HHYL Shortfics

Chapter 9.5

#HHYL Fanfic Chapter 9.5 (between chapter 9 and 10)

Jiangnan, early autumn, at a certain mountain stream...

The lingering heat from the summer in this early autumn filled the air with such a suffocating atmosphere. Even in the depths of the mountain, in such secluded area, the supposed to be cooled by the thick greeneries and surrounded by shaded trees place, the hotness of the weather still could be felt.

The serene atmosphere of the mountain was broken by a loud laughter as a gang of mountain bandits were playing in the mountain's stream. Most probably to relieve themselves from the heat.

"Your Majesty, what is Your Majesty's command?"

Jing lifted his hand to the Guards Commander by his side, signaling him to be quiet. His eyes were fixed on one person who sat on a big rock by the stream quite a far distance from the rest of the playing happily group, soaking his legs while watching the silly group with a hint of smile on his lips.

He was searching for those bandits for a week. No! The bandits were not his objective, rather, he knew he would find the one he was truly looking for if he could track down those bandits. A Gang of bandits was easier to track rather than a person.

Smiling slightly as he indeed had found that man among those bandits, he ordered the Guards Commander to wait inside the forest instead and capture whoever tried to run away in that direction. He knew too well about that man. Of course Lu Cang would try to buy some time for his brothers. Certainly, he would order his brothers to escape while he himself would try to block Jing's way.

"Wait inside the forest and capture them when they try to run away. Wait for my signal to come out."

The Guards Commander bowed and led the large group of troops to implement thestealthy enclosing maneuver as they entered the forest.

Looking at that handsome face under the sunlight, Jing recalled the events that happened several months ago.

After the funeral ceremony that took seven days to be completed, Jing went back to the dirty and dimmed prison cell, to check on that lowly man who had poisoned his beloved uncle, Xuan Yuan Yong Yi to death out of jealousy since Jing had been neglecting him for his uncle, only to find that the cell was empty.

His heart skipped a beat for a moment when the thought that that man had died passed through his mind.

"Guards!!" He yelled to call the guards in charge who now came running since the Emperor ordered them not to follow him to the cell. "Where is Lu Cang?"

Overwhelmed by his majestic aura the guards fell onto their knees out of fear. Trembling greatly, they mustered up their nerve to answer the most powerful man in the world who nowtowered in front of their very eyes.

"Answer Your Majesty.... Lord Lu was no longer here since a week ago."

Jing knitted his brows into a frown. A little amount of anxiety filled his heart, but very soon that threadlike feeling was replaced by a greater fury.

No longer here? Is he dead? No way! That wretched man could not have such luxury as to die so easily! He deserved a crueler and slower death.

"What happened?" Jing was always a man who liked to be certain at whatever. Jumping to conclusions was not in his nature at all. Asking with such murderous intention, the guards almost wetted themselves from the terror Jing's very presence spread.