The Story Of Dusk

Leader Mo was being obvious in his attempt to feed Xiao Tianyao with garbage information and he would not give such a pleasure to him to enjoy.

Pretending that he heard nothing, Xiao Tianyao continued to walk out of the room. He slammed the door shut behind him that startled the two guards at the door.

The two of them straightened their back nervously, ready to receive an instruction, but Xiao Tianyao did not say anything he only walked past them and went down the stairs,

Strutting toward Xiao Jun and Qianru was enjoying their dinner with his mind elsewhere.

How Elder mo knew about Luna pregnancy? It was impossible fast if he already knew about it and Xiao Tianyao didn"t believe it.

But, that was the truth… and if this was true, how about the story of his father and Lu Weiya? Was that true as well?

the first floor was a restaurant that quite popular in this village, but at this moment not too many customer that was coming, thus it was easier for Xiao Tianyao to spot Xiao Jun and Qianru at the corner table.

There, it wasn"t only Xiao Jun and Qianru, but Ye Bai, Qi Xunyi and the twins also joined the dinner.

On the table, Ye Bai caught Xiao Tianyao"s figure and waved toward him, his acted draw attention from the other as they glanced at him as well.

Xiao Tianyao didn"t wave back at Ye Bai, he simply strolled over and sat on the chair at Qianru"s right while Xiao Jun was sitting at her left.

He stared at his brother for some time, didn"t believe that he was holding such a secret from him.

"What is it?" Eventually, Xiao Jun felt his brother odd gazed and raised his head. "Why are you looking at me?"

"No, nothing." Xiao Tianyao shook his head and picked his bowl to eat.

His appet.i.te has dropped, but he kept stuffing all of the dishes into his mouth. He didn"t know what he needed to think again at time like this.

***  

Covered with the dense of the trees and the darkness of the night, there were many people riding a horse, flanking a big cage that looked ridiculously large, with this size they could put seven tiger inside.

But, a large black curtain preventing people from outside to take peek what was the items inside the cage.

This large entourage had been waiting for twenty in the middle of forest with only the moonlight as the only thing that light up this place.

Xiao w.a.n.g Wei who was sitting atop of his st.u.r.dy horse, seemingly almost running out of his patient, his eyes and mood darkened by the second that pa.s.sed by.

When he was almost burst into a fit rage, there was a sound of horses neighing from afar.

A while later, three horse and three people was coming into their line of sight, looked arrogant and nonchalant.

"Prince Xiao Jun." Xiao w.a.n.g Wei greeted Xiao Jun who was riding at the front beside him, there were two more people that Xiao w.a.n.g Wei recognized as well. "Ye Bai the spy and the former prince from Xinghe, Qi Xunyi." He remarked the two of them.

"It"s nice to see you again Prince Xiao w.a.n.g Wei." Qi Xunyi reciprocated his greeting while Ye Bai simply pretending that he didn"t hear anything, he yawned, felt boring.

It was only the three of them who were coming to retrieve the children, actually, it was more than enough, but Xiao w.a.n.g Wei didn"t think about the same think.

"You are really put your trust in me so much. It is only the three of you, bargain with me, the crown prince." Xiao w.a.n.g Wei said arrogantly. "Such an honor to be trusted in this way."

"How many people do you think that we need, the three of us are more than enough. Seemingly it is you who didn"t trust us." Ye Bai glanced at the row of Golden Arrow Archer behin Xiao w.a.n.g Wei and sneered condescendingly. "You bring too many backup huh?"

Xiao w.a.n.g Wei clenched his hand tightly when he heard that and managed to calm a little when he replied. "I am a crown prince, this is for the safety measures."

"He doesn"t have dignity, right?" Ye Bai whispered at Qi Xunyi beside him while scrunching his nose in disgust.

Pretending he didn"t hear anything, Qi Xunyi looked straight at the large cage in the middle of Xiao w.a.n.g Wei"s Golden Arrow Archer, faintly he could hear those children were crying in fear.

Clearing his throat to warn Ye Bai to behave, Xiao Jun said to Xiao w.a.n.g Wei in front of him.

"I want to make this quick." He remarked. "Bring over those children and I will give you the antidote."

"No, give me the antidote first." Xiao w.a.n.g Wei demanded shamelessly.Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click for visiting.

Disregarding Xiao Jun"s warning, Ye Bai talked lightly. "Crown prince, you bring a bunch of army while it is only three of us, if you don"t keep your word, what we should do?!"

Fortunately the dark of the forest could manage to hide Xiao w.a.n.g Wei embarra.s.sment, or else Ye Bai wouldn"t stop to talk.

Closing his eyes, Xiao Jun was sighed a deep breath. "Well, Ye Bai got the point, he told you what I want to say."

