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墨書 Inktalez
Wenhe, stability requires sacrifice, including you and me.
Jia Xu suddenly sat up from the bed. Since the night of his debate with Guo Jia, he often dreamed of the land after the war.
Charred land, decaying corpses, and flowing blood.
The door was knocked, and after receiving a nod from Jia Xu, a small maid poked her head in from outside the door, clinging to the door frame and said, "Young master, Xun Gongzi invites you for a discussion."
Jia Xu paused for a moment, then replied, "Got it, go back and tell the senior brother I'll be right there."
The little maid considerately closed the door, and with the jingling of the bells around her waist, she walked away with a crisp sound.
Jia Xu tidied up and went to the study to find Xun Yu. Upon pushing the door open, he saw Xun Yu sitting on a zafu with a furrowed brow, while Guo Jia was lying further away, spinning a lotus-shaped smoking pipe in his hand. Jia Xu asked in confusion, "What's going on, senior?" Xun Yu didn't answer immediately, but instead grabbed the pen holder from the desk and threw it, saying, "You tell me."
Guo Jia sighed and sat up from the ground with his legs crossed. Since that night, both of them had deliberately avoided each other to prevent new conflicts, but as the time of disaster approached, there was no way to avoid it anymore.
If there is no strategy, countless people will truly be sacrificed.
Guo Jia took a slow drag on his tobacco and said, "The beast is on its way to the capital. We must kill it before it reaches the capital, otherwise the world will be in great chaos."
Guo Jia looked up and met Jia Xu's gaze, continuing, "We need a foolproof plan."
It is widely believed that the three wise strategists, Beiyong, are capable of devising flawless plans, and there are rumors that whoever possesses their strategies will rule the world. Now, the three strategists are gathered together to come up with a foolproof plan to save the people of the world.
Guo Jia sat on the ground, seemingly indifferent to the thoughts of Xun Yu and Jia Xu, just huddled next to a pillar, slowly smoking his pipe, keeping a distance from Xun Yu and Jia Xu to avoid enveloping them in the smoke.
The candle burned, melting into a colorless mass on the bean tray. The answer had long been entangled in their hearts, but no one spoke a word. The three wise men, who were plotting and scheming, did not need to sit in silence until nightfall without coming up with a plan; they simply did not want to speak it aloud. There will always be someone to do the dirty work. When the room was filled with the smell of Guo Jia, Guo Jia stood up and slowly walked to the window. Then, he suddenly pushed it open, and a strong summer heat rushed in. Guo Jia propped himself on the window sill, with a long jade lotus pipe in hand, and his gaze shifted back and forth between the two, saying, "Using Huguang as the battleground, we can create a pincer attack to kill the beast in its cradle. But we need someone we can completely trust, because this will be a deadly game."
Guo Jia said, "I'll go," as soon as he finished speaking, and Jia Xu stood up from the ground. But almost at the moment when Jia Xu finished speaking, Xun Yu shouted in a hoarse voice, "No!" The two men's eyes fell on Xun Yu, and Xun Yu wearily said, "I won't allow you two to risk your lives as a bet. Don't act impulsively..."
Jia Xu slightly furrowed his brows and said, "Senior, this is not a momentary impulse, it's my voluntary choice."
If my death can bring peace to the people of the world, I am willing to die.
But Xun Yu still did not relent, he wearily propped up his head and said, "Let's go back first, it's very late today, let's go back first."
Jia Xu wanted to say something else, but saw that Guo Jia had already climbed out of the window with a calm expression. So Jia Xu swallowed the words on his lips, nodded, and backed out.
Guo Jia stood by the peach tree in the courtyard, waiting for Jia Xu. The slender leaves of the peach tree hung over Guo Jia's shoulder. Jia Xu hesitated for a moment, unsure if this person was waiting for him, but after a pause, he said, "Let's go."
Guo Jia followed half a step behind Jia Xu, his hair reflecting a purple sheen under the moonlight. Guo Jia thought, "If only it weren't a time of chaos."
