EWRN - Chapter 71
Chapter 71: The Return Journey
As the sky began to lighten, Huo Jinyu and Yan Xi packed their bags, selected one hundred Brocade Guard Army soldiers, and rode their horses down the mountain.
The Great Yuan Kingdom had been dry and arid recently. The sun had already peeked over the eastern mountains. The two were returning to the Northern Kingdom with the mindset of a leisurely trip, so they shared a horse, in no hurry at all. Yan Xi still leaned against Huo Jinyu's chest. Unlike their previous rides together, Jinyu was dressed as a woman this time. Without the bindings on her chest, Yan Xi found it soft and exceedingly comfortable to lean against. The horse ambled along slowly while Huo Jinyu and Yan Xi admired the scenery along the way. Free from the pressures of all sides, their hearts were filled with sweet delight.
Yan Xi playfully rubbed against Huo Jinyu's chest on horseback. Feeling the strange pressure on her chest, Huo Jinyu couldn't help but straighten her back and squeeze her legs slightly, causing the horse to speed up a little. "Xi'er, don't tease me," Huo Jinyu said in a low voice. How had she never realized before what a little devil this Xi'er was, teasing her until her heart tingled and itched.
"Jinyu, did Xi'er do something?" Yan Xi feigned ignorance, and even reached out to gently stroke Huo Jinyu's thigh.
Huo Jinyu: (⊙x⊙;)……
In broad daylight, Huo Jinyu felt a wicked fire rise from her lower abdomen. She felt restless and agitated. "Xi'er, you're playing with fire," Huo Jinyu lowered her head slightly and whispered in Yan Xi's ear.
A warm current of air brushed past Yan Xi's ear. The intimate sensation made Yan Xi's body tremble involuntarily. Huo Jinyu lowered her head and carefully took Yan Xi's earlobe into her mouth, her tongue tracing a path from top to bottom.
A tingling, damp sensation instantly spread through Yan Xi's entire body. "Mmm…" Stimulated, Yan Xi let out an involuntary sound. Upon hearing it, she immediately bit her lower lip and sealed her mouth shut.
Huo Jinyu held the reins with one hand and gently wrapped the other around Yan Xi's waist. Yan Xi reached out and gently placed her hand on Huo Jinyu's. Her slender, pale fingers lightly traced the back of Huo Jinyu's hand.
Huo Jinyu felt the repeated stroking on her hand, like a kitten scratching at her heart, making it itch. Huo Jinyu gently pulled the reins, slowing the horse's pace. The soldiers behind them also slowed down.
Huo Jinyu raised her hand, gently turned Yan Xi's head, leaned forward slightly, and kissed her on the lips. Yan Xi parted her lips slightly in response.
The soldiers behind them: Σ(°Д°;…… What did we do to deserve this public display of affection?! It's sickeningly sweet!
The soldiers lowered their heads, feigning ignorance and pretending they hadn't seen a thing.
The group slowly emerged from the forests of Baili Mountain. Leaving the imperial city far behind, they passed through several villages. Outside the villages, the fertile fields lay barren, unsown. Or perhaps they had been sown, but the seedlings couldn't sprout due to the lack of water. Fine cracks had already begun to appear in the earth. There were no peasants to be seen tilling the land.
A puzzled expression appeared on Yan Xi's face. She didn't know what had happened near the Great Yuan's imperial city. Why did it feel so desolate?
But she didn't dwell on it. What was past was past. It had nothing to do with her.
Around noon, the group found a small river in the wilderness. They caught some fish, built a fire on the spot, and had it for their midday meal.
When it came to fishing, Huo Jinyu's skills had improved considerably since last time. She could even spear fish with a branch now. After filling their stomachs, the group set off again, heading for Yinzhou City, a necessary stop on the way to the northwestern border.
As evening approached, the group arrived outside Yinzhou City. The city gates were wide open, with no soldiers on guard. Yan Xi sensed that something was wrong, but Huo Jinyu acted as if she hadn't noticed, leading the soldiers straight into the city with a swagger.
Before leaving, she had sent people to make inquiries. She was perfectly clear what a wretched state the cities along this route had fallen into. Huo Jinye truly wasn't cut out to be an emperor. He had only been on the throne for a few months, and what a mess he had made of the Great Yuan Kingdom.
Why were there no guards in Yinzhou City? Because Huo Jinye could no longer afford their monthly wages. Without pay, the soldiers had no choice but to disband. The same scene was playing out in all the major cities. Due to heavier taxes, the drought, and the government's inability to pay sufficient salaries, the major cities had dissolved into chaos. Utterly chaotic.
Huo Jinyu felt neither anxious nor heartbroken. Her heart had long since grown numb. Perhaps this was exactly what she was happy to see?
Yan Xi, sitting in front, had not yet noticed the change in Huo Jinyu's mood. The group swaggered into the city just like that.
The state of the city gave Yan Xi quite a shock. It looked as if it had been ravaged by war. Everywhere lay ruins and debris. The doors of every household were tightly shut. The streets were bleak and deserted. In the distance, only a stray dog was chewing on something. As the group drew closer, they saw that the dog was actually gnawing on a mangled, bloody human hand.
Fortunately, most of them were accustomed to grim sights. Only two soldiers who hadn't seen such things before were startled and began to retch.
Huo Jinyu led the troop around the city twice. Along the way, any commoners who saw Huo Jinyu on her tall horse, leading a hundred-odd soldiers, were so frightened they turned and fled.
Huo Jinyu: Meow meow meow?
