- Li Xun -

Exactly how many of such wretched things must he kill?

The events that occurred today enlightened him about the world in ways he would never have believed before. Never had he imagined himself encountering a bunch of walking dead bodies, a phoenix and a psychotic witch that was intent on killing both him and Long'Er.

If something else were to appear before his eyes again, he was certain a heart attack would be his cause of death instead.

Covered in cuts and bruises, he fought against the Wandering Ghoul, but his strength was slowly spent. Weren't the undead supposed to be dead and rotting in the soil? How were they so ridiculously strong and solidly built that it was difficult to stab their fatal points unless there was a distraction—

A loud cry was heard. The same phoenix that stayed by Long'Er's side flew past him, its beautiful, long wings once again engulfed in flames. The bird struck the creature across its face, burning the flesh and blinding its eyes temporarily.

There was his chance.

He slashed the legs, immobilising them and causing the giant beast to fall to the grounds. When he tried to attack another time, the Wandering Ghoul grabbed his sword with its bare hand. Snarling angrily in his face. He twisted his sword and thrust it deep into its chest, piercing through its heart. A thunderous roar of pain echoed through the trees before the Wandering Ghoul crumbled to eternal slumber.

Snarls came from behind. When his head snapped to the side, he witnessed one of the walking corpses reaching for him, but only to have its head sliced off his neck clean. Rolling into the sod of the earth.

A warm hand grabbed his wrist, pulling him along as they both ran off.

"We got to go!" Long'Er told him breathlessly. "Our commotion has awakened more undead in the area."

He glanced around and realised she was right. There were several more pairs of bloodthirsty red eyes watching them from the shadows. Chasing after their tails.

"Why are they being so persistent?" he grumbled, gripping her hand tightly. "I hope I don't see a headless person chasing after us. Now that will make me scream like a girl."

A laugh was caught in her throat. Considering all the madness that he had experienced today and their lives being threatened, she probably didn't expect him to have the energy to crack a joke in the middle of their escape.

"If that really happens, Your Highness, I'll be certain to tell everyone."

"Now, now. What is that supposed to mean? I thought you were always on my side? Don't become a bully."

"Who's the one who has been teasing me the entire time?!"

She shook her fist at him in disbelief, which made him emit a light chuckle.

They descended the mountain, with the phoenix soaring ahead of them to guide the way out of this wretched place. Even though they were nearing the foot of the hill, Li Xun's face remained knotted in a mixture of concern and anxiety.

"What if they follow us out of this place? Will they attack the nearby villages?"

Long'Er glanced back and squeezed his hand in an attempt to dispel his fears. "Don't worry, the fog has already cleared up. I reckoned that the dark energy was mixed in it before, thus allowing the undead to roam on the hill this long. As for the remaining ones which the witch has just conjured, I bet my godmother will do something about it."

"Your godmother?" he repeated in confusion. "What is she doing here? Shouldn't we go back to help her?"

She shook her head calmly. "Not now, I'll explain everything later."

Something rustled behind them but it only encouraged them to sprint even faster. After running for another fifteen minutes, they finally made it to the foot of the hill. They checked their trail to ensure that they weren't being followed, before stopping under a tree to catch their breath.

The phoenix soared above them, letting out one last, beautiful cry. Li Xun glanced up in awe, watching as it disappeared into the sky.

"Jade... That's the phoenix's name right? Do you think I can borrow her sometimes?" he half-joked. "She's a perfect model and would make a great painting on my wall."

Long'Er couldn't stop a smile growing on her face. "You'll have to ask my mother's permission first. Just like how men love their swords, she would be displeased if Jade loses a feather."

Li Xun was quick to disagree with her. "Wrong, I just found out recently that I love something else more than my sword."

With a teasing smile, he watched her face grow a shade redder as she tried to comprehend the meaning behind his words.

Did she understand what he was trying to tell her?

Did she like him? Did she harbour the same feelings that he has for her?

Anybody could tell their relationship wasn't a normal one between a prince and his bodyguard. Even a blind man. He had risked his life to save her, a few times at that. Shouldn't she have realised his feelings now?

He watched her shake her head to dispel whatever thoughts she was having. "Your Highness..." she spoke meekly. She was just as nervous as he was. "I've been meaning to ask you a question for a while now, but this isn't the right time or place to discuss it. May we...may we speak again later?"

"Of course," he agreed readily. "Later."

Clearing her throat, she changed the subject quickly. "W-we should get going. The others must be worried sick about you."

He sighed. "You're right."

