冤家 - His Destined Love

3. Saving the Enemy

Hearing Hong General's voice, Xue Han turned to his soldiers and shouted "NOW!" Reluctantly, Xue soldiers started to go back towards the gate they entered two days ago in order to protect their clan gate if the tunnel did not collapse and Hong soldiers rushed to Xue. Xue Han stood still and watched thousands of Hong soldiers rushing towards them. Half of them, including the general were on horses while the rest was simply running. As he expected, the tunnel was already shaking under the horses and small pieces of stones were falling from above.

Heated by the expectancy of battle, Hong soldiers failed to see the dangerous situation they were in unlike Hong Chao. He understood instantly something was off when he saw Xue soldiers were running away, so he stopped his horse and dismounted. Only then he noticed that the entire tunnel was shaking under his feet and pieces of stones were falling. The possibility of dying before getting his revenge froze him for a second. Looking around in a daze, he saw a lilac figure standing half a li away from him, looking like the angel of death. Because he said that Xue General was him, his soldiers weren't attacking him. Regaining his senses, Hong Chao saw that Xue Han was pointing to the ceiling. He got the message but before he managed to tell his soldiers to retreat, Xue Han shouted out. Seconds later, the tunnel gave out.

Seconds... Just seconds and the main part of the tunnel collapsed. First, there was the voice of destruction, next was the screams of Hong soldiers, it was followed by the wailings, then nothing...just silence...

Hong Chao opened his eyes. He was alive but his right arm was burning like hell. Slowly he turned his head to look; his arm was under a bunch of stones. He tried to save his arm but he couldn't, he was lying on the ground facedown and the position limited his strength enormously.

He was about to call out for help when he saw the lilac figure was approaching him. With his right hand, he groped around to find his sword. Fortunately, the sword was still beside him so grabbed the handle and waited for Xue Han to get closer. Even if he died, he wouldn't go alone.

Being unaware, Xue Han got closer to Hong Chao without keeping his guard up; therefore, when Hong Chao swung his sword at him, he couldn't block the attack and his left leg suffered a deep cut. Startled, he went back a few steps, his lilac robe soaked with his own blood.

"I won't go alone! I am taking you with me!" Hong Chao yelled at him, swinging his sword left to right.

Xue Han neither responded to him nor attended to his wound. Rather, he calmly grabbed Hong Chao's arm, got the sword from him and put it away meanwhile Hong Chao was cursing him non-stop.

"Don't move," he said finally as he had enough of the tantrum and then, started to lift the stones on Hong Chao's arm.

One by one, he lifted all the stones carefully, trying not to create further damage. It was impossible to guess that Hong Chao was his enemy, looking at the scene. However, looking at the scene from Hong Chao's perspective, it was obvious that Xue Han was his enemy as when the stones were removed, the first thing he did was to punch Xue Han's wounded leg to make him fall to the ground.

He got his sword back, "I don't know what you are trying to do but I have no time for your games." He was pointing the sword towards Xue Han.

"There is nothing more than time here," Xue Han stood up slowly and walked towards Hong Chao. Pushing his sword from its blade away from himself, he added "it needs to be wrapped."

Hong Chao hissed but still he looked at his arm, Xue Han was right, his arm was pierced under the stones and blood was dripping from the wounds. He sat on a stone and left his sword to his side as he was convinced that Xue Han wasn't really trying to kill him. He tried to tear a piece of cloth from his robe but it was hard to do with one hand. Seeing him failing, Xue Han tore two pieces from his own sleeve. Under the bewildered gaze of Hong Chao, first he cleaned his wounds and then bandaged it with the second piece.