Night had once again fallen over Meizou, the streets glowed beneath the warmth of the many hanging lanterns, whose light reflected off of the stone roads as hundreds of people enjoyed the pleasant evening
The laughter of dinner-eaters echoed from the many restaurants. Musicians played soft melodies as the night wore on.
It had been just another typical night.
A beautifully decorated carriage rode leisurely through the streets and this carriage was different from the ones used by merchants, it was built for people to be comfortable in and not goods.
Inside sat a young couple, a girl leaned her head against the window, looking out at the city with the many lanterns shining, and a warm smile spread across her face as she watched the world go by.
Her name was Yana
The young man that sat across from her was very good looking and wore fine robes, his name was Xan. He poured himself another cup of tea, handing one to her, Yana took it with both hands.
"Thank you."
She gazed over at him, smiling, a smile that seemed to be unable to be hidden.
"Tonight has been absolutely perfect, the most romantic night of my life."
Xan chuckled to himself
"I'm glad."
He leaned back comfortably
"It was all for you."
Yana's cheeks reddened slightly
"You didn't have to go this far"
"I wanted to."
The carriage rolled on through the street in peace. Xan smiled quietly as he looked at Yana and for a moment, he didn't say anything, letting his thoughts drift back to the life he had led. A life stained with blood, a life filled with robbing, murder, and betrayal. He used to be just a guy that had been in trouble with the law, always roaming from place to place, thinking that someone like him could never change his life.
That was until he met Yana.
She never dug into his past and gave him no judgment for what he had done. He couldn't have been more surprised when she gave him another chance, a chance he thought he was not worthy of. Xan gently took her hand, giving her a warm smile
"I'll do whatever it takes to keep us happy. I really want to start a family with you, no matter what happens."
Yana laughed to herself
"I'd like that too."
Xan turned to fully face her with a huge smile on his face, very excited that Yana had agreed to having a family with him. Images of their supposed family started to pop inside his head, and that made him even more happy.
"...Yana?"
His smile froze and his pupils shrank
She was still sitting in front of him, but her head was missing. The carriage was covered in blood.
"...Huh?"
Suddenly, a hand exploded out of his chest from behind, shocking him so much that he couldn't even let out a scream Blood splattered across his robes, and his body shook violently. A soft voice filled the carriage, belonging to a young person, probably no older than twenty-two years old.
"You really thought you could run away?"
Xan slowly looked up, sitting across from him where Yana was only moments ago was a young man dressed in all red and black, he leaned his head against his hand, watching quietly.
Xan's eyes wide in absolute horror
"Z-Zyrikyss..."
The young man let out a deep sigh, he stood up from his seat, exiting the carriage. Once he was on the street, he said something without turning around
"Don't use my real name, dumbass."
He snapped his fingers and the hand still lodged inside Xan's chest suddenly burst with violent energy. The whole carriage exploded into a huge fireball, sending splinters of wood and debris everywhere. The streets suddenly filled with people running and screaming, all kinds of chaos. Zyrikyss looked back over his shoulder at the burning wreckage of the carriage, the flames still raging out of control.
"Damn, I didn't mean to use one of her explosive hands." He said as he shrugged "Whatever, like she'd do anything about it anyway."
Two days later, the streets had become busier than ever as people from neighbouring towns and cities poured into the city.
Wherever Sun Yunso looked, they spoke of only one thing, that being the upcoming wedding. After asking around the city the past two days, he had finally arrived at his destination.
The Guo Residence.
A long line had already formed in front of the estate.
Men and women of all ages stood patiently, seeking for work. Sun Yunso slipped quietly into place in the back of the line, his colourless eyes swept over the crowd
'There's a lot of them'
He hadn't anticipated so many applicants. Well, that's understandable, after all, they were merely recruiting for temporary guards for a wedding. His eyes drifted back to the Guo Residence again
"They must be expecting something"
It just didn't make sense to him, why would they bring so many people in if it wasn't absolutely necessary. As he stood there, the line inched forward. His thoughts wandered back to this one nagging question, refusing to leave his mind.
