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Surprised looks linger in their eyes while I fall backwards, clinging to a pair of hands I fall into. With widening eyes, my wobbly legs try to adjust balance under three curious eyes. But as I slowly tilt my head to find out who was holding me, my jaw drops immediately. A sudden hush of wind blows over me while my hair spreads according to its tune.

 
  “Senior Lu?” Su Rou and Xiao Fan exclaim simultaneously. They quickly turn to each other for another glance after realizing they said the same thing at the same time. Irritated by his glare, she swiftly turns away and puts her hands behind her with a clear of throat. Xiao Fan on the other hand slowly steps back, making Mo Yan scoff.

 
 “What Senior Lu? What would he be doing here?” As he drums with his teeth, he sighs and turns to them.

 
 “Speaking of which, I have a score to settle with him. I went easy on him because I didn’t want to be a sword holder. None of you have seen my power just yet!”

 
  In an attempt to hold her laughter, she quickly covers her mouth with her left hand and lower her head. This saves Xiao Fan from talking more before Zhao Yun clears his throat from behind. Unfazed, he slowly lets go off me as I try to stand properly.

 
 I squeeze my lips shut and look away from his curious gaze. For the first time, I could read his expression. But it wasn’t what I had wanted, at least for the first time I was beginning to understand him. Those eyes felt like he was undressing an antelope for sacrifice.

 
 But the smiley face on Mo Yan slowly fades off hearing footsteps behind him. Forced to put on a fake smile, he taps his shoulders and starts laughing loudly, too much to alert the birds in the forest. The birds quickly begin to flap their wings away.

 
 “Oh, it’s you! You know jokes are very common these days right?” After hearing this , Xiao Fan lifts his head and pulls his sword from the floor to walk ahead. Silence quietly greets us while Mo Yan takes his hand off seeing the tense atmosphere around us. With a light smile, he drops his hand behind him and moves forward.

 “Never mind. What’s going on in Song? Elder Yu requested that we solve the case with you.” Su Ruo agrees with him with a nod and steps forward. But her curious eyes set on me after a while. “Was she with you?” When he turns to me, I bite my lips and step behind him, clinging to his sleeves with closed eyes.

Heaving a sigh, he returns a no glare and yanks my hand from his sleeves. His reaction makes me stumble back a bit, but I manage to adjust my balance quickly.

 
 “I guess she followed you from the sects. You three didn’t even notice,” he retorts after returning a serious look. “Hold on, she’s your disciple. Why should we take into account what she does?  Speaking of which, in terms of sneaking up on people, like master like disciple!” His unattended words end up infuriating him. Clutching to his sword, Su Ruo steps in immediately and hangs her hands over the two to separate them.

 
 “Don’t pay heed to his words. What’s important is helping the people. We should head off right after sending her off.” My head jerks up after hearing her words. After all I did to follow them, there was no way I would be going back to the sect alone. I quickly step in and stare at her angrily. “I never said I’d go back. Don’t take decisions on my behalf!”

 
 Mo Yan’s perplexed eyes trace mine while I pout my lips in anger. Su Ruo swiftly pulls out her sword and point it at me. “I don’t care if you’re an Empress or governor’s daughter. But I’m not going to get in trouble by taking you along.”

 “Oh, really? Just you wait until I become noteworthy, I’ll deal with you first.“

 
 “Wait, wait! I thought you’re the one interceding for Senior Zhao and I. How come you’re fighting now?”

 
 “Shut up!” With Zhao Yun’s yell shaking them up. “As adults, each one of you keep bickering here. We have important matters to deal with.” Sighing, Mo Yan drops back and leans against a tree looking into the sky. “So what are we doing about your disciple?”

 
 Su Ruo tears her gaze from me after scoffing. When she drops her sword beside her, I pull out my tongue and playfully glare at her.

 “You Rong?!” After hearing his yell, I jump out of my illusion and turn to him with flapping eyes.

 
  “Shifu, please take me along.” As I hang on to his sleeves, I pout my lips with puppy eyes dangling his sleeves forth and back. Unable to keep waiting, Xiao Fan moves back to us and turns to Zhao Yun with folded hands.

 
 “She’s right. Although she’s your disciple, she’s still the future ruler of Liang State. Her security can’t be in jeopardize.” Mo Yan retreats to move away not bothered by their conversation. Lying over the tree, he keeps humming a song.

 
 “Tell me when you’re done with your discussion. I’m taking a nap here.” Not as though they didn’t know his playful attitude, but his subsequent reactions to serious decisions was very surprising. Perplexed, Su Ruo rests her head against her palm and takes a deep breath.

 
 When I realize that no one wanted me here, I quickly hold his sleeves tighter and stare into his eyes blinking at each pout on my lips.

 
 After taking a deep breath, Zhao Yun looks up and glares at all of them one by one before talking. “She’s coming with us.” Xiao Fan and Su Ruo immediately change looks. From impatient to irritated, she jumps forward to protest alongside the astonished Xiao Fan.

 
A beaming smile overcomes the anxious look in my eyes earlier after hearing his reply. That wasn’t the case for his other companions.

 
 “Are you crazy?! She doesn’t have any solid martial arts. She’s going to drag us down. The elders won’t like this.”

 “Look, I’m not getting into trouble because of your whims.”

 “I know of your concerns but this is the best solution. We’d waste time sending her back to the sects. The people need immediate attention. Moreover, she can’t be sent off alone. I’ll take any responsibility regarding her movements here. You just need to focus on the mission.”

