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As I rode forth with unrelenting anguish, my mind meandered through a myriad of ominous scenarios, each one more perturbing than the last. Yet, despite the turmoil that beset my thoughts, I remained resolute in my determination to locate Shifu, my venerable mentor. The gentle breeze caressed my face, its soft whispers weaving an eerie melody that harmonized with the tumultuous tempests of my mind. My hair, like a wild tangle of silk, danced in the wind's rhythmic cadence, its dark strands swaying with an otherworldly elegance.

With a sense of desperation, I grasped the horse reins, my fingers tightening around the worn leather as I urged my steed onward. The horse, sensing my urgency, responded with a surge of speed, its hooves pounding the arid earth in a frenzied rhythm. The sandy wind, a maddening vortex of dust and debris, swirled around us, its stinging particles biting at my skin like a thousand tiny needles. Yet, I pressed on, undaunted by the hostile environment, my eyes fixed on the horizon as I scanned the desolate expanse for any sign of Shifu.

The desert landscape, a vast and unforgiving sea of sand and rock, stretched out before us like an eternal canvas of gold and crimson. The sun, a burning ember in the sky, cast its fiery gaze upon the earth, imbuing the atmosphere with a sense of foreboding and menace.

The air, heavy with the scent of sand and creosote, vibrated with an almost palpable sense of tension, as if the very land itself was alive and watching our every move. And yet, despite the ominous portents, I felt an strange sense of exhilaration, a thrill of anticipation that coursed through my veins like liquid fire. For I knew that I was on a quest, a journey into the very heart of the unknown, and that the outcome would be far from certain.

An unearthly silence descended upon the atmosphere, efficaciously dispelling the earlier trepidation that had beset the eyes of the onlookers. As Xiao Zhan and Xiao Fan emerged from behind the sand dune, their countenances etched with exhaustion, a palpable sense of relief permeated the air.

Su Ruo's eyes locked onto Xiao Zhan's, and a flicker of recognition ignited a warm smile on her face. "Su Ruo!" Xiao Fan, despite his visibly deteriorating condition, summoned the last vestiges of his strength to stand upright, his eyes shining with unbridled joy as he hastened towards her.

Su Ruo remained stationary, her visage a picture of serenity, as a profound sense of deliverance washed over her. The Qing citizens stood by, transfixed by the poignant reunion unfolding before them, while Ling Long looked on, still bewildered by the sudden appearance of these strangers in the desolate expanse. Xiao Fan rushed towards Su Ruo, enveloping her in a warm embrace, his eyes brimming with unshed tears of happiness. As they stood there, entwined in a tender embrace, it was clear that all was not lost.

Xiao Zhan's countenance softened into a warm smile as he drew a deep, restorative breath. Despite the unspeakable tragedy that had ravaged his life, leaving him bereft of family and community, he was not alone in this perilous journey. The presence of his companions was a beacon of hope, a reassuring reminder that he had their unwavering support to rely upon.

Su Ruo's hands had begun to rise, as if to reciprocate Xiao Zhan's gesture, but she abruptly checked herself, her fists clenching into tight balls. Her face, once again, assumed its customary resolute expression. With a grateful nod, she pulled back, her eyes locking onto Xiao Zhan's.

Xiao Fan's eyes, however, betrayed a fleeting glimmer of disappointment, which he swiftly masked with a stoic indifference. He took a step back, allowing Xiao Zhan to move in and offer his support, helping him to stand upright.

"They're from Qing—," Xiao Fan began, his voice weak but determined.

"Qing?" Su Ruo's voice was laced with incredulity. "Aren't they all...?" She trailed off, shaking her head in dismay.

Xiao Fan still appeared disoriented and frail, his body weakened by the arduous journey. The group's precarious situation was not lost on Su Ruo; they were exposed and vulnerable, susceptible to bandit attacks or detection by Duke Wei's men.

Ling Long approached them, her movements deliberate and cautious, as she extended her bow and gestured to the two children, who clung to her, their eyes wide with fear and uncertainty.

"Due to the harsh weather, most of them have lost their voices," Su Ruo explained, her brow furrowed with concern. "I stumbled upon them while escaping, and they were being monitored by some guards. We must depart from here immediately."

Xiao Zhan's gaze lingered on the children, his mind racing with thoughts of how to alleviate their suffering. His eyes narrowed, deep in contemplation, as he pondered the best course of treatment.

Meanwhile, Xiao Fan snatched fleeting glances at Su Ruo from afar, his expression a mask of quiet longing. Ling Long nodded resolutely, her eyes fixed on the horizon. "The physicians in Rouran may be able to provide them with the necessary care. Xiao Fan also requires medical attention."

