《Spirit's Coda (Xianxia)》


 Chapter 1 - New Invention, New Problem

    Chapter 1 - New Invention, New Problem


    Three days before the Mid-Autumn Festival


    Everyone was busy decorating the Lu compound with red lanterns for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Artists were finishing their depictions of the moon goddess Chang¡¯e and her lover Hou Yi. The servants were cleaning the main hall while the maids were making mooncakes. So no one cared that Lu Na wasn¡¯t in her own courtyard.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t blow up,¡± Lu Na said. She held a piece of yellow paper with a red string tied around it. It was her newest invention and her most ambitious yet. It was such a beautiful cloudy day for explosions, so she wore a maid¡¯s tunic and her mother¡¯s silver phoenix hairpin.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope not. You blew up your courtyard already,¡± her spirit said in her head. Even after all these years, Lu Na was still not used to that voice. How did all the other people do it?


    ¡°I know, spirit. That''s why I¡¯m here.¡± Lu Na was standing on her brother¡¯s training ground, far away from any buildings. While it was still a part of the Lu compound, it was the most neglected. All it had was a bunch of dirt and some obstacles where he practiced his spear. Well, that and a few other surprises she put in there to test her brother. He always complained about boredom when he practiced.


    Luna would love to see the look on his face when her wards activate.


    ¡°Yeah, your father kicked you out of your own courtyard after the last one blew up one of his favorite rocks.¡±


    Lu Na chuckled. The look on his face when he showed more concern for a dumb rock than for her own safety was priceless. Luckily, after she activated the ward, she threw it away like a firecracker before it blew off her own hand.


    A soft thud came from the main gate. Lu Na looked over, hoping that it wasn¡¯t her brother or, worse, her father. She wasn¡¯t allowed to be here as the training grounds were deserted. She waited quietly, hoping whoever it was would just go away. After a few minutes, she heard nothing else. Must have been a stray animal or something.


    Lu Na pulled the string and activated her new ward. She tossed it to the ground. A large spirit wall sprang up in front of her. It was invisible except for the occasional shimmer of spirit energy. She put her hand through and it didn¡¯t explode.


    ¡°So far, so good.¡±


    Lu Na took out her spirit wand and gathered spirit energy at the tip. She pushed it against the spirit wall and only the wand went through. The spirit energy couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Success!¡±


    Someone clapped behind her.


    ¡°Congratulations,¡± a man said.


    Lu Na turned swiftly.


    The man was dressed in a dark blue tunic flanked by a group of men and women in light blue tunics. There were five in all.


    ¡°Who are you people? How did you get in here?¡± Lu Na asked. Her heart pounded in her ears. The adrenaline rush turned into fear.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t introduce myself. My name is Zhu. We are disciples of the Wintersweet Sect. We¡¯ve come to invite you to our Wintersweet Sect for the Mid-Autumn Festival.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, are you looking for Young Master Lu?¡± Lu Na bowed low toward the group, hiding her face. If they were from a sect, that meant they were summoners. They could rip her to shreds with their spirits. No one knew she was there.


    ¡°These people are strong. Run,¡± her spirit said.


    ¡°No, we¡¯re looking for the Young Miss Lu.¡±


    ¡°Oh, let me get her.¡± Lu Na tried to walk toward the exit, but was blocked by two people.


    ¡°Young Miss Lu, we know who you are,¡± Zhu said. ¡°We have been observing you here out on the far edge of your Lu compound. You don¡¯t leave your home, but it seems our prayers were answered. We don¡¯t know why you left your courtyard, but being able to speak with you here is a lot easier.¡±


    Lu Na cursed her father. If he didn¡¯t ban her from tinkering with her inventions, she would be safe in her own courtyard.


    ¡°If you wish to invite me, then you must know you have to speak with my father. I can¡¯t make that sort of decision on my own.¡±


    ¡°We tried. Your father is a very elitist person. He wouldn¡¯t even see our Elder. So that¡¯s why we resorted to climbing your wall.¡±


    Of course they did. And since no one other than Lu Na¡¯s brother used this training ground, there would be few guards that patrolled the area. All the valuable objects are under lock and key in the center of their compound.


    ¡°We apologize if this feels sudden,¡± Zhu said. ¡°We felt we needed to speak with you directly to offer you a great opportunity to visit our Wintersweet Sect and enjoy our hospitality.¡±


    ¡°And if I refuse?¡±


    ¡°Then we must insist.¡± The group of summoners closed in.


    Lu Na had a feeling that was going to be the answer. She took out a ward from inside her pocket. With a simple tug, the ward activated. She dropped it to the ground. A barrel-like wall of earth raised from the ground and surrounded her.


    ¡°How did she do that?¡± Zhu yelled.


    ¡°Spirit, you remember better than me where the wards are. Please tell me before I step on them,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do one better.¡± Her spirit must have used one of her techniques because now Lu Na could see spirit energy all around her. Her earth wall glowed yellow.


    A green glow showed up on one side of the earth wall.


    Lu Na crouched close to the floor and stomped on the earth wall ward, breaking it. The wall fell away around her and she ran as fast as she could. Luckily, none of the summoners moved yet, so Lu Na knew exactly where to slip past them.


    The group of summoners chased after her.


    Lu Na saw a yellow glowing ward that she stomped as she ran past. An earth wall rose behind her. She heard a loud smack as one summoner slammed into it.


    ¡°How is she doing that? She¡¯s not a summoner,¡± a man said.


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    Lu Na had entered her brother¡¯s obstacle course where there were different sizes of rocks. He called it agility training. She hid behind a large rock that had spear sized holes through it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop here. Run and find that handsome brother of yours,¡± her spirit said.


    ¡°I can¡¯t. The only exit is behind them. This area only leads to the toilets,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°And a short wall you can climb over to get to the servants¡¯ courtyard. You can¡¯t beat five summoners.¡±


    Lu Na couldn¡¯t help but grimace.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that. If they chase me into the servants¡¯ courtyard, they might hurt the servants. They¡¯re not summoners. I have to distract them here where I planted all those wards for my brother. Maybe I can hold them here until the guards arrive.¡±


    ¡°No, Lu Na. You¡¯re going to get hurt and I can¡¯t have that.¡±


    ¡°What are you, my mother?¡±


    ¡°If I was, I would have left you years ago, as she did.¡±


    That stung, but Lu Na didn¡¯t have time to think about that. She peeked through the hole and saw the summoners clenching their left fists. What was once only five summoners chasing her now became ten along with their spirits. She clenched her own left fist.


    ¡°Spirit, why can¡¯t I summon you like they can?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have the training. You can only blame your father,¡± her spirit said.


    If Lu Na made it out of this, she¡¯d add it to the list of things she blamed her father for. She waited until the summoners started moving before she dashed toward a raised platform. It went up into a collection of other platforms that tested your balance. She avoided all the wards she put up there to reach the center. From there, it was a quick drop onto the sand below.


    The five summoners and their spirits were not having a good time. Every few steps one of them stepped on a ward that Lu Na hid. An earth wall popped up in front of them in different shapes. One of them was so thick that they had to slash to break through.


    This gave Lu Na some time to set up her new wards. She took out the first one and almost dropped it. Her hands were shaking too much.


    ¡°Calm down. Breathe. You can still run. The servants¡¯ lives don¡¯t matter as much as yours,¡± her spirit said.


    ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong.¡± Lu Na took a deep breath to calm herself. She pulled the string on the wards and activated them. She placed them on five platforms in front of her. A mostly invisible wall sprang up that shimmered with spirit energy.


    Lu Na pressed her hands together and prayed to her ancestors that these spirit walls worked. She only had the chance to test a few before the summoners showed up.


    ¡°Spirit, should I use my mother¡¯s hairpin now?¡± Lu Na touched the hairpin in her hair that she never took off. It was the last thing her mother left her before she disappeared years back.


    ¡°No. This does not count as an emergency. If you break the pin now to activate the ward inside, you will waste it,¡± her spirit said.


    There was a lot of cursing before the summoners began blasting the dirt from Lu Na¡¯s earth walls. By the time they reached the platforms, they were covered in dirt from head to toe. Their spirits weren¡¯t any better.


    ¡°Are you guys ready to give up and leave?¡± Lu Na asked. She held her hands behind her back to hide the shaking.


    Zhu wiped his face off and spat onto the ground.


    ¡°I was trying to be nice. I was hoping you would see reason. But since you¡¯d rather fight us, then forget it. We will not bring you to our sect.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good then. You guys can go back to your sect and I can go back to living my life. Everybody wins.¡±


    ¡°No. Our sect leader ordered us to kill any Lu maidens that didn¡¯t come with us.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what? Kill? Why?¡± Maybe she should have listened to her spirit. At first, she thought they only wanted to kidnap her. But now they were going to kill her? This can¡¯t be happening.


    ¡°I told you to run. You still can. Don¡¯t keep talking with them. Jump down from the platform and run for the toilets,¡± her spirit said.


    But before Lu Na could move, an arrow struck her spirit wall right in front of her face.


    They weren¡¯t kidding. They really were trying to kill her. And if that arrow was a physical arrow and not one made by a spirit, she would be dead right now.


    The other spirits didn¡¯t waste time before firing off other spirit projectiles. They all stopped when they hit the spirit walls.


    The other summoners were running up the ramp onto the platforms.


    Lu Na turned and dropped from her platform. The moment she hit the ground, another arrow whizzed past her, narrowly missing her. But she wasn¡¯t that lucky as a ball of water hit her in the back. She stumbled forward.


    It knocked the air from her lungs and it hurt. There was a spasm shooting up her back.


    ¡°Use your spirit wall behind you, Lu Na,¡± her spirit said.


    Lu Na took out another spirit wall ward and activated it. It helped, but with just one the spirits focused their attacks and soon broke it with one volley. If she had not jumped down when she did, she would have noticed that they broke through all the spirit walls on the platforms already.


    There was a loud crack from the platforms behind her. It must have been one of the earth wall wards she set up on it. Hopefully, it threw the idiot hard.


    Lu Na ran for the toilets. She could already smell them before she saw them. She never made it.


    One summoner tackled her from behind, forcing her into the hard ground.


    Lu Na shoved the summoner off her with a kick and tried to scramble away. She was flipped onto her back, and Zhu held an arrow to her chest.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± Zhu said.


    ¡°Just kill her and run before the guards come. That was too loud for them not to investigate,¡± one summoner said.


    ¡°No, we can¡¯t make an enemy of the Lu family here. They¡¯re connected with the Sun family. They might be on a campaign, but they will come back, eventually. Our sect can¡¯t win against an army. Since we have her now, we can go back. Help me¡ª¡±


    A large earth wall rose from the ground and shoved all the summoners away from Lu Na.


    ¡°How is she doing that? There¡¯s no way she has the spirit energy for any of that?¡± one summoner asked.


    ¡°No, this is someone else,¡± Zhu said. He got up and dusted off his dark blue tunic.


    Lu Fengxian had his spear pointed at the summoners. He wore brown leather body armor and he towered over all of them. His large brown cow spirit shielded Lu Na from the other spirits.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Lu Na¡¯s brother said, his voice like steel. ¡°Why are you trying to kill my sister?¡±


    Lu Na scrambled behind her brother. She quickly activated a spirit wall to protect herself. She had no more earth walls.


    ¡°Run, we can¡¯t beat him,¡± Zhu said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Lu Fengxian used the back of his spear and swept the summoners off their feet.


    The summoners¡¯ spirits all attacked at once, but another large earth wall sprang up. Lu Fengxian¡¯s cow spirit charged them, scattering all the opposing spirits.


    ¡°Are you behind the recent kidnappings?¡± Lu Fengxian had his spearhead pointed at Zhu who was pinned on the ground. The other summoners had escaped.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about. We came here to invite your sister to a Mid-Autumn Festival celebration. That¡¯s all,¡± Zhu said. ¡°And if you don¡¯t allow us to take her, then my senior will come for her. You wouldn¡¯t want that. She¡¯s a little crazy.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re in any position to demand anything,¡± Lu Fengxian said. ¡°But since you don¡¯t want to tell me, I¡¯ll let my colleagues at the yamen question you. They¡¯re a little crazy, too.¡±


    ¡°No, thank you.¡± Zhu waved his hand and three arrows shot at Lu Fengxian.


    ¡°Brother!¡± Lu Na screamed.


    All three arrows stopped inches from Lu Fengxian¡¯s chest. For some reason, the spirit wall Lu Na activated earlier protected him.


    Zhu got up and ran for the walls. Wide arrows formed steps for him to run up and over the walls.


    Lu Na wondered if she could do something like that with her earth walls. Or maybe she could copy that technique. If only she had more time to observe it.


    ¡°Na Na, what were you doing alone on my training grounds?¡± Lu Fengxian asked. His face had the look of both anger and concern. His eyebrows were knitted and his lips were in a frown.


    Lu Na hadn¡¯t seen her brother this angry before. She only saw that face once when he argued with his father over wanting to be a yamen runner for the magistrate.


    ¡°Oh, that look is just so attractive. Can your brother be any more handsome than at this moment?¡± her spirit said.


    Lu Na suppressed a groan. This was not the time, spirit. She put on her prettiest smile. Was it too late to go with those summoners?

 Chapter 2 - Young Miss Lu

    Chapter 2 - Young Miss Lu


    Lu Na followed her brother out the back of the training grounds and around the Lu compound. It was the fastest way to get back to the main courtyard.


    ¡°Na Na, you¡¯re lucky I was looking for you,¡± Lu Fengxian said. ¡°You know the training grounds are off limits. And now you look like a mess.¡±


    ¡°Why were you looking for me?¡± Lu Na was hoping that it would derail the lecture. She loved her older brother, but the lectures were endless sometimes.


    ¡°Father asked for us. When no one could find you in your room or courtyard, I went to look for you in my training grounds. I heard the servants talking about you using it the last couple of days. What were you doing there anyway?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Just working on my inventions.¡±


    Lu Fengxian turned to face Lu Na.


    ¡°That again? I thought you told me that you stopped.¡±


    ¡°My spirit. It won¡¯t stop bothering me. Kept reminding me about how it was the last thing mother left for me and that it would be important one day.¡± What Lu Na didn¡¯t tell her brother was that it was the other way around. She had loved making these inventions so much despite her spirit¡¯s constant warnings of danger. It was the only thing interesting in her life.


    ¡°Whatever, we¡¯ll talk about this later. I love you Na Na, you know that right?¡±


    Lu Na nodded.


    Lu Fengxian squeezed her arm before resuming their brisk pace to the front entrance.


    The two guardian lions in front of the door were painted red to prepare for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Lu Na patted one on the head as if greeting an old friend.


    A servant was hanging two red lanterns beside the wooden doors. Even the drab gray walls were painted with scenes of the moon goddess Chang¡¯e standing beside her jade rabbit on one side and her lover, Hou Yi with his bow and arrows on the other side. It was her father¡¯s way of showing off how richer they were than the others in the neighborhood.


    When they passed through the door, the decorations only intensified. The main courtyard had trees lining the path all the way to the main hall. Each tree¡¯s leaves wore their autumn colors, changing to beautiful shades of red and orange. Her father had poems written and glued to their trunks in black ink on red paper. Every one was a couplet that was associated with the Mid-Autumn Festival. They made a soft flapping sound whenever the wind blew through the courtyard.


    Head servant Cui Yi was waiting for them. He had a thin mustache that he shaped meticulously every morning. Lu Na had seen him pluck out stray hairs that offended his sense of fashion. He was also the servant that was most closely aligned with her second mother.


    ¡°Young Master Lu, you¡¯re hurt,¡± Cui Yi said. He quickly ran up to Lu Fengxian to look over his wounds. ¡°Let me request the doctor at once.¡±


    Lu Fengxian dismissed it with a wave of his hand.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be alright.¡±


    ¡°Your father has summoned the both of you to his study as soon as you came in,¡± Cui Yi said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go in a minute.¡± Lu Fengxian said.


    ¡°Of course Young Master Lu.¡± Cui Yi bowed toward him. He turned toward Lu Na with a scowl. ¡°You should go now. Your father was irritated when he couldn¡¯t find you in your room. You made all the servants and maids look like fools when you left, telling no one.¡±


    Lu Na wanted to slap him, but she forced herself to smile as sweetly as she could. She practiced with her mother¡¯s bronze mirror to look as innocent as she could.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, head servant Cui. I¡¯m so tired and I was hoping to make myself more presentable to Father. I would hate for him to think that the servants and maids of our Lu compound were not taking care of me.¡±


    ¡°It looks like I¡¯m rubbing off on you,¡± her spirit said to her. ¡°But don¡¯t anger little people like Cui Yi. He will only make your life harder.¡±


    The only way for that to happen was if he started putting poison in Lu Na¡¯s food. Besides, that rat couldn¡¯t hate her any more than he already did. He glared at her as he gently tugged his mustache.


    ¡°Lu Na was with me,¡± Lu Fengxian said. ¡°I¡¯ll take responsibility for her.¡±


    ¡°Oh, of course Young Master Lu.¡± Cui Yi bowed his head. ¡°It¡¯s just that Young Miss Lu disappearing like that has started rumors about her chastity. Where did she go? Who did she see?¡±


    Lu Fengxian¡¯s shoulders tensed, his right hand gripping his spear tightly.


    Lu Na reached over and tapped him on the shoulder.


    ¡°Come on brother, I¡¯m tired. Let¡¯s clean up before we see Father.¡±


    Lu Fengxian relaxed. He scowled at Cui Yi.


    ¡°Say anything negative about my sister again and I will make sure that you are assigned the worst duties in the compound.¡±


    Cui Yi bowed low.


    ¡°Of course, Young Master Lu. I would disparage no one. I was just saying what I heard. I¡¯m sure your father and second mother have heard about it too.¡±


    Lu Na knew it was this rat that told them in the first place. Listening to his annoying voice would only irritate her more.


    ¡°I¡¯ll meet you at Father¡¯s study in a few minutes. I have to fix my hair.¡±


    Lu Fengxian nodded and walked off.


    ¡°You know, we could come up with an invention that makes him mute,¡± her spirit said. ¡°The summoner teacher your brother had before would use his spirit to make his students quiet. I¡¯m sure we could ask him to show it for us to copy.¡±


    Lu Na chuckled at the thought.


    ¡°That would be a waste of an invention to use it on the rat. It could be better used to silence the surrounding walls at night to help us better concentrate. It could silence people we want murdered. There are so many ways you can use such a power, but he uses it to silence children as he¡¯s teaching. So uncreative.¡±


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    ¡°Sometimes, I fear what¡¯s going on in your mind.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only joking. It¡¯s not as if I could ever hurt anyone. Shouldn¡¯t you know since you live in there?¡±


    ¡°Child, I don¡¯t live in your head. I live in your spirit realm, a small pocket of spirit energy inside your body. I don¡¯t think your head could fit all of me if I were to live there. It is a shame your father never gave you even a little summoner training.¡±


    That made sense to Lu Na. The cow spirit like her brothers wouldn¡¯t be able to fit inside his head and it was as solid as any actual cow she had touched. This was another thing she¡¯d have to figure out in the future in order to hone her inventions. Maybe there was a way to use that somehow.


    After Lu Na found one of her maids to fix her hair, she also put on a new set of summer clothes. She would hate to meet with her father in dirty clothes.


    When Lu Na arrived at her father¡¯s study, her brother was already there. He had changed his clothes, wearing a simple green robe. His servants probably had enough time to clean off his face from the dirty fight.


    The other interesting thing was that none of the decorations for the Mid-Autumn Festival reached her father¡¯s study. It was as bare as always. There were no paintings and no words of poetry or any furniture. There were two long tables filled with rolled up wood panels that took up most of the room.


    Lu Na once asked why he used wood panels instead of paper. He claimed he didn¡¯t like change. His father and grandfathers used wood panels to run their business and so shall he.


    Before she stepped into the study, she left her shoes outside as she stepped onto the mats inside. Her other siblings were already there, talking quietly while appearing to be perfect gentlemen. If only they were like that outside of their father¡¯s influence. Those little brats annoyed her to death with their teasing games and pranks. When she complained, her father told her to find her second mother to deal with it. Guess who she sided with every time?


    Speaking of that woman, she sat quietly next to Lu Na¡¯s father. She wore a festive light red that almost bordered on orange. If any of the imperial censors saw that, she would lose her head for wearing the Emperor¡¯s color. She had a round face and large eyes. She wasn¡¯t a true beauty, unlike her mother, but this second mother of hers brought her father a lot of land and wealth from her family.


    ¡°Father,¡± Lu Na said, bowing her head slightly.


    Lu Tien was smiling toward her younger brothers, but frowned when he saw Lu Na.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally here. Fengxian told me the Wintersweet Sect attacked you two outside of the city.¡±


    ¡°Not far. Just a few minutes walk from the city,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°You still left your home telling no one and without bringing an escort. You know that the last few weeks have been dangerous and you still went outside. This rebelliousness of yours is tiring.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Lu Na didn¡¯t finish her thought. Her father had already turned away from her.


    ¡°We¡¯re here to discuss something more important,¡± Lu Tien said. ¡°The Marquis has asked us to look after his daughter while he goes out on a campaign to quell the rebels in this region. Young Miss Sun will be staying with us until after the Mid-Autumn Festival. During her stay here, Lu Na will accompany her. Lu Fengxian, you¡¯ll make sure she¡¯s safe.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Father,¡± Lu Fengxian answered instantly.


    Lu Tien glanced at Lu Na from the side without turning his head.


    ¡°While the Marquis is my sworn brother, his word can get us all decapitated. So do nothing foolish and respect her as if she were the Queen.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Father,¡± Lu Na said. What else could she say after that warning?


    ¡°One last thing before you can all leave: this Mid-Autumn Festival we will not be celebrating in the main courtyard. Because of the kidnappings, we¡¯re going to have a private celebration in my courtyard. No guests will be allowed into our compound, so don¡¯t tell any of your friends to come this year. You all may go.¡±


    Lu Na got up and left as quickly as she could. She didn¡¯t want to see her father any more than she had to. He was smiling toward her younger brothers now. He used to smile at her like that, but no longer.


    ¡°Your father seems serious. Why is this girl so important?¡± her spirit asked.


    Lu Na walked toward the kitchen for some food.


    ¡°Sun Ren is the daughter of Sun Wentai, the Marquis of Wucheng. He commands the largest army in this region and his word is law. The only one higher is the emperor, but he is miles away.¡±


    ¡°So why is she coming to your home? Why doesn¡¯t she stay in her own?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t seen her in years. When Mother was still around, she would bring her around and we¡¯d play together. She was very quiet. Brother would play with us too.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of your brother, where is he? Being away from him for a minute feels like an eternity.¡±


    Lu Na groaned. This time there was no one around.


    ¡°Please stop with those comments. It¡¯s embarrassing to have those thoughts in my head from a spirit with no body.¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine. I¡¯ll only fantasize about him in my free time.¡±


    ¡°As long as I don¡¯t have to hear about it.¡±


    Lu Na made a turn into the large kitchen where the family chefs were cooking. The smell of cooked meats hit her before she walked in. Smoke filled the large room as a fat chef was tossing a dish of meat in a large wok. Other chefs were similarly busy making preparations for dinner. There were several maids cutting up other ingredients throughout the large room.


    ¡°All this for some daughter of the Marquis. What would happen if the Marquis himself came?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to be here,¡± Cui Yi said. The head servant stood in Lu Na¡¯s way.


    ¡°I just wanted some food. I haven¡¯t eaten since this morning,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°No. Dinner is going to be served soon. You will ruin your appetite.¡± Cui Yi turned from Lu Na.


    ¡°What is this? I¡¯m asking for food as the Young Miss Lu and you, a servant, are ignoring my request?¡±


    Cui Yi turned back to face Lu Na. He stalked over to her and looked down on her.


    ¡°Your father has given me the responsibility of preparing the meal for the Marquis¡¯ daughter. You know, the one whose father can¡­¡± Cui Yi dragged a finger over his neck. ¡°Having to stop any of these maids or servants from doing what they need to do to prepare that meal is not worth their time or effort. You will eat when dinner is served and not before then, Young Miss Lu.¡±


    ¡°Tell your brother to make him a eunuch!¡± her spirit said.


    Lu Na was frozen in anger and she wasn¡¯t sure what to do. There was a butcher¡¯s knife not too far away. Maybe a burning piece of wood from the stove. Or she could take a breath, back away, and not give her second mother another excuse to make her life miserable.


    ¡°Then what about me?¡± a woman¡¯s voice asked from behind Lu Na.


    The woman was wearing a dark red dress. Her dark hair flowed behind her with a small bun on top, held together by a pin that looked like a dagger. The most surprising thing was that she wore a short sword at her hip.


    As far as Lu Na knew, it was illegal to walk around with a sword unless you were a constable of the magistrate. Even the general yamen runners like her brother who helped police only had staves to use. This woman was dangerous.


    Cui Yi stared at the woman for a moment before he bowed at the waist.


    ¡°Young Miss Sun, I didn¡¯t know you were here already. I would have had my best servants and maids serve you. Anything you wish is at your command.¡±


    ¡°Young Miss Sun,¡± Lu Na curtsied.


    Sun Ren lifted Lu Na from her curtsy, but left Cui Yi bowing.


    ¡°That¡¯s good to know. Then the first thing I want is what the Young Miss Lu asked for: a large snack and tea for the both of us. I apologize if that interrupts your work or delays you in any way.¡±


    Cui Yi kept his head down.


    ¡°No, no, it is my honor to serve you. As head servant of the Lu family, it would bring us shame if we hesitated at all when serving such an esteemed guest.¡±


    ¡°Then Young Miss Lu and I will wait for you in her quarters.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, Young Miss Sun. I will arrange the best snacks and tea we have for you.¡±


    Sun Ren towered over the still bent Cui Yi.


    ¡°If you were my servant, I would have made you a eunuch for the way you disrespected Young Miss Lu.¡±


    Cui Yi knelt down and kowtowed to Sun Ren.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the disrespect Young Miss Sun. I¡¯m sorry for the disrespect Young Miss Lu.¡±


    ¡°Well then, shall we leave then Young Miss Lu?¡± Sun Ren smirked.


    Lu Na nodded and followed Sun Ren out of the kitchen. That was the first time she had ever seen Cui Yi grovel like that.


    ¡°Now she I like,¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit said. ¡°If only she was a man. I would have another to ogle.¡±


    Lu Na wished she could reach into her spirit realm and slap that spirit sometimes. But in this case, she hated to admit that she might be in love with this woman, too.

 Chapter 3 - The Noble Sun Ren

    Chapter 3 - The Noble Sun Ren


    Lu Na led Sun Ren to her quarters. It was one of the smaller sections of the Lu compound, but it still had a large private bedroom, a private outhouse, and a large pavilion in the middle of a lush garden. This year, she allowed her servants to decorate the space however they wanted.


    Red lanterns hung on the four corners of the pavilion, with candles already lit inside. There were clay rabbits painted green placed everywhere. The top of the pavilion had the different phases of the moon painted on it. Lu Na¡¯s courtyard looked like a painting for children. She couldn¡¯t believe that her servants still thought of her as one. Or maybe they were more childish than she thought.


    ¡°Amazing, it looks like the spirit realm here,¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit said.


    ¡°If this is what the spirit realm looks like, I¡¯m a little scared about going there one day,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°Oh, sorry. I was talking with my spirit.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Sun Ren stared at Lu Na, focusing on her chest.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like you¡¯ve practiced any summoner techniques. How are you able to talk with your spirit?¡±


    Lu Na sat down on a stone chair in her pavilion.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean. I¡¯ve always talked with my spirit since we¡¯ve been bonded.¡±


    Sun Ren sat down opposite Lu Na.


    ¡°Normally, most people who aren¡¯t practicing summoners can¡¯t hear their spirits. They¡¯re just there. That¡¯s how I felt when I first bonded with Baihu. It took me at least two years of practicing with my sifu before I could hear her. But you¡¯re telling me you¡¯ve heard your spirit since you¡¯ve been bonded?¡±


    Lu Na nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Extraordinary? Awesome? Amazing? Best spirit in the world?¡± her spirit supplied.


    ¡°Weird,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°Tell her I¡¯m going to show her weird. She better watch herself at night as she sleeps.¡±


    Lu Na chuckled.


    ¡°She thought you were going to say something good about her being able to talk with me. But no, I never found it weird since my mother helped me bond with this spirit. I always thought it was something she did for me and my brother.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame about your mother,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°I¡¯m over it. But it¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve seen you. You¡¯ve changed a lot,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Oh, have I?¡±


    ¡°All I remembered was when I first met you. You looked so serious like you were about to study for a test. Now you look¡­¡±


    ¡°More relaxed?¡± Sun Ren raised her chin, taking a long deep breath. ¡°You know, you weren¡¯t wrong. I was a very serious child. I¡¯ve been trying to get my father to take me seriously for so long. And now, I¡¯ve finally gotten him to recognize my hard work. Of course, my brothers can do whatever and be recognized because they¡¯re boys, but we women have it harder. One day you¡¯ll understand.¡±


    ¡°I already do. So why are you visiting us?¡±


    Sun Ren leaned in like she was about to tell Lu Na a secret.


    It made Lu Na lean in too.


    Sun Ren laughed. She laughed really hard and loud, throwing her head back. Her cool composure gone as she laughed.


    ¡°It was because it¡¯s the Mid-Autumn Festival and I had no one to celebrate it with. My mother is going to visit her parents and they absolutely hate me. My brothers are going to be spending their time in the most expensive brothel in the city. So I asked my father to let me stay with a friend. Who better than my father¡¯s own sworn brother with a daughter my age? This way, I can do what I want and my father will think that I¡¯m safe, so boringly safe.¡±


    ¡°Safe? Safe from what? You have an army of bodyguards,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Ever since my father put down the rebels, we¡¯ve gained a lot of enemies, especially among the poor. They feel as if we¡¯re supporting the corruption in the Imperial government. And so whenever he leaves on campaign, he tries to keep us safe. And I told him, there¡¯s no place safer than with my friend.¡±


    ¡°Wow, you actually have a friend?¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit said.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you came then,¡± Lu Na said, ignoring her spirit. ¡°But it¡¯s been so long since we last saw each other. I thought you would have forgotten me already.¡±


    Sun Ren smiled, showing just a bit of teeth.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest. It wasn¡¯t you I remembered so fondly, but your mother. But I¡¯m sure we had some fun times together and we will have some fun times this time around, too. Besides, I brought a couple of friends with me.¡±


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    ¡°Friends?¡±


    ¡°Senior Sun Ren, may we enter?¡± a woman called from the archway to Lu Na¡¯s courtyard. She was a tall woman, wearing a bright red tunic with the family name Sun sewn into the back and sleeves. She had no adornments other than the sword at her hip.


    ¡°This is not my home. You¡¯ll have to ask Young Miss Lu for permission,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°Who are they?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Summoners,¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit said. ¡°I can sense a large group of summoners just outside, all stronger than the ones that attacked you this morning. We might be under attack.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re my bodyguards and fellow disciples of my sifu,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°They go everywhere with me. With the recent kidnappings, my father thought it would be wise to keep them with me. I hope you don¡¯t have an issue with sharing a space with twenty-one other women.¡±


    Lu Na looked around her courtyard. By herself with a few of her maids, it was a vast area, but twenty-one other women?


    ¡°So, can they come in?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°Oh, yes, of course. It would be ungracious of me to deny my guests what they need,¡± Lu Na said.


    Sun Ren waved her hand to beckon the ladies in.


    ¡°But where are they staying? My quarters here aren¡¯t big enough for them all,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. They¡¯re used to sleeping on the ground if they have to. But I¡¯m sure your father will find a way to house them in your large compound.¡±


    All the women walked into Lu Na¡¯s courtyard. They all wore the same uniform as the first, but none of them were as tall as the first. The first woman was easily taller than Lu Na¡¯s brother.


    When Sun Ren visited as a child, at most she had a maid to mind her and a few guards. This was bordering on ridiculous. Yet what could she say? Customs dictate that the guests be received with every courtesy, especially one that is as important as Sun Ren.


    The last woman in the red uniform walked in with a tray of food. She brought it to the pavilion¡¯s table and laid it down.


    ¡°I checked to make sure that there was no poison and tasted it myself,¡± she said. ¡°Although, if Young Miss Lu would please forgive my bluntness, that servant that came by looks very suspicious. Do I have permission to beat him if he gets out of line?¡±


    ¡°Yes, one hundred times, yes.¡± It sounded almost like her spirit was yelling in her head. There was glee in her voice.


    As much as Lu Na wanted to agree, she couldn¡¯t. Head servant Cui Yi would just go back to her second mother and complain. Sun Ren and her bodyguards were only going to be here for a short while. She would have to still live with them afterwards.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s going to do anything foolish. He knows better than most how to recognize which way the wind is blowing,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°But if he endangers Young Miss Sun, please don¡¯t hold back on my account.¡±


    The woman nodded and walked away.


    ¡°You know, if you dislike that man, I can have him permanently removed,¡± Sun Ren whispered. ¡°I do that kind of stuff now.¡±


    ¡°Your mouth is gaping,¡± her spirit said.


    Lu Na closed her mouth.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Lu Na eyed Sun Ren¡¯s sword at her hip. That was a dangerous weapon.


    Sun Ren broke out laughing again.


    ¡°Oh Na Na, you¡¯re so funny.¡±


    ¡°Hey, only Mother and brother call me that,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°And you looked so serious. You look so different compared to all the other Young Misses I¡¯ve talked with. I don¡¯t know when you¡¯re kidding or not.¡±


    Sun Ren settled down and tapped the stone table once.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll stop teasing you. I¡¯ve been training tirelessly since last we met as children and this is the first time I can enjoy myself. That¡¯s why I came here. The only place I remembered having fun. So while I¡¯m here, think of me as nothing more than a friend.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Just stop teasing me already.¡±


    ¡°That was the last time, I promise. However, I am bound to my father¡¯s honor of protecting the people of this city. So if anyone becomes an issue, tell me and I will resolve it for you.¡±


    Lu Na nodded. This was going to be a tough few days with such a guest. But at least now she could rest easy, knowing that she was safer than she was this morning.


    Lu Na spent the rest of the afternoon eating and talking about different things. Sun Ren talked about all her summoner training and other things happening in the country. Lu Na talked about all the gossip surrounding the other Young Misses in the city. Time passed by so quickly that night fell and they were still at the pavilion.


    Lu Fengxian approached the archway to enter Lu Na¡¯s quarters, but Sun Ren¡¯s bodyguards stopped him. He clasped his hands and bowed low.


    ¡°Young Miss Sun, might I approach you ladies?¡± he called over.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Sun Ren said.


    The bodyguards in red parted for him to walk over. Behind him trailed a few servants.


    ¡°My father, Lu Tien, sends his regards,¡± Lu Fengxian said with a deep bow once he reached their table. ¡°He apologizes for not being able to dine with you tonight, but he sent me as his representative to make sure every courtesy is given to our esteemed guest.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Lu is a very busy man. Besides, I don¡¯t think he would be very good company,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°Please, join us.¡±


    Lu Fengxian nodded and sat opposite the two ladies with a straight back.


    ¡°You can drop the formality while there is no one around. We¡¯re all friends here,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°And stop calling me a lady,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Not that you ever were one.¡± Her spirit chuckled.


    Lu Na wasn¡¯t sure what triggered her spirit, but she was being very catty around Sun Ren and her brother. She was going to have to talk with her later.


    The bodyguards in red came over with the many dishes of food. There were so many dishes that it filled up the stone table with many distinct colors and smells. There were fish, an entire roast duck, a small suckling pig, and five different vegetables that were stir-fried and boiled.


    ¡°Everything has been tested and it¡¯s safe,¡± the lead bodyguard said.


    ¡°Well, I would hope so. It would be silly to poison ourselves as well,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Not if you¡¯ve already taken the antidote first,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°That¡¯s going too far.¡±


    ¡°Or if our father cared even less about his own children to poison someone else,¡± Lu Fengxian said.


    That was unexpected. Lu Na never thought of her brother to be so cynical about their father before.


    ¡°Well, now that we¡¯ve established that everything is safe anyway, let¡¯s eat,¡± Sun Ren said.


    Lu Fengxian sat up straight the entire time, eating quietly, never making direct eye contact with Sun Ren. He looked little at Lu Na for that matter either. Of course, with a guest here, Lu Na would not question her brother.


    Lu Na wanted to say something, but her brother has made it very awkward. Even Sun Ren, who was talkative before, said little.


    ¡°Well, this is boring. Get me when something interesting happens.¡± Lu Na felt as if her spirit had disconnected from her mind. She rarely did that unless she went to sleep or when her spirit got tired for whatever reason. Lu Na didn¡¯t understand the process at all and no matter how much she asked the spirit, it wouldn¡¯t explain anything.


    The night was winding down into something calm. At least until the bells started ringing and the screaming.

 Chapter 4 - Night Attack

    Chapter 4 - Night Attack


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re under attack. Lu Na, take our guest to the safe house and lock yourselves in.¡± Lu Fengxian was already up and jogging toward the exit before she answered.


    ¡°This had never happened before,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°Who would attack us in the heart of Jianye? Where is the magistrate?¡±


    Sun Ren¡¯s bodyguards in red all came in and surrounded Sun Ren at the stone table.


    ¡°Orders, Senior Sun?¡± the lead bodyguard asked.


    ¡°Ma Yunlu, protect Lu Na as if she were me. We will follow her to the safe house and reinforce¡ª¡±


    A loud explosion rocked the courtyard. The wall on the east side collapsed and a large metal rooster strode through the hole. It had a metal skin surrounding its head that dissolved the moment it came into the courtyard. It reared its head back and crowed. The sound was like metal scraping on metal.


    Following the rooster, a stream of men in pale blue tunics rushed in. They held staves in their hands and some carried torches.


    ¡°Change of plans, fortify Lu Na¡¯s bedroom and hold them out here,¡± Sun Ren said.


    The twenty-one bodyguards in red moved as one. They all unsheathed their swords and approached the invaders to stop them from pouring into the courtyard. A few of them dragged Lu Na with them to her bedroom, with Sun Ren following behind.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Your heart is racing. Did your brother take off his shirt again?¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit asked.


    ¡°No, shut up spirit. We¡¯re under attack,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    When they got into her bedroom, the bodyguards grabbed whatever they could to block the windows. They stacked chairs and the small tables against them as well as they could.


    The wall on the east side of the bedroom exploded. A large metal claw raked the walls again and again until there was another gaping hole.


    ¡°Out, everyone out,¡± Sun Ren commanded.


    The bodyguards in red opened the door and filed out with Lu Na and Sun Ren standing between them.


    ¡°Senior Sun, we¡¯re going to have to deal with the rooster summoner before we can take care of the minions,¡± Ma Yunlu said.


    ¡°Do we have anywhere else we can go Lu Na?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    Lu Na swallowed and stared at Sun Ren. The scene from this morning flashed before her eyes. Her brother will come and save them. He had to. That large rooster will easily rip them all to shreds and only he can defend them.


    ¡°Lu Na, focus. Where is the safe room?¡± Sun Ren shook Lu Na.


    ¡°Senior Sun, she will not be useful. What are your orders?¡± Ma Yunlu said.


    ¡°I hate to do this, but everyone summon your spirits. They want to break the laws, then we will make sure they pay for it.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? If we summon our spirits in the city, the magistrate will throw us into jail.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather be in jail than dead. That rooster will not leave us in one piece otherwise.¡±


    Ma Yunlu pointed at a woman wearing her hair in criss-crossing braids.


    "Junior Jiang, summon your snake."


    The woman nodded and clenched her fist, raising it into the sky. A large red snake rose from her body into the sky. It coiled in on itself before launching at the metal rooster. At once, all the other bodyguards in red summoned their spirits. Spirit essence flooded the small courtyard and different animals sprang to life to deal with the invaders. The bodyguards in red fought alongside them with their swords.


    ¡°We¡¯re outnumbered and in open space here. There is no winning,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°We need to know about the safe house, Lu Na.¡±


    ¡°Hey, she¡¯s talking to you. Answer her. I don¡¯t want to die here.¡± A slight shock hit Lu Na in the back of the head.


    Lu Na shook her head.


    ¡°What was that for?¡±


    ¡°The safe house, tell Sun Ren.¡±


    Lu Na looked at the grim fight and realized that they weren¡¯t winning. The bodyguards in red could hold against the invaders, but they were badly outnumbered as more people poured through the hole in the wall.


    ¡°Okay, my brother told me that the safe house is at the center of the compound, where my father¡¯s quarters are. That¡¯s where most of the guards sleep and should be the fastest to react. It¡¯s only a short distance from here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a plan. Lead the way.¡± Sun Ren lifted two fingers to her mouth and blew three whistles. She turned and ran through the archway of Lu Na¡¯s courtyard. Lu Na followed as the bodyguards in red made a slow retreat from the invaders. They kept pace with them while protecting Sun Ren and Lu Na.


    Lu Na ran ahead of the group, with Sun Ren beside her. She stopped just outside of her father¡¯s courtyard.


    Lu Fengxian and his cow spirit were fighting four spirits. His spear was puncturing the spirits over and over, but they healed and kept coming at him. Lu Na had never seen him so focused before and yet, he was being injured.


    There were other invaders fighting the Lu family guards, but Lu Na knew that only a few of them were practicing summoners. This battle was not going well for them.


    Sun Ren unsheathed her sword and joined the melee.


    ¡°Use your wards, Lu Na,¡± her spirit said.


    Lu Na took out a few of her wards and activated them around her. The temporary walls allowed the bodyguards in red to hide behind and take temporary shelter against the swarm of summoners coming from her courtyard. It also blocked the entry to her father¡¯s courtyard.


    Lu Na kept creating more and more earthen walls around Sun Ren and her bodyguards. Slowly, they were pushing against the invaders, fighting her brother. Soon, they could link up with them to fight the invaders coming from Lu Na¡¯s quarters.


    The fighting in the courtyard intensified as the invaders realized they were being cut off from the rest of their force. But despite that, they soon fell, most of them uninjured but unconscious, as their spirits were defeated.


    The fighting stalled as the invaders didn¡¯t push against Lu Na¡¯s earthen walls.


    ¡°Water!¡± Lu Fengxian shouted.


    A servant from their father¡¯s study came out with water and passed it around to the fighters.


    Lu Fengxian made his way over to Lu Na. His clothes were torn from the waist up and black and blue welts were forming all over his body.


    ¡°What happened in your courtyard?¡±


    ¡°They burst through the wall and almost got us,¡± Sun Ren said. She sheathed her sword.


    ¡°Blunt swords?¡± Lu Fengxian asked.


    ¡°My father might be the Marquis. It doesn¡¯t make us above the law.¡±


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± Lu Na asked. ¡°Where do we go?¡±


    Lu Fengxian drank the rest of his water before tossing the bowl back to the servant.


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    ¡°Let¡¯s hope they will negotiate now that their surprise attack failed.¡±


    ¡°And what if they demand to give me up?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t give her up, no matter what,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°The thought has crossed my mind. The only reason they¡¯re attacking us now is because they know you¡¯re here. Your father has made quite a few enemies who would use your family as hostages.¡± Lu Fengxian stretched using his spear. ¡°But I don¡¯t think my father would like that.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of him, where is he?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°When the alarm bells rang, he should have already left through the secret tunnel underneath the compound with his two sons. He closed the exit before I even got here so we can¡¯t go that way.¡±


    ¡°Why would he do that?¡± Lu Na asked. But she knew the answer already. Her father never cared much for her or her older brother.


    A knocking came from one of the earthen walls.


    ¡°Hey, can we discuss this?¡± a woman¡¯s voice called from the other side.


    ¡°A temporary truce?¡± Lu Fengxian called out.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lu Fengxian walked up to the earthen wall and lowered it with his hand. That was something new for Lu Na. Her ward made the wall, not by her brother. How did he lower it as if it was his?


    ¡°Am I talking with Lu Fengxian?¡± the woman asked. She was wearing a deep blue uniform that looked almost black in the night. Only the shimmering torches revealed the blue. She didn¡¯t hold a staff like the other invaders.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lu Fengxian said.


    ¡°Just my luck. I thought you would have escaped with your father when we attacked. My name is Wong Yoong. I came here for only one person. If you give me that person, then we will leave the rest of your family alone.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t have Sun Ren,¡± Lu Na said, standing in front of Sun Ren.


    Wong Yoong looked over at Lu Na.


    ¡°Are you willing to sacrifice yourself and everyone here to protect the person I want?¡±


    Lu Na looked around at the tired faces of the Lu family guards and all the bodyguards in red. Sun Ren was stoic, her hand resting on her sword. The bodyguards in red closing in around her. She wasn¡¯t sure she would make that choice if it meant giving up Sun Ren.


    ¡°We have killed no one yet, but if we don¡¯t get what we want, we will start,¡± Wong Yoong continued. ¡°As you sit here considering the worth of these people, I have more of my people coming in from all the entrances. And you can save them all if you just hand over one person.¡±


    ¡°No, we can¡¯t. I might not be worth anything, but my friend is priceless,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Does she speak for all of you?¡± Wong Yoong asked.


    ¡°No, she does not.¡± Lu Fengxian walked forward with his spear. Surprisingly, the four summoners that he fought were still alive even though he held a lethal weapon. ¡°If it¡¯s Sun Ren you want, we can¡¯t hand her over. She is a guest under our protection.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Wong Yoong looked from Lu Fengxiang to Lu Na. ¡°I¡¯m not after whoever this Sun Ren is. I am here for Lu Tien¡¯s daughter, Lu Na.¡±


    Hearing her own name froze the world for Lu Na. All of this was for her?


    ¡°What do you want with my sister?¡± Lu Fengxian asked.


    ¡°Well, we tried to invite her to our sect this morning, but one of my juniors told me you beat them away. I thought that was rather ill mannered for someone inviting someone else, so I thought I¡¯d come and invite her myself as one of the senior disciples from the Wintersweet Sect.¡±


    ¡°You mean kidnap her,¡± Lu Fengxian said.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t put it like that, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then I challenge you to a duel. If you beat me, then I will willingly hand over my sister.¡±


    Wong Yoong laughed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone in Jianye can beat you in a duel. That would be a foolish thing to agree to, especially when I have superior¡ª¡±


    Lu Fengxian kicked his spear out in front of him and thrusted it at Wong Yoong. It stopped inches away from her face. A large metal claw held it in its grasp.


    ¡°Sun Ren, take my sister out of here. Protect her and I, Lu Fengxian, will one day repay you whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Sun Ren said. She grabbed Lu Na by her wrist and dragged her away. The bodyguards in red all reacted at once, unsheathing their swords and summoning their spirits again.


    The chaotic fighting started again. Although outnumbered, Sun Ren¡¯s bodyguards in red could hold them off. They were more organized than the invaders that were pouring into the courtyard.


    ¡°Where is the closest exit?¡± Sun Ren asked as she fought.


    Lu Na looked around. Her home didn¡¯t look like her home anymore. All the decorations the servants and maids put up had been destroyed and made the courtyard look like a massacre in red.


    ¡°Lu Na, focus. Where is the closest exit? We need to get out of here now,¡± Sun Ren said.


    Lu Na remembered one of her maids taking her out from the side entrance that was closest to her father¡¯s courtyard.


    ¡°Follow me.¡± Lu Na moved as quickly as she could. Her dress was making it hard to run in so she pulled it up. She felt herself blush, but being a little improper was worth being alive and free.


    Sun Ren and Ma Yunlu were the only ones that followed her.


    As soon as they left her father¡¯s courtyard, it was empty. Everything looked frozen in time as some decorations were on the floor, still about to be hung up. Luckily, all the lanterns were already lit, making it easier to navigate.


    Lu Na found the small alley that the maid took her one time. The flashes of memory of begging the maid to take her out secretly made it bittersweet. She hoped the maid was alright among all this madness.


    Once they were out of the alley, Lu Na stopped. There were three invaders blocking off the exit. They wore the same pale blue as the others.


    ¡°Senior Sun, let me distract them as you two run,¡± Ma Yunlu said.


    ¡°There aren¡¯t that many of them,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°They most likely put some minor guards here that aren¡¯t that strong. We should be able to take them and make a retreat before their reinforcements arrive.¡±


    ¡°No, my duty is to protect you, even at the cost of my life. If they¡¯re stronger than they look or have more reinforcements waiting, then you and Young Miss Lu will have less chance of escape.¡±


    Sun Ren stared at the invaders for a short time.


    Lu Na realized that her heart was pounding. The moment of rest made her realize her legs were burning from running.


    ¡°Fine. If you somehow survive without being captured, remember where to meet us,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°Blossom Scent Parlor.¡±


    Sun Ren nodded. She handed Ma Yunlu her sword.


    ¡°Go show these foolish summoners the true power and training of the Sun family.¡±


    Ma Yunlu bowed her head.


    ¡°Lu Na, do you have any more of those items you used to make those walls?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    Lu Na¡¯s hand went to her waist. She still had a few of her wards tied there. She took one and gave it to Sun Ren.


    ¡°All you have to do is pull the string and drop it.¡±


    ¡°No, that will be your job.¡± Sun Ren untied her belt. Her tunic loosened before she shrugged it onto the ground. Underneath, she wore a tight fitting black shirt that had her family name Sun embroidered in red on her back and sleeves. She then pulled out a sword from her belt. It was a long, flexible metal that straightened once it came out of her belt. ¡°If needed, I will fight them as you drop those walls behind us to stop them from following us. And if these second-rate summoners want to follow us, they better be prepared to die.¡±


    Lu Na stood and gaped at Sun Ren. The invaders and their powerful spirits had scared her, but Sun Ren stunned her. How did the Young Miss of the Marquis suddenly turn into an assassin?


    ¡°Hey, Lu Na, snap out of it,¡± her spirit said.


    ¡°Spirit?¡± Lu Na whispered.


    ¡°I need you to focus harder than you¡¯ve ever focused on getting out of here alive, or else your mother is going to be furious at me when I see her again. I¡¯m going to do everything I can to help. So follow my instructions.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    Ma Yunlu nodded as she wielded the two blunt swords. She took a couple of practice swings with them, making arcs around her body with them. With her height and reach, she would be deadly with actual swords.


    ¡°Senior Sun, I will see you on the other side.¡±


    Ma Yunlu summoned her spirit. A horse as black as the night appeared in front of her. The light from the lanterns and torches disappeared into its body, not reflecting or showing. Only the pale moonlight from above showed its body for a moment as the spirit moved. The spirit moved fluidly like water that was trying to escape its bowl.


    Somehow, Ma Lunlu could jump into her horse spirit while holding two swords. She held her swords out from her body while gripping onto the horse with only her thigh.


    ¡°Go!¡± Ma Yunlu rode forward, surging like water pushed out from a pipe.


    ¡°Follow closely Lu Na and drop those walls,¡± Sun Ren said.


    Lu Na had three in her hands, ready to drop at any time. This was the craziest thing she¡¯d ever experienced and she could hear her heart pounding against her chest.


    Sun Ren moved fast right behind Ma Yunlu.


    When Ma Yunlu reached the invaders, she hit one hard with her sword and the person crumpled. The other two raised their staves and stopped the next hit. Just as she predicted, more invaders came from a short distance away to attack her. While the invaders made wild swings at Ma Yunlu, she parried them and struck back with incredible precision, knocking another invader down.


    ¡°Now that is a warrior. She¡¯s superb. Why couldn¡¯t I have bonded with her?¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit said.


    ¡°Not the time,¡± Lu Na said.


    Following behind Sun Ren, the invaders didn¡¯t notice them. They made it out into an open area of the city. This was where the street vendors would usually set up. Sun Ren stopped before they stepped out.


    ¡°Why are we waiting?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Sun Ren looked around.


    ¡°It¡¯s too muted.¡±


    Now that they were away from the fighting back there, Lu Na could pause and listen. But they couldn¡¯t see anything as the pale moonlight couldn¡¯t pierce the dark night.


    ¡°Is there any other way we can get out of here?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I rarely go this way.¡±


    Sun Ren raised her sword up and stepped forward slowly, with Lu Na beside her.


    A large bolt of fire flew at them. It lit up the street for only a moment.


    Lu Na froze when she saw it.


    Sun Ren shoved Lu Na hard to the side but she didn¡¯t have enough time to avoid the bolt herself. It struck her in the chest, knocking her to the ground.


    ¡°Sun Ren!¡± Lu Na went to the fallen woman¡¯s side.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°It just burns a lit¡ª¡±


    Right before Lu Na¡¯s eyes, Sun Ren turned into a small fox pup. She saw two people dressed like the invaders walking toward her. What was she to do? She¡¯s not like Sun Ren. She didn¡¯t know how to take action.


    ¡°Pick up the girl and run,¡± her spirit told her.


    Lu Na did just that.

 Chapter 5 - Sanctuary

    Chapter 5 - Sanctuary


    Lu Na ran. She ran as fast as she could in the dim streets, holding a small fluff of fur, and going wherever her feet took her. It didn¡¯t take her long to recognize the streets. When she did, her feet carried her to a more familiar place.


    She was headed to Uncle Chen¡¯s store. He wasn¡¯t her actual uncle, but he¡¯d been there to help her with her inventions ever since her mother left them. He was the closest thing to an actual uncle Lu Na ever had any interaction with. And for her mother, he would take her in.


    At least that¡¯s what Lu Na hoped.


    The only problem was the two invaders still chasing after her.


    ¡°What do I do spirit? I don¡¯t think I can get away from those two,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to trust me. Turn right at the end of the street.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s a dead end.¡±


    ¡°Trust me.¡±


    Lu Na turned right. The darkness suddenly swallowed her. Moonlight couldn¡¯t reach here as it hadn¡¯t reached high yet. The buildings were also very tall, putting the place in darker shadows. She held the small fox pup close to her chest.


    ¡°Can¡¯t see.¡±


    ¡°Hold on.¡±


    After a moment, the alleyway lit up like the morning.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it now. Just run forward until you reach the end of the alley.¡±


    Lu Na heard the invaders coming closer so she ran ahead as she was told. When she got to the inevitable end of the alley, she stopped and looked around. There was only a wall in the way that she wouldn¡¯t be able to climb and no entrances to any of the buildings.


    ¡°See? Dead end.¡±


    ¡°Quiet. There¡¯s a small hole on the bottom right of the wall. Go there.¡±


    Lu Na peered down and saw the hole.


    ¡°That¡¯s too tiny. I can¡¯t fit in through there.¡±


    ¡°Put Sun Ren through the hole first.¡±


    Lu Na peered down at the fox pup. She was breathing rapidly, but looked like she was just sleeping. There was light coming from the alley¡¯s entrance. The invaders caught up.


    She stooped and pushed Sun Ren through the hole as far as she could.


    ¡°Now reach out and hold on to Sun Ren for a second. You¡¯re about to feel small.¡±


    Lu Na reached into the hole and touched Sun Ren¡¯s fur. After a moment, she felt herself shrink.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask questions. Run through the same hole you put Sun Ren through. This will not last that long.¡±


    Lu Na tried to walk with her legs only to realize that she now had paws instead of feet. She didn¡¯t know how to move herself for a moment before she got down on all fours. This was very weird, but she didn¡¯t have time. The invaders were a few steps away.


    Lu Na shot forward into the hole and made it to the other side. Once she passed through, she grew in size back to herself.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move for a while and stay as quiet as you can.¡±


    Lu Na¡¯s vision turned dark again. She picked up the small fox pop and laid it on her lap. Her heart was pounding.


    Lu Na huddled in the alley¡¯s corner with no idea where she was. At least she wasn¡¯t cold, as it was still summer, but she wasn¡¯t sure what was going on. Who were those people after her? Why were they after her this morning? Why was this happening?


    As she thought about these questions, she quietly fell asleep.


    A few hours later, she awoke to someone shaking her.


    ¡°Lu Na, get up,¡± Sun Ren said.


    Lu Na opened her eyes and felt sore all over. Her neck hurt, her arms hurt, and her legs felt like pins and needles going through them as she tried to move. She hadn¡¯t felt this sore since her brother made her train with her. Of course that didn¡¯t last long, so it¡¯d been a while.


    It was still dark and the moon was high overhead, illuminating everything in the moonlight.


    Sun Ren sat next to Lu Na, leaning on her shoulder. She still held onto her chest where there was a large scorch mark.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°No. But thanks to Baihu, I will survive,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°She¡¯s telling me we have to find shelter and a doctor or I can get worse.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure where to go. We can¡¯t go back to my home. Can we go to yours?¡± The thought of going to Sun Ren¡¯s home, protected by many more family guards and trained summoners would be heaven compared to her own.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we would make it that far. Whoever attacked your home was still patrolling the streets. I only woke you up because I think they finally stopped.¡±


    ¡°You can still make it to Uncle Chen¡¯s. He¡¯s right around the corner,¡± her spirit said.


    ¡°I know of a place we can go to. Can you walk?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Sun Ren nodded. With Lu Na¡¯s help, she got up. She could walk, but she leaned heavily onto Lu Na with every step.


    ¡°Thank you for saving my life, by the way,¡± Lu Na said. She couldn¡¯t think about how such an attack would have hurt her or maybe probably killed her. She had no summoner training and her own spirit wouldn¡¯t be able to protect her even if it tried.


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    ¡°It is my duty to protect the citizens of this city, even in the absence of my father.¡±


    ¡°That is probably true, but just admit it, you love me and can¡¯t live without me. That¡¯s why you did it.¡±


    Sun Ren chuckled.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly why I did it. Let¡¯s elope.¡±


    Slowly, they made their way to Uncle Chen¡¯s store. The front was boarded up for the night, but Lu Na knew he slept just inside of the store. His store was robbed one night as he slept in his own bed. He lost a lot so now he guarded the store, alongside three hired summoners that would attack first, ask questions later.


    Lu Na knocked on the wooden boards. They were decorated with red lanterns for the festival.


    ¡°Uncle Chen? It¡¯s me, Lu Na. I need your help.¡±


    One board came flying off the storefront, crashing into the ground. A large spider spirit popped out and clung to the other boards. Its maw was open, revealing serrated teeth as it raised its six claws toward Lu Na and Sun Ren.


    Sun Ren already had her sword out, but she held it across her chest, prepared to defend herself. That¡¯s when she really leaned on Lu Na, causing her to almost topple over. For a petite woman, Sun Ren was heavier than she looked like her brother, except her brother was full of muscle and quite taller.


    Coming out beside the spider was an older man with a mostly bald head. He had some hair on the side, but they were sparse. Normally, he¡¯d be wearing a hat of some kind to cover it, but no one wears a hat to bed. He also wore a large jade ring on his right thumb that he never took off, not even for baths.


    ¡°I¡¯m warning you. You better be Lu Na or else I¡¯m going to make sure the spider eats you slowly,¡± Uncle Chen said.


    ¡°And if I am? Are you going to make the spider eat me quickly?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°It is you. What are you doing here so late?¡± Uncle Chen looked over at Sun Ren. ¡°Whatever the case is, come in first.¡±


    ¡°Thank you Uncle Chen. Sun Ren is really hurt and she needs a doctor.¡±


    The giant spider spirit disappeared. Uncle Chen walked through the door and the ladies followed him. The three summoners on the other side nodded their heads toward them.


    ¡°One of you find a doctor for me. It doesn¡¯t matter how much he wants, tell him I will pay it.¡± Uncle Chen walked through his shop. It was lit with lanterns all around, creating soft warm glows throughout the shop. He sold summoner products that helped many of them practice from incense burners to pre-made offerings for spirits. Anything that any summoner could want for their spirit to increase their spirit essence, he had. ¡°Be careful around here. I didn¡¯t have time to light any lanterns when I heard you pounding on the door.¡±


    Lu Na carefully navigated the piles of preserved fruit and fish. Not too far, there was Uncle Chen¡¯s cot. He had a light blanket on it and not much else.


    ¡°Lay her down here,¡± Uncle Chen said.


    Lu Na gently laid Sun Ren onto the cot. The moment she did, Sun Ren dropped her sword and closed her eyes. Moments later, she was fast asleep.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, Uncle Chen,¡± Lu Na said. She stroked Sun Ren¡¯s hair, trying to get some of the dirt out. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve been hearing about people kidnapping girls in the city and one tried to kidnap me this morning, but I never thought they would have attacked my home.¡±


    ¡°Was your brother with you?¡±


    Lu Na sat down on the floor, her body aching again. She was too tired to stand.


    ¡°Yes. He saved me this morning. And before you ask, last I saw he was fighting those invaders that came into my home. They were powerful, too. One of them had a large rooster that could slice through walls. And there were so many of them.¡±


    ¡°What about your father and second mother?¡± Uncle Chen walked over to a table.


    Lu Na grimaced.


    ¡°They left with my two younger brothers the moment they heard the alarms. They didn¡¯t wait for me and Fengxian before they barred the exit to their secret tunnel.¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Uncle Chen poured some tea and gave the cup to Lu Na. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t have done that if your mother was still around. She would beat him half to death for abandoning you two if she knew.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but she¡¯s not here now is she? Sometimes I think our father keeps us around only because he¡¯s scared that our mother would come back one day. And if we were to be killed by these invaders, he wouldn¡¯t lose any sleep. He¡¯d blame our deaths on them.¡± Lu Na drank the cup of lukewarm tea. It was oolong, Uncle Chen¡¯s favorite.


    ¡°Who is she?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the daughter of the Marquis. Apparently, her father and mine are sworn brothers. I¡¯m not sure. Do you have any food Uncle Chen?¡±


    Uncle Chen looked around and thought for a moment.


    ¡°Of course. I have some buns. But they¡¯re cold.¡±


    Lu Na¡¯s stomach rumbled at the thought.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll eat anything. I haven¡¯t eaten since early afternoon when Sun Ren came.¡±


    Uncle Chen walked over to another table further into his store before coming back with three very large, white, fluffy buns.


    ¡°I was going to eat this tomorrow, but here.¡±


    Lu Na reached up and dug into the buns with large bites. The fluffy outer bread gave way to salty meat inside. The mix of tastes was better than anything she¡¯d ever eaten before. This was better than those meals she had when their father had important guests over. After going through one, she started the second as quickly only after drinking another cup of tea. It was only by the third one did she slow down.


    ¡°Thank you so much, Uncle Chen.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Your mother has helped me more than you would ever know. I could never repay her in my next ten lives.¡± Uncle Chen yawned, his mouth opening wide.


    A knock came at the door. The two other summoners tensed up as they each summoned their spirits. The large spider was joined by an equally large rat.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got the doctor,¡± a man called out.


    ¡°Let him in, but be wary. These two ladies are still being hunted.¡± Uncle Chen sat down beside Lu Na as he peered over his products toward the entrance of his store.


    A doctor was led into the back where they all sat. He dressed in all black and held a wooden chest of medicine that he placed beside the floor by the cot.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to need more lights than this.¡±


    Uncle Chen quickly fetched a match and lit three lanterns by the cot, illuminating the back of the store. More odds and ends showed up that couldn¡¯t be put out in front. A few of them seemed illegal, like small canisters of what looked like salt.


    The doctor looked Sun Ren over from head to toe and examined the wound on her chest closely while holding a lantern very close to her. Luckily, only her clothes were singed on the outside, not revealing any skin so Sun Ren¡¯s modesty was protected. The doctor lifted his free hand over her chest and a slight blue glow came off it.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°She was hit by a summoner¡¯s attack. It looked like fire of some sort,¡± Lu Na said. She was fascinated by what was going on as the spirit essences that the doctor was gathering differed from the usual ones she¡¯s seen. Most people use spirit essences through their spirits to create something. The doctor was using it almost like a mold, trying to take shape of what happened to Sun Ren.


    The doctor stopped and looked up at Uncle Chen.


    ¡°This is going to cost you fifty taels of silver to heal her. Do you have that money?¡±


    Uncle Chen bit his lip.


    ¡°How important is this girl to you, Lu Na?¡±


    ¡°Not only did she save my life, but she¡¯s the daughter of the Marquis.¡±


    ¡°Who is out on campaign,¡± Uncle Chen said. ¡°He might not make it back alive himself while I will be out of fifty taels of silver.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get my father to give me that money. He told us to make sure that Sun Ren is fine.¡±


    ¡°And you don¡¯t know where he is at the moment. He might already be dead.¡±


    ¡°Oh, just tell him you¡¯ll pay for it yourself. Your hairpin is worth more than that alone,¡± her spirit said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you my hairpin.¡± Lu Na reached up to unhook it from her hair.


    ¡°No.¡± Uncle Chen stopped her. He turned to the doctor. ¡°Heal her. I¡¯ll pay.¡± He reached into his chest pocket and pulled out five silver sycees, and handed it over to the doctor.


    ¡°Fine then. Step back, but the girl has to help me with the patient¡¯s clothing.¡±


    Uncle Chen went to the front with his guards and sat down with them.


    ¡°Okay, girl, you¡¯re going to have to help me remove her outer tunic. I need to see if there is any physical damage underneath.¡±


    Lu Na followed the instructions and gently removed it. As she suspected, the attack didn¡¯t go through the tunic. How did the doctor not see that already?


    The doctor waved his hand over it again with the blue glowing lights. The spirit essences coalesced onto Sun Ren¡¯s chest, but didn¡¯t go anywhere.


    ¡°Good, no physical damage. The next part is going to be difficult as her spirit realm within her body has been damaged by the attack. I¡¯m going to need you to bring me a few things from time to time such as water. Do you think you can do that?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lu Na said. She would have agreed to go down to the underworld if it would help Sun Ren.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s begin.¡±

 Chapter 6 - Discovering New Things

    Chapter 6 - Discovering New Things


    The entire healing process took over two hours. By the end, Lu Na had fetched more tea and other necessities for the doctor than she¡¯d ever had before in her life. Although to be fair, she rarely ever had to with so many maids around her, anyway. She had only ever done it for her brother or for her mother when she was younger.


    ¡°She was injured worse than I thought,¡± the doctor said. ¡°It seemed like whoever attacked her meant to kill her. If her own spirit realm constitution wasn¡¯t so strong to begin with, they might have succeeded. There¡¯s still some of the spirit essence in her body, but it will go away over the next few days. It shouldn¡¯t hurt or hinder her.¡±


    ¡°Thank you doctor,¡± Uncle Chen said with a loud yawn. ¡°I trust this incident won¡¯t be shared with anyone else.¡± He took out another nugget of silver and handed it to the doctor.


    ¡°No, of course not.¡± The doctor took the nugget and placed it inside his money pouch. ¡°Besides, you don¡¯t get a doctor in the middle of the night who doesn¡¯t have discretion.¡±


    After the doctor left, Uncle Chen sat down beside Lu Na.


    ¡°You must be exhausted from helping him all night.¡±


    Lu Na was staring at Sun Ren¡¯s chest. She wasn¡¯t all there at that moment, but something had clicked inside her mind. Watching the doctor use spirit essence in such new ways gave her an idea. First, the doctor¡¯s molding technique told her about how the world of spirit essence worked. It gave her the idea of how she might use raw spirit essence to build a device to do whatever she wanted. That had endless possibilities, but would have to be explored later.


    The more important one was when the doctor used his technique to block off the foreign spirit essence that entered Sun Ren¡¯s body. He could isolate it and cut it out of her. It took him many tries and a long time but it looked like he was also trying to avoid hurting Sun Ren¡¯s spirit realm and her body. He went in just enough to cut out pieces of it like drinking boiling soup, one sip at a time.


    Lu Na reached her hand over Sun Ren and felt more than she saw that the doctor wasn¡¯t able to cut out everything. There was still some spirit essence left that was pulsing red.


    ¡°Uncle Chen, do you have a spirit wand here?¡±


    ¡°Are you okay, Lu Na? I have been trying to talk with you for the last few minutes and you just stared off into space. Maybe you should get some sleep.¡±


    ¡°No, no, I¡¯m fine Uncle Chen. I¡¯ve just discovered something that I want to try out now. Do you have a spirit wand?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Summoner items and equipment are all I sell here after all, but what do you want to do with it?¡±


    Lu Na peered over at Sun Ren¡¯s injury again.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to help fix Sun Ren.¡±


    ¡°Fix her? You mean heal her? You¡¯re not a doctor. You might kill her.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I will heal nothing, Uncle Chen. Just give me a spirit wand and I¡¯ll show you.¡±


    ¡°Fine. I see there¡¯s no arguing with you. You¡¯re just like your mother.¡±


    Uncle Chen went and got a spirit wand for Lu Na.


    The spirit wand was one of the higher quality wands. Normally, summoners would use these to attract spirits by gathering spirit essence at the tip of the wand. Sometimes, spirits would devour other spirits in order to grow stronger and so these wands would be used as bait.


    With the help of her mother and her spirit, Lu Na found a new way to use the spirit wands. They realized they could combine the spirit essences in certain ways to make them do certain things. It was after many years of trial and error did she finally mimic her brother¡¯s earth wall.


    Now, after watching the doctor reject spirit essence in Sun Ren¡¯s body, Lu Na can finally combine her earlier idea with the doctor¡¯s technique. She started small at first, trying to create a ward that would push all the spirit essence away from it.


    Lu Na grabbed a few pieces of yellow paper with Buddhist texts written on it from Uncle Chen¡¯s store and started making her ward. It turned blue like the doctor¡¯s technique and pushed some of the ambient spirit essence away.


    But like blowing feathers in the wind, some of the spirit essence came back. So the next few wards, she used a different effect. This time, she made a ward that would absorb spirit essence into it. It absorbed spirit essence, but the paper itself couldn¡¯t hold that much and burned up in an eerie blue light.


    ¡°Don¡¯t burn down my store,¡± Uncle Chen said. He wrote down all the materials that Lu Na was using to bill her father. He added it all to the sixty taels of silver that he gave to the doctor.


    ¡°Uncle Chen, do you have anything that captures spirit essence?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Uncle Chen put down his brush to look at Lu Na.


    ¡°Yes, but those are very expensive. I get those from the imperial government as a licensed seller. They¡¯re also incredibly dangerous if you put too much spirit essence in there. It can turn into a bomb.¡±


    ¡°Nevermind then. I don¡¯t want this exploding.¡±


    Lu Na had to think of another way to make the effect she wanted work.


    ¡°What are you doing, anyway? You look like you¡¯re about to burn the biggest offering to your spirit.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to create something new. This ward that I am trying to create will at once push all spirit essence away from the wearer while also sucking it out of the person. I wanted to store it in a bottle or something so it didn¡¯t hurt the person.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that how you were going to help your friend? The doctor said it would go away on its own in a few days.¡±


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    Lu Na nodded, still thinking hard about how to do this. The doctor was right because even now, the spirit essence was dripping out of Sun Ren¡¯s body. But if there was a way she could get it to leave her body faster and test a new ward, why not?


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just push it out of her body instead of storing it?¡± one of Uncle Chen¡¯s guards asked.


    ¡°That could work, except if it¡¯s bad spirit essence, wouldn¡¯t it hurt others or the wearer?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you convert it into harmless spirit essence? There are some techniques that can do that.¡±


    ¡°Except I don¡¯t know it. I would have to observe it before I can copy it to make it into the ward.¡±


    Uncle Chen opened his mouth and then shut it quickly.


    ¡°Uncle Chen, what aren¡¯t you telling me?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m going to indulge this foolishness, but my spirit can do that. It¡¯s one of the few reasons I¡¯m the only seller of those spirit essence bottles because I can change whatever is kept in there into water.¡±


    Lu Na sat up and stared at Uncle Chen.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t look at me with those big round eyes. I¡¯ll show you, but your father is going to have to pay a lot of money for this experiment because we¡¯re going to have to use one of those bottles.¡±


    Lu Na nodded vigorously.


    ¡°First, I¡¯ll need to borrow some spirit essence.¡± Uncle Chen walked over to his guard that butted in the conversation. He took one of the bottles off the shelf. ¡°Give me some into this bottle.¡±


    ¡°Why me?¡± the guard asked.


    ¡°Because you said something you shouldn¡¯t have and now, we¡¯re both in this experiment together.¡±


    ¡°Fine. I better get overtime for this.¡± The guard waved his hand over the bottle. His hand glowed green and after a short while, the bottle also glowed green. ¡°That should be enough.¡±


    Uncle Chen held the bottle in his hands.


    ¡°Watch closely, as I can only do this once a day.¡±


    Lu Na nodded again, eyes glued to Uncle Chen¡¯s hands.


    Uncle Chen dipped one of his forefinger into the bottle. His finger glowed black as the green spirit essence clung to it. After a few moments, the green spirit essence turned into water.


    To everyone else, even the guards, all they saw was something both magical and also mundane. They¡¯ve seen things happen like this every day. But to Lu Na, it was like the secrets of the spirits were being opened to her.


    The process seemed simple, but through her eyes, she saw a whole new way of how spirit essence worked. Uncle Chen¡¯s finger glowed with his technique, but what it did was eat away at the green spirit essence. Once it ate its fill, it exploded into a shower of tiny little water droplets that gathered at the bottom of the bottle.


    ¡°That was amazing,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Which part? The part where it changed to water or the part where we just wasted a good ten taels of silver for this trick?¡± Uncle Chen took his finger out and put the bottle down.


    ¡°All of it. I think this is going to help me out with something I¡¯ve been trying to do for months. If you don¡¯t mind, Uncle Chen, I¡¯m going to sit in the back and work on it while Sun Ren rests.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. But just remember, everything you use I¡¯m going to charge your father.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be fine. If not, I¡¯ll pay for it myself.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have any money.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll work for you to pay it off. Besides, I know you love me.¡±


    Uncle Chen rolled his eyes before turning away.


    ¡°I love money more. Unlike your mother, it doesn¡¯t suddenly disappear on me one day with nothing more than a note that says to take care of her kids.¡±


    Lu Na didn¡¯t know how to respond to that. At least Uncle Chen got a note from her mother. She got nothing.


    Lu Na spent the next few hours creating new wards with the yellow paper, making them into triangles after she was done and tying them up with red thread. She had to alter Uncle Chen¡¯s technique a little so that when it ate the old spirit energy, it would turn into water vapor instead. It took a lot of trial and error before she finally had a completed version.


    Sun Ren stirred in her sleep. The foreign spirit energy pulsed red. Although the doctor took out most of the harmful spirit energy, there was still some left that was trying to invade her body. So what better time to try her ward?


    Of course, before she did that, she tested it on herself first. The guard was gracious enough to inject a little of his spirit essence onto her finger. It stung a little, as it was supposed to be similar to his spider spirit¡¯s attack, but it did nothing more than make it numb.


    Lu Na activated her ward by tugging at the string and placing it on her finger. In seconds, the harmful spirit energy disappeared and turned into cool water vapor. At least that¡¯s what it looked like from the outside.


    Lu Na could see how the ward isolated her entire hand from outside spirit energy, almost like encasing it in a cloth. Then it located any spirit energy within and started eating away at it like Uncle Chen¡¯s technique. It then turned into water vapor that made her hand feel damp.


    ¡°That is amazing,¡± the guard said.


    Uncle Chen walked over and peeked at the ward.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the only thing that is amazing. It also doesn¡¯t affect the body¡¯s natural spirit essence. Like so.¡±


    Without warning, Uncle Chen picked up the ward and threw it at the guard. To the guard¡¯s credit, he didn¡¯t flinch as it hit him in the chest. It stuck there.


    To Lu Na, it formed a small bubble around his chest, but did nothing else.


    ¡°Can you try using a little spirit energy against it?¡±


    The guard complied and waved his hand over it, glowing green. The ward didn¡¯t reject the guard¡¯s natural spirit essence.


    Uncle Chen threw a splash of spirit essence of his own at it. As soon as it made contact with the guard¡¯s chest, the ward activated and conerted Uncle Chen¡¯s spirit essence into water vapor.


    ¡°I think I found a way for you to pay me back instead of with money,¡± Uncle Chen said. He picked up the ward from the guard¡¯s chest. A blue spark shot out from it. ¡°Ouch.¡± Uncle Chen dropped it to the ground.


    ¡°After you¡¯ve worked out the issues, I can already tell doctors and summoners from all over will be buying them in bulk.¡±


    Lu Na picked up the broken ward and unwrapped it to see what went wrong. There were a few things that could be improved to prevent it from sparking like that, but it shouldn¡¯t take too long to fix. Maybe another day of working on it.


    For now, Lu Na created a version of her ward that would only siphon off the spirit energy. She put a few of them onto Sun Ren¡¯s chest and watched as the wards slowly ate away at the spirit energy. It was very slow, but it was better than nothing. She monitored Sun Ren in case any of her wards went bad again. She had a bucket of water next to her in case her clothes caught on fire.


    Which made her wonder how Uncle Chen just happened to have a bucket of water. Was it the same water he converted from those bottles? If so, wouldn¡¯t that mean he¡¯d be able to make all the water he needed to drink without ever worrying about a well or a stream?


    Whatever the case was, Lu Na had all day to work on her wards in the relative safety of Uncle Chen¡¯s store. Morning had come by now and the sunlight was flooding into the store all the way to the back. The ordeal from yesterday left Lu Na¡¯s mind as she got a new thing to focus on.


    At least that was until a loud roar was heard outside. Lu Na peeked outside with Uncle Chen and his guards. A large dragon showed up in the sky, its body unmoving like a painting.


    There was a booming voice from the dragon proclaiming, ¡°People of Jianye. There is an emergency and we seek the criminal Lu Na of the Lu family for injuring and killing Wintersweet disciples. We know they are in this sector of the city. Anyone who is harboring this individual will become an enemy of the Wintersweet Sect. Anyone that brings this individual to us will be greatly rewarded with anything within the Wintersweet Sect¡¯s power. To Lu Na, we are coming for you. Resist, and we will kill you.¡±


    ¡°What did you do?¡± Uncle Chen asked.

 Chapter 7 - Running Away

    Chapter 7 - Running Away


    Lu Na spoke fast, ¡°I did nothing. I swear. They attacked us in our home. They broke my walls. You can send someone there to check. I did nothing to them. I don¡¯t know why they want to kill me.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, calm down. I believe you.¡±


    ¡°But does that mean you¡¯re going to turn me in?¡±


    Uncle Chen turned the jade ring on his thumb.


    Lu Na didn¡¯t like her chances with Uncle Chen. She only knew him from her mother and the only thing she was sure of was that this was a businessman.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Uncle Chen. I understand,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°You love money more, right?¡±


    Uncle Chen walked up and patted Lu Na¡¯s head.


    ¡°That¡¯s a silly thing to say. I would never turn in my little Na Na. Even if your mother didn¡¯t tell me to help you, I wouldn¡¯t have done it.¡±


    ¡°But what about the guards? Won¡¯t they turn me in?¡± Lu Na whispered.


    ¡°Those guys? Hey, are you guys going to turn in Lu Na to the Wintersweet Sect?¡±


    The three guards stood up and eyed Lu Na.


    ¡°Only if you want us to boss.¡±


    ¡°See, these guys are loyal to me. I trust them with my life,¡± Uncle Chen said. ¡°But that means we¡¯re going to have to hide you somewhere else for now. I don¡¯t want the Wintersweet Sect coming to mess up my store. Where do you guys think we can bring her and her friend?¡±


    ¡°We could bring her to the storage by the docks,¡± the guard said. ¡°When night falls, we can bring her out of the city on the river to the south. We have a few contacts there.


    ¡°All we need to do now is hide you somehow. How about we use the cart that we used to hold the fish? That should fit them both if they both lie down on it.¡±


    ¡°That can work,¡± Uncle Chen said.


    One guard brought a cart over that held a bunch of fish on it. The smell instantly hit Lu Na¡¯s nose.


    ¡°That stinks,¡± Lu Na said, pinching her nose.


    ¡°That¡¯s why it will work even better. It will not only carry you and your friend, but it will also mask your smell from any spirits or dogs they might have,¡± Uncle Chen said. ¡°Besides, you¡¯re running for your life. Not going on a vacation. I¡¯m sure you can suffer a little if it means the Wintersweet Sect won¡¯t kill you.¡±


    Lu Na nodded.


    ¡°Now help the guard put Young Miss Sun into the cart first.¡±


    Lu Na walked over to Sun Ren and tried to lift her.


    ¡°No, wrap your arms around her chest and I¡¯ll grab her legs,¡± the guard said.


    Lu Na lifted Sun Ren into a sitting position and put her arms under Sun Ren.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°Oh good, she¡¯s awake. Maybe she can get in herself,¡± the guard said.


    ¡°The Wintersweet Sect just made a proclamation to hunt me. We have to go,¡± Lu Na said.


    Sun Ren felt her chest and noticed the ward there.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take that off. It¡¯s eating away at the bad spirit energy still left.¡±


    ¡°No wonder it feels so much better. I can almost breathe freely now. So why are we getting into a smelly cart?¡±


    Uncle Chen stepped in and offered Sun Ren a cup of tea.


    ¡°Greetings Young Miss Sun. My name is Chen Heng and I am a friend of Lu Na. We are trying to move you ladies before the Wintersweet Sect find you. I promised Na Na I would protect her. And since you¡¯re awake, you don¡¯t have to go with her. They¡¯re only looking for her.¡±


    Sun Ren gulped the tea down. She reached down and plucked her fallen sword from the ground before replacing it in her belt.


    ¡°No, if they find me, they¡¯re going to kill me, anyway. I was the one that attacked and probably killed their disciples last night. I doubt a powerful Wintersweet Sect would let that go, even if I am the Marquis¡¯ daughter.¡±


    ¡°Then get into the cart, we¡¯ll wheel you down to the docks, and then ship you out at night. Maybe you can find your father for help. Agreed?¡± Uncle Chen was turning the jade ring on his thumb again. It was such a nervous habit that Lu Na doubted he noticed it.


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    With a little help from Lu Na, Sun Ren got into the smelly cart.


    Lu Na climbed in after her.


    ¡°Ugh, the smell.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so bad, even I smell it,¡± her spirit said.


    ¡°Okay, hide them with whatever else we have and some more fish,¡± Uncle Chen said. ¡°I hope you get out of the city safely, Lu Na. And men, please protect her with your life if necessary.¡±


    ¡°Yes, boss.¡±


    The guards started piling on different assortment of items as if they were loading something for the storage place. Not only did they get more fish as if they feared the fish smell would wear off, they also loaded the cart with more of the yellow paper that Lu Na was using earlier, along with a couple of spirit wands.


    ¡°While you¡¯re there, please keep working on the wards,¡± Uncle Chen said. ¡°Maybe it might help you in the future and I can sell them in my store.¡±


    ¡°Will I have to pay you back for them?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°No. Think of it as an investment in your future business.¡±


    ¡°Thank you again Uncle Chen.¡±


    ¡°Bye.¡±


    The guards moved across the city with no issues. Wintersweet Disciples stopped them once or twice, but they never looked in. The overwhelming smell of the fish made them stay far away. Lu Na wasn¡¯t sure if it was luck or not but she had gotten used to the smell. But then it made Lu Na wonder: who used preserved fish to offer to their spirits?


    When they arrived at the storage unit, Lu Na was glad to come out. It was dark until one guard lit the lanterns. Unlike the decorations in the city, the storage unit was drab and colorless. All around, there were a few pallets of items that would go to Uncle Chen¡¯s store, but it was mostly empty.


    The guards began unloading the cart.


    Lu Na shook her clothes as much as she could hoping it would get the smell out, or at least the broken pieces of the preserved fish off herself. The last thing she needed were stray animals following her, waiting for their next meal to fall off her dress.


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    Sun Ren slowly got out and stretched.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t so bad.¡±


    ¡°Not so bad? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever look at fish the same way again,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been in worse places.¡±


    Lu Na wanted to ask her what could have been worse than this, but didn¡¯t want to pry. She hadn¡¯t seen her childhood friend since before her mother left, but she was not the same child as back then. Sun Ren was much more dangerous.


    ¡°Ladies, we¡¯re going to leave you here until nightfall,¡± the guard said. ¡°One of us will bring you food later. There is water in those barrels over there. Don¡¯t leave this place unless you absolutely have to. Any questions?¡±


    Lu Na shook her head.


    ¡°Yes, where can I find a change of clothes and some weapons? I¡¯d rather not face Wintersweet with nothing.¡± Sun Ren looked around the space. ¡°Also, would you be so kind as to drop off a quick message to my brother at the Blossom Scent Parlor? I¡¯d like for him to know about my situation.¡±


    The guard raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Blossom Scent Parlor?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure if you tell my brother that you¡¯re protecting me, he can probably make some future arrangements for you there.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very generous of you. I will make sure he gets the message.¡±


    Sun Ren clasped her hands and bowed to the guard.


    ¡°The Sun family will repay your kindness in the future.¡±


    The guard returned the bow before leaving.


    Lu Na felt as if she just witnessed a scene from those hero stories where heroes bowed to each other and promised loyalty. Only, she never read one where the hero was a woman. That¡¯s how Sun Ren looked to her.


    Sun Ren turned to her and smiled.


    ¡°How about we make some preserved fish for breakfast?¡±


    Lu Na wanted to throw up, but held it in.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m not serious. I would like nothing more than to throw myself into the river to wash away the stench.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t long before the guards came rushing back into the storage unit.


    ¡°That was fast.¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°No, the Wintersweet Sect is headed this way and they¡¯ve brought a lot of disciples,¡± the guard said. ¡°They also have a senior disciple at the front, leading them. We have to leave now.¡±


    ¡°Where can we go? We can¡¯t go back to Uncle Chen¡¯s store,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Sun Ren unsheathed her sword from her waist again. The thin, flat metal shone in the gleam of the lanterns. ¡°This time, I¡¯m going to kill and maim a few of them.¡±


    Another of Uncle Chen¡¯s guard came in.


    ¡°They¡¯re almost here. I think they don¡¯t know we¡¯re in this specific storage unit. They¡¯re going through everyone, but they will get here soon.¡±


    The first guard clenched his left hand and summoned his spider, while the other summoned his rat.


    ¡°I can¡¯t summon my spirit. She¡¯s too tired still from yesterday,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°But I¡¯m good with my sword. The only person who can¡¯t fight is Lu Na. So she should take cover.¡±


    ¡°No, the both of you should prepare to run,¡± the guard said. ¡°We¡¯ll hold them off for as long as we can.¡±


    ¡°But where will we run to?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°To the magistrate¡¯s office,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°There should still be the law of the land here. If they think you killed someone, let the Imperial Office be the judge of you, not this summoner sect. And the magistrate¡¯s lower in rank than my father so he might listen to my request for protection. Not even the summoner sects would dare go against the Imperial forces.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Do you want me to use any of my wards?¡± Lu Na started fingering some of her earth wall wards. She still had quite a few.


    ¡°Use the walls behind us when we leave,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°Okay, Young Misses, my spirit senses that they¡¯re close. When we fight them, run,¡± the guard said.


    The Wintersweet Sect were loud in their search, going through everything outside. They knocked on everything. Why were they going to such lengths to capture Lu Na? She was just some Young Miss from some family that no one cared about. Was it because she can create those wards?


    ¡°Hey, pay attention,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°When I run, you run.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Lu Na nodded.


    When the Wintersweet reached their storage unit and entered, the spider spirit attacked them first. Its fangs barred, it made quick work of the first few Wintersweet disciples. But after the disciples shrieked and went down, many more disciples started swarming the storage unit.


    ¡°Now.¡± Sun Ren ran out the side door with her sword out first.


    Lu Na placed two of her earth wall wards behind her and followed Sun Ren. The sunlight was too bright. Her eyes took a second to adjust. She saw Sun Ren up ahead, running toward the side of the dock away from the storage units.


    Two Wintersweet disciples turned toward them the moment Sun Ren made it out of the shadow of the storage unit. It was eerie to Lu Na because they weren¡¯t paying attention to her at first. They just suddenly turned the moment the sunlight hit Sun Ren. As Lu Na was trying to catch up, she noticed that the spirit energy from Sun Ren¡¯s wound was leaking from her in the sunlight, moving toward the Wintersweet disciples.


    Were they somehow using that energy to track Sun Ren?


    ¡°You, stop!¡± the disciples yelled. ¡°They¡¯re over here!¡±


    It didn¡¯t take long for them to stop and started pointing at Lu Na.


    ¡°Forget the other one, get Lu Na,¡± one disciple yelled.


    ¡°It seems you¡¯re not as invisible as you always thought. You better run faster,¡± her spirit said.


    ¡°You¡¯re not¡­ helping,¡± Lu Na tried to run faster, but Sun Ren was getting farther and farther away.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll help a little then.¡±


    Lu Na felt a sudden surge of energy within her, allowing her to run faster. Yet she was not catching up.


    Sun Ren was like a black blur running before her, making twists and turns through the buildings. It wasn¡¯t long before Lu Na had to stop to catch her breath.


    ¡°This is why you need to get out more, run more, do some exercise once in a while.¡±


    ¡°Oh yes spirit¡­ I need to practice¡­ for running from people¡­ who want to kill me¡­¡± Lu Na was hunched over, breathing hard through her mouth.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve bonded with many hosts and they¡¯ve all had to run from killers at one point or another.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what? I thought spirits only bonded once and then they go back to the spirit realm.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you were taught. But don¡¯t worry about that. You better start running again.¡±


    Lu Na looked back and saw four or five Wintersweet disciples headed toward her. She looked around and noticed that she ran into a dead end.


    ¡°There¡¯s nowhere to run and I don¡¯t see Sun Ren. What do I do?¡±


    ¡°You could give up. But that means they might kill you on the spot. Or you could try to use some of your wards.¡±


    Sun Ren grabbed two earth wall wards and tossed them in front of her. Next she grabbed the other ward that blocked off spirit energy. She had little time to perfect it, but she activated it and tossed it behind the earth walls. She looked at the wall at the end of the alley. Maybe she could climb it?


    Rooting through the trash, she found a few boxes to stack on top of each other. But before she could move them, a loud explosion hit the earth walls behind her. Lu Na turned to see those earth walls melt away from intense heat. The fireball kept going and slammed into the spirit ward.


    Lu Na closed her eyes and covered her face with her arms, expecting the fireball to continue its path and strike her. But nothing happened.


    ¡°What is that?¡± a man asked.


    Two Wintersweet disciples in light blue uniforms walked up to the energy ward and reached out to touch it with their hands. It went right through the invisible wall. What was amazing though was that there was a fireball right beside where they put their hands through, stopped in midair and unmoving.


    Now that was amazing. Lu Na never expected the ward to not only stop spirit energy from going past it, but it held it in place. If it weren¡¯t for the disciples walking past the ward and coming toward her, she might have taken the time to study it.


    ¡°Come with us,¡± the disciple said. ¡°We won¡¯t hurt you if you do.¡±


    ¡°But nothing guarantees they won¡¯t kill you when you go with them, either.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Lu Na said.


    A large fireball crashed into the two disciples in front of Lu Na, causing both of them to yell and collapse onto the floor. When Lu Na looked up, she saw that her ward had failed and the fireball continued on its way. The two disciples were caught in its path.


    ¡°She¡¯s a summoner. Kill her before she escapes,¡± the other disciples said.


    The remaining three disciples took out knives and stalked toward Lu Na.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a summoner. I didn¡¯t do that,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°Please, I just want to go home. Why are you doing this?¡±


    The disciples said nothing.


    ¡°I normally wouldn¡¯t say this, but I think now is the time to use your phoenix hairpin. But if you use it now, you can never see your mother again.¡±


    ¡°What? What do you mean spirit?¡±


    ¡°It will protect you. Take it off and break off the tail.¡±


    Lu Na reached up to her hairpin. She wasn¡¯t sure what her spirit meant, but that she might one day see her mother again as long as she didn¡¯t use it made her pause.


    ¡°They¡¯re going to kill you. Use it now.¡±


    Lu Na touched her hairpin. Before she pulled it off, two of the disciples yelled.


    They turned around and Lu Na saw two daggers sticking out from their backs. They collapsed and, following right behind them was Sun Ren with another dagger. She pushed the last disciple down to the ground and knocked him out by bashing his head on the ground.


    ¡°Sun Ren! I thought I was going to die.¡±


    Sun Ren looked up, her clothes now more torn than yesterday with blood all over her body.


    ¡°You still might. Now run.¡±

 Chapter 8 - Magistrate of Jianye

    Chapter 8 - Magistrate of Jianye


    Lu Na ran with Sun Ren until they reached the more populated part of Jianye. It was now midday and there were more people out on the streets. It didn¡¯t take long before two yamen runners approached them. The two men were wearing gray tunics with black hats and carried a long staff.


    ¡°Miss, we¡¯re going to have to ask you to come with us,¡± the yamen runner said.


    ¡°Good, bring me to Magistrate Hu,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°You¡¯re not in any position to make demands,¡± the older yamen runner said. He was taller than the other and had a large gut that stretched the gray fabric.


    ¡°I¡¯m the daughter of Marquis Sun Wentai, Sun Ren. If you don¡¯t bring me to Magistrate Hu, I will make sure that both of you hang from the city walls.¡±


    Lu Na reached over and held Sun Ren up. Now that they¡¯ve stopped, she noticed Sun Ren limping.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± The older yamen runner reached for Sun Ren.


    Sun Ren already had a dagger in her palm, ready to strike.


    Lu Na lowered Sun Ren¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Let me handle this.¡± Lu Na walked between Sun Ren and the older yamen runner. She curtsied toward him. ¡°Sir, do you know who Lu Fengxian is?¡±


    ¡°Constable Lu?¡± the younger yamen runner said. ¡°Everyone at the magistrate¡¯s yamen knows him. He¡¯s the strongest fighter we have and he¡¯s caught so many criminals in the past year alone.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s this woman¡¯s lover.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell them that,¡± Sun Ren hissed.


    ¡°You see, she was running away from the Wintersweet Sect that is hunting this Lu Na. My Young Miss Sun was caught in whatever that is and is now looking for Lu Fengxian. Have either of you seen him?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the older yamen runner said.


    ¡°He¡¯s at the magistrate¡¯s yamen, giving Magistrate Hu his report on the attack of his home,¡± the younger yamen runner said.


    ¡°Be quiet, Fooheng,¡± the older yamen runner said. ¡°Don¡¯t you see that these two are the ones that the Wintersweet are looking for? We could make a lot of money if we hand them over. Don¡¯t be a fool.¡±


    ¡°Old man, that¡¯s not why I became a yamen runner.¡±


    ¡°Forget this.¡± The old yamen runner bashed his staff against the younger over the head. But before he could attack, Lu Na threw out an earthen ward onto the ground. It sprouted up instantly, swallowing the yamen runner.


    Lu Na stooped to check on Fooheng, the younger yamen runner. She shook him a little.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Fooheng shook his head and got up.


    ¡°I think I am.¡±


    ¡°Can you take us to Magistrate Hu?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. But what¡¯s going to happen to the old man?¡±


    ¡°If he¡¯s lucky, I¡¯ll get him to hang when my father comes back. If not, I will come for him myself after I¡¯ve talked with your magistrate.¡± Sun Ren sheathed her dagger in her tunic. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Lu Na and Sun Ren followed Fooheng to the local yamen of Jianye. The magistrate¡¯s quarters was built into the side where his family also lived. It allowed the magistrate easier access to his court in the yamen while also being protected by a mix of yamen runners and the city guards that lived there. In times of distress, it also turned into the central hub for the city.


    As always, there were two lion dogs guarding the entrance of the yamen. The yamens of big cities had actual lion dog spirits guarding the door, but being a smaller city, they had to settle for statues. Just like everywhere else in the city, they were not immune to the upcoming celebrations of the Mid-Autumn Festival. They had two green rabbit lanterns hanging by the door.


    When they walked in, yamen runners came running over. The three of them must have been quite a sight. One of their own yamen runners had a bruise on the side of his head. Then there was Lu Na who looked like a mess running from monster spirits. While Sun Ren looked like she fought them with her torn bloody clothes.


    Someone must have gone to get Magistrate Hu because he showed up moments later.


    ¡°Ladies, are you alright? Someone go get my wife,¡± Magistrate Hu said.


    ¡°Magistrate Hu, we need your protection from the Wintersweet Sect,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°I¡¯m Sun Ren, daughter of¡ª¡±


    ¡°The Marquis. Yes, I recognize you. Although the last time I saw you, you were wearing silk and not blood. And the lady beside you must be Young Miss Lu, daughter of merchant Lu Tien.¡±


    Lu Na curtsied before the magistrate.


    ¡°This is bigger than what my yamen can handle. I¡¯m going to have to send word to the Governor,¡± Magistrate Hu said.


    Magistrate Hu¡¯s wife walked in. She dressed in purple and wore a silver hairpin.


    ¡°Ladies, please follow my wife to get changed. You are safe here. I doubt the Wintersweet Sect would attack my yamen in broad daylight. I¡¯m sure it will all work itself out at the end.¡±


    Lu Na curtsied again.


    ¡°Thank you, magistrate.¡±


    Magistrate Hu nodded before leaving.


    Lu Na went back to helping Sun Ren follow Mrs. Hu. Sun Ren was still limping, and it looked like it was getting worse.


    ¡°Please, wait here in this room as I get you some clothes,¡± Mrs. Hu said.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Lu Na said.


    The room was a large open room with a round table. It was probably the magistrate¡¯s conference room, as there were large nature paintings that depicted the mountains and rivers. Yet as Lu Na walked by, she recognized none of the artists or poets.


    Lu Na gently placed Sun Ren on one of the long benches that allowed her to put her legs on top. She then went and got her a cup of tea from the table.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Sun Ren said, gulping the tea down. ¡°You got to tell me, why are they after you? What did you do to the Wintersweet Sect?¡±


    That caught Lu Na by surprise. She hadn¡¯t even sat down yet.


    ¡°I did nothing. I didn¡¯t even know about them until yesterday. What could I have done that would force them to send an army to attack my home? I¡¯m just some rich young miss. My father is not even the richest. There are far richer families than our Lu family.¡±


    ¡°Then why you? Why did they bring an army to attack your Lu compound?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°When my father comes back, I¡¯ll make sure he does a full investigation into this Wintersweet Sect. Something made those superstitious summoners go crazy. I¡¯d rather not have them turn rebel so close to the city.¡±


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    ¡°You do that. All I want is peace. I want them to leave me alone.¡±


    ¡°Lu Na, I don¡¯t think they¡¯re going to be done with you that easily, though. So I¡¯d prepare to keep going,¡± her spirit said.


    ¡°Great, now my spirit is telling me it¡¯s not over.¡±


    Lu Na sat down and gulped down two cups of tea before Mrs. Hu came back. A maid was carrying two long dresses with her, one in dark purple like her dress and the other in a more common gray made of hemp.


    Sun Ren reached for the hemp dress, but Lu Na grabbed it first.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re the Marquis¡¯ daughter. You should wear the dark purple,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. We¡¯re not staying long,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°Besides, you¡¯re more used to the finer things. You will not get used to the rough clothing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry girls. These two were the only ones I could find,¡± Mrs. Hu said. ¡°I only stay with the magistrate two days a week. The other days we spend our time in our own home.¡±


    Lu Na curtsied.


    ¡°We are very grateful for your clothes and hospitality. It would be very rude of us to protest any charity you¡¯ve given us. Is there a place where we can change?¡±


    ¡°My husband has a small book room over there,¡± Mrs. Hu pointed. ¡°I¡¯m sure he wouldn¡¯t mind if you two use that area to change. I¡¯ll also get a servant to bring you some towels and water to clean yourself up. When you¡¯re done, come find me in the main hall. We are preparing to eat lunch.¡±


    ¡°Thank you again, Mrs. Hu.¡± Lu Na curtsied low.


    Sun Ren cupped her hands and bowed her head toward Mrs. Hu.


    ¡°Yes, thank you again Mrs. Hu. I will tell my father of you and your husband¡¯s generosity when he comes back.¡±


    Mrs. Hu nodded before leaving the ladies to change.


    Lu Na was the quickest of the two women to change. She took off her torn and ripped clothing, cleaned what she could see, and put on the hemp dress. Usually there were maids that helped her with this, so her clothes weren¡¯t put on properly. She had no clue where one strap was supposed to go so she tied it to her side. It was a great place to hang her wards.


    Now she looked like a commoner who was so superstitious that she carried many, many peace bringing Buddhist wards. Hopefully, the Buddhist wards will make them think twice before attacking her. She was a simple woman that feared trouble and worshiped Buddha. Absolutely harmless.


    Sun Ren took a lot longer when she went to change.


    Lu Na waited for a minute or two at first, but then got hungry. She could smell the promised food down the hallway.


    ¡°Hey Sun Ren, I¡¯m going to go find some food first. I¡¯ll meet you there.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Sun Ren replied through the door.


    Lu Na walked down the hallway, following the smell of the food. She had never walked inside the magistrate¡¯s yamen before. There was only one time she came to the yamen and that was when her father took her to send off the old magistrate and welcome this one. He brought so many gifts but the new magistrate didn¡¯t take any.


    The hallways were made of beautifully lacquered wood. There were lanterns that dotted the hallway, as there were no windows. Each lantern had a butterfly drawn on them, making the hallway look like a tunnel of butterflies. It connected to a larger room at the end that exited out into the back courtyard.


    Inside the large room, the table at the center caught Lu Na¡¯s attention. There were many dishes of food that made Lu Na salivate. It didn¡¯t look as good as her home¡¯s cooks, but it definitely smelled good. A boy and a girl sat down in front of the food, but their eyes were on Lu Na.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s big sister,¡± the girl said.


    The two children got up and hugged her. Normally, the hug would have been considered bad behavior as Lu Na¡¯s father never allowed her to hug strangers growing up. But after the day she had, she was glad for the small physical comfort that didn¡¯t end in pain. She hugged them back.


    ¡°Thank you for that,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Mommy said you¡¯ve had a rough time so we thought a hug would help you,¡± the boy said.


    ¡°Your mommy is very smart. Thank her for me.¡±


    The boy and girl smiled wide. The girl had a missing tooth. The boy had the chubbiest cheeks Lu Na ever saw and she wanted nothing more than to squeeze them, but refrained. While they might not understand proper behavior, it didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Oh, so cute. I could just eat these two up,¡± her spirit said.


    ¡°Can we eat? I¡¯m starving,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Of course big sister,¡± the young girl said. She held Lu Na¡¯s hand and led her to sit right in front of a giant chicken. At least Lu Na thought it was a chicken. It was roasted with soy sauce slathered all over it.


    ¡°Could we have the drumstick?¡± the boy asked.


    Lu Na looked around to ask someone, but no one else was there.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see why not.¡± Lu Na reached over and grabbed the drumstick off the bird and handed each to the boy and girl. They were all smiles and they shoved each one into their mouths. They were eating almost as if they were afraid someone would steal it from them as they took giant bites.


    Lu Na wasn¡¯t sure if she could start eating as well. It felt impolite to start the meal without the hosts there. But that chicken was looking more and more enticing by the minute. A little nibble couldn¡¯t hurt, right?


    Lu Na picked up her chopsticks and ripped off the chicken wing. In the first bite, the soy sauce hit her first. It was salty, but also sweet. She wasn¡¯t sure how this cook did that, but it was delicious. The meat was very tender, like fall off the bone tender. She was incorrect. Her own cooks from home were nowhere near as good as this.


    Before she could finish the wing, Sun Ren came in, dressed in the dark purple dress just like Mrs. Hu. Except it was smaller on her. Much of the fabric molded against her body. She had time to fix her hair and cleaned up most of the blood that was on her. She still walked with a slight limp.


    ¡°Sun Ren, you look amazing,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s okay to eat without our hosts?¡±


    Lu Na looked down at her devoured chicken wing and shrugged. Then she looked up at the two children who were still devouring their chicken legs.


    ¡°I¡¯d argue our hosts are already here. Look at the two eat.¡±


    Sun Ren chuckled before she sat down beside Lu Na. She picked up her own chopsticks and started eating.


    It was only a short while before Mrs. Hu came in. While she wore a matching dress as Sun Ren, hers was a perfect fit for a smaller woman. Unlike many richer families, Mrs. Hu didn¡¯t wear many hair adornments except a simple silver pin.


    Seeing that reminded Lu Na about her own phoenix hairpin. Later, when she had a chance, she was going to ask her spirit about it. There was something she wasn¡¯t telling her and it nagged Lu Na.


    ¡°Ladies, I see that you¡¯ve already started eating,¡± Mrs. Hu said.


    Lu Na got up and curtsied.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry we didn¡¯t wait for you. We were so hungry. ¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. You two ladies looked like you just ran from a spirit beast. Rest here and try to gather your strength. My husband will rectify the situation for you.¡±


    Sun Ren got up, cupped her hands, and bowed to Mrs. Hu.


    ¡°Thank you for your hospitality. We two would be dead without it.¡±


    ¡°Big sisters, are you two going to stay with us for the Mid-Autumn Festival?¡± the boy asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I need to find my family and see where they went,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Someone attacked my home and forced me to run. I became separated from my family because of that and I don¡¯t know where they are.¡±


    Mrs. Hu settled a hand onto Lu Na¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure my husband will help you locate your family and you will reunite with them in time for the Mid-Autumn Festival.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s perfect since the Mid-Autumn Festival is all about reunions,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°Oh, we hoped that the two big sisters would take us to the releasing of the lanterns,¡± the girl said.


    ¡°Now kids, you can¡¯t be so rude to our guests,¡± Mrs. Hu said.


    Lu Na poured herself some tea.


    ¡°Have you been to see the releasing of the lanterns?¡±


    The girl shook her head.


    ¡°Why not? They¡¯re beautiful to watch as hundreds of people gather in the market square and release their lanterns into the sky.¡±


    ¡°Mother tells us it¡¯s not safe during that time. Father tells us that people are unhappy with the government, so we must stay inside.¡±


    ¡°If your mother and father give us permission, I can take you both to the releasing of the lanterns tomorrow night. But they¡¯re also right. It¡¯s very dangerous outside right now. It¡¯s why me and big sister Sun Ren came to your father.¡±


    The siblings both looked over at their mother.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, kids, but that won¡¯t be possible,¡± Mrs. Hu said.


    The two kids look disappointed, but Lu Na understood. She wasn¡¯t safe at the moment. How could she possibly promise these two kids that she could take them outside to see the lanterns? She was more worried about living until tomorrow night.


    Magistrate Hu walked into the room.


    ¡°I see my wife is treating you two ladies well. I hope you don¡¯t mind if I join you.¡±


    Lu Na curtsied to the magistrate. Sun Ren bowed.


    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s your home. We¡¯re the ones intruding,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with Magistrate Hu,¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit said. ¡°He¡¯s giving me a strange feeling.¡±


    Lu Na didn¡¯t want to hear it. Her spirit always got a strange feeling from many people. Instead, she reached up with her chopsticks to get some more food. She hadn¡¯t had a decent meal in a while.


    But as soon as Magistrate Hu picked up his chopsticks, Lu Na saw it herself. The man was leaking spirit energy into everything he touched. The chopsticks glowed green. That shouldn¡¯t happen except for when spirits are summoned and touch things in the human realm. Was Magistrate Hu a spirit in disguise?


    ¡°Is everything alright?¡± Magistrate Hu asked.

 Chapter 9 - Spirits in Disguise

    Chapter 9 - Spirits in Disguise


    ¡°Oh yes, everything is fine,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°I think I got something in my eye, that¡¯s all.¡± Lu Na rubbed her eyes with her free hand, hoping that what she saw wasn¡¯t real. Except the more that Magistrate Hu ate, the more his chopsticks glowed green.


    ¡°Magistrate Hu, thank you for taking us in,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°I¡¯m sure that my father will greatly appreciate the gesture when he comes back as will my entire Sun family.¡±


    ¡°Of course. It is my duty.¡± Magistrate Hu picked up his cup of tea and that started glowing green.


    How did a spirit become a magistrate? Wait, how did a spirit have kids? Lu Na stared at the two kids. They showed nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe it had something to do with their mother? But Mrs. Hu looked ordinary, too. This was an interested discovery. All the possibilities in Lu Na¡¯s head were swirling around. What could she do with a spirit that looked and acted like a human?


    ¡°You¡¯re staring. It¡¯s not polite,¡± her spirit said.


    ¡°Magistrate Hu, how long have you been working here?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s been four years since I¡¯ve been assigned to this post.¡±


    That sounded right to Lu Na. That means he probably didn¡¯t get replaced by a spirit. But that¡¯s all she knew about the man.


    Magistrate Hu picked up a long piece of meat and ate it. The meat didn¡¯t glow green like the chopsticks. Maybe he can only affect non-living things.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame about all those girls being kidnapped,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I can¡¯t allow my children to watch the lanterns,¡± Mrs. Hu said. She started eating alongside everyone. She didn¡¯t glow at all.


    ¡°It has been a bane to my yamen that these people can kidnap maidens in broad daylight,¡± Magistrate Hu said. ¡°I¡¯ve requested additional aid from the governor, but I fear it will be too little too late. By the time he can send any aid, the fate of those maidens will be in severe danger. It would have been better if your father lent some of his men to help with this.¡±


    ¡°My father is under orders from the Emperor himself to quell the rebellions,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°While that is important, but even a small contingent could be helpful.¡± Magistrate Hu reached in to a dish of lotus roots and pork with his chopsticks. The moment he touched it, the dish started glowing green as well.


    So Lu Na was wrong. Magistrate Hu can affect living things. What would happen if she ate it? What would happen if Sun Ren ate it?


    ¡°Are you okay? You¡¯ve stopped eating.¡± Mrs. Hu reached into the same dish as her husband to pick up a glowing piece of lotus root. She took a small bite of it and the glowing green lotus root made her mouth glow.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Lu Na whispered.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Mrs. Hu said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I would not suggest eating whatever is in there.¡±


    ¡°Nothing, sorry. I was just surprised at how delicious the food is,¡± Lu Na said. As far as she could tell, Mrs. Hu looked fine. Lu Na picked food that Magistrate Hu had not touched to pretend everything was normal.


    ¡°Do you ignore Imperial Decrees, Magistrate Hu?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°Of course not. But the small contingent your father left under your brother¡¯s command has done nothing but spend time in that brothel. They have done nothing to help the people of Jianye.¡±


    Magistrate Hu had touched at least all the dishes, making them all glow green. As far as Lu Na could tell, there were no ill effects. The only weird thing was that their mouths were glowing green.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure my brother has his reasons,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°I guess being a young master from a rich family is reason enough. The protection of the people is not enough to motivate him while people like me are working day and night to return these girls back to their families. I¡¯ve lost my appetite.¡± Magistrate Hu got up from the table and left the room.


    ¡°I hope he doesn¡¯t think it¡¯s my fault that my brother is doing what he¡¯s doing,¡± Sun Ren said. She reached over and picked up a lotus root.


    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t eat that!¡± Lu Na said. She was too late.


    Sun Ren had put it in her mouth already, making her mouth glow green like Mrs. Hu and her children. She spat it onto the table.


    ¡°Why? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t see it glowing green?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Sun Ren pushed the piece of lotus root with her chopstick and examined it carefully.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing there.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s glowing green.¡±


    At the mention of that, Mrs. Hu looked from Sun Ren¡¯s mouth to the lotus root. Then she looked at her children¡¯s mouths.


    ¡°That idiot.¡± Mrs. Hu got up from the table.


    Sun Ren coughed really hard. She held her chest.


    ¡°That¡¯s not good. Look at the spirit energy that¡¯s still there,¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit said.


    The green spirit energy from Sun Ren¡¯s mouth mixed with the red spirit energy in her chest from the earlier attack. It pulsed brighter. The ward that Lu Na used earlier had stopped working and no longer converted the remaining spirit energy into water vapor.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Sun Ren coughed harder. She was slumped over the table, clutching her chest.


    ¡°Are you okay big sister?¡± the girl asked.


    ¡°Maybe she needs some honey for her throat,¡± the boy suggested.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about this. Maybe there¡¯s something in the food. I¡¯ll get you some water.¡± Mrs. Hu left the room.


    Lu Na wasn¡¯t sure what to do. But maybe putting on another ward might help Sun Ren. It can¡¯t get any worse, could it?


    Lu Na pulled Sun Ren up and placed another ward around her neck so it hung right over her chest. She twisted the corner of it and activated the ward. It started converting the spirit energy again. Just in case, she put two more.


    ¡°What are those?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s something I made to help with the foreign spirit energy in your chest,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°It absorbs it and turns it into water vapor. But if you ever feel like it¡¯s harming you or your spirit, take it off immediately. I didn¡¯t have time to test it.¡±


    ¡°It feels better.¡±


    Lu Na looked and indeed, much of the spirit energy had settled down back to its original soft red glow. With three of the wards working it looked dimmer than before.


    Magistrate Hu rushed into the room, his robes disheveled.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong father?¡± the boy asked.


    ¡°The Wintersweet Sect are here. There are too many of them,¡± Magistrate Hu said. ¡°They want you two.¡±


    ¡°How many of them are out there?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°Too many for my yamen runners or constables to fend off,¡± Magistrate Hu said.


    ¡°How did they find us?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I think you two should surrender or else there will be a lot of bloodshed.¡± Magistrate Hu turned to look out into the hall, as if afraid the fighting had already started.


    Sun Ren glared at Magistrate Hu.


    ¡°You told them we were here. You were planning on giving us up all along.¡±


    Magistrate Hu stayed silent.


    ¡°Was it for the reward?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°No. I just wanted peace again. They only demanded a few girls and young women. They promised to stop.¡±


    ¡°And you let the Wintersweet Sect have them? My father, the Marquis, expects you to protect this city and its citizens in his absence. How can you let some summoner sect dictate the law here? Where is the imperial might?¡±


    Magistrate Hu glared at Sun Ren. He stood up straight and fixed his robes.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I am here to protect its citizens. And I would have continued to do so if your father was here. He took most of his army with him, leaving only a small contingent under your brother¡¯s control. I have no way of contacting him. Most of my yamen runners and constables are here to keep the peace, not fight an army. So it is in the interest of not only my people, but the citizens that I hand you over to them.¡±


    Lu Na didn¡¯t like where this was going. She was having flashbacks to when her father and mother argued back before she left. Arguing with men that had other people¡¯s interests at heart and not your own is an impossible task. Yet, Magistrate Hu was different here.


    Lu Na looked over at the boy and girl who were as quiet as she was whenever she heard her parents argue. Magistrate Hu was trying to protect them. They weren¡¯t even old enough to bond with a spirit yet. They had so much more to live for. Was it fair for her to risk their lives for her own?


    ¡°Come here to big sister.¡± Lu Na opened her arms up toward the two. They came willingly.


    ¡°Why are they yelling?¡± the girl asked.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s because big sister Sun Ren is scared that your father can¡¯t help her. I¡¯m scared too.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my father will help you. He helps everyone,¡± the boy said.


    ¡°Sun Ren, maybe we should just go. Leave the magistrate alone,¡± Lu Na said.


    Sun Ren looked at Lu Na, her eyes hardened with anger. But it went away quickly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we could get far, not with my limp. They¡¯ve probably already surrounded the magistrate¡¯s yamen. At this rate, we might as well tell them to kill us where we stand.¡±


    ¡°What can we do?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Magistrate Hu looked at the two ladies and his children wrapped in a hug with Lu Na.


    ¡°Just surrender. I¡¯ll guarantee your safety with them. I know their sect leader. They wouldn¡¯t harm anyone in the city.¡±


    Sun Ren yanked the boy from Lu Na¡¯s arm and wrapped her arm around his neck. With her free hand, she took out a small knife.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Whatever I need to survive,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°Look Magistrate Hu, I don¡¯t enjoy doing this, but I need you to find a way for the both of us to get out of here alive. I don¡¯t intend to die here today and if I do, I¡¯ll make sure that your boy dies with me.¡±


    A porcelain cup shattered on the ground. The water spreading over the floor. Everyone turned to see Mrs. Hu.


    ¡°No, please, let him go.¡±


    ¡°Tell your husband to help us get out of here.¡±


    Mrs. Hu turned to Magistrate Hu and slapped his arm.


    ¡°You idiot. You should be helping these two poor girls, not giving them up to that evil sect. Get my boy back or I swear, I will end you.¡±


    This was turning into a nightmare. A loud thumping came from outside. The Wintersweet Sect were getting impatient.


    ¡°Fine, fine. I¡¯ll show you two the secret escape route built into the magistrate¡¯s office,¡± Magistrate Hu said. He walked to one wall off to the side. There was a large painting of Confucius conducting class with a hundred students in the shadow of a mountain. He moved it aside and revealed the wall beneath. Slowly, he felt around the top part of the wall until something clicked and a hidden door slid open.


    ¡°Go through here and you will arrive outside of the city walls. Now give me my son.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. He¡¯s coming with us,¡± Sun Ren said. She pulled the boy along with her.


    ¡°Please, he¡¯s of no use to you,¡± Magistrate Hu said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll release him the moment we are free.¡±


    Lu Na saw Mrs. Hu tense up. It would devastate her if anything were to happen to her boy. In a way, she understood, as she felt the same toward her younger brothers. They were annoying, but they were her family.


    ¡°No, we should leave him here. He will only slow us down.¡±


    ¡°And if Magistrate Hu chases us down for the Wintersweet Sect? We will have no leverage,¡± Sun Ren said.


    Lu Na couldn¡¯t have the boy face the same dangers she and Sun Ren have already faced running away from the Wintersweet Sect. It wouldn¡¯t be fair to him and his mother who treated them with kindness. They didn¡¯t hurt them. It was Magistrate Hu.


    No child should ever suffer for their father¡¯s deeds.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go before the Wintersweet Sect comes. We don¡¯t need the boy.¡±


    Sun Ren looked from Lu Na to Mrs. Hu. She let the boy go.


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t regret this.¡±


    Sun Ren walked into the tunnel first, limping a little as she went.


    Lu Na followed behind and Magistrate Hu closed the door behind them. It was completely dark in there. She took out one of her wards from inside her chest pocket and turned it on by pulling the string off it. A soft glowing light came from the yellow paper that was bright as a burning candle. Slowly, the light became brighter and the entire tunnel was lit.


    ¡°That¡¯s useful,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°Remind me to get a few of these gadgets from you when we get out of here. There are so many things I can do with them.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s one of my first inventions. Turning spirit essence into light is easy. I can teach you.¡±


    ¡°Teach me? I can¡¯t learn spirit techniques. I¡¯m not a spirit.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll teach your spirit. But first, let me add a little insurance to our escape.¡±


    Lu Na took out three of her earthen wall wards and activated them behind her. As long as there was earth spirit essence around it, it would keep going. Being surrounded by earth in the tunnel it would probably last for days.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

 Chapter 10 - Scary Inventions

    Chapter 10 - Scary Inventions


    The tunnel was long. The walls were roughly made. And the only sound they heard was their own breathing. It didn¡¯t help that it smelled like stale air, as if no one had come through here in a while.


    ¡°I wonder how long this goes on,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Magistrate Hu said it should go out of the city. I wonder if there is more than one route. I don¡¯t like how anyone knows where we are going, especially that magistrate.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t trust him do you?¡±


    ¡°No. While you were changing, I sent my spirit to check on Magistrate Hu. He was meeting with the Wintersweet Sect. At first I thought he was negotiating with them, but after you told me he used his summoner skill on my food, I knew he was working with them. Why else would my wound burn the moment I ate that lotus root?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Lu Na didn¡¯t know that was going on. No wonder Sun Ren was so hostile to him. Now she understood why she took Magistrate Hu¡¯s son hostage. ¡°What do we do now?¡±


    Sun Ren paused.


    ¡°I hate to say this, but I think I have to find my brother. He¡¯s probably the only one that can help us. And now that I know that Magistrate Hu is working with the Wintersweet Sect, there¡¯s no doubt that he¡¯s going to also be coming after us. I took his son hostage and I doubt he¡¯s going to let that go, especially while my father is gone. But even if he wants to, as long as my brother¡¯s contingent is still here, he can protect us.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like a plan. Why didn¡¯t we go to him in the first place?¡±


    Even in the tunnel¡¯s dark, Lu Na could see Sun Ren scrunch up her face. It looked like it pained her to think of her brother. Not even when they were attacked, did she look like that.


    ¡°It¡¯s because my brother has always looked down on me.¡± Sun Ren continued limping along the tunnel.


    ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate. My brother has always supported me,¡± Lu Na said.


    Sun Ren smiled ruefully.


    ¡°If my brother had you as his sister, he would be happy. He would like nothing more than a little sister he can protect and one who would follow him like an idol as you do your brother. But no, my brother can¡¯t stand how successful I am at doing everything he can even though I¡¯m a woman. I¡¯m not some little girl that needs protection and I think he resents that.¡±


    Lu Na hadn¡¯t thought about it that way. She was sad for Sun Ren to have a brother like that, but would her own brother be like that? She had a feeling that even if she was as strong as Sun Ren, Lu Fengxian would still treat her the same in supporting her.


    ¡°See, I told you your brother is not only handsome, but so nice to you. He doesn¡¯t have to take care of you like that, you know,¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit said.


    After walking a while longer, they felt a cool breeze entering the tunnel.


    ¡°It looks like there are different exits in this tunnel,¡± Sun Ren said. They had stopped at a fork zthat went in three directions.


    ¡°Which way do we go?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Well, my brother is still in the city so let¡¯s not go too far. I¡¯m not sure if we¡¯ll be able to get back in without Magistrate Hu arresting us. But if he¡¯s working with the Wintersweet Sect, he¡¯ll most likely have every exit covered, waiting for us either way.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we should split up? I can try to find my brother as well.¡±


    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be a good idea. I like your brother as he¡¯s a formidable fighter, but he is still Magistrate Hu¡¯s underling. He won¡¯t be able to protect you. We should stick together.¡±


    Lu Na nodded. Together, they chose a random tunnel and followed it through. It wasn¡¯t as long as the original tunnel, as it soon came to an opening. But they didn¡¯t need to get out to realize that there were already people waiting for them.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see how many are there, but I think I can take them,¡± Sun Ren said. She unsheathed her sword from her waist.


    ¡°One of these days you¡¯re going to have to get me one of those and teach me how to use that,¡± Lu Na said.


    Sun Ren chuckled.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to know the grueling exercises I had to do to learn this weapon. But sure, if you¡¯re serious I¡¯ll teach you. Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Wait, I think I have a better idea of how to get around them.¡± Lu Na reached into her chest pocket and pulled out a small firecracker that had a light ward attached to it.


    ¡°You¡¯re full of surprises aren¡¯t you? But I don¡¯t think a small firecracker is going to hurt them.¡±


    ¡°Of course not. But remember the light ward I used earlier? Now imagine that, but with the explosiveness of a firecracker. This one took me a long time to get right.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to blind them?¡± Sun Ren stared at the small firecracker in Lu Na¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Well, I hope not. It¡¯s not so powerful that it would blind someone. I made it one year because the firecrackers that they used for New Years weren¡¯t as bright in the sky. I wanted to make them so bright that you could see it outside of the city.¡±


    ¡°How many of those do you have?¡±


    ¡°Just the one. My brother told me it wasn¡¯t safe to carry these on me like that. If they ever caught fire, I would probably crackle and pop.¡±


    Sun Ren sheathed her sword.


    ¡°Then a minor change of plans then. When you throw that out there to blind them, I¡¯ll turn us into fox pups to run away.¡±


    ¡°You can do that?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re going to love it. The first time I changed into one, I ran for the whole day.¡±


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    ¡°Why can¡¯t my spirit do something like that?¡±


    ¡°Little girl, you have no idea what I can do for you. Be happy that I stay with you at all,¡± her spirit said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you should discount your spirit. It can do so many things that strong summoners have to practice for years to do. Not every summoner can see spirit energy as you do nor are they able to manipulate it like that. When we get out of here, we are going to explore that and maybe my sifu can help you develop your talents.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I should have bonded with her. She seems like she¡¯d appreciate the talents and skills I provide.¡±


    Lu Na ignored her spirit.


    ¡°I would like that. My father never helped me with any of that. He only did it for his boys.¡±


    ¡°Hah, maybe I can be your sifu. But I¡¯m not qualified. I¡¯m only qualified to be your friend.¡±


    Hearing that made Lu Na happy. She had never had a friend like Sun Ren. She didn¡¯t have many friends. Maybe her brother was right. She didn¡¯t need her father¡¯s approval or attention. She only needed others in her life.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    Lu Na nodded.


    ¡°When you throw the firecracker out there, I¡¯m going to transform us. In case we get separated, my brother is staying at the Blossom Scent Parlor. It¡¯s in the eighth district.¡±


    ¡°Got it, eighth district,¡± Lu Na repeated. She picked up the firecracker and looked at the fuse.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope you don¡¯t burn yourself this time,¡± her spirit said.


    Lu Na would not do that again. She was smarter this time. She made sure the fuse was longer so that she had more time to throw it. And if her spirit stopped distracting her all the time, maybe she could do it without burning herself.


    Lu Na reached into her chest pocket and pulled out her flame stick. She took off the cap and blew into it until there was a small ember inside.


    ¡°You carry a flame stick?¡± Sun Ren asked. ¡°I thought I was prepared.¡±


    Lu Na smirked.


    ¡°Why carry a firecracker without fire? I can¡¯t just pull the fire spirit energy from the air and use it to light things.¡±


    ¡°Why not? I¡¯ve seen you do amazing things with that spirit wand.¡±


    That was an idea for the future. She had tried to manipulate the spirit energy with the spirit wand before, but without an actual technique or skill from the spirits or summoners, she didn¡¯t know how to combine it into something. And fire spirit energy was not fire. It set nothing on fire. She tried.


    ¡°Do you know anything about that, spirit?¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°That¡¯s something you¡¯re going to have to discover. I can¡¯t tell you everything.¡±


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    Lu Na must have been staring at the firecracker for too long. She had burned herself a few times and they were still fresh in her mind. Her mother had told her that if she played with fire, she was going to get burned. But her mother also told her, getting burned is not the worst thing when progress is made.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this. You might want to look away when it goes off.¡± Lu Na blew on the fire stick until it caught on fire. She was glad that the ember within was still working. She feared it would have been out by now.


    With a lit firecracker, Lu Na waited a second or two before she tossed it outside of the tunnel. The fuse was the only bright thing that caught the attention of the people guarding the exit.


    Lu Na saw the people look at the firecracker, puzzling what or who threw it. When they turned to look into the tunnel, it was too dark for them to see. Seconds later, a loud pop was followed by a large, blinding light. There were a few yelps and possibly screams, but that was their cue.


    Sun Ren grabbed Lu Na by the arm and in seconds, the world around them shifted.


    Everything seemed a lot taller and out of reach. Yet Lu Na¡¯s eyes could shift to see the darkened tunnel easier than before. She wanted to speak, but realized she couldn¡¯t. What was going on?


    ¡°Ooh, nothing,¡± her spirit said. ¡°It appears that you¡¯re now one of us. A spirit. But you should pay attention to Sun Ren beside you and start running with her.¡±


    ¡°Your spirit is right,¡± Sun Ren¡¯s voice came into her head. ¡°I can¡¯t hold this spirit form for too long, especially when I¡¯m doing it for someone else. Follow me and keep close.¡±


    Lu Na saw a white fox pup in front of her, bounding forward toward the tunnel¡¯s exit. She tried to walk and realized that she was on all fours. She couldn¡¯t believe that her hands were now furry paws.


    ¡°Move, Lu Na. Or else Sun Ren will leave you,¡± her spirit said.


    Lu Na looked back up and true enough, the other fox pup was almost to the exit already. She ran after her and found that running on all fours felt natural. It was an exhilarating feeling that she never felt before as the air seemed to rush past her. In seconds, she caught up with Sun Ren.


    The light from outside hit Lu Na first and out of instinct she wanted to close her eyes. But she realized her eyes adjusted right away with no issues.


    Sun Ren had already run around the Wintersweet disciples who were still recovering from the blast.


    Both of them made it around the corner out of their view in seconds. They were still inside the city. It was a part of the city that Lu Na had never been before. Everywhere there were red lanterns hanging in anticipation of the Mid-Autumn festival, but all the houses were much closer together. Calling them houses was being generous as they looked nothing more than mud huts.


    Sun Ren turned the corner.


    ¡°They¡¯re over here!¡± a Wintersweet disciple yelled behind them.


    Lu Na ran so fast. How did they catch up to them?


    ¡°Short, stubby paws. And you are as white as snow in this dusty, dirty place. They¡¯re not stupid.¡±


    Wait, did her spirit just answer her?


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re a spirit now. I can hear your thoughts as easily as if you spoke them.¡±


    That was going to have to take some getting used to. Lu Na wasn¡¯t used to her spirit hearing her thoughts, especially as she had thought about a few negative things over the years.


    ¡°We can talk about this later, but this is a skill only higher-level summoners can do. Focus on following Sun Ren.¡±


    Lu Na didn¡¯t need to, as Sun Ren had stopped. They were stuck in a dead-end alley. After a few seconds, Sun Ren had turned back into a young woman.


    Lu Na felt the change as well. She grew in size and felt everything shift into place. Her cute furry paws became her delicate hands and the afternoon light became dull. And the smells suddenly disappeared. She didn¡¯t think about it while she was a fox, but scents were stronger before. It almost felt like she could really smell something for the first time in her life.


    Luckily, that stopped as filth and dirt surrounded her.


    Sun Ren turned to face the Wintersweet disciples that followed them.


    ¡°This is going to be a hard fight. Here, take this.¡± Sun Ren pulled out a dagger from her thigh and handed it to Lu Na.


    It was a slim dagger. Had she been wearing that this whole time since last night when she arrived at Lu Na¡¯s home? More importantly, what was she going to do with it? Lu Na did not know how to use a dagger any more than a spear that her brother used. She wasn¡¯t sure she should hold it as wouldn¡¯t that invite her attackers to be more aggressive with her since she¡¯s armed?


    The first Wintersweet disciple walked into the alley with a smirk. The boy was younger than the two women, still growing in puberty. His pale blue uniform hanging loosely on him. He made a fist with his left hand and a large ram appeared beside him. It was orange all over with large, curved wicked horns.


    ¡°Ooh, that one is dangerous. How are you going to get out of this one?¡± her spirit said.


    Lu Na screamed, ¡°Help me then!¡± in her head. But the spirit never replied. For the first time, she cursed her father for never bothering to teach her to be a fighter and cursed herself when her brother tried to teach her self defense. What good was fighting to a young miss like her? She was going to learn now.


    This lesson was going to be very costly.

 Chapter 11 - Honor Among the Poor

    Chapter 11 - Honor Among the Poor


    Before Lu Na could say anything, Sun Ren dashed forward, slicing her sword through the ram¡¯s flank. Instead of blood, dark spirit energy flowed out. It pooled for a moment on the ground before it dissipated into the air. When she reached the disciple, Sun Ren threw a hard punch and knocked the stunned boy out.


    Three more disciples in pale blue uniforms came running over, boxing them in. These were a little older than the boy, but not by much. There were two girls and another boy. Looking at their fallen disciple, each of them summoned their spirits. Now it was six of them against the two women.


    Sun Ren stepped back into the alley in front of Lu Na. She took a brief glance at Lu Na before taking the dagger back.


    ¡°You¡¯re not ready to use that yet. Do you have any more gadgets we could use?¡±


    Lu Na was staring at the fallen ram. She had been this whole time, mesmerized by how the spirit energy leaked out of its wound like an actual animal. She knew that if she were to make it out of this alive; another idea for an invention jumped into her head.


    ¡°Focus, Lu Na. Use your walls.¡±


    Her spirit¡¯s voice made Lu Na reach for her wards. Only one problem, she¡¯d run out. She had no more earthen wall wards. The only ones she had left were the ones that rejected spirit energy or the ones that siphoned spirit energy and turned them into water vapor. Neither were good right now unless one of the spirits wanted to slowly turn into a puddle.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Sun Ren, but I have no more wards that we can use.¡± Lu Na reached into her chest pocket and pulled out the spirit wall ward. ¡°This is all I have. It stops the spirits from crossing it.¡±


    Sun Ren glared at the two girls that stood watch as the other boy looked over the fallen disciple.


    ¡°Maybe we can talk with them?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not in a talking mood. But you can try if you want,¡± Sun Ren said.


    Lu Na saw the animosity on Sun Ren¡¯s face. It was the look of a trapped animal with its fangs bared.


    Lu Na waved at the two girls standing in front of their peers.


    ¡°Can we talk?¡±


    Apparently animosity wasn¡¯t only native to Sun Ren. The two girls also looked like they would jump at Lu Na at any moment.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure why we¡¯re being hunted like this, but I can already tell you are all tired. So are we. Why don¡¯t we put away our spirits and weapons and walk away?¡±


    The taller girl walked forward and spat on the ground by Lu Na¡¯s shoes.


    ¡°We were told to capture you, dead or alive. That one over there hurt a few of our fellow disciples. We would like to pay her back for that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky I didn¡¯t kill any of you,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°What if I gave you all some money?¡± Lu Na reached into her money pouch and took out five taels of silver and a ring of coins. ¡°You can have all this if you let us go.¡±


    The taller girl glanced at it before staring at Lu Na¡¯s face.


    ¡°How about you two come quietly with us and we promise not to hurt you anymore?¡±


    Lu Na stumbled and dropped her money on the ground. She had also dropped the spirit wall ward she had earlier and activated it when she bent over to pick up her money.


    As soon as Lu Na stood up, Sun Ren pounced forward. Her sword flicked out like a bent piece of bamboo. It slapped the taller girl across the face. The shorter girl tried to retaliate, but Lu Na pushed her down to the ground.


    Lu Na had no fighting experience, but if all her fights with her younger brother taught her anything, smaller people are still weaker than she was at least. She didn¡¯t need to know how to throw a punch or wield a dagger. She just needed to be bigger.


    Sun Ren got up and chased down the other boy. But the boy was ready for her. His spirit, a large dog stopped Sun Ren before she got to him. This time, her sword wasn¡¯t able to cut through it as it did the ram. So Sun Ren ran back, while pulling Lu Na off the shorter girl.


    As one, the two Wintersweet disciples sent their spirits at Lu Na and Sun Ren. The smaller girl had a rabbit spirit, only with sharp fangs and wickedly long claws. The only thing that still looked like a rabbit were the ears.


    But it didn¡¯t matter. As soon as the two spirits met the spirit wall Lu Na activated, they stopped instantly and fell to the ground. Both of the Wintersweet disciples winced when they saw that. Lu Na wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of watching what happened or if they were connected.


    Sun Ren took that moment of distraction to run through again and this time, slicing through both spirits with her sword and dagger. Both of the spirits stayed down with spirit energy leaking out of them.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t look good. I hope they¡¯re okay,¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit said.


    ¡°Why do you care about them? Why not care about us? Do something,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Oh my Na Na, there¡¯s nothing I can do. You¡¯re still too weak as a summoner for me to do much. Just keep running behind the more competent one.¡±


    Of course she meant Sun Ren.


    The three Wintersweet disciples dismissed their spirits and charged Sun Ren. This time, they overwhelmed them. Yes, they were younger and smaller than both Lu Na and Sun Ren, but they had youth on their side. And let¡¯s face it, Lu Na knew she didn¡¯t weigh much, as she rarely ate. These younger people were stronger than her.


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    It was the hardest scuffle of Lu Na¡¯s life because the shorter girl was not holding back. Unlike the fights with her brothers where they weren¡¯t deliberately hurting each other, this one was punching her in the sides and stomach.


    At one point, Lu Na hid her face with her hands as the other started slapping her. It felt like a long time before the shorter girl stopped and was quickly thrown off Lu Na.


    Sun Ren had her sword pointed at the three fallen disciples. They looked bruised all over and the boy was holding his hands between his legs.


    ¡°I¡¯m done playing nice. The next one that gets up to fight me, I¡¯m going to kill. Now leave.¡±


    The three disciples backed away on their hands and knees from Sun Ren. Soon enough, they all crept out of the alleyway.


    ¡°I definitely should have bonded with her instead,¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit said.


    ¡°Please, no more.¡± Lu Na wasn¡¯t sure if she said that to her spirit or to her assailant at that point. Or maybe she was saying it was the bad luck that seemed to follow her for the last few days.


    Sun Ren dropped her sword and got on her knees. The disciples looked miserable, but Sun Ren looked like a corpse. Dirt and dust caked all over her torn purple dress. Underneath it, her black tunic was showing. She had never changed out of her clothes, unlike Lu Na.


    Lu Na sat up and rubbed her hands and sides. She was aching everywhere now. That was her first actual fight and she did not like it. What she would give for a bath and a bed right about now.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go before they come back with more people,¡± Sun Ren said. She propped herself against a wall and lifted herself up. Her limp was much more noticeable as she walked out of the alleyway.


    Lu Na dragged herself up and followed Sun Ren.


    ¡°Where are we going now?¡±


    Sun Ren looked around.


    ¡°We¡¯re too far from Blossom Scent Parlor. We would never make it there with all these Wintersweet disciples out looking for us.¡±


    ¡°Then what if we tried these homes? Maybe someone will help us,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Fine, I hate doing this. We shouldn¡¯t be endangering normal people. But we need a place to rest before we can go to my brother. I don¡¯t think I can walk much after that fight.¡±


    Lu Na nodded. She reached over to Sun Ren and helped her walk.


    The first few doors they knocked on had expected results. No one let them in. Some of them slammed their doors on the two women. Lu Na didn¡¯t blame them. They were two injured women that looked like they rolled down several hills while fighting stray cats. If Lu Na saw someone like that, she wouldn¡¯t help them either.


    At least the streets were quiet. But that wasn¡¯t right. It was the day before the Mid-Autumn Festival. Normally there would be children running around, peddlers out selling their wares, and street performers everywhere. Why was it so silent? The only thing they heard was the shuffling of their feet and the occasional breeze that shook the lanterns hanging overhead.


    It wasn¡¯t until they walked further before they heard the ting of someone hammering metal. When the two ladies got there, a shirtless man was hammering away at a piece of metal on an anvil. The man didn¡¯t see them until they were standing in front of him. When he did, he laid his hammer down.


    ¡°Ladies, are you two okay?¡± the man asked.


    ¡°Do we look okay?¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°No, of course not. Let me get my wife to help you two.¡± The man walked away into the house next to the forge.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t nice,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about nice anymore. I¡¯m done with all this. As soon as I get a little water, clean up my wounds, we¡¯re headed to Blossom Scent Parlor to find my brother.¡±


    Lu Na nodded. When she heard Sun Ren, say she was ¡°done with all this,¡± she feared that Sun Ren would abandon her. She knew that she might have after going through all this and the Wintersweet weren¡¯t even after her. Lu Na didn¡¯t know what she did in the past life to deserve such a friend.


    The smith¡¯s wife came out. She was dressed in a brown tunic and dark pants and her hair was tied up in a bun. When she saw the two ladies, she pulled her husband back.


    ¡°What are you doing? Don¡¯t you see those two are trouble,¡± the smith¡¯s wife said.


    ¡°They¡¯re injured and they need help. I can¡¯t stand by and watch people suffer,¡± the smith said. ¡°So either you help them, or I will. I know how you don¡¯t like it when I look at other women. I wonder how you¡¯ll feel when I have to touch these two.¡±


    The wife grumbled.


    The smith walked over to the two ladies.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to keep you waiting. Please come inside.¡±


    Lu Na bowed her head.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Lu Na hobbled into their home with Sun Ren. It was no better than a mud hut, but at least it was cooler inside out of the sun. Only a small window allowed any sun in. The two ladies walked over and sat down on some mats on the floor. Inside, there were two children, two girls, sitting on a nearby floor cot, staring at the two ladies. They wore plain brown tunics like their mother.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Lu Na and this is Sun Ren.¡±


    ¡°Where are your manners? Greet people who greet you. Say hello,¡± their mother said.


    ¡°Hello,¡± the siblings said in unison.


    ¡°Now Ting, go get some water and Dang, go get mommy¡¯s old dresses,¡± the mother said. ¡°I¡¯ll go find some herbal medicine for your injuries.¡±


    The two girls shot out of the room as fast as an arrow out into the backyard.


    ¡°I¡¯ll monitor them,¡± the smith said.


    The mother brought over a small clay jar to the two ladies.


    ¡°You two ladies are lucky you got away. I heard a few of my neighbor¡¯s girls didn¡¯t. What is the world coming to when our children can¡¯t play in the streets?¡± The mother started peeling away Sun Ren¡¯s dress to reach the scrapes she had.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know it became so bad,¡± Sun Ren said. She winced when the mother rubbed a deep scrape. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But what is your name? We came barging into your home without asking.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Mrs. Gan. My husband is too nice for his own good. Helping strangers off the street like that.¡±


    Lu Na checked her own wounds and felt the bruises on her side and stomach. Luckily nothing came loose and her phoenix hairpin was still in her hair.


    The two girls came rushing back in, one with a large bucket of water and the other had two brown tunics. Their father followed behind them.


    ¡°My love, are you telling me that if our two daughters got into trouble like them, you¡¯d rather everyone ignore them?¡± Mr. Gan said. ¡°If we¡¯re always so afraid of trouble, then when will we get help when we need it?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t kick them out, did I?¡± Mrs. Gan said. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go back to the forge while these two ladies changed? We¡¯ll talk later.¡±


    Mr. Gan nodded and left their home.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for causing you any hardships,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°No, my husband is right. You two ladies looked like you needed help and it would break my heart if my two girls had no one helping them. This might not be enough water to wash off the dirt. I¡¯m going to get some more.¡± Mrs. Gan left the home.


    Soon after, the continuous strikes of metal were heard outside.


    Sun Ren took off the outer layer of clothes. She still had the dark red tunic underneath that she wore to Lu Na¡¯s home.


    ¡°Why do you still have that on? Isn¡¯t it really hot?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you in a second.¡± Sun Ren peeled the outer layer off.


    Then she took out a dagger from the side of her tunic. She took out two more from the other side. She unwrapped her waist sword and laid it flat on the ground. After a short grunt, she unhooked a patch of leather underneath her tunic and let it sink to the floor.


    Sun Ren took a deep breath.


    ¡°Much better.¡±

 Chapter 12 - Sharing Anything We Have

    Chapter 12 - Sharing Anything We Have


    ¡°You had all that underneath your clothes?¡± Lu Na was shocked to see all those weapons.


    ¡°I¡¯m not done yet.¡± Sun Ren reached down her dark red pants. She took out three daggers hidden in her right leg. They were bent at an angle. That¡¯s when she could finally straighten her leg. ¡°These made walking a little hard. I¡¯m going to have to tell my smiths to make those softer.¡±


    Finally, she went to her other leg and pulled out four other daggers that went from her ankle to her thigh. Sun Ren lined them all up based on size right next to her.


    Lu Na was amazed at how many weapons Sun Ren pulled out. There was more metal than Lu Na had ever seen before. They were also highly illegal as no one could have metal weapons such as swords or daggers within the city that weren¡¯t a soldier following an order. Of course, yamen runners were an exception like her brother, but even he only had a small spear tip that was made of metal.


    ¡°That¡¯s not normal metal,¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit said.


    Lu Na picked up a dagger. The edge gleamed a little, almost like how spirit energy looks to Lu Na when she¡¯s about to work with it with her spirit wand. Except that it felt like she was looking at a very sharp edge. Yet when she ran her fingers over it, it didn¡¯t cut her fingers.


    ¡°What are these?¡±


    Sun Ren took the dagger from Lu Na to look at the edge herself.


    ¡°My Sun family specially made these weapons. They¡¯re coated with a special ink that can cut through low-level spirits. But unless they¡¯re sharpened at the edge, they won¡¯t cut anyone.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how you hurt those spirits that attacked us.¡±


    ¡°Yes. They¡¯re also why I have killed none of those disciples yet. I¡¯m not breaking the law if I¡¯m not holding actual weapons.¡± Sun Ren twirled one dagger in her hand. ¡°Besides, my father would frown upon me using my training to kill people within the city. We¡¯re supposed to protect them, even if they¡¯re low life sect members.¡±


    ¡°Would it be possible to allow me to study this dagger?¡± The thin coating mesmerized Lu Na.


    ¡°You can keep it. Maybe it will help you in the future. Just don¡¯t tell my father. He¡¯s very paranoid about sharing our family secrets.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious? I wouldn¡¯t want you to get in trouble.¡±


    Sun Ren placed her hand on top of Lu Na.


    ¡°You¡¯re my friend and after what we¡¯ve been through, I trust you would never betray me. Besides, you would share with me what you found out about it anyway, right?¡±


    Lu Na nodded. What Sun Ren didn¡¯t realize was that at this moment, Lu Na had seen more into these inventions and how the spirits worked than anytime in her life. Sure, she almost died a few times and was constantly running away from would-be kidnappers, but her mind was working in ways she never imagined just a week ago. And now, with this dagger and its thin coating, it has opened up a few more possibilities for her.


    ¡°Na Na, what are you thinking about? I can feel your head about to explode the way you¡¯re staring at the dagger,¡± her spirit said.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about how I¡¯d use this with Uncle Chen¡¯s technique. If I could combine this dagger¡¯s ability to cut into spirits, I could absorb their spirit energy and convert them into something else. Maybe something better than water.¡± Lu Na touched the edge of the dagger. It didn¡¯t cut her, but she felt a small buzz coming from it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not do that again,¡± her spirit said.


    ¡°That would be a fascinating invention,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°But what would you do with it?¡±


    ¡°We could store the spirit energy for later. A lot of my other inventions use spirit energy, but they¡¯re weak because they can¡¯t pull the spirit energy like actual spirits. But if the invention can pull it from a source, then I could make it as powerful as I can feed it! Can you imagine my brother¡¯s earth wall technique that reaches up to the sky and as wide as a river? Or many other possibilities if only I can learn about them and see how they¡¯re done. We can do so much more.¡±


    Sun Ren smiled.


    ¡°You know, my family would have loved to have you work for them. All these ideas you have would make us very strong.¡±


    Lu Na looked up at Sun Ren. She wasn¡¯t sure if her father would allow her to do that.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how useful I would be, though. I can¡¯t do much on my own. If it wasn¡¯t for you and your guards, I would have been kidnapped or killed.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I think you are more useful than you think. You just haven¡¯t found a person who can appreciate you yet.¡±


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    ¡°She¡¯s right. But more importantly, I appreciate you. You promised me that one day, you¡¯d rule the world with me.¡±


    Lu Na chuckled.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°Oh nothing. My spirit reminded me of the silly promise I made to her about one day ruling the world with her. But I hear what you¡¯re saying. If you feel I can be useful to you, it would be the least I could do to repay you for putting your own life on the line for me over the last few days.¡±


    Sun Ren held Lu Na¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Then I look forward to working with you. Who knows, maybe with your help, we can bring peace to this country.¡±


    It didn¡¯t take long for the two ladies to clean up. When they were done, Sun Ren had refitted her new tunic with all the daggers and her sword that she had taken from her old tunic. Her limp went away.


    ¡°What should we do with our old clothes?¡± Lu Na asked. Normally, a maid or servant would have taken it away or thrown it out.


    ¡°Can we have them?¡± one of the two girls asked.


    ¡°Girls, you can¡¯t ask them for something so expensive,¡± Mrs. Gan said.


    ¡°Ting, right?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    Lu Na couldn¡¯t tell them apart, although they weren¡¯t twins.


    The girl nodded.


    ¡°You can have them.¡± Sun Ren passed both the purple dress from Mrs. Hu and her own dark red tunic.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± the girl squealed. Their clothes were torn and no better than rags at that point.


    Mrs. Gan bowed with her head.


    ¡°Thank you two ladies. That cloth is more expensive than anything we could ever afford and that color is something we¡¯ve only seen the magistrate¡¯s wife wear.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enjoy them,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°Anyway, tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival. Is your family doing anything special?¡±


    ¡°Oh, we are,¡± Mrs. Gan said. ¡°We were working on the moon cakes. Would you two ladies like to join us?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that would be nice,¡± Lu Na said. She¡¯d had all different kinds of moon cakes from around the country when her father brought them back. But this would be the first time she¡¯d have homemade moon cakes. She always wondered what other people put in their moon cakes.


    ¡°Ting and Dang, help me bring the ingredients into the home.¡± Mrs. Gan and her two daughters brought in three large trays. One of them had flour on it while the other two had different ingredients such as red beans and fruit.


    ¡°Sorry, but we have little to offer in our humble home,¡± Mrs. Gan said.


    ¡°No, this is plentiful. This is more than I would usually get during the Mid-Autumn Festival,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°But aren¡¯t you two ladies rich?¡± Dang asked.


    ¡°Well, Lu Na here is rich. Her father has business all over the country with many rich and powerful people. My father gets paid by the government and they don¡¯t pay him enough.¡±


    ¡°Come on, your mother must at least buy you some moon cakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Well, yes, but it¡¯s never ones I like,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°But these ingredients look delicious. I love red bean.¡±


    Mrs. Gan placed a small mound of flour in front of Sun Ren.


    ¡°Well then, Sun Ren, was it? You can make your own moon cake for tonight. You can put whatever you¡¯d like in it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Sun Ren reached over for the fruit and red beans.


    ¡°Why do we have moon cakes, anyway?¡± Ting asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s celebrating the moon and the goddess Chang¡¯e who lives there. Tonight is going to be a full moon and we will see her home glow brightly in the sky,¡± Mrs. Gan said.


    Lu Na stifled a snort. She knew that was the story most people followed, but her father told her something different. He told her it was a scam thought up by the spirits to distract us. That the goddess in the moon is actually a mean spirit that wants us to worship her through moon cakes. Her father was a cynical guy, yet she wondered how he was doing. She was feeling anxious about her whole family actually, especially her brother.


    ¡°So, do you know why women and girls have been kidnapped recently?¡± Mrs. Gan asked.


    Sun Ren shook her head.


    Mrs. Gan glanced at the different places that Sun Ren had hidden her weapons.


    ¡°You seemed like you were a summoner that knew what was going on. I thought you were fighting them.¡±


    ¡°Oh, we were,¡± Lu Na said. She had made a moon cake out of dried fruits only. ¡°But we still do not know why they¡¯re after us or any of the other women.¡±


    ¡°Then why were you two outside?¡± Dang asked. ¡°Mother and father told us to stay home.¡±


    ¡°They attacked my home,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°I was sitting with my friend Sun Ren and we were finishing dinner when they attacked us.¡±


    Mrs. Gan stopped what she was doing.


    ¡°Then that means they might come find you here?¡±


    ¡°No, we lost them in the streets,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°But they¡¯re still looking for you.¡±


    ¡°Possibly,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°If you are worried, we can leave right now. Your family has already been too kind.¡±


    ¡°No one is leaving, especially not to go back outside,¡± Mr. Gan said as he entered the home. He was covered in soot and sweat. ¡°The streets are deserted and everyone is on high alert. We would be feeding them to the tigers. Since tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival, there will be people out celebrating and the magistrate¡¯s yamen runners and constables will be out there, protecting the civilians. It should be safer tomorrow. So for tonight, have dinner with us and you can sleep by the hearth over there.¡± Mr. Gan pointed at a space to their right.


    ¡°We thank you for your generosity, but we don¡¯t want to endanger you or your family,¡± Sun Ren said.


    Lu Na wanted to say something, but Sun Ren was right. If she stayed and somehow those Wintersweet disciples found them, they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to hurt this family. If only she had a weapon of some sort. Then maybe she wouldn¡¯t be so useless in a fight.


    ¡°Mr. Gan, would you have something I can use as a weapon?¡±


    Mr. Gan shook his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m mostly a blacksmith¡¯s apprentice. I can only make woks.¡±


    The two girls laughed.


    ¡°Yeah, Mother is always saying how he¡¯s only good at making trouble,¡± Ting said.


    ¡°But I might have something if you tell me what it is you¡¯re after,¡± Mr. Gan said. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t expect great quality work.¡±


    Lu Na thought for a moment. She touched the edge of Sun Ren¡¯s dagger again, feeling the buzz.


    ¡°Do you have anything that deals with spirits? I¡¯m trying to find a way to store or direct spirit energy.¡±

 Chapter 13 - Finding New Metal

    Chapter 13 - Finding New Metal


    As Mr. Gan looked thoughtfully around their home, Lu Na saw plenty of pieces of scrap metal around, many created as ornamental decorations. It was a long shot that this humble metal worker could find her something that she could use. Yet, Lu Na hoped that there might be something here that she had never thought of before. The outside world was fascinating.


    Mr. Gan stopped to pick something up.


    ¡°This piece is something I found a while ago, outside of the city when I went looking for metal. Most of the spirits stayed away from it.¡±


    Lu Na picked up the piece of metal and it felt cool to the touch. The longer she held it, the colder it felt.


    ¡°Let go of that,¡± her spirit said. ¡°It¡¯s absorbing what little spirit energy you have inside you.¡±


    Lu Na put it down on the table.


    ¡°Did you feel it?¡± Mr. Gan asked.


    ¡°Yes. It was making my fingers colder. How does it do that?¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But I¡¯ve had to use gloves to hold on to it. Otherwise, it would have frozen my fingers off.¡±


    Sun Ren picked it up and dropped it immediately, as if it burned her hand.


    ¡°This is null metal. It absorbs spirit energy and stores it. It¡¯s also illegal. Anyone seen holding this is subject to imprisonment and hard labor on the wall.¡±


    Mr. Gan was frozen as he stared at the metal. His eyes were wide.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Well, I can help you,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°Give that piece of metal to Lu Na and she can take it away for you. She¡¯s not a summoner nor is she associated with any sects or groups. The worst they could do is admonish her for having found some shiny metal.¡±


    ¡°Great, you make me sound like a little girl,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Better that than a criminal. Metal workers are not supposed to have this. Did you ask your sifu about this?¡±


    Mr. Gan shook his head.


    ¡°I saw it was a shiny metal and thought that I might have been able to forge it into something else of value.¡±


    Sun Ren nodded.


    ¡°It is valuable in the right hands. But In others, it¡¯s a death sentence.¡±


    ¡°Then please, take it.¡± Mr. Gan picked up the piece of null metal and handed it to Lu Na.


    ¡°Wait, if it¡¯s so valuable, we can¡¯t hand that over to them,¡± Mrs. Gan said. ¡°How can we trust these two at their word? They might try to swindle us.¡±


    Sun Ren sighed.


    ¡°I hate to do this, but.¡± Sun Ren took out a wooden badge, inlaid with the word ¡°Marquis,¡± with metal on it. ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m a representative for my father, Marquis Sun Wentai. If I wanted to, I could have you all arrested and sent to the wall right now.¡±


    At the sight of the badge, the Gan couple kowtowed onto the floor.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t arrest us,¡± Mr. Gan said. ¡°We are a little people that know nothing.¡±


    Lu Na walked over and raised the couple up.


    ¡°No one is going to arrest you. Sun Ren is not the type of person to do that.¡± Although, as Lu Na said that, she wasn¡¯t exactly sure what type of person her friend was. Sun Ren seemed both compassionate, yet also dangerous simultaneously. How could she be both so easily?


    ¡°It would make me a villain to arrest the same people who helped me. But if you were to give this metal to me, you won¡¯t have to worry about being arrested.¡±


    Lu Na thought of many ways to use the metal. She wanted it more than anything, but there was something nagging at her.


    ¡°Wait, I can¡¯t just take something from you. Here, take this in exchange.¡± Lu Na took out her money pouch and placed all she had on the table. ¡°At least this is metal you can use.¡±


    The Gan couple both had eyes larger than the sun.


    ¡°We can¡¯t take this,¡± Mr. Gan said. ¡°This is too much.¡±


    ¡°Consider whatever extra for your help, as well. We are both very grateful you helped us as no one else would.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s because no one else is as foolish as my husband,¡± Mrs. Gan said. ¡°Helping people hurts the helpers. No one else wants to get in the middle of whatever is going on outside.¡±


    ¡°Think of it also as payment for allowing us to sleep here tonight. We¡¯re exhausted and we can¡¯t move anymore,¡± Sun Ren said.


    Mr. Gan was still hesitant, but Mrs. Gan hastily swept the money into her own money pouch.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Mrs. Gan said. ¡°Anything you two girls need, please let me know.¡±


    Lu Na could see the conflict on Mr. Gan¡¯s face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re giving me a precious metal that I doubt I¡¯ll ever be able to find anywhere else. To me, it¡¯s priceless.¡±


    Mr. Gan nodded.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s only fair that you sleep on our cot. It¡¯s not much, but it would be better than the floor.¡±


    ¡°We can share the bed with your daughters,¡± Sun Ren said.


    Lu Na nodded.


    As soon as the two ladies sat down on the cot, Lu Na wanted to drift off right away. The day¡¯s fatigue was catching up and she could barely keep her eyes open.


    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t sleep yet,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°We need a plan in case we get attacked here.¡±


    Lu Na forced her eyes open and stared at Sun Ren.


    ¡°I¡¯m so tired. I¡¯d rather they just take us away.¡±


    ¡°Even if it means they will kill you and your family? We don¡¯t know why they attacked your home. We don¡¯t know if they killed your family or kept them prisoner. These people might take you, torture you, and then sell you to a brothel.¡±


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    That woke Lu Na up.


    ¡°Okay, what are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow. Think you can make some more of your wards and give me some?¡±


    Lu Na hesitated.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure they would work for you. My spirit is usually the one shaping the wards. That¡¯s one thing I¡¯m going to work on when I get back.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it then. If we get attacked here, we have to run south to where my brother is at the Blossom Scent Parlor. If we can get there, we should be safe under his protection.¡±


    Lu Na nodded.


    ¡°South to Blossom Scent Parlor, got it.¡±


    ¡°And I need you to promise me that if I tell you to run, you run no matter what. Don¡¯t stay because of me.¡±


    Lu Na nodded again, but this time she couldn¡¯t keep her eyes open.


    ¡°Then sleep. I¡¯ll keep watch for a bit. I¡¯ll wake you up if there¡¯s an issue,¡± Sun Ren said.


    Lu Na fell asleep and the night passed without incident. She woke up with Sun Ren propped against her almost like a shield. What did she ever do to deserve someone like her? Other than being her childhood friend, Lu Na didn¡¯t know her. Yet she was happy she had such a friend.


    Lu Na shifted Sun Ren into a more comfortable sleeping position.


    ¡°Well, good morning. Didn¡¯t expect you to wake up so early,¡± her spirit said.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± Lu Na whispered. For the first time in a long time, she felt her spirit stirring within her spirit realm. That only happened when they first bonded. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Child, I feel amazing. I haven¡¯t felt this good in ages. If you were a practicing summoner, you would be surprised by the gains I¡¯ve had over the last few days. You might even fear me a little.¡±


    Lu Na gathered her things and walked into the back of the house. There was a large tree there and a small courtyard that was shared among two other houses. A small garden wrapped around the tree, fenced off from predators.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you¡¯ve been feeling good. I¡¯ve been through so much that I doubt even my mother would recognize me now.¡±


    ¡°When your mother told me to bond with you, I didn¡¯t want to at first. But your growth in understanding those inventions has given me such a great boon.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of my mother, you still haven¡¯t told me anything about her or the hairpin she left me. I think now is a good time.¡± Lu Na sat down on a bench by the garden that had a table. She took out the yellow paper from Uncle Chen¡¯s store and her spirit wand. She needed to replenish her inventory of earth and spirit wards. Maybe she might be able to do something with the null metal.


    ¡°I can tell you, but you will not like the answer.¡±


    ¡°Try me. Mother left a few years ago with no warning and I have been lost without her for so long.¡± Lu Na gathered the earth spirit energy from the ground with her spirit wand and combined it with the yellow piece of paper until it formed her brother¡¯s technique. When it solidified, she wrapped the paper up in a red string.


    ¡°Your mother is an outlaw of the spirits. She is trying to uncover the secrets of the Spirit Realm and they¡¯re trying to kill her before she does. No human should have that knowledge.¡±


    Lu Na stopped making the next ward, putting her spirit wand down. The earth spirit energy started fading like drying water, slowly evaporating.


    ¡°What do you mean, outlaw of the spirits? Is she dead?¡±


    ¡°I know a lot, but I don¡¯t know everything. But your mother is a powerful summoner. She promised she would give me the power to rule over my little kingdom in the spirit realm. It¡¯s how she convinced me to bond with an inexperienced child like you.¡±


    ¡°No need to move to insults like that.¡± Lu Na picked up her spirit wand and continued making the ward before the earth spirit energy dispersed entirely. ¡°If she¡¯s so powerful, then where is she? And why did she give me the hairpin?¡±


    ¡°That I can¡¯t tell you. But for the hairpin she told me the secret. She told me that if she wasn¡¯t back before the Mid-Autumn Festival of your sixteenth birth year, that your hairpin would reveal where she was. So if we¡¯re lucky, we will know tonight. Just don¡¯t activate it before then. If you do, it won¡¯t show you where she is and I¡¯ll be stuck with you until you die.¡±


    ¡°Would that be so bad? I¡¯m fond of you, spirit.¡± Lu Na took off her hairpin and stared at it. ¡°What¡¯s so special about it?¡±


    ¡°First, let me allow you to really see it.¡±


    The plain silver phoenix hairpin glowed red. It looked like the wards she created, except the color and intensity were much lower. Lu Na had to really focus her eyes before she saw the small dots of red around the phoenix¡¯s eyes. She reached toward those dots.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch it.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because your mother put a powerful ward of her own on the hairpin. It¡¯s meant to protect you should you break the hairpin or activate it. It has the power to burn down the entire city.¡±


    Lu Na placed the hairpin down carefully next to her ward.


    ¡°You never thought to tell me that before? There have been a few times when I wanted to break it over the last few days. What if it accidentally fell from my head and broke? Would it have killed my entire family?¡±


    Lu Na¡¯s spirit let out a hissing laugh.


    ¡°Child, your mother is no fool. The ward she put on the hairpin can sense your life force. As long as you¡¯re not dying, it won¡¯t activate. Besides Na Na, do you think your mother was that careless in endangering your brother too? She loved him more than the moon.¡±


    ¡°I remember how much she doted on him. I doubt she loved me that much.¡±


    ¡°Na Na, she loved you more than the sun and all the stars in the sky.¡±


    Hearing that from her spirit made Lu Na pause. She missed her mother. She missed her easy laughter and all the amazing things she showed her. Most of all, she missed her hugs and kisses.