Guo Jia once again remembered the scene in his dream where Jia Xu was killed. The fierce beast was beheaded by Jia Xu himself, and Jia Xu was pierced through the chest by an arrow and fell from his horse. He would be a hero to everyone. It was the usually silent Jia Xu who first broached the subject, asking, "Is this the only way?" Guo Jia chuckled lightly and asked, "Wenhe, what do you think?"
Jia Xu fell silent for a moment, then looked up at the moon and said, "This is the only way."
Guo Jia followed Jia Xu's gaze, and the crescent moon looked like a merciless sickle, reaping the lives of everyone.
Jia Xu asked again, "Are you sure this is the perfect plan?"
Guo Jia watched as Jia Xu stepped back and raised three fingers to the sky, saying, "I, Guo Jia, swear to the heavens. If I speak a word of falsehood, may I be struck down by lightning and die a wretched death."
Jia Xu lowered his head and chuckled softly, saying, "Then let's act on our own."
Jia Xu stopped in his tracks, approached Guo Jia, and, just like when Guo Jia had fought for him at the academy, got extremely close, their noses almost touching. He said earnestly, "Then let's act on our own, just like when we saved Miss Linn back then."
Guo Jia stared at Jia Xu without blinking and said, "You will die in Huguang."
Jia Xu smiled lightly, took a step back, and distanced himself from Guo Jia, saying, "Fengxiao, to establish stability, sacrifices must be made. Don't be so indecisive."
Guo Jia nodded and said, "Alright, we will depart for Huguang immediately."
To reduce casualties, the ordinary people of Huguang have long been evacuated, leaving behind the Volunteer Army willing to sacrifice their lives. This is also the first time Guo Jia has seen Jia Xu wearing armor. When Jia Xu was young, he had imagined that his first time on the battlefield might be leading the light cavalry with his father, or rushing to the front lines like his mother. He never imagined that his first time entering the battlefield would be to stop a ferocious beast, and perhaps it would be his last.
Jia Xu held the bow, stepped on the stirrup, landed gracefully, and flipped onto the horse. Guo Jia stood on the side, looking at Jia Xu's tied-up hair and his sharp profile, softly saying, "Wenhe, if anything unexpected happens, take care of yourself and be careful."
Jia Xu turned his head and looked at Guo Jia, saying, "Guo Fengxiao, I am the leader in the Liangzhou grassland competition."
Guo Jia chuckled and replied, "Alright, our Wenhe is the best young man on the Liangzhou grassland."
Jia Xu lightly tapped the horse's belly and took two steps forward, gazing in the direction of the pass. "Guo Jia, let's go."
"Guo Jia" nodded and stepped onto the carriage, heading in the opposite direction of Jia Xu, never once looking back along the way.
This is the best choice. Even if Jia Xu doesn't intercept Dong Zhuo in Huguang, he can still ambush him on the road. In any case, he must be killed.
Guo Jia firmly believes that Jia Xu can change his own destiny.
Saying that he is not nervous is a lie. Jia Xu's hand holding the bow is slightly sweaty, and Dong Zhuo's flag is coming from afar, revealing a red corner.
The ferocious beast from Xiliang drags its weary body, seeking a moment to catch its breath, but this opportunity has turned into a deadly threat.
The ambushed archers were shooting, and Jia Xu pulled the bow on his back, then grabbed his knife and rushed into the melee. The sound of fighting was incessant as Jia Xu made his way through the crowd and headed straight for Dong Zhuo.
At noon in Yingchuan, Xun Yu pushed open Guo Jia's door only to find it empty. Neatly made bedding, cold air - a sense of foreboding rose in Xun Yu's heart, but he still pushed open Jia Xu's door with a glimmer of hope, only to see a scene identical to that in Guo Jia's room.
Xun Yu staggered and grabbed the door frame, shouting at the servants, "Prepare the horses! Immediately prepare the horses! Summon the private soldiers and elite warriors to accompany me to Huguang!"
The usually gentle and calm young master of the the Xun could hardly control his emotions. He mounted his horse and whipped it before even settling in the saddle, then galloped away. Gripping the reins tightly, with the hot wind tousling his hair, Xun Yu dared not even think about how these two could dare to act on their own.
