Assassination

Li Bai Xue, Lin Qian, and Tang Lin were getting ready to leave the camp. There was a total of two horses because they weren't sure if Tang Lin knew how to ride a horse. She was a pampered noble little girl so she would never have experience riding on a horse. Lin Qian offered to ride the horse with Tang Lin.

Li Bai Xue who was a princess has always been looked at as if she was heir so she had to learn everything a boy learn as well. So she has experience with horse riding. Lin Qian was her servant, and bodyguard so she learns martial art when she entered the palace, so horse riding was an easy thing for her.

Li Bai Xue greeted farewell to the three trios. The mysterious beautiful man, Wu Shuang, nor Leader Wang was seen. She then hops onto the horse and left. She decides for them to go to the next town, and change their outfit. They were still dressed in torn rags. Yudi had given them some money.

It took them four hours with a small break now and then to reach the next town. They were not welcome in the clothes shop until the shop assistant saw the money they presented. The shop assistant attitude toward them changes 180 degrees.

Li Bai Xue changed her outfit into a simple white dress that had a pink string attached to the waist and down. Lin Qian was pressured to change her black outfit by Li Bai Xue. She changed into a simple dark blue dress with a white strap that ran from her waist to her knees. They both tried to stay low profile from people's views, so they both covered their faces with a veil.

For Tang Lin, she was from a noble household so she dressed up as how a noble person should have. She dresses in a light green to dark green dress. The sleeves were white, and her dress was decorated with tiny leaves design. Since the weather was getting colder they had a warm cloak warp around them to keep them warm.

They arrive at an inn. The Innkeeper was an old lady, however, she didn't have a gentle personality. She treated those with money with good treatment, and treat those who didn't have money with bad treatment. She brought them to their respective room, however, there were only two rooms left. Tang Lin had her room while Li Bai Xue and Lin Qian shared a room.

Lin Qian had clean the bed and was going to ask for another quilt when she heard something from one of the rooms. "Dear brother, I have traveled from afar. I do not know what has happened in the Ling state. Would you mind telling me what has happened?"

The waiter received his money spoke in a hushed voice, "Dear guest, the Ling state first princess went missing. The palace is in turmoil trying to find the eldest princess. She is greatly pampered by the Empress Dowager. She went out of the palace for one of her lessons with her Laoshi and went missing. The Laoshi body was discovered, but it was rotten already. Many have concluded that she is dead, but no one dared to say anything. That all I can tell you."

"I understand," the man said.

Lin Qian escaped back to the room she was sharing with Li Bai Xue. "Gongzhu, I have news."

"What news?"Li Bai Xue was drinking tea. Lin Qian told her everything that she had heard. "Lin Qian you should know that I can't return to the palace. The assassins will not stop pursuing me until they kill me. Feng Jiu will also never leave me alone until she finds my dead body. Living in the palace is more dangerous than just living a normal life."

"Gongzhu what do we do then?"Lin Qian said.

"We have to make them believe that I am dead. Only then will they stop. Lin Qian, do you think Laoshi Hua will not forgive me if I don't take revenge for her?"Li Bai Xue asks. Her voice became sad. She still couldn't forget how Laoshi Hua had died protecting her.

Lin Qian was also saddened. Although she wasn't that close with Laoshi Hua, she could tell that she wanted to protect Li Bai Xue to the best of her ability. That was enough to make her feel like she was a good person. "Gongzhu, I am sure that Laoshi Hua will never blame you for anything."

Li Bai Xue wanted to speak when the door open. Tang Lin had come in. "Luye Jie! Qian Jie!" she shouted, but then she stopped midway. She was admiring her beauty. Throughout the entire journey, Li Bai Xue always had dirt or mud on her face which blocks her face from being seen, but when it was removed all that could be seen as a great beauty. Tang Lin at first shocked then it turns into admiration.

Li Bai Xue giggled when she saw her silly face. Tang Lin cheer her up like how Li Mei Tang would have. Her giggle broke Tang Lin out of her trance.