    ¡°So what will happen if I activate the hairpin?¡±


    ¡°I do not know. She told me two things. One was that it would protect you if you¡¯re ever in grave danger. You can also activate it by tapping the phoenix¡¯s eyes three times. Afterwards, I would direct it like I would any of your other wards to activate. The other thing was that it contained a secret message for you.¡±


    ¡°So can I open it now?¡± Lu Na picked up the hairpin and looked it all over. This time, little red dots glowed all over the hairpin.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t suggest it. If you opened it now, it might set off the defensive ward and you might burn down the little mud hut of your host. That handsome and kind blacksmith might be more generous than he should, but I doubt he would overlook you burning down the house.¡±


    Lu Na carefully put it back down, activating none of the wards on it. She didn¡¯t see it before, but knew that if she were to push it in a certain way, it would unlock.


    ¡°You¡¯re doing this, aren¡¯t you? It¡¯s your powers that have allowed me to see these things that I¡¯ve never seen before.¡±


    ¡°Of course, child. Your experiences over the last few days have given me enough power to flex a bit of my muscles.¡±


    ¡°So if those men never tried to kidnap me or the Wintersweet never attacked my home, you would never have shown me this?¡±


    Lu Na couldn¡¯t see her spirit, but felt the spirit smirking. That was also something she¡¯d never experienced before.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t bond with you because you were worthy of bonding with. Your mother promised me so much. And only now do I see what she meant. Although I wasn¡¯t lying about wanting to take over the world, though.¡± Her spirit laughed.


    ¡°Then this power you¡¯ve given me, is there a cost? Is there something you take from me?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°My father never taught me much, but there has always been one thing he¡¯s taught every one of his children. Nothing is ever free. Everything has a cost, even if you can¡¯t see it.¡±


    ¡°Your father is very smart. I can¡¯t tell you that either.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to scare you. Not yet anyway. If I get what your mother promised, I will tell you everything.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    A large pop sounded outside, followed by three more.


    Lu Na saw the fireworks bursting up in the sky. She walked back into the house. That conversation would have to be continued later now that everyone else was woken up by that.


    Sun Ren had her sword out, pointed at the door.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°I think someone set off fireworks outside. It¡¯s officially the Mid-Autumn Festival today. Someone might start early,¡± Ting said. The older girl roused her little sister and brought her to the window.


    ¡°I recognize those fireworks. It¡¯s trouble. Pack your things.¡±


    They saw a large firework display that resembled a flower.


    Both Lu Na and Sun Ren recognized that flower instantly. It was the same flower that was sewn onto those Wintersweet disciples¡¯ clothes and had been chasing them for the last few days.


    ¡°Na Na, we have to go,¡± Sun Ren said.

 Chapter 14 - Elder of Wintersweet Sect

    Chapter 14 - Elder of Wintersweet Sect


    Lu Na followed Sun Ren out of the mud home. Only Mr. Gan followed behind them.


    An enormous head appeared in the sky. This one wasn¡¯t made of fireworks, but some type of spirit technique that showed a man¡¯s face. He had long white hair and a scar over his left eyebrow. The rest of this face was heavily creased.


    ¡°Citizens of Jianye. We are looking for an individual named Lu Na. She is a terrorist. She destroyed her own home and is very dangerous. If anyone sees her, let our sect members or the magistrate¡¯s yamen runners know. She needs to be found before nightfall. She is a threat to the city.¡±


    ¡°Well, this went from bad to worse,¡± Lu Na said.


    Sun Ren was eying Mr. Gan and the others in his home.


    ¡°I think we should leave now.¡±


    Lu Na looked at them and other than Mr. Gan, the rest of his family¡¯s face turned to fear. They had hurried away from their window.


    Mr. Gan laughed instead.


    ¡°Anyone who thinks you two girls are dangerous has something wrong with their head.¡± Mr. Gan peered down at Lu Na and Sun Ren. Lu Na hadn¡¯t noticed how tall he was outside his home. ¡°You two take care of yourselves. If you ever run into trouble again, please find me for help.¡±


    Lu Na clasped her hands and bowed deeply, followed by Sun Ren.


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Gan, for your hospitality and aid,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°We will go now.¡±


    ¡°Wait, I don¡¯t think we got your name. So that way, in the future, I can get my father to repay you for your help,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°It¡¯s Gan Jiang,¡± he said. ¡°And repayment is unnecessary. The amount of gold you¡¯ve given us is more than what we make in a year. But if you are looking for a blacksmith, I¡¯d be more than happy for the business.¡±


    Lu Na and Sun Ren bowed again before walking away.


    ¡°I think we should split up,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°They¡¯re not after you.¡±


    Sun Ren shook her head.


    ¡°We go together. All we have to do is hurry along in the alleyways out of the major streets. We should get to Blossom Scent Parlor before nightfall. Also, before I forget, here.¡±


    Sun Ren passed a lump of metal to Lu Na.


    Lu Na felt the cool metal in her hands and quickly placed it into her chest pocket.


    ¡°When did you get this? I forgot about this with the announcement in the sky.¡±


    ¡°I took it when they were all distracted. It¡¯s important for your work. Hopefully, we can make it home safely for you to do something with it. I look forward to finding out with you.¡±


    The streets were empty. They were the only two people walking. Eyes tracked them as they walked by. If someone didn¡¯t report them by now, it would only be a matter of time.


    Lu Na didn¡¯t understand why this summoner sect was after her in particular. She was nobody. Her father was rich, but anyone who knew their family would know that he prized his younger brothers, not Lu Na. If her mother was still around, then they might have kidnapped Lu Na to lure her out. But she had been gone for years. So why her?


    It was such a shame, too. Normally, the streets would be filled with people and peddlers celebrating one of the biggest holidays of the country. Lanterns would be lit all around and children would run around laughing and setting off fireworks. Instead, this enormous city felt like home to the underworld.


    Of course, it didn¡¯t take long before they were discovered. Two groups of Wintersweet disciples walked toward them from both ends of the street. Pairs of yamen runners walked in from the alleyways, holding staves to block their way.


    ¡°There is nowhere to run,¡± a man called out. It was the same face that showed up in the sky earlier. The man was older, judging by the gray in his hair and beard. He had a muscular physique underneath his loose tunic. ¡°My name is Hen Shimin, an elder of the Wintersweet Sect. I am here to invite you to our sect.¡±


    ¡°And what if we don¡¯t want to go with you?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    Hen Shimin walked forward, but still far enough away from the two ladies.


    ¡°Then I will be forced to capture you and bring you in.¡±


    ¡°Why are you after me, anyway? What did I do to your Wintersweet Sect?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Hen Shimin scrunched up his nose as if he smelled something awful.


    ¡°It is for your protection. I shouldn¡¯t be telling you this, but our diviners told us of a prophecy where Lu maidens like you need to be protected before nightfall happened. Or else our sect will face a major catastrophe.¡±


    ¡°I was safe in my own home. I didn¡¯t need protection from your sect,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°If that were true, then we wouldn¡¯t have been able to breach it so easily.¡±


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    ¡°So if your diviners told you to go kill yourselves, would you?¡±


    Hen Shimin frowned.


    ¡°No, we would not. Our diviners have been very accurate and have brought our sect prosperity and safe from harm. We are doing as they tell us.¡±


    ¡°Then tell me this, wise Elder of the Wintersweet Sect. What gives you the right to attack the home of a merchant and take its people?¡± Sun Ren took a few steps closer to Hen Shimin.


    ¡°The same right that the strong have over all. We don¡¯t bow down and pay taxes to the Imperial court because we like them.¡± Hen Shimin crossed his arms across his chest. ¡°Besides, they¡¯ve got bigger issues at the moment than to deal with a city so far from their control. So do us all a favor and don¡¯t think that because you¡¯re the daughter of the Marquis, that we should fear you. He¡¯s not here and by the time he comes back, we will be done with this business.¡±


    Sun Ren reached down to her sword at her waist.


    Lu Na couldn¡¯t have Sun Ren risk her life for her again.


    ¡°Can you guarantee you won¡¯t hurt us?¡± Lu Na put a hand on Sun Ren¡¯s shoulder. ¡°If we follow you back to your sect, can you guarantee our safety?¡±


    Hen Shimin didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°We can¡¯t guarantee anything,¡± a female disciple said. She was wearing a deep blue uniform. ¡°Nor would we. We have you surrounded. If we gutted you two right here, no one would lift a finger to save you.¡±


    Hen Shimin turned and slapped the female disciple across the face.


    ¡°Be quiet. You have disgraced us enough. If you invited her in the first place as I asked instead of attacking their home, I wouldn¡¯t have needed to personally come here. Leave us.¡±


    The female disciple held her face, glaring at Hen Shimin. But she didn¡¯t dare say anything as she clasped her hands, bowed low at the waist, and walked away. A group of other disciples followed her.


    ¡°I apologize for attacking your home. We only need to have you spend one night at our sect and you will be free to leave tomorrow,¡± Hen Shimin said.


    ¡°That sounds a lot like your problem,¡± Sun Ren said.


    Lu Na tugged Sun Ren¡¯s shoulder toward the right. She had noticed it earlier, but one of the yamen runners was someone she recognized. It was the young man from earlier that helped her. Maybe he would help her again.


    ¡°Still, you can¡¯t guarantee our safety if we follow you back to your sect. Why should we follow you? What¡¯s stopping us from running through your disciples and the yamen runners?¡±


    ¡°The only thing I can promise is no needless pain,¡± Hen Shimin said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that before. That could mean killing us painlessly,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°Fine. If I go with you, then would you allow Sun Ren to go?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Hen Shimin nodded.


    Lu Na reached into her belt and pulled out three of her earthen wards and one of her spirit wall wards. She let go of Sun Ren¡¯s shoulder and tossed all the wards around them, creating a wall blocking the Wintersweet¡¯s vision.


    ¡°Run,¡± Sun Ren said. She whipped out her sword from her waist in one fluid motion. The tip of it hit one of the yamen runners on the side of the head.


    The younger one Lu Na recognized pointed toward the north side.


    ¡°Go that way. They won¡¯t be guarding that side and the north gate is not much farther away. You can leave the city fast.¡±


    Lu Na nodded her thanks.


    Before they could run, the earthen walls broke down. A tall and lean horse spirit kicked the rest of it down until it disappeared completely. It was a plain brown horse with a light purple mane.


    ¡°Run and don¡¯t stop Lu Na.¡± Sun Ren and the younger yamen runner turned to face Hen Shimin. ¡°I¡¯ll hold him for as long as I can. Tell my brother everything.¡±


    Lu Na wanted to stop this. She was tired, injured, and wanted it to just end. But there was no stopping Sun Ren as she saw her charge the stronger summoner with her sword. She couldn¡¯t allow Sun Ren¡¯s sacrifice go to waste and there was that deep-rooted fear of what Sun Ren said before: there was nothing stopping the Wintersweet Sect from killing her, even if it was painlessly.


    So Lu Na ran.


    Lu Na followed the yamen runner¡¯s instructions and ran north. There was no one there. But the loud footsteps behind her told her it would only be a matter of time before they caught up. A loud scream up ahead made her pause.


    There were two women who were being kidnapped by Wintersweet disciples. They couldn¡¯t be the women they were looking for, so why would they attack them? Lu Na was standing right there. There were men standing around staring, but not intervening.


    Lu Na wanted to, but knew that those women would be let go eventually, as they weren¡¯t the ones they were looking for. Not to mention, what could she do anyway?


    ¡°No time to stop now, Na Na. Keep going,¡± her spirit said.


    Lu Na turned away from them and started running east instead. She couldn¡¯t go that way now. As she ran, the mud homes turned into abandoned huts. There were people hanging around these homes on the outside. They all looked like homeless people, some of them had entire families sitting in the street looking up. A few of them carried long sticks beside their begging bowls.


    ¡°Over there,¡± a woman yelled.


    Lu Na had to stop to take a breath. She turned and saw it was the same disciple that attacked her home. Even though it was dark, she still recognized that face that fought her brother. She wore a dark blue uniform that differed from the other disciples. She was also the same one that Hen Shimin slapped.


    Well, Lu Na knew her lucky streak had to end sometime. Now, without Sun Ren, she could not fight them off. Maybe now would be a good time to surrender.


    The Wintersweet woman seemed like she knew it too. She slowly sauntered over toward Lu Na with her hands held behind her as if she was surveying an animal in a cage.


    ¡°Come now, Young Miss Lu. You don¡¯t need to keep running from us. I won¡¯t make it hurt too much.¡± The woman caressed her own cheek. It was still a little red against her jade skin.


    ¡°Leave¡­ me¡­ alone,¡± Lu Na gasped. She looked around to see if there were any other ways out of there. She wasn¡¯t expecting any of the beggars to help and the last thing she wanted to do was force this crazy woman to unleash her spirit. Lu Na didn¡¯t dare consider using the phoenix hairpin either.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that. My sect leader has told me to capture you or kill you. I¡¯m leaning toward the latter for all the trouble and dishonor you¡¯ve given me.¡± The Wintersweet woman took a few steps and stopped.


    ¡°Little Wintersweet disciple, do you know where you are?¡± a man asked.


    Lu Na scooted forward when she heard the voice right behind her. She almost collapsed from fright when she saw a large man standing above, peering down at her with one eye closed. He wore mismatched clothes that seemed to be knit together. He held a wooden walking stick in hand.


    ¡°Are you okay little one?¡± the large beggar asked. He kneeled on the ground. So close, Lu Na could see that he was bigger than her brother. Yet, as he got closer, she almost flinched from the smell.


    Lu Na shook her head.


    ¡°Then do you need our help?¡±


    Lu Na nodded. There was something about this large beggar that put Lu Na at ease. Maybe it was his fatherly face. There was something about his eyes that reminded Lu Na of her mother. For the first time in the last few days, she felt as if everything was going to be alright. She didn¡¯t know why or how a beggar on the streets was going to solve this, but Lu Na felt safe.

 Chapter 15 - Beggar King

    Chapter 15 - Beggar King


    Lu Na was finally getting her breath, but there was nowhere to go either way.


    ¡°Beggars shouldn¡¯t get into the business of the Wintersweet Sect if they know what¡¯s good for them,¡± the Wintersweet woman said. ¡°Otherwise, we might come back and clean the streets for Jianye.¡±


    ¡°Little Wintersweet disciple, what is your name?¡± the large beggar asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m senior disciple Wong Yoong.¡±


    ¡°Senior disciple Wong you say. You¡¯re the Wintersweet Sect leader¡¯s daughter. No wonder you¡¯re so arrogant. But since I know your father, I¡¯ll only give you one warning to leave this poor girl alone.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that. She needs to die.¡± Wong Yoong raised her hand and a large burst of spirit essence shot up into the air. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to call my people over like this, but you give me no choice. We¡¯re going to clean the streets today.¡±


    The large beggar walked around Lu Na and sat down on his haunches in front of Wong Yoong. He crossed his arms and glared at Wong Yoong. All the other beggars backed away from him and Lu Na.


    ¡°Little one, stay behind me at all times and don¡¯t go too far,¡± the large beggar said.


    In a few minutes, the streets were filled with wintersweet disciples. They stood behind Wong Yoong.


    ¡°Kill that girl.¡± Wong Yoong pointed right at Lu Na. ¡°The first person to bring me her head will receive personal tutelage from the Wintersweet leader.¡±


    ¡°But what if we capture her instead? Elder Hen will get upset if we killed when we could have¡ª¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine, shut up about Elder Hen. Anyone mentioning his name is going to get my personal tutelage after this. If you can capture her instead of killing her, then fine. But don¡¯t get in my way.¡±


    Wong Yoong clenched her left fist, and a large rooster appeared beside her. All the other disciples assembled and summoned their spirits. At that sight, all the beggars fled from the large group.


    Lu Na felt the strong spirit energy rolling off them all. It was suffocating to her, but seeing all the different spirit energy overwhelmed her need to breathe. She had always thought that there were only the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. But some of these summoners had a mixture between them, creating different effects. If she survived whatever this was, she was going to recruit as many summoners as possible to run experiments.


    ¡°Stay close, little one,¡± the large beggar said. He clenched his left fist and the entire street turned red. Even the sun¡¯s rays couldn¡¯t pierce the light.


    The large beggar pointed his walking stick into the air and a gigantic red dragon coiled around it and his arm. The head of the dragon had large horns and its whiskers flowed freely. Its enormous claws stretched out in front of it, each claw glowing red. If all the Wintersweet spirits made the street suffocating, this dragon spirit alone took Lu Na¡¯s breath away.


    Being so close to the large dragon spirit gave Lu Na a whole new understanding of the world. All the spirits she¡¯s seen so far have paled compared to this one.


    ¡°That¡¯s the beggar¡¯s dragon. Na Na, this man is dangerous. As soon as you can, you must get away from him otherwise he might go from protecting you to killing you. Your mother had many disagreements with him. If he finds out what you have, it will turn ugly,¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit said.


    ¡°The beggar king, Hung Rong?¡± Wong Yoong said. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were in Jianye.¡±


    ¡°So little junior. Now that you know who I am and on account of your father¡¯s relationship with me, why don¡¯t you let this young woman go?¡± Hung Rong said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but our sect leader demanded her. She either joins us willingly at our sect compound, or we¡¯re ordered to kill her. Our sect leader has put the highest priority on this above everything else.¡± Wong Yoong took a step forward with her right hand clenched. ¡°You might be stronger than me, but I doubt you could fight all my sect brothers and sisters gathered here.¡±


    ¡°Only one way to find out.¡± Hung Rong lifted both of his arms into the air, his hands pointed at Wong Yoong. His dragon spirit shot up, reaching to the sky. Hung Rong took one large stomp forward. His dragon spirit roared so loud that the surrounding buildings started rattling. ¡°Last chance. Back away now and no one gets hurt.¡±


    Wong Yoong raised her right fist high and opened her palm. All the Wintersweet disciples shouted alongside their spirits. The roar coming from so many spirits and summoners at once was almost as deafening as Hung Rong¡¯s dragon.


    Lu Na cowered behind the large beggar with her hands clasped over her ears. She couldn¡¯t move anywhere with so much spirit energy pressing down on her. Yet, both sides didn¡¯t attack.


    In these precious seconds, she thought about what she had to get out of this situation. She made quite a few earth and spirit walls this morning in Gan Jiang¡¯s home. She also had that wrapped piece of null metal.


    Thinking about that piece of metal, she felt the warmth coming from it within her chest pocket. She took it out to see it glowing white and hot to the touch. Lu Na had to keep it wrapped with a cloth to hold it.


    That¡¯s when Lu Na saw the unbelievable. All the spirit energy that surrounded her was now rushing into the metal, increasing its intensity. Now. with it so full, what would happen if she combined her ward with it?


    Lu Na took out one of her earth wards. She focused on how the earth ward¡¯s technique worked. It pulled spirit essence when activated so would it simply pull the spirit essence from the null metal? She activated her ward against the metal and hoped for the best.


    Nothing happened.


    All the spirit energy the ward would normally absorb to work went into the null metal instead.


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    ¡°That¡¯s not how it works. There is a small part of every ward you created that draws its energy from the spirit energy around it. Do you see it?¡± her spirit said.


    Lu Na picked up the ward and flipped it on its edge. There was the part of the ward that usually touched the ground in order to pull the earth spirit essence up. On closer inspection, they looked like the teeth of a gear she once saw on a chariot.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Now look at the piece of metal. It¡¯s not been properly refined, but that burly blacksmith had beaten it to shape it. It should have a few sides of it that should look like it can connect with your ward. Do you see it?¡±


    Lu Na turned the metal bar in her hands. No matter how much she focused, she only saw glowing smooth metal. She tried to squint, but the glare was still too strong to see anything.


    ¡°It¡¯s too bright. I can¡¯t see anything.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry little one. It¡¯ll only be for a moment as I charge my attack against them,¡± Hung Rong said.


    Lu Na couldn¡¯t tell him she was talking with her spirit and not him. This new discovery made her forget that there were two large and powerful groups of summoners facing off against each other.


    ¡°Sorry, let me turn that down a little,¡± her spirit said.


    Instantly, the brightness dimmed from the piece of metal. Along with it, everything else seemed to lose its color. Lu Na had always suspected that her spirit was providing her improved vision, but she never knew it was to this degree. Everything seemed to lose its luster.


    ¡°Can you see it now?¡±


    Lu Na looked back at the piece of metal. The brightness did fade a little and she finally saw the piece of smooth metal for the first time. It wasn¡¯t as smooth as she first thought. There were dents and other imperfections, probably from the smith¡¯s hammering, and she couldn¡¯t see before as it glowed so brightly. Yet there was nothing that looked like the teeth from her ward.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see it.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be exact. It just has to be close enough to something that could fit your ward.¡±


    Lu Na had a different thought. If she couldn¡¯t find one that occurred naturally on the bar, why didn¡¯t she just make one? She unsheathed Sun Ren¡¯s dagger and started scoring strikes against the metal. With every strike, the metal changed. It took quite a few strikes upon the edge before something that resembled teeth showed up.


    ¡°That¡¯s good enough. Combine them now!¡±


    Lu Na picked up her ward and touched it to the metal. The moment they touched, the ward burned her hand, almost like when she made the firecracker ward. The only difference was this wasn¡¯t the same burning pain, but something on a much more elemental level.


    She dropped the ward, but held onto the metal. Lu Na only had the one piece. She wasn¡¯t going to let that go no matter how much it burned, but oddly enough it felt cool to the touch now as it did before.


    The earth wall ward dropped onto the ground and activated.


    ¡°Run. Run as fast and as far as you can. I¡¯m not sure how much energy the ward absorbed, but it¡¯s definitely going to make your brother¡¯s wall look like a dirt mound,¡± her spirit said.


    Lu Na got up and turned. Before she took one step, the ward exploded behind her. A large earthen wall sprouted from the ground and rose above all the nearby buildings. It didn¡¯t just grow upwards, but outwards as well. The sides of the wall sprouted like wings and smashed right through the buildings that were unfortunately in its way.


    For Lu Na, she got the unintended consequence of being pushed really hard and really fast by the growing wall. Before she knew it, she was already down the street as she rode the rising earth like a horse. The only bad thing was, she was coming dangerously close to a wall coming up in front of her. She closed her eyes and shielded her face as much as she could. Any second and she was going to smash against it with the same force the wall had as it cut through those buildings.


    Except the wall stopped.


    Lu Na didn¡¯t, though. The momentum pushed her forward and she fell hard onto her face. Luckily, she was already covering that.


    ¡°Sorry. I might have pushed that one a little too hard. Are you okay?¡± her spirit asked.


    Lu Na sat up and dusted herself as best as she could. Even though she was wearing a lower quality tunic than her usual silks, it kept better against the dirt.


    ¡°You did that? How? I thought once you¡¯ve shaped it, it¡¯s out of your control.¡±


    ¡°Little girl, you still have no idea what I do or help you do. I can control your ward¡¯s technique until spirit energy runs out.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you can do that?¡± Lu Na peered back toward the way she came. The wall was still there, but it looked like an earthen chair instead of a wall that allowed her to sit comfortably over the vast distance.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve gained a bit more experience, I might explain more of what I can do for you.¡±


    ¡°That would have been nice to know before all this.¡±


    ¡°That was by design. Your mother didn¡¯t want to make you stand out too much. She wanted you to have a nice, normal life.¡±


    ¡°That didn¡¯t work. The Wintersweet Sect still came after me.¡±


    Lu Na heard her spirit laugh, an echoing laughter in her head.


    ¡°You think they¡¯re here for you? These sects are so foolish with their mysticism. Of all my years around them, they¡¯re right one time out of ten and even then it¡¯s sheer luck. If diviners had actual power, all those dynasties wouldn¡¯t have fallen. Besides, you¡¯re not important. Your mother is.¡±


    Lu Na didn¡¯t agree. It was too much of a coincidence for her mother¡¯s silver phoenix hairpin to be activating tonight just as this sect was also looking for her.


    ¡°Enough reminiscing. It¡¯s time to get a move on before they catch up. But before you go, do me a favor and cover that null metal up again. It¡¯s taxing me.¡±


    Lu Na took the piece of metal and wrapped it back up in the cloth. She placed it back into her chest pocket.


    A loud roar rose to the sky and the cawing of the chicken resounded throughout the city. A loud fight broke out and even from this far away, Lu Na saw Hung Rong¡¯s dragon attack with such ferocity. While she was glad she got away from that mess, she was disappointed that she wasn¡¯t able to see the techniques they used to fight each other. If she was closer, maybe she could create a new ward with their technique and she could protect herself in the future.


    Or blow up the city as the dragon was doing with every strike.


    ¡°Time to move before the yamen runners come or the constables.¡±


    Lu Na turned and walked southward, toward the Blossom Scent Parlor. At least that was where the eighth district was. That was the direction Sun Ren told her right?


    ¡°Hey spirit, do you remember where Sun Ren told me where Blossom Scent Parlor was?¡±


    ¡°No. I was probably not listening at that time. Your conversations can be so boring to me sometimes.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not always listening to us talk? I thought that¡¯s what you spirits lived for. You especially.¡±


    ¡°We have much more interesting lives than you could ever imagine. At least I do. I can¡¯t always be listening in on your life. Just go south and ask someone.¡±


    That was as good as any direction. If nothing else, maybe she¡¯d get lucky and find her brother. Then Lu Na wouldn¡¯t have to worry anymore. Her brother would know how to fix this. Maybe they could go visit her aunt and uncle in Lujiang and wait for this to calm down before coming back to find her father.


    Things were looking up at least.

 Chapter 16 - No Breaks

    Chapter 16 - No Breaks


    Lu Na watched as the peddlers and street merchants were setting up despite the Wintersweet Sect¡¯s warning. As she¡¯s heard from her father more times than she can count, ¡°Even if the sky falls down on us, we have to keep working, keep finding food.¡±


    People walked about the streets in a celebratory mood and no one paid any attention to her. It felt like any other Mid-Autumn Festival. The only difference was that there were very few women on the streets.


    Lu Na wanted to go straight to Blossom Scent Parlor, but the smells of the food steered her toward them. She hadn¡¯t thought about how hungry she was as she ate nothing at the Gans before she left with Sun Ren.


    She felt remorse in the pit of her stomach. How could she allow Sun Ren to risk herself for her again?


    A man was selling large skewers of meat that were grilled over a charcoal pot. The juices were melting off the meat onto the charcoal, making a lovely sizzling sound. Her stomach took over her sadness.


    Lu Na bought one from the vendor and took a large bite out of the meat. It was so tender, juicy, and tasted a little sweet. There was no way a mere street vendor was using sugar in their cooking, as it would be too expensive. Yet the taste was exquisite.


    ¡°Oh wow, you must be starving. Even I can taste it from inside your spirit realm,¡± her spirit said.


    That¡¯s when it hit her. This was probably the first time she had a proper meal with meat since before all this happened. The meal with the magistrate was poisoned, so she ate little. The meal with the Gans was too poor to be considered any real meat. But this meat, whatever the meat was, tasted so good that Lu Na swore to never take food for granted again.


    After five skewers, Lu Na was finally satisfied. She found a tea place and drank a few cups afterwards. As luck would have it, the tea maker knew where Blossom Scent Parlor was. Not that much farther away. She rubbed her own stomach and enjoyed the fullness before she walked toward Blossom Scent Parlor.


    Lu Na wondered if they would serve her as she was a woman. Well, that and she was broke and she looked like a peasant. But if she could convince Sun Ren¡¯s brother to help her, she should be fine. She had one of Sun Ren¡¯s daggers, after all. What better proof than that?


    The first street she turned down toward the brothel was met with her first string of bad luck. There were a few men sitting around leering at her as she passed.


    ¡°Hey girl, do you need help?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we can help you back in this alley.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you stop for a minute and chat with us? We¡¯re friendly, we promise.¡±


    And those were the nicer comments they made. Some of them were outright rude and said things that Lu Na never heard in her life.


    ¡°This bunch of people are charming, aren¡¯t they?¡± her spirit said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of such filth in my life.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯ve lived a very sheltered life. If you came back here dressed the way you dressed, surrounded by your tall and handsome brother, these men would run from you. But look at you now. You look like you live here.¡±


    Lu Na glanced at her clothes and had to agree. She never would have thought that her clothes would change the way people would talk to her. Yet she thought back to how she talked to other people in her own household. She never truly talked to any of her maids. Did she even know the name of them? And she only remembered head servant Cui Yi because of how much she hated the man.


    ¡°Come here,¡± one man said. He reached out for Lu Na¡¯s arm.


    Lu Na flinched and pulled back. She sped up her steps.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be selling yourself to the brothels, anyway. Why don¡¯t you give us a little taste first?¡± another man called out.


    Lu Na sprinted away. She didn¡¯t stop until she hit another main street. When she saw no one following her, she hunched over, gasping for air.


    There was only one problem. It was too quiet. There were none of the usual people out just a few streets away.


    ¡°A rabbit running away so fast, yet still fell into our trap. Isn¡¯t that just lovely?¡± a man asked. He wore the light blue uniform of the Wintersweet Sect.


    ¡°Oh, it is. Little bunny, little bunny, why don¡¯t you come here? I just want to pet you,¡± a woman said beside the man.


    ¡°How did you find me?¡± Lu Na asked.


    The man smiled.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t hard after we put a little bit of our spirit¡¯s energy on you when we summoned our spirits. We¡¯re not much for fighting, but we excel at tracking things down for our sect. And since it seems like you¡¯re so good at running away like a rabbit, we thought why bother chasing you when we can get you to come to us?¡±


    ¡°Now now love, less talk. Let¡¯s just capture her before she rabbits away again.¡± The woman moved first. Her movements were fluid almost like she was swimming through the air and in seconds, she appeared in front of Lu Na. ¡°If you don¡¯t fight me, this won¡¯t hurt.¡±


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    Lu Na tried to step back, but the man was behind her already. How did they move so fast? Were they using a spirit technique?


    It was too late to think about this when the man held her by the arms behind her. Lu Na felt his knee against her leg, forcing her to kneel to the ground as he pinned her arms behind her.


    There was no time to react or use any of her wards.


    ¡°Can I break the hairpin now?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°No. They¡¯re not about to kill you. You should be fine as long as you don¡¯t struggle. It¡¯s over,¡± her spirit said.


    It¡¯s not over yet. There was still something she still hadn¡¯t tried yet since running away from the Wintersweet Sect. It was a last resort because she never thought she needed to use it when she was surrounded by her brother and Sun Ren.


    Lu Na took a deep breath and bent her head back.


    ¡°Help! Someone please help me! I¡¯m being kidnapped. I¡¯m being killed. Someone, anyone, please, help!¡±


    Lu Na¡¯s scream was the loudest she¡¯d ever produced in her life. She didn¡¯t stop after that and kept screaming repeatedly. The sudden scream made the man pause while the woman covered her own ears.


    ¡°See, I knew we should have brought a gag,¡± the man said. ¡°But you said she wasn¡¯t a dog and couldn¡¯t bite. Yet she can definitely yell. She¡¯s louder than you at night.¡±


    ¡°Oh shut her up, please. Put something in her mouth,¡± the woman shouted.


    The man found a spare cloth somewhere and shoved it into Lu Na¡¯s mouth. It smelled like old ripened sweat from one beggar earlier. She regretted yelling so loudly now as the taste was mixing in with the smell.


    ¡°There, she¡¯s quiet now. Let¡¯s hurry back to the Sect before Senior Wong gets a hold of her and takes all the credit,¡± the woman said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This time, we¡¯ll take the long way back and avoid the usual paths by Senior Wong.¡± The man shifted his weight against Lu Na¡¯s back and the pain made Lu Na get up. The bindings were very strong and she couldn¡¯t do anything but follow the man¡¯s directions with every push.


    This was it. She was finally caught and there was nothing else she could do now. Her brother was probably dead. They captured Sun Ren earlier. Finally, it was Lu Na¡¯s turn and all the people that helped her along the way were wasted efforts. What were they going to do with her?


    ¡°Amituofo,¡± a man¡¯s voice rang in front of Lu Na. It was a monk in a gray habit of prayer beads hanging on his neck. He had shoulder length gray hair. He held a staff in his left hand while he greeted them with his right raised in front of his chest with a curt bow.


    ¡°Get out of our way monk,¡± the man said.


    ¡°By the looks of it, you two are forcing this woman against her will to go with you. May I ask why?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business. Get out of our way, or we¡¯ll make you get out of our way. We¡¯re on Wintersweet Sect business. She¡¯s a person we were asked to bring back. Does that satisfy you?¡±


    The monk stepped closer and stooped to stare at Lu Na¡¯s face. He looked like he was concentrating very hard as he stared. She had never seen a monk like him before. The only ones she¡¯s seen were bald and usually frail. The monk that stood before her filled his Buddhist tunic so well that it seemed like he was wearing one or two sizes too small.


    ¡°What did she do to force your sect to use such measures against a weak young woman like her?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a terrorist. She¡¯s the one that our Elder spoke of earlier with the fireworks. Now let us pass,¡± the woman said.


    Lu Na was confused. As far as she could tell, these two Wintersweet disciples were stronger than the earlier ones that Sun Ren had fought. She doubted that if Sun Ren were to fight these two, she would win. Yet they didn¡¯t push this monk away. The monk didn¡¯t seem strong at all other than his physique.


    Lu Na focused her eyes on the monk, using her technique to see spirit energy. It started coming easier now that she realized it was her spirit giving her that sight. What she saw made her gasp.


    Not only was the monk surrounded by techniques on his body, the intensity of the spirit energy around him was similar to the large beggar¡¯s dragon. It wasn¡¯t as bright, but the colors coming off the monk looked crisper, more focused. It was also rainbow colored. Lu Na had never seen blue be so blue like that or the red that could look so vibrant that made all the surrounding colors look dull despite the lantern decorations for the Mid-Autumn Festival.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough of that.¡± Her spirit turned off her sight. ¡°Anymore of that and you¡¯re going to go blind. And yes, to answer your silent question, he¡¯s powerful. He¡¯s at least a stage three summoner with enough power to challenge that beggar, Hung Rong.¡±


    Was Lu Na saved or was she going to be another person¡¯s captive? Not that she had much of a choice in this exchange. Even if this monk was an evil, fake monk bent on selling her on the market, there was nothing she or the Wintersweet disciples could do.


    ¡°Please, monk, if you simply let us pass, we promise to return with enough alms to open a new Buddhist temple for you,¡± the man said.


    ¡°Or do you want some womanly comforts? We can provide you enough money to enjoy an entire week at any brothel in the next district.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo,¡± the monk said. ¡°Monks do not seek the joys of flesh or money. We only seek to end the suffering of others and this young woman is suffering a lot.¡±


    Lu Na nodded. Maybe she can be saved if what he said was true. And if he was after any sort of reward, she was sure she could get her father to pay whatever the price was, eventually. He might not appreciate her as much as he used to, but to save her life with a little money would be the least he would do.


    ¡°We can¡¯t let her go,¡± the man said.


    ¡°Amituofo, then I must apologize to you two. You see, my name is Hen Li. I don¡¯t have a Buddhist name yet as my sifu has deemed me unready to start on the path yet.¡±


    ¡°Hen Li?¡± the man said. He froze up behind Lu Na, wrenching his hand against her arms. It hurt like hell as her shoulder moved in an unnatural position. ¡°My love, leave her.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡± the woman asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s Hen Li, a monk, and has gray hair. It¡¯s the one our elders told us to avoid if we ever see him.¡±


    The woman cocked her head toward the monk.


    ¡°Him? Why? He seems strong, but nothing we two can¡¯t handle.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the one that killed our previous sect leader. Drop the girl and run if you don¡¯t want to die.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. Please let my sins pass.¡± Hen Li closed his eyes and started muttering.


    Lu Na recognized it as the heart sutra. The same one she used to recite in times of stress or boredom. But he was chanting it at a speed that was almost unintelligible. How many times had he chanted that?


    The man let Lu Na go and she fell to the ground face first. She closed her eyes and luckily didn¡¯t taste the dirt, but she felt that it probably tasted better than the rag that was still in her mouth.


    ¡°What are you two doing?¡± a woman¡¯s voice called out.


    Lu Na managed to twist her head only to see that senior Wintersweet disciple with the metal rooster walking toward them.

 Chapter 17 - Gray Haired Monk

    Chapter 17 - Gray Haired Monk


    Lu Na¡¯s restraints were taken off. She was gently lifted from the ground and saw the monk standing beside her.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo, it is our destiny to meet and for me to help you. Think nothing of it,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°Why did you let the woman go? We need to bring her back to the sect leader.¡± The woman talking was Wong Yoong, the senior disciple from earlier. How did she find her? Did the sect have some system to communicate with each other?


    The man and woman disciple both bowed when they saw Wong Yoong.


    ¡°We don¡¯t dare oppose Hen Li, Senior Wong,¡± the man said. The man looked very stiff. He didn¡¯t even dare to look toward Hen Li as he talked with Wong Yoong.


    ¡°Hen Li? The traitor?¡± Wong Yoong walked over to Hen Li and stared at his face. ¡°How dare you show your face to me?¡±


    ¡°Amituofo,¡± Hen Li said. He made a small bow of his head.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already broken your vow to me. Now you¡¯re breaking your vow to our sect, too?¡±


    ¡°Amituofo.¡±


    ¡°Is that all you can say? It¡¯s because of you I¡¯m in this position. If you didn¡¯t leave the sect, you would be the future sect leader. I would be an elder. Instead, you now wear these rags, begging for money everywhere. You¡¯re pathetic.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. I apologize for my past misdeeds. I am trying to rectify them with loving kindness such as helping this poor woman.¡±


    Wong Yoong looked between the two.


    ¡°No, she¡¯s off limits. She¡¯s ours. You can¡¯t start helping now. You promised to never disrupt our sect¡¯s business if we let you pursue your path to Buddhahood.¡± Wong Yoong took a step in Lu Na¡¯s direction.


    Lu Na wasn¡¯t sure what was going on, but she already had a hand on her earth ward. She was glad she had made a few early in the morning.


    ¡°Oooh, it¡¯s a lover¡¯s quarrel,¡± her spirit said. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t know what that is. You¡¯ve never had a lover. But I agree with your posture. Run at the first sign. You wouldn¡¯t want to be caught up in whatever that is. I¡¯ll be right back. I have to recharge before you get into a bigger mess.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. Your Wintersweet Sect also promised to not get in my way yet here we are, in my path as I am traveling back to my Buddhist temple.¡± Hen Li pointed with his staff at a Buddhist temple down the street. ¡°As you can see, I did not meddle in your affairs. Yet I will not stand idly by as an innocent woman is begging for help. All those who suffer under heaven deserve a reprieve. I know that better than most.¡±


    Wong Yoong stepped up to Lu Na, but didn¡¯t lay a hand on her. Her jaws were clenched and eyes narrowed. Her right hand became a fist, shaking visibly.


    ¡°Look, just this once could you please give her to us? If you do, we¡¯ll call it even between us.¡±


    Hen Li paused for a moment as he stared down Wong Yoong. He then turned to Lu Na.


    ¡°Do you wish to go with them?¡±


    ¡°No. For all I know, they killed my brother and my friend,¡± Lu Na said. Besides which, she didn¡¯t want to give this woman the satisfaction of capturing her. She claimed she wouldn¡¯t harm her, but this Wintersweet disciple had the worst temper Lu Na had ever seen.


    ¡°Your brother is fine,¡± Wong Yoong said. ¡°He escaped when he saw you and your friend leave the compound. We also invited and healed anyone that was injured by our attack. So if you come, you can see that they are all treated well and will be allowed to leave our sect when the Mid-Autumn Festival is over. They¡¯re treated as our guests. Even your maids have that respect from our disciples.¡±


    ¡°You see, I would like to believe you, but I still can¡¯t get over the words you used: ¡®allowed to leave¡¯ as if we were caged animals. I would not like to be one, thank you very much. I would like to spend my Mid-Autumn Festival outside where I am free to do as I please without the constant threat of you people.¡± Lu Na looked at the Buddhist temple. ¡°In fact, I wouldn¡¯t mind spending my night admiring the moon from Hen Li¡¯s temple. I think that would be more cozy than your sect compound.¡±


    Wong Yoong¡¯s eyes looked like she would throw knives at Lu Na at any moment. Or worse, she would summon her rooster spirit and shred her to pieces. Her left hand was clenched, but nothing happened yet. Lu Na took a step or two back behind Hen Li just in case.


    The other two disciples looked like two ghosts. The man looked like he was about to bolt as quick as he could.


    ¡°Hen Li,¡± Wong Yoong said in a quiet voice. ¡°I swear, if you don¡¯t give me this woman in peace, I¡¯ll haunt you even if you become a Buddha.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. I must decline and apologize. This young woman wishes to join me for the Mid-Autumn Festival. I cannot allow her to be taken against her wishes.¡±


    ¡°Fine, then I¡¯ll settle for her death instead.¡± Wong Yoong clenched her left fist and a large metal rooster appeared beside her. Its claws were already lifted in the air for a strike, coming down with such fierce spirit energy.


    Lu Na had only a second to admire the technique¡¯s make up before realizing it was coming straight for her. She released her two earth wards and they formed a wall around her before the claws reached her. She was ready this time, or at least that¡¯s what she thought.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    The metal claws tore through the front of the earth wall like tofu. Yet, it stopped inches away from Lu Na¡¯s face.


    ¡°Amituofo.¡± Hen Li¡¯s staff stopped the claw from slashing Lu Na into two.


    ¡°Now, take her!¡± Wong Yoong yelled.


    The two other disciples that were standing in front of Lu Na disappeared in a puff of mist. They appeared right behind Lu Na and broke through her earth wall. They grabbed her by the arms and dragged her back a few steps before they stopped.


    ¡°What are you two doing? Run now! I can¡¯t hold him any longer,¡± Wong Yoong said. Her face was stuck in a grimace as she pushed her spirit¡¯s technique against Hen Li¡¯s staff.


    ¡°Senior Wong, sorry we failed you,¡± the man said.


    The pair of disciples let go of Lu Na and collapsed to the ground.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Lu Na couldn¡¯t see any injuries on the two.


    ¡°That brawny monk knocked their spirits out. I go away to recharge for a little bit and you find another muscular guy? You have all the luck, Na Na.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? I see nothing.¡±


    Wong Yoong released her technique and took three steps back. She started rubbing her wrists before she dismissed her rooster spirit.


    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t already been fighting with that stupid beggar, I would have given you a better match.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. Maybe.¡± Hen Li nodded his head. A large five colored hound appeared beside him. It was as tall as he was with the head of a puppy. ¡°Now, please leave this young woman alone.¡±


    Wong Yoong laughed, her voice bringing back the memories from when she attacked her Lu compound, her home.


    ¡°You know as well as I do I can¡¯t give up. I¡¯m coming back with all my elders to take that girl back. She¡¯s the last one in this city. We need her or else something bad is going to happen to our sect. You know how that works. You were a part of our sect not too long ago.¡±


    Hen Li looked between Wong Yoong and Lu Na.


    ¡°Then you know better than I do. I would never allow your sect to achieve its goals. Not now or ever.¡± Hen Li¡¯s calm Buddhist mood changed. His words came out in a clipped, harsh tone. ¡°What your sect has done to me and others is unforgivable. Even if you all converted to Buddhism today and recite the heart sutra for the next fifty years, would it wash away your sins. So you tell your sect leader this young woman is under my protection. Go tell my father and bring him here and I will do the same to him as I did to your previous sect leader if he thinks that will change my mind.¡±


    Wong Yoong laughed again.


    ¡°The last fight you had with our sect has crippled you. Now you fight with this miserable dog spirit. You think it can equal the power you had before? Fine, I¡¯ll bring everyone down on you and your stupid temple. I gave you a chance and you didn¡¯t take it. Don¡¯t blame me when all you have tomorrow is ashes to pray in.¡±


    Hen Li took a deep breath.


    ¡°Amituofo. Please let the sins pass.¡± He looked up at Wong Yoong. ¡°You will do as you must. Karma shall dictate how we move forward.¡±


    Lu Na thought that was the end. The two sides looked like they were backing off and unlike with the large beggar Hung Rong, it didn¡¯t seem like Hen Li was going to attack unprovoked.


    Behind Wong Yoong, an army of summoners arrived. All of them summoned their spirits. They approached Hen Li and Lu Na from all directions, surrounding them.


    Wong Yoong chuckled.


    ¡°She¡¯s the last one we need to take with us. The entire sect is out in force trying to capture her in the city and we even have the magistrate¡¯s blessing. As long as we can get her, we leave the rest of the city alone. So give her to us, or I will attack you with the full force of our sect and I can¡¯t guarantee what else we will destroy in our way.¡±


    Hen Li looked around and placed his hand on his dog¡¯s head. The puppy was panting with its tongue hanging out. It looked like it was about to frolic with Hen Li.


    Lu Na instead saw a unique sight. She wasn¡¯t sure why it was happening now, but her spirit¡¯s technique turned on and she saw the different spirits in a whole new light. Other than the monk¡¯s spirit, every other spirit showed off different bits and pieces just like her brother¡¯s. Every one had a different configuration almost as if they were all puzzle pieces. If Lu Na had the time, she would have loved to ask each summoner what their spirits did and possibly copy their techniques.


    ¡°Are you seeing this, spirit?¡± Lu Na whispered.


    ¡°Of course. Who do you think is giving you the power to do so? It¡¯s beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± her spirit said.


    ¡°It¡¯s mind blowing. There are so many types of techniques, unique elements churning within these spirits that I can only guess what we can make in the future.¡±


    Lu Na¡¯s spirit technique faded and she only saw the spirits as they were.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough for now. I thought you¡¯d appreciate that view from all the different types of spirits and not just admiring your brother¡¯s spirit only. I would suggest you take out some more of your wards and prepare to defend yourself.¡±


    Lu Na looked between Hen Li and Wong Yoong and her entire sect surrounding them.


    ¡°I already know what¡¯s going to happen. It¡¯s fine if you give me up.¡± Lu Na tapped Hen Li on the shoulder. ¡°You can¡¯t take on all these people and it wouldn¡¯t be fair for us to endanger the people who live around here.¡±


    Hen Li bowed his head.


    ¡°Amituofo. Your compassion for others is admirable, but I can¡¯t allow this Wintersweet Sect to succeed. Their plots cause the deaths of many. If that means I have to protect you against them, then I will.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    Wong Yoong reached into her chest pocket and took out a pill. It looked brown from this distance, but with a quick glance with Lu Na¡¯s spirit¡¯s technique she saw it glowing purple. The Wintersweet disciple swallowed it whole and the purple within the pill started spreading throughout her body.


    ¡°How are you doing this?¡± Lu Na asked her spirit.


    ¡°When we have time after this, I¡¯ll explain all my skills to you. But that pill she took will replenish her spirit energy and give her spirit a great boost in power. We have to do something about that. Take out the piece of null metal and prepare to connect it again to your spirit wall ward this time.¡±


    Lu Na reached into her chest pocket and revealed the piece of metal. It was glowing and warm to the touch.


    ¡°Tell the monk that when you activate this to not allow any physical attacks near you because you can¡¯t set up the earth wall simultaneously.¡±


    Lu Na was about to tell Hen Li what her spirit said but he smiled and nodded.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will protect your physical body as your spirit requests,¡± Hen Li said. ¡°I just hope whatever it is you¡¯re about to do will protect you from my spirit¡¯s energy bursts.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s definitely at stage 3 if he can hear me and yes, her ward will protect her from any spirit energy attacks. Just protect her.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. I will do my best.¡± Hen Li picked up his staff in both hands and stood I in a defensive stance. ¡°Panhu, it¡¯s time to get to work. We¡¯ll play later.¡±


    The dog spirit yipped and stood up straight. It looked straight at Wong Yoong and its puppy head turned into a frightening bone-mouth head with large fangs. Its snarl made Lu Na shiver. Its body flared in all five colors of the elements.

 Chapter 18 - Inspiration During Fights

    Chapter 18 - Inspiration During Fights


    When Lu Na saw Hen Li¡¯s dog spirit change, she wanted to use her own spirit¡¯s technique to see what was going on. Such a powerful spirit would probably have many secrets to reveal.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t suggest looking at that with our technique. It will burn your eyes,¡± her spirit said. ¡°Get your spirit wall ward ready. Use it the moment that piece of null metal feels too hot to hold.¡±


    The piece of metal in her hand turned uncomfortable when Hen Li¡¯s spirit transformed, but it was still fine. It wasn¡¯t until Wong Yoong unleashed her spirit again by clenching her left fist that the metal became burning. The air crackled. A rooster twice the size of Wong Yoong appeared. It was covered in burning metal from head to claw. The ground started sizzling from its power.


    Lu Na combined her spirit wall ward with the piece of null metal. For the first time, she noticed that her spirit was the one that shaped the ward. Instead of letting the spirit ward take on a simple round shape around her, it formed into a giant bubble that sank into the earth. When it finished, Lu Na was completely encased in an invisible spirit bubble.


    ¡°There, that should protect you.¡±


    ¡°I saw how you did that. Can I do something like that in the future if I train to be a summoner?¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Maybe. You¡¯d be starting late so it might take more time. But we can talk about it if you survive this.¡±


    Hen Li stared at Lu Na¡¯s bubble.


    ¡°How did you do that? In all my travels, I have never seen a spirit able to construct such a barrier that is so strong and perfect. I don¡¯t think even at the height of my power I could strike this down.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s one of my inventions. I made this with the help of my spirit.¡±


    ¡°When we are done here, we have a lot to talk about. Maybe you and I can help each other.¡±


    ¡°Are we done talking?¡± Wong Yoong asked.


    ¡°Amituofo. What¡¯s your rush? Patience is a precious skill to have in life,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°Not when you have such power coursing through you. You shouldn¡¯t have left the sect. You will never feel how good this feels ever again.¡±


    ¡°That power is corrupting your very soul. Nothing good will come from that.¡±


    ¡°When you feel this good, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Wong Yoong raised her right hand into the air. With a casual wave, her metal rooster charged Hen Li¡¯s dog spirit. ¡°Kill them both. We don¡¯t need to capture either. Anyone who succeeds will be made into a senior disciple and senior disciples will be given a month¡¯s personal tutelage from all the elders.¡±


    The entire street roared, not only from the spirits attacks but the disciples¡¯ shouts. A sea of blue tunics came surging toward them.


    Lu Na was deafened from it again, but kept wondering: was this tutelage really worth that much? Was it worth the life of others to achieve? She would never hurt another to achieve power, let alone kill. Was being a summoner worth it?


    Hen Li became a blur in front of Lu Na as he swung his staff fluidly against the attacks. The other summoners struggled to hit him. Panhu, his dog spirit, followed up with bursts of its own energy that prevented anything physical from reaching Lu Na.


    Lu Na wanted to help more, but all she could do was hold on to her ward against the null metal to keep it powered. It cooled off, but it was still uncomfortably hot as it absorbed all the spirit energy being swung around her.


    There were a few times when a sword or dagger came close to her, but Hen Li easily deflected it.


    ¡°If your brother is a peerless warrior, this monk is a god,¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit said.


    Lu Na had time to appreciate the world around her for the first time in a long time. She watched as the large metal rooster clash with Hen Li¡¯s dog spirit. Her spirit didn¡¯t allow her to use the technique to see the spirit energy, but she felt it more than anything. The air felt hot and stuffy, like the height of a summer¡¯s day.


    The large rooster towered over the dog and every swipe of its claws rented the ground and the nearby buildings, but it could never hurt Hen Li¡¯s dog spirit. All the other summoners gave the two fighters a wide berth and focused on Hen Li. Even then, a few of them were caught in the aftermath of one of the rooster¡¯s techniques and had their spirits knocked out before they could get away.


    Hen Li¡¯s staff blurred in front of him with smooth swings and parries. He was outnumbered but only a few of the summoners that attacked seemed to have any weapon skills. One or two scored a hit on Hen Li, but all they damaged was his gray tunic. After an intense fight that lasted a few minutes at most, the summoners backed off.


    Hen Li stood with his staff planted into the ground, wheezing. Yet he still stood tall, staring down any challengers that dared to come. None came for fear of the harsh beating he gave. While he didn¡¯t kill, his strikes were not light taps. Not only was Hen Li¡¯s dog spirit strong enough to take on the rooster that had powered up and could easily eclipse her brother¡¯s cow, he could use his staff skills to fend off so many attackers at once.


    ¡°You¡¯re amazing,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Amituofo,¡± Hen Li said between large breaths. ¡°Had I known I was going to be fighting so hard, I would have kept up with my training.¡± He stretched his arms and neck as he stared down the summoners.


    That¡¯s when the summoners attacked again. The lull in the fight was just a break for both sides. Neither seemed done yet.


    Lu Na was stunned at how Hen Li could fend off the people who came from behind with no warning from her. He instinctively swung his staff around Lu Na and smashed those harder than the ones in front. The summoners were extra careful when trying to harass him from behind.


    ¡°See, god. I doubt your brother could fight on par with him,¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit said.


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    ¡°No, he wouldn¡¯t be able to fight with him yet,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°In a few years and a little more training, I doubt my brother wouldn¡¯t be his match.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm, that is true. Your brother has the tenacity and drive.¡±


    Lu Na flinched when a large fireball struck her spirit wall bubble. It came flaming hot with the color of a candle and the size of a melon. Yet the yellow ball splashed off the invisible wall and dissipated. Not even the heat came through, but at this rate Lu Na wasn¡¯t sure if it would be hotter than the heat coming from Hen Li¡¯s fight.


    The next attack was a hail of water lances. They turned semi solid so they looked like long ice picks that crashed against the spirit wall. They too dissipated, causing her wall to shimmer black.


    ¡°Well, they started attacking your little wall. Let¡¯s hope that the monk can protect you when they throw physical things at you,¡± her spirit said.


    That¡¯s when the largest sword Lu Na had ever seen came flying at her spirit wall. This sword was as wide as a horse. She couldn¡¯t see the length as it came flying directly at her, making it look like a thick, shining metal line in the sky.


    ¡°Ah, Hen Li,¡± Lu Na said.


    Hen Li said nothing and did nothing as the sword came flying at her.


    The sword crashed into her spirit wall, but it turned into mist as soon as it touched it. All Lu Na could do was grasp her ward really hard against the null metal. She closed her eyes and recited the heart sutra.


    ¡°Open your eyes. You can¡¯t lose focus,¡± her spirit said.


    Lu Na forced her eyes open, but didn¡¯t stop her recitation. She watched as the sword kept coming until it suddenly stopped, disappearing into the air.


    One of the Wintersweet disciples dressed in dark blue collapsed onto the ground. He must have been the one to summon that large sword and overused his spirit energy.


    It was strange as Lu Na looked at the ward in her hand. She was surprised it was still working, yet when that sword crashed into her wall, the null metal heated. It felt like it was burning as the sword kept going, but luckily it stopped. Now the heat became bearable again.


    Lu Na wondered if it was because it absorbed the spirit energy from the spirit sword and then transferred it to the ward itself. If that was the case, then this metal was the most efficient thing she ever worked with. If she got home after this, she was going to experiment on it to hone it and be more efficient. Maybe give it some hand holds or something so it didn¡¯t burn her own hands as she held it against her ward.


    That was the only moment of peace she got before all the Wintersweet disciples banded together to create the chaos that Lu Na could only imagine. Every single one of them directed their spirits to create a spirit energy technique and threw whatever they could at her spirit wall. They knew they couldn¡¯t get close to Hen Li as his staff skills were dangerous, but Lu Na¡¯s spirit wall was fair game.


    ¡°They must think that you¡¯re casting the spirit wall somehow so that you¡¯ll run out of energy, eventually. Those silly sects. What are they teaching their disciples nowadays?¡± her spirit said.


    ¡°So this shield will hold?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Lu Na wasn¡¯t sure about that. The disciples were gathering so many techniques from all the elements and some combined their techniques and elements as well into a monstrous amalgamation of color and power that would have overwhelmed her own brother. Meanwhile, she held onto a ward that she made not too many days ago and hadn¡¯t really perfected nor tested. Was it really going to hold?


    With one loud roar, the disciples threw their techniques at Lu Na¡¯s shield. She wanted to close here eyes again, but kept them open this time.


    ¡°Let me change it slightly so that the godly monk isn¡¯t hit.¡±


    The shield dropped in front of Lu Na at that moment.


    ¡°Spirit!¡±


    The techniques came flying at her had sped up now that they saw the spirit wall down. The summoners pushed their techniques harder at Lu Na.


    After a brief second, her spirit wall bubble reappeared, this time taller and wider so that it also blocked Hen Li. The difference though was that this time the wall was closer to Lu Na¡¯s face. Before Lu Na could reach out with her arms and not touch the edge. This time, if she bent forward just a little, her nose would touch it.


    ¡°Try not to move. That took more effort than I thought and I couldn¡¯t make it wider for you.¡±


    The mass of spirit techniques collided with her spirit wall bubble. Lu Na gritted her teeth and kept her eyes wide open. She didn¡¯t even blink as the mass of techniques splashed harmlessly against her spirit wall.


    It wasn¡¯t until the last little fireball licked against her spirit wall did she take a breath. Some summoners collapsed onto the ground, but most of them were still standing. This was not good.


    Lu Na didn¡¯t know how long she could keep standing straight like this without shifting. A quick glance down and she noticed parts of her own coarse tunic singed where it was just outside the spirit wall bubble. What would happen if her nose was just outside?


    ¡°Is there anyway you can make it wider so that I didn¡¯t have to stand so stiff?¡±


    ¡°Child, you should be happy I could make it wide enough to protect the monk behind you. Don¡¯t turn around, but that man is fighting another god himself. That Wintersweet woman has been ingesting pill after pill, extending the time she can keep her spirit summoned and increasing its strength with every pill.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that going to kill her?¡±


    ¡°Eventually. But if she were fighting any other summoner even a stage and level or two above her, she would have defeated them by now. Yet this godly monk has held on despite all that.¡±


    Lu Na was tempted to turn and look, but she didn¡¯t dare, as the Wintersweet disciples in front of her had prepared a second attack.


    ¡°Now don¡¯t bother me as I focus this spirit wall of yours for this next attack. I¡¯m not sure if I can hold on after this.¡±


    ¡°Then what?¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯re on your own to shape this spirit wall.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Lu Na watched as a second barrage of spirit techniques slammed into her spirit wall. This time, she didn¡¯t flinch, but she kept as still as she could. She felt the spirit techniques washing over her in waves. The spirit techniques singed her clothes unfortunate enough to be on the other side of the spirit wall. In that moment, she felt her spirit shaping the very wall in front of her.


    That¡¯s when Lu Na focused on the spirit wall itself. She might not have her spirit¡¯s technique at that moment, but she noticed a few things about the spirit wall. First, it¡¯s made of spirit energy powered by the null metal, but that¡¯s also channeled through her ward. If she thought about it for a moment, the reason it takes the shape it did was because she modeled the wall after her brother¡¯s earth wall technique. She¡¯s seen her brother create different shapes and sizes of those walls through sheer will whenever he didn¡¯t have his cow spirit out. Could Lu Na do the same thing?


    But that would mean she¡¯d have to add that to the ward where it could read her mind and her desire for what she wanted. That was going to be something she¡¯d have to ask her spirit later on how she did it.


    The second thing she noticed was that while the spirit wall worked against many elements and techniques, it didn¡¯t work against physical objects that were not created by spirits. That was a major flaw in this defense that she was surprised that the Wintersweet disciples didn¡¯t realize yet. Well, that or they¡¯re too arrogant to realize, as most of the summoners Lu Na ever saw usually depended on their spirits to do most of the work.


    But what if she combined her spirit wall with her brother¡¯s earth wall technique, where one overlapped the other? As long as she gave them adequate space, they wouldn¡¯t touch and interact with each other. Sure, that would be easy if she had years to think about how to do that and to experiment with it.


    Lu Na wasn¡¯t sure if she was going to survive the next few minutes.

 Chapter 19 - Out of the Wok and Back Into the Fire

    Chapter 19 - Out of the Wok and Back Into the Fire


    Everything suddenly went quiet. The Wintersweet disciples stopped their assaults, most of them sprawled out on the ground breathing hard. Even the fight behind her had stopped. Did Hen Li get defeated?


    Lu Na took a chance to peek behind her.


    Hen Li still stood, his breath coming out ragged. His staff stabbed the earth and stood tall despite suffering chips to its body. His dog spirit¡¯s head turned back into a puppy as it laid on the ground before Hen Li with its belly up, begging for a pat on its tummy.


    Opposite him, Wong Yoong was on her knees, glaring at Hen Li. A trickle of blood came out of her mouth.


    If Lu Na had to guess, it was probably from all the pills she ate. She couldn¡¯t see how many the Wintersweet disciple took, but it was probably enough for an entire meal¡¯s worth.


    ¡°Is it done?¡± Lu Na asked. ¡°Are we safe?¡±


    No one answered. Not even her sassy spirit that usually had a word for everything. Everyone was exhausted, except for Lu Na.


    ¡°Amituofo,¡± Hen Li said with his hands clasped together. He bowed toward Wong Yoong. ¡°Could we call this attack off? I¡¯m sure you¡¯re tired and if you ingest any more of those pills, you will die.¡±


    ¡°She must die,¡± Wong Yoong said. She didn¡¯t have enough energy to point at Lu Na. Only her head swiveled toward her.


    Yet that glare from the Wintersweet disciple made Lu Na shiver. It was almost as if she created a blood feud with Wong Yoong or something.


    ¡°Just leave me alone, please,¡± Lu Na said.


    Wong Yoong spat blood onto the ground.


    ¡°You are so damned lucky. Were you born under an auspicious star? Every time I get close to capturing you, there is always something or someone in my way. Fine, I¡¯m going to leave, but I¡¯m telling my sect leader. He¡¯ll come find you personally.¡±


    Wong Yoong waved her hand and a pair of her fellow disciples in light blue robes picked her up by the arms. They half carried, half dragged her away. The rest of the disciples started moving their fellow peers away as well.


    There were so many of the Wintersweet disciples it took some time for them to retreat from Hen Li. When they left, the ravages of the fight remained. There were buildings with hard gouges in them and some of them were a collapsed pile of wood. Luckily, there were no deaths among the wreckage.


    When the Wintersweet disciples were out of sight, Hen Li breathed out deeply and collapsed onto the ground. The only thing that was still standing was his staff that dug deep between the stones on the street. He clasped his hands together and started meditating through chanting the heart sutra.


    Lu Na didn¡¯t know what to do. She wrapped up the null metal and placed it back into her chest pocket. It became cool again as soon as the Wintersweet disciples recalled their spirits. The ward she held against the null metal turned into dust the moment she separated them.


    That was something she would have to work on as well. If there was a way to make these wards more durable to last longer and possibly, in combination with the null metal, she wouldn¡¯t have to hold on to it the next time.


    Lu Na sighed. She really hoped there was no next time where her life depended upon one of her inventions. This time she was lucky that her spirit helped her shape her ward.


    ¡°Amituofo,¡± Hen Li said after a few more recitations of the heart sutra. ¡°I really need to practice more. My back is sore and my arms are about to break.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Amituofo. Thank you for asking.¡± Hen Li got up and dusted himself. ¡°I should be fine in a few more days and possibly after an enormous meal. Let¡¯s head back to my temple and we can get you situated.¡±


    Before they took a step, horse hooves pounded the ground. It didn¡¯t take long before Lu Na saw they were the magistrate¡¯s horses. His constables were leading the charge toward them.


    ¡°Oh no, not them.¡± Lu Na wanted to run, but saw the damage to the street. They might blame Hen Li and execute him for it.


    The constable rode his horse to a stop right in front of Hen Li. The constable wore a black tunic with a small bird on the front. His collars and cuffs were dyed in light purple, signifying Magistrate Hu¡¯s colors. He had a sword at his belt that he placed his left hand on as he walked forward.


    ¡°Did you do this?¡± the constable asked.


    ¡°Amituofo, do what?¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°All this damage. Did you break these buildings?¡±


    ¡°No, sir. It was my opponent that broke these buildings. I tried very hard to prevent the destruction, but she was stronger than I expected.¡±


    ¡°Where is your opponent now?¡±


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    ¡°I believe they went back to the Wintersweet Sect.¡±


    ¡°Wintersweet sect?¡± The constable got off his horse, his left hand tensing on the hilt of his sword. ¡°You were fighting the Wintersweet sect? Why?¡±


    ¡°It was because¡ª¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°We were walking down the street and they suddenly attacked us. If it weren¡¯t for this monk¡¯s protection, I would have been killed on the spot. They¡¯re such a lawless sect.¡±


    The constable tore his gaze away from Hen Li to stare at Lu Na.


    Lu Na bowed her head low.


    ¡°We¡¯re so glad that the magistrate¡¯s constables has come to save us. We are so grateful.¡± When Lu Na saw the constable didn¡¯t look away, she kneeled to the ground. ¡°We can only hope that you would protect us. They have been harassing everyone on our street and we have done nothing to them. Only today did they attack our homes as well. Is there justice in Jianye?¡±


    The constable walked up to Lu Na. She could see his black boots embroidered with light purple stitching. Lu Na didn¡¯t dare to look up.


    ¡°Get up,¡± the constable said.


    Lu Na didn¡¯t move. She heard the metallic drag from the constable unsheathing his sword.


    ¡°Get up, slowly, or I¡¯ll plunge this sword into your back right now.¡±


    Lu Na got up onto her knees first. So much for not getting dirt on her only set of clothes. She stood up and faced the constable.


    ¡°You¡¯re Lu Na, aren¡¯t you?¡± The constable had his sword pointed at her. When Lu Na didn¡¯t respond, he said, ¡°I recognize you. Your brother brought you around to the magistrate¡¯s office once or twice. I don¡¯t know what happened, but you are branded as a terrorist by the magistrate and we have to bring you in.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a terrorist. This was not me.¡±


    The constable looked around.


    ¡°This looks like a lot more than nothing.¡±


    ¡°That was the Wintersweet Sect. Why is Magistrate Hu helping them? What does he get out of this?¡±


    The constable shrugged.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what he gets, but I follow his orders. If he says you¡¯re a terrorist, then I bring you in. Now either you come in quietly, or I beat you into submission.¡±


    Lu Na looked over at Hen Li who was still sitting on the ground. His eyes were closed and he was reciting the heart sutra again. He would not be any help here.


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t need to look down at the monk,¡± the constable said. ¡°He¡¯s too exhausted fighting the Wintersweet sect to do anything more than sit there. If he so much as moves in a wrong way, I¡¯ll cut his head off first without hesitation.¡±


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± The constable sheathed his sword. ¡°Bring the monk with you.¡±


    ¡°What? I said I¡¯ll go with you. You don¡¯t need him.


    The constable shook his head.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s got to answer for all this damage. Summoners may not fight within the city walls.¡±


    ¡°But that was the Wintersweet Sect!¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Amituofo. It¡¯s alright. I knew it would come to this. I will go with you. But first, could you please make sure no one was hurt in our fight?¡±


    The constable shook his head.


    ¡°Come on, it¡¯s the least you could do. We both promised you we would come,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll do it after my colleague comes.¡±


    After a few minutes, another constable came on his horse, looking like the first one. He had a cage on wheels behind his horse. That was where they put Hen Li and Lu Na and slowly trotted toward Magistrate Hu¡¯s yamen.


    ¡°Amituofo. This has been an interesting day,¡± Hen Li said. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever had the displeasure of sitting in one of these cages before.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for getting you into this,¡± Lu Na said.


    Hen Li smiled, showing off two dimples on his face.


    It looked either endearing or frightening as his white hair framed his face. At once he looked like a youth not much older than Lu Na, while also looking like an elder that has seen too much in life. She wasn¡¯t sure which it was.


    ¡°It was my choice to help you,¡± Hen Li said. ¡°Besides, the Wintersweet Sect and I have some history that I couldn¡¯t put down. It¡¯s one reason my sifu hadn¡¯t allowed me to truly follow the path of Buddha yet. And after this, I think I¡¯ll be even further away from obtaining the peace I want.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid to ask what happened, but since we have some time before we get back to the yamen, I would listen if you want to tell me.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. Please let the sins pass.¡± Hen Li clasped his hands together and bowed his head a little. ¡°I don¡¯t mind telling you the broad details but it¡¯s one thing that my sifu told me to stop thinking about. He says it¡¯s one of the major roadblocks on the path to being a Buddha.¡±


    ¡°Your sifu sounds very strict.¡±


    ¡°He is. It¡¯s why I chose him to be my sifu. But my story is quite short. I used to be a part of the Wintersweet Sect and they recognized my talents as a summoner. They gave me every sect resources they had as my father was also an elder. There seemed like there was no limit to the heights I¡¯d achieve. Until one day, they forced me to do something so heinous that I can¡¯t repeat here.¡±


    Lu Na peaked at the constable on the horse. He didn¡¯t seem like he was paying attention, but she guessed it was better to not admit to more crimes in front of them. So she understood Hen Li¡¯s hesitation.


    ¡°But after that incident, I died,¡± Hen Li continued.


    ¡°Like really dead? Stopped breathing and all?¡±


    ¡°No Na Na, like playing pretend. Be quiet and let the brawny monk tell his story,¡± her spirit said.


    ¡°Spirit! You¡¯re back. I thought you died after that last attack,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°You would like to be rid of me, wouldn¡¯t you? No, I won¡¯t die so easily.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. Welcome back, honorable naga. Thank you for your help in keeping your summoner alive,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°So you can hear her,¡± Lu Na said.


    Hen Li nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad someone else can finally hear her. She can be so annoying sometimes and I keep thinking it was just in my head.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, now let him finish his story.¡±


    Hen Li bowed his head.


    ¡°After I died, my spirit sacrificed itself to revive me. By doing so, he sealed himself within my spirit realm and brought me back to life. Unlike you, I can no longer hear his words of wisdom anymore.¡±


    ¡°I am so sorry you had to go through that and at such a young age.¡±


    ¡°Amitoufo. It was difficult at first until I found my sifu. He taught me a sense of peace and to find my path toward Buddhism. This was all because of the Wintersweet Sect. They were the ones that gave me the chances, but they¡¯re also the first to abandon me once they realized I wouldn¡¯t follow their orders blindly.¡±


    Lu Na nodded. She wondered what it would be like to be abandoned so easily by her family. Despite how much she complained, she would be devastated if her father did that.

 Chapter 20 - Iron Cage

    Chapter 20 - Iron Cage


    ¡°So I have a question for you, since you might know how the Wintersweet Sect works,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°Why are they chasing after me? I am a nobody. I have nothing. Why me?¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. I don¡¯t know the exact reason. Over the last few weeks, I have seen them invite many young women like you to their sect. Most went with them as they were being pressured by a powerful sect. It was only a few days ago have I have seen them kidnap young women off the streets. So the only reason I can think of is that they¡¯ve either started practicing evil spirit techniques that required young maidens or they received a divination of some sort that commanded them to do so.


    ¡°As a member of the sect, I was given orders that made little sense much of the time. But sometime later, it would be a part of a much bigger scheme by the sect leader that gave the Sect a great boost.¡±


    ¡°Summoner sects are so strange. Why would they do something like that?¡±


    Hen Li smiled.


    ¡°Oh, to be so young and unaffiliated with any real troubles in the world. You must be some Young Miss from a rich family, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, so what? It¡¯s not like my life is all that glamorous either.¡±


    ¡°Well, a quick explanation: every summoner sect out there is competing against others for resources. They grow big and create more opportunities to become stronger. If any sect doesn¡¯t build their strength well enough, they collapse. Just like any other business. The only difference is, they don¡¯t deal only in goods bought and sold, but also in the mysticism of the spirits.¡±


    Lu Na nodded. It was just like her father¡¯s business. He didn¡¯t travel abroad so often in order to buy new goods. He went around to make sure he was closing down his competitors.


    ¡°But there is one thing I am curious though. Your techniques are not yours nor are they your spirits. How do you use them?¡±


    Lu Na looked over at the constable, making sure he wasn¡¯t paying attention. She pulled out a tiny Buddhist talisman wrapped in red paper.


    ¡°This. My mother taught me how to make these years ago and I have used it to make techniques like earth walls and spirit walls possible without using my spirit.¡±


    ¡°May I look at it?¡± Hen Li held out his hand.


    Lu Na dropped it into his palm and the talisman burned to ash. Hen Li pulled his hand back and clenched it.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. That¡¯s never happened before.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s okay. I didn¡¯t expect that either.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on spirit? That never happened to anyone else. Sun Ren has examined my wards before without issues.¡±


    Her spirit was silent. Of course, Lu Na¡¯s spirit chose this time to be quiet instead of explaining anything. All they heard was the metal rocking from the cage as the horse pulled them on.


    ¡°Sorry, normally my spirit is more helpful than this. I don¡¯t know why that happened,¡± Lu Na said.


    Hen Li smiled and waved it off.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, these things happen. What is your level as a summoner?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know. I have had none formal training, as my father thought it was useless for a woman to become a summoner. He always thought that I was more useful to marry off to one of his partners like a business exchange.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so your father never trained you, yet you can communicate with your spirit?¡±


    Lu Na nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s odd because usually you have to reach late into the first stage of being a summoner before you can do that. But from the looks of it, I doubt you¡¯ve reached the first level of being a summoner, let alone the second stage. This is fascinating. In all my travels, I¡¯ve seen no one like you.¡±


    ¡°Sun Ren, my friend, said something similar to me. But I still do not know why.¡±


    Hen Li smiled again and he was quite handsome, despite the gray hair making him look much older. Lu Na wanted to ask him about that, but thought it was too rude.


    ¡°Well, now that I¡¯ve seen what you can do, I have a better idea for why the Wintersweet Sect might try to kidnap you. These inventions of yours are unique. I¡¯ve seen other spirit inventions but the Imperial Forces usually issued them. The only thing I can think of is that the Wintersweet members might have seen someone use these inventions, but didn¡¯t know it was you, so they tried to capture all women that matched your description.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a stretch. Lu Na has been practicing with these inventions for years,¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit said.


    ¡°Amituofo. Your humble spirit is back.¡±


    ¡°I had to go deal with something. But yes, I¡¯m back. All I can think of is that your sect has turned into evil summoners that wish to use maidens for their evil purposes. Why else kidnap women?¡±


    ¡°Former sect. And you¡¯re right, I do not know why they are doing it. But since you¡¯re back, I am curious. How are you able to connect with Lu Na?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a secret that is between me and Lu Na¡¯s mother.¡±


    ¡°Oh, a legacy binding. That¡¯s even rarer. Most summoners can¡¯t pass down their spirits to their offspring. Otherwise summoner sects would have been passing down their ancestor¡¯s spirit, making each sect leader as strong as the previous one instantly. But sadly this won¡¯t work as without using special body tempering practices, the younger body can¡¯t handle the old spirit. You two are getting more and more interesting. No wonder the Wintersweet Sect are after you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m nobody special,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°All my inventions can¡¯t do much and my spirit is a nuisance at best. I just wish I had the chance to learn to be a stronger summoner. No one gave me a chance.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. I¡¯m sorry to hear that. If you were born in a sect, they would treasure and train you.¡±


    Lu Na thought about that for a moment. She would have liked to have the training, but she wasn¡¯t sure if she would have enjoyed being a part of a sect that did evil things like the Wintersweet Sect. That sounded like a bad deal.


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    ¡°Why don¡¯t you train us?¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit asked. ¡°You seem to be a powerful summoner to take on all those disciples of the Wintersweet Sect. I¡¯m sure even their elders would have difficulty taking on so many at once.¡±


    Hen Li laughed.


    ¡°Amituofo. Your flattery is nice, but I¡¯m not sure about that. While I would love to see the heights you could achieve as a summoner, I have promised my sifu to put down all my earthly desires and connections in seeking enlightenment on the path of Buddhism. Teaching you the summoner arts would stop me from that promise.¡±


    While Lu Na herself didn¡¯t think about learning the summoner arts, there was a powerful summoner right here with no true affiliation with the sects that she could learn from.


    ¡°But there are plenty of monks that teach the summoner arts to others and are still monks,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°If you teach me, I wouldn¡¯t be in your way on your path. Not only that, I know there are plenty of people who also donate to the temples and monks so that they can continue on their path of Buddhism. I¡¯m sure I can get my father to donate enough to your temple, especially if you could also teach my younger brothers.¡±


    Hen Li¡¯s smile disappeared. He looked deep in thought.


    ¡°Amituofo. I¡¯ll consider it, and I will ask my sifu first. If he agrees, then we can discuss this later. Your generous offer to help my temple would be appreciated, as I have been nothing but a burden for my sifu after he accepted me. I would like nothing more than to repay him for his kindness.¡±


    ¡°Truly? You¡¯ll consider teaching me? You¡¯re not lying, right?¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Amituofo. Buddhist monks don¡¯t lie.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re not a true monk yet,¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit said.


    ¡°Amituofo. While I have not taken the vestments and proclamations on my path, Buddha lives in my heart. I am as much of a true monk in spirit as any other.¡±


    ¡°Probably more so than some,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°I¡¯ve seen some Buddhist monks do some outrageous things, supposedly as a true monk.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo, that is unfortunate.¡±


    The cart paused. The constable got off his horse and tied it to a post. But they weren¡¯t at the magistrate¡¯s yamen. They were in front of a tea shop.


    ¡°Hey, what about us?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come back in a few minutes. It¡¯s noon. I need my tea.¡±


    ¡°Can we get some water too, then?¡±


    ¡°Prisoners get nothing.¡±


    ¡°Please? I¡¯m very thirsty and hungry. You know my brother, Lu Fengxian. Could you give us a little water on his behalf?¡±


    ¡°Lu Fengxian is your brother?¡± The constable stared at Lu Na¡¯s face. ¡°Hmmm, I can see the resemblance. You both have the same nose. Fine, I¡¯ll get you some water when I come back. But don¡¯t start making a fuss while I¡¯m in there or else.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    After the constable went inside the tea shop, Lu Na looked around. She had never been on this street before. There were a few vendors hawking their wares. There were few people on the streets and absolutely no children.


    ¡°This is a sad Mid-Autumn Festival. The Wintersweet Sect has made everyone scared. There should be kids running around and firecrackers going off.¡±


    Hen Li looked around.


    ¡°Amituofo. It is unfortunate to see the sect affecting the people of Jianye. Normally they wouldn¡¯t do such a thing, but the Imperial Government has become weakened over the years and the individual sects or warlords throughout the country have taken advantage of that.¡±


    Lu Na looked at the sign on the tea shop. The district number was worn off, but it looked like an eight.


    ¡°Wait, do you know what district this is?¡±


    ¡°This is the eighth district.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Hen Li nodded.


    ¡°Then we might be saved. Sun Ren told me to come to the eighth district to find her brother. He can help us.¡± Lu Na looked around the tea shop. There might not be children here, but there were always plenty of a certain type of people around businesses.


    Over in the alleyway around the corner from a restaurant, Lu Na saw a beggar with his head bowed and his begging bowl out. She hadn¡¯t noticed before but there were a lot of beggars nowadays. It was a lucky coincidence the first beggar she ran into was a strong summoner that helped her.


    ¡°Hey, you,¡± Lu Na called out to the beggar, trying to keep her voice down simultaneously for fear that the constable might hear her. ¡°I need your help.¡±


    The beggar didn¡¯t stir.


    ¡°If you help me, I¡¯ll give you this.¡± Lu Na reached into her chest pocket and took out two silver sycees.


    The glint off the silver caught the eye of the beggar despite his bowed head. He looked around before crawling over to Lu Na.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of money from someone so poor,¡± the beggar said. His tunic was a patchwork of shreds layered over each other. Although he had dirt all over, he didn¡¯t smell as bad as the other beggars Lu Na had the misfortune of being around. ¡°Are you two in here because you¡¯re thieves?¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. Monks do not steal,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°No, we didn¡¯t steal and I will give you these two if you do something for me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡± the beggar said.


    ¡°I need you to go to the Blossom Scent Parlor and find Sun Bofu. Bring him here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and here, take this dagger. If you show him this dagger and tell him that Sun Ren is here, he will follow you.¡± Lu Na handed Sun Ren¡¯s dagger to the beggar. ¡°When you come back, I¡¯ll give both sycees to you.¡±


    ¡°You better not be lying to me.¡± The beggar unsheathed the knife to look at it before putting it away. ¡°Otherwise, I¡¯ll come back and stab you with your own dagger.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course. Hurry before the constable comes back or else you will have gained nothing but a dull dagger.¡±


    The beggar walked away, still staring at Lu Na, probably for the two sycees she held in her hand.


    Lu Na slowly put away the two sycees back into her chest pocket. She hoped the beggar could do it. It was uncomfortable depending on someone else for her freedom, especially a beggar, but she had no choice. Not only that, she was true to her word. If the beggar came back with Sun Ren¡¯s brother, she would give him the two sycees. But that would leave her truly poor as she had nothing left on her aside from the spirit wand and yellow paper from Uncle Chen.


    ¡°Now we wait,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°Well, since we¡¯re waiting, I might as well get something done.¡± Lu Na took out the yellow paper and worked on creating her wards. She had a new design with the null metal in mind. If she could change the way her wards worked, she could create a much more powerful one combined with the null metal. She saw how strong it was in the fight with Hen Li.


    Now if only she had an offensive technique to combine with it. All the techniques she saw in the fights earlier were brilliant, but she didn¡¯t have any time to see how they worked and how she might copy them.


    ¡°That¡¯s interesting,¡± Hen Li said. ¡°You¡¯re using Buddhist texts in your talismans. Who taught you?¡±


    ¡°A passing monk came by one day and my father hosted him. He was famous or something, but he did little other than meditate and eat.¡± Lu Na drew the finishing touches on the ward and wrapped it with red string. The spirit wall ward glowed for a brief second. ¡°And I was bored so I went to talk with him. Well, it was actually my spirit¡¯s idea.¡±


    ¡°Hey, it was a learning experience wasn¡¯t it? Besides, your boredom was getting to me. Anything was better than staring at the four walls of your room.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right.¡± Lu Na started another ward. This one was going to be an earth wall. ¡°And so I spent a few weeks with the monk and he taught me the heart sutra. I don¡¯t know what any of it means, but it brings me a sense of peace as I recited it.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. This might be fate that we met. I also practice with the heart sutra. Maybe if my sifu agrees, we could study the path of Buddhism together.¡±


    Lu Na chuckled.


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure about that. Being a Buddhist monk doesn¡¯t seem like something I¡¯d enjoy. All that meditation and eating only vegetables. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d get used to that.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. Life is interesting like that. We are given a chance to do many things that we never sought, but realize later that it was the thing we were doing all along.¡±


    Lu Na shrugged as she continued working on her next ward. This next one she was going to make it much stronger and absorb a lot more spirit energy. That way, if her spirit were to warp it, it would be big enough for her to stay comfortable in there. Also, she made it so that it can easily attach to the null metal and cling onto it without Lu Na holding the hot metal.


    There were blisters on her hands from the earlier fight.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s approaching. I think the beggar found the one you were looking for,¡± Hen Li said.

 Chapter 21 - Blossom Scent Parlor

    Chapter 21 - Blossom Scent Parlor


    Lu Na looked up and saw someone that stopped her breath. It was a man dressed in a very rich dark red tunic that was like the one Sun Ren wore, except there were no family names stitched to it. He had a small coronet on top of his head tied to his hair bun. And his face was both youthful yet lined with experience. The man¡¯s movements had eloquence and grace with every step.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you lucky Na Na? You keep meeting all these gorgeous men. It makes me wish I was out there instead of you.¡±


    ¡°Shut up spirit,¡± Lu Na muttered.


    ¡°Are you the one that had this beggar bring me here?¡± the man asked.


    ¡°Yes. Are you Sun Bofu?¡±


    ¡°Before I answer that, this man has said you offered him something for his services. You should pay him first.¡±


    Lu Na took out the two silver sycee but hesitated.


    ¡°Well, I asked him to bring me Sun Bofu. How do I know you¡¯re Sun Bofu?¡±


    ¡°I did as you asked. I showed him the dagger. He¡¯s here. Now give me my money,¡± the beggar said.


    Lu Na looked between the two and placed the two silver sycees back into her chest pocket.


    ¡°Prove it. Who are you?¡±


    The man smirked.


    ¡°So you¡¯re not as foolish as you seem.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not foolish.¡±


    ¡°Says the woman trapped in a constable¡¯s iron cage and trying to negotiate with a beggar.¡±


    Lu Na couldn¡¯t say anything to that. She didn¡¯t know how she ended up in this situation when three days ago she was the Young Miss of a rich merchant without a care in the world. Instead, now she shared a smelly cage with a Buddhist monk.


    ¡°Then fine. I¡¯ll tell you this much. I am Sun Bofu¡¯s representative. He¡¯s too important to meet everyone that wishes to see him, especially if you might be an assassin. Anything you tell me is the same as talking with him. Good enough?¡±


    Lu Na peeked into the teahouse to see that the constable was still enjoying his tea. The constable sat with a large teapot and some pastries stacked high.


    ¡°Okay, if you¡¯re his representative, then tell me the name of his sister.¡±


    ¡°Sun Ren,¡± the man replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s an easy one. Tell me about the dagger I gave the beggar.¡±


    The man took out the dagger from his chest pocket.


    ¡°This dagger was the only reason I am talking with you right now. It is the personal dagger of Sun Ren and the only way you¡¯d have this is if you killed her. And while I see you have a powerful summoner in that cage with you, I doubt you two would have killed her from in there.¡±


    Lu Na liked what she heard so far. There was only one last question she had that would really convince her that this man was with Sun Bofu.


    ¡°What is that dagger coated with?¡±


    The man paused for a second, staring at the edge of the dagger before sheathing it. He looked between Lu Na, Hen Li, and the beggar.


    ¡°Sun Ren told you about what it can do to spirits?¡±


    Lu Na nodded.


    ¡°Then you know that¡¯s a Sun family secret. Did she tell you how it was made?¡±


    Lu Na shook her head.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. I would have had to kill you if you did. Then fine, let me introduce myself so that you can pay the beggar and have him be on his way. My name is Zhou Gongjin. I¡¯m the personal retainer of Sun Bofu under the leadership of Marquis Sun Wentai.¡± Zhou Gongjin took out a flat piece of metal from his chest pocket and showed a seal with the Sun family name on it and underneath that claims that he¡¯s a retainer.


    That was enough for Lu Na. No one would dare make one of those unless they wanted to die a horrible death. Not only that, the piece of metal they used was worth more than a horse. No one would use something to trick a woman currently trapped inside an iron cage.


    Lu Na took out the two sycees and passed it to the beggar.


    ¡°Thank you, Young Miss. Thank you Young Master,¡± the beggar said. He grabbed the sycees and sprinted away.


    ¡°Now that the offending odor is gone, you still haven¡¯t told me what happened to Sun Ren,¡± Zhou Gongjin said.


    ¡°The Wintersweet Sect kidnapped her after they attacked my home. Sun Ren was staying with me in my Lu compound.¡±


    ¡°Oh. I told her not to stay there. But I assume there¡¯s a lot more to this story, otherwise you wouldn¡¯t be in a constable¡¯s iron cage.¡±


    Lu Na nodded.


    Zhou Gongjin sighed.


    ¡°I hate dealing with these constables, but since Sun Ren gave you this dagger and told you the secret behind them, then that means she trusts you enough for me to help you on behalf of his brother. Give me a minute.¡±


    Zhou Gongjin entered the tea shop and waved the constable over. They talked, Zhou Gongjin laughed, before producing a gold sycee. He handed it to the constable and they both laughed together. Minutes later, the constable came over and unlocked the iron cage.


    ¡°It was a simple mistake,¡± the constable said. ¡°My colleague must have eaten the wrong breakfast this morning, thinking a young woman like you could have caused that destruction. You¡¯re free to go.¡±


    Lu Na got out of the cage with the help of Zhou Gongjin. She stretched her legs and her neck, without realizing that she was getting used to the cramped space.


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    The constable stopped Hen Li from leaving the cage.


    ¡°He can¡¯t go though,¡± the constable said. ¡°Someone needs to answer for the wanton destruction of that street. I¡¯m sure the magistrate would be fine letting her go as she¡¯s no summoner, but he needs to answer for it.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Amituofo.¡± Hen Li clasped his hands together and bowed his head. ¡°It¡¯s alright Lu Na. As long as you¡¯re safe now, then my task is complete. The magistrate will understand that I was only defending myself. Besides, fate links us. I¡¯m sure we will meet again.¡±


    Lu Na nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m still waiting for you to teach me the summoner¡¯s arts. So you take care of yourself, alright?¡±


    ¡°Amituofo.¡± Hen Li pressed his hands together and bowed.


    ¡°I guess we should both be moving along,¡± the constable said. He was touching his chest pocket, probably feeling the golden sycee Zhou Gongjin gave him. ¡°I would hate for my colleague to catch up and realize that I am resolving this conflict without our magistrate¡¯s approval.¡±


    Zhou Gongjin smiled widely, his youthful appearance showing off the face of a prince.


    ¡°Of course. I wouldn¡¯t want you to have a difficult time, Brother Wang. Have a good day.¡±


    Zhou Gongjin walked away from the constable without another word.


    Lu Na followed as closely as she could, but Zhou Gongjin¡¯s legs were much longer than hers. She had to jog to keep up. Luckily for her, it didn¡¯t take them that long to reach their destination.


    Blossom Scent Parlor was the only building on the entire street. It was as easily as big as the Lu compound, but the design was entirely different. Instead of drab walls that went around the entire compound, the walls were painted with many blossoms on them. Each one hid a woman that was mostly covered by petals and nothing else. Every few steps, there were pink lanterns hanging to show that this was a brothel. There were women on the second floor waving at people in the streets, trying to entice them to come in despite it only being in the early afternoon.


    Lu Na had seen nothing like this. She was amazed at how many of the women on the second floor were also showing off their spirits¡¯ techniques to the people below. Unlike most people, these women were strong summoners, yet they became prostitutes. That was something she didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°We¡¯re here. Touch nothing, say nothing, pretend you¡¯re my follower. Got it?¡± Zhou Gongjin said.


    Lu Na nodded. That wasn¡¯t a hard request. The last thing she wanted to do was be mistaken for a prostitute. If her mother was here, she¡¯d be ashamed at seeing her enter a brothel, but Lu Na told herself that she had no choice.


    When they entered, the beautiful decorations didn¡¯t stop outside. Every wood panel had paintings of Chang¡¯e the Moon Goddess or another depiction of a beautiful woman. Lu Na saw some of them in the form of spirits and other mythological creatures.


    ¡°Ooh, I like this. It reminds me of myself,¡± her spirit said.


    They had passed a picture of a naga, half woman, half snake. She was nude with a blossom leaf covering her body. The naga had her tongue out, showing off its length.


    ¡°I doubt you¡¯re as pretty as she is,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Oh, if you ever truly practice the summoner¡¯s arts, I will show you my true form. Then you¡¯ll eat your words. I¡¯m prettier than that drawing will ever be.¡±


    That was something Lu Na was looking forward to. Although she wasn¡¯t sure if that was possible now that the constable took away Hen Li. She had to remind herself to bail out Hen Li after this was all over. Even if he didn¡¯t teach Lu Na, that was the last she could do for saving her from the Wintersweet Sect.


    Soon, Zhou Gongjin led Lu Na through the center courtyard of the brothel. It was something Lu Na had never seen in her life before. Instead of the usual main houses for family, there was a man-made moat right in the middle. Right above it was a large pavilion that housed multiple tables over the moving water. Four bridges connected in a criss-cross to the pavilion.


    When Lu Na stopped to stare, Zhou Gongjin chuckled.


    ¡°The madam of Blossom Scent Parlor made this especially for the Mid-Autumn Festival. She wanted her customers to experience what it was like to be Hou Yi as he crossed over the river to find his moon goddess, Chang¡¯e. All they have to do is offer something of value in order to reach all the moon goddesses in the middle. What they do after that is entirely up to the customer.


    ¡°Yesterday, they had an archery contest where they made some soft arrows out of cotton where the customers claimed their courtesans with an arrow. Every arrow cost ten taels of silver and it drove the men crazy whenever they missed. It was such a sight.¡±


    ¡°Is this what Sun Bofu does with his free time? Spend it at a brothel and waste away with all these Moon Goddesses?¡± Lu Na asked. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of the Goddess¡¯ retribution?¡±


    ¡°Oh, so serious. Let me take you to Sun Bofu and you can see what he¡¯s doing. Then decide for yourself what type of man he is.¡±


    They walked upstairs to the second floor. Lu Na peeked down the hallway and saw many rooms. Many of them had blossoms painted over their doors. They didn¡¯t stop there. Instead, they kept going up to the roof.


    Two men guarded the entrance to the roof. They had swords pointed at Zhou Gongjin and Lu Na.


    ¡°Relax men, it¡¯s me.¡± Zhou Gongjin pulled out his metal badge. One man took it and looked it over to make sure it was real. With a nod, he returned it to Zhou Gongjin.


    ¡°Young Master Sun has been waiting for your return, but she does not look like Young Miss Sun,¡± the guard said.


    ¡°There¡¯s a complication. I would tell the other men to prepare to move out. We might have a rescue mission to launch.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The guard clasped his hands and bowed. He walked away first.


    The other guard opened the door and allowed Zhou Gongjin and Lu Na through. When they reached the roof, Lu Na saw something she didn¡¯t expect.


    There was a large tent sitting on top. It looked like an army tent, like the ones she¡¯s seen in books. It was close to the center, far away from the sides. With a building this big, no one could see it from the streets below. There were men training with spears all around.


    ¡°You have an army up here.¡±


    Zhou Gongjin huffed.


    ¡°This is not an army. It¡¯s only a few retainers of the Sun family that are stationed here to protect our interests. That¡¯s all.¡±


    Zhou Gongjin led Lu Na to the tent where there were two more guards. These two had swords on their hips. As they approached, they unsheathed them and stood in a defensive stance. They held sharpened swords, unlike the dull ones that Sun Ren and her bodyguards had.


    Zhou Gongjin raised his badge again and put it away, but he didn¡¯t move forward. Two other guards came out from the tent, one male and the other female.


    ¡°They¡¯re going to search you, so just be calm and you should get in, unless you have dangerous weapons on you.¡±


    Lu Na nodded. It wasn¡¯t as if she had much of a choice, anyway. She didn¡¯t have to be told that if she tried to run now, she would be cut down. She had nothing to hide.


    The female guard walked over. She was dressed in the same dark red tunic as Sun Ren¡¯s bodyguards. There was a small device in her hand that glowed yellow.


    ¡°Stay still,¡± the female guard said. She ran the device over her head and then down her body. When it reached Lu Na¡¯s chest, it turned red. ¡°What do you have in there?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Show me, slowly.¡±


    One of the other guards approached with a sword.


    Lu Na carefully took out a few bits of silver, her entire remaining wealth and the bar of null metal wrapped in cloth. She unwrapped the metal and showed it to the female guard.


    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡±


    The female guard gently patted her chest and then down the sides of her body. She came back up, patting her legs as well.


    This was the first time someone was so close to Lu Na outside of her mother giving her a hug as a child. But there was nothing comforting about this.


    ¡°All she has is this metal bar stock. She¡¯s got nothing else. I doubt she¡¯d be able to use that as a weapon,¡± the female guard said.


    ¡°Very well, let her in,¡± the guard said. He sheathed his sword.


    Soon enough both Lu Na and Zhou Gongjin were allowed into the tent. It was empty save for a few cots of guards sleeping side by side. They walked through it until they reached the other side. There was another door leading back down into the brothel.


    Zhou Gongjin greeted a few people who were awake before going down. Soon, they were back in the brothel, surrounded by the beautiful decorations of blossoms and different paintings of animals.


    Where were they going? Wasn¡¯t Sun Bofu in the tent? Lu Na didn¡¯t have a choice but to keep following the man, hoping that they would at least be able to help Sun Ren.

 Chapter 22 - Sun Bofu

    Chapter 22 - Sun Bofu


    The floral scent changed into something overwhelmingly sweet. It smelled like eating too much honey all at once and getting it stuck up the nose. Because of the narrow hallway they were in, it was overwhelming. It felt like Lu Na was swimming through it.


    ¡°Ugh, this smell is so strong,¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit said. ¡°A weaker spirit would have collapsed from this.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay spirit?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine as long as you don¡¯t move too much. The smell is making me dizzy.¡±


    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± Zhou Gongjin said. ¡°The smell is supposed to prevent any spirits from spying on us. It will go away eventually.¡±


    Lu Na saw jars filled with this sappy smelling liquid and wondered if she could use that in one of her inventions. She couldn¡¯t mimic the same effect in a ward, but if she used some of the liquid as part of the ward, maybe it would keep spirits away from tampering with it. That might allow Lu Na to create wards that can last forever as long as it had spirit energy to draw from. Something to think about for the future. She was sure that Sun Ren knew what it was.


    At the end of the hallway, they reached another large private room. Zhou Gongjin entered first, and there was a loud cheer. Festive music escaped into the hallway. It sounded like an entire band was playing inside the room.


    ¡°Gongjin, welcome back!¡± one voice louder than the rest called.


    Just outside of the room, Lu Na could see three men inside surrounded by women. She assumed they were prostitutes based on the way they were dressed. They all had beautiful silk dresses that Lu Na might have worn to greet her father¡¯s important friends or partners, but these women wore them loosely on their bodies, showing off a little more of their arms and necks than Lu Na would ever dare show. Each one also had enough jewelry on them to run a jewelry store, ranging from jingling bracelets to heavy necklaces and brooches.


    These women mostly surrounded one man dressed in a bright red. His tunic had a small word ¡°Sun¡± sewn on his chest. He smiled easily as each of his arm was around a woman. Despite that, when his gaze landed on Lu Na, she felt like a tiger was looking at her, ready to pounce. This gaze differed from the hateful one that Wong Yoong had for her. It felt like she was being stalked like prey.


    ¡°Oh Gongjin, you brought me another woman? I already have too many than I can hold,¡± the man said.


    Zhou Gongjin cupped his hands together and made a deep bow.


    ¡°Bofu, this woman claims that the Wintersweet Sect has kidnapped your sister.¡±


    ¡°Have you verified this?¡± Sun Bofu smiled as one woman poured a cup of wine into his mouth.


    Zhou Gongjin took out the dagger Lu Na gave him. He passed it to Sun Bofu with two hands.


    ¡°She proved it with this and claimed she knew the Sun family secret for this weapon.¡±


    Sun Bofu took it and unsheathed it. He shrugged and threw it onto the table. He then beckoned Lu Na to enter with a finger.


    Lu Na walked in and bowed to Sun Bofu. Once she got into the room, she saw the giant mess in front of her. There was half eaten food all over the table and there were more women standing off to the side, looking like they were dancing. These women showed even more skin than the ones sitting with the men. Everywhere she looked, all Lu Na could see was a mess of debauchery that she¡¯d never expected before.


    ¡°Now this guy knows how to throw a party,¡± her spirit said.


    Lu Na didn¡¯t share that sentiment. Instead, she felt disappointment. How was this group of party animals going to help her or Sun Ren?


    ¡°Well, she¡¯s pretty despite the clothes she¡¯s wearing,¡± Sun Bofu said. ¡°Gongjin, you animal. I really thought you brought me another courtesan. These two are already becoming too much for me.¡± As if to emphasize that, he squeezed their shoulders.


    ¡°Anyway, you claim my sister has been kidnapped.¡±


    Lu Na nodded. She remembered her lessons from her father to not respond unless she had to when in the presence of her superiors. While she didn¡¯t feel the need to follow that with her own father, there was no telling how someone like Sun Bofu would feel if she spoke out.


    ¡°Then tell me, what is the Sun family secret with these weapons?¡± Sun Bofu leaned back on the chair.


    Lu Na looked between him and the other women. They were all intently staring at her.


    ¡°Sun Ren told me it was a secret that I can¡¯t tell anyone else. I won¡¯t break that promise, especially not in front of these women.¡±


    Sun Bofu smiled, showing off his teeth. He had two very sharp canines that again reminded Lu Na of a tiger.


    ¡°Fine, then lean in close and whisper it into my ear. That should be fine, right?¡±


    Lu Na looked to Zhou Gongjin who was as quiet as a statue. She wasn¡¯t sure what she¡¯d expect from him, as he was not his friend.


    ¡°What should I do spirit?¡±


    ¡°Just tell him. You have nothing to lose.¡±


    Lu Na leaned in over the messy table of food and drinks. Sun Bofu did the same.


    ¡°The dagger cuts spirits on a deeper level because of the invisible coating you have on it.¡±


    Sun Bofo leaned back, his smile more muted without showing off his teeth. He raised a hand in the air and the music cut off. The women beside him fixed their dresses until they were presentable. Zhou Gongjin closed the door behind him.


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    Why did this feel like Lu Na had just stepped into a tiger¡¯s den? Everyone stopped what they were doing and were staring at her now. She clenched her left fist hard, trying to keep her breathing even.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re not an assassin, as you had every chance right then,¡± Sun Bofu said. ¡°So everyone can relax and let¡¯s hear out Young Miss Lu¡¯s story.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Welcome to my temporary headquarters in Jianye,¡± Sun Bofu said. ¡°You¡¯ve already met my strategist, Zhou Gongjin. And everyone else here is my subordinate. This entire scene was made so that any of my enemies would only think that I¡¯m here to party as my father is on his campaign with our entire army. All he left here to defend his interests is what you see here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s to confuse our enemies,¡± Zhou Gongjin added. ¡°We want them to think that Sun Bofu is nothing more than a wasteful son of a rich and powerful man. The last thing we want is another assassination attempt on his life.¡±


    ¡°But I saw the tent upstairs. I saw all the other men and women there.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that was only for you, since you proved you had Sun Ren¡¯s dagger,¡± Zhou Gongjin said. ¡°Otherwise you would have been denied access and brother Bofu here would have kept pretending to be a wasteful son.¡±


    ¡°So now tell me the entire story with my sister. Leave nothing out,¡± Sun Bofu said. ¡°And sit, eat something, drink something. You¡¯re safe now.¡±


    Those three words hit Lu Na like a truck. For the first time in a few days, she believed it. That¡¯s when she plopped down onto a cushion and told Sun Bofu everything that had happened to her over the last few days since Sun Ren came to her home.


    Sun Bofu listened to it all quietly and only asked a question here and there to get clarification. His face stayed the same throughout Lu Na¡¯s story, unreadable.


    Lu Na sighed when she finished her story. She almost collapsed onto the pillows and just sleep for days. Everything was right with the world. She did as Sun Ren instructed and found her older brother. He would rescue her and fix everything.


    ¡°So, are we going to bring our men to rescue Sun Ren?¡± Zhou Gongjin asked.


    ¡°Absolutely not.¡±


    Those two words brought Lu Na back to life. All the tense worries, stress, and probably white hair all over her head came rushing back. She sat up and stared at Sun Bofu.


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    Sun Bofu leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. The two women he sat with before moved away.


    ¡°Because they wouldn¡¯t dare do anything to Sun Ren. She¡¯s the daughter of the Marquis. And it sounds like she was never the target they were after, anyway. They¡¯re not an evil summoner sect so they won¡¯t make her life hard. I¡¯m sure when I send them a gently worded letter, they will return her.¡±


    ¡°After we give them some money,¡± Zhou Gongjin added.


    ¡°Yeah, these sects are all the same. At least this time they weren¡¯t even after her so I doubt they care much for a ransom,¡± Sun Bofu said. ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t have the men to help me launch this rescue. My father took everyone with him, even the spear holders. The rebels are really making life difficult at the moment. So if I were to launch a rescue, I would endanger my position.¡±


    Lu Na couldn¡¯t believe what she heard.


    ¡°You would abandon your own sister over your own safety? My brother would never do that. He would rather betray everyone he knew than to abandon me.¡±


    Sun Bofu smiled, showing his teeth.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re so close to Sun Ren, I¡¯ll tell you my true feelings about this. My father is trying to build something here in the southeast that will last for generations. Our Sun family has been nothing more than farmers a few generations ago and now we can show the world what we are really made of. If it means potentially losing a sister, then that is fine with me. I really can¡¯t afford to waste any of my time trying to rescue her against an overwhelming force. That is a bad strategy.¡±


    ¡°Then what am I to do?¡± Lu Na had fully lost all direction.


    Sun Bofu smiled and leaned forward. His canines were very sharp.


    ¡°Well, the most I can offer you is some food, a change of clothing, and then you should be on your way.¡±


    Lu Na grimaced.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t look at me like that. That¡¯s the most I can do for you in my precarious situation. I¡¯m sure I clarified that the last thing I want to do is confront the Wintersweet Sect. The only men I have are the injured that couldn¡¯t march with my father. We are no match for them should they come here looking for you.¡±


    ¡°Wow, he¡¯s more ruthless than your second mother. They should meet,¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit said. ¡°Don¡¯t beg him. Take what you can and move on before he realizes handing you over to the Wintersweet Sect would benefit him even more. He could trade you for his sister and the huge bounty they have on your head.¡±


    Lu Na forced a smile.


    ¡°Thank you for your hospitality.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the least I could do since our fathers are sworn brothers.¡±


    Lu Na bowed her head.


    ¡°I hope the Marquis is understanding of our circumstances and not punish my family.¡±


    Sun Bofu¡¯s smile disappeared.


    ¡°Young Miss Lu, I want you to understand a few things. First, we don¡¯t blame you for what happened. This is some crazy thing that the Wintersweet Sect did. We have noticed that many women have been missing over the last few weeks. We¡¯ve just not had any way to deal with it, as the imperial decree to deal with the rebels was a higher priority for my father.


    ¡°Second, trust me when I say, if I could leave Blossom Scent Parlor right now and rush into the Wintersweet Sect to save my sister, I would if I had any chance of succeeding. But my father has entrusted the lives of everyone here to me. I can¡¯t gamble with their lives as if I¡¯m some storied hero. As soon as there¡¯s an opening, I would do everything in my power not only to save my sister, but all those other women that have been kidnapped. It is our sworn duty.¡±


    Lu Na bowed her head.


    ¡°I apologize if I offended you, Young Master Sun.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t. If there comes a day after this when my father returns, let¡¯s have an official meeting between us. I would love to pay my respects to Uncle Lu.¡±


    Lu Na cupped her hands and bowed again.


    ¡°That would be our honor.¡±


    Afterwards, Lu Na followed one of Sun Bofu¡¯s female attendants to get a change of clothes, some food, and they even gave her some silver. Lu Na only had a little time to wipe the grime off her as she changed, but it was better than nothing. When she left Blossom Scent Parlor, she felt like a new woman.


    But where would she go now? She was still being hunted by the Wintersweet Sect. She could try to hide in an inn or something, but how long would that last with the silver she had? There was no way she¡¯d go back to her home because the last she remembered was that huge rooster going through its walls.


    ¡°What can I do now spirit? You seem older and wiser than I ever was.¡±


    ¡°Hey, wiser definitely, but older? I¡¯m not that old.¡±


    Lu Na chuckled.


    ¡°How old are you? You never told me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only a couple of¡­¡± the spirit coughed, ¡°years old. But just think of me as only a few years older than you if I were a human.¡±


    ¡°Okay then elder sister. Then where shall we go? Where can we go?¡±


    ¡°How about we go to the main street and see if we can blend in with the festival goers? The worst that can happen is that you enjoy your time a little before they find you again.¡±


    ¡°Well, I was thinking about leaving the city and finding my aunt and uncle in Lujiang. I¡¯m sure the Wintersweet Sect wouldn¡¯t chase me all the way there.¡±


    ¡°But how would you make it all the way over there? Sun Ren¡¯s father is not marching his army to fight barbarians in the north or south. He¡¯s going out to fight the very rebels that are crawling all over outside the city.¡±


    Guess that left Lu Na no choice. She walked toward the main street. Maybe she can hide long enough that the Wintersweet Sect might forget her. Or at the very least, she¡¯d get one or two moon cakes. It¡¯s not a Mid-Autumn Festival without them.

 Interlude - Senior Wong Yoong

    Interlude - Senior Wong Yoong


    Wong Yoong sat in a tub of medicinal herbs. She had pushed herself to the extreme in that last battle with Hen Li. She still felt the surge of spirit energy inside her rumbling like a distant lightning storm. All those pills she took were very dangerous, but that was the only way to fight Hen Li to a draw.


    She shivered when she thought about fighting the five colored hound. It was stronger than her own Gaigung. How did he get so strong after only training it for the last three years? If he ever revived his Bifang Niu, it would blast her into a crisp with a thought.


    How did their sect allow someone to have such a powerful spirit without shackling them? It was probably because he was the son of Elder Hen. That man has gotten away with so many things and keeps standing up to her father, the sect leader. One of these days, she¡¯s going to rise into becoming an Elder and then teach him proper respect.


    ¡°Hey, the water is getting cold,¡± she yelled.


    A maid quickly came in with her fire spirit monkey. With a wave of her hand, the water heated back up.


    ¡°I¡¯m almost done in here, so prepare my clothes. I have to go back out there to look for that Lu brat.¡±


    The maid bowed her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Senior Wong. Sect Leader Wong is requesting your presence in the Ancestor¡¯s Alcove as soon as you¡¯re done here.¡±


    Wong Yoong smiled. Even better. This might mean they¡¯ve finally seen her value and were about to elevate her to being an Elder. That¡¯s where they usually do it. She had been the best at capturing most of the Lu maidens in the last few weeks. Sure, she couldn¡¯t get the last one, but it¡¯s only a matter of time.


    ¡°Then forget heating the water. Dress me.¡±


    Wong Yoong got up from the tub as the maid rushed to grab a towel for her. In minutes, she was dried and dressed in a dark blue tunic. It was probably the last time she¡¯d wear this tunic again so she didn¡¯t care too much that a few bits were out of place.


    ¡°Prepare something delicious for me tonight. I¡¯m going to be celebrating.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Senior Wong, but aren¡¯t you celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival with your mother and siblings?¡±


    ¡°Right, I forgot about that. Prepare something anyway. I¡¯m in a mood to celebrate on my own later.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Senior Wong.¡±


    Wong Yoong quickened her pace to the Ancestor¡¯s Alcove. She had been there a few times when her father brought her there. It wasn¡¯t too far away from her own room.


    Everywhere she looked, her sect juniors were lighting the candles to prepare for the Mid-Autumn Festival. There were going to be quite a few more people around because of all the Lu maidens and some of their families, but it had nothing to do with her. She was waiting until after tonight when all those distractions disappeared and she could go back to her cultivation. The last few days of fighting with Hen Li and that Lu brat¡¯s brother gave her a chance to break through to the next level.


    ¡°You¡¯re counting your chickens before they hatched,¡± Gaigung said.


    Wong Yoong¡¯s right eye twitched. Her spirit rarely warned her.


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡±


    ¡°Because you haven¡¯t captured the last Lu maiden.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s only a matter of time. The local magistrate has her in a cage and soon she will be on her way here. And then I¡¯ll be given the honor of persuading the magistrate to work with us.¡±


    ¡°You threatened his family. When the Marquis comes back, that might be a problem.¡±


    ¡°Hah, if he comes back. Besides, after tonight whatever the ancestor told my father will come true. We¡¯ll be stronger than before. What is a weakened Marquis going to do?¡±


    ¡°I hope that you¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°I have my father¡¯s foresight in everything. It¡¯s how he became the sect leader over all the others. And now I¡¯m going to become an Elder. Who is going to retaliate against the elder of the Wintersweet Sect?¡±


    When Wong Yoong arrived at the Ancestor¡¯s Alcove, her father was nowhere to be seen. Only Elder Hen waited outside. The old man still looked good for his age. Unlike most of the other Elders that depended solely on their spirits in battle, he trained his body. Only the gray in his hair and beard reminded others of his age. It was one reason Wong Yoong also trained her own body as much as her summoner arts. She couldn¡¯t lose to the old man.


    The door to the Ancestor¡¯s Alcove was open, though. She moved closer to get a peek inside.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think that would be appropriate,¡± Elder Hen said. He kept Wong Yoong from stepping closer. ¡°Only Elders and the Sect Leader can see what¡¯s inside the alcove.¡±


    Wong Yoong cupped her hands and bowed.


    ¡°Of course honored Elder. I apologize. I was just curious.¡± What she didn¡¯t add was that she was going to be an Elder soon, anyway. Then it wouldn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°Is that Wong Yoong?¡± her father called out from within the Ancestor¡¯s Alcove.


    ¡°Yes, Father,¡± Wong Yoong said.


    ¡°Then come in with Elder Hen. There¡¯s something I need to tell you two quickly. Come, come.¡±


    ¡°But Sect Leader, she¡¯s not an Elder. She¡¯s not allowed inside the alcove,¡± Elder Hen said.


    ¡°She¡¯s my daughter. Do you think she would betray the sect?¡±


    Elder Hen looked conflicted.


    That was all the time Wong Yoong needed before she slipped around him and entered the Ancestor¡¯s Alcove. At first glance, she was confused. The room wasn¡¯t decorated nor did it have any special treasures. All she saw was her father and a man chained to the center of the room. What was so special about this place, anyway?


    Wong Yoong used her spirit sight and instantly regretted it.


    The man that was chained in the middle wasn¡¯t a mere mortal. Spirit energy flowed off him were brighter than the sun. The chains that held him in place were also heavy with spirit energy that made Wong Yoong feel heavy with only a glance. They were spirit forged to weigh down any spirit energy or techniques from the one it chained.


    Wong Yoong closed her spirit sight right away and held onto her forehead. The headache was already there, worse than any headbutt she ever had.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t use your spirit sight,¡± Elder Hen said. It was a little too late for that so Wong Yoong wasn¡¯t sure if it was deliberate or not.


    ¡°Sit, sit,¡± her father said.


    When Wong Yoong could see again, she sat down beside her father, facing Elder Hen. Her father didn¡¯t look right. There were dark bags under his eyes and he looked like he hadn¡¯t showered or moved from his spot for days. She didn¡¯t even want to say which smelled worse, her father or the bucket in the corner.


    Maybe sitting next to him like this wasn¡¯t a good idea.


    ¡°Good, two of my most trusted people are here,¡± her father said. ¡°First, tell me how it goes with capturing the Lu maidens.¡±


    ¡°Reporting to the Sect Leader, we¡¯ve captured all the Lu maidens except one according to the city¡¯s family registration. The magistrate is sending her over as soon as he can.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lie!¡± Her father yelled so loudly that spit flew from his mouth. ¡°He doesn¡¯t have her. No. The Ancestor talked to me. He knows the magistrate doesn¡¯t have her.¡±


    ¡°But the magistrate wouldn¡¯t lie to us. I made sure of it,¡± Wong Yoong said.


    ¡°Oh, he probably didn¡¯t lie when he had her. But his useless constable let the little Lu girl go for some money. You two almost had her. What happened? We wouldn¡¯t need to depend on these useless magistrates if you did your job.¡±


    ¡°I almost captured her, but Elder Hen¡¯s son got in the way,¡± Wong Yoong said.


    ¡°Oh, you had a reunion with your son, Elder Hen?¡±


    ¡°No, sect leader. I was holding onto Sun Ren and sent Wong Yoong after Lu Na. She didn¡¯t tell me my son was there.¡±


    ¡°That was after the Beggar King, Hung Rong, got in the way.¡±


    Her father laughed.


    ¡°So what you¡¯re telling me is that fate has been standing in your way, throwing obstacle after obstacle in your way and you two couldn¡¯t even capture one powerless, weak Lu girl?¡±


    Elder Hen bowed low. Wong Yoong couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the Elder¡¯s shame. That¡¯s what he gets for trying to put the blame on her. She was only following his orders.


    ¡°No, Sect Leader. It was my absolute responsibility to capture her. I will not fail you, as I will capture her myself.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Sect Leader Wong summoned his tiger spirit. Its spirit energy filled the room and made it hard to breathe. Wong Yoong had to scramble a few feet away from him. She bowed low and didn¡¯t dare raise her head.


    Sect Leader Wong stood tall, his tiger spirit beside him.


    ¡°You two don¡¯t understand what this means to our sect. The ancestor has made it clear. If we don¡¯t capture all the Lu maidens, then our sect is finished. This is why we dared to attack the Lu compound within the city. But you haven¡¯t retrieved the one that will destroy us.¡±


    Elder Hen dared to lift his head.


    ¡°But Sect Leader, she¡¯s only one girl. She¡¯s talentless and powerless. How would one such as her¡ª¡±


    ¡°Silence.¡± Sect Leader Wong said in a quiet voice. ¡°You say all this yet you can¡¯t capture her. Do you think our Ancestor is mistaken? Did our ancestor stutter when he said ¡®all the Lu maidens?¡¯ Do you not remember what happened the last time we failed him?¡±


    Elder Hen was silent so Wong Yoong answered for him.


    ¡°With respect to Elder Hen, the last time we didn¡¯t follow his edict, Hen Li almost destroyed the Wintersweet Sect.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. It was the foolishness of your kindness that almost destroyed us,¡± Sect Leader Wong said. ¡°Of course it wasn¡¯t entirely your fault. I was blinded by my greed to abuse his powers to expand our sect. Should the Ancestor ever proclaim that my daughter would destroy our sect, I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to cut her head off even in front of her mother.¡±


    Wong Yoong bowed her head until it touched the floor.


    ¡°Sect Leader Wong, I would never betray our sect.¡±


    ¡°Of course you wouldn¡¯t. I taught you better.¡± Sect Leader Wong patted her on the head.


    Wong Yoong was relieved.


    ¡°But of course, the Ancestor gives us cryptic messages where even someone as powerless as this Lu maiden has avoided capture even with the full force of the Wintersweet Sect after her. That is why I¡¯m going to go personally meet with this Lu maiden and see what sort of power that fate has to protect her from us.¡±


    Elder Hen raised his head.


    ¡°It would be my honor to accompany you on this mission. I will do everything in my power to capture her.¡±


    ¡°Even if it means killing your son should he get in the way again?¡±


    Elder Hen had only the smallest pause before he answered, ¡°Yes, Sect Leader Wong.¡±


    ¡°Very well. Then you and Senior Wong shall accompany me. This time, we will bring her back even if we have to level the entire city of Jianye. Tonight is the deadline. And who knows, after we do this, maybe we¡¯ll get something good from this.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sect Leader Wong,¡± Wong Yoong said. This was the perfect opportunity for her. With Sect Leader Wong coming to capture this Lu Na, they were guaranteed success. If that woman didn¡¯t die by the end of the night, she would quit being a summoner.

 Chapter 23 - Sect Leader鈥檚 Personal Invitation

    Chapter 23 - Sect Leader¡¯s Personal Invitation


    Lu Na was having the time of her life. Despite the insanity coming from the Wintersweet Sect and her many near-death experiences, the people of Jianye were out celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival as the sun set. The full moon was already visible and it was bright and beautiful. There was not a cloud in the sky.


    Lu Na had never experienced this, as her father would have normally kept her locked up within the Lu compound. He¡¯d always claim that the festivities that he planned and paid for were better than the commoners in the streets. And while she saw that was probably true in terms of the quality of the festivities, it was always the same every year. There were only so many times Lu Na could watch or do the same thing year after year before it becomes dull.


    Yet out here, she saw little children running around, free without fear and all dressed up, with their little lanterns. The stalls along the streets all had many toys that Lu Na had never seen before. There were some small figurines of Chang¡¯e and Hou Yi with his bow and arrows. And the performances were more thrilling. Unlike her father¡¯s paid performances, these shows had more humor in them. They had funny voices and different acrobatics that the serious actors would never do when performing in her own home.


    Of course that wasn¡¯t all. The most important difference that Lu Na experienced were the foods. Every stall had something unique. There were the usual moon cakes, but some of them had such unique ingredients that every bite was a surprise. That¡¯s the beauty of moon cakes. You didn¡¯t know what you¡¯re going to get until you bit into it. Then there were the other foods of the streets that had a few strange ones that Lu Na had never tried before. There was a roasted squid stall that stood next to a whole roasted pig.


    The last few days only made Lu Na appreciate her life even more. She was so full and so happy for once. Of course, those feelings rarely ever lasted.


    ¡°Lu Na, they¡¯re back. The Wintersweet Sect,¡± her spirit said.


    ¡°What do you mean? There¡¯s no way they found me again. I¡¯m surrounded by people,¡± Lu Na said. She had a stick of fish balls soaked in curry in each hand.


    But Lu Na felt it before she saw it. The entire area was flooded with spirit energy. It was a dark color that seeped into the marketplace. Everyone paused for a moment before they scrambled away.


    In their way, one summoner walked toward Lu Na with a dark purple tiger. He was dressed in a similar dark purple tunic. Trailing behind him was Elder Hen Shimin and Wong Yoong. Both of them looked haggard. But the leading summoner looked worse. The dark eye bags came into view quickly and there were so many lines on his face. He only looked younger than the Elder because his face didn¡¯t droop.


    ¡°Are you Lu Na?¡± the summoner asked.


    Before Lu Na could answer, his tiger spirit pounced forward and clamped its jaw on her right thigh. It didn¡¯t hurt but she couldn¡¯t move.


    ¡°Quick, use your spirit wall ward,¡± her spirit said.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°No?¡± the summoner asked.


    ¡°Oh, sorry. That¡¯s not what I meant. I was talking with my spirit.¡± Lu Na clasped both hands by her left waist and bowed, surprised she hadn¡¯t done that since she left the Lu compound. It was as respectful as she could make it from all the lessons from her teachers and mother over the years. ¡°Yes, I am Lu Na. Am I to assume that you are the sect leader of the Wintersweet Sect?¡±


    The summoner smirked. He raised his cupped hands, but didn¡¯t bow.


    ¡°Yes, I am Wong Kuang. I am here to invite you to our sect and I will not take no for an answer.¡±


    His tiger spirit growled in response.


    ¡°Of course, if you resist. I would not hesitate to kill you and everyone here. This is your last chance.¡±


    ¡°Do it now. His spirit might be powerful, but with the null metal you have, it should be strong enough to stop him. The summoner looks too weak to attack you physically. That¡¯s when you can use your¡ª¡±


    Lu Na looked around at the surrounding people. The adults cowered behind their stalls, frozen in fear. However, it was the kids that made Lu Na pause. They weren¡¯t crying. It was almost as if they saw King Yama come from the underworld to take their souls. That was when she made a choice.


    Lu Na bowed again as politely as she could, this time with her head down.


    ¡°Of course, Sect Leader Wong. I would like nothing more than to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival in your glorious sect.¡±


    Sect Leader Wong said nothing as he turned to leave. His tiger spirit let go of Lu Na¡¯s thigh and trotted behind him as if it was a real tiger. Only Senior Wong¡¯s face was turning red, some veins popping on her neck. The elder simply bowed his head before walking beside her. Everyone gave them a wide berth or disappeared the moment they started walking away.


    ¡°I heard from Wong Yoong that you met my son,¡± Elder Hen said.


    ¡°Are you talking about the monk?¡±


    Elder Hen nodded.


    ¡°Then yes, elder, I have spoken with him.¡±


    ¡°How¡­ how is he?¡±


    ¡°He seemed fine the last time I saw him. But he was also locked up in an iron cage and about to face punishment for the fight he had with Wong Yoong.¡±


    ¡°That foolish son of mine is always doing things he shouldn¡¯t. But I am glad that he¡¯s well. Did he tell you anything else?¡±


    ¡°We talked for a little bit. He didn¡¯t say it directly, but he had a strong grudge against your sect. Seeing as how you¡¯re his father, was there a reason?¡±


    Elder Hen looked away.


    ¡°It is a great shame of my sect, but we were ordered to kill him. He was a threat to everyone and the Imperial government would have leveled our entire sect if we didn¡¯t do so.¡±


    ¡°Then begging your pardon, but he seems to be lively for a dead man.¡±


    Elder Hen laughed a very bitter laugh.


    ¡°Yes, his spirit revived him.¡±


    ¡°Wow, he must be very strong. I hope he can teach me how to be a summoner.¡±


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    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I talked with him about it when we were in the cage. I¡¯ve always wanted to learn.¡±


    Elder Hen smiled.


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re still alive after tonight, I would gladly accept you into the Wintersweet Sect as a personal disciple. It¡¯s the least I could do since you know my son.¡±


    Lu Na bowed her head toward Elder Hen.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to think about that, since your sect has been trying to kill me over the last few days. I¡¯m not sure how that would work.¡±


    Elder Hen laughed.


    ¡°I apologize for that. Wong Yoong was supposed to only invite you to our sect. But it worked out in the end. From my other disciples¡¯ reports, everyone was well compensated for our actions within the city.¡±


    ¡°Is that how sects like yours operate within the city without worry? You simply pay off those you kill?¡±


    Elder Hen¡¯s smile disappeared.


    ¡°No. The summoner sects usually have an agreement with the Government to never bring our affairs into the city unless it¡¯s protecting the city from invaders. What we did the past few days has been one of desperation.¡±


    ¡°What will happen to the other people that has gone against your sect? Like my brother and family. They¡¯re innocent in this.¡±


    ¡°After tonight, everything will be settled. If there is a debt your family, we will pay. You can rest assured.¡±


    Lu Na bowed her head again. She was not assured of anything. Least of all this sect elder¡¯s words. They were despicable enough to attack a city full of innocent and powerless people. What else won¡¯t they do?


    Lu Na didn¡¯t ask any further. It mattered little to her anyway, as she might not live through the night. But there was one question she needed to ask.


    ¡°What¡¯s going to happen to me?¡±


    Elder Hen shook his head.


    ¡°Young Miss Lu, I do not know. We were ordered to capture all the Lu maidens and we must comply.¡±


    ¡°Was that from your ancestor?¡±


    ¡°How did you¡­ It was Hen Li that told you. It¡¯s one of our greatest secrets as a sect. He shouldn¡¯t be going around telling people this. The sect leader might be forced to kill him again.¡± Elder Hen took a deep breath at that thought. ¡°But yes, it was our ancestor that ordered this. We don¡¯t know exactly why. All we know is that if we don¡¯t obey our ancestor¡¯s orders a terrible calamity usually hits our sect.¡±


    ¡°Did your ancestor also order the killing of your son?¡±


    Elder Hen looked from Sect Leader Wong back to Lu Na. He nodded.


    ¡°And you were cruel enough to kill your own son?¡±


    ¡°He almost destroyed the sect. He would have killed many more people.¡±


    ¡°But it was your son. My mother would never do that to me. I guess that is the difference between fathers and mothers.¡±


    ¡°You know nothing, so I would keep your mouth shut. On that day¡­ The things I had to do¡­ The things I had to weigh¡­¡±


    Lu Na didn¡¯t push any further. There was no point. All those lines on Elder Hen¡¯s face and the drooping sag that made him look ancient showed as clear as the setting sun. It was almost as if he thought about it every day that caused his face to age. It wasn¡¯t fair of her to torment the old man that way. But that only made her think more of her mother.


    If what Lu Na said about her mother was true, then why did she abandon her? She must have had a very good reason to do so. Yet Lu Na felt her absence every day. She wondered if Elder Hen felt something similar about Hen Li.


    The group walked quietly back to the Wintersweet compound just outside of the city.


    When they got there, Lu Na saw something she didn¡¯t expect. Even though her experiences over the last three days were a matter of life and death, the sect itself was thriving. They hadn¡¯t gone through the main entrance yet they heard loud music being played inside. There were loud cheers and clinking of glasses. And the smell wafting through the air could easily compete with the marketplace of Jianye.


    Two disciples stood guard at the entrance. At a distance, Lu Na could already see their sour faces. They must have done something heinous to deserve such punishment to guard the door while everyone else was enjoying the festivities. But when the two saw who approached them, they stood up straighter than a ruler and bowed at the waist. Their sulky mood gone.


    ¡°We greet Sect Leader Wong,¡± the two guards said in unison.


    ¡°Arise.¡± Sect Leader Wong didn¡¯t stop as he walked past the two guards. The rest followed.


    When Lu Na entered the main courtyard, the amount of decorations surprised her. They weren¡¯t the usual Chang¡¯e and rabbit or Hou Yi paintings, but an array of different other kinds of depictions of spirits and the moon. There were other types of spirits depicted from the mythological birds and dragons to the weirdest spirits that Lu Na did not know about.


    ¡°Take her to the other Lu maidens in the east courtyard. Don¡¯t lose her. I must hurry back to the Ancestor¡¯s Alcove to receive our next instructions.¡± Sect Leader Wong turned and jogged away. His spirit tiger had to sprint to catch up.


    ¡°He must be in a hurry to go back to his drug. Whatever this Ancestor Alcove is, it¡¯s giving him a spirit energy sickness. If he wasn¡¯t such a strong summoner, he would have died,¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit said.


    ¡°How?¡± Lu Na whispered.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t sense it before in the city but since we came back, there¡¯s a long trail of spirit energy that clung to the sect leader like a bad scent. Maybe if we¡¯re lucky, it will kill him before anything bad happens to you and your fellow Lu maidens.¡±


    With Lu Na¡¯s luck, she doubted it. These last few days have shown her how her life can go from mediocre at best to worse. She even started missing her second mother and her younger brothers. Yet she didn¡¯t miss head servant Cui, though. Lu Na would have to be dead before she cared for that man.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Wong Yoong said.


    Lu Na cupped her hands and made a small bow.


    ¡°Lead the way, Senior Wong.¡±


    ¡°Why did you suddenly get more respectful?¡± Wong Yoong took the lead while Elder Hen followed behind, ensuring that Lu Na didn¡¯t wander off.


    Lu Na smiled.


    ¡°Well, this is the first time we have met that you aren¡¯t trying to kill me. And since Sect Leader Wong took it upon himself to invite me here, there is no reason for me to be rude or disrespect him.¡±


    Elder Hen laughed. The deep laugh lines overtook the worry lines.


    ¡°See little Yoong. There is no need to always use your might. Sometimes a little respect and politeness goes a long way, but I fear your father bred that out of you.¡±


    Wong Yoong scowled as she kept walking.


    Soon they reached the eastern courtyard in the compound. They passed by many locked rooms filled with disciples within. Apparently, not everyone was celebrating during the Mid-Autumn Festival as the practice of the summoner arts was more important.


    Lu Na couldn¡¯t believe that they would rather do that than celebrate. Although the celebrations in her home were practically the same every year, she celebrated anyway. It was the one time every year that she hoped that her mother would come back from wherever she was. It was the celebration for reunions, after all.


    While she wouldn¡¯t be reunited with her mother, Lu Na reunited with someone precious to her. Sun Ren stood right at the archway of the eastern courtyard. There were two guards that prevented her from reaching out to Lu Na right away, but that didn¡¯t matter. Lu Na ran to her instead and hugged her.


    ¡°Sun Ren, I missed you so much. I¡¯m so happy that you¡¯re okay.¡±


    Sun Ren hugged her back.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got a lot to talk about.¡±


    Sun Ren pulled Lu Na away from Wong Yoong and Elder Hen. Wong Yoong spoke to the guards and pointed at Lu Na before leaving right away. The guards glared at Lu Na, probably telling them to monitor her or else.


    Elder Hen walked up to Lu Na and tapped her on the shoulder.


    ¡°Young Miss Lu. I have some other important business to attend to regarding tonight¡¯s activities. But as I said earlier, if we are all still here by tomorrow, then I would love to discuss accepting you as a personal disciple of mine in the Wintersweet Sect.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°If I put aside the fate that connects you to my son Hen Li, you have shown a lot of tenacity and resourcefulness that none of the disciples of Wintersweet have shown. You would be a great asset to our Sect and I¡¯m sure you would enjoy your freedom of practicing and learning to be a summoner in the region¡¯s strongest summoner sect.¡±


    Lu Na cupped her hands and bowed down at the waist.


    ¡°Thank you, Elder Hen, for such a consideration. Regardless of what happens tonight, thank you for treating me with respect and talking with me.¡±


    In a surprise move, Elder Hen also bowed at the waist.


    ¡°No, it is my pleasure to have met someone that has connected with my son and told me about him. I would never have had that chance otherwise.¡±


    After that was done, Elder Hen walked away from them. Lu Na might have seen a tear rolling down his cheek, but wasn¡¯t sure.

 Chapter 24 - Secret of the Spirits

    Chapter 24 - Secret of the Spirits


    Sun Ren pulled Lu Na over by the bushes, out of sight from the guards, and away from most of the other women. Most of the other women seemed relaxed. Many of them had some drink in their hand and a variety of foods. They picked them up from a spread on a stone table placed right at the center of the courtyard.


    ¡°I can only assume you didn¡¯t meet my brother if you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, I saw him. I met him and his strategist Zhou Gongjin. They were the ones that gave me this new dress.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°And a little bit of silver. The sect leader picked me up in the marketplace where I was enjoying the food and the activities.¡±


    Sun Ren¡¯s brow furrowed.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stay with my brother?¡±


    ¡°Because he said that he couldn¡¯t afford to offend the Wintersweet Sect without the backing of your father¡¯s army. He also said that he would not come and rescue you either as that would take all the men he had at his command, putting them all at risk. Apparently, you¡¯re expendable.¡±


    Sun Ren paused for a moment, staring up at the full moon.


    ¡°He¡¯s right. It was foolish of me to think that he would protect you and rescue me against the Wintersweet Sect. My father only left the weakened men and my brother¡¯s personal guard here. We have enemies within this city who would like nothing more than to crush us while my father is away.¡±


    ¡°But he¡¯s your brother!¡±


    Sun Ren smiled weakly.


    ¡°Family ties mean nothing when the legacy of our family is on the line.¡±


    ¡°My brother would never allow that to happen. He would fight to the death to save me. Which is what I bet he¡¯s doing right now.¡±


    Sun Ren looked away.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Sun Ren took Lu Na¡¯s hand into hers.


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t been confirmed, but your brother was severely injured from fighting the Wintersweet Sect. The disciples say that he might not last the night.¡±


    Lu Na froze. That wasn¡¯t possible. Her brother was the strongest fighter in Jianye. He was the strongest summoner in the entire magistrate¡¯s yamen. There¡¯s no way he would be defeated.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Na Na,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°But I don¡¯t think we can depend on your brother, either.¡±


    Lu Na looked up at the full moon, now high in the night sky.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t believe that he¡¯s dead. Lu Fengxian is stronger than that. He might be defeated, but he¡¯s only going to become stronger.¡±


    ¡°I hope that¡¯s the case. But we have to make a plan for ourselves. I¡¯m not sure how much you know about what they plan to do with all these women.¡±


    ¡°Nothing good.¡± Lu Na looked around at the other women. ¡°The only hint they gave me was that we might not live past tonight. That Ancestor¡¯s Alcove or whatever is telling them to do this.¡±


    ¡°That makes more sense. No sect would dare break the agreement between the Imperial Government and the summoner sects. It would open them up to not only government sanctions, but expose them to other sects.¡±


    ¡°So, do you know what their goal is?¡±


    ¡°I think the more important question is, how can we escape from this? They took away my sword and daggers, but they haven¡¯t taken away my hairpin. I can use that as a weapon until I find another. What do you have?¡±


    Lu Na looked around.


    ¡°You know, this is the first time I¡¯ve ever seen any of these Lu maidens. They all share my family name, but I don¡¯t recognize any of them. What do we all have in common that would cause the Wintersweet Sect to keep us here? And also, would this summoner sect really go about killing innocent women?¡±


    Lu Na pointed at someone at the central table.


    ¡°Look, that¡¯s just a little girl. What kind of danger could she pose to this powerful sect?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but we must get out of here before they do whatever they¡¯re going to do to us.¡±


    ¡°Is it even possible?¡± Lu Na asked. ¡°We¡¯re surrounded by guards. We have no one to help us. And as far as I can tell, they¡¯d rather kill us than let us go now. They¡¯ve won.¡±


    Sun Ren let Lu Na¡¯s hand go.


    ¡°That might be true, but until our final breath, we should keep fighting. I don¡¯t believe that there is nothing we can do. If not for us, then for all these innocent girls. Many of them really believe that they¡¯re only here for the Mid-Autumn Festival. They think they¡¯re going to be reunited with their family after this. And then there are the families that came with the young girls. Do you think the Sect will let them go if they slaughter their children?¡±


    Lu Na knew the correct answer to that. She knew that any normal person would agree with Sun Ren. But she was so tired. She has been so tired from running a few days ago, and for what? She was captured anyway.


    ¡°Na Na, I think now is the perfect time to tell you about your mother. But before I do, I want you to tell Sun Ren to protect your body while I do.¡±


    Lu Na turned to Sun Ren.


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    ¡°My spirit told me she¡¯s going to tell me about my mother. She asked if you could protect me. I¡¯m not sure what that means, but would you do that for me?¡±


    Sun Ren had a flash of annoyance on her face, but it disappeared quickly.


    ¡°Your spirit picked a really bad time to bring you into the spirit realm, but I guess there is no helping it if we might not make it to tomorrow. I¡¯ll think of a plan while I¡¯m guarding you.¡±


    ¡°Bring me into the spirit realm?¡±


    ¡°Your father really didn¡¯t give you any training at all with your spirit. Yes, when you¡¯ve practiced enough with your spirit, they can bring you into your spirit realm and provide in-depth guidance to their abilities and such. But in this case, it¡¯s probably something your mother left for you.¡±


    ¡°Like a message?¡±


    Sun Ren nodded.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that your mother was that powerful. Only high leveled stage three summoners can do that. No one in my father¡¯s retinue can. So maybe we might be saved after all. Your mother wouldn¡¯t have left you a message without some sort of inheritance. Go, see what your spirit and mother want, and then maybe we can get out of here.¡±


    Lu Na nodded before she closed her eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±


    Lu Na felt her body become heavy like right before sleeping. But only for a moment before that went away. When she opened her eyes, she was no longer in the Wintersweet compound. All the sounds of the celebrations and the people disappeared.


    Lu Na saw a running stream. When she approached it, she realized it was the same stream that her brother practiced near. She focused on the waterfall and hoped that everything was just a dream. In a minute or two, her brother would burst out of the stream and she¡¯ll head home with him. There would be no Wintersweet Sect. There would be no summoners chasing her all over the city. She was still wearing the same clothes she had on that day.


    Except the only being that walked through the waterfall was this half woman, half snake that slithered across the water. She wore a long robe made of jade beads and very fine silk. Her hair was also braided through with jade beads that reached past her shoulder behind her. She had curved three inch claws where each was sharpened like small daggers. Her lower half was that of an enormous snake with black scales that made her look like the color of ink.


    However, it was until she focused on her face that made Lu Na freeze. It was her mother¡¯s face. She hadn¡¯t seen her in years, but what daughter doesn¡¯t recognize their mother?


    ¡°This can¡¯t be.¡±


    ¡°Oh Na Na, I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not your mother,¡± the woman said. And just like that, Lu Na recognized that voice.


    ¡°Spirit?¡± It was the voice she¡¯s heard for so long and so clear in her head. It was jarring to not hear it in her head.


    The woman smiled, revealing sharp, pointed teeth.


    ¡°How do I look? I¡¯ve been preparing for this day for years.¡±


    ¡°Good? But I don¡¯t understand what is going on.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s have a seat and I will explain everything. But first, you should know my name instead of calling me ¡®spirit¡¯ all the time. It can get grating. My name is¡­¡±


    Lu Na saw her mouth move, but no sound came out.


    ¡°I heard nothing.¡±


    Her spirit frowned.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s unfortunate. Despite all the experience of the last few days, it wouldn¡¯t have forced you to jump to the second stage as a summoner. I guess if we get out of this, you¡¯ll have to find a proper teacher to develop that until you can hear my name. Ugh, this is annoying. Whatever, I can live with it for a while longer.¡±


    Her spirit slithered over to Lu Na. It took everything Lu Na had to not run away. But honestly, it was also her mother¡¯s face that made her stay. Even if it was a monster that was about to eat her, seeing her mother¡¯s face one last time would be worth it. She hadn¡¯t realized how much she missed her mother until now. So instead, she sat down on the comfortable grass. It was so real, she could even smell it.


    ¡°So anyway, the reason I pulled you in now is that of the situation you have out in the human realm,¡± her spirit said. ¡°Seeing as how you might die tonight, I thought I¡¯d pass on the message your mother left for you and maybe with a little help, it might help you escape the Wintersweet Sect.¡±


    ¡°Will it also help the other girls and women?¡±


    ¡°That would be entirely up to you to decide. I¡¯m only the messenger. What you do with it is up to you.¡±


    Lu Na nodded. Whatever it was, she was going to help as many people as she could. She wouldn¡¯t be able to live with herself if she just left everyone behind while she survived.


    ¡°First, I want you to know that your mother is still alive. When she left, she was at the height of her power. Outside of a few legendary spirits living in the human realm and the rare summoners like that beggar, Hung Rong, no one could hurt her. But I can¡¯t tell you where she went.


    ¡°Next, the legacy she left you was something dangerous. I had hoped that I would have never needed to reveal to you what it was and that you would have lived a peaceful life. This was one of the few concessions I could get from your mother when I agreed to bond with you. But of course the Wintersweet Sect had to ruin that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re scaring me spirit,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Oh child, you will be frightened by the end of this.¡± Her spirit patted her on the head with her clawed hand. Lu Na tried very hard not to move as she saw the sharp daggers hang in front of her face. ¡°First, the power I lend you to see spirit energy is the only one you learned on your own. But the second is the ability to construct and copy other people¡¯s techniques completely is not an ability that anyone should have. Your mother stole that and incorporated it into me before she bound me to you. While there are people who can create inventions like yours, they require an immense amount of effort and spirit energy that it would be futile to do so. She did this so that you can transcend humanity.¡±


    ¡°What? Transcend humanity? What does that even mean?¡±


    Her spirit stretched her arms into the sky and started bending around. She rolled her shoulders a few times.


    ¡°You know, it¡¯s been a long while since I¡¯ve had this space to stretch a little. It¡¯s kind of cramped inside your spirit realm.¡±


    ¡°Stop stalling spirit. They might just kill me at any moment out there.¡±


    Her spirit smirked.


    ¡°Time doesn¡¯t work the same here as it does out there. But fine. I just wanted to stretch a little to show you something.¡±


    Her spirit opened her hands, stretching her claws, and in an instant, appeared in front of Lu Na with her claws pointed at her neck.


    Lu Na froze, her breathing coming out in ragged gasps. She felt the tips of those claws on her neck and a little wetness. Her waist was squeezed tight and she didn¡¯t dare look down because of the claws, but she had a feeling it was her spirit¡¯s tail that was holding her. The horror came not from the physical pain, but how her own mother¡¯s face was the one glaring at her.


    ¡°Your mother is a menace to spirits. She is the most dangerous person who every spirit would love to kill, destroy, and devour her body. If I had her here, I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to do so even if it meant killing myself. And what she left for you is equally dangerous.¡±


    Her spirit let her go and Lu Na collapsed backwards.


    ¡°And yet, I can¡¯t bring myself to kill you. I like you and I made a promise to your mother. As long as she keeps her promise to me, I¡¯ll make sure you stay alive.¡±


    Lu Na coughed into her arm. She touched her neck and felt the warm blood there, but it was nothing more than a small nick.


    ¡°So what is it already spirit? You¡¯re acting like some crazy person. Just spit it out already or let me go. I don¡¯t need this.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to do, child. I just wanted you to understand how serious this is. This secret I¡¯m about to tell you will blow your mind and what you do with your mother¡¯s legacy will either break you or allow you to save the world. Well, the humans anyway.¡±


    Her spirit leaned in, but did nothing else to Lu Na.


    ¡°Your mother gave you the power to make inventions that could rival the strongest spirits in the world. If you work at it hard enough, you will make inventions to rival legendary mythological monsters. And the best part is, it would cost you nothing. This is all for the sake of destroying the spirits.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because we spirits are devouring your life force.¡±

 Chapter 25 - Choices

    Chapter 25 - Choices


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°This is a universal truth that you can¡¯t tell anyone,¡± her spirit said. She was looking at her nails, chipping away the blood on it. ¡°Anyone who knows this will trigger their spirit to kill them on the spot. So that beautiful and deadly friend you have out there in the human realm, you better not tell her. I¡¯d hate to see her eaten alive inside out. Got it?¡±


    Lu Na nodded.


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t leave it at that, can I? So what do you know about us spirits?¡±


    ¡°You bond with us and depending on the aptitude of the person, specific spirits are attracted to us. When we bond, we live peacefully together until we pass. Spirits give us abilities that we would never have otherwise, like being able to resist heat from a forge or to shape wood in unbelievable ways.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m sure after the three days running from the Wintersweet Sect, you¡¯ve seen all the other abilities spirits grant you humans. It¡¯s not a secret that we give you powers beyond anything you could ever dream of, especially if you¡¯ve learned and practiced the summoner arts. But if that were true, then what would we need you humans for? Why not take over this world and get rid of you weaklings?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I only heard it from my brother but he told me spirits need humans so they can anchor themselves in the human realm. Without us, you¡¯d be trapped in the spirit realm. And one way you increase in your strength is through our worship and offerings to you.¡±


    Her spirit laughed with a wide smile that showed off all her sharp teeth again. Lu Na scooted back a few steps from her. She didn¡¯t want her to attack her out of the blue again.


    ¡°Oh, the lies are more delicious than anything I¡¯ve ever seen. No child. We come to you in this human realm so that we can eat your life force little by little. Your worship and offerings are mere excuses for how we get our power. Your very life force is what we used to power all that magic and every time we sip from that well, we take a little more for ourselves. It¡¯s why you have such short lifespans. Why do you think spirits can live for centuries while you live at most a pitiful sixty?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re all monsters,¡± Lu Na said. Although she didn¡¯t need to remind herself of that. Her spirit was the scariest thing she¡¯d ever seen in her life. She knew that if her spirit wanted to take her life and drink her soul, there would be nothing she could do to stop her.


    ¡°Yes, we are. And that¡¯s where your mother comes in. She learned this truth the hard way when her own spirit told her. You see, your mother bonded with the phoenix spirit. One of the most rare spirits that ever was. Because of this bond, your mother could transcend the stages of a mere summoner. But this was after she had you and your brother. And the pull of motherhood is stronger than anything you can ever know. So she wanted to protect you two from having your life force devoured by a spirit. With the help of her spirit, she delved into forbidden histories of spirits and forbidden technologies. That¡¯s where she found me. How old do you think I am?¡±


    ¡°Not that old, I guess.¡± Lu Na didn¡¯t want to say anything that might offend the vain spirit. She could already tell that she prized her appearance and if she said anything about how old she was really thinking, her spirit might kill her on the spot.


    ¡°I am over three thousand years old. Your existence is nothing but a blip to me. When people die, their spirit brings all the soul essence they¡¯ve collected from the humans back to the spirit realm and that nourishes us all, keeping us all alive. There are spirits that are many thousands of years older than me. Your mother found me amongst the ruins of an earlier dynasty, the Xia. They were trying to stop the spirits and there was an enormous battle between humans and spirits. That¡¯s how I got trapped there. We ended that dynasty.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that,¡± Lu Na said.


    Her spirit chuckled.


    ¡°Well, it was a pain to be trapped for thousands of years with nothing to do. But your life has made it interesting with all the men you keep meeting. That¡¯s enough to keep me entertained.¡±


    ¡°But what does this have to do with me?¡±


    ¡°Your mother was on the run from all the spirits, either from the spirit realm or in the human realm. She made a deal with me and bonded us to give you those abilities and that hairpin. She told me that if you were ever to activate that hairpin, you would receive the clue to help you find the legacy of the Xia dynasty and continue their work to learn how to deal with the spirits.¡±


    ¡°So if I understand this, if I find this legacy of the Xia dynasty, then I can kill all the spirits?¡±


    ¡°No, child, when you find this legacy, it will allow you to command all the spirits. None will dare to oppose you, even the mythological ones. And with them, the summoners would follow. When you achieve that power, you¡¯d have to ask yourself, do you want to rule over the world or would you free your humans from their endless suffering by the spirits?¡±


    ¡°That sounds like a simple answer.¡±


    ¡°Is it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course. I¡¯d stop the spirits from devouring human souls.¡±


    ¡°And no one would thank you for it. Think about it, you¡¯d be taking away their powers. You¡¯d be taking away the thing that makes them special. All those summoner sects throughout the land would hunt you down like a dog for your efforts.¡±


    Lu Na didn¡¯t think about that. While she felt she could live comfortably without her abilities granted by her spirit, what about the others that depend on that ability for a living? What about her brother? His martial prowess depends on his spirit.


    ¡°So what should I do now?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. As the saying goes, you haven¡¯t even gotten one stroke of the brush done yet when there¡¯s ten to go. Find the legacy first and then figure out how it works. Then, when you do, you¡¯ll probably have to hide it or keep it somewhere safe so that no one else finds out about it. And you have to do all that while being a pitifully weak summoner with no training. Although I had the silly hope that you¡¯d live the rest of your life without worrying about this.¡±


    ¡°But wouldn¡¯t that mean you¡¯d be trapped if I don¡¯t figure this out? And why didn¡¯t my mother give this legacy to my brother? What should I do?¡±


    ¡°I have no clue. The choice is ultimately up to you. While you think about that, I want you to consider the hairpin for a moment, as our time here is running short,¡± her spirit continued. ¡°I don¡¯t know what would happen when you activate it. Your mother never told me. But she mentioned that if you were to activate it in a place of high concentration of spirit energy, it would be the most effective. It would save you from whatever disaster that might affect you even from a mythological spirit like the Yellow River Dragon. Do you understand everything I¡¯ve told you so far?¡±


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    Lu Na nodded. But there was one nagging question in her mind that she had to ask.


    ¡°Are you devouring my soul right now? Is that where you go from time to time?¡±


    Her spirit retracted her claws before she reached up to grasp Lu Na¡¯s chin. Lu Na expected her to have cold, clammy hands like a snake, but they were surprisingly warm. It reminded her of her mother¡¯s hands.


    ¡°My dear child, your mother has left a vast reserve of spirit energy within you. Even if I were to use all my abilities every day and night, I would never exhaust it before you die. I think she was hoping you¡¯d develop your summoner arts in order to use it, but your father stopped that.¡±


    Lu Na wasn¡¯t sure if she should thank her father or not.


    ¡°Now, any questions before you go back?¡± her spirit asked.


    ¡°No. I just wanted to thank you for all this.¡±


    ¡°Child, don¡¯t thank me yet. I¡¯m only using you to get what I want. And if you really want to thank me, maybe find a man to marry and settle down. I would love to experience the closeness of another man after so long.¡± Her spirit smiled widely, this time with her mouth closed.


    Before Lu Na could respond with disgust, she was pulled out of her own spirit realm and back into the human realm.


    The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was a small girl staring at her. She held half an eaten moon cake in her hand that had red beans in a lotus paste. The corners of her mouth were a mess.


    ¡°Hello little girl,¡± Lu Na said. She looked around and saw Sun Ren was missing. ¡°Do you know where the big sister sitting next to me went?¡±


    The little girl nodded as she took another squishy bite from the moon cake.


    ¡°Where did she go?¡±


    The little girl pointed at the entryway into the courtyard. The two guards were still standing there. Why did Sun Ren leave her? Was she okay?


    Lu Na pulled out the piece of null metal in her chest pocket. The piece of metal was hot even while covered by the cloth. She felt her chest and realized that her clothes were burning hot. A small fear that it might ignite made Lu Na consider putting it somewhere else after this.


    The piece of null metal was so hot that Lu Na was sure that it was fully charged. She checked how many wards she had left. She had eight spirit wall wards and only four earth wall wards left. She had run out of the yellow talisman paper after making these. For the moment, she put everything back in her chest pocket.


    ¡°Where is your mama?¡± Lu Na asked the little girl.


    The girl pointed not too far away at a woman standing by a small tree. They both wore matching tunics in a light brown. In fact, most of the women there were wearing light brown tunics or dresses. The only people that wore anything different were the Wintersweet disciples in their light and dark blues.


    This was how they were going to differentiate them quickly and easily. Lu Na was sure that after enough time, they would have made her wear that ugly color as well. She shook her head. Fashion sense was the least of her worries.


    Soon after, Sun Ren came back. She walked over with a solemn face. She didn¡¯t wear the dreadful brown, but her dark red tunic with ¡°Sun¡± embroidered on it.


    ¡°Your face is telling me that there is more to worry about,¡± Lu Na said.


    Sun Ren looked up.


    ¡°Yes. I just heard from one disciple that Sect Leader Wong has become more unstable since they brought you here. He¡¯s yelling that he is going to kill all the Lu maidens now before the moon reaches its zenith. At the moment, the elders of the sect are calming him down.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s frightening. Was he stable before? When I first saw him in Jianye, he looked like he was sick.¡±


    ¡°He is sick with spirit energy addiction. At high concentrations, it corrodes your mind.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what my spirit said, but I do not know what that really means. Is it like when children eat too much candy and they go crazy?¡± Lu Na peeked over at the little girl that was still staring at her, now with a new sweet pastry in her hand. Lu Na waved at her, but received nothing back other than a glossy look.


    ¡°Something like that. You need to constantly absorb concentrated spirit energy. Or else they go crazy. What¡¯s worse is that sometimes it¡¯s how summoner sects train by forcefully absorbing it to empower their spirits. Their techniques become enhanced.¡±


    ¡°That sounds dangerous. It doesn¡¯t sound like something that is worth it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not. It¡¯s why almost no summoner sects do that except the really crazy or evil ones that have a warped sense of reality.¡±


    ¡°Well, I have good news and bad news from my little chat with my spirit.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°Remember, you can¡¯t tell her about your abilities. Keep everything vague or else your ¡®friend¡¯ will turn on you as easily as any other summoner,¡± her spirit reminded her. ¡°And if you don¡¯t, I will keep you quiet my way.¡±


    An echo of claws scraping on rocks bounced around in Lu Na¡¯s head. There was phantom pain from the cut on her chin that wasn¡¯t really there, but felt real all the same.


    ¡°The bad news is, my spirit is actually a cruel, mean thing that wants to scare me half to death,¡± Lu Na said.


    Sun Ren smirked.


    ¡°Yes, our spirits look a certain way out here with us, but in our spirit realms their true form is revealed and it can be quite frightening. I remember the first time I saw my Baihu. You¡¯ve seen her in her cute little fox form. In my spirit realm, she had beautiful nine tails and the predatory face of a fox that could devour me in a second. She threatened to chew me slowly if I didn¡¯t achieve greatness.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty scary.¡±


    ¡°Heh, well you saw your spirit as a grown woman. I saw her when I was twelve, after I reached the second stage as a summoner.¡±


    Lu Na nodded. She did not know what that really meant with the stages and levels, but there must have been some ranking system of power that she did not know about. It wasn¡¯t much different from the wards she made.


    ¡°The good news was that my mother left me some sort of inheritance. It¡¯s in my hairpin.¡± Lu Na gently took it out of her hair. Out of all her usual accessories, the silver phoenix hairpin looked the most mundane. It had no colored jewels and one had to look closely at the hairpin to see all the details of it. ¡°The challenge now is figuring out how to make it work.¡±


    ¡°You better figure it out quickly because the disciples told me that the Elders might lose control of Sect Leader Wong soon.¡±


    ¡°How are you getting these disciples to tell you this?¡±


    Sun Ren reached into her chest pocket and pulled out a small sack of silver.


    ¡°Money can even buy ghosts to do your bidding. Meanwhile, what do you have? I know you should have made some wards before you were captured.¡±


    Lu Na smiled. It surprised her how well Sun Ren knew her by now, yet they¡¯ve only met as grown women a few days ago.


    ¡°I have a few spirit walls and earth walls. I thought we could create a commotion and hopefully the others would take that opportunity to flee.¡±


    Sun Ren surveyed the crowd in the courtyard.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if that would be enough. These people are now too comfortable here and some of them are so poor that staying here has been better than living their own lives out there. I think they need something more drastic to get them to run.¡±


    ¡°What were you thinking about?¡±


    Sun Ren pulled the hairpin out of her head. She unsheathed a small dagger from it that fit into her palm.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to cut someone and run. Once I get far enough away, I¡¯m going to use a flare. What I need from you is a powerful distraction that drives these people out once they realize that they¡¯re not safe here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡ª¡±


    One woman by the trays of food at the center smashed a plate onto the ground.


    ¡°This is not what I asked for. My father will hear about this poor treatment of her daughter. He¡¯s a captain in the Marquis¡¯ army. Don¡¯t put me together with these poor people.¡±


    One of the Wintersweet disciples in light blue came rushing over. Inspiration hit Lu Na as she watched the disciple¡¯s face pale as the young woman continued to scream at him.


    ¡°Actually, I think I know how to give you a distraction.¡±

 Chapter 26 - The Real Lu Na

    Chapter 26 - The Real Lu Na


    Lu Na took out her earth wall ward. Slowly, she took out the bar of null metal. It went from hot to burning. If she didn¡¯t discharge some of it right away, it really might burn through the cloth and then her clothes and then her. A blemish like that on her body would have made it hard for her to find a husband, but that was the least of her worries at the moment. Instead, she laid it on the ground.


    Sun Ren crouched down on the ground near some dirt. She picked up a twig and started sketching.


    ¡°First, they let us out the west arch because it only leads to the bathroom. It¡¯s guarded by a pair of female Wintersweet disciples and there are no exits. At the north is where Sect Leader Wong went so I assume that¡¯s where the Ancestor¡¯s Alcove is. That¡¯s the last place we want to go if Sect Leader Wong really went crazy and started a killing spree. And from my casual conversations with the disciples, the south pathway leads to the rest of the sect compound.


    ¡°I need you to make your commotion on the north side. Once you do that, I¡¯ll break out from the south side and set off my flares. You can then use that to frighten these people into running away.¡±


    ¡°Do you think this is going to work?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have a choice. When Sect Leader Wong loses control, the elders and the disciples will not protect us. I¡¯d rather make a plan now. I will not sit here and wait for them to kill me.¡±


    Lu Na nodded. She trusted Sun Ren¡¯s instincts on this. Her friend had helped her so much.


    ¡°Do we start now?¡±


    ¡°Give me a few minutes to get to the south side. Then do whatever you can and then run that way, too. If none of these Lu maidens and their families decide to run, then at least you¡¯ll make it out.¡±


    Sun Ren made her way to the south side.


    Lu Na picked up her null metal and walked over to the north side. She passed by the upset Lu maiden that was still arguing with the Wintersweet disciple. She almost felt sorry for the disciple, but only almost.


    Lu Na always hated how some Young Masters and Misses acted in public as if they deserved the world. She had her father to thank for not giving that entitlement to her because he never cared. Besides, after looking at that Lu woman complain until she was red in the face, she didn¡¯t think she could be like that.


    Lu Na looked across the courtyard and caught Sun Ren¡¯s eyes. Her friend nodded. It was time to put on her most annoying act she could ever muster. She felt embarrassed already.


    ¡°Spirit, I¡¯m going to borrow a little of your attitude.¡±


    ¡°Child, there is no borrowing anything. There is no copying me,¡± her spirit said.


    Lu Na took a deep breath. She held the earth ward in one hand and the null metal in the other. When she made sure that they would line up for quick and easy activation, she walked out the north side of the courtyard. The two disciples that guarded the exit stopped her.


    ¡°Sorry, you can¡¯t leave this way. The bathrooms are on the east side,¡± one disciple said.


    ¡°What do you mean I can¡¯t leave this way? Do you know who I am?¡± Lu Na yelled.


    ¡°Not another Young Miss,¡± the other disciple said.


    ¡°Not another Young Miss? My father can buy and sell your sect ten times over. How dare you get in my way?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Young Miss Lu. Please understand, our elders have said that you can¡¯t come through here.¡±


    ¡°Then you better get me the elder. You better get me someone in charge because I¡¯m done being your guest. We¡¯ve been trapped here for days and I¡¯m bored!¡±


    Many of the Lu maidens turned to see what was going on. A disciple in a dark blue tunic like Wong Yoong walked over.


    ¡°Please, Young Miss Lu. Lower your voice. We can talk about this without bothering our elders. They¡¯re currently busy.¡±


    ¡°You mean they¡¯re busy trying to control that crazy sect leader of yours? We all saw him earlier.¡± It was time for Lu Na to twist the knife. She shouted this as loud as she could. ¡°I don¡¯t want to die. I don¡¯t want you crazy summoners to go crazy and sacrifice us to your spirits. Let me go!¡±


    That caught the attention of many of the Lu maidens and they paid more attention to Lu Na.


    ¡°Please, Young Miss Lu, you¡¯re scaring the others,¡± the senior disciple said.


    ¡°Scaring them? They should be scared. This is no way to treat guests and especially no way to treat a guest as important as me.¡±


    ¡°Please quiet down.¡± The senior disciple walked closer, putting a hand on Lu Na¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! He¡¯s trying to silence me.¡± Lu Na connected her ward with the null metal before activating it. She took two steps backwards and a large earthen wall shot up, blocking the north exit. The null metal went cold. ¡°They locked us in. They¡¯re going to kill us.¡±


    Lu Na slammed her fists against the earth wall. All she heard was a hollow thud coming from it. She collapsed onto the ground and sat beside it. She couldn¡¯t move too far away or else the ward would stop working.


    Some of the other women tested the wall with their own hands. Some of them tried to dig their way through the wall with a knife. One woman summoned her spirit, a colossal bear, and charged at it to no effect. That last one made Lu Na flinch a little, but she had to keep the ward attached to the metal.


    ¡°We should run before they block the other exits,¡± the woman with the bear spirit said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to die here.¡±


    That¡¯s when panic set in. The women were moving toward the south exit. It was a slow movement at first, but then it turned into a frantic rush when they saw a large group of disciples in light blue forming a wall outside of the exit. They had spirits summoned to block the way.


    The women were shouting at the disciples and many of the children were crying.


    Lu Na didn¡¯t see Sun Ren anywhere. She must have gotten out already. At least her part was done. All she had to do was to keep this wall up for a little longer before she would run with the other women as well.


    ¡°Borrowing my attitude? You mean borrowing from yourself?¡± her spirit said.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°I¡¯m not like this. You know this,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Child, I was with your mother when you were born. You were definitely like this as a child.¡±


    ¡°Come on. What child doesn¡¯t throw a tantrum from time to time?¡±


    Her spirit laughed in her head.


