Daybreak

7-8

After they ran into a thick forest, Yu Yao dragged Tian Xiao over to some dense shrubbery where they hid. There were many people after them and Tian Xiao’s feet were not agile, so even if they continued forth as if their life depended on it, they would only get caught. Thus, they might as well hide in a hidden area, and wait for an opportunity to make their move.

They had stayed in the quiet shrubbery for awhile when the sound of footsteps  gradually became louder and louder. Yu Yao thought about it, then whispered to Tian Xiao, “You hide here. Don’t move. I’ll go attract them away from here…”

Before she could finish, Tian Xiao grasped her hand. “No!”

Yu Yao pulled her hand back from his grasp. “I won’t be able to run as fast if you come with me. Even though their martial arts ability is high, their qinggong won’t necessarily be as strong as mine. I’ll go attract them away, and you can wait for me here. When I come back, I will definitely come look for you.”

Tian Xiao still looked at her fixedly. Yu Yao vowed, “If I’m tricking you, then I will definitely have a miserable death!” Only then did Tian Xiao gently let go. However, Right when Yu Yao was about to leave again, he was still able to delay her, as he managed to get in front of her. He stuck out his tongue and licked her lip, and said, “I’ve ruined your innocence both in the prison, and now. In the future, you can only be my wife! You must come back and find me! Otherwise… otherwise…” He had to think for a long time. “Otherwise I won’t marry you!”

Yu Yao became lost in thought for a long time. But, when she heard the footsteps get even closer, she gritted her teeth and assented as she leapt away.

However, the moment she leapt forward, a sharp arrow split the air. Yu Yao twisted in the air, managing to dodge the arrow. A second arrow came right after, and because  Yu Yao had not yet gained a firm foothold, she had to dodge this arrow the best she could A line of red appeared on her face. Tian Xiao’s face went white, and almost as if he was the one who had been pricked, he jumped up and hurriedly ran over to  Yu Yao’s side.

A third arrow was aimed for Yu Yao’s back. By the time she realized that Tian Xiao had hurriedly rushed behind her, she heard the sound of an arrow entering the bone. Tian Xiao didn’t say a word as he lay on the ground, the arrow in his chest, almost penetrating him completely. Yu Yao looked behind her, and only felt her heart go cold.

Why…

When had she treated him well enough to make her worthy of his treatment?

She had clearly always wanted to get rid of him. She had never treated him well, so why…

Yu Yao crouched down to examine Tian Xiao’s wounds. He was wounded heavily, so he needed treatment immediately, but…

In the midst of the forest, broken footsteps began to sound from everywhere around them. Yu Yao’s heart silently thought about what would happen if she couldn’t escape… In the midst of her internal conflict, a sudden whistle rang out, and from farther away, she could hear sounds of commotion.

Another moment hadn’t passed when the sounds of hand-to-hand combat  began to spring up everywhere. Yu Yao hugged the unconscious Tian Xiao as she silently waited for the outcome. Because now, besides waiting, she couldn’t do anything else.

Later, a lot of people seemed to come, and they also seemed extremely familiar with this area. The sounds of close combat only lasted for a short time before calming again. After it ended, a man wearing light armor walked over to take a look at them. Then, someone behind him said, “Quick, let the head take a look.”

Footsteps rustling in the woods slowly approached, as several hundred men wearing light armor encircled the pair. Someone yelled, “The boss has come!” Everyone silently got out the way and created a path for that person. An old wizened man tottered over, wearing a blue robe. His footsteps impatiently staggered along. When he saw  Tian Xiao in Yu Yao’s arms, tears immediately fell from the old man’s eyes. “Crown prince! The crown prince of the Wu Nation!” He fell to his knees, and bent his head in a salute. “The Will of Heaven has allowed the crown prince to return! This is our great fortune! We have hope in taking revenge for our nation! We have hope!” His yells made the thousands of men fall to their knees with bent head, and yell, “We respectfully welcome the crown prince! We have hope!”

Yu Yao looked at her surroundings blankly, her eyes falling on Tian Xiao’s face yet again. She knew that this man would no longer be the same child he had once been.

—

Su Wen chased after her and asked, “So, you just gave that idiot to them, and then dejectedly returned by yourself?”

“This was the best choice he could have made for the both of us.” Yu Yao frowned, “Who came back dejectedly just now?”

“Are you dumb? You saved their crown prince, so why didn’t you rip them off and charge some money?”

“I did an exchange with him. He helped me complete my mission.” Yu Yao didn’t speak further with Su Wen and turned to leave.

In a completely empty room, in total silence, she suddenly couldn’t help but reminisce about the days when Tian Xiao would talk endlessly beside her.

She frowned, disliking the silence of the room, and pushed the window open happening to see the sharp angles of lotuses exposed in the pond. She became despondent yet again when she thought of Tian Xiao. If he saw this scene, what would his expression look like? That pretty pair of eyes would definitely be open wide in shock, and his lips would probably be full of praise.

Yu Yao looked down,  feeling that maybe she was suffering from some illness. She had already been back with the Windy Snowy Sect for a month, but in this month, no matter what she was looking at, Tian Xiao’s face would always appear before her eyes. She had already seen him happy, excited, wronged, and she had seen him when he said he liked her…

Her heart clenched as she covered her heart. What was wrong with her? She was worried about his life in the south, she was afraid that he would be bullied. After his wounds healed, and after he knew that she had abandoned him, would he cry? Would he be sad?

She really wanted to see him…

But now, he had become a true crown prince so he probably wouldn’t think about marrying her as his imperial consort. Yu Yao didn’t know why she would suddenly recall their journey to the south. At that time, Tian Xiao had told her that he wanted to look at the flourishing blossoms of spring, the summer rain, the autumn leaves, and the winter snow with her. At the time, although she had shown disdain at the idea and refused, her heart actually really wanted to go- her heart really wanted to be together with Tian Xiao to go look at those things… Yu Yao mockingly smiled. What was she fantasizing about now?

Their lives would never intersect again.

“Yu Yao, the Sect Master has called you over. It seems there’s a mission.” Outside, a female disciple delivered her message. Yu Yao assented, and prepared her state of mind before going to the Snowy Windy Sect’s great hall.

When she heard the mission, Yu Yao was startled for a long time, and her tongue slipped. “Why?”

As an assassin, that question should never even come up. As the Sect Master who assigned missions, there was no intent on replying to her query. However, the masked man sitting at the seat of honor spoke. “Even though I don’t know even know who the client is, I have my speculations. Besides the current emperor, the only person who would want to kill him is Prince Jing An because he is blocking his path.” Prince Jing An was a marquis of the previous dynasty. According to seniority, he was probably Tian Xiao’s uncle. Now that Tian Xiao had gone to the south to reclaim his identity as the crown prince,  Prince Jing An  probably had an unexpected headache when faced with the current situation.

Thus…it seemed he had asked the Snowy Windy Sect to assassinate Tian Xiao.

The Sect Master was silent for a moment before speaking. “Because your feelings have been moved by this man, Yu Yao, that should never happen to any assassin. I want you to wipe him away personally.”

Yu Yao dropped her head without a word. She had received her mission and left the Snowy Windy Sect that day.