You Miao had a restless sleep in the carriage, feeling uncomfortable everywhere. Wind snuck through every crack in the coach, causing his head to ache, not to mention the bedding was cold and damp. Finally unable to withstand it any longer, he climbed down from the bed and grabbed for a book before settling in front of the stove for warmth, bundled in a heavy blanket.
The wind outside was dying down. You Miao rather missed that guy, Li Zhifeng. Who knew how he was doing now? Just then, he heard the faint sound of hooves approaching. You Miao thought it was officials from Yanbian, but there wasn't any commotion around at all. He was just about to open the coach window when there came a devastated scream.
"Ah—!"
You Miao's heart jumped to his throat, and he figured out what had happened in an instant. The entire caravan was roused now.
"Caravan raiders have come! Watch out, everyone!" yelled Hao Sanqian outside.
Awful screams came one after the other, terrifying You Miao, his legs shaking and his face a ghastly white.
Hao Sanqian yelled again, "Everyone, pull out your weapons! Shaoye, stay in the carriage, don't come out!"
All by himself inside the coach, You Miao's mind was blanking out as his pupils slowly contracted. He had heard of caravan raids before—back in the days when there had been more unrest in the world, there were bandits everywhere who'd mug and kill those who transported goods. But the world was at peace, so how were there still raiders?
His heart pounded as he consoled himself and chanted "it's fine, it's fine" nonstop. If these men had the guts to venture this far out, it meant they had some skills. The merchants of the northwest were much tougher than mere thugs, so they must have been prepared already.
Another dreadful scream sounded outside, closely followed by the panicked whinnying of horses. You Miao immediately held his breath, bowing to crawl under the bed and look for the dagger Li Yan had given him when he left the capital. He gripped it in his hand and stayed hidden under the bed.
The voices of the raiders grew louder and louder as the mayhem outside intensified. You Miao couldn't see a thing, nor did he dare to peek. He could only determine how many people were out there and how the fight was going based on the noise.
"Watch out! They have arrows—!"
The yelling came to an abrupt stop, followed immediately by another scream.
The whistling sound of arrows came, and one broke through the window of the carriage and nailed into the wooden wall. The shaft was still quivering from the force. More screams sounded, but after a moment, silence descended.
The voice of a Barbarian man said something, and then there were footsteps approaching from every direction.
The Barbarian roared in laughter and spoke in a language You Miao could not understand a single word of. As he stayed hidden, he cursed at how absolutely moronic this band was—if they were raiding, why did they choose now of all times? Wouldn't it have been much better if they had mugged their caravan before they entered Yanbian? When the merchants had carried goods from the Central Plains? Mugging them now only meant the Barbarians would be stealing back their own furs and other specialties from beyond the border… And speaking of which, why didn't they choose to raid beforehand? The entire trek from Mount Yangkou all the way to their present location had been a golden opportunity. Why hadn't they raided them earlier?
Something vaguely crossed his mind. Li Zhifeng couldn't have been the one to have led these men here, could he?! No way, impossible… This thought was like a shadow, and it shrouded You Miao whole.
Without warning, the carriages started to shake, and You Miao was jolted again. The Barbarians were yelling, and soon, the entire horse-drawn carriage toppled to the left. The impact of the crash had You Miao see stars. The horses whinnied in terror, and the sound of hooves went off into the distance.
The entire carriage lay overturned on the ground. The coal in the stove fell out and landed on the blankets, setting the interior of the coach alight in the blink of a second. You Miao coughed loudly. Hearing the commotion outside, he knew he couldn't hide anymore, so he covered his head with his outer robe and pushed the window open. The Barbarians shouted randomly around his ears, and as soon as You Miao got out, he was picked up by the scruff and dragged along the heavy snow before he was thrown onto the ground. The snow was quite freezing.
I'm done for, You Miao thought. But even at a time like this, his priority wasn't to yell "I have money, don't kill me!" Instead, he couldn't help sneaking looks up to see if Li Zhifeng was among the group of men.
The Barbarians surrounded him like iron towers, bearing raised torches and ugly, fierce faces. You Miao was panic-stricken at first, but he gradually calmed after he scanned over the crowd. Thank heavens, Li Zhifeng wasn't there.
But then again, snitches didn't necessarily have to show themselves.