Whatever is going to happen at this wedding is important enough for the Guo Family to prepare for the worst.
Sun Yunso rested a hand lightly on sword
"All I have to do is get inside."
After waiting for almost an hour, Sun Yunso was finally next in line. The big gates of the Guo Residence creaked open slowly, the people who were waiting to get in were let inside one by one. Sun Yunso trailed behind the group as they weaved through the estate, finally arriving at a large open area used for training.
Weapon racks lined the edges of the arena. Training dummies stood nicely arranged in rows and several Guo Family guards watched from the sidelines with folded arms. In the very center of the training ground stood a single man, and this man appeared to be in his early forties
Strong presence, broad shoulders, straight back, he took in everything with his jet black eyes as he stood still
"..."
After a long silence, he finally spoke
“I'm Yo Chomai, and I work as the Captain of Security for the Guo Family." His calm voice echoed throughout the training ground. “If you're interested in working as a guard at the wedding that's coming up there's just one thing you need to do: pass a test.”
A faint murmur spread through the crowd but one applicant frowned
"Only one?"
Yo Chomai slowly raised his right hand
"Correct All you have to do is withstand me"
The applicants looked at one another in confusion
"That's it?"
"Seriously?"
"That doesn't sound difficult"
One young man laughed confidently before stepping forward
"I'll go first"
He didn't hesitate, reaching out to take Yo Chomai's hand in a firm grasp At first, nothing seemed to happen, the crowd just looked at each other in confusion
"Is this some kind of joke?"
Then the young man's confident smile disappeared His pupils violently contracted, his breathing became erratic
"N-No..."
His whole body began to tremble uncontrollably An overwhelming pressure crashed into his mind like an avalanche. It felt as though an enormous beast had opened eyes directly before him. His legs gave way and he crumpled to the ground, wrapping his arms around himself, as if trying to hold himself together and prevent himself from completely falling apart
Sweat poured down his face and his breathing became frantic He couldn't even bring himself to look at Yo Chomai again. Several applicants took a step backwards instinctively
"W-What just happened?"
Yo Chomai slowly withdrew his hand
"Next"
No one came to offer themselves to do the test as they just stared at each other Sun Yunso took the opportunity and stepped forward. Yo Chomai took notice of this and immediately asked for Sun Yunso's name, he gave it and they both raised each others hands
The test began.
The same amount of pressure rushed, but Sun Yunso did not even flinch. Yo Chomai was confused so he added some more and still Sun Yunso wasn't flinching. He got really interested and let go of his pressure. Yo Chomai dropped his hand and turned to face Sun Yunso
"You've passed"
Sun Yunso gave a small nod
"...Understood"
Just step aside for now and be patient. The other people who are taking the test will finish up soon Without saying another word, Sun Yunso headed to the side of the training area
Yo Chomai turned back to the crowd
"Next"
The people looking to apply exchanged nervous glances with each other. After seeing others fail before and Sun Yunso's success, nobody seemed too excited to give it a try Eventually two young men and one young woman stepped forward together
"We'll do it"
Yo Chomai gave a single nod
"One at a time"
As the first person reached out, they gently took hold of Yo Chomai's hand, and instantly, his body became rigid. Beads of cold sweat started to trickle down his forehead, and his legs began to shake uncontrollably. For what felt like an eternity, he fought to stay upright, his entire being frozen in a mixture of fear and panic.