    ¡°You were a spoiled brat. It wasn¡¯t until your mother left that you grew up.¡±


    Lu Na didn¡¯t think about it that way. She had to grow up when her mother left as her father stopped caring and she had no one to depend on. Maybe she was like that spoiled brat, but she wasn¡¯t that way anymore.


    A loud thud coming from her earthen wall interrupted her moment of reminiscing. Someone else was pounding on the other side. Her piece of null metal was heating up again despite still being attached to the active ward. Whoever was on the other side was strong.


    Lu Na got away from the wall as quickly as she could. Soon after, a pair of brown horse¡¯s legs broke through the sect compound¡¯s wall. Her earth wall stayed up but the ward fizzled in her hand and the piece of null metal heated up. She wrapped it back up and put it away. Now the earth wall was held up by whatever spirit energy it already had.


    Elder Hen walked through the opening of the wall and looked around at the chaos. His eyes landed on Lu Na.


    ¡°You. I should have known.¡±


    ¡°Greetings, Elder Hen.¡± Lu Na stood up and gave him a curtsy.


    ¡°The Young Miss Lu that has been giving us all this trouble. What did you do this time? I don¡¯t have the time to deal with you as well.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you mean, Elder Hen. I have followed your request and came here to your Wintersweet compound. It is rather lovely, by the way.¡± Lu Na wasn¡¯t lying, either. The decorations in this courtyard were beautiful and all the food that was offered looked sumptuous. If she hadn¡¯t already eaten back at the marketplace, she might have gorged on herself.


    ¡°If that were true, then why are all the Lu maidens running away, trying to get out of the courtyard?¡± Elder Hen looked at Lu Na¡¯s earth wall. ¡°And this. You made this. I¡¯m not sure how you improved since the last time I saw you, but I can¡¯t break through it.¡±


    Lu Na cupped her hands in front of her.


    ¡°Reporting to Elder Hen, I¡¯m not sure why they started running away. One moment we were all peaceful and then the next they acted all strange. As for the wall, I was only protecting myself from your disciples.¡±


    ¡°How did you do it?¡±


    ¡°With one of my wards.¡±


    ¡°Wards? What are you talking about?¡±


    Lu Na took out the fizzled ward and showed it to Elder Hen.


    ¡°This is something I created because I realized I¡¯m not a strong summoner. So in my spare time I created these wards to help my brother.¡± Lu Na handed the ward over to Hen Li. ¡°That one isn¡¯t working anymore, but once activated it creates that wall.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s interesting. I¡¯ve seen inventions like this before, but rarely could they imitate a spirit¡¯s technique so completely.¡±


    ¡°And if I am given enough time, I can replicate another person¡¯s spirit technique. I just need to see it a few times before I can make a ward with it.¡±


    Hen Li stared at Lu Na. It was like a tiger looking at her.


    ¡°Why are you telling me this even after we have kidnapped you?¡±


    Lu Na smiled and curtsied again.


    ¡°Over the last few days, I realized how weak I am as a summoner. While I was content with living out the rest of my life, working on my little hobby, your sect¡¯s power has convinced me to do something more.¡± Lu Na didn¡¯t tell him she was also trying to stall for time for Sun Ren. She didn¡¯t know how strong the other summoners in the compound were, but Elder Hen was an overwhelming force that could stop her in a moment.


    ¡°Are you trying to join our Wintersweet Sect?¡± Elder Hen asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I would be worthy to join your glorious sect. I am not a practicing summoner and I fear that even your most novice disciples could defeat me.¡±


    Elder Hen laughed a deep hearty laugh. He stroked his short gray beard.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so modest. From the reports of my disciples, they told me that not only have these wards of yours thwarted them multiple times but also your cunning and resolve. You could easily overwhelm many of my senior disciples with this alone.¡± Elder Hen pointed at the earth wall. ¡°So I know that if you were to join our sect, you would not only catch up, you would thrive here with all the opportunities to practice as well as continue inventing.¡±


    ¡°Truly?¡±


    ¡°In fact, if you were to join, I would take you as a personal disciple. I would love nothing more than to see how far you can go with these inventions.¡±


    Lu Na cupped her hands and bowed low.


    ¡°Thank you for the consideration, Elder Hen. I am not sure what to say.¡±


    ¡°We can discuss this after tonight depending on what my sect leader does with you Lu maidens. Think about it. You would get free rein to practice being a summoner and to develop your hobby into something more serious with the resources of our sect.¡±


    Lu Na bowed again. That was a serious question she had in the back of her mind. While she didn¡¯t have good feelings about the sect, what Elder Hen offered was an attractive one. She would have all their resources, and more importantly the many varieties of summoners and their spirit techniques to study. And while she knew little of how a sect works, being a personal disciple of an elder right as she entered would allow her to skip the grief of being a lowly disciple.


    The possibilities were endless. If she survived the night. She wasn¡¯t sure if the same person offered a position in the sect might eventually be her executioner once his sect leader had decided on what to do with them.


    ¡°If I may ask a question, Elder Hen. As a revered elder, do you know why we Lu maidens were brought here?¡±


    Elder Hen paused and glanced at all the other Lu women. They were calming down now, especially since they weren¡¯t able to break through the wall of summoners in their way.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you. Our sect leader has been given a prophecy that one of you Lu maidens poses a great threat to our sect. We don¡¯t know who it is, as prophecies are vague. Therefore, we are keeping all you Lu maidens here as a precaution.¡±


    Lu Na pointed at the gaggle of women slowly coming back to the center of the courtyard.


    ¡°How are these Lu maidens a danger to your sect? Some of them are little girls. And from just a cursory glance at them, only a few of them are actual summoners.¡±


    Hen Li clasped his arms behind his back.


    ¡°You are right. But we can¡¯t take the risk with these prophecies. Besides, we also have a few of our own disciples among this group, as their family names are also Lu. We aren¡¯t a group of monsters out suppressing people. The prophecy might bring disaster not only to our sect but to everyone.¡±


    There have been many times in history that Emperors might receive prophecies that they ignore. It usually brought about an unforeseen calamity to the country.


    ¡°If you told me that, I think I would have followed you here instead of trying to run away,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°No, you wouldn¡¯t,¡± her spirit said. ¡°And their excuse for using prophecies to kidnap people is wrong. These are not nice people. I¡¯ve lived long enough to recognize a patient snake waiting to snap their jaws on their prey. They¡¯re going to kill you all.¡±


    ¡°I did not know that you would have denied our invitation,¡± Elder Hen said. ¡°I guess there is something to be said about the way we handled that. We could have been more civil.¡±


    Lu Na¡¯s spirit¡¯s words reverberated in her mind. This wasn¡¯t the first time her spirit warned her about how the sect would kill her. Was it her spirit¡¯s warning that made her run all that harder? Would she have simply accepted the invitation if it wasn¡¯t for that?


    ¡°Then there is another question I have about your prophecies. If wherever you get your prophecy told you that you have to kill all of us, would you?¡±


    Elder Hen was silent and still. That was all Lu Na needed to know about their plans.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t. I have seen what our prophecies have done in the past and I would never condone killing innocent people.¡±


    Two flares shot up into the sky. It lit up the night sky, its gray trail leading up from somewhere in the Wintersweet Sect compound. Sun Ren did it. She had to have set off the flares. But Lu Na didn¡¯t understand why. There was no one coming to save them.


    ¡°Someone dares defile my sect?¡± Sect Leader Wong¡¯s voice roared. It was loud enough to echo in Lu Na¡¯s ears.


    Elder Hen grabbed Lu Na and dove away from her earth wall. It exploded into a shower of dirt as a tiger the size of a dog burst through. Its dark purple fur was completely shrouded by the night.


    Sect Leader Wong came running through right after.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you all for my sect¡¯s ancestor!¡±


    That¡¯s when the panic overcame the women as they rushed the summoners at the south arch again.

 Chapter 27 - The Unwell Sect Leader

    Chapter 27 - The Unwell Sect Leader


    Lu Na couldn¡¯t get up. Sect Leader Wong¡¯s overwhelming spirit energy coming off his body was too suffocating. She could feel her chest struggle to breathe, as if an enormous weight was crushing her. Her throat burned when she breathed.


    ¡°Run to the other Lu maidens. I¡¯ll deal with this.¡± Elder Hen clenched his left hand and summoned his brown horse. The purple on its mane shined against the dark night.


    Lu Na crawled away until the pressure lessened. One of the braver Lu maidens picked her up and dragged her the rest of the way across the courtyard. When Lu Na looked up to thank her, she realized it was actually Sun Ren.


    ¡°We have to get out of here,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°The sect leader has gone crazy. He¡¯s going to kill us all.¡±


    Lu Na sat up and hugged Sun Ren.


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad you came back. I thought you would have gotten out after using those flares.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that. I had to come back to save these women. Get up. We have work to do. Do what you can to hold that mad man off. I¡¯m going to convince those summoners.¡±


    Sun Ren dashed off among the Lu maidens.


    Lu Na stood up and dusted herself off.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do that,¡± Elder Hen said from a distance.


    ¡°The ancestor demands that we kill them all now,¡± Sect Leader Wong yelled loud enough for everyone to hear. ¡°We have no choice. We must do it for the good of the sect. No, the ancestor told me it was for the good of the world. One of these Lu maidens is going to one day bring about the end of spirits. She¡¯s going to kill them all. She¡¯s going to destroy everything our revered ancestor has built and we can¡¯t allow her to do that. So all of them must die.¡±


    Sect Leader¡¯s spirit tiger grew to the size of an elephant. Its sharp claws and fangs gleamed with a light red glow against the dark night. With every step it took toward the Lu maidens, the surrounding lanterns blew out, bringing darkness closer to them.


    The Lu maidens were in a frenzy. Every woman was pushing against the summoners guarding the arch. They brought more disciples and summoned their spirits to stop them.


    Lu Na watched as the tiger spirit crouched low, prepared to pounce. She was the one closest to it so she knew that when it did, she would die instantly. Those claws would go through her like paper. She grabbed her spirit wall ward and took out the burning hot, practically molten piece of null metal. The pain didn¡¯t bother her as much as the thought of those claws going through her.


    ¡°Run right after you set up that ward. It doesn¡¯t matter if every other person dies here as long as you live. You got it?¡± her spirit said.


    ¡°Should I use my mother¡¯s hairpin now?¡±


    ¡°No! You can¡¯t. Not when we¡¯re so close. I hate to be selfish, but your mother has said that if you use it before the Mid-Autumn Festival in your 18th year, it will break like any of your other failed inventions. Your mother¡¯s secret dies with it.¡±


    ¡°But will it protect me? Will it protect all the women and children here?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lu Na combined her spirit wall and the null metal, activating it. A large shimmering wall of spirit energy sprang up in front of Lu Na. She dropped the ward and the piece of null metal to reach up to her hairpin. But before she could reach it, the tiger pounced.


    Lu Na clenched her jaws and forced her eyes open, despite every fiber of her being telling her to close her eyes. She needed to focus on the spirit wall so that it didn¡¯t deactivate.


    The spirit tiger bounced off the spirit wall, turning a bright green. The spirit tiger¡¯s fur sizzled all over as it got up.


    Sect Leader Wong screamed in agony.


    ¡°You see? There are those among them that will destroy our spirits. We have to kill them all, Elder Hen. For the good of all summoners and spirits everywhere.¡±


    Lu Na¡¯s spirit wall worked. It stood against such a powerful spirit. Maybe she didn¡¯t need to use her mother¡¯s phoenix hairpin just yet. She looked up into the sky. The moon was almost there, but moving ever so slowly. Lu Na laughed at how ridiculous that was. It wasn¡¯t as if the moon was moving for her.


    The spirit tiger padded its way to the spirit wall and nudged it with a claw. It didn¡¯t bounce off it but wherever it touched, a bright green line formed. It moved its claw off to the side and the bright green line stopped.


    Lu Na¡¯s heart sank. She realized one of the major flaws in her inventions just then. The spirit wall created a gigantic wall in front of her, but it didn¡¯t go on forever. All the tiger spirit had to do was get up and walk around it. The tiger spirit realized that, too.


    ¡°Spirit, can you expand the wall?¡±


    ¡°Child, I¡¯m already using everything I have to hold it up against that monster. You¡¯re asking for a miracle,¡± her spirit said.


    Lu Na reached down to her spirit ward and null metal. All she needed to do was change it a little and expand it herself.


    The tiger spirit swiped its claw around the wall, missing Lu Na by inches. But that swipe wasn¡¯t only physical. The spirit energy within that attack was strong enough to cut Lu Na¡¯s left arm, forcing her to back away from the spirit wall.


    Lu Na grabbed her other spirit walls and activated them, trying to fill in the gap. However, it was like trying to hold back a river with her hands. She was standing in the middle of a courtyard in open space. Maybe if she was in a room or hallway, this would be more effective. If she lived through this, that was something she¡¯d have to think of in her next invention.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    The tiger spirit clawed against the other spirit walls and they collapsed. It padded over to the other side as it faced Lu Na. She faced it alone with nothing else she could use. The null metal was too far away and her other wards would be as strong as the paper they were drawn on compared to this spirit. This was the end.


    Three spirits rose and attacked the tiger spirit. It was a turtle, a dog, and a deer. It forced the tiger back a step.


    ¡°You disciples dare go against the sect¡¯s commands?¡± Sect Leader Wong yelled. He was closer now and his voice was hoarse.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t join this sect to die,¡± one disciple yelled. She raised her hand in the air and the dog pounced onto the tiger¡¯s eyes. She was wearing a brown tunic just like the rest of the Lu maidens. ¡°Elder Hen, you said you enjoyed my moon cake! Are you going to allow this mad man to kill us all?¡±


    Elder Hen silently stared at the ground.


    The other two disciples threw their spirits at the tiger, too. This was Lu Na¡¯s chance. She grabbed the ward and the null metal.


    ¡°Spirit, can we connect this ward with the others so that the metal can power them, too?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re always giving me impossible tasks. I can do it, but after that I¡¯m going to go away for a while.¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit sounded tired.


    ¡°Thank you spirit.¡±


    ¡°Just remember, don¡¯t use your mother¡¯s hairpin until the moon reaches its zenith. Otherwise, I¡¯m going to be furious with you. I waited so long to see your mother again. We¡¯re so close now.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± That wasn¡¯t something Lu Na was expecting. Her spirit never said that she¡¯d see her mother again if she activated her hairpin. What else was she hiding from her? She didn¡¯t have time to ask, as all the wards linked up in one enormous dome around Lu Na and the other disciples.


    It was just in time as the disciples collapsed. Their spirits were dispersed by one strong swipe from the tiger spirit. The next strike came so fast, Lu Na felt the force of the air push against her.


    But the strike never came. Instead, it was stuck against her spirit wall. It held the tiger¡¯s claw in place and no matter how hard it pulled, it couldn¡¯t get it out.


    ¡°We can¡¯t do this. We¡¯re a righteous sect.¡± Elder Hen¡¯s voice rang out. His brown horse bowed its head down before it rammed into the tiger, causing it to stumble.


    ¡°The ancestor has demanded they all die. They all have to die,¡± Sect Leader Wong said. He reached out toward his tiger spirit and grasped it with his right hand. It glowed a deep dark purple that matched the tiger¡¯s fur. He raised it to the sky.


    ¡°Disciples of Wintersweet Sect.¡± Sect Leader¡¯s Wong voice reached out to everyone in the vicinity. It was the same technique they used to make the proclamation over the city. ¡°I, Wong Kuang, your sect leader, order you to kill every Lu maiden within our sect compound. You must do it before the full moon reaches its zenith!¡±


    The clamor behind Lu Na rose to a fevered pitch. All the Lu maidens that were pushing before were now shouting too.


    Lu Na wasn¡¯t sure what to do. Elder Hen was having a loud argument with Sect Leader Wong while their spirits were entangled in a fight. Elder Hen¡¯s spirit was losing badly.


    If she had a few more hours, then she might find another solution. But the only one that was available was to use her phoenix hairpin before the tiger came back and ended her before she had a chance.


    ¡°When I said make a commotion, I didn¡¯t expect you to cause a riot,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°You came back? I thought you would have found a way out of this place,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Senior Wong caught me,¡± Sun Ren grimaced. ¡°I¡¯m still recovering so I couldn¡¯t fight her and she brought me back. Right now, she¡¯s standing right outside.¡±


    Lu Na peeked over and saw the woman in the dark blue tunic. Now that she saw Sect Leader Wong, there was no doubt Senior Wong was his daughter. She had that same crazy look.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°We did as much as we could. If they decide to kill us, there¡¯s nothing much we can do.¡±


    ¡°I have one last trick, but I¡¯m not sure if I should use it.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Lu Na took off her silver phoenix hairpin. She touched the different ridges of its wings.


    ¡°My mother left this for me. It¡¯s a powerful ward. If I activate it, it would save us all. But then I would never find out why she left me all those years ago.¡±


    Sun Ren held Lu Na¡¯s hand. She looked her in the eyes.


    ¡°I know your mother is significant to you, but there is no finding out what happened if we all die here.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    Sun Ren grabbed the silver phoenix hairpin out of Lu Na¡¯s hand. She tried to twist it and turn it this way and that, but it wouldn¡¯t budge. Nothing happened.


    ¡°How do you activate it? I don¡¯t want to die here, Na Na. Please.¡±


    For the first time, Lu Na saw how scared Sun Ren was. Despite all the troubles they¡¯ve faced together, Sun Ren always had a brave face. But now, in this moment where certain death is almost guaranteed, her friend was human and not an invincible hero.


    ¡°Please Lu Na. I want to see my mother again. I want to see my father and brothers. Please,¡± Sun Ren said. She gave the hairpin back to Lu Na.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for getting you into this Sun Ren.¡± Lu Na tapped the head of the phoenix and it glowed red.


    ¡°No!¡± Sect Leader Wong yelled.


    Before Lu Na could activate the ward, the tiger crashed into the spirit wall, collapsing it. It was right on top of Lu Na and Sun Ren. Lu Na gripped the hairpin, yet felt another presence within her, stopping her from breaking off the head to activate it.


    Before the tiger¡¯s claws shredded their bodies, the brown horse created an earth wall that pushed the two ladies away. Elder Hen rode on the horse toward the two ladies and reached out with his right hand.


    ¡°Get on!¡± Elder Hen shouted.


    Elder Hen¡¯s horse came so fast that Lu Na didn¡¯t have time to reach for his hand. She couldn¡¯t. She knew that if she did, she would have dropped her hairpin. Instead, Elder Hen grabbed Sun Ren¡¯s hand and pulled her up onto the horse before galloping away.


    Lu Na took a few steps back, away from Sect Leader Wong. She knew it would not do much, as the tiger was slowly prowling toward her. Its eyes locked onto hers. Sect Leader Wong followed behind.


    Lu Na swallowed. She tapped the silver phoenix hairpin, hoping to turn it off, but the red glow stayed on. So instead, she hid it as well as she could in her hands. Afterwards, she curtsied, one of her most perfect curtsies she had ever done in her life.


    ¡°Sect¡­ Sect Leader Wong. Could we talk about this? Have I offended you or your prestigious sect?¡± Lu Na didn¡¯t dare look up at the man. She kept her eyes down and only stared at the pieces of food that were tossed in the chaos.


    ¡°Move, you fools. We need to save these people,¡± Elder Hen said. ¡°Someone get me the other elders. The sect leader is unwell.¡±


    ¡°Elder Hen is right. I have been unwell. All of those Lu maidens can leave as long as this one stays.¡± Sect Leader Wong placed a hand on Lu Na¡¯s shoulder.


    Lu Na shut her eyes and held her breath. She had to calm herself. Maybe Sect Leader Wong might listen to reason.


    ¡°Of course, Sect Leader Wong,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°As long as you allow the rest of them to go, I am happy to enjoy the hospitality of your Wintersweet Sect.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Sun Ren shouted. ¡°You can¡¯t take her.¡±


    Lu Na took a quick peek behind her. Elder Hen was ushering everyone away through the south arch. Despite resisting, Sun Ren was also among the ones that were pushed out the south exit.


    Good. At least her friend would be safe. Sun Ren will see her mother again.


    After everyone cleared out, Sect Leader Wong sat on his tiger spirit. It had shrank back to the size of a dog.


    ¡°Now, since you want to talk, let¡¯s talk.¡±

 Chapter 28 - Ancestor of Wintersweet Sect

    Chapter 28 - Ancestor of Wintersweet Sect


    Lu Na got up from her curtsy. She sat on the ground with her hands behind her. There was no point in trying to run as Sect Leader Wong¡¯s tiger would easily run her down.


    The tiger¡¯s gaze never moved from her. It displayed its sharp fangs as a promise of pain.


    It made Lu Na wonder why a spirit that powerful would allow someone to sit on it like a chair. Maybe at a certain stage or level of summoner, one mastered their spirit? It would be nice if she could do the same for her own.


    Loud hoof beats echoed in the quiet night. It was Elder Hen on his horse spirit. He came back. Did he come back for Lu Na? Or was he going to join his sect leader in murdering her?


    ¡°Sect Leader Wong, are you better?¡± Elder Hen asked from atop his horse. He was close enough to Lu Na that she could grab his hands and flee.


    Sect Leader Wong leaned back and looked at the sky.


    ¡°I have never been better. The Ancestor has given me such clarity and even now he speaks in my ear.¡±


    ¡°We should have sealed the Ancestor away after his prophecy. His concentrated spirit energy is poisoning your mind.¡±


    Sect Leader Wong snarled. For the first time, he looked away from Lu Na to Elder Hen.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare disrespect the Ancestor. He has led this sect to glory. Otherwise, we would be nothing more than a pitiful Summoner Sect in the middle of nowhere.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I mean no disrespect. But Sect Leader Wong, you ordered the death of innocents. You ordered the death of some of our disciples. That¡¯s not you.¡±


    Sect Leader Wong jumped up from his tiger. Lu Na flinched. He put a hand on Lu Na¡¯s head and patted it.


    ¡°I apologize for that. That was actually my impatience when I said that. The Ancestor never ordered the death of these Lu maidens.¡± Sect Leader perked his head up as if he was trying to hear something in the wind. ¡°But the Ancestor has now told me that there is another opportunity. This Lu maiden has been the one we¡¯ve been looking for all this time.¡±


    ¡°Please Sect Leader, don¡¯t hurt her.¡± Elder Hen moved closer, but the Sect Leader¡¯s tiger stopped him.


    ¡°Oh no, you have mistaken my intentions. There is no need to hurt this young woman anymore. She¡¯s already activated the prophecy. Haven¡¯t you, Young Miss Lu?¡±


    Lu Na looked up from underneath Sect Leader¡¯s Wong hand.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Please let me go.¡±


    Sect Leader Wong let Lu Na¡¯s head go. He took a few steps back until he was sitting on his tiger again. He laughed, a deep laugh.


    ¡°She has it in her hands. The Ancestor told me that if she were to activate it when the moon reached the zenith, then all would be lost. But she activated it too early. Why don¡¯t you take it out and show us? I promise I won¡¯t take it from you.¡±


    Lu Na couldn¡¯t hide it any longer. She took out the silver phoenix hairpin and showed it to the two men. Its red glow now showed throughout the entire hairpin. This had never happened before.


    Elder Hen got off his horse but didn¡¯t dismiss the spirit. He glanced down at Lu Na¡¯s hairpin.


    ¡°This is what our Ancestor was afraid of?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s what happens next,¡± Sect Leader Wong said. He slapped it out of Lu Na¡¯s hand, forcing her to drop it. ¡°Guard the south exit, Elder Hen. Don¡¯t allow anyone to come in or out. What comes next will determine the life and death of our sect.¡±


    Elder Hen looked between Lu Na and Sect Leader Wong before nodding. He walked to the south exit and stood outside of the courtyard.


    ¡°Young Miss Lu, I¡¯m going to give you one chance and one chance only. If you kowtow to me right now and swear on your spirit to be my Wintersweet Sect¡¯s slave and divulge all the secrets and knowledge you know, I will spare your life.¡±


    ¡°And if I refuse?¡± Lu Na dropped all pretense at being polite to this madman. She glared at him.


    ¡°Then I will torture you until you tell me everything I want. Your precious little hairpin can¡¯t help you anymore. You should have broken it when I attacked you earlier and maybe the spirit inside would have saved you.¡±


    ¡°How do you know all of this?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°My Ancestor is connected to the spirit realm. He has ways of finding out all these things and one of them was your mother¡¯s secret. She has been a very bad woman. She seeks to end all spirits in this world. We can¡¯t have that.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t tell you. A pity. You¡¯re going to die never knowing then.¡± Sect Leader Wong glanced at the hairpin. ¡°Now decide, join me and I will also reveal all I know about your mother. I¡¯ll even tell you why she left you and your brother.¡±


    Lu Na¡¯s voice caught in her throat before answering. That was one of the biggest questions of her life and she would give almost anything to know why she left. But Sect Leader Wong wasn¡¯t offering her an actual choice. It was to die a slave or die right now. She¡¯d rather die right now. The only hope she had was this hairpin.


    ¡°Last chance,¡± Sect Leader Wong said. His tiger spirit rose and stalked over to Lu Na. The spirit energy radiating off the tiger spirit was immense, like staring at the flame at a forge from only a few inches away.


    Lu Na stood up. As much as she wanted to know all this and see her brother again, she knew what she had to do. She smiled and curtsied.


    ¡°I thank you for the opportunity Sect Leader Wong. But I think I¡¯m going to pass.¡±


    Lu Na raised her foot and stomped on her mother¡¯s hairpin, snapping it. The red glow on it disappeared, but nothing else happened.


    Sect Leader Wong laughed.


    ¡°You think that was going to do anything? Your mother really told you nothing about this hairpin.¡±


    Lu Na looked down and felt heartache. She stooped and cradled the two pieces in her hands. This was the only thing she had left of her mother.


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    ¡°Since you will not tell me anything my Ancestor doesn¡¯t know anyway, I¡¯m going to end you now before you find out the secrets of your mother. My sect doesn¡¯t need another thing to worry about.¡±


    Sect Leader Wong¡¯s tiger pounced forward, pushing Lu Na to the ground. Its fangs were right above her. If those didn¡¯t kill her, the weight of the spirit would. Despite being the size of a dog, it crushed her to the ground.


    ¡°Finish her.¡±


    The tiger spirit stooped, its jaws clamping down on Lu Na¡¯s neck just as a real tiger would.


    But instead of suffocating Lu Na, all she felt was a little pressure. Nothing was happening.


    ¡°Kill her already, Heifu,¡± Sect Leader Wong said.


    The tiger stood up and then tried to thrust a claw at Lu Na.


    Lu Na flinched, but again nothing happened.


    ¡°Get up you foolish child. Those spirit walls won¡¯t last much longer.¡±


    Her spirit? When did she come back? When did she activate the spirit wall wards on her?


    Lu Na got up and made a run for it toward the south exit. But she couldn¡¯t go that way. Elder Hen was there. So she turned toward the east exit where the bathrooms were. It would be almost laughable to think that she would have a last stand in the bathroom stalls.


    ¡°Get back here,¡± Sect Leader Wong yelled. He and his spirit chased after Lu Na.


    Lu Na reached the eastern arch of the courtyard. There were no disciples there now. Maybe there was another way out.


    The alleyways within this part of the sect compound were narrow. It barely had enough space for Lu Na to run through comfortably. The pounding thud of the tiger behind her drove her forward faster. She made random turns in the maze, not thinking too much of where she went. That¡¯s when she smelled it before she saw it. The bathrooms weren¡¯t much further away.


    But there was a fork in the road. While on the left lay the bathrooms, the right side had more alleyways. There was no way she was going to die near the bathroom so she took the other side.


    Lu Na ran as fast as she could but she stopped. The right side led to an open space just outside of the Wintersweet compound. There was only open air before her, as there was a large cliff that ended below. She collapsed to the ground onto her knees, taking in as much air as she could. The slight draft caressed her, cooling off her overheating body.


    A stabbing pain in her hands reminded her she was still holding her silver phoenix hairpin. Blood ran down the hairpin.


    ¡°Spirit, I thought you said breaking it would save me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Lu Na. That is what your mother told me,¡± her spirit said.


    Lu Na looked up at the moon, now finally reaching its zenith. Was it all a lie? Would her hairpin really have done anything for her if she waited? It was all pointless to think about now. She reached down and looked through her spirit wall wards. She had none left. And the earth wall wards would be like erecting paper against that tiger spirit¡¯s attacks.


    She stood up and faced the lurking sect leader. What did she ever do to this man? Why didn¡¯t he leave her alone? Lu Na was exactly what she thought before, a nobody who enjoyed experimenting with trinkets. She was no threat to him.


    ¡°Such a pity. And here my Ancestor was worried for nothing,¡± Sect Leader Wong said. ¡°It¡¯s funny you came this way. A short distance after the bathrooms was an exit out of the compound. If you ran that way, I would have had to put in a little more effort.¡±


    ¡°Just get it over with. I have nothing to stop you this time,¡± Lu Na said. Before, when she thought the tiger would rip out her throat, she was scared more than she ever was in her life. Never once in her mind had she thought that her life would end so soon. It¡¯s one of those things that always comes as a surprise because no one ever expects to suddenly cease being. Yet here she was, knowing that death was coming.


    ¡°Heifu, be sure to kill her this time.¡±


    The tiger growled, probably more in annoyance than acknowledgment. It crouched low with its fangs out again. With a powerful leap, it launched itself at Lu Na.


    ¡°Drop to the right!¡±


    Lu Na followed her spirit¡¯s command. The tiger sailed over her and consequently down the cliff.


    ¡°Oh that dumb spirit,¡± Sect Leader Wong said. He clenched his left fist and it glowed purple. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to do this myself.¡±


    Sect Leader Wong took out a dagger and walked up to Lu Na.


    ¡°Don¡¯t haunt me after you die. I¡¯ll give you a proper burial.¡± He stabbed down with his dagger above Lu Na¡¯s chest.


    Lu Na flinched again, thinking this was it. She raised her arms up to block the strike, but she couldn¡¯t stop him. While Sect Leader Wong looked haggard, he was still stronger than her. The dagger plunged down, but stopped right above her heart.


    ¡°What now?¡± Sect Leader Wong said.


    A red glow came from within her chest pocket.


    The loudest screech Lu Na ever heard came from within. A red phoenix burst out from Lu Na¡¯s chest pocket. It pushed Sect Leader Wong back, freezing him in place with what looked like Lu Na¡¯s spirit wall, but it was completely in red.


    ¡°Ancestor, she¡¯s here. Do it now!¡± Sect Leader Wong yelled.


    A large yellow mist shot out from somewhere within the sect compound. It engulfed the red phoenix and began shrinking down.


    ¡°Do something, Lu Na. Save your mother¡¯s spirit or you¡¯re going to die,¡± her spirit said.


    Lu Na looked up at the spectacle. What could she do? She had nothing on her and she wasn¡¯t a summoner. But right then she had an opportunity. Sect Leader Wong was immobilized right now. All she had to do was run past him, find her way to the bathrooms, and if he didn¡¯t lie, she could leave the sect.


    ¡°Lu Na, don¡¯t you dare run away from this. If you do, you¡¯ll never see your mother again. If her spirit gets devoured by their ancestor, not only will you die, but all of Jianye.¡±


    Lu Na gritted her teeth.


    ¡°Then tell me spirit, what can I do?¡±


    ¡°Grab the dagger on the ground and stab Sect Leader Wong in the heart. Do it now before he breaks free.¡±


    Lu Na picked up the gleaming dagger on the ground. She had hurt nothing before, let alone kill it. She walked up to Sect Leader Wong and stared at that hateful face with the dagger in her hand. Yes, he tried to kill her, but could she actually kill another human being?


    ¡°Do it now. He won¡¯t hesitate to kill you even if you escape later.¡±


    Her spirit was right. This man sent his entire sect to chase her down. If she didn¡¯t do it now, he would send them again and again.


    Lu Na closed her eyes and stabbed downward.


    Nothing happened. Her dagger stopped an inch before it penetrated the man¡¯s chest.


    The spirit wall that was holding Sect Leader Wong disappeared and he stopped the dagger with his own hand.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t think it would be that easy, did you?¡±


    Sect Leader Wong¡¯s smirk was so irritating that Lu Na pushed harder on the dagger. Instead of going through his chest as she hoped, his hands glowed a dark purple before he crushed the dagger in his hand.


    Sect Leader Wong took out another dagger and slashed Lu Na on her arm. It forced her to take a few steps back. He didn¡¯t attack her right away, but looked up at the fight between the Ancestor and the red phoenix.


    The yellow mist was almost done swallowing the red phoenix. All the phoenix could do was screech.


    ¡°Run. Run now.¡±


    Lu Na tried, but Sect Leader Wong blocked her way. She should have run earlier when he was trapped. Why did she listen to her spirit? There was nowhere to run now except off the cliff. But unlike the tiger spirit, she would not be recalled by a summoner.


    ¡°This next part is the best,¡± Sect Leader Wong said, pointing at the yellow mist with his dagger.


    The yellow mist fully engulfed the red phoenix before settling down onto the ground. It seeped into the soft earth. Seconds later, the dirt rose into the air, forming into a human shape. It turned into a man with long, flowing black hair. The yellow mist came out and shrouded him like a tunic, leaving his muscular arms exposed. He looked like a young man not much older than Lu Na¡¯s brother.


    ¡°We¡¯re dead. He shouldn¡¯t be able to do that.¡±


    Sect Leader Wong got on his knees and bowed low.


    ¡°Disciple greets the Ancestor of Wintersweet Sect.¡±

 Chapter 29 - Desperation

    Chapter 29 - Desperation


    If feeling the spirit energy of Sect Leader Wong was like a furnace from a forge, the pressure coming from the Ancestor made Lu Na felt like she was burning in that furnace. The concentration of spirit energy was suffocating. Without realizing it, Lu Na had crawled to the edge of the cliff, trying to get away from the sensation of being burned alive.


    ¡°It¡¯s been too long since I have walked in the human realm,¡± the ancestor said. His voice was clear and smooth just like a young man¡¯s. He took a deep breath, his eyes closed as if he was enjoying the smell of plain air. ¡°And the spirit energy here has gotten more concentrated. In a few more generations, we might live here as we do in the Spirit Realm.¡±


    ¡°What do you want from me?¡± Lu Na said. ¡°Please, let me go.¡±


    The ancestor looked down at Lu Na. His eyes were glowing yellow, matching the mist that covered him. She could feel him peering into her very core.


    ¡°Your spirit has hidden away from my gaze. That snake is smart to do so. Otherwise, I would have eaten it as an appetizer.¡±


    ¡°Ancestor, the Wintersweet Sect awaits your orders,¡± Sect Leader Wong said.


    ¡°You are going to gather all our little disciples,¡± the Ancestor said. ¡°We¡¯re going to make the Wintersweet Sect much stronger after tonight. Then we will devour all the others until we become invincible.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ancestor. Glory to the Wintersweet Sect!¡± Sect Leader Wong bowed to the ground again.


    ¡°But before we do that, I¡¯m going to have a little snack first. That spirit I ate earlier was good, but not enough.¡± The Ancestor licked his lips as he glanced at Lu Na.


    This made Lu Na shiver uncontrollably. She never felt this way before, not even when Sect Leader Wong¡¯s tiger was about to kill her. It was absolute fear in the face of a force of nature beyond her imagination. She couldn¡¯t move.


    The Ancestor grabbed Lu Na by the collar and lifted her up effortlessly above him. He took a few sniffs of the air.


    ¡°Ah yes, you have her stench. That little summoner that thought she was going to rid the world of spirits.¡± He pulled Lu Na to his face. The Ancestor smelled of soil and rocks. He must have been made from earth spirit energy. ¡°I guess it won¡¯t hurt to grant you one small favor before I devour you. Your mother left you because we hunted her. She messed with elemental forces beyond her abilities. She did this to you. You could have lived your life in ignorance. Had a bunch of kids and died a little old lady.


    ¡°But don¡¯t worry, we will avenge your life. She continues to live and will continue to be hunted until she dies. We¡¯ll torture her first and tell her about the deaths of her children. She¡¯ll know right before she is devoured that it was she who caused the death of her own children. While mine, the Wintersweet Sect, will conquer this human realm.¡±


    Lu Na couldn¡¯t believe her ears. Her mother did this to her? How? Was it with her spirit? How was she alive? So many questions raced through her mind.


    All of that stopped when the Ancestor opened his mouth. It didn¡¯t stop. It kept opening wider and wider, like a snake¡¯s jaw.


    That¡¯s when it hit her. This ancestor was made of earth spirit energy. She smelled it. She risked a blistering headache and forced herself to use the technique to see spirit energy.


    ¡°Come on spirit, don¡¯t fail me now!¡± Lu Na said. She clenched her left fist and drew from deep within her own spirit realm. The spirit was gone, but the technique wasn¡¯t. With a deep breath, she pulled at it until it activated. Her whole body felt like she was submerged in water. She couldn¡¯t breathe. Water was in her lungs.


    For a moment, the technique activated and she saw the Ancestor for what he truly was: a set of complex techniques powered by earth spirit energy.


    Lu Na shook, released her left fist and the technique faded. The water left her lungs and she gasped.


    The Ancestor¡¯s mouth was wide enough to toss her in now. She only had one chance. She took out her earth wall wards, pulled the strings to activate them, and threw them all down his throat. For good measure, she threw her spirit wand in too. As expected, right after her wards activated, they all sought the closest earth spirit energy. They glowed yellow for a while until they disappeared.


    The Ancestor froze. Yet the hand that held Lu Na in the air was still as strong as ever. No matter how much Lu Na kicked, it didn¡¯t let go. That was when she realized her mistake of throwing the spirit wand down with her earth wall wards. She could have used it to move the spirit energy from her tunic and break the grip that way.


    ¡°What did you do to our Ancestor?¡± Sect Leader Wong asked. He had finally gotten up from groveling after he realized that the earth monster wasn¡¯t moving anymore.


    ¡°I did nothing,¡± Lu Na said.


    Sect Leader Wong snarled.


    ¡°You. You and your mother. You are always getting in our way. First your mother thwarts our Ancestor. Now you do the same thing. I¡¯m going to get rid of you before you do anything else.¡±


    Sect Leader clenched his left fist and his spirit tiger appeared.


    ¡°Heifu, kill that woman. This time make it quick. We¡¯re not playing around anymore.¡±


    The dark purple tiger growled. After facing the Ancestor of the Wintersweet Sect, it didn¡¯t look as scary to Lu Na anymore. Still, she didn¡¯t want to die, stuck in the midair by some monstrosity that doesn¡¯t know to let go.


    Lu Na reached down and started ripping at her tunic. It was made of some low-class material that she¡¯d never wear, but it was very sturdy. No wonder these poor people never worried about clothes if they can make something like this. Her own tunics and dresses ripped from the slightest pull sometimes.


    The tiger spirit surged forward. It avoided touching the Ancestor. When it was directly underneath Lu Na, it crouched down, ready to pounce upward to catch her like a mouse. But Lu Na was struggling so hard with her tunic that she was swaying in the Ancestor¡¯s grip.


    Just as the tiger spirit pounced up, Lu Na¡¯s tunic finally gave way. She dropped a foot from where she was. The tunic didn¡¯t rip all the way. Lu Na was now literally hanging on by a thread.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Because of that drop, the tiger spirit jumped too high. It tried to snap its teeth at Lu Na, but it was treated with a hard kick from Lu Na right in the stomach.


    The tiger spirit jerked away from Lu Na and fell into the Ancestor¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°No you useless spirit,¡± Sect Leader Wong said. He clenched his left fist again to recall his spirit.


    Nothing happened. The tiger spirit kept falling into the Ancestor¡¯s mouth. The yellow mist shot up and surrounded the tiger spirit. It tore it apart.


    ¡°No, Ancestor! That¡¯s your disciple¡¯s spirit,¡± Sect Leader Wong yelled.


    It made no difference. The yellow mist stripped the fur and then the meat from the tiger spirit as if it was an actual tiger. It didn¡¯t even make a sound as it was so fast.


    Sect Leader Wong collapsed onto the floor, having strong spasms and his legs jerked all over the place.


    The Ancestor exploded. Four earth walls sprung up from his body, severing the arm that was holding Lu Na. She dropped the rest of the way to the ground.


    ¡°Sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have run away. I¡¯m back now!¡± her spirit called in her head.


    ¡°What happened spirit?¡±


    ¡°Your wards require me to shape them after activation. I thought you knew that by now.¡±


    Lu Na didn¡¯t. She never thought to ask as every time she activated them, they worked as she expected. Until now, she had taken her spirit for granted. If she survived this, she was going to work with her spirit to discover what else she can do.


    Lu Na laughed.


    If she survived this? Had her mind already thought about surviving whatever monstrosity this was? Because right in front of her, the Ancestor was reforming. Slowly, yes, but the yellow mist pulled from the ground as it did before.


    When it finally formed a head, the beautiful young man¡¯s face was replaced with a snarling grandfather.


    ¡°You dirty brat. You almost ruined me. This time, I¡¯ll bury you alive instead.¡±


    ¡°Will the earth walls protect me?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to leave me again?¡±


    ¡°Never again. I¡¯ll be here with you until the end.¡±


    While Lu Na knew that after her death her spirit could escape anyway, that promise gave her some comfort.


    ¡°I really mean the end,¡± her spirit said. ¡°That monster is a spirit eater. Once he kills you, he¡¯ll devour me. I will die as you will.¡±


    ¡°Then this is it then. I have nothing on me. I used everything I had on me. What about you?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t use everything. The moon is at its zenith above us. Use your mother¡¯s hairpin.¡±


    ¡°I already did and broke it. I¡¯m sorry spirit.¡±


    ¡°No, when I left your body to go back to the Spirit Realm, your mother sent me a message. The hairpin can still be used.¡±


    ¡°You spoke to my mother?¡± Lu Na reached into her chest pocket and pulled the silver phoenix hairpin out. It looked like nothing but two pieces of broken silver.


    ¡°Speaking to her is a stretch. She had a message for me the moment I went back to the Spirit Realm. She wasn¡¯t there. That¡¯s when I came back to help you. I don¡¯t know if it will work, but I owe it to her and to you to see it to the end.¡±


    The Ancestor had now fully formed his body. But unlike his previous body of a muscular youth, he now looked like an ancient, withered man. His skin was dried up and hanging off his frame. His left foot dragged when he walked toward Lu Na.


    ¡°So what now? Even if he can¡¯t get to me, I¡¯m stuck here within his sect,¡± Lu Na said.


    The Ancestor touched the first earth wall in his way and it crumbled instantly.


    ¡°I thought you said they would protect me!¡± Lu Na scrambled a half step back and felt the edge with her right hand. The rough edges reminded her that there was nowhere else to go.


    ¡°I told you they wouldn¡¯t. They came from him. Why would it? Sometimes I wonder if you really listen to me.¡±


    The Ancestor paused, apparently wheezing from the effort. Lu Na wasn¡¯t sure if it was from dissolving her earth wall or the short two steps he took to get there. But soon, he moved again and the next wall dissolved before he even touched it. This took more effort, forcing him to his knees. Yet he still had a hateful glare for Lu Na.


    Lu Na stared at the phoenix hairpin. She focused on the head and reached for her technique, bracing herself to be drowned again. But this time she felt nothing other than it activating. The feeling before might have been from her spirit leaving her. Whatever the case, she focused on the hairpin.


    The pin itself was broken, but the phoenix was still whole. The intricate wings were a dull silver to her eyes, but the beak had a small glint of glowing red.


    ¡°What is that spirit?¡±


    ¡°Look up.¡±


    Lu Na looked up, again bracing herself for the blinding glare from the Ancestor. But the yellow glow from him had become muted. It was still strong, but in a dark, muddy way. The surprising thing was the earth walls. They glowed yellow, but at the center had the same red glow as her hairpin.


    Lu Na approached the wall carefully. The red glow at the center glowed brighter the closer she got. That¡¯s when she saw it. There was a red technique buried within the earth wall ward. It integrated almost perfectly with her brother¡¯s earth wall technique. She didn¡¯t understand why.


    That gave her an idea. If that was a technique, then maybe there was one in the hairpin. Lu Na lifted the hairpin up and held it against the earth wall. The phoenix head held the technique but it was made with the finest details that she had never noticed before. Each part of the spirit energy needed to weave them in place must have taken the smallest spirit wand.


    ¡°Spirit, who made this? It¡¯s a work of art.¡±


    ¡°Who else? Your mother. Now hurry and activate it.¡±


    The third wall collapsed. This time it crumbled up like broken stones, scraping against each other.


    Lu Na glanced up to see the Ancestor absorbing the spirit energy from the wall. He glowed brighter now. She couldn¡¯t allow him to absorb this last wall.


    Lu Na turned the hairpin over to the other side. There was a small little dimple on the phoenix¡¯s head. If she had more time, that was where she¡¯d put the activation trigger. Instead of the red string she used, this was more elegant, as it was a part of the ward and not something that might fall off on its own.


    With her fingernail, Lu Na scraped the dimple and felt her hairpin click. The phoenix came to life, its wings flapped a few times. The red glow from the wall flowed into it.


    ¡°Put it against the wall before that bag of bones can take the power,¡± her spirit said.


    Lu Na reached up and placed the phoenix against the wall. The red glow from within the wall broke down and rushed toward the phoenix. But before it absorbed it, the wall collapsed into grains of earth. The dirt coated Lu Na¡¯s hand and the phoenix hairpin.


    ¡°Ready to die yet, brat?¡± The Ancestor had reformed his body and now looked as he did before. The yellow mist had now shrouded him from head to toe in a form fitting spirit energy tunic.


    The phoenix hairpin glowed bright, but it did nothing else. Was that it? Or was it because it didn¡¯t absorb enough of the red energy from the walls? She didn¡¯t have time to think.


    The Ancestor grabbed Lu Na by the neck this time, his grip crushing her windpipe. She dropped the phoenix hairpin and grabbed onto his hands, trying desperately to break his hold.


    ¡°Enough of this.¡± With a flick of his wrist, he threw Lu Na off the cliff.

 Chapter 30 - Phoenix Reversal

    Chapter 30 - Phoenix Reversal


    As Lu Na fell, she saw the Ancestor leering at her fall. That was not the last thing she wanted to see before her death so she closed her eyes. The wind rushed up past her, whistling in her ears. But the bottom never came.


    ¡°I knew you could do it.¡± Her spirit sounded so happy in her head. She almost sounded giddy. This was the first time Lu Na ever heard actual joy coming from that snake lady.


    Lu Na opened her eyes and saw that a red glow surrounded her. She craned her neck all around to see that a phoenix spirit had enveloped her, allowing her to fly. At least, that¡¯s what she thought it was until she rose.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Your mother¡¯s spirit is protecting you. I¡¯m trying to negotiate with it.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by negotiate with it?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have all of its spirit energy. It thinks that you might not be your mother¡¯s daughter.¡±


    Before Lu Na could ask the next question, the Ancestor greeted her again. His leer had turned into a snarl, reminding Lu Na of his withered face earlier. She reached into her spirit realm and used her spirit¡¯s technique. The yellow mist might have covered his body, but the red glow was within the Ancestor. It cycled through his body as if it was his blood.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to dirty my hands, but I have no choice, do I?¡± the Ancestor said. He clenched his left fist and raised it into the air. A large yellow frog with black dots appeared behind him. It¡¯s black eyes trained on Lu Na. ¡°I guess I will eat you and whatever spirit energy you still have left.¡±


    The yellow frog spirit¡¯s tongue lashed out at Lu Na.


    The phoenix spirit flew back, but it wasn¡¯t fast enough. A part of its belly was struck and red spirit energy flowed away from it into the frog.


    ¡°Please phoenix spirit, help me. Or else we¡¯ll be devoured,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°It says that you¡¯re not strong enough to fight him. You might as well give up and stop struggling,¡± her spirit said.


    ¡°That¡¯s stupid. I will not give up and die. There must be something we can do.¡±


    ¡°Decide quickly as the phoenix spirit is giving up.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t it die too?¡±


    ¡°This spirit was only a part of your mother¡¯s true spirit, like one of its feathers.¡±


    Lu Na couldn¡¯t believe how strong her mother was. If this was only but a feather, what level of spirit energy would she have?


    The frog spirit leaned back on its hind legs, prepared to jump. Wings sprouted on its back. Lu Na had little time before it flew at her and devoured her whole.


    ¡°If only I had a spirit wand or something. Maybe I could draw the energy out of the Ancestor,¡± Lu Na said. But wait, she only just remembered. Hadn¡¯t she thrown the spirit wand down his throat with the wards earlier?


    Lu Na focused on the Ancestor with her technique and sure enough, the wand was in his stomach. Now if she could reach him, then maybe she might pull the red spirit energy out of him and return it to the phoenix.


    ¡°Can you tell the phoenix to dive at the Ancestor?¡±


    ¡°Are you mad? I¡¯ve been trying to get her to fly away with you. We could regroup with your friend or brother and fight him another day,¡± her spirit said.


    That was a good idea. That was a great idea. Why did everything depend upon a talentless woman like her? Let someone else clean up this mess.


    Lu Na felt a phantom hand on her shoulder and she was pulled into her spirit realm.


    The sun shone above, blinding her briefly. She was standing in a green meadow. Wasn¡¯t it just night? When her eyes adjusted, she saw her mother. She looked just as she remembered.


    Lu Na ran toward her and hugged her. She had turned into a small girl.


    ¡°Na Na, I didn¡¯t give you these tools only for you to run. You can¡¯t keep hoping others will protect you and start making something with it, as I know you can,¡± her mother said.


    ¡°But I¡¯m so tired. I¡¯m scared. I don¡¯t want to do this anymore,¡± Lu Na said.


    When Lu Na looked up, she saw her mother¡¯s face. She had a scar running down from her left eye, down her cheek, until it touched her chin. Her hair was a tangled mess and she was missing a part of her ear.


    ¡°I need you, Na Na. If you let this man go, he will get stronger than you could ever imagine and no one could stop him. You must stop him here and now or else everyone dies.¡±


    ¡°Mother?¡± Lu Na broke from her embrace. One look at her mother and Lu Na could tell that she had suffered beyond anyone should. Her clothes were ripped and dirty. She had no shoes, displaying feet caked in dirt. Her bare arms were showing scars that crisscrossed all around. Lu Na had a sinking feeling that these were only the visible scars.


    Lu Na took a step back from this stranger, turning back into her older self. The illusion was broken, but the only thing that remained was the sunny sky.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Na Na. I put this burden on you and I have little time. When your spirit triggered the message in the spirit realm, I knew it was time to reach out to you,¡± her mother said.


    ¡°What can¡¯t you come back? I miss you.¡±


    ¡°I miss you too, but we must hurry. First, fight the Ancestor. Your idea is correct and that the spirit wand technique I showed you will draw his spirit energy out back into my phoenix spirit. Once that happens, she will help you.¡±


    ¡°But what if I fail?¡±


    Her mother embraced Lu Na, smelling her hair and kissing her head.


    ¡°Then I will follow you right after to the underworld. We¡¯ll meet on the Yellow Spring Road and wait to reincarnate together. Because if you don¡¯t beat him now, I won¡¯t make it.¡±


    Lu Na cried. This was not the mother she remembered, but her embrace was the same. She would never forget this feeling no matter how her mother looked.


    ¡°And I¡¯m sorry Na Na. I have to send you back. The last thing I wanted to tell you is the secret to the spirits and the reason they hunted you. The spirits are not our friends. They have been slowly killing humans like a poison for centuries. I¡¯ve been on the run ever since my spirit told me. That¡¯s why I gave you and your brother the tools to figure out why. There are only a few spirits that know this secret like your spirit. I made her swear to help you, but don¡¯t trust her either.¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t go.¡± Lu Na embraced her mother. She knew that this was her real mother.


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    ¡°I¡¯ll see you again Na Na. The hairpin has one more thing inside that will lead you to more clues. When you find the device with the clue, it can dominate all the spirits in the human realm. If you survive this fight, find it. It will force them to stop killing humans before their time. I will hold them off for as long as I can until you do. But until then, I love you.¡±


    The world became dark again. She was back in the night sky, floating on her mother¡¯s phoenix spirit.


    ¡°Lu Na, make her run. Maybe she¡¯ll listen to you since your mother entrusted her to you,¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit said.


    Lu Na shook her head. She glared at the Ancestor and fixed her eyes on the spirit wand inside him.


    The yellow frog spirit bounced up, its wings flapping feebly. It gave the frog no real leverage, but the push from the ground was strong.


    ¡°Run! Please Lu Na,¡± her spirit said.


    ¡°No.¡± Lu Na grabbed onto the phoenix¡¯s back, feeling the feathers in her hands. They were warm to the touch. In that instant, she learned how to control it almost as if her mother had put it in her head. She leaned her body to the right and the phoenix followed, narrowly avoiding the frog¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Hah! Learn your place, you dumb frog. You belong in the water. We rule the skies,¡± Lu Na said. She leaned forward and the phoenix spirit followed. But instead of fleeing as her spirit wanted, they were diving right at the Ancestor.


    The frog followed right behind, finally able to use its wings.


    ¡°Lu Na I hope you know what you¡¯re doing,¡± her spirit said.


    ¡°Spirit, all I need from you is to get ready. I¡¯m going to pull all that red spirit energy back into my mother¡¯s phoenix.¡±


    ¡°What? That¡¯s impossible. He¡¯s a human. You can¡¯t pull it out of him. If there was a way, the spirits would have done so already. They wouldn¡¯t need to bond with you humans.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± That shook Lu Na for a moment, but she had to concentrate. She only had one shot at this. As expected, the Ancestor had opened his mouth wide again. This time, he shot out tendrils of yellow mist that wrapped around Lu Na just like his frog spirit. He was going to pull her in.


    Exactly what Lu Na wanted.


    Right as Lu Na entered his mouth, she reached up with her left hand. She clenched her left hand and opened them. The spirit wand flew into her open hand. He closed his mouth and it echoed within his mouth like a cave.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it spirit.¡± Lu Na pulled on her spirit¡¯s technique. It felt like second nature to her as she¡¯d been using this technique for many years to create her wards. She remembered how her mother had taught her this before she disappeared.


    ¡°It will not work on a human,¡± her spirit said.


    Lu Na had a wide smile.


    ¡°He¡¯s not human.¡±


    Lu Na pulled harder, using everything she had. She dove into her own spirit realm and pulled with everything she had. That drowning feeling hit her again but she ignored it. Her whole body was shivering from the effort she was using while feeling heavy like an ocean weighed her down.


    ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll do it your way.¡±


    After a moment, Lu Na felt the weight lift off her body and she could breathe. She could feel her spirit helping her, giving her a lot of spirit energy. She did not know how her spirit was pushing it into her, but it wasn¡¯t enough.


    The spirit wand glowed and pulled spirit energy from the Ancestor, but he fought it. It only pulled a trickle of that red spirit energy from his body.


    ¡°Now the hard part,¡± Lu Na said. With her right hand, she weaved a keyhole within the phoenix spirit¡¯s back. The spirit was nothing more than her mother¡¯s technique. That meant that Lu Na could modify it like any other technique she¡¯s learned. And just like with the null metal she had earlier, this one was going to be different. The change she did was to use the same technique the doctor had used on Sun Ren that drew spirit energy from its target.


    When Lu Na finished, she stabbed the spirit wand right into the phoenix¡¯s back. The red spirit energy coming from the Ancestor became a flood. It ripped itself from the Ancestor¡¯s body to flow back into the phoenix. The cave-like mouth started rumbling. Lu Na held on as hard as she could. There was no way she was going to let go now.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s working,¡± her spirit said. She sounded exhausted, barely breathing from that sentence.


    The mouth opened and spat them out.


    Lu Na felt the wind again on her cheek. It was moist inside his mouth.


    ¡°You brat. How dare you?¡± the Ancestor spat out. He was back to looking like the decrepit old man from before.


    ¡°Brat? How dare I? You even speak like an old man,¡± Lu Na said.


    The red spirit energy rapidly drained from the old man until not even a speck of red spirit energy lingered within the Ancestor¡¯s body.


    Lu Na pulled the spirit wand out of the phoenix¡¯s back.


    Now, with all of its former spirit energy back to where it was, the phoenix screeched. Lu Na had to cover her ears, as she was still riding on its back. The phoenix shot a fireball at the Ancestor, scorching him in fire.


    The flames burned off the Ancestor¡¯s yellow spirit energy. The mist faded away like fog, seeping deep back into the ground. The flames kept burning away, pinning the Ancestor to the ground.


    ¡°The phoenix is going to drop you down now. She says you¡¯re no longer in danger and that she needs to go save your brother,¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit said.


    ¡°My brother? Is he hurt?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s seriously injured. The phoenix is going to heal him before he dies.¡±


    Lu Na got off the phoenix as soon as it allowed her onto the ground.


    ¡°Where is my brother?¡±


    ¡°The phoenix can only tell me it¡¯s a dark place. When she heals him, he¡¯ll make his way home. Don¡¯t worry Na Na, he¡¯s strong.¡±


    Lu Na couldn¡¯t believe that her brother was so seriously wounded. What happened after they separated?


    The phoenix raised its head toward the west back to where Jianye laid. It flapped its long wings and took to the skies. A large torrent of air buffeted Lu Na, but not enough to knock her down. The phoenix flew so fast that it became a speck in the night sky quickly.


    Lu Na turned back to the Ancestor.


    The old man kneeled on the ground, barely breathing. He clutched his chest as if he was hugging himself.


    Lu Na risked a headache and activated her technique to see spirit energy. The old man looked barely there. Most of the yellow spirit energy that was so robust before has now become nothing more than grains of sand within his body. The earth wards she threw at him earlier must have sapped most of his energy.


    That was another thought she had. What if she created wards that simply sapped the spirit energy from anything it touched? Wouldn¡¯t that be the ultimate defense against any technique or summoner?


    ¡°But that won¡¯t work,¡± her spirit said. ¡°It only worked this time because the Ancestor made himself into the spirit energy itself. Spirits and summoners are protected by a barrier that prevents something like that from happening. Why else would he have to devour you completely to take your spirit energy when he could have simply absorbed it?¡±


    ¡°Hey, can you hear my thoughts?¡±


    Her spirit laughed.


    ¡°Remember how I said I wouldn¡¯t fit in your head? Well, for that last technique that you used to draw out the phoenix¡¯s spirit energy forced me to be in your head to help you shape it. But it¡¯s already fading. I¡¯m being pushed back into your spirit realm.¡±


    ¡°Good. I wouldn¡¯t want you to know what I¡¯m thinking. It would be creepy.¡± Lu Na also mentioned nothing about her mother. Last thing she wanted was for the spirit to read her memories or thoughts about that.


    ¡°I¡¯m really going to lie down after this. Wake me when you get home.¡± Lu Na felt that same hollow feeling again the last time her spirit left her. Except this time, she could sense her spirit asleep within herself, kind of like a small animal that she put in her chest pocket. There was a warm breath coming in and out against her chest. Peaceful.


    Let¡¯s hope that was all she had to worry about. Lu Na walked past the writhing Ancestor. He went from clutching himself to now shivering in the fetal position. There was nothing she could do for him, nor would she want to. He should be happy she didn¡¯t spit on him as she walked past.


    Sect Leader Wong had calmed down, though. He looked like he was sleeping, but his face had a continual grimace. There were also many tear stains going down his face. Lu Na felt no real pity for him for what he did to her, either. However, she wondered what happened to the man now that the Ancestor devoured his spirit. Did that mean he was no longer a summoner?


    Lu Na approached the alleyways back into the Wintersweet compound. The red lanterns led Lu Na away in bright, festive lights. As she had time to enjoy the scenery, she noticed that many of the doors within the compound were decorated with different themes and ideas from the Mid-Autumn Festival. If she walked fast enough out of here, maybe she¡¯d still have time to see the releasing of the lanterns.


    Although the thought of her brother was leaning on her mind more. She would have to walk all the way back to Jianye and hope to find her brother.


    ¡°Stop right there,¡± Elder Hen called out. ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere.¡±

 Chapter 31 - Compromise

    Chapter 31 - Compromise


    Lu Na stared at Elder Hen. How did she forget this man? Where was he hiding during her life and death fight with the Ancestor?


    Lu Na curtsied.


    ¡°Honored Elder Hen. What may this helpless young maiden do for you tonight?¡±


    Elder Hen looked from Lu Na to Sect Leader Wong and Ancestor only a few steps behind her.


    ¡°How did you defeat our Ancestor? He was a stage three summoner in life and became a stage four summoner after death. Not even the Imperial summoners could have stopped him.¡±


    Lu Na bowed her head, forcing herself to stare at the ground. If he ended her life right, then and there for killing his Ancestor or harming Sect Leader Wong there would be nothing she could do. At that moment, she was truly defenseless, as her mother¡¯s hairpin didn¡¯t work anymore.


    ¡°I have no idea, honored Elder Hen. It looked like Sect Leader Wong and your honored Ancestor had a disagreement before the Ancestor devoured Sect Leader Wong¡¯s spirit.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Why would he do that? From what I could hear of the fight, he was trying to devour you. How did you survive?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I was so afraid that I had my eyes closed the whole time. I prayed to my own ancestors, hoping that they would protect me. When I opened my eyes, that¡¯s what happened. Maybe Sect Leader Wong was trying to protect me from your Ancestor.¡±


    Elder Hen scowled.


    ¡°There¡¯s something you¡¯re not telling me. And since you don¡¯t want to tell me here, why don¡¯t I invite you to stay a few more days longer at our Wintersweet Sect. I¡¯m sure we can help jog your memory.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your generosity, but I don¡¯t think I could bother you or your sect any longer. I should go home.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it wouldn¡¯t be a bother at all. In fact, I think it would be our Wintersweet Sect¡¯s honor to host you.¡±


    Lu Na clutched the broken pieces of her phoenix hairpin in her hand. This old man would not take no for an answer. Was she going to spend more time in this place that almost killed her? Was she going to be tortured for her secrets?


    ¡°Excuse me, I believe Lu Na has declined your request,¡± Sun Ren said behind Elder Hen.


    Elder Hen pivoted in place with his left hand clenched. But he didn¡¯t summon his spirit when he saw it was Sun Ren.


    ¡°Ah, the Young Miss Sun. You sacrifice yourself to save your friend again? This time, I will not be so polite.¡±


    Elder Hen summoned his brown horse with the purple mane. It didn¡¯t look as strong as it was before, but the spirit energy coming from it was still stronger than what either Lu Na or Sun Ren could fight at that moment.


    ¡°Are we having a little friendly competition?¡± a man¡¯s voice called from behind. When he walked into the light of the lanterns, it was Sun Bofu. ¡°Mind if I join in?¡±


    Sun Bofu clenched his left fist and summoned a tiger. This tiger was large, reaching up to his chest. It was white with black stripes. He also held a spear in his right hand as he approached them.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t gotten a good practice fight since my father left on campaign. I would love to test my strength against someone strong from the Wintersweet Sect to repay their generosity and treatment of my sister.¡±


    Elder Hen narrowed his eyes. He dismissed his horse spirit and bowed with cupped hands toward Sun Bofu.


    ¡°Elder Hen Shimin of Wintersweet greets the captain of Marquis Sun. I apologize for this impolite behavior. I was merely inviting your sister and her friend to be guests at our Wintersweet Sect. As you can see, we¡¯ve had an incident here and I only wanted to protect them.¡±


    Sun Bofu dismissed his tiger spirit and laughed loudly. It was a belly deep laugh. Despite that, he held onto his spear with a practiced grip.


    ¡°Oh, then there is nothing to forgive. I rushed over as soon as I saw the flares that my sister sent up. It was the least we could do to protect the citizens of our Emperor. Then I guess we will head back home then.¡±


    Elder Hen stood up straight with his hands held behind him.


    ¡°We can¡¯t allow that.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Are we still under your protection?¡± Sun Bofu turned his grip on his spear.


    ¡°The incident isn¡¯t over and you are within my Wintersweet Sect¡¯s domain,¡± Elder Hen said. ¡°These two ladies would be safer under my protection and all my fellow Elders. Not to mention the thousands of disciples we have here. I¡¯m sure that as a captain of the remaining force in Jianye would understand who can better protect these two ladies.¡±


    Sun Bofu laughed again, this time more constrained.


    ¡°Let us drop the formalities. We might be in the middle of your sect, but my men have already scattered your disciples and have the cooperation of your Elders once they saw the Imperial soldiers that were garrisoned at Jianye at my command. Even now, I have at least four crossbowmen on the rooftops ready to take you down should you make one false move toward my sister or her friend.¡±


    Lu Na looked toward the roof, trying to see the crossbowmen. Sure enough, she spotted three dark silhouettes with something pointed in their general direction. When did Sun Bofu arrive? Despite that, Elder Hen looked like he would rather fight them to the death than allow them to leave.


    Lu Na coughed and got the attention of the two men.


    ¡°Honored Elder Hen, your generous offer to stay in your glorious sect has been a once in a lifetime event for me. However, might I come to a compromise? I can give you one small secret that my mother told me.¡±


    ¡°Your mother?¡± Elder Hen asked.


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    ¡°Yes, she was the one that saved me from your Ancestor. And if what you said about his strength is so great, then my mother could defeat him. She told me a secret before she left you might be interested in. If I tell you that, do you promise to allow all the Lu maidens to leave?¡±


    Elder Hen still hesitated. The old man was a tough one. Lu Na would have to throw in a threat of her own.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t let us go, I¡¯ll make sure to not only expose what you are doing with that Ancestor, I¡¯ll also set off an explosion in here that will wipe your Wintersweet Sect off the map.¡± Lu Na took out the broken pieces of her silver phoenix hairpin. She was bluffing, as she knew that there was nothing left of the phoenix spirit inside. But maybe the residual spirit energy would be enough to scare Elder Hen.


    Elder Hen slowly raised his hands up in surrender.


    ¡°Fine. Tell me the secret and I¡¯ll allow you all to leave unharmed.¡±


    ¡°The secret is¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait, are you going to tell them as well?¡± Elder Hen pointed at the Sun siblings.


    ¡°I was going to tell them, anyway. I keep no secrets from the one that has saved my life,¡± Lu Na said.


    Elder Hen nodded.


    ¡°The secret is simple. The spirits are harming humans they bond with. No one knows why.¡±


    Elder Hen chuckled.


    ¡°That¡¯s it? Summoner sects have guessed that was the case for many generations.¡±


    ¡°My mother has given me a clue to stop that. Imagine that. The spirits wouldn¡¯t harm us anymore, but truly be under our power.¡±


    ¡°Your mother didn¡¯t tell you that.¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit sounded like she had run to tell her that. She was so breathless that Lu Na almost heard her breathing. But that wasn¡¯t possible, right? Her spirit didn¡¯t breathe within her spirit realm.


    But this gave Lu Na pause. Her spirit said that this secret would send other spirits into a frenzy, killing their hosts. Everyone else seemed fine, especially Sun Ren.


    ¡°And this clue, will you share it with us as well?¡± Elder Hen asked.


    ¡°Only if you allow us to leave safely. Otherwise I¡¯d rather take it with me to the underworld than give it to you and your sect.¡± Lu Na was prepared to destroy the silver phoenix hairpin and whatever clue that was left in there. It hurt her to think that she might never see her mother again, but if it meant saving herself and the other Lu maidens, then it would be worth it.


    ¡°You can¡¯t give him that secret. Whatever your mother told you can¡¯t be safe,¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit said.


    Elder Hen considered the proposal in silence. Everyone else was frozen in place, waiting with bated breath. There was no doubt in Lu Na¡¯s mind that even with the help of those crossbowmen and Sun Bofu that they wouldn¡¯t get away from Elder Hen unscathed. Lu Na saw how he held up against an overpowered tiger spirit drunk on the spirit energy of an ancient being. So while she apologized to her spirit, she wanted to live more.


    ¡°Very well. I expect you to share it with me tomorrow or else I will hunt you again. And this time, I will keep you as our esteemed guest in a place no one would find you,¡± Elder Hen said.


    ¡°No, the end of the week,¡± Lu Na said.


    Elder Hen narrowed his eyes at Lu Na. For some reason, it made her miss her father. At least when her father looked at her like that, it wasn¡¯t with the threat of death or suffering. He shifted uneasily onto his other foot.


    Lu Na curtsied and bowed her head low. Maybe a little respect would go a long way to convince the old man to give her a break.


    ¡°Honored Elder, I only received this clue today while surviving your ancestor¡¯s assault. I would need time to uncover its secret.¡±


    ¡°Besides, we need a vacation from seeing you and your sect,¡± Sun Ren chimed in. ¡°And might I add, it wasn¡¯t us who attacked you. We are righteous people that don¡¯t kidnap people for their own gains like some evil summoner sects.¡±


    Elder Hen grimaced.


    ¡°Very well. We¡¯re not like them either. It was clearly a misunderstanding with my disciples. We were only here to invite you, never take you by force.¡±


    Sun Bofu loosened the grip on his spear. He took two steps toward Lu Na but stopped when Elder Hen tensed.


    ¡°Then I¡¯m glad it was resolved in an amicable way. Ren, bring Lu Na over and we can leave the honored Elder to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with the rest of his sect.¡±


    Sun Ren walked over to Lu Na and guided her past Elder Hen. He didn¡¯t move an inch from where he stood.


    As soon as Lu Na was behind Sun Bofu, he cupped his hands and tilted his head slightly toward Elder Hen.


    ¡°I trust that we can work well together in the future. It would be a shame for me to inform my father about any negative interactions we have from now on.¡±


    Elder Hen nodded.


    It was a much shorter walk out of the Wintersweet Sect compound than Lu Na thought. Once they were outside the compound, they were greeted by the same group of Lu maidens that were in the courtyard. They were surrounded by a wall of men in Imperial uniforms. They all held spears while some held torches to illuminate the dark sky.


    One of the soldiers came up to Sun Bofu and greeted him with a deep bow.


    ¡°Captain, all the women and their families have been rescued from the sect. What are your next orders?¡¯


    ¡°We march back home at half pace with the civilians in the center,¡± Sun Bofu said. ¡°Once we¡¯re back in Jianye, you are free to go back to report to your superior.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± the soldier said before walking off.


    ¡°But brother, aren¡¯t you going to report the abduction to the governor?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t report anything. I wouldn¡¯t want anyone to find out why they kidnapped us,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°The last thing we need is the Imperial government questioning us.¡±


    ¡°Exactly what your friend said. We have to keep this within our Sun family,¡± Sun Bofu said. ¡°If a summoner sect was willing to go through this lengths to discover this secret, it must be very big. And if it¡¯s something we can use, even better. The world has become an unsafe place and any advantage we have will keep us safer.¡±


    ¡°Of course brother.¡±


    Lu Na bowed deeply toward Sun Bofu.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that you really came to save us. I thought you were going to abandon us.¡±


    Sun Bofu chuckled.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t lie when I told you that. I really was going to leave you all to your fate with the Wintersweet Sect. But as I thought about it deeply, there was no way my little sister would forgive me if I ever did that. I had no doubt she¡¯d be able to get away, but for her to risk her life to save you, you must be very important to her. So now you¡¯re important to me too.¡±


    Lu Na bowed again.


    ¡°Thank you for your aid.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet. There¡¯s still quite a lot of things we must talk about like that secret I almost died for. That Elder of Wintersweet Sect could have easily killed us all. My own spirit kept telling me to run and it never runs from a fight. So you must have an incredible story to tell.¡±


    Lu Na bowed.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Brother, let us have a night of peace please,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°I¡¯m sure Lu Na has just suffered enough to last a lifetime.¡±


    Sun Bofu smiled and Lu Na was reminded again of all those Young Masters that she¡¯d met in her life. The only difference was that this Young Master Sun had the power of life and death over a lot of people.


    Before anyone said anything more, many of the Lu maidens, especially the young ones, shouted. Lu Na looked up to see the sky filled with lanterns floating up toward the moon. They must have released the lanterns to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival.


    It was a bittersweet memory for Lu Na. She fully understood the yearning of Hou Yi for his wife Chang¡¯e, the moon goddess in the story of Mid-Autumn Festival. Lu Na¡¯s mother was the same. She knew that she was out there, watching over her. Yet no matter how much Lu Na wanted, she couldn¡¯t reach her. Not yet anyway. And while she was now free from the clutches of the Wintersweet Sect, her own family were scattered across Jianye and she wasn¡¯t sure how her brother was doing.


    Now Lu Na was walking back toward Jianye, holding a dreadfully heavy secret. She had a feeling that peace wasn¡¯t going to find her again. But at least, she had Sun Ren by her side. She was extremely grateful that she was there.

 Interlude 2 - Sun Wukong

    Thousands of years ago¡­


    ¡°This is not fair!¡± Sun Wukong yelled as he dodged another spear the size of his torso. ¡°You four promised me immortality.¡±


    Chasing after the monkey king were the four cardinal mythical spirits, the vermilion bird, the white tiger, the black tortoise, and the azure dragon. It was the dragon that was throwing these spears at Sun Wukong.


    ¡°I defeated every one of you. You all promised to let me into the spirit realm. You call yourself gods but you never keep your words.¡± Sun Wukong did a somersault to avoid a jet of water from the black tortoise.


    Before Sun Wukong could recover, the white tiger pounced above him with her powerful paws that weighed the equivalent of ten mountains.


    The monkey king blocked it with his golden staff. The ground below him cracked into spiderwebs. He shoved the paw away.


    Sun Wukong dropped to his knees as he held onto his golden staff for support. He had never kneeled to anyone except his sifu. This is ridiculous.


    The beasts didn¡¯t let up. The azure dragon shot a barrage of spears at Sun Wukong.


    With his golden staff, he blocked them all, but with every spear he shattered his arms quaked from the impact.


    The vermilion bird shot a ray of fire at Sun Wukong. It was the hottest, strongest fire spirit energy in the entire world, burning the very land the monkey king stood on until it turned into molten slag. The black tortoise shot its jet of water at him, instantly cooling the molten slag. An enormous cloud billowed up around Sun Wukong. The white tiger stood its ground and used its roaring technique that disoriented its victim.


    Despite all their attacks, they were still wary of the monkey king. They didn¡¯t dare come close to him, for each remembered the defeat Sun Wukong dealt to them.


    The vermilion bird flapped its wings to clear the smoke.


    Sun Wukong was burned into ash and frozen in ice from their attacks. Yet he still stood defiantly with his golden staff raised, pointed to the sky.


    ¡°This impudent ape thought it could threaten us. What a joke,¡± the vermilion bird said. He perched atop a mountain and folded his wings around himself. The flames snuffed out.


    ¡°But he defeated us,¡± the white tiger said. ¡°There have been none since the elementals in the spirit realm that have been able to do so.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± The black tortoise closed her eyes and rested her head on the ground.


    The azure dragon coiled itself atop a small forest.


    ¡°My siblings, we are lucky he didn¡¯t kill us when he defeated us. Otherwise, we would be having this conversation in the Spirit Realm.¡±


    The vermilion bird screeched.


    ¡°Kill us? He could never. He only beat me with his dirty tricks. Can¡¯t do that now, can you monkey king?¡± The vermilion bird thrust his wings at Sun Wukong¡¯s body and shattered the ice into pieces.


    ¡°If he shattered our bodies, he would have opened the doorway to the spirit realm,¡± the azure dragon said. ¡°Then he would have caused havoc and many spirits would die forever.¡±


    The white tiger shivered.


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine dying forever.¡± She licked her left paw, which was still bruised from Sun Wukong¡¯s earlier attack.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± the black tortoise murmured.


    Sun Wukong¡¯s golden staff shot up from the ground, piercing the vermilion bird¡¯s chest and going straight toward the sky. It pinned the bird atop the mountain like a skewer of meat.


    ¡°So that¡¯s all I have to do?¡± Sun Wukong called out from above. He was riding on a cloud right above the vermilion bird. He held onto his staff and twisted it, causing the vermilion bird to screech. With a hard yank, the golden staff turned back into a small size that fit in his hands.


    Red spirit energy leaked from the vermilion bird¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Retreat,¡± the black tortoise said. She pulled her head and arms into her shell and disappeared inside.


    ¡°We can¡¯t retreat. No matter where we go, he¡¯ll find us,¡± azure dragon said. He summoned a wall of spears to surround him. With a thought, he launched them all at Sun Wukong.


    The white tiger used her roar technique, hoping to paralyze the monkey king.


    Sun Wukong tilted his head and smirked. One somersault later, he appeared right on top of the black tortoise. He knocked on it gently.


    ¡°Miss turtle. I thought you learned the last time that you can¡¯t hide from me.¡±


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    Sun Wukong bashed his staff against the shell a couple of times. The last thing he needed was for the tortoise to shoot more of those jets of water while he dealt with the other two. This should keep her ears ringing for a while.


    The azure dragon shot its spears at the monkey king, its sharp tips shattering on the black tortoise¡¯s shell.


    Sun Wukong ran into the forest the azure dragon laid upon.


    ¡°Such foolishness. You think you can overtake my command of wood?¡± The azure dragon coiled up around himself, glowing green. Soon, the forest answered his call and shook. Every piece of wood within turned into deadly spikes and struck at everything moving within.


    The forest turned silent.


    Sun Wukong¡¯s golden staff shot up from within the forest, barely missing the azure dragon.


    If the azure dragon didn¡¯t have his shield wall of spears protecting him, he would have lost his head. He flew away before Sun Wukong came out of the forest.


    When the monkey king came out of the forest, the white tiger pounced on him. This time, she used both paws despite the injury she already had.


    ¡°You cats need to learn new tricks.¡± Sun Wukong made copies of himself and then turned them all into his golden staff. They pointed right at white tiger¡¯s attack.


    With so much force and weight, the white tiger couldn¡¯t pull her attack back. She watched as her paws pierced through the golden staves, pinning her to the ground. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t pull out her paws. White spirit energy leaked from them in torrents.


    The azure dragon didn¡¯t have enough time to help as Sun Wukong was already in the sky with him, riding his cloud. With every strike of his golden staff, the shield wall protecting azure dragon splintered and cracked.


    ¡°You were smart enough to surrender last time,¡± Sun Wukong said, punctuating every word with a heavy swing from his staff.


    ¡°You underestimate us,¡± the azure dragon said.


    A large ray of fire hit the monkey king right on the back, scorching him. The vermilion bird didn¡¯t stop and shot ray after ray at Sun Wukong, forcing him to defend.


    A large spiked tail smashed him from above, breaking his defenses.


    Before Sun Wukong could get up, a loud roar deafened him. His mind didn¡¯t work properly, as he wasn¡¯t sure which way was up or down.


    Soon enough, large spikes of wood pinned him to the ground.


    All four mythical spirits stood above him, throwing every attack they had at him. These were attacks that would level mountains, dry up rivers, and destroy forests.


    ¡°Is it over?¡± the white tiger asked, her voice hoarse from using her technique.


    ¡°This is his real body. I can sense the monkey spirit within him,¡± the azure dragon said.


    All four mythical spirits shrank in size, no longer able to maintain their gigantic bodies. They spent more spirit energy in that fight than they ever had.


    Sun Wukong laughed.


    ¡°He¡¯s still alive?¡± The white tiger took a step back.


    ¡°That was the most fun I have ever had,¡± Sun Wukong said. ¡°But now it¡¯s time to end this.¡±


    All four mythical spirits jumped away.


    Sun Wukong¡¯s body disappeared again. His golden staff shot up into the sky and turned into his true body.


    ¡°You like being big? So do I!¡± The monkey king transformed in size until he was as big as a small mountain. One swing of his golden staff leveled the area where the mythical spirits stood.


    ¡°Hide,¡± the black tortoise said. She shrank back into her shell. The other three mythical spirits teleported inside her shell.


    ¡°You can¡¯t hide from me, you lying, cheating spirits.¡± Sun Wukong swung his golden staff down on the shell. Every swing had the strength of a million monkey kings. Yet the shell held up.


    After the hundredth swing, a crack formed along its spine. Sun Wukong smiled. He shook his tired arms a little and stretched. He knew he would only need another few more swings before breaking through.


    ¡°The first thing I¡¯m going to do once I reach the spirit realm is to cook me some tasty turtle soup. And then I¡¯ll wear a beautiful tiger skin coat and fly a vermilion bird kite. For the dragon, I think a nice meal where I invite all my subjects to enjoy rare dragon meat.¡±


    ¡°Wukong,¡± a voice called from above.


    Sun Wukong stopped his swing midway. He turned to look at the sky and got on his knees.


    ¡°Sifu.¡±


    A large yellow dragon flew down in front of Sun Wukong and turned into a human with a long black beard and a golden tunic that had a yellow dragon on it.


    ¡°What are you doing, Sun Wukong? Why are you disrespecting the four cardinal spirits?¡±


    ¡°Sifu, these four promised me entry into the Spirit Realm if I defeated them. I did and now they are trying to kill your disciple. So I¡¯m just paying them back.¡±


    The man stroked his beard and walked up to the beat up black shell. He cupped his hands and bowed to it.


    ¡°Elders, I apologize for what my disciple has done to you. I will resolve this on your behalf.¡± The man turned toward Sun Wukong. ¡°I didn¡¯t teach you to do this. I taught you so that you can protect yourself and your monkey spirits. You disrespect the order of things. This will bring chaos and cause death on a massive scale.¡±


    ¡°But sifu, think about it. We can have immortality. We can protect everyone forever. These spirits are greedy. If you help me, we can both enjoy limitless power.¡±


    ¡°I have failed you as your sifu. This is not why we practice the summoner arts. Leave with me and we shall repent together.¡±


    Sun Wukong looked from his sifu to the defeated black shell. One more strike was all he needed to break it open and then he could share in the spoils with his sifu, the only person he ever respected.


    ¡°No sifu. I have to do this for us.¡± The monkey king lifted his golden staff above his head and swung down.


    Except it missed.


    The man turned back into a yellow dragon. He held the golden staff in his claws. With a twist, the golden staff turned into a ring.


    ¡°No, sifu. You can¡¯t do this. Not when we¡¯re so close,¡± Sun Wukong said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my disciple. It is my fault for not teaching you better. I¡¯m taking back the golden staff.¡±


    Sun Wukong didn¡¯t need his master¡¯s golden staff. He would punch the black shell until it cracked like an egg. He was so close and not even his sifu would stop him.


    Before he could get punch it, the golden ring wrapped itself around Sun Wukong¡¯s head and tightened itself. This caused such a major headache that the monkey king collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain.


    ¡°Now I shall seal you so that you can learn your lesson,¡± the yellow dragon said. ¡°You will see how these elders stabilize the world and allow it to flourish. Afterwards, you will rejoin me and continue learning.¡±


    The yellow dragon carried his defeated disciple into an enchanted forest and sealed him underneath a mountain. No matter how strong Sun Wukong was, he could not lift the mountain off his back. Yet those that enter that forest can hear the monkey king¡¯s crying and wails, asking to be released.

 Chapter 32 - Back Home

    Surrounded by more yellow paper and spirit wands than a Buddhist temple, Lu Na sat cross-legged in her room in front of her now repaired silver phoenix hairpin. It¡¯s been over a week since the Mid-Autumn Festival and her unfortunate visit to the Wintersweet Sect. And no matter how much she prodded and poked the hairpin with all different ideas, it didn¡¯t react.


    ¡°I told you not to activate it before the zenith. Now it¡¯s dead and you won¡¯t see your mother again,¡± her spirit said.


    Lu Na picked up the hairpin, lifting it up to the sky.


    ¡°If I didn¡¯t break it then, Wintersweet¡¯s ancestor would have swallowed me. I doubt my mother could visit me in his stomach.¡±


    ¡°All you had to do was wait a few more minutes. I¡¯m sure you could have survived in there for that long. You¡¯re tough.¡±


    Lu Na laughed. What a ridiculous situation for an unremarkable young miss to end up in. Having to fight the ancestor spirit of a summoner sect because of some silly prophecy.


    ¡°Well, they got their wish either way. I don¡¯t think I can fix this hairpin. Now I¡¯m not sure how I can help my mother.¡±


    A maid gasped.


    ¡°Young Miss, what are you wearing?¡±


    Lu Na looked up and realized it was morning already. For the last few weeks, she had little sleep with the nightmares of her mother being trapped in some dark place, fighting for her life, calling her name. Some nights, it¡¯s this black void. Other, it was inside that ancestor¡¯s stomach.


    Sometimes Lu Na¡¯s inside there too, clinging to her mother.


    ¡°Young Miss, you can¡¯t walk about wearing a maid¡¯s tunic,¡± the maid said. ¡°It¡¯s inappropriate. What would Cui Yi say if he saw you wearing that? He would punish us maids.¡±


    Lu Na didn¡¯t have the energy to roll her eyes at that name. The head servant had been insufferable ever since she came back home, bruised and battered.


    ¡°Fine, fine, I¡¯ll change in a minute. Just leave me alone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Young Miss, but I was sent to get you. Your brother woke up and he only asked to see you.¡±


    Lu Na lurched up in one go and ran past the maid toward her brother¡¯s room. She had to avoid a few maids and servants. It wasn¡¯t until she reached her brother¡¯s room did family guards stop her.


    ¡°Young Miss Lu Na,¡± the two guards said as they bowed their heads toward her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you are supposed to be in your room. Our captain will get in trouble if they find you out again.¡±


    ¡°My brother asked for me. Let me in,¡± Lu Na said.


    The guards looked at each other.


    ¡°Look, if I¡¯m inside, then I will be somewhere you know instead of somewhere you don¡¯t.¡± Lu Na reached down and touched one of her wards.


    Both guards froze.


    ¡°Of course Young Miss. I will report it to the captain to assure him you¡¯re well cared for within your brother¡¯s room.¡±


    Lu Na let go of her ward and walked into the room. She almost felt sorry for the guards because she had used many of them to test her new inventions.


    When she walked in, there was a heavy smell of incense in her brother¡¯s study room. Lu Na doubted that no matter how much they prayed to their ancestors, they wouldn¡¯t be much help. But for once, she was glad that maybe their prayers were answered. She would light a stick of incense herself later to thank them.


    Lu Na walked to her brother¡¯s room and took off her shoes before entering.


    Her father and Xue Ze were already there. A doctor was sitting beside her brother, feeling for his pulse.


    There in bed, her brother was awake. That was the most she could say about him. He was bandaged all over his body and he smelled of herbal medicine. There were burn marks and some piercings and those were the ones that had healed enough to not require bandages.


    ¡°How is he?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Her father, Lu Tien, and second mother, Xue Ze turned.


    ¡°You should be in your room,¡± came the voice beside her. It was Cui Yi, the head servant. Lu Na hadn¡¯t even seen him hiding like a rat.


    ¡°And my brother called for me. Why are you here?¡± Lu Na said. She turned back and curtsied toward her father and Xue Ze. ¡°Father, second mother, may I have permission to see my brother?¡±


    Lu Tien stood up and brushed past her daughter without saying a word. He¡¯d been like that toward Lu Na ever since she came back to the Lu compound.


    After Lu Tien left, Xue Ze got up and lifted Lu Na from her curtsy.


    ¡°Of course you can see your brother,¡± Xue Ze said. Her dark round face looked especially tired today. She held Lu Na¡¯s hand and patted her head. ¡°Just don¡¯t take too long. He¡¯s still very injured and tired. He wouldn¡¯t talk with us and just kept calling your name. That¡¯s why your father is upset. So don¡¯t mind him.¡±


    ¡°Of course, second mother.¡± Lu Na bowed her head.


    Xue Ze left the room with Cui Yi.


    ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see that calculating witch act so tired and concerned for you or your brother,¡± her spirit said. ¡°Maybe being attacked by the Wintersweet Sect was a good thing. But of course we should still burn Cui Yi after we¡¯ve figured out the secret of the hairpin.¡±


    Lu Na ignored her spirit and walked up to her brother.


    Lu Fengxian opened his eyes as soon as Lu Na approached.


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    ¡°Are they gone?¡±


    ¡°Yes, brother. How are you?¡± Now that Lu Na was standing closer, she could see the injuries underneath the bandages ranging from scorch marks to stitched scars.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been better. But I needed to talk to you right away. I saw mother. I always thought that she died all those years ago when she left us. She¡¯s still alive.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Lu Na said.


    Lu Fengxian tried to turn his head toward Lu Na, but stopped. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment until the pain went away.


    ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°I met her in the Spirit Realm. She pulled me in using the silver phoenix hairpin she gave me before she left.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that must be what happened to me as well. I thought I saw her in my dream, but I felt myself being pulled into some grassy area that reminded me of where she used to take us outside of the city.¡± Lu Fengxian closed his eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°I remember that place. It was so fun being with her. But when I saw her, she did not look well. We have to help her.¡±


    Lu Na reached down and held her brother¡¯s hand. Tears ran down her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying.¡±


    ¡°Oh Na Na, no need to cry. We¡¯ll find her again.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not mother. I¡¯m just so happy to see that you¡¯re alive. We all thought we lost you when they found your¡­ What happened?¡±


    Lu Fengxian laughed. He squeezed Lu Na¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like your brother. I thought I was the best duelist in the world and so I challenged one of those Wintersweet Sect disciples to a duel after you and Sun Ren escaped. I beat him bloody and I thought that would be enough to keep them away.


    ¡°Instead, it enraged them all to duel me. Something about their honor from being beaten by some untrained monkey. I was already too exhausted at that point and so were most of Sun Ren¡¯s guards. I thought that if they beat me, they would leave us alone. I was wrong.


    ¡°And when they couldn¡¯t win against me in single duels, they started ganging up on me. They talk about honor, but they don¡¯t even know how to write it. And that¡¯s when I got serious. They didn¡¯t like that.¡±


    ¡°How did they do this to you? These injuries are so serious,¡± Lu Na said. She had seen her brother injured before in duels, but never like this.


    Lu Fengxian stayed silent for a moment.


    ¡°Na Na, I almost died. It was mother¡¯s phoenix spirit that saved me. One of Sun Ren¡¯s guards told me that a few days after the fight, a phoenix spirit came and entered my body, healing the serious injuries that no doctor or their spirits could heal.


    ¡°Father and second mother were already preparing funeral arrangements for me.¡±


    ¡°That witch,¡± her spirit said.


    Lu Na didn¡¯t fault them. With the injuries she saw on him, now should be enough to kill a person.


    ¡°Brother, I¡¯m sorry this happened to you. It¡¯s my fault. They were looking for me. Maybe I should have gone with them.¡±


    Lu Fengxian¡¯s breath caught in his throat.


    ¡°No, Na Na. Never think that. They¡¯re the monsters here. They¡¯re the ones that think that they can do whatever they want. When I get better, I¡¯m going to show them what it means to attack one of Magistrate Hu¡¯s yamen runners.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s going to work. He wasn¡¯t helpful when we went to him,¡± Lu Na mumbled.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing, brother. Just focus on getting better.¡± Lu Na got up to go.


    ¡°No Na Na, I called for you because I had something else to tell you. Mother told me about what she¡¯s doing and said to help you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she told me to save her. My spirit told me she might be trapped somewhere and the hairpin has a clue. I¡¯ve been working on it for¡ª¡±


    ¡°I want you to stop.¡± Lu Fengxian squeezed her hand.


    ¡°What? Why? We finally saw our mother again. I can help her. Don¡¯t you want mother back?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing more that I want than to see mother again.¡± Lu Fengxian coughed. ¡°Well, maybe my health. But whatever mother has gotten herself into is too dangerous for you. I don¡¯t want to lose a mother and a sister. Maybe when I get better from this, we can go together. In fact, I feel that whatever she did to help fix me has strengthened me. Da Niu told me this.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. I can¡¯t find out how to make the hairpin work again, anyway.¡±


    Lu Fengxian pulled Lu Na down toward his face.


    ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t just leave to find mother. And whatever you do, don¡¯t tell father or Xue Ze.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t tell them.¡± Lu Na pulled her hand back. ¡°Get well brother. I¡¯ll come visit you again now that you¡¯re awake.¡±


    Lu Fengxian nodded and closed his eyes.


    Lu Na left the room and put her shoes back on. She quietly closed the doors before leaving her brother¡¯s quarters.


    ¡°What did those Wintersweet demons do to your poor brother? Why would they go so far?¡± her spirit asked.


    Lu Na questioned that, too. She was their target. Why did they attack her brother after she already fled?


    On her way out, Lu Na saw Xue Ze and Cui Yi standing side by side, staring at her. Xue Ze said something to Cui Yi and he walked away. She was wearing white today, almost as if she was still preparing for her brother¡¯s funeral.


    ¡°Your brother is doing better,¡± Xue Ze said.


    Lu Na curtsied.


    ¡°Thank you for your concern, second mother. If there is nothing else, I will go back to my room.¡± Lu Na wanted to add ¡°to resume her imprisonment within her own home,¡± but felt that it would antagonize her into making her life worse.


    Xue Ze frowned.


    ¡°You and your brother are not my own, but I treat you like my own. It hurts me as much as your father that your brother is like this. And we are both glad you¡¯re home safe. We¡¯re only concerned for you.¡±


    ¡°They have a weird way of showing concern for you, though. Your father looks like he¡¯d rather disown you now and she has you kept in your room,¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit said.


    Lu Na smiled and nodded her head slightly while holding the earlier curtsy.


    ¡°Yes, second mother. I appreciate your kind words.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll try to see if I have any young nephews that you can marry and get away from all this. That¡¯s what I did and now I¡¯m happy to be here with you all,¡± Xue Ze said.


    Lu Na bowed her head deeper, hiding her grimace.


    ¡°This unfilial daughter will do whatever is requested of her.¡±


    Lu Na didn¡¯t want to even think about being married where this woman came from. If there were more people like her, she¡¯d suffer more than when she was at the Wintersweet Sect.


    ¡°I¡¯ll discuss it with your father.¡± Thankfully, she finally left afterwards saying nothing else.


    Lu Na got up and walked toward her room.


    ¡°You better not be going along with that plan,¡± her spirit said. ¡°The last thing I need is to be married off to the south.¡±


    ¡°Spirit, I don¡¯t want to do that either. But that¡¯s something to worry about in the future.¡± Lu Na looked around and saw no guards. ¡°Well, no one is escorting me back to my room. This is a golden opportunity.¡±


    ¡°To run away from home and become a beggar?¡±


    ¡°No, to go visit Sun Ren. This time I get to see her instead of the other way around.¡±


    ¡°I agree with this. Maybe she can get her father to help you. Or better yet, maybe you could marry her brother. Then you¡¯d be sisters. I¡¯d be happy with that, especially with her handsome brother.¡±


    Lu Na shook her head.


    ¡°Spirit, one of these days we¡¯re going to have to talk about boundaries. I know that I usually let you do whatever because I didn¡¯t know any different, but after talking with Sun Ren, you are very weird.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you have no idea.¡±


    Lu Na didn¡¯t know how, but she could feel that her spirit was smiling with all her fangs showing.

 Chapter 33 - Sun Ren and Elder Hen

    Lu Na took a left instead of right from her brother¡¯s quarters. She walked through a short maze before reaching a walled off section of their Lu compound. Lu Tien ordered the wall to be built overnight by overpaying workers to get it done after the incident with the Wintersweet Sect.


    While her father was generous toward his sworn brother, the Marquis Sun Wentai, he feared his potential reprisal more for not being able to protect his daughter. He reserved the largest space within the compound for Sun Ren and her bodyguards. Lu Tien also offered her brother, Sun Bofu, to stay with them, but he refused.


    Lu Na knew why. They had a regiment of soldiers hiding within Blossom Scent Parlor. It amazed her at how they hid so many people there.


    Sun Ren didn¡¯t have that issue. For the Marquis¡¯ daughter to have so many bodyguards was expected. So they needed the space and formed their own little base within the Lu compound.


    When the bodyguards saw Lu Na walking toward them, their eyes lit up. They jogged over to her and quickly ushered her in before anyone else saw them. They both wore bright red tunics with the ¡°Sun¡± family name sewn into the back and shoulders.


    ¡°Young Miss Lu, you shouldn¡¯t be walking around alone like that. If your family guards see you, they¡¯ll admonish you again,¡± one bodyguard said.


    ¡°Thank you ladies,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°Where¡¯s Young Miss Sun?¡±


    ¡°Senior Sun is practicing in the courtyard. She asked to not be disturbed until she is finished, but I¡¯m sure she will make an exception for you.¡±


    ¡°Please take me to her.¡±


    ¡°Of course. This way.¡±


    Lu Na followed them to the courtyard. Once there, they left her.


    Sun Ren stood in the middle of a patch of grass surrounded by Lu Tien¡¯s specially imported flowers. There was only a table off to the side. She wore her dark red dress that had the ¡°Sun¡± family name stitched onto her back. It was the only compromise she made while staying as a guest within the Lu compound.


    Sun Ren had her sword raised and pointed in front of her as she took a narrow stance. She raised her sword and led it with her other hand in a high sweep of the sword into a downward cut. Then followed that into a figure eight spin before coming to rest.


    ¡°Sun Ren has such restrained power,¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit said. ¡°If she practices a few more years, she will be a master swordswoman.¡±


    Lu Na nodded in agreement. Although she didn¡¯t have any basis of understanding for sword place, but Sun Ren¡¯s movements were very different compared to the ones her father hired to perform. Her sword moved with deadly precision while her body moved with patience, as if her life depended on every strike. She was a honeybee floating among the flowers.


    No, Lu Na could never see her as a harmless honeybee. She was a deadly wasp with fatal precision.


    ¡°That was beautiful,¡± Lu Na said after Sun Ren finished with her sword form.


    ¡°Good morning Na Na,¡± Sun Ren called. ¡°If you want, I can always teach you as well. Then we can practice together.¡±


    ¡°I would love to learn, but maybe after I figure out how to get my mother¡¯s hairpin to work.¡±


    ¡°So, how did you sneak out of your room this time?¡± Sun Ren put away her sword and wiped her forehead. ¡°Did you pretend to be a maid again?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t. The maid tunic is just more comfortable to move in. I wouldn¡¯t want to run away from home in a dress again.¡±


    Sun Ren smiled.


    ¡°We won¡¯t have to run away ever since the Wintersweet Sect has stopped pursuing us. Besides, I¡¯ll save a lovely hemp tunic for you in my pack just in case.¡±


    Lu Na smiled weakly. The last thing she wanted to do was flee for her life again, but the maid¡¯s tunic was also better for her work, anyway.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have to sneak out this time. My brother woke up. He asked for me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. That means he¡¯s getting better. I¡¯m sorry that not even my doctors could heal him faster.¡±


    Lu Na cupped her hands and bowed low.


    ¡°No, I thank you for inviting them over in the first place to see my brother. They helped a lot in speeding along his healing.¡±


    ¡°You never need to thank me for helping you or your brother out.¡± Sun Ren lifted Lu Na up. ¡°And you don¡¯t have to be so formal to me. No one else is around. It¡¯s just us here. My junior sisters would allow no one to come in without me knowing. Especially not after the Wintersweet Sect attack.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I don¡¯t know what I did to deserve such a friend as you.¡± Lu Na followed Sun Ren to the nearby table.


    ¡°I never had time to tell you what your mother did for me.¡± Sun Ren poured a cup of tea for Lu Na.


    Lu Na bowed her head in thanks before sipping the cup of tea.


    ¡°Your mother convinced my father to teach me the art of war, the same he taught my brothers,¡± Sun Ren continued. ¡°You can¡¯t understand how unfair it was for me to be taught some basics of the summoner arts by the teachers while my brothers were learning how to command, lead armies, and fight while I was expected to one day marry someone to enrich our family.¡±


    Lu Na smiled.


    ¡°Of course I do. Why do you think I¡¯m so useless in summoner arts? My spirit is laughing at me right now.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. Well, not much anyway.¡±


    ¡°But you had your mother. She led the way for me. And if she stayed with you all those years ago, she would have taught you to become a strong summoner in your own right like your brother.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll be able to ask her one day if I can get the stupid hairpin to work. My spirit can¡¯t help me.¡±


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    ¡°Hey, your mother was paranoid. She wouldn¡¯t tell me a lot of things.¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit sounded annoyed as if she were spitting out those words. ¡°But as long as she delivers on her promise, I will continue to help you.¡±


    Sun Ren patted Lu Na¡¯s arm.


    ¡°You will. I have faith in you. Your mother has faith in you. I can¡¯t wait to talk with her again and tell her about all the things I¡¯ve accomplished.¡±


    Lu Na was glad that at least someone benefited from her mother¡¯s quirks even when she wasn¡¯t around. In a way, she couldn¡¯t complain as her mother gave her a great friend.


    ¡°Senior Sun, Elder Hen from the Wintersweet Sect approaches,¡± Ma Yunlu said.


    ¡°Welcome him when he gets here,¡± Sun Ren said.


    The tall bodyguard in red bowed low before leaving.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see Ma Yunlu walking around,¡± Lu Na said.


    Sun Ren frowned.


    ¡°She¡¯s the strongest leader in my group. There was no way some second-rate disciples were going to take her down. But the same can¡¯t be said for a few of my fellow disciples. If your brother didn¡¯t protect them, they might have died. And for that, you and your family have my eternal gratitude.¡±


    ¡°It was my fault they attacked.¡±


    ¡°No, it was my father¡¯s. His decision to bring his entire force to quell the rebels without caring for his own family was reckless. If he left even a skeletal crew, it would have been enough to remind the sects that imperial authority still exists in the city.¡±


    Sun Ren¡¯s hands turned into fists.


    Lu Na reached over and clasped Sun Ren¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Everything worked out in the end.¡±


    Sun Ren took a deep breath. Her eyes focused on the archway that led into her courtyard.


    ¡°Yes, everything worked out in the end,¡± Elder Hen said. He was dressed in a dark purple tunic and flanked by five bodyguards. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see Young Miss Lu here as well. This makes my trip easier.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to busy myself with something while he¡¯s here. I don¡¯t want to see him.¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit disappeared from her awareness. If only she could do that as well.


    Lu Na pulled back her hands, arranged her face to be as neutral as possible as she¡¯d practiced over the last few weeks, and turned toward the Elder of Wintersweet Sect. If there was something she learned from this incident was that she could use the lessons of politeness as a weapon.


    Lu Na got up and curtsied.


    ¡°Greetings and welcome to my home.¡±


    Sun Ren cupped her hands together, but didn¡¯t bow.


    ¡°Welcome. Please have a seat and some tea.¡±


    Elder Hen nodded and strode into the courtyard like he was back in his own sect compound. His long white hair was tied up into a bun.


    Lu Na understood his confidence. She saw what he could do even against immeasurable power. With a simple command, he could level their Lu compound with ease. Yet, she saw how feeble Elder Hen had become since last they met. There were more creases on the face, as if to prove more could fit on such a creased face already.


    ¡°Sorry for the sudden intrusion.¡± Elder Hen took a seat and poured his own tea. ¡°I came to discuss a very important matter with you two ladies.¡±


    ¡°What can we do for you?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s start with your progress on that hairpin. You wouldn¡¯t go back on our arrangement, would you?¡±


    ¡°Reporting to Elder Hen, I have had no luck in discovering its secrets,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame you wouldn¡¯t let my sect look at it. We have so many experts from all over the country.¡±


    ¡°I would rather destroy it than give it to you or your sect,¡± Lu Na clutched the phoenix hairpin within her chest pocket.


    Elder Hen smiled and nodded. The heavy creases in his face relaxed for a moment.


    ¡°I thought we would be past this by now. If it wasn¡¯t for me and my sect working tirelessly to convince Magistrate Hu and Governor Gao that it was all a misunderstanding, we would be having this conversation in a jail cell. I¡¯ve shown my generosity and kept my end of the bargain by letting you escape my Wintersweet Sect. I¡¯m only expecting you to keep yours.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll keep our end of the bargain. Besides, you have spies watching the Lu compound like a hawk,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°Oh, you noticed them?¡± Elder Hen¡¯s left eyebrow raised, shifting his scar. ¡°It¡¯s time to get more experienced seniors.¡±


    ¡°Honored Elder, I doubt you came all this way to check up on my progress, or lack thereof. What else can we do for you?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Elder Hen smirked.


    ¡°I liked you better when you were insolent, Young Miss Lu. At least then I knew you were being truthful there instead of throwing all these hidden daggers at me with your every glance.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to throw more than that at him,¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit said.


    Lu Na knew her spirit wouldn¡¯t be able to stay away.


    ¡°Ah, your little spirit is back. I¡¯ve always been very curious about her, but not today.¡± Elder Hen reached into his chest pocket and pulled out a small bag. ¡°I need your help with something.¡±


    ¡°Honored Elder, your money is no good here,¡± Lu Na said, pushing the bag back to the old man. Besides, however much he had in there couldn¡¯t compare to the value of the very seat he sat on.


    ¡°Well, it has something to do with you as well. You need to help bail my son out of jail.¡±


    ¡°And why would you need us to help you with that?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°His name is Hen Li and he wants nothing to do with me.¡± Elder Hen looked away. This was the first time that Lu Na saw the old man drop his pride. But also the name rang a bell.


    ¡°Oh! The monk,¡± Lu Na said.


    Elder Hen nodded.


    ¡°He had a major fight with Wong Yoong, one of my sect¡¯s senior disciples, and a constable caught him. He was apparently helping some Young Miss escape, but he still took the punishment. When I went to see him, he wouldn¡¯t even look at me.¡±


    ¡°And you want us to bail him out?¡± Sun Ren asked. ¡°Why would he come with us? Why don¡¯t you ask the Young Miss he helped?¡±


    ¡°Young Miss Lu was the one he helped.¡±


    Lu Na totally, absolutely forgot. She wanted to crawl into a hole. It wasn¡¯t her fault. She was so busy figuring out what her mother¡¯s hairpin did she forgot all about helping the monk. He saved her from the constable who was bringing them to Magistrate Hu. The same magistrate whose son she kidnapped and held for ransom.


    If she ended up in Magistrate Hu¡¯s hands, she probably would have suffered more than at the Wintersweet Sect.


    ¡°Sorry Honored Elder, that was my fault,¡± Lu Na said. She cupped her hands and bowed deeply. She meant this apology. ¡°I didn¡¯t know he was your son. After this, I will go with Sun Ren to bail him out immediately. And your money really is unnecessary. Unlike his father, Hen Li is an honorable man.¡±


    ¡°There you go with those barbs. But it¡¯s fine as long as you bail him out and tell me what you find out from the hairpin. I¡¯d hate to organize another sect-wide search for one Young Miss Lu again.¡±


    Elder Hen got up to leave.


    Lu Na followed suit and curtsied.


    ¡°Honored Elder, I hope you have a safe journey back.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we wouldn¡¯t want you to trip and fall on your face,¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit said.


    Elder Hen chuckled.


    ¡°Sometimes I think your spirit is too honest for her own good. But it¡¯s refreshing to see children behaving like children.¡±


    ¡°Are we really going to bail out his son?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    Lu Na bowed.


    ¡°Of course, Young Miss Sun.¡±


    Sun Ren rolled her eyes.


    ¡°You can drop the act. He¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Young Miss Sun, you mistake me. This is not an act. Until I can create an invention that can compete with all of you, I¡¯m going to keep being respectful.¡±


    Lu Na was someone on a mission to find the secrets that her mother left behind and her mother. Once that was done, she was going to come back and pay the Wintersweet Sect back for everything they¡¯ve done to her and all the other Lu maidens in the city. She will show this old man how childish she really can be.

 Chapter 34 - Bailing out Hen Li

    The conversation with her father was tense, but Lu Na convinced him to allow her to bail Hen Li out herself. All it took was the mention of the Wintersweet Elder coming to their Lu compound to request this favor. His face paled and he agreed. He even gave her a hefty bag of silver to pay for the bail and to make sure that the Elder knew of his generosity.


    Lu Na set out with Sun Ren to the local magistrate¡¯s yamen. It was a gorgeous autumn day where the leaves were falling off the trees. The cool crisp smell in the air left goosebumps on Lu Na. It¡¯s always fresher when she was outside her own prison.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t the same as it was before when she was running away from the Wintersweet Sect. Sun Ren had a complement of ten bodyguards with her, while six others fanned out in all directions. It was a visual spectacle for others to see such a wall of dark red tunics, all armed with swords, with Lu Na in the middle dressed in white again.


    Everyone gave way.


    They finally reached the magistrate¡¯s yamen by mid-afternoon. Lu Na was going to take every opportunity to enjoy this freedom as much as she could.


    ¡°Young Miss Sun, welcome,¡± the soldier stationed outside saluted with his right arm across his chest.


    Sun Ren acknowledged him with a nod of her head.


    ¡°We¡¯re here to see Magistrate Hu.¡±


    ¡°Of course, right away. I¡¯ll escort you inside.¡± The soldier bowed his head and turned in a crisp motion. He walked ahead and led them into the magistrate¡¯s courtyard. ¡°If you ladies could wait here. I¡¯ll inform the magistrate¡¯s servants to serve you and get Magistrate Hu.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Sun Ren said. Her bodyguards fanned out like a red flower with two standing beside her and Lu Na.


    ¡°Well, that was different,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Very different,¡± her spirit said. ¡°When did the lowly magistrate get such beautiful men to guard the doors? I wonder if they make spirit versions of them.¡±


    Lu Na smiled but ignored the comment. If her spirit got her own spirit guard, she would have no rest.


    Sun Ren had a large smirk on her face.


    ¡°My father sent a messenger back into the city after getting my brother¡¯s message. He was coming back in a month. He had routed the rebels and was expecting an explanation from the governor as to the mistreatment of his daughter.¡±


    ¡°Wow. I wish I could be there when they have that conversation,¡± Lu Na said. That changed things for them. Everyone from the Wintersweet Sect to this magistrate treated them poorly before, despite Sun Ren¡¯s elevated status. No one knew if the Marquis would come back after going on such a tough campaign and knew he took most of his fighting men with him. Now he was coming back.


    But that would mean Sun Ren would leave Lu Na¡¯s home all the sooner.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to have you there,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°After all, they caused you to suffer too.¡±


    Magistrate Hu came right after tea was served. He wore a long, dark yellow robe.


    Lu Na got up and curtsied.


    ¡°Greetings Magistrate Hu.¡±


    He nodded and sat down with the two ladies.


    ¡°What do you two ladies want? I¡¯m a very busy man.¡±


    ¡°We came to bail out one of our friends,¡± Sun Ren said.


    Magistrate Hu frowned.


    ¡°Just because you¡¯re the Marquis¡¯ daughter doesn¡¯t mean I will do everything you want. There are still laws in this city.¡±


    Lu Na poured a cup of tea for him.


    ¡°Honorable Magistrate, we seek the proper release of Hen Li.¡±


    ¡°The monk?¡± Magistrate Hu glanced at the tea, but didn¡¯t touch it.


    ¡°Yes, the monk. He was arrested for fighting within Jianye.¡±


    ¡°The law is clear. Any summoner using their spirit to fight within any major city will be punished accordingly. If it was a minor scuffle, he would have been released by now. But he destroyed buildings. He was lucky he didn¡¯t murder anyone.¡±


    ¡°Magistrate, let me cut the niceties,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°He is the son of Elder Hen from the Wintersweet Sect. I¡¯m sure they¡¯d appreciate it if you released him, seeing as how you helped them the last time we were here.¡±


    At the mention, her two bodyguards shifted in position.


    Magistrate Hu glanced at them, then shifting his gaze away.


    ¡°And he still broke a major law. As a summoner, he should know that better than anyone. I can¡¯t let him free. So if there¡¯s nothing else, I have to get back to work.¡±


    Lu Na took out a small bag of silver from her father.


    ¡°Magistrate Hu, we are prepared to pay whatever the price is for his release.¡±


    ¡°There is no price you can pay that I would agree to. You two ladies might have run amok in my city, causing terrible issues, and be free of it because one is related to the Marquis and the other is the Young Miss of a rich merchant, but there is still law in this city.¡±


    He got up to leave.


    ¡°Magistrate Hu, are you really going to make this difficult for me?¡± Sun Ren asked. ¡°I only want the release of this one monk that you have no reason to keep. He was merely defending himself.¡±


    Magistrate Hu turned to face the two ladies. His eyes were wide with anger.


    ¡°And all I wanted was peace of mind and a safe city to manage. But you two ladies not only destroyed that peace, but threatened to take my son. So yes, I know your father is coming back and I know I will probably lose my position as magistrate, but until then I will uphold the law.¡±


    Sun Ren smiled. She got up and bowed to Magistrate Hu.


    ¡°I appreciate your candor and your ability to stick to your principles, despite outside pressure. If you were like that when we came the first time, then we wouldn¡¯t be having this conversation. Instead, you betrayed two young women to a summoner sect that caused all this trouble. I have issues with that.¡±


    Sun Ren unsheathed her sword. As one, all her bodyguards unsheathed their swords.


    Lu Na shrank back when she saw they were all sharpened swords, unlike the dull ones she had when she first met Sun Ren.


    ¡°This is getting a little tense. How about you give them all an alternative, Na Na?¡± her spirit said.


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    What alternative? She thought that with a little money, she¡¯d be able to release Hen Li and get a little free time. But then again, as long as she thought hard enough there was always another way to do something.


    ¡°Young Miss Sun, I beg your pardon, but might I have a small chat with Magistrate Hu in private?¡± Lu Na said.


    Sun Ren nodded and sheathed her sword. Her bodyguards followed suit.


    ¡°But you¡¯re not going anywhere alone with him. I would hate for him to sell you to the Wintersweet Sect again.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Lu Na bowed her head. ¡°Shall we step over to the tree then Magistrate Hu?¡±


    He nodded and walked with Lu Na to the tree.


    ¡°Your honor, I beg your pardon for Sun Ren¡¯s disrespect but can I be frank with you?¡±


    Magistrate Hu nodded.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to see us anymore than we want to be here. We came here to get the release of one harmless monk. If we get him, we leave, and you will not have to see us again. Sun Ren¡¯s father is coming back so she¡¯ll go back to her Sun compound. I¡¯m a virtual prisoner in mine already. Couldn¡¯t you look the other way just once to preserve the peace of the land?¡±


    ¡°Now that is some good negotiating,¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit said.


    Lu Na would have cried if she thought that listening and negotiating with her father over and over actually gave her a skill. The man never cared much for her before, but now that he watched over her like a hawk, he had no choice but to interact. It was something, at least.


    Magistrate took a deep, halting breath.


    ¡°Fine. Take him as long as you promise to never show your face here again.¡±


    Lu Na curtsied.


    ¡°Thank you, honorable Magistrate Hu.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s something we can both agree on. I don¡¯t want to see his face again either,¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit said.


    A yamen runner led the two ladies and their bodyguards into the holding area. The cells were made of thick, sturdy wood that was secured with a metal lock. They had straw for a bed, a small pot, and nothing else. The smell of human filth was extra concentrated down there, but it was to be expected. This was the inn for the miserable.


    Hen Li sat with his legs folded on the straw floor with his long gray hair tied back. He still wore his gray habit and he had his prayer beads in his hands. He was chanting the heart sutra.


    ¡°Hen Li, you¡¯re to be released. Time to go,¡± the yamen runner called into the cell.


    Hen Li¡¯s eyes opened. They were bloodshot. He blinked a few times before he got up and bowed with his palms pressed together.


    ¡°Amituofo. Thank you benefactor for releasing me.¡±


    ¡°Wow, you look like a mess,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°That¡¯s how he looked when I first met him,¡± Lu Na whispered. ¡°Maybe not the bloodshot eyes.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo, it¡¯s the venerable Lu Na. I am glad to see you again,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°Go tell him how you forgot him and left him to rot in jail for the past few weeks,¡± her spirit said.


    ¡°Oh? That¡¯s alright. You were probably dealing with your own issues after the Wintersweet Sect incident,¡± Hen Li said. ¡°Everyone in Jianye heard what happened. I am glad that you are alright.¡±


    ¡°I forgot he could hear me. Hello you gorgeous monk! Lu Na didn¡¯t miss you, but I did.¡±


    Lu Na really wished there was a switch to turn off her spirit from time to time. She realized her spirit was special because of her mother¡¯s legacy binding, but sometimes the inappropriate words that went through her mind made Lu Na appreciate the ascetic life of a monk.


    ¡°Well, it was your father that asked us to bail you out,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°Him? Then I¡¯d rather spend the rest of my life in this jail cell,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°No, no, don¡¯t listen to Sun Ren,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°He only reminded me of my debt to you. I came on my own to bail you out. I¡¯m so sorry for leaving you in here for so long. I should have asked my father to bail you out sooner for helping me when I was in a dangerous situation.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. That is the life of a practicing monk. We seek to provide comfort for those that are suffering. But since I am free now, it is fine that we can part ways until we meet again.¡±


    Hen Li stumbled when he took a step forward. Lu Na caught him.


    ¡°What happened? Why are you so weak?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Sun Ren turned to the yamen runner.


    ¡°Have you been torturing him?¡±


    ¡°No, why would we?¡± the yamen runner said. ¡°He¡¯s like this because he stopped eating food after he realized it was sent by Elder Hen of the Wintersweet Sect.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t let him go back to his temple like this.¡± Lu Na helped Hen Li sit back down. ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay at my home until you recuperate?¡±


    ¡°No, not if it¡¯s requested by Elder Hen.¡± Hen Li¡¯s eyes were closed, his breathing was ragged.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s repaying you for helping me. Besides, my father is a practicing Buddhist. Where else do you think I learned the heart sutra? He invites monks to his home all the time. I¡¯m sure he would love to hear about your experiences.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo, then you have my thanks.¡±


    With the help of Sun Ren¡¯s bodyguards, they carried Hen Li upstairs. Lu Na then paid for people to wheel him home on a wheelbarrow.


    ¡°I¡¯ll meet you back at your home later. I have something to do,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll take care of Hen Li.¡±


    The head servant, Cui Yi, was waiting for Lu Na when they arrived.


    ¡°What time do you call this? Your parents are worried you got kidnapped again. I was about to head out to find you.¡±


    Lu Na clenched her jaw. She would not make it any worse for herself. Besides, she had to take care of Hen Li first. Here she missed Sun Ren¡¯s presence.


    ¡°I apologize head servant Cui. There was a slight issue at the yamen. However, we have come back with the monk. Could you please set up a space for him?¡±


    Cui Yi eyed Hen Li.


    ¡°That¡¯s a monk? Are you sure? Because your father would be very upset if you invited a false monk into the compound.¡±


    ¡°Yes, head servant Cui. He¡¯s the one that helped me all those weeks ago. Besides, he¡¯s the son of Elder Hen. Do you really want our Lu family to offend such a person?¡±


    ¡°Fine, bring him in.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo, I don¡¯t want to impose upon your family, Young Miss Lu. I can make my way back to my temple,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re coming with me,¡± Lu Na said. She pushed past head servant Cui Yi as servants wheeled Hen Li into the Lu compound. ¡°I have to first apologize as my home is still under construction from when the Wintersweet attacked.¡±


    ¡°Your stalkers are back,¡± her spirit told her.


    Lu Na looked back and saw the two bodyguards in black tunics that her father assigned to her. They were recently hired from another summoner sect that rivaled the Wintersweet Sect outside of Jianye. Her father, Lu Tien, had become paranoid about another attack.


    Bodyguard was a loose term. They were more her jailers where one kept her in place while the other usually reported back to her father. She pointed at one.


    ¡°You, go tell my father that we have a very important guest.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Miss,¡± the bodyguard responded.


    Lu Na continued past the destroyed courtyard leading to the main hall. Trees were uprooted, leaving gaping holes in the ground. The walls had mismatched layers that were used to repair the gaping holes as quickly as possible. And worst of all, one of the pair of guardian lions had its head smashed. They had been in the Lu compound since before she was born.


    ¡°Amituofo, the Wintersweet Sect went too far,¡± Hen Li said as he surveyed the damage.


    ¡°There are sections that look worse. So I apologize again, as the only guest space we have is going to be mostly bare, but it will be away from everything else to allow for meditation.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Young Miss Lu. Your generosity and compassion are too much for one such as me.¡±


    ¡°You saved me. It¡¯s the least I could do.¡±


    After a few minutes of walking, they reached an empty courtyard with a small shack. When they entered the small shack, it had only a small bed to the side and a hearth for a fire. It was neatly maintained otherwise.


    ¡°I apologize as I must leave you here,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°I have to report to my father about today¡¯s events.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. Thank you, but might I speak with you privately before you go?¡± Hen Li looked over at the bodyguard.


    ¡°Wait for me outside of the courtyard,¡± Lu Na ordered.


    ¡°But Young Miss, I was told to always be beside you,¡± the bodyguard said.


    ¡°This Young Miss promises to not go anywhere today. I can¡¯t promise anything tomorrow, but for today you get to pretend that I¡¯m just like all those other spoiled sons and daughters. I just want to talk with him and then I¡¯ll go with you back to my room.¡±


    The bodyguard hesitated.


    ¡°Amituofo. I will guarantee that she won¡¯t leave. Will that be enough?¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know you.¡±


    ¡°Know that I am a monk and that I don¡¯t lie. It¡¯ll be quick.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± The bodyguard turned toward Lu Na. ¡°But if you attempt to leave, I¡¯ll be sure to accidentally break one of your inventions.¡±


    Lu Na bowed her head.


    As soon as the bodyguard was out of earshot, Hen Li¡¯s hand shot up and grabbed Lu Na by the arm.


    ¡°You¡¯re in grave danger. That hairpin you have hidden inside your chest pocket is calling out like a beacon. We have to leave before other summoner sects flood this city in search of it.¡±

 Chapter 35 - Borrowing Phoenix Spirit Energy

    ¡°What do you mean grave danger?¡± Lu Na asked. ¡°And how do you know about the hairpin?¡±


    Hen Li let go of Lu Na¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Amituofo, let the sins pass. I¡¯m sorry about that outburst, but your phoenix hairpin has been calling out since I saw you in the jail. For a higher stage summoner like me, it¡¯s as bright as the sun. And if others have seen it, they will recognize it as a powerful artifact. And if I¡¯m not wrong, your father hired another summoner sect. If their elders or sect leader have come here, then they¡¯ve seen it, too. You must get out before they come back.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s going to be hard to do. I¡¯m trapped here,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°But it won¡¯t help whoever comes to take it, anyway. I can¡¯t get it to work.¡±


    ¡°Might I look at it?¡±


    It couldn¡¯t hurt. Besides, there was not much Lu Na or anyone in the Lu compound can do against such a powerful summoner. If he wanted to kill her and flee with it, he could with a thought despite how weak he looked.


    Lu Na took it out of her chest pocket and unwrapped it.


    Hen Li didn¡¯t touch it but his eyes roamed all over.


    ¡°It¡¯s not broken. It¡¯s only drained of spirit energy.¡±


    ¡°But I tried putting in all kinds of spirit energy. I even saved a lot with my null metal and tried to attach it. Nothing happened.¡±


    ¡°It needs a specific type of energy that only a few summoners have. However, I can sense that energy already in your home. It¡¯s in a room at the center of your compound. The spirit energy is strong and ancient, but it¡¯s fading.¡±


    Lu Na thought for a moment. The only people there were her father, her second mother, and brothers. None of them had anything resembling strength on that level. Unless¡­


    ¡°Can it be my brother? He told me he received my mother¡¯s spirit energy that saved him.¡±


    Hen Li closed his eyes and nodded.


    ¡°Amituofo. That¡¯s probably it. If you find your brother and borrow some of that energy, it will be enough to get it working again. I would go with you, but I am too tired right now. Come find me tomorrow and we can go together.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a plan,¡± Lu Na said. She got up to leave.


    ¡°And Young Miss Lu, I¡¯m glad to see that your attitude hasn¡¯t left you entirely. You seemed rather stiff since the last time I saw you.¡±


    ¡°My attitude never left. It¡¯s just better at hiding. You rest. I¡¯ll find you tomorrow.¡±


    Lu Na walked back with the bodyguard to her own room. Once there, she ordered a servant to serve the best vegetarian food for Hen Li and to have someone provide him anything he needed. Afterwards, she locked herself inside.


    ¡°What do you think spirit?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°I think my heart is hurting. Such a brawny monk turned into that. I hope he can recover soon,¡± her spirit said.


    ¡°No, you foolish spirit. What do you think about what he said of the hairpin? Do you think all it needs is a little energy from my brother and it should work again?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but there¡¯s a risk. It might take all the spirit energy that is currently keeping your brother alive.¡±


    Lu Na paused over a candle she had just lit. That is true. If she were to borrow something like that from her brother, might it kill him instead? It would be like if she borrowed the flame from the candle. But what if there was a way for her to only take a little?


    She set to work right away with modifying one of her earlier inventions. It was the one she made after her visit with Uncle Chen. If the invention only took a little bit of spirit energy from her target, then it shouldn¡¯t hurt her brother. She could store it in one of her new null metal batteries. And if a little is all she needed, then it would be enough to get her hairpin working.


    But what if she failed? What if it didn¡¯t work and it killed her brother? Would she be able to live with that for the rest of her life?


    No, her brother was too precious to her. Yes, her mother was important, but even her spirit believed that saving her brother was more important than finding whatever she left behind.


    Lu Na knew that her mother was suffering with no way out. If she didn¡¯t help her, she would die as well. Would this minor risk not be worth it to save her as well?


    ¡°Maybe you should ask someone else. My answer is out of my own personal greed. My pact with your mother only goes so far and if you live the rest of your life without incident, I would be fine with that.¡± Lu Na could almost sense the anxiety coming from her spirit, despite what she said. Lately she¡¯s been better able to determine her spirit¡¯s mood.


    ¡°One of these days, you and I are going to have to discuss what this pact is,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°That¡¯s only between your mother and I. If you see her, you can ask her. But it doesn¡¯t look like that will happen now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to figure out another way to do it. I know that¡ª¡±


    A knock came at the door.


    ¡°Young Miss Lu, it¡¯s one of Sun Ren¡¯s bodyguards. My Young Miss inviting you over for dinner again tonight in her courtyard.¡±


    That¡¯s right. Lu Na could get Sun Ren¡¯s opinion. Her strategic thinking and training would be better than her own muddling thoughts.


    Lu Na left the room and followed her bodyguard. It amazed her that despite the coming twilight, their red tunics still showed very well. It was almost as if they made them specifically to attract attention.


    Sun Ren was sitting at the small table in her courtyard. She looked different. She had on a long, light red dress decorated with black butterflies throughout. There was a blood red bow on her head and an assortment of butterflies throughout her hair. On her back, there was another enormous bow that made it look like wings. The only thing she kept from her usual outfit was a sword belted on her side. She looked like a fairy from heaven.


    ¡°Wow.¡± The word escaped Lu Na before she could stop herself. She curtsied. ¡°Young Miss Sun, you look amazing today. What¡¯s the occasion?¡±


    Sun Ren smiled and got up. She walked over and grabbed Lu Na by the hands.


    ¡°No special occasion. I just thought that it¡¯s been a while since the incident with Wintersweet and I hadn¡¯t taken a break. Even my Sifu would admonish me sometimes for that so I thought I¡¯d relax a little today and enjoy myself.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a relief. I thought your father was home and that you would leave me already,¡± Lu Na said.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Sun Ren¡¯s smile dropped.


    ¡°It seems our Young Miss Lu has gotten more observant. But yes, my father is almost home. That means I¡¯m going to leave soon.¡±


    They sat down together at the table and bodyguards brought in trays of food for them.


    ¡°Then that¡¯s good news. You¡¯re finally going home and you¡¯ll see your family again,¡± Lu Na said. She bit her lower lip. ¡°We all have to go home, eventually.¡±


    Sun Ren poured herself and Lu Na a cup of wine.


    ¡°Yes, and this time spent with you has been memorable.¡±


    ¡°Close to death, you mean?¡± Lu Na took a sip of the wine. It was very bitter and strong.


    Sun Ren laughed.


    ¡°Yes, that too. But I didn¡¯t forget. When I get home, I will request that my father officially recruit you as part of the Sun household so that you can develop all your inventions in peace. I doubt your father would object to that.¡±


    ¡°If it lets me get out of their hair. Before all that, I have a more pressing question for you. Hen Li, the monk we helped, told me that there is a way to get my hairpin working again. But it might kill my brother.¡±


    Sun Ren put down her cup of wine.


    ¡°So I need your help to decide what to do,¡± Lu Na continued. ¡°My mother¡¯s spirit entered my brother and saved his life. From what I can tell, it¡¯s still healing him. If I take this spirit energy from him, it might kill him instead. I don¡¯t think I can do that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sensing there¡¯s a but. You always have a solution to everything,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°Remember the ward I made to absorb the bad spirit energy from your body? Well, if I used that to absorb some of my mother¡¯s spirit energy, I could use it to take only a little bit to fix the hairpin. It shouldn¡¯t hurt my brother.¡±


    Sun Ren picked up her chopsticks. She stared at the food and put the chopsticks back down.


    ¡°I think we should do it. If it means we might solve this issue and save your mother, it would be worth it.¡±


    ¡°And find whatever secret your mother left for you. It would no doubt also increase the Sun family power within this region, even if it means the death of both your brother and mother.¡± This was the first time Lu Na¡¯s spirit was so hostile toward Sun Ren.


    ¡°Besides that, Hen Li told me that there might be many summoner sects coming here looking for the hairpin.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re already here. But they won¡¯t do anything, not while my father and his army are here. Not only that, they don¡¯t have a clue where it is yet, as it requires their strongest summoners to sense it.¡±


    ¡°How do you know all this?¡±


    ¡°Do you think my brother has been wasting away his time at the brothel? His spy network is everywhere in Jianye. He would know if a fly looked different.¡±


    Lu Na remembered her brother, Sun Bofu. At first cool and aloof, like so many Young Masters she¡¯s seen before, but at the drop of a pin he became a tiger ready to pounce on his next meal. When Lu Na first met him, she thought she was his next meal.


    Sun Ren took Lu Na¡¯s hand in hers.


    ¡°Look, I understand that you¡¯re worried about your brother and worried about everything. But if you don¡¯t do this, then everyone is going to be looking for you on your doorstep every day. And as much as I want to stay with you forever, there will come a day when I have to leave you. I can¡¯t protect you anymore after that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s good,¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit said. ¡°And while I hate to say it, she¡¯s right. I don¡¯t want to risk your brother¡¯s life, but if we don¡¯t find your mother, they will keep coming. But I still don¡¯t trust Sun Ren or her family.¡±


    Lu Na was confused. Why wouldn¡¯t she trust the woman that saved her life? Was there more to her spirit¡¯s words? Her mother¡¯s words echoed in her mind to not trust her spirit, either. This was getting complicated.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go see my brother.¡±


    With Sun Ren requesting an audience with Lu Fengxian, nobody stopped Lu Na. Sun Ren received many admiring looks as she walked through the Lu compound. Both servants and maids stopped to admire her new outfit. It was like watching a butterfly flying from its cocoon for the first time.


    Lu Na liked the outfit compared to Sun Ren¡¯s usual serious demeanor. She didn¡¯t care to wear something so beautiful herself, but she would have considered something to match. Maybe in the future.


    Lu Fengxian was sitting up when they saw him. They took off some bandages and covered him with a long robe. He looked almost human except for the fading bruises on his face. It had been a few weeks already, but those always took the longest to go away.


    ¡°Young Miss Sun and Na Na,¡± Lu Fengxian greeted with his head bowed. ¡°I apologize for not getting up.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that,¡± Sun Ren said. She got on her knees, cupped her hands, and bowed her head low. ¡°In fact, it should be I who thanks you for saving my junior sisters. I heard that it was because of your sacrifice that allowed them to leave unscathed that night many weeks ago. Otherwise, I would loathe to think about what those Wintersweet dogs would do to them.¡±


    ¡°Young Miss Sun, please get up,¡± Lu Fengxian said. ¡°I was only doing my job.¡±


    Lu Na reached down and helped Sun Ren up. The kneeling surprised her. She¡¯d never seen a Young Miss of any family ever display gratitude toward others, let alone the daughter of the Marquis. Sun Ren was way above them. It would give her father, Lu Tien, a heart attack if he saw Young Miss Sun kneel in front of Lu Fengxian.


    ¡°Is there something I can help you with?¡± Lu Fengxian asked. He clenched his fists and his body was shaking.


    ¡°Young Master Lu, please allow one of your servants to lay you back down. You don¡¯t have to sit up for me,¡± Sun Ren said.


    Lu Fengxian closed his eyes and took a deep breath before nodding.


    ¡°Someone get in here to help my brother,¡± Lu Na called out the door.


    Head servant Cui Yi himself came in.


    ¡°How can I serve, Young Miss?¡±


    ¡°Please help lay my brother back down.¡±


    ¡°Right away.¡± Cui Yi made sure to slowly lower Lu Fengxian back down onto the bed. He moved his bandaged limbs carefully and placed a pillow underneath his neck. ¡°Is there anything else?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Lu Na said.


    Cui Yi walked up to Lu Na, his face full of concern, and whispered, ¡°Please don¡¯t move him again. His body can¡¯t take it.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I would never hurt my brother.¡±


    Cui Yi nodded and left.


    Lu Fengxian took a deep breath.


    ¡°Young Master Lu, please don¡¯t bother with politeness or protocol around me,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°Okay, because I don¡¯t think I could do it anymore anyway,¡± Lu Fengxian said. ¡°So, how can I help you?¡±


    ¡°Actually, I need your help, brother,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°What is it? You know you can ask me for anything.¡±


    Lu Na took Lu Fengxian¡¯s hand into hers. It was scary to see her big brother like this, so injured and so weak. Would it be worth risking his life to save their mother? Would it be work risking his life to find whatever it is their mother wanted?


    ¡°Na Na, you¡¯re not talking. You¡¯re in your own head again aren¡¯t you? Or are you talking with your spirit?¡± Lu Fengxian said.


    ¡°No, for once she¡¯s quiet. I just wasn¡¯t sure if I should ask you for the very thing that¡¯s healing you.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe my little warrior is in this state,¡± her spirit said.


    ¡°Just tell me Na Na. Otherwise father is going to be upset with you for disturbing my rest,¡± Lu Fengxian said. ¡°Let me decide whether or not I want to help you.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d like to borrow a bit of the phoenix spirit energy mother gave you,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°What? That¡¯s it? Of course, you can take whatever you want. I¡¯m feeling better already. I don¡¯t think I need it anymore.¡±


    ¡°But we are worried it might kill you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m stronger than that. Even if you took it all, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be fine. But why do you need it, anyway? Are you trying to make a new invention?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s to power the hairpin mother gave me. After the fight in the Wintersweet compound, it lost all its power to heal you. And now I can¡¯t get it to work. If I can¡¯t do that, then I can¡¯t find mother.¡±


    Lu Fengxian closed his eyes, grimacing in pain.


    ¡°Woah Na Na, that¡¯s too much to drop on me. I know I told you that mother came to me afterwards, but what is this with a fight in the Wintersweet compound?¡±


    Lu Na told her brother about fighting the Wintersweet Ancestor using the phoenix spirit within the hairpin. She also told him about what her mother said about finding the item she left so many years ago for.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s why she left us?¡± Lu Fengxian opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. ¡°That makes sense. Mother would go off from time to time, looking for things. It would frustrate father. But she always came back, eventually.¡±


    ¡°So brother, I leave the decision up to you. Do you want me to take the energy and find her or not?¡±


    ¡°Take it. From what you told me, if you don¡¯t take it and find this item, then the Wintersweet Sect will be back. Or worse, other summoner sects will come. One of my brothers from the yamen has told me of the increased activity in the city from these summoners. He had to break up a fight between them the other day. But promise me one thing.¡±


    ¡°Anything brother.¡±


    ¡°Even if you don¡¯t find mother, come back no matter what. I can¡¯t lose my sister as well.¡±


    ¡°Of course, brother.¡±

 Chapter 36 - Phoenix Spirit Pulse

    Lu Na stood up.


    ¡°So, how do we do this spirit?¡±


    ¡°Give me a second,¡± her spirit said.


    The room glowed red. Lu Na looked down at her brother and saw the red phoenix spirit energy glowing within Lu Fengxian¡¯s chest. There looked like a small phoenix resting inside him, spreading its energy throughout his entire body. Slowly, it was turning from red to yellow.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? What is this?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°The phoenix spirit is healing him and converting her own spirit energy into earth spirit energy to feed your brother. After she¡¯s done, your brother¡¯s spirit and his ability will grow by leaps and bounds. It¡¯s impressive your mother can do this.¡±


    ¡°My mother¡¯s phoenix spirit is giving my brother its power,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Can it do that?¡± Sun Ren asked. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of spirit energy being passed down only with a direct connection. Usually, it¡¯s what the sect leaders do with their heirs in the summoner sects when they¡¯re near the end of their lives. If your mother could do this without being here, then she is a powerful summoner. And if she could do this for others, then she could create her own army.¡±


    ¡°Then there shouldn¡¯t be a problem then,¡± Lu Fengxian said. ¡°If the spirit feels that it¡¯s done enough to heal me, I don¡¯t need all the energy it¡¯s giving me. Take some and find our mother.¡±


    Lu Na took out her silver phoenix hairpin. It glowed red.


    ¡°Are you seeing this?¡±


    ¡°What? I see nothing,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not glowing red for you?¡±


    Sun Ren shook her head.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if I can transfer a little energy from my brother to this hairpin.¡± Lu Na took out her spirit wand. This one was made of ivory from a large animal. She had Uncle Chen specifically make one of these for her, as it made her technique easier to use. She was going to use her other device to store the energy and transfer it to the hairpin, but it looked like the hairpin was already prepared to drink it. It would have been a waste.


    Lu Na waved the spirit wand over her brother, focusing on the phoenix spirit energy. She drew a little out of it and made a small ball. Once she felt it was dense enough that it wouldn¡¯t float away, she pulled it into the phoenix hairpin. The hairpin glowed red throughout.


    ¡°I can never tire of watching that,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone in my Sun family has that kind of ability.¡±


    Lu Na saw the ball of energy flow through the hairpin and through its channels. She learned the hairpin had different parts of it that contained different techniques. The technique that housed the phoenix spirit originally was now broken so the energy didn¡¯t go there. However, another part of the hairpin drank in the energy greedily, quickly turning black.


    ¡°Something¡¯s happening.¡±


    A small map projected from the hairpin, showing the general location of the region. The map was made from spirit energy.


    ¡°That¡¯s just like how the Wintersweet showed Elder Hen¡¯s face over the city,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°I can¡¯t believe how brilliant your mother is to know how to do this.¡±


    ¡°No, this is not something that she created. It was always a part of the hairpin,¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit said.


    A glowing red dot started blinking in an area of the map.


    ¡°That¡¯s Lujiang,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°If I follow this part here, this is Chao Lake. We¡¯re here to the northeast. We can get there in about a week¡¯s travel. Probably more because of the rebels and bandits.¡±


    The map disappeared back into the hairpin, the technique shutting off. The rest of the spirit energy then coalesced into another part of the hairpin close to the silver phoenix¡¯s heart.


    ¡°This is not good. We don¡¯t have a lot of time,¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit said.


    ¡°What do you mean spirit?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°According to the amount of spirit energy in here, it will run out in seventeen days. We only have that time to reach the location on the map and use its key to open the vault. This won¡¯t do.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°My spirit is talking about a key and a vault. She¡¯s not making any sense.¡±


    Sun Ren shook her head.


    ¡°If only you practiced summoner arts. You might have a better connection with your spirit and she would tell you more.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t need summoner arts,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°All I have to do is sit in my room, stare off into a wall, and do nothing. She hates that. So, spirit, what will it be? Are we having another marathon day of doing nothing?¡±


    ¡°Oh, quiet Na Na. I was going to tell you anyway,¡± her spirit said. Lu Na felt a small clawing feeling up her arm. ¡°Don¡¯t think I can¡¯t do something to you.¡±


    Lu Na rubbed her arm. She never felt that before from her spirit. How did she do that? It felt almost as if she had run claws over her arm. There was a little fear there now. If her spirit intended to really harm her, could she?


    ¡°Anyway, the hairpin was not your mother¡¯s creation. It was made by some inventors thousands of years ago. Your mother just found it one day while exploring the labyrinth near her hometown. She did little with it until she bonded with her phoenix spirit and it told her all the secrets about the labyrinth. There¡¯s a powerful artifact in there that all the spirits fear. She wanted it. That¡¯s where she went.¡±


    Lu Na wasn¡¯t sure to be amazed or upset.


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me she abandoned us for this invention inside this labyrinth that is over two thousand years old?¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t abandon you. She was pulled away to it. It¡¯s one of those little techniques that people don¡¯t notice until it has a hold over you.¡±


    ¡°And how do you know all this spirit?¡±


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    ¡°I was there when they made that labyrinth. Spirits back then were much more open about sharing information.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on Lu Na?¡± Sun Ren asked. ¡°You stopped talking.¡±


    ¡°Apparently, my spirit is over two thousand years old. And¡­¡± Lu Na couldn¡¯t continue. It was too ridiculous. ¡°My spirit must be playing a joke on me. She told me this ridiculous tale about my mother, this hairpin, and a labyrinth.¡±


    ¡°Emperor Yu¡¯s labyrinth.¡±


    ¡°You know about this?¡±


    Sun Ren looked between Lu Fengxian and Lu Na. She was biting her lip. This was the first time Lu Na saw her look so undecided. She peered outside of Lu Fengxian¡¯s room and shut the door.


    Sun Ren whispered, ¡°What I¡¯m about to tell you has to be kept between us.¡±


    Lu Na nodded.


    ¡°Emperor Yu¡¯s labyrinth is a closely guarded secret of the Imperial Government. For many dynasties and generations, it has been passed down that anyone with the key to Emperor Yu¡¯s labyrinth can find the secret to controlling the spirits. But no one has ever discovered how to get in.¡± Sun Ren glanced at the phoenix hairpin in Lu Na¡¯s hand.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying this might be the key?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Why else would your mother risk everything? But what I want to know is why she didn¡¯t take the phoenix hairpin with her.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because she has her phoenix spirit. It is the key.¡±


    Lu Na repeated what her spirit told her.


    ¡°That makes sense. She probably left this hairpin for you to protect you and maybe one day, you could find the labyrinth yourself,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°But the Wintersweet Sect somehow found out about it and attacked you before you were prepared. That only goes to show how powerful this sect is.¡±


    ¡°But we have little time to get there. If we don¡¯t make it in seventeen days, the hairpin will lose its power and we won¡¯t be able to get into the labyrinth.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean spirit? I can just take a little more spirit energy from my brother and we will have more time to make it there,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°No, you shouldn¡¯t do that. Whatever you¡¯ve taken from your brother has taxed his body. He¡¯s unconscious right now.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Lu Na stared down at her brother. His eyes were closed and his breathing was ragged. She grabbed his hand. It was clammy. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, brother. I shouldn¡¯t have taken the spirit energy.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s done is done. So how much time do we have to get to the labyrinth?¡±


    ¡°Seventeen days.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s discuss this outside.¡±


    Before they left, Lu Fengxian grabbed onto Lu Na¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Na Na, wait.¡±


    ¡°Brother, I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Lu Na reached down and held his hand.


    ¡°Just now, I heard mother¡¯s voice when you charged the hairpin. She told me you have to visit Uncle Chen before you go.¡±


    ¡°Yes, brother. Rest now. We¡¯ll be back before you know it,¡± Lu Na said.


    Lu Fengxian had already closed his eyes and gone back to sleep. Whatever little spirit energy Lu Na took was a shock to his system. There was no way she¡¯d risk taking any more even if she¡¯d run out.


    ¡°We have to get moving,¡± Lu Na said.


    Lu Na had little to prepare. She knew something like this was coming, so she already had a bag packed and ready to go with many of her inventions and other items to make more. The only challenge now was her father.


    ¡°How are we going to get out of here without my father knowing?¡± Lu Na asked. She was still staying in Sun Ren¡¯s courtyard for as long as possible, using her imminent departure as an excuse.


    ¡°I could ask my father to ask for you. But that might take a while as he just came back and is still settling,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°We can¡¯t afford the time.¡±


    ¡°Young Misses, might I make a suggestion?¡± Sun Ren¡¯s closest and tallest bodyguard said.


    ¡°Of course, Ma Yunlu. I always value your opinion,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we leave now, claiming an emergency recall from your father, and then have one of our other junior sisters switch places with Young Miss Lu? In the dark of night, they wouldn¡¯t scrutinize her return too much. And if our junior sister doesn¡¯t leave her room, they wouldn¡¯t know the difference.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°But won¡¯t they notice I haven¡¯t left the room in a while?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Begging your pardon Young Miss Lu, but there are days where you don¡¯t leave when you¡¯re in the middle of something. Most of my junior sisters are always taking bets on when you¡¯d leave. I think the longest stretch was eight days,¡± Ma Yunlu said.


    ¡°Na Na, she¡¯s right. Other than those earlier attempts to run from your room, your father has stopped putting too many guards in front of your room anymore,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°You mean stopped caring. But I¡¯m okay with that. I think that¡¯s the best plan we have,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Then we need to find a junior sister that is about the same size as you,¡± Ma Yunlu said.


    ¡°Once we leave from the Lu compound, we¡¯ll have to also quickly leave the city. We can¡¯t let the Wintersweet Sect realize we figured out the hairpin.¡± Lu Na couldn¡¯t believe that she was already leaving her home again not long after running away from that sect¡¯s attack. Her room wasn¡¯t even fixed yet.


    ¡°I have an idea for that,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°Junior sister Ma, send a message to Zhou Gongjin and ask him to meet us at the western gate.¡±


    Ma Yunlu clasped her hands and bowed.


    ¡°Right away, senior Sun.¡± The tall woman walked away briskly.


    ¡°Should we also tell Hen Li?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if we should have any more people with us. This is a very sensitive situation. The fewer people that know, the better,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°That or she can keep the information for herself,¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit said.


    Lu Na didn¡¯t know why her spirit thought that. There was something going on with her and Lu Na was going to find out later. Whatever the reason, she needed Sun Ren more than ever. Without her expertise and resources, there was no way Lu Na was going to pull this off.


    ¡°Amituofo, might I join you ladies tonight?¡± Hen Li called from the courtyard entrance.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way he heard us, right?¡± Lu Na said.


    Sun Ren frowned. It was such an odd sight, as she still wore her butterfly dress. She quickly went from carefree Young Miss to a strategy master planning her next move.


    ¡°No, but let¡¯s see what he wants. Let him in.¡±


    Hen Li strode into the courtyard. His tattered gray robe was replaced with one of the Lu servant¡¯s black tunics and pants. He had his prayer beads around his neck and his white hair tied up into a ponytail.


    ¡°Greetings monk, we were about to have dinner. Can we help you with something?¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°Amituofo,¡± Hen Li pushed his hands together and bowed in the traditional Buddhist greeting. ¡°I came because I saw the phoenix¡¯s spirit energy. Has there been a change in the situation?¡±


    ¡°How did you see it?¡± Lu Na asked. It should have been impossible. She was within her brother¡¯s room and far away from Hen Li¡¯s guest room.


    ¡°Amituofo. I didn¡¯t see it as much as felt the pulse of spirit energy. The phoenix is a mythical spirit of the world and their spirit energy is the most unique of all spirits. Any higher stage summoner would have been able to feel that pulse from many li away.¡±


    ¡°What? Then that means the Wintersweet Sect felt it too. Their compound is not that far from Jianye,¡± Lu Na said.


    Hen Li nodded.


    ¡°Elder Hen and all his Elders should have felt the pulse and will most likely be preparing to come here in force to investigate.¡±


    ¡°Then we have to leave now,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°I¡¯ll have to change out of this silly dress and get my juniors to prepare for our departure. Lu Na, go change your clothes with one of my juniors. We leave in half an hour.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. Might I accompany you?¡± Hen Li asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you should. You just came out of jail. You can stay as a guest here until we return,¡± Lu Na said. She still felt guilty about leaving him in jail for so long.


    ¡°No, I am fine. You¡¯ll need my help to deal with the Wintersweet Sect. Sun Ren is strong, but she would be no match for any of the senior disciples, let alone an elder.¡±


    Lu Na looked to Sun Ren.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave that decision up to you,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°This is your quest to find your mother. I am not against having someone as strong as him following us, but there are other things we have to consider. Let me know.¡±


    Sun Ren hurried away, lifting her dress to walk faster.


    ¡°It would be an honor for you to accompany us,¡± Lu Na said. She bowed.


    ¡°Amituofo, I look forward to this. And we will have plenty of time to talk about your spirit and the summoner arts. Maybe I can train you after all.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you still remember that?¡±


    ¡°Amituofo, I forget little.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Hen Li. I¡¯m going to go prepare my stuff before we have to leave.¡±

 Chapter 37 - Preparing to Leave

    Lu Na was wearing the same red tunic as Sun Ren¡¯s junior sisters. One of Sun Ren¡¯s junior sister had already returned to Lu Na¡¯s room, dressed in her old clothes.


    Sun Ren was back in her old dark red tunic and wearing her sword. And if Lu Na had to guess, she had already strapped all her daggers underneath.


    Lu Na was carrying a large bag that hid her face as they waited to leave the Lu compound. Only one man stopped them. It was the most infuriating man alive.


    Head servant Cui Yi was groveling and praising Sun Ren. He kept mentioning how happy her father, Lu Tien, was to host such a wonderful guest and that if she needed anything to come again. Lu Na had never seen him so happy yet slimy before. It was groveling he¡¯d normally reserve for her second mother.


    ¡°Yes, yes, enough head servant Cui. We must be going, as my father¡¯s command is very urgent,¡± Sun Ren said.


    Cui Yi bowed low at the waist.


    ¡°Of course Young Miss Sun. I hope you have safe travels back to the Sun compound.¡±


    Sun Ren brushed past the man and hurried out into the streets of Jianye.


    No one stopped Lu Na even as she walked past Cui Yi. The man bowed so low that his mustache seemed to almost reach the ground.


    It didn¡¯t take long before Sun Ren led them through the streets of Jianye to the western gate. A few soldiers stopped them at certain checkpoints, but when they saw Sun Ren¡¯s badge, they let her through. The trip was a lot faster now that they weren¡¯t being pursued by the Wintersweet Sect disciples.


    ¡°Junior sisters, wait for us here while Lu Na and I visit her Uncle Chen. Hen Li, do you think you can back them up in case the Wintersweet Sect shows up?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°Amituofo. Of course.¡± Hen Li bowed.


    The pair walked through the darkened streets to reach the familiar boarded up shop. It was a drastic change from the Mid-Autumn Festival. There were still people walking the streets late at night. There were many more soldiers patrolling.


    Lu Na knocked on the boards. She alternated her knocking with a quick pattern that Uncle Chen taught her.


    Two of the boards came down before one of Uncle Chen¡¯s guards stepped out. He was the one with the spider spirit.


    ¡°Ah, Lu Na. You¡¯re back again,¡± he greeted them. ¡°Please come in. Your Uncle is in the back, finishing his dinner.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Lu Na said with a small bow of her head. Uncle Chen wasn¡¯t really her uncle, but a man that her mother introduced to her that dealt with spirit inventions.


    Uncle Chen¡¯s store was filled to the ceiling with many products that were used for spirit offerings. There were many things in here that people used to pray to their spirits or ancestors in hopes of prosperity. Many of the summoner sects frequent it within the city.


    A nearly bald man came walking out with his mouth stuffed half full with a gaozi. He had on an expensive silk tunic that was partially unbuttoned, showing off his inner garment.


    ¡°Little Na Na, is everything okay?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Uncle Chen. Why would you ask that?¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°The last time you came to me in the middle of the night, you were running away from the Wintersweet Sect and your friend was unconscious.¡±


    ¡°This time is better. They haven¡¯t attacked yet.¡±


    Uncle Chen fixed his tunic before clasping his hands and bowing to Sun Ren.


    ¡°Young Miss Sun. My apologies for the mess. I didn¡¯t know you would be here.¡±


    ¡°No, it should be us who apologize for interrupting your meal late at night. But we should hurry.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Uncle Chen looked between the two ladies.


    ¡°Sorry Uncle Chen, I can¡¯t explain too much. I came here because of my mother. Can we talk somewhere private?¡±


    ¡°Hey, you two. Guard outside. Make sure no one is lurking around.¡±


    The two guards nodded and walked away.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust them, but¡­¡±


    Uncle Chen waved his hand to dismiss the notion.


    ¡°What is it about your mother?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to say this but¡ª¡±


    ¡°You activated the hairpin?¡± Uncle Chen asked.


    ¡°Yes, how did you know?¡±


    ¡°Come with me.¡±


    Uncle Chen led them deeper into the store. They were now in the small storage section filled with so many types of incense. The smell was overwhelming and it reminded Lu Na of every Buddhist temple she¡¯d ever stepped into.


    ¡°Okay, we should be safe here. The incense not only distracts any potential spirits from listening, but I also have a few of those spirit walls you gave me,¡± Uncle Chen said. ¡°Now tell me, did your mother tell you to find me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but how?¡±


    ¡°Your mother must have been working with Uncle Chen this whole time before she left,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°That is correct. She told me the secret of the hairpin that you always wore. I couldn¡¯t explain it to you until it activated.¡±


    ¡°So you knew the last time I was here?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°I always knew. But there was a part of me that hoped your mother would have come back before it activated and I wouldn¡¯t need to bother. But since it¡¯s come to this, I¡¯ll honor your mother¡¯s last wishes.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what do you mean last wishes?¡±


    Uncle Chen frowned.


    ¡°She said that if the hairpin were to ever activate, it would mean she failed and that she was dead.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not true. I talked with her a month ago. She¡¯s alive,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Truly? I guess that makes sense, since your hairpin wasn¡¯t supposed to activate so soon. But I can guess that you¡¯re going to find her now? The hairpin should have shown you a map to where she was.¡±


    ¡°It did but it was too fast to write,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°We hoped that you¡¯d know where it was exactly.¡±


    ¡°I can do better.¡± Uncle Chen removed a small ceramic jar from the corner that held large sticks of incense. There was a small wooden box underneath it. He wiped off the dust from it. ¡°Here. Inside there¡¯s a paper map for where the location is. I¡¯ve also put in a little bit of money and a long bill for your mother. Make sure she gets it.¡±


    Lu Na bowed when she took the box. She shouldn¡¯t be surprised that Uncle Chen also had a bill for her mother. When she finally settled down back in the Lu compound, he sent an enormous bill to her father that he paid off. It included all the medical bills for the guards and other things down to the smallest detail of every yellow paper Lu Na took during her run from the Wintersweet Sect.


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    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Chen.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do to repay your mother,¡± Uncle Chen said. ¡°Just promise me you¡¯ll come back safely, no matter what. I miss your mother, but you are very important to me as well.¡±


    ¡°Of course Uncle Chen. I didn¡¯t know I mattered so much to you.¡±


    Uncle Chen smiled in that fatherly way that Lu Tien never showed her.


    ¡°That and your inventions are selling better than any golden dumpling ever made. Not only the summoner sects want them, regular people are buying them in bulk. That they can stand up to powerful summoners like the Wintersweet Sect has given them more confidence to walk these streets. But I am sad that you will leave without making any more.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Chen, I made hundreds of them since I came back. You should be fine for a while,¡± Lu Na said. She didn¡¯t have the heart to tell Uncle Chen that all those were practice ones she made to learn how to make them activate without a spirit shaping the walls.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll have to charge more now that you¡¯re going to be gone.¡± Uncle Chen bowed low to Sun Ren. ¡°Please Young Miss Sun, protect Na Na. I know she can be a little helpless but she¡¯s precious to me.¡±


    Sun Ren bowed her head.


    ¡°Of course. She¡¯s my best friend and future supplier of spirit wards. I understand the value of such a worker.¡±


    Lu Na forced a smile as she stared at these two. Was that all she was to them? A potential slave for their ambitions? Yet she couldn¡¯t fault them. These two saved her life when there was nowhere else to turn. Lu Na would be happy to make a thousand wards for them.


    But then, after some thought, maybe she too should start charging more for her services.


    Uncle Chen was a one stop shop for the two ladies. They could buy all the travel necessities from dry foods to an extra set of clothes. It was one of the few advantages of selling so many things for visiting summoners.


    When they were about to leave, Uncle Chen gave Lu Na one last gift, a wooden badge with two intricate words carved into its face. It read ¡°martial justice.¡±


    ¡°Na Na, if you ever run into trouble, you can show this to whoever it is, and they might let you go,¡± Uncle Chen said. ¡°I received that badge from one of the strongest summoners in the land. I helped him when he was totally broke and starving. People might still respect his reputation and leave you alone.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Chen.¡± Lu Na looked at it with her spirit sight and saw nothing special about it.


    ¡°Let me see that,¡± Sun Ren said. She looked closely at the carving on the badge. ¡°I¡¯ve only ever had one chance to see this man¡¯s true writing when he visited my father. This is the real thing. When we come back, tell us the story.¡±


    ¡°Is he really that famous?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s the traveling vagrant that has gone and saved so many people across the country,¡± Uncle Chen said. ¡°Both governments and bandits respect him. Even the rebels wouldn¡¯t attack him or those he protects. So hold on to this Na Na. It might be very useful in the future.¡±


    Lu Na put it away into her chest pocket.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°I¡¯m sure Zhou Gongjin is waiting for us by now and he hates doing that.¡±


    The two ladies bowed to Uncle Chen, but he hugged Lu Na instead.


    ¡°Please come back safely Na Na. Even if your mother doesn¡¯t come back, you have to. Promise me.¡±


    Lu Na had never been hugged by Uncle Chen before like this. It made her blush.


    ¡°Yes, Uncle Chen.¡±


    Once they left the store, Lu Na¡¯s spirit stirred in her chest.


    ¡°Finally! Your Uncle Chen is a madman for putting so many spirit warding incense in there.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s why you¡¯ve been quiet this whole time,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°I wonder if Uncle Chen would let me study that incense. Maybe I can finally have some peace and quiet.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want to use it too much or else you might be addicted,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to say anything, but it seemed appropriate for what he gave us. Besides, your spirit can¡¯t be that bad.¡±


    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s not. But sometimes she makes these comments that make even Buddha blush.¡±


    ¡°All the more reason to practice summoner arts. It will teach you how to control the spirit¡¯s urges and keep her thoughts to herself.¡±


    ¡°You hear that spirit? Keep your thoughts to yourself.¡±


    ¡°Child, I¡¯m never keeping my thoughts to myself because you¡¯re too na?ve and young to understand the world. You need my guidance. How else would you be able to attract a handsome man?¡± Her spirit laughed.


    Soon after, they walked out toward the west gate. Sun Ren¡¯s bodyguards all stood at attention, on the lookout for Wintersweet Sect members. Their dark red tunics blended in with the night. There was no one else around aside from a few guards at the gate.


    ¡°Young Miss Sun, you¡¯re finally back,¡± Zhou Gongjin said. The man was dressed in a light red robe and wore a coronet atop his head. He had a light fan that he used to fan himself. His youthful face always caught Lu Na by surprise. ¡°I hope you know that I have many duties to perform now that your father is back. I can¡¯t meet you at all times of the night like this.¡±


    ¡°I apologize Strategist Zhou, but this can¡¯t wait,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°I just received important information regarding the incident I told you about last time dealing with Lu Na¡¯s mother. We have to leave right now in search of a powerful artifact.¡±


    ¡°Oh, then what can I do for you?¡± Zhou Gongjin bowed his head.


    ¡°I need you to escort my junior sisters back to the Sun compound and then create a distraction for the Wintersweet Sect. The last thing we need is for them to be following us.¡±


    ¡°That should be easy. Their sect is in great disarray after your last visit to them. I doubt they could chase you even if they wanted to. But I will do as you command. Anything to tell your father?¡±


    Sun Ren reached into her chest pocket and pulled out a letter.


    ¡°Give this to him when you see him and no one else. Hopefully, my father will know what to do with this information.¡±


    Zhou Gongjin put it away before bowing.


    ¡°One last thing. We were hoping to leave the city now. And since I know that you¡¯re friends with the western gate commander, we were hoping you¡¯d get him to open the gate for us.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m assuming Young Miss Lu is going with you as well?¡± Zhou Gongjin smiled and bowed toward Lu Na.


    ¡°Ooh, the handsome man is talking with you,¡± her spirit said. ¡°Maybe your father could arrange a marriage with him.¡±


    Lu Na bowed, her eyes twitching a little. One of these days, her spirit was going to cause her to either do something embarrassing or go crazy.


    Zhou Gongjin walked away toward the gate commander¡¯s office.


    ¡°Senior Sun, we should come with you. We could provide support for you on the road,¡± Ma Yunlu said.


    ¡°Junior sisters, I need you all to continue to observe the Wintersweet Sect as well as all the other summoner sects within the city,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°When I come back, I¡¯ll have with me a powerful artifact that all the summoner sects are going to want. I need you all to work with Zhou Gongjin to distract them and have them fight each other. Can I trust you to do this?¡±


    All of Sun Ren¡¯s bodyguards cupped their hands and bowed their heads.


    ¡°Yes, senior sister,¡± they said in unison.


    ¡°I hope to be back in less than a month. Please tell our sifu to prepare. He¡¯s the only one I trust to be strong enough to deal with these summoner sects.¡±


    ¡°We will do as you say,¡± Ma Yunlu said.


    Zhou Gongjin came back, laughing with the gate commander.


    ¡°Why does he look so much like a prince from a story?¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit asked.


    Lu Na had to admit, her spirit was right. She cared little the first time she saw Zhou Gongjin, but there was a certain beauty to the man this time around.


    The gate commander was dressed in full military gear with a leather cap. He had a big, bushy beard.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re such a close friend, I¡¯ll allow them to leave for five taels of silver each.¡± His voice was gruff. He leered at Lu Na, and all the other women gathered. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll give a steep discount should any of you ladies wish to spend some time with me.¡±


    Lu Na would rather die than do that.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you could handle us, gate commander,¡± Sun Ren said with a bow of her head. ¡°Besides, my father, Sun Wentai, might have an issue if I were to agree.¡±


    The gate commander glared at Sun Ren, but then he started laughing.


    ¡°Of course, of course. I was only kidding, anyway. I wouldn¡¯t want to offend the Sun family, especially after their recent victory. Despite that, the cost to leave is the same, five taels a head.¡±


    Sun Ren reached into her chest pocket and took out fifteen taels of silver. It was enough to feed a poor family for a year.