The leader of the Barbarians issued an order, and someone approached to bind You Miao securely and firmly, stuffing a tattered rag in his mouth and tossing him into the horse-drawn carriage that carried all the cargo. The Barbarians conversed excitedly with each other as they rode their horses. You Miao couldn't determine from which tribe they hailed. When he looked back, he noticed that the Barbarians hadn't ten carts—he figured a number of merchants must've fled earlier.
That must've been it. This band of savages saw he was vibrantly dressed, so they must be planning to use him as a hostage to demand a ransom from the Tianqi.
Having thought this through, You Miao felt much more relaxed. His greatest fear right now was seeing Li Zhifeng among them. But with things as they were, it was pointless to dwell on the subject. He was the only live capture from the entire convoy. The Barbarians had been careless in their work, and didn't find and take away his dagger. You Miao lightly shook his right foot; he had previously stuffed the dagger in his boot, and it was still there, still heavy.
His arms were twisted behind his back, so it wouldn't be difficult to pull out the dagger and cut the ropes to escape. Yet it was extremely cold, and the plains stretched for as far as the eye could see. Where could he run even if he broke free of his bondage? It might not even take four hours before he froze to death in these icy plains. He wouldn't escape for now; he'd play it by ear. Based on the direction of the wind, You Miao determined that they were heading northwest, going further and further back where they came from… If they crossed the wall, he could probably forget about ever returning in this lifetime.
The dilemma seized him, and he tossed and turned as his thoughts churned, feeling glum. By the time he saw a village in the far distance, the foggy skies had already lightened. The sun was hidden behind a heavy blanket of clouds, and snow powdered the earth.
It was a village that had been reduced to ashes. It was obvious at a glance that this was a temporary spot the Barbarians were occupying after their pillages. Blood still covered the snowy ground, and abandoned bodies lay on the sides of the road.
A Barbarian picked You Miao up and threw him into a still-standing house. You Miao smacked his head against the wooden floorboards, and he writhed in pain as his sight briefly went dark. There was barely any light in this room, the only source being a few reddened pieces of coal inside a copper pot. There was also the sound of coughing.
"Mmm mmf…" You Miao wriggled over, a rag still stuffed in his mouth.
"Who's there?" said the voice of a young man from a corner.
"Mmm—!" You Miao flipped over and lay himself flat.
It was a while before You Miao's eyes adjusted to the low light. When he scanned around, he saw a youthful stranger—about the same age as him.
"Were you captured too?" asked the youth in a low voice.
You Miao nodded slowly in response. The youth turned around, and used the hands bound behind his back to reach for You Miao and pull out the cloth in his mouth.
You Miao let out a long breath.
"Don't talk…" said the youth. "They'll hit us if we make a peep."
And so, the two conversed in whispers.
"What's your name?" You Miao asked.
"Zhao Chao," answered the youth. "What about you? How did they catch you?"
You Miao eyed him. The youth was wearing leather armor and his shirt was in tatters.
"I'm You Miao," he replied. "I was following the caravan going southward to Jiangbei, but we were raided on the way."
"I snuck out to hunt with a servant. I hadn't expected to run into these people, goddammit," Zhao Chao griped.
"What tribe are they?" You Miao asked.
Zhao Chao lowered his voice. "A branch of the Tartar, I'm guessing…"
Something struck him, and You Miao asked, "Do they have any connection to the Quanrong?"
Zhao Chao seemed a little surprised by his question. "No, why would you ask that? The Quanrong are from the northeast, and the Tartar are from the northwest. They don't even speak the same language."
You Miao nodded, feeling the rock-heavy burden finally lift from his mind. "I'll think of a way to save you."
"Don't do anything rash," Zhao Chao said immediately. "This place is way too far from Yanbian, and they have dogs. We won't get far before they catch up."
You Miao acknowledged with a "mn," and sat up arduously, joining Zhao Chao leaning against the wall. You Miao kept eyeing him. While this youth was wearing the leather armor of a soldier, he didn't carry himself like one at all. His guard was stained with a lot of blood, and there seemed to be a sharp blade hidden in his eyes that was ready to devour. The coarse cloth shirt beneath the armor had been torn to tatters and barely covered his body.
"Can I ask you something?"
Zhao Chao emitted an oppressive, commanding air about him in between his words. Even when they were conversing in whispers, his tone allowed no room for dispute, forcing You Miao to pay attention.
