A large group of men hurried down from the pathway, wearing grey outfits. They were the same outfits that were fighting in the bamboo forest like the ones Suyin had seen before.
Jianhong roared in laughter. "My dear nephew, you dare to defy your uncle?" He challenged. Junli could only smile, looking around at Jianhong's men.
"Such a strong, powerful man, sheltering behind so many people, huh?" He spoke. He glanced at Qin Fuhua (who he only knows as Tienzheng).
Junli knew that it was one of his men that sent him a warning letter the day that Suyin had the letter sent to her. Zhaoyun was the one who shot the arrow through the tree to send Suyin the letter while Weizhe shot another one through Junli's room simultaneously.
In his letter, it depicted the information about alerting him that his uncle was going to come. Feng Junli's father was out of the village with his wife to go pray to the Buddhist, so he was responsible for taking care of the house.
Feng Junli nodded at Qin Fuhua to let him know that they were ready as Qin Fuhua and his men pointed their swords toward Jianhong.
"Y-You!" Jianhong uttered, startled at the sudden move.
"You are working for someone else aren't you?" Qin Fuhua mentioned.
"Why... aren't you just a mere little scholar? How dare you point a sword like that to me!" Jianhong shouted.
Qin Fuhua could only give him a cold expression, his eyes not moving away from Jianhong.
"The man who had pointed fingers at his wife. To make her fool so that he would save his own life, is it?" Qin Fuhua coldly said.
Jianhong's eyes were scanning around him, as he threw a bizarre, white ball down to the ground.
With the impact of the ground, it made a mixture of dust, dirt, and smoke around the area as everyone began coughing their lungs out, including Qin Fuhua. Jianhong dashed his life out of the area, running away for his life as the soldiers of Jianhong began to fight with Qin Fuhua and Feng Junli's men.
It was nearly impossible for them to see anything, but Qin Fuhua, Weizhe, and Zhaoyun knew that they needed to stop Jianhong from running away.
"Go get Jianhong!" Weizhe uttered, protecting the Prince of Qin. Covering his mouth with his sleeves, he nodded, dashing off in the air to follow the cowardly man.
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Jianhong ran as fast as he could, tripping over some of the twigs of the trees as he hustled towards the hill in the mountains. There were little trees here and there, but it couldn't stop him from escaping. As he tripped over a large root from a large tree, Qin Fuhua was able to catch up to the man.
"Stop it right there." Qin Fuhua drifted down, taking a step closer to Jianhong as he retreated away, using his feet to push against the ground.
"Y-You don't know who you are messing with!" Jianhong began to stutter, as he screamed at Qin Fuhua.
"There's nothing that can stop you right now."
Right as Qin Fuhua finished his sentence, a man covered in a grey mask with a dark blue outfit soundlessly flew on top of the tree, pulling the bow and arrow directed at Qin Fuhua's back with a poisonous snake coming out from the man's sleeves.
Distracted at Jianhong's shameless begging, Qin Fuhua didn't get the chance to notice until the arrow fired. He was unable to block the arrow, piercing right through his upper right arm as the snake took a bite on his shoulder.
Jianhong promptly stood up and ran off, with the person helping him flying away as well. Qin Fuhua felt a gush of pain on his right arm, but that wasn't the problem: The snake slithered off to follow its master.
With all of the force that he could, he pulled the arrow out from his arm.
"My lord!" Weizhe hurried down the forest after seeing Qin Fuhua knelt on one knee. Zhao Yun immediately followed behind Weizhe and the two held the Prince up.
"My lord, we had Jianhong's men captured and most of them killed. Some of the men that were his reinforcements did not speak of who the other party was," Zhaoyun lowered his head, "those that were caught all bit their tongue to death."
Qin Fuhua shrugged his shoulders so that Weizhe and Zhaoyun didn't help him up anymore.
"Go find anything about Feng Jianhong's history and investigate the maids and his men to see who he was affiliated with." He glanced at his arm.
"There is something I have to do." Qin Fuhua was still able to move but his right arm was practically paralyzed. Whatever it was, it was affecting his body and he still needed to meet up with Suyin. Keeping the head of the arrow for later, he used up all of his qi to fly to where he had promised to meet Suyin.