    ¡°Thank you, Young Miss Sun,¡± the gate commander said after taking the money. ¡°If it¡¯s only three of you, then we should hurry before the shift changes. My colleague isn¡¯t as accommodating as I am.¡±


    Lu Na bowed toward Zhou Gongjin and Sun Ren¡¯s bodyguards.


    ¡°Thank you all for your help and kindness.¡±


    ¡°Of course. It is my pleasure in helping such an exquisite beauty,¡± Zhou Gongjin said. He bowed.


    Lu Na followed Sun Ren and Hen Li out of the gate.


    ¡°Exquisite beauty. You hear that? Maybe you have a chance,¡± her spirit said.


    Lu Na shook her head. The last thing she needed was to agree with her spirit, but it felt nice to hear that compliment. When the gate closed behind them, they were greeted with an oppressive darkness along a dirt road. This was another new adventure for Lu Na. She was both eager and worried. She¡¯d never been outside of the city before without her family.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Sun Ren said.

 Interlude 3 - Elder Hen鈥檚 Back-Up Plan

    Elder Hen stood atop a tall hill overlooking the western gates of Jianye. Not too far away was a gathering of his most senior disciples and another Elder from the Wintersweet Sect. They had set up a small camp at Elder Hen¡¯s directions.


    ¡°Elder Hen, are you sure they¡¯re going to go tonight?¡± Elder Xu asked. She was an older woman who looked like everyone¡¯s grandma, angry eyes and a constant scowl. But despite how she looked, she was one of the kindest people Elder Hen knew and one he trusted the most.


    ¡°My foolish child doesn¡¯t know that I have ways of monitoring him,¡± Elder Hen said. ¡°It was one condition Sect Leader Wong demanded when he allowed me to seal away Hen Li¡¯s spirit. He didn¡¯t want a powerful summoner like Hen Li to come back and attack us.¡±


    ¡°So you leashed him. That¡¯s brilliant. He can do all the work for us while we reap the rewards.¡±


    Elder Hen didn¡¯t like the way she said it but Elder Xu was right. Hen Li left their sect with one of their most prized possessions and a lot of the sect¡¯s resources. It would have been better if they killed him to prevent other sects from poaching him, but he made a promise to be a monk and not interfere with our sect. Because if he did, the seal can be undone, killing him.


    ¡°But I¡¯m not sure how well you and Sect Leader Wong thought this through,¡± Elder Xu said. ¡°The only person who can detonate the seal on him is you and Sect Leader Wong. He¡¯s currently in a catatonic state and you would never kill your own child.¡±


    ¡°I would if it was for the good of my sect,¡± Elder Hen said.


    Elder Xu smiled. It looked like crooked teeth trying to fight each other to form a line.


    ¡°No, you wouldn¡¯t. I know you. You¡¯re too soft-hearted. It¡¯s why I never had children. I knew they would one day disappoint me, as yours have.¡±


    Elder Hen sighed. He had high hopes for his son to be the next sect leader, to bring glory to their sect. But maybe Elder Xu was right. He was too soft-hearted and he raised a son just like him.


    ¡°Being soft-hearted is not a weakness,¡± Fengma, his horse spirit, said. ¡°If Hen Li wasn¡¯t soft-hearted, he would have listened to his spirit, Bifang Niao, and burned the entire sect to the ground with everyone in it. We wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything about it.¡±


    ¡°Either way, that¡¯s old news,¡± Elder Hen said. ¡°Those two ladies are trying to deceive us. How foolish. Let¡¯s remind them why our Wintersweet Sect is the strongest in the region.¡±


    ¡°Oh, are we going to capture them now?¡± Elder Xu asked.


    Elder Hen shook his head.


    ¡°These two ladies are very headstrong. Going against them directly would only cause them to run or dig in, as they have done in the past. So instead, I¡¯m going to ask our most senior disciple her opinion. Little Yoong, get over here.¡±


    Wong Yoong stalked over, still dressed in her dark blue tunic. She clasped her hand and bowed to the two elders.


    ¡°Yes, Elder Hen?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s time for you to prove that you learned your lesson from last time. What do you think we should do with those two ladies?¡±


    ¡°The one with the secret? The Lu maiden from a month ago?¡±


    Elder Hen nodded. He hoped that their senior disciple would learn from her mistakes and be better than her father. No matter her dislike for him, Elder Hen knew that Wong Yoong was going to be the next pillar of their sect. She most likely won¡¯t be chosen as the sect leader, but selected as a next generation elder is all but certain.


    ¡°I think we should confront them but in a more peaceful manner, asking if we could help them with their quest,¡± Wong Yoong said. ¡°That way, we could share whatever they find. We¡¯d make it more like a business transaction.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. You¡¯re thinking. If you did that when you first met with them instead of destroying her home, she might have agreed to come with us,¡± Elder Hen said. ¡°However, that¡¯s not what we¡¯re going to do this time around. Elder Xu, what do you think?¡±


    Elder Xu smacked her lips as if she tasted something disgusting.


    ¡°You know I would rather do it like what little Yoong wants and force them, but you have never lost against me in chess. So if I were you, I think you¡¯d follow them until they reached something interesting and then snatch it after they¡¯ve uncovered it.¡±


    ¡°That is correct. We have the element of surprise. They think we don¡¯t know. And to top it off, we have enough disciples and elders here to take on three measly people.¡±


    Wong Yoong clasped her hands and bowed.


    ¡°Elder Hen and Elder Xu are both correct. I will learn from this process and hope to improve myself.¡±


    Elder Hen placed a hand on her shoulder.


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    ¡°I know you will. You¡¯re going to be a successful elder one day and will lead our sect to greatness. But until then, try to learn from us.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± Wong Yoong said before going back to her other disciples.


    ¡°Tell me something Elder Hen, why did you need me to come with you?¡± Elder Xu asked when the disciples were out of earshot. ¡°With your strength, you could easily take on the three children. Unless you feel you wouldn¡¯t be able to deal with your son.¡±


    Elder Hen pulled Elder Xu closer.


    ¡°I trust you Xu Ming. Of all the other elders, you are the only one I trust to protect the interests of our sect. So I¡¯ll tell you this secret, but you can¡¯t tell anyone else.¡±


    Elder Xu¡¯s eyebrows perked up.


    ¡°I¡¯m dying,¡± Elder Hen said. ¡°After trying to contain Sect Leader Wong, I overspent my spirit energy. As an elder, you know better than anyone that we only have so much spirit energy before we run out and then die.¡±


    Elder Xu smacked her lips.


    ¡°You can take a few pills for that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but you know the true secret of these spirits. They¡¯re absorbing our life energy to form their techniques. And frankly, I¡¯m out. I¡¯ve been surviving on pills for the last month but they¡¯re losing their efficiency.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that. Your spirit is not giving you any leniency?¡±


    ¡°Fengma is a great spirit. He¡¯s been using his own spirit energy since last month to sustain me. But there comes a time when that won¡¯t be enough either.¡±


    ¡°That is a tough situation you¡¯re in. Is that why you¡¯ve brought all these disciples with you on one last adventure?¡±


    Elder Hen looked fondly upon all the disciples he taught over the years. Most of them were senior disciples now.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s because whatever those three children are after, it might save me. It might give me a second chance at life. If that¡¯s the case, I would need all the help I can get to take it from them. And that¡¯s the true secret.¡±


    Elder Xu cackled.


    ¡°No wonder you pulled us all out despite our sect falling into shambles. Many other elders thought you would rise and take over as sect leader. But if you¡¯re dying, then there¡¯s no point.¡±


    Elder Hen nodded.


    ¡°And of course I would never  swindle my best friend. Whatever secret we find from those three children, I will share with you. Maybe this will usher in a second golden age for our sect, one where we won¡¯t need that ancestor spirit anymore.¡±


    ¡°Oh for shame, you would disrespect our ancestor?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s more spirit than man. His only concerns are for the spirits. I would rather concern myself with humans and preserve our sect for many generations to come.¡±


    Elder Xu cackled again.


    ¡°For once I am glad I have stuck with you all these years. I¡¯ll gladly give it my all to see our sect rise to be the country¡¯s top summoner sect.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of that, what do you think those other summoner sects are going to do? By now, they should have felt that phoenix spirit pulse and are converging onto Jianye as we speak.¡±


    ¡°That trash? Even at our weakest right now, our sect can take care of them all with no problems.¡±


    ¡°But what if they unite against us once we have the treasure?¡±


    ¡°Who cares? Even if they destroy our Wintersweet Sect, we can reform the sect with our senior disciples here. All those other Elders are only after their own interests and never cared about the sect. And Sect Leader Wong will pass on from the attack. No loss there.¡±


    Elder Hen looked over at Wong Yoong. He only felt a little grief at orphaning her, but the man did it to himself. Besides, he doubted Little Yoong would be disappointed from being promoted to an Elder in the newly formed Wintersweet Sect.


    ¡°Hopefully, this treasure is as strong as we can imagine. Otherwise, we would have walked upon this path for nothing.¡±


    Elder Xu stretched her back and straightened up. She was taller than Elder Hen.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure of it. I remember the cackling phoenix spirit energy coming from the fight. If that was only a shadow of what the actual treasure could do, then there is no doubt we would destroy every other sect from root to stem.¡±


    Elder Hen chuckled.


    ¡°Sometimes I worry about your insatiable bloodlust. It was probably a good thing you didn¡¯t have any kids.¡±


    Elder Xu looked toward her senior disciples.


    ¡°Who needs kids when I can mold other people¡¯s kids into monsters?¡±


    ¡°Just don¡¯t forget about me when you are ruling the world. All I¡¯m asking for is a peaceful little corner where I can tend to my gardens.¡±


    Elder Xu cackled.


    ¡°If the treasure can restore your life, we might also restore our youth. Then maybe we can revisit having kids again, you and I.¡±


    It took a lot to make Elder Hen blush, but that did it. He remembered Elder Xu in her youth and all the things she¡¯s done since then.


    ¡°Maybe it will help you get over your son,¡± Elder Xu said.


    It was Elder Hen¡¯s turn to laugh.


    ¡°That is how I know you¡¯re not ready for motherhood. Having more kids doesn''t make you forget the ones you already have. It just adds to your burden as a parent.¡±


    Elder Xu placed a hand on Elder Hen¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Oh my dear Shimin, you¡¯re over thinking things. Even if we regained our youth with that treasure, we¡¯d be spending most of it on improving the sect. That never changes for people like us.¡±


    ¡°People who care so much about leaving a legacy behind?¡±


    Elder Xu smiled her crooked smile.


    ¡°No silly. To gain power and influence so that others cower in front of us. I¡¯m going to stop teasing you and tell the disciples to get ready to move.¡±


    As Elder Xu walked away, Elder Hen paused to consider what his true motives were. Was it as Elder Xu said and that he was mostly cultivating so he could gain power? If it was, then he would be no better than the other Elders in the sect.


    No, power could be measured in other ways. Everyone always remembers the first ancestor that started the sect or other strong people within the sect that made a name for themselves throughout the generations. However, he had always played it safe and made sure to put the sect ahead of himself.


    This time, with such a powerful treasure so close at hand, he would use it to make his mark not only on this sect, but the world. No longer was he going to die a miserable, unknown death, achieving nothing. This time, he¡¯s going to go all in no matter the cost.


    When he told Elder Xu that he brought them because he feared that he was too weak. In reality, it was because they were all fodder for his next steps to greatness. Now all he had to do was discipline his son.

 Chapter 38 - Bonding with Lu Na鈥檚 spirit

    Luckily, Lu Na had prepared a few of her light wards before she left. With the null metal, she could make them brighter and last longer than the previous ones. She gave one to Sun Ren and Hen Li.


    Hen Li attached his to his staff. Before they all left, he had purchased three staves for them to use in their travels. Lu Na was glad as it made walking on uneven ground easier.


    ¡°How long do you think it will take us to get there?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°If we walked straight there and only stopped to sleep, we could make it there in five days,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°That¡¯s if nothing gets in our way,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°Because of the current state of the country, we¡¯re more likely to encounter many issues along the way. Instead, I¡¯ve plotted out a way to avoid any major issues that the Sun Family scouts have reported.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s convenient,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Except it will take us at least thirteen days to reach the location on the map. And traveling on the road is never a guarantee.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. If it¡¯s our fate, then it¡¯s our fate. Let¡¯s try our best to get there,¡± Hen Li said.


    The trio didn¡¯t walk too far from the city before stopping for the night. They had walked to a nearby village and found a place to stay.


    The next morning, they changed their clothes. The last thing they needed was people recognizing them in the Sun family red tunics or the gray robe of a Buddhist monk.


    Lu Na wore a plain hemp tunic like the one she got from the blacksmith¡¯s wife. Except this one was better made and not itchy. She kept her hair tied in a basic braid instead of the elaborate one made by her maids.


    Sun Ren wore a man¡¯s brown tunic and black pants. She tied her hair up into a bun, mimicking men¡¯s hair, and covered it with a red scarf.


    Hen Li¡¯s transformation was the most drastic. They tied his hair up in a bun and tied it back with a black scarf. He wore a cream robe and shaved off all his facial hair. He put away his Buddhist prayer beads.


    ¡°I think this should be enough to confuse anyone,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll say. The brawny monk went from wholesome beggar to young prince,¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit said.


    ¡°Yeah, Hen Li looks like a rich noble. I look like his maid and you look like his bodyguard,¡± Lu Na said.


    Traveling with Sun Ren and Hen Li reminded Lu Na how different they were to her. First, she wasn¡¯t used to the pace they set. They could walk so far and so fast that Lu Na had trouble keeping up. After stopping for the third time that morning, she had to ask.


    ¡°How are you two not tired?¡± Lu Na sat down on a flat rock as the other two leaned against a tree. Her legs were burning from all the walking and she noticed that the city of Jianye wasn¡¯t that far behind them. She could still see the walls.


    ¡°I¡¯m used to marching with my father during his drills,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°I¡¯ve been training all my life to match my brothers.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe your father would train you like that,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t. I did.¡±


    ¡°Then what about you monk? You only just got out of jail. Shouldn¡¯t your body be tired?¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. I¡¯ve been leaning on my spirit to give me the energy,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°But that¡¯s cheating. My spirit only makes jokes at my expense,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Jokes? No child, they¡¯re all truths,¡± her spirit said. ¡°Like how you walk funny when you¡¯re tired. These two might as well purchase a wheelbarrow and carry you to the labyrinth.¡±


    Hen Li smiled.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s time to teach you your first lesson as a summoner.¡±


    Lu Na perked up.


    ¡°Seriously? You¡¯re going to teach me summoner arts?¡±


    ¡°Yes, now would be the best time to start before we go farther from the city.¡± Sun Ren pulled out her dagger. ¡°It¡¯ll only get more dangerous. I¡¯ll go get lunch then, as you teach her.¡±


    ¡°First, Lu Na, I realized you don¡¯t know the name of your spirit despite speaking to her this whole time,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°She tried to tell me, but she couldn¡¯t,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°That¡¯s normal for legacy bindings. Normally, your mother would have formed some sort of pact with your spirit to do certain things for you and you would grow into its power. So I doubt you formed any pact with your spirit. Isn¡¯t that right, spirit?¡±


    ¡°Her mother left not too long after our binding,¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit said.


    ¡°Then are you willing to form a bond with her?¡± Hen Li asked.


    ¡°A little scrawny compared to my beautiful figure, but I guess she¡¯s alright.¡±


    ¡°Then, spirit, what are you willing to accept for the pact?¡±


    Lu Na heard her spirit hiss. She felt her spirit¡¯s excitement.


    ¡°Monk, are you sure you want me to bond with Lu Na? Her mother wouldn¡¯t like that.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Lu Na asked. ¡°What does she have anything to do with this?¡±


    ¡°Your mother asked me to protect you and to never hurt you. You know that bonding with you goes against that,¡± her spirit said.


    ¡°Are you talking about the secret of the spirits?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Yes. The monk knows about it, too.¡±


    Hen Li nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s how I got this white hair. My former spirit, Bifang Niao, absorbed so much of my life force that I fear I only have a few more years of life left.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you still using a spirit?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Are you talking about my Panhu? He¡¯s a sweet spirit. He only uses the ambient spirit energy leaking from my Bifang Niao. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll still live long enough to teach you the summoner arts. I can teach you not to overextend your spirit and harm yourself.¡±


    ¡°Will this help me get stronger?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Not only that, the summoner sects teach their disciples on how to use their spirit energy more efficiently.¡±


    ¡°What do I need to do?¡± Lu Na needed to get stronger if she wanted to face another danger like that senior disciple from the Wintersweet Sect.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Then I need your blood,¡± her spirit said.


    ¡°You want my blood?¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Not much, just a drop. For now, anyway. If I take anything else from your scrawny body, you¡¯ll probably collapse. Let¡¯s start small.¡±


    Hen Li bowed his head.


    ¡°Amituofo, your spirit is wise. There are many other spirits that require a greater sacrifice for their bonds.¡±


    Lu Na took out her dagger.


    ¡°What did you sacrifice?¡±


    Hen Li smiled.


    ¡°You don¡¯t ask a summoner that,¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit said. ¡°It¡¯s very private, like asking to see them naked. Although I wouldn¡¯t mind if it was the brawny monk.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s okay. I can tell you since you¡¯re going to be my disciple. What I sacrificed was my heart.¡±


    ¡°What? How are you still alive?¡±


    ¡°Bifang Niao is my heart now. He keeps it beating.¡±


    ¡°So if I give my spirit my blood, does that mean she will be inside it?


    ¡°Not literally. But the bond will be strengthened through your blood. You¡¯re lucky. It usually takes being bonded with your spirit for a while before they tell you exactly what they want.¡±


    ¡°Okay, what do I do now? Do I prick my finger and give her blood? How does it work?¡± Lu Na held the dagger¡¯s point to her finger.


    ¡°Spirit, are you ready to receive your offering?¡± Hen Li asked.


    ¡°Yessssss.¡±


    Lu Na felt a tugging inside her chest. She saw a black tentacle of spirit energy come out of her chest. She pricked her finger with the dagger and let a single drop of blood fall onto the tentacle of spirit energy. The tentacle wrapped the drop of blood in black spirit energy. It turned the blood black before disappearing back inside Lu Na¡¯s chest.


    The world suddenly changed.


    The smells of the trail suddenly rushed into her nose. Lu Na could smell the very dirt on the ground as if it was pushed in her face. The quiet birds chirping before suddenly became loud in her ears as if they were roosters crowing in the morning. The world became a rush of vibrant colors. The trees were already filled with the changing leaves as Autumn came to a close, but now she saw each leaf almost as if they were painted with a brush.


    That lasted only a few seconds before everything faded.


    Lu Na gasped for air. She hadn¡¯t noticed she had stopped breathing. She rubbed her nose, trying to get the smell of dirt out of it, but there was nothing there.


    ¡°How was it?¡± Hen Li asked. ¡°When I first bonded with Bifang Niao, he took me up into the sky. I was soaring above the clouds and could feel the absolute freedom, the power of being a god. It¡¯s something I¡¯ll never forget.¡±


    ¡°That was intense. Everything suddenly came into view like I¡¯ve never experienced before,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°And it only gets better from there. With enough practice, you can continue having that feeling.¡±


    ¡°Is that why summoners do it? To get that feeling again?¡±


    ¡°Amituofo, some yes,¡± Hen Li looked grim. ¡°You must promise me to not chase that high. So many of my fellow disciples resorted to drugs and other illegal practices to feel it again. They ended up dead after only a few years.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about that,¡± Lu Na¡¯s spirit said. ¡°I¡¯m old enough to know how to take care of my summoners. I want this one to live a very long life, at least until her mother gives me what she promised.¡±


    ¡°Now we get to skip the part where we wait until your spirit matures before they talk with you,¡± Hen Li said. ¡°Spirit, would you be so kind as to tell her what your name is?¡±


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re ready for this, child. My name is Nugua.¡±


    ¡°Is that name supposed to mean something?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I couldn¡¯t hear her name as I¡¯m not bonded with her. What did she say it was?¡± Hen Li asked.


    ¡°She said her name is Nugua.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo.¡± Hen Li shook his head. ¡°Your mother plays with forces that would make the emperor cry. Are you sure she said Nugua?¡±


    ¡°Spirit?¡±


    ¡°Say my name.¡±


    ¡°Nugua?¡± Lu Na felt another jolt in her chest. She dropped the dagger.


    ¡°Lu Na?¡± Hen Li asked.


    Lu Na blacked out and felt herself dragged away into her spirit realm. She felt it once before, so knew what was happening.


    Once within her spirit realm, she saw the same grass and waterfall as before. Her spirit showed up again, still half snake, half woman. But this time, her face wasn¡¯t that of her mothers. The woman¡¯s face was one that looked like one of those paintings of famous, beautiful women that her father had hanging.


    ¡°Nugua?¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Who else? Were you expecting your mother again?¡± Nugua slithered over the grass toward her. The jade beads that made up her outfit jingled with every movement. The sun reflected off the many pieces of metal on her body.


    Lu Na took in a sharp breath.


    Nugua smelled like blood.


    ¡°That was delicious, to taste young blood again.¡± Nugua licked her lips, showing off her sharp teeth. Blood stained them. ¡°I¡¯m so glad you bonded with me.¡±


    ¡°Does this mean you¡¯re eating my life force now?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Nugua thrust her hand out in front of Lu Na¡¯s face. Her claws were inches away.


    Lu Na didn¡¯t flinch.


    ¡°No, child. I¡¯m not eating your life force,¡± Nugua said. ¡°Unlike all those summoners out there, your mother truly prepared a great bounty for you. She left me a small mountain of her spirit energy for me to munch on while I bonded with you.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re eating her life force?¡±


    Nugua slid around Lu Na, looking her up and down.


    ¡°I guess I can finally tell you her secret. It¡¯s only fair, as we¡¯re on our way to find her. You¡¯ll find out, eventually. Your mother is a monster, even among spirits. She and her phoenix spirit devour other spirits in order to fuel their own spirit energy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nothing new. Uncle Chen told me that there are spirits that do that. What makes my mother a monster?¡±


    Nugua stopped in front of Lu Na, smiling widely. Each of her teeth were sharpened to a point.


    ¡°Your mother doesn¡¯t stop with the spirit. She also eats the life force of the person as well. That¡¯s why I warned you earlier about trying to find her. Even if you do, she¡¯ll be the pariah of both humans and spirits when it¡¯s discovered.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you working with her?¡±


    Nugua touched Lu Na¡¯s chin. Her smooth skin felt human, but it was very cold.


    ¡°Your mother could have devoured me and she tried. But I gave her an alternative. I told her about the labyrinth that you¡¯re headed toward. It¡¯s got immense power that she wouldn¡¯t ever need to devour another human again. And of course she made me an offer I couldn¡¯t refuse in exchange for bonding with you and guiding you.¡±


    Nugua took a few steps back, stretched her arms into the sky, and leaned back against her snake tail as if it were a chair.


    ¡°Your mother promised me my kingdom within the Spirit Realm. Do you know what that means?¡±


    Lu Na shook her head.


    ¡°True immortality. I won¡¯t have to fear being devoured or worse, being enslaved in the Spirit Realm. Did you know that those without power that go back to the Spirit Realm from here are no better than slaves? It¡¯s why so many spirits would rather risk being devoured in the human realm than go back.¡±


    ¡°How do you know my mother will keep her promise and not devour you afterwards?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Nugua sprang forward. She wrapped her entire body around Lu Na in an instant and squeezed.


    It wasn¡¯t a tight squeeze, but Lu Na could feel her insides start pushing inward.


    ¡°Two reasons. One, she bonded me with her dear daughter. If she doesn''t give me what I want, I¡¯ll devour you myself.¡± Nugua was so close now the smell of blood was overpowering. ¡°The other reason is because she gave me enough spirit energy that I could form my kingdom in the Spirit Realm without her. I¡¯m not a fool. I already got paid in full. Your father would appreciate that.¡±


    Lu Na nodded. She couldn¡¯t breathe.


    Nugua released her. She patted Lu Na on the head as she coughed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry child, you¡¯ll be fine as long as you listen to me. And you should be so lucky that I¡¯m such an experienced spirit. Normally, when you get pulled in by a spirit like this, you only get incoherent messages from them. Unless, of course, you¡¯re bonded with something as strong as the Bifang Niao. So go back out there to your new sifu and learn as much as you can. Maybe you¡¯ll even be a decent summoner.¡±


    Lu Na was thrown out of her spirit realm. When she woke up, she was still coughing.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Hen Li asked.


    Lu Na drank some water, hoping it would calm her. Her whole body was still shaking.


    ¡°Sorry I didn¡¯t warn you. Normally, most beginners only get a small introduction to their spirit and they come right back out. I hope she told you what you needed to know about your bond.¡±


    Lu Na nodded, rubbing her own chest. Nugua surely told her what she needed to know. She couldn¡¯t tell anyone about her mother being such a monster but more importantly, she remembered what her mother told her: not to trust Nugua.


    Yet that was a hard thing to do. How could she not trust the very spirit that lived within her? Did she have to seal her away like what Hen Li did?


    Without Nugua, Lu Na was powerless. Her wards were strong, but limited. She needed Nugua to help direct and shape her wards. She would work with Nugua for now until she found her mother. Then maybe her mother could help her.

 Chapter 39 - Learning to be a Summoner on the Run

    That night, Lu Na couldn¡¯t sleep. They had traveled farther away than any village that was close to Jianye. They couldn¡¯t see the walls of the city anymore. This was the farthest away she¡¯d ever traveled, yet it wasn¡¯t the reason she couldn¡¯t sleep.


    The dirt floor didn¡¯t help.


    Lu Na stared at the moon. She couldn¡¯t believe that it was another full moon. The last one almost got her killed, but the Wintersweet ancestor didn¡¯t give her as many chills as her own spirit. Had she had that within her this whole time?


    ¡°Can¡¯t sleep?¡± Sun Ren asked. She was taking the second watch, sitting atop a large tree root. She was carving a figurine from a piece of wood.


    ¡°No,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°I have a question for you, but I¡¯m not sure how to phrase it so I don¡¯t sound crazy.¡±


    Sun Ren stopped and stared at Lu Na.


    ¡°After dealing with the Wintersweet Sect, I would never think that. You went through a lot.¡±


    ¡°My spirit told me a secret about our bond because of my mother. And she scares me.¡± Lu Na gripped her chest, still feeling her heart beating fast.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I can speak much about this, but I also had a scary introduction to my Baihu. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard about the nine-tailed fox? That¡¯s what she is. And they¡¯re very strong so when we bonded for the first time, I peed myself.¡± Sun Ren chuckled. ¡°You see it¡¯s all cute now, but her true form in my spirit realm looked like a beast with nine tails and sharp teeth that could rip me to shreds.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you ever afraid Baihu might hurt you one day?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Sun Ren patted her own chest.


    ¡°I know what you mean. There¡¯s that fear that our spirits could turn on us and eat us inside out. Yet, after all my years with Baihu, I know that we have built a bond and trust between each other. We share goals, share ideas, and more importantly, Baihu knows that I¡¯m the master of my body. Without me, she would be nothing more than a feral spirit, doomed to roam the earth forever alone.¡±


    ¡°But I thought they went back to the Spirit Realm.¡±


    ¡°They could, but why? Baihu told me it was so boring there. It¡¯s why they bonded with us. They need a purpose.¡±


    ¡°So no fear?¡±


    Sun Ren sat down beside Lu Na.


    ¡°Anyone that has practiced summoner arts would never say no fear. But it¡¯s more like an optimistic hope. Because if not, what else can we do? They¡¯re already bonded to us.¡±


    Lu Na nodded, but she knew that wasn¡¯t the case. If her spirit, Nugua, could unbond from someone and live for thousands of years before bonding with her, then it¡¯s possible to be rid of them.


    ¡°Then what if there was a way to be rid of all the spirits in the world?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°If we didn¡¯t have these spirits, then many people would suffer. They make our lives so much better. But if we didn¡¯t have spirits anymore, then at least we wouldn¡¯t have to fear powerful summoner sects.¡±


    Lu Na thought about that as she slept. Was there a way to be rid of all spirits? Was the artifact her mother was seeking something powerful enough to do that? And if it was, would she use it?


    The next day, Lu Na woke up with a start. Sun Ren had stayed up all night instead of waking Lu Na for the third watch.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wake me afterwards, Sun Ren?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°You seemed like you needed the break after bonding with your spirit. Besides, if Hen Li is as strict as my sifu, you¡¯re about to have a hard day. Think of it as my gift to you.¡± Sun Ren got up and dusted off her clothes. The hemp tunics weren¡¯t as fashionable, but they were sturdier as they traveled.


    ¡°Amituofo, I hope you had a good night¡¯s sleep,¡± Hen Li said.


    Lu Na stretched, hoping to get as much of the tightness out.


    ¡°Good morning Hen Li,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°I think you should call him sifu,¡± Sun Ren said. She kicked a bunch of dirt into the campfire until it was extinguished.


    ¡°Sifu? That might be too early,¡± Hen Li said. ¡°I¡¯m not qualified to be her sifu yet, but I am more than happy to teach her about the summoner arts. Besides, if Lu Na were to be my disciple, she would be a disciple of Buddhism, not of summoner arts.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m ready to shave my head or stick to a vegetarian diet,¡± Lu Na said. She wondered what her father would have said about that. While he revered Buddhists, she wasn¡¯t sure if he would approve of her becoming a nun. It would strip him of any opportunity to marry her off otherwise.


    ¡°Anyway, starting today I will attempt to teach you about the summoner arts,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°Should I step away from this?¡± Sun Ren asked. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want you to share any secrets that will get the Wintersweet Sect after me again.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. No, I¡¯m not planning on teaching Lu Na any of the secrets from my former sect. It was one condition we made so that they would leave me alone. But there are those general summoner arts all sects teach their disciples and that¡¯s where we will start.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. I enjoy starting from the bottom,¡± Lu Na said. Hopefully, it wouldn¡¯t be as bad as Sun Ren mentioned.


    ¡°Not like you have a choice, Na Na. At the moment, you¡¯re weaker than a newly bonded child in any of the summoner sects,¡± Nugua said.


    ¡°Ah, your venerable spirit has joined us,¡± Hen Li said. He pressed his palms together and bowed toward Lu Na.


    ¡°Why are you bowing?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Amituofo. Your spirit is an ancient being. One that was on this earth when the venerable Buddha was alive, spreading his dharma. I¡¯m sure your spirit has the wisdom of the ancients.¡±


    ¡°Wait, so you can hear Lu Na¡¯s spirit?¡± Sun Ren asked. She was packing up the rest of their items. ¡°Can you hear mine?¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t mention this earlier. But yes, I can hear Lu Na¡¯s, but not yours. It¡¯s most likely because Lu Na¡¯s spirit is both untrained yet powerful.¡±


    ¡°Hah, hear that Nugua? You¡¯re untrained like a bad dog. All you know to do is bark without knowing your place,¡± Lu Na said. It felt good to be the snarky one for once.


    ¡°With enough practice, you¡¯ll be able to make it so that only you can hear her words,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°Awww, but then I wouldn¡¯t be able to converse with the brawny monk. I especially like it when little Na Na stares at him as he sleeps.¡±


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°I don¡¯t do that!¡± Lu Na said. Well, she did last night because Lu Na was debating on whether to tell Hen Li everything Nugua told her. She didn¡¯t because she wasn¡¯t sure if Hen Li could do anything to help.


    ¡°Amituofo, let the sins pass. I¡¯m certain you weren¡¯t, but I want to reiterate that I¡¯m on the path of the Buddha. Worldly desires and emotions need to be beyond me.¡± Hen Li picked up his pack and started walking away.


    Sun Ren followed behind.


    This was going to be a long journey to the labyrinth.


    They had walked toward the Yangtze river. There was a fishing village not too far away. It was already midday and the sun was over their heads.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see if we can find some lodgings for tonight, Sun Ren said. ¡°We should rest up as much as we can before we get further along. I have a feeling that Lu Na won¡¯t be able to keep up so easily.¡±


    Lu Na wanted to refute that, but the long walk they¡¯ve had since the morning was already killing her. Her feet hurt and her back was tired from carrying all her supplies.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Are you ready for your first lesson?¡± Hen Li asked.


    Lu Na nodded.


    ¡°Then, since you¡¯re a little ahead of most beginner summoners, we¡¯ll start with something more advanced. We are going to manifest your spirit.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if we should. She¡¯s mean and ugly,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s uncalled for. I¡¯m a little mean, but definitely not ugly. But since you¡¯re so tired, I¡¯ll forgive you. I know how mean you can be.¡±


    Hen Li stopped underneath the shade of a tall tree.


    Lu Na dropped onto the ground, right against the tree. She didn¡¯t care that she felt something wet underneath her when she sat down. Her legs were burning.


    ¡°It gets easier, I promise,¡± Hen Li said. ¡°You just need some more practice.¡±


    ¡°You mean practice walking? I¡¯ve walked a lot before, but never this much.¡± Lu Na took a long drink from her waterskin.


    ¡°Well, if you manifest your spirit, then you could call upon your spirit to strengthen your body and soothe your fatigue.¡±


    ¡°Nugua, can you do that?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Of course Na Na. I¡¯ve already told you, there is so much I can do that you don¡¯t know,¡± Nugua said.


    ¡°Then why haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve never asked. Besides, we¡¯ve only just bonded. I can¡¯t read your thoughts, you know.¡±


    Lu Na wanted to throw the water skin at Nugua. She calmed herself with a deep breath. She massaged her legs, trying to get the blood running through them again.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Nugua. I¡¯ll be nicer. Can you please help me?¡±


    ¡°I will if you manifest me. It¡¯s been ages since I¡¯ve been in the human realm.¡±


    Lu Na looked up at Hen Li who smiled.


    ¡°Amituofo, it¡¯s great to see both spirit and human have a cordial relationship. That¡¯s actually the first lesson. You two need to get along better.¡±


    ¡°We get along fine when we¡¯re not walking for hours without stop,¡± Lu Na said. She laid her head against the tree and closed her eyes.


    ¡°Then look carefully.¡± Hen Li said.


    Lu Na forced her eyes open.


    Hen Li clenched his left fist and a five colored hound appeared beside him. It had the face of a puppy with the body of a large dog. Its body had long rainbow streaks going through it all the way to its tail, which was as white as Hen Li¡¯s hair.


    Lu Na had seen Hen Li summon his spirit before, but it was never this close. For a moment, while his hands glowed, she saw it was another technique that a summoner used.


    ¡°It¡¯s that simple,¡± Hen Li said. ¡°Now that you¡¯re bonded, all it requires is your will power and picturing your spirit as you summon her. Use your left fist as a signal for your spirit that you want to summon her.¡±


    Lu Na clenched her left fist and pictured her spirit in her mind. She closed her eyes to focus. Nugua was this grotesque monster with claws, fangs, a snake bottom half, and really old jade beads covering her body. She wanted her to come out, to finally control her, and be useful for once.


    Nothing happened.


    Lu Na opened her eyes to Hen Li silently chuckling. His five colored hound was gone.


    ¡°Amituofo, I apologize Lu Na. But you look like you were constipated as you were trying to summon your spirit,¡± Hen Li said. ¡°You don¡¯t have to push or anything. You should try to reach out to your spirit through your bond.¡±


    ¡°I feel nothing,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s odd. I would have thought it would be easier for you since your spirit has been talking with you for a few years already. When I first summoned, Bifang Niao came right away for me.¡±


    ¡°So what do I do now?¡±


    Hen Li looked Lu Na up and down.


    ¡°Your spirit can easily be as strong as Bifang Niao when I first bonded with him. Yet it doesn¡¯t seem like you can access your spirit.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because Lu Na is too weak,¡± Nugua said. She stirred within Lu Na¡¯s spirit realm. It felt like rattling in her chest. ¡°All my power comes from somewhere else. Whereas Lu Na¡¯s natural abilities would never have made her a summoner.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about Nugua?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°To make it simple, on a scale from one to ten, the brawny monk is a nine. He¡¯s a genius. Sun Ren is a seven, only because she¡¯s brilliant and hardworking. You are a two. There are children in summoner sects stronger than you.¡±


    ¡°So is that it, then? I can¡¯t ever be a summoner?¡±


    ¡°Amituofo, that is not true,¡± Hen Li said. ¡°Even in summoner sects, there are those born with a lower ability. Yet they¡¯re still able to become summoners. It will take longer.¡±


    Nugua laughed in hisses.


    ¡°For Lu Na, it will take her the rest of her life to ever reach the pinnacle of stage two and that¡¯s only if she practices every day.¡±


    ¡°Stages, levels, none of this means anything to me,¡± Lu Na said.


    Before Hen Li could respond, Sun Ren had come back.


    ¡°We have to go now. It appears we¡¯re being followed,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°How? We left in the middle of the night. We didn¡¯t tell anyone where we were going,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I did a quick survey of the area on my way to the village and noticed a few people on our trail.¡±


    ¡°Maybe they¡¯re going the same way we are.¡±


    ¡°I hope so. But to be safe, we¡¯re going to have to take a short ferry over the river and go a different route on the other side.¡±


    Lu Na¡¯s stomach dropped.


    ¡°Does that mean we¡¯ll have to sleep on the ground again?¡±


    Sun Ren nodded.


    Lu Na was still trying to rub that one spot on her back that ached and the constant walking didn¡¯t help.


    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s do it. I¡¯ll try to keep up.¡±


    The trio picked up their pace to reach the small village on the Yangtze River. They restocked on a few essentials before moving on. After paying the ferryman, they crossed without issue.


    Once they reached the other side, Lu Na¡¯s legs were locking up. They took a minor break in a clearing.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the plan. We¡¯re going to take a more dangerous route directly to Lujiang,¡± Sun Ren said. She was looking at the people crossing on the ferry. ¡°If they¡¯re following us, they will come that way too. We can lose them in the forest not too far from here.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. I¡¯ve been this way before. I would not suggest going that way,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°I know about the myths about the forest, but we don¡¯t have a choice. If these people are following us, then we have to lose them before they realize we know. Maybe the danger of the forest is enough to keep them away.¡±


    ¡°Who could be following us?¡± Lu Na rubbed her legs, trying to get them to work again. The brief break reminded them they needed rest.


    Sun Ren eyed Hen Li.


    ¡°It¡¯s most likely the Wintersweet Sect again. They most likely have spies within the Lu compound and have been following us ever since we left. That¡¯s what I would do.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s in that forest? Why is it so dangerous?¡±


    ¡°Amitoufo. The forest is a legendary boundary between our human realm and the Spirit Realm. It contains a multitude of powerful spirits that have transcended the human realm.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a forest with a lot of feral spirits that can rip a man limb from limb without hesitation,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°It¡¯s not a magical place. It¡¯s just where they all gathered, like a monster¡¯s den.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s where we are headed?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Only for a little bit. My father¡¯s army has explored the area before so I know of a few routes that should be safe.¡±


    ¡°And if they aren¡¯t?¡±


    Sun Ren smirked.


    ¡°That¡¯s what the monk is for.¡±


    Lu Na wanted to argue against that, but Sun Ren was right. They had little to fear with Hen Li around. The fight between him and the senior disciple from the Wintersweet Sect was still fresh in her mind. They should be fine then, right?

 Chapter 40 - Forest of Spirits

    Lu Na hated when Sun Ren was right. They were being followed and it didn¡¯t take long before they saw the familiar dark blue tunics of the senior Wintersweet Sect disciples. Two elders of the sect, dressed in dark purple, led them. Luckily, they were still at a distance, but they were no longer hiding.


    ¡°How did they find us?¡± Lu Na asked. She rode atop Panhu, Hen Li¡¯s spirit. It was like riding on a fast horse, wrapped in a rainbow. Apparently, the hound spirit¡¯s five colors shimmered in spirit energy all around it as it moved.


    ¡°Somebody in the Lu compound must be spying for them,¡± Sun Ren said. She was jogging alongside the spirit. ¡°In either case, we¡¯ll lose them in the forest. But stay close. There have been reports of people being lost within.¡±


    Hen Li was the one that had the greatest burden. He carried all their packs as he kept up with them. Yet the brawny monk didn¡¯t look tired at all.


    Up ahead was the mythical forest that they mentioned before. The trees were thick and the branches reached to the sky. Despite it being late afternoon with the sun ahead of them to the west, the forest floor itself was dark.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like the look of that forest,¡± Nugua said.


    ¡°Do you have an alternative, Nugua?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°No, but it¡¯s reminding me of something. Tell Sun Ren to go through it as fast as she can.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo, it will be fine spirit,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°Well, if brawny monk says so, then I¡¯ll believe him.¡±


    Lu Na groaned. She thought after bonding with Nugua she might take up more of her traits and be more decent minded. That¡¯s what both Sun Ren and Hen Li said. Their spirits adapted to their personalities. But Lu Na felt she was the one getting the mixed feelings whenever Nugua said anything indecent.


    When they entered the forest, something tickled the back of Lu Na¡¯s neck. She rubbed her neck to find nothing there. The dark forest created shadows everywhere. The only odd thing to Lu Na was that she didn¡¯t hear any animals. Through their travel so far, she¡¯s heard birds flitting everywhere and the occasional roar from a bear or tiger off in the distance. But here it was silent.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°You¡¯ll get used to the feeling. We¡¯ve crossed the border and entered the Forest of the Spirits. We¡¯ll get out of it soon enough.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. It¡¯s the concentrated spirit energy from the feral spirits that makes you feel that way,¡± Hen Li said.


    Spirit energy? The closest thing to this feeling was when she was in the Wintersweet Sect. That place was swimming in it, yet it didn¡¯t feel so suffocating.


    ¡°Nugua, can I use your spirit energy technique?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t suggest doing it for longer than a few seconds. Otherwise you¡¯ll go blind,¡± Nugua said.


    Lu Na reached for Nugua¡¯s technique. The entire forest lit up with bright colors. This time, she turned it down herself after learning how from Nugua. It was beautiful. She saw colors swirling all around her that mixed with Panhu¡¯s own colors. She saw the trees soaking up the spirit energy and watched as it swirled all around. It was a very pleasant sight.


    Until she saw the large bear spirit right in front of them. It was as tall as the tallest trees, but it was lying on its stomach with its mouth open.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Lu Na yelled.


    Hen Li and Sun Ren stopped their jog.


    But Lu Na wasn¡¯t stopping. Panhu kept pushing forward.


    ¡°Hen Li, make him stop!¡± Lu Na grabbed onto the spirit as it ran faster toward the large bear spirit¡¯s mouth. But wait, maybe she should let go instead?


    Before she completed her thought, Panhu disappeared below her. Lu Na pitched forward into the dirt. She shrunk as much as she could, protecting her head as she rolled forward. It took a while to stop and all she could feel were the rocks that she had the misfortune of meeting with her body.


    A large drop of water hit her back, completely soaking her tunic.


    Lu Na looked up to see the colossal bear¡¯s mouth coming down upon her. Not again, not again! She spent enough time in the Wintersweet Ancestor¡¯s mouth. She didn¡¯t need to spend any more time in another spirit¡¯s mouth or worse, their stomach.


    Lu Na pushed herself up and made a mad dash away from the bear¡¯s mouth. It was just outside the bear¡¯s reach as it chomped down on air. She crawled away on her hands and knees, pulling herself as hard as she could on the same rocks she rolled over and the tree branches in her reach.


    The bear spirit made the first sound she had heard in the forest. It was a low grumble and the grinding of teeth. It opened its mouth again and shifted toward Lu Na.


    Lu Na flipped herself over and took out a spirit wall ward. She tugged the string and threw it in front of her. A spirit wall sprang up in front of her. She breathed a sigh of relief.


    Except the wall didn¡¯t expand as she programmed it to. Instead of making a long wall that would have blocked the bear spirit¡¯s face, it was only the size of a kite.


    ¡°Nugua, what did you do? Why is it so small?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    The bear spirit didn¡¯t allow a response as it thrust its face at Lu Na. It collided with the spirit wall, stopping it right at the nose. It didn¡¯t last long as the spirit wall cracked and then collapsed.


    Lu Na took out two more spirit walls and activated them. These two used the null metal as batteries to power them. One of them created the same kite size wall that pushed against the bear spirit¡¯s nose, stopping it without breaking. The other created a wider wall around Lu Na.


    The bear spirit¡¯s claws crashed into it a second later, shifting the entire ground and pushing Lu Na back.


    Before the bear could strike Lu Na again, Hen Li stopped it with his staff.


    ¡°Amituofo, great bear spirit, please stop,¡± Hen Li said.


    The bear spirit pulled its paws back and sat back on its haunches.


    ¡°Intruders, how dare you enter the Forest of the Spirits.¡± Its voice was deeper than anything Lu Na ever heard before. ¡°Leave.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo, I apologize for intruding. We were just passing through. If you let us pass, we will be out of the forest as quickly as we can.¡±


    Sun Ren tried to help Lu Na up, but she couldn¡¯t move her. So instead, she sat her against a tree.


    ¡°Is anything broken?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    Lu Na closed her eyes and did a quick inventory of her body. She wiggled her toes and lifted her legs up a little, but her hips stung too much to move it. Her arms felt fine though, although she knew they were going to be bruised. Nothing wrong with her chest or stomach.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°But my hips hurt too much to move right now.¡±


    ¡°Drink this.¡± Sun Ren took out a small bottle.


    Lu Na opened the top and a strong herbal smell came out. It smelled a little sour. When she drank it, she almost gagged. It didn¡¯t just smell sour, but tasted like badly fermented fruit. She held her breath and drank the whole thing.


    ¡°That¡¯s some spiritual medicine that should allow your spirit to help you heal. When you can, we¡¯re going to have to run. That bear spirit will kill us if we don¡¯t. Got it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°If not, use your spirit walls to stall it as much as they can. Hopefully, the monk can protect us.¡±


    Hen Li was still bargaining with the large bear spirit. It would have been comical to watch as he argued with a bear the size of a small mountain if the bear didn¡¯t look angrier as it spoke with him. Its paws were easily taller than Hen Li.


    Lu Na felt a trembling within her own spirit realm.


    ¡°That was close. Sun Ren¡¯s medicine is allowing me to fix your biggest problems. You will walk in a few minutes. You were lucky.¡±


    ¡°What happened to my spirit wall Nugua? I thought I made it to expand around me.¡±


    ¡°I had to change it because the bear was too powerful for your ward. If I didn¡¯t focus it the way I did, it would have torn you in half.¡±


    Lu Na felt the trembling again. She placed her hand on her chest.


    ¡°Thank you Nugua, for saving me again.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t let you die now that we¡¯re so close to your mother.¡±


    Lu Na wasn¡¯t so sure this trip was worth it. She almost died. But she was already on the path. There was no going back now unless she wanted to give up her secrets to the Wintersweet Sect. That would never happen.


    ¡°Get up,¡± Sun Ren said. She pulled Lu Na behind the tree.


    A large bear''s paw dug the ground where the two ladies were standing.


    ¡°Amituofo, please. I don¡¯t want to kill you. It¡¯s against my path,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°Then let me eat you then,¡± the bear spirit growled.


    ¡°Amituofo, while I appreciate the parable of Buddha and the eagle, I have another obligation. So I¡¯m sorry, but I¡ª¡±


    The large bear spirit slammed both fists on Hen Li. A large dirt cloud shot up from the impact.


    ¡°Run, the monk is dead.¡± Sun Ren grabbed Lu Na¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Lu Na said. Despite the cloud, she could see Hen Li¡¯s spirit energy stronger than before through her technique.


    Panhu, Hen Li¡¯s five colored hound, stopped the bear spirit¡¯s attack with its head. The puppy head had turned into the fierce head of a bone-mouth dog. With a push forward, the bear spirit was pushed back.


    ¡°Panhu, make sure he can¡¯t hurt anyone again,¡± Hen Li said.


    The bear spirit roared, but before it finished, Panhu charged it with a headbutt. The bear toppled over backwards, breaking large, thick trees like snapping chopsticks.


    Panhu surged forward into the bear¡¯s flank.


    Hen Li held his staff up. A swirl of green energy surrounded him.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s a summoner. Not only is his spirit strong, his brawny body is stronger,¡± Nugua said.


    ¡°Maybe one day I can do that too?¡± Lu Na said.


    Nugua laughed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Na Na,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone can do that unless you were born with boundless talent and unlimited resources from a summoner sect. Besides, your strengths don¡¯t lie in raw power like that monk.¡±


    The bear spirit got up and knocked Panhu away like a puppy. It roared and charged Hen Li. The entire ground shook with every step.


    Lu Na took out her spirit wall and activated it. She set one up in front of herself and Sun Ren. Then she did the same with an earth wall. She was still trying to figure out how to put two wards together at once. It would have saved her a bit of time, but with the addition of the null metal it made it more complicated. The different spirit energy they needed interfered with each other.


    The ground stopped shaking, but another dirt cloud shot up. This time, it splashed against Lu Na¡¯s walls. Nothing made it past.


    ¡°Ladies, you can come out now,¡± Hen Li said.


    Lu Na turned off the wards and picked them up. The one upgrade she made was the ability to turn them off and reuse them. She didn¡¯t have all the time in the world to keep making them, especially while traveling. Uncle Chen wasn¡¯t too happy about that, as he wouldn¡¯t be able to sell more.


    But he did charge more for the new feature.


    The large bear spirit had shrunk down into the size of a regular bear. It was nursing its bloody paws.


    ¡°Amituofo, since you are a thinking spirit, then understand I don¡¯t wish you any harm. But you should rethink your ways. You should drop the killing knife and seek penance.¡±


    The bear spat blood onto the ground.


    ¡°You Buddhists can believe whatever you want, but know that there is nothing after this life. That¡¯s why I must eat whatever spirits to live.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. It is not the goal of a Buddhist to live forever, but to seek enlightenment.¡±


    ¡°Maybe we can save the Buddhist dharma for someone that can be saved,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°Tell us bear spirit, which way do we go to get out of this forest? It doesn¡¯t look like anything on the maps.¡±


    The bear spirit laughed.


    ¡°You stupid humans always think you can map everything and be the master of it all. But you or your technology are no match for the power of the spirits. If you entered this forest and found me, then you are being fooled by the spirits of the forest. Somebody in here wants you to be eaten. If not by me, then by some other spirit. Now leave me alone or feed me!¡±


    ¡°Amituofo, we thank you for your guidance,¡± Hen Li bowed toward the bear.

 Chapter 41 - Sun Wukong

    The trio walked away from the bear. They walked back the way they came from, but it only led deeper into the forest and not back out.


    ¡°Meeting up with the Wintersweet Sect again would be better,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°The worst part is, the trees are so tall that they block out the sun. We¡¯d have to wait for the sun to set before we can determine direction,¡± Sun Ren said. She looked at the trees. ¡°The best I can guess is that this way is north, but that means nothing if we don¡¯t know where we are.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. Why don¡¯t we try to head toward the south and maybe we¡¯ll be able to get out? We headed north to enter the forest,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°Na Na, I don¡¯t suppose you have any invention of yours that can help us find a way out, do you?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    Lu Na shook her head.


    ¡°I never expected to be lost in a forest. Besides, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen a spirit that could find a way out of something.¡±


    ¡°Ever thought about trying to create these techniques on your own without having to copy others?¡±


    ¡°No, I never thought of that. I¡¯m not sure how that would be possible.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen you make those techniques with just a spirit wand. I¡¯m sure by now you could make these spirit walls or earth walls blind-folded. But have you ever considered how they work in the first place? Like a child can make noodles after being taught the ingredients. But a chef could make their own type of noodles after studying the how.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to look into that after we¡ª¡±


    Hen Li stopped, with his staff raised. He called out Panhu again and the five colored hound appeared with the bone-mouth face. Sun Ren unsheathed her sword. Lu Na gripped her wards, one in each hand.


    They were facing a gigantic tree where the trunk was as thick as seven horses standing end to end. There were a few holes in the trunk.


    It was the smell that told Lu Na that something wasn¡¯t right. Instead of the usual smell of leaves, she smelled a sweet stench. She couldn¡¯t put her hand on it, but it was almost as if someone cooked something very sweet, but then let it burn for a long time.


    ¡°Amituofo, we are mere travelers. We don¡¯t want any trouble,¡± Hen Li said.


    A line of animal spirits came out from behind the tree. They were all different colors, but all had the same pattern despite not being the same type of animals. There was a monkey, a moose, a rabbit, and a panda. As they stood together, it looked like they were painted together simultaneously.


    The monkey stepped forward and bowed.


    ¡°Greetings humans.¡±


    It felt weird, but Lu Na bowed to the monkey spirit. It never hurts to be polite.


    ¡°We are looking for a way out.¡± Sun Ren bowed.


    The monkey pointed west.


    ¡°That is the way out.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. Thank you.¡± Hen Li bowed and walked past the animal spirits.


    Each of them locked their eyes on Hen Li as he walked by. Lu Na and Sun Ren hurried behind Hen Li.


    As they walked further west, there were more spirit animals. But none of them attacked them as the bear did. Instead, they scurried away.


    ¡°Why are there no regular animals here?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably because the spirit animals ate them all,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°Amituofo, spirit animals don¡¯t need to eat as humans do. They absorb the spirit energy from their surroundings to survive. As long as they don¡¯t use their spirit energy, they live a comfortable life.¡±


    ¡°Then why did the bear try to eat us?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Bigger spirits need more spirit energy to survive.¡±


    After walking for a while, they heard crying. It was strange because they couldn¡¯t tell which direction it came from. The other strange thing was that they stopped seeing spirit animals. Even with Lu Na¡¯s technique, she couldn¡¯t sense any spirit energy anywhere around them.


    ¡°Do we keep going this way?¡± Sun Ren asked Hen Li.


    ¡°I think we should continue this way, but we have to be very careful,¡± Hen Li said. ¡°There¡¯s a powerful spirit up ahead, one that is probably stronger than me.¡±


    ¡°Then why are we going that way? We should head back or a different direction.¡±


    ¡°Because it is crying. Don¡¯t you hear it?¡± Hen Li walked ahead.


    Lu Na trusted the monk, but what kind of thinking was that? She understood that if he heard a child crying then going to soothe it was something even she would do, but a powerful spirit that might be stronger than him? That¡¯s asking to be eaten. But since she depended on him for survival in this forest, she said nothing.


    After another short walk, they finally reached a break in the tall trees. It looked like the trees had abruptly stopped and a small mountain sprouted from the ground. The trio heard the crying louder here so they walked around the mountain to investigate.


    They stopped when they saw a monkey¡¯s head sticking out from the mountain. That was the source of the crying. Large tears ran down the side of the mountain like its own river, pooling at the bottom. Many wildflowers grew from the ground.


    A red panda was laughing at the monkey. He threw rocks at the monkey¡¯s head and that only made the monkey cry harder.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s not nice,¡± Lu Na said. She wanted to chase off the red panda, but Sun Ren held onto her.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a normal red panda. It¡¯s a spirit,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°She¡¯s right. If you try to chase it, a small bite from it can take your head off. Trust nothing you see here,¡± Nugua said.


    ¡°Amituofo. Please stop,¡± Hen Li said. He pushed his hands together and bowed to the red panda.


    The red panda hissed before running away.


    ¡°Are you sure that wasn¡¯t just a normal red panda?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°See for yourself.¡± Nugua activated Lu Na¡¯s technique to see spirit energy.


    The red panda flared bright white, like looking at the sun.


    Lu Na closed her eyes and turned off her technique.


    ¡°Okay, you¡¯re right. That hurt.¡± She rubbed her eyes. When she opened them, she saw white spots.


    ¡°Amituofo, this monkey spirit is in pain. How might we assist?¡± Hen Li had walked up to the monkey and bowed before it.


    On closer inspection, the monkey spirit looked almost human. He tracked them with his eyes from Lu Na to Sun Ren and finally to Hen Li.


    ¡°Oh monk, I beg you. Please save me,¡± the monkey spirit said. ¡°My name is Sun Wukong, and some powerful spirits trapped me here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not possible. You¡¯re a myth,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°You can touch me. You can hear my words. How can I be a myth?¡± Sun Wukong said.


    ¡°How can I help you, Sun Wukong?¡± Hen Li asked.


    Lu Na ignored their conversation and walked up to the mountain itself. She had her technique turned on and saw something amazing. The entire mountain was a set of complicated techniques made by spirits. They were layered one atop the other that used all five elements in its creation. Even if one technique failed, the other would take over and preserve the mountain.


    Lu Na couldn¡¯t even imagine what it could do. She touched the side of the mountain and it felt cool. Yet she could tell that it was absorbing spirit energy like the null metal.


    ¡°This mountain is fascinating.¡±


    Sun Ren pulled Lu Na back.


    ¡°It¡¯s just another mountain. We should be careful around this spirit.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do that,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°Please, it wouldn¡¯t cost you much!¡± Sun Wukong begged. ¡°I¡¯ll even give you one wish. Anything you want if you can get me out of this mountain.¡±


    ¡°What you¡¯re asking is impossible for me.¡±


    ¡°What does the monkey want?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°All I¡¯m asking is that you unleash your bird spirit and strike this mountain. I can do the rest,¡± Sun Wukong said.


    ¡°My Bifang Niao has been sealed away to prevent it from killing me,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°You¡¯re lying. You can summon it at any time. I have the fiery eyes technique. I can see through your lies. You can just bring that bird out, breathe a little fire on the mountain, and we can all live happily ever after. I¡¯ll grant any wish to you.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo, even if you are right, I wouldn¡¯t do so. I made a promise to my father that I would never try to summon Bifang Niao again. I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t help you.¡±


    ¡°You stupid monk!¡± Sun Wukong yelled. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely useless. I would rule the world right now if I had your spirit and freedom. Yet you go down the path of a monk? I know about your precious Buddha and his path. It¡¯s a joke. You¡¯re a joke!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°Yeah, scram. None of you can do anything for me, anyway. I don¡¯t know why I bothered getting you three in here. That red panda told me one of you could set me free, but he was wrong. Next time I see him, I¡¯m going to bite his head off.¡± Sun Wukong showed his fangs and howled at them.


    Lu Na had walked over to the mountain and placed one of her new inventions on it. It was a tool she developed to see what a technique did. It only worked on physical techniques that weren¡¯t trying to kill her.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Sun Wukong asked.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. Your mountain is so fascinating. I¡¯m trying to see what it does.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re what? Are you one of those Xia inventors?¡±


    ¡°Xia inventors? That¡¯s about two thousand years ago,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°It¡¯s currently the Han dynasty.¡±


    ¡°And girl, you know about this stuff?¡± Sun Wukong asked.


    ¡°I have been studying these things for many years," Lu Na said, ¡°but only recently have I started making my own tools. I think if given enough time, I might undo this mountain.¡±


    Sun Ren pulled Lu Na back again.


    ¡°Not that she would be a mischievous, monstrous, mangy beast.¡±


    Sun Wukong hissed at Sun Ren. He turned toward Lu Na.


    ¡°So, girl, I¡¯ll make the same deal with you. If you can get me out of here, I will grant you any wish you want. I¡¯ll make you the new empress, if that is what you desire.¡±


    Lu Na took her new tool off the mountain. It glowed in four different colors.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to listen to my friend for now. While I would love nothing more than to see if I can undo the mountain, I¡¯m not sure releasing something as powerful as you would be a good idea. Not only that, you don¡¯t seem like a kind person.¡±


    Sun Wukong snarled, but clamped his mouth shut.


    ¡°Wait, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve been stuck here for thousands of years. You understand that would make anyone a little crazy. But what if I offered you something for free to show my sincerity?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but there¡¯s nothing you can offer me I would be interested in.¡± Lu Na packed away her invention. She was glad it didn¡¯t burn out from attaching to the mountain. She feared the mountain would be too powerful.


    ¡°I know you have only just started practicing summoner arts,¡± Sun Wukong said. ¡°At your age, you¡¯re a late bloomer or your sifu is not very good. But there has to be a reason you¡¯re trying, anyway. You want power just like everyone else.¡±


    Lu Na turned toward Sun Wukong.


    ¡°I only want power to protect myself. I don¡¯t want to rule the world.¡±


    ¡°Then I can help you. Tell me, have you been struggling to manifest your spirit?¡±


    Lu Na nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s because she¡¯s an ancient monster. I think she might be older than me. Whoever bonded you with her is toying with your life. But I can teach you how to control her. She will do as you want instead of being an uninvited guest in your head.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo, I wouldn¡¯t trust him,¡± Hen Li said.


    That made Lu Na pause. Hen Li had trusted almost everyone they met, but for him to push against trusting the monkey spirit must be significant.


    ¡°Fine, don¡¯t trust me. But know this: if you don¡¯t listen to my advice, your spirit will one day kill you. I can see her blood lust.¡±


    Lu Na remembered her little chat with Nugua right after they bonded. She wasn¡¯t sure how Sun Wukong knew Nugua threatened her already, but it felt more real than anything else. To feel her own body squeezed to death like that was a fresh fear she never thought she¡¯d have.


    ¡°Don¡¯t trust him. Why would I ever hurt my little Na Na?¡± Nugua said.


    Just hearing her voice in her head made Lu Na shiver.


    ¡°What are you offering, Sun Wukong?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°My scroll of immortality. It is the summoner art that my sifu taught me. It can see the stage of a summoner and teach them the techniques to reach the next level. It will help you breakthrough where incompetent sifus can¡¯t.¡± Sun Wukong leered at Hen Li. ¡°Some of us were never meant to be teachers.¡±


    ¡°And there¡¯s nothing you want from me?¡±


    ¡°I just want us to be friends. If you could just remember the poor little monkey that helped you, that would be enough. And maybe one day, when you¡¯re strong enough, you might help the little monkey.¡±


    ¡°No Na Na, you shouldn¡¯t listen to him. We should leave,¡± Sun Ren said.


    Lu Na felt torn. On one hand, she knew that Sun Ren and Hen Li were right to ignore a spirit so powerful that it required this mountain to stop it. But she was getting nowhere with her summoner arts. No matter how much she tried, she knew she wasn¡¯t going to ever use it to defend herself. The last thing she wanted was to depend on others to save her.

 Chapter 42 - Accepting Help From Questionable Sources

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take your help,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Na Na, you shouldn¡¯t make a pact with a feral spirit. It never ends well,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°Say something monk. You¡¯re her sifu.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo, it is common knowledge that making pacts with feral spirits is a bad idea. There is nothing he can teach you I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you sad monk. You wish you had as much knowledge as I do. But more importantly, you¡¯re a genius of your generation aren¡¯t you?¡± Sun Wukong asked.


    Hen Li said nothing.


    ¡°What the monk isn¡¯t saying is that he does not know what it¡¯s like to struggle,¡± Sun Wukong continued. ¡°He was given everything without trying. His spirit just did as he needed. He¡¯s not like us. I had to start from the very bottom. Every other spirit laughed and spat on me. It wasn¡¯t until I found my sifu before I could learn. And even then it took me over a hundred years.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo, I must admit the monkey spirit is correct. Even the earlier lesson I tried to teach you was a struggle for me. That is why I have said that I can¡¯t be your sifu as I am not qualified.¡± Hen Li pressed his hands together and bowed.


    ¡°And don¡¯t even think about your friend helping you or teaching you. I can already smell the secret techniques of her training.¡± Sun Wukong sniffed the air. ¡°She would sooner kill herself than divulge any of her secrets. I know the type.¡±


    Sun Ren didn¡¯t deny it.


    ¡°So little girl, all you have left is me, Sun Wukong.¡±


    ¡°No, I can teach you. Take nothing from him,¡± Nugua said.


    ¡°Oh, you little snake. I remember you. You tried playing god and now you¡¯re not much better than me. How are your children treating you?¡± Sun Wukong laughed. ¡°Little girl, your spirit is the worst of all. Whoever bound her to you made sure that you could never control her like any summoner can. Even if you practiced for a thousand years, you could never manifest her.¡±


    ¡°Is that true, Nugua?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say,¡± Nugua said. ¡°Your mother made a very strong pact with me that I can''t break. But I promise you I won''t hurt you.¡±


    Lu Na snickered. She still clearly remembered the threats she made after bonding. Obviously, she can¡¯t trust her spirit.


    ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t trust me, then you can at least trust your mother. She made the pact, not me. She only has your best interest in mind.¡±


    Lu Na wasn¡¯t sure about that anymore. Her mother left without telling her all those years and now she¡¯s risking her own life trying to help her. She didn¡¯t give her any tools to defend herself and here, right in front of her was an opportunity to change just that.


    ¡°Were you serious about this being a gift? No strings attached?¡±


    ¡°Of course. This gift I freely give you,¡± Sun Wukong said. ¡°You¡¯re smart and kind. I know you will remember me every time you command your spirit. And who knows, maybe one day you might call me sifu instead of that monk.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo, I am not her sifu,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°Even better. You have no worries about having two sifus and having to kill one. It¡¯s entirely free with no obligations.¡±


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll take it then.¡±


    Sun Wukong smiled, showing off his fangs. It was creepy.


    ¡°All you have to do is pull one hair off my head.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it? How is a hair going to help me?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you. Just pull one.¡±


    Lu Na walked up to Sun Wukong¡¯s head. He bowed his head as if awaiting an executioner. Lu Na reached for one of the golden hairs and yanked it off his head.


    The hair turned into a small scroll that fit on her palm. She opened it and saw a lot of words and a picture. More importantly, it was the most complex technique she¡¯d ever seen. There was no way something like this would be possible.


    ¡°All you have to say is, ¡®Sun Wukong is the best¡¯ and the scroll will reveal its secrets,¡± Sun Wukong whispered. ¡°Well, that or anything that praises me. You can call me a king, an emperor, a god. Whatever.¡±


    Lu Na smiled at the conceit coming from the spirit.


    ¡°Sun Wukong is nice.¡±


    The scroll in her hand expanded to the size of a tofu square.


    ¡°Come on, that¡¯s not enough praise,¡± Sun Wukong said.


    ¡°Sun Wukong is great.¡±


    The scroll expanded to the size of a kite.


    ¡°There we go. That wasn¡¯t so hard, right? All it took was just a few words and now you have the secret of immortality,¡± Sun Wukong said.


    Lu Na opened the scroll. The first thing she saw was a beautifully painted picture of Sun Wukong, standing with his staff. He was dressed in red military armor that complimented his red, orange fur.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what I¡¯m looking at. It¡¯s just a picture of you.¡±


    ¡°Keep looking,¡± Sun Wukong said.


    The picture of Sun Wukong twirled his staff. It moved! He tossed his staff into the air, making it disappear. Then the words ¡°Scroll of Immortality¡± appeared, taking over the entire space.


    ¡°How did you do that?¡± Lu Na turned the scroll over, looking at it like the greatest treasure she¡¯d ever received.


    ¡°Girl, if you help me, I can show you even more. There are so many things that I have seen in my life that would make your head spin. All you have to do is release me from this mountain.¡±


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    Lu Na was tempted. She was very tempted. It was one thing to see her brother¡¯s techniques and she had only started studying Sun Ren¡¯s. But their techniques were like children¡¯s toys compared to this.


    Sun Ren pulled Lu Na away.


    ¡°No Na Na, we¡¯re going now.¡±


    Sun Wukong hissed again.


    ¡°You know, you¡¯re really pissing me off, girl.¡±


    Sun Ren stood in front of Lu Na and unsheathed her sword.


    ¡°My name is Sun Ren, daughter of Sun Wentai, and descendant of Sun Tzu. The first thing we learn is to always be wary of very helpful people, spirits more so. So if you truly are trying to be helpful, we¡¯ll take your scroll and see how much it will help Lu Na before she decides to help you.¡±


    ¡°Sun Tzu, huh? I was the one that taught him,¡± Sun Wukong laughed. ¡°He changed his last name to mine. In a way, you¡¯re my descendant, not his. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t make you kowtow before me.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. We should go before the Wintersweet Sect catches up to us. I can sense my father¡¯s spirit energy inside the forest,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°You can sense that?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s fighting right now and he¡¯s very close.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t want these other humans to find you?¡± Sun Wukong asked. ¡°I can help with that. Think of it as another generous gift from the monkey king.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo, please don¡¯t kill them, Sun Wukong,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t kill them. Besides, they came in with an army. I don¡¯t think even my bear friend could beat them.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. Thank you. You have a kind heart. Maybe you might consider the path of Buddha?¡±


    Sun Wukong rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Get out of here. Go north until you see a stream. Then go west from there. You will get out of the forest and on your way to the labyrinth. I hope you all find what you¡¯re looking for.¡±


    Hen Li and Lu Na bowed as Sun Ren ushered the both of them back into the tall trees of the forest. After a hundred paces, they heard the loud crack of spirit techniques not too far away. It was as if a hundred growling voices were silenced instantly. Then the loud roar of a bear was heard.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be the same bear spirit, right?¡± Lu Na asked. ¡°Hen Li disabled him.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s saying there is only one bear spirit in these forests? Let¡¯s move before they find us,¡± Sun Ren said.


    Not too far from the monkey king¡¯s mountain, they met with many other feral spirits in the forest. Every single one avoided the trio as Hen Li walked ahead.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe they¡¯re not attacking us,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°Maybe Sun Wukong is helping us.¡±


    ¡°Hah, that monster can¡¯t even help itself,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°It can talk a lot, promise the world, but can do very little. That¡¯s why he needs your help to get him out. More than likely, the feral spirits can sense Hen Li¡¯s spirit energy and are running away.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo, I just didn¡¯t want another spirit to attack us needlessly,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°I am curious, though. You said that your strongest spirit was sealed away, but how did you continue to become so strong?¡± Lu Na asked.


    They heard the stream Sun Wukong mentioned.


    ¡°How about we take a lunch break and then the monk can tell us,¡± Sun Ren said.


    There was a large rock outcrop beside the stream where the trio stopped. It was a perfect place to rest, as it kept them hidden from the other feral spirits. The stream provided a calming flow of water that refreshed their minds.


    Sun Ren took out smoked fish from her pack and passed one to Lu Na. Hen Li took out three really large pieces of bread and a small bag of nuts.


    ¡°To answer your question, when my former sect sealed away my Bifang Niao, I was almost dead,¡± Hen Li said. ¡°They had to seal away most of my spirit energy with my spirit so that it couldn¡¯t explode and wipe out the city. It was a difficult time where I couldn¡¯t agree with what the sect was doing.


    ¡°Afterwards, when I finally woke up, I had to recuperate for many months, taking many spirit energy pills. Not the same ones that you saw Senior Wong take, but quite a few. It gave me just enough strength to get out of bed. I made a pact with the new Sect Leader to leave the sect so that I can follow my path.


    ¡°It was after many months before I finally recuperated enough that I felt my spirit energy come back. I am nowhere near the height of my power, but I had enough to cultivate again. And the monkey spirit was not wrong. It all came very easy for me, despite it being my second time.


    ¡°And that¡¯s how I found Panhu. He was a feral spirit that the other spirits were attacking. I saved him and now he¡¯s bound to me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about what happened,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the monk wants me to tell his story.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo, it¡¯s fine,¡± Hen Li said. He took out his prayer beads and moved them in his hand. ¡°I think you should know who I was before I started on the path of the Buddha. And if you feel you don¡¯t want me to go with you, then I will understand.¡±


    ¡°Is it that bad?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Sun Ren nodded.


    ¡°I only know of the broad story from my father¡¯s reports. I didn¡¯t expect this monk to be the one mentioned.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. It was only a few years ago when I was still in the Wintersweet Sect. I was conflicted. The Wintersweet Ancestor had commanded us to wipe out a competing sect that had invaded our territory. And I was specifically requested for this because of my power. My father wanted me to show my skills so that they would know to not confront us.¡±


    Hen Li¡¯s beads moved faster in his hands.


    ¡°What the ancestor didn¡¯t tell us at the time was that the village where the competing sect had their headquarters was filled with children. I didn¡¯t know and I¡­¡±


    ¡°There were no survivors,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°An entire village was wiped out in a blink of an eye. It was so brutal that my father was sent to investigate. Everything was burned down.¡±


    ¡°Amitoufo, let the sins pass.¡± Hen Li had tears rolling down his face. ¡°Not everything. There were families and groups of children huddled up together. There were no summoners from the competing sect. There were no enemies in there. A fight between summoner sects is expected in the life of a sect, but this was mass slaughter.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t until later did I learn the ancestor ordered the slaughter to prevent the rise of a future sect leader that would rival the Wintersweet Sect. He was only a child with great potential. When I learned this, I went crazy. I lost all control of my Bifang Niao. I fought the former sect leader and killed him before the rest of the sect could subdue me.


    ¡°And so I had to stand up for you when you told me about the Wintersweet Sect coming after you. I couldn¡¯t allow the ancestor¡¯s cryptic prophecies to ruin more lives.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for telling me,¡± Lu Na said. She put down her smoked fish. She suddenly lost her appetite after hearing that story.


    ¡°Therefore, I understand if you would like me to leave.¡± Hen Li had put down his bread and recited the heart sutra.


    ¡°This man is a killer. It¡¯s not safe to be around him,¡± Nugua said.


    Lu Na was torn. She thought exactly as Nugua did, but Hen Li also saved her life. And who was she? She wasn¡¯t the Jade Emperor or Buddha. She was just a woman looking for her mother. And if this man can help her on his way to repentance, then would it be so bad?


    ¡°I think you made a mistake by listening to that demon of an ancestor. I met him and he tried to eat me,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°Not to mention, I¡¯ve seen how fanatical the rest of the sect is to that ancestor. The current sect leader and his daughter would have killed me for his prophecy. So I say, forget them and let¡¯s move on together.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo, I am more than happy to do so,¡± Hen Li said. ¡°My path to enlightenment requires me to recognize my misdeeds and repent. I hope that helping you against them will do that.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. Let¡¯s finish eating and head out before another spirit attacks us,¡± Sun Ren said. She ate her smoked fish and then ate Lu Na¡¯s before passing her large bread like Hen Li¡¯s. ¡°Eat something.¡±


    Lu Na was grateful that it was simple bread.


    Afterwards, the trio followed Sun Wukong¡¯s directions and made it out of the forest quickly. The sun was setting, showing a glowing beam of light right in between two mountain valleys.


    ¡°This can¡¯t be right,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°We entered the forest from the south and we walked north for a long time. But based on those mountains, we¡¯re further west than where we were. This is the Qinglong mountain. That¡¯s at least another day¡¯s walk from the forest.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean we¡¯re really far from the road?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Not too much farther. We just have to head south.¡±


    A loud crack echoed out of the forest. Trees fell and the sound of animals roaring reverberated.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go before that catches up to us,¡± Lu Na said.

 Chapter 43 - Refugees and Bandits

    The trio walked farther south until they made it back onto the main road. Here they saw many people walking toward Jianye. Many of them looked haggard, carrying different bags on them. Some of them cast a wary glance toward the trio.


    It was because of their clothes.


    Despite wearing the most common hemp clothes that they could find, the trio still looked better than most of the travelers. These travelers wore rags similar to the beggars that Lu Na saw in Jianye.


    ¡°They¡¯re refugees from the north,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°The rebels and famines have made it really difficult to live up there. So they¡¯re traveling to the south by the hundreds of thousands hoping to find a better place down here.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo, that is sad,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°What¡¯s sad is that they¡¯re being abused by the farm owners in the south. They take advantage of how they have nowhere to go and are desperate enough to work like a slave.¡±


    ¡°I heard about that from my father,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°He¡¯s recently hired a lot more guards to protect his businesses and a lot of workers as well.¡±


    Lu Na saw a family crying on the side of the road. They looked so sad that she couldn¡¯t help but walk over.


    ¡°Is everything alright?¡±


    ¡°No, my son, he¡¯s very sick and we can¡¯t pay for a doctor or medicine,¡± the father said.


    His mother cradled the boy with his hair matted to his face. He had trouble breathing.


    ¡°This is not right. We should help,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Amituofo, compassion and generosity are the core of Buddhism, but that also means that we have nothing to give other than our time,¡± Hen Li said.


    Sun Ren pulled Lu Na aside.


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t waste our time here helping one person. We have a deadline and I¡¯m sure your spirit can tell you better than me how important our mission is.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right. We only have six days to reach the labyrinth before the spirit energy in the hairpin disappears forever,¡± Nugua said.


    Lu Na could only think of her own brothers as she looked at the sick boy. If it were her younger brothers, she would hope that someone would at least be kind enough to help them. It would only be a small token of what she can give.


    She reached into her chest pocket and pulled out two taels of silver.


    ¡°Here. It¡¯s not much, but try to get any help for him you can in the next village. It¡¯s not too far from here.¡± Lu Na pointed toward the river.


    The boy¡¯s father took the silver and kowtowed to Lu Na.


    ¡°Thank you, thank you so much. You¡¯re like the reborn Guanyin.¡±


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t do that. You¡¯re going to attract attention,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°And if you somehow make it to Jianye, find the Lu compound near the center of the city in the third district. Ask for Lu Fengxian and tell him that Lu Na asked him to help you.¡±


    ¡°I will remember that. Thank you again.¡±


    Before the father could kowtow again, Lu Na walked away with Sun Ren and Hen Li.


    ¡°Amituofo, that was a good deed you¡¯ve done,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°It was, but that attracted unwanted attention.¡± Sun Ren unsheathed a dagger and palmed it. ¡°Maybe you can show off a little of your aura, monk. That way, they might think twice if they¡¯re also summoners.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. I don¡¯t think that would be wise. It might make others afraid of me.¡±


    Lu Na affixed an earth wall ward to her staff. All she¡¯d need to do is pull the string and it would activate in front of her. The last thing she wanted was to be caught by surprise again. The one good thing that came from her visit to the Wintersweet Sect compound was that she no longer took her safety for granted.


    As they walked on the road, no one bothered them. If Lu Na had to guess, it was probably the dangerous looks Sun Ren gave to everyone that passed by. There was something to be said about a woman glaring at everyone that dared look our way. And the ones that looked, she showed off her dagger.


    It wasn¡¯t long before the travelers thinned out, as they mostly came from the north while the trio walked west. Soon, there were no travelers on the same path they walked. There were trees that grew along the path, providing shade.


    ¡°We¡¯re being followed. They¡¯ve been following us since the refugees. They probably saw Lu Na with the money.¡± Sun Ren passed Lu Na her staff and took out another dagger. ¡°When they attack us, stay back Lu Na. Use your earth walls to protect yourself.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. Must we resort to violence?¡± Hen Li asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m resorting to self defense and I will kill them if I have to.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. Let the sins pass. Allow me to talk with them first.¡±


    Sun Ren nodded.


    Lu Na looked around and saw nobody. Five men came out from behind the trees in front of them. Soon after, another six men appeared behind them. Were they using a technique? She tried to see if there was any spirit energy, but found nothing. Maybe they didn¡¯t need to use a spirit technique to hide.


    ¡°Na Na, focus. Be prepared to use your earth wall. They have a dangerous look in their eyes and you don¡¯t want to fall into their hands,¡± Nugua said.


    Lu Na frowned. She knew what that meant. Sun Ren and Nugua both told them about the dangers of traveling on the road as a woman. Nugua made it worse with her graphic descriptions. But she wasn¡¯t worried. Both Sun Ren and Hen Li were powerful summoners. They should be able to handle these bandits.


    ¡°Greetings,¡± Hen Li said. He made a half bow while holding onto his staff. ¡°Today is such a lovely day. Maybe we could talk this out instead of resorting to violence.¡±


    The bandit leader stepped forward with his sword drawn. He had it pointed right at Hen Li¡¯s neck. The other bandits all held clubs.


    ¡°Leave all your valuables and your women. A man like you shouldn¡¯t need so many.¡±


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    The other bandits laughed.


    ¡°Amituofo. Let the sins pass. I never thought of my two companions like that,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°What are you? A monk?,¡± the bandit leader asked. ¡°Even better. You have no use for any of this, anyway. Just walk away and continue on your path of enlightenment or whatever. Not that it matters.¡±


    Hen Li sighed.


    ¡°You are right. I would love nothing more than to walk upon the path of enlightenment. But this world has too many evil¡ª¡±


    Hen Li thrust his staff at the bandit leader¡¯s neck. In one strike, the bandit leader fell to the ground, gasping for air.


    Sun Ren threw two of her daggers at the closest bandit before unsheathing her sword. She jumped at the other bandits, slashing and thrusting with her sword.


    Lu Na activated her wards on her staff. Three earth walls rose around her while a fourth formed half of a wall. She took out her newest invention: tiger claw slingshot. It was fashioned after a slingshot where each snap of the string shot out a claw technique that slashed at its target.


    It was the same technique that Sect Leader Wong of the Wintersweet Sect used on her so many times that she had burned it into her memory. The first thing she did when she got home was to copy it exactly and made as many of them as she could until she perfected it.


    Lu Na also wore another invention on her left wrist, but that was still being tested. It had a few drawbacks that made it dangerous to use.


    No longer was she going to be defenseless.


    One bandit came at her and she let him be the first human to test out her tiger claw slingshot. Lu Na made sure to only use it in a low setting. She didn¡¯t want to kill the man.


    With a snap of the string, a large purple tiger claw swiped at the man. He stopped it with his club. The claw barely scratched the wood.


    ¡°Was that it?¡± the bandit asked. He charged at her with his club.


    Lu Na shifted backward as the club smashed down, barely missing her. The earth wall behind her stopped her from running.


    ¡°Hit him harder. It¡¯s not time to play right now,¡± Nugua said.


    Lu Na turned it up to the max and shot another one. This time the tiger claw slashed his club into ribbons. The bandit dropped the club, his hands bleeding.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop now.¡±


    Lu Na turned and shot another at a bandit that was harassing Sun Ren. Three of the bandits were chasing her. Nothing happened.


    ¡°Damn, that died too fast.¡± Lu Na took out another slingshot and shot another charge at the bandit. The tiger claw technique slammed into his back. The raking claws carved deep cuts into him. But since he was so far away, the attack wasn¡¯t as strong.


    The bandit targeted Lu Na. His club glowed green and widened into a board.


    Lu Na saw the spirit technique. He was changing the shape of his club with his wood spirit. It continued glowing green as the club turned into a board and became thicker.


    Lu Na snapped her slingshot at him until her slingshot broke. Every claw made deep cuts into the board, but he kept pushing against it toward her. Worse, there were two other bandits that followed him after abandoning their chase of Sun Ren.


    Lu Na tapped the earth wall behind her, and it collapsed. She couldn¡¯t stay inside her box. That was a mistake.


    One bandit that was fighting Hen Li turned and swung his club at Lu Na. It hit her in the arm, forcing her to drop her slingshot. Luckily, the other earth wall stopped most of its force, but it still hurt.


    Lu Na ducked the next swing and fell on her butt. She then rolled away from the next swing.


    The bandit stood over her with a club pointing at Lu Na¡¯s head.


    ¡°I hate to hurt such a pretty lady, so why don¡¯t you give up? I promise not to hurt you much afterwards.¡±


    Lu Na held her injured arm. Hen Li was fighting three of the bandits while his five colored hound, Panhu, was fighting two other bandits. Sun Ren was nowhere to be seen. And the other bandits that were approaching Lu Na before had surrounded her as well.


    ¡°Fine, I give up.¡± There wasn¡¯t much choice for her. Still, having so many men surrounding her, all with greedy eyes, made her shiver. It felt like a cold clammy hand reaching into her chest and suffocating her.


    This was not how she had thought this trip was going to go. Lu Na trusted in her companions¡¯ strength while forgetting that she was weak. Why did she think she could walk the same path as them?


    This time she didn¡¯t have her mother¡¯s hairpin to save her. But she would not surrender so easily. She still had her secret invention on her left wrist. But the last time she activated it, it burned her wrist badly.


    ¡°Use your earth wall!¡± Sun Ren called out.


    Lu Na pulled an earth wall ward from her side and activated it. Earth rose in a dome around her, covering her entirely. Null metal powered this one so it became extra thick and sturdy.


    A second later, she felt the earth dome shake around her. Men cried out in pain. Another explosion happened and her earth dome cracked, revealing a large hole. What was strong enough to break her null metal powered earth dome?


    Lu Na crawled toward the hole and looked out. The bandits that surrounded her were on the ground, holding their own injuries. But there was no blood.


    ¡°Stay inside until they call for you,¡± Nugua said. ¡°And prepare another earth wall just in case.¡±


    Lu Na grabbed another earth wall ward, powered by null metal, and clutched it in her hand.


    ¡°Na Na? It¡¯s safe to come out now,¡± Sun Ren called.


    Lu Na tapped the earth wall dome and it deactivated. She picked up the ward and put it away. It was damaged, but it can be fixed later.


    The scene was more chaotic than she had guessed. There were men scattered on the ground, some with wounds from Sun Ren¡¯s daggers. Hen Li kneeled down next to one man and was patching up his wound.


    ¡°Why are you helping them? They just attacked us,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Amituofo. These men have chosen the wrong path in life, but it doesn¡¯t mean we should take their lives,¡± Hen Li said.


    Lu Na glanced around at the men that weren¡¯t moving. They didn¡¯t look like they were breathing, either.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother trying to convince him. Are you okay Na Na?¡± Sun Ren asked. She stood over the bandit leader with a dagger to his throat.


    ¡°Yes. I think they might have broken my arm though,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Just sit down and rest. I¡¯ll help you after I finish questioning this guy.¡±


    Lu Na sat against the tree. Her arm felt like there was a burning that wasn¡¯t going away. This was her fault. She shouldn¡¯t have been so rash about showing off her money among so many people. But she couldn¡¯t allow a boy to lose his life if there was something she could do. She was no Buddhist monk like Hen Li, but she had a conscience.


    ¡°Hmm, I can help you with the pain,¡± Nugua said.


    ¡°You can do that?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But it will cost you.¡±


    Lu Na gritted her teeth. The pain was getting worse now that the adrenaline wore off.


    ¡°What will it cost me?¡±


    ¡°A little of your life, of course. Say a month of your life, far into the future, would be all I need to help with the pain.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? I thought you said you had enough spirit energy from my mother to do anything.¡±


    ¡°Oh, little Na Na. It¡¯s a tradeoff that every summoner has to pay for instant relief or power. Why do you think that brawny monk¡¯s hair turned gray so soon?¡±


    Lu Na glanced at Hen Li¡¯s hair. It was as white as Elder Hen¡¯s, but his father looked really old. Hen Li¡¯s face still looked young.


    ¡°The only difference is, I¡¯m being honest with you about it. Most of the spirits never tell their summoners anything about the trade. They happily take a little off the top and keep it for themselves. But I won¡¯t do that.¡±


    Lu Na felt the truth in Nugua¡¯s words. She knew that the spirits that bonded with humans harmed them. Was this how? But if that was the case, why would anyone continue to spend their own life this way? Nothing was worth their life as they can¡¯t get it back.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think a month of my life is worth my arm. It will heal on its own, eventually.¡±


    Nugua laughed. It was a hissing laugh.


    ¡°Good, good. Keep resisting my lures. That way you will live long enough to see the spirits take over this human realm.¡±


    What was Nugua talking about now? Had the fight scrambled her head? Every child knew the spirits were protectors of humans. It¡¯s why they bonded with them. And if it cost a little life to gain powers to do unimaginable things, then it was only for the benefit of humans. Right?

 Chapter 44 - Fixing a Wrong

    Lu Na had fallen asleep, holding her arm. Nugua¡¯s words gave her a fevered dream where she saw this large half snake, half woman grabbing her and then chomping her in half. Her lower body sprouted a snake¡¯s body and she had an insatiable hunger for human flesh. She attacked Sun Ren who was forced to stab her with her daggers and sword.


    That¡¯s when Lu Na woke with an abrupt start. There were stars in the sky and odd sounds came from all around. She thought she was still in her bed at home, but then realized she was sleeping on the grass. The crackling fire next to her was very warm.


    ¡°Calm down Na Na. You have a fever. Drink this.¡± Sun Ren pressed a water skin to her lips.


    Lu Na drank in large gulps.


    ¡°Good, you¡¯re awake. I''d take my offer to help your arm before it becomes worse. It¡¯s only one month of your life for the rest of your life,¡± Nugua said.


    ¡°What? What are you talking about?¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Hey brawny monk, tell her.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. Your spirit is correct,¡± Hen Li said. ¡°Without an actual doctor, your arm might become worse. The reason so many summoners have survived despite crippling attacks is because they use their spirits to heal their injuries. We know of the costs.¡±


    ¡°Was it worth it? Your hair turned gray,¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°If I didn¡¯t, I would be dead right now after my Bifang Niao went crazy. And yet, I¡¯m still here.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯ve used my spirit to heal my injuries all the time,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°How do you think I survived all those brawls when we ran from the Wintersweet Sect?¡±


    ¡°How many months did your spirit take from you?¡± Lu Na felt guilty. If Sun Ren didn¡¯t risk her own life protecting her, she wouldn¡¯t have had to use her spirit to heal her injuries. She was killing her best friend.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing a little rest and a lot of pills won¡¯t fix. As long as you have the money, you can fix anything,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°That¡¯s how Hen Li is still alive. Remember, he told us about all the pills he took after his incident.¡±


    That made sense. Lu Na hadn¡¯t thought about that. And if it was money, then she had plenty. Even if she didn¡¯t count her father¡¯s wealth, Uncle Chen had been selling her inventions for a lot of money. She was sure that she¡¯d have quite an amount by now.


    ¡°Then fine spirit, heal me,¡± Lu Na said. Intense pain bled through her mind fog and really woke her up. ¡°Why does it hurt more?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because I have been using a little bit of my technique to suppress the pain. But now that I¡¯m healing you, I can¡¯t keep that up,¡± Nugua said. ¡°Tell the other two to distract you. This is going to hurt a bit.¡±


    ¡°Sun Ren, what happened to the bandits?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°I originally wanted to kill them, but the monk stopped me,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°Amituofo. Life is too precious to take mindlessly,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°Whatever you say monk. How about you go rest? I¡¯ll take first watch and take care of Lu Na.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. Very well. Maybe we can talk more about this tomorrow.¡± Hen Li walked over to a tree farther away.


    ¡°Do you want some food? I still have some of the travel food from the village,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°That would be nice.¡± Lu Na sat up and felt a jolt of pain going through her arm. ¡°Nugua said she was going to heal me and that I need a distraction from the pain.¡±


    Sun Ren passed over a white bun to her.


    ¡°Well, if you want some distraction, I can tell you we¡¯re making good time. We should get there in a little under three days of travel if we don¡¯t have any other issues.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. I think Nugua told me we had six or seven days left before the hairpin ran out of energy.¡± Lu Na took a bite from the bun, chewing really slowly while trying to forget the sharp pain radiating in her arm. ¡°Would you really have killed those bandits?¡±


    Sun Ren sat down beside Lu Na.


    ¡°Without hesitation. I¡¯m not as noble as the monk or the righteous summoner sects. I don¡¯t believe in giving your enemy a second chance.¡±


    ¡°But aren¡¯t you afraid of being sent to jail? Killing others is a capital offense.¡± A sharp jab shot into her arm. Lu Na took a large bite of the bun to stop herself from screaming.


    Sun Ren patted Lu Na on the leg.


    ¡°Sorry, but since you haven¡¯t trained in summoner arts, this is going to hurt a lot more than normal.¡±


    Lu Na took a deep breath while trying not to choke on the bun simultaneously.


    ¡°How do people go through this?¡±


    ¡°Most people don¡¯t. Only summoners can use this technique and only with enough training. Whatever your mother did to bind your spirit to you must have taken a lot of expertise. Your spirit is very experienced.¡±


    ¡°If only my mother gave me a bit of that experience before she left me.¡±


    ¡°There, that should do it,¡± Nugua said. She sounded tired. ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep now. Do nothing with the arm for a while.¡±


    ¡°Nugua fixed my arm,¡± Lu Na said. She felt the arm and it was tender at spots, but the shooting pain from before was gone. At most, she would only have a few bruises. Being a summoner was powerful. ¡°If spirits are so useful, why don¡¯t more people become summoners?¡±


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    Sun Ren frowned.


    ¡°It¡¯s about power and talent. Most people are like you. They have little talent with the summoner arts and have little to no spirit energy to power their spirits. The only way would be to ingest a lot of spirit energy pills from birth in order to build that capacity. But you have to be very rich to do that. That¡¯s how many summoner sects build their inner disciples.¡±


    ¡°Do you think Hen Li was like that?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Sun Ren shook her head.


    ¡°That monk is a monster. There are no amount of pills that could produce someone as powerful as him. And as for power¡­¡±


    Sun Ren looked past the tree line.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Trouble. This is why I kill my enemies. The bandits are coming back, this time with more men. Can you walk?¡±


    Lu Na nodded and got up. She grabbed all their packs.


    ¡°How can you see them?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got Baihu patrolling around us. She saw them coming toward us with torches. Lu Na, I¡¯m going to need you to carry most of our packs as we run. I¡¯m going to run interference so they can¡¯t surround us.¡± Sun Ren got up and kicked the monk. ¡°Get up. It¡¯s time to run again.¡±


    Hen Li opened his eyes.


    ¡°Amituofo, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°The bandits have come back.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo, let me talk with them. They will listen to reason.¡± Hen Li got up with his staff.


    ¡°They¡¯ve come with swords this time. I don¡¯t think they¡¯re here to talk. Take Lu Na and run. We¡¯ll meet up in Qingxizhen outside of Shi city.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect them to take our mercy and repay us in retribution.¡±


    Sun Ren squinted into the night.


    ¡°Whatever the case is, protect Lu Na. Got it?¡±


    ¡°Amituofo, leave her to me.¡± Hen Li led Lu Na away.


    Lu Na looked at her friend. She knew that Sun Ren was going to kill any bandit she met.


    ¡°Wait, take these wards. The green one is the spirit wall wards while the yellow are the earth wall wards. These all contain null metal so they should be very strong.¡±


    ¡°You should keep them for yourself. I know how hard these were to make,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°I need you to live as well. Otherwise, this trip was not worth it.¡±


    Sun Ren smiled as she took the wards.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to live. These bandits are going to regret coming back. Now go with Hen Li.¡±


    Lu Na hurried to catch up to Hen Li. The forest wasn¡¯t as thick as the one they entered earlier with the monkey king, but it was still very dark. No matter what happened, she hoped that Sun Ren would survive.


    Sun Ren took off her hemp tunic and hung it on a nearby tree branch, revealing her black Sun family tunic. She checked all her hidden daggers and her waist sword. The next part was her least favorite. She grabbed a handful of soot from the campfire and masked her face as much as she could.


    Jade-like beauty would only reveal her to her enemies that much quicker. It was a sentiment that she heard from her sifu over and over during their training.


    Sun Ren set up the spirit wall ward right in front of the clothes, hoping that it would distract the bandits long enough for her to run away as a last resort. Not that she would need it. The bandits weren¡¯t summoners. They were barely skilled with the weapons they held.


    She would show them what true terror was, and this time, she would leave no survivors.


    Sun Ren dashed north west of the bandits. Baihu had found them coming straight at them from the south in a wide line. They were hoping to surround them.


    ¡°Where are they?¡± she whispered.


    ¡°They¡¯re headed toward the campfire really slowly. It seems they¡¯re wary of Hen Li,¡± Baihu said.


    That was good. That would give her time to take them down one at a time.


    Baihu had split into three small fox pups to track the bandits. Sun Ren could see through Baihu¡¯s eyes. It tired out her spirit so much that she couldn¡¯t fight alongside Sun Ren, but that¡¯s what her training was for. In a fair fight, she¡¯d win every time because she never fought fair.


    Sun Ren stayed low and sprinted toward her first two targets. Their bright torches lit the path for many feet ahead of them. It was two men holding short swords. They wore brown tunics and scarves on their heads.


    Sun Ren had to crawl a few feet toward them before popping up and cutting the man¡¯s throat. She turned and plunged her dagger into the other man¡¯s chest while covering his mouth to prevent any noise. Two soft thuds afterwards, she was already onto the next two.


    ¡°Sun Ren, there are twenty-six men in total headed toward the campfire,¡± Baihu said.


    Twenty-four now. Sun Ren stayed low and crept up toward the next target. It was a group of four this time. This was going to be harder.


    ¡°Divide and conquer,¡± Sun Ren whispered. It was time to use a tactic she developed with her spirit.


    One of Baihu fox pups howled next to the group of four. It wasn¡¯t the same throaty howl of an adult fox, more of a whiny howl. But it got their attention as the four turned toward the sound.


    Sun Ren threw one dagger after another at the four men. Only two hit home into their chest. The other two spooked when they saw the injured men groan and drop to the ground.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± one man called out.


    Baihu rushed the other man, chomping her jaw on his leg. The man yelped while trying to kick Baihu off.


    Before the other man could turn, Sun Ren had shoved a dagger up into his head before tackling the other man. She thrust her other dagger into the man¡¯s chest. At least, that was the plan.


    The man bucked Sun Ren off before she thrust down, cutting his arm. He cried out.


    Sun Ren got up and charged him, forcing him to backpedal. He fell over his dying friend and joined him shortly after when Sun Ren thrust a dagger into his chest.


    Sun Ren was covered in blood. Her breath was ragged. She got up and crawled over to another tree for cover.


    ¡°They heard you. They¡¯ve stopped,¡± Baihu said.


    This was not good. Sun Ren was exhausted and she still had twenty more men to kill. She took out a pill and swallowed it.


    ¡°You can¡¯t keep eating those energy pills. They will kill you,¡± Baihu said.


    Better dead later than now. Sun Ren had to move before they surrounded her position. She sprinted north again and climbed a tree. It would give her some rest and a vantage point to look at these bandits for herself.


    ¡°We have a problem. They¡¯re summoners,¡± Baihu said.


    Sun Ren looked down and saw six people summon their spirits. That changed the game. The only advantage she had was that none of the spirits looked like they were wood type spirits. Being surrounded by so many trees, she would be found in a second.


    ¡°They saw the bodies. They¡¯re now on high alert. I¡¯ve already lost one of my clones. No two. The third is running away,¡± Baihu said.


    Sun Ren clenched her left fist and reabsorbed the third clone. She felt her body feel lighter. Luckily, they were only clones, or else Baihu would be seriously injured right now from all those attacks. But that meant she only had one third of her usual strength.


    ¡°We should run. You¡¯re outnumbered and they have summoners. They will also be more wary now, so they¡¯ll search the area slowly. It would give you enough time with my help.¡±


    Sun Ren considered it for a moment. She would like nothing more than to run and meet up with Lu Na. But she couldn¡¯t allow these bandits to continue their evil deeds, especially after she let them go the first time. Besides, she had more help than usual. She took out her Lu Na¡¯s earth ward. It was time to make it interesting.

 Chapter 45 - Fighting a War

    Sun Ren looked over at the group of men gathering in a circle, probably to discuss their plans. They must have realized that Sun Ren¡¯s group went from being pacifist to killers and they¡¯re not sure what to do about that.


    The only thing Sun Ren had to discuss was whether to cull the weak first before hitting the stronger summoners or the other way around. Strategy usually dictated to take out the leader first and the rest would scatter, but she wasn¡¯t sure who the leader was. It could be any of them.


    But one thing was certain. Sun Ren had the night on her side. Every strike she¡¯d make would have to be fatal or else she would end up in their clutches. She already heard enough horror stories of what happened to female prisoners of war. Bandits were probably worse.


    The first part of her battle was simple. Using the night and rocks to distract the bandits, Sun Ren took out most of the non-summoners. She left a few alive near the end because she was tiring out, but they were not getting up so easily. After a grueling two-hour fight, she had whittled them down to the five summoners and three other bandits. It seemed like some bandits tripped and knocked themselves out.


    Fighting at night was dangerous. One of the first lessons Sun Ren learned from her sifu.


    Sun Ren sat atop another cluster of trees. This was further away, but much higher. She needed a break.


    ¡°You don¡¯t just need a break. You need rest. Anymore, and you will collapse,¡± Baihu said. ¡°Your sifu would remind you that you can¡¯t do it all yourself. You pushed yourself to exhaustion before with the Wintersweet Sect and now you¡¯re doing it again. Why do you go so far for that Lu girl?¡±


    ¡°This was to prove to myself all the training was worth it,¡± Sun Ren whispered. ¡°But for Lu Na, I did it because she¡¯s my friend. You should know better than me how precious friends are to me.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, that is true. But it is not worth your life. You¡¯ve done enough. Your friend should be far enough away that these bandits are no longer a threat.¡±


    Sun Ren drank her entire water skin. Her spirit was right. She didn¡¯t have to finish them. She wasn¡¯t here to exterminate bandits, but to escort Lu Na to the labyrinth. Besides, she had little left.


    ¡°How much spirit energy do you have left, Baihu?¡±


    ¡°I have at least twenty percent left after splitting myself up,¡± Baihu said.


    That meant either creating another clone or turning herself into a fox pup five times, each lasting a minute. Any more than that, and Baihu would be completely exhausted. That could work. She could easily escape and they wouldn¡¯t even know.


    The large tree Sun Ren was on shook. She barely held on from the sudden hit. Peering down, she saw a large ram spirit crashing into the tree over and over.


    ¡°Damn, they found me. That¡¯s one of the summoner¡¯s spirits.¡± Sun Ren hopped off the tree branch and came down as quickly as she could.


    The bandits were already rushing toward her. They weren¡¯t as tired as she was, especially after finding her. That must have given them a second wind.


    The fear of being caught by them gave Sun Ren one, too.


    Sun Ren slipped on the branch as it moved from the ram¡¯s crash. She was falling backwards, off the tree at a height that would injure her. She saw the moon hanging above her.


    Sun Ren smiled, held her breath, and clenched her left fist.


    In a second, she turned into a small white fox pup. With a flip, she turned herself around and landed on her paws. The reduced weight made the fall effortless.


    Sun Ren didn¡¯t wait before she dashed off into the large brush. She could smell the bandits closing in on the tree, but she wasn¡¯t there anymore. Running with all four paws felt like finally being free from everything, all responsibilities, and worries.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so happy,¡± Baihu said. ¡°There¡¯s at least one summoner spirit coming for you from the west.¡±


    Sun Ren stopped, crouched low, and perked up her ears. She could hear the loud thud of hooves. She took off running again, her tongue hanging out to cool off. She focused on one smell above all the others, the summoner that was coming after her. It smelled like the spirit coming for him, but mixed with human sweat.


    There, a little further west.


    Sun Ren pounded her little paws with all her might.


    The enemy spirit was a moose charging toward her.


    Perfect.


    Sun Ren stopped seconds away from the spirit. She held her breath and turned back into her human form. She grabbed the earth ward. The timing had to be perfect. With a tug of the ward, it activated when she dropped it to the ground.


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    A solid wall of stone rose up right in front of her.


    Sun Ren dove away as the spirit smacked right into the wall. It didn¡¯t break, so it must mean the spirit broke. She would not wait around to find out. She unsheathed her waist sword and ran it along the spirit¡¯s flank, cutting it up.


    Then she unsheathed her dagger and sunk it into the summoner¡¯s chest as he seized up from his spirit¡¯s damage.


    A dark kite flew into Sun Ren¡¯s face. The clawing at her hair told Sun Ren that it was one of the summoner¡¯s spirits. She yanked it off and stabbed it with her dagger. It screeched but she didn¡¯t let go until she stabbed it a few more times before the spirit disappeared.


    That summoner should be down, but she had bigger problems. The bandits with torches were now headed in her direction, surrounding her.


    Sun Ren held her breath and clenched her left fist, turning back into a white fox pup. She ran toward the stone wall. With her heightened sight, she saw the ward that powered the wall. With her mouth, she clamped down onto it, deactivating it, and sprinted away.


    Sun Ren didn¡¯t get far before another spirit tackled her. She almost lost the ward in her mouth, but her powerful fox jaws locked onto it. She couldn¡¯t lose it now.


    When Sun Ren got up, she saw a large fox pinning her down by the chest, its teeth bared.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move or I will rip you to shreds,¡± the enemy fox spirit said.


    Sun Ren opened her mouth as if to speak, but she dropped the earth ward. It activated again. The stone wall erupted right below her, sending both her and the enemy fox flying.


    Sun Ren landed on her paws and sprinted away again. She needed to find cover, but better yet, she smelled the summoner in the air. He was the one that controlled the fox. If she could take him out, then there would only be one last summoner.


    The enemy fox spirit howled.


    Sun Ren heard its quick footsteps behind her. They were coming in faster than she could reach the summoner. Time for a drastic move. She ran up a nearby tree and climbed to one of the higher branches. The enemy fox followed.


    The summoner was right below her.


    Sun Ren jumped from the branch and then held her breath, turning her back into a woman. With a bit of luck, she crashed into the summoner at almost full speed. She felt her back land in a bad position. But despite that, she unsheathed a dagger and stabbed the summoner right in the back.


    The enemy fox spirit howled and then disappeared.


    Sun Ren rolled over, slowly untangling herself from the dead summoner. Tears came to her eyes. She was in a lot of pain and she knew Baihu was already trying to fix her.


    It was not enough.


    Not long after, the remaining bandits surrounded her, but none of them dared to approach. Sun Ren had a permanent grimace on her face and her waist sword in her hands. It looked like she was bathed in blood despite her black tunic.


    ¡°It was just one girl that killed so many of our brothers,¡± one man said.


    Sun Ren gritted her teeth as Baihu was fixing her back and could only watch. She was prepared to take her own life rather than allow these men to take her.


    ¡°What do we do boss?¡± another man asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll handle this. That fall should have injured her badly, or else she¡¯d be running off again.¡±


    A large porcupine waddled toward Sun Ren.


    Sun Ren raised her sword at the porcupine. She must have been lucky to not have faced that spirit first. She wouldn¡¯t know how to overcome its quills. As her sifu said, luck is usually more important in a battle than skill. Well, her luck finally ran out, along with her skill.


    The porcupine stepped on the sword, pinning it to the ground.


    Sun Ren let go, but couldn¡¯t grab any of her remaining daggers. Her body hurt too much.


    ¡°Take her. We¡¯ll strip her and then burn her body as an offering to our fallen brothers,¡± the summoner said.


    ¡°But what about¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, do what you¡¯d like with her before then.¡±


    The other bandits laughed as they came closer.


    It was now or never. Sun Ren reached up for the dagger in her hair. But as she unsheathed it, she heard pounding footsteps. No, they were paws.


    ¡°Amituofo, please drop the killing knife and seek penance,¡± Hen Li¡¯s voice rang out clearly in the night.


    All the bandits turned to face the monk. She was saved. There was only one remaining summoner and the rest of the bandits were untrained farmers at best.


    ¡°I remember him. That¡¯s the monk we fought earlier,¡± one bandit said. ¡°We can¡¯t fight him.¡±


    ¡°Then we leave. Unless you think to stop us, monk,¡± the summoner said.


    ¡°Amituofo. Ending this peacefully is the best option,¡± Hen Li pressed his hands together and bowed.


    The bandits left, and Hen Li sat on the floor and recited the heart sutra.


    Lu Na¡¯s face hovered over Sun Ren¡¯s, looking like she¡¯d swallowed a sour prune. She had dirt on her face and her hair was a mess. She looked just like when they were being chased by the Wintersweet Sect.


    ¡°Sun Ren, are you hurt?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s my back. I thought I told you to meet up in Qingxizhen. Why did you come back?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? We never left. When Hen Li wanted to leave, as you said, I convinced him to turn back to help you. We knocked out a few of the bandits. We would have done more if Hen Li didn¡¯t start praying whenever he saw a dead body. I had to leave him as he prayed over four bodies at once.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t leave?¡± Sun Ren felt moisture on her face. Was she crying again? She wasn¡¯t sure anymore. Twice in one night after so many years.


    ¡°I promised myself that I would never leave you to fight by yourself. I might not have your skills, but I have a few tricks I can use. I used Hen Li. He couldn¡¯t let me fight them on my own.¡±


    That¡¯s why some bandits were taken out, despite them knowing the area and having torches.


    ¡°You¡¯re safe now. I¡¯ll take care of you.¡± Lu Na activated one of her earth wards and created a large dome around the three of them. She took out her spirit wand and used a technique to create a window in the dome. ¡°I¡¯ll stand watch until the sun rises.¡±


    Sun Ren smiled and shut her eyes. She chuckled at the thought of this inexperienced Young Miss Lu coming to save her. She was the one with years of training and a powerful secret art passed to her by her sifu, yet she needed the Young Miss Lu to save her. But that was a good feeling to know that she had people that supported her outside of her Sun family and her bodyguards.

 Chapter 46 - Moving Forward with Training

    Lu Na took care of Sun Ren as best as she could. First she wiped off as much of the blood from Sun Ren as possible from her face. She made sure she was comfortable and allowed her to sleep.


    When Sun Ren woke later, she shouted, ¡°My daggers! You have to get my daggers back. The bandits can¡¯t have them.¡±


    ¡°But some of them are still stuck inside the bodies.¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°No, they¡¯re very important to us. I had them made specifically for our trip. They¡¯re worth a lot of money too. Those bandits don¡¯t deserve to have anything. And if you won¡¯t get them, I will.¡±


    Lu Na held Sun Ren down with just one hand. She was too weak to fight her.


    ¡°Amituofo, I will get them. I have to recite the heart sutra over each body anyway,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°Thank you. I tossed at least twenty daggers,¡± Sun Ren said before she relaxed back onto the grass. At least it was a good sign that she could move again. After yesterday¡¯s fight, Sun Ren looked like a broken toy.


    Hen Li spent most of the day going around to each body and reciting the heart sutra over them. He said he was hoping they would reincarnate and become better people. By the end, he had a large bag of daggers, much of it with some blood on them.


    Lu Na had the morbid task of cleaning them, while Hen Li looked after Sun Ren. She was careful to wipe off the edges as these were sharp, unlike the dagger Sun Ren gave her. They all flexed easily, but stayed true when left alone. What material did Sun Ren¡¯s smiths use to make these daggers? If she could get her hands on them, Lu Na might make better inventions. Maybe she could improve on the slingshot and make it more like a dagger.


    Lu Na shook her head. She wasn¡¯t being honest with herself. The first thing she was picturing in her mind wasn¡¯t a new invention, but the dead bodies. They looked like they were sleeping on the grass. A life snuffed out just like that. It was such a tragedy and one that made her think about her own life.


    Was this trip to the labyrinth really worth it? Lu Na had already come very close to dying yesterday when one bandit attacked her. She told Sun Ren she was helping, but honestly she couldn¡¯t do much other than distract them and let Hen Li take care of them. She still hadn¡¯t repaired her slingshot yet so she couldn¡¯t do much more than push them away. The last thing she wanted was to use her null metal bracelet.


    After a little more tinkering, Lu Na was finally ready to test it. Except, maybe she shouldn¡¯t test it on bandits in the middle of the night. She¡¯d have to find time later.


    Yet she was happy to have come back to help Sun Ren.


    ¡°You¡¯re not thinking about hurting yourself are you, Na Na?¡± Nugua asked. ¡°You¡¯ve been staring at that dagger for a long time.¡±


    Lu Na shook her head and dropped the dagger into the pile of other daggers.


    ¡°No, I was thinking of whether this trip was worth it. We almost died last night and if I¡¯m being honest, I think we should just head back to Jianye. The Wintersweet Sect found out that we tried to cut them out of the secret and the world outside of the city is a mess. There are bandits and a scary monkey spirit. Back home, I still have my brother and my bed.¡±


    ¡°But not your mother. You saw how injured she looked. If you don¡¯t help her, she will die. Are you willing to allow that to happen?¡±


    ¡°What can I do? I¡¯m just some weak Young Miss from Jianye!¡± Lu Na turned over the daggers, clattering them against each other.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Hen Li asked.


    ¡°Yes, sorry,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°I¡¯m going to take the daggers to the nearby stream to wash them off before drying them. I shouldn¡¯t be too far. I¡¯ll scream if I need your help.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo, I can send Panhu with you.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± Lu Na picked up the daggers in a new bag and brought them over to the stream.


    ¡°Have you forgotten that Sun Ren is also a Young Miss? She could have spent her whole life enjoying life without ever worrying about anything, either. Yet she went out and made something of her life.¡±


    Lu Na chuckled bitterly. She unburdened the daggers into the shallow part of the stream. It was a slow-moving stream so she didn¡¯t have to worry about them floating away.


    ¡°You forget that she also has years of training from masters. I can¡¯t do any of that.¡±


    ¡°Yet. You can¡¯t do any of that yet. You want strength and power to do what Hen Li and Sun Ren can do? Train.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do it. I¡¯ve tried training with Hen Li and I got nowhere. I can¡¯t even manifest you and trust me, I¡¯ve been trying all the time since the fishing village. There were times yesterday that I tried when I almost died and nothing. You won¡¯t even come out then.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s time to cheat. You remember the scroll the monkey king gave you? He wasn¡¯t lying when he said that it could teach you in ways that Hen Li can¡¯t. Even I¡¯ve heard of the Scroll of Immortality. And if it¡¯s real, then maybe you can train to be a summoner faster than traditional training.¡±


    ¡°How do you know this?¡± Lu Na picked up one dagger and wiped it on a clean rag.


    Nugua was quiet. Through their connection, Lu Na could feel apprehension in her spirit. It was a weird feeling, as she never thought Nugua would be apprehensive about anything. Sometimes she couldn¡¯t get her to be quiet even when she needed her to be.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll tell you one of my secrets. You can¡¯t tell anyone,¡± Nugua said.


    ¡°I won¡¯t. I promise,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°I learned from the Scroll of Immortality from Sun Wukong¡¯s sifu.¡±


    ¡°Is that how you¡¯ve lived for so long?¡±


    Nugua laughed.


    ¡°Little Na Na, spirits can live forever if they want to. But they have to live within the Spirit Realm. The Scroll of Immortality has allowed me to live in the human realm, but it has its costs.¡±


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    ¡°Then should I practice it?¡± Lu Na lined up the daggers on the ground to let them dry.


    ¡°Definitely. The costs aren¡¯t as steep for humans. You only live for about fifty years.¡±


    ¡°What is the cost?¡±


    ¡°The immortality part goes against nature. After your natural lifespan is spent, you would face a tribulation from the heavens. Think of it like one of your wards that you put too much energy into.¡±


    ¡°It explodes. But wouldn¡¯t I be immortal too if I practiced the scroll?¡±


    Nugua laughed harder this time.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been alive for many thousands of years. Despite humans finding the scroll and an entire sect of summoners studying it, no one has ever mastered the scroll before their natural lifespans. Only spirits with unnaturally longer life spans can study it long enough to master the secrets.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I can be one of them. I¡¯m smart enough.¡±


    ¡°Child, you are one of the smartest I¡¯ve ever known, but your intelligence lies in making little trinkets that do wonderful things. You wouldn¡¯t be able to pierce through the hidden meanings of the Scroll of Immortality within your lifetime. And besides, would you really want to live forever?¡±


    Lu Na packed up the daggers in a wrap. That was a question she had never thought of before. To live forever, or at least a lengthy time, what would that be like? Until now, she had never even thought about dying, let alone living forever. That¡¯s when the daggers reminded her of the fleeting nature of life and the bodies that now littered the grass all around her.


    She could die tomorrow.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m more worried about finishing this task before I think about living forever,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°Besides, I would be interested in what inventions I could make if I had unlimited time.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t try to dissuade you from learning all the secrets of the scroll if the scroll is genuine. However, my only word of warning is to think about the one who gave it to you. The monkey king himself, as powerful as he is in the myths, is trapped underneath a mountain in his quest for immortality.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what do you mean, if it¡¯s genuine?¡± Lu Na walked back to the earth dome that housed Sun Ren.


    ¡°The monkey king wasn¡¯t only known by that name. He was also known as the Trickster God.¡±


    ¡°Then how would I know if it¡¯s real or not?¡±


    ¡°You can ask Hen Li. But if he doesn¡¯t know, then the only thing you can do is practice it. If it¡¯s genuine, then you will rapidly gain levels and stages as a summoner. If it¡¯s not, then you will die a horrible death.¡±


    Lu Na wasn¡¯t sure if the risk was worth it. But she felt that Sun Wukong wouldn¡¯t have lied to her. He had to know that she was one of the few people who could undo the techniques of the mountain to free him. And she would gladly do it if the scroll was real. So should she risk it?


    Hen Li sat in the shade and was still reciting the heart sutra. He had his palms pressed together and he wore his prayer beads on his neck. He didn¡¯t acknowledge Lu Na when she approached. Lu Na would ask him to look over the scroll after she checked on Sun Ren first.


    Lu Na crawled into the dome with Sun Ren and checked on her forehead. She had a fever earlier but it was gone now. Whatever her spirit was doing was a miracle. Had Nugua done that for her?


    ¡°Sun Ren, how are you feeling?¡±


    Sun Ren didn¡¯t move. Her breathing was even. She looked like she was sleeping. So Lu Na didn¡¯t bother her and left the bag of daggers outside of the dome.


    ¡°Hen Li, do you have a minute? I want to ask you something about the summoner arts.¡± Lu Na got out of the dome.


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m almost done reciting the heart sutra for the deceased,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°Nugua tells me she¡¯s not sure if the Scroll of Immortality is real. Could you have a look at it for me? She told me that if it was a fake, it might hurt me instead.¡± Lu Na took out the scroll from within her chest pocket.


    ¡°Amituofo. I still caution against learning from that monkey spirit. Making pacts with feral spirits like him is dangerous.¡± Hen Li opened the scroll. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t tell you if this is real or not. All I can see is a golden surface with the monkey spirit¡¯s butt facing me and his tail wagging. The only words I can read is, ¡®Not for you.¡¯¡±


    Lu Na took the scroll. It had the picture Hen Li described, but it disappeared in seconds. Instead, words appeared in a long flowing script going from top to bottom. The words described a breathing technique.


    ¡°What¡¯s the omni-breathing technique?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Hmmm, that¡¯s a summoner art that is supposed to be used to help boost your focus,¡± Hen Li said. ¡°I¡¯ve never learned it, as it¡¯s an inferior breathing technique.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you teach me that? Wouldn¡¯t that have helped me manifest Nugua?¡±


    ¡°Breathing techniques are only useful for stage two summoners after they¡¯ve started their journey as summoners. Before stage two, it would only be like any other breathing exercise for you. It¡¯s why most summoner sects won¡¯t accept disciples if they can¡¯t manifest their spirits.¡±


    ¡°So, based on what you and Nugua said, I wouldn¡¯t have the qualifications to be a summoner? Is that why you wouldn¡¯t accept me as your disciple?¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. That was not the case at all. I¡¯ve told you before, I am unqualified to be a teacher. I only know of what I was taught, but that wouldn¡¯t work for everyone as the Wintersweet Sect forced a more advanced summoner art on me. It¡¯s why I can¡¯t control my first spirit so well. And that¡¯s the last thing I would want for you.¡±


    Lu Na couldn¡¯t fault Hen Li. His former sect was a little crazy and willing to do anything for its goals, especially where their ancestor was involved. She could only imagine what hellish training he went through.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to figure this out myself. But do me a favor. If I have problems with my training, could you stop me from dying?¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. That is the least I can do if you¡¯re willing to take the risk.¡±


    Lu Na bowed to Hen Li.


    ¡°You might not be my sifu, but I still respect you greatly for helping me.¡±


    ¡°It might be fate that we met. I¡¯m willing to see this to the end if it stops the Wintersweet Sect from doing evil.¡±


    Lu Na climbed inside the earth dome. She sat cross-legged and focused on the words of the scroll. She read it over and over, but she couldn¡¯t understand one part.


    ¡°Hey Nugua, have you studied this scroll before? Can you tell me what ¡®pushing your breath into your spirit realm¡¯ means?¡±


    Before Nugua could answer, the words disappeared. A picture of the monkey king appeared. Beside him were clouds that were pushing air into his nose. The air traveled down into his chest and he held his breath. After a few seconds, the wisps of air from his lungs started pushing into a shining core within his chest near his heart.


    ¡°Lu Na, did you hear my explanation?¡± Nugua asked.


    ¡°Oh, sorry. The scroll just showed me a moving picture explaining what it meant. It looked like he was pushing the air he breathed into the spirit realm near his chest. Is that it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly what I said. This scroll is more amazing than I thought.¡±


    ¡°It is. Can you see it too?¡±


    ¡°No, all I see is a golden reflection with nothing on it. You must be seeing what he wants you to see. So be careful and don¡¯t believe everything in the scroll. Ask Hen Li or me if you feel anything is wrong.¡±


    Lu Na lifted the scroll and looked at it all around. The moment she used her spirit vision technique to look at the scroll¡¯s spirit essence, it blinded her. She turned it down as much as she could after Nugua showed her how.


    The scroll held a near infinite amount of different techniques within it. It was almost like looking into the cookbook for spirit techniques. The only problem was that it was so complicated and intertwined. It made the technique on the monkey king¡¯s mountain seem simple.


    If Lu Na could understand even ten percent of the scroll, she knew she would be a master of inventions. She could make almost anything her mind could think of.


    ¡°Are you okay Na Na?¡± Nugua asked.


    ¡°Oh Nugua, I think I found something more powerful to study than I could have ever imagined.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully, if it¡¯s genuine, you will grow as a summoner despite not having as much spirit energy. Put in the work.¡±


    Lu Na only nodded, but summoner arts weren¡¯t what she was interested in now. This scroll was a living technique that she could study with no need for anyone else. This was the best find ever.

 Chapter 47 - On the way to the Labyrinth

    Lu Na spent most of the day practicing the omni-breathing technique as Sun Ren recuperated. She kept trying to push her held breath into her spirit realm over and over, but nothing was happening. The only advice Nugua and Hen Li gave her was that she had to feel her spirit realm first. It¡¯s what you can do once you manifest the spirit.


    Now that concept was harder than the breathing. She couldn¡¯t feel her spirit realm. It was like asking someone to feel their heart. No one can actively feel their heart unless they thrust their hands into their chest to grab it.


    And the worst part was, she wasn¡¯t sure how she would even push the air from her lungs into this spirit realm once she felt it. These concepts were too hard to understand.


    After a certain time attempting it, she switched to thinking about the monkey king¡¯s technique. There was something very ephemeral about it. As if it could turn into anything it wants. How did the monkey king do that? Was it from practicing the Scroll of Immortality? Or was it a technique the monkey king himself had?


    Lu Na took out her spirit wand. It was an improved version of the simple ones Uncle Chen sold. She changed it so that it only gathered the same amount of spirit energy every time she used it. One reason the wards exploded the first time around was because the spirit wand would get more than she intended. It was too much for the wards to handle.


    Next Lu Na took out her diagnostic invention. This one she had been thinking about for a long time. What if she had a device that told you what a technique did? Of course, it would only be useful if a spirit¡¯s technique wasn¡¯t trying to kill her.


    She gathered a bit of water spirit energy from the air and pushed it into the diagnostic invention. Then attached the diagnostic to the monkey king¡¯s scroll.


    It began glowing black and then became many colors all at once, never staying the same. This was going to be difficult. It reminded her of the mountain again, but at least she clearly saw the different spirit energies that maintained the technique. All she saw in the scroll was as if someone were adding in different colors to a barrel of water and mixing it constantly.


    Lu Na put the diagnostic invention down and let it continue to read the scroll. Maybe it just needs time.


    Meanwhile, she checked Sun Ren¡¯s forehead. Her fever was gone, but her lips were parched.


    ¡°Sun Ren, drink this.¡± Lu Na tipped a small water skin toward her mouth. Sun Ren didn¡¯t respond as the water dribbled along her cheeks.


    Maybe that should be a new invention she makes. A way to get water into someone regardless if they were awake or not. Better yet, why not add food in there? That way they can keep the unconscious alive and fight whatever injuries they have.


    But since she didn¡¯t have that, Lu Na took a clean cloth and dipped it in water. She opened Sun Ren¡¯s mouth and made her suck on the cloth.


    Food she couldn¡¯t do or else she¡¯d choke. Hopefully Sun Ren would wake up sooner rather than later now that her fever was gone.


    ¡°Amituofo, I think we have a problem,¡± Hen Li called from outside.


    ¡°Are the bandits back?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°No, worse. It¡¯s some government procession that is coming this way. Your earth dome will block their way.¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t be that big, can they?¡± Lu Na peeked out of her dome and saw a wide carriage being pulled by eight horses. Soldiers lined up beside the wagon, armed with spears. They all wore serious military gear as if they were prepared to fight a war. ¡°I can release the dome, but you¡¯ll have to help me move Sun Ren.¡±


    ¡°That is fine as long as you can lift her onto my back. While I am not a fully ordained monk yet, touching the opposite sex is still against my belief,¡± Hen Li said.


    Lu Na made a note of that. If she ever wanted to push Hen Li away, all she had to do was reach out with her hands. It reminded her of the silly games that her younger brothers would play with her because she was a girl.


    Lu Na deactivated the ward before putting it away into her chest pocket. She then lifted Sun Ren onto Hen Li¡¯s back. She hated to admit it, but that took a lot more effort than she thought.


    Sun Ren was oddly very muscled. It was another thing she reminded herself that she needed to practice. It wasn¡¯t enough to have summoner arts. Without a physical body like her or Hen Li, she would be in big trouble if someone attacked her body. She can¡¯t always use earth wall wards.


    The trio moved further in toward the trees off the road. Hen Li, with the help of Lu Na, had Sun Ren lean against a tree. Hopefully, moving her didn¡¯t make her injuries worse.


    It took a while before the procession finally reached their location. When they got close, Lu Na saw the horses weren¡¯t normal horses but horse spirits. She didn¡¯t notice from a distance because they also wore armor like the soldiers. Up close, she saw them in different colors.


    ¡°That is an extravagant display,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Amituofo.¡± Hen Li pushed his hands together and bowed toward the passing procession. ¡°Some rich and powerful people use spirits to pull their wagons because they¡¯re tireless so long as the summoners have spirit energy. It¡¯s such a monumental waste of resources as the summoners would have to ingest many spirit essence pills. Not even summoner sects would do such a thing.¡±


    Lu Na wondered who would employ these summoners to pull their carriage.


    The procession stopped. The soldiers moved from around the wagon and surrounded the trio.


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    ¡°Can I help you?¡± Lu Na curtsied as deep as she could.


    The carriage partition opened and a skinny man walked down. There was another man inside that wore blue and green silks that didn¡¯t leave the carriage.


    The skinny man wore an imperial robe that had a silk patch with a bird embroidered on the front. He had a slight hunch in his back.


    ¡°Good day,¡± the skinny man said. ¡°My superior wants to know if you three had anything to do with the litter of bodies all across the field.¡±


    Lu Na curtsied again and smiled as sweetly as she could. It felt like facing the Wintersweet Ancestor again.


    ¡°Begging your pardon, but I am not sure what you are talking about. We are weary travelers who had the misfortune of one of our companions being sick.¡±


    ¡°You are a bad liar, girl,¡± the skinny man said. ¡°My men found a field of bodies and only you three were in the vicinity. Did you have anything to do with that?


    ¡°Amituofo, let me answer you.¡± Hen Li approached the skinny man and all the soldiers tensed. They pointed their spears at Hen Li, stopping him.


    Hen Li pressed his palms together and bowed.


    ¡°We are indeed three travelers and one of our companions is sick. However, we were attacked by the bandits and had to defend ourselves. While we made sure to not kill them, they came back with more men and attacked us at night.¡±


    The skinny man looked Hen Li up and down for a moment.


    ¡°Well, at least you¡¯re not a liar like the girl, even though you are clearly not a monk.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. While I have not been fully ordained, I follow the path of a monk until my sifu has deemed me worthy,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°Do you two know the punishment for murder?¡± the skinny man asked.


    Lu Na froze. That was the last thing she needed. She already pictured herself in a jail like the one Hen Li stayed in Jianye. She wouldn¡¯t survive there. She looked toward Sun Ren. Maybe her status as the Marquis¡¯ daughter might save her.


    ¡°Amituofo, let the sins pass. We didn¡¯t mean to kill them. We had no choice, as they had us surrounded. They were going to kill us.¡±


    ¡°We cannot allow murderers, especially powerful summoners, to walk freely.¡±


    The soldiers all took one step forward with their spears pressing in on Hen Li.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough Xun Zheng,¡± the man inside the carriage called. ¡°They explained their reasoning and there¡¯s no reason for them to attack the large group of people. We don¡¯t have time to deal with them right now. The rebels are at the labyrinth.¡±


    Xun Zheng cupped his hand and bowed toward the man in the carriage.


    ¡°Yes, right away. Soldiers, let¡¯s continue on our way.¡±


    Xun Zheng got back into the carriage and the soldiers resumed their previous position alongside it. They continued on their way without saying another word to the trio.


    Lu Na collapsed beside Sun Ren.


    ¡°That was dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡± Hen Li sat down as well. He wiped the sweat off his head.


    ¡°Knowing Sun Ren, she would have tried to take them. I could already see her ready to throw her daggers.¡± Lu Na laughed.


    ¡°No, I was ready to show them my father¡¯s badge,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°Sun Ren! You¡¯re awake.¡± Lu Na grabbed a water skin and passed it to her. ¡°You need to drink. Do you want any food?¡±


    Sun Ren grabbed the water skin and drained it. She grimaced when she stood up. She stretched.


    ¡°How long was I asleep?¡±


    ¡°A day or so? But how are you?¡±


    Sun Ren smiled.


    ¡°Good as new. But I can¡¯t do much for a few days. So if we run into another group of bandits, we might have to run instead.¡±


    ¡°Wait, that was an option?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Amituofo, running is always an option,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°Not from those bandits. They were a danger not only to us but to all the travelers on this road.¡± Sun Ren sheathed all the daggers in the bag. ¡°It would be unethical to leave them free to do as they please.¡±


    Lu Na only nodded, but she didn¡¯t agree with Sun Ren. Her friend was a very upright person, but not at the cost of their lives. But if she wasn¡¯t that kind of person, she wouldn¡¯t have helped her with the Wintersweet Sect.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get going,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to spend another night sleeping on this hard ground.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you can move?¡± Lu Na said.


    Sun Ren stooped and touched her toes. She then bent side to side and twisted her torso.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m fine for a little walking. And if we try to follow those guys, then we might be safer. Besides, I¡¯m sure both of you heard the guy in the carriage mentioning the labyrinth. He¡¯s headed the same way.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo, that is a safer idea than traveling on our own,¡± Hen Li said. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to face any more bandits if possible. The sight of those bodies gave me very bad memories. Please let the sins pass.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s go.¡± Lu Na gave Sun Ren her staff and carried her packs. ¡°Why do you think they¡¯re going to the labyrinth?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It¡¯s not really a secret, especially among the imperial administration, that there¡¯s a treasure in that labyrinth left by the Xia dynasty. It¡¯s just that in two thousand years, there has been no one able to discover what¡¯s inside.¡± Sun Ren walked with a slight limp.


    ¡°Maybe someone discovered a way? Then maybe my mother has something to do with it?¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Your mother? This is the first time hearing this,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°Oh, I guess Sun Ren and I didn¡¯t tell you of the secret I discovered. My mother is alive and has been inside the labyrinth for the last few years.¡±


    ¡°How has she survived for so long without food and water?¡± Hen Li asked. The two ladies stared at Hen Li. ¡°What? I was told all about the labyrinth from the Wintersweet elders. One of the original ancestors of our sect tried to find out its secret. He was never heard from again.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how she¡¯s survived for so long,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°It¡¯s one reason we¡¯re headed to the labyrinth now. She told me through a spirit message to help free her. That¡¯s what the silver phoenix hairpin is, a key to something within the labyrinth.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure it was your mother and not the trap of some other group?¡± Hen Li asked. ¡°I have heard of some summoners powerful enough to recreate entire memories that can fool someone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°But I can tell you that the hairpin she gave me was the one that delivered the message and the same one that saved both me and my brother from death. I owe it this much to check. But if you¡¯re afraid it¡¯s a trap, you don¡¯t have to come with me.¡±


    Sun Ren wrapped her arm around Lu Na¡¯s.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t getting rid of me that easily. I¡¯m going with you to see this through to the end. And who knows, maybe with your luck we can discover something that can help my Sun family.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo, I wouldn¡¯t go back on my word. I said I¡¯d go with you to resolve this, then I will,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°Thank you both,¡± Lu Na said. But honestly, she wasn¡¯t sure if this was a good idea. If what they said was true that once you went in, you can¡¯t come back out, then wouldn¡¯t that mean killing herself?

 Chapter 48 - A Place to Rest

    The trio settled in for the night. They chose a grassy place to rest that wasn¡¯t much farther away from the imperial officer¡¯s retinue. They had set up camp over a larger area up the road.


    Sun Ren was resting in another earth dome that Lu Na made. Hen Li was sleeping against a nearby tree. Lu Na had first watch and she was bored.


    ¡°Hey Nugua, you¡¯ve been pretty quiet for the last few hours. What are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°I was focused on your omni-breathing technique,¡± Nugua said.


    ¡°You can use it too?¡±


    ¡°Of course. The general idea is not actually breathing. I don¡¯t need actual air to make it work. What it¡¯s really showing is the idea of pushing spirit energy into your personal spirit realm, not air.¡±


    ¡°What? That makes no sense.¡±


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll make it plainer. You know the very air you¡¯re breathing? It contains water spirit energy. It¡¯s the same type of energy you pull from when you make your inventions. Now, instead of trying to shove everything into your spirit realm, try focusing on only the spirit energy that you breathe in.¡±


    Lu Na hadn¡¯t thought about that before. It was so obvious now, but she never considered it. She¡¯s always used the spirit wand to draw in spirit energy and used the wand to separate the spirit energy from whatever she pulled from. But now she was going to have to do it herself.


    Lu Na closed her eyes and breathed in. With every breath, she tried to focus in on the different things that made up the air. She could easily feel the cool air, but not the spirit energy.


    ¡°Hey, wake up. You¡¯re supposed to be on watch,¡± Nugua said.


    Lu Na shook herself awake. She didn¡¯t realize she almost fell asleep. She got up and an icy breeze hit her, making her shiver.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do it Nugua. I can¡¯t separate them.¡±


    Nugua laughed a hissing laugh.


    ¡°Little Na Na, you just started this practice. Summoners take years to fully grasp these concepts. Weren¡¯t you listening to how long it took Sun Ren to even hear her spirit speak to her?¡±


    Lu Na thought for a moment.


    ¡°Did she tell me that?¡±


    ¡°Two years. And here you are, a few days into the practice and you think you¡¯re going to achieve everything they did? I mean, look at that burly monk. Did you know he wakes up earlier than everyone at the crack of dawn to practice his martial arts? It took years of dedication and practice to look that good.¡±


    Lu Na nodded in understanding. It took her many years to create her inventions even after her mother trained her. But looking at her two companions, she knew she was nowhere near as capable as they were in dealing with this situation.


    ¡°Do you think it was a mistake to do this?¡±


    ¡°Oh Na Na, I¡¯m going to be honest with you and tell you I¡¯m not the one you should ask. I need you to find your mother so she can give me what she promised.¡±


    Lu Na didn¡¯t forget their meeting when they bonded.


    ¡°But I will tell you something else,¡± Nugua continued. ¡°I would have wished you had never activated the hairpin. I¡¯ve watched you grow up into a smart young lady and it would have made me happy to watch you grow into an old lady, never leaving the city of Jianye.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s not possible anymore. I have to find my mother. I have to help her or save her. And with the Wintersweet Sect always bothering me about it, I wouldn¡¯t be able to rest, anyway. The last thing I need would be for them to attack my home again.¡±


    ¡°So you answered your own question. Just be a little patient and have compassion for yourself. You don¡¯t need to be as strong as Sun Ren or the brawny monk. You have them to help you. Lean on their expertise and help and do what you know to do best.¡±


    Lu Na peered over at the two. These were two of the strongest people she knew and they will follow her on this quest.


    ¡°Then does this mean I should stop trying to practice the summoner arts?¡±


    ¡°Oh no. You need to practice it and try ten times harder,¡± Nugua said. ¡°You might not see any progress for a year or two, but you¡¯re too weak even without those two. A strong wind can break you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the confidence. But you¡¯re right. I have this opportunity to practice. I¡¯m going to use it.¡±


    ¡°And don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll help you as much as I can.¡±


    Lu Na felt reassured by those words. It almost felt like her mother had a hand in helping her without being there.


    The next day, the trio continued their journey to the labyrinth. However, they had a different issue.


    ¡°What do you mean we need to go faster?¡± Sun Ren still walked with a limp.


    ¡°I know you are still injured, but the spirit energy from the hairpin is fading.¡± Lu Na took it out. ¡°Nugua estimates it has three days at most before it runs out and we can¡¯t go back to charge it again. We won¡¯t be able to solve the puzzle of the labyrinth without it.¡±


    Sun Ren took out her map and she looked around.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to hate this, but judging from the distance, we¡¯re only about a day away from the labyrinth if we sped up and didn¡¯t take any rest.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. Or we could get there by nightfall in two days, allowing you to rest some more,¡± Hen Li said.


    Sun Ren looked at the spirit horses that pulled the carriage. The imperial officer¡¯s entire retinue was resting, but they never dismissed the spirit horses.


    ¡°If only we had one of those horses. We could keep going without resting. But no, I don¡¯t want to only have one day to figure out the labyrinth. It¡¯s not called the peaceful courtyard where anyone can come grab the secret.¡±


    Lu Na chuckled. This was the first time hearing Sun Ren tell a joke.


    ¡°Besides, I think a few more hours and Baihu can fix my leg,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°Then we can walk much faster.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. I agree.¡± Hen Li grabbed the packs from Lu Na. ¡°To help you out, I¡¯ll carry these. When we get to the labyrinth, I¡¯ll give it back to you.¡±


    Lu Na felt like flying the moment he lifted the packs off her. She hadn¡¯t thought about how heavy it all was, especially while also carrying Sun Ren¡¯s packs, too.


    ¡°See, look at that burly monk go. He¡¯s got more muscles in his arm than you have in your entire body, Na Na. Oh, what I would do to him if I was outside,¡± Nugua said.


    Lu Na gagged, but she was right about the other thing. Maybe she should have trained with her brother. When she went back home, she would do that.


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    The trio walked past the imperial officer¡¯s large retinue. While some soldiers made a note of their passing, they didn¡¯t stop them either. Lu Na couldn¡¯t help but marvel at how well prepared they were. Not only did they have tents and places to sleep, they had some caged sheep, pigs, and chickens with them. Traveling like this wasn¡¯t any different from taking a vacation.


    It took most of a day of walking before they reached a village. Based on Sun Ren¡¯s map, it was Qingxizhen village outside of Shi city. They passed by the large Chao lake on their way and many other mountains. Luckily, the route was mostly flat land and no bandits were around to stop them.


    ¡°Lu Na, are you alright?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    Lu Na was quietly riding on top of Panhu. She had tripped and sprained her ankle on a tree branch. While she appreciated not having to walk the last stretch, she would rather not have the aching pain in her ankle.


    ¡°Yes, I think it¡¯s almost fixed thanks to Nugua. How did people survive without being healed by their spirits? This is such a miracle.¡±


    ¡°They usually called a doctor,¡± Hen Li said. He looked haggard but at least he wasn¡¯t carrying the packs anymore as Panhu did.


    ¡°Or they don¡¯t.¡± Sun Ren was the only one of the trio who still looked fresh from traveling at the speed and distance despite her own injuries.


    The first thing they did was find an inn when they got into the village. Like most villages, they only had one inn. Most people would have traveled the extra distance to rest within the city walls. They would have done it too if Hen Li wasn¡¯t about to collapse.


    It was a small inn with a small dining and reception area with all the individual rooms constructed just behind it. They rented a large room for the two ladies and an individual room for Hen Li.


    ¡°Oh, thank Buddha we finally have a place to rest,¡± Lu Na said when they brought their stuff inside the inn.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what Buddha... That¡¯s not how you talk about¡­ Ugh, nevermind,¡± Hen Li dragged himself and the packs into his room.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever seen Hen Li so exhausted. He didn¡¯t even say ¡®Amituofo¡¯ for a few hours.¡± Lu Na had dragged their packs into her room.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to walk so fast, especially since he spent a while in jail. I wonder if they have baths.¡± Sun Ren unpacked a new black tunic.


    ¡°How are you not tired? I rode Panhu for the last stretch and I¡¯m still exhausted.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve trained with my father¡¯s army and my sifu. They would march us for sixty to seventy li on slow days. Some days, they pushed us to almost one hundred li.¡± Sun Ren unsheathed her daggers onto her own bed. ¡°Of course it wasn¡¯t every day they did that, but training is very important.¡±


    Lu Na stared at this super human. How? How did a young miss of the most powerful person in the region train so much and train so hard?


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can do that.¡±


    Sun Ren paused her inventory and stared right back.


    ¡°You can if it¡¯s your life on the line. Every day our soldiers go out to fight and it might be the last day of their lives. It wouldn¡¯t be fair if my father didn¡¯t give them the proper training to survive.¡±


    ¡°And the soldiers do that without being summoners?¡± Lu Na had collapsed onto the bed by now.


    ¡°The human body is much stronger than you think.¡± Sun Ren had put away everything. ¡°I¡¯ll go ask the owner to see if he can get us a meal and a bath.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Lu Na said. She was fighting the sleepiness, but was losing. ¡°Wake me up whenever.¡±


    A short time later, Sun Ren was shaking Lu Na awake.


    ¡°The meal is ready. The monk is already eating,¡± Sun Ren said.


    Lu Na opened her eyes and saw the soft glow of a candle from somewhere behind Sun Ren. She turned over and rubbed her eyes. She wiped the small trail of drool on her left cheek.


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m coming.¡± Lu Na straightened her tunic and brushed her hair with her hands. It was a mess because she didn¡¯t take off the tie properly before she fell asleep. The worst part was, she had no maid to help her.


    Maybe Sun Ren can help later.


    Lu Na walked into the small reception area that was aglow with many lanterns on the wall. There were a few wooden tables in the center, with a small reception desk by the door. Many of the tables had people sitting and eating. They all looked like farmers from the village as some of them had their farming tools leaning against their table.


    ¡°This is odd. There weren¡¯t that many people when I went to get you,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just dinner time for them as well,¡± Lu Na said. She walked over to where Hen Li was already seated.


    His face was buried into the largest mound of rice Lu Na had ever seen before.


    ¡°You look better,¡± Lu Na said.


    Hen Li nodded before grabbing more vegetables from a nearby dish. Most of it was gone.


    ¡°You started eating without us, monk. Do you have a death wish?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    Hen Li smiled and kept eating.


    ¡°What do you mean? The food looks delicious. Let¡¯s eat!¡± Lu Na grabbed a pair of chopsticks.


    ¡°Wait. I have to test it for poison first.¡± Sun Ren took out a small pin and poked the food. ¡°I would hate to repeat the same mistake as with Magistrate Hu.¡±


    ¡°He used a spirit technique. Can your little pin detect that?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re here for. This pin is for the more common poisons.¡±


    Lu Na looked with spirit vision, finding nothing. Honestly, at this point she was so hungry as she stared at it she would eat it even if it was poisoned.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing. So can we eat?¡±


    Sun Ren looked around at the other tables.


    ¡°Wait. Give me five taels of silver, Lu Na.¡±


    Lu Na looked from her chopsticks to the food and then to Hen Li who was halfway done with his large bowl of rice. She sighed with every fiber of her being and put down her chopsticks. She gave Sun Ren five taels of silver from her inner chest pocket.


    ¡°Excuse me, gentlemen.¡± Sun Ren approached a nearby table with three farmers happily eating.


    Lu Na drooled as she stared at the food in front of her.


    ¡°Might I offer you three a trade? I¡¯ll give you five taels of silver if you give me your food,¡± Sun Ren said.


    There was a slight pause before they accepted the money.


    Sun Ren brought the four dishes of food over along with their rice bowls to their table. Now they had more dishes than can fit on the table.


    ¡°Eat only from these bowls and not the others,¡± Sun Ren said. She picked up her own chopsticks and began eating.


    Lu Na nodded before she followed suit. Her chopsticks flew from the dishes to her mouth. The flavors were greasy, salty, and oh so good. She didn¡¯t recognize any of the dishes but she didn¡¯t care.


    Any meal that wasn¡¯t dry, white buns or dried rations from the fishing village was a win.


    Hen Li saw he had a monopoly over his dishes of food and so he ate even more of the vegetables from all the dishes.


    ¡°Did you hear about the men in the labyrinth?¡± a man from a nearby table asked his table mate. ¡°They¡¯re still sending more people in there. Can you believe it?¡±


    ¡°Who cares, as long as they don¡¯t start forcing us in there,¡± his table mate responded. ¡°They¡¯re going to make our village rich with how much they¡¯re buying from us.¡±


    ¡°But I heard they¡¯re funding their operations with banditry. Isn¡¯t that bad?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Sun Ren interrupted. ¡°Are you two referring to the large labyrinth north from here?¡±


    The man turned toward Sun Ren.


    ¡°Not from around here, huh? A group of men came a few months ago and have been sending people and supplies into the labyrinth. It seems like they¡¯re going to solve it.¡±


    ¡°A bunch of idiots is what they are,¡± his table mate chimed in. ¡°We¡¯ve had this labyrinth for over a thousand years and no one has ever solved it. Entire empires have tried to solve it and they couldn¡¯t with their resources. How would this small group be able to do it? All they¡¯re doing is sending in more people to die.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the information,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°You three aren¡¯t entering the labyrinth are you?¡± the man asked. ¡°We get some adventurous people from time to time but they never come back either.¡±


    ¡°Wait, so when you go in, you can¡¯t come back out?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°No one ever has. Only idiots would go in,¡± the table mate said. ¡°But you know, if you want to be an idiot like those people, then feel free. Just know no one is going to save you.¡±


    Lu Na turned back to her food. She pressed her chopsticks to her lips. She didn¡¯t expect it to be that dangerous. Would her hairpin allow her to come back out? Her mother wouldn¡¯t send her to her death, would she?


    ¡°Sun Ren, what do you think about¡ª¡±


    Sun Ren shook her head.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about this later. Finish your dinner first. It might be the only good food for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. That was a good meal.¡± Hen Li burped loudly, despite covering his mouth. ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten so well since before staying in the jail.¡± He yawned.


    ¡°Glad you enjoyed the food,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°But let¡¯s not fall asleep here. Let¡¯s go back to our rooms. Are you done Lu Na?¡±


    Lu Na nodded and put down her chopsticks. She got up and walked with Sun Ren and Hen Li toward their rooms.


    ¡°What do you think about the labyrinth, Nugua?¡±


    ¡°I think that your mother wouldn¡¯t have told you anything that would harm you. The hairpin is a key for the labyrinth¡¯s secret so maybe it¡¯s also the key to the labyrinth itself,¡± Nugua said.


    When they got back into their room, Sun Ren packed her stuff furiously.


    ¡°What are you doing? I thought we weren¡¯t leaving until tomorrow,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Get your stuff now. The bandits are going to come for us soon and rob us.¡± Sun Ren strapped her pack to her back and unsheathed her sword. She was serious.


    Lu Na had seen that look on her face when she faced all the summoners back when they were dealing with the Wintersweet Sect. She packed what little she had unpacked. The last thing she did was plop down onto the bed when she was done. She wasn¡¯t going to pay for a bed and not sleep in it at least once.


    ¡°How do you know the bandits are coming for us?¡±


    ¡°Many signs, but the biggest one was where I recognized a bandit that was eating two tables over.¡±


    The door to their room flew open and two men rushed in with swords.

 Chapter 49 - Time to Run Again

    Lu Na was still shocked, despite Sun Ren¡¯s warning. She reached for her earth wall ward and activated it right in front of the intruders. Inside the small room, the wall was highly effective. The intruders were completely blocked off, but so were they.


    There were no other exits.


    Sun Ren pulled Lu Na to the side of the room away from the center and the beds.


    Seconds later, a large wooden log rammed right through the earth wall. It disappeared right after. It was a spirit technique.


    ¡°Get the boss,¡± a man yelled from outside.


    Footsteps walked away.


    Sun Ren held her sword up in a defensive stance.


    ¡°We have to get to Hen Li.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s strong enough to take these guys out,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°No, he¡¯s probably in more danger than us. He ate all the food. It was probably laced with sleep drugs. I could smell it but since Hen Li already ate so much, I didn¡¯t want to rouse the bandits¡¯ suspicions by warning him publicly.¡±


    Now Sun Ren¡¯s actions made sense. It felt foolish even to Lu Na for wasting so much money to buy someone else¡¯s food that they¡¯ve already eaten. But she was so hungry it didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°Come on out, assassin,¡± a voice called from the hole. ¡°You killed almost twenty of my men. It¡¯s time for a little payback.¡±


    ¡°Put up a spirit wall and release the wall right after,¡± Sun Ren whispered into Lu Na¡¯s ears.


    Lu Na took out her spirit wall ward and activated it right in front of them. A shimmering, nearly invisible wall sprang up into a half dome. With a quick stomp, the earth wall ward died out and fell.


    Sun Ren thrust her sword forward before the earth wall fell. She pierced the first thing she saw, a man standing too close to the earth wall. She hit him in the arm before pulling the sword back.


    The man yelped and fell away from Sun Ren and Lu Na.


    Right away, four techniques splashed against the spirit wall. One of them was a small fireball that glowed, trapped there.


    Sun Ren shifted around it and smashed the men standing there with her sword.


    They all cowered from her and retreated into the hallway.


    Lu Na followed closely. The moment she hit the hallway, she activated her earth wall ward behind her. It sprang up, covering the entire hallway. It was going to take the bandits a while before they got through that.


    Sun Ren fought bandits in front of Hen Li¡¯s room next door.


    They were trying to get into his room, but it was locked. When they realized they were no match for Sun Ren¡¯s sword in such an enclosed space, they ran away.


    Lu Na knocked on the door.


    ¡°Hen Li, it¡¯s us. Open up. We have to get out of here.¡±


    Nothing.


    ¡°We have to break the door down,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°Wait, I have a better idea.¡± Lu Na took out her spirit wand and pointed it at the hinges on the door. She focused on the wood element and pulled. She couldn¡¯t do this with her breathing, but her spirit wand could easily separate the spirit energy.


    After a few seconds, the wood warped and the door fell forward.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to teach me that,¡± Sun Ren said.


    Hen Li was on the floor, almost to his bed. He was snoring loudly.


    ¡°He¡¯s knocked out. What do we do?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to drag him out. I¡¯ll cover you.¡± Sun Ren stalked forward with her sword. Every bandit that tried to match her sword skill was rewarded with a cut or a slash across some part of their body, despite also carrying a sword.


    Lu Na pulled Hen Li, but the heavy monk was not moving.


    ¡°You remember a few weeks ago I suggested you make an invention that can move heavy objects?¡± Nugua asked.


    ¡°Ugh, not now,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Well, that invention would have been very useful right now. But no, you said that it wasn¡¯t needed.¡±


    ¡°You wanted me to make that so I could carry a heavy snake statue for you!¡± Lu Na grunted as she finally pulled Hen Li flat onto the ground. This was not working. She pulled him onto the fallen door, but there was no way she was going to lift him over it.


    What if she used her earth wards to move him?


    ¡°Hey Nugua, instead of reminding me of things that I can¡¯t change, what about helping me with something else?¡±


    ¡°What child? Don¡¯t waste too much time. Your friend is fighting for her life you know,¡± Nugua said.


    ¡°I know that you¡¯ve helped me shape my wall wards all those weeks ago before I made them form a standard shape. Do you think you can keep doing that with just one ward?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Can you make the earth lift the door to shift it forward while using another earth wall to keep moving it forward?¡±


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    ¡°Like making a wave?¡±


    ¡°Exactly! Like how a wave in the ocean can move a large ship, but using the earth.¡±


    ¡°Child, that¡¯s going to take a lot of effort but I can try. Use three earth wards and I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡±


    Lu Na activated three earth wall wards on the door.


    The earth below the door shifted up, tilting the door up and forward. But before Hen Li fell off, the earth shifted below again in the front, creating an earth wave.


    Lu Na held onto Hen Li to stop him from falling off. They were finally moving. They got into the hallway and made a turn.


    ¡°This is amazing Nugua.¡±


    ¡°Shhhh.¡±


    Sun Ren was out ahead, clearing the path. She stayed within the hallway that led to the back courtyard.


    ¡°I got Hen Li. Where do we go?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°We need to leave through the back, but they have us surrounded.¡± Sun Ren parried another sword strike. ¡°And I¡¯m not as fully healed as I wanted to be. My body is not moving the way I need it to if we want to get out of here.¡±


    ¡°Let me use my tiger claws at them,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°I can cover you until we reach the back door.¡±


    Sun Ren nodded and moved forward, pushing the bandits aside.


    Lu Na took out her repaired slingshot and began shooting tiger claw techniques at the bandits that didn¡¯t move. She didn¡¯t lower its setting and blasted them at full. Each one maimed the bandit, forcing them to run away from both her and Sun Ren.


    That¡¯s when they tried to make a break for it, well as fast as they could with Hen Li riding on an earth wave behind them.


    Sun Ren¡¯s sword skills were amazing. Lu Na has seen her practicing every morning with very slow movements, but now her sword sang through the air in quick, fast motions, parrying and attacking every bandit. They couldn¡¯t keep up.


    Lu Na shot a few more of her tiger claws at the bandits, but only used it sparingly. They recognized that to come close was to be mauled by a powerful summoner¡¯s technique so they stood back. Besides, she knew the slingshot was about to fail again. When she got back home, she was going to make an improvement in its materials. Using wood was not ideal.


    They were almost to the back door before it swung open so hard the doors slammed into the wall beside it. A man with an iron helmet walked through with his sword swinging. His moves were much more conservative as he stood in a line with three other men. All four of them pushed Sun Ren with trained precision.


    Sun Ren couldn¡¯t break through no matter how hard she tried. Slowly, she backed up against Lu Na, stopping them.


    Lu Na took advantage of the break and launched three tiger claws at the man.


    The man clenched his left fist and a green ibex with dark green stripes across his body appeared in front of him. The ibex was large enough that its flanks absorbed the tiger claws. Only light green lines appeared before disappearing.


    ¡°Earth walls now!¡± Sun Ren said.


    Lu Na dropped her slingshot and activated four earth wall wards around her. Earth walls rose from the ground, surrounding the trio. Hen Li¡¯s door dropped and the earth from those wards also sprang up into a dome around them.


    Seconds later, the dome shook hard. It had a large crack running down from the top right in front of Sun Ren.


    Sun Ren was gasping for air as she kneeled on the ground. She dug her sword into the ground, holding herself up.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Sun Ren shook her head. She grabbed a water skin from her pack and downed the water that was still left in it.


    ¡°Nugua, how long can you hold this dome?¡±


    Silence.


    Nugua must have exhausted herself moving Hen Li and forming this dome.


    Lu Na picked up her slingshot and grimaced. It broke from hitting the floor. Not that it had much left, anyway. So that¡¯s another tool down. She had nothing else that could get them out.


    The earth dome shook again. That was probably the ibex ramming them again. The horns on that spirit were wickedly long and large. It wouldn¡¯t surprise Lu Na that it could break her dome after a few more strikes.


    Maybe she could wake Hen Li?


    Hen Li was still snoring despite all the noise.


    Lu Na shook the monk as hard as she could. After the next strike on their earth dome, she started slapping him. She had to stop when she realized that her hand stung.


    ¡°What do we do?¡±


    Sun Ren dropped a dagger in front of Lu Na.


    ¡°I hate to say this, but if they break in here, end your own life rather than let them take you. I¡¯m going to go down fighting.¡±


    Lu Na looked at the naked dagger. Did it really come to this? There was no other way? She racked her brain over and over. She could create another earth wall, this one powered by all her null metals, that can outlast this ibex spirit.


    Lu Na could see herself living there now. They still had some of the travel rations from the fishing village. She loved those rations, those dry, dry rations.


    Another strike widened the crack in the dome, but it held.


    Or maybe they could wait until Hen Li woke up and take them all out with his spirit, Panhu. That five colored hound could easily rip these bandits to shreds. That¡¯s what they can do. Killing herself shouldn¡¯t be the only option they had, could it?


    Lu Na took out her earth wall wards with the null metal.


    ¡°What if I create a stronger dome and we wait for Hen Li to wake? Couldn¡¯t he take these guys on?¡±


    Sun Ren looked from her wards to the sleeping monk.


    ¡°Maybe, but there¡¯s one small thing you forgot to put into these domes. We¡¯re running out of air. The only reason we¡¯re still breathing is because of the crack. If you make another smaller dome, all of us are going to suffocate before the bandits can kill us.¡±


    Lu Na stared like an idiot at the crack. She had been so focused on making a wall strong enough to stand up against anything; she forgot all about what to do when they were inside. There was no air getting in. That set Lu Na off into a different spiral of how to improve her wall for the future.


    The striking stopped and instead, a softer knock came on the dome.


    ¡°Ladies, my name is Yang Deli. I am the leader of this crew. Might we talk this over instead of resorting to any more violence?¡± The man¡¯s voice was muffled a bit from the earth dome, but it came in well enough through the crack, the life giving crack.


    ¡°Lu Na, answer them, but don¡¯t tell them my name,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°The last thing we need is for them to ransom us. But whatever you do, if they ask for us to drop our defenses, then I¡¯m going back to fighting them to the death.¡±


    Lu Na placed a hand on Sun Ren¡¯s shoulders. She was very warm.


    ¡°I¡¯ll figure something out. No one needs to die today.¡±


    Lu Na tried one more time to shake Hen Li, hoping he would wake. Whatever sleeping drug they gave him was very strong.


    That left one last option. Lu Na would have to pull on everything she remembered of her father¡¯s negotiation tactics. She wracked her head for anything she could use in this situation. And then it hit her.


    There was only one time her father was ever in such dire straits that he was about to lose everything. It was before he married Lu Na¡¯s mother. He loved telling the story of how he triumphed over his bully with one simple trick.


    Lu Na smiled, not believing that her father¡¯s old stories were going to help save them. It only hurt a little that her father didn¡¯t talk to her like that anymore.


    ¡°Yang Deli, my name is Lu Na and I¡¯d like to talk. But you have to move all your men away or else my friend here will attack anyone in sight.¡±


    Through the crack in the earth dome, Lu Na heard a lot of shuffling.


    ¡°Done. I promise we won¡¯t attack you as long as you don¡¯t attack us. We don¡¯t wish to lose any more lives,¡± Yang Deli said.


    Lu Na squeezed Sun Ren¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Do you trust me?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll back you all the way,¡± Sun Ren said. Her breathing was back to normal.


    ¡°Then I¡¯m going to give them everything they wanted and more.¡±


    Before Sun Ren could respond, Lu Na deactivated the earth wall wards and put them back into her chest pocket. The cool air rushed in and doused them with the scents of sweaty men and smelly toilets nearby. And the first thing they saw was a ring of men with swords pointed at their heads.

 Chapter 50 - Negotiations With a Bandit

    ¡°This is not a good start to any negotiation,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to tell you. I¡¯m a bandit leader and I can¡¯t allow you to do any more of those crazy techniques,¡± Yang Deli said. ¡°You three have caused the deaths and injury of so many of my men. I can¡¯t give you another chance to do so.¡±


    Sun Ren said nothing and only glared at the man. She gripped her sword harder. If Lu Na didn¡¯t act fast, Sun Ren was going to make a last stand with these men, most likely ending in their deaths.


    ¡°We¡¯re out. So why don¡¯t we start again? I promise you we will not use any more techniques until our conversation is over,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°And why should I believe you?¡± Yang Deli asked.


    ¡°Because we¡¯re not the ones that attacked you nor are we the ones that set up a trap at an inn to drug and rob travelers.¡±


    Lu Na looked around at the men surrounding her. Many of them looked afraid of Sun Ren. These guys wouldn¡¯t want to have a final stand against her.


    ¡°Besides, I¡¯m ready to give you everything you wanted and more. All you have to do is negotiate in good faith and we can all walk away from this. No one else needs to die today.¡±


    Yang Deli waved his hand back and all the men took three steps back. They kept their swords trained on them, though.


    ¡°Talk.¡±


    Lu Na kneeled down on her heels and took a deep breath. If she was going to die, she would not die with a cramp.


    ¡°First off, my condolences for the men you lost. We gave your bandits a chance to go their own way after the first encounter on the main road. Their attack at night forced us to do something more drastic to send a message.¡±


    Yang Deli glared at one of his men before nodding toward Lu Na.


    ¡°Second, all you want is money and valuables, right? That¡¯s what all bandits want. But what if I can give you something better than that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard about the labyrinth near this village. I heard from a farmer yesterday that was talking about a group trying to get in and discover its secrets. What if I told you I have a way to uncover the secrets of the labyrinth?¡±


    ¡°And you would just give it to me for your lives? A treasure that is worth more than this current corrupt empire?¡± Yang Deli scoffed.


    ¡°It¡¯s that or die, so yes, it would be worth it. Besides, if you are that group entering the labyrinth, you should know that many kingdoms and empires have tried to get in, all bearing nothing but a death sentence. No one comes out.¡±


    Yang Deli was silent. This was good for Lu Na. Maybe she could get him intrigued with the next part of the plan.


    ¡°I have a way of getting to the secret and when I do, the labyrinth will open up, allowing anyone to leave. All I would need from you is help to get there and we can both share in the benefits.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s stopping me from torturing you until you give me the secret?¡±


    Lu Na took out the silver phoenix hairpin. It glowed a faint red. She gave it to Yang Deli.


    ¡°That¡¯s the secret of getting into the secret. Do you know how to work it? Do you even know what it is?¡±


    Yang Deli turned the silver phoenix hairpin in his hand over and over, looking at every part.


    ¡°How do I know you¡¯re not saying anything so that you can live?¡±


    Lu Na held out her hand until Yang Deli gave her the hairpin back. She focused on Nugua¡¯s technique until she could see the small dot on the phoenix¡¯s back. With two taps and then a small rub, a map popped up.


    Yang Deli wasn¡¯t the only one that was surprised.


    Lu Na was only hoping to show the map that brought them here to the labyrinth. Instead, the hairpin was showing a map of the inside of the labyrinth. It showed what looked like a large city with square blocks and huge sections that were wrapped around in a circle. There was a small room in the center with a lot of ancient writing.


    ¡°Teach me how to use the hairpin.¡± Yang Deli pointed his sword right at Lu Na¡¯s neck.


