The Serene Heart Sect

Chapter 5 The Serene Heart Sect

Taka lay still. His body which was seemingly paralyzed was taut ready to spring into action at any moment. He spread his awareness through his surroundings, detecting the movement of a human being on a tree. About a hundred kilometers away, a smirk formed on his lips and he stiffened up, even more like an actual dead body!! 

Thirty minutes later he snorted coldly and stood up, no longer feigning death. After taking a few steps Taka grimaced visibly. The poison was rampaging inside his body. He regretted his decision to allow himself to be poisoned to draw out the hidden assailant. "What a bastard" Taka let out another derisive snort.

Didn't the people under the shogunate value chivalry and honor? 

Why didn't this assailant face him out in the open in an above-board manner instead of lurking in the shadows, how despicable!' 

If the assassin heard Taka's thoughts, he would probably be frothing at the mouth with rage and argue that Taka was even more despicable to feign death to lure him out. 

    The pot calling the kettle black! 

When Taka finally located Biwa after trudging through the forest for four hours, he collapsed right on top of her. Biwa raged. Using all sorts of ruthless means to try and force Taka off her, to no avail after thirty minutes of fierce struggle she could only succumb to fate. 

Luckily, there was no other person in the clearing to witness the scene. Feudal society was very strict, especially with laws concerning unmarried women. If others saw her lying under a man in an open clearing like a loose woman, her reputation would be ruined. Inwardly vexed, she closed her eyes and fell asleep. When she came to, she didn't feel any weight crushing her body and knew Taka was gone. 

She tried to rise but was pushed harshly back on the floor. "Stay still or you're dead!" A cruel unfamiliar voice berated and she felt a creeping chill all over but didn't dare resist; but where was Taka? He was right on top of her when she passed out. She didn't expect him to disappear and for her to be captured by an unknown man, suddenly she was very flustered, Strangely, it was not her own wellbeing that caused her this uneasy feeling. She couldn't help but worry about that cold man who had protected her since childhood. 

A frown appeared on her face; since when had she cared so much, since when did it matter, it didn't matter at all. He hated her anyway. That very thought made her cold. 

Had her nineteen years been lived in vain trying to survive the cold world of nobility in the capital only to be killed or worse raped in this forest? 

Biwa felt life was cruel, growing up pampered and mostly peaceful under the roof of her adopted father for nineteen years. Then that illusion was crushed by the reality that her father was the emperor and she was to be made queen; others might be happy but she wasn't. No one in the capital was simple and she didn't want to be a chess piece in a political game, killed without even knowing how she died. She closed her eyes, and suddenly, she fell into her memories. 

She was quite small running down a set of wooden stairs, somebody was pulling her along! She looked up and cried, "Mika-nii, Mika-nii, why are we running?" 

"Quiet, little one be silent; they are not far off." 

"What–" Before she could answer she slipped and fell, hitting her head in the process, and passed out. When she awoke, a hazy figure in regal robes stood before her " fret not young one you are safe no harm will come to you" In the background, a stern voice could be heard speaking but because she was not fully aware, she only caught a few words. 

" Your majesty…. dead, and insurgents " her eyes again landed on the tall regal figure then darkness swallowed her again. 

She woke up sharply, gasping for breath, sweat sliding down her chin onto the floor. This dark memory gave her a sinking feeling inside. Her chest became heavy and it became increasingly difficult to breathe. The pressure mounted up quickly, right when she was about to scream she heard a creak like a door opening. Her ears followed the sound of footsteps until she could faintly see a large silhouette from the small amount of light filtered through the doorway. "Bring her up; the master wants to see her," A man spoke in a gruff voice. 

"H..hai N.. Ni senpai" Seeing his fawning and stuttering way Biwa became extremely embarrassed and exasperated. Was she really frightened half to death by this boot-licking goon? He was bowing so low he could probably lick his own shoes; before she had a chance to mock him, he grabbed her arm and unceremoniously forced her on her feet and dragged her out the door. 

By now, Biwa was already aware that she was inside a large building and not in the forest, but before she had a chance to ask where exactly she was, the boot licker dragged her into a majestic hall. It had a high ceiling with eighteen pillars sculpted with various dragons. On each side, heading towards thirty marble steps, which in turn led to a marble platform with a vacant dragon throne placed in the middle., A youth and an elderly man were having a conversation. Unknowingly she let out a gasp and the youth turned around with a charming smile plastered on his face.

 "Our princess has slept beautifully, I see. That's good, welcome to the serene heart sect!"