Chapter 907: Chapter 39: The First Appearance of the Grim Reaper
Xuan Yue, sobbing, said intermittently, "You, you... how annoying... sniff, you... why... want to marry another... woman, sniff, I... know... you don’t want to... to be... my... follower, sniff, you... go on, get out... I... hate... you, I don’t... want to see... you again... sniff."
Ah Dai finally understood that Xuan Yue was angry because he had chosen Lan Yin to be his wife. Remembering the mention of marriage, he suddenly recalled that as a child, Yue Yue had said she wanted to marry him when they grew up. He sighed with relief and said somewhat sentimentally, "Yue Yue, you misunderstood me. I’m not marrying Lan Yin; it was Brother Yan Shi who told me to do that."
Xuan Yue paused, her crying halted, and she looked up, "What did you say? Brother Yan Shi told you to marry Lan Yin?"
Ah Dai shook his hands repeatedly, "No, no, that’s not it. Here’s what happened." He then explained how he and Yan Shi had planned to help Lan Yin and Aguti.
As Xuan Yue listened, the expression on her face gradually changed. Although Ah Dai’s account was not very clear, she still understood the gist. Her sadness was replaced by a glint of joy in her eyes. After listening to Ah Dai’s explanation, she scolded, "Then why didn’t you tell me this afternoon? You let me cry for nothing for so long?"
Ah Dai smiled wryly, "You were already angry this afternoon, and when I called you, you ignored me! Plus, I’m not very bright. It took me several tries to memorize the lines that Brother Yan Shi taught me."
Xuan Yue’s mood shifted from sorrow to joy, and she said petulantly, "I don’t care, I blame you anyway. Who told you to mess with that dark iron bow and cause all these troubles? It’s all your fault, all your fault." Though she spoke in this manner, she unconsciously leaned her delicate body against Ah Dai’s chest.
Ah Dai, smelling the fragrance from Xuan Yue’s body, felt somewhat at a loss and just sat on the ground, letting Xuan Yue lean on him. He clearly felt that the anger in Xuan Yue’s heart had dissipated.
The weather today was nice, with no clouds in the sky. A half-moon hung high overhead, and as the gentle breeze wafted over, the moon’s reflection in the water rippled, giving them both a mesmerizing feeling. Ah Dai didn’t know when his arms had wound around Xuan Yue’s slender waist, gently embracing her soft body. Xuan Yue rested on Ah Dai’s shoulder, gently caressing his wounds, and asked with wandering eyes, "Does it still hurt?" Her voice was unusually gentle, a soothing sound to the ears.
Ah Dai was struck in his heart and shook his head, "It doesn’t hurt." Xuan Yue’s gentleness was something he wasn’t accustomed to, but he liked the feeling very much, and the odd sensation in his chest grew stronger.
Xuan Yue grasped Ah Dai’s large hand and whispered, "I’m sorry, I was too impulsive earlier. I hit you without asking for an explanation."
Her soft and gentle words sent a tremor through Ah Dai, and he blurted out, "Yue Yue, I, I..."
Xuan Yue lifted her head to look at Ah Dai and said dreamily, "Just say whatever you want to say, I, I won’t blame you." After speaking, she lowered her head, feeling her cheeks grow warm as her heart rate suddenly increased.
With Xuan Yue’s soft body in his arms, Ah Dai said, "Yue Yue, I..." He had mustered all his courage, about to say something, when suddenly, the deafening sound of horse hooves arose, signaling a large cavalry moving towards the bonfire festival. Ah Dai was alarmed and said, "Yue Yue, could something have gone wrong? Let’s go and see."
Xuan Yue heaved a sigh, stood up in Ah Dai’s embrace, glared at Ah Dai who seemed somewhat obtuse, and looked in the direction of the horse hooves. She saw countless figures riding tall horses, swiftly heading towards the Ah Lan tribe’s bonfire festival. Under the moonlight, the cold gleam of weapons that could take lives shone clearly.
Ah Dai, naturally, also saw those weapons. He asked in confusion, "Yue Yue, who are these people? Why do they all have a murderous air about them?"
Xuan Yue shook her head, "I don’t know who they are, but they are definitely not good people. I fear they have come to launch a surprise attack against the Ah Lan tribe."
Ah Dai frowned, "That’s bad news. Brother Yan Shi and Brother Yan Li are still there, and all the Ah Lan tribe’s friends are in the midst of their revelry. If they are ambushed, it could be hard to fend off."
Xuan Yue said, "These people really know when to strike. Now is when the Ah Lan tribe is most vulnerable. If they attack now, the defense there is bound to be difficult. Those Ah Lan people are so foolish, not even keeping watchmen. To be ambushed like this, it’s no wonder if they suffer heavy losses."
Ah Dai anxiously asked, "What do we do now?"
Xuan Yue responded, "It’s too late to warn them. We’re very close to the bonfire festival, and by now, they’ve probably already been attacked. Let’s sneak over there, and if those people are indeed attackers, we’ll rescue Yan Shi and Yan Li first. As for those stupid members of the Ah Lan tribe, we’ll decide what to do based on the situation." Her previously good mood had been completely disrupted by these unexpected intruders, and her clever mind couldn’t come up with any good ideas on the spot.
Ah Dai nodded and said, "Alright, let’s hurry."
The two made their way out of the Ah Lan tribe’s settlement, passed the herds of cattle and sheep, and successfully approached the site of the bonfire festival. By the time they got close, the festival was in total chaos. Xuan Yue’s judgment had been spot on—these knights in black clothing were indeed attackers. Their shiny sabers slashed relentlessly at the Ah Lan people who were just celebrating moments ago, transforming into a torrent of steel that flooded into the crowd. Wherever they went, blood splattered, sparing neither children nor elders. Cries and shouts pierced the earth.
