ã€ŠPhoenix Rise: XieRongã€‹


 Chapter 1 The Last Straw

    "Fa Chun," a weakened woman called feebly.

    A seven year old Fa Chun got up from where he was reading his mother¡¯s medicine book disguised as a children¡¯s picture book.

    He limped to his mother who was sitting by her window and making a parcel. She always did so in the hour of the monkey (15:00 to 17:00).

    His mother smiled at him weakly before giving the parcel to him.

    He leaned in to hug his mother.

    "Mother, is it today?"

    "You¡¯ll know Fa Chun, when the time is right," she replied as she patted her ¡¯son¡¯s¡¯ back.

    Five year old, Fa Bai who was ying in the corner hobbled up to her mother.

    "Mommy, I¡¯m hungry," she said, as she rubbed her tummy.

    Fa Chun felt the piece of bread in his pocket. He had saved his lunch so that he could skip dinner.

    "Here," he said, giving the bread to his sister.

    He knew she didn¡¯t understand that their mother had lost their father¡¯s favour long before they were born. There was a silent rage in his eyes when he thought of his father.

    "Fa Bai, how many times to tell you to not call me ¡¯Mommy¡¯," Fa Hua sighed as she picked up her daughter. She frowned at the piece of bread her daughter was holding. She had seen her son save his lunch instead of eating it, but she told nothing as she was unable to provide either of her children with food.

    Her heart filled with pride when she thought of Fa Chun.

    "Fa Chun, know that your mother loves you and is proud of you."

    Fa Chun smiled, as he looked at his mother¡¯s maid.

    "Please take care of them until I return, Auntie Li."

    The An pavilion was where Fa Chun and his little family resided. It was the smallest, most shabby courtyard located in a remote corner of his Father, the Prime minister Fa¡¯s, estate.

    The only good thing about it was that it served as an entrance to the forest from where Fa Chun collected his herbs and other edible things. He limped all the way to the back wall making his presence as small as possible.

    The usual first sons and daughters weren¡¯t there to bother him today.

    He hated all of them.

    The current First wife had stolen the position from his mother long before he was born. Sad to say, his mother had let her. His mother didn¡¯t love his father anymore and it was understandable looking at the scars on her back which she had received from his beatings.

    His mother had hid his identity as the first daughter by portraying him as a limp idiot so that he didn¡¯t have to suffer as much as she had.

    His mother had once told Fa Chun his real name, ¡¯Xierong¡¯, he¡¯d found it beautiful but unfitting as in his seven years of existence he had brought no glory to his mother. Instead, he had contributed in making his mother lose face.

    Crawling out of the hole in the back wall, Fa Chun stood up straight and ran to the tree in which he hid the supplies. His mother had been nning on escaping for a long time. She was the one who¡¯d marked the tree with a white ribbon.

    He could tell the time of their escape was near. They had collected enough supplies to make it to his grandfather¡¯s, The General Guo¡¯s, province.

    He climbed the tree quickly to carve another mark on the tree. Another day in Hell on Earth he supposed.

    Fa Chun had grown fond of this tree. The tree that safeguarded their hope and looked over their residence. He sometimes wished he had the wood element so that he could talk to the spirit within the tree. But neither did he know if he even had an element nor did he know whether people with the wood element could actually talk to spirits within the flowers and trees. He had just overheard what little he knew.

    His mother, the gossips had said, had been one of the finest cultivators in all of the country, but where her cultivation had gone, no one knew. She had possessed the rare dualbination of water and wood and his father had married his mother because of it. He had hoped to have a child who possessed an even rarer dual element of water and fire, but what he got was two pieces of trash and a wife who lost her cultivation as the days passed by.

    Fa Chun was about to climb down the tree when he heard his little sister¡¯s terrified scream. He watched horrified as his sister was pulled along by her hair.

    "You dare to steal my food!" Fa Mei Lien pped Fa Bai.

    Fa Chun saw red. How dare that pretend Di daughter bully his sister!

    He may have no cultivation whatsoever but he definitely knew his poisons well.

    He was about to jump down when something pinned the cor of his shirt to the tree. He tried to pull it out but couldn¡¯t. He looked up and saw his mother meet his gaze and shake her head in a silent ¡¯no¡¯.

    Fa Mei Lien stomped on Fa Bai¡¯s fingers. Fa Bai cried in pain as she felt her fingers crack one by one.

    "You dare cry out when you have stolen, you thief!" Fa Mei Lien pped Fa Bai again.

    Fa Bai whimpered but did not cry out this time.

    Fa Hua quickly came to her daughter¡¯s rescue.

    "Young miss, have mercy on Fa Bai," she pleaded, her eyes tearing up when she saw Fa Bai¡¯s broken future.

    "Why should my daughter have mercy on a little thief," Fa Lihua asked as she arrived on the scene.

    "Jie, for the sake of our past friendship, please let my daughter go."

    "Jie? I don¡¯t recall having a Mei Mei like you!" Fa Lihua seethed as she remembered how every single time her junior would upstage her, how her master would praise this junior of hers in front of everyone, and how behind her back she was mocked for not being able to teach this junior of hers anything.

    "Jie, please."

    By now, Fa Hua knew her senior¡¯s jealous and bitter heart well. Fa Lihua would definitely use this opportunity to punish her.

    "You want me to let her go? Fine. But then you will be punished in your daughter¡¯s ce instead!"

    Fa Hua let her tears slip. As long as her children would live, she¡¯d be fine with anything.

    Fa Chun ground his teeth so that he wouldn¡¯t scream. He pulled and pulled at the hairpin but it wouldn¡¯t budge. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks as she saw her mother get beaten and raped by the servants Fa LiHua had set on her like ravenous dogs set on a piece of meat. Fa Chun saw Fa Bai cry silently from where she was held by two servants.

    Fa Chun felt defeated as his mother did not fight back and let the servants do as they pleased with her.

    He promised in his heart that he would make this people pay back every drop of blood and tear they owed his little family.

 Chapter 2 The Escape

    When night fell and everyone had been called away for dinner, Fa Chun knew it was the time to rescue his mother, sister and Auntie Li who had hugged the soldiers legs to stop them from hurting his mother.

    Fa Chun finally pulled the hair pin out of trunk and put it in the supplies. He didn¡¯t care what his mother said anymore. They were going to escape this night.

    Fa Chun ran to the small servants graveyard nearby. With masters like Fa Lihua and Fa Mei Lien, it was no surprise that at least one servant was punished to death each week.

    Fa Chun dug up the graves of the servants who had simr body shapes to his and his family. Fa Chun praised his mother¡¯s cleverness in his heart. She always sent him away to go look whenever a servant was being buried and memorise their resting ces if they had a body shape simr to theirs.

    Fa Chun carried Fa Bai¡¯s recement first. He slowly unlocked the back shed where his family was ordered to be locked in. An advantage of being the limping idiotic master of the An residence was that no one paid special attention to where you were or what you were doing and no one bothered you unless they were looking to vent and you happened to be in their sight.

    He dropped the rotting corpse as soon as he saw he saw his mother.

    "Mother!"

    "Fa Chun, I was wondering why you werete. Looks like I didn¡¯t have to tell you," Fa Hua smiled feebly as she saw her daughter drop the corpse.

    "Come here," she said waving her older daughter over.

    "Leave this ce with your sister and Auntie Li. You know what to do after."

    "Mother, why?! We have to escape together! You can¡¯t stay!"

    "Fa Chun, listen to mother. Fa Lihua has been poisoning mother for a long time now. I was never meant to escape here. Promise me, promise me, from now you¡¯ll live as Xierong, that you will let Fa Chun die here with mother,that you will look after your sister and no matter what you do you will be happy."

    "Mother, no...please, please live. You deserve to be happy too," Xierong sobbed.

    "Mommy, don¡¯t go," Fa Bai hupped.

    "I gave birth to two amazing children and I am leaving saying my final goodbyes to them how could I not be happy?" Fa Hua looked at her sobbing children with pride and promised in heart to look after them from her afterlife.

    "Auntie Li, this will be thest request I make of you," Fa Hua grasped Auntie Li¡¯s hand, "Please, help my children escape here safely."

    "Yes, Furen. You have shown me mercy and treated me well, I will repay this favour through your children," Auntie Li said as she stood up.

    "XieRong,plete the task I have given you. Will you not listen too your dying mother!" Fa Hua reprimanded, when XieRong refused to let go of her hand even after Auntie Li tried to pry her away.

    XieRong sobbed. She knew she didn¡¯t have much more time before someone came but her heart hurt so much for her mother who had given up on everything so that she and Fa Bai could keep on going. She could see her mother¡¯s malnourished state. The bones that stuck out from fasting, the pale white skin that was stretched over them. She couldn¡¯t disappoint her mother now.

    She stood up and wiped her tears with her sleeve and gave her mother a small smile to show her that she would be fine, that her mother could leave in peace, without any worries holding her down.

    Xie Rong and Auntie Li quickly got the two other corpses.

    "Fa Bai, from today, I shall name you FeiHong. No matter your ruined fingers, mother believes in you and in your future. XieRong, FeiHong, both my beautiful daughters, these are mother¡¯sst words, always know that mother believes in you. If therees a time when you have lost faith in yourselves, remember that your mother has faith in you."

    XieRong stopped her tears from falling. She knelt and kowtowed to her mother and then hugged her.

    "Mother I¡¯m leaving. Please, be well wherever you go next."

    XieRong took a whimpering FeiHong in her arms.

    "Mother is proud of you, now go!"

    XieRong with a steeled heart set fire to the barn and to the hay her mother wasying on and left.

    Fa Hua looked to the heavens and prayed for her children¡¯s safety. She didn¡¯t feel the pain or the heat of the fire as it grew redder and redder. She knew a time woulde when her children would rise to the top and that she would be watching their entire journey from above.

    Fa Hua closed her eyes a small smile on her face.

    Outside the walls XieRong held FeiRong in her arms.

    "Auntie Li, you¡¯re free to leave. You were my mother¡¯s servant, and she has left this world. I wish for you to live a life my mother would have wanted you live," XieRong gave Auntie Li the money her mother had separately saved for Auntie Li.

    "But young miss, this servant can still be of use."

    "No, Auntie Li it¡¯s not because you¡¯re of no use to me, but because this journey is our¡¯s to make. I¡¯m sure my mother would want this."

    "Thank you young miss. May the heavens watch over you and your sister."

    Leaving Auntie Li near the hole they crept out of XieRong carried FeiHong to the tree where she kept her supplies.

    "FeiHong, listen to your Jie, in this life trust only yourself and Jie. From now on, it will only be you and me so you should grow up, okay?"

    FeiHong nodded her small head and wiped her remaining tears with the back of her throbbing hands.

    "FeiHong understands."

    "Good, now take this and don¡¯t lose sight of it or remove it." XieRong gave her sister a small bag and took the bigger one herself. The sky was a light purple and was growing darker by the minute. They had to leave.

    XieRong took onest look towards the fire which now leapt towards the sky. She heard the moring of the servants as they rushed to put out the fire.

    ¡¯Be well, mother,¡¯ She thought as she lightly took hold of FeiHong¡¯s palm and lead her away towards their futures.

 Chapter 3 The Forest |Part 1|

    XieRong head to the cave her mother had mapped for her. FeiHong was already sleepy but kept moving under her sister¡¯s guidance.

    "Just a little longer FeiHong. Then, you can sleep okay?" XieRong encouraged her sister.

    FeiHong bobbed her little head determined to make things easier for her sister.

    "Jie, did I kill mother?"

    XieRong felt a stab in her heart. She was so caught up in her thoughts of revenge that she¡¯d forgotten to tend to her sister¡¯s well being. She couldn¡¯t let her sister¡¯s small shoulder¡¯s carry the guilt of killing their mother. It wasn¡¯t her fault anyway.

    "FeiHong, never think like that ever again! Mother loved you, so she protected you. It was the bad men and Fa LiHua who killed mother!" XieRong said as she narrowed her eyes. Something felt amiss.

    "Say, FeiHong, why did you take the food from the kitchen in the first ce? And where was Auntie Li?"

    "Oh, I took the food because Head maid Ying said that she was going to throw the food away and Auntie Li was sent away by Auntie Ying."

    XieRong was d her suspicion about Auntie Li wasn¡¯t true, but this meant that the Furen had nned this from the beginning. XieRong clenched the hand holding her bag tighter. They were all going to pay.

    The cave was damp and dark. XieRong had already put nkets, medicine and firewood in the cave during her ventures earlier.

    She lit a small fire andid two nkets side by side.

    "FeiHong, sit here and show me your right hand."

    XieRong grimaced when she saw her sister¡¯s crooked fingers. Tears began to well inside her eyes. She hadn¡¯t been there for FeiHong. XieRong took out the medicine stash from the cave and started grinding them with a stone.

    "FeiHong, this will hurt. I will try my best to get your fingers to the way they were but I don¡¯t know if I can. I¡¯m sorry, Jie is useless," XieRong said as her tears began to fall. She couldn¡¯t save their mother and now she couldn¡¯t save FeiHong.

    "Jie, don¡¯t cry. Mother said my fingers couldn¡¯t be curedpletely by any other person but me. Even if I can¡¯t make my fingers proper again, I still have my other fingers. Mother said that I will be amazing and so will you. So don¡¯t cry. I will be strong and not cry either!"

    XieRong looked at her four year old sister and smiled. Her sister was already growing up.

    "Give me your hand."

    XieRong stuffed a cloth in her sister¡¯s mouth and began to set her sister¡¯s bones as quickly and painlessly as possible. She could hear her sisters muffled screams of pain.

    When XieRong was done there was a sheen of sweat on both their foreheads.

    She used some of the remaining firewood as splints for FeiHong¡¯s fingers and as soon she was done feeding pain medicine to her sister, Fei Hong passed out.

    XieRong pulled FeiHong close and fell asleep.

    XieRong woke up as soon as strands of golden rays fell on her face. She put out out the fire and let FeiHong sleep as she went through everything their mother had packed for them.

    There was dried fruit, stale bread and dried meat enough for a day. She¡¯d have to check her traps on the way. There were two skins full of water, few herbs, about five hundred silver taels, lots of silver jewellery with few gold ones which could get them more than enough to make it to the west province. Few of Mother¡¯s best medicine books and two sets of clothes each for her and FeiHong. What had caught her eye, though, were two embroidered pouches, one with a blue dragon and the other with a red phoenix.

    XieRong opened the blue dragon one. In it was a ring, few other things she didn¡¯t recognise and a letter. She closed the pouch and packed the other things in the two bags ording to their needs. The small one held the money, jewellery and books and therge one food, herbs and clothes. No one would expect a five year old to be carrying valuables, XieRong thought as she hid the money and jewellery under the books.

    She then woke FeiHong up.

    "FeiHong, get up!" She shook FeiHong.

    "Jie, it¡¯s morning already?"

    "Yes, and before we leave I found something mother left for us," she said as she handed FeiHong the phoenix bag.

    "How do you know this one¡¯s mine?"

    "Well, you like red and it was in the bag I gave you. How are your fingers?"

    FeiHong poked her right hand¡¯s fingers. It wasn¡¯t painful orpletely numb and throbbing like yesterday.

    "They don¡¯t hurt anymore." FeiHong smiled.

    "That¡¯s good. Now let¡¯s open the letters Mom left us."

    "Jie, I still can¡¯t read very well."

    "I know, that¡¯s why I wanted to read yours with you. I¡¯ll read you mine too. Tell you what, from now on there will be no secrets between us. I¡¯ll tell you everything, some things a littleter, but I will tell you. You have to promise to do the same. It¡¯s just the two of us now, FeiHong so I don¡¯t ever want any misunderstandings to happen between us. There will always be people who will try and take advantage of misunderstandings between us. I know you¡¯re a little too small to understand whatever I¡¯m saying right now, but one day you will and till you do keep my words in your heart, okay?"

    "I promise, Jie. I know I¡¯m small, but I¡¯ll try to grow up soon and be useful to you."

    "Thank you, FeiHong."

    XieRong sat her sister on herp.

    "Open it, FeiHong."

    FeiHong¡¯s tiny, slightly swollen fingers pulled the mouth of the pouch slowly.

    XieRong noticed that she too had a ring, a letter and other stuff she couldn¡¯t recognise. They looked different from the ones in her pouch, though.

    "My dearest Bai,

    I¡¯m writing this letter because I already know I didn¡¯t make it. I hope it finds you well.

    "XieRong is reading this, isn¡¯t she? See, this is why you should start concentrating more on your studies now that I¡¯m no longer there to guide you or hold your hand. I must¡¯ve already made you promise to be happy and grow up into a wonderful woman, so I¡¯ll tell you now to always rely on no one but each other for support. The world is harsh and filled with difficult things that you must ovee to stand on top. I know you are a kind child, that you¡¯ve always hated violence, but you must understand that in this world it is either to kill or be killed. I want you to learn to defend yourself, no matter how much you hate it. Your sister will not always be near you to protect you. I¡¯ve left behind the weapon I used to defend myself. I was a medicine practitioner and I saved people but I knew how to save myself. I know it will suit your needs. It¡¯s a god level weapon inside the spatial ring in your bag.

    "You should put a drop of your blood on the ring to bind with it. The ring is a treasure passed down in our family for generations and I believe it will serve you well. I put some grade four cultivation pills and rejuvenation pills in your bag since those are the only ones I could afford. I¡¯m sorry, Mother was useless Bai. I¡¯ve left many things in the spatial ring. As your cultivation grows you¡¯ll be able to ess more of the ring. I myself hadn¡¯t discovered the depth of it.

    Be well, my daughters.

    Love,

    Mother."

    FeiHong didn¡¯t say much after XieRong was finished. She just clutched the letter close to her heart.

    "FeiHong, we need to leave before noon. We don¡¯t have much time. I need you to decide if you want to bind with your ring?"

    FeiHong gave a determined nod.

    "I want to bind with it, Jie."

    "Good, now give me your finger."

    XieRong pricked her little sister¡¯s finger.

    "Ready?"

    FeiHong closed her eyes shut and let XieRong guide her finger to the ring.

    She felt the drop of blood oozing from her finger being sucked out by the ring. She felt something like a hot river slither up her arm to the back of her spine.

    "Jie, I think it¡¯s done."

    "Okay, now try keeping this pouch and bag in it," XieRong said, handing her sister the small bag after taking out fifty silver taels for their journey.

    "I don¡¯t know how, though."

    "I overheard the master at the estate say you can touch the ring to the object with the intention of keeping the object before you learn how to use it with just the mind. Try it."

    XieRong looked excitedly as her sister tried to pull the bag in. FeiHong was sessful on her third try.

    "You did it, FeiHong! Good girl!" XieRong praised patting her sister¡¯s head affectionately.

    FeiHong giggled happily.

    "Now it¡¯s your turn, Jie. Let¡¯s read your letter."

 Chapter 4 The Forest |Part 2|

    XieRong was excited to read her letter, but she also felt a dampness over her heart as she held it. Her mother had given up on escaping the mansion a long time ago. She¡¯d only wanted for them to escape safely.

    XieRong felt an immense guilt for not being able to convince her mother otherwise, for not being able to lessen her mother¡¯s pain. XieRong opened the letter with mixed feelings and began to read with FeiHong in herp once again.

    "My Dearest XieRong,

    Do not me mother for giving up. I had been poisoned long before I gave birth to the two of you. That is why both your cultivations were blocked along with mine. Mother didn¡¯t want to be a burden to you and FeiHong on your journey. I had no hope of recovering my cultivation, but both of you do. I did the best I could to ensure you did.

    "XieRong, my daughter, I¡¯m proud of your courage and determination to protect those dear to you. Your paternal grandfather loved you, although he died before he knew whether you were a boy or a girl, he loved you all the same. Mother suspects senior was behind his death since your grandfather had warned me about her poisoning me. Whatever he put in the pouch I do not know, but he told me that except the pills all other things in the pouch are temporary. He told me that his friend, a master, had told him that you would pave your own path in life and achieve great things. Therefore, he told me that the spatial ring would store away things without the need of you binding with it.

    "Tell Bai that Mother wants her to live her life with hope and kindness like the phoenix just like how mother wants you to live your life with bravery akin to that of a dragon. Mother wishes for you to live as a strong woman as capable as any man there is so that you bow down to no one. Look after FeiHong for me.

    Love,

    Mother."

    XieRong gave a watery smile trying her best not to cry.

    ¡¯Don¡¯t worry, mother, I will not let you down.¡¯

    "FeiHong, let¡¯s go," XieRong said as she picked up the bag.

    She stored her pouch in the spatial ring and thought of exploring it¡¯s contentster.

    First, they had to make it to the Olddy in the forest.

    The Forest itself was without any wild spirit beasts or without any of significant cultivation at least. This forest was a part of the Fa Estate bestowed by the emperor and was only as big as maybe three or four of the emperor¡¯splete residence. The Forest was known to be dangerous by the people as it was home to many poisonous animals and nts. People with no knowledge of medicine would probably be devoured by the forest and it¡¯s inhabitants within a day. The Fa family used the forest as a barrier at the back, but other than that they deemed the forest useless, but XieRong knew better. The forest was home to the best poison master in the country and it was under her tutge, XieRong had learned how to use poison to it¡¯s full potential.

    XieRong was grateful to the stepping stone her mother hadid out for her. If it weren¡¯t for the kindness her mother had bestowed the olddy, the stubborn old poison master would have never even considered XieRong as her student.

    XieRong made her way to the poison master¡¯s house, collecting herbs and poisons. On asion she would find rare treats such as mushrooms, horsetails, and fruits. She also went to check her traps for some rabbits or birds.

    "Jie,e look!" FeiHong beckoned her sister. In front of her was the most beautiful white fawn she had ever seen. The sad thing was it was trapped in the hole her sister had dug.

    "It¡¯s a weak spirit beast. It won¡¯t survive long in this forest, even if we let it go."

    "Sister, I¡¯ll bond with it. We¡¯ve caught enough rabbits and pheasants for more than two days."

    "Don¡¯t give me that look," XieRong said, as she looked at her sister¡¯s puffed up face.

    "I wasn¡¯t nning on killing it anyways, since you found it, you should decide what to do with it. I will help you regardless."

    XieRong knew her sister would have kept the white fawn. She would¡¯ve have too because she wouldn¡¯t have had the heart to kill such an innocent being, not when they had more than enough food tost them their way out of the forest.

    "I¡¯ll keep it sister, I¡¯ll bond with it." FeiHong¡¯s eyes shone with determination. She didn¡¯t believe the fawn wouldn¡¯tst. If she could make it without the fingers of her right hand then that fawn could make it too.

    FeiHong didn¡¯t wait for her sister¡¯s help, she went down and started to push the purple eyed fawn up.

    "Don¡¯t worry Bai Yueliang, I¡¯ll save you."

    XieRong smiled as she pulled the fawn and then her sister up the hole. Her sister had already named the beast.

    While XieRong was tending to Yueliang¡¯s injury, FeiHong had already bit her finger and drawn blood. FeiHong remembered vividly how the ceremony to bind the beasts went. When Fa Li Ling, Fa Mei Lien¡¯s younger sister was bounded to a snow cat first uncle had gotten her, FeiHong had watched everything from a corner. She pitied the snow cat. It was a beautiful beast in the hands of a terrible master, but she was jealous of Fa Li Ling too. Being the same age FeiHong couldn¡¯t have the snow cat even if she became more talented and powerful than Li Ling because, in the end, FeiHong would forever remain the Shu daughter.

    "Bai Yueliang, I don¡¯t know if this is what you want or even if you understand me but I promise you, under my care I will not let anything harm you. I don¡¯t want a master-servant contract with you. I will treat you as an equal, okay?"

    As if Bai YueLiang understood, he closed his eyes and let himself get pricked with the knife in FeiHong¡¯s hand.

    XieRong watched in amazement as FeiHong¡¯s and YueLiang¡¯s blood met and gave off a small golden glow.

    "I, FeiHong, ept Bai YueLiang as an equal and promise to adhere to this blood bond until death brings us apart."

    FeiHong heard a beautiful male voice repeat the oath.

    "I, Bai Yueliang, ept FeiHong as my master and equal and promise to adhere to this bond until death brings us apart."

    FeiHong felt a warm sensation in the back of her mind.

    "Jie, did you hear that?" FeiHong looked at YueLiang in wonderment.

    "Hear what?" XieRong said, rmed, as she looked around for any signs of movement.

    FeiHong giggled.

    "Jie, I¡¯m talking about Bai Yueliang. He says no one but me can hear him."

    XieRong calmed her heart down.

    "Look at my little sister, forming a pact with a spirit beast before me," she teased, pinching FeiHong¡¯s round cheeks affectionately.

    "Sorry, Jie," FeiHong said, guiltily.

    "What for?"

    XieRong let go of her sister¡¯s cheeks and sat down in front of FeiHong and next to YueLiang.

    "Mother gave me many treasures and you received only a temporary spatial ring. Now, I also have a spirit beast. It¡¯s not fair to you."

    XieRong pinched her sister¡¯s cheeks again, a bit harshly this time.

    "Dear little sister, are you pitying me? Let me tell you this, I didn¡¯t tease you because I am upset, but because I¡¯m proud of you. This is your path, and I have mine. I may not have much now, but it doesn¡¯t mean that this will always be the case, besides, I can go looking for my own treasures and spirit beasts, the ones that are meant for me. Mother meant for you to have and early start because I¡¯ve already been doing other things under my guise while you had no choice but to be cooped up. You¡¯re younger than me too, so you¡¯ll have a much harder time looking for things than I will."

    XieRong pulled FeiHong¡¯s face closer to hers by the cheeks.

    "Promise me that you won¡¯t have such worries again?"

    "I pwomish," FeiHong said looking at her Jie.

    She rubbed her sore cheeks once XieRong let go.

    XieRong bent to Bai Yueliang.

    "It will take some time, but your wound is treatable. What gave you such a horrible injury anyway?"

    "Bai Yue Liang said that there were hunters down south which were after him. He used the trap to escape."

    XieRong looked south as if on instinct, like she was the one being hunted. It was unusual for people to be in this forest let alone hunters. XieRong smiled despite her worries.

    "FeiHong why don¡¯t you put Bai Yueliang in your space for now. We¡¯ll treat him properly at the olddy¡¯s ce."

    FeiHong put Bai YueLiang in her spatial ring with more ease than she had the bag.

    "Let¡¯s go."

    XieRong took hold of FeiHong¡¯s hand once more and resumed her way to her Master¡¯s house.

 Chapter 5 The Poison Master

    The Olddy¡¯s ce wasn¡¯t much, as to be expected from someone who lived in a forest full of poison.

    The old poison master lived in a small wooden hut with a small fence around it. There was a patch of poisonous nts to in one corner of the fence which XieRong knew, if someone touched carelessly, would give them a painful death and if they somehow did take the nts unscathed by the poison, then the poisondy would kill them.

    Thatdy loved her nts and poison much more than she has cared for any other human.

    XieRong knocked on the door.

    "Master, I¡¯ve brought lunch!"

    "Behind you," a raspy voice said, from behind her.

    XieRong felt as if snakes and spiders had crawled all over her back.

    She turned to face the Old poison master.

    "This disciple greets master,"she said, bowing at the waist.

    "Finally made the escape, I see," Duqi noted, eying XieRong¡¯s bag and sister.

    "You don¡¯t look surprised that mother didn¡¯t make it," XieRong said emotionlessly, handing over the rabbits.

    "Because I knew she wouldn¡¯t. She refused my help to remove the poison in her, instead she told me to help you."

    "Mother said her condition was untreatable," XieRong said, wondering why her mother would lie to her in the letter.

    "Oh, it was. I can only cure physical sicknesses, child. The sickness of the mind is beyond me. Your mother was betrayed by the two people she held most dear, one betrayed her because of his greed and the other because of her jealousy. She lost all faith in humans, that¡¯s why she left to a ce they couldn¡¯t follow."

    Duqi took the rabbits from XieRong¡¯s hand.

    "I will tell you this as your master, you could have done nothing to change your mother¡¯s mind. She was a stubborn one and I admire her decision to let you find your path in life. Now take your sister to the stream and wash up. I¡¯ll cook the rabbits."

    XieRong couldn¡¯t understand her mother¡¯s decision nor her master¡¯s wordspletely. Maybe she was too young or maybe she didn¡¯t know any better. She couldn¡¯t understand why her mother would leave her when she loved her mother so much that she would give up everything for her.

    ¡¯Maybe, someday I¡¯ll understand mother,¡¯ XieRong thought as she took her clothes and sister to the small stream by the hut.

    "Go wash up with Bai Yueliang. I¡¯ll wash up after," XieRong said, handing her sister her clothes as she stood watch.

    "Don¡¯t take more than ten minutes," she instructed, as she sat on a rock nearby.

    XieRong was itching to get inside with her sister.

    She hadn¡¯t not noticed her mother¡¯s blood crusted on her arms and clothes, the soil from the graveyard beneath her fingers as she had quickly buried back the corpse of the woman she would no longer require. She felt bile rising up her mouth but quickly tampered it down, steeling her heart.

    ¡¯All the sacrifices mother has made, I will not let them go to waste.¡¯

    "Jie, I¡¯m done."

    XieRong looked up at her little sister.

    Her sister was a little beauty like mother, with lustrous brown eyes, dark brown hair and plump red lips, and with the white fawn right next to her she looked like a little fairy out of a picture.

    "Come, I¡¯ll leave you and Bai Yueliang with the olddy. Let her have a look at both your injuries."

    After XieRong returned to the stream, she started to scrub all the grime off of her. She scrubbed as if she were scrubbing her past way with all the grime, as if she were scrubbing away the boy called Fa Chun.

    ¡¯No more hiding,¡¯ she thought as she donned female clothes. She looked at the bandages she used to wrap her nonexistent breasts with just to feel more secure.

    ¡¯This time, I¡¯ll use you to bind my wounds.¡¯

    XieRong washed her old clothes thinking of her identity as Fa Chun.

    ¡¯The next time I wear boy clothes it will be as XieRong, not Fa Chun.¡¯

    XieRong felt her stomach grumble as she approached the mouth watering scenting from inside the hut.

    "Master, I¡¯m back," XieRong greeted, sitting down next to her sister.

    Bai Yueliang was happily munching on some grass and vegetables.

    Her master didn¡¯t say anything and handed her a te.

    XieRong hadn¡¯t realised how hungry she¡¯d been.

    She¡¯d had some of the dried meat and fruits on her way but perhaps the strain on her physical and mental wellbeing had been more than she¡¯d anticipated.

    "Master, how are their wounds?" XieRong asked, in a hushed voice as she went help her master with the dishes.

    "Your skills have improved, child. There wasn¡¯t much more that I could do for them that you hadn¡¯t already done."

    "Mother said that FeiHong¡¯s fingers could be healed."

    "They can be, but only after she starts cultivating."

    "So, when will you remove the poison from us master?"

    "The treatment takes five days to bepleted. Before I start you¡¯ll have to get me some 100 year old ginseng from the capital. The hour of the horse (11AM ¨C 1PM) is nearing it¡¯s end. Leave with this, the ginseng shouldn¡¯t cost more than what is in it. Return tomorrow by the hour of Dragon (7AM ¨C 9AM). The forest is dangerous at night, even for you."

    The olddy handed XieRong around seventy five taels of silver in a small plum coloured pouch.

    "I have enough to buy some ginseng, master."

    XieRong refused to ept the money, especially from the old master.

    "I know you do, you proud brat, but you¡¯ll need all the money you can save. Give me the rest of the pheasants and rabbits in exchange, then that would be considered payment. Leave your sister with me. She will be safe here."

    XieRong hugged her master.

    "Thank you, master!"

    "Let go of me!"

    The olddy said hitting XieRong¡¯s back lightly. XieRong knew her master did it only to keep her reputation as a sullen olddy, but let her go anyway.

    "FeiHong, hand me the small bag which I told you keep in your spatial ring."

    XieRong removed some of her mother¡¯s jewellery and kept in her own bag, returning the small bag to her sister.

    "FeiHong, Jie is leaving. I¡¯lle back tomorrow. Help master with the chores and start learning medicine."

    "Jie, I can¡¯te?"

    "No, I want you and Bai Yueliang to rest. When Ie back we can start getting cured together, okay?"

    "Okay. Return safely."

    Handing the pheasants and rabbits over to her master, XieRong left the small hut.

 Chapter 6 The Capital |Part 1|

    XieRong had never seen the capital before.

    Neither had Fa Chun.

    The idiotic, limp master of the Fa Family was too much a shame to bear for the right prime minister, Fa Boqin.

    He would punish anyone who dared to mention the only ck spot on his golden reputation. This was one of the reasons they had been locked away in a remote corner of the Fa estate.

    XieRong knew that no one would recognise her while she was dressed as a girl but she couldn¡¯t help but wear the cloak her mother had packed.

    She couldn¡¯t let her mother¡¯s years of nning go to waste because of a simple mistake.

    The capital was everything XieRong had heard it would be. Bustling, lively, and full of cheer.

    XieRong remained unfazed.

    With quick steps she walked around looking for the herbalist store.

    XieRong went to a small restaurant and sat down pulling the hood off of her head.

    "What can I get you, miss?" A girl about her age asked politely.

    "One dumpling stick."

    "You must not be from around here if you¡¯re asking for just one from our shop."

    XieRong looked up and smiled at the waitress from where she was seated.

    "Actually, I came here looking for directions to the herbalist store."

    "There is only the Fa Herbalist store which is well known in the capital, but I would avoid going there if I were you. I¡¯d take my chances finding medicine in the forest than in that herbalist store."

    This piqued XieRong¡¯s interest.

    "Oh?"

    "Waitress!"

    "Coming!" The young girl shouted.

    "Excuse me miss, I¡¯lle back with your order."

    XieRong¡¯s curiosity was heightened as to what the Fa Furen had done to the herbalist store from her mother¡¯s dowry.

    XieRong remembered her mother always mentioning the store with deep regretced in her tone. The store was something her mother had passed on to her, but she¡¯d been unable to save it from the clutches of Fa LiHua.

    XieRong listened to the conversations from the nearby tables hoping to get some more news about the affairs of the Fa family, more specifically about her death. However, most of the current gossip she heard was about the second prince, the fiance of Fa MeiLien.

    "Have you heard? The second prince is helping the disaster struck families up north."

    "I have. We are blessed to have such a kind prince. He doesn¡¯t act proud or arrogant even though he¡¯s already about to break through to the Dantian formation realm!"

    XieRong scoffed at the gossip in her heart. Only she knew how much of a ck heart the second prince possessed despite being only a year older than her.

    Her eyes zed with fury when she thought of the ideas he came up with to bully her; pushing her in the pond, throwing rocks at her leg, throwing scraps and leftovers and making her behave like a dog, but the worst was when he had tried to feed her night soil. She clenched her fist as she remembered it.

    "Hey, Fa Chun," Fang Chao had said, blocking her way.

    "Big brother Chao!" she¡¯d eximed, pretending as if she¡¯d been happy to see him.

    "Come, let¡¯s go y," he¡¯d said trying to drag her away.

    XieRong had tried to avoid going with him. His ¡¯y¡¯ always meant ying using her as a tool for his, Fa MeiLien¡¯s and other kids¡¯ amusement.

    "But brother Chao I need to go to mother."

    "It won¡¯t take long," he¡¯d said, pulling her along.

    As usual, Fa MeiLien and the rest of his friends were gathered to watch the show and even help him.

    "Here."

    He gave her the bucket full of night soil one of hisckeys held.

    "Eat. It¡¯s very tasty."

    The people gathered had chuckled expecting her to eat it.

    "Brother Chao, if it¡¯s so tasty then Chun wants you to have it. How can Chun eat something tasty and not give brother Chao first?"

    Fang Chao had dropped the bucket and its contents to the ground pulling Fa Chun by the cor, "You, a limping idiot, wants this benwang to eat night soil?!" he shouted red in the face.

    He was always very quick to lose his temper.

    "Hmph, if you won¡¯t eat it then benwang will make you eat it!"

    XieRong remembered the way they¡¯d shoved her face again and again into the night soil before they¡¯d been called away for lunch. She still remembered the sensation of being unable to breathe, the smell of night soil as she¡¯d washed it off and the pain at the back of her neck from where he¡¯d held her.

    "Miss, are you okay?"

    XieRong snapped her head up, scolding herself for forgetting where she was.

    "Yes, I¡¯m fine. Can you sit with me for a while? If need be, I¡¯ll pay you for your time."

    "It¡¯s alright, miss. What do you want to know?"

    "Let¡¯s continue our conversation where we left it."

    "Ah, yes! Rumour is, the Fa herbal store hardly ever sells authentic medicine to themoners or the poor. They give out the correct prescriptions, but the medicine they sell is mostly fake."

    XieRong felt her hatred towards Fa LiHua grow immensely. She felt her nails dig into her palm and draw blood. She loosened her clenched fist.

    ¡¯Not now. I have to be stronger then I¡¯ll take back everything they¡¯ve stolen from mother.¡¯

    "So where can I buy medicine, then?"

    The waitress kept quiet.

    Of course she wouldn¡¯t let their only source of medicine be known to others so easily.

    "Please miss, tell me where I can find medicine. My grandmother is very sick. If I don¡¯t get some ginseng by tomorrow morning, then I will have no one left in the world. Please, I¡¯m begging you," XieRong pleaded, holding the waitresses rough hands in her own.

    The waitress hesitated and looked around.

    "Promise me you won¡¯t tell anyone."

    "I promise," XieRong said with firm determinationcing her tone.

    That ginseng was the only way she could start to cultivate, her door to her future.

    "Right now it¡¯s the hour of the monkey (15:00-17:00), you won¡¯t get the medicine now. Go to the alley behind the Fa Herbalist store during the hour of the pig (9:00pm-11:00pm), there you¡¯ll see a young beggar around five to six years old wearing a torn purple jacket. Tell him the medicine you want and how much of it you want. He will name a price. Pay it to him and he¡¯ll deliver it to you by the hour of Dragon (7:00am-9:00am)."

    XieRong furrowed her brows. She¡¯d have to leave here by the hour of rabbit (5am ¨C 7am) if she was to make it back in the hour of the Dragon (7:00am-9:00am). She¡¯d have to convince the boy to deliver it earlier somehow.

    "How will he know where to find me?"

    "Do you have a ce to stay the night?"

    "No, not yet."

    "We have rooms on top. You can stay here for the night. Tell the boy you¡¯re staying at Chuanli restaurant."

    XieRong smiled.

    "Thank you, miss. You¡¯ve done me a great favour. By the way have you heard any news about the Fa Familytely?"

    "Yes, there was a fire yesterday in the Fa Estate. They say some people were killed, but no one knows who and since no one in the family is grieving, I assume it was no one important."

    XieRong¡¯s smile grew colder as she thanked the waitress and paid her bill. She took the token to her room and left the restaurant.

    XieRong was seething. She didn¡¯t me the waitress. How could she? No one knew the injustices the Fa family handed out to her mother, FeiHong and she. How could they when the entire family was in support of the bullying and torture that went on in the house?

    She promised to her mother in heavens, ¡¯Mother, watch over me, I¡¯ll make all of them pay for everything they¡¯ve done to us!¡¯

 Chapter 7 The Capital |Part 2|

    XieRong had pulled her hood up once again.

    She asked around for jewellery stores that exchanged jewellery for money.

    "The Fa and Bai family stores are well known in the capital," one woman said as she picked up a hairpin from the stand.

    "I agree, but there are others in the alleys behind the two stores as well. I¡¯m telling you this because you seem like a good child, but you mustn¡¯t tell this to anyone. The ones in the back alleys are open at this time and they give you a fairer price than the Fa and Bai stores. The Bai store is fair, but they attend to the nobles more than they do themoners. The Fa store never deals a fair price."

    "Thank you, pretty aunties!" XieRong thanked, as she made her way to the back alleys, asking for directions along the way.

    Once she was at the back alley, she was surprised to find it fairly crowded. However it wasn¡¯t the usual crowd she had been seeing all along. There were sweaty, burly men all over the ce, shouting and hooting as a ve merchant auctioned his wares. XieRong knew she¡¯d require people loyal to her but first she had to do what she¡¯d set out to do. This ce was dangerous for her, a seven year old with no martial arts and no cultivation. Even poison would only give her so much leverage in an actual battle.

    XieRong stored everything in her spatial ring and started to make her way through the crowd. Although she was small it wasn¡¯t easy avoiding everyone.

    She spot a little boy in the corner and made her way to him hoping to get directions to the shop she was looking for.

    "Hello, I¡¯m looking for the jewellery store around here."

    "Wrong alley, big sister. The Bai and Fa stores are on the front alley."

    "I¡¯m not in the wrong alley. I was told toe here."

    "Then I don¡¯t know big sister, try somewhere else."

    "Hm, just like how you won¡¯t know about the requests for medicine you¡¯ll pick up at the hour of the pig from the people?"

    The boy startled. XieRong noticed the shift in his bodynguage and smiled inwardly. This little boy didn¡¯t know that certain smells were hard to wash offpletely, especially that of Chou grass.

    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m harmless. I just came to do business. Can we go to the shop? We can talk there."

    The boy settled down when he sensed no cultivation from her and judging by the way she¡¯d made her way out of the crowd, she possessed no martial art skills either. After making sure she was harmless he turned to a narrow alley about whose corner he was standing.

    "Big sister, follow me," he said, leading XieRong down the street.

    "Big sister, you¡¯ve never bought medicine from me, and no one knows my face. How did you..."

    "You handled a stinky grass recently, didn¡¯t you?" XieRong looked around the dark alleyway which was growing darker by the minute.

    "The smell hasn¡¯tpletely left you yet. The grass is not easily avable in these parts, a little beggar like you couldn¡¯t have gotten it, unless you were the one I was going to meet during the hour of the pig," XieRong said as she ruffled his hair.

    "Go wash your hands and clothes with lemon water. The smell will go away."

    "Hmph," the boy said as he pushed her hand away,"you don¡¯t look that much older than me, don¡¯t treat me like a kid."

    "I have a sister around your age. I treated you the way I treat her, sorry," Xierong said, smiling sheepishly.

    The boy soon stopped in front of a door. The building was so small that it could bepared to the Old Lady¡¯s hut in the forest.

    "Are you sure this is the right ce?"

    XieRong clutched onto her cloak tighter. The ce looked extremely shady.

    "Sister, my job was getting you here. Whether you trust me or not is up to you."

    XieRong caught his cor as he was about to leave.

    "Where do you think you¡¯re going? You¡¯reing in with me. I have business with you too," she said as she knocked on the door.

    "Who is it?"

    "I have business with you."

    "What¡¯s the password?"

    XieRong red at the little boy who looked everywhere but at her. He¡¯d had no intention of helping her in the first ce.

