A Flower Without Rain

Chapter 15

Alone along the streets of the Sui Kingdom's capital city, was Ru Mingyu. It's been weeks having already gone to the Jin Kingdom and the Wei Kingdom, where he found nothing. Here, there was also nothing. Moreover, what exactly was he looking for? The only thing he knew was that he had to oversee the borders of the Four Kingdoms.

Taking a rest, Ru Mingyu sat at an outdoor diner ran by common folk. Food always tasted best at such a place rather than the places where nobles frequented. Their taste was not to his fitting.

An order of hot tea and chicken stew with rice, he waited as he listened to two men whose conversation could be heard two tables away. It was not the quiet evening he had hoped for, but maybe something could be gained from it.

At that table, the man with a head band tied to keep his unruly hair back conveyed words of stress to his friend. "Its getting very busy you know? More and more merchants are coming to sell goods and I could only turn them away."

The other man who held a scar that trailed down the side of his face, possibly from an accident, raised a brow. "Isn't that a good thing?" he said as he took a shot of rice liquor.

His friend simply gave a look of disagreement, "Our grand kingdom already has everything the people need. All the merchants bring, are what we have, nothing special or out of the ordinary." immediately refuting his claim as he then poured himself a drink.

"Now that you mention such a thing, I heard that a prince from another nation will soon be visiting the Xie Kingdom." where he heard this from was not known but only words spread amongst the people.

The man with the headband gave a look of question, "Are you talking about that nation perhaps?" his friend nodded. "Then they should be wary of their presence once they arrive!" he exclaimed, startling his friend.

"What do you mean by that?" the scarred man asked.

His expression fell into surprise. "Do you not know?! Long ago, that nation tried to overthrow the Xie Kingdom. Their ideals did not align leading to war." telling of the history.

The scarred man simply waved his hand as though to brush away his words. "That's probably not even true," he spoke. "It could be some nonsense and besides, they've been allied for a long time." pinning it as some made up story.

"You're the one speaking nonsense!" all that could be heard after this, was just constant arguing.

Although Ru Mingyu did know of this, he didn't know which nation or kingdom it was that they spoke of as there were many. During the formation of the Four Kingdoms, those who opposed them rose but eventually declined overtime, and have since either remained stagnant or allies.

His food arriving, a woman who worked at this diner placed it on the table's surface. "Enjoy your meal, Young Sir." she told him before leaving to tend to other matters.

After his supper, he left to the forest situated nearby the town. There he gave a loud and piercing whistle. A moment's wait, coming down from the sky was a messenger hawk. With the information he's already written, he placed it into the carrier that was already tied onto the bird and shut it. "Be sure to deliver it safely." he spoke to the hawk as he then flung his arm, pushing it to fly back into the night sky.

Watching it leave his sight, he only wondered who exactly it was that could be coming and if the palace was even aware of such a thing.

"Does father perhaps know?"

Still, the search for Lady Yuan Li prevailed. Those days only got longer and longer, and the need to sleep became less for Lian Zhong.

Horses galloped through the forest, which was quite a distance from the capitol, as a few men lead their own group as ordered by the Commander. They knew just how restless the Young Master had become ever since her absence. At every chance he got, he would leave to find her or any clue even if he was to go alone.

Although the wedded pair do not romantically love one another, their hands have been tied since children. They grew up together and it is because of this he had to find her. No matter what, he will always be worried sick and protect her. This was something he swore to himself as a young boy as she used to protect him, and now it's his turn.

Along the river, horses passed and in a hidden opening within the earth laid the many bodies of lifeless men. An unknown man simply clicked his tongue in annoyance as he pulled his blade from the last man standing. Falling to the ground, a loud thud could be heard.

A sigh, the unknown man or rather the strange man, swung his sword in an attempt to rid of the fresh blood on his sword. "Now we must relocate," head turning he looked at the deep end of the cave. "Lady Yuan Li."

Witness to the whole scene, sweat was present on her face and eyes watered. No matter how much she tried to scream, they were muffled by the cloth tied around her mouth.
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