39: I will wipe away Hua Zheng's tears.

The wind in Wild Wolf Valley whipped sand against his face. Xie Hui had just finished burying the last horse-tripping rope trap when Hua Zheng's tearful cry came from behind him. He turned to see her squatting on the ground, clutching a broken silver ornament. Her eyes were as red as ripe cherries, and the midday sun of the grasslands made her teardrops glisten.

"What happened?" Xie Hui hurried over and squatted beside her, gently touching her arm. "How many times have I told you? Don't wear so much silver when setting traps. It's heavy and gets caught on things easily, but you just wouldn't listen."

Hua Zheng sniffled and held out the broken silver bracelet, her voice trembling. "This was given to me by my mother before she passed. It got caught on a rock just now and snapped..." Before she could finish, her tears fell like a string of broken pearls, vanishing instantly into the dry sand.

Xie Hui's heart softened. He took the bracelet and inspected it. It was made of the Snowflake Silver unique to the grasslands, engraved with small auspicious cloud patterns, with fresh scratches at the break. Just as he was about to comfort her, Huang Rong approached quickly with a cloth bundle, muttering, "Xie Hui, hurry up. Mu Nianci has the medicine ready and is waiting for... Oh? Why is Hua Zheng crying?"

Huang Rong leaned in, saw the broken bracelet, and understood immediately. "Is that all? Crying over a silver chain. Xie Hui, don't you know some little tricks from the modern era? Use a hammer to tap it and some fire to heat it; maybe you can join it back together."

Hearing this, Hua Zheng's tears stopped instantly. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Xie Hui. "Can it really be fixed?"

Xie Hui was amused by her sudden change in mood. He flicked the tip of her nose. "Your tears come and go as fast as a grassland rain shower. Don't worry, even if it were shattered to pieces, I could fix it for you. But first, we need to finish the traps. Once we camp tonight, I'll find some charcoal to fix it for you."

Hua Zheng stood up immediately, brushing the sand off her skirt, her previous sadness gone. "Then let's hurry! I can bury ten more horse-tripping ropes!"

Huang Rong curled her lip. "Truly a case of choosing romance over friendship. One moment she's sobbing, and the next, she's like she's had a shot of adrenaline just because her bracelet can be fixed."

Xie Hui smiled and took the bundle from Huang Rong, which contained medicine and rations prepared by Mu Nianci. "Don't be jealous. After we defeat the Jin army, I'll make you a new one that's even prettier than Hua Zheng's."

"Who wants you to make one!" Huang Rong's face reddened as she snatched the bundle back. "I just think Hua Zheng is too delicate, crying over such a small thing. Look at Mu Nianci; she pricked her finger while organizing the medicine earlier and didn't even make a sound."

As they spoke, Mu Nianci walked over carrying a bamboo basket filled with freshly baked naan bread. Indeed, a small piece of medicinal herb was plastered on her finger. "Stop arguing and eat something. We still need to scout the valley entrance this afternoon."

Xie Hui quickly took a piece of naan and handed it to Hua Zheng. "Eat up to settle your stomach. When we go to the valley entrance later, stay close to me. The rocks there are slippery; don't fall."

Hua Zheng took a large bite of the naan and said indistinctly, "I won't fall! I'm the best rider on the grasslands!"

As the four were talking, the sound of hoofbeats suddenly came from the distance. Xie Hui's heart tightened, and he signaled everyone to hide behind the rocks. A few Jin soldiers rode past the valley entrance leisurely, chatting. "I heard Young Master Yang Kang has arrived at our camp and brought a powerful helper who can easily defeat the grassland people."

"What kind of helper is so powerful?" another soldier asked.

"Apparently, she's a poison expert named Mei... Mei Chaofeng? I heard her Nine Yin White Bone Claw is terrifying; she can crush a person's skull with one strike!"

Xie Hui's heart skipped a beat when he heard the name "Mei Chaofeng." How could he have forgotten her? Mei Chaofeng had an old grudge with Yang Kang's Master, Qiu Chuji. If Yang Kang really invited her, they were in big trouble.

Once the Jin soldiers were far away, Huang Rong peeked out from behind the rock. "Mei Chaofeng? Why would she help Yang Kang? She's a cold-blooded killer. Our traps might work on ordinary soldiers, but they won't stop her."

Mu Nianci also frowned. "Mei Chaofeng's poison is potent. We must prepare antidotes in advance, or it will be trouble if someone gets poisoned."

