Eternally Ambitious Wangfei

Chapter 33: Masked Men

As her interest was piqued a few more figures were seen by her lunging over her bath. Her brows lightly creased as that amount of people entering the palace would surely be noticed. The corners of her mouth tugged as she came to the conclusion that those figures were not guests' but intruders. She was curious as to find the reasons for their appearance and got out of the bath with a quick step. She looked around fruitfully in the hopes of finding something to wear, but the more time passed as she tried to get dressed the more her chances started to slip away.

She ditched the full clothing and ran out back to the bath in a light white under robe. She knew as it wasn't the most appropriate thing to wear when you go on a hunt, but she didn't have the time to worry about her image. She sprinted towards one of the bath walls before placing a foot on the pillar and jumping upwards and arriving at a ledge that was at most a few meters off the ground. She pulled herself up and ran across the edge to reach other pillars where she proceeded to wall jump from either side until arriving at the edge of the roof. As she was about to pull herself up she forgot that she didn't know what these figures were after and had to hide her face, in case if they beat her or if it was her they wanted.

She searched in the clothing to find nothing and cursed under her breath, as she looked to wear the figures had gone, that had started to get father and father away. Mingxia Jie had to think fast of a solution. As she started to keep pace with the figures she saw a flash of velvet red. As she looked down a maid had been doing the laundry and a scarf of velvet red with embroidered phoenix on the back and gold begonias surrounding the bird. She jumped down and ran after it and grabbed it before scaling the walls again. She tied the scarf around her face only showing her bright eyes and forehead with her silky black hair cascading down her back.

She decided to pick up the pace and confront the figures. A few buildings away a figured stood alone under the bright moon basking in it with its back to Mingxia Jie. As Mingxia Jie got closer she started to notice more characteristics of the figure. The figure was lean, much taller that her. With black clothing, string like hair slipped through some of the outfit. The hair as thin as spiders silk, and as white as the ever clean snow. A gust blew over the roof and the hair that had been tucked in the outfit burst out, like fresh snow falling down the mountain.

Mingxia Jie couldn't believe her eyes, she gasped at the man in black. It was Bai. She knew of his presence but did not know what his reason for being at Xue was. He had told her and wangye of the Imperial Guards, she had met him in the garden and they spoke of frivolities. She had even said his name when he had never mentioned it. Bai was up to something in Xue, but she had not the slightest clue as to what. As Mingxia Jie stared at Bai's back, he turned around to face her; his face was covered with a completely black white mask. His blue eyes pierced Mingxia Jie's eyes. As she stared and he stared back she jumped back as a few more masked men joined Bai's side. Before Mingxia Jie could utter a word, the masked men attacked Mingxia Jie, except for Bai. He stared from afar as the others fought with Mingxia Jie. As she bent to avoid attacks, she was still overwhelmed from them and took a few blows to the back, ribs and legs.

As she stared at the Bai, she kept defending, but she was too distracted to notice that she didn't have to power to keep defending for much longer, she was still too weak compared to the men attacking her. As the fighting ensued she had caught the attention of a few guards, those guards by pure luck had been leading Kangxi wangye to his rooms before meeting with the Emperor in the morning. As he notices the fighting, he frowns as he notices the fighting styles used. They were used when Kangxi wangye was sent into war with Eastern Zhousan against South Chang. But the defense of the one person was a mix of Eastern and Western Zhousan. Which confused him as an Eastern never taught Western because if they knew; then Western wound win. Although both countries were separated by a mountain range, the other countries weren't and so alliances were formed. But seeing the person defending; a sense of worry washed over him. He used Qinggong to reach the roof, upon seeing the defenders eyes and slightly beaten body, he could tell it was a woman. But he did not know who as the face was covered.

Mingxia Jie relieved a sigh at seeing her husband, but was too tired and bashed to speak a word. She moved with her instincts and switched from defense to attack, moving like water between her opponents. She struck two before the jumped back to Bai; Kangxi wangye had taken a few blows from the other masked men, but had not sustained any serious injuries. Bai looks back at the couple and smirks before stating

-"We'll be back for Mingxia Jie, our employer wishes to have you. Kangxi wangye. Just how far are you willing to go for your wife?"

Bai then disappears under the moon, not only were both exhausted from the fight but had also sustained injury. Mingxia Jie approached Kangxi wangye check his bloodied lip and light bruising. She sighed before feeling herself go limp and the faint but unidentifiable words of Kangxi wangye.