With the arrival of spring, the northern grasslands were no longer covered in snow. Instead, it looked lively.
The tender green of the grasslands was refreshing, and the transparent and clear rivers flowed through the meadows in a winding manner.
The white clouds hung low in the sky, making it seem like the heavens were within reach.
But for some reason, on the way back, Yan Liuyuan felt that the sky was also overcast. The dark clouds never dissipated.
It was not until the moment he saw Sister Xiaoyu that the dark clouds in the sky suddenly dissipated. Light shone through the dark clouds and reached the ground, illuminating the abyss.
When Sister Xiaoyu saw Yan Liuyuan, she felt that he had changed into a different person. But when he saw her, he immediately changed back to normal.
To Yan Liuyuan, Sister Xiaoyu was like a solid anchor. As long as this anchor was still there, he would not get lost in the deep sea.
In front of Sister Xiaoyu, he was no longer a god, nor was he the young lord of the grasslands. He was just Yan Liuyuan.
"Sister Xiaoyu, my brother is still alive," Yan Liuyuan said softly as he sat in the imperial court's tent.
Sister Xiaoyu, who was sewing clothes for Yan Liuyuan, suddenly froze. She turned to look at Yan Liuyuan. "W-Where is he?"
Yan Liuyuan took off his black visor and said, "But I didn't go looking for him."
There were only the two of them in the imperial court's tent. Sister Xiaoyu saw a hint of sadness in Yan Liuyuan's expression. She said, "Is it because you're afraid?"
Yan Liuyuan suddenly brought up something else. "Sis, you know my power. In the past, there would always be a backlash every time I used it."
Sister Xiaoyu said with a gentle expression, "The first time I discovered your power was when all the bones in your brother's body were fractured. At that time, we were held hostage by the Li Consortium's troops and forced to do work. You fell every day until your face was bruised and swollen, and the people you cursed all fell to their deaths."
"Mm," Yan Liuyuan nodded. "The curse backlash is very simple. Whatever I curse, the corresponding backlash will befall me. But ever since the battle in the river valley, things have changed. The ground is constantly cracking, and the cracks on the ground are constantly spreading into the distance. But I don't suffer any backlash. The cracking ground is like a shackle on my own body. Every time I use it, the shackle will be opened a little more. "
After hearing this, Sister Xiaoyu did not rush to respond. Instead, she silently listened to Yan Liuyuan continue to speak.
Yan Liuyuan said, "The crack on the shackles is like a crack in the abyss, constantly expanding. I feel like there's some kind of will summoning me to become a part of that will. No, to be more precise, I'm replacing that massive will. Only by returning to your side can I feel the crack slowly closing up. Only then can I regain more … human emotions. "
"Liuyuan, you've already unified the grasslands, so don't use your power anymore," Sister Xiaoyu said softly as she sat across from Yan Liuyuan.
"Mhm, I'll try my best to restrain myself," Yan Liuyuan agreed.
"Then what are your plans for the future?" Sister Xiaoyu asked.
Yan Liuyuan was silent for a long time. "During this expedition to the South, thousands of innocent people died in the massacre in the city, and some women were humiliated because of the Khoton tribe. I don't know how to face him. I don't know how to tell him that his closest brother has become the person he hates the most."
"But you should know that even though he wants you to be a good person, he will never abandon you because of something like this. Have you ever thought about how hard it's been for him to find you now? You know your brother's character. If he doesn't see you for a day, he'll continue looking for you until he dies, "Sister Xiaoyu said.
Yan Liuyuan did not say anything.
When Sister Xiaoyu saw Yan Liuyuan's expression, she suddenly realized it was not that Liuyuan could not face Ren Xiaosu, but that he could not face himself.
At that time in town, Liuyuan would imitate Ren Xiaosu's tone when he spoke. He would do whatever Ren Xiaosu liked.
This child had an inexplicable admiration for Ren Xiaosu since he was young. He wholeheartedly took Ren Xiaosu as his role model and wanted to become someone like Ren Xiaosu.
But in the end, he ended up becoming the kind of person Ren Xiaosu hated the most. Yan Liuyuan was scared.
"Big Sis, give me some time." Yan Liuyuan said, "I'll go check on the matter at the salt pool first."
With that, Yan Liuyuan put on his black visor again. When he walked out of the imperial tent, countless tribesmen were already waiting for him outside. Hassan led his horse to him while Bulan Zir knelt respectfully on the ground and willingly became a horse stool.
This was how a god should be treated.
Yan Liuyuan first checked on the injuries of the deceased. Bulan Zir confirmed from the side, "They're all saber wounds, but it should've been inflicted by a heavy saber. The force of the slash was so great that it nearly split the person in half. His ears were also cut off. It's like a ritual."
Yan Liuyuan nodded. "Are there any survivors? Did anyone see what the perpetrators looked like?"
"No, there were only 12 people who went to the salt pool to carry the salt. They're all dead," a leader said.
Kirghiz Yan squatted down beside the corpses. "The saber wounds were all on the front, and none of them escaped. They were all the bravest men of the grasslands. Master, should we chase after them to the north and avenge them? I, Kirghiz Yan, can be the vanguard. "
"Let's give the warriors a sky burial first," Yan Liuyuan said calmly.
With that, a few falcons flew over from the sky and landed beside the corpses as though there was no one else around. The surrounding tribesmen all knelt down. To the nomads, if the corpses of the deceased could be eaten by falcons, it would mean that the souls of the deceased could fly into the sky.
But in the past, sky burials required the deceased to be dragged to the grasslands to wait for seven days. It had never been as miraculous as this.
In their opinion, this was a funeral personally held by Yan Liuyuan for their tribesmen. It was a baptism by the gods.
Yan Liuyuan turned his horse and walked towards the salt pool. Hundreds of warriors followed behind him like his personal attendants.
When they arrived at the periphery of the salt pool, Yan Liuyuan could already see the bloodstains in front of him.
The purplish-brown bloodstains were extremely eye-catching on the white salt pool. Yan Liuyuan asked, "Were the corpses found here?"
"Yes, Master," a man from the grasslands answered.
"Have any of you seen those people from the north in recent years?" Yan Liuyuan asked.
"No." Bulan Zir shook his head. "Our Bulan tribe should be the ones with the most activity in the north, but I've never seen them before."
"That's strange." Yan Liuyuan said, "Why did these people suddenly head south and get so close to our territory?"
At this moment, a black figure appeared on the vast salt pool in the distance. Hassan subconsciously moved forward and led his men to form a defensive formation in front of Yan Liuyuan.
Yan Liuyuan watched from his horse as the other party gradually approached. Then he said calmly, "They're here."
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