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Suyin had fallen asleep, sitting down on the ground and used the statue so she could rest on something with her back. The sun had risen already by the time she awoke, hearing the sounds of birds flutter away.
The sound of clothes rustling among the wind made Suyin wake up immediately, hoping that it was Qin Fuhua who appeared in front of her. She saw Qin Fuhua's figure flying in the sky. Nearly reaching to her, Qin Fuhua had used up all of his energy and plopped down to the ground.
Suyin stood up and rushed to Qin Fuhua's aid, helping him up until she saw the blood smeared all over his clothes.
"Q-Qin Fuhua!" It was all she could say with him suddenly appearing. What had happened while she had fallen asleep waiting?
Qin Fuhua closed his eyes, breathing heavily. "Help me up." He uttered. He barely had the energy to stand so Suyin had to have him lean on her. Qin Fuhua used every ounce of his energy to reach the lion statue.
"Do you still have the jade of the dragon?"
Suyin nodded, taking out the item and handed it to him. Qin Fuhua weakly but surely placed the jade of the dragon in the lion statue's mouth. It triggered a pathway through the creek and into the waterfall.
Qin Fuhua placed the jade of the dragon in his pocket as the two slowly entered the secret cave through the waterfall.
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"You stupid, wrenched being!" A man yelled at Jianhong. He threw his teacup down to the ground as it smashed in front of Jianhong. Shivering, he kneeled to the man, putting his face to the ground with his hands touching the floor.
"I-I'm sorry! I have failed you!!" Jianhong's voice began trembling. "I-I used that ball to turn smoke around me! It worked but I..."
"And to have my men help useless men like you. You're nothing but a mere empty shell now that you are a wanted man." The man called his men dressed in grey to drag him out of the prosperous hall.
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Drips of water fell to the shoulders of Han Suyin, following the injured Qin Fuhua to the cave. It was dark inside the cave with the sunlight being the only source of brightness in the hallway. Qin Fuhua limply walked down the pathway, using the walls of the cave for support. As the two entered deep into the cave, Suyin watched Qin Fuhua weakly feel the walls of the cave with his hands.
"I can help you up if you want to."
"No. Leave me be." Qin Fuhua firmly answered immediately. His face began to look pale, but Suyin couldn't do anything but follow him.
Qin Fuhua felt the walls as he pushed through one, calling Suyin to follow him inside.
A room filled with a large, long dark wooden table was in front of them with cushion seatings on the ground. The room was filled with bookshelves and even a bed at the side. The walls were decorated in black petals with little candle posts that can be lit to see in the dark.
"What is this," Suyin uttered. If she didn't know they were under a waterfall, she would have believed this was another room of Qin Fuhua's manor.
As the soldiers descended from the pathway with purposeful strides, Jianhong's laughter rang out like a call of defiance amidst the gathering storm.
With a sneer of contempt, he hurled his challenge at Feng Junli, his voice a venomous snarl that echoed through the tense air like the tolling of a funeral bell.
"My dear nephew, you dare to defy your uncle?" Jianhong's words dripped with malice, his eyes blazing with a fierce intensity as he squared off against his adversary.
Yet, in the face of Jianhong's bluster, Feng Junli remained unruffled, his smile a mask of calm amidst the tempest of emotions that roiled within him.
Casting a disdainful glance at Jianhong's amassed forces, he spoke with a quiet confidence that belied the gravity of their situation.
"Such a strong, powerful man, hiding behind so many of his people, huh?" His words were laced with subtle mockery, his gaze flickering towards Qin Fuhua, whom he knew only as Tienzheng.
Unbeknownst to Jianhong, Feng Junli had long suspected his treacherous uncle, his suspicions confirmed by the timely intervention of his own loyal allies.
Zhaoyun's arrow, guided by a message hidden within its flight, had served as a warning of the impending danger, alerting Junli to the looming threat posed by Jianhong's schemes.
