Chapter 90: The long journey to Ningzhuo 6

Days later at Su Liya's room at the Inn at Yul village 

The Intruder fought out of Lu Yaozhu's hold and tried to pull himself out of the stronghold.

He tried to hit Lu Yaozhu with his elbow but missed a few times. 

Seeing the two men roll around on the ground, Su Liya dropped the stool and rushed to find something heavy to hit the intruder or a weapon. She looked around the room until her eyes fell on a wooden umbrella leaning by the wall and a decorative vase.

Both were effective weapons that could make a lot of damage to the intruders head. She ran across the room and picked up the wooden umbrella. Lu Yaozhu had the intruder tackled on the ground, he held the intruder close to him by passing his hands by the intruder's armpit.

While his other hand was wrapped around the intruder's neck, Lu Yaozhu had him clapped or so he thought. He had the intruder facing the bed and struggling to get out of his tight hole. Su Liya saw the intruder's hands run down his clothes before stopping at his high.

She saw his hands dip into his clothes and pull something out, it was dark down and she couldn't make out what that was until there was a slight reflection from the intruders free had by his tight, as the knife in his hands was caught by the light from the lamp by the wall.

"He has a knife" Su Liya reclaimed and rushed over to knock the knife out of his hands. She hit his hands with the wooden umbrella, she knew it must have hurt because she hear his painfully hiss when the umbrella made contact with the intruder's hands but she didn't care. 

There were times and places for human sympathy, this wasn't a time for that. This man was sent over to kill her, he doesn't deserve her sympathy. With her new resolve, she walked closer and kicked him on the tummy. He helped in pain and momentarily lost hold of the knife.

Su Liya kicked the knife under the bed, far far away from his reach. She checked to ensure that it was under the bed before walking back to finish him off with her umbrella. As she got closer, she felt the intruders hands wrap around her ankle and pull her forward. 

She lost her footing and fell back, "ahh!" Lu Yaozhu looked up when he heard her cry. He watched her fall backwards, towards the sharp end of the bed. Lu Yaozhu pulled away from the intruder and rushed forward to catch her before her head made contact with the sharp end. Which could have disastrous consequences.

Su Liya let go of the umbrella as she fell back, she saw a slight movement with the side of her eyes. Followed by a hand grab her arm and she was pulled into his warm embrace. During all that struggle, the intruder dragged himself up and jumped out of the window.

Lu Yaozhu hugged her closer until her heavy breathing subsidised. When her heartbeat returned to normal after the scare she had, "thanks for watching me". Her voice was muffled thanks to her present position.

Lu Yaozhu replied, "It was nothing, how are you feeling".

"Good, the intruder?" 

Lu Yaozhu looked around the room but he didn't catch even the intruder's shadow, "he escaped".

Su Liya pulled away from him and looked down at her foot she said "I am sorry, you lost him because of me. I should have been a lot more careful".

Lu Yaozhu shook his head "nonsense, how is this your fault, did you push yourself down? Please, I should thank you for kicking the knife away from him or who knows how the story would have ended"

The noise from the intruder's falls alerted the attention of the guards stationed outside the inn. Three guards ran after the intruder while the commander in charge of the guards led four guards into the inn.

The inn was quiet as they ran up the step to the room, with the window where the intruder jumped down from. They rushed into the open room door, the room was untidy. The window was wide open and it looked like there was a struggle.

They saw their master standing by the bed and hugging his wife closer. They immediately turned around "General Lu! We apologize for coming late"

Lu Yaozhu pulled away and pushed her behind him when he gears their footsteps. He turned to the guards and replied "there is no need to stand on ceremony, did you see or hear anyone jump down from the window?"

The commander a short muscular man in black and blue armour came forward, bowed his head and clamped his right hands in his left palm, "Yea General, three of my men chased after him". He glanced as the flustered woman standing behind the general and bowing his head once more continued "we failed to perform our duties and put her highness in danger, please punish us as you see fit". 

Lu Yaozhu led Su Liya to seat on the bed and walked to the open window, he looked out the window and didn't find anyone but he saw that the window of the room next to his was wide open. "There is no need for that, you were only following orders, the problem isn't from you since the intruder was already inside the inn. The window of the room before this one is wide open, he must have been hiding in there".

He glanced at Su Liya and asked "When did you dismiss your maids for the night?"

Su Liya pulled a blanket over her shoulders and walked forward, "not long ago".

Lu Yaozhu nodded, "he must have been listening in, the walls of the inn are not thick. He waited for your maids to go and for you to fall asleep before sneaking in" 

He turned to the commander and instructed "position some guards around the inn both inside and out. Then have a few guards comb the area for the intruder, he would be was injured on his hand so keep an eye for anyone like that"

"Yes," the commander bowed and left the room with his men.

Lu Yaozhu held Su Liya's hand and led her out of the room "you can't stay here anymore, you will stay in my room".