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At the brink of negotiating, he steps down putting his hands behind him. Just when he takes a step forward, her eyes linger over his floating hanfu as he attempts to leave the balcony. A sharp pain runs through her head while her eyes close firmly for three consecutive times.

“Wait,” she stammers holding on to the metal straps severing them from the open area. With her pleading tone ringing through his mind, his feet halt unconsciously before he looks back. She manages to hold up and slowly walk to him. At each step she takes towards him, his eyes wander in confusion.

Standing in front of him, she looks up and glares into his eyes for a moment before letting out three words.

“Do you know me?” His lips curve while glaring at her for a second. With his head twitching for a moment, his ears adjust to what she had just asked.

“This question reaches out to almost everyone in the Jianghu.”

She swallows a lump in her throat and shakes her head after moving closer to him. He steps back immediately and turns his back on her. “I don’t know what you’re looking for. We have a hectic day ahead so I’d advise you rest early. I’ll take my leave.”

With this, he sighs and resumes his walk. But she constantly shakes her head and holds her head to ease the pain she was feeling.

“Haven’t we met before? Please think twice.” At that moment, he quickly adjusts his sword by him before pausing on his walk towards the exit. “I don’t think so. Maybe, you got the wrong person.” When he grabs the door knob to step out, Mo Yan appears looking exhausted.

Taking in deep breaths, he clings to the door and holds his hand when he tries to step out first. “Your disciple isn’t looking great.”  His head cranks up hearing this. Her hands move away from her head while she takes a deep breath. “Su Ruo?” Mo Yan exclaims confused by her condition.

She slowly walks up to them and nods. “I’m fine. I’ll take my leave first.” Moving down, she rushes out holding her breath. Mo Yan glares at her confused all the way until she was out of sight.

“What did you say to her? She looks disappointed.” Zhao Yun quickly pulls him along and closes the door behind them. Perplexed by his sudden grasp, he stumbles on the corridor several times until they manage to get to the next hallway. “Who’s not looking good?” Sighing, he traces his eyes over to his tightly grabbed shoulder.

After clearing his throat, Zhao Yun senses his discomfort and lets go off of his shoulder. “The clumsy one. What’s her name… You Rong.” He didn’t wait for him to finish up with his description and starts running off towards her room. After bashing the door open, he finds her lying on the bed.

Trembling, sweat gathers on her face as she grasps tightly on to the bed sheets shaking her head. He quickly takes down his sword while Mo Yan runs after him. “You’re too fast!” He ignores him by the door and lays his hand over her forehead. His hand quickly retreats feeling an abnormal heat.

Flinching, Mo Yan stops beside him and clears his throat. “Where’s Su Ruo?” He lets out a sigh and glues his lips together. “You told her off. I can’t find her in the inn.” “What about A'Ying?” He slowly moves his fingers over to his face to brush off a strand of irritating hair.

“Left to search for herbs before morning.” While staring at her, Mo Yan clears his understanding of the questions he just asked. A girl was needed to help out in this situation. With a tap on his shoulder, he moves back and sighs. “She seems to be drawn to deep sleep. I think she’ll understand when she wakes up.”

Within a few seconds, he steps out leaving him behind. My head moves back and forth as horrible memories rush through my mind.

The bloody scene of an elderly man and woman lying dead on the floor with blood stained hanfus. When I look closely, I find a familiar shadow rushing out of the room. The man slowly gets up and runs after me. With screams, my  feet run towards the door. Tears gush through my eyes while making a run.

I stumble on the floor at a point when I feel a loss of air in my lungs from running consistently. With a creepy looking man standing in front of me with his lifting sword, my heart starts racing. Just when I thought I was going to die, I hear the thrust of a sword in front of me. When I open my eyes, I find the man spitting blood.

He slowly thumps against the floor before his sword leaves clanking noises. His blood splatters over my face making me smell the heinous aura of blood. “Kill him,” a dark voice repeats as a man is revealed when the assassin falls dead. I close my eyes and shake my head screaming.

“Shifu!” I scream grabbing hold on to something close to me. My breath rate increases while I hug the sheets so tightly. I suddenly feel the urge of the sheets to separate from me. But I cling so hard on to it tearing up. When I hold on to them for a moment, I begin to feel better. As I slowly adjust to my surrounding, I feel a warm inconsistent breath over my neck.

When I slowly open my eyes, my eyes waver finding Zhao Yun instead of my bed sheets. Realization hits me as I remember hugging my bed sheets so tight. Blinking my eyes, he quickly stands up and leaves his back facing me. As I gradually get over the horrifying dream, I get up from the floor and rub my hair.

“Shifu.”

“You were drawn into your dream. Since you’re okay, forget about the process. Both A’Ying and Su Ruo were nowhere to be found.” Nodding, I stand still staring at him from where I stood.

How did I think he was my bed sheets? This is so embarrassing. How can I look at him again after this?

His composure unsettles suddenly. Feeling a sharp pain in his chest, he steps back crushing his chest to ease the pain with his eyes closed.

“Shifu,” I start seeing his discomfort. When I try to get closer to him, he quickly takes another step back and firmly shuts his eyes. “Don’t bother. Sit down first. I’ll teach you how to suppress the poison.”