With a nod of acknowledgment, Feng Junli signaled to Qin Fuhua and his men, their swords drawn and ready to strike at a moment's notice.
In that silent exchange, a silent understanding passed between them, a shared determination to confront the darkness that threatened to engulf them all.
"You are working for someone else, aren't you?" Qin Fuhua's words cut through the tension like a blade forged in the fires of truth, his gaze piercing through Jianhong's facade of deceit with unerring precision.
Caught off guard by the sudden accusation, Jianhong sputtered in indignation, his bravado faltering in the face of Qin Fuhua's unwavering resolve.
"Why... aren't you just a mere little scholar? How dare you point a sword like that at me!" His voice trembled with rage, his facade of arrogance crumbling like a sandcastle before the relentless tide of justice that now stood poised to wash him away.
Qin Fuhua's icy demeanor remained steadfast, his gaze locked in a silent battle of wills with Jianhong, the air thick with the weight of unspoken accusations.
"The man who would sacrifice his own wife to save his skin," he intoned with a chilling detachment, his words slicing through the smoke-choked air with a clarity that cut to the bone.
But before Jianhong could offer a retort, he hurled a strange, white sphere to the ground, unleashing a cloud of choking dust and smoke that enveloped the battlefield in a haze of confusion and disorientation.
As the acrid fumes filled their lungs, choking the very breath from their bodies, Qin Fuhua and his allies found themselves ensnared in a desperate struggle for survival amidst the swirling chaos.
With a furtive glance cast over his shoulder, Jianhong seized the opportunity to flee, his cowardice laid bare for all to see as he abandoned his men to their fate.
Yet, even as he vanished into the haze of smoke and shadows, his treachery ignited a fierce battle between his forces and those of Qin Fuhua and Feng Junli.
Amidst the swirling maelstrom of combat, where blades clashed and arrows flew with deadly precision, Qin Fuhua and his loyal companions fought with fierce determination.
With Weizhe and Zhaoyun at his side, Qin Fuhua spared no effort in the pursuit of justice, their swords flashing like lightning amidst the darkness that threatened to engulf them all.
"Go get Jianhong!" Weizhe's command cut through the chaos, his resolve unyielding as he moved to protect the Prince of Qin from harm.
With a nod of understanding, Qin Fuhua watched as Weizhe vanished into the fray, his form a blur of motion as he pursued their fleeing quarry with unwavering determination.
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As Jianhong stumbled and scrambled through the dense undergrowth of the mountain terrain, his desperate flight spurred on by fear and desperation, Qin Fuhua pursued him with a relentless determination born of righteous fury.
With each step, he closed the distance between them, his resolve unyielding in the face of Jianhong's cowardice.
"Stop it right there," Qin Fuhua's voice rang out with a steely command, his gaze unwavering as he confronted the fleeing man.
But Jianhong, consumed by panic and desperation, continued to retreat, his words a pathetic chorus of protests and empty threats.
"You don't know who you are messing with!" he stammered, his voice trembling with fear as he attempted to ward off his pursuer.
Yet, even as Jianhong's cowardice laid bare his true nature, Qin Fuhua remained resolute, his resolve unshaken.
"There's nothing that can stop you right now," he declared with quiet conviction, his words a solemn reminder of the justice that awaited Jianhong at the end of his futile flight.
But just as victory seemed within reach, a sudden movement caught Qin Fuhua off guard, his attention momentarily diverted by Jianhong's shameless pleas for mercy.
In the blink of an eye, a figure cloaked in shadow and masked in secrecy appeared above them, a deadly arrow aimed directly at Qin Fuhua's back.
With a gasp of alarm, Qin Fuhua turned to face this new threat, but it was too late. The arrow flew with deadly accuracy, its poisoned tip finding its mark in Qin Fuhua's flesh, sending a searing pain lancing through his arm.
As Jianhong seized the opportunity to make his escape, the mysterious assailant vanished into the shadows once more, leaving Qin Fuhua to grapple with the agonizing aftermath of their treacherous ambush.
With grim determination, Qin Fuhua gritted his teeth against the pain, his hands trembling as he grasped the arrow lodged in his arm. With a swift and decisive motion, he tore the projectile free, the sting of its venom coursing through his veins like fire.