    "Listen, you better tell the correct password or else I will poison you. You must know by now that I¡¯m no cultivator, but I can assure you that I have enough medical knowledge to poison you to your death," XieRong threatened the boy she held tightly by the cor. Her eyes had grown cold.

    The boy shivered. He knew she would follow up on her threat if he didn¡¯tply.

    "Bai Guan," the boy said to the door.

    The door opened.

    The man who opened the door was shocked to see the little master held by the cor and about to cry. The girl holding the young master wasn¡¯t much older than him too.

    The man sighed and wondered what trouble his master had brought this time.

    "Come in, miss. What can I do for you?" The man asked as he led the little girl to the counter.

    "I want to sell this," XieRong said bringing out her mother¡¯s only pieces of gold jewellery and few of the silver ones.

    "I want 80 gold taels for the gold pieces, 150 silver taels for the silver ones, nothing less."

    XieRong had knowingly offered a price more than what the pieces were worth. Her mother had told her the cost of every piece of jewellery before she packed one. XieRong hadn¡¯t understood then why her mother did this, but had remembered the prices anyway.

    The little boy who was being held by the cor scoffed at the way the girl acted so high and mighty when she wasn¡¯t a cultivator.

    XieRong ignored the boy.

    "Little miss, the pieces you¡¯ve brought are in good condition and they are expensive, just not as much as you¡¯re bargaining for them. At most, I can give you 75 gold taels for the gold pieces and 100 for the silver ones."

    "75 for the gold ones," XieRong pretended to think about it. She¡¯d gotten the price she¡¯d wanted for the gold pieces.

    "Okay mister, 75 for the gold ones but I want 150 for the silver ones."

    "Miss, I can¡¯t."

    "150!"

    "100 silver taels, no more."

    "125 then, mister. No less."

    The shopkeeper sighed. The young miss in front of him looked determined to loot him out of his money. Nothing ever went well when his young master brought someone.

    "Fine, 125 silver taels."

    "You must be losing your touch,Chanming, if you¡¯re letting a girl not much older than my brother haggle you out of your money," a well dressed man, around 17 years of age said, as he appeared from a small room in the corner.

    XieRong got up and bowed low at the waist.

    "Thisdy greets young lord."

    "Miss, I¡¯m curious, tell me how old are you?"

    XieRong didn¡¯t want to anger the man in front of her. This man¡¯s cultivation was far beyond Prime minister Fa¡¯s who was in the early Earth cultivation realm.

    "Answering the young lord, I¡¯m seven years old."

    "Hm, two years older than my brother whom you¡¯re holding by the cor."

    XieRong let go of the boy¡¯s cor immediately.

    "I¡¯m sorry, Wang ye, I didn¡¯t know he was wang ye¡¯s brother," XieRong said, losing herposure. She didn¡¯t want to die before she¡¯d helped her sister, before she¡¯d gotten revenge.

    "What did you call me?" The man said as he approached the little girl. He was sure he¡¯d never met her before. He would definitely remember meeting such an interesting girl.

    XieRong panicked. She¡¯d let her thought slip. She didn¡¯t speak.

    "Why do you call me prince? If you¡¯re honest, I¡¯ll let you go, otherwise I¡¯ll consider you a spy and kill you right now."

    The air in the room grew cold and tense.

    XieRong breathed in deeply. She had to live.

    "Answering the prince, I am looking for medicine for my grandmother. I heard of a boy who begs wearing a purple jacket in the alley behind the Fa herbal store. Purple is only worn by royalty, so I assumed the boy worked under one. When I came here looking for a shop to sell jewellery, I approached this boy," she looked towards the boy she¡¯d been holding by the cor just until a moment ago,"to ask for directions to this shop when I smelled Chou grass on him. It is not normally found in these parts and he, amoner child, wouldn¡¯t smell like one unless he was the beggar delivering medicine. He gave himself away when he became rmed as I mentioned it to him. He led me here and looked relieved when he saw the shopkeeper-"

    "-so you thought that both of them knew each other and worked under one person, me, the crown prince,"the man finished for XieRong.

    "I just came to do business and will be leaving the capital tomorrow by the hour of the rabbit. Please, don¡¯t kill me," XieRong pleaded sincerely as she knelt on the ground, her eyes firmly shut.

    She didn¡¯t like this feeling of being at the mercy of others. She promised herself that as soon as she knew what kind of spirit root she had, she would start to cultivate. That she would aspire to be nothing but the strongest.

 Chapter 8 The Capital |Part 3|

    "Ha, HaHaHa," the prince started tough. He thought the girl who knelt before him was very amusing.

    XieRong looked up at the prince confused. She couldn¡¯t understand why he wasughing but felt the slightest of hopes spark in her heart.

    "Little girl, what¡¯s your name?"

    "XieRong," she replied, still a little unnerved from everything.

    "What¡¯s your family name?"

    "Forgive thisdy, thisdy can not tell you that yet."

    "Can¡¯t or won¡¯t?" The man asked as he bent down to her level.

    "Wang ye, thisdy can not tell you yet," XieRong replied again, not knowing any other way that she could reply which wouldn¡¯t give her identity away.

    The prince looked at the troubled look in her eyes and knew that there was something she couldn¡¯t tell him no matter what, so he decided to let the matter go. But the girl was too dangerous to be kept around. He¡¯d make sure she left the capital like she¡¯d told him by the hour of the rabbit (5:00am to 7:00am)

    "Get up, little girl. Tell my little brother what medicine you want and where he should deliver it to you. This prince will make sure that it reaches you during the hour of the tiger (3:00am to 5:00am)," the prince said as he got up and moved towards the door.

    "But big brother, she threatened to poison me!" The little boy said as he pointed his finger at XieRong who was standing next to the counter.

    "And there will be many more who will threaten you to find out our location. If you can¡¯t escape a girl not much older than you then you should stop helping me. What¡¯s the use of your cultivation and martial arts if you don¡¯t use them?" the prince scolded, as he shut the door behind him, leaving a wronged young prince behind.

    XieRong felt bad for the boy.

    "I¡¯m sorry, I just did what I had to do. I didn¡¯t know you would get scolded because of me."

    The boy turned and red at XieRong. It was because of her that he got scolded by his brother whom he loved the most.

    "I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re sorry just tell me what you want and leave."

    XieRong felt irritated. If he had just shown her the shop in the first ce then she wouldn¡¯t have had to threaten him.

    "Fine, I want three liang of hundred year old ginseng to be delivered at ChuanLi restaurant."

    "60 silver taels."

    XieRong removed 15 taels, tossed the olddy¡¯s pouch to him, put her money in the spatial ring and stormed off.

    XieRong was in a terrible mood as she left the shop and made her way to the back alley from where she came. She was d that she¡¯d aplished what she¡¯d set out to do, but wasn¡¯t so happy about how helpless she¡¯d felt through out the day. XieRong was so lost in her thoughts that she hadn¡¯t even noticed that she was out of the narrow street until themotion to the side brought her out of her reverie.

    On the small set up stage there was a shabbily dressed man addressing the crowd that had gathered.

    "This next merchandise is a bit fiesty, but nheless a feast for the eyes," the scraggly man said as he pulled the boy¡¯s face towards him.

    XieRong looked on at the spectacle from a corner. She knew she had to leave, but she was extremely curious as to what had gotten the roaring crowd so silent.

    XieRong saw the ve merchant manhandled the little boy no older than her. She saw two little girls around her age standing in line with the older ves, holding each other¡¯s hands and looking at the stage with fierce determination.

    Even in the dark, XieRong could make out their will to live.

    The fire light just made the shadows of the thugs that were gathered more prominent. This was no crowd for ady, let alone a little girl like her, but XieRong had to be brave. She would have to do this sooner orter. She needed people that were loyal to her and her alone.

    "This ve was captured from the borders of the Middle continent. Seeing what a beautiful specimen he is I¡¯ll start the bid at 50 silver taels."

    XieRong sneaked behind the stage. The auction master had let go of the boy and was busy increasing the bid.

    The boy was kneeling in shackles near to where she had crept to.

    "Listen to me quietly and don¡¯t turn around. I guarantee that you won¡¯t be auctioned off if you follow as I say," she whispered to him.

    "Adjust your shackles if you understand."

    "How do I know you aren¡¯t like the rest of them?" He whispered.

    "You don¡¯t, but it¡¯s either me or them. Don¡¯t talk anymore and decide fast, do you want me to save you?"

    The boy pulled his shackles in reply.

    "Good, now listen, I¡¯ll put some poison on your back which will give you red sores, they¡¯ll be ufortable but won¡¯t hurt you. You need to act like you¡¯re extremely sick, make it as believable and dramatic as possible. Make them believe you brought a dangerous disease from the Middle Continent. Buy me a little time then I¡¯ll take care of the rest. Do you understand?"

    The boy adjusted his shackles again and XieRong began to work.

    She looked at the harmless looking weed in her hands and brushed it on his back and arms.

    "Done, you can start in about two minutes."

    By the time XieRong was done, the bid on the boy had slowly risen to 150 silver taels. The greedy auction master coaxed the crowd into increasing the sum, not knowing how much of a loss awaited him.

    XieRong crawled on all fours towards the line of ves. Her cloak hid her well, making her one with the shadows. She avoided the torches as much as she could and thankfully for her there weren¡¯t all that many as what all of them were doing was illegal and no one wanted their faces to be seen. The Emperor had banned auctioning on ves. They were all to be sold through the ve markets at certain times during the day.

    XieRong didn¡¯t have a hard time convincing the girls. They were willing to take their chances with XieRong very much to her surprise.

    The boy in the chains had already started their little show.

    "It hurts! It hurts!" He yelled, as XieRong quietly snuck back into her corner.

    The crowd had begun whispering.

    The furious auction master raised his hand to hit the boy.

    "Why you!"

    "Don¡¯t touch me or you¡¯ll get infected."

    The Auction master stopped dead in his tracks. He asked one of his cronies to bring a torch. Upon seeing the red sores on his arms he backed off. To say the crowd was furious was an understatement. XieRong snickered in her heart.

    "Ah please, please. I didn¡¯t know he was faulty goods! Otherwise I wouldn¡¯t have tried to sell him."

    "Let¡¯s bring the other goods on stage."

    "How can we trust your goods after this?" Someone shouted from the crowd.

    "Yeah, what if they¡¯re all infected!"

    XieRong had her cue. She pushed her way past the crowd and climbed onto the stage making sure her hood covered her face.

    The crowd was momentarily stunned to see such a young girl amongst them.

    "Young miss, who are you?" The Auction master asked hopefully.

    "It doesn¡¯t matter who I am. My master sent me here on his behalf. He said that if he came here personally then all your customers would leave."

    The Auction master looked at the girl before him in wonderment. How powerful must her master be if he could make the crowd leave with just his presence?

    "I know medicine. What this boy has is a deadly disease from the middle continent."

    "Young miss, do you know a cure for this disease?" The Auction master asked politely, rubbing his sweaty palms together. The gods above had helped him!

    "Sadly, no. But my master is researching diseases from the middle continent. He would like to buy this boy and the other infected ves for five silver taels each. If you agree, then I will tell you some good news," XieRong said as her heart rejoiced. Her n was working!

    "I agree! I agree! Now tell me what this good news is?"

    "First, give me all the infected ves and their contracts."

    The auction master hurriedly told the other ve holders to inspect and bring the infected ves and bring their contracts.

    Once XieRong had gotten what she wanted, she turned to the crowd and said,"All of you present here should not worry. The disease is only spread by touch. If the ves are not showing any symptoms now, then they are all healthy to be auctioned off."

    The crowd rejoiced. They could continue their entertainment for the night.

    The Auction master looked at the angel the gods had sent before him.

    "Miss, you have saved me today. I will only charge you one silver tael for each of these ves you¡¯ve bought."

    "Thank you, Auction master. I will take my leave," she said, as sheughed at him in her heart.

    Once the shackles were undone she lead the freed ves to ChuanLi restaurant.

 Chapter 9 The Choice to Serve

    After greeting the Auntie at ChuanLi restaurant and asking her for food, clothes,water to wash up and extra nkets, XieRong led the people she¡¯d rescued to her room.

    "I want you all to eat and wash up first. Here," she said handing them some leaves, "put this in the water you¡¯ll wash up with. The sores will disappear. We¡¯ll talk after."

    The three left to wash up elsewhere while XieRong waited for her food to arrive. She was starving. She felt happier as she thought of what she¡¯d pulled off. It was her first sess.

    He Ting, the waitress, brought her food and water to wash up with and left the room.

    As XieRong washed up she thought of what her next steps would be. She¡¯d seen Fa MeiLien form master-servant blood bonds with every servant who worked for her, but she wasn¡¯t Fa MeiLien. She wanted to let them decide if they wanted to follow her, which, she thought was very unlikely. She had no power, no wealth, was dead in the eyes of her family and wasn¡¯t even sure if her grandfather would ept her. At least FeiHong had her mother¡¯s gifts and a future, but she didn¡¯t even have that.

    XieRong had said a lot of things to FeiHong as her elder sister but she didn¡¯t know if she could abide by her words.

    Once XieRong was done eating, she brought the tray of empty bowls and tes downstairs.

    "Auntie can you send mypanions to my room after they¡¯re done?"

    "Yes, miss. I¡¯ll send He Ting to bring the bucket downstairs now that you¡¯re done. Here, your extra nkets."

    The Auntie handed over three more nkets.

    "I know I¡¯m not supposed to say anything to customers, good or bad, but for someone so young you have a very kind and understanding heart, young miss. Never forget to keep that kindness within you."

    XieRong smiled at the Auntie and thanked her, wondering why the Auntie had said that as she brought the nkets upstairs.

    It wasn¡¯t long before the three people she¡¯d rescued entered her room.

    "Do you have names?"

    "Nubi wishes Young miss to give this servant a new name," the oldest girl in the group about her age said as the girl beside her just nodded. The boy refused to say anything.

    XieRong couldn¡¯t make out their faces very well. Even with all the candle lights, it was too dark.

    She stood and withdrew their contracts from her spatial ring.

    "Here," she said giving all of them their contracts,"I¡¯ll give you the choice to follow me or to go your way. I have no wealth and no cultivation yet and I can only promise you this: if you choose to follow and serve me I will be a kind master to you, one that protects and provides for you. However, to prove your loyalty to me, I want you to make a blood bond with me. The choice is yours to make. You have until tomorrow, I¡¯ll be leaving the capital by the hour of the rabbit (5:00am to 7:00am)."

    XieRong said nothing more. She gave each of them their nkets and went to sleep. She had a long day tomorrow.

    The three servants stood shell shocked. They had never been given the opportunity to choose their own fates before.

    "She¡¯s interesting," the boy said, as he took his nket and moved to a remote corner of the room.

    The two girls didn¡¯t really know what to do. They were fallen nobles who had been sold by their family for money. This night, when they had observed the crowd, they thought the best they could get was a master who wouldn¡¯t abuse them on a daily basis, but instead they had been saved and offered an opportunity to decide their own lives.

    "We don¡¯t have to decide now, mei mei. Let¡¯s go to sleep. We¡¯ll know what to do when tomorrowes," the older one reassured her younger sister and coaxed her to sleep.

    XieRong was up before the hour of the rabbit (5:00am to 7:00am) and had hurried down to see whether her ginseng had arrived.

    "Auntie, auntie! Has anything arrived for me?"

    Auntie who was preparing the breakfast looked up and beckoned her over.

    "This pouch arrived for you early in the morning."

    XieRong hurriedly opened the pouch and inspected it¡¯s contents. It was fine.

    XieRong hugged the Auntie in her excitement.

    "Thank you! Thank you!"

    She bounded up the stairs to her room and woke the people sleeping on the floor.

    "I need to change. Go downstairs and have breakfast, I¡¯ll be there soon to hear what you¡¯ve decided."

    XieRong freshened up as fast as she could. She tied her jet ck hair up in a pony tail with the blue jade pin from her mother¡¯s jewellery. At thest moment she had decided not to sell that one and keep it as a keepsake.

    Today, she and FeiHong could start getting treatment.

    XieRong bounded down the stairs and sat down next to the people she had rescued as her breakfast arrived.

    Everyone present in the room could say she was happy. Her obsidian eyes shined even more brightly when she smiled. XieRong didn¡¯t know that she was livening up the atmosphere in the hall with just her happy countenance.

    "Have you all decided?" she asked as she ate her breakfast.

    "Me and my sister will follow you. We have no money or ce to go."

    "I don¡¯t want you to follow me for such reasons," XieRong said eating her noodles,"if you have no money, I¡¯m willing to give you some, and you could always work here and earn your stay. If you want to follow me, it will be only because you want to follow me. Now, tell me, what have you three decided?"

    The sisters looked at each other. They would be lucky to serve someone as kind and just as XieRong. Not everyone was fortunate enough to have a master like her.

    "Me and my sister still choose to follow you. We agree to the blood bond."

    XieRong was surprised, but happy. She would gain more people she could trust.

    XieRong looked at the boy in front of her properly for the first. He indeed had beautiful features, just like the auction master had said. A straight nose, dark shapely eyebrows, jet ck hair.

    "Have you decided?"

    The boy lifted his head and looked XieRong in the eyes. XieRong¡¯s eyes widened with surprise.

    He had the most beautiful sky blue eyes.

    XieRong had heard that people from the other continents possessed different features but to see it up close was a first. She couldn¡¯t help but stare a little.

    "I¡¯ll form the blood bond with you, but I can¡¯t follow you," he said.

    This stopped XieRong from her staring.

    "Then why do you want to make a blood bond with me in the first ce? I told you, you don¡¯t have to."

    "You¡¯re interesting," he said and resumed eating.

    XieRong thought that to be untrue. She found the mysterious boy to be much more interesting than she could ever be.

    After they were done eating, XieRong led the group to her room.

    All of them returned their contracts to XieRong.

    XieRong took out the knife from her boot and pricked the five fingers of her right hand. The others did the same after XieRong handed them the knife.

    XieRong started with the oldest of the group. She ced her palm on the girls so that their blood met.

    "I, XieRong, hereby name the person before me, Hui Nuo and ept her as my servant."

    "This servant epts the person before her as her master as well the name bestowed to her. I, Hui Nuo, swear by the blood to be loyal to no one but XieRong until death brings us apart."

    XieRong repeated this with the younger sister naming her Hui Zhen.

    XieRong looked at the boy.

    "Do you have a name?" XieRong asked, unsure if he wanted one from her.

    "You can give me a name, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking."

    XieRong felt a little embarrassed, but proceeded with the blood binding ceremony anyways.

    "I, XieRong, hereby name the person before me, An Biming and ept her as my servant."

    "This servant epts the person before him as his master as well the name bestowed to him. I, An Biming, swear by the blood to be loyal to no one but XieRong in this life."

    XieRong was puzzled as to why An Biming had changed thest part of the oath. She found no fault with it so she let it be.

    XieRong tossed a small pouch with five gold taels to An Biming before she left.

    "I promised that I would provide for you should you choose to serve me. You may not be following me, but you gave me your oath and I gave you mine. I don¡¯t know when, or if our path¡¯s will cross again, so I want to hold my end of the promise."

    XieRong left the capital with her two newpanions following behind.

 Chapter 10 The Treatmen

    XieRong made sure to check all her traps for rabbits and pheasants.

    She knew the olddy wouldn¡¯t be impressed with more people to take care of.

    "Young miss, why are we going into this forest?" Hui Nuo asked, as she huddled her sister closer to her.

    "You¡¯ll see," XieRong replied, killing another rabbit and storing it in her space. She had found four rabbits and one pheasant.

    She found it odd that she¡¯d caught so less, usually she found three times the pheasants and one or two rabbits more on a bad day.

    She was the only one hunting other than poisonous snakes and scorpions.

    XieRong put the extra cloak in her space on Hui Nuo and hid her inside a tree with Hui Zhen.

    Something wasn¡¯t right.

    The forest was too silent and there were fresh tracks everywhere of around five to six people.

    XieRong went around the clearing in which her master¡¯s hut was situated.

    She went to the small window and peeped in to see if everything was alright. She was relieved to see that there was no one inside, but she noticed that someone had gone through the things in the hut.

    The shelves and pots had been ransacked and clothes and baskets of herbsy as heaps and messes on the floor.

    XieRong went inside the hut to look around for things they would require if they were to stay at her master¡¯s cave and started to store them in her spatial ring. She made sure to leave most of the things untouched so that if the intruders returned they wouldn¡¯t know that someone besides themselves were in the forest.

    XieRong was about to leave when something caught her eye. She went near the cupboard where they stored the herbs and picked up a small, white, jade tablet with a roaring dragon carved at the borders.

    ¡¯Interesting,¡¯ XieRong thought, as she put it in her spatial ring and quickly left the hut.

    XieRong then got Hui Nuo and Hui Zhen to follow her to her master¡¯s study.

    "Young miss, where are we going?" Hui Nuo asked again, startling at the littlest of noises.

    She couldn¡¯t me her. She had been the same when she had first starteding to the forest, jumping ten feet high at the slightest of rustling from the bushes, until she had started to learn that the only ces poisonous snakes and insects would hide themselves were in the areas where the trees shed leaves, small burrows and on the trees.

    The trees in the forest hardly ever shed leaves, so those areas were easy to avoid.

    "Hui Nuo, trust in me. I won¡¯t let anything happen to you or your sister."

    XieRong was following the stream to the East.

    Her master had selected this forest as her home for two reasons; one, for it¡¯s variety of poisonous nts and animals, and two for it¡¯s very convenient location. The Fa Estate was up North, to the Northeast was the capital, the South gave way to outside the capital and finally to the East was the Shen mountain range known to house the most potent poisons in the entire of the five continents.

    XieRong kept to trees rather than the banks of the stream. She could tell that the people who had intruded the forest were no ordinary men if they¡¯d made it so far.

    It took half a Shi Chen for XieRong and her two new maids to make it to the main river from where the stream originated and another half to make it to the water fall. XieRong helped Hui Nuo and Hui Zhen up the rocks.

    "Young miss, where is the house?" Hui Zhen, asked, looking around for another hut or a shack.

    XieRong smiled as she carefully stepped on the ledge.

    "There¡¯s no hut, Hui Zhen, we are going behind the waterfall,e."

    She pulled Hui Zhen and helped her to the entrance of the cave. After helping Hui Nuo, she herself entered the cave.

    The Olddy looked at XieRong.

    "I see you¡¯ve brought me more mouths to feed."

    "I brought four rabbits, a pheasant, some fruits and vegetables too."

    "We will have to be more careful, XieRong, the forest is not safe."

    XieRong was surprised. Her master only called her by name when it was something very serious.

    "I noticed the intruders. They¡¯ve not been very careful with their tracks."

    "Hm. Give me what you¡¯ve brought. I¡¯ll see what I can do."

    XieRong handed her catch to the olddy.

    FeiHong leaped into her sister¡¯s arms.

    "Jie, you¡¯ve returned! I missed you."

    "Silly, it¡¯s not even been a day!"

    XieRong hugged her sister as FeiHong threw her arms around her waist.

    "Hong Hong, I want you to meet Hui Nuo and Hui Zhen. They¡¯ll be staying with us from now on."

    "More friends?"

    XieRong nodded.

    "More friends."

    XieRong handed her sister to Hui Nuo and made her way to her master.

    "Master, here¡¯s the ginseng," she said handing the pouch over.

    Her master inspected the ginseng.

    "These are better than I thought. We¡¯ll begin your and FeiHong¡¯s treatment. I have everything I need here, but I warn you, it will be very painful."

    "I understand, master. I didn¡¯te so far to give up now. I want to fulfill my promise to mother."

    "Good."

    "Master, why are there people in the forest? It¡¯s just full of poison."

    "That is exactly why they are here, child, poison. The schemes of the nobility are treacherous. They¡¯vee here to look for a poison that cannot be cured."

    "They¡¯re heading towards the Shen mountains?"

    The olddy nodded.

    "Don¡¯t go hunting, XieRong. In these five days, you will concentratepletely on your treatment."

    "But master, the food?"

    "Your master isn¡¯t so useless, XieRong, that she cannot provide her disciple and the rest of her horde with food for five days. You will concentrate on your treatment, learning, and teaching FeiHong. You will not worry about the rest, understood?"

    XieRong bowed at her waist, "This disciple understands."

    XieRong and FeiHong wore only pants, as they sat looking towards the waterfall, their backs exposed to the Old Poison Lady.

    "In these five days, the two of you are not to leave the cave. You will have to bear extreme pain through out the process. I will open five of your meridians daily until the fourth day, and on the fifth, I will remove the poison from your Dantian after which the treatment will beplete."

    The hour of the snake (9AM to 11AM) wasing to a close.

    The Olddy had stuffed cloth in XieRong¡¯s mouth.

    "XieRong, it will be more painful for you. You were born first so you have more poison in you, which has been cultivating for a longer time."

    XieRong wasn¡¯t afraid of pain.

    She nodded for her master to start with a determined look in her eyes. If she could make it through this then she had a chance to cultivate.

    The Poison Master¡¯s eyes shone with pride.

    Her young disciple was already facing so many hardships in life yet she remained undeterred from her path. The master knew this experience would make her disciple even more stronger both in heart and in mind. With this thought steeling her heart, the olddy began to treat XieRong.

    XieRong felt nothing at first. Then she felt a small sensation, as if a needle were being poked through her skin and slowly but surely the sensation began to grow. It went from a million needles piercing her back to a million daggers being stabbed, twisted and removed over and over again.

    XieRong mped her mouth shut on the cloth in her mouth. She had clenched her eyes shut and allowed tears to fall from the side of her eyes.

    She could hear FeiHong, Hui Nuo and Hui Zhen encouraging her to stay strong, but they sounded so far off, as though they were on the other side of the waterfall than right next to her.

    XieRong stubbornly refused to faint from the pain. She wanted to remember it, the scorching pain of feeling something being wrenched out from the very depths of your bones, so that one day she could return the favour ten times over to the Fa Family.

    XieRong could feel a disgusting feeling creep over her heart. She could feel it try to consume her being. It writhed and crawled and wed at her heart, asking her to give in to the roaring anger she felt.

    It had been a tempting offer, to let the darkest of her emotions guide her. To not be able to feel the immense pain and grief anymore, to be a lifeless doll set on revenge.

    However, XieRong refused, remembering her vow to her mother that she would be happy no matter what she did and she knew this wouldn¡¯t make her happy, just angry, angry at the Fa family, angry at herself, angry at the world. She then remembered the Auntie¡¯s words from the inn: To keep kindness in her heart. She remembered the joy she felt when she sessfully saved three people. She remembered all the times her mother had shown done small acts of kindness to someone despite being in a desperate situation herself, and how proud XieRong had felt to have a mother like her.

    XieRong promised the heavens above to whichever gods were listening, that she, XieRong would not spare her enemies, but at the same time she would not let revenge and hatred consume her, that she would always remain the kind girl her mother had raised.

    When the treatment for the day was finally over, XieRong opened her eyes.

    She felt as though she had been in that soul twisting pain for at least three Shi Chen, when in reality only one had passed.

    "You did well," her master said, starting to apply something cool and soothing to her back.

    Hui Nuo took out the cloth from her mistress¡¯s mouth and wiped the sweat from her forehead and was awarded a grateful smile from XieRong.

    "XieRong, you must stay in that position until I finish FeiHong¡¯s treatment."

    XieRong looked at her little sister who looked absolutely terrified.

    "Hong Hong, Jie is right here. Besides, didn¡¯t master say it would hurt you less?"

    Hui Zhen put a cloth in FeiHong¡¯s mouth and rubbed her hand in constion.

    FeiHong put on a brave face as the old poison master began her treatment.

 Chapter 11 The Five Days |Part 1|

    XieRong had gotten used to the pain.

    She no longer felt that it was unbearable, in fact, day by day it had reduced.

    And soon it was already the fourth day.

    XieRong was testing FeiHong on all that she had taught her.

    "Hong Hong, how many continents are there?"

    "Five; North, South, Middle, East and West. We live in the Northern one known for the Wuzhou mountain range. It¡¯s home to the spirit caves and the godly beast of the North, the White Tiger. It also has a lot of spirit grass and herbs, that¡¯s why there are many cultivation sects at the base of the mountains."

    "Good!" XieRong praised her little sister, giving FeiHong and Hui Zhen next to her a berry each.

    For every question FeiHong got right, XieRong would give them both a berry.

    "How many provinces are there in the Northern continent?"

    "Four; North, South, East and West. We¡¯re in the south where the capital is!"

    XieRong gave her sister and Hui Zhen another berry, chuckling at the blueness of their fingers.

    "Now tell me about the cultivation realms."

    "Uh...there are nine cultivation realms out of which the first seven have three stages each, the early, the mid, and thete," FeiHong said stretching her hand for a berry.

    "You didn¡¯t name them, Hong Hong."

    "Jie," she whined.

    "Young miss," Hui Zhen echoed.

    "FeiHong, you¡¯ll get the berry if you answerpletely and Hui Zhen, don¡¯t encourage FeiHong."

    "Fine, The Soul Gathering realm, The Dantian Formation Realm, The Spirit Stabilising Realm, The Spirit Cultivation Realm, The Earth Cultivation Realm..." Fei Hong paused and took a breath.

    "Jie, can I not tell ¡¯The¡¯, ¡¯Cultivation¡¯ and ¡¯Realm¡¯?"

    XieRongughed. Even she found it tiring to recite such long names.

    "Okay."

    "Sky, Heaven, Immortal and God!"

    This time XieRong handed over the entire bowl to FeiHong and went over to see if Hui Nuo needed help.

    "Need help?"

    "How can I let young miss help me?" Hui Nuo reprimanded, washing the vegetables.

    "Hui Nuo, how many times do I have to tell you and your sister that you should treat my sister and I like family?"

    "It¡¯s inappropriate for ady to behave this way, Young miss."

    Hui Nuo sighed and continued.

    "Miss, you are ady. You promised your mother to start behaving like one, remember."

    How could XieRong have forgotten? She remembered like it had happened yesterday.

    "Hui Nuo, the way you see a dy¡¯ and the way I do are totally different. To me a real dy¡¯ would never let a thing such as ¡¯ss¡¯ and ¡¯society¡¯ dictate friendship and family. Fa LiHua, who my mother considered family, betrayed her however Auntie Li, who was just a servant stayed and supported my mother by her side during her most difficult times. Now, tell me, who is a dy¡¯ Auntie Li or Fa Lihua?"

    Hui Nuo looked down in shame. Her Young miss was right. ¡¯ss¡¯ shouldn¡¯t dictate one¡¯s family and friends. She, herself was helped by her wet nurse and sold to the ve merchants instead of the brothel. If it wasn¡¯t for her wet nurse, she wouldn¡¯t have met her Young miss.

    "Well said."

    "Master. When did you return?" XieRong

    "Just in time to see how much you¡¯ve grown up."

    The Olddy said handing a rabbit, some fishes, some mushrooms and a variety of vegetables to Hui Nuo.

    "FeiHong greets master," FeiHong greeted standing by her Jie¡¯s side.

    XieRong, too, quickly said her greetings, embarrassed that her little sister had beaten her to it.

    "XieRong, FeiHong, you both have improved both your knowledge and medical skills immensely in these four days. I still have a lot to teach you but you cannot stay here any longer. Tomorrow is thest day of your treatment and the pain will be much worse than what you have experienced till now."

    "This disciple understands," both XieRong and FeiHong said together.

    "Master, Hui Nuo, Hui Zhen, I want to discuss something with you."

    XieRong waited till HuiNuo finished what she was doing and came over.

    "I would like to leave Hui Nuo and Hui Zhen under your care after tomorrow¡¯s treatment is over."

    Hui Nuo looked hurt. Didn¡¯t her Young miss want her anymore?

    "Hui Nuo don¡¯t look so rmed, it¡¯s only temporary," XieRong assured the girl who looked as if she were about to cry.

    "What do you have in mind, child? Speak fully."

    "Master, I want you to tutor Hui Nuo and Hui Zhen for six months. I would like to first affirm my position in Guo residence before calling them over. After six months of learning about medicine and poison, they can thene study martial arts with me if I¡¯m epted into the Guo residence. I want Hui Nuo and Hui Zhen to be able to protect themselves with or without me."

    The Poison master smiled at her disciple with pride. It was a wise decision that she had taken. Her disciple knew that if she wanted to be stronger she would need strong trustworthy allies.

    Hui Nuo, on the other hand, was touched. Her Young miss had thought about her and Hui Zhen while taking this decision and here she was thinking that her Young miss didn¡¯t want them anymore.

    Over dinner, XieRong asked her Master about the blood bond.

    "Master, how does the blood bond between me, Hui Nuo and Hui Zhen work?"

    "Silly girl," her master reprimanded,"you formed one without knowing fully what it entailed?"

    XieRong stuffed food in her mouth so she wouldn¡¯t have to respond.

    She heard FeiHong beside her giggle slightly.

    Her master sighed. No matter how wise her disciple had gotten she was still a neglected child. She couldn¡¯t fault XieRong for not knowing what blood bonds were.

    "Listen carefully XieRong, a blood bond is a sacred bond between two souls and it can be of four types. What FeiHong has with Bai Yueliang is a bond of equals in which neither party canmand another, but can share their thoughts and emotions on an equal level. However, if either of them decides to close the bond to the other, then the other can¡¯t force it open. That is why it is considered as such a great risk to have this kind of bond with a spirit beast without earning its loyalty first, because once a spirit beast gives its loyalty to you, it will never betray you in its lifetime.

    "Then there is the master-servant bond, like the one you have with Hui Nuo and Hui Zhen. You can share your thoughts and emotions with them as well as read theirs however they can only share theirs with you and read your mind and thoughts if you allow them to. You can also force them into absolute obedience with the bond by robbing their will.

    "The third type is the sisters or brothers bond which doesn¡¯t necessarily have to exist only between siblings. This is like an equal bond in which neither party is allowed to close the bond and it also forms a much more deeper connection between the souls. With this bond you will be able to live your partner¡¯s memories if they share them with you.

    "And the fourth type is the rarest and is called the lovers bond, the one you share with your soulmate. No one really uses it as hardly anything is known about it."

    XieRong felt a rush of excitement thinking of being able to talk to Hui Nuo and Hui Zhen with only her mind, but her excitement quickly died when she realised that she couldn¡¯t hear Hui Nuo nor Hui Zhen.

    "But master, I can¡¯t hear either of them!" XieRong said, trying feel Hui Nuo¡¯s and Hui Zhen¡¯s presence in her mind.

    "You may have formed a blood bond but that doesn¡¯t mean you have opened it. Imagine the bond to be like a door. You may have constructed it between your and their minds by performing the ceremony, but it has just been made. You¡¯ll have to open it so that you can see what is on the other side."

    XieRong was curious to see how a blood bond worked but a guilty feeling tugged at her heart. She didn¡¯t know she¡¯d asked Hui Nuo and Hui Zhen to give up their wills when she¡¯d asked to form the bond, she didn¡¯t even know if they wanted to know how they felt at all times and she¡¯d even rushed them into making that decision.

    "Hui Nuo, Hui Zhen, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know making a blood bond was such a huge decision for you, but I still rushed you into making it. I thought it would just make you loyal to me. I¡¯m so very sorry. I promise not to open the bonds until you tell me you¡¯re fine with it."

    Hui Nuo and Hui Zhen looked at each other, then at their Young miss and smiled at XieRong.

    "Young miss, did you know that me and Hui Zhen share a sister¡¯s bond?"

    XieRong¡¯s eyes widened slightly. She hadn¡¯t known.

    "It¡¯s fine. We assumed you knew, because we made a master-servant bond. Who knew that you didn¡¯t even know what it was properly until now.

    "Young miss, the reason I told you that Hui Zhen and I share a sister bond is because I want to tell you the circumstances under which we formed it.

    "You see, young miss, we are from a fallen noble family. Our family had be so poor that it couldn¡¯t afford to keep any daughters. They wanted to sell us to a brothel for arge sum. However, our wet nurse convinced our first mother to sell us to the ve traders instead of the brothel by offering to work the year for free.

    " Hui Zhen and I knew we would be separated when were going to be auctioned off so we formed the sister bond in the cage they were transporting us in. We promised each other that if one of us died, the other would follow immediately and if one of us escaped, then she would try to free the one who hadn¡¯t.

    "That¡¯s why miss, when you saved us that night, you gave us new hope. A chance to remain sisters. You even surprised us by giving us the chance to choose our own future which we¡¯ve never had, as nobles or as ves.

    " So you don¡¯t need to ask our permission, young miss. We¡¯ve already given our trust and future to you because we know you will treat us well."

 Chapter 12 The Five Days |Part 2|

    XieRong hadn¡¯t known that she could make such a huge impact on two lives she¡¯d decided to save on a whim.

    "Nuo Jie, how did Jie save you?" Fei Hong asked, while chomping on her rabbit leg.

    XieRong started to sweat nervously. She hadn¡¯t told her master the entire story because she was afraid her master would be disappointed in her for having taken such a risk.

    "Young miss was wonderful! She cheated the auction master of his money and he dly let her do it!"

    And so, Hui Nuo narrated the entire story to FeiHong and Master while XieRong waited for her master¡¯s scoldings. Soon, the story was over and her master was eating her food and listening like she would a bedtime story.

    "Master, aren¡¯t you going to scold me?" XieRong asked looking at her master¡¯s face, trying to figure out her master¡¯s feelings.

    "XieRong, you knew what you were doing. You knew the risks and the benefits and you acted upon your decision made after considering everything. Why would I scold you for it?"

    XieRong felt happy that her master trusted her judgement.

    "Master, can I open the bond now?"

    "No. Tomorrow I¡¯ll teach you how to see a person¡¯s presence, then you can open the bond. Now, go finish washing the bowls and then go to sleep. The rest of you, what are you idling about by the fire for?"

    XieRong had a hard time sleeping. She was so excited that she would finally be able to be cured tomorrow.

    "Jie, what if we don¡¯t have good enough spiritual roots?" Fei Hong, who was huddled next to XieRong, whispered.

    "Then even if we get cured, we won¡¯t be able to be stronger."

    XieRong hugged her sister even closer to her. She hadn¡¯t even wanted to think about what would happen if she didn¡¯t have good enough spiritual roots, but she knew she had to. She had to be prepared for any obstacle life threw her way.

    "FeiHong, believe in yourself and believe in Jie. Even if we don¡¯t have good spirit roots there will always, always be other ways to get stronger and get our revenge. So let¡¯s sleep, okay?"

    XieRong looked at her sister¡¯s figure next to her and was slowly lulled to sleep.

    Soon, it was morning and the hour for the final treatment was fast approaching. XieRong didn¡¯t think about all the things that could go wrong, instead she thought of what all she had to do after the treatment wasplete in order to leave for her journey tomorrow.

    "Master, I¡¯ll have to go to the capital tomorrow, first. I need provisions for before we leave."

    "Do what you want, child. You needn¡¯t inform me of your ns before hand. I trust your decisions."

    The old master stuffed cloth in XieRong¡¯s mouth.

    "Your eight extraordinary and twelve principle meridians have all been cured. As I told you, today I will be curing your Dantian where all your Qi is stored."

    This time XieRong was lying on the cold bare floor of her master¡¯s cave. The old master began the treatment as XieRong flinched from the pain. It was as though her master had put a sword through her abdomen from the very beginning, unlike the previous treatments where the pain escted from a pinch to a stab.

    XieRong had retreated to the recesses of her mind to meditate. She had learned to do this during the course of her treatment when she couldn¡¯t bear the pain any longer but refused to pass out. This made her forget the pain she was suffering.

    XieRong looked around at the pitch ck darkness in her mind. It was peaceful andforting. She¡¯d already found the doors to her bonds yesterday when she was asleep. Today, she¡¯d go around exploring the things in her spatial ring.

    The spatial ring was easy to ess.

    XieRong just had to think that she wanted to see what was in it and she found her consciousness inside the ring.

    Inside the ring was a huge room filled with shelves and cupboards of all sizes with things arranged neatly in them, not at all like the mess she was expecting.

    "Not what you were expecting?"

    XieRong turned around, startled.

    "Who are you? Show yourself!"

    XieRong thought about who could be in the ring her grandfather had left for her. She came up with nothing.

    "I was wondering when I would meet you," a old man said, materialising before her. He wore simple, but expensive robes and stroked his white beard.

    "Who are you, elder? What are you doing inside my grandfather¡¯s gift?"

    "Serves me right that my own granddaughter doesn¡¯t recognise me. I didn¡¯t tell Fa Hua anything before I left."

    "Grandfather? You¡¯re my grandfather? How? Didn¡¯t you pass away before I was born?"

    "Child, first tell this old man your name. Then we¡¯ll talk. I know I have a lot to hear about the things that have happened after I was gone."

    "XieRong."

    "It¡¯s a beautiful name. Come let¡¯s sit," he said, leading XieRong to a small table with two chairs.

    "Now tell me, what changes have happened in the Fa family while I was gone."

    XieRong told her grandfather everything. He should know what kind of bastards he¡¯d raised, XieRong thought as she told him about her mother¡¯s demotion to the Shu wife, her mother¡¯s dowry being stolen by Fa LiHua, the treatment received by her mother, FeiHong and she, the reputation and dealings of their shops, how Fa MeiLien had broken her sister¡¯s fingers and finally how Fa Lihua set the servants on her mother as she and her little sister watched.

    "By the Gods," her grandfather sighed, his head in his hands. He got up and hugged XieRong who was seated in a chair opposite to his.

    XieRong was shocked at her grandfather¡¯s sudden disy of affection.

    "It must have been hard for you," he said as he pat her back and sat back down in his chair.

    XieRong¡¯s eyes softened when she felt that the old man in front of her had meant every word he¡¯d said.

    "This old man is sorry that he couldn¡¯t be there to prevent those things."

    The old man had started to like this little girl before him in the short conversation they¡¯d had. It hadn¡¯t escaped his notice that she had notined or asked for pity.

    She¡¯d just told him the things as they were.

    "Don¡¯t worry grandfather. Mother told me you had tried to protect her by warning her about the poison. There wasn¡¯t anything else you could have done."

    "XieRong, grandfather has a favour to ask."

    "What is it grandfather?"

    "I want you to revive the Fa family."

    XieRong hesitated.

    She had expected something like this.

    "Grandfather, I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t ept this request," she said looking straight at her grandfather.

    "My mother suffered greatly at the hands of the Fa family. It will be unfilial to my mother if I help revive the same thing that destroyed her. Forgive this unfilial granddaughter for not being able to carry out yourst wish."

    XieRong got up and bowed deeply before her grandfather, the only person in the entire Fa Family who had stood up for her mother.

    "However, if grandfather has any other request from this granddaughter, I promise to try my best to fulfil it."

    "Then, grandfather will make another request," the old man said looking at his granddaughter with pride,"please eliminate the Fa Family."

    XieRong jerked back up to look at her grandfather dumbfounded.

