《My Beautiful Commander》 Chapter -1 - Geographical setting Chapter -1 - Geographical setting Qilin kingdom''s boundaries are shared by - Azure kingdom, Sand dunes and cl.u.s.ternds on the east - Snow/icends on the north - Willow woods and Emerald waters (sea) on the west - Coral bay (sea) on the south Pearl isles ind is in Emerald waters Twin inds in Coral bay To the south of Coral bay and Emerald waters, Deep abyss ocean is present The meeting point of Coral bay and Emerald waters is Deadly sink The barbariannds shares its eastern boundaries with Sand dunes, Snownds and Cl.u.s.ternds. The barbariannds are far away from Qilin kingdom and both have no contact what so ever. Chapter -2 - Cultural details Chapter -2 - Cultural details List of traditional weapons used by different empires in this novel Sword, Dagger, Whip, Bow, Cross bow, Sling, Darts, Spike, Spear, Shield, Blow guns, axes, fans, Armors. List of gods and festivals: Gods: Agni, God of fire Iton, God of wind Ison& Isyn, God and Goddess of war Heia, Goddess of beauty and marriage Carus, God of sea Pynir, God of sky Bina, Goddess of education Zodia,Goddess of destiny Nagini, Goddess of snakes and destruction Festivals: Sea festival: - celebrated on the sands of beaches - a huge sand idol of god Carus is built and is decorated by shells - people sing and dance in the evening -nterns are lit and released marking the end of the day Fire festival/new year: - People burn the waste in their homes symbolizing the end of past and beginning of future. - Food and clothes are distributed by the emperor through out the empire on that day to ensure prosperity the whole year. Istar/ tribute to Isyn, goddess of war: - Drums, Conches and horns are used to make sounds of war on that day as a form of tribute to the goddess. - Manypetitions are held on that day in the capital of the empire. - Winners of thepetition receive many benefits and are recognized as warriors by everyone Maiden day: -celebrated on the 15th day after new year/ fire festival - unmarried girls worship Heia in hopes of good marriage and light oilmps in their homes Barbarians have different festivals, I''ll post them at the right time.. Chapter -3 - Glossary Chapter -3 - Glossary WORLD *Empires& Kingdoms* Qilin empire: homnd of the main characters National emblem- fire Imperial family- Xuan family Currency-gold, silver and coppers. Azure kingdom: National emblem- clouds Imperial family- Wang family Currency- silver, coppers and bronze Economically weak and a vassal state of Qilin empire. Cl.u.s.ternds: -Union of independent kingdoms and each has its own ruler. -A Chief Commander is selected from all the kingdoms and he leads the army into war. -Kings are governing bodies and military is manged by generals andmanders without the influence of royalty. National emblem: ''closed fist'' indicating unity Currency: gold, silver and copper. *Inds* Twin inds: National emblem- fish Imperial family- Yu family Currency: coppers Pearl Isles Ind: National emblem-Sea shell Imperial family- Shui family *Others* Willow woods: Thick and dense forests They call themselves as willows and do not allow outsiders to enter their territory Cover their bodies with leaves and skilled in hunting. Barbariannds: - The biggest of all in terms of area and poption - Cl.u.s.ter of different tribes - Constant internal fights to gain supremacy over other tribes Currency: Barter system Icends: Landspletely covered by ice through out the year. Main source of river for Qilin kingdom Sand dunes: Desert with vast expanse of sands. Boiling hot through out the year. Currency value: 1 gold= 100 silvers 1 silver= 100 coppers 1 copper= 100 bronze Chapter 1 - A Dreadful Night Chapter 1 - A Dreadful Night Bone-shattering pain ! That was all Xia Lian could feel all over her body. She was perplexed that she could still feel something. She should have been mince meat by now, that was what she thought when the bomb exploded consuming all the light and life out of her tough soldier''s body. Herst minutes at the war yed in her mind like a twenty four reels movie. Her squad three under her leadership, charged into the front-lines to form a diversion to confuse the enemies. When the diversion is sessfully created, the squad twoes into the y. That was the n anyway. But, reality proved that not all things go ording to the n. The enemy was fully prepared for their attack as if they knew what was going to happen beforehand. Xia Lian was the head strategist and the major. Her strategies were always on the mark and there was no failure in her career, not till today. Now that things are clear she was sure that there was a mole among them and she hated herself for not being careful and for putting her teammates life in immediate danger. But her only relief is that she ordered her squad to retreat when she noticed the bomb. They blindly followed her orders, not knowing the exact scenario. Her team would follow her in life and death, without second thoughts and she was truly grateful for that. That is the reason why she didn''t want others to die and used her own life to protect theirs. She could almost imagine the rampage her team is on at this moment after her death. She knew how her death will impact them. The only thing which made her to feel at peace is that she is an orphan and that she didn''t leave anyone alone, the only exception being her team. Nothing could be done now, but the thing which confused her the most is the pain which she is feeling. Did she probably by a stroke of luck escape with a thin thread of life from that deadly explosion? Xia Lian was sure that she died in the explosion but the almost numbing pain on her body is making it difficult to breathe. The slow and painful heaving of her chest proved the fact that she is alive. She slowly moved her eyelids and opened her eyes only to be greeted with an endless pit of darkness. Darkness.. She could feel nothing but darkness around her. Slowly moving her upper body, she felt a weight pressing down on her. She slowly lowered her head and she froze after realising that there is something, or someone on her body! There was a young boy in her embrace.. '' What the hell?'' Xia Lian is stunned and she blinked her eyes to make sure that she is not hallucinating. Slowly, her eyes adjusted to the darkness around her and now the images of her surroundings became clearer than ever. While looking at her surroundings she only found a deste ce with shrubs and bushes. Where in the world was she now? Xia Lian''s mind hummed. Her heart was racing and she couldn''t calm down. She then examined her body only to realise that her body was entirely different from before. Her hands looked frail and thin. Her legs actually looked many inches shorter than her original body. It was at that moment that the shocking realisation dawned on her. She was in an entirely new body and more over she was in the body of an young girl. Well, she was given a second chance and she was going to live her life to the fullest now. The past is past and future is unknown. So, why fret now and ruin the present? With these '' always be positive and think positive'' thoughts in her mind, Xia Lian felt determined to live. ''But, who is this little boy? Is he rted to this body somehow?'' she wondered. He looked about three years old at the most. She found it cute that this kid fainted on top of her while holding her tightly. Xia Lian tilted her head to look at his face. After looking at that face, Xia Lin felt a sharp pain in her head and the images and memories of their past started to flow in her mind. Their father Xia Jiang, a government official, married their mother Hua Ming Yu for the wealth of Hua family. She and her brother Xia Ming were born. But after few years the Hua familypletely fell into ruins and lost all their wealth. At that time the concubine Lin Rong schemed for the position of main wife and convinced Xia Jiang to eliminate them to obtain their wealth. After her persuasion Xia Jiang hired assassins to kill their mother. The result was the three of them fleeing for several days before the mother was hit by a poisoned arrow. But even in this hopeless situation their mother hid both of them in bushes and put Hua family pendants on their necks. She ced a wooden box beside her and lured the assassins away. Xia Lian opened her eyes and her eyes became cold. Now she understood her situation and the truth that she was somehow stuck in the historical era. All this sudden revtion is quite overwhelming. But the basic principle of soldiers which she herself taught to her men many times is that '' A clever soldier should adapt to the circ.u.mstances on the battlefield.'' Life is no different from a battlefield. So, she tried to ept the fact that she was in an entire new ancient era without panicking. She should live and she will as she had an additional life to protect. It will be difficult in the start, but she will slowly adapt. She was an orphan in her previous life. She did not know anything about warmth or love. But the mother of this body sacrificed herself to protect her children. She deeply respected this choice. Father! Humph.. He does not deserve to be called a father.. " Lian, take care of yourself and your little brother. Live well. Sorry, mother did not protect you well". These were thest words of this body''s mother. ''Since I''ve upied this body, I am Xia Lian. You are my mother from now on. I will take good care of Xia Ming.'' She promised to the mother in her heart. " Ming, your sister will protect you with her life." Xia Lian spoke slowly. The little boy tightened his embrace as if he heard her voice. Xia Lian chuckled and carefully observed her surroundings. After serving in the military in her past life she is sensitive to the sounds around her and can determine the position of the enemies based on sound. This is the major skill that is necessary for military officers. One cannot have their eyes on the enemies at all times. There is simply no time to slowly locate them with eyes. In many cases, one has to determine the target and shoot them based on sound alone.. After a few years of training, Xia Lian became proficient in locating enemies only by sound. Though this body is weak andcking in strength at the moment, the adrenaline rush in her body increased the sensitivity of her senses. After determining that no one is present around them, Xia Lian tried to move. " Hiss.." Xia Lian felt a sharp pain in her body when she tried to move but she finally got up and leaned against the tree while holding the little dumpling in her arms. Chapter 2 - Help!! Chapter 2 - Help!! Xia Lian felt sore all over body and she dropped onto the ice-cold ground beneath her. Slowly leaning her back against the tree, she hugged the trembling little boy in her arms tightly and rubbed his back with her hands to prevent him from freezing. She felt sharp pain all over her body and shivered continuously due to the chill in the woods. Due to the cool breeze flowing on the wounds her body went numb. If this continues, she was afraid that they might not be able to make it through the night. Xia Lian gritted her teeth and covered the little guy''s ears, to prevent him from catching cold. Even though she is freezing she felt that she can make it through.. No matter how cold it is, she had to make sure that the little one in her arms stays warm. After suffering for quite some time she felt drowsy and her eyelids slowly started to droop as she finally s.u.mbed her strong will power to her physical exhaustion... Early in the morning Xia Lian sensed something burning in her arms and suddenly opened her eyes in rm. She anxiously ced her hands on her brothers forehead only to find that his body is burning hot like a furnace.. Xia Lian ced the boy gently on the ground and immediately stood up to inspect her surroundings. She had to bring him out of this deste ce. The kid was just three years old and his young body could not fight against the terrible fever. She was herself a military doctor but there is nothing she could do now. She had no medicines whatsoever even if she wanted to treat the boy herself. All she could do now is to brace herself and move forward in the hopes of finding someone. It might be impossible to find a living person, but hope never fails you. With thest strand of hope, she took her steps slowly. With her each step forward Xia Lian felt as if a part of her body is being cut off.. Xia Lian carefully observed her body only to find multiple scratches and cuts. Her entire body is covered with ck and blue bruises. '' It seems that not only the mother, but also the sister sacrificed her life in protecting this little dumpling.'' she sighed in her heart. But fortunately there are no cuts or bruises on Xia Ming''s body. Otherwise, their sacrifices ought to be for nothing. This body''s owner truly cared for her brother.. She protected him with her life.. Xia Lian''s mouth slowly curved up. ''Sacrificing them selves to protect others..'' the original girl might be frail and weak, but she had the spirit of a warrior. Xia Lian truly respected her spirit and was d that she took upon this body. After slowly walking forward for some time she managed to find a road out of the forest. Following the conformation that everything was safe she rushed back and ced her brother on her shoulders to give him a piggy-back ride. Now, she had to move as fast as she can as the little one''s body is getting hotter with each passing minute. Xia Lian immediately frowned after cing him on her back '' Why are these two bodies malnourished?'' She looked at her frail arms and her brothers bony cheeks and decided that she should feed him well in future. Even though the boy is weightless, Xia Lian''s body ached terribly and some her wounds opened up and started bleeding again. She bit her lip and started to walk forward... ''We must survive'' Xia Lian started to chant in her mind. Xia Lian continued moving forward in the hope of finding at least one person. After walking for an hour she found a faint silhouetteing out from woods. He probably did not notice her as he started walking with his back towards her. She found him wearing a veiled bamboo hat and carrying an axe. He seemed like an ordinary viger. After contemting for a while and making sure that he seemed harmless, Xia Lian came to a quick decision in her heart as her face immediately lit up and she cried out loudly " Help!" But, the man did not seem to notice her as he did not stop walking. Xia Lian started to run while shouting at the same time ignoring her heavy injuries. The man was walking at an unhurried pace but Xia Lian found it difficult to keep up with him as she was currently running like a snail. " Sir, wait!" Still, the man was not able to hear clearly. The man on the front furrowed his brows but he did not stop walking. ''Did someone call me ?'' he wondered as he thought that he was imagining things. On seeing that he was not responding to her shouts, she had a ridiculous thought '' What if he''s deaf??'' But the thought did not even humor her in the least, as her face was filled withplete horror. She observed the distance between the man and her. No matter how hard she tries, she understood that she cannot cover up such long distance in her current physical state. She had only one option: Use all her energy to shout.. If he still cannot hear, then he is deaf. Xia Lian prayed hard for the second possibility not to turn true. She cannot even begin to imagine her situation, if the man is deaf. She shook her head to drive away all the pessimistic thoughts from her 1.2 kg brain. '' Be positive and think positive'' she reminded herself as she prepared herself to shout out loud this time. " Sir!!" Xia Lian used every ounce of her energy in this shout. The man immediately turned around and saw an injured girl running towards him. He immediately quickened his steps towards her. When the man reached in front of her Xia Lian immediately handed her brother to him and pleaded " Sir, please help me carry him to a doctor. His body is burning." Chapter 3 - Surrounded (1) Chapter 3 - Surrounded (1) Xia Lian stared at the veiled man intently and she cried out after realising that the man was just staring at the boy in his arms without speaking anything . "Sir!" On hearing her desperate voice the man came back to his senses and sub-consciously shifted his gaze towards the girl in front of him. Upon scrutinizing her he found that her entire body is covered with wounds and most of them have dried up. Her tattered clothes are the best proof that she had been continuously escaping their assassin''s pursuit. He then looked towards her legs and frowned. He found that the part of the dress covering her legs ispletely drenched in blood. Her white robes were now in the shades red and brown. ording tomon sense this girl shouldn''t be able to walk. He was sure that her entire body is in extreme pain after seeing the degree of injuries on her body. He was not able to continue watching her pitiful state and he wanted to carry her so that she will not feel any pain.. But, men and women are supposed to keep their distance. No matter how young the girl is, it would do no good if she is seen being carried by a random man. Looking at her, she seemed to be 12 or 13 years old, an age suitable for marriage talks and engagement. He cannot carelessly carry her in his arms and if anyone sees them it may damage her reputation. So, he immediately dropped the idea. " Can you walk?" he could not help but worry about the girl. Afterall, she was gravely injured. Showing concern to the injured is the basic courtesy. " I can manage. Please don''t worry about me." Xia Lian replied gratefully and her response made the man push away all his worries back from his head. He tilted his head and noticed her brilliant and determined eyes looking at him. He found those pair of eyes too dazzling and on realizing that he was getting attracted by those eyes he quickly turned his head away. " Follow me.. There is a vige at the end of this forest. We can get your brother treated there." the man spoke unhurriedly as he paced forward. Xia Lian nodded and tried to increase her pace to keep up with him. He was moving too fast and her originally weak body was not able to take it anymore. Due to the sudden movement she hissed and bit her lower lip to bear the pain. Despite her voice being low, the man heard her and stopped walking. She noticed his movements and looked at him with a puzzled expression. " What happened?" Xia Lian asked him with a concerned expression on her face. She didn''t know why he stopped suddenly. He stared at her legs and there was a clear frown written on his face. She was not able to see his expressions because of the veil which is clearly covering his facepletely. The man did not answer her and shifted the little boy in his arms to his back and tied him securely to his body with a rope and a cloth. He adjusted the kid''s arms around his neck. Xia Lian watched all his actions with a bewildered expression. Why is he tying her brother on his back? She was truly unable toprehend the situation before her. " Girl, do not me me.. I am doing this for your own good." the man before her suddenly bent forward and lifted Xia Lian by the waist and carried her like a princess. Xia Lian was petrified and she was unable to react for a while. She might seem like a thirteen year old young girl but her soul is twenty years old. So, she subconsciously shrieked " You.." But, her words stopped in the middle as she felt that she was being unreasonable here. She had never been close to a man before and this was the reason for her exaggerated reaction before. In her past life, she never loved anyone and dedicated her time entirely to the military. But she did not say anything more because the current circ.u.mstances didn''t allow her to find fault in him. He was truly helping her she would seem like an ungrateful wench if she said anything unreasonable. Anyways, now she was in the body of a young girl. So, what right did she have to find fault with him? Feeling unsettled, She red at him sharply before retracting her gaze " I''m sorry and.. thank.. you.." On seeing her panicked eyes and how she quickly calmed herself, the man could not help but raise the corners of his lips. Of course, Xia Lian missed his reaction.. The man did not speak anything and started walking with increased speed. Xia Lian sub-consciously gripped his outer robes tightly with her hand. The man''s smile deepened under his veil. " Girl, how are you reduced to this state?" the man asked with an amused voice. He was really curious about what happened to this pair of brother and sister. Xia Lian knitted her brows as she heard his words. '' Is this guy teasing her?'' she wondered but quickly brushed away her thoughts as he saved her. She had already misunderstood his good intentions more than once and she hated herself for doubting her benefactor. " My father''s guards are ying hide and seek with me and my little brother.." Xia Lian spoke ambiguously. She cannot speak about her ordeal openly with a stranger. He might have saved their lives, but she cannot tell the truth carelessly. Her and the little one''s lives are in danger and one single mistake couldpletely wipe them away. But, she can tell the gist of it to vent her anger. So, she spoke in such way. Since her father is shameless, do not me her ah! The man naturally understood her underlying meaning and suddenlyughed loudly " Oh.. Now I understand.."The man suddenly stopped his sentence in middle. Xia Lian and the man both nced at the same direction instantly at the same time. Xia Lian''s gaze turned razor sharp. The man noticed her sharp gaze and felt surprised in his heart. ''How can this girl at such a tender age sense her enemies... Even I started sensing my enemies at the age of 15.. Or am I thinking deeply.. she must have identally looked..''he consoled himself trying to find a possible exnation for her actions. But the little girl''s next words stopped his assumptions and stunned himpletely.. " We are surrounded.. Put me down." Chapter 4 - Surrounded (2) Chapter 4 - Surrounded (2) The man immediately put her down and helped her to stand up straight. Xia Lian felt the world spin due to the sudden movement. It took some time for her to get her head straight. "Stay behind me". The man stood in front of her and pulled out a sword from his waist. He clearly noticed that the girl cannot defend herself, so he took it upon himself to protect her. Xia Lian was really surprised as she did not expect that he would shield her, despite the tough situation. ''How can a he take down twenty men? He is not a superman..'' Xia Lian frowned sub-consciously and moved to stand beside him in spite of her heavy injuries. Her conscience would not allow her to take refugee behind a man who is outnumbered by his enemies. At that moment about twenty men in ck robes surrounded them. All of them ck masks covering their faces but their eyes had a killing intent which made Xia Lian angry. She was truly disappointed that the father of this body would to go such lengths to dispose them off. Her disappointment soon turned into resentment. " Hand over the kids to us and scram.." one of the men in ck spoke in a terrifyingly cold voice with his gaze directed at the veiled man. " Are these the men who yed hide and seek with you?" the man did not pay any attention to the shouting clown before him and instead looked at the girl who was calmly assessing the situation before her. " Yes.. I think they are bored and now I don''t mind ying with them" Xia Lian smirked coolly as she felt herself itching to tear these guys off into shreds. May be then her father would think twice before plotting against her in future. She was seriously considering this thought. On seeing these two ignoring them and chatting freely the man who spoke high and mighty earlier felt as if he was the third wheel there. Needless to say, he was obviously angered by their attitude. He tried to be polite with the veiled man, but it seems that he doesn''t know what is good for him. So, he was ready to teach a lesson to him and kill the girl and the kid before his eyes so that he will realise what his mistake was. " Humph.. you can''t even distinguish good from bad. We are here under the orders of prime minister Xia. Don''t go against those in power or your whole family will be executed. I''m giving you ast chance, leave them to us and get lost." the man in the ck robes felt that this would pose as an enough threat and he was sure that the veiled man would now be scared witless. He was even imagining the man begging him for mercy. " If you continue to act tough, don''t me us for being ruthless." he gave of a final warning and crossed his arms against his chest with an air of arrogance around him. The man under the veil was surprised upon hearing that name. This little girl said that her father''s guards are after her.. So, that prime minister Xia is ruthless even towards his own children. His lips formed into a sneer. This prime minister Xia is truly disgusting! " I don''t care who sent you." "A small advice.. leave right now!" " Believe me or not.. If you stay here I will kill you without mercy.." The man with the veil spoke coldly with a domineering voice. All the men surrounding them felt an invisible and heavy pressure on them and they felt too suffocated to even breathe. The man in ck who was their leader frowned '' Why do I feel that this voice and aura highly familiar?'' Xia Lian silently watched the man opposite her with a sharp and cold gaze. They had to act soon as she had to take her brother to a doctor. These men are wasting her precious time and adding to that they are spouting nonsense without attacking them. Did they think that they are in debate? Xia Lian had only one thought in her mind '' I must clear these sc.u.m from my way..'' Not looking away from the masked man opposite them, Xia Lian asked in a low voice " Do you have a dagger on you?" " Yes, inside my outer robe on the left.." the veiled man replied almost immediately without even thinking twice as to why she asked a dagger. Without waiting for him to finish his words, Xia Lian put her hands inside his robe and pulled out the dagger and unsheathed it. The man froze on the spot by her sudden touch.But, he quickly calmed his thumping heart when he noticed her indifferent expression. '' Did she forget that I''m a man?'' he secretly wondered. This little girl was truly different! Xia Lian did not notice that her earlier actions were weird and that the man beside her is staring at her. She forgot that this is an ancient era and that she had to be careful when ites to men. This is not a modern era, where one can shake hands and hug the opposite gender without any care. But, at the moment the little girl''s mind waspletely filled with thoughts of how to get rid of these men before her. Shepletely turned fierce and domineering as she bent forward a little while positioning the dagger in her left hand. She was a left hander and she naturally feltfortable using it. So, she held the dagger in her left hand. Xia Lian assumed the attacking position and looked at the men surrounding them with a murderous glint in her eyes. She looked like a fierce untamed lioness that had been provoked. '' This girl is really interesting. She clearlycks strength but on sensing danger she changed into a whole new person.. '' the man with the veil smiled sub-consciously looking at her. " You guys are courting death" the leader of the group growled in anger and signaled his men with his hands. Xia Lian saw all of them unsheath their swords at once. She understood that they are going to charge at them at once. It is despicable but all is fair in war and love. " Let''s trust our backs to each other." she looked at the veiled man beside her and confidently proposed her n making the man surprised. He clearly did not expect such a brave girl by his side. She neither flinched nor cried, but she was ready to go for a kill even in such terrible condition. " Alright.." he really wanted to see her skills after hearing her calm voice in such a dangerous situation. He wanted to see if she is all talk or if she is really skilled. Immediately when the men in ck moved, both of them stood with their backs facing each other and charged at them at the same instant. Chapter 5 - Clean sweep Chapter 5 - Clean sweep Both sides are tangled up in the attack. The group was of men were dead set on defeating the other party and they neither cared about their injuries nor their life. As long as they were about to kill the man and the kids, everything is worth it. So, all their attacks are ruthless as they attacked the fatal points. However, these ruthless attacks were nothing in the eyes of the veiled man. Only he knew how many lives he imed with his sword. The veiled man shed his sword at the man charging straight at him and decapitated him.He turned his head around while the corpse fell lifeless to the ground and blood rushed out of the clean slit on his neck. The other men on his side stopped momentarily in their tracks as they did not expect this nobody to be so skilled. They thought that they would be able to take him down by a single stroke of their sword. They really did not expect that the situation would be reversed and only now they realized that the tables could be turned around within the blink of an eye. " Hehe.. Scared now?" the veiled man chuckled. His eerieughter made the men flinch in their tracks as they looked at the killing god before them with frightened eyes. Yes, they were clearly terrified of the man before them. On the other side Xia Lian knew that her body is very weak and that she did not have enough strength to exchange more than two blows with each. So, it should be a single hit- single kill. She had to use every ounce of the remaining energy in her body for these attacks. She was not sure if she could keep up till the end but she would not back off without a fight. She then tightened her grip on the dagger and stared at the big man charging towards her like a madman. Xia Lian nimbly dodged his attack and slipped behind the man like a cat.. The man turned around and Xia Lian shed his throat at the very same moment. The assassin did not even understand how he died in the hands of a little girl as he only felt something cold against his neck and there was only darkness left in his once colorful world. On seeing his friend fall back lifelessly, one of the men in ck growled like a beast and charged at her. But, not even a trace of fear could be found on her face. She was waiting for the opportune moment to strike down her opponent. Why waste her energy when she had the ability to deal with him with a single stroke of her dagger? Xia Lian dashed towards him with a cold look in her eyes and bent a little to escape his grasp and stabbed him deep in his heart. Blood flowed slowly and Xia Lian shed the dagger side wards, cutting his heartpletely. ''Never leave any room for your enemy to breathe'' that was the principle behind her killings. Only when the blood started flowing like a river did Xia Lian pull the dagger out and pushed him away. The man fell lifelessly in a pool of blood. But, not even a trace of pity could be seen in her eyes. She stared at the man with a deep and bottomless gaze before shifting her attention to the remaining men who are now staring at her with bewildered gazes. They never thought that this weak and frail girl will be the end of them. The number of ck men on both sides started decreasing rapidly. The veiled man killed six of them and what scared them the most was that the little girl killed about five of them and is now charging towards two men at the same time. One of the men charged towards the veiled man''s back to attack him stealthily. Xia Lian noticed him and her heart turned cold. What she loathed the most is backstabbing. Battles are to fought head on and such sneak attacks are the most disgusting in her view. She had no time to waste, so she quickly stabbed the stomach of one and kicked the groin of the other as hard as she can with the little strength remaining in the body. Afterwards the little girl dashed towards the veiled man and pushed him away which resulted in the attack meant for himnding on the ck robed man in front of him. The assassin who nned the stealth attack was shocked to see that he killed one of his own brothers and when he remained in a daze, he felt something piercing his back.. " How does it feel like to be stabbed from back? A momentary daze will bring you mortal peril.. " a young girl''s melodious voice rang beside him and he shivered involuntarily as the girl''s voice sounded like a call from hell. At the next moment, Xia Lian stabbed an acupuncture point on his neck and he fell on to the ground breathing hisst.. '' Acupuncture can either save or kill you'' Xia Lian smirked in her heart. She then turned to help the young man but she noticed that he was staring at her. Xia Lian looked around her only to find that he killed the remaining ones.. Whoa! This man was truly skilled and she was worried for nothing! Even if she left him on his own, she was sure that he would have dealt with the situation without much difficulty. " Sir, your sword skills are amazing." Xia Lian felt that this man before her is not simple and she is truly impressed that he is able to take down seven men in such a short span of time. So, she sincerely praised him. The man smiled on hearing her sincere praise " Youngdy, your skills really surprised me. I didn''t expect a weak girl like you to have such good skills." Xia Lian smiled mysteriously on hearing his direct words and she neither thanked him nor refused his praise. On seeing her smile like ''It''s natural for me to have such skills'', the young man felt that he truly met a weird but interesting girl this time. Chapter 6 - Can I know your name? Chapter 6 - Can I know your name? With the hem of her dress Xia Lian wiped the blood away from the dagger " Sir, If you find the dagger dirty, I''ll clean it when we return to the vige." The dagger is too pretty and sharp and this dagger is an indication of his status. She understood that the man before her is not a simple farmer. He was simply in a disguise. But, none of this mattered as long as he helped them to find a hospital. " No need youngdy. I rather like it this way." the man smiled mysteriously and took the dagger back from her. She was surprised on hearing those words. She thought that he may hate that she used his dagger without asking his permission. Also, she thought that he would scold herter. But,t his reaction was totally out of her imaginations and she was secretly relieved that she did not end up offending him. With his level of skills, killing her would be a piece of cake for him. After some moments passed he looked at the men on the ground coldly and a sharp glint passed through his eyes before it disappeared immediately. He was going to look into this matter once he returned. " Sir, thank you for saving us. I will remember this favor. I will repay your kindness." Xia Lian was truly sincere with her words. She was sure that without his help both of them siblings would have been reduced into mincemeat. To be precise, they owed him their lives. " Youngdy, I''m just passing by and you happened to be there. No need to be serious." the man chuckled. He obviously did not care about all these formalities. Anyone would have done the same, in his position. Who would be so heartless to leave a young girl and a child alone even when they requested for help. So, he felt that he did nothing out of the ordinary. " Sir, if not for you we might have lost our lives in these woods. We are indebted to you and I will always repay what is owed." seeing that the girl was still persistent he sighed helplessly. " I''m called Xia Lian. Can I know the name of our benefactor?" Xia Lian want to know the man''s name as she clearly resolved to help him in the future if need arises. She clearly did not know how he looked, so in the least she should learn his name so that she can repay his grace. She initially wanted to ask him to remove his veil but managed to stop her loose mouth from spouting nonsense just in the nick of time. In this era, the contact between a man and woman is restricted. On top of that, a woman asking a man to show his face is purely outrageous and he might even think that she is a pervert without any manners. So, she asked for his name in spite of her unwillingness. The man looked at the young girl''s calm andposed expression and secretly praised her in his heart for her straight nature and attitude. He saw many girls. They were either clingy or cry babies. But this girl was different. Unique, to be exact. He loathed women except his mother and younger sister. He always avoided them like a gue. Unknown to his heart, he could not bring himself to hate this particr girl. So, he decided to answer her question. " Xuan Li Wei" he replied with a husky voice which he himself did not notice. Xia Lian did not hear anything as she felt everything go dark around her when the veiled man opened his mouth. She was tired and now the previous day''s exhaustion is finally taking a toll on her. She felt her body slip out of her control and she gave in herself to her exhaustion. She needed a good rest and with these thoughts she closed her eyes. The young man saw her swaying and reached out to hold her just in time to prevent her head hitting the ground. After seeing the girl faint in his arms, the man felt a trace of panic in his heart. He clearly had no idea nor experience about how to deal with women. The feeling of something sticky on his hand made him realize that he was stained by blood, her blood. The wounds on her back started to bleed due to the pressure of the previous fight. So, she was fighting that good even with such serious wounds on her back. He was truly amazed by this girl who was not even half of his height. But, soon the appreciation is reced with immense anger. Angry that she did not care about herself. Did she not care about her body? If he had noticed that there are injuries on her back, he would not have made her fight no matter how dangerous the situation is. The young man''s expression darkened as he stared at his hand which was now painted in blood. He immediately raised his other hand to his mouth and whistled.In an instant a group of uniformly dressed men came out of their hiding with two horses and stopped before the veiled man. They quickly saluted him, a respectful and dignified salute which can never be mistaken.. " General, What is wrong with them? " one of the uniformed men asked the veiled man on seeing the unconscious girl and boy. " Bring me a horse.. Quickly!" Xuan Li Wei ordered and one of the soldier''s brought a horse right next to him. Xuan Li Wei quickly mounted the horse with the young boy still hoisted on his back. Then he hugged the young and petite girl around her waist to prevent her from falling off the horse. Gripping the reins with this other hand, the stern general gave his men a series of orders before galloping away.. All the men looked at each other with bewildered expressions. They really did not see thising. Chapter 7 - Stunned silly Chapter 7 - Stunned silly They were secretly following their general to protect him and did not make their presence known. When they heard the sounds of a fight, they quickly climbed the trees to see the muddle head who dared to attack their general. But they were surprised on seeing that little girl kill those highly trained guards with a single move even in her injured state... Since they are all hot blooded men they were clearly excited on seeing her moves. So they secretly cheered for the young girl, neglecting their own general. When she pushed their general out of the way to protect him from harm, they recognized her in their hearts. They were stunned on seeing their cold and expressionless general panic for the first time in his life. This youngdy was the first one to make their general''s poker face show a human expression.. Furthermore she was the first girl that their general touched.. He always kept his distance from women.. So, what is this situation ah! They were confused on seeing their almighty leader hurry away on the horse.. And they were stunned silly after hearing his orders.. " Is our general serious?" one of the men opened his mouth in shock. " It''s the first time our general is concerned about a girl.." another one chirped in. " But I must say that the girl is more fierce than our young master at that age.. Though her facial features are not clear due to the injuries, her skills and temperament is admirable.. If our young master likes her it is also good.." the youngest one in their troop spoke seriously. "Stop talking nonsense. Did you not see that the girl is injured. Our general saved them. So it''s natural that he is trying to protect them" the man who