Secret of the Red Lotus Flower (빨간 연꽃의 비밀)

Chapter 32

The clashing of blades and the screams of dying men filled the air and Soo-yun wanted to shrink back deeper in the carriage to hide from the chaos outside. However, she found herself frozen with fear. She didn't know who the men attacking the group were, but, considering the state of their clothing and how filthy they were, she assumed they were bandits.

She watched as Ha-neul fended off the attackers with a blade in one hand while masterfully controlling the rearing horse with the other. A bandit jabbed a spear at her husband, who simply leaned back to allow it to pass by harmlessly. Then, the Crown Prince grabbed the spear and pulled the bandit forward who received a boot to the face. Ha-neul quickly turned and slashed another attacker that had been trying to get into a flanking position.

Frantically, Soo-yun looked around to see how the other royal guards were faring and her heart sank when she saw another one stabbed in the back with a spear. The royal guard may have had superior weapons, armor, and training, but they were overwhelmed by the sheer number of bandits. For every two or three outlaws killed, another guardsman was lost.

Ha-neul must have also figured out that they were in a losing situation when the final guardsman fell and her husband turned to Soo-yun. There were not currently any living attackers near them but that could change at any moment. "We need to flee, Soo-yun. Jump onto the horse."

Soo-yun wanted desperately to comply with the command but found that she had no control over her limbs. "You- you said the rest of the guards were right behind you. Perhaps we can hold out a little longer."

"They are at least an hour behind us. We won't last that long. I know you are scared but you need to come here," Ha-neul replied.

The Crown Prince held out a hand to her and Soo-yun shakingly reached out as well. Suddenly, an arrow buried itself into the wood of the carriage a mere inch from her face. Soo-yun screamed in terror and pulled back. All she could do was stare at the dark shaft and the black-and-white striped fletching of the arrow that had almost taken her life.

"Soo-yun! Just listen to my voice," Ha-neul said. Despite attempting to sound calm, Soo-yun could still hear the fear in her husband's voice. "Take my hand so that we can escape because I am not leaving without you. Please, just trust me."

She looked from the arrow to Ha-neul's outstretched hand again. Soo-yun had been let down and betrayed by the Crown Prince multiple times over the past week, but, looking into Ha-neul's pleading eyes, she realized that she still had complete faith in her husband. If Ha-neul truly believed that survival was possible, then so did she.

Soo-yun clasped the Crown Prince's hand and leaped from the carriage. Ha-neul used the momentum to swing her up to the front of the saddle. She felt the Crown Prince's arms wrap around her to grab the reins. The horse bolted off the trail and through the dense forest. Out of the corner of her eye, Soo-yun thought she saw a flash of navy blue on a nearby hill but didn't get a chance to take a closer look before the two of them soon disappeared into the woods.

* * *

Zhāng Jianjun trekked up the hill towards his master as slowly as he could, delaying the bad news he had to deliver. He had just checked on the bodies of the slain and knew his master would not be happy to hear about what happened.

At the top of the hill, a figure sat astride a black stallion and Jianjun felt their eyes burning a hole in him as he approached. The rider was wearing a dark navy-blue dopo overcoat and baji trousers in a military cut. The most striking thing about him was the blue and silver mask he wore over his face. It was the tusked visage of a dokkaebi goblin.

"What do you have to report, Jianjun?" Dokkaebi asked once Jianjun finally arrived. The man's voice was low and husky. Jianjun was the only one among the bandits that knew the voice was not his master's true voice but was as much of a disguise as the mask upon his head.