"Which merchant caravan did you come with?" Zhao Chao's face brightened as he asked in a low voice, "Was it the You Family's Year-End Caravan?"
"Yeah," You Miao said with an enthusiastic nod.
"You Deyou's family, the clerk from the Ministry of Revenue?!" Zhao Chao said, his brows slightly wrinkled.
"You know him?" You Miao was shocked. "He's my uncle."
Nodding slowly in acknowledgement, Zhao Chao studied You Miao's face under the faint firelight. "You're from Jiangbei, right? You're You Miao, aren't you? So it really is you…"
You Miao was utterly stunned. "Yes, yes, yes! I'm You Miao! You know me?"
Zhao Chao fell silent. He simply gazed at You Miao, then flashed a small smile and nodded.
You Miao had never expected to bump into someone who knew of his family in a place like this. Maybe things won't turn out as bad as they could, he thought to himself.
"Once the capital receives word, they will definitely send someone to come save you, so just be patient. But remember—don't act rashly," Zhao Chao added. "We must protect our own lives here."
You Miao kept nodding, knowing that the young man before him must have come from an impressive background. "What about you?" he asked in a whisper.
"You don't know me," Zhao Chao replied. "My father is a small-time official. I came out hunting with friends, and I hadn't expected to get captured. There's no point in talking about it."
"I've a dagger in my boot," You Miao mentioned instead. "Let's cut the ropes first?"
"Not right now," Zhao Chao said. "We have to wait for an opportune moment. Don't worry, we can escape for sure."
After being so highly strung for half the night, You Miao was finally able to relax. He snuggled and shrank ino Zhao Chao's side, resting his head on his shoulder before dozing off. Zhao Chao was somewhat taller than You Miao, and he somehow gave off a sense of security even though he wasn't that physically strong and had the poise of a young master raised in prestige. It was as though the simple act of leaning on him made this gloomy and damp little wooden house feel safe.
You Miao was soon roused by the sound of voices outside coming close. When he raised his head, he found Zhao Chao had his head bowed and was gazing at him.
"What's wrong?" You Miao panicked a little, his brows still furrowed. "Do we get to eat?"
You Miao couldn't wipe his face since his hands and feet were bound, so he pressed his head into the crook of Zhao Chao's neck and rubbed against the collar of his shirt.
"You're rather good looking," Zhao Chao whispered. "Who do you take after, your mom or your dad?"
"My mom."
You Miao flashed a toothy grin, his lips flushed and full. Li Yan and others back at the capital were all sumptuously dressed, sprightly in their youth, high-spirited and perched on their equally high horses, but even with this as comparison almost everyone he met told him he was handsome. Except for his dad—his dad always dismissed him as an embroidered pillow with nothing but straw on the inside; good in looks only.
When the door opened, it seemed the sky had cleared outside. Light poured in, forcing You Miao and Zhao Chao to squint. A towering Barbarian walked in and tossed a flatbread and a few snowballs onto the ground. Just as You Miao was wondering how that could be eaten, the man approached him and picked him up by the collar. You Miao screamed.
"Leave him alone!" Zhao Chao barked.
A string of words came out of the Barbarian man's mouth, but You Miao understood none of it. What he saw next, though, was Zhao Chao forcing himself off the ground and ramming his head into the Barbarian biting down hard on his wrist. The Barbarian abandoned You Miao and threw him aside, instead grabbing Zhao Chao by the hair and slamming his head into the wall!
After a few loud thuds, You Miao yelled with a broken voice, "Let him go! Zhao Chao! Zhao Chao—!"
"Qui…quiet." Zhao Chao grunted as he was continually slammed against the wall. Completely enraged, the Barbarian then started to drag him toward the door.
"Zhao Chao! Zhao Chao!" You Miao shouted after them in tears.
The door was slammed shut with a bang, and soon after, the crisp sound of horse whip lashing rang from beyond it. It dawned on You Miao that Zhao Chao had given himself up for beating in order to save him, a stranger! Face streaming with tears, You Miao fell to his knees.
"Zhao Chao… Zhao Chao…" he sobbed.
You Miao dropped his head to the ground, sobbing and crying. Outside, Zhao Chao groaned in pain from the lashing while the Barbarians roared with boisterous laughter.
