Walking in the cycle of reincarnation

Chapter 56 Reunion

Wanyan Yue's consciousness drifted in and out of existence.

My nose touched a warm, bitter sensation, and then I felt a warm blanket beneath me, gently pattering against my back.

She struggled to open her eyes.

My vision was blurry when I first woke up; I could only make out the felt on the top of the tent and a silhouette beside me.

Wanyan Yue's Adam's apple bobbed, and a faint murmur escaped her lips:

"...Mom?"

As soon as she finished speaking, a warm, soft hand covered her and held her cold fingers tightly.

"Jiaojiao".

A soft voice was so close, its tenderness almost overflowing:

"Mom's here, Mom's here."

Wanyan Yue turned her head with difficulty, her vision shifting from blurry to clear, taking in the face before her inch by inch.

Her eyebrows were like distant mountains, and her eyes were like autumn waters. Even with a few fine lines at the corners of her eyes, they were still the gentle and graceful eyes that haunted her dreams.

It really is my mother.

The pent-up grievances and fears in her heart burst forth, and Wanyan Yue's eyes suddenly reddened. Tears streamed down her face like a lost fledgling finally returning to its nest, her body trembling as she cried.

Madam Zheng quickly bent down, holding her tightly with one hand, and with the other hand, she lifted her sleeve to gently wipe away the tears on her face, softly and repeatedly comforting her:

"Don't cry, sweetie..."

Her voice was soft and gentle, and her own eyes were flushed:

"You'll feel better if you cry it out. Don't be afraid, Jiaojiao. You're safe now. No one can hurt you anymore."

After a long while, the bitterness surging in Wanyan Yue's heart subsided slightly.

She suppressed her grief and tried to sit up, but just as she got halfway up, the world suddenly spun before her eyes, and she fell heavily back down.

"Watch out!"

Madam Zheng quickly supported her shoulders, frowning as she said:

"Your bones and muscles are frostbitten, and you've been buried in the snow for too long. Your qi and blood are severely depleted, so you can't rush things."

Wanyan Yue closed her eyes and regulated her breathing for a while, suppressing the dizziness, before speaking again:

"Mother, where is this? How...how did I get here?"

Madam Zheng took a ceramic bowl, scooped up some warm medicine with a spoon, and brought it to her lips, gently explaining the situation as she fed her:

"It was Elder Huhe of the tribe who saved you. This morning, he led a group of men on a hunting expedition to the outskirts and found you lying in a snowdrift, barely clinging to life. He quickly carried you back. If it had been half an hour later, I'm afraid..."

Before she could finish speaking, she let out a soft sigh, concealing all her malice in silence.

Wanyan Yue swallowed a mouthful of bitter juice, her brows furrowed, and pressed for an answer:

"The remnants... how many members of the Wanyan clan are left?"

Madam Zheng put down the ceramic bowl, wiped the medicine stains from her lips with a handkerchief, and said softly and sadly:

"The elderly, women, and children combined number less than two hundred. The able-bodied... number less than fifty."

Upon hearing this, Wanyan Yue felt a chill creep into her heart.

She gritted her teeth again and tried to get up, but this time Zheng didn't stop her. She just reached out and supported her back, helping her to sit up halfway.

Wanyan Yue leaned against the tent wall, catching her breath, and looked up towards the tent entrance, saying in an unquestionable tone:

"Mother, go and call everyone. Bring all the people in charge here. I have something important to say in public."

Seeing her solemn expression, Madam Zheng was taken aback and gently advised:

"What's the rush? You're still feeling weak..."

"This concerns the life and death of the Wanyan tribe," Wanyan Yue interrupted her, enunciating each word clearly, "I'll tell you all at once once everyone's here."

The mother and daughter locked eyes for a moment, and seeing that her mind was made up, Zheng said no more.

She pulled the blanket tighter around her daughter, turned around, lifted the bed curtains, and whispered instructions to the woman waiting outside:

"Go and fetch the chieftain. Tell him... Jiaojiao has woken up and has something important to discuss."

