ATLAS TRANSLATES

Fierce winds howled as snow particles cut across faces like knives. The dark night engulfed everything, with snow blanketing the world in white, making it impossible to tell directions. This long night felt like endless torture.

On these vast snowy plains, two agile servants supported a young lord as they fled frantically for several miles, leaving the pursuing soldiers far behind.

The young lord they carried remained motionless, stiff as an ice sculpture. Yet his eyes were blood-red, as if about to drip blood.

They spotted an abandoned Taoist temple standing lonely in the wilderness. Due to its remote location, it had been deserted for who knows how long. The servants’ eyes lit up as they carried their lord into the temple. Once inside the dark, cobweb-filled main hall, they listened carefully for any pursuit. Hearing nothing, the two servants breathed sighs of relief. But as they turned around, sharp slaps suddenly struck their faces.

“Slap—”

One slap each, with fierce force that sent them stumbling back two steps.

Finally able to move, Fan Qingchen glared at these two men with eyes that burned like a fierce beast about to devour its prey. With his arm severely wounded and half his robe stained black with blood, Fan Qingchen’s raised arm trembled. His face was taut, veins throbbing. His handsome features twisted into something grotesque due to his intense emotions and tension.

Fan Qingchen kicked them to the ground. He was like the world’s most vicious master treating servants he viewed as worthless grass. These servants’ lives meant nothing to him as he kicked and beat them, his face distorted, looking at them like they were his father’s murderers. His throat rumbled as he spoke with harsh, ragged breaths:

“Who told you to act on your own? Who told you to hit my pressure points?!”

“You actually abandoned her, abandoned Miss Luo!”

He snarled viciously, chest tight, eyes blood-red. Under extreme emotional distress, tears threatened to burst from his eyes despite his efforts to hold them back: “Do you know what you’ve done?! I told you to save her! Yet you harmed her instead!”

The two servants were fearless against enemies, but maintained their slave-like loyalty. Facing their lord’s beating, they remained firmly kneeling: “The Governor ordered us to protect young master…”

“I don’t need it!” Even a noble young lord like Fan Qingchen would use such crude words. As he grabbed one’s collar to strike again, his injured arm went numb with pain, making his whole body tremble. “She is my life, she is my most beloved… Go back, go back and save her, save her!”

Fan Qingchen had gone mad, the string of rationality in his mind snapping completely. In the dark night, endless snow, enemies stronger than her everywhere. How could she survive? How could she withstand those blood-thirsty men?

She would be humiliated, would die… Like all those beauties recorded in history books who died innocent deaths in men’s battles…

He had finally won her from Lu Yun’s grasp, secretly taking her away from Nanyang, wanting to marry her, take her to the Northern Kingdom… Yet he abandoned her! Abandoned her to those men who eyed her like hungry wolves!

Fan Qingchen’s face twisted further. Unable to use his arm, he kicked without mercy, wanting to kill these two servants who had acted on their own. He had completely lost his mind, kicking joints and bones until he heard clear cracking sounds. But he didn’t care – he wanted to kill these two!

Vague voices reached his ears: “Young master, young master please calm down…”

Fan Qingchen’s heart felt like it was being sliced by knives, his mind blank with anguish. He violently beat those before him, then suddenly rushed out of the temple like a madman, his whole body shaking. The young lord stumbled through the snow down a sloping path. He fell, got up again, his face and head covered in snow. That grey, emptied feeling, that lady’s face constantly appearing before him…

Fan Qingchen laughed bitterly as he clawed through the snow that tripped him, laughing through choked sobs while coughing up blood: “Miss Luo! Miss Luo… Wait for me, I’ll save you, I’ll save you…”

He collapsed to the ground in agony: “I was too weak, I couldn’t protect you… Miss Luo, Miss Luo…”

Behind him, the two servants supported each other as they limped after him, watching their Fourth Young Master run through the snow like a madman. They looked shocked but ignored their injuries to run down and support their lord.

More frenzied beating and cursing followed!

His words grew even more insulting and intense!

As Fan Qingchen continued his breakdown, he and his two servants suddenly looked up at the thunderous sound of approaching hoofbeats. The hoofbeats grew louder as they drew near, vast and imposing. Fan Qingchen’s face remained wooden, but the two servants turned deathly pale. They tensed up, desperately shielding their maddened lord, wary of the newcomers — had their pursuers caught up?