Su Ruo nodded in gratitude, her eyes locking onto Xiao Zhan's, a silent understanding passing between them. Just then, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the air, growing louder with each passing moment. The children's faces flushed with anxiety, their eyes wide with fear.

As the footsteps drew closer, they hastened to conceal themselves, seeking refuge behind Ling Long. Xiao Fan swiftly pulled Su Ruo back, his voice low and urgent. "Hurry, hide!"

Su Ruo sprinted alongside Xiao Fan towards the sand dune, while the others scattered in similar directions, their footsteps swift and silent as the wind. The horses galloped towards the opposite end of the road, their flags held aloft in the air.

As Su Ruo caught a glimpse of the tattoos on the approaching men, her eyes widened in terror. "Duke Wei! We must rush into the city!" Xiao Fan nodded, his eyes racing to piece together the fragments of information.

"Zhao Yun was right," he muttered. "Rouran is in peril."

Su Ruo swiftly retrieved a flare from beneath her hanfu, dug a shallow hole in the ground, and buried a portion of it. She attached the string to the other side of the dune, her hands moving with practiced precision.

"The sects will send reinforcements when they see the flare," she explained. "But releasing it now will alert the enemy. It will ignite in twenty minutes."

With a nod, they rushed out, waving to the others. Regaining their footing, they sprinted towards the trail left by the horses, following the path as it wound through the desert landscape. With Xiao Zhan's assistance, Xiao Fan kept pace with them, his breathing labored but determined.

They sprinted for what felt like an eternity, their footsteps pounding the dry earth until they finally reached the gate, where they collapsed against the stone walls, gasping for breath. But their respite was short-lived, as their minds recoiled at the gruesome scene before them.

The gate, once a formidable bastion of security, now hung wide open, a gaping maw that seemed to mock their desperate bid for safety. But it was not just the breached gate that filled them with dread – the ground was littered with the lifeless bodies of soldiers, their hanfu stained a deep crimson, their blood pooling in sickening rivulets that seemed to spread as far as the eye could see.

Su Ruo's gasp was audible as she recoiled in despair, her eyes scanning the carnage before them. They were too late. The trade routes of Rouran, once a thriving hub of commerce and activity, now lay in ruins, besmirched by the blood of the fallen.

As they ventured further, Su Ruo's eyelids fluttered closed, as if to shield herself from the gruesome spectacle. Her face contorted in anguish, her blood seething with a potent mix of grief and rage. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes, but she fought to contain them.

Xiao Fan's instincts urged him to offer comfort, to envelop her in a reassuring embrace. But he hesitated, sensing that his actions might be misinterpreted. Instead, he opted to walk beside her, his presence a silent, steadfast testament to his support. With each step, he remained steadfast, a constant companion in her time of sorrow.

The walkway to the city and the city gates were transformed into a grotesque canvas of carnage, as if the very streets themselves were bleeding. The lifeless bodies of citizens, soldiers, children, wives, and mothers littered the ground, their limbs twisted in unnatural poses. Flames engulfed the houses, consuming everything in their path, as the acrid smoke billowed upwards, choking the air and making it hard to breathe.

Su Ruo's eyes widened in horror as she took in the macabre scene. The faces, once full of life and laughter, were now disfigured beyond recognition. Some bodies were mutilated, limbs severed, and left to rot in the open. The sheer brutality of the scene was suffocating.

As she gazed upon the carnage, a familiar sense of dread crept over Su Ruo. Memories of a past trauma came flooding back, threatening to consume her. She recalled the blood-soaked battles she had fought alongside her comrades, the desperate bid to stave off the invading sects. The memories of her companions' lifeless bodies, their blood splattered across her face, came rushing back, and her heart felt like it was being torn asunder once more.

Su Ruo's scream echoed through the air as a sword pierced her chest, its blade slicing through her armor. She raised her own sword, striking down the attacker from behind. As she slowly withdrew the sword, blood spurted from her mouth, staining her lips crimson.

The faces of her comrades, their bloodied features etched in her mind, seemed to blur together as she fought on. Their lifeless bodies, their blood-soaked armor, and their vacant eyes haunted her every step.

Her eyes blazed with a fierce determination as her juniors rallied around her, attempting to shield her from the onslaught. "Run!" she screamed, her voice hoarse from the effort.

But it was too late. The attackers closed in, their spears striking her juniors with deadly precision. Blood gushed from their wounds, their screams echoing through the air as they stumbled backwards. Despite their mortal injuries, they summoned their last vestiges of strength, pushing back against the attackers with a valiant defiance.