received the orders spoke slowly and closed his mouth when he saw the ''You do not know anything about love'' expression on hisrades faces. " Chief, you are green in matters of love. For now you should think about yourself or I fear you will die lonely." The man who was addressed as chief looked at them with a foolish expression " What about myself?" The soldiers around him pitied him " Chief, General said that you have to convince that mboyant young master at any rate. " " Don''t worry about that. I know of a way to convince him. " the man mounted his horse and looked at the group behind him " Wait here for general to return. I willplete my mission quickly and meet you at camp." "All the best, chief " the men cheered. After the horse left their sight, this group of young soldiers started their lively discussion again.. On the other side, Xuan Li Wei had no idea that this men were making up such nonsense about him and the girl.. If he had listened to those words, he would have surely increased their special training hours.. An old man was busily sowing the seeds in his small field. He heard the sound of someone approaching on a horse and lifted his head. He found a young man wearing a veil riding towards his direction. He squinted his eyes and noticed that there are two injured kids with him. He immediately got up and sprinted towards them. Xuan Li Wei handed him the boy and he personally carried the girl into the hut. " This old sir, please check their condition. I heard that you are the only doctor in this vige." Xuan Li Wei looked at the old man. " Don''t worry about the cost of treatment." The old man hurriedly shook his head while examining the boy ." Money is not an issue.. This boy is suffering from fever. Feed this to the boy, he is not in immediate danger." Xuan Li Wei took the medicine bowl from his hands and slowly fed it to the boy. The old man frowned while checking Xia Lian. Xuan Li Wei noticed his frown, so he immediately asked " What happened?" Chapter 8 - Parting gift Chapter 8 - Parting gift The old man sighed and looked at Xuan Li Wei " This girl lost a lot of blood and her body is weak. The wounds on her back are deep and her remaining skin is full of bruises. She need to rest here for a few days. It''s better that you stay here. Moving her out of here is a bad option. " " Sir, she and I are not rted to each other. We just happened to meet each other. That''s all to it. I request you to let her stay here till she recovers." On hearing that they are not rted the old man nodded " No problem. Both of them can stay here till they recover. After they wake up if they want to stay in this vige, I will help them look for a house. If they want to leave, I will let them go. Is that ok?" Xuan Li Wei pondered deeply and nodded " We will do as you say sir." Though Xuan Li Wei agreed, deep in his heart he is actually afraid what will happen to her after he left. Xuan Li Wei is not aware that the worry in his heart is clearly reflected on his face. On seeing his worried demeanor the old manughed " Young man, don''t worry so much about her. Under my care, she will be alright. You can be at ease." Xuan Li Wei nodded his head but immediately froze '' Why am I so worried about her?'' '' It must be because she fainted in my arms.. That''s it!!'' Xuan Li Wei assured himself. A middle aged woman entered the room with a bowl of herbal paste and some cotton cloth. The old man said a few words to her and then looked at Xuan Li Wei. " Young man, let''s wait outside. My daughter inw will take care of her wounds." Xuan Li Wei followed the old man. After talking with the old man about their condition for a while, Xuan Li Wei handed him a pouch of gold. The old man refused but Xuan Li Wei persuaded him " Old sir, please ept this as a token of my gratitude." The old man epted after some hesitation. Xuan Li Wei realized that he needed to leave now but he hesitated in his heart. He then looked at the direction of the hut thinking deeply.. " Sir, after the girl wakes up give her this dagger" Xuan Li Wei handed his dagger to the old man. He also gave the old man some money and instructed him to give it to the girlter. After handing the items to the old man, Xuan Li Wei mounted his horse " Sir, if the girl asks anything just tell her that the dagger is a parting gift from me and ask her not to think too much about the money. Life will be difficult without money if they want to live alone." He then galloped away from that ce. Meanwhile in the woods a heated debate is going on.. " I am telling you, the girl is definitely stronger than our master at that age" a loyal fan of Xia Lain dered. " No, our general is more powerful than that little girl" another rebuked him. " You idiots, both of them are strong. I feel that they should get married. Only a strong girl like that can qualify to be our general''s wife." a couple-fan chirped in. " Hmm.. in that way we can support the girl without feeling bad for our general." everyone sighed.. " It seems that you are all free to talk such nonsense. I think it''s time to start special training for you bunch." a cold voice interrupted their lively discussion. All the men froze on hearing their generals voice and even though he is wearing a veil they can imagine his darkened expression. '' We are dead meat. Our general is annoyed..'' everyone secretly gulped. His next words made these group of lively men to fall into despair " This time it will be for a month." "..." Their general is such a bully ah! Chapter 9 - Dont forget your promise, OK Chapter 9 - Don''t forget your promise, OK " Chief, why should I deal with the prime minister Xia for a little girl?" a young man sitting in a luxurious mansion looked menacingly at a certain chief before him. But, the chief did not flinch and smiled as if he expected this situation. ''How many times did I not see this young master throwing a tantrum? Time for the bait..'' he smirked. Looking at his smirk, the young man stuttered " W.. What?" " If you do well this time, our general told me that he will treat you for dinner and wine." he calmly stated. " I don''t care.. I''m not falling for your cheap tricks..." the young master stopped in the middle realizing something. ''Bait sessfully taken..'' the chief danced in his heart. " Is it true? Will he really treat me ?" the young man looked at the chief withrge puppy dog eyes as if asking for assurance. " Yes, young master." the chief''s mouth twitched. ''How did this young master turn so hopeless.'' " Alright, leave this matter to me." the young man regained his spirits and looked at the chief with confident eyes " I will take care of him. He will not disturb that girl again." "I''ll consider this matter finished." The chief bowed slightly to take his leave. But, as he reached the door, he heard the young man''s voice again " Don''t forget to remember your general about his promise, ok?" '' What promise? I only said it to convince this man.. Now I have to convince my general'' just thinking about their general''s reaction after hearing about this made him shiver involuntarily. Xia residence: " Dear, did your men get rid of those two bastards?" Lin Rong asked Xia Jiang while caressing his face. " They should be dead by now. But, none of my men reported back to me." Xia Jiang thought for a while. " I don''t care if they are dead or alive. But if anyone knows that I nned to kill my own children, it will be a huge threat to my position in the pce." " Husband, there is no way that anyone other than us can know about it. Keep your heart at ease" Lin Rong spoke gently near his ear. Xia Jiang felt his whole body being rxed after hearing her sweet and gentle voice. " I''ll visit you tonight" Xia Jiang smiled at her. " Husband.." Lin Rong shyly bit her lip. Xia Jiang raised his hand to caress her face, when a series of urgent knocks interrupted his action. " What is it?" Xia Jiang felt annoyed as they were disturbed. " Master, a person from the Sacred order visited our manor." " What did you say?" Xia Jiang abruptly stood up. " He said that he is from sacred order and wishes to speak with you." the guard replied nervously. The Sacred order is a secret organization and their leader is known to be ruthless. No one knows his real identity. All that is known is that he appears in a purple robe wearing a golden mask. Furthermore and most importantly that those who provoke him will meet a scary and violent death. In Qilin empire, one can maintain their own army and can start secret organizations as long as they do not harm the throne. They exist as independent powers. Many such organizations are there but the sacred order is the most dangerous of them all. Even the emperor fears them and respects them. '' But, why are they here?'' Xia Jiang sub-consciously shivered. At his side, Lin Rong is already petrified as she heard stories about the horrible fates of those who provoked the sacred order. Chapter 10 - If anything happens to them, you will die Chapter 10 - If anything happens to them, you will die " Immediately invite him in" Xia Jiang recovered his senses and shouted at the guard. The terrified guard quickly ran away and after a some time passed he returned with a man dressed in green robes and golden mask. " Prime minister Xia" the man with the mask spoke coldly. " This esteemed sir, we are graced with your presence today." Xia Jiang cupped his hands and spoke respectfully. " Humph.. I came here on the orders of our master." the man snorted. Xia Jiang gulped nervously on hearing his words, a bead of sweat slowly forming on his forehead. " If any harm falls upon Xia Lian or her brother, you will die." Xia Jiang froze on hearing his words. " These are our master''s words." '' What is happening here? How did the sacred order get involved with my n?'' Xia Jiang''s mind started thinking erratically. On the other side, Lin Rong is stunned. '' Are they not dead? Howe their luck is so good. Even the sacred order is protecting them.'' Thinking till here, Lin Rong''s face turned ck. " Who are you to interfere with our family matters?" Lin Rong shouted like a mad woman. After killing that bitch Hua Ming Yu, she thought to get rid of these eyesores. She nned to acquire all the shops of Hua Ming Yu in her name after killing them. If these bastards are left alive, they will surelye back asking for their mother''s dowry. Even if they failed to kill them in this attempt, she was sure that they will not be able to escape from their future schemes. But now if sacred order gets involved, the situation is different. How can she carry her ns out peacefully, if they get involved. No! she absolutely cannot allow this. " That bitch Xia Lian and that bastard Xia Ming cannot live. Why are you protecting them?" The man did not even nce at her as if even looking at her will stain his eyes. " Prime minister Xia did you hear what I said?" " Y.. Yes" Xia Jiang stuttered as he clearly did not understand how those bastards are rted to the sacred order. If he had known earlier, he wound not have nned to kill them from the start. Xia Jiang was truly feeling regretful. All this happened because of that woman Lin Rong. Yes! It''s all her fault. Xia Jiang red hatefully at her. On seeing his hateful gaze, Lin Rong shivered and slumped to the ground. No! How did it turn out like this? I nned everything carefully. That Hua Ming Yu did not have any sort of rtion with the sacred order. Then how did those two bastards get to know them and even enjoy their protection? Lin Rong trembled all over while gritting her teeth. " Minister Xia, I hope you and your concubine will stay in your limits." " Do not provoke our master again. You cannot afford to pay the price." after saying this the man turned to leave. Lin Rong felt crazy after hearing the word '' concubine''. How dare he call her a concubine when she is the head wife? In a fit of rage, she got up and ran towards the man and blocked his path.The man felt irritated on seeing that face filled with malice and pure hatred. He was about to say something when the mad woman in front of him uttered something outrageous... Chapter 11 - Eager to die Chapter 11 - Eager to die " Did your master fancy that bitch Xia Lian?Or did she seduce him?" Xia Jiang already cursed her over a thousand times in his mind. ''Did she want to exterminate the whole family?'' he spat coldly in his heart while his anger grew even more. The man narrowed his eyes dangerously behind his mask and smiled coldly while a murderous air rose around him"Lin Rong, are you eager to die?" As soon as the sentence ended he raised his hand and pped her. For others it might seem a normal p, but only he knew that he used all of his strength in that p. A high level martial artist using his full strength can only be described with one word.. Terrific.. Lin Rong fell on the floor and cried loudly as the pain assaulted her.. She touched her cheek and felt that that it is swollen. After some seconds past she realised that three of her teeth were lying on the ground right in front of her. On seeing her teeth on the ground, Lin Rong started wailing loudly. "The next time I hear you speak something bad about our master, I will not stop with a p." " Minister Xia, please control this ugly woman. If our sacred orderes to know that your family is speaking ill of our master, your Xia family will meet its end and there will be no times for regret." The man thought of something and looked at Xia Jiang with a mocking expression " Our sacred order decided to protect Xia Lian and her brother. If they request our help in future, we will support them in any situation." " So, I advise minister Xia to think twice before doing something foolish again." Xia Jiang stared at him with widened eyes and a face filled with disbelief. The masked man felt satisfied on seeing his reaction, so he flicked his sleeves and left the manor with a smile. Xia Jiang slumped to the ground as he was not able to believe what happened before. He had expected to hear the news about the death of those two, instead he made a enemy out of the Sacred order. " Husband, are you letting go of this matter?" Lin Rong shouted like a crazy woman. Xia Jiang snapped out of his daze after hearing her words. Did this woman not want to live anymore? Or did she simply want to kill him as well? Speaking such words even after listening to that man''s speech and after getting pped by him, Xia Jiang truly did not understand this woman before him. Once he thought that she is an intelligent woman who adapts ording to the situations. But, today he understood that he is a fool for over-estimating her. This woman ispletely blinded by rage and hatred. She is not able to see the bigger picture.. Xia Jiang felt truly disappointed. Thinking about the outrageous words she said before, Xia Jiang felt anger surging forth and clenched his fists tightly. He really wanted to strangle her neck but he gritted his teeth and finally spoke " Lin Rong, we cannot offend the Sacred order. We are already marked by them. If we offend them again, our Xia family name will cease to exist." " So, don''t do anything rash. We have to think about the current situation clearly and choose the best way out. Do you understand what I am saying?" Xia Jiang spoke in a menacing voice. Lin Rong was stunned on hearing his words and only after a minute she understood the deeper meaning. Chapter 12 - House arrest Chapter 12 - House arrest Lin Rong felt anxious and immediately panicked " Husband, you cannot bring them back to the Xia Mansion again." " We carefully executed the n. So, what if we missed in our first attempt. We have many other methods to get rid of them." " Husband, think carefully.. the sacred order just pledged for her and she can use them in any way to control us. So we must eliminate her as soon as possible." Lin Rong desperately tried to persuade him. Xia Jiang nced coldly at her causing her next words to be stuck in her throat. " Lin Rong, she has sacred order in her hands now. Aren''t you thinking too highly about yourself?" " With sacred order she can kill our entire family. That is the reason we have to bring her back to home." " Once shees back, I can manipte her and use her ording her to my wishes. That dumb girl will listen to all of my words." " Didn''t the sacred order promise to listen to her words without any hesitation. They will deeply regret itter and I will make use of them." Xia Jiang spoke while tapping his fingers on the table. " So we have to bring her back and coax her. That stupid girl loves me and believes me. So I can convince her that her mother did something wrong and that''s why I had to kill her." Xia Jiang''s voice became colder by few degrees " We can use her as a pawn for our own benefits and gain insights into our enemy." " By using the sacred order''s name, we can provide a good life for our Xia Feiyan and our son Xia Jingli. Think about our children and don''t do anything stupid." Lin Rong calmed down but the thought of having to see the offspring of that witch Hua Ming Yu made her angry. Seeing that as she was still not appeased, Xia Jiang immediately ordered his servants " Take the madam away and lock her in her courtyard. She is to not step outside ore into contact with anyone until I say otherwise." " You can''t do this" Lin Rong stared at Xia Jiang with disbelief. " Drag her away.." Xia Jiang coldly spat those words and left the room. ............................. " Big sis.. " a child pitifully cried. On hearing the child''s cries, the old man who is sitting outside rushed inside. After entering the room he saw the boy crying near the bed where the girl is sleeping. Xia Lian felt her head aching terribly and the pain increased after hearing someone crying. '' Who is crying?'' Xia Lian wanted to open her eyes but no matter how hard she tried, her eyelids refused to move.. The old man saw her eyebrows twitching and looked at her carefully while figuring if she can open her eyes or not.. Feeling exhausted Xia Lian stopped trying to move her eyes and her eyebrows rxed.. Xia Lian once again fell into a deep sleep.. The old man sighed and patted the little boy " Little one, you should not cry.. Your sister will be alright and she will wake up after a few days.." The little boy raised his head and looked at the old man with teary eyes.. " Are you telling me truth?" The old man puts a gentle face and coaxed him " Your sister is sleeping. She is very tired, so let her sleep well. She will wake upter. So, don''t cry and disturb her.." Xia Ming nodded like a pecking hen and pondered for a while. '' Yes.. sister should rest well.. I will not cry.. I will stay here and guard her..'' he decided resolutely. Then Xia Ming slowly pulled a wooden stool near Xia Lian''s bed and sat on it. Afterwards he ced his little hand into Xia Lian''s hands . Xia Ming looked at his sister ignoring the old man while holding her hands tightly. The old man felt amused on seeing the boy''s actions and rxed after seeing that he stopped crying. The old man smiled while watching this harmonious scene and left the hut shortly after to continue his work. Chapter 13 - Herbal master (1) Chapter 13 - Herbal master (1) On the sixth day after her suddenly fainting Xia Lian slowly opened her eyes. But she immediately squinted her eyes due to the bright sunlight. She blinked her eyes a few times as she saw a series of blurry images. Xia Lian kneaded her temples to relieve the still ongoing headache. After adjusting her pupils to the brightness of the day she opened her eyes and scanned her surroundings. They are currently in a straw hut. She immediately turned her head to see her brother''s condition. There he was sleeping next to her holding her tightly. Xia Lian''s heart warmed on seeing him. Xia Lian touched his forehead to examine his temperature. On sensing that his body temperature is normal, Xia Lian rxed a bit. The little one was sleeping soundly and his peaceful expression calmed Xia Lian''s turbulent heart. He really looked like a cute bunny to her. The thought that this little brother of hers is too cute to resist was deeply integrated in ger mind.. So Xia Lian pinched his cheeks lightly. She was truly afraid on that day as she did not know where she was or where to go. The panic still lingered in her mind after seeing his high fever. Fever is not scary.. But, a weak three year old having such high fever is truly dangerous. In this era, where medicine is not so advanced it may lead to death. Right now she was curious about who treated them. '' Eh! Where is that veiled man? Is he here? I need to thank him properly.'' Xia Lian suddenly remembered that mysterious man who saved them from death. So, she slowly lifted the little boy''s hand from her waist. She truly did not want to disturb his sleep. " Little dumpling, have a nice beauty sleep.." Xia Lian lightly kissed his cheeks and slowly sat up. But she felt that world around her is spinning and steadied herself. She looked at her body and found that most of her wounds are healed. She tried to move her hands and found that she felt no pain in moving them. Xia Lian was truly surprised. The only knowledge in her possession was about modern medicinal practices and she knew very little about herbs. Xia Lian only heard that ancient herbal medicines are very effective and they treat the root of the disease unlike the modern medicines which simply treat the symptoms. But now she truly believed that ancient medicine is good as she saw that her brother''s fever waspletely reduced and even her wounds started to form scabs. Xia Lian decided to talk with the person who treated them. But a sound disturbed her train of thoughts. Xia Lian''s stomach started to growl..'' Hungry.. too hungry.. How many days did I sleep without eating anything?'' Xia Lian frowned and rubbed her stomach. On hearing the movements in the room, a middle ageddy entered the bed room. On seeing that Xia Lian woke up, the woman smiled at her " Girl, how are you feeling?" Xia Lian saw the woman and smiled politely " Aunt, most of my body is healed and even the pain has greatly reduced. Even my brother''s fever is cured." Xia Lian tried to stand up while speaking " Thank you so much for saving us, aunt." But, she was interrupted by the woman in the middle " Girl, no need to thank us. Sit down. You did not eat anything for the past six days. Let me get you something to eat." " Sorry for the trouble, aunt." Xia Lian rubbed her nose. " Aiya.. little girl.. don''t be so modest." the woman waved her hand at Xia Lian while leaving the room. The woman entered the room with a hot bowl of soup " Girl, this herbal soup is good for recovering your strength. Drink it up." Xia Lian''s expression darkened. '' Herbal soup!! Darn it.. Hope it won''t be bitter..'' . On seeing Xia Lian looking at the bowl of soup as if it''s her arch enemy, the womanughed.. " Girl, don''t worry. The soup will not taste as bad as you think." Xia Lian immediately felt embarrassed and coughed " I did not mean it like that, aunt..." after saying this Xia Lian started drinking the soup. As soon as she ced the spoon in her mouth, Xia Lian felt a cool sensation in her mouth and the soup tasted a bit spicy and sour.. Chapter 14 - Herbal master (2) Chapter 14 - Herbal master (2) ''Yummy..'' Xia Lian liked the hot and sour taste of the soup very much. She drank half of the soup as if the bowl is going to disappear in the next moment. The woman sat before her andughed after seeing her wolfing down the soup. " Well my dear.. isn''t the soup bitter?" the woman teased Xia Lian. " No aunt.. It''s so good.." Xia Lian spoke while drinking the soup. " Aunt, did my brother eat anything in these past few days?" Xia Lian asked worriedly. " In the beginning he refused to eat anything until you wake up. But my father-inw coaxed him to eat by saying that he needed to gain strength and grow up if he wants to protect you. Don''t worry, he ate everything I gave him without anyints." " Protect me?" Xia Lian is puzzled. " Dear girl, this little one stayed by your side from the moment he woke up. He did not let go of your hand for the entire time and he always slept beside you hugging you tight. He is scared when he saw you lying on the bed without moving." " I think he is clearly afraid of losing you." Xia Lian felt sad after hearing the woman''s words. ''He must have been scared to death after seeing his sister like that..'' Xia Lian sighed while rubbing the little boy''s head. Xia Lian looked at the woman and rubbed her nose " Aunt, I don''t know what to call you.." " You can call me aunt Qian." the middle aged woman smiled. " Aunt Qian, a man wearing a white veil saved us. Is he still here?" Xia Lian asked expectantly. " Girl, a veiled man did bring you both here. But, he left on the same day." Aunt Qian remembered something and got up " He spoke something with my father-inw before he left. My father-inw asked me to inform him after you woke up. I will go and tell him now." Aunt Qian left the hut after speaking. Xia Lian felt depressed on knowing that the man left. She didn''t even thank him and she fainted without hearing his name.. '' sigh.. leave it dear.. no need to feel bad now.. I''ll be grateful to him in my heart..'' Xia Lian consoled herself and finished the remaining soup. While Xia Lian is thinking about the missed opportunity an old grandpa in histe fifties entered the hut. Xia Lian stood up after seeing him enter as she felt better due to drinking the soup. " Grandpa, thank you for saving us. We are indebted to you." Xia Lian cupped her hands and bowed to the old man. The old man smiled at her "Girl.. how are you feeling?" Xia Lian smiled happily " Grandpa.. I am feeling alright now." The old man nodded and checked her pulse. After confirming that her pulse is stable he took a look at her injuries. Most of the wounds started forming scabs, so he nodded in relief " Girl, you are almost healed. Rest for three days and eat well. Both of your bodies are weak. Eat more eggs and meat..." the old man went on speaking. Xia Lian smiled after feeling his sincere concern and listened the old grandpa patiently. " Girl, sit down. I need to give you something." the old man brought out a wooden box and handed it to Xia Lian. Xia Lian opened the box curiously and froze on seeing the dagger in the box. '' This is his dagger.. why is it in this box?'' Xia Lian looked at the old man. On seeing her nk face, the old man chuckled " Girl, the person who saved you told me to give this dagger to you. He said that it is a parting gift from him. Also, he gave you a pouch of gold. Furthermore don''t think too much about the money as it is difficult for a young girl and a boy to live alone without any belongings. " Xia Lian stared at the old grandpa and then looked at the dagger and the pouch in the wooden box. Xia Lian did not know what she felt at that moment. Her own family tried to kill them and a random stranger cared so much about their lives. Xia Lian decided at that moment that if she found him in the future, she would definitely repay his goodwill.. Xia Lian calmed down and looked at the old man expectantly " Grandpa, did he tell you anything about himself?" The old man however shook his head " He did not say anything about himself. He left without telling his name. So I don''t know anything about him. However, he asked me to find you both a house if you want to stay in this vige. He is really worried about the both of you. He is a good man." the old man praised Xuan Li Wei. Chapter 15 - Herbal Master (3) Chapter 15 - Herbal Master (3) Xia Lian nodded and remained quiet. " Girl, I am called Wu Gong. Do you want to stay in this vige? I found a house suitable for the both of you." the old man asked. Xia Lian looked at her brother. Both of them were currently weak. She wanted to protect her little brother and mold his future carefully. With her previous life''s knowledge and experience, she was sure that she can train him well. But, in this world one''s future depends on one''s own strength. She needed to make herself strong. Also they needed to nurse their weak bodies.. " Grandpa Wu, what is this vige called and how far it is from the forest?" Xia Lian looked at the old man. The old grandpa Wu did not understand why she would ask about the forest specifically. But, he clearly exined to her " Girl, this is Xidi vige and the forest is very close to us. Most of us grow vegetables and wild fruits. Some of the vigers go hunting. But, they do not go deep into the forest as there are many wild animals. We are also very far from the city." Very good! She can train herself peacefully in the forest.. Xia Lian felt that this small and quiet vige is best suitable for them. So, she quickly nodded at the old man " Grandpa Wu, I''ve decided to stay here for the time being. If we are able to find our rtives we will leave." The old man felt that this was a reasonable approach so he said " Then shall we go and have a look at the house. If you do not like it we can search for another house." Xia Lian immediately shook her head " No need Grandpa Wu, we will take the house you selected. Anything is fine with us." Just finding a house is more than enough! Who wants to be picky. She really did not want to trouble the old man ah!.... Xia Lian took the money bag in the wooden box and handed it to the old man " Grandpa Wu, I don''t know how to thank you for the grace of saving our lives. You even searched a house for us. Please ept this money." However, the old man shook his head and chuckled " Girl, I do not need money. That man gave me a pouch of gold even when I refused him. I really don''t know what to do with so much of money. Keep the money safely with you and don''t let anyone know that you are having such arge amount of money. You can live your life well and peacefully with that money." Xia Lian understood that he was not going to ept the money so she did not ask him again. " Then I have to trouble grandpa Wu to buy the house. I don''t know how toplete the process of buying a house so please follow along." Xia Lian was embarrassed in asking an old man to do the work. But she really did not know the procedures in this world. " Alright, thene with me. We will go to the vige head now." the old man stood up. Xia Lian also stood up and straightened her clothes. She took the original body''s money pouch and found that there are about twenty silvers in it. Xia Lian had no idea if this is enough to buy a house here. Tying the pouch to her waist, Xia Lian followed the old man Wu. She could feel that the old man Wu was highly respected in this vige as everyone bowed to show their respect to him. Grandpa Wu greeted everyone back without losing his patience. " Doctor Wu, your medicine is wonderful. My son''s rashes have disappearedpletely. Thank you very much doctor." a man bowed and sincerely expressed his gratitude. Old man Wu also spoke a few words with him before walking away. Xia Lian admired him for not being proud and was convinced that this grandpa Wu is very good at medicine after seeing the reactions of the vigers. '' I should talk with grandpa Wu and if he is willing to teach me, I should learn about herbs from him..'' Xia Lian thought as she followed the elderly person. " Doctor Wu.." a warm voice greeted them. Xia Lian raised her head and saw a middle aged man dressed in simple robes smiling at them. His hair was neatlybed and tied up. He had the look and air of a schr. " Vige head Lan Chun.." grandpa Wu smiled in return. Xia Lian also paid her respects. Lan Chun smiled at Xia Lian and looked at the old man " Doctor Wu, is this visit about the house?" " Yes, we havee to take the house. Can weplete the procedures now." grandpa Wu directly talked business. " Of course.." Lan Chun led them into a small room. Xia Lian paid 8 silvers for the house along with thend. Xia Lian observed the registration process and figured that the process is very easy. Afterpleting the purchase the elderly took Xia Lian to see the new house. Chapter 16 - Herbal master (4) Chapter 16 - Herbal master (4) Xia Lian examined the house in front of her. It had a small ce for ntations. The house had a kitchen, a bedroom with attached bath and another room. It was furnished in a very basic manner. Overall Xia Lian was satisfied with the house. ''Home.. Sweet home..'' Xia Lian smiled happily in her heart. Now she had to clean her house and decorate it a little.. " Grandpa Wu this house is very much to my liking. Thank you so much for helping us and sorry for the trouble.." Xia Lian bowed to the old man. The elderly smiled and shook his head " This girl.. you are so modest ah!." Xia Lian looked at him " Grandpa Wu, I will move here after two days. Is that ok with you?". Xia Lian needed to go buy some things before moving in. But she can''t trouble Grandpa Wu''s family for too long.. " Aiya.. You can move slowly.. What''s the hurry... Don''t take us for outsiders" grandpa Wu rebuked her. Xia Lian smiled while rubbing her nose. Both of them returned and the elderly went to the field to do his work. Xia Lian found that her little brother is still sleeping. So she looked around the old man''s house. Xia Lian found a pile of handwritten note books on one side. Books always attracted her.. Xia Lian was a bookworm in her previous life.. So, she immediately took a book and started to read. Xia Lian was surprised to see that the book in her hands contained all the detailed information about herbs. So Xia Lian chose another book about the processing of herbs into powders and pills. Xia Lian realised that every book was signed by Wu Gong at the beginning. "So, all these are written by grandpa Wu.." Xia Lian mumbled while going through the books. But what piqued Xia Lian''s interest is that one of the books contained detailed information on surgical methods. This book was notpleted and the knowledge on surgery was also very little. But in this era having an idea of surgery was already very rare and Xia Lian was sure that this grandpa Wu should be considered a medical genius.. or rather a herbal master.. Xia Lian decided that she should learn from grandpa Wu. So after pondering for a while and encouraging herself to ask the good old man Xia Lian went outside looking for grandpa Wu. She found him sitting on a small bench and decided to take the ce right next to him. The elderly just smiled expectantly " Girl, do you need something?" Xia Lian didn''t beat around the bush and clearly exined her objective " Grandpa Wu I saw your medical books in the corner of the room. I can understand that you are a person of great knowledge so I want to learn from you. Can you ept me as a disciple?" Grandpa Wu was shocked at her request and his body froze. Xia Lian didn''t understand why he remained silent, so she continued " Grandpa Wu, I know a little about medicine from my master. He taught me many things before passing away. When I read your books I figured that you did an extensive research on herbs and pill refining." The little girl paused for a moment. After taking a deep breath she continued. " So, I really want to learn from you." Xia Lian looked at the old man nervously. Grandpa Wu looked at the girl''s nervous expression and chuckled " Girl, you said that you know about medicine. Let me ask you a few questions. I will not ept stupid disciples." " No problem grandpa Wu.. ask me anything." Xia Lian was secretly relieved. She thought that this old man would reject her from the start. " Fine then.. " Wu Gong wrote something on a paper and gave it to her. " Girl, I gave you a list of symptoms. Identify the disease and write down your observations and methods of cure." Wu Gong instructed her. Xia Lian took a look at the paper and smiled while simultaneously taking the brush and writing down on the paper. She looked at each list for about a minute before determining the disease and it''s cure. Wu Gong was surprised after seeing her writing down without thinking properly. He squinted his eyes and took a look at her paper.. One look and he had no words to describe the shock in his heart at that moment.. Chapter 17 - His first and last disciple Chapter 17 - His first andst disciple In her past life Xia Lian worked as a doctor before joining the military. Xia Lian became proficient in diagnosis and treatment of diseases thanks to her many years of working as a doctor. And the symptoms listed by Wu Gong are rted to migraine, pox, flu which are a piece of cake for modern medicine. But in Wu Gong''s eyes she appeared like a monster. Such a fast and urate diagnosis scared the wits out of him. He found a gem ah! Only the polishing was still needed to make it shine.. But Wu Gong wanted to speak with her clearly before epting her. After all his name was a taboo in all the major cities. That''s why he settled in such a peaceful and remote vige. Xia Lian stopped at thest list of symptoms. Ear blockage and pain.. Ear wax problem. But how exactly was she supposed to find ear-drops in this era. So Xia Lian thought for a while and finally left the space nk. Xia Lian handed the paper to the old man and looked at him confidently. Looking at her calm expression, Wu Gong sighed " Girl, I am more than happy to ept you as my disciple. But I need to tell you something. You can decide if you want to be my disciple or not after listening to me." Xia Lian stared at the grandpa Wu and nodded. After seeing that she nodded Wu Gong looked into the distance as if remembering something and spoke slowly. " In our Qilin empire there is a medical union for advanced research. Our emperor started it with an idea of developing the medical field. My friend Li Shen and I lead the research unit." " At that time I got the idea of joining the cuts and wounds by sewing. I first experimented it on animals and it was a sess. So I taught my friend what I knew about the surgery in the hope of developing it further." Speaking till here Wu Gong disyed a hurt expression on his face " But, I never expected that he would betray me and steal my work. He also framed me for killing someone using a wrong surgical method. After that my glorious career and fame all came to an end." Wu Gong looked at Xia Lian and said with a self-mocking smile " Girl, my name is the most cursed name in this country. If they know that you are my disciple, they will curse you in the same way. So, do you still want to be my disciple?" Xia Lian looked at the old man with a dumb-founded expression " Grandpa Wu, what does that have to do with me? Anyone in their right mind can tell that you are not a person who would kill. I believe that you did no wrong." " Also, I don''t care about what others think or speak about me. I always follow my heart. I believe that you are innocent because my heart is saying so." " So, grandpa Wu.. can I call you master now?" Xia Lian raised her eyebrows with a proud smile. Wu Gong looked at this girl with aplicated gaze. His only friend deceived him and no one supported him during his difficult times. But this brat said that she believed him without any doubt. He truly did not understand the ways of fate.. He never epted a disciple before. After that incident everyone started to alienate from him, so the thought of epting a disciple was out of question at that time. Now this talented little girl was looking at him withrge eyes.. Wu Gong felt that this little girl behaved very cute and his lips curved gently. " Alright.." Xia Lian opened her mouth into an ''O'' before breaking into a huge grin. She happily smiled and jumped up excitedly. Looking at her antics Wu Gong startedughing. Xia Lian felt embarrassed and a bit shy but she was really happy ah! She is was so incredible happy that she forgot to maintain her image.. Xia Lian kowtowed and looked at the elderly smiling gently. " Master.. " Wu Gong felt an indescribable emotion in his heart after hearing her call him master. He tried to calm his emotions and looked at her seriously " Girl, you are my first and thest disciple." Xia Lian is stunned after hearing that this old man never had any disciples before her and a proud feeling arouse from within. '' Sure enough.. most geniuses are entric..'' she sighed in her heart. Chapter 18 - I am a pig, so are you Chapter 18 - I am a pig, so are you Xia Lian and grandpa Wu chatted a long time about medicine and they developed a bond of kinship at that moment.. Grandpa Wu gave all of his books to Xia Lian and asked her to find him if she had any doubts. So Xia Lian happily nodded and entered the hut with a heap of books in her hand. The books lined up like a tower in her hands covering her little face. " Sister" following that innocent voice a tiny figure crashed into her. Xia Lian didn''t see thising and obviously was not prepared to face this little guy''s show of affection. So Xia Lian swayed a bit and all the books fell on the ground. Xia Lian''s first reaction was to cover the little guy''s head with her hands. " Ming, you careless brat.. " Xia Lian rebuked him lightly. But, the boy was not in a state to pout on her words. He was extremely happy on