Joyful Motherhood in a Rural Family-Chapter 908 - : The Captive

Chapter 908: Chapter 908: The Captive

Nan Tianzong gave a slight start, but he did not refuse. Instead, he burst out laughing.

“Fine! Let’s eat our fill and then drink the concoction you make!”

The armies on both sides rested on the spot and began to make fire to cook food.

Di Yelei and Nan Tianzong were chatting and laughing just as usual, discussing all sorts of topics as if it was back when the children were in Macheng County. Even so, both men very tacitly avoided any topics that shouldn’t be mentioned.

As the fragrance of the cooked dishes gradually filled the air, both men silently picked up their bowls and began to eat heartily.

“Brother-in-law, come! Today, I, as your elder nephew, will drink to you with water instead of wine!”

Nan Tianzong picked up a bowl of water beside him.

Di Yelei also laughed heartily and picked up his bowl of water, clinking it against Nan Tianzong’s.

“Good! With water instead of wine, Ye Lei will also return the toast to Eldest Uncle today!”

Their bowls clinked with a crisp sound, and both men tilted their heads back, drinking dry the clear water in their hands.

“The last time we drank together was at your three nieces and nephews’ Hundred-Day Feast. Now, in the blink of an eye, the children have all grown up. Time really flies,” Nan Tianzong said with a sigh.

“Indeed, the three children have each gone their separate ways now. Niuniu is learning needlework from the palace’s nanny, Chou Chou is following his Eldest Uncle to study and practice martial arts, and it’s the little one, who was actually taken in by Taoist Master Zhu and brought back to Qingfeng Temple. He only said that when the right time comes in ten years, we shall meet again. Now that I think of it, I, as a father, really haven’t been by their side for long…”

Di Yelei’s gaze flickered slightly, but in the blink of an eye, he regained his composure.

Undeniably, all of this was also a contest, a test of mental fortitude.

The two, who were originally prepared to fight, were both full of fighting spirit, almost eager to grab a spear and charge into battle. Unexpectedly, Di Yelei suddenly called a halt, insisting on eating before fighting, the implication being that this meal could be the last, a final feast for a dead man. Nan Tianzong was indeed fooled, momentarily losing his focus as he spoke.

What followed, the seemingly casual conversation, was in fact a series of tests. In the back and forth exchange, it was often the invisible smoke of battle that was the most deadly, because it could become someone’s inner demon. On the surface, you might find nothing amiss, but in reality, it has already penetrated deep into your marrow and become your personal demon, a parasite gnawing at your bones that you can never shake off.

And not being able to accompany the triplets as they grew up was Di Yelei’s inner demon. Nan Tianzong triggered the hidden guilt in his heart with just a few words. Even if it was only for a moment, in this round, he had already lost.

Fortunately, it was a draw between the two men, with neither able to get the better of the other.

Although the two men kept eating and talking sporadically, it made both of them tense, until the meal was finished, with neither gaining the upper hand.

“That meal was satisfying! Comfortable!”

Di Yelei was the first to finish eating. He laughed loudly and carelessly discarded the bowl and chopsticks in his hand, standing up to survey his beloved horse.

Nan Tianzong smiled faintly and, not to be outdone, set down his bowl and chopsticks and quickly mounted his horse.

Without speaking, they both moved with perfect understanding of each other, showing no signs that they were fighting for their lives. Instead, they seemed like two good friends out for a stroll in the countryside.

Both men were smiling, but every move and countermove, every dodge and attack, showed no mercy, aiming deadly blows at vital points.

The battle lasted from dusk to late into the night, and from the night until dawn.

The heat was coming off their horses in waves, reminiscent of steam, and their mouths foamed white, their hooves impatiently stomping, all signs of utter exhaustion.

With a twist in mid-air, the two men leapt up and for a moment, the clashing of their weapons could be heard. Then, they parted and landed back on their respective horses.

Pitter-patter—

Nan Tianzong’s horse could no longer hold on and, with a long neigh, it collapsed thunderously.

He smoothly leaped off, his body landing on the other side, his face a portrait of sorrow as he looked at his fallen horse. Then, with a long sigh, he threw away the spear in his hand.

“Enough, enough, enough! Those who aim for great achievements always need the right timing, location, and harmony of people. Who would’ve thought that in the end, I, Nan Tianzong, would actually be defeated on horseback, how tragic, how lamentable!”

His words were filled with endless sighs.

Di Yelei’s lips moved slightly, but in the end, he said nothing.

Had Nan Tianzong’s steed not given up, in just another moment, the defeated would have surely been him, Di Yelei.

Even though he, Di Yelei, was born with great strength and had the talent for martial arts, he ultimately started training too late and from too low a starting point. His physical prowess paled in comparison to Nan Tianzong’s, which had been meticulously honed from a young age. It was purely by willpower that he was holding on.

Nan Tianzong displayed a bitter smile, “Since I’ve lost, I, Nan Tianzong, am willing to accept the wager and admit defeat without any deceit. However, there is one thing I must ask of my brother-in-law.”

Di Yelei solemnly performed a fist greeting.

“Eldest Uncle, please speak frankly.”

“Up to this point in my life, aside from my younger sister Sisi, I no longer have any other close family left.”

In his heart, Zhao Dun was already dead! He died the moment Nan Tianzong’s dagger pierced his mother’s heart!

Nan Tianzong’s voice was particularly somber, “You must not let her down! If I come to know that you have mistreated her, even if I am aware under the springs, even if I turn into a vengeful ghost, I will not spare you!”

“Rest assured, even if you hadn’t said anything, I would still take good care of Sisi and never let her suffer the slightest grievance.”

Di Yelei said this seriously, his gaze firmly locked with Nan Tianzong’s eyes.

“Very well, with this, I can rest assured.”

Nan Tianzong suddenly burst into laughter, a laugh that carried far and wide along the riverbank.

“Crown Prince! You must never leave us!”

“Young Master! We wish to follow you forever!”

“Your Highness! Please don’t go…”

The loyal followers around him seemed to sense something and began to cry bitterly, prostrating themselves on the ground.

“Stop crying! No more tears!”

Nan Tianzong turned back, and, reaching down, helped up one after another of the soldiers kneeling on the ground, his face filled with reluctance to let go.

“My good brothers! The thing that has made me, Zhao Heng, the happiest in this life, has been meeting you, my good brothers! I, Zhao Heng, die contented, die fully satisfied!”

“Crown Prince! Young Master! Your Highness…”

The wailing cries of everyone rose up.

“Do not weep, believe me! In the next life, we will surely meet again. In the next life, let’s be brothers again!”

The next moment, he suddenly leapt high into the air, plunging headfirst into the raging river.

“Crown Prince…”

Cries of anguish echoed all around.

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Di Yelei watched everything before him. As Nan Tianzong leapt into the river, he couldn’t help but take a few steps forward, yet he promptly stopped himself. His fists clenched tightly, he stared at the tumultuous river surface, speechless for a long time.

“Brother, rest assured! I will definitely take good care of Sisi, and never let her suffer any grievance.”