    ¡°As I said before, I¡¯m willing to give you everything you want, but these threats are useless.¡± Lu Na tapped the silver phoenix¡¯s back and the map disappeared. She passed the silver hairpin to Yang Deli. ¡°The button is on its back. You press it to turn it on.¡±


    Yang Deli sheathed his sword and looked at the hairpin again. He brought over a few other men to look at it. They all tried pressing various parts of the hairpin, but nothing happened.


    ¡°So instead, I have a proposal,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°No. I still like the idea of torturing you until you agree to listen to my commands. I don¡¯t like being threatened by others,¡± Yang Deli said. ¡°Kill the others.¡±


    Lu Na took Sun Ren¡¯s dagger and placed it on her own neck.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill myself right here and your dream of ever getting to the secret room of the labyrinth dies with me. That hairpin won¡¯t work for anyone else.¡±


    ¡°So it looks like we¡¯re at an impasse. I¡¯ll allow the other woman to live, but not the man. He¡¯s too powerful,¡± Yang Deli said.


    ¡°No. We all live, or no one lives,¡± Lu Na said.


    Yang Deli unsheathed his sword and stood over Hen Li.


    ¡°You¡¯re not foolish enough to kill yourself even if I were to kill this man. I doubt you even have the conviction to kill yourself.¡±


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    Lu Na grimaced. He was right. She didn¡¯t think she would kill herself. She wanted to live. But what could she do?


    Lu Na glanced at Sun Ren. Maybe she couldn¡¯t do it, but someone else could.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. But I know someone who would kill me if it meant that some bandits couldn¡¯t get their hands on the ancient secrets of the Xia dynasty.¡± Lu Na handed her dagger to Sun Ren.


    Sun Ren flipped her dagger in her hand and placed it at Lu Na¡¯s neck.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like your friend would do that either,¡± Yang Deli said. ¡°I can see it in her eyes. She adores you too much.¡±


    ¡°My name is Sun Ren. My father is Sun Wentai, Marquis of Wucheng. And I have killed more friends than you possess.¡± Sun Ren glared at Yang Deli.


    ¡°Oh, the daughter of our greatest rival. Your father has killed so many of my men, too. I won¡¯t need that girl when I have you. You¡¯d make enough ransom to arm and supply my men for years.¡±


    This was not the outcome Lu Na expected. It was spiraling out of control and soon enough, Yang Deli was going to kill Hen Li or all of them. She reached inside her chest pocket and grabbed an earth wall ward.


    Better to suffocate and think of a new plan than to deal with this dishonorable bandit. Hopefully, this time Nugua can help shape the dome so that there are air holes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move little girl,¡± Yang Deli said. He put the tip of his sword against Hen Li¡¯s chest. The monk only continued to snore against the weapon without a care in the world. ¡°You use any of your techniques and I skewer him.¡±


    The back door swung open.


    ¡°And if you skewer him, I¡¯ll skin you alive,¡± a familiar voice said.


    In seconds, the back courtyard was filled with young men and women in dark blue tunics. A large wintersweet flower was embroidered on the back. They each had a summoned spirit with them that flooded the courtyard with spirit energy.


    Leading them all was Elder Hen, dressed in his purple tunic. His face looked saggier and more creased, if that were possible. Even the scar over his left eye looked like it had a rough few years. Only his hair was immaculately tied in a long ponytail.


    A large metal rooster followed behind him. It dashed forward and knocked the sword from Yang Deli¡¯s hand, forcing him back. It stood over Hen Li¡¯s prone body.


    Senior Wong walked in afterwards with a scowl. Her dark blue tunic had seen better days.


    For the first time, Lu Na was actually happy to see the Wintersweet Sect. She wasn¡¯t happy about the smell though, as every disciple smelled like they¡¯ve showered in the toilet. Yet that was the least of their worries. With Elder Hen here, he¡¯d definitely protect his own son. And dealing with them was infinitely easier than dealing with the bandits. At least they had some integrity.


    ¡°Lu Na greets Elder Hen.¡± Lu Na cupped her hand and bowed at the waist.


    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with you later.¡± Elder Hen walked up to Yang Deli and glared at him. ¡°I¡¯m sure you recognize who we are from our uniforms, but just in case. I¡¯m Elder Hen of the Wintersweet Sect. These three are under our protection.¡±


    Yang Deli smirked.


    ¡°Of course I know who you are. But you are far away from your sect, Elder Hen. You are in my territory now.¡±


    ¡°While that is true, we have you outnumbered. And if you don¡¯t let these three go, I¡¯ll destroy this entire village if I have to. I¡¯ve done it before.¡±


    Yang Deli¡¯s smirk faded. He looked around at all the spirits gathered in the courtyard.


    Lu Na couldn¡¯t guess what was going on in the bandit leader¡¯s mind, but she remembered clearly when Senior Wong attacked her home. With just that one metal rooster, she tore through her walls and her guards like they were petals on a flower.


    ¡°What guarantees do I have that you won¡¯t do that anyway after I¡¯ve let these three go? We¡¯re bandits and I¡¯m sure we might have killed some of your disciples in the past.¡± Yang Deli had taken a step back from Hen Li already.


    ¡°You don¡¯t. But what I can guarantee is that we won¡¯t kill you all here right where you stand. We only want these three and the hairpin that foolish girl showed you.¡± Elder Hen had taken a more relaxed stance with his hands behind his back.


    Yang Deli turned his sword and swung it at Elder Hen¡¯s head. The move kicked up a large dust cloud.


    ¡°Or I can simply kill you now and I won¡¯t have to worry about the¡ª¡±


    Elder Hen swung his fist out and threw Yang Deli back a few steps.


    ¡°You think I¡¯m some novice summoner? I¡¯ve fought more dangerous soldiers than you. Now leave the hairpin and get out of my sight or I will kill everyone here.¡±


    Every summoner within the courtyard took on an offensive stance, facing down the bandits. Their spirits looked ready to pounce.


    Lu Na activated her earth wall ward and encased the three of them into a dome. This time, there were small holes near the bottom that let in air. Regardless of what Yang Deli chose, she would not endanger their lives.


    ¡°Thank you Nugua,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Now stay in here until it¡¯s safe,¡± Nugua said.


    ¡°Let me out. I can¡¯t allow that scum to live,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°But Elder Hen is out there too. He¡¯ll handle him,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t leave it up to chance. He knows who I am. He¡¯s no normal bandit. He¡¯s one of the rebel leaders. If I can kill him now, then it would be one less thing for my father to worry about.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Lu Na couldn¡¯t argue with Sun Ren when she was so determined. She touched the side of the dome and it opened with the help of Nugua.


    Elder Hen greeted them.


    ¡°It¡¯s over Young Miss Sun and Young Miss Lu.¡±


    Lu Na deactivated the earth dome. There was no point in trying to stall against Elder Hen. His horse spirit had almost broken through her earth wall last time when it was powered by the entire bar of null metal. This one was only powered by the earth spirit energy from the ground.


    There was no sign of the bandits. Lu Na¡¯s silver phoenix hairpin was in Senior Wong¡¯s hand. She was studying it until she locked eyes with Lu Na. The hatred oozed out of her entire being. Maybe it was the smell or the wretched state of her tunic, but Lu Na could only feel pity for her.


    ¡°Here.¡± Senior Wong passed the silver phoenix hairpin back to Lu Na.


    ¡°I¡¯m assuming you already know about the secret of my hairpin,¡± Lu Na said.


    Elder Hen nodded.


    ¡°We were watching the entire thing unfold from a distance. We hoped they would simply tie you up and take you back to their base of operations near the labyrinth. But when Yang Deli threatened to kill my son, I couldn¡¯t stand by any longer.¡±


    Everyone glanced at Hen Li¡¯s prone body, still snoring away in the middle of the courtyard. He had turned over onto his side and used his arms as pillows. Lu Na wished she could do that, but maybe in a comfortable bed instead.


    Sun Ren cupped her hands and bowed to Elder Hen.


    ¡°I thank you for your assistance, Elder Hen of Wintersweet Sect.¡±


    ¡°At least your father taught you enough respect to know who your elders are,¡± Elder Hen said. ¡°But next time, maybe you won¡¯t devise some silly plan to run away from us. We could have helped you a lot more before this.¡±


    ¡°No, that was my idea,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°I was the one who told Sun Ren and Hen Li to run from you. Your sect has not been kind to me or my family.¡±


    Elder Hen kneeled down beside Hen Li, patting the snoring monk¡¯s head.


    ¡°I thought we were past this. You helped my son out of jail. I thought we could work together.¡±


    ¡°So now maybe we go our separate ways?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Oh no, I¡¯m not that na?ve to let you go. No, I think we¡¯re going to work together a little longer now that I know you have a map of the labyrinth. To start, I¡¯m going to allow Senior Wong to stay with you two ladies day and night. She really wanted to spend some quality time with you two after what you¡¯ve done to her father back at the Wintersweet compound.¡±


    ¡°It will be my pleasure,¡± Senior Wong said. Her eyes gleamed more malice than Lu Na had ever seen coming from a person. It didn¡¯t help that she had an evil smirk to follow it.


    What kind of hell was this woman going to put them through?

 Chapter 51 - Village Leader Mu Shun

    Lu Na and Sun Ren followed Senior Wong to the reception area of the inn. The innkeeper was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°I was hoping to get another room, but if there is no one here, I¡¯ll settle for yours,¡± Senior Wong said.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. We have two beds,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t. You¡¯ll be sleeping on the floor where I can monitor you.¡±


    Sun Ren ignored Senior Wong. She walked behind the small desk and went inside the back area of the inn. There was no one there. No cooks, no maids or servants, and definitely no innkeeper.


    ¡°They¡¯re gone,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°I had a feeling that they were working with the bandits, but I didn¡¯t think they would all flee their own village.¡±


    ¡°The bandit leader ran when Elder Hen summoned his horse spirit,¡± Senior Wong said.


    ¡°But why would these people run too? They had nothing to do with the bandits. They¡¯re not stupid enough to follow them into the labyrinth, especially since they know there is no coming back out.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we go out and see where the rest of the people are?¡± Lu Na led the way out of the inn and into the afternoon light. The fresh air was a welcome relief from the smell coming from Senior Wong. At least for the moment, before two other Wintersweet disciples flanked her outside.


    ¡°Report. Did any of you see any of the other villagers?¡± Senior Wong asked.


    The left disciple cupped his hands and bowed.


    ¡°Reporting to Senior Wong. All the villagers are gathered in the village¡¯s ancestral hall in the middle of the village. Elder Hen is already on his way to talk with them.¡±


    ¡°If Elder Hen is there, then they¡¯re probably fine,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°Why don¡¯t we all take a nice bath in the stream?¡±


    Senior Wong glared at her.


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t let Elder Hen get all the credit for this. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The three ladies walked down to the ancestral hall where two of the male villagers stopped them.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry ladies, but the village leader is discussing matters of great importance with the Wintersweet Elder. Wait until they¡¯re done.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m with the Wintersweet Elder. Let me through,¡± Senior Wong said.


    ¡°I apologize, but women are not allowed inside our ancestral hall.¡±


    Senior Wong walked up to the male villager blocking her way. His face scrunched up from the smell.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been through all manner of hell to get to this little backwards village. I had to deal with so much crap from some spirit monkeys that I¡¯m already furious. And if you don¡¯t let me through, I¡¯ll spend all my anger on you.¡±


    The spirit energy around Senior Wong became dense. The pressure from it pushed the male villager back three steps.


    The other male villager walked up to Senior Wong. This one was taller and better muscled. He looked like he¡¯d been toiling on the farms every day of his life. He pushed Senior Wong back a step.


    ¡°You can¡¯t go in, woman. Our ancestors will strike us all dead if we allow a woman in.¡±


    Sun Ren pulled Lu Na three steps back and activated her earth wall ward. A thick brown wall rose from the ground in front of them.


    ¡°Senior Wong won¡¯t hurt us,¡± Lu Na said.


    A hard thud slammed against the earth wall, cracking it. That ward was enhanced with null metal. Lu Na was glad Sun Ren put it up.


    ¡°Never underestimate angry women,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°She only needed to monitor us. No one ever said she couldn¡¯t accidentally hurt us while taking care of other business.¡±


    Sun Ren tapped the earth wall ward and it collapsed. The two male villagers were on the floor, one bleeding from the head while the other seemed like he fainted. When the dust settled, Senior Wong was glaring at Lu Na.


    That was getting old.


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad that I didn¡¯t injure you,¡± Senior Wong said. She turned and walked toward the ancestral hall.


    When they reached the doors, the two male villagers quickly opened the door to welcome in the ladies. Some of the male villagers ran outside to tend to the two that were on the floor. The heavy scent of incense was the only welcome thing as it finally overwhelmed the smell coming from Senior Wong.


    ¡°Little Yoong, you didn¡¯t have to come and disturb the peace of the village,¡± Elder Hen said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. I came with you because I don¡¯t trust you, old man,¡± Senior Wong said.


    ¡°Well, since you¡¯re here, you can listen in on the village leader¡¯s plight. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s something we can do to help him.¡±


    The three ladies sat down behind Elder Hen on straw mats.


    The village leader stared at the three women and then at their feet.


    ¡°What?¡± Senior Wong said.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t take off your shoes,¡± the village leader said.


    ¡°I would have respected your ancestral hall if your men didn¡¯t stop me. So deal with it.¡±


    Lu Na took off her shoes and grabbed Sun Ren¡¯s as well before running back to the entrance to leave their shoes. How had she forgotten these basic courtesies? Had she been away from her own home that long?


    Or it was probably the crazy actions of Senior Wong that were affecting her. Today was a tiring day and it didn¡¯t seem like it was going to end anytime soon.


    Lu Na ran back and sat down beside Sun Ren.


    Sun Ren cupped her hands and bowed her head toward the village leader.


    ¡°I¡¯m Sun Ren, daughter of Sun Wentai, Marquis of Wucheng. I apologize for disrespecting the village leader, but we were attacked at your village¡¯s inn. We would like an explanation.¡±


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    Lu Na followed suit.


    ¡°I am Lu Na, daughter of Lu Tien, of Jianye. I also apologize.¡±


    The village leader glanced at Senior Wong, but she only glared back. He swallowed and bowed his own head.


    ¡°I am the village leader here, Mu Shun. First, I¡¯d like to apologize on behalf of the village for the actions of Yang Deli. As I was telling your Elder that he moved in weeks ago and has forced us to comply with his orders. We¡¯re only a small village in the middle of nowhere. We couldn¡¯t fight the bandits off without the aid of the Imperial Army.¡±


    Lu Na could accept that. If a certain summoner sect could take over a city in search of Lu maidens because of some prophecy, then why would it be any different to a small village being taken over? The only thing she couldn¡¯t understand was why they were trying to get into the labyrinth without a plan or a key.


    ¡°Oh no, Yang Deli has my hairpin.¡± Lu Na got up, only to be pulled down by Sun Ren.


    ¡°Do you mean this hairpin?¡± Elder Hen asked. He took out the silver phoenix hairpin and waved it around.


    Lu Na reached out for it, but Senior Wong¡¯s glare made her freeze.


    ¡°It seems like you don¡¯t understand your situation, Young Miss Lu,¡± Senior Wong said. ¡°You¡¯re not here as a guest this time. You¡¯re here as our prisoner.¡±


    Lu Na sat back down.


    ¡°No, Young Miss Lu and Young Miss Sun are both our guests,¡± Elder Hen corrected. ¡°We are not an evil summoner sect that holds young women against their will.¡±


    Lu Na and Sun Ren both glared at Elder Hen.


    ¡°Yes, our last encounter was different. That was only because our sect leader was unwell and his orders conflicted with our Wintersweet Sect¡¯s values. And for that, I apologize.¡± Elder Hen bowed his head low toward the two ladies. ¡°Now I hope we can work together for the common good and solve this issue before the bandits get the secret in the labyrinth.¡±


    Lu Na wanted nothing more than to slap down all her earth wall wards and run out of there with Sun Ren. But she couldn¡¯t do that with Hen Li still knocked out and she wasn¡¯t sure how restrained all those powerful summoners would be if she tried to escape again. The last time they sent low-level disciples. This time, Elder Hen had an army of senior disciples all about as powerful as Senior Wong.


    ¡°That young man is wise,¡± Nugua said. ¡°And yes, I¡¯m finally back and yes I called that aged body of muscle young. I guess there¡¯s no reason to hide since I¡¯ve already told you I¡¯m thousands of years old. You¡¯re just going to have to accept my little hobbies.¡±


    Lu Na changed her mind. She wanted to slap some sense into her spirit. She¡¯s a prisoner of the Wintersweet Sect and all Nugua could do is ogle at yet another man. What was going on with that, anyway?


    Sun Ren cupped her hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m only here to support my friend. If she wants to walk away, I¡¯m sure I can borrow the strength of my Sun family to help her. But since we seem to have a common goal of stopping the bandits, then we will work with you on one condition.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Elder Hen asked.


    ¡°When we capture Yang Deli, I get to determine his fate.¡±


    ¡°Done. We¡¯re not part of the government anyway, but we would be glad to help you put away a bandit who has been terrorizing this village.¡±


    Mu Shun dropped to his knees with his head touching the floor.


    ¡°Please, spare the bandits, Young Miss Sun. They had no choice.¡±


    Everyone looked at the village leader. His whole body was shaking. All the other village males within the ancestral hall didn¡¯t bow, but they looked concerned.


    ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°All the new bandits that joined Yang Deli are actually the boys from our village. He came and recruited them for the dangerous mission of going into the labyrinth. We told them that there was no treasure inside, but he thought we were lying about it. Please spare them.¡±


    ¡°What do you think, Elder Hen?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re the highest ranking government official here. Why are you asking me?¡± Elder Hen sat back.


    ¡°It¡¯s because, if we truly are working together, you¡¯re going to be providing the manpower on this endeavor. So if you don¡¯t think your Wintersweet Sect can¡¯t do it, then I can¡¯t promise anyone anything.¡±


    ¡°Young Miss Sun really knows how to use people. I¡¯d be careful of her if I were you, Young Miss Lu.¡± Elder Hen got up, standing over the bowing village leader. ¡°Fine. We will do our best to rescue these young boys from your village and bring them back. All you need to do is give us all your knowledge and information about the labyrinth.¡±


    Mu Shun sat up, tears flowing down his face.


    ¡°Thank you, Elder. They are the future of our village and without them, our village is done.¡±


    Elder Hen stooped to face the village leader.


    ¡°I mean everything, including whatever you¡¯re hiding from Yang Deli inside that ancestral shrine.¡±


    Everyone glanced over at the shrine.


    Lu Na used her technique and could only see a faint amount of spirit energy along the edges and corners. If she wasn¡¯t focusing so hard on it, she would have missed it along with all the other ambient spirit energy floating around the ancestral shrine. How did Elder Hen see it?


    Mu Shun bowed his head again.


    ¡°I can tell that this Elder is a very strong summoner, but whatever we keep in the ancestral shrine has nothing to do with the labyrinth. It is a relic from one of our ancient ancestors that we pray to for guidance and help in our time of need. I¡¯m sure you can appreciate how we wouldn¡¯t want to offend our ancestors.¡±


    Elder Hen smiled and nodded. His face looked like a grandfather who heard a joke from his grandkid.


    ¡°But of course. It would be rude of me to assume anything and disturb your ancestor. One of the first things we teach our children is to respect our elders and our ancestors. Then I¡¯ll trouble the village leader for any other information you can provide us for the labyrinth.¡±


    Mo Shun cupped his hands and bowed his head.


    ¡°Of course. It would be my pleasure to provide you with everything we know if the Elder of the Wintersweet Sect will save our boys.¡±


    ¡°Then if you¡¯ll excuse us.¡±


    Elder Hen stood to leave.


    Lu Na and Sun Ren followed behind Senior Wong as the three women left the ancestral hall.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired and I would kill for a bath. So I¡¯m going to leave you two with one of my juniors,¡± Senior Wong said. She waved a man in a dark blue tunic over. The man bounded over like a horse going to its master. ¡°You, watch over these two and don¡¯t let them out of your sight. If I come back and find that they¡¯re missing or gone, I¡¯ll shatter your spirit realm. Got it?¡±


    The giddy face the man had disappeared and he bowed deeply.


    ¡°Yes, Senior Wong.¡±


    Senior Wong turned toward them, the putrid smell coming back. Lu Na wasn¡¯t sure if it was from her body or her mouth. Either way, the words she said were grating to the ears as well.


    ¡°You two better not try to disappear. Because if you do, I swear that the next time I see you, I will settle it between us for my father,¡± Senior Wong said.


    Sun Ren unsheathed a dagger and cupped her hands toward Senior Wong with the tip pointing toward the ground.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare dream of running away from your kind invitation and protection. If not for Hen Shimin¡¯s kind actions in saving us, we¡¯d probably be dead. But make no mistake, we¡¯re staying because of his actions, not yours. If you dare threaten me again, I¡¯ll sink this dagger into your body like all the bandits I¡¯ve already killed.¡±


    Senior Wong swallowed hard before she turned to walk away.


    ¡°That woman scares me, Na Na,¡± Nugua said.


    Lu Na scoffed. Sun Ren scared Nugua? Did she forget how that twisted spirit threatened Lu Na when they bonded for the first time?


    ¡°Are we really staying put?¡± Lu Na asked. ¡°Because if we are, I¡¯d be very interested in looking at whatever they¡¯re hiding in the ancestral shrine.¡±


    Sun Ren smirked.


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re definitely staying. At least until we steal whatever is there.¡±


    ¡°But I just want to look at it. I don¡¯t want to take someone else¡¯s priceless relic.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to steal it before the Wintersweet Sect does. I¡¯ll tell you more when we get back to our room. I don¡¯t want these Wintersweet disciples listening to our conversation.¡±


    The man assigned to them finally got back up from his bow once Senior Wong was out of sight. Even Lu Na noticed that this man either admires Senior Wong or is in love with her. Either way, she actually felt sorry for the man.


    Senior Wong is not one to be loved, but to be feared. More so after they steal the relic and make their escape.

 Chapter 52 - Observing their Enemy

    Lu Na gave up trying to clean her tunic. There was just too much dust and dirt from their rumble with the bandits. Instead, she tossed it into a corner and took out a new tunic. It was her only tunic left to wear. It was also one of her better tunics that she had specifically done.


    Wearing the lower quality tunics of peasants allowed her to blend in with them while she was on the run, but now they¡¯ve already been caught. There was no reason to wear that dirty rag anymore. So she put on her higher quality tunic made with a silk lining on the inside and a cool light blue-green color on the outside.


    ¡°And now you finally look pretty again. It¡¯s a shame that you¡¯re still dirty from rolling around on the ground though,¡± Nugua said.


    Lu Na wished she could take a bath like Senior Wong, but she knew this was the only time she could plan with Sun Ren in peace and secret. Besides, Senior Wong didn¡¯t look like a person who cared about her comfort. If anything, she relished in her misery.


    Sun Ren had left her second tunic off and kept her Sun family tunic on the whole time. Just like Lu Na, there was no reason to hide anymore.


    ¡°Later tonight, I¡¯m going to break into the ancestral shrine and steal the relic,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°What I need from you is to wake Hen Li and get him to meet us outside of the village. Do you have any more spirit walls I can have?¡±


    Lu Na took out four spirit wall wards for Sun Ren. While she waited for Sun Ren, she might need to make some more. All the materials were in her pack.


    ¡°But how are we going to get around Senior Wong? She¡¯s going to be sleeping in this bed.¡±


    Sun Ren took out a small packet.


    ¡°This was the same sleeping drug they tried to use on us. I¡¯m going to slip it into her drinks and food all night long. Don¡¯t eat with her even if she offers you food, but if you do, I have the antidote. But knowing her, I doubt she¡¯d offer us any food at all, anyway.¡±


    ¡°But what about any of the other disciples guarding outside? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to kill them.¡±


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t kill unless forced to,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°I don¡¯t make it a habit. But if I have to, I¡¯ll hamstring them instead. It¡¯s the least I could do since they saved us.¡±


    ¡°Then made us prisoners right after,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°And took over your comfy beds while I get to rest blissfully in here no matter how much you suffer,¡± Nugua said.


    ¡°Did Nugua say something?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°No, why?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°You have that face like you smelled something bad but you¡¯re too polite to say anything about it. Since I know it¡¯s not from me, it must be from that snake spirit of yours.¡±


    Lu Na sighed.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s her again. I¡¯ve always wondered how other people can suffer through their spirit¡¯s thoughts and not want to kill them. Nugua has always been very¡­ opinionated ever since we¡¯ve bonded.¡±


    Sun Ren looked with pity toward Lu Na.


    ¡°Oh Na Na, sorry you¡¯re having such an experience with your spirit. For most people, they bond naturally with a spirit around age ten, but for most of their lives their spirits are just a part of them. They don¡¯t talk to them. It requires a lot of summoner training before they talk back.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I remember you told me it took you two years. But does your spirit say inappropriate things to you?¡±


    ¡°No, but she nags me like my sifu. I¡¯m not sure which is worse.¡± Sun Ren laughed. ¡°I guess we¡¯re both blessed with interesting spirits.¡±


    Lu Na forced a laugh herself.


    ¡°See, I am special. You have a friend for life. What more can you ask for?¡± Nugua said.


    Senior Wong came back not too long afterwards. She looked refreshed in a new dark blue tunic. Her hair was freshly tied back and for once, her eyes were soft and relaxed instead of the usual glare she had.


    It didn¡¯t last long when she saw Lu Na.


    ¡°Greetings, Senior Wong.¡± Lu Na bowed her head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear you,¡± Senior Wong said. ¡°I¡¯m about to eat, so you two should go find something to eat on your own.¡±


    ¡°Are we not eating together?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°Why would I ever bother eating with you two? I wouldn¡¯t be able to keep anything down. So no, go find somewhere else to find your own food. And I¡¯d hurry if I were you. Most of my fellow disciples have already started eating.¡±


    Sun Ren shared a look with Lu Na and shrugged. She led the way out of the little room they shared.


    For a moment, Lu Na thought they were free. Except there were three female disciples in dark blue tunics already waiting for them. All three bowed their heads toward Sun Ren.


    ¡°Greetings, Young Miss Sun. We¡¯re here to escort you to the kitchens or anywhere you need to go,¡± one disciple said.


    ¡°I knew Senior Wong would not let us go so easily,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°Whatever, I¡¯m hungry. Lead us to the dining area.¡±


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    ¡°Begging your pardon. It was actually Elder Hen that assigned us to be your liaisons,¡± the disciple said. ¡°He didn¡¯t want our Senior Wong¡¯s attitude to affect your opinion on our Wintersweet Sect.¡±


    ¡°If that were true, you wouldn¡¯t be keeping us as prisoners.¡± Sun Ren pushed past the three disciples before they could answer.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that. We¡¯ve had a lengthy and tiring day today.¡± Lu Na bowed her head slightly toward the disciples before following Sun Ren.


    Every table in the dining area was filled with Wintersweet disciples. No matter where she looked, every space was taken up from the tables to the floor. People were eating while squatting or sitting on the floor. There were large bowls of food in the center of the tables where disciples were scooping up with a large ladle.


    ¡°What is that smell?¡± Lu Na asked. Focusing on the smell, she could pick out notes of meat. Actual meat! She had eaten nothing other than some fish and many of those white buns that Hen Li had bought.


    ¡°It¡¯s something a few of our fellow disciples cooked with the ingredients from the inn,¡± the disciple said. ¡°The innkeeper was nowhere to be found, so we made use of his kitchen. This is the first actual meal we¡¯ve had in a long time.¡±


    ¡°Have you eaten yet?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    The disciples all shook their heads.


    ¡°We were told to serve you two first. Elder Hen made sure that we were to treat you two like our most valuable esteemed guests. We would never eat before you.¡±


    Lu Na was confused. Why was Elder Hen treating them so well? It couldn¡¯t be because of Hen Li. They dragged the poor monk into dangerous situations and almost got him killed.


    ¡°Find us a table,¡± Sun Ren said.


    Two of the disciples broke off to find a table. They found one group that was finishing up to clean up and move on. There was a small disgruntled exchange, but when they pointed toward Sun Ren, they nodded and quickly went away.


    Once Sun Ren and Lu Na settled in, the three disciples stood around them like personal bodyguards. They made sure no one approached them.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You three should sit with us to eat too,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°We will not run away in a room with so many disciples and it¡¯d be a waste of your time to stand watch.¡±


    The three disciples looked at each other before settling in to sit around the table with Sun Ren and Lu Na.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± one disciple said.


    ¡°What are your names?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    They looked at each other again with uncomfortable stares.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my name is Lu Fen,¡± the disciple closest to Sun Ren said. ¡°My other disciples would rather not say their names.¡±


    ¡°For fear of retribution? I wouldn¡¯t do that,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°Begging your pardon, but we are keeping the daughter of Marquis of Wucheng prisoner and offended you the last time you visited our Wintersweet Sect. We know the Marquis has come back to the city and would demand an explanation from our sect. We¡¯re just mere disciples. We don¡¯t want that focus on us, especially when we know that some of our Elders wouldn¡¯t hesitate to feed us to the wolves if it meant saving themselves.¡±


    ¡°Sun Ren is not like that,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°She¡¯s very nice.¡±


    ¡°To my allies. To my enemies¡­¡± Sun Ren trailed off.


    ¡°Oooh, I just remembered something you told me. I¡¯m here to remind you again to never anger Sun Ren or make her an enemy. Although I¡¯d be curious to see what she would do to you,¡± Nugua said.


    Lu Na only smiled as the disciples all looked away from Sun Ren. She knew her friend wouldn¡¯t do anything to her. Yet there was no doubt in Lu Na¡¯s mind that her friend could turn into a monster if pushed. So yeah, she was going to listen to Nugua.


    ¡°Anyway, why did you tell us your name then?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Lu Fen clasped her hands and bowed as deeply as she could at the table toward them.


    ¡°It¡¯s because I wanted to thank you both for what you did during the Mid-Autumn Festival. I was there when our Sect Leader Wong ordered the deaths of the Lu maidens. I froze. Even though I was one of their senior disciples, my sect didn¡¯t hesitate to kill us for their prized prophecy. Most of the Lu disciples have left the sect.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s why I say Sun Ren would be too nice to do anything to you ladies,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°She was the one that stayed to fight when she could have run away.¡±


    ¡°But Young Miss Lu, you¡¯re the bravest of all,¡± Lu Fen said. ¡°You fought Sect Leader Wong and that monster. As I was escaping from the madness, I saw you stand up to them and won. It was only a small glimpse of the fight, but your techniques and skills put all us senior disciples to shame.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have a choice,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°But let¡¯s not dwell on the past. Let¡¯s eat first. I¡¯m glad to have met another Lu maiden that has gone through this unfortunate incident. We¡¯re probably cousins or something, so another thing to celebrate.¡±


    Lu Fen nodded. She picked up the ladle and piled the food onto separate dishes. She first served Sun Ren and then Lu Na before her fellow disciples.


    Lu Na picked at her food, suddenly not hungry. Being reminded of her desperate fight with the ancestor and Sect Leader Wong made her hands shake.


    Sun Ren held Lu Na¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Are you remembering, after being surrounded by Wintersweet disciples again?¡±


    Lu Na nodded.


    ¡°The monster is gone and their sect leader is not doing much better,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°How did you know that?¡± Lu Fen asked in a whisper. ¡°It¡¯s a mess right now in the Wintersweet sect. The Elders are scrambling for power to lead the sect and most of the disciples are latching onto one Elder or another, hoping their side wins. We left with Elder Hen and Xu because they never cared for politics.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be telling outsiders this,¡± the other disciple said.


    Lu Na breathed out in relief. If the Wintersweet Sect was in disarray, then that meant Sect Leader Wong would be too busy to try and kill her for what she did. The only worry she had now was Elder Hen and his desire to meddle in her journey to find her mother.


    ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t say anymore,¡± Lu Fen said. ¡°The only thing I will tell Young Miss Lu is to not irritate or anger Senior Wong. She¡¯s trying to find any excuse to hurt you despite Elder Hen and Xu warning her not to.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for telling me. I will stay out of her way.¡± Lu Na bowed her head.


    ¡°Eat as much as you can now,¡± Sun Ren said. She picked up her own chopsticks and took a large bite from a piece of roast pork. ¡°We don¡¯t know when we might eat this good again.¡±


    Lu Na picked up her own chopsticks, and her hunger was returning. Sun Ren was right because of what they were going to do that night. After stealing the relic, they would not stay with the Wintersweet Sect. The only thing she had to solve was how to get to Hen Li and drag the monk out.


    Before Lu Na could take the first bite of her food, Senior Wong burst into the dining area. Her hair was wet and sticking to her face. Her tunic was mostly in place, but some part of it hung loosely on her body.


    ¡°Where is she?¡± Senior Wong yelled.


    The entire dining area became silent.


    ¡°Lu Na, come out here now.¡± Senior Wong clenched her left fist and spirit energy was spiking near her.


    There goes the idea of eating any actual food. Lu Na wasn¡¯t sure what was wrong this time, but this woman seemed to be a little crazy and needed help. That or locking her up so that she couldn¡¯t hurt others. Lu Na would prefer that one.


    ¡°Here we go again. I hope you¡¯re ready to take her on and all these other disciples,¡± Nugua said.


    Maybe Nugua could go with her. Lu Na wouldn¡¯t mind that either.

 Chapter 53 - Crazy Senior Wong

    Lu Na sighed. This woman would not give her any peace, so she ate as much as she could now. This was the only good meal she¡¯d have in so long. She would not let some crazy woman from a summoner sect impede that.


    The only sound in the entire dining area was Lu Na¡¯s chopsticks clinking against her ceramic bowl, as she kept shoveling as much food into her mouth as possible. Everyone stared at her madly eating.


    ¡°Calm down, girl. Don¡¯t choke and do Senior Wong¡¯s job for her,¡± Nugua said.


    Senior Wong stalked over with heavy clomping steps. Water dripped off her hair onto the stone floor with every step. She held her clenched fists, but didn¡¯t summon her rooster spirit.


    All the other disciples gave her a wide berth. Lu Fen and her fellow disciples scurried away, leaving Lu Na and Sun Ren.


    It was a shame for Lu Na, as she wished she had more time to savor the tastes. For low class food, it was good. Maybe she could ask one of the Wintersweet Disciples to join them to be her cook.


    ¡°You killed my father,¡± Senior Wong said. She glared down at Lu Na as she tried to finish the food still left in her bowl.


    Sun Ren held her chopsticks in her right hand like a dagger. She leaned toward Senior Wong with her left hand hidden underneath the table.


    Lu Na finally finished the last bit of rice before putting her bowl on the table. She drank her entire cup of tea in one gulp. For the first time in a long time, she had a long and loud burp. She didn¡¯t bother covering it up.


    ¡°Oh, that was good.¡± Lu Na wiped her mouth on her sleeve. ¡°Now, what¡¯s this about killing your father?¡±


    ¡°I just received a message from the sect Elders that my father is dead. You killed him.¡± Senior Wong was shaking. ¡°So now, I invoke my rite of revenge. How do you want to die? Here or in the courtyard?¡±


    Lu Na wasn¡¯t expecting that. She thought that at most Senior Wong would have admonished her for eating or something silly. She never thought she would come to kill her. And here she thought she was being smart by eating as fast as she could. Except that might have been her last meal before being sent to the underworld.


    ¡°What are you talking about? I never hurt your father,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Yes, you did. I saw you fighting him. There was no one else. You killed him.¡± Senior Wong shook with every sentence. Tears soaked her face in rivulets that rivaled her dripping hair. She looked like a ghost coming to drag Lu Na back down with her.


    ¡°If you want revenge, go find your ancestor. He¡¯s the one that devoured his tiger spirit.¡± Lu Na reached to her waist where she kept a spirit wall ward. She could see that no words were going to reach this grieving woman.


    ¡°No, you killed him.¡± Senior Wong clenched her left fist harder and her metal rooster appeared beside her.


    This time, the rooster was only about as tall as she was. Its entire body gleamed in the waning light from the sunset coming in through the door. Its head shot forward, with its beak shining orange.


    Lu Na activated the spirit wall ward and an invisible barrier appeared in front of her. She knew Nugua was helping her, as the wall was the size of the rooster spirit¡¯s beak only, allowing it to focus and concentrate mostly on that one attack.


    Sun Ren was already out of her seat, aiming her chopsticks for Senior Wong¡¯s eyes. The metal rooster raised its right wing, blocking the chopsticks. With another flap of its wings, it blew Sun Ren back with such a force that she flew into another table.


    Lu Na had activated two earth wall wards. Two large mounds of dirt and stone rose from the ground. With the help of Nugua, four earth walls formed in front of Lu Na.


    The food flew from the table, crashing against the poor bystanders at the edge of the dining area. It painted the entire area in a rainbow of colors from the food.


    Lu Na scrambled over to Sun Ren to check on her. Her friend had only recently recovered from her injuries. But Sun Ren wasn¡¯t there.


    Metal on metal sounded nearby.


    Lu Na turned toward Senior Wong to see Sun Ren slashing with her waist sword with all her might against the rooster spirit¡¯s metal wings. She glanced at the other disciples and noticed that they weren¡¯t helping.


    Lu Na took out her tiger claw slingshot. She pulled it back and shot two tiger claws at Senior Wong. The rooster spirit raised its other wing and stopped the strikes.


    ¡°You¡¯re using my father¡¯s attack on me? You¡¯re despicable,¡± Senior Wong said. She slashed her hand down and her rooster spirit threw both wings at Sun Ren, forcing her to tumble away.


    That was a powerful technique that Lu Na had never seen Senior Wong use before. It looked similar to the tiger claws technique her father used.


    Senior Wong slashed her hand again, and this time her rooster spirit broke through her earth walls in one strike. Now with no cover, the rooster spirit hopped over the broken walls to pounce on Lu Na.


    Lu Na tried to run, but the exit was the other way. Instead, she ran up against the wall with nowhere to go. She was tired of constantly running. It was time to show this senior disciple that while she didn¡¯t have the same power as Hen Li or the martial skills of Sun Ren; she wasn¡¯t powerless.


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    Lu Na pulled her left sleeve back, revealing her leather wrapped null metal bracelet. She had been tinkering with it since they left Jianye and now it was time to test it against a summoner. The bracelet was a metal donut that had her arsenal of wards drawn on stronger red paper inside. She made it activate with gestures and the help of Nugua.


    Lu Na clenched her left hand into a fist. She opened her palm and thrust her left hand out in front of her.


    Dirt and stone erupted from the ground, forming a large half dome that covered her entire front side. An invisible barrier snaked up her left wrist until it covered her entire body like a second skin.


    The bracelet heated, burning Lu Na¡¯s wrist. That was the greatest drawback in using the null metal. No matter how much spirit energy it pushes into the technique, it stored way more spirit energy in the bracelet itself, causing it to heat. The leather was supposed to protect her wrist, but even a thick ox hide was not enough.


    A metal beak broke through the dirt and stone wall.


    This was the perfect opportunity for Lu Na to test how strong her bracelet was going to be. She couldn¡¯t test it against the bandits, as there were too many of them. There was no way she was going to keep up with so many men with swords. But only one summoner? This she could do.


    Lu Na raised two of her left fingers and swiped right. The earth wall covered the hole, making it new. Unlike her other wards, Lu Na can repair these walls every time they break using another ward to make a new one. It took her many weeks practicing before she got it right.


    But honestly, it was mostly because of Nugua. She controlled the wards on the bracelet.


    ¡°How are you doing Nugua?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been better. Now shut up and let me focus,¡± Nugua said.


    This time, wings sliced through the earth wall until it crumbled to the ground.


    Lu Na was ready. The moment the metal rooster showed its beak, she made a claw with her left hand and raked the air. Five tiger claw techniques shot out from her wrist and slammed into the metal rooster.


    Despite being powered by the null metal, it only pushed the rooster back. Its metallic body didn¡¯t have one scratch on it.


    Before it could attack, Lu Na swiped two fingers up to create a new wall. This time, a wall of all stone rose from the ground. Just in case, Lu Na swiped once more to raise the dome again. The last thing she wanted was for the metal rooster to charge through the wall and then into her.


    Her left wrist was burning. The leather helped, but all it did was trap the heat over her wrist. Lu Na tried to blow on it. It smelled like cooked meat. Luckily, it wasn¡¯t her meat that was cooked.


    Senior Wong was quiet for a second, but Lu Na felt it before she could see it. A hard rush of air came from the sides of the dome and stone wall. Two white claws shot out from both sides around the dome.


    Lu Na flinched, squeezing herself as tightly as she could. When the claws struck her, the technique broke apart on her spirit wall. Maybe it was time to call it her spirit skin.


    But that was too much for her null metal bracelet. It burned too badly.


    Lu Na pulled the string of the leather to take it off. She held onto it by the string to see the metal burning the leather black where it touched. If she held onto it any longer, it would have burned her wrist.


    ¡°What is going on here?¡± Elder Hen yelled.


    ¡°She killed my father. She must die,¡± Senior Wong sobbed.


    Lu Na did not know what was going on, but the last thing she was going to do was lower her walls. If that crazy woman attacked her, she would be done. At the moment, she could only guess that Elder Hen came in to stop the fight.


    The stone wall glowed green and then it collapsed. Dirt flew everywhere.


    Lu Na braced for the metal beak or wing or claw to come for her next. She was barely holding onto the bracelet.


    ¡°Do I have to break this one, too?¡± This time it was an old woman asking and not Senior Wong.


    ¡°Is it safe to come out?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Oh child, it¡¯s never safe. But I¡¯d rather not spend any more spirit energy to break another wall. Please pity this old woman.¡±


    Lu Na weighed her options, but didn¡¯t know what to expect. If this woman could break her stone wall so easily, she must be powerful. Let¡¯s not anger another strong summoner.


    Lu Na tapped her bracelet and turned them off. The earth dome slowly collapsed to the floor into a small pile. Her spirit skin faded away into the air.


    But Lu Na didn¡¯t dare put the bracelet back on. She¡¯d have to fix it up with a new piece of leather and find a way to cool it.


    An old woman stood in front of her, wearing a blue tunic just like Elder Hen. Her face reminded Lu Na of one of the older maids that used to take care of her. She had the same constant scowl on her face. Her mother told her the maid was also her caretaker when she was younger and didn¡¯t care that she was the Young Miss of a rich family.


    But the woman standing in front of her was definitely not the maid. This woman had eyes that told her she would beat Lu Na to death for disobeying her in the slightest. There was no joy to be seen on her face, but one of constant struggle and suffering.


    Lu Na curtsied and bowed her head low. She kept her bracelet behind her.


    ¡°Greetings to Elder Xu of the Wintersweet Sect.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you know who I am?¡± Elder Xu narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°I was having a fun time talking with one of your disciples who told me how the great Elder Xu also accompanied Elder Hen on this trip.¡±


    ¡°At least someone taught you some manners. Now what happened?¡±


    ¡°I was eating dinner when Senior Wong attacked me out of nowhere, claiming I killed her father. How could one as weak as me kill someone as powerful as the great sect leader of the Wintersweet Sect?¡±


    Elder Xu laughed. It was a high pitched, almost girlish laugh.


    ¡°Child, you don¡¯t need to be so modest. While I can sense that you don¡¯t have any formal training as a summoner, I know about your little inventions. It¡¯s one reason why I didn¡¯t stop little Yoong earlier when she attacked you. I wanted to see what you could do.¡±


    Lu Na forced a smile and bowed.


    ¡°My inventions are nothing, I promise you.¡±


    Lu Na was starting to really hate this Wintersweet Sect. Not only did she have to deal with their crazy sect leader, his crazy daughter, and that enigmatic Elder Hen, she now had to deal with this crazy old lady. What are they teaching in these sects that make them all crazy?


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re safe for now. Little Yoong is being dealt with by Elder Hen. You can go back to your room. Everyone else, clean up this mess.¡±


    Lu Na bowed again before walking toward her room.


    ¡°Oh, and Young Miss Lu, I will keep an eye on you.¡±


    A chill washed over Lu Na¡¯s back. She didn¡¯t dare turn back, but kept walking. The only other time she felt such a powerful summoner¡¯s focus was when she fought Sect Leader Wong.


    No, she was stronger.


    What did Lu Na get herself into this time?

 Chapter 54 - Finding Hen Li

    Lu Na made it all the way to her room before she remembered about Sun Ren. When she entered her room, Sun Ren wasn¡¯t there. The only things still inside the room were Senior Wong¡¯s items and her own pack. Where could she have gone?


    And then she remembered. Sun Ren must have set off to steal the relic.


    Lu Na grabbed her pack and her staff. She walked over to Hen Li¡¯s room. Hopefully, the drugs wore off by now and he¡¯d be alert to move. When she knocked and entered the room, Hen Li was nowhere to be seen.


    Where could he have gone? More importantly, who could move that bulky monk? He is all muscle and Lu Na still felt sore from when she had to carry him a short distance.


    Did Elder Hen take his son with him? It would make sense since he cares for him so much. But where would he take him? Everywhere Lu Na looked, there were only disciples here. She doubted that someone like Elder Hen would choose to stay here.


    But Lu Na thought for a moment. Should she still involve the monk? He was a tremendous help on their way here, but they¡¯ve arrived at the labyrinth. Is it fair of her to risk his life for her own cause?


    ¡°What are you doing? Why are you standing in the hallway like a lost lamb?¡± Nugua asked.


    ¡°Spirit, you¡¯re back. I thought you¡¯d be exhausted after that fight with Senior Wong,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been getting better at controlling your wards now that I know what you are trying to do.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know. All I needed to do was tell you.¡±


    ¡°Little Na Na, I know you don¡¯t trust me and I know that after our bond, you might fear me a little. But understand, I¡¯m still going to be here with you until the end, as I promised. I just needed you to know how our relationship was going to work.¡±


    Lu Na nodded, but she wouldn¡¯t voice her true thoughts. If her spirit that has been with her this long could threaten her all for the sake of her own ambitions, then what about all the other spirits? Were they even worth having if they not only threatened humans, but are actively stealing from their life?


    ¡°Anyway, that beefy monk is not in there. He¡¯s in the back courtyard,¡± Nugua said.


    ¡°How do you know that?¡± Lu Na walked through the halls in that direction.


    ¡°Ever since we¡¯ve bonded, my spirit senses have come back. I can almost recall what it was like to be bonded with a seasoned summoner.¡±


    Lu Na wanted to ask more, but when she reached the courtyard, Hen Li was there with Elder Hen and Senior Wong. How was she going to tell him about Sun Ren¡¯s plans?


    ¡°Good evening, Elder Hen.¡± Lu Na curtsied with her head bowed. The courtyard was cleaned up from their earlier fight.


    ¡°Good evening, Young Miss Lu. I trust little Yoong¡¯s attacks did not rattle you?¡± Elder Hen asked.


    Lu Na sat beside Hen Li. He wore his old gray monk habit and his hair was let down again. He had his eyes closed, but he was moving his prayer beads while silently reciting the heart sutra.


    ¡°Thank you for saving me again, Elder Hen. I only wish I didn¡¯t have to continually be saved from Senior Wong.¡±


    ¡°Wong Yoong, apologize,¡± Elder Hen said.


    Senior Wong looked like a child. She had scrunched her head into her shoulders, staring at the floor, while holding her own arms. It was the same look Lu Na¡¯s younger brothers had after she chastised them for their pranks.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Young Miss Lu.¡± Senior Wong got up and left the courtyard.


    Lu Na wasn¡¯t expecting much, but to have a powerful summoner like that apologize to her was more than enough. Although she had tried to kill Lu Na frequently, this was the first time she spoke with her without contempt or anger. Something must have changed.


    ¡°I apologize to Elder Hen, but would it be possible for me to talk with Hen Li?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I have to take a bath to clean off the filth of the last few days, anyway. That monkey king really made us work to get out of that forest. I hope he didn¡¯t mistreat you.¡± Elder Hen walked toward the rooms. ¡°And don¡¯t think about running away. I have disciples posted outside of the inn on all sides. If you even touch the door, I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re locked inside your room until we leave for the labyrinth.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Elder Hen.¡± Lu Na bowed her head. ¡°I would never dare to take advantage of your hospitality like that.¡±


    ¡°Child, I know what you are thinking. I¡¯ve been young once. But now I¡¯m too old to play around. I won¡¯t be so nice the next time I have to come and save you.¡±


    ¡°My uncle Sun and my father both thank you for your mercy.¡±


    Elder Hen snorted and disappeared back into the inn.


    ¡°Amituofo, he¡¯s finally gone,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°Are you okay? You were pretty banged up when we dragged you out of your room,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°I have a few bruises and a headache, but I will be fine. Where¡¯s Sun Ren?¡±


    ¡°You missed a lot after your long nap.¡± Lu Na took a minute to tell Hen Li the most important parts of what happened. She left out how Senior Wong tried to kill her again.


    ¡°Then is Sun Ren trying to steal the relic right now?¡± Hen Li asked.


    ¡°Yes, and she told us to meet us outside of the village,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Amituofo. Please let the sins pass. We shouldn¡¯t steal, least of all, someone''s ancestral relics. That¡¯s not only stealing from the village but also their history.¡±


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    ¡°Normally, I would agree with you. But the village leader was hiding something that was linked to the labyrinth. I¡¯d rather have every advantage we could get when we enter there, especially if we can¡¯t come back out of the labyrinth if we don¡¯t solve the puzzle.¡±


    Hen Li paused for a moment before putting his prayer beads around his neck.


    ¡°And if anything, we can return the relic when we come back,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Very well. Let¡¯s go now while Elder Hen is in the bath.¡±


    Lu Na didn¡¯t mention how Hen Li called his father by Elder Hen. She followed him to the back of the courtyard where two lit lanterns hung. The last of the sunset was fading.


    Hen Li opened the door and they were met with two disciples in dark blue tunics. They both had a staff raised against him.


    ¡°Greetings, Senior Hen. It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve last seen you. We hope you are well,¡± one disciple said.


    ¡°Amituofo, I have not been a disciple of the Wintersweet Sect for a while.¡± Hen Li pushed his hands together and bowed. ¡°Please let us pass.¡±


    ¡°You know as well as we do we can¡¯t do that. Elder Hen has told us to stop you or your friends from leaving the inn.¡±


    Hen Li took a step back and clenched his left fist. The air became heavy with spirit energy. The other disciples did the same.


    Only now did Lu Na notice she could sense the spirit energy coming off these summoners. She didn¡¯t have this sense before no matter how many times her older brother or others summoned their spirits. Was this because of her bond with Nugua?


    ¡°Might I say something?¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Little spoiled Young Misses shouldn¡¯t be talking,¡± the other disciple said.


    Lu Na smiled as sweetly as she could. She reached into her chest pocket.


    Both disciples focused on her.


    ¡°What are you¡ª¡±


    Lu Na took out twenty taels of silver as two perfect sycees. She took a few of these from her father¡¯s personal stash. They were the same ones that he had made specifically for his business partners. It had a small Lu engraved on the bottom.


    ¡°I will not attack you, if that¡¯s what you thought. And you are right, I am a Young Miss of the Lu family from Jianye. It¡¯s not a brag when I say that our family is probably one of the richest in the city.¡±


    ¡°Your money can¡¯t bribe us,¡± the disciples said.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re mistaken. This is not a bribe. This is my payment to you for the injuries you will suffer from fighting Hen Li as we try to get past you. If you call him Senior Hen, then I shouldn¡¯t need to tell you how powerful he is.¡±


    Lu Na let that sink in. Both disciples looked between them and Hen Li. The monk might be injured currently, but his reputation should be enough.


    ¡°We can skip all of this and I can hand these two perfect sycees to you as a gift between friends. Not only would you have some pocket change for the coming New Year, but you also won¡¯t have any injuries to nurse tonight.¡±


    ¡°But Elder Hen will beat us if he finds out. He shows no mercy to anyone that defies him.¡± The other disciple rubbed his arms.


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me that righteous and understanding Elder Hen would punish you for not getting injured while standing up to his son? Let¡¯s say you stop Hen Li and injure him. Would he be more understanding then?¡±


    The disciples were sweating despite the cooling night. All Lu Na needed to do was let them stew for another second or two.


    ¡°So how I see it is that you two are stuck between a bad choice and a worse choice. Instead, you could take these two sycees and pretend you never saw us.¡± Lu Na offered both perfect pieces of silver in each hand out to the two disciples. She knew disciples didn¡¯t make any money within these summoner sects. Most of them had to pay for the privilege of being taught summoner arts.


    The first disciple took it. The second stared at the first, putting it away inside his chest pocket. He sighed and put away the other as well.


    ¡°Go now before Elder Hen realizes you came out this way,¡± the second disciple said.


    The spirit energy coming off the three summoners cooled the air further.


    Hen Li pushed his hands together and bowed.


    ¡°Thank you for your consideration.¡±


    ¡°No, she¡¯s right. We are not your match. Even if we tried to stop you, we would only end up on bed rest for the next two weeks,¡± the first disciple said.


    Lu Na smiled and pulled Hen Li away before he could speak anymore. She didn¡¯t need to ask to know that he had a rapport with these disciples. They were on a deadline because if Lu Na knew one thing; it was that Sun Ren already had the relic in hand and would leave them if they didn¡¯t hurry to meet her.


    Lu Na led the way while Hen Li lagged. He sustained an injury or two that was making him walk slower than usual. When it became fully dark, Lu Na took out her light ward. She wrapped it around the head of her staff to light the way.


    The village was darker than the city, as few bothered to hang lanterns on their doors to help travelers.


    ¡°Wait. Sun Ren needs your help,¡± Nugua said.


    ¡°Why does she need my help?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°I can feel her spirit fighting against something and she¡¯s getting desperate. Hurry to the ancestral shrine.¡±


    Lu Na looked at Hen Li to confirm, but he had already turned toward the ancestral shrine. Despite his earlier shuffling movement, he now moved with purpose with his left hand clenched.


    ¡°We need to hurry in case any of the Wintersweet members sense it too,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°How did you sense it?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Only because your snake spirit mentioned it. But if the fight goes on any longer, it will turn into something more serious.¡±


    Lu Na jogged toward the ancestral shrine. She had a feeling that with Hen Li¡¯s help; it was going to become more serious no matter what. She tossed her staff to Hen Li who caught it with ease.


    If Lu Na was heading into another battlefield, she needed to get ready. She took out her null metal bracelet and wrapped it back around her wrist. The metal was still warm to the touch, but it wasn¡¯t burning. She double tapped the two spirit skin wards and a thin, invisible skin engulfed her. The metal warmed up.


    When she had time later, she was going to look into putting something that could drain the null metal when it got too hot. She never thought it was because it held too much spirit energy that made it a molten piece of metal. She could work with that.


    ¡°Do you know what Sun Ren is fighting, Nugua?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°It feels like an ancient being. It¡¯s not strong, but I¡¯m not sure if Sun Ren understands how to fight it,¡± Nugua said.


    ¡°An old friend of yours, then? The village leader said that the relic was here with the village¡¯s founding all those generations ago.¡±


    ¡°Child, I¡¯m old, but it doesn¡¯t mean I knew everyone. And besides¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a ghost.¡± Hen Li stopped. He took off his prayer beads and wrapped them around his left hand. ¡°And it¡¯s a strong one.¡±


    ¡°A what? Those don¡¯t exist,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°How strongly do you believe in those Buddhist scriptures you use for your wards?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Then what about the heart sutra?¡±


    ¡°I told you before, I only recited it to calm myself.¡±


    Hen Li bit his lower lip. This was the first time Lu Na had ever seen him so worried before.


    ¡°That should be enough. Keep reciting the heart sutra as you follow me and don¡¯t stop reciting it for anything. I¡¯ll deal with the ghost. But if I suddenly stop moving, you run, got it?¡±


    ¡°Is it that serious? Should we tell Elder Hen?¡± Lu Na didn¡¯t know why the old man was the first one she thought of for help, but she couldn¡¯t deny that he was probably the strongest one here. Without realizing it, she also trusted that he would help them no matter what, especially if it involved his son.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to, but if I fall victim to the ghost, then yes, call him. He might have something to fight this ghost or know someone. Just remember, no matter what, keep reciting the heart sutra even if you have to leave me.¡±


    Lu Na nodded. What did they get themselves into? And how are ghosts real? She¡¯d never seen one before. So many questions, yet the most frightening one for her was: what could she invent to fight them?

 Chapter 55 - Secret of the Ancestral Shrine

    The ancestral shrine wasn¡¯t guarded when they got there. The air was colder the moment they reached the doors and the lingering incense smell wafted through them. There were only two white lanterns hanging outside of the doors.


    Lu Na couldn¡¯t help shivering.


    ¡°Amituofo, I can already feel the ghost¡¯s presence from here,¡± Hen Li said. ¡°Remember to keep reciting the heart sutra.¡±


    Lu Na nodded. She tried to think about the heart sutra but couldn¡¯t remember the first phrase. All she could think about was how cold it was.


    ¡°Avalokiteshvara,¡± Hen Li recited in a slow, drawn out word. He opened the door and stepped in, leading with his staff. The light ward gleamed, illuminating the entire room.


    Lu Na repeated the phrase and instantly felt calmer. She hadn¡¯t realized her whole body was tense. As she continued the heart sutra, her shoulders relaxed and her knees stopped locking up. She could walk in.


    Hen Li led the way with his slow, continual recitation of the heart sutra. This was the first time Lu Na heard him recite it aloud and so slowly. It sounded like a mix between singing and chanting.


    They walked past the meeting area they were in earlier with the village leader. They reached the inner part where the memorial tablets lined in rows that reached the ceiling. On the right was where the hidden compartment was.


    Sun Ren¡¯s unconscious body was just past the threshold.


    Lu Na wanted to run to her, but Hen Li barred her way with the staff. He recited the sutra louder.


    A wave of nausea hit Lu Na. That¡¯s right, she had stopped reciting. She closed her eyes and forced the next phrase of the heart sutra out. It took a few minutes before the nausea went away and she could open her eyes.


    Hen Li had walked forward over Sun Ren into the secret chamber. The light ward dimmed. Lu Na followed.


    Hen Li had stopped and kept reciting the heart sutra.


    In front of him was Sun Ren¡¯s Baihu. But it wasn¡¯t the usual cute white fox pup that Lu Na had seen before. It was a large fox with nine tails. Every tail was striking at some invisible enemy. Their tips lit up every time it touched it. It reminded Lu Na of her spirit wall.


    Lu Na reached into her chest pocket and took out a spirit wall ward. She activated it and threw it past Baihu. An invisible spirit wall sprang up in front of the spirit.


    Baihu turned toward Lu Na, her fangs bared.


    That look almost made Lu Na stop reciting, but she kept pushing the words out of her mouth. More importantly, she took a deep breath between each phrase, calming her mind. She got down onto her knees and beckoned Baihu to come over.


    Baihu closed her mouth and padded over to Lu Na.


    Now that she was so close, Lu Na realized how big Sun Ren¡¯s spirit was. If it wanted to, it could rip her throat out and disappear into the night. But it didn¡¯t.


    Baihu nuzzled against Lu Na¡¯s hand before padding over to Sun Ren. She laid down over her.


    Hen Li walked past them both. The light ward fizzled out the moment it touched the spirit wall, plunging the entire place into darkness. Only the occasional spark from the spirit wall made any light.


    Lu Na knew she should have pulled out another light ward, but she couldn¡¯t. The icy embrace from before was threatening to overwhelm her if she did anything but recite the heart sutra. Right behind her, she heard Baihu snarling.


    The only thing Lu Na could hope for was that if Baihu attacked, she wouldn¡¯t strike her instead.


    Hen Li stopped reciting the heart sutra. Instead, there was a groan and the sound of the staff clattering to the floor.


    What was Lu Na to do now? She couldn¡¯t sit there reciting the heart sutra forever. But the thought of doing anything else was sapping all her energy.


    ¡°Why is it suddenly so cold?¡± Nugua said. There was a slight shiver in her chest.


    Nugua! Maybe her spirit could help her somehow. She¡¯s an ancient spirit that dealt with many things. Maybe she could tell Lu Na how to get out of this.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a ghost. A very strong one. Ooh, a furious one. Well, good luck. I¡¯m going back to sleep.¡±


    Lu Na almost stopped reciting from the outrage. What did Nugua mean she was going back to sleep? Didn¡¯t she promise Lu Na¡¯s mother that she would help her?


    These racing thoughts stressed Lu Na out and she felt the cold seeping into her body, making it harder to keep awake.


    No, she couldn¡¯t depend on Nugua. She couldn¡¯t keep depending on others to get her out of every situation.


    Lu Na focused her breath and her recitation of the heart sutra. She had to start over but it calmed her instantly. It wasn¡¯t long before she felt normal again.


    ¡°Oh, you must be the one that threw that Buddhist talisman at me.¡± It was a hollow sounding voice, as if the person wasn¡¯t all there. A cold rush of air came closer to Lu Na. ¡°I hope you can do better than the other two, or I¡¯ll devour all your life essence for disturbing my rest.¡±


    Stolen story; please report.


    Lu Na wanted to ask what it meant, but didn¡¯t dare stop reciting.


    ¡°I¡¯m a ghost, trapped here to protect this village¡¯s relic,¡± the hollow voice continued. ¡°It took some skill and power for you to find it, but your summoner arts are nothing in my domain.¡±


    A face with long hair, pale skin, and large bulging eyes appeared before Lu Na. An eerie light came off its face.


    Lu Na skipped a phrase, but kept reciting the heart sutra. She felt her heart pounding in her chest. What the hell was that? She closed her eyes and focused on breathing. She recited the words of the heart sutra as slowly as she could.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re stronger than that first woman. She fainted when she saw my face,¡± the ghost said. ¡°It¡¯s understandable, since she¡¯s killed so many people. Ghosts probably follow her everywhere she goes. I just showed her we¡¯re real.¡±


    Lu Na felt cold air moving past her. She forced her eyes open to see the ghost trying to go past her. She put her body in its path to prevent it from reaching Sun Ren or Baihu.


    ¡°Trying to save your friend?¡± The ghost smiled, his lips stretching wide across his face. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for that silly fox spirit, I would have eaten her already and started on that fake monk. But since you want to play, I can play with you a little. It will be hours before morning, anyway.¡±


    The ghost came back around to face Lu Na. He tilted his head aside and raised his fingers toward her face. They were thick white noodles with a long black fingernail on each one. It was like he forgot to cut his nails for a long time.


    ¡°Do you know how I became the ghost that protects this relic? I created this relic. Oh yes. I found a piece of old Xia technology that was near the labyrinth and figured out how to not only make it work but also improve it. I made it better than what the old Xia inventors could do. And you know what my own village leader did after they found out?¡±


    Lu Na could only stare at the ghost and recite. She didn¡¯t dare answer, in case that¡¯s how he attacked Hen Li when he stopped reciting.


    ¡°They took it from me, locked it in this room, and buried me alive beneath it! So every time any villager stupid enough tries to look in here, I devour their life essence. Spirits aren¡¯t the only ones that can do that.¡±


    The ghost circled around Lu Na once. He reached into her chest pocket and jerked his hands back.


    ¡°You¡¯re just like the old Xia inventors with their inventions on you. You also have the same key I found all those years ago. Except mine is better. It can open more doors than your key can. Do you want it?¡±


    Lu Na risked nodding her head.


    ¡°Then all you have to do is let me devour the life essence of that fake monk and the woman behind you. All you have to do is turn around and walk out of here. I even promise to not attack you.¡±


    The strong lethargy Lu Na felt lifted. She could think more clearly and move now. But she wasn¡¯t stupid to stop reciting the heart sutra. This was her one chance to save them all. There was no way she was going to let the ghost devour Hen Li or Sun Ren.


    The only option Lu Na had was the light ward within her chest pocket. She realized that Hen Li only got attacked after the light ward fizzled out. Maybe she could use that to buy her some more time before pulling Sun Ren and Hen Li out.


    It didn¡¯t seem like the ghost was going to allow Lu Na to run for help. At the moment, it seemed like it would rather go for easy prey it¡¯s already knocked out than try to tire her out.


    Lu Na sneezed. The incense finally got to her. It was more concentrated here. With the next sneeze, she took out the light ward and activated it. A blazing light shone in the extreme darkness.


    Lu Na had to close her own eyes for fear of blinding herself.


    ¡°Ooh, you naughty girl,¡± the ghost said, its hollow voice sounding much closer. ¡°You might have turned on that light, but you forgot to keep reciting that heart sutra. Now I¡¯ll show you why that monk screamed at the end.¡±


    The entire landscape shifted, making Lu Na feel like she was rolling down a hill. Despite her light ward activating, the darkness wrapped around her like a heavy jacket. All she could do was tuck herself in preventing injury as she kept rolling.


    It didn¡¯t take long before she stopped. The wind was blowing against her face. She opened her eyes.


    No, it can¡¯t be.


    Lu Na was standing on that cliff at the Wintersweet Sect. The Wintersweet ancestor was pulling her in with his disgusting tongue. He had yellow skin and beady eyes.


    Lu Na scrambled away as fast as she could on the ground. She kicked with all her might, but nothing was happening. She reached in to grab her wards, but none of them activated. No matter how many times she pushed them, ripped them, twisted them, untied them, nothing worked. All the yellow papers flew from her hand after a powerful gust.


    ¡°Come here, brat!¡± the ancestor said.


    No, she would not be eaten by this man. There was something wrong with this situation, but Lu Na couldn¡¯t think. She spent all her energy pulling away as hard as she could. She grabbed the grass on the ground, then stones, anything to stop her from entering the disgusting mouth of the ancestor.


    A phoenix screech pierced the night.


    Lu Na was saved. She remembered her mother¡¯s spirit and her call. That¡¯s how she was saved the last time. The spirit came and with a little help from her; they could defeat the ancestor.


    Lu Na reached into her chest pocket and pulled out her spirit wand. She waved it in front of her and tried to focus on pulling the spirit energy again from the ancestor. A small little wave of spirit energy flowed to her wand.


    Yes, this was it. This was how she would defeat the ancestor again. Only another realization hit her.


    The phoenix spirit was nowhere near her.


    Lu Na looked around and it wasn¡¯t until it screeched again did she look up to the sky.


    The phoenix spirit was flying away. The spirit would not help her.


    Why? It was sent there to help her by her mother. Her mother loved her. She wouldn¡¯t have abandoned her like that.


    That¡¯s when Lu Na saw her. Her mother appeared right in front of her. She didn¡¯t look like the tortured ghost she saw when she fought the ancestor, but like how she was before. Her mother was dressed in a beautiful blue-green dress that was made of silk. Her hair was tied up into an elaborate bun and there were many expensive accessories pinning her hair together. She was looking away from Lu Na at the moon.


    Lu Na pulled herself up, breaking herself off from the ancestor¡¯s pull. She reached out to her mother and recoiled right away. When her mother turned around and it was actually her second mother. The round face confused Lu Na. Her body was exactly like her mother, but not her head.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my mother?¡± Lu Na called out.


    ¡°I¡¯m your mother,¡± her second mother said. ¡°I¡¯ve always been your mother ever since she left you. Come here.¡±


    Her second mother opened her arms, but Lu Na couldn¡¯t do it. No matter how scared she was right now and no matter how much she knew that this was all an illusion, she couldn¡¯t run to the woman that made her life miserable.


    The hairpin would save her. That¡¯s what she needed.


    Lu Na took out the silver phoenix hairpin from her chest pocket. It was whole, unbroken. She didn¡¯t understand why, but it had what she needed. If she broke this one, then her mother would come find her again and save her.


    Or maybe she would never have left.


    Lu Na snapped the pin in half, preserving the phoenix.


    Nothing happened.


    What¡¯s going on? Where is my mother? Why did she leave me again?


    Tears soaked Lu Na¡¯s cheeks.

 Chapter 56 - As Curious as a Ghost

    ¡°That¡¯s all you worry about? I can¡¯t eat your life force,¡± the ghost said. Its hollow voice was far away now.


    Lu Na looked up and blinked against the harsh light. She began reciting the heart sutra again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this time I won¡¯t attack you.¡± The ghost now looked like a young man in a simple gray tunic. He sat against the wall, revealed by the bright light. His bulging eyes disappeared and his fingers still looked pale, but not like dreadful noodles with dark nails ready to rake Lu Na.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Well, I was disappointed in what I found in your mind. Normally, I find something worth hating inside you, some sort of greed or misdeed or killing and I use that to feed on you. But you¡¯re more like a child than either of these two monsters.¡±


    Lu Na glanced at Hen Li and Sun Ren. She breathed in relief when they were still breathing, their chests rising and falling peacefully.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t eat them either, although I really should eat the monk. You do not know what he¡¯s done and if you do, it¡¯s not even close to what he really did.¡± The ghost leaned back. ¡°It¡¯s a shame, too. If I ate these two, I would be one step closer to finally leaving this place. But in you, I found something fascinating and useful. You can help me more than leaving this place and maybe I might finally find peace.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lu Na inched away from the ghost to reach Sun Ren. She felt her hand. It was clammy, but her friend was only sleeping.


    ¡°You see, I looked into your memories and I saw you miss your mother. And from what I could tell, she¡¯s trapped within that labyrinth. So if you were to get in there, open the secret door to save your mother, then the hatred I harbored all these years will disappear.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you listening earlier? The Xia invention I found and made better. It opens the secret door inside that labyrinth. And since you already have a key for it, with my invention you will release all the ghosts living inside. At least that¡¯s what I hope it does. I never got a chance to try it.¡±


    ¡°Why are you giving it to me?¡± Lu Na reached into her chest pocket to pull out the silver phoenix hairpin.


    The ghost eyed it before smiling.


    ¡°Because you don¡¯t care about the secret inside the labyrinth. You just want your mother. Such an innocent soul. I haven¡¯t seen one for ages.¡±


    Lu Na could grab Sun Ren and drag her out. Hen Li might be impossible, but saving one is better than none. If she tossed another light ward and recited the heart sutra, she should be able to do that much, at least.


    The ghost sighed.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t bother with whatever plan you¡¯re thinking about escaping. I already told you, I want you to inherit my will. I will not attack you. In fact, here.¡±


    The ghost got up and pressed against a button on the wall. It turned an eerie blue and pulsed three times. A false wall slid up a few feet away from Hen Li, revealing a small wooden box.


    ¡°That¡¯s the secret invention. Take it and release the labyrinth¡¯s ghosts. That¡¯s all I need from you. And I can promise you that if you do, you¡¯ll be reunited with your mother. Then you can go back home and live out your peaceful life.¡±


    Lu Na considered it for a moment. What if this was another trick? What if she walked far enough? The light ward will go out and then the ghost will attack. But the invention was right there just within reach.


    Lu Na needed to be bold. She needed this invention. If not to find out why a sect leader will kill her to stop her, then to free her mother. That was one thing she knew she needed more than anything else.


    ¡°Fine, but you have to step outside,¡± Lu Na sad.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do something better.¡± The ghost faded into the wall.


    Seconds later, it wasn¡¯t as cold anymore. Lu Na felt her limbs moving freely again. But she didn¡¯t trust herself. Whatever the ghost did to her before felt so real that she couldn¡¯t tell what was real and what was not.


    Lu Na spent a few minutes sitting there, listening to the sounds of the night; crickets outside, the moonlight shining into the ancestral shrine, the powerful smell of incense, and the quiet breathing from Hen Li and Sun Ren.


    ¡°Nugua, is this real?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°As real as it can be. I don¡¯t sense any techniques, do you?¡± Nugua answered.


    Lu Na reached for her technique and saw nothing but a ghostly glow along the wall. That was probably from the button that released the false wall. She saw nothing else.


    Carefully, she got up and walked over Hen Li¡¯s body. She reached for her light wards and activated one a few feet apart from each other just in case. She turned off the spirit wall ward and put that away. When she reached the wooden box, nothing happened.


    The wooden box looked brand new. It had a fresh paint of lacquer on it. Lu Na wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she found it in the marketplace.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    She opened the box and saw a bronze key. Would the room close if she picked it up? This happened in some stories she¡¯s read before. Although usually it¡¯s a spirit that''s trying to trap the hero.


    Lu Na picked up the key and felt the weight in her hands. It was heavier than she expected. She used her spirit vision technique to look over the key.


    It had many techniques embedded inside. The surprising part was that it had many of the same techniques as her phoenix hairpin. Those were the ones that Lu Na couldn¡¯t figure out yet, but probably had something to do with the labyrinth itself. She was going to study them side by side later.


    ¡°Now, what do I do about these two? I can barely drag Sun Ren. Hen Li is larger. The villagers will discover us before I can get them out.¡±


    ¡°I can help with that.¡± The ghost appeared halfway through the wall and clapped his hands.


    Both Sun Ren and Hen Li woke up.


    ¡°Just promise to come back and tell me what you find.¡± The ghost disappeared back through the wall.


    Sun Ren woke up slowly, as if from a deep sleep. Hen Li balled up into the fetal position. He sobbed against his chest.


    Lu Na helped Sun Ren up and dusted her off.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°A ghost that guarded this room attacked you,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Ghosts are not real.¡±


    ¡°I thought the same thing until he let us go and gave us the relic.¡± Lu Na showed Sun Ren the bronze key. ¡°He told me that this will allow me to get into the secret room in the labyrinth without setting off the traps.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a little too convenient.¡± Sun Ren took the key and turned it around in her hand.


    ¡°What do we do about Hen Li?¡±


    Hen Li recited the heart sutra.


    ¡°I think we should give him a few minutes alone.¡± Sun Ren walked out of the small room.


    Lu Na followed, and a cool breeze refreshed her. It felt like breathing inside a coffin within the relic room.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re alive,¡± Mu Shun said.


    Sun Ren and Lu Na turned to find the village elder walking over with two village men. They carried large sacks.


    ¡°I assume you were coming to clean up our bodies,¡± Sun Ren said. She unsheathed two daggers and held the tip down in her palms.


    All three of the men held their hands up.


    ¡°We told you not to go in there,¡± Mu Shun said. ¡°There¡¯s a powerful ghost that protects the relic. And every time someone tries, they die. We only came to retrieve the body and give them a proper burial.¡±


    ¡°You could have told us earlier,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Our warnings go unheeded. We only come to clean up the idle curiosities of visitors.¡± Mu Shun lowered his hands. ¡°Besides, why do we need to tell outsiders to not invade our privacy? This is our sacred ancestor temple. Would we visit your home and trample upon your ancestors?¡±


    Lu Na looked at the memorial tablets arranged in tight rows beside her. The village leader was right. It would be a grave disrespect to walk into someone else¡¯s ancestor temple, let alone try to rob them of its secrets.


    ¡°Are you three here to stop us now that we have the relic?¡± Sun Ren shifted her stance.


    Mu Shun raised his hands again.


    ¡°No. You really got it? Young woman, my entire village would be grateful that you take the cursed thing out of our village. It has been there so long that we don¡¯t think it¡¯s part of our original village. We just haven¡¯t been able to get rid of it.¡±


    Mu Shun waved his hands and the two villagers took a few steps back.


    ¡°But if you two don¡¯t mind, could this old man see this relic that we¡¯ve protected all these years?¡±


    Lu Na looked to Sun Ren who nodded. She took out the bronze key and showed it to the old man.


    ¡°All that for a key? What a waste,¡± Mu Shun said. ¡°I can guess it has something to do with that cursed labyrinth. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s inside that has so many people risking their lives for, but I hope it¡¯s worth it for you.¡±


    ¡°So, are we free to go?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°Yes, of course. I¡¯m going back to bed.¡± Mu Shun turned.


    ¡°Wait, could your two villagers help us carry our friend out of the relic room?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Mu Shun nodded. The two villagers walked toward the relic room, but stopped.


    ¡°Amituofo, I am well again,¡± Hen Li said. He stood just inside the small room, with his staff beside him.


    ¡°I thought the ghost said he was going to let us go. What happened?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Let the sins pass. The ghost showed me a part of my past that I wish to forget. But now that I realized I can¡¯t forget. I need to repent for all my past sins. And for that I am grateful to the ghost.¡±


    Lu Na didn¡¯t want to know what Hen Li did. The ghost hinted at the atrocities that Hen Li did as a disciple of the Wintersweet Sect.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go before Elder Hen and his disciples find out that we have the relic,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°Wait, how did you know we were in the relic room?¡±


    Mu Shun had already walked to the exit of the ancestral hall before turning back around.


    ¡°The room has some sort of mechanism that blinks whenever someone enters. It¡¯s in my room. The last thing I needed was for a child to discover the body in the morning when they come around to play.¡±


    ¡°How kind of you,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°Get your stuff and let¡¯s go.¡±


    Lu Na walked back into the room and retrieved her light wards. The room was plunged back into darkness.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to come back,¡± the ghost whispered.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try. I¡¯m more worried about surviving.¡±


    ¡°Fair.¡±


    Lu Na exited the room. Sun Ren stood in a fighting stance, watching as the village leader and his men went away.


    ¡°We have to run now before that village leader sells us out to Elder Hen. Do we have everything?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°Yes, but why would he do that?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Amituofo. Because he¡¯s more frightened of a summoner sect than three wanderers. He thinks that Elder Hen will hold him responsible for our disappearance.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Wait. I want you to put an earth wall ward inside the relic room.¡± Sun Ren sheathed her daggers.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone walking in there accidentally. That ghost, or whatever it was, really messed up my head. I don¡¯t know what it did, but it¡¯s not something anyone else should ever deal with, even if they¡¯re thieves.¡±


    Lu Na nodded. She remembered the experience herself. It was almost physically painful to relive one of her worst experiences in her life. It must have been torture for both Hen Li and Sun Ren.


    She activated one of her earth wards that used the nearby earth spirit essence to power it. An earth wall sprouted up and covered the relic room. It should stay active forever unless someone deactivates the ward.


    Hen Li closed the relic room and they all left the ancestral shrine. They didn¡¯t waste time before leaving the village as quickly as they could.

 Chapter 57 - Can鈥檛 Trust Bandits

    For the first time, Lu Na was not the one exhausted from the march they made getting out of the village. Although that wasn¡¯t accurate. Sun Ren was mumbling to herself, most likely talking with Baihu, her spirit. While Hen Li kept reciting the heart sutra and his footsteps matched the rhythm.


    Their first rest stop was only about ten li away from the village. It had smooth rocks for seats and a small pavilion over them.


    ¡°Lu Na, you don¡¯t think I¡¯m a bad person, do you?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°Of course not. You¡¯ve been nothing but honorable and courageous and¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve killed people, and honorable and courageous people don¡¯t do that.¡±


    Lu Na grabbed Sun Ren¡¯s hand and held it to her chest.


    ¡°You have done everything you can to help others. I¡¯m your best example of that. Everything you¡¯ve done has been for the good of the people.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve killed others because I was ordered to. They were the ones I saw when the ghost attacked me. They had family, children, and did nothing wrong other than opposing my family.¡± Sun Ren gripped Lu Na¡¯s hand, almost as if she feared Lu Na would pull away from her.


    Lu Na tugged her hand until it got free. But instead of pulling away, she held Sun Ren in a hug.


    ¡°Ren, you did what you had to do in order to bring about a better world through your family. From what I can tell, your family is more noble than most of the corrupt magistrates and imperial officials that are ruining the country right now. If you asked me, I would rather be under your family¡¯s noble rule than the current emperor.¡±


    Sun Ren leaned her head on Lu Na¡¯s shoulder and cried.


    ¡°I know my words are not enough to help you through whatever you¡¯re going through, but as you helped me, I will never leave your side. Know that I support you no matter what.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo, let the sins pass. After this business with the labyrinth, I¡¯m going to go back and dedicate myself to the path of the Buddha with my sifu.¡± Hen Li got up. ¡°I¡¯m going to continue walking. You ladies take your time to catch up.¡±


    Lu Na nodded. She couldn¡¯t get up right now, as Sun Ren was still sobbing against her chest. She didn¡¯t want to question her past, but what did Sun Ren have to do to become as skillful as she was?


    Whatever it was, Lu Na wouldn¡¯t have the resolve to do the same thing. If what she did could break someone as strong as Sun Ren, Lu Na could never get out of bed.


    This showed the gulf between their experiences despite being almost the same age. How was Lu Na going to ever catch up to the monster walking away and her friend on this path? She decided right then and there that after she found her mother and freed her, she would go back to being the simple Young Miss of the Lu Family.


    This path was not hers.


    The trio walked on the path toward the labyrinth. Despite it being a large death trap, there was a worn path that made traveling at night easier. It also helped that having Lu Na¡¯s light wards were more effective than torches. They hung easily from Hen Li¡¯s staff and as necklaces on Lu Na and Sun Ren.


    The only fear they had was that they could be seen from a far distance. If Elder Hen followed them, they could see them from many li away.


    After turning onto a hill, they saw a gigantic structure up ahead. It was tall and boxlike. It looked like any modern city but with an enormous stone wall covering the top. Judging by the size, it was a little bigger than Jianye.


    Lu Na stood atop the hill, just admiring the labyrinth. She used her technique to really look at it. There were many arrays of techniques running through it and they were large. They were bigger than the mountain that was crushing Sun Wukong, but they weren¡¯t as complicated.


    The inventors of the past were so advanced, why did none of their ideas get passed down through the generations? Their technology wasn¡¯t much different from the modern technology that Lu Na uses. This was something that confused Lu Na.


    By the time they reached the labyrinth, the sun was peeking out from the east. They walked up close to the labyrinth and the sheer size hit them. It reached higher than any trees they¡¯ve ever walked by.


    ¡°How did they create this?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but the legends say they completed the entire structure in a year,¡± Sun Ren said. They walked around the structure for a bit until they found a weird platform.


    ¡°They must have used spirits to build this,¡± Hen Li said. He placed a hand on the stone. ¡°I can¡¯t picture Bifang Niao willing to build something like this though, but spirits of that size could easily lift these blocks.¡±


    Lu Na never asked about Hen Li¡¯s sealed spirit, but this gave her a better idea of what he was capable of. They stopped at the platform because there were techniques running throughout the entire thing. They all connected underground into the labyrinth.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    Lu Na looked up.


    ¡°Yes. Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Well, you didn¡¯t sleep all night. Hen Li and I have our spirits to help boost us, but you don¡¯t.¡±


    Lu Na thought about it for a moment. She felt a little sleepy, but it felt more like a buzz in the back of her mind than anything else.


    ¡°I guess not. This is probably the most exciting thing I¡¯ve seen since meeting the monkey king. It¡¯s another myth and legend come to life.¡±


    Sun Ren chuckled.


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    ¡°This is a tourist attraction. People come from all over the country to see the labyrinth. It¡¯s not much of a secret.¡±


    ¡°The only secret is what¡¯s inside and we have a key for that.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. Let¡¯s hope that we can solve this secret so people will stop throwing their lives away treasure hunting.¡± Hen Li recited the heart sutra.


    Lu Na didn¡¯t want to tell them she didn¡¯t care for the treasure. She only wanted to free her mother.


    ¡°So, what do we do now? How do we get inside?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°I believe this is the entrance into the labyrinth.¡± Lu Na said. ¡°This platform has many configurations and they all lead into the labyrinth. I think that if we hit them in a certain order, it should let us in.¡±


    ¡°And what order would that be?¡±


    Lu Na sat down on a nearby rock and took out a sheet of paper. She had a piece of charcoal that she used in place of a brush and ink. Her father would admonish her for wasting all those calligraphy lessons in favor of something so inelegant and dirty. But what did he know? He still used wooden tablets.


    Lu Na made a mark of the unique patterns on the platform. She noticed it kept changing every twenty minutes. And with each change, the platform shifted and pointed at different points on the labyrinth.


    ¡°I think that if we follow this pattern, we¡¯ll get in.¡± Lu Na showed her drawing to Sun Ren.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt to try. What¡¯s the worst that can happen?¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°Based on what I can tell of the inventions the Xia used, it can move us into a piece of rock or stone.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what? You mentioned nothing about moving us into a rock or stone. Would that kill us?¡±


    ¡°Most definitely. The only stable time to teleport is when the patterns stop shifting. Then we have only a few minutes to hit the right combination in order to get to where we need to go.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo, I hate to interrupt this, but it seems we have company.¡± Hen Li got up into a defensive stance.


    Lu Na looked around. There was no way Elder Hen and his disciples could catch up so fast. That large of a group would take at least a little time to pack up before they can get here.


    A group of men climbed a distant hill and jogged over toward the trio. All of them were armed with swords and wore leather armor. Right in front of them was Yang Deli, the bandit leader. Lu Na easily recognized him from the iron helmet he constantly wore. She wondered if he took it off when he bathed.


    ¡°I expected you three were going to come here. And also, you three gave me the gift of leaving that summoner sect behind. Now we can continue where we left off last time.¡± Yang Deli waved his sword in front of him.


    ¡°Last time you caught us in your trap, surrounded by your men, and drugged one of us. I think this time you¡¯ll find that it¡¯s going to be harder to take us down than you did before.¡± Sun Ren unsheathed her sword and a dagger. ¡°This time, I¡¯ll make sure to kill the rest of your men.¡±


    Yang Deli smirked, showing off his teeth.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to have a lot of fun with you, Sun Ren. I know who you are now and I¡¯ll send you back to your father in pieces.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo, maybe we can talk about this instead of fighting?¡± Hen Li asked.


    ¡°No, there is no talking. Only fighting to the death. And no matter how strong you think you are, I have more men on their way.¡±


    Lu Na saw another larger group of men coming from behind Yang Deli. They were carrying large litters of supplies and other equipment in wheelbarrows.


    ¡°You are planning on going into the labyrinth,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Yes. We¡¯ve been sending in people for the last few weeks, trying to find its secret. We first sent the village until that village leader gave us a map and the instructions on how to get in. We have an entire base inside.¡±


    ¡°We want to go inside, too. Maybe we can help each other?¡± Lu Na reached inside her chest pocket and pulled out the bronze key. ¡°This will allow us to unlock the secret within the labyrinth and open it up for good.¡±


    ¡°Where did you get that?¡±


    ¡°The ancestral shrine. The village leader was hiding it, but we got it from him.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ve saved me the trouble. Kill them.¡±


    ¡°Wait! You don¡¯t know how to make it work. Remember my silver phoenix hairpin?¡± Lu Na took out her hairpin and activated it again, showing a map of the inside of the labyrinth. Except this time, the image changed again. This time the map had small red dots that also showed movement. There was a large congregation in one corner of the map.


    ¡°Boss, that¡¯s where our men have set up a camp,¡± one bandit said.


    ¡°And there are so many other red dots on this map. Who knows what else you might find inside without my help and we both know you don¡¯t know how to activate my inventions? Even if you were to take this from me and the bronze key, would you know how to use it when you got there?¡±


    Yang Deli paused for a moment, looking between the key and Lu Na.


    Lu Na noticed that Sun Ren had shifted her stance to the right, with her foot pointed toward the rebel leader. If there was one thing she knew of Sun Ren was that she wouldn¡¯t let the chance to kill the leader get away, even if it meant condemning the three of them to death afterwards.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, but I don¡¯t need those two. Kill them,¡± Yang Deli said.


    ¡°Wait, Sun Ren.¡± Lu Na stood in front of her friend.


    ¡°Get out of my way. I¡¯m going to end him right here, right now so we have nothing else in our way,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°Give me one minute. If I can¡¯t convince him, then kill him, okay?¡± Lu Na didn¡¯t know when it happened, but she already accepted Sun Ren as a killer. If Lu Na hadn¡¯t stopped her, she knew that her friend would have killed Yang Deli first.


    Sun Ren nodded. She sheathed her sword and took out another dagger instead.


    ¡°Look, Yang Deli, was it?¡± Lu Na showed her hands to the bandit leader. ¡°We can help each other here. I don¡¯t care about the mystery or treasures within the labyrinth. We only want to free the ghosts trapped inside. What if we give you everything of value as long as you and your bandits help us do that?¡±


    ¡°And why would I believe you would do that? You want the treasures as much as anyone else.¡± Yang Deli shifted his stance to be less threatening.


    ¡°Well, you might know who Sun Ren is, but I doubt you know who I am. I am the Young Miss of the Lu family in Jianye. My father is Lu Tien. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of him.¡±


    Yang Deli nodded.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need the money or the treasure within. My father has enough money to match the emperor¡¯s treasury.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you risking your life to free these ghosts?¡±


    ¡°The honest answer? My mother is trapped inside. She came to me in a dream and told me how much she is suffering there.¡±


    ¡°Then why hasn¡¯t your father sent an entire team to get her out?¡±


    Lu Na fidgeted with her fingers.


    ¡°He¡¯s got a second wife and if he wasn¡¯t so busy, he¡¯d probably get a few more if he wanted. He doesn¡¯t love my mother. And besides, who would sign up for a one-way trip into the labyrinth?¡±


    Lu Na said the last part as loud as she could.


    Yang Deli grinned. He took out a bronze key from his chest pocket.


    ¡°You see, you¡¯re not the only one with the key to the labyrinth. With this, I can get in, solve the mystery and get out with all my men. They won¡¯t follow me for nothing.¡±


    ¡°But we can still come to an agreement without bloodshed. We don¡¯t have to fight.¡±


    Yang Deli stepped closer to Lu Na.


    ¡°Oh, but we do. You see, there¡¯s a blood debt that must be paid. Your friend killed many of my friends. We only ask that she pay it back with her blood.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    Yang Deli turned Lu Na around and wrapped his arm around her neck.


    ¡°Now, kill those two.¡±


    How did Lu Na fall into that trap? She watched helplessly as the bandits surrounded Sun Ren and Hen Li.

 Chapter 58 - Getting Into the Labyrinth

    Lu Na tried to reach into her chest pocket, but Yang Deli squeezed.


    ¡°No, none of that. We don¡¯t need to play hide and seek with your inventions again. Stay still and this will be over soon.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this. We can work together. If you kill my friends, I promise to kill you,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Such a brave little mouse with very scary words. You have never hurt a fly. I can tell from just one glance.¡±


    The bandits that surrounded Sun Ren and Hen Li hadn¡¯t attacked yet. They were waiting for the larger group of men to make it over.


    Lu Na had an idea, but she would not like it. Her bracelet was easily within reach. All she had to do was tap them with her free hand and hoped that Nugua was awake to help her. Otherwise, the results would vary wildly.


    The biggest concern for her was the leather she used to protect from the burning null metal. If she activated the wards now, it would burn her wrist.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky that I¡¯m not a true summoner. Otherwise my spirit would rip you limb from limb,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Woman, you better stop talking or else I¡¯ll feed you to my men. They haven¡¯t been home to see their family for years. I¡¯m sure after a night or two, you will be more pliant to my demands.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a monster just like my spirit.¡±


    ¡°You can thank your emperor for that. Did you know I used to be a captain in his northern brigade? Once the money ran out, we were told to go home on our own. Then of course the famines and the natural disasters struck one after another. I¡¯m only doing what I can to survive.¡±


    ¡°My spirit, Nugua, says the same thing. She¡¯s only using me to get what she wants. She¡¯s a terrible spirit to bond with.¡±


    ¡°What? Stop bad mouthing me already. I¡¯m up,¡± Nugua said.


    Just in time, as the bandits closed in on Sun Ren and Hen Li.


    ¡°I did it for my family and my men. The treasure we seek is to feed them. Not for glory,¡± Yang Deli said.


    ¡°But the way you¡¯re doing it is despicable.¡± Lu Na reached over to her left wrist and tapped all the wards at once.


    Instead of a spirit skin forming around Lu Na, a stone skin formed instead. It first sprouted from her feet, but quickly covered her entire body and encased her in stone. Because of the weight, Lu Na fell backwards onto Yang Deli.


    When they both hit the ground, the earth skin shattered, freeing Lu Na. She rolled over as fast as she could and a large earth wall sprouted up behind her. With every use of her wards, her wrist got a little hotter. She rolled her sleeve up and shook her hand as much as she could to cool it.


    Seconds later, a large ibex with green stripes smashed through the earth wall. Yang Deli was not far behind it.


    Lu Na sprinted toward Sun Ren and Hen Li, but stopped.


    Hen Li had summoned Panhu, his five colored hound spirit. Its face turned into the bone-mouth dog. With a loud growl, it pounced on the bandits.


    Sun Ren disappeared into the form of a white fox pup diving in between the bandits¡¯ legs. She appeared briefly in a flash of black as she slashed the bandits.


    Lu Na ran again, but this time toward the labyrinth. She wished she had more time to study the patterns more and test what happened, but she didn¡¯t have the luxury anymore. She wracked her brain as hard as she could to think of where it would send her.


    Before the bandits came, she saw a pattern was emerging. The different blinking lights were showing specific locations that they sent them. But without actually being inside and scouting the area, there was no way to determine where they would end up. What if they ended up in a pit or something worse?


    Her bracelet burned so much that she finally had to take it off. She turned around to see Nugua had erected a maze of earth walls behind her, forcing Yang Deli to either run around or bowl through them. However, he stopped when he realized some walls were reinforced with spirit walls as well. That scrambled his ibex spirit.


    ¡°You better hurry. That¡¯s all I can do without burning up your bracelet,¡± Nugua said. She sounded like she was far away. She must have nearly exhausted herself again.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to think, but I do not know where any of it would send us. I don¡¯t want to get us killed.¡± Lu Na went to take out another piece of paper, but saw a red glow within her chest pocket. She pulled out her silver phoenix hairpin. ¡°Why is this acting up again? I pressed nothing.¡±


    The phoenix was blinking with different lights. When Lu Na lifted it to the labyrinth¡¯s platform, it was making the same pattern. Except the phoenix would blink blue from time to time.


    Lu Na saw a panel of different characters from the Xia era and couldn¡¯t read any of it. Qin Shihuang might have been one of the cruelest emperors, but at least he unified the writing system and made it simpler. The old Xia characters were too confusing. But she recognized them when she lifted her phoenix hairpin. It was telling her to press these specific symbols in a specific order.


    ¡°Sun Ren! Hen Li! I think I have a way in. Come quick.¡± Lu Na didn¡¯t wait to see if they were coming before she punched in the combination. Yang Deli was going over the walls now by riding on his ibex and jumping. That was cheating!


    The platform below her stopped blinking with the unique patterns and began glowing white. Something was happening. Lu Na used her technique to look at what, but all she could see was one gigantic piece of the platform moving into the other, connecting right below her.


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    Lu Na looked up to see Yang Deli charging toward her on his ibex spirit. Its wicked horns pointed right at her. She guessed he would not take her hostage this time. But she was done playing the hostage, anyway.


    Lu Na took out her slingshot and shot three tiger claw techniques at Yang Deli. Three large claws shot forth, cutting through the air. The ibex took it on the horns and kept charging.


    Time to change tactics. Lu Na took out a spirit wall ward and an earth wall ward. She activated them one in front of the other. Next she took out a light ward and set it to the maximum setting.


    Lu Na knew from experience anyone staring into it when it went off would go blind temporarily. But the problem was, the flash would only last a few seconds before it burned out. She was still working on a way to get it to keep shining longer, but that was a future project.


    Next Lu Na took out an earth wall ward powered by null metal.


    ¡°Nugua, can you make a dome just outside of the platform?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Nugua said.


    Lu Na activated the earth wall ward and placed it on the floor. A round dome came up from the ground. Lu Na placed the light ward on top of the dome.


    ¡°Make it so that when he hits the dome, it goes off. It should buy us a little more time.¡±


    Lu Na then walked over to a glowing section of the platform. It was glowing blue now, just like her silver phoenix hairpin. When she stepped on, a voice came out. It was in a language that was like what she was speaking, but definitely different. She only recognized a few of the words and she doubted they meant the same thing.


    Lu Na made a quick turn to look at Sun Ren and Hen Li. They were both rushing toward the platform she stood on. The only issue though was that there were so many bandits right behind them.


    The platform began glowing green. The voice was saying something else now that sounded like numbers. It was counting down.


    The moment Yang Deli¡¯s ibex spirit rammed into the earth dome, the light ward activated. It became so bright that anyone could have seen it from many li away. Yang Deli cried out as it struck him in the eyes.


    Unfortunately, the ibex was unaffected. It kept charging toward Lu Na, regardless.


    ¡°Come on guys, hurry!¡± The last thing Lu Na wanted was for the platform to activate with Yang Deli standing on it with her. She wasn¡¯t sure if it would activate again the same way for Sun Ren and Hen Li. She would be a prisoner of his.


    Lu Na heard what sounded like ¡°two¡± just as Hen Li tripped over a rock. Sun Ren picked him up in her arms and half carried him to the platform.


    When they both stepped onto the platform, Lu Na shouted, ¡°Go!¡±


    The platform seemed like it understood and the whole world went black for a second. The next second, the world turned brighter. Soon after, all Lu Na could smell was a musty dampness in the air. It was almost as if she was in a bathhouse.


    It took a few moments to adjust. When Lu Na looked at the sky, she saw a ceiling instead. But this wasn¡¯t any normal ceiling. It had a mini-sun inside. She wasn¡¯t sure what she was looking at.


    ¡°Nugua, do you know what¡¯s going on?¡± Lu Na asked.


    No answer. The only thing Lu Na could feel was overwhelming exhaustion and then nothing like she disappeared. She doubted she could push her anymore without her breaking. The last thing Lu Na needed was a spirit that couldn¡¯t help her form her wards.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s a sun powered by spirit energy,¡± Hen Li said. ¡°I have heard of stories that some emperors of old had trained really strong summoners to create their own weather. Maybe there was some truth in those legends.¡±


    Sun Ren collapsed onto the ground, taking deep breaths.


    ¡°Whatever it is, at least we¡¯re not surrounded by bandits again.¡± Sun Ren laid back onto the ground, drinking from her waterskin. ¡°You¡¯d think that these bandits would learn from the last time we faced them. How many more of them do I have to kill before they get it?¡±


    ¡°Amituofo, we shouldn¡¯t be so hasty in killing,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be killing at all,¡± Lu Na said.


    Sun Ren sat up.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t kill anymore after what that ghost showed me. But if they pushed me, I wouldn¡¯t hesitate.¡±


    Lu Na nodded and sat down beside Sun Ren.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a break here for a few minutes and then see where we can go.¡±


    The place they were in had a few buildings in front of them, all made of packed earth. There was no color at all anywhere. Everything was a drab beige. If Lu Na had to guess, the closest thing she could think of was that time they stopped in the alleyway after running away from the Wintersweet Sect.


    ¡°Take out the phoenix hairpin and see what it does,¡± Sun Ren said.


    Lu Na took it out and it glowed bright red all over. With a simple tap on its head, a large map popped up like a moving image. It reminded her a bit of Sun Wukong¡¯s scroll of immortality. Maybe they used the same type of techniques, except her hairpin was projecting light. It seemed a little more advanced.


    The map showed all the sections of the labyrinth and a direct route they could take toward the center. There were a lot of red dots close to where they were. When Lu Na focused on that section, it expanded into a larger square. Apparently, there were many more red dots, but they were much farther than she expected.


    ¡°These must be the people who came in here,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°The hairpin is also kind enough to show us a direct path to the secret in the middle. I think we should follow it and worry about the red dots later. If we can see them, we can avoid them, right?¡±


    ¡°That would be the case if the hairpin was going to last any longer,¡± a female voice came from behind them.


    As one, all three turned to look. Right before them was a half woman, half snake wearing expensive jade beads that draped over her front over an expensive silk robe. Her claws were the size of Lu Na¡¯s fingers. Her snake half was as black as ink.


    ¡°What? Do I have something on my face?¡± the naga asked.


    Both Hen Li and Sun Ren clenched their left fists, but nothing happened. No spirit showed up.


    Without missing a beat, Lu Na threw up her earth wall ward in front of them and then a spirit wall right behind it. But it didn¡¯t materialize the way she was hoping. A simple earth wall, thin and short sprouted up in front of them while the spirit wall became more of a spirit floor. The invisible barrier spread out on the ground like a puddle until it touched the earth wall and then went around it instead.


    ¡°What is going on Nugua? I know you¡¯re tired, but I need you now,¡± Lu Na said.


    The naga laughed, in a hissing way.


    Sun Ren unsheathed her sword and Hen Li held his staff in a defensive position.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you recognize your own spirit, Na Na?¡± the naga said.


    Lu Na stared at the naga and recognized the jade beads. They were the same ones that swung when she grabbed Lu Na by the neck and threatened her life. This was the spirit she¡¯s seen in the spirit realm every time she was pulled in.


    ¡°You¡¯re Nugua?¡±


    Nugua did her best to mimic Lu Na¡¯s curtsy despite having a snake¡¯s torso for legs.


    ¡°It¡¯s me and I¡¯ve missed this feeling.¡± Nugua stretched her arms up into the sky and bent backwards. All the beads jingled against each other. ¡°I am so hungry.¡±


    Nugua looked at the trio with a smile, showing off her sharp and deadly fangs.

 Chapter 59 - Exploring the Labyrinth

    Lu Na took a step forward while Sun Ren and Hen Li took two steps back. She knew she was walking toward a dangerous creature. Lu Na knew that in the depths of her soul.


    This spirit was only ever out for herself. Nugua made it very clear from the beginning of this journey to find her mother that she only wanted what she could get from her. It¡¯s their promise, she said. Now that she¡¯s free of Lu Na, there was no guarantee that she would be needed.


    Yet, she kept walking forward until she was standing right in front of Nugua. Her snake torso kept slithering back and forth, raking the earth below her. Lu Na reached forward with her arms spread and Nugua did the same, except her claws reached out further.


    ¡°Come here child,¡± Nugua said.


    Sun Ren pulled Lu Na back before Nugua wrapped her arms around her. She lifted her sword up against Nugua, pointing right at her chest.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright Sun Ren,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°I can¡¯t explain it, but I know Nugua would never hurt me.¡±


    ¡°You told us about how she threatened you when you bonded with her,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°Yes, but I think I understand now.¡± Lu Na walked up and embraced Nugua. The naga didn¡¯t rip her into shredded meat and devoured her. ¡°You only said what you did because you wanted me to be stronger, right?¡±


    ¡°Child, that was part of it,¡± Nugua said. ¡°The other part is to help you understand my seriousness in getting what¡¯s mine. If that means protecting your weak body until I do, then that¡¯s what I will do.¡±


    ¡°How is this happening?¡± Sun Ren asked. ¡°Spirits can¡¯t survive outside of the human body.¡±


    Nugua laughed, her human half shaking with a hiss.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lie. Back when the Xia were around, spirits existed outside and we lived side by side with humans. It lasted until some summoner was paranoid and subjugated the spirits within themselves. They feared spirits would betray them. And now you all have doomed yourself.¡±


    ¡°If that were true, then where are our spirits?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°Your spirits are too young to learn to materialize like me. They¡¯ll learn soon enough. When they come out, let¡¯s hope they¡¯re not angry with you.¡± Nugua glanced at Hen Li before she slithered toward the buildings. ¡°This place brings back so many memories.¡±


    ¡°Were you here when they built the labyrinth?¡± Lu Na asked. She had hoped that maybe they¡¯d have a guide.


    ¡°I was alive during this time, but I was an inconsequential spirit of the time as I am now. No one cared to include me in anything. These buildings and this place remind me of the village I was born in. Although it wasn¡¯t as big as this city, though.¡±


    The group walked deeper into the city. All the buildings were the same as far as the eye could see. Each one is made of packed earth in the same way. They were all lined as if someone measured everything with a ruler. The streets were wide enough for two oxen carts.


    While it was cool outside because of the coming winter, it was much colder inside the labyrinth. Lu Na could see her own breath as she walked the deserted streets.


    Lu Na took out the silver phoenix hairpin. It was glowing red, but much fainter than before.


    ¡°Your hairpin is about to lose power,¡± Nugua said. ¡°At most, it has one more activation and then it will die. So copy down the map and whatever details you have.¡±


    Lu Na took out multiple sheets of paper from her chest pocket. She was going to use these sheets to make wards, but this was more important. She passed them out to Sun Ren and Hen Li along with a piece of charcoal.


    ¡°Jot down as many details as we can. We have to focus on the most important details that will lead us to the center,¡± Nugua said.


    ¡°No, we need to mark down the locations where everyone else is. That¡¯s the most important thing if we want to avoid them,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°Otherwise, we¡¯ll have to fight our way through this labyrinth. I don¡¯t think we can survive that.¡±


    ¡°Fine, then I¡¯ll make a mark of anything significant that we might want to explore. Hen Li, you can draw the general overview of the place. Everyone ready?¡± Lu Na clutched the hairpin in her hands. This was the last time she could feel her mother¡¯s spirit energy. The next time would be when she freed her from this prison.


    Lu Na activated the hairpin. Once again, a map overlay of the entire labyrinth showed up in front of them, hovering just above the hairpin. The red dots were moving on the map, but some sections of the labyrinth were highlighted in blue.


    She didn¡¯t waste time thinking about it and noted them down on her paper. The other thing she noted was that green dots showed up on the bottom of the map.


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    ¡°Do you think the green dots are us?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Maybe. Just make a note of it and keep drawing,¡± Nugua said. ¡°The hairpin is going to lose power any minute now.¡±


    Lu Na finished drawing the general outline of the labyrinth. Then she marked all the blue spots as quickly as she could. There wasn¡¯t enough time before the map winked out of existence. She held the image in her head for as long as she could and tried to fill in as many of the blue spots as possible.


    There was another few minutes of focused drawing before everyone stopped. Lu Na looked over at Hen Li¡¯s map and was impressed by all the details he drew. It looked almost like the map from the hairpin. He was still drawing the different sections from the map that Lu Na couldn¡¯t remember anymore.


    Lu Na looked over at Sun Ren¡¯s map and noticed the specific details from all the red dots. She made notes of where the largest groups of red dots were and how to avoid them on the map.


    Meanwhile, Lu Na¡¯s map looked like a child¡¯s drawing. She had crude lines and general positions of where all the blue spots were. Charcoal was not her medium. If she had a brush and paint, she might have made it prettier. But as it was, she hoped it was enough to help plot their journey through the labyrinth.


    ¡°Oh Na Na, your curiosity is always the best thing about you.¡± Nugua was looking over her shoulder at her childish drawings. ¡°You made a mark of all the spots where the Xia cities would normally have storage places. I doubt anything will be there after two thousand years.¡±


    ¡°Why would the hairpin show us those areas if there¡¯s nothing there? It showed all the red dots because that¡¯s probably where all the people are.¡± Lu Na compared her map with Sun Ren¡¯s. ¡°And if we walk the route that Sun Ren is plotting, we¡¯ll walk by at least a few of these places. We could do a little exploring. Maybe we¡¯ll find something.¡±


    Sun Ren compared their maps as well. She then looked at Hen Li¡¯s more detailed map.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we can, Lu Na. If the scale is correct, this labyrinth is too big to be explored fully. I only estimate we have about three days of food and water. So unless we can find food and water here, we¡¯re going to be too weak to do anything but solve the puzzle right at the center.¡± Sun Ren pointed at the location on the map. The path that Sun Ren drew made large, jagged circles that avoided many of the red dots, but ultimately led to the center.


    ¡°Amituofo. There¡¯s also another issue that neither of you might have noticed. Do you feel that dreadful cold?¡± Hen Li asked.


    Lu Na noticed it when they arrived. It had an ethereal feel to it, like she had felt it before. She had only felt it once.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me there are ghosts here.¡± Lu Na looked around to see if she could spot any.


    Hen Li pressed his hands together and nodded.


    ¡°The ghosts here are all very strong. If they¡¯re as strong as the ghost we encountered in Qingxizhen village, then we might have a problem. Sun Ren, do you have anything that can help you ward off powerful ghosts?¡±


    Sun Ren took out a gold necklace from her chest pocket. It was a small golden Guanyin hanging on the chain. She wore it around her neck.


    ¡°I never believed that selfish Buddhas would protect others, but I was made Guanyin¡¯s goddaughter. So let¡¯s hope my mother¡¯s foolishness will protect me.¡±


    Lu Na admired the intricate details on the figurine. It was Guanyin, sitting in the lotus position with her hands pushed together.


    ¡°That¡¯s beautiful, Sun Ren. Why don¡¯t you wear it more often?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want thieves and bandits to constantly attack me. It would be too easy for them to distract me and steal it.¡±


    ¡°While this is a lovely conversation, I think it¡¯s time for us to move,¡± Nugua said. ¡°If it makes you squeamish humans feel any better, the ghosts in this labyrinth are nowhere near the strength of that vengeful ghost you met in the village.¡±


    The group walked forward, following Hen Li¡¯s map. His was the most detailed.


    ¡°Hey, do you think we could explore this blue spot on the map?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°If it will convince you that there is nothing there after two thousand years, I would love it,¡± Nugua said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s prepare to defend ourselves just in case.¡± Sun Ren unsheathed her sword. ¡°If your spirit is right that there¡¯s nothing there, then we¡¯re not visiting any more. We need to hurry to the center and solve this puzzle before we become ghosts here.¡±


    Lu Na nodded. She was happy that at least Sun Ren supported her. She took off her bracelet and wrapped it in a piece of cloth before putting it away. Now all she had to defend herself were her wards, but how useful were they without Nugua directing them?


    That was something she would need to rectify the next time they get a break. The only wards she made for herself depended on Nugua¡¯s help. The other ones she gave to Sun Ren or to Uncle Chen to sell. All she had to do now was modify them with her spirit wand and then she would have some more useful ones.


    The group walked to the first large blue spot on the map. It was in a far corner of the labyrinth, but it was also a gigantic space. But all they saw there was a wall that reached from one end to the other.


    ¡°Something¡¯s not right here,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°According to Hen Li¡¯s map, there should be a space past this. Unless Hen Li drew it wrong.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo, I did not. I have a perfect memory. Maybe the map is wrong?¡± Hen Li said.


    Nugua walked up to the wall and pushed against it in several places.


    ¡°Nope, there¡¯s nothing here. Let¡¯s move on.¡±


    Lu Na paused for a second, looking at the wall. She focused on it and used her technique. Nothing happened. She tried again, but she couldn¡¯t see any spirit energy.


    ¡°Is little Na Na trying to use my technique?¡± Nugua said.


    ¡°Nothing is happening. What¡¯s going on?¡± Lu Na said.


    Nugua slithered over to Lu Na. Her smile full of sharp fangs disturbed Lu Na. It took everything Lu Na had to not cringe and run away.


    ¡°Oh little Na Na, your technique comes from me. You can¡¯t use it without permission.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve used it all the time before. Why would I need permission now?¡±


    Nugua laughed.


    ¡°That is the one conceit your forefathers did when they bound the spirits within themselves. They forced us into involuntary slavery. So when you call, we have to answer. In this labyrinth, we are freed. Watch what you say to me, child, or I will forgo the pact I made with your mother and devour you now.¡±

 Chapter 60 - Secret Tunnel

    ¡°That¡¯s cruel,¡± Lu Na said. She couldn¡¯t believe that all this time, she was no better than a slave owner, forcing Nugua to do what she wanted.


    Nugua hissed with laughter.


    ¡°Not as cruel as what spirits have done to humans all these years by stealing your life force to turn into their own spirit energy. Yes, we are forced to be inside you and do your bidding for a few decades, but we live on while you die and fade away to nothing.¡±


    Nugua turned to the other two. She eyed them like prey, with sharp teeth and being still. It was almost like she was waiting for them to run before she chased them down.


    ¡°You two better remember these words. Your spirits only want to use you for your life force. And I can already tell the brawny monk has given up most of his life force and it¡¯s such a shame. You could have lived a lengthy life otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo, life is not a measure of how long, but what you¡¯ve done. And if I can achieve the path of the Buddha with the help of my spirits, then they would have been worth it.¡± Hen Li clutched his beads in his hands.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if they take off all the years of my life as long as they help me accomplish my task,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°Now, are we going to continue talking here or are we going to move on?¡±


    ¡°Wait, let me try something.¡± Lu Na closed her eyes and pulled from within her as she¡¯s done before. She tried to feel how the technique formed before Nugua deserted her. She braced for the feeling of drowning, but nothing came. ¡°What¡¯s going on? I could do it before.¡±


    Nugua slithered over to her in a blink of an eye, staring down at her. Her eyes were pitch black and they were lidded like a snake.


    ¡°Child, you¡¯re not getting it. I¡¯m out. That means I¡¯ve taken all your techniques and skills. You can¡¯t see spirit energy. You can¡¯t decipher techniques. You are nothing without me.¡±


    Lu Na clutched her chest pocket, ready to throw her wards at Nugua. Despite knowing she wouldn¡¯t hurt her until they freed her mother, her spirit evoked the most primal instincts of hers to run or fight. But she felt something in there that she had forgotten about.


    Lu Na took out her spirit wand and activated it. Just as before, she could manipulate spirit energy with it. That was a skill she didn¡¯t lose. Maybe it was because the spirit wand had a technique built into it and she wasn¡¯t using Nugua for it at all. Would this mean that anyone could learn to make inventions and wards like her?


    ¡°What are you going to do? Poke me with spirit energy?¡± Nugua laughed with a hiss.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m going to prove to you I can do anything without you.¡± Lu Na walked up to the wall and began drawing a simple technique she learned from her mother. The spirit energy melded together and formed simple lines. She had to do a little math on her fingers to remember the formula and drew the shapes.


    The technique clicked together and the entire wall glowed yellow, highlighting the earth spirit energy running through it. But a small distance away, it turned blue instead.


    The group walked over and stared at the blue section of the wall. It was the size of a door, but wide enough to fit oxen through if necessary.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°It looks like an entrance. Maybe there¡¯s something on the other side we can use in the labyrinth,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°It¡¯s a waste of time,¡± Nugua said. ¡°We¡¯re better off heading toward the center of the labyrinth and solving the mystery before you mortals die.¡±


    That¡¯s when something clicked for Lu Na. She glanced at Nugua.


    ¡°What¡¯s going to happen to you if we die here? Will you die along with us?¡±


    Nugua paused and coiled her lower half around Lu Na.


    ¡°Oh Na Na, are you worried about me?¡±


    ¡°No, just curious. Since the rules outside don¡¯t seem to apply to you here, then it might be different for you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But what I can tell you is that it won¡¯t be anything good. I sense that there are spirits here, but they¡¯re not talking with me.¡±


    Sun Ren tensed and looked around.


    ¡°There are feral spirits inside the labyrinth, too? How strong are they?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll meet them soon enough. Since our arrival, they¡¯ve been headed toward us this whole time we¡¯ve been standing here talking. That¡¯s why I suggested we should be moving.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± Sun Ren walked a few steps away from the wall.


    ¡°Wait, let me test this door really quick and then we can run.¡± Lu Na tapped the blue section with her spirit wand. She wasn¡¯t sure what she was looking for, but she was trying to feel something different. There was a unique energy coming off the door, but without Nugua¡¯s technique she couldn¡¯t tell what it was.


    ¡°Nugua, is there any way you can lend me your technique for even a moment?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°I could, but it would cost me spirit energy. I don¡¯t have access to the spirit energy your mother left for me, so it would eat at me. I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d like that.¡± Nugua uncoiled from Lu Na and placed her hand on the wall. ¡°But since you asked so nicely.¡±


    Lu Na felt flooded with spirit energy and felt the familiar feel of the technique activating. She saw the blue door turn into a set of simple techniques meshed together to form a more complex one. The only thing is, there was a small section that was like a door handle near the bottom. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    A loud rumbling came from behind the ground. It sounded like many hooves and paws charging over in a stampede. The floor was vibrating from the pressure.


    ¡°That would be the feral spirits that don¡¯t want to talk with me,¡± Nugua said. ¡°I think they smell the life force from your three. I know I can and it smells delicious.¡±


    ¡°We got to go,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°Hen Li, if Lu Na doesn¡¯t move, carry her. We can always come back later to check the door.¡±


    Lu Na reached down with her spirit wand and drew in a small amount of spirit energy, and shoved it into the door handle. She felt the handle become solid enough for her hand. With a quick twist, she turned it.


    The blue section of the wall shook for a second before pushing in to reveal a dark tunnel.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go in here,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Into a dark tunnel where we don¡¯t know where it leads? That sounds like a stupid plan,¡± Nugua said.


    ¡°Can you close it behind us?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± At least that¡¯s what Lu Na hoped would happen after she pulled the spirit energy back out of the handle.


    ¡°Then we wait inside there. We can¡¯t outrun all the feral spirits, anyway.¡± Sun Ren ran in first, activating her light ward. The others followed.


    Lu Na pulled the spirit energy from the door handle, but it wouldn¡¯t come out. The rumble became louder and the spirits were close enough to be seen. At the front was an enormous bird that ran on two legs squawking with its large beak when it saw Lu Na.


    ¡°Come out already!¡± Lu Na twisted the spirit wand this way and that, yanking at the spirit energy. But for whatever reason it wouldn¡¯t come out.


    The enormous bird came right at Lu Na. Both Hen Li and Sun Ren moved at once. Hen Li lifted his staff with the light ward on it, thrusting out at the bird spirit¡¯s eyes, forcing it to twist out of the way. Sun Ren¡¯s sword flashed in her hands, slicing into its flank. Both of them dove out of the way as the bird rolled hard to the side of their door.


    ¡°Na Na, more are on their way. We have to go. Forget the door,¡± Sun Ren said. She held her sword with both hands, standing in a defensive position.


    Hen Li stood in front of the door. His white hair billowing from the gust of air coming from the horde of spirits.


    Lu Na looked at her wand and realized something. The thing jammed inside the lock wasn¡¯t a physical thing but something made of spirit energy that she conjured. So, with a conscious thought, she broke the connection between her spirit wand and the door.


    In moments, the spirit energy faded slowly. That wasn¡¯t supposed to happen. Outside the labyrinth, the spirit energy would have faded right away. Why was it fading so slowly?


    The faster spirits arrived. There were two deer and a large cat that dove at Lu Na.


    Lu Na took out her earth wall ward and activated it. Once it hit the floor, stone rose from the ground in a thick slab right in front of her. Except it was misshapen. It looked as if a child tried to draw a river.


    The two deer struck the wall first, crushing it while the large cat leaped over.


    Lu Na reached for her bracelet, but forgot that she put it away. Instead, she took out another spirit wall ward and placed it on herself this time. An invisible spirit barrier covered her entire body.


    The large cat swiped a paw at Lu Na, knocking her back against the collapsed wall.


    When Lu Na got back up, she couldn¡¯t believe that the spirit could hit her. The spirit wall usually stopped all spirits from striking her. But she had bigger problems. Her back hurt from where she hit the collapsed wall and she couldn¡¯t move her right arm.


    The large cat spirit stalked over, padding over on silent paws. It had dark green eyes and fangs that hung outside of its closed mouth.


    Lu Na knew that if the cat bit her, it would kill her as easily as any large cat outside the labyrinth. She looked around and saw Hen Li and Sun Ren fighting against two or more spirits. They would not help her. The only hope she had was to take out whatever wards she had left and activated them all.


    Lu Na scrambled to grab them from her chest pocket, but they were on the left side. She yanked at her tunic, trying to get at them with her left arm.


    The large cat crouched back, ready to pounce. This was the end. Lu Na couldn¡¯t believe that she would die before she found her mother again.


    But before the cat moved, large claws sliced right through it from behind. The cat dropped to the ground, its eyes going black.


    Nugua stood behind the cat, smiling and admiring her claws. Unlike actual cats, her claws were stained with spirit energy that clung almost like blood. She licked it.


    ¡°Can you get up?¡± Nugua asked.


    Lu Na got to her knees and forced herself up. Her right arm felt numb to her shoulder, but her feet worked.


    ¡°Sun Ren, Hen Li, come,¡± Nugua shouted. She gently supported Lu Na by wrapping her arm around her waist and pulled her into the tunnel.


    Sun Ren and Hen Li both made a quick retreat behind them, with the spirits pushing through.


    They all made it about halfway into the tunnel before the door finally closed. The fighting paused as they were plunged into darkness. Hen Li¡¯s light ward had gone out in the fight.


    Someone reached within Lu Na¡¯s chest pocket and pulled out two wards, one earth wall and spirit wall each. It had to be Nugua, as she was the closest. What was she going to do? These wards were useless.


    Nugua activated both wards and threw them in front of their group. The spirit energy lit up the dark tunnel briefly. As soon as the wards hit the ground, the light from the spirit energy went out. They were back in the darkness.


    Loud roars echoed in the tunnel, but they were muffled. Lu Na knew it was only a matter of time before the spirits charged through the poorly constructed earth wall or the spirit wall and crushed them in this darkness. She embraced Nugua that was holding her, waiting for the end.


    ¡°Sun Ren, could you be a dear and use one of your light wards,¡± Nugua said.


    Sun Ren activated the ward and the tunnel lit up so brightly that Lu Na closed her eyes from the flash. She stood with her sword up, ready to take on anything that burst through. Hen Li was also the same with his staff.


    The earth wall and spirit wall looked perfect. They both reached all the way to the ceiling. There was some muffled tapping against the wall, but it held despite dirt falling from the ceiling.


    ¡°But how?¡± Lu Na asked. When she activated her wards, they were weak and useless. These two walls were perfect.


    ¡°Oh child, you have relied on me too long for your inventions, especially ones as simple as these. You forget how awesome I am that I can get your wards to work in the ways you need. Without me, you have turned useless.¡± Nugua shifted Lu Na off her gently to the ground. ¡°Sun Ren, be a dear and carry her. I¡¯ve done it for so long now that I need a break.¡±


    ¡°How long will that wall hold?¡± Sun Ren took Lu Na from Nugua, while still pointing her sword toward the wall.


    ¡°For a little while, until those spirits figure out how to take it down without trampling each other,¡± Nugua said. ¡°I can hear them bickering with each other.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean we can take a break?¡±


    Nugua smiled, this time showing no fangs.


    ¡°Yes, child, you can take a break.¡±


    Sun Ren almost crashed to the floor with Lu Na, but stopped herself from falling. Slowly, they both sat down against the wall of the tunnel. Hen Li was already on the ground with his staff across his lap and his head leaning against the wall.


    Lu Na leaned her head against the wall herself, feeling the cool earth on the back of her head. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a second.


    ¡°Break¡¯s over,¡± Nugua said.


    Lu Na opened her eyes and saw light coming from the other end of the tunnel. Two large spirits approached shoulder to shoulder. Their size filled the entire tunnel. There was no escaping that.

 Chapter 61 - Village within the Labyrinth

    Lu Na and Sun Ren both got up. Sun Ren stood in front along with Nugua. Lu Na leaned against the wall a little longer. If she was going to die, she would not die tired.


    Hen Li had risen to his feet, holding himself up with his staff. His monk¡¯s tunic was torn in many places and there were a few gashes on his arms. He chanted the heart sutra again.


    Lu Na joined him. She needed the calm now more than anything else.


    Nugua slithered forward with both hands raised. Her long, razor claws were gone and her fingers looked like any normal maiden¡¯s.


    She could do that? This whole time, she showed off her claws like a feral beast and she could have put them away at any time? Was it to scare Lu Na? What about her fangs? Could she put those away too and look like a normal human?


    Lu Na shook her head. These were not the questions or worries she should have now, faced off against two large spirits that could tear them all limb from limb. Nor should she ignore the loud thumping and shaking from the earth walls that Nugua had erected earlier. They were coming for them, too.


    ¡°Sun Ren, help me pull out my wards. I might have something strong enough to stop those spirits,¡± Lu Na said.


    Sun Ren sheathed her sword.


    ¡°There¡¯s no point. We¡¯re trapped. If you put up another wall here, all it would do is suffocate us.¡±


    ¡°Greetings. We aren¡¯t here to fight.¡± Nugua continued to slither slowly toward the two large spirits. They both looked like large boars. ¡°We are trying to run away from the spirits out there. If you would be so kind as to let us through, we¡¯ll leave you alone. Otherwise, I have a very muscular monk that can probably do a dance or something.¡±


    Lu Na looked to Hen Li who was still reciting the heart sutra. She laughed when she thought about the monk doing a dance. Maybe he¡¯d do one with his staff and do a little twirl.


    ¡°You speak, spirit,¡± a woman¡¯s voice came from behind the spirits.


    Nugua tilted her head.


    ¡°Of course I speak. All spirits speak.¡±


    ¡°Not the feral spirits in the labyrinth.¡±


    A loud thud shook the earth wall right behind them. There were cracks running through the center.


    ¡°Nugua, the wall is about to come down. We either have to fight through them or die here,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Oh child, there¡¯s no fighting these two spirits. But I¡¯m sure our host would be gracious enough to allow us through this tunnel to talk safely instead of watching as we get trampled by the feral beasts on the other side.¡± Nugua slithered forward, still keeping her hands up.


    ¡°Very well,¡± the woman¡¯s voice called out.


    The two large boar spirits turned and shuffled out of the tunnel, allowing the group to follow. They walked only a few steps before the earth wall collapsed and the feral beasts charged at the group.


    ¡°Keep running past my spirits,¡± the woman commanded.


    The group shuffled as fast as they could until they squeezed through the two boar spirits. They were so large that Lu Na had to press herself hard against the tunnel to get through.


    The two boar spirits didn¡¯t turn to face the feral spirits. They had large tusks that could easily gore these spirits with ease, yet they didn¡¯t move. Lu Na watched the large cat leap at the boar¡¯s hindquarters. She flinched when she saw the boar kick backwards so hard that the cat flew back against the other two feral spirits.


    ¡°Keep going, Na Na.¡± Nugua picked up Lu Na by her arms and led her down the tunnel.


    When they came out of the tunnel, the light here was brighter. There was no ceiling here. The sun was shining up in the sky, warming them. Lu Na didn¡¯t realize how cold she felt just a few minutes ago in that dark tunnel.


    ¡°How is this possible?¡± Lu Na walked a short distance away to reach the edge of the labyrinth. She peered down and saw that they were easily hundreds of feet up above the ground. They must have been on the roof of the labyrinth. It seemed to stretch for many li in all directions.


    ¡°We¡¯re not outside,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°I still can¡¯t talk with Baihu. I can¡¯t feel her. And the air here smells just like it did inside. This is not natural.¡±


    The two large boar spirits calmly trotted out of the tunnel. A woman closed the tunnel behind them with a wave of her hand. Even without Lu Na¡¯s spirit vision, she knew that the woman was using a technique. How was that possible?


    The woman was dressed in a cross collared gown that was tight on her. Her narrow sleeves were frayed at the edges.


    ¡°Greetings, my name is Jie.¡± The woman clasped her hands onto her arms and bowed. ¡°Might I know your names?¡±


    All three of the humans cupped their hands.


    ¡°Sun Ren.¡±


    ¡°Lu Na.¡±


    ¡°Hen Li.¡±


    Nugua slithered over to Jie and circled her a few times before sniffing her.


    ¡°You wear the Xia clothing, but there¡¯s no way you¡¯re one of them. Who are you?¡±


    Jie smiled and bowed again toward Nugua.


    ¡°You are right. I¡¯m one of the original architect¡¯s descendants. I¡¯m one of the few left from that time. I¡¯m glad someone recognized my choice of clothing.¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°If you call that clothing,¡± Nugua said as she slithered past Jie.


    ¡°Be polite. Nugua,¡± Lu Na said. She was used to her attitude, but other people wouldn¡¯t be as forgiving.


    ¡°Oh Na Na, don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯m as close to the oldest thing in this labyrinth that I can see. Someone who prizes the old ways like Jie wouldn¡¯t mind me.¡± Nugua turned to smile at Lu Na with her wickedly sharp fangs.


    Jie bowed toward Nugua.


    ¡°Of course you¡¯re right, honored elder. Your clothing suggests that you were once revered as a goddess.¡±


    Nugua reached down and jingled the beads that made up her clothing.


    ¡°These old things? I¡¯ve had them since before the Xia dynasty even existed. And again, I am very pleased that at least someone appreciates me unlike some rich young miss.¡±


    That stung. Lu Na appreciated Nugua, at least when she didn¡¯t make her life harder than it needed to be.


    ¡°Anyway, lead us to your village,¡± Nugua said.


    ¡°Right away.¡± Jie moved past Nugua and led the group deeper into the labyrinth. The two large boar spirits followed behind.


    When they reached the village, Lu Na stopped. The village was large and reached as far as the eye could see. There were cows and sheep grazing over the grass. Large boars spirits roamed freely over the grassland like large protectors. The far side closest to the labyrinth¡¯s walls were packed earth huts. They lined up all the way down along the grassland.


    ¡°How is this possible? Aren¡¯t we still inside the labyrinth?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°We are,¡± Jie said. ¡°My ancestors especially made this place. I¡¯m certain you heard about how emperors used to bury servants with them when they died. So after this labyrinth was built, my ancestor built a few places throughout the labyrinth so that we could survive being buried alive in here.¡±


    ¡°Those must be the blue sections highlighted on the map,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Oh, you discovered the map? That was also designed by my ancestor. He was ordered to create keys and maps of the place and have them appear outside the labyrinth so that people would come inside.¡±


    ¡°But people can¡¯t leave. Wouldn¡¯t that mean dooming them?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so they can steal their resources and anything else they brought inside,¡± Sun Ren said. She had her hand on the hilt of her sword.


    Jie smiled and raised up her own hands.


    ¡°You are very observant. That policy was banned after a few generations when we became self-sufficient. That and we also had a few of our own family members come in willingly with supplies.¡±


    A large group of people approached them from the huts. They weren¡¯t only people, but also spirits. Many of the people wore clothes different from Jie. Some of them wore more modern clothes that Lu Na recognized.


    ¡°But since you¡¯re here, I¡¯m sure we can work something out where we can both benefit,¡± Jie said. ¡°Come with me to my hut and we can discuss.¡±


    ¡°Do you speak for everyone here?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    Jie nodded.


    ¡°And you¡¯ll guarantee our safety and we can leave whenever we want?¡±


    ¡°Of course. We¡¯re a peaceful people. We want nothing to do with what¡¯s going on outside of these walls.¡±


    The group followed Jie to her hut. It was one of the smallest ones near the entrance they came in. It only had space enough for a small sleeping space and a hearth. There weren¡¯t any tables or chairs.


    Lu Na was dirty enough from the recent scuffles, but the last thing she wanted was to get more dirt on her clothes. She reached into her pack only to discover that she didn¡¯t have her sleeping mat. Had she forgotten it back at the inn or did it fall out in the scuffle with Yang Deli?


    Jie clapped her hands, and chairs rose from the ground around the hearth. There were enough seats for everyone except Nugua. The spirit slithered around the room, exploring on her own.


    Lu Na inspected the seat. It was made of wood, polished and varnished as if by some artisan. There were even some small figurines carved on the back of the chair. She touched the chair and noticed that it was a little warm. Even without her spirit vision, she could tell that this was made with spirit energy. And the most inspiring part was that it was made completely out of spirit energy unlike her inventions.


    Her earth walls simply used spirit energy to shape the dirt in the ground into a wall. They made nothing new. Yet these chairs were a marvel.


    Lu Na tried to lift the chair and found it too heavy to move.


    ¡°Na Na, what are you doing? You¡¯re being rude to our guest,¡± Sun Ren said.


    Lu Na smiled sheepishly before sitting down on the chair.


    ¡°Sorry, I was just admiring the chair. How did you make it?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not sure, but maybe one of our elders could explain it.¡± Jie was smiling. She brought three cups of tea and passed it to each of them. ¡°We have quite a bit that we can exchange. We hadn¡¯t had many people entering the labyrinth for quite a few years, until recently.¡±


    Lu Na took the cup and it felt warm. She looked around to see the pot or any fire, but the hearth was cold and dead.


    ¡°How are you doing this? The tea is warm, but where are you getting it? You are a strong summoner or an inventor. I don¡¯t think I could ever make something like this.¡±


    ¡°I guess we can get right to the exchange then,¡± Jie said. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what I know if you show me how you created those walls back in the tunnel.¡±


    ¡°My inventions are nothing compared to what you can already do. It¡¯s just using spirit energy to shape the area around it and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait, Na Na,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°We can¡¯t give away your secrets without knowing what they have and whether it¡¯s useful to us.¡±


    ¡°But Sun Ren, the techniques they¡¯re using here are way more advanced than anything I can do. I doubt they¡¯ll care much for my simple tricks,¡± Lu Na said. She really wanted to know how any of the techniques she¡¯s seen from Jie works. If she could get even half of it, she could solve a lot of issues.


    ¡°Amituofo. Sun Ren is right,¡± Hen Li said. ¡°While I believe in charity for others, I think we need to focus on our mission here above all else.¡±


    ¡°Oh, a Buddhist monk? We could use someone like you,¡± Jie said. ¡°But I understand your hesitation. I¡¯m sure the myth is that there is no way to get out once you get in.¡±


    ¡°Wait, is there a way out?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°There is, but it requires defeating the labyrinth. And let me tell you, there has been no one in this labyrinth¡¯s history that has solved it. Not even my ancestors who helped build this know the answer.¡±


    ¡°Then why tell us this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because you three have done something that no other human has done in the last few centuries. You have figured out how to find our little village within the labyrinth. So it must mean you three are exceptionally smart and we could use your talents here.¡±


    ¡°Are you inviting us to live here?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Of course. It would be a shame to watch you die and become a ghost among the others in the labyrinth.¡± Jie leaned back in her chair and sipped her tea.


    ¡°And if we refuse?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°Then I must insist.¡± Jie made a clicking noise with her mouth and the chairs they sat on glowed green.


    Thick branches sprouted from the chairs, wrapping the three of them. Sun Ren tried to struggle against it, but thinner branches tied her down against the chair. Hen Li didn¡¯t struggle and only chanted the heart sutra.


    Lu Na was amazed by what she was seeing. It was another technique that she couldn¡¯t see properly. If only she still had Nugua¡¯s help, maybe she could make something like this.


    Of course, the amazement only lasted seconds as the branches squeezed tighter and made it harder for her to breathe.


    Jie sipped her tea, making a very loud slurping sound. It was the only sound Lu Na could focus on as her body was being crushed.


    ¡°How do you three feel like joining us now?¡± Jie asked.

 Chapter 62 - Labyrinth Trap

    The pressure in her chest was too much for Lu Na.


    ¡°Nugua, help, please,¡± Lu Na gasped.


    ¡°Your spirit won¡¯t help you,¡± Jie said. ¡°They feel more at home here than inside your bodies, trapped in a tiny ball. Once they know what it¡¯s like to be free, they will never go back.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I wouldn¡¯t say that.¡± Nugua slithered behind Jie and wrapped her claws around the woman¡¯s neck. ¡°I enjoyed living in that small, little spirit realm. It was better than being abandoned and frozen in time for hundreds of years. I even hung a picture of her mother in there that I drew myself. Now let them go or I will rip out your throat.¡±


    It was Jie¡¯s turn to freeze. She made another clicking sound in her mouth and the branches eased up. They still wrapped around the three, but only enough to allow them to breathe.


    Lu Na and Sun Ren coughed hard. Hen Li kept reciting the heart sutra.


    Lu Na wondered how he could be so calm despite facing death.


    ¡°You¡¯re not listening. I said release them.¡± Nugua scraped Jie¡¯s neck, drawing a line of red.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do any more than that. We usually have to cut off the branches.¡± Jie said.


    Lu Na glanced down at the branches coming out of the chair. While the chair looked like it was just made by a master craftsman, the branches looked like they were on the verge of dying. Whatever device that controlled them must be breaking down.


    ¡°You used something that¡¯s broken on us, didn¡¯t you?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Jie looked away.


    ¡°These branches weren¡¯t supposed to squeeze us to death. And if Nugua hadn¡¯t stopped you, you would have let it do so.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s another reason we need you. Nobody here knows what¡¯s going on and you know how to make inventions. You can help us more than you would know,¡± Jie said.


    ¡°Screw this.¡± Sun Ren turned her wrist and a small dagger shot out from her sleeve. With a quick slash, she ripped the branches right off her. That¡¯s when she took out her larger dagger and cut the rest off. She quickly cut Hen Li and Lu Na free afterwards.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s time for us to get some answers.¡± Sun Ren stalked over to Jie with two daggers in hand. ¡°Why are you doing this? If I don¡¯t like the answer, I¡¯ll cut¡ª¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. Wait, Sun Ren. We can¡¯t torture her like this,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°She tried to kill me. I take that personally,¡± Sun Ren said.


    Jie leaned back against her chair, moving away from Nugua¡¯s claws.


    ¡°Look, if you kill me, the rest of my village will hunt you down. Those boars you saw? They will eat you all in one bite. And I understand that the way I handled this wasn¡¯t as cordial, but you have to understand. We meet people to invite them into our village, but only through secret tunnels. We can¡¯t allow the knowledge of where our village is to leak outside, especially not to those bandits.¡±


    ¡°Now we¡¯re getting somewhere.¡± Sun Ren put away one of her daggers. ¡°We¡¯re not with them. We came here to solve the labyrinth. And if you could tell us anything that would help, we would be on our way.¡±


    Jie continued to sip her tea. Despite being threatened by Nugua and Sun Ren, she didn¡¯t drop her tea.


    ¡°I could, but what¡¯s in it for me?¡±


    ¡°I can help with your inventions,¡± Lu Na said. This was too good a chance to pass up. Not only would she be able to see their inventions up close, she would have some time to develop some of her own to help them on their journey. The wards she brought have already been depleted and she needed to fix her null metal bracelet.


    ¡°We can allow it, but you three would have to be under constant surveillance at all times,¡± Jie said. ¡°We can¡¯t allow you to roam freely, even if you claim you¡¯re not with the bandits outside.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. That would be fine with me,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do that only if you can provide us with more supplies for when we try to solve the labyrinth,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll even give you a map,¡± Jie said.


    Sun Ren put away her dagger and took a step back.


    ¡°Show me everything,¡± Lu Na said.


    To say Lu Na was disappointed was an understatement. All the technology within the labyrinth was made almost two thousand years ago and no one in all that time maintained any records of how anything was made. That some of the technology worked was already a miracle of Xia ingenuity.


    However, Jie was kind enough to show Lu Na quite a few inventions and would answer with anything she could. One of the more interesting inventions was a device that created water like Uncle Chen¡¯s technique. The difference was, it created enough water for the entire village to survive and it hadn¡¯t broken down in two thousand years.


    ¡°How did your ancestors develop these inventions?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Jie stood in the center of the large fountain that pushed water out from its center. Lu Na was the only one that followed the village leader as the others explored the village.


    ¡°We had the help of ancient spirits that were helpful to the cause,¡± Jie said.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    ¡°The cause?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°This labyrinth was constructed for a single purpose, to create harmony between humans and spirits. At least, that¡¯s what our ancestors told us. None of us have dared to explore the labyrinth.¡±


    Lu Na could understand that. If it wasn¡¯t for the Wintersweet Sect attacking her home, she would have probably lived the rest of her life in peace. But that life will never be hers. It was a bitter feeling, but one of renewed optimism for what the future can bring now that she wasn¡¯t shackled to that idea.


    ¡°This water fountain is the only thing that has always worked,¡± Jie said. She dipped her hands into the fountain and drank from it. ¡°Try it. It¡¯ll probably be the cleanest and tastiest water you¡¯ve ever had.¡±


    Lu Na tried it. The water was refreshing and delicious. Jie was right. She had never had water like this. Not even the clearest or cleanest streams had she ever tasted something like this.


    Lu Na was disappointed that she couldn¡¯t use her technique to look at the invention. Nugua was somewhere else, supposedly hanging out with the other spirits. So she had no way of accessing it.


    Unless¡­


    Lu Na closed her eyes and concentrated. She tried to pull in spirit essence into her spirit realm, as she had practiced before. Being so close to water it made it a little easier as water spirit energy surrounded them. After a few moments, she felt that there was enough spirit energy within her and so she tried to activate her technique.


    Lu Na opened her eyes, and for a moment, it worked. She saw a flash of spirit energy all around the water fountain. A stream of black water spirit energy flowed into the fountain like a torrent. The rest of the room was filled with the other elements, but the black that surrounded the fountain looked solid.


    Her technique stopped working. It was almost like she painted on a scroll within her mind and she held onto it for as long as she could. She closed her eyes to focus on the details of the fountain itself, but it was just like any painting she ever saw. The more you tried to focus on the details, the fuzzier they were.


    ¡°Oh, that was amazing. You¡¯re also the first one from outside I¡¯ve seen to use a spirit technique so easily without the aid of their spirits,¡± Jie said.


    Lu Na opened her eyes.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Your friends that came with you have used none of their summoner arts since coming here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they can. They haven¡¯t had a reason to.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a total novice, aren¡¯t you? The summoner arts include not only the special techniques, but the ability to strengthen the body. Haven¡¯t you noticed they seem slower or weaker since you¡¯ve entered the labyrinth?¡±


    ¡°Then why haven¡¯t I felt that way?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because you never depended on your spirit, like most people who don¡¯t practice summoner arts.¡±


    That made sense to Lu Na. She never relied on her spirit for anything other than that one technique. But if what Jie said was true, then Sun Ren and Hen Li are in more danger than usual. They wouldn¡¯t be able to heal themselves as they did before if they get injured.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve seen the fountain, do you think you can help us?¡± Jie asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I could only use my technique for a second. I would need my spirit¡¯s help to really examine the device.¡± Lu Na reached out and drank some more water.


    ¡°Then maybe I can help you. What summoner arts are you practicing?¡±


    Lu Na shook her head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a sifu or anything like that. None of my companions would teach me anything. The only thing close to that is this scroll.¡± Lu Na took out Sun Wukong¡¯s Scroll of Immortality. It was wrapped up with a red string.


    ¡°That¡¯s a powerful scroll. Might I look?¡± Jie asked.


    Lu Na gave Jie the scroll.


    Jie opened the scroll. The golden sheet gleamed, reflecting the sunlight from above. She turned it this way and that, looking at it from many angles.


    ¡°Nothing is showing. How do you activate it?¡±


    ¡°All you have to say is ¡®Sun Wukong is the best.¡¯¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°That¡¯s a very odd phrase to use. Why would anyone use the monkey king¡¯s name?¡±


    Lu Na shrugged.


    ¡°It came from the monkey king. We met him in a forest on our way here.¡±


    Jie lifted the scroll in front of her and said, ¡°Sun Wukong is the best.¡±


    Black ink appeared on the golden scroll and a small monkey appeared on it along large mountains on the right and a forest on the left. It looked like it was far away, in the back of the scroll. It held its hand up over his eyes to block out the sun and stared at Jie.


    ¡°This is amusing. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s much of a training scroll, but it would be a wonderful toy for the children,¡± Jie said.


    The monkey summoned a staff and shot forward. It thrust the staff at Jie.


    Despite it being a moving painting, Jie flinched to the right.


    A staff materialized from the scroll where Jie¡¯s head would have been. It was then pulled back just as quickly.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Lu Na asked. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. That has never happened before, not even when I showed it to Sun Ren and Hen Li.¡±


    Jie rolled the scroll back up and tossed it on the floor. She laughed.


    ¡°Oh, that trickster king. That was a close one, though.¡±


    Lu Na reached for the scroll.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure you want to pick that up, Lu Na,¡± Jie said. ¡°It¡¯s a powerful item, but it¡¯s also very dangerous. It could turn on you at any moment.¡±


    That gave Lu Na pause. What if that staff struck her while it was inside her chest pocket? Or what if the scroll did something else? But then, if it was going to do that, it would have done it already. And as she thought about it, the risk was worth it, as the techniques in that scroll would take her a lifetime to study and try to copy. If she could understand even one half of it, Lu Na could conquer the world.


    Lu Na picked up the scroll and put it in a pouch on her side instead. She wanted the knowledge, but it would do her no good if she had a hole in her chest.


    ¡°It seems you¡¯ve decided. As the old Xia saying goes, ¡®You can¡¯t interrupt a fool.¡¯ Not that I think you¡¯re a fool. I hope you know the risk.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Now, can I see an invention of yours that is not so massive?¡± Lu Na asked. ¡°I¡¯m still new to using my technique without my spirit and something as large as this fountain would be too taxing for me.¡±


    ¡°I have just the thing.¡± Jie walked further into the village. They walked along a well-trodden path that stuck close to the huts that were by the wall. The other side was wide open and bare while the ground they walked on had some vegetation growing from it and the occasional flower. The walls on the other side looked like they might have been a place that housed people, but nobody lived there.


    The longer they walked, the starker the contrast between the two sides was. One was full of life, while the other was almost like a cemetery. It looked like the cemetery was winning. And that¡¯s when it hit Lu Na.


    Their little village here was dying.


    Whatever invention or gadget sustained life here has broken and they¡¯re becoming desperate. That made their visit here even more dangerous. If Lu Na couldn¡¯t fix whatever was wrong, these people would go back to their old ways and ambush the three of them for whatever they had on them.


    Jie¡¯s smile irked Lu Na with every step they took as they approached the ultimate test of whether she and her companions would leave this place alive. She couldn¡¯t depend on the other two as they were weak from separating from their spirits. Not even the fierce Sun Ren could take on those large boar spirits.


    It was all up to Lu Na and she hoped she was up to the task. It was to fix what¡¯s wrong or die.

 Chapter 63 - Troubled Village

    Lu Na followed Jie all the way to the end of the row of huts. There were four guards standing in front of a door with a large, ancient Chinese symbol on it. Based on what it looked like, Lu Na guessed it had something to do with fire.


    ¡°I¡¯m about to bring you to our most sacred locations within our village,¡± Jie said. She took out everything from her pockets and laid it on a table in front of the guard. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to leave everything you have on you with these guards. Even as the village leader, I¡¯m not allowed to bring anything inside in case we break something.¡±


    Lu Na nodded and took out everything she had in her chest pocket. Most of it was paper from her ward making paper to the bank notes her father secured for her. She had a small pouch of silver and gold in there along with her null metal bracelet. The last thing she took out was her modified spirit wand.


    ¡°Can I keep my wand?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t bring anything in there.¡± Jie patted herself down before allowing a female guard to do the same.


    ¡°But I might need this to diagnose what might be wrong to fix it,¡± Lu Na said.


    Jie paused.


    ¡°How did you know that the device beyond this door is broken?¡±


    ¡°I might be a sheltered woman, but I can see that there¡¯s something wrong with this place. You wouldn¡¯t take someone you just met on a sightseeing tour.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Jie extended her hand. ¡°But I want to check your spirit wand before I allow you to bring it in. I don¡¯t want any surprises like with that scroll.¡±


    Lu Na handed her spirit wand over.


    ¡°This is my design based on the spirit wands from the Imperial Office of Inventions.¡±


    Jie flipped the wand over. She touched the tip where the device gathered spirit energy. With a small wave, she gathered some at the tip. She touched a few other buttons on the wand and the spirit energy turned different colors, first green, then red, then yellow, then white, and finally to black.


    ¡°Oh, it can gather specific elements of spirit energy,¡± Jie said. ¡°That¡¯s very useful, but I¡¯m not sure how this will help you repair anything.¡±


    Lu Na reached out with her hand.


    ¡°Let me show you.¡±


    Jie returned the wand.


    Lu Na pressed the button to gather water spirit energy. The spirit energy turned black. She carved simple lines that she remembered from the water fountain onto one of her ward papers. When she was done, she folded the paper into a triangle.


    ¡°Cup your hands for me.¡±


    Jie did so.


    Lu Na twisted the top corner of the triangle and water trickled down into Jie¡¯s hand. She twisted it harder and a handful pooled there, while some dripped down her arms and onto the floor.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I can do.¡±


    ¡°Amazing.¡± Jie lifted the water up to her mouth.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t drink it, though. I wasn¡¯t able to copy the filtering device that was part of the water fountain so I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s¡ª¡±


    Jie sipped the water.


    ¡°Not as refreshing as the fountain, but tastes fine.¡±


    That was good to know for Lu Na for a few reasons. First, it didn¡¯t seem like Jie was angry she so easily copied her fountain device. Second, she hoped that the water created was safe to drink. It would help a lot if she were ever trapped somewhere and couldn¡¯t get any water. With enough paper and her spirit wand, she could make all the water she¡¯d need.


    Of course, the next step was to create a large fried rice with her spirit wand somehow.


    ¡°I think for the first time we go inside, you shouldn¡¯t bring this wand,¡± Jie said. ¡°We¡¯ll have plenty of time later to come back.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± While Lu Na wanted to dive deep into checking the devices within, she can understand that prudence. She wouldn¡¯t have wanted anyone to come to her workshop and mess with anything.


    After a longer pat down of Lu Na, the female guard discovered a few other things that Lu Na hid she forgot. There were a few null metal spirit and earth wall wards she sewed into her tunic in different places. After a quick compromise, Lu Na changed out of her tunic and wore a plain hemp tunic one guard provided.


    At least she kept her underclothes. The tunic was rougher than the one she got from the poor family back in Jianye. If she had to suffer through that, she might have given up on looking at the devices.


    When they finally entered the large room, the inside was brightly lit by multiple light wards hanging on the walls. Apparently, those simple light wards that Lu Na created were nowhere near as potent as these because she could see that these were not new. They were as old as all the other devices in the labyrinth.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Do your people not have any inventors yourself to fix anything?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Jie shook her head.


    ¡°Most of our ancestors were farmers that were forced to build this labyrinth. They killed my ancestor before he escaped into the labyrinth. Only his son could escape into the labyrinth before they sealed everyone else in here. And as I¡¯ve told you earlier, most of them resorted to banditry in stealing everything from anyone who came in to survive. There is never any time to sit and invent.¡±


    ¡°But what about you? You seem like you know how to work these devices.¡± Lu Na glanced at the light ward, wondering how it was powered.


    ¡°I¡¯m ashamed to tell you that most of our knowledge comes from our spirits. They teach us how to use the devices, but as they¡¯re not inventive, they can¡¯t teach us how they work.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like giving a man a trained horse to ride, but not teaching them how to train more horses.¡±


    Jie nodded.


    It was more dire than Lu Na thought. Not only are things broken and they¡¯re about to die from it, they don¡¯t have any clue to help her fix anything.


    ¡°Show me what¡¯s housed in this secret room,¡± Lu Na said.


    Jie walked deeper into the room. It got darker, as there were fewer and fewer light wards. Soon there was only one small light ward every few feet and they were fixed to the floor. There were a few twists and turns that led to other rooms, but they didn¡¯t go into any of them.


    Finally, they entered a large, cavernous room that hummed with spirit energy. There was an invisible pressure pushing into Lu Na. It wasn¡¯t like a summoner¡¯s spirit energy where it suffocated her every time they fought. It felt more like being hugged by a very warm blanket made of spirit energy.


    The only light ward here was one that hung from the ceiling, giving everything a weak, ethereal glow.


    Jie walked forward until she stopped in front of a large device.


    It hummed. Lu Na wasn¡¯t sure what she was hearing. She felt her whole body rattle as she approached it. It was nothing she¡¯d ever seen before.


    No, it was something she could never imagine.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s the device that¡¯s keeping us all alive, but it¡¯s breaking down. And as much as I want to say we¡¯ve kept it running for the last few decades, it¡¯s been more luck than anything that it still works.¡± Jie took two steps closer and placed her hand on a panel. She closed her eyes and the panel turned white. ¡°This is the interface and one spirit told me how to change some settings so that it can work longer. But even the spirit doesn¡¯t know how much longer it will last.¡±


    Lu Na stepped up to the panel and looked. It was all written with the ancient script.


    ¡°What does it say?¡±


    Jie laughed.


    ¡°It says if you can¡¯t fix it, my village of a little over a hundred is going to die soon. I don¡¯t know. This script wasn¡¯t taught to any of my ancestors and by the time we found this room, we were barely literate.¡±


    ¡°If only I had my tools. Then maybe I could check to see what¡¯s going on,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be childish. I¡¯ve seen what your tools can do and until my people can check them over and be sure you won¡¯t sabotage this device, we¡¯re not allowing you to bring them in.¡±


    Jie tapped one character on the bottom of the panel, turning it off. She turned to walk out of the room. The room became darker.


    Lu Na closed her eyes and focused on her technique. She reached within her own spirit realm and tugged at the memory. She had done it so many times with Nugua that it shouldn¡¯t be this hard to recall.


    She took a deep breath and pulled in the spirit energy within the room, filling her own spirit realm. This was a lot easier since the room had such concentrated spirit energy.


    Lu Na opened her eyes, activating the technique, and gasped.


    The device was a gigantic machine. It pulled a lot of spirit energy from the surrounding area and pushed it through its internal pipes. The reason this room was flooded with spirit energy was because it had a leak from one of the pipes. It looked like an animal struck it with their claws.


    It was a simple fix, but unlike a water pipe that could be remade, Lu Na would have to mold spirit energy to create it.


    The only problem was, she didn¡¯t know how to do that¡­ yet.


    Lu Na blinked and turned off her technique. She closed her eyes, yet still saw the afterglow of all the spirit energy practically burned on her eyelids. Next time she saw Nugua, she¡¯d have to ask her how to tone it down.


    ¡°Did you see the problem?¡± Jie asked.


    ¡°Yes, and I think I know how to fix it. Except I think it was a spirit that broke the machine.¡± Lu Na pointed at the broken pipe. ¡°It¡¯s right there. It¡¯s got claw marks running through the pipe.¡±


    Jie squinted, but Lu Na doubted she could see anything in this darkness. Lu Na couldn¡¯t see it now without using her technique.


    ¡°Why is it so dark in here?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°The spirit that taught us said that any stray spirit energy that enters the room would be sucked into the machine right away. And we don¡¯t dare bring a lantern in there in case it sets the entire place on fire. The spirit warned us about that as there are also gas vapors that travel from below the labyrinth.¡±


    Lu Na pointed up at the light ward hanging above.


    ¡°What about that one?¡±


    ¡°That light is hanging on the ceiling and even at that distance it sometimes doesn¡¯t work very well.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I think I¡¯ve seen enough. Let¡¯s head back.¡±


    Jie brought Lu Na back outside and found a grassy area to sit down. The sun was setting leaving the labyrinth in twilight.


    Lu Na¡¯s head was swimming from everything she saw. The inventions here were beyond anything she¡¯d ever made before, but she was certain with a bit of study she could figure them out. This entire labyrinth was a dreamscape for Lu Na.


    If only she had the time.


    ¡°What would you need to help us fix this problem?¡± Jie asked.


    ¡°I think the better question is, what are you willing to give me to solve this problem for you?¡±


    Jie laughed.


    ¡°Me give you something? I could have all four of you killed right now and no one would stop me.¡±


    ¡°You could, but no one would fix your problem. My one life for your entire village.¡±


    Jie¡¯s laugh turned into a grimace.


    Lu Na was taking a tremendous risk here by antagonizing Jie. But she didn¡¯t want to simply walk out of this village. She wanted the native of the labyrinth to give her every advantage she could get when she went back outside to solve its mysteries. This time, she wasn¡¯t simply running away from the Wintersweet Sect; she was fighting for her very survival in a labyrinth that took no prisoners.


    ¡°I¡¯m open to negotiate, but if you can¡¯t fix it, I will feed you to our large boars as opposed to letting you go as I intended,¡± Jie said.


    ¡°I can work with that.¡±

 Chapter 64 - Ghostly Tea House

    Lu Na reunited with Sun Ren and Hen Li while Jie went to confer with her advisors. Only Nugua was missing when they met in a small teahouse in the middle of the village. This time, they were more wary about the location, but since there were other customers already enjoying tea there, it should be safe.


    At least that¡¯s what Lu Na thought.


    ¡°We should just leave now before they trap us again,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°I don¡¯t like that Jie. She¡¯s going to kill us.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo, I think you¡¯re exaggerating,¡± Hen Li said. ¡°These people are simple and kind. They are also open to learning about the teachings of Buddha.¡±


    ¡°Then you stay here with them while Na Na and I go back out there to find her mother.¡±


    When Sun Ren glanced at her, Lu Na felt shame. She didn¡¯t know how to tell her she would also rather stay here than go back out there. She knew that Sun Ren was only trying to watch out for them, but the marvels here were too great to just leave.


    ¡°How about we listen to their proposal before you decide anything?¡± Hen Li asked.


    Sun Ren sipped her tea and nodded.


    Jie walked into the teahouse and sauntered over to them. Many of the people greeted her on sight and some bowed low to her. She must have been well respected and loved in the village.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you three are enjoying our little tea shop,¡± Jie said. ¡°It was quite a coincidence that a monk entered the labyrinth with some tea leaves that allowed us to grow our own. Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t have the luxury of such a refined taste.¡±


    ¡°Oh, was it a Buddhist monk?¡± Hen Li asked.


    ¡°It was. Sadly, he passed away before my time. He tried to transcribe everything he remembered so that we could study the path of Buddha.¡± Jie sat down and poured herself a cup of tea. ¡°That¡¯s why I was hoping you might choose the same path and stay to teach us in his place.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo, I would if I could but I¡¯m not a fully ordained monk yet,¡± Hen Li pushed his palms together and bowed his head. ¡°And I have promised Young Miss Lu to help her find her mother. As a monk, I can¡¯t go back on my promises.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame then because if you three leave our village, you won¡¯t survive for long out there,¡± Jie said. ¡°I have reports from my scouts that a large group of people were teleported into the labyrinth. If you go out there now, you¡¯ll only be captured. And then, when it becomes desperate enough, you¡¯ll probably suffer a death worse than anything we could ever do to you.¡±


    ¡°It must be Yang Deli or the Wintersweet Elder,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°To think they would enter the labyrinth after us, they must be trying to solve the puzzle, too.¡±


    ¡°Oh, they¡¯re not the first nor will they be the last. Usually, when it¡¯s a small group like you guys, we would give you all a chance to explore and realize the folly of challenging the labyrinth.¡± Jie took a long sip from her tea. ¡°And then when you all realize how impossible it is and are on the verge of death, we¡¯d invite you to our village. Our village always needs more people to support it.¡±


    ¡°Except your village is dying,¡± Sun Ren said.


    Jie glared at Lu Na.


    Had she expected Lu Na to keep it a secret from her companions?


    ¡°Now that you know, you¡¯re also in the same boat as your friend then,¡± Jie said. ¡°If she can¡¯t fix our problem, you all die with her. The only thing I ask is that you don¡¯t spread this news to any of my villagers or I¡¯d be forced to end you all here.¡±


    Sun Ren rolled her eyes.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the first time I¡¯ve dealt with this kind of situation. Just know that if push comes to shove, I¡¯ll make sure my death will be the end of your village as well.¡±


    Lu Na didn¡¯t even want to know what Sun Ren meant by that. Had she gone and planned something in Lu Na¡¯s absence? Either way, she had to turn this around. The last thing she needed was two head strong women trying to show how far each would go in the middle of a dying village.


    ¡°How about we talk about how we can help each other instead?¡± Lu Na said.


    No one said anything. Sun Ren glared at Jie who glared back. Hen Li muttered the heart sutra.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll start,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°I can fix your machine but it will take some time. Instead, I propose I stop the leak so that the machine will work better. But it won¡¯t be permanent.¡±


    ¡°In exchange, I can provide you with the best maps we have of the labyrinth that we copied from my ancestor¡¯s time,¡± Jie said.


    ¡°That¡¯s it? Lu Na is going to save your village and all we get are maps?¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°As you well know by now, our village doesn¡¯t have much to offer without having someone else go hungry,¡± Jie said. ¡°This year¡¯s harvests have been dismal. The only thing we can spare is all the water you can carry with you. That¡¯s about it for provisions.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯re wasting our time here,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°We only have enough food to last us two days. We should leave these people to their own fate while we try to find your mother. We don¡¯t need them.¡±


    Sun Ren got up to leave.


    ¡°Wait. While we can¡¯t provide you with any provisions, we can provide you some tools that would help a lot. It¡¯s something that you will desperately need once you get closer to the center of the labyrinth.¡± Jie took out a small wooden badge that had an ancient script written on it. The word looked like the modern word for water.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°What does it do?¡± Lu Na was intrigued. Even without using her technique, she could feel a certain chill coming off it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve felt it the moment you entered the labyrinth. That cool feeling as if someone was watching you. But no matter how much you look, you can¡¯t seem to find who it is,¡± Jie said.


    It was that exact feeling when they teleported into the labyrinth.


    ¡°I know you modern people don¡¯t believe this, but what you were feeling was the presence of ghosts. And this badge will help you with them.¡± Jie tapped the badge twice and the symbol turned black.


    The entire tea shop became empty. The people that were sitting there a moment ago vanished.


    ¡°Every one was a ghost?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Jie nodded.


    ¡°There¡¯s a special device in the labyrinth that makes these ghosts visible and they act as if they were still alive. The only difference between them and us is that they sometimes forget what they were doing.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯ve touched one of them,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°When I was walking in, one of them bumped me.¡±


    Jie grinned.


    ¡°That¡¯s what makes this labyrinth so dangerous. Whatever made these ghosts visible also made them physical. And the ghosts here are gentle as most of them are our village¡¯s former tenants. But out there are some really malicious ghosts. Many of them are the ones that tried to solve the puzzle of the labyrinth just like you, but died. Would you want to face those without a little insurance?¡±


    ¡°What does the badge do?¡± Lu Na asked. She picked it up and it was very cold to the touch. It was the complete opposite of her ward bracelet. Maybe she could work that in somehow.


    ¡°It disables the device that shows you the ghosts.¡± Jie took the device back and tapped it twice again. The ghosts reappeared, as they were before.


    ¡°She¡¯s trying to trap us again,¡± Sun Ren said. She unsheathed a dagger and pointed it at Jie.


    Lu Na gasped at how fast Sun Ren pulled the dagger out. She had never seen her friend so jumpy before. She had always been the calm one no matter the situation.


    ¡°Are you okay Sun Ren? You¡¯re scaring me. Jie is only trying to help us,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°She will not hurt us.¡±


    ¡°Tell that to all the ghosts she has at her command. She could kill us all right here. She keeps bringing us into traps like this. The next one might just kill us and I don¡¯t want to die like a dog. I¡¯d rather take her with me now.¡±


    Lu Na slowly reached for Sun Ren¡¯s hand and lowered the dagger. Her hand was trembling.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? You¡¯re not usually like this.¡± Lu Na tugged the dagger, but Sun Ren clung to it. ¡°Come on Sun Ren, you can trust me.¡±


    Sun Ren turned toward Lu Na. Her eyes were bloodshot.


