Chapter 49: Galloping Through the Days of Yore

"Eat well and drink well! Greetings, Master Guild Master!"

When he had previously met Liu Huaxi—no, the Golden Shadow—Dai Longmei had not saluted according to the traditional customs of the Jin-seeking clan. Later, he had learned some of those rites from his little sweetheart, though his execution of them remained rather stiff and awkward.

Liu Huaxi stepped forward and lifted the bowing Dai Longmei to his feet, paying no mind to the stains of foul blood transferred in the process.

The true Grand Master of the Jin-seeking Guild wore a form-fitting black outfit, his face concealed behind a mask, and exuded a strong, pungent scent of medicinal herbs. Behind him, more than a hundred corpses of the intoxicated fox soldiers lay scattered in disarray. The sharp and capable elites of the Jin-seeking Guild were flicking the blood from their bronze swords as they tidied up the battlefield after the fierce engagement.

"There is no need for such elaborate formalities."

Liu Huaxi’s jade-colored pupils swept over Dai Longmei, Lili, and the troop of Liaodong retainers, finally coming to rest on Xian'er, who was hiding amidst the crowd. Upon seeing his junior martial sister appear in the guise of a Fulin native, Liu Huaxi’s eyes twitched ever so slightly.

*"You troublesome fox, what kind of chaos are you stirring up here today?!"*

Liu Huaxi cursed inwardly, yet he maintained a calm demeanor as he spoke to Dai Longmei. "The Young General and his party have arrived two days sooner than I anticipated, reaching the outskirts of the Sandworm Post already."

He glanced back at the slain fox soldiers. "Aside from these vile creatures, I trust you encountered no trouble along the way? The White Lion Cavalry should still be behind us; Freya is not the sort of woman to let things go easily."

Dai Longmei raised his chin, his sharp, angular features reflecting a confident expression that caught Liu Huaxi's eye. "With the shortcut you left for us, riding horses actually made us faster than those lion-riders."

"Indeed, and now the ethereal aura of the Jade Realm is even weaker, nearly back to the level it was before the gate opened," Lili chirped comfortably, resting against Dai Longmei as she let out a cozy yawn. "Finding us through ethereal aura tracking won't be so easy anymore, heehee~"

"Splendid, absolutely splendid. This move was truly well-played by Master Liu and the Jade Deity together." Liu Huaxi looked up at the sky and let out a soft sigh.

"Are you referring to... the old man?!"

Although Liu Huaxi had said "Jade Deity," Lili had already guessed that he meant the True God who had crossed paths with her at the empty gate of the East Pine Adventure Pass a few months ago.

"Yes! Elder Brother Jade Deity is currently fighting a fierce battle outside the Jade Realm against the false gods who stand behind Fenrir and the others!"

Liu Huaxi’s tone carried a hint of excitement, yet was laced with lingering worry. "But His Elder Purity foresaw long ago that the Jade Realm he protects would be targeted by Stardust, that lapdog of a false god. Thus, he long ago assigned me a mission: when the time comes, I must lend you a helping hand."

Liu Huaxi vaulted onto his horse, signaling for Dai Longmei and the retainers to mount as well. "Let's talk as we ride. Quite apart from whether any other intoxicated fox lackeys might be searching for us, I'm afraid the White Lion Cavalry..."

As if on cue, no sooner had the words left his mouth than the ferocious roar of a white lion echoed from over the sand dune where the fox soldiers had been routed.

"Little Liu, take eight squads and hold this position! Even if every last one of you dies, you must buy me the space of a quarter of an hour!"

"Understood!"

The leader of the Jin-seeking clan offered a final salute to his guild master, then led half of Liu Huaxi’s forces to set up an ambush near the sand dunes.

"Ha! Young General, Lord Longlong, Lord Yousheng, and all you Liaodong brothers—!"

With a resounding shout, Liu Huaxi spurred his mount and charged straight into the yellow sands deep within the Sandworm Post territory.

"Keep up!"

"Oh, and by the way," Liu Huaxi called out, glancing back over his shoulder with a smile amidst the headlong dash, "you little fox, you better keep up too~"

"I! Am not! A fox!"

***

"Hahaha, I wasn't just talking about you, little Lili~"

Liu Huaxi cast a dismissive, mocking glance at the fox spirit who was naturally clinging to Dai Longmei's back, letting out a light hum of disdain.

Fox spirit Huaxi covertly scanned Liu Huaxi using her ethereal aura. This master of the Tianyu Jin-seeking Guild truly seemed incapable of utilizing ethereal aura, yet why did she sense such a strangely familiar presence emanating from him?

"Brothers, stir it up! Stir it up!"

Longlong patted his beloved steed Little Wolf on the neck and charged forward with a loud laugh. "Stick close to Fifth Master and Lord Long, and let the vanguard patrol ride for the West Gate! Ha!"

Swept along by Longlong's passion for unbridled horseback charges, Dai Yousheng spurred his horse into a gallop as well. The hundred-odd vanguard patrol retainers burned with high morale; though they were now engaged in a "strategic relocation" toward the West Gate, they charged with all the fierce momentum of an outright assault.

A hundred jade-colored iron cavalrymen followed closely behind Liu Huaxi and the brethren of the Jin-seeking Guild, galloping forward as the scorching sand was kicked up by their horses' hooves, showering Dai Longmei’s face.