"No!" Su Ruo's anguished scream pierced the air as the surroundings descended into a blood-soaked chaos. Swords dripped with crimson, their deadly strikes echoing through the carnage. Her juniors, once noble warriors, now transformed into monstrous creatures, their eyes blazing with an otherworldly red glow. Their nails scraped against the ground, menacing and deadly.

As Su Ruo gazed upon the horror unfolding before her, she felt a searing pain in her heart. Her eyes dropped to her hands, and she swallowed hard, her mind reeling from the fresh memories. Stepping back, she clutched her bleeding shoulder, her thoughts snapping back to reality.

With a newfound sense of urgency, Su Ruo rushed forward, scanning the sea of lifeless bodies as if searching for someone. Her eyes frantically swept the carnage, her heart pounding with a mix of fear and desperation.

Xiao Zhan and Xiao Fan stood frozen, perplexed and disturbed by Su Ruo's frantic actions. Ling Long shielded the children's eyes, holding them close as she covered their faces with her hand, protecting them from the gruesome scene.

Xiao Fan rushed to Su Ruo's side, attempting to pull her away from a mutilated body. "Yuchen? Yuchen? Jing Yi!" she screamed, her voice laced with anguish. Tears streamed down her cheeks as memories of a long-forgotten tragedy resurfaced, haunting her.

"Let go of me! Yuchen?! Where are you?" Su Ruo struggled against Xiao Fan's grasp, her eyes wild with desperation.

"Su Ruo! Look at me," Xiao Fan implored, his voice soft but urgent.

Su Ruo shook her head, pushing him away. Her gaze darted to her lower arm, and her eyes widened as realization dawned. She looked up, her expression desperate. Everything made sense now.

Her sect, wrongly accused and transformed into monsters, had been scapegoated for heinous massacres committed in the name of unifying the world under a tyrannical rule. If not for Elder Yu's timely intervention, Su Ruo would have met the same fate as her juniors and seniors, brutally slaughtered and left to rot.

For five long years, she had lived in blissful ignorance, oblivious to the cruel fate that had befallen her sect. But the tranquility was short-lived, disrupted by the sound of a stone hitting the ground.

Su Ruo looked up to see a young boy waving at them from behind a wall, his eyes darting anxiously around the surroundings. "Over here!" he called out, beckoning them towards him.

Cautiously, they made their way towards the boy, who led them to a hidden entrance of an underground inn. "Soldiers are rampaging and killing anyone in sight," he warned, his voice trembling with fear. "You'll be killed if you wander around."

Xiao Fan and Xiao Zhan bowed deeply, their faces etched with gratitude, as they surveyed the desolate surroundings. The makeshift shelter was filled with people, some injured, others able-bodied, all huddled together in fear. A few individuals devoured steamed buns with a desperate intensity, as if the food might be snatched away at any moment.

"The city has been in chaos for three days now," the young boy said, his voice laced with despair. "It's becoming increasingly difficult to feed everyone."

Xiao Fan collapsed onto the ground, exhausted. The children cowered behind Ling Long, while Su Ruo nodded her head in gratitude, her eyes cast downward. She approached a breastfeeding woman, who reeked of dirt and injury, and offered her a steamed bun.

Xiao Zhan's gaze swept the shelter, his expression heavy with concern. "Isn't there a physician among you?" he asked, but the shaking heads and despairing glances that met his question only deepened his sorrow.

He turned to Xiao Fan, his sigh weighted with worry. "How will you receive treatment, then?" Su Ruo's face mirrored Xiao Zhan's concern, her eyes clouded with anxiety.

Xiao Zhan stepped forward, selflessly offering his assistance. With the limited herbs at his disposal, he began to tend to the wounded, one by one. "Have any reinforcements been promised?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

The little boy's face fell, and he pulled Su Ruo aside, out of earshot of the others. "Xingzhou, Hanzhou, and Dingzhou have all fallen to the soldiers," he whispered, his voice trembling. "I took a risk calling out to you because of your emblem. I hoped the sects would not abandon us."

Su Ruo nodded gravely, turning to face the boy. "I've sent a distress signal, requesting reinforcements," she said, her voice low and urgent. "But I fear it may take time, and I'm not sure if the people can hold on until then."

The little boy's eyes sparkled with a sudden thought. "I heard Elder Jing Ke and his daughter are dead," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "There's been an uproar in the mountains. And Lu Zhao Yun is on the run for killing Feng Liu, the Crown Prince of Ming."

