It was a beautiful fall day. The sun was shining through the greenery of the forest, making it really magical. Yet, it wasn't as scorching hot as summer was. The air was so fresh and clear, completely different from his home. In his house, you could smell every smell of herbs, spices, poisons, and medicaments that could be. But here you could smell and hear nature and freshness.
Wen Jingting smiled at his sister disciple, Xuhua, who was doing the same thing as he was. Harvesting wild herbs. They were far from the mansion, but this was the only forest where he could collect them right at this time and make much-needed supplies for the next year.
Xuhua had the task of finding Xue Gen and Che Qian Zi, while Jingting had to watch out for Jin Yin Hua and Chuan Xiong. Both were hard to spot in the greenery of the forest.
Xicheng had his sword with him, and, more than collecting herbs, he looked around for a possible threat, serving as their bodyguard. His task was always to keep them safe. He trained from an early age just for that.
"Hurry up, we are too close to the border," he said and nervously placed his hand on the sword's handle.
Jingting clenched his fist and grimaced at the mention of war. There were the never-ending fights for control of the border. The war was devastating to the entire Shanxi, and Jingting had healed many people who were accidentally injured because of it.
He hated war. Yes, he was a healer, and he could make so much money from it. Yet, he would love to sit back and do nothing rather than see the atrocities that war did to people.
"Maybe it would be quicker if you helped!" Xuhua yelled at him, and the sudden loud sound startled birds in the tree crowns. She straightened up with the basket on her back, and Xicheng earned a killing stare.
Another loud sound had startled more birds, making them leave the tree branches. It was far from him. But the birds weren't the only ones startled. Xicheng drew his sword, and Xuhua ran to hide behind him.
His family was secluded from the world. His family had been hiding from the world. They helped those in need, but once something had to do with the Capital or the royal family, they would go into hiding. Just as now.
An imperial army horse ran out of the darkness, far in the forest. Jingting couldn't see anything else than the silhouette of a horse. But he heard the sound of armor, the thumping of the horse's hooves.
"Get away!" Jingting shouted at Xicheng and Xuhua. They knew enough to keep everything going if something happened to him. And they both ran as they were told. They knew to listen to his orders.
He was left alone just a while later. By the sounds, the horse was getting closer to him. Through the dense foliage, a dark shape emerged as an imperial warhorse. He tensed as his heart fell to his feet when he saw the imperial armored horse.
But there was no rider sitting proudly on it, bearing a sword to kill him and his entire family. Instead, a messy mass of dark fabric was slumped over the horse's neck.
Jingting was almost knocked to the ground by the horse, it maintained its pace and passed by him by only a few centimeters. Thankfully, Jingting dodged it. Yet, he didn't miss the metallic odor coming from it.
He placed the basket on the ground next to him, carefully securing the blooms inside. His hand moved before he could think — a sharp whistle cut through the trees. He had no idea why he did it.
He should let it keep going, not care about the imperial, whoever it was. But he couldn't let this poor soul die in front of him. Maybe fate was favoring Jingting, and the person was already dead. If yes, Jingting wouldn't have to care for the person, nor be scared he would reveal his family's location.
His training kicked in, warring with his fear. He should disappear, vanish back home, out of this forest with his family. But the horse turned around. It heard the whistle and ran back to Jingting.
"Get away from him!" Jingting got startled. It wasn't the slumped person on the horseback who shouted; it was Xicheng, who was just getting back. He ran quickly to Jingting, his sword drawn. He probably left Xuhua with their horses, ready to run at any time.
"Calm down, I don't think he can do anything," he said when the horse slowed down close to him, and Jingting noticed how much blood was on the horse itself.
Fear, cold and sharp, pricked at his insides. Was it a scout? Would this encounter expose his family's secret life? They were far enough from the mansion, and the traps were not around here. Or at least not the deadly ones.
The horse, spooked by the scent of Jingting's sudden fear, reared back, whining a shrill cry. It was a sound of desperation, not aggression.
Jingting couldn't tear his gaze from the figure on its back. Were they still alive? His training, his compassion for the suffering, fought against his deep-seated fear of the imperial court. Could he abandon someone in such dire need, even if it meant endangering his family's safety? No, his conscience wouldn't let him ignore an injured person.
Jingting slowly reached for the horse's reins, and strangely, it let him. Maybe it felt he was no threat to its master.
"Have you lost your mind? Do you know what you're risking?!" Xicheng shouted at him and tore away the reins. It startled the horse, which cried out, but it never made a move that would endanger its master. It was strangely fascinating to Jingting.
"Shut up and go to our horses. I know what I'm doing!" Jingting grabbed the reins back, furrowing his eyebrows. He bit his lip so hard it bled, and his hands were shaking when reaching for his basket.
He was so nervous he forgot one crucial thing. Jingting reached out to feel the person's pulse. He saw the slow rising and falling of that guy's back, a sign he was still breathing; he was alive. But could he even help the person?
Yes, Jingting knew his family's secret techniques to heal people. But he was no god. He couldn't save people from death's door. And this guy was already one leg over.
"Take my horse and harvest! I'm going home quickly!" Jingting shouted as he let the basket down once again and jumped on the horse's back. He didn't care that his white clothing would be bloodied, which he was used to. But this person was certainly dying. He had to move quickly.
Before Xicheng could even say something, Jingting had already tightened the horse's reins and sprinted over the terrain of the forest. The horse was quick, quicker than any horse he had ridden before, and it didn't take long before they were halfway to the mansion, and Xicheng or Xuhua were nowhere to be found.
Jingting stopped before the mansion. He was there fast, but the question was whether it was quick enough to save this dying person.