River Flows

[ Tae Hua's POV ]

We went out of the pavilion as if nothing happened. The goal now is to find Xie'en. It's settled. I need to talk to Ji wok about this so we could plan ahead. After this, I intend on taking them right away and leaving others so we could go to the Northern border.

Upon reaching the ground floor, I once again held onto the jade hairpin inside my sleeves.

"I will find you no matter what." I said.

The door was open, the entrance might be accessible as I thought. My mouth gaped upon reaching the outside. I heard them hurriedly walking towards my back as they were also shocked.

The outside is not a vast field anymore. It's deep and surging water. We were surrounded by cruel and deep water.

The moon reflected on it as I think of possible ways to get past the waters. I tried to touch the water from where I am, to know if it was an illusion, but as I looked around, the pavilion started floating in the water. The five-story pavilion crumbled as if it was just a piece of paper.

"You've got to be kidding me! This is saltwater! We are in an ocean." I heard Lady Suan Ming shouted upwards as if talking to Lord Dame. He just disappeared earlier after he gave us all some kind of crystal or stone.

"What is happening?" Eun Jo shouted as the pavilion suddenly turned into a floating piece of wood. The thunder suddenly strikes as we held onto the raft. The rain started pouring.

I heard everyone shout when the waves suddenly surged and almost swept us away. This is no way an easy task.

"Hold on!" Lady Suan Ming shouted as the rain became storm thunders. We were thrown back and forth by the waves as I held unto the most solid thing I could hold on to the small raft.

My eyes dropped to Weicheng as I saw him close his eyes. He was thrown by the waves as he hit his head and started struggling in the water. Luckily, the waves started slowing down as I saw him holding to the edge of the raft. When I started going after him I saw a rope tied to the raft, I cut the remaining rope when the rain started pouring again. His head was hit with a stone or whatever, the side of it is already bleeding. I tied the rope to his waist carefully.

"Weicheng"

The waves almost swept him away again when I grabbed his arm. Before he struggled under, I reached for the last strand of the rope as I shouted back to the other side where Lady Suan Ming and Eun Jo are also struggling to balance off the raft. The waves started surging again as the clouds covered the moon.

I tried to wake Weicheng up as soon as I took him out of the water. His head started bleeding again. I suddenly felt the palm of my hand searing in pain by holding him for too long. The rope scratched through my palm and I wasn't aware until I saw the blood in the rope. I just shrugged it off and tap my sleeves to stop it from continuous bleeding.

The storm and the waves started to stop as the moon started lighting again. Lady Suan Ming's runes kept on breaking because of the water. Her runes will probably not work here.

I looked at Weicheng lying on my arm as I tried to slap him carefully to wake him up. The blood started running down his side cheek again, I turn his head to the side to find where the bleeding started. There's a huge cut on her left head. Before I could find a thing to cover the cut, the clouds started to block the moon again, this time the thunder flashed continuously.

"Weicheng is unconscious!" I shouted realizing, that there will be another surge of waves.

"Eun Jo! hold onto them. I will create another rune"

Due to the turn of events, we haven't had the chance to breathe. Eun Jo tried to hold on to the rope as the last wave swept the raft, Weicheng and I were thrown into the deep and surging waters. The water as if swallowing us whole devoured us. I held on to the rope tightly and tied it to my waist too. Whatever happens to the two of us, I will guarantee that we will return together, dead or alive.

I looked at him on the other end of the rope as his body started drowning, I held the jade hairpin as my eyes started taking off too.

===

"Ugh" I coughed, I slowly opened my eyes as I feel the coldness of the breeze swept through my system.

I was lying on the side of what was like an island. It was already morning. I immediately scanned my surroundings as I saw on the other side another human being washed by waves. I don't remember how the rope broke but at least we're still together.

"Weicheng!" I shouted at the figure lying. I hurriedly looked at him, the rope is still intact on his waist. I took my dagger and cut it as I tried to wake him up. His eyes flew open as his hand held onto his cut and gritted his teeth. He looked at his hand with blood and twitched.

"What happened?" he seated as he tried figuring out the events. He groaned looking at the sky. "You're such a cruel man, Dame."

I sat beside him, looking at the sea. The serene sea under the warm sun slowly rising. "Lord Dame made another trap. He surrounded us with water and created a storm surge. You lost consciousness due to the impact of the waves and you hit your head somewhere. All throughout the journey, you were tied by this rope"

I saw how he grimaced. I stopped talking when I realized he's been gazing at my robe. "Don't tell me, the blood on your robe and on your hand was because you helped me?" He asked eyeing me

"O-of course not! I also scratch it somewhere" He started to doubt as I came off a little defensive. But, he just let it go. He sighed and stood up not caring about his wounded head.

He just wipes it off and tried to tie his hand bandage again.

"Alright, since we're good. Let's find our way back" he said; I just shrugged and followed him enter the forest.

====

[ North Kingdom ]

"This would be the fourth day of the search. Everyone should be guarded at all times"

Soon, Tae Hua and the others will come back, so the Yun better speed up the process. The courtroom is filled with officials holding all their appeals, they were called today as tasked to search the nook of the whole empire.

Chancellor Ba bow his head as he tried to ask the Queen on the whereabouts of the State's King. Chancellor Ba and the other officials were especially called today for the speed process of the searches under the command of the Emperor.

"The King of the North fell ill three days ago. He asked me to supervise the search of our daughter while he is bedridden" Queen Ni Xua said as if holding her tears

"How come the King fell ill, and was not announced by the kingdom? It's a matter concerning the whole state and its citizens"

"It was so sudden, the royal physician said that he cannot still entertain visitation until he is stable"

Minister of Finance took the floor and bow "What is the diagnosis?"

The queen is already losing her patience based on her reactions, but she was ready for this.

"Xu ming, call the Royal Physician Rou"

..

Physician Rou entered together with Dan Mu Lin carrying a medicine bag.

"Physician Rou, please tell the officials the findings. I am really concerned for the State's concern, although I wanted it to be private. It is true as Chancellor Ba stated that the citizens need to know"

"The king is bedridden for the past three days"

"How come? He was just full and alive before the departure of the students" Minister of Rites asked

"The King has been long suffering from bradycardia, but since the Winter might be coming. He is becoming more frail. He cannot accept visitors soon until his body is stabilized." He started

"We suggested that the King should stop worrying about the matters first and care about his wellness. Bradycardia can be life-threatening if the heart is unable to maintain a rate that pumps enough oxygen-rich blood throughout the body. If he happens to be shocked or when an emotion suddenly breaks loose it might affect his heart rate. I apologize for being incompetent"

The officials started worrying as the Queen took out the Kingdom seal. "For the meantime, I will hold some affairs, but will always consider his Highness' opinion. The last call will always be the call of King Su Cao of the North."

The Queen promised to never interfere in the court discussion until the King disagrees.

Meanwhile, Chancellor Ba's gut feel and instinct tell him otherwise.

There must be some foul play going inside the inner palace