"See? I told you he doesn"t have dignity." Ye Bai whispered at Qi Xunyi again, this time the prince glared at him, a warning for him to shut up.

Xiao w.a.n.g Wei gestured to the archer behind him to uncover the curtain, he nodded and walked back to the side of the cage with another five archers, they pulled the curtain off of the cage.

The moment the curtain dropped down on the ground, there were many children inside, crying and hugging each other. Their positions were the same when the first time Xiao Jun saw them at the golden auction.

The clothes, which they were wearing barely covering their body, let alone warm them in this chilly night, but they didn"t dare to cry, too afraid to even speak.

This scene crushed Qi Xunyi hard made him drawn in desperation. This scene also managed to turn Ye Bai speechless as he stared at the cage and those children absentmindedly.

"I have showed you the children, now show me the antidote to make it fair." Xiao w.a.n.g Wei shouted.

He had brought many people with him and went through danger by smuggling those children right under Modama"s nose, so he wouldn"t be satisfy until he saw the antidote first.

"Very well." Xiao Jun fished out a small bottle from his robe and with the size as big as his thumb. "This is the antidote that you want."

However, Xiao w.a.n.g Wei only glanced at the bottle between Xiao Jun"s fingers before he looked up at Xiao Jun"s eyes with disgust. "How I know if that was the right antidote for me?"

Upon hearing that, Xiao Jun gave him a harmless smile while put the antidote back into his pocket. "The same question. How do you know I give you an antidote of a poison? You can"t tell right?"

That was right, Xiao w.a.n.g Wei couldn"t be possibly to know if it was antidote of poison.

Seeing his opponent became fl.u.s.tered, Xiao Jun spoke again. "Xiao w.a.n.g Wei, like I have told you earlier, I don"t have enough time to chat with you. let"s make this fast so I can return to Rockstone and you…" Xiao Jun gave some thought. "…you can go wherever you want to go."

"Do you think you can fool me?" Xiao w.a.n.g Wei snickered, he didn"t like Xiao Jun"s idea.

"He is already a fool right? Why we need to make an effort to fool him?" Ye Bai whispered again at Qi Xunyi while the later tried hard to make him shut his mouth by glaring with no avail. Ye Bai"s skin was too thick to understand such a gentle signal.

"How about this, I will give you someone that important for you as a start and then you can give me those children." Xiao Jun yielded.

Because he knew there was no point by talking back and forth about this matter, as much as possible Xiao Jun wanted to prevent a fight, but if the fight broke and he didn"t have another choice but to fight back.

This wouldn"t benefit the two of them.

Upon hearing the word of "an important person" Xiao w.a.n.g Wei felt a bad feeling.

Impossible if the person that Xiao Jun meant was…

Before Xiao w.a.n.g Wei"s mind could think the possibility, the person in his mind appeared before his eyes, he was beaten black and blue with dry blood all over his face and tattered clothes.

Two guards from Xiao Jun"s side brought him over by foot, flanking both of that man"s sides.

"Leader Mo!!!" Xiao w.a.n.g Wei cried out, his eyes dilated in shock, frantically he gestured to the other archer behind him to take Leader Mo from Xiao Jun"s guards.

The moment they met in the middle and exchanged the person, there was visible tense between the two parties as the atmosphere became suffocating.

"What did you do to him!!!?" Xiao w.a.n.g Wei roared, incensed by what he was seeing.

"You have to thank me instead of shout at me. He was trying to kidnap my wife, if it is not for my generosity, I will give him back to you pieces by pieces." Xiao Jun talk in calm and composed manner.

However somehow the way Xiao Jun spoke was much scarier than Xiao w.a.n.g Wei"s outburst. Xiao Jun carried a threat and venom in his voice.

He was a good example of the proverb; calm before storm. His calmness carried much damage.

Xiao w.a.n.g Wei gulped hard under Xiao Jun penetrating glared. His harmless smile had disappeared and his impa.s.sive expression made it hard to see his next move.

"Leader Mo has been missing for three days." Xiao w.a.n.g Wei said, but didn"t know why he was explaining this.

"I know, he had been with me." Xiao Jun cut off Xiao w.a.n.g Wei unnecessary talk. "Now, bring over the children." He spoke sternly.

Xiao w.a.n.g Wei glared at Xiao Jun.

Of course he knew Leader Mo was being custody by Xiao Jun. After all it was him who instructed to kidnap Qianru, but it didn"t end up smoothly.

If Xiao w.a.n.g Wei could get his hand on Qianru, he wouldn"t be here to in the middle of the night, with a bunch of archers and crying children!!!

Feeling agitated, Xiao w.a.n.g Wei clenched his jaw until his teeth made a protesting sound.

"Is that the real antidote!?" Xiao w.a.n.g Wei shouted indignantly as he closed his eyes.

"Yes." Xiao Jun simply nodded.

