A Lonesome Fragrance Waiting to be Appreciated 3

34

Pingting, Pingting, this Chu Beijie who made you cry in sorrow and broke your heart is now under my sword.

Has he perhaps ever made you smile in happiness before?

"The world is vast, where do you plan to go?"

"I'm going home."

"Going home?"

"There's someone waiting for me." Pingting had smiled faintly, a gentleness and longing in her eyes. She had lifted her hand and touched the hair that had been swept messily by the wind.

Yangfeng clearly remembered Pingting standing by the window. The direction she had gazed was towards Dong Lin, where the Duke of Zhen-Bei was located.

Her hands tightly clasped around the sword shook, and the interlocked fingers gradually loosened. The sword fell to the ground with a "clang" beside Yangfeng's feet.

Chu Beijie opened his eyes in surprise.

Yangfeng returned his gazed coldly. "I won't let you go disturb Pingting in the heavens. She doesn't want to see you." Her expression was faraway as she reached out to stroke the coffin. Her voice was caring, "Pingting, I know you're exhausted. From now on, no one will ever hurt you again."

Chu Beijie stared at the coffin, his heart like ashes.

Inside there lay his most beloved woman, his Duchess and his child's mother. In this lifetime, he never properly faced Pingting.

Indeed, he was the one who killed her.

Pingting would never forgive him whether it was on earth or in the heavens.

If he died, his begs for forgiveness would be hated, and if he lived, he would be hated for asking her remains.

The unrivalled beauty that he devoted himself to had been ruined in his own hands.

"You're right..." Chu Beijie's eyes were empty holes, clay-like, as he slowly rose up from the ground. "You're right..." He watched the coffin longingly, but no longer had the courage to touch it with his trembling hands.

What right did he have to touch it?

Chu Beijie turned. His eyes could no longer see anything, no Yangfeng, no Ze Yin, and no path.

He forgot his precious sword, forgot everything as he walked out the gates. His gaze was fixed ahead as he walked towards the depths of the mountain forest. His horse, eating hay outside, neighed once before trotting behind Chu Beijie. It didn't understand why his master entered the cabinand return as if his soul had been lost.

Ze Yin's men watched the man and horse leaveand lowered their voices, "Main General, this man is the greatest enemy of my Bei Mo. Shall we perhaps take this opportunity and..."

Ze Yin watched Chu Beijie's back view and shook his head, sighing, "He is no longer anyone's enemy."

The famous Duke of Zhen-Bei had already died.

His heart was already dead.

The Bei Mo army had started its journey home.

On the way there, Ruohan received a letter from Ze Yin, passed by the returning messenger.

His fired up battle heart sank at the previously unknown news.

The thin letter in his hands seemed to be very heavy. He sighed as he looked at Sen Rong. "Miss Bai has died." The man who was now the highest ranking general had a layer of frost on his face.

Gone, that remarkably graceful female advisor was gone.

She had died in the cold Songsen Mountains, her remaining bones had been scattered to all directions by wolves. There was only a luminous jade hairpin left behind, gleaming in the snow.

Who knew that strange woman who organised troops in Kanbu and freely interefered with the Dong Lin army would have such a fate?

Sen Rong hesitated for a long time before lowering his voice to ask, "Is this true?"

It was unbelievable, utterly unbelievable.

Bai Pingting, she had once used one song to make several hundreds of thousands retreat away from the Kanbu walls.

Just one song.

"The Main General's wife has also fallen ill." Ruohan hesitated before bitterly smiling, "We were all wrong."

Sen Rong was puzzled.

Ruohan explained, "It was because Chu Beijie didn't know the exact location of Main General Ze Yin's secluded residence, so he intruded into the army camp, saying lies to threaten us. He followed our messenger to find Main General Ze Yin."

Sen Rong's expression changed, "Doesn't that mean..."

"He didn't go to kill anyone but to find someone. He was looking for his Duchess, Bai Pingting."

"Risking his life to enter the army camp was not for national affairs but for love?" Sen Rong was frozen for a long time before he spat out a long breath. "So Chu Beijie attacked Yun Chang for Miss Bai, not simply an excuse, but a true desire."

Ruohan nodded. "Correct. Now that Miss Bai has given her life to the Songsen Mountains, it seems that Chu Beijie's ambition has been ruined. Although my Bei Mo has a deep hatred for him, he is still a truly rare hero in this world."

It was a pity and regrettable.

One was a hero, the other was a beauty.

It was a joke from the gods.

The two generals had both accompanied Pingting during the battle of Kanbu and deeply acknowledged her. After a silence, Sen Rong lowered his voice to say, "No matter what others think, I have to find a place to pray for Bai Pingting tonight. I must get the general in charge of food supplies to prepare some good alcohol and food. Also, I'd like to have the remaining pots of high-quality alcohol in the barracks. Main General, I know that military drinks are not to have alcohol, but could we please drink freely under the moonlight?"

"Why not?" Ruohan mournfully sighed. "Tonight, all of the generals that had participated in the battle of Kanbu shall drink through our pain for the loss of Miss Bai."

How could they not drink, drink to forget their pain?

Why could this world not accomodate a person like Bai Pingting?

Why was the sky so gray and dark, so much that it was ominous? Or perhaps when one's eyes were blindfolded and unable will reality be seen?

She had once been like snow, its fragrance had spilled into their nostrils, cleaning their lungs.

She had once been wrapped in colourful clothing as she swirled around on the stage inside the Ducal Residence. She had sung a cappella as she gazed back to look at a crowd of familiar faces. They had stayed behind due to her voice, stopped their footsteps, transfixed while they listened.

Then, it all dispersed.

When? Why? Great sorrow began to heavily press forwards, for unclear reasons. It seemed that there was no reason at all, but a sad destiny that had been the karma of intelligence.

"Miss? Miss?" The voice was faraway.

Pingting opened her eyes, light began to pour into her eyes. They focused on a slightly familiar figure. For a moment, she could not remember where she was.

Where was she? She looked around, looking at her surroundings. Her entire body felt it had been beaten. Even moving a single hair would send her whole body into thundering pain.

"Hm..." Pingting slowly breathed out, waiting for the pain to subside.

Where is my child?

That's right, my child! She suddenly woke up, widening her eyes. Her hands were pressed on her lower abdomen and she could gently touch the tiny little movements.