The Male Lead’s Backyard is on Fire! – Chapter 100: Behind You

Yuchi Li bathed, packed some clothes, then rode back to the military camp with Liu Luoyi. The sky was already growing dark by then, and when she lifted her head, she could see the enormous sun descending toward the horizon, staining the earth and sky dual crimson. 

There were no shouts of the drilling commands today; regulations were likely somewhat looser temporarily since they would go out for battle a few days hence. Yuchi Li dismounted, then reached out to catch Liu Luoyi. 

“Your Highness is somewhat late in returning.” A voice called out. Yuchi Li raised her gaze and looked at him without replying, then sent the horse to the stables. 

“I said I would be in E’Gu today. Why are you waiting here for me?” Yuchi Li strode into the camp with Liu Luoyi. 

“You have yet to train today, Princess.” Mu Yang picked up the sandbags respectfully, and, with the same level of respect, placed them down at her feet. 

Yuchi Li glanced at the familiar sandbags and felt a surge of anger in her heart, but she soon pushed down the burning feeling, looked at Mu Yang with a skin-deep smile, then nodded sharply. 

She picked up the sandbags and tossed them over her shoulders. Liu Luoyi moved to help her, looking at her anxiously. 

Yuchi Li knew that she was worried about her injuries, and so she smiled consolingly, saying softly: “It’s fine, it’s just running. I can’t let that General Sheepdog look down on me.”

Mu Yang frowned slightly, but, as usual, did not mind the particulars. He gestured in invitation. 

Yuchi Li set off without another word toward the training yard. She had already grown accustomed over the last few days; she could handle it with a little fatigue and a little pain. Within the first lap, her legs seemed to be filled with lead and her shoulders ached with unbearable pain. 

But the strength in her bones allowed her to push through it all. The first night, she was even too exhausted to get out of bed. 

For a princess, she was surely the most miserable of them all. 

After running two laps, she returned, panting heavily, and tossed the sandbags away. Mu Yang nodded as if completing a task. Only then did he turn to look at Liu Luoyi: “May I ask, Princess, who…”

“You don’t need to know her identity. She will follow me from here on out. Assign some soldiers to protect her.” Yuchi Li wiped the sweat from her forehead, leaning into Liu Luoyi’s arms.

Liu Luoyi was out of her mind with distress. She wiped away Yuchi Li’s sweat, dab after dab, doing her best to support her frame. 

She could imagine before how tired Yuchi Li was, but now having seen it in person, she felt even more upset. 

Mu Yang looked at them and wanted to say something, but did not. Instead, he changed the topic directly: “Princess, His Majesty ordered us to set out the day after next toward the border. The battlefield is a dangerous place; are you certain that you wish to bring along this woman?”

“Yes, I’m certain.” Yuchi Li said, tugging on Liu Luoyi’s hand and heading back into camp. 

Mu Yang watched them leave and quietly gathered the sandbags littered on the ground, then calmly stood at a high point, looking over everything. Before, when he had just heard that the one he and the Wolf Calvary would be following loyally was a princess such as her, he was, truthfully, unreconciled. However, over the past few days while he was giving her a hard time, he had discovered that she was entirely different from what the rumors said about her. It was difficult to imagine that a princess who had grown up in the lap of luxury would be able to humble herself so. 

Even though she had once lived in a military camp, no one had dared to make trouble for her like he had. He had only dared use this method to temper her after receiving the king’s suggestion. But after these last few days, he found that Yuchi Li did not require tempering in the first place; she was a hard worker, her disposition placid and at times decisive. In this regard, she was almost perfect. 

He was even a little impressed. 

But the battlefield was never so simple. And as for how this woman who was to become ruler would react to the carnage of battle, he would wait in anticipation. 

The day soon ended. At the break of dawn the next, the horns in the camp sounded, their dull blares piercing through the haze, ringing out over the wide area. Yuchi Li got ready and made to head out but was startled just as she lifted the curtain by Mu Yang standing there. 

“You’re quite diligent, General Mu.” Yuchi Li patted her chest. 

“I rarely sleep while on expedition, Your Highness.” Mu Yang said, his voice low. 

Yuchi Li met his eyes and, as usual, felt that the emotions in his eyes were too concealed, that he was difficult to read. Now she suddenly understood: this was the numbness of experiencing too much. 

“Prepare yourself, Princess.” Mu Yang turned around and left after speaking. 

Yuchi Li turned and looked at Liu Luoyi. Liu Luoyi’s expression was serene and unexpectedly unworried. She gently pinched the red string around Yuchi Li’s neck and pulled out the hidden jade pendant, cradling it in her palms. 

Then she leaned in and kissed it. After doing so, the red at the center of the jade seemed to be even more vibrant. 

“A’Li, I’m right behind you.” Liu Luoyi smiled at Yuchi Li and slightly hooked her fingers with her own, then strode away with Xin Ran and boarded a carriage. 

Yuchi Li was grinning from ear to ear because of her actions. She held the jade pendant and furtively brought it to her lips. Then, she put away her smile and wore a dignified expression as she walked up to Mu Yang. 

“Princess, raise the flag.” Mu Yang said quietly behind her. 

Acting according to his words, Yuchi Li thrust the military flag into the air. The troops immediately started to raise their fists and shout. The sight was hazy with the mist in the air. All she could see was the back and forth of small dots: their raised arms. 

