As Long Xiongwei neared the capital, he had a foreboding feeling all the way. As they entered the mountain it only intensified.
In the middle of the way, he felt a killing intent aimed towards him. As a general, assassinations weren't new to him so he was able to act on time.
40 to 50 masked assassins emerged and a huge battle ensued. Fending off a lot of opponents he got separated from the others. Though he was fighting a lot at once, it never fazed him.
As the distance between him and his subordinates widened further, he paid it no heed.
Killing the last of the assassins, he then assessed his wounds. Fighting and killing them all might've sounded easy but in reality, it was not. He got countless injuries, lucky enough it was not fatal.
As he was catching his breath, another wave of assassins came out from nowhere. These people were different from the previous ones.
Looks like a lot of people didn't want him to return alive.
Fighting a dozen when he was uninjured was different than fighting them with his current condition. The killing took twice the time and effort.
The intensity of the fight increased as they unwittingly neared the cliff. Those assassins knew that they won't be able to kill the prince by only their guts and will power thus their leader took out an arrow that was coated with various poisons.
This kind of poison didn't have an antidote as they have used five different kinds to make one lethal solution. Although this won't kill him instantaneously, those moments of being alive were worse than death. A pain that came from the bones and tendons, boiling of blood, churning of the organs, and the indescribable freezing coldness. These pains would keep on gnawing the poisoned person to the point where they begged for death.
So even if they can't kill the prince now, he will still be good as dead.
Long Xiongwei was at his limit. He was not omnipotent who can still take a breather after being assassinated twice and having to fight while still injured. Thus when the arrow made its way to him, he knew it was his end.
Despite this, he held his head high and faced death head-on.
A shadow fell in front of him and a whiff of flowery scent with a seductive musk reached his nose. Looking closely, it was a veiled lady who courageously shielded him.
As he smelled the refreshing yet seductive scent and felt those soft arms encircling him, the heat from those little arms seemed to have made its way to his closed off and cold heart.
He wanted to push the girl away to protect her, but at that moment, the force when the girl collided to him, threw them both off the cliff.
Knowing what was to come, he wanted to at least shield the lady from the fall to lessen the impact, but before he could do so, the girl looked at his eyes with those golden orbs. He momentarily lost his soul in those orbs that looked like countless stars and skies combined in that little circle of gold.
After wrapping her legs around his torso, the girl lifted her uninjured arm then swiftly and decisively hit her sleep acupoint. Those golden eyes that seemed to speak to his soul were the last thing he saw before everything went dark.
In the darkness, Long Xiongwei dreamed of an endless dream. It was like an endless loop where he saw himself die countless times. It was like everything was suspended and all that he could see was that moment of death.
Then a scent drifted on his nose. It was refreshing like a flower but at the same time, it was as seductive as musk. The smell seemed to pull him out of that loop bit by bit.
Then in the dark, he finally saw a light, no it wasn't a light. It was golden orbs that fascinated him and seemed to awaken his soul from the endless drifting.
As the prince came to and opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a pair of amber golden eyes that bore a similarity to those he saw in the darkness. Finally able to focus clearly, he saw a young girl that was breathtakingly beautiful that the world simply paled in comparison.
The girl looked at him worriedly and asked, "Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?" A gentle and lovely voice resounded as it sent tingles to his heart.
Finally remembering what happened earlier, he immediately sat up to check on the girl's wound. Before he could do so, however, he felt his body hurt all over.
"You shouldn't get up yet. I just treated all your wounds. You still have a fever so it is best if you stay laying down."
"You, who are you? Why did you help me?" His emotions were in turmoil for the first time to the point where he even forgot to address himself properly.
"Who I am is not important. I only helped you because you needed it. Besides, do you believe in heaven's divination and will?" The girl smiled gently. It simply took his breath away.
"Why do you ask that?" He asked in a hoarse voice.
"Would you believe that I have helped you because you looked like someone who could make a huge difference to this world?"
He wanted to scoff at this but looking at the girl's serious expression, he suddenly forgot how to use his poisonous tongue properly.
The girl held his hand in between those two small hands of hers then continued, "You might not think so, and this might just be my wishful thinking, but deep in my heart I know you will come out of this strong and turn things around. This servant would be humbly watching on the side as you achieve all your heart's desires."
To say he was shocked would be not true, to say he was moved would be a complete understatement. He realized that the moment he stared at these eyes when she saved him, he had already lost his soul.
Grasping her hand tightly, he wanted to ask her why she helped him, or if she would willingly stay by his side henceforth but before he could do so, the lady once again made him sleep. No matter, he would ask when he wakes up.
In life, people mostly forgot that regrets come right after you lost something precious. And that was exactly what the prince was feeling when he opened his eyes in the morning, surrounded by his soldiers, apart from that one face he yearned for.