The prince walked to aunt Gu Ju, keeping his hilt tight in his hand, her wound was bleeding and the spook Zhang Bo was trying to wrap her arm.
"Are you alright?"
His voice was dry but outwardly he felt always pity for this woman. She was always only, a loner that people used to mock. He disliked her nosy prying personality but she was a coward too, frightening her could be sufficient to get rid of her. Seeing her this poor was annoying.
"Yes, I am fine! Were they here to kill you?"
Prince Wu Xiuying nodded, why wasn't he surprised? It didn't matter what type of identity he took on, it was always the muse of death who used to follow him with different disguises.
"Please go home, you need to heal your arm, lady." He looked at the young man wishing him to take her out of the bustling lane that a moment ago had no one in.
"Merchant Raz, will you kill this one too?"
The blacksmith pointed to the one who was yet crying out for the arm that had taken off his body savagely.
The prince got back to the man, keeping on one knee, he grabbed his jaw; he had hit him before, so the poisonous tooth was taken out. His mouth was full of blood.
"Why are you after a merchant like me?"
The man ruthlessly gazed at him, "we heard of a young man using needles to dispatch one of us, there are only two people who are capable of this skill, one is our master and the other one is... "
Before he could finish his sentence a thick needle tore his throat. Blood sprayed on the prince's face, and kissed the hand that held the jaw, streaming down his sleeves. His eyes averted to the left side.
"What was this nonsense! There are many more than two individuals capable of using needles." Master Qin Jinhai approached and put his Erhu instrument on his shoulder vest.
"They were here to kill a merchant who is the guest of this land. What is this foolish rudeness, such a shame."
The prince stood up, as he speculated, this playful eunuch was a great politician, a good master in martial art, and perhaps one of the former elite warriors.
"What brought my rival here?"
The prince smirked, at the same time the sky thundered and people scattered not to be left under the rain. Blood spread on his face.
As the crowd broke, two people stormed through and got close. Prince Wu Xiuying marveled, why was the princess here with Zha Gang?
The princess could feel her heart that was jumping in her mouth, the stars in her eyes were showing that she was scared but when she saw the bodies on the ground, that expression was replaced into relief. But soon she felt her burning skin, his face was washed with blood, he looked scary.
"Ah, as the mad minstrel I am honored to be your rival, what a pleasure."
The man laughed but when his eyes averted on the bodies and the distressed princess, the joy faded away. She had fallen for this wicked prince! Should he be happy or... Confused... Ah Ma'am, what is she doing!
"Why would they kill a merchant?"
She asked master Qin!
"Stupidity, as I realized they couldn't bear what he did to their fellow."
"There was an attack on the interrogation department." The princess proclaimed.
The sky poured, the princess held her arm on her head, and the merchant hurried up, taking his robe over her head.
"It seems I made the criminals angry."
The princess gazed up at him, and swallowed, even his rough smile could tremble her soul. She rubbed her eyes away not to let her thoughts be uncovered.
"You are not safe like this, did you kill them all?"
Raz Long Sheed's gazes turned to the bulky man near him while leading the princess up to the smithy.
Master Qin saw the guards and patrols who arrived. He went to lead them and wrap up the bloody mess right there. The patrols were wondering who had slain them all.
The merchant stood in front of her when the blacksmith came to them handing a textile to him.
He began to clean his face and hand off the blood, he peeked at master Qin who was outside. The man arrived on time. Who was the master of these assassins, he knew prince Wu Xiuying, now it was even more urgent to catch him and kill him.
"They caused you so much damage." Princess Xing Huan told the blacksmith.
"Yes, but it can be fixed." The merchant replied before the bulky man open his mouth, "I'll pay the damage."
The blacksmith eagerly accepted this favor. Anyway, those assassins were here to kill this man.
"Let's hold this damage together, as the ruler of this land I shouldn't have allowed this to happen."
Bobbing his head, Raz Long couldn't refuse it.
"Could they take the detained one?"
He was certain that the assassins could make it out to flee the one in the dungeons.
"Unfortunately, yes! But no worries, I expected this."
He was aware of this matter, she had plotted another plan to find the dens of these killers. A mere wrong one!
"Do you need my help?"
He was testing her but the blacksmith frowned.
"As I realized merchant Raz is ill."
The prince used the excuse as an advantage to carry the princess's sympathy, to ruin her empire, he needed her heart.
'I might soon hear my mother's death news, but I will make sure that you suffer as she did, your highness.'
"Is this true?"
The princess asked when master Qin entered.
"I can still fight if you need me."
The princess shook her head, "I would like to keep you under protection rather than dangling you with my troubles."
Master Qin raised his eyebrow, the prince was such a gruesome man to snatch a woman's heart this fast? The way the princess was looking at him could show that she was impressed by this man! Interesting was that she also loved Li Shu, could that be the reason Ma'am took these two together? No doubt, that magician was a strange person that no one could predict what she would will to do next time. But she never made mistakes, if she did this then there was a hidden motive behind it.
"Well, I am agreed with your highness." The old man admitted.
He tended to see them get close however when the suitors come, things might run twisted. If these two fell in love before the curse breaks, no good occasions were going to shower them.
"You don't need to worry about me, your highness! Please arrest those criminals before they exterminate more people."
The princess nodded, was he truly fine? If he didn't want her help, she couldn't persist more but seeing him alive was a piece of comfort, for now. She should come back to see what tailor Wang Min had earned from that man.
"Master Qin, please help merchant Raz to get back into his residence."
She ordered and left with her guard. She wanted to get rid of this affection but she couldn't run away from her emotions, lately. Perhaps Li Shu could hold this secret and investigate this man secretly. Because the rest of her valets would blame her as her suitors were on the way.