Kingdom: The Black Moon Assassin

Jun walked towards the main square in the mountains, swaying side to side as he scanned his surroundings. In the distance, he spotted a tiny figure standing in the square.

"A girl?"

As Jun approached, the girl actually began to run away from him.

Could she be some sort of monster?

"You won't escape."

...

From afar, Shen, who was bringing a few horses, noticed Jun approaching while carrying the girl.

"Where did she come from?" Shen asked, his expression serious.

"I found her along the way. I thought the area was clear, but there she was, looking for her family."

"She must have been searching for her father, who stayed with the defense team. I understand." Shen didn't ask more questions, as time was running short before enemy soldiers would arrive.

This was why Jun's face was set with a serious expression.

The girl, whose name was Xia, was only five years old. She had bravely wandered away from the previous group to look for her father, who had stayed behind to fight. Someday, perhaps, she could fight as fiercely as any grown man, but for now, she could barely defend herself.

It was fortunate Xia had encountered Jun. Otherwise, she would not have survived.

Shen handed the reins of a horse to Jun, who smiled gently at the frightened Xia. "Don't worry; everyone has evacuated from the hills. We are the last ones to leave."

"Oh… Are you sure?" Xia tilted her head toward the direction of a scream she had heard, noticing a strong smell of smoke.

She didn't understand much, but she knew the bad men wanted to kill them because of the ruler of Zhao. In her mind, she vowed she would someday kill that old man herself, ensuring he couldn't harm anyone else.

Jun, who Xia had just met, struck her as an honest and upright person, though she doubted he was suited for leadership—perhaps he was just a sick man.

Feeling uneasy about holding Jun's hand, Xia remained silent as he spoke, "Since you're an unexpected addition, you'll stay with us until we reach the city near Zhao, which is safe. But understand, we can't slow down because our pursuers draw closer with every passing moment."

"Okay."

"We'll be riding. You'll be beside me."

Jun's words made Xia excited; she had ridden a horse with her father before.

"I had a beautiful horse, but it died in a harsh winter."

Jun glanced at Shen, who looked as though he wanted to take Xia himself, but since Jun was in the best condition, he decided to keep her with him. Turning back to Xia, he reassured her:

"This time, it's different from a regular ride. My job is to hold the reins, so hold on tight."

"Yes…"

"Alright, let's get moving." Following Jun's instructions, Xia climbed onto the horse, feeling her entire body tense up from the new sensations of this intense ride.

She moved slightly up and down with the horse's gait, her muscles stiff from the lack of familiar supports, and her balance wavering. The experience filled her with a mixture of unease and excitement.

"Mister, I won't fall, will I?"

"No need to worry. Even if you do fall, it won't be the end." After comforting her, Jun climbed onto the horse with Xia in front of him. He adjusted her position to face his chest. "Hold on tight, alright? We'll be moving quickly; the bad men are close by."

"Oh, okay." She stretched her arms around Jun's waist, resting her head against his chest.

It was certainly different from riding with her father.

Jun, who had a keen sense of observation, glanced around, seeing that the forest around the hill was burning. He knew the last of the surviving assassins defending this place had retreated.

...

Two days had passed since Jun began traveling with Shen and Xia.

Normally, it would take about this long to reach the nearest city under their control, but Jun's injuries and the burden of looking after Xia, combined with the constant chase, had delayed their progress.

Fortunately, however, they were nearing the border.

Jun took a break by the horses, looking up to gauge the time.

"Dusk is approaching..."

The sun was setting, and the sky was shifting from blue to red.

"We're just half a day away," Jun thought, now having removed the bandage that revealed a large diagonal scar on his face.

Crossing the border into Wei would not be difficult. Once they did, their pursuers would have to stop, as further pursuit would be seen as an invasion by Zhao.

"If I could, I'd skip resting and continue the journey, but..."

"If I do that, she won't be able to handle the journey." Jun glanced at Xia, who would likely be on her own from now on.

She was resting against a tree, her face extremely pale. She was either exhausted or possibly unwell.

No matter how much she clung to Jun, riding for three days straight required a great deal of strength, which seemed to have taken its toll on her.