    "I would have been disappointed in you had you chosen toply with my first request," Fa Yongnian said, sipping tea from the one of the cups that had appeared on the table.

    "The Fa family ancestors will turn in their graves if they knew how far down the Fa family has fallen. I know they would want the world to remember the Fa family for the good it had contributed to the Northern continent in its initial days than see the younger generation disgrace the Fa family name. The first request I made was to see whether you were worthy of the treasures that the Fa Family holds, and you, my dear granddaughter, have not disappointed me. Boqin is a fool to not see what a pearl he tossed away while going after the fisheye."

    XieRong sat down once more in her chair and started to sip her tea, more to see how tea inside the spatial ring tasted than anything else.

    "The ring your mother passed down to your younger sister is the Phoenix ruby ring, a godly treasure passed down for generations in the Guo family. What I wanted to pass down to you was the Dragon Sapphire ring, a godly treasure passed down in the Fa Family. I didn¡¯t tell your mother the location because if she knew, she would be in more danger than she already was. Your father and uncles have been searching for the treasures for a long time. It is a tradition of the Fa family to pass down the treasures only to those who have a just, kind heart. I failed to notice both these qualities in my children. They grew more spoilt and greedy with time, however you have the qualities my children failed to learned, so I will tell you the location of the treasures.

    "Granddaughter, even if I tell you the location, the path to the treasures is full of trials. I, a sky realm cultivator, was not able to find the treasures despite knowing the location. Do you still wish to know?"

 Chapter 13 The Five Days |Part 3|

    XieRong spent her time with her grandfather learning new things.

    He told her about his days in the cultivation sect and how they operated.

    Anyone who had turned thirteen or was above thirteen had to go to the sect festival which was held every year and show their prowess by participating in a series ofpetitions. If a sect was interested, they would announce the number of the jade slip which is given to eachpetitor before thepetitions begin. Also each victory would be recorded as points in the jade slip and the participant with the highest number of points would receive special gifts from the masters of the top three sects, prime minister houses, ducal houses and the emperor himself.

    She promised him that when she grew a little more stronger she would definitely try and win thepetitions.

    When XieRong worried that she¡¯d spent too much time in the ring, she was told that time passed very slowly inside spatial rings. So while she felt that a Shi Chen had already passed inside the ring, only a quarter of it had passed in actuality.

    "Grandfather, can I steal things from the great treasure room while I¡¯m returning from the ancestral treasure hall?"

    XieRong felt happy just imagining the look on Fa Boqin¡¯s face when he would learn that all the treasures he¡¯d been collecting and vying for had fallen into someone else¡¯s hands.

    Fa Yongnian patted his granddaughter¡¯s head fondly.

    "It¡¯s not stealing anymore if you have taken my permission," he said, "or if it belonged to you in the first ce. But, you can take as much as you like if it makes you happy."

    "Grandfather, will you be here forever? I want FeiHong to meet you and I have so many things to learn from you."

    "Dear, child. Nothing in this world is forever. Only when you be a god can you stay for eternity, and I, a sky realm cultivator, had only trapped a part of my spirit in this ring so that I could meet you. I have already been trapped here for more than half a decade. My spirit will vanishpletely from the mortal realm after two more years in the real world have passed."

    XieRong felt sadness grip her heart.

    Would she have to lose another one of her family after two years?

    "Don¡¯t be sad, child. I am already happy to have met a granddaughter like you."

    "Then can FeiHong at least meet you? I want her to know that there was someone in the Fa family who loved us and still does."

    "Hm. I suppose if you sleep holding hands and will her consciousness into this space then she cane here."

    Fa Yongnian may have looked calm but he couldn¡¯t wait to meet his other granddaughter.

    "Grandfather, can you show me what all is in here in the remaining time we have. I¡¯ll be leaving for the West Province tomorrow."

    Fa Yongnian smiled as he showed his granddaughter around, answering any questions she had for him.

    "Grandfather I¡¯lle visit you in tomorrow night with FeiHong," XieRong said, as she willed her consciousness back into her mind.

    As soon as XieRong woke up, she felt the pain. Her treatment had not beenpleted yet.

    XieRong opened her eyes to see the thick, gooey, ck poison being sucked from her Dantian.

    "Come back, have you?"

    The Poison master hadn¡¯t known her disciple had taught herself meditation. It took extreme patience and suffering to learn.

    "Be careful with when and where you meditate, child. It is a technique that improves your cultivation greatly, but leaves you vulnerable to attacks. First learn how to feel for presences with your mind then you can start to meditate without leaving yourself open to attacks."

    XieRong saw the thest of her poison leave her Dantian and when it was done, she felt something like a dam within her break, allowing a river of energy to flow to all the parts of her body. She could feel her wounds and scars heal, her bones strengthen and all her senses grow sharper.

    "Jie! Your hair!"

    XieRong turned her head to look at her sister.

    "What happened to my hair?" She asked as she brought her ponytail to the front to see what had happened. She saw that it had changed from jet ck to a beautiful dark brown.

    "Young miss, it¡¯s not only your hair," Hui Nuo said looking at XieRong with awestruck eyes.

    "What do you mean?" She said, as she took in the strange looks of everyone around her. Had something gone wrong? Why had her hair colour changed?

    The Old poison master smiled, giving her a bowl of water to look at her reflection.

    "The poison in you had affected your meridians and dantian greatly. Now that I have removed all of it, all it¡¯s side affects have disappeared as well."

    XieRong gasped at the girl in the water and she gasped back. Her wheat skin had turned a pleasant cream, her eyes had turned a deep brown like her hair and her lips had be plump and a dark peony pink.

    She looked at her reflection strangely. It would take some time getting used to her new look.

    Master turned to FeiHong and began to treat her.

    Hui Nuo and Hui Zhen hugged their Young miss from happiness.

    "Rong Jie, I¡¯m so happy you¡¯re okay now," Hui Zhen said, hugging XieRong¡¯s arm.

    "Young miss, I¡¯m just d you won¡¯t have to go through that painful treatment anymore!" Hui Nuo said, hugging XieRong¡¯s head.

    "Okay, okay, I get it. Now let me be!"

    Hui Zhen then left XieRong to go be with FeiHong.

    XieRong waited for her master to finish treating FeiHong as she made a list of the things she would have to do before they left for West province tomorrow.

    The brush felt very odd in XieRong¡¯s hand as she wrote down her list. Her mother had taught her and FeiHong to write and read using wet mud and sticks. Once, XieRong remembered asking her mother why she didn¡¯t have any brushes or paper. Her mother had replied that Fa LiHua had taken away all her writing equipment so that she would not be able to write to the old general in the West province.

    XieRong looked through her list with Hui Nuo by her side.

    "Trade mother¡¯s jewellery, get food, get a map, get more clothes, get two daggers, pack two water skins, find someone who¡¯s going to West province," XieRong listed.

    "Do you think anything is missing?"

    "No, young miss, but I¡¯m worried. It¡¯s a one month journey to West province, and who knows how much longer it will take you to reach your Grandfather¡¯s estate. When I was with the ve traders, I heard that there are bandits on the road to west province."

    "Hm. Thanks for telling me. I¡¯ll see what I can do."

    It seemed that XieRong had a long day ahead of her tomorrow.

    Soon, the olddy was done treating FeiHong who looked extremely tired.

    "Feeling better?" XieRong asked as she put FeiHong on one of her thighs as she sat cross legged.

    XieRong now knew how FeiHong, Hui Nuo and Hui Zhen felt when they¡¯d seen her new look.

    XieRong¡¯s eyes had widened momentarily when she saw her little sister. Her hair had turned from brown to lustrous jet ck. FeiHong¡¯s eyes had turned the colour her own used to be, obsidian. FeiHong¡¯s skin didn¡¯t change as much as hers had but it obtained a slight glow which made her milk white skin more youthful, better than it¡¯s previous dry and sickly looking state.

    XieRongid FeiHong gently on a mattress and went to the old master who was storing herbs in one of her shelves.

    "Master, why did the colour of my eyes and hair lighten, while those of FeiHong¡¯s darkened?"

    "The poison was concentrated more in your Dantian whenpared to your meridians, so your features lightened, while in FeiHong¡¯s case, the poison was concentrated more in her meridians, so her features darkened."

    XieRong felt like her hands weren¡¯t her own as she helped her master store the herbs away.

    "Now, tell me why have you actuallye."

    "Master, I want to learn how to feel presences and open the bond."

 Chapter 14 The Opening of the Blood Bond

    "Come," her master beckoned, leading XieRong to a corner of therge cave.

    The Olddy sat XieRong down.

    "Do you see the hole in that corner of the wall?"

    XieRong nodded, spotting the hole few feet away.

    "Good," Her master said, going near the hole and throwing some berries inside it.

    "I want you to feel with your mind if there is a snake inside it or not. If there isn¡¯t then go fetch the berries I threw in, if there is, thene tell me, but let me warn you, if there is a snake in that hole and you get bitten by it, then you will have to remain here for another week, so sense for the presence carefully."

    XieRong couldn¡¯t let herself get bit, otherwise all her ns would get dyed and she couldn¡¯t let that happen. She admitted, it was tempting to remain with her master and forget about the Fa family, but XieRong knew that she would be running away from her problems, letting those people get away with walking all over her.

    She had promised her mother she would be happy, and the only way she would truly be happy was to get justice for her mother, her sister and herself.

    "But how will I know whether what I¡¯m sensing is a snake? And how will I know what I¡¯m sensing is a presence?"

    "You will know eventually."

    XieRong started to concentrate trying to feel any presence in the hole. She tried for half a Shi Chen but saw and felt nothing. She couldn¡¯t be sure as to whether it was because she was unsessful or whether because there was actually nothing in the hole.

    Then, XieRong had an idea.

    She got up and went to sit near the entrance of the cave.

    She closed her eyes and concentrated. She roughly thought of where FeiHong wasying down and felt to see if she sensed anything there.

    For another half a Shi Chen she sensed nothing, then she slowly started to.

    XieRong opened her eyes and tried the feeling Hui Nuo, Hui Zhen¡¯s and her master¡¯s presences as well.

    She was somehow able to differentiate and recognise each one because of the big glowing spot in their abdomens.

    When XieRong waspletely sure that what she felt was indeed their presences, she tried again on the hole.

    She did feel something, but it wasn¡¯t the presence of a snake. It had the shape of a rodent.

    After another Shi Chen had passed she went and told her findings to master.

    "Master¡¯s berries are long gone. The rodent ate them."

    "Well done. Now tell me what exactly do you mean by a ¡¯presence¡¯."

    "To feel a person¡¯s dantian."

    "Yes," her master exined,"every humans dantian is its unique identity just like how every other creatures core is its unique identity."

    XieRong nodded her head in understanding.

    "Master, now that I can sense presences, how do I open the blood bond?"

    "It is just the hour of the sheep (13.00 ¨C 15.00), you impatient child. Opening the blood bond isn¡¯t hard once you¡¯ve mastered feeling presences. Now, if you can, try and expand your range to the entire forest and tell me where the intruders are."

    "Master, if I¡¯m able to find them this way, then why haven¡¯t they found us?"

    "Because I¡¯m able to hide my presence and because of the barrier I¡¯ve set up around the cave. Anybody outside the barrier won¡¯t be able to sense us. Now search for the intruders until I teach FeiHong about feeling presence. Then I¡¯ll teach you and FeiHong how to hide your presence."

    XieRong once again went to the entrance and sat down. She first focused on FeiHong, then she slowly expanded her range to the cave and then to the forest nearby. XieRong felt the strain on her mind as she tried to expand her senses to the Shen Mountain range. She¡¯d only made it half way there when she began sweat profusely.

    She took deep breaths, calmed her heart, and started again from the very beginning.

    It took her two and a half Shi Chen before she could identify all the presences in the forest starting from the Shen Mountain Range up to the boundaries of the capital. Including those of the intruders.

    "Master, they are near the base of the Shen Mountains."

    "Yes. That¡¯s why you will leave as soon as the sun is in sight, understood?"

    "Yes, master."

    "Good, now let me teach you both to hide your presence."

    By the time both, XieRong and FeiHong, had learned to hide their presencespletely, the hour of pig (21.00 ¨C 23.00) hade to an end. The cave had turnedpletely dark except for at the centre where they had the fire and XieRong had yet to open her bonds with Hui Nuo and Hui Zhen.

    When everyone else had fallen asleep, XieRong and her Master were wide awake.

    The olddy guided XieRong with patience and after a quarter Shi Chen XieRong had opened the bonds with both her sleeping servants.

    "XieRong, I know you made the blood bonds with Hui Nuo and Hui Zhen without knowing what it was properly, but now that you know, I want you to chose with whom you make the blood bonds carefully."

    "This disciple understands, master."

    "Good, now go to sleep. You have a long journey ahead of you."

    Something told XieRong her master meant more than her journey to the West province.

    As soon as the first rays of the sun fell on XieRong¡¯s face, Xie Rong woke up, surprised to see Hui Zhen right before her face, waiting for her.

    "What happened Hui Zhen? Why are you up so early?"

    "Rong Jie, did you open the bond?"

    XieRongughed.

    -I did- XieRong replied with her mind.

    Hui Zhen looked confused at first, but when it finally settled that XieRong had indeedmunicated with her using the link, Hui Zhen gave a big smile and hugged XieRong.

    XieRong had given permission as to both herpanions to speak through the bond as soon as she had opened it.

    -Rong Jie, I¡¯m not very good with words or at expressing my feelings out loud. I am morefortable speaking through a bond so I wanted to thank you for all what you¡¯ve done for me and Jie. I know you¡¯re leaving us now, but I promise to work hard in these six months and be useful to you when we meet again.-

    XieRong, touched, rubbed Hui Zhen¡¯s head.

    -Thank you, Hui Zhen.-

    During the hour of the rabbit (5.00 ¨C 7.00) XieRong and FeiHong bid their master goodbye after leaving some money with Hui Nuo for their needs.

    -Look after Hui Zhen and master for me. Contact me immediately if anything happens. Understood?-

    -Yes, young miss.-

    Hui Nuo said with cupped fists.

    -Take care, young miss. Until we meet again.-

    -Until we meet again.-

 Chapter 15 The Debt Repaid

    By the time XieRong and FeiHong had made it to the capital, the sun was at its peak above their heads.

    XieRong made her way to the ChuanLi restaurant and ordered lunch.

    She knew people wouldn¡¯t recognise her and she would rather keep it that way, even asking FeiHong to keep her spatial ring inside her own.

    "FeiHong," XieRong whispered to her sister,"we have to look and behave likeplete outsiders. If someone asks you if I¡¯vee here before, you must say no, understand? "

    FeiHong nodded her head.

    "FeiHong understands."

    "Good," she said patting her sister¡¯s head as she listened to the gossips from the nearby tables.

    With her hearing improved she could hear the entire conversations than just join bits and pieces of information like she did before.

    "Did you know that the second prince is returning today from the north?"

    "Yes, and the crown prince is going to go greet him."

    "The sickly crown prince? Wasn¡¯t he too ill too even get out of bed?"

    "He was, but from what I¡¯ve heard recently, he has been getting better as ofte."

    XieRong smiled.

    She already knew the second prince would be returning today and she had big ns in store for him.

    "Jie, the second prince is returning today," FeiHong whispered to her sister,"The intruders are also returning today. Is it a coincidence?"

    XieRong looked startled. She hadn¡¯t expected FeiHong to join the dots, but perhaps she had underestimated her little sister.

    "Shh, FeiHong. It¡¯s no coincidence, but there are too many ears here. I¡¯ll tell you somewhere else okay?"

    XieRong felt proud that her sister was growing smarter by the day. XieRong had to start training her sister more seriously.

    "FeiHong, from now on you¡¯ll follow me wherever I go."

    FeiHong nodded happily.

    Soon the waitress had arrived with her food.

    "Young miss reminds me of someone who came here a few days ago," He Tingmented, as she served the food.

    "Actually, I came to the capital on someone¡¯s rmendation."

    "Oh, young miss is new?"

    "Yes, it¡¯s my first time here. My cousin told me that there was a waitress here who made out that she was an outsider just from her ordering a dumpling stick from this ce. She said that she liked that waitress a lot because she was very helpful and kind. Are you by chance that waitress?"

    "Yes! That young miss looked lost so I wanted to help her."

    "Hm, HeTing, I think she said your name was. Am I right?"

    "Yes, miss!" HeTing eximed, happy that someone had remembered the name of a insignificant waitress like her.

    "So, tell me HeTing," XieRong said, waving her closer,"is there any ce where I could get information?"

    XieRong saw HeTing¡¯s grip on her empty tray grow tight.

    "What kind of information, miss?"

    "I¡¯m leaving for the West Province with my sister. I¡¯m looking for someone with a good reputation and guards to take me there. Is there anywhere where I could find information like this?"

    XieRong noticed HeTing rx. She found it odd that HeTing would tense over a matter like this.

    Suspicion began to take root in XieRong¡¯s mind.

    "Young miss, there is the Fa store which sells information, but," He Ting bent down to XieRong¡¯s ear and whispered,"they aren¡¯t very reliable and do business with selected customers only. If you go to thene behind the Fa and Bai Jewellery store. There is a very small street connected to it. Go down that alley and knock on the third door. When someone asks you for a password, say ¡¯Jin¡¯ and they will open the door for you. You can ask for information there."

    "How will I know which narrow alley?"

    "There is only one in thatne. Young miss can¡¯t get it wrong."

    XieRong smiled gratefully and thanked the young waitress as she scurried off to take orders.

    XieRongughed in her heart.

    So HeTing had been one of the crown prince¡¯s people all along.

    ¡¯Oh, second prince,¡¯ she thought,¡¯how greatly you¡¯ve underestimated your opponents.¡¯

    She paid her bill and headed to the location she had nned on visiting all along. It had been the main purpose of her trip to the capital besides getting provisions.

    XieRong quickly made her way to the shop, asking for some directions on the way, so that if someone were following her, they¡¯d think that she was indeed an outsider just looking for some information.

    Once again, XieRong stood in front of the familiar door.

    She knocked on it thrice.

    "Password?"

    "Jin."

    The door clicked open and Chanming greeted her, a slightly surprised look in his eyes which he masked well.

    "Come in, young miss."

    "I was directed here by someone. They told me I could get the information I wanted here."

    "What kind of information is young miss looking for?"

    "I want to know if someone powerful with a good reputation, who is allowing people to travel with them, is leaving for the West Province today. I¡¯d like to be dropped off as near to Qianhe city as possible."

    "Young miss, there are two such people who¡¯re leaving for the West Province today; The first young lord Bai and the fourth prince, both of whom are travelling to Qianhe city."

    XieRong felt FeiHong¡¯s grip on her fingers tighten painfully.

    "FeiHong, is something wrong?" she asked, confused at the sudden change in her sister¡¯s demeanour.

    "No, Jie, it¡¯s nothing," FeiHong said, loosening her grip.

    XieRong turned to face the shopkeeper again.

    "How can I inform them that I want to travel with them?"

    "Leave it to me young miss. I¡¯ll deliver young miss¡¯ note on young miss¡¯ behalf."

    XieRong quickly wrote a short, polite note on the paper that the shopkeeper gave her and handed it to him.

    "Then I¡¯ll trouble mister to deliver this for me."

    The shopkeeper folded the note after he was satisfied with its content.

    "When will the first young lord be leaving?"

    "First young lord will be leaving when the hour of the monkey (15.00 ¨C 17.00) begins."

    ¡¯Perfect¡¯, XieRong thought, as she took a seat at the counter with FeiHong taking one next to her. She had more than one Shi Chen left to buy her provisions.

    "Young miss, is there anything else I can help young miss with?"

    "Does mister know any ce where I can trade jewellery for money?"

    "Young miss, as a matter of fact, not only does our shop trade information, but jewellery, and other treasures as well. If young miss would put the jewellery on the counter and state the price then we can bargain the price."

    XieRong saw FeiHong taking out thest of her mother¡¯s jewellery and ce it on the counter. With the exception of a blue jade hairpin and a silver pink pearl hairpin they had decided to sell everything.

    "I want 800 silver taels for these. They are made of pure silver with real stones in them."

    "Miss, the price you offer is too high. I¡¯ll give you 50 taels for each. How does that sound?"

    "750 silver taels...Alright I¡¯ll take it."

    After the shopkeeper had left to get the amount, XieRong whispered to FeiHong,"FeiHong give my spatial ring to me."

    XieRong quickly withdrew the jade tablet and handed both the ring and the tablet to her sister.

    "Jie, this..."

    "FeiHong, believe in sister. Keep these both in your spatial ring and hand over the jade to me when I ask, okay?"

    FeiHong nodded and did as XieRong told her to.

    "Here, miss," Chanming said, putting the pouches of money on the table.

    After FeiHong had put the money away in her spatial ring, XieRong said,

    "Mister, my cousin hade here a few days before to sell jewellery."

    "Ah, no one wonder I thought you two resembled someone. What of it?"

    "My cousin said she would like to repay the debt she owed the master of this establishment, so she sent me here with a gift and some valuable information that could help your master immensely."

    The shopkeeper tensed.

    "Oh, and what is this gift and information you speak of?"

    "First, I would like a document which states that your master will in no way inquire or investigate after me, my sister, or my cousin¡¯s origins, whereabouts or as to how she obtained the information. Second, I would like a document stating that the debt my cousin owed your master has been repaid with his seal. You and my sister will serve as witnesses to both these documents. Do you agree mister?"

    "How valuable is this information?"

    "My cousin owed this shop¡¯s master a life debt, how valuable does mister think my information is if I¡¯vee here to pay the debt? Mister can ask his master if he¡¯s interested, if mister has a blood bond with him."

    The shopkeeper thought about it.

    "Fine, I agree to your conditions young miss. Tell me your, your sister, and cousin¡¯s names."

    " BaiHua, FeiHong, and XieRong."

    "Wait a moment, young miss."

    The shop keeper disappeared inside for a quarter Shi Chen. When he returned, he carried two documents with him, a seal and his blood thumbprint on each of them.

    XieRong went over the documents and after finding no fault with them she gave them to FeiHong.

    "FeiHong, I need you to prick your thumb and put your thumbprints here and here," XieRong said, handing her knife to FeiHong and pointing to the ces where she had to put her thumbprint.

    After FeiHong was done, XieRong asked her to store the documents in her spatial ring.

    "FeiHong, give me the jade."

    FeiHong quickly handed it to her sister.

    "Here shopkeeper. I think you recognise this," XieRong said, handing over the jade tablet to the shopkeeper.

    The shopkeeper¡¯s mouth opened in surprise.

    "How did that young miss-"

    "Find the second prince¡¯s royal tablet? Mister, had just signed the contract. How can mister go back on his words so soon?"

    The shopkeeper closed his mouth.

    "My cousin said that the second prince with five other people went to the Shen Mountain range before returning to the capital. Use this information as mister wishes."

    XieRong got off the stool and paid the shopkeeper for the information.

    She helped FeiHong get off hers and moved to the door.

    "Mister, I trust you will deliver my note to the first young lord Bai."

    She opened the door.

    "I hope mister¡¯s master is a man of his word. He stands more to lose than this young miss does, if word gets out on the street that the crown prince was just pretending to be sickly in order to strengthen his power in secret all along.

    "This isn¡¯t a threat, mister. Don¡¯t look so rmed. It¡¯s an offer of alliance. This young miss has a personal grudge with some of the people you¡¯re working against. I hope you deliver my offer to him," XieRong said, as she left the shop with her sister, closing the door behind her.

    The shopkeeper stared at the door for the longest time.

    ¡¯Little girls these days are scary,¡¯ he thought as he set off to deliver both the messages.

 Chapter 16 The Lost Child

    XieRong and FeiHong quickly left the back alley and went to the main street to buy provisions.

    "Jie, why did you choose to go with Young Lord Bai instead of the fourth prince?"

    "Because a lot of people would choose to travel with the fourth prince rather than Lord Bai."

    "Then wouldn¡¯t that make us a more easier target by the bandits?"

    "No, more people doesn¡¯t necessarily mean more security, FeiHong. Think about it, the number of people with the prince far outnumber the guards with him and most of the people travelling with the prince will be themon people with hardly any cultivation because they think that the guards with the prince will be high level cultivators who will protect them. However, the favoured second prince is arriving today. So whose security do you think will be the priority?"

    "The second prince¡¯s."

    "Exactly. So who do you think will have better guards?"

    "The second prince."

    "Yes. Wait and see FeiHong, the fourth prince¡¯s party will have at most, ten to twelve cultivators whose cultivation is in the mid tote Spirit Stabilising Realm. I also didn¡¯t want to travel with him because he is the second prince¡¯s blood brother. Who¡¯s to say that if one turned out to be a rotten apple, the other will not be one too? Now, I want you tell me the other reasons as to why I chose to travel with young lord Bai."

    XieRong let her sister think as she quickly made her purchases.

    After XieRong was done shopping for clothes and food she looked at her little sister who was still in deep thought.

    "FeiHong can you please put all these in your ring? I can¡¯t carry all these much longer!"

    FeiHong sheepishly put all the things in her space.

    "So, have youe up with an answer? It¡¯s okay if you¡¯re wrong. All people make mistakes, and the smart ones learn from them. I made a lot of mistakes too when mother taught me."

    "Jie, I think the other reason you chose first young lord Bai was because of the provisions. Since more people are travelling with the fourth prince he¡¯ll have to carry more provisions, while Lord Bai will have to carry less. This will attract bandits to the fourth prince¡¯s group rather than first young lord Bai¡¯s"

    "Good girl, FeiHong!" XieRong praised.

    "You¡¯re right. I chose him because of that as well. I¡¯ll tell you thest reason; young lord Bai has more influence than the fourth prince because he is older. Also, the fourth prince lives in the shadows of his older brother. Naturally, the first young lord Bai will have more powerful friends who would have provided him with extra guards with high cultivation levels and other provisions for the journey."

    XieRong looked around for a weapon shop. The capital was so big and crowded that not losing her sister in itself could be considered a great feat.

    "Jie, let¡¯s ask that steamed bun vendor for directions."

    FeiHong pointed to a small booth.

    XieRong pushed her way to the vendor, holding FeiHong¡¯s hand firmly.

    She took a deep breath once she made it out. She felt like she¡¯d just fought a war and emerged victorious.

    She picked up FeiHong in one arm. After the poison had been removed from her, XieRong found it easier to carry FeiHong in her arms for longer periods of time. The streets were getting busier by the minute.

    "Mister," XieRong said, addressing the vendor,"are the streets always this crowded at this time?"

    "No young miss, the second prince has arrived, so everyone is rushing to see him. Otherwise this street is usually empty."

    XieRong¡¯s eyes gleamed with joy.

    ¡¯So, he¡¯d returned had he?¡¯

    XieRongughed at the second prince in her heart. She¡¯d prepared a surprise for him that he¡¯d never forget. She couldn¡¯t wait to hear the rumours when they reached the west province.

    "Say, mister, do you happen to know any weapon shops around here? I¡¯ve been looking around but haven¡¯t found any so far."

    "Miss, you should go the Jin weapon shop that¡¯s on the fifth street, it¡¯s the only shop that will be open today. You will find it if you go straight down, take the fourth right from here and then the third left."

    "Thank you, mister," she said, paying for the steamed bun she bought for her sister.

    XieRong turned to leave when she felt someone grab her pants.

    She turned around to see a little girl younger than FeiHong.

    "Jie Jie, have you seen my big brother anywhere?"

    XieRong saw the little girl had tears in her eyes. She knew she didn¡¯t have the time to help someone else besides herself but the girl reminded her so much of FeiHong that she just had to help her.

    She would have been distraught if something simr had happened to her sister. Her mother had always taught her to treat people the way she would want others to treat her. XieRong knew that she would want someone to help FeiHong if she were in the same predicament as this little girl.

    Putting FeiHong down, XieRong bent down to the little girl¡¯s level.

    "Little miss, can you tell me what happened?"

    "I was here shopping with my elder brother but then I lost him."

    "What a strong girl you are!"

    She patted the little girl¡¯s head with her free hand,"You didn¡¯t cry and looked for help. How about I buy you a steamed bun for being so brave?"

    The little girl¡¯s face brightened a little.

    "This Jie Jie will also help you look for your elder brother while you eat the dumplings. Can you tell this Jie Jie your name?"

    "ChuHua."

    "Okay, ChuHua, let¡¯s look for your big brother."

    XieRong bought another steamed bun and gave it to the little girl.

    She then picked both the girls up in either of her arms and made her way to the weapon shop.

    XieRong set the two girls down as soon as she saw that the fourth street barely had any people. Her arms throbbed slightly from carrying two people not much younger than her.

    She followed the vendor¡¯s instructions and soon reached the Jin weapon shop.

    She was surprised when she felt ChuHua pull her into the shop.

    "Young miss! The young miss has been found!" A man said, as he rushed up to ChuHua.

    "Young miss, everyone was so worried. Where had you been?" Ady as she examined ChuHua.

    "She was lost on the main street. You can¡¯t me her, it¡¯s very crowded today."

    "Thank you, miss, for bringing our young miss here."

    "It¡¯s okay," XieRong replied. She¡¯de here looking for daggers so she couldn¡¯t take the credit for helping ChuHua.

    "Auntie, do you know which family ChuHua is from and who her big brother is?"

    "Miss, you don¡¯t have to worry, I am her big brother," A boy wearing expensive green robes said as he entered the shop.

    He had triangr eyes and a menacing look on his face.

    All the servants in the shop fell silent.

    "Why don¡¯t youe give this big brother a hug, ChuHua? This big brother was so worried about you."

    ChuHua held XieRong¡¯s hand tighter as she hid behind XieRong. She could feel her sister¡¯s grip tighten on her hand too. XieRong was confused to see her sister be pale, as though a ghost stood before her.

    FeiHong¡¯s hands and lips had started to quiver.

    XieRong gained a ruthless gleam to her eyes.

    She put the girls behind her protectively, shielding them from the boy.

    "FeiHong, give Jie her ring. You don¡¯t have to be scared, Jie is here. Nothing will happen."

    FeiHong handed XieRong her ring.

    "This young lord is the second young lord of the Bai family. Give this young lord¡¯s sister so that he can bring her home."

    XieRong looked sideways at ChuHua. So, she was the young miss of the Bai family.

    "ChuHua is he the brother you were looking for?"

    Chu Hua shook her from side to side furiously.

    "Do you want to leave with him?"

    ChuHua shook her head again.

    XieRong turned around to face the young lord.

    "Hm..." XieRong pretended to think.

    "This miss doesn¡¯t remember ever hearing about a ¡¯second young lord¡¯ of the Bai family. Is this young lord sure that he has not eaten something rotten?"

    "You dare? I am the second young lord Bai, and a cultivator in thete Dantian formation realm. You still dare insult this young lord?"

    "Well, then let this miss ask this lord a question: How many years is this young lord?"

    "Why should this young lord answer anything?"

    "Is this young lord so delirious from the rotten food that he can not even say how old he is?"

    The boy in front of XieRong grew red in the face. He reminded her so much of the second prince that she wanted to teach him a lesson even more.

    "This lord is eight years old."

    "Does the lord think this miss is stupid? Everyone in the Southern province knows that the second prince is the most talented cultivator of our generation and he¡¯s only about to break through to the Dantian Formation realm. Are you trying to say that this lord is better than the second prince?"

    "I-This lord-"

    "If you say that you¡¯re in thete Dantian Formation realm then we must let lord Bai, the second prince,and the emperor know! How could such a prot¨¦g¨¦ in the Northern Continent not be known by Lord Bai, the prince and the emperor?"

    The second young lord Bai now looked like a ripened tomato.

    "You!" He screamed, charging towards XieRong, reaching for her neck.

    XieRong had been waiting for him to do that.

    The second prince always reached for her cor or neck when things didn¡¯t go his way.

    She stepped out of the way and stuck her foot out when the boy¡¯s hand was a few inches away from her throat. He couldn¡¯t control himself and fell t on his face.

    XieRong quickly sprinkled a mixture of Gua wood and Tanhuan berry powders on the boy from her ring as her sleeves hid her hand. The Gua wood would paralyse him while the Tanhuan berry

    The air around XieRong dropped to freezing temperature as she whispered, "Know your ce."

 Chapter 17 The Token of Appreciation

    When young lord Bai arrived with his family to his mother¡¯s shop where his sister was found, he was surprised to see his younger brother on the floor. His first aunt and uncle rushed to their child.

    "Bai NianZhu! Oh, my sweet child! Who did this to you?" A leandy with heavy make up wailed, bending down near her son to examine him.

    "Who?! Who did this? Who dares go against the Bai family? Show yourself!" The leandy¡¯s husband bellowed.

    None of the servants, who were still stupefied by what the young girl had done, dared to speak up.

    XieRong just stood the side with FeiHong and ChuHua next to her.

    "First brother, calm down. Something must have happened," A handsome man in white said, entering the store.

    "I demand an exnation second brother. Why has this happened to my son in your wife¡¯s store?"

    Bai Minzhe ignored his brother and looked to his daughter. He smiled in relief when he saw she was okay and happily munching on a steamed bun, however he was surprised to see that she was holding a young girl¡¯s hand while doing so. ChuHua hardly spoke to strangers, let alone hold their hands.

    "ChuHua,e to father," he said, waving her over.

    ChuHua ran up to him happily, pulling his sleeves, signalling that she wanted to be picked up.

    "Father and mother were so worried ChuHua! What if something happened?"

    ChuHua giggled as her mother fussed over her.

    XieRong smiled.

    "Mother, stop. That Jie Jie over there brought me here, she also gave me a steamed bun for being a brave girl!" ChuHua said, proudly.

    "Will you just ignore this insult to my son, Minzhe? This is not just an insult to me, but to the Bai family. Are you going to let it go so easily?"

    XieRong shook her head. This man was asking for trouble.

    "First brother, I just reunited with my daughter after she was lost for more than a Shi Chen. Can you me me for being relieved to see her? Why don¡¯t you take care of NianZhu while I deal with this?"

    The first master grit his teeth, but kept silent.

    "Young lord, I demand justice for my NianZhu," thedy next to NianZhu said, kneeling in Bai Minzhe¡¯s direction.

    Bai Changying was furious at her husband. How dare he back down so easily when it was their son in question here? If he couldn¡¯t get justice for her son, then she would.

    "Mother, it was that witch who did something to me!" Bai NianZhu said pointing at XieRong.

    XieRong didn¡¯t retaliate. She waited for the effects of Tanhuan berry to wear off and that of Gua wood toe into effect and judging from the way the second young lord had started to itch his arms it had already started to.

    XieRong calmly took FeiHong by the hand to greet Lord Bai.

    "BaiHua greets Lord Bai, Lady Bai and first young lord Bai," XieRong said, bowing at the waist.

    "FeiHong greets Lord Bai, Lady Bai and young lord Bai," FeiHong said, following after her sister.

    "Rise. Tell me little girl, are you the benefactor of my daughter?"

    "Lord Bai, this miss will not lie to you. Indeed this miss wanted to help ChuHua find her family, but this didn¡¯t bring her here knowing that this shop was owned by Lady Bai or that Chu Hua was the young miss of the Bai family. It was simply a lucky coincidence that this wanted to buy weapons and this shop happened to be the only one open today."

    Lord Bai was pleased at this little girl¡¯s honesty.

    "Is the second young master¡¯s usation towards you true, little girl?"

    "This miss indeed did talk to the second young lord, however it was the second young lord who approached this miss first with the intention of harming this miss. When this miss dodged, the second young lord fell to the ground. All the people who were present in the shop at the time can serve as witness to this."

    "Uncle, that witch is lying!"

    XieRong calmly turned to where the second young master was sitting on the floor furiously scratching his arms.

    "Second young lord, how could this miss do anything to the second young lord when this miss didn¡¯t even touch him? All the people who were present at the time can serve as witness to this fact. Are trying to tell Lord Bai that while all of us lie, the second young lord alone tells the truth? Is this young lord sure he has not eaten something bad?"

    "Father, mother, believe me!" The second young lord said beginning to scratch his back and neck,"she¡¯s done something to me, it¡¯s so itchy!"

    XieRong turned back to face Lord Bai.

    "Lord Bai this miss has no cultivation. How could this miss, a seven year old girl, with no cultivation and no martial art skills harm the second young lord?"

    Bai Minzhe had temporarily forgotten that before him was just a little girl and not a young woman. The Lord was impressed with the way she represented her case. He, being the west prime minister, had seen many people much older than this girl present their cases before him, but few hardly ever possessed the same calmness.

    "Young miss, why are you hiding your cultivation and presence if you are not a cultivator?"

    "Lord, this miss and her sister just recently learned to hide their cultivation and presence. We are to leave with Young Lord Bai today for the west province. If we happened to encounter danger on our way, then this miss and her sister will be easy targets, that¡¯s why we had no choice but to learn how to hide our cultivation."

    "Father, what this miss says is true. I received a note that a girl named BaiHua and her little sister will be travelling with us," the first young lord Bai said. He was prepared to help this girl from the moment he found out that she had helped his sister, however not only had she not needed his help, she¡¯d also let him see a good show.

    "Minzhe, how can you trust this girl¡¯s words over my son¡¯s?" NianZhu¡¯s father finally said.

    "Elder brother, if I ask this girl to show us her cultivation, and if everything she said is true, then how are you going to make up to her?"

    "Hmph. If everything she has said is true then I¡¯m willing to listen to any one of her demands, but if she has lied and my son was telling the truth all along then she will have to be punished severely, even if she is the benefactor of your daughter."

    XieRong shook her head at Lord Bai¡¯s elder brother in her heart. He had dug his own grave.

    "Miss, please do this lord the trouble of showing your cultivation," The Lord Bai said, sighing at his brother¡¯s stupidity. Couldn¡¯t he see that this young girl was too smart to get into trouble she couldn¡¯t handle?

    XieRong let her cultivation show.

    "Brother, now everyone in this room, including you and I, can serve witness to the girl. Tell me, what have you to say for yourself?"

    The second young master¡¯s father pulled his son up by the ear for making him lose face in front of so many people. Bai Changying pped her son across his face.

    "Have I taught you this? To lie?"

    "But mother-"

    "Don¡¯t call me ¡¯mother¡¯. I have not raised a son like you!" She huffed, storming away, with her husband and son following behind.

    XieRong couldn¡¯t control the smile that broke out on her face.

    "Lord Bai, is the deal between this miss and the first lord still valid?"

    Lord Bai smiled.

    "This lord¡¯s elder brother will not go back on the promise after he made it in front of so many people."

    XieRong thought about it.

    "Lord Bai, this miss has nothing she wants or needs right now, so this young miss would like Lord Bai to have the favour the first lord owes me. This miss knows that the lord will make better use of it than this miss will be able to. Besides, this miss be leaving in half a Shi Chen so this miss will not be able to reim it anyway."

    "Young miss, you have already done this lord a great favour by returning his daughter to him. If this lord epts your offer, it will be considered as another favour this lord owes you."

    XieRong smiled. This Lord Bai was definitely deserving of his title as well as his position as the west prime minister. If she could earn his trust, it would be easier to make things difficult for the Fa family in the future.

    "Lord Bai, this miss saved your daughter because this miss saw her little sister in the young miss. This miss would be absolutely distraught if she were to lose her sister on such a crowded day. This miss did for ChuHua what this miss would want someone else to do for this miss¡¯ sister. So this miss would still like it if the lord epted this miss¡¯ offer in exchange for this lord¡¯s protection for this miss and her sister."

    Lord Baiughed and looked at his wife who had taken Chu Hua from him and held her in her arms.

    "What do you think dear wife, should I ept?"

    "I wouldn¡¯t mind if you decided to adopt them as your goddaughters. They¡¯ve returned ChuHua to me and that is the greatest favour I have owed anyone in my life. Who knows what could have happened to her if they hadn¡¯t found her."

    "So you want me to take them as my goddaughters?"

    Bai Dongmei red at her husband. He was teasing her by pretending not to take the hint.

    "Yes, husband. I want to take them as my goddaughters. That is the greatest protection you and I can offer them."

    XieRong couldn¡¯t believe this.

    It was surreal.

    But she couldn¡¯t let them register her and FeiHong as their goddaughters now, not when she was under a false name.

    "Alright, I will register you and your sister as my goddaughters," Lord Bai said. He was more than happy to have such an intelligent addition to his family.

    "Lord Bai, this miss is overjoyed that you and thedy think so highly of this miss and her sister, but this miss is afraid that she must refuse."

    "Child, do you think this is an offer we give everyone?"

    Lord Bai sounded upset.

    XieRong hurriedly exined.

    "Lord Bai, this miss does want this miss and her sister to be your goddaughters. It will be a great honour for us, however due to personal reasons that this miss is currently unable to tell the lord, this miss can not ept the lord¡¯s offer currently . However, once this miss has achieved what this miss has set out to do in Qianhe, this miss will dly ept the lord¡¯s offer then."

    XieRong looked at Lord Bai who looked at his Furen.

    The Furen smiled and nodded. She didn¡¯t want her benefactors to be troubled.

    Lord Bai smiled at the little seven year old girl before him.

    "We understand. We will be waiting for your visit, but for now, take this," he said, handing her a green jade tablet with ¡¯Bai¡¯ engraved on it.

    "This is..." XieRong said, holding the precious tablet in her hands.

    "A token of our gratitude."

 Chapter 18 The Journey to West Province |Part 1|

    The Bai family left the shop soon after XieRong and FeiHong had promised ChuHua toe y with her in the capital, with the exception of the first young lord who stayed behind.

    "First young lord Bai," XieRong addressed, picking up a dagger,"why isn¡¯t this shop called the ¡¯Bai Weapon Shop¡¯?" XieRong asked, trying another dagger.

    "Because this is my mother¡¯s dowry. My father refused to let the Bai family have it as the shop is close to mother¡¯s heart."

    XieRong felt a little jealous of ChuHua who had a father who loved both, ChuHua and her mother dearly, but it soon subsided when she thought of her own little family: The old master, Hui Nuo, Hui Zhen, FeiHong and now even her paternal grandfather.

    "FeiHong, have you decided which one you want?" XieRong asked.

    She had already selected a light, curved, sharp dagger with a wooden hilt for herself.

    "Jie, I want this ck one," FeiHong said, giving her choice of dagger for XieRong to see.

    XieRong felt the dagger in her hands. It wasn¡¯t too heavy. Then she looked at her sister who was just one head shorter.

    "This is a nice choice, FeiHong, but not for someone of your stature."

    XieRong handed the dagger back to her sister.

    The first young lord became interested.

    "Why do you think this dagger is not suited to her?"

    "FeiHong is one head shorter than me, her arms are shorter than mine too. If she is in danger, then her attack areas for grown men will be concentrated mostly at their legs and abdominal region. It¡¯s best if she chooses a double edged small dagger, because with her current strength she should focus on escaping and tiring her enemies. If she can then she should try bleeding her enemies out by leaving a number of shallow injuries."