Releasing her hand, he inspected another familiar marking on one of the trees lining along the footpath. "I remember using this route when we first came up here. Once we locate Ling Yao and the rest, there's a nearby village where we can take shelter for the rest of the night."

She nodded at his plan and they both started walking. Ten minutes later, thunderous hooves came, rattling the ground as the horses galloped to the place where they were at. Before Long'Er could pull him away to hide, he was already up and approaching the group of soldiers.

"Hey!" He shouted and waved. "Is that you, General Guo Jie? I recognised your scary-looking horse. And oh — I see that you've found Ling Yao's group as well."

A second group trailed after the first one, and he spotted his best friend sitting on a horse at the front. Once their gazes met, Ling Yao could only shake his head at him. His eyes darted towards General Guo Jie's back, no doubt warning him that the said man wasn't in the best of his mood.

General Guo Jie was a big, powerfully built man with broad shoulders and thighs. His horse galloped towards Li Xun and Long'Er and halted right in front of them. He dismounted his horse quickly, wearing a serious expression on his face. Instead of bowing to Li Xun like how he usually would, he picked him up like a log of wood and threw him over his broad shoulders.

Embarrassment crawled up his face. "Hey!" Li Xun protested, highly aware of how Long'Er was watching them. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Orders from the Emperor," General Guo Jie answered calmly. "You will be escorted back immediately, even if you resist. And how many times do I've to tell you to stop acting on your own without letting your parents know? Do you know how worried we all are?"

"I know and I'm sorry! Now put me down!" Li Xun ordered, but it was pretty much useless. It must have been a hilarious sight to see him dangling upside down, because Long'Er was trying hard to suppress her giggles. And she failed.

He groaned to himself and hid his face behind a hand.

Well done, General Guo Jie, for embarrassing him in front of the girl he liked.

Her reaction caught General Guo Jie's attention. "Oh, who is this pretty maiden? I thought you went to save a certain bodyguard of yours, but you ended up saving a damsel in distress instead?"

Long'Er's face paled immediately, shuffling her feet awkwardly under his gaze. Clearly, she had completely forgotten that she was currently dressed as a girl and was standing before many men. Even if she was covered in dirt and scratches, her beauty shone through and captured several soldiers' attention.

Li Xun desperately wanted to shield her from their gazes. "She's with me," he answered quickly. "Would you please put me down and not embarrass me in front of her any further?"

"Oh?" With raised eyebrows, General Guo Jie finally understood. "Forgive my lack of manners, Princess, but our Crown Prince has to be abducted home. Is it alright if you ride a horse with one of my men?"

She nodded her head once, before realising what he had called her. "You're mistaken, I'm not a princess."

"Not for long, I suppose." He grinned at her. "Now, I finally understand why everybody was saying that our Crown Prince was behaving out of character recently. So this is the reason."

Li Xun groaned out loud. "General! Put me down. Now."

Letting out a robust laughter, General Guo Jie did as he was told. "Yes, Your Highness. In a hurry to go to her, aren't you?

At this, Li Xun and Long'Er blushed madly.

One of the soldiers came forward and offered her a helping hand. Before she could mount the horse, they were ambushed by a group of assassins.

A flurry of arrows rained down on them, striking the horses and a few soldiers who were not able to defend themselves in time. Deflecting arrows with the flat side of his sword, Li Xun grabbed Long'Er and pulled her to his side, shielding her with his body. But as much as he wanted to protect her, she insisted on lending a hand, her dagger ready in hand.

Together, they fought against the assassins who were intent on killing him. Blood spilled everywhere, drenching the ground.

Much to their relief, General Guo Jie assisted by killing the remaining ones. He paved an escape route and gestured for the pair to follow him.

"Your Highness, this way!"

They did. Ling Yao covered their end and slashed at a couple of assassins. He even hollered at his men to retreat.

And then everyone heard one of the soldiers shout a warning.

"Your Highness, look out!"

Li Xun's blood froze in his veins. He didn't have enough time to turn back to look at what was happening before he felt a pressure against his back. A pair of slender arms wrapped around his body, forcing him to stop in his tracks and rooting him to the ground.

Ever so slowly, he turned his head around, his face paling in terror.

"Long'Er?" he gasped at the sight.

Time seemed to stop for him. He could see her face pressed against his back, her breathing laboured. Two arrows had struck her flesh – one sticking out of her left thigh and another right in the middle of her back. Blood was seeping through her clothes.

She mustered all her energy just to peek up at him, and he saw a faint smile formed on her lips. "It seems like I broke our promise first, Your Highness. I apologise."

Her body broke out into a tremor as she fell unconscious into his arms.