[Luo Xiao Zhao]
Luo Xiao Zhao slowly opened his eyes.

Directly in front of him, a candle sat on a rough looking bench. As the candle flickered, it revealed a wall of sandstone. All around him was a sort of dimness. Striving to see past the dimness, he threw his blankets aside and quickly tried to get up. He gasped as a sharp pain hit his body everywhere. Collapsing back into bed, he waited for the pain to dull. Once the pain eased, he propped himself onto his left elbow. He looked down and realized for the first time that his left wrist was bandaged. Looking to his left, he spotted another candle on a square table. There, beside the candle was a white bowl full of food. He could not tell what the food was because it was quite dim. As if on cue, his stomach suddenly rumbled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten since morning.

In pain yet without choice, he slowly stood up as his joints screamed in pain. He tried to ignore the pain and focused on making his way toward the table. Though it was not far, to Luo Xiao Zhao, it seemed like an eternity before he finally arrived. When he finally stood in front of the table, he pulled out a worn down wooden bench and plopped down. Looking into the bowl, he saw white thin noodles and brown chopped up fried meat drenched in a brown sweet sauce with small pieces of thinly sliced green onions. He touched the bowl. The food was still warm. His stomach grumbled loudly. There was no time to waste.

He quickly picked up the chopsticks which had lain on top of the bowl and started to eat. The sweet brown fried meat was delightful to his mouth as he hadn't had something so tasty since he was eight. Not after that happened. Luo Xiao Zhao was just slurping up the last bit of noodles when he heard footsteps approaching.

Chen Ming entered the room first and when he saw Luo Xiao Zhao, he rushed to his side, saying, "Luo Xiao Zhao, you shouldn't have moved! You're just recovering and you're already moving! Do you want to die?" He grabbed Luo Xiao Zhao and led him to the bed.

"Chen Ming, step away from the Yan," a cold voice ordered from behind them.

"But–"

"I SAID STEP AWAY!"

"Oh," Chen Ming reluctantly backed away.

Luo Xiao Zhao glanced around and asked, "Where is this place and why am I here?"

"This place is our house and you are here because you almost got yourself killed. You shouldn't run around this place. Especially since you're a Yan," Wang Jing Ling said sternly.

"What do you mean, 'especially since you're a Yan?' What does that have to do with anything?"

"The beast likes the blood of Yan people. All those dead bodies you saw were Yan people who entered this forsaken place by accident," Chen Ming explained.

"Wait. Where is this place exactly? I thought we left!" Luo Xiao Zhao asked, surprised.

"We are at the heart of the land full of plant arms," Chen Ming replied.

"I'm confused. Are the plant arms plants? Or are they part of a beast?"

"I'm not one hundred percent sure which it is. All I know is that there are plant arms and eyes everywhere in the darkness," Chen Ming answered.

Satisfied with the answers, Luo Xiao Zhao continued to sit down on the bed, pulled the blankets up to his chin, and brought his knees toward his chest. After a moment, he glanced up and spotted Jing Ling leaning against the wall casually as if he were watching a play. He spun a white round jade pendant around his forefinger.

" Well, well. You survived. You have been so lucky... Fate must be on your side. In all my years living here, I have not seen a single person survive this long after the plant has seized him," Wang Jing Ling said as he continued to spin the pendant.

"What do you mean, you're surprised I'm still alive?" Xiao Zhao questioned.

"He means that despite being captured by the plant, you still managed to survive this long. You are quite special in terms of blood," Chen Ming explained.

"What do you mean?"

"You are the first Yan person I've met that has survived for more than an hour. Most Yan who enter would be dead by now. But you survived a whole day and not only that, your inner energy seems to be able to suppress the poison for now," Wang Jing Ling told Xiao Zhao.

"Poison?" Xiao Zhao asked.

"Yes yes. Poison," Chen Ming replied, waving his hand.

"How bad is the poison in my blood?"

"You don't need to worry about that. Your situation is not bad. The most you can live is three months," Chen Ming replied brightly.

