Reincarnation to the Past

Chapter 18

(A/N: Just so you don't get confused, Lì doesn't know Yǔ's name yet.

And the above pic is of Bai Ze's beast.)

Lì's POV

It's been about twelve hours since she fell asleep when I felt her tremble and then wake with a start. She gasped for breath, as though she were suffocating, and almost fell off Shadow but I managed to catch and support her before she did. She turned around and stared up at me, seeming shocked and confused but almost immediately a look of realization crossed her face, remembering the past events.

I stared at her with a concerned look on my face. I mean, she's been acting weird since she saw Bai Ze's beast. She seems terrified of it, which doesn't make sense since she had no problem with Shadow, whose level is way above Wéifēng (which means breeze in Chinese), Bai Ze's beast. It didn't seem like her at all, with her unreasonable insistence and the fear in her eyes (heck, she wasn't even scared of assassins). Not to mention, Wéifēng is the most tamed and friendly beast, not scary in the least.

She seemed to notice the concern in my eyes because she smiled (although it seemed to be forced) and nodded before turning back and staring ahead. I wanted to say something to break the ice but I didn't know what.

Yǔ: How long was I asleep?

Bai Ze (flying beside us): Twelve hours... We'll reach in another day or two at the latest...

Yǔ (after a few minutes of silence (trying to change the topic)): So... I don't suppose you know anything about the third prince, do you?

Bai Ze (suspiciously): What makes you think we'd know?

Yǔ (rolling her eyes): Well, since you are enemies, you should know about him, right?

Bai Ze (confused): Enemies??? What ar...

Me (signaling him to play along): That's right... We do know him quite well... Why do you ask???

Yǔ (shrugging): Curious... I heard that he was favored by the emperor and that he's been on the battlefield for five years or so... Is that true?

I immediately looked at Bai Ze, who looked as though he was going to explode and glared at him to keep quiet. I understand why he felt that way. He's been by my side even since I was sent to the field at a very young age. The one thing he hated the most was others downplaying my achievements, time in war, or everything that we faced. Although I guess you can't exactly blame her, how was she to know the truth?

Me (trying to figure out how and what exactly to say): Well, I... From what I heard, he first entered the battlefield at the age of seven years and became a vanguard (A/N: the foremost part of an advancing army or naval force.) at the age of ten. He led the troops at thirteen, became a young general at the age of fifteen, and led an army of 3000 to victory against the ZongSui of 50000 men, which became his greatest accomplishment...

Yǔ (whipping her head towards me in shock): WHAT??? Who in their right mind would send their child to the fields at the age of seven?

Me (smiling and sighing): Well... Apparently, it was supposed to be a punishment by the king because of a mistake his mother made. Of course, the king never expected such results or all the military achievements he had racked up, which changed the king's attitude towards him...

I remember the first time I stood in front of a bloodied battlefield. The sight of all those dead bodies, some stabbed with weapons, pierced with arrows or spears, burnt till they were unrecognizable, and lots and lots of blood. It was terrifying and too much for a seven-year-old, and I didn't even have any time to get used to the sight or the sound of endless clashing of swords or screams and wails. The three of us, Bai Zou, Bai Ze, and myself, had no one else to rely on but ourselves. Although at first Bai Ze was useless, too scared to even move... But after thirteen years of living in a place where you could never let your guard down or trust anyone for too long, we came back, stronger and smarter than before.