    Young master Bai was impressed. Even he, a person who has been studying weapons, wouldn¡¯t be able to exin as simply as this girl before him had, and she was three years younger than him.

    "What about you, why did you choose your dagger."

    "With my current abilities, even my priority is to defend myself first, but I can trap and use other things to hinder my enemies. So, I¡¯ll mostly be using the dagger to go for the heart."

    XieRong¡¯s mother had taught her to how to think about how she could use a weapon to harm her enemy. She remembered her mother¡¯s words when she had given XieRong her first dagger, ¡¯XieRong, you may not know how to use a weapon, but you can always know how you are going to harm your enemy with it. Remember, a person¡¯s strength lies not in the knowledge of how to use a weapon, but knowing best how to protect oneself with it.¡¯

    The first young lord Bai was thrilled that he would be travelling with such an interesting person. He would not be short of entertainment if she were around.

    XieRong quickly purchased the weapons and followed after the young lord.

    "Bai Shen, why did you make this prince wait for so long?" A boy said from atop his spiritual beast.

    XieRong quickly removed her spatial ring and told FeiHong to put it in hers. Was this just a coincidence?

    "And who are they? Why aren¡¯t they greeting this prince?"

    XieRong looked at the boy wearing a purple coat with designs stitched from golden thread.

    He hadn¡¯t been so haughty when she had been pulling him by the cor the other day.

    ¡¯Interesting,¡¯ XieRong thought.

    XieRong looked at Bai Shen for help, who whispered, "He is the eighth prince, blood brother of the crown prince. He is famous for being spoilt and arrogant."

    XieRong smiled. So her mother wasn¡¯t the only one who had disguised her with a fake identity and reputation.

    "BaiHua greets ninth prince."

    "FeiHong greets ninth prince."

    The eighth prince was stunned when both of the girls greeted him sincerely curtseying and bending their knees properly. Usually people greeted him just for formality because of his arrogant behaviour.

    "Hmph, rise."

    XieRong stood straight and met the boys eyes. He startled. How could there be such simrity between two people? He tried to school his expression like his brother had taught him.

    "Bai Shen, you¡¯rete!"

    "No, young prince, you were a quarter Shi Chen early. The hour of the monkey just began."

    "And this prince doesn¡¯t care. Let¡¯s leave now."

    Young lord Bai sighed as he ordered the group to start walking. This was going to be a long journey.

    When night arrived, the party set up camp in the ins.

    XieRong and FeiHong huddled close by the fire as a strong wind blew past.

    "FeiHong, Jie has somewhere she wants to take you tonight. Do you trust Jie?"

    FeiHong nodded her head.

    "Then close your eyes and keep your mind free of thoughts," XieRong said, taking her sister¡¯s hand in hers and willing both of them into her spatial ring.

    The space inside the ring was as neat as ever.

    "Grandfather, we¡¯vee!"

    XieRong looked around for her grandfather holding FeiHong¡¯s hand.

    "So you have," he said, fading in slowly.

    "This granddaughter greets grandfather," she greeted, politely.

    "No need for formalities between us," he said, waving his hand about.

    "So, this is FeiHong," he said looking over FeiHong.

    "FeiHong greets grandfather," FeiHong said looking at the old man in puzzlement.

    "Jie, why is grandfather..."

    "Alive? He isn¡¯t. This is just a part of his spirit which he had trapped here."

    "Come, let¡¯s sit children. We have a lot to talk about."

    XieRong told FeiHong and her grandfather everything from how she¡¯d met the crown prince until how she had helped him.

    "I see you take after your mother," grandfather said, atst.

    "Your mother was one of the most intelligent woman I¡¯ve had the pleasure of meeting in my life time. She possessed wisdom beyond her years. Sadly, she perished in the hands of my family."

    XieRong patted her sister¡¯s head who had been listening with rapt attention.

    "XieRong, why don¡¯t you go look around? Grandfather wants to talk to FeiHong alone."

    XieRong left the table to explore more of the space thinking her grandfather wanted some time to bond with FeiHong.

    The shelves in the space were arranged from newest to oldest. She had already explored the newer parts with grandfather so she went to start with the oldest.

    She found many books on cultivation techniques which she moved to the newer section. XieRong moved anything that could be of use to her to the newer section while moving things she wouldn¡¯t require for a while to the older one.

    XieRong had just started reading a book when she felt a presence approach her body in the actual world.

    "FeiHong, we need to leave!" she shouted urgently as she willed her consciousness back.

    XieRong opened her eyes and got up.

    "Eighth prince, it isn¡¯t polite to sneak around when people are sleeping," she whispered, drawing her dagger close.

    "You," he said,"who are you? Why do you look so simr to the girl who came a week ago?" He had his short sword pointed at XieRong.

    "Hm, I¡¯ll answer your question if you answer mine first. Did your brother send you here to keep an eye on me?"

    "I asked first."

    The air between the two turned tense.

    "We¡¯ll talk tomorrow, young prince. You should know better than anyone that there are always ears hunting for secrets in the dark. Go to sleep," XieRong said, moving the sword away with the back of her hand.

    "This isn¡¯t over," The prince warned, going back to his tent to sleep.

 Chapter 19 The Journey to West Province |Part 2|

    The weather was rtively pleasant.

    As the group journeyed to the west province, the weather had grown colder.

    XieRong now knew why the north was home only to cultivation sects. Without cultivation, they¡¯d freeze to death.

    More than three fourth of the journey had beenpleted. In the morning XieRong would apany Bai Shen or the young prince, who had grown more fond of XieRong and her sister after learning that they had helped his brother and offered him an alliance, in the morning learning things from them about the state of affairs, weapons and even horseback riding. If she were spending time learning with Bai Shen, then FeiHong would spend time with the young prince and the other way round. During the night she would enter into her spatial ring, some days alone, some days with FeiHong. She spent most of her time reading books about cultivation and medicine when she wasn¡¯t learning from grand father. She had also explored everything that the spatial ring had to offer. On a weekly basis XieRong would contact Hui Nuo and Hui Zhen to check on their progress and on how their master was doing.

    It was a week before they had to arrive that there was a disturbance in XieRong¡¯s routine.

    XieRong had been reading a book in a carriage she shared with a kinddy when she heard shouting outside.

    She put her book in her spatial ring and hopped off the carriage which hade to a stop.

    "What¡¯s going on?"

    She asked the cultivator standing next to the carriage.

    "Young miss, it¡¯s not safe. There seems to be movement in the surrounding forest. Young miss should stay in the carriage with the Duchess Chin until it is safe."

    XieRong looked around for FeiHong.

    "Miss, I¡¯lle back after I have found my younger sister."

    XieRong knew her sister would be safest with the young prince but she couldn¡¯t help but worry. Their small group included her, FeiHong, Bai Shen, Eighth prince, Duchess Chin, Merchant Liang and his daughter. The rest were all seasoned cultivators in the Earth and Sky Cultivation realms.

    It wasn¡¯t hard to find FeiHong who was in front the group practicing her riding.

    As soon as she reached the front of the group, men started to appear from around the forest. There were around seven men all with murderous intent oozing out of them.

    "Jie, you told that the bandits wouldn¡¯t attack us."

    "No, this isn¡¯t an attack, they¡¯re trying to stall us."

    XieRong noted that the bandits remained at the edge of the forest and didn¡¯te near.

    "Bai Shen, when did the fourth Prince¡¯s party leave?"

    "Three Shi Chen after ours. Why?"

    "I¡¯ll tell you but first tell me, which route has the fourth prince taken?"

    "The same as ours."

    "Then we have to keep moving. The bandits won¡¯t attack, because these are the only ones here. The rest are tailing the fourth prince, I can sense their presence. They are trying to group us with the Fourth Prince¡¯s party and loot us together."

    Bai Shen wasn¡¯t so sure if what XieRong telling was true. He could only expand his mind to the surrounding area. How could a girl younger than him, with no cultivation expand her mind so far with self training?

    "But-"

    "Trust me. These bandits are the only ones here. We need to move or it won¡¯t be long before the rest of them arrive."

    XieRong could see the hungry gleam in the Bandits¡¯ eyes. She knew something was wrong.

    "Bai Shen, they haveid traps."

    XieRong looked at the wide road. It didn¡¯t look like anything was wrong at first nce but as a person who had beenying traps for years, XieRong could make out the soil had been dug up in the middle.

    "We¡¯ll have to split up and move close to the bandits on either sides of the road. Take the duchess and merchant with you with half the cultivators, leave the other half to me. Be careful, I feel some of their presences in the trees."

    Bai Shen felt to sense the bandits¡¯ presence. XieRong was right some of them were in the trees. He cross checked this with some other cultivators and all of them sensed it. Bai Shen looked at XieRong strangely. How was she able to expand her mind for so long. He could only keep sensing presences for two to three Shi Chen.

    XieRong put FeiHong with the young prince and assured them.

    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve been taught military strategies by mother and I¡¯ve read all the books she had. I know we¡¯ll make it through, okay?"

    "Hmph, I wasn¡¯t scared in the first ce!"

    XieRong climbed the horse and began to lead her half of the party.

    "I want two cultivators up front, two at the back, one water and earth cultivator facing the road and the rest facing the forest."

    "Why should we listen to you, a seven year old girl?" One of the male cultivators replied back.

    "It¡¯s either me or youe and lead the party."

    XieRong had a deadly look on her face that shut the cultivator up. They did as she told and began to move at a faster pace.

    "Earth cultivators keep feeling for any thing hidden in the ground, especially talismans and the sort, the water cultivator will destroy it without triggering it, understood?"

    XieRong could feel her palms sweat and heart race. Reading and learning war tactics with mother was one thing, but using them and leading people was a whole other.

    ¡¯Mother, watch over me,¡¯ she prayed as she lead the group forward.

    XieRong tried not to flinch every time she heard a cultivator kill a bandit. She knew most of the bandits woulde to attack her group. There was a seven year old girl leading the group. How could the bandits resist such a tempting opportunity to kidnap the prince?

    XieRong kept sensing presences in the entire area up until the bandits who were chasing the fourth prince¡¯s party.

    "Jie!" FeiHong screamed.

    XieRong turned to see that a bandit had jumped onto the carriage from the trees.

    "Keep the formation! I¡¯ll take care of this one!"

    XieRong steered her horse to the carriage that had stopped. She quickly climbed to reach the roof of the carriage. The bandit was so busy tearing the cloth and reaching for the prince that he didn¡¯t notice XieRonge up behind him and slice his neck.

    XieRong felt the bandit¡¯s blood pour over her fingers.

    XieRong tried hard not to think about the lifeless body as she pulled the bandit out of the hole in the roof and rolled him over the carriage. After seeing that both FeiHong and the prince were fine, XieRong climbed down and jumped over her horse.

    "Young prince tell your spirit beast to keep going, we¡¯re almost out of the area they¡¯veid traps in."

    "I-I¡¯m too scared!"

    "TengFei, we¡¯re almost out of the area they¡¯veid traps in. Tell your spirit beast to keep going!"

    XieRong looked around as a few more bandits jumped down from the trees. The cultivators were doing a good job of eliminating the bandits. XieRong saw that the stray bandits on the other side had been defeated and their party was moving smoothly.

    Now the only problem was the fast approaching fourth prince¡¯s group.

    She went to the tiger.

    "Please, I know you can understand me. For your master¡¯s sake, keep moving."

    The tiger didn¡¯t respond.

    XieRong begged.

    "Please!"

    Hesitantly it started to move.

    XieRong quickly led the group out of the area.

    After they were out she inwardly let a huge sigh of relief.

    XieRong could see her hands were quivering. She clenched them tightly around the reins.

    The two groups met in the middle of the road on the other side.

    "BaiHua, you were amazing!" Bai Shen praised.

    If it hadn¡¯t been for her they would all have fallen into the bandits¡¯ trap.

    XieRong only gave a small smile in return. She could still feel the blood on her hand as it slowly dried. She quickly got off her horse.

    "I¡¯m going to sit in Duchess Chin¡¯s carriage. Look after FeiHong and the prince and call me if anything is wrong."

    Bai Shen looked at the retreating girl¡¯s back. He didn¡¯t understand what he¡¯d said wrong.

    XieRong quickly washed all the blood off of her hands and entered Duchess Chin¡¯s carriage.

    Duchess Chin was quietly reading a book.

    XieRong sat huddled in a corner.

    A teacup¡¯s time passed.

    "Do you want to talk about what¡¯s bothering you? I don¡¯t know if I can help but it will get a burden off your chest," the duchess said, without looking up from her book.

    XieRong hesitated. It felt like something was eating her up inside, so she told the duchess.

    "I killed someone for the first time. The reason I¡¯m going to Qianhe is because I wanted to be stronger so that I could take revenge on someone and protect the people I love. I always thought killing would be easy, like a rabbit or a pheasant but it feels strange. I still want to be stronger, but I¡¯m not so sure I can take the revenge I promised my mother."

    Duchess Chin sighed. The girl curled up in a foetal position in the corner was so young but was burdened with such grown up worries.

    Their world was a dog eat dog world, a cruel ce.

 Chapter 20 The Journey to West Province |Part 3|

    "Child, you can cry in here," The Duchess Chin said, keeping her book aside.

    "As someone who has seen some more of this world than you, let thisdy give you some advice; crying is not weakness, killing to protect yourself and the people you love is not wrong and neither is seeking justice for the wrongs that have beenmitted against you. When you kill the innocent for personal gain, that is wrong."

    XieRong looked up at the beautiful woman in front of her.

    "Then is revenge wrong?"

    "Is this revenge you speak of going against your good conscience? Will you regret it?"

    "No."

    "Then it¡¯s not wrong. Little miss, there is no clear concept of ¡¯right¡¯ and ¡¯wrong¡¯ in this world and there never will be. Just like there are different kinds of people in the world, there are different kinds of rights and wrongs. Before you do something just ask yourself these questions first, ¡¯Will I regret thister?¡¯ ¡¯Will this benefit the people?¡¯ If your answer is ¡¯yes¡¯ to both the questions, then proceed with what you have nned to do, otherwise think of other better ways to aplish your goals."

    After that XieRong silently cried in the corner as she remembered the blood that spluttered out of the man¡¯s neck and onto her hands, the eyes that lost the life in them slowly and turned ssy, the presence in her mind that faded out and the feeling of knowing that she was the cause. However, XieRong knew she didn¡¯t cry because she regretted it. She would¡¯ve done it all over again to protect her little sister and she knew that when the time came, she wouldn¡¯t regret killing the Fa family and all the people who had wronged her, her sister and her mother.

    XieRong had grown weary and tired. She fell asleep while crying with tear stains running down her cheeks.

    The Duchess Chin smiled as she gently put a nket over XieRong¡¯s sleeping figure. She believed that one day this girl would grow up to do great things while the rest of the world watched in awe.

    The entire time XieRong was asleep, Duchess Chin would allow no one into her carriage. She was like a mother hen who drove away all intruders that came by. Duchess Chin had grown very fond of XieRong in the one month they had spent together. XieRong reminded the Duchess very much of her own daughter whom she had left behind in the capital.

    In another five days Bai Shen¡¯s group had crossed onto the West province. XieRong had started to spend some time daily with the Duchess learning things from her and sharing stories. XieRong felt that the Duchess reminded her of her mother. She and the Duchess often discussed war strategies and medicine.

    They were only a day away from Qianhe city.

    "BaiHua, on days like this, you remind me very much of my little sister," the Duchess said, as she read a book by the window, remembering her sister¡¯s big goofy smile when she had broken through to thete Earth Cultivation Realm when she was eighteen.

    "My sister and I used to sit, just like we are now, and read war, medicine and cultivation books all day. We loved all of it so much that we used to discuss it with our father and older brother at the dining table. My mother always used to say that she felt like she had raised three boys instead of one."

    Duchess Chinughed, keeping her book away.

    "Those were some good days," she said, a far away look entering her eyes as she stared out of the carriage.

    "It was soon after we had all grown up and were to be married that we grew apart."

    "Why did you two grow apart?" XieRong asked.

    "My father was against my sister¡¯s marriage. He felt that my sister was marrying a man unworthy of her love. My sister fell in love with a lowly schr whose cultivation level was way beneath hers. My father was sure that the man was using my sister to use her influence both in nobility and cultivation world to rise in ranks. I thought so too. The man had a good name in court but I could tell how greedy for power and reputation he was with the way he interacted with the people. To him, every person he associated with was a pawn in his rise to power.

    "After my sister¡¯s marriage, my stubborn father refused to contact her in the capital. I, however, kept in touch but after one year of her marriage she stopped sending me letters and replying to mine. I grew worried about her when I heard of the man¡¯s subsequent marriages. I wrote to her that I was going toe visit when I finally recieved a reply with just six words written on it ¡¯I am fine. Do note¡¯. I felt hurt but could do nothing butply with my sister¡¯s wish.

    "Then, it was my turn to get married and move to the capital. I inquired about my sister¡¯s whereabouts from her husband when I moved there, but he said that she¡¯d already ran away with another man. I didn¡¯t believe him. If my sister would have run then she would have run away alone, or faked her death. She cared more about our father¡¯s reputation than he did. She would never do anything to sully it. I could have force an investigation with my rank but I didn¡¯t want to make things more difficult for my husband than they already were. He had already helped me a lot despite having a bad rtionship with that man, so I let it be and to this day I don¡¯t know where or how my sister is."

    XieRong went and hugged the duchess. She wouldn¡¯t like it either if she didn¡¯t know how or where FeiHong was.

    "Duchess, who was the man your sister married, anyway?"

    "You wouldn¡¯t believe me if I told you," the duchess said patting XieRong¡¯s back.

    "You won¡¯t know if I believe you or not until you tell me."

    The duchess smiled unbelievingly.

    "Would you believe me if I told you the man my sister married is none other than the current right prime minister, Fa?"

 Chapter 21 The Guo Residence

    XieRong couldn¡¯t believe it.

    The Duchess Chin was her aunt.

    XieRong hadn¡¯t even known that she¡¯d had an aunt. Or an uncle.

    Her mother never spoke to her about her family or past and whenever XieRong would bring it up, a look of regret would enter her mother¡¯s eyes, so she would end up changing the subject. Over time shepletely avoided the subject altogether. XieRong had only known that she had a grandfather from what little her mother decided to share with her from time to time but now she would have an aunt, an uncle and cousins!

    She couldn¡¯t wait to tell FeiHong. However, first she had to make sure her aunt didn¡¯t find out who she was before reaching Guo pavilion.

    XieRong found FeiHong learning how to fight from some of the cultivators with the eighth prince and young lord Bai while the others ate lunch and watched.

    "FeiHong, I have something to tell you,e here."

    FeiHong excused herself and went to XieRong who was standing in a remote corner of the camp.

    "FeiHong, I just found out that the Duchess Chin is our aunt. I don¡¯t want her to find out we are her nieces until we are safely inside the Guo Residence. In her presence you must always hide your Phoenix ring, understand?"

    "I understand, Jie."

    "Isn¡¯t it great, FeiHong? Now we have Old master, Hui Nuo, Hui Zhen, Grandpa Fa and now an aunt and uncle too."

    XieRong hugged her sister.

    "Jie, what about grandfather Guo? Jie is always worried that he will not ept us and exclude him when Jie lists our family. I think it¡¯s because Jie doesn¡¯t want to ept him."

    XieRong flinched as if she¡¯d been hit. She quickly changed the subject.

    "FeiHong, let¡¯s go practice martial arts, okay? This time, Jie will join you."

    XieRong wasn¡¯t ready to face her feelings towards the Old general Guo yet.

    Qianhe city was small and quaint, a huge contrast against the bustling, noisy capital.

    "Thisdy never asked. BaiHua, where in Qianhe city are you heading?" Duchess Chin asked looking out of her window, looking to see if anything had changed in the few years she had been away.

    This time, FeiHong was in the carriage with XieRong.

    "We are heading to the Guo Estate."

    "Oh, what a coincidence. Thisdy is heading there herself. Why are you going there, if you don¡¯t mind thisdy asking?"

    "Actually we have something to deliver to the Old General Guo."

    The duchess smiled as she turned to look at XieRong.

    "The Old General Guo is thisdy¡¯s father. You can hand over what you want to deliver to thisdy and thisdy will make sure to give it to him."

    "This miss is extremely sorry duchess, but we were asked to give it personally to the Old General. If the duchess doesn¡¯t mind can we travel with you?"

    "Of course thisdy doesn¡¯t mind."

    XieRong and FeiHong quickly told their goodbyes before while the duchess bought some more gifts for the Guo family.

    It took a quarter Shi Chen before they had finally arrived at the mansion.

    The mansion was huge with beautiful craftsmanship on the pirs. The floors were furnished to perfection and the corridor of the manor gave view of the flourishing green garden with a variety of flowers which also had a small koi pond.

    XieRong felt knots in her stomach. She held FeiHong¡¯s hand forfort.

    "Jie, calm down. You¡¯re not going to have your spirit roots tested."

    "FeiHong is right BaiHua, thisdy¡¯s father may look scary but he¡¯s just an overgrown child. You¡¯ll see," the duchess said as they were lead to the main hall.

    "HuiLiang greets father," the duchess said, bending her knees and curtseying.

    "Hmph!" the old general Guo harrumphed.

    "Did you forget all about this old man of yours after you became the duchess? You haven¡¯t visited me for so many years!"

    XieRong didn¡¯t know what to say. This was certainly not what she¡¯d been expecting from the old general Guo, the man who was rumoured to be as ferocious as a mad wild bear on the battlefield.

    "Ignore him little sister," a broad, well muscled man said as he came over.

    "HuiLiang greets elder brother," the duchess greeted.

    The man came over and picked the duchess up in a hug.

    XieRong watched with wide eyes like a fish gaping out of water.

    "This isn¡¯t appropriate. Put me down!"

    "From when did you start behaving like ady, little sister? It doesn¡¯t suit you."

    This earned the man a hard kick in the shin from the duchess. The man dropped the duchess and clutched his shin in pain.

    "I may have learned to behave like ady, elder brother, but you still remain a hooligan with no manners."

    "Now, that¡¯s the sister I know," the man groaned out.

    "Biyu greets sister inw," a fairy like petite woman greeted the duchess.

    "Rise. How have you been Biyu? Is my brother treat you well?"

    The man on the ground had already recovered and had pulled his wife close.

    "Oh, I treat her veeery well," he said insinuating a lot more than what was asked for.

    XieRong shook her head. This man was looking to be hit. But, this time, to XieRong¡¯s surprise, it was Biyu who smacked her husband¡¯s shoulder as she could not reach his head.

    "You¡¯re absolutely shameless."

    "I agree."

    HuiLiang kicked her brother again.

    "This is bullying. Father!" the man whined like a child.

    The old general Guo turned his head away.

    "Who is your father?"

    HuiLiang looked around, searching for someone.

    "Where are the kids?"

    The man rubbed his shoulder and replied,"they¡¯ve gone to greet the eighth prince and young lord Bai and MuLan is sleeping. Speaking of kids who have you brought with you?"

    "Oh yes, Father, this is BaiHua and FeiHong. They¡¯vee here to deliver something to you. They say that someone asked them to personally give it to you."

    "What is it? Give it to me quick!" The Old general Guo said gruffly, sitting up straighter in his chair as eager as a child waiting to open his new year¡¯s envelope.

    XieRong was d the general hadn¡¯t allowed her to greet him. She was confused as to whether she wanted to introduce herself as BaiHua or XieRong.

    XieRong had already put the Phoenix ring in her space earlier in the day. She couldn¡¯t let her sister be put in harms way if the Old General Guo got angry. She made her way to the general, her heart beat elerating with each step closer she got to him.

    "Old General Guo, please stretch out your hand."

    XieRong dropped her mother¡¯s ring in his rough, weathered hands.

    "My mother, Fa Hua, sends me and my sister as well this ring to the old general."

 Chapter 22 The New Young Misses of Guo Estate |Part 1|

    "You-you both are my granddaughters?"

    The Old General looked ovee with emotions, shock and disbelief being the most predominant ones.

    XieRong noticed that everyone had been stunned into silence. She went to her aunt, whom she hade to know over the month.

    "Aunt there are too many ears in this room. Me and my sister would like to discuss this privately."

    HuiLiang understood immediately. She ordered all the servants to leave the area and closed the doors.

    XieRong felt for presences. She had to concentrate a lot to see if there were any hidden ones. She still hadn¡¯t mastered the art of finding hidden presences.

    "What about the people hiding in the trees and the one on the rooftop?" She asked, locating a few people who had hidden their presences very well.

    She stopped searching when she felt her head start to hurt.

    HuiLiang was surprised. How did this little girl know? Even she couldn¡¯t figure out where the shadow guards were hidden.

    "You don¡¯t need to worry," the old general Guo replied, when he¡¯d let the realisation settle in,"they are all blood bound to me."

    "Now, tell me, where is Fa Hua?"

    XieRong sighed. She would be reliving the pain of recalling how her mother died all over again. It was because of the pain during the treatment and nightmares about her mother¡¯s death that XieRong had learned to meditate.

    She had longe to terms with the fact that her mother was no more but imagining the pain her mother had gone through that night was terrifying.

    Walking over to the old general, XieRong handed him the letters her mother had written for them.

    "These are the letters our mother wrote for us. I think with this you will be able to get the gist of what I¡¯m about to tell you."

    After the General was done reading both the letters, the first thing he felt was loss and extreme grief. He had parted with his daughter on bad terms and now he couldn¡¯t mend what he¡¯d broken. His wife had been right, his stubbornness had cost him greatly; his rtionship with his daughter.

    The second thing the old general felt bubbling inside him was rage, mad, seething, unrestrained rage. He wanted to tear Fa Boqin apart with his bare hands.

    The third thing the old general felt was disbelief. Hadn¡¯t his investigation said that his daughter had run away with another man? Then how could she have died! She must be alive somewhere, happy with the man she loves.

    The Old General let out an immense pressure in the room.

    "You daree here and lie!" he shouted, mming the wooden table next to him.

    XieRong felt her bones grow heavy as though they were made up of iron.

    She found it hard to breath.

    "Father! Stop it, you¡¯re hurting them," her uncle said, rushing up to her. She saw that her aunt hadn¡¯t moved from her ce.

    "Fei...Hong," she grit out to her uncle,"pro...tect FeiHong."

    XieRong kept standing up with all her might and all the will she possessed. She refused to bow down to the man who had let his daughter down because of his stubbornness. Who refused to believe his daughter had passed away just so he had a chance at repentance.

    "You¡¯re a stubborn old fool!" XieRong shouted. Her vision had started to grow blurry. And blood dripped down her nose.

    "You are in denial of your daughter¡¯s death just so you can hope to gain repentance from her? Your daughter- no, our mother is gone! Don¡¯t make the same mistake with us that you made with her! Don¡¯t make me hate you more than I already do for helping Fa LiHua murder my mother!"

    The pressure lifted. XieRong spat out blood and stumbled.

    XieRong could see FeiHong and her aunt rush towards her from a distance. Thest thing she heard was her sister shouting her name.

    "XieRong Jie!"

    Then everything faded to ck.

    XieRong didn¡¯t know where she was or what she was doing wherever she was. It was a small garden of sorts with flowers and herbs and and a small pond.

    "XieRong, what made youe here?"

    XieRong turned around. She couldn¡¯t believe her eyes.

    "Mother, mother is that really you?"

    The woman who looked like her mother smiled. It was a warm smile full of love. XieRong knew at once that this woman was her mother.

    XieRong ran to the swing her mother sat on and threw her arms around her.

    "Mother! Mother," she cried as she buried her face in her mother¡¯s neck like she did when she was a child.

    "Shh, XieRong, mother is here."

    "Mother, I thought you were gone. I thought you had left me!"

    "My little dragon," her mother said, pinching XieRong¡¯s nose,"how could I ever leave you alone. Don¡¯t you know you¡¯ve always carried mother in your heart? Didn¡¯t mother tell you that she will be watching you from above?"

    "You¡¯ve been watching me?"

    "All the way, and look how much my daughter has grown!" Fa Hua said, cupping her daughter¡¯s face in her hands and kissing her forehead.

    XieRong giggled.

    "Mother, where am I? Have I joined you in Heaven? If I have, then I have to go fight the gods to sent me back. FeiHong needs me."

    Her motherughed. It was a sweet tinkling sound that left XieRong surprised. She had never seen or heard her motherugh before.

    "My sweet XieRong, you don¡¯t have to go fight the gods. They¡¯ve only sent you to me temporarily, then they will return you to where you belong. It¡¯s not your time toe here yet XieRong, and it won¡¯t be for a very long time. The gods have big ns for both my beautiful daughters.

    "XieRong, I know mother told you to protect FeiHong, but what mother meant was to teach her how to protect herself. The knowledge you impart to FeiHong is the best protection you can give her, and mother knows you have been teaching her, but you must let her face the trials and tribtions of life so she knows how to use what she has been taught. XieRong, there¡¯s more to FeiHong than what meets the eye. She is not the same child she was when mother left you."

    "Mother, what do you mean by ¡¯there¡¯s more to FeiHong than what meets the eye¡¯?"

    "XieRong, do you remember the time when you were leaving through the forest to buy provisions from the capital."

    "Yes..."

    "Do you remember your offer to make a sisters bond with Fei Hong?"

    XieRong nodded.

    "Yes, but FeiHong refused."

    "Do you remember what she said after she refused to make the bond?"

    "She said that were some matters that she couldn¡¯t tell me about yet, that even if she did, I wouldn¡¯t believe her because it was too unreal. She said that when she was ready to tell me, she would form the sisters bond with me. Are these ¡¯matters¡¯ that she mentioned what make her different?"

    "Yes, and when she feels that you are ready to ept her for everything she was and is, then she will tell you."

    "Mother, is this why the gods brought me here? So that you could tell me to stop pampering Fei Hong?"

    Fa Hua smiled.

    "No, the gods brought you to me because they know something has been bothering you. Something that only I can resolve, so tell me what made youe here?"

    "Mother, I¡¯ve been thinking as to why you gave up, why you didn¡¯t escape, why you didn¡¯t live for us who loved you but instead chose to die for the ones who betrayed you?"

    Fa Hua patted her daughter¡¯s head.

    "It¡¯s the opposite of what you said, XieRong. I chose to die for the people I love, and if I would have lived, I would have lived for the people who betrayed me. If I had lived I would have been so consumed by my hatred and thirst for revenge that I would have pulled you into my ns."

    "I don¡¯t understand."

    "XieRong, when you decided to grow stronger to protect the ones you love and seek revenge did you do it because mother asked you to?"

    XieRong thought about it.

    "No, I do want revenge for mother but it¡¯s not because mother told me to. I decided that I wanted to."

    "Now, if mother were alive and told you not to take revenge, would you disobey me?"

    "No."

    "You see, if I lived I would have forced you to take revenge whether you wanted it or not. I didn¡¯t want you and FeiHong to be my puppets so I chose to die and let you carve your own paths."

    XieRong understood her mother¡¯s decision. If her mother had been there she would not be where or how she was now. It could only be them or her and her mother had chosen them. However, she couldn¡¯tpletely agree with it.

    "Why did the gods give you such a terrible decision to make mother?"

    "Don¡¯t me the gods, XieRong. They gave mother plenty of chances. I had just be too blind to see them. The decision to choose between you and me came up because of my mistakes and bad choices. When I think about it now, perhaps there had been more paths that I could have chosen, but I had lost belief in myself so those were the only choices I could see."

    XieRong knew her mother was right. She sighed.

    "Mother knows there¡¯s something else troubling you, XieRong. You can ask. I won¡¯t be angry."

    "Mother, don¡¯t you hate grandpa? His stubbornness to not contact you ore see you just aided Fa LiHua and Fa Boqin¡¯s ns."

    "Everyone has ws XieRong, my father¡¯s was his stubbornness and pride. He never knew how much harm his stubbornness could cause him until he lost me, but I know my father loves me, XieRong, he always did and always will, despite what he says and does so I will try my best to forgive him if he tries to change for the better. Does this answer your question?"

    XieRong nodded. She too would try to forgive her grandfather as long as he tried to change himself.

    XieRong could feel herself grow drowsy.

    "Mother, I¡¯m sleepy."

    Fa Hua pulled her daughter¡¯s head into herp gently and kissed her forehead.

    "XieRong, mother loves you and is proud of you, now go to sleep."

 Chapter 23 The New Young Misses of Guo Estate |Part 2|

    XieRong could feel the pain all over her body as she slowly regained consciousness.

    She didn¡¯t want to wake up yet. She had wanted to stay with her mother a little longer.

    "It has already been two days since the young miss fainted," she heard someone say.

    XieRong couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing.

    Two days! It had been two days!

    It felt like she had only spent a Shi Chen with her mother, not two whole days.

    "Father has really done it this time," her aunt angrily said, from beside her.

    "Second aunt, don¡¯t worry. My sister is much stronger than she looks. She¡¯ll wake up soon."

    "I know XieRong is strong, but I¡¯m not so sure, if she will wake up. My father possesses a very powerful mind strength. I am a cultivator in the mid Earth Cultivation Realm, yet I was barely able to try and walk to your sister."

    Her aunt stroked her forehead.

    "This aunt feels useless. I wasn¡¯t even able to protect my own niece."

    XieRong slowly forced her eyes open.

    "Ugh," she groaned as she tried to sit up.

    "Jie!"

    "XieRong!"

    XieRong tried to smile.

    "Aunt, FeiHong," she acknowledged as they helped her sit up.

    "How are you feeling, Jie?"

    "Like a thousand horses ran over me?"

    XieRong¡¯s stomach let out a rumble. Her face flushed in embarrassment.

    "Aunt, is there anything to eat?"

    Her aunt hurriedly got up from beside her.

    "I¡¯ll go inform brother and sister-inw and bring some food for you to eat!" She said, rushing out while she instructed the servants to bring some water and clothes for XieRong.

    When everyone had left the room, Xierong turned to FeiHong who was now sitting in the stool her aunt previously upied.

    "FeiHong," XieRong patted her sister¡¯s head,"Jie knows you might not believe me but I saw and talked to mother. She told me there was more to you than what met the eye."

    FeiHong flinched away from her sister¡¯s touch. XieRong just smiled.

    "Don¡¯t worry FeiHong, mother didn¡¯t tell me what was different about you, only that you weren¡¯t the same little girl she left behind. Jie won¡¯t force you to tell anything. I just wanted to let you know that no matter what happens, Jie will always love you. If you are wrong I will scold you and correct you, but I will always, always love you for who you are, do you understand?"

    FeiHong nodded her head in understanding with tears in her eyes.

    "From today on, Jie will let you do as you please. Mother told me I had been sheltering you too much, so I will allow you to do whatever you want, but you have to promise to inform me briefly about where and what you are doing just so I know you are fine."

    "FeiHong promises," FeiHong said, as she hugged her sister.

    XieRong patted her sister¡¯s back.

    "Promise you won¡¯t hesitate to ask for help when it gets dangerous."

    "I promise."

    XieRong kissed her sister¡¯s forehead.

    "Now go y while sister gets changed," she said when she saw that the servants had arrived with the tub and clothes.

    Soon, the tub was full of water and flower petals.

    XieRong had never taken a bath like this. She usually just washed up by the stream near the olddy¡¯s ce.

    Her body was still weak as she got into the tub like a newborn fawn learning to walk for the first time. The aroma of the assortment of flower petals was soothing and calmed her down.

    "What¡¯s your name?" She asked the servant who washed her hair.

    "Li Jia, second young miss."

    "Tell me, Li Jia, has anything happened in the Guo pavilion in these two days?"

    "No, second young miss, on the contrary, it has been unusually silent. The duchess, lord anddy refuse to speak to the old master until second young miss has forgiven him. Even third young miss refuses to acknowledge him. The Old General has been moping in his room for the past two days."

    XieRong slipped into the tub until half her face was covered with water.

    She felt bad for the old general. She hadn¡¯t wanted the entire household to turn against him when she had said what she had.

    "Miss, this servant apologises for being so bold, but the old general isn¡¯t as hardhearted as he seems. Second young miss should forgive him."

    "Why do you say that Li Jia?"

    "Miss, after the first half year of second miss¡¯ marriage, the old general heard rumours about a woman moving into the Fa family without having been married. The general looked into it and found that the woman was none other than second miss¡¯ senior sister from her days in the cultivation sect. The second young miss always told the old general how kind and generous her senior sister was so he was relieved that his daughter had someone looking after her and let the matter rest. Miss, the old general might be stubborn, but he still loved his daughter and tried to look after her in his own way. It¡¯s just that he is very bad at showing and telling how he really feels."

    "Thank you for telling me this Li Jia, but I still can¡¯t forgive himpletely. However, I will try."

    "Thank you, miss. That¡¯s all this servant asks. Now, let¡¯s get second young miss dressed."

    After XieRong was done filling her stomach she went to look for the old general Guo.

    It wasn¡¯t soon after she¡¯d reached the courtyard that she saw a girl a little older her age pick a fight with FeiHong. She was tempted to go help her sister but stopped herself. This was FeiHong¡¯s battle. She¡¯d only interfere if things got too out of hand.

    "Aren¡¯t you going to go help her?" her aunt Biyu asked,ing to stand by her with her uncle.

    "No."

    "Why?" her uncle asked, folding his huge arms across his chest.

    "The same reason you both aren¡¯t going to help your daughter," she replied watching the fight,"I want FeiHong to learn how to protect herself. Someone made me realise that I¡¯ve been babying my sister too much when my duty is to teach my sister and watch over her as she grows, not to fight her battles for her."

    Her uncle put his huge paw over her head and ruffled her hair. Aunt Biyu pped her husband¡¯s hand away.

    "Don¡¯t touch ady¡¯s hair. It¡¯s rude!" She chastised as she began to fix XieRong¡¯s hair.

    Her uncle just rubbed his hand as if he were used to it. He just continued to observe.

    "Now I see what my sister means when she says she sees Hua in you."

    XieRong didn¡¯t look away from her sister as she was winning against her opponent. She hadn¡¯t realised how much her sister had grown.

    "What do you mean uncle? I hardly look like mother. FeiHong resembles her more."

    "Uncle wasn¡¯t talking about outward appearances, XieRong. When I saw the way you stood up against father on your own, your determination to protect your sister and now when I heard the wisdom in your words, you looked exactly the way my little sister did, strong and stubborn with wisdom way beyond her years."

    "Do you believe me and FeiHong? That we really are your neices?"

    "I would be more surprised if you weren¡¯t my nieces," Aunt Biyu replied.

    "Were you going to meet father?" Her uncle asked, observing how little FeiHong had paralysed his daughter after using her own strength against her.

    "Yes. And I want all of you to be there when I do."

    "You know, FeiHong told us everything you both and Hua Mei Mei have been through."

    Her aunt ced her hands on her nieces shoulders.

    "But me and mother hardly told FeiHong anything. How could she have told you?"

    "She knows much more than you think, XieRong. Can¡¯t you see that you have been underestimating her all along?" Her sister had beaten her cousin who had started to sob on the ground.

    "Thisdy is the first miss of the Guo family! How dare you treat me this way?!"

    "This miss didn¡¯te here to pick a fight, but since you picked one with this miss after this miss gave you a chance then don¡¯t me this miss for teaching you a lesson!"

    XieRongughed at her sister¡¯s words.

    FeiHong was indeed her sister.

    "Our daughter has grown arrogant in all the years she was spoiled as the first young miss of the Guo family. This will be a nice lesson for her," her uncle said.

    Her aunt chuckled.

    "Indeed."

 Chapter 24 The Plans

    XieRong followed her uncle and his wife with FeiHong to the main hall where her aunt was already berating her grandfather.

    "XieRong was right, you are a stubborn old fool. You still want to test whether they are from the Guo family after they showed you the Phoenix ring?"

    "HuiLiang, the ring may have been passed down in the family, but the ring binds to anyone it chooses after it¡¯s previous master dies. It¡¯s not a definite proof of identity and neither are those letters. Even if I believed them to be my granddaughters, I would still need definite proof as to they are who they say they are."

    "It¡¯s okay, aunt. FeiHong and I don¡¯t mind. Besides, it¡¯s a rule to confirm a child¡¯s identity before registering them into the family," XieRong said, bowing to greet her grandfather.

    "XieRong greets Old General Guo."

    "FeiHong greets Old General Guo."

    The Old General was hurt when he heard his granddaughters sound so distant, and although he knew they were his granddaughters, he was adamant to believe otherwise.

    His daughter and granddaughter were right.

    He was a stubborn old fool.

    "Hmph. This is the Guo Family Crystal. Put a drop of your blood on it. If it glows you are indeed who you say you are, otherwise be prepared to be punished."

    XieRong didn¡¯t hesitate to cut her finger and put her blood on the clear crystal. She believed in the gods who were watching after her, but most of all she believed in her mother and herself.

    At first, the crystal didn¡¯t glow.

    The old general got up, banging his hand on the arm of the chair with a loud ¡¯thud¡¯.

    "What is the-"

    But before he could finish his sentence a little golden glow as tiny as a blotch of ink appeared in the center which slowly grew to illuminate the entire globe.

    "Father, this-"

    "No one speaks until the younger girl is finished, understood?"

    XieRong shivered, d she hadn¡¯t been on the receiving end of that re.

    The same thing happened to the globe with FeiHong.

    "Hahaha! Father, these two have the purest Guo lineage passed down to them. Even you can¡¯t refute the crystal!"

    The General glowered at his son. He stood up and left the room without a word, the door banging behind him.

    "Don¡¯t worry XieRong, father wille around," her auntforted.

    "It¡¯s okay, second aunt. I have not forgiven him but I understand that he needs time to ept mother¡¯s death. I would like you to tell him for me that that mother and I will forgive him if he tries to change for the better."

    "This aunt will ry your message to him."

    XieRong then went and stood in front of her grandfather¡¯s chair.

    "I didn¡¯t call all of us here just because I wanted to meet the old general. I have some requests to make, but none of what we discuss can leave this room. Only the old general can know other than all of us present here."

    "If it is about seeking justice from the Fa family, you don¡¯t have to worry, we¡¯ll take care of it."

    Her uncle cracked his knuckles at the mention of the Fa family looking as though he were going to bury all of them alive.

    "No, second aunt. I want all of you to help me and FeiHong but not do it for us, however, that is not what I wanted to request. First, I would like to get my and FeiHong¡¯s spirit roots and mind strengths tested in secret and no matter what the result, I would like it to be spread that I possess mediocre roots."

    "I would like it if you said that my spirit roots are average too."

    XieRong smiled at her sister.

    "I don¡¯t understand. Why would you want to do that?"

    FeiHong answered aunt Biyu¡¯s question.

    "First aunt, we¡¯ll always be at an advantage against our enemies if they overestimate or underestimate us."