Xiao Zhao felt his heart jump into his throat as his chest tightened. "T-three...months?" He croaked.

"Yes. Three months is a generous amount of time to live in this world given your condition. Besides, you can still do whatever you want for three months. Isn't that a good thing?"

"Three months," Xiao Zhao muttered to himself. No. Three months isn't good enough. I never believed in heaven's will and I won't start now. I won't succumb to fate because fate is something you create for yourself and not something to be requested. No. I won't let myself die in three months. I won't. Whatever it takes, I can't die.

"Is there any cure for the poison?" Xiao Zhao asked.

Before Chen Ming could reply, Jing Ling broke in, "No. Besides, you got what you deserved. It's your own fault you got poisoned."

"My fault? I got myself in this situation? Excuse you, but if you hadn't brought me to this place at all, I wouldn't have panicked! You're the ones who tied me up so I was defenseless. How was I supposed to know that plant arms lived here?" Xiao Zhao asked as anger welled up inside of him.

"Chen Ming told you to be quiet but you wouldn't. All Yan are the same: stupid and helpless. You all deserve to perish. Frankly, you are at fault, and in no circumstance will we assist in aiding you. Best of luck if fate still decides to be by your side," Wang Jing Ling crossed his arms and signaled the end of the conversation, but Chen Ming wasn't done.

Ignoring Wang Jing Ling, he grabbed Xiao Zhao's arm and said, "But there is a way to get cured!"

"Chen Ming!" Wang Jing Ling barked as he tried to stop Chen Ming.

"—You just need to go to Jing Du—"

"Stop! Chen Ming!"

"—take the exam to get into the academy—"

"Are you not going to listen to me even though I'm your Ge Ge?"

"—and become a student— "

"Chen Ming! Enough! How dare you help a Yan! If our parents knew you would help a Yan, they would be ashamed to have you as their son! Do you want to cause our parents to not be able to rest in peace?"

"Ge Ge, our parents have always been righteous. They never once harmed anyone and if they had, they always tried to make it right. If they knew that you would hurt innocent people just because of their race, they would be ashamed of you. Our parents have always taught us to treat everyone equally no matter where they stand in society. They taught us to show kindness to those who've helped us, and to those who harmed us, they warned us against taking revenge. Do you honestly think our parents would be proud of us if they saw what we were like today?"

"Chen Ming! You're right that our parents were righteous. But it's this very righteousness that got them killed! If they knew what would happen they wouldn't have been so merciful. If our parents had survived, they would agree with me and join me in my cause! Chen Ming, you've always been so naive and that is your blessing, but as your older brother, I cannot afford to be like you, naive and innocent. I can't watch our people suffer while we just hide away. The Yan are all evil and even if they were innocent, they're hands are stained red with our blood. We can't be merciful to them. If we are, one day, we will all perish."

"But—"

"Chen Ming, enough. Listen to your Ge Ge. I think Luo Xiao Zhao is healthy enough to leave. In two hours, we will escort him out of our house and he will be free to leave," with that, Wang Jing Ling stormed out of the room.

"I'm sorry, Luo Xiao Zhao," Chen Ming said apologetically.

"It's fine. I don't blame you. Besides, you've done so much already by telling me how to get the cure. I just need another favor..."

"How else can I help you? It's my brother's fault that you're in this situation. I will do everything I can."

"I have remembered your kindness and I will return the favor one day."

"You don't need to be too moved. I'm just doing what I'm supposed to do. Now, how can I help?"

"Do you know where Jing Du is?"

"Hmmmm...Well ... I can draw you a map."

"Thank you so much!"

Chen Ming took a seat at the table and picked up a brush. He started to draw the map line by line, his handwriting was very neat. As Xiao Zhao watched, he became mesmerized.

"You know, you're different from all the Yan I've met before." Chen Ming's voice floated into Luo Xiao Zhao's consciousness.

Luo Xiao Zhao snapped back to reality. "Hmmm? What do you mean?"