Finally Yo Chomai withdrew his hand
"Pass"
The young man released a shaky breath, nearly collapsing from exhaustion. The next person in line took a step forward, his outcome was no different from the others. As he stood there, his whole body began to shake violently under the intense pressure, but somehow he managed to push through it, driven by his unwavering determination, and in an instant, he had made it through, passing the test with a surprising show of strength
The third followed and he fared no better
His chest heaved with each labored breath, and his skin took on a ghostly pallor, but still he clung tight, refusing to relinquish his grip. Finally, after a wrenching, agonizing fight, he too succumbed, his body surrendering to the inevitable
Yo Chomai scanned the room, as he took in the remaining applicants
"Next"
It seemed like no one was willing to come forward. Yo Chomai had taken notice of this and had made up his mind, his decision was now final
"Since no one is willing to—"
"Excuse me"
Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up, their attention caught by a calm voice. Then, a young man emerged from the crowd, his movements slow and deliberate. He was a striking figure, his long blue hair cascading down his back like a river of night sky, and a single braid that fell neatly over his shoulder, framing his face
His eyes were a bright, piercing blue, and they seemed to hold a deep calm, his skin brown, the kind which came from spending countless hours under the sun, and it gave him the appearance of a wanderer, someone who was used to roaming the outdoors, unencumbered by the constraints of city life
He stopped before Yo Chomai
"My name is Lokei Yoshe"
Chomai took a quick glance at him, then nodded in response
"Very well"
He extended his hand and Lokei did the same. As their hands touched, the air seemed to vibrate with an unseen force, yet Lokei stood firm, not even batting an eye. The tension just kept building but somehow he came out unscathed.
It was like the fear had swept right over him, leaving no scars or lingering effects, just a strange sense of calm in its wake. A small, gentle smile spread across his face, and then he let go of Lokei's hand
"You pass"
Lokei bowed politely
"Thank you"
Chomai gazed out at the handful of applicants who remained standing at the courtyard's edge. The testing process has come to an end and for those who didn't quite make the cut, it's time to move on
One by one, the rejected applicants lowered their heads and quietly walked out of the Guo Family estate. Only five people remained standing inside the training grounds those being:
Sun Yunso, Lokei Yoshe and the three applicants who had barely managed to withstand the Trial of Fear
Yo Chomai turned on his heels without another word and shot a glance over his shoulder
"All five of you. Follow me"
The newly recruited applicants didn't ask questions as they fell in step after Yo Chomai. Sun Yunso kept a quiet pace by Yo Chomai's side while Lokei Yoshe kept a distance, his hands buried in his pockets
The five recruits followed Yo Chomai through the grounds of the Guo Residence. Gardens of exquisite beauty dotted the grounds, and posted along the perimeters, were guards, watching with a strict vigilance. No one said anything, but after a few minutes Yo Chomai finally spoke.
"I suppose I should tell you why you were recruited"
The five applicants turned their eyes to him
"Simple really. You were hired to serve as guards"
No one seemed surprised Most of them figured as much when they applied
"As some of you may know, our esteemed Guo family's princess is set to wed one of the kingdom's most influential families. The matter itself is strictly confidential. Not that any of you need to worry about that."
The five recruits stood silent as Yo Chomai's expression darkened
"Normally, we'd be able to handle the security detail ourselves."
He stopped abruptly and turned to face the five recruits. His next words came out in a sharper tone,
"However, we received credible information that on the wedding day, an assassin is going to try and kill the Guo princess."
There was a tense pause before anyone said anything
"The target of the assassination is the Guo princess. That is all"
One of the recruits swallowed loudly
"An assassination?"
Yo Chomai gave a sharp nod
"That is correct. And that is why you have been hired. Our security detail has been stretched thin to the point that we can only provide minimal protection to the princess, despite her status."
His steely gaze bore into the five recruits
"I need you five to take up positions in our defense line. If the assassin makes his move, it will be your job to protect the princess, no matter what the cost. So if you have any questions, ask them now."
The recruit Sun Yunso slowly raised his hand. Yo Chomai looked at him.
"...Yes?
Sun Yunso spoke, his tone as calm as ever.
"May I at least know the name of the princess we're supposed to protect?"
Yo Chomai blinked.
"You don't know?"
Sun Yunso calmly shook his head.
"I'm not from Meizou."
Yo Chomai was silent for a moment after which he let out a quiet sigh yet, before he could say anything else, another voice chimed in.
"I don't know either."
