The Crown Prince's Bodyguard

4 ♛ The Search

- Li Xun -

The Great Heavenly Lake.

It took Li Xun days to arrive at the mountains surrounding the lake again, and the first thing he noticed were several groups of people desperately trying to get past the barrier. Needless to say, with the news of the Empress's miraculous recovery spreading through the nation like wildfire, it wasn't a surprise that many people had travelled from afar in search of the Celestial Flowers.

Rogues, nobles and villagers... They were using whatever means they could to destroy the barrier, but Li Xun wasn't surprised that they didn't succeed.

Greed was a terrifying thing.

It turned men into blind fools.

Shaking his head at them, he returned to his task on hand. Draping a hood over his head, he and his guards lingered at the back of the crowd, staying low so that no one would discover a prince was walking among them. If they noticed him, they might hinder him from conducting his search properly.

Returning to his task on hand, a curious frown set in on his face. His fingers reached out to touch the barrier, probing it gently, but all he felt was an impenetrable wall with a sheen of cold mist emanating from it.

As his heart no longer sought the Celestial Flower this time, it was understandable that he couldn't get past the barrier this time. Knowing that he was left with little options, he decided to hike on the perimeters of the mountains, hoping to catch a glimpse of his saviour entering or leaving the place again. It was rather disappointing that he couldn't glimpse through the barrier, because this would only mean that it was harder for him to search.

Thinking back, the person was slim and shorter than an average man was. When he had killed the creature with a precise shot, this could only mean he was a very experienced archer.

What was he doing inside? Was he trying to obtain the Celestial Flower as well? But why did he end up leaving right after saving his life?

Where was he?

Were they searching at the wrong place? What if he was from one of the nearby villages around here?

With that possibility in mind, he ordered a few of his men to depart from the group and search the villages. Once they left, he decided that the remaining guards ought to build a fire and a makeshift camp for the approaching night.

As the sun set, he wandered from his group, taking only two guards with him. Since their tasks were delegated, he had taken the liberty to hunt food for his men. He moved quietly and carefully between the trees, his eyes scouring his surroundings for prey. When he spotted a rabbit darting from bush to bush, he lifted the bow in his hands and took his shot.

It took him an hour to obtain enough food for his men. As they made their way back to their camp, their path was intercepted by a group of unfamiliar-looking men. A quick count would soon reveal twenty of them. They were all scruffy-looking, wearing old clothes with patches in them. In their hands, they were carrying weapons of all sorts; sickles, hatchets, knives and wooden clubs.

Rogues.

A man – quite possibly their leader – stepped forward. He chewed on a piece of grass haughtily as he spoke. "I thought I recognised that face of yours," he sounded amused. "It's your Highness, isn't it? What brings you here? Didn't you come once before? Or are you back for more Celestial Flowers because they weren't enough for you?"