BLOOD BENEATH THE MOON
915 Words
The thunder of galloping hooves grew louder with every passing heartbeat.
The villagers rushed into their homes, bolting wooden doors and pulling frightened children close. Dogs barked wildly, and the horses tied outside the cottages stamped nervously against the ground.
Captain Lu Feng drew his sword.
"Form a defensive line!"
The thirty imperial guards moved with practiced precision, placing themselves between the approaching riders and the village.
Prince Zhao Yun remained calm.
He stepped forward, his hand resting lightly on the hilt of his sword as he watched the dark road leading into the village.
Beside him, Mei Lian tightened her grip on her medicine chest.
"You should take shelter," Zhao Yun said without taking his eyes off the road.
She shook her head.
"If people are injured, they will need me."
The prince gave a faint smile.
"You are braver than many soldiers."
---
A few moments later, nearly fifty horsemen burst into the village square.
Their faces were covered with black cloth, and none carried the banners of any noble house or military unit.
Their leader wore black armor engraved with the image of a snarling wolf.
He raised his hand, and the riders came to a halt.
His cold gaze settled on Zhao Yun.
"So..."
"The Fourth Prince truly travels with only thirty guards."
Captain Lu Feng's eyes narrowed.
"You know who he is."
The masked leader laughed softly.
"It is difficult not to recognize a prince."
He slowly unsheathed his curved sword.
"We have come for one thing."
"His life."
---
Without another word, he swung his blade downward.
"Attack!"
The quiet village erupted into chaos.
Steel clashed against steel.
The imperial guards met the attackers head-on, their swords flashing beneath the fading evening light.
Captain Lu Feng fought like a seasoned veteran, cutting down one enemy before turning to block another strike aimed at his shoulder.
Nearby, Zhao Yun drew his sword.
Its polished blade reflected the moonlight.
Three attackers charged toward him at once.
The first swung a heavy saber.
Zhao Yun stepped aside, allowing the blade to slice harmlessly through the air before striking the man's wrist with the flat of his sword.
The saber fell to the ground.
The second attacker lunged with a spear.
Zhao Yun spun gracefully, avoiding the thrust before knocking the spear aside and striking the attacker in the chest with a powerful kick.
The man collapsed.
The third hesitated.
For just an instant.
It was enough.
Zhao Yun's sword stopped only a finger's width from the man's throat.
"Surrender," the prince said calmly.
The attacker glanced toward his leader.
Instead of surrendering, he bit down on something hidden inside his mouth.
A moment later, blood trickled from beneath his mask.
He collapsed without another sound.
Mei Lian rushed forward and checked his pulse.
She looked up solemnly.
"Poison."
"He chose death rather than capture."
Zhao Yun frowned.
"These are no ordinary bandits."
---
The battle continued fiercely.
Although the attackers outnumbered the prince's escort, they fought without discipline, relying on speed and surprise rather than formation.
Gradually, the imperial guards pushed them back.
Seeing the tide turn, the masked leader whistled sharply.
The surviving riders immediately withdrew.
Within moments, they disappeared into the surrounding forest.
Only the bodies of the fallen remained behind.
---
Silence settled over the village once more.
The cries of the wounded replaced the sounds of battle.
Mei Lian and the villagers hurried from one injured guard to another, cleaning wounds and applying herbs.
Despite the violence, Zhao Yun knelt beside a wounded enemy soldier.
"Can you hear me?"
The young man nodded weakly.
"Who sent you?"
The attacker's lips trembled.
Instead of answering, he reached into his robe and pressed a small object into Zhao Yun's hand.
Then his eyes closed forever.
The prince slowly opened his hand.
Inside lay a black jade token.
Engraved upon it was the head of a wolf.
The same symbol Master Li Wen had once warned him about.
Captain Lu Feng stared at the token.
"I have seen this before."
"Where?"
"Years ago... after an imperial convoy was ambushed near the northern frontier."
He looked around cautiously before lowering his voice.
"The Black Wolf Society."
"They are said to be spies, assassins, and traitors who sell their loyalty to the highest bidder."
"No one knows who leads them."
---
As the villagers buried the dead the following morning, Zhao Yun stood beneath an ancient banyan tree.
His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of an elderly traveler dressed in worn gray robes.
The old man leaned heavily on a wooden staff.
"Young Master," he said politely, "may I have some water?"
Without hesitation, Zhao Yun poured him a cup.
The traveler drank slowly before smiling.
"Kindness is rare these days."
His eyes briefly rested on the black jade token hidden inside Zhao Yun's sleeve.
The smile faded.
"Be careful."
"Some wolves wear official robes."
Before Zhao Yun could ask what he meant, the old traveler continued walking down the road.
Within moments, he vanished into the morning mist.
Captain Lu Feng searched the road in confusion.
"He disappeared..."
"As if he had never been here."
Zhao Yun looked at the token once more.
His unease deepened.
If the old man's warning was true, then the conspiracy reached far beyond hired assassins.
Somewhere within the Great Tian Empire...
A powerful official was secretly working with the Black Wolf Society.
And whoever that person was...
They already knew the Fourth Prince had survived.
- Writer
