CHAPTER 2: Part 1

CHAPTER 2: Part One

The leaves crunched softly as Wei Lin Jiang trudged along the path littered with dry leaves. His face had become extremely pale; his cheeks were sunken. His lips had almost taken a shade of dull grey. His forehead bore a deep frown that seemed to be carved permanently into his skin.

It had been a night and a day since he set off from his village. He had been walking nonstop without eating or drinking. So, his steps were extremely sluggish; his shoulders slumped as if he bore the weight of the entire world. He didn't have a purpose or destination in his mind. He kept taking one step after another as if he were a puppet cursed to move continuously.

He crashed into a protruding branch. It got stuck in his sleeve; ripping a part of his robe. His steps faltered slightly but his expression remained unchanged. After a momentary pause, he continued walking. The sun shone brightly. Its light though filtered through the mesh of the foliage in the forest still struck hot at noon.

Lin Jiang hadn't even touched water to his lips for several hours. As a result, he had become extremely dehydrated. The fatigue finally caught up to him. His vision blurred and his head started spinning. His knees buckled and he dropped to the ground with a soft thud.

He stayed like that for a few moments before grabbing a branch and pulling himself back to his feet. The frown on his forehead dissipated suddenly and he cupped his ears as if he were trying to listen to something.

His pale skin flashed with a little color as he parted the bushes. There amidst the dried leaves and vines was a woman dressed in flashy robes; her body was limp and rigid. From his angle, Lin Jiang could only see her side profile. But, she looked young and delicate. The fair skin on her neck was smooth like jade and her hair was held up with several pins and clips. She seemed to be from an affluent family.

He froze as his brother's dying image flashed through his mind. No, he couldn't bear to see someone else die. He had to make sure that she was fine; no matter the consequence.

He grabbed her arm and rolled her over so that she was lying on her back. This revealed her well-sculpted face and pale skin. The heavy makeup had worn out in the heat giving her the appearance of a white blossom with shades of faint red.

Lin Jiang's fingers trembled slightly as he placed them on her neck. He closed his eyes focusing on the sensation he felt under his skin. Wei Ling Jiang often helped the village healer with menial tasks. In return, he had taught him a few basics.

Deep lines of worry formed on his forehead as he studied the throbbing. The woman's pulse was rather uneven and erratic. Something was wrong with her blood flow. The expression on his face grew extremely serious as he scrutinized her as carefully as possible.

He couldn't figure anything out by mere observation. On an impulse, he was about to open her boots and check her feet but then he hesitated. It wasn't exactly appropriate. He wrung his hands anxiously. If he didn't figure out the cause soon, she would probably meet her end.

Drawing in a deep breath, he held the hem of her robes and slid it over her legs. He grabbed the edge of the boots and averted his gaze; as if that would make the action less irreverent. It took him quite long to take off the boots given the fact that he tried to do it without seeing.

Ultimately he did have to take a look at her bare leg to identify the cause rendering his previous actions rather futile. A gasp escaped his lips seeing the large purple bruise marring her smooth skin. Right in the center of the bruise were two teeth marks. Veins surrounding the marks had popped out in a dendritic pattern.

"Don't tell me she is bitten by a snake," he muttered as he pressed the region around the marks. His mind veered to the day, young Bai Lu was bitten by a poisonous snake. The village healer had first tied a piece of cloth just above the bite marks.

Lin Jiang looked around in panic. Where would he find a piece of cloth in the middle of the forest? His eyes landed on the half-ripped sleeve of his robe. He tore it off quickly and tied it tightly above the marks. Now, he had to make a small cut and squeeze out the poison.

He didn't have a knife or a blade. So, he picked up a sharp rock only to drop it almost instantly. If he didn't cut with precision, it might do more harm than good. A soft gasp drew his attention to the girl's face. The skin of her face had become wrinkled and froth was bubbling out of her mouth. He had to do something; soon.

In a moment of desperation, Lin Jiang grabbed her leg and started sucking out the infected blood. Once his mouth was full, he would spit out the blood. After a few more times, his head started spinning and he passed out. He was a gruesome sight to behold; dirty clothes, matted hair, torn clothes, and bloodied sight.

The sound of shuffling footsteps resounded in the forest as a small group of guards came into view. The spears in their hands were poised and a sense of restless worry seemed to have gripped them. They were led by a man dressed in a blue robe with an intricate brocade border. His straight brown hair swished in the wind as cleared the stray branches and bushes; his movements seemed hurried, his gaze alert.

After walking for a while, he reached the place where Wei Lin Jiang was lying unconscious beside the woman. A gasp escaped his lips, the moment his eyes landed on the woman.

"Lady Lin Xiu!" He exclaimed as he dropped to the ground. Pulling her into his arms, he patted her face, "Xiao Xiu! What happened to you? Please say something…" He kept calling out her name and patting her face but got no response. Lin Xiu's body remained unmoving. However, the froth bubbling out of her mouth had dried up and her cheeks showed some color.

The commotion tore through the haze surrounding Wei Lin Jiang's mind; pulling him slowly back to his senses. The first thing he heard was the soft, frantic whispers. It was followed by someone screaming a name, "Lin Xiu."

His eyes suddenly snapped open as he recalled the reason he had fainted. He sat up with a start to find a man sitting with the woman he had saved on his lap. His lips parted in an attempt to speak but his mouth felt drier than sawdust. He broke into a bout of coughs and finally managed to ask, "H…How is she?"

The man's eyes flashed with instant rage. He glared at Wei Lin Jiang, "He must be the one who harmed Lady Lin Xiu! Arrest him!"

"I…I didn't do anything. She was bitten by a snake…. I was just trying to save her," Wei Lin Jiang tried to explain but his voice was so feeble that his words seemed like an incoherent string of mumbles. The soldiers grabbed his arm and dragged him away….