    ¡°What did you do to her?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°I did nothing. I¡¯m surprised it took this long before the symptoms showed on her. Your monk friend has been feeling it ever since he entered the labyrinth.¡± Jie nodded toward Hen Li. ¡°These two are going through spirit withdrawal. It only affects stage two or higher summoners.¡±


    ¡°This is nothing.¡± Sun Ren handed the dagger to Lu Na before pulling out another dagger. ¡°I¡¯ve been under worse conditions. You can¡¯t trick me. Even if I¡¯m not feeling well, I can tell that you don¡¯t care what happens to us as long as Lu Na fixes your machine.¡±


    Jie leaned back, her whole body relaxed.


    ¡°On the contrary. I care about you three. And if you three would join my village, I would care about you even more, since you three have skills that none of my villagers have.¡±


    ¡°Drink some tea.¡± Lu Na lifted the cup to Sun Ren¡¯s mouth. Her friend took a large gulp, her lips trembling. ¡°What can I do to help her?¡±


    Jie folded her hands and placed them on her lap.


    ¡°What do I get out of this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you anything you want. I¡¯ll fix your machine. Just help them.¡± Lu Na wrapped her arm around Sun Ren who was shivering all over.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± came a woman¡¯s voice. A tall woman dressed in a white flowing robe with wide sleeves that draped down toward her torso.  There were golden silk garments wrapped around the robe, depicting different people stitched into them. ¡°I came to help you all.¡±


    When the woman lowered her arms, nine tails sprang up behind her, creating a fan.


    ¡°Baihu,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°You came back.¡±


    ¡°Of course, my dear Sun Ren. I would never abandon you.¡± Baihu walked over and embraced Sun Ren. ¡°You¡¯re safe now. I¡¯m here.¡±


    At those simple words, Sun Ren slumped over against the woman¡¯s chest. The woman smiled, showing off two very sharp fangs.


    ¡°Oh, mortals are always so trusting, so easy to fool,¡± Baihu said. ¡°I could rip her throat out and drink her blood right now. She would walk the yellow springs road in the underworld, thanking me all the way.¡±


    Lu Na reached into her chest pocket and pulled out a spirit ward. She would not allow Sun Ren¡¯s spirit to kill her. But before she could activate it, one of Baihu¡¯s tails flicked at her and knocked the ward to the ground.


    ¡°Oh little Lu Na, don¡¯t do something silly like that,¡± Baihu said. ¡°I will not hurt her. I still need her a while longer. So you can relax.¡±


    Lu Na couldn¡¯t even see her tail move. How could she relax when a dangerous spirit like that could rip her throat out? She inched away from the spirit.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally getting smarter. But no matter, I¡¯m here to negotiate with this spirit,¡± Baihu said.


    ¡°She¡¯s a spirit?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Baihu nodded.


    ¡°Oh no, I¡¯ve been discovered.¡± Jie rolled her eyes. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m the guardian spirit of the village here. It has taken me centuries to perfect this form, but other spirits can see right through me. I¡¯m surprised your spirit didn¡¯t tell you when we first met.¡±


    ¡°Wait, where¡¯s Nugua?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re only worrying about me now?¡± Nugua said. She walked out from behind the tea shop¡¯s counter. For the first time, she had legs. Her smile no longer had a mouth full of fangs. She also wore a simple tunic like the one Lu Na had packed. If Lu Na hadn¡¯t recognized that voice, she wouldn¡¯t have recognized her spirit.


    ¡°Where were you?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°I was hiding back there. Jie told me she would teach me techniques to hide my spirit self to look more human for not interfering with the negotiations. Not like I would have bothered with it, anyway.¡±


    ¡°You abandoned me for beauty tips?¡± Lu Na wanted to say she was surprised, but it was hard when she had known Nugua for so many years. If there was a way for her to look more attractive to men, she would take it.


    Nugua laughed.


    ¡°Child, you keep forgetting the relationship here. I will outlast you and so these beauty tips will live forever while you rot in the ground. But don¡¯t worry, I wouldn¡¯t have let Jie hurt you. She promised to let you go no matter what you decided, isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    Jie frowned.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Nugua, but I¡¯ve changed my mind. With the appearance of Baihu, the terms have changed.¡±


    Jie waved her hand in a circle. Large metal sheets slammed down all around the teahouse, blocking out all light from outside. They were all plunged into darkness.


    Lu Na reached into her chest pocket and pulled out her light wards. With a flick of her wrist, she turned on the three of them and dropped them around her.


    Jie had disappeared.


    The ghosts didn¡¯t. They all turned their heads toward Lu Na.

 Chapter 65 - Spirit Materialization

    Lu Na forced herself to not shut her eyes. The last thing she needed was to freeze up. But the stares from the ghosts sent chills down her spine. The entire room felt colder suddenly and Lu Na knew it wasn¡¯t from blocking out the sun.


    Lu Na took out an earth wall ward. She pictured a dome in her mind before activating it. A round wall of earth pushed up from the ground, creating a domelike shape, but it didn¡¯t cover them.


    ¡°You still need more practice,¡± Nugua said. She placed her hand on Lu Na¡¯s shoulder and the earth wall ward reshaped back into a perfect dome all around them. ¡°But this will not help for long.¡±


    ¡°Your spirit is right,¡± Jie said. Her voice was projected within the dome of earth despite not being seen.


    ¡°Jie, what are you doing? You still need our help,¡± Lu Na called out. ¡°If you kill us, your village will die as well.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t plan on killing you, Young Miss Lu. But your friends and their spirits are too dangerous to leave alive. That Baihu is a legendary spirit that I can¡¯t deal with and that monk¡¯s spirit is even stronger. I don¡¯t negotiate when I don¡¯t have the advantage.¡±


    ¡°If you kill them, I won¡¯t help you no matter what.¡± Lu Na took out her spirit wall ward. If Jie was planning on using another spirit technique against them, she was going to have a hard time.


    ¡°Nugua, help me put these shields on Sun Ren and Hen Li.¡± Lu Na placed the spirit wall wards on Sun Ren¡¯s and Hen Li¡¯s lap after activating them. An invisible barrier engulfed them like a second skin.


    ¡°Let us go and I¡¯ll promise to help you with nothing required from you,¡± Lu Na said.


    No response.


    Lu Na looked at Nugua and then at Baihu.


    ¡°Is there anything either of you can do?¡±


    Nugua shook her head. She had undone all the human beauty techniques and turned back into her naga form. Only the tunic remained.


    Baihu stroked Sun Ren¡¯s head like a child.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing they can do to me or Sun Ren while I am here,¡± Baihu said. ¡°But we should be more worried about the monk. He looks like he¡¯s on the verge of collapse.¡±


    Hen Li had his eyes shut, but the moment he heard the word monk he began reciting the heart sutra louder.


    ¡°Hen Li, what¡¯s wrong?¡± The last one she ever thought she needed to worry about was the powerful monk. Yet his face told her everything.


    ¡°I can¡¯t hold it back anymore,¡± Hen Li said.


    A small five colored puppy appeared on the table. It had the round squishy head that Lu Na had seen before. It looked around and then started chasing its own tail. It had a little drool coming down the corner of its mouth. It was so cute that Lu Na wanted to pick it up and cuddle it. If only it wasn¡¯t a spirit that could kill her.


    ¡°Was that all we were worried about?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Amituofo. Please¡­ let¡­ the sins¡­ pass.¡± Hen Li clenched his eyes closed and collapsed head first onto the table.


    Lu Na looked down at his face and he was out. The only thing left on his face was anguish.


    ¡°Child, move away from him,¡± Nugua said.


    Baihu had already lifted Sun Ren into her arms and stepped into the far corner of the room.


    Lu Na tried to stand, but she couldn¡¯t. She felt an incredible heat coming from above her. There was an enormous spirit energy pressure pushing down on her.


    So instead of standing, she went with it. She bowed her head until it touched the floor. With both hands pressed together, she held it out in supplication to whatever godly spirit that appeared.


    Now she regretted not putting the bracelet back on. It wasn¡¯t fixed yet, but a burned off hand is better than a burned up body. Although based on the feeling of the spirit energy, she doubted her spirit walls would be enough.


    The puppy barked somewhere above her, probably still on the table. That little fluff ball was going to be erased from existence if it kept barking.


    Not that Lu Na could do anything about it. She was sweating all over at this point. Any longer and she¡¯ll have her own puddle below her.


    But nothing happened to the barking puppy. The barking got louder and deeper, as if the puppy was going through puberty. It reminded her of the cracking voice of her older brother. After a few moments, it sounded like a roar more than a bark.


    The pressure lifted enough so that Lu Na could lift her head up to see what was going on. She shouldn¡¯t have done that.


    A large burning bird with wings that reached from one end of the room to the other hovered over them all. It looked frozen as it stayed there. It didn¡¯t flap its wings to stay afloat.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Lu Na whispered. She didn¡¯t dare to be louder for fear it would break whatever spell and release the burning bird of doom upon them all.


    The puppy was still barking and sure enough; it had turned into a large hound with its usual bone mouth head. The color on its back turned brighter with every bark. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Lu Na knew she shouldn¡¯t do this, but she reached for her spirit sight to see what was going on. It was blinding and beautiful. The burning bird had spirit energy that was denser than anything she¡¯d ever seen, but it didn¡¯t move like stagnant air. With every bark, the five colored hound was absorbing its spirit energy.


    At that moment, the burning bird turned its head to Lu Na. Its glowing eyes seared into Lu Na¡¯s, forcing her to close her eyes. All she could see was bright orange behind her eyelids.


    Lu Na might have screamed from the pain as she clutched her eyes. She collapsed onto the floor.


    ¡°Foolish dog,¡± a man¡¯s voice roared. ¡°You will cease the barking or I will kill everyone here.¡±


    The dog stopped barking.


    ¡°The seal is still too strong for me to break. Know this, Hen Li. I will be back and you will have to reckon with me sooner rather than later.¡±


    Just like that, the entire room cooled off.


    ¡°Na Na, are you alright?¡± Nugua asked.


    ¡°No, my eyes. They¡¯re burning!¡± Lu Na clenched her fists as she tried to bear the pain. What if it melted her eyes or burned into her brain? ¡°I need water. It¡¯s so hot.¡±


    A hand steadied her and instantly Lu Na felt a coolness rush to her eyes. The pain went away, mostly. Lu Na took a deep, ragged breath. She had been crying, but couldn¡¯t feel any of the tears. Were her eyes really gone?


    Lu Na opened her eyes and was hit with a blinding light. She forced her eyes closed again.


    ¡°Does it feel better?¡± Nugua said.


    ¡°Yes, but I can¡¯t see.¡± Lu Na now had an unfamiliar pain to deal with.


    ¡°Don¡¯t open your eyes for now. Let me try to heal you.¡±


    A hand pulled Lu Na¡¯s own away from her eyes. Then she felt a gentle warmth covering her. Her pain dulled from a stabbing pain to an aching one.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky that¡¯s all the bird did to you,¡± Nugua said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure being blind is lucky. But how are you healing me, Nugua?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Child, I¡¯ve been living inside your spirit realm for so long. I know where everything is. I can heal you back from the brink of death if I wanted to. But don¡¯t expect it as that might kill me instead.¡±


    Lu Na nodded. It was odd hearing Nugua without seeing her, especially now that she¡¯s been outside of her own body. It felt like before they came to the labyrinth where only she could hear her.


    ¡°There, your eyes should be good. But don¡¯t open them just yet. Wait a few minutes to let the healing settle.¡± Nugua¡¯s warm hand left her eyes.


    ¡°Thank you Nugua.¡±


    ¡°No need. Now I need to rest after that.¡±


    ¡°Jie, wherever you are, we¡¯re still alive. Come out. We have a lot to talk about,¡± Lu Na said.


    Lu Na felt a rustling on the ground as if someone blew dust at her legs. Now that her eyes were closed, she could feel Jie¡¯s spirit presence. It was different. With a little more focus, Lu Na felt the other three spirits in the room. No wait, there was a fourth but that one felt like it was in her pocket. It was like a small toothpick.


    ¡°I¡¯m here. And I must say, I¡¯m impressed you survived that spirit¡¯s wrath,¡± Jie said.


    ¡°How did you survive? Where did you go?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you my secrets. You haven¡¯t agreed to be a part of my village yet.¡±


    ¡°Can I open my eyes yet Nugua?¡±


    ¡°You should be fine now.¡± Nugua slithered away.


    Lu Na opened her eyes, and for a moment, she saw through her spirit sight. The entire room they were in lit up with a light green. Then her technique faded and all she saw was the same drab room.


    Hen Li was still unconscious on the table. The small five colored puppy was nuzzling against his face.


    Baihu sat with Sun Ren cradled in her arms like a baby. Did she grow? It almost looked like the fox spirit held a toddler in her arms.


    Nugua slithered off somewhere out of sight already, but when did Lu Na ever have to worry about that snake? At least everyone seemed alright.


    Jie sat in the same spot she was in before Hen Li¡¯s spirit went wild. She had a cup of tea in hand and a small box in the other.


    ¡°Now first, I want to say, that wasn¡¯t my doing. The labyrinth has been materializing them ever since you got here. I didn¡¯t want the monk to explode and take out my village.¡±


    ¡°We want to leave,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°We don¡¯t want to waste anymore time here when you¡¯re only going to play games with us.¡±


    Jie¡¯s smile slipped from her face.


    ¡°If you really want to leave, I won¡¯t keep you. You three pose more of a danger than any benefit right now. And not only will I send you on your way, I¡¯ll give you a gift.¡±


    Jie pushed the box toward Lu Na.


    Lu Na took out a small broken pipe from the box. It felt cool to the touch.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the inventor. You tell me.¡± Jie leaned back in her chair with her arms hidden within her robe¡¯s sleeves.


    Lu Na took out a small dagger and scratched the surface. The outer layer peeled to reveal shiny metal underneath.


    ¡°This is null metal.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and since I don¡¯t have the time to waste on you anymore, the pipe is from the machine I showed you earlier. It was the part that you said was broken.¡±


    Lu Na turned it around to look at the pipe. The Xia used this metal to create their inventions. It made sense because the amount of spirit energy being pushed through the pipes needed something that could absorb and concentrate it. This gave Lu Na some new ideas of what she could do with her own inventions.


    What if she used the null metal not only as a power source for her inventions but also a way to concentrate the spirit energy they use for different effects? That would make them more flexible and powerful to use.


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking very hard. The least you could do is share some of your ideas? Maybe how we might fix this problem?¡± Jie sipped from her tea.


    Lu Na placed the pipe back into the box.


    ¡°This is too precious. I can¡¯t take this gift.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it? You won¡¯t even try to help us?¡±


    ¡°I never said that. The only way to fix this is if you have more of this metal to repair the pipe. Not only that, I¡¯m sure the Ancient Xia inscribed some patterns on there to make it work. I don¡¯t have the tools or the time to really study this right now.¡± It pained Lu Na to say that because she would love nothing more than to sit in that dark room and study the machine for days and days. But her mother and the wellbeing of her friends came first.


    ¡°That¡¯s a shame.¡± Jie took the box and put it into her chest pocket.


    ¡°So are we free to go?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you go only on one condition.¡± Jie lifted her hand and clenched it. Wood shot out from all the furniture like moving branches. They were as thick as Lu Na¡¯s arm. But they didn¡¯t attack them. Instead, they surrounded Jie.


    ¡°Come back after you¡¯re done with your business in the labyrinth and fix the machine.¡±


    ¡°And if we don¡¯t? Are you going to kill us right now?¡± Lu Na had her hand on a spirit ward in her sleeve.


    ¡°Oh no, I¡¯m going to help you. I¡¯m going to give you something no one has ever received when they enter the labyrinth: a key to the center labyrinth room.¡±


    Jie reached into her pocket and pulled out a metal badge. This one was made of null metal like the pipe.


    ¡°With this, it will allow you to get inside to solve the puzzle.¡±

 Chapter 66 - Time for Inspiration

    Lu Na took the key and used her spirit sight to examine it. The last thing she needed was another surprise. This time, reaching for her technique was a lot easier.


    The key had only one technique built into it. It was a fairly simple one, but it felt incomplete. There were a few patterns that just stopped and until she saw the door that the key fit into, she wouldn¡¯t know what it did. Would it teleport her like the large device outside of the labyrinth?


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Of course. I want you to succeed, if only for you to come back and save my people,¡± Jie said.


    ¡°How does it work?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know. None of us have ever journeyed to the center of the labyrinth and made it back. If someone solved it without that key, then we wouldn¡¯t be trapped in the labyrinth anymore.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you giving me this key?¡±


    Jie smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s because you might actually have what it takes to reach the center. You think those summoners that followed you into the labyrinth are the most dangerous things here? They won¡¯t survive past the third level.¡±


    Speaking of levels, Lu Na remembered the map. Jie must have been referring to the separate parts that were highlighted.


    ¡°Do you know anything else about any other parts of the labyrinth? We only found this area because it was highlighted on the map made by my mother.¡±


    Jie shook her head.


    ¡°I know nothing you don¡¯t know. We don¡¯t leave this area ever. Unlike you adventurers, we don¡¯t want to risk our lives. We¡¯re content with living peacefully here, hidden behind secret walls.¡±


    ¡°And you won¡¯t try to stop us from leaving?¡± Lu Na got up.


    ¡°No. So tell your spirit to stop slinking behind me, trying to attack me again. She won¡¯t get another chance like last time.¡±


    Nugua laughed a short distance away from Jie.


    ¡°I would not attack you. I don¡¯t want to ruin my nails. I just wanted you to know that I could and that those branches of yours would be nothing for my claws.¡±


    Jie rolled her eyes.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have taught you the trick to make you look human.¡±


    ¡°Oh ho ho, that trick wasn¡¯t for me, but for Lu Na.¡± Nugua appeared right beside Lu Na. She grasped Lu Na by the chin and lifted it up slightly. ¡°Look at this face and this body. She could be considered a beauty if she put on some more makeup, but since she won''t, your techniques will allow me to make her more attractive.¡±


    Lu Na pushed Nugua¡¯s hand away.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about any of that.¡±


    ¡°But Na Na, understand. Once we leave this labyrinth, I¡¯ll be stuck with you for a while longer. The last thing I want is for you to marry someone who is ugly. I can¡¯t look at that every night as you sleep next to him. But if I make you prettier, maybe someone as handsome as Zhou Gongjin might take a liking to you. I wouldn¡¯t mind staring at that face for the rest of your life as you sleep.¡±


    Lu Na wanted to slap her spirit. Of course, it was something so stupidly vain.


    ¡°You know Nugua, I might just marry someone as ugly or as plain as I can find after this. I¡¯m sure father knows plenty of men like that.¡±


    Nugua hissed.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare. I¡¯ll be sure your mother knows.¡±


    Jie recalled her branches.


    ¡°It looks like you two are fine taking it from here. And as another gift, I will get you all the clean water you can carry.¡±


    ¡°It would be great if you also gave us some food, Senior Jie,¡± Baihu said.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re so respectful, I can give you enough food for another day in your travels. That¡¯s all we can spare. I¡¯ll prepare everything for you at the wall.¡±


    Baihu bowed her head.


    Jie clapped her hands and disappeared. All the metal walls that surrounded the tea house also retracted. It was dark outside already and only the moonlight shone through the windows.


    Had Jie never been there this whole time or did she have a technique that allowed her to teleport? If Lu Na survived this labyrinth, she was definitely coming back to study everything there. Hopefully, her mother would be with her and she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about playing these games with Jie.


    Lu Na took out a few of her light wards and placed them around the tea shop. When she was done, she glanced at Baihu. Now that she had a minute to look at her Baihu was a lot larger than the average human.


    ¡°You will not attack me or anything are you?¡±


    Baihu smiled, her two sharp canines glinting in the light.


    ¡°Silly child. I wouldn¡¯t. Not only are you the prized friend of little Ren here, you¡¯re the only one that can get us out of this labyrinth. Unless, of course, I chose to live with Jie. But that woman is more vain than I am. I don¡¯t think we¡¯d get along very well.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. It¡¯s nice to finally meet you, by the way. You and Sun Ren have saved me more times than I can count. For that, I thank you.¡± Lu Na cupped her hands and bowed low.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Baihu chuckled.


    ¡°You know, I advised Sun Ren to leave you many times. But you keep surprising me more and more with your little secrets. I only hope that you aren¡¯t leading us to our deaths.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare. I¡¯m sure that once we save my mother, everything will be fine.¡±


    ¡°Oh child, that will only be the beginning of our troubles,¡± Nugua said.


    Lu Na held back the question in her mind. She could not deal with Nugua¡¯s cryptic messages.


    ¡°Do you know how long it will take for them to wake up?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Baihu glanced down at Sun Ren.


    ¡°Even with my healing, it will take her a few hours to wake. As for the monk, he will take longer, as his little pup spirit is too immature to help him.¡±


    The five colored pup yelped when he heard that. He walked over and growled at Baihu before returning to Hen Li. All it did was lick the monk¡¯s face while running around him.


    ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯m going to work on a few things.¡±


    Baihu nodded her head and closed her eyes. She placed a hand on Sun Ren¡¯s chest and it glowed white.


    ¡°Nugua, what are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°What else? I¡¯m going to stare at the monk until he wakes.¡± Nugua slithered over to Hen Li and sat beside him.


    This was the perfect time for Lu Na to work on a few things they were going to need going deeper into the labyrinth.


    First, she cleared the table of everything. The very first thing she needed was to fix her bracelet. Lu Na wasn¡¯t sure when it happened but ever since the bracelet stopped working, she felt defenseless. She had to change that.


    Of course, there was also the other problem that slithered in the room. Lu Na realized she had been depending entirely too much on Nugua where her inventions were concerned. She never thought she¡¯d be separated from Nugua until the day she died, but then what about those times her spirit left her like when she fought the Wintersweet Ancestor?


    Lu Na can¡¯t depend on anyone, least of all a fickle spirit that was out for herself.


    She took out her spirit wand and another smaller tool that helped her etch the patterns onto her bracelet. With a small click, she unlatched her bracelet.


    It had only been a short time when she first designed this, but even now Lu Na felt it was not enough. All those machines and devices she saw in this labyrinth sparked uncontrollable inspiration within her.


    The first thing she had to do was develop a way for the bracelet to absorb the heat from the spirit energy channeled into it. That was where the small pipe Jie gave her came in.


    It was made of null metal but like all its sister pipes, it never overheated. When Lu Na was in that room, she saw with her spirit sight that all the spirit energy was pushed through the pipe but never touched it.


    Lu Na lifted the pipe in her hand to look at the inscriptions inside. It was a simple pattern. She was surprised she hadn¡¯t thought about it before. All it did was push spirit energy away from the pipe itself while allowing it to flow through.


    She should have known it was possible as her spirit wand pulled spirit energy to it. Why wouldn¡¯t there be one that pushed it away?


    It took her a short time to inscribe the pattern on her bracelet. Lu Na put it on and activated the spirit shields. She focused them only on her body so that they wouldn¡¯t flow out or make weird shapes.


    The null metal bracelet on her wrist was as cool to the touch as before despite using enough spirit energy that would have normally burned her before.


    Now the next thing she had to do was fix how these wards worked without Nugua directing them. Lu Na couldn¡¯t believe how spoiled she was when Nugua did most of the work when activating these wards. Sometimes it felt as if she could see behind her.


    Sadly, the only thing she can do is make it so that the wards activate based on some standard shapes that she had in mind. For the earth walls, she needed them mostly to either form in straight walls or sometimes in a dome to cover them all around.


    For her spirit walls, she needed two kinds: one that was like a second skin for her, while the other allowed her to project it in front of her to protect others. This one was probably the most difficult, as the spirit walls were mostly invisible.


    Last, the only attack she had was the tiger claws technique copied from Sect Leader Wong. This technique was weak from the beginning because while Lu Na copied how it worked, she didn¡¯t have any idea how Sect Leader Wong used his spirit energy to make it more effective. The only difference this time was that now with the bracelet not burning her wrist when she activated it, she could push it with the full power stored inside the bracelet.


    Everything took a few hours to fix and improve. At the end, Lu Na also put in a unique pattern that would activate on its own should she ever fall unconscious or threatened. It would activate every defensive mechanism she had on her, even the ones that weren¡¯t attached to the bracelet.


    Lu Na yawned when she saw the sunlight come through the windows. She hadn¡¯t worked on her inventions like that ever since they left her home back in Jianye. It felt refreshing, but she knew that this was only the beginning of her long journey. She had many more devices left to make.


    Lu Na looked up and saw Sun Ren sleeping on a large nine-tailed fox. When had the spirit changed back into her animal form? Hen Li still had his head down at the table, but his pup finally went to sleep beside him. The spirit was on its back and his legs would kick occasionally.


    Lu Na would love to sleep, but it wasn¡¯t the time yet. She had to test out her bracelet or else she wouldn¡¯t feel right.


    ¡°Nugua, are you awake?¡±


    Nugua walked over in her human form. Lu Na wasn¡¯t sure if that disturbed her more than her animal form, but she was too tired to care.


    ¡°How can I help you, child?¡± Nugua said.


    ¡°I wanted to test my bracelet, but I need someone to watch over my friends. Do you think you can do that?¡±


    ¡°Of course. We need them to survive, so I will do my best. Besides, I still have a few more things I want to change with Jie¡¯s technique.¡±


    Lu Na ignored the comment and walked out of the tea shop. There was no one else outside this early in the morning. Then again, Lu Na wasn¡¯t sure if any of the people she saw earlier were actually people or were they ghosts? Jie had never been too clear about that.


    Lu Na walked toward the other side, away from all the buildings. She crossed the point from where there was grass to where only the bare stone of the labyrinth laid on the ground. She walked up to the abandoned buildings on the other side.


    Lu Na clenched her left fist and twisted her hand to the left.


    An earth wall rose from the ground in front of her, forming a tall and thick wall. She did it again, but this time focused on the shape of the wall.


    An earth wall rose to Lu Na¡¯s stomach and no further. It wasn¡¯t as thick as the first. That wasn¡¯t what she was going for, but she had another idea.


    Lu Na stepped on the shorter wall and found that it was solid.


    ¡°This can be useful.¡±


    Lu Na flicked her wrist again, focusing on a different height for the wall. The next wall was taller than the one she stood on. She flicked her wrist a few more times and earth walls rose from the ground to meet her.


    In a short amount of time, Lu Na made stairs for herself. Eventually, she could sit on top of the first earth wall she made that towered over all the other buildings. She glanced down at the steps.


    Lu Na waved her hands toward them and all the earth walls crumbled back to the ground, creating a small mound of earth where they all once stood. Now, if she could do this fast enough, she might be safe from any attackers up there.


    At least until one threw a fireball or an ice lance at her. But of course, that¡¯s where she would use her other ward. Lu Na clenched her fist and twisted her hand to the right. The spirit wall formed into a spirit skin all around her in an instant.


    That¡¯s when she fell.

 Chapter 67 - Change of Heart?

    Lu Na tried to grab onto anything as she fell, but all she could grab was the loose earth right below her. Luckily, her fall wasn¡¯t a fast descent into the ground but a slow one buoyed by the very earth wall she sat on.


    When Lu Na finally reached the ground, she realized two things. One, she should test nothing so high up. If she fell and hurt herself, no one would be around to help her.


    Two, her spirit skin dissolved the bonds within the earth wall technique. It¡¯s why it turned to dirt right under her butt.


    The only worry she had with her spirit skin was that it was too close to her. What if a spirit threw a technique at her that also contained something hard? Wouldn¡¯t it smash into her despite the spirit skin?


    That¡¯s when Lu Na tested her other defensive ward. She clenched her left fist and raised it in front of her. She opened it, as if she was telling someone to stop.


    An earth wall sprang up in front of her with a spirit wall wrapping itself around it like a spirit skin. This was something she¡¯d wanted to perfect for a while and with Nugua¡¯s help, she could do it. But without her shaping it, they interfered with each other constantly. It took a lot longer than she thought she needed but she finally got it to work. And it was all thanks to the pattern found on the pipe. All she had to do was make sure the earth wall pushed the spirit wall away just a little bit.


    This labyrinth was truly a treasure trove of inspiration for Lu Na. Even if they saved her mother, she was going to come back and learn as much as she could. There were so many more things she could do.


    Finally, she wanted to test out the tiger claw technique. She changed it to make it easier. Lu Na clenched her left fist and punched forward. Tiger claws came out of her fist. The more she punched, the stronger they got.


    The technique smashed against the labyrinth¡¯s wall. At first, the first strike barely did anything. The next continuous strikes gouged deeper and deeper holes into the wall.


    Lu Na figured she didn¡¯t want to kill anyone with the strongest attack. And also what if she missed her intended target and hit some poor bystander? That wouldn¡¯t be fair to that person or spirit.


    Lu Na touched the bracelet and it was only as warm as her own skin. This improvement made it not only easier to use, but she now had a way to fight.


    ¡°Ooh, now that¡¯s a powerful bracelet,¡± Jie said.


    Lu Na clenched her fist and twisted it right, forming the spirit skin on herself. She turned to see Jie staring directly at her. The spirit looked different.


    Jie now stood on all fours, looking like the boars that led them into the village. She had a gray hide and a pink snout. The biggest difference was that she was much smaller, only reaching a little bit over Lu Na¡¯s head.


    Jie snorted.


    ¡°You¡¯re rather jumpy. I said I¡¯d let you leave. I meant it. But your inventions are definitely something else. The only time I ever saw anything like that was from my first summoner.¡±


    ¡°Oh? You were bonded with an inventor like me?¡± Lu Na flicked her left hand, turning off the spirit skin.


    ¡°Yes, this was before you humans bound us within your own spirit realms. He was a nice boy, but unlike you he was more friendly. He made friends everywhere he went. He even made friends with the last Xia Emperor. It¡¯s how he convinced him to build this labyrinth as a refuge from spirits.¡±


    ¡°Refuge from spirits?¡±


    Jie padded over to the claw marks.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you my story if you can tell me if there are any limits to your bracelet. Can you keep casting your technique without getting tired?¡±


    Lu Na hid her bracelet back within her sleeve. The last thing she needed was for Jie to figure out how it worked.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s got a limit. The null metal powers my wards, but it takes time to charge from the ambient spirit energy. So as long as I have enough spirit energy, I can keep casting.¡±


    Of course, the other limit was how long the ward themselves would last. Lu Na knew that if she were to keep using her wards to cast, they would eventually break down. The new ones she drew on red paper would last longer as they used a special mix and blend, but they weren¡¯t immortal either.


    ¡°So if we were to fight right now, you¡¯d be able to use those wards of yours indefinitely?¡± Jie turned to face Lu Na. She snorted and raked the floors a few times with her hooves.


    ¡°Maybe. It also depends on how strong your techniques are. I¡¯ve only been able to test them against a stage two summoner. Anything above that might wipe me out in an instant.¡±


    ¡°How about we try it?¡± Jie put her head down and charged.


    Lu Na was ready for this. She clenched her left hand and then opened it in front of her, as if pushing the air. An earth wall erupted from the ground and was surrounded by a spirit skin right afterwards. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    As soon as the wall stabilized, Lu Na turned and ran back toward the teahouse. She flicked her wrist to the left as she ran away, raising earth walls behind her.


    A loud thud hit the first wall. Lu Na didn¡¯t expect that to stop Jie so easily, or maybe Jie didn¡¯t expect the spirit skin.


    Jie turned into a large boar just like the ones they saw earlier and leaped over the wall. To Lu Na¡¯s horror, Jie used the other walls she constructed as steps and rushed over on all fours. With every step, she crushed the walls like sandcastles on the beach.


    ¡°This is a little stronger than a test. I thought you promised to let us go!¡± Lu Na turned her wrist to the left and focused on an image in her head. She didn¡¯t hold back this time and used as much of the spirit energy still left in the null metal.


    Stone rose from the ground, but instead of blocking for Lu Na, she pushed it at Jie. The wall became dome-like as it shot at Jie with unnatural speed. It closed all around the prancing boar spirit.


    ¡°You also promised to help us. But you¡¯re working for the soldiers, aren¡¯t you?¡± Jie yelled.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°My villagers were all kidnapped while I showed you around. Where are they? Give me back my villagers!¡±


    What was Jie talking about? Lu Na was not working with the soldiers. Was that why she was going crazy?


    Either way, Lu Na would not wait to see if the earth wall dome will hold the spirit. She ran as fast as she could toward the teahouse. She had to warn the others and get them out before the boar spirit crushed the teahouse, or worse, used her techniques to trap them inside again.


    The bracelet was now hot to the touch. Luckily, it wasn¡¯t burning her as it would have before. There can still be more improvements to be made.


    The boar spirit burst out of the earth dome prison, green spirit blood oozing out of its ears. It roared, and all the buildings burst to life.


    In an instant, all the walls shed its dirty exterior as new wood sprouted underneath. It grew extra branches all around, like it was wearing clothes.


    No. They were wearing armor.


    Some branches turned into spears and shields. But how would they move? They¡¯re buildings!


    Large tree trunks pushed the buildings up like legs. They lumbered a bit, trying to get their balance. Some had four legs just like the boar spirit.


    Lu Na was close to the tea house now. It didn¡¯t turn into the same monstrosity, but there were branches blocking the door.


    Lu Na hammered on the door.


    ¡°Sun Ren, Hen Li, Baihu, anyone! Get out. Jie has gone mad.¡±


    Large branches shot out from the side of the teahouse and wrapped themselves around Lu Na. She couldn¡¯t move and they were squeezing tight. No matter how many times she shook her left wrist, nothing happened. None of her wards activated.


    The wooden window burst outward. A flash of metal met with the attacking branches. The sword sliced through the branches like tofu, creating a large X mark.


    Seconds later, Baihu burst out of the window in her fox form. She used her tail to carry a still unconscious Hen Li.


    Sun Ren climbed out.


    ¡°What did you do this time?¡±


    ¡°Nothing! Jie went crazy and attacked me while I was testing my inventions,¡± Lu Na said.


    Sun Ren snorted. With a few swift swings, she cut Lu Na loose from the teahouse¡¯s embrace.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk later about your ability to attract danger.¡±


    Before Lu Na could say anything else, she saw Jie waving at her from the side of the teahouse.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on Jie?¡± Lu Na asked. ¡°Why are you attacking me?¡±


    Jie said nothing. She waved her hand, beckoning them to follow.


    ¡°Should we follow her?¡±


    ¡°I think we should.¡± Sun Ren pointed toward the large boar spirit. ¡°If we don¡¯t, that thing¡¯s going to charge us. Where was that hiding?¡±


    Lu Na turned to see the boar spirit huffing at them.


    ¡°Wait, how is that possible? I just saw Jie by the teahouse. She can¡¯t be in two places at once.¡±


    ¡°Whatever is going on, I think it¡¯s safer to follow the human Jie away from that spirit rather than die standing here.¡± Sun Ren sheathed her sword.


    Baihu led the way as she carried the brawny monk on its tail as if he weighed nothing. Sun Ren dashed alongside her spirit. Lu Na shook her wrist from the uncomfortable heat before running after them.


    The large boar took two leaps toward them and caught up, smashing through the tea house without stopping. Parts of the house clung to the spirit as it bounded toward the group.


    The human Jie led them to a small tunnel hidden away behind another wall. It was an optical illusion as when Lu Na looked at it from afar; it looked like it was one large wall of the labyrinth. Jie didn¡¯t follow them in.


    Lu Na turned back to her.


    ¡°Leave with us. You can¡¯t control that spirit.¡±


    Jie smiled and shook her head. She patted Lu Na on the head before walking out to face the oncoming charge.


    Lu Na didn¡¯t understand Jie, but thought that her desire to protect her village was honorable. She couldn¡¯t watch as she got trampled by a raging spirit.


    Lu Na pulled out two wards from her chest pocket. One earth wall and the other spirit wall. She focused as hard as she could on the shape she wanted and threw them in front of Jie. A large earth wall pushed up from the ground, rising to the roof. The spirit wall tried to form around Jie, but it fizzled on the ground.


    ¡°Jie!¡± Lu Na wanted to pull the woman back to safety, but the spirit had charged right into the earth wall, toppling it and sending large clumps of solid earth flying everywhere.


    Lu Na ducked back into the tunnel, avoiding a large clump smacking right where she stood. She clenched her left fist and twisted left out of reflex. Luckily, another earth wall sprang up to cover the tunnel just in time before a large chunk of her earlier earth wall slammed into it.


    Because her earth wall was still activated, it absorbed the chunk of earth into itself. But it was still not enough. The earth wall shattered, showering Lu Na with dirt.


    Lu Na kept her left fist clenched, holding onto the earth wall technique for as long as she could. The dirt kept pushing into the small tunnel. It would have crushed Lu Na if she didn¡¯t form the wall around herself into a dome.


    After a short while, everything stopped. It was quiet, except for the shifting of the dirt all around her earth wall.


    It was hard to breathe.


    Lu Na realized that there was no air coming in here. Her first instinct was to collapse her earth wall, but then that would collapse all the dirt around her.


    She was buried alive and it was completely dark.

 Chapter 68 - Harsh Reality

    Lu Na had a plan, but first she needed to see. She reached into her chest pocket and pulled out a light ward. With a quick tap, her little tomb lit up.


    At least it was more spacious than the usual ones.


    The next part was harder. Lu Na wasn¡¯t sure if she had the skill to do it. She was going to use her wards to pull the dirt in front of her and form walls behind her. So instead of forming straight walls, this would instead clear the space in front of her.


    If only Nugua was here. Her spirit¡¯s finer control over her wards would have saved her.


    Lu Na was going to test it on a small part first. She clenched her left fist and turned it left. She only focused on the solid wall in front of her. The idea was, she¡¯d pull the dirt from in front of her to form a wall behind her.


    The earth wall in front of her shifted and formed a bar of dirt reaching out to her. Lu Na kept pulling at it until the bar of dirt formed another wall behind her.


    This could work. All she¡¯d have to do was keep pulling the dirt in front.


    Lu Na unclenched her left fist, releasing the technique. The earth wall in front of her shifted and cracked. Dirt poured in from the crack.


    Lu Na quickly reactivated her bracelet to form a small earth wall to close the gap. If it broke the crack further, she would be covered in dirt.


    This was not good.


    Then, if she couldn¡¯t shift the dirt into her little tomb, then maybe she could push it out instead. That was something Lu Na never thought to try. When she copied this technique from her brother, she had only ever pulled the dirt upwards to form walls. She had never pushed it against something.


    The air became thick, like trying to breathe through only one nose.


    Lu Na didn¡¯t have a chance to test it. She had to push through. She walked up to the part of her dome with a crack. This was the general location of where the tunnel led, she hoped. Otherwise, she would push deeper into the wall of the labyrinth.


    She closed her eyes to focus. Instead of pulling up dirt to form a wall, she pictured in her mind to push. Lu Na clenched her left fist, turned it left, and then pushed with everything she had left in the bracelet.


    Please have enough spirit energy, or else the push wouldn¡¯t be enough.


    Lu Na felt the wall shift. A large slab shot forward. Her dome cracked all around. It was time to leave.


    Lu Na ran down the newly formed tunnel as her dome collapsed behind her. She held onto the technique and kept pushing until she reached a different wall. This was the labyrinth¡¯s wall.


    Did she push in the wrong direction?


    Her bracelet heated, a reminder that it used up all its spirit energy. The tunnel behind her collapsed as the technique failed.


    Lu Na tried to push the technique against the labyrinth¡¯s wall, but it wouldn¡¯t go. She could use the tiger claw technique, but it wouldn¡¯t be enough. It only gouged the wall. It would take her hours to gouge it fast enough before she got out.


    Lu Na turned to watch as the tunnel slowly collapsed toward her. This time, she knew she wouldn¡¯t have enough spirit energy to make a new dome to save herself. Besides, she could hardly breathe anymore.


    She leaned against the labyrinth wall and sank down to the ground. Nugua had warned her that this was dangerous. She should have listened to her brother too and stayed home. She¡¯d miss him and her younger brothers.


    Lu Na closed her eyes and released the earth wall technique.


    A loud rumbling came from her left. The dirt beside Lu Na collapsed onto her, forcing Lu Na to sputter as dirt got into her nose.


    ¡°She¡¯s here! Grab her,¡± Sun Ren said.


    Lu Na opened her eyes to see a large white fox rush into the tunnel. It opened its mouth and grabbed her by her tunic before dragging her out.


    When Lu Na hit the open air again, she breathed a deep breath. She hadn¡¯t noticed how much she missed the stale labyrinth air when she was about to run out inside the tunnel.


    The white fox dropped Lu Na just outside before shaking the dirt off herself.


    Sun Ren passed a water skin to Lu Na.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Lu Na gulped the cool water. It cleared out much of the dirt from her throat before she coughed from drinking too fast. She handed the skin back to Sun Ren.


    ¡°I think I will be. What happened?¡±


    ¡°You saved us. When that boar spirit saw us go into the tunnel, it began shoveling dirt faster than we could run. If you didn¡¯t form that dome to stop it, we would be buried in that tunnel. Then afterwards, you somehow created a new tunnel, pushing out until you hit the wall. We thought you were going to walk out of there until we saw the tunnel collapsing.¡±


    Lu Na looked at the tunnel she made. It came out from one side of the labyrinth until it reached the other side. The tunnel had seemed longer than the other one they entered to get to the village. So all she had to do was push out either side and she wouldn¡¯t have faced the collapsing tunnel.


    ¡°That was when Baihu heard you stopped moving at the end of the tunnel. Baihu cut through the wall with her claws to get to you.¡±Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°Thank you Baihu,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Young one, it was my pleasure. I will continue protecting you both until we get out of here.¡± Baihu turned into the woman with nine tails. The dirt came off her, but some clung to her white robe that she wiped off. ¡°Just promise that you will help Sun Ren with your inventions. I can see that one day you will become more powerful than even the monk.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of Hen Li, where is he? Where¡¯s Nugua?¡± Lu Na looked around. Hen Li laid not too far away, with Nugua standing over him. If Lu Na didn¡¯t know any better, it might have looked like her spirit was drooling over the monk.


    ¡°Nugua!¡± Lu Na called.


    The naga spirit swiveled to look at Lu Na.


    ¡°Oh, my dear child. You made it out. I was so worried about you.¡± Nugua slithered over to Lu Na. She reached out to touch Lu Na, but that only made her flinch. ¡°Oh sorry. Forgot about my claws. Are you hurt anywhere?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Lu Na got up and dusted herself off. Luckily, the dirt blended in with her tunic. Of course, from the quick movement she knew she was going to be cleaning dirt from her body for a month the moment she got to a bath.


    ¡°It looks like everyone is fine. Let¡¯s go before something else pops up,¡± Sun Ren said.


    That¡¯s when Jie walked through the labyrinth wall to stand before the group.


    Sun Ren unsheathed her sword while Baihu turned back into a white fox, teeth bared.


    Lu Na took out two of her wards from her chest pocket, ready to defend herself again.


    Jie raised both hands in the air and backed up against the wall.


    ¡°Wait. I¡¯m not enemy.¡±


    That was strange. It sounded like Jie, but she didn¡¯t speak as fluently as she did before.


    ¡°I sorry. My spirit, bad spirit.¡±


    Nugua appeared behind Jie and wrapped her tail around her. But nothing happened. Her tail went through Jie. That¡¯s when Nugua hopped away from her.


    ¡°She¡¯s a ghost.¡±


    Jie made a fist and brought it to her chest and bowed.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± Jie pointed to herself. ¡°I die many years ago. My spirit stay protect village for me.¡±


    Nugua frowned. She leaned over and said something to Jie.


    The ghost perked up when she heard Nugua¡¯s words. She began speaking in a language that sounded like theirs, but had many differences. Lu Na couldn¡¯t keep up.


    Nugua nodded as she listened. When Jie was done, the naga spirit had tears rolling down her face.


    ¡°Apparently, the Jie we have been talking with for the last few days was this ghost¡¯s spirit. She copied her exactly and pretended to be her while defending the village hidden behind these walls. But the spirit became unstable when the soldiers kidnapped the villagers.¡±


    Ghost Jie nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s why the spirit attacked us.¡± Sun Ren sheathed her sword.


    ¡°It gets worse,¡± Nugua said. ¡°Apparently, anyone who dies within the labyrinth becomes a ghost and isn¡¯t allowed to pass on. Many of the old villagers have come back to haunt her spirit, blaming her for their deaths and eternal prison.¡±


    ¡°The spirit was telling the truth, wasn¡¯t she? The devices and machines in the village are breaking down and more people are dying,¡± Lu Na said.


    Ghost Jie nodded. She pointed at Lu Na.


    ¡°Please help.¡± Ghost Jie got on her knees and began kowtowing to her.


    Lu Na guessed that gesture was universal no matter what dynasty they were in.


    ¡°I would, but we have our own problems. We need to solve the labyrinth¡¯s puzzle first before anything else, or else we¡¯d join you in the afterlife.¡±


    ¡°Not to mention, we don¡¯t have any food,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°All our packs were in that tea house. I only grabbed mine when it attacked.¡±


    Ghost Jie¡¯s face lit up. She beckoned them all over.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with Nugua, Sun Ren. You look after Hen Li,¡± Lu Na said.


    Sun Ren nodded.


    Lu Na followed behind Nugua and the ghost. They were talking really fast and ghost Jie was gesturing with her hand. At one point, Nugua laughed and turned to look at Lu Na.


    Was that affection coming from Lu Na¡¯s spirit?


    They arrived at a different section of the labyrinth¡¯s wall. Ghost Jie pointed at a small section that was colored differently.


    Lu Na tapped the wall and heard a hollow sound. She pushed the wall and it slid open. Five sacks hung within.


    Ghost Jie said something to Nugua.


    ¡°Apparently, those sacks are all food that the village prepared for explorers. But since those rebels came and her spirit went crazy, no one has dared to go out.¡±


    Ghost Jie huffed at Nugua.


    ¡°What? If you don¡¯t like my way of translating then you talk with her then,¡± Nugua said.


    ¡°Not crazy. Spirit sick,¡± Ghost Jie said.


    ¡°I understand. This is not the first time Nugua has misrepresented my words either,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°After we solve the mystery, I will come back and fix your spirit, too. Maybe there¡¯s something the old Xia left behind that I can use.¡±


    At the mention of the Xia, Jie¡¯s face lit up again. She walked further away on the labyrinth wall. She tapped the wall.


    Lu Na tapped the wall herself and again heard a smaller hollow sound. It was at the height of her chest, unlike the sacks. She slid it open to find a book with a light covering of dust and a small cube beside it.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Lu Na opened the book and was struck by the diagrams inside. This was a manual for different machines. She recognized the machine in that room all the way at the back of the village. It showed Lu Na exactly where everything went and what it was supposed to do.


    ¡°Jie said that it was a manual left behind by her father,¡± Nugua said. ¡°Her spirit wasn¡¯t lying. Her father was one architect that built the labyrinth and they were supposed to be buried alive with him.¡±


    ¡°But if you have this manual, why do you need me?¡± Lu Na kept flipping pages, almost afraid that Jie would realize the same thing and take the manual back.


    Ghost Jie spoke, this time with her eyes downcast.


    ¡°They can forge the pipes and copy the patterns, but the art of activating the patterns has been lost,¡± Nugua translated. ¡°I could have told you that much. When your mother freed me from my prison, no one around knew how to do it anymore. I bet I¡¯m one of the last remaining spirits that still remember how to manipulate spirit energy to create these devices.¡±


    ¡°Wait, my mother taught me how to do that,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°And guess who taught her?¡± Nugua rolled her eyes. ¡°I was more valuable to her alive than dead, remember? I guess now I¡¯m even more valuable.¡±


    ¡°Wait, can I teach this technique to Jie¡¯s villagers? Then they could repair it themselves.¡±


    Nugua smiled, showing off those razor-sharp teeth.


    ¡°You¡¯re such an innocent child. You think you know the technique. Tell me, what¡¯s the first step to activating the pattern?¡±


    Lu Na opened her mouth and then shut it as quickly. She realized she didn¡¯t know. She knew it had something to do with gathering spirit energy using the spirit wand, but she did not know how to use that spirit energy to make a pattern work.


    Nugua laughed.


    ¡°You think you know how to do it, but it has been me all this time giving you the ability. Without me, you can¡¯t make another ward again.¡±


    No, that can¡¯t be true. She had been using this just that morning!


    Lu Na took out her spirit wand and a piece of yellow paper from her chest pocket. She gathered the spirit energy at the tip and put it to the paper. Her hand knew the exact pattern she had always drawn with it to make the earth wall ward. But when she was done, the paper stayed blank and the spirit energy dissipated into the air.


    No, this can¡¯t be true.


    ¡°Nugua!¡±

 Chapter 69 - On the Road Again

    Lu Na took a deep breath. She put away the paper and her spirit wand, now useless to her. The reality was hard to swallow, but Lu Na knew what she had to do. Besides, it wasn¡¯t as if she could charge her spirit and force her to give the technique back to her.


    ¡°Dear spirit of mine, please have mercy on your poor misguided summoner and allow me the opportunity to wield your technique?¡± Lu Na bowed her head toward Nugua.


    ¡°Why yes, of course. Why would I ever deny you anything while your mother holds my life in her hands?¡± Nugua waved her clawed hand.


    Lu Na felt as if she had just remembered something she had forgotten a moment ago. It was the most disorienting feeling.


    More importantly, Lu Na considered what her life would have been like if she forgot this technique or if Nugua never allowed her to use it again. Who would she be?


    Another clueless Young Miss.


    That would not happen. Lu Na wasn¡¯t sure how or when, but she was going to force the technique from Nugua so that she would never have to depend on her again. And even if that wasn¡¯t possible, she was going to develop a way to do it without her.


    No way she was going to depend upon that fickle spirit.


    ¡°Thank you so much for helping us Jie,¡± Lu Na said. She bowed to the ghost.


    Jie smiled and bowed back.


    ¡°Good luck.¡± With a small wave of her hand, she disappeared.


    Lu Na felt bad for the ghost because she was trapped here, unable to move on. After a moment, she realized she¡¯d be trapped here too if she wasted any more time.


    Lu Na gathered all the sacks she could carry back to Sun Ren. They weren¡¯t heavy so she carried them all herself instead of asking for Nugua¡¯s help. Not that her spirit would help, anyway. The smug look on her face as she slithered behind her was enough to carry them out of spite.


    For the first time, Lu Na wished she could send the spirit back into her spirit realm, hidden. Sure, she couldn¡¯t block her from speaking to her, at least she didn¡¯t have to see her.


    ¡°Na Na, everything alright? Jie didn¡¯t play any tricks did she?¡± Sun Ren asked when Lu Na met up with her.


    ¡°No. She gave us food and a manual for me.¡± Lu Na passed the sacks over to Sun Ren. ¡°If we make it out of here alive, I think I could recreate some of these devices.¡±


    ¡°You mean you could make your own labyrinth?¡± Sun Ren opened the sack to check the contents. She pulled out a stack of wrapped breads.


    ¡°Maybe. It will take me some years of study. Probably the rest of my life.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nice.¡± Sun Ren smelled the bread and took a small nibble. ¡°If this doesn¡¯t kill me in an hour, I think we have enough food to last us for a week at least. Unless our spirits also need to eat.¡±


    Baihu laughed.


    ¡°The only thing I could eat is meat if I were to eat. But luckily the spirit energy in here is so strong that I doubt any spirit would ever need to eat. It¡¯s you humans that need it to survive.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief then,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°How¡¯s Hen Li?¡±


    ¡°The monk woke up not too long ago and walked off, muttering,¡± Sun Ren said. She repacked everything back in the sack. ¡°We should go while we¡¯re relatively fresh. The last thing we need is for Jie¡¯s spirit to rush out from the village to attack us.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Lu Na took up her sack and followed Sun Ren.


    They found Hen Li not too far away, walking in a circle, reciting the heart sutra. The ground had an indent from how many times he walked. His small five colored puppy trailed behind him, yipping away as if it was also reciting.


    ¡°Hen Li, we¡¯re going.¡± Sun Ren threw a pack at him and kept walking.


    Hen Li caught it and bowed. He swung it on his shoulder and followed.


    Sun Ren took out a map from one sack and began walking as if she knew where to go.


    Lu Na wasn¡¯t sure how or why, but both Sun Ren and Hen Li were acting differently than before their visit to the village. She knew she should stop living in her mind so much and care more for her companions.


    The group walked in silence.


    Lu Na studied the manual as she walked. There were so many designs and schematics within. The problem was, although she knew how to create the same patterns to activate them, she had little clue about what they were supposed to do. There were some notes written on it over the years, but much of the original was in the ancient Xia script.


    Lu Na glanced at Nugua. Her spirit was the only one that could read it, or at least she hoped. She hated she had to depend on her some more, but now was not the time.


    ¡°Nugua, can you read this script?¡±


    Nugua slithered up beside her.


    ¡°Oh my, these are hard words. I can only read some of the simpler ones and guess at what the rest means.¡±


    ¡°Can you tell me?¡± Lu Na passed the book over to Nugua. She took out a small piece of charcoal and a piece of yellow paper.


    Nugua stared at the words for a moment. She traced a few characters with her finger, making sure that her claws didn¡¯t touch it. It reminded Lu Na of when she learned her characters. Sometimes writing it in the air reminded her of what they meant.


    ¡°This page is talking about how to move large amounts of spirit energy, I think.¡± Nugua traced the characters next to a diagram of a pipe. It looked like the one that Jie gave Lu Na. ¡°If you copy this pattern onto the pipe and then copy this other pattern you¡¯ll be able to regulate as much spirit energy as you want.¡±


    Lu Na wrote it all down and copied the pattern onto her yellow paper. It wasn¡¯t until she was done had she noticed that Nugua was holding onto the book for her to copy while smiling at her.


    Lu Na bowed her head before taking the manual back and putting it into her chest pocket.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°No need, child. I¡¯m glad to see that you¡¯re so eager for learning something like this,¡± Nugua said. ¡°Maybe you can get stronger without the need to practice summoner arts.¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°That might be better, Na Na,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how much the monk can teach you in his current state. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    Hen Li broke from his chanting to look around, as if he lost something.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Nothing monk. Fix yourself and be ready to fight. That¡¯s the only thing you¡¯re good for right now.¡± Sun Ren continued walking at a brisk pace, muttering something to herself.


    Lu Na wanted to check in on her, but she looked angry. Both of her human companions looked like they were working through something.


    ¡°Anyway, child, you shouldn¡¯t study from that monkey spirit¡¯s scroll,¡± Nugua said. ¡°It¡¯s quite dangerous for you. Why don¡¯t you give me it and I can hold on to it for you?¡±


    Lu Na knew a con when she heard one. Why would her spirit be so kind to hold something like that for her? She patted the scroll in her chest pocket.


    ¡°No, I think I¡¯ll hold on to it.¡±


    ¡°Suit yourself child. But should it morph into something that hurts you, don¡¯t come crying to me. I¡¯m not your mother.¡±


    Lu Na grimaced. Her spirit wasn¡¯t her mother, but she wore her face that one time. That was still giving her nightmares.


    ¡°Quiet,¡± Sun Ren said. She raised her hand up and crouched down. She found a collapsed wall to stand behind.


    Hen Li crouched and looked around. He slowly scanned the surrounding area and walked over to Sun Ren¡¯s side. It was almost as if he had done this many times before.


    Only Lu Na and the spirits didn¡¯t know what to do as they slowly followed suit. Lu Na waddled her way up to Sun Ren.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Lu Na asked in a whisper.


    ¡°Shhh.¡± Sun Ren pointed ahead.


    Lu Na looked ahead and saw something she hadn¡¯t seen in a while. It was a man wearing one of those yellow uniforms from Yang Deli¡¯s army. He also held a spear in hand as he stood in front of a larger building.


    ¡°What¡ª¡±


    Sun Ren clasped her hand over Lu Na¡¯s mouth. She pointed with her head to an area a little further away, back where they were walking.


    As a group, they slowly waddled their way there, keeping as low as they could. Only Hen Li¡¯s puppy spirit, Panhu, didn¡¯t need to, as it ran to catch up to them.


    When they were far enough away, Sun Ren stopped. They all stepped into a small building off the main path.


    ¡°You all wait here. I¡¯m going to scout the area to see if we¡¯re walking into a trap. Try not to talk in case they¡¯re closer than we think.¡± Sun Ren unsheathed two of her daggers and ran along the wall out of sight.


    Lu Na looked at them all. The spirits were unconcerned but they kept quiet. Nugua was buffing her claws on her tunic while Baihu sat upon her own tails like a chair.


    Only Hen Li kept alert as he looked out from their hiding spot from time to time.


    With nothing better to do, Lu Na took out her manual to study it some more. She was looking at the pipe design again and noticed that she could easily modify her bracelet to be more effective. The pattern she copied earlier was good, but it was missing two critical pieces to make it better.


    If this worked, she could make her null metal bracelets hold enough energy to last for days instead of the few hours she¡¯s had so far. And when she used it at full power, she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about draining the energy right away.


    The Xia inventors were brilliant.


    But if they were so brilliant, why did their dynasty fall? Why did none of this technology get passed down the centuries?


    Sun Ren came back as silent as she left. If Lu Na wasn¡¯t watching for her return, she wouldn¡¯t have noticed when Sun Ren entered the building.


    ¡°Good news is that there are no other soldiers from the rebel¡¯s camp,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°The bad news is that they¡¯re having a meeting inside that building the one soldier is guarding. It sounds like they are about to raid the village again for any remaining villagers.¡±


    ¡°We need to warn Jie,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°If those guys go in there, they¡¯re going to destroy all the devices and machines in there.¡±


    Sun Ren shook her head.


    ¡°No, we shouldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why not? Jie has given us food and other things. It¡¯s the least we could do so that they can defend themselves.¡±


    ¡°It would take us hours to walk back to where Jie left us and even then, there¡¯s no guarantee that she can hear or see us. Her spirit blocked the other tunnel, making it impossible to go back. Beyond that, this is a golden opportunity. As the rebels attack the village, we will slip around their forces to get to the next section of the labyrinth.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s¡­ evil.¡± Lu Na didn¡¯t want to describe her friend that way, but her decision cannot be described any other way. She was going to use the village in order to further her own goals.


    ¡°I agree. This is the best course of action,¡± Baihu said. ¡°The sooner we get out of this labyrinth, the sooner we go home. Your father will probably have an important mission for you.¡±


    Before Lu Na could add anything, Nugua said, ¡°Na Na, you don¡¯t have to worry about Jie. She¡¯s got that huge boar spirit that can take on these mortal men. They¡¯re not bonded to their spirits right now so they¡¯re only as strong as the brawny monk right now. They can¡¯t do anything.¡±


    ¡°I agree with Sun Ren and her spirit,¡± Hen Li said. ¡°The faster we solve the puzzle and get out of here the better.¡±


    Even the life loving monk said that? What could Lu Na say?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Na Na. As much as I love your opinions and your delicate heart, we have to focus on our mission. If we don¡¯t get out of here, it doesn¡¯t matter if the village is wiped out,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°Besides, I wasn¡¯t asking for your opinion. I¡¯m leading the group and we do as I say. So everyone, I hope you had enough rest because there¡¯s a lot more walking after this and possibly some running.¡±


    Everyone got up, ready to go again.


    Lu Na still felt uneasy for leaving Jie and her village to face the rebel army, but there really wasn¡¯t anything she could do. So she said a small prayer to Jie¡¯s father, hoping that as the ancestor of the village that he will protect them.


    Otherwise, Lu Na was going to come back to the stuff of nightmares. She had enough of those already.


    Despite having some rest, Lu Na was exhausted. She didn¡¯t sleep like the others and her fight with Jie¡¯s spirit was finally catching up to her. And worse, she was walking again and this time her spirit wasn¡¯t providing any relief.


    Yet Lu Na didn¡¯t complain because this time she knew Sun Ren and Hen Li didn¡¯t have their spirits helping them either. And the spirits walked as if they had unlimited energy.


    Nugua was even whistling.


    Lu Na never thought she¡¯d hate having her spirit outside of her spirit realm, but everything she does was annoying her.


    ¡°Why are you whistling? Sun Ren told us to be quiet,¡± Lu Na whispered.


    ¡°It¡¯s because there is no one around us for many Li,¡± Nugua said.


    ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because I would have smelled fresh meat.¡± Nugua smiled, revealing her sharp fangs.


    Lu Na didn¡¯t have an answer to that. The last thing she needed was picturing her spirit eating people.


    ¡°Honored spirit, do you think we could rest, then?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    Nugua sniffed the air while walking in a circle.


    ¡°The closest humans I can smell are at least an hour away if they ran toward us the whole way. But there are plenty of spirits all around, just waiting for us to show weakness.¡±


    Sun Ren paused in front of a building. This one only had one opening in the front with two small windows.


    ¡°Baihu, think we can take a break here?¡±


    Baihu turned into a white fox and sprinted toward the building. She disappeared around the back. After a few moments, she came back. She turned back into human form with nine tails.


    ¡°Yes, it has an exit in the back and a way to the roof.¡±


    ¡°Then everyone, we rest here for a few hours before we move again.¡± Sun Ren walked into the building as the others followed silently. ¡°I¡¯ll take the first shift while¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll watch over you all,¡± Baihu said. ¡°Spirits don¡¯t need to rest, but you humans look like you¡¯re about to collapse. Nugua and I will guard you if necessary.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you will. I¡¯m going hunting,¡± Nugua said. She disappeared back out into the labyrinth.


    ¡°Either way, you all need rest. I¡¯ll be here.¡± Baihu turned into a smaller white fox pup. A few moments later, she split into nine identical pups.


    Lu Na gasped. That¡¯s how Sun Ren looked that time they ran from the Wintersweet disciples. Now that she wasn¡¯t in danger, she hadn¡¯t realized how cute the fox pups were. If she weren¡¯t so tired and if the pup wasn¡¯t an ancient spirit, Lu Na would have cuddled with one.


    But all Lu Na could really do now is sit down and take off her shoes. She rubbed her foot and toes, trying to soothe the pain that had been growing for the last few hours.


    The white fox pups all disappeared outside of the building except one that sat in the doorway.


    Lu Na laid her head back against the wall. Just like that, she fell asleep.

 Chapter 70 - Sun Ren鈥檚 Folly

    Sun Ren watched as her only friend fell asleep, peacefully, without a care in the world. Oh, how she would love to do the same. But she can¡¯t, can she? Baihu was right to ask before.


    Why is she doing so much for this Young Miss Lu?


    ¡°I¡¯m going out to check the perimeter too,¡± Sun Ren told the monk. ¡°Can you watch over everyone while I go out?¡±


    Hen Li nodded.


    At least the monk was dependable. Sun Ren could tell right away that he¡¯s had training in operations when he was a part of his summoner sect.


    Sun Ren took a deep breath, unsheathing her two daggers, and walked out into the streets. The labyrinth was a mystery to her. She never thought to go inside as it would have meant certain death thanks to all her father¡¯s intel. Yet, this time she had no choice.


    She chuckled to herself. If Sun Ren hadn¡¯t been following Lu Na, then she wouldn¡¯t have been put into this impossible situation. Lu Na was their best chance to get out of here and solve the puzzle.


    Sun Ren will give Lu Na this: she has made her boring life a lot more interesting.


    Sun Ren climbed to the roof of one of the short buildings. She had to be extra careful, as the buildings looked like they were about to collapse. They¡¯ve stood for thousands of years.


    If she were to die here, at least it was beautiful in its own way. Sure, all the color had been washed clean by time, but one look and she could see the majesty of the Xia dynasty. They built this massive labyrinth to protect something.


    Whatever it was, it better still be there when they came for it. More importantly, it better be something useful to her or her Sun family. The world outside of these walls was about to collapse into chaos. She needed something to prove to her father that her time wasn¡¯t wasted.


    Sun Ren sat down and closed her eyes.


    ¡°Baihu, can you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Hearing her voice within her own head again gave Sun Ren a measure of comfort. She heard it before, but it was disorienting to hear her outside.


    ¡°How does it look?¡±


    ¡°Not good. There are patrols everywhere. Whoever these people are, they¡¯re much more skilled than we thought.¡±


    ¡°I doubt that. I almost took out over twenty of them myself the other night. Their skill is at most the level of an amateur.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get arrogant now, Sun Ren. You remember what your father said about that?¡±


    ¡°Yes, spirit. I remember.¡± Sun Ren agreed, but for whatever reason she didn¡¯t feel like agreeing. Her spirit had always been there, reminding her over and over of her father¡¯s or brother¡¯s words. Or worse, lecturing her on her sifu¡¯s words.


    She got it. She¡¯s not as smart as they are and that she should listen to them, despite knowing that she could do so much more. They all think she¡¯s incapable because she¡¯s a woman.


    It was so frustrating.


    Sun Ren cut off the connection with her spirit and opened her eyes. That was the one thing she didn¡¯t miss. Her spirit was always tamping down on her emotions. These spirits always think they know better.


    It felt good to finally be free, to breathe a deep breath without having something in her head molding her. Still, she was grateful for Baihu. Her spirit gave her the abilities to do things that she normally couldn¡¯t, not as a woman or as a daughter.


    Sun Ren closed her eyes and resumed her connection with Baihu.


    ¡°I was worried. I thought you might have been attacked,¡± Baihu said.


    ¡°No, I just needed a second to focus. Sorry. You were saying?¡±


    ¡°Despite all the patrols, they can¡¯t cover the entire section of the labyrinth. Not only that, we found a settlement near the gate to the next section of the labyrinth.¡±


    Sun Ren took out the map and looked at her drawings. It wasn¡¯t as good as the hairpin, but she got the important parts. The section they were in right now was the largest, but it was also closed off from the other parts. She was sure that this section was meant for the common populace to live, but something must have happened and the devices that kept them alive stopped working.


    Only that small patch of land where Jie¡¯s village allowed anyone to survive. That must have been thousands of people who died here, trapped and starving, with no way out. What a cruel way to treat their own people. If she were emperor, she would never play with people¡¯s lives like that.


    ¡°I¡¯m assuming they don¡¯t have the key to get into the next section of the labyrinth. That¡¯s why they¡¯re still here. But when you say settlement, what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Look.¡±


    Sun Ren closed her eyes and shared her vision with Baihu. The settlement was larger than a village, but smaller than a city. It looked like an army encampment with wooden walls put up and soldiers patrolling the area. Yet, they also had women and children walking among the tents.


    The craziest thing was that they also had a farming area with rows upon rows of budding vegetables. Somehow, the light above them was generating the sunlight the plants needed to grow.


    How long have they been here? And more importantly, how are they getting the water and other resources they need?


    That¡¯s when Baihu switched the vision to another of her copies.


    Further north of the settlement, there was a running river. It looked like it flowed into the labyrinth and then back out of it. But how could that be?


    Wait, they were probably getting the water from Chao lake. For the Xia people to have somehow created a channel from the Chao Lake into this labyrinth, they must have had brilliant engineers.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Or better summoners.


    If there was one thing Sun Ren has noticed about the Xia people was that they had a better bond with their spirits. If Sun Ren could have bonded with Baihu in the same way, then she might have more peace and quiet in her own head. Would she have been different?


    ¡°Baihu, how close can you get to their general¡¯s tent?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t. They have many high stage summoners there. One of them is close to level 3.¡±


    ¡°How did they get such a powerful summoner? But that shouldn¡¯t matter. If he¡¯s that close, he must be nearing sixty and near the end of his life. I doubt he could stop me.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m going. If I can kill their general, then we can throw the rest of them into disarray. All we need is a large enough distraction.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°No Baihu, we¡¯re doing this. The faster we do this, the safer we¡¯ll be when we pass through those gates. We don¡¯t need them chasing us as the Wintersweet Sect has done. We¡¯ve done this so many times.¡±


    ¡°Fine, but be safe.¡±


    Sun Ren severed the connection between them. She was tired of constantly listening to her spirit. Baihu always wanted to play it safe, but that always took too long. So many times her father sent her on missions and if it weren¡¯t for having to listen to Baihu and her threats of telling her sifu, Sun Ren could have finished every mission so much faster!


    <hr>


    ¡°Monk, I¡¯m going to kill their general,¡± Sun Ren said after explaining the situation to the monk. ¡°I should be back in a few hours. When I do, be sure to wake Lu Na so we can go.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. Must we kill more people?¡± Hen Li asked. The monk had been reciting that sutra over and over. At first, she thought it was calming. Now it was irritating because it could alert people to them at any time. The labyrinth was big, but not that big.


    ¡°Do you have another solution? From what I saw of the map, we need to make it past that settlement to get to the gate. Once we get there, we can use Lu Na¡¯s key to continue our journey. The fastest way to do that is to kill their general and then, in their confusion, we run past. No one else needs to die.¡±


    ¡°Why not just make a distraction?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t see the settlement, monk. They¡¯re actively guarding the gate. They won¡¯t let us through. And when they see us, they will capture us for Lu Na¡¯s key.¡±


    The monk took out his prayer beads and began cycling through them, lost in thought.


    Sun Ren didn¡¯t wait for a response as she prepared the rest of her daggers. This time, she was going to use a few of Lu Na¡¯s wards to cause a big distraction. The only challenge she had was her black Sun family tunic stood out too much.


    Unlike the outside of the labyrinth, there didn¡¯t seem to be much of a night inside. That light at the center of the labyrinth stayed lit throughout the night. It¡¯s not as strong as the actual sun, but it made sneaking around a lot harder.


    More than likely, she¡¯d have to wear those hemp tunics again. All she would need to do is sneak around the area, get in close to the general when a sudden boulder of earth rushes right at their settlement, and then assassinate him while they try to see who¡¯s attacking them. Something she¡¯s done many times before.


    ¡°I¡¯ll speak with their leader,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°You¡¯ll what?¡± Sun Ren hadn¡¯t expected that. The monk wasn¡¯t as strong as he was outside of the labyrinth and even if he was, there was no way he could compare to what they have inside the settlement.


    ¡°I¡¯ll simply ask for passage through their settlement to reach the other side. I¡¯m sure they wouldn¡¯t mind if we can help each other. We¡¯ll get Lu Na to open the gate and then everything will be fine.¡± The monk got up and packed what few things he had with him.


    ¡°But they will kill us or keep us prisoners.¡±


    ¡°Or maybe they will be kind and benevolent, like Buddha, welcoming us. And together, we could solve the puzzle and release all these poor souls trapped within the labyrinth.¡±


    Sun Ren scoffed at that notion. She glanced at the sleeping Lu Na.


    ¡°Only na?ve young misses will believe in those kinds of fairytales. They¡¯re strong here. They command an army. And like all rules in the world, the strong can do whatever they want. More than likely, they¡¯ll kill us and keep Lu Na so she can solve the puzzle.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. If I don¡¯t descend to the underworld, then who would? Let me talk with them and see if I can¡¯t convince them. It would be a shame if whatever you¡¯re planning destroys that settlement. They look like they can sustain themselves without the need to leave and maybe they can also help Jie¡¯s village.¡±


    That¡¯s when everything came together for Sun Ren.


    ¡°No, those women and children down there are from Jie¡¯s village. It¡¯s why it was empty. Now it makes more sense.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. Then it makes more sense to talk with them. We can¡¯t hurt the villagers.¡±


    ¡°Why not? They¡¯re not my people and the mission comes first.¡±


    The monk sighed.


    ¡°Look, I don¡¯t care what you think of me, but the last thing I want to do is die inside this labyrinth,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°I came hoping Lu Na¡¯s mother asked to save her.¡±


    ¡°Not for the secret of the labyrinth so that you can use it to help your father?¡±


    ¡°That too. I have never hid that truth from anyone.¡±


    ¡°But you never told Young Miss Lu, have you?¡±


    Sun Ren shrugged.


    ¡°She never asked. Besides, if we save her mother and we get something that can help my father pacify this nation, then where¡¯s the harm in that?¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. You remind me so much of my father and his excuses for using me to murder those villages in the name of our sect. You two are the same.¡±


    ¡°Was that supposed to make me feel bad?¡± Sun Ren scoffed. ¡°Unlike your sect, we are not seeking glory and power. We¡¯re trying to save the very people who suffer because those in power seek to enrich themselves.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. Then please let me try to talk with them at least. If I fail, then you have nothing to lose.¡±


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll give you the time of one incense stick. If you are captured, then I¡¯m going to murder that general. Just so you know, I¡¯ll burn down the settlement if I have to in order to get what we need. Na Na and I are not dying here nor are we going to be captives of that rebel.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. Thank you for seeing reason.¡± The monk pushed his hands together and bowed.


    <hr>


    Of course, the monk gets caught, tied up, and brought before their general and summoner. The worst part was, he told them what Sun Ren was planning, as if that was a bargaining chip. Who does that? Who tells the enemy all their plans, hoping they will surrender?


    Sun Ren had turned herself into one of Baihu¡¯s white fox pups and infiltrated the settlement with ease. She stood close by as the monk explained the entire plan to Yang Deli. She had hoped that the monk would have been a bigger distraction so that she could assassinate the general simultaneously.


    What she didn¡¯t expect was that the powerful summoner sensed her presence and sent his powerful dog spirit after her.


    Sun Ren fled as fast as she could. Normally, if killing the general was the mission she would have thrown herself at him in one last attempt even if it meant dying, but she couldn¡¯t do that. She couldn¡¯t leave Lu Na alone in here.


    All Sun Ren had to do was escape the settlement. She was a small fox pup and there were plenty of little holes and such to get to. But before she could escape through one of the wooden gates, the summoner¡¯s dog spirit pounced on her.


    In moments, she turned back into her human form, still wearing her black tunic.


    Baihu¡¯s other white fox pups jumped into the fray. The large dog took them down with fierce bites and swipes of his paws.


    Sun Ren crawled away, only to see the feet of the general and his sword pointed at her head.


    ¡°Yield,¡± Yang Deli said. His eyes looked down at her through his iron helmet.


    ¡°Stupid monk. Couldn¡¯t have just done it my way,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°What? If you don¡¯t yield, I will disembowel you here on the streets.¡±


    Sun Ren raised her hands above her head.


    ¡°Fine, I yield,¡± Sun Ren said. Then in a whisper, ¡°Baihu, find Lu Na. Get her to safety.¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡±


    Sun Ren was bound and carried back to the general¡¯s tent. The only worry she had was Lu Na, alone and unprotected. Wait, she had her spirit. Despite how Nugua treats Lu Na, she would protect her no matter what. But would that be enough to keep her precious friend safe?

 Chapter 71 - Rebels Again

    Someone shook her gently at first. The shaking went from gentle to violent.


    ¡°Lu Na, get up,¡± Nugua said.


    When Lu Na awoke, the first thing she smelled was burning. When she opened her eyes, she saw Nugua smiling down at her, fangs showing, and blood dripping from the corner of her mouth.


    Lu Na clenched her left fist and flicked right. The spirit wall ward activated and covered her in a spirit skin. But before she could activate anything else, Nugua placed a hand on her left hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t have to use that right now,¡± Nugua said. ¡°The last thing I need is to be thrown across the room from your uncontrolled earth wall. But you have to get up.¡±


    Lu Na looked around the room, and first noticed a small fire burning just outside of the building. She was alone in the building with Nugua.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Sun Ren? Where¡¯s Hen Li? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re fighting. The rebels were better prepared than I thought. They had some way of hiding their scent from me. When I went hunting, I met a few of them and they were not so happy to see me when I ate them. Of course, when they started screaming, more rebels came and I had to run.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s when you brought them back to us,¡± Lu Na said.


    Nugua nodded.


    ¡°But look. I came back to get you so we can run before they get here. Sun Ren and Hen Li know to meet us at the gate.¡±


    ¡°What gate?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get going first and I¡¯ll explain on the way.¡±


    Nugua helped Lu Na get up. Her body felt like a million pounds crushing her. But after shaking it out a little, she felt better. She drank a little water and grabbed the rest of her stuff.


    The pair walked out of the building from the back. They marched through dark alleyways with Nugua leading.


    ¡°When I told Sun Ren and the monk about the rebels being closer than I thought, Hen Li wanted to talk with them. He wanted to resolve this peacefully and hopefully we might even work together.¡±


    ¡°Why would he think they would agree to that?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s because that na?ve child thinks he can fix his past with words. If he saves even one person, he feels it would be worth it even if it meant his own death.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not such a good idea.¡±


    ¡°Of course. You only say that because the only thing you¡¯ve ever hurt were the mosquitoes that bit you. You¡¯ve never killed entire villages with a wave of your hand.¡±


    Lu Na wasn¡¯t sure what to say to that. She couldn¡¯t imagine ever having the power to do that nor could she imagine going through with killing so many people.


    ¡°Besides, the foolish monk needs to learn that nothing in this world matters, especially you humans. You¡¯re here one day and then gone the next.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true. What we do in this life matters.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you say child. I¡¯ve been around for so long. Everything just fades.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s move on. I¡¯m sure Sun Ren and Hen Li could use our help.¡± Lu Na didn¡¯t like to think about her own life. As boring as it has been, she couldn¡¯t think about what would happen when it was over.


    ¡°Wait.¡± Nugua stopped, forcing Lu Na to bump into her. ¡°Your friends aren¡¯t as strong as I thought they were.¡±


    Lu Na looked past Nugua. There was a wide open space in front of them. Tents lined up in a neat order up and down in front of a large metal gate. There was a wooden wall built around the encampment with guards patrolling. It looked like a small city.


    ¡°How many people did the rebel bring with him?¡± Lu Na could see a sea of people walking through a small market area, buying and selling common things like food and other trinkets.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what you should worry about. Your friends are being held captive,¡± Nugua said.


    ¡°Where?¡±


    Nugua pointed with one long, fingered claw down the middle of the mini city.


    Lu Na squinted and saw two figures tied up and forced to kneel in front of the largest tent in the whole place. She recognized Sun Ren¡¯s black tunic, so the one next to her must be the monk.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± Lu Na asked.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°We leave them and go deeper into the labyrinth,¡± Nugua said.


    Lu Na laughed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I can make it through the labyrinth without those two. Or are we forgetting how weak I am?¡±


    ¡°No, but I think you¡¯re underestimating how strong I am.¡± Nugua closed her eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°This is my home. I can smell all the aromas of the past driving me forward. I can get you through this labyrinth with ease. All you have to do is forget those two and I¡¯ll get you to the center of the labyrinth in a day.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re so strong, then help me save them. How many times has Sun Ren saved me?¡±


    Nugua stared at the kneeling figure.


    ¡°Fine. If you want to save that girl so much, then answer me: what can you give me?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯ll give you anything you want as long as you can save Sun Ren.¡±


    ¡°Even if it means the rest of your life force?¡± Nugua licked her lips.


    ¡°Are you going to eat me if I say yes?¡±


    Nugua tilted Lu Na¡¯s head up so their eyes locked onto each other.


    ¡°Oh no, I would never eat you, my dear Na Na. But your life force, the very thing that allows you to live, will be given to me as payment for saving those two.¡±


    ¡°Was that a part of the pact you made with my mother?¡±


    Nugua smiled, licking her lips.


    ¡°Yes. She made me promise to never drain your life force no matter what. I have kept that promise. But if you want me to risk my life to save those two, then you have to give me yours in exchange.¡±


    Lu Na hesitated. She would gladly give her life for her friends because they were stronger, better, and meant for greater things. They saved her life countless times. But there was something else that Nugua wasn¡¯t saying.


    Despite her desire to drain Lu Na¡¯s life force, Nugua never needed to as her mother gave her a lot of spirit energy to use. And while draining her life force would bring her closer to death and therefore closer to her personal freedom, Nugua didn¡¯t seem to have the desire to be free. Lu Na¡¯s experience with Nugua over the years told her she was lonely and that she was happy to be bonded.


    Who else could she chide and mock?


    ¡°No, you want to hold this over my mother when we finally meet her,¡± Lu Na said.


    Nugua froze for a second before nodding.


    ¡°Of course. I adore you little Na Na, but there is nothing stopping your mother from draining me like a soup the moment we meet her. She would¡ª¡±


    ¡°I would stop her,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Even if it means your own death?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You have saved me as many times as my friends have and given me endless counsel. Why would I ever abandon you?¡±


    ¡°Oh my, you¡¯re going to make a spirit blush. Then fine, we can save those two, but we¡¯ll have to do it my way.¡±


    ¡°Your way?¡±


    Nugua smiled.


    ¡°You will not like my way, but it will be so much fun.¡±


    Lu Na wasn¡¯t sure what she meant by that, but Nugua was her only option. There was no way she was going to do anything herself.


    ¡°First, we¡¯re going to use your phoenix hairpin as bait. Take it out.¡± Nugua stooped onto the ground and began drawing a large box in the dirt and other figures representing the mini city below.


    Lu Na took out the hairpin. Despite all the crazy things happening, it was still in one piece.


    Nugua examined the hairpin.


    ¡°That¡¯s not good. The key only has a little bit of phoenix energy left. But it should be enough for what we need.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s next? What can I do?¡±


    ¡°Remember one of your earliest inventions where you wanted to attract spirits to you so you could study them?¡±


    Lu Na nodded.


    ¡°Do you still remember how to make it?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t mean to use that. It attracted all the spirits from over a hundred li away. If it weren¡¯t for the summoner sects in the city and surrounding areas, Jianye would have been overrun.¡±


    ¡°Make it and power it using null metal.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll pull all the spirits in the labyrinth here. They would overrun that city. Many would die.¡±


    ¡°Better them than us. If we can¡¯t solve the puzzle at the center, everyone dies anyway. These people don¡¯t have the key, otherwise they would have opened the gate already.¡±


    ¡°What gate?¡±


    Nugua pointed at the large wall the mini city camped next to. She waved her hand over Lu Na¡¯s eyes, activating her spirit sight.


    Lu Na saw a blinding white outline on the wall. She turned it down a little until she could see the outlines for other mechanisms on the gate. It looked like the city gate back at Jianye, except it was made of spirit techniques and probably powered by spirit energy.


    ¡°Your mother¡¯s phoenix energy and that hairpin will allow you to open that gate,¡± Nugua said. ¡°The only thing in your way is that city and those people. Not to mention, there is no easy way to save your friends without the biggest distraction we can muster.¡±


    ¡°What if we only attracted a few of the spirits? I can change it so it¡¯s not so powerful,¡± Lu Na said. The last thing she wanted was all those deaths on her conscience.


    ¡°Look Na Na, I know you don¡¯t want to hurt anyone. But these people are prepared for any spirit assault. See those wooden walls? They¡¯ve been attacked before. A handful of spirits will only tickle them. We need to bring enough force to break them and force them to use their strongest spirits to defend. That¡¯s the only way I can sneak in and save your friends.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± Lu Na took out a red sheet of paper and a piece of null metal. She took out her spirit wand and got to work.


    All the while she worked, she questioned her mother in her head. This had better be worth Lu Na¡¯s conscience. Otherwise, she¡¯s going to have to continue living with the nightmares.


    Lu Na focused on the device she was working on. Despite Nugua¡¯s plan, she had to modify it. She attuned it so that it would only attract weak spirits. A great gigantic mass of weak feral spirits would be as effective of a distraction as powerful spirits.


    Lu Na had promised that if she ever were to create this device again, she¡¯d be as far away as possible from it. The last time she made it, she didn¡¯t have the null metal powering it. This time, not only that but she was also going to bring it to the rebel¡¯s camp. Well, close enough as she stood on the north side of the camp with Nugua.


    So many people were going to die. But Nugua was right. If she didn¡¯t do this, Sun Ren and Hen Li might die. All the people living in this little city would not be worth Sun Ren¡¯s life. Even if the world looked down upon her for this, she¡¯d do it again.


    Lu Na began to understand Hen Li. She didn¡¯t have the same overwhelming power, but she was about to do the same thing for her own selfish desires.

 Chapter 72 - Plans Going Awry

    ¡°Ready?¡± Lu Na asked Nugua.


    ¡°Give me half an incense stick before setting it off.¡± Nugua sharpened her claws on a rock.


    ¡°You know we don¡¯t have incense here and my sense of time is terrible.¡±


    ¡°Then count to three hundred, slowly.¡±


    That Lu Na could do.


    Nugua disappeared in front of her.


    Lu Na used her spirit sight hoping to see her, but she couldn¡¯t. How was it that her spirit could be so stealthy like that? And more importantly, could Lu Na learn that technique from her? It would make traveling a lot easier if no one could see them.


    Lu Na made one last change to the spirit attracting device. She didn¡¯t want it to keep working so she put on a timer for it. It was something she picked up from the manual.


    Lu Na was surprised that she hadn¡¯t thought about doing that earlier. By simply having the device stop working after it used a certain amount of spirit energy was brilliant. She wondered if there were other things she could put in to either limit the strength or add new functions afterwards.


    Lu Na got up. It was about time. She hadn¡¯t really counted but it felt right. With a twist of the red paper, it activated. The entire device lit up in white, then red, then green, then black, then yellow before going back to white. It cycled through all the elements, calling all the spirits nearby.


    If Lu Na had to guess, after being powered by the null metal, it might even call the spirits from outside the labyrinth. Would that be enough to get them to break the walls of the labyrinth, freeing them?


    Lu Na didn¡¯t wait around as she ran as fast as she could toward the south side. She clenched her left fist the entire way in case she needed to use any of her wards. She made it back to the waiting spot Nugua indicated.


    ¡°Hey, who are you?¡± a man called out.


    Lu Na looked up. It was one rebel in a yellow uniform. He held a spear.


    ¡°I¡¯m lost,¡± Lu Na said, a little out of breath. ¡°I left the camp with my friend to look at the buildings and we got lost. Can you help me?¡±


    The man looked Lu Na up and down for a moment.


    ¡°You look familiar.¡±


    Lu Na looked away.


    ¡°Maybe you saw me in the market earlier? I¡¯m just a simple maid.¡±


    ¡°For who?¡±


    ¡°Leader Yang Deli,¡± Lu Na said. That was the only name she knew of all the rebels.


    ¡°You lie. He¡¯s got no maids as pretty as you.¡±


    Lu Na blushed. That wasn¡¯t what she was expecting.


    ¡°You must be one of those prostitutes trying to run away. Come here.¡± The man reached out with his free hand.


    That would not happen. Lu Na turned to face the man before punching forward with her left hand. It was enough to activate the tiger claw technique.


    The man¡¯s eyes widened just a second before he blocked the technique with his spear.


    ¡°You¡¯re a summoner. Then that means I don¡¯t have to play nice either.¡± The man thrust his spear at Lu Na.


    Lu Na turned her wrist left and a weak earth wall rose from the ground to stop the spear. It was just enough for her to dodge left. She kept raising earth walls behind her as she ran, in different heights and thickness.


    ¡°Ugh,¡± the man yelled behind as he tripped on one of the walls.


    It was one of the few things Lu Na wanted to test in Jie¡¯s village before she was interrupted. These earth walls didn¡¯t need to be walls for them to stop others. If her brother could use them so fluidly, so can she.


    ¡°Stop her! A summoner has attacked the camp!¡± the man yelled.


    Alarm bells rang in the camp.


    ¡°You¡¯re dead now, girl,¡± the man said. ¡°They¡¯re going to¡ª¡±


    Lu Na turned toward the camp and noticed that all the bells rang. Everyone in the camp was rushing toward the south side. Her spirit attraction device was working in full force.


    Lu Na stopped. The man ran back toward the camp, ignoring her.


    At this distance, she could see a mass of spirits gathering on the small hill. Lu Na guessed that in a very short while, the device would stop working and the spirits would attack the camp.


    Lu Na only hoped that they would have enough time to set up a strong enough defense to not be overrun completely. That would be a tragedy that she never hoped for.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    It was as if the heavens laughed at Lu Na¡¯s naivety.


    When the device stopped working, the spirits attacked each other. Many of them broke off and charged the camp, but the bulk of them were killing each other.


    That didn¡¯t happen last time.


    The entire camp had most of their soldiers fighting off the spirits that slammed into their wall. Nugua was right. They were better prepared than Lu Na thought. It goes to show the difference between trained men working together and summoners.


    The other surprising thing was that the camp had spirits fighting for them as well. Her spirit attraction device didn¡¯t pull summoners¡¯ spirits away.


    Lu Na didn¡¯t have time to ponder anymore. Now that the entire camp was busy with the attack, she had to meet Nugua at the gate. Hopefully, she could save Sun Ren and Hen Li.


    Nothing was ever easy.


    When Lu Na got there, she hid right away behind a fallen wall.


    A small platoon of rebels stood in front of the gate while a smaller group of summoners fought against Nugua. Meanwhile, Yang Deli stood at the gate with Sun Ren and Hen Li still tied up and kneeling on the ground.


    This was not good for Lu Na. She was hoping for Nugua to sneak in and free Sun Ren and Hen Li. How did she get caught by Yang Deli¡¯s forces?


    ¡°Young Miss Lu. I know you¡¯re out there, watching this,¡± Yang Deli said, his voice amplified by a spirit technique. ¡°Give me the key and I will allow these two to go and I will spare your spirit as well.¡±


    What should Lu Na do? On the one hand, she knew that without her friends or Nugua, she wouldn¡¯t be able to overtake Yang Deli or the army he had. The rebel leader had shown no mercy when dealing with her. Even a child knows that if she gave him the key, he would murder them all.


    Before Lu Na could decide, she felt a tug on her pants. She looked down to find one of Baihu¡¯s white fox pups.


    ¡°Baihu! I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here. I¡¯m not sure what to do.¡± Lu Na stooped and picked up the fox pup. Her fur wasn¡¯t as white as it was before and there were nicks and cuts along her body. ¡°What happened?¡±


    The white fox pup whined.


    Of course Lu Na couldn¡¯t hear her. A device she would need to make in the future would be one that would allow her to communicate with other spirits.


    ¡°Where are your other pups?¡±


    The white fox pup whined more.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but this is not helping. Is there something you or Sun Ren want me to do?¡±


    The white fox pup nodded. She jumped out of Lu Na¡¯s arms and trotted away.


    Lu Na didn¡¯t want to move away from Yang Deli, but maybe Baihu had a better idea of how to solve this. She followed the white fox pup back into the alleyways of the old buildings. They stopped at a short building with all its walls intact.


    Lu Na followed the white fox pup inside. It was not a kind sight. Four of the white fox pups were dead, covered by a sheet. Four others were in different states of shock and injury.


    The white fox pup that brought Lu Na there whined again.


    ¡°Do you want me to heal them?¡± Lu Na asked.


    The white fox pup nodded.


    Lu Na kneeled on the floor next to one of the white fox pups. The cuts looked as real on them as they would have on regular animals. The only difference is, instead of leaking blood, they leaked spirit energy.


    This was the first time Lu Na examined their ¡°blood¡± though. She pulled out her spirit wand and waved over it, trying to stop the bleeding. All it did was gather the spirit energy at the tip. So instead, Lu Na tried to reverse the wand¡¯s technique so the spirit energy would go back into the body.


    That didn¡¯t work.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°They¡¯re not humans and even if they were, I wouldn¡¯t know how to heal them either. I¡¯m not a doctor.¡±


    That¡¯s when inspiration hit her. Lu Na remembered the doctor Uncle Chen called for Sun Ren when they first ran from the Wintersweet Sect. There was a special technique the doctor used that allowed him to close a wound made from a spirit attack.


    Lu Na didn¡¯t pay too much attention at the time because the doctor performed it so fast, but now was a great time to remember. She closed her eyes to focus on that memory. More importantly, she focused on the technique the doctor used.


    Lu Na took out a piece of yellow paper and used her spirit wand to draw an approximation of the technique. She looked at the whining white fox pup.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m going to try something. I¡¯m not sure if this will work. Don¡¯t blame me if it doesn¡¯t, okay?¡±


    The white fox pup whined again, but nodded.


    Lu Na activated the piece of yellow paper. The technique focused spirit energy at the center of it and glowed green then yellow until it became a mix of both colors. If it did what Lu Na hopes it did, then this should seal the injuries. It won¡¯t put the spirit energy back, but that¡¯s not what she needed right now.


    Lu Na took a deep breath and placed the paper on the injured white fox pup. The yellow-green colors swirled before turning white. The cut was closing up on the spirit.


    It was working.


    Except it only worked on one cut. The moment it sealed the cut, the yellow paper burned up. At least it worked and didn¡¯t explode.


    Lu Na created new ones using her yellow paper. It took a bit of time before all the white fox pups were all mended. They weren¡¯t healed despite that. At least one of them looked like it was having trouble breathing.


    ¡°Now what?¡± Lu Na asked.


    The white fox pup that led Lu Na here yipped before walking up to each injured fox pup and ate them. That was the only way Lu Na could describe what it did. It opened its mouth and absorbed the other pup. After absorbing all the injured ones, the white fox pup turned back into her human form.


    ¡°Thank you, Young Miss Lu,¡± Baihu said. Her white dress had tears in it as if it was missing chunks. ¡°Thanks to your healing, I could absorb some of my pups back and that has allowed me to change back into this form.¡±


    Baihu sat down on the floor, wrapping her arms around her knees. At that moment, she looked like a lost young woman, unsure of what to do next.


    Lu Na thought that was probably how she looked. Except she didn¡¯t have the luxury. Nugua was still fighting with the summoners.


    ¡°Baihu, we have to help Nugua.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Young Miss Lu, I don¡¯t think I can help you. I tried to save Sun Ren when she got captured, but I¡¯m not a fighter. I can only create distractions.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all I need. What can you do?¡±


    Baihu clenched her fists and it glowed white.


    ¡°At most, I can spare one of my fox pups. If I use it any more, I won¡¯t be able to maintain this form.¡±


    ¡°Do you not have any other techniques? Nugua had more than she ever shared with me.¡±


    Baihu laughed.


    ¡°That monster has centuries of experience and knowledge even before the Xia dynasty. Despite me taking on this form, I¡¯m not the original nine-tailed fox of legends. Sun Ren¡¯s sifu shaped me this way. So no, all I can do is give you another fox pup as a distraction.¡±


    ¡°Then that¡¯s all I need.¡± Lu Na gathered up all the burned pieces of paper.


    ¡°Will it?¡±


    ¡°It will have to be.¡±

 Chapter 73 - Getting to the Gates

    Lu Na didn¡¯t have the same confidence that Sun Ren had, but she knew one thing was certain. Nugua was pivotal to saving her friends, as she was the most powerful asset she had. But since she¡¯s having trouble fighting the summoners, it was up to Lu Na to assist her.


    When Lu Na walked back toward the general¡¯s tent, the situation was different. Nugua was still fighting, but this time many of the summoners had run to the north side to fight off the spirit horde that Lu Na¡¯s invention summoned. Even from this distance, Lu Na could see the mini-city was having trouble holding them off.


    ¡°Please let the sins pass,¡± Lu Na said to herself.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± Baihu stood next to her, staring at the same battle unfold.


    ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m just thinking about my karma. Anyway, do you think your fox pup can bring my devices into their leader¡¯s general area?¡±


    Baihu nodded. She closed her eyes, clenching her left fist, before a small fox pup appeared at her feet. She lost another tail behind her, bringing her down to four. She stumbled a bit before sitting down.


    ¡°Listen to her, my child,¡± Baihu told the fox pup.


    The white fox pup whined at Baihu before nodding. It turned to look at Lu Na.


    Hearing Nugua¡¯s shriek was all that kept her focused. Otherwise, she would have picked up the pup and squeezed it. Not only was it cute, but she needed something to hold and comfort her.


    Lu Na stooped and placed five light wards on the pup¡¯s body. Then she took out a firecracker and placed it in the pup¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Okay, this is the hard part. I need you to get close enough to them and shake all these wards off of you. When you do, throw the firecracker at them. When it goes off, it will make a blinding light, so be sure to hide when that happens. Do you think you can do that?¡±


    The fox pup nodded.


    Lu Na took out her fire stick and blew on it until it came back to life. She lit the firecracker.


    Then the fox pup ran like the wind toward the leader¡¯s tent. It kept its head down as it snaked its way through the mini-city.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± Baihu asked.


    ¡°You do nothing. I¡¯m going to save my friends.¡± Lu Na tugged her null metal bracelet tight onto her wrist. She took out a spirit wall ward and activated it onto herself, creating a spirit skin. Then she took out the broken slingshot. It would not do much, but Lu Na repaired it enough so that a wave of the slingshot would shoot out tiger claws.


    ¡°Good luck. If you don¡¯t make it back, I will bury your body,¡± Baihu said.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    <hr>


    Lu Na sprinted toward the leader¡¯s tent where Sun Ren and Hen Li still kneeled. The first thing she had to do was help Nugua. When Lu Na got closer, she saw Nugua had sustained a few injuries, mostly across her arms and side.


    Lu Na marveled at her fighting spirit as she looked like a feral animal, using her tail and claws against the very spirits that attacked her. None of the summoners or soldiers dared approach.


    It was time to even up the fight.


    Lu Na snapped her slingshot at two of the spirits in quick succession. She used it at full power, causing the string to snap again. It didn¡¯t matter. She put it away into her chest pocket before she ran away.


    The other summoners noticed and sent the soldiers to chase after Lu Na.


    That was their mistake. Lu Na turned around, clenched her left fist, and punched out. Tiger claws crashed into the soldiers, knocking them back or shredding their armor. That was enough to force them back.


    Lu Na ran around and faced the three spirits that broke from Nugua to attack her. One of them threw a wood technique at her.


    Lu Na raised an earth wall from the ground by flicking her wrist to the left. She stepped aside and punched at the spirits. Two tiger claws ripped through one spirit while it pushed the other two back.


    Next, Lu Na focused for a moment, thinking about what she wanted to do. She kept running while raising an earth wall to her right, creating a divider between her and the other spirits and summoners. She kept raising the walls until she reached Nugua.


    When Nugua saw her, she almost bit Lu Na¡¯s head off. She opened her mouth and her fangs dripped with blood.


    ¡°Wait, it¡¯s me,¡± Lu Na said.


    Nugua looked at the earth wall being raised up and waved her hand. It looked like she was pushing the wall down. Instead, the wall broke up into large chunks and flew at the enemy spirits and summoners.


    ¡°We have to run,¡± Nugua said.


    ¡°Not yet. I have another surprise.¡± Lu Na raised another earth wall in front of them just in time.


    A loud bang sounded behind the wall and the entire labyrinth lit up in a bright white light. Anyone staring at it would have been blinded.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Lu Na released her left fist and shook it out. Her bracelet was burning.


    ¡°Cover me while I free Sun Ren and Hen Li.¡± Lu Na didn¡¯t wait for a response before running toward the pair. She had to shield her eyes as the source of light was very close by. Her light ward would keep shining until someone turned it off.


    Sun Ren and Hen Li were both writhing on the floor. Lu Na took out Sun Ren¡¯s dagger and cut Sun Ren free before moving to Hen Li.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Lu Na. Follow me.¡± Lu Na pulled Sun Ren and Hen Li up. They followed each other by holding onto Lu Na¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Ah, the Young Miss Lu is back,¡± Yang Deli said.


    ¡°How are you not blinded?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°This helmet of mine doesn¡¯t just protect from stray arrows.¡± Yang Deli unsheathed his sword. ¡°Now you either come with me, or I will cut you all down here and now.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t do that. I have the key to the puzzle.¡± Lu Na let Hen Li go to free her left hand. If she used her bracelet, it would probably burn through her hand at this point. It hadn¡¯t cooled off yet.


    ¡°If you hadn¡¯t noticed, I have all the time in the world to solve this puzzle,¡± Yang Deli said. ¡°I have farm land and farmers. I have an army that can protect against these feral spirits.¡±


    ¡°No, you have slaves to do your bidding,¡± Sun Ren shouted. She unsheathed her belt sword and thrust it at Yang Deli. He parried her with ease.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re still so strong after that beating,¡± Yang Deli said.


    Lu Na looked around for Nugua. She was supposed to be covering their escape.


    There was no helping it. Lu Na clenched her left fist again. The bracelet was burning her through the leather wrap. She punched forward, releasing a tiger claw at Yang Deli.


    Yang Deli parried it with his sword, but it knocked him back.


    ¡°Sun Ren, we have to run. The feral spirits are going to overrun the base at any moment,¡± Lu Na said. She helped Hen Li up and pushed toward the western exit behind the leader¡¯s tent.


    Sun Ren screamed.


    Lu Na turned around to see a long gash on Sun Ren¡¯s tunic. She flicked her wrist to the left and raised an earth wall in front of Sun Ren before Yang Deli could stab her.


    Lu Na ran back to Sun Ren and dragged her with both arms toward the exit. Her left wrist burned from the bracelet, making her lose her grip on Sun Ren and they both fell.


    ¡°Come on, Sun Ren. We have to keep moving. We can¡¯t stop here.¡± Lu Na got up and pulled Sun Ren up.


    Sun Ren held onto her wound and ran with Lu Na.


    When they made it past the wooden wall, Lu Na realized why Nugua wasn¡¯t there. Her spirit was fighting a group of soldiers. They all had spears and kept Nugua back.


    It didn¡¯t matter how powerful spirits were when compared to people. If enough people worked together, they could overcome any spirit. But Nugua was not alone.


    Lu Na took out an earth wall ward. She focused her mind, activated it, and tossed it in front of Nugua. An earth wall rose in front of Nugua. Lu Na took out another earth wall and threw it by the first wall, creating a smaller earth wall.


    ¡°Climb up!¡± Lu Na jumped onto the earth wall and dragged Sun Ren up. She then activated another earth wall right in front of her, making a walkway in front of her. Nugua and Hen Li followed behind.


    When the soldiers realized that Lu Na was creating a bridge over their heads, they stabbed at it with their spears. One almost got Lu Na in the foot.


    ¡°Nugua, can you strengthen the earth walls below us?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Nugua grimaced, showing her fangs. She waved a clawed hand and the bridge below them became like stones instead of soft earth.


    The soldiers ran around to the stairs and followed behind them.


    Lu Na turned around and threw another earth ward behind her. That was a mistake. The earth wards took whatever earth that was below it to create their walls. When her newest ward activated, it reshaped the very bridge they stood on to raise another wall.


    Nugua saw that happening and instead made the new ward form only halfway.


    ¡°Child, stop trying to make my life harder. I can¡¯t do much more.¡±


    They all ran to the end of the bridge. It connected to the main gate within the labyrinth. The soldiers followed them from below as well, awaiting them with spears.


    ¡°Child, take out the phoenix hairpin and open that gate before they gut us. I¡¯ll hold them off.¡± Nugua turned to face the pursuing soldiers. They slowed and approached with their spears, two abreast.


    Lu Na took out her hairpin and it was glowing red already. She opened her spirit sight to look at it and saw red spirit energy leaking out from it and reaching toward the gate. However, it didn¡¯t connect directly. It was flowing downward toward the gate on the ground.


    ¡°We have a problem.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Sun Ren was patching up her arm with a piece of linen.


    ¡°The door is below us. The key is telling me we have to go down there to open it.¡±


    Sun Ren peeked down at the soldiers as they grimly stared up at them.


    ¡°We can¡¯t fight them. Not in my current condition. And I doubt the monk is in any condition to do anything. They were so afraid of him that they beat him up the moment he entered their encampment.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the holdup?¡± Nugua shouted.


    Lu Na looked up and saw her spirit dodge the spears with the narrowest of movements. Her body bent this way and that. She looked more like a snake than a woman.


    Lu Na focused again on the hairpin. She peeked down toward the hole it was supposed to get to. There was no way they would get there. But what if she tried something else? She squinted her eyes at the door below and could faintly make out the patterns etched into the gate.


    They shouldn¡¯t be too hard to copy. Lu Na took out her spirit wand and began etching the same patterns on the gate in front of them. From what she could see, the technique didn¡¯t open like a normal door or even a normal gate. There was a mechanism that connected the gate to the turning mechanism at the top. If Lu Na could match the same patterns here as it was down there, it should open all the same.


    Nugua screeched. The soldiers had pierced her abdomen with a spear. Golden spirit energy leaked from her like blood.


    Nugua snapped the spears with her claws. She teleported forward and grabbed the two soldiers by the throat before tossing them back at the other soldiers.


    ¡°Get that door open or I¡¯m going to eat you child,¡± Nugua hissed.


    Lu Na turned away when her spirit did just that with the next approaching soldier. She finished the patterns on the gate and then placed her silver phoenix hairpin right on it.


    ¡°Please work.¡±


    The red spirit energy flowed from the hairpin into the patterns. The gate lit up red and the spirit energy flowed to the very top. Chains rattled and gears turned within the gate. The large metal gate fell forward, being held up by large chains on either side.


    Once the gates hit the floor, pandemonium followed. A large group of feral spirits waited on the other side. They pounced at the soldiers waiting for Lu Na.


    Not one soldier survived.


    The soldiers on the bridge panicked and ran away from the gates back toward their camp.

 Chapter 74 - Entering the Outer Sanctum

    The bridge they stood on shook without the gate holding it up.


    Lu Na took out another earth wall ward and focused on what she wanted. She activated it and the earth rose to meet them.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Can you make any more bridges?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t make the bridge like Nugua.¡±


    Nugua laid down near Hen Li, with the two spears still stuck inside her.


    Lu Na walked over and pulled out the sealing ward she made for Baihu.


    ¡°Nugua, I can seal your wounds, but we have to pull those out. Hen Li, can you do it?¡±


    ¡°Amituofo.¡± Hen Li nodded.


    ¡°We better hurry. The spirits are climbing up the wall.¡± Sun Ren unsheathed her daggers.


    Hen Li grabbed the spears and pulled them out in one swift motion.


    Nugua hissed, but kept her eyes closed.


    Lu Na quickly sealed her wounds with the healing ward. This time, Lu Na combined multiple healing wards in hopes it would be more effective.


    A feral spirit screeched before crashing down.


    ¡°I could use help here,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°Go, I¡¯ll watch over your spirit,¡± Hen Li said.


    Lu Na rubbed her null metal bracelet. It was warm, but no longer burning. It was time to try something that she didn¡¯t get to before in Jie¡¯s village.


    ¡°Can you hold them off for a little while?¡±


    Sun Ren grunted as she stabbed another spirit.


    Lu Na closed her eyes and focused on what she wanted to do. She imagined the ground below them sinking away, doing the complete opposite of what the earth wall wards would normally do. The only thing she needed to keep up was the earth wall that was holding them up.


    Lu Na clenched her left fist and flicked it left. She held the image in her mind as she focused on the ground below them.


    The earth shifted below the spirit animals and sank deeper. It was slow at first, but in moments it sank really fast, creating a deep sinkhole.


    Lu Na had to release her fist. The bracelet burned her wrist. She took it off and held it aloft in her hand.


    Sun Ren pushed the last few feral spirits off the wall before collapsing onto the ground, breathing hard.


    ¡°Good¡­ job.¡±


    Lu Na wanted to say something in response, but her vision swam and she collapsed onto the ground.


    ¡°Lu Na!¡± Sun Ren crawled over to Lu Na.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m okay, I think,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°I think focusing so hard hurts my head.¡±


    Nugua laughed.


    ¡°Now you know how it feels whenever I mold those wards for you.¡±


    Sun Ren passed Lu Na a water skin to drink. She drank from another. Despite everything, Sun Ren still had her pack. Somehow, she didn¡¯t get it taken from her when she was captured.


    Lu Na had lost her pack a while ago. All she had was a small stash of food she put inside her chest pocket before all the madness. The rest, she left with Baihu.


    ¡°Wait, Baihu. Did she make it here?¡±


    Sun Ren looked up. She closed her eyes to focus.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not sure where she is. She¡¯s not close by.¡±


    ¡°Finally. I think I¡¯m better. Let¡¯s look over what we have and consider our next moves,¡± Sun Ren said. She took out a piece of dried meat and passed it to Lu Na. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I don¡¯t have any vegetables for you monk.¡±


    Hen Li closed his eyes and nodded. He began chanting the heart sutra again.


    ¡°Other than Nugua¡¯s injuries, is anyone else badly injured?¡± Sun Ren checked her own body.


    Lu Na felt a small burning in her left leg. There was a cut that ran up her dress. She lifted it and saw a shallow, blood red line going up her leg. It had clotted over, but it still burned.


    Lu Na took out a handkerchief from her chest pocket. She poured a little water and dabbed at her cut.


    ¡°Nugua, how are you doing?¡±


    Nugua coiled her tail around herself and had her eyes closed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine child, now that you have sealed up my major wounds. However, I won¡¯t be able to heal your wounds. But I can move if that¡¯s what we need.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°What about you monk? Can you move?¡±


    Hen Li stopped his chanting to nod. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Lu Na knew the monk was affected by his Bifang Niao trying to come out, but that was a while ago. Gone was his self assured manner.


    ¡°Hen Li, are you sick?¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. I¡¯m not. I¡¯m contemplating my purpose in life.¡± Hen Li leaned back into his arms and spread his legs out. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what I¡¯m doing anymore. I thought it was to prevent my former sect from doing evil, but there is so much evil in the world. And Buddhism doesn¡¯t help. On the one hand, they seek personal enlightenment and to break free from the world¡¯s troubles. Yet on the other hand, they want us to practice loving kindness for everyone, especially those lost on the path. But ever since I came here and lost my power, I keep thinking about how that is possible. How do I do anything while I¡¯m so weak?¡±


    Lu Na didn¡¯t know what was going through the monk¡¯s head. She¡¯d never thought much beyond how to solve the next problem she¡¯s presented on her journey to save her mother. She¡¯d never had much to think of at all.


    Sun Ren threw a water skin at Hen Li.


    ¡°Quit your whining monk. I might not be a Buddhist, but if you want to see an answer to that, look at Lu Na. She didn¡¯t start life with limitless talent like you and her mother abandoned her before she taught her how to use anything she left her. Yet she is the kindest person I know that is always trying to make the world a better place. If your religion can¡¯t do that without power, then maybe it¡¯s time for a new religion.¡±


    Lu Na opened her mouth to refute that, but she didn¡¯t. She never understood Buddhism or the wider reach of religion. She only believed in what she could see.


    ¡°And if we¡¯re done feeling sorry for ourselves, it¡¯s time to look at the facts,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°Yang Deli will not deal with you in any peaceful way. He¡¯s got an army and if he survived the feral spirit stampede, he¡¯s coming for us. So, monk, let us know now if you¡¯re still with us. Because if you¡¯re not, you¡¯re free to join Jie¡¯s ghost village. We¡¯ll come back for you.¡±


    Hen Li took a deep breath and stood.


    ¡°I¡¯m with you until the end of this adventure, wherever it leads us.¡±


    Lu Na got up and smiled.


    ¡°Thank you Hen Li for helping me, despite all the danger.¡±


    ¡°Maybe after this, I¡¯ll finally find the answer I¡¯ve been looking for all this time.¡± Hen Li reached into his chest pocket and pulled out his puppy spirit, Panhu. He put him down on the floor so that it would follow them.


    ¡°And of course, thank you Sun Ren for doing this. I wouldn¡¯t be able to do it without you.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, of course. You¡¯re too weak, Lu Na.¡± Sun Ren got up, dusted herself off, and took out her map.


    Lu Na noticed that Sun Ren had changed as well as the monk. Unlike Hen Li, she didn¡¯t depend as much on her spirit. However, the way Sun Ren acted reminded Lu Na of Young Misses from rich families. Gone was the reserved attitude she had. Was this the real Sun Ren?


    Beyond that, if these two changed so much since entering the labyrinth, had Lu Na changed? She wouldn¡¯t really know unless one of her companions said something. That was something she¡¯d have to keep track of.


    A horn sounded off in the distance. The feral spirits retreated from the bridge.


    ¡°What now?¡± Sun Ren said.


    Lu Na wrapped her null metal bracelet back on her left wrist. It was only warm now. The next chance she got, she was going to modify the bracelet to prevent the burning. For now, she had to be prepared for anything.


    ¡°Hello up there,¡± a man called out.


    Everyone turned to look down at a man dressed in a long, dark orange tunic that reached down to his knees. His hair was tied up in a bun with a jade hairpin through it. He had a large blue sash across his waist.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    The man had a wide smile. It reminded Lu Na of some merchants that met with her father. A smile so wide, so fake, that promised something as long as you had the money.


    ¡°I¡¯m Zi Xu, a resident of the labyrinth. And yes, I am a ghost, but I mean you no harm. In fact, I¡¯m here to welcome you to the outer sanctum of the labyrinth.¡±


    ¡°Were you the one who called off the feral spirits?¡± Lu Na asked. ¡°I would love to know the technique you used to do so.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that wasn¡¯t me,¡± Zi Xu said. ¡°If you all would come down here, I would gladly show you around. I assure you it¡¯s safe now.¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Sun Ren peered down at the lonely figure below.


    ¡°How do we know you¡¯re alone? We¡¯ve seen ghosts appear and disappear like mist.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so you have met other ghosts. Good. Well, I can¡¯t guarantee that there are no other ghosts around here, but I can tell you that the army you were running from is about to finish the last of the feral spirits.¡±


    Lu Na turned to see that the ghost was right. The fighting behind them had calmed down. It was only a matter of time before they came after them again.


    ¡°Lu Na, get us down.¡± Sun Ren unsheathed her daggers.


    Lu Na nodded. She reached into her chest pocket and pulled out an earth wall ward. This was one of the last ones she had left.


    ¡°Nugua, do you think you can help me shape this one? I don¡¯t want to create another wall again.¡±


    Nugua sprang up and slithered over to Lu Na.


    ¡°Of course, child." Nugua placed a hand on Lu Na. ¡°You¡¯ve learned a lot since we¡¯ve started this journey. With a little practice, I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t need me anymore.¡±


    Lu Na beamed from the praise.


    ¡°Thank you for helping me learn. But I have bigger plans for the future and you¡¯re a part of it. I couldn¡¯t dream of a future without you.¡±


    ¡°You might have to.¡± Nugua closed her eyes.


    Lu Na wasn¡¯t sure what she meant by that, but it was not the time to consider it. She also closed her eyes to focus on the earth wall ward. When she did, it felt like there was another presence there that she hadn¡¯t felt before.


    The other presence was gentle and guided Lu Na to rethink how to shape her wards. With a little push, she realized that she¡¯s been too rigid in thinking this whole time. Spirit energy was a very fluid type of energy that is imbued within everything. With a nudge this way or that, one could shape it into anything. Beyond that, it could also be transformed into anything as long as it was related.


    For the first time, Lu Na saw how to turn her earth walls into stone walls by hardening and growing the rocks like crystals. It wasn¡¯t simply packing the earth tighter together, but changing the composition entirely.


    When Lu Na opened her eyes, there was a stone walkway that led down to where Zi Xu was standing. It was a perfectly formed staircase going down. That must have been Nugua. Turning it into stone was probably Lu Na.


    This new way of thinking had a lot of applications. Lu Na wondered if she could do something similar with the tiger claw technique. If she could turn that into something else or concentrate the spirit energy in the attack, wouldn¡¯t she be able to use as much power as Sect Leader Wong?


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking so loud that I can hear you,¡± Nugua said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry so much about this for now. You¡¯ll have plenty of time to experiment later. Focus on what¡¯s in front of you.¡±


    Sun Ren had already gone down to greet the ghost, daggers in hand. Hen Li followed behind with his palms pressed together.


    Lu Na had to catch up in more ways than one if she wanted to become stronger. It was time to meet a ghost and continue the journey.


    ¡°Lu Na, can you destroy the bridge?¡± Sun Ren asked. She had sheathed her daggers.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Sun Ren pointed at the bridge. Yang Deli¡¯s soldiers were crossing it in single file, running as fast as they could, carrying spears.


    Lu Na focused on the bridge, searching for the earth wall wards she activated. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t sense them.


    ¡°Nugua, help me.¡±


    Nugua had collapsed onto the ground. The strain from the focus and the injuries must have exhausted her.


    ¡°I guess there¡¯s no helping it.¡± Sun Ren unsheathed her waist sword and held a dagger in the other hand.


    Lu Na knew that there was no way Sun Ren could fight against spears with her sword. She had to find those wards to deactivate them before they came. The last thing she wanted to see was a spear going through Sun Ren, as it had Nugua.

 Chapter 75 - Brief Respite

    Lu Na took out her last earth wall ward. She activated it, sensing the spirit energy from the ward reaching out to the earth below her. If she couldn¡¯t find the wards that were embedded in the bridge, then she was going to have to do it another way.


    When the spirit energy from the ward touched the bridge, Lu Na focused it to take the earth from the bridge itself. Instead of creating stone, she did the opposite. She made the earth shrink, become loose like sand.


    In moments, the soldiers screamed as they fell into the pit with the feral spirits. Most of the other soldiers stopped but there were enough still running toward Sun Ren.


    Lu Na activated the earth wall ward again and this time she made earth rise in front of Sun Ren until it formed a dome. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to push these men to their deaths into the pit. That should slow them down at least.


    ¡°Shall we go then?¡± Zi Xu asked.


    ¡°Do you have a safe space we can go to?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°Of course. But I must warn you, it¡¯s safe from the soldiers, but not entirely safe from other spirits or ghosts.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Wait, we need to carry Nugua,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Allow me.¡± Hen Li stooped and with Lu Na¡¯s help, they slid the naga spirit onto Hen Li¡¯s back. It was awkward as they wrapped her tail around Hen Li¡¯s waist, but it was the only way she would stay.


    Zi Xu led the way, walking at a slow, leisurely pace. He held his hands behind his back as if he was strolling through the gardens. Except the gardens he was strolling through were a wide open space with no buildings. There were multiple hallway entries deeper into the labyrinth.


    ¡°Can you go faster?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°Why, of course not. This is the gentleman¡¯s pace. I can¡¯t go faster. That would be rude.¡± Zi Xu said.


    ¡°Sun Ren, the soldiers are creating a rope bridge,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Point the way and we¡¯ll walk ahead,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°You can keep walking slowly if you wish, as you¡¯re already dead. We don¡¯t wish to join you.¡±


    Zi Xu stopped and smiled.


    ¡°Of course, of course. Where are my manners? I have been dead for so long that I forget that the living has only a limited life span.¡± Zi Xu pointed to the second hallway from the right. ¡°That one will lead you to temporary safety. But be warned, there will be many ghosts in there that will want something from you.¡±


    Sun Ren took off like an arrow without waiting for anyone else. Despite her injuries, she moved gracefully.


    Hen Li moved ahead as well, despite carrying Nugua.


    ¡°Wait, is there a technique of some sort that you can teach me to ward ghosts?¡± Lu Na asked. This was as good a time as any to learn something new in this new world. The last thing she needed was for her companions to faint again, like back in the village.


    ¡°There is, but it requires a ghost hunter¡¯s ability. While I admire your inventions, you don¡¯t have the skill set for that.¡± Zi Xu continued walking. ¡°But since you have the key to the labyrinth, the ghosts will most likely leave you alone.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Lu Na walked ahead.


    ¡°Of course, that only applies to the sane ones.¡±


    Lu Na wasn¡¯t sure if the ghost wanted her to hear that last comment, but she did. She would have to be more careful as she went in. There was no telling what would happen. So she held her mother¡¯s silver phoenix hairpin in her hand and walked into the dark hallway behind her companions.


    The dark hallway lasted only a few moments, as there was light at the end. It led to an open area with one-story buildings. But gone were the drab, earthy tones of the labyrinth they had seen so far. Every building was colored in fantastical colors that featured red, green, purple, orange, and blue. There were people all over the streets, most of them hawking their wares behind stalls.


    There were children!


    They flew kites and played with toys as they ran around with no care in the world.


    That¡¯s when the smells hit Lu Na, making her mouth water. She smelled meat. It was roasting not too far away.


    ¡°How is this possible? Jie¡¯s village was on the verge of breaking down,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Maybe these people are higher class and thrived despite being trapped here,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°Whatever the case, we need to find some place safe to fix ourselves and restock if possible. The first thing I want is food.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo, that is not wise,¡± Hen Li said. ¡°While I have not practiced the mystic arts of Buddhism, my sifu has given me the gift of clear eyes. Everything here is a mirage.¡±


    ¡°Clear eyes?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a special technique that requires sanctified water that they put over your eyes to see reality as it is. And right now, all I see are ghosts parading around as if they were alive. Amituofo. These poor souls are trapped here, living in constant limbo.¡±


    ¡°So the smells, the colors, it¡¯s all fake?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Hen Li nodded.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Sun Ren¡¯s face soured. No, she was scowling. But she took a deep breath and fixed her face. If Lu Na didn¡¯t know her any better, she would have expected her friend to throw a tantrum of some sort.


    Yet that was the difference between them. Lu Na was too tired to throw any tantrum even if she wanted to. Then again, the last time she threw a tantrum was before her mother left.


    ¡°So where do we go, monk? I don¡¯t want to walk into these ghosts to find our souls devoured or something,¡± Sun Ren said.


    Hen Li took the lead and walked toward a temple. The building was a small one that had an open door and an altar all the way in the back. It had a large statue on it of some kind of spirit deity. It looked like Nugua, half woman, half snake. It was in the middle of shaping something from the ground. The smell of incense filled the room.


    A person dressed in all black and had a white headband greeted them.


    ¡°Welcome to my temple,¡± the man said.


    ¡°Amituofo. We know that you¡¯re a ghost. But might we stay here for a while to rest?¡± Hen Li asked.


    ¡°Of course. This temple is a safe space. The other residents of this labyrinth won¡¯t dare to come in here for fear of the dragon deity protecting the temple.¡±


    ¡°Does that include spirits?¡± Lu Na asked.


    The man nodded. He walked away and began cleaning the altar.


    ¡°Good enough for me.¡± Sun Ren plopped down on one of the prayer mats and took out the pack she hid in her clothes. She laid them down and sorted them back into a pack she could carry, but there was not enough food there for the three of them.


    Hen Li put Nugua down on the floor by the altar. He stretched a little and tended to his wounds. When he lifted his sleeves and pants, he was bruised all over. He rubbed them with the palm of his hands, but he didn¡¯t make a sound.


    If that was Lu Na, she would have fainted by now. How did he walk and carry Nugua without complaint?


    Lu Na sat down against the wall and closed her eyes. The shallow cut on her leg stung a bit, but other than that she couldn¡¯t feel anything else wrong with her. There was that extreme exhaustion though and after the last few days, it has only gotten worse.


    ¡°We have enough provisions to last us a day at most,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°Unless you two carried something with you from the packs we got from Jie¡¯s village.¡±


    Hen Li shook his head.


    ¡°Sorry, I left everything behind with Baihu.¡± Lu Na wasn¡¯t planning on running through the gate when she launched her rescue mission with Baihu.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope my spirit is smart enough to get around the rebel base and reach us. But that means we¡¯d have to find a way for her to find us.¡± Sun Ren took out a flare from her hair, the same type she used at the Wintersweet Sect. ¡°I could use this, but that would also alert the rebels.¡±


    ¡°Is there no other way you can contact Baihu?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°No, she¡¯s too far away. For now, we have to move on the assumption that we¡¯ll have no provisions. Hey temple owner, do you know how long it would take us to reach the labyrinth¡¯s center?¡±


    The man in black turned toward Sun Ren.


    ¡°What center? You¡¯re already in the center of the city. There¡¯s nowhere else to go. You should all consider staying here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I asked.¡±


    The man shrugged.


    ¡°I do not know. I can¡¯t help you.¡±


    ¡°And he won¡¯t,¡± Zi Xu said from outside the temple. ¡°He¡¯s one of those ghosts that died here many years ago and still thinks he¡¯s a part of a vibrant city. These trapped souls continue their afterlife as they had in life.¡±


    ¡°Where have you been?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    Zi Xu walked into the temple, his hands still held behind him, and took that leisurely pace.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been following you all this time. It only took me a little longer, that¡¯s all. I hope you ate nothing here.¡±


    ¡°Why? It all smells so good,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Because everything is made from dirt,¡± Zi Xu said. ¡°Nothing here is real and the ghosts only want you to stay with them forever.¡±


    ¡°Hen Li told us about that already,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°All I want to know is if there is any actual food or water we might get.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s not much of anything here. The entire outer sanctum lost its life preserving devices not too long after the labyrinth was constructed. That there is a working one outside is already a miracle after all these years.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean Jie¡¯s village?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯ve heard of Jie. Yes, that one. Her village is the only place in this entire labyrinth, with actual food and water. Well, at least until those soldiers took it all.¡±


    ¡°Why are you helping us?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    Zi Xu smiled as if he was about to tell us the greatest secret known to man. He pointed at Lu Na.


    ¡°It¡¯s because of her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve noticed that so many people gravitate toward the Young Miss Lu,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°It¡¯s like she¡¯s got this unique aura.¡±


    ¡°She does. More importantly, she¡¯s the first person who used devices like the original Xia in the labyrinth.¡± Zi Xu¡¯s stare made Lu Na feel uncomfortable. It was as if he went from predatory salesman to just predator. ¡°Most importantly, with a little luck and a lot of help from me, you will finally solve the puzzle and release us from this miserable existence.¡±


    ¡°If you want to help, then help us find food and water. We won¡¯t last more than a few days here. Otherwise, we¡¯ve got to move fast to the center.¡± Sun Ren had packed all her stuff up.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get to that right now. I didn¡¯t tell you to come this way for no reason. And your friendly monk found the perfect place.¡± Zi Xu turned to the man from the temple. ¡°Brother, might I trouble you for some offerings?¡±


    The man in black frowned.


    ¡°You come in here without offerings of your own and you wish to get offerings from me? No.¡±


    ¡°Please. These travelers will help our city finally be free.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you said the last time you were here. No.¡±


    ¡°Then, brother, you leave me with no choice.¡± Zi Xu grabbed the naga statue and threw it to the floor, shattering it.


    The man in black stared in horror.


    Lu Na felt the entire room turn cold. It was as if the coldest breeze came from a lake, chilling their very bones.


    Gray wisps rose from the shattered statue. They swirled around the room.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    Lu Na used her spirit sight. The statue that Zi Xu broke became activated upon shattering on the ground. Every piece glowed blue as it released more wisps. It looked like it was a device that was supposed to capture something.


    It didn¡¯t take long before they saw what that something was. The gray wisps combined into a large massive whirlpool. Then it shifted until it looked like a naga, half woman, half snake.


    ¡°Finally, we¡¯re free,¡± the naga hissed. She stretched her body, arms and tail in ways that body parts weren¡¯t meant to twist.


    Sun Ren had her sword out and dagger ready. Hen Li had his palms pressed together and started praying again.


    Lu Na shook her left wrist, hoping that her bracelet was ready to go again. If it was just one naga spirit, then it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult. The only worry she had was that Nugua laid not too far from it.


    ¡°Sisters and brothers, come forth. Don¡¯t be shy,¡± the naga said.


    The other gray wisps solidified into more nagas right next to the first. It was just like Nugua¡¯s ability to disappear and reappear.


    ¡°Oh look, the ghosts even served us lunch,¡± the naga said.


    As one, all the nagas hissed, their claws flexed, and coiled their tails.

 Chapter 76 - Mother Naga

    Lu Na had to re-evaluate her earlier assumption. This was not doable. They were about to be eaten by naga spirits. This was not what Sun Ren meant by providing food and water.


    ¡°Zi Xu, do something,¡± Lu Na hissed.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that,¡± Zi Xu said. ¡°I hoped that the temple brother would give us something if I broke something. Who knew he¡¯d be hiding something so dangerous in that statue.¡±


    Sun Ren pulled Lu Na back out of the temple before she could respond. She threw her dagger at the naga that chased after. The dagger sank into the naga¡¯s chest, slowing him down.


    ¡°No, we left Nugua and Hen Li in there,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°They¡¯re not important. Set up your walls or we¡¯ll die here,¡± Sun Ren said.


    Lu Na clenched her left fist and pushed her palm open at the doorway. A spirit wall appeared just in time as another naga jumped at them. Then an earth wall rose from the ground, sealing the spirits inside.


    Zi Xu walked through both walls at that same infuriating slow pace as if nothing in the world mattered to him. He had his hands behind him and his chin held high.


    ¡°Well, it looks like there¡¯s nothing I can do here. If you survive, find me at the market square. I¡¯ll get you your food and water.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lu Na asked the air. Zi Xu had already disappeared. ¡°Curse that ghost.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for that. We have to run now.¡± Sun Ren turned to go, but Lu Na grabbed her arm.


    ¡°No, we can¡¯t leave Hen Li and Nugua inside like that,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°We can¡¯t fight all those spirits. I don¡¯t have my Baihu and Hen Li has become useless ever since he¡¯s arrived in the labyrinth. We can still make it with just the two of us. So let¡¯s go, Na Na.¡±


    Lu Na released Sun Ren¡¯s arm. She took out a light ward and set it to the max. It would shine so bright and blind anyone, but it would only last a few moments.


    ¡°You can go. But I¡¯m going to save my spirit and that monk.¡± Lu Na formed a spirit skin on herself.


    Sun Ren grunted in frustration.


    ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll do it your way. Can you make me a spirit skin like that too?¡±


    Lu Na touched Sun Ren and willed her spirit skin to surround Sun Ren. Now they both had a faint rainbow glow over them.


    ¡°Do it,¡± Sun Ren said. She had two daggers ready to throw.


    Lu Na touched the earth wall and it collapsed into a pile of dirt. Next she absorbed the spirit energy from the spirit wall to turn it off. Finally, she threw her light ward inside while closing her eyes.


    A bright flash that lasted moments appeared as orange light behind Lu Na¡¯s closed eyes. She raised her clenched left fist and charged into the room.


    ¡°Ouch, child. You didn¡¯t need to blind us like that,¡± Nugua said.


    When Lu Na adjusted to the dim candlelight within the temple, she couldn¡¯t believe her eyes. All the nagas bowed to Nugua from the waist, while holding their arms like they were hugging themselves.


    Hen Li sat in the corner with his eyes closed, palms together, praying quietly with his heart sutra. It was as if he had never moved.


    ¡°Nugua, what¡¯s going on?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Nugua¡¯s face softened as she stared at the nagas. Tears rolled down her cheeks.


    ¡°These are my children. These are my people.¡±


    ¡°So they won¡¯t eat us?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°No, not unless I tell them to,¡± Nugua said.


    ¡°Not even the monk, mother?¡± a naga woman asked with her head raised.


    ¡°No, that one is too cute to eat. You see the muscles on him?¡± Nugua said. She licked her lips. ¡°Besides, I just remembered a bunch of people that I had dined on earlier. They¡¯re still coming for us. My children, you will break your millennium fast with a feast. As long as you are all ruthless enough for it.¡±


    ¡°The soldiers,¡± Lu Na said.


    Nugua nodded.


    ¡°But they¡¯re people. You can¡¯t eat them.¡±


    ¡°Oh child, it¡¯s cute you think you have a say in this.¡± Nugua stretched. Her spear wounds had faded to almost nothing. ¡°They dared to cut me, spear me, and fight me. I¡¯m going to make sure none of them ever returns outside. Besides, you need food don¡¯t you? I¡¯m sure my children could scavenge food for you.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. We can¡¯t eat the soldiers,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°See, you would have been a perfect naga. No foolish monk, we¡¯re going to take the supplies the soldiers have on them. They won¡¯t have a need for it anymore.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. Please let the sins pass.¡± Hen Li went back to reciting the heart sutra. He looked pale, but he didn¡¯t stop.


    ¡°Mother, we are starving. When do we go?¡± the lead female naga asked.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Soon child. I just need to confer with my summoner for a moment and then we will be off.¡±


    The naga gasped.


    ¡°Mother, you bonded with a summoner?¡± the lead naga asked.


    ¡°Yes. I know that I¡¯ve never done it before, but this one is special. Her mother has given me the resources to create my kingdom inside the spirit realm,¡± Nugua said.


    ¡°And promised to not kill you if you protected me,¡± Lu Na said. She didn¡¯t want the spirit to forget, lest she become her children¡¯s next meal.


    Nugua rolled her eyes. She slithered up to Lu Na and kissed her on the forehead.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll eat the monk and your skinny friend first, before I even think about eating you. I¡¯m going to be gone for a while as we hunt and slaughter the soldiers. Do try to be safe or else your mother will kill me.¡±


    Lu Na wanted to hug Nugua. Despite all her chiding and weird idle thoughts, she was the closest thing she had to a mother that always cheered her on. Yet, the spirit wasn¡¯t her mother.


    ¡°Good bye Na Na. I hope to see you soon.¡± Nugua slithered out the door.


    ¡°Wait, how will I be able to contact you?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. When you are near the center of the labyrinth, I¡¯ll know. But if you don¡¯t make it because you¡¯re too weak, I¡¯ll know then too. Either way, we¡¯ll see each other before the end.¡±


    Lu Na nodded.


    Nugua waved and then slithered on. The rest of her naga spirits followed, all with their claws out, looking like they were going to war.


    Sun Ren practically collapsed onto the floor again.


    ¡°That was close. I don¡¯t think I can stand any more surprises like that.¡± Sun Ren was clutching her chest, taking in large breaths.


    ¡°Are you okay Sun Ren? Do you need anything?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°No, Lu Na. I need nothing. At least not from you. You can¡¯t give me my Baihu back, can you? I could really do with some spirit body-strengthening from her right about now. You didn¡¯t carry any food with you either. So right now, all you can do is wait for me to calm down because I¡¯m about to lose it.¡±


    Lu Na didn¡¯t know how to feel about that. She hadn¡¯t seen Sun Ren like this before. Not even when they were about to die at the Wintersweet Sect had Sun Ren ever lashed out at her.


    Lu Na sat down next to Sun Ren and reached out for her hand.


    Sun Ren saw it, closed her eyes, and placed her hand on Lu Na¡¯s.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for getting you into this,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°If I wasn¡¯t so selfish in trying to find and save my mother, you wouldn¡¯t be here. Neither would Hen Li. The both of you look like you¡¯re suffering a lot inside here.¡±


    Sun Ren squeezed Lu Na¡¯s hand.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re my best friend. In fact, you¡¯re probably my only friend.¡±


    ¡°What about all your martial sisters?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re loyal servants and bodyguards. Not my friends. But you, you are fantastic. This is not your fault. I chose to be here because I thought I could use whatever it was we found in the labyrinth. So there¡¯s a bit of my greed there that has nothing to do with you.¡±


    Lu Na squeezed Sun Ren¡¯s hand.


    ¡°That¡¯s not greed. You only wanted to gain an advantage for your father so he can help fix the country. You¡¯re the most selfless person I know.¡±


    Hen Li coughed.


    ¡°Okay, one of the most selfless people I know,¡± Lu Na corrected.


    ¡°Amituofo, sorry that wasn¡¯t to call attention to me. I¡¯m just really thirsty and I have had no food in a while.¡± Hen Li finally put down his hands and laid down.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry monk. I forgot that you also didn¡¯t have the support of your spirit anymore.¡± Sun Ren got up and passed her waterskin to Hen Li who took large gulps. ¡°The only food I have is the dried jerky from the packs. I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯d want to eat that.¡±


    Hen Li passed the waterskin back.


    ¡°Amituofo. I shouldn¡¯t. My vegetarian diet stems not only from my Buddhist beliefs, but it¡¯s also my penance for all the innocent people I have slaughtered over the years.¡±


    ¡°Then what should we do? Should we trust that ghost?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Sun Ren peeked outside.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we should. He doesn¡¯t seem to care about our lives. The next thing he does might kill us instead of helping.¡±


    ¡°But it wouldn¡¯t hurt to check, would it? Maybe he¡¯s being truthful and he will have actual food and water for us in the market square. That would be worth the risk, right?¡± Lu Na was actually starving at this point. She didn¡¯t dare ask Sun Ren for any more food, as she knew her friend had little left.


    ¡°Amituofo. I¡¯m with Young Miss Lu. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to see what the ghost offered. With my clear eyes, I can see whether it is a trap.¡±


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯m starving myself. But I swear, if that ghost is lying to us or is trying to deceive us, I¡¯m going to make sure that it doesn¡¯t go into the afterlife even if we solve the labyrinth.¡±


    The trio walked back out toward the market square. They kept looking around, fearing that Yang Deli¡¯s soldiers would have caught up by now. Yet they only saw the other ghosts.


    Lu Na felt a little homesick. Despite not leaving her home much, she missed the sounds of the city. In her travels to get to the labyrinth, most of it had been quiet.


    Here, there was so much activity that it boggled Lu Na¡¯s mind that everyone here was a ghost. None of them were alive anymore and most likely died over a thousand years ago. The worst part was the smells. There were many, many food stalls that promised tasty food.


    There were a few things that caught Lu Na¡¯s attention. Some toys the ghosts were selling were actually Xia devices. She recognized some of them from the manual. She couldn¡¯t help herself when she stopped at one stall to look at this device that used spirit energy to spin a fan.


    Lu Na picked up the device and felt the small breeze that came from the fan. She used her spirit sight to see the technique that was etched as a pattern on the handle. It was simpler than the one in the manual, but it absorbed the ambient spirit energy to power a small motor inside.


    It was so fascinating how it could do that. She¡¯d seen nothing like it before.


    ¡°Young Miss, are you interested in that little device?¡± the stall owner asked. ¡°If you¡¯d like, you can stay for a little while and I can teach you how to make more of these devices. In fact, all of us can teach you something you couldn¡¯t imagine. You can live here forever.¡±


    Someone yanked Lu Na away from the stall, causing her to drop the fan. When she looked up, she saw Sun Ren yelling at the stall owner.


    ¡°Amituofo, you were caught in the ghost¡¯s charm.¡± Hen Li was still holding her arm.


    The stall owner bowed his head in apology.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    Lu Na nodded. That must have been what Sun Ren and Hen Li felt when they were pulled under by that ghost back in the village. But this one didn¡¯t feel malevolent. It felt like the ghost was genuinely trying to invite Lu Na to her death.


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving,¡± Hen Li said. ¡°They¡¯re all staring at us.¡±


    Everyone seemed to have stopped to stare at the trio. Even the children that were playing earlier had stopped mid game of tag to look at them.


    The trio didn¡¯t have to walk too far to reach the center of the market square. Right in the middle, there was a large banquet table filled with all kinds of food and drinks. There were other materials too, ranging from rope to small charms.


    ¡°Welcome! You made it out alive as I knew you would,¡± Zi Xu said. ¡°And as promised, I¡¯ve brought you all a magnificent feast.¡±


    Lu Na felt herself drool from the smell. She wiped her mouth with her sleeve.


    ¡°No, most of that is fake,¡± Hen Li said.

 Chapter 77 - Ghost with Many Tricks

    Lu Na wanted to cry. She was too tired and hungry for this.


    ¡°Ghost, I¡¯m going to kill you again,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Zi Xu spread his arms out. ¡°I promised you a feast and I have brought it. I need you all strong and healthy for what is coming.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. I can see through your ghost trickery,¡± Hen Li said.


    Zi Xu¡¯s smile disappeared.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect someone that could see through this. And here I wanted to see if I could control you like the other fools that passed through the gate. Well then, no matter.¡± Zi Xu waved his arm over the table and all the food turned into rot. The delightful smells disappeared. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll have to do it another way.¡±


    Lu Na had to squeeze her nose to prevent the smell from overwhelming her. She wanted to gag, but knew she had nothing in her stomach to vomit.


    ¡°I apologize. I¡¯ll get rid of this immediately.¡± Zi Xu clapped his hands and a few servants cleared the table. The only things still left on the table were the inedible items such as the rope and the charms.


    With the food gone, breathing was more bearable but the lingering stench of rot made Lu Na lose her appetite.


    ¡°Please, sit. Take whatever items you want,¡± Zi Xu said. ¡°Think of it as my apology for trying to trick you.¡±


    ¡°Why? I thought you wanted us to solve the puzzle of the labyrinth,¡± Sun Ren asked.


    Zi Xu sat down.


    ¡°It¡¯s true. I do. But just because your friend has a few inventions, it doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll be able to walk right through the labyrinth. The Xia weren¡¯t idiots. If you three couldn¡¯t see through such a minor trick, then you wouldn¡¯t survive the next section.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t need this. This is a waste of time.¡± Sun Ren turned to walk away.


    ¡°But wait, I will give you what I promised. This time, no tricks.¡± Zi Xu reached underneath the table and pulled out familiar sacks.


    Lu Na opened one. They were the same sacks they took from ghost Jie.


    ¡°How did you get them?¡± Lu Na passed one to Hen Li.


    ¡°Oh, you might not sneak by those soldiers and their powerful summoners, but I¡¯m a ghost. They should have brought a ghost hunter instead of all those powerful summoners,¡± Zi Xu said.


    ¡°Amituofo. These are all real. None of them have been tampered with.¡± As if to prove the point, Hen Li took out a water skin and drank deep from it before taking a large bite from one of the dried buns inside.


    Lu Na grabbed a pack back from Hen Li and shoved a piece of jerky in her mouth. She was so hungry, she barely chewed. This was the first time she¡¯d ever felt such hunger before.


    Sun Ren reluctantly grabbed a sack of her own to check its contents. She smelled everything inside before also eating a piece of jerky, but slower than Lu Na.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s not as delicious as the meal I showed you, but at least this won¡¯t poison you. And that¡¯s the first lesson you need to learn before you head to the next section: whatever ghosts give you can be poison or dangerous.¡± Zi Xu waved his hand and the fan Lu Na held earlier appeared on the table. ¡°Just like this simple fan. It¡¯s an interesting invention, but it¡¯s charmed by a ghost to keep you there.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s so, then why didn¡¯t you warn us earlier?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a stupid test,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°It¡¯s just like those tests my father and sifu forced on me during my training. They told me that there are some forces in the world that can bewitch you with supernatural power even beyond spirits. They must have been talking about ghosts.¡±


    Zi Xu laughed while covering his mouth with the sleeve of his tunic.


    ¡°Oh yes, your teachers are smart. I will help you as much as I am allowed and I do hope you will solve the puzzle as I find living like this to be endless suffering.¡±


    ¡°Then tell us how to get to the center as fast as possible,¡± Sun Ren said.


    Zi Xu smiled. There was another pitch coming.


    ¡°All you have to do is walk there. This place is not a maze. It was not meant to confuse anyone. But the residents of each section might not like visitors like us.¡±


    Lu Na took out her map.


    ¡°Show us.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you surprised me again. I can¡¯t believe you have a map of this place,¡± Zi Xu said. He turned the map around a few times. ¡°You highlighted a few interesting places, but I wouldn¡¯t bother with those unless you want to die. If you walk from here all the way around, you¡¯ll reach the center in a few hours.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Of course not. In this first section, you¡¯ll encounter the vengeful ghosts that want nothing more than to kill you. Watch for their traps. The next section will be the most decadent noble¡¯s quarter. After that, are the ghosts that have gone crazy. Most explorers die there. If you make it past all that, then you¡¯ll face the strongest feral spirits the labyrinth has to offer guarding the very center.¡±


    Lu Na gulped. How were they going to do this? Her na?ve thoughts of walking through with a powerful summoner and a master strategist now seemed laughable.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Sun Ren and Hen Li, I¡¯ve brought us to our deaths.¡±


    Sun Ren flicked Lu Na on the forehead. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°There is no dying here. Not while we have a guide.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. Young Miss Sun is right. Besides, if we have to, I¡¯m sure we will find a way. If there were villagers living in this labyrinth for so many years, we could do it too.¡±


    That was not comforting to Lu Na. She wasn¡¯t sure which was better. To charge straight into certain death, albeit a quick one, or to languish within the labyrinth for the rest of her life. Of course, there was also her mother to consider. Maybe her mother could help them out, since she was stuck in the labyrinth somewhere.


    ¡°Zi Xu, what do you know about a summoner that might be trapped within the labyrinth?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Zi Xu¡¯s face lit up.


    ¡°I knew you were special. Are you three connected with that bird? The one that shrieks every night?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re talking about a phoenix, then yes. She¡¯s my mother,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s how you got in here. Come here, I¡¯ll show you.¡± Zi Xu walked away from the table at his slow pace.


    Lu Na grabbed whatever she could hold on to. Luckily, there was a large table cloth she used as a new sack to wrap as many of the things as possible.


    Her companions were doing the same. When they finished, they had plenty of supplies hanging off their bodies in two sacks, one for food and water and the other for supplies.


    Despite all that, Zi Xu was only a few hundred feet away. Lu Na knew the man was dead, but he had to move faster than that when alive, right? Or else the feral spirits would have eaten him first.


    It took a bit of time, but they reached a large building that reached to the ceiling. It was almost as if it was built into the wall of the labyrinth. It was colored in a dark brown that almost mimicked wood. There were only windows on the ground floor.


    Lu Na could feel the spirit energy coming from the building. She used her spirit sight technique and saw spirit energy rushing from the building. But unlike the usual bright, blinding energy, this was very thick like a rich herbal broth.


    Almost as if she could touch it or taste it.


    Lu Na reached out with her hands and touched one of the stray strands of spirit energy coming from the building. Her hand went right through, but for the moment she felt the element within the spirit energy. It was cool, like water.


    Her hand was a little wet.


    There were techniques layered on the wall of the building. Each one was complex, almost as complex as the mountain that laid on top of the monkey king. Speaking of, the scroll within Lu Na¡¯s chest pocket vibrated.


    ¡°What happened Na Na? What do you see?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. This building is so complex that the scroll the monkey king gave me is vibrating.¡± Lu Na took out the scroll. It unfurled and flew at the building¡¯s only door.


    When the scroll connected, the golden sheen turned bright for a second and then dulled. Pictures appeared on the scroll.


    ¡°Do you guys see that?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Yes. But I couldn¡¯t see much before. What is it?¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°Amituofo, that¡¯s a power we shouldn¡¯t mess with.¡± Hen Li pushed his palms together and recited the heart sutra.


    Despite how intrigued she was with the scroll, Lu Na was getting irritated with Hen Li¡¯s constant reciting of the heart sutra. She thought little about it before, but it felt like that was all he did nowadays. Gone was the confident and powerful summoner. All they were left with now was an actual monk.


    Lu Na ignored him and walked up to the scroll. A picture of a phoenix appeared on it. It was soaring above the sky.


    Then lightning appeared, almost as if striking the phoenix. Then chains of metal wrapped themselves around the phoenix¡¯s legs and its wings.


    A loud phoenix shriek came out from the building.


    ¡°And that¡¯s the shriek we¡¯ve been hearing for years,¡± Zi Xu said. He finally caught up to the group with his slow plodding pace.


    The scroll then showed a woman, painted in a style Lu Na recognized right away. It was her mother. Her father, Lu Tien, had many paintings of her mother hanging around his study before she left.


    The woman reached out with her hand to touch the phoenix. The next instant, they combined. The head of the phoenix turned into her mother.


    ¡°That¡¯s not possible,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°Spirits have always bonded with humans. They¡¯ve never bonded together where the human becomes a part of the spirit.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. That is possible if they reach stage four in the summoner arts. It¡¯s a myth though, as no one aside from Emperor Yu who merged with his spirit to control the great floods.¡±


    ¡°But if my mother did this, then does that mean she¡¯s powerful?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Wait, that is your mother?¡± Sun Ren said.


    Lu Na nodded. She put her fingers on the face of the phoenix spirit. There was no mistaking that the style and choice the scroll represented was her mother.


    The scroll changed again and this time, showed two young women and a monk walking into the labyrinth. There they met with the phoenix to break her chains. Once freed, the phoenix exploded with red spirit energy.


    The three people were turned to dust as the phoenix flew away.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a nice technique you¡¯re using. I haven¡¯t seen that since I was alive,¡± Zi Xu said. He plucked the scroll off the wall and the pictures disappeared. ¡°These things were very popular back then. It showed whatever the heart desired.¡±


    ¡°May I have it back?¡± Lu Na reached for the scroll.


    Zi Xu smiled before giving it back.


    ¡°Just a small warning. While it showed the heart¡¯s desire, it didn¡¯t mean it was the one holding it. Sometimes it showed what the creator wanted you to see. So I¡¯d be wary of what you use that for.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Lu Na tucked the scroll back into her chest pocket. She barely heard Zi Xu¡¯s warning as she thought about her mother and what she saw at the end. If saving her mother would bring their deaths, would it be worth it? No doubt the three people that showed up to save her were them.


    ¡°Now that we¡¯re here, you have a choice to make,¡± Zi Xu said. He walked into the building and the trio followed. ¡°You can continue walking through this building into the next section or walk through the ghost town where every ghost will tempt you to stay with them. Of course, you¡¯ll also meet with those nasty soldiers you ran away from before.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the catch?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    Zi Xu smiled again. Here came the pitch.


    ¡°There is no catch. I genuinely want you all to succeed and finally break us all free. And while I¡¯m not particular about who does it, I feel that your group out of all the others has the greatest chance of succeeding. And besides, this might be safe, but the next section of the labyrinth will probably kill you. I thought I¡¯d give you a head start so you can join me as a ghost.¡±


    ¡°Wait? Join you as a ghost?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Oh yes, this labyrinth doesn¡¯t want any of its secrets to leave it. Not even ghosts,¡± Zi Xu chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s the ultimate joke by the Xia emperor that created it. He was so paranoid that he made sure that those who died were turned to ghosts and trapped here for eternity. Ironic that there are emperors who want eternal life and all they had to do was die here.¡±


    Lu Na didn¡¯t like the sound of that. To be trapped here for eternity even as a ghost was the worst fate.


    ¡°So what will it be?¡± Zi Xu asked.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take this route. The last thing we need is to run into Yang Deli or his soldiers again.¡±


    ¡°Ah ha! Excellent choice!¡± Zi Xu clapped. ¡°This will make it a bit more interesting for me.¡±


    ¡°You just want to see us get cut down by whatever traps there are in the next section,¡± Sun Ren said.


    Zi Xu¡¯s smile widened further, making him appear inhuman.


    ¡°Oh, that is not what I want to see. There is a surprise for you in the next section and this will be more entertaining than anything that has happened in the last three hundred years.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Zi Xu disappeared without responding.


    Lu Na hated ghosts. Zi Xu was on top of that list.

 Chapter 78 - Sleeping in a Fire Chamber

    Chapter 78 - Sleeping in a Fire Chamber


    Lu Na wanted to check every device within the building, but everything was locked down. Not only that, the stairs were a smooth and steep spiral that prevented Lu Na from climbing it. She knew there had to be a way to get up there, but Sun Ren didn¡¯t want to waste anymore time.


    Such a shame, but if they solved the puzzle Lu Na would come back.


    The trio walked through the large building until they reached the end. There was another door similar to the one they entered. They peeked out of the two windows.


    The outside was lightly illuminated. Whatever light ward they used gave everything an eerie yellow glow, almost like moonlight. There were two large trees blocking the way.


    ¡°That looks like the underworld,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be that bad. It looks like a few areas around Jianye at night,¡± Lu Na said. Of course, she didn¡¯t believe that.


    ¡°Amituofo, if I don¡¯t enter the underworld, who would?¡± Hen Li said. ¡°But even I don¡¯t want to go into that without more preparation. How about we rest here for the night? It seems safe enough.¡±


    Hearing those words, Lu Na felt her legs almost buckle.


    ¡°Yes please. I slept little yesterday and I¡¯m exhausted.¡±


    ¡°Zi Xu, is it safe to rest here?¡± Sun Ren asked the air.


    There was no response.


    ¡°Curse that ghost. I¡¯ll take first watch then. Hen Li can do second and Lu Na third. But get ready to run at a moment¡¯s notice. The last thing we need is this building exploding or something attacking us here. The spirit energy here is too strong.¡±


    Lu Na nodded before laying down on one of the smooth staircases. She closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.


    What felt like moments later, someone was shaking her awake.


    ¡°Lu Na, we have to run,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°What? What¡¯s going on?¡± Lu Na looked around and saw the building was on fire. Every door was lit with flames and the staircases were glowing red.


    ¡°Apparently, Zi Xu didn¡¯t mention that this building shifts after a few hours. We were here when it was in its water phase and now it¡¯s shifting to its fire phase.¡± Sun Ren pulled Lu Na up from the sloping staircase. ¡°If we don¡¯t get out of here now, flames will come pouring out from the very air and burn us alive. The only one that might survive that is the monk as he¡¯s got his Bifang Niao.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. I wouldn¡¯t. So it¡¯s best if we run now.¡±


    The trio opened the door out into the darkened forest with the two trees blocking the window. Once they closed the door, it sealed itself shut and the flames burst in earnest.


    ¡°That was close,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°No, that wasn¡¯t. Your mother warned us. At least I think it was her. We only heard a woman¡¯s voice coming from the top of the building,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wake me? I wanted to talk with her.¡±


    ¡°I had to wake up the monk. He was a deeper sleeper than you.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo, I apologize. I have been weakened since entering the labyrinth. I am useless.¡±


    ¡°Okay, enough self pity. We have to work together to get out of this. The only problem now is, we can¡¯t see very well and do not know where to go. Does anyone see any landmarks that might look similar on the map?¡±


    Lu Na took out her map and looked around. All she could see were trees that lined the area. The pale yellow light wasn¡¯t helping.


    ¡°Lu Na, do you have any more of those light wards?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I ran out. I used the last one to surprise the soldiers.¡±


    ¡°Can you make a new one?¡±


    Lu Na took out a piece of yellow paper and her spirit wand. She focused on the pattern in her mind, the same one she¡¯s made many times for the light ward. With a wave of the wand, she pulled in the fire spirit energy from the air.


    When she put the wand to the paper, she began drawing the pattern. It comprised a simple one, mostly of straight lines, that lit the piece of paper up better than any lantern.


    ¡°There,¡± Lu Na said. It wasn¡¯t her best work, but it was all they needed as it would last for a few hours at least.


    Lu Na passed the light ward to Sun Ren, but before her friend could grab it, a gust of wind hit them. When Lu Na looked down, the ward was gone.


    So was her spirit wand.


    ¡°Someone stole my spirit wand!¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°No, not something, someone. Curses Zi Xu. Come out. Stop messing with us.¡± Sun Ren was shouting at this point. This was the first time Lu Na had ever seen her angry.


    Another breeze swept by them, this time slow as if caressing their bodies with an icy embrace. Lu Na hugged herself, but it didn¡¯t help. She shivered.


    ¡°If the little girl wants to see that ghost, she will have to join him in the afterlife. He never comes here,¡± a ghostly voice said. It sounded like it was right behind them, but when Lu Na turned, there was no one there. ¡°Join us. There will be less suffering if you choose to do so. Otherwise, my friends aren¡¯t as nice as me. They will torture you as they have tortured all your other friends.¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Does that ever work?¡± Sun Ren asked. ¡°Because right now, it sounds like you¡¯re trying to irritate me. Leave us alone or I will kill you again ghost.¡±


    ¡°Ooooooh, big words coming from a little girl.¡± The air got colder. ¡°I gave the others a chance to join me and they chose to suffer. Then walk in my domain, little Sun Ren. I will make sure you beg me to end it like the others.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. Please let the sins pass.¡± Hen Li walked over to one tree standing beside them and hugged it.


    ¡°What is that monk doing?¡± the ghost asked. ¡°Is he stupid? Did he go crazy? Tell him to stop.¡±


    ¡°No ghost. I know you are here, inhabiting this statue. You feel that you have been abandoned and the only way you can live with yourself is to lash out. I know what that¡¯s like. But for this moment, you¡¯re not alone.¡±


    ¡°Statue? That¡¯s a tree,¡± Lu Na said. The forest disappeared. They stood in a dark room that was only illuminated by one small light hanging on the ceiling. It still gave off the weak yellow light.


    Hen Li had his arms wrapped around a statue of a small boy.


    ¡°Please, find peace in the afterlife.¡±


    ¡°Monk, there is no peace in here. We¡¯re all trapped and I¡¯m lonely. None of the others want to play with me. They say I¡¯m too far away from their homes. I can¡¯t leave this room. I just wanted some friends.¡± The ghost continued babbling.


    Lu Na kneeled down to face the statue. She wasn¡¯t interested in the boy or his sad story. For all she knew, the boy had died thousands of years ago. She was more interested in what the statue was doing.


    There were some spirit techniques that ran throughout the statue. But there was one that caught her eye. She saw it before but didn¡¯t understand it. It was a technique that used spirit energy to bind ghosts to a specific place.


    Was this how Xia dealt with ghosts?


    ¡°Sun Ren, I think I know how to set the boy ghost free,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°Should I do it? Or do you think it will attack us?¡±


    ¡°Wait, you know how to set me free?¡± the ghost asked. ¡°Please, please! I know you can¡¯t break me free of this labyrinth, but if I can even get away from this room, I would be happy.¡±


    Sun Ren tapped the statue on the head.


    ¡°We can do it if you give us some information.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course. Anything you want to know. I¡¯ll tell you about my toy collection or favorite foods. Just let me out!¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t care about that stuff. We want to know where we are.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve been trapped here since the beginning.¡±


    ¡°Then what can you tell us about what¡¯s outside? You mentioned something about others being tortured.¡±


    ¡°I only hear the noises and sounds. I can¡¯t see.¡±


    ¡°Then what can you tell us?¡± Sun Ren scowled.


    ¡°The moment you step out of this room, you will start screaming and you won¡¯t stop. That happens every time.¡±


    Sun Ren sighed.


    ¡°That¡¯s useless, but more than what we knew before. Release him Lu Na.¡±


    Lu Na took out a flat wooden stick. Unlike her spirit wand, this one helped her erase patterns. She scratched the pattern that kept the ghost trapped until it broke apart.


    ¡°That should do it.¡± Lu Na kept the idea in her head. If one could use that pattern to trap ghosts, what about using it to trap feral spirits as well?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry miss, I still can¡¯t come out,¡± the ghost said.


    Lu Na focused her spirit sight on the statue. She laughed.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°Someone put the pattern on all four sides of the statue like creating a wall and anchoring the ghost inside.¡± Lu Na found the other patterns and scratched them with her stick.


    The statue glowed green and Hen Li let go. After a second, a small naga boy appeared in front of them. His smile showed off his sharp fangs.


    ¡°You did it! I¡¯m finally free!¡± The naga boy hugged Hen Li.


    ¡°You¡¯re not a ghost. You¡¯re a spirit,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°I never said I was a ghost,¡± the naga boy said.


    ¡°Then who stole my light ward and spirit wand?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Oh, that was a ghost. They like to play tricks on newcomers and steal their things.¡±


    ¡°Can you ask the ghost to return it? That spirit wand is important to me.¡±


    The naga boy smiled sheepishly.


    ¡°They don¡¯t listen to me. But I can help you find the ghost if you¡¯d like.¡±


    ¡°I think we¡¯d appreciate it if you could help us get out of this section and closer to the center of the labyrinth,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°Sure. Anything to help the ones that freed me. The next section is not that far from here. The gate leads to the inner sanctum of the labyrinth.¡±


    The naga boy walked out of the small room into the larger room. The darkness swallowed him. There were no lights there.


    ¡°Come on! It¡¯s just around the corner.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. I guess we are lucky that Lu Na knew how to release the boy. Good deeds reap good rewards.¡±


    Hen Li took a step toward the darkness, but Sun Ren stopped him by pulling his tunic.


    ¡°Stop,¡± Sun Ren said. She walked up to the darkness and tossed a small rock into it.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s no sound past this point. The rock didn¡¯t hit the ground. The little naga boy made no sound when he walked through.¡±


    ¡°But we heard his voice.¡±


    Hen Li reached out past the border, his hand swallowed by the darkness. He pulled it back, but nothing happened to his hand. He next got on his knees.


    ¡°Can one of you please hold on to my tunic?¡±


    Sun Ren reached down and held on tight.


    Hen Li dipped his head through the darkness and then pulled it back quickly.


    ¡°Sun Ren is right. Directly in front of this curtain of darkness is a pit. I do not know how deep it goes.¡±


    ¡°The naga boy!¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Amituofo. I saw no trace of him. He must have fallen into the pit.¡±


    Lu Na shook her head. How could life be so cruel to trap the naga spirit for so long only for him to meet his doom so soon?


    ¡°Can we jump over the pit?¡± Sun Ren asked. ¡°The last thing I want to do is live out the rest of my life here in this small room.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more bad news. Right after the pit, all I could see were narrow hallways with a lot of ghosts and a lot of traps. Because I have clear eyes, I can see through them, but you two won¡¯t be able to.¡±


    ¡°What do we do?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°We place our trust in the monk. Do what he does. Step where he steps.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. That would be the safest way of doing this. I¡¯ll go first. Jump as far as you can. While the pit isn¡¯t that wide, you don¡¯t want to miss it. I¡¯ll catch you on the other side.¡±


    Both Lu Na and Sun Ren nodded. Then they watched as the monk got up, made a running start, and jumped through the border of darkness. Just as before, they heard nothing.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go first,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°If any of the ghosts try to attack, I might have some way to fight them.¡±


    Sun Ren stepped almost to the flaming door. She crouched and leaned forward before sprinting forward. Just like that the darkness swallowed her.


    Lu Na stared at it. She tried to use her spirit vision to see if there were any techniques that created this border.


    Nothing.


    That must mean that it was created by the ghosts.


    Lu Na walked to the flaming door. The door showed her many techniques, mostly sealing techniques. None of those were going to help her now. It was time to jump into the void. She really hoped that she could jump far enough.


    Lu Na ran as fast as she could and right before she hit the wall, she jumped. She wanted to close her eyes, but kept them open.


    Her entire world became dark.

 Chapter 79 - Jumping into Darkness

    As Lu Na passed through the curtain of darkness, the other side became better lit. She crashed into Sun Ren before taking her down to the ground with her. When Lu Na got up, she gasped.


    Lu Na stood in the imperial palace. She had never been to the imperial palace, but she recognized it from paintings. There were people walking everywhere and servants carrying a lot of food. Somehow, the sun shone overhead.


    How was this possible?


    ¡°Sun Ren, are you okay?¡± Lu Na picked up the woman and realized it wasn¡¯t Sun Ren. She had jumped into a servant girl that was carrying a large tray of buns. ¡°Oh my, I¡¯m so sorry! I thought you were my friend. Let me help you.¡±


    The servant girl slapped Lu Na¡¯s hand.


    ¡°No. Don¡¯t touch the Emperor¡¯s food.¡± She picked up the buns one at a time, dusting off as much of the dirt as possible.


    ¡°It¡¯s been on the floor. I doubt the Emperor would want to eat that.¡±


    ¡°No. I can¡¯t let the head servant know I dropped them. So don¡¯t touch. They need to look a certain way or they will kill me.¡±


    Lu Na stood by and watched as the servant girl picked up every bun and placed them in a particular pattern. She cried as she walked away.