seeing his sister get up and talk normally. " Sis, why did you sleep so long. You once told me that only pigs sleep so long... So, did my sister be a pig?" Xia Ming teased her with an innocent face. Xia Lian''s lips twitched on hearing his words. '' You are merely a little sprout and you dare tease this big sis ah!..'' Xia Lian felt amused in her heart. So, she could not help but smirk " Yup.. sis is a pig.." Xia Ming grinned widely but his sisters next words made him pout. " But the brother of pig is also a pig.." Xia Lian looked solemnly at her brother. Sheughed happily after seeing his cute pout. " Alright.. your sister is alright now. So, don''t worry little brat.." Xia Lian ruffled his hair. Xia Ming smiled at her as he liked his sister ying with his hair. His sister always remained silent, but now after seeing his big sis so active and ying with him he was really happy ah! Xia Lian started picking the books whichy scattered all over the floor. Following his sister picking up the books, Xia Ming also started picking the books. Although his hands were small, he was able to pick three thin books. Xia Lian felt warm on seeing his actions and could not help but smile widely. Both of them quickly sorted out the books neatly into two rows on the table. " Ming, today big sis will cook something tasty for you..." Xia Ming''s little face darkened on hearing his sister''s words. How can he not know his sister''s cooking skills.. But he swallowed his words on seeing his sister''s excitement. Xia Lian naturally noticed his defeated expression and chuckled " Ming, don''t worry. Your sister''s cooking is great now.." Xia Ming was still a three year old kid so he naturally believed his sister''s ims which resulted in him nodding his head excitedly. Xia Lian took Xia Ming to the vige farm and brought a basket of eggs. Afterwards she brought some onions, potatoes and tomatoes from an uncle''s farm. She bought some oil and spices from a small shop. After returning to their small hut Xia Lian started a fire and took out the pan which she borrowed from aunt Qian. Xia Lian took an onion and neatly chopped it into very fine pieces and this was followed by a potato and a tomato. Xia Lian fried all these in oil and kept them aside. Furthermore four eggs were taken and whisked. After a while she added all the fried vegetables with spices and cooked a simple Spanish omelette. Xia Lian felt satisfied after seeing the fluffy omelette and a faint aroma started to spread in the little hut. Xia Ming looked at his sister with bright eyes. So his sister can really cook now.. Xia Ming danced in his heart after seeing the yellow and crispy thing his sister cooked. He didn''t know what it is, but he wanted to eat it. She repeated the process with six eggs and handed them over to aunt Qian and grandpa Wu. Xia Lianughed after seeing her brother''s drooling face after returning. She neatly arranged everything on the tes and sat beside her brother. The omelette was swiftly cut into small pieces to allow them to cool a bit. She then carefully fed Xia Ming with chopsticks. " How is it?" Xia Lian asked with bright eyes. " So tasty sis.. " Xia Ming nodded happily and looked at her. " Ah.." Xia Ming opened his mouth indicating her to feed him. Xia Lian happily fed him and the little guy ate the huge omelette without leaving anything behind. After seeing him eat his fill, Xia Lian grinned and she also ate with extra energy and a bright mood. She decided to make new dishes everyday so she can fatten up her small rabbit. Chapter 19 - Meeting future sister-in-law Chapter 19 - Meeting future sister-inw " Young lord it''s the first time we used our sacred order for protecting a little girl.. They even insisted that master took a fancy to that girl.." a man dressed in green robes and golden mask sighed. " Oh..." a young boy dressed in mboyant red robes smirked. The smirk brought a devilish allure to the teenagers handsome features. The red robes did not seem out of the ce as they brought out the wildness and charming free soul of the boy. The man in green sighed on seeing his young lord''s smile. He finally understood why all the youngdies flocked around him.. " Xia family is really something. They dared to insult elder brother.." the teenager seemed amused. He remained silent after that, sipping his tea gracefully. After a while, the teen in red suddenly spoke " Ah Jin.. But what they talked about may not be false entirely.." " Young lord.." Ah Jin was terrified. What is this young lord thinking suddenly... " Ah Jin, did you ever see my elder brother doing such an outrageous thing for a girl?" the teenager countered him with a question. Even Ah Jin was surprised by their master''s actions. So he did not find any reason to refute the young lord''s words while only silently shaking his head.. The teenager felt a sense of triumph and continued. " Even I have a faint feeling that my stone hearted elder brother finally took a liking to a girl. I am really interested in knowing what kind of creature could make my brother send his chief directly to me." " Ah Jin, do you know where my elder brother hid those two siblings?" Ah Jin did not think much about it and replied almost immediately " Young lord, master left them at old man Wu Gong''s house." On hearing Ah Jin''s answer, the teenager suddenly stood up and covered his face with a golden mask. " Ah Jin, prepare my horse. Take me to that ce." " Eh.. Young lord.. why so sudden..." Ah Jin stuttered. " Stupid man.. of course it''s to meet my future sister-inw.." the teenager scoffed disdainfully. " Young lord.. if master knows.." The young boy in red interrupted his words and patted Ah Jin''s shoulders " So what if he knows.. I know my elder brother well. Don''t worry.. I can manage him." Ah Jin shrugged helplessly and went out to prepare the horses. Meanwhile the teenager paced across the room nervously speaking to himself " Jun Moyin.. think hard.. It''s your first meeting with future sister-inw. What would be a decent gift.." " Humph.. for brother''s wife naturally I should gift the best.." Jun Moyin remembered his trump card andughed proudly. '' Naturally, my brother''s wife deserves the best ah!'' he smiled foolishly. When Ah Jin returned to the room to inform the young lord he saw the young lord smiling foolishly and his face darkened. " Young lord.." Ah Jin gritted his teeth. " Cough.." Jun Moyin returned to his previous devilish expression. He smirked at Ah Jin " Let''s go.." Ah Jin suddenly felt amazed on how this seventeen year old boy can change his expressions in an instant. But after remembering his master''s shamelessness Ah Jin consoled himself. Naturally birds of a feather flock together.. Master and young lord, though not rted by blood, they are very simr temper and a deeper rtionship than blood rted brothers.. Even their excellent acting skills and ck-bellied nature are very simr. Both of them mounted their horses and left the mansion. On the other hand Xia Lian had no idea that she became a sister-inw figure for a brat.. Xia Lian spent most of her time studying the medicine books. As it was her first time learning about herbs she was deeply invested into learning earnestly. Most of the time she followed her master like a tail showering him with her questions. Wu Gong naturally was very happy to rify her questions. Xia Lian''s questions were mostly in the form of: " Master, look at thisbination.. I think this is effective for fever.." " Master, look at this.. I can say that this poison will increase the pain to a hundred fold.." Wu Gong could only shake his head helplessly and test all her ideas. He also felt very interested in herbinations and gave her suggestions on how to improve them further. On the other hand, Xia Ming sat on the bed observing his busy sister. He felt bored and started to sketch on the paper in front of him. Chapter 20 - Two fluffy bunnies Chapter 20 - Two fluffy bunnies Xia Lian entered the hut with a bunch of herbs in her hands. She started grinding the herbs with a stone. Though the process is time consuming and requires a lot of manual effort Xia Lian didn''t have a particr bad feeling about it. Xia Lian is clearly excited about the end results.. And she never believed that one can achieve excellent results without the required work and time. So she started to grind the herbs patiently with a moderate force. " Sis.." a cute voice interrupted her thoughts.. Xia Lian turned and tilted her head to look at the boy handing her a paper. After taking the paper from his arms curiously she found a sketch of a girl cooking. Though the art is a bit poor, she can tell that this little dumpling drew her image while cooking. So no matter how bad the picture was she really liked it. Xia Lian looked at the boy''s hands and face which are smeared with color and felt fuzzy. She looked at his expectant eyes and smiled " Ming, I really like it. I didn''t know that my cooking can make you draw ah!.." Xia Ming blushed and smiled. Xia Lian clutched her heart '' My god.. this little brat''s cute smile is a fatal attack for all thedies.. Not good..''. Xia Lian slowly calmed her thumping heart. She spoke a few words of encouragement and resumed her work. Xia Ming hopped excitedly towards his bed and started to draw another picture.. By evening Xia Lianpleted her new paste and went to her master excitedly. After getting his acknowledgement Xia Lian returned to her hut. The petite girl sat on the bed and started to think deeply. Xia Lian wondered why her days were so peaceful. She really felt weird.. she assumed that her father''s men would be looking for them.. And it was really not difficult to find their hiding ce.. It''s been a week but everything was quite. Xia Lian assumed that they would find them in the next couple of days and brushed off her thoughts. Xia Lian looked at her brother who is busily drawing some weird things and chuckled. She smiled at him and taught him how to hold a brush and how to draw some basic figures like a tree, a hut... Xia Ming nodded like a pecking hen and started to draw all the figures his sister taught him. Xia Lian looked at his excited appearance and sighed. The little girl pondered for a while and took out the white apron from the box. In the past few days Xia Lian bought a few pairs ofmon looking robes for her and her brother. She also bought some fur material and gave them to a tailor to stitch them ording to a particr design and had to collect them after a few days. After wearing the apron and washing her hands Xia Lian took out a bowl and added some flour, fresh milk, a pinch of salt and some mashed banana paste. Afterwards she mixed everything well and took out the pan. At this moment, grandpa Wu''s voice rang " Little Lian, someone is here to meet you." Xia Lian''s heart dropped to the bottom and cursed in her heart '' What a timing...'' " Don''t worry little girl.. these guys are good. They won''t harm you." Xia Lian almost choked on her breath. This master of hers is so awesome ah! Xia Lian sighed and washed her hands. Xia Lian forgot to remove her apron and came out of the hut. She saw two men.. One dressed in green and the other in red.. One seemed a little young and the other a bit old. A weirdbination, she must admit.. The two men are also observing her while she was observing them. " Sis.. who came to see us?" The two men followed the voice and saw a young kid about three years old step out of the house and stand beside the girl calmly. Xia Lian shrugged her shoulders and scanned the two men. Jun Moyin was stunned silly by seeing the girl. Though she was young he can tell that she was quite stunning and she will be a woman of great beautyter. But, right at that moment, in that apron she looked like a cute bunny ah! Then again, he saw the kid beside her. He looked so cute that only if his cheeks had more meat, he would have kidnapped him without second thoughts... Jun Moyin looked at the pair of brother and sister.. he suddenly felt that they are so cute to look at... One with colours on his face and the girl with a little flour on her face.. '' Two fluffy bunnies..'' he thought and calmed himself to restrain himself from pinching their cheeks.. ''His big brother liked fluffy bunnies ah!'' Jun Moyin felt that he discovered a new side of his ever acting cold brother. Chapter 21 - We will be your support Chapter 21 - We will be your support " Ahem.." Xia Lian cleared her throat bringing the two men before her out of their daze. " Sister-in-..." Ah Jin quickly punched Jun Moyin on his back to correct his loose mouth. If his master knew that the young lord addressed this young girl as ''sister-inw'' in his presence, he is clearly done for. Luckily Jun Moyin came back to his senses as he spoke seriously " Lady Xia, It''s a pleasure to meet you." Xia Lian raised her brows. Though she did not hear clearly what he called her, she is impressed by his acting abilities. Too bad he can''t fool her with his amateur skills.. If Jun Moyin and Ah Jin knew what she is thinking, they would undoubtedly puke blood.. Xia Lian is sure that they did not have any evil intentions.. She found the young boy in eye-catching red particrly interesting. But she remained vignt of them. Better safe than sorry! " Excuse me for my ignorance, but I do not know you." Xia Lian bowed and said in a respectful voice. Jun Moyin nodded and exined to her all the events that took ce in Xia residence after her absence. Of course, he highlighted the sacred order and eliminated the details about his big brother.. He clearly understood that his brother wanted to remain in the shadows as he did not reveal his identity to the girl. So he helped his brother out big time ah! Xia Lian now understood why her life remained so peaceful. So it was because of the sacred order ah.. Hmm.. though they helped her, they did not say the reason for their assistance. It seemed that they want to conceal the matter. But it didn''t matter to Xia Lian. Everyone has their own secrets. As long as they do not harm her, it does not matter to her. But wait.. this fellow mentioned something along the lines of them pledging to protect her.. Xia Lian was clearly baffled. She could not bring herself to ept this extremely good treatment. So she rubbed her nose " These two sirs, please don''t take any offense in what I am going to say. I am really grateful to you for helping me but something serious as a pledge should not be taken for someone insignificant as me." " I don''t know why your sacred order pledged to me but I can''t bring myself to ept this. So I hope you forgive me." Jun Moyin was surprised on hearing her words and smiled. '' How can the girl selected by big brother be normal..'' He was clearly happy in his heart that this girl was humble and did not get carried away. So he resolutely decided to help this girl. He shook his head and stepped forward to stand before the girl. Jun Moyin was about 5feet 8inches tall so Xia Lian had to her head to look at him. While looking at that pair of bright eyes Jun Moyin sighed '' My sister-inw is too cute ah! I must warn my brother.. Otherwise, she will be snatched away..'' " Lady Xia, we the sacred order do not go back on our words. Also, you are not a person who will use others as you wish for personal interest. For a youngdy and a small kid to stay alone it is quite dangerous without someone to support you." " Please allow our sacred order to be your strength in times of your need. I promise you that we will not interfere with your life, unless you request our help." After saying this Jun Moyin handed over a token to her. It was made of gold and it had a pair of winds crafted on it but the small green jade embedded into it piqued her interest. " Please ept this token. It will help you in many situations." Jun Moyin exined in which situation she can make use of that token. Xia Lian was clearly surprised and was taken aback not knowing how to reply. She took a deep breath and epted the token. She knew that she needed a support to rely on. But she did not expect for such a powerful force to support her. She clearly did not have anything and was powerless. But they were clearly supporting her. In response she bowed deeply to the young man before her " This Sir I don''t know how to thank you. But I will surely repay this goodwill of yours in the future." Xia Lian looked into his eyes and dered " Also I promise that I will not use the sacred order in a way that will bring shame upon you." Chapter 22 - A celebration of friendship Chapter 22 - A celebration of friendship Jun Moyin looked at her clear and determined eyes and smiled " Lady Xia, no need to be so polite. After all, we are friends." Xia Lian observed the young man before her with amus.e.m.e.nt. Clearly this is their first meeting and the rtionship already reached the level of a friend. Jun Moyin smiled sheepishly on seeing his sister-inw''s amused face " Sis Xia, how about we be friends?" Xia Lian was stunned for a moment before smiling brightly. She liked this youngd.. He is straightforward and though his acting skills are bit poor she was intrigued by his easy going attitude. So she extended her hand " Xia Lian." Jun Moyin froze for a moment before shaking his hand with her " Jun Moyin." On the side lines Ah Jin was stunned as his young lord disclosed his real name. He could not help but break into cold sweat! Why is this young lord so defenseless before this young girl. He knew that his young lord always flirted with girls but there was never any friendship between him or any female living being. So all that was left was genuine shock. Just what kind of wondrous attraction was there that made both master and young lord to be drawn to her.. " Sis Xia, no one outside the secret order knows my real name. So, keep it a secret for me." Jun Moyin winked at her mischievously. '' This brat..'' Xia Lian scoffed in heart, but smiled at him helplessly " Alright.. It''s a secret between us.." " Sis Xia, take care. I will be leaving now." Jun Moyin smiled. Xia Lian looked at her apron and suddenly remembered something, so she shook her head " No don''t go yet. How about you both stay for a while. I am cooking something delicious. Take it as a celebration of our friendship." Jun Moyin was pleasantly surprised and grinned widely.. " Alright sis Xia..". Ah Jin smiled helplessly on seeing his young master''s sheepish smirk. Xia Lian smiled and brought out a few chairs and a table while arranging them outside of their hut. The scenery was quite pleasant and the fresh smell of the vige air made the ce quite good for their small celebration. Xia Lian busied herself in making extra batter and a huge number of her special pancakes. Afterwards she took out some potatoes and sliced them into small pieces and fired them before finishing the delicate dish with flour and spices. Thest touch consisted of a fine sauce out of mint leaves to act as a dip for her potato balls. The dishes were rounded out by some fresh lemonade. A sweet and spicy aroma filled the air and Jun Moyin licked his lips. The arrangement of the meal was quickly finished. She ced a few pancakes on each te and she poured honey on them. Afterwards she sliced the pancakes into small pieces to make it easy to eat with chopsticks. Aunt Qian and her master were swiftly invited to begin the feast. " Master, aunt Qian.. let''s eat together. I got a new friend." Xia Lian smiled happily. Wu Gong had no objection as he knew that these men are not having any bad intentions towards his little disciple. In the future, even if they have any ill-intentions, he will wipe them off so he really did not mind this new friendship. " Moyin, eat up.." Xia Lian then looked at Ah Jin " Sir, please make yourselffortable." Chapter 23 - More like a youtube chef Chapter 23 - More like a youtube chef Jun Moyin was ready to dig in and he was waiting for these words so he started to eat immediately. He liked the sweet taste very much and and literally devoured his pancakes. Aunt Qian was also impressed by this dish and clearly praised the little chef " This girl.. every time you make something new.. Like a real chef.." Xia Lian choked on her breath while preparing to feed her little brother " Aunt you are over praising me..don''t be a meanie!" '' What chef.. clearly all the credit goes to youtube ah! hmm.. more like I am an you tube chef now'' Xia Lian sighed in her heart. She never knew that her previous hobby of watching cooking videos will someday grant her such a surprising result. Xia Lian felt that she was clearly lucky so she fed her little brother with extra vigour. Xia Ming silently ate everything without ever wondering how his sister managed to create such delicious food. He is clearly enjoying his princely treatment while being fed carefully. " Sis Xia, what did you add in this? I am getting a fruity taste." Jun Moyin looked like a squirrel with his puffed cheeks. Xia Lian felt that this Jun Moyin is very adorable and sighed " I added bananas and milk to the flour with a little oil. Afterwards you have to fry them in the pan lightly." Jun Moyin nodded and after eating the potato balls he excitedly asked for the recipe and felt satisfied after Xia Lian exined everything clearly to him. At that moment his thoughts were obvious '' If I want to enjoy sis Xia''s cooking in the future I should make that big brother of mine act more like a man so that this treasure can be my sister-inw quickly..'' If Xia Lian knew his thoughts she would have kicked him away without any second thoughts. On this day she would never have imagined that she made a friend that was more like a wolf in sheep''s clothing. Even so she fiercely protected him against all the odds in future making a certain big wolf very jealous of his own brother ah. Jun Moyin saw Xia Lian feeding her little brother. She started to eat only after making sure that he had his full. He felt happy that his brother found a really good woman for himself. But his face darkened immediately on the thought of his elder brother. A dude only good at war, but clueless when ites to matters of women or love. After pondering for a moment he sneaked another look at his sister-inw. Even though she is friendly he could tell that she was not a normal woman who would fall for easy and cheap tricks. Jun Moyin suddenly smirked. His sister-inw is not an easy woman and this will result in so much fun ah! The miraculous image of his big brother prostrating before him for his advice in love.. Imagining his exciting future of making his almighty big brother kneel before him made Jun Moyin savor the taste of honey in his heart. How could he imagine that his delusional thoughts were clearly visible on his face at that moment. Looking at the smug smile on his face Xia Lian suppressed herugh with great difficulty while her cheeks turned into a bright shade of red. After suppressing her feeling for a moment finallyughed out loud " Hahaha.. Moyin.. whatever you are nning.. it certainly won''te true.. hahaha.." Jun Moyin felt like he was suddenly drenched with a bucket of cold water but after seeing his sister-inwugh he happily shrugged off her words and smiled helplessly. But the feeling of happiness was suddenly reced by realisation. '' Moyin..'' his sister-inw called him Moyin ah! Jun Moyin felt very happy that he finally made a new friend. His lips formed an evil smirk '' It''s time to visit my elder bro. Let''s see if that statue has an emotion called jealousy or not hehe'' After bidding farewell to Xia Lian and her little family Jun Moyin returned to his mansion with a head full of schemes on how to make his big brother jealous and full of despair. Meanwhile Xia Lian cleaned up everything and found herself looking at the dense vegetation opposite her house. She clearly sensed someone watching them. Her observers left the trees after these two men left but she felt that they held back on seeing these two men out of fear of being discovered. This was the only reason why she epted the token but she called Jun Moyin as friend because she clearly liked him. Xia Lian smirked after imagining the reaction of a certain someone after hearing the spies report. Chapter 24 - Flawless Chapter 24 - wless "So, you are saying that the men from the sacred order ate together with her?" Xia Jiang was shocked and his face darkened after hearing the report from his spies. " Yes master." a man in ck answered as he broke out into a cold sweat. Never in his life did he see someone so ruthless as his master towards their own children. Xia Jiang thought for a while as he never could have imagined that they are on such close terms with each other. He felt that he need to change his ns. " Draw back, no need to follow them anymore. It''s not good to spy on them with the sacred order around them. I''m afraid that they noticed our presence already." " For now I will let them be and not disturb them if they mind their own business without disturbing Xia family." Xia Jiang spoke coldly. " Yes, master" all the guards replied in unison. " Leave" After hearing Xia Jiang''s orders all the men left the room in an instant. Just as Xia Jiang predicted, Jun Moyin and Ah Jin noticed the presence of spies around them as soon as they reached Wu Gong''s house. On their way back Jun Moyin''s face was reced with a serious expression " Ah Jin it seems that I made a good decision by visiting them. That Xia Jiang sure is arrogant. Nevertheless he will not make a move because now he will be convinced that we are serious in protecting them." "Yes, young lord. Now he will know his ce." Ah Jin replied coldly.Jun Moyin nodded and both of them rode towards their mansion. Next day in the military camp: All the men were standing in the tent with stiffened expressions on their faces. A young man sat opposite of them while studying all the reports with a serious expression on his face. Though the youngd before them was only 19 years old all the experienced soldiers around him could not help but break out into a cold sweat. The young man had a focused expression on his face as if the world around him was of no importance to him. The scene that yed before them left even the soldiers in a daze. He seemed to be from an entirely different league than all people around him. A face capable of increasing the heartbeats of innocent maidens and a source of envy to every man around him. His lush and long silky ck hair flowed smoothly along his shoulders and the simple jade hairpin acted as a perfect essorypleting the beautiful picture. His originally white jade like skin had a slight tan glow which only made his features more appealing. The high cheekbones appeared chiselled into a perfect shape by a master craftsman and they were of such sharp contours it could be defined as a new measurement for perfection. His square jaw and broad shoulders were like an icing to the cake and well built body with a towering height of 6 feet 2 inches acted like a symbol of his overbearing strength. His ck robes did a poor job at concealing his muscr arms and well-built upper body and the outlines of his marvelous abs could be traced along the folds of his robes. That slight teasing scenery made everyone go mad ah. They really wanted to rip off his robes to have a look at his well-trained and sculpted chest. The light stubble on his cheeks indicating that the one before you is not a youngd, but a man with the spirit of a lion. The most attracting feature of his face were his eyes. A unique hazel brown that shined along with his intelligence. With eyes as bright and spell binding as the stars they bewitched all those who fell under his steady gaze. The word ''Handsome'' was truly an insult to describe the young man before them. wless. Yes, wless was the only suitable word for his appearance. Chapter 25 - Death mode activated Chapter 25 - Death mode activated The knitting of his well curved eyebrows brought all the men around him back from their daze. They calmed themselves because the mighty figure before them was not an alluring god but a god of death. They held their breaths and rxed only after seeing that the young man before them changing back to his calm appearance. " General.." a confident and brave soldier spoke. Xuan Li Wei lifted his head from the doc.u.ments before him and scanned all the men in the tent coldly. The wless man entered his god of death mode and the air around him turned cold. " A spy walked around us for an entire month and not even one of you could recognise him." Xuan Li Wei spat coldly. " It''s a good thing that I returned in time and caught him." Then he threw the stack of papers in his hands at the his subordinates " Do you know what would have happened if this information fell into the hands of our enemy?" All the soldiers in the tent lowered their heads in shame because they knew that their general rarelyshed out at them. He only berated them in serious situations and only if he confirmed that the mistake truly lied on their side. This time they knew better than anyone what kind of situation they created due to their own negligence. " We still don''t know what details are leaked." Xuan Li Wei gritted his teeth.. " Take me to meet him. I will make spit him all the details and show him the consequences of infiltrating into my territory" After finishing his speech Xuan Li Wei stood up and walked out of the tent agile like a leopard. Everyone in the tent sighed in relief but secretly lit candles in their hearts for that damn spy. Falling into the hands of their general was truly a nightmare. All the soldiers silently followed Xuan Li Wei as they walked for a few minutes before reaching the military jail. After seeing Xuan Li Wei the soldiers on guard immediately saluted him with an appearance of reverence. " Where is he?" Xuan Li Wei spoke slowly with a cold voice. One of the guards immediately bowed and led him to the cell where the spy was kept. It''s been a week since the man is captured and due to theck of care he was deprived of food and water. His body revealed several whip marks and his mouth was gagged to prevent him from making noise or biting his tongue. " Did he confess?" Xuan Li Wei looked at the special team responsible for torturing the criminals to get the information out of them. They looked at Xuan Li Wei and shook their head. Xuan Li Wei smiled coldly and asked in a menacing voice " Did you remove the death pill from his mouth?" " Yes, general." the special team replied in unison. " Very good." Xuan Li Wei entered the cell and squatted in front of the dying man. The death pill caused instant death after biting on it and almost all spies were made to carry death pill in their mouths in case they were caught. They were instructed to kill themselves rather than divulge information to the enemy under the impact of torture. This was one of the basic rules which every spy had to keep in their mind and to be fair, getting captured meant death in this kind of business. Xuan Li Wei lifted the man''s head by pulling his hair and the spy responded by looking deep into Xuan Li Wei''s eyes without any trace of fear nor respect. Xuan Li Wei knitted his brows and suddenly smiled. That little smile on his devilishly handsome face brought chills to everyone in the room. " I will give you onest chance. Confess on your own or.. I will make you spit out everything." Xuan Li Wei looked at the man coldly " If you do not confess on your own I will make you go through a pain you can''t even imagine and you will wish to never have been born in this hopeless world" Xuan Li Wei got up and gracefully sat in the chair prepared by his men. He rested his chin on his palm andzily looked at the man before him. On seeing their general behaving as if he was watching a good y all the soldiers sighed helplessly in their hearts. Seeing that the man had no intention of speaking Xuan Li Wei smiled slyly and looked at his special team " Let''s start..hehe" Chapter 26 - We just love our country more than ourselves Chapter 26 - We just love our country more than ourselves One hour passed.. Two hours passed.. The man''s body is covered with whip marks, knife cuts and the whole room is filled with stench of blood. Though the man''s body was strong the wounds on his body were still extremely painful. But his eyes glowed with determination to survive this ordeal. He calmly observed Xuan Li Wei with a look expressing '' Do whatever you want, you will not get a single thing out of me.'' It caused Xuan Li Wei to develop a slight admiration for this spy. Not a single one before was able to stand his torture and it has been way too easy to get information from them. But this man was truly quite different. He neither flinched nor struggled. He was not afraid of death and he did not show any signs of weakness. Having this level of mental strength when captured by the enemy was quite terrifying andmendable. '' When did Azure country''s spies turn out to be so terrifying'' Xuan Li Wei frowned. In thest few months many tried to infiltrate their military but they were captured and executed ording to the militaryw. Xuan Li Wei knitted his brows and scanned the man before him again with a trace of doubt slowly creeping into his eyes. Suddenly Xuan Li Wei''s line of sight stopped at the mans shoulders. He squinted his eyes and ordered his men " Tear of the dress on his right shoulder." The soldiers looked at each other and two of them immediately stepped forward and tore of a piece of dress revealing a deep scar.. " Veteran General, Geng Su.." Xuan Li Wei looked at the man on the ground. The man''s emotionless eyes revealed a trace of surprise for the first time. He seemed as if he wanted to ask something. Xuan Li Wei smiled and looked at his men " Remove the gag.." The man coughed hysterically for a while and the soldiers poured water into his throat after receiving a signal from Xuan Li Wei. After taking a while to calm down and catch his breath he looked at Xuan Li Wei " How did you know?" " Firstly, your toughness. The level of Azure country''s spies still has not reached such a terrifying level. Secondly, your body is not that of a spy. Only a soldier who fought in many battles can have such strong body so you are not a trained spy and you being here is your own decision." Xuan Li Wei smiled at the man before continuing " Am I right till here?" The man nodded and Xuan Li Wei continued " But very few would have such will to live and die for the country and I have long heard of many heroic deeds of general Geng Su in the battlegrounds. I also heard that no one is more dedicated than general Geng Su in serving his country. You have suddenly gone missing for many years... I only had a hunch and the scar confirmed it. " " General Geng Su, I really respect you.." Xuan Li Wei really admired this selfless man. Who would willingly enter his enemy''s territory.. The man smiled " I guess my disguise has not been of any use to me. You really live up to your master''s name. I really missed my days of battle with him. Back then, he was the only man worthy of being my opponent." Xuan Li Wei''s eyes shone with pride and smiled at him " Major, it''s really a pity that we are fighting on opposite sides." Geng Su calmly observed the young man before him and sighed " We soldiers only have to protect our mothend.. You don''t hate me and I don''t hate you either. It''s just that each of us love our country more than our interests." " So, how are you going to kill me?" " I will not make it difficult for you.." Xuan Li Wei looked at his men and they immediately gagged the man. Xuan Li Wei called one of them to his side and whispered something into his ear. The soldier immediately bowed and left the cell. Chapter 27 - Mu tribe Chapter 27 - Mu tribe In the military dorms a man sat at his study reading a book. His expression cannot be seen as his face was covered with a mask, a wooden mask that was painted in blood red with many creepy ck characters and symbols decorating it. One look at the mask and you would shudder involuntarily. The mask only added fear to his already entric personality. The man slightly tilted his head after hearing a series of knocks and sighed as he did not like anyone disturbing his peaceful study time. " Come in" his low and monotonous voice echoed. The voice is like a warm breeze that can put anyone''s heart at ease. But the warm feeling is very easily forgotten by looking as his dark mask. The young soldier entered the room with his head down all the while not daring to look at the mask which was the source of his many nightmares. " Master Mu Chen, general Xuan is requesting your presence."Mu Chen raised his eyebrows. '' It''s been a long time, since I''ve put my eyes to work.'' Mu Chen sighed in his heart. " Alright.." Mu Chen did not wait for the guard''s reply and exited his room slowly into the direction of the military jail. The young soldier immediately came back to his senses and rushed forward to lead the way. " Li Hong, are you still scared of my pretty mask?" Mu Chen asked with a hint of amus.e.m.e.nt. Mu Chen still remembered this young man''s horrified reaction when he first met him. After hearing the teasing tone of this venerable deity Li Hong face-palmed and grumbled " Master Mu, that eerie mask of yours still scares the wits out of me. Master I can change that mask of yours into a presentable one.." Mu Chen grunted " Humph, not even one of you can understand the beauty and artistic sense of my mask.." Li Hong sighed and reminded himself that he was talking to someone without anymon sense. However he developed a thought in his heart '' Master Mu, a day wille when someone crazier than you will tease you and make you remove that mask." Thus a gleeful young soldier and a weirdo slowly made their way towards the cell where Xuan Li Wei was. " General.. Finally you remembered a humble existence like me " Mu Chen deliberately spoke in a neither warm nor cold tone. The corners of Xuan Li Wei''s mouth twitched. '' Why did he have a such a weird brother and entric friend?'' he wondered. " You know what to do.. I will leave the rest to you." Xuan Li Wei left the cell with all the soldiers leaving Mu Chen alone with the man. Mu Chen slowly removed his mask and Geng Su was met with a pair of beautiful golden eyes. Geng Su admitted in his heart that he had never seen such beautiful golden eyes. While he was still upied with admiring them, the golden eyes seemed to emit a faint light and before he realized what was happening to him, Geng Su already entered into a trance.. Hypnosis. Yes, hypnosis. The Mu tribe has golden eyes and they can control anyone however they wish to. Therefore the members of the Mu tribe were highly valued by the emperor and the respect that was shown to them could be considered to be on par with the royal family. " Tell me what is He Shun nning?" Mu Chen''s gentle breeze like voice echoed in the cell. He Shun was the young and hot-blooded general of the Azure country and there has been many reports from spies saying that he was nning something on a ratherrge scale. But the specific details have not been disclosed to anyone except to his special troop so this man before them was their only hope to fish out any information. " Tunnels.." Geng Su faintly moved his lips. Chapter 28 - Banter (1) Chapter 28 - Banter (1) " What kind of tunnels?" Mu Chen asked again. However, Geng Su shook his head "I only know that they are building arge number of tunnels." "How many more months do they need to prepare for their invasion?" " Within two or three months" Mu Chen asked a series of questions but he was not able to get any answers from the man. '' He Shun, you are really very secretive this time. Seems that you are determined to win at any cost.'' Mu Chen smiled while leaving the cell. " You can dispose him off now." Mu Chen''s voice trailed in the cell and the soldiers responsible for execution stepped forward and with a simple hit on his neck the fate of a once famous general was sealed. " Tunnels??" Xuan Li Wei knitted his brows. " Yes and we have a deadline of two months to locate and block all the tunnels. He Shun is really careful this time. " Mu Chen seriously spoke. Xuan Li Wei nodded and looked at the mask which caused him to snort " Do you need to wear such an ugly mask?" " Seriously you do not have any taste.." Mu Chen suddenly remembered something and dragged Xuan Li Wei into the general''s tent. " What is it now?" Xuan Li Wei brushed his hands off from him. " I heard something interesting.." Mu Chen removed his mask and his eyes are still covered with a veil. " You can remove that veil.. You know that your eyes cannot affect me." " It seems that I am getting a younger sister.." Mu Chen removed his veil and his golden eyes shined with mirth. " Younger sister?" " Yup.." Mu Chen seriously nodded " I heard that you took a liking to a girl. Obviously your girl will be my younger sister." Xuan Li Wei''s mouth twitched " Who started these baseless rumors?" " Rumors? " Mu Chenughed at his wooden block friend. He had never seen this man paying attention to any girl till now. After saving that girl he even took measures to protect her. ''You can''t fool me ah!'' Mu Chen smirked in his heart. " Xuan Li Wei don''t tell me you don''t care about her. You even used the sacred order for her." Xuan Li Wei did not say anything. Of course he cared for her. All these days she was on his mind most of the time. Is she alright or not? Even he is not able to understand why he is so infatuated about a girl almost 7 or 8 years younger than him.. '' She''s just a little girl.. '' Xuan Li Wei sighed in his heart. " I heard that she is a bit young. You don''t have to worry about that. You can wait for her to grow up." Xuan Li Wei: "..." Why is everyone so eager to pair me with a little girl.. Before Xuan Li Wei could open his mouth a soldier announced "General, master Jun Moyin is here to meet you." Xuan Li Wei eye''s twitched as he knew the only reason for this brat to appear was to cause him endless troubles so sub-consciously looked at Mu Chen only to find that he was smiling mysteriously at him. Mu Chen covered his eyes with a veil but he was very excited. This brat came at the right moment. '' Xuan Li Wei, you are dead meat now.'' Mu Chen giggled in his heart. " Let him in." Xuan Li Wei sighed tiredly. Chapter 29 - Banter (2) Chapter 29 - Banter (2) " Hehe.. Big bro did you miss me badly?" Jun Moyin skid into the tent and stood with one hand on his hip while covering his face with a jade fan revealing only a pair of shiny mischievous eyes. Xuan Li Wei : "..." Dear god, why did I have such a brother.. Mu Chen : "pfft..." " Oh, bro Mu Chen is also here.. Good.. Good.." Jun Moyin settled on the seat beside Mu Chen and looked at him withrge eyes " Bro, you should help me.. " " Oh.. tell me what is it?" Mu Chen''s voice is tinged with a slight amus.e.m.e.nt as he already had a faint idea on what this brat was going to say. " Bro, I will lead the y and you should fan the mes further.. Got it?" Jun Moyin whispered to Mu Chen. Mu Chen controlled hisugh and nodded sincerely. He was really looking forward to see if there would be any change in the wooden block before them. Jun Moyin cleared his throat and looked at Xuan Li Wei who was currently observing the both of them as if they were idiots. The mischievous brat raised his eyebrows and smirked. He ignored his brother andpletely turned to face Mu Chen and started his chatter.. " Bro Mu Chen I made a new friend." Jun Moyin''s eyes sparkled with excitement. Mu Chen was surprised to see the genuine excitement in this kid and so he asked curiously " Oh.. Who is it?" " Sis Xia Lian.." Mu Chen: "..." Well done brat, first strike is quite powerful.. Xuan Li Wei: "..." Stopped his actions and frozepletely on hearing a certain name. " Bro Mu Chen, Sis Xia Lian hosted a party to celebrate our friendship and she cooked many dishes. They were quite tasty and I ate like a man deprived of food for many years.." Jun Moyin continued whereas on the other side a certain someone''s face turned into a horrible shade. Xuan Li Wei folded his arms across his chest and gritted his teeth '' I should have gone to see her instead of this brat..'' '' Or should I go now?'' Xuan Li Wei shook his head and scolded himself.'' How can you go whenever you want.. You have no rtion with her..'' Xuan Li Wei was so engrossed in his thoughts that he did not notice the incredulous expressions on Jun Moyin''s and Mu Chen''s face. " Say Moyin, how can your brother survive in the future with his over-jealousy and block headedness" Mu Chen scratched Jun Moyin''s shoulder. On the other hand Jun Moyin was celebrating in his heart.. so his brother is really attracted to his sister-inw ah! '' kekeke.. he will slowly understand his feelings.. I can y with him as much as I like..'' Thinking about the endless possibilities to tease his brother Jun Moyin smiled at Xuan Li Wei slyly " Big bro, I prepared a gift for you." Xuan Li Wei lifted his brows and Jun Moyin pped his hands. Ah Jin entered the tent with a basket in his hands and ced it on the table. For some reason after aplishing his tasks he left as fast as possible hehe.. Xuan Li Wei lifted the cloth and saw a pair of snow white rabbits looking at him with big eyes. " Jun Moyin.. What should I do with these.. Should I roast them?" Xuan Li Wei gritted his teeth. He was clearly shocked beyond belief.What happened to his little brother that caused him to be even more weird. Jun Moyin howeverpletely ignored Xuan Li Wei and looked at Mu Chen earnestly " Bro Mu Chen you don''t know this but sis Xia Lian and her brother looked like a pair of docile bunnies so I thought that big brother liked bunnies. That''s why I prepared this gift only keeping his interests in mind!" " Oh really.. Li Wei I didn''t know that you are into sweet and docile types.." Mu Chen could not remain silent anymore andughed out loudly holding his stomach. '' This brat has gone too far.. Is he not afraid that Xuan Li Wei will ce him on a chopping block?''