He even began to blame himself, for the sake of his career and reputation, always leaving the two of them alone at the academy, but neglecting their mutual influence on each other.
Guo Jia stood on the hill, watching the fighting inside Huguang city, his gaze searching for the young man in silver armor, but he never appeared.
Suddenly, as if sensing something, he looked up and saw thick, churning clouds. At the same time, Guo Jia calculated with his fingers and saw a familiar figure in the distance, Xun Yu.
Almost immediately, the mountain path shook, rocks tumbled, and people around him screamed. Guo Jia's face turned pale, and he disregarded the falling rocks as he ran down the mountain.
It wasn't an explosion, it was an earthquake. Everyone would die here.
Within just a few breaths, the buildings in the city of Huguang collapsed, and Dong Zhuo took the opportunity to break through the siege with his personal guards, escaping through the collapsed city wall.
Upon seeing only Guo Jia, Xun Yu trembled as he asked, "Where is Wenhe?"
Guo Jia opened his mouth but seemed unable to speak. Without him saying anything, Xun Yu understood that Jia Xu was inside the city, within Huguang.
Xun Yu suddenly raised his hand holding the reins, but hesitated to bring it down on Guo Jia's face. He had always understood the ambitions of the young man before him, his desire for a peaceful world. In the end, Xun Yu did not strike, but hoarsely ordered someone to save Jia Xu, insisting on seeing the body if he was dead.
Guo Jia did not believe that Jia Xu would flee in the face of battle, but despite searching throughout Huguang, they could not find his body. His heart grew colder and colder, and the usually frail Guo Jia, shocked by the sudden turn of events, coughed violently by Xun Yu's side, coughing up blood in the end.
Xun Yu looked at Guo Jia, observing the disheveled appearance of his younger brother whom he had watched grow up.
Guo Jia also looked at Xun Yu, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, then slowly blinked and stammered, "I was wrong."
A single tear slowly slid down Guo Jia's cheek, the first time Xun Yu had seen him cry so genuinely, and the first time he had heard Guo Jia admit that he was wrong.
The anger that arose from the two people's self-will almost dissipated in an instant. Xun Yu raised his blood-stained hand and gently wiped away Guo Jia's tears. Then, the two finally dug out Jia Xu in the secluded ruins. He was half lying in a pool of blood, his face as pale as paper, as if he would disappear in the next second. Xun Yu almost dared not reach out to touch the person in front of him, softly calling out "Wenhe, Wenhe."
Jia Xu slowly opened his eyes and saw a face full of tension and concern belonging to Xun Yu, with Guo Jia standing behind him with a smile on his face. Jia Xu looked at Xun Yu in disbelief, but struggled to speak due to the dust and blood in his throat, "Senior...?" Then Jia Xu turned his gaze to Guo Jia and asked, "Have I failed?"
Guo Jia nodded lightly.
In an instant, the pain of his legs being crushed under the rocks seemed to disappear, and Jia Xu immediately reacted, asking, "You don't trust me?"
Guo Jia neither denied nor affirmed, just stood there. But Jia Xu seemed to have received an affirmative answer and shouted, " Guo Jia, Guo Fengxiao! You don't trust me! You ruined this plan! You killed everyone!"
Then, with a sudden surge of anger, he spat out a mouthful of blood, and Jia Xu blacked out. The stones pressing down on Jia Xu were lifted, and Guo Jia fell to his knees, crawling over like a collapsing mountain. He held Jia Xu's weakening pulse to his face, murmuring, "Thank goodness, Wenhe, you're not dead... I regret it, I regret it." At nineteen, Guo Jia felt self-loathing for the first time.
In the first game against destiny, Guo Jia suffered a crushing defeat. Suddenly, Guo Jia remembered that in his childhood, he often fell ill for speaking about the future. The old doctor who treated Guo Jia had a white, flowery beard and was always accompanied by a young medical apprentice about the same age as Guo Jia, who was said to be his successor. Guo Jia didn't like the taste of bitter medicine, but the elders in his family always asked the doctor to add more yellow gentian to help him develop a taste for bitterness. However, the young medical apprentice always secretly gave him many sugar cubes.