My eyes fall in thoughts. Did I hurt him accidentally? Did he not want to be around me at all? Was he teaching me in order to free himself from stabilizing the poison?

“Isn’t it your sect’s cultivation technique?” When he manages to keep his composure, he looks up and doesn’t reply my question. “Sit.” In hesitation, I nod and sit down before settling my hanfu to cover my legs fully. He quickly imitates me in not time and puts his palms together.

“Leave your eyes closed. Allow your consciousness to settle in your dantian.” Putting my palms together, I follow his instructions. After a few seconds, I feel a rush of calm energy in my body. Keeping a slow pace breath, he continues his instructions.

“Connect your mind and thoughts as one whole. Leave all distractions and obsessions aside. Your qi will backfire if you have any obsession. Take your time on that,” he instructs.

Circling his hands for a minute, he drags them in the air towards his legs. With my eyes closed, I follow up with him and circle my hands against each other. But when I attempt to suppress the negativity, my hands begin to tremble. He quickly taps my back to pull me out of the practice.

As I breath heavily, he stands behind me holding on to his chest for a moment. When I stand up, he moves his hand away and starts walking out.

Did I pass his teachings?

“Rest early. We’ll be scouting tomorrow.”  Nodding, he steps out leaving me in thoughts. He pauses by the door and holds on to his chest. I stealing a short glance behind him to confirm my thoughts. But his eyebrows curve in curiosity.

Her obstinacy was always down. Within just a few weeks, the poison was acting faster than usual. What is holding her  back enough to cause such drastic changes?

His thoughts settle when he spots Mo Yan stretching his neck. With his prankish eyebrows raising, Zhao Yun pushes his head away from his gaze and resumes walking to his chambers. I stand still watching them from the center of my room biting my lips. I don’t notice his presence until he waves his plan over my face.

“One would think that you just broke up with your lover from that gaze,” Mo Yan says. I quickly return a piercing gaze at him. He turns away in silence before clearing his throat. “I’ll be leaving then. Don’t miss me!” Chuckling at his comment, I watch him step out from my room.

My palms move away from the bed sheets to shade my eyes from the burning sunlight illuminating over my room. “Meat buns,” I mutter licking my lips while rolling over the bed. My mouth widens when I feel my arm hit the hard floor.

Squealing in pain, I rub my elbow over and over while getting up from my bed. When I hear a knock on the door, I move slowly towards the exit and peep through the window. But as I find an unfamiliar set of hanfu in the person’s hands, I step down and open the door slowly.

“Wear these,” he exclaims. My eyes drop dead on the men’s clothes in his hands. After he steps out, I change into them and tie my hair upwards.

My hands drop dead when I see Zhao Yun facing his back at me. With his sleeves moving along with the tune of the wind, he stands still looking forward. “Shifu.” Sparks ignite in my eyes when the aroma of a familiar food runs through my hungry nose.

“Wonton? No, green onion pies?,” I rattle shaking my head after mentioning each particular food.

“Noodles? Or perhaps sugar coated haws.” As I lift my hands and tap my chin in thoughts, Zhao Yun turns around and startles the hell out of me. I quickly take a step back and draw out of the foodie beauty.

“Follow me.” He slowly positions his hands behind him and starts walking ahead. On the other hand, I walk behind him stretching my neck to search for the source of food aura. But whenever he tilts his head to check up on me, I clear my throat and look down.

We only stop by the exit of the inn leading to the restaurant. As I spot several injured people crunching and eating hungrily, I take a short glance at their menus. I was right indeed. Wonton, noodles, green onion pies and sugar coated haws for the children. But Zhao Yun stops right in front of me at a point.

Before I could look away from the delicacies, A’Ying, Su Ruo, Xiao Fan and Mo Yan step down from the room descending the stairs from opposite directions.

“Shifu.” Smiling, she approaches us and revers her respect to him. I rub my hair watching her uptight manners. I don’t think I’ve ever done this before shifu. Su Rou keeps her eyes away all along the way and grabs her sword from the table in order to leave. Xiao Fan quickly dashes after her and follows up from behind.

What’s with her today? “Contact me with the pigeon when you get there.” A’Ying nods and follows the first batch’s trail in no time. With nothing left to say, I move to stand closer to Zhao Yun. He suddenly lifts his head and grabs his sword from the table.

“Follow me.”

“Where are we going?” Walking out on me, I hear him under a low tone. “You’ll know when we get there.” We walk along the smoky road for several minutes. At a point, I glare around sighing at the state of the city. It was better than earlier. But where are we going in the first place.

I quicken my pace when I realize I was far behind. Until I was walking side by side with him, I keep speeding up my pace. My feet throttle when we get to a huge building. Following up from behind, I lift my head awestruck at the beautiful building before me. I could hear music playing from the entrance where I stand.

Two men step down from the stairs to greet us. I lower my head to respond and stare at them keenly.

“Welcome, Mr. Lu. It’s great to have you here in our brothel today! This way please.” Pointing to the entrance, I grab his hand blinking my eyes in shock.

 Brothel? I’d swear on my delicacies that this is truly unexpected! Studying his stern looks, when did he end up fancying beauties?

“This is…” the man asks keenly. Before I could utter a word, he answers in my stead. “He’s my cousin.”

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What is his reason behind going to a brothel?

Why did he dress her up as a girl?

What dream did she have?