Chapter 1

?Chapter 1: A Token of My Love

The great Qiu Kingdom consisted of as many as fifty provincial states and several major towns. One such town was Xinshui Town which was situated in the heart of the Southern Province.

“Miss Hua, the Shui Family has agreed to your marriage with their eldest son. Finally, Miss Hua, you will live happily with your love,” Zhi Hui, the personal attendant of Li Hua informed her.

Li Hua, who was getting her hair brushed with a servant’s help, was delighted to hear that. She told the servant to stop and stood up.

“Zhi Hui, has the Shui Family already left?”

“Miss Hua, they are still in the guest room conversing with Master Xu,” Zhi Hui replied, keeping her gaze low.

Li Hua walked out, followed by Zhi Hui.

They hid behind a pillar and peeked inside the guest hall.

“Miss Hua, the young master is so handsome. She shall confess her feelings to the Young Master tonight,” Zhi Hui suggested to her.

.....

Li Hua blushed and smiled seeing how Shui Feng Lao was smiling while conversing with her family.

Suddenly, Shui Feng Lao looked out and met the gaze of Li Hua, who immediately hid behind the pillar as she was shy.

“What happened, Miss Hua?” Zhi Hui asked with confusion and tried to take a peek when Li Hua told her not to do so.

“I think he saw me,” Li Hua said in a low voice and told her that they should leave.

“Li Hua!” She heard her name from the recognized voice. “Let’s have a small conversation, Li Hua,” Shui Feng Lao requested. Zhi Hui left quickly, giving them privacy.

Li Hua turned to him, but because of her shyness, she could not peer at him.

“May I hold your hand?” Shui Feng Lao asked. Li Hua could not believe that all of this was real. She extended her hand out and Shui Feng Lao grabbed it gently. He took her with him to a pavilion near the pond.

He let go of Li Hua’s hand and admired the beauty of the full moon. “Li Hua, I have known you for a long time. That’s why when my Father told me about you, I agreed to marry you. I like you, Li Hua,” Shui Feng Lao confessed his feelings.

Li Hua smiled and felt that she was in the seventh sky.

“At least, look at me,” Shui Feng Lao urged.

Li Hua slowly lifted her head and finally peered at him. Those dark orbs were so shiny and bright. Her heart thumped against her chest just by gazing into those eyes.

“I-I,” she stuttered and moved her right foot back and forth because of nervousness. She had to confess her feelings as well to him. Shui Feng Lao planted a soft kiss on the middle of her forehead and then looked into her eyes.

“I wanted to tell you that Shui Feng Lao will keep you happy. I promise you. I know that you have not been to the outside world. Shui Feng Lao will give you the entire happiness that exists in this world,” he promised her.

Li Hua was overwhelmed by such a beautiful confession before her marriage.

“Even I-” she paused as she heard the screams of the people. Both Li Hua and Shui Feng Lao turned to look at the source of those screams.

“What’s that? Did someone get injured?” Li Hua asked and confusedly looked at Shui Feng Lao.

“Let’s go and see,” He suggested to her and the two left the pavilion.

Xu Guang Li came out of the guest-chamber with Shui Xiaoqing, followed by their wives and the other servants when they saw the unknown men with swords.

“What’s going on?” Xu Guang Li questioned and shouted for the soldiers, who quickly came to protect them.

“Master Xu, the Xu Family is accused of treason. The King sent the-” before the servant could complete his words, an arrow pierced straight through his chest and he died.

“Ahhhhh,” the women shouted and chaos occurred in the Xu Residence. The servants started to run to save their lives.

“Master Shui, you shall return from the backdoor of the residence,” Xu Guang Li told him.

“What are you saying, Friend? I will fight with you and protect you all,” Shui Xiaoqing stated and their younger sons came forward. Xu Guang Li ordered his son to safely escort his mother and sister along with Shui Xiaoqing’s wife.

“My Lord,” their respective wives shouted as the two sons took them away.

Both Guang Li and Xiaoqing jumped into the fight. “Someone has conspired against you,” Xiaoqing told Guang Li as he pierced his sword into the chest of the soldier.

Oppositely, Shui Feng Lao and Li Hua encountered two unknown soldiers. Feng Lao pushed Li Hua behind his back and dodged their attacks. He took out the fan which was on his sash and defeated one of them, thus snatching the sword from him.

Li Hua got scared to see this when another soldier caught her and she shouted for Shui Feng Lao’s help.

“Li Hua,” he quickly killed the other one and threw the closed fan towards the unknown man, who had taken Li Hua hostage. It hit in the middle of his forehead. Taking the chance, Shui Feng Lao pulled Li Hua towards him and asked her if she was okay.

“Come,” he said and started to run, dragging her with him. They reached outside the guest-chamber and were shocked to see so many dead bodies- mostly of the servants of the Residence.

“Father,” she shouted as she saw him fighting with tens of soldiers.

Xu Guang Li pushed those soldiers away and killed them swiftly. He turned to look at his daughter. “Run away!!” Guang Li shouted.

Xu Guang Li shouted from the other side, “Take Li Hua away, Feng Lao.”

Li Hua shook her head as tears filled in her eyes. She saw Zhi Hui’s dead body lying on the ground and she could not hold her tears.

“Li Hua, go away!!” Her father again shouted at her while fighting with another assassin.

“Li Hua, we have to leave,” Shui Feng Lao told her.

“We cannot. Our fathers are fighting. Go help them,” Li Hua told him. A strange feeling had occupied her heart and it was scaring her.

A speeding arrow came towards her when Feng Lao immediately swirled her. The arrow hit his right arm and he winced in pain.

“Feng Lao,” she called his name for the first time and started to cry, who held her hand.

“Let’s go,” he urged her and dragged her along with him. Li Hua looked at her father, whose dress was stained in blood.

“Father!” She shouted again as two arrows hit her father. However, Feng Lao did not stop and dragged her away from there. They reached the backyard anyhow. Feng Lao killed a few other assassins, who were after them, and told Li Hua to leap the wall.

Li Hua outstretched her arms and grabbed the top of the wall, but she was unable to leap it. Feng Lao came to her and quickly pushed her up. He also climbed on the wall and went to the other side, making Li Hua jump with her.

“Save the others too,” Li Hua requested him.

“The situation is too tough inside,” he said and grabbed her hand, but she did not move forward.

“Don’t worry about me. Your family is also inside,” Li Hua stated. Feng Lao’s expressions turned gloomy because he saw the dead bodies of their respective mothers and brothers earlier. However, he did not let Li Hua see them.

He heard the tearing sound of fabric and found Li Hua had torn the end of her skirt. She quickly tied it around Feng Lao’s arm. “Go in and save everyone,” Li Hua told him.

“Li Hua, I need to protect you,” he said and grasped her hand tightly. They both ran towards the forest, however, to their misfortune the assassins had followed them.

“Why didn’t we go to your residence?” Li Hua asked him. “The soldiers could have helped us,” she suggested to him.

Feng Lao stopped and so did she. “Li Hua, it was a planned assassination for both of our families. We need to go to the Qiu Kingdom’s Capital to know the answer,” Shui Feng Lao affirmed when an arrow hit his chest.

“Ahh,” he stumbled when Li Hua held his arm. He quickly went along with her in the bushes and hid behind them.

“Feng Lao,” she worriedly said and started to cry again. Feng Lao pulled out the arrow from his chest and Li Hua pressed it tightly. “Wait, I will-”

“Li Hua, run away. You need to survive. You need to go straight from this route and will reach a small village. I will stop them and follow you,” Feng Lao shut her up and instructed her where to head to.

“I will not leave you alone. Let’s go together,” Li Hua grabbed his arm.

“There are assassins here. I need to stop them else both of us will die. Go ahead. If I don’t reach within a day, resume your journey by yourself,” Feng Lao stated and placed his hand on her cheek. His eyes were also misty while saying such things to Li Hua.

“You are scaring me,” Li Hua said in a low voice when Feng Lao quickly removed his red jade ring with a golden flower pattern on it from his index finger.

He inserted it into the index finger of Li Hua and said, “This is a token of my love.” He knew that he would die too because the assassins were quite stronger than him.

“Feng Lao,” she murmured.

He caressed her head and said, “Don’t look behind and keep running till you reach the village. Don’t worry about me. Okay?” He asked her.

Li Hua hummed as tears continuously streamed down her eyes.

“On the count of three- one, two, and three!” Feng Lao said and pulled her up. He pushed her towards the route of the village and gestured to her to run. Li Hua turned and started to run while Feng Lao went to the other side to distract the assassin.

“I wish I could stay longer with Li Hua. But this was it!” He thought in his mind and took the sword out of his sheath.

~~~~~

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