The Myth of Daqin: The Soul of Yi Xiaochuan

Five days later, Meng Yi and his party arrived at the border between Xue County and Donghai County. The area was densely covered with rivers and the hills undulated like a dragon.

Suddenly, as they were riding through a forest, a dozen bandits suddenly appeared from both sides of the road and stopped Meng Yi and his companions. The leader, a burly man, resembled a tiger descending from the mountains, machete in hand, and shouted, "Who are you, little brat, to dare to run wild here and disturb my peaceful sleep? I'll spare your life, but leave your horse behind. Get out of here!"

Seeing this, Meng Xin was about to draw his Qin Sword, but Meng Yi stopped him. Thinking it was the end of the year, it was inappropriate to see blood, so he turned to the bandits and said, "My dear friends, this horse is essential for our journey. Here is some money, I hope you will accept it."

When Meng Xin heard Meng Yi's words, he thought to himself: Is he afraid of these bandits? At that moment, his contempt for Meng Yi increased a little.

The bandit leader scoffed at Meng Yi's proposal and shouted angrily, "Don't you understand what I'm saying? If you don't leave your horses behind, don't blame me for taking your lives!"

Seeing this, Meng Yi stopped talking nonsense, resolutely drew out the Qin sword, dismounted, and faced the bandits head-on.

Meng Yi's movements were as swift as lightning, his sword swift as a gust of wind and rain, each swing of his sword brimming with unparalleled momentum. His steps were like a phantom, elusive, and the bandits' attacks were all in vain.

He swung his sword, and the sword's rainbow pierced the sun. A bandit flew several feet away like a kite with a broken string, and fell to the ground. Then, he dodged to the side, avoiding the chopping sword, and kicked the other bandit backward.

Meng Yi's sword moves grew increasingly swift and ferocious, sweeping across the battlefield like a raging storm. The bandits were powerless under his sword, only able to let out wailing cries. His eyes were as firm as a rock, as cold as frost.

In a flash, Meng Yi had already knocked down more than a dozen bandits. Behind him was a devastated battlefield, littered with the bandits' corpses, limbs, and broken blades.

Meng Xin and the others beside him finally came to their senses and were secretly shocked: So this young general is so powerful, and his words about rushing a thousand miles to attack the royal court are true. Meng Xin thought to himself: "I misjudged him, this young general is indeed extraordinary."

The remaining bandits, seeing the situation was dire, fled in all directions. Meng Yi did not pursue them. Instead, he sheathed his sword, dusted himself off, and remounted his horse.

Meng Xin and others looked at Meng Yi in awe and followed him.

Meng Yi breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the bandits go away.

"Keep moving forward." He shouted softly, leading everyone to continue moving forward.

Along the way, Meng Xin wanted to speak several times, but didn't know how to start.

Meng Yi noticed something strange about Meng Xin and asked with a smile, "Meng Xin, do you have anything to say?"

Meng Xin hesitated for a long time before finally summoning the courage to speak: "Young General! I have misunderstood you before. I am truly ashamed. I never expected your swordsmanship to be so superb!"

Meng Yi raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a faint smile, and responded softly: "It's okay, don't take it to heart." His tone was calm and gentle, as if he didn't care about it.

Meng Xin's face was filled with admiration, his gaze fixed on Meng Yi. He said with deep emotion, "Young General, the swordsmanship you just displayed was truly breathtaking. It was a feast for my eyes! From now on, I will follow you closely and humbly learn from you."

Meng Yi smiled and nodded slightly to show his agreement.

Afterwards, everyone continued their journey.

After a day of arduous journey, we finally arrived in Pei County in the evening.

Meng Yi led everyone to the gate of Lu's mansion and knocked gently.

The door slowly opened, and a man dressed as a servant poked his head out and asked what they were here for. After Meng Yi introduced himself, the servant's expression became extremely respectful, and he hurriedly welcomed them into the mansion.

When Lu Su learned that Meng Yi was about to arrive, she could not contain her excitement. Her heart was pounding like a frightened deer, and she ran to the gate impatiently.

As soon as Meng Yi saw Lü Su, he couldn't help but feel an indescribable joy and excitement. During this long separation, he had thought of her constantly, her every smile and frown etched deeply in his heart. Now, finally seeing the person he had longed for again, his eyes revealed an endless tenderness and attachment, and time seemed to stand still.

Lu Su, in turn, gazed at him with equal affection, her heart filled with longing and reliance on Meng Yi. In the days since his departure, she had missed him day and night, and every time she thought of him, her heart was filled with warmth. At this moment, the longing in her eyes was like the warm spring sun, blazing and deep.

Lu Su's eyes were filled with deep affection, and she gazed at Meng Yi in front of her with a watery gaze. She opened her red lips and whispered softly, "Brother Yi, you are finally back..." This gentle call contained her endless longing and expectation, which caused ripples in Meng Yi's heart.

