Capítulo 9: Xia Lan Ling
Having successfully slipped past the guarded house unnoticed, Ding Yiu arrived at one of the houses further back in the village. Just as she predicted, this was the place where the underworld merchant was based. Ding Yiu didn't have any time to waste. Not knowing who Meng Su was up against and how she was getting on, she needed to move fast and find that Gods weapon. [Well, if a Gods weapon really was here, this would be worth the effort], Ding Yiu thought. [Now how should I go about this?] Her lips slowly curled into a mischievous smile. She hadn't been out for so long, she felt like being slightly reckless. Not caring for the consequences, Ding Yiu took the easiest option. She opened the door and stepped inside the house, startling the underworld merchant and the seven men with him.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?"
"I'm lost," Ding Yiu lied, "Could you help me out?" Ding Yiu started to put on an act, pretending to be a lost traveller. "I've travelled here from far away. I'm actually trying to get to the capital city. Do you know the directions?" She discreetly covered her left eye with her hand, masking the gesture as her nervousness. [I only need a few seconds], Ding Yiu thought, secretly activating the Dragon Soul Stone inside her. This allowed her to sense the presence of other Gods weapons nearby. However, there were limitations to how far and how much she can sense, since Ding Yiu had yet to master this ability. Even so, it was enough to cover a small house like this. [There's nothing here. The news was fake], Ding Yiu slowly backed towards the door.
"I think you're rather suspicious," the underworld merchant said, waving for his men to start closing in on Ding Yiu. They held tightly onto their swords, cautious of this sudden intruder.
"Apologies," Ding Yiu said, her eyes scanning the eight men before her, "I shouldn't have disturbed you. I'll take my leave now."
"After her," the underworld merchant shouted seeing the girl make a run for it.
Ding Yiu was too careless. Four of the men had outrun her, cornering her from the front whilst the other four, including the boss merchant advanced from the back. She came to a halt, stuck as they closed in towards her with their swords. [Can I get away without using my Gods weapon?] Ding Yiu kept thinking. Despite how powerful her Gods weapon was, she was wary to use it. If anyone knew she possessed the Dragon Soul Stone, there would be unnecessary trouble. Ding Yiu raised her hands into a defensive stance. [My martial arts are nowhere near as powerful as Meng Su's, but I could at least fend for myself], Ding Yiu concentrated. She was about to attack when she heard sounds of movement. From the corner of her eye, she spotted him. A man dressed in a purple had landed on a nearby rooftop. [I'll take a gamble], she decided. As loud as she could, Ding Yiu turned towards him shouting, "HELP ME!"
Instantly gravitating towards the voice that cried for help, Xia Lan Ling settled his eyes on the girl below. She was clearly looking at him. [Why is a girl here?] Lan Ling mentally questioned. In one swift movement, a merchant had grabbed hold of the girl, placing his sword against her neck. Their attention was now on him.
"Who are you? Are you with this girl?" the underworld merchant shouted. "Don't move or we'll kill her."
Lan Ling gripped his bow. [That's why I hate those operating in the underworld. They're heartless. Always harming innocent people like this]. He slightly raised his weapon, wondering what best to do. [I don't want to hurt that girl].
"I told you not to move," the merchant shouted, pressing the sword into Ding Yiu's neck. "Put down your bow."
Lan Ling was about to put down his bow when his eyes were captured by the girls own unwavering gaze. It was a gaze that seemed to pierce into him and he no longer acknowledged anything around him but her.
She looked at him with a confident expression, shouting once more, "I TRUST YOU! SHOOT!"
Her words were like a powerful command, making his body move instantaneously. Raising his bow in the air, his left hand made a gesture imitating the positioning of an arrow. A lightning bolt then materialized in place. Eyeing all the merchants below, Lan Ling made his shot. There was no hesitation. He will not miss his targets, for that girl's words had convinced him.