"Good." He mumbled and as he opened his eyes, a malicious smirk appeared on his lips.

The symptoms of the poison has been worsening since this morning, he had cough blood a couple of time in the afternoon, he felt like dying. Not to mention his effort to bring those children out of Modama"s surveillance, it wasn"t an easy task.

But, bring those children out of the house was one thing while completely losing them was another thing.

He could save his life from this poison now, but how he could save his life from the wrath of his father and that freak mind controller? He was in dead end.

Xiao w.a.n.g Wei raised his hand as a signal for the archers behind him.

However, Xiao Jun felt something wasn"t right with the way Xiao w.a.n.g Wei was smiling, as though Xiao w.a.n.g Wei was confirming Xiao Jun"s bad premonition, the moment his hand fell, those fifty archers swiftly grabbing an arrow from the quiver behind their back and nocked the arrow.

They were aiming at the three of them.

"See!? I told you we can"t trust this man!!!" Ye Bai jumped from atop of his horse and landed right before Xiao Jun"s horse while Xiao Jun and Qi Xunyi got off from the hors as well and put their back facing each other with swords in each other hand.

Ye Bai grabbed a big blade from his back as the white clothes that covered the blade fell to the ground, it showed his weapon, a machete.

The three of them tried their best to ward off the arrows that were raining above their head.

"THIS SITUATION IS SO HATEFUL!" Ye Bai complained endlessly.

Qi Xunyi was tempted to stab Ye Bai for once for the way he was trying to kick up a fuss.

Meanwhile, Xiao Jun seemingly was not affected at all, he was still calm while warding off those arrows from him, kept his spot save.

Xiao w.a.n.g Wei was laughing, looking how miserable the three people before his eyes. He was laughing until his stomach hurt and only stopped when he felt something cold against his neck.

"Keep laughing."

Within a second, Xiao w.a.n.g Wei"s laugh abruptly stopped as he let out a shrill of screamed the moment he realized someone was putting dagger right on his throat.

"Keep laughing." Said the same voice. "I want to hear how someone laughing after I cut his throat."

At the same time, when realized their Master was in a predicament situation, those fifty archers stopped their attack simultaneously and aimed toward the man who was sitting at the same horse as their master.

Within his panic and helpless situation, Xiao w.a.n.g Wei managed to recognize his attacker. "Xiao Tianyao!!!" He seethed, mentioning his name as if his name was a curse.

Swiftly, Xiao Tianyao turned the horse so, they were facing the Golden Arrow Archer now.

Looking blood trickled down from the wound on Xiao w.a.n.g Wei"s neck because of the dagger, all of them became panic and at lost.

Xiao Jun took control of the situation as he stepped forward.

"Bring over those children and I will spare your Master"s life." Xiao Jun said sternly.

A while later there was around twenty five guards coming over, standing behind Xiao Jun. There were not many of them and Golden Arrow Archer was still outnumbered them.

However their master was being custody at the moment so there was nothing that they could do right now.

They heard what Xiao Jun"s demand, but the leader of Golden Arrow Archers still looking at Xiao w.a.n.g Wei for agreement.

"Do it! Do it!" Xiao w.a.n.g Wei shouted."Give that stupid children to them!"

At this point, Xiao w.a.n.g Wei didn"t care anymore about Modama or anyone else, all he cared about was himself.

Such humiliation!!!

"You really need to learn this in hard way?" Ye Bai tilted his head, looking up at Xiao w.a.n.g Wei an expression that he a.s.sumed was innocent look, but actually could make someone to slap him because it was too ridiculous.

Gritted his teeth, he glanced at Xiao Tianyao who was holding his neck, preventing him to take a better look. "Xiao Tianyao, you can"t kill me!"

"I am not, but I can make you feel miserable." Xiao Tianyao said lightly, the dagger on his neck tightened as the sticky blood kept trickling down, tainted Xiao w.a.n.g Wei"s expensive robe.

"I am going to kill you!" Xiao w.a.n.g Wei roared like a maniac.

"Said someone whose blood the only one spilled." Ye Bai kept looking at him innocently. It was annoying to be stared in that way, it almost felt like there was an ants gnawing your skin, sending a gooseb.u.mps.

The twenty Archers were sending over the large cage to Xiao Jun"s people, after that they took the cage away.

According to the plan, the sixty three children would be put at the ten large carriages that Xiao Jun had bought when he left the black market.

Aside from announcing his departure publicly, those carriages would be use as the transportation to reach Greenhill Mountain, where many children who shared the same fate were gather together there.

"You have gotten what you want! Now release me!!!" Xiao w.a.n.g Wei didn"t dare to struggle again, he just could shouting by now.

Because the more he moved, the more Xiao Tianyao would deepen the incision.