    "Correct. Secondly, I would like a rumour to be spread that FeiHong and I are the children of the man my mother ran away with."

    "But if we do that the Fa family will grow suspicious," her uncle said.

    "Yes, but mine and FeiHong¡¯s appearances have changed after the poison was removed and they never knew I was a girl so they will not be able to tell that we are Fa Chun and Fa Bai. They also won¡¯t be able to refute our im as they were the ones who spread that mother ran away with another man."

    The Duchess Chin smiled proudly. Her niece was brilliant.

    "My third request is that you treat me and FeiHong as unfavoured children in public until we are stronger. This way the Fa family would not consider me and my sister a threat even if they grow suspicious of us."

    "What if they hire assassins to kill you? I wouldn¡¯t put it past them," the duchess said, sipping on her tea.

    "That would be my other request. I would like me and my sister to be trained in secret in both, cultivation and martial arts. I would like to learn martial arts under uncle during the night and I will learn medicine and cultivation during the evening with second aunt until I find a proper master for myself."

    "What about FeiHong?"

    "I will let her decide."

    "I want to cultivate and learn medicine with Jie, but I would like Old general Guo to teach me martial arts, this way both me and Jie will have teachers who can concentratepletely on each of us."

    "FeiHong, you¡¯ll have to convince the old general to train you on your own."

    "Don¡¯t worry, Jie, he will agree."

    "XieRong, are you sure you want this uncle to teach you? I¡¯m not a lenient teacher."

    "That¡¯s exactly why I want you to teach me. I would like you to train me like you would train your most elite soldiers."

    "This uncle will try his best. Is there anything else this uncle can do?"

    "Yes, actually uncle, I would like you to assign shadow guards to me and FeiHong until we find some of our own. Then, if it is okay, I would like you to train the people we have selected."

    "Leave it to this uncle."

    "Is there anything that I can do?" Aunt Biyu asked.

    "Yes. I was just about to ask if first aunt could invite Lady Bai and her Family to the Guo residence for a visit."

    "I can, but why?"

    "They offered to take FeiHong and I as their goddaughters. I told them I couldn¡¯t ept it then, but now that I am here and a part of Guo family, I would like to ept their offer."

    The general burst outughing.

    "If father finds out that the Bai¡¯s offered to take his granddaughters as their goddaughters, he will flip!"

    Her uncle continued tough until second aunt pinched him on the sides.

    "Why would the Old general get angry?"

    Her second aunt sighed.

    "It¡¯s of no importance. Just something between shameless old men. You¡¯ll be fine as long as you don¡¯t let father find out until the registration ispleted."

    XieRong didn¡¯t understand but let it go. She would eventuallye to understand anyway.

    "Speaking of which, myst request is for all of you, including you FeiHong. I want all of you to stop ignoring the old general. I know what he did was wrong, and I haven¡¯t forgiven him, nor will I until he tries to make up for his mistakes, but this is between me and him. In time, he wille to ept this reality and I wille to ept him, so please, don¡¯t punish him on my behalf when what he needs right now is all of your support. Just like how it isn¡¯t easy for us toe to terms with mother¡¯s death, it isn¡¯t easy for him. Please don¡¯t make it any harder for him that it already is."

    "I¡¯m ashamed to be hearing this from a child," Her uncle said,ing over to pat her back.

    "I¡¯m sorry we let you feel guilty, XieRong. We were upset with our father for what he did to little sister and to you. We still are, but I admit that ignoring him in his time of need is wrong and it would make us no better than him if we did to him what he did to your mother," her second aunt said, as she took XieRong¡¯s hands in her own.

    "So you won¡¯t ignore him?"

    "No, but like you, we will let him know that we won¡¯t forgive him until he starts to better himself as a person. Now, do you want to get your spirit root and mind strength tested?"

 Chapter 25 The Spirit root and Mind Strength

    "Now?"

    The duchess nodded her head.

    "How?"

    XieRong tilted her head slightly. Everyone knew thatmoners could only check their roots in the capital while the nobles had their roots checked at the spirit tower, one of which was present in each province. Even if the spirit tower was present in Qianhe, it would require a written permission from the emperor, empress or one of the prime minister¡¯s to do the test in secret.

    "Why don¡¯t I show you?"

    "HuiLiang you can¡¯t be taking them to that room?"

    "I am."

    "But father isn¡¯t here!"

    "Father won¡¯t mind and I know how to ess it, big brother."

    The duchess got up and went to the painting behind the old general Guo¡¯s chair.

    XieRong saw her lift the painting and ce her hand on the wall.

    After a short while, a door in the wall pushed open with a creak. There were cobwebs and dust clouds on the entrance.

    "Let us go."

    "No, I should stay," Aunt Biyu said, "if someonees I will give them an excuse."

    Leaving Aunt Biyu behind, XieRong and the rest made their way to the room.

    The room smelled old and dusty just like staircase leading to it, but it was a huge dome shaped structure unlike the narrow staircase through which XieRong¡¯s uncle had struggled struggled through because of his broad and tall built.

    The room was circr with two stands ced side by side at it¡¯s center.

    In one were kept eight floating white jade pieces, and in the other was a floating ck boulder.

    "The stand to the right with the floating white jade pieces is where you will check which and what kind of spirit roots you have. Under each jade piece is the colour and symbol of the element it represents. I think you know this but I¡¯ll tell you anyways, there are five basic elements: Fire, Water, Wood, Wind and Earth, and two rare elements: Ice and Lighting. The colours for them are red, blue, green, brown, indigo and ck, respectively.

    "As soon as you ce our hand on the jade globe in the middle, some of the eight pieces will rise. Those are the elements you possess. The jade pieces will also change colour if your spirit root can be cultivated. There are eight colours; red, yellow, orange, green, blue, indigo, violet and transparent, with red being the weakest and transparent being the strongest.

    "The second stand is for checking the strength of the mind. If your mind strength is powerful then you have can check presences for long distances, find hidden presences easily, and exert more pressure on people using qi. When you touch the ck stone you must concentrate and exert your presence on it which will cause it to change into the seven colours, again, red being the weakest and violet the strongest," her aunt exined, motioning each of them to a stand.

    "Jie, you go first. I¡¯ll check my mind strength after you have checked your spirit roots."

    XieRong went to the first stand and ced her hand on the globe. She closed her eyes and hoped for the best. She knew that she would try and be stronger no matter what kind of spirit root the heavens gave her, after all, strength was not limited to talent, just influenced by it. If there was no will to be stronger, or no determination to put in hard work then even the best of talents could be considered to be waste.

    The five jade pieces of the basic elements quickly rose and started to change colour, red, blue, violet. Then they finally turned transparent.

    Chin HuiLiang and Guo ZiHao watched in wonderment as the remaining two jade pieces also rose and slowly turned transparent.

    "Jie! Open your eyes, look!"

    XieRong opened her eyes and looked up in amazement. All eight jade pieces had turned transparent and were hovering over the stand.

    She let out a small squeal of happiness.

    "FeiHong, your Jie isn¡¯t a waste! I¡¯m not trash!"

    Waste? Trash? If this girl was trash then were the rest of them to be considered pig manure?

    XieRong moved her hand away, still feeling giddy from happiness. The heavens had not failed her.

    "Now it¡¯s your turn FeiHong. Make your Jie proud."

    XieRong saw her sister close her eyes and ce her hand on the stone. The colour rose slowly.

    HuiLiang and ZiHao watched in horror as the ck stone turned purple then ck again, cracked in half and fell to the ground.

    XieRong patted her sister on the head, giving her a big kiss on the forehead.

    "FeiHong was amazing!"

    "But Jie I only put half of my mind strength!" FeiHongined.

    "The stone must have been weak," XieRong said.

    "It¡¯s okay though, Jie is still proud that you broke it!"

    HuiLiang and ZiHao looked at each other and then at two halves of the stone.

    The stone was weak? It was the best ck stone in the northern continent gifted to their father by the emperor!

    "But now, how will I check my mind strength?"

    "Sorry, Jie."

    "Don¡¯t be sorry, it¡¯s the stone¡¯s fault for being weak. Come check your spirit roots."

    FeiHong put her hand on the jade globe. Five of the basic elements rose and slowly turned transparent. She waited to see if the other two would rise but they didn¡¯t.

    She took her hand away disappointed that she was not as capable as her sister.

    "Jie, I only got five transparent ones."

    "Only five? FeiHong you broke the stone and got five transparent spirit roots, you are a genius!"

    XieRong ruffled her sister¡¯s head proudly.

    "XieRong, uncle has something that works just like the stone. Why don¡¯t you try it?" ZiHao said, trying to keep a calm expression on his face as he handed XieRong the jade strength testing bead his father had given him

    XieRong concentrated on the bead until she felt it crack into two in the palm of her hand.

    "It took me a little bit more than what my sister told to crack the stone."

    Monsters! Their sister had given birth to two little monsters.

    "XieRong, FeiHong, you mustn¡¯t let this information go out. If it does, you¡¯ll be chased by the various sects to go join them and be the target of many people."

    "The sects don¡¯t ept disciples under 13. It¡¯s thew."

    "Thews won¡¯t matter if both your existences get out," her uncle said, grasping FeiHong¡¯s shoulders.

    "Aunt, Uncle, I don¡¯t want anyone besides us to know, including first aunt and grandfather. I would have preferred if you didn¡¯t know either, as I know this will put you in grave danger."

    "It¡¯s good you understand. Aunt will say that FeiHong has a green water spirit root and you have a green wind spirit root and that both of your mind strengths only reached the yellow level. Understand?"

    "Yes, Aunt," the both of them replied as they all left the room.

    As XieRong climbed up the staircase her happiness slowly subsided, leading to doubts. She felt that no one in the world could be born this strong without having drawbacks of some sort, otherwise it would upset the bnce. She pushed her doubts away forter.

    Aunt Biyu hugged them with happiness when she heard both of them possessed good spirit roots.

    XieRong felt a stab of guilt as she hugged her Aunt Biyu back.

    She gave a pitiful look to her uncle who changed came to her rescue by changing the subject.

    "Ah, yes. XieRong, I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you a favour," Aunt Biyu said, pulling her niece away for a walk in the garden.

    XieRong looked at her aunt with questioning eyes.

    "I know you already have a lot on your te, but I would like you to have a talk with RuiLing."

    XieRong remembered the arrogant girl who fought with her sister.

    "I know she didn¡¯t make a good impression on you and I know she is spoilt and arrogant. That¡¯s why I would like you to spend some time with her and tell her a little about the troubles you¡¯ve gone through. If there is one thing I know about my daughter, it is that she will never betray family, no matter how much she doesn¡¯t like them and if she learns I can promise you that she will be a strong ally to you in the future."

 Chapter 26 The Phoenix Ruby Ring

    The darkness fell like a curtain draped over the sun.

    XieRong and her uncle had decided that they would begin training next week when she waspletely healed.

    It was when the entire mansion had fallen asleep when she had an unusual visitor in her bedchamber.

    "FeiHong, why are you not in your room?"

    The Guo residence had seven courtyards other than the main building. She and FeiHong used their mother¡¯s Qiu (Autumn) courtyard.

    "Jie, I want to show you something, can Ie sleep next to you?"

    XieRong let her sister slide in next to her.

    "Jie, trust me and think nothing. I want you toe with me inside the Phoenix ring."

    XieRong felt her sister¡¯s hand hold hers as she closed her eyes and willingly let herself get pulled away.

    When XieRong opened her eyes, she saw a clear sapphire blue sky above her and felt the soft velvet grass underneath her.

    Was this inside the Phoenix ring?

    XieRong looked around excitedly like a child visiting a festival.

    "Jie,e with me," her sister said, pulling her to a nearby spring.

    XieRong saw Bai Yueliang drinking from it. It had been a long time since she¡¯d seen her sister¡¯s spirit beast.

    She reached for him and rubbed him behind the ears.

    "Hello, YueLiang. It¡¯s been a long time. Looks like your wound has healedpletely."

    -It has been a long time, first miss. My wound healedpletely within the month.-

    XieRong gasped and looked around then back at the fawn in front of her.

    "YueLiang was that you?How?"

    -As long as first miss is in master¡¯s space, I will be able to talk to first miss-

    "Then can you tell me where my sister is?"

    XieRong walked around looking to see if she could spot her sister.

    -First miss, master wanted you to cultivate here as there is a lot of spiritual energy concentrated in this spring. Master has gone to collect some things and will be back soon.-

    The purple eyed fawn came to sit beside XieRong.

    -This one can sense the worry in first miss. If first miss can tell this one, perhaps this one maybe able to help.-

    XieRong sighed.

    "Yueliang, I read in a book that you needed to cultivate your spirit roots in order to break through to a realm. Don¡¯t you think I have to cultivate all my spirit roots to some level to break through to the soul gathering realm? Then aren¡¯t I trash rather than a genius?"

    -First miss, cultivating spirit roots is a necessity to break through to a realm but it doesn¡¯t mean you need to cultivate all of them to break through. Your spirit roots are like vessels which collect and send energy to your dantian, you can choose to fill any onepletely or fill all of them with a little amount. What actually determines whether you can cultivate slowly or quickly is the size of the vessels you are filling and the sink to which all of them are connected to, both you and my master have veryrge dantians and vessels. However, people here see how good the spirit roots are by determining their colour. The better your spirit root is, the better it absorbs energy from the surroundings.-

    "So you¡¯re saying that the size of our dantian and the quality of our spirit roots bnce each other out and we won¡¯t be very strong?"

    -No, first miss. The first part of what you said is correct, but the part you said about not being able to be strong is incorrect. Both, master and you can be very powerful. Your initial cultivation will be extremely hard as you¡¯ll have to cultivate for longer periods of time, but once you¡¯ve broken through to the spirit stabilising realm, your cultivation progress will be much faster than others as your dantian will have already been formed.-

    XieRong hugged the fawn.

    "Thank you, YueLiang! You¡¯ve taken away all my worries."

    XieRong quickly sat down and started to cultivate her water spirit root.

    It wasn¡¯t long before her sister came bounding up to XieRong.

    "Sister, eat this," FeiHong said, handing XieRong some herbs.

    "It will improve your cultivation."

    FeiHong was about to set off again when XieRong grabbed her sister by the cor.

    "Where do you think you¡¯re going, mei mei?"

    XieRong gave her sister a cold smile.

    FeiHong shivered.

    "I¡¯ve been cultivating here alone for two Shi Chen!"

    "I¡¯ve been picking herbs."

    "So I see, but you could have asked for help. We could have finished sooner and starting cultivating together."

    "Sorry, Jie, there were so many books and herbs I wanted to give you, I lost track of time."

    XieRong shook her head.

    "FeiHong, is this thest time you¡¯re going to let mee here?"

    "No! I want to bring you here everyday if I can."

    "Then I don¡¯t see why you are rushing to give me so much."

    XieRong kept away all the herbs in her spatial ring. She had found out from her grandfather that spatial rings could still store away things even when you were in another person¡¯s space when she had given some basic cultivation books to FeiHong.

    "FeiHong, when I want or require something I will ask. I also have time to go explore everything with youter, soe sit down and cultivate with me for now, okay?"

    "Yes, Jie."

    They cultivated continuously for twelve Shi Chen after which XieRong got up, feeling fresh but bored.

    "FeiHong, sister is going exploring, are youing?"

    "Jie, I feel like cultivating a bit longer."

    "But you were so excited before."

    FeiHong opened her eyes and looked at XieRong sheepishly.

    "It¡¯s okay, Jie is just teasing. YueLiang can show me around."

    YueLiang jumped up at the chance to do something other than look at himself in the spring.

    -First miss, where should I take you first? The purple cottage? The white cottage? The red cottage? Oh, how about the fields?-

    Bai YueLiang¡¯s small tail wagged excitedly.

    XieRongughed. Bai YueLiang was fifty years old, but he was still a child less than FeiHong¡¯s age in actuality. Spirit beasts¡¯ hardly aged but their mentality and body grew ording to their cultivation. Spirit beasts with high level cultivation could take on human forms and even speak like them.

    "Why don¡¯t we start with the red cottage first?"

    Bai YueLiang led XieRong to the red cottage first.

    It was filled with shelves upon shelves of weapons.

    "Bai YueLiang, which of these weapons chose my sister?"

    Bai YueLiang put his front hooves up on a shelf with a long red whip with a golden handle to which a white fan with a painting of red blossoms was attached. It was elegant and suited FeiHong¡¯s countenance perfectly.

    "Is this the godly weapon mother told about?"

    -It must be miss, but I am not sure as it is one of the two godly weapons in this entire cottage. Master couldn¡¯t find the other one, she just felt it¡¯s slight presence once, that¡¯s all."

    XieRong started to look around, admiring all the variety of weapons there were, but soon felt something pull at her mind. XieRong resisted it until it got worse and worse and she couldn¡¯t bear it any longer.

    -First miss, what¡¯s wrong?-

    "I¡¯m feeling something pull my mind. I¡¯m trying to resist but the pull is just getting stronger."

    -First miss, stop hiding your presence and feel for the presence pulling you. A weapon is trying to bond with you.-

    XieRong let her presence show and the pull got even more insisting.

    She let her guide it until it stopped near a shelf. She picked up two straps of needles that were giving off a golden glow.

    -Miss, these needles are a godly weapon!-

    XieRong hesitated to touch the needles.

    This was her sister¡¯s space, she couldn¡¯t take something without her permission.

    -First miss, why are you hesitating?-

    "YueLiang, this is my sister¡¯s space. I can¡¯t take something that belongs to my sister without asking her permission first."

    "XieRong Jie, who told you that you had to take my permission before taking something from me?"

    XieRong turned around to look at her little sister who had her hands on her hips.

    "FeiHong, what are you doing here?"

    "I came here to check because YueLiang told me a weapon wanted to bond with you, and I¡¯m d I came."

    FeiHong cheeks were red and puffed. XieRong would have found it cute andughed if it weren¡¯t for the tears that had formed in her sister¡¯s eyes.

    "You let me take whatever I want from your space without asking permission then why can¡¯t I let you do the same? Why can¡¯t I let my older sister have something she wants before she asks me? I know you weren¡¯t nning on telling me that a weapon wanted to bond with you. I know you wouldn¡¯t have asked me for any books, medicines or other things either, not now and notter. Even if you needed them, you would go look for what you needed somewhere else instead. Tell me Jie, am I that undependable? You told me mother told you to stop treating me like a child, but doesn¡¯t this count as you doing exactly that? When will you depend on me? What more will it take?!"

    XieRong felt her heart drop to the pit of her stomach as she watched her sister run out crying.

    This time, she was the reason for FeiHong¡¯s tears.

 Chapter 27 The Talk with FeiHong |Part 1|

    XieRong hadn¡¯t known that FeiHong had felt that way, but what her sister said had been true. She had not wanted to depend on her little sister. For that matter, she didn¡¯t want to depend on anyone. She had grown so used to looking out for herself and others that she¡¯d forgotten that she had people she could depend on too.

    "YueLiang, do you know where I can find FeiHong?"

    -Master is near the Willow tree. I¡¯ll lead you there.-

    Just as XieRong was about to leave she felt the pull on her mind again. She picked up the sash of needles and gave it a stone cold re.

    "This miss is not in the mood to bind with you right now. I will keep you in my space but if I feel one more pull from you, I swear I will melt you, make you into jewellery and sell you to the highest bidder. Is this miss understood?"

    XieRong felt the pull die instantly.

    She put the sash in her ring and ran to her sister.

    FeiHong was sitting on a swing when XieRong found her.

    "FeiHong, can I sit?"

    FeiHong didn¡¯t say anything, just moved aside to make ce for her sister.

    "I¡¯m sorry I made you feel like you are undependable FeiHong, when you are not. It¡¯s just that I am not used to depending on anyone except master. I have been looking out for you, mother and I by myself for years with no one to depend on in return, so now I feel ashamed, useless and a like a burden when I depend on someone else, even you, especially you because you are my little sister; the one I have been protecting, or at least trying to protect, for years. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t keep my promise to depend on you, FeiHong and I¡¯m sorry if it felt like I was treating you like a child."

    "Jie, I¡¯m sorry for yelling at you. I didn¡¯t mean to."

    "It¡¯s okay, FeiHong. You didn¡¯t say anything mean to me, just something that made me open my eyes. You have my permission to scold me and correct me if you feel that I¡¯m doing something wrong. I promise from now on I¡¯ll try my best to depend on you when I need to, and take things from you if I want or need them. As a start to keeping my promise, I¡¯ll bond with this," XieRong said, taking out the stash of needles.

    She picked one and pricked her finger. A bond formed as a drop of blood was sucked from her finger.

    "I¡¯m sorry for getting angry at you," she apologised, feeling the presence of a child spirit inside the needles.

    "I promise to y with you the next time I goe in any of the spatial rings."

    "Jie," FeiHong said, when she saw that her sister had put back her new weapon.

    "I didn¡¯t bring you here because I wanted to help you cultivate or show you around. I brought you here because I wanted to tell you something. Do you promise not to get angry or leave me after I¡¯ve told you?"

    "FeiHong, sister will never leave you. I can¡¯t promise I won¡¯t get angry or upset or hurt, but I can definitely promise you with my life that I will never abandon you or hate you, ever."

    "Sister do you believe in rebirth?"

    "I don¡¯t know. I have never really thought about it, but I think I do. If I could meet mother, then I don¡¯t see why I shouldn¡¯t believe in rebirth. Why?"

    "Jie, I was reborn. I regained my memories when I saw mother get punished by Fa LiHua again. Do you believe me?"

    "I believe you, FeiHong," XieRong said, noticing the sadness and depth in her sister¡¯s eyes. She believed that FeiHong was telling the truth looking at the desperation on her face, besides her mother had said there was more too FeiHong than what met the eye; that she had changed.

    "Go on FeiHong, tell me what happened."

    "Jie, I think it¡¯s better if I showed you by forming a sisters bond with you."

    XieRong pricked her fingers with one of her needles and pricked FeiHong¡¯s as well.

    "I, XieRong, swear by the blood that flows within me, to take FeiHong as my sister in blood in this life till death brings us apart."

    FeiHong repeated the oath and a bridge formed between their minds. XieRong felt immense sadness, hatred and loss from the bond

    "Jie, what I¡¯m about to show you is extremely ugly and painful, to the point that it may break you. Do you still want to see it?"

    "I want you to show me FeiHong. I will carry this burden with you."

    XieRong was inside a foreign body.

    Her hands were long and slender, her body full of curves and that of a woman¡¯s. She was in a room filled with jewels and luxury which overlooked the capital.

    She saw herself in the mirror as she adorned herself. Big brown doe eyes, full cherry red lips and straight brown locks of hair that fell down her back.

    ¡¯FeiHong?¡¯

    She adorned herself for her husband, the emperor, to whose chamber she had been summoned. She hadn¡¯t married for love, but she had found it with her husband over time.

    XieRong felt her heart overflow with love and butterflies in her stomach. She couldn¡¯t wait to tell her husband that she was with another child.

    XieRong entered her husband¡¯s chamber only to see her son held by a guard and forced to watch with tears streaming down his face as his father made love to another woman.

    Gone was her happiness, she felt an intense rage and desire to kill.

    "What is the meaning of this?!" she demanded, pulling her son in her arms and shielding him.

    "Guards, seize this woman!" Her husband shouted, while making love.

    "I¡¯m the empress! You dare?" She challenged.

    "Not for long dear second younger sister. Ah!"

    XieRong looked horrified. The woman she called sister, the one whom she loved and cared for more than her own blood sister, had climbed into bed with her husband.

    XieRong looked away as the woman groped her husband, rubbing herself on his body, making lewd noises that sounded like a widow¡¯s wailing to her ears.

    "Dear, my sister refuses to watch the show we prepared for her. I feel displeased."

    "Guards! Hold her head!"

    XieRong struggled as the guards seized her and forced her to watch her husband and Fa MeiLien make love over and over again. The man¡¯s grunts, the woman¡¯s moans and gasps were carved with the sharpest de into her heart and soul. When they were done, Fa MeiLien draped a robe slowly over her shoulders.

    The guards pulled XieRong with her son over to the bed, that reeked of their pleasure. She was forced to kneel, tears trickling down her cheeks. However she looked the woman in the eyes refusing to bow her head.

    "I never saw you as my little sister," she said, lifting XieRong¡¯s chin higher with the tip of her finger.

    "Why? Why would you do this to me? I gave you everything you wanted, did everything you wanted, then why?!" She screamed as she jerked away from the disgusting finger that had just touched her husband.

    "Oh, but you see, you took away the thing I wanted most: the throne. So little sister, you and all my other enemies need to be eliminated now that it is right within my reach. Hm, I wonder who should I start with? Dear, whom do you suggest?"

    "Whoever you have in mind," the emperor replied sweetly, as he got dressed.

    XieRong stared in horror at the ungrateful man¡¯s back.

    Had she not helped him win the throne? Had she not been a dutiful wife, even if there had been no love between them at first?

    "I know let¡¯s start with him!"

    XieRong snapped out of her reverie and hugged her son closer

    "No, you will not touch my son!"

    XieRong¡¯s head snapped to the side. She felt a rusty taste fill her mouth.

    "And what can you, amoner with no cultivation do to stop me? What right do you have tomand me?"

    XieRong red.

    "Don¡¯t look at me like that!" Fa MeiLien shouted as she kicked XieRong in the chest, sparing no force.

    XieRong vomited blood.

    Fa MeiLien dragged her sobbing son away by the cor.

    "Guards bring her to the dungeon!"

    XieRong didn¡¯t know how many days it had been since she hade to the dungeon.

    Each day was the same, the guards would assault her son and she would scream for them to stop. She would scream until her throat was sore and then she would scream some more. That was all she could do as she saw her son¡¯s eyes grow lifeless day by day until they had turned dead and ssy. He was like a living rag doll the guards used and discarded each day.

    Fa MeiLien and Fa LiLing came to watch every single miserable day of every single wretched week that passed. ¡¯Entertainment¡¯ she had called them, that made her dull life as a newly appointed empress more interesting.

    "This has grown boring," Fa MeiLien said, one day.

    "Cut him up, piece by piece each day in front of his mother."

    XieRong felt a deep boiling thirst for blood grow within her.

    Each day a little part of her son was cut and each day he would say the same thing,¡¯Be strong, mother. I¡¯m fine,¡¯ and each day her heart would break a little and soon nothing of him remained.

    She hadn¡¯t known how many days had passed after her son¡¯s death. She had lost track. Each night after her son was gone, Fa MeiLien would let her watch her husband make love after which she¡¯d toss her to the guards to do as they please.

    XieRong never screamed.

    Both her children were gone. She could only be d that the other hadn¡¯t been born into this cruel, wretched world.

    She had finally lost everything she had loved.

    Fa MeiLien, however, was not done yet. She wanted to make her little sister suffer for taking what she wanted, for making her suffer a p from her beloved father, for making her, her mother and sister suffer humiliation as they bowed down before this very little sister of hers.

    "Little sister, guess who came running after she found out that a new empress had been crowned?"

    XieRong finally looked up.

    ¡¯No¡¯, she thought, ¡¯please, not her.¡¯

    "Yes, it is second brother, Fa Chun. No, wait. Shouldn¡¯t I be calling her XieRong Jie Jie?"

 Chapter 28 The Talk with FeiHong |Part 2|

    XieRongughed. Sheughed and cackled like a maniac.

    "Fa MeiLien, being the empress must have been hard on your brain if you think my sister hase here to save me. Why would she save me? I have betrayed her countless times!"

    "Oh, little sister. You¡¯re still so stupid. That sister of yours loves you, she thinks of you as her sister whom she failed to protect . Tell me, hasn¡¯t shee for you time and time again even after you used and betrayed her? Today, I will show you what a fool you have been."

    XieRong felt a tear slip down her cheek.

    Fa MeiLien needn¡¯t show her. She had herself realised what a blind fool she had been.

    The sun was right above their heads when XieRong had been dragged out.

    She was dress in a white gown that had turned a dirty brown along with her. Not a speck of her previous white and smooth skin remained, instead filth covered rough scaly skin was stretched over her bones, her lips chapped with dried blood on them and her eyes bulging from their sockets.

    "Wife, don¡¯t go. That woman has betrayed you time and time again. Why do still insist? Why are you behaving like a fool?"

    XieRong looked up. Near the pce gates stood a well dressed couple. She knew they were her sister and brother inw, but she couldn¡¯t see them. Her eyes were dry and vision blurred.

    "Husband, I will behave like a fool if it means I can save the people I love. If my sister has betrayed me it was because I had failed to make her believe in me. I had promised mother to protect her, and I will keep my promise."

    XieRong felt thest of tear roll down her cheek. She had not been a fool. She had been an ignorant scum that deserved to be be punished in hell. She had eliminated and betrayed the people who had loved her with her very own hands and supported those who wanted her gone with all her blood, sweat and tears.

    Fa MeiLien held a sword to her throat.

    "Fa MeiLien, I demand you release my sister at once!"

    "It is ¡¯empress¡¯ to you, big sister XieRong."

    "Bullshit! You are no sister of thisdy and definitely no empress. My sister, the rightful empress is the one at the end of your sword. Thisdy will not show you mercy if you do not release my sister at once!"

    XieRong felt a strong murderous intent approach slowly. She didn¡¯t have to look up to tell it was her sister¡¯s.

    "Fa MeiLien, thisdy should have gotten rid of you sooner."

    "Do you think this empress is that easy to get rid of?"

    "No, just like all other pests in the world, but all pests can be gotten rid of. You just need the right method."

    "Hahaha! How very amusing. What method can you use to get rid of this empress?"

    "Don¡¯t you think your Fa family has been very quiettely?"

    "You dare threaten this empress?"

    "This isn¡¯t a threat," the murderous aura grew,"it¡¯s a promise. One thisdy will dly fulfill."

    Fa MeiLien screamed furiously, but then stopped thinking of her pce, her jewellery, her treasures, her cultivation tools, the power to have any thing she wanted, the looks of envy with which the people stared upon her with.

    "Hm, okay. Get rid of them. How will this empress be implicated anyway?"

    XieRong heard a derisive scoff.

    "Do you think your husband will want a woman who has no power or support?"

    "Husband!" Fa MeiLien whined, wanting her husband¡¯s support in the matter.

    The emperor, however, had already retreated, being the coward that he is. That woman and her husband were people the emperor dare not offend if he wanted to keep his throne. He had been stupid to believe that the Fa family would be able to take care of the couple. The emperor knew that he had no hope of redeeming himself, however he wouldn¡¯t dig himself a deeper grave because of a wretched woman.

    "Your husband won¡¯t save you. Face it Fa MeiLien, you have no power. Never had, never will."

    "Shut up!" She screamed as she raised her sword to bring it down on XieRong¡¯s neck.

    XieRong had already closed her eyes in eptance, but the sword never came.

    It had been knocked out of Fa MeiLien¡¯s hands.

    XieRong felt herself lose bnce from where was kneeling at the top of the stair case.

    "No, FeiHong!" She heard her sister scream as she rushed over to save her.

    XieRong felt her sisters arms around her. She had stopped her from falling.

    "Jie..."

    "Shh, FeiHong, Jie is here. No one will bully you anymore."

    XieRong¡¯s eyes could not shed a tear. Not for the happiness she felt after a long time, not for the guilt, pain and grief that had been let out from it¡¯s cage. She just stayed in her sister¡¯s embrace, feeling her warmth. It reminded her of mother¡¯s.

    XieRong saw Fa MeiLiene for her sister with a sword.

    "Wife!"

    "No, Jie!" XieRong used thest of her strength to grap the sword, but she still couldn¡¯t stop it from piercing her sister. She gripped the sword with her life.

    "FeiHong, let go of the sword."

    "No, Jie! You must live!"

    "FeiHong, you have already fought very hard in this world. I was lucky to find my husband but I can¡¯t watch my sister like this. Jie is guilty for not being able to protect you FeiHong, for not being there when you needed me, for not being able to protect mother¡¯s family. So let Jie follow you to mother. Let go."

    XieRong felt her heart twist in pain.

    Why had she been unable to see the truth? Why was she so weak and pathetic?

    She could feel her strength draining quickly as Fa MeiLien used more of her energy.

    "I-I¡¯m sorry, Jie," she said as she let go of the sword that pierced both of them.

    She vowed as she heard Fa MeiLien¡¯sughter that in her next life she would return to have her revenge. That she would protect and love this sister who foolishly gave her life for her.

    XieRong opened her eyes.

    She was confused as to who she was.

    She felt bile rise up her throat as she remembered everything she had been through.

    "Jie? Are you okay?"

    "How?" she asked, her lips quivering and body shaking,"how are you still able to remain sane?"

    XieRong rubbed her shoulders furiously as though she had be dirty.

    She felt dirty.

    "Jie, listen to me, that was not real," FeiHong said, steadying her sister,"That was a memory from my past life, the worst one."

    "The worst one? There are more?"

    FeiHong looked away in shame.

    "Jie, in my past life, I was a big fool. I helped the people who betrayed me and destroyed the people who loved me. I made countless mistakes. Jie, this time, I promise you that I will never betray you, that I will always stand by you and protect you."

    XieRong hugged her sister tightly, a rage simmering underneath her skin. She held her sister and cried. She cried for everything she had felt, the helplessness, the despair, the shame, the guilt.

    "FeiHong, this time, Jie will promise you that once Jie has be strong, she will make all our enemies pay in this life!"

    "Jie, we will both make them pay. For now, let¡¯s go back. It¡¯s already morning."

    XieRong woke up beside her sister.

    "FeiHong, every night until Jie starts learning with uncle, I will cultivate with you, and in the afternoons if I don¡¯t have other work."

    XieRong sent for the maids to bring water to wash up. She wanted to scrub herself clean. She could still feel the men atop her as they had held her wrists and groped her all over.

    "What about today, will you cultivate with me in the afternoon?"

    "No, Jie is going to go explore the city with RuiLing, I want you toe too."

    "Is there any specific reason as to why you¡¯re going to the city? Moreover, why with RuiLing?"

    "I want to see if there is anything we can use to improve our cultivation and to start looking for shadow guards. As to why I¡¯m taking RuiLing is because first aunt asked me to teach her."

    All the servants in the Qiu courtyard were blood bonded to either her aunt, uncle, or grandfather, so XieRong need not control what she spoke.

    It was at the breakfast table that she saw the entire Guo family for the first time, including her uncle¡¯s kids.

    Young master, Guo Qiang was a boy of thirteen years and very much unlike his father and grandfather.

    He took after his mother in both, looks and demeanour, but you could tell from his eyes that he had more cunning hidden beneath his gentle exterior. She had heard gossips from the maids that the sickly crown prince was a close friend of the Guo family. She hadn¡¯t heard with whom the crown prince was friends with since people hardly ever talked about the crown prince or the Guo family in the Fa Mansion; it was always mostly about the second prince, the Fa family, and the Bai family. It was by chance that the topic of the Guo family had arose when they had been talking about her mother.

    Now XieRong knew exactly who the crown prince had be friends with. As the people often said: birds of a feather flock together.

    RuiLing was a beautiful and smart looking eight year old who resembled second aunt more than her own mother, however her posture was prideful and haughty unlike either of them.

    XieRong sighed in her heart.

    It would take some time before RuiLing would learn.

    MuLan resembled uncle the most. She was yful and friendly and loved to run about. XieRong and FeiHong had had a hard time keeping up with their two year old cousin as she had run about their courtyard in the evening after her nap wanting to y.

    She hade up to XieRong holding her arms out as soon as XieRong arrived for breakfast.

    "Rong Jie, pick!"

    XieRongughed and picked her cousin up as she went to sit at the table with little kid in herp.

    "XieRong greets grandfather, uncle, first aunt, second aunt, elder brother and sister."

    FeiHong repeated the greeting and sat next to XieRong.

    Aunt Biyuughed.

    "Looks like MuLan likes you more than me already!"

    "Mommy is boring!" MuLanmented, eating rice from XieRong¡¯s bowl.

    "Rong Jie and Hong Jie y with me. They¡¯re nice."

    "Daddy agrees. Mommy is boring."

    This earned her uncle a hard pinch on the hand.

    XieRong shook her head at her uncle. This uncle of hers was always going about looking for trouble.

    "Boring, huh?"

    Guo ZiHao looked at XieRong with pitiful eyes.

    "First aunt, I wanted to ask your permission to go to the city today. I would like to bring RuiLing and FeiHong with me if that¡¯s alright with you."

    "You can go, and take some money with you before you leave."

    Her uncle thanked XieRong with his eyes and she smiled in return.

    "Uncle, I would like you tell big brother what we all discussed yesterday."

    "Tell me what?" Her brother, asked.

    XieRong had noticed he had been observing her and FeiHong.

    "Son, why don¡¯t we have a spar after breakfast?"

    "Hm, fine, but I will surely defeat you again. Is that fine?"

    Aunt Biyu chuckled.

    "You can beat him on my behalf as well," she said.

    "Mine too," her second aunt chipped in.

    "And mine," her grandfather said.

    Guo ZiHao grumbled and sulked, but that was all he could do as no one woulde to his aid.

    XieRong nced at the old general who looked as stern as ever. She hadn¡¯t spoken properly to the old general yet. She didn¡¯t know how or when to, so the atmosphere around them still remained awkward.

    "I want to know too." RuiLing chimed in.

    "What does the daughter of a runaway woman want my brother to know?"

    The atmosphere grew tense.

    "RuiLing! Behave yourself. XieRong is still your younger sister!" Aunt Biyu scolded.

    "It¡¯s okay, aunt. She doesn¡¯t know," XieRong calmly said, eating her breakfast and feeding some to MuLan.

    "I don¡¯t know what? That you¡¯re the daughter of the man my aunt ran away with tarnishing the Guo Family name?"

    "RuiLing, enough!"

    This time it was her grandfather who thundered, his face as dark as the storm clouds.

    RuiLing sniffled. Her grandfather had never scolded her before and the first time he had it was because of these two girls.

    "Finish your breakfast and hear what XieRong has to say. Am I clear?"

    "Yes, grandfather."

 Chapter 29 The Black Bellied Fox

    Li Jia poured tea while two girls sat in silence.

    "Li Jia, please leave us."

    "Yes, second young miss."

    XieRong sipped her tea leisurely, her eyes closed and her stance rxed.

    "Tell me what you have to say fast. I don¡¯t want to spend more time with you than I have to. I¡¯m only here because grandfather ordered me to."

    "Elder sister, why do hate me and my younger sister?"

    RuiLing red at XieRong.

    "Don¡¯t call me ¡¯elder sister¡¯! I hate you, and I hate your sister as you both are the only ck stains on our golden reputation, because your mother spoiled the Guo family name!"

    "No, elder sister, you and I, both know that is just an excuse. This time tell me the real reason as to why you don¡¯t like us."

    RuiLing bit her lip and turned her head away stubbornly.

    XieRong let out a deep breath.

    "It¡¯s because me and my sister are taking away all of the attention that previously belonged to elder sister, isn¡¯t it? Elder sister can¡¯t bear that the children of a woman who ran away with another man are receiving more attention than elder sister, are living in the same house as elder sister."

    RuiLing still refused to say anything.

    "And the reason elder sister does not want to say it out loud is because elder sister doesn¡¯t want to admit it. Elder sister is too proud and stubborn to admit it, just like grandfather."

    "If you know, then why did you ask? And don¡¯t call me elder sister!"

    "Because I thought if elder sister said it out loud it would make elder sister feel better."

    "Is this why you dragged me here? To humiliate me?"

    "No, elder sister, I didn¡¯t bring elder sister here to humiliate elder sister, I brought elder sister here to share two stories."

    "Why would you bring me here to tell stories? I¡¯m no child!"

    XieRongughed.

    "Believe me, they are no stories for children. They are my mother¡¯s story and mine up until I entered the Guo Residence, but before I share them with elder sister, elder sister must give me her blood oath to keep this a secret until I say otherwise. Are you still interested?"

    RuiLing thought for a while before she nodded her head, biting her finger to draw blood as XieRong did the same. She was curious to know what was important enough that would require her to make a blood bond.

    "I, Guo RuiLing, sign this blood oath with Guo XieRong to not reveal this secret until the mentioned party says so otherwise."

    XieRong began to tell her cousin about everything she, her sister and her mother had gone through in the Fa Residence. She left the details of her journey to the Guo Residence, choosing only to describe the pain she had gone through during her treatment and the frequent nightmares she had about her mother¡¯s death before she learned to meditate.

    "So tell me, elder sister, even if my mother had run away with another man after going through all what she had, would she have been wrong?"

    RuiLing looked down with tears in her eyes. She didn¡¯t have a answer. She knew it would have been wrong to run away, but at the same time, she felt that she would have definitely run away in her aunt¡¯s situation. Besides, her aunt hadn¡¯t run away, she was murdered.

    "I won¡¯t force elder sister to like us or even talk to us if elder sister decides not to after this. Frankly speaking, I don¡¯t really care how elder sister feels. I decided to talk to you because first asked me to, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t have even considered telling elder sister anything of what I have told elder sister. Elder sister reminds me too much of Fa MeiLien. So, I will not ask much. Elder sister can hate me as long as elder sister doesn¡¯t get in my way."

    XieRong stood up to leave.

    "The Old General¡¯s stubbornness and pride made him lose his daughter, elder sister. Don¡¯t follow in his footsteps. Otherwise, it won¡¯t be long before elder sister loses something precious as well. I know elder sister has led a sheltered and happy life, and because of it elder sister doesn¡¯t know what the world out there is really like. It¡¯s not all ck and white as the books say. People are shaped to do things ording to the circumstances that life gives them."

    XieRong closed the door behind her saying, "I¡¯ll be leaving to go see the city by the hour of the horse (11.00 to 13.00), elder sister can choose to join me if you wish."

    When she found her uncle, he was sitting to the side with her elder brother in her elder brother¡¯s courtyard.

    "Who won?" she asked, as she approached them.

    She could already tell who had won even as she asked.

    There her brother was looking as cool as a breeze, while her uncle sat, sweating buckets.

    "If I told you it was your brother who won, will you ask him to teach you instead of me?"

    "Being a good fighter doesn¡¯t necessarily mean someone is a good teacher. I would first like to learn from you, and once I have surpassed uncle, I will learn from elder brother if he doesn¡¯t mind."

    "Of course I don¡¯t mind teaching my new little sister," her brother replied, kindly.

    XieRong smiled back at him without any emotion.

    "Uncle, why don¡¯t you go change while I get to know elder brother?"

    Her uncle left them thinking what a good rtionship they already had. Once he was far away she said,

    "Drop the act, elder brother, you know I won¡¯t be falling for it, not when I know elder brother is that scary crown prince¡¯s friend."

    "Why do you hurt me so, little sister? Here I thought I was very convincing."

    XieRong smiled. This time it was because she was extremely amused.

