CHAPTER 13, SEPARATE WAYS
They walked to the training base, inside the castle wearing their normal dark red armor clothes.
Wei An Ge didn't feel good since she changed her clothes. She was still attempting to recall some scenes in her head.
"Go on," the young general threw her a plain wood bow. Obviously, she was zoning out and failed to catch it as it fell to the ground.
"Are you alright, Crown Princess?" he placed his knee on the ground, in front of her, picking the bow up again.
The action of the movement hit somewhere in her brain, her eyes were blinking themselves a few times as she furrowed her eyebrows to her left side. A figure of someone running away from her appeared. It was a blur vision.
"Here you go," once again, this time, with manner, Li Zhang Ke passed the bow to her. His look was encouraging and his eyes were soft.
Wei An Ge took the bow from the general. Immediately she stretches the string, aiming the target in front of her. Effortlessly she shoot. The arrow fell to the ground. Wei An Ge showed no reaction except furrowing her eyebrows in confusion and tilting her head to the left.
The general shook his head, "It's fine," He walked to the arrow, wanting to pick it up. It was quite far, approximately fifteen steps ahead.
"Jing Nu, one more arrow" she rushed when the general bent his back to the ground. She tried shooting at the target again. It travels through the air furiously hitting on the target. Finally.
"Congrats, crown princess! You finally made it" Jing Nu supported, jumping in excitement.
Hearing Jing Nu's shouting, Li Zhang Ke stood up, looking at the target. He smiled, proud but when he turned towards the crown princess, he realized he was the next aim.
With her right hand stretching the string tight, her left eyes were shut to increase precision for the next target, General Li Zhang Ke.
"WERE YOU ONE OF THEM?!" She started shouting, walking closer to him.
Her eyebrows furrowed tighter. Her eyes were loaded with anger and dissatisfaction just by looking at the general.
"SAY IT!"
She arrived just a few steps from him, pointing the arrow.
The general fell into deep silence. He stood up straight, brave not walking away even a step back when she got closer.
"Calm down, Crown Princess. You brought the general back yourself, remember?" Jing Nu persuaded, holding the bow to stop aiming.
"Jing Nu, where are the generals?" the bow faced the ground.
"They managed to escape" Jing Nu bowed in disappointment.
"It's him" Wei An Ge held the bow towards the general again. "I repeat, were you one of them? Was it you that let those betrayers escape?"
Her husky voice lowered, warning him. The arrow was ready to be released. Even in the intense scene, Li Zhang Ke managed to keep putting on a cold face
"Crown Princess, the General was dead asleep like you were. How can he let them out?"
Her right upper lip raised upwards, smirking.
"Then it must be their families, daughters" the bow faced the ground again, "Jing Nu, let's go"
Wei An Ge tried turning away before the general caught her hand. She was bound inside his arm.
"CROWN PRINCESS!" Jing Nu panicked
"What are you doing, general? take me as a hostage? cut me to pieces and sell them at night market? lock me? hit me?" She suggested with a calm face while she was thinking of ways to get out of his grip.
Even after such long ranting, the general was still muted." still not talking, huh?"
His grip turned tighter but also softer as his whole arm covered her shoulders and the part of her stomach.
"Do you even have any idea of how anxious I am when they said you didn't survive? " he mumbled.
"Then do you have any idea of how heartbroken I am when my friends and teachers betray my own kingdom?" she took a deep breath. "You people were trying to kill me,"
Her tone of voice was wobbly and breaking.
"KILL!" A huge airwave erupted, throwing Jing Nu and the General away. The center was Wei An Ge herself.
Green cascading plants grew through her hair to a little side of her head.
"no point handling people like you," she rolled her eyes in hatred. She helped Jing Nu to wake up as they ran to the King's room not far from the training base they were at. Li Zhang Ke chased, holding his left chest that was getting painful.
"MY KING!" She broke through the entrance door.
The King was indeed in his room but it was not him only. There were Wang Xuan, Sun Ai Er, and Li Hua Rong, kneeling. The cascading plants disappeared out of her head into dust
"You're finally awake, crown princess!" The King fell into a glorious smile.
She walked past the girls and stood beside the King, confused. Li Zhang Ke appeared, catching his breath as he knelt together with the girls
"What is His Majesty doing to them?" Wei An Ge questioned, deadly staring.
"They've confessed"
"of letting go the Generals?" She cut
The king shook his head, disagreed.
"They are willing to be maids to prove that they have no idea about their father's plans" the king explained.
"Your Majesty, please show mercy" All of them bowed to the floor, asking for a final say.
His Majesty nodded, agreeing.
"I haven't agreed yet," the crown princess discriminated. "Their parents have done too many mistakes. They even saw my left hand"
"I, Li Zhang Ke offered myself to go to the battlefield against Wei Zhuang!" the young general claimed.
Wang Xuan, Sun Ai Er, and Li Hua Rong panicked their main goal was to save their family members not to attack Wei Zhuang. They managed to control their reactions or else it would be suspicious that they want to save Wei Zhuang. Wang Xuan had a wild guess that they and Li Zhang Ke weren't on the same goal.
"There's no need for bloody wars, Your Majesty" Wei An Ge bowed. "Ask them to settle their family relationship and we're done"
The King nodded agreed as the young spies burnt into anger and dissatisfaction but still, managed to keep the acting.
"Will all of you be willing to do so?"
The King asked in a pleading tone of voice.
"As long as we can prove our innocence and loyalty towards Hei An Guang!" Wang Xuan shouted, holding onto the fact that their father will be playing on since then.
The people of Hei An Guang we're very loyal to their land. Every time there were betrayers among them, they would note them go even after the betrayed was dead.
"You all may leave now," the King permitted.
All Wang Xuan, Li Zhang Ke, Li Hua Rong, and Sun Ai Er walked back through the entrance door, looking downwards.
"Crown Princess, welcome back" The King smiled, looking at her with her unsatisfied face.
She bent down her body, "with such a bitter medicine, Wei An Ge had no choice other than waking up,"
The King giggled. "Don't you dare scare me like that again, Crown Princess? I'm warning you"
They broke into laughter, including Jing Nu.
"Brother, why did you say that we should attack Wei Zhuang?" Li Hua Rong rushed to her brother that was just a few steps forward, angry. "Now we can't defend our grandfather anymore cause we're no longer related!"
"Exactly!" Sun Ai Er burst out of anger, pushing him.
Li Zhang Ke continued walking leaving his sister no answers.
"We are supposed to communicate, brother. We're in this together, right?" Hua Rong started losing hope in him. He's been acting weird since he returned. He wasn't as friendly, as loving, and as caring as he was to her.
"right, Brother?" Li Hua Rong's voice broke, disappointed.
Li Zhang Ke stopped his steps. He took a deep breath as he shutter his eyes.
"He's not, Hua Rong" Wang Xuan gripped her shoulder. "He's aiming the crown Princess"
"Brother. why?"
"He's tasted the power, he wanted more. That's why you were so worried when I told you she's dead!" Wang Xuan explained,
Li Zhang Ke turned to the girls, smiling. "Rong Er, come with brother."
Rong Er, Li Hua Rong shook her head, refusing. She held Wang Xuan's and Sun Ai Er's hands, tight justifying her refusal.
"Brother, you come here alright?" tears were loading her red eyes.
"Then, from today now on, we are on our separate ways with different missions" he speeches, holding his chest, feeling tighter. "Rong Er, I'll get back to you soon. No worries."
He walked away,
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