. At least no one else was witnessing this scene or he feared it would result in bloodshed. Jun Moyin and Mu Chen turned their heads after hearing the sound of something breaking. The scene which unfolded before their eyes should be remembered by them for the rest of their lives. Both of them saw Xuan Li Wei looking at them with an extremely funny expression. They saw that his hand was still in midair and the teacup that was supposed to fill it was long shattered on the ground. Xuan Li Wei pointed his fingers at Jun Moyin and eximed in an incredulous voice " Who exactly did you call a docile bunny.. " Xuan Li Wei had a hard time understanding his brother''sparison. Afterwards heposed himself but still his mouth twitched " Jun Moyin.. did you say Xia Lian is a bunny?!" Chapter 30 - What docile bunny? Chapter 30 - What docile bunny? Jun Moyin and Mu Chen froze after seeing a human expression on Xuan Li Wei''s face. How long has it been since the signature expression on his face changed? Jun Moyin was so surprised by his brother''s outburst that he did not really pay attention to what exactly he said. After seeing that the two dummies before him were frozen stiff Xuan Li Wei repeated again with the same incredulous voice " Jun Moyin, did you call Xia Lian a docile bunny?!" Jun Moyin recovered from his thoughts and frowned at his brother " Big bro, seriously if not bunny is sister-inw a snake? In that cute apron and with some flour on her face, of course anyone would think that sis-inw is a bunny.." Jun Moyin stopped his sentence in the middle due to the slight killing intent creeping to him from the opposite part of the tent. " What?" Jun Moyin felt a chill down his spine. " Sister-inw?" Xuan Li Wei asked while tapping his fingers on the table. Jun Moyinughed sheepishly at his brother " A slip of my tongue hehe. O great one, please pardon this humble one.." '' But a day wille when I will call her my sister-inw ah'' Jun Moyin humped in his heart. Xuan Li Wei on the other hand started regretting that he did not go to visit her. He could have seen her in an apron. Well there was no use crying over spilled milk so he sighed and shifted his gaze back to the duo. " Enough of this drama. Now tell me exactly what happened?" Xuan Li Wei looked at Jun Moyin. Jun Moyin switched to his serious mode and exined everything in detail. " Big bro, sis Xia is looking healthy now and her wounds healed. Luckily there were no scars left on her face at all." Xuan Li Wei''s worried heart finally calmed down. After seeing the clear relief on his brother''s face Jun Moyin smiled and Mu Chen was stunned. '' It seems that Li Wei has really fallen for that girl'' Mu Chen chuckled in his heart. " Big bro, why did you give such a reaction when I called sis Xia a bunny?" Jun Moyin could not help but ask. " You did not see her fight. Once you witnessed her killing techniques you will neverpare her to a bunny ever again." " Oh.. then what did you think of her bro?" Jun Moyin wanted to know his brothers opinion in detail. Xuan Li Wei remembered those pair of bright, fierce eyes coupled with her one-hit kills and slightly shivered. " She is more like a tigress.." Xuan Li Wei answered with a gentle smile on his face which he himself did not realize. " Tigress??" Jun Moyin and Mu Chen looked at each other helplessly. Sure enough, a man in love only has his woman in his eyes. "cough" Jun Moyin cleared his throat after noticing his brother''s love-struck expression. His brother is clearly taken ah! He really wanted to worship his sister-inw for making this wooden block fall head over heels for her. Love of first sight was always wishful thinking in his opinion but his world views seemed to change at this moment. " Alright, both of you leave now. I need to discuss something with my subordinates." Xuan Li Wei had spent more than enough time to entertain these two. Chapter 31 - Search everywhere Chapter 31 - Search everywhere A small note for your better understanding: Hierarchy in the army: Commander ---> General ---> toon leaders ---> Soldiers ..................................................... Xuan Li Wei took a peek at the two rabbits and sighed. " Guess I have to take care of them.." he smiled wryly and ced the basket on a small table. " General the toon leaders are here to meet you.." a guard announced. " Let them in." " General.." several men with bronze badges pinned on their chests entered the tent and saluted to Xuan Li Wei. Xuan Li Wei nodded and everyone gathered around the table. Afterwards he spread the map out and took a brush before marking several locations with a cross. " Starting from tomorrow you are going to check all these ces for any tunnels." Xuan Li Wei looked at the men around him. " Tunnels?" a middle-aged man asked curiously. " Yes, Azure country is making secret a move on us. The only clues we have is this single word'' Tunnels''.. " Xuan Li Wei seemed to be thinking of something " I want this to remain a secret operation." " You need to check all the ces if any underground tunnels are present or any secret passages were built." " If you find any of them don''t hesitate to destroy them. You need to check the entire vicinity of the military camp and the nearby viges without alerting the enemy. Did all of you understand what I was saying?" Xuan Li Wei looked at all the men with a sharp gaze. " Yes general, we will arrange the men in shifts so we can work even more efficiently. Please don''t worry." a middle aged man spoke. " I have a hunch that their main target is our military camp. Our eastern barracks are the strongest pirs of the empire. We cannot and should not suffer any losses. If our camp falls it will result in a disaster for the empire so you have to carefully search everywhere. Stay alert as they may send more spies.." Xuan Li Wei discussed many things with the toon leaders. After making sure that he addressed everything he took ast look at them and spoke seriously " This is a serious matter and I will go to the imperial capital to report everything to the Emperor so I will be away from camp for about one up to two months. In my absence Min Zhuan will be in charge." After hearing Xuan Li Wei''s words a young man in his early twenties stepped forward and bowed " General I will not let you down." " I trust you." Xuan Li Wei said simple but powerful words and dismissed them. Min Zhuan has been by his side for the past four years and could be considered his right-hand man. He has always been efficient and trustworthy so he did not think twice before handing over all the responsibilities to him. Xuan Li Wei felt tired after a long meeting and rubbed his temples. Shortly after he remembered Jun Moyin walking towards the restrooms in the military dorm so he directly went and visited the room that was specially allocated to him. No one paid much attention to the young master as he was acknowledged as the younger brother of the general. Jun Moyin opened the door and shed all his teeth after seeing Xuan Li Wei " Big brother,e in.." He pulled Xuan Li Wei to sit on a chair and closed the door. " I am leaving for the capital tomorrow." Xuan Li Wei observed Jun Moyin calmly "Do you want toe with me?" " Yes, I want to meet mother and sister" Jun Moyin smiled happily. After the mention of his mother and younger sister even the stern general managed to form a gentle smile. " Alright, you can return with me or you can stay back there" Xuan Li Wei continued " Also this time I will be staying in the capital for a month." " Really? Mother and sister are going to die from happiness!" Jun Moyinughed after imagining their delightful expressions. Chapter 32 - All set to get started Chapter 32 - All set to get started Xuan Li Wei and Jun Moyin chatted for a long time and after finishing the dinner together, Xuan Le Wei returned to his tent. Next day morning.. Xuan Li Wei and Jun Moyin left the camp on their horses and the toon leaders started their mission carefully. On the other hand, Xia Lian changed into a set of martial arts outfit and started to do warm up exercises early in the morning. After some warm up, she started to run along the roads in the vige wishing everyone she met on her way.. Everyone smiled warmly on seeing such a cheerful girl early in the morning.. '' Such good people and a refreshing scent of earth..'' Xia Lian breathed the air greedily as she liked the fresh morning air which had a unique smell of nature. Xia Lian returned to the house after running for about two hours. Her body sweated profusely and she panted while cing her hands on her knees. " I should train after resting for a while.. What is the use of having skills without flexibility in the body." Xia Lian mumbled while slowly walking into the house. On entering the house, she saw Xia Ming sitting on the bed and sketching seriously.. Xia Lian chuckled and jumped on the bed while tickling the boy in the process. Both of them rolled on the bed and Xia Mingughed so much that his face turned red like a tomato.. Xia Lian left him reluctantly after a while.. If she continued to tease him any further he would choke.. Xia Lian carried her little bunny and dumped him in the bath tub filled with warm water.. " Ming, put on those clothes after your bath." Xia Lian pointed to the clothes on the wooden stand before leaving. Xia Ming bathed while humming a song. Xia Lian prepared breakfast in the mean time. She prepared two poached eggs to go with the buns and decorated them with the sauce which she prepared earlier She heated the milk and filled two huge porcin sses with milk. After covering everything, she saw Xia Minging out with his wet hair. He looked cute in his blue robes. Xia Lian quickly dried his hair and went to bath after instructing him not to run around.. After returning from bath, Xia Lian ate after feeding him. Xia Lian heard a knock on the door while cleaning the tes. She opened the door and smiled widely on seeing the men outside her door... " Girl, I made this bow as you instructed. Take a look at it." a middle aged man handed her a wooden bow. Xia Lian checked the bow and the string and smiled with satisfaction " Uncle Song, it is crafted well.." Uncle Song smiled after hearing her praise. It''s his first time crafting such a bow.. Developing a highly sophisticated modern bow is impossible in this era. So, Xia Lian added simple changes to the ancient bow so that her grip on the bow remains steady and she added a small protrusion so that her arrow can rest on it so that she can shoot at high speed without worrying about maintaining her arrow in straight position. After checking the arrows, Xia Lian remembered about her sword. " Uncle Song, what about my sword?" " Here.. we made a light weight sword as per your requirements.." Uncle Song handed her a sword. Xia Lian unsheathed the sword and tested it. ''Not bad'' she sighed in her heart, but nodded at the man before her "Thank you so much uncle.." Xia Lian handed over a few silvers to uncle Song for delivering the items safely and the man left the house with a huge smile. Chapter 33 - Not satisfied with herself Chapter 33 - Not satisfied with herself " Ming, be a good boy and stay with grandpa Wu.." " No, take me with you sis.." One girl and a little boy are ring daggers at each other not willing to give in to the other. Finally, Xia Lian sighed and rubbed her temples. She finally realized that she is not able to scold him ah! " Alright, but you should listen to me.." Xia Ming nodded and lifted his arms. Xia Lian smiled helplessly and left the house with the little bunny in her arms. " Both of you be careful. Lian''er don''t go deep into the forest.." Grandpa Wu couldn''t help but worry. " Don''t worry master.. Have faith in your disciple. I will be back by nightfall." Xia Lian waved at him. Grandpa Wu sighed and watched them leave till their back''s disappeared. " Father-inw, don''t worry. She is a responsible girl." Aunt Qian chuckled on seeing his worried expression. Wu Gong nodded and resumed his work. " Sis, is this a forest?" " Yes.." " Then where are lions and tigers?" "They are sleeping.." " Sis, let''s wake them up. I want to y with them.." "..." Little bunny, they are not pets ah! Are you trying to kill your sister.. Xia Lian patiently answered the curious child''s questions along the way. After walking for an hour, Xia Lian found a ce with a cave and open space with a smallke nearby. Xia Lian nodded with satisfaction after observing her surroundings. She checked the cave and after making sure that it is clean and safe, she gently ced her brother down. " You can sit here or stand outside and watch me practice.. If you want to go anywhere call me.. Don''t go alone.." Xia Lian started nagging. " I will watch you sis.." Xia Ming blinked his big eyes. Xia Lian smiled and both of them came out of the cave. Xia Ming sat outside the cave and his eyes never left his sister''s figure. Xia Lian took out the red paint and marked circles on many trees at different positions. After making sure that she is about fifty paces away from her first target, Xia Lian calmed herself . She slowly spread her legs and tilted her body diagonally with her right leg forward. Xia Lian took her bow in her right hand and notched an arrow with her left hand. She then lifted her bow keeping her shoulder''s straight. She then adjusted her arm to her eye-level and drew the bowstring. Aiming for her first target, Xia Lian released the arrow.. " Thunk.." " A bull''s eye hit.." Xia Lian smiled that she did not miss the bulls-eye. She looked at her small and weak body and sighed. She had to eat well and train this body well as shooting speed depends on one''s strength. Xia Lian calcted the time she took for her first shot and frowned.. A minute! She cursed herself for being so slow. In her past life, she held a record for shooting a twenty arrows in a minute. But, now she is able to shoot only one arrow.. Xia Lian felt bad and she notched the second arrow and released it.. " Thunk.." "Again I took a minute.." Xia Lian mumbled while notching the third arrow. Fourth arrow.. fifth.. sixth.. Xia Lian clearly understood that with her current body, this is her best performance. But, this is nowhere near to what she can do. Xia Lian clenched her fists and breathed out slowly. She had to reach her original speed in archery. She need to eat foods rich in protein and she had to exercise her body well. Only with proper exercise, she can increase the flexibility of her body and make her hands strong so that she can draw the bow easily. At that moment, Xia Lian made a decision in her heart.. '' To reach my previous form, I will train myself to death if that is what it takes..'' So, without thinking further, she started practicing with a single arrow. First, she should be able to shoot an arrow in a few seconds. Only then she can think of shooting multiple arrows at same time. Chapter 34 - A caring bunny Chapter 34 - A caring bunny All this time, she did not notice that Xia Ming is staring at her with bright eyes and a proud look on his face. He watched his sister practice without resting. He never saw his sister practising before and he glued his eyes on her. Xia Lian paused her practice a few times, to make sure that her little bunny is alright. She is surprised that he sat quietly watching her withrge doe eyes overflowing with interest. '' I can start teaching him martial arts when he turns 5 years old..'' Xia Lian thought to herself and continued to practice. For this body, this is the first time toe into contact with bows and arrows. So, Xia Lian''s fingers had many cuts due to her monstrous practice. Though she felt that her fingers are numb, she bit her lip and continued to practice. She had a fifty arrows in her hand. After using all the arrows, Xia Lian collected all of them and started her practice once again. Xia Ming came to help her but she sternly refused as his little hands would be easily cut. He puffed his cheeks expressing his disapproval, but he sat down quietly after noticing the serious expression on his sister''s face. After making three trips and shooting about 160 arrows, Xia Lian''s hands refused to listen to her. So, after collecting all the arrows she ced the bow on her shoulders. Xia Lian wanted to carry Xia Ming, but he refused " Sis, with your hands how can you carry me? I can walk by myself." Xia Lian was surprised by his words. '' Why am I feeling that he is too mature for his age?'' Xia Lian thought to herself. Xia Ming held on to his sisters robes and both of them slowly walked to their house. Xia Lian smiled on seeing her master walking back and forth in front of their house. " Master.." Wu Gong visibly rxed on seeing both of them. " I am going back now. Don''t tire yourself.." Wu Gong nagged for a long while before leaving them. Xia Lian went to bath and soaked herself in warm water. She felt her hands sting and her sore muscles rx. But, she did not stay in water for a long time and neatly bandaged her hands. Xia Lian then started a fire to cook. Xia Lian boiled rice and cooked curry to go with the rice. She cut some cuc.u.mbers, carrots, tomatoes and other vegetables and made a green sd. Xia Ming looked at his sister''s bandaged hands for a long time before lowering his head. After finishing her cooking, Xia Lian sat beside the little bunny.. He had been unusually quiet since their return from the forest. " Ming.." The little one slowly lifted his head and Xia Lian froze on seeing his teary eyes. For the first time in this life, she panicked and felt a pain in her heart on seeing his distressed face. " What happened? Are you not feeling well anywhere?" Xia Lian asked nervously while checking his body. On hearing her words, Xia Ming hugged her and cried loudly. Xia Lian patted his back while coaxing him slowly. She felt fl.u.s.tered as she didn''t know the reason for his sudden outburst. After calming down, Xia Ming wriggled out of her arms and grabbed her hands. Xia Lian opened her mouth to speak but her words froze when her eyes met with her brother''s angry face.. " Big sis, should you hurt yourself? " the little one is angry.. very angry.. ''Whoa! This little bunny has a bad temper ah!'' Xia Lian cried in her heart Xia Lian smiled wryly and told him that these aremon for anyone during their first practice. Xia Ming calmed down after his sister coaxing him for a long time. Xia Lian felt tired.. This side of her little bunny is truly terrifying! Xia Lian prepared to feed him, but he grabbed the chopsticks from her hands and started to eat by himself with his clumsy movements. Xia Lian''s heart warmed on seeing his cute but stubborn actions. She picked her chopsticks but she was surprised when he grabbed her chopsticks. ''Now what?'' she thought to herself. Xia Lian froze when he brought the food to her mouth with his little hands. This little one is feeding her ah! She allowed him to feed her and she ate slowly enjoying the moment. Xia Lian''s heart was filled with happiness and she chuckled on seeing a faint blush on the little one''s face. Xia Lian slept peacefully that night while hugging the little one.. Chapter 35 - The prince returned Chapter 35 - The prince returned Xia Lian practiced everyday in the forest and Xia Ming watched her moves carefully everyday. In the beginning, he was a little afraid of the sounds arrows make when they pierce through the air and when they hit the target. But, slowly his fears turned into excitement and after a few days he started to stand beside Xia Lian and observe her hand movements. His eyes were filled withplete adoration for his sister. Xia Lian ate high protein foods and exercised rigorously everyday. Everyday, Xia Lian''s hands are covered with bruises and her monstrous training left her body sore at the end of the day.. At this time, Xia Lian discovered the magical benefits of herbal bath. She ced several cooling and pain relieving herbs in a cloth pouch and dipped them in the hot bath. A faint herbal aroma spread through the bath, indicating that the bath is ready for use. After her first herbal bath, Xia Lian experimented with different herbalbinations and she noted down thebinations which she liked the most. Everyday night, Xia Ming found his sister writing something seriously in a fat book. Looking at that serene image of her studying, Xia Ming drifted into his dreand every night.. A week passed by.. At the gates of imperial capital... " Big bro, We finally reached ah! " Jun Moyin eximed happily. Xuan Li Wei looked at his over-excited brother and shook his head helplessly. Jun Moyin noticed his reaction and scoffed " Big bro, you are really something.. You are returning home after 5 years.. Where is the excitement bro?" " Should I dance then?" Jun Moyin choked on his breath. His brother is very bad at jokes.. But, he didn''tment as he was more than happy that his brother spoke aplete sentence for the first time since the time they started their journey.. " Let''s go.." Xuan Li Wei lightly brushed his shoe against his horse and the horse moved at a moderate pace. Jun Moyin followed his brother with a grin on his face. Everyone stared at Xuan Li Wei and his majestic ck horse. It''s shining and long silky hair flowing to it''s side, added a mystical charm to the tall horse. The people along the road looked at the handsome young man and started to discuss among themselves about his identity. " It''s our fourth prince and the eastern barracks general, Xuan Li Wei" a young man whispered in the ears of his friend. " How do you know?" the friend is not convinced fully. " Just look at his face. Fourth prince is well-known for his good looks. Also, who else other than him can ride that ck-dragon horse." the young man scoffed at his friend. " Aish.. It''s me that is too muddle headed.." the friend pped his head and both of them continued to speak about Xuan Li Wei. On the other hand, Jun Moyin rode behind his brother with a pouting expression. '' No one notices me when my big bro is around..'' Jun Moyin sighed for the nth time in his heart as he experienced this situation many times. Many looked at the horse and recognized the man on it in an instant. How could they not know the man who tamed the aggressive ck-dragon horse. The breed of ck-dragon horses are known for their high speeds and strength. They are the most rare and most desired breed of horses. But, they are known for their fierce temper and many lost their lives in the process of taming them. In Qilin empire, only two persons seeded in taming these horses. One is the military advisor and the other is the young general Xuan Li Wei. Chapter 36 - Emperor,but also a father Chapter 36 - Emperor,but also a father " You go to mother''s ce. I will meet up with father first." Xuan Li Wei told Jun Moyin before galloping towards the main pce. " Fourth prince.." the head eunuch under the emperor came to receive Xuan Li Wei as soon as he heard about his arrival. " Eunuch Hun, I need a private audience with the emperor." " Fourth prince, his majesty is waiting for you in his study. Please follow me." Xuan Li Wei entered the study and his lips twitched on seeing the man dressed in golden robes sleeping with his face supported by his hand. Before him a pile of doc.u.ments were spread out on the table. Xuan Li Wei did not know if he should cry orugh at that instant. Is this man the most feared and respected ruler across thends? Eunuch Hun cleared his throat on seeing the ashen face of the fourth prince " My lord, fourth prince is here.." " What.. What?!" the emperor jerked up as if he is suddenly drenched with a bucket of cold water. '' Am I a monster in his eyes..'' three ck lines appeared on Xuan Li Wei''s forehead. Xuan Li Wei smiled helplessly and walked forward to pay respects to the emperor. " Long live your majesty. Your subject eastern barracks general Xuan Li Wei pays respects to you." " What majesty? Call me father?" emperor Xuan Li Wang frowned. " Alright father, I need to discuss some things with you." " Come and sit. Eunuch Hun, please bring the food immediately. This stupid boy came here without eating ." Xuan Li Wang looked at his son who is still in his travel clothes and shot him a disapproving re. " Wei''er, when are you going to get engaged?" Xuan Li Wei : "..." What nonsense is this old man spouting first thing when I meet with him. " What''s with that look of yours? You left the capital when you were 15. Looking at you, you clearly inherited my good looks and your mother''s eyes." Xuan Li Wei had a sense of pride while looking at the wless product he produced. " Either you bring me a daughter-inw or I will choose for you.." Xuan Li Wang, although a man of 50 years old, his looks are on par with his fourth son. In his youth, he was known far and wide for his looks. He was popr among women.. Ah, he missed those days.. '' Being young feels so good..'' Xuan Li Wang thought on remembering his fun time and then looked at the wooden block son of his before him. He always wondered why his son did not inherit his romantic genes.. Xuan Li Wang sighed as he knew that this son of his vowed to marry only one woman or none at all.. " Father, first worry about the marriages of my elder brothers. I am still young to get married. I will get engaged if I find a girl to my liking." Xuan Li Wang was surprised. What happened to this son ah?! Before, he clearly avoided marriage topics. All his letters came unanswered if he mentioned marriage in them.. Suddenly, a realization hit him and he smiled smugly at his son " Alright, take your time to please that girl. But, make sure that nobody snatches her away from you." Xuan Li Wei rubbed his temples and buried his face in his hands with a defeated expression.. He no longer want to remain in the same room with this old man.. " Father, Azure country is preparing for a war.." Xuan Li Wang''s face lost all the previous mirth and suddenly changed into a serious expression " But, with their resources they can''t afford for a war on us.. " " They are preparing for sneak attacks. Their first target is eastern barracks. But, don''t worry... I will beat them at their own game.." Xuan Li Wei assured his father. Chapter 37 - A promise Chapter 37 - A promise Xuan Li Wei looked at his father and continued " Since, they dared to attack us, they are ready to shed their false mask of good rtions with us. I have a hunch that this sneak attack is only the beginning. I am afraid that we will be facing a huge war in the next two or three years.." " We can take action once the spies return with some news. Father, we should strengthen our defenses on the boarders. " " Wei''er I will take care of that. You continue to train the soldiers and guard the eastern boundary. Is there anything else?" " Nothing else, father." Xuan Li Wei shook his head. " Wei''er, I need you to do something for me." Xuan Li Wang looked at his son. It''s Xuan Li Wei''s turn to be surprised. His father is requesting instead of ordering him.. Now, that''s something. Seeing that Xuan Li Wei nodded, Xuan Li Wang handed over a scroll to him. Xuan Li Wei opened the scroll and a sh of surprise passed through his eyes. But, he quickly controlled his emotions and looked at his father. " I need you to protect them." Xuan Li Wang looked at his son in his eyes, indicating that he was dead serious about this matter. Xuan Li Wei did not answer immediately. Xuan Li Wang was afraid that he was not interested and he would refuse. But, what he did not know is that Xuan Li Wei ispletely thinking about a different thing.. '' Why is it them? Why is father so worried at them?'' Xuan Li Wei furrowed his brows. " Wei''er.." Xuan Li Wang cleared his throat awkwardly on seeing his son''s frown. " Father, they are safe.." Now, Xuan Li Wang was stunned. He thought that he did not hear correctly. So, he asked again " What do you mean?" " Father, I already met Xia Lian and her brother. Don''t worry, they are under the protection of my sacred order. But, why do you want to protect them?" Xuan Li Wei raised his brows and looked at his old man with suspicion. Previously, he had been thinking on why this old man had a picture of them and what he wanted. Even if the old man did not ask, he would protect them. But, what is his reason ah? Xuan Li Wang visibly rxed after hearing that they are in the hands of his son. He did not bother to ask him how they are acquainted. But, soon his face is reced with mncholy as he looked through the window. " I promised someone that I would protect them." " I owe that person my life. I have many matters to take care of and I can''t give my all to protect them. That''s why I am entrusting them to you." Xuan Li Wang spoke slowly but firmly. '' When did this happen?'' Xuan Li Wei remained quiet. He debated in his heart if he should ask further or not. But, his curiosity won atst, so he asked " Who did you promise?" " A friend.." Xuan Li Wang''s replied bitterly and looked at his son with a tired face " Wei''er, when the timees I will tell you more about that person. But, I want you to protect them till they can be safe on their own." Xuan Li Wei nodded. He understood that his father did not want to speak about it, so he did not probe further. " Also, if you meet them tell her that her mother is alive. She escaped that day and sent me this letter. Give her this letter. She will understand everything once she reads it." Xuan Li Wang handed him a letter. Xuan Li Wei took the letter and ced it in his sleeves. He looked at his father with aplicated gaze " Father, I will leave the capital after a month. Then I will give it to her." Xuan Li Wang nodded his head. Xuan Li Wei saw the dark circles under his father''s eyes and frowned. " Father, please rest for a while. I will be taking my leave now." Xuan Li Wei bowed and left the room with many doubts in his mind. Chapter 38 - Angry mother Chapter 38 - Angry mother Xuan Li Wei walked along the stone path surrounded by flowers. The multi-colored rose and tulip nts brought a unique charm to the narrow path. He involuntarily walked towards his right and reached the smallke. Theke was filled with white lotuses and Xuan Li Wei smiled gently on seeing the flowers. '' I did not think that mother will build a lotus pond just because of my actions..'' he sighed in his heart. Xuan Li Wei still remembered the day when he gave his mother a white lotus. '' Wei''er, Why did you give this one a lotus?'' his mother asked. '' A lotus shines magnificently and remains unstained even when it is in the muddiest waters.. You are the same, mother..'' Xuan Li Wei gave a lotus to his mother and said these words before leaving to serve in the army. His mother Jun Hu Rui, though a concubine she taught him and his siblings well. Her teachings though a bit unconventional, they are always right and tugged at their heartstrings. With these thoughts in his mind, he slowly walked towards the '' Moon Pearl pce'' , his mother''s pce. On seeing Xuan Li Wei, granny Li, ady of about 50 years came forward to meet him warmly " Prince Wei, how have you been?" Granny Li is his mother''s dowry maid and she took care of them since they were kids. She is a mother figure in their eyes. So, Xuan Li Wei spoke with a smile " Granny Li, I am fine as you can see. You should worry about your health." Granny Li smiled " Aiya, such ttery.. You should think ways of coaxing Lady Hu Rui instead." " What happened?" Xuan Li Wei''s smile froze and hurried to enter. He frowned whendy Li stopped him. On seeing his frown, granny Li replied with a helpless expression " Lady Hu Rui asked me tell you something.." Xuan Li Wei nodded and granny Li spoke some thing that made Xuan Li Wei cough blood. " This concubine has no time and status to meet with the noble prince Xuan Li Wei.." Xuan Li Wei''s face darkened. " Lady Hu Rui asked me to tell you these words when youe here." Granny Li continued her verbal assault " Also,dy advised you to not waste your precious time on her." '' Mother is throwing a tantrum..'' Xuan Li Wei sighed and hurried his steps into the pce avoiding granny Li''s cries. " Mother.." a young girl''s voice echoed through the room. " Mother.. as always your pastries are one of a kind.. you made my favorite berry pastries.." a teenager''s voice spoke this time. Xuan Li Wei immediately recognized his younger brother''s voice and pursed his lips. Xuan Li Wei entered the room where he saw a woman in herte thirties rxing on a couch with a book in her hand. His lips twitched when he saw Jun Moyin and his sister Xuan Li Na happily relishing on the snacks. Xuan Li Wei: " Mother..." Jun Hu Rui: No reaction and continues to read her book.. Xuan Li Wei sighed and sat on his kneels and raised his hands in surrender " Beloved Concubine mother, can you pardon this humble one for his mistakes.." Jun Hu Rui raised her brows and smirked at him. Xuan Li Wei shuddered on seeing her smirk. '' It''s bad..'' hemented in his heart and looked at his mother " You may punish me till your anger is quenched." Jun Hu Rui covered her face with the book to hide the small twitch on her lips. She continued to ignore her son. Xuan Li Wei continued to kneel on the ground with his hands in air. Jun Moyin was clearly enjoying the show as its very rare to see this side of his brother.. His brother may be a lion in the army but is clearly a chicken in front of mother.. So, he stared at his brother without blinking. Xuan Li Wei tilted his head and his eyes met with Jun Moyin''s. Jun Moyin winked at him silently mouthing '' Big bro, I''m cheering for you..''. Xuan Li Wei''s face darkened and gave him an evil smile '' Brat, wait till you fall in my hands..'' . Jun Moyin''s smile froze on seeing that evil smirk on his brother''s face. So, he coughed lightly and turned to talk with his little sister. Xuan Li Wei followed his gaze and saw that his sister is looking at him with big doe eyes. He chuckled at her adorable little face before turning away. Xuan Li Wei looked at his mother who is still immersed in her book. So, he stood in front of her and grabbed the book from her hands. His suppressed his chuckle when he saw that his mother is reading her book upside down.. But, this reaction made Jun Hu Rui even more angry and she red at him. Two pairs of hazel brown eyes stared at each other without blinking.. Jun Hu Rui stared with a cold expression, but Xuan Li Wei clearly saw the happiness and anxiety in her eyes. He felt both happy and guilty in his heart, but he remained calm on the outside. Jun Moyin & Xuan Li Na : "..." cold-war is about start now.. Chapter 39 - Weird family Chapter 39 - Weird family Jun Moyin and Xuan Li Na looked at each other and secretly gulped. Both stopped eating and the stiff atmosphere in the room made them unable to breath. " Err.. Mother, Big brother.." Xuan Li Na spoke to break the awkward atmosphere. " Humph, no filial piety towards ones elders.." Jun Hu Rui mumbled as Xuan Li Wei looked at his mother with his signature wooden block expression, but his eyes had a trace of amus.e.m.e.nt and concern. " 5 years.. It''s been five years.. You didn''te to visit this one even once. Fine, since you forgot this one why bother now? I am going to rest." Jun Hu Rui stood up to leave. But, she suddenly stopped and handed over a te to Xuan Li Wei. Xuan Li Wei looked at the moon shaped plum cakes and suppressed his turbulent emotions. He opened his mouth to speak but he heard his mother''s voice " They are your favorite and I made them. But, I don''t know if your tastes have changed in the past 5 years. If so, you need not force yourself to eat." Xuan Li Wei did not say anything but he ced the te on the table. Jun Hu Rui felt a suffocation in her heart and slowly turned to leave. But, before she could take a step she felt two arms around her shoulders. Before she could understand what is going on, she was pulled into a warm embrace from her behind. Jun Hu Rui was startled by this sudden show of affection of her son. She patted his hands and her lips gently curved up. She knows this is her son''s way of expressing his emotions. So, she stayed still without moving. Both of them did not speak and foundfort in the other''s embrace. " I''m sorry mother. I will visit you more often from now.." Xuan Li Wei spoke in a hoarse voice. Jun Hu Rui was shocked and she immediately turned to face her son. " If there is more work, don''t force yourself. Just make sure to be safe and healthy. But, I will throw a tantrum when you return and just coax me like you did today. So, don''t worry about this one so much." Jun Hu Rui smiled. Jun Moyin & Xuan Li Na : Then what is this show for.. Both of them ignored the weird mother and son pair and continued to eat their snacks. Jun Hu Rui pulled her son to her side " Sit and finish everything." Xuan Li Wei : " Alright.." Xuan Li Wei started to eat everything without any protest. But, his mother kept on adding cakes to his te. Xuan Li Wei face-palmed " Mother.. I can''t eat anymore.." Jun Hu Rui scanned him from top to bottom and frowned " Too thin and weak.. You have to eat two more tes. Only then you can leave." Xuan Li Wei smiled wryly and looked at the te before giving a long sigh. Xuan Li Na looked at his brother''s pained expression and smirked " Big bro, where is sister-inw? Brother told me that you are hiding sister-inw." Speaking till here the little girl stood up with her hands on her h.i.p.s and red at him " I want to see sister-inw and be friends with her.." Xuan Li Wei was shocked beyond words and stared at his little sister nkly. Then he looked at Jun Moyin and gritted his teeth " What sort of nonsense are you spouting before a little girl?" Jun Moyin froze on seeing his brother''s grim reaper expression and contemted in his heart '' Did I overdo it?''