ATLAS TRANSLATES

In Ruyang, chaos reigned supreme.

Though there was supposed to be a peace treaty between the two nations, it seemed like a cruel joke. Lu Yun had already sent warnings to neighboring commanderies to be wary of the Northern Kingdom breaking the treaty. In Nanyang, the Southern forces broke it first. But in Ruyang, it was the Northern army that violated the agreement first. The ground shook like thunder as the Northern cavalry reached the city walls, intent on breaching them—

“BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!”

Soldiers carried wooden battering rams, repeatedly smashing them against Ruyang’s gates. Arrows rained down from the city walls, while Northern vanguard troops braved the arrow storm, throwing grappling hooks onto the walls and climbing up. Once the Northern vanguard entered the city, they began indiscriminately slaughtering both soldiers and defenseless civilians alike, without hesitation.

Terrified civilians cried out in panic, crowding desperately at the southern gate, pounding and pushing, begging to escape Ruyang!

Fan Qingchen pulled along Luo Yingyu as they stumbled through the city streets. Two servants of the Fourth Young Master Fan protected them, clearing a path ahead. Fires had broken out across the streets and alleys, with enemy soldiers appearing suddenly with drawn swords.

The army had rushed to the frontlines, leaving no one to maintain order in the city. As Fan Qingchen and Luo Yingyu ran through the crowds, she no longer thought about parting ways with Young Master Fan. With her beauty, staying with Fan Qingchen was actually much safer right now.

“My lord, save me! My lady, save me! I can’t find my child…” A weeping young woman grabbed at them, begging for help.

“My lady, my lady! Take me with you, please! My husband is gone, I have no one left – I’ll serve you as a servant, just let me follow you!” The woman pleaded desperately, noticing their fine clothes and especially the lady’s magnificent wedding dress, immediately recognizing them as nobility. In her helplessness, she sought their aid…

But no one paid her any attention.

Luo Yingyu’s expression remained unchanged, not even sparing her a glance. In her current situation, she didn’t feel she had the ability to save anyone. Being naturally cold and selfish, when her own life was in danger, she chose to ignore the pitiful woman completely.

Seeing that the pair wouldn’t even pause at her cries, and watching as the servants led their lord and lady down an alley and out of sight, the woman couldn’t keep up. Her face twisted with desperate hatred.

After they left, when Northern soldiers arrived, she crouched in a corner crying, pointing in their direction and screaming: “Don’t kill me, don’t kill me! I just saw an incomparable beauty, go find her instead, kill her—”

The Northern vanguard soldiers smiled cruelly, though their eyes remained cold. With a swift stroke of their blades, they separated the woman’s head from her body, blood pooling on the ground. As they continued their killing spree, they began drifting in the direction the woman had pointed. While killing was their purpose, the mention of an “incomparable beauty” had caught their interest.

“Once we enter the city, all burning, killing, and looting goes unpunished!”

“Take any beautiful woman you want, no need to report to the officers!”

These were the promises their superiors had made before the attack, making the Northern forces even more eager to breach the city. Whoever entered first would have first pick of Ruyang’s resources. The vanguard that made it in first took their commanders’ words to heart. The dying woman’s revelation of humanity’s evil nature proved particularly poignant in this moment.

With their servants clearing the way, Fan Qingchen’s group took shortcuts to reach the southern gate that hadn’t yet been seized by Northern forces. As they approached, they found the gate packed with a dense crowd of people. The gate guards shouted to maintain order, but their voices were drowned out by crying and wailing as everyone tried to escape, ignoring the soldiers’ commands.

Fan Qingchen’s gaze fixed ahead as he pushed into the crowd, making his way to a sweating young officer. Among the cacophony of voices, he reached into his robes and pulled out his credentials: “I am the Fourth Young Master of the Fan family from Nanyang. I know your governor personally. When I entered the city earlier, we reached an agreement that he would provide transport and escort for me and my wife to leave—”

The young officer listened but didn’t take the letter, saying apologetically: “My lord, please understand! We can barely protect ourselves right now and cannot provide you protection. As you can see, so many people are trying to leave – perhaps my lord should queue up with them?”

“Or maybe my lord would like us to fetch the governor?”

The governor would surely be with the military commanders dealing with the enemy attack right now – how could he possibly care about people trying to leave the city? This young officer was clearly making things difficult for the Fourth Young Master Fan, having immediately judged him as a noble lord by his refined appearance. When a noble lord came begging favors from a lowly person like himself at such a time, it made him want to cause a bit of trouble.

Fan Qingchen wasn’t a fool. His eyes narrowed slightly before he directly removed a jade pendant from his waist, discretely tossing it to the young officer under cover of his sleeve. The officer glanced down quietly – it was top-grade blue-green Lantian jade, worth more than he could earn in a lifetime. His face immediately broke into a delighted smile.