 
 Satisfied from his reply, I pull my tongue out and bluff at Su Ruo. Her composure unsettles when I do this. With irritation and devastation running through her wavering eyes, I quickly jump behind Zhao Yun to hide from her. Sighing, Mo Yan drops his hands by him and tears his gaze from the sky. “Discussion settled?”

 
 As astonishment lurks over Xiao Fan’s face, he quickly steps back annoyed by Mo Yan’s disagreeable words.

 “I’m taking the lead. You’re all crazy!” With this, Su Ruo stashes her sword into its sheath. After glaring angrily at me, she retreats into the woods, leaving the four of us behind. To be specific, two as Mo Yan and Xiao Fan immediately rush after her.

 I’m in no time left with Zhao Yun.  He slowly traces my eyes with dire scrutiny. My lips gradually curve with a dainty smile while I take my hands off his.

  “Shifu.”

 
  “You acknowledge me as shifu now after stirring up trouble?” The smile on my face settles into a confused expression as I didn’t know what to say to clear the annoyed look on his face. “Stay by me and don’t go anywhere without informing me.”

 I nod and jump beside him clinging to his sleeves playfully like I always do. Even though I knew he wasn’t okay with my clinginess, I still like doing this every time I’m around him. I suddenly notice a set of herbs in his possession as I draw closer to him.

 
 “What are those for? Are you hurt?” Curiosity overtakes me making me run a thorough check on him for any injuries. But when I lift my head to check for other injuries, my face meets his. As I stare directly into his blue eyes for minutes, my heart begins to unsettle in flickers. It’s only after we stay like this for countless minutes until he steps back and clears his throat.

 Before I could read my thoughts, he begins to walk away from me towards their direction. I couldn’t move for a moment because my hearty kept beating in an irregular manner.

Why was I feeling unsettled every time I get closer to him? It feels my heart is going to rip out of my chest..

 
 My mouth draws down in confusion but my legs start to rush after him nevertheless. “Wait for me!” We walk in silence for several minutes amidst the dark woods towards the exit. My hands stay glued behind me while stealing short glances at him.

 
I don’t know why I did so, but I just felt the need to. Fortunately, we get to the end of the forest in no time. The rush of cries and people settling under the dark atmosphere catches my attention as we get closer. After spotting the bloody streets and stranded people with dirt all over, my eyes fall in silence.

 This was the effect of war on the innocent people. I don’t want to imagine Liang becoming like this. Although it is never my wish to become a ruler, but I had no other choice. Becoming Empress of Liang State was the only way to keep the people safe. Xiao Fan, Su Ruo and Mo Yan immediately disperse to help out the people struggling to settle.

 “Here uncle, have this water,” Mo Yan exclaims handing over a jar of clean water. Su Ruo and Xiao Fan cover the other side of the road assisting the weak with basic necessities. I sigh standing by Zhao Yun not knowing what to do. “Don’t get too close to those in the next house. I’m currently trying to cute those afflicted with plague.”

 
 Mo Yan nods and continues sharing clean water and food to them carefully. “You two come with me,” Zhao Yun adds before walking to the other side of the road. He stops by the door seeing an excited A’Ying waiting patiently for him. “Shifu!”

 
 She quickly rushes to him and stands just a feet from him beaming with a smile. “It’s good you made it back safe and sound. I think I can alleviate these people for at least ten years. I’ll be able to completely cure them by then. Did you get the herbs?”

 
 He swiftly returns a nod and a faint smile. While looking at him from the corner of my eyes, my hands fall by me. He hardly smiled before me or spoke more than five words with me but he was so free around A’Ying. Unconsciously, my fingers rub against my palm as I watch them looking at each other.

“Great job. Your sister’s here too.” Slowly tearing her gaze from him, she moves to me in silence. She seemed confused at my presence but didn’t want inquire too much. She just nods and moves her gaze back to Zhao Yun.

 
 “Others from the sects are here to help."

“I finally get to speak. Long time, A’Ying.” She quickly turns her head away with a scoff. “Only my friends and Shifu call me by that.” Right after that, she moves closer to Zhao Yun and smiles at him. “I also found an inn we could stay in until everything settles. How about I show you there?”

 
 With a mischievous smile, Mo Yan dumps his floating hair backwards and dashes to A’Ying. Without any warning, he grabs her hand and waves at us. “After the long journey, I want to settle first. You take care of everything here and I’ll go with her.” She doesn’t get to debate as he pulls her along in a split second.

 
 As a result, I’m left alone with Zhao Yun and the resting refugees. “Let’s distribute the medicine first,” he suggests. I nod and walk quickly to the table before beginning the distribution. It takes us about an hour to settle everyone there.

 
 With a heavy sigh, I turn around after finding myself alone. I swift rush out and turn around looking for him. After a short run around, I find him standing by the city wall close to us.

 Biting my lips, I move quietly towards him and stop by him. “There are many helpless people here. I hope they are able to cherish themselves in such situation.”

 He doesn’t talk after me and remains silent. After taking a deep breath, I steal a short glance at him. “That’s how I survived in the palace. Do you have anyone you cherish too?”

 This question is the only one that catches his attention. But he doesn’t give me a reply.

 I guess he has, but doesn’t want to talk. With a light smile, I turn to him. “I have another one to cherish now, and that’s you, s-shifu.”  Hearing this, his head tilts as he looks at me with a mixture of emotions while I keep smiling.

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What plans await the practicioners?

How does Zhao Yun plan to settle her presence?

Why did he allow her to join them?