"You don't jump to conclusions easily or condemn us Jing people. It really gives me hope for the future."

"Condemn? Why should I condemn you when you've done nothing wrong?"

Chen Ming shrugged. He handed Luo Xiao Zhao the map. Luo Xiao Zhao tucked it into his clothes.

A silence hung over the air as neither said a word.

Finally, Luo Xiao Zhao broke the silence. "Cheng Ming, just curious, if you two are brothers, then why does Jing Ling have the last name of Wang and you have the last name of Chen?"

"Ge Ge wants to protect me. He says that if he has another last name, then if anything happens to him, I won't be implicated."

"Huh. I never thought Wang Jing Ling could also be considerate," Luo Xiao Zhao said.

"Xiao Zhao, you mustn't judge Ge Ge too harshly. He may seem hard on the outside, but on the inside, he is very vulnerable. He never wants anyone to know if he has troubles. He doesn't want to burden anyone."

Xiao Zhao nodded and a silence fell over them.

After a short moment, Luo Xiao Zhao broke the silence. "Chen Ming, do you know why Wang Jing Ling hates the Yan so much?"

"He says that all the Yan are guilty because they just want to oppress us and make our lives bitter."

"Do you know why?"

Chen Ming shook his head. "I want to know too. All I know is that the Jing and Yan hate each other. What caused the two groups to hate each other so much that one group feels the need to oppress the other? I've read in the history books that both used to be united and lived together in peace. But something happened that caused the Jing and Yan to to fight fiercely."

"Ohh. I see. Chen Ming, in the history books, have you ever read about what exactly happened?"

Chen Ming shook his head again. "I couldn't find a thing about what happened. The history books just said some very unfortunate and unforeseen event caused a widespread flood that wiped out half the Jing people. The Jing, in their anger, blamed the Yan and declared war. After many casualties, the Yan were victorious and made the Jing their slaves."

"Ohh. I get it."

There was a slight pause.

"Luo Xiao Zhao, I'm curious. You're a Yan. Shouldn't you know that the Yan and Jing are enemies?"

"I've lived on top of a mountain my whole life and only come to town once in a while. I don't know much of the world or what happens. But you, tell me more about yourself and how come you came to live here in this wretched place."

"We don't have a choice. We never had a chance in society. They say all Jing are destined to be slaves. With no place to go and no one to hire us Jing, we are left with the worst jobs and lowest pay, that is, if we're lucky. If we're not, we are slaves without any pay and can get sent to the mines to do hard labor." Chen Ming sighed. "What can we do? We can't even find a job or a house to live in."

"Oh...I'm sorry to hear that. I never knew..."

"Of course you wouldn't know! You Yan People always think you're in the right and are so concerned with looking righteous that it's fine to oppress those that oppose you," a sharp voice said bitterly.

Luo Xiao Zhao shot a glance toward the voice. Sure enough, there stood Jing Ling, his back leaning against the door frame. Pushing himself off the door frame, he strutted into the room. "The Yan are always going to be our enemies. If not for my brother, I would have already killed you. The next time I see you, I will definitely not be merciful. Now go, before I change my mind." He quickly unsheathed his sword and pointed the tip to the ground.

Luo Xiao Zhao threw the blankets on the floor and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. "Fine! If you want me to go, I'll go. But the next time I see you, I will kill you."

"Good! At least we have mutual feelings," Jing Ling retorted.

Luo Xiao Zhao turned to Chen Ming, and, bowing half way, said, "I thank you, Chen Ming for saving me. I hope we will meet again soon."

Chen Ming returned his respect and bowed as well. "Hòu huì yǒu qī."

"I sure don't want to ever meet you again. Hòu huì wú qí ," Jing Ling cut in.

Luo Xiao Zhao straightened and replied, "I wasn't talking to you." He didn't even glance in Jing Ling's direction.

"What do you mean, you weren't talking to me?" Jing Ling made his chest bigger and took an aggressive step toward Luo Xiao Zhao who didn't flinch a bit. " I am Chen Ming's older brother! Is it not even—"

"Luo Xiao Zhao, you better get going," Chen Ming interrupted.

