Lady Ching had purposely led Xuelei into the inner grounds. Now the narrow paths between the burnt and dilapidated buildings leading to the main court were blocked by her men. Lady Ching had moved to a safe distance behind them.

An arrow came whizzing at him. He flicked it away with his undrawn saber flinging it to one side. It was followed by a torrent of arrows. Xuelei spun his horse around and around enabling him to block and dodge most of the arrows. His sheathed saber blurred as he parried and deflected the incoming arrows. A few hit his horse in its flank and neck. It reared onto its hind legs in panic, eyes flaring, whinnying in pain.

"Easy boy! Easy!" Xuelei gripped the reigns and hung onto the excited animal.

The men charged yelling loudly, frightening the already spooked animal. It reared and bucked throwing Xuelei off its back. The assassin flipped and rolled, landing in a half crouch, saber drawn. The animal was not so lucky. Another wave of arrows came down. It neighed in pain and confusion. A few more struck the panicked horse and it fell to the ground unable to get up.

Xuelei had no time to spare for the dying animal, they attacked the second he landed on the ground. Immediately he was on the defensive, blocking and dodging the multiple attacks. After a few moments, he determined that they were ordinary mercenaries. They were not a unit, they attacked randomly without actual formation or teamwork. It was obvious that they had not trained together. Lady Ching had probably contracted them in a hurry. The hired mercenaries were no match for him, if only there were less of them.

One of the thugs had rushed in amidst the confusion and managed to get near enough. He grabbed Xuelei's throat in a chokehold, effectively strangling him with one hand. The grip was firm and strong. Pressure was applied mercilessly.

Automatically, Xuelei tightened his throat muscles as he quickly pinched the median nerves between his attacker's thumb and index finger, twisting it in a quick jerk. The man howled and released his chokehold with a cry of pain. He staggered back cradling his now useless hand, his nerves damaged.

Xuelei turned his attention to the others surrounding him. He managed to cut down a few men. He was fast and precise. His strong clean strokes killed efficiently. His senses were at an optimum. Dodge left, right, block and duck. Lunge, stab, turn, side-step and slash. Block, turn and Xuelei back-kicked the nearest man squarely in his chest. The forceful kick sent the fighter flying backwards into some of his comrades knocking them down.

Xuelei took the opportunity to attack. He was better at offence.

With a grim smile, he lunged at the nearest group. They couldn't back away fast enough. His saber flashed in the sunlight as men died around him.

Argghhh!

Suddenly he felt a slash on his back. Turning, he barely managed to block as a red stained sword came swinging down again. He flicked it to one side and lashed out with a powerful side kick to the man's head, booted toe to his temple. Blood spewed out of his enemy's orifices as he fell lifeless to the ground.

The mercenaries closed in on him not even sparing a glance for their fallen comrades. Xuelei crouched low turning a full circle, saber slanted at a deadly angle. He aimed at their shins. Men fell wounded around him howling in pain. He leaped nimbly away before they could get up.

He had to get out of here. There were too many of them.

More arrows rained from the sky. The deep cut in his back was bleeding profusely, the pain hampering his movements. He was losing a lot of blood and weakening by the second. The assassin jumped high avoiding arrows and landed lightly on his feet.

"Give up boy. I just want the jade. The entrance must be here somewhere," Lady Ching called out.

"So, you really don't care for Zhen or his son. You only want his treasures," Xuelei deduced.

"So what? Everyone wants it. It's priceless."

Xuelei threw a blade at her. Lady Ching pulled at the nearest man to take the hit. He died as the blade lodged itself in his throat.

"You will let others die for you?" Xuelei's eyes widen in shock. He had expected her to just dodge.

She shrugged. "I paid them."

Suddenly, a whip came out of nowhere lashing at his legs. Red lines appeared on his right thigh as he dropped to one knee, grunting in pain. What the hell? That was not fair! A faint whizzing sound warned him as he dodged the stinging tail of the whip when it came again.

He had barely completed the move when swords came slashing down from above. Swiftly, Xuelei swung his saber upwards to block off the three sharp swords that bore down on him deflecting them with effort. Steel grated against steel in an ear splitting whine. He had to get back onto his feet! He was at a disadvantage on his knees.

Before he could push himself up, the tail end of the whip wrapped itself tightly around his neck. He dropped his weapon immediately needing two hands to grab the stinging leather which was choking him. He gasped for breath and fought against the tightening coils as its owner pulled.

"Get him!"

Several men rushed him. Without hesitation, Xuelei pulled at the whip gaining some leeway and jumped to kick the attackers. He got two before he was jerked off balance and fell to the ground landing on his back, right on his open wound. He arched his back with a cry of pain.

Xuelei turned trying to push himself up but something hit him hard on the back of his head. Red and black filled his vision as he was driven facedown into the dirt. Several feet stepped on him, effectively holding him down. He felt them on his neck, arms, back ... Ahhhh, his back! They stepped on his bleeding back without mercy.

The youth pushed himself, trying to turn so that his unprotected back was to the ground. He was rudely kicked down again, a foot stepped onto the side of his face securing his head to the dirt. Several sharp swords pointed at him.

"Stay down boy."

"Search him! The first man who brings me the jade will be rewarded with ten gold teals!" Lady Ching cried in excitement.

The sun was blocked as the men converged on him. Rough hands searched his bleeding body for the jade, pulling and shoving, not quite caring that he wasn't quite dead yet. Xuelei groaned. Why didn't they just kill him first? It would have been less painful, he thought in agony.

"It's not on him."

"It must be. Search him again!" There was a note of desperation in her voice.

This time the outer layers of his clothes were ripped off and searched carefully. He was patted down inch by inch and his boots were pulled off in hopes of finding the jade hidden there.

Nothing.

"Maybe he was telling the truth. He is not the noble you want."

Lady Ching gritted her teeth. This boy was the closest she had gotten. She had been so sure. She clenched her fists in anger, it seems she must keep on searching. How she hated Zhen right now. She cursed the dead man along with all his ancestors.

Even if this was his son, the boy was useless to her since he did not have the jade. He did not even know his past.

The jade must have been lost in the chaos of that night and found by someone else she decided. Maybe it was picked up by a maid, servant or guard? But first, she would have to retrieve her broken piece from that other boy, Jin and interrogate him. That girl too, XueHua. She needed a new plan.

"If it's not on him, then I don't not have any more use for him."

The men waited for orders.

She turned cold eyes to Xuelei's blood covered broken body. Her anger and disappointment at not getting the jade key growing, eating her from inside, gnawing at her. Resentment and hate filled her. She needed to punish him for getting her hopes up so high. Let him suffer a slow excruciating death.

"Run him through and leave him here to bleed. He will die soon enough. I will not waste any more time on him."

The fallen assassin was attacked enthusiastically. His saber was picked up from the ground where it had fallen and plunged into his back. It was run right through his battered body, coming out the front and digging deep into the ground, pinning him there.

"Aarrrgghhhh!!"

Xuelei convulsed uncontrollably. The pain was incredible, he could feel nothing else. Sound and light faded as all his other senses were overwhelmed. He was in agony.

On Lady Ching's orders, they filed out of the former Zhen residence. She took one last look at the dying boy, sniffed in disappointment and trotted her horse out.

Xuelei watched them helplessly. He saw them turn their backs to him as he descended into oblivion.