The Crown Prince's Bodyguard

39 ♛ The Guardian of the Celestial Flowers

- Li Xun -

The moment he saw how the woman he loved getting shot by arrows, he was struck with fear. When she collapsed in his arms, his first instinct was to feel her pulse. Her blood smeared across his skin, sending an involuntary tremor through him .

Her heart was still beating, he noted, but gradually weakening.

Around them, swords clashed everywhere. Both sides were equally matched, but if the assassins called for reinforcements, they would be outnumbered.

General Guo Jie grabbed his shoulder, yelling into his ear.

"Your Highness! Let's go!"

Li Xun nodded. He lifted the unconscious girl into his arms, following his general's lead. As they escaped, Ling Yao and the rest of the surviving soldiers surrounded them protectively. Fending off any assassins that pursued them.

Escaping to the nearest village, they took shelter in one of the secret quarters that belonged to a minister of their own. Li Xun carried Long'Er into one of the guest rooms and placed her on the bed.

In the meantime, General Guo Jie wasted no time in ordering the servants to fetch a female physician. After tending to her injuries, Long'Er's condition was declared stable. No one stayed in the room, except for Li Xun. For the entire day and night, he remained by her side and gently wiped the sweat and dirt off her sleeping face with a wet cloth.

He hadn't slept a wink for more than a day. Yes, he was exhausted but he didn't wish to leave her side. Staring at her blood-stained bandages, a swell of guilt resurfaced.

He had lost a couple of his men and now, Long'Er was hurt. She was never a target in the first place, but she was caught in the crossfire.

Everything stemmed from him. It was all his fault.

Because of his status.

Being born into royalty was never a blessing, it was more of like a curse in disguise. And there was nothing he could ever do to change that fact.

A gust of breeze ruffled his clothes and hair. Sensing the presence of an uninvited guest, he flipped around with a half-drawn sword, narrowing his eyes at the intruder. His first thought was that an assassin from earlier had caught up to them with the intention to kill Li Xun.

But he was wrong.

Dressed in a dress that was the colour of snow, a woman sat on the windowsill casually. Her face was as pretty as a painting. Wearing a calm, observing expression, she greeted him with a gentle smile that warmed her eyes. She swept her gaze over to the sleeping Long'Er beside him and concern flashed in her eyes immediately.

Her question surprised him. "How's her condition?"

He should be guarded against this strange woman, but he wasn't. Because right there, perched on her shoulder, was a phoenix he recognised.

Jade.

From this fact alone, he relaxed, shoving his sword back into its sheath. He knew that there was only one reason behind the appearance of the divine bird, and how it was behaving comfortably around the mysterious woman.

He was, perhaps, speaking to Long'Er's godmother herself in person.

She was a lot younger than he had imagined. She barely looked any older than thirty years old and could easily be mistaken as Long'Er's sister.

"Her wounds were tended to," he informed her. "She's running a slight fever now, but the physician has prescribed the necessary medicine for her to make a full recovery."