Finally, the group found a large building that looked like an inn. Why did it only look like an inn? Because more than half of its sign had been burned away. The inn's main doors were shut tight. A soldier dismounted to knock. There was no response from within. Huo Jinyu grew impatient. With a wave of her hand, a soldier received the order and kicked the door open.
The inn was large enough. Soldiers dragged the innkeeper out from where he was hiding in the cellar in the rear courtyard. The innkeeper and his wife knelt trembling before Huo Jinyu.
"We're not here to smash things. Go take our horses to the back and tether them. We'll only stay one night." After speaking, Huo Jinyu tossed out a silver bank note.
Seeing that Huo Jinyu and her group meant no harm, the innkeeper took the bank note and immediately got up to make arrangements.
That night, Huo Jinyu and Yan Xi extinguished the lamps and went to bed.
It wasn't until she was lying beside Huo Jinyu that Yan Xi sensed her low spirits.
Such a heavy mood clearly hadn't just appeared; it must have been there for some time. Yan Xi was annoyed at her own slowness, for not having sensed it on the road.
Yan Xi turned over and gently embraced Huo Jinyu. Her hands circled Huo Jinyu's waist. she asked in a low voice, "Jinyu, what's wrong? Can you tell Xi'er about it?"
Huo Jinyu shifted, nestling into Yan Xi's embrace. she said, "I didn't want to talk to you about these trifles."
"You and I are already a married couple. Is there anything that can't be said?" Yan Xi coaxed gently.
"Xi'er, how do you think the people of the Great Yuan Kingdom are faring along our journey?" Huo Jinyu's voice sounded a little hoarse.
"The people of Great Yuan don't seem to be doing well. They're even a bit pitiful," Yan Xi replied seriously after carefully recalling what she had seen that day.
"Right? You think they're pitiful too. But I don't see it that way." Huo Jinyu's body was trembling slightly. Yan Xi felt it and held her a little tighter.
"When I saw scenes like today's, I didn't feel any regret. I even felt they deserved it, that it was just retribution!" Huo Jinyu said, trembling.
That damned nightmare swept over her again. She could almost see the commoners of the Great Yuan Kingdom spectating at the execution ground that day. She could almost hear the clamorous chatter of the onlookers. She could almost see herself, barely clothed, being torn apart by five horses under the public gaze. The pain of her limbs, head, and neck being ripped apart seemed to wash over her once more.
An aura of sorrow emanated from Huo Jinyu's body, so oppressive that Yan Xi found it hard to breathe.
Huo Jinyu turned over, burying her head in the crook of Yan Xi's neck. Yan Xi reached out and stroked Huo Jinyu's back, comforting her. At this moment, Huo Jinyu was as fragile as a wounded young animal in need of comfort.
Yan Xi recalled the last time Huo Jinyu had revealed such vulnerability. She had been puzzled then, too. How could Huo Jinyu, who had grown up in luxury, possess such a heavy killing intent and yet be so fragile? It was completely illogical! Huo Jinyu must be hiding something, something no one else knew—a secret.
Yan Xi hadn't been curious before, because she always felt there was an invisible wall between herself and Huo Jinyu. Later, she learned that the wall was Huo Jinyu's identity as a woman. Now the wall was gone, and they had done even more intimate things. They had become the closest people to each other in the world. Was there anything that couldn't be said?
"Jinyu, whatever is on your mind, don't keep it bottled up. You can tell me. Xi'er is willing to share your burden," Yan Xi said this without thinking.
But after waiting for a while, she heard no reply from Huo Jinyu. Instead, she heard the sound of even breathing from the crook of her neck.
This girl... she was so sad, yet she fell asleep so quickly! Yan Xi didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
She gently pulled up the blanket to cover Huo Jinyu properly. Yan Xi closed her eyes as well and drifted off to sleep.
In the middle of the night, Yan Xi was awakened by the sound of sobbing. Huo Jinyu had somehow left her embrace and was curled into a ball. She was muttering something in her sleep. Yan Xi pulled her back into her arms, only to hear Huo Jinyu saying brokenly, "Don't..." and "It hurts... it hurts so much..."
Yan Xi's heart ached for her. Just as she was about to wake Huo Jinyu, she heard her cry out, "Huo Jinye! We will see you die a miserable death!"
It made Yan Xi shudder. What a deep-seated, bloody hatred this must be, to not even be forgotten in her sleep. After saying this, Huo Jinyu fell back into a deep sleep, but her body continued to tremble uncontrollably.
Yan Xi ceaselessly soothed the woman in her arms, thinking to herself that she must find the right time to ask Huo Jinyu clearly. What exactly had happened to her? Only by knowing the whole story could she properly guide Huo Jinyu, or help her in some way.
From Jinyu's sleep-talking, Yan Xi knew that this matter was inextricably linked to Huo Jinye.
Huo Jinye, you just wait for me. Daring to bully my Jinyu... you must be tired of living!
Yan Xi's fists clenched. Then she held Jinyu and fell back into a deep sleep.
The next morning, Huo Jinyu woke up in Yan Xi's arms. Having forgotten what happened in her dream, Huo Jinyu had slept soundly and was in good spirits. Yan Xi, however, who had been woken in the night, looked a little weary.
After a simple wash-up, the group left the inn. They mounted their horses and rode out of the city. Before leaving, Huo Jinyu gave the innkeeper a generous tip in silver. The innkeeper, beaming with joy, saw these important figures off. He returned to the inn, and he and his wife began packing their valuables, preparing to head south to Jiangnan to seek refuge with relatives.
Huo Jinyu's party left Yinzhou City and headed for the Northern Kingdom.
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