Ch 48: Responsibility, Poisonous Mushroom

Quote of the Day:

"Sometimes you put walls up not to keep people out, but to see who cares enough to break them down." - Socrates

Hi beautiful people, thank you for reading my story ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ ♥

**

The sunlight enters the cave.

Wu Lan Jun, exposed to the sunlight, awakes from his slumber. Despite the winter breeze slapping him across the face and the layers of snow covering the ground, he notices how warm the lower half of his body is.

Was he not guarding the cave last night during the heavy snowfall? How did he get in here?

Where is General Li?

He sits up, glancing around to his left and right. His body sore.

Then in the corner of his eyes, he sees General Li, laying beside him. Unconscious. Then it hit him.

He sights the clothings covering them. Under the clothes, he notices his half naked body. His heart skipped a beat for a moment as his eyes rotate towards General Li.

Her embroidered undergarment is gone, exposing half of her old scars from war. The other half is covered by a layer of clothing.

She is sleeping soundly, as defenseless as a lamb. He glances at her rosy cheeks and long lashes. The lids that cover her eyes, which rarely twinkle. Her round face and the lips that seldom curl up.

No.

What is he thinking?

He shakes his head, rustling his hair. He rids of his thoughts. How unchivalrous.

General Li mumbles something, motioning around the dead grass. The layer of clothing tumbles to the ground.

He gulps before picking up the layer of clothing and draping it over General Li. "General," Wu Lan Jun nudges her gently on the shoulder while looking in the opposite direction. He blindly taps again, believing it is her arm.

Rather, it is something soft.

"Ow!" General Li aches in pain, causing her eyes to open. She rubs her eyes, "Oh.. Wu Lan Jun. Do you feel better now?"

"Yes, I am better." He expresses a mortified expression, "General, may I ask why are we—" He points to her while looking away, "Like this?"

She raises her brows, "To save your stone cold body yesterday, Imperial Guard Wu. Your wet clothings, combined with the freezing weather almost cost your life." She begins to dress herself, "Don't misunderstand. I had no other choice."

She dresses in her armory again. Wu Lan Jun holds a puzzled look; he is in a dilemma.

Imperial Guard Wu begins to dress up as well; soon he finishes tying his belt. His armory is dry again. "General," he says.

General Li is dazing off. Upon hearing Wu Lan Jun's voice, she glances at him. "Something to report, Imperial Guard Wu?"

Wu Lan Jun graces upon her a solemn stare, "I will take responsibility for you."

General Li blinks.

She blinks again. "T-Take responsibility?" She bursts into a laughter, "It's not that severe, Wu Lan Jun. Don't sweat about it." She taps him by the shoulder as she proceeds to exit the cave.

"Where are you heading, General?"

She turns back and smiles, "Find the mushroom, Silly. What are we going to do, sit here and wait?"

"Is your foot better? It doesn't seem like you are limping anymore."

She shrugs, "I have killer regeneration abilities. I am capable of walking, just not running as of now."

The path to the destination was rocky. Half way there, they encountered the assassins again. Fortunately, this time, they were cautious about the skills and technique of the masked invaders.

They surpass this round. After several miles of traveling by foot, they discover a patch of mushrooms similar to what they are looking for. "Not it," General Li says as she matches the profile up with Scholar Li's written identification.

Several hours in, Wu Lan Jun encounters a path of miniature mushrooms that are hidden under the moss. "Here!"

The mushrooms match up. After retrieving the mushroom warily, they immediately begin to head back.

**

It is a long travel; however, within a day, they arrive back to the city. They are just in time for everyone to regather and present their findings.

All the members of the group, including Rong Yi sit in the guest room of the Li Manor.

Scholar Li claps to obtain everyone's attention, "It seems you guys' missions have been fruitful." He glances down to General Li's kneecap, "Good thing you had a removable splint. It would've healed with distortion otherwise, General Li."

She slowly nods and whispers, "Yes." She sneakily glances outside to the yard, where Wu Lan Jun is guarding the Manor.

"And Sir Xu," Scholar Li turns his head to Xu Kai, "What happened to you? You have a busted bottom lip."

Sir Xu raises his brows, "Is that so?" His eyes avert to Yuan Zi Yan, "A mosquitos bit me."

Scholar Li gasps, "Mosquitos during this time? I didn't know mosquitos suck blood from our lips either. I will have to record that down in my book later!" He realizes something, "Ah, so what were some evidences you guys discovered?"

"Well," Sir Xu continues as he pulls out the sales recordings, "We have evidence to prove that the illegal opium exchange is taking place in the Hua Hin Place Inn. I will have the guards arrest the business owner by tomorrow and hold an interrogation."

"How about General Li's side?"

General Li presents a large piece of cloth and lay it on a table. Upon unfolding the cloth, three types of items appear: needles, mushrooms, and ring-handled dagger knives. "We found the mushroom; however, we also retrieved these weapons from the assassins who attacked me and the Imperial Guard Wu."

Rong Yi gasps, "This means...The assassins who attempted to kill you guys are connected to the assassin who killed Minister Kun because the same type of poisonous needle is used. The person behind may be the same."

Scholar Li nods, "That is precisely it."