"My Lord!"
As Weizhe and Zhaoyun rushed to Qin Fuhua's side, their concern palpable in the air, he waved them off with a determined shake of his head.
Despite the searing pain that coursed through his injured arm, Qin Fuhua refused to yield to weakness.
"Thank you, but I can manage," he insisted, his voice firm with resolve as he struggled to rise to his feet unaided.
With a nod of understanding, Weizhe and Zhaoyun stepped back, their expressions a mixture of admiration and concern as they watched their master gather his strength for the task ahead.
"My lord, we had Jianhong's men captured and most of them killed," Weizhe reported grimly, his voice tinged with regret for the lives lost in the pursuit of justice.
"Some of the reinforcements refused to divulge any information and chose death over betrayal."
Qin Fuhua's jaw tightened at the news, his thoughts turning to the treachery and deceit that had brought them to this point.
"Go find anything you can about Feng Jianhong's history," he instructed, his tone brooking no argument as he turned his gaze toward the horizon. "And investigate the maids and his men to uncover any connections to his schemes."
With a nod of acknowledgment, Weizhe and Zhaoyun hastened to obey their master's command, disappearing into the depths of the forest in search of answers.
Alone once more, Qin Fuhua gritted his teeth against the pain that wracked his injured arm, his thoughts turning to the urgent task that lay ahead.
With each passing moment, the poison coursing through his veins threatened to sap his strength and cloud his mind, but he refused to yield to despair.
"There is something I have to do," he muttered to himself, his voice a whisper on the wind as he clutched the severed arrowhead tightly in his hand.
With a steely determination burning in his eyes, Qin Fuhua summoned every ounce of his remaining strength, channeling his qi into one final effort to reach to Han Suyin.
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As Suyin stirred from her slumber, her senses sharpened by the rustling of fabric in the wind, she prayed for the figure descending from the sky to be none other than Qin Fuhua.
And as her wish was granted, her heart leapt with both relief and concern at the sight of him plummeting to the ground before her.
Rushing to his side, Suyin's hands reached out to support him, her eyes widening in shock at the sight of blood staining his clothes. With a gasp of alarm, she helped Qin Fuhua to his feet, her mind racing with worry for his well-being.
"Q-Qin Fuhua!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling with emotion as she struggled to comprehend the events that had unfolded in her absence.
But Qin Fuhua's response was tense, his breaths labored as he struggled to remain upright. "Help me up," he implored, his voice barely more than a whisper as he leaned heavily on her for support.
With a determined nod, Suyin lent him her strength, guiding him with gentle care toward the lion statue that stood sentinel at the edge of the creek. And as they reached their destination, Qin Fuhua's weary gaze met hers, a silent question lingering in the air between them.
"Do you still have the jade of the dragon?" he asked, his voice strained with exhaustion.
Suyin nodded wordlessly, retrieving the precious artifact from her pocket and placing it into Qin Fuhua's outstretched hand.
With a steady but faltering grip, he inserted the jade into the lion statue's mouth, triggering a hidden mechanism that revealed a concealed passageway hidden behind the cascading veil of the waterfall.
With a grateful nod, Qin Fuhua pocketed the jade once more, his movements slow and deliberate as they ventured into the depths of the secret cave. And as they disappeared into the shadows, the rush of the waterfall masked their passage.
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A man's fury reverberated through the opulent hall, his voice a thunderous boom that shook Jianhong to his core.
With a trembling hand, he threw his teacup to the ground, the delicate porcelain shattering into a thousand pieces at Jianhong's feet.
Quaking with fear, Jianhong sank to his knees, his forehead pressed against the cold marble floor as he groveled before his enraged superior.
"I-I'm sorry! I have failed you!" he stammered, his voice quivering with shame and desperation. "I-I used that ball to create smoke to cover my escape! It worked, but..."
But his feeble excuses fell on deaf ears, drowned out by the man's seething contempt.