Cheap malt sugar boiled on the street, very sticky, but Guo Jia loves to eat it. Because they are of similar age, Guo Jia can also play with the young medical apprentice, and in the process, learned some pulse diagnosis methods. On the eve of leaving Yingchuan to study at Beiyong academy, Guo Jia went to the medical hall to ask the senior doctor to diagnose his pulse again.
The old doctor was sitting cross-legged on a zafu, smiling and greeting Guo Jia as he approached. He said, "Let me take your pulse again, young master." Guo Jia squatted down and offered his wrist to the old doctor, who examined it for a while and said, "The young master's pulse is calm and stable, and he will be free from illness and disaster for some time to come." Then the old doctor called his apprentice over and said, "Come and feel your teacher's pulse."
The young doctor felt the pulse and then replied, "The pulse is rapid and irregular, starting and stopping like a pecking bird, yes, yes, yes..." The old doctor smiled and gently placed his dry palm on the disciple's head, saying, "This is the pulse of impending death, the pecking bird pulse." Guo Jia also felt such a pulse, and now he felt it in the hand of Jia Xu.
The child physician said that a sparrow's pulse can only last for eleven days, but the senior doctor closed his eyes in less than half an hour after feeling the pulse. Guo Jia dared not think about it, so he tightly held Jia Xu's hand and said, "Don't leave me, Wenhe, don't leave me..." Everyone who felt Jia Xu's pulse advised Xun Yu to prepare for the funeral. Xun Yu insisted on asking the doctor to do everything possible to save him, almost using the most expensive medicinal materials in the storeroom to save Jia Xu's life, but Jia Xu clenched his lips so tightly that he couldn't even take the medicine.
During the three days, there was a constant stream of doctors entering and leaving the the Xun's residence. Xun Yu even spent a large sum of money to seek medical help for someone.
Guo Jia leaned against the wall, gazing at the marks on the blue bricks with his eyes lowered. He didn't know what kind of pitiful creature had died here, its leg eaten by a group of ants.
By the time Guo Jia reacted, he had already used a match to ignite the group of ants, causing the dead creature to curl up due to the flames.
Flames, flames!
Guo Jia suddenly reacted and stood up from the ground, feeling dizzy from the intense movement as he leaned against the corridor pillar. He turned around and saw Jia Xu lying on the bed with a high fever, and then glanced at Xun Yu who was exhausted by the bedside. He resolutely walked out of the courtyard.
Changing fate comes with a price, whether using witchcraft or the power of exorcism.
Guo Jia had known all this long ago, but realized it too late.
Three good horses were exhausted to death, and on the fifth day of Jia Xu's coma, Guo Jia dragged his weary body back to the foot of Mount Beiyong.
The sky was still hazy, and even the early market had not yet opened, but the door of the witch's pavilion was wide open, as if waiting for Guo Jia for a long time.
Guo Jia Crossing the threshold, the wind blowing through the hall sounded the waist bells hanging on the wall pillars. The masked shaman sat behind the table, on which a clear bronze mirror was placed.
Legend has it that there is a mirror in the heavens that can communicate with the gods, see into the past, foresee the future, and change destiny.
The bronze mirror grows between the mountains, taken up by the previous shaman priest to the mountains. The mountain fire will cover the trace of the bronze mirror, and the gods will guide the next priest to find it.
Guo Jia knelt on the zafu, looking at the eerie mask and said, "I want to save someone."
The wind and dust from the overnight journey did not cloud Guo Jia's eyes. Those affectionate eyes remained clear, but with less laughter, leaving only a calm lake.
The shaman said, "This will come at a cost."
Guo Jia said, "I am willing to pay any price."
The shaman, however, smiled. Her gentle laughter carried an ethereal echo as she said, "Recalling Wuren does not require a huge price, but interfering with fate may cost a life. The power of Nuo has already appeared. Go and stop it, go and fight, go and strive for the ending of a victor."
Unprompted musical instruments, jingling bells, and flames spreading from behind the screen.