In a seconds breath take, Ding Yiu could see a thousand golden arrows coming towards her, a strong blast of air passing by. The sword against her neck dropped, followed by the sounds of bodies hitting the ground. When she finally tore her gaze away from the man and his bow, she could see all the merchants surrounding her had collapsed. [He only shot one arrow], Ding Yiu recalled, [but the power it had….] She stared at the non-breathing bodies besides her. [That's not an ordinary bow or arrow. If I'm not wrong….] She looked back towards the man, "it's a Gods weapon. The Lightning Moon Bow."
Hearing the girl utter the name of his Gods Weapon, Xia Lan Ling became alert. [Is she with that prostitute? An enemy?] He tapped on his bow and the ends sharpened like a dagger. Jumping from the roof towards the girl, he aimed the sharp tip at her chest.
[He's going to kill me? But why?] Ding Yiu thought, [No! He's testing me…] Instead of fighting back, she reacted how any normal person would. Putting on a surprised and frightened expression, she turned from him, trying to run away.
Ding Yiu barely moved from her original spot as the man grabbed her arm. He pulled her back towards him, not realizing he had used too much strength. Supporting her, he quickly wrapped his arm around her waist. As their faces drew close, Ding Yiu felt her nose gently bump into his. The two gazed into each other's eyes. Being drawn in by his serene gaze, Ding Yiu couldn't think. Her eyes slowly shifted away from his to take in his face. [He's beautiful], Ding Yiu thought, a slight blush appearing on her cheeks. His rather soft facial features and gentle expressions made it incredibly comfortable for anyone to stare at. It seemed to have a strange, soothing effect as well.
Unable to break his gaze away from the girl in his arms, Xia Lan Ling also felt a strange sensation build up inside him. [Is she blushing?] Lan Ling noticed, [its cute...] This was probably the first time he had paid so much attention to a girl before. When he saw how frightened the girl was from his sudden attack, he knew he went too far to test her. Lan Ling originally just wanted to pull her to a stop so they could talk. He never imagined they would end up so close, so intimate. Strangely, Lan Ling didn't feel like letting go. "Are you alright?" he finally spoke, breaking the silence.
"I am," Ding Yiu answered clearly.
Lan Ling somewhat felt relieved. He started to question her, "who are you? Why are you here? Tell me your name."
"Shouldn't you tell me who you are first?" Ding Yiu asked instead, regaining her composure.
[She's rather bold], Lan Ling assessed. [I don't think she's just a normal girl. At the least, she knows of Gods Weapon]. He tightened his grip on her waist, "you know who I am."
"I don't remember meeting you before tonight," Ding Yiu stated, staying calm.
"You seem rather knowledgeable about my Gods weapon," Lan Ling called her out. He leaned forward, resting his nose on hers, "you know who I am don't you?"
"Yes," Ding Yiu admitted, deciding it was best not to play any games with this man. [You are infamous in the underworld. Of course I know who you are], she thought.
"Say my name," Lan Ling prompted with a delicate whisper.
"Xia Lan Ling," Ding Yiu whispered back, "you are just as the rumours describe."
Lan Ling wanted to say something but was interrupted by a voice calling for him. Giving the girl one last look, he immediately let go of her. There was a slight hesitation in his steps, but Lan Ling eventually decided to move a good distance away from the girl. He now focussed on one of his guards, "what is it?"
"Lord Lan Ling, we're sorry but we've let that suspicious prostitute escape," the guard reported. "She was very sneaky. We just weren't prepared."
"Its fine," Lan Ling took a breath, "tell the others to gather here. We'll clean up this mess and leave the village."
"Understood," the guard said, heading off to carry out his orders.
Lan Ling turned to look back at where the girl once stood. He knew she would've taken the opportunity to run away. He deliberately gave her the chance to. [I may not know who you are, but I've a strong feeling we'll meet again], Lan Ling mentally declared. [And at that time, I will be the one to say your name].