Everyone turned. Lokei Yoshe casually raised his hand.
" I'm not from Meizou either."
One of the other recruits scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Neither am I."
"Same."
"M-Me too."
Within moments all five recruits had admitted that they had no idea who the Guo Family's princess was. Yo Chomai just stood there, silent, and the Guo Family's security captain looked to be genuinely speechless. After a long pause, he pinched the bridge of his nose. So, somehow, we've recruited five guards and not one of them even knows who they're protecting. A few servants walking by couldn't help but glance over, curious. Yo Chomai sighed again before straightening up.
"Very well. If none of you know, then allow me to introduce her properly. The woman you have been entrusted to protect is the youngest daughter of the Guo Family, Guo Yuxuan. She is the future bride in this political marriage, that means until the wedding is over, her life is your responsibility."
The others nodded silently, quietly repeating the name to themselves, committing it to memory. Sun Yunso did the same, but for some reason, the name sounded strangely familiar.
'Have I heard that name before?'
He searched his memories. Faces flashed through his mind one after another and then it clicked. Back at Nasura, while he was eating, he remembered a lively young woman with an unusually bright smile. She had boldly approached him, asking strange questions and teasing him, even though they were complete strangers. At the time, he had found her behavior to be rather confusing.
So it was her. He hadn't expected the cheerful young woman from Nasura to be the very princess whose wedding was the focus of this mission, nor had he expected someone intended to kill her.
Good.
If she's that important, then she could be extremely useful.
"Are there any more questions?" Yo Chomai asked.
They all just glanced at each other, which already showed that there were no further questions. Yo Chomai nodded his head and gestured for the five to follow him again, in which they all did. They passed by the beauties of the Guo family mansion and made their way to the security clothing.
Yo Chomai gave them each blue robes, what they were wearing and those robes bore the emblem of the Guo Family. All five bowed down and we're thankful for the clothing. Yo Chomai had no problem and began to walk out the door and he had already given them their stations for where to guard just for practice.
As soon as the door was closed, all that was left was the five newly made guards ready to change their clothes. One of the guards is a young woman with a boyish design, she has reddish-auburn hair with large hazel-green eyes with bangs covering one eye. She was merely playing with her hair, trying her best to avoid eye contact but there was one thing that was bothering her.
"Um….I'll just wait for you guys to finish. Then I'll change afterwards." The young girl said with a soft voice.
All eyes shifted onto her and she was immediately terrified as she could feel the gazes of the four.
"Why is there something wrong about changing with us?" One of the guards said with curiosity in their voice.
"N-No,there is nothing wrong. It's just that I won't feel comfortable taking off my clothes in front of boys."
"Care to explain what you mean by that?" Lokei asked.
The young woman was even more scared with how many questions they were jumping on her. She felt slowly uncomfortable and wanted to leave as fast as she could.
"It's okay, from what you're saying. You haven't had a glance at a boy for a while right?" Sun Yunso said.
The young woman was stunned after hearing Sun Yunso's understanding of her fully.
"U-Um, thank you and your right. It's actually been a while since I saw or talked with a male so of course I'm going to get a little uncomfortable."
"Like I said, it's fine you don't have to worry that much about it. You can wait for all of us to change and then you can come in right after."
The young woman lifted her head to Sun Yunso's direction and nodded.
"M-My name is Sa Wayong. Nice to meet you, kind sir."
Sun Yunso was caught off guard after hearing the young woman reveal her name.
"Is something wrong?" Sa Wayong asked.
"Oh, sorry I was just caught off guard. My name is Sun Yunso." Sun Yunso replied.
Sa Wayong let out a small smile while still looking down, hiding her face. Another voice chimed in, this one had some little energy to it.
"Guess we're doing introductions now huh. Well that has to eventually happen since we are gonna be teammates."
All attention went to the person who stated that. It was a young man, with sharp, jet-black hair. The hair is straight, clean, and neatly kept, falling just past his ears with a slight natural volume and also has bright, sharp dark brown eyes.
