A Thousand Lotus

Her eyes bled the image of her adopted father's head on the ground while his body sat there headless and motionless.

"No.. no.. no!!.. father.."Jiao Yu slowly approached Sheng Xiao and when she was just a foot away, the assassins attacked her.

And that's when all of them held their breath as they were rendered speechless and struck with fear, as Jiao Yu suddenly disappeared from her initial position.

The assassin that struck down Sheng Xiao felt that his face was itching, but when he touched it, it slowly crumbled into several slices. The assassin held his hands up towards his face in hopes of keeping his head together, but then he felt his neck being grabbed as two amber eyes looked at him with hatred.

Death. That was all that the assassin who slew Sheng Xiao thought when he saw as his body full of holes by being stabbed several times by a sword.

The remaining assassins felt their knees going gooey and fear to creep up their bones. They knew too well that going to battle with Jiao Yu was instant brutal death.

Looking at each other's face, they slowly nodded in agreement to disperse. One of them stayed behind and pointed his bow towards Jiao Yu before letting go of the arrow as it pierced Jiao Yu's back.

Jiao Yu who was in confusion and disbelief did not notice nor feel the arrow shot on her back and only gasped a little bit before carrying on.

The sky darkened up and drops of rain fell on everything. However, Jiao Yu did not know if was it because of the rain or was it her tears but Jiao Yu's vision blurred.

Her breathing was shaking and laborious to take. Her eyes blinking in disbelief and brows wrinkling in confusion. Her feet unconsciously lead her to where Sheng Xiao was, and when she was in front of him. Her knees gave up as her hands slowly held him tightly in her chest.

"Let's return now.."

"I ordered Jing Chu to cook a chicken porridge for you since I thought you would be tired when we return...."

"Father... do you remember the first time we met... and the time we went out, that was the day you first brought me a jade hairpin.."

"...." Nothing responded to Jiao Yu but the eerie silence that has enveloped the surroundings.

"Hey..... answer me.... please... at least say something, a word or two is ... enough." Jiao Yu held Sheng Xiao tightly, choking on her sobs and keep on mumbling while her tears were falling endlessly.

This time, she held Sheng Xiao in between her neck and chest as she choked in her sobs. She kept on the shaking her head and telling herself this was not real and just some illusion or nightmare-like she had before.

But then why? Why wouldn't he move? Why wouldn't he say something?

At this moment, the emotions she was feeling was mixing together; love, hatred, shock, pain, and loss.

She did not know what to do... Jiao Yu was unable to think right now. These feelings were different when her real father betrayed and sacrificed her. The feeling she felt right now was killing her.. it was simply stabbing her heart and keeping herself from breathing properly.

Screaming, bawling and sobbing turned into laughter.

Her eyes that she thought had seen the worse when her real father betrayed her, was in truth had not yet seen the real agony and pain when the person who took care of you and loved you like a real family was even more tremendous.

Jiao Yu did not acquire severe injuries from her battle but her mind was in shock and slowly, it stopped working for a moment.

Her vision went dark and fell into a deep slumber.

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.

.

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........

Around at the same time, the assassins who flee was caught into a deadlock as several men with Yama masks on ambushed them.

When every assassin has finally fallen, the Yama masked men headed towards where Jiao Yu and Sheng Xiao was.

A few moments later, a man in a black brocade robe and half mask stepped before the unconscious and bleeding Jiao Yu.

"Would the Master like this servant to end this young lady's life?"A man in a red Yama mask stepped forward.

"... No... For now, proceed with the plans."

The man clad in black brocade robe silently crouched before Jiao Yu and slowly reached to touch Sheng Xiao's head that she was holding tightly in her chest, but before he could really touch it, his hand was suddenly gripped by a smaller hand.

Two amber eyes stared back at him. It was full of viciousness and the intent to kill anyone that approaches her or the head she was holding.

Then, the small hand that was gripping him slowly let go and when he looked at her face, he saw her eyes went close again.

The man in black brocade robe scoffed lightly and coldly said, "Rest assured, I won't touch that since I don't have a thing for that head. Instead, I've got something more interesting than that."