The priestess said, "The price you pay is the past and the future."
The crisp sound of bones shattering rang out, and Guo Jia watched as the bones on the table spread cracks, and finally crumbled.
Shouts came from outside the door, and unknown fires ignited in various places, while Guo Jia sat in the fire, watching the priestess's ever-changing mask.
Guo Jia slowly raised his hand, intending to reach for the mask, but in the next instant, the witch disappeared from the spot, leaving behind her heavy attire and mask crashing to the ground.
Guo Jia chuckled lightly, slowly standing up with the support of the table, glancing at the reflection in the bronze mirror. It was not Guo Jia, but a blood-red eye.
As the fire spread, the room echoed with the song of the witch and the deep voice of admonition.
The flames will cleanse impurities, the flames will bring new life; the flames are holy, the flames are pure; pass through the flames, and the god of fire will bless you; pass through the flames, and seek out new heroes.
The entire witch tower collapsed in flames the moment Guo Jia left.
Fire is a blessing from the gods.
Guo Jia walked through the street filled with flames, when suddenly his clothes were grabbed.
Guo Jia He lowered his head and saw a dirty little girl grabbing his clothes. Her right arm was burned by flames, covered in horrifying blisters, but she didn't make a sound, only looked at him with watery eyes and asked, "Sir, can you buy me?"
Guo Jia Slowly crouching down, he looked into her eyes and asked, "Where are your parents?"
The little girl pointed to the collapsed house behind her and said, "My mother pushed me out."
Guo Jia fell silent for a moment and then continued to ask, "What is your name?"
The little girl smiled shyly and said, "My name is Yunque. My mother hoped that I would fly away like a skylark."
Guo Jia reached out and picked up the little girl. She was about five or six years old, injured and without a mother, yet she did not cry or make a fuss as she sold herself.
Yunque leaned on Guo Jia's shoulder and said, "Master, I will do many things and won't let you regret buying me."
Guo Jia made a soft sound of agreement, took Yunque to the town to get medicine and new clothes, and then brought Yunque back to Yingchuan.
There were no longer any doctors coming in and out of the the Xun's door. Guo Jia handed Yunque over to a maid and went to find Xun Yu alone. Xun Yu seemed to have been very busy these days, as he had fallen asleep at his desk. Guo Jia gently covered him with a thin blanket and then quietly left.
He stood in front of Jia Xu's door for a long time, so long that his arm felt stiff when he finally raised it to push the door.
Jia Xu, who was sleeping, seemed to be in pain, with delicate brows tightly furrowed and fine beads of sweat on his forehead.
Guo Jia twisted a handkerchief and gently wiped the sweat from Jia Xu's forehead. Guo Jia thought to himself that Jia Xu had always been in good health, never getting sick even during the most susceptible seasons. It was frightening to see someone who never got sick fall ill.
During the Beiyong period, Guo Jia often fell ill due to the change in climate. Whenever he ran a low fever, he would lie in the arms of Xun Yu or Jia Xu, whimpering until they comforted him by gently stroking his head, allowing him to sleep peacefully.
Seeing Jia Xu's pale lips, Guo Jia was momentarily stunned before realizing that Jia Xu was in pain. He reached out to stroke Jia Xu's head and whispered softly, "It doesn't hurt anymore, it doesn't hurt anymore. Once you fall asleep, it won't hurt anymore. Rest well, Wenhe."
In a daze, Jia Xu seemed to open his eyes, wanting to reach out and ask Guo Jia why, but he couldn't even move his fingers, so he continued to drift off into a deep sleep.
Sharp pain spread from the legs, waking Jia Xu from sleep time and time again, only to make him pass out again due to the pain. Everything in the dream was hazy, with the mocking laughter of Guo Jia. Jia Xu's injury took three months to heal, and the desolate autumn wind blew the leaves off the trees in the courtyard. Jia Xu sat in a wheelchair, with a furry blanket covering his legs.