"Ye Bai, Prince Qi Xunyi, both of you can go now." Xiao Tianyao was looking at the direction of the large cage had disappeared.

The two of them was needed there to calm those poor child.

Nodding their head, Ye Bai and Qi Xunyi mounted their horse again and drove away.

"Where is my antidote?!!"

Now, it was only the two brother, Xiao Tianyao and Xiao Jun left with Xiao w.a.n.g Wei as their custody and fifty angry Golden Arrow Archers who seemingly very eager to shot them.

Xiao Jun gestured to Xiao Tianyao to release him.

Nimbly, Xiao Tianyao release Xiao w.a.n.g Wei and dismounted his horse. He was standing right beside Xiao Jun, wiping his red dagger with a handkerchief from the dirty blood on its blade and then threw it away.

They had predicted this situation before, Xiao w.a.n.g Wei maybe wouldn"t tell Modama about this, but he definitely wouldn"t play nice either.

Xiao w.a.n.g Wei was not only lost sixty three children that Modama would escort himself to the Mountain Sui Sword Sect, but also twenty million taels, the amount of money that Xiao w.a.n.g Wei had used to buy those children from the golden auction.

Suddenly losing the pressure, Xiao w.a.n.g Wei, who was still sitting atop of his horse, almost lost his balance, fortunately he grabbed his horse rein in time to prevent him to humiliate himself further.

"Give me the antidote!!!" Xiao w.a.n.g Wei roared. Those archers behind him were ready to attack Xiao Jun and Xiao Tianyao.

It was only the two of them. The two couldn"t be possibly to be able to fight against fifty archers right?

Suddenly cunning thought across Xiao w.a.n.g Wei"s mind as he pressed the wound on his neck.

His father and Modama would overlook those children if he managed to bring the two brothers" head, wasn"t that the thing, his father and Modama wanted all this time?

However, before Xiao w.a.n.g Wei"s smile could spread any wide, Xiao Jun had talked. "Whatever inside your mind, just stop it."

Casually, Xiao Jun threw the small bottle of antidote to Xiao w.a.n.g Wei that he caught hastily. After it secured inside his hand, without a second thought he drank it in one big gulp and tossed the empty bottle to the ground.

"The one that you just drank was half of the antidote, it will keep you save until one month, but you still need the other half to stay alive."

"WHAT!?" Xiao w.a.n.g Wei was really angry with this fact.

Ignoring his raising tone, Xiao Jun and Xiao Tianyao mounted their horse. "I will give you the other half after I am sure that no one following those children and they are safe, including me and my brother." Xiao Jun turned his horse toward different direction, where the Ye Bai and Qi Xunyi had just left.

"No need to worry, once I know all the people involved here are safe, I will send the half of antidote to your manor." Xiao Jun smiled and rode his horse away.

"Start to pray that nothing will befall upon us." Xiao Tianyao taunted him before he caught up with Xiao Jun.

Hearing those provocation words, Xiao w.a.n.g Wei consumed with anger as he slashed his sword toward the nearest archer, the poor archer fell to the cold ground without knowing why he was death.

*** 

Qianru was waiting with the twins while sitting inside one of the ten carriages, the night was very cold and she felt abnormally cold even when she was wearing a thick cloak, she was shivering, raising his legs to her chest and resting her chin on her knees.

It took longer time than they had expected, as the night getting dark and the sound of leaves rustling became vivid.

Qianru felt something wrong with her stomach. There was a sudden sharp pain on her lower abdomen.

"They are still not here?" Qianru tried to divert her attention from the pain on her belly by engage a conversation with the twins in front of her.

"Not yet." Xun said, he kept poking his head from the window of the carriage. "But, it"s alright. They will any time soon." The boy tried to cheer her up.

"After this we will go home to Greenhill Mountain right?" Sheng was playing with dagger in his hand.

"I guess so." His twin mumbled as a reply.

"I hope we can stay longer, I am tired following uncle Su around."

Qianru buried her face between her knees, the sharp pain on her belly almost unbearable now, she gritted her teeth as cold sweat started to appear on her forehead.

What is happening? Why it"s so much hurt? Her breath quickened as she clutched her stomach, but even so the pain didn"t reduce.

The moment he want to give up and told the twin she didn"t feeling well, the pain suddenly disappear as if it never been there, the sharp pain no longer there and she could breath normally.

However, when she raised her head and looked at the twin, both of them had stopped talking and looked back at her.

"Princess Xiao, are you okay? Why are you sweating like this?" Sheng moved and sat beside her, he gave Qianru a clean handkerchief to wipe her sweat and she said thank you in small voice.

"Are you feeling unwell?" Xun asked, his eyes filled with concern.

Shaking her head, Qianru tried to a.s.sure them by smiling unconvincingly. "I am fine now."

"Hey, they are here!" Xun pointed his finger toward the entourage that was still far away from them.