บท 50: RED-BELT
Wan Hu and Henan were side by side on their horses while guards were behind, it's been five hours that they resumed their journey.
Henan slower down her horse, others slowed too.
Wan Hu looked at Henan, "My nerves are exhausted," she felt embarrassed to say but she was sure it would worsen if she continued her journey.
"Everyone, take rest for an hour," he ordered the guards. Henan closed her eyes to take rest while leaning against the trunk.
It was already one day and second night that Wan Hu did not take rest. Wan Hu abruptly opened his eyes and unsheathed his sword and moved his head right and left to find who it was.
Seeing him, guards also swayed their swords. "This territory belongs to Red-belt, you are warned to leave immediately if not, don't blame us for being nosy," a threatening voice echoed in the surrounding.
They could tackle this Red-belt if they had time but not now, Wan Hu was sure Martial Assassins were approaching too.
"We are leaving," Henan voiced out exhausted.
They reached to their horses, "Wait, you a woman?" the same voice curiously asked. "So? What?" Henan did not want to drag on.
A figure landed right in front of her, "Since you look tired, you can rest here for a while but I suggest you choose hidden place than to stay in open," she curiously looked the men behind this girl, "And these are?" she pointed toward men.
"They are with me." "Then follow," she moved toward a direction but stopped after taking few steps because Henan did not follow her.
She moved and looked toward Henan and made a chirping voice and many women landed right and left with swords.
"Are you hostage to these men?" she could see that Henan did not move because these men did not move, the only conclusion she made was that Henan was a hostage of these men.
Henan felt awkward to hear this, "We are heading to East End and these are my loyal guards, I am the daughter of General Zhong and we just intend to rest here for a while," she said. She did not introduce Prince because it was confidential.
All members of Red-belt who were all women knelt to hear that she was the daughter of General Zhong and for Henan, it was more awkward than before.
More members of Red-belt came in to view and bowed to her. "General Zhong is our benefactor," they heard some violent crashes of horses feet to the ground; someone was heading here with utmost speed.
Many members of Red-belt disappeared and few left with Henan.
Martial Assassins were here.
They were twenty in numbers while Henan, Prince, her guards and members of Red-belt who were left behind were hundred.
They stopped and their leader spoke, "All of you should leave except this girl and we can consider sparing your lives," he pointed his sword toward Henan to stay while everyone else could leave.
The red-belt leader made certain chirping voice and then hundreds of voices followed suit. "What, are you threatening me with the number? I won't mind slaughtering few hundreds of you," he was enraged.
Many traps and iron nets were released at once, Red-belt leader turned toward Henan and voiced, "Hurry and leave, we could only trap them for a while," "We cannot leave like this," it was against her bearing and moreover these men were after her, she did not want to Red-belt members to involve in this matter and get hurt.
"We are indebted to General Zhong, please Miss Henan leave as soon as possible," she clasped her fists to Henan; Henan was left with no choice.
They left like a wind.
They did not stop anywhere, now she wanted to reach the East End as soon as possible.
...…
A few years ago Huns broke the iron chains; they put on General Zhong before.
They took pity on his half-insane state, he was harmless to them.
Six months ago they found him with the Fang Men and escorted back to their territory. Fang Men did not look after him much because they themselves were starving.
They did not restrict his wandering though did not let him wander far away too.
....
In a spacious courtroom, a young was sitting next to his King father, there was an anonymous smile on his face because the suggestion he gave his father was approved by his King father.
They were thinking about it from the time they heard that General Zhong was no more to protect the Shang Kingdom but first he needed to revenge that bastard double-faced King Shang and this was also his first step to kill King Shang and then attack with the forces to conquer the Shang Kingdom.
He was well aware of the ceremony, and it was a good chance for his scheme to work on. He sent his trusted and most trained men to assassin King Shang.
He was certain that King Shang was no match for General Zhong in any term, though he was powerful to defeat there was no more General to save his back anymore.
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