The warrior, fresh from a bitter engagement, felt no sting in his eyes. Whenever he rode into battle alongside his brothers from Liaodong, he always felt as though he had transformed into a swift gale, leaving behind the torment caused by his despicable father. That was why he loved riding at a full gallop, even if this particular ride was meant to escape the pursuit of the Star-people.

"Hya!"

Chasing the Wind soared forward like a comet, and a smile touched the corners of Dai Longmei's mouth.

Lili, riding at his side, took in every detail. In her eyes, that handsome face was now suffused with unbridled confidence and heroic vigor—the very epitome of masculine majesty.

The sweat oozing from Dai Longmei’s shoulders due to the frantic ride and intense excitement clung to her fur, sending a dizzying, intoxicating thrill through the human soul housed within.

Lili fancied herself a woman who had seen countless men, including the border garrison soldiers of the Three Paths. Yet a man like Dai Longmei, who in the midst of a charging cavalry battle resembled a living marble statue, she had never laid eyes on before. Her heart fluttered once more to the howling wind rushing past her ears.

"Riding like this—are you scared?" Dai Longmei teased playfully via telepathic transmission.

"Not scared... with you here, I..." Lili let the slip of the tongue escape, then immediately averted her face with a blushing flush.

"What? With me here, what? What was that, Lili~?" Dai Longmei pressed relentlessly.

"You're the absolute worst~ I said I'm not scared, and I'm not~" Lili hummed softly, her cheeks burning red. "Besides, this lady has won several horse racing championships in the Tianyu Three Paths~ This little bit of speed isn't—"

"Alright then~ Let's go even faster~"

Dai Longmei tightened his knees against the horse's flanks. Chasing the Wind understood the command with a sharp whinny, increasing its galloping pace even further.

"Slow down~ I... Wuwu, you're bullying me!" Lili's claws nearly dug sparks out of Dai Longmei's shoulder armor.

"Hahaha, that'll teach you to boast~" Dai Longmei did not slow his pace by even a fraction.

"You're so hateful~ You just want to—you just want to bully... me." Though Lili put on a tearful front, a tickling sensation of pure delight blossomed in her heart. She secretly relished playing like this with Dai Longmei.

***

Watching the young man and woman remain so relaxed despite the imminent danger of pursuing enemies, Liu Huaxi could not help but wear a smile.

"Just as Elder Brother said, they're still exactly the same as they were back then..."

The wind whipped up by the galloping horses carried the sand and dust of bygone days. The White Tiger recalled sights from the past—when the Jade Dragon and the Blue Phoenix were deeply in love, that period had been the most joyous of his life, anchored by the reliable presence of his eldest brother.

Yet now, he had become Liu Huaxi, the eldest brother of the Jin-seeking Guild. He had lived in confusion within the Jade Realm for over a hundred years, right up until the realm began to collapse.

*"You have work to do now, younger brother."*

The image of the Jade Deity resurfaced before Liu Huaxi's eyes, and that ancient voice echoed in his mind.

*"The Jade Realm has no ethereal aura, nor does it need any. For ethereal aura is fundamentally a product of distortion—it turns men into demigods, warps the laws of strength and weakness, and poisons the human soul."*

*"Then our Jade Realm shall have none of it!"*

*"That was the promise I made to you back then."*

*"Though the disciples of Mozi are cast adrift in this realm, lacking supernatural forces and relying solely on mortal strength, they can still be precious jade, they can still be people of jade."*

*"I have remembered those words to this very day, Younger Brother White Tiger~ I remember them clearly~"*

*"But now, the enemy has struck."*

*"Enemies with golden hair and blue eyes!"*

*"Yet the deities of the Jade Seal Realm have all retreated far away, and none dare step forward to meet them in battle."*

*"A creature called Stardust slaughters worlds far and wide, committing every conceivable evil."*

*"Now it is our Jade Realm's turn."*

*"Since the gods of Yanhuang offer us no aid, we have no choice but to save ourselves."*

*"Yet, younger brother, the people of jade are not products of the primeval universe; they naturally lack a dantian and cannot use ethereal aura."*

*"But the enemy can! The enemy can!"*

*"Therefore, we must raise an iron wall to keep them out first."*

*"And the key to forging that iron wall is very familiar to you."*

Liu Huaxi gazed at the distant purple giant rock, as the familiar visage of an old friend rose before his eyes: long, drooping hair, delicate dark eyebrows, and gentle eyes, just like the "graceful and demure maiden" described in the *Classic of Poetry*.

Yet in Liu Huaxi's vision, that figure dressed in cyan deep robes merged seamlessly with the image of Lili.

*"Your former eldest sister-in-law, and now little Lili..."*

*"She is the key I left behind to forge the iron wall of the Jade Realm~"*

*"Little Hu~"*

The graceful maiden seemed to manifest before him once more.

*"Both the Grand Master and I hope you can lead our Mo clan forward."*

The remaining memories grew mottled and faded, yet the final moment remained vivid: holding the sword of the Grand Master aloft, standing before the blazing Mo headquarters on Mount Tianmu in the face of tens of thousands of Qin soldiers.

*"This time, Eldest Brother, Sister-in-law~"*

*"I shall protect our precious jade!"*

*"Screeech—pop!"*

A signal arrow pierced the air from the sand dunes left far behind them.

Yet it sounded only once, rather than the three times agreed upon in their plan.

"The White Lion Cavalry have caught up!"

Guessing the fate of his subordinates, Liu Huaxi clenched his teeth and issued an order to his trusted companions:

"Rearguard! Let Fifth Master and the others head for the West Gate!"