"My name is Chu Runar. Nice to meet you guys." He said before letting out a loud laughter.
Another of the guards nodded and also introduced himself.
"I guess you're right. My name's Naizan."
"No last name?" Sun Yunso asked.
"No, I'm an orphan."
"Oh,sorry that I asked."
Naizan did not mind and just shrugged it off. After that all eyes went to the last person who hadn't introduced himself. Lokei was done with his changing and was about to leave until he felt the gaze of the other four and he turned around.
"What? Why are you all staring at me like that?" Lokei asked.
"Because you haven't told us your name." Chu Runar said.
"Didn't you hear it when we were doing the test?"
Chu Runar just shook his head in denial.
Lokei sighed
"Lokei Yoshe."
Everyone nodded after hearing Lokei's name.
"Okay, and it looks like our team's finally complete. Let's get along with each other."
The five new guards stepped out of the changing room, dressed in the dark blue robes of the Guo Family. They were no longer just applicants. From this point on, they served as the guards of the Guo Family. Yo Chomai was already waiting for them outside. He gave a sharp look at the five before speaking.
"Remember your positions. The wedding is in a few days, so until then, you will be getting to know the estate, the routes you will be taking, and the people you will be guarding. Sun Yunso, as mentioned before, you will be standing guard outside the Northern Residence. I almost forgot to remind you that it is the home of Lady Guo Yuxuan's cousin. And depending on Lady Yuxuan's schedule, you may also be ordered to guard her personally."
Sun Yunso gave a single nod.
"Understood."
"Good."
With that, the five new guards split up, heading to their posts. Sun Yunso walked in silence along the stone path of the Guo Estate. Servants hurried past him, carrying trays of food, while veteran guards took their posts at the estate's intersections.
All was quiet.
Sun Yunso felt that it would not last for long.
His post was soon in view.
The Northern Residence, home to the cousin of Lady Guo Yuxuan. This would be where Sun Yunso's service as a Guo Family guard would truly begin. Sun Yunso arrived at the Northern Residence. Two veteran Guo guards gave him a once-over before returning to their posts.
One of them spoke.
"Your orders are simple.
"Take a post here," he gestured at the big wooden doors behind Sun Yunso, "and do not enter the residence without permission. Furthermore, do not leave this post.
"If anyone tries to enter, make sure to ask who they are before letting them in." Another added
Sun Yunso gave a brief nod.
"Understood."
"Good."
The veteran guard gave him one last meaningful look before walking away. Sun Yunso took his post in front of the Northern Residence's gates, idly resting a hand on his sword's hilt.
Several minutes passed by in silence. His thoughts wandered off on their own.
'Guo Yuxuan…Who exactly is she set to marry?'
Sun Yunso had only heard that it was a political marriage, which meant that there were only a few possible candidates left.
'Someone from one of the Four Great Families, or another influential family," Sun Yunso thought.
If it was one of the Four Great Families, then it was very likely that it was the Huo Family. After all, it was said that the Huo Family's head was eager to secure an alliance with the Guo Family by any means necessary. If that was the case, then it would be no surprise that the groom would not be anyone ordinary. He would most likely be someone who had earned the trust of the family, a prodigy of the family who had passed the trials set by the Huo Family itself.'
Sun Yunso closed his eyes, thinking.
"How strong would the man she marries be?
Would he even put up a battle against the groom or would he be the opponent he needed to defeat to avenge his father?"
These thoughts remained unanswered, for now all Sun Yunso could do was wait. Sun Yunso continued to stand guard at his post, with his thoughts still wandering to the mysterious groom then the wooden doors behind him opened.
Sun Yunso turned his head. A young woman exited the residence. She had long, flowing blue-black hair that reached her waist, and a pair of clear red eyes, which regarded the world with calmness. She wore a beautifully embroidered deep-blue cheongsam that glittered with silver in the afternoon sun.
She looked elegant and charming, every step, every word, showed the poise that only an heiress of the Four Great Families could possess. She walked right past Sun Yunso until he suddenly stopped.