After considering this for a while, Jun quickly approached Xia and said:

"I think we should rest here tonight."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes. If we set out early in the morning, we should reach our destination by the afternoon."

Xia nodded at Jun's words, feeling happier than ever, but soon apologized, a look of discomfort on her face. "I'm sorry. Is it my fault?"

"It is your fault, but there's nothing to regret. The things that make us stronger are the ones that make us suffer. I'm sure that when we return, you'll be stronger than before, and you'll surprise your dad." Jun was acting out of character; maybe, deep down, there still existed some kindness and compassion within him.

This was a selfish desire, one that a weak Jun once wished for.

He wanted to be saved...

He wanted his parents to save him from that terrifying place he found himself in...

But no one came to help him, and that's why he was acting differently in Xia's company—a young girl probably looking for her dead father.

"Are you strong?" Xia asked. "You carry a sword and a huge glaive, so you must've been injured on the battlefield trying to save someone when you shouldn't have." She looked at the wound on Jun's forehead, which he was cleaning himself.

"Yes, but I learned a lot. Now I think I'm the strongest in the world," Jun replied with an unexpected smile on his face.

Xia's eyes turned judging, and she said, "Maybe you're strong, but my daddy is the strongest in the world, and I don't think you could beat him."

"Probably not..." Jun stood up and walked away to prepare dinner.

Jun's footsteps drifted away from Xia. As soon as he left the camp, she began to play with a small dagger that had been given to her.

Crack!

Just then, as she played, she heard a crackling sound and instinctively looked up in fear, thinking it was some enemy.

"Little one, are you okay?"

When she saw that the person approaching was Shen, she relaxed.

"Oh, yes, thank you for your concern."

"Well, we'll reach our destination tomorrow, so hang in there."

"Yes."

After that brief conversation, silence filled the air. Xia pursed her lips at a thought that suddenly crossed her mind.

"Um, Mister Shen?"

"Yes, little one?"

"Is Jun a strong warrior who got hurt on the battlefield? You treat him with such respect; I think he must be someone really special."

A question that came out of nowhere.

Shen, who chuckled slightly, answered, "I suppose you could say so. He's a very strong man who has earned a new title. Now, many would even consider him a God of Martial Arts."

"A god?"

"Well, yes, a man who is one with martial arts."

Xia felt surprised by the new information she had just learned.

"I didn't know that."

Of course, it was natural. Jun had rarely spoken to Xia about himself, so she had no way of knowing.

But…

"Am I a burden to you all?"

Shen smiled. She was young and thought that everything around her might be a burden to those around her. "You're no burden at all, little one."

As time passed, Shen told stories to the girl.

And only after a while, dinner was ready.

"I'm finished; dinner is ready." Jun's voice echoed through the camp.

…

In the middle of the night, Jun looked at Xia, who was sleeping soundly, then quickly shifted his gaze to the campfire.

"She's just an innocent child."

From the beginning of the journey, her complexion had gradually paled, which was clearly evident at a glance.

"I should have paid more attention." Jun muttered, keeping an eye on their surroundings.

There was a reason. Their pursuers were closing in.

Could it be because of the delay? They had been slowly approaching and were now catching up to the group's rear.

Fortunately, they had not yet encountered them, but to keep her safe, it would be best to leave at dawn.

And so, as Jun continued sorting through his thoughts...

"Lord Jun…" Shen greeted him from behind some bushes.

Jun asked as he looked at Shen's approaching figure, "What happened?"

"There was no trace of the enemies since the twins diverted their attention. But…"

"There are assassins. Is that correct?"

"Yes."

When Shen replied, Jun frowned and clicked his tongue.

"We need to leave immediately."

The martial artists under the command of the King of Zhao were the problem.

They, perhaps under Ri Boku's orders, were simply watching Jun's exit, and only then would they secretly follow until they were certain he was alone.

Jun stood up, troubled by the thought, and spoke a word to Xia.

"I'm going to wake up the girl. Prepare to depart."

"Yes."

After ordering Shen to prepare, he sprinkled a bit of dirt over the campfire to extinguish the flame and let out a deep sigh.

At the end of the day, they were in a problematic situation.