    "So this is what you¡¯re really like: a ck bellied fox."

    "Now, now little sister, is that what you call your elder brother?"

    "Hmm... I won¡¯t treat you like an elder brother until you have proven yourself to me that you are capable of being an elder brother to me."

    "And tell me why would I want to prove myself to you, miss BaiHua?"

    "Because I¡¯m useful?"

    Her elder brother smiled.

    "You really are amusing. Tell me, how did your poison get cured? And how on Earth did you get the second prince¡¯s tablet?"

    "Like I told aunt and uncle, a kind travelling medicine practitioner, who we met in the forest and helped, cured us. Also, why would I reveal all my secrets to you when I haven¡¯t even to Aunt and Uncle? Besides, I didn¡¯te to simply chat. I want to know whether you have already told he crown prince about my real identity and if he has epted my offer."

    Guo Qiang didn¡¯t believe his sister¡¯s story one bit, but he had no ways of confirming that the story was false so he let it go.

    "What does little sister think?"

    "I think you share a brothers¡¯ bond with him and he already knows. That crown prince is too careful to let loose a double edged sword like you without binding you to him first. But, I honestly have no idea as to whether he epted my offer. I am but a seven year old girl with no cultivation. But tell him this, I will get rid of the Fa family and the second prince with or without his help, I don¡¯t care if he chooses to refuse my offer as long as he doesn¡¯t get in my way."

    Guo Qiang saw the hatred buried deep within the girl¡¯s eyes as she spoke.

    "The Crown Prince asked me to tell you that he can¡¯t form an alliance with you, however if his ns do converge with yours at some point, he agrees to help you."

    "Can¡¯t or won¡¯t?" She asked, remembering the crown prince¡¯s words.

    Guo Qiangughed.

    "He says he won¡¯t form an alliance with you, unless you agree to a blood bond."

    XieRong smiled.

    "No, I¡¯ll ept his previous offer. I don¡¯t want to form any kind of bond, other than a distant alliance, with someone so scary. I would like to keep as far away as possible from him."

    "Wise choice, if I say so myself. Aren¡¯t you going to ask me to help you?"

    "No. You¡¯ve already given your loyalty to the crown prince. However, I¡¯ll ask you to prove yourself and be my elder brother as you are, with no fake masks and no fake smiles. They absolutely disgust me. Do you want to?"

    Guo Qiang put his hand on his new little cousin sister¡¯s head and smiled a true smile.

    "We¡¯ll see."

 Chapter 30 The City of Qianhe

    XieRong only wished to take Li Jia and FeiHong along with her despite her first aunt¡¯s wishes to bring some more maids.

    She wore a simple in light blue dress with long sleeves so that she would not attract too much attention. The only thing she wore which was remotely expensive were hef mother¡¯s keepsake. FeiHong was dressed the same way in a light pink dress. They had fake reputations to build.

    They were about to leave, when XieRong heard someone call her.

    "Wait!"

    RuiLing walked over to them. XieRong noticed that she was very a simple olive dress very much unlike her usual bright and vibrant dresses.

    "Thisdy knows that you both are new to Qianhe, so thisdy will be generous and spare some of her time to show you both around."

    "This little sister will not trouble elder sister. Li Jia can show us around," XieRong replied curtly.

    She was amused as well as exasperated at her elder sister. She was too much like grandfather, who felt that admitting to one¡¯s fault was shameful and a sign of weakness.

    RuiLing felt a little dejected, but she knew it was her fault. She had not said the right words. She had caught hold of XieRong by her sleeve and after a while she lowered her head.

    "I-I am sorry," she squeaked.

    "I will try and change, I want to start over and learn from you. I realise that even though I may be older, I am not very experienced."

    RuiLing had talked to her mother and had realised how true XieRong¡¯s words had been. She had indeed acted like Fa MeiLien, arrogant, cruel, and ignorant. She had been unkind to her servants and to the people she had deemed beneath her, never knowing how much they helped look after her. She thought that it had been their role in life to be loyal to her, when in fact it was not. She had cried when she learned that one of her servants had died ingesting poison that had been meant for her when she was only a little older Mu Lan. A nobledy had tried to poison her in order to get rid of futurepetition for her own daughter at a banquet.

    XieRong and FeiHong looked at each other.

    -What do you think, FeiHong? I¡¯m okay with it but since you were the one she bullied, I¡¯ll let you decide.-

    "It¡¯s okay, eldest sister, I forgive you," FeiHong said when she saw the desire to try to change in RuiLing¡¯s eyes.

    FeiHong knew it hadn¡¯t been easy for this proud cousin of hers to apologise to them, and how could she remain angry at someone who didn¡¯t know any better and had behaved like she had in her past life.

    "But elder sister must remember that to act like elder sister is pitying us and it will be better if elder sister dresses in her usual fancy clothes."

    Qianhe city was not as bustling as the Capital, with small shops and vendors scattered amongst the many residential homes, however it still had a lot to offer in terms of clothing and other essories.

    A Shi Chen had passed when the three girls started to grow hungry.

    "Elder sister, isn¡¯t there a restaurant we can go to?"

    "Actually, I was just taking you there. Do you see that tall building?"

    XieRong did see it. It was the tallest building there was.

    "That¡¯s Weimin restaurant, where all the nobles in the city and cultivators who want to go to JingShen forest, eat."

    "Why would cultivators want to go to JingShen forest?"

    "Because apart from the Northern Mountains, it is one of the ces that holds rich Spiritual energy and is essible. There are other ces, but they are either too dangerous, or no one knows about them."

    "Then why doesn¡¯t elder sister cultivate in the JingShen forest? Doesn¡¯t the Guo Estate own a part of it?"

    "We do own some of it, but that¡¯s not where the spiritual energy is concentrated. It¡¯s towards the heart of the forest, where I am not allowed to go until I am twelve. Father says I¡¯m not strong enough yet, even though I¡¯m already at the mid soul gathering realm."

    The restaurant was huge, busy with more people she had seen throughout the city.

    "First young miss Guo, should I show first young miss and these young misses to your usual table," a waiter asked as soon as he saw RuiLing.

    RuiLing nodded her head and all of them followed the waiter.

    XieRong looked around the restaurant as she was led to the first floor of the building. The lower most floor was filled with waiters in dark brown uniforms running around with orders and bills.

    The waiter led them to a table by the window.

    "There are two reasons this restaurant is famous; one, for their food," RuiLing said, as she sat down and pointed her finger outside the window,"and two, for the clearest view of Qianhe city¡¯s duelists¡¯ ring."

    "First young miss Guo, the duel will start in a quarter Shi Chen. Is first young miss interested in betting today? The bets will be closed in two joss sticks time."

    "Send someone to take our orders first."

    "Elder sister is allowed to bet?" XieRong asked. Her mother would have never allowed her if she were eight.

    "Yes, well, as long as I don¡¯t exceed five hundred silvers, I can bet. Mother and aunt don¡¯t allow it, but father said it would help me learn. I never understood what he meant by learning, but I bet anyway. Do you want to try? I¡¯ll lend you money."

    -Jie, there¡¯s no harm in trying. I know you¡¯ve been watching the teacher at Fa Residence train Fa MeiLien. Besides, we have more than enough money to pay RuiLing back.-

    "Okay, I¡¯ll try. But how do I know that people from outside won¡¯t cheat?"

    "Silly! There are barriers around the ring. No one would ce their bets if they weren¡¯tpletely sure that people couldn¡¯t cheat!"

    RuiLing called the waiter to ce their bets.

    "Mister, who arepeting? How many people have ce their bets today?" XieRong asked, looking out her window onto the concrete ring.

    "Young miss, thepetitors are the old man on the right and the man on the left right next to the ring. More than three hundred people have bet so far with the odds in favour of the young man."

    XieRong studied both thepetitors.

    The man on the left looked lean and athletic while the old man was drunk and currently dead to the world.

    She felt both their presences.

    The man was a cultivator in the mid dantian formation realm while the old man held no cultivation at all.

    However, she could tell the old man had more experience in battle than the younger man did. With her vision getting better with her cultivation, she could see the old man had callouses formed in his hands. His body was also fit and strong.

    She just hoped she wasn¡¯t wrong in her judgement of the old man.

    "Mister, I would like to bet five silver taels on the old man."

    "Are you sure young miss?"

    "Are you sure XieRong? The man on the right looks much stronger."

    XieRong started to reconsider her decision when FeiHong spoke up from beside her.

    "Yes, elder sister is sure."

    "I see, then."

    RuiLing paid the waiter and held off on betting herself as she would have to use all her money if XieRong lost.

    The waiter quickly collected the bet money and ran off leaving a token with them.

    "Elder sister, what is on the other floors?" XieRong asked, still looking outside her window watching as a crowd quickly gathered around the ring. A huge crowd would always gather near the duelists¡¯ ring as it was forbidden to fight using the elements anywhere else in the city except there. People could either sign up to fight, challenge the person in the ring, or ept a challenge from them.

    "The second floor of the shop is like this floor, the third floor is full of private rooms as is the fourth, the fifth and final floor belongs to the owner of this restaurant, no one knows what it is used for or who he is. Rumour is, that the owner is a rich young lord from the neighboring west continent."

    They ate a rather small meal, their previous hunger gone as they waited for the fight to begin.

 Chapter 31 The Drunken Old Master

    XieRong saw as the old man dragged himself onto the stage with heavy footsteps, not being able to keep himself straight.

    She was starting to have second thoughts on her bet.

    XieRong called one of the waiters over.

    "Mister, who else has bet on the old man?"

    "Two others, a young miss and a young master on the third floor."

    She sighed in relief.

    She wasn¡¯t the only one who had bet. Perhaps, she wasn¡¯t wrong in her judgement after all.

    After thanking the waiter, she once again turned to look out the window.

    -Jie, have more faith in your decisions.-

    -I¡¯m not sure, FeiHong, I may be observant, well read and taught by mother, but I¡¯ve never seen actual fights like these before. If we lose, we will have to pay five silvers to each person who has bet against us, and while we can afford it, it will be a huge loss to us.-

    -Jie, I¡¯m sure aunt and uncle won¡¯t mind giving us money if we need it in the future. Besides, I would like to think about how much we would gain if we won, rather than how much we would lose if we lost.-

    XieRong smiled gratefully at her sister before turning back to watch the match that had already begun.

    The drunk old man just stood gulping down the contents of his gourd while the man leaped at him with his sword.

    "You¡¯re allowed to use weapons?" XieRong asked, watching a ribbon of fire start to coil around the man¡¯s sword.

    "You¡¯re allowed to use anything except your spirit beasts in the ring."

    XieRong let out a small sigh of relief as the old man staggered away just as the sword was about to slice into him.

    The youth looked annoyed as he threw a barrage of fireballs at the old man and charged at him again with his sword.

    The old man stumbled over his legs and rolled away.

    The crowds cheers for the man had now turned into voraciousughter and mocking remarks. The man let out a murderous intent as he leaped with his sword, going for the kill.

    The old man had again rolled away. Hey on the stage, lifting his gourd to his mouth and shaking it to see if there was any more wine remaining.

    The man, on the other hand, had used so much force that his sword was now stuck in the concrete floor of the stage and refused to budge.

    XieRong watched with her eyes twinkling in mirth as the old man rolled and kicked the young man in his face, ordering him to go bring more wine. The man, who was now sporting a bloody nose, had been utterly humiliated, his facepletely lost and reputation one with the mud. He had nothing to lose anymore.

    He used his soul nourishing pills to increase the flow of energy in his body, strengthening it. In ast final attempt, he dashed like a bull towards the old man.

    XieRong saw a sharp gleam enter the old man¡¯s eyes as he jumped over the man, letting the man¡¯s own momentum work against him as he couldn¡¯t control himself and fell over the ring.

    RuiLing gasped in shock.

    "He won! That drunken old man actually won! How did you know, XieRong?"

    XieRong mouthed ter¡¯ as a waiter came up to them to inform them of their won bet. A lot more people had bet on the man after them so the money they received was much more than what they had originally calcted. XieRong distributed the money amongst them before they left.

    "Elder sister, FeiHong why don¡¯t you both go ahead, I¡¯ll be back before dinner."

    "What if you get lost?"

    "Don¡¯t worry, I can always ask for directions."

    -Jie, is it something I can¡¯te with you for?-

    -Not really. I just want to do this myself.-

    FeiHong smiled understandingly.

    "Okay, then...if you say so," RuiLing said, as she took FeiHong and Li Jia away.

    XieRong ran to the duelists¡¯ ring, looking around for the drunk old man.

    Another fight had already begun as she went to the registration desk.

    "Mister, where did that old man from the previous fight go?"

    "I¡¯m not at liberty to disclose that information, young miss."

    "Please, mister," she pleaded.

    The man sighed. He was too weak against cute children.

    "Okay, tell you what, if you tell me why a young girl like you, who looks like she belongs to a good house, is looking for an old man like him, I¡¯ll tell you."

    XieRong looked around.

    "That man is a rtive of my maid. She went to run some errands so she asked me to look after him for her."

    "Why would amon maid ask a young miss from a household to do that?"

    "Mister, I¡¯m the unfavoured second young miss of the Guo Residence who just recently arrived. I¡¯m not allowed to associate with the other noble youngdies so I just made friends with the maids in the household. If you don¡¯t tell me where the old man is I¡¯ll lose my friend¡¯s trust."

    XieRong gave him a sad and pitiful look.

    The man at the registration counter patted XieRong¡¯s head.

    "Young miss, the old man goes often to drink at the MeiYing brothel in the east district after his matches. It¡¯s no ce for a young girl such as yourself. Why don¡¯t you go home for today? You can see him tomorrow if he stops by."

    "It¡¯s okay mister. I can handle myself."

    XieRong had on her ck cloak that fell to her knees and kept to herself. She also wore a veil that she had brought along in case she felt the first young lord Bai and the eighth Prince¡¯s presences nearby.

    It was still day time so there weren¡¯t all that many people around, but she still didn¡¯t want her face to be seen.

    Every time she would look at a man sidle up to a courtesan in the nearby alleys, she would turn her face away, rubbing her arms, the feeling of being used and dirty invading her senses as she remembered FeiHong¡¯s past life.

    The East district was filled with many brothel shops and grand restaurants at the front, but the beggars sleeping and loitering about in side alleys did not escape XieRong¡¯s notice. There were siren like courtesans trying to lure over customers everywhere on the main road, while there were worn and broken women in rags discarded away in the side alleys. One could see two sides of the world if only they looked to the side, but XieRong noticed that she was the only person who did. Perhaps people were too confident that they wouldn¡¯t end up like them? No, that wasn¡¯t it. When XieRong observed her surroundings more clearly, she saw people take a tiny nce to the side and march forward with more straightened shoulders and wider strides. Maybe they all did not want to acknowledge that there was a possibility where they could end up like them.

    XieRong entered the MeiYing brothel. It was hard to miss as it was the fanciest and biggest brothel in thene she had seen so far.

    She went to the oldnkydy that was showing the customers around.

    "Olddy, I¡¯m looking for a drunk old man about a head taller than me that could be here. He would havee just a bit earlier than I have. Can you show me to him?"

    "Get lost little girl, this is no ce for you. There are many drunk old men thate here everyday, how should I remember all of them that drop by?"

    The olddy¡¯s polite tone had changed into one full of disdain when she saw XieRong.

    XieRong wasn¡¯t very surprised. The way she had been coercing customers into paying more and the way there was a small crack in her smiling face when the customer refused had told her enough about the olddy¡¯s lust for money.

    She took out the pouch of fifty silver taels her aunt had given her before she left and jingled it front of the olddy.

    The olddy grabbed for the pouch but XieRong quickly put it back in her ring.

    "Not so soon, I¡¯ll pay you ten silvers for the information."

    "Fifty."

    "Ten, and no more. I¡¯m sure those rival courtesans outside will be more than willing to give me the information I want for ten silver pieces."

    The olddy growled.

    XieRong could tell they were rival courtesans from they way they were trying to pull away customers to their respective brothels, besides the fact that they weren¡¯t as well dressed as the courtesan¡¯s inside.

    A handsome man with chiselled features, wearing expensive clothes dragged ady, a low ranked courtesan from the looks of it, to the olddy.

    "Olddy! I paid for a courtesan and you give me this?!"

    He threw the courtesan to the ground as he bellowed.

    "Sir, I gave you the best courtesan I could provide you with the little money you gave me."

    "The best? Is this what you call the best?"

    XieRong turned to help up the crying courtesan who was pushed to the ground.

    While doing so, her hood hade off and the cloak had shifted, drawing the man¡¯s predatory eyes to the small portion of the white tender skin of her neck that was exposed. The man thought that she was a little too young, but the thought of making this little girl a woman made him shiver. The servants in his manor had be boring, so had the courtesans. Even if the servants were young, there skin didn¡¯t look nearly as enticing as this young miss¡¯ and the courtesans just appeased his needs. They didn¡¯t fulfill his desires.

    XieRong, couldn¡¯t dodge the man as came up behind her and put his sturdy arm around her waist and pulled her to him, rubbing himself against her. XieRong let out a small frightened shriek thrashing around to break free.

    "Aspensation, why don¡¯t I take her?"

    XieRong forced herself to still, clearing her scared and muddled mind and sharpening it like a knife.

    A scary chill entered her eyes as she remembered the anger and thirst for blood she felt for those guards who had assaulted her, no, assaulted FeiHong in her past life. This time, she wasn¡¯t so helpless and she wouldn¡¯t be as long as she kept her calm and acted logically and swiftly.

    ¡¯Disgusting,¡¯ she thought, as she sprinkled the Tanhuan berry powder on the scum¡¯s hand that was snaked around her.

    She put her small bottle back as secretly she had taken it out from her ring and pped the man¡¯s arm away.

    "Is mister blind? Can¡¯t he see that this miss isn¡¯t for sale?"

    She turned around and red at the man.

    "Don¡¯t be difficult, girl. You should be happy this lord is offering to pay you for yourpany."

    "You¡¯re disgusting. Get lost."

    XieRong adjusted her cloak so that it once again covered her fully.

    "You dare call this lord disgusting?"

    XieRong ignored the fuming man.

    "Olddy, look at that man¡¯s hand. You shouldn¡¯t let him stay here any longer. It¡¯s good that he only grabbed that courtesan by her sleeve, otherwise she would have been infected too."

    The man had already begun to itch at the red sores that had begun to develop.

    "Sir, you¡¯ll have to leave this establishment," the olddy said, ordering the male servants to show the man out.

    "This lord will not forgive this humiliation!" The man yelled as he was thrown into the streets.

    Unbeknownst to XieRong, ady had witnessed everything from the first floor.

    ¡¯What a clever little girl,¡¯ she thought, making her way down to greet her.

 Chapter 32 - The Top Courtesan at MeiYing

    <h4>Chapter 32 - The Top Courtesan at MeiYing</h4>

    "Granny, why don¡¯t you let me take this young miss where she wants to go?"

    XieRong looked to where the voice came from.

    A beautifuldy made her way down the stairs to the side. All the courtesans whom she passed greeted her respectfully, calling her ¡¯Jie¡¯ and lowering their heads.

    "Hmph, LiFen, you¡¯re my top courtesan, do you think you can give away your time as you please for free?"

    "Well, I am free to choose to take my customers, and since I¡¯m currently attending to no one important, I might as well let her buy a little of my time with her ten silvers."

    "That amount of money can¡¯t even buy a minute of your time, but I will allow it seeing how she is a paying customer who was mistreated in my shop. I can¡¯t have rumours spreading around that we don¡¯tpensate our customers."

    XieRong took out her money and it was snatched away by the olddy¡¯s quick hands.

    "Fifteen minutes, that¡¯s all you¡¯ll get."

    The olddy snatched her money and harrumphed away.

    XieRong followed the courtesan to the first floor.

    The top courtesan was finely dressed in plum coloured robes with beautiful coral head pieces decorating her l.u.s.trous ck hair. Her lips were painted a sultry red and her phoenix eyes were sharp and alluring. She wasn¡¯t scantily dressed like the other courtesans and held a posture akin to that of a nobledy¡¯s.

    "Why do you turn your head away, young miss? Do you find us, courtesans, revolting?"

    Thedy¡¯s tone was polite as she asked, as if she were used to being regarded that way.

    XieRong shook her head.

    "No, I don¡¯t find you, or any of the other courtesans revolting, but I do find what you do as such."

    "Isn¡¯t it the same thing, whether you find what we do revolting or us? You know, young miss, while most of the courtesans here are forced to be what we are, there are some who willingly choose to sell themselves, but all of us take pride in being a good courtesan. It¡¯s just a way of life like any other, it feeds us and puts a roof over our head."

    "I don¡¯t understand. Why would you take pride in selling your bodies away to men you don¡¯t know or love? Why would someone choose this life or ept it? I can sense you have a decent amount of cultivation, so why didn¡¯t you choose the life of cultivation instead? I¡¯ve read that cultivation sects eptmoners with decent cultivation."

    The courtesanughed as she thumped XieRong¡¯s head with her fan.

    "You might be a clever youngdy, but you know nothing of this world," she remarked.

    "Young miss, the cultivation sects only ept the rich and powerful nobles, themoners with connections or with immense potential and when they do ept othermoners it¡¯s because they want someone to do theirbour. The life in the cultivation realm isn¡¯t easy for anyone who doesn¡¯t have power. I would rather preserve my pride than join a sect knowing I will always remain at the bottom no matter how hard I try.

    "When we courtesans join as children, we all have an equal chance to be the best as long as we try our best to please our customers. All of us aim for the top and when we do be the best, we hold the most power in the brothel, holding the right to refuse any customer if we don¡¯t want to serve them. As for selling our bodies, some of us choose to, but there are some of us who sell their talents instead."

    XieRong looked at the woman who walked with her head held high down a long corridor of rooms.

    "I¡¯m sorry. I still can¡¯t fully ept what you do, but I do understand why you do it and respect you for it."

    The courtesan only smiled gracefully as she came to a stop in front of a door.

    "Tell me, young miss, why are you looking for my father?"

    "That drunk old man is your father?"

    "Yes, and he alwayses over to bother me at this time, wanting to buy me."

    "If you don¡¯t mind me asking, why would you not want to be bought by your father?"

    "It¡¯s alright. Everyone in the brothel knows he was the one who sold me for money to buy his alcohol. I have money, respect and power here. Why would I want to leave this behind and go with him?"

    The courtesan opened the door to her room.

    The old man sat there sideways one of his elbows propped on the table supporting his head, while with the other he drank wine directly from the bottle.

    "Old man, there¡¯s someone here to see you," she said, going to sit by her window seat.

    "Who is it?" He slurred out, opening his eyes.

    He closed them again as soon as he saw it was a little girl.

    "Mister, I can¡¯t tell you who I am, but I¡¯vee here after seeing you fight at the ring."

    "That was no fight, just pure luck. If you have no business with me, the door is right there," he said, pointing at the door with the end of the bottle.

    "I¡¯ll get to the point, I want you to tutor me in martial arts."

    "I refuse," he replied, without even batting his eye,"like I said it was just pure luck I won the fight."

    "The callouses on your hand from years of training tell me otherwise."

    "Tell me girl, even if I do agree to mentor you, what do you have to offer me in return?"

    "Nothing, except a little money. I just came here to be your disciple, and I wille here everyday if I have to until you ept me as one."

    LiFenughed.

    "Old man, why don¡¯t you do something more useful with your life for once and take this little girl as your disciple? You do nothing bute waste my time here anyway. I¡¯ll tell you this again, I will not be leaving this ce. This is my home now."

    The old man sighed and got up.

    "I¡¯lle again tomorrow," he informed before closing the door.

    "Go follow him, young miss. If you are as persistent with him as he is with me, it won¡¯t be long before you be you have a new master," LiFen said looking out her window.

    "But if you haven¡¯te around after himing here everyday for who knows how long, then how do you know he will?"

    "Because I have found my ce in life, little miss, while he is still searching for his. I will be extremely grateful to you if you can make him find his."

    "Thank you, miss LiFen. I will try my best," XieRong said running out of the room to catch up with the old man.

    LiFen chuckled. She couldn¡¯t wait for her father to get a taste of his own medicine.

 Chapter 33 - The Boy in the East District

    <h4>Chapter 33 - The Boy in the East District</h4>

    The old man kept weaving through the crowd trying to get rid of the child now at his tail.

    "Leave me alone!" He said, tired.

    He didn¡¯t remember how many times he had shouted at the girl and this time, like every other time he¡¯d asked her to leave him alone, she said,

    "No."

    He groaned. He¡¯d never met someone as stubborn as this girl before him.

    It wasn¡¯t very long before he had reached his shabby little hut and she was still following him.

    "Why won¡¯t you go away, you little pest?"

    "Why won¡¯t you ept me as your disciple, drunken old man?" XieRong asked him in the same tone.

    The grumpy old man stomped into his hut and shut the door in XieRong¡¯s face.

    "Old man, I¡¯ll take my leave for today," she said, turning around to leave.

    ¡¯Finally,¡¯ the old man thought.

    "But I¡¯lle again tomorrow!"

    XieRong giggled when she heard the old man grumble profanities at her and the gods.She had taken care to memorise the route she¡¯d taken as she had followed the old man through East District.

    She couldn¡¯t believe how many poverty stricken people lived here. There were no shops and no vendors. Only beggars, p.r.o.s.t.i.t.u.t.es, and thieves of all shapes and sizes lining the streets. She was starting to think this had been a bad idea. It was as if she were the littlemb in a den of hungry wolves.

    She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

    "Young miss, it¡¯s dangerous for a little girl like you to be around these parts. If you can pay me ten coppers for my services, I can guide you out of these parts," a young boy of around twelve to thirteen offered. His clothes had been reduced to rags and had dirt covered his face, hands and legs. He was barefoot and his unevenly chopped hair was tied back with a string.

    XieRong already knew the way, but she couldn¡¯t resist the extra protection. She knew she shouldn¡¯t trust the boy but gave him a chance looking around at the wolves that were ready to pounce.

    "I already know the way, big brother, but I want you toe with me anyway."

    The boy didn¡¯t say anything further and began to follow her.

    When they were out, she took out her purse slowly, waiting for the boy to snatch it from her hands. She could see he was tempted to with the way his fingers twitched, but he just clenched his hand instead.

    XieRong smiled, tossing the entire pouch to him.

    "That¡¯s for you. It has forty silvers in it."

    "Young miss, I won¡¯t deny that I desperately need this money, but I can¡¯t take it."

    XieRong remembered the time when she refused to take money from her master.

    "Consider it advance payment. I want you toe pick me up in front of MeiYing brothel every day when the hour of the sheep (1PM ¨C 3PM) starts and leave me here, near the Weimin restaurant, by the hour of the monkey (3PM ¨C 5PM)."

    "Thank you, young miss, I will not disappoint you."

    "I didn¡¯t ask, what¡¯s your name?"

    "WeiSheng, young miss."

    "Good, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow then."

    Saying so, XieRong quickly left for the Guo Residence. She had lessons with her aunt.

    Before entering the Guo Residence, XieRong had snuck into a corner and removed her veil and cloak.

    XieRong found her second aunt and FeiHong practicing the water spells in her room.

    Her Aunt possessed a yellow water spirit root and a blue wind spirit root, so they could both learn spells from her at the same time.

    XieRong saw FeiHong try make a ball of water, but the water would only rise an inch and then fall with a ¡¯plop¡¯.

    "Don¡¯t be upset, FeiHong. I just made you try the spell to see what I will be working with," her second aunt said, gently patting FeiHong¡¯s back.

    "Both of you aren¡¯t ready to practice spells yet, and although I agreed to teach you how to cultivate, seeing your progress in one night tells me that you both don¡¯t really require my help."

    Her aunt got up.

    "I think I¡¯m more suited to teach you the four arts, that is if you wish to learn."

    XieRong and FeiHong looked at each other.

    -Jie, I¡¯ve already learnt two of them in my previous life, I¡¯ll learn the remaining two from aunt, what about you?-

    -I will have to learn three-

    XieRong sighed.

    -Even if I don¡¯t want to...-

    -Jie, it¡¯s good to learn new skills, doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re good at them or not-

    "Second aunt, I only know how to y chess, but I¡¯m willing to learn from you everyday for a Shi Chen after we have breakfast."

    "Second aunt I know two of the four arts, chess and painting, I want to learn the other two from you during the same hour my sister learns from you."

    "Then why don¡¯t we start tomorrow at the hour of Dragon (7:00 AM to 9:00 AM)? We¡¯ll learn in your mother¡¯s study room."

    "What will we tell the servants who are not blood bound?"

    "That I¡¯m making you clean your mother¡¯s courtyard."

    "Thank you second aunt."

    "You¡¯re wee. Now go cultivate. You have a lot to learn."

    The duchess closed the door behind her as she left.

    -Jie, where had you gone all this time?-

    XieRong showed FeiHong her memories.

    -Jie, are you sure you want that drunk old man to teach you? You¡¯re already going to learn from uncle.-

    -I am. That old man is experienced enough to defeat a cultivator without having any cultivation himself and judging from how the man at the register knew where I could find him, he must have been fighting in the ring for a long time.-

    -Then howe so many people bet against him in the restaurant?-

    -I think that drunk old man must lose fights on purpose to make people believe that when he does win, it¡¯s because of sheer luck. Speaking of stubborn old men, have you convinced the old general to teach you?-

    -Not yet. I can feel that he¡¯sing around, but it might take the week to get him to start training me.-

    -We¡¯ve both got our work cut out for us, haven¡¯t we?-

    -Yes. Why don¡¯t we go update grandfather inside your ring before we head into mine to cultivate?-

    Both the sisters sat in lotus position, holding each other¡¯s hands as XieRong willed both of them into her spatial ring.

    "Grandpa, we¡¯vee to visit!" XieRong called out.

    "Finally," her grandfather said,ing from behind a shelf.

    "So I assume you¡¯ve reached the Guo Residence safely and settled in?"

    "We have and we also have a lot to tell you."

    They all sat down at the table and XieRong told her grandfather about their journey excitedly while FeiHong calmly sipped her tea.

    "I see you¡¯ve had quite the adventure. Have you gone to check your spirit roots and mind strength checked, yet?"

    XieRong hesitated but told him about her spirit roots and mind strength anyway.

    "I can see why you hesitated," her grandfather said atst.

    "While I am d for both of you, this will put the two of you in grave danger. The Cultivation Realm is cruel and ruthless. The sects that cannot have you will seek to destroy you and the one which has you will want to use you."

    "We understand, grandfather. We came here to tell you that we won¡¯t be able toe here for a while as we will be cultivating."

    "Go then. This old man will be here waiting for your good news."

 Chapter 34 - The Training Begins

    <h4>Chapter 34 - The Training Begins</h4>

    Each day XieRong would wake up, have breakfast for the first half of the hour of the dragon (7.00 ¨C 9.00), then learn the four arts from her aunt for one and a half Shi Chen.

    XieRong would then use adder to climb over the wall of the Guo Residence, cloaked and veiled, spend some time as she wished before going to meet LiFen at the MeiYing brothel and wait for the old man to arrive.

    He would always drop by when the hour of the horse (11.00 ¨C 13.00) was about to end, not even nce at her, pick up his wine and leave.

    She would then follow the old man with WeiSheng in tow.

    Some days the drunk old man would try to avoid her byingte oring early.

    On the days the old man showed upte, she would ask WeiSheng to wait with her, and on the days the old man came and left early, XieRong would go to the old man¡¯s house and wait for him to return.

    One day, WeiSheng couldn¡¯t stop himself and asked,"Young miss, why do you want that drunk old man to be your master so badly? There will be many more men out there who will be willing to take you as their disciple without you having to follow them around."

    "That drunk old man is strong, very strong. He might not show it, but from what I saw in the ring that day, I know that he is the only man I will ept as my master to learn martial arts."

    By the end of the hour of the monkey (15.00 ¨C 17.00) WeiSheng would leave XieRong in an alley near Weiming restaurant after which she would head home and start cultivating with FeiHong inside the Phoenix ring.

    After having dinner with the family, XieRong and FeiHong would again go inside the ring to cultivate their water and wood spirit roots.

    When she was bored after cultivating for many Shi Chen, she would go around exploring with FeiHong or Bai YueLiang.

    As FeiHong¡¯s cultivation grew little by little, so did the room inside the Phoenix ring. They would often use the spirit grass from FeiHong¡¯s fields and the spring water to improve their cultivation.

    XieRong would also go read about poison and medicinal alchemy from the purple and white cottages when she got the chance. Since she possessed the fire and wood elements, she could practice alchemy in secret, but she only read about it for now as she would have to get a cauldron and cultivate her fire element first.

    In this manner, the week wasing to an end and the drunk old man was about to break.

    He had be so irritated that he had finally thrown his bottle of wine at her, which she dodged. Of course, the bottle had been empty.

    "Enough of this nonsense," He yelled, throwing his hands up in defeat.

    "Fine! I will give you a chance to prove yourself to me. Within this week I want all the weeds inside the fence to be removed."

    The old man turned to look at WeiSheng.

    "But you will do this alone and while squatting down!"

    The drunk old man then mmed the door of his rundown hut which was now quivering slightly. XieRong couldn¡¯t help but think that it would copse soon if this went on.

    "Sorry, young miss, I won¡¯t be able to help you."

    "It¡¯s okay, WeiSheng."

    XieRong looked around thergewn she would have to weed out.

    Thewn had not been weeded out for years. There were wild grasses and flowers everywhere such that not even a speck of the brown earth beneath their feet could be seen.

    "I¡¯m not afraid of hard work. Come pick me upter," XieRong said, as she put her cloak inside the spatial ring and began to work.

    She put any weed she deemed useful in a pile, and the useless ones in another.

    She had only finished a corner when WeiSheng came to pick her up.

    "Young miss, it¡¯s time to leave."

    XieRong quickly went and washed her useful pile and her hands using the water from the old man¡¯s well. After she had dumped the useless weeds in the manure, she left with WeiSheng.

    "WeiSheng, I want to offer you a full time job. In the past week, you have kept your word ande to pick me up and drop me, when you could have just run off with the money I paid you. If you are willing to make a blood bond with me, I will provide you with money and training. Will you ept?"

    "Young miss, I¡¯m honoured, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to decline."

    "Do you mind if I ask why?"

    WeiSheng kept his silence for a long part of their way.

    "Young miss, I am the bread winner of my family. My father and mother are no longer in this world and as I am the eldest I need to feed my younger siblings. If I work for you, my siblings will be neglected."

    "How many siblings do you have WeiSheng?"

    "Six others beside me."

    "How old are they?"

    "The youngest is a boy about two years old, then there is a set of twin girls after him who are four years old. After them is a girl around young miss¡¯ age, then there is a set of twin boys who are nine years old."

    "WeiSheng, I would still like to offer you a job as well as all your other siblings if they are ready to form a blood bond with me. I will provide all of you with money, food, shelter and training, however, I can¡¯t promise that your jobs will not be dangerous. You can keeping to pick me up and leave me as you do and give me your answer by the end of this month. How about it?"

    "I¡¯ll give it some thought, young miss."

    XieRong hurried home after WeiSheng had left her near Weimin restaurant.

    Today she was going to begin training with her uncle.

    XieRong couldn¡¯t restrain her excitement to finally start learning martial arts.

    The Guo family couldn¡¯t help but notice the girl¡¯s joyful profile as she ate dinner.

    After sending all the servants away, her second aunt asked,"Why are you so happy XieRong? Did something good happen?"

    "No, second aunt."

    "Then why do you look so happy?" First aunt chimed in.

    "Is it that obvious?"

    Everyone present nodded their heads.

    -Jie, if someone didn¡¯t notice, then that would be a problem.-

    "Today I¡¯ll start learning martial arts today with uncle! How could I not be happy?"

    Her uncleughed.

    "If only my soldiers were as excited as you to train, then we wouldn¡¯t lose to the Shan Family so often."

    "Who are the Shan Family?" XieRong asked, surprised that someone could defeat the Guo family when her uncle and elder brother were so strong.

    "They are the family of Generals that protect the East," The Old General answered.

    The Old General had grown softer over the week, trying to participate more regrly in their table conversations.

    "XieRong, do you know that there is a general appointed to each of the provinces except the North?"

    "Yes. I also know that the Northern Province is not governed the same way as the other provinces as it has only cultivation sects, but that¡¯s all I know."

    XieRong looked down, ashamed at the very little knowledge she had about the provinces.

    "It¡¯s okay, uncle knows it¡¯s not your fault for not knowing."

    "I am surprised that you know as much as you do," her elder brother said, putting a piece of meat in her bowl.

    XieRong gave him a tiny smile.

    "Let elder brother exin. There is only one city in each province which is treated like a capital. Each province is assigned a Duke, who is usually the emperor¡¯s brother or a raised noble, a general and a Merchant House. The East and West province both have four noble families each, while the south, which has the capital, has six noble families."

    "Then why hasn¡¯t the Shan family visited the Fa Family? The south general GuoZhi hase over many times. That¡¯s how I learnt that each province has it¡¯s own general."

    "The Shan Family hates the Fa¡¯s," her second aunt said joining the conversation.

    "Why?"

    "Before Fa Boqin wooed your mother, he tried his luck with mine and your mother¡¯s friend, the current Shan elder¡¯s Middle daughter."

    "Mother still married him? After he did that?"

    "He was very convincing and persistent."

    XieRong couldn¡¯t fathom how much further down the man who contributed into giving birth to her, could fall.

    "Uncle what did you mean when you said that you lost to the Shan Family?"

    Her uncle sighed.

    "Every year there is apetition between the three general families held at the pce, and we haven¡¯t won against the Shan¡¯s even once in the past four years."

    "But we have big brother."

    "And they have two female versions of him," Uncle replied.

    "Thepetition involves both individual and group rounds. We always remain tied until the group rounds. The Shan Family¡¯s first miss is matched by my son, but since I cannot participate and the samepetitor cannotpete twice, their second young miss remains unmatched. What¡¯s more is that she¡¯s only three years older than you."

    "What about RuiLing?"

    "I avoid fighting unless I am absolutely sure I will win. After all I have a reputation to keep," RuiLing answered.

    XieRong looked at RuiLing¡¯s perfect posture and straightened shoulders. She was still prideful but had started to grow more epting of people regardless of their backgrounds. She had heard the servants in her elder sister¡¯s had started to thank the heavens for whatever miracle had caused their miss to change so much.

    "When is the nextpetition?" XieRong asked, a twinkle in her eyes.

    "In around four months."

    "I would like to participate on behalf of the Guo family."

    "Are you sure? You are just going to begin learning martial arts while the people you will bepeting against have been practicing for years. You are bound to lose," her uncle said.

    "I¡¯m not worried about the oue, uncle. I¡¯m participating to give it my best try. I promise to work hard."

    Guo ZiHao smiled.

    "Hm, I¡¯ll think about it."

 Chapter 35 - The Want to Learn Everything

    <h4>Chapter 35 - The Want to Learn Everything</h4>

    When night came gliding, XieRong and FeiHong waited for their teachers to arrive inside their courtyard.

    XieRong had strapped her needles to her fore arms under each of her sleeves while FeiHong had her coiled whip and fan on her hip.

    -Feng, I¡¯ll be learning how to use you from today-

    XieRong told the child spirit in her needles.

    -Miss will use me?-

    -I will learn to use you, but like I exined to you before inside the space, you will always hide your presence from others. Am I understood?-

    -Feng understands.-

    XieRong had yed with the child spirit in the Phoenix ring like she had promised him but she had absolutely no idea as to how to use the needles. Or any other weapon for that matter.

    The two generals of Guo family soon arrived.

    "Uncle, this is the weapon I bonded with," XieRong said, handing over one needle from her sash.

    "Needles; a tool for assassination. These are not easy to master, are you sure you want to use these?"

    "Yes, uncle, but only after we finish on what we agreed upon doing first."

    "Yes, yes, I remember. Qingong and basic martial arts. Let¡¯s begin."

    Thus XieRong¡¯s hellish training began.

    He first made her run until she was panting for air.

    Then came the worst part.

    Her uncle made her stand in a sitting position with her back straight against a tree, putting small buckets filledpletely with water on each of her thighs, shoulders, hands and one on her head.

    "Youck strength. Before you learn how to fight, you will train your body. Learn to cultivate in this position. Each time a bucket falls you will stand here for another quarter Shi Chen. Understood?"

    "Yes, sir," XieRong grit out.

    "Uncle, before you leave, can you just tell me how the needles are used even if we aren¡¯t practicing them today?"

    "The needles require precision and excellent control over spiritual energy. When you fire a needle at a block of wood, your qi should be concentrated on its tip such that it passes through. Bonded needles need to be attached to you using threads made of qi so you can pull them back."

    After his exnation wasplete her uncle left for the night.

    The bucket fell over many times, and each time XieRong would fill it up and let her sister ce it on her.

    -FeiHong, sit down beside me and hold onto my leg. I¡¯ll try and meditate.-

    -Jie, we can cultivate tomorrow. Why don¡¯t you finish this and go to sleep?-

    -FeiHong, I feel refreshed and stronger after cultivating, besides if I go into meditation in this position, the buckets won¡¯t fall. Also, we have to cultivate a hundred times as much as others before we can breakthrough to the soul gathering realm. We can¡¯t afford to miss our cultivation during the nights.-

    FeiHong said nothing more as she pulled both of their consciences inside the Phoenix ring.

    As soon as XieRong was in she went near the pond and started to cultivate when she felt her body in the actual world growing weary.

    She cultivated until she felt her body regain its strength.

    -FeiHong, do you have a wooden block in here, by any chance?-

    -No, but if you want to practice using your needles, you can use any tree near you. I noticed that things that grow inside the space rece themselves if used and mend themselves if broken.-

    XieRong decided to use a small rock she found next to the pond first.

    She tried concentrating her on the end of the needle and pushed the needle into the rock.

    The needle just scratched the rock.

    XieRong tried again and again, until the rock began to have minute cracks on its surface than just a scratch.

    When she had grown tired and irritated she started to cultivate again.

    She repeated this process several times over.

    "Jie, if you push yourself so hard on the first day, you won¡¯t be able to give it your all for the rest of the week," FeiHong saiding to sit next to XieRong near the pond.

    XieRong was angry and worn out.

    She hadn¡¯t progressed more than a minute scratch on the stupid rock.

    "Leave me alone, FeiHong. I¡¯m not in the mood."

    "Jie, there¡¯s no one who has learned anything within a day."

    FeiHong took away the rock and needle from her sister.

    "When I first entered the pce as the fourth prince¡¯s wife, I was clueless. I didn¡¯t know my duties nor did I know any of the four arts. I was schemed against by other consorts all the time."

    "But you are so good at painting and chess and your manners are near perfection! Aunt said so herself."

