Chapter 42 - Origin (1)

 ※ Thirteen years ago, late autumn, Dafeng border ※

This is the territory of Dafeng, and eighty miles ahead is Beirong. Because there are often battles here, there is no one in front and behind, and there are dense trees on both sides. The world is quiet.

A young boy wrapped in a red fur coat, carrying a small crossbow on his back, and a young boy dressed in blue, dressed in a proper manner, walked on this wild road in the suburbs. The two walked, one in front and one behind.

Seeing that the sky was getting dark, the young boy in blue looked up at the sky and said with some worry, "Ayan, I'm scared; let's go back."

The voice was a soft and pleasant girl's voice, and the little face was pink and carved, obviously a girl.

The young boy in red took off the crossbow on his back, stroking it while saying:

"Sister Yujiao, it's rare for us to run out once. I will never go back if I can't catch prey. I want to prove to that little wooden boy that I am not a little girl who can't do anything."

She has narrow eyebrows and eyes, a face like white jade, and a heroic spirit that is difficult to distinguish between male and female. Her voice is also crisp.

Zhao Yujiao was a little worried. "Ayan, I'm really scared. It's going to be dark soon. It's too scary here..."

As she spoke, tears began to fill her eyes.

Seeing that Zhao Yujiao was about to cry, Ye Chuyan sighed deeply. Zhao Yujiao is the daughter of a distant relative of hers. The whole family of her relatives died for some reason, leaving her alone. Dad took her to the mansion a year ago. The two are of similar age and often play together. It's just that one likes to be quiet and the other likes to be active. She likes to wield swords and guns, while Zhao Yujiao likes to pick up needles and embroider.

The old emperor in the palace is dying, and the crown prince Pei Ye is about to take the throne. This time, her dad came to the military camp to discuss this matter with General Shen. He also hoped that General Shen could stabilise the border and not let the Beirong people take advantage of the situation to invade when the new emperor took the throne.

She had always wanted to see the "smoke rising from the desert" on the border, so she pestered her dad to come along.

Zhao Yujiao has always been soft-hearted and would only cry when something happened. She was worried that Zhao Yujiao would be bullied by others in the mansion, so she proposed to bring her along. Zhao Yujiao was only eight years old, after all, and she was curious. Thinking that this might be the only chance in her life to visit the border, she happily agreed. For convenience, the two of them dressed as men along the way. Because they were young, they had no problem entering and leaving the military camp.

However, the young master of the Wu family who was training in the military camp accidentally discovered that she (Ye Chuyan) was a girl. He had black eyes and white teeth. His skin was not as white as that of the nobleman in Kyoto and was tanned to a honey colour in the military camp. He relied on his martial arts and archery skills to bully her in the barracks. He also said that she didn't look like a lady from a noble family and that he was the only one willing to marry her when she grew up.

She didn't want to marry a naughty boy like Wu Mu.

She gave him a vicious nickname: Little Wood!

This morning, Little Wood said that she was a girl who knew nothing.

She was angry...

She sneaked out with a crossbow in the afternoon. She must kill the rabbit to prove that she knows everything.

Zhao Yujiao was afraid that she would get into an accident, so she had to go with her.

So there was the current situation. Ye Chuyan couldn't bear to see Zhao Yujiao cry the most. Every time she saw her crying, she was anxious and helpless.

She had to say leisurely, "Sister Yujiao, I beg you, don't cry."

Seeing Zhao Yujiao crying non-stop, Ye Chuyan felt a little embarrassed for a while. She was unwilling to go back like this, but she didn't want Zhao Yujiao to cry.

"How about this? Let's climb to the top of the mountain and see. Whether we can kill it or not, we will go back in half an hour."

Ye Chuyan pointed to a hill next to it. The mountain was not high, and there were some tall shrubs and trees on both sides.

Zhao Yujiao hesitated for a moment and nodded gently. She was just an orphan fostered in the Ye Mansion. Ye Chuyan was the eldest daughter of the Ye family. How could she dare to go against Ye Chuyan's wishes? Even though she was unwilling, she still followed her to climb the mountain.