Wanyan Yue leaned against the tent wall, turned her head upon hearing this, and tentatively asked:

"Chieftain? Who is the current chieftain of the remnants of the Wanyan tribe?"

Madam Zheng turned around, straightened the folds of her skirt, and replied softly:

"It's your uncle, Wanyan Gu."

Upon hearing this, Wanyan Yue could not hide her surprise:

"My uncle... he's still alive?"

Madam Zheng walked back to the couch and sat down, placing her hands in front of her knees, and slowly recounted the events that had transpired:

"That day, the tribe was attacked, and your uncle led the able-bodied men of the right wing to provide support. Later, in the chaos of battle, the right wing was scattered, and your uncle lost contact with the main force. When they found him again, he was lying alone at the foot of the snow-capped mountain, saying that he had fought his way out of the encirclement but was powerless to save the day."

"After a long and arduous journey of fleeing, with no leader, the elders elected him as their leader."

Wanyan Yue listened quietly without responding.

She lowered her eyes, staring at the intricate patterns on the carpet, repeatedly considering her words.

The right flank? The main attack of the Toqto'a tribe that day was precisely on the right flank. If my uncle was on the right flank, how did he survive? And how did he... happen to fall at the foot of the snow-capped mountain, where he was found by the remnants of the tribe?

Suspicion quietly took root in my heart.

She pondered for a long time, but ultimately didn't ask. She simply leaned back against the tent wall and closed her eyes.

Seeing that she remained silent, Madam Zheng assumed she was tired and gently changed the subject:

"Jiaojiao, how did you get here all this way?"

Wanyan Yue opened her eyes again, her gaze expressionless:

"Let's talk about it all when Uncle arrives."

Zheng nodded and did not ask any further questions.

She raised her hand to stroke her daughter's cheek, her fingertips touching the cracks etched by the elements, and her heart clenched. Her gaze then moved downwards, landing on the uneven short hair, and she picked up a strand with her fingertip.

"How did you end up like this? You don't look like a proper girl anymore..."

Wanyan Yue turned her head slightly to avoid him, her tone indifferent:

"It's in the way."

After saying this, Madam Zheng lowered her hands, tears welling in her eyes, and choked out:

"Silly child... In my homeland of the Eastern Continent, it is a great taboo for a woman to cut her hair. It is... it is a sign of farewell... How can you cut it so easily?"

Seeing her mother's sorrowful expression, Wanyan Yue felt a pang of sadness.

She grasped Zheng's slender wrist, cupped her hand in her palm, and whispered:

"When my mother cut her hair and left Dongzhou, it was a farewell to her homeland, but she met my father again in Beiyuan."

As she spoke, she paused, a pair of deep, wolf-like eyes flashing through her mind.

She snapped out of her reverie and her gaze returned to her mother's face:

"And now that I've cut my hair... I've been reunited with my mother. So in Kitahara, a woman cutting her hair isn't necessarily a farewell, but a reunion."

Zheng stared at her blankly, tears still wet on her cheeks, but these words made her laugh through her tears, her eyes filled with both relief and sorrow:

"You...you're just like your father, so stubborn."

Before the words were finished, the heavy felt curtain was lifted, and a cold wind suddenly rose inside the tent.

Wanyan Yue looked up and saw a figure standing against the light at the tent entrance, blocking out most of the gray-white daylight outside.

The newcomer wore a black wolf-skin cloak, had strong shoulders and back, and stood ramrod straight.

Wanyan Yue struggled to sit up and called out softly:

"uncle."

Wanyan Gu strode into the tent, his gaze sweeping over her haggard face, a touch of tenderness appearing perfectly in his eyes.

"Moon, you've suffered so much."

He took two steps forward, half-squatted down in front of the bed, and asked in a deep voice:

"But... how did you find your way here?"

Wanyan Yue lowered her eyes and calmly revealed the many hidden reasons:

"I managed to escape from the Tuotuo tribe by sheer luck. Later... later I learned that my mother was still alive and had retreated here, so I stole a horse and braved the wind and snow to find her all the way here."

