The Pain (1)

Give me more time to remember about you and draw you in my heart as I want to wipe away the guilt and memories between us.

Li Jun Jie

***

My heart is pounding because of this fact. How could they do this? I never thought they betrayed me like this.

"But he saved us! Li Jun Jie has helped you and me. Ming Yue, Li Jun Jie is different from Li Jun Yang. He is a kind person."

"But Li Jun Jie is his son! Brother, you will never know when they accused our family and beheaded father in front of my eyes!"

Jia Ming Yue is so emotional. Her tears are tormenting me. I can see Yu Wen open his hood and the truth is like a crystal clear right now. I don't know that all his time, I let my enemies lived in our home. Yu Wen is Jia Ming Yue's older brother.

"Catch them all!" Cheng Sheng Lin shouted out loud.

His shout makes me shocked. I don't know what's his intention. Why does Cheng Sheng Lin want to arrest them? Now Yu Wen is surrounded by the armies. Yu Wen looked so confused but was ready to attack them but with Cheng Sheng Lin's armies, they can win over Him.

"Cheng Sheng Lin, let them free!"

I stared at Cheng Sheng Lin's eyes fearlessly. I have promised to Yu Wen. My promise is my debt to him.

"Cheng Sheng Lin, I will follow you but please spare them." I said bravely.

"How can you still make an offer in this situation? Li Jun Jie, you don't have any right!" Cheng Sheng Lin shouted as he put his sword on my neck then guided me to stand up.

"Young Master!" Yu Wen called me.

Actually, I don't want to see him or Jia Ming Yue right now but in this situation we don't have a choice. If people asked me why I do something stupid like this. It's because I want to pay what our family owned to them.

I see a chance so I kick Cheng Sheng Lin's shin. He is startled at the same time I steal a sword from his army who is standing near us then put it on his neck quickly. He stared at me but I am not afraid when our eyes meet. Until…pain from the lotus attacks me and makes me shout when I am struck by great pain. Cheng Sheng Lin stared at me as if he knew that I was in pain.

"Leave us! If you want your general still alive just leave us now!" I said quickly before Cheng Sheng Lin took the chance to attack me again.

I pray… They don't know that I am dying. I take Cheng Sheng Lin as a hostage. I don't know why I am not afraid when his armies try to close. I tighten the sword on his neck and that makes them step backward.

"General, I need to talk with you. I will not harm you. Trust me." I whispered in his ear.

"Backward now!" Cheng Sheng Lin shouted to his army.

I guide Cheng Sheng Lin moving far away from the armies while Yu Wen and Jia Ming Yue follow me from behind. I don't even know why they follow us. I lead them all into a dark cave to anticipate if I am turned into a woman.

"Yu Wen you are free now! Bring her with you and stay away from me!" I stared at him.

"Young Master-"

"I wish we never meet again. I am not your Master anymore! Now go!"

"Li Jun Jie. Why are you doing this! I always hate you and if you think this will make me forget. You are wrong!" Jia Ming Yue shouted at me and made me feel the pain but I don't want to let her know what I feel now because this is my first time to see Jia Ming Yue look at me with a lot of resentment in her heart.

"Then you can kill me if we can meet again. NOW GO!"

Yu Wen grabs her sister's wrist then runs away. I see they have disappeared between lush grasses and trees, leaving me and Cheng Sheng Lin alone. I put the sword down from his neck while an arrow darted in the Cheng Sheng Lin direction. Soon, I came near to him. Protect him with my body. A strike from the arrow pierced my back then a lot of arrows attacking us.

"Cheng Sheng Lin, Go!"

I push him away but he grabs my wrist then puts my arm on his shoulder. I don't know how long we are running. We stopped at another dark cave. He helps me by lying on the ground.

The rainy weather made the atmosphere in the cave become colder. We are not talking. My clothes were damp by blood. I know my time as Li Jun Jie is not long. I see Cheng Sheng Lin making fire after collecting the dry grasses and woods.

"I want to talk to the General. Let me, please." I grab his wrist.

"Later. I have to take out the arrow from your body first." He released his wrist from my weak palm.

Cheng Sheng Lin breaks the arrow bar on my back then forcibly opening my layers. My upper body gets exposed in front of him. I am really dying right now. Why do I have a lot of debts to him? I couldn't kill Cheng Sheng Lin because he ever helped me as Jing Er but now…It makes me confused because I don't know why he doesn't leave me? I am so drowsy right now.

"Li Jun Jie, you have to stay sober." He slapped my cheeks several times until I opened my eyes when hear his panic voice in my ears. Cheng Sheng Lin plugged my mouth with a hank of cloth then heated the digger from his sleeve on fire until the colour of the digger became amber.

I wanted to shout when the hot digger penetrated the wound but I couldn't. This is too painful for me to bear.

"Li Jun Jie!" He called me again.

I heard his voice in my ears but I couldn't move. I open my eyes slowly.

"General, I want to talk."

"After you get better."

"No, General. Please hear me. My father never committed that sin. Somebody must want to kill him. General must be careful from now on. Somebody must be targeting the General as well."

"Do you have any evidence to prove your arguments?" He asked.

"I trust my father." I said

"Sorry but I can't trust your father and I was ordered by the king to settle this matter."

"I hope the General can investigate this case once again. You have promised to Jing Er, right?"

"How do you know that I promised it to Jing Er?" He asked confusedly.

I regained my strength to bow in front of him.

"General please help me. I can't die peacefully."

"You saved me indeed but I can't trust Li Jun Yang. Li Jun Jie, It's better if you take a rest"

"No…You have…"

Cheng Sheng Lin presses some acupuncture points in my body and makes me unable to move or speak. I feel so sleepy right now. I know that he just wants to help me so I can take a rest. I never thought that Cheng Sheng Lin doesn't leave me alone in that arrows attacked.