Bab 57: First Attempt
Inside the woods, Lin Hong hands trembled as he fired the arrow towards Lin Kang. He had seen the perilous situation Jun Min was in, and he used the chance. He hurriedly ran back, not bothering about the result at all as he wanted to report to his father in front of the other nobles how the young general was being ambushed.
"Father!" Lin Hong called out his father.
"Ling Hong, what is the matter?" Lin Tang has been talking with the other nobles when Lin Hong rushed up towards their group. He looked towards his son with a question. Why did he bother him at this moment? Didn't he know that his father was talking with these people?
"Young General Jun is being ambushed!" Lin Hong answered. He had purposely ran quite slowly so that Jun Min remained fighting them alone. He wanted to know how that general would face off seven assassins alone while protecting Lin Kang. Even if he was still alive, his reputation would be sullied because he let an innocent person wounded under his watch.
"What?" Lin Tang felt dreadful. No matter how much he hated Lin Kang for being weak, he was still his son. If he let his son die without care, other people would come pointing at his face and curse him. For the sake of his reputation, Lin Tang needed to put on a performance.
By the side, the other nobles were aware that one of Lin Tang's sons was hunting with Jun Min. If Jun Min was ambushed by assassins, how was the condition of his son?
Lin Tang wore the face of a worried father. "Lead me there!"
"Yes father!"
Within their group, the emperor was also present. He wore a complicated expression. Some part of him hoped that the boy would die, but the other part hoped otherwise. He had been discussing this matter with his ministers and finally decided to let him live to help him with execute a certain plan. Now that this ambushed happened, the emperor was still in dilemma whether he should help him or not.
Finally, he decided to look at the representative.
"Representative Han, there is something unexpected happened. It's better if I look first."
Representative Han nodded and without the emperor noticing, there was a cold glint in his eyes. Both of them rode on their horses to follow the boy to the place where he saw Jun Min being ambushed.
Lin Tang followed right after Lin Hong to the place. Deep down he just wanted to end this farce as soon as possible. But when they arrived at the place, a scene they would never forget came to their vision. The thick smell of blood permeated to their nose which caused them to furrow their brows. When they neared, all of them nearly vomited.
Jun Min was standing on a pool of blood. His robe was dyed red, but his handsome face was still clean, devoid of any dirt. His clear and cold eyes were looking at the enemies who had been cut down. On his back was a child, his eyes were tightly shut, standing calmly as if there was nothing gruesome happened. The boy's clothes were also clean without any stain of blood.
They heard the boy ask in weak voice, "Is it over?"
"Yes it is, but you're still not allowed to open your eyes," Jun Hua answered. He stared at the people who have just arrived there.
"Apologize for this subject's appearance. There was a battle here just now."
All of them could clearly see that there were still some traces of that battle. Not to mention that the ground was fully dyed red from the battle. Lin Hong was scared silly that he didn't dare do anything.
'It's over! He must have seen me firing that arrow!'
Jun Hua didn't bother with them as she washed her hands in the river. She could not wash her clothes since it might expose her real gender. With her clean hands, she helped the boy mount up on the horse. Lin Kang's eyes were still closed because Jun Hua didn't want the boy to see this gruesome scene.
The nobles who went over have been throwing up on the side and retreated on their own. Even the emperor hadn't expected to see such a scene when he arrived. He had heard about the formidable skills of Jun Min but to actually survive under the ambush of seven people while protecting a boy, he was indeed truly something else.
Representative Han was looking at the scene before him calmly. It was as if he was used to seeing it as it didn't bother him in the slightest.
"Representative Han, I will return first."
The emperor suppressed the urge to throw up too as he didn't want to lose face in front of that person. Representative Han only nodded as the emperor also retreated.
Jun Hua handed the horse with Lin Kang on top of it to Lin Tang.
"You can bring him back, I'm sorry that I can't continue to bring him along."
"I-it's alright. T-thank you…very much," Lin Tang answered with stutter. He didn't expect that the young general would be this powerful. Now that Lin Kang is in his hands again, he had to protect him or else people would ask what had happened.
Jun Hua didn't bother with the retreating nobles as she turned her attention towards the wolves' carcasses. As they headed back in haste, only Representative Han remained there.
Jun Hua raised her eyebrows towards the man questioningly. "Ming Hui, are you going to stand there the whole day?"
Representative Han or Ming Hui laughed when she heard Jun Hua inquire. "Just as I thought, you have already noticed my identity."
"There is no way a normal man would walk like you," Jun Hua retorted.
Ming Hui smiled. Then she pointed towards the wolves. "Did you kill the wolves at the same time with the ambush?"
"It was before them. You should return first. Your brother will be worried about you."
"No, he won't," Ming Hui answer with ease. "You should be careful though, the people who sent those assassins must be someone powerful. These assassins are not ordinary."
"I already know who they are," Jun Hua sat on the clean ground and tore up her sleeve. There was a deep mark of an arrow there.
"You have been shot?" Ming Hui's eyes widened. To kill those men with a wounded arm… Just how extraordinary was he?
"There was someone plotting to kill Lin Kang. I need to protect the boy," Jun Hua answered.
"But you shouldn't sacrifice your arm like that," Ming Hui said.
"An arm for a life is worth it and it's not like I became a disabled person," Jun Hua smiled. "I only need to limit the use of my left arm, but for that person? By tomorrow, he will be someone despised by the world."
Witnessing the cold glint on Jun Hua's eyes, Ming Hui knew that the ending of that person won't be good. Seeing that Jun Hua was adamant for her to leave, Ming Hui retreated back wondering what her brother's reaction would be if he came to know about this.
Hadiah
-- Hadiah diterima Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
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