Zhitiao stood next to her prone sister lying on the ground, surrounded by the Flowers of Venus, who weren't taking any chances now.

She looked relieved to see Wei Ying.

Hui Gai was watching her thoughtfully, before turning to Wei Ying.

She came back. He said to his mind. What could she want now?

No idea. And she didn't have to come back. Wei Ying replied the same way.

She doesn't look hostile, but be careful, Hui Gai added.

"Always." Wei Ying told him. "Who won?" He looked between his daughter and the demon.

"Take a guess." But Hui Gai looked proudly disappointed.

"I'll let him win next time." Li XiWang winked at her father, who smothered a laugh.

Zhitiao bowed.

Well, that was surprising.

Wei Ying looked at Lan Zhan to make sure he had seen it too.

"May I speak with you?" She asked. And then she held up her wrists, as if asking to be tied up.

Hui Gai stared at her suspiciously.

"Okay." Wei Ying said easily. "Here?"

They all stared at him.

Lan Zhan pulled him back a bit, annoyed.

"Whaat?" He grumbled. "She came back. By herself. You're all overreacting!"

"Just do it." Zhitiao insisted. "I don't blame you for not trusting me. It's my own fault."

"No." Wei Ying replied, but at the same time as everyone else, who said, "yes."

Resignation sat deeply within hazel eyes, as Wei Ying looked back at her apologetically.

"I do not mind." She sounded hopeful though.

Wei Ying wondered what she wanted to talk about. She had returned after all, by herself.

After Hui Gai had shackled her wrists, she came out of the circle of red clad women.

"Can we talk privately?"

After the noisy protests had died down, she added, "not alone, just...I'm not comfortable with them." She looked at the uniformed ladies.

They scowled at her, almost as one.

"It's not my fault, you people attacked me first." She defended herself.

"But your people deserve it." Hongse bit back.

Zhitiao remained silent then, but her eyes seemed wetter.

"Hey!" Wei Ying jumped in. He didn't like anyone crying. "Let's see what she has to say first. If you guys start blaming each other, it'll never end."

Hongse frowned but sat down reluctantly. "You're really going to talk her alone?"

"Not alone." Lan Zhan told him.

"Not alone." Wei Ying agreed, smiling at the relief in Lan Zhan's eyes. "Just here will do." He pointed to some wayward boulders resting on the ground.

Zhitiao nodded and went to sit down. Wei Ying held out his hand for his daughter to hold, and smiled at Hui Gai, who understood. He would not have left his friend anyway.

The boulders weren't very big, so they sat with Li XiWang on Wei Ying's lap, as close as possible to Lan Zhan, who would've preferred him even closer, with or without the lack of  space.

But Zhitiao stood up again and bowed low.

"What are you doing?" Wei Ying asked her, wanting to go and raise her up but Lan Zhan's steel grip wasn't letting him.

"I am deeply sorry. Not only for my own actions, but those of my sisters too. I...I know we were wrong." Her voice was thick from emotion.

Wei Ying was floored. Why was she like this, so suddenly? He thought back, racking his brain for some answer but coming back empty.

"What happened yesterday? And please, stop that. You're making me uncomfortable." He tried to make his voice kinder, but if he was honest, the shock was still too great.

She looked at him, appraising. His wisdom and intelligence were truly well renowned, and she found herself admiring him. Sitting back down on the hard, cold stone, she began.

"That," she pointed to the woman lying on the ground a few feet away from them, "is my sister. My actual twin. Her name is Yezi." She sighed.

Wei Ying thought, now he was able to see her much clearer, that indeed, something had happened to her. It was as if all the fight had drained out of her, and now she was able to look about her. See her own situation honestly.

"We were born at the same time, in one single pod. I would die for her. She was the only reason I'd go back to the Children of the Tree."

"Was?" Wei Ying picked up on her wording.

"Now she's here, I don't have to go back. I won't. And neither will she, I'll make of that." She looked fierce all of a sudden.