    "Jie, it took me years to get to where I am now. At first, like you, I couldn¡¯t figure anything out. I was frustrated and stressed all the time,shing out at people for no reason at all thinking that if I didn¡¯t get better then I would be mocked at the banquets. But you know, it was a kind pcedy who taught me that it was okay to take my time doing things as long as I put my best into it everyday. She came to me everyday and taught me the ways of the pce. She taught me how to paint, sew, and how to y chess. I mastered all these things in a period of two years.

    "Jie, you have taken on more than you can chew at once. Why not give yourself more time. If you can¡¯t figure out something now, you¡¯ll figure it out tomorrow, and if not tomorrow then the next day, but you¡¯ll figure it out eventually."

    "But how can I give myself time, FeiHong, when I don¡¯t have any?"

    "You do have time, Jie, it¡¯s just that you want to do so many things, that you feel that it¡¯s not enough. Why don¡¯t we n together what you will do tomorrow? Then I¡¯m sure you will optimize the time you have."

    "Okay."

    "For now, let¡¯s cultivate in the remaining time."

    XieRong began to cultivate.

    She felt her irritation and tiredness slowly wash away as she went into deeper meditation, trying to absorb as much water spiritual energy as she could.

    FeiHong had started to act more mature after she had confessed to being reborn. She carried herself with grace and poise befitting that of an empress¡¯s.

    Soon, the sun had risen and XieRong woke up as soon as she felt her uncle approach.

    "Good morning uncle," she greeted, trying to keep her posture now that she was conscious.

    "Hm, good work. You¡¯ll do this everyday until I say so otherwise."

    "Xierong understands."

    "Good, now go wash up with warm water. No need toe for breakfast, ask a maid to bring it to your room."

    XieRong¡¯s muscles ached and she was sore all over.

    Once FeiHong had put all the buckets on the ground, XieRong painstakingly made her way to her room where Li Jia had already drawn a bath for her.

    She got in and stayed in until the water had turned cold and the tip of her fingers had turned into prunes. She had breakfast in her room with FeiHong where they nned her day, then head to her mother¡¯s courtyard for her lesson with her aunt.

    After her lesson with her aunt, she went to the old man¡¯s ce to weed hiswn.

    "Hey, old man! Why are you making me weed thiswn if you weren¡¯t weeding this thing for years."

    "Why, are you giving up after only one day? Where did the grit from the past week go?"

    "Who says I¡¯m giving up old man?"

    XieRong turned her head away and continued to work.

    She refused to admit that she was tempted to give up, especially not in front of that drunk old man!

    Weeks passed and her uncle¡¯s training got tougher and tougher.

    Running with weights, then jumping the entire staircase with them tied to her waist and legs. Walking on bricks, then on the edge of a tub filled with sand and slowly removing the sand as the days passed by.

    XieRong who at first had required adder to climb the wall, now jumped over it with ease.

    Her cultivation had also improved significantly over the few weeks that had passed as the amount she cultivated inside the Phoenix ring through out the night and a Shi Chen in the day equalled to around twoplete days of cultivation in actuality. The skills she possessed in the four arts had also been furthered under the guidance of her aunt and FeiHong.

    Today, she would finally be done with weeding the drunk old man¡¯swn and it would then be his turn to teach her.

 Chapter 36 - The Death Strike

    <h4>Chapter 36 - The Death Strike</h4>

    "I¡¯m finally finished!" XieRong eximed, pulling thest weed out.

    "Hey, old man! I¡¯m finished!" XieRong said, looking at the old man who sat drinking on the stool outside his hut.

    "Hm. Now go chop the wood."

    "Does this miss look like a servant to you?" she asked, making her way to the pile of logs thaty near the well.

    "You have been weeding mywn, haven¡¯t you?"

    XieRong harrumphed.

    "There¡¯s no axe here old man. Too bad, you¡¯ll just have to train me now."

    The old man looked rtively sober today, as he made his way to the pile of wood, picking one up and cing it on the ground.

    "You can either use the wrong way you¡¯ve been using the needle."

    "How did you-"

    The old man pointed to his left hand.

    XieRong raised her own hand to look at it.

    It was filled with scabbing scratches she¡¯d gotten when the needle would slip off of the rocks surface and scratched her hand.

    "Or this."

    The old man quickly struck the log of wood with his index and middle fingers.

    "Nothing happened old man."

    The old man simply touched the wood with the tip of his shoe and the wood fell apart.

    Two equal halves on the ground.

    XieRong caught her breath.

    "How did you do that old man?"

    "That," the old man said, tilting his head towards the two pieces of wood on the ground,"is called the death strike. The advantage of using this technique is that it renders your enemy, a cultivator or otherwise, useless. It¡¯s disadvantage is that it requires you to get close to your opponent and to have great speed while using it."

    "How does this technique make someone useless? Won¡¯t it just kill them?"

    "This is how it makes someone useless."

    Before XieRong could even blink the old man hit several spots on her body in quick session.

    XieRong tried to jump away using qinggong, but found her feet paralysed and her arms limp.

    "Hey, old man! Free me this instant!"

    "Why don¡¯t you wait a while? I haven¡¯t finished showing you thest way this technique can be used."

    XieRong huffed, but watched the old man with interest.

    He took another piece of wood and made it stand on the ground.

    He struck it the same way he did the first time, but this time the wood was blown to smithereens.

    "This is thest way to use this technique, and also why the technique is called the death strike."

    "I can see old man. Now let me go!"

    "I will let you go if you can figure out what was the difference in the three ways I used this technique and how to undo it."

    "But you said you¡¯d let me go!"

    "No, I only told you to wait and watch until I demonstrated the third technique."

    XieRong grumble curses under her breath.

    "Get thinking, there¡¯s only so much time before the boyes to pick you up."

    XieRong sighed.

    -FeiHong, there¡¯s a chance I might be veryte today. Please, make up an excuse for me.-

    -What happened? Are you in trouble, Jie?-

    -If you call the old man training me in his own twisted way trouble, then yes, I am.-

    -Okay, I¡¯ll see what I can do.-

    XieRong began to think.

    The old man had hit the same spot on two different pieces of wood, and she hadn¡¯t felt any force behind the strikes when he¡¯d struck her pressure points.

    WeiSheng soon arrived to find XieRong deep in thought.

    "WeiSheng, it¡¯ll be some time before I be free. It¡¯s fine if you leave."

    "I¡¯ll wait here, young miss, especially if you will be returningte. It¡¯s not safe."

    XieRong gave him a grateful smile and then went back to thinking.

    The old man had said she could use her wrong way of using her needle to split the wood and had used the technique in the way she had been using the needle and she was sure she had felt something bind her meridian when he hit her.

    So was the difference in techniques the way he controlled his spiritual energy?

    But wasn¡¯t his spiritual energy concentrated on the tip of his fingers all the three times?

    Then why had the wood split open the first time, and burst into bits the second time? And why hadn¡¯t anything happened to her when he struck her?

    XieRong¡¯s eyes widened as realisation dawned upon her.

    "Hey old man! I figured it out! I had been concentrating on the wrong thing all along! I was trying to concentrate the spiritual energy on the tip and force the needle through the rock, when what I had to do was focus on pushing the qi in a concentrated area on the rock to make a hole through it!

    "The way you controlled the spiritual energy after it entered me and those logs that was what was different. When you split the wood into half, you made equal halves of your spiritual energy push the pieces apart at the center where you struck it. With me, you used your spiritual energy to bind my pressure points, and with the second piece of wood, you forced your spiritual energy in all directions which made it blow apart."

    "Okay, now figure out how to unbind yourself."

    XieRong pouted.

    She had figured something that had been eating away at her for weeks and that was his reaction?

    "Old man, I don¡¯t know whether I should dispel your spiritual energy or absorb it, or if I can even do either of those things with the spiritual energy."

    "What do you think happens to the spiritual energy when Ie unbind you?"

    "It¡¯s your spiritual energy, so you might be able to take it back."

    "Of course, I would take it back. The dantian is unique to every person so why not the spiritual energy it stores inside it?"

    "But we absorb spiritual energy from other things, then why is the spiritual energy inside each of our dantians different?"

    "You don¡¯t even know this and you call yourself a cultivator?"

    "I never called myself a cultivator and I am still learning."

    "Listen little girl, the spirit roots absorb spiritual energy from their element source and send it to the dantian which cultivates the different spiritual energies into your unique spiritual energy and stores it."

    "Then won¡¯t the amount of spiritual energy inside my dantian decrease if I use this technique?"

    "No, little girl, it won¡¯t, at least not permanently. The energy cannot be lost by your dantian, nor can it be converted by someone else into their own spiritual energy, therefore it will flow back to you once it disperses from the body you have used it on. Even a bound person who does not know how to free himself will eventually be free as your spiritual energy inside them starts returning to you."

    "How long does it take for the spiritual energy to return back to me?"

    "The essence of this technique is to concentrate a little amount of spiritual energy in the smallest possible confined space and let it out in one go, so if you master this technique, the little amount of spiritual energy you have used will return just as quickly as it left you. If you use your spirit energy to bind someone, then the time taken by the spiritual energy to return to you will depend on how much you have used to bind them."

    "So it is the same with my needle. Now tell me how to dispel your spiritual energy old man."

    "If I tell you everything, then what would be the point of me binding you in the first ce?"

    He got up from his stool and came to stand in front of XieRong, twirling the bottle of wine in front of her face.

    "The hour of the Monkey (15.00 ¨C 17.00) will end in another Shi Chen and from the looks of it you will be staying here for a long time."

    "What if I get out of these binds in a quarter Shi Chen?"

    The old man chugged down the contents of his bottle.

    "Then you will get to go home sooner."

    He went over to his pile of woods and picked up a few logs.

    "Even if you aren¡¯t able to figure it out, the binding will fade away by the time the hour of the dog (19.00 ¨C 21.00)es to an end, so don¡¯t shout and annoy me."

    The old man went into his hut and closed the door.

    XieRong looked at thevender sky. She couldn¡¯t wait for it to turn ck. It would would worry her aunt and uncle if she were to stay out and wait for the hour of the dog (19.00 ¨C 21.00) toe to an end.

    After trying to remove the old man¡¯s spiritual energy for half a quarter Shi Chen XieRong had grown frustrated.

    Every time she would push the energy a little away from her pressure point, it woulde back and cling to it again. She also wasn¡¯t strong enough topletely push it out of her body.

    XieRong sighed and hung her head in defeat.

    If only there were something that could take away the spirit energy.

    XieRong opened her eyes to see the ground beneath her feet.

    If only she could give the damned old man¡¯s energy away...

    Maybe she could.

    XieRong directed the old man¡¯s energy to her other meridians and finally pushed it towards the ground and moved away. She directed the energy binding her hands to the tips of her fingers and pushed it into the surroundings.

    "You can get lost now!" The old man shouted grumpily from inside his hut.

    XieRong let out a small excitedugh.

    She¡¯d done it!

    She had finally gotten it!

    "Let¡¯s go WeiSheng!"

    WeiSheng noticed the little skip in the young miss¡¯ step.

 Chapter 37 - The Family of Seven

    <h4>Chapter 37 - The Family of Seven</h4>

    The month would soone to an end.

    It was time for the Duchess Chin to return to the Capital.

    She had been away from her own family for far too long.

    "Come visit me in the capital," she told XieRong and FeiHong, both of whom were sad to see her leave.

    XieRong hugged her second aunt who had be like a second mother to her.

    "Can¡¯t you stay?"

    XieRong knew she was being childish and that the Duchess had already stretched the time she could spend with them.

    She knew, but she couldn¡¯t help asking anyway.

    The Duchess smiled sadly.

    "No, I have duties in the capital and it¡¯s high time I return and continue to fulfill them. Besides, this isn¡¯t good bye. You both will being to the capital in four months for thepetition! You both are always wee toe stay in the Chin residence with me and my family."

    XieRong saw the Duchess¡¯s carriage leave.

    "Sister inw asked me to instruct you in the four arts in her ce," her first aunt said cing her hands on XieRong¡¯s and FeiHong¡¯s shoulders.

    "That is, if you are okay with me?"

    "Why wouldn¡¯t we be okay with you first aunt? Second aunt might be a second mother to us, and we are sad to see her leave, but it does not mean that we do not love you," FeiHong said, cing her hand over her aunt¡¯s slightly before quickly removing it.

    Their first aunt was touched and XieRong smiled at her sister¡¯s efforts to initiate and ept human contact again.

    FeiHong refused everybody¡¯s touch except for XieRong¡¯s. She had vomited when a maid tried to dress her up. The doctor had exined that it was due trauma and illness of the heart and mind. The Guo family naturally assumed it was because of the Fa family and resented them all the more for ruining the mind of such a young girl. XieRong, however, knew that was not all. She, herself, had started to keep a little distance from people after witnessing FeiHong¡¯s memories. She could understand a little the effort it was taking FeiHong not to shrug their aunt¡¯s hand away from her shoulder and initiate contact.

    "Come, let¡¯s go in and learn."

    In the past month XieRong had started to train herself harder and harder, without the need of her uncle telling her. Her uncle would teach her martial arts and leave while she continued her training until the time came for her to cultivate. She wanted to be able to jump onto the roof of buildings with her qinggong before she made her way to the capital in three months.

    "Young miss, wait!" WeiSheng called out.

    XieRong stopped.

    "Young miss, you¡¯ve grown faster," hemented, struggling to catch his breath.

    XieRong slowed.

    She would have to learn to hide her skill in Qingong.

    "Tell me if I¡¯m going fast, okay?"

    WeiSheng nodded his head.

    "Young miss, the month you gave me to think about my answer wille to an end tomorrow. Before I leave you to your usual ce, I would like to take you somewhere else if you will allow me."

    "I wille with you after I¡¯m done training with the old man, but you will have to tell me where you are taking me and why before we go wherever you want to take me to."

    WeiSheng led XieRong to the drunk old man¡¯s ce.

    "Young miss, I¡¯lle pick you up at the usual time, I¡¯ll tell you then."

    Saying so, WeiSheng left her.

    "Hey old man! What are we doing today?"

    The old man looked up from where he was seated on his stool.

    "Chopping wood."

    "We did that yesterday."

    "No, I did that yesterday while you watched. You didn¡¯t even chop one piece of wood."

    The old man got up and took a piece of wood, cing it on ground.

    "You will not leave today unless you learn how to do this, this and this."

    The old man first struck the center of the wood, forming a hole through it, then he struck it so that it broke into half, then he struck to split the wood in half and then he broke each half into a pile of sticks.

    The old man went back to sit on his stool and drink his wine.

    XieRong went over to the pile of woods and began to work.

    More than half a Shi Chen had passed but she would always get the first two parts right and mess up the third part.

    Finally, after another half a Shi Chen she got all three right.

    "Old man, did you see that? I got all three of them right! Now you¡¯ll have to teach me how to bind someone tomorrow."

    "Hm. Tomorrow you¡¯ll be weeding, and this time don¡¯t put the grass in the manure."

    "Why?"

    "You¡¯ll see tomorrow. Now get lost and let me drink in peace!"

    XieRong went over to WeiSheng who was waiting for her in the corner.

    "Young miss, I want you to meet my siblings before I give you my answer," he said, leading XieRong down an unfamiliar path.

    XieRong¡¯s hands tightly clutched her cloak.

    Although she had grown faster and stronger than thest time she had been traversing deep into the east district, she was still wary and still felt shivers run down her spine each time a man or a child would look in her direction with a desperate, hungry look on their face. After all, who knew how many people like the old man resided in the east district.

    WeiSheng quickly led XieRong to a small hut in a remote corner of a deserted alley. The hut was roughly the size of her room with a thatched roof and a door that was falling of its hinges.

    Kids pounced on WeiSheng as soon as he opened the door.

    "Is she the young miss who offered to give us jobs big brother?" A girl around XieRong¡¯s age said, examining her from head to toe. She hadn¡¯t pounced on her brother like the rest of her siblings had. She looked cunning and smart.

    "She also paid for LiWei¡¯s medicine, didn¡¯t she?" one boy, who looked older than her, said from atop his brother.

    "Thank you, elder sister," a little boy of about two years said,ing up to her and hugging her legs.

    XieRong resisted the urge to pull her legs away and pat him on the head.

    "Are you alright now?"

    "Yes, but I¡¯m very hungry," he said, rubbing his stomach.

    "LiWei!" WeiSheng scolded, as he gently pushed aside his brothers and sisters and got up.

    "It¡¯s okay, WeiSheng. Don¡¯t scold him. If you were short on money you could have just asked."

    "But young miss, what you paid me was enough fees to escort you back and forth from the old man¡¯s house."

    "WeiSheng, you are six years older than me, correct?"

    "Yes, young miss."

    "Without any knowledge of martial arts?"

    "Yes, young miss."

    "And yet you escorted me daily, knowing how much danger that could put you in?"

    WeiSheng was speechless.

    "Ten coppers was much too less a price for my safety WeiSheng. What I paid you was too less. Here," she said tossing a pouch to him.

    "It has fifty silvers, go buy your brother¡¯s and sisters some food. Also, before you leave, do you mind telling me what happened to the money I previously gave you?"

    A small and poverty stricken household like this would probably run on less than fifty coppers. XieRong had noticed that WeiSheng had be more presentable after she had paid him the silvers on the first day. His hair was shavedpletely and he wore new, neat clothes and slippers. His siblings were also neat and tidy. Even so, the amount would only total up to around twenty silvers, considering that the medicine had been expensive.

    "Young miss, I was stupid and let it show that I had money by buying the medicine, new clothes and slippers in one day. The east district is not kind to children who own money when there are a.d.u.l.ts who are craving it."

    XieRong understood immediately that they had been forced to give it up.

    "Don¡¯t repeat the same this time," she said.

    WeiSheng nodded, taking out one silver, before he put the rest in a pot by the door and covered. Then he left hurriedly.

    "Why don¡¯t you all tell me your names?" XieRong asked.

    The girl who was around her age answered for all of them.

    "He is LiWei," she said, rubbing her younger brother¡¯s head.

    "Those twin girls are XiaoDan and XiaoFan, XiaoDan looks more prettier."

    She pointed to two girls who each had a rag doll in their hands.

    "These two are my elder twin brothers, GuoTin and GuoZhi."

    XieRong could only differentiate the boys because of their presences, otherwise they looked exactly alike.

    "And I am QiaoHui."

    "Tell me, QiaoHui, how much did your brother tell you?"

    "First elder brother told us that he met a young miss who paid him forty silvers to guide her in and out of east district everyday. He told us that you offered all of us a job if we agreed to form a blood bond with you."

    "That¡¯s right, I did. I want you to tell me whether he is going to ept it or not."

    "Elder brother might not ept, miss," GuoTin said, sitting up from where he was lying on the floor.

    "That¡¯s okay, then."

    "You won¡¯t try to convince us to change his mind?"

    "No. I won¡¯t convince you or him into changing his decision. I gave him a month to think about it and if this is his answer after considering everything, then I have no objection to it, and WeiSheng, you cane in if you aren¡¯t going to buy the food."

    WeiSheng came in with a flushed face.

    "How did you know that I never left?"

    "I felt your presence."

    "Then why did you question my siblings if you knew I was here all along."

    "I figured all of you were up to something, so I yed along. Besides, I had nothing to hide, so it wouldn¡¯t matter to me if you were present or absent in the room. So, is this your final answer?"

    "Young miss, we would like to ept your offer."

    "You did tell all of them that it would be dangerous, didn¡¯t you?"

    "Young miss, we face danger all the time, but with your offer to train us, we will be able to withstand that danger," QiaoHui said, pricking her fingers with a knife.

    "Young miss, just as you have been observing me for the past month, I have also been observing you. You are a hard worker and treat people equally no matter how low their status. I know I can trust myself and my family in your hands. We wanted to see if you would use your authority to force us into epting your offer, you didn¡¯t. You respected my decision and didn¡¯t demand your money back like most other nobles would. So, we would like to give our loyalty to you by signing the blood bond with you."

    XieRong was surprised that they had nned this test for her.

    After forming a master-servant bond with all of them she asked,

    "Which of you came up with this method to test me?"

    "Young miss, it was QiaoHui and my twin brothers."

    XieRong smiled.

    These people would serve her purpose well.

    "WeiSheng lead me out. Let all your siblingse too."

    "Now, young miss?"

    "Now."

    WeiSheng quickly took whatever money he had and led them to the Weimin restaurant after which she took them all to the Guo Estate.

    "Young miss, isn¡¯t this a crime?" WeiSheng asked, as XieRong took out thedder that she no longer required from her spatial ring.

    "Not if I do it," she said, jumping on to the side wall and beckoning them to climb thedder.

    XieRong removed her veil and cloak.

    WeiSheng and his siblings were surprised to see a beautiful young girl with phoenix eyes, peony pink lips and a straight nose.

    -FeiHong send Li Jia out to the side wall-

    It wasn¡¯t soon after that Li Jia arrived with FeiHong.

    XieRong jumped andnded on her feet while the siblings used thedder to climb down.

    She instructed rooms, clothes and food to be prepared for the seven children behind her.

    "Young miss, who are you?"

    "I am the second young miss of the Guo Family, Guo XieRong and from today, you all will start training to be my shadow guards."

 Chapter 38 - The Emotions Hidden Within

    <h4>Chapter 38 - The Emotions Hidden Within</h4>

    XieRong had already begun to train when the seven siblings arrived, clean and dressed to learn in ck overalls.

    -I assume Li Jia has told you all everything?-

    -Yes, young miss.- All of them replied together.

    When Guo ZiHao arrived, he was surprised to see eight children waiting for him, than just one.

    "Who are these children?"

    "Uncle, these are the people I want you to train as my shadow guards. All of them have a blood bond with me. They haven¡¯t had their spirit roots checked so I will ask the old general for permission to use the room tomorrow."

    If her uncle was surprised by her choice of candidates for the positions of her future shadow guards, he did not show it. Neither did he question XieRong¡¯s decision. Taking her uncle¡¯s silence as approval of her choice, XieRong went over and stood in front of WeiSheng.

    "This is the oldest of the siblings, WeiSheng, I would like him to lead my group of shadow guards once he has been trained. It¡¯s best if he and the others learned how to spy and be informants as well. QiaoHui, GuoTin and GuoZhi will also learn strategising. I want for them to train with your soldiers if that¡¯s okay."

    "Why would you want them to learn with the soldiers when I can train them here?"

    "I want them to work hard enough so that they can beat even the best of your soldiers. Besides, if my shadow guards start to be better than your soldiers, thepetition between them will rise and drive all of them to strive to perform better."

    Her uncle rubbed his chin.

    "Okay, I¡¯ll take them to camp tomorrow after having their spirit roots tested."

    XieRong turned to face the seven people who stood in a straight line.

    "All of you have the choice to stay and train here, is there anyone who doesn¡¯t want to join my uncle¡¯s camp?"

    No one came forward.

    "How about you LiWei, don¡¯t you want to stay?"

    "No, young miss. I want to be strong."

    XieRong rubbed his head, satisfied with his answer.

    "I¡¯m assuming all of you have the same response?"

    "Yes, young miss."

    "Good, from tomorrow you will join my uncle¡¯s camp and do as he instructs. All of you will have a routine that will be ten times harder than that of the other soldiers."

    "Are you sure you want their routine to be that hard, XieRong? They won¡¯tst."

    "I am sure, uncle. I believe in them."

    In the morning, after breakfast, XieRong was summoned to her brother¡¯s courtyard.

    "XieRong greets old general Guo, uncle, elder brother."

    XieRong was still always curt and polite in front of her grandfather. She could see he was trying to make amends but every time she came near him she would remember the feeling of being forced to bow down, the feeling of being crushed as though she were an insignificant bug and inadvertently flinch away, expecting him to repeat what he had done to her.

    "You all train, I¡¯ll leave," The old general said, when he noticed how ufortable XieRong was around him.

    "He¡¯s trying to change, XieRong. Why not give him another chance?" her uncle asked, watching his father walk away with hunched shoulders.

    "Why did you call me here uncle?"

    Her uncle sighed.

    "To see how much you have progressed in the past month, little sister."

    XieRong tilted her head.

    "Why don¡¯t you have a spar with me? Father, I will take care of XieRong. There is something I want to talk to her about."

    "I¡¯ll take my leave then. Don¡¯t injure XieRong too much."

    XieRong looked at the servants around them.

    "They are all blood bound to me, XieRong. No one will know how strong you have gotten. Now, let¡¯s begin."

    XieRong stayed still, waiting for her brother to attack.

    He did.

    He came at her with such speed that she was hardly able to dodge.

    "Tell me, little sister, why don¡¯t you go talk to grandfather?"

    XieRong refused to answer.

    She blocked her brother¡¯s punch and tried to kick him on his abdomen which he dodged by jumping back.

    He came at her faster than before.

    "You hate him, don¡¯t you? You hate grandfather to the point where you can¡¯t bear to be around him!"

    Guo Qiang¡¯s punch hit XieRong straight in the shoulder. She knew he was trying to provoke her.

    She felt pain re up on her right shoulder, but managed tond a punch on her brother¡¯s stomach.

    "You hate all of us too. You pretend to love us, but deep inside, you hate everyone."

    XieRong felt a fury ignite within her. She knew he was riling her up in purpose in order to get her to speak.

    This time, it was she who came at her brother attacking ruthlessly. She wanted him to stop talking.

    He dodged.

    "You hate grandfather."

    She punched.

    He dodged.

    "You hate father."

    She stomped on his feet and punched aiming for his shoulder.

    He dodged and kept going.

    "You hate mother."

    XieRong came at him faster, pushing her limits.

    "You hate me," he said, dodging her over and over again, whilending swift jabs.

    He finally pushed her to the ground.

    "And you hate yourself."

    XieRong felt defeated as her brother looked down at her.

    Tears pricked her eyes.

    "What do you know?" She asked, getting up. Speaking for the first time during their spar.

    "You weren¡¯t there."

    She went at her brother again.

    "None of you were."

    She kicked him, he dodged, but couldn¡¯t evade her punch she threw right after, using her qinggong to its full capacity.

    "Not you."

    He dodged, and punched XieRong in the stomach.

    She was pushed back and pain bloomed inside her stomach, but she went to strike him again.

    "Not uncle and not aunt."

    Her qinggong wasn¡¯t as fast as her brother¡¯s as he continued tond blow upon blow on her small body.

    But she refused to give up.

    It was her turn to speak.

    "And definitely not grandfather."

    She was kicked away, and skid to a stop at a distance.

    "None of you were there when mother was killed! When she used and thrown into the barn like a dog!"

    Although none of her movesnded, XieRong pushed her brother back, as she tried to kick and punch him faster and faster.

    "None of you were there when my sister¡¯s fingers were crushed and I couldn¡¯t be there for them when I was right there! Stuck in the tree, watching everything!"

    "But you¡¯re wrong," she said getting up from where her brother had once again thrown her to the ground.

    "I don¡¯t hate any of you and neither do I hate myself. At first, I med everyone, including myself, for mother¡¯s death, but I learned that nothing else except the Fa Family and mother¡¯s own bad choices were to be med for her demise."

    She barely dodged her brother¡¯s attack.

    She had grown tired and weak while he still remained as fresh and strong as when they had started.

    She contemted using the death strike but discarded the thought as it could potentially harm her brother. She little control over it and had yet to learn binding.

    "I don¡¯t hate grandfather, either. I-I am scared of him. Every time he is near me, I remember how it felt having my breath pushed away from my lungs, how much it hurt as I felt myself slowly get crushed under the force he exerted."

    XieRong kept dodging and defending.

    She didn¡¯t have the strength to fight anymore.

    "Every time grandfatheres anywhere near me, I consider him a threat and unknowingly flinch away. I always expect him to force me to submit and bow down like he did the first time, even though I know he won¡¯t."

    XieRong blocked her brother¡¯sst punch and finally fell over.

    "So, that¡¯s how you felt," her brother said, cing XieRong over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes.

    "Hey! What do you think you¡¯re doing?! Put me down!"

    XieRong¡¯s cheeks lit up with embarrassment.

    Her brother ignored her protests and only set her down when they were inside one of his guest rooms.

    He sent for Li Jia and sat down next to her.

    "XieRong, I want you tell grandfather what you have just told me."

    XieRong stubbornly turned her head away.

    "It¡¯s embarrassing."

    "And the way you are acting isn¡¯t?"

    "But even if I do tell grandfather, what would be the point? I will still be scared and he will still get hurt."

    "I agree. You will still be scared and he will still get hurt, but don¡¯t you think if you forced yourself to face what you are scared of every single day, you will be less scared of it and eventually stop being scared of it altogether?"

    "Maybe...or it could just make me even more scared."

    "Let me tell you a little story, but before I do you must promise me you won¡¯tugh."

    XieRong¡¯s interest was piqued.

    "I promise to try."

    "Fair enough. You see, when I was little, I was afraid of frogs."

    "Frogs?"

    XieRong bit her lip to keep herself fromughing, but couldn¡¯t control herself and eventually burst outughing when she thought of her ck bellied brother¡¯s expression in the presence of a frog.

    Guo Qiang sighed.

    There went his reputation down the drain. But he continued with his story anyway, happy to have made his little cousinugh, even if it was at his expense.

    "I was disgusted by frogs to the point that if one of them were near, I¡¯d probably be a yard away, always on the look out of where it went and what it was doing. It wasn¡¯t long before the crown prince learned of this."

    Guo Qiang shuddered remembering what the crown prince did to him.

    "He tied me to a chair and put me in a pond with frogs everywhere; on the leaves, in the water and then they were on me, on my hair and even inside my clothes. He did it day after day. I cried the first four days then in the next three I just slowly got used to them."

    "Do you like frogs now?"

    "No, I still hate them, but I¡¯m not scared of them. So will you go talk to grandfather after you clean up?"

    "I will. Thank you big brother!"

 Chapter 39 - The Arrival of the Bai Family

    <h4>Chapter 39 - The Arrival of the Bai Family</h4>

    XieRong head over to her grandfather¡¯s courtyard, her body aching, covered with bruises.

    Her brother had shown absolutely no mercy as he¡¯d driven her to the limits. She promised to get back at him after she became much stronger. In the mean time, she decided to face her fears.

    The Old General Guo was sitting in the garden, a cup of tea in his hands, as he looked into the pond and let out a deep breath.

    XieRong decided to give it a shot and she would start by calling him grandfather.

    "XieRong greets grandfather."

    The old general turned his head and looked at XieRong as though he had seen a ghost.

    "Grandfather, this granddaughter would like to talk to grandfather, if he has time."

    "Come sit."

    XieRong¡¯s heart was trembling. She clenched her hands in order to stop them from shaking as she approached the small table and took a seat.

    She controlled her breathing and tried to keep her calm as she spoke to the old general about what she told her elder brother.

    "I see."

    The old general down at his hands with regret and shame.

    He had scarred such a young girl in her tender years. Anyone in her position would have done what she had.

    "I apologise," the old general said, remorseful.

    XieRong was stupefied.

    Did the stubborn old general really just apologise to a seven year old girl like her?

    "This grandfather is sorry that he made his own granddaughter suffer."

    XieRong smiled.

    "Grandfather, let this granddaughter train with grandfather before breakfast everyday. This granddaughter would like to spend some time with grandfather everyday, if that¡¯s alright with grandfather."

    The old general felt overjoyed.

    He had thought that he¡¯d lost all hope of gaining his granddaughter¡¯s trust and forgiveness. Now that he had been given a chance, he promised to make right by his granddaughter. He had not heeded his wife¡¯s warning and had lost his daughter, he wouldn¡¯t be a fool the second time and lose this granddaughter as well. He promised to try and change for the better.

    "Come train with grandfather for half a Shi Chen before breakfast."

    The Bai Family had send word that they would be arriving at the Guo Residence today.

    The guest courtyard had already been prepped and XieRong and her sister¡¯s lessons with her aunt had been cancelled for the day.

    Ruiling had pulled XieRong and FeiHong into her courtyard to try out new dresses.

    "RuiLing, you know we won¡¯t be dressing up. Why have you brought us here?"

    RuiLing smiled mischievously.

    "Doesn¡¯t younger sister know that there is a new rumour going around?"

    "No..."

    XieRong pondered whether she hade across any other rumours while she was at the Weimin restaurant.

    For the past month, before going to the MeiYing brothel, XieRong would sit in the first floor of the restaurant, gathering rumours and earning money by cing higher bets as time went by. Each time she bet, she won, and it came to a point where she paid the waiter to not reveal whom she had ced her bets on as people had started to inquire about her bet before cing theirs.

    "Well, the rumour says that the first young miss of the Guo Residence has taken pity on her new cousins and dotes on them despite her family being against them."

    RuiLing took out two new dresses from her wardrobe.

    "So, mother and I took advantage of the rumour and bought you these," she said handing XieRong a light turquoise dress and FeiHong a bright red dress.

    "Mother noticed you both wore these colours often so she chose the dresses, while I chose these to match your dresses."

    RuiLing gave each of them a hairpin.

    XieRong¡¯s was a silver one with strings of dark blue gems dangling at its end, while FeiHong¡¯s was a silver hairpin with strings of red rubies.

    XieRong was touched.

    No one had ever bought her a dress or hairpin to decorate herself with before.

    She hugged RuiLing.

    "Thank you, elder sister."

    RuiLingughed. However, there was slight pity in her heart, wondering how badly they must have been treated to be so grateful over things she received in passing.

    FeiHong thanked RuiLing politely.

    "Now go, put them on."

    With her hair put up in a buddha bun, and her face adorned with light make up, XieRong looked like a warrior princess.

    FeiHong, on the other hand, looked like a phoenix with her red dress. It was hard to make a bright red dress look elegant on a five year old, but FeiHong made it look easy. Only XieRong knew it was because her sister actually had been the phoenix in her previous lifetime.

    In a light pink dress, RuiLing looked like a celestial fairy that had descended from the heavens.

    With all their three young misses dolled up, the servants felt as though their eyes had been blessed.

    The Bai family¡¯s carriage arrived exactly at the time they said it would, carrying gifts more than XieRong could count on her fingers.

    XieRong had wondered why Bai Shen was staying with the Duke of West, Prince Fang Zhixin, when the Bai family had a better rtionship with the Guo family. She had heard that the Bai family were always curt with the west duke, no matter how hard he tried to gain their favour, but she had let her curiosity rest as she had other things to focus on.

    Butterflies fluttered about in her stomach as she watched her Uncle and Aunt greet the left prime minister and his wife from afar.

    -Jie, don¡¯t be so nervous. It will be alright.-

    -But what if its not. What if they get angry that I lied about who I was?-

    -The only thing you lied about was your name, Jie, and you had good reason as to why you did it. Trust me, they will understand.-

    XieRong waited for someone to summon her and FeiHong as she paced about in the garden.

    "Second young miss, third young miss, the old general has summoned you both in the main hall."

    XieRong steeled her nerves the best she could and marched to the main hall.

    Bending her knees, she curtsied and greeted everyone in the room, getting up only when her grandfather gave his permission.

    "BaiHua?"

    It was the first young lord Bai who voiced his surprise.

    "How-"

    XieRong smiled slightly.

    "Thisdy apologises for having lied and keeping her identity a secret from Lord Bai and his family."

    Bai Minzhe looked perplexed.

    "Why would you hide your identity from us?"

    XieRong took a seat with RuiLing to her right and FeiHong to her left. She exined her circ.u.mstances, narrating the exact same story she had told her uncle, aunt and grandfather about her life at the Fa Estate, about her running away after her mother¡¯s death. Staying the night in a cave they found by chance and being cured by travelling medicine practitioner after they helped him.

    "Thisdy will understand if Lord Bai rescinds his previous offer to ept thisdy and her sister as his granddaughters."

    Lord Bai looked to look at his wife who nodded her head at him.

    "This lord cannot overlook that you hid your identity from us, but the fact that you are our benefactor does not change," Bai Minzhe said, lightly stroking the cheek of his daughter who was in his wife¡¯sp.

    "We would still like for you both to be our goddaughters. You both did what you had to in order to protect yourselves, and we cannot me you for it,"the Lady Bai said.

    "And from what I have been able to make of you, I know you must have had a good reason to change your name as well, so I will not inquire further."

    Lord Bai took out the family register from his spatial ring and wrote down XieRong and FeiHong¡¯s names in it.

    "My wife and I had originally nned to send someone to find you both once we arrived here, to ensure whether you were safe and to enter you as our goddaughters because of my father¡¯s insistence to enter you both in the registry as soon as possible."

    "Why would Elder Bai want to enter me and FeiHong in the registry? The elder has not even met us."

    Bai Minzhe remained quiet.

    How could he utter his father¡¯s shameless thoughts out loud?

    He remembered how his father had wanted to enter XieRong and her sister as soon as possible in the registry when he had praised the girls just so his father could go gloat to the old general Guo and the old general Shan about his two new excellent goddaughters.

    "Never mind that. I¡¯m assuming you would like to keep this a secret?"

    "Yes, I don¡¯t want to rm the Fa Family just yet."

    When there was nothing more left to talk about her grandfather spoke up.

    XieRong had found it odd that her grandfather hadn¡¯t gone against her and FeiHong getting adopted as Lord Bai¡¯s goddaughters, but when she heard why she had to keep herself from falling off of her chair.

    "Minzhe, when you return, tell Bai Li that you adopted my granddaughters as your goddaughters. Don¡¯t forget to praise them!"

    One word rang throughout the minds of all the people present in the room.

    Shameless!

 Chapter 40 - The Duchess in the Shadows

    <h4>Chapter 40 - The Duchess in the Shadows</h4>

    In the blink of an eye three months had passed.

    Today XieRong, her elder brother, and her shadow guards would be leaving using the teleportation array. The rest of their family had already left for the capital a month ago leaving XieRong and her elder brother to practice for thepetition.

    During the course of the three month period XieRong had mastered her qingong and the death strike, but had been warned by the old man not to use it in front of people as many they would then covet the lost technique and it would put her in danger. XieRong had also perfected using a dagger under the supervision of her uncle and brother. Thetter had also taught her how to use a bow which she was still in the process of perfecting, as she found that she was not very good at handling it. Her shadow guards had also significantly improved under their brutal training. Some of them had already bonded to divine level weapons from her uncles armory and could use them well.

    Plus, she had made sure to buy all of them a spatial ring. Her uncle had felt a little offended that she had bought them with her own money, feeling that she did not trust him enough to depend on him for such trivial things and that she still thought of him as an outsider. XieRong apologised thinking back to when she had offended FeiHong in a simr manner and asked her pocket money be raised to show that she did depend on him. She also pointed out that if she did not trust him, she would not train or let her shadow guards be trained under him which pleased him quite a bit.

    -WeiSheng.-

    -Here, master.-

    -GuoTin, GuoZhi and LiWei will remain and continue to train. You, XiaoFan, XiaoDan and QiaoHui will apany me, understood?-

    -Yes, master. This servant will ry your words.-

    Saying so, he disappeared before she could chastise him. XieRong sighed, how many times did she have to tell him not to be so formal with her?

    "Elder brother, you know I can sense you, why do you still hide?"

    "Younger sister, you can at least pretend not to notice to humour this elder brother of yours."

    Guo Qiang was always impressed by his sister¡¯s immense improvement over the months. He knew that she and FeiHong were more powerful than what they had told all of them but made noment on it. His new cousins were tight lipped about matters they did not want to expose and he had no means of forcing anything out of them. Besides, as long as their secrets did not harm any of them in anyway, he had no reason to pry either.

    "Let¡¯s leave elder brother, or we will lose before we even get there."

    XieRong was excited to use the teleportation array. She knew that arrays were used to set up barriers but it was the first time she had heard that arrays could be used to transport people from one ce to another ce.

    The two lower floors of the spirit tower was where cultivators and nobles could use the teleportation array to travel to different locations while the third one was used to check a noble¡¯s spirit roots and mind strength.

    XieRong was very disappointed when she arrived in a simr room at the capital. It was just having her entire body pulled somewhere rather than just her conscious. She had imagined it to be more thrilling.

    XieRong left earlier than her brother making her way to the pce.

    -FeiHong, Jie just arrived in the capital.-

    -We are on our way to the pce as well.-

    -Then I will meet you all at the entrance.-

    It was ceremonial for the general families to first go greet the emperor in the pce before they all left for the duelists¡¯ ring themselves.

    While on her way, XieRong saw that flocks of people were headed towards the duelists¡¯ ring. Her uncle had said that the one in the capital was muchrger and grander than that of Qianhe¡¯s, built to fit more than three fourth of the capital¡¯s poption.

    The pce was just as huge and daunting as it had been in FeiHong¡¯s memories. Actually, it was even more overbearing as she was only seven years old, unlike the twenty four year old FeiHong she had been in those memories. It was a beautiful web filled with, butterflies each more beautiful than the other, not realising that the only powerful creature there was the spider thaty waiting to tear their beautiful wings off and trap them there until their deaths.

    XieRong found her family waiting for her at the entrance. She greeted all of them. When she went to her sister, FeiHong was staring at the pce with a cold, dead look in her eyes. XieRong could feel the waves of mncholy, pain and deep loathing through their bond.

    -FeiHong, this ce was your cage in the past. It isn¡¯t now and it won¡¯t be in the future unless you let it be.-

    -Jie, this ce wasn¡¯t just my cage, it was my golden cage. So magnificent to look at, but its floors and walls covered in blood.-

    -Don¡¯t you think that applies to people as well? Fa MeiLien is beautiful, the second prince is handsome but both their hearts are cker than charcoal and their hands already covered in the blood of so many.-

    -Jie, the hands of those who l.u.s.t for power are always covered in blood.-

    XieRong, whose arm was around FeiHong¡¯s shoulders, saw her sister look at her own hands as though they were dirty.

    -My hands were too. I may call Fa MeiLien a lot of things, but I wasn¡¯t very much different from her. I didn¡¯t refuse my marriage with the fourth prince because like her, I wanted power and attention. I helped the fourth prince win the struggle for power because I wanted to sit on that phoenix throne.-

    -FeiHong, what you wanted is not what you want now. You may have done a lot of wrongs in the past but you have been given the chance to make up for them. I know you will make the right choices this time, and if you don¡¯t, you will have me to correct you.-

    XieRong looked around inside the pce as they were all led to the banquet hall. It was indeed beautiful and luxurious, lined with tapestries and paintings, decorated with expensive vases and treasures that were ced in the open for all to admire.

    -Jie, that woman is the Duchess Fang of East. She advised me in my past life but I was foolish to not heed it.-

    XieRong looked at the woman who was hunched over in the shadows of a remote corridor, struggling to get up, leaning on the wall for support. She wore a simple green dress and barely any jewellery decorated her. There were no maids near her either, hardly a sight for a duchess.

    -Let¡¯s help her then.-

    The two sisters made their way to the duchess and helped her up.

    "Who are you two?" She asked, her hands slightly trembling as she grasped their hands for support.