"...?"
Her red eyes stared directly at him. The young woman frowned slightly.
"Who are you?"
Sun Yunso replied without hesitation.
"Sun Yunso. I was assigned here as a bodyguard for the wedding."
This answer brought only disappointment to the girl's eyes, as she blinked once, before letting out a sigh.
"Another one?"
The girl crossed her arms.
"At every wedding, the number of guards just seems to keep growing."
She looked uncharacteristically annoyed.
"It's getting incredibly bothersome."
She shot a glare at the dozens of guards that were posted all over the manor.
"I'm really not too happy about this."
"It's just a wedding," said the girl.
Sun Yunso was silent. He knew that there was a killer lurking somewhere inside this wedding. However, Yo Chomai had made it clear that he did not want anyone to know about it, so he chose his words carefully.
The young woman turned, preparing to leave, completely ignorant to the fact that the wedding she was complaining about was already the target of a conspiracy. The girl walked forward a few paces before realizing that Sun Yunso had not moved. She turned her head, looking back at him.
"Why are you following me?"
"It is my duty." Sun Yunso replied evenly. "I was ordered to protect this residence and whoever resides in it."
"Well, if that's the case," the girl shrugged helplessly, "then go ahead."
Sun Yunso walked after her for a few paces, keeping a discrete distance. They soon entered another large hall at some deeper part of the manor. The young woman opened the doors and a young woman looked up. Her beautiful face immediately brightened at the sight of the figure.
"Aisoma!"
The young woman beside Sun Yunso smiled for the first time since their meeting.
"Yuxuan!"
The two girls did not hesitate as they ran to each other's arms, greeting each other warmly.
"I've missed you so much!”
"So have I!"
The two girls laughed as they hugged each other like old friends who haven't seen each other in years.
After they parted, they immediately embraced each other again, overcome with emotions. The girls nearby all smiled at the heartwarming sight. Huo Aisoma crossed her arms as she looked over her cousin's figure.
"So, I hear you're getting married before me." She dramatically sighed. "I'm so jealous."
Guo Yuxuan's face instantly turned red.
"A-Aisoma, stop saying such embarrassing things!"
Aisoma couldn't help but chuckle.
"What? It's the truth!"
"You found your future husband before I did!" Yuxuan shyly looked away.
"You know you're far prettier than I am." She smiled kindly. "I'm sure you'll definitely find your special one someday."
Aisoma raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? So you've already started giving me relationship advice?"
The two girls burst into laughter and at that moment, a composed male voice sounded from deep within the hall.
"So, you're the cousin I've heard so much about."
The two girls turned their heads and a young man was walking leisurely towards them with a composed smile. Huo Aisoma warmly greeted him.
"You must be my cousin's groom. Huo Zin."
The young man smiled as he approached.
"I am."
He gave a polite nod.
"It's a pleasure to meet you."
Aisoma returned the bow.
"The pleasure is mine as well."
Huo Zin looked at her for a moment before bursting into laughter.
"I'm surprised to see that Yuxuan's cousin is also such a beauty herself."
Aisoma blinked before letting out a soft giggle.
"My, my. You certainly have a smooth tongue."
Guo Yuxuan instantly puffed her cheeks in annoyance.
"Huo Zin!" Her voice contained a childish jealousy. "Are you trying to flirt with my cousin in front of me?"
Huo Zin looked at her with innocent eyes.
"What? I'm just telling the truth."
Guo Yuxuan narrowed her eyes on him.
"Is that so?"
Aisoma mentally realized what was happening.
'She's teasing her.'
The teasing smile on her face became even more prominent. If Huo Zin wanted to play this game, then she was more than willing to join in. She elegantly tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and smiled.
"Thank you for the compliment, Young Master Zin."
Huo Zin smiled.
"The compliment was well deserved."
Guo Yuxuan crossed her arms as she frowned in annoyance.
"I really dislike you two right now."
The hall was filled with warm laughter.