Now, all they hoped for was to take a share of the supplies and search for another way out through the cavern.
Even if the chances were slim, it was better than walking knowingly toward certain death.
Captain A-Long’s face was ashen. His fists clenched tightly as he wanted to shout them down.
But when he saw the fear and despair in the eyes of the brothers who had once fought by his side, the words of reprimand caught in his throat and died there.
He was afraid too — only duty and loyalty kept him from speaking out.
Qingzhu stomped her foot in anger and anxiety. “How can you be like this? Her Highness has treated you well — and now that danger comes, you all want to run away?”
Li Qingcheng gazed at the guards before her — men weeping and begging — and her heart felt like a jar of mixed spices, full of sorrow and helplessness.
She felt disappointment, coldness, and above all, a deep compassion.
She understood their fear. Even Li Yuntian had considered the path ahead a dead end — who wouldn’t be afraid? They weren’t truly disloyal; they were simply crushed by unending terror and the deaths of their companions. Their will to live had collapsed.
She took a deep breath, suppressing the sting in her nose, and though her voice was hoarse, it was steady and clear.
“Enough. Since you wish to leave, I won’t stop you.”
Her words made Zhao Tie, Hou San, and Wang Kui’s faces light up with joy.
Li Qingcheng walked to the remaining pile of supplies and silently took inventory.
A few bags of clean water, some dry rations, and that box of healing elixirs sat quietly nearby.
She took three bags of water and an equal share of rations, then selected a few common wound-healing and antidote pills from the box. Wrapping them carefully in a piece of cloth, she turned and handed the bundle to Zhao Tie.
“Your Highness!” Qingzhu and A-Long both cried out in shock.
Li Qingcheng raised her hand to stop them.
Her gaze lingered on Zhao Tie and the others, eyes complex and unreadable.
“Everyone has their own path. I won’t force you to stay. Take these — may they help you find a way to survive.”
Zhao Tie and the others froze, stunned.
They hadn’t expected the princess to agree so easily — much less to give them a share of their precious supplies.
For a moment, shame, gratitude, and confusion flooded their hearts.
“Your Highness, I…” Zhao Tie’s throat tightened as he took the heavy bundle, his hands trembling.
“There’s no need to say more.”
Li Qingcheng interrupted gently, her tone weary. “Remember — no matter what lies ahead, live. If you can make it back to the capital safely, tell me whether my father is still all right.”
Her words made Zhao Tie and the others bow their heads in guilt, unable to meet her eyes.
Li Qingcheng turned her gaze toward the one-armed veteran, Old Zhang. “And you? If you wish to leave, it’s not too late. You’ll also receive a share of supplies.”
Old Zhang’s clouded eyes flickered between Li Qingcheng and his empty sleeve. At last, he gave a bitter smile and shook his head.
“In my state, wherever I go, I’ll die anyway. I might as well stay with Your Highness — at least then, I’ll die with meaning.”
He chose to stay — perhaps out of resignation, perhaps out of the last spark of loyalty in his heart.
Two other guards hesitated for a long time. They looked at the companions who had chosen to leave, then at Dustin, whose calm face revealed unfathomable depths.
Finally, they gritted their teeth and stood beside A-Long, choosing to remain.
In the end, Zhao Tie, Li Shun, and Wang Ergou — a few of them in total — took the supplies Li Qingcheng had given them.
They bowed deeply to her, then cast one last, guilty glance at those who stayed behind.
At last, they turned and walked toward another passage of the cavern, their heavy footsteps fading into the darkness until they were gone.
Only seven people remained in the cave now.
Li Qingcheng, Qingzhu, Dustin, Captain A-Long, the one-armed Old Zhang, and the two guards who had decided to stay.
The air was still heavy, but the tension that had once filled it — like a drawn sword — was gone.
In its place lingered a tragic calm and grim resolve.
Dustin, who had been silent all along, finally opened his eyes. His gaze swept across Li Qingcheng, and a faint, imperceptible glint of admiration flickered in his eyes.
He made no comment about those who had left, only said quietly,
“Everyone has their own road. Forcing them to stay would be useless. Those without firm resolve would only become a hidden danger if they remained.”
Li Qingcheng nodded. She understood that truth well.
Letting them go was both an act of mercy and a necessary cleansing — removing the instability from the group.
“We’ll rest for a while, then move on,” Li Qingcheng said. Her voice had regained its calm, but now carried a stronger, steadier determination born of her decision.
“The road ahead may be perilous,” she said softly, “but since we’ve chosen it — we’ll walk it to the end.”
Dustin inclined his head slightly, then closed his eyes again to continue meditating.
He knew that the true test was only just beginning. - Marinien
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