The officer readily agreed and turned to have his colleagues prepare transport, then advised earnestly: “My lord, look at how many people are here. If I hold them back to let you through, with so many watching, you still won’t be able to leave…”

Sure enough, at the mention of transport, nearby commoners with sharp ears turned to look at the noble lord, their eyes filled with desire and greed.

Fan Qingchen cursed silently to himself.

He kept his face cold and handed over another jade pendant: “Prepare more carriages and horses for them as well.”

Looking at the restless crowd of civilians trying to flee the city, the Fourth Young Master Fan put on a fake smile: “We are only four people and need just one carriage and two horses. The rest can be provided to everyone else.”

The crowd immediately cheered: “Thank you for your kindness, my lord!”

“We will repay my lord’s great favor in the future!”

Fan Qingchen felt cold indifference inside, not needing any repayment from these people. He was now full of anxiety, wondering how other places were faring with this attack. With armies at the city gates, had the situation between North and South changed again? Would he be unable to take Luo Yingyu out of the Southern Kingdom now… afraid they couldn’t even make it to Northern territory…

Using the backup plan his father had arranged earlier would now be like seeking death. Their only option now was to head south.

“My lord, my lord…” While Fan Qingchen was lost in worried thoughts, he heard his servant calling and turned to look. He was startled when he saw the lady behind the servant.

In just a brief moment, Luo Yingyu had smeared her face with dirt and ash. She had done something to disguise her features – her originally stunning face now appeared dim, with ordinary-looking brows, nose and lips. At first glance, she looked like an ordinary woman with a weathered face, completely unrecognizable as a beauty.

Fan Qingchen asked: “Who helped you with that?”

Both servants looked at Lady Luo, their meaning clear without words.

Fan Qingchen chuckled softly, reaching out to grab Luo Yingyu’s slightly resistant wrist: “Sister, I’ve always admired your ability to handle dangerous situations.”

But Luo Yingyu’s face was like frost. After falling out with Fan Qingchen, she couldn’t be bothered to keep up any pretenses now. If the two servants hadn’t stuck to her like glue, she would have long since found an excuse to escape from Fan Qingchen in the crowd. Having to just smear some dirt on her face while still being tied to Fan Qingchen, even relying on his protection, left Luo Yingyu in a foul mood.

Fan Qingchen turned and casually picked up a wailing child, putting them in the lady’s arms as he said quietly: “We’ll escape with these commoners – their presence will help protect us.”

…

Corpses littered the ground as Northern forces besieged Ruyang!

Fan Qingchen’s group blended in with the commoners, taking the carriages provided by the young officer and fleeing south. The common people couldn’t ride horses, and ox carts were much slower than horses. Fan Qingchen didn’t want to waste the horses, but also refused to lower himself to share a cart with commoners. He simply gave the carts to the civilians while his group rode horses. Luo Yingyu wasn’t skilled at riding, so she was forced to share a horse with Fan Qingchen, unable to complain about the situation.

During their cold flight, having access to carriages was a first for most of these commoners. What had started as a panicked escape now held some hope. People packed the carts as full as possible, two or three at a time, and those sitting inside couldn’t help but chat during their refugee journey.

The atmosphere became somewhat lighter.

Whatever Fan Qingchen truly felt, he at least put on a friendly face of caring for the common people, earning their praise.

Luo Yingyu let out a scornful laugh—

Though the Fourth Young Master Fan was extremely annoyed by these people, he still put on a caring facade to ensure their cooperation and avoid their hostility during the escape. Usually so sinister, this was how he acted when facing difficulties.

He was nothing like her Brother Xuechen.

Though she and Fan Qingchen were similar types of people, it didn’t stop her from admiring Lu Xuechen. When looking at paintings to judge character, she had known the Plum Blossom Hermit’s nature just from his art. She had admired Lu Yun even before meeting him. Lu Xuechen wouldn’t look down on common people while pretending to be kind to them.

Lu Xuechen didn’t think highly of anyone, it wasn’t targeted at commoners. Precisely because no one met his standards, he treated everyone equally, making no distinction between nobles and commoners.

While Luo Yingyu firmly believed there was nothing wrong with her lack of kindness, she envied Lu Yun’s ability to view everyone the same way. He didn’t care about noble or common birth, didn’t consider status when choosing whether to save someone, and could even be willing to marry her regardless of her background – all because his own status was so elevated that he could follow his heart in dealing with people and situations, without needing to calculate too much. How could Luo Yingyu not envy such innate good fortune?

Sitting in Fan Qingchen’s embrace, Luo Yingyu couldn’t help but think of another young lord. Her heart ached, wondering if he was searching for her.

