"I'm sorry," he said after taking his hand off her mouth and seeing her hyperventilating.
"Are you after my life?!" She glared at him, not because she truly felt suffocated, but because she wanted to distract him from sending someone after Rong.
"I'm, sorry, Bo'er, I didn't mean to–"
The angry looking Ah Bo stormed away from the entrance of the gate and ran in.
"Hey, Bo'er!!" The guard called after her and when he saw she was still angry he didn't know if he should run after her or stay to finish his task.
What if he leaves and the people they were ordered to capture infiltrate the Capital?
What about Ah Bo? Won't she get angry if he didn't run after her? What if she stops talking to him?
The more he thought, the more confused he got, still he had to stay by the gate. The kingdom is more important!
…
Ah Yue Rong arrived at an inn and found herself an empty table. She asked an attendant to bring her a few dishes and the young boy didn't dare to dilly-dally because of how rich she looked.
While she was eating, three young men strolled into the inn and sat on the same table as Rong. She didn't flinch nor raise her head to see who was sitting in front of her.
The moment they entered, the inn became silent.
"Hey, you there, can't you see that brother Xie is here to eat?! Run here this minute!!" A young lad wearing luxurious green silk material yelled at the boy who was busy serving another table.
Hearing the shout, the boy shivered and hurriedly placed the dishes he brought on the table before rushing to Rong's table.
"I– I'm sorry, young masters, I– i–"
"Ahh!!"
"Crash!!"
"Bang!"
Rong slowly raised her head to look at the attendant that was kicked into another table filled with food for a long time before she returned her gaze to her meal, not caring to spare the guys who had obviously noticed her a glance.
"Get older brother's favorite dishes right now!!" The same young master in green silk material yelled at the boy again.
The boy scurried to his feet even though his body was hurting and limped awkwardly towards his destination.
The inn keeper just stood there looking at the young boy with sorrow in his eyes. It wasn't that he didn't want to do anything, but he couldn't. Who in the Capital– except the upper class families would dare to go against the Xie family? If he comes out to protect the boy, that would be the end of them both.
Those three bullies were well known in the Capital for their notorious ways because their families were just below the imperial house.
The innkeeper shifted his gaze from the boy and looked towards the table with the young masters while wishing in his heart for them to cross paths with someone that would teach them a bitter lesson.
"Brother Xie, isn't she pretty?" The green-cloaked youth asked with a smile as they watched Ah Yue Rong who was still eating.
"Hmm… ask her how much for a night. If she makes me very happy, I'll consider making her my fifth concubine." The young master whom they referred to as Brother Xie said with an air of arrogance.
"Hahaha… brother Xie is so kind. You don't have to make her your concubine. In the whole of Hua Xia kingdom, the only women you cannot play with are those that the imperial houses own. Every other woman will be grateful to be your woman for just a night." Another youth wearing a blue silk robe laughed.
"That's right, brother Xie is the nicest. He even stretched his benevolence to the Jian family, but they don't know what's good for them. How could that delicate flower choose to be with that lame Qin Li? I feel like ripping that idiot apart!" The green-cloaked lad fumed.
"Du Yi, don't be upset, older brother has already found a way to handle him." The green-cloaked guy smiled evilly.
"Bang!"
"That's enough!" Young master Xie, who was sitting in front of Rong, slapped the table, prompting the plates on the table to bounce around and the soup almost poured away.
Rong, with her head down, paused and then slowly raised her head to look at the people disrupting her meal. With her emotionless eyes, she scanned the three young men of about sixteen to seventeen years old with a raging heart, still she decided it would be best to not cause trouble here while she hasn't completed her mission and again, this is the Capital. The monster on the throne has been looking for them for the longest time and if she is caught, it would be a problem to her master and the guild.
Thinking of that, Rong placed her chopstick down and stood up. She picked up her bag and hung it on her shoulder as she made her way towards the innkeeper to pay her money.
"Wait!" Du Yi yelled, but Rong paid no heed.
She arrived at the counter and paid her money. She knew that the three thugs were what prevented the innkeeper from coming to collect his money or serve her well and she was not angry about that. However…
She turned around and was about to head to the door when three guards blocked her way.
"Our fifth young master hasn't permitted you to leave yet!" One of the guards said.
'Master, I tried to hold back.' Rong said in her heart, hoping to not create a huge trouble that would make her master get involved, after all, her master has always been a mother hen when protecting her disciples.
She stepped to the left, wanting to walk away, but one of the guards grabbed her by the shoulder. That was all the cold and impatient Ah Yue Rong needed to go insane.
Before the guard could take his hand back, she grabbed it and bent it in an awkward angle.
"Crack!!"
"Ah!!" The guard screamed when his shoulder was broken.
She let the guard go and sent him flying into the three young masters with a powerful kick.
She turned her emotionless and fierce eyes towards the other two guards that were still stunned. She unsheathed her sword in one swift and clean move and…
"Slash!"
"Ahh!"
"Ah!!"
"Bang!"
"Bang!"