The doctor said that because the legs had been buried under a rock for too long, no matter how they were taken care of, they would never return to their pre-injury state. When this was said, Jia Xu sat to the side, head down, flipping through a book, showing no surprise at this outcome. It was Xun Yu who found it hard to bear, repeatedly asking the doctor to do everything possible for recovery. The young man who once galloped on the grasslands of Liangzhou had actually fallen to the point of being in a wheelchair.
Jia Xu, who is recovering from his injury, speaks very little, much less than when he was at the academy. The gentle and refined senior Xun Yu also tries to coax Jia Xu to go out, bringing back some small souvenirs from Luoyang during their breaks from court.
Jia Xu never asks about Guo Jia, and Xun Yu sends people to look for him for three months with no news. Neither of them mentions it, maintaining a delicate balance.
On a autumn day with red maple leaves, Xun Yu pushes Jia Xu to go out and enjoy the maple leaves. Walking by the river, the fiery red leaves fall onto Jia Xu's knees, and he softly says, "Senior, I want a cane."
Xun Yu was taken aback for a moment, about to say something, when he heard Jia Xu continue, "You have to stand up and walk again. You can't let others push you around for the rest of your life."
Xun Yu swallowed his words and pursed his lips, saying, "Alright, I'll have someone do it."
The craftsman worked quickly, creating many design drafts based on Jia Xu's height and size. Jia Xu picked one he liked and had it made. Not long after, a cane made of polished rosewood was delivered to Jia Xu.
The pain followed closely after the large movements, as Jia Xu leaned on his crutch and took slow steps in the courtyard, not stopping even when he was sweating profusely from the pain. Jia Xu didn't know how long Guo Jia had been standing at the door, or how much of his distress Guo Jia had witnessed. The sight of Guo Jia, unseen for three months, made him even more detestable. So Jia Xu spoke mockingly, "So, you're not dead after all."
Guo Jia also smiled without showing any weakness, saying, "Thanks to Wenhe." Jia Xu originally thought that his resentment from not seeing him for three months would dissipate, but it turned out to have been deliberately ignored. When the main culprit stood in front of him, the intense hatred almost made him unable to stand. He leaned on his crutch, enduring the pain, and walked to Guo Jia, grabbing his collar and saying, "Guo Fengxiao, what do you mean? Are your vows all nonsense?" Guo Jia had a pair of affectionate eyes and a compassionate face. When not smiling, he seemed to exude a hint of Buddha-like compassion.
Why does he have pity on himself? Jia Xu reached out and grabbed Guo Jia's neck. His cheeks turned red from the pressure of his hand, but Guo Jia remained silent, only looking at him with a hateful face, as if looking at a lover. Thinking of this, Jia Xu felt even more nauseous, his stomach twisting in pain, wanting to vomit something out, but what to vomit?
Jia Xu said, "Guo Jia, Guo Fengxiao, why don't you trust me? Why do you think I would flee in the face of battle? You have never, you have never, you have never acknowledged me!"
Jia Xu screamed, and his injured throat tore again, blood flowing from his thin lips, staining his clothes red.
Guo Jia, being held down, gently wiped the tears from Jia Xu's eyes, tears of blood shed from pain and hatred.
Guo Jia softly said with a breathy voice, "Okay Wenhe, let go."
These gentle words, however, left Jia Xu in disarray. The sweet talk felt like a suffocating shackle, making it hard for him to breathe. Jia Xu repeated the words over and over, but eventually released his grip on Guo Jia's neck.
The pale skin bore the clear marks of his fingers. Jia Xu looked at the imprints he had left and murmured, " Guo Fengxiao, I hate you. I hate you to death."
Guo Jia made a soft sound of agreement, picked up the fallen crutch and handed it to Jia Xu, saying, "You've worked hard. Wenhe hates me."
Each punch felt like hitting cotton, making Jia Xu increasingly nauseous. In the instant Guo Jia turned around, he wished, he wished he could kill him.
Everything is a joke, deceived by Guo Fengxiao's sweet words.
Jia Xu I don't know how long I stood in the same place. When I regained consciousness, I realized that the sky was already filled with fluttering snowflakes. Yingchuan is snowing again, another winter.
The end of the volume.
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