Running as fast as she could, Ding Yiu was almost out the village. She wasn't a fool. She knew Xia Lan Ling had deliberately set her free. [But why?] Ding Yiu couldn't understand his intentions. [I was such a suspicious person to him, why did he let me go?] Ding Yiu took a few deep breaths. She turned to look behind her. No one was following or coming after her. [Xia Lan Ling is a difficult person], Ding Yiu concluded, [I wonder if we will meet again]. Not looking back, Ding Yiu made her way out the village.
Walking another 5 minutes, she could eventually see their carriage in the distance. Ding Yiu raised an eyebrow. Waving her arms desperately and jumping up and down was Meng Su. "What is she doing now?" Ding Yiu murmured, picking up her pace.
"Ding Ding, could you be any slower?" Meng Su complained. "I was beginning to worry you got into trouble." She tapped on the side of the carriage, "Wan Xin, she's come back."
"Xiaojie," a frantic and flustered Wan Xin came out the carriage. "I… there's…"
Sensing something was wrong, Ding Yiu tried to first calm Wan Xin down, "its ok. What's happened? Tell me slowly."
"When I was waiting for you and Meng Su here, there was this-"
"Wan Xin picked up an incredibly shady and heavily injured man," Meng Su interrupted, getting straight to the point. She lifted the curtain to reveal the bleeding man lying inside. "We've no idea who he is. Should we just kill him off?"
"Meng Su," Wan Xin raised her voice, already irritated. "Stop always suggesting to kill someone straight away."
"Wan Xin, I don't want to criticize your kindness," Ding Yiu spoke, "but towards strangers, you need to be more careful."
Wan Xin looked to the floor like a child being scolded. "I understand. But he was alone and I just couldn't leave him out here." Wan Xin took a glance at the man who was clutching at his wound, "I knew to be cautious. That's why I didn't start treating his wounds."
"Ding Ding," Meng Su lowered her voice, "this guy looks like trouble. We should toss him out and leave."
Still heavily panting in pain, the man listened to what the three female voices were saying. After managing to escape from the enemies' ambush, he had ended up here. His destination was the capital city, but the pain had taken over and he struggled to go further. That was when he saw their carriage and the maid waiting on her own. He was thankful the maid was kind enough to shelter him in their carriage. However, being cautious the maid refused to help him further. Then the less kind woman with the umbrella arrived and started making a huge fuss. Neither of the two could make a final decision on what they were to do with him. And now he could hear the third voice. [I need to warn him], he chanted over and over in his mind. [I don't care what happens to me. But he must be warned]. Breathing hard, he forced his eyes open, trying his best to stay focussed. "Please..." he gasped in air.
Ding Yiu stepped into the carriage, moving towards the man. His clothes were drenched in blood from the deep wound near his chest. From the pale look on his face, to his heavy breathing and shivering body, Ding Yiu could tell he was hurt for quite some time now. It was admirable he was still conscious and holding up.
"Please, I'm not a bad person," he breathed heavily.
"You want me to save you?" Ding Yiu asked the obvious. She was weary of this stranger and feeling a lot less patient than she did at the start of the night. Xia Lan Ling had mentally exhausted her. She was at her limit.
The man looked at Ding Yiu and he instantly knew she was the one to decide his fate. [No, she may even be the one to decide 'his' fate as well], he thought. "Will you deliver a message for me? In exchange, I won't ask you to save me," the man clearly spoke, though his voice was weak.
"Who for?" Ding Yiu questioned. She was interested. [Such a loyal person], Ding Yiu noted, [brave and determined as well. Who is your lucky master?]
The man reached into his robe to retrieve a golden pendant. He passed it to Ding Yiu, "tell him not to find me." With that he closed his eyes, finally succumbing to the pain.
Ding Yiu examined the pendant. Her eyes grew wide at its inscription and she clenched it close to her. Stepping out the carriage, she shouted, "Meng Su, Wan Xin, we're going to save this man. I need him alive."