Why were they so relentlessly pursued? Had they recognized their young lord’s identity?

As the hoofbeats drew close and they saw the massive army, the two servants grew even more desperate. They were about to fight to the death to give their lord a chance to escape, when suddenly they realized the leader of this approaching force was not the enemy vanguard commander they had seen earlier.

These soldiers wore Southern Kingdom military attire!

Looking at the two lords at the front – one was a young man, majestic and imposing with an iron will, hints of killing intent in his eyes, though he now looked on carelessly. The other was a handsome youth of extraordinary bearing, with looks and temperament rarely seen in this world.

The two servants murmured:

“Lu Yun…”

In today’s Nanyang, who among the noble families didn’t know the new governor, Lu Yun from Jianye?

Mounted on his horse, Lu Yun looked down, his knife-sharp gaze meeting that of Fan Qingchen who knelt disheveled in the snow. Fan Qingchen’s expression instantly tensed, encountering Lu Yun here like meeting a great enemy, while also feeling an absurd sense of fate.

Fan Qingchen’s breathing suddenly grew rapid.

This caught the attention of Prince Liu Mu of Hengyang, who had been indifferent until now. His eyes fell on Fan Qingchen, examining his clothes and bearing: “You know this person?”

He was clearly asking Lu Yun beside him.

In a flash, Lu Yun’s expression changed rapidly. In the space of a breath, encountering Fan Qingchen like this in the wilderness, he astutely guessed what had happened without needing explanation. This handsome lord’s face instantly turned cold, his gaze toward Fan Qingchen filled with unconcealed killing intent.

The lord’s suddenly tensed muscles and the veins standing out on his hands gripping the reins… made Liu Mu beside him think Lu Yun was about to dismount and kill this chance-met person directly.

But Lu Yun only asked coldly: “Which direction?”

An abrupt question without context. At least it made the Prince of Hengyang’s face darken when his earlier question went unanswered.

Fan Qingchen laughed bitterly, thinking Lu Yun truly lived up to his reputation – seeing him, he had guessed everything. Fan Qingchen’s chest tightened, his vision darkening as he tremblingly pointed in a direction. Lu Yun spurred his horse, turning quickly while ordering: “Leave men to watch these three. If they escape, punish them according to military law!”

He swiftly rode back into the snowy forest, coming and going with such speed, offering no explanation.

“General?” The troops behind looked questioningly at the Prince of Hengyang.

The Prince’s gaze swept thoughtfully over Fan Qingchen and his men before saying: “Follow Lu Yun’s orders.”

Then he led the remaining troops in pursuit of Lu Yun at double speed—

It must involve Luo Lingyu.

Lu Yun was usually composed – back in Jianye, even when Liu Mu had targeted him and Prince Chen several times, Lu Yun had never shown anxiety. But these past days, Liu Mu had seen much of Lu Yun’s hidden anxiety. Liu Mu felt strange, constantly wondering:

Luo Lingyu, Luo Lingyu… what kind of woman was she, to drive all men mad for her?

Lu Xian, Qi An, Lu Yun, and now this strange young lord… all were more or less involved with Lady Luo.

Liu Mu felt great curiosity rise within him, along with an inexplicable sense of loss. That strange feeling made him think that originally he too could have, he too could have…

…

She had been fleeing desperately from nightfall until dawn.

The wilderness glowed with snow, which fell steadily from the sky – not heavy but not light. Her body trembled constantly from the motion of the horse beneath her.

Luo Lingyu lay prone on horseback, her whole body shaking with the horse’s movements. Her face was deathly pale, her lips trembling, teeth chattering. In the panic of fleeing the temple, she had lost her heavy cloak. As she rode through the night, the darker it grew and the heavier the snow fell, the colder she became as dawn approached.

And the pursuit behind never ceased!

That commander led the troops chasing her personally!

Luo Lingyu was not skilled at horsemanship – she wasn’t good at any physical activities. On this flight, she could only lie flat on the horse, the inside of her thighs raw and numb from gripping the horse’s belly. Her long hair had come loose in the jolting ride, flowing black and thick, framing her ice-cold eyes and porcelain-like face.

