His Majesty And I ✔️

To Win. To Lose.

Chapter 62

Imperial Concubine Wei
Wei Li Lian

Li Lian kept looking backwards, moving forward, looking back again. The reassuring warmth that was eminent from the stranger offered her the courage to keep moving.

“Why are you coming back alone?” The two men who just disposed of the concubine glared at her, wiping the blood off their trousers. Behind them, nearer to the edge of the cliff was still Concubine Pi.

Li Lian’s hand was sweaty against the sword she hesitatingly clutched. "He said I should come back while he relieved himself."

"You are really a wanton, aren't you? You chose to come back when you could have run away."

They both laughed while Li Lian fisted her hand.

"Wait." The other narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously. "What is his sword doing with you?"

Preferring to drop the act, Li Lian stepped back, steadying her weight on her left foot, and flipped over with a curved punch onto the temple of the man who just called her a wanton, a knee blow between the legs to the idiot next to him.

They crumbled to the floor, and that had the men under the tree standing because of the disturbance.

Turning ninety degrees to the side, she saw her opponents get on their feet, not willing to lose to a woman. So arrogant.

The two men swerved their swords in her direction and she brought hers up to counter the blow, forming a punch with her foot that kicked back one of them, backing him to the end of the cliff.

To save his friend by distracting her, the other opponent got ferocious and quick on his feet with different kinds of sparing techniques that their swords clanked, swooshing the air.

Li Lian relied on her feet and hands for the fight, flexibility being her biggest advantage. As she kicked one man with her feet, her hands were also committing to sword-fight with the second man.

The rest of the kidnappers started yelling commentaries, interested in the fight and wishing she would also take them on afterwards. They found it amusing because to them she was no threat.

Li Lian felt so lacking, but she wouldn't show it. She was going to shine in pretence until she made it.

With time, they were turning the tables and gaining ground, guessing her upcoming advance and blocking her attacks. They took advantage of the tides and dominated, taking offence, and leaving her on defence.

“Kill her! Kill her!” The men under the tree chanted, laughing and deriding her.

She wiped her brows of all sweat with the one-second break she stole when one man lost balance, before they were back at it again. Sooner than later someone was going to lose, and with her life on the wager it couldn't be her.

“Don’t exert too much strength on your strikes.” Li Lian heard an unfamiliar voice instruct her from behind.

It was the Furian man.

She loosened a little, realising that fighting with a less rigid body saved her stamina.

“You are thinking too much. Don’t be led by thought, fight by instinct.” His calm voice went on to guide her.

She could hear the men under the tree questioning among themselves who the mysterious man was. Some went on to say they were not afraid, they still outnumbered them from their position, it was just a Furian, after all.

“Well done for that wild offence.” The mysterious man praised her. She liked the raise in his voice and his approval of her move.

Her heart soared. Mistress Ki was never pleased with her.