You Miao didn't know how long it had been before the door was opened once more and Zhao Chao fell in, his head covered in blood. He lay there, unmoving as a dead dog.
"Zhao Chao!" You Miao blurted.
Zhao Chao rolled and rolled, rolling strenuously until he made it to the wall before he replied, sounding half-dead, "I'm fine… Don't be scared."
Zhao Chao's face was covered with chunks of snow, his left eye was badly swollen, and there was a trace of blood at the corner of his lips. He leaned into You Miao's embrace as You Miao held him. You Miao's body was wracked with sobs. Zhao Chao buried his head in You Miao's arms, and after a few harsh gasps, he gradually quieted down.
"Go eat…" Zhao Chao whispered.
You Miao stopped crying and went over to where the flatbread was, then dangled it into his mouth. He repeated this for the snowballs.
"Give me some water…" Zhao Chao said.
You Miao chewed on the snowball, then lowered his head when it was melted and fed it into Zhao Chao's mouth. After Zhao Chao gulped it down, You Miao turned to bite some flatbread, chewed it thoroughly, and fed it to Zhao Chao also.
You Miao's cheeks reddened. It wasn't that he had never kissed another man before, but for some reason feeding Zhao Chao was making his heart race right now. It felt as if they were promising each other their lives in this darkened room.
"Why did you save me?" You Miao asked.
"You're handsome," Zhao Chao replied dismissively. "I can't bear to let you be hurt, it's a matter of cherishing beauty. What's wrong with that?"
You Miao didn't know whether to laugh or cry at that. "I'll repay you for this."
"Kiss me again, and I'll take that as repayment," Zhao Chao said.
You Miao lowered his head to the ground to take another bite of the flatbread. As he chewed, he thought to himself that if he had befriended this guy back at the capital, then the two of them would've surely clung to each other all day, every day. What Li Yan, what Ping-Er? No one had treated him as well as Zhao Chao had. Most affecting be a young man's gentle attentiveness, and after experiencing that with Li Zhifeng, You Miao couldn't help but feel his heart aflutter.
When You Miao fed Zhao Chao again, Zhao Chao's tongue came nudging forward, feeding him something back. When You Miao bit into the object, he could only tell that it was quite a solid thing. He held it in his mouth, and he tasted a faint flavor of blood when he licked at it. It felt like an unconventional pearl.
You Miao made a noise of confusion.
"A gift from gege, ha ha ha," said Zhao Chao.
"What is it?" You Miao asked, his words unclear. He spat out the thing, letting it land on the front of his lapels. In the wan light, he saw that it was a broken molar tooth. He immediately understood—it had been knocked out when Zhao Chao was lashed earlier.
"Just chuck it," said Zhao Chao casually.
The rims of You Miao's eyes grew a little red. He picked it up again with his own teeth, turned his body to pull open his collar, then dropped the tooth in his inner pocket.
It was in this position that the two young men cuddled together in the corner of this dark house.
As the temperature inside the room dropped lower and lower, Zhao Chao started to sing, his voice raspy, as he leaned half of himself in You Miao's arms.
"The world be vast… My heart be conflicted. This life be long, yet I have no more to ask of it… I sought, only to fail, yet I cannot bear to abandon…[1]"
You Miao had heard this song before. In an instant, his mind was pulled to faraway Jiangbei.
"Those who know me understand my anguish…" You Miao sang. "Those who know me not, wonder what I seek…"
"You know that song too?" asked a tired Zhao Chao.
You Miao's mind was far away as he replied, "My mom taught me when I was young."
There was a hole in the ceiling above their heads. A full moon, bright against the night sky, cast its glow down through this gap.
"Is your mom in Jiangbei or the capital?" Zhao Chao asked.
"She's gone already. Buried in Jiangbei," answered You Miao.
"I was also taught that song by my mom," Zhao Chao said.
"Where is she?" You Miao asked.
"Also gone. Buried in Liang Prefecture," answered Zhao Chao.
"Your dad's gonna send someone to save you, right?" You Miao asked.
Zhao Chao smiled wryly. "I'm a concubine's son."
You Miao nodded in understanding. "What's your dad's position in the government?"
"An insignificant one," Zhao Chao replied. "No one cares about me at home; don't ask about it anymore. Being dependent on your dad, your mom, your ancestors—that isn't what being a man is about."
"Once we're out of here, just hang out with me," You Miao said merrily. "Rest assured, this young master has more than enough money for you to spend."
