Crimson Blossoms

Chapter 004: Offerings to a River God [2]

Before the crier continued his words, a young woman came running up to the procession and threw herself on the ground before them, begging for the children's lives.

"Master, Master please don't hurt my children!" She kowtowed before the covered sedan chair. Her clothes were patched and she held a terrified look in her eyes. "We worship the river god faithfully every day and yet the floods don't dissipate!"

Tears flooded her eyes as a large, obese figure known as the county magistrate came from the sedan chair, hands behind his back and he gave the young mother a disgusted look.

"They are my only two children, so please Sir, give them back to me!-" Her pitiful pleads were cut off as she was kicked down by the large man with a hateful glare.

"It's an honour to your family that your children were chosen to be the oblation!" He spat before turning towards his men and yelling.

"Do not hold up the ritual unless you are prepared to afford the results!" He threatened, spitting as he talked.

"No, Master, please!"

The woman started to beg even more for her children as the men all hesitated to throw the children in the rushing waters below before the fat man became even more angered and grabbed the children by their arms himself.

"Useless fools!" He growled before throwing the two babes in the water.

However, just before they hit the water, two respective hands reached for the children, pulling them back onto land in their arms.

Xiao Hu cradled the small boy as she stood back up from her crouched landing position. She had only been able to grab one child, expecting Lan Li to have pulled back the other but instead...

"Whoa! Don't go pulling my hair, now!" The other figure laughed mischievously as the girl he carried giggled as she tugged his long tied hair which was held by a red braided string.

The young mother came rushing up to them and thanked them fervently as she took the two children and ran off quickly.

"Jun...Zhixin?" Her eyes widened at the familiar face, who turned towards her and grinned at her childishly.

"Xiao Hu!" He boldly greeted her by her first name in turn. "I was just taking a walk and decided to drop by to tease you, wifey. "

Her face seemed to become pale merely by the sight of him, her heart seized by a sickening numb shock deep within her, making her blood run cold. He was...he was...

The moment of reunion was interrupted, however, by the obese county magistrate, who was practically salivating in unmatched fury at the audacity of being interrupted. Him! The county magistrate!

"How is so bold as to break the fete of the river god!" He bellowed, throwing his hand forward to usher his guards, he ran with swords unsheathed at the two, making Jun Zhixin glare annoyedly at the rush of enemies.

"Why are people so rude these days?" He frowned before turning with an endearing smile towards Xiá Xiao Hu. "Sorry, I was a bit late, wifey." He beamed before he landed a kick on one soldier that sent him back and knocking down three others with a controlled power that any other would only use the same strength to smack a mosquito.

Lan Li moved for the rest, with an experienced martial aura that she had trained for most her life. Though it wasn't required much and she played the role of an attendant far more often, she also served as a seasoned shadow guard for Xiao Hu that she had been assigned to since childhood.

Xiá Xiao Hu unconsciously took a step away from Jun Zhixin, suddenly she felt an invisible pressure surrounded her and caught her off guard. Suddenly, she felt an urge to run, so she took another small step backward, and tried to be calm: "Do not refer to me as your 'wife.'"

"...Xiao Hu...are you scared of me?" As she took a step back, he chased her forward, his charming, young face was smiling devilishly, his eyes were fiercely looking as if he wanted to devour everything.

While Xiao Hu wasn't a weak person at all, she wasn't ashamed to admit that one of the only people in the world that completely terrified her was Jun Zhixin. Not even the spirits or monsters that she was used to dealing with had such a heart-stopping effect on her.

Before she could answer back, a sword and infuriated eyes were felt on his neck as Lan Li pressed down enough to create a light line of red with the blade.

"You have some audacity showing yourself before the Young Miss, you murderer."

Taking note of the scene, the county magistrate sweated a bit. Though these impetuous people interrupted him and were now ignoring him to fight amongst themselves, it was obvious that they weren't anyone ordinary.

That boy servant of the blind girl took down eight of his men while the other knocked out four, which were being hauled away with a single kick. Clearly, they were not only someone of note but since they were not people from this town, the river god fete was something that had to be kept under wraps at all costs, so he could not have them speaking about it after leaving.

So while they bickered, he quietly snuck away with his soldiers, the scene being so tense that the group of three either didn't notice or care that they were leaving. Though probably the latter, since the boy servant gave them a warning look before they left.

"Murderer? That's cruel of you to think of me." He wore the same faint, gentle smile that he never removed, though his eyes twinkled warmly at Xiá Xiao Hu.

Though she hadn't seen him since five years ago, when they were both young children themselves, his aura hadn't changed much, still with that mischevious, yet doting character through his youthful boyish looks filled out to become more handsome and refined with a dignified appearance suiting his status.

Though the sword was still at his neck, he took an end of the white ribbon around Xiao Hu's eyes and tugged at it, revealing her pained crimson eyes with a soft smile on his face, as if he had missed those eyes of hers dearly.

"I take it you're here because of the 'river-god' business?" Jun Zhixin asked knowingly of exactly what manner of case would bring an heiress of the infamous Xiá clan out.

Xiá Xiao Hu frowned before replying harshly. "It's absurd that the river god would require children as sacrifices for his duties."

"-which would lead one to believe that a 'river-god,' is not at the bottom of this story at all." He echoed her thoughts for her in continuation.

"A shame, little tigress. (this is the literal meaning of her name) Seems as though this town is more to my style than to your liking." He smirked, sending a chill down her back, knowing exactly what his style of work was.

"How about we make a deal, Xiao Hu?" He again referred to her by her given name flirtatiously though with an intimidating undertone that she couldn't refuse.