A Lonesome Fragrance Waiting to be Appreciated 1

19

The men He Xia had brought were all excellent warriors who'd survived hundreds of battles, except for Pingting herself. It wasn't long before they managed to break out of the enemy's encirclement.

"The House of Jing-An has rebelled!"

"The King plotted against His Majesty's loyal official! The King plotted against His Majesty's loyal official!"

"The House of Jing-An rebelled!"

"The House of Jing-An must be destroyed!"

The cries of murder echoed the sky, blood splattered on the fighters' faces yet both sides were still screaming for war.

Pingting couldn't fight and usually hid behind He Xia. At the most she could only throw two or three light bombs. However, she did know that the bigger the chaos, the more likely the people of Jing-An Ducal Residence could escape.

She'd already run out of bombs by the time He Xia's group were safely outside the city gates. Everyone was covered in blood and Dongzhuo had been cut twice, though his injuries weren't life-threatening.

Leaving the city gates behind, it was like the battle had ended. Only the coarse breathing of the war horses could be heard in the cold night.

Pingting looked into the distance and then she pointed at a pillar of flames. "Look Master, the Royal House have begun to move. I hope the Duke is fine. I reckon the King thought he'd be able to capture us, so he didn't send many people to our Residence."

He Xia followed her finger, finding himself facing the direction of his home. He couldn't stop worrying about his father, so he turned his horse around. "Pingting, wait outside. We'll check on Father and we'll be back soon."

Pingting knew she couldn't fight and wouldn't be of much use anyway. She jumped from the horse and said, "I'll meet you all at that place in the mountains, where we often go."

He Xia nodded, "Okay." He led Dongzhuo and the others back inside the city.

Pingting watched these family-like people disappear. He Su may be the King and an evil one at that, but he only dare uses selected people's loyalty. The army won't take sides at least until tomorrow morning, until the chaos is cleared and understood. With a neutral army, the residents of Jing-An Ducal Residence should be able to escape without too much difficulty.

What exactly He Su would do the next morning was unimportant as her people would have safely escaped by then.

She checked her thoughts at least three times for any mistakes, before relaxing, and slowly leaving for the mountain cliffs where they promised to meet.

The cliff was two miles away. It would have been quite easy if she was on a horse, but it was a little more difficult on foot by herself.

Pingting walked on for a little longer and far away, she could see the sky changing to a grey-white colour behind the mountain ahead. She took a few more steps when suddenly she heard a rustling noise......

Outside the window, a cat meowed and Pingting stirred. She opened her shining, energetic black eyes and faced the window, chuckling softly. "You're an annoying cat, tomorrow I'll definitely find a way to get back at you." Suddenly she remembered that the House of Jing-An was still in danger, and her dimples disappeared.

"What should I do?" It was still dark and most of the inhabitants are still asleep, when she got up and fumbled for the table. She drank a cup of cold tea and continued to worry.

If I hadn't been caught by human traffickers, I would still be by Master's side and I wouldn't have to worry about him. Dongzhuo is too cheeky and energetic, I hope he doesn't annoy Master too much.

If I leave tomorrow, where should I go to find Master?

Though she was extremely clever, she was still quite young and couldn't help feeling weak without the support of others. Suddenly, Chu Beijie's face popped into her thoughts, his eyes seemingly able to see into one's soul.

"Should I invite that fake Mister Dong here and demand the latest news?" But she knew that deep down, 'Dong Dingnan' was highly likely to be Chu Beijie, and therefore being around him makes her feel uneasy inside. "If I mess up..."

She thought of when she first received the Phoenix Paulownia-Guqin – it was the same uneasy feeling. But whenever she thought of 'Dong Dingnan' and the way he spoke of his experiences, his proud attitude... her face suddenly began to feel very hot.

The vivid image of him in mind and her memory of receiving the Phoenix Paulownia-Guqin caused her heart to speed up. She thought of her conversations with Dong Dingnan, Dong Dingnan's experiences, Dong Dingnan's bold and extravagant actions...and her face for some reason, began to feel very hot.

Pingting kicked herself, stroking her cheeks she said, "Pingting, what are you thinking about? Finding Master is the most important thing at the moment."
As she tend to her random thoughts or daydreams, the sun is already up.