Zhao Chao started to laugh. "Sure. It's a done deal."
You Miao genuinely wanted to repay Zhao Chao for taking the lashings in his stead, if nothing else. "Let me sing a song for you.
"Trees grow on mountains, branches grow on trees, but you don't know that you grow deep in my heart.[2]"
You Miao's voice was clean and sonorous, and it made Zhao Chao's lips lift upward.
"Song of the Yue? Is your mom a Yue woman?" he asked.
You Miao nodded, and the two quietly fell asleep as they huddled together in one spot. It was in this half-asleep state that Zhao Chao whispered next to his ear.
"Once your family ransoms you and you're back at the capital, help gege look for someone. A man called Deng Lin in the Minister of Rites' household…"
You Miao knew that man. He usually got along with Li Yan and Ping-Er, and the households of the Ministers and Vice Ministers of Revenue and Justice, but that was because the fathers or uncles of those people were government officials in the imperial court as well as members of the Crown Prince's faction. However, the Minister of Rites and the Minister of the Supreme Court weren't in the same camp, so he hadn't really socialized with them.
"Don't overthink it," You Miao said. "If we can get out of here together, I'll spend as much money as it takes."
"It'd be best if we could get out of here together, but if not, then just follow my instructions and pass the message on to the Dengs, that's fine too. Let's see how our luck works out," Zhao Chao said.
You Miao answered him with an "mn,' and fell asleep leaning on Zhao Chao. It wasn't the most comfortable slumber, as his bound hands and feet were going numb. You Miao didn't know how much time had passed when Zhao Chao suddenly called to him.
"Wake up, You Miao," Zhao Chao urged. "Do you hear that?"
"What?" Still bleary-eyed, the half-asleep You Miao raised his head.
Zhao Chao's lips were practically pressed against his as he said in a low voice, "There's movement outside."
There was a dreadful scream from a Barbarian from somewhere far in the distance, and angry shouting—all in a tongue they couldn't understand whatsoever. But You Miao understood the situation immediately.
"Someone's come to rescue us?" he asked.
Zhao Chao started, "Didn't you hide a…"
Before he even said anything, however, You Miao kicked out and a dagger dropped from within his boot. Holding the dagger with the hands twisted behind his back, he turned and cut the ropes tying him. It was an exceedingly sharp dagger that could cut iron as if it was common mud, so it took but one slash to break the bindings.
"Nice blade!" Zhao Chao praised. "Where'd you get it?"
Nervous, You Miao turned to cut Zhao Chao's bind and whispered back, "Li Yan gave it to me."
"Chancellor Li's treasure," taunted Zhao Chao playfully. "It could've been granted by the emperor, who knows. Tell me honestly now, buster—you're doing pretty well for yourself in the capital, aren't you? Does Li Yan have eyes for you? So much that he'd even steal his old man's toy for you?"
You Miao flushed and raised his fist, poised to punch, but Zhao Chao quickly stopped him with his newly-freed hands and took the dagger to cut the ropes around his feet.
You Miao started, "Keep that dagger on you—"
"Keep it for your own self-defense," Zhao Chao said, cutting him off. He shoved the dagger back in You Miao's hand, then caught the other hand and led him to the window. However, when Zhao Chao spotted someone running toward the little house in large strides, he quickly exclaimed, "Go back, now!"
The two retreated to the corner of the wall to hide, and Zhao Chao draped the ropes loosely over their bodies—You Miao took the hint and pretended he was still tied up. Just as they lay back on the ground, the door opened amidst a heated argument. A burly Barbarian with a big beard entered and closed the door behind him, standing guard to watch the little house.
The man said something to them. You Miao didn't understand, so he looked at Zhao Chao who also shook his head in return.
The guard peered outside the window as he hid, and loud screams continued to sound from outside. With every scream, You Miao's elation went up a notch, his heart beating like a drum inside his chest. He signaled Zhao Chao with his eyes, but Zhao Chao only shook his head, indicating for him to not act rashly.
There were a few points at which that guard wanted to rush out to help, but every time he hesitated at the door at the last second. It was making You Miao anxious watching him, and he wanted nothing more than to go up and stab the man to death with his dagger. Moments later, something was shouted outside, to which the guard answered and pulled a saber from around his waist as he turned.