Luo Xiao Zhao gave a brief nod, and side-stepping past Jing Ling, marched out of the room.

Finding himself once again in absolute darkness, Xiao Zhao breathed deeply and took a small cylinder out. He twisted the side of the torch. Flames suddenly appeared. I'm going to make it back safely. I'm going to make it back safely. I can't let anything happen to me. I still have a lot to do. Be brave Xiao Zhao. You can do it. With those thoughts in mind, Xiao Zhao plunged into the darkness with nothing but a small circle of light to protect him.

It was almost after dark when Luo Xiao Zhao arrived at the small town. By now all the sellers had packed up and had returned to their homes to spend time with their families. The streets were empty.

He heard laughter emit from a house nearby and he couldn't help but approach one of the house's windows. He shielded the light of his torch and peered in. The room was dimly lit. A candle sat on the table as the family surrounded the table full of a variety of foods. A boy around five sat in the middle between his father and mother. His father used chopsticks to pick up some food and put it in the boy's bowl. "My son, you need to eat more so you can be strong and healthy."

The boy beamed. "I want to be strong like you, Ba! No, I want to be stronger!" The boy bent his arm as he tried to show off his muscles. His mother laughed and added food to his plate. "Be good. Someday you will be like your father. But for now, you must listen to him as he gives instructions to you ok?"

"Ok!" The boy said excitedly and they continued to eat.

Luo Xiao Zhang turned away from the window and walked away. If only he had a family that loved him. How he longed to belong and be loved. Yet no matter what he did, it was never enough. With a heavy heart he slowly made his way up the mountain, torch in hand. The shadows deepened as he climbed the mountain.

The moon lit his path. He was half-way up the mountain when he heard the howling of the wolves in the distance. His heart quaked as he quickened his steps. The howls drew nearer and nearer until they were almost upon him. Luo Xiao Zhang glanced around him nervously but couldn't see anything due to the bushes and tall trees. The howling of the wolves grew so loud that his ears hurt. Adrenaline pumped through his veins as he once again peered through the darkness. He saw a few shadows move quickly a few feet from his right. He picked up his pace and soon, he was running, careful to not walk on any thin ice. He fled up the mountain as the wolves started to chase him. In the distance, he heard thunder.

He glanced to his left and saw glimpses of dark running shadows through the foliage. He looked to his right and saw other black shadows that ran parallel from him. Behind him, were the rest of the pack, hot on his heels. He stumbled a few times but caught himself. Twigs and branches snagged his clothing as he ran through them. So blinded was he by the fear that he tripped over a huge log partially covered in snow, which landed him face down. He gasped as he felt a sharp pain in his leg. He sat up slowly and used the torchlight to assess his leg. A deep gash ran down his leg and blood gushed out. With alarm, his eyes darted back the way he came.

By now, the pack of wolves had surrounded him. Their greedy eyes looked at him with longing. He scooted in the snow until his back rested against a tree. The wolves inched closer and closer to him. Then, as if on cue, they rushed at him one at a time. Using his other hand, he picked up a stick nearby and swung it to his left as one lunged at him. He caught it under the mouth and it flew a few feet, howling as it got up. Another came from his right and he tried to fend it off. The wolves were now coming at him continuously and he tried with all his might to fend them off. One wolf bit his arm which made him drop the torch. It went out. He still managed to fend the wolf off. Some clouds partially covered the moon, but even so, Luo Xiao Zhang saw all the wolves gather together as they looked at him.

They all charged. Luo Xiao Zhang watched as he was about to get eaten...

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸
Ge Ge: a way to address the older brother

Ba (爸）: Father, Dad

Hòu huì yǒu qī (后会有期): an idiom that means 'I hope to see you again.'

Hòu huì wú qí (后会无期）:an idiom to say 'I hope we never meet again.'

The main difference between the two is the character 有 (which is to have) and 无 (which is to not have).