“Ouch!” The guard wailed and asked his companion, “Why did you hit me?”

“Me? Are you mad? I never hit you. Anyway, this is a mad world. We never know who is truly hitting whom. Everyone is deceptive. It makes me wonder what crime the prince has committed.”

Another stone hit this guard’s rear too.

“Ouch!”

“Shut up! Do you want to attract bandits?”

“But why did you hit me?”

“I didn’t. You’re the one who hit me.”

“Wait. Someone is following us.”

Suddenly, the two guards were alarmed. “Who is it?” they asked, brandishing their knives.

“Be careful. Don’t let anyone else hit you,” Cold Rose said with a clear voice. As she spoke, she unsheathed her sword and used kong fu to fly from her horse onto a tree limb above them. Suddenly, she rushed down from the tree, and the point of her sword aimed straight at the prince’s head.

Strong gusts were blowing. The sky was dark. Shadows and moonlight dyed the scene. Just as her sword was about to strike the prince, there was suddenly a flash of light out of nowhere. Before Cold Rose realized what had happened, another sword appeared to intercept her strike, using great force to redirect her blow. She was forced to the ground, skidding backwards. Her sword was shaking in her hands.

“An assassin!” the guards panicked. Cold Rose looked up and saw a black figure flying down from the top of the trees then standing before her. This man was Liu Cheng, a young master of the Conscientious Camp. He was a tall and masculine man with an upright and dominant air. It shocked Cold Rose that such a young man was so skillful in fighting. She had never been beaten by any man before.

The wind lifted Cold Rose’s white dress up, showing her skin as white as snow in the winter. Liu Cheng caught sight of her beauty; he was shocked and breathless. Never had he seen such a singular beauty in his life. For a moment, he forgot his mission to save the prince.

The guards were confused, watching the two figures facing each other motionlessly. It was impossible to tell who was a friend and who was a foe. Realizing that the situation was not good for them, they hid in nearby bushes and continued to observe the scene.

“Who are you?” Cold Rose demanded. Her voice was clear and beautiful.

“I am Liu Cheng from the Conscientious Camp. You must be Cold Rose.”

“You are from the treasonous party?” Cold Rose laughed in disgust. She raised her head condescendingly.

“No. I am enforcing justice on behalf of heaven. It is you who are stupid to serve evil.”

“Evil and betrayal are everywhere. There is no justice in this world. Justice is in the hand of the winning party. Just the same, I will kill you.” Cold Rose lunged her sword towards Liu Cheng’s heart, but Liu Cheng dodged it. Holding out his sword, he sprinted away from Cold Rose and pointing his sword at her neck.

Cold Rose faltered. Her sword fell to the ground. A lock of her dark, long hair fell to the ground. Cold Rose felt the chilling coldness of Liu Cheng’s sword against her neck and couldn’t help shivering a little. “Kill me,” she sneered, and closed her eyes.

“Do you even have a conscience? How much innocent blood has been shed and how many people have you murdered? I will do them the justice.”

“Cut the crap. Kill me or free me,” Cold Rose smiled as she spoke. She was not afraid of death as she had already witnessed it many times, often with her own hands. She had long known everyone would die some day and some deaths would be worse than others. She was secretly glad that she would be killed by this handsome young man who outsmarted her. Under the white moonlight, Cold Rose’s face was as white as snow and her eyes shined. At this moment, she looked like a saint, leaving a slight fragrance in the cold air, which excited Liu Cheng subconsciously. His heart jumped when he noticed Cold Rose’s rosy lips pursing. His cheeks started burning. Never were feelings of protection and love so strong in him. His hands shook.

“You can’t bear to kill me?” Cold Rose opened her eyes and asked with gentle sarcasm.