"Luye jie you are so beautiful," Tang Lin said as she took a seat across from her. She had always been honest and straightforward so she didn't hide her thoughts.

Li Bai Xue smile at her, "Lin Er do you have something to talk to me about?"

Tang Lin smack her lips, "That right! This town is not far from Jingling so I am sure that Fuqin has sent people looking for me. I want to check around the town tomorrow morning."

Li Bai Xue thought of her words. Everything did make sense. "Alright. Tomorrow morning we will go check around the town before we depart," Li Bai Xue said. "So you should rest early."

Tang Lin smiled, "Alright!" She got up and went back to her room. Li Bai Xue turns to her bed. "Lin Qian you should also rest."

"Yes Gongzhu," Lin Qian said. She turns off the candlelight and sat near the door. She had fallen asleep guarding the door before so she was used to this position before.

***

At the break of dawn, two black figures were moving fast across the street. They stopped in front of the inn. They look at each other with an understating of the plan. They then went separated way. One enters the inn and went directly to the door of Li Bai Xue's room. As he had excepted Lin Qian started to attack him.

His body bends halfway backward to avoid the attack, and head toward Li Bai Xue bed. Lin Qian threw her sword at him. He then ran out of the room. Lin Qian was not letting the assassin escaped so she ran after him after she summons her sword back. The other assassin entered through the window after it saw that Lin Qian was lured away. She walks to Li Bai Xue and was about to pierce Li Bai Xue's heart when she opened her eyes.

She was woken up by Lu Hu who was woken up by the near fighting. Li Bai Xue dodged the attack and threw a pillow at the assassin. The assassin dodged as she turned back, and it gave Li Bai Xue a chance to escape. She ran out of the room. The assassin ran after Li Bai Xue.

Li Bai Xue's leg turns dark blue, and she kicked the assassin. The assassin was not prepared for this attack so she hit into one of the rooms. This destroys the door in the room. This woke the person inside the room as well. Li Bai Xue took this chance and shouted, "Assassin! There is an assassin! Help!"

People's rooms started to light up. Some people who were brave enough came out of their room. The others were too scared so they stay hidden inside their room. The assassin got up, and rush toward Li Bai Xue. The person whose room was broken had a sword with him so it pierces through the assassin abdomen. The smell of blood filled the air, and she then dropped to her knees when the sword was withdrawn from her body.

The assassin who was fighting with Lin Qian threw a dagger at her as he saw his partner was down. The dagger barely misses the huge scar on her face and hit the knot on the veil before it landed on the wall. The veil had fallen. She didn't want people to see her veil so she covered it. The assassin took this chance to head to where Li Bai Xue was.

"Luye!" she shouted when she noticed the assassin was gone.

He was trying to kill her, but he failed when the other person who had killed his partner interfere. His sword flew and hit the assassin sword. The assassin knew that he had no chance of winning so he ran out of the inn. Lin Qian ran after him.

"Lin Qian!"Li Bai Xue shouted, but it was already too late. She turned toward the man who had helped her, "Thank you, gentlemen."

The man looked at her before looking away, "It's nothing. I don't want innocent people to die because of me."

Li Bai Xue was puzzled at first. Seem like he thought the assassin was after him. She wouldn't try to change his thinking. Let him think like that if he wants to. He was commanding one of his people to throw the dead assassin body away before he returns to the room.

"Luye jie!" a voice calls out. Li Bai Xue turn around and saw Tang Lin running toward her. "Luye jie are you alright? I heard you screaming for help. Where is Qian jie?"

"I am alright. Lin Qian went to chase the assassin. She is also fine," Li Bai Xue said.

Lin Qian return the inn. She grabbed the veil, and cover her face the best she could with the broken veil. "The assassin got away," Lin Qian told Li Bai Xue. Li Bai Xue gave her a meaningful glance. Lin Qian knew what that look was.

The man returns when he had changed his attire from his white sleepwear.

"LinEr?" the man said questioning. Tang Lin faced the man and was surprised.

"Tian ge ge?"Tang Lin said. Her tone held surprised, and shock.