Chapter 10 – Friendship and Betrayal

As Lu Xun heard Xiao Hua's scream, he rushed into Xiao Hua's room. He was relieved as he saw Xiao Hua was okay. Xiao Hua pointed outside the window. The night sky has turned into the color of fire because a gang of bandits burned the horse's barn. The bandits looked familiar, the one who always asked for the debt. Lu Xun asked Xiao Hua to hide in her room and to never leave her room until the condition save. Then, he went back to the living room just to take his twin swords and hide them inside his clothes.

" What happened, kid?" Gan Ning asked.

" Just a little business with the debt collector…" Lu Xun answered as he passed Gan Ning.

" Really? Then why did you take your swords?"

" No time to explain. I want you to keep Xiao Hua save in her room. Please, Gan Ning…" Lu Xun left Gan Ning without explaining any further.

Lu Xun left the house and went to the gang of big guys who burned his barn, " What are you doing to my barn on the middle of the night like this?"

" You haven't pay the debt for a long time, boy, so that we decide to take your horse and left some reminiscence here…" The gang leader answered as he laughed.

Lu Xun kept silence for a while.

The Gang Leader approach Lu Xun and put his hand on Lu Xun's shoulder, " However… the debt that you have to pay is still much… "

" What do you want?" Lu Xun said as he saw the big guy beside him.

" Your payment, of course… You better pay the debt now, or else we will burn your house…"

Lu Xun looked down, " I don't have the money… Please spare the time… I will pay for them as soon as possible…"

" What? You don't have the money, huh?" The bandit's leader put his hand on Lu Xun's chin, " Then, why don't you pay us… with your body?" The bandit licked Lu Xun's cheek.

" Hand off!" Cao Pi pulled Lu Xun from the bandit. " Here, let me pay the his debt…" Cao Pi gave the leader a pocket. The bandit opened the pocket and saw a bunch of gold inside it.

" Winter… I mean, Lord Cao Pi…" Lu Xun said.

" It just a payment for your help this afternoon. I don't want to have any business with you anymore…" Cao Pi left Lu Xun, but the bandit grabbed his shoulder.

" From your money and your clothes… You must be a noble, right? I bet if we kidnap him, we can ask for a lot of money!" The bandit said. All his subordinates agreed with him and yelled at him.

" YES, he's a noble," Zhang He scratched the bandit's face with his claw, " That's why I'm protecting him…"

The bandit tried to punch Zhang He, but Zhang He blocked the attack with his claws." HEAR THAT, BOYS? Catch the boy, and we will get the money!" The bandit shouted to the subordinates. Zhang He showed him some of his fighting skill and the bandit tried to fight him.

The bandit's subordinate surrounded Lu Xun and Cao Pi with hungry looks on their face. Lu Xun pulled out his twin swords, " Sorry for pulling you into this trouble… Because of me, you become their target now. Please, listen to me. I will catch their attention so that you can run away into the house. The bandit around the house is only a few, I bet you can beat them, just like what you did this afternoon…" Lu Xun handed one of his swords to Cao Pi

" Is this also part your strategy to deceive me?" Cao Pi said as he pointed his sword to Lu Xun.

" No! I don't want to do anything bad to you! I have explained before right? I came here to protect Xiao Hua. And I don't know your true identity too, so… How could I plan something bad to you?"

" …" Cao Pi didn't answer. He didn't realize that a bad guy tried to attack him from behind. Lu Xun grabbed his sword and took the damage with his sword. " Hurry, it's too dangerous here!"

" Hey, your swords look familiar…" The bandit said, " AH! Both of you are the one who beaten my brother! Because of you, the guard caught my brother! You must be responsible for his caught!"

Cao Pi jumped into the bandit's shoulder and kicked his head badly, " Yes, we are! How smart of you to recognize us that fast!"

" Winter, watch your back!" Lu Xun jumped and gave a slash into the bandit who attacked Cao Pi. Quickly he grabbed Cao Pi's hand and pulled him. " You have to hide now! Wei needs you!"

" But if Wei lost me, your nation will win the battle, right? It's your goal as Wu's strategist, right?"

" I told you, I don't have anything to do with my nation right now! I just came here to save Xiao Hua, whose father has been killed because of me. Why won't you believe me?" Lu Xun yelled at Cao Pi as he released Cao Pi's hand in front of the door of his house. " It's up to you to believe me or not. But…I will protect you, because in my eyes, you're still Winter, my friend who help me a lot… and the only one that I love…"

" Swallow…"

Suddenly a bandit jumped from the roof to attack them. " TAKE MY BROTHER'S REVENGE!"

Cao Pi was really surprised and unprepared for the attack. His body froze. Lu Xun ran toward him and pushed him down. He took the damage with his shoulder. Blood started to flow from his body. The white snow turned into crimson ground. " No… Swallow…"