Hearing this, Zheng's eyes reddened again, and she choked up, unable to speak.

"Silly child... how perilous this journey must have been."

She patted her daughter's hand, her voice full of tenderness:

"It's alright now. We're here, with Mother and our clansmen here. We're finally... finally safe."

"Safety?"

Wanyan Gu interrupted, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly. He slowly straightened up, his gaze fixed intently on Wanyan Yue's face.

"Moon, you just said that you came here because you learned that your mother was not dead."

He paused slightly, and then the charcoal fire in the tent crackled loudly, making his voice sound even colder.

"But how did you, a girl fleeing alone, obtain such confidential information?"

Wanyan Yue raised her eyes, met his gaze for a moment, and then turned to look at Zheng Shi:

"Mom, where's my coat?"

Madam Zheng was taken aback, and immediately gave the following instructions:

"Go quickly and fetch Jiaojiao's coat."

Before long, the fur coat, which smelled of fox fur, was brought into the tent. Wanyan Yue took it, her fingertips reaching into the lining to carefully feel around, and soon pulled out a well-tanned leather scroll.

In front of the two of them, she slowly unfurled the animal skin scroll and pointed her fingertip to a mountain hollow marked with an ink circle.

"From this map, we know that it is a dome map drawn by the Toqto'a tribe. They had already marked out this area long ago."

She raised her eyes, her words resounding with conviction:

"It's no longer safe here. We must leave immediately and evacuate tonight; we can't afford to waste a single moment."

Upon hearing this, Zheng's face turned pale.

Wanyan Gu bent down, squinted and examined the dome image, a strange light flashing in his eyes.

He slowly straightened up, shook his head, and spoke with a hint of indifference:

"Moon, you seem to be easily frightened."

After saying that, he walked two steps with his hands behind his back, the soles of his boots grinding against the felt carpet.

"The various tribes of the Northern Plains have always adhered to the ironclad rule of 'beheading and expelling followers' in their campaigns. Now that the Wanyan tribe has lost all its able-bodied men, leaving only the elderly, women, and children, why would the Tuotuo tribe go to such lengths to pursue and annihilate them?"

Wanyan Yue raised her finger and pressed it heavily on the circled area in the picture:

"Uncle, please look. This place has been marked with heavy ink by the Tuotuo tribe. Why would they do this if they didn't have some ulterior motive?"

Wanyan Gu paused, his gaze lingering on the vermilion circle for a long time before finally letting out a deep sigh.

"Outside, the wind and snow are fierce, and the world is a uniform white. How can the elderly and weak of the tribe endure the migration at this time?"

He looked up at the top of the tent, as if assessing the time, and then said slowly:

"Moreover, today is the 'Cold Sacrifice Festival' of the Northern Plains. According to ancestral rules, on this day, all tribes cease hostilities and refrain from fighting, focusing solely on worshipping the gods of wind and snow. No matter how arrogant the Tuotuo tribe may be, they would not break the rules on this day."

"Perhaps...we should wait until the snow and wind subside a bit tomorrow before making any further plans."

Upon hearing this, Wanyan Yue straightened up, supporting herself on the edge of the bed, her tone extremely urgent:

"Uncle! When I stole the horse, I heard the weeping of the herdsmen of the Toqto'a tribe. The Toqto'a tribe is now willing to abduct women and kill those already engaged in marriage in order to fulfill the sacred marriage vows! They dare to trample on even the oldest traditions of the Northern Plains, so why would they care about a Cold Sacrifice Festival?"

She took a breath and continued.

"The Tuotuo tribe... has broken the rules. We must leave immediately; every moment of delay increases the risk of annihilation!"

Wanyan Gu's expression changed drastically. He stared at the girl in front of him, remained silent for a long time, and finally slammed his palm heavily on his knee and stood up abruptly.

"Alright! In that case, I'll go gather the people right away and the whole clan will move away tonight!"

Having said that, he strode out of the tent, lifting the curtain and bringing in a biting cold wind.

Madam Zheng quickly stepped forward, carefully tucking the quilt around Wanyan Yue, and softly comforted her:

"Since your uncle has already agreed, there's no need to rush..."