    "The second young miss of the Guo family, Guo XieRong, greets the Duchess Fang."

    "The third young miss of the Guo family, Guo FeiHong, greets the Duchess Fang."

    "I see you know who I am."

    The woman straightened her shoulders despite her weak disposition, a dignified air around her, but to XieRong, she seemed like a old, dying tiger brandishing its blunt ws.

    XieRong had secretly taken the duchess¡¯ pulse as she had helped her up.

    "Have youe to curry favour with thisdy?"

    "No, duchess, thisdy and her elder sister sincerely wanted to help."

    The duchess¡¯ eyes narrowed but she didn¡¯t say anything.

    "Duchess Fang, are you aware that you have been poisoned?" XieRong whispered.

    The duchess jerked her head and looked left and right, as though she were worried someone might hear.

    "Duchess Fang I wouldn¡¯t have asked you if I felt any presences near by that could possibly hear what I¡¯m saying," XieRong said in a hushed tone.

    The duchess hunched forward again as though she were in terrible pain.

    "Duchess, if this poison is not cured soon, I¡¯m afraid the duchess may notst until winter."

    "Silly girl. Do you think thisdy is not aware of the fact?"

    "If the duchess is aware of the fact then why not get a cure? The duchess is a duchess after all."

    -Jie, it was the empress who poisoned her and wants to eliminate her. Getting a cure will not be that easy.-

    "Haah. Silly child, do you think thisdy has not tried. The imperial physician says it¡¯s incurable."

    "The empress could have bribed him, but the duchess already knows this, doesn¡¯t she?"

    The duchess looked up at XieRong with panic in her eyes.

    "How do-"

    "Why doesn¡¯t the duchess get cured elsewhere?"

    The duchess sighed.

    "The empress is not a fool to poison this one with something that can be cured anywhere. Even if thisdy could be cured, the empress does not allow thisdy to leave and this one is tired of fighting her. I just want to follow my husband to the heavens now that my sons have all been epted into good cultivation sects."

    XieRong lost her politeness.

    "So you are giving up? Letting the empress do as she pleases without even trying your best to live for the sons you will leave behind? Do you think your sons will not mourn your death?"

    "How dare-"

    XieRong saw a part of her mother in the duchess. The part she hated. The part that gave up, the part that lost belief in herself, the part that thought that dying would solve everything.

    "You¡¯re pathetic," FeiHong interrupted the duchess.

    "You have given up on yourself. Do you think the empress will stop at killing you? Do you think she will spare your sons because you have died? Do you think the husband you are so desperately trying to follow will want to look at you this way?"

    The duchess was left speechless.

    No one had ever dared to speak to her this way, let alone two little girls. It was known throughout the continents that she had raised her younger brother, the current emperor, like a son when their mother had passed when she was ten, the emperor five and their youngest sister three. When the emperor had finally taken the throne fifteen yearster, he still loved his elder sister dearly. When her husband died, it was her brother, who despite strong opposition, had passed a decree that ady may inherit the title,nd and property in the absence of a direct, blood rted male heir, just so she could continue living as the duchess. Yet, here she stood, being scolded by two girls several decades her junior.

    "Duchess, you remind me of my mother: a strong woman who gave up on herself in the end. She thought she would be so consumed in her revenge and would use us to aplish her goal. She sacrificed her life so that we could live our own," XieRong said, helping the duchess up once more.

    "Isn¡¯t that an admirable thing? You say it as though it was a foolish thing to do."

    "It was a foolish thing to do. If my mother had believed in her love for us then she wouldn¡¯t have used us as her pawns in her revenge," FeiHong said, helping the duchess from the other side.

    "Duchess, we can get you out of here and even possibily cure you, but it will be pointless if you don¡¯t have the will to help yourself first."

    XieRong secretly inserted one of her silver needles in to the duchess¡¯s arm, telling Feng to slow the poison. The godly needles were able to produce all kinds of poisons and antidotes at XieRong¡¯smand, however the poisons and antidotes could only be used on people other than herself and she had to know which antidote or poison she wanted.

    Since XieRong did not know what the duchess was poisoned with, her safest and best bet was to strengthen the duchess¡¯ body to slow the effects of the poison. The duchess¡¯ spiritual energy was flowing feebly and in a haphazard way, so there were only a few things that could strengthen the duchess without actually affecting the flow of the duchess¡¯ spiritual energy.

    With the duchess lost deep in her thoughts, XieRong and FeiHong escorted the duchess to the banquet hall.

 Chapter 41 - The Competition |Part 1|

    <h4>Chapter 41 - The Competition |Part 1|</h4>

    -Jie, how will we help the duchess? We have no power.-

    XieRong sipped some tea, ncing around at the nobles who associated with each other,ughing and smiling but sneering at each other underneath their friendly facades.

    -We might not be able to alone, but if we could rope the crown prince into helping us...-

    "Eldest sister," XieRong whispered to RuiLing who was seated beside her.

    RuiLing who had been chatting with some of the nobles excused herself.

    "Hm? Is something wrong?"

    "No, elder sister. Nothing is wrong but this little sister would like to go talk to older brother about something important, is it possible?"

    RuiLing smiled.

    XieRong saw her get up and go over to their elder brother who was talking to west prime minister Bai as the crown prince was seated next to the emperor who received gifts from nobles one by one. RuiLing poured some tea for the prime minister before pouring some for her brother. XieRong saw RuiLing whisper something to her brother when she was handing the cup of tea over to him after which she returned to her seat.

    "Elder brother will excuse himself after a while, then you may go talk to him."

    "Thank you elder sister."

    It wasn¡¯t very long before her brother politely excused himself and left the hall. XieRong followed after him a little whileter.

    Once she was outside, she searched for his presence and followed it. She was once again in the same corridor where she had found the duchess.

    "What was so important that you had to send RuiLing over?"

    "I would like the crown prince¡¯s help. That was why I wanted to talk to you."

    Guo Qiang who was leaning against the wall stood straight.

    "What would you require his help for?"

    "Do you and the crown prince know that the empress has poisoned the duchess Fang?"

    "We do, and what of it?"

    "I would like to bring the duchess outside the pce and cure her."

    Guo Qiang walked up to his sister and bent to her level so that they were face to face.

    "You will be going against the empress. You are too weak and too young to take her on by yourself, further more you might implicate all of us."

    "I won¡¯t be doing any of those things. The empress doesn¡¯t know I can cure the duchess and she won¡¯t suspect that an unfavoured seven year old girl of insignificant origins knows of her ns. I need the crown prince¡¯s help to get the duchess out of the pce. After that, I will not take her to the Guo Estate in the capital. To get a cure she muste with me elsewhere. For that, you will be helping me make it look like the duchess got ambushed by assassins on the way to the Guo Estate. This is just a rough outline of what must be done. I will have to meet with elder brother and crown princeter to discuss more details."

    Although XieRong made it sound as though she had it all figured out, but the reality was that she had only been able to think so far for now. She had other matters weighing on her mind so she would think about this matter a little more with FeiHong after thepetition, before setting a meeting with her elder brother and the crown prince.

    Her brother chuckled behind his fan.

    "You have already thought it through. The crown prince and I want to know why you would risk offending the empress for someone you¡¯ve just met."

    "She reminds me of my mother."

    XieRong only stated one of her many reasons. Of course, this would look like an impulsive whim of a seven year old to them, but to her this was a very calcted risk. Besides wanting to repay the duchess in her younger sister¡¯s stead and wanting to ease some of her guilt she felt towards her mother, XieRong knew that if she could earn the duchess¡¯ favour, the empress would be a much easier opponent to handleter.

    "Well, the prince agrees to help you if you can win enoughpetitions to impress the emperor and the people. Except thestpetition which involves the general families facing off against each other, all the otherpetitions are open to everyone. If you can win most of them, then the crown prince can convince the emperor to bestow a gift other than the already decided rewards. The prince has wanted to help his aunt for some time now, and achieving his goal through you is the safer option. I will help you as well."

    Guo Qiang snapped his fan close and folded his hands behind him as he turned to walk away.

    "Take my advice, choose your words wisely when you speak before the royal family, each and every word when spoken without proper thought will be a weapon that could be used against you."

    The Duelists¡¯ ring was enormous, around ten times as big as the one in Qianhe, with around ten times as many people gathered around. It was a in bare ground with brown mud as far as the eyes could see.

    XieRong was d that spells were not allowed in thesepetitions, only martial prowess. She was already at a disadvantage with her stamina not being as good as the people who had higher cultivation level than hers. Even after using water from the spirit pond and using spirit grass, her cultivation was only half of what was required to break through to the soul gathering realm.

    XieRong had signed up for all thepetitions which included archery, horseback riding, martial arts, weapon fight, andstly thepetition between general families. Her brother was not allowed to participate as he had won all thepetitionsst year and emerged first.

    When the archerypetition started, XieRong took her ce.

    She knew she had very little to no chance of winning. The third prince, who was reputed to be the best archer of their generation in the entire northern continent was going to take part.

    When XieRong¡¯s turn arrived, she pulled the string, her breathing deep and calm and her eyes sharp. She released the arrow and it lodged into the first ring from the center. There were five rings in total from the center one.

    The next time, she hit the first ring very close to the border of the center one.

    XieRong was in fifth position so far. She had not gained the emperor¡¯s or the people¡¯s attention and she had no hope of hitting the bullseye. In the past two months she had been training with the bow, she had only gotten bullseye twice.

    She knocked her arrow and let it fly aiming for bullseye. It didn¡¯t make it, but it was extremely close,nding her in the third position.

    XieRong could only hope she did better in the otherpetitions.

    The nextpetition was horse riding, but it not only tested once skills in horse riding itself, but also one¡¯s judgement in choosing a horse. Thepetitors were given money and told to buy new horses from anywhere in the capital. The time allotted was a Shi Chen. If thepetitors could not find a horse before the racemenced they would automatically be disqualified.

    XieRong followed her brother to the market where all the horses in the capital were sold. All thepetitors were headed to the same ce, all of them using their Qingong, trying to push past the other. When XieRong reached the market, she could see people already buying horses and some even fighting over them.

    XieRong took her time, knowing that a rushed decision would only make her lose before she could even sit on the horse.

    Horses of all shapes and sizes lined the stalls, neighing and whinnying. Some showing of their beautiful manes by shaking their heads.

    "How about this one?" Her brother asked, patting the mane of a ck war horse.

    XieRong shrinked away. It was huge and looked as though it would stomp her any given moment. XieRong saw her brother¡¯s eyes twinkling mischievously, however she was too preupied with thepetition to pay his antics any mind.

    "Let¡¯s look around a little more, okay?"

    Half a Shi Chen had passed and XieRong had looked around everywhere but no horse suited her needs. She didn¡¯t want the horse to be too huge or too strong like what the otherpetitors were choosing.

    "Catch it!"

    "Darn horses! Why won¡¯t you listen? No one buys defect goods!"

    XieRong followed the noises to the back of the tent to see men trying to rope two horses. One was a beautiful white stallion with scars peppered on its back while the other was a ck mare with a scar over one cloudy grey eye.

    "What are these men doing?" She asked a stable boy near the fence.

    "They are trying to capture both the useless horses to kill them."

    XieRong felt sadness tug at her heart. She could see herself in those horses. Called useless, never given a chance to prove themselves, neglected and abused.

    "Stop! I¡¯ll buy them!"

    Her brother who had followed behind her warned her sister against it.

    "You cannot win the race with any of them. They are untamed and one of them is even half blind. XieRong having a kind heart is a strength but it is also a weakness. You have a goal to achieve. We can buy themter if you still wish to but for now focus on winning thepetition."

    XieRong knew her brother was right but she felt a fire ignite in her heart at his words.

    She jumped over the fence and went to the man who was still struggling with the white horse. She took a bit of some calming herb and let the horse whiff it without letting anyone see.

    "Let the horse go."

    The man immediately let go of the horses reigns.

    XieRong climbed it, stroking it¡¯s x coloured mane.

    It was a lean horse with not too much muscle and it wasn¡¯t as malnourished as the ck horse. She climbed down after she felt that the horse stopped rejecting her.

    "XiaoBai," she said, patting it¡¯s head.

    "Mister, I want this horse to be fed and watered immediately. Do not saddle it."

    Guo Qiang saw with wide eyes as his little cousin tamed the other horse as well and paid for both the horses.

    "Elder brother, watch as I win the race with XiaoBai. I would have ridden XiaoHeise but she¡¯s too malnourished."

    "Mister, I¡¯ll leave XiaoHeise here, but she is not to be whipped or abused in any way. Do not groom her and do not saddle her either, just leave her food and water in the fence."

    The men lowered their heads.

    "Yes, young miss."

    XieRong climbed XiaoBai once again after he was done eating and drinking his fill.

    "XiaoBai, from today no one will hurt you. Let¡¯s show them how wrong they were about us."

    XiaoBai whinnied as though he were in agreement.

    "Don¡¯t me this elder brother for not warning you if you do not win the race."

    "If I do win the race elder brother, then I¡¯ll be taking five hundred gold coins from you. Keep the amount prepared!" XieRong said as she rode her new horse to the ring.

    XieRong could feel the stares of the people as they looked at her. She could hear snickering and mocking remarks.

    She patted XiaoBai¡¯s head.

    "Let us win this XiaoBai. Together."

    XiaoBai pound his hoof on the ground.

    -Jie, you will win this.-

    -You aren¡¯t going toment on the horse?-

    -Jie, I already know what will happen, but since you forbid me from telling you anything about the choices you made, I will only tell you this much: as long as you believe in yourself and those you have chosen, you will win.-

    XieRong looked at her sister who was seated underneath the Guo family¡¯s tent with her grandfather, uncle, aunt, and cousins.

    She could win this.

 Chapter 42 - The Competition |Part 2|

    <h4>Chapter 42 - The Competition |Part 2|</h4>

    XieRong could feel XiaoBai¡¯s anticipation.

    She could tell how they looked, a weak girl riding bare back on an equally weak horse, but she knew they would not lose because both of them were cut from the same cloth. People could ridicule them and push them to the ground all they wanted but they would still get up and emerge on the top.

    Besides, neither of them were weak. XieRong had seen XiaoBai¡¯s strength when he had tried to fight off the man who was trying to pin him down and she had felt his strength when she had ridden him back to the pce. She could say with confidence that XiaoBai had as much chance of winning s any other horse in the ring, and he would grow to be faster after he was given enough rest and nourishment.

    The drum beats hushed the crowd into a murmur.

    The gong was struck.

    "Begin!"

    XieRong felt the wind blow past her as she let XiaoBai run as he pleased, guiding him asionally around the curves with the reins. She could hear the thunder of his hooves and feel the strength in his thighs as he pushed the ground. XieRong¡¯s focus waspletely on the finish line. She forgot her surroundings, herpetition.

    It was just her, XiaoBai and the finish line.

    Everything else had faded to a blur.

    As the finish line drew closer and closer, XieRong felt the rush and excitement within her increase. She couldn¡¯t help but let out a smallugh at the sense of aplishment she felt and soon they¡¯d crossed it.

    They had crossed the finish line.

    XieRong tugged slightly on XiaoBai¡¯s reigns, leading him away from the tracks and slowing him to a stop.

    "Wasn¡¯t that amazing XiaoBai?" she askedbing her hand through his mane.

    She could feel him panting heavily so she quickly got off him. She patted him lovingly, feeling happy that she hadn¡¯t had to use any of the calming herb she had been prepared to use.

    After a little while, XieRong noticed something was wrong.

    It was silent. Too silent.

    She looked around. Some of the otherpetitors had also crossed the finished line.

    -FeiHong, what is wrong with everyone?-

    XieRong could feel FeiHong¡¯s mirth through the bond.

    -Don¡¯t worry Jie, nothing is wrong. Also, elder brother is grumbling about the five hundred gold coins he just lost.-

    As if on cue, there was an announcement.

    "The winner of thepetition is Guo XieRong!"

    XieRong hugged XiaoBai in happiness.

    They had done it!

    The crowd broke into a roaring apuse. Cheers could be heard everywhere.

    XieRong led XiaoBai to a stable hand. Letting him sniff some of the herb when he started to panic as she handed his reigns over to the man.

    "Don¡¯t worry, I am not abandoning you. I wille back for you."

    XieRong lifted her head to the man and instructed him.

    "Give him water and feed. Don¡¯t groom him or go near him until Ie to pick him up."

    XieRong only left to go pick up her money once XiaoBai was out of sight.

    She approached the tent filled with people full of smiles. Even the old general looked proud.

    "That¡¯s my niece!" Her uncle praised, thumping her back.

    "That¡¯s our niece," Her aunt corrected, as she hugged XieRong lightly.

    "Aunt, uncle, my unfavourable image is all ruined," sheined lightheartedly.

    "Oh, hush. It will just look like you gained some of our favour by winning thepetition."

    Her aunt gave XieRong some water.

    "You did well," her grandfather approved, patting her head lightly.

    "Looks like grandson owes you five hundred gold coins."

    XieRong grinned wickedly at her brother who was desperately trying not to be noticed.

    "Elder brother, I believe you owe my Jie five hundred gold coins?"

    "It¡¯s not good to go back on your word elder brother," RuiLing added, enjoying her brother¡¯s predicament.

    Guo Qiang was trying hard to keep up his graceful and elegant facade.

    "It doesn¡¯t matter if the money is with me or little sister, after all we are family."

    "Then why don¡¯t I keep the money?"

    Guo Qiang had to surrender when his youngest sister piped in.

    "Yes, elder brother, give the money to Rong Jie."

    Guo Qiang had a sour look on his face as he gave the money bag to XieRong.

    "The nextpetition is about to begin. Elder brother, have I seeded?"

    A sharp glint entered his eyes.

    "Only in garnering their attention. Little sister, you should hurry, they are about to sound the drum. This brother will be supporting you from here."

    The drum beat twice, calling for all the participants to gather and draw their lot. XieRong picked up a wooden slip with the number ten on it, indicating she had to participate in the tenth round.

    The number of peoplepeting were twice as many as those in the archery and horse ridingpetitions. It wasn¡¯t a surprise asmoners hardly had the opportunity to learn the sports of the nobles and many could not afford to pay back the money for the horses if they lost thepetition.

    XieRong went back to the camp and awaited her turn.

    "Won¡¯t you go look for your opponent?" Her uncle asked, looking as the otherpetitors dispersed, leaving only two behind.

    "Even if I did go look for them it would probably be of no use to me. I will not be able to tell how they fight just by speaking with them. I would rather concentrate and learn about my future opponent¡¯s techniques."

    XieRong analysed every person who stepped into the ring. If someone won, she would take note of their strengths and possible weaknesses, and if someone lost she would analyse why they lost.

    It wasn¡¯t long before her turn arrived. XieRong felt excited and nervous all at the same time. She leaned back and forth on the balls of her feet before she made her way to where the referee stood. She showed him her wooden slip as did herpetition, a young man who looked a little younger than the crown prince. He wore a in simple ck garb, but the material of the cloth looked expensive.

    "May thepetitors take their position!"

    XieRong took her ce, trying to figure out why the man was wearing a mask.

    "May thepetitors bow to the emperor!"

    XieRong cupped her fists and bowed deeply at the waist in the emperor¡¯s direction.

    "May thepetitors bow to each other."

    XieRong bowed to the boy. Her mind clearing of all thoughts except for one: I can win.

    "Begin!"

    No one moved.

    The crowd was silent with anticipation broiling underneath all their skins.

    XieRong watched her opponent like a hawk, who did the same.

    Then she charged.

    Her qingong had improved so much so that it was faster than her brother¡¯s and how could it not be with the brutal training she put herself through day after day? She had be as light as a feather and as agile as a cheetah going after it¡¯s prey. What shecked in stamina, she made up for in speed.

    To win the match, the opponent could either concede defeat, or she had to knock them out or push them out of the ring.

    A sh of surprise flickered through the man¡¯s cold and aloof eyes as XieRong approached him in the blink of a eye. She was aiming to pushing him out as he looked strong, a chilling and dangerous aura around him.

    She punched him but he blocked it. Her movements were swift and precise, not one movement wasted, but his were better. XieRong knew he was toying with her. It looked as though she were pushing him back, when in reality, he was allowing her to. XieRong stopped pushing him out, but he pretended to stumble and let himself step out of the ring.

    XieRong felt humiliated.

    The referee announced her victory.

    She curtly bowed before the boy in front of her, a silent rage snaking it¡¯s path to her heart and gripping it in a vice. She didn¡¯t spare another nce at him and stormed her way to the tent. She couldn¡¯t even berate him as it would cause an unwantedmotion, thest thing she needed if she wanted her n to seed.

    XieRong epted her family¡¯s congrattions hollowly but in her heart she had lost.

 Chapter 43 - The Competition |Part 3|

    <h4>Chapter 43 - The Competition |Part 3|</h4>

    "It looks like he let you win."

    "And it looks like elder brother knows him," XieRong whispered beside him, her eyes on thepetition.

    The amused toneced in her elder cousin¡¯s voice irked her even more than she already was.

    "Even if I do know him, I am not at liberty to say, besides I have a feeling you will be meeting him soon anyways."

    XieRong was not looking forward to that encounter.

    The rest of XieRong¡¯s opponents were weakpared to that man andpared to her. She felt frustrated when she heard that not even the second young miss of the Shan family was participating in the martial arts or the weapon fightingpetitions. With no other way to take out her irritation, she chose to eliminate her opponents as fast and quickly as she could, itching to fight against the second young miss of the Shan. XieRong hadn¡¯t ever felt this need to prove herself before.

    FeiHong could feel how the victory her sister had not earned rattled her.

    -Jie, our aim is to help the duchess. Jie must not lose sight of our long term goals for short term thrills. Do not lose your calm over such a minorpetition. Doesn¡¯t Jie see the power you are giving the boy over you by giving in to his actions?-

    XieRong took deep breaths, clearing her mind. Her sister was right, she would be giving the boy power over her by falling for his actions. She might not be strong now but it wouldn¡¯t remain that way forever. Besides, she had bigger fish to fry. If she let such measly things get to her and make her fight recklessly then how would she face off against stronger opponents in the future?

    -Thank you, FeiHong. Jie was being foolish.-

    -Jie, you once told me that everyone make mistakes, the smart ones just learn from it. Both, Jie and I, have a lot to learn still.-

    XieRong gave a slight nod to her sister before proceeding to win the martial artspetition.

    Finally, thepetition between the general families was about to begin, however there had been a change in this year¡¯spetition. Instead of two participants from each of the general families, there would be three that had to take part this year.

    The first young miss, the second young miss, and the first young lord would be participating on behalf of the Shan family. From the Liu family, the first young master, second young master and third young master would be participating.

    The old general volunteered FeiHong, who eagerly agreed to participate with her elder sister and elder cousin brother in thepetition.

    -WeiSheng, I want you and the others to spread news amongst the crowd. Make it so that nobody traces the origin back to you, but also make sure that it reaches the emperor¡¯s ears.-

    -This servant understands. What news does master want this servant to spread?-

    -You must bring up the topic that the two new young misses of the Guo family have only trained for less four months. Make the people empathise with me, make them think that me and my sister worked hard to earn our family¡¯s favour, so the emperor must reward us.-

    WeiSheng was baffled at his master¡¯s odd and rather shameless news but said nothing. He knew his master always had bigger ns when she ordered them to do something or did something herself, so he carried out his master¡¯s orders swiftly.

    XieRong was impressed when the first young miss of the Shan family exchanged blows with her brother. They were evenly matched such that even the slightest of mistakes on either side could be fatal. Their swords shed at an rming speed, with force that sent sparks flying. The movements were precise and quick and one had to have their eyes peeled open all the time to not miss a single movement.

    The winner would be the one who drew blood first. However, even after a quarter Shi Chen hade to pass, the two of them had yet to draw blood, thus the match had to be dered a draw.

    XieRong wondered if she had even the slightest of chances of defeating the second young miss of the Shan family if she were anything like her older sister. She strapped two daggers to either side of her hip, deciding against using her needles as she had not mastered using spiritual energy strings to control her needles. Besides, they were meant to be an assassination tool. It would be better if no one knew she used them.

    The girl who stepped out of the Shan family¡¯s tent was quite tall for a ten year old. She looked handsome with her slightly tanned skin, phoenix eyes, and ck hair up in a pony. Her confidence and aura was no less than that of a general¡¯s.

    XieRong went to the ring and bowed to the formidable opponent that stood opposite her after they had both bowed to the emperor.

    Shan Hu used her spear, a godly weapon, with a royal blue handle and a silver de that glinted under the sun. There was a carving of a tiger¡¯s roaring face where the handle was attached to the de. The tiger¡¯s ruby eyes looked fierce and intimidating.

    XieRong knew she would be at a disadvantage as long as she didn¡¯t close the distance between them. It was Shan Hu who made the first move, jabbing in quick sessions with her spear. XieRong dodged and blocked one of the slower jabs with her dagger. She jumped on the spear and tried to close the distance between them, but before she could reach the spear was flipped over making XieRongnd dangerously close the boundary of the ring. XieRong had greatly underestimated her opponent¡¯s strength. Shan Hu was a cultivator in the mid Dantian formation realm after all.

    The second young miss of Shan family didn¡¯t waste any time before she started to attack again. XieRong made her way towards Shan Hu, dodging a barrage of attacks as she did. Her clothes were torn up in several ces.

    When Shan Hu was right within arm¡¯s reach, XieRong felt a heavy pressure on her back. As she was in midair, she fell t on her stomach, all her movement blocked off. XieRong looked up to see a slightly shocked expression on Shan Hu¡¯s face.

    -Miss, I can negate the effect of the pressure by releasing my own.-

    -No Feng, just quickly lift only some of the pressure on my right hand without revealing yourself.-

    Just as some of the pressure on her arm lifted, XieRong scratched Shan Hu¡¯s leg with her dagger, drawing blood.

    "The fight¡¯s over, so can second young miss of Shan family let me go now?"

    XieRong saw Shan Hu¡¯s shocked expression slowly turn into one of curiosity, then one of amus.e.m.e.nt in a matter of seconds. The pressure lifted and XieRong sprung up and started dusting the reddish brown mud off from the front of her robes coolly as though she hadn¡¯t been the one who had fallen t on the ground.

    The two girls bowed to each other after the winner was announced and made their way back to their tents with the crowd cheering and apuding in the background.

 Chapter 44 - The Battle without Weapons

    <h4>Chapter 44 - The Battle without Weapons</h4>

    XieRong felt as though she were being subjected to another battle, one of wits, words and confidence, as she knelt before the emperor. It was as if she were being punished rather than rewarded.

    XieRong peeked under her eyshes to see the emperor stroking his beard as peeered down at her. Dressed in white and gold robes, he sat on his throne with an imposing aura around him. She quickly brought her gaze back to the ground below her.

    "We have heard that it has not even been four months since the youngdy started learning martial arts. What has second young miss Guo have to say about this?"

    XieRong bowed her head lower.

    "His majesty is all knowing and wise and has not heard incorrectly."

    "Raise your head. Tell us who has trained you?"

    "This one¡¯s uncle has trained this one."

    "Oh? Is this true general?"

    XieRong¡¯s uncle, general Guo ZiHao, who had been standing to the side, came and stood next to his niece. He cupped his hands and bowed.

    "Replying to his majesty, it is true that this one trained her."

    "Is this girl not unfavoured by the Guo family? Then why has general Guo trained this child?"

    "Your majesty, this girl reminds this one of his younger sister. This one could not help himself from training this one¡¯s niece."

    The emperor merely nodded his head.

    "The crown prince wants to reward this girl for her hard work. What has the general Guo to say about this?"

    The emperor¡¯s words were daring the general to reject the prince¡¯s reward.

    XieRong felt guilty that her uncle had been put into such a situation because of her and made a point to thank as well as apologise to him afterwards.

    On another note, XieRong had never seen her uncle so polite and mannered before. Today, her uncle looked every bit the general he was with his polished silver armour with their family¡¯s symbol of the eagle carved on his armour and embroidered with silver on his dark blue cape.

    "His highness is merciful and benevolent and it is this one¡¯s honour that this one¡¯s niece will be rewarded by his highness."

    "Thene and receive your reward little girl."

    XieRong got up and went to receive her reward, her eyes unwavering and shoulders straight. She knelt once again before the emperor who stood up and beckoned a servant who was holding a gold tray with tworge pouches on it.

    "We had already decided the reward for thepetition, so these bags of gold and spirit stones will be what we gift you. Additionally, we will also permit the crown prince to reward you as he was the one who wanted us to reward you to show the people that hard work and determination is appreciated by us."

    XieRong understood the implied meaning meaning behind the emperor¡¯s words. He did not want the people or her to think that she was favoured by the royal family.

    She received the gifts gracefully with both her hands.

    "This humble subject is honoured and thanks the emperor for his thoughtful and generous gifts."

    The emperor was pleased at the young girl¡¯s cleverness. She had purposefully changed the way she addressed herself to show that she understood his meaning without making it too obvious.

    The crown prince was seated on a wheel chair next to the emperor, dressedvishly but as pale as a ghost, coughing asionally. If XieRong had not met him before she would have definitely believed the rumours.

    "This prince was highly impressed by second young miss Guo¡¯s performance. So, this prince has decided to grant you a simple favour as long as it is within this prince¡¯s power and does not harm a person or the country in anyway."

    The crown prince¡¯s voice was raspy and hoarse very much unlike the smooth deep voice that had threatened her that day.

    "Your Highness is still young and does not know much as he rarely leaves the pce so his highness may not realise but one from the royal family can not give away such a precious gift so easily."

    The empress¡¯s voice was melodious and enticing but in contrast her words had poison hidden underneath the artificial sweetness. To the people it may seem as though she were a kind mother advising her child but to those smart, it was obviously a reprimand for foolish behaviour and a jab at his poor health and ultimately his ability to take over the throne.

    XieRong who was still kneeling, quickly nced at the emperor and the crown prince to gauge their reactions. Both of them were unperturbed. The emperor just continued to stroke his beard, as though he were waiting for a show. The crown prince coughed lightly but still had an expression akin to that of a bodhisattva, peaceful and smiling when the words he said next were anything but.

    "This son thanks mother empress for sharing her wisdom and experience with this youngster. However, this one wishes to be an example to his subjects and teach them to appreciate hard work by bestowing a generous gift. This son only hopes for the empire and its people to prosper and flourish and will not let any harme to them. This one has heard that mother empress¡¯ constitution is not what it used to be and that mother empress is often weak due to fatigue and overwork, so mother empress need not worry about such matters and concentrate on looking after her health."

    The empressughed lightly. It was fake with no mirth or humour, filled with tasteless poison and veiled threats instead. Her eyes never moved from the duelists¡¯ ring that was beneath her, but they had grown ever more frosty.

    The tension had grown so thick that one could slice it with a sword. XieRong clenched her fists to suppress both herughter and the rush of fear she felt. The empress was a terrifying and powerful woman. Unlike the previous empresses before her, the current empress actively participated in the imperial court alongside the emperor and could sway the tides of politics with the flick of her sleeve.

    XieRong remembered what her aunt had told her about the empress¡¯ influential background.

    The empress was the niece and disciple of the sect master of the Thundercloud sect, known to possess two blue spirit roots for ice and wood elements and purple spirit roots for lighting and wind elements plus a mind strength powerful enough to leave cracks on the strength testing stone. Also, the Thundercloud sect was the third top most sect in the all of the five continents, and to be its top disciple would be recognised an honour anywhere within the five continents. Further more, she was the only remaining blood daughter of the west merchant family, the rest of the daughters had died in her w.o.m.b, during childbirth or in their early years. Besides, the current elder had only been a concubine of the previous master but the birth of this daughter changed her fate of a concubine to bing the second wife instead. Naturally, the elder doted on this daughter of hers. The empress had made sure that she had everything in her grasp by marrying her younger sister, who was the daughter of the main wife, to the current duke of west and the emperor¡¯s youngest sister to her own younger brother. She had also gone as far as to ce her elder cousin as the noble consort when the previous noble consort died.

    XieRong truly wanted to avoid any direct confrontation with such a powerful and cunning opponent. If even the emperor and crown prince were wary of her, who was she to face this woman?

    "My, my. This one knows how much the empress and the crown prince care for each other, but perhaps such concerns can be expressed another time? The youngdy has been kneeling for some time now," a calm voice spoke from beside the empress.

    XieRong nced at the woman sitting two chairs away from the empress. If the empress¡¯ beauty were to be described as fierce and striking, this woman¡¯s could be said to be a beauty that soothed the eyes.

    "What is the pure consort¡¯s suggestion on the matter of the youngdy¡¯s gift?"

    "My emperor, this consort feels that the empress¡¯ concerns are valid however the crown prince is now a young man who should be responsible for his actions."

    XieRongmended the pure consort in her heart. Her words showed no direct favouritism but indirectly offered more support to the prince than the empress.

    The emperor nodded at the crown prince to proceed.

    XieRong could see the empress¡¯ cold fury in her eyes, however itsted only a moment. It was as though the empress knew she would have a chance to get back at these people in the future.

    "So, second young miss Guo, what is it that the young miss wishes for?"

    XieRong lowered her eyes and pretended to think about it.

    "The young miss can wish for more gold, spirit stones, a high level spiritual beast, a rmendation letter to get you into the top sects, a fief, a title."

    XieRong looked up to meet the crown prince¡¯s eyes.

    "Thisdy has nothing she needs or wants at the moment. However, thisdy would like to invite the Duchess Fang to stay at the Guo Estate for some time."

    The crowd was bbergasted at the youngdy¡¯s stupidity. She had wasted such a great gift on such a trivial request. She could have asked for so much yet she had asked for so little. This, in their eyes, was not considered humbleness but absurd and dumb behaviour on her part.

    The crown prince smiled. He knew that the little girl before him, ten years his junior, was anything but a fool.

    "This wish cannot be granted by this crown prince. It is this crown prince¡¯s aunt¡¯s decision. However, this crown prince promises to escort this one¡¯s aunt if she agrees."

    "We object to this request. Our sister is sick and needs to recover in the pce."

    XieRong felt her body stiffen at the emperor¡¯s words. She knew the emperor would be opposed to it but the intensity of his opposition was much more than what she had expected.

    "Your majesty, thisdy would like to ept the youngdy¡¯s invitation. This one has been longing to go out of the pce as this one has been feeling bettertely."

    The duchess nced at XieRong at thest part. XieRong held her gaze for a while before turning away.

    The duchess who started to kneel beside her was stopped by the emperor. He stood up and grasped the duchess¡¯ shoulders before she could kneel.

    "Elder sister, we will not be able to bear it if something happens to you."

    The duchess¡¯ tone grew gentle and soft.

    "Younger brother, the imperial physician has already said that my disease is incurable. This one would like to spend the rest of her time doing things this one likes. This elder sister hopes that her younger brother will allow this one¡¯s selfish request."

    The emperor was hesitant. His previously emotionless eyes now look conflicted.

    "My emperor, why not allow the duchess to leave for some time? The change of scenery might help the duchess regain her strength."

    XieRong flicked her eyes to see the crown prince¡¯s eyes light up.

    The empress had taken the bait.

    Of course, the proposition of the crown prince personally escorting the duchess to the Guo Estate was a n setup by the crown prince to get the empress to help them convince the emperor to let the duchess leave. The empress was sure that the poison within the duchess could not be cured by ordinary means so it did not matter much to the empress whether the duchess died within the pce walls or outside them, but if something happened to the duchess while the crown prince was escorting her, the duchess would be useful to get rid of the biggest thorn in the empress¡¯ side: the crown prince.

    The emperor, thus, had no choice but to agree to XieRong¡¯s request.

 Chapter 45 - The Thieves Who Dare to Steal from Fa Estate

    <h4>Chapter 45 - The Thieves Who Dare to Steal from Fa Estate</h4>

    XieRong¡¯s heart quivered with excitement like a leaf in the wind.

    In a week¡¯s time, she would have to put on yet another y for the people to see, but this time there was the duchess¡¯ life on stake. However, she was unconcerned about these things right now. The only thing on her mind was tonight.

    "Elder brother, has the prince prepared what I have asked?"

    "You seem to be asking him for a lot these days," Guo Qiang remarked, handing over a parcel covered in ck cloth to her.

    XieRong opened the parcel and in ity a green jade thumb ring.

    "It was recently gifted to the second prince by the emperor. He has also worn it to the Fa manor a couple of times."

    XieRong smiled, satisfied with the ring and wrapped it back in the ck cloth again.

    "The crown prince and I will be apanying you, in return for the ring."

    XieRong pulled a face. She would rather not be in close proximity with any of the royal family so soon after what had transpired in the ring just a few Shi Chen before.

    "As far as I know, I don¡¯t owe the prince anything for this. I will be helping his aunt out of the pce and even be curing her. It is he who owes me another favour."

    XieRong didn¡¯t even bother to hide the tant disdain on her face.

    Her brother chuckled humorlessly.

    "Haah, can you both not treat me like a carrier pigeon? I am still the young lord of the Guo family and your elder brother. It¡¯s better if you both meet and sort out something."

    XieRong gave a sheepish smile.

    "Sorry elder brother, I¡¯ll meet him some other time, but for tonight, three people will be more than enough, of course, by which I mean you, FeiHong and I."

    Guo Qiang grimaced inside his heart.

    When had the crown prince ever not gotten what he wanted?

    XieRong had a small pout which one could make out even though a ck mask covered the lower half of XieRong¡¯s face. FeiHong, on the other hand, looked as calm as a stagnant pool of water.

    Three silhouettes could be made out standing on the roof of XieRong¡¯s temporary courtyard, the shapes of their bodies illuminated by the silver moonlight.

    "You should be honoured that this crown prince wants to apany you."

    XieRong sighed.

    She should have just robbed the Fa Estate without trying to implicate the second prince.

    "We don¡¯t care that you¡¯re following us as long as you give your word not to inquire about anything or interfere with our ns."

    This was one thing XieRong would not back down about, even if the one who stood before her could kill her right then if he so wished.

    The crown prince arched one of his eyebrows, but did not say anything.

    Eventually, under the re of two little girls, he nodded his head in agreement.

    It wasn¡¯t long before the three ck clothed people were near the Fa Estate. They were silent and their breathing was shallow and soundless, and they had merged with the shadows of the trees and walls. There were thirty shadow guards distributed around the Fa Estate and including the servants and the guards stationed around the main courtyard, they would have to be on the watch out for fifty people.

    The main courtyard was where the main hall as well as where the treasure room was situated. The treasure room, unlike what it¡¯s name suggested, wasn¡¯t just a single room, but a room full of ordinary treasures that led to another room with treasures of greater value, the great treasure room. But, that was where Fa Boqin¡¯s knowledge of the rooms ended. Only XieRong knew that the great treasure room led to the ancestral treasure room and that was the room which had the entrance to the great ancestral treasure room that contained the Dragon Sapphire ring among other treasures.

    XieRong led the three of them around estate, to the wall that separated the forest and the city. She went to jump over the wall when she felt no poisonous creature on the other side, but was stopped by FeiHong, who pinched her sleeve.

    -Jie, let the crown prince lead. It will be better if he cannot gauge how powerful we actually are. If you jump over the wall and lead us, he will definitely be able to guess that our mind strengths are equal or more powerful than his.-

    XieRong nodded. She had heard from her elder brother that the crown prince¡¯s mind strength was slightly more powerful than the empress¡¯ as the cracks he left on the stone were a bit deeper than the empress¡¯. She had no doubt that he wouldn¡¯t think twice bout finishing them off if he felt even a little threatened by them.

    "Crown prince, it would be better if you lead us."

    "Oh?"

    "Our mind strengths are not that powerful," XieRong exined, as she backed away from the wall.

    "The poisonous creatures are nocturnal, they are usually scrawling in huge numbers at this time. It will be better for you to lead us."

    "Ha! Do you think this prince doesn¡¯t know that your mind strengths reaching only the yellow level is a lie? I know you aren¡¯t simple, and your mind strength must be around the green to blue region. My brother told me you sensed the bandits that were chasing the fourth prince¡¯s group when you were ambushed on your way to the western province."

    XieRong was rather delighted in her heart.

    If the prince thought she had a mind strength of the blue level, then she had the mind strength of the blue level. By neither agreeing to his statement or denying it, it could not be considered that she was lying to him either.

    "It will be better if the crown prince leads us anyway, I¡¯ll just point us in the right direction."

    XieRong crawled through the hole like she had been doing everyday before the night her mother passed away.

    There was not a soul in sight, as XieRong moved away from the hole,looking around wistfully at the abandoned courtyard where her mother once would wait for her to return.

    A cold wind blew through the courtyard, shaking the branches of the lone barren tree that stood in the corner, and rustling the leaves of the bushes that hid the base of the tree¡¯s slender trunk.

    The prince and FeiHong had already jumped over the wall.

    XieRong could feel her little sister¡¯s emotions through their bond that coincided with her own. A mix of longing and hatred for the ce.

    They wanted nothing more than to destroy the very estate that they were in but could not help but feel longing for their mother that would never return. XieRong entered the courtyard and head straight for their old room with a clear goal in mind. She had things she needed to achieve and wallowing in self pity and longing would do nothing except for hindering her.

    Everything was left untouched and was just as XieRong hadst seen it, just covered with a thickyer of dust. It was no wonder Fa LiHua and Fa MeiLien found nothing of interest in this bare and shabby room. Everything in the room was the bare minimum that was required for a person to live and everything was of the lowest quality one could find. Even the servant¡¯s quarters were better.

    The prince had gone to a spare room to change into a male guard¡¯s clothes she had asked him to acquire while she changed her own clothes into that of a male servant¡¯s. XieRong was quite tall for her age so she could pass as a ten year old eunuch but FeiHong looked her age with her short and petite stature, however this also worked in her favour as it made her undetectable and she could follow them whilst hiding in the shadows.

    The main courtyard was located near the entrance but was heavily guarded. Therefore, their only chance to go anywhere near the ce was when there was a change of guards. The prince had already acquired this information through his spies, and also instructed them to stand on duty today in that area, whether they were disguised as shadow guards or as normal guards.

    If their n had proceeded without a hitch, XieRong would have considered it a miracle. The Fa Estate¡¯s shadow guards guarding the main courtyard had to be drugged before they quickly moved in. Four out of the ten shadow guards were the crown prince¡¯s men as well as the guards who were standing near the courtyard¡¯s entrance.

    The three people moved quickly.

    The guards bowed lightly and the crown prince acknowledged them with a light nod of his head.

    XieRong lead all of them to the treasure room. She smiled lightly as she remembered her mother suggesting she dress herself as a servant and explore the estate when she was not out in the forest training with the old master. This was her mother¡¯s way of letting her gather all the gossip and map out the estate.

    After winding their way through the main courtyard, they finally stood before the beautiful wooden doors that led to the treasure room.

    Swiftly breaking the lock, XieRong pushed the doors open.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!