"Now!" roared Zhao Chao.
You Miao realized that this guard was probably going to kill the two of them or take them outside as hostages, so when else should they act if not now? With the dagger in hand, You Miao charged forward. The guard had only just raised a leg when Zhao Chao lunged at him from the side with a furious shout.
The guard was taken aback when he saw the two had somehow broken free of their bondage, and You Miao seized this very moment to launch his attack and ram the dagger right into his chest.
The guard let out a roar. The dagger had penetrated the Barbarian's chest, but it didn't pierce his heart. Blood spurted like mad from where it had gotten stuck between his ribs and sprayed all over You Miao as he was smacked away by the Barbarian's backhand. Convulsing in pain, his head rang after being struck by a palm the size of an alms bowl.
"Die!" Zhao Chao shouted again in rage and leapt to tackle the guard from behind.
But the guard was like a crazed tiger now. He spun around to grab Zhao Chao by the neck and knocked him to the ground. Zhao Chao sputtered upon impact. The guard had a chokehold on him and the large hand only squeezed ever harder, even as Zhao Chao kicked out furiously with all his might.
You Miao scrambled to his feet. From where he stood behind the guard, he saw Zhao Chao's reddening neck, and saw him mouth something to him.
"Run…!"
The guard threw Zhao Chao over his shoulder brutally. Zhao Chao crashed into a corner. He hadn't eaten much for days, so he lacked the energy to even get to his feet. With a chest drenched in blood, the guard brandished his long saber and lunged at Zhao Chao.
"Ahh—!" You Miao yelled furiously as he charged with abandon.
Just as Zhao Chao was about to be cleaved in half by the Barbarian blade, You Miao clung to the Barbarian, and the Barbarian was instantly pulled to the ground. He flipped around and kicked You Miao right in the neck. You Miao heaved loudly, but still he held onto that leg in a death grip. Zhao Chao convulsed in pain in the corner, and as he arduously got up, one of his hands groped around randomly.
The Barbarian's second kick landed on You Miao's face, causing his vision to go dark. The third kick landed on his chest. At this point, You Miao only had one thought on his mind—I'm going to die, but even then, I won't let go.
You Miao was hanging on with his last remaining breath, but just then, Zhao Chao's hand found a rock. He lunged forward and smashed it into the Barbarian's face repeatedly, maniacally, without even looking. The Barbarian struggled to get up, but Zhao Chao had pinned the hand holding the saber.
The Barbarian convulsed as Zhao Chao struck violently, again and again. Then, Zhao Chao grabbed the hilt of the dagger still protruding from his chest and brutally twisted it. Now at death's door, the Barbarian let out a crazed yell, his legs kicking so hard and so furiously that You Miao almost perished.
The rock was raised then brought down; raised then brought down. Until, at last, the Barbarian stopped moving.
Zhao Chao continued his assault without pause, repeating the motion over a dozen times, but through it all, the Barbarian never moved again. His eyes had popped out of their sockets and were now drooping down his face, dragging with them a mush of brain matter. The pink mixed with red as blood slowly began to pool.
You Miao lay sprawled on the ground, his head ringing and nausea shaking him.
Zhao Chao held him up and anxiously yelled in his ears, patting his face. You Miao opened his eyes with difficulty. The faraway sounds seemed to gradually return, the voices alternatingly near and far, drifting in and out.
"I haven't eaten," Zhao Chao said. "I didn't have the energy…"
"Is he dead…?" You Miao asked.
"As dead as he can be…" Zhao Chao replied.
Both of them were soaked in blood. Zhao Chao pulled out the dagger from the Barbarian's body and said, "Let's get out of here…"
"I'm done…" You Miao said. "You hurry and get out of here…"
"You can't die here!" Zhao Chao's voice roared in his ears.
Some strength returned to You Miao, and with Zhao Chao's help, he got to his feet and the two stumbled as they pushed open the door, subsequently crashing into the snow.
There was not a single soul outside. In the distance by the campfire lay several Barbarian corpses. The world was quiet and at peace. Zhao Chao swallowed a few bites of snow before he pushed up again, and half-holding You Miao, the two dizzy-headed youths ran without any sense of direction to get out of the village. They fell a few times during their escape, but they promptly got back to their feet. Zhao Chao's arm was wound around You Miao's waist the entire time, just below the ribs, pulling him along as they ran for their lives.