With trembling hands, Luo Lingyu gripped a hairpin she had taken from her hair. Her riding skills were too poor, while the enemy kingdom’s soldiers were highly skilled horsemen. Their horses were also fierce and strong, while hers was exhausted after running day and night without rest. To urge her mount on, Luo Lingyu gripped its mane tightly to avoid being thrown off while viciously stabbing it with the hairpin whenever it slowed.

The horse let out an agonized whinny, rearing up!

Luo Lingyu felt her organs compress as she was thrown about, dizzy and lightheaded, her mind foggy.

But the horse’s speed increased!

She wasn’t the only one fleeing in this direction. Some of the lucky survivors she had awakened with her shout, who had escaped the temple with her, were also fleeing in panic, not knowing where to go. Seeing the beautiful noblewoman ride out on horseback, they had frantically mounted horses themselves, following her tracks.

They regretted following this lady!

Because the Northern Kingdom’s commander was personally pursuing!

The lady’s horse ran fastest, fleeing ahead of them, but their horses were constantly being caught by the army behind. And these Northern soldiers were especially cruel, giving them no chance. People screamed: “Don’t kill me, don’t kill me…”

Swords stabbed, whips cracked, and amid terrible screams, though the horses still ran, their riders were yanked off by iron chains and dragged to the ground. Some were killed by swords, others died being dragged by enemy horses. The horses that had carried these commoners to flee wandered aimlessly in the snow, sniffing about in confusion, nudging the bloodstains on the ground with their noses.

The endless snow was stained with blood, becoming the only color in this place.

That commoner woman who had frantically accused Luo Lingyu to save herself was also riding on this path. Luo Lingyu heard her wailing cries from behind: “Spare me, don’t kill me, help…”

But though she had survived the humiliation at the temple, she did not survive this night.

Luo Lingyu painfully turned her head, dimly seeing the long trail of blood behind where the dead woman had been dragged, her clothes torn open, white breasts and legs exposed to the open air, intestines spilling from her belly. That woman had been willing to sacrifice the innocent Luo Lingyu to save herself, but heaven was fair, karma swift… Luo Lingyu’s pupils contracted as she turned away expressionlessly.

Wild laughter came from the pursuing army: “Stop! Keep running and you’ll end up like these people!”

Luo Lingyu paid no attention. Her iron will and cold-bloodedness in the face of danger astounded her pursuers. Hearing so many crying screams, seeing women die so tragically, this lady acted as if she hadn’t seen anything, not stopping even once?

Not only did she not stop, she stabbed her horse’s belly with another hairpin.

The horse was enraged and ran even faster!

Fewer and fewer commoners followed behind, fewer and fewer pleas for mercy were heard from companions, while the enemy’s hoofbeats pursued relentlessly. The sky was dark and hazy, only the snow’s glow illuminating the path ahead; then gradually the sky brightened, but her hands had grown stiff. The hairpin slipped from her grasp with a clear ding as it was buried in the snow.

Luo Lingyu lay on the horse’s back, her breathing weak.

Vaguely, her vision blurred, suddenly full of many shadows.

On the road from Ruyang to Nanyang, with fires of war burning everywhere in Ruyang, she dimly saw her younger self sneaking about, crying and stumbling among corpses and fires: “Father, Mother! Uncle, Aunt, Uncle, Aunt, Grandfather… where are you? I’m so scared.”

Sometimes she saw her small self pulling her little sister out from where she had hidden trembling and barely breathing in a water bucket. The wet nurse only knew how to cry that the young mistress was dead, while young Luo Lingyu carried her sister on her back, kneeling before people everywhere, begging them to save her sister…

“Please save her, I’ll be your slave!”

“Give us some food, I’ll do anything.”

If only someone had saved her parents when Ruyang fell; if only someone had saved their whole family.

Time always seemed to come full circle.

Those who survived death then, heaven seemed to never give another chance. Luo Lingyu pressed her lips together. Lying on the horse, her breathing grew weaker and her head began to ache terribly. She thought herself truly fragile – back then when she was so small, she had managed to survive; now that she was grown, her body had become more delicate, such a small difficulty was almost too much for her to bear…

“Neigh—”

The horse beneath her suddenly shuddered violently as an arrow from behind struck its body. The horse convulsed, throwing the lady from its back. Luo Lingyu felt top-heavy as she fell, her long hair scattered in the snow, snow all around her body. Those relentlessly pursuing hoofbeats instantly surrounded her. She lay collapsed in the snow, her body too stiff to move at all, looking up through the morning light to see the dark mass of enemy soldiers bearing down on her.