. So, he slowly lowered his head and continued to eat without looking at his brother anymore. " Li Na, your fifth brother is joking" Xuan Li Na is depressed " What? I thought I can y with a girl.." " There are many girls at the imperial academy.." Xuan Li Wei is tired " I don''t like them. They alle near me to ask about you and fifth brother. I hate those who eye on my precious brothers" the little girl puffed her cheeks and everyone in the roomughed. Jun Hu Rui looked at her son''s expressions and sighed in heart helplessly. Jun Moyin already told her everything that happened. So, she thought for a while before carefully asking " Wei''er, I heard you used sacred order for a girl. Who is it?" Chapter 40 - Shes like you Chapter 40 - She''s like you Xuan Li Wei did not think twice before answering " Xia Lian and her little brother.." he took a scroll from his robes and gave it to his mother. Jun Hu Rui opened the scroll and froze for a moment before speaking " Ming Yu''s kids?" Xuan Li Wei looked at his mother''s expression " Yes Mother, father asked me to protect them when I met with him today. You are friends withdy Hua, you don''t know about her kids?". Xuan Li Wei did not understand why his mother is surprised on seeing them. " We are good friends. But, things change after marriage. This one did not see Ming Yu for many years. I heard that she had two kids, but I never saw them." Jun Hu Rui spoke in a depressed voice and she suddenly turned fierce " She was almost driven to death by that bastard.. If Ming Yu had died I would have wiped out the entire Xia family without a second thought." Xuan Li Wei looked at his mother " Mother, who did father promise to?" Jun Hu Rui froze for a moment before looking at her son " Don''t worry about such trivial matters. Your father must have a reason to keep it a secret. So, focus on protecting them well." Jun Hu Rui suddenly looked at him with eager eyes " How are the kids? Are they looking good and healthy?" " They are healthy now. Don''t worry mother." Xuan Li Wei spoke while eating. Jun Hu Rui remembered something and looked at Jun Moyin. Jun Moyin winked at her. So, she cleared her throat " So, used sacred order for Xia Lian.." " Hmm.." Xuan Li Wei nodded while eating. " So, tell me about her.." Xuan Li Wei stopped eating and thought for a while. He remembered her anxious and fierce appearance and chuckled. He looked at his mother and answered with a smile " She has her mother''s looks and her temper is simr to yours. Mother, She is very simr to you." Jun Hu Rui stared nkly at her son''s smile, but she understood one thing very clearly. She smiled and nodded at him without speaking. " Mother, I finished everything. I will rest for a while." Xuan Li Wei left the room after his mother nodded. " Mother, big brother is taken isn''t he?" Jun Moyin asked Jun Hu Rui pondered for a while and spoke resolutely " Hmm.. I don''t care if he realizes his heart or not. She will be your sister-inw. " Jun Moyin and Xuan Li Na stopped eating and stared at her. Jun Hu Rui looked at their puzzled expressions and sighed " Not every man can find a girl simr to his mother. If one feels that way, he should never let go of her. Your brother is not experienced in matters of love.. Moyin you should fan the mes between them as you told me that the girl is also a bit dense like Wei''er." Jun Moyin was waiting to hear these words. So, upon getting his mother''s signal, he stood up excitedly and grinned at his mother " Don''t you worry mother. I will take care of them." Xuan Li Na looked at Jun Moyin with bright eyes " Big brother, you should take me with you. I want to see my sister-inw." " Of course little one.. I will take you.." Jun Moyin tickled the little girl and the girl squealed loudly. Jun Hu Rui sighed helplessly and went to the kitchen to cook meals for these brats. Xuan Li Wei changed into white robes and sat on a chair thinking deeply. '' Lady Hua is mother''s friend. But, that is not the reason why father is so adamant on protecting them. Who exactly did father promise?'' '' Let it be.. I will know when the timees..'' Xuan Li Wei closed his eyes to rest for a while. Xuan Li Wei remembered those pair of bright eyes. It''s as if those eyes bewitched him. He could not forget those eyes no matter how hard he tried. He got up and sighed for the nth time. Xuan Li Wei sighed while tapping his fingers on the table. No one knew what exactly is going on in his mind. Chapter 41 - The hunter (1) Chapter 41 - The hunter (1) Xuan Li Wei busied himself searching the imperial capital if there are any hidden passages. He did not find anything suspicious even after searching for an entire month. So, he confirmed that Azure country''s target is the eastern barracks army. Xuan Li Wei met with his father to discuss about his ns. Both of them discussed for a long time. " Father, I will be leaving tomorrow. I should clearly check the military barracks. We cannot make a mistake this time." " Alright, but take care of yourself.." Xuan Li Wang was worried more about his son than the army. He is very confident about his son''s abilities. As long as it is in hands, he is assured that it is very safe. Xuan Li Wei nodded and bowed slightly taking his leave. On the next day morning, Xuan Li Wei and Jun Moyin had a hard time consoling their little sister before leaving. Both of them were able to leave only after promising her that they would take her with them next time. On the other hand.. " Sis, today let''s catch some fish.." " Alright.." Xia Lian chuckled. " Also, let''s hunt down a deer. I want to eat roasted deer meat again.." Xia Lian : "...." Isn''t this bunny too excited? All these days Xia Lian had been practicing archery and swordsmanship. She honed her skills after practising rigorously these days. Also, after practising for two weeks in addition to her past life''s experience, Xia Lian''s archery improved a lot. So, she started to hunt to eat fresh meat. Xia Lian tried to persuade her little bunny to stay at home obediently, but he adamantly refused. Finally Xia Ming won and he apanied her in her hunting trips. Xia Ming hugged her back like a ko bear during her hunting. On the first day, he was shocked on seeing the blood. How can a three year old stand the sight of blood? Xia Lian had a headache on that day as she was not able to stop his cries. It took her three days to pacify the little one. After understanding that death and blood aremon, Xia Ming started to apany her again. Slowly he got used to it and now he''s literally waiting to hunt something down. Xia Lian sighed on seeing the changes in her little bunny. '' What little bunny? In two years it will be a deadly bunny..'' Xia Lian chuckled while preparing her bow and arrows. " Get on little one.." Xia Lian bent on her knees before Xia Ming. Xia Ming climbed on her back with his hands around her shoulders and legs circling her waist. Xia Lian stood up and tied a cloth around both of their bodies to make sure that Xia Ming doesn''t fall down and hurt himself. Xia Lian walked happily while humming a song and her face darkened on hearing her brother''s words " Sis, why can''t we see a deer today.." '' Why will they be around here after we killed three of them?'' Xia Lian shook her head helplessly and smiled " Let''s go deep into the forest.." Xia Lian walked into the forest but she was not able to find even a single deer.. But Xia Lian found many wild berries and gr.a.p.es. So, she happily plucked them and filled her sack with them. Xia Lian searched for a long time before breaking the little one''s heart " Ming, no deer roasted meat today.." Xia Ming pouted but he did not say anything as he saw everything with his eyes. Xia Lian tilted her head sideways and caught the sight of his pouting face. She sighed and rubbed her temples. " Ming, how about duck meat or pigeon soup?" Xia Ming furrowed his brows thinking seriously. Xia Lian controlled herughter with great difficulty. After thinking for a while, he looked at her with shining eyes " Pigeon soup.." Xia Lian secretly gulped on seeing his bright eyes.'' It seems that today I have to catch pigeons at any cost..'' " Pigeons.. Oh my dear pigeons.. Please make a sound so that I can hunt you down.." Xia Lian started singing whatever that came to her mouth. " Sis, let''s y animal game if you are bored.." Xia Ming rolled his eyes on hearing her song. " Humph.. alright.." Xia Lian snorted and opened her mouth " Lion.." " Roar.." Xia Ming imitated it''s voice. " Duck" " Quack.. Quack.." Xia Ming quacked. " Horse" " Neigh.." Xia Lian smirked " Frog.." Xia Ming: " No frog, i hate frogs.." " hehe.. you lost the game then.." Xia Lian guffawed. " Croak.. Croak.." Xia Ming immediately made sounds like a frog. Xia Ming did not want to loose to his sister. " Alright, you won.." Xia Lian praised the boy making him blush hard like a red tomato. Xia Lian wanted to tease him more but she stopped on hearing a sound. '' Pigeons..'' Xia Lian danced in her heart and immediately notched the arrows on her bow. Chapter 42 - The hunter (2) Chapter 42 - The hunter (2) Xia Lian turned to her right side and released the arrow into the air.. " Thunk.." a fat pigeon fell on the ground. Xia Lian notched three arrows and let them loose after turning around... " Thunk.." " Thunk.." " Thunk.." three pigeons fell on the ground. " Hahaha.. today we reaped plenty of rewards.." Xia Lianughed happily. Xia Ming was naturally happy as he was grinning till his eyes turned into crescents. Xia Lian collected her trophies and both of them returned back with Xia Ming still hugging his sister like a ko bear.. Xia Lian stretched her body after cing the little bunny down. Recently, due to Xia Lian''s cooking and extra care, he developed meat on his cheeks and now he looked like a chubby bunny. Xia Lian''s cheeks also had some rosy glow now and she looked cute and healthy. Xia Lian took care of cleaning, dressing and cutting of the pigeon. Xia Ming did the job of washing the neatly cut pieces with water. Xia Ming watched as Xia Lian busied herself in making pigeon soup and roasted meat. After finishing cooking, Xia Lian arranged the meat in porcin dishes and went to her master''s house with Xia Ming. Xia Ming carried a fat book in his arms. Recently, Xia Lian started cooking for her master and aunt Qian as they liked her cooking. So, they started eating together everyday. " Master and aunty.." Xia Lian cooed.. Aunt Qian came forward and helped her to arrange all the dishes on the table. Aunt Qian looked at the girl in front of her. In the beginning, she was frail and weak. But, now the girl had some fat on her body and her heart shaped face had a rosy glow making her look extremely adorable. Aunt Qian could not help but pinch the girl''s cheeks. " Aunty.." Xia Lian cried. Everyday Aunt Qian is pinching her cheeks ah! " Hehe.. You are too cute to resist dear.." Aunt Qian chuckled on seeing the girls puffy cheeks. She pinched Xia Lian''s cheeks again " With your puffy cheeks, you are looking cuter than usual.." Xia Lian : "..." Defeated before Aunt Qian''s sugar coated words.. Xia Lian secretly wondered if Aunt Qian is a man in her past life. Her flirting skills are very good ah! Xia Lian learned many things from her.. " Stop teasing her now.." Wu Gong sighed on seeing their antics. They finished the meal in a harmonious atmosphere. Xia Lian and aunt Qian cleaned the table. After cleaning the table, Xia Lian sat before her master with a serious expression on her face. Wu Gong raised his brows " What is it?" Xia Lian took the book from Xia Ming''s hand and ced it before him. Wu Gong flipped through the book and his face showed an incredulous expression. The book contained detailed descriptions of surgical processes and clear ill.u.s.trations of human body and its parts. Wu Gong lifted his head to look at the girl before him. He didn''t know what to speak. '' Who exactly is the disciple here?'' thinking this he chuckled. " Master, I don''t have any money to pay the fee. So, please ept this book.." Xia Lian rubbed her nose awkwardly. '' When did he ask for fee? This brat is so embarrassed to give him the book directly.. So, she is using these excuses..'' Wu Gong sighed and went along with her act. " It''s alright.." . Xia Lian sighed in relief and looked at him with puppy dog eyes now.. " Tell me what do you want now?" Wu Gong face-palmed on seeing her pleading face. " Master, I want you to take care of Ming for a week..." " What do you want to do?" Wu Gong frowned. " I want to go deep into the forest. I read in the book that there are many treasures in the forest.." " No, it''s dangerous." Wu Gong interrupted her in the middle. " Master, I need to face dangers to increase my strength. Also, my skills are more than enough to go in there. I can''t take Ming with me as it is dangerous for him. Master, I am going and you are going to take care of him." Xia Lian folded her arms across her chest and red at him. " Humph.. Why are you asking me after you decided.." Wu Gong snorted." Come back safely.." Wu Gong could not help but be worried about her. " When are you leaving?" " I will leave today after packing some things.." Wu Gong : "..." Chapter 43 - In the forest (1) Chapter 43 - In the forest (1) After one week.. Xia Lian looked at her brother who threw a tantrum for an entire week.. Yes, this over-protective bunny did not allow her to leave the house alone. After persuading him in a n number of ways, he finally stopped making a fuss. But, still Xia Lian had a headache on seeing her little bunny boycotting her.. " I will bring you something good when I return. So, stop being like that..." Xia Lian frowned at the little bunny who is not talking with her. On seeing that the little one has no intentions of looking at her, Xia Lian walked to him and crouched down to meet with his eyes. She held his chin so that he would not avoid her eyes. After struggling like a fish out of water for a good while, Xia Ming calmed down and finally looked at her. " Look, I can''t carry you and protect you at the same time. This time it is dangerous for you. Listen to your sister and be a good boy." Xia Ming pouted for a while before nodding his head. " Now, that''s a good boy.." Xia Lian kissed his cheek and smiled. Xia Ming looked at his sister and he bent slightly and kissed her cheek and lifted his hand showing his pinkie finger " Promise me that you wille back.." Xia Lian''s heart ached as she knew that their mother''s death had a huge impact on the boy. So, she hooked her finger with his " Your sister never breaks her promise." Xia Ming finally smiled and Xia Lian left after leaving him at her master''s house. Xia Lian smiled along the way while walking remembering her masters nagging.. " It''s good to have someone who cares.." Xia Lian mumbled. Xia Lian''s main objective foring so deep into the forest is for searching midget silkworms. She read that these special kind of silkworms are capable of producing pigmented silks. Xia Lian had many ideas in her mind. But, anything can be achieved step-by-step and rearing of these midget silkworms is her first step. These worms grow in damp, dark and moist ces. So, they are very difficult to obtain. This forest acts as a border for Qilin and Azure countries. No one in Qilin country seeded in catching these silkworms making them depend on Azure country for high quality silk. So, Xia Lian more than determined to catch these silkworms and she prepared herself to enter deep into the forest. Xia Lian stopped in her tracks and turned to her left after smelling a fruity scent. After walking for a while, Xia Lian stopped and looked around her with astonishment. Her eyes shone brightly like twinkling stars. " Oranges.. mandarins.. tangerines.. Whatever they are called.. I found my oranges atst.." Xia Lian almost cried on seeing her second favorite fruit. Xia Lian filled her sack with as many oranges as she can. She made a mental note of this ce toeter as there are hundreds of orange ntations here.. Xia Lian started to eat the fruits along the way while humming a song. After walking for two days continuously, Xia Lian noticed the changes in her surroundings. Xia Lian was careful in her steps as the soil is wet and is slightly sinking. Xia Lian climbed on a tree and jumped from one branch to other as she felt that there was something wrong with the soil. After a while, she found arge fresh water swamp. Xia Lian looked down around her before she resumed her jumping. At one point, Xia Lian found hundreds on while lotus flowers in the marsh waters.. Xia Lian sat on a thick branch to admire the scenery for a while. She felt that it would be truly a waste if one does not appreciate this beautiful sight. So, she sat for a while before resuming her journey. Xia Lian found many species of snakes on the trees and she was given a fright when she almost stepped on a python. She immediately increased her jumping speed to escape from it. She truly did not want to fight with a snake ah! Xia Lian was careful with her steps as she did not want to not provoke any snake.. Xia Lian finally found the nest of silkworms and sighed in relief. She took out a wooden box with holes to collect them.. Chapter 44 - In the forest (2) Chapter 44 - In the forest (2) Xia Lian stepped forward but she immediately moved back as she felt a pain on her arms.. Xia Lian looked at her arm and she found a very thin cut on her arm. Xia Lian lifted her head and frowned as she found a faint tinge of red before her. Her frown slowly disappeared and her eyes are reced with interest as she realized that the ce is woven intricately by several threads. Xia Lian raised her brows.. She did not know that silkworms also defend themselves. She thought for a while, but she did not remember which silkworms are so intelligent to defend themselves. '' May be I found something new..'' Xia Lian''s mood improved greatly on that thought. Xia Lian unsheathed her dagger and shed thework before her. But, the threads only extended like an stic as they did not break. No matter how much force she applied, they did not break. Xia Lian retrieved her dagger into the sheath dejectedly. She rubbed her chin and thought for a while. She then took out some herbs from her bag and mixed them. Xia Lian sprinkled the powder before her and waited for a while. Xia Lian found that the threads are slowly dissolving. So, Xia Lian added sagweed root powder to the mixture and sprinkled it again. This time the threads dissolved at lightning speed and Xia Lian slowly moved forward by sprinkling the powder along the way. Xia Lian was just one feet away from those fat silkworms, but she did not dare to touch them directly. She took a twig and poked the silkworm.. poke.. poke.. no matter at which angle she poked, the worm did not move even an inch. Xia Lian remembered something and decided to try it out. Xia Lian took her wooden box and covered the bottom of the box with spirit mulberry powder, as silkworms are attracted to this powder. Xia Lian brought the box near to the first worm. Then to her dismay, the worm started to move and it slowly crawled into the box intoxicated by the smell. Xia Lian moved the box slowly to the next one and all the ten worms made their way into the box easily.. Xia Lian covered the box and carefully ced it in another bag. Then she moved forward and found a group of her pigmented silkworms. She collected about twenty of them. Xia Lian continued to move forward as she wanted to explore as much as she can. After moving forward for a while, she found that the previous damp atmosphere disappeared. Xia Lian walked for a while and found a waterfall. Xia Lian washed her face and her hands and leaned against a rock. Xia Lian filled her gourd with fresh water and ate some oranges. Xia Lian rested for a while and looked at her sticky body. It''s been four days since herst bath.. So, she looked at her surroundings and after making sure that no one is present, Xia Lian stripped off her clothes and stood under the waterfall. The waterfall is falling from a moderate height, so it did not exert much force. After rxing herself for quite a while, Xia Lian came out of the water and dressed herself. Xia Lian continued to walk and climbed a tree to rest for the day as the sky began to turn dark. ......................... In the military camp, The soldiers on the guard found a horse approaching and after seeing the badge, they opened the gates. The horse galloped into the camp and stopped in front of a tent. On seeing the horse, Min Zhuan came forward " Young master Moyin, where is our general?" Jun Moyin dismounted from the horse gracefully and he looked at everyone with a serious look on his face " We did not travel together and general took the short-cut to the forest. Did you discover anything here?" Min Zhuan shook his head and lowered his head out of shame. Jun Moyin nodded as he already expected this oue. " From tomorrow, you will start searching under mymand. Also, general entered the forest as he is sure that he will find something there. It''s been four days since he entered the forest. So, we have to do our best here.." Chapter 45 - In the forest (3) Chapter 45 - In the forest (3) Xia Lian found a sturdy tree with a hole in its trunk. She ced her bag and wooden box in the hole and hanged her bow on a branch. Xia Lain stretched her legs after sitting on a fat branch. She slowly leaned her back on the trunk of the tree while checking her surroundings. Xia Lian opened her eyes and removed the wooden hair pin from her hair and threw it inside the hole in tree. Her silky jet ck hair cascaded down along her shoulders. Xia Lian gathered her hair along her left shoulder and closed her eyes. Xia Lian struggled for a while before falling asleep. Even after sleeping, Xia Lian squinted her eyes and moved whenever she heard a small sound. " Can''t sleep properly.. hmm.." a husky voice tinged with mirth sounded out in the silent night making Xia Lian''s brows furrow further. On seeing her eyshes tremble, a pair of warm hands tapped on several points on her neck and forehead. Xia Lian''s breathing became steady and she fell into a deep sleep. A pair of eyes watched the girl sleep peacefully as her hair gently swayed along with the wind. Her hair had natural curls at its ends and they looked pretty as they danced along with the wind. Her cheeks had a faint and healthy rosy glow. Her slightly parted crimson red lips looked like soft flower petals. A hand reached out and traced along her long curvy eyshes as they caused the fingers to itch slightly. The moonlight reflected on her white jade skin making her look like a moon goddess. Her features looked gentle and soft under the moonlight. " So, the tigress can turn into a gentle bunny.." Xuan Li Wei mumbled on remembering Jun Moyin''s words. Xuan Li Wei looked at the girl''s small nose which turned into a bright shade of red due to the cold. He didn''t know why but he found her very cute. He sub-consciously raised his hand and pinched her small nose gently. Even though he pinched her nose with a little force, her nose turned into a shade brighter. Xuan Li Wei chuckled and pinched her nose again " This is your punishment for making me your guard for the entire day." Xuan Li Wei removed his hand only after her nose looked like a ripe tomato. He got up and sat on the branch of a tree opposite her. He choose that spot so that he can watch her clearly. He leaned against the tree with his arms folded across his chest. Xuan Li Wei tilted his head slightly and continued to observe the girl before him. His hazel brown eyes reflected her serene image under the moonlight and his thoughts trailed off.. Xuan Li Wei left his horse in the middle of the forest and he used his qing qong to quickly enter the forest area near Azure country. But, he stopped on hearing the lines " oranges.. oh my oranges.. how round and beautiful you are..". He didn''t know why but he felt funny on hearing someone singing those words. So, he turned his head in that direction only to find this girl plucking the oranges while humming a weird tune. His lips sub-consciously curved up on seeing her bounce around happily. He was clearly worried about this girl from the day he left her and his worried heart settled a bit after listening to Moyin''s words. But, he clearly understood what relief is, after seeing her with his own eyes. The girl didn''t sense him as her martial arts level is lower than his. He didn''t know why but he decided to follow her. But, he minimized his presence while following her because he did not dare to under-estimate this girl. He saw her dissolve the silver silkworms web without much effort. He was pleasantly surprised on seeing her skills as she was the first one to obtain those silkworms. He followed her thinking what else she can do and stopped in his tracks on seeing her stop near a waterfall. He leaned against a tree observing her wash her face and hands. He watched her eat those oranges and rest for a while. He raised his brows on seeing her stretch her body like azy cat. He hid at the back of the tree when he saw her turn around. He waited for a while beforeing out from the back of the tree. He saw her loosen her hair as she threw the hair pin on the ground. He did not understand her actions as she was standing with her back faced towards him and her long and thick hair covered all her hand movements. Chapter 46 - In the forest (4) Chapter 46 - In the forest (4) He continued to look at her as he tried to understand what she is doing. But, his entire body froze after seeing her next actions. He saw her strip off her outer robe and discard it to her side. The robeid on the ground in a pitiful shape.. Xuan Li Wei stood on the spot as if he was frozen. Xia Lian''s hair moved to the side due to the wind exposing her fair and smooth shoulders as she busied herself in removing her inner robes. That sight bought Xuan Li Wei out of his shock and he immediately turned around and escaped from the ce at an rming speed. His ears and cheeks turned into a suspicious shade of red and he felt his body temperature rising up rapidly. Xuan Li Wei stopped walking and patted against his chest to calm his thumping heart. Xuan Li Wei realized that the girl is bathing alone.. He gritted his teeth and immediately turned around and stopped at a safe distance. He leaned against the tree with his back facing the waterfall. Xuan Li Wei sighed helplessly and stood on guard. '' This girl is truly careless..'' he cursed her in his heart. Xuan Li Wei''s highly sensitive ears caught the girls singing voice.. May be due to the embarrassing situation earlier, Xuan Li Wei''s face turned beet red on hearing the girl''s voice. He was scared witless on seeing her strip off her clothes and he was unable to react on time. He could not help but shudder on what might have happened if he reactedtely and if the girl saw him looking at her.. He would then be called a pervert, right? Xuan Li Wei shook his head to get rid of all the ridiculous thoughts. The girl remained under water for a long time, making it increasingly difficult for Xuan Li Wei. A beautiful girl bathing under a waterfall.. He is a man after all.. How could he not get any thoughts ah! Only he knew how many times he controlled his impulse to turn around. He mentally berated himself.. It seems that he is really bing a pervert.. Xuan Li Wei never felt this attracted to any girl before. He could not understand why he is getting these impulses whenever he is around this girl.. '' She is just a 12 year old child..'' Xuan Li Wei smiled helplessly '' Wait! Am I a beast?.. Having designs on a child..'' '' You can wait till she grows up..'' at this time Jun Moyin''s face floated in his mind as if encouraging him to devour the girl. Xuan Li Wei shook his head and started thinking about the military tactics to divert his mind.. Xuan Li Wei never felt so tired in his life.. He would never forget this day in his life as he experienced a myriad of emotions due to this girl.. After a while, he did not hear any soundsing from the girl. He could not help but worry about her. But, he did not have the courage to walk towards her. After debating within himself for a while, he slowly walked towards the girl. Xuan Li Wei felt extremely nervous with every step forward.. But, he face-palmed on seeing the girl sleeping peacefully leaning against a rock.. His face darkened on seeing the girl''s wet hair.. '' What if she catches a cold?'' he frowned on that thought and moved slowly towards her as he did not want to disturb her. He took her wet hair in his hands and used his internal energy to dry her hair.. After making sure that her hair is driedpletely, he left the ce. Xuan Li Wei did not get restless or irritated when he is guarding her, instead he felt a peace of heart, as if his heart is contended with just looking at her.. Xuan Li Wei looked at her fixedly, when she got up and ran her fingers through her hair. She looked breath-taking at that moment! '' Oh God! What''s gotten into me..'' Xuan Li Wei smiled wryly and sighed. Chapter 47 - A new side of her (1) Chapter 47 - A new side of her (1) Thus, a cold faced and iron hearted general acted as a guard for a little girl, sacrificing his sleep. If Jun Moyin witnessed these scenes he would have surely teased his brother with all his might. Xia Lian squinted her eyes because of the ring sunlight above her head. Xia Lian sat straight and rested her face on her palm. Her eyes were still misty as she rubbed her eyes. Xia Lian suddenly widened her eyes and looked at her bright surroundings. She did not understand why she was able to sleep so well. It felt as if she slept after taking sleeping pills. She thought for a while but she was not able to remember anything. Whatever may be the reason, she felt refreshed after sleeping like a log. She stretched her body and squealed in delight " It''s been a long while since I slept like a pig.." Xia Lian did not know that a certain someone is watching her every expression clearly. Xuan Li Wei''s lips curved up on hearing her words. He watched her tie her hair up. She looked like a fresh lotus with no make up, and she looked very pleasing to his eyes. He stared at her without blinking his eyes. Xia Lian and Xuan Li Wei frowned as they both heard the sounds of footsteps approaching in their direction. Xuan Li Wei''s smile widened as he watched Xia Lian hide in the trees agilely. " Hehe.. this time that damn Qilin country is going to experience a shock because of us.." a man dressed in green robes smiled. " Hmm.. this time that Qilin country''s soldiers are dumb.." another one chorused. Xia Lian squinted her eyes to look at them. Her lips slowly curled up on seeing the embroidered cloud patterns on their robes " Oh! So, these are Azure country''s minions.." Xia Lian raised her brows and cursed in a low voice " Who are you calling dumb eh?!" Though she lowered her voice, Xuan Li Wei heard her words clearly and he looked at the girl with amus.e.m.e.nt in his eyes. Xia Lian smirked evilly as she covered her face with a ck cloth. She looked like a young boy as she is dressed in martial arts outfit with her hair tied up as a bun. She took her bow from the branch and leaped from one tree to another following those bunch of idiots. Xuan Li Wei calmly followed this reckless brat with a smile on his face. Xia Lian face dropped after hearing their endless and meaning less chatter. '' Are these fools really soldiers? Not even one of them is able to sense that someone is following them..'' Xia Lian really wanted to y with them for a while. How dare they insult her country''s soldiers ah! But, these fools are so care-free and Xia Lian lost her interest in them quickly.. " Brother Yan, I heard that there is a ghost in this forest.." Xia Lian''s ears perked up on hearing this. Now, this caught her interest ah! She liked that fool who started this topic. " What ghosts! Don''t tell me you are afraid of them?" Yan mocked him. Xia Lian''s lips formed an evil smirk and shezily stretched her body as an idea formed in her mind. Xuan Li Wei looked at girl''s eyes that are shining brightly as if she caught her favorite prey. Xia Lian cupped her hands around her mouth and made an eerie sound " Ooooo...". That sound coupled with the cool breeze made the situation look more spooky than usual. " Eeek.. What is that sound?" Yan who acted high and mighty earlier was the first one to freak out. The men around him looked at him with disdain, but soon their faces showed traces of panic as they heard crying sounds.. The group of men formed a defensive circle with their swords in their hands.. They looked as if they are ready to cut down anyone whoes before them.. Xia Lian rolled her eyes on seeing their exaggerated actions. She continued to make weird sounds and the group of fools almost ended up crying. " A bunch of fools who freaked out on hearing a sound and you dare nder our soldiers.." Xia Lian scoffed at them. Xia Lian did not make any sounds further and the group of men moved quickly as if they were fleeing for their lives. Xia Lian followed them with a dark expression on her face. Xuan Li Wei followed the girl with an extremely funny expression on his face. This girl even has a naughty side ah! His eyes became teary as he tried hard to control hisughter on seeing her weird actions earlier.. Chapter 48 - A new side of her (2) Chapter 48 - A new side of her (2) Xia Lian stopped tailing those bunch of fools on seeing them enter a cave. Xia Lian casually leaned against the tree with her hands across her chest. She was sure that they are doing something sneaky. Xia Lian thought for a while and gave up the idea of entering the cave recklessly. So, she sat on a branch with her face propped up on her palm. She was waiting for them toe out. Xia Lian felt bored after waiting for a long while. Just when she was about to get up, she heard theming out.. Xia Lian perked up her ears to hear their chatter.. Xuan Li Wei casually leaned on a tree observing everything before him. His sharp gaze fell on those fools who are currently rejoicing. " Hehe.. this time without the eastern barracks, Qilin country will be like a tiger without its ws.." " Don''t talk such things casually.. It''s not good to speak such things out loud." a young but sensible soldier rebuked them. Xia Lian looked at that young man for a moment before turning away. " Peh! You are such a wimp.. Who wille here and listen to us?" another fool butted in. Suddenly, Xia Lian felt sorry for their general. It''s really a pity to have such fools in one''s army. " When their army falls down, we can y with their women.." a burly man licked his lips. " Hmm..st time we did not have fun to our heart''s content.. This time we can look for young girls. What do you say?" Yan smirked. " Yes, it''s been a long time since I used ropes and my whip.." the burly man spoke with a huge smile on his face. " Isn''t it a wrong thing to defile women?" the young man who rebuked them earlier spoke again. " If you can''t shut that mouth of yours, I will dly silence you." Yan spoke while choking the youngd before him. The young man struggled as his face turned into a dangerous shade of bluish-purple color. Only when he waspletely out of air, Yan released him. Xia Lian''s face turned colder after hearing their words. Xia Lian snorted coldly in her heart after looking at the man named Yan. Yan and the burly man resumed their perverted talk and the others joined them. Only one of them stayed near the young man who was almost strangled to death earlier. From their talks, Xia Lian understood that each and every one of them destroyed the lives of many women. Then again she looked at the two young men who stood away from this awful group. She pondered for a while and immediately leaped from one tree to another and stopped on a tree below which those two men were sitting. Xia Lian took two darts from her sleeves and leaped down. Yan and thepany turned on hearing two shrieks behind them. They were surprised to see those two youngds lying on the ground as if they are in deep sleep. They searched around the entire area but they did not find anyone. Xia Lian had a cold look in her eyes. Her gaze looked so terrifying that even Xuan Li Wei was rooted on the spot staring at her stupidly. Xia Lian looked at the panicked bunch of soon-to-be corpses below her and her lips curved up. Xuan Li Wei looked at her blood thirsty smile and his lips slowly curved up. '' Are you a fierce tigress, gentle bunny or a bloodthirsty demon?'' Xia Lian notched four arrows on her bow and released them. The arrows sliced through the air making a low sound and it pierced through the bones and flesh leading to ear-piercing cries.. The group of men had horrified look on their faces as they saw Yan and the burly man crouched on the ground with two arrows pierced deeply in both of their knees. Looking at the degree of injury, anyone can tell that their legs are now useless and they are crippled for life. Everyone secretly gulped and looked at their surroundings with increasing terror in their hearts. Chapter 49 - Did you show them any mercy? Chapter 49 - Did you show them any mercy? Xia Lian did not let them worry for a long time as she shot several arrows in short intervals of time. By the time Xia Lian rxed her bow, everyone are rolling on the ground with two arrows prating deep in their knees. Xia Lian leaped from the tree and gracefullynded on the ground before them. They were so engrossed in their pain that they did not notice that a young brat is sneering at them. Xia Lian walked towards the burly man and crouched before him. She lifted his chin using a twig and looked into his eyes " I heard you love ying with ropes and wh.i.p.s.." Xia Lian squinted her eyes and spoke as if she is really feeling bad " Sadly, I don''t have a rope with me.." The burly man gritted his teeth " What is your problem, eh! Why are you hurting us? Do you know who we are?" Xia Lian rolled her eyes at him " What? You don''t even know who you are.. Sorry, How can I know someone who can''t even recognize themselves.." The burly man felt a sweet taste in his throat on hearing her words. Xia Lian sneered at him " But, I do know that you do not deserve to live..". Xia Lian suddenly bent towards him and pulled the whip from his waist. She looked at the man before her " Why don''t you ask something that fits the current situation?". Xia Lian sighed " What a bunch of idiots! Really, I thought of using many powerful quotes and movie dialogues here.. I really want to y with you.. But, your face is making me feel nauseous.. " Xia Lian didn''t give the man enough time to react as sheshed out the whip towards his face. The man felt a sharp pain on his left cheek and sub-consciously raised his hand to cover his cheek. But, before he could reach his cheek, he felt a sharp pain in his hand. He looked at his wrist which was coiled around by the whip tightly. Xia Lian used her strength and pulled the whip, severing the man''s wrist from his arm. The burly man screamed loudly on seeing his hand cut off neatly. Xia Lianshed out the whip around his neck and warned him while strangling him " Make another sound and believe it or not, your head will roll on the ground in the next instant.." The burly man bit his lips to stop his screams. Xia Lian retrieved the whip back as she was satisfied