"And to think I entrusted my men to aid a worthless wretch like you," he spat, his disdain palpable in every word. "You are nothing but an empty shell now, a mere shadow of the man you once were."
With a dismissive wave of his hand, the man called forth his enforcers, their grey-clad forms looming ominously in the dim light of the hall. Without a word, they seized Jianhong, dragging him unceremoniously from the hall as his cries for mercy echoed off the walls, lost amidst the cold indifference of his former allies.
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The damp echoes of dripping water filled the air, Suyin followed Qin Fuhua deeper into the cavernous depths of the cave.
The dim light filtering through the entrance provided the only illumination in the otherwise dark passageway, casting long shadows that danced across the walls as they ventured further into the unknown.
With each faltering step, Qin Fuhua leaned heavily on the cave walls for support, his strength waning with every passing moment.
Suyin, her concern etched deep in her heart, offered to lend him aid, but his terse refusal left her with no choice but to follow in silent apprehension.
"I can help you up if you want to," she offered tentatively, her voice a gentle whisper in the stillness of the cave.
But Qin Fuhua's response was swift and resolute, his pale countenance betraying no hint of weakness as he pressed forward with grim determination.
"No. Leave me be," he replied firmly, his voice strained with effort as he forged ahead.
And so, with a heavy heart, Suyin trailed behind him, her footsteps echoing softly against the cavern walls as they pressed deeper into the unknown depths of the cave.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity of winding passages and treacherous twists and turns, Qin Fuhua came to a sudden halt, his hand pressing against the cool surface of the cave wall as he pushed open a hidden doorway.
Motioning for Suyin to follow, he stepped into the chamber beyond, revealing a scene that took her breath away.
A long, dark wooden table dominated the center of the room, flanked by cushioned seats and surrounded by towering bookshelves laden with ancient books and manuscripts. A plush bed occupied one corner of the chamber, its luxurious linens a stark contrast to the rugged surroundings.
But what truly caught Suyin's eye were the intricate decorations adorning the walls – delicate black petals intertwined with flickering candle posts, casting a warm glow that illuminated the room with an otherworldly beauty.
"What is this?" Suyin murmured in awe, her eyes wide with wonder as she took in the unexpected splendor of their surroundings. If she hadn't known better, she would have sworn they had stumbled upon another hidden chamber within Qin Fuhua's manor – but here, deep beneath the earth, amidst the heart of the mountain, they had discovered something far more mysterious and enchanting than anything she could have imagined.
As Qin Fuhua's strength failed him and he slumped against the doorframe, his pallor growing ever more pronounced, Suyin's heart clenched with worry.
Despite her initial anger at his stubborn refusal of her help, she couldn't bear to see him suffer, his once vibrant eyes now dulled with pain and exhaustion.
"You know, I am a doctor. You can ask me for help," she offered softly, her voice tinged with concern as she reached out to him.
But Qin Fuhua's response was a mere whisper, his words barely audible as he struggled to maintain consciousness.
"I was poisoned by an arrow," he confessed, his voice trailing off as his eyelids drooped and he succumbed to the darkness of unconsciousness.
Desperate to rouse him from his daze, Suyin shook him gently, her heart pounding with fear at the thought of losing him.
But despite her efforts, Qin Fuhua remained unresponsive, his breathing shallow and labored as he lay slumped against the stone floor.
With a heavy sigh, Suyin carefully removed Qin Fuhua's cloak and arranged it as bedding beneath him, her hands trembling with worry as she tucked him in with gentle care. Lighting the lamp to illuminate the dimly lit chamber, she took a moment to survey their surroundings, her eyes scanning the room with a mixture of awe and trepidation.
The chamber was spacious, its walls adorned with intricate decorations that spoke of a bygone era of mystery and magic.
It was clear that this place held great significance to Qin Fuhua, a sanctuary hidden away from prying eyes.
With a final glance at Qin Fuhua's sleeping form, Suyin made a silent vow to return to his side, her determination burning bright as she clutched the Jade of the Dragon tightly in her hand.
"I'll be back, I promise," she whispered, her voice echoing softly in the stillness of the cave as she turned and hurried out into the darkness.