"But aren't they against anyone leaving? Look what they did to Li XiWang's mother." Wei Ying could feel the first spirals of worry creeping along his spine.

"True. But I wish to ask for your help, if it comes to that. For now, please show us some leniency. I ask this from you with the complete understanding that I nor my sister deserve this from you, but I would do anything to keep her safe." Zhitiao could not stop her tears then.

Li XiWang tugged on Lan Zhan's sleeve and when he gave her what she wanted, she passed the white handkerchief on to Zhitiao, who accepted it gratefully.

"She attacked them. With poison darts." Hui Gai told her.

"Father was very ill." Li XiWang said, holding his hand. "It's not right."

"I'm sorry. I can only tell you about us, so you would understand. We, as Children of the Tree, are brought up with hatred for other people. We are taught never to trust anyone, for they only desire to hurt our mother. Our days are spent fighting, or training. Nothing else. Is it so wrong to want something better? Something different?"

She looked so sincere, Wei Ying wanted to believe her.

"Most of us do not get the opportunity I did, to be able to stand back and see something else. Something better. They have nothing at all to compare their lives with, no better examples of how to live. But you, you all," she looked around at all of them, "have shown me that we no longer have to live like that."

"What did we do?" Wei Ying was mystified.

"You live in peace. You live your life and you are content. I...yesterday, I met an old lady. I had passed out from fever, yet she took the trouble to carry me back to her home, to feed me, to look after me, a complete stranger. With no expectation of reward or payment, just doing something because it needed to be done. And the shock for me was that I wanted that. I want to be able to care about others, without needing something in return. I want to be free." Zhitiao was crying openly now.

Wei Ying pulled away from Lan Zhan and wrapped his arms around her.

"I know you're so much older than I am. But I think of you as my child. I would not want anyone to suffer like you have, and if I can, then I want to help you too."

The suddenness of his action had shocked her to her core. Zhitiao didn't know what to do or say. This wonderful man was ready to forgive her? She couldn't believe it.

Lan Zhan discreetly pulled him off her.

Wei Ying grinned at him, bashfully.

There were groans from the woman on the ground.

Zhitiao stood up, clearly wanting to go to her, but she waited.

"You don't have to ask for permission." Wei Ying told her.

She gave him an honest smile and ran to her sister.

"Should we trust her, Pengyou? What if it's a mistake?" Hui Gai stood next to him.

"But Hui Gai, I can't live like that. To think people might be insincere to me...I'd rather believe them first."

He sounded so innocent.

Hui Gai put his arms around him, grinning when Lan Zhan turned away. But inside his mind, he swore to protect his friend's trust in people. If anybody so much as thought about crossing him...

Yezi was just standing up with Zhitiao's help, when they came  closer.

She was still clutching her head, wincing with pain. When she saw Wei Ying, she stood straighter, feet apart in a fighting pose.

Zhitiao held her arm, but it was as if she dared not allow them to see her weakness.

"They are our friends, sister." Zhitiao told her.

Yezi turned to stare at her.

"What do you mean?" She asked, her voice trembling.

"I speak the truth. They will help us. We do not need to return." Zhitiao tried to explain.

But Yezi jerked away, masking her hurt.

"You've let them sway you!" She turned her wrath on to Wei Ying. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY SISTER?" She shouted.

Zhitiao tried to hold her back, but Yezi pushed her away.

"All of you! ALL OF YOU DON'T CARE! BUT WE'RE GOING TO SHOW YOU!"

Hui Gai looked at Wei Ying as she carried on shouting.

Wei Ying nodded, reluctantly.

Hui Gai vanished.

Yezi screamed and collapsed, again unconscious.

Hui Gai reappeared, smiling.

"Why does she scream every time you do that?" Wei Ying asked, curiously.

"Oh, she's just being dramatic." Hui Gai sauntered off, smiling.