken from a dream, Military Advisor snaps out of his daze: "Madam Lou......you've come." With a long sorrowful sigh, he stands up, walking out from the solemnly quiet inner chamber.

Once the lighting hits his face, Gui Wan receives a shock, after a long while does she speak up: "Military Advisor has overworked." Grieving led aging overnight[2], the desolation shown in his face, one word of gaunt is not enough to describe the bear minimum of it. His past refined self and great confidence, all traces of it completely vanished.

"Madam seems to have received a great shock?" Military Advisor notices the look in Gui Wan's eyes, speaking as though making a joke out of himself, "Deep down, are you suspecting, yesterday I refused to send troops in aid, yet today I am carrying such appearance of fox crying for the rabbit's death, really laughable to the extreme, is that right......?" Halfway through speaking, he madly laughs aloud, tears unknowingly, unfeelingly, rolling down from his eyes.