Long Ju ran through the forest, still feeling the pain of her fall and the slight burn from the explosion. She had used her Aura to cushion her landing, but it was impossible to completely nullify the impact of the fall. Running hurt every nerve in her body, but she had to keep moving, to keep the trackers from the clan and Azure Wind Sect from catching up with her. She felt frustrated and angry, the masked man forced her to leave Silver City much earlier than she planned. Her escape route wasn't ready, and surely all the roads and gates were strictly under control. All the ruckus at the inn had sent everyone into a frenzy, it was a matter of time before they connected the dots and closed in on her position. It was easy to disappear into the large population of the city, but not after blowing up a building. Running away through the mountains was her only safe option, since the only unguarded way out of the city was a secret passage she built during the war. It was her last resort.
Long Ju ran even faster, trying to hide her tracks and lose any pursuers. As she ran, her thoughts turned once again to the box that had almost cost her her life. Who were those people who had tried to trick her and recruit her? What did they want with her, and what did they hope to accomplish by convincing her to join them? Her power was nothing amazing, she wasn't famous and didn't accomplish anything amazing. She had talent, true, but there were so many people out there with even better qualifications and in way more desperate situations to exploit. She felt a bit overwhelmed by all the questions and possibilities swirling in her mind, but she knew that there was no time to waste.
Long Ju was now deep in the forest, and as far as she could tell nobody had started to pursue her, yet. Or maybe, they were still far behind. She finally stumbled upon a small stream and decided to take a drink to quench her thirst. As she bent over to take a long sip, she heard a rustling in the bushes nearby. She turned, pulling out her sword, ready to strike at the first sign of danger. The rustling continued, growing louder and closer, before a large, hairy beast emerged from the bushes. It let out a roar, its teeth bared and ready to attack. In a split second, Long Ju reacted, swinging her sword at the creature. It let out a roar before collapsing to the ground, its breath slipping away. Long Ju stood, her heart racing, unsure if there were more creatures like this in the forest. It wasn't rare to encounter Aura beasts, but this one looked a bit too big to be roaming in this part of the forest. For humans, this was considered pretty deep, but when taking into account how enormous the forest was, and the beasts living in it, it was still the outskirts. Long Ju examined it a bit. Despite its large body, the fight was shorter than she expected. The beast was already gravely injured, exhausted, and malnourished. She bent down to have a closer look. It was clearly dying and weak, but still alive. Long Ju's first instinct was to finish it off, but then she hesitated. The beast was dangerous and had certainly been a threat to her life, but the way it had approached her seemed more afraid than hostile. Long Ju carefully placed her sword back in its sheath and slowly backed away from the creature. As she watched the creature struggle, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt. She knew she should put it out of its misery, but something inside her held her back. She had never felt this way before, even when faced with danger. It might have been the fight and the adrenaline from running away, or perhaps something else entirely. Long Ju was unsure if she could bring herself to kill the creature. If it were attacking her, that would be different, but right now, it was simply trying to survive, just like her. The creature lifted its head and let out a small whine, its eyes locked on her. She couldn't help but be moved by the creature's helpless look, feeling a twinge of compassion. With a swift strike, she beheaded the Aura beast. Long Ju felt a weird sense of loss. She had been a hunter for her clan for years, but this was her first time seeing one so close and personal. She gathered her things and began to move on, hoping to find a path out of the forest before someone from her clan found her. Long Ju's senses were alert.
She had spent years honing them as part of her training, and right now she could feel someone else's Aura in the distance. Her heart raced as she tried to figure out who this was. Could it be the Masked Man? Or someone else of her pursuers? Her Aura was still drained from the explosion, and she wasn't sure if she could defend herself. As she tried to listen to the Aura more carefully, it seemed to be getting stronger. She continued her walk, hoping to avoid any confrontation as best she could. Of course, she knew the unknown Aura user could sense her too. At the same time, she was also trying to be aware of her surroundings and possible escape routes.
The Aura seemed to be getting stronger and stronger as they got closer, and Long Ju began to feel some concern. Her stomach was already churning with nerves due to her previous encounters, and she was feeling increasingly nervous about this newest development. Who was this new Aura? What did they want? Long Ju tried to calm her nerves, but it wasn't easy. Was it possible that her run was cut short after not even a week? The move at the inn was daring, but wasn't this speed a bit too fast? She continued to walk, trying to remain calm and to keep her Aura hidden. But it was getting harder and harder. The presence behind her was constantly there, always following her, never far behind. Suddenly the path was cut short, an overhanging extended in the dark night. An old rope bridge started not far away from her, and disappeared into the fog, with no end in sight.
