Chapter 378: Mom Won't Cry

The large tent was empty and deserted.

Only the few small flags placed on the map on the table swayed from the wind brought by her running in.

Father, why aren't you here? I still wanted to be the first to see him!

Tuan Tuan froze, and the smile on her face fell.

"Princess! Princess, you're running too fast!"

A guard, panting, rushed in, saw Tuan Tuan standing there dazed, and hastily saluted: "The Prince went on patrol; he'll be back soon. Please rest in the tent for now..."

Xiao Ningxun and his party only then entered the tent.

Xiao Ran shook his head with a smile: "Little one, how did you run so fast? You disappeared right after getting off the carriage; I couldn't catch you."

Tuan Tuan asked glumly: "Where did Father go? Uncle Zhang and Uncle Fang, where are they? Why aren't they here?"

"Replying to the Princess, they all followed the Prince to Heishi Tan."

Xiao Ningxun frowned slightly: "How many people did Father bring?"

"Fifty cavalry." The guard replied, "That whole area of Heishi Tan is open flatland; you can see two or three li in a glance. Even if the enemy wanted to hide, there's nowhere, so the Prince didn't bring many men."

Open flatland?

Those five words struck deep into Tuan Tuan's little head.

Her face turned white with a "whoosh".

"Third Brother!" She grabbed Xiao Ningxun's sleeve, her voice trembling: "In my dream, the place where Father was struck by an arrow was a vast, vast empty space..."

Xiao Ningxun's pupils contracted.

Xiao Er turned and rushed out: "Get the horses ready! Follow me!"

Everyone brought several hundred soldiers, whipping their horses to speed toward Heishi Tan.

Tuan Tuan sat in front of Xiao Er, her small body bound tightly, staring fixedly ahead.

The wind stung her face, yet she didn't dare blink.

A guard pointed ahead and shouted: "We're almost there!"

Heishi Tan is a broad riverbank washed out by the river, everywhere covered with gray-white stones, the view unobstructed.

Ahead, several dozen cavalry swayed in the distance.

Everything was calm as usual.

Tuan Tuan's heart eased—no battlefield, no Da Xia people, how wonderful!

She shouted loudly: "Father! I'm here!"

They were far apart; the people ahead obviously didn't hear.

Xiao Er whipped the horse's rump: "Miss is eager to see the Prince! Giddyap!"

Only a final gentle slope remained before reaching the riverbank.

"Whoosh—!"

Nine streams of bluish-purple light suddenly shot out from an inconspicuous hill beside the riverbank!

That wasn't the ordinary whistling of arrows piercing the air, but the violent shriek of a mechanical trigger-launched bolt!

Nine-Star Repeating Crossbow!

"Father——!" Xiao Ningxun's eyes were about to burst.

That figure in black armor suddenly turned as the arrow-light struck, his long spear sweeping out like a black dragon swinging its tail!

"Clang clang clang—!"

Seven streams of light were swept to the ground by the spear, shards of stone flying.

But the remaining two bolts, just as Tuan Tuan had dreamed, pierced the armor!

"Pfft! Pfft!"

The sound of arrowheads piercing flesh, even from this distance, was clear enough to make one's scalp tingle.

Xiao Yuanhang swayed, his spear clanged to the ground, and he toppled from his horse.

"Father——!"

Tuan Tuan's scream tore at the heart.

"Prince!" Zhang Wu'an, Fang Qing, and the veteran soldiers behind Xiao Yuanhang all dismounted and rushed over.

Xiao Er clamped his legs hard, the warhorse neighing as it nearly leapt into the air.

Immediately, countless black shadows darted out, lunging straight at the fallen Prince Ning.

"Kill——!"

"Protect the Prince!" The veterans drew their weapons and turned to meet them.

Xiao Ningxun led his men in, flanking from behind; his sword light spread like snow, and a black-clad man was instantly struck in the arm.

Lu Qi's Iron Lotus Seeds shot out in rapid succession, aimed at the throat's vital points.

Everyone's eyes turned red as they grappled with the black-clad foes.

But Tuan Tuan couldn't see anything.

In her eyes, only Father's fallen figure remained.

Xiao Er charged into the crowd, reined in his horse—still unsteady—when Tuan Tuan broke free from his arms and scrambled over, crawling and tumbling.

"Father! Father!"

She knelt beside Xiao Yuanhang, her small hand trembling as she reached for his face.

Two black crossbow bolts were embedded in Xiao Yuanhang's chest; his complexion quickly turned ashen, a faint black hue surfacing.

Seeing Tuan Tuan, he struggled to twitch the corner of his mouth, wanting to smile, but instead coughed up a mouthful of black blood.

"Tuan, Tuan." His voice was light as a sigh: "Be good, turn away, don't look..."

Don't! I don't want! Tuan Tuan shook her head desperately, tears large drops splashed onto his cold armor, "Father, you are not allowed to die! You promised to wait for me to come home!"

The black-clad people have already been completely annihilated.

Xiao Ningxun rushed over, knelt on his father's other side, grabbed his father's hand, his whole body shaking violently: "The arrow is poisoned!"

"It's all my fault! I chased around in a big circle but couldn't retrieve these repeating crossbows! It's all my fault!"

Xiao Yuanhang slowly turned toward his son: "It's not your fault, Xun Er, take your sister and go…… obey."

"I won't go!" Tuan Tuan screamed.

She suddenly stretched out her two small hands and grabbed the two arrowheads on her father's chest!

Xiao Er shouted in shock: "Miss, you must not! It's poisonous!"

But it was already too late.

Tuan Tuan clenched the arrowheads tightly, allowing the sharp edges to cut her small hand, blood instantly flowing out and slowly merging with the patch of red on her father's chest.

She closed her eyes, lifted her face toward the heavens, and cried out with all her strength.

"I don't want Father to die——!"

"Father is not allowed to die——!"

In an instant, everything around seemed to freeze.

A sheet of golden light burst forth.

It shook everyone so much they couldn't help but close their eyes.

Xiao Ningxun barely narrowed his eyes, looking toward his sister.

Only to see from Tuan Tuan's tiny body—not, but from every inch of her skin, every strand of her hair, burst out dazzling golden light!

That golden light was fierce like the midday sun, yet warm and moist like early-spring warm jade, transforming into a huge pillar of light that shot up into the sky, completely enveloping Tuan Tuan and Xiao Yuanhang.

Wherever the light pillar reached, the pebbles on the riverbank trembled slightly, all taking on a warm, moist luster, as if coated with a layer of glaze.

In the flowing golden light, the two black crossbow bolts that had pierced the chest, beginning at the arrowheads, disintegrated inch by inch into fine light dust, vanishing without a trace.

Xiao Yuanhang's bloodstains on his chest gradually faded, the gruesome wound quickly healed, in an instant his skin returned to its original state, not even a scar left behind.

The deathly black aura on his face receded like a tide.

Blood color surged back onto his cheeks, his chest began to heave violently, and his breathing became steady and strong.

After a moment, the golden light gradually weakened, finally drawing back into Tuan Tuan's body.

Her little face was as pale as paper, the bangs on her forehead soaked through with sweat.

She slowly opened her eyes, lowered her head, and saw her father staring blankly at her, those eyes so familiar now surging with tumultuous waves.

She broke into a sweet, tear-streaked smile: "Father, you're all right now!"

"Mother won't shed tears anymore!"

As her words fell, her body went limp and she collapsed onto her father's chest.