Chapter 8: Sailing Through the Spring Breeze
The small boat drifted slowly along the river, carried gently by the soft spring winds.Petals from the plum blossoms along the banks fluttered down, scattering over the water's surface like shimmering crystal scales reflecting the sunlight.The warm embrace of spring made the clear river mirror the endless blue of the sky.
On the boat, a young woman in black robes, Yao Ninghe, leaned against a mast.Her slender fingers idly brushed the hilt of the sword on her back, her deep, dark eyes gazing across the shimmering water, lost in thought.
Nearby, Yao Ningjian, clad in green, sat cross-legged, sorting a collection of medicinal herbs she had recently purchased.Meanwhile, Li Feitian lounged against the side of the boat, holding a herb in his fingers, inhaling its scent with an expression more relaxed than he had shown in days.
"We've traveled together for quite some time now,"
Yao Ninghe remarked calmly.
Yao Ningjian looked up from her herbs and nodded.
"Indeed. I never thought we'd survive that accursed ravine."
Li Feitian chuckled softly and straightened up.
"Have you both forgotten? I was the one most gravely wounded."
"Hmph. You were thrown down by those bandits, but my sister and I jumped after you by our own choice,"
Yao Ninghe said with a slight smirk.
Li Feitian glanced sideways at her and shrugged.
"And yet, here we all are—alive, nonetheless."
Yao Ningjian let out a light laugh.
"That is indeed remarkable. But I've been wondering... your fighting style is most unusual. Your techniques—they don't seem to belong to this land."
Li Feitian raised an eyebrow and laughed softly.
"I can't explain it myself... perhaps it's a shadow of a past life, or maybe a gift granted to me before I climbed out of hell."
Yao Ninghe narrowed her eyes at him.
"A past life? How intriguing."
Li Feitian didn't answer immediately.He lifted a wine jug beside him, took a sip, and gazed at the scenery—the willows swaying, the gentle lapping of water against the hull.
"Sometimes, I feel as if I've lived in another world—a world unlike this one."
His voice was soft, yet filled with certainty.
Yao Ningjian studied him thoughtfully.
"You are a mystery wrapped in riddles, Lord Feitian."
"Perhaps more than you realize,"
he said with a faint smile.
Yao Ninghe leaned against the mast, her sharp gaze fixed on the young man.
"Whoever you once were… now, you are Li Feitian—the man who saved us. And we owe you our lives."
Her voice was firm and unwavering.
"I expect no repayment,"
Li Feitian replied lightly."I simply could not stand idly by. If you had willingly submitted to those beasts, I would have walked away."
"Hmph! Submit to them? Even if death stood before us, we would never have sullied our honor!"
Yao Ningjian declared, her voice fierce.
Li Feitian locked eyes with her for a moment before chuckling.
"So... where will you go next?"
Yao Ningjian unrolled a map.
"If we follow this river for two more days, we'll reach the Imperial Capital. We must rescue our father, General Yao, who has been falsely imprisoned."
"General Yao Lijun?"
"Yes,"
Yao Ninghe's eyes burned with fierce determination."Our father, loyal and steadfast in service to the Kingdom of Qi, has been falsely accused of treason by corrupt ministers."
Sunlight glittered over the rippling water, the surface gleaming like molten silver.Yet beneath the gentle atmosphere, tension tightened within each of them.
Inside the boat's small cabin, Yao Ningjian pointed at a location on the map.
"We'll soon reach the outskirts of the capital."
Sitting cross-legged, Yao Ninghe hugged her sword and nodded.
"Sister, what shall we do once we enter? We must prepare for the Imperial Guards."
Yao Ningjian's eyes glinted resolutely.
"No matter what it takes, I will free Father from the dungeons."
Li Feitian, silent until now, frowned slightly.
"You two alone... do you truly believe you can contend with the palace forces?"
Yao Ninghe shot him a sidelong glance.
"Our father, General Yao Lijun, bled for this kingdom. We will not let him die in disgrace."
Li Feitian was briefly taken aback.
"General Yao Lijun... I have heard tales of him. A hero who defended the borders for years. How did he fall to such a fate?"
Yao Ningjian clenched her fists.
"Chancellor Liu Shang framed him for treason—out of jealousy and fear. Though our father remained loyal to the kingdom, he was imprisoned and awaits execution!"
A cold shadow flickered in Li Feitian's heart.
"General Yao Lijun... and now I've been summoned by the Emperor myself. Perhaps... this is no mere coincidence."
"Once we reach the capital,"
Yao Ninghe said gravely,"we must split up to gather information on Father's whereabouts."
"I know someone in the city who might help us send secret messages,"
Yao Ningjian added.
Li Feitian nodded slowly.
"And if you manage to find him, what then?"
Yao Ninghe's smile was cold as steel.
"Then I shall sever Chancellor Liu Shang's head from his body!"
Li Feitian observed the sisters, flames of vengeance burning within them.He lifted his wine jug, taking another sip, his eyes dark as a brewing storm.
"Your plan is bold... but the palace is not so easily breached."
Yao Ningjian gave him a questioning look.
"You seem to know the palace well... or are you hiding something?"
Li Feitian chuckled and waved dismissively.
"I have studied court politics, that's all."
He could not reveal his true purpose yet—that he too was bound for the palace by royal decree, bearing secrets neither sister could yet know.
Inwardly, he thought:"For now, I must watch carefully. Only when the right moment comes will I decide whether to aid them—or pursue my own mission."
The river murmured endlessly, the spring breeze whispering over the waves.
Inside the little boat adrift on the serene waters, the three quietly plotted the course of their intertwined fates.
To be continued...