    What was going on? There was no way she was in the imperial palace. Lu Na used her spirit sight to see if it was a technique that was fooling her. She saw nothing.


    ¡°What are you doing Lu Na? Why are you standing there like an idiot?¡± a man yelled.


    Lu Na turned to find a man wearing official court robes underneath a thick, brown jacket. He stalked toward her with such speed and anger that reminded Lu Na of her father. She didn¡¯t recognize him at all.


    ¡°You idiot girl. Ji Ling summoned you. He doesn¡¯t like when newcomers make him wait. Come.¡± The man walked forward.


    Lu Na raised her hand to get him to wait, but then realized she was wearing different clothes. She was also wearing a thick brown jacket over official court robes. What was going on?


    The man stalked back and got in Lu Na¡¯s face.


    ¡°You know who else hates waiting? Me? I don¡¯t care how special you think you are, but if you don¡¯t follow me right now, I¡¯ll get servants to carry you if I have to. I don¡¯t want Ji Ling¡¯s anger on your account. So let¡¯s go!¡± The man turned again and stalked away.


    Lu Na took a step forward, but then the servant girl from before stopped her. She tried to walk around her, but the girl wouldn¡¯t let her.


    ¡°Can I help you? I¡¯m sorry for knocking over your tray of buns, okay? Please let me go. Apparently I have to report to Ji Ling.¡±


    The servant girl said nothing and stared at Lu Na. Yet every time Lu Na tried to move around her, she would get in her way.


    ¡°Please, move.¡±


    The man stopped to glare at Lu Na. She wasn¡¯t sure why, but she felt the need to not anger the man.


    Lu Na reached out to the servant girl and tried to push her aside. Only then did she feel a hand on her own arm, pulling her back. When she turned around, the entire bright world of the imperial palace disappeared.


    All she saw was Hen Li standing in front of Lu Na, palms pressed, and reciting the heart sutra. He was so close that she could smell him. Behind her was Sun Ren, pulling her back. She let her pull her and stepped away from Hen Li.


    ¡°Amituofo. Thank goodness you pulled her back. One more step and we both would have fallen into the pit,¡± Hen Li said. He stepped forward away from the dark hole behind him.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°A ghost possessed your senses and put you in a living dream. Whatever you saw wasn¡¯t real. The ghost wanted to make you walk to your death like the naga boy.¡± Sun Ren let Lu Na go.


    ¡°Amituofo, when I came over, I saw my former sect leader threatening to kill children. The ghost wanted me to move forward to stop him, impaling myself on a spike further into the room. But luckily, my clear eyes allowed me to see the truth and I banished the dream. That¡¯s when I helped pull Sun Ren out of hers.¡±


    Sun Ren looked away, biting her lip.


    ¡°Mine was worse. It was the first time my Sifu ordered me to murder the children of an official. Even Baihu was there, encouraging me to go through with it.¡±


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t do it right? That¡¯s why you broke free so easily?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Sun Ren sank to her knees. Tears streamed down her face.


    ¡°No, I broke free so easily because it was a nightmare that I have lived over and over. I can never forget their faces.¡±


    Lu Na got down to Lu Na and held her as she cried.


    ¡°My Sifu and Baihu both pushed and pushed. I don¡¯t know how I could keep going on like nothing happened.¡± Sun Ren cried into Lu Na¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Amituofo. Please let the sins pass. I know what you¡¯re going through. It¡¯s hard to live with.¡± Hen Li sat on the floor by them, reciting the heart sutra quietly.


    Lu Na wasn¡¯t sure what to do here. She did not know the type of life Sun Ren has lived. Was it because of her desire to be like her brothers? Was it because of her mother¡¯s encouragement? Or was it simply growing up in the home of the Marquis?Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    For a moment, she took back everything she ever said against her own father. Lu Na¡¯s father might have been stern, but he left her alone and allowed her to pursue her own hobbies. It was always the former that irritated Lu Na, but she learned to live with it. She never had to suffer or deal with any of the consequences like her companions.


    ¡°You guys are so boring,¡± a ghost said. A breeze brushed past them and the area warmed up.


    ¡°Amituofo. I think it¡¯s safe to continue.¡± Hen Li got up and shook his head. ¡°That ghost has been attacking us every chance it got, hoping to drive us to hurt ourselves.¡±


    ¡°See, it¡¯s fine now, Sun Ren. You don¡¯t have to think about what you don¡¯t want anymore,¡± Lu Na said. She took out her handkerchief and wiped her friend¡¯s face.


    ¡°I hate feeling like this. I miss my Baihu,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°She made everything feel fine, no matter what happened.¡±


    ¡°Wait, your spirit changed the way you felt? Lu Na had never heard of a spirit doing that before. ¡°Hen Li, does your spirit do the same?¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. As much as I would like to blame Bifang Niao for pushing me to kill my former sect leader, our bonded spirits can only reflect what we want to feel or think.¡±


    ¡°Like a mirror, it shows us what we want to see or feel?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Hen Li nodded.


    ¡°Which is why I had to walk the path of a Buddhist to rise above the need to engage with human affairs. Yet, my sifu said that I wasn¡¯t ready yet as I still had some unfinished business. I¡¯m still looking for the answer to that.¡±


    Lu Na felt uneasy. If what these two were saying was true, then wouldn¡¯t that mean that all Nugua¡¯s thoughts reflected her own? That can¡¯t be true, right? She¡¯s not a pervert like that naga spirit.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m okay now, Na Na. Let¡¯s keep moving before another ghost tries to attack us.¡± Sun Ren got up, wiped her face on the sleeve of her tunic, and took a deep breath. Her face became like a mask, draining away all her emotions.


    The trio walked out into the narrow hallways. They all followed Hen Li carefully as he led them around a few traps they couldn¡¯t see. Apparently, the ghosts weren¡¯t done trying to hurt or maim them.


    ¡°Amituofo, I wonder why the ghosts are so angry and vengeful. They¡¯ve only tried to hurt us without giving us a reason.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re ghosts. They¡¯re dead and they can¡¯t leave this labyrinth. I think that¡¯s reason enough. I know what type of ghost I would be if I were stuck here,¡± Sun Ren said.


    Lu Na took out her map.


    ¡°Well, at least it looks like we¡¯re getting close to the inner sanctum as the naga boy said. Then we won¡¯t have to worry about the ghosts here. Just a few turns from here and we¡¯re free.¡±


    The trio stopped at a fork. There was a water fountain right in the middle that was still working. It looked like the one from Jie¡¯s village.


    Lu Na used her spirit sight and saw that it functioned the same way. It pulled the water spirit energy from the air around it and condensed it into the water.


    ¡°It should be safe to drink. It¡¯s the same one we saw before in Jie¡¯s village.¡±


    ¡°Monk, do you see any ghost trickery here?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    Hen Li looked the fountain up and down and shook his head.


    ¡°Then I¡¯m going to test it first.¡± Sun Ren took out a small wooden disk from her chest pocket. She dipped it into the fountain, scooping up a small amount of water. Then she took out a silver pin she used before to test the food back in the village to test the water.


    The pin came out clean.


    Next Sun Ren smelled the water before finally tasting it.


    ¡°Is it safe?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Not sure yet. Let¡¯s wait half an hour to see if I get sick. If I do, then it¡¯s not good water.¡± Sun Ren took out her empty water skins and filled the water.


    ¡°I thought you said to wait,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Why waste time? If it¡¯s safe, then we will have water. We never know what else the labyrinth will throw at us. But if it¡¯s not safe, we can always use it for other purposes.¡±


    Lu Na looked away. She had always suspected that her friend was not like other Young Misses and even knew that she would go to any length to protect herself. Yet, knowing that she could also be ruthless made Lu Na really think about the person Sun Ren was.


    A woman screamed, shattering their peace.


    ¡°Was that another trick from the ghosts?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°No, I see nothing coming from that direction,¡± Hen Li said.


    ¡°Do we go help her?¡±


    ¡°No. That¡¯s not the way we¡¯re going. If we get trapped there, then we might suffer the same fate as whoever screamed.¡± Sun Ren closed the water skins. ¡°Let¡¯s be on our way before whatever it is comes this way.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. What happened to your compassion, Young Miss Sun?¡± Hen Li asked. ¡°We should go help them.¡±


    Sun Ren closed her eyes.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t enjoy that nightmare we had earlier, but it reminded me of something important. We¡¯re not here on a vacation. We¡¯re trying to survive in a hostile environment. We have to do what we need to do to get out of here alive.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to help her.¡± Lu Na didn¡¯t bother waiting for a reply before she walked toward the scream. The last thing she needed was to turn into someone like Sun Ren who believed that no one but herself was worth saving. She knew her friend wasn¡¯t like that with her, but Lu Na wouldn¡¯t be able to live with herself if she allowed someone else to die or suffer. Neither would her mother.


    ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s all walk into another trap. I¡¯m sure our luck will keep holding until we save Lu Na¡¯s mother and solve the labyrinth puzzle.¡± Sun Ren followed behind Lu Na and Hen Li.


    Lu Na smiled. She knew she could depend on Sun Ren to do the right thing, even if it meant throwing herself at it to force her to do so.


    But wait, wouldn¡¯t that mean she¡¯s changing too? This was something she never would have done before she met Sun Ren. What was this labyrinth doing to her?


    The trio followed the other fork, walking through a narrow tunnel until it opened to a bigger section. This room was the size of a main hall. There were only a few differences. The ceiling reached to the sky and there were pillars every few feet apart. It was hard to see into the dark room as no lights were lit.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± Hen Li asked.


    ¡°I could use the light ward on my bracelet. But it wouldn¡¯t show too far,¡± Lu Na said.


    Sun Ren raised her finger to her lips.


    Lu Na couldn¡¯t hear anything. There wasn¡¯t even a slight breeze of any kind and for once, it didn¡¯t feel as cold as it did before with the ghosts. So she wasn¡¯t sure what they were looking at.


    Sun Ren pointed toward one pillar on the right. There was a person leaning against the pillar. His clothes looked familiar. It was the dark blue of the Wintersweet Sect.


    ¡°Is that?¡± Lu Na whispered.


    Sun Ren turned around back into the tunnel. When they were inside, she stopped.


    ¡°That might be the Wintersweet Sect. Not sure how they got here, but let¡¯s not have another group of people after us. If they¡¯re having trouble with the labyrinth, then that¡¯s one less worry for us.¡± Sun Ren took a few steps back to the fork.


    That¡¯s when they heard another woman screaming.


    ¡°Please, someone, anyone, help us!¡±


    ¡°No, Na Na, we can¡¯t help everyone. We have to help ourselves.¡±


    Lu Na smiled.


    ¡°No, for once I agree with you. That voice, I recognize it.¡±


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°Senior Wong.¡±

 Chapter 80 - Seeing Wintersweet Again

    For once, Lu Na was happy to hear someone screaming for help. Senior Wong deserved everything that came to her, especially for almost killing her brother.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Lu Na followed Sun Ren.


    ¡°Amituofo. We can¡¯t do that,¡± Hen Li said. ¡°We must help them. They might have done some evil things toward you, but it would be against my very path to not show compassion, hoping others will change for the better.¡±


    ¡°Then you save them. Lu Na and I will go back to the fork and try to get out of here.¡± Sun Ren grabbed Lu Na¡¯s arm. ¡°Those people have been nothing but trouble for us and they would be the last people I¡¯d ever help.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. Then please, as a favor to me, please help me. You¡¯re not helping them. I can¡¯t do it without you two.¡±


    Sun Ren ignored Hen Li and tugged, but Lu Na stopped her.


    ¡°No Sun Ren, I have to help Hen Li. It¡¯s the least I could do for everything he¡¯s done for me.¡±


    ¡°This makes no sense. You¡¯re going to risk your life helping someone who tried to kill you?¡± Sun Ren scowled.


    Lu Na flinched.


    ¡°No, as Hen Li said, I¡¯m helping him. If that evil woman tries to do anything to me, I¡¯ll make sure she regrets it. But there were many other people with the Wintersweet Sect. They don¡¯t all deserve whatever they got tangled in. And I understand if you don¡¯t want to help. It¡¯ll just be me and the monk. You can wait for us at the fork.¡±


    Sun Ren made a sound between a grunt and a whine. It almost sounded like when one of Lu Na¡¯s younger brothers was about to throw a tantrum.


    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s get this over with. Without me, you two won¡¯t last long.¡± Sun Ren turned and followed Hen Li.


    For the first time since entering the labyrinth, Hen Li took the lead. Lu Na hadn¡¯t noticed that he hid behind them. But why? He¡¯s a powerful summoner and from what Lu Na could tell, their powers as a summoner stayed with them despite being separated from their spirits. Otherwise, Lu Na wouldn¡¯t have been able to use her spirit sight or other techniques.


    Something was going on with Hen Li.


    ¡°Okay, Lu Na, how far can you show your light ward from your bracelet?¡± Hen Li asked.


    ¡°I can focus the beam of light in a line,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Then would you mind taking the lead? Young Miss Sun and I will cover you.¡±


    ¡°No, she can hide behind the pillars and only show her hand to whatever¡¯s out there,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°If something attacks her, hopefully it will only take a hand. Having Lu Na stand out in the open like that would get her killed.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± Hen Li said. ¡°I¡¯ll use my clear eyes to keep a lookout for any dangers.¡±


    Lu Na didn¡¯t think so, but she couldn¡¯t complain. The thought of losing her left hand was not something she was looking for. Yet Sun Ren was right. Losing a hand instead of being blasted or whatever traps that were around would be better.


    Lu Na clenched her left fist. She made a circle with her fingers and the light ward activated. Her light ward cut through the darkness. She hid behind the first pillar closest to the entrance and showed it into the center of the room.


    There, in the dead center were a group of people dressed in dark blue tunics. They huddled close together with some leaning on each other. Most of them had their eyes closed. Right in the center were two older people, one man and woman, dressed in purple. They sat with their legs crossed and backs straight, almost as if they were meditating.


    But as far as Lu Na could see, there was nothing else. Then where was Senior Wong? Wasn¡¯t she screaming earlier?


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Senior Wong slammed her staff against the pillar Lu Na stood behind. The sudden shock and dust threw Lu Na back, crashing to the ground.


    Sun Ren was already there with her sword, deflecting the next attack. She had a dagger in her other hand and was about to go for the kill.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Hen Li yelled. He wrapped his arms around Senior Wong and held her back.


    ¡°No, I have to protect my brothers and sisters. I have to protect the elders. You can¡¯t come in here,¡± Senior Wong shouted.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay now. We¡¯re here to help,¡± Hen Li said.


    Sun Ren held her waist sword in hand and a dagger in the other. She looked like she was ready to attack Senior Wong.


    ¡°Some of us are. Just give me a reason you summoner scum and I will make sure you bother no one ever again.¡±


    The way Sun Ren said that was colder than the ghosts. Lu Na rubbed her arms to get rid of the goosebumps.


    ¡°Could you shine a light over here, Lu Na?¡± Hen Li asked.


    Lu Na lifted her wrist and shone the light at Hen Li who was still holding onto Senior Wong. His arms strained against the other woman dressed in dark blue. When the light hit Senior Wong¡¯s eyes, she flinched. For a moment, her pupils went from large to small.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Senior Wong asked. She slumped against Hen Li, as if she suddenly lost all her strength. ¡°And why does my head hurt so much?¡±


    Hen Li laid Senior Wong on the ground so that she was sitting.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°We came because the monk asked us to but here all we¡¯re finding is your sect summoners sleeping while their watch is screaming that she needs help.¡±


    Senior Wong turned to look at the mass of people seemingly asleep. Tears flowed freely from her eyes.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°No, they¡¯re dead. I remember now. We were attacked. When we teleported into the labyrinth, something attacked us. The two Elders held them off, but they were too strong. So we all ran to this room. Whatever attacked us didn¡¯t follow. Then it got cold. We couldn¡¯t find a way out so we huddled together until we could.¡±


    ¡°It must have been the ghosts,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Ghosts? Don¡¯t be stupid. Even a na?ve young miss like you should know they¡¯re not real,¡± Senior Wong said.


    Why did Lu Na risk her life to save them again? Yet Lu Na saw an opportunity here. The Wintersweet Sect were at their mercy and without an understanding of the ghosts, they might die here. Yet they¡¯re super powerful summoners.


    Wait.


    ¡°Senior Wong, where are your spirits?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°What do you mean? They¡¯re inside our spirit realm. What kind of stupid question is that?¡± Senior Wong snorted.


    ¡°No, this is not good. Sun Ren, Hen Li, we have to run before¡ª¡±


    Sun Ren yanked Lu Na away as fast as she could. This was one reason why she loved her. She was a woman of action, less of words.


    Hen Li stood back, though.


    Lu Na turned to yell, ¡°Hen Li, run! Their spirits are about to manifest. They¡¯ll murder you and everyone there.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. I must help them.¡± Hen Li pressed his palms together, probably to recite the heart sutra again.


    Lu Na wanted to turn around and help, but she didn¡¯t have any wards. If the ones on her bracelet burned out, she would be totally defenseless. She could only hope the monk knew what he was doing.


    ¡°Why are we running?¡± Senior Wong asked.


    Lu Na flinched when she saw the senior disciple.


    ¡°Why are you running with us?¡±


    ¡°I might not like you, but you¡¯ve been pretty smart about these things. I figured it couldn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    ¡°But what about your fellow disciples and Elders?¡±


    Senior Wong laughed, despite running fast.


    ¡°Those guys can be the sacrificial lambs. I don¡¯t care as long as I live. I¡¯ve got a bigger purpose in this life than to die like them.¡±


    The three women ran back to the room with the fountain. They stopped and were panting.


    That¡¯s when they heard an explosion coming from the tunnel. It sounded like the shrieking of many animal spirits, some angry, some elated, and others sad. The sounds of fighting broke out.


    ¡°Wait, why isn¡¯t Senior Wong affected?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Sun Ren unsheathed her waist sword and pointed it at the senior disciple¡¯s throat.


    ¡°Tell us, can you hear your spirit inside?¡±


    Senior Wong smiled and took a step back.


    ¡°I can do one better.¡± She clenched her left fist and a small metal rooster appeared beside her legs.


    ¡°How is that possible? Our spirits escaped our spirit realms when we entered the labyrinth,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°What are you talking about? That¡¯s not possible. Unless¡­¡± Senior Wong laughed. ¡°Now, this is interesting. You two don¡¯t have your spirits anymore. This labyrinth ripped them from your spirit realm.¡±


    ¡°Yes. How did you save yours?¡± Lu Na saw it rip the spirit from a powerful summoner like Hen Li. How would someone like Senior Wong resist it?


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a family secret. It was a technique my father taught me to prevent anyone from ever affecting or stealing my spirit. But this is a perfect opportunity for me to get even with you.¡± Senior Wong took a step toward Lu Na.


    Lu Na clenched her left fist, ready to deploy all her wards again. This time, she would not be as nice to her as she was in the restaurant. Thanks to Jie, she had an improved version compared to the last time they had a stalemate.


    Sun Ren stood in front of Lu Na, despite not having her spirit at all anymore. Without Baihu, she was no stronger than a soldier by himself. No, it was probably worse, as she had no spirit to reinforce her at all.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s me she¡¯s after. I¡¯ll deal with her,¡± Lu Na said. She pulled Sun Ren back behind her.


    ¡°You¡¯re dealing with me?¡± Senior Wong said.


    ¡°Look, we¡¯re trapped here and it would be in our best interest to work together. I¡¯m sure whatever happened back in that room, those spirits are going to catch us here, eventually. They won¡¯t hesitate to kill us despite being your fellow disciples¡¯ spirits.¡±


    ¡°Those small fry? I don¡¯t need to worry about any of them. But this opportunity with you might never come again.¡± Senior Wong took another step toward Lu Na. Her metal rooster spirit clucked as it took a step closer.


    ¡°What about your Elders? Won¡¯t their spirits be a problem?¡±


    Senior Wong paused for a second, turning her head. Then she glared at Lu Na.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m sure I can get away from them if I have to. You¡¯re not getting off that easy.¡±


    ¡°What do you want from me, Senior Wong? I have done nothing to you. You¡¯re the one that attacked my home and almost killed my brother. I should be the one settling it with you.¡±


    ¡°None of that matters here. No one will ever know what happened here. That¡¯s the beauty of coming into this death trap. I can act without regrets.¡±


    Sun Ren threw her dagger at Senior Wong¡¯s chest and head.


    The metal rooster jumped and deflected the daggers with a wing. With the next jump, it pinned Sun Ren to the floor. It clucked a few times as it walked on Sun Ren¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Your friend needs to relax. I¡¯ll get to her after you.¡± Senior Wong made a fist with her right hand. Her face looked like it was twisted in pain. Then she brought her right hand and cupped it with her left. She bowed her head. ¡°I just wanted to apologize for everything I¡¯ve done.¡±


    Lu Na stopped her left hand from releasing the tiger claw she had prepared.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Miss Lu. I realized that my desire to succeed no matter what has caused me to forget about karma. That¡¯s why my father died. He acted like he was a god without regard for others and when he needed help the most, his own Elders turned against him. I realized even I need help sometimes and so now I am begging you both, please help me with whatever is going on.¡±


    Lu Na felt her jaw drop. She never thought that someone like Senior Wong would ever apologize for anything. And yet there she was, apologizing and asking for help instead of bullying her.


    The metal rooster got off Sun Ren and walked back over to Senior Wong.


    ¡°I apologize to Young Miss Sun as well for our misunderstanding. I hope you can forgive me and my spirit.¡± Senior Wong bowed toward her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust this nor do I trust her,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°What¡¯s with the sudden change of heart? Weren¡¯t you just trying to kill us?¡±


    Senior Wong huffed.


    ¡°Look, this is the first time I¡¯m doing this. I don¡¯t apologize to anyone. Even though my father was the sect leader, I still had to train harder than anyone to get to where I am. He taught me apologies were for the weak.¡±


    ¡°And now we¡¯re supposed to pretend everything is fine and move on? I don¡¯t think so.¡± Sun Ren turned to leave down the other path.


    ¡°No Sun Ren. We have to go back and help them,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°That¡¯s foolish. Even if I could trust her, all we have are my daggers, your wards, and her rooster spirit. It won¡¯t be enough,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°Then I¡¯m going back to help them. If we help them, then we might have a better chance of succeeding here. Better the enemy we know than the enemy we don¡¯t. If we save Elder Hen and his disciples, they¡¯ll be more inclined to help us. Isn¡¯t that right Senior Wong?¡±


    Senior Wong nodded.


    Sun Ren gritted her teeth.


    ¡°Fine, at least we¡¯ll die quicker this way.¡± Sun Ren walked back toward the other Wintersweet disciples and Elders.


    Senior Wong followed closely with her rooster spirit.


    Lu Na followed behind. She really hoped she was right. They were about to walk into a dangerous situation. But there was a feeling in her gut that she knew she was right. They needed the Wintersweet Sect to survive whatever it is here especially if they met with the rebels again.


    Now she only hoped to survive whatever was coming.

 Chapter 81 - Rescuing Wintersweet

    Lu Na caught up with the two ladies running toward danger. She never understood how these two ladies would rush in so easily. Maybe it was experience or practice over the years. Lu Na couldn¡¯t do that until now.


    ¡°Wait, let me go first,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Why? You¡¯re weak. You won¡¯t last one strike from anyone, let alone an Elder,¡± Senior Wong said.


    ¡°No, but I have defenses. Remember how I defended against your attack back at the village?¡±


    ¡°And back in the sect and your home. I never forget my humiliations. Fine, you want to walk ahead then go. I won¡¯t stop you from getting killed.¡± Senior Wong stepped aside.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll cover your back. Just keep your spirit wall up and use the earth wall as soon as you get inside,¡± Sun Ren said. She patted Lu Na on the shoulder. It was probably the most reassuring thing Lu Na had felt since she came inside the labyrinth.


    Lu Na took a deep breath and walked ahead. The sounds were getting louder as if a war was being fought. An explosion flashed brightly in their narrow hallway. She didn¡¯t wait any longer. She flicked her wrist to the right and formed the spirit skin all over her body. Now if only she could do the same with the earth wall, then she¡¯d be set against both physical and spirit attacks.


    A flash of lightning struck ahead, blinding Lu Na. Whatever it was, it shoved her back against the two other ladies.


    Lu Na flicked her wrist to the left, and an earth wall rose from the ground. A loud thud cracked the earth wall. She flicked her wrist again and another earth wall rose. Another thud hit it, but then stopped.


    ¡°Release the wall and stay back,¡± Senior Wong ordered.


    Lu Na released her fist and the walls collapsed. She still couldn¡¯t see, but she felt someone move past her. Another hand held onto her shoulder, steadying her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m still here,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°Can you see?¡±


    Lu Na rubbed her eyes. She saw into the room where the Wintersweet Sect was. Something turned all the pillars standing in the way to dust. The room looked more like an open space with piles of gravel everywhere.


    Senior Wong stood with her enlarged metal rooster facing down a group of spirits. Her arms looked like they were dipped in metal and they glimmered from the small fires that burned around the room.


    ¡°You weaklings think you can stand up to me?¡±


    Lu Na followed Sun Ren out of the narrow hallway. There were flashes of light that forced Lu Na to shield her eyes. They came from a short distance away from Senior Wong.


    The disciples in the dark blue tunics were cowering behind Senior Wong. The room was now hot from all the fire that was thrown around.


    ¡°Are you good?¡± Sun Ren asked Senior Wong.


    ¡°I am here, but that fight over there is worrying me.¡±


    Lu Na saw Hen Li fighting bare handed with a large cat spirit with the help of the female Elder. It was the one that helped her when she fought Senior Wong in the restaurant. Watching the older woman was amazing. While Hen Li kept up with the cat spirit, the female Elder threw fireballs at it.


    At the opposite corner from that, Elder Hen and Hen Li¡¯s five colored hound, Panhu, was fighting a brown horse with a purple mane. It looked more like Panhu was protecting the Elder from being run over by the horse.


    ¡°Please help my elders.¡± Lu Fen and a few of her fellow disciples bowed to Lu Na and Sun Ren. ¡°We know that you have powerful wards or something. If they die, we can¡¯t fight against their spirits.¡±


    ¡°Lu Fen, you¡¯re alive,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Yes, cousin. Please, help them.¡±


    Lu Na nodded. Granted, they weren¡¯t actually cousins despite the same family name that she remembered made her smile. She needed little excuse to help family after all.


    Lu Na clenched her left fist. She pictured what she wanted in her head and really focused on using as much spirit energy as she could. She was dealing with high stage summoners.


    ¡°What do you need me to do?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to create a cage for the horse attacking Elder Hen. He needs the most help. Do you think you can help the other Elder that is with Hen Li?¡±


    ¡°On it.¡± Sun Ren unsheathed two of her daggers and ran toward the cat spirit that was now shooting fireballs of her own at Hen Li and the Elder.


    Lu Na bit her lip. She flicked her wrist right toward Sun Ren and placed a spirit skin on her. She wasn¡¯t sure how long it would last, but better something than nothing when fighting such a powerful spirit.


    Lu Na turned toward Elder Hen. The last time she made a wall powered by null metal back in the Wintersweet compound, he couldn¡¯t break it. Now she was hoping it was because of how strong the wall was and not because of the flagging strength of Elder Hen.


    Lu Na focused the image in her head. This time, she wanted to create a very concentrated earth wall and combine the spirit energy in the earth as much as possible. She only had one chance at this because if she failed, the horse might kill her in a second. It had speed beyond anything she could react to.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    When she had the image in her head well enough, she flicked her wrist to the left. The wall of the labyrinth shook as a stone wall cut across the room. It blocked the horse off from Elder Hen and Panhu, forming a triangle with two adjacent walls. Then, Lu Na pushed her left fist forward, creating a ceiling over the wall, locking it in.


    Lu Na relaxed her fist as her wrist burned. It was only a small heat, but any more burning, she¡¯ll sear her wrist. She was hungry, but not hungry enough to eat her own hand.


    Panhu howled once and then turned to fight the cat spirit Hen Li was still dealing with.


    Elder Hen collapsed to the floor, breathing heavily as he stared at the wall.


    ¡°Thank you Young Miss Lu, you are a¡ª¡±


    The wall cracked from the loud thud on the other side, causing a part of the roof to fall off. It almost crashed into Elder Hen. He got up and sat down next to Lu Na.


    ¡°Can you fix that crack?¡± Elder Hen asked.


    Lu Na looked down at her burning wrist. Her left hand was shaking.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I can do that again. Or else my hand is going to fall off.¡±


    Elder Hen examined her wrist.


    ¡°The spirit energy you¡¯re absorbing into the null metal is overheating it.¡±


    ¡°Tell me something I don¡¯t know. Is there something you can do to help Hen Li and the Elder?¡± Lu Na rubbed her wrist. She could take the bracelet off and put it on her right hand, but that wouldn¡¯t stop the burning.


    ¡°What you need to do is to absorb the spirit energy into your body,¡± Elder Hen said.


    ¡°What? How do you do that?¡±


    ¡°While you¡¯re not a practicing summoner, it¡¯s a simple technique you can do. Most people do it every time they breathe. Can you feel the spirit energy in the air?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re talking about breathing in the spirit energy to absorb them or whatever, that¡¯s too hard. I couldn¡¯t do it at all.¡±


    ¡°Good, you have an idea. This time it¡¯ll be easier. You¡¯re going to absorb the spirit energy into your body through your skin instead.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wouldn¡¯t that just make me overheat?¡± Lu Na thought about the spirit energy burning her body like it did her bracelet. Her body wouldn¡¯t be able to take that kind of heat, at least not for long.


    Elder Hen smiled, his wrinkled face becoming more wrinkled, if that were possible.


    ¡°Child, I¡¯ve been doing this for so long. Just trust me. Now focus on the bracelet. Do you feel the spirit energy in it?¡±


    Lu Na closed her eyes to focus. She felt the burning through the leather wrap, but she saw it as spirit energy.


    ¡°Yes, I can sense the dense burning spirit energy there.¡±


    ¡°Good, now just like how you¡¯d breathe in spirit energy, let it flow into your skin instead. You might have to move it with your mind.¡±


    Lu Na tugged at the spirit energy. To her surprise, it was as simple as when she had her spirit wand. The only difference was that she couldn¡¯t control where it went. The spirit energy sunk deep into her skin. Soon enough, it began traveling up her arm.


    ¡°Good, you¡¯re doing good. Now, instead of trying to separate it and pull it into your spirit realm, push it down through your legs and back into the earth.¡±


    Lu Na followed Elder Hen¡¯s instructions. It was one of the most interesting feelings she¡¯d had in ages. Spirit energy would tickle her from time to time when she made the wards, but this feeling was almost like holding onto the flame of a candle. Soon enough, all the dense spirit energy traveled down into the ground.


    The bracelet no longer burned.


    Lu Na opened her eyes and shook it for a second. It was cool to the touch, despite being so hot not too long ago. Even the leather cooled off.


    ¡°This is amazing.¡±


    Elder Hen nodded.


    ¡°Now, think you can use that bracelet to help my son?¡±


    Lu Na clenched her fist and then created the same wall to cage the cat spirit. An earth wall rose from the wall of the labyrinth to the other side, creating a triangle.


    But before Lu Na could make the ceiling, the cat jumped onto the wall in one leap. It looked around until it locked eyes with Lu Na and hissed.


    ¡°Move, Elder Xu,¡± Hen Li shouted.


    ¡°Oh, no you don¡¯t.¡± Elder Xu lifted two fingers into the air and a flash of light shot at the cat spirit. It completely missed.


    The cat spirit already leaped into the air, with its claws out, coming for Lu Na and Elder Hen.


    Lu Na pushed her left hand out. Her spirit wall activated, but she focused it into the smallest, tiniest square she could. Then a stone wall rose from the ground in front of her and Elder Hen. It all happened in a moment, to be broken through just as quickly.


    The cat spirit slammed into the small square of concentrated spirit wall, breaking it with its chest. Despite slowing it down, it shredded the wall with its claws before shattering the stone wall with the rest of its body.


    Lu Na grabbed Elder Hen and took a few steps back, but froze when the other stone wall holding the horse spirit broke open. The brown horse glared at Lu Na and Elder Hen, its purple mane swaying as if there was wind blowing it.


    Both spirits didn¡¯t move as they stared each other down and at their prey standing between them.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°We pray to our ancestors,¡± Elder Hen said. ¡°We¡¯re too close for Elder Xu to strike them without killing the both of us and my son won¡¯t be fast enough to reach us. Let¡¯s hope our deaths will be quick at least.¡±


    Lu Na clenched her left fist hard. The burning reminded her to move the spirit energy down through her body, but it wasn¡¯t moving fast enough. There was only one thing to do.


    Lu Na pictured an earth dome, but a little different this time. She pictured large spikes on the outside. Finally, she looked at the ground, thinking about all the spirit energy she had been pushing into it.


    ¡°Elder Hen, respectfully, when they both charge at us, I need you to get down onto the ground and lie as flat as you can,¡± Lu Na said.


    Elder Hen nodded.


    As if that was the signal both of the spirits needed, the cat pounced at the pair while the horse charged. Lu Na and Elder Hen dropped to the ground.


    Lu Na raised the earth dome over them with spikes. It covered them in darkness in an instant. Next she created a spirit wall just above both her and Elder Hen.


    The earth dome cracked from the spirits¡¯ charge.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think I was going to die from my spirit,¡± Elder Hen said. His eyes closed and hands pressed together in prayer.


    ¡°I¡¯m not dying today.¡± Lu Na focused on all that dense spirit energy in the ground that she pulled from her bracelet. Then she focused on the tiger claw technique from Sect Leader Wong. With one thrust of her arm, the tiger claw exploded outward using all the concentrated spirit energy.


    The dome exploded with a flash of purple light from the tiger claw technique and dust went everywhere. Lu Na hoped that the spikes and the tiger claw technique would stop the two spirits.


    When it finally settled, Lu Na opened her eyes only to look up at both the cat spirit and horse spirit staring down at her.


    Maybe it was time to pray to her ancestors after all.

 Chapter 82 - Uneasy Alliance

    Lu Na sat up, her wrist not burning for once from that massive attack. She had been siphoning as much of the spirit energy from the bracelet to the ground as she could and since her arm was already on the ground; it made it a lot easier.


    A dust cloud surrounded everything. Lu Na couldn¡¯t see much except for Elder Hen sitting up beside her. The only good part was that the earth dome was gone.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Sun Ren asked. She dusted Lu Na and helped her stand.


    ¡°I think so?¡± Lu Na dusted the front of her tunic and her pants. She was glad of her choice to not wear a skirt. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°When the two spirits charged your dome, it exploded. I¡¯m assuming you did that.¡±


    Lu Na nodded.


    ¡°Where are the spirits now?¡±


    Elder Xu cackled.


    ¡°They¡¯re dead. Those traitorous spirits got what they deserve.¡±


    ¡°But wouldn¡¯t that hurt you?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Oh, little girl. You¡¯re still worried about an old woman like me. You¡¯re so kind. But no, I have many other spirits that can sustain me. It was just that one cat that thought he was better than me.¡±


    ¡°What about my father?¡± Hen Li asked.


    All his senior disciples attended elder Hen as Senior Wong kept their spirits at bay.


    ¡°That dying old fool will be fine,¡± Elder Xu said.


    Lu Na looked at the spry older man. He didn¡¯t look like he was dying at all when he fought his horse spirit. Yet, as he was being helped by his disciples, he looked his age. His back was hunched and his hands shook as he held onto them.


    ¡°Serves him right.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. As long as he¡¯s alright, then we can continue our journey,¡± Hen Li said.


    Lu Na noticed Hen Li¡¯s change of tone. He cared little for his father before. Yet now he asked about him. Maybe it¡¯s true what they say. Your father is your father no matter what happens. In that moment, she missed her own again.


    Lu Na walked only a few steps before she collapsed to the floor. She couldn¡¯t feel the left side of her body.


    ¡°Na Na!¡± Sun Ren rushed to hold Lu Na. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never felt like this before. My entire left side of my body down to my feet is numb. I can¡¯t move it either, but my right side is fine.¡±


    ¡°Can anyone help her?¡± Sun Ren asked the Wintersweet disciples gathered around them.


    Elder Xu knelt down and felt Lu Na¡¯s forehead. The Elder lifted her left arm and dropped it.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening? I didn¡¯t feel that,¡± Lu Na said.


    Elder Xu used two fingers and pointed right at Lu Na¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move. This is going to hurt.¡± Elder Xu¡¯s fingers glowed yellow. She thrust yellow spirit energy into her chest.


    Lu Na pushed hard against Sun Ren. Her entire left side was on fire. The pain ran up and down her left side with every beat of her heart.


    Lu Na screamed.


    ¡°What did you do to her?¡± Sun Ren asked. She pointed a dagger at Elder Xu¡¯s throat.


    The Elder cackled.


    ¡°Ah, to be so young and so disrespectful of your elders. I remember when I was like that.¡±


    ¡°No Sun Ren, I¡¯m fine now,¡± Lu Na said. The burning went away and calmed down to mostly pins and needles. She lifted her left arm. ¡°But what was that?¡±


    ¡°You must have used a spirit energy releasing technique. But whoever taught you that didn¡¯t teach you how to regulate it.¡± Elder Xu lifted Lu Na¡¯s arm again, pulling her sleeve back. Her arm had yellow spiderwebs running all the way up from her fingers to her shoulder. ¡°The spirit energy you released was burning you inside. It must have been really dense spirit energy. All I did was expel the remaining spirit energy so it didn¡¯t kill you.¡±


    Lu Na cupped her hands and bowed her head toward Elder Xu.


    ¡°Thank you for saving me, Elder Xu.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me child. You saved us. It¡¯s the least I could do. But don¡¯t use that technique unless you purge the rest of the spirit energy inside you. Or the next time, you will die.¡±


    Lu Na nodded.


    Sun Ren cupped her hands toward Elder Xu.


    ¡°My apologies Elder Xu.¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Elder Xu tilted her head and examined Sun Ren from head to toe.


    ¡°You know, if you ever tire of working for your family, I would love to have a disciple as decisive and deadly as you. I could teach you things that will make you one of the best summoners in the country.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, but I serve my father¡¯s higher purpose of protecting the people,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°Such a shame.¡± Elder Xu left them alone to attend to her disciples and their spirits.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°No. But I will be.¡± Lu Na couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the blinding pain. She couldn¡¯t use that technique to rid her bracelet of the spirit energy again without learning the other to release it from her body. But, there was another idea she had. What if she made a device that did that for her?


    ¡°You have that look on your face again, Na Na. What are you thinking about?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°Oh nothing. Just thinking about a new device I¡¯d have to make to improve my bracelet.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great and all, but since we saved these people, I think we should go. The last thing we need are for their Elders to force us to follow them.¡±


    ¡°But Sun Ren, they have the numbers. They could help us reach the center of the labyrinth. Wouldn¡¯t that be easier than going by ourselves?¡± Lu Na glanced at Hen Li who was reciting the heart sutra again. ¡°And besides, Hen Li isn¡¯t as powerful as he was outside of the labyrinth. What if we need more help?¡±


    Sun Ren glanced at the monk as well. Then she looked at Elder Hen who was being helped by Elder Xu. She was using a similar technique with her fingers on the Elder.


    ¡°And if they force us to give up whatever device we find when we solve the puzzle? That would be very dangerous if they¡¯re able to use it outside. The power wouldn¡¯t be something my father or even the Imperial forces can fight based on the historical records.¡±


    Lu Na was interested in the device that the Xia inventors hid in such an elaborate place, but ultimately she realized what she truly wanted above all else.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Sun Ren. The only thing I care about is saving my mother. The politics outside doesn¡¯t matter to me. I doubt it matters much to most people. If the Wintersweet Sect uses the device to bring about peace, that wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing either.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo, if I might say something?¡± Hen Li sat down next to the two women. ¡°The Wintersweet Sect is a dangerous sect, but its original goal was to protect those that needed protection. If Elder Hen and Elder Xu gain the device, they would use it for that purpose.¡±


    Sun Ren snorted.


    ¡°Unless they realize the type of power, they would get from it. Then, they would easily corrupt themselves and twist the sect¡¯s goals to serve their own purposes. Much like the previous Sect Leaders and your Ancestor.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is someone smearing my name?¡± Elder Xu said.


    Lu Na almost jumped out of her skin. How did Elder Xu walk to them so fast? The other disciples also looked around in surprise as Elder Xu appeared beside them unexpectedly.


    ¡°Young Miss Sun, I know your father is an honorable man, but the way he raised you tell me he¡¯s a very paranoid man. He wouldn¡¯t make for a very good ruler,¡± Elder Xu said. ¡°And before you start defending the man, understand that I don¡¯t care for him or your opinion. However, know this: I don¡¯t need this device to cause havoc across the country. I only came as a favor to my best friend.¡±


    Elder Hen coughed and staggered over. He popped two red pills into his mouth.


    ¡°And I thank you, Xu Ming for coming with me. But before you children think we¡¯re after you, we are not. I realized there are forces here that we can¡¯t fight against ourselves. So for once, no tricks, no lies. We should work together to get out of here. We¡¯ll figure out what to do with the device when we get out of here. Agreed?¡±


    Lu Na answered before Sun Ren, ¡°Since I want to work together with the Wintersweet Sect and Sun Ren clearly dislikes them, let¡¯s have Hen Li be the decider. He knows the Wintersweet Sect and all those gathered here better than us.¡±


    Sun Ren nodded.


    ¡°Amituofo. While I detest the way the Wintersweet Sect has operated in the past, I think it¡¯s only fair that we prioritize the sanctity of life and make it out of here together. But fair warning, Elder Hen, should you try to betray us when we escape from the labyrinth, I will unleash Bifang Niao in full force.¡±


    Elder Hen smiled, his wrinkled face adding a few creases.


    ¡°I would have it no other way, son.¡±


    Hen Li didn¡¯t respond and walked away.


    Elder Xu clapped.


    ¡°This is good. I wanted to work with the little inventor, anyway. I have so many questions for you.¡±


    Lu Na bowed her head. She wasn¡¯t sure how she felt about that, but now that they were with powerful summoners, Lu Na relaxed. Hopefully, everything will be alright and they can save her mother.


    The group of Wintersweet Sect disciples and their Elders assembled at the room with the fountain. Many of them had brought their own water skins and plenty of food. They had decided that they¡¯d rest there with a fire going along with a few watchers.


    That was all fine with Lu Na as she didn¡¯t get quality rest the last time. She, along with Sun Ren, rested with the female disciples on one side of the room, as the male disciples were on the other side. Of course, knowing Sun Ren, she was not resting right away.


    ¡°Sun Ren, we finally have other watchers. You can rest,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust the Elders,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°They¡¯re cunning old foxes that have been around for too long.¡±


    ¡°Might I say something?¡± Lu Fen asked. The Wintersweet disciple scooted over to the pair. ¡°I understand why you don¡¯t trust us or the Elders. But something you should know is that Elder Hen was the one who stopped Sect Leader Wong from killing us all. Elder Xu was the one who opposed the kidnapping from the start.¡±


    ¡°Yet they still agreed to go along with the plan to capture all the Lu maidens and kill them afterwards,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°And if I remember correctly, they were going to sacrifice you, too.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right Sun Ren,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°But even if they were going to betray us, they wouldn¡¯t do it now. As far as I know, they still need us to help solve the labyrinth¡¯s puzzle. So until then, I¡¯m going to take as much advantage as I can.¡±


    ¡°Fine, whatever.¡± Sun Ren stalked away to the tunnel¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°Is she okay?¡± Lu Fen asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. The labyrinth has changed her,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°What about you? Have you noticed anything different ever since entering the labyrinth?¡±


    Lu Fen scratched her head. She looked at her fellow disciples.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I have, but some of my fellow disciples seem different. Ever since our spirits manifested outside of our spirit realms, I have felt like I have been missing my best friend. But for some of them¡­¡±


    ¡°It feels like they¡¯ve lost a part of who they are?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Lu Fen nodded.


    ¡°Some of them were the nicest people I¡¯d ever known in or out of the sect. But ever since we came in here, they¡¯ve become meaner. Not entirely different, but not as they were before. I¡¯m not sure how to explain it.¡±


    ¡°No, I understand what you mean.¡±


    Lu Fen smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad it¡¯s not just me. Anyway, rest as much as you can now. Who knows what we¡¯ll have to face later.¡±


    Lu Na laid her head down on the cold, hard floor. She used her arms as pillows. There was only one thought going through her mind: a hope that this ordeal will be over soon and she can have her best friend back and her mother. But seeing a glimpse of what this labyrinth could do, she knew it would be a fool¡¯s dream to expect it to be easy.


    Those Xia inventors really didn¡¯t want anyone to get the device they have hidden behind all these defenses. If that¡¯s the case, why did they create it in the first place? More importantly, could Lu Na go around these defenses? There had to be a way.

 Chapter 83 - Moving Forward in the Labyrinth

    Lu Na awoke with her arms tingling. She had been sleeping on them and now she was paying the price. It felt similar to when Elder Xu used a technique to push out the remaining spirit energy within her body. Except that burned all at once as if she was really on fire.


    ¡°Good morning Na Na,¡± Sun Ren said. She had been sitting beside Lu Na with a dagger out. It looked like she was carving a poem on the side of the fountain.


    ¡°Good morning, Sun Ren. Did you get any sleep?¡± Lu Na sat up and stretched. Her back and side hurt. She would not complain about sleeping in grass again.


    ¡°Yes, but I need little sleep. I just made sure that everything was quiet until everyone woke up.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Where are the Elders?¡±


    ¡°Those old monsters need less sleep than even me. They¡¯ve been talking about plans and such most of the night. They¡¯ve also sent a few scouts ahead of us in hopes to see what we might encounter. The monk went with them.¡±


    ¡°Oh? I would have thought Hen Li wouldn¡¯t have wanted to work with his former sect.¡±


    ¡°He insisted since he had the clear eyes technique. But they¡¯ve been gone for a while.¡±


    Elder Hen and Xu walked up to the two ladies.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± Lu Na said with cupped hands and a bow.


    ¡°Good morning. We¡¯ve run into a problem,¡± Elder Hen said. ¡°The scouts we sent have been gone for too long.¡±


    ¡°What do you want us to do about it?¡± Sun Ren crossed her arms.


    ¡°Since you two seemed to have more experience here, we thought maybe you knew what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know. We never went down that way,¡± Lu Na answered.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you send one of your disciples¡¯ spirit to check?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    Elder Xu cackled.


    ¡°You are truly ruthless to suggest we send our spirits into mortal danger. There¡¯s no telling what would happen to them if they should die here. Besides, if you feel that way, why don¡¯t you send yours, girl?¡±


    ¡°Mine is trapped behind the rebels in the outer sanctum. I don¡¯t know what happened to her.¡± Sun Ren scowled.


    Lu Na felt bad for leaving Baihu behind.


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t we all go as a group? That¡¯s the only safe route as the way we came was filled with traps that we can¡¯t see without Hen Li.¡±


    Elder Xu hummed.


    ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll use one of my minor spirits to scout for us. Get everyone ready to move, Hen Shimin.¡±


    Elder Hen nodded and set off to get all his disciples moving.


    ¡°Meanwhile, is there anything you can do for my spirit to protect him?¡± Elder Xu asked Lu Na.


    ¡°I can probably give him a spirit skin that can prevent most spirit techniques from hurting him. My other type of protection deals with using earth spirit energy to create walls. But I would have to be close enough to cast it.¡±


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t walk ahead,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°That¡¯s too dangerous.¡±


    Elder Xu leaned in close, despite Sun Ren holding a dagger in her hand.


    ¡°Look child. Without us, you would walk through these narrow hallways on your own, anyway. But beyond that, if you truly want this partnership to work, then you have to risk something as well.¡±


    ¡°All you¡¯re risking is one of your spirits. Lu Na¡¯s life is worth a million of those,¡± Sun Ren said.


    Elder Xu cracked a smile. It was so wide that it looked like it would overtake the sides of her face.


    ¡°I like you. I haven¡¯t been contradicted since my sifu passed. So I¡¯ll tell you what. I¡¯ll walk ahead with your little friend and you can come too. If anything goes wrong, we can all defend each other.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine with me,¡± Lu Na said. She pulled Sun Ren to the side. ¡°Look, she¡¯s right. We would be walking by ourselves, anyway. At least this way we can have a powerful summoner back us up.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s not how to negotiate. They have so many people and we saved them from certain death.¡± Sun Ren glared at Elder Xu. ¡°We only have one of you and one of me. They have¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know, but if Hen Li was here, he¡¯d say that all life is precious. Just because they have more people, it doesn¡¯t mean that they¡¯re worthless. So let¡¯s try our best and find out what happened to Hen Li. Please, Sun Ren.¡± Lu Na held Sun Ren¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Fine. But at the first sign of trouble, we¡¯re running. I¡¯m not dying for these Wintersweet idiots.¡± Sun Ren walked ahead toward the hallway entrance.


    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Elder Xu said. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be so bad if we sent a few more of our people out first to see what¡¯s going on. Even if a few of my disciples die, it would be nothing for you.¡±


    It was Lu Na¡¯s turn to glare at Elder Xu.


    ¡°You and your sect might think nothing of these people, but they have families to get back to. I¡¯m not like you or your sect that are so willing to sacrifice your disciples on the order of some monster you call an Ancestor.¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Elder Xu cackled. It was a higher pitch than the usual.


    ¡°I like you child. I hope that you survive until the end.¡±


    Lu Na rolled her eyes before joining Sun Ren.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Sun Ren. I know that you¡¯re trying to do your best for us, but I can¡¯t watch as others die.¡±


    Sun Ren patted Lu Na¡¯s back.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You¡¯ve not been trained since childhood to be a ruthless strategist like me. Sometimes I forget that other people have value beyond what I can use them for.¡±


    ¡°Like Hen Li?¡±


    Sun Ren sucked her teeth.


    ¡°Yes, that monk is the perfect example of irritating yet so helpful.¡±


    "Am I useful to you?¡± Lu Na asked. She thought that this was the perfect time to ask as Sun Ren was more truthful now more than ever.


    ¡°Na Na, you¡¯ve asked this before. You¡¯re not useful. You¡¯re precious to me.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a difference?¡±


    ¡°You are as important to me as my father¡¯s prized sword is to him. Now stop fussing and focus.¡±


    Lu Na smiled. She felt good, despite being reminded again. She had someone in this life that likes her for her. Now she could die happy.


    Not that she planned to.


    Elder Xu clenched her right fist and summoned her spirit. It was a sable, a weasel as small as a cat, and it had a dark green coat. On its neck, there was a small patch of red. It chittered at Elder Xu before dashing around to the Wintersweet disciples.


    ¡°How did your spirit not manifest itself?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Oh? While the labyrinth has its ways of forcing our spirits out of our bodies, I have my own techniques that capture and store spirits.¡±


    ¡°That is amazing. So you¡¯re saying you¡¯re able to capture spirits with your technique and summon them like your own?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I seem to have caught your attention. If you¡¯re really nice to me, I might teach you how to do it. That and you would have to be my daughter. But I warn you, the requirements are brutal.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Go ask your friend Lu Fen later. She tried to apply, but failed miserably.¡±


    If Lu Na could learn how to use that technique, what would stop her from creating her own army of spirits that she captured? She could picture having powerful spirits fighting for her without ever worrying about injuring herself.


    Xiao Zongse, get over here,¡± Elder Xu commanded. She raised her right fist and it glowed white. Her sable spirit squeaked and ran over. ¡°Good. Now I¡¯m going to ask you to scout for us. Be careful.¡±


    The sable nodded.


    ¡°Girl, do what you can to protect him. Don¡¯t forget to protect yourself too,¡± Elder Xu said.


    Lu Na clenched her left fist and flicked it right, placing a spirit skin over the sable spirit. Then she did the same for herself and Sun Ren. She tapped the light ward and it turned on.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡± Lu Na was afraid of what was to come, but it also excited her. They were going to be one step closer to freeing her mother and getting out of there.


    <hr>


    There was nothing in the hallway. The only thing the group encountered was cold. It felt like they were walking up a mountain and the air was thinner, colder. At one point, Lu Na could see her breath.


    When they got to the end of the hallway, it opened up. They walked into a large open space that looked like the courtyard of a very rich merchant. In fact, it looked eerily similar to her own home at the Lu compound. The entire space was lit with large light wards hanging from the very ceiling, which looked lower than in the previous spaces.


    ¡°Well, this is new,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°I was expecting to fight more feral spirits or something. But an empty compound is not the worst thing in the world.¡±


    Lu Na felt it before she saw it. She flicked her left wrist and raised three earth walls in front of them into a semi dome. Loud thuds hit the wall and some large blades cut through, poking out from the earth wall.


    Elder Xu¡¯s sable spirit jumped back and wrapped itself behind Lu Na¡¯s legs. It chittered non-stop.


    Just in case, Lu Na flicked her wrist again and raised another earth wall behind the semi-dome, this time made of stone. She would not take the risk of the first one breaking.


    ¡°That was close,¡± Sun Ren said. She had her waist sword out. ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°I felt a spirit technique activate. It was like my own wards. I didn¡¯t know what was going to happen, though.¡± Lu Na focused on the null bracelet. It was getting hot already. She had to pace herself.


    The thuds finally stopped.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Hey spirit, go around the walls to look,¡± Sun Ren said.


    The sable spirit got up onto its hind legs and chittered at Sun Ren. Then, noticing that it wasn¡¯t understood, it shook its head.


    Sun Ren kneeled down and stabbed her dagger into the ground next to the sable.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you can understand this, but you¡¯re here to scout. If you¡¯re not useful, then there¡¯s no point for you or your master to follow us.¡±


    The sable glanced at the dagger and squeaked in a high pitch. It scampered around the earth walls slowly. It stepped past the earth wall before running back.


    More thuds showered the earth wall. Soon there was the sound of metal on the stone wall.


    ¡°Well, we can¡¯t move past the entrance. Let¡¯s head back,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°No wait, there must be something we¡¯re missing,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°If this happened every time someone came through here, wouldn¡¯t the Wintersweet disciples and Hen Li be dead from this hail of blades?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s not worth risking our lives to figure it out. Let¡¯s bring the two old monsters here. They¡¯d have a better chance of surviving whatever it is.¡±


    ¡°Let me try something,¡± Lu Na said.


    The thudding stopped.


    Lu Na kept her left fist clenched. She was going to test her theory, but she didn¡¯t want to be skewered. The only thing she knew for certain was that the blades didn¡¯t attack them right away, so she¡¯d have time to raise more earth walls if needed.


    Lu Na waved her right hand past her stone wall before pulling it back.


    Nothing.


    Next she stepped around it and then back.


    Still nothing.


    Finally, Lu Na walked out into the open past her walls. She looked around, trying to figure out where the blades were coming from. Maybe it was coming from the ceiling or another device close by?


    There was a mountain of blades either stuck in the earth wall or clattered to the floor. Did the device run out of blades to shoot at them? Or was it something else?


    Slowly, she walked back behind the walls.


    ¡°It looks safe, but I want to test one more thing.¡± Lu Na crouched down toward the sable spirit. ¡°Do you think you can step outside and then run back in afterwards?¡±


    The sable spirit tilted its head. It chittered a little bit before running past the walls. In mere moments, it came running back.


    That¡¯s when the shower of blades came back. Each strike hitting the stone wall, this time louder than before.


    Lu Na focused on the stone wall and felt it weakening, not from the sharpness of the blades, but the impact. She flicked her wrist left again to repair and strengthen the stone wall.


    After a few more seconds, the storm of blades finally stopped.


    ¡°Hello back there. Are you dead yet?¡± came a man¡¯s voice behind the wall.


    Lu Na recognized that voice. It was Zi Xu.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that again or you will trigger the bigger trap. It will crush your walls and then your body, blocking this entrance. It¡¯s so nice to see you alive and well.¡±


    No thanks to that ghost. He left them in that building that went up in flames. Before that, he tried to release nagas on them. It wouldn¡¯t have surprised Lu Na if he was the one who sent all those feral spirits to attack them when the gates were first opened.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m going to beat that ghost so hard that his own dead ancestors won¡¯t recognize him,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°As much as I would agree with you, but I don¡¯t see how.¡±


    Lu Na took out a different kind of ward. This time, this didn¡¯t have any special techniques written into it. It was a Buddhist talisman that she had made from an actual Buddhist temple. It was supposed to protect her and ward her from ghosts and such.

 Chapter 84 - Possessed by a Ghost

    Lu Na wrapped the Buddhist talisman around her right hand with red string. The last thing she needed was to lose it. She could make more wards, but the abbot of their local monastery blessed this talisman her father donates to.


    ¡°This is foolish Lu Na. We should go back and gather the Elders and the other spirits. Then we might have a chance,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. Go back with the sable spirit and come back. I¡¯ll defend myself with my bracelet if I have to.¡± Lu Na touched the null metal bracelet to the stone wall in front of her, focusing on pushing the excess spirit energy into it. Hopefully doing it this way the dense spirit energy won¡¯t run rampant through her body again.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll stay with you.¡± Sun Ren nudged the sable spirit with her feet. ¡°Go back to your summoner and let her know what¡¯s going on. Tell her that spirits can¡¯t come into this room or else they will set off traps.¡±


    The sable spirit squealed before running back down the hallway.


    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    Lu Na nodded. She had finished wrapping the talisman into her palm as carefully as possible. She wasn¡¯t sure if it would work, but this was as good a time to try it as any.


    Lu Na walked around her wall. She didn¡¯t collapse them in case she needed to run back for cover. She also had a backup plan in case anything went wrong with Zi Xu.


    ¡°Welcome to the inner sanctum, where only the elite and nobles may spend their time,¡± Zi Xu said. He bowed.


    ¡°Why did you send us into that burning building?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Oh, was it burning already? I thought you all would have had a few more hours before it shifted. Besides, it was a shortcut. It allowed you to go straight to the inner sanctum.¡±


    The closer Lu Na and Sun Ren got to Zi Xu, the colder it was. It made the chilly hallway they walked through feel like a day at the beach.


    ¡°Then tell me, where are my companions?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°The monk and the other Wintersweet disciples. They walked through here.¡±


    Zi Xu smiled his wide smile. There was something coming. It was the same smile before he unleashed the nagas on them or before he invited them into the burning building.


    ¡°You foolish summoners. You always think that with your skills, you can overcome the labyrinth. In the end, all that happens is you succumb to your ego. You¡¯re in the land of the dead. You do not know how to deal with ghosts.¡±


    Lu Na¡¯s spirit skin glowed orange. A ghost appeared right in front of Lu Na. It somehow stood in the small space between Lu Na and Zi Xu. Its face was so close, Lu Na could see the mole on its ashen face.


    Lu Na took a step back, only to bump into another ghost behind her. Everywhere she looked, there were more ghosts, all ashen faced. They had long hair that hung passed their shoulders. Lu Na couldn¡¯t tell the difference between man or woman as they all wore long white shirts and pants. Their pale fingers reached out, each face bearing the marks of centuries of starvation.


    ¡°Please, stop this Zi Xu,¡± Lu Na said. Every time a finger touched Lu Na, her spirit wall flashed orange.


    ¡°Oh dear girl, I¡¯m not doing any of this. I can¡¯t control other ghosts.¡± Zi Xu walked around Lu Na with his hands held behind him in that slow gait. ¡°By the looks of it, they¡¯re trying to invite you to see their master. At least that¡¯s what they did with your fellow companions.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, Sun Ren.¡± Lu Na turned to find Sun Ren. When the ghosts wouldn¡¯t move, she tried to push them away with her right hand. It went right through them, making them disappear. But as soon as she pulled her hand back, they reappeared.


    This was not fair. How were they able to touch her but Lu Na couldn¡¯t touch them? Lu Na pushed past the ghosts and searched for Sun Ren.


    Her friend had walked some distance ahead. She moved slowly, as if every step was too heavy for her. There was a golden orange glow coming from her necklace, the figure of Guanyin. It pushed away the ghosts, but there were too many of them.


    Lu Na tugged Sun Ren¡¯s arms, but she wouldn¡¯t follow her. Her friend grimaced.


    ¡°Sun Ren, are you in pain?¡± There was no way Lu Na pulled so hard that it hurt Sun Ren.


    Lu Na pushed against Sun Ren¡¯s shoulders. When that didn¡¯t work, she held her from behind while using her entire weight to stop her. It didn¡¯t matter what she did, as Sun Ren¡¯s muscular body kept walking forward. It reminded Lu Na again of the difference between them. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    ¡°Zi Xu, please help me,¡± Lu Na said.


    Zi Xu held his hands behind him and walked beside the pair. His slow gait made him look like an imperial noble taking a stroll knowing that they had all the time in the world with nowhere to be in particular.


    ¡°I¡¯d help you, but I can¡¯t. I¡¯m a ghost. Not a ghost hunter. Besides, I¡¯m more surprised that you¡¯re not affected by the ghosts. You must be a very innocent woman.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lu Na gave up holding Sun Ren back and merely held her hand as they walked together. She would not leave her friend to whatever fate these ghosts were pulling her.


    ¡°You see, most ghosts have unfinished business in life and likely tragically died. These ghosts stick to the living, trying desperately to affect the living so they can finish their last desire. They usually attack the mind of their victims, using their guilt to make them do as they wish. That is what¡¯s affecting your friend here and all your other companions that walked by here. Except you. You must have lived a peaceful life.¡±


    This conversation reminded Lu Na of the same one she had with the one in the village. The ghost there couldn¡¯t affect her either, but it was powerful enough to hold both Sun Ren and Hen Li. There were dozens of ghosts here. She had no chance of breaking her friend free, especially since these ghosts didn¡¯t talk.


    ¡°Wait, why aren¡¯t you like them then?¡±


    Zi Xu snorted.


    ¡°I¡¯m not like the common ghost you see. While I didn¡¯t choose to die in this labyrinth and I have many regrets in life, I chose to enter this labyrinth despite knowing my eventual fate. In fact, I relished it at first. To have eternal life.¡±


    ¡°This is not life,¡± Lu Na said.


    Zi Xu laughed, a loud throaty laugh.


    ¡°Indeed, little girl. This is not life. That¡¯s why I have been trying to help whoever comes into this labyrinth so they can finally solve that stupid puzzle and release us all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lie. You¡¯ve tried to kill us a few times already. I don¡¯t trust you.¡±


    Sun Ren turned, pulling Lu Na with her. A large space opened up to what looked like a courtyard. Flowers carved from wood and stone were everywhere. Stone tables with intricate carvings stood underneath wooden pavilions. A deep ditch circled the courtyard and the large mansion at the opposite end. A wooden boat lay at the bottom of the ditch near a small gangway.


    ¡°What is this place?¡± Lu Na asked. She had followed Sun Ren into the courtyard, their steps slowing down. The ghosts moved at a slower pace. With every three steps, they bowed at the waist toward the mansion. It was as if they were paying their respects to it.


    ¡°Oh, this was the crown jewel of the labyrinth. There was a time when the rich and powerful could enter and leave the labyrinth through a secret entrance. At least that was what those snobby ghosts told us. They claimed they couldn¡¯t find the way back because all their servants carried them. Apparently, the rich and powerful never cared about little details, at least until their servants murdered them and became stuck in the labyrinth.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Zi Xu shoved one ghost that got too close to him.


    ¡°These miscreants decided they weren¡¯t too happy being trapped here forever or that their masters sent them to their deaths to serve them for all eternity. So when the food ran out they all did the most horrible things to their masters. The irony was, after their own deaths, these ghosts are now forced to serve their masters faithfully.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so cruel.¡± Lu Na couldn¡¯t imagine what had happened here in the past. Would her own servants and maids murder her for how she treated them?


    ¡°Oh, you haven¡¯t seen cruel yet. The rich and powerful that were murdered turned into sadistic ghosts.¡± Zi Xu walked ahead of the two ladies. ¡°Luckily, you know me. I¡¯m going to negotiate with the lady of this house. She and I are good friends. Maybe she won¡¯t murder you the same way she was murdered.¡±


    Lu Na wasn¡¯t sure what that meant. Not that she had much of a choice anyway, as Sun Ren was caught in the ghosts¡¯ flow. Meanwhile, her own spirit skin kept sparking orange every time a ghost got too close. It was like the flicker of the lantern whenever an insect flew into it.


    ¡°Wait, I can use my wards to hold you.¡± Lu Na clenched her left fist and flicked it left. An earth wall rose and surrounded the two in a dome. The darkness swallowed them.


    There was a clawing sound next to Lu Na. She tapped the light ward on her bracelet, flooding the small space with light.


    The ghosts still surrounded Sun Ren, but she had stopped moving. The clawing sound came from the ghosts that followed them into the dome. They dug at the earth wall, making small holes in it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see you dig through this.¡± Lu Na clenched her left fist and focused on the density of the spirit energy within the earth wall. She pulled them close together until the earth wall turned into stone.


    The ghosts stopped digging. They stopped moving, their hands hanging limply. Then, as one, they turned to face Lu Na. Their faces contorted in anger.


    Lu Na stumbled backward from their intense glare. They can¡¯t touch her, can they?


    The ghosts swarmed Lu Na, reaching her with their pale hands. Her spirit skin turned into a bright spark as every ghost grabbed at her.


    Lu Na held onto her Buddhist talisman in her right hand. At least Sun Ren was safe for now. Nothing could¡­


    Sun Ren turned to face Lu Na. Her eyes were glazed over and her movements were slow. She unsheathed one of her daggers and took an uneasy step toward Lu Na.


    ¡°How are they controlling you?¡± Lu Na began punching every ghost that got close to Sun Ren. They faded only to come back instantly.


    Sun Ren didn¡¯t stop. Her Guanyin necklace was glowing golden. It was the only thing Lu Na could focus on. Was there someway she could use that to save Sun Ren?


    Sun Ren raised her dagger, her arms shaking as if the dagger weighed more than she could bear. Every step looked like it pained her.


    Wait, was it because Sun Ren¡¯s necklace wasn¡¯t touching her skin?


    Lu Na walked around Sun Ren until she was behind her. Before Sun Ren could turn, she tugged her friend¡¯s necklace out of her tunic. The moment she did, the golden glow overwhelmed her light ward.


    The ghosts wailed and disappeared.


    ¡°Sun Ren?¡± Lu Na asked. She stayed behind her friend just in case it didn¡¯t work.


    Sun Ren¡¯s dagger shot out at Lu Na¡¯s head. She turned and glared at Lu Na. Her eyes were glowing with a pale blue light. She took a step forward and stabbed at Lu Na.


    Lu Na flicked her wrist left and the earth dome opened, allowing her to dodge Sun Ren¡¯s dagger. It still nicked her tunic.


    ¡°Sun Ren, snap out of it. You¡¯re free. Please stop.¡±


    Sun Ren took two steps forward, slower this time, but not as she was before. These steps felt deliberate like she was stalking Lu Na.

 Chapter 85 - Ghost Possession

    Lu Na raised her hands up.


    ¡°Please, Sun Ren, fight this.¡±


    ¡°Ah, welcome back outside,¡± Zi Xu said. He sat at one of the nearby stone tables. ¡°You have angered the Young Miss of the mansion when you tried to stop her possessing your friend.¡±


    ¡°Help me!¡± Lu Na dodged another strike.


    Sun Ren took out another dagger. She took two steps forward and stabbed both daggers.


    Lu Na had to run from her friend.


    ¡°Can you talk with the Young Miss again? I don¡¯t want to hurt my friend.¡±


    Sun Ren threw a dagger at Lu Na. It went wide to the left, missing her completely.


    ¡°More importantly, I don¡¯t want her to hurt me.¡±


    ¡°I tried talking with her once for you already. If you allowed her to push your friend into her mansion, she would have let her go after a day or two.¡± Zi Xu sipped from a cup in his hand.


    ¡°What can I do? There has to be something.¡± Lu Na ran to another stone table, this one higher than the last one.


    ¡°How did you chase away all the ghosts before? Maybe you can use that technique again.¡±


    Lu Na didn¡¯t use any technique. It was Sun Ren¡¯s Guanyin necklace. She had taken it from Sun Ren, which caused her to suddenly move faster. Was it the necklace that slowed the ghost¡¯s possession? Then all she¡¯d have to do was put this against Sun Ren¡¯s skin and it should dispel the ghosts, just like how the Buddhist talisman protected Lu Na.


    Except that was going to be hard with the world¡¯s deadliest assassin throwing daggers at her. Lu Na wasn¡¯t sure if it was luck, the ghost¡¯s possession, or Sun Ren fighting it but her friend¡¯s aim was atrocious. She¡¯d seen Sun Ren throw those daggers with deadly accuracy many times over the few weeks she stayed at her home.


    Lu Na ducked another dagger that came close to her head. Or maybe the ghost was playing with her. Either way, she doubted she could wait until Sun Ren ran out of daggers. The woman carried more knives than money.


    The only defense Lu Na had was her null metal bracelet. It was already burning her wrist. So again, she took the risk to bleed some of that spirit energy into the nearby stone table. She did it before with her earth wall, it should be fine this time.


    The stone table glowed yellow as it drank in the spirit energy. Lu Na knew right away that there was something wrong. The table didn¡¯t just glow, but it gave off this tremendous heat. This was not safe.


    Lu Na ran with all her might away from the table. Moments later, the table exploded, sending shards of stone everywhere. Lu Na had to dive into the ditch.


    A large block of stone rolled along the ditch. It was the top part of the table that had the unique inscriptions.


    Lu Na turned around only to be met with Sun Ren¡¯s dagger at her throat. How did she get behind her?


    Sun Ren smiled, but it wasn¡¯t her friend¡¯s usual smile. It was one of the delicious joy of catching one¡¯s prey.


    Lu Na didn¡¯t move. There was only one thing she could think of to do. She opened her right hand and let Sun Ren¡¯s Guanyin necklace fall out.


    The golden spark shone so brightly that it blinded Lu Na. She closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them, Sun Ren blinked like she just woke up.


    Lu Na didn¡¯t want to hope that was enough to break Sun Ren¡¯s possession. She grabbed the Guanyin necklace and placed it against Sun Ren¡¯s hand.


    Sun Ren yelped. She dropped both daggers to the ground. It was the first time Lu Na heard her yell in pain like that.


    Lu Na wrapped the chain of the necklace around Sun Ren just like how she wrapped her own Buddhist talisman to her right hand. When she was done, Lu Na took a few steps back from her friend. She would not take any chances just in case she was possessed again.


    Lu Na was tempted to use her earth wall wards to create another dome to hold her friend, but the bracelet was too hot. For whatever reason, trying to bleed some of the spirit energy from it into the stone table only made it absorb more ambient spirit energy. That was something she¡¯d have to look into later when she wasn¡¯t dealing with her murderous best friend.


    ¡°Lu Na¡­ get away¡­ from me¡­¡± Sun Ren struggled against the Guanyin necklace. Her left hand clawed at it.


    Lu Na had a better idea. She tackled Sun Ren to the ground, holding her in place. She clenched her left fist and focused on the smallest earth wall she could think of. With a flick to the left, a small earth wall rose up and wrapped Sun Ren¡¯s arms to the ground. They were like earth shackles.


    Lu Na yelped. The null metal bracelet burned through the leather. She yanked it off and dropped it to the ground. Even the leather was too hot.


    As soon as the bracelet hit the ground, the earth wall holding Sun Ren dissolved back into dirt. Sun Ren got up and ripped the Guanyin necklace off her right hand. She dropped it to the ground and stomped it. She clenched her fists and swung at Lu Na.


    Lu Na was too focused on her burning wrist to see the punch. Stars swam in her vision as her whole body jerked backwards.


    ¡°Put up your arms child, or else the next one will knock you out,¡± Zi Xu said.


    Lu Na lifted her arms up.


    Sun Ren punched her stomach instead, bowling Lu Na over.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°I forgot about that. Sorry, I¡¯ve not been in many fights before.¡± Zi Xu sipped from his cup.


    ¡°You uncouth brat, trying to take away my plaything,¡± Sun Ren said. Her voice sounded like she was talking with rocks in her mouth. ¡°All the others have theirs. It was finally my turn and you dare try to take her away?¡±


    ¡°Sun Ren?¡± Lu Na held onto her stomach and looked up at her friend standing over her. The glare was fearsome. Now she knew what many people saw when they were about to be killed by her.


    ¡°There¡¯s no Sun Ren here, only me. I was going to have her over for a small tea party, eat some dimsum, and allow her to go as I promised brother Zi. But you dare banish my servants and take my doll away?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Please, stop,¡± Lu Na begged.


    Sun Ren kicked Lu Na to the ground, laying her flat. She straddled her midsection and clamped her hands around Lu Na¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll be more sorry after I¡¯ve killed you and made you a servant.¡±


    Lu Na couldn¡¯t breathe and no matter how hard she tried to pry Sun Ren¡¯s hands, they wouldn¡¯t move. To make it worse, the ghost possessing Sun Ren was smiling down with her friend¡¯s face. It was the worst way to die. She was blacking out.


    ¡°Don¡¯t kill her little sister,¡± Zi Xu said. ¡°We need her to open the labyrinth.¡±


    Sun Ren released Lu Na¡¯s neck.


    Lu Na gasped for air and coughed hard. Tears streamed down her face. Her vision slowly returned to normal. She grabbed her own neck, soothing it.


    When Lu Na finally looked up, Zi Xu stood over Sun Ren¡¯s unconscious body while holding the ear of another ghost. This ghost dressed like Zi Xu in a long, green tunic that reached down to her feet. Her hair was tied up in a long flowing ponytail with a jade hairpin holding it together. She had the same large blue sash across her waist.


    ¡°Fine brother, I stopped, let go!¡± the woman yelled.


    Zi Xu released the female ghost¡¯s ear, dropping her to the floor right beside Sun Ren. She tried to jump back into Sun Ren¡¯s body, but Zi Xu kicked her away like an unwanted puppy.


    ¡°No little sister. You had your fun.¡±


    The female ghost scowled and jumped at Sun Ren again.


    This time Zi Xu grabbed the female ghost by the ponytail. He lifted her up into the air, holding her in place. No matter how hard she tried to break free or kick him, nothing happened.


    ¡°Enough Meili. Or else I will bring you to father,¡± Zi Xu said.


    Zi Meili stopped resisting. She crossed her arms and sulked as she hung mid air.


    ¡°Good girl. Now I¡¯ll put you down after I explain how important Lu Na is. Agreed?¡±


    Zi Meili nodded.


    ¡°That little girl you tried to kill knows how to use the Xia inventions. She also has the key to open the center of the labyrinth. So if you don¡¯t kill her, maybe she can release us all from this hell.¡±


    Zi Meili glared at Lu Na.


    ¡°She¡¯s too weak. She couldn¡¯t even take out her companion when I didn¡¯t have full control yet. Let me play with her instead. It¡¯s finally my turn.¡±


    Lu Na drank from her waterskin. The cool water soothed her throat.


    Zi Xu smacked his sister over the head.


    ¡°Listen. You¡¯re over two thousand years old. Stop acting like a child.¡±


    ¡°But brother, you¡¯ve said this before. You¡¯ve led many other adventurers through here and they¡¯ve all failed. Just let me have my fun this time and the next time some idiots come in, you can lead them to their deaths.¡±


    Lu Na watched with fascination and horror. Fascination because apparently siblings didn¡¯t change no matter how many generations have passed. She could easily picture having the same conversation with her older brother, Lu Fengxiang.


    The horror came from the realization that Lu Na wasn¡¯t the first person who could manipulate the Xia inventions. There have been many people in the past two thousand years that have tried and failed. Here Zi Meili was proclaiming how pointless it was.


    Zi Xu released his sister, dropping her to the ground.


    ¡°This time it¡¯s different.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess, you can feel it in your non-existent bones? You can feel it through that thick skull of yours? You¡¯ve also said that many times.¡± Zi Meili dusted herself off.


    ¡°No, this time is different because of the trapped phoenix spirit at the nexus. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve been hiding this whole time and not heard its cries?¡±


    Zi Meili froze.


    ¡°I just thought that it was Jie¡¯s village finally dying.¡±


    Zi Xu shook his head.


    ¡°Does this have anything to do with that burning building you showed us?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Zi Xu nodded.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to get my hopes up, but somehow you and that phoenix are connected. If that¡¯s true, then this time the labyrinth might work in your favor.¡±


    ¡°As opposed to what?¡±


    ¡°As opposed to what the labyrinth does every time a person with a key enters it: tortures them to death.¡±


    ¡°Why does no one tell this to anyone? They should put up signs or something. I didn¡¯t come to be tortured to death nor did I drag my friends to death either.¡±


    Zi Xu smiled, his crooked smile flashing his teeth.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, then you should do something about it. I give you two-to-one odds that you¡¯ll make it to the center. Higher if you have my help.¡±


    ¡°That would be great. But could you first help me with your sister?¡±


    Zi Meili was already slipping into Sun Ren¡¯s body again to possess her. Before she could, Zi Xu grabbed her by the ponytail this time. He yanked her off Sun Ren before tossing her to the ground. He kicked her to the ground and pinned her with his foot.


    Lu Na was wrong. This was nothing like the conversations she had with her brother.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t listen to me, then I¡¯ll just destroy you.¡± Zi Xu raised his hand and it glowed white.


    ¡°Do whatever you want. I¡¯ll come back. It¡¯s not like we can ever truly die.¡±


    ¡°Wait, maybe we can come to an agreement,¡± Lu Na said.


    Zi Meili glared at Lu Na.


    ¡°I have nothing to say to the living. Just do it.¡±


    ¡°What if I could give you more play things instead? I¡¯m sure you¡¯d rather have that than be destroyed.¡±


    ¡°Would you allow other humans to be toyed and tortured by her?¡± Zi Xu said.


    ¡°Well, they¡¯re not exactly nice people. So I don¡¯t mind if your sister stalls them as we try to reach the center.¡±


    Zi Xu nodded.


    ¡°You¡¯re talking about those soldiers. I have news about them. Your naga spirit and her family have decimated their initial push, but somehow they convinced more people to join them. So now they have more summoners and soldiers.¡±


    ¡°Great. Is this the most people that have ever attempted to solve the labyrinth?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°No. There was an earlier warlord that sent in an entire army.¡±


    ¡°They died just like everyone else,¡± Zi Meil said. ¡°If you make it past this section of the labyrinth, you¡¯ll get to meet them. They will make you wish you were never born. You can sometimes hear their hatred and anger in the labyrinth¡¯s walls.¡±


    Zi Meili smiled. It was the same smile as Zi Xu, slimy like an evil merchant.


    ¡°You know what, brother? I think you¡¯re right. Maybe she is different. Maybe, with a little help from us, she will reach the center and we¡¯ll finally be free. Let me go. I¡¯ll gladly help them reach the next section.¡±


    Zi Xu lowered his hand and the glow disappeared.


    ¡°Truly?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course. I would love nothing more than to watch your hopes get dashed again when she throws herself at them like a fish against the rocks.¡±


    Zi Xu released his sister.

 Chapter 86 - Worst kind of Ghost

    ¡°What does she mean by that?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°If you make it to the next section, it will be difficult to survive all those ghosts that were trapped when the warlord ordered them all to rush in. He stopped at nothing to reach the center, hoping that brute force would do it. No one in the last thousand years has made it past them.¡±


    Lu Na didn¡¯t like the sound of that.


    ¡°Is there something that I can make or do to prevent the ghosts from attacking us?¡± It wasn¡¯t only for the next section, but the current ghosts in this. If someone like Zi Meili can not only command an army of ghosts and possess her friend, then she would need something to make it there.


    Zi Xu shook his head.


    ¡°You¡¯d need a ghost hunter. We had a few of those over the years, but they were never strong enough to make it past the feral spirits. So when they died, they released all the ghosts they captured.¡±


    ¡°And the cycle continues,¡± Zi Meili said. ¡°But unlike my useless brother here, I do have an answer.¡±


    Lu Na wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d like it.


    ¡°All you have to do is give your little friend over here to me and I will gladly help you push through this section of ghosts and the next. What¡¯s one life in the face of being able to solve this labyrinth?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Lu Na sat down next to Sun Ren to examine her. She had no visible injuries and it looked like she was just sleeping. ¡°I would never sacrifice my friend no matter what. I¡¯d rather die and be a ghost with her for all eternity.¡±


    ¡°Well, then I can¡¯t help you. Good luck with my neighbor. They¡¯re the ones who took in the first group of your scouts and that monk. He was so delicious, but it wasn¡¯t my turn.¡± Zi Meili pouted. ¡°Ah, forget it. I¡¯m going to rest until it¡¯s my turn again. You¡¯ll let me know when they reach the next section, won¡¯t you, brother? I want to see this little one scream.¡±


    Before Zi Xu responded, Zi Meili disappeared.


    ¡°Are you scared?¡±


    Lu Na nodded.


    ¡°You have little of a choice in either case. I will try to help you as much as I can.¡±


    Or lead Lu Na into another trap.


    Sun Ren sat up.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°You tried to kill me,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°I would never.¡±


    Lu Na passed two of Sun Ren¡¯s daggers to her.


    ¡°You almost did, but you were under a ghost¡¯s control.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, ghosts again.¡± Sun Ren sheathed the two daggers. She patted herself. ¡°I¡¯m missing at least six or seven other daggers.¡±


    Lu Na shook her head.


    ¡°Zi Xu, how do we stop ghosts from possessing us?¡±


    ¡°Well, you could have another ghost possess you first.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯d rather die than experience that again,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°I felt everything she did as if it was a dream. I couldn¡¯t move or control myself. Why would anyone choose that?¡±


    ¡°Not even from a friendly ghost you can trust?¡± Zi Xu asked.


    ¡°If you think you¡¯re a ghost I¡¯d trust, then I¡¯d rather slit my throat now.¡± Sun Ren searched for her other daggers.


    ¡°I would trust you,¡± Lu Na whispered. ¡°If only because I can tell you really want me to solve the puzzle and release everyone.¡±


    Zi Xu laughed.


    ¡°That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever had someone say that to me. We should move on. Your friends might be in actual danger. My sister is rather tame compared to the other ghosts.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s tame?¡± Lu Na felt the tingling from where Sun Ren squeezed her neck.


    ¡°Zi Meili only wanted to play with you like dolls. The other ghosts are much more depraved.¡±


    <hr>


    After Sun Ren found all her daggers, they walked a short distance to the next courtyard. Despite the two thousand year difference, the arrangements of these homes weren¡¯t much different from the ones they had today. Lu Na felt as comfortable walking through here as she would have home, knowing where everything was.


    At least that would have been the case if there weren¡¯t ghosts acting out every imaginable scene of debauchery. There was a man and woman in bed. Not too far was a man being tortured with whips.


    Lu Na stared at the ground the whole way as she walked. Even if they were ghosts, it made her feel really uncomfortable. Did they feel pain? Did they choose to do this? Lu Na didn¡¯t know and didn¡¯t feel comfortable asking Zi Xu.


    Sun Ren held her Guanyin necklace in her hand. Despite stomping on it earlier, it was still whole. Only the necklace¡¯s clasp became loose. Her usually stoic face flickered from disgust to anger.


    ¡°How far do we still have to go?¡±


    ¡°Not much farther. Unlike my sister, this ghost doesn¡¯t like servants. He likes torture, though.¡±


    ¡°I can see that.¡±


    Lu Na wished she couldn¡¯t.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    The group entered a separate courtyard from the main one. This one was smaller, like the personal courtyard for someone¡¯s quarters. It was about the same size as Lu Na¡¯s.


    Right in the center of the courtyard, Hen Li sat with his legs crossed, palms pressed together, and reciting the heart sutra aloud. He was surrounded by Wintersweet disciples in different clothing. Some of the female disciples wore revealing clothes, showing off their arms, legs, and low necklines. Some of the male disciples threatened Hen Li with shouting and fists that never connected, while some others begged and pleaded on the floor.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°I think they¡¯re trying to tempt Hen Li,¡± Lu Na said.


    When the disciples heard their voices, they stopped. They all stared at the two women with glossy eyes.


    ¡°Oh, you caught the depraved ghost¡¯s attention,¡± Zi Xu said.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you talk with him? Get him to let these people go so we can solve the labyrinth puzzle?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but this ghost enjoys his life like this. There¡¯s nothing I can do.¡± Zi Xu said.


    ¡°They¡¯re possessed aren¡¯t they?¡± Sun Ren held her Guanyin necklace out. It glowed a bright orange again. ¡°Are they going to possess me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. You¡¯ve just been possessed by my sister. So there will be a little time before they can do it again. Besides, you have that necklace. I only hope you have more faith this time or else they will possess you.¡±


    ¡°So what can we do?¡± Lu Na asked. She checked to make sure her Buddhist talisman was securely wrapped around her right hand.


    ¡°I might not be able to talk with the ghost, but I know there¡¯s one thing he hates more than anything. I¡¯ll go and do that while you try to free your friends. If I come back to you being possessed, I¡¯ll be sure to bury your bodies.¡±


    ¡°Thanks¡­¡± Lu Na said, but Zi Xu had already disappeared.


    ¡°Na Na, they¡¯re coming,¡± Sun Ren said. She took a few steps back and held her necklace up. The golden light slowed them down, but didn¡¯t stop them.


    Lu Na could only think of one thing to do. She pressed her palms together and chanted the heart sutra. She walked forward toward the group of possessed disciples. The closer they got, the louder she chanted.


    The angry male disciples charged at Lu Na. She closed her eyes and kept chanting. Something felt like a breeze passed by her. When she opened her eyes, the male disciple was on the ground. Did the chanting work? Did it work like a shield?


    ¡°Move Lu Na. I can¡¯t push them all off you.¡± Sun Ren kicked another angry male disciple aside before he tackled Lu Na.


    ¡°So much for that theory.¡± Lu Na dodged one of the female disciples. She had to push another one to the ground before a male disciple reached her. ¡°They¡¯re so slow and weak. Why were we worried about them?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re still alive and the disciples of those two monsters, they¡¯re a distraction for the other ghosts to possess us.¡± Sun Ren hopped over a fallen disciple. Her Guanyin necklace made orange sparks.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t Hen Li affected?¡± Lu Na ran around two disciples trying to hold her in place.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably got something to do with what Zi Xu said. He¡¯s got more faith in what he¡¯s doing than either of us. So the ghosts can¡¯t attack him.¡±


    Soon after, both Lu Na and Sun Ren reached Hen Li.


    ¡°Hen Li, let¡¯s go before the depraved ghost sends more ghosts at us,¡± Lu Na said. This time an orange spark came from Lu Na.


    Hen Li looked up at the two women and stopped his chanting. He jumped up from where he sat and his arms flashed out, strangling both Lu Na and Sun Ren.


    Again, Lu Na felt that tight pressure on her neck.


    ¡°You two ladies are so foolish to think that this fake monk could resist possession? He¡¯s got more demons in his heart than most of the ghosts here. He was the first to fall and when I saw the depravity in his mind, it was so delicious to take over him. A mass murderer and so much more.¡± Hen Li licked his lips.


    Sun Ren unsheathed a dagger and stabbed Hen Li¡¯s arm. Her dagger¡¯s point bent.


    ¡°Oh, this one is feisty,¡± Hen Li said. He threw Sun Ren to the ground and held her in place with his foot. ¡°I¡¯ll play with you later. But this one, she¡¯s worthless to me. I¡¯m going to send her to the nexus.¡±


    With Sun Ren on the ground, Hen Li grabbed Lu Na¡¯s neck with both hands and pressed hard. The world was blacking out again. Lu Na slapped her Buddhist talisman into Hen Li¡¯s face.


    Nothing happened. No orange sparks.


    She tried again and again, but nothing was happening.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay you if you let her go,¡± Zi Xu said.


    Hen Li¡¯s grip loosened just enough for Lu Na to breathe.


    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been talking with the noble. She¡¯s willing to give you one of the ghost hunter¡¯s disciples if you let them go.¡±


    Hen Li squinted his eyes and smirked.


    ¡°One lowly ghost hunter disciple for this little girl?¡±


    ¡°All of them, including the fake monk,¡± Zi Xu said.


    ¡°Do I look like an idiot? Why would I release these precious prisoners for one ghost?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the one that imprisoned you.¡±


    Hen Li dropped Lu Na to the ground beside Sun Ren. He took his foot off Sun Ren and stalked over to Zi Xu.


    ¡°Say that again.¡±


    ¡°The ghost hunter¡¯s disciple that imprisoned you. The noble will give you that ghost if you release everyone here.¡±


    ¡°These people must be precious for her to go so far. I want more.¡± Hen Li wrapped his arms around one of the female disciples. ¡°These people are still fresh and I can play with them for a very long time.¡±


    Zi Xu looked from Lu Na to Hen Li. He shrugged.


    ¡°Then do as you wish. That¡¯s the best I could do. I¡¯m sure another Xia inventor will come around in another few hundred years. Maybe then we¡¯ll finally be able to escape this underworld.¡±


    Hen Li laughed.


    ¡°You know I don¡¯t care about that. I enjoy living here, playing with those ghosts. I can keep going for another thousand years at least.¡±


    Lu Na didn¡¯t get up this time. She soothed her neck as much as she could. She was tired from being choked. It was time to do something about it.


    Lu Na put on her null metal bracelet. She clenched her left fist and flicked it left. With her eyes closed, she focused on what she wanted. This was going to burn her wrist, but she didn¡¯t care.


    Earth walls rose from the ground, separating every Wintersweet disciple, Hen Li, and Sun Ren. Then she focused on the image of jail. The earth walls formed bars in front of every living person. For Hen Li, Lu Na made sure his cell was reinforced with the most compact stone she could think of.


    Hen Li slammed against the stone, shaking the entire structure. All the other ghosts struggled against the cell as well, but it was the monk that damaged her cell.


    So Lu Na doubled and then tripled the spirit energy running through Hen Li¡¯s cell. That was when the burning was too painful to finish. She used the technique Elder Xu taught her and began cycling the spirit energy from the null metal bracelet into the ground.


    ¡°Stop Lu Na,¡± Hen Li called. ¡°Elder Xu told you that doing that again might kill you. You can stop now. The ghost left.¡±


    Lu Na didn¡¯t care. She pushed out the spirit energy and reinforced every cell of the large structure. When she was done, she unclenched her left fist. But she couldn¡¯t.


    Lu Na couldn¡¯t control the left side of her body anymore. It was as if she was frozen in place. The only thing she could feel was the dense spirit energy cycling through her left body into the ground. So she focused everything she could on that technique to push out as much spirit energy as possible.


    There was only one catch. The null metal bracelet seemed to replenish the spirit energy faster than Lu Na could get rid of it.


    Was this how she was going to die? Not only that, she had trapped all the Wintersweet disciples and her two companions in impenetrable structures.


    Should she release them before she passes out and dies?


    The left side of Lu Na¡¯s body was burning as much as the null metal bracelet now. If she didn¡¯t stop, she would explode.


    Now or never.

 Chapter 87 - Level Up or Die

    Lu Na could feel that she only had moments to figure this out before she burned out. She stared at the large earth structure she made. What if she drained the spirit energy into that? It worked the last time and it didn¡¯t explode.


    Lu Na pulled the spirit energy from going down through her body and into the technique that made the structure. Then she pushed with all her might, trying to drain all the dense spirit energy.


    The entire structure glowed yellow.


    ¡°Na Na, what are you doing? Stop! It¡¯s going to explode.¡± Sun Ren threw herself at the bars. They turned into stone as soon as Lu Na pushed the spirit energy into it.


    Her friend was right. If she pushed any more spirit energy into it, the entire place will explode.


    ¡°The young are truly foolish when they don¡¯t know how to control their powers,¡± Zi Xu said.


    Lu Na glared at the ghost.


    ¡°Help me. Please. I don¡¯t want to kill everyone.¡±


    Zi Xu sucked on his teeth like he tasted something sour.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll help, if you let me possess you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Lu Na screamed. It wasn¡¯t from the request but the burning now became a searing pain that ran up and down her entire body. ¡°Fine, fine, do it. Help me.¡±


    Zi Xu walked over at his slow pace. He laid a hand on Lu Na¡¯s shoulder.


    The whole world fell away. Lu Na felt as if someone was visiting in her head. It wasn¡¯t the same as when she had discussions with Nugua. This was almost as if someone was moving her whole body, but she was aware of everything. Yet she didn¡¯t feel anything. That was the only boon.


    ¡°Oh my, your entire body is burning,¡± Zi Xu said, but it was Lu Na¡¯s voice. ¡°Let me help with that. First, you need to cut off the bracelet.¡±


    Lu Na felt her left hand unclench and the null metal bracelet deactivate.


    ¡°Now that it¡¯s no longer taking in energy, it should calm down. Next, stop pushing all that spirit energy into the earth structure.¡±


    Lu Na wanted to shout, to scream. Zi Xu couldn¡¯t do that because then the spirit energy would build up in her body, burning her inside out.


    Zi Xu broke the connection to the structure, but he redirected the spirit energy toward a different route: Lu Na¡¯s spirit realm.


    When the spirit energy slammed into her spirit realm, Lu Na felt it. She couldn¡¯t feel the burning or anything else on her body, but this she felt it. It felt like swimming in the sea. Except instead of being near the shore where Lu Na could swim back, it was the middle of the ocean at the edge of a hurricane.


    Lu Na didn¡¯t understand what was going on, but more importantly she was scared that this was going to kill her. Everyone from Nugua to all her past teachers have told her that she didn¡¯t have any talent or skill with the summoner arts. They said her spirit realm was too weak to do anything. Now Zi Xu was flooding her spirit realm within her body with the densest spirit energy that would make anyone die from spirit energy sickness.


    ¡°Oh, it seems that a few things have been lost over two thousand years in the practice of the summoner arts,¡± Zi Xu said. He put Lu Na¡¯s right hand over her chest. Zi Xu made Lu Na focus on the torrent of spirit energy and then forced it to condense. ¡°Keep doing that until it becomes the size of a lychee. I can¡¯t do it for you as it¡¯s spirit energy and not a part of this physical world. Don¡¯t stop or else you will die and everyone else will too.¡±


    Lu Na put all her concentration on the ball of spirit energy. She didn¡¯t understand it at first, but after feeling Zi Xu¡¯s technique she squeezed. It was like trying to pick up spilled water. Most of it slipped through her fingers.


    The small amounts she could grab, she made sure to squish it together as if she was making dough. Little by little, she grabbed more and more and packed it in. Soon she had a ball the size of an apple.


    Lu Na¡¯s mind tired from the task. It felt like she¡¯d been awake for days.


    ¡°Don¡¯t waver now,¡± Zi Xu said.


    Lu Na saw Sun Ren¡¯s face. She looked worried. She had to continue to push. If not for herself then for her friend.


    Besides, not sleeping for days at a time was something that Lu Na specialized in. All she had to do was focus on the task and why it was so interesting to her.


    Lu Na thought about the technique that she was performing. It looked similar to the technique she saw in Sun Wukong¡¯s Scroll of Immortality. The only difference was that she wasn¡¯t breathing in the spirit energy. It was already inside her body, threatening to burst from its bonds. Could she just push it into her spirit realm as it was?The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°No, Young Miss Lu. Doing it now before you condense it smaller will make you explode. It has to be smaller. Here, do it like this.¡± Zi Xu showed Lu Na a more advanced technique to fold the spirit energy in on itself.


    That was just like what she did with her wards. The patterns she drew on the paper was just one part of it. By folding it into a triangle, she could condense the technique and make it more effective. So if she did the same thing, but with spirit energy then she could make it smaller and more efficient.


    Lu Na reached down and packed the ball of spirit energy until it was flat like a sheet of paper. Then she grabbed a corner and pulled it over on itself. She did it again and again until she had a small triangle of spirit energy.


    That¡¯s where she got stuck. Just like with paper, no matter how many times she tried she couldn¡¯t fold it over more than seven times.


    ¡°Fold it one more time and it should fit,¡± Zi Xu said. His voice sounded far away.


    Lu Na was loosing consciousness. She felt her body slumping over.


    A hand grabbed her shoulder and gave her a gentle shake.


    ¡°Too early to sleep now. Just one more fold.¡± It was a woman¡¯s voice. She sounded familiar but Lu Na couldn¡¯t tell who it was.


    Lu Na shook her head and folded the spirit triangle one more time, using all her mental strength. It was like pushing against a heavy table and it moved inch by inch. Finally, it folded over, creating the smallest triangle she¡¯d ever made before.


    ¡°Now, absorb it the way you were going to do before,¡± Zi Xu said.


    Lu Na pulled the the spirit energy triangle into her spirit realm while holding tight to keep its form. She had never felt so tired moving something with her mind before.


    When the spirit energy entered her spirit realm, the entire world brightened to an insane degree. Lu Na forced her eyes closed, but it didn¡¯t matter. She saw through her eyelids and what she saw frightened her.


    It was like she was using her spirit vision technique, except magnified beyond anything she could imagine. Everything around them lit up in different forms of spirit energy. Different colors of black, white, red, green, yellow swirled all around her on the very air she breathed in. Her earth wall structure lit up with the densest, darkest yellow she¡¯d ever seen. The walls and the ground looked bright yellow. The doors of the mansion exploded with green.


    The biggest distraction came in the form of thick lines of dense white spirit energy running below the ground of the labyrinth. It ran all along the floor and went out in every direction.


    Lu Na followed one of the lines that reached the ceiling and her breath caught in her throat. Up above them, at the very apex of the labyrinth, was a large black hole that looked like it was sucking all the spirit energy within the labyrinth. Flying right below it, fighting with every flap of her wings, was a large red phoenix spirit.


    The black hole ripped out a piece of the phoenix spirit¡¯s body, causing it to screech. The red spirit energy would flow into the black hole which was connected to the white lines that ran throughout the labyrinth.


    ¡°Wake up, Young Miss Lu,¡± Zi Xu said.


    Lu Na opened her eyes. The spirit vision technique faded. Her whole body was in a cold sweat but she felt hot. She was sitting on the ground, facing the earth wall jail.


    There was no on inside.


    ¡°Where did they go?¡± Lu Na looked around for Zi Xu, but he disappeared as well.


    Lu Na heard laughter coming from the mansion. It was a woman¡¯s voice. Then she heard more laughter from more people. She got up and walked over to the mansion.


    The door opened to a large main hall. The walls had light wards lighting up the entire area. Stone reliefs of mythical creatures adorned the walls. There were large pillars with stone dragons coiled around them. The ground had a beautiful pattern that made it look like a blossoming flower.


    Right in the middle was a large round table where Lu Na¡¯s companions and the Wintersweet disciples sat. She was surprised to see the two Elders and Senior Wong among them. What was more surprising was the gathering of spirits in one of the far corners. How did they manage to overcome the traps?


    ¡°Lu Na, you¡¯re finally awake,¡± Sun Ren said. She smiled at Lu Na. That was the first time Lu Na saw her friend smile since they started this journey.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Apparently Zi Xu is not an entirely bad guy. He helped you refine the spirit energy you absorbed and helped you to reach stage two of being a summoner.¡±


    ¡°None of that makes any sense to me.¡±


    Hen Li walked by with a cup in hand.


    ¡°Amituofo. I¡¯m glad you are well.¡±


    ¡°Monk, explain to Lu Na what happened,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°When you folded the spirit energy and absorbed it into your spirit realm, you ignited the spirit energy inside. That allowed you to cycle it everywhere in your body. Don¡¯t you feel different?¡±


    Lu Na did feel lighter, as if she had a lot more energy than before. That didn¡¯t prove anything. There was something that bothered her though.


    ¡°What happened to the ghost that was possessing you?¡±


    Hen Li took a deep breath and briefly closed his eyes.


    ¡°That is another thing we have to thank Zi Xu for. He negotiated with a more powerful ghost for our release. Afterwards, that same ghost made arrangements for the rest of the Wintersweet disciples to make it through with their spirits. We have a lot to be thankful for.¡±


    Lu Na turned to see Zi Xu standing beside her. She yelped and took two steps away from the ghost.


    ¡°Come now. We¡¯ve shared a body. You shouldn¡¯t be so wary of me,¡± Zi Xu said.


    ¡°You scared me. That¡¯s all. Thank you for helping us,¡± Lu Na said. She had a hand over her heart, trying to calm the racing beat. ¡°Thank you for also showing me the technique to reach stage two as a summoner.¡±


    ¡°I did more than that.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon enough. There¡¯s another thing we have to deal with though. The noble ghost, the one that saved your companions, has demanded payment for her services. And because I asked on your behalf, she has allowed you to determine the payment.¡±


    Lu Na looked to the center of the mansion. There was one ghost, dressed in a long flowing white robe with a white headdress lounged on the main seat. Her pale legs showed off a lot of skin as she laid them on top of a Wintersweet disciple¡¯s lap.


    ¡°Is that her?¡±


    Zi Xu nodded.


    ¡°Then shouldn¡¯t I talk with her?¡±


    ¡°No, you shouldn¡¯t,¡± Sun Ren said. Her smile disappeared. ¡°She¡¯s a very powerful ghost. Most of the people lounging around her have been affected by her charms and they¡¯re not possessed. Only standing here, away from her, has my head finally cleared enough.¡±


    ¡°It is as your companion says,¡± Zi Xu said.


    ¡°Then fine, what¡¯s the payment that she wants? I¡¯m not sure if she cares much about modern day money, but I can give her all the silver I have.¡± Lu Na took out her money pouch from her inner chest pocket.


    ¡°My dear Young Miss Lu, she doesn¡¯t want your money. She wants your people. You can only take six people and spirits with you. The rest will be in her care until you die or succeed in solving the labyrinth.¡±


    ¡°What happens if I die?¡±


    ¡°Then the noble ghost will torture each and every one of them to death with their greatest nightmares.¡±

 Chapter 88 - Forming the Group

    ¡°That¡¯s cruel,¡± Lu Na said.


    Zi Xu chuckled.


    ¡°Why do you care? You¡¯ll be dead.¡±


    ¡°But that means that there are so many of the Wintersweet disciples would die here if I fail,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Yes, so you better succeed. All these ghosts are going to torture you when they die.¡±


    ¡°Na Na, ignore him. Look at me.¡± Sun Ren turned Lu Na¡¯s head to her. ¡°Focus on what you have control over. Choose the six people and let¡¯s finally free your mother and solve this stupid puzzle.¡±


    Sun Ren was right. Lu Na couldn¡¯t afford to be distracted anymore. It¡¯s something she¡¯s denied ever since they walked into the labyrinth, but somewhere deep down she knew that she could lose her own life and those that came in with her. She hoped again and again that it wasn¡¯t going to be so bad. Not anymore.


    ¡°Hen Li, you know these people best. Who should we take?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°The two Elders have vast experience and spirit energy to spare,¡± Hen Li said. ¡°Despite Elder Hen¡¯s defeated demeanor, he¡¯s still stronger than any of the disciples. Then that would also mean you¡¯d need to take their spirits, that would make it four. Finally, you¡¯d take Senior Wong and Sun Ren. That should round out your group.¡±


    ¡°Wait, aren¡¯t you coming too?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Hen Li shook his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m too weak without the ability to depend on my Bifang Niao. I¡¯ll only get in the way.¡±


    ¡°No, I think you need to come,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°With you there, we¡¯ll know that Elder Hen will try his best to preserve your life.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll do that even if I don¡¯t go. He knows that if you fail, I will die. You¡¯ll only be wasting a spot.¡± Hen Li pushed his palms together. ¡°I would also like to spend the last days I have to meditate on the fundamental flaws of my life and how I can walk upon the path of the Buddha.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s how you feel, then I won¡¯t force you,¡± Lu Na said. What she didn¡¯t say was that she didn¡¯t like the prospect of grouping up with Senior Wong. She¡¯d rather take a weakened Hen Li any day over that scary woman.


    ¡°What will happen to the ones who aren¡¯t chosen?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°They¡¯ll entertain the noble ghost until she gets bored. Then she¡¯ll make them do menial tasks such as cleaning up the area,¡± Zi Xu said. ¡°So have you made your decision?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Decision? What decision?¡± Elder Xu asked. She appeared next to Lu Na just like one of the ghosts.


    ¡°How did you do that?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s one of my many spirit techniques. I can teach you if you become my disciple.¡± Elder Xu poked Zi Xu. ¡°So you¡¯re a ghost. You don¡¯t look like one. Anyway, I came over because I heard something about a decision being made. Why wasn¡¯t the Elders told about this?¡±


    Zi Xu took two steps away from Elder Xu. He brushed the part of his tunic that Elder Xu poked.


    ¡°The noble ghost only requested for Young Miss Lu to make the decision since I pleaded on her behalf. The rest of you are inconsequential to that decision.¡±


    ¡°Inconsequential? My, haven¡¯t you heard about respecting your elders?¡± Elder Xu turned to face Lu Na. ¡°You girl, are too young to be making life or death situations. And don¡¯t tell me you asked your friends. All of you combined aren¡¯t as old as I am. So girl, tell me, what decisions are you making on behalf of all my disciples?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Lu Na couldn¡¯t speak. It felt like all the spirit energy around her suddenly got heavy. She couldn¡¯t breathe. The very spirit energy in the air in her lungs felt like thick syrup. She fell to her knees.


    Sun Ren and Hen Li both got to their knees.


    ¡°Elder¡­ please¡­ stop¡­¡± Hen Li gasped.


    Lu Na looked to Zi Xu for help, but the ghost clasped his hands behind him as he stared into her eyes. It was almost to say there was nothing he could do. That or he was being his usual non-caring self.


    Lu Na chuckled. Maybe that¡¯s how she¡¯ll be after she died and lived here for thousands of years. It didn¡¯t matter that he believed her to be their best chance of success. There will be more in the future.


    The pressure released and Lu Na could finally breathe. This was worse than being choked by Sun Ren and Hen Li. It felt as if the air in her lungs weren¡¯t moving.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny brat?¡± Elder Xu said. ¡°I can kill you right now and no one could stop me.¡±


    Lu Na coughed out the stale air in her lungs before sucking in new air. The next invention she¡¯d make would be something to protect her neck. People love going for the neck for some reason.


    ¡°Elder Xu, I mean no offense, but you need me. You kill me, you kill everyone because there¡¯s no way they¡¯d understand how to solve the puzzle.¡±


    Elder Xu cackled.


    ¡°Shimin, now I know why you like this girl. She¡¯s so naive. She¡¯d make a perfect student. Tell her anything and she¡¯d believe it without a doubt.¡± Elder Xu turned to face Lu Na, her laughter gone. Only teeth remained and a smile that looked like she wanted to devour her.


    ¡°One thing she forgets is that this world is one of despair and tragic circumstances. You think I care about any of these disciples? They chose to follow me. Elder Hen is about to die anyway. If I were to kill you all here and now and we¡¯re stuck together for all eternity, then I¡¯d be fine with that. I don¡¯t care about your little goal. All I care about is what I want and whether or not we can bring glory to our Wintersweet Sect.¡±The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    The entire time, Lu Na felt her skin crawl with the spirit energy crackling in the air. She couldn¡¯t believe it, but she missed dealing with Elder Hen.


    Lu Na cupped her hands and bowed at the waist.


    ¡°This foolish youngster apologizes to Elder Xu. I never meant any disrespect. I only wish for what¡¯s best for everyone here.¡±


    Elder Xu lifted Lu Na from her bow.


    ¡°That¡¯s a start. At least you know your place. So tell me, what is this decision you seem to have made without consulting  me?¡±


    Lu Na glanced at Sun Ren, trying to get some reassurance. There was none to be had. Sun Ren¡¯s face was grim.


    ¡°Reporting to Elder Xu, the noble ghost has only allowed us to take six people and spirits with us to continue our journey. The rest of them have to remain behind.¡±


    ¡°So collateral for saving you and allowing us to pass by those traps.¡± Elder Xu glared at the noble ghost. ¡°I would have done something similar. That leaves us without many options.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Elder Xu. After some discussion, we thought to bring the strongest in our group and continue. That would be Elder Hen, his spirit, Senior Wong, Sun Ren, yourself and your spirit.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, you forgot someone more important than all of us.¡± Elder Xu grabbed Hen Li by the arm and pulled him close. ¡°This foolish boy has to come with us too.¡±


    Hen Li bowed with his palms pushed together.


    ¡°Amituofo. I am the weakest one here. I can¡¯t help you.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t or won¡¯t? Despite what your father tells me, you still have full control over your Bifang Niao. I can see that your spirit also wants to escape its bonds. With that on our side, we¡¯d have a chance.¡±


    ¡°I would only hinder everyone.¡±


    Hen Li looked like a child that lost his pet. He¡¯d look like that since he entered the labyrinth.


    ¡°Hen Li, you¡¯re one of the strongest people I¡¯ve met,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°I think you might be stronger than my brother. While I normally don¡¯t want to push anything, I would rather have you on the team. And if Elder Xu says that you¡¯re needed, then we should trust our elders.¡±


    Hen Li grimaced.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t want to¡­ burden you all.¡±


    ¡°Zi Xu, I want to go with Elder Hen, Elder Xu, Hen Li, Sun Ren, Senior Wong, and Elder Hen¡¯s spirit. Can you tell the noble ghost that?¡±


    ¡°She heard. Is that your final decision?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Lu Na agreed before Hen Li could argue with her.


    All the Wintersweet disciples and the spirits froze in place, their eyes became glossy. Then as one unit, they all filed out of the courtyard, leaving only the small group and the two ghosts.


    ¡°The noble ghost has asked you for a final audience before sending  you off. I¡¯ll wait for you outside,¡± Zi Xu said.


    ¡°You¡¯re not coming with us?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    ¡°No, you should all be fine. Besides, I have to walk to the next section and I¡¯m afraid my slow pace might take a while.¡±


    Lu Na bowed to Zi Xu.


    ¡°Thank you for your help.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me until you¡¯ve talked with the noble ghost. She might want something else.¡± Zi Xu turned and left.


    The group walked over to the noble ghost. Now that they were closer, the noble ghost looked like she wasn¡¯t a native of the land. For starters, she had green eyes. Her skin, while still ghostly pale, had an olive texture to it. The white headdress covered long flowing black hair that had a hint of brown in it. Her ears had a ring of small studded earrings all around. She also didn¡¯t mind showing off her legs or midriff.


    ¡°Salam,¡± the noble ghost said. ¡°My name is Farida. You have all come far to die here.¡±


    ¡°How are you speaking our language? Who are you?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Farida laughed.


    ¡°While I have not been here for as long as some of these ghosts, it has been long enough to learn your language. Once you die, there really isn¡¯t much else to do. As to who I am? I¡¯m Farida, that is all you need to know.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for saving us,¡± Sun Ren cupped her hands and bowed. The rest followed, except the Elders.


    Farida waved her hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet. You still have to solve the labyrinth which no one has done. If you can do it, I promise to release your friends. Off you go, as quick as you can.¡±


    Farida disappeared.


    ¡°Wait Farida. How do we defend ourselves against other ghosts?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Farida reappeared right in front of Lu Na. She had her hand on her chin, but all Lu Na felt was a cold feeling.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do anything against ghosts. What you can do is get the help of other ghosts. Like how Zi Xu helped you.¡±


    Farida faded away again.


    ¡°Just remember that not all ghosts are kind, especially the older ones. They¡¯re all crazy.¡±


    Lu Na heard Farida¡¯s voice fade away.


    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s get going,¡± Elder Hen said. He fixed his clothes. He looked like he just woke up. His white hair was loose from his bun.


    The group of six gathered everything they had and moved to the exit. Based on their map, they were only three sections away from the center of the labyrinth.


    ¡°Zi Xu, has anyone ever made it to the center?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Zi Xu had picked up the pace since he followed them. He was still slow, but it was an improvement from the glacial pace he walked in the previous sections.


    ¡°There have been a few people who made it to the center.¡±


    ¡°What happened to them?¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t have the key.¡±


    Lu Na reached into her chest pocket and grabbed her silver phoenix hairpin.


    ¡°That¡¯s one part, yes. Whoever gave you that has deep knowledge of this place. There are other parts of the key that you will need to get in.¡±


    Lu Na took out the key from the village ghost and the key Jie gave her.


    ¡°What about these?¡±


    Zi Xu stared at the keys. So did the Elders and Senior Wong.


    ¡°Where did you get these?¡±


    ¡°A ghost was guarding this one while Jie gave me the other one.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you are the one destined to free us all, but it¡¯s still too early. None have come with this many keys before.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? I remember that Yang Deli, the rebel leader, had one of these keys too. What makes them special?¡±


    Zi Xu smiled, his merchant¡¯s face came back.


    ¡°Nothing, exactly. These were all made by the labyrinth and ferried out to attract would be challengers. Those warlords and emperors all saw the key and heard the call. They couldn¡¯t help themselves. Just like you.¡±


    ¡°No, I came because my mother is trapped here. I came to save her. She¡¯s with that phoenix at the apex of the labyrinth.¡±


    ¡°My dear child, there is no human there. Only the phoenix spirit.¡±


    ¡°No, there must be. How else would my mother contact me through the hairpin?¡±


    ¡°I am sorry to tell you then that phoenix spirit is lying to you. Spirits are tricky beings. They will do anything to get their way. That phoenix spirit has been trapped there for the last four years. No human could survive that.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Maybe we should focus on the path before us,¡± Elder Hen said. ¡°We¡¯ll figure out what¡¯s going on when we solve the puzzle. Which brings a very important part of this journey. Should the Young Miss Lu be keeping all those keys? Wouldn¡¯t it be safer to have the strongest members in our group hold onto them?¡±


    ¡°Do you mean you?¡± Sun Ren asked. She had her hand on one of her hidden daggers.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯m the strongest in my current state. I was thinking Elder Xu or even Little Yoong.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather die than give the keys to those two.¡±


    ¡°Little girl, that can be arranged.¡± Elder Xu raised her hand again.


    Except this time Sun Ren was faster. She already had a dagger to Elder Xu¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Try it you hag. Choke me again. I¡¯ll make sure you never breathe again.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo, we shouldn¡¯t be fighting among ourselves. This is more important than any of us as it will determine if we live or die,¡± Hen Li said. He placed a hand on Elder Xu¡¯s hand and Sun Ren¡¯s dagger. ¡°Please, let¡¯s end the hostilities here until after we solved the puzzle.¡±


    ¡°Or why don¡¯t Young Miss Lu give it to me?¡± a man¡¯s voice called from another courtyard. Yang Deli walked out with a sword in hand, wearing his iron helmet. He had an army following right behind him, along with a Daoist holding a red wooden sword. ¡°I believe I¡¯m the strongest here and I would love to have more keys.¡±

 Chapter 89 - Being Pushed into Nightmares

    Lu Na clenched her left fist and flicked it left. A stone wall rose up in front of Yang Deli and his army. It sealed them off within the courtyard they were just in.


    ¡°We¡¯ll settle this later,¡± Sun Ren said. She took out another dagger and dashed toward the exit. ¡°Lu Na, cover our rear. I¡¯ll make sure no other danger is in front of us. Elders, do your worst against them.¡±


    ¡°Oh ho ho, who died and made her leader?¡± Elder Xu asked.


    The stone wall exploded outward as a green ibex with dark green stripes burst forward. Its horns locking onto their group.


    ¡°It¡¯s not time to argue, Ming. Let¡¯s make sure these youngsters make it out alive.¡± Elder Hen rode atop his horse spirit and charged at the opening. ¡°Go Fengma. Young Miss Lu, don¡¯t let them swam us.¡±


    Lu Na flicked her hand left a couple of times in succession, raising the stone from the ground to create more walls in their way. Then she flicked her hand to the right and spirit walls formed around the earth walls.


    Senior Wong summoned her rooster and charged in with Elder Hen. With a narrow exit, the rebels could only have three or four soldiers fighting them at the same time.


    Elder Xu raised both of her arms up and a large green crane erupted from her body. It flew up high above the courtyards. With ever flap of its wings, it sent arrows raining down on the soldiers.


    Hen Li stood beside Lu Na. He had one of Sun Ren¡¯s daggers in his hand. It looked so weird. A monk that was ready to hurt others.


    Lu Na raised up more walls. She made them thicker to prevent Yang Deli¡¯s ibex from breaking through. Her wrist was burning.


    ¡°Young Miss Lu, don¡¯t forget to use the technique I showed you earlier,¡± Zi Xu said. ¡°Be sure to send the spirit energy into your spirit realm.¡±


    Lu Na focused on her wrist, pulling the spirit energy from the null metal bracelet as Elder Xu taught her. Now instead of pushing it into the ground, she folded it and pushed it into her spirit realm. Now it was her chest heating up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pull too much too fast. Do it slowly,¡± Zi Xu said.


    Lu Na slowed it down, but she felt like she was on fire. Her whole body was burning all over. She used her spirit vision to see that the dense spirit energy entering her spirit realm was going everywhere.


    ¡°Now, use that spirit energy,¡± Zi Xu said.


    ¡°How? How do I use it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve never learned any summoner arts?¡±


    ¡°No! Tell me what to do!¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. Breathe Young Miss Lu.¡± Hen Li put a hand on Lu Na¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Focus on my voice. Cycle the spirit energy throughout your body. Think of it like a circle that goes through your entire body. Push it down to your feet, then pull it back up through your body and into your head. Then push it back into your spirit realm.¡±


    Lu Na closed her eyes and did as Hen Li instructed. It would have been easier if metal didn¡¯t clang on metal all around her. After two cycles of doing that, the spirit energy calmed down. She opened her eyes to watch two of her walls collapse.


    ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t.¡± Lu Na clenched her left fist and punched forward. Tiger claws flew at three of the soldiers pushing out. They were the blackest tiger claws she¡¯d ever produced. It reminded her of Sect Leader Wong¡¯s technique when he used it at full power and with more experience. She felt the technique pulled spirit energy from her spirit realm.


    ¡°Father?¡± Senior Wong looked around and frowned when she saw Lu Na.


    ¡°Sorry, that was me.¡± Lu Na flicked her wrist left to repair the two stone wall that collapsed.¡±


    Sun Ren ran back over.


    ¡°The path is clear to the exit, but I couldn¡¯t scout the next area. It was too dark. We should go now.¡±


    Lu Na nodded. She focused on the image of the thickest, tallest wall she could imagine. She held onto her left fist with her right hand and dragged them both across the courtyard¡¯s entrance. Again, she felt spirit energy pulling from her spirit realm. It was draining.


    A stone wall, thicker than city walls, rose from the ground and blocked the courtyard. It rose to the ceiling.


    Lu Na yelped. Her wrist was burning now. She had to take off the bracelet and held it in her left hand to keep the wall from collapsing.


    ¡°I can¡¯t hold that forever. We have to go now.¡±


    The group gathered together and shuffled toward the exit. It was another dark hallway into the next section.


    Lu Na shivered from the cold despite still feeling hot from the spirit energy cycling through her body and burning wrist. She had never felt this cold before despite spending some winters in the north with her family.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°This is why I couldn¡¯t scout it. Not only is it dark, but the cold is giving me very scary vibes.¡± Sun Ren unsheathed her waist sword.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send a scout in there,¡± Elder Xu said. She summoned her sable spirit again.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Zi Xu said.


    ¡°There¡¯s not much time. They¡¯re already cracking my wall,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°I just wanted to warn you that the next section will test your will. Remember the warlord that brought his army? All their ghosts are up ahead. Any human walking in there without any protection will go mad.¡±


    ¡°So what do we do?¡±


    Zi Xu stood with his hands clasped behind him. He arched his back and stared off into the distance. He looked just like one of those hero paintings that Lu Na¡¯s father had commissioned before.


    ¡°Do you trust me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course. Tell us what we need to do and hurry.¡±


    The wall broke at the bottom. Yang Deli¡¯s ibex spirit shot out.


    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with this.¡± Senior Wong made a chopping motion with her left hand. Her metal rooster flapped both its wings at the ibex, sending metal feathers flying at it in a torrent.


    Lu Na put her bracelet back on and pulled the spirit energy from the null metal into her spirit realm. The process was getting easier, but the burning was becoming too intense. She flicked her wrist left to create some more walls. They weren¡¯t as strong, but that was the best she could do.


    ¡°Listen Lu Na, if you and your group wants to survive the next part, then you will have to hold hands, close your eyes, and allow me to guide you through. I¡¯ll wait for you at the end of the hallway.¡± Zi Xu walked ahead at his slow pace.


    ¡°You heard the ghost, everyone let¡¯s move,¡± Sun Ren ordered. ¡°I¡¯ll cover the rear with Wong Yoong. Be sure to protect Lu Na at all costs.¡±


    ¡°Understood Young Miss Sun.¡± Elder Hen guided his horse spirit into the hallway first before following it.


    ¡°Again, who put that brat in charge?¡± Elder Xu huffed but followed behind Elder Hen.


    Hen Li and Lu Na walked through the hallway side by side. The cold penetrated Lu Na¡¯s hemp tunic. Despite being hot from siphoning the spirit energy into her spirit realm, the cold had an ethereal feel to it. It felt like it chilled her from the inside out while her heat was on the surface of the skin, burning and boiling. It didn¡¯t help that it was dark in the hallway despite the sparks from behind.


    Lu Na tapped her bracelet to turn on the light ward. Her hand glowed white, surrounding her in light. She raised it above her head to push it through the hallway to the other side.


    A sea of red glowing eyes glared at Lu Na up ahead. It felt like the entire next section were pairs of angry eyes accusing her for their deaths. The cold seeped in deeper, almost as if fingers were raking their nails over her skin from head to toe.


    ¡°Are you alright, Young Miss Lu?¡± Hen Li asked.


    ¡°No. Did you see that?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°See what?¡±


    ¡°The eyes.¡±


    Elder Hen and Elder Xu stopped right at the entrance to the next section.


    ¡°I saw it too, Young Miss Lu. They¡¯re angry ghosts. We mustn¡¯t give in to them,¡± Elder Hen said.


    ¡°Oh ho ho, Hen Shimin. You¡¯re a funny one. You¡¯re so close to death¡¯s door that you could call them friends.¡± Elder Xu cackled. ¡°If you died here, you could be their king with how angry you are. You hide it well while alive, but what would happen as a ghost?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t scare the kids like that,¡± Elder Hen said.


    ¡°Elder Hen, is it true? Are you about to die?¡± Hen Li asked.


    Elder Hen turned toward Hen Li, his face in a frown. Even in the low light from Lu Na¡¯s ward his wrinkles deepened.


    ¡°Son, you don¡¯t have to worry about that. As I¡¯ve always taught you, focus on the mission and complete it at all costs. If it means that I die, then at least I get to see you one last time.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. I will pray for you.¡± Hen Li pushed his palms together and recited the heart sutra. He closed his eyes.


    Elder Hen sighed and turned back around. Elder Xu patted him on the shoulder and whispered something to him.


    Lu Na spent the little time they had cycling the spirit energy in her body. The burning was now overwhelming the chill of the ghosts. If she didn¡¯t get rid of some of it soon, she¡¯s going to explode.


    Senior Wong was the first to run through the tunnel. Her face had blood on it, but no visible cuts. Her rooster spirit had a dent in its body. She dismissed it with a wave of her left hand.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Sun Ren?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s coming. She told me to run first,¡± Senior Wong said. She bent over, holding herself up by her thighs, and breathing hard. ¡°These soldiers didn¡¯t come to play. We have to go now before they get here.¡±


    ¡°Not without Sun Ren.¡± Lu Na pushed passed Senior Wong but that was unnecessary.


    Sun Ren ran toward her, weaving left and right to avoid ice lances from spearing her through.


    Lu Na clenched her fist and flicked it right, creating a spirit wall right behind Sun Ren. Two ice lances struck the wall. Ten more followed, but they were all stuck in the spirit wall. Lu Na reinforced the spirit wall by pushing more of the spirit energy from within her spirit realm into it.


    That feeling felt both draining and relief. She wasn¡¯t sure why that was the case, but the pressure lessened in her whole body. It must be because she didn¡¯t have Nugua helping her regulate her spirit energy. Either way, she¡¯d have to figure it out later.


    Sun Ren ran past Lu Na into the dark hallway.


    Lu Na let go of the spirit wall and watched as the torrent of ice lances collapse to the ground. She ran back into the hallway. She opened her hand and pushed with her palm facing toward the rebel army running toward her.


    Another stone wall raised from the ground, this time surrounded by a spirit wall. It should take them a little longer to break.


    Lu Na ran down the hallway after Sun Ren.


    ¡°Is Zi Xu back yet?¡± Sun Ren asked. ¡°That wall is not going to take long before they break it down.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m right here.¡± Zi Xu appeared at the end of the hallway next to the Elders. ¡°If you¡¯re all ready, please join hands. There¡¯s only one small problem. One of you will have to keep their eyes open and be subject to your worst nightmares as you walk through. They will use your guilt to eat at your mind.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Sun Ren said.


    Both Elders and Senior Wong stayed silent.


    ¡°Amituofo. I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯m the only one with the clear eyes. I can see where we¡¯re being led and avoid the traps before we walk into anything.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll do it,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°As much as I agree with you Hen Li, I don¡¯t think your guilt would let you last long. I¡¯m sure Zi Xu will make sure we all walk through without issues, right?¡±


    Zi Xu smiled.


    ¡°But of course. My only desire is for you to finally release us from this misery. You are probably the only one in the last thousand years that has come close. Besides, it¡¯d be fun to see you struggle with the last challenge anyway.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. Let¡¯s go.¡± Lu Na held onto Hen Li¡¯s hand on the left and Sun Ren¡¯s hand on the right. Elder Hen held his son¡¯s hand while Elder Xu and Senior Wong each had a hand on Lu Na¡¯s shoulder.


    Zi Xu walked into Lu Na, possessing her.


    Lu Na felt the world fall away again. It felt like she was surrounded by clouds. She felt everything, but she couldn¡¯t move.


    ¡°Everyone, follow closely and don¡¯t let go,¡± Zi Xu said with Lu Na¡¯s voice.


    Everyone nodded and Lu Na felt their grips tighten. This was going to be an interesting experience for Lu Na. The feeling of powerlessness while also waiting for her worst nightmares. She wondered what they would be.


    It didn¡¯t take long before she started screaming.

 Chapter 90 - Facing Her Nightmare

    At first, Lu Na didn¡¯t feel any different. The moment Zi Xu made her move into the next section of the labyrinth, an intense cold made her catch her breath. It wasn¡¯t her body that felt cold, but something way deep down that she never thought of. Was that where the core of her being was? Or was that her life force?


    ¡°That¡¯s good. You haven¡¯t gone mad yet. You¡¯re still thinking about what¡¯s going on,¡± Zi Xu said. ¡°Try to focus on that. Maybe the ghosts will leave a naive girl like you alone and not torture you.¡±


    Lu Na wanted to reply, but couldn¡¯t. She had no voice. She had no mouth or body. That made her mind race a little. What was going on? Why couldn¡¯t she talk or move? She felt everything but she controlled nothing.


    ¡°Breathe, Young Miss Lu,¡± Zi Xu said. ¡°Focus on the hands that you are holding. You can¡¯t move them, but you can feel them. Your companions are right beside you.¡±


    That¡¯s right. Lu Na squeezed Sun Ren¡¯s hand. She remembered holding her friend¡¯s hand not too long ago, running away from the Wintersweet Sect. It was an odd feeling to hold the hand of a rich and powerful Young Miss and find that it was more calloused than her servants. The training she endured, the things she¡¯s done, must have been terrible.


    Lu Na sneezed. She felt Zi Xu leave her body, no longer possessing her.


    ¡°Zi Xu? Where did you go?¡±


    No reply.


    ¡°Where should I go?¡± Lu Na had her eyes open wide but couldn¡¯t see far ahead. Did Zi Xu ditch them again? Was he trying to play games with them? Or was this his plot from the very beginning? Make her trust him only to abandon them all in the middle of nowhere to die.


    Lu Na would not let that stop her. She took a step forward anyway and bumped headfirst into a wall. It didn¡¯t hurt but it shocked her. Why did Zi Xu lead her to a wall?


    ¡°Everyone, I¡¯m not sure where to go. I can¡¯t see anything. I¡¯m going to need to turn on a light ward or something,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t let go, Lu Na,¡± Hen Li begged. ¡°If you do, we¡¯ll be lost forever to the ghosts. I can already feel them crawling all over my skin.¡±


    Lu Na squeezed Sun Ren¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Do you trust me, Sun Ren?¡±


    Sun Ren squeezed back.


    Lu Na pulled Sun Ren¡¯s hand and rested it on her chest. Her warm hand felt comforting.


    ¡°Stay here, feel my heart. Know that I¡¯m still here.¡±


    Sun Ren¡¯s hand didn¡¯t move and clung onto Lu Na¡¯s tunic.


    Lu Na reached down to her null metal bracelet and tapped it twice. The light ward turned on, shining out despite being blocked by Hen Li¡¯s hand.


    Lu Na grabbed Sun Ren¡¯s hand and squeezed it. When she turned to face her, Lu Na screamed.


    Standing beside her was a woman dressed in dark red. Her eyes were missing and blood coming out of her empty sockets, and scars ran along her face. Her skin looked ancient, like aged leather. She made Elder Hen look like a young man.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m Sun Ren.¡± The older woman¡¯s voice sounded paper thin.


    Lu Na looked down at the hand she held and the callouses showed prominently. It wasn¡¯t the hand of her friend who trained hard, but that of a ghost with dirt in it. Blood ran from the fingernails. It was as if she dug herself out from a grave to hold Lu Na¡¯s hands.


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t be. Your hands. They¡¯re¡­¡±


    ¡°What my dear Na Na? This is how you look when you die a horrible death within the labyrinth. That was over a thousand years ago. You¡¯re still wandering like this was the first night of your own death. Some nights, I wonder about you.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m not dead. This is a lie.¡± Lu Na began reciting the heart sutra. She held onto Sun Ren¡¯s hands despite the fear. This had to be the doing of some ghost. If she let go, Sun Ren would truly be lost.


    ¡°There she goes again, monk. You got her to recite the damn sutra and that¡¯s all she does every night when she realizes she¡¯s dead.¡±


    Despite her rising dread, she peered over at Hen Li on her left. The monk looked like he was made of only muscles. All the muscles on his neck, arms, and legs were huge. He was more muscle than a man at that point. He couldn¡¯t move his mouth.


    This can¡¯t be real. Lu Na recited the heart sutra louder.


    ¡°Ugh, fine, recite your little sutra. Follow me and we can go for a short walk to remind you of your death.¡±


    Sun Ren tugged Lu Na forward. There were tombstones with their names written on them.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this nice? The lovely man, Yang Deli, dispelled the ghosts in this place while they were distracted with torturing us to death. I had to tear out my own eyes before they would leave me alone. By then, Yang Deli kept me around like a broken doll. I told you, it was better to kill yourself than be taken prisoner by these despicable monsters.¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Sun Ren. It was my fault. I brought you here. You were just being a good friend.¡±


    ¡°Oh Na Na, I was using you for your ingenuity. Sure, we became friends, but what you could have done if you had lived would have saved the people of the country a lot of heartache.¡±


    Lu Na tugged at Sun Ren¡¯s hand, trying to pull it back.


    Sun Ren held tightly.


    ¡°Please, just let go. If this is a nightmare, then let it end. I can¡¯t be the reason you died such a horrible death.¡± Lu Na tugged harder.


    ¡°Oh Na Na, we¡¯re not the only ones. Your mother died a horrible death afterwards when we couldn¡¯t save her. All the Wintersweet disciples that followed those two foolish Elders also died in the worst way imaginable. But that¡¯s all over now.¡± Sun Ren had both hands holding Lu Na¡¯s.


    They walked together like that for a while longer.


    ¡°Honestly, Na Na, I¡¯m tired of holding your hand, trying to convince you every time you forget you died. One of these days I¡¯m going to leave you and you can deal with this alone, be lost in this mad afterlife where we¡¯re trapped forever.¡±


    ¡°No, please don¡¯t leave me.¡± Lu Na felt tears flowing down her cheeks. Did ghosts cry? Then again, what did she know? She¡¯d never seen ghosts before this journey.


    Lu Na¡¯s shoulders hurt. It felt like two heavy weights pulling her down. She turned her head to see Elder Xu and Senior Wong hanging onto her. Their hands turned into claws and dug deep into her shoulder. She hadn¡¯t noticed them before but the pain was intense.


    ¡°Why are you two hanging on me? Let go! I¡¯m already dead and I still have to deal with you two?¡±


    Elder Xu laughed, spit flying from her mouth and into the back of Lu Na¡¯s head.


    ¡°You girl. You¡¯re the one that doomed us all to follow you forever. You had only one job and that was to get us across this labyrinth. I should have stayed home and not wasted my time with any of this.¡±


    Elder Xu¡¯s claw dug deeper all the way to the bone. Wait, did ghosts have bone? Did they have flesh? She remembered Jie walking through a wall. Or was it because they were also ghosts that made it possible to touch them?


    The pain intensified on the right shoulder.


    Senior Wong was scraping the very bone on that shoulder. It was like she was digging for something.


    ¡°Little girl, little girl, you should have let me kill you outside of the labyrinth. Then none of us would have to suffer with you.¡±


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t be stuck with you least of all. You destroyed my home, almost killed my brother, and still blame me for not dying? I didn¡¯t force any of you to come with me. You keep chasing me no matter where I go. Leave me alone!¡±


    Senior Wong¡¯s claws stopped digging. Instead, something sharp bit into Lu Na¡¯s thigh. It felt like the peck of a certain metal rooster.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me your rooster joined us in death, too.¡± Lu Na kicked at it somewhere behind her, but she felt nothing. ¡°You and your father have given me nothing but pain and grief and now you haunt me in this additional torment.¡±


    Sun Ren yanked Lu Na to the right. They walked into an open space. A large phoenix laid on the ground, its wings broken, feathers torn off, and its beak twisted. Right below its head was her mother¡¯s face, twisted in pain and frozen for eternity.


    ¡°Say hello to your mother,¡± Sun Ren said.


    Lu Na leaned forward, pulling at the clawing on her shoulders, the muscle bound hold of Hen Li, and the desperate grip of her best friend. Every few seconds, a jolt of spirit energy ran through the phoenix, causing her mother to scream. It was like her mother was trapped within the body of the phoenix with no way out.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, mother, that I couldn¡¯t save you.¡± Lu Na wanted to sink to her knees and pay proper respects to her mother, but the others held her up.


    ¡°Too late for that,¡± Elder Hen said. ¡°If only you learned to respect your elders earlier. My Wintersweet Sect might have saved you from this pain. Instead you saw us as the enemy. This is the result.¡±


    Lu Na cried.


    ¡°Curse you and your Wintersweet Sect. I could have lived the rest of my life happy had you not heeded your Ancestor¡¯s call to kidnap me or any of the Lu maidens. You forced all this to happen. I swear once I get out of this labyrinth I will haunt all your disciples and descendants even if I have to do it as a ghost!¡±


    ¡°Get out? There is no getting out.¡± Elder Hen walked around to face her. He looked the same as he did in life. The only difference was his face. Before it was scrunched with stress, with pain, with the weight of the entire world on his shoulder. Now it looked like he had peace. ¡°I¡¯ve learned to let go. You should too. You will finally learn to be at peace with yourself here. I did.¡±


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You should listen to him,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°We¡¯ve been reminding you for many, many years of your death and your place in this labyrinth. But you keep forgetting and it¡¯s taking less and less time before you forget again. The last time you remembered was twenty years ago. Next time I might not find you in time and you will join the lost ghosts.¡±


    Lu Na pulled Sun Ren¡¯s hands to her chest.


    ¡°Please Sun Ren, please tell me this is not real. I don¡¯t want this to be my life.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± Sun Ren said. She moved her face close to Lu Na¡¯s. The bloody eye holes were so close, Lu Na could smell the blood. Did ghosts smell?


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s a way to get out of this. All you have to do is stop, give up, and accept your death. Then you will be like the rest of us. We¡¯ve accepted this many, many years ago and we exist for ourselves. You can do that too.¡±


    Lu Na looked down at her mother¡¯s body again, trapped within the phoenix. She looked at each of her companions. It would be so easy to listen to her friend. If not Sun Ren, then who?


    Lu Na was about to accept this fate before her left wrist began burning. It was the same intense pain as she had when she used it too much.


    Wait, can ghosts feel pain? Was she really dead? Or was this all a lie?


    While still holding Hen Li¡¯s hand, she flicked her left wrist to the right. She focused on having the spirit skin envelop her body first and then it slowly engulfed the rest of her companions, even the ones digging into her shoulder.


    No, this vision wasn¡¯t real. There was no way she could still use her null metal bracelet. If she was truly a ghost, then it would have been left behind with her body. Unless items on her body stayed with her even in death? Jie wore all her clothes. Zi Xu drank tea from a cup.


    It didn¡¯t matter. Lu Na focused on the burning pain, feeling the intense heat on her wrist. If she was dead, then she shouldn¡¯t be able to move the spirit energy in there. That was the only conclusion she could come to, because no matter how much she tried, there was no way she could make a device that affected ghosts with her spirit wand.


    Lu Na pulled at the spirit energy and pushed it into her spirit realm. The rich, dense spirit energy swirled once and then twice within before she pulled it back out and cycled it throughout her body as Zi Xu taught her.


    No, Lu Na was not dead yet. This was all a nightmare conjured by ghosts. She focused on the spirit energy, allowing it to cycle through her body faster and faster until she felt the familiar warmth coming from it. Well, familiar warmth was an understatement. Her whole body was now burning hot.


    She pulled too much.


    She had to stop.


    But how? She wasn¡¯t in control of her body. She was going to burn herself up.


    What can she do? Was she going to die after all?

 Chapter 91 - Revealing their True Nature

    Lu Na focused on the strongest spirit wall technique she could think of. It was the only technique she could use that wouldn¡¯t hurt anyone. Just like her stone wall, she thought about making it as dense as possible. She thought about combining the different layers of the technique that combined all the elements and built on it.


    What if she made each layer like paper and then stacked each piece of paper on each other. With each piece of paper being as dense as possible and as small as possible. Then she would keep stacking them on top of each other in alternating patterns.


    Lu Na hadn¡¯t thought about doing this before as she let Nugua handle most of the techniques, but this was new. With each element not only supporting the other beside it, but above and below. Metal to water to wood to fire to earth.


    Lu Na pushed all the spirit energy cycling through her body into this technique. The spirit skin formed on her body and spread throughout. It eventually touched her companions and spread over them as well. For the first time, she felt the spirit skin like a second layer of clothing.


    There was weight on her.


    The usual buzzing stopped and the skin looked as solid as anything. It didn¡¯t take long before she realized she made another mistake.


    Lu Na couldn¡¯t breathe. The spirit skin stopped all spirit energy from penetrating it, including the water spirit energy in the air. With a quick thought she dismissed the spirit skin.


    The second layer melted off them in an instant. Everyone gasped for air.


    That¡¯s when Lu Na felt herself coming back to her body. The cloudiness of her thoughts and the control of her limbs came back. One moment it looked like she was still stuck in the labyrinth and the next she was staring at a large wall.


    Everyone let go of Lu Na and collapsed to the floor. They all gasped for air.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°You almost killed us, foolish girl. I shouldn¡¯t have taught you that technique,¡± Elder Xu said.


    Lu Na tapped her null metal bracelet to turn on the light ward. It shined brighter than it ever had as it pulled spirit energy from her spirit realm. The section of the labyrinth was lit up like the day and she could see every inch of the place.


    This new section of the labyrinth was dustier. Every corner of the labyrinth had cobwebs and dust covering every inch. Nothing moved except the stale air that lived there.


    ¡°Is everyone okay?¡± Sun Ren asked. She dusted herself off.


    Hen Li was helping Elder Hen get up after he collapsed. Senior Wong was dusting off Elder Xu. Both of them looked fine.


    Oddly enough, Lu Na felt as if she had a ton of energy. She wasn¡¯t thinking about spirit energy. It felt like she¡¯d just had the best night sleep of her life and her body was well rested.


    ¡°Zi Xu, are you still there?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s gone,¡± Sun Ren said. She stretched her body and then unsheathed two of her daggers. ¡°He left a final note for us before leaving for good. He told me to tell you that he¡¯s done all he could for us to get here and to watch out for the feral spirits. They¡¯re the last thing guarding the center of the labyrinth.¡±


    ¡°Then that should be simple,¡± Elder Hen said. ¡°None of the spirits I¡¯ve seen so far have been stronger than stage two. Elder Xu and I can destroy any spirit between here and the center.¡±


    Sun Ren smirked.


    ¡°Come on Elder Hen, you know life never makes anything that easy. Zi Xu also said that there¡¯s a maze going through here and those rebels are almost here. They¡¯re bringing their entire army.¡±


    ¡°But how? We had the help of Zi Xu and we barely made it,¡± Senior Wong said. ¡°Even with his help, Young Miss Lu almost collapsed from the mental strain.¡±


    ¡°Not sure. It might have something to do with the ghost hunter they brought with them,¡± Sun Ren said. ¡°They must have done a lot of research instead of just running in.¡±


    Lu Na knew that she meant their group. She had to admit, running into the labyrinth with no preparation like this wasn¡¯t her first choice, but she didn¡¯t have much choice like with everything.


    ¡°Then are we ready to go?¡± Sun Ren peeked around the corner before turning back. ¡°If this is a maze and there are feral spirits on the prowl, I doubt they didn¡¯t hear us or see Lu Na¡¯s beacon of light. Is there a way for you to turn it down?¡±


    Lu Na had gotten used to it, but with a bit of focus, she limited the spirit energy flowing into it from her spirit realm. She didn¡¯t know she could do that until now. That was going to take practice.


    ¡°I¡¯ll scout out the next section. If Elder Xu would be so kind as to summon her sable spirit, we¡¯d have more chances to find traps and discover a way through. The rest of you should travel as a group behind me. If anything happens to me, don¡¯t follow. I¡¯m going rebel hunting.¡± Sun Ren dashed forward without waiting for a reply. Her dark tunic blended in with the darkness and she disappeared.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Lu Na was worried for her friend. She knew that Sun Ren was in her element in the dark tunnels here, but she would also have to fight with the spirits as well. She just wished her friend wasn¡¯t so stubborn in doing things her way like this.


    ¡°Again, who put that brat in charge?¡± Elder Xu asked. She summoned her sable spirit and pointed down another path of the maze. Then she summoned four more sable spirits, directing each one to a different path. ¡°Let¡¯s give them a few minutes to see which path is safest before we move forward.¡±


    Elder Hen finally stood up, coughing and wheezing. He popped another pill in his mouth.


    Lu Na focused her spirit vision on him and saw the spirit energy being instantly released from the pill into his spirit realm as it passed down his body. Then it slowly channeled more spirit energy into his spirit realm as it sat in his stomach.


    ¡°Your pills are like my null metal bracelet,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°Would you like to try absorbing the spirit energy from that?¡±


    Elder Hen chuckled.


    ¡°If it were that easy, everyone would have null metal bracelets. Your bracelet contains all the types of spirit energy in it to power all your techniques. My spirit realm can only take one specific kind. If even a little bit of the wrong kind enters my spirit realm, I¡¯d die. That makes you unique, despite being so weak as a summoner.¡±


    ¡°Then how am I not dead?¡±


    ¡°Child, I have no idea. Whoever bonded you with your spirit must have their reasons. However, if you ever want to learn more about the summoner arts, my offer still stands. You can join the Wintersweet Sect as my personal disciple and I will teach you everything I know.¡±


    Lu Na considered that offer, this time with a new perspective. If she could learn more from Elder Hen, then she could also improve not only her defense as a summoner, but also how to make better inventions. There were so many things in the Xia manual that didn¡¯t make sense until she thought about how to use her techniques to make them work.


    Besides this, she already had the monkey king¡¯s scroll of immortality and she couldn¡¯t grasp the most simplest thing it tried to teach her without the help of another summoner. There were so many different possibilities to become stronger.


    ¡°This is a first,¡± Senior Wong said.


    ¡°What is?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re the first person that I know who didn¡¯t drop to their knees and thank the heavens after being offered this. There would be so many at the sect that would kill for the opportunity. Me included.¡± Senior Wong glanced at Hen Li before turning back to Lu Na. ¡°Do you hate our Wintersweet Sect that much?¡±


    Lu Na thought about that. She tried to separate the unfortunate incident of them trying to kidnap and kill her with how Elder Hen has personally treated her. On the one hand, the sect¡¯s leader and Ancestor were the ones that caused it. Yet they¡¯re gone now. Elder Hen had been oppressive near the end but Lu Na saw how he treated his son and helped them so much despite not needing to. Was that enough?


    No, never.


    ¡°Yes, I hate your sect. I hate how everyone of you would do everything you can to get ahead. I hate how despite me never doing anything to you, you destroyed my life. You almost killed my brother. I wouldn¡¯t even be here. Everything that has happened to me, all my suffering has been because of your stupid sect.¡±


    Lu Na took a deep breath and curtsied to Elder Hen.


    ¡°So if it¡¯s alright with you, respected Elder Hen, you would stop trying to recruit me. I beg you.¡±


    Elder Hen looked like he got slapped. He nodded and turned away.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that we caused you so much pain and suffering.¡± Senior Wong cupped her hands and bowed her head. ¡°I have learned that my actions were excessive. In my desire to please my father, I didn¡¯t think about anything else. I realize now that I shouldn¡¯t base my own success on something like that.¡±


    Lu Na didn¡¯t care for such an apology, especially not from her. But she needed her help.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll accept your apology if my brother lives. If we go back home and something happens to him, I will hunt you like you hunted me.¡±


    Senior Wong nodded.


    Elder Xu¡¯s sable spirits all came back and disappeared back into her spirit realm.


    ¡°Oh ho ho, it seems like little Yoong has finally learned, Shimin. Maybe there is hope for her after all,¡± Elder Xu said. She turned to Lu Na. ¡°Besides little girl, you should learn under me. I can teach you things no one in the sect can. And if it makes you feel any better, I opposed the silly prophecy from the very beginning.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s focus on the task at hand. We¡¯re talking too much and this is taking too long,¡± Hen Li said. ¡°Elder Xu, what have your spirits found?¡±


    ¡°Not you too. Why are all the young brats so disrespectful?¡± Elder Xu shook her head. ¡°My precious darlings mapped out some of the maze. We can follow a simple path to the center that is littered with bones or the long way around with less bones and more rebel soldiers.¡±


    ¡°Could you show us all the map, Xu Ming? I¡¯d rather not have you go off without us and we¡¯d be lost,¡± Elder Hen said.


    ¡°That was one time.¡± Elder Xu clenched her left fist and waved her right hand over the wall. A black outline of the maze appeared.


    Lu Na couldn¡¯t believe how clear it looked. How did Elder Xu create this map from her spirit¡¯s directions? What kind of technique could do something like this? More importantly, how could Lu Na learn this? Elder Xu had so many things that Lu Na would love to learn. Maybe studying under her wouldn¡¯t be so bad.


    ¡°Girl, are you done staring yet? I can¡¯t keep it up forever,¡± Elder Xu said.


    Lu Na smiled sheepishly.


    ¡°Yes, Elder Xu. I apologize.¡±


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s head out. The rebels look like they¡¯re combing the area.¡±


    ¡°Fine, whatever, let¡¯s go.¡± Hen Li clenched his fist and his five colored hound, Panhu, appeared with his bone-mouth head. The normally calm silver haired monk rushed forward.


    ¡°What happened to him?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Better you not ask,¡± Elder Hen said. ¡°You might have been the one that had your eyes opened and experienced your nightmares, but we all experienced our own as well. He must have been reminded why he left our sect and seeing us here didn¡¯t do him any good.¡±


    ¡°Especially you, old man,¡± Elder Xu said.


    ¡°How come the nightmares didn¡¯t affect you guys as much?¡±


    ¡°Child, when we¡¯re this old, we have accepted most of what we have done. If we didn¡¯t by now, we wouldn¡¯t be standing here. You young ones don¡¯t have that experience so you act differently. Like little Yoong here. She would have never apologized for anything she¡¯s done before, isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    Senior Wong nodded and looked away.


    Then that means Sun Ren and Hen Li ran off because of what they saw. Was the labyrinth affecting them? Was it changing who they were?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, child. If your friends get themselves killed, you¡¯ll still have us.¡± Elder Xu cackled.


    That¡¯s what Lu Na worried about the most. The last thing she needed was to be stuck in a labyrinth with the Wintersweet Sect.

 Chapter 92 - Rebel Hunting

    Sun Ren could still taste the blood in her mouth from the nightmares. She knew it wasn¡¯t real, but the memories brought back her greatest fear of a lonely death. Not only that, the ghosts of those she killed haunted her.


    Those didn¡¯t bother her too much. They all deserved death.


    Except they weren¡¯t the only ones that died from her actions. Children and women starved because they lost their fathers. Entire villages were wiped out because of revenge killings from those that she killed. It was only fitting that the ghosts in the labyrinth made her taste their blood.


    Sun Ren put her tongue against the inside of her cheek and realized that the blood was real. It was her own from biting down so hard from the nightmares. She spat the blood onto the ground.


    Up ahead in the maze, she heard fighting. Sun Ren had run fast through. She felt a little foolish for leaving behind Lu Na, but she couldn¡¯t deal with her at the moment. She had to separate her desire to protect her friend and accomplishing the mission. Her friend was too softhearted, even to her enemies.


    Sun Ren never made that mistake. If she had time to end that rebel leader, she would take it. Even if it meant she would die in the attempt. Lu Na never understood the idea of sacrifice for the greater good.


    When Sun Ren approached the fighting, she stopped. The fighting sounded like spirit techniques being released. It was right around the corner, but she felt the dense spirit energy in the air. Yet there were no human sounds. Why were spirits fighting each other within the maze?


    Sun Ren took out a small bronze mirror and used it to reflect around the corner. It was hard to make out, but it looked like a group of naga spirits were fighting against a large wolf spirit and a variety of smaller spirits.


    Could those nagas be a part of Nugua¡¯s pack? Lu Na¡¯s spirit disappeared for a long time, but that was in the lower sections. If she was wrong and revealed herself to them, Sun Ren would be in greater danger than before.


    It wasn¡¯t lost on her that this trip into the labyrinth not only dredged up dreadful memories, but she was also spirit-less. Not since before Sun Ren bonded with Baihu had she ever felt that loss more ever present. It wasn¡¯t just loneliness. It was like she lost a part of herself.


    Baihu wasn¡¯t only her spirit, but a part of her body and mind. The spirit allowed her to think clearly and be the strategist and warrior she needed to be. It cut out the weakness from her, the fear that she felt even now as she held onto her daggers. She hated that more than anything else.


    The fighting intensified, this time with shouting from the spirits. Their voices sounded harsh and the words were unfamiliar to Sun Ren.


    The best thing to do was to turn around and flee before they discovered a weak human among them. Even without her spirit telling her, Sun Ren knew that was the best course of action. If nothing else, she could retrace her steps and hope to find Lu Na again.


    Before she took a step back, Sun Ren heard something familiar. A loud yelp that sounded familiar. It couldn¡¯t be.


    Sun Ren pulled her mirror out a little more to look at the fight again. Sure enough, there was a small fox pup dashing through the legs of the larger wolf spirit. She recognized the white fur and purple accents on the tail anywhere.


    It was Baihu fighting the larger wolf spirit and all their minions.


    Sun Ren had to help, but how? She was a weak human.


    Wait, she had something that few other humans had. A friend who invented things that could compete with spirits.


    Sun Ren took out the earth wall wards and spirit wall wards. She never used them much before because she couldn¡¯t depend on something that was so temporary. But she had no choice now. She didn¡¯t have any spirit techniques without Baihu. It was time to change that.


    Sun Ren activated the spirit wall and placed it in front of her. A large shimmering wall sprang to life from the ground up. If she remembered correctly, Lu Na told her it would allow physical things through, but stop spirit techniques.


    This was going to be an easy distract and run. Sun Ren peeked behind her to find that her path there was still free. That would have to do for an exit if she got caught. The spirit wall would cover her.


    Next she took out the silly little slingshot Lu Na made. Sun Ren could see it work, but the flimsy nature of the device meant she would have three full shots before it broke. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t depend on it too much. She had her trusty daggers coated with spirit cutting material.


    Let¡¯s hope this was enough.


    Sun Ren crouched low and stuck to the walls. Luckily, the lighting through these hallways wasn¡¯t as good as the previous sections. With her black tunic, she could blend in well with the shadows. Aside from the few sparks from spirit techniques, she should be mostly hidden until she attacked.


    The first thing she needed was information. She couldn¡¯t jump in blindly against a mob of feral spirits. More importantly, what if she was wrong? What if the fox pup she saw wasn¡¯t Baihu? She¡¯d be throwing herself into a fight that wasn¡¯t hers at all.


    Sun Ren focused on her spirit realm and called out to Baihu. If that fox pup was her spirit, she should be able to sense her.


    Nothing.


    Sun Ren had to move closer. She couldn¡¯t see any better than the spirits at this point. So if the fox pup ran away, she couldn¡¯t reach it.


    Around the corner, there was more intense fighting. The sight caught Sun Ren by surprise. Somehow Yang Deli¡¯s soldiers had created a spiked fortification in this large room. Feral spirits threw themselves at the wooden spikes on the ground. The soldiers pushed back with their own spears. There were summoners who had thrown spirit techniques at the feral spirits ranging from powerful flame attacks to create ice walls and metal spikes.


    The most surprising thing was the small army of nagas that fought alongside the rebels. Leading the pack was Nugua. Sun Ren could never forget the sassy spirit adorned with jade beads. That spirit really needed proper clothes.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    But why were the nagas fighting with the rebels?


    Sun Ren found an opening in the battlefield near the back and dashed across the room. She had to leap over a few broken feral spirits, bleeding spirit energy as thick as blood. She ducked a few spirit techniques that flew over her head.


    A large crab claw smashed down in front of Sun Ren. Its blue-gray claw opened up and swiped at her.


    Sun Ren unsheathed her daggers and stopped the claw from biting into her body and crushing her in two. She used all her strength to wedge the claws open before dropping into a roll right below the claws. When she came up, she drove her two daggers right into the crab spirit¡¯s eye sockets. Just in case, she gave it a casual twist and ripped her daggers back out.


    Sun Ren then dipped below its flailing claws before running toward the opposite wall.


    Two small wolf spirits, one orange and the other pink, jumped at Sun Ren. Their jaws were wide open, ready to snap onto Sun Ren.


    With no choice, Sun Ren blocked with her left forearm. The orange wolf missed while the pink snapped shut onto Sun Ren¡¯s arm. Crushing pain shot up her arm, but the daggers hidden there prevented the wolf from snapping off her arm. With multiple quick stabs, Sun Ren drove her dagger into the pink wolf¡¯s flank, causing pink spirit energy to leak out from its wounds.


    Despite such intense injuries, the pink wolf didn¡¯t let go. The orange wolf pounced at Sun Ren aiming for her neck.


    Sun Ren used the pink wolf on her left arm to smash against the orange one. There was no better defense than the body of her enemy. The orange wolf smashed against a green deer spirit.


    Soon after, the deer spirit and its two companion deer spirits turned toward Sun Ren. Their eyes glowed red and their antlers looked like pointed curved blades. They shaped them to deal the most damage to anything they ran out.


    Sun Ren had to get to the rebels now. She plunged the dagger into the pink wolf¡¯s neck and sliced off its head. She didn¡¯t have time to pry the jaws off her arm before she ran toward the opposite wall where the soldiers were.


    Sun Ren reached out into her spirit realm out of reflex. Right now would have been a perfect time to turn into a fox pup herself. She knew it would not work, but she couldn¡¯t help herself. It was what she¡¯d done ever since she bonded with Baihu whenever she was in trouble. She had been doing this the whole time they¡¯ve been separated. The only thing she expected was the same hollow emptiness. That white fox pup was not Baihu.


    ¡°Oh foolish child, you never needed me.¡±


    ¡°Baihu!¡± Sun Ren tripped when she heard her spirit¡¯s voice. As she fell, she saw the world become bigger. The pain in her left arm faded as the pink wolf¡¯s jaw dislodged itself from her own paws.


    Sun Ren marveled at the warm feeling she had being a fox pup again. Everything was so much taller and out of reach than before, but she was tiny. She was close to the ground and she could finally outrun this nightmare.


    ¡°Baihu, where are you?¡± Sun Ren dashed around the legs of the charging deer as they ran past her. If she hadn¡¯t turned into a fox pup, they would have gored right through her body.


    ¡°I¡¯m over by the humans. I can sense you. Make a right turn into the next hallway and then round back around toward the fortifications,¡± Baihu¡¯s voice echoed.


    Just hearing her voice gave Sun Ren all the energy she needed to dash through the mob of feral spirits. Most of them were taller and ignored her as she ran past. There were a few that tried to stop her, but with her practiced agility they couldn¡¯t stop Sun Ren. It reminded her of all those drills her sifu had her do against insurmountable odds and obstacles. Now she was thankful her sifu forced her to do all those things.


    Following Baihu¡¯s directions, she turned a corner to stare down the spears of Yang Deli¡¯s soldiers.


    ¡°Halt or die, spirit,¡± one soldier yelled. He thrust the spear out at Sun Ren.


    Sun Ren felt the thrill of being a fox pup and wanted to jump over the spear and the soldiers¡¯ heads to dash over to Baihu. She sensed her spirit¡¯s present just beyond these soldiers. Yet because she sensed Baihu, she also felt the comforting presence of calm and the familiar push to pause and think before rushing into a situation.


    Baihu was truly back and for that, Sun Ren felt true happiness for the first time since coming into the labyrinth. She turned herself back into her human form and swiftly pivoted on her toes to slash at the feral spirit pouncing right behind her. Her dagger cut into its flank before Sun Ren rolled away, leaving the spirit to crash into the spear wall of the rebels.


    ¡°Take me to your leader,¡± Sun Ren said.


    The soldiers didn¡¯t put down their spears.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let her through.¡± Yang Deli stood behind the group of soldiers with his iron helmet on. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you again Young Miss Sun.¡±


    Sun Ren cupped her hands and bowed her head.


    ¡°I wish I could say the same about you.¡± Sun Ren walked past the soldiers.


    Yang Deli laughed.


    ¡°You¡¯re here to kill me again, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Sun Ren said nothing. She still held the two daggers in her hand and with the rebel leader so close, it wouldn¡¯t take much to plunge it into his chest. The only thing stopping her was the warning from Baihu.


    ¡°Show me my spirit.¡±


    Yang Deli led Sun Ren to the command tent at the center. The rebel soldiers were standing at attention, fresh and ready for battle. But Sun Ren could see fatigue already setting in. Their discipline impressed her.


    Baihu sat atop a purple pillow next to Nugua. Both of them were drinking tea when Sun Ren walked in.


    ¡°Your summoner finally came back. Now you can stop your crying,¡± Nugua said.


    ¡°I was not crying,¡± Baihu said. The spirit was in her human form with only one long white tail behind her. The others must be out in the field.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    Nugua made a hissing laugh.


    ¡°You should ask that rebel leader.¡±


    ¡°Clear the room,¡± Yang Deli ordered. The others left the room. ¡°These two spirits made me a deal. If I joined them, they would stop their slaughter of my men and lead me to the center of the labyrinth.¡±


    Yang Deli was silent.


    ¡°Tell her the rest, you worthless human,¡± Nugua ordered.


    ¡°I tried to renegotiate the terms,¡± Yang Deli said.


    ¡°You mean you tried to betray them again, didn¡¯t you?¡± Sun Ren huffed.


    Yang Deli nodded.


    ¡°Except this time, we let him. You should have seen the look on his face when he tried to activate the door.¡± Nugua chuckled, but tried to hide it behind her cup of tea. ¡°All the feral spirits on the floor ran his army down. Baihu and I watched from the side as the spirits didn¡¯t care about attacking us.¡±


    ¡°So we made a new deal,¡± Baihu said. She put down her cup of tea. ¡°I told him we¡¯d help him if he submitted to you.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s one thing I don¡¯t understand, though. He¡¯s got powerful summoners under his command. Why would he submit to me?¡± Sun Ren asked.


    Yang Deli grimaced.


    ¡°It¡¯s because the key didn¡¯t work. None of the keys we had worked. Your spirits told me that your Young Miss Lu would have a key that could work and if she didn¡¯t, she could figure out a way in with her inventions. The last thing I want is for my men to die with me here for nothing.¡±


    Sun Ren understood now. Despite being better prepared, Yang Deli fell to the same thing that always destroys men like him: greed.


    ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll accept this deal on one condition. Bind yourself to me in a blood oath.¡±


    Yang Deli clenched his jaws, and eyes narrowed.


    ¡°That¡¯s too much to ask. I command these men. I can¡¯t ask them to bend to the will of a woman, much less the daughter of a man that killed many of their brothers.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯re done here. I¡¯m sure my spirits will¡ª¡±


    Yang Deli rushed Sun Ren with a dagger aimed at her throat. The man never learned.


    With one swipe, Nugua knocked the rebel leader to the floor with her tail. Baihu stood above the man with her claws at his neck.


    ¡°Bind yourself to me or die. Either way, doesn¡¯t matter to me,¡± Sun Ren said. Truthfully, she knew it did. The soldiers would only follow a man like Yang Deli. If he died here, they wouldn¡¯t last much longer after when the soldiers found out.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll swear a blood oath to you.¡± Yang Deli cut his hand with his dagger and held it up.


    ¡°Good.¡± Sun Ren took out a clean dagger from her chest pocket. She would not do a simple blood oath on this one. She was going to make him her thrall through the forbidden technique her sifu taught her.


    There was only one thing she dreaded with the technique. Sun Ren would have to drink his blood.

 Chapter 93 - Meeting an old Enemy

    The maze made the labyrinth feel smaller. The path was narrow as the walls were closer. Lu Na felt unease as she walked through, unsure of what might pop out at any moment. What¡¯s worse was the slower pace they all took because of the Elders.


    Elder Hen was the slowest of them all. His plodding steps seemed heavy. He made walking with Zi Xu feel like a sprint.


    Elder Xu walked slowly only to look at the reliefs drawn on the walls. Many sections of the walls had scenes drawn of mythological figures such as the phoenix and nagas. They also had a few that Lu Na had never seen before.


