Warring Kingdoms: The Tale of the Jade Phoenix and the Dragon Blade

Chapter 3: The Woman in Red

"Trust me, the map says that the second jade phoenix is at a town not far away from here. But, we must find a little child. The little girl has it." Yue said after he recovered from being collapsed to the ground. The first jade phoenix didn't hurt but it's power was too great.

"Lead the way your highness." Xian then made a way for his majesty to go up front.

The four of them rode a horse following a path and after few hours of riding, they arrived upon a town where there are many merchants selling different kinds of things.

Yue, being held inside the castle since he was young marveled at how lively the outside is. Li bought food and supplies while Xian and Xu wandered around town looking for a little girl with a jade amulet.

It was about noon when Li called them all to have lunch however, Xian did not return back to the inn that they had stayed.
"And where may that bastard be?" Li asked. Her eyes were burning with anger. "We can't risk losing him now! Does he know how crucial this mission is? Ugh! That damn woman chaser!" Li smashed her sword at the table. Xu sternly looked at her and pointed in a random direction. "Ah... He went th- that way Ma'am!"

Li let off a puff of air from her mouth, picked up her sword, opened the door and when she got outside she shut it close with a bang.

Xu laid himself down his bed like a corpse with soul leaving it's body. Yue just looked at him and said "Nah, you'll get used to it."

Xu with his face drooping on his bed, raised his right hand and made a thumbs up gesture.

Meanwhile, Xian found a travelling merchant and he followed her and was interested in her. He wouldn't stop talking to her but she would always keep her distance away from him.

"Where do you come from? Do you live in this part of town?" He asked.

"No. I travel from place to place and I don't really have a home. I'm an orphan and I have been living by myself eversince I was a child." She replied.

"I'm sorry... My name is Xian Hua. What's yours?"

"My name is Luo Na."

"Luo Na, such a beautiful name. How could such beauty befall by the hands of misfortune?"

She looked at him eye to eye and replied... "It is my beauty that is very deadly. I warn you, don't gaze more deeply or else, you'll end up getting hurt."

She took her cart again and moved around but Xian would always follow her around and tell her all sorts of things.

"You know what fine! Follow me wherever I go!" she finally dropped off her guard when...

"Hey pretty lady. What have you got there? Oh... you have many good stuff here. Heheh. If you give us your cart, we'll let you live if not, then you can die with all of your belongings."

A large bodied man with lots of tattoos from his face to his body approached them with four more large men at his back.

"Thieves." She whispered.

"I know." Xian pulled off his sword slowly and...

clink and clanks of swords filled the silent atmosphere of the alleyway. Xian with his jade sword charged at the bandits but the problem is... They are too many. Xian was too outnumbered and with his heavy armor, it is impossible for him to move quick. He was stuck behind agility and speed.

Luo Na scoffed and said... "That is why I never wear heavy armor."

She opened her bag and took many daggers as she could. Four daggers in her left hand, four daggers at her right, and one dagger at her mouth.

She moved stealthily and quickly without the enemy noticing. She jumped and targeted each enemy with her obsidian daggers.
One, two, three, four, five...
All it took was five seconds and all of them fell to the floor dead.

Xian's jaws dropped like a meteor that fell at the earth's surface. Luo Na turned to him and smiled.
"So, a gentleman in distress?"
She pulled her cart again and Xian followed her once again.

"Your eyes. I felt like I've seen them before." Xian said as he helped Luo Na in carrying her cart.

"Then you must be dreaming." She laughed it off but Xian saw something more from her eyes.
She wasn't telling the truth.

"Have we met?" He asked her.

"Apparently not." She replied.

Xian couldn't brush off a sensation from his nerve. Something tells him that this girl is dangerous however, something tells him that this girl is so much more.

Nightfall came. Luo and Xian built a bonfire at a nearby empty field and made a tent.

"So, tell me about yourself Xian. What are you? Why do you have such a sword? That's made of jade right?" Luo asked.

"To tell you the fact, I am the Jade Emperor's general. My sister gave me this sword recently saying that a woman would cause my death. Isn't it crazy?" He laughed loudly but Luo was being serious so he just cleared his throat and then shut his mouth.

"You know what, I think we're both crazy. My brother says that I would die very soon if I talk to men rather than him."

"Woah, that's pretty grim. Bet your brother likes you huh."

"He wasn't my real brother. I was adopted so I think he harbored intense feelings whenever I said that I needed him."

"So he does have the brother complex. Yeah I understand. I have a younger sister though."

"It's complicated you know."

She got up from sitting and went inside the tent.

"You know, I'm going to sleep. Just... tell me when you're sleepy and I'll be the one to keep watch."

Xian just nodded and remained sitting beside the bonfire. Luo left her bag from where she sat and Xian saw something glimmer against the glistening embers of the bonfire.
He was about to open the bag when Luo went outside and get the bag.

"Did you see anything?" She asked.

"No." Xian replied.

She went back to the tent with the bag on her hand.

Xian just sat there and thought something out from his mind. He didn't tell her what he saw.
He saw two jade daggers inside the bag but he wasn't sure if dragons were engraved in them.

The next morning, Xian woke up alone. The tent is gone, the cart is gone and so as Luo Na. But he wasn't certain that he was dreaming because traces of ash was scattered on the ground as if there was some bonfire in it that was already snuffed out.

"Hey mister. Why are you here?" A little girl wearing a jade pendant came close to him.

"I FOUND HER!!!" He exclaimed.