Chapter 998: Chapter 994: Rivers of Blood
Xiao Ruohai tightly gripped the reins, held his breath, and asked Yun Lingzhi with a smile.
"They are descendants of our Yun family, quite shamefully... this is an army modeled after the Bai family’s Huying Camp. If the lord is interested in training people, Yun could introduce you to someone later."
The Bai family guard almost cursed, thinking this was clearly the training method of the Huying Camp. How could the wasteful delicacies of your Yun family train such brave warriors?!
Xiao Ruohai turned his head and gave a signal to the Bai family guard, who nodded in understanding.
Once the group entered the military camp, the Bai family guards dispersed. Yun Lingzhi was about to stop them when he heard Xiao Ruohai say, "Our Zhou Kingdom envoy told the Empress of Xiliang that we’d have a look around this camp, and if there’s nothing... we’ll leave! Since we’re here, Lord Yun, you should reassure us."
Yun Lingzhi thought his father must have made proper arrangements and smiled, agreeing, "Naturally!"
Xiao Ruohai didn’t dismount, and said to Yun Lingzhi, "Then, Lord Yun... bring over all the Yun family members training your Huying Camp, and let me get acquainted with them."
The retired guards from the Bai family’s Huying Camp had a clear objective and headed toward the cliff. Being veterans, once in the training ground... it was obvious who the training General was.
The Bai family guard headed straight towards the training ground on horseback, under the watchful eyes of the Huoyun Army soldiers.
As the sun set, the onset of darkness was swift. The cliff, once a warm orange hue, quickly dulled to the color of tea stains. Only a trace of twilight purple lingered at the very top, while the surrounding dense forest turned colorless, and distant mountains and trees became mere black silhouettes one after another.
Mounted, the Bai family guard spotted someone in a white outfit correcting a row of soldiers holding bamboo swords with their hands. These soldiers were preparing to engage in deadly combat with fierce warriors descending from the cliff. A man dressed in black held a bamboo sword by the hilt with both hands, using it to support himself on the ground. It was clear that he was the General of this training exercise.
"General Guan!" The Bai family guard found the person, felt their eyes welling up, and shouted hoarsely, "Quick, report it, it’s General Guan!"
The General, standing with a bamboo slip in his hand, raised his head at the sound, saw the Bai family guard galloping towards him, and pointed his bamboo sword at them with authority, scolding, "Dismount! Who allowed you to ride so recklessly in the camp?"
"General Guan!" The Bai family guard waited not for the horse to stop, dismounted in a leap, and looked at Guan Zhangning with red eyes, "General Guan, we are here under the orders of the third young master... to bring you home!"
Guan Zhangning looked at those who dismounted and stood not far from him, their eyes red. Dumbfounded, he showed a confused expression, "Who are you people?"
The Bai family guard cupped their fists and saluted Guan Zhangning, "We are all from the retired Bai family’s guard. I am from the retired Huying Camp."
Soon, Xiao Ruohai, upon hearing the news, hastened over, leapt off his horse, and upon seeing Guan Zhangning, his eyes immediately reddened.
Before coming, Xiao Ruohai had hoped... hoped that the one training the Huying Camp here would be the Bai family’s Young General. Though slightly disappointed to see Guan Zhangning, the fact that they found General Guan Zhangning was still good news for the Bai family army and the Bai family.
"General Guan!" Xiao Ruohai dismounted and saluted Guan Zhangning with tears, "I am Xiao Ruohai who once followed the Bai family army’s Vice Commander. I wonder if General Guan remembers me?"
Xiao Ruohai looked up and saw Guan Zhangning cast a puzzled look towards Yun Lingzhi, who had followed him, feeling confused and casting an inquisitive gaze at Yun Lingzhi.
Yun Lingzhi deeply stared at Guan Zhangning, looking very upset, and wondered why his father hadn’t had Yun Lan moved away.
"Second brother?" Guan Zhangning called Yun Lingzhi with a look of confusion.
Xiao Ruohai furrowed his brows and turned to look at Yun Lingzhi, who had already dismounted.
With his hands clenched tightly behind his back, Yun Lingzhi had no choice but to say to Xiao Ruohai, "This person... was brought back last year by a clan uncle of our Yun family’s main branch, rescued from outside, and thought he had a connection, so he was taken as a family child, and is also considered a Yun family member."
"Second brother? What are you saying?" Guan Zhangning furrowed his brows and casually stuck the bamboo sword next to him, "I am the son of my father and mother, injured on the battlefield and brought back by my father. How could I be a recognized son?"
"Lord Yun..." Xiao Ruohai said softly.
Yun Lingzhi tightened his grip in his palm, only glanced at Guan Zhangning, and showed an awkward expression.
"General, could it be that after the injury healed, you don’t remember the past?" Xiao Ruohai asked the question in his heart.
Guan Zhangning scrutinized Xiao Ruohai guardedly, keeping silent.
"General Guan, you have been deceived by Xiliang..." Xiao Ruohai spoke to Guan Zhangning bluntly, with Yun Lingzhi present, his voice calm, "Xiliang must have wanted to use you to train their army, which is why they told you that you are a member of the Yun family. You are not a Yun family member; your surname is Guan... and your home is in Feng County. You joined the Bai family army back then to resist Xiliang, and General Guan’s wife and children died by the blade of the Xiliang people!"
Guan Zhangning’s face, once bronzed and red by the sun, turned pale as he looked at Yun Lingzhi again, "Second brother?!"
Yun Lingzhi looked at Guan Zhangning and nodded.
Guan Zhangning stood there, motionless, as if thunderstruck by the news.
"General Guan!" Xiao Ruohai stepped forward, trying to support Guan Zhangning, "Young General Bai has ascended the throne! Jin Kingdom is now the Zhou Kingdom, and Young General Bai sent the third young master to... bring you home!"
Yun Lingzhi looked deeply at Guan Zhangning for a moment, then lowered his eyes and stepped aside, no longer intending to obstruct.
"General Guan, let’s go home..." Xiao Ruohai supported Guan Zhangning, speaking solemnly.
Drawing his arm away from Xiao Ruohai’s hand, Guan Zhangning said, "I need to go back to the Yun family for answers."
"Yun Lan... no need to ask anymore!" Yun Lingzhi looked at Guan Zhangning and said, "Didn’t you ever wonder why your name is different from mine and our brothers? We all have the surname Yun... taking the word Ling, but you... are called Yun Lan."
The breeze passed through the forest, rustling the leaves as dark clouds, adorned with stardust, moved slowly from the east.
Guan Zhangning’s lips were tightly pressed, and his expression was shadowed by the darkness.
Only to hear Yun Lingzhi say, "Go back! Now, Xiliang can’t fight against the Zhou, so... you are free to leave! Also, thank you for training this Huoyun Army for Xiliang."
"General Guan, let’s go!"
That night, Xiao Ruohai took Guan Zhangning and rode urgently towards Qiushan Pass.
That night, the Empress Dowager of Xiliang was gravely ill, issuing an imperial decree inviting the leaders of the Eight Great Families into the palace, entrusting them with her last affairs.
That night, eight granaries outside Yunjing City simultaneously went up in flames, while... blood flowed like a river inside the Imperial Palace in Yunjing City.