- Long'Er -

As the men took a step forward, Long'Er glared at them. Holding a steady gaze on her opponents, she drew out her sword slowly, taking a defensive stance.

"Little brat, hand over the pretty girl and your money. Otherwise, you won't be able to walk out of this place alive," their leader hissed.

Behind him, his lackeys snickered and hooted mockingly as well, clearly excited about their new prey.

Ignoring their threats, Long'Er gripped Li Xue's hand, which was grasping onto her arm tightly. She gave her a nod of assurance, her eyes set in determination.

"Go," she ordered the frightened girl firmly. "Run and do not look back."

With a shaky nod, the princess hugged her books to her chest, turned around and scattered off as fast as she could. Watching her run off, amusement gleamed in the men's expressions.

"Impressive, lover boy. You wanted to save her that badly, didn't you? But it's a pity you won't be reunited with her."

Unaffected by their taunts, Long'Er gestured for them to come closer. "Come and get me, that is, if you can."

Her words provoked them easily. The burly men approached her, swinging their axes, swords and batons with a look of menace. They charged at her one at a time, but to their surprise, she dodged their attacks easily and struck them without holding back.

In a matter of minutes, she knocked out every single man, without getting a scratch on her. From her observation, they were simply wild bandits with uncoordinated fighting skills, roaming around to steal things from easy prey.

Until they met her.

However, her relief only lasted for a moment. A roar of shoutings and thunderous footsteps entered the fight scene. Her head snapped up immediately, watching as a group of more than twenty rogues appeared as reinforcements, ready to take her on. Their physiques were large and daunting, and their eyes resembled those of a wolf; thirsty for blood spill.

This time, she was clearly at a disadvantage.

She was outnumbered. At this rate, she feared that she would get herself captured, which was why she resorted to a change of her plan. She turned and made her escape, heading for the dense trees to take cover. She could hear them chasing after her, hollering curses at her back, and yet, she didn't stop. She darted between trees and took advantage of the darkness and tree foliage for concealment, hoping to shake them off her trail.

After running for some time, she found herself deep in the forest. Alone. She crouched behind a thick bush, taking the chance to survey the area for signs of her pursuers. She held her breath and listened for footsteps around her. Apart from the rustling of leaves and the chirping of the crickets, there were no signs of danger approaching her.

And yet, she couldn't let her guard down.

Darkness clung onto her. She moved on slowly, moving from bushes to bushes. Ensuring that her steps were as quiet as possible. Unlike the cities, she had travelled in the forests so often that they reminded her of home. It calmed her mind, but she knew she couldn't stay hidden forever. She needed to find a way back to the palace, to resume her duty as the Crown Prince's bodyguard, but she would have to do it without alerting those rogues that were chasing her.

But she had another problem; she was unfamiliar with these woods.

She couldn't help it. She wasn't familiar with the capital. No matter which path she took, her surroundings looked all the same to her.

All of a sudden, fear swirled inside her. The feeling of unfamiliarity struck her and she felt more alone than ever. The image of her godmother appeared in her mind, and she suddenly missed her warm embrace. Her protection.

Oh, Mother. Help me.

A loud snapping of twigs from behind Long'Er made her jump. She spun on her heels quickly, finding her standing face-to-face with the rogue leader. With a loud snarl, he swung his sword at her, narrowly missing her arm as she leaped out of the way.

Before she could stand, he delivered a strong kick to her back, throwing her off balance. She winced as a sharp pain rippled through her. When she glanced up, he towered over her, his weapon raised high in the air. 

"Seems like you've lost, brat."

He brought his sword down, aiming for her throat. She swerved out of his way to avoid the deadly stab, but at the same time, a black mass shifted behind the man.

The sound of flesh being pierced was deafening. His body and the triumphant smile that he was wearing froze in time. Shortly afterwards, she could see his pupils dilate and his eyes glazed over, turning lifeless like a ragged doll. His body rocked on his heels briefly before he toppled to the ground, revealing to Long'Er the silhouette that killed the man from behind his back.

With a laboured intake of breath, Long'Er stared silently at her new enemy, wondering if she should make a run for it. When the figure took a step towards her, she scrambled to her feet and pointed her sword at him.

"Stop right there."

"Wait," a male voice answered, one that sounded extremely familiar. "It's me."

Her mysterious saviour emerged from the shadows and stepped into the shaft of moonlight, illuminating the well-defined features on his face. As he closed the distance between them, her eyes lit up in recognition and relief.

"Your Highness?" she gasped in surprise, lowering her sword. "What are you doing here?"

Li Xun narrowed his eyes marginally, his expression tight and unfathomable. He swept his worried gaze over her body, checking if she had suffered any injuries, but she didn't. 

"I could ask you the same question," he replied. "Why are you here?"

He was questioning her unauthorised trip out of the palace. For leaving without informing him. 

"I–" 

She fumbled with her words, feeling at a loss. She could sense his unhappiness with her, and she tried her best to explain to him. "I couldn't stop the princess and I fear that she might get in trouble if she headed out alone, which was why I accompanied her."

Hearing this, his expression softened considerably. "My sister has returned to the palace," he told her, eliminating her concern. "She's safe. Thank the heavens that we've gotten here in the nick of time. You could have been killed."

Long'Er lowered her head regretfully. "I apologise."

His lips parted as if he wanted to say something more, but he ended up letting out a sigh. After running a hand through the back of his neck awkwardly, he gestured for her to follow him.

"Come on, let's head back."