When the two climbed to the top of the mountain, Ye Chuyan stood on the edge of the mountain and looked down. Only then did she realise that the other side of the mountain was extremely low, and there was a steep cliff below. The mountains were shrouded in white mist, and the frozen river surface below could be vaguely seen, like white jade spread under the cliff. The border has always been very cold. It was just late autumn, and the river surface was frozen.

Zhao Yujiao stood by and looked down quietly. She was so scared that her face turned pale. If she accidentally fell down, she would definitely die.

She trembled and said, "Ayan, go hunting quickly. We'll go back soon after hunting."

Ye Chuyan looked around and found a flat stone. She said to Zhao Yujiao, "Sister Yujiao, sit here and wait for me. I'll be back soon."

After that, she lit a torch and handed it to Zhao Yujiao. She took out a small wooden whistle from her sleeve and stuffed it into Zhao Yujiao's hand.

She stuffed it in her hand and said, "Take this torch. Most wild animals don't dare to come forward when they see the torch. And this whistle. If you have something to do, blow the whistle. I'll come back immediately when I hear it."

Zhao Yujiao trembled as she took the good things and repeatedly reminded him, "Ayan, you must go early and come back early."

Ye Chuyan smiled and nodded, her spirits high. "Don't worry, I'll come back immediately after I kill the prey!"

After that, she ran into the woods.

Zhao Yujiao sat on the stone, panicking. If I had known, I wouldn't have followed Ayan out today. This place is too scary.

Just after Ye Chuyan left for an incense stick of time, Zhao Yujiao heard a rustling sound in the bushes. She was so scared that her eyes widened, and she looked at the jungle in horror.

A red figure appeared. It was Ye Chuyan dragging something back!

Zhao Yujiao's heart was relieved. She rushed over to hug Ye Chuyan and sobbed, "Ayan, you scared me to death."

Ye Chuyan was a little helpless. "Sister Yujiao, don't hold me so tightly. I didn't catch the prey, but I found this."

Zhao Yujiao then noticed that the person behind Ye Chuyan was a tall young man.

He was estimated to be about ten years old, wearing a Dafeng military uniform, with his eyes closed and a pale face, and his left hand was completely black, with three bloody teeth marks on it.

Zhao Yujiao was so scared that her soul almost died. After Ye Chuyan laid him flat, she took a few breaths and said, "Sister Yujiao, this soldier seems to have been bitten by a poisonous snake."

Zhao Yujiao was panicked. "He is so tall; we can't drag him back to the barracks. What should we do now?"

Ye Chuyan scratched her head, indeed. Zhao Yujiao was right; this soldier was too tall, and his body was heavy when he was unconscious, and they couldn't drag him to the barracks at all.

However, if they left him here to call for help, he would definitely be eaten by wild animals when it got dark.

Ye Chuyan thought for a moment and said, "Sister Yujiao, take care of him first; I will go to the place where I found him just now; there is usually an antidote where there are poisonous snakes."

When Zhao Yujiao heard this, she immediately grabbed Ye Chuyan's sleeve.

"Ayan, what if the poisonous snakes there bite you? Don't take risks for a wounded soldier!"

Ye Chuyan said with a straight face: "Sister Yujiao, how can you say that?"

"No matter what the reason for this soldier to be injured here, he is a soldier of Dafeng wearing the military uniform of Dafeng! We can enjoy the luxurious life in Kyoto because these unknown soldiers are guarding our territory here."

Zhao Yujiao was ashamed and embarrassed by these words and said, "Ayan, I'm sorry, I was wrong; you go quickly. I will take good care of him."

When Ye Chuyan entered the forest again, Zhao Yujiao's delicate face suddenly became ferocious. If she had the status of Ye Chuyan, she could also be righteous. She was rootless and lived under someone else's roof, and the luxurious life was too rare for her. So, she instinctively didn't want to take risks for anyone!

She kicked the unconscious soldier angrily, and the soldier groaned in pain, and a white jade waist plate fell out of his clothes.