"You know why I can't be an Emperor? Because I'm ruthless. I will tear you apart from limb to limb. Feed you to the dogs."
A beautiful ger in front of Yu Fei is shivering out of fear. The general almost strangled him.
He confesses, "It's the First Prince! He forced me!"
Today is supposed to be his wedding day. The happiest day in Yu Fei's life. Unfortunately Ling Wen has been kidnapped. Switched to another ger dressed in wedding dress.
They nearly performed the wedding ceremony. Fortunately Yu Fei got suspicious. Hard to believe that Wen would be trembling in his wedding day.
Yu Fei looks grim. There is a traitor among his men. That's how Wen got abducted.
Da Niu and Er Kang stares each others. San Lu is missing. He couldn't have betrayed Yu Fei. The three of them grew up with Ninth Prince.
Yu Fei chose them from a bunch of orphans. Trained them to be his trusted subordinates.
Da Niu says, "It couldn't be him."
"Yeah. It must be someone else."
Yu Fei glares at his subordinates.
He orders, "Find Ling Wen."
He inhales a deep breath. Going berserk won't help anything.
*****
In a thatched cottage outside capital city.
Ling Wen stares at San Lu. He got abducted and taken here.
He asks, "Why?"
First Prince grins evilly. He taps on San Lu's shoulder.
He explains, "He is my spy. Planted him many years ago in Yu Fei's side."
San Lu looks another way.
Ling Wen is staring the First Prince with murderous intent. It takes two weeks before he finally accepted the wedding proposal. He got kidnapped again in the end.
No f*cking princess.
He asks,"Why are you doing this?"
"Simple. I need to crush my foolish little brother. Don't think it's fun seeing the son of heaven lost the one he loves?"
Ling Wen tries to break free from the bind.
"Safe your strength. I don't want you to loose too much stamina. We are going to have some fun."
San Lu stops him before he touches Ling Wen.
"Are you revolting against me?"
"No, Sir. It's better if we leave this place. Yu Fei must sent his men to find you. Don't let them find Ling Wen. You don't have any connection to this kidnapping."
"Hmmm... You are quite loyal to me. I will raise your salary."
"Thank you, Sir."
San Lu glances at Ling Wen one last time before he follows the Prince out. His eyes dart few times to a huge wicker basket lying on the floor.
Ling Wen is alone in the hut. The guards are outside.
He crawls and rubs the rope to a wooden chair. Using its sharp edge to break it. Feels like forever before the rope finally breaks.
Ling Wen couldn't defeat the guards. He tries not to make noises when he searches for another exit.
The wicker basket is clean, not dusty like the rest of items here. Someone must have placed it not lonf ago.
He pushes a wicker basket filled with corns.
There is a trapdoor. It leads to a small underground cavern.
"Yu Fei, I'm going back..." whispers him.
Ling Wen climbs down the ladder. Straight into darkness. He has to crawl like a giant worm. Not knowing which road leads to safety.
After leaving the hut, few henchmen suddenly attacks San Lu. It's the Prince's style to burn bridge after crossing over.
San Lu got injured but he manages to slay them all.
Blood is dripping from his wounds but he keeps going.
He has shit luck today. Met Er Kang and Da Niu on his way back.
Da Niu aims an arrow toward him.
He asks, "Why? General treated us well."
"I belonged to First Prince's faction since the start."
Er Kang scolds, "How could you? That person is a demon."
San Lu chuckles. He remembered a starving little boy that has lost everything. He is one inch away from eating human corpse raw.
First Prince was his savior back then. His men fed him. Taught him how to be a spy.
For few buns, he sold his soul to the devil.
He knows Yu Fei is a good man. He just couldn't betray his first master.
San Lu only shrugs his shoulders.
He mocks, "You would never understand."
Er Kang punches him but San Lu evades it easily.
San Lu mocks, "You'll never win against me. Just give it up."
Da Niu takes his aim carefully and shoots his arrow. San Lu's right leg got shot.
"Not bad..."
He breaks and pulls out the arrow. He hisses when he wraps a makeshift bandage on the arrow wound.
Heavy smokes are coming from a certain direction.
San Lu is stunned. That direction is from the hut. He kicks away Er Kang and his old comrade got thrown backwards. His back hits a tree trunk hard.
Er Kang wipes blood from his lips.
San Lu says, "Bye. I got important things to do."
Da Niu shoots several more arrows. San Lu dashes behind trees to avoid them.
Er Kang yells, "Go! Chase him! I'll follow shortly!"
"Okay!"
San Lu keeps on running, not caring for his wounded leg. He only pauses in front of a burning hut.
The fire is too huge. It's impossible to save people.
Da Niu curses when he arrives on spot.
He asks, "Ling Wen?"
"In there."
"You!"
Da Niu draws his blade and wants to attack his ex comrade.
San Lu mocks, "Aren't you supposed to rescue him first?"
Da Niu stops. He looks at the burning hut. He looks around and finds an old well nearby. He begins to pour water using a wooden bucket.
San Lu has escaped when Da Niu is busy vanquishing fire.
*****
Ling Wen could feel air flowing from ahead. There must be an exit over there.
Smokes are coming from behind him. It's a good thing he has tried to escape first. Otherwise he would be burned alive.
Ling Wen crawls faster.
Finally he is in an open space. He coughs several times when he accidentally inhales the thick smoke.
San Lu appears from behind a tree.
Ling Wen is shocked to see him. He takes several steps back when San Lu approaches him.
"Stay away!"
"You are tougher than you look. Come on. I'll take you home to your groom."
"I'm supposed to believe it?"
Ling Wen keeps retreating and accidentally steps on a branch.
Not!
It's a snake. It bites him and Ling Wen falls to a small ravine behind him.
"Damn!" curses San Lu.
He jumps forward, tries to save him. They both ended up falling to the ravine.
Ling Wen got cuts and bruises. No harm done.
San Lu got worse condition because he shields the fall using his body.
"Ouch! I think I broke my leg..."
"Why?"
"I owed First Prince my life. Guessed I borrowed you and take you to him. Then I return you to Yu Fei. Easy as pie."
"You are crazy!"
"Hehehe... That's what people said..."
San Lu has passed out. He lost too much blood in today's events.
Ling Wen stares the unconscious kidnapper.
"Things won't be worse than this," comments him.
It starts to rain.
"Me and my crow mouth."
He tries to rise and fails twice. He spent too much energy in escaping earlier.
Somehow he manages to drag San Lu to a nearby cave.
The sky looks bleak. Just like his future.
"Yu Fei, come and find me..."
Ling Wen is hungry and cold. It's his wedding day. He misses his groom and his son.
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