Chapter 12: Let Us Keep Each Other Company Through the Mortal World, and Toss In a Smoke Bomb While We're At It

Yang Hongyue grabbed the saddle with both hands, steadied herself, then shifted her body and sat firmly on the horse, only then extending her hand toward Shen Tianxing.

"Stop the nonsense and get on the horse!"

Shen Tianxing reached out his hand, and Yang Hongyue grabbed it and pulled him onto the horse. The moment Shen Tianxing sat down, Yang Hongyue cracked the whip and the horse bolted.

"What did you give me? My wounds are almost completely healed, though my body is still a bit weak. Who exactly are you?"

Even as the horse thundered forward, Yang Hongyue did not forget to interrogate Shen Tianxing.

"It's a top-grade healing pill, a Zuochuan treasure of my family. I only have three of them, and giving one to General Yang means General Yang must remember this second life-saving grace!"

The more precious the thing, the more grateful a person will be. A little white lie, harmless enough.

Yang Hongyue was quite moved as well. A top-grade pill that could heal his wounds in such a short time was indeed a treasure one might stumble upon but never seek out. That Shen Tianxing was willing to part with one also cleared him of some suspicion of being a spy.

"Until it's confirmed that you're not a spy, this so-called life-saving grace of yours, this general does not acknowledge."

"General Yang, they say a dead duck has the hardest mouth, but you're very much alive — why can't you soften up and say something nice?

You were just unconscious. If I really were a spy, I could have killed you, tied you up, done whatever to you — I would never have saved you. With a temper like yours, aren't you afraid no one will ever marry you?"

For a moment, Yang Hongyue felt an urge to sew Shen Tianxing's mouth shut, especially since that "whatever to you" was clearly nothing proper.

"Shut your mouth for this general. Pursuers are closing in from behind, and you still have the leisure to spout this nonsense with me? The urgent task is to find a way to shake off the pursuers. Otherwise, don't blame this general for throwing you off to hold them back."

By now, Yang Hongyue already believed Shen Tianxing was no spy. She was just being stubborn with her words — she would never actually throw Shen Tianxing off and flee alone.

Shen Tianxing, for his part, actually quite wanted to run off. Not that he feared death, mainly he wanted to lead the pursuers away. But if he led them away and something happened to Yang Hongyue, wouldn't his mission fail?

"General Yang, I do happen to have a good thing here that can help us shake off their pursuit the fastest. But I have one condition: I hope that no matter what happens in the future, General Yang will never press me about my secrets.

Of course, I can guarantee that I am absolutely on the same side as General Yang, and I will give my all to fight for the nation. After all, I am a Thousand-Man Commander under General Yang."

Yang Hongyue frowned. That damned Shen Tianxing actually dared to set conditions with him. But on second thought, it was understandable — everyone had their own secrets. As long as Shen Tianxing wouldn't harm Great Zhou, the rest didn't seem to matter much.

"Fine, this general agrees. If you have any means to solve the trouble before us, bring it out. I'm very curious to see it."

Having received a definite answer, Shen Tianxing took the smoke bomb out of his System Package and checked it before throwing.

"Smoke Bomb, single-use consumable. Throw at the target; upon detonation, it releases sleep-inducing smoke covering a radius of one kilometer from the blast point. It can rapidly cause people to fall asleep, lasting half a shichen."

As expected, anything the system produces is absolutely top quality. Half a shichen of sleep, one kilometer radius — an absolute divine weapon for covering an escape. Too bad Shen Tianxing only had one.

"Just use it already, don't waste time."

Yang Hongyue was growing anxious, because the shouts of battle behind them were drawing closer and closer, and the sweat-and-blood steed beneath her was already utterly exhausted. If they kept running like this, it wouldn't be long before it collapsed from total fatigue.

"As you command, General Yang. I'll throw it now."

Saying so, Shen Tianxing turned and hurled it backward with all his might. The smoke bomb traced a beautiful arc and landed precisely two meters in front of the pursuers' leader.

Before the enemy could react, there was a loud boom, and a cloud of grey smoke billowed out from the smoke bomb, rapidly covering a one-kilometer radius.

Yang Hongyue had turned to look the moment Shen Tianxing threw the smoke bomb. She was dumbfounded, her face full of shock — especially because within that thick smoke, there was not the slightest sound, not even a cough.

"Is this the good thing you mentioned? What kind of poison can spread to this extent? And right now it's clearly a tailwind — why is all that poison drifting over there and not spreading this way?"

"General Yang, you've got the wrong idea. This isn't any kind of poison — it's simply a mist that makes people fall asleep. We only have half a shichen, so we need to run now."

Shen Tianxing had no way to explain the difference between upwind and downwind. How could one explain the system's workings? It was like him drinking Leibi, smoking Huazi, eating Wangwang Snow Cake — if he tried to explain all that, people would think he was insane.

Fortunately, hearing that they only had half a shichen, Yang Hongyue stopped wasting time and cracked the whip against her sweat-and-blood steed, hoping it could hold on a little longer.

"Let us keep each other company through this mortal world, live free and easy, ride side by side and share the glories of life. Raise our cups and sing out the joy in our hearts, live life to the fullest and seize our youthful years..."

Yang Hongyue urged the horse into a wild gallop while Shen Tianxing sang at the top of his lungs. He had to admit he sang quite well — at least, that was how Yang Hongyue felt. But the two of them were fleeing for their lives, and Shen Tianxing's singing made it sound as if the two of them had eloped together.

"Have you forgotten we're fleeing for our lives right now? With you humming and hawing like that, are you just dying to lure all the pursuers over here?"

"General Yang, you're wrong about that. Life is mostly about finding joy amidst hardship. What I'm singing is simply the life I yearn for — the good life that most ordinary people hope for. What's wrong with that?"

Yang Hongyue was at a loss for words. When it came to verbal sparring, she was no match for Shen Tianxing. She could only give a cold snort and fall silent.

Seeing Yang Hongyue gnashing her teeth like that, Shen Tianxing felt an inexplicable burst of delight and couldn't resist opening his mouth to tease her.

"General Yang, you don't seem that old, so why does your mindset seem like an old lady's? No matter the circumstances, a person must keep a cheerful heart to stay young and beautiful. Carry on like you do, and it won't be long before your face is full of wrinkles."

At that moment, Yang Hongyue felt like she was about to explode. Even on the battlefield, she hadn't thought Shen Tianxing was such a chatterbox!

"Shut your mouth for me. If you don't shut it, this general will—"

Yang Hongyue was about to blow her top, but the sweat-and-blood steed beneath her suddenly staggered, lost its footing, and pitched forward.

Yang Hongyue and Shen Tianxing were sent flying forward one after the other. Looking at Yang Hongyue flying beneath him, the corner of Shen Tianxing's mouth curved upward, and countless cliché scenes flashed through his mind.

If he landed right on top of Yang Hongyue, wouldn't that bring their relationship one step further?

However, Shen Tianxing guessed the beginning right but not the ending. When Yang Hongyue crashed heavily to the ground and saw Shen Tianxing falling from above, her first reaction was to lift her leg and kick upward.

Shen Tianxing, who had been hoping to deepen their bond, was caught completely off guard. His lower abdomen took the kick squarely, and he went flying, a wail of unwillingness ringing out along with him.

"What the— why aren't you playing by the script?"