Swaying Gladiolus — II

Perhaps it was an ill omen, the moment a soldier came rushing to Liu Mingyun, perhaps he should have seen it coming.

But he did not. Unfortunate as it was, he didn't see it coming.

The moment the soldier's words fell, Liu Mingyun said nothing and simply bolted out of his tent, leaving behind even his stead as he used his qinggong to make haste.

Inadvertent curses filled his mind as he berated himself for the lack of awareness.

He should have known. He should have known that the Divine Phoenix's nephew would be arriving at the camp very soon.

And yet, he couldn't properly prepare for it.

Liu Mingyun took a deep breath, leaping through the thicket, silver tresses whipping around in the wind as his robes billowed.

He could only hope that he wasn't too late still.

Sure the doctors were from Jianghu, and sure they might be martial artists, but in the end they were still doctors, surely the likes of them would be hesitant about spilling blood, even of those lowlife bandits.

"Heavens," Liu Mingyun muttered, sword clenched in his hand as he increased his pace, jumping from one tree to another, one branch to another.

For a split second, he tore his eyes away from the route and looked up at the sky, the beautiful moon that hung amidst the stars.

The chirps of crickets decreased as he drew closer, the howl of wind he tore through filling his ears. It was cold, it was unforgiving, it worked against him, but it was well-deserved.

The Crown Prince blinked, realising that he would soon cross the mountain and reach his destination.

But still, he hoped to not face a scene of carnage, to not be confronted by the unforgiving sight of blood and corpses.

No, he was faster than that. He could prevent it.

Curse those bastards for attacking under the guise of a peaceful night, curse them for trying to ruin it for those who were merely passing by.

But it was his fault too, was it not?

The Crown Prince's crimson eyes flashed as his lower lip caught between his teeth, the bones worrying over the flesh as he bit onto it.

One last stride followed as he stood atop a tree, eyes staring down at the place of the skirmish.

And then, he stilled, eyes widening as he drank in the scene unfolding in front of him, for a moment, he didn't know if it was his imagination.

But the next, a heartrending scream tore through the tense air. It made him snap out of the stupor, but Liu Mingyun stood completely still, silently watching it all go down.

Well, well, well…

If this isn't a surprise.

The Crown Prince's eyebrow raised slightly as he lowered his eyes, his eyesight was great, nor was his mind a deceptive little thing.

Hm… To see a doctor perform an act of violence like this. It was interesting, to say the least.

The Crown Prince simply shook his head, suppressing an intrigued smile that threatened to spill on his lips as he watched a tall, slender figure, clad in splendid robes spill on his heels, dark waves fluttering with the wind as he cleaved a head right off.

Crimson blood spurted from the severed arteries as it splashed on the man's expressionless face.

With the blood staining his otherwise beautiful features and golden eyes, the man looked nothing if not—

—Beautiful.

This single word came to Liu Mingyun's mind, unbidden as he squatted on the treetop, wanting to see the man fight a little more before he — inevitably — intervened.

The man — whom he presumed to be the leader, hence Li Xinyuan — twirled on his feet, the swift action appearing elegant when he did it. His sword drew a graceful arc in the air, leaving glowing silver afterimages of his Qi, as he cut down another man rushing towards him, standing back-to-back against another man with a head of amber hair.

It was a swift and cold affair. Bodies littered the path quickly enough as the Crown Prince watched, mesmerised.

Glowing silver and amber filled the entire scene as Li Xinyuan and his companion got rid of those bandits, merciless and swift to a startling degree.

In all his beauty, Li Xinyuan was nothing if not a menacing man. Nor was his companion a man to be overlooked.

As the last of the bandits fell, Liu Mingyun saw the doctor hold the man by his hair, his fingers burying themselves in the man's hair as he pulled the corpse by his side, facing the sky as he shut his eyes.

Ah. The blood, the moon, the sword and the beauty.

"Specter of The Blood Moon." The title came into his mind and spilled out of his lips.

Silently, Liu Mingyun couldn't help but mourn the loss of the pool of gold in his eyes. But then, he sat—admiring the crimson fluid that stained his features, painting a gruesome yet fascinating picture under the cool moonlight.

An interesting first meeting, that was for sure.

Only after the thought crossed his mind did Liu Mingyun remember that he was supposed to help them deal with bandits.

Oh well, he shrugged, entirely too nonchalant for a man who was worried out of his mind not too long ago. At least his worries were for nought.

Slowly the Crown Prince stood up, dusting his ass off as he let out a sigh, enough dilly-dallying now. Time to go down and meet them.

Li Xinyuan… He's interesting, to say the least. They could be good friends!

Maybe?

Resting his hands on his knees, Liu Mingyun stood up, straightening his back, it was a good scene to watch if only he had some snacks to munch on.

Ruefully, the Crown Prince heaved another sigh as he lept down, gracefully landing on his feet as he made his way towards the entourage.

As soon as he was near, Li Xinyuan and his amber-haired companion turned towards him, their movement in impressive synchronisation.

"Your Highness," Li Xinyuan cupped his hands in front of himself and bowed, saluting in a fashion common to people from Jianghu. "This lowly one greets the Crown Prince."

Liu Mingyun nodded, waving his hand as he spoke. "It is this Prince's honour to meet the disciple of the Divine Phoenix."

"This lowly one is a little late," Li Xinyuan shook his head, the very picture of calmness. "And apologises for this… sight." He looked behind himself.

Liu Mingyun suppressed a smile as he shook his head. "No matter, Specter of The Blood Moon."

"My apologies?" Li Xinyuan looked up at him, surprised.

"Ah, it is nothing, just a simple title that came to this prince's mind when I saw you."

Li Xinyuan stilled for a moment before nodding and bowing once more.

"This lowly one accepts the title, Your Highness the Crown Prince."