Wanyan Yue stared intently at the swaying tent curtain, her delicate brows furrowed, remaining silent for a long time.

Outside the tent, a fierce wind howled, and snowflakes swirled everywhere.

Standing in the cold snow, Wanyan Gu did not go to gather his clansmen to pack their belongings as instructed.

He looked up at the sky, then turned and walked toward the old felt tent deep in the camp.

The tent was warm and cozy, with seven or eight young and old members of Wanyan's remaining forces huddled together, a half-extinguished charcoal fire burning in the center.

When Wanyan Gu lifted the curtain and entered, everyone looked up and greeted him in unison.

"The chieftain is here!"

"Chief, quickly warm yourself by the fire! The wind outside is like a knife cutting you!"

Wanyan Gu waved his hand to stop the formalities, found an empty spot by the brazier to sit down, and casually asked:

"How's the camp doing lately?"

An old man with a weathered face sighed deeply, poking at the embers with a dry twig, his eyes filled with melancholy as he said:

"We only have enough food for half a month, and the medicinal herbs are almost gone. Two more children caught a cold the other day. If we keep going like this... I'm afraid they won't make it through spring."

A sigh of regret filled the tent, a lamentation pervading the air.

A middle-aged man next to him suddenly spat and said angrily:

"If I had known this would happen, I should have swallowed my pride and sent my maid to that holy marriage! At least I could have gotten a few bags of salt and a piece of pasture. Now look what's happened, we're stuck following the Wanyan tribe, hiding here and there, not even able to get a hot soup."

As soon as he finished speaking, others immediately echoed his sentiments, their words filled with envy and resentment:

"That's right. The Tuotuo tribe, relying on its livestock, forcefully trampled all other tribes underfoot. If our Wanyan tribe had done it earlier..."

Before he could finish speaking, someone next to him nudged his arm, indicating that the leader was present, and he awkwardly shut his mouth.

Wanyan Gu seemed not to hear the complaints and sat thoughtfully by the brazier.

He understood perfectly that the rise and dominance of the Toqto'a tribe was never due to the bravery and skill of its tribal leaders, but rather to the entire tribe's reverence for sacred marriage.

In earlier years, they went to great lengths to collect all sorts of rare and exotic animals in order to prepare for the sacred marriage.

And now... it's not just strange beasts, they're even kidnapping people...

Zheng's family...

A Dongzhou person! A rare Dongzhou person in Beiyuan!

Upon thinking of this, Wanyan Gu's eyes turned cold and his aura became solemn.

He suddenly stood up, his voice barely audible, yet it boomed like thunder in the ears of everyone in the tent:

"The Tuotuo tribe... is coming to kill us."

Those inside the tent exchanged bewildered glances upon hearing this.

"Chief, what brings you to this?" someone asked in a deep voice.

Wanyan Gu's gaze swept over the entire tent of clansmen, each word dripping with hostility as he coldly said:

"It was Wanyan Yue who brought this trouble upon us! We shouldn't have saved her in the first place!"

"What?!"

Old Huhe stood up abruptly, his face flushed red, his tone full of indignation:

"Chief, I checked repeatedly when I rescued her, and there were absolutely no pursuers behind her! She was all alone, lying in the snowdrift; how could there be any trace of her?"

Wanyan Gu sneered, his gaze sweeping across Lao Huhe's face:

"No pursuers? That's because the shamans of the Toqto'a tribe don't need to send troops at all!"

He took a step forward, the flickering firelight stretching his figure into a huge, ferocious shape.

"I just came out of Zheng's tent, and these words were spoken by Wanyan Yue herself. She has been chosen by the shaman of the Tuotuo tribe! The shaman has marked her, so no matter where she flees to, the Tuotuo tribe will find her!"

He paused, taking in the panic of everyone in the tent, and then uttered his most scathing words.

"The Tuotuo tribe won't let her go. If she wants to live... what should you do?"

He took a heavy step, his eyes filled with gloom.

"The only solution is to tie her up along with Zheng and hand them over."