Chapter 1332 - 1008: Why Should I Save Xiazhou?

Upon hearing her voice, a complex emotion flashed through Ashina Zhuxie’s eyes, yet he still waved his hand dismissively, ordering the soldiers pressing forward behind him to retreat, and then turned to the others and said, "Set up camp here."

The soldiers immediately began to set up the camp.

Only then did Ashina Zhuxie turn back to look at Lei Yu, and with a serious expression, he said, "Rest assured, I will not go against your wishes."

"..."

"Unless—someone seeks their own death."

Lei Yu’s face was sullen, but she didn’t say much more, and Ashina Zhuxie lightly pressed her shoulder and said, "I know you’ve reunited with her after a long time and must have a lot to say. Stay here for a while and talk. Come back later."

With that said, he turned and walked toward the camp area his soldiers had marked out.

Leaving with him was the silent Wang Shaoqiu. Though he hadn’t spoken, once he entered this bright area, his gaze was intensely fixed on one person. Even after he left, the burning sensation lingered on Lu Xiao. Although she couldn’t see his eyes clearly and had never understood this man, her dislike for Wang Shaoji naturally extended to his brother. And this man was no good either, so she glared fiercely at Wang Shaoqiu’s back, tossed the reins of the horse she’d just ridden to a guard nearby, and sat by another bonfire.

At this time, Shang Ruyi and Lei Yu finally looked at each other, their eyes flickering as if there were a thousand words unspoken. They stared at each other for a moment but couldn’t utter a single word.

Finally, Shang Ruyi chuckled softly.

She decisively took Lei Yu’s hand and led her to sit beside a bonfire, then said, "I don’t even know what to say to you."

At last, Lei Yu seemed to calm down. She looked around the area lit by the bonfire, noting the closely placed tents that Shang Ruyi’s men had set up early on, and a few soldiers patrolling around the camp with torches, vigilant for any wolves approaching. Meanwhile, next to this camp, the people brought by Ashina Zhuxie had quickly marked out an area and began setting up tents. Though the two camps were close, the hostility between them was palpable.

She withdrew her gaze, looking at Shang Ruyi with a complex expression, "Why did you come here?"

Shang Ruyi paused her hand, about to throw a branch into the fire, and then looked at Lei Yu, "What about you?"

Lei Yu frowned, "Aren’t you here for Xiazhou?"

Facing her straightforwardness and deep gaze, Shang Ruyi was silent for a bit longer, then said, "Of course."

"Then you—"

"What about you?"

Before Lei Yu could respond, Shang Ruyi interrupted her, picking up a slightly longer branch and breaking it into two, the "snap" sound resonating softly in the silent night. Her gentle voice followed, "Don’t you want to save Xiazhou?"

Lei Yu showed a peculiar expression, and after a moment of silence, she said, "Why should I save Xiazhou?"

"..."

"It’s the territory of the Eastern Turks."

Shang Ruyi looked at her for a while and said, "That’s also true."

After these words, the atmosphere between them suddenly became somewhat heavy.

Though these two had once depended on each other, even shared life and death, some time apart couldn’t easily sever that bond. A reunion after a long absence typically brings them closer; however, if neither is willing to close the distance, the gap created by time apart becomes a real barrier, palpable to both, making the heavy atmosphere gradually stifling.

Meanwhile, seeing his soldiers had set up several tents, Ashina Zhuxie stood up and walked toward the other side of the camp.

The sky was as dark as ink, and the galaxy was brilliantly scattered.

He looked up at the dark sky above, the countless stars glinting faintly like dewdrops on the grassland, before lowering his gaze ahead after a long while.

Apart from the campfires behind him, thick darkness enveloped everything, rendering visibility to zero. He could only rely on his hawk-like sharp vision to see the enormous dark shadow before him, seeming tall enough to blot out the sky. It should be the Skytop Mountain reported earlier.

Also, it was Shang Ruyi’s destination for this trip.

As he strained to discern the contour of the mountain from the darkness, footsteps sounded behind him. Turning back, he saw Wang Shaoqiu coming his way, his head down, seemingly walking aimlessly, taking two steps and then glancing back.

"What are you looking at?"

"Hmm?"

Suddenly hearing a voice from the front, Wang Shaoqiu was startled. Upon looking up and finding Ashina Zhuxie before him, he managed to catch a breath, yet his expression remained very cautious. "So the Khan is here."

Ashina Zhuxie stared at his face and said, "The special envoy seems to have something on his mind."

As he spoke, without waiting for Wang Shaoqiu to respond, his gaze drifted past his shoulder to the distant bonfire, where a delicate and dazzling figure sat. Wang Shaoqiu also instinctively turned to look, his eyes clouded even more.

Suddenly, Ashina Zhuxie asked, "Do you hate her?"

"..."

Wang Shaoqiu was silent for a moment, then said, "Of course."

Ashina Zhuxie continued, "Then, do you want to kill her?"

Wang Shaoqiu paused in silence again, and said, "Of course."

After speaking, he cautiously eyed Ashina Zhuxie, "Why is the Khan asking this?"

Ashina Zhuxie walked slowly to his side and said, "I was just thinking, because of that woman’s betrayal, you lost Taiyuan. I almost lost everything in Shouyang, and now that she’s right in front of us, nobody will easily spare her."

Wang Shaoqiu replied, "But now, she’s beside Shang Ruyi."

"..."

"If Shang Ruyi truly has a clue about the Left General’s Tomb, we can’t completely fall out with them right now."

Ashina Zhuxie looked at him for a while, nodded, and said, "You make a good point."

"..."

"Then I’ll spare her for now."

With that, he started walking back, and as he passed by Wang Shaoqiu, he patted his shoulder meaningfully, "I also hope the special envoy will stay clear-headed."

Wang Shaoqiu frowned, but before he could say anything, Ashina Zhuxie had already walked away.