After the little innkeeper left, they went inside the room and closed the door behind. The room is clean but not spacious. There is only one chair and a table then a single bed. There are also things to use for brewing tea in the small table but there is only one tea cup in it. Just like what the innkeeper said, sharing this type of room is indeed not comfortable as this is designed for one person.
"Do you want to eat?" the emperor heard the lady asked him. They only asked breakfast to the innkeeper as they have brought few snacks to eat. Both of them are wearing a spacial ring that has enough space to store their things and some foods.
"Yes." the emperor responded. The lady placed some meat on a small table from her spacial ring. The emperor eats quietly. The lady brew some tea and placed give it to the emperor as well.
"Tomorrow night, we should be able to exit in this empire. The next kingdom is the Hu Empire. Are you acquainted with their territory?" the emperor asked her after he finished his meal.
"A little, your majesty." the lady answered.
"The Hu Empire is larger than this Hei Empire but there are lesser people living in there. This is because of the nine familial extermination rules. The people who lived in Hu are adept in medicine practice. They have a rule that if the doctor fails to cure an injury or sickness, he will be subjected to nine familial extermination." the emperor told the lady. He saw the lady nods her head but did not speak a word.
The Emperor of Hu, Hu Zhe is very tyrannical. Whoever angers him will usually end up being executed together with his nine generations. A total extermination of a clan is not unusual punishment in his kingdom. He is hard to reason out that even the other emperors are afraid of offending him.
"Don't worry about it." the lady said when she saw the emperor is slightly bothered by the idea of passing the next empire.
"Hmmn..." the emperor said. He had done his best to avoid passing through the Hu Empire in the past.
In fact, they can make a detour but as the time pass by he becomes curious about this empire. Since the lady has a terrifying skill in killing, the emperor decided not to detour and check what's going on. He is just uncertain of what will happen as this will be his first time to enter the Empire of Hue.
The next morning, after eating their breakfast the two swiftly left the inn. The innkeeper happily said goodbye to them. She even genuinely wishes them for a safe trip. As she went back to her post, she saw rich men going towards her. When they get closer to her, she then recognized them. She hurriedly ran towards the group and bows her head.
"Your majesty!" she keeps herself bowing until one of the men told her that she can rise.
"Little innkeeper, you have two guests last night? Are they still here?" one of the subordinates asked her. Her heartbeat becomes frantic the moment she heard the question. Are they criminals on run? The little girl asked herself quietly.
"Replying to your majesty, the guests have left." she said while closing her eyes. She had prepared herself for the worst! If the majesty ordered to ransack her place, she can do nothing about it.
"Little innkeeper, we are just asking. Why are you so tense?" the other subordinate asked her when he noticed her nervousness.
"Your majesty, the guests you are looking... What have they done that your majesty needs to come here in person to see them?" the innkeeper cautiously inquired.
"They are special guests of our empire. This is why I wanted to personally welcome them." her emperor told her. When this emperor received the letter from his General, he immediately dispatched his men to find the whereabouts of White Death. Unfortunately, they were too late.
"The guests seem to be in a hurry your majesty." the innkeeper commented. The emperor only glanced at her inn before he left.
Meanwhile, the two figures riding on their horses have reached the exit border of Hei Empire. They let their horses run faster and continue towards the Hu Empire. When they reached the entrance of the Hu Kingdom, some soldiers also asked for their identity. After they were profiled, one of the soldiers gives them an advice.
"Outsiders, be careful." the soldier said before he let the two enter their border gate. Emperor He Mo slightly shivered. The tone of the soldier is clearly giving them a warning! He glanced at his bodyguard but the lady looks so calm. The emperor secretly sighed.
"It is very rare to have outsiders visiting in our kingdom." one of the soldiers said.
"Anyway, you have warned them. Their life will now depend on luck." another soldier said.
"The lady is abnormally calm. I even intended to use a tone that would make them go back to where they are from." the soldier said to his comrades as they look at the two figures heading to their capital. Both soldiers shake their head and sigh heavily.
The Hu Empire is painted with beautiful scenery. There are vast plains and few but large houses along the street. When they reached the capital, most of the establishments are closed. There is only one big inn that is open. However, they saw no one inside.
"Hello?" Ye Shin called. Her voice is not too loud. She then saw a middle age man running from the inside and greeted them.
"Welcome honored guest!" he offered a customary bow to them.
"One room for the night." the emperor said and hands him the payment.
"This... Honored guest, you don't know but Emperor Hu Zhe has ordered us that a male and female cannot share a room." the middle age man told them.
"We just need one room for the night." This time it is the lady who told him. The middle age man's face looked complicated. These two are very insistent! He secretly sighed. Just as he was about to say something, he saw the Emperor Hu Zhe's son, Prince Hu is coming towards them.
"Honored guest this request is not possible." the innkeeper said loudly. He successfully catches the attention of his emperor's son.
"What wrong uncle Qian?" the prince asked him.
"Your highness, they are insisting to share a room." the innkeeper hurriedly said.
"Oh? Since you are outsiders, you must follow our rules inside our kingdom." the prince said proudly. His tone has shown contempt to the two figures. Emperor He Mo slightly forms a fist in his right palm.
"One room." the lady repeated calmly. If she would look down, the lady would have noticed the emperor's fist but her eyes are glued to the innkeeper. Her primary concern is her emperor's safety not the rule of whatever kingdom they are in. The prince was about to refute her when he felt something itchy in his neck. The innkeeper was also shocked.
"Honored guests this is a serious and grave offense! You are threatening the life of a royal member of the Hu Empire!" the innkeeper gasp as he watched a tiny weapon poking in the prince neck. The weapon slowly moved, slicing the throat of the prince.
"You!!! Guards! Murder! Someone has murdered the Prince Hu!!!" the innkeeper shouted at the top of his lungs. The guards immediately surround them with disbelief in their faces. Prince Hu is dead! They haven't pointed their weapons to their target when they found out that their arms are also no longer attached to their body! Blood has splattered everywhere while they screamed in pain. The innkeeper looked at the horrific scene played in front of him. He stared at the lady in wide eye.
"One room?" the lady repeated calmly as if nothing is happening inside the building. The innkeeper hastily hand her a random key from his table and briskly run out of their sight. The middle age man felt like his soul would leave his body at any moment.
"Is it necessary?" the emperor asked the lady once they are inside the room.
"Otherwise your anxiety about how terrible this Empire of Hu, will not be removed." the lady responded. The emperor smiled at her gently and shakes his head. Indeed, the uncertainty he felt from the idea of staying in the Hu Empire had gone.
"It is still early, do you want to do something?" the emperor suddenly asked her.
" You better have some rest while you can, your majesty. This will be a sleepless night." the lady told him.
"Then I'll head to bed." the emperor said.
As he laid his body, the emperor realized that the lady has not taken any sleep yet since they departed the He Empire. It is normal for bodyguards to have a little sleep but the emperor still wonders how she was able to do it. He quietly sighs and try to relax. As he closed his eyes, the scene from earlier flashed in his mind.
In this world, only the strong people can rule above the appointed rulers of the kingdoms. Only them have the capability to overrule! The young emperor thought as he drifted to sleep.