The weather grew increasingly cold, and Fu Xin Ci disliked leaving her room.
Fortunately, the room was spacious enough. She spent her days hidden inside, amusing herself by playing with Ning'er and Qing Mei when she had nothing else to do.
The two children were very fond of her and would come to find her as soon as they opened their eyes each day. Qing Mei, in particular, adored her cousin.
After a few days of leisurely, peaceful living, one night, for some unknown reason—perhaps she had slept too much during the day?—she found herself tossing and turning, unable to sleep. She had a nagging feeling that something was about to happen.
Since she couldn't sleep, she didn't force herself. After a moment's thought, she put on a thick padded jacket, lightweight cotton pants, and then another thick overcoat before, as if guided by some unseen force, she left her room.
The winter night sky was vast and boundless, lending a touch of desolation to the scene. Fu Xin Ci looked up at the somewhat chilly night sky and then heard someone speak softly behind her.
"Sister Fu, are you also unable to sleep?"
Fu Xin Ci turned her head and saw Qi He approaching her in the dim moonlight.
"Brother Qi, you can't sleep either?"
"Yes, I keep feeling like something bad is going to happen tonight."
"Me too."
It was rare for their thoughts to align so perfectly. Forgetting his worries instantly, Qi He's smile widened, revealing his eight front teeth.
In the darkness, Fu Xin Ci found his display of white teeth amusing. However, after a brief chuckle, she quickly reminded him, "Don't open your mouth so wide. You'll swallow a bellyful of cold air, and your stomach will hurt later."
"Mm," he replied, his smile growing even wider upon hearing Sister Fu's gentle admonition.
This time, however, Fu Xin Ci's words weren't in vain, as he was now smiling with his lips pursed.
The cold night didn't seem so biting anymore, and the hearts of these two kindred spirits drew closer.
"Sister Fu, here, wear this wool coat," Qi He said, preparing to take off his own heavy wool cloak.
"I'm not cold. Brother Qi, please don't take off your cloak, or you might catch a serious chill on a winter night like this."
Qi He knew how cold the winters here could be and quickly explained to Sister Fu, "I was just afraid you would be cold."
"I'm not foolish. If I were truly cold, wouldn't I know to go back inside and put on more clothes?"
Sister Fu's chiding tone, coupled with an unseen eye-roll in the darkness, made Qi He's young heart feel as though it were adrift on waves.
Silence...
They let time flow by in the darkness, neither daring to speak another word.
Until a brilliant, colorful firework bloomed in the night sky. Qi He saw it first and pointed with his long, slender finger, saying, "Sister Fu, look, that firework is so beautiful."
Following Qi He's gaze, Fu Xin Ci's expression changed.
Qi He sensed something unusual. "Who would stay up late in the middle of the night to set off fireworks?"
He and Sister Fu weren't sleeping either. They hadn't set off fireworks. If there had been fireworks, perhaps he would have set them off too.
As Qi He was murmuring to himself, he heard his companion, Sister Fu, say with a tone of urgency, "Brother Qi, go inform Uncle Qi and Grandfather that the Tatars are attacking. I'll go see the captain and the others."
"Sister Fu." Seeing her quickly darting away, Qi He changed his own inclination to follow her into a warning, "Be careful yourself."
"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."
Sister Fu's last words seemed to carry to the ends of the earth. Had it not been for the profound silence of the night, devoid even of the sound of the wind, he might not have heard them clearly.
Qi He did not dare to delay. He first went to knock on Grandpa Meng's door, briefly informed Grandpa Meng about the Tatar invasion, and then hurried off on horseback to the Thousand Households office.
Within the time it takes an incense stick to burn, Qi Yuanshan had already gathered the soldiers of the Thousand Households at the foot of Eagle Beak Cliff.
The mountain road between Dragon City and Qilin Town was relatively flat. The captain was immensely grateful for the foresight of Xiang Tong and Lan Tianyao.
This mountain path had been recently repaired. While it couldn't compare to the asphalt roads before the apocalypse, it was sufficient for riding horses.
From a distance, Fu Xin Ci could hear the sound of hooves striking the mountain path. In the dark night, the solar-powered flashlight carried by the captain was quite bright.
Following the beam of the flashlight, Fu Xin Ci quickly caught up.
"Captain, Captain."
"Xin Ci, why are you here?"
"I saw the fireworks launched from Qilin Town."
The captain also recalled the fireworks blooming over Qilin Town and urged his mount forward.
To avoid appearing out of place, Fu Xin Ci summoned her white horse from her spatial dimension and followed closely behind her companions.
As dawn approached, in an open space outside Qilin Town, Lan Tianyao, dressed in a simple coarse cloth outfit, stood with all the skilled fighters from Qilin Town, facing a troop of over a thousand riders.
"Hahaha." The leader, a man with a mop of yellow hair, held a torch aloft, his eyes glinting with unconcealed arrogance and bloodlust. He was also shouting gibberish in his native tongue to his tribesmen, words that the people of Qilin Town could not understand.
Bewildered, Lan Tianyao turned his head to ask someone behind him, "What is that bastard saying?"
Those behind him shook their heads in unison. "We don't know what that bastard is saying either."
Lan Tianyao: "This is absurd. If one doesn't understand, and two don't understand, it can't be that none of us understand."
"Reporting, Boss, I can understand a little of what that idiot is saying."
"Ah, as expected of someone who's been abroad. Quickly, tell me what that bastard just said."
"Boss, that idiot said to kill all the men and take away the women and the grain."
"Damn it, I'll fight them to the death!"
Before Lan Tianyao could give an order, the men and women, old and young, of Qilin Town could no longer restrain their anger and were about to charge forward.
"Wait, we only have ten horses. Charging head-on will put us at a disadvantage."
"Boss, we'd rather die fighting than be cowards."
"Who said we'd be cowards? Everyone listen to me. Ten of us will charge forward with swords and hack away. First, we'll cut down people, and second, we'll disrupt their formation. Those behind without horses, listen carefully: you must fight in pairs, remember at least two against one. Once you defeat one, move on to the next. Let's make this a swift victory. Remember this clearly, don't get separated."
"Boss, don't worry, we've got it."
After Lan Tianyao finished giving his orders and was about to say, "Charge," he heard the rapid sound of hooves approaching from the south.
Someone shouted, "Is that Xiang Tong and his men coming?"
"It should be Long Teng and his group." Lan Tianyao knew Xiang Tong didn't have a horse.
Upon hearing that Long Teng and his group were arriving, the people of Qilin Town became even more excited than the Tatars.
A handsome man in black beside Lan Tianyao blurted out, "Damn, who's going to get eaten now?"
As the sound of hooves drew nearer, the Tatars also heard it, but not a single one showed fear.
This was because they could all tell that the approaching riders numbered no more than ten. Therefore, even though they were enemies, there was no fear.
There was even a hint of excitement. To them, these people who had appeared out of nowhere were far more interesting than the Ming people.
Especially the women with their curvaceous figures, they were already impatient.
As for the beautiful women of Qilin Town, they wished they could gouge out the eyes of the Tatars and stomp on them like bubbles.
"Look ahead." Finally seeing the dark mass of people like an approaching army, the captain pointed to the fire ahead and said, "They're there."
"Watch me." Xu Jiacan said, and a longbow with a metallic sheen materialized in his hand. He aimed at the leader with the yellow hair, and an arrow tore through the sky.