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Darkness finds it way as the clouds move along with each other in the sky. The chirping birds settle for departure and flap their wings in the air towards one direction, the east. Although it was a nice sight, I couldn’t remain unbothered when I feel the cold metal of a sword’s touch on my neck.

My eyes begin to flicker as turn around to find the wielder of the sword. As I slowly trace the hands wielding the sword, I find Zhao Yun cold expression on his face. There was absolute no resistance in them as he stands in front of me. After trying to understand why he placed his sword on my neck, he quickly turns me around and stands in my earlier position.

In the nick of time, my feet wobble from the sudden pull while Zhao Yun steadily takes my place. Before I could utter a word, a swift arrow flies towards us, piercing through his shoulder. My heart skips a beat with my feet retreating in shock. I didn’t know what to do at that moment.

While I stand confused with my next movement, I hear a soft groan from him as he pulls out the arrow and fly it back in the same alignment. We hear a thump on the grass a second after. But as we follow the traces of the groan, Zhao Yun moves forward first holding on to his shoulder.

I hesitate to move along with him for a moment. But after gathering courage, I make slow steps towards the perpetrator. The perpetrator keeps on groaning rolling back and forth on the floor as he clings to his injured chest. When he finds a silhouette moving towards him, he quickly remains still with wavering eyes.

Just as Zhao Yun gets to him and squat beside him, the perpetrator under a black mask immediately pulls out a pill form his under garments and tries to swallow. But Zhao Yun grabs his hands and forcefully picks the pill from him. Within a minute, he throws it away and grabs him by the neck.

“Who sent you?!”

He slowly lifts his head and turns to me with a crooked smile. I quickly look away with trembling eyes. Zhao Yun realizes this and pulls him away. The perpetrator starts laughing so Zhao Yun compresses his wound. Hard groans escape his lips as he begins to feel excruciating pain in his chest. As Zhao Yun continues, he forces himself to laugh.

“Speak up! Who ordered you to do this?!” He continues laughing despite the pain and just keeps looking down.

“Shifu.”

Contemplating whether to turn around and find out the reason as to why I was calling him, the perpetrator quickly pushes himm away and bites his tongue, choking himself to death. Zhao Yun immediately pulls him up and checks his pulse, but he turns to me with a negative look. Confused and hurting, he checks the arrow and finds a remnant of black liquid on the tip.

Along with it was a design of a saddle. When he drops his body on the floor, the lower parts of his sleeves tear apart exposing a similar design of a horse saddle.

“Shifu, are you alright? You’re bleeding.”

He was more in thoughts and couldn’t hear me at all. I quickly move over to his side and pull him towards me to thoroughly check the degree of his injury. There was still blood dripping from the wound non stop. He was trying to save me and here I was thinking he wanted to kill me a few minutes ago.

There was no way I would doubt him anymore. Moreover, as I stare at his wounded shoulder, I could feel adrenaline rush through my veins as if I was the one injured.

Deep in thoughts, he steps back while I stand still trembling. “Shifu, your wound needs to be tended to.”

“Stay put here. I’ll go over there and stabilize my breathing.”

“But-“

“I said stay here!”

His demanding tone silences me when I attempt to argue with his request. He was hurt because of me, but he doesn’t even want my help at this point. Would he behave like this if it was A’Ying?

Although I shouldn’t be thinking about this at this time, but I couldn’t help it. I feel troubled whenever he behaves so coldly to me unlike A’Ying. As I watch him approach the other entrance to Ming Palace, my eyes flicker in silence. When he gets to a quiet part of the entrance, he takes a seat and fold his arms together, keeping his eyes closed.

The direction of the arrow was obviously towards her, but the shot clearly aimed at me considering the slow pace.

Even an amateur can dodge so it was definitely made so I could step in. Luckily, the poison on the arrow works in line with my cultivation so  I can suppress it.

The perpetrator knows quite a lot about my cultivation but wasn’t aware of the separate cultivation I do in line with it. Moreover, I’ve noticed that he’s been following us since we got to Weijing City in Song.

The others are probably being traced. I have to warn them.

Opening his eyes, he lowers his arms and stands up after a deep breath. When he takes a step forward, I bash the door open, throwing my arms around him in tears. He stands still with his hands behind him surprised by my hug. “It’s great that you’re alright. I don’t know what I would have done if something happened to you.”

Hearing my words make him hesitate on pulling me away from him. Although he doesn’t hug me back, he doesn’t pull me away as well. Knowing that brings a smile on my face as I hug him tight, wiping my tears. His expression remains unreadable while he keeps his hands to himself, holding back from acting inappropriate.

At that moment, I didn’t care about manners or rules. What matters was that he was alright. I pull away from him with a large smile on my face.