    Senior Wong was the only one that wasn¡¯t as affected by any of this. She murmured to her spirit from time to time, but she didn¡¯t seem different.


    It took about three turns before they found their first feral spirit.


    ¡°This one was the weakest my spirits could find,¡± Elder Xu said.


    Lu Na peaked at it from around the corner. The feral spirit was a large goat with sharp, wicked horns. Its size made it so that it fit the entire path, meaning it would be impossible to avoid a charge from it.


    ¡°How is that the weakest?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s only one to start. The other paths had flying fish,¡± Elder Xu said.


    ¡°Let me take care of it,¡± Senior Wong said. ¡°I¡¯m sure Gaigung can take it on.¡±


    ¡°Wait, I have a better idea,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need help from someone as weak as you.¡±


    ¡°As much as I love your ego, I don¡¯t think you can afford that here. Besides, you¡¯ve never seen what my wards can do.¡±


    ¡°I saw plenty at the inn. You can¡¯t do anything other than defend.¡±


    ¡°I was just being nice.¡±


    Senior Wong scoffed.


    ¡°Let her speak,¡± Elder Hen said.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m curious to see what else the girl can do,¡± Elder Xu said.


    ¡°Thank you, honored Elders.¡± Lu Na bowed her head. ¡°It looks like the spirit is in a hallway that leads to a route we don¡¯t want to go. What if we annoy it so it charges and we run past it? We wouldn¡¯t need to fight it at all.¡±


    ¡°How would we do that? The moment it sees us it will attack us,¡± Senior Wong said.


    ¡°All I need to do is shoot at it with my Tiger Claws technique from around the corner. It won¡¯t see what hit it, but it will know where it came from. Maybe that will force it to move out of the way.¡±


    ¡°You mean my father¡¯s technique, you thief. It won¡¯t work. Let me take care of it.¡± Senior Wong glared at Lu Na.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s that or throw your metal rooster spirit at it and maybe win. Then you will tire yourself out so much that the next problem we face you will be useless.¡±


    ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll try it your way. But I¡¯ll have Gaigun ready in case you fail.¡±


    Lu Na nodded. She peeked around the corner again at the large goat. Why was it content merely sitting there? What did these feral spirits get for protecting the labyrinth? More importantly, how do they deal with the endless tedium?


    Maybe immortality wasn¡¯t worth as much as most people thought.


    Lu Na clenched her left fist and pointed two fingers of her right hand at the feral spirit. She focused the shape and form of the technique in her mind. It was getting easier and easier to do this, despite still needing the ward to activate the technique. When she got out of the labyrinth, she was going to make it more intuitive to what she needs instead of constantly have to think about the technique in order to use it.


    Lu Na released the technique by tilting her two fingers downward at the spirit. Two tiger claws shot out from her fingers and smashed right into the goat. It barely scratched its horns, but it got the spirit¡¯s attention.


    It bleated once, got up, and charged down the dark hallway. The spirit ran past where the group was waiting. Once the hoofs seemed distant, they all ran into the hallway.


    The maze opened up into a larger room. This one was lit by many torches on all four sides, showing off three other branches.


    Elder Xu summoned her sable spirits and sent them down each tunnel. A few minutes later she winced.


    ¡°We can¡¯t go down the left way. Huge pit.¡±


    Elder Xu winced again not too long after.


    ¡°That way has even stronger spirits than the goat.¡±


    Her remaining sable spirit came back.


    ¡°That way is the safest.¡±


    When Elder Xu dismissed her sable spirit, her hand turned green. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°Are you okay, Elder Xu?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°No. I¡¯ve had nothing threaten my spirits like that before. Whatever spirits living in here are absolute nightmares. I fear Elder Hen and I might not fight them in a fair fight.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s not make it a fair fight,¡± Senior Wong said.


    Lu Na nodded. She siphoned a little of the spirit energy from her null metal bracelet into her own spirit realm before cycling it throughout her body. If she was going to have to use it, she¡¯d rather it be at full strength without burning off her wrist.


    ¡°You know child, you could always send that dense spirit energy into those tiger claw attacks you use. It would make them much stronger,¡± Elder Xu said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never tried it. I fear it might overload the technique.¡±


    ¡°If you modify the technique to take any spirit energy, then it should be more effective. Sect Leader Wong made it take water and earth spirit energy because that was what he practiced all his life. You don¡¯t have that problem.¡±


    Lu Na looked at the ward on her bracelet. The specific technique required spirit energy to fire, but she used the original requirement of water and earth. Yet if she changed it just a little, she could easily do what Elder Xu suggested. Now, if only she had her spirit wand to make that change.


    This was the limit of her inventions. She could only use the wards as she designed them. She couldn¡¯t change them without her tools.


    There was a loud crash up ahead. Men screamed.


    The group walked carefully out. The hallway opened up into a smaller room. Right across from them, a large door with Xia writing glowed in white. The light lit up the entire room.


    Yang Deli¡¯s soldiers were fighting against a legion of spirits. It looked like they created an encampment right in front of the glowing door with small hastily made spikes into the ground.


    Yang Deli was at the front of the line, fighting against the feral spirits with his ibex spirit. His iron helmet was the only thing that shined every time a spirit¡¯s technique flashed across the battlefield.


    They were losing, badly.


    ¡°Should we help?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°We should observe first and see if we can sneak around them. We only need to get Lu Na to the door,¡± Elder Hen said.


    The feral spirits were about to break through on the other side. The spikes gave way and a large group of boars set up a group charge. Before they could crash into the soldiers and their spears, a large five colored hound stomped on them.


    Hen Li was riding on top.


    ¡°What is your fool boy doing?¡± Elder Xu asked.


    ¡°He¡¯s probably helping as he always does,¡± Elder Hen said.


    ¡°Then what about Young Miss Sun?¡± Senior Wong pointed at a woman in black, rushing to the back of the spirits and attacking a humanoid spirit with the head of a fox.


    Sun Ren was brutal in her slash as she cut through the neck of the spirit and fled as fast as she could. She used a spirit ward and a light ward to cover her escape.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way she would team up with Yang Deli willingly,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°We should help.¡±


    ¡°We have little choice. Move, now!¡± Elder Xu ran ahead first toward Yang Deli¡¯s base. ¡°The goat is back and he¡¯s coming right at us.¡±


    Senior Wong turned to face the goat as Elder Hen and Lu Na ran with Elder Xu. She clenched her left fist and slashed down with her right hand. A large metal clawed wing shout out from her and clashed against the goat.


    The goat tried to stop the attack with its horns, but the claw cut right along its horn until it slashed into its face. The sudden damage turned the goat¡¯s charge, forcing it to veer off to its left and right into the feral spirits attacking Yang Deli.


    Senior Wong jumped out of its way to join the others.


    ¡°That was amazing,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°How did you do that?¡±


    ¡°If we survive this, I¡¯ll show you. Your use of my father¡¯s technique is a joke.¡±


    They reached Yang Deli¡¯s base.


    ¡°Let us in,¡± Lu Na asked.


    The soldiers paused for a moment, spears held up against them. They looked afraid.


    ¡°We¡¯re not spirits,¡± Elder Xu said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll prove it.¡± Lu Na took out her phoenix hairpin. ¡°I¡¯m sure there is someone here that remembers a woman with this hairpin here. I showed it to your boss.¡±


    The soldiers didn¡¯t budge. They pushed their spears toward Lu Na¡¯s group instead.


    ¡°Fine, we do it the hard way.¡± Senior Wong summoned her metal rooster. It was the same size as she was.


    The soldiers screamed as one and took two steps toward Senior Wong.


    ¡°Hold, you idiots,¡± Sun Ren called. ¡°They¡¯re with me.¡±


    Sun Ren pushed through the spears and the spikes on the ground.


    ¡°Come Na Na. We have to get you to the door as quickly as possible. I¡¯m not sure how long we can hold this position.¡± Sun Ren glanced at the Elders and Senior Wong. ¡°You three might want to come too to form the last line of defense.¡±


    When Sun Ren said that, one soldier cried.


    ¡°Hey, get it together.¡± Sun Ren grabbed the soldier by the collar. ¡°Understand this. If we don¡¯t make solve this labyrinth puzzle, you will become a ghost that can never leave here. Dying is the least of your worries.¡±


    The soldier nodded, raised his spear, and joined his fellows at the front.


    Sun Ren led their group to the door. She looked different. She was calmer, despite how she acted before. Had she figured out something or was this because they were under incredible stress?


    They met Yang Deli by the door. He had a gash running along his left arm while his right held a sword.


    ¡°Ah, Young Miss Lu, I¡¯m glad to see you again. It appears you were right. I need your help to solve this.¡±


    ¡°What changed?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°All my so-called experts do not know how to open the door. They got us through the ghosts and some traps, but they did not know what to do here. By the looks of the skeletons, many have tried and didn¡¯t make it into the door either.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll look then. How long can you hold them off?¡±


    Yang Deli looked grim. He shared a look with Sun Ren.


    ¡°As long as you need. Get it open.¡± Yang Deli wrapped his sword on his hand and marched back to the front line.


    ¡°Sun Ren, what happened?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°The rebel leader realized that any help is better than no help, even if it is from an enemy. At the moment, it¡¯s humans versus spirits. All our hope is with you now Na Na.¡±


    ¡°Stay with me, Sun Ren. I¡¯m scared,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s scary, but you got this. Besides, I need to go take care of their commanders. I¡¯ll be right here when you open that door.¡± Sun Ren hugged Lu Na. ¡°You three protect her at all costs.¡±


    The two Elders and Senior Wong nodded before Sun Ren ran off again.


    ¡°Why do we keep letting her give orders?¡± Elder Xu asked.


    ¡°Oh, give it a rest,¡± Elder Hen said. ¡°Young Miss Lu, get started on the door. Yang Deli¡¯s soldiers look like they¡¯re about to collapse.¡±


    Lu Na walked over to the door and took out her silver phoenix hairpin again. She used her spirit vision to look at the door. It lit up in different colors. When it turned red, her hairpin had a soft glow.


    Was it as easy as matching colors?


    Lu Na put her hairpin against the door. Nothing happened. Maybe it was because the key ran out of spirit energy.


    She took out the other key given to her by the ghost. It glowed yellow. She waited for the door to glow yellow before putting the key against it.


    Again, nothing happened.


    The screaming and the crying from the soldiers were getting closer. They were being pushed in despite Hen Li¡¯s charge with Panhu.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not going to work,¡± Zi Xu said.


    Lu Na yelped.


    ¡°Where have you been Zi Xu?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not important right now. What we need is that monk of yours. He can open this door with your help, but he might not do it.¡±


    ¡°How come?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to require him to unbind his spirit and release all his spirit energy into the key you¡¯re holding.¡±


    ¡°But that would kill him,¡± Elder Hen said.


    Zi Xu smiled, this time looking like an adult talking to a child.


    ¡°Yes, child, it would.¡±

 Chapter 94 - Mystery of the Labyrinth Door

    Lu Na was reminded how much she hated ghosts. This Zi Xu was probably the worst of them all.


    ¡°You knew, didn¡¯t you? You knew that to open the door, someone like Hen Li would have to use his spirit to break it.¡±


    ¡°I had a guess. It¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t live for two thousand years in this place.¡± Zi Xu pulled a cup of tea from thin air and sipped it as he did before. He pulled another chair out and sat on it, as if waiting for the show to start.


    ¡°We can¡¯t do that. It will kill him.¡± Elder Hen clenched his left fist. His horse spirit, Fengma, materialized beside him. ¡°I will kill anyone that tries.¡±


    Lu Na felt the Elder¡¯s glare on her.


    ¡°Honorable Elder, it would be the last thing I¡¯d want from someone who has saved my life. Let me try to figure this door out. Maybe we won¡¯t need that. Just cover me as I figure it out.¡±


    Lu Na took out her special made tool. She plugged it into the door to see what it can figure out. There was little hope of it figuring anything out from something so complicated but it was all she could think of at that moment. If she could figure out even just a little of what this door can do, then maybe she could figure out a way to open it without Hen Li¡¯s spirit essence.


    Meanwhile, Lu Na flicked the key from the ghost of Qingxizhen. He mentioned that it wasn¡¯t just a simple key. He had modified it to work on the door and release the ghosts. Yet no matter how much Lu Na studied it, nothing else came up. It looked like the same key that Yang Deli had.


    ¡°Wait, someone get me Yang Deli¡¯s key. I need to compare them.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Senior Wong dashed off after the iron helmet.


    Lu Na never expected someone like Senior Wong to listen to her orders. This was an interesting change. Maybe the labyrinth also changed her as well.


    Senior Wong came back with the key.


    ¡°Yang Deli told me to pass on that his soldiers are tiring. They¡¯re going to press our side soon, so whatever you¡¯re going to do, do it fast.¡± Senior Wong summoned her metal rooster and charged out to reinforce the soldiers.


    Lu Na used her spirit vision to compare the two keys. It looked almost identical except the ghost¡¯s key had one small switch near the back. It didn¡¯t do anything unless it was plugged into something.


    Lu Na stared at the door again. There was no keyhole, unlike the first gate they entered. However, who said that she couldn¡¯t make one? All she¡¯d need was a spirit wand to gather spirit energy to create the patterns.


    ¡°Does anyone have a spirit wand?¡±


    ¡°Here, take mine.¡± Elder Xu passed a bamboo spirit wand to Lu Na. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. I use it to attract spirits. How else do you think I bind them to me?¡±


    Lu Na had way too many questions for her. If they survived this, maybe she might take her up on her offer to learn from her. There¡¯s got to be something unique about the Elder¡¯s summoner arts where she can bind multiple spirits to her. If Lu Na could figure it out, she could have an army.


    Lu Na focused on the spirit wand to gather spirit energy. Normally the labyrinth was filled with spirit energy, but because of the summoners and feral spirits using the spirit energy in the air it was dry. The spirit wand couldn¡¯t gather any more than a drip.


    What if instead of from the surrounding areas, she gathered the spirit energy from within herself? She¡¯d never tried this before, but with the technique she learned from Elder Xu she could use the spirit energy from her null metal to power the spirit wand.


    Lu Na gave it a try. She pulled the spirit energy from her bracelet to her own spirit realm before cycling it through her body. The process has become easier and faster. Soon her spirit realm was brimming with spirit energy.


    Lu Na closed her eyes to focus on the spirit technique that Nugua has shared with her. She pooled the spirit energy at the tip of the wand as much as she could. When she opened her eyes, the spirit energy was so dense at the tip that feral spirits charged her.


    ¡°Do something about that. It¡¯s attracting the spirits,¡± Elder Hen said. He pushed Fengma to charge at the incoming spirits as the soldiers supported the horse spirit.


    Lu Na drew a key pattern on the door. It was similar to the one she drew earlier with the gate. Only this time, she made a small modification so that it could fit the ghost¡¯s key. She made sure to leave some spirit energy in the pattern so that it could charge the key.


    The pattern held for the moment, but it was quickly fading against the door. Lu Na pushed the ghost¡¯s key into the pattern and it locked. The key blended with the door and both of them turned a dark yellow.


    That¡¯s when the wailing started.


    Ghosts seeped through the walls from all over. The room became freezing cold. A few ghosts passed through the spirits and soldiers alike, freezing them in place.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Senior Wong attacked the ghost with her rooster spirit. It went right through, but the ghost stopped after colliding with the spirit. Senior Wong winced.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on Zi Xu?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Zi Xu put down his cup of tea on a table he materialized.


    ¡°Oh, it looks like whatever you did to the door created a beacon for all the lost ghosts in the labyrinth. You just made it interesting. Normally, the lost ghosts wander the labyrinth and ignore everything. You told them all to come here.¡±


    ¡°Will that open the door?¡±


    ¡°Child, I think you broke the door.¡± Zi Xu examined the yellow door and the key. ¡°In all my years of living here and guiding adventurers to this door, you are the first to ever break it. Congratulations.¡±


    ¡°How can I fix it? How do I open it?¡± Lu Na tried to yank the yellow key but it wouldn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°Oh, do I look like a Xia inventor? I don¡¯t know. I was one of those poor unfortunate souls that was forced to come live in here.¡±


    ¡°So you don¡¯t know what to do?¡±


    ¡°Dear child, it¡¯s been a fun game for me, watching you struggle and doing all these little things. I think the best part is watching as you make a mess of things, possibly breaking it forever.¡± Zi Xu laughed, shook his head and went back to drinking his tea. This time he materialized an entire meal and a larger table. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll save a seat for you after you die.¡±


    ¡°The only good news is that the spirits have retreated for now,¡± Elder Xu said. ¡°The bad news is that these ghosts are attacking the soldiers and our own spirits.¡±


    ¡°Use your spirits to block them. It feels terrible, but better than they attack our bodies,¡± Senior Wong said.


    Sun Ren dashed over to Lu Na.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you did, but you gave us a little rest.¡± Sun Ren drank from her waterskin.


    ¡°Not from the ghosts,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. Better the ghosts than those spirits. They¡¯ve already cut down a third of Yang Deli¡¯s forces and the rest of them are in bad shape. Do you need anything from me?¡±


    ¡°Wait, didn¡¯t he have a ghost hunter? Can he do anything for us?¡±


    ¡°You can ask him yourself.¡±


    Yang Deli walked over with his retinue. The ghosts seemed to bounce off an invisible barrier that surrounded him. The ghost hunter daoist walked over with his red wooden sword up when he saw Zi Xu.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind me, I¡¯m harmless,¡± the ghost said. He drank some more tea. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll all join me soon enough unless Young Miss Lu here and her friends accept what I told them.¡±


    ¡°What did you tell them?¡± Yang deli asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡± Zi Xu smiled wide and winked at Lu Na.


    Lu Na was tempted to drop all her spirit inventions and learn the art of ghost hunting if only to banish Zi Xu. Why wasn¡¯t he helping her?


    ¡°Well, whatever you did Young Miss Lu, it¡¯s stopped the spirits for now,¡± Yang Deli said. ¡°I fear that it will only be temporary as the ghosts are dwindling. Is there anything you can do to open that door?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not holding out on me are you? As I told your companion, Young Miss Sun that¡ª¡±


    ¡°The assassin!¡± the soldiers shouted as one.


    ¡°Yes, the assassin, Sun Ren. I told her that we¡¯re in this together. All I want is for me and my men to get out of this alive. I don¡¯t care for the treasure anymore if you can promise me that much.¡±


    ¡°Why should I trust you? You¡¯ve betrayed me multiple times,¡± Lu Na said.


    Yang Deli lifted his shirt sleeve to show a small cut on his upper arm.


    ¡°I made a blood oath to Sun Ren that if she can get us out of here, then I will follow her.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true. If he breaks the oath now, he will die a horrible death,¡± Sun Ren said.


    Lu Na pulled Sun Ren aside.


    ¡°What happened? We saw you run off. I didn¡¯t expect you to suddenly subjugate the rebels.¡±


    ¡°This labyrinth has shown me that I have been uptight. So instead of listening to that voice inside my head telling me what¡¯s right, I chose to do what I wanted.¡± Sun Ren leaned in close to Lu Na. ¡°The actual secret was your spirit, Nugua. She had unleashed her nagas on them. You remember that? They were so ruthless that Yang Deli¡¯s men surrendered to me when I stopped them.¡±


    ¡°Nugua? Where is she?¡± Lu Na could really use her help. Maybe the ancient spirit could give her a clue on how to fix this or get in.


    ¡°Nugua told me that she¡¯s going to stay a little longer on her own to explore the labyrinth. She said she trusts that you will solve it.¡±


    ¡°That selfish spirit.¡±


    Sun Ren took Lu Na¡¯s hand into hers.


    ¡°You got this.¡±


    Lu Na shook her head.


    ¡°Zi Xu told me that the only way we can open the door is if Hen Li uses all his spirit energy to open it through his spirit.¡±


    Sun Ren¡¯s face dropped.


    ¡°That would kill him.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t do that. I can figure it out.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t, we¡¯ll have to tell Hen Li.¡± Sun Ren glanced at the monk. ¡°One person shouldn¡¯t be valued more than all the others.¡±


    Lu Na turned toward Elder Hen.


    ¡°Tell that to the Elder.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Sun Ren walked over to Yang Deli. They started a heated discussion.


    Lu Na¡¯s analyzing device made a ding. She took it off the door. All it said was DANGER. The other readings told her that the door wasn¡¯t a normal door.


    That wasn¡¯t very useful. She already knew that. There was another reading though that confused Lu Na. It looked like it said that it wasn¡¯t a door at all. What did it mean?


    Lu Na turned back to the door. An idea struck her. What if she used the same trick she used with the ghost¡¯s key, but this time push it into her silver phoenix hairpin. Maybe by doing that, she can recharge it.


    Lu Na took out the spirit wand again. This time, the pattern should be simpler. All she needed to do was make sure that they connected and the phoenix hairpin should do the rest of the work.


    When she was done, she cycled the spirit energy from the null metal bracelet into the hairpin. Unlike the ghost¡¯s key, the hairpin was only taking in a small amount of spirit energy. Could it filter out the energy it needed and ignored the rest?


    The hairpin got hot. It was doing the same thing as her bracelet, holding excess energy while only absorbing some.


    Lu Na blew on her hand. This was the best she could do. She used her spirit vision on it to see that the hairpin did get a trickle of spirit energy. However, it was nowhere as much as what it had before. It was now or never.


    She plugged the hairpin into the pattern she made onto the door. The entire door turned orange.


    The ghosts¡¯ wailing became louder. After a few moments, they stopped and disappeared.


    ¡°Oh crap,¡± one of the soldiers said.


    The feral spirits roared before rushing back into the small room.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± Yang Deli yelled.


    ¡°Everyone back to your posts. Defend Lu Na to your death!¡± Sun Ren shouted.


    The soldiers were sluggish at first until the first feral spirit charged into the spikes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you did, Young Miss Lu. But you better figure out the door quick or else we¡¯re all going to die here.¡± Senior Wong summoned her metal rooster and joined the fight.


    Lu Na could only stare as her hairpin was stuck just like the ghost¡¯s key. What can she do? She tried everything already. She glanced at Hen Li. Was she going to have to ask him to do this for them? Would he?


    Would Lu Na sacrifice herself for everyone there?

 Chapter 95 - Solving the Door Prize

    Lu Na knew the answer to that question. She only needed to glance at Sun Ren to know that she would do anything to save her friend, even if it meant sacrificing herself. So if that were true, would Hen Li do the same?


    The door turned red. It was a bright red that reminded Lu Na of the phoenix spirit that saved her at the Wintersweet compound. The door glowed and cycled from red to dark orange to light orange and then to yellow and then back to red.


    ¡°Now that is something I¡¯ve never seen before,¡± Zi Xu said. He had been watching the show, eating a large chicken leg. The smell was distracting. ¡°If memory serves me right, a few years ago a woman came here with her phoenix spirit and opened the door. It looked a bit like that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my mother! You knew this and you¡¯re only telling me this now?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Zi Xu smirked and took another large bite of the chicken leg. He chewed slowly with his mouth open.


    ¡°Look, I wasn¡¯t here to personally witness it. A ghost told me. I thought he might have been hallucinating as some ghosts do until I went to check on the phoenix spirit trapped at the nexus. But I have no idea how she got there.¡±


    ¡°Zi Xu, you¡¯re absolutely useless.¡±


    The ghost smiled and nodded his head.


    ¡°Anything to entertain myself. What are you going to do? Kill me?¡± Zi Xu laughed.


    Meanwhile the fight with the spirits was getting worse. Despite giving the soldiers a brief rest, the feral spirits had combined into larger groups to push hard against the soldiers. Even with the help of the Elders and Senior Wong, they pushed the entire line back toward the door.


    ¡°Lu Na, Hen Li is coming to you. Tell him what to do or we all die,¡± Sun Ren yelled before disappearing into the crowd of feral spirits.


    The monk rode Panhu over. On the way, he crushed a few feral spirits unfortunate enough to get in the way. Its five colored body seemed to radiate heat that forced the spirits to avoid him.


    ¡°Young Miss Lu, Sun Ren told me that you needed my help to open the door?¡± Hen Li got off his spirit.


    Lu Na looked from her hairpin to the monk. He was sweating so much that his tunic was soaked through, but he didn¡¯t have a scratch on him.


    ¡°Yes, but it will kill you.¡±


    ¡°Amituofo. I¡¯ve learned to accept my fate. I don¡¯t want to die, but if my death can save everyone here, then it will be worth it. Tell me what I have to do.¡±


    ¡°Zi Xu, you said that he could open the door with his spirit energy. How?¡±


    Zi Xu dropped the large steak he had in his hand.


    ¡°Well, from what the ghost told me, the phoenix spirit used the same key you have in your hand, imbued it with a tremendous amount of her spirit energy, and then slammed it into the door. That was all that was needed to overcome the locks on the door.¡±


    ¡°So what you want me to do the same thing?¡± Hen Li asked.


    Zi Xu nodded with the steak back in his mouth.


    ¡°No Hen Li, you can¡¯t do that. I¡¯ll figure something out,¡± Lu Na said.


    Hen Li looked at the battlefield. There wasn¡¯t much to look at, even for Lu Na. Yang Deli¡¯s soldiers were losing, especially now that Hen Li wasn¡¯t in the fight.


    ¡°Get my father.¡±


    Lu Na nodded. She weaved through the soldiers until she reached Elder Hen. She tugged his sleeve.


    ¡°Elder Hen, your son needs to see you.¡±


    Elder Hen frowned and ignored Lu Na. He had his eyes squinted as he waved his hands in the air. Spirit energy came off them, redirecting the earth into waves and charging at the spirits like Fengma, his horse spirit. Most of the feral spirits were pushed back like waves in the ocean before rushing back.


    It gave the soldiers some breathing room to fight back. Their regular spears were hurting the spirits, but they weren¡¯t enough to stem the tide. With every successive wave, one or two soldiers would fall. The feral spirits simply replaced their fallen with more spirits that seemed endless.


    After another wave, Elder Hen looked at Lu Na. He was sobbing as tears ran down his cheeks.


    ¡°Has he decided to follow the ghost¡¯s instructions?¡±


    Lu Na nodded.


    ¡°You¡¯ve killed him. Why did you bring him with you to this place?¡±


    Lu Na didn¡¯t answer. She wanted to tell the Elder it was his Wintersweet Sect who started this whole thing. If they had never attacked her home or kidnapped her, then everyone would be happy and healthy at home. Well, everyone except Yang Deli. He was always coming in here anyway.


    Which wasn¡¯t much of a loss to this world.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Elder Hen raised both his arms into the air and pushed hard against the feral spirits. They fell back hard, slamming into the ones trying to get into the room. It created a lot of room for the soldiers to reorient themselves and reset the spikes in the ground.


    Elder Hen walked over to his son.


    Lu Na stayed for a second. A thought came to her head. Instead of simple spikes, she could improve their defenses ten fold. She shook out her null metal bracelet, now cool to the touch.


    ¡°Yang Deli, I¡¯m going to do something crazy, so tell your soldiers to step back.¡±


    The rebel leader didn¡¯t need to say anything. The moment she said that, all the soldiers passed along the message in quick succession and they all retreated back to their base camp. Every soldier had both awe and fear when they looked at Lu Na.


    That was something she¡¯d have to ask them about later, but for now she had a plan. She focused the thought she had earlier. What if she blocked off the entrances to this room with the strongest combination of spirit wall and stone wall she could come up with, fueled with all the spirit energy in this room?


    Normally her null metal bracelet would absorb the ambient spirit energy from the surroundings and create this dense spirit energy that made all her devices extra strong. While the spirits and summoners have depleted it in the room, there was another source: the dying and injured feral spirits. They¡¯re leaking dense spirit energy, despite looking like blood.


    Lu Na used her spirit vision and sure enough, the piles of feral spirit corpses were filling the ground with spirit energy. She pulled on her null metal bracelet and focused on the corpses.


    At first nothing happened. Then after a moment of tugging as hard as she could, the spirit energy flowed from the very ground into the null metal bracelet. The bracelet heated up like it was put over the fire.


    The feral spirits seemed to notice something was wrong. They broke Fengma¡¯s charge and tried to push back into the room.


    Lu Na released the technique with everything she had both in the bracelet and within her own spirit realm. She felt all the spirit energy leaving her in a torrent to pull the very earth from the ground up. For a brief moment, she saw the very fabric of her brother¡¯s technique overlay itself on the walls and the ground of the labyrinth.


    It was as if Da Niu was present with Lu Na. The control and the sheer power reminded her of her brother¡¯s innate talent. Then to make it that much deadlier, Lu Na formed spikes on the walls of different sizes. She made sure to dip the entire wall with a spirit skin to prevent techniques from breaking it.


    With a wheezing breath, Lu Na collapsed onto the ground.


    Sun Ren was already there, pulling her up. A few of the nearby soldiers also helped carry Lu Na in a litter to the back where they had a doctor.


    ¡°No, bring me to Hen Li. I just thought of something to help him,¡± Lu Na said.


    Sun Ren directed the soldiers to carry her there.


    ¡°You did well Na Na. That wall should buy us a lot of time.¡±


    ¡°Can she do it again on the other side?¡± Yang Deli asked.


    ¡°No. Besides, she¡¯s got more important business with the key and door. Keep fighting Yang,¡± Sun Ren said.


    Yang Deli nodded and moved back to the front line.


    Lu Na sat up when she reached Hen Li. Elder Hen was still crying.


    ¡°Elder Hen and Hen Li, I thought of a way that might save you from dying.¡±


    Both of the Hen men looked up.


    ¡°How?¡± Elder Hen asked.


    ¡°I did it just now with the feral spirits. I converted their blood into spirit energy that I can use for my techniques. I¡¯m sure I can do the same thing for Hen Li as he pushes his spirit energy into the door.¡±


    ¡°If you can do that, why can¡¯t you just do that without my son?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because she hasn¡¯t figured out how to do it with the amount that¡¯s needed to break the lock,¡± Zi Xu said. ¡°That was an amazing feat though before with the wall. I¡¯ve never seen a summoner do that with dead spirits before. Although the phoenix spirit comes close.¡±


    ¡°What does this mean?¡± Hen Li asked. He had taken off his shirt and faced the door with his back toward his father. There was a small tattoo right over where his heart would have been that had the word ¡°Wintersweet.¡±


    ¡°It means that despite you having to release all your spirit energy to unlock the door, I will be able to give you back enough so that you won¡¯t die. At least that¡¯s what I hope will happen.¡± Lu Na looked away from the Hen men. It was an impulsive thought that she could do this even though she¡¯d never done it before.


    ¡°Fine, what do you need from me?¡± Hen Li asked.


    ¡°Can you show me the type of spirit energy you have?¡±


    ¡°That would mean I have to unseal the bind on him,¡± Elder Hen said. ¡°That might kill us all before the feral spirits.¡±


    As if on cue, Lu Na¡¯s stone wall broke in two. Two large boar spirits slammed over and over again until there was a large hole despite injuring themselves. They had large gashes running down their faces.


    ¡°Give me back my villagers!¡± one of the boar spirits yelled.


    That must have been Jie¡¯s spirit. That was not good as the spirit was more than the soldiers could handle. The only thing holding them back were Lu Na¡¯s crumbling walls.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time. Unbind it father,¡± Hen Li said.


    At the mention of father, Elder Hen scowled.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Elder Hen took out a small wooden seal, imbued it with his spirit energy, and then stamped it right over the ¡°Wintersweet¡± on Hen Li¡¯s back. In seconds, the word disappeared.


    Hen Li¡¯s eyes rolled up but he caught himself on Elder Hen¡¯s arms. His whole body lit up a crimson red.


    Lu Na had to turn off her spirit vision technique before Hen Li blinded her. No one needed that to see the power rolling off Hen Li.


    Even the two spirit boars stopped.


    ¡°There we go, that¡¯s the power you need,¡± Zi Xu said. He went back to sipping his tea.


    Hen Li screamed in pain as he pushed his spirit energy at the door. It connected with the keys attached to the door, powering them up and pushing the door open.


    ¡°It¡¯s not enough,¡± Zi Xu said. He frowned.


    Lu Na took a deep breath before turning her spirit vision back on. The energy coming from Hen Li was almost blinding, but she pushed through. The make up of Hen Li¡¯s spirit energy was the simplest: pure fire spirit energy.


    She turned off her technique. Lu Na staggered onto the ground.


    This was hopeless. No matter what, she couldn¡¯t find a way to distill pure fire spirit energy into Hen Li.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do it. I can¡¯t give him the spirit energy he needs to open the door or save him. Hen Li, stop. You¡¯re going to kill yourself.¡±


    Hen Li turned his head to Lu Na. Gone was the calm and patient monk. There was only anger there. There was the scorn of a thousand years ready to be unleashed upon her.


    ¡°No son, focus on the task. Give it everything you have or we all die,¡± Elder Hen said.


    Hen Li¡¯s anger cracked before turning to face the door. Fire spirit energy flared from his body as he pushed even more into the keys.


    The door shimmered red and orange.


    ¡°Oh, it might be opening.¡±


    Elder Hen pulled Lu Na aside.


    ¡°Is there anything you can do to boost his spirit energy? There¡¯s got to be some device or gadget you have on you.¡±


    Lu Na touched her null metal bracelet.


    ¡°There is, but it might kill him.¡±


    ¡°Little girl, do or die. The feral spirits aren¡¯t going to leave us with intact corpses if he fails anyway.¡±


    Lu Na nodded. She took off her null metal bracelet.


    ¡°Put this on him and then run. I¡¯ll handle the rest.¡±


    Elder Hen took the bracelet and approached Hen Li.


    Lu Na was about to do something she never had time to test. Now was a good a time as any. What¡¯s the worst that could happen? Everyone dies?


    At least this would be faster than the feral spirits.

 Chapter 96 - Rules of the Game

    Lu Na took out a sheet of yellow paper. She hated how not only was she about to test out her theory, she hated that she had to do this with her finger and not with a spirit wand.


    The theory was simple. If Uncle Chen¡¯s specific technique could turn random spirit energy into pure water spirit energy, couldn¡¯t she do the same thing but with fire spirit energy? The only thing was, she¡¯d need to find the make up of pure fire spirit energy.


    Lucky for Lu Na, there was a fountain of pure fire spirit energy standing next to her. There was a little math involved, but it wasn¡¯t too hard. The idea was to change the output of the technique from harmless water spirit energy into its opposite, blazing fire spirit energy.


    As Lu Na stared at it, she realized something. For the first time since she started making her devices, she saw a fundamental law of spirit energy that she¡¯d never seen before. Maybe it was because Hen Li¡¯s spirit energy came from a mythical creature close to creation itself or maybe after so long of studying spirit energy something finally clicked in her mind. It was beautiful.


    ¡°Lu Na, get a move on!¡± Sun Ren screamed. ¡°The feral spirits are attacking harder than before. They¡¯ve already overwhelmed most of Yang Deli¡¯s men.¡±


    Lu Na looked up to see a horde of feral spirits breaking through the spikes. The earth wall she erected had been destroyed. The tired men under the rebel leader were falling.


    This was no time to daydream. If they survived, she would take time to study Hen Li¡¯s spirit energy later. Right now, she made the necessary adjustments to the ward in her hand. It was so simple that she couldn¡¯t believe she didn¡¯t think of it earlier.


    The pure fire spirit energy was easier than the other types she¡¯s dealt with before. Even her brother¡¯s earth spirit energy mixed in a little bit of water to make it more fluid and flexible. With fire spirit energy though, it was just one idea just like the written word: »ð.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, this is going to burn.¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Do whatever you need Lu Na. I¡¯m already burning,¡± Hen Li gasped.


    Lu Na tapped the null metal bracelet on Hen Li¡¯s wrist three times. She focused on the bracelet¡¯s functions to take on new instructions. She put the new ward onto it. In seconds, the yellow paper turned brown and burned up.


    The null metal bracelet glowed a dull red before turning a bright orange.


    Hen Li screamed, but he didn¡¯t stop.


    Lu Na had to focus on the bracelet herself as Nugua wasn¡¯t around nor was Hen Li¡¯s spirit able to do so. She converted all the spirit energy from the surrounding areas into pure fire spirit energy and fed it into Hen Li. With the null metal bracelet, the new ward worked harder than before.


    Hen Li¡¯s spirit energy doubled. Then doubled again. He bent over in pain, but kept his hands focused on the keys, pushing all his spirit energy into it.


    It was too much, even for the keys. They began to melt.


    ¡°You have to release some of that spirit energy, Hen Li. Otherwise you¡¯ll break the keys,¡± Lu Na said.


    Hen Li scowled at Lu Na before turning his head toward the fight behind them. He clenched his left fist and released it.


    A large orange wave pulsed out from Hen Li¡¯s body washing over the soldiers. When it hit the feral spirits, it incinerated them in quick succession. The wave pushed out only until the spikes, giving the soldiers a chance to reform their lines. They pulled back into a tighter formation before the feral spirits could rush back.


    Hen Li refocused his efforts back onto the key.


    The door changed colors again, this time turning a bright white. It was opening.


    ¡°Ah, finally,¡± Zi Xu put down his cup of tea and his table disappeared. He walked over with his hands held behind him. ¡°Now all you have to do is touch the door, Young Miss Lu.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not an actual door? It¡¯s one of those teleportation devices, isn¡¯t it?¡± Lu Na used her spirit vision to see the different techniques activating.


    ¡°Of course. The Xia never did anything so simply.¡±


    ¡°Sun Ren. The door is open!¡± Lu Na shouted.


    ¡°Oh, no no, you shouldn¡¯t let anyone else touch it. Only one person can enter.¡±


    ¡°But that would mean everyone else would be stuck here, fighting the spirits. I can¡¯t abandon them.¡±


    Zi Xu came very close to Lu Na. His face looked more haggard than Lu Na ever saw before.


    ¡°If you succeed, then they will stop. We¡¯ll all be free. Even if they don¡¯t, at least their ghosts can pass on unless you want them to be like me forever?¡±


    Lu Na feared that herself. She remembered the nightmare she had earlier.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time, Young Miss Lu. Your friend is fading.¡± Zi Xu pointed at Hen Li.


    The monk was flagging.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Lu Na touched the white door and the entire world turned white for a brief second.


    A loud booming voice echoed in Lu Na¡¯s head, ¡°Welcome, challenger. You have arrived on the first level. Are you ready?¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Lu Na clutched her head from the headache.


    ¡°Can you lower that down? That hurt.¡±


    ¡°Apologies.¡± The booming voice became more tolerable.


    ¡°Where am I?¡± Lu Na stood in a small empty room with no windows. There was only one small light ward on the ceiling.


    ¡°You are in the center of the labyrinth where we seek someone who is worthy of our legacy.¡±


    ¡°Where are you? Why can¡¯t I see you? I know you¡¯re a ghost.¡± It was the first thing Lu Na noticed when she appeared there. The room was unbelievable cold despite being soaked in Hen Li¡¯s flames earlier. She still felt the warmth from the pulse. It invigorated her.


    A man appeared in front of her. He wore a tall hat that covered his hair and an elegant jade green robe that reached the floor. His sleeves were so long that they almost touched the ground as well. All over his body he had jade adorned in every part and had jade accessories in his ears, around his neck, and wrists.


    ¡°I am the game master here. Welcome to the greatest game in the world!¡±


    Lu Na spat on the floor toward the man¡¯s feet.


    ¡°This is no game. People have died out there.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it is a game for me. Watching people try and try to get here has been so entertaining. I thought about selling the experience to the common people so they could watch people struggle through the labyrinth.¡±


    ¡°That is sick.¡±


    The game master smiled. It was a crooked smile that showed off missing teeth.


    ¡°My emperor thought the same thing. That¡¯s why he had me buried alive in here. He wanted me to play the game for all eternity.¡±


    ¡°So what now?¡±


    ¡°Now we play a game. I think this is the first time in two thousand years that I get to play this game so closely. It was only a few years ago that someone else opened the door.¡±


    ¡°That was my mother.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Then that¡¯s fortunate. Maybe you¡¯ll have more luck than she did.¡±


    ¡°What happened to her?¡±


    The game master grinned, showing less teeth.


    ¡°She lost. She was eaten by the labyrinth. Well, almost. Your mother is still fighting up in the nexus, trying so hard to break free. She won¡¯t unless you win.¡±


    Lu Na had a feeling that the phoenix was her mother, but now she had confirmation.


    ¡°Fine, what do I have to do?¡±


    ¡°The game is simple. You have to survive an obstacle course while answering a few questions. And you¡¯re allowed one person from outside to help you. Of course, the person you choose has to be alive. No ghosts.¡±


    Zi Xu appeared beside the game master with his smug smile on his face.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare dream of helping her.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me. I¡¯ve been watching you help this girl since she before she entered the labyrinth.¡± The game master grabbed Zi Xu by the ear and yanked him to the ground.


    ¡°Can you blame me? We¡¯ve been stuck here for so long that I¡¯m forgetting why we built this in the first place.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s to protect the balance in this world.¡±


    Zi Xu laughed.


    ¡°Balance means little to ghosts. I just want to be free.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with you later.¡± The game master turned to Lu Na. ¡°As for you, let¡¯s get this failure over with. The sooner we do this, the sooner I get to rest again.¡±


    ¡°How many people have tried?¡±


    ¡°Including you? Four. Two of those were back when people had more respect for spirits and better understanding of the world.¡±


    That meant that Lu Na¡¯s mother was the first to try for a long time. If she failed though, what chance was there for Lu Na to succeed?


    ¡°Let¡¯s move to the obstacle course.¡± The game master closed his eyes, his robe fluttered around him as ghostly winds ruffled them.


    The room turned bright white for a moment before disappearing entirely. They appeared in an enormous room. Sounds of trickling water were in the distance. A loud thump was to the right. The cold in the air doubled, making Lu Na shiver.


    She couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing. There were devices everywhere in front of her. There were slides, turning wheels, a pond in the middle with a wooden bridge above it, and many other contraptions that she had no idea what they were for.


    Lu Na turned on her spirit vision. Nothing.


    ¡°How is everything moving?¡±


    The game master laughed.


    ¡°Oh you people always think that the only power in the world is spirit energy. What do you think people harnessed before spirits invaded our world?¡±


    Lu Na shrugged.


    ¡°Ghosts, my dear. We might not be as powerful as spirits, but there are so many more of us.¡± The game master clapped his hands and people appeared at every device, moving them and pushing the obstacles.


    ¡°The Xia were really brilliant. They made inventions that harnessed the power of ghosts?¡± Lu Na could only guess how it was done from observing Jie¡¯s village. There was something in this labyrinth that not only forced them to stay in here, but to also make them physical.


    ¡°I guess it doesn¡¯t hurt to tell you a little more before explaining the rules. You¡¯re going to be joining us soon anyway.¡± The game master took out a small wooden box from within his robe¡¯s inner pockets. He opened it to show a small smooth white jade inside. ¡°You see, our ancestors found out that jade has magical properties. They not only heal our bodies naturally, they also affect our souls. It took them many years of experimenting but eventually an old Shang official found a way to manipulate ghosts and use them as a power source.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not stable, is it?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°You really are clever. Yes, power from ghosts and our ancestors require their approval. There are ways to bind them, but it¡¯s never as effective. Which is why with approval they¡¯re willing to provide their descendants or those desperate enough to practice ghost hunting to be able to use their power.¡±


    ¡°And without it?¡±


    The game master smiled before it turned into a gaping maw the size of Lu Na¡¯s head. Sharp teeth lined within his mouth. A foul rotten stench escaped his throat.


    Lu Na blinked and the game master¡¯s face looked normal again. Cold sweat broke out all over her body.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve experienced what happens when the ghosts don¡¯t like you,¡± the game master said. ¡°Now imagine one that you tried to use for your own gains.¡±


    Lu Na wiped her forehead. She understood why spirits were easier now. Not only that, they¡¯ve saturated the air with so much spirit energy that her own inventions didn¡¯t require permission from any entity. Yet there was so much potential with ghosts. That was something she would have to do research on if she survived.


    ¡°Back to the game. You have however long you want to cross this obstacle course. You start there on the bridge above the pond.¡± The game master pointed. ¡°The only thing you need to do is to answer some trivia questions. Answer them incorrectly and the ghosts become angrier. All you need to do is go around the course and then press the jade button on the far side over there. Any questions?¡±


    Lu Na squinted. She couldn¡¯t see the jade at all. The enormous room could easily fit five or six of her Lu compounds in here.


    ¡°What¡¯s stopping me from walking over there and pressing the jade?¡±


    ¡°The moment you step past me the entire floor turns into lava. You fall off, you die.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you or any of the other ghosts press the jade button?¡±


    ¡°Have you not been listening, girl? Jade repels ghosts as well.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me that.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t? Well, now you know. Anything else?¡±


    ¡°You said I can take as long as I want?¡±


    The game master¡¯s crooked smile came back. This time, his teeth looked pointed like a shark¡¯s.


    ¡°Oh yes, stay for as long as your weak body can handle it. Death by the lava, by one of the obstacles, or starving. Doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡±


    Lu Na didn¡¯t like those options. The worst part was that she didn¡¯t have any of her tools or Nugua. She might as well get this over with.


    The moment Lu Na stepped onto the wooden bridge, the game master disappeared. Lava bubbled up from the ground, heating up the room immensely. All the obstacles activated, despite the ghosts disappearing.


    ¡°Oh, I forgot to mention. Your friends are dying outside. Every moment you waste here, is another moment they don¡¯t have.¡± The game master¡¯s voice echoed in Lu Na¡¯s head. He laughed.


    Lu Na balled up her fists. Not only was she going to beat this stupid obstacle course and answer all those trivia questions, she was going to find some way to torture that game master¡¯s ghost. She swore it on her ancestors.

 Chapter 97 - Playing Games

    Lu Na took two steps forward and stepped on the first stone platform. It was gray compared to the yellow labyrinth walls. That¡¯s when everything activated.


    Circles lit up in bright colors, yellow, red, and blue. There were no patterns to them aside from how each of the matching colors were within reach of each other.


    ¡°What do I do?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°You want a hint?¡± the game master asked. He stroked his beard.


    ¡°No, I want the rules. You can¡¯t expect me to play a game without knowing that much.¡±


    ¡°Have children become dumber since the time of the Xia? All you have to do is step onto the circles without stepping out of them. Walk through the bridge to the other side. This is a game for little children.¡±


    Lu Na wanted to believe the ghost, but there was something off about the circles.


    ¡°Why do they have different colors? What do they do?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re just circles. Walk across already! Your friends are dying and you¡¯re questioning the colors of the circles?¡±


    Lu Na closed her eyes and activated her spirit vision technique. When she opened her eyes, the circles showed a different story. The yellow circles looked like snakes. The blue circles looked like birds. The red ones looked like a circle of small ants crawling over each other. They all looked beautiful, but she couldn¡¯t see what each technique did. She couldn¡¯t see how they were made.


    Lu Na remembered her spirit tool. She took it out and plugged it into the blue circle. The moment her tool touched the circle it made a popping sound and smoke came off it. The only reading it got was a large surge of spirit energy.


    ¡°I know I¡¯m dead, but I¡¯ll probably die again at this rate.¡± The game master yawned. ¡°See? You¡¯re taking so long that I¡¯m getting sleepy. Just step into one of the circles already.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Lu Na yelled at the game master. ¡°If you¡¯re not going to help, just be quiet.¡±


    The game master scowled.


    Lu Na feared that she made this test a lot harder because she was so disrespectful. Yet, there was something nagging her as the game master kept hurrying her. She doubted the old ghost was there to help her. Almost none of the ghosts were helpful in any way and only Zi Xu was helpful when he felt like helping.


    They were all dead. Lu Na didn¡¯t want to join them.


    Lu Na looked back at the circles. She took out a piece of yellow paper and one of her last remaining silver sycees. When she put the yellow paper on the blue circle, nothing happened. If only she had her spirit wand. She could have tested one of her wards on it.


    Next she dropped the silver sycee onto the blue circle. Nothing happened again.


    Maybe it needed something living? If only she had a mouse or even a spirit. The thought of using Nugua to test out these circles made her chuckle.


    There was only one thing left for her to test. Lu Na put her left finger on the blue circle. The technique activated and right away she felt intense vertigo. The world was spinning and she lost her balance. If she wasn¡¯t already squatting down low, she would have fell off the platform into the lava.


    When Lu Na pulled her hand back the feeling was still there, but muted. It felt almost as if she spun around too many times.


    When the world finally stopped spinning, she glared at the game master. Lu Na was right. The old ghost didn¡¯t want to help her.


    So what would happen if she avoided the circles and crossed the platform? Despite what the game master said, there was nothing stopping her from doing that right?


    Lu Na gently put her right foot forward in between the circles. The moment she touched the platform, a loud boom sounded above, forcing her to cover her ears.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Lu Na asked after the sound faded away.


    ¡°That is your warning for trying to cheat. Do it again and the entire walkway will collapse.¡± The game master had his arms crossed and the smuggest smile Lu Na had ever seen on anyone. It reminded her of when her little brothers thought they had the upper hand in the games she played with them.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Except Lu Na knew that no matter what, she would analyze the technique and overcome it. It would take a little more trial and error.


    Lu Na looked at the circles again. If the blue one with the birds made her feel dizzy, then what would the yellow snakes and red ants do?


    This time, Lu Na sat on the floor right in front of the circles. She reached over with her right finger and placed it into the yellow circle.


    There was instant regret.


    It felt like a million slimy snakes wrapping them all around her body. It would be like if she took a bath filled with these snakes as they writhed all around her. The worst part was it felt like the snakes would touch a part of her that she normally didn¡¯t think about.


    Lu Na pulled her hand back. She had to close her eyes to force the feeling away. It wasn¡¯t as bad as the blue circle as she could probably still walk through with that feeling. The only fear she had was what if she felt that slimy, wriggling on the bottom of her feet and it made her slip?


    ¡°Well, since you don¡¯t care about my feelings, maybe something else can motivate you to move faster.¡± The game master waved his hand, the long sleeve moving like a flag.


    A large image appeared in front of Lu Na. It looked like the fight happening outside of the puzzle room between Sun Ren and the feral spirits. Except, this one was moving. It was just like Sun Wukong¡¯s moving images on the scroll he gave her.


    Sun Ren¡¯s forces were being overrun. The feral spirits were running over each other to get to them. They pulled back to the door and made a small defensive circle around it. Elder Hen sat against the door with a large gash across his forehead. Sun Ren was now holding the line with a spear alongside Hen Li and Yang Deli.


    Lu Na hated to admit it, but the old ghost was right. She needed to hurry. The only had one last thing circle to test. She put her finger into the red circle with ants and all she felt was a small itching on her arms. It was like ants crawling over it, but no pain.


    That was the least offensive to Lu Na. Besides, she didn¡¯t have time to test it for longer. She looked up and saw that the red circles went all the way through to the end of the platform where there was a small pillar and a glowing button.


    Lu Na could do this. All she had to do was avoid the other ones. This was child¡¯s play. She took the first step into the red circle and jumped to the next one.


    The feeling of ants crawling up her arm became more intense as she moved. Lu Na scratched at her arm while moving forward. Soon the crawling sensation was at her shoulders and her neck. They went down her back. With every hop into a new circle, the ants kept crawling further and further all over her. Soon her face itched and she rubbed it with her itching forearm.


    When she made it to the end of the platform, she finally stepped out of the red circles. Lu Na wasn¡¯t sure if it was luck or how the game was designed, but she didn¡¯t step on any other circles. It was almost too easy, except¡­ the itching didn¡¯t stop.


    Maybe it had something to do with the short pillar. Lu Na walked up to it and saw a big blue glowing button on it. The itching was getting onto her ears at this point. She didn¡¯t care about being cautious before she slammed her fist onto the button.


    A small image appeared in front of her. It was the same type of image that the game master conjured up. It asked a simple question:


    How do spirits gain the ability to talk?


    Lu Na didn¡¯t know. Nugua had always talked with her the moment she bonded with her. Her mother never explained anything as she left not too long after. It was almost as if her mother was in a hurry and didn¡¯t bother leaving any instructions on how anything worked.


    Her father was of no use either. He never bothered to provide her proper lessons.


    The itching was now in her nose. How the heck did it get in there? Lu Na reached up with her fingers to try to scratch the insides of her nose. Now it was in her ears.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the answer, game master,¡± Lu Na said. Her entire body now felt like there were ants crawling all over. No matter how much she shifted, it continued. ¡°Please, tell me. Make it stop.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t do that. It wouldn¡¯t be fair of me to help you cheat.¡±


    Lu Na felt blood trickle on the back of her hands from where she scratched. It was more intense than any mosquito bite she¡¯d ever had and she couldn¡¯t help herself despite the burning pain from bleeding.


    ¡°Please, please make it stop.¡±


    The game master smiled and nodded toward the floor of lava.


    Lu Na looked down at the hot floor. She got close to it and felt the intense heat radiating off the river of burning. There was an intense temptation to shove her hand in there, but she knew that it would only make it worse.


    The only relief she could get was if she jumped into the lava itself to end this misery.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so mean, you old fool,¡± Zi Xu said. The ghost appeared beside the game master again.


    ¡°What are you doing back?¡± the game master asked.


    ¡°I got bored. Besides, wouldn¡¯t it be more entertaining if the girl reached the last stage like her mother only to fail there?¡±


    The game master crossed his arms again, staring at Lu Na.


    All she could think of was how much she hated the ghost right now. He did this to her and the itching somehow spread to her hair. Lu Na undid all the ties in them and scratched with all her might.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll give you a little help.¡± The game master waved his hand and the itching softened.


    Lu Na crawled into a ball on the floor, hugging herself and scratching at her sides.


    ¡°You only get this one chance. Do you want help from one of your friends?¡±


    Lu Na looked up at the moving image of Sun Ren. It was almost as if her thoughts controlled it as it focused on her best friend.


    ¡°Yes, please.¡±


    ¡°Then I shall grant you this wish.¡± The game master made two fists and pushed them together. An orange glow surrounded them before dissipating. There was a large flash that blinded Lu Na for a moment.


    As soon as the flash of light disappeared, the itching came back in earnest. There were parts of her body that were itching that she couldn¡¯t reach. And even if she could reach them, it wouldn¡¯t relieve it anyway.


    ¡°Sun Ren, please, help me,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Sun Ren? What happened? Where am I?¡± a man¡¯s voice said.


    To her horror, Lu Na opened her eyes to see not her friend, but Elder Hen standing over her holding a spear. Blood dripped from the gash on his forehead over his face, making a small rivulet to the floor.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± the game master said. ¡°Don¡¯t ever say I didn¡¯t do anything for you.¡±

 Chapter 98 - Learning from Elders

    Lu Na gaped at the old man who lowered his spear once he saw her. The Elder of the Wintersweet Sect glared down at her with blood dripping from his forehead. The dangerous look in his eye was the only thing that struck so much fear into Lu Na that she forgot about the itching.


    If only for a moment.


    The itching came back, crawling all over her skin worse than before. Itch, itch, scratch, scratch. There was no end to the hopeless cycle of pain that Lu Na just couldn¡¯t reach.


    Elder Hen¡¯s face softened.


    ¡°Child, you look miserable.¡±


    ¡°Please, help. Answer the question.¡± Lu Na was frantically trying to scratch her entire body at the same time. She never had to do that before. Usually it was one place. Now, everywhere!


    ¡°What question?¡± Elder Hen looked around the area.


    ¡°My question,¡± the game master said after a pause.


    Elder Hen raised his spear at the game master.


    ¡°Where did you come from?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the game master here. I control the labyrinth¡¯s central room. So I would kindly ask you to please lower your spear. Not that it can do anything to me anyway.¡±


    Elder Hen put his spear down, but he never let go. With his other arm, he wiped at the blood on his forehead.


    ¡°You are an ally of that girl, yes?¡± the game master asked.


    ¡°In a manner of speaking, yes.¡±


    ¡°Get on with it game master!¡± Lu Na yelled. She couldn¡¯t hold on. She was going to throw herself in the lava.


    ¡°Yes, get on with it,¡± Zi Xu said. He bent over Lu Na. ¡°Let me help you.¡±


    Lu Na nodded. Any relief was welcome.


    Zi Xu placed a hand on her shoulder. The cold icy blast hit her all over. It chilled her to the bone. The itching was numbed, as if it was happening to someone else.


    ¡°Let me explain the rules. There¡¯s a long list of them and if you want to survive, you should listen,¡± the game master said.


    ¡°No, just ask the question to continue this game. If we don¡¯t hurry, that ghost is going to kill Lu Na,¡± Elder Hen said.


    The game master smiled.


    ¡°How perceptive. You noticed the ghost was draining her life essence.¡±


    Lu Na swiveled her head. Zi Xu looked like he was in ecstasy as he held onto her shoulder.


    ¡°Let go, please.¡± Lu Na¡¯s voice was so low she barely heard it herself. It was as if her mind was leaving her body.


    Elder Hen thrusted his spear at Zi Xu but nothing happened.


    ¡°What¡¯s the question, game master.¡±


    ¡°Very well. The question is simple: How do spirits gain the ability to talk?¡±


    ¡°By that question, I¡¯m assuming you¡¯re asking about how these motes of spirit energy become smart enough to communicate with their summoners?¡±


    The game master nodded.


    ¡°Simple. When a summoner bonds with their first spirit, they have to meditate upon the nature of the spirit that willingly bonded with them in order to understand its purpose in their life. Once the spirit gains an understanding and enough spirit essence, it will grown into a sentient creature that can talk.¡±


    ¡°Correct, for the most part.¡± The game master waved his hand.


    The itching stopped. But not the cold.


    Lu Na couldn¡¯t feel her body anymore as she sank to the floor. She felt all the warmth leaving her.


    ¡°Ghost, stop,¡± Elder Hen said.


    ¡°I can¡¯t. I haven¡¯t felt this alive in centuries,¡± Zi Xu said.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t stop, we can¡¯t complete this challenge and you will continue being stuck here,¡± the game master said.


    That stopped Zi Xu. He pulled his hand from Lu Na.


    The ambient heat from the lava wrapped around Lu Na like a warm blanket. It wasn¡¯t until now did she feel how hot the lava was making the room.


    ¡°Are you okay, Young Miss Lu?¡± Elder Hen asked.


    ¡°No, but I will be.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t trust this one,¡± the game master said. He had the look of a concerned grandfather. ¡°The next time he drains your life essence, I¡¯ll let him finish the job. Now tell him to leave.¡±


    Lu Na glared at Zi Xu. She couldn¡¯t believe that after helping her so much that he would go and almost kill her. The last thing she wanted was to see the ghost, but there was something nagging her by the game master¡¯s request.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you make him leave? You¡¯re the game master.¡±


    The game master¡¯s concern disappeared, leaving eye rolling in its place. For a ghost that was centuries old, the juvenile gesture irked Lu Na. It was like dealing with her devious younger brothers again.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°Fine, whatever. Keep him around. If he kills you, then I¡¯ll have gained my peace again.¡± The game master waved both of his hands and the small pillar disappeared. ¡°Time to move onto your next challenge.¡±


    Zi Xu looked ashamed from the admonishment, but he didn¡¯t go away on his own. There had to be a reason why the game master was adamant for Lu Na to ask him to leave. Which reminded her something else.


    ¡°Before we continue, I don¡¯t believe you¡¯ve told me the rules yet.¡± Lu Na was finally feeling her feet and hands.


    ¡°I already told you. Make it across the obstacle course while answering some questions and you win. Let¡¯s move on,¡± the game master said.


    ¡°No. While I was suffering before, you mentioned something to Elder Hen that there was a long list of rules. I know you¡¯re not telling me everything because you never mentioned anything about having an ally help me.¡±


    ¡°Your friends are dying. Tell them.¡±


    Elder Hen¡¯s face said it all. For a summoner as powerful as him to be desperate in that fight must mean they would all be wiped out at any time.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. They are,¡± Lu Na said, eliciting a smile on the game master¡¯s face. ¡°But if we get it wrong here, they all die anyway. So I¡¯d rather hear what the rules are before we continue. All of them.¡±


    The game master clenched his jaw and huffed.


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    ¡°Zi Xu, you¡¯ve been here before. Make sure he doesn¡¯t leave any out,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Oh, this is the first time I¡¯ve ever been here. I don¡¯t know all the rules,¡± Zi Xu said. ¡°I only know of a few things that the previous challengers told me after they died. The one thing that is guaranteed is that the game master can¡¯t lie, not directly.¡±


    ¡°Then get on with it.¡± Lu Na sat down on the ground and looked over her self-inflicted wounds. There were scratch marks going up and down her hands, but luckily her clothing prevented the worst of it. She bandaged them as best as she could.


    The game master began his long speech. After listening to the rules and extra commentary, there were two things that stood out:


    First, the challenger can choose to bring in outside help. That was useless as the game master already summoned Elder Hen.


    Second, as the challenge was going on, there was an option to pause the feral spirits from attacking whoever was left outside until the challenge was done. The caveat was that it added an extra obstacle course and question that the challenger had to complete.


    ¡°You damned ghost. Stop the feral spirits now!¡± Lu Na yelled. Of course the game master would leave that last bit of information for the very end.


    Most of the other rules didn¡¯t apply to Lu Na or Elder Hen. Some of them were silly such as not being able to do the obstacles while carrying a goat or singing an old song lost in history.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you listen to the instructions?¡± Elder Hen asked.


    ¡°I thought he told me all the instructions. How was I supposed to know that he would hide a part of it?¡± Lu Na was annoyed not only at the game master but the Elder as well. He didn¡¯t know how much pressure she was in, nor the pain she was still experiencing from scratching herself.


    The game master smiled.


    ¡°So nice. Father and daughter enjoying a little time together before they both die. There is a bit of bad news though for you. Because you stopped the feral spirits, you are now on a new timer. You have only half an hour to complete the obstacle course or your lives will be forfeit.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you didn¡¯t tell us that stopping the spirits would put a limit on us.¡± Lu Na eyed the entire course. It didn¡¯t look difficult, but if the first obstacle was any indication everything was going to be filled with pain.


    ¡°Oh, didn¡¯t I?¡± the game master waved his hand and the next obstacle pillar shot up from the ground. ¡°You better hurry then.¡±


    Lu Na heard the lava boiling below her. Was it rising? She exchanged a look with Elder Hen.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry then Young Miss Lu.¡± Elder Hen walked ahead.


    That was easy for the old man to say. Her feet were still feeling the aftereffects of the itching.


    The next obstacle had ropes lining the floor in a ladder pattern. It looked simple enough, except the the ropes all glowed a bright orange.


    ¡°Hey game master. What will happen if we step on the rope?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°I could tell you, but I¡¯m only bound to not lie. So I won¡¯t. You¡¯ll have to figure it out yourself.¡± The game master floated above the lava. He conjured a table and chair that he sat on. There were wooden tablets on them and he began scoring it with a small knife.


    It reminded Lu Na of her father. If she didn¡¯t make it out of this, she would never see him again.


    ¡°I¡¯ll test it then,¡± Lu Na said. She took a careful step into the center of one of the ladders. Nothing happened. She waited a few more seconds just in case. The last thing she needed was another itching episode that pushed her to the ground.


    Lu Na then stepped back off the rope.


    ¡°Catch me if I fall.¡±


    Elder Hen nodded.


    Lu Na scrunched up her face and reached with her finger to the closest bright orange rope.


    ZAP!


    Lu Na pulled her hand back in an instant as if she burned it. It felt like the shock one had when they rubbed too much sheep¡¯s wool and touched something metal.


    Just a lot more painful.


    Lu Na sucked her finger to ease the pain.


    ¡°This is a waste of time, Young Miss Lu. We must hurry,¡± Elder Hen said.


    ¡°Easy for you to say.¡±


    ¡°No. The lava is rising. The time you wasted testing the rope, it has raised a foot. But the moment you stepped into the ladder, it stopped. So we must hurry.¡±


    Lu Na hated that the Elder was right, but this would all be pointless if they died from lava.


    ¡°If only I had my wards. This would be so much easier.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean this?¡± Elder Hen took out the null metal bracelet.


    ¡°Yes! But what about Hen Li?¡± Lu Na grabbed the bracelet and wrapped it around her wrist. Just the feeling of the warm metal calmed her.


    ¡°My son is fine. He¡¯s recovered enough to not need it. Now let¡¯s hurry before we will all not need it.¡±


    The old man didn¡¯t need to tell Lu Na twice. Lu Na clenched her left fist and flicked her wrist left, focusing on the strongest and thickest earth wall she could imagine. Thick steps rose in between the rope.


    Each one that touched the rope crumbled to dust. At the end, there were only a few that made a small path to the other side, where one had to jump in between.


    Lu Na took the lead and climbed the first step. She made sure to walk through as carefully as she could without falling over.


    ¡°Is the lava still rising?¡± Lu Na looked back at Elder Hen.


    ¡°No, keep going.¡±


    There was only one small problem. The last section of the ladder were too small to allow earth steps to rise.


    Lu Na would either have to jump or figure another way over. Or she could make the earth wall bend around the rope as she did with the earth domes before. Hopefully they would be strong enough to walk on.


    Lu Na clenched her left fist and flicked left. The earth steps beside her rose up and combined into rising steps in front of her.


    The earth collapsed onto the rope, causing a loud sizzle.


    How did her brother do it so easily? No matter how much practice Lu Na had, she couldn¡¯t ever compare to her brother¡¯s control.


    ¡°Young Miss Lu, focus not on pushing the earth to what you want, but feel the earth spirit energy within it. The one thing in common with all earth summoners is their affinity to order. Focus on the chaos that is the churned earth and try to put them back in order. Like this.¡±


    Elder Hen lifted his foot and the earth step he stood on curved to meet his foot. He stood atop that small piece of rock as if it was the strongest thing ever made.


    Lu Na turned on her spirit sight to look at Elder Hen¡¯s technique. For the first time she saw what the Elder meant. The earth spirit energy that was like a mixed bowl of rice, beans, and fish became ordered into the perfect dish with everything in layers.


    Oh Lu Na wished she didn¡¯t think about food. She hadn¡¯t eaten in forever.


    Lu Na shook her head to focus. She tried to order the earth spirit energy as Elder Hen advised. With a flick of her wrist, the earth rose up again to meet her, this time small, thinner, sleeker.


    It was like moving mud with her bare hands. Only after struggling did she finally layer it to look something like Elder Hen¡¯s.


    ¡°That¡¯s not bad for your first attempt,¡± Elder Hen said.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± That was the first time Lu Na was praised for this. It felt good. But no time. They had to move.


    Lu Na took a step onto her new earth platform only for it to collapse right after. The bright orange rope came rushing up to meet her.

 Chapter 99 - Setting the Stage

    Lu Na closed her eyes and raised her arms up. She hit the ropes among the rubble of her earth platform.


    The shock was immediate and painful.


    Wherever her body touched the uncovered rope, it sent painful shocks into her body. It burned all the way to her very core. After what felt like an eternity, the pain stopped.


    When Lu Na opened her eyes, Elder Hen stood over her on solid ground. The ropes were behind them.


    ¡°Now that was an interesting strategy,¡± the game master said.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Your ally stepped over your body to get to the other side. He must have noticed that someone needed to be shocked to disable it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Lu Na glared at Elder Hen. She already had to deal with one scheming old ghost. Why did she have to deal with another?


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. You and I are not friends, child. We¡¯re here to accomplish one goal and to save all the people out there. So let¡¯s get going before the timer runs out.¡± Elder Hen pushed the button on the raised pillar.


    A part of Lu Na felt something similar toward the old man. If she could use him to get to her goal she would, but she never thought to go that far.


    ¡°Congratulations on making it this far,¡± the game master said. ¡°The other challengers never made it this far because they didn¡¯t want to share in the prize.¡±


    ¡°Share?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Yes, while you were the one that opened the door, you also had an ally. Even if you succeed here, either of you have the chance to take the prize for yourself.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that child,¡± Elder Hen said. ¡°You¡¯re thinking I will force it from you? I swear on my son, I won¡¯t do that. So focus on the task at hand.¡±


    ¡°Was that supposed to make me feel better or trust you?¡± Lu Na recalled how she stopped the Wintersweet Ancestor¡¯s rampage, only to receive a threat from the same old man in return.


    ¡°Child, since you helped save my son, I will forgive this. But also know I haven¡¯t broken my word to you. You did that when you went on this quest without me, as you promised.¡± Elder Hen¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°You almost killed my son.¡±


    Lu Na swallowed what she wanted to say. She didn¡¯t have a choice but to trust the old man for now, but if push came to shove, she would use all the power within her null metal bracelet to stop him.


    ¡°Are you two ready for the next question?¡± the game master asked. He looked like he was holding in a laugh.


    ¡°Yes, tell us,¡± Elder Hen said.


    ¡°Fine. The next question is: How does one live in harmony with their spirit?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a very vague question,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Young Miss Lu is right. There could be many answers to that question,¡± Elder Hen said.


    The game master shrugged.


    ¡°Could the answer be as simple as treating your spirit with respect?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Is that your answer?¡± the game master asked. There was a gleam in his eyes.


    Lu Na didn¡¯t trust that gleam. It felt like she was talking with a conman who was about to sell her some cocktail for immortality.


    ¡°No,¡± Elder Hen said.


    ¡°Well, too bad. I considered that an answer and it was wrong. You only have two more guesses before you fail the labyrinth¡¯s test.¡± The game master conjured a cup of tea and drank from it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t answer child. Let me,¡± Elder Hen said.


    Both of them stood in silence, watching as the game master conjured up an entire meal to eat in front of them. Hadn¡¯t he just eaten before?


    Lu Na shook her head. She had to think. Why would the labyrinth creators make such a vague question? There had to be a reason for all of this, not just to get a prize.


    ¡°I have an answer for you, venerable ghost,¡± Elder Hen said. He scrunched his face in concentration, deepening his frown lines. ¡°To live in harmony with spirits, one needs to provide it a home so that it may grow to its fullest potential. Humans depend on these spirits as much as the spirits depend on us, forming a yin and a yang. Together, we can create a better future for everyone.¡±


    The game master put down his food and tea. He clapped. He clapped hard and started laughing.


    ¡°Oh man, I didn¡¯t expect the Xia teachings never made it to the present era. That was the dumbest answer I¡¯ve ever heard in my life. At least the child¡¯s answer was rooted in naive thought.¡±


    Elder Hen snarled but it disappeared quickly.


    Lu Na thought about what Jie had said and experiences of being inside this labyrinth. If what Elder Hen said was wrong, then there had to be another way of thinking about how the Xia lived in harmony with their spirits.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    First, the spirits weren¡¯t bound inside humans as they are now. That was a technique created by one of the earlier rulers after the Xia. Next, they allowed the spirits free rein within the labyrinth and used them as protectors of the puzzle. But those spirits weren¡¯t active participants in this.


    The only thing that Lu Na was certain about was that the creators of this labyrinth didn¡¯t wield the natural strength of a summoner to do anything. Instead, they used technology to do everything. That¡¯s how they lasted for so long. It has been their spirit technology that has allowed them to create this place.


    This was not a prison. The labyrinth was supposed to be their utopia.


    ¡°I think I know the answer,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Are you sure? If you get this wrong, you¡¯ll all die. Well, you¡¯ll die a quicker death than what awaits you down there.¡± The game master looked at the rising lava. It had risen near the top and already engulfed the previous platform with the colored rings.


    ¡°Elder Hen, can I?¡± Lu Na asked. It was polite to ask just in case the Elder had a better idea.


    ¡°Go ahead, child.¡± Elder Hen held his hands behind him.


    ¡°To answer your question game master, to live in harmony with spirits is to develop technology in order to harness their power to make life easier for humans. There is no living with spirits, especially not when they¡¯re here to steal our life essence. They¡¯re nothing but tools for us.¡±


    Lu Na winced, hoping what she said made sense. It was something that she felt herself, especially after learning about how the spirits took life essence to perform their miraculous techniques. But what if they didn¡¯t? What if anyone could use Lu Na¡¯s devices and wards without paying that price?


    The game master frowned. That was a good sign.


    ¡°You are correct. You know, I thought you would fail as so many before you had.¡±


    ¡°Did my mother fail here?¡± Lu Na asked.


    The game master¡¯s smirk came back. How someone so ancient and dead could look so annoying must have been a practiced trait.


    ¡°No, she almost did. But she understood the same thing you had. So let¡¯s move on to the last challenge. The next one is where she failed and it is the most entertaining. Ghosts from all over will come to see this one.¡±


    A platform rose in front of them. It had a small ramp that led to many other obstacles Lu Na saw earlier. None of them seemed any more challenging than what her brother had on his training grounds. A lot of rocks and different ramps that went higher and then back down.


    ¡°Please, step on and we shall summon the ghosts,¡± the game master said.


    Lu Na walked into it with Elder Hen.


    ¡°This is the last challenge?¡± Lu Na asked.


    The game master nodded.


    ¡°If you somehow overcome this, you will have solved the labyrinth¡¯s puzzle. Simple right?¡±


    They stood on the first ramp leading up to a simple walkway across, but there was an invisible wall stopping them.


    Lu Na¡¯s spirit vision showed her it was something similar to her spirit wall, but for people. She didn¡¯t have time to examine the technique before the entire room erupted into cheers.


    The walls fell away all around them, revealing the outside. Despite being surrounded by labyrinth walls for so long, the outside was frightening. Somehow, they stood on a platform inside of a volcano. Was that how they got the lava?


    ¡°Something¡¯s not right,¡± Lu Na said.


    Elder Hen frowned and nodded.


    ¡°This feels like something the ghosts are making us see.¡±


    ¡°Yes, for one it¡¯s not hot despite being surrounded by the lava.¡± Lu Na walked up to the ledge of the platform and waved her hand over the lava. There was no heat coming from it.


    ¡°Oh Young Miss Lu, that¡¯s really lava. I wouldn¡¯t get too close in case something bubbled up and took your hand off. You¡¯re being protected by the great Xia inventions.¡± The game master called from the center of the stage.


    ¡°Wait, how did we teleport into a volcano?¡± Lu Na asked.


    The game master shrugged.


    ¡°If I knew how these devices worked, do you think we¡¯d still be stuck here as ghosts? It doesn¡¯t matter though. Get ready. You¡¯re about to meet your audience.¡±


    The game master held his hands above him as if reaching for the opening within the volcano. The sky was black and the twinkling stars shone into the volcano. Were they really outside?


    Lu Na took a deep breath.


    No, still stale air.


    This was the most elaborate ghost illusion or the Xia were truly master inventors.


    The game master clasped his hands together and shook it above his head. A loud screech escaped his hand. Seconds later, large ghostly stands appeared along the side of the volcano.


    Ghosts appeared in the seats. Lu Na recognized some of them from earlier, but mostly all the ghosts looked faceless aside from the elaborate clothes they all wore. Glancing toward the front, she saw Jie.


    Jie smiled and waved at her.


    Lu Na smiled back, but felt awkward. Seeing her reminded her that Sun Ren allowed the rebels to kidnap and attack her village again. Hopefully, when she solved this all her people would be saved.


    ¡°There are our people,¡± Elder Hen said. He pointed at the center of the field where a raised platform sat. The noble ghost Farida laid on a lounge surrounded by all the Wintersweet disciples. She still wore her long white robe.


    Wintersweet disciples fanned her with these large blue feathers.


    Had they taken those from a spirit?


    When Farida caught Lu Na¡¯s eyes, she waved with her fingers.


    ¡°How did she bring them here?¡± Elder Hen asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°I thought you were the inventor. You don¡¯t have any idea how she did that? If there¡¯s a way we can teleport out of here, then maybe that ghost is the key.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to talk with her during the trial?¡±


    Elder Hen didn¡¯t respond.


    Lu Na shrugged. If that was one way to get out of here, then maybe it would be worth it if she failed. The only worry she had about that was that the ghost always wanted something in exchange. She wouldn¡¯t help them for free.


    When everything settled down, Lu Na and Elder Hen had an audience of a large village.


    The game master floated to the center of the obstacle course, standing atop of a large round boulder. He crossed his arms across his chest and bowed.


    The entire crowd erupted into a loud cheer.


    Lu Na covered her ears. They were silent a moment ago and now she was deaf.


    The game master waved his hand and the crowd became silent.


    ¡°Ghosts, young and old, today we have a new challenger to this obstacle course. How long has it been? Several hundred years at least since someone passed through the first two qualifiers. But today, we have a very special guest.¡±


    The game master pointed at Lu Na.


    ¡°Today, we have the daughter of the phoenix. Yes, the same phoenix that screeches throughout the labyrinth and disturbs our rest and relaxation.¡±


    The audience booed at that. Some of them threw ghostly rotten vegetables and fruit at Lu Na.


    It was an odd thing to experience ghostly items hitting her. At first they looked so real and Lu Na could almost smell them, but the moment they touched her body they went right through her.


    ¡°Well, at least the ghosts can¡¯t stop us from completing the trial,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Never underestimate what the ghosts can do or can¡¯t do. We¡¯ve experienced that firsthand,¡± Elder Hen said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get the games started!¡± The game master clapped his hands, creating a thundering clap that silenced the crowd.


    The formerly mundane obstacle course lit up like fireworks. Every single object filled with spirit energy, twisting, turning and glowing. If the previous trials were a practice run for this, Lu Na could already feel the shocks coming back, or worse, the ants.


    That¡¯s when the lava began rising again.

 Chapter 100 - Broken Trials

    Lu Na gritted her teeth.


    ¡°Why is there still a time limit?¡±


    The game master held his arms behind him.


    ¡°I apologize for that child, but the platforms here are not working as intended. The lava was supposed to come up when you lost to wipe out all traces of this place, but over the centuries it has broken down. So I¡¯ll give you a hint: run.¡±


    Lu Na wanted to argue more before Elder Hen grabbed her by the arm and yanked her into the first obstacle. It was a large stone circle that now glowed purple. The center hole had just enough space for a person to go through, but the glowing warned that touching it while going through would have painful consequences.


    ¡°Child, focus. Ignore the ghosts, ignore the blabbering and get through these. The lava is not stopping.¡± Elder Hen pointed to the rising lava levels that had engulfed where they were just standing.


    Lu Na swallowed and realized how dry her throat was. She took out her water skin, took a long drink and passed it to Elder Hen. The old man drank it all and tossed the water skin past the obstacle.


    An arc of spirit energy shot out from the stone circle, vaporizing the water skin.


    ¡°Why did you do that?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°I needed to see if we could walk around the obstacles. That would be a lot easier than jumping through a circle onto the other side.¡±


    Lu Na wanted to argue that she had other things they could have tossed instead of that. What if they needed the water skin for later?


    Elder Hen took out a tael of silver and threw it through the center hole. Nothing happened. He took out another and tossed it into the stone¡¯s interior.


    The silver melted.


    ¡°The ghost isn¡¯t playing. This thing will vaporize us if we touch it.¡± Elder Hen frowned, probably thinking about how to get through it.


    Lu Na had a different approach. She crouched down, focusing on the hole at the center. With all her strength, she pushed off the ground and ran straight at the stone circle. Right before she collided with it, she jumped straight through.


    When she reached the other side, she did a small onto the ground before getting up. There was a small singed smell coming from her clothes.


    Good thing Lu Na wore a tunic instead of her usual dresses or robes. Going through that would have been disastrous.


    ¡°Congratulations ongoing through the first physical trial,¡± the game master said. He waved his hand and the stone circle turned off.


    Wait, if the game master could control it, why didn¡¯t he allow them to walk through? Or was there some type of device or technique forcing him to comply with the game?


    Lu Na used her spirit vision to look around the course. Maybe there was something controlling all this that she could turn off. Magic wasn¡¯t real, so whatever or whoever was doing this would need to use spirit techniques.


    Elder Hen walked around the stone circle. The moment he passed through the former threshold where the skin vaporized he paused for a brief second. He took a deep breath and kept walking.


    Lu Na understood that feeling. She didn¡¯t trust the game master¡¯s word either.


    ¡°Now you have to answer one question to move onto the next trial. Since this is a new game, you have three more chances to answer all the questions.¡± They sparkled in bright red.


    ¡°We can¡¯t read that,¡± Elder Hen said.


    ¡°That¡¯s not my problem. The Xia designed this trial for smart people. If you can¡¯t figure out a two thousand year old script, then that¡¯s your fault,¡± the game master said.


    ¡°That¡¯s not fair. How are we supposed to know what that means?¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help.¡± Zi Xu appeared next to Lu Na again.


    ¡°Where do you keep going?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Zi Xu smiled, but it didn¡¯t reach his eyes. He looked haggard. Could ghosts look like that?


    ¡°I¡¯m a ghost. We disappear sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Protecting your group in the earlier section took a lot out of me. I fear I might lose my mind. But that won¡¯t matter when you beat this obstacle course.¡±


    ¡°Please hurry venerable ghost. The lava is quickly reaching us,¡± Elder Hen said.


    The stone circle behind them had fallen over from the lava engulfing its base.


    ¡°Yes, yes. This should be simple since it¡¯s only reading.¡± Zi Xu looked up at the words, muttered to himself a little, before nodding. ¡°This asks, ¡®What are the five elements of spirits?¡¯¡±


    ¡°What? That¡¯s it? The questions earlier were harder,¡± Lu Na said.


    Zi Xu nodded, his eyelids drooping.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go rest for a while. I¡¯ll try to come back when you need me again.¡±


    Before Lu Na could thank the ghost, he disappeared.


    ¡°The answer is fire, earth, water, metal, and wood,¡± Elder Hen said.


    ¡°Correct. Next obstacle.¡± The game master waved his hand over the next platform. Stairs formed from the previous platform going up.


    As Lu Na climbed up, she noticed they were on a ramp going up toward the top of the volcano. There was a small box at the apex of the obstacles. That must be where the prize was. The lava looked like it slowed down.


    The next platform had a long, narrow stone plank that connected two stones. This was going to be easy if all they had to do was cross.


    That was until the game master clapped his hands again.


    Fire erupted from the ground, engulfing the stone plank in fire. While simultaneously, water came down from the top, hitting the fire and causing steam.


    This time, Lu Na focused her spirit vision on everything that she could see. From the moment the game master clapped his hands, there was a spark on the far side of the volcano right above where the ghost Farida was sitting along with the Wintersweet disciples.


    Could that be what¡¯s controlling everything?


    Elder Hen jumped into the stone plank and ran across.


    Lu Na had never seen the old man move so nimbly before. At least she didn¡¯t have to go through the fire and the steam.


    Except they didn¡¯t stop.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening? Elder Hen walked through. Why is it still on?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Oh, I forgot to mention. Since you are the challenger, you have to do the physical tasks. Your ally can help you, but they can¡¯t complete the trial for you.¡± The game master had conjured a lounging chair and laid down with his hands behind his head.


    Lu Na wanted to curse the ghost out. She only stopped herself because she knew the ghost had some leverage over the difficulty of these trials. If she angered him, he might make it harder.


    Lu Na got up onto the stone plank. The heat coming from the bottom was stronger than any coal pot she had ever used. She took one step forward and pulled her foot back fast.


    Hot, searing pain shot up her leg. Sitting down, she saw her shoe had burned through instantly. How did Elder Hen walk through this?


    ¡°Don¡¯t think of the pain,¡± Elder Hen said. He was sitting on the ground on the other side, bandaging his own feet. ¡°Just run as fast as you can.¡±


    Lu Na winced. No, there had to be a better way than brute force. She clenched her left fist and focused on the stone plank. All she had to do was raise it higher away from the fire. She flicked her wrist left and lifted her left fist.


    Stone shot up from the ground, rising to meet the stone plank. It looked glowing red, as if the fire had baked it.


    No, that would not work.


    The stone plank shook below her feet. Lu Na looked down to see the lava had finally reached her. She had to go now.


    Lu Na gritted her teeth. She had a new idea. What if she converted all the fire spirit energy into water with Uncle Chen¡¯s technique?


    She clenched her left fist and focused on Uncle Chen¡¯s technique. This was a lot harder without Nugua helping her. She could sense the fire spirit energy below her, creating the fire.


    The null metal bracelet began burning her wrist from pushing so much spirit energy through it to power the technique. But better a burned wrist than destroyed feet.


    Lu Na released the technique while cycling the spirit energy from the null metal bracelet into her own spirit realm. The fire spirit energy below her turned into water.


    Steam shot up from the ground behind her as the water mixed in with the encroaching lava. The steam from before already made it hard to see. The new steam from the rapid cooling of the lava made Lu Na blind and really, really hot.


    It wasn¡¯t her feet burning, but her entire body.


    Lu Na clenched her left fist and flicked it left. She raised the earth below her that contained all the water she had made. It rapidly cooled the stone plank as well.


    With unsteady steps, Lu Na walked forward, trying to remember where the stone plank was. She could have easily walked on the earth she raised up, but she feared that doing so might have violated some rules of the trial.


    When Lu Na made it to the other side, Elder Hen grabbed her arm and helped her down. The old man¡¯s tunic was sleeveless as he used them to wrap his feet.


    ¡°Good job of slowing the lava,¡± Elder Hen said.


    ¡°Yes, yes, that was a good show. But now the question you have to answer in order to make it to the next challenge.¡± The game master reached into his sleeves. He pulled it wide open and peered inside. ¡°It seems that I have misplaced the question.¡±


    As he said that, the lava bubbled up against the cooled off lava. It was rising again.


    ¡°Come on, you¡¯re doing this deliberately,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°You¡¯re a ghost. You were conjuring an entire feast before. You¡¯re telling me you lost the most important aspect of this trial?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t lie.¡± The game master glared at Lu Na.


    ¡°Then fine. If you can¡¯t find the question, then let us pass. It¡¯s not our fault that you lost the question.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do that. You see, the question opens up the next section. Without the correct question, it won¡¯t open. Unless you somehow sprout wings to get to the other side.¡± The game master pointed at another platform that reached over their heads.


    ¡°Young Miss Lu, move. The lava is almost here.¡± Elder Hen moved to the very edge of their platform.


    Lu Na clenched her left fist and raised the earth to stop the lava from washing over them. Except nothing happened. The moment the earth raised from the ground, the lava dissolved it.


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve been so rude, I think I¡¯ll take a little longer to find the question. Maybe you¡¯ll be more respectful in the future.¡± The game master shuffled around in his sleeves.


    Lu Na¡¯s wrist was burning. Soon it wouldn¡¯t be the only thing burning if she didn¡¯t think of something.


    Death by lava was not on her list of ways to die.


    Lu Na pulled the spirit energy from the null metal bracelet into her spirit realm and cycled it. The process was too slow. She wouldn¡¯t be able to use the bracelet before being swallowed by the lava.


    ¡°Is there nothing you can do, Elder Hen?¡± Lu Na tried to force the spirit energy to leave the bracelet faster, but it was like drinking water while her stomach was already full. There was only so much she could shove in there before she exploded and with spirit energy, that felt like a real possibility.


    Elder Hen sighed.


    ¡°Yes, but I didn¡¯t want to use it unless we had no choice.¡±


    Lu Na waved her hands at the rising lava that was now inches away from their feet.


    ¡°Hold on to my tunic.¡± Elder Hen clenched his left fist. Fengma appeared, rising from the very ground they stood on. He straddled the horse spirit with Lu Na behind him and patted it once on the head.


    Fengma neighed before taking one giant leap from the platform, practically flying up into the air to the next platform. Its hooves stuck itself to the stone platform, just barely reaching the lip.


    Lu Na hung off Elder Hen¡¯s tunic. If it wasn¡¯t tied down to his body so well, she would have slipped back into the lava.


    The horse spirit pulled itself up onto the platform, step by step, keeping at least one hoof onto the stone. It was like a magnet, but instead of stone the horse spirit stuck itself to stone.


    Once they got on top of the platform, Fengma disappeared in a puff of spirit energy. Elder Hen laid on the ground of the platform beside Lu Na.


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t want to do that,¡± Elder Hen said.


    ¡°Why? It saved us.¡± Lu Na was breathing hard. ¡°Elder Hen?¡±


    Lu Na turned toward the old man. His eyes were closed and he wasn¡¯t moving.


    ¡°Elder Hen?¡± Lu Na reached down and put her hand above his nose.


    He was still breathing.


    With relief, Lu Na sagged back down to the ground. That last act made by the Elder must have exhausted what little life force he had left. She remembered that the old man had little left and kept alive through elixirs.


    Lu Na was now truly alone. How could she complete this trial now?

 Chapter 101 - The Final Challenge

    Despite disliking how overbearing Elder Hen was, Lu Na felt relief when he appeared to help her in the trial. Her previous dread returned now that he was unconscious. She wasn¡¯t sure if she could succeed without the old man.


    ¡°Ah, found the question.¡± The game master floated up onto the platform. He took out a little stone chit before waving it in the air. More Xia writing appeared in the air. He looked down at Elder Hen. ¡°Oh, did he die?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Lu Na said. She held herself back from screaming at the ghost. If he had the question, maybe they could have answered it before forcing Elder Hen to expend his life energy to get them to safety. This whole obstacle was stupid. Why did she have to leave the safety of her home to come to this stupid thing that was going to kill her?


    ¡°That¡¯s a shame. It would have been better that he did. Now he¡¯s going to suffer along with you when you fail this question.¡± The game master hovered over Elder Hen with mock concern on his face. ¡°Well, since I feel it was partly my fault, I¡¯ll even translate this question for you for free. Not that you¡¯ll be able to answer it, anyway.¡±


    Lu Na cupped her hands and bowed.


    ¡°I thank you venerable ghost.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it seems someone learned some manners. Well, the question is simple that any true summoner can answer: What is the true danger of spirits?¡±


    ¡°True danger?¡± Lu Na looked at the Xia words as if it would make more sense to her. The ghostly script provided nothing more than a cursory glow, as if existing was enough for them.


    ¡°Yes, true danger. I can¡¯t help you any more than that.¡± The game master floated back up.


    The platform Lu Na was on tilted backwards as if they were on a sinking boat. She looked down and sure enough, the platform at the bottom was sinking further into the lava. The one she stood on was connected and sank as well.


    ¡°Well, what¡¯s the true danger, girl? You have little time before this platform sinks into the lava as well.¡±


    Lu Na grabbed Elder Hen and yanked him toward her. But he didn¡¯t move. He was too heavy for her. She clenched her left fist and flicked it left, pulling out the stone from their platform so that they had a shelf to stand on with the new orientation. The last thing she needed was for the Elder to roll down into the lava.


    ¡°Fine, fine. Is it because they¡¯re powerful and dangerous?¡± Lu Na answered.


    ¡°No.¡± The game master shook his head.


    The crowd of ghosts booed.


    Lu Na looked up and saw that the ghostly stands were still there, despite the platform physically sinking. How was that possible? Were they even there?


    ¡°Fine, fine, you old monsters,¡± the game master shouted back. ¡°I¡¯ll give you one more hint because they really want to see you make it to the next platform. I¡¯m sure even in your time, you have developed an understanding of what the spirits truly are. Why are they so dangerous to humans?¡±


    The question brought an old memory back to Lu Na. One where she talked with her mother about the secret of the spirits.


    ¡°They¡¯re dangerous because they take human life essence for themselves.¡±


    The game master paused and nodded his head. But when Lu Na said nothing else, he frowned. It was the same disappointment her teachers had when she answered wrong.


    ¡°What else?¡± the ghost asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s something else? We die. Humans die much earlier from them stealing our life essence. Elder Hen is a perfect example of that.¡±


    ¡°That is only a part of it. What else? Think bigger, child.¡±


    Lu Na felt the platform shift again. This time, it was more of a tremble, as if the lava was using the platform like a chopstick to stir itself.


    ¡°Maybe if they take enough spirit energy, they would start murdering us for it. I don¡¯t know.¡± Lu Na was grasping for anything to get this over with.


    The game master now glared at her.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not enough. I¡¯m sorry but you have failed.¡±


    The crowd booed louder. They began pelting the game master with conjured ghostly items. But unlike what happened earlier, these items actually hit the game master. He had to hide and duck behind his own conjured wall.


    ¡°Fine, fine, you bastards. I¡¯ll give her one more chance! I¡¯ll even give her a hint.¡± The game master floated down beside Lu Na and leaned in toward her. It looked almost like he was trying to use her as a shield. ¡°Look child, you should know about the spirit realm and how the spirits there are coming into the human realm. It¡¯s how we bond with spirits here. Why do you think that¡¯s all they do?¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°You mean they haven¡¯t always done that?¡± Lu Na asked.


    The game master shook his head.


    This was new. Lu Na had always thought that the spirits had been there since the beginning of time. She had as much clue as the smartest scholars in the Imperial city to guess how humans came to be in this world, but for the Xia to know that spirits hadn¡¯t always been with them all those years ago was interesting.


    But how could a young miss like her have any clue?


    ¡°You have no clue, huh?¡± The game master sighed. ¡°I had high hopes for you, too.¡±


    Lu Na laughed. It was the first time anyone had high hopes for her, or at least said it aloud. Her father had the least of all.


    Wait, how would her father answer this question?


    ¡°The spirits willingly bond with us because they want our life essence,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°If my spirit was any indication for the general attitude of spirits, then they do it not out of charity, but because they want more of the resources to become powerful. They want to use us humans like food.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so close. But if that¡¯s all, you¡¯ve failed.¡± The game master floated back up into the air.


    ¡°No, there¡¯s more. As with all businesses, spirits want to expand. They want more while giving back as little as possible.¡± Lu Na considered the next part carefully as she thought about why Nugua was so willing to help her. ¡°However, if they didn¡¯t need to give anything back at all, then spirits would take that opportunity. I know my father would if given the chance even if it meant literally killing his competitors.¡±


    ¡°Go on.¡± The game master raised his hands to his chest, his long flowing sleeves rising to meet his body.


    ¡°So the true danger of spirits is if they could somehow make it into the human realm without the need for us humans, they would slaughter us all for our life essence. We would be their cattle.¡±


    The game master clapped his hands.


    ¡°Correct. At least that¡¯s one interpretation of spirits and their actions based on our history with them. And now the final challenge. Are you ready, Young Miss Lu?¡±


    Lu Na looked as the platform shifted below her. No longer were they sinking into the lava, but rising out of it. A whole new stone platform appeared in front of her, allowing her to cross to the other side that was anchored against the wall. The only problem was: who was going to carry Elder Hen?


    ¡°I can¡¯t go there without him,¡± Lu Na pointed at the Elder.


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t promise you that the platform will stay here if you go over there, but I can tell you that if you don¡¯t, you will fall into the lava with him.¡± The game master floated away toward the last platform. He waved his hand and another short pillar rose from the ground.


    Lu Na put her arms underneath the Elder¡¯s shoulders and lifted with all her might, but she couldn¡¯t do much more than move him a few inches before collapsing. If her brother was here or Hen Li or even Sun Ren, they would have moved him. She was too weak.


    Fine, she¡¯ll solve this and save him afterwards. Or maybe she¡¯ll fail and they will both die in this fiery pit of lava, anyway.


    Lu Na crossed the bridge between the platforms to the final small pillar.


    ¡°No obstacles for me to go over for this final test?¡±


    ¡°No, those weren¡¯t that challenging anyway,¡± the game master said.


    ¡°Painful though.¡±


    ¡°The Xia emperor didn¡¯t want to make it too easy for the challengers. Otherwise, the power they would wield might challenge theirs.¡±


    ¡°Pointless now that the Xia dynasty has been gone for two thousand years.¡±


    The game master smirked.


    ¡°That¡¯s not lost on me.¡±


    ¡°So why do you still guard it so selfishly? Your labyrinth has caused not only many deaths over the years but also those very ghosts being trapped within, never able to leave.¡±


    The game master shrugged.


    ¡°Do we truly have any choice in anything in this world? Everything is based on your destiny. I want you to remember that when you get out of here.¡±


    ¡°Are you letting me win?¡±


    The game master laughed. It was a deep, mirthful laugh, as if Lu Na had told him the funniest joke in the world.


    ¡°Oh no, I can¡¯t do that. I have a good feeling that you will succeed. And if you don¡¯t, you¡¯ll still be a ghost that walks these labyrinth halls, as you were always destined to be.¡±


    Lu Na gritted her teeth. That was great advice. If she succeeds, it was destiny. If she fails, it was also destiny. She hated those hucksters who told fortunes to people for that same reason. Everything they said was always vague enough that they were right all the time.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with. What¡¯s the last challenge I have to overcome to get out of here and save my friends?¡±


    ¡°The last challenge is simple. It¡¯s also very personal. It doesn¡¯t require any summoner knowledge at all. One might say¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stop stalling. Not only is the platform sinking again, I know my friends outside are probably fighting the feral spirits again. Just say it.¡± Lu Na clenched her left fist to prepare for whatever might come. If it was a trap that sprang out of the little pillar or the entire platform collapsing, she was going to be ready to save herself.


    ¡°As you wish. The question is simple: Sacrifice the thing most dear to you and you will receive a bounty in return.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean sacrifice the thing most dear to me?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°I have no idea. I don¡¯t know you. But I will tell you that the phoenix spirit before you failed at this test. She wouldn¡¯t sacrifice her children and now she¡¯s stuck at the nexus facing unending pain. She can¡¯t even die at this point.¡±


    Lu Na looked above at the volcano¡¯s opening, picturing in her mind the phoenix and her screech. It was her mother crying for help. Was her mother most dear to her? She came all this way hoping to save her.


    The game master waved his hand, and a moving image popped up in the air above Lu Na. It showed Sun Ren fighting against a large cat spirit with her daggers, her tunic ripped across the back, with blood dripping from it. Hen Li was still unconscious on the floor like his father. The rebels of Yang Deli¡¯s army fighting for their lives.


    ¡°Oh my, you were right. I thought you¡¯d have a little more time. Your friends are dying.¡±


    Lu Na thought maybe it wasn¡¯t her mother but her friends. Would they be the most dear to her?


    That couldn¡¯t be right, though. If she thought for a moment, she barely knew these people. Yes, Sun Ren was her best friend, but she¡¯d known her for less than a year.


    The game master smiled, his crooked teeth showing.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make it easier for you.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what I hold most dear?¡±


    The game master shook his head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the inner workings of a child, much less a lost girl. But the pillar in front of you knows. All you have to do is put your hand on it and it will reveal what you hold most dear.¡±


    Lu Na didn¡¯t like the sound of that. She didn¡¯t trust the game master. It felt like he didn¡¯t want her to succeed and release all the ghosts. Yet he has been truthful this whole time. He hadn¡¯t lied to her.


    Maybe that¡¯s what he was waiting for. This moment to lie to her.


    But what did she have to lose at this point?


    Lu Na placed her hand on the short pillar. The volcano vanished, and light filled the sky.

 Chapter 102 - What Lu Na Holds Most Dear

    Lu Na shielded her eyes with her arms. The blinding light lasted only a short while before it faded. She looked around and saw her home again.


    Lu Na was sitting in her favorite seat within the main hall of the Lu compound. Everything looked exactly as she remembered it before she left home. She hadn¡¯t thought about how much she missed it ever since she left on her journey with Sun Ren.


    But this couldn¡¯t be what she held most dear.


    There were days she couldn¡¯t wait to leave the Lu compound. There were so many things she wanted to do and she felt that this was the place that kept her inside. Her father feared that someone would hurt her. Her second mother feared someone would kidnap and ransom her.


    ¡°Big sis Na Na, let¡¯s go play!¡± a scrawny boy shouted behind her.


    When Lu Na turned, she saw her younger brother, but he was a toddler. He looked like he did back when he was three and super adorable. He still had those chubby cheeks that have disappeared from his face as he grew older.


    ¡°What, Lu Yang? Play where?¡± Lu Na asked. She had a feeling that this was a memory of hers or something the Xia device was trying to show her as the most dear.


    ¡°With Lu Man. He¡¯s playing around the pond again. I want to play too!¡± Lu Yang pulled at Lu Na¡¯s hand, yanking her toward the courtyard.


    Lu Na allowed her younger brother to pull her, but the moment she stood up he disappeared.


    ¡°Lu Man. Where did you go?¡± Lu Na looked toward the courtyard but didn¡¯t see him. She tried to walk to the courtyard, but she couldn¡¯t move.


    No, this wasn¡¯t real.


    ¡°Come on, you Xia device. Show me what I hold most dear. I don¡¯t have time for this.¡± Lu Na wanted to shout and scream.


    ¡°Is that how you address your father?¡± Lu Tien asked. Her father walked into the main hall, dressed in light blues and greens. His face was stern, the same face Lu Na had always remembered stuck to his face like a bad stink. She didn¡¯t know what she ever did to make him have that face every time he saw her.


    ¡°No, father.¡± Lu Na bowed her head. Even if she knew this wasn¡¯t real, she couldn¡¯t help her old habits. Not that being polite would hurt her, anyway.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lu Tien asked. He lifted Lu Na¡¯s head by her chin. His piercing gaze reminded her how much he used to look at her like that, used to care for her.


    ¡°Father, I fear I am lost in the labyrinth. I fear that I¡¯m trapped and will fail this test. I fear I¡¯ll die here.¡± Lu Na couldn¡¯t stop herself from talking. This was the first time she ever said anything true to her father. But this might be the last time.


    ¡°No Na Na, you¡¯re not lost. You have your friends. You have your inventions and those little tricks you play on people all the time. You¡¯re intelligent and you will be fine.¡± Lu Tien released Lu Na¡¯s chin. He smoothed out his robes and walked toward the courtyard. ¡°Please get ready for dinner.¡±


    Before Lu Na could reply, hoping that this wasn¡¯t just another dream, her father had disappeared. Despite her father¡¯s indifferent attitude toward her, Lu Tien had taken care of her and showed her many kindnesses that most other fathers wouldn¡¯t have shown their daughters. It was like he was trying to keep her caged within her home while allowing her to fly around.


    Most of the Young Misses Lu Na knew around the city didn¡¯t have half the privileges she had. Maybe she should stop being so hard on her father.


    Yet he couldn¡¯t be what she held most dear. Lu Na loved her father, but not enough to prize him above all else.


    The main hall shifted like a puff of smoke. The scenery changed and the main hall disappeared.


    Lu Na was now drifting in the middle of a void where she couldn¡¯t see anything around her.


    A bright orange light shone in front of her. It was the size of a candle before it grew larger and larger until it was all Lu Na could see. She had to shield her hands again with her arms. Why is the Xia device trying to blind her?


    ¡°Na Na, finally. I can talk with you.¡±


    Lu Na put her arm down to see a phoenix spirit talking with her.


    ¡°Mother?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not your mother. She¡¯s still stuck in the nexus. I am her spirit. You can call me Feng. I came at her request to help you break through this final challenge.¡±


    Lu Na tried to bow, but since she was hanging in the middle of the air, she didn¡¯t know which way to bend.


    ¡°Thank you for your help with the Wintersweet Sect.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s old news. Look, the Xia game master is devious. He will try to trick you while telling you the truth. For the last challenge, he told your mother to give up the thing most dear and she couldn¡¯t. Even if she knew that what she saw wasn¡¯t real, she couldn¡¯t do it no matter what. That¡¯s why she¡¯s trapped in the nexus. You mustn¡¯t be fooled. Whatever you give up won¡¯t be real.¡±


    Lu Na nodded.


    ¡°Thank you for your advice.¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Feng screeched like she was in pain. Blood red tears rolled down its face.


    ¡°I can¡¯t stay any longer. Remember, give it whatever it wants!¡±


    Just as quickly as before, the phoenix spirit disappeared in a puff of smoke. The main hall of the Lu compound came back. Lu Na stood on solid ground again.


    The game master appeared in front of her in the main hall.


    ¡°That pesky phoenix is still trying to interfere. No matter, that should banish her for the next thousand years.¡±


    ¡°Venerable game master, it is nice to see you. Are you here to help me with my challenge?¡± Lu Na cupped her hands and bowed at the waist.


    ¡°Oh no, I¡¯m only here to stop that spirit from interfering. Well, that and to tell you that your time is running out. What is your answer? What are you willing to give up to solve this challenge?¡±


    The game master waved his hand, and Lu Na¡¯s family appeared before her. Her father, her younger brothers, her older brother Fengxian, her mother and even her second mother were there. They all smiled at her.


    Sun Ren stood in her beautiful butterfly dress from the last night they had back in the Lu compound, surrounded by her women bodyguards all dressed in red.


    Finally, Nugua stood at the center of them all, smiling at Lu Na with those wicked sharp teeth. Her hands held onto the yellow wards that Lu Na has made.


    ¡°So what will you give up?¡± the game master asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s something you¡¯re not telling me. What is it?¡± Lu Na asked back.


    The game master frowned.


    ¡°That stupid phoenix told you, didn¡¯t she? Well, there¡¯s no reason for me to hide it from you. Whatever you decide to give up, the labyrinth can¡¯t take from you directly. It will worm its way into whatever or wherever it needs to be to take it. Take your mother, for example, she gave you up and now here you are.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    The game master looked surprised.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t know? The previous contestant, your mother, reached the same stage you are in. She will give up anything and everything in order to get the Xia device. You were among those things.¡±


    ¡°But it wasn¡¯t enough.¡±


    The game master smiled. The infuriating, self-satisfying smile that Lu Na hated with every passing moment. Why do all ghosts have that? First Zi Xu, now this guy. Was it all they practiced as ghosts?


    ¡°Oh no, that¡¯s never enough,¡± the game master said. ¡°The labyrinth is hungry for more, much more than that.¡±


    That gave her an idea. Lu Na thought for a moment. What was something she held dear? Something that was large enough for the labyrinth to gorge itself on.


    The monkey king came to mind. Before, he was merely a myth in history until she actually met him. If the stories were even half true, then the monkey king caused a lot of problems for cardinal beasts. It caused large swaths of destruction and upended the entire world within the story.


    What if Lu Na did something similar and promised the labyrinth the results?


    ¡°I know what I can give up to the labyrinth. I give up my sense of peace and safety. I promise the labyrinth and the Xia creators here and now that if I get whatever prize it offers, I will bring it the chaos it so desires.¡±


    There was dead silence in the volcano. It was saying something as ghosts surrounded them. Even the bubbling lava below seemed muted.


    ¡°That¡¯s the first time I heard that answer,¡± the game master said.


    ¡°Was that the right answer?¡± Lu Na asked.


    The game master laughed.


    ¡°No. Not even close.¡±


    The entire crowd jeered at the answer. They began booing and throwing things at the game master.


    The game master turned toward the crowd and waved his hands. The entire crowd of ghosts froze in place. The debris and items that they threw also froze in midair.


    ¡°Your answer doesn¡¯t align at all with the labyrinth. And since I¡¯m being generous, I¡¯ll give you another chance. I¡¯ll give you a different question to answer: If you had the power to subjugate all spirits, what would you do?¡±


    The air around the volcano changed. It became cooler, as if someone opened a window within.


    ¡°I would seal them all away so that they wouldn¡¯t harm humans anymore.¡± Lu Na answered without thinking. It was how she felt ever since she found out what they did. To take human life essence to form their powers meant they lived miserably short lives despite having unnatural power. It also meant that people could no longer abuse their spirits in order to overpower others.


    ¡°That¡¯s not bad. But what does you partner have to say about that?¡± The game master shot a beam of yellow light into Elder Hen from his hand.


    In seconds, Elder Hen sat up, scratched his head, and looked around.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Welcome back,¡± the game master said. ¡°Since it was my fault for forcing you to use the remaining spirit energy, you had to escape the previous platform, I thought I¡¯d give you back some. You and Young Miss Lu have made it to the last challenge. All you have to do is answer a simple question and the labyrinth will determine if you¡¯re worthy.¡±


    Elder Hen stretched and yawned as if he just had a nap.


    ¡°I¡¯ll answer whatever you want, venerable ghost. I just wish I had some water or something.¡±


    The game master made a fist with his right hand. A large bowl of water appeared in front of Elder Hen. As far as Lu Na could tell with her spirit vision, it was pure water. How did he do it with no spirit technique? More importantly, how did he do it as a ghost?


    Elder Hen nodded his thanks before drinking the entire bowl of water.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid he might poison it?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°If he wanted us dead, he could have at any time. There¡¯s something preventing him from killing us. Isn¡¯t that right venerable ghost?¡± Elder Hen wiped his mouth with his sleeve. ¡°Why else revive a dying man?¡±


    ¡°You are perceptive for a child,¡± the game master said. ¡°He is right. I can¡¯t outright kill you. Anyway, back to the final question of the game. If you both agree, then you two will be judged based on your answer.¡±


    Elder Hen stretched a little more, cracking his neck and knuckles.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°What is the true danger of spirits?¡± the game master repeated.


    ¡°That¡¯s it? They kill humans for their energy. That¡¯s not a secret. In exchange, we get magnificent powers. It¡¯s a fair trade.¡±


    ¡°Oh sorry, wrong question. Lu Na already answered that. The actual last question is: If you had the power to subjugate all spirits, what would you do?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an easier one. I¡¯d use it to reform the world to make it better for the next generation. And if you¡¯re talking about all spirits, then I would make sure they are of more use to humans. For the cost of our life essence, it¡¯s the least they could do.¡±


    ¡°It seems that your answers don¡¯t match. Talk among yourselves and come back to me with your united answer.¡± The game master conjured a table with wooden slats on it. He took one and began reading from it.


    ¡°What did you say, Young Miss Lu?¡± Elder Hen asked.


    ¡°I¡¯d seal them forever so they would stop endangering humans. That would be the best way.¡± At least that¡¯s what Lu Na thought. Without such a powerful imbalance in the world, there would be less suffering by those in power.


    ¡°We can¡¯t do that. That would take away all those opportunities for people.¡±


    ¡°And who¡¯s to say that the spirits would allow you to seal them away,¡± the game master added.


    ¡°I thought you were leaving this decision to us,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°Elder Hen, do you believe that having these powers is worth more than your own son? If he never developed these powers and bonded with Bifang Niao, he would have lived a normal, healthy life.¡±


    Elder Hen didn¡¯t respond. How could he? From what Lu Na could tell, he had already lost his son. What would he give to have him back again?


    ¡°No, I would give up my son if it meant prosperity for everyone. I still think spirits are a tool for good in this world,¡± Elder Hen said. He clenched his left fist and his horse spirit appeared. ¡°I can¡¯t let you make the wrong choice. You¡¯re too young. I¡¯m sorry Young Miss Lu.¡±

 Chapter 103 - Final Challenge

    Lu Na was ready for this. She already had her left fist clenched and called up the strongest stone wall she could while simultaneously pushing out with it as well.


    The floor rose to meet Elder Hen¡¯s horse spirit. Its hooves clashed against the stone while pushing it back.


    Lu Na held back and instead wrapped Elder Hen up in a box of stone created from her null metal bracelet. She didn¡¯t want to kill the man by dropping him into the lava, for his son helped her many times.


    It was unneeded.


    The stone box exploded into large fragments as Fengma exploded out its cage.


    Lu Na barely had time to raise up another earth wall from the ground they stood on.


    It blocked the fragments but caused another problem: the entire platform they stood on collapsed under their weight.


    Lu Na held onto the small pillar at the center of the platform. She couldn¡¯t twist her left hand to call up any more support, not that it would have helped, anyway. The only earth that was around her was now falling away into the lava.


    Elder Hen rode his horse spirit down onto the previous platform. He looked like he was about to jump up again, but the platform shook heavily. It swayed back and forth, forcing him to dismiss his spirit. Once he did, the platform stabilized.


    It must have been from Fengma¡¯s weight.


    ¡°Well, that didn¡¯t turn out the way I hoped,¡± the game master said. He floated down right above the stone pillar that Lu Na held onto. His right foot stood on his tippy toes right onto the pillar itself. ¡°I guess you get to answer it the way you want to. Except, there¡¯s another bit I forgot to mention.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Tell me what it is,¡± Lu Na screamed. She was slipping despite holding onto the stone pillar with both hands.


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. The full question that you have to answer on this last pillar is: What would you give up in order to subjugate all spirits in this world?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Lu Na slipped, but caught onto the very lip of the disintegrating platform. She pulled herself up until she rested uncomfortably on the remaining edge of the platform. Somehow, it held up her weight.


    ¡°I won¡¯t repeat the question again.¡± The game master floated back up into the air. ¡°But I will tell you this much. Your mother was offered the same question. She failed.¡±


    Lu Na struggled up all the way until she perched on the remains of the stone platform. It connected to a small portion of the wall and shook every time Lu Na moved.


    She was safe for the moment.


    What would she give up for this power? The ability to subjugate all spirits also meant the ability to seal them away as she answered. Yet the allure of having that power would allow her to change the world for the better, as Elder Hen said. The people in charge rarely ever had the people they led in mind when deciding.


    Lu Na could be the one in charge.


    ¡°I will give up whatever it takes to have this.¡±


    ¡°Excellent. All you have to do is press the stone pillar and purge everyone here. The phoenix spirit in the nexus would die, your friends outside of the secret door would die, and specially assigned spirits will hunt down everyone in your family and household, starting with your parents and brothers.¡±


    The game master said that with such wistfulness that it made Lu Na pause.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding right?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. You¡¯re willing to give up anything for the power. Press the button. Everyone that matters to you will die and you will have power.¡± The game master floated down until he sat next to Lu Na. ¡°It¡¯s a simple thing. Everyone wants power to do what they want. No one wants to be weak. You most of all. You haven¡¯t had the power to decide what you want to do ever since you¡¯ve been born, I bet.¡±


    Lu Na nodded. Even this quest to save her mother was thrust upon her from forces out of her control.


    Would it be worth it, though?


    ¡°Best part is, with this power you can make the emperor and the rebels outside of the labyrinth stop fighting each other, causing people to kill each other, children to starve and much worse for many others. You have the power to do it. Just press the button.¡±


    ¡°But it means killing everyone I love. I can¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re all going to die anyway if you don¡¯t press that button. Why waste their sacrifice? Press the button and you can save so many more.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Your mother didn¡¯t want to either. She didn¡¯t want you to die or suffer as she¡¯s suffering now. That¡¯s why she¡¯s trapped in the nexus, having her soul ripped apart by the labyrinth.¡±


    Lu Na felt an icy chill running down her spine. She wrapped her arms around herself. Where was this cold coming from?


    It was the game master.


    This was the first time the old ghost was so close to her. It felt like those times the other ghosts tried to attack her mind.


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    ¡°No, get away from me you monster,¡± Lu Na said. It barely came out as a whisper.


    ¡°No one can save you now. Only you can save yourself. Press the button and you¡¯ll be free to do what you want.¡± The game master had his hand on top of Lu Na¡¯s. It was freezing.


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t.¡± Lu Na clenched her left fist and flicked it left. She pulled the remaining stone from the platform until it created a tiny platform for her to sit on. At most, she could only get half her butt cheek to sit on it. It also pulled the stone away from the stone pillar with the button on it.


    The only thing left was a small device below the blinking metal button. With one look, Lu Na knew what she was looking at.


    A bomb.


    If Lu Na had pressed the button, the device would have gone off and killed her. After a closer look, it probably would have leveled the volcano and everything within.


    ¡°You knew it was a bomb, didn¡¯t you?¡± Lu Na asked the game master.


    The game master shrugged and floated right on top of the button, sitting on it as if it was a chair.


    ¡°My task was never to allow you to leave here alive. All those obstacles, pain, and torture you went through were interesting, though.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m done playing your games. How do we end this?¡± Lu Na took out her small identifying tool. She carefully placed it near the device to see what else it could do other than explode.


    ¡°All these centuries, I never expected to find an inventor standing before me,¡± the game master said. ¡°Well no, there was one early on that thought he was so smart. He pressed the button anyway.¡±


    ¡°Wait, there¡¯s more to this than just a bomb.¡± Lu Na pulled her identifying tool back. It showed her it held another device within that activated something else. It couldn¡¯t tell her what it was, though.


    Lu Na was frustrated. She wanted to throw the tool down into the lava. When she got out of there, she was going to develop a better tool to determine what these things did.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m assuming you still have to answer my questions or continue this test, right ghost?¡±


    The game master laughed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to do anything. I¡¯m not even supposed to be here. You know the thing I hate the most? It wasn¡¯t being trapped here, but those insufferable and disrespectful Xia officials that thought it better to seal away the spirits rather than respect them for the gods they are. That¡¯s why I took over this role to stop anyone from ever succeeding. So no, you are the last person I would ever help.¡±


    That explained a lot. One misstep or mistake during the obstacle and she could have easily died. Yet there was something that bothered her.


    ¡°That can¡¯t be true. If that was, you never would have summoned Elder Hen here to help me. Without him, I would have failed.¡± Lu Na peered down at the Elder who was meditating peacefully below. ¡°No, you must be following a certain set of rules or otherwise you would have killed me at the start of this obstacle.¡±


    The ghost floated down and stood beside Lu Na. The cold seeped back into Lu Na, freezing her from the inside. It felt like someone reaching into her chest to grab her heart.


    ¡°You na?ve little girl. You¡¯re right, I don¡¯t control any of this. But you¡¯re forgetting something. I¡¯m already dead. This was nothing more than entertainment to me.¡±


    The game master smiled wide, showing the gap in his teeth, before diving right into Lu Na.


    The world turned black, and her entire body was at once burning on fire and freezing. Lu Na couldn¡¯t move. It was like ropes being tied all around her.


    Then her hand moved up to her own throat on their own.


    ¡°This is going to be fun. I never killed one of you as a ghost before,¡± the game master¡¯s voice said inside her head.


    Lu Na couldn¡¯t breathe. Slowly, she was choking herself to death. It was the worst thing she ever experienced. She couldn¡¯t see her attacker. She couldn¡¯t stop herself. It was worse than being inside the Wintersweet Ancestor¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Press the button.¡± The game master¡¯s hand grabbed hers, pulling her toward the button.


    Lu Na wanted to give in. She wanted to let go because her other hand was still choking her.


    A phoenix cry sounded in her head. A warmth spread through her body, pushing against the cold of the game master¡¯s touch.


    Lu Na could feel the grip on her throat loosening. She pulled her hand back down, away from her own throat and away from the button. But that¡¯s all she could do.


    ¡°Young Miss Lu, you¡¯re going to be the death of me,¡± Zi Xu said. His voice sounded so far away.


    The cold came back. Lu Na felt Zi Xu pushing at the game master.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do this! I¡¯m in control here,¡± the game master shrieked.


    ¡°I¡¯m a welcomed ghost, unlike you. Isn¡¯t that right, Young Miss Lu?¡± Zi Xu asked.


    Lu Na didn¡¯t want either of these ghosts taking control of her body, but she had to choose. The ghost that wanted to kill her or the ghost that has helped her in the past. It wasn¡¯t a hard choice.


    In moments, the familiar weight of Zi Xu¡¯s ghost rested in Lu Na¡¯s mind. She could move again.


    ¡°I¡¯m too tired to do any more. Beat this challenge or we all die here.¡±


    Zi Xu¡¯s voice faded away as if he breathed his last.


    The moment Lu Na could move again, she collapsed onto her small little platform, choking for air. She still felt the faded pressure from her own fingers around her throat.


    Lu Na pulled out her silver phoenix hairpin. She didn¡¯t have her spirit wand, so she needed anything that could do and this was the closest thing she had. With a wave, she gathered spirit energy at the tip of the pin, forming an edge.


    With a quick slice, she cut the bomb from the device. The pillar button would not explode anymore.


    This only left one thing. She had to push the button.


    From what Lu Na could tell, it was a complex device that could still go wrong. And then an idea hit her. She reached inside her chest pocket.


    The manual ghost Jie gave her might have an idea.


    Lu Na flipped through the book, trying to find anything that resembled the device in front of her. She flipped page after page, trying to find anything that looked remotely like it.


    A moving image appeared in front of her. It showed Sun Ren and the rest of the rebels being pressed against the door.


    ¡°Your friends are running out of time. Push the button already, end this. I know I¡¯m done and over this,¡± the game master said. He stood near the moving image, no where near Lu Na this time.


    Lu Na hovered her hand over the button. The game master was right. She had no other choice. Either end this now or watch as her best friend died to feral spirits.


    A small glow from her chest pocket stopped her.


    Lu Na reached in and pulled out Jie¡¯s key. She had forgotten she had this. This came from her boar spirit that spoke with her. Before her rampage, she told Lu Na that she trusted her to complete the test and free them all. Was this what she meant?


    Lu Na brought the key close to the device. It glowed brighter.


    ¡°Where did you get that?¡± the game master asked.


    Lu Na reached forward until the key touched the pillar¡¯s button. The glow disappeared, replaced by a quick flash. It blinded her for a second, before the key was not glowing anymore.


    The pillar device changed. It shifted until it opened a small slot.


    Lu Na pushed the key into the slot and the pillar¡¯s button glowed blue. Then green. Then red. Finally, it stopped on white.


    A voice came from it, speaking in that old language that Jie spoke.


    Lu Na did not know what it meant. Did that mean it was done? Did it mean it was ready?


    She looked for the game master, but he was gone. In fact, all the other ghosts below them in the audience were gone. The Wintersweet disciples were gone too.


    ¡°Press¡­ the button¡­ already,¡± Zi Xu said.


    Lu Na hesitated only for a second before pushing the button.


    The volcano rumbled below as the lava bubbled and frothed. It shot up toward the platform, narrowly missing Lu Na and Elder Hen below her.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on Zi Xu?¡± Lu Na asked.


    No answer.

 Chapter 104 - Finally Over?

    Lu Na clenched her left fist, bringing Elder Hen¡¯s platform up to meet her own, combining the two. With another flick of her wrist, she turned the stone platforms into a boat. If they crashed down into the lava, at least they¡¯d be safe.


    ¡°Not sure how long this will last, Elder Hen. Do you have any ideas?¡±


    Elder Hen reached into his chest pocket and took out a small ceramic vial the size of a teacup. He uncorks the top and downs whatever was inside in one gulp.


    ¡°This is the last one I have,¡± Elder Hen said.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°Spiritual alcohol. The most expensive thing any summoner can buy.¡±


    Before Lu Na could ask him what it did, Elder Hen¡¯s spirit energy soared. It was the same with Hen Li in the tea shop in Jie¡¯s village. The spirit energy pulled Lu Na down to the bottom of the boat with such force that she couldn¡¯t stand.


    Elder Hen summoned Fengma, his horse spirit. It settled into the center of the boat, shaking it. After a few seconds, the boat broke free from the small pieces of stone that held it to the side of the volcano.


    ¡°It¡¯s too heavy. We¡¯re going to sink!¡± Lu Na said through clenched teeth.


    The boat splashed down against the lava, but none of it came into the boat. Despite all the bubbling around them, the boat was calm. It didn¡¯t move.


    Lu Na sat up and looked around. The volcano was still roiling beneath them, but somehow they weren¡¯t affected. There was no way the stone boat she made was that good.


    Elder Hen pointed toward a large hole in the volcano''s side where the lava was rushing out of. The boat lurched forward toward the hole. It rode the wave of lava as if it was a boat on the ocean.


    The trio blew past the hole and landed on the other side. They didn¡¯t stop there as the boat kept moving over the land.


    This must have been Elder Hen¡¯s technique.


    Lu Na used her spirit vision to look at the technique. It was a fascinating blend of a technique she saw her brother used to move the earth below while it combined with another technique that changed the earth into something more durable than lava.


    ¡°This technique is amazing.¡±


    Elder Hen smiled for a second before losing his composure. He spat blood onto the boat and held onto his chest. The boat didn¡¯t stop. It kept moving.


    ¡°Elder Hen, you can stop now. We¡¯re safe,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°No, I can sense a horde of feral spirits right behind us. I don¡¯t know why that crummy ghost won¡¯t leave us alone, but if I stop now, we¡¯re both going to die.¡±


    Lu Na looked back toward the volcano. Sure enough, a horde of feral spirits, mostly large cats, were rushing toward them. Out in front was one that she recognized.


    ¡°These are the same feral spirits from within the labyrinth. Are we still inside?¡±


    Elder Hen coughed more blood onto the ground and got to his knees. He kept his right hand pointing toward another familiar sight: the labyrinth¡¯s wall.


    The familiar yellow stone was just up ahead. It had a large opening right in front.


    ¡°When we reach the hole, jump out and run,¡± Elder Hen said.


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not long for this world. If the least I do before I die is save my son¡¯s friend, then that will be worth it.¡± Elder Hen spat out more blood. The blood was glowing orange.


    There had to be something Lu Na could do. The only thing she could think about was the spiritual bandage she used on Nugua. Would that work on Elder Hen?


    Lu Na used her spirit vision technique to focus on Elder Hen. No matter how hard she looked, she could only see a normal man. There was nothing she could do to fix him or heal him.


    Wait, he had been coughing blood. Maybe the injury was in his chest?


    Lu Na walked around Elder Hen and focused on his chest, right around where his spirit realm would be. A dull yellow glow pulsed against his purple tunic. It leaked like an open wound, but instead of blood spirit energy came out.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Elder Hen asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to heal you.¡± Lu Na took out her silver phoenix hairpin and a sheet of yellow paper. She created the same pattern she used for Nugua¡¯s bandages. With a small fold, she activated it.


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    Lu Na placed the bandage over Elder Hen¡¯s chest, watching as her technique sink deep into his chest toward the wound. It wrapped around the wound, covering it up like a blanket over a child.


    Elder Hen dropped his hand down and clutched his chest. Fengma disappeared and the boat lurched to a complete stop.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± Elder Hen gasped before collapsing onto the boat.


    To Lu Na¡¯s relief, the wound stopped leaking spirit energy and Elder Hen looked stable.


    To her horror, the feral spirits had now surrounded the boat.


    Lu Na looked up to see how close they were to the hole, but in the end they couldn¡¯t make it. She clenched her left fist while trying to cycle away the dense spirit energy in her null metal bracelet. There was no way she could drain it enough to use it again. The burning bracelet had a burned meat smell coming off the leather wrap.


    Anymore, and it would be her meat that was burning.


    ¡°Why won¡¯t you all leave me alone? I beat all the obstacles,¡± Lu Na told the lead cat spirit.


    The cat spirit opened its mouth, showing off all the sharp teeth. A stench like overripe fruit came from it.


    It didn¡¯t talk. It only growled.


    ¡°Fine, then we do this the hard way.¡± Lu Na flicked her wrist left, hoping to form a strong earth wall around her. It was the only thing she could do.


    Nothing happened beside the boat rocking a little.


    Lu Na flicked her wrist again and again, pushing the mental image of the earth dome she wanted to create around herself.


    Nothing.


    The cat spirit lunged at Lu Na with its long sharp claws out, forcing her to cower over Elder Hen. She knew it was pointless trying to defend the unconscious man, but it was the only thing she could think of.


    The cat hit an invisible wall and bounced off.


    A phoenix screech pierced the relative quiet of the labyrinth.


    All the feral spirits dashed away from the boat.


    Up above Lu Na, a growing warmth pushed down on her. When she looked up, the phoenix spirit flew down toward her. It was the same phoenix spirit that helped her at the Wintersweet compound.


    When it landed, it bowed its head to Lu Na.


    ¡°Thank you for rescuing me,¡± the phoenix said. It had a deep female voice that sounded soothing like the ocean.


    ¡°Is it over?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°I apologize little one, but no. We must go save your friends before they¡¯re overrun by the feral spirits. Your mother has stemmed the tide, but they¡¯re being pushed by the ghosts. We must hurry. Come, ride on my back.¡±


    ¡°What about Elder Hen?¡±


    The phoenix spirit looked down at the old man. It lowered its beak close to his face before touching his chest. A spark of orange entered his chest, right where the bandage was.


    Even without Lu Na¡¯s spirit technique, she saw the dull yellow of his spirit realm turn bright orange for a second before becoming a solid yellow. It pulsed against the bandage, but it didn¡¯t break it.


    ¡°He should be alright now,¡± the phoenix said. ¡°I¡¯ve also put a temporary barrier around the boat. We must hurry. Your mother is weak.¡±


    Lu Na didn¡¯t hesitate to climb onto the back of the phoenix. With one flap of her wings, the phoenix rose high into the sky of the labyrinth. For the first time, Lu Na could see the outline of the labyrinth from the air.


    It was amazing. The top floor was a literal maze with many paths and routes toward the center that had teleported her. Feral spirits lounged around in some of these hallways, while many more sprinted toward the last remaining humans near the center.


    Lu Na recognized the corner that they were on with the goat spirit that charged them. Or was it a deer? She couldn¡¯t recognize it from this high up but if they chose a different route, the horde of feral spirits would have trampled them right around the corner.


    The phoenix flew down to the center and landed in front of the rebels. With one flap of its wings, the phoenix blew the feral spirits back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me kill you all.¡± The phoenix stood up on its legs, taller than any of the gathered spirits or men.


    The feral spirits backed off from the rebels and slunk back into the hallways of the maze. Only three large cat spirits stood at the front. Their bodies glowed green but the fresh blood smeared all over their bodies made them look like monsters.


    A woman walked up to the phoenix. She had a torn tunic and her hair flowed around her shoulder. She reached up with a calloused hand to the phoenix. When she touched the wing of the phoenix, she glowed a light red-orange.


    ¡°Na Na, you¡¯ve grown.¡± It was her mother¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Mother? How did you get free?¡±


    ¡°You beat the test. The labyrinth has finally released its hold on everything.¡± Her mother pulled on the phoenix¡¯s wing. In a moment, she teleported onto the back, right behind Lu Na.


    For the first time in years, her mother hugged Lu Na. The phoenix¡¯s power enveloped her, yet Lu Na felt no pain. She only felt the same comfort she remembered all those years ago when her mother hugged her for the last time.


    Tears rolled down Lu Na¡¯s cheeks, sizzling away from the phoenix¡¯s heat.


    Her heart ached.


    Her mother was back.


    She turned around and hugged her back, nuzzling her face into her shoulder. Lu Na had grown taller while her mother had grown thinner, making the embrace awkward. Nothing mattered.


    At least until the feral spirits roared.


    ¡°Oh hush you,¡± Chen Su said. Lu Na¡¯s mother waved her hand in front of her and a large flame wall rose from the ground, separating the feral spirits. ¡°Let me go deal with them and then I¡¯ll come back to you.¡±


    Lu Na didn¡¯t want to let her mother go, but she teleported to the ground before she could react. How did her mother do that?


    Meanwhile, Sun Ren limped over to Lu Na with her daggers in her palms.


    ¡°Is it over?¡±


    ¡°I think so,¡± Lu Na said. She embraced her friend, ignoring all the daggers that she had on her.


    Sun Ren broke from Lu Na¡¯s embrace before turning toward Yang Deli and his rebels.


    ¡°Captain Yang, set up camp and send out any medics you have.¡±


    Yang Deli narrowed his eyes within his iron helmet. He gritted his teeth before cupping his hand and bowing to Sun Ren.


    ¡°Yes, of course. But we need to discuss our arrangement later.¡±


    Sun Ren ignored him and turned toward Lu Na.


    ¡°Na Na, I¡¯m too tired to stand. Help me monitor him and if he gets too close to me, kill him.¡±


    Before Lu Na could respond, Sun Ren collapsed onto her. It took Lu Na every ounce of strength to hold on to her friend and stop her from hitting the floor.


    Lu Na watched as her mother negotiated with the feral spirits. She couldn¡¯t do much more than ensure that Sun Ren was safe. That wasn¡¯t hard when the phoenix spirit stood watch over them.


    When her mother finished, she returned and sat down beside Lu Na.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home, Na Na,¡± Chen Su said.


    ¡°Can we finally leave?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Chen Su nodded.


    ¡°You can¡¯t leave just yet,¡± Zi Xu said.


    An entire army of ghosts appeared around the humans, plunging the temperature down. Even with her mother¡¯s phoenix right next to her, Lu Na felt the chill in her bones.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why can¡¯t we leave? I thought I beat the test,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°You can¡¯t leave that easily.¡± Zi Xu walked forward, his previous haggard appearance gone. That same smile he had on when he first met them plastered on his face.

 Chapter 105 - History Lesson

    Lu Na took a deep breath. She clenched her left fist and brought up her null metal bracelet. She knew that nothing she could do would stop these ghosts from overwhelming her, but she had to do something.


    Chen Su was not much help. She had fallen asleep beside Sun Ren, also leaning against Lu Na. When did she become a pillow?


    Zi Xu cupped his hands together and made a deep bow. Behind him, all the ghosts did the same thing. Even the noble ghost Farida bowed to her.


    ¡°You have finally released us. We are free to leave this place and move on. Thank you, Young Miss Lu.¡±


    All the ghosts behind Zi Xu disappeared except for Farida. The noble ghost walked up to Lu Na and embraced her.


    Lu Na¡¯s heart stopped for a second before it pumped furiously after.


    ¡°As promised, I have released all your allies. They should be in the level below. I will miss you. I really wanted to play with your ghost, but maybe one day you¡¯ll come back here to die?¡±


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re not leaving?¡± Lu Na asked.


    The noble ghost laughed, her green eyes sparkling.


    ¡°I would never subject myself to the rules of this land, nor mine ever again. I¡¯m a ghost with power and servants. Why would I ever abandon that? But know that if you ever come back to the labyrinth, I¡¯ll welcome you with open arms.¡±


    Farida disappeared. She left no trace of anything except for the lingering cold from the hug. It made Lu Na shiver.


    Zi Xu walked up to Lu Na.


    ¡°Unlike that foolish ghost, I won¡¯t hug you. I know how you humans feel when we¡¯re close by and I think I spent enough time inhabiting your body to know how weird it is. But I¡¯m not going either. I¡¯ll be staying around to make sure the labyrinth is a safer place.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to do the same thing as Farida, aren¡¯t you?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Zi Xu floated into the air with his smile.


    ¡°Of course. Why else stay here for so long and keep my sanity? The next time you see me, I will be the new king of ghosts. But before then, I¡¯ll go have a look outside.¡±


    Zi Xu kept floating until he breached the ceiling.


    Lu Na breathed a sigh of relief. Her shoulders sagged. At least until she felt the same cold hitting her again.


    ¡°What now? Can¡¯t I get a moment of peace?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t want your prize for beating the test? I can reset the labyrinth and allow another challenger to come claim the prize in two thousand years,¡± the game master said. The ghost appeared in front of Lu Na, this time dressed in a long, flowing black robe and a headdress with jade beads in front of it.


    The phoenix spirit squawked when it saw the game master, forcing Lu Na to cover her ears.


    ¡°Why are you back? I thought you¡¯d be the first to run away from this place.¡± Lu Na leaned against her mother and friend.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to give you your reward. Now bow down and show your respect.¡± The game master stood tall with his back straight, posing with his arms in front of him as if he was about to meet an enemy or a head of state.


    Lu Na couldn¡¯t hold back her anger anymore.


    ¡°What do you mean bow down? You¡¯ve been trying to kill me on that stupid obstacle course this whole time. You held back information and tried to trick me. There is no way I¡¯m bowing down to you.¡±


    ¡°Not even for the coveted Xia device? The one that would allow you to subjugate all spirits in this world and the spirit realm?¡±


    Lu Na opened her mouth only to close it again. Was this ghost serious? Or was this another trick of his? Wait, he did claim that he never lied.


    ¡°If you¡¯re serious about giving me the Xia device, then I will bow down. But show me it first.¡±


    The game master scoffed.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been so offended in my life or ghost life. Fine, I will show you exactly what thousands of people over the last two thousand years have tried to get, but failed.¡± The game master reached into his chest pocket and pulled out a small box.


    ¡°How do I know that¡¯s not something you conjured, like the food and the tables?¡± Lu Na asked. She was taking no chances. As far as she can tell, even if she didn¡¯t get whatever the prize was, just by being free was already a bonus for her. She expected to die. If this ghost was going to play another trick on her and get her killed, then it wouldn¡¯t be worth anything in the world. Ultimate power means nothing if you¡¯re dead.


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    The game master sighed.


    ¡°Zi Xu, get back here now.¡±


    Zi Xu appeared in front of the game master. He had on a smile like he had just won the greatest game in the world. He looked like he gained some color from wherever he just was as his hair shone brighter.


    ¡°I was just enjoying the sun outside. What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Tell her that what I hold is the prize from the labyrinth. It¡¯s not something I conjured.¡± The game master showed the box to Zi Xu.


    ¡°That¡¯s real,¡± Zi Xu said. ¡°Now can I go back to my sun?¡±


    ¡°No, explain it to her so that she doesn¡¯t think we¡¯re trying to trick her. I don¡¯t have time for this, as I have other matters that I have ignored for thousands of years.¡±


    Zi Xu cupped his hands and bowed.


    ¡°As you wish, King Jie.¡±


    The game master dropped the box into Zi Xu¡¯s hands and disappeared.


    ¡°Jie? But I thought Jie was a woman ghost in that small village,¡± Lu Na said.


    Zi Xu held the box in his palms as if it was the most valuable thing in the world. He slowly set it down on Lu Na¡¯s lap.


    ¡°That woman you met is his daughter. He was the last emperor of the Xia dynasty. In life, he was a tyrant and caused the fall of the Xia dynasty. So his punishment was to be thrown in here, along with his family. So when he became a ghost, he tried so very hard to live up to the ideal of how a true emperor should behave.¡±


    Zi Xu laughed, covering his mouth with his hand.


    ¡°It was too much at first because he threw me in here as punishment. To see him in here, struggling so hard to get out and absolutely powerless, was the best thing in my life. He was given the sad appointment of ensuring the labyrinth kept running because he was the direct descendant to the emperor who built the labyrinth.¡±


    ¡°And this?¡± Lu Na picked up the box. It was really light and a small object jingled inside.


    ¡°That¡¯s the whole reason for this labyrinth. There were many emperors and kings that contemplated the purpose and goal of spirits and how they relate to humans. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of many of the myths and legends.¡±


    Lu Na nodded.


    ¡°There¡¯s one that you probably never heard of. The prophecy is that the spirits will one day open the portal between the human realm and the spirit realm to devour us all.¡± Zi Xu laughed. ¡°Well, you living people anyway. I¡¯m already dead.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not any more scary than what they¡¯re already doing,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Yes, but you see humans still have free will and ownership of their lives. When they come over, they will slaughter us and enslave the rest for their own food. Dying is one thing, but living as a sheep or chicken?¡±


    ¡°So what does this Xia device have to do with anything?¡±


    ¡°Open it. With your technical knowledge of the Xia devices, you should have an idea what it can do.¡±


    Lu Na opened the box, and a heavy odor escaped. It was a mix between really damp clothes that were never dried properly and salted fish. She coughed from the smell.


    Inside the box was a small ring, one that could fit a slim finger. Lu Na picked it up and was tempted to put it on her finger until she used her spirit vision to really look at the device.


    Patterns lit up on the ring, smaller than the smallest ones she could ever etch onto her own null metal bracelet. The ring itself was not made from null metal.


    From what she could gather, the patterns told her that the technique opened or closed the way to another dimension. It was like the puzzle door, except this one didn¡¯t need a key.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell what it does exactly, but the applications of something like this are huge,¡± Lu Na said, more to herself than anything.


    ¡°Yes, and now you have the power to use it as you see fit,¡± Zi Xu said. ¡°However, I would advise you to keep it away from everyone until you¡¯ve mastered it. Once you do, no one in this realm or the spirit realm can stop you. I would dare say, not even ghosts can stop you.¡±


    ¡°Why did the Xia make this?¡±


    Zi Xu shrugged.


    ¡°I think one of the earlier Xia emperors feared the spirits so much that they thought having them sealed away would be better for humanity than having their powers. He wouldn¡¯t be wrong with the state of the world. Spirits might have caused the wars over the last two thousand years and so many deaths.¡±


    Lu Na nodded, still mesmerized by the patterns. They showed a complexity that she had never seen before. How could something this powerful be created by humans?


    ¡°Well, my job is done here. I¡¯ll see you around. I hope you do come by and visit this old ghost once in a while.¡±


    Lu Na looked up at Zi Xu, but he had already disappeared.


    ¡°Thank for everything.¡± Lu Na cupped her hands and bowed at the waist.


    ¡°It looks like you have something precious there,¡± Yang Deli said. The man with the iron helmet stood beside Lu Na, making her flinch. ¡°Oh don¡¯t worry about me. I can¡¯t touch you nor harm you or your friend here. Not with the phoenix spirit staring me down.¡±


    The phoenix radiated warmth at those words. But it didn¡¯t take a powerful summoner to tell that the spirit was in a weakened state. Any sufficiently well rested summoner could probably put it down at this point.


    ¡°Thank you for your concern,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not concern I¡¯m here to give. I just want what¡¯s mine and me and my men will be on our way.¡± Yang Deli unsheathed a dagger and approached Lu Na.


    Lu Na shoved the Xia device into her chest pocket before standing up. She clenched her left fist, but a hand grabbed her by the wrist and squeezed so hard that she had to stop clenching.


    It was another rebel.


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°While you had that lovely conversation with that ghost, I gathered my summoners to pay our respects to you. The last thing we need in this world is a naive girl and her righteous friend wielding something so powerful. You don¡¯t have what it takes to bring this country under control.¡±


    ¡°And you do?¡± Lu Na struggled against the man holding her wrist until he twisted her arm and pushed her to the ground.


    The phoenix spirit screeched, but three spirits commanded by summoners held it in place. A large spirit net held it down while a large sheep sat on it.


    ¡°Men have always been the one to guide humanity forward. Women are best kept home.¡± Yang Deli kneeled beside Lu Na.


    ¡°Men have also made the world a harsher place to live in, especially for women.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t deny that, but that¡¯s not for me to decide. The heavens decided that. I¡¯m just following what the heavens have given me. Now don¡¯t take this the wrong way, but I¡¯m going to have to search your chest pocket for my prize.¡±


    Lu Na struggled harder at that. Not only was this demon going back on his word again, he was going to violate her. She would not have that.

 Chapter 106 - Trying to Get Out

    Lu Na struggled as hard as she could, but the weight on her back was too much for her to overcome.


    Yang Deli reached down toward her chest, but then stopped.


    ¡°That damned brat¡¯s curse also stops me from touching you?¡± Yang Deli spat on the ground near Sun Ren. He pointed at one of his followers. ¡°You, search her chest pocket for the device.¡±


    A woman kneeled down beside Lu Na. She wore a green tunic and thick black gloves. She reached into Lu Na¡¯s chest pocket and yanked things out.


    After a few minutes, all Lu Na¡¯s prized possessions were on the ground beside her. They took off her null metal bracelet as well before tying her up along with Sun Ren and her mother.


    ¡°You have a small treasure trove in here,¡± Yang Deli said. He picked through the items, but the first thing that caught his attention was Sun Wukong¡¯s scroll. ¡°What¡¯s this? I¡¯m no summoner, but I can tell this is something powerful.¡±


    He opened the golden scroll and frowned.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing here except a monkey showing me his butt. Is this the type of depravity you¡¯re into, Young Miss Lu?¡±


    Lu Na closed her eyes and focused her mind. There was someone she hadn¡¯t talked with in a long time, but it was probably her only hope.


    ¡°Ah, there¡¯s the Xia device.¡± Yang Deli picked it up. ¡°Finally got what we came for.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that,¡± a familiar voice said.


    Lu Na opened her eyes. It wasn¡¯t Nugua as she had hoped, but the monkey king himself, Sun Wukong. He held in his hand the Xia device and his staff in the other.


    ¡°Stop him.¡± Yang Deli thrust his dagger at Sun Wukong. The two other summoners pulled their spirits to fight the monkey king, leaving only the spirit net on top of the phoenix spirit.


    Sun Wukong laughed as he swung his twirled his staff with one hand. A large gust of wind blew the two spirits back with ease while knocking down the humans.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time to play with you fools.¡± Sun Wukong made a fist and pulled it down, summoning a large cloud beneath him. He turned toward Lu Na. ¡°Young Miss Lu, it was a pleasure riding along with you on this journey. Once I¡¯ve become a god with this device, I might spare you just for fun.¡±


    Lu Na didn¡¯t know what to say to that. Where did Sun Wukong come from and was this his plan all along? What she knew was that when she got out of there, she would pay a visit to his magical forest with her mother.


    With a gust of wind, Sun Wukong shot up into the sky until he breached the labyrinth¡¯s ceiling and disappeared.


    ¡°Well, that was a waste,¡± Yang Deli said. He spat on the floor again.


    ¡°What should we do with them boss?¡± the man restraining Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Kill them. We don¡¯t need the extra headache they will cause when we get out of here. Start with Sun Ren. She made it so I couldn¡¯t kill her, but nothing in that blood oath stops my underlings from killing her.¡±


    ¡°Wake up Sun Ren. Please, wake up!¡± Lu Na screamed. How had she become the only one awake? Where was Hen Li? Where were the Wintersweet disciples? No, where was her spirit? The one that was going to be with her until the end?


    The weight on Lu Na¡¯s back lifted. She coughed as she inhaled the dirt from the ground.


    Lu Na grabbed her null metal bracelet as she scrambled forward. She clenched her fist and flicked it left. The earth wall rose between Yang Deli and Lu Na. She flicked her wrist again, raising up earth walls to surround Sun Ren and her mother.


    She looked up in time to see Nugua slithering over to her with her band of naga behind her. Baihu was with her as they all strode across the battlefield of fallen spirits and men.


    ¡°You finally came,¡± Lu Na said.


    ¡°Of course. The hero always shows up at the end,¡± Nugua said. ¡°Besides, I was dealing with the feral spirits. They wanted to eat the monk¡¯s friends downstairs when they ran from upstairs.¡±


    Lu Na hugged Nugua.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you too, child.¡± Nugua hugged her back. The naga¡¯s body warmed Lu Na¡¯s.


    To think that Lu Na feared being eaten by her spirit before. Now she was the closest thing to family she had on this journey.


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    ¡°Well, it¡¯s time for us to go back. We secured the Wintersweet disciples downstairs and I doubt the rebel leader is going to do anything with my naga family here.¡± Nugua let go of her hug.


    ¡°Yes, finally some good news. The only bad thing was that the monkey king stole the Xia device before I could examine it,¡± Lu Na said.


    Nugua nodded.


    ¡°I told you that scroll was dangerous. Luckily, he didn¡¯t kill you on the way out.¡±


    Lu Na wasn¡¯t so sure that he intended to do that. She knew that while Sun Wukong had great techniques; he didn¡¯t know how they worked. If he did, he would have broken the mountain that crushed him. She had a feeling that he would come crawling back to her to help him figure out how that device worked.


    Lu Na would be ready when he came.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of this labyrinth and go home,¡± Lu Na said.


    It took a better part of a day before Lu Na¡¯s group got back to the entrance of the labyrinth. While the feral spirits gave way to Nugua¡¯s aggressive nagas and most of the ghosts disappeared to wherever they went after death, it was still a long walk. The labyrinth was huge.


    Lu Na had to make a small stop before leaving. She had to settle things with Jie, her spirit, and her villagers. Not only that, her mother hadn¡¯t woken up since she collapsed earlier. Only the presence of her phoenix spirit told them she wasn¡¯t dead.


    The group walked through the large gates that separated the sections. The large village within the labyrinth stood tall, with its taller walls. The feral spirits that Lu Na lured to the city didn¡¯t break their defenses.


    Yang Deli walked forward first and knocked on the makeshift gate. There was a ruffling and shift behind the gate, but it didn¡¯t open.


    ¡°Open up already. I¡¯m back with the prize,¡± Yang Deli shouted.


    A voice shouted back, ¡°No. You tried to kidnap us and forced us to come here. We¡¯re not letting you back in.¡±


    ¡°It seems you¡¯re not the only one that goes back on your word,¡± Sun Ren said. She stepped forward and knocked on the wooden gate. ¡°I¡¯m Sun Ren, daughter of the Marquis of Wentai. We¡¯ve solved the labyrinth and we can leave this place. Or if you prefer, I can petition my father to move your entire village somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°That can¡¯t be true. No one had ever solved the labyrinth in over two thousand years. We¡¯re not letting you in. Now leave before we summon the spirits to attack you.¡±


    Lu Na had no more patience for this. Her mother needed help now. She clenched her left fist and flicked it left. A large earth wall shot up from the ground right at the gate. It pushed the wood so hard that it splintered and cracked. But it held.


    ¡°If you think I didn¡¯t think about that, then you underestimate me, Young Miss Lu,¡± Yang Deli said. ¡°I had my summoners fortify these wooden gates. It¡¯s how we held off your surprise attack when you lured the feral spirits to us. Unless you¡¯re a stage three summoner, you¡¯re not breaking through this.¡±


    ¡°Then let me.¡± Senior Wong stepped forward with her metal rooster spirit. She pointed at the door and the metal rooster charged at the wood. It pecked at the gate with its razor sharp beak. It left a couple of marks on it, but it didn¡¯t break. ¡°The hell? Whatever.¡±


    Senior Wong walked back to her group of Wintersweet disciples, all dressed in purple. They had Elder Hen and Hen Li on two separate litters. Elder Xu stood at the back with her hands behind her.


    When the group looked at her she said, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. My spirits are more for tricks than actual power.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave them and get out of here already,¡± Yang Deli said. He marched back to his men, prepared to leave. ¡°I only made this village in case we had to survive in here. If they want this prison, let them have it. There is plenty of farmland and such outside and a entire world of treats that these ancient people have never experienced.¡±


    ¡°As much as I hate him, he¡¯s right,¡± Sun Ren said.


    Lu Na agreed as well. She had hoped that the villagers had someway to help her mother before she left. It was going to be another day or two of travel before they reached Qingxizhen again. Maybe longer because they had to carry a lot of injured.


    ¡°If you guys could let Jie know that I will be back one day to help her fix her inventions,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°I¡¯ll bring her lovely incense too.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, okay. See you,¡± the voice called over from the other side.


    The group walked away from the village within the labyrinth toward the area where they all teleported into the labyrinth.


    ¡°Do you know how to leave this place?¡± Sun Ren asked Yang Deli.


    ¡°After a lot of research and paying some archaeologists, I only have a vague idea of how to get out of here,¡± Yang Deli said. He walked up to the wall and tapped it. Xia symbols showed up on the walls in different colors. ¡°Now the hard part is understanding what these mean and how we can use them to get out. That¡¯s where I hope Young Miss Lu can help us with.¡±


    Lu Na walked up to the symbols. They all glowed in a particular pattern and they reminded her of the platforms outside of the labyrinth the first day they were there. The only problem though was that she did not know then on what to do. It was her silver phoenix hairpin.


    Lu Na took out the hairpin and stared at it, hoping that it would activate like the last time. Nothing happened.


    She turned to the phoenix spirit.


    ¡°Is there anything you can do?¡±


    The phoenix spirit looked down at the hairpin before shaking its head.


    Lu Na knew that if she had enough time, she could figure this out but her mother needed a doctor. She did something she normally wouldn¡¯t have done. She simply reached out and touched one symbol, hoping that it was enough to get them out.


    The symbol she tapped turned purple and kept cycling with the other symbols. They formed a circle and kept going round and round without stopping.


    Lu Na took out her analysis tool and plugged it into the wall. It lit up in all white. She pressed another of the symbols and her tool turned green, then back to white.


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Yang Deli asked.


    ¡°I have no idea. I¡¯m guessing here.¡±


    A chill embraced Lu Na, her fingers stiffening. She could see her breath coming from her mouth and nose.


    The group turned to see Jie walking toward them with her large boar spirits beside her. From a glance, anyone could tell that the boar spirits were angry. It lowered its head as if ready to charge at any moment and it paced forward.


    ¡°It¡¯s true. You work with bad man. You take my people. You not nice,¡± Jie said.


    ¡°No, you got it wrong. We¡¯re¡ª¡±


    Jie said something to her boar spirits in the Xia language, enraging them further. They plowed the floor with their hind legs before leaping forward at Lu Na and her group.

 Chapter 107 - Miscommunicating

    Lu Na had already clenched her left fist when she saw the boar spirits charge. It was just like the last time when they went mad. She had been thinking about what she would have done different had the two boar spirits charged her again.


    Lu Na flicked her wrist left, raising a couple of thick earth walls in the way of the boar spirits. They weren¡¯t high, but high enough that it made walking through them harder. Then she made sure to pull the earth down, creating shallow holes in the ground.


    The boar spirits ran through the first few walls, but tripped over the others. They pitched forward when they hit the shallow holes, rolling at full speed.


    Next Lu Na flicked her hand to the right, activating her spirit wall. This time, she made it more into a net than a solid wall. She anchored the ends of the net to the walls of the labyrinth, creating a massive net from side to side. Just in case, she created multiple layers right behind the first, the next ones thicker and the holes in the net smaller until it became as solid as her normal spirit walls.


    The boar spirits slammed into the spirit nets and slowed down until they hit the solid wall at the end.


    With another flick of her wrist, Lu Na summoned a spirit box to surround the boar spirits. She couldn¡¯t do anymore as the null metal bracelet was now burning again. With a quick yank, she pulled the null metal bracelet off her left wrist before laying it on the ground. The smell of burnt leather filled the area.


    Lu Na rubbed her left wrist as she approached the fallen boar spirits. It had a shallow red mark which was mostly from all the previous times she burned herself. It still hurt though as she re-injured herself every time she overused her null metal bracelet.


    ¡°Are we ready to talk?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Give us back our villagers!¡± the boar spirit squealed. ¡°Or we will crush you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to crush anything. And we don¡¯t have your villagers. They¡¯re living in that mini-city we left back there. We¡¯re trying to leave. Do you know how?¡±


    ¡°No. Go and die. You humans don¡¯t deserve our help.¡± The large boar spirits both struggled to get up until they righted themselves. The shifting nets of spirit walls held them in place.


    Lu Na¡¯s back felt cold. She turned to face ghost Jie, frowning with her hands raised above her head.


    ¡°What are you¡ª¡±


    Ghost Jie swung her hand down and smacked Lu Na across the face. The cold sting didn¡¯t stop at her face, but it felt like it went through her mouth, her teeth, her tongue, and finally back out the other side. It was the most uncomfortable slap she¡¯d ever experienced.


    A yellow rope wrapped around ghost Jie, tying her up and anchoring her to the ground. Her eyes tracked the rope around her and she tried to fly away. The yellow rope held taut, bringing her back down to the ground.


    Lu Na rubbed her face, trying to get the warmth back into her cheeks. It was like getting slapped by a snowman.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Yang Deli said. He walked up to ghost Jie along with another man in a daoist uniform. He held a red wooden sword and another yellow rope.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Lu Na said. ¡°Jie, we didn¡¯t take your villagers. They should be safe in the city as I said. If you tell us how to leave, we¡¯ll never bother you again.¡±


    Ghost Jie glared at Lu Na, saying nothing.


    Nugua slithered over to ghost Jie and spoke to her in Xia.


    The ghost¡¯s face softened and nodded. She responded in kind.


    ¡°Can you please release her?¡± Nugua asked the daoist.


    The daoist turned to Yang Deli who nodded. He waved his wooden sword at ghost Jie and the yellow rope holding her disappeared.


    ¡°Good bye,¡± ghost Jie said before disappearing.


    Nugua placed her hand on the spirit walls and dissolved them.


    The large boar spirits huffed before turning toward the mini-city.


    ¡°What did you tell them?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°That the labyrinth was open and that all her people had a new home now within the mini-city. That Yang Deli here is also going to supply the mini-city with resources so that they can prosper.¡± Nugua winked at the rebel leader.


    ¡°I can do that. As long as they give me access to the city and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Look, I don¡¯t care about all this. My mother needs a doctor. Can we get out of here first?¡± Lu Na was tempted to leave all these people and burst out of the labyrinth herself. Now that she solved the labyrinth and it unlocked itself, couldn¡¯t she just make a hole herself?


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    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Na Na, Jie was kind enough to tell me how to get out,¡± Nugua said. She walked up to the Xia symbols and tapped the wall beside them. It cleared the selections Lu Na made. She tapped a few of the symbols in quick succession and the glowing symbols stopped moving.


    The labyrinth wall shifted back, creating a large rectangular cutout. Right behind it was the outside. Cool, fresh air rushed in through the hole and for the first time in ages, everyone smelled the fresh smell of trees from the nearby forest. They couldn¡¯t see anything though as it was night.


    ¡°Yang Deli, set up an encampment outside. I¡¯ll meet you there,¡± Sun Ren ordered.


    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± Yang Deli said as he marched forward with his men.


    ¡°And don¡¯t forget the blood oath you gave me. I wouldn¡¯t want to remind you to not betray me again.¡±


    Yang Deli¡¯s shoulders slumped but he didn¡¯t respond. He kept walking away with his men through the hole.


    Sun Ren turned toward Baihu.


    ¡°What will happen when we leave the labyrinth? More importantly, do you want to stay here?¡±


    Baihu hugged Sun Ren, her nine tails wrapping around her.


    ¡°I would never leave you if I can.¡± Baihu disappeared, turning into a white mist before entering Sun Ren¡¯s spirit realm in her chest.


    Sun Ren held a hand over her heart and took a deep breath. She stood taller, her back straighter. It was as if she regained a part of herself. Despite all her injuries and torn clothes, the regal air she used to hold herself before entering the labyrinth was back.


    Lu Na was glad to see it. Although she enjoyed spending time with the real Sun Ren, this version of her friend made the most sense to her.


    ¡°Are you coming Nugua?¡± Lu Na asked.


    Nugua looked back toward her naga family. They all waved at her.


    ¡°Yes, I think I will. I still have unfinished business outside.¡± Nugua looked down at Chen Su.


    Lu Na felt as if a hand gripped her heart for a moment as the naga spirit looked at her mother. She knew that Nugua wouldn¡¯t hurt her mother because she still had so much more to give her. But if Nugua were to kill her mother, then she would be free to live out the rest of eternity in here with her family instead of protecting or helping Lu Na.


    It was frightening to think of losing both her mother and spirit like that. Fortunately, Nugua slithered over to Lu Na instead.


    ¡°This was a fun experience. Let¡¯s do this again sometime.¡± Nugua wrapped her long tail around Lu Na and thrust herself against her chest. She turned into a black  mist before entering Lu Na¡¯s spirit realm.


    Lu Na felt a coolness spread out from her chest. It was different from the cold of a ghost¡¯s presence. It felt comfortable, as if she had been missing this for a long time. She hadn¡¯t noticed it missing ever since she entered the labyrinth.


    Maybe this was because she reached stage two as a summoner as she had been in the labyrinth without Nugua. The experience had given Lu Na more sensitivity toward sensing spirit energy. For the first time since bonding with her spirit, she could tell how the spirit energy cycled through her naturally.


    ¡°Oh, this feels cramped. I haven¡¯t been back in here for only a few days and you¡¯ve already remodeled. I don¡¯t like it,¡± Nugua said.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re back, Nugua. Now I don¡¯t have to work so hard to shape those techniques. Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    The group camped outside of the labyrinth for the night. It passed by quickly as for the first time nothing was trying to chase them or murder them in such a long time.


    The Wintersweet disciples and their Elder chose to hurry home despite the darkness of the night. They used their spirits to light the way and departed as quickly as they could with Elder Xu leading the way.


    ¡°We could have went back to Jianye with them,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to owe the Wintersweet anything. If we followed them home, Elder Hen will want something from us. I¡¯d rather not. Besides, it doesn¡¯t look like my mother is in any danger after her phoenix bonded with her outside of the labyrinth.¡± Lu Na stared up at the night sky, admiring the stars. For the first night in a long time, she could sleep without worry.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the first watch,¡± Sun Ren said.


    ¡°What do you mean? Yang Deli can watch over us.¡±


    Sun Ren glanced toward the large tent the rebels set up for the rebel leader.


    ¡°I can¡¯t trust him not to send one of his underlings to kill me. He is right that I bound him and not them. I¡¯m going to rectify that when we get back to Jianye.¡±


    Lu Na smiled and nodded. It was glad to hear the calculating Sun Ren back in full force. She held her hand.


    ¡°We both need a vacation after this.¡±


    Sun Ren squeezed her hand.


    ¡°We have too much work to do. We still have to recover the stolen Xia device from that mischievous monkey. I knew we couldn¡¯t trust him.¡±


    Lu Na closed her eyes.


    ¡°I know. But he did us a favor. At least now, no one will be chasing us for it. No more Wintersweet Sect, no more rebels, no more anything. I can go back and develop my inventions.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so naive, that¡¯s all you ever want to do. Tinker with your toys. As soon as I get back to my father, I¡¯m going to ask him to set up an expeditionary force for that device. I¡¯m willing to bet that its value is far beyond our imagination, especially for the effort it took to get it.¡± Sun Ren laid down beside Lu Na on the ground.


    For one single moment, Lu Na felt peace. Her mother was in a tent nearby, finally free from the labyrinth, they were also out, and the night time was cool without being cold.


    Loud hooves thundered toward them. The shaking of the ground was enough to wake Lu Na. When she opened her eyes, she was surprised that the sun didn¡¯t wake her before this. It had risen well above the horizon.


    The rebel soldiers were shouting when they saw what was approaching. The men scrambled out of their tents, putting on their armor, and wielding their spears and swords.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Lu Na asked.


    ¡°Remember the Imperial Official we saw on our way to the labyrinth? He¡¯s finally here.¡± Sun Ren got up and smoothed out her tunic.


    ¡°Why are is Yang Deli¡¯s people going crazy?¡±


    Sun Ren smirked.


    ¡°It¡¯s because they¡¯re rebels. They fly a rebel¡¯s flag. And the Imperial Official has an army of summoners behind him.¡±


    ¡°Then should we run?¡± Lu Na got up, looking around to see if she left anything while she slept. She doubted it, but she recently had to put everything back into her chest pocket. ¡°Wait, what about my mother?¡±


    Sun Ren patted Lu Na on the shoulder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll handle this.¡± Sun Ren walked over to the Imperial Official¡¯s carriages. The now red and purple horses pulling the carriage came to a stop.


    Sun Ren bowed toward the carriage with cupped hands. She said a few words before the imperial soldiers surrounded Sun Ren with spears.


    Horns sounded in Yang Deli¡¯s camp and all the men formed ranks, facing the imperial soldiers and the carriages.


    What happened? Why did they capture Sun Ren? Lu Na moved two steps toward the imperial soldiers before one of the rebels grabbed her arm and yanked her toward Yang Deli¡¯s tent.


    ¡°Let go of me,¡± Lu Na screamed.


    ¡°No. Yang Deli needs you as a shield.¡±


    Just when Lu Na thought she had a moment of peace, this happens.