Welcome to Jing Part 1

The sun shined brightly onto Ying Lan as she laid on the grassy green field. Her eyes were closed, with a ghost of a smile on her face. She was in complete bliss, and none of her sect brothers wanted to disturb her in fear of facing her wrath.

    "It's so rare to see Ying-shijie so tranquil." Li Dong said, glancing over at her sleeping form from a few meters away from where he sat resting.

    Next to him, Zhu Ming nodded. "She usually looks so angry and fierce since she's so serious about everything. Who knew that one of the 'Strongest of Jing' could look like this?"

    "You're right," Wu Ke let out a small laugh. "Little Lan looks pretty cute in this state. So docile and sweet, totally different from her usual self."

    "Wu-shixiong, are you saying that I look cute when I'm vulnerable and defenseless."

    Everyone froze as Wu Ke slowly turned around in horror to see Ying Lan walking up to where they were resting. He gave her a nervous smile as she walked up next to him, before bolting up to run away. Ying Lan immediately reached out after him and grabbed the back of Wu Ke's collar, stopping him from his escape.

    "Ahh shimei, I was wrong!" he cried, cowering in fear. "Don't hurt me shimei, I was wrong!"

    Ying Lan frowned at his response. "Did I say that I was going to hurt you. I believe that I only asked you a simple question, shixiong."

    Zhu Ming nervously smiled at her. "Shijie, when did you get here?"

    "Just now. It's getting late. We should probably get going if we want to get to the capital before sundown."

    Ying Lan then looked back at where she once laid with sad longing eyes. Li Dong got up from where he sat and gently rested a hand on her shoulder.

    "After we finish our business in the capital, we can always come back here." he comforted. "It's not like we're leaving this place forever and never see it again."

    She slowly nodded her head and quickly shrugged off his hand, still gazing longingly at the field. "I just have a bad feeling that I really won't be able to see this place again... or maybe just a very long time."

    Silence filled the atmosphere, until Zhu Ming got up. "Let's go already," he stretched, "Ying-shijie already said so, we've got to make it to the capital before sundown. It's about time we get moving."

    Li Dong nodded, placing the hand he had on Ying Lan's shoulder behind his back. He glanced at her, before going with Zhu Ming to pack up their bags and organize their things.

    "Shi-shimei, can you let me go now?" Wu Ke stammered out nervously.

    Ying Lan was then snapped out of her trance, and immediately released his collar. She mumbled out a monotone apology, before she went back to staring at the field. Wu Ke frowned at her response as Ying Lan was not one to apologize for such small things, nor was she the type to focus on something like a normal grassy field for so long. He opened his mouth to say something to get her attention, but before a single word left his lips he heard an airy eerie whisper.

    "Take it in while you can," it said. "I've got a bad feeling that something bad might happen here."

    Wu Ke stared in shock as he watched Ying Lan nod in response to the voice. "Alright then, I am. I won't forget this beautiful scene, ever. I'll engrave this beautiful field into my mind."

*****

    Wu Ke stared at the back of Ying Lan's head as he rode on his horse Bai Xue. The voice's words echoed through his head over and over again as he pondered over its meaning of 'something bad might happen to your eyes". Was something bad going to happen to Ying Lan? Or could it be that it meant that something bad was to happen to the field? Wu Ke pursed his lips in frustration, trying to figure out what the words mean, before he realized something. Ying Lan has spoken to the voice and seemed to be familiar with it, as she wasn't startled by its sudden appearance. So then maybe she knew what it meant...

    "Wu-shixiong, are you alright?" Zhu Ming asked as he rode up next to him on Hua Lei. "You've been staring at the back of Ying-shijie's head ever since we left the fields. Did something happen between the two of you?"

    Wu Ke jumped a bit as he was suddenly torn away from his thoughts. He quickly shook his head before answering, "It's nothing, don't worry about it."

    Zhu Ming frowned at his words before his eyes widened. "Could it be... No, wait, it can't be, right shixiong?"

    "What are you talking about? What can't be?"

    "Wu-shixiong, could it be that you like Ying-shijie?"

    Wu Ke immediately reached over and harshly punched him in the arm. "What nonsense are you spouting on about?" he glared. "Do you want me to beat you, you naughty brat?"