Some gazes held hatred, some showed amazement.

Though the lady had fallen to the ground, a beauty was still a beauty. Long hair and snow-white skin, rosy cheeks and delicate features, incomparably lovely. Indeed, because her clothes were disheveled and her appearance disheveled, the lady kneeling weakly on the ground made the men’s blood surge wildly, giving rise to a desire to dominate—

Such a beauty!

The commander shouted loudly, jumping down from his horse first to walk toward that lady.

Luo Lingyu tilted her face up. Her body was frozen stiff, but her mind was clear. She didn’t know if she had actually spoken or made any expression, but she tried her best. Smiling gently and flirtatiously, smiling so enchantingly it could steal souls. She blinked pitifully and said softly: “General, I’m willing to serve you, won’t you send them all away?”

“General, I know some Southern military secrets. I want to tell you, I only ask for your love…”

The men’s gazes burned hot, and the commander lowered his head, gripping Luo Lingyu’s chin to examine her face. After fleeing all night, the dirt on her face was long gone. The commander stared in amazement: “…Such incredible beauty…”

How fortunate!

He eagerly grabbed Luo Lingyu’s shoulders, pulling the frail lady into his arms. Whatever she said, he agreed to. Mindlessly saying “good, good, good,” even the lady’s scattered black hair falling across his arm was so beautiful it made this Northern general tremble. He lowered his head wanting to taste her sweetness when suddenly he heard the sound of an arrow cutting through the air.

In just an instant, everyone was shocked to see a black arrow shoot from behind, piercing through their general’s chest and lungs.

The soldiers leaped to turn their horses: “Who—”

Thousands of troops were scattered across the snowy plain, forming a circle to surround them.

That cold-faced lord held a bow, shooting another arrow. The arrow entered the body of the man who had been pierced through the chest and fallen onto Luo Lingyu.

After this arrow, the lord coldly drew his bow again, releasing a third arrow. The black arrow spun through the snow, striking in the same direction, at the same dead man…

…

Luo Lingyu gasped, feeling some warmth return to her body as she shoved away the heavy man lying on top of her.

She raised her snow-frosted lashes and stared dazedly.

The dark mass of Southern troops surrounded them, attacking these Northern vanguard soldiers. The young Prince of Hengyang led the charge at the front. But Luo Lingyu, collapsed in the snow, only had eyes for Lu Yun. She watched as Lu Yun shot three arrows at the same man. Though the man was dead, he still kept shooting.

Across the vast snowy landscape, the lord rode toward her on horseback.

Just like years ago in the thick fog of Ruyang, among countless corpses, in the depths of despair, someone would break through the mist to save her.

She watched Lu Yun dismount and walk toward her. His features grew clearer – those black eyes, that snow-white robe. In this era white was revered, and Lu Yun wore white robes and light fur as he approached through the dim light. Gone was his usual refined air – his face was cold, yet one couldn’t look away.

Luo Lingyu lowered her gaze awkwardly as he approached, feeling ashamed and embarrassed, her pride wounded. She felt both excited and wronged, not wanting him to see her in such a disheveled state…

…

How she wished to be perfect, to leave him with even one perfect impression.

To make him fall hopelessly in love with her.

…

Luo Lingyu lowered her head helplessly, fingers digging into the cold blood on the ground. Seeing the bloody corpse beside her, she instinctively panicked, wanting to flee.

She shrank back in rejection, but that lord knelt down and took her into his arms. She froze as she was enveloped in the warm, intoxicating scent that belonged uniquely to Lu Yun. Not the unsettling presence of Fan Qingchen, not the nauseating smell of enemy soldiers, but the clean, subtle scent that was Lu Yun’s alone.

Lu Yun spoke softly: “Lingyu, I’m here, don’t be afraid. You must hate me, right?”

The tears that had been absent from the lady’s eyes suddenly fell. She felt herself shaking her head, but she was just being held tightly by Lu Yun, face buried in his chest as she cried while he lifted her up. She alternated between choking sobs, falling tears, and wanting to wail in anguish.

That infinite grievance, that forever unattainable pride, that joy and confusion at seeing him… Luo Lingyu wrapped her arms around his neck: “Lu Yun!”