A Wuxia Tale: Blades and Flowers

Family Trait

(DAYU)

Getting the exercise is not bad but I am pressed for time. If I linger here and the ensuing negotiation takes time as well, this whole thing might not be over by the next morning. If that happens, Captain Wang's patience might snap and instead of a civil war, a real war between two kingdoms could start.

That'll be bad.

Thats why, much as I wanted to give the Mughal Crown Prince and his little army of guards the fight they obviously want, I couldn't do it. I simply don't have the time.

So I rummaged for the special weapon I took with me for this purpose. I took pour vials from my robes and threw them on the ground, right under the feet of the Crown Prince and his guards getting ready to attack me. When the liquid inside the vials hit the ground and the air, it turned to smoke and wafted upward for my adversaries to inhale.

I took steps away from them as they scramble in confusion with that smoke. "What is this?"

"Opium smoke," I answered jovially. "Be honored. The only other person I used that weapon on is a great man and a difficult opponent." I added as I remember that time I used this particular offensive move to my own lover when I learned how strong Captain Wang is.

His Highness' guards coughed as they inhaled the smoke and some of them was affected fast. One fell quickly to the ground. That one must be drunk.

But others kept on standing on their feet. They moved towards me, some unsteady. The Crown Prince is surprisingly lucid as he glares at me with his sharp eyes. "Treacherous..." he spat at me.

"No. I am just pressed for time. Now, shall we get to the next step?" I asked politely before showing them a thin acupuncture needle. Almost invisible by the moonlight. "Who wants to get it first?"

The Crown Prince growled to his guards. "Kill him. Kill him and I will reward gold to anyone who will place his beheaded corpse at my feet."

I laughed. "Thats the spirit," I nodded to encourage them to do just that. Try to kill and behead me.

The Crown Prince's guards, with a generous promise of gold, went into actions to move towards me with their weapons swinging. I evaded every hacking movements they made while attacking them myself...by sinking the acupuncture needle into their pressure points and watching them fall one by one on the ground around me.

The Mughal Crown Prince stood frozen after watching his defense fall in front of his eyes. When he looked at me, I finally saw a little fear in his eyes. I smiled at him. "They are not dead. Just asleep. They will wake up when dawn comes. Do you want to leave a note for them? So they won't worry that you are dead."

"W-what?" His Highness looked confuse. I don't entirely blame him. My offer of courtesy could be confusing.

"I'm just borrowing you." I said to clarify my point. "I'm not going to kill you. In actuality, I don't have any intentions of killing anyone. When I kill, its because I was left without any choice." I frowned. "Others should truly not leave me without a choice..."

I moved fast to avoid the Crown Prince's deadly looking scimitar that he swung at me while I was internalizing and monologuing. I sighed as I avoided another one of his attack and another one. I smiled, at least this one has a fighting spirit, even if his mind if already muddled with opium smoke. And I am quite sure, if I am not fast and his mind is not wobbly, he could catch me and behead me indeed.

But alas...I have no intention of dying tonight. The thought of how annoyed Captain Wang will be if I die tonight is quite an amusing thought but knowing that my beloved will also go crazy with grief if he will lose me makes me think dying is truly not worth it.