"Where is everybody?" You Miao wondered.
"Don't know…" Zhao Chao replied. "Maybe the government officers got to them… We gotta go find a horse…"
The two fled to the village entrance. From beyond it there came an angry shout, followed immediately by an arrow. Zhao Chao tackled You Miao to the ground, protecting him beneath his own body as two Barbarians yelled from behind them and ran over with their long sabers raised.
"Don't look…" Zhao Chao said.
Lying face down in the snow, You Miao felt nothing but cold on his front—but on his back, he could feel Zhao Chao's heartbeat.
"Are we going to die…?" You Miao asked weakly.
Zhao Chao didn't answer.
Yet in the distance, all voices came to an abrupt stop. Another arrow flew from the side and pierced the Barbarian closest to them through the chest, bringing with it a splash of blood as it penetrated the neck of the other pursuer behind. Two pursuing troopers, one in the front and one in the back, screamed at the same time as they fell to the snowy ground. Zhao Chao panted heavily and tried to pull You Miao to his feet.
A man leapt over the snow mound at the village entrance, letting arrow after arrow fly, shooting down another two pursuers who came close.
"Don't worry, it's our rescuer!" Zhao Chao exclaimed.
You Miao scrambled upright; his eyes were so swollen that he could barely open them. Zhao Chao was taller than You Miao by half a head, and he stood in front of him protectively. You Miao peeked over his shoulders and saw a towering figure.
The man wore a gray wolf pelt coat, an iron battle-skirt lined with fragmented scales, and scaled leather battle boots. He pulled an arrow from the quiver on his back, nocked it onto the bow, and loosed the string. The shot was in one smooth motion, fast as lightning, felling the Barbarians that were rushing toward them.
"Go!" shouted the man.
"Li Zhifeng?!" You Miao cried.
Li Zhifeng turned and glanced at him. Shooting as he retreated, he shielded the other two as they went around the snow mound. You Miao recognized him, albeit arduously, through the cracks of his obstructed vision. He moved his lips, yet no sound came out.
Another man's voice came from the distance. "We'll cut our way through there!"
"They've already escaped!" Li Zhifeng shouted.
"Let's go right now!"
"Their main force will find us real soon!"
"Everyone, on your horses!"
"Zhao-gongzi!"
Zhao Chao snapped out of it and cried, "Lin Fei!"
A military man came dashing forward and bent one knee to the ground, speaking rapidly, "I am the Captain of Yanbian, Lin Fei—"
"Now's not the time!" Zhao Chao cut him off immediately. "Let's go!"
Li Zhifeng shot down the last two enemies as the warhorses whinnied in the background, then he spun around and helped You Miao up onto a horse before leaping and hopping on himself as well, slipping right behind You Miao.
He squeezed the sides of the horse with his legs. "Hyah—!"
Dozens of warhorses broke into a brisk run. The world was swirling around You Miao—he'd never imagined the one who'd rescue him would be Li Zhifeng! He reached out and hugged Li Zhifeng around the neck as frigid winds blew sharply around them. Li Zhifeng pulled open his wolf pelt coat and pressed You Miao hard into his embrace. Amid the bumping of the ride, he lowered his head and gently brushed his lips against You Miao's forehead.
Zhao Chao shouted in the distance, "The enemy is catching up! What's your name?"
Lin Fei answered instead. "He's a Quanrong! You-gongzi's servant! He was the one who informed us and told us to give chase outside the city!"
"There's too many of them!" someone shouted.
The group yelled their exchange as they rode on their madly dashing warhorses, but Li Zhifeng didn't speak a word.
"Why did you come back?" asked an exhausted You Miao.
The wind howled and the snow fell with furious abandon, but the snowflakes were gentle when they drifted onto their bodies. Li Zhifeng answered him in a low voice.
"I missed you."
[1] These lines are a mash-up and reword of verses from the poem "Caiwei" from the Book of Songs, the oldest compilation of poetry in China. The rewritten lines are originally from the 2012 movie Painted Face 2.
[2] Lyrics from Song of the Yue, a compilation of Yue folksongs spanning from the Spring and Autumn Period to the Warring States era (770BC to 221BC). The songs depict cross-class affections between peasants and the aristocracy. The Kingdom of Yue is in the Southeast, the region of modern-day Guangdong (Canton).