    "Well you didn't deny it, did you?" a devilish smirk appeared on Zhu Ming's face.

    "Hey, what are you two doing back there?" Li Dong called out as he rode on Di Feng next to Ying Lan who rode Hei Dian. "How come you guys have slowed your pace so much? Is there something wrong?"

    Both he and Ying Lan had stopped their horses and turned around to look at them. A frown adorned Li Dong's face as he looked on at Wu Ke and Zhu Ming, while Ying Lan seemed to be on the lookout for something. Her eyes darted around quickly, searching through the trees of the forest they were in. They searched every nook and cranny, trying to find something.Wu Ke frowned at Ying Lan's actions. What was going on? What was she looking for?

    "Oh yeah, we're fine!" Zhu Ming answered back. "Oh, Ying-shijie I've got something I need to tell-"

    Zhu Ming began to ride faster towards the two of them, when an arrow flew towards him from the trees. Ying Lan noticed and reacted immediately, leaping from Hei Dian's back and flew towards the arrow. She snatched the shaft of the arrow out of the air before the head hit Zhu Ming's arm, and rolled onto the ground.

    Ying Lan threw the arrow to the side as Wu Ke yelled out to everyone, "Quickly, leave! Now, GO!"

    Everyone immediately began to move, sending their horses into a gallop. Ying Lan sprinted over to Hei Dian and leaped onto his back. They all galloped away from the area as more arrows began to fly towards them. But as they fled, Ying Lan noticed the flying arrows weren't as direct as the first arrow. They seemed to be deliberately missing them for some odd reason.

    After a little while the arrows stopped flying, but that didn't stop them from telling their horses to keep moving. They needed to make sure that they weren't being followed after all. As the last person of the group, Ying Lan kept on looking behind them to make sure no such thing was happening. Soon, she spotted what seemed to be a person riding on a gorgeous white horse. They wore blue floral clothes that drifted behind them, along with their hair that was let down to billow off in the breeze. From the way they had dressed, the rider seemed to look like a wild girl. But then judging by their face and riding position, they looked as if they were of a young man.

    "We're being followed." Ying Lan called out to them.Everyone turned their heads to look at the person following them.

    "Who is that?" Zhu Ming asked, confuse. "An abnormal weirdo?"

    "Wu-shixiong, what should we do?" Li Dong asked. "We can't keep running forever, our horses will tire themselves out."

    Wu Ke thought for a bit before saying, "It seems like there's only one of them. We'll be able to take him-"Before he could finish, Ying Lan quickly drew her sword and cut down an arrow that was flying towards him. Everyone turned their heads to see that the weirdo was holding a bow with a smirk on his face.

    Zhu Ming's face immediately contorted with anger. "That bastard!" he cursed, stopping Hua Lei and turning him around. "I will kill him for that!"

    "Zhu-shidi, don't be too rash!" Li Dong called out, turning Di Zhong around and riding up next to Zhu Ming.

    "But he-"

    "I'll lead him away from you guys." Ying Lan sheathed her sword and directed Hei Dian away from where they were originally heading in. "I'll meet you guys at the Capital's gates."

    Before any of them could respond, Hei Dian galloped away from them in the other direction. They all watched Ying Lan get further and further away, and to their surprise the weirdo followed after her. In fact, they had hurried their horse's pace to try to catch up to her.

    "Wu-shixiong, what should we do?" Li Dong asked as Wu Ke rode up next to him.

    He didn't answer as he stared at the direction where Ying Lan had disappeared off to. Although he knew that she'd be able to handle herself again that weirdo, he still felt uneasy. After all he too noticed that after the first arrow, the rest were deliberately missing them.

    Wu Ke's suspicions were soon confirmed, when a group of Jing soldiers appeared from where they had all come from on horseback. They galloped in the direction where Ying Lan and the weirdo left, and Wu Ke ley out a gasp in realization.

    "Oh no, we've got to stop her!" he said, sending Bai Xue into a gallop.

    "Wait Wu-shixiong, what do you mean?" Zhu Ming called out after him.

    Wu Ke turned his head. "We've got to stop Ying Lan from hurting that guy! He's the Crown Prince of Jing!"

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