Their cries converged into a chant more resonant than the horn’s blare, echoing thunderously across the grass plains. Once they reached Yuchi Li’s ears, her spirits soared. A bubble of excitement formed inside of her, a thrill filling up to the bursting point. 

The column of soldiers was spread out like a serpent as they traveled across the flat, boundless plains. Yuchi Li and Mu Yang and two deputy generals were seated in a carriage. The carriage jostled about, but she had her eyes fixed on a map, her expression unfazed. 

“So, the Yan Kingdom sent twice as many people as we have currently guarding the border?” Yuchi Li inquired, biting the knuckle of her index finger. 

“Yes, they were bold enough to make a reckless incursion and must be familiar with our defenses. The forest won’t hold them back for long, and as soon as the battle starts, my forces will suffer losses.” Mu Yang said. 

Yuchi Li looked at the map, lost in thought. The Northern Territory was made up mostly of grass plains with only some small hills. If they were to engage, they could only meet them head-on. 

“But why did you not deploy us earlier?” Yuchi Li frowned. 

Upon hearing this, Mu Yang’s gaze flickered with a trace of unnaturalness. He paused, then said: “The Wolf Cavalry is the Northern Territory’s most skilled fighting force, unbeaten in combat. This is because it utilizes surprise attacks, striking like wolves on the plains. It relies on catching the enemy unawares, just as they’ve relaxed.”

“So you all have had a plan all along?” Yuchi Li lifted her gaze and looked at him. 

“No, everything rests on your decision, Princess.” Mu Yang lowered his head. 

Yuchi Li sighed. In other words, they were not actually reinforcements, but rather the ones responsible for striking from behind. Many lives at the border garrison would surely be sacrificed.

“The Northern Territory has a small population, and the military is likewise small. Princess, there’s bound to be death on the battlefield. You must steel your heart against it.”  Mu Yang said, meeting her gaze for the first time without evading. 

Yuchi Li looked at his scarred face, was silent for a moment, then lowered her head to continue examining the map. 

“I know. But we need to time it properly, at least.” Yuchi Li said, her voice low. She pointed to a corner of the map, “Is this a marsh? Can we cross it?”

“Yes. However, it’s dangerous. You can follow us from behind, Princess.” Mu Yang nodded. 

“No need. I’ll go with you and scout the area.”  Yuchi Li said lightly. She closed the map without so much as a ‘by your leave’, and leaned back expressionlessly, not saying a word. 

The other two deputy generals did not dare speak in this atmosphere. After hearing Mu Yang’s arrangements, they saluted Yuchi Li then gingerly exited the carriage. 

Mu Yang sat behind her silently. Yuchi Li turned her head and looked at the gradually brightening scenery outside the window. The picturesque clear, blue sky hovered above the vast plains, serene and peaceful. 

Soon, everywhere would be strewn with corpses and flowing with rivers of blood. She did not know what kind of situation it would be, but Mu Yang had been correct. War begot sacrifice; any who stepped up to protect this land had to accept the possibility of their death. 

She clenched the jade pendant in her hand, closing her eyes.

___________

The blazing sun was like a fire set alight in the heavens; the frigid autumn wind resisted its heat, gradually cooling its spattering flames. 

Blades of chartreuse grass brushing against boots and hems were trampled mercilessly underfoot. When they sprung back up, they were then dyed crimson, left standing as trembling witnesses to what was happening around them. 

Corpses littered the ground in unfathomable numbers. Whether donned in armor of the Yan Kingdom or the clothing of the Northern Territory, they were all piled together lifelessly, their blood flowing together into pools, staining the soil and grass. As far as the eye could see was calamitous devastation. 

The fresh air of the breeze was, upon entering the bloodbath, likewise tainted with a sanguinous reek and carried the horror and carnage off to other distant places in a torrent. War swept across the land, and alongside those countless bodies were people still hacking and slashing, their eyes bloodshot. 

Armor glinted under the sunlight, more or less occupying the majority. The soldiers of the Northern Territory looked to be in a sorry state, fighting as they lost ground bit by bit. The outcome seemed to be a forgone conclusion. The victors stepped over the bodies of their own, blinded by killing intent. 

Having just crossed the marsh, Yuchi Li took everything in from a distant point. She clenched her fists. Before her eyes, the once verdant green grassland was now a swath of red. The scent of blood in the air made her want to vomit. 

She had never seen a scene like this since she arrived in their world. Compared to the bit of cruelty she had seen in the Lu residence, the shock of the scene before her was endless times greater. 

She bit her lip, nearly drawing blood. Beside her, Mu Yang pressed her shoulder down, saying calmly: “Wait, Princess. It’s not time.”

Yuchi Li took a deep breath and continued staring. 

After another stick of incense’s time^[1]Can vary, about 30 minutes or so had passed, Mu Yang released his hand. Yuchi Li raised the military flag, shoved it into the ground, then released a yell and spurred her horse forward. 

The Yan Kingdom’s ranks were soon broken. The Wolf Cavalry was as its namesake, driving into the enemy without breaking formation. Yuchi Li could sense countless people perishing in front of her. For some reason, her mind became tranquil. The dagger in her hand was a blur; any who approached her fell. 

She advanced without any regard for the enemy. She heard Mu Yang shout in alarm beside her, but she did not take notice. 

Risks had to be taken to save people. Others could not assume these risks, but she could.

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