Wang Li Xun, the Crown Prince, goes out hunting for the Celestial Flower to save his mother from a terminal illness. When he nearly dies from the attack of a mythical beast, he is saved by a mysterious boy who lives in the mountains.
To repay his ki...
Something grabbed his ankle and was pulling him down hard. Letting out a surprised yelp, he struggled and kicked as his head went beneath the waters. Darkness swarmed in on him quickly as water rushed into his nose and mouth. His heart pounded furiously out of fear and, most importantly, for survival.
This wasn't how he had imagined his death to be. Whatever this creature was, it had a good grip on his ankle and refused to release him. Even if he kicked at it, it was futile. With no one else around who could help him, he watched helplessly as he was dragged further into the depth of the lake, the air in his lungs escaping with every passing second.
No, no!
He couldn't simply die here, not when his mother's life depended on him.
In a swift motion, he grabbed the hilt of his sword, pulling it out and stabbing the creature below him. His attack must have been somewhat successful, because he was instantly released and the mysterious, dark mass swam off.
It may be gone, but there was a likelihood that it might come back. He grasped the opportunity to swim back up to the surface, rasping and heaving as he welcomed fresh air into his burning lungs. Swimming in fast, powerful strokes, he made it across to the island where the Celestial Flowers were growing on. He dragged his heavily-soaked body out and lay himself on the grass, panting heavily. As he tried to catch his breath, his mind was spinning wildly from this unexpected encounter.
What the hell was that?
Judging from that monstrous shape and strength, it most definitely didn't fit the description of a human.
His question was soon answered. Coming from the waters on his right, a low, ghastly growl was heard. Startled, he leaped to his feet, his hand already holding onto his sword in a defensive stance. His eyes were sharp and focused, fixing his gaze cautiously in the direction where the noise was last heard.
Ever so slowly, the creature gradually emerged from the lake. Water ran in rivulets down his body. A pair of red eyes glinted dangerously in the dark, clearly enraged that Li Xun had gotten away from him earlier.
As it came fully into view, he observed its body proportion carefully. Seeing it this close, he noticed that it was walking just like a human but was much bigger in size than he first thought. With a towering height of over two metres, its face was as grisly pale as a dead person and its teeth were as sharp as a wolf's canine.
Baring its fangs, it let out a menacing roar. In a flash, the creature crouched on all fours and lunged straight for him, claws swiping in his way.
But he avoided it by leaping to the side. Having been trained in martial arts since he was young by the very best swordsman in the country, he was quick and light on his feet. Moreover, he took the advantage that he was smaller in size as compared to the creature and evaded its subsequent attacks easily. Parrying with his sword. At some point, he even managed to slice across its broad chest, leaving a gash of red behind.
A loud cry of pain erupted from the creature's throat. With an angry growl, it charged straight for the prince, seizing his sword in its large hands. It ignored the blood gushing out of its wounds and ripped the weapon out of his hands, stunning him. The strength it possessed was overwhelming, for Li Xun soon found himself being grabbed by his legs and lifted high up in the air. In the next second, he found himself being thrown onto the ground hard.
The impact knocked the air out of him. Before he could catch his breath, the creature wrapped a hand around his throat and lifted him again.
Fear rose within him, his eyes wide with fear. Weaponless, he could only watch on in horror as the creature opened its mouth wide, seemingly intent on biting and ripping his head off.
Was this how he was going to die?
If he failed his mission and died, his mother would soon follow into his footsteps.
The thought itself was unbearable. As his lungs started burning once again due to the lack of air, a sudden arrow flew through the air, piercing through the creature's heart from behind.
They were both shocked. The light in the creature's eyes slowly died out and it released its hold on the prince. He fell to the ground, gasping for air, as he watched the monstrous beast before him slumped onto the ground, dead.
Glancing around, he eventually spotted a person standing at the edge of the riverbank. From where he was standing, he could only make out a slim figure dressed in black robes and a mask concealing the bottom half of his face.
Likewise, his saviour returned his gaze calmly and quietly, carrying a longbow by his side. Neither of them spoke or made a move, just simply watching each other.
Even though he was immensely grateful for the help, Li Xun was confused at how this person made it past the barrier and into the Great Heavenly Lake.
Who are you?
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