The corners of Meng Yi's mouth curled up slightly, outlining a faint smile. He nodded gently, responding to Lu Su's fiery gaze. At this moment, thousands of words seemed superfluous. The two of them only needed to exchange glances to understand each other's thoughts.

Just then, upon hearing the news, Lü's father hurried over. Lü Gong quickly approached the two, his eyes filled with joy. He looked at the loving couple, his face filled with relief and joy, and nodded with satisfaction. Then, Lü Gong turned and instructed his attendants, "Hurry and prepare a sumptuous banquet with fine wine and delicious food!"

Suddenly, the entire mansion was abuzz with activity, everyone was busy, each doing their own thing. Smoke curled from the kitchen, and the aroma filled the air. Soon, tables of exquisite and delicious dishes filled the hall, and fine wines were delivered continuously.

That night, as the New Year was approaching, the two brothers Lu Ze and Lu Shi went to visit relatives and friends nearby and would not return until the next day, so they were unable to attend.

At the banquet, only Lu Taigong and his sister Lu Su were there to keep each other company.

Father Lu gazed at Meng Yi and said happily, "My dear son-in-law, you have been away for three or four months, and I didn't expect you to return just at the end of the year."

Meng Yi responded, "Father-in-law, it's because the New Year is coming to an end that I hurried back to spend the holidays with my family." After he finished speaking, he looked at Lu Su beside him with deep affection.

When Mr. Lu saw this scene, he was extremely happy.

However, Lü Zhi teased, "Father, why don't you ask who these warriors beside your brother-in-law are?"

Father Lu, previously ecstatic, only now noticed the four accompanying warriors. Their figures were sturdy, as straight as pine trees, their eyes as sharp as arrows, unwavering and piercing. Father Lu thought to himself, "Judging from their demeanor, they seem like elite soldiers in the army. Just as I expected, this Meng Yi has achieved extraordinary things."

Father Lu looked at Meng Yi with a smile on his face and asked, "My dear son-in-law, who are these warriors?"

Meng Xin and the others immediately stood up and saluted respectfully, saying, "Grandpa, we are the retainers of the General's Mansion."

Seeing Lu's father's puzzled expression, Meng Xin continued, "The Supreme General is General Meng Tian. Previously, the Supreme General defeated 300,000 Xiongnu at Jiuyuan, shocking the world with his might. His Majesty the Emperor bestowed upon him the title of Supreme General and Marquis of Guannei. Junior General Meng Yi also achieved remarkable feats for his remarkable raid on the Xiongnu royal court, earning him the title of General of the Central Guard."

When everyone in the hall heard this, they became even more confused. Why would General Meng Tian's family general accompany Meng Yi on this trip?

Meng Yi gave Meng Xin a look, and everyone sat down.

Meng Yi turned to look at Lu's father and explained, "Ying Bu and I journeyed north to Yanmen Pass to join the army. Unexpectedly, we encountered General Meng Tian while he was inspecting the northern lands. During a duel, General Meng Tian stumbled upon the pendant I was carrying. After a conversation, he confirmed that I was his younger brother who had gone missing in Donghai County nine years prior. Later, my elder brother changed my surname back to Meng. When the Xiongnu invaded our border, I followed my elder brother, Meng Yuan, in leading the army to attack the Xiongnu royal court."

Everyone was stunned by Meng Yi's dramatic transformation, and it took them a long time to recover. Only Lu Su showed an anxious look, carefully examining Meng Yi from head to toe, anxiously checking if he was injured.

Meng Yi held Lu Su's hand tightly and looked at her firmly, as if telling her not to worry and everything would be fine.

Time passed minute by minute, and the people around finally came back to their senses from their shock.

Father Lu's face turned pale. He stood up in horror and staggered towards Meng Yi. Then he bowed deeply and said respectfully, "Greetings, Major General!"

Seeing this, Meng Yi hurriedly reached out to support Lu's father's arm and responded earnestly: "Father-in-law, please don't do such a big gift. Susu and I are in love with each other. I came back this time because I want to marry her."

Upon hearing this, Father Lu's anxious heart finally settled a little. He had been deeply concerned, fearing Meng Yi would break off the engagement due to the disparity in their social status. After all, compared to the powerful Meng family, the Lu family was like an ant trying to shake a tree; there was no chance of success. Fortunately, Meng Yi was clearly a man of deep affection.

After hearing her father's words, Lu Su suddenly realized that the difference in status between her and Meng Yi was now like heaven and earth. But when she heard Meng Yi say that he had returned to marry her, she was overwhelmed with joy.

Then everyone started to raise their glasses to celebrate Meng Yi's arrival.