Su Ruo's gaze snapped up, her heart skipping a beat. Elder Jing and Jing Yi, dead? And what was Zhao Yun's involvement in this? Her heart recoiled at the news, her mind reeling with questions.

"I heard Jing Yi joined Liang as a guard and was recently exposed," the boy continued, his words dripping with gravity. "He was executed by Zhao Yun before the elders could even arrive for interrogation. Elder Jing took his own life soon after."

Su Ruo's fists clenched, anger simmering beneath the surface. These events were no coincidence, and so much had transpired during her amnesia. Her intuition whispered a haunting question: Could Zhao Yun be Yuchen?

With a newfound sense of determination, Su Ruo sprang to her feet, her fists still clenched. "Where are you going?" the little boy asked, alarm etched on his face.

Su Ruo's jaw set in a firm line. "You'd be killed the moment you step out of the gate," the boy warned. "Your friend needs rest, and there's no physician here. Thankfully, your other friend can help. Why don't you stay here until the reinforcements arrive?"

Su Ruo's gaze turned icy. "How long will the rations here sustain everyone? I must stop the soldiers from attacking other cities. Your Emperor is blinded by ambition and won't risk his own life to protect his people. If they declare Rouran's capital, doom will follow. Hiding here won't solve the crisis!"

The little boy's gaze dropped, his hands falling limp beside him. He knew Su Ruo spoke the truth, but the weight of their vulnerability crushed him. Women, children, and the injured – what could they do to protect their city, let alone other cities?

Su Ruo's determination, however, remained unwavering. If Zhao Yun had anticipated Rouran's siege, he wouldn't have left without a plan. As long as she could reach him, they might turn the tide and unravel the mystery of his identity, thwarting Duke Wei's sinister plans.

With a resolute heart, Su Ruo made her decision. "My friends will stay. I'll go for help. Keep this quiet." The little boy sighed, hesitant to conceal the truth, but Su Ruo's unwavering determination left him no choice.

"I'll take care of them," he promised, his voice barely above a whisper. "Get everyone safe until you return." Su Ruo nodded, her eyes locked on the entrance. She turned back, searching for Xiao Fan.

"He's resting upstairs," the little boy replied. Su Ruo's gaze lifted, her heart heavy with concern. She found Xiao Fan seated cross-legged, his eyes closed in concentration. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he practiced his qi.

Su Ruo sat beside him, her hands gently touching his. She began to transfer her qi, assisting him in his meditation. Together, they sat in silence, their breathing synchronized, as the minutes ticked by. Suddenly, Xiao Fan's body spasmed, and he coughed up blood.

"Xiao Fan!" Su Ruo's voice was laced with concern as Xiao Fan wiped the blood from his mouth with his finger, forcing a weak smile. "Guess I was putting too much pressure," he said, attempting to downplay the severity of his condition.

Su Ruo's gaze lingered on him, her eyes skeptical. She knew his condition was deteriorating rapidly, and external help was crucial. Time was of the essence.

With a quiet resolve, Su Ruo stood up, her eyes cast downward. "I was searching for a place to cultivate and stumbled upon you struggling. Since you're alright now, I'll take my leave and find another spot." Her voice was measured, but Xiao Fan detected a hint of unease.

Xiao Fan's eyes narrowed, his gaze following Su Ruo's movements. He sensed she was hiding something, her fidgeting fingers a giveaway. He knew that look – she was planning to take matters into her own hands, again.

Xiao Fan knew his condition was precarious, and without his father's medical expertise, his chances of survival dwindled. The journey ahead seemed daunting, but he was resolute – he wouldn't leave Su Ruo behind.

As he sipped the concoction Xiao Zhan had prepared, his hands trembled from the conflicting qi and poison coursing through his veins. The spoon slipped from his grasp, and Su Ruo rushed to his side.

She fetched another spoonful of the medicine, raising it to his lips. He sipped slowly, his eyes locked onto hers. "You remember everything now?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Su Ruo nodded, feeding him another spoonful. He coughed, taken aback by her gentle touch. As their eyes met, Su Ruo's heart quickened, and she sprang up, eager to escape the intensity of the moment.

Xiao Fan's grasp on her hand halted her departure. "Please, don't leave me," he implored, his voice laced with desperation. Pulling her back onto the bed, he pressed his lips to hers, his kiss fueled by a longing to keep her by his side.

Su Ruo's initial resistance waned, and she melted into the moment. As Xiao Fan whispered "I want you" into her ear, her grip on his hand relaxed, and she closed her eyes, surrendering to the moment. The dim light enveloped them, and Xiao Fan's lips drew closer, his breath intertwining with hers.

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