“I knew you don’t mean what you say. You always insisted that you’d take my life if I got controlled by the poison. But you didn’t hesitate to pull me away then. That’s because you still believe in me and hope for me to become a better person.”

While wiping my tears, he stares at me at my sudden words. “From today onwards, I promise to be an  disciple and worthy princess!” He doesn’t react to my promise and keeps his curious eyes glued to me. “Shifu,” I mutter shaking his sleeves playfully.

“Let’s go. It’s not safe here.”

I pout annoyed by his reply.

“Shifu?”

“Didn’t you say you’d be an obedient disciple?” I manage to hold back my laughter at his words. He knew how to use my words against me quite much.

“What about him?”

“He’s been following us for a while now. The others are probably being traced too.” My lips fold as I listen to his judgement. “The commanders should have reached by now. Let’s meet up with them.” I bite my lips after hearing this. People from the palace were coming? How long could I stay steer from the palace?

But when I hear a familiar voice, I slowly turn around with a chill running down my spine. “Rong’er!” Beside him, I find Miss Mo standing proudly with her lovely red hanfu. As I turn to Zhao Yun, I find him looking at her for a while. I suddenly feel a tingling sensation as I watch them both staring at each other.

She slowly approaches us, more say approaches Zhao Yun. With her eyes glued on him, she stood right in front of him while Zhen Lan follows from behind. “Princess.” She greets while extending her hand. I nod before she turns to Zhao Yun to express her greetings. “Mr. Lu,” she mumbles.

“Mr. Lu, you don’t look so good. Why don’t we find an inn first?” Although it sounds polite, I could tell from his tone that that wasn’t all. Miss Mo had the same look. What was going on? How did the atmosphere turn so tense? Would there be a fight?

“Mr. Lu.”

“Shifu.”

The villagers walk about as the sun sets. The children jump around cheerfully running around a fountain. As the water flows down, they splash the water on each other cheering. “Stop it!” As if inviting themselves for a fight, they keep on splashing water on themselves. On the other side of the village, the grown ups set the rooms ready for the night.

Various shops start closing when the sky clears of light. “Help me out.”

“Thank you.”

“Chief, these two are still suspicious!” Their chief quickly raises his hand and shuts him up. “I know what I’m doing.” Xiao Fan silently turns to Su Ruo to check up on her. She seemed more pissed watching them fight among themselves as to whether the two of them should be killed or not.

“Excuse me! We’re not animals to be slaughtered. What do you think the righteous sects and soldiers do to you when they find out you’ve been killing their people?!”

The chief’s assistant who was siding with the debaters quickly fumes with her question. When he attempts to take a sword from the stage, the chief grabs his hand. “They are disrespecting our society. Everyone knows we steer away from outside affairs. It's your decision to come and seek death.”

“You!”

“Shut up! This is an important matter we have to properly discuss.”

“Discuss about killing innocent people because you are cowardly towards helping the society?!” At this point, the assistant couldn’t take it anymore. Pulling a sword from the stage, he swings it in the air and aims for her neck. Surprised, she remains still unable to register the situation. Shady memories of cries and sobs rush through her mind with a similar position of the assistant.

A needle from Xiao Fan’s fingers throws him and the sword away. All those around stare in shock as he falls back. “You’re armed. Check him!” On the other hand, Su Ruo keeps trembling with the sudden gush of memories. “Su Ruo!” His soldiers quickly swarm around them while Su Ruo remains uncomposed.

The children keep on playing and shouting as they splash the water on each other. Two little boys scream and step back wiping the water from their bodies. “Let’s dry ourselves over there!” The other body shakes his head.

“Not there. It’s a boundary set my the chief! My mother will kill me if I trespass.” Sighing, the little boy wipes the water off his face and chuckle. “I’ve always wondered why they keep us in like a caged bird. Come on, let’s check it out while the others are busy. It’s our only chance.”

In hesitation, the other little boy shakes his head and hold his hanfu tightly. “I’ll go ahead if you don’t want to.” With that, he starts walking away. The other little boy hesitantly follows up. When they get to the end, he scrapes the wood off and steps out. They’re eyes widen finding a beautiful waterfall before them.

As the water pours down, they exchange smiling and puzzled looks. But before they could move over, two arrows fly from the bushes and shoot them dead. Two masked men step out looking out for the hidden route The rest of the children start calling out to them noticing their disappearance. “Yun Luo is missing!”

“Ru Yi too!”

The guards rush over to the chiefs abode. Hearing this, Xiao Fan turns to Su Ruo in desperation. “How many accomplices did you bring?!”

“Kill them!”

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Who sent those men?

What is going on between the four?

What is behind Su Ruo's sealed memories?