Hua Zheng gripped her broken bracelet, her expression turning serious. "What should we do then? Do we need to change our plan?"

Xie Hui took a deep breath and patted their shoulders. "The plan remains the same, but we need to add measures for Mei Chaofeng. Huang Rong, tomorrow you go to the nearby woods to find some 'Heartbreak Grass.' Although Mei Chaofeng's poison is strong, Heartbreak Grass can temporarily suppress it. Mu Nianci, prepare more cloth strips and strong liquor. If someone is scratched by Mei Chaofeng, use the liquor to disinfect before bandaging. Hua Zheng, you'll lead the decoy unit tomorrow. Avoid direct confrontation with Mei Chaofeng. If you see her, retreat into the valley immediately. I'll set up traps specifically for her there."

The three nodded. Just as they were about to speak, Hua Zheng suddenly gasped and pointed at Xie Hui's arm. "You're bleeding!"

Xie Hui looked down. While burying the horse-tripping ropes, he had cut his arm on a rock, and blood was trickling down. Mu Nianci quickly took medicine from her basket and carefully cleaned the wound, muttering, "How could you be so careless? It'll be trouble if the wound gets infected."

Huang Rong also leaned in, frowning. "How many times have I told you to be careful while working? You never listen. When we get back, I'll boil some herbs for you to clear the heat and detoxify."

Seeing the wound on Xie Hui's arm, Hua Zheng's eyes reddened again. "It's my fault. If I hadn't cried earlier, you wouldn't have been distracted..."

Xie Hui interrupted her. "It has nothing to do with you; I was just careless. Besides, what's a small scratch? Back when I was squeezing onto the subway in the Magic City, I'd get stepped on a dozen times without making a sound. This is like an itch."

This made Huang Rong and Mu Nianci laugh, and Hua Zheng couldn't help but smile through her tears. "Keep bragging! How can the subway compare to a battle?"

Xie Hui smiled. "Why can't it? Squeezing onto the subway tests your skills more than a battle. You have to know how to weave, push, and dodge. It's just like setting traps—it's all technical work."

The four chatted and laughed as they packed up and headed back to camp. The setting sun cast long shadows. Although they knew the enemy they faced tomorrow was powerful, having each other nearby made them feel at ease.

Back at the camp, Xie Hui had just placed Hua Zheng's silver bracelet over the charcoal when a soldier ran over in a panic. "Military Advisor Xie! This is bad! Yang Kang and Mei Chaofeng have raided our Supply Camp!"

Xie Hui's heart sank. He stood up abruptly. "What? What about the Supply Camp?"

"We didn't lose much grain, but Miss Mu Nianci was captured by Mei Chaofeng!"

Hearing this, Hua Zheng and Huang Rong grew frantic. "What? Nianci was captured?"

Xie Hui took a deep breath, suppressing his panic. "Don't panic! Yang Kang captured Mu Nianci to force us to abandon our traps and face him in a direct battle. Huang Rong, go inform the Great Khan and have him move the main force closer to the valley entrance to prevent a sneak attack. Hua Zheng, come with me to pursue Yang Kang. We must rescue Mu Nianci!"

Hua Zheng nodded and picked up her Scimitar. "I'm coming with you! Even if I have to risk my life, I'll bring Nianci back!"

Huang Rong added, "I'll go with you! More people means more strength!"

Xie Hui shook his head. "No, you must stay at the camp to help the Great Khan command the troops. Don't worry, Hua Zheng and I will definitely rescue Mu Nianci."

Huang Rong wanted to say more, but Xie Hui had already pulled Hua Zheng onto a horse. Watching their departing figures, Huang Rong prayed silently: Please come back safely.

The horse galloped swiftly, the wind howling in their ears. Hua Zheng looked at Xie Hui beside her and suddenly asked, "Xie Hui, what if we can't rescue Nianci?"

Xie Hui glanced back at her, his gaze firm. "Don't worry. Even if I have to search the entire grasslands, I will bring Mu Nianci back. And I won't let you cry again. Your tears should only be shed for happy things."

Seeing his serious expression, Hua Zheng felt a warmth in her heart and nodded vigorously. "Mhm! We'll rescue Nianci together!"

The two rode off, pursuing the direction of Yang Kang's escape. The afterglow of the setting sun bathed them, as if cloaking them in golden armor. Little did they know that Yang Kang had already set an ambush ahead, waiting for them to fall into it.