by his reaction. Xia Lian then tilted her head to look at Yan. Yan shivered when her gaze fell on him. He gritted his teeth and begged "Young boy, We don''t know what we did to offend you. But, please forgive us.." Xia Lian felt that this man before her is the exact example for defining shamelessness. So, she chuckled at him " Am I mistaken?" Yan felt a thread of hope in his heart. So, he started his Oscar worthy performance exining to her that this is all a misunderstanding. His muffled cries increased the quality of his performance. Xia Lian really hated these kind of people who put on a false facade. Yan looked at her with hopeful eyes, but in the next moment he fell into the pits of despair after hearing her words " Did you spare at least one girl, when they looked at you with the same hopeful eyes?" " Didn''t you enjoy their pleading and screams?" " So, how are you expecting me to go easy on you? Did you think that I will let you live?" Xia Lianughed hard after speaking these words. She felt that she heard the biggest joke in her life when she heard these men pleading for their lives. " Why are you killing us for those insignificant women? If you kill us, my friends wille after you.." Yan tried to scare the boy before him. But, these words made Xia Lianugh harder. '' This is clearly a demon from the hell?'' Yan and other men never felt that augh could scare the wits out of them. " Insignificant women? No, you are mistaken.. They are my sisters.." Xia Lian looked at everyone coldly before continuing " Also, I don''t give a damn about your friends or whoever it is.. " " Also, I will be dly waiting for them toe after me. Now let''s start the y.." Xia Lianshed the whip towards Yan as soon as she finished speaking. Chapter 50 - I will not kill you, not so easily.. Chapter 50 - I will not kill you, not so easily.. All the men around Yan shuddered on seeing his pitiful state. Currently his two hands were sliced off from his arms and his knee caps are smashed violently with the whip. There are numerous cuts on his body as Xia Lian used her dagger on him. All the men gulped and looked at the demon before them. The cold look on that face is enough to send chills in their spines. The whip in his hand was drenched in blood, but there is not even a single stain of blood on the boy before them. How old was he? 12 or 13? They can''t imagine what kind of a monster wille out of him in the next three or four years.. Their bodies trembled due to fear. Xuan Li Wei looked at the scene before him calmly. He was also shocked on seeing how ruthless his little girl can be once she is provoked. He liked this side of her the most. Her confidence, her graceful bearing.. everything about her attracted him and he could not help but stare at her. With each strike sheshed out at them, his attraction for her increased. Xuan Li Wei tilted his head to his right side and frowned. He felt a bad premonition in his heart. So, he immediately fired the golden me signal into the air. Xia Lian did not pay much attention to it as she is dead set on the men before her. All the men looked at her with terror. This youngd is ying with them slowly. He is dead set on torturing them before killing. Only now they understood what fear and pain truly is. They now repented on their sins, but they knew that they are going to die in a pitiful state today. So, they bowed their heads not daring to look at the demon before them. Xia Lian initially dealt with the burly man and Yan as they disgusted her the most. Next she sliced of the hands of all the men before her. She then whipped them a few times before using the whip to separate their heads from their bodies. Yan and the burly man almost puked on the spot on seeing theirrades heads rolling before them. Xia Lian slowly moved towards them and squatted before them. Yan looked at her with blood shot eyes " Boy, we are soldiers of Azur.." before Yan could finish speaking Xia Lian sliced of his tongue using her dagger. " Don''t sully the soldiers name. You do not deserve such honour.." Xia Lian hated when such sc.u.m called themselves as soldiers. In her eyes, soldiers deserve to be worshipped. These type of men are a stain on that profession. Yan stared at thed before him inplete horror. He never saw such blood thirstiness in anyone before. Yan looked extremely pitiable as half of his body parts are lying on the ground. His green robes are drenched with his blood. His face turned extremely pale due to his heavy blood loss. Xia Lian got up and yed with the dagger in her hands. The sharp dagger looked like a toy in her small jade white hands. Xuan Li Wei felt that he did the right thing in giving his dagger to her. The dagger was more suited to her than him. He realized that he is not as skilled as her in using the dagger. " I will not kill you both.. Don''t worry" Xia Lian looked at two bags of dirt before her and sheathed the dagger back into her robes. Xia Lian looked at the cave before her and moved towards it. She stopped in her tracks on hearing the sounds of horse hooves. Xia Lian immediately climbed on to the tree like a monkey. She held the bow in her hand and readied herself. Xia Lian saw a green color approaching them. Xia Lian sighed and released three arrows towards them. " Thunk.." " Thunk.." " Thunk.." Three of azure country soldiers dropped dead from their horses. " Halt.." a middle aged man raised his hand and the hundred men behind him slowed down their horses and came to a stop. The middle aged man signaled with his fingers and about twenty men galloped to the front on their horses. Xia Lian was not able to see them clearly but she let the arrows loose based on the direction of the sound. Three men were taken down. Xia Lian increased her speed and the twenty men dropped dead as all the arrows were shot right into their hearts. The middle aged man looked at direction where Xia Lian is standing. He was not able to see the person clearly, but he was sure that a single person took down twenty of his men. He was clearly surprised by the speed and uracy of that archer. He envied the Qilin country for having such a talented archer. At that moment, he made a decision in his heart. Chapter 51 - I will be your extra hand.. Chapter 51 - I will be your extra hand.. " There is only a single person. Everyone, let''s charge at the same time. No matter how skilled he is, he can''t take down all of us." the middle aged man shouted his orders. " Hai.." Everyone agreed uniformly and galloped with their horses to their front. Xia Lian arched her brows and leaped from one tree to other to change her position as some of the men got down from their horses and started to aim at her. Xia Lian was able to shoot only three arrows at once, but she understood that she can''t hold back them for long. Also, she had to change her position after each shot to avoid getting shot by them. Xia Lian was able to kill only about twenty of them. As she was aiming at their hearts, she took a bit longer than usual. Xia Lian immediately leaped on to the next tree and the next.. Now, she was far away from her previous spot and Xia Lian face turned cold when she saw an arrow sticking into the ce where she previously stood. " If I was a bitte, it would have pierced my feet.." Xia Lian sighed while moving her left foot backwards. "If only I have an extra pair of hands, I would have killed them all by now.." Xia Lian didn''t notice the empty space behind and her left footnded on empty air. Xia Lian lost her bnce. It was so sudden that she did not have any time to react. So, she crossed her hands over her head, to protect herself from the fall. But, she did not fall down or feel any pain. Instead, she found her back resting against a firm chest and her waist was encircled by a strong arm making her steady and preventing her from fall. Xia Lian was about to turn around when she heard a husky voice near her ear " I will be your extra hands." That voice coupled with his warm breath made her ears feel itchy. Before she could react to his words, she found one of his hands over hers. His hands cupped hers making the bow steady. Xia Lian''s other hand on the bowstring was also enveloped by his hand. But, that strong hand had six arrows.. Xia Lian immediately understood his actions and she used her fingers to take three arrows from his hands. This action of hers made her fingers brush against his palms and fingers. Xuan Li Wei''s hand trembled by her touch. But, he recovered quickly and their fingers intertwined as they notched six arrows on the box. Xia Lian did not use much strength to draw the bowstring as the man behind her took care of it. The six arrows shed through the air bringing down six of the men. Xuan Li Wei and Xia Lian did not waste any time as they began to shoot urately bringing down six of the enemy men with each shot. The middle aged man''s heart was in a disarray. '' Is he a monster? How can he shoot 6 arrows ah!?'' he cried silent tears in his heart. All his men are getting shot down like pigeons.. About a few meters away from where Xuan Li Wei and Xia Lian are standing, a heated debate is going on.. A group of six men had grave expressions on their faces. As soon as they arrived, they were met with the scene of their general shooting with that young brat. If it is a girl, that position is very romantic.. But, why is it a young boy?.. That made these group of young teens very unhappy.. " Great one, say.. our general hates to have close contact with anyone.." Great two''s voice became more aggrieved with each word he spoke " But, now that little brat is leaning on our general.." " Our general is just helping that brat.." Great three rolled his eyes at great two. " Great One, shouldn''t we go and help?" Great three was the most calm one among them. " No need, our general can take care of them." Great one shook his head. These are the group of six shadow guards of Xuan Li Wei. They always followed Xuan Li Wei keeping a distance of at least six km between them. They did not know that their general became a stalker and followed this ''young boy''. So, they had no idea that the boy is Xia Lian. When they saw the golden me signal re, they thought that their general is in danger and they rushed forward. After seeing the situation here, they rxed themselves and diverted their attention to the little boy in their general''s arms. Chapter 52 - How dare you touch me? Chapter 52 - How dare you touch me? The middle aged man in green robes was stunned on the spot as only about 20 men were alive. He clearly under estimated the enemy. So, he had only one option before him. " Retreat.." the middle aged man raised his hand and everyone turned their horses around and galloped away. On seeing that they are escaping, Xia Lian tried to wriggle from his embrace as she wanted to shoot at them. But, Xuan Li Wei stopped her with his words " Your arrows won''t reach them now. So, why bother to shoot at them?" Xia Lian''s face darkened after listening his words. '' This man really has guts.. Not only did he touch me, now he is talking back at me. Even though I look like a boy now, he can''t touch me as he wanted. '' thinking this Xia Lian wriggled her arms out of his. " How dare you touch me?" Xia Lian balled her fists and turned around suddenly punching Xuan Li Wei hard in his stomach. Xuan Li Wei didn''t see thising and the punch really had a heavy impact on him. He didn''t understand how this little girl can have such strength. Xia Lian smirked as she used her marine corps training techniques on him. Xuan Li Wei''s face is covered with a ck mask. So, she was not able to see his face. His frown and his closed eyes made it clear that he is suffering. On the other hand, Great one is so riled up on seeing his general getting hit by a brat who is not even half of his size. The other five held him back with great difficulty. " Dude.. although you helped me you should not have touched me as you wished. So, this is a small reminder to you. In future, think twice before you act. I am stopping here because you helped me. So, thank you.." Xia Lian spoke while looking at the man who is currently clutching his stomach. '' This little thing, look at her saying thank you after hitting him..'' Xuan Li Wei sighed in his heart. On hearing her words, he slowly straightened himself and opened his eyes. Xia Lian raised her neck so much that it started to hurt. '' Damn it.. this guy is too tall.. Yes, he is abnormally tall and she is not short..'' Xia Lian consoled herself that she is not too short. But, the pain in her neck reminded her that she is indeed short before him. She didn''t even reach his chest ah! When he opened his eyes, Xia Lian stared like a fool.. What a beautiful hazel brown.. Sheposed herself quickly and lowered her head. Her gaze stopped on his chest where she saw an embroidered fire emblem and a badge pinned near it. Xia Lian felt as if she is struck by a lightning as a sudden realization hit her. '' So, this man is Qilin country''s soldier.. Oh no, so he really wanted to save her and she misunderstood him.. And in the worst, she punched him..'' Xia Lian coughed as she spoke nervously while patting his shoulder " Hey dude.. I didn''t know you were from the army.. I wouldn''t have hit you, if you had told me earlier.." Xuan Li Wei was amused on hearing her nervous voice " When did you give me any chance to speak?" Xia Lian choked on her breath. '' He''s right.. I punched him before he could speak anything..'' So, she stammered " Hey dude.. Just treat it as an exchange of fists between friends.. okay.." Xuan Li Wei: " I am not called dude..." Xia Lian: "..." Oh no! this big guy is so adorable. Xia Lian controlled herughter and she tried to speak in a serious voice " I don''t know what you are called.. So, I called you that.." Xuan Li Wei nodded " You can call me Li Wei.." Xia Lian extended her hand " You can call me Li.." Xuan Li Wei raised his brows and looked at her little hand before him not understanding what to do " What do you want?" '' Oh my! I am not asking you for anything...'' Xia Lian caught his hand and shook it " This is a way of introducing ourselves to others.." Chapter 53 - A cut-sleeve? Chapter 53 - A cut-sleeve? Xuan Li Wei pursed his lips and looked at the little girl in front of him who is currently shaking his hands. ''Damn girl! right now you punched me for touching you and now you are touching me on your own..'' he thought to himself. He cannot possibly fight with her, right? It will look like he is bullying a child.. So, Xuan Li Wei raised his brows and raised his hand. Xia Lian was horrified '' He wouldn''t p her right? Anyways, she was the one who punched him first.. So, she will treat it as a silly fight between friends..'' Thinking till here Xia Lian closed her eyes waiting for the p. Xuan Li Wei chuckled on seeing her like that. His hands stopped before her forehead and he flicked her head with his fingers. " Ah.." Xia Lian opened her eyes and red at him. But, that rested only for a second as he did not p her instead. So, she was secretly relieved in her heart. Her country''s soldiers are so nice ah! On the other side, Xuan Li Wei''s secret guards are secretly crying silent tears. It was only great one who is not able to watch the lovey-dovey scenes before him anymore.. So, he looked at great two while pointing his fingers at the two figures who are gazing at each other. " Great two, tell me.. why are they looking like a pair of lovers who met each other after a long time?" Great three snorted at this mad man " You''ve gone crazy.. They may be speaking with each other.. Because of their masks, we are not able to read their lips.." It made great one close his mouth for a while. But he immediately lost it when he saw the brat grab their general''s hands and shake it " Now what do you want to say.. Look at them.. Why is our general not choking that brat and allowing him to have his way?" When Xuan Li Wei raised his hand, great one was cheering in his heart ''Come on general.. squash that brat with a single strike..'' But his smile did notst long his general not only did not strike him, but flicked his head in a loving way.. " Oh No!" Great two''s face was filled with horror. Everyone turned to look at him when they heard him say " Our general isn''t a cut sleeve, is he?" At that moment everyone felt a boom in their heads and turned to look at those two who are still staring at each other. " Little Li, why are you wandering alone?". Xia Lian choked on her breath on hearing how this guy called her. " Little Li.." Xia Lian gritted her teeth. Though her expression is not visible due to her mask, Xuan Li Wei is pretty sure that this little girl is mad. He was secretly happy as he felt that teasing this girl is pretty amusing. So, he continued " Of course, I will call you as little Li. You are not even half of my size." '' That''s because I''m a girl..'' Xia Lian shouted in her heart. But, she could not speak those words now.. So, she spoke in a gloomy tone " I am just wandering around.. " Xuan Li Wei felt that for now he should stop or the girl willsh out on him again. So, he stopped teasing her " Little Li, your archery is quite good.." Xia Lian raised her brows " As if your archery is bad.. Alright, I have no time to banter with you. I am going in to check the cave. You might be interested in it. So, will youe with me?" " Alright.. Let''s go.." Xuan Li Wei nodded and both of them leaped down the tree. Xuan Li Wei looked at the two sorry figures on the ground as he asked " Little Li, what are you going to do to them?" Xia Lian smirked " Parade them n.a.k.e.d on the streets.." Xuan Li Wei looked at the girl beside him in shock.. This girl is not even a bit embarrassed while speaking these things. What he did not know is that Xia Lian worked on countless bodies and what part of human body did she not see? In her eyes, all human bodies are the same.. Where is the room for embarrassment? Chapter 54 - My friend, Im there for you.. Chapter 54 - My friend, I''m there for you.. Xia Lian dragged Yan and the burly man and tied them to a tree using the whip as a rope. She was sure that they cannot even lift a finger in their state. But, in order to be safe she tied them to the tree. Xuan Li Wei looked at the two sleeping figures under a tree two steps away from them. " Are you not going to kill them?" Xia Lian followed his gaze and sighed " I am not a monster.. They didn''t know anything wrong. So, why would I kill them?" " I gave them sleeping medicine. They will not wake up for another three hours. Alright, let''s go.." Xia Lian dusted her hands and looked at Xuan Li Wei. Xuan Li Wei nodded and both of them moved towards the cave. Great one was not able to endure anymore and shouted at the top of his voice " Why are they going into the cave? Hey brat, if you dare touch my master I will chop your head off.. Don''t try to seduce my master again.." but in his heart he secretly vowed '' Our general belongs only to our goddess..'' Remaining five guards : "..." This guy has gone mad.. Did he not want to live any more? Xuan Li Wei and Xia Lian were both stunned and they stopped walking on hearing those outrageous words. Xia Lian''s mouth twitched on hearing those words and she looked at the man beside her " Do you like men?" Xuan Li Wei felt his veins popping on his forehead and his face immediately darkened. Xia Lian now confirmed that his extreme reaction is because her words are true. So, she quickly consoled him " Don''t worry.. As a friend I will support you in the future, if you find your other half.. Also, I will keep my mouth shut unlike those fools of yours. Wait and watch.. let me teach them a lesson.." Xia Lian took her bow after speaking those words. Xuan Li Wei was shocked beyond words and he remained like a statue in that position for a long while before recovering. '' How did it turn out like this? Now, am I a cut-sleeve in her eyes..'' hemented in his heart. Xia Lian shot at those six guards in such a way that the arrowsnded either before their feet or they passed above their head. She made them run till they are two steps away from them. All the six teenagers looked at the puny brat before them and secretly gulped. " You dumb fes.. Even if your master is a cut-sleeve, you should keep your mouths shut. Also, don''t worry this young master has no interest in men. I am interested in pretty women." Xia Lian then looked at each one of them before speaking in a menacing voice " If you guys spout such nonsense again, I don''t mind sewing your mouths.." Xuan Li Wei did not know if he should be happy or sad.. His little girl is protecting him.. But, she clearly misunderstood everything ah! Xia Lian then turned to look at Xuan Li Wei " Li Wei, you are my friend. So, don''t worry I will protect you.. But, you are not allowed to have any feelings towards this young master..". Xuan Li Wei started to correct her " It''s not what you are thinking.." Xia Lian just brushed him off by waving her hands " No need to say anymore.. I can understand your aggrieved heart Li Wei.. " Xuan Li Wei rubbed his forehead.. This girl is not even willing to listen.. He finally decided to shut his mouth, but his brain is working hard on how to tell her.. Xia Lian turned to look at the six teenagers before her who are looking at her as if she is a monster. Sheughed hard in spite of herself. All of them heard her bell likeughter and stared at her like fools. Due to her extreme movements earlier, the knots of her mask became loose. A slight breeze flowed making her mask tilt down a little. Xia Lian removed her mask as she felt that the knots have loosened. These six teenagers opened their mouths in shock on seeing her face. How could they forget her? They are her biggest fans ah! Now, they understood the situation.. Great one was the most excited of all.. On seeing that he was about to spout some nonsense again the remaining five guards blocked his mouth with their hands and pulled him to a safe distance. They formed a circle and spoke in whispers " We misunderstood.. It''s our goddess.. Now I understand why our general is like an obedient cat before her.. " Everyone looked at great one with anger " You and your stupid mouth.. Now our general is a cut-sleeve in her eyes..." Great one lowered his head and spoke slowly " I can clear this misunderstanding.." The remaining five immediately refused his stupid idea " No need to create additional problems for our general.. We made a huge mistake, so now we will try to support our general as much as possible.." They turned around only to find that their general and their goddess are looking at them.. or rather ring at them.. Chapter 55 - Exploring (1) Chapter 55 - Exploring (1) " Are you done talking?" Xia Lian was fed up with these fools. All the six teenagers nodded their heads like a pecking hen. Xia Lian looked at them seriously " All of you areing with us inside. Otherwise, you will nder me of sullying your master.." Xuan Li Wei''s lips twitched under his mask and he looked at his group of six fools with a helpless expression. All the six guards felt pity in their hearts and they were also guilty as this is the result of their actions. '' Mistress, if it''s you we will not bat an eyelid even if you kidnap our general'' Great one sighed in his heart. He came forward and bowed slightly " Young master, why would we worry? Our master is not a cut-sleeve and we were joking earlier. So, we won''t be following you." but inside his heart he was screaming '' Mistress, now you don''t have to worry. You can take a bite of our general..'' " Ohh.. It seems like I misunderstood something.." Xia Lian looked at Xuan Li Wei who was nodding at her furiously. Xia Lian looked at the master and guards group and she was no longer able to control herughter " hahaha.. alright, I believe that you like women.. So, everyone be at ease.." " You wille with us into the cave." Xia Lian looked at great one. " No.. No need of using in at all. Our master is capable and he can manage everything.. So young master you do not have to worry.." great one immediately refused. Xia Lian did not think much about it and shrugged her shoulders. " All right then, let''s go in Li Wei.." Xia Lian turned to walk towards the cave. Xuan Li Wei red at the six fools before following her. All the six men secretly gulped and great one voiced out the fears in everyone''s mind " We should get ready for our special training.. I fear this time it mayst for many months.." The other five also nodded in agreement.. Xia Lian knitted her brows on seeing the dark and empty downward staircase inside the cave. What she did not understand is that why did these azure country fellows build a tunnel with its entrance in this cave.. Xuan Li Wei just leaned against the cave watching her actions. Xia Lian tilted her head and her anger red up on seeing this rxing young man. She gritted her teeth " You.. tell me how should we go in if it''s this dark.. We can''t possibly use a fire as we don''t know what is inside." Xuan Li Wei suddenly stood up and caught hold of her little hand pulling her behind him as he slowly descended the stair case " Simple.. I will take you down there.. Just take one step at a time." Xia Lian was shocked at first by his sudden actions, but she did not mind his touch as she followed him carefully. However, she didn''t know that Xuan Li Wei had a sly smile on his face behind the mask. Both of them smelled a strong scent and it increased as they continued to move down. Xia Lian immediately recognized it as she blurted it out without thinking " Gunpowder.." Xuan Li Wei spoke after hearing her words " You even know about gunpowder.." Xia Lian rolled her eyes " It''s only gunpowder. Anyone would know about it.." Xia Lian closed her mouth as she suddenly realized that she is not in 21st century anymore. In this era, gunpowder is very precious dear! she scolded herself for being muddleheaded. Xia Lian was prepared to face his insults.. Right now her words can be taken as arrogant, so she bowed her head and followed him carefully waiting for him to berate her. However, Xuan Li Weiughed on hearing her words " You are cleverer than I expected..". Xia Lian was pleasantly surprised as he did not scold her. So, she praised him generously " Li Wei, you are really good.." Xuan Li Wei raised his brows, but he did not speak anything. Xia Lian was really tired of walking. So, sheined " How long is this tunnel?" Xuan Li Wei heard her tired voice and stopped. Xia Lian was about to ask him if they reached the end when she heard his voice " If you promise that you won''t punch me, I can carry you.." Chapter 56 - Exploring (2) Chapter 56 - Exploring (2) Xia Lian was really tired. She had no idea how many kilometers they walked.. So, she spoke in a low voice " Alright, I won''t beat you.." Xuan Li Wei pulled her into his embrace and circled his arm around her waist. He lifted her in his arms easily as she is very light in weight.. He then used his qing qong and easily carried her along with him in the air. Xia Lian ced her small hands on his chest due to his sudden movement. She did not remove her hands to keep a distance from him. But, she suddenly found something interesting.. So, she started patting his chest and abdomen. Xuan Li Wei''s body became stiff and before he could speak something he heard her excited voice " You must have a great body.." Xuan Li Wei coughed heavily on hearing her words.. ''What sort of things is this girl speaking? How is she able to speak about a man''s body so nonchntly ? This girl is truly weird..'' Xuan Li Wei sighed. Though he was not able to see her face, he can almost imagine this little girl''s shining eyes while asking that question. " What are you saying?" he managed to ask that question with a heavy voice. Xia Lian did not notice the change in his voice and continued to speak " I''ve seen many bodies.. But, I can tell that your body is great just by feeling it.. " Xuan Li Wei : "..." I should be proud of myself, right? But, his sense of pride did not remain for long as her next words diffused all his current mes.. " Your body is best suited for dissecting.." Xuan Li Wei was horrified " You want to dissect my body?! " Xia Lian was brought back to her senses after hearing his horrified voice. In truth, this man''s body can be used as a model for exining to students. She had to admit that the first thought that came to her mind is dissecting this almost perfect body.. But, she can''t say that right? So, Xia Lian coughed " No.. of course not.. How can I, a little harmless boy dissect such a huge man.. So, don''t worry.. I wont dissect those who are alive just to satisfy my curiosity.." Xuan Li Wei immediately retorted " Hmm.. You are a little harmless boy who sliced off the heads of almost ten men.. I should be careful from now.." " Hey! I won''t harm my friends.. So, don''t be upset now.." " I don''t believe you.. And, Why would I be upset.. Because of you? No way.." " Eh? Bro, your voice is betraying you ah.. I can tell that you are clearly upset.. I will buy you some candyter.. So, don''t pout.." " Candy?! You are not even half of my size.. You should buy some for yourself.." Both of them bantered along the way and the entire tunnel reverberated under their shouts.. If Jun Moyin saw this scene, he would say '' That''s the way to go.. I''m always cheering for you bro.. Disputes are also a part of love.. '' and if his shadow guards saw this scene they would be shocked beyond words on seeing their general fight like a kid. Xuan Li Wei stopped in mid air as he sensed something metallic in their way. He guessed that it was a gate leading to a chamber. " We''ve reached the end.." Xuan Li Wei spoke and dropped the baggage in his arms. As they are in mid air and Xia Lian did not see thising, shended on her butt.. " Ouch! It hurts.." Xia Lian''s cry echoed in the empty tunnel. " Serves you right.. This is a punishment for thinking about dissecting my body... Humph.." Xuan Li Wei snorted. " I could have died.." " I am not so cruel as you.. We are only a few feet away from the ground when I dropped you.. So, stop over-reacting.." " You lowly minion.. If I can see you now, I will surely dissect you right here.." " Little Li, enough of this.. Move aside, I should break this gate.." Xuan Li Wei pulled her on to her feet and made her stand behind him. Xia Lian gritted her teeth and obediently stood behind him. Xuan Li Wei gathered his internal energy in his hands and broke the lock with a single strike. Xia Lian was about to praise him again, but she pursed her lips on remembering how he dropped her before. Chapter 57 - Couldnt help liking her (1) Chapter 57 - Couldn''t help liking her (1) Xuan Li Wei walked inside holding the fuming bunny''s hand. The smell of gunpowder became more intense with every step they took forward. " Aish.. I really want to take a good look, but we cannot use fire.." Xia Lian was frustrated. On hearing her words Xuan Li Wei stopped and released her hand. He fished his robes and he ced a glowing thing in her hands. Xia Lian was fascinated with this seemingly LED bulb like thing. So, she asked curiously " What is this thing?" " Night pearl..." '' Wait, if he had this thing with him why didn''t he take it out earlier?'' Xia Lian''s face darkened as she asked in a menacing voice " Why didn''t you take this out when we were on the stairs?" " I forgot.." Xuan Li Wei feigned innocence. " You.." Xia Lian was so angry as she pointed her finger at him in an using way. But, she managed to say only that word as Xuan Li Wei shamelessly pulled her into his embrace. " Why are you so frustrated? " Xuan Li Wei bent forward so that their faces are only a finger''s width apart. Xia Lian was frozen by his sudden movement and she remained like a statue looking at those shining hazel brown eyes. Xuan Li Wei stared her widened jet ck almond eyes which appeared more enchanting under the light of the night pearl. A man and a girl stood still as if time hade to a stop staring into the other''s eyes... The hazy light of the night pearl made the scene look like a beautiful painting. " We are both men.. What are you scared of?" Xuan Li Wei broke the silence. " Or.. Are you actually a girl?" this time Xuan Li Wei whispered in her ear. " Huh?" Xia Lian did not understand as she was still shocked by this man. " Say.. you are actually a girl and you fell for this master, right?" Xuan Li Wei said while poking the mask on her nose area. It looked as if he was ying with her nose. Xia Lian pped his finger away and moved a bit closer pulling him towards her in the process. Xuan Li Wei was stunned as their noses are almost touching and his body froze when he saw her ck eyes staring right at him. " Don''t you worry.. Girl or boy.. It doesn''t matter as this one will never fall in love with you.." Xia Lian spoke in an enchanting voice. Xia Lian did not spare another nce at this shameless man as she pushed him away with a single hand. Then without any care she moved forward with the night pearl in her hand observing her surroundings. Xuan Li Wei took a few steps backward as he straightened himself. He then stared at the tiny figure before him.. Her back was straight and she moved as if she did not give a damn about anyone.. She had her own pride and her whole being so confident that he found it difficult to look away from her.. May be this is the reason why he wasing to like her more and more.. Xuan Li Wei stared at her back with a million thoughts in his mind. " Li Wei,e here and take a look at these wooden crates.." Xia Lian''s voice brought him out of his daze and he quickly walked towards her. " You are not angry anymore?" Xuan Li Wei looked at the girl before him in amus.e.m.e.nt. " Why would I be angry? Both of us like to banter with each other.." Xia Lian asked in confusion. '' Damn woman! you scared me..'' hemented in his heart. " Let''s open them.." Xuan Li Wei directly opened the box and Xia Lian lifted her toes to take a look forgetting their earlier conversationpletely. " Not bad, they actually made gunpowder balls. It seems that they are trying to blow up the entire army in this ce.." Xia Lian spoke while looking at the several hundreds of crates before them. Xuan Li Wei stayed silent for a while before he asked " How did you guess that the army is their target?" " It''s not a blind guess and I''m sure that the army is their target.." a confident voice answered back. " Oh.. How so? Care to exin to me?" Xuan Li Wei was amused. Now, he found something truly interesting. Chapter 58 - Couldnt help liking her (2) Chapter 58 - Couldn''t help liking her (2) " Are you taking me for a fool?" Xia Lian rolled her eyes " Only the military camp is present near the border. Military camp is the strongest pir of any empire. One can image what kind of disaster it will be if the army falls. So, the army is their main target." " Though this method is a bit under-handed, it will be quite effective. Too bad, it seems they under estimated the general of eastern barracks." On seeing that Xuan Li Wei remained silent, Xia Lian continued to speak " Say Li Wei, your general is quite smart. Am I wrong?" " No, you are right. But, he may not be as out-standing as you think." Xuan Li Wei spoke humbly as his heart was clearly shaken by this little monster. After a few years, she will clearly surpass him. He was convinced of that. " Eh! You are a fool.. I just identally discovered this ce. But, your general sent you here to take a look. So, I have to say he is good. If possible I want to fight with him." Xia Lian clenched her fists and looked as if she is ready to punch the general. Xuan Li Wei raised his brows on seeing her so eager to beat him. He could not help but smile " So, do you want topete with him in strength or brains?" " Both." Xuan Li Wei: "..." Alright, I give up. Xuan Li Wei really wanted to test her. So, he spoke " Little Li, check this ce well and tell me if you discover anything abnormal. If you are sessful, then I will ask my general to spar with you. Are you ready?" Xia Lian''s blood was pumped up as she dered confidently " Then, you should get ready for coaxing your general.." she left like a wisp of smoke as soon as she finished speaking these words. Xuan Li Wei smiled wryly as he leaned against the wooden crates " It seems I should get ready for a round of beating." Xia Lian bounced around humming a sound. Xuan Li Wei stretched his bodyzily like a cat and he felt sleepy on hearing her voice. After a while, Xuan Li Wei opened his eyes as he felt his surroundings became eerily quiet. He was about to get up and look around when he heard a cheerful voice calling him " Li Wei,e here and look what I found." Xuan Li Wei found this little girl waving her small hand at him with the night pearl in other hand. He walked over to her and spokezily " Disturbing my sleep.. You better show me something good.." " Humph, Sleeping when actually you should be looking around. Wait, till I tell your general about you.." Xia Lian wanted to flick his forehead but she was not able to touch his head even when she raised her toes. Xuan Li Wei looked at her finger which was far away from his forehead and he could not help butugh loudly. Xia Lian coughed to hide her embarrassment and she changed the topic while pulling him along with her. " Look at this.." Xia Lian pointed towards a brick wall in the huge chamber. Xuan Li Wei saw this girl tap on each brick twice before going to the next one. His lips curved up in satisfaction. '' So. it seems that I am destined to get beaten up by this little girl..'' Xia Lian stopped after tapping a brick and pushed it inside. Sure enough, another underground passage opened before their eyes. Xia Lian looked at Xuan Li Wei " Let''s go in.." " Aren''t you afraid of any traps in there?" " Li Wei, they didn''t set any traps to guard that gunpowder. Also, it''s not possible that there is another chamber down there. I''m sure it is a passage to your military camp. They won''t waste their time on setting traps for themselves, right?" " You don''t need to test me.. Believe me my friend, I''m not a dumb fellow." Xia Lian snorted at this friend of hers. " Alright, I won''t test you anymore. Let''s go in." Xuan Li Weiughed and followed Xia Lian. But, they came to a stop at a dead end. Chapter 59 - I love eating Chapter 59 - I love eating Xuan Li Wei looked at the dead end and smirked " Move aside.. I am sure that after we dig for a short while, we will find their target.." " Li Wei, I am suddenly feeling bad for your general.." Xia Lian sighed sadly. Xuan Li Wei almost stumbled on hearing her words. Xia Lian did not notice his actions as she continued speaking while thinking deeply with her gaze locked on the ground below her feet. " Surely, their target is your general ah! I have a hunch that this passage''s exit will be somewhere near the general''s tent.. If a general falls, without a strong leader the army will definitely be in a disarray.. I kind of like this idea.. " " Little Li, are you really 12 years old?" Xuan Li Wei''s pride was hurt badly. Everyone hailed him as a genius when he was 14 years old, but this brat is clearly 12 years old.. So, what should he call her? He really did not know.. " Hehe.." Xia Lianughed like a rouge " You are jealous, aren''t you?" " Ho.. ho... I am a genius by birth. So, don''t feel so bad.." Xia Lian brushed her hands before Xuan Li Wei as if he is a fly.. Xuan Li Wei''s lips twitched on seeing her gleeful image. He turned around silently resuming his work. He started to dig the pathway using his internal energy. He really didn''t want to talk to this girl now. She is really making him loose his calm.. " Eh?! Li Wei, why are you so silent.." Xia Lian was bored on seeing him work so seriously. On seeing that Xuan Li Wei is ignoring her, Xia Lian moved forward and stood by his side. " Li Wei, Can I help?" Xia Lian was ufortable by this deadly silence around them. " Yes.." Xuan Li Wei replied nonchntly. He didn''t spare even a nce at her. But, secretly he was enjoying on seeing this girl trying to make him talk. " Just be silent.. It''s the best way you can help me." Xia Lian felt as if she is drenched by a bucket of cold water on hearing his words. " No, let me help you.." before Xia Lian couldplete her words she saw Xuan Li Wei take out something from his robes and push it into her hands. " Aa..pple.." Xia Lian removed her mask and spoke while eating the fruit. Xuan Li Wei looked at the girl who is currently eating the apple happily. He looked at her bloated cheeks and her big eyes staring at him.. '' Oh god! Too cute..'' Xuan Li Wei controlled his urge to pinch the girl''s cheek as he pulled her to sit on a crate at a safe distance from him. " Now be good and eat it. Leave that work to me.." " Alright, I will join you after eating.." Xuan Li Wei looked at the half-eaten apple in her hands. With her current eating speed, she will be at his side in a few minutes. He was afraid of loosing his self-control around her. So, he pulled out a small bag from