Wan Xin smiled, knowing Ding Yiu wasn't a heartless person. Meng Su on the other hand tilted her head to stare at the man inside the carriage. [He must've triggered Ding Yiu's 'interesting' detector], she determined. She put down her umbrella, going to help the other two save this lucky man.
Back in Ping Tian Palace, Sixi took a bow as Prince Ping and Sima Heng left. Sixi initially wanted to go with Prince Ping, but was ordered to remain in the palace to attend to matters, and keep an eye on things. He was nervous since Prince Ping insisted he would go secretly and not take his royal guards with him. But with Heng around, Prince Ping would hopefully be safe and they would find Jing Ke.
Riding out the capital city was a concerned Prince Ping and a slightly more relaxed Heng.
"Don't think too much," Heng tried to be positive, "Jing Ke is a smart person. I know he'll be fine." Seeing Qian Ping remain silent, Heng suggested, "I've heard your royal uncle, Lord Lan Ling is nearby. Should we ask for his assistance?"
Qian Ping turned to look at Heng and considered for a moment. He finally shook his head, "besides the fact that he's my uncle, I and Lord Lan Ling aren't particularly close. We're not on good or bad terms with one another. I don't believe he will help me."
"Is that so?" Heng uttered, a little disappointed. Not liking the silence and tense atmosphere, Heng tried to think of other things to distract himself. Then an image of Consort Liu popped into his mind. "I wonder if we'll bump into her."
"Bump into who?" Qian Ping queried.
"Liu Ding Yiu," Heng answered loudly, "you know, your Consort Liu."
Qian Ping coughed a few times, not expecting Heng to mention her. "Why bring her up? I said I don't care."
[Oh I believe you don't care. That's why it frustrates me], Heng thought to himself. "Qian Ping," he couldn't help but comment, "you're just blind to the truth. I'll bet anything in this world, that if you truly knew her, you'd wish you had cared sooner."
Qian Ping rolled his eyes, ignoring Heng's sudden whimsical statement. [Why would I ever care about that girl? She's just a stranger to me]. He only wished for one thing right now. And that was the safety of his dear friend and royal guard Jing Ke.
Almost a day's time had passed. Currently inside an abandoned hut, a little distance outside a small town near the capital city was Wan Xin. She was huffing and puffing as she clenched both fists, throwing them in front of her one after the other.
"Put more willpower into it," the man instructed. "You need to try drawing in the air around your hand with the movements of your fists."
"I understand," Wan Xin said, trying again.
The combination of Meng Su's first aid skills, Wan Xin's medicinal knowledge and with a little help using Ding Yiu's Dragon Soul ability, the three had managed to save the man's life and stabilize his condition. He was recovering at an extremely quick speed as well, already able to sit up and shout instructions at Wan Xin with a loud voice. As soon as the man had woken up, feeling better than near death, he insisted on leaving. It was Ding Yiu who stopped him. She convinced him to stay behind and rest, promising to deliver his message to that person. The man hesitated at first, but knew he had little choice. In the end he agreed to stay, allowing himself to rest and heal. As usual Wan Xin was left behind. She must've had a really disappointed expression on her face because the man directly asked why she was upset. Deciding this man wasn't a bad person since Ding Yiu chose to save him, Wan Xin told him of her struggles learning martial arts. Upon his request, she showed him a few of the moves she tried to learn from Meng Su.
Immediately, he shook his head. "Those moves you're trying to learn isn't a style suited for you," he directly criticised. "Those moves are powerful, but require extreme flexibility and speed in ones movements. You're neither flexible nor fast."
Seeing Wan Xin's disappointed face again, he then started teaching her a different style of martial art, giving her useful advice. This was probably his way of thanking Wan Xin for helping him earlier. And this is how Wan Xin had ended up punching the air in front of her for the past half an hour.
"Are you sure I'll improve my martial arts like this, Mr?" Wan Xin puffed, concentrating on her fists again.
"Don't worry," the man assured, "this style of martial arts is easier for you to pick up. Also Wan Xin," he smiled, "you can call me by my name..."
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