Many times when she was with Lu Yun, she often felt somewhat inferior… always afraid he didn’t love her enough…

As her heart grew heavy, she suddenly felt something cool on her nose. Luo Yingyu started, raising her wet eyes. Her eyelashes fluttered as another snowflake fell, landing in her eye.

The group fleeing south watched as the year’s first snow began falling gently across the land. The sky was gray-white, the wilderness boundless, as snowflakes danced through the air, scattering downward.

Fan Qingchen said softly: “It’s snowing… tonight will be difficult.”

He felt the lady in his arms stiffen as she stared dazedly at the snow. He asked: “Are you cold?”

Luo Yingyu didn’t answer him.

She just gazed at the swirling snowflakes, her heart suddenly choked with snow, sinking into melancholy—

Lu Xian had said that Lu Yun died on a snowy day.

Said he died on a mountain shrouded in snow and fog, having bled out with no one by his side. Only that blood-written letter covered by wind and snow remained. If given one more chance to speak of love across the ages, that love would be as unchanging as the mountains.

…

When Luo Yingyu learned of that dream, when she pictured two different stories in her mind.

Though he wouldn’t admit it, perhaps he both loved and hated her.

…

Never had such a clear sense of dread washed over her.

Like death arriving suddenly, leaving one helpless.

Lu Xian’s dream had always left people half-believing, half-doubting. With Lu Yun present, Luo Yingyu hadn’t thought much about it before. But as this winter’s first snow fell, as nightly worries manifested in reality, as her mind involuntarily flashed back to her dreams of being unable to find Lu Yun, Luo Yingyu suddenly felt waves of fear in the wilderness.

Her heart clenched, unable to breathe. She feared that nightmare becoming reality, feared being as powerless as an mayfly trying to shake a tree.

The lady lowered her eyes, gritting her teeth. When Fan Qingchen asked again if she was cold, she promptly said yes, receiving a large cloak draped over her.

Luo Yingyu knew she must save herself, must escape from Fan Qingchen, must survive, must see Lu Yun—

At the very least, she couldn’t let Lu Yun come to harm because of her!

…

When the first snowflake fell from the sky, Lu Yun was in Yingchuan, meeting with Prince Liu Mu of Hengyang. The thick felt curtains of the great tent opened as the young prince strode out, seeing Lu Yun’s tall, straight figure gazing up at the snow, his handsome face showing traces of contemplation. Hearing footsteps, Lu Yun turned around as Liu Mu, with a grave expression, handed over a letter.

Liu Mu said: “Just received intelligence that Northern forces have attacked Ruyang – Ruyang is in danger!”

Lu Yun took the letter, scanning it quickly.

Seeing Lu Yun’s calm expression and assuming he was unwilling to send troops to help, Liu Mu said coldly: “We must go to Ruyang’s aid… you said those bandits were taking Lady Luo north – if they want to leave the Southern Kingdom, Ruyang is much more likely than my Yingchuan. If Lady Luo is trapped in Ruyang, will you not save her?”

Lu Yun had brought troops to join forces with the Prince of Hengyang. Yingchuan hadn’t been attacked, and the prince also claimed not to know Lady Luo’s whereabouts. Before all this came Ruyang’s crisis.

Lu Yun hadn’t received his Second Brother’s latest letter since he wasn’t in Nanyang. But even without receiving it, he could roughly guess the situation without his brother’s explanation. If Lu Xian’s dream was true – the battle at Nanyang, Ruyang in danger… wouldn’t this be an excellent opportunity for death?

Lu Yun’s lips curved into a slight smile. Seemingly unrelated, he suddenly reached out to catch a snowflake, saying to Liu Mu: “If you knew the will of heaven, if you guessed that heaven wanted your demise, would you accept fate and simply wait for it?”

Liu Mu was startled, then sneered: “I would never just wait idly for destruction!”

Lu Yun concealed the anxiety in his heart, his eyes seeming to hold a smile.

He nodded slightly, murmuring: “…This should be tested.”

The timeline in Lu Xian’s dream was too chaotic and needed reorganizing. Moreover, Lu Xian was naive, and having never experienced it, the truth of his dream remained questionable.

And now, the first snow of the north had arrived. That death warrant was steadily advancing through heaven and earth, drawing closer to Lu Yun.

Lu Yun thought: This would be a good opportunity to test it.

He suddenly had an overwhelming impulse, his mind forming an immature idea – he wanted to reverse all the decisions he would normally make—he wanted to use Lu Xian’s fragmented, unclear words to piece together a complete story. And looking at this story, what if every command and decision he made went against his natural inclinations? If he dramatically changed all the signs, what would this dream story of Lu Xian’s become?

Would the other dangers he foresaw disappear, or would they still exist?

…

Hmm, let him try it slowly.