The Emperor's Phoenix

Chapter 13 | Her Fight

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Liu Ying Yue

At her order, a thin needle sliced through the air and embedded itself in her captor's throat. He let out a yelp of pain as he loosened his grip, falling to the ground and clutching at the area around the weapon helplessly.

The rest of the human traffickers immediately turned around to face their attacker defensively, some drawing their swords out for backup as others lunged for Ying Yue.

"...Your Highness. Get behind me." Lu Cang's quiet voice echoed in her ears as he glided in front of her, a wave of needles flying through the air with precision to the men's vulnerable points on their throats.

As he unsheathed his sword with one hand, he waved the other over the rough terrain. Almost immediately, the ground bent to his will and formed large schisms, causing many of the men to fall over themselves as the others grouped together.

Ah, so he's from Chen--the Earth Realm...

"Bastard!" A man let out a growl as he released a flurry of aqueous arrows towards the assassin, the others doing the same with their own aqueous abilities.

Waving a hand through the air, Ying Yue quickly mustered her energy to summon a water shield to temporarily slow the attacks. Lu Cang swung his sword at the incoming weapons with one hand as the other summoned a suffocating cloud of dirt. Seeing an opening, one of the men released an arrow which embedded itself in the assassin's side, filling the air with the metallic scent of blood.

"Lu Cang!"

He simply continued the fight as if he had not just sustained an injury. In her moment of distraction, a watery blade sliced through the air and grazed her right arm as blood slowly dripped from the wound. Gritting her teeth, Ying Yue waved a hand to summon another shield of water, which was only sustained for a brief moment before disappearing.

Damn it...Why are my abilities so useless?!

"...Your Highness, please step back. This situation leaves me no choice but to do 'that...' "

"Wha-"

As Lu Cang waved a hand upwards, the ground rumbled dangerously as it quickly cracked to form a large schism, sharp rocks jutting out from the crevice. Dust floated around the air as the men screamed, mercilessly crushed between the sharp edges of earth. Ying Yue barely managed to jump back from the reshaped earth in time as she waved away the dust in her vision.

He's certainly something.

"Hey! What's going on over there?!" A voice yelled in the distance with the distant clanking of armor.

Sui Border Patrol...

Ying Yue and her assassin glanced at each other.

"...We should leave, Your Highness. It seems like my attack has attracted too much attention."

"Indeed. I suppose we can leave the rest to them."

Picking up the subordinate's scroll that fell on the ground, Ying Yue quickly climbed on her horse--which was fortunately chewing on peach blossoms nearby without a care in the world. Lu Cang picked up the unconscious body of the captor who still had the needle in his throat, effortlessly slinging him over his shoulder as if he was a sack of vegetables.

Ying Yue gave him a nod of satisfaction. Since the rest of his men were either dead or shook among the destruction, she would at least have someone to interrogate later.

"Let's go, Lu Cang."

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There was only a sentence written on the scroll: Dispose of Lady Yun and bring the girl. While Ying Yue had originally thought her capture was ordered by the consort due to the obnoxious scent of jasmine perfume it emitted, the handwriting was completely different.

It certainly isn't any of my sisters, so it must be someone working under her...But why would she think to send human traffickers after me?...It certainly is highly ineffective.

Human trafficking was a common issue Jin and Sui faced, and her step-mother obviously should have known the risks involved in associating with those men--especially when there was a chance for execution as ordered by the palace officials once they happened to find out about this incident.

Additionally, what Ying Yue found suspicious was how she received no notice from her black crow. Earlier, she had sent Hei Wu to keep an eye on the consort and let her know about her step-mother's status, but he had yet to return--which meant that the consort somehow got a hold of him and suspected Ying Yue's plans.

It's highly possible...The hatred between us is so clear that I'm sure she can predict my actions easily. Tch, how could I be so foolish and careless not to suspect anything about this business meeting?...

"...Lu Cang."

Upon the mention of his name, the quiet assassin reappeared by her side. "Consort Sui isn't home, Your Highness. There is no sign of your crow, either."

Ying Yue stopped her horse and narrowed her eyes. "Any information on where she is?"

He shook his head. "From what the servants told me, she is away for a marriage conference with her daughters. Unfortunately, I was unable to find out any further details with other assassins around."

She raised an eyebrow. "Assassins?"

"I apologize for ruining Your Highness's mood even further, but the Sui Palace is even more heavily guarded than usual--not only with extra soldiers, but hidden assassins. It would be quite difficult to go after her when she returns considering how she seems to suspect your actions already."

The empress furrowed her eyebrows as she placed a hand on her forehead and sighed. "...How unsurprising of her to foil my plans. She not only prevented me from meeting with Lady Yun by killing her in her own house, but it's certain that she has almost total control over business in Sui now."

Spurring her horse on a slow trot, Lu Cang walked on the side. The two stayed in thick silence for a moment before he broke it. "...Your Highness, how is your wound?"

Ying Yue hovered a hand over the strip of cloth which covered the wound on her arm. "...Tolerable. I'm sure yours must be worse. Should we stop by a physician?"

"There is no need, Your Highness. It is slowly healing." As proof, he slightly slid the front of his robes down to reveal the fading scar on his side. "...Assassins just happen to be quick at healing."

"Ah, I see..." Ying Yue's eyes glinted at an abrupt thought. "Lu Cang..."

He tilted his head with a questioning glance.

She gave him a sly look. "How many assassins do you think are willing to work for the empress of Jin?..."

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...Why do I do this instead of studying??? loll good luck to anyone else who currently has finals or will have them :)

-Y.P.