Long Ju looked up at the rope bridge, feeling a bit of relief. It could be her way out of the forest. She quickly walked over to the rope bridge and slowly started to climb over it. As she walked, she kept looking back to check if the Aura was following her.
As she stepped onto the bridge, she began to feel a bit uneasy. There was something about this place that felt wrong. Perhaps it was all in her mind, but there was a strange feeling of being watched, even though she couldn't see anything.
"I don't think that's a good idea, my lady," said a man standing in front of the bridge, not daring to take a step on it.
Long Ju nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of the voice. He was a tall man and looked quite suspicious. She couldn't let anyone find her, so she had to play this carefully.
Long Ju turned to face the man and put on a calm, friendly face. "I'm sorry, but who are you? I need to get past this bridge. If you want to stop me, do it quickly," as she spoke to him with false bravado, she also tried to sense his Aura. She could sense that he was strong and had a fierce Aura, making her skin crawl. The man looked at her, emotionless.
"That bridge hangs over the Red River. It's a very wide river, my lady. And quite capricious in this season, I'm afraid."
Long Ju took a deep breath and tried to keep her fears in check as she faced the suspicious man. She had already decided that she wouldn't try to fight him. He was way too strong, and his Aura was frightening, and she couldn't take too many risks right now. Instead, she decided to keep up her friendly demeanour, trying to seem calm and in control.
"I understand, but I really need to get past this bridge. If you aren't one of my pursuers, I thank you for your concern, and I'm sorry for ignoring your warning, but I have to go now."
She advanced on the bridge again, the wood creaking beneath her every stride.
The man shook his head, "Young Lady Ju, please get down the bridge, I do not wish to hurt you. I was sent by your husband, Young Master Tan Yun's family. He understands why you ran away and is regretful at how the Long clan and Azure Wind Sect approached the matter. He asks that you stop this silliness, and promises he'll give you all the time you need for you two to know each other better, before the wedding."
Long Ju's eyes widened. Her heart skipped a beat. She couldn't believe it. The man who had stopped her across the bridge was sent by her fiancé? Did Tan Yun know she had run away? And more importantly, why had he sent this man here? Was he coming after her? She expected the Azure Wind Sect to be on her tail since they were in the city, but was Tan Yun more involved than she originally thought? She just guessed he was an unwilling participant, a disciple the sect found proper to use for political gain, but apparently, he and his family were deeply invested.
Long Ju looked up at the man, trying to figure out what to say. She didn't want to go back. More than ever, she was convinced that this marriage deal not only wasn't to her liking, but was also shadier than a simple alliance between two major powers.
Long Ju took a deep breath and looked at the man standing in front of her. He wasn't from the Azure Wind Sect, he was from Tan Yun's family. She had to decide if she could trust him or not. Long Ju didn't want to make another mistake.
She carefully examined the man, trying to sense any deception. Was he lying or telling the truth? Was he really working for Tan Yun?
She felt the weight of her sword on her waist. Her mind cleared up in a second. Those were useless thoughts. It didn't matter. She had already made her decision when she left the Long clan's manor. She wouldn't settle for anything less than freedom.
She purposefully crushed a wooden tile and sank her leg through the bridge.
"Oh no! The bridge is collapsing!" she yelled.
The man stumbled with a stunned expression and rushed to her side. In her mind, Long Ju was even more stunned than him. Did he really fall for such an obvious ploy? She was a bit offended that her opponents thought so little of her. First, she was treated like a naive lost girl by the masked man, and now the tall master from the Tan family easily believed her weak clumsy damsel in distress act. Did they not know she was trained as a warrior her whole life? She even missed the days when her own retainers called her a 'demon child'. At least she was receiving some sort of respect. The man, who had already dropped his guard, failed to notice her hands were tightly grabbing the handle of her sword.
"My lady! Are you okay?", the man reached out towards Long Ju, only to realize his blunder. He looked at her, anger on his face. He hadn't thought that she would risk it all at this moment. But now, his life was in danger.
Long Ju's sword flashed in the moonlight. The man looked at her, his fury slowly turning to confusion. "What are you...?" His reaction was a second too late. "Crazy bi-...!"
The bridge's ropes shot up in the air, perfectly cut, no longer sustaining the bridge.
They both plummeted into the darkness, the Red River's embrace eagerly waiting for them below.