Blossoms of Love

Chapter 7: Trouble on the Road - Part 2

Master Yin sat on the floor, bound so that he could not escape. His attention was entirely on Song Mengyao, despite the danger he too was in. It had been hours and the bandits hadn't even bothered to bandage his head, not even after Master Yin told them who he was. They simply did not care.

His own hand was throbbing, multiple small bones were certainly broken, but that didn't matter. It didn't matter because it had been hours and Song Mengyao was still unconscious, still bleeding.

"What do you want with us? Why keep us here? You can have everything you found, all of it. Just let us go so I can help him."

The man whom Yin Jianguo had assumed was the leader of the bandits chuckled, "It's just a little blood and by the looks of it he could do with some roughing up. What a delicate little thing."

"If you touch him again, you'll face-"

"'The wrath of the Yin Clan.' I know, you've already used that line. Just sit there and shut up, will you?"

Master Yin scowled and continued to look for a way out of their predicament. Only, when he heard a groan to his side, he turned back to Song Mengyao who, it seemed, was finally waking up. With a breath of relief, he made another attempt to move closer to check the prince's wound, only to be stopped by the tight ropes around him.

"Are you alright?"

Song Mengyao needed a moment to reset himself. He blinked a couple of times and noticed the throbbing pain on the side of his head. When his vision began to clear, a face came into focus.

"M- Master Yin?"

He was confused, memories of what happened not too long ago only just coming to mind. They were attacked—caught off guard—and now, they were here.

Master Yin exhaled deeply but offered a soft smile after realising that the young prince was truly okay. He seemed somewhat disorientated, but he was okay and that was what mattered most.

"Finally awake, huh?" The leader of the bandits crouched before Song Mengyao and grabbed his chin, tilting his head to get a better look at him. "So, this is the Magnolia Prince of Shiyanyi? What a pretty little thing."

Jerking his head away, Song Mengyao scowled. He was a prince and certainly not used to being manhandled, especially not by such dirty, scruffy hands.

"Feisty. The boys will like you."

"What do you want from us? A ransom I suppose? I can assure you that will not lean in your favour. You will get your money, but you will meet the end of a blade soon after." Master Yin hoped to reason with the bandits or, at the very least, to buy some time while he thought up an escape plan.

The man turned his attention to Master Yin and chuckled, "Ransom? No, we will be long gone before either of your clans catch wind of your disappearance."

"Why not kill us already then? You clearly won't be bringing us along to accompany you. Unless you're working for someone? Someone that wants us alive... but who?"

"Someone shut him up."

Although Yin Jianguo was more than displeased to have an old rag shoved into his mouth, he had learnt something. Now, he simply had to figure out what was going on and who would have a motive to abduct the two of them.

It couldn't be the Song Sect for Song Mengyao had been hurt. Nor could it be the Luó Sect as they had no reason for such action. In fact, all nearby sects were on good terms with both the Yin and Song Sects. Not to mention, paying bandits to do the dirty work was a dead giveaway that it was not the work of any sect he knew as they would never stoop to such a level. So, it had to be someone else. Someone with motive, someone alone. But who?