Ballad of the Desert

Chapter 38: Carefree

Huo Qu Bing was full speed ahead when it comes to war, but when it comes to seeing Yi Er, he's constantly worried. He's always fretting about something going wrong. Every time I ask, he goes through a list of possible dangers lurking. I see he's overly cautious and even unusually pessimistic, but seeing that he's just as eager for any information about our son, I control myself from pressuring him so that he can prepare everything.

As we wait and wait, what arrived first was Wei Kang getting into an incident.

According to the scouts, around the Ah Ke Sai area near Xu Fang there are random pockets of lingering Xiong Nu forces. Huo Qu Bing doesn't want to bother with them since these stragglers can't even be considered a Xiong Nu army. They are people who escaped from the battlefield or those who have broken army protocol, afraid to return to the Xiong Nu for fear of punishment. He considers them no more than thieves and outlaws, and capturing them is the job of the local law enforcement in the Xi Yu kingdoms. He also doesn't need or want to be dragged into capturing thieves and outlaws.

Wei Kang doesn't agree and argues with Huo Qu Bing about it. Everyone in the army feels torn, one is the son of the Great General Wei Qing and is close to the Crown Prince and is even Huo Qu Bing's cousin; the other is the Biao Qi General Huo Qu Bing who is currently prized by the Emperor. No one, not even Zhao Puo Nu, wants to get involved with this fight between two cousins who could easily make up tomorrow.

Huo Qu Bing endures until finally he loses patience and coldly says "I'm the commander so there is no place for you to second guess me. When you have the ability to lead your own army, then I will listen to your orders." Wei Kang can't say anything, he just gives Huo Qu Bing a hateful glare and mutters under his breath"The last name is not Wei, no wonder not aligned with us. My father raised a wolf in the midst."

Huo Qu Bing glared at Wei Kang and says nothing. I sigh, Wei Kang would already be dead if his last name wasn't Wei. Suddenly Wei Kang laughs and bows to Huo Qu Bing "General, please excuse me" and then he leaves. His last smile leaves me shaken, I have this really odd feeling.

I thought this matter was over when suddenly we find out Wei Kang disobeyed orders and attacked the Xiong Nu In Ah Ke Sai at night. When Huo Qu Bing finds out it's already the next day. He's furious "When Wei Kang returns, I will send his ass packing for Chang An immediately."

I share a sad smile with Zhao Puo Nu "Only if he comes back alive. The area around Ah Ke Sai is a rocky sharp cliff region created by thousands of years of wind blowing through the deserts. It's a veritable maze, and at night the winds are like demons howling. The locals call it the Demon Region, and smart thieves try to lure their prey into that area so they are easy targets."

Huo Qu Bing may be raging but he still have to go save Wei Kang. I want to go but he won't let me "I've been in and out of army bases with tens of thousands of Xiong Nu, you can't be worried that a few hundred thieves can harm me? I'll go with Zhao Puo No, there is no one I trust more beside me from this army base. You stay here for me to guard the base."

He's firm and has a valid reason so I agree "No matter if you rescue him, you have to get out of there before sundown." He smiled and nodded. As he got on his horse to leave, he suddenly stared at me and then leaped off the horse and kissed me on the forehead in front of all the soldiers "We'll see Yi Er very soon."

"What?" I forget my embarrassment and ask. His horse had already flown forward like the wind and all I see is the trail of dust kicked up by hundreds of soldiers following him.

From morning until noon, from afternoon under dusk, I start to get more and more worried. I pace in circles in the room, until finally I can't take it anymore and rush out and jump on a horse. Before I set off, I hear horses coming towards the base.