[Flashback: 2 years ago]
[Lixin Town - Inn]
"Miss, your noodles", a waiter placed a bowl of noodles in front of Lingxi.
"Thank you", Lingxi replied.
She inhaled the fragrance of the food before proceeding to eat.
A man walked into the inn and sat on the same table with her. He looked well-built and strong but Lingxi did not panic.
"You are...?" she asked calmly as she ate.
"I'm Min Feng", he introduced himself.
"Why are you here?" Lingxi asked.
"Your bodyguard, Qin Yan, has been assigned to a task. He won't be able to make it back today. I have been assigned to protect you in the meantime", Min Feng explained.
"Protect? Who assigned you to protect me?" Lingxi asked.
"It was Master Xie", Min Feng answered.
Master Xie, Xie Xuanzhi, was Lingxi's own master and the leader of New Moon.
"So, Master sent you hear to protect me?" Lingxi wanted to confirm. She tapped her finger twice on the table.
"That's right"
She looked at him for a second and without thinking much went back to eating.
*******
It was the evening and the day of the celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Everywhere was lit with lanterns.
The atmosphere was lively and you could see families, couples, children and even friends enjoying the festival together.
"Today's Mid-Autumn Festival is quite festive. There is only a little difference from that in the capital", Lingxi commented with Min Feng behind her.
"The festivities here are really beautiful", Min Feng commented but those words did not seem to come from his heart. His words sounded rather pretentious.
"Since the festival is lively, I feel it would be such a shame to not participate", Lingxi said and turned to him, "go buy me a flower lantern"
Min Feng bowed and went to get a flower lantern.
He soon returned with a lotus shaped flower lantern and gave it to her.
Lingxi walked up to the nearby river where others were releasing floating lanterns.
She bent down and began writing a wish on the lantern.
Min Feng who was standing behind her had his hand on his sword slowly unsheathing it with killing intent.
Lingxi, on the other hand, was still writing carefully on the lantern.
"Why don't you make a wish too?" Lingxi asked turning to him.
He was startled and immediately tried acting natural.
"I.....I don't believe in superstitions", he replied.
Lingxi looked at him for a second as if scrutinizing him then she went back to what she was doing and released the lantern in the water.
She watched the lantern float away slowly.
Min Feng unsheathed his sword and made to attack her but Lingxi dodged sideways immediately. She stood up and immediately passed him.
He looked behind and found no trace of her. She sure ran fast.
Min Feng immediately started chasing her through the crowd and she reached somewhere more desolate. She stopped at a dead end.
"You have nowhere else to run to, do you?" Min Feng said brandishing his sword.
Lingxi turned to face him, "who sent you?"
"That's not important", he replied.
He advanced towards her but stopped halfway, curious, "when did you begin to suspect me?"
Lingxi smiled, "the moment you said my master asked you to come protect me, I knew something was wrong. My master has never sent anyone to protect me"
"That's it?" Min Feng did not believe she could have discovered him so easily.
"When you said it, I wanted to believe but when I tapped my finger twice, you showed no reaction", Lingxi answered.
He recalled her tapping her fingers twice.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Lingxi took a step closer, "If a normal subordinate had seen that, he would ask me what I wanted him to do", she paused for a minute before looking at him, "but you ignored it"
Min Feng realized where he gave himself away.
"Why didn't you react then?"
"If I had reacted then, how else would I know your true motive?" Lingxi asked.
"My true motive is to kill you", he said and his sword approached her at a fast speed.
She dodged sideways immediately and held his hand gripping the sword. He held her other hand as they both fought for the sword. Lingxi pressed his foot with hers.
Just when she was about to overpower him, a sword struck her back causing her to loosen her grip and miss her step.
Min Feng reacted quickly and stabbed her stomach. Before he could pierce her further, Lingxi held the blade with her hand. With much effort, she kicked him away and caught the sword.
She looked around. Including Min Feng there were three other men. They had appeared out of nowhere.
Lingxi realized everything was well planned. She positioned her sword ready to fight but suddenly started feeling dizzy and unable to hold the sword properly.
Min Feng who had just regained himself after the kick smiled, "Do you feel dizzy?"
Lingxi indeed felt very dizzy. She opened her hand to look at her injured palm and realized, "it's poisoned"
Min Feng smiled, "that's right. Not just my sword - every sword we all are holding are poisoned"
Lingxi touched the injury at her back and stared at the blood. It was indeed poisoned.
She laughed lightly. Whoever wanted her dead truly went an extra mile.
Her grip on the sword loosened and she fell on the ground.
They watched her for a minute unsure if she was actually dead. Min Feng picked the sword up.
"What are you doing?" one of them asked.
"Just in case she's alive, I have to finish her off", Min Feng answered.
He raised his sword and made to strike her but an arrow flew out of nowhere and hit him directly on the chest giving him no time to react. He directly fell down and died.
The others became startled and alerted. They immediately held their swords tightly ready to defend themselves.
"Who's there?!"
Someone stood at the roof with a mask.
The said person wore all black robes and had a black mask on his face that covered his nose and mouth. His head was covered with a black cloak and he was holding a bow.
"Who are you?" they asked.
The masked man arranged three arrows on the bow and aimed at the three of them, "that's not important"
Without hesitation, he released the arrows striking them down in the chest. He then jumped down.
He walked towards Lingxi who still had faint consciousness and opened her eyes slightly but could not quite see clearly. Her vision was blurry and she lost consciousness.
Chi Yun came running towards them. He looked at Lingxi who was lying unconscious and then at the other men, surprised, "Your highness, you...."
The masked man was indeed He Yu.
He bent down and looked at Lingxi's injury in her palm, "She's been poisoned"
And it was a very dangerous one. Who could be so cruel as to use such a poison on a young girl?
"Are you planning on saving her?" Chi Yun asked.
He Yu noticed a token by her waist and checked it. 'Mo' was clearly engraved on it.
Chi Yun was even more shocked, "She's from Mo Mansion? Could she be...?" he was too shocked to continue.
What was the daughter of the Chief Censor of the Imperial Censorate doing in Lixin town? And why was she attacked by assassins?
He Yu was equally surprised but did not say a much.
Instead, he slipped a pill into her mouth and made her swallow it.
"Your highness, you...." He Yu stood up, "the pill will keep her alive for four hours"
Chi Yun looked at her, "are we going to leave her here? This place is quite desolate. I doubt anyone would find her"
He Yu looked at her and on a second thought, carried her.
****
After walking for a while, they reached a lonely path.
He dropped her by the corner and rested her on a tree.
"Are we leaving her here?" Chi Yun asked.
"The heir to the Marquis of Shanxi will pass by in an hour. Knowing him, he won't pass by without helping", He Yu said and they both left.
And he was right.
After an hour, a carriage stopped by the same place.