his robes and ced them on herp " You cane only after eating everything in them.." Xia Lian frowned on hearing his words, but after looking at the contents inside the bag she was so happy that she nodded like pecking hen. The bag had a few apples and gr.a.p.es. She absolutely loved fruits. Also, she didn''t feel ufortable around Li Wei, so she epted everything without shame. " Li Wei, don''t worry I have many oranges with me. I will give them to you after we leave this ce. I won''t eat for free.." Xuan Li Wei shook his head helplessly as he knew that she can''t be persuaded easily. He looked at her eating happily and then he turned around to continue his work. Xuan Li Wei dusted his hands as he saw light entering the passage. He turned around only to find that this girl was standing behind him silently. " You finished everything?" Xuan Li Wei looked at the girl''s petite figure. He didn''t take much time for digging and this girl ate the whole lot of fruits at such a high speed.. " Yup, I love fruits and basically I love eating.." Xuan Li Wei nodded as he found something interesting again. This girl did not care for her image at all.. He found her rather cute again.. Chapter 60 - Why are you here? Chapter 60 - Why are you here? Xuan Li Wei easily climbed out of the hole and stared at the short girl who is now looking at him with using eyes. He stood at the same spot without moving as he happily observed how hard she tried toe out.. Finally, he chuckled and he lifted her out of the hole carefully. Xia Lian no longer wanted to speak with this idiot on remembering how he watched her struggle without helping her.. So, she tilted her head ignoring him. But, she froze on seeing her surroundings.. ''Why are we inside a tent?'' Xia Lian tilted her head to the other side while thinking. She immediately froze on seeing a third person in the tent who was currently looking at them with a surprised expression. " Why are you here?" Xia Lian pointed her finger at the person who stood rooted on the spot. " Do I know you?" the man finally came out of his daze and looked at the masked young brat before him. '' How dare he point his finger at him'' the man frowned while looking at the half-sized brat. " So, this is how you treat your friends ah!" Xia Lian was angry " You can''t even recognise your friend.." " Jun.. Mo.. Yin!" Xia Lian spat out each word as she red at the ungrateful brat before her while taking off her mask. Now, Jun Moyin stood rooted on the spot as he looked at his sister-inw who is dressed in men''s clothing with a foolish look on his face. " Sis Xia!" Jun Moyin was excited as he pulled her towards a cushioned chair. " Why are you here?" " I should be asking you that. What are you doing in the general''s tent? Don''t tell me you are here to steal something.." Xia Lian clearly believed in this fellows abilities. She was sure that he is at this ce to cause trouble. Jun Moyin clutched his chest " Sis Xia, do I look like a thief to you?". Xia Lian nodded immediately as she was angry that he did not recognise her. Jun Moyin was visibly hurt as he turned to face his brother who is leaning on his bed and watching them with an amused expression on his face. " Big brother, tell her the truth.." '' Big brother?'' Xia Lian tilted her head to look at his big bro of her stupid friend. But, her expression froze on seeing a devilishly handsome man looking at her with a slight smile on her face. '' Ah! This man is too beautiful like a painting..'' Xia Lian was in her own world admiring this man''s features. Jun Moyin looked at his sister-inw who is openly staring at his brother without blushing. Xuan Li Wei''s smile widened on seeing her stare at him without blinking her eyes. Jun Moyin coughed slightly as he poked Xia Lian on her arm " Sis Xia.." No response from the concerned party " Sis Xia, what are you doing?" " Admiring beauty.." Jun Moyin coughed on hearing her words. Now, Xia Lian looked as if she is deeply thinking about something. Jun Moyin felt it funny on seeing her thinking so deeply. So, he asked her " What are you thinking now?" Xia Lian was lost in her dreamnd as she answered honestly without thinking " Your brother is as beautiful as a painting. I never thought I would see such handsome men in real life.." Jun Moyin looked at his big brother whose ears are currently like a tomato. He guffawed in his heart on seeing his brother''s fl.u.s.tered experience. It''s the first time he saw his brother blush so hard and this reaction is just because of a few words from his sister-inw. But, her next words made Xuan Li Wei cough a mouthful of blood and Jun Moyin roll on the ground withughter.. " I was thinking how much we can earn if we sell your brother to a brothel.." Chapter 61 - You can be free before us Chapter 61 - You can be free before us " pfft.." Jun Moyin froze for a while before bursting intoughter. He looked at his brother''s darkened face and the pitch of hisughter increased. ''Oh my god! My sister-inw is truly savage..'' Jun Moyin squinted his eyes and looked at Xia Lian who is still engrossed in her own world, without caring for a certain broken heart. " Sis Xia, there are many famous pleasure houses here. I will search the best one for you and then we can go together.." Jun Moyin stopped his sentence in the middle as he felt a strong killing intent from his bro.. " Hmm.. Moyin, let''s do it.. I think that we both are kindred spirits.. " Xia Lian was excited as she spoke with shining eyes. " First you want to dissect me and now you want to sell me?!" Xuan Li Wei spat those words coldly. '' When did I say that I will dissect this elder brother ah?!'' Xia Lian frowned as he disturbed her thoughts, but then a sudden realization hit her " Eh?! Li Wei?" Xia Lian looked at the extremely handsome man before her " You are Li Wei?" Xuan Li Wei pursed his lips and nodded silently. " Initially I felt bad that I might have insulted Moyin''s elder bro.. But, if it is you I am more than happy to sell you away.." Xia Lian was currently enjoying his depressed state. Finally, she had a chance to piss him off.. And she is going to make full use of it. " I am a petty person. I will never let those who offended me to have a peaceful life.." Xia Lian snorted " But, as you are my friend I will just wage a war of words with you.." Jun Moyin was curious now.. Just what did his brother do to make this little bunny angry? " Sis Xia, what exactly did my brother do?" Xia Lian looked at Jun Moyin and exined all the events to him.. Xia Lian looked at his dejected face " What are you making that long face for?" " I should have been there.. I missed many beautiful scenes.." Jun Moyin''s heart was filled with regret. He really wanted to see how his brother flirted.. From Xia Lian''s exnation Jun Moyin understood that he truly under-estimated his brother''s flirting abilities.. " No wonder you both are brothers.." Xia Lian''s lips twitched on hearing his shameless words. " Li Wei, let''s go to meet your general. I think we fooled enough here.." seeing the girl''s sweet smile, Xuan Li Wei felt really helpless. If anyone spoke such words, they would have met lord Yama by now. But, no matter what this girl speaks, he did not get angry.. '' I am truly hopeless now..'' Xuan Li Wei sighed in his heart. " Sis Xia, what are you saying? My brother Xuan Li Wei, is the general of eastern barracks.." his sister-inw is truly slow in some matters. " Ge.. General?" now it''s Xia Lian''s turn to be stunned. She slowly tilted her head only to meet with Xuan Li Wei''s '' what are you going to do now?'' expression.. '' Xuan???? So, this fellow is a prince..'' Xia Lian secretly gulped as she slowly stood up. She looked at Xuan Li Wei and smiled nervously while saluting him " General, no matter how shameless you are I still respect you as a general..." Jun Moyin covered his mouth with his hands to muffle the sounds of hisughter.. '' His sister-inw''s tongue is truly poisonous..'' " I don''t know that you are the fourth prince.. Otherwise, I would have kept my mouth shut.. I don''t want my head rolling on the ground for offending a prince.." Xia Lian started to act pitifully. " Stop your act.." Xuan Li Wei felt goose bumps all over his body on seeing her " You can behave as you wish before both of us.. But, be careful before others. Not, everyone can maintain their calm after hearing your words.." he seriously advised her. " hehe.. thank you general.. you are so kind.." Xia Lian felt happy as this friend of hers is quite reasonable and mature. So, he is her second friend. " Call me Li Wei.. Your sudden show of respect is creepy..." " Li Wei, shall we fight now? You promised me.." Chapter 62 - Eager to fight Chapter 62 - Eager to fight " As you wish.. No weapons, I will not attack you and you have three chances to take me down." Xuan Li Wei continued " If you are not able to take me down then you loose.." Xuan Li Wei knew that she is skilled, but her strength is not enough to fight with him. She still needs to practice for a few years to beat him. " You can also attack me.. I am not that weak." Xia Lian was not satisfied. " I don''t bully kids.. If you are not satisfied then we won''t fight.." Xuan Li Wei also didn''t back down. " Alright, you win.." Xia Lian raised her hands in surrender and followed Xuan Li Wei out of the tent. Jun Moyin was worried about his sister-inw " Sis Xia, I think it''s not a good idea to fight my big bro.." " Moyin, do you believe in me?" Xia Lian suddenly turned towards him. Jun Moyin looked at her earnest expression and sub-consciously nodded " Of course, I believe in you.." " Then don''t worry.. I won''t get beaten up.." " Sis Xia, if possible beat the crap out of my brother.." Xia Lian: " I don''t think it is possible, you brother is not weak. If it is you, I can easily beat you into a pulp..." Are you really his brother ah?! How can I beat the crap out of a general with my petite figure.. You''ve got be kidding me.. Jun Moyin''s lips twitched " No need sis Xia.. I don''t want to get beaten up.." Xuan Li Wei smiled on hearing the conversation between these two brats. '' Really, these both seem like kindred spirits..'' he thought to himself. Along the way all the soldiers saluted Xuan Li Wei on seeing him. Everyone looked at Xia Lian curiously.. She looked like a soft toy among all those strongly built men. Some of the men were unable to hold back their curiosity as they asked " Young master Moyin, who is that cute boy with you?" "Oh! you are talking about sis Xia?" Jun Moyin looked at the group of soldiers.. " She''s here with our general.." " It''s a girl! " the soldiers looked at Xia Lian from top to bottom. It''s the first time their general brought a girl with him. So, they couldn''t help but take a look at her.. But everyone had a single thought in their minds '' Isn''t she too young?'' " Oh! So you are showing her the military camp?" one of the young soldier asked while looking at Xia Lian. " No, I am going to fight with your general. If you are interested,e to the training grounds, bye-bye" Xia Lian pulled Jun Moyin with her " Come on, let''s go.." " That little girl is fighting with our general! Isn''t she courting death.." several soldiers were horrified on hearing the little girl''s words. " Our general is not a monster.. He won''t hurt her badly. I am going to watch the match.. Are youing or not?" another one balled his fists in excitement. " Let''s spread the word.. I''m sure all our brothers will be interested in this match..." Thus this interesting piece of news spread like a wild fire among the camp and almost everyone gathered around the training grounds. " I just said those words out of a whim.. " Xia Lian looked at the army of soldiers who surrounded them and are now waiting for a good show to start. Xia Lian saw a soldier of about forty yearsing towards them. " General, instead of direct physical attacks why don''t you spar with spears?" he looked at the girl before him. If their general is willing to fight against a young girl, then it means only one thing. This girl is really skilled.. So, he wanted to see this girl''s strength as she is challenging their general. Xuan Li Wei was not sure about her strength, so he wanted to reject. But, before he could reject Xia Lian spoke " Alright then, let''s spar..". On seeing that Xuan Li Wei was about to refuse her she spoke " Let''s entertain the soldiers for a while.. " " Also, don''t go easy on me. I want to know where my strength stands.." Xia Lian looked into the eyes of Xuan Li Wei. " Alright, then we will fight till one of us backs down voluntarily.. Also I will attack you and the number of moves are not limited to three.." Xuan Li Wei sighed after thinking for a long time. He realized that he can''t refuse her.. Chapter 63 - An Intense match (1) Chapter 63 - An Intense match (1) The middle aged soldier raised his right hand into the air and the surroundings became quiet as all the soldiers stopped speaking. " What is his ranking?" Xia Lian whispered to Jun Moyin who was standing beside her the whole time. " He is the deputy-general, Zhuang Hua..". Xia Lian nodded her head in understanding. " It will be a sparring match between our general and the youngdy.. Both of you take your positions.." Zhuang Hua''s deep voice traveled through out the entire training grounds. Xuan Li Wei and Xia Lian stood facing each other with about 20 feet distance between them. Two young soldiers handed both of them spears and retreated back. Xia Lian twirled the spear in her hands to make herself familiar with it. Her movements included spins, rotating the spear in circles along the side of her body. After feeling satisfied, she held the spear in her hand with its blunt endnding on the ground. Just as the spear touched the ground, waves of sand dust raised from the ground forming a thin barrier around her. On seeing her familiar with spear, all the soldiers thought that she is trained, but they were still worried about her as she is facing the general. After seeing the dust rising into the air they were stunned. Only now they understood the force behind her moves and they secretly gulped. How can such petite girl possess such strength? Some of the clever ones understood that this match is going to be interesting. Xia Lian removed her hair pin and tossed it to Jun Moyin " Hold on to it till the match ispleted. " Xia Lian held the spear in her armpits as she tied her hair into a ponytail with a simple hair knot. " I am all set now. We can start when you are ready.." Xia Lian looked at Xuan Li Wei. Xuan Li Wei looked at the girl''s rxed posture with a spear in one hand and the other hand on her h.i.p.s. She looked like a wild, unrestrained spirit with her long hair dancing along with the wind.. Xuan Li Wei''s lips curved up " I am always ready.." " Let the match begin.." Zhuang Hua signaled with his hand. As soon as his voice fell, the whole training grounds are filled with cheers and encouraging shouts. All the soldiers were excited as the pitch of their voices increased with each passing second. ............. " Great one, why is it so noisy today?" Great two asked as he heard the noiseing from the military camp. " Humph.. Don''t irritate me.." Great one was upset as his master and his goddess left the ce leaving them behind. " Don''t be childish.. We have our own duties and so do they.. From when did you start disagreeing with the master''s views?" Great three rolled his eyes. These six group of fools stayed behind to clean all the mess left by their goddess. " Say, our goddess is so fierce.. Who would have thought that at such an young age, she is capable of beheading a person without batting an eyelid.." great one was not able to hide his admiration at all. " Eh?! Another challenge is going on.. Let''s go and join the fun.." great four was excited as the raining grounds came into his view. " No.. not interested.." Great sixzily replied. " Oye.. It looks like our general and goddess arepeting each other." Great five''s keen eyesnded on the two figures who are facing each other. All the six men paused in mid-air and looked towards the direction where great five is pointing. Just one look and the six figures looked at each othering to a mutual understanding. In the next instant, the six figures disappeared from their positions andnded behind Jun Moyin.. Chapter 64 - An Intense match (2) Chapter 64 - An Intense match (2) " Young master, is our goddess fighting our general?" great one looked at Jun Moyin withrge puppy dog eyes. " Can''t you see?" Jun Moyin rolled his eyes at this fool. ''Wait till his big bro squash all these flies.. How dare they call his sister-inw as their goddess?'' he snorted in his heart and ignored the group of six behind him. But, the six fellows are in no mood to notice a certain young master''s attitude as their hearts are cheering for their goddess.. Meanwhile Xia Lian and Xuan Li Wei started to move slowly in circles, as both of them are observing the other party''s moves and they are in no hurry to attack first.. Xia Lian tilted her body slightly and pointed her spear forward.. Coincidentally, Xuan Li Wei also made the same move at same time. Xia Lian''s eyes fluttered slightly.. '' This match is going to be fun..'' she thought to herself as she moved forward to strike fast. When the opponent is on par with you, you should give your all to bring him down or you die in their hands..'' Xia Lian believed in this saying. Xuan Li Wei moved forward with his spear pointing towards Xia Lian''s throat. Xia Lian immediately tilted her spear and using both of her hands, she blocked his attack. Using her strength she pushed him back. Xuan Li Wei took two steps backward before steadying himself. Xia Lian did not wait for him to recover, as she attacked his right leg. Xuan Li Wei slid to a side, dodging her attack.. Xia Lian smirked at him. '' Damn this woman! She knew that I can''t block attacks on my lower body.. It seems I should fight seriously..'' Xuan Li Wei decided in his heart on seeing her evil smirk. One attacked while the other defended.. This series of attacks continued for a long time.. All the soldiers held their breaths and looked at the intense fight before them. Xia Lian and Xuan Li Wei are now in their battle mode.. They had only each other in their eyes and they ignored their noisy surroundings. Both of them viewed the other as his or her prey.. Jun Moyin looked at the two who are now in a dead lock position. Both of them are pushing the other using all their strength, but the other refused to ept defeat.. His eyes were on the petite figure who is now facing against his brother who is hailed as the god of war.. She is in no way inferior to his brother. " Truly made for each other.." Jun Moyin sub-consciously murmured on seeing the two stubborn figures. All the soldiers who were present to watch the match are thoroughly excited now.. All of them were hot-blooded men who fought in many battles, so naturally they felt their blood boiling on seeing this match.. All of them cheered for their general and the young girl at the same time.. The atmosphere in the military turned extremely lively.. Xuan Li Wei was shocked in his heart on seeing this girl hold on for so long. He was clearly using his entire strength, but the girl did not seem to be affected at all.. Now, he truly admired her strength and he is sure that this girl will be his opponent in near future.. In truth, Xia Lian was affected by his strength. So, she tilted the spear obliquely while defending herself so as to reduce the impact on her hands. The trick helped her to stand up against him for quite a while. But now she started to feel the pain in her hands. But, this match really excited her nerves.. She had never involved herself in such an intense match before. Both of them have been fighting each other for about 30 min, but they are not able to hurt the other.. So, the pain in her hands is not able to hold her back as her mind ispletely focused on the match. " nk.. nk.." the sounds of metal shing reverberated through the air. Xia Lian blocked his spear using all her strength. She blocked his spear in such a weird angle that he was not able to push it away no matter how hard he tried. Xia Lian used this opening as she locked her leg with his bringing him to kneel on the ground. But, due to her small stature she felt her legs a bit unsteady. Xuan Li Wei sensed her swaying and he sub-consciously circled her waist to prevent the back of her head hitting the ground just at the right moment. Xia Lian also hugged his neck with her right hand as if it''s the natural thing to do. Even at this stage, both of them did not forget to point the spears at each others throats. By now both of them are covered in their sweat and they are panting due to the intense battle. But, the adrenaline rush in their bodies made them crave for more of this battle.. All the soldiers were seriously shaken on seeing this young girl fight so well.. Only they knew how difficult it is to fight their general.. Also, the general did not go easy on her and the girl did not loose even under such circ.u.mstances. Everyone looked at the girl in new light. Now, no one dared to think lightly of her anymore... Chapter 65 - Broken hearts (1) Chapter 65 - Broken hearts (1) " Who is that youngdy? She is able to make draw with our general.." " Hmm.. our general did not go easy on her, but she was able to hold on for so long.." another one chimed in. " It''s a shame that even we old men are no match for her.." The middle aged soldiers discussions are mostly about praising the young girl. But, the younger generations are in a total frenzy now. Their hearts are totally smitten by the young girl''s fierce skills.. These teenagers looked like love-struck fools.. Great one looked at this scene and frowned " Look at all these fools.. They are all admiring our goddess.." " What''s wrong with that? Anyone will admire her after seeing this match.." Great two rolled his eyes. " But, they are clearly blushing.." great one gritted his teeth. " Let them blush.. No one is a match for our general.. or are you doubting our general''s capabilities?" great two urately hit great one''s sour spot.. " I haveplete belief in our general.." great one rxed and no longer worried about those flock of love-struck idiots.. On the other hand, Xuan Li Wei and Xia Lian remained in their highly ambiguous position.. They were still absorbed in their match as they did not notice that their position is very intimate.. Both of them are staring into the other''s eyes which are reflecting their unwillingness to end the fight.. They remained in that position for about an half-an-incense stick of time.. Xuan Li Wei and Xia Lian smiled at each other as they both realized that they cannot defeat the other.. They did not notice any abnormalities in their actions. But, all the soldiers around the ground froze on seeing their general and the young girl smiling at each other while gazing into each other''s eyes.. " Why am I feeling that the atmosphere turned hot all of a sudden?" Jun Moyin loosened his cor and fanned himself.. " My bro and sis-inw, you are not alone dears.. Please stop being lovey-dovey in front of us.." Jun Moyin was feeling truly agitated on seeing their public disy of affection. What made him mad was that both of them are not aware of their actions. They are behaving as if it''s a natural thing to do... No matter what, they looked like a pair of lovers who met each other after a long time.. At that moment, no one dared to make even a single sound as if they are afraid that this beautiful scene would be disturbed. Even Jun Moyin stared at his brother with widened eyes.. ''His brother is good.. no, he is too good at flirting.. The most scary thing is that his godly ability ising into y whenever sis Xia is around him.. '' " We both lost.." Xuan Li Wei''s voice sounded mesmerizing as he looked at the girl who is smiling at him. Xia Lian suddenlyughed on hearing his words. Herugh sounded like the sweet sound of bells and it calmed the hearts of anyone who heard it. Xia Lian got up from his arms and waited till Xuan Li Wei straightened himself. " It''s my honor loosing to you. I am weaker than you.." Xia Lian epted her defeat. " Even in your weak state, you were able to hold me back. I truly respect you.." Xuan Li Wei spoke seriously. Xia Lian looked at his serious attitude and she could not help but smile gently " Thank you.." At this moment all the young soldiers who experienced the joy of their first love felt a sharp pain in their hearts.. That''s right with their general around, who can dare to have any ideas about her.. Also, either in terms of looks or strength only their general is qualified to stand by her side.. So, slowly everyone buried their first love deep in their hearts as they started to wish the best for this couple.. " Both of you get out of my sight!" Xia Lian and Xuan Li Wei tilted their heads and a furious Jun Moyin came into their view. Before they could ask him, he continued to speak in a reprimanding tone " How can you both flirt in broad daylight? Please keep in your mind that there are many single dogs here.. We are almost unable to bear the sweetness.." " Young master, please control yourself. I still feel that the sweetness is not enough.." Great one then turned to look at Xuan Li Wei " General, you can continue your business.. We will be leaving.." After finishing speaking great one dragged Jun Moyin away from the scene.. Xia Lian and Xuan Li Wei remained rooted at their spots with darkened faces. Chapter 66 - Broken hearts (2) Chapter 66 - Broken hearts (2) " Young master, did I act well?" Great one looked at Jun Moyin with anticipation. " Hmm.. You did well.. Remember we both are partners in this secret mission of pairing my big bro with sis Xia.." Jun Moyin smiled evilly. " Yes, young master. It''s our duty to bring them together as both are dense in their own ways.." great one curled his fists and made a pledge on that day.. " This brat is seriouslycking a beating.." Xia Lian snorted. Xuan Li Weiughed on hearing her address Jun Moyin as a brat. Xia Lian was caught off guard on seeing hisugh.. '' How can a man be so good looking?'' Xia Lian felt bitter in her heart. '' I ampletely out-shadowed by this man.. This is the problem with good looking people..'' " Now what are you nning?" Xuan Li Wei sub-consciously crossed his arms around his chest on seeing the bitter resentment on the little girl''s face. '' Am I a demon in his eyes.. Bro, you should not be taking jokes too seriously.. alright?'' Xia Lian face-palmed. Xia Lian did not speak anything as she quietly made her way towards the tent with Xuan Li Wei following her with a slight smile on his face.. " Did you see that? Our ge..general smiled..." " Of course he will smile only before the youngdy.." Many of the young soldiers sat on the ground drawing circles with a twig.. They wanted to speak with the young girl, but with their general following her they did not dare to even look at her.. Their general is being over-protective. Once again, they felt their hearts being broken.. " General, messenger birds arrived.." a young soldier spoke timidly as he did not want to disturb their time. But, Xuan Li Wei did not mind and he nodded at the young soldier before looking at Xia Lian " You can take a tour around the camp.. If you are tired, you can rest in my tent.." Xia Lian nodded and waved at Xuan Li Wei before he left. She then started to walk around the camp. Seeing the soldiers in this life, brought a wave of nostalgia over her. Xia Lian breathed deeply as she slowly walked while appreciating her surroundings. Xia Lian was greeted warmly by many of the middle aged and old soldiers. She also treated them respectfully. On seeing that this girl is not like the arrogant youngdies, the soldiers respected her even more. Xia Lian did not understand why the young soldiers avoided her like a gue. She can sense their gazes on her.. but when she turned to greet them they started to run away from her.. Some of them did not flee like others, but their faces turned into a scarlet shade when she smiled at them. Also, they immediately turned their heads away on seeing her smile. '' Is my smile that scary?'' Xia Lian couldn''t help but wonder. " Hurricane.." a shout brought her back from her thoughts. Xia Lian found Jun Moyin stroking a ck horse in the stables. '' Brat, I found you.. I should give a good lesson so that you will keep your mouth in control..'' Xia Lian curled her fists. " Hurricane, calm down boy.." Jun Moyin tried to calm down the horse which is bing slowly agitated. But, the horse started to get mad with each second. Xia Lian felt something wrong as she saw that the horse is behaving weirdly.. She looked at the idiot who is still in front of the horse.. Without a second thought, Xia Lian rushed forward and pushed Jun Moyin out of the way. Jun Moyin only felt someone push him and he lifted his head to see the person before him. But, his heart almost stopped beating when he saw the horse charge towards Xia Lian to crush her with it''s legs.. " Sis Xia!.." Jun Moyin screamed with a pale face as he never felt such panic in his life. He immediately rushed forward into the stables as he was not able to see Xia Lian''s figure. Some of the soldiers came to the stables on hearing the screams.. But, they paled on seeing the situation. " I will call our general.. Something''s wrong with hurricane.." one of the soldier started running on seeing the horse behaving abnormally. Chapter 67 - Who had such courage? (1) Chapter 67 - Who had such courage? (1) Xia Lian looked at the horse which is out of control. She escaped narrowly due to her petite frame, if it is Moyin he would have been crushed like a patty.. Xia Lian immediately took out her needles and pierced them at several ces on it''s body. Xia Lian almost got crushed twice in the process of inserting her needles. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Jun Moyin rushing into the stable. She felt a warmth in her heart, but she immediately shouted making him stop in his tracks " Stop there.. I''m alright and I am trying to control this mad horse.." Xia Lian smacked the horse''s butt while speaking. Hurricane snorted as if it''s disapproving her touch.. Xia Lian raised her brows and observed the horse which calmed down for the moment. Her gaze stopped at it''s ears and legs.. Xia Lian''s face slowly turned cold as she sternly ordered " I need fire.." The soldiers looked at her cold expression as they sub-consciously nodded and started to carry out her orders.. " Also, do you have hay wort grass in your storage?" Xia Lain looked at the soldier who is looking at her with a foolish expression. On seeing that he nodded, Xia Lian spoke " Get me a few stalks of it and prepare the materials for grinding." A soldier returned with a long and thin stick which is lit with fire at one end and handed it over to her. Xia Lian crouched down with the stick in her hands.. One of the soldiers was about to stop her from using fire, but he remained silent on receiving a threatening re from Jun Moyin. Everyone drew in a cold breath of air when they saw Xia Lian ce that fire on the horse''s leg. After a moment they saw something ck fall down from the horse''s leg into the bowl which is in Xia Lian''s hands. Wherever the fire came into contact with the horse''s skin, a ck thing fell down. Jun Moyin slowly approached to stand behind her to take a good look.. But, on seeing the creatures in that bowl even Jun Moyin felt a shiver in his spine " Blood swart leeches.." Jun Moyin looked at Xia Lian''s calm face and he felt ashamed as he was freaked out. Xia Lian moved around the horse and got up only after removing every leech from it''s body.. '' What blood swart leech? Any leech is weak to fire..'' Xia Lian smirked as she ced the stick in the bowl burning the life out of all the leaches. Xia Lian patted the horse on its neck " Wait for me boy, I will be back.." Xia Lian exited the stable and crouched on the ground grinding the herbs. She squeezed the juice of the herb and carried it to the horse. Xia Lian poured the liquid slowly into the horse''s ears. After a while, small bug like things crawled out of the horse''s ear. Xia Lian removed them from hurricane using a twig. She did not want to touch any of these crawling creatures.. Xia Lian wanted to know who thought of such a cunning n.. She turned to face Jun Moyin " Is this Li Wei''s horse?" " No, it''s a twin of brother''s horse.." " A pity, they harmed the wrong target.. Who had the courage to plot against the general''s horse?" Xia Lian was curious. .................. " General, we transferred all the crates to our camp. Also, our army is guarding the border. But there are no movements from the other side." Zhuang Min briefed the situation. Xuan Li Wei nodded as he expected that they would retreat once their n is discovered. " General, what should we do with all those crates?" " Of course, we should return their gift.." Xuan Li Wei spoke while looking at the papers in his hand " We will make a move today after nightfall.." Chapter 68 - Who had such courage? (2) Chapter 68 - Who had such courage? (2) " Erm.. General.." Zhuang Min hesitated. "Speak.. What is it?" Xuan Li Wei looked at him. " General, what should we do with those two sc.u.mbags?" Zhuang Min referred to the two soldiers who were almost whipped to death by Xia Lian. Zhuang Min could not forget the wretched image of those two. He felt happy in his heart as those both clearly deserved it. What surprised him the most is that it was the young girl Xia is the one who whipped them to such state. " You know that they abducted many young girls from Xualing vige. Parade them n.a.k.e.d in that vige and leave them to the vigers.. They will carry out the judgement.." " General, may I ask youngdy Xia once?" " No need, what I told you now is her idea.." Zhuang Min: "..." Lady Xia, you are truly terrific! Xuan Li Wei took out a letter which is sealed by his first brother. His face immediately darkened on seeing it''s contents. " Zhuang Min, where is shadow?" Shadow is Xuan Li Wei''s horse. Zhuang Min felt that something is wrong on seeing the general''s expression. So, both of them immediately rushed outside of the tent only to find that shadow is happilyzing around under a tree. Xuan Li Wei frowned and he looked at Zhuang Min " Where is hurricane?" If shadow is alright, then they must have mistaken Hurricane for shadow. That damn horse must be in a frenzy now.. Xuan Li Wei started walking in the direction of stables but stopped on seeing a figure dashing towards them.. Zhuang Min saw that it is his brother Zhuang Hua.. So, he asked " Brother, what''s wrong?" " General, something is wrong with hurricane. Young master Moyin anddy Xia are in trouble.." before he finished speaking Xuan Li Wei''s figure disappeared from the ce. ''Those two brats!'' Xuan Li Wei gritted his teeth. He had expected a chaotic scene, but he really did not know what to say after seeing the situation before him. ''Why is the little girl ring at the horse?'' he wondered. " Horsey, don''t follow me!" Xia Lian pointed her finger at the horse. She had taken two steps and the horse started to follow her. Whenever she stopped, the horse also stopped. " pfft.." Xuan Li Wei and Jun Moyinughed at the same time. Xuan Li Wei really did not expect that he would see such aical scene as soon as he arrived. Xia Lian felt a headacheing over her. She turned around only to find the horse rushing towards her. Before she could move backward, hurricane buried it''s head in Xia Lian''s neck.. Xia Lian: "..." Horsey, did you perhaps take a liking to me? Everyone else : " pfft.." Xia Lian felt defeated and she patted the horse''s neck.. To her surprise hurricane snorted happily as it licked her neck. " Oh god! It tickles.." Xia Lian immediately separated from this naughty horse and she looked at it''s eyes " It seems that you have taken a liking to me.. This is really a problem.. " You can take this horse with you.." Xuan Li Wei spoke " It really likes you and it will surely follow you.. Also, once it recognizes it''s master, it will not ept anyone except that person. So, even if you leave it here it will be of no use to anyone.." " Alright, hurricane.." the ck horse neighed on hearing her voice. Xia Lian rubbed it''s head as it licked her nose in return. " Sis Xia, you are so lucky. I truly envy you.." Jun Moyin pouted " This damned horse allowed me to touch it a few times.. I was not able to sit on it even once. But, now it is following you like a puppy..." " It''s because I am cute.." Xia Lian shamelessly boasted. Xuan Li Wei : ".." Jun Moyin: "..." " Do you know who is behind this ?" Xia Lian looked at Xuan Li Wei. " It''s that Lan Chang, isn''t it?" Jun Moyin spoke with a frosty expression. "Hmm.." Xuan Li Wei nodded as he knew that he can''t hide this matter. Chapter 69 - Its time to tell me the truth Chapter 69 - It''s time to tell me the truth " Who is this Lan Chang?" Xia Lian looked at the brothers with confusion written on her face. " He''s the second son of prime minister Lan Biming and the younger brother of Lan Cheung, northern barracks general.. h.. h.." Jun Moyin continued to chatter. Xia Lian shot him a disdainful look " So in short he is a good-for-nothing who lives off using his family''s name.. Why are you reciting his family''s history to me?" " Sis Xia, that Lan Cheung thinks he is better than my brother. Also the Lan family are against the Xuan family.. That old devil Lan Biming always wanted the throne.." " Is Lan family so powerful that you are not taking any action on them?" Xia Lian sighed after listening to these court politics. She always hated these kinds of things the most. Then again, she looked at her two friends who are a part of the imperial family. So, even if she hates it she will not ignore it as this incident almost killed Moyin and those idiots targeted Li Wei''s life ah.. " Lan family is the big fish and there are many families supporting them in the dark. Even big brother is not able to find out all the details. Lan family is supported by our enemies. It''s just that we don''t know which country is eyeing our Qilin country. That Lan Cheung surely pulls the strings well, we are not able to find much information as he erases all the evidences quite efficiently.." Xia Lian caught the main point " Wait.. you are saying that Lan Cheung is the master mind.." Jun Moyin nodded his head. Xia Lian thought to herself '' Li Wei is most skilled in martial arts and military tracks whereas Lan Cheung is adept in spieswork.. Sometimes, a crafty mind can devour an entire army.. But still Li Wei is unaffected by all these plots.. So, this means only one thing..'' Xia Lian looked at Xuan Li Wei and Jun Moyin " The sacred order belongs to both of you, am I right?" Jun Moyin nodded and Xia Lian smiled " Also, it''s not a mercenary organization. It''s a spywork under cover.. This exins everything." " Sis Xia, you are amazing.." Jun Moyin blinked his eyes. " It''s you who is an idiot..." Xia Lian rolled her eyes at this pretentious brat. How could someone in charge of an organization be an idiot? Since, he wants to act as a fool, she will help him. This Jun Moyin is clearly a wolf in sheep''s clothing. " Now it''s time you tell me the truth.." Xia Lian blinked her eyes. " What truth?" Jun Moyin was confused. " Who asked you to protect me? I am sure that the man who requested you and the one who saved us are the same person. Except my mother there is no one who cares about us. She is in no way connected to the sacred order. So, tell me who is he? Don''t you dare lie to me.." Jun Moyin choked on his breath '' Sis-inw, why should you be so fierce and clever ah!'' " He asked us to conceal his identity. So, we cannot tell you about him.." Xuan Li Wei spoke now. Jun Moyin visibly rxed as his brother is handling the situation. Xia Lian squinted her eyes at Xuan Li Wei. Suddenly, she took a few steps forward and stood before him. She sized him up and down.. '' My bro dug his own grave.. Bro, you are really under estimating your wife ah!'' he screamed in his heart. " Now that I remember, your height is the same as him.. I did not look at his face. But, you both are exactly the same in terms of shamelessness.." Xia Lian spoke seriously " Tell me, is it you?" Xuan Li Wei face-palmed on hearing her words. He was clearly amused on seeing her anticipating eyes. But, his face remained like a wooden block masking all his inner thoughts. " No, you guessed wrong.." Xuan Li Wei spoke with a sincere expression. Xia Lian looked at his sincere expression and erased all the doubts in her heart. She thought for a while and gave up " Since he wishes to be in the dark, so be it.. I will not ask anything about him again." She will remember his kindness, that''s all. Jun Moyin looked at his big brother and his sister-inw and shook his head helplessly.. Chapter 70 - A letter from mother Chapter 70 - A letter from mother " Xia Lian, I need to talk with you.." Xuan Li Wei looked at the little girl. " Come with me.." the three of them entered Xuan Li Wei''s tent. Jun Moyin pulled her to sit beside him. Xuan Li Wei looked at his brother with a sour face while thetter blinked his eyes... Xuan Li Wei felt like coughing a mouthful of blood on seeing him act like an innocent puppy.. '' hehe.. big bro is jealous..'' Jun Moyin giggled while dancing in his heart. Xia Lian moved two feet away from this brat who is giggling like a lunatic. Xuan Li Wei''s face rxed on seeing the distance between them. '' Big bro, I am your cute little brother.. Drinking too much vinegar is bad for your health..'' Jun Moyin cried silent tears in his heart on seeing that his brother is too jealous of him. On the other hand he is happy because one will be jealous only if they are in love.. Bitter-sweet.. yes, bitter-sweet is how Moyin is feeling at that moment. " It''s for you.." Xuan Li Wei took out a letter from his robes and stretched his hands towards her. " Don''t tell me it''s a love letter.. I know I am cute but isn''t this too soon.." before she could finish, Xuan Li Wei pped the letter on her head. " Ouch.. you" Xia Lian stopped in the middle on seeing a certain someone''s darkened expression. " pfft.. I was just joking man.. " Xia Lian''s felt very amused on seeing the twisted expression on Li Wei''s face. She felt satisfied on seeing the indiscernible expression on this shameless man''s face. She decided that she would try hard to see such expressions again.. " Shut. your. mouth.. and read the letter" Xuan Li Wei dropped the letter in herp and sat on the opposite side of the table. " Jeez.. you are so boring.." Xia Lian grunted and sure enough Xuan Li Wei''s face showed another wonderful expression. '' hehe.. teasing this wooden block is surely exciting.. I just found a new hobby..'' Xia Lian cooed in her heart. Jun Moyin''s face had a wide smile as he winked at his brother silently mouthing '' Bro, when are you going to write a love letter?'' " Sis Xia! Who sent that letter?" Jun Moyin suddenly tilted his head on seeing his big brother''s murderous gaze. " Why are you shouting?" Xia Lian looked at the fool " I still didn''t open it.." There are two letters, one sealed and the other unsealed. Xia Lian took the already opened letter and was shocked on reading it''s contents. " Is my mother really alive?" Xia Lian looked at Xuan Li Wei with anxious eyes. " Yes, she is alive but we don''t know where she is." Xuan Li Wei spoke gently. For the first time, Xia Lian''s face showed a satisfied smile as she rxed visibly. Though she had no deep feelings for her mother, her little bunny was very attached to her. Only she knew how hard he cried.. To stop his cries Xia Lian showed him the night sky and told him that the brightest star is their mother. She told him that she wille back to them someday and the little bunny believed her. She told him a white lie as she didn''t want him to be heartbroken.. So, now she obviously felt as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Xia Lain then broke the seal of another letter and she found the letter addressed to her.. " Little princess.." Xia Lian face-palmed on seeing how her mother addressed her. She chuckled on imagining it... '' Little princess.. Mother is fine.. I can''t tell you where I am. It''s not safe anymore. I am going to meet a person who will help me. I will return to you when the time is right. So, don''t worry about me and stay safe. The emperor is an old acquaintance of mine. He will protect you and your brother. Also, if you wish to break your ties with Xia Jiang you are free to do so. But do not change the Xia family name. I''m so sorry dear, for not being able to protect you personally. If you happen to meet your grandfather tell him that I am sorry for everything.'' Chapter 71 - The Hua family Chapter 71 - The Hua family Xia Lian looked at the letter with a nk face.. What is her mother saying? What grandfather? This body never stepped out of Xia mansion ah! She tried to search for her grandfather in her memories but all in vain.. Also, why should she keep Xia name??? Fine, her mother said so, she will obey her then.. Xuan Li Wei looked at the girl''s face which showed a mixture of emotions in a short period of time. " What is it?" he could not help but ask. On hearing his voice, Xia Lian stuffed the letter into his hands. Xuan Li Wei read the letter but he found no problem in it. So, he looked at her with a questioning look.. Xia Lian was embarrassed.. How could she tell that she had no idea who her grandfather is.. With these thoughts, Xia Lian buried her head deeply into her chest.. " What is it sis Xia?" Jun Moyin is now intrigued on seeing his timid sis-inw.. Xia Lian slowly lifted her head and rubbed her nose. Her cheeks are flushed with a faint shade of pink and she looked at them with big eyes.. '' Sis-inw is too cute..'' '' This little girl is testing my self-control..'' " Do you have any idea who my grandfather is?" this question brought both the brothers from their respective thoughts and they looked at her with an incredulous expression as if saying '' You don''t even know your grandpa?'' " Sis Xia, you really don''t know your grandfather?" Jun Moyin was not able to believe her words.. Xia Lian covered her face with her hands as she nodded.. " Your grandfather is Hua Bingwen. He is the master of martial arts and till today no one is of a match to him. But, he lost one of his arms in a battle. No one knows who caused his injury, but from that day he stopped fighting. Even today, we soldiers sing songs about him." " Oh.." Xia Lian was dazed on hearing Xuan Li Wei''s words. Somehow she is getting a feeling that her grandfather is a superman! She can almost imagine the picture of a serious old man with white hair.. Xia Lian shook her head to get rid of her ridiculous thoughts.. " Tell me about Hua family?" Xia Lian''s question made them speechless. Generally, Xuan Li Wei did not like to speak for long. But, today his patience and endurance surprised Jun Moyin.. He looked at his sister-inw with admiration.. However this look was misunderstood by Xia Lian " Don''t look at me like that.. I never stepped out of Xia Mansion all these years, so I don''t know anything about Hua family.." Jun Moyin sighed about his sis-inw''s misunderstanding.. " Your uncle Hua Ting followed your grandfather in all the battles. He is also my master.." Xia Lian was surprised as she looked at Xuan Li Wei. She could not help but imagine her uncle who trained this mini-monster. Looking at her expectant eyes, Xuan Li Wei''s expression dimmed. Xia Lian looked at his conflicting expression and she felt a bad premonition in her heart. But, she managed to smile at him " Li Wei, don''t hide anything from me. Tell me what happened to Hua family?" " Your uncle was kidnapped in one of the battle''s and they sent his head back to your grandfather. Your grandfather was not able to bear that shock. He lost his only son along with his right hand. That was your grandfather''sst battle.." " Also, you have an aunt and two little cousins.. But, after your uncle''s death the financial situation of the family greatly reduced." Xia Lian listened to everything and she had a faint feeling that her mother felt sorry for her family because of her inability to help them.. Still Xia Lian did not understand many things as why no one aided their Hua family in it''s difficult times.. Something must have happened and this Li Wei is hiding something from her.. Xia Lian thought for a while and she looked at Xuan Li Wei with determined eyes " Where exactly are they living now?" " They are living in the Puren streets.." as soon as he finished speaking, Xuan Li Wei heard a crashing sound.. Chapter 72 - Mutual trust Chapter 72 - Mutual trust Xia Lian''s hands trembled on hearing his words and the cup in her hand fell to the ground.. Jun Moyin looked at the pitiful cup which has been broken into several pieces and then at his sister-inw.. Jun Moyin gulped on seeing her darkened and gloomy expression.. His sister-inw is angry! She is clearly very angry.. " Puren streets.." Xia Lian chuckled. Her chuckle sounded as if she is mocking herself.. " Even I, who barely left the house know that it is a slum area.. and the living conditions are terrible. What''s worst is that there are two kids with them.. It''s not a right environment for kids to grow.. " Xia Lian''s voice sounded increasingly agitated with every word she spoke. She now understood why her mother felt apologetic to her grandfather. She did not approve her mother''s actions this time.. She should have left that sc.u.mbag of her father earlier.. But, no matter what she could not bring herself to hate her mother.. She clearly believed that there must be a strong reason for all her actions.. Xia Lian took out a small silver box and ced it before Xuan Li Wei " I need your help.." Xuan Li Wei looked at the doc.u.ments inside the box " So, you want to hand over these shops to your grandfather.." Xia Lian didn''t want to hide anything from them. Both of them really trusted her, so she will do the same. So, she exined her ns.. " So, you want us to manage the shops.." Jun Moyin spoke after listening to Xia Lian. " I want to form a partnership with you. It will be of 50-50 ratio as you will be the ones handling the management process... Hand over half of the money to my grandfather. No matter what, you must bring my family out of that ce. As for the staff, you can pick those who can do work from that area.. No one would like to live their lives in that ce.. In that way, we can help them. " Jun Moyin frowned on hearing her words " Sis Xia, why don''t you meet them in person? After all, your grandfather will be happy on seeing you.." " Moyin, a famed general fell to such a pitiful state and not even a single family helped them.. Even the emperor did not take any actions to protect my family which dedicated it''s life to the country. So, I am sure that there must be someone behind the scenes who is responsible for my grandfather''s fall.." She looked at Jun Moyin''s fish like face and Li Wei''s calm face as she continued " So, bringing them out from that ce is like putting them on a chopping block. Right now, I am powerless to do anything. That is the only reason I am asking you to help me. With Sacred Order protecting them, I believe that there would be no one who will try to harm them." Xia Lian looked at Xuan Li Wei " I don''t me you for not helping your master''s family. I believe that you did it for their own good. But, on seeing that you didn''t use the Sacred Order, I can clearly understand that my old man is stubborn. He must have refused your help already." " Also, tell them that you are doing this because of my mother''s request. If Hua family asks about us, tell them that we are missing. Xia Jiang will harm them if he knows that I am in contact with them.." " I request you both, please take care of my family in my stead. Convince that old man using any method you want. Just keep them safe and I will be indebted to you forever.." " What are you saying? Don''t be so formal with us.. You just need to order us around and we will do anything.." Jun Moyin spoke awkwardly making Xia Lian''s expression soften. " Must you go? Stay here and I will protect you.." Xuan Li Wei who remained silent all this time spoke up. His heart was still in a disarray after hearing her dere that she will be leaving to train herself and that she will return to the capital after three years. Though he knew that she doesn''t want to depend on him, he could not help but ask.. " You helped me a lot already. I can''t depend on you for everything. If you really want to help me then take care of my family in my absence." Xia Lian looked at his worried face and chuckled " Don''t worry about me. With my skills, no one can harm me easily. I will return after three years.. Believe me.." Xuan Li Wei looked at her and did not speak anything. He did not like the idea of sending her away, but he could not stop her.. So, his face looked downcast.. But, suddenly he heard something interesting again.. " I will take the military examination once I return back.." " But Sis Xia, as far as I remember women are not allowed to take the examination.." Jun Moyin''s words sounded like a hell''s verdict to her ears and her whole body froze immediately. Chapter 73 - What I want is you Chapter 73 - What I want is you Xuan Li Wei looked at her little face which ispletely distressed. He pursed his lips as he watched her calmly.. '' Damn! Why did I forget that women are confined to kitchen in this era?'' Xia Lian mood was dampened. Xia Lian rubbed her chin as she pondered deeply '' So what if they won''t allow women.. We just need to prove ourselves and it so happens that I am not afraid of anything..'' as these thoughts surfaced in her mind, she smiled brilliantly. " Sis Xia.. don''t worry, you can take imperial examinations. His majesty allowed women to take imperial examinations from this year. One should be of at least 15 years to take imperial examination." Jun Moyin tried to cheer her. " Then.. Why are they not allowing women to take the military examination? " Xia Lian was confused. Of course, she was happy that at least they are allowing women toe outside and prove themselves. " When this proposal is brought in the court, almost everyone rejected it.." Xuan Li Wei looked into her eyes while speaking. " Who brought forward that proposal?" Xia Lian was more interested in that person. She really wanted to p for that person who was able to think out of the box and his bravery for bringing that idea forward. " Your grandfather.. It happened 10 years ago." Xia Lian was first shocked and slowly it turned into something sweet.. She is liking this grandfather of hers more and more.. Her inner thoughts were reflected on her bright face as even her eyes were smiling. Jun Moyin looked at his beaming sis-inw. Before she sat there like it was the end of the world, but now she looked so radiant and happy.. " Why did they reject it?" Xia Lian asked with shining eyes. " They said that women are not as strong as men.. So, everyone jointly opposed it. Your grandfather was quite depressed back then." Xuan Li Wei sighed. Jun Moyin was still worried about her and wanted to console her. But, before he could speak he saw her look at his big brother with a wild look in her eyes.. It was not a look of anger but it was something he could not understand.. Before he could understand her gaze, he heard her voice. " Yes, women are not as strong as men.." Xia Lian was still looking at Xuan Li Wei in his eyes. Even Xuan Li Wei was not able to understand the look in her eyes and now even her words are puzzling.. Those words should be spoken out of anger but she did not.. Xuan Li Wei looked at her dazedly as her lips curved into a most alluring andzy arc.. It was the most beautiful smile he had ever seen.. Xuan Li Wei''s heart skipped a beat on seeing her smile but after hearing her words itpletely stopped beating for a while.. " They are stronger than men.." Xuan Li Wei looked at the confident, wild and proud girl before him. In the beginning he was not able to understand the look in her eyes, but now he did.. It was pride.. Her pride as a woman.. This girl has many sides to her.. She can be naughty like a kid, fierce like a tiger, cute like a bunny, confident like a queen.. How could he not like her? He is falling for her deeper and deeper with each passing moment.. In the beginning he was not sure if he liked her or not.. But, now he was sure that he liked her.. No, not just like.. he wanted her.. She was born to be a queen, and he will be her king.. He decided that he will let her grow on her own.. She was not meant to be pampered, but he will make sure to protect her.. Xuan Li Wei''s lips slowly curved up as he looked at her.. Chapter 74 - Flirty prince Chapter 74 - Flirty prince Under the candle light in the tent, Xuan Li Wei''s face looked even more enthralling as the yellow light enveloped his figure making his smile look mesmerizing and his eyes look warmer.. Xia Lian looked at this seductive specimen before her with a nk look on her face.. Jun Moyin can tell that his brother is very happy, but why? Jun Moyin poured himself a cup of tea to ease his mind.. Today his normally intelligent mind became a wooden block.. He was not able to understand the thoughts of the two persons before him.. So, he started to sip his tea in an elegant manner.. " Li Wei, if you look at me like that I might devour you.." Xia Lian wanted to tease him again.. So, she raised her eyebrows in a yful manner while looking at him. Jun Moyin spat out the tea which he just sipped.. He looked at his brother with goldfish like eyes waiting for his reaction.. His sis-inw''s mouth is not only poisonous but also bold.. He was even more shocked on seeing his brother''s smile turn even more alluring than before.. Jun Moyin suddenly found the atmosphere in the tent very ambiguous.. He understood that he was the third wheel in here.. So, he calmly slipped away from the tent.. '' Big bro, I even gave you privacy and I will not let anyone disturb you. You better not disappoint me..'' Jun Moyin stood outside the tent guarding it. On the other hand, Xia Lian was feeling a little ufortable under his gaze. There were many emotions in those pair of hazel brown eyes which she did not understand.. But, his next words made her speechless.. " I would love it.." Xuan Li Wei spoke in a low husky voice making Xia Lian shudder.. Xia Lian: " Li Wei, you should not seduce young girls ah!" " I don''t mind seducing you.." Xia Lian: " ..." This devil! He''s bing more shameless.. " Alright, I won''t tease you again.." Xia Lian surrendered. She understood that she is not as good as this prince in teasing.. " But, I am serious and I meant every word I said.." Xia Lian: "..." Too flirtatious.. This friend of hers will sure be popr amongdies.. " Li Wei, it seems that I made the right decision to sell you to a brothel.." Xia Lian spoke slowly. With such honeyed words, he can surely attract many bees and butterflies. So, Xia Lian was seriously considering this idea of selling him away.. " Hmm.. Then you are my only customer.." Xuan Li Wei matched her tone and pace. * cough.. cough** Xia Lian coughed violently while looking at the flirty prince before her.. '' OMG! Why did I not see this side of him earlier on.. I thought that teasing him was fun, but it seems like he is the one who is having most fun out of this..'' Xia Lian red at a certain specimen who is grinning slyly at her. Outside the tent, Jun Moyin and the six secret guards stood silently with flushed faces.. Great One and the others came to call their general as it''s time to attack the azure country''s camps.. But, they did not understand why they were stopped by their young master. Just when they were about to speak, they heard their general''s voice and it made them shiver involuntarily.. '' I would love it????!'' Great one screamed in his mind '' Is their general possessed!'' But only after a moment he understood the ambiguity of the sentence.. So, a group of shameless guards stood beside Jun Moyin as they officially joined in '' guarding the tent'' mission.. But, after listening to the entire conversation everyone''s face turned into a scarlet red and they had only one thought in their minds '' General. you are shameless.. But, we like it.. poor miss Xia must be suffering in the hands of our wolf general..'' Even Jun Moyin''s face had an incredulous expression after hearing his brother''s words.. '' I didn''t expect I had such a shameless brother.. He sounds more flirty than me!'' Jun Moyin stood with a pout on his face. For the first time in his life, Jun Moyin felt fl.u.s.tered on hearing them. He learnt another new thing about his brother, i.e; he is a shameless flirt.. Chapter 75 - All is fair in war and love Chapter 75 - All is fair in war and love " Li Wei, I think it''s time we stop this game ah!.." Xia Lian''s lips twitched. " What''s the rush? We just started.." Xia Lian red at him on hearing such shameless words.. Feeling frustrated, she hurled the brush on the table at his face. " hahaha.. fine.. fine.. I will stop.. Stop throwing things at my face.." Xuan Li Wei blocked the little girl''s attack all the while enjoying her cute expressions.. Xia Lian started to throw whatever she found at his handsome face.. Her original intention was to make his face look like a pig.. But, the reality is always cruel. No matter what or how fast she threw, he managed to catch them.. Xuan Li Wei was thoroughly enjoying this ''throw and catch'' game.. Xia Lian smiled as she felt better after throwing things at his face. Although they did not hit his face, it helped her angry heart to calm down a little. " General, I think it''s time for you to work." Xia Lian stood up to leave " Also, I will be going out for a bit.." " You''re going alone?" Xuan Li Wei asked with a trace of hope in his eyes. " No, I''m going to take Moyin with me.." Xia Lian very naturally replied. Xuan Li Wei nodded his head and Xia Lian exited the tent leaving a lonely general inside.. Xuan Li Wei cursed while gritting his teeth '' It seems I have to kick this brat away from here.. Wait! Why am I being jealous of my brother... '' Xuan Li Wei frowned on his own thoughts but he soon rxed as he muttered " All is fair in war and love.." " Achooo..." Jun Moyin sneezed as a cold shiver ran through his spine. '' Who is cursing this handsome young master ah!'' Aftering out of the tent, Xia Lian found six adorable fellows staring at her.. '' Teletubbies..'' Xia Lian remembered that cartoon show on seeing them. Xia Lian smiled and waved at them as she felt that they are rather cute. Xia Lian''s lips twitched on seeing them turn red like an apple and just as they were preparing to run away she shouted " Stop!" The six fellows turned to look at her.. " Miss Xia?" " I left my trophies in the forest ah! Did anyone of you perhaps bring them here?" " Miss Xia, don''t worry... We took care of those two sc.u.mbags as per your orders. Also, we brought back your belongings. They are with the general.. You can ask him.." before Great One could finish speaking Xia Lian interrupted " I don''t want to see that shameless man for now.. Thank you for taking care of everything." Xia Lian smiled at them before walking away. " Hurricane.." as soon as Xia Lian whistled, a majestic ck horse came galloping towards her. Xia Lian patted the stallion''s neck andughed " Boy, how about you give me a ride.." " Neigh.." Xia Lian looked at the majestic stallion before her and she didn''t know if she shouldugh or cry. Just how can she climb on this huge horse with her short frame.. The horse tilted his head looked at it''s little master who is obviously jumping to get on it''s back. Xia Lian looked at the horse pitifully. Hurricane snorted and bent down a little so that she can climb easily.. '' Did my lovely stallion roll it''s eyes at me?'' Xia Lian was amused and she clearly liked this horse. It''s naughty like her.. She was starting to love this horse of hers. " Thank you hurricane.." Xia Lian patted the proud stallions neck after climbing making the horse snort again.. '' hehe.. even my horse is too cute..'' Xia Lian giggled as she thought how lucky she was to get this horse. She had no idea what kind or what breed this horse belongs to.. But, she can tell that it''s quite strong.. Anyways, the twin of that shameless man''s horse can''t be bad, right? On the side, Jun Moyin was looking at this human-animal pair with amus.e.m.e.nt.. " Moyin, get on.." Xia Lian spoke while adjusting the reins on the horse. "Ah???" Jun Moyin was not able to understand what she meant.. On seeing that there is no movement from this stupid man, Xia Lian tilted her head " I am asking you to get on the horse. We''ll go out for a while. I can''t stand that shameless brother of yours.." Jun Moyin: "..." Chapter 76 - Returning the favour Chapter 76 - Returning the favour " Sis Xia, I can sit on your horse..." Jun Moyin was on the verge of tears. " Of course, you can.." Xia Lian was dumb-founded on seeing him getting emotional just because of a horse.. Then again she looked at her lovely stallion in disbelief.. " Thank you so much, Sis Xia.. If not for you I would have never sat on this horse this lifetime.." Jun Moyin started to chat endlessly after leaping on to the horse sitting behind her. Xia Lian grinned on hearing his words.. ''This brat is funny'' she thought to herself as she lightly nudged the horse with her leg. Hurricane galloped forward like wind on receiving her signal. Jun Moyin was surprised on seeing how well his sis-inw is controlling the horse. Both of them are like wild and unrestrained spirits flying in the air.. Hurricane was thoroughly enjoying this as it''s master did not try to reduce his speed.. Xia Lian already lost herself to this wonderful feeling.. It''s as if the horse and her had a good understanding of each other... The horse leaped and avoided the hurdles with ease under her control.. Jun Moyin chuckled on seeing these two who were lost in their own world.. .................... Military camp " General, Everything is ready, we are just waiting for your orders..." Great five spoke. " Alright, let''s go.." Xuan Li Wei stood up and picked up his bow and arrows before exiting the tent. Xuan Li Wei picked up the men who had strong internal energy for this mission. A group of 16 men set out in the direction of the Azure country''s military camp. Xuan Li Weinded on a huge banyan tree as he signaled with his hands. On seeing his signal, everyone came to a halt and uniformly arranged themselves behind him. Xuan Li Wei tilted his head to nce at this men. The men understood his intention and they quickly took their positions. " General, should I go in and start the fire.." one of the soldier excitedly chimed. " No need, you guys just need to throw the gunpowder balls using your qing qong. We six of us will take care of setting the camp on fire..." Xuan Li Wei spoke with an evil smile on his face. Three soldiers stood beside them holding the fire sticks in their hands. Xuan Li Wei looked at his six secret guards " It''s time you put your archery into use.." The six teens looked at their general with bright eyes as they started to notch the arrows after setting fire on them. " Hui.." the six men threw the balls using their internal energy and just before they were about to touch the tent''s surface, the arrows pierced them setting the tent on fire immediately. Because of the gunpowder, the fire started to spread at an rming speed.. Xuan Li Wei and the six men shot three arrows at the same time, setting 21 tents on fire on each round. On the other hand, Azure country''s soldiers were panicked as all the tents which contained gunpowder are on fire.. In the beginning the six shadow guards did not understand why their general ordered to shoot only at specific tents.. But, on seeing the tents catch fire in a short amount of time and their explosion resulting in the destruction of all the nearby tents made their blood boil.. ''Their general is really formidable.. He managed to find out the information about the tents in such a short amount of time..'' The night is going to be long and scary as the deafening cries of the men who are being tormented by the fire resounded through out the area.. Xuan Li Wei looked at the chaos before him and not even a trace of pity can be seen on his face.. The methods of war are always cruel and ruthless.. Xuan Li Wei turned to look at Great Six, who is the most kind among his shadow guards. He saw the ufortable expression on his face and sighed. Then without looking at him, Xuan Li Wei spoke in a solemn voice " If we were silent, then we would have been in that situation or even worse than this. Remember, being kind to one''s enemies is being cruel to oneself. One should always bepassionate to their families and ruthless towards enemies. This is the way of world." " Also, we are returning their favor.." Xuan Li Wei leaned against the tree to rest for a while. He will leave only after the camp is reduced to ashes.. Chapter 77 - A Bet.. Chapter 77 - A Bet.. The sky looked bright red as if it''s reflecting the raging inferno below.. The camp continued to burn as some of the soldiers managed to escape when they realized that they cannot put out this fire. " General, should we kill them?" Great One asked as he noticed the fleeing figures. " No need.. Just consider they are lucky. Anyway we need to leave some people alive so that they can tell others the terror they experienced." Xuan Li Wei spoke with his eyes still closed " That old fool should understand that he cannot mess with us and also the consequences of their actions if they dare .." .................................................... " Miss Gwen, Why are you dressed in ck?" Jun Moyin''s lips twitched on seeing his sis-inw''s attire. Jun Moyin still didn''t understand her ns.. She asked him to address her as Gwen, a strange name indeed.. " Ben, Aren''t I looking great?" Xia Lian was immersed in her own world. There ites again.. Ben.. What sort of name is that? Ben and Gwen!! Sis-inw can''t you give me a name which I can understand? " What is your problem?" Xia Lian sighed after seeing the twisted expression on his face. " Give me another name, Miss Gwen.." Jun Moyin still had difficulty in epting that name. '' You silly brat, I just named you after the main character in the anime Ben 10.. I just settled after his friends character. How dare you reject it!'' Xia Lian''s face darkened and she exined the significance of his name.. " Ben is the hero in a story my mother used to tell me when I was young.. He can summon any creature..." Xia Lian twisted the story to make it not sound absurd and sure enough she saw a smug smile on the young master''s face as she heard him say " hohoho.. It seems that I am the hero and you are the hero''s best friend. Good.. Very good.. I like it.. hehe.." Xia Lian face-palmed on seeing the satisfied smile on his face. Jun Moyin''s face was covered with a mask, as the young master''s looks will certainly cause amotion.. Whereas, Xia Lian was dressed in ck female robes and she covered the lower part of her face with a ck mask. She then wore a ck-veiled bamboo hat making her look mysterious. Jun Moyin also changed into ck male robes with silver embroidery. " Sis Xia.." Jun Moyin stopped in middle when he felt a hand punch him. He immediately corrected himself and spoke in azy voice " Gwen, so why ck?" " ck is cool and s.e.xy.." Xia Lian spoke coolly.. *cough* cough** " Gwen, don''t speak such outrageous words ah!" Jun Moyin and Xia Lian are walking along the streets and they attracted arge number of stares and whispers.. Both of them werepletely dressed in ck and though they covered their faces, anyone could tell that they are exotic.. Many young girls couldn''t help but look twice at Jun Moyin as his height and body stood out even in the huge crowd.. The girl looked too young for him, so they brushed it off as his sister.. But, whenever they tried to get close to him they were scared on seeing the cold look in his eyes.. So, everyone only admired them from a distance even though they were not able to see their faces.. " hehe.. See, this is the magic of ck color.. and with the addition of mask we lookpletely mysterious. One can always attract more attention by remaining mysterious.." Xia Lian spoke proudly. " I think that we can attract more attention if we show our faces.." Jun Moyin argued. " Of course, with your petite frame and cute face you can attract a few.. Reaching this young master''s level is quite difficult.." " Then, let''s make a bet. You will use your face and I will cover my face.. Let''s see who can attract moredies.. Dare to make a bet?" Xia Lian was riled up.. How dare he underestimate her.. " Alright Gwen, If you win.. I will grant three of your wishes. If you loose, you have to grant three of my wishes.." " Alright.." Xia Lian smiled slyly under her mask. This fellow didn''t realise that he ced himself on the chopping board. Chapter 78 - Visiting a lecher (1) Chapter 78 - Visiting a lecher (1) " Gwen, this is the inn where he is staying.." Jun Moyin spoke suddenly interrupting their lively conversation. " So fast.. Anyways, after finishing my business here let''spete for thedies affection in the best brothel here.." Xia Lian was so immersed in their talk that she didn''t notice that they walked for almost thirty minutes.. " hehe.. Don''t worry, I''ll never forget about such an exciting bet. So, what is your n?" Xia Lian only told him that she wanted to pay a ''visit'' to Lan Chang, but she didn''t tell him the nature of her visit. " Ben, it''s time you hide in the dark and watch a good show.." Xia Lian entered the inn immediately after speaking. Jun Moyin hurried inside and upied on of the tables nearest to the ce where his sis-inw is standing. " Manager, get us the best dishes of this ce for me and my brother?" Xia Lian spoke in a low entuated voice with a unique ent. Her voice sounded so captivating and seductive that all the men around her could not help but stare at her. '' My sis-inw is really a handful..'' Jun Moyin gritted his teeth and red at all the leeches who are staring at his young sis-inw.. The men coughed and averted their gazes on seeing a cold gaze.. '' Beauty''s elder brother is quite fierce..'' they shuddered as they imagined his wrath. So, even though they wanted to get near her they held back due to fear. " Mydy, what is your name and are you not from this ce?" the manager could not help but drool over her voice.. He was convinced that she must be quite exotic as her voice. " You can call me Gwen and of course brother Ben and I wanted to rest in your inn for a while before we continue our journey.." Xia Lian pointed her hand towards Jun Moyin. The manager flinched under Jun Moyin''s gaze and he spoke respectfully " Miss Gwen, please help yourselves. Your dishes will be served soon.." the manager immediately hurried as he did not want to be cut down by the scary man''s eyes.. " Gwen, all the men are looking at you.." Jun Moyin was unhappy. How dare they look at his sis-inw like that. Only his big bro can look at her.. " Ben.. Eyes are for looking, Ears are for hearing and mouth is for speaking. We can''t control these.. So, just brush it off. It''s not worth it to get mad at them." Xia Lian spoke in a low voice. Jun Moyin snorted in dissatisfaction which made Xia Lianugh.. " Mydy and sir.. please enjoy your meal.." the waiter left the table after arranging the dishes. " Mmm.. So yummy.. Ben, Remind meter.. I want to take some of these to that shameless man.." Xia Lian spoke while relishing on the noodle soup. Jun Moyin shook his head helplessly and started eating. ........................................ " Is the girl good looking?" " Young master, Lan Chang, She covered her face with a veil my lord. But, her voice is so alluring that all the men stared at her for quite a while.." the manager spoke to a young teen about Jun Moyin''s age. " Oh.. then you know what to do, right? I want to see the beauty behind the mask.. If she is attractive, then I might even reward her.." Lan Chang spoke with l.u.s.tful eyes. " But, she has a protective brother.." the manager started to speak but was interrupted in the middle " Just get rid of him.." Lan Chang spoke in an irritated voice. The manager bowed slightly and exited the room. Xia Lian saw the manager approaching towards them out of the corner of her eye as she chuckled " hehe.. A good show is about to start now.." she then looked at Jun Moyin " Just do what he asks and remember to convince him with his act.." Jun Moyin nodded as he decided in his heart that he would protect his sis-inw from shadows.. She wanted to do something and he will apany her in her y.. " Youngdy, here are the keys for your rooms. " the manager handed the keys to Xia Lian and then looked at Jun Moyin " Sir, I need your help with something.." here ites.. Jun Moyin raised his brows and looked at the manager who is currently shivering under his gaze. Chapter 79 - Visiting a lecher (2) Chapter 79 - Visiting a lecher (2) " Sir, I need your help with something. Actually, our provisions cart has not arrived. I can see that you are skilled in martial arts, so I hope you can help us.." Xia Lian almostughed out on hearing his lousy excuse. Xia Lian saw that Jun Moyin''s eyebrows are scrunched and she immediately understood that this brat is totally pissed off.. So, she spoke on his behalf " Brother, I am tired. I will rest for a while. I can see that this sir is good, so help him." After speaking her words, Xia Lian slowly stood up. " Mydy, your room is on second floor. It''s the second room on the left." the manager kindly reminded her. Jun Moyin''s hand itched on hearing his words. He really wanted to squash this little fly. With great difficulty, he controlled his impulse. " Sir, this is the address of the store. Can you go and check if they dispatched our goods.." Jun Moyin snatched the paper from the manager''s hands and left the store before that fat man could finish speaking. He was worried about his sister-inw, how can he waste his precious time on this stinky guy?? On the other hand, a assistant led Xia Lian to her room. Xia Lian thanked the guy but he insisted that he would leave only after seeing her enter the room. Xia Lian smiled coldly on hearing his words. Nevertheless, she entered the room as if she is a naive girl who didn''t understand the world. Just as she entered the room, the door closed behind her. Xia Lian tried to open the door, but the man had locked it from outside. Xia Lian felt anger bubbling up in her heart on imagining how many girls might have been tricked by these a**holes.. Xia Lian yawned loudly and stretched her body while walking towards the bed. She removed her hat, but she didn''t remove her mask. Xia Lian rxed herself on the bed and pretended to sleep. As soon as she entered the room, she sensed a person hiding in this room. She was just waiting for the snake to show itself.. She wanted so see what this man would try to do to her.. Jun Moyin leaned against the tree outside the window of her room. He was silently waiting for the drama to unfold. If that bastard dares to touch his sister-inw, he swore that he would cut off that a**hole''s little brother.. In side the bathroom, Lan Chang smiled slyly as he did not hear any movements in the room. He assumed that the girl might have fallen asleep, so he slowly exited the bath and moved towards the bed.. Xia Lian sensed his movements and her lips curved up as she grabbed a handful of powder in her hands..'' hehe.. This is going to be fun..'' she danced internally. Lan Chang was not able to see her face as the girl slept with her back facing him. He slowly made his way towards her.. But, just as he was about to touch her the girl on the bed suddenly moved and turned around.. He saw her lift her hand towards his face and a white powder entered his eyes and nose causing them to sting painfully.. " Aaahh!" Lan Chang cried pitifully as he crouched on the ground rubbing his eyes " W*ore! What did you throw in my eyes? If I loose my eyes, I would never let you go.." Xia Lian felt as if she heard the funniest joke, so she spoke with amus.e.m.e.nt " Do you even know me? Even if I kill you now, no one can even touch my hair.." Lan Chang was mesmerized by her voice and did not pay heed to her threats. " Also, I just used chilli powder and you are making a huge fuss about it. Are you even a man?" Xia Lian spoke with disdain. Xia Lian didn''t want to speak with him any more. So, she pped his face hard making him cry out in pain. Xia Lian took out a pill and shoved it into his mouth. " What did you feed me?" Lan Chang was now afraid. " Don''t worry.. It''s not poison and it will not kill you." before Lan Chang could breath out in relief Xia Lian spoke " I heard you love ying with young girls. What I gave you will help you." Chapter 80 - L.u.s.t pill Chapter 80 - L.u.s.t pill Lan Chang felt a shiver in his spine on hearing her emotionless voice. He mustered all his strength and asked with a weak voice " What did I do to provoke you?" " You defiled my sisters and yed with their lives. Also, you nned to do the same thing to me." Xia Lian crouched down and whispered near his ear " I will not kill you so easily. I will let you live so that you will understand that living is more painful than death." " I would have tolerated all these things because you are not the only one who is side tracked. But, you went too far this time. You tried to harm my people.." Xia Lian smirked " Those who try to harm my people can never escape my wrath." He tried to harm Li Wei and Jun Moyin almost got killed. Also, he harmed her lovely horse. So, Xia Lian decided that she would not let him off so easily. Death is the end of suffering.. So, she will not kill him. