AN: Put in extra words as atonent for yesterday. Happy reading.
"General, I-," he said, staring at the blood-stained sword while scratching the back of his head.
"I will settle scores with you later. Now get up and follow ," commanded Han Xin, his voice brooking no argunt. Jun De scrambled to his feet, grabbing the sword and wiping it clean with a rag.
Han Xin strode towards his carriage. He wasn’t at all surprised to see Han Zhan lounging inside comfortably. His cousin looked up and chuckled, "Cousin, I had no idea you had the habit of walking around shirtless."
Han Xin ignored his playful jab, his expression grim. He put on a fresh set of clothes making sure to cover every inch of his chest. Peng Xiu’s words about him seducing her had stuck with him. Who exactly was seducing whom with their potatoes was obvious. "Let’s go. There’s sothing important."
Han Zhan raised an eyebrow, surprised by his serious tone, but he quickly got up and followed. The three n walked towards the forest. Han Zhan was busy guessing what could be so urgent. He had guessed that it could be a spy or maybe there was a robber.
But no amount of guessing could have prepared him for what he saw when they reached a clearing where the lifeless body of a wolf was sprawled on the ground.
Jun De knelt beside the wolf, poking it with the tip of his now-clean sword. "What beast did this wolf encounter?" he wondered aloud. The wolf had so many holes in it like it was Swiss cheese. The attack was extrely violent and unnerving.
Han Xin crouched down, his eyes fixed on the wolf’s fur. He caught a faint whiff of sothing strange. Recalling her words he had decided to co back and investigate. He could have just asked her what she ant by that, but judging from Peng Xiu’s personality, she would just snort coldly at him. "It was Princess Xiu," he said quietly.
Han Zhan and Jun De stared at him like he was fooling around. They waited for him to finish the joke but they soon realised that he wasn’t joking. "Ahaha, that’s a good one," laughed Jun De. "No, seriously. What could have done this?" Han Zhan knew his cousin hardly made any jokes. This ant he was serious, but how could a fragile princess with no martial arts training do this, and why the overkill?
Realising that Han Xin wasn’t joking, Jun De’s jaw dropped in disbelief. The implications of the general’s words hung heavily in the air, leaving him to grapple with the shocking revelation. "How is that possible?" he asked while Han Xin beckoned his cousin to crouch down beside him.
"Sll this," he instructed, his voice low and cold. Han Zhan complied, leaning in close to the wolf’s fur. He caught a whiff of sothing unusual, a scent that made his nose twitch. Instinctively, he reached out to touch the wolf but Han Xin’s hand shot out, gripping his wrist firmly.
"Don’t touch it," he warned, his eyes never leaving the wolf. He then turned to Jun De. "Bring the physician. See if he can identify this scent."
"Yes, General," Jun De replied, before sprinting back to the camp.
Han Zhan stared at the wolf, a frown creasing his brow. "There’s sothing wrong with the princess," he said quietly. "She is too dangerous."
Han Xin didn’t respond, his mind clearly elsewhere. When the physician arrived, he examined the wolf from a distance, his face growing more puzzled by the minute. "I can’t identify the scent," he admitted. "But these eyes... they’re not normal." The wolf’s eyes were indeed strange. Its entire eyeballs had turned grey with no distinction between the pupil and the whites of the eyes.
Under Han Xin’s command, so soldiers brought over a large wooden box. Without directly touching the wolf they carefully placed it inside. Han Xin watched them, his expression unreadable. "We will take it with the poisoned parchnt paper to Fengmi Town tomorrow," he said.
Han Zhan glanced at his cousin unable to guess the man’s thoughts on Peng Xiu. "What do you think we will find out?" Han Xin’s gaze was steely.
"Answers," he said simply. "And perhaps more questions."
***
Fengmi town...
Han Xin and Han Zhan reached Fengmi Town early in the morning, the first rays of sunlight casting a golden hue over the bustling streets. The town was alive with activity, vendors shouting at the top of their voices in the fresh market and townsfolk going about their daily business. Despite the hoods covering their heads, their imposing figures still drew curious glances from passersby. Behind them, a cart trundled along, carrying the large wooden box that held the wolf.
Han Xin led the way, turning into a narrow street where a line of patients waited outside a building with a sign that read "Free Clinic." The pair walked straight into the clinic disregarding the queue. Murmurs of discontent soon followed from the waiting crowd, but at the sight of the jade tokens on their belts, they quickly shut their mouths. The person at the front desk imdiately recognised Han Xin and pointed towards the back without a word.
Han Xin and Han Zhan walked past the counter, through a dimly lit passageway and erged into a small courtyard. The courtyard was unusually quiet, the kind of silence before a storm. Suddenly, a door at the far end of the courtyard blew open with a loud bang, but neither man flinched. A short, old man stumbled out, covered in soot and coughing vehently.
Han Zhan couldn’t help but laugh at the sight. "ssing around again, old man?" Han Xin asked, his tone cold and unamused. He wouldn’t be surprised if the old man died of a failed experint in the future.
The old man bead when he saw Han Xin. "Nephew!" he exclaid, opening his arms wide for an embrace. Han Xin’s eyes narrowed before he sidestepped deftly, avoiding the soot-covered hug. The old man almost tripped but he wasn’t at all disheartened.
He looked down at himself and chuckled. "You are still so mysophobic, I see." Ever since he was a kid he would run away from his hugs. If he didn’t know any better, he would think that his nephew despised him.
Han Xin’s expression softened slightly. "Good to see you again uncle. I ca to pay you a visit because I need your help," he said, gesturing towards the door. "There’s sothing you need to see in the cart outside."
The old man’s eyes drooped. If he had a tail, it would be hanging low. His nephew didn’t co to see him because he missed him but rather because he needed his help. But whatever the reason it didn’t matter. His curiosity couldn’t be supressed. "Bring the cart around at the back and I will take a look."
The cart was brought in through the back gate, the wheels creaking under the weight of its cargo. The old man wiped his hands on a rag as the soldiers carefully carried the wooden box inside a dimly lit room. They opened the lid, revealing the lifeless wolf within.
The old man’s eyes lit up with excitent like he had found a new specin to dissect. While he examined the wolf, Han Xin and Han Zhan settled down in another room, sipping on so tea. After a while, the old man ca out, his expression thoughtful. "I am more interested in whoever killed that wolf," he said, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. "They need to be studied."
The rim of Han Xin’s cup froze barely touching his lips for a mont. Han Zhan, with a smile playing on his lips, replied, "It was a fierce fairy that did that."
The old man raised an eyebrow, his tone casual. "I hope you killed that fairy. It’s too vile to live."
Han Zhan glanced at his cousin, his eyes saying, "You heard him." Han Xin set his cup down and addressed the old man, his voice firm. "Uncle, please stick to what we ca for."
The old man sighed, rubbing his temples. "I didn’t think anyone would experint with such an addictive and deadly poison from the flower of a sleeping thorn plant. It only affects wolves, much like catnip affects cats, but to humans, it is deadly even in small doses. To get the amount in this wolf’s blood, the poison would need to be extracted from an entire field of sleeping thorn plants. This ans the person who did it put in a trendous amount of effort."
Han Xin’s eyes narrowed recalling what Peng Xiu said. "So, we are dealing with soone who has both the knowledge and the resources to carry out such an experint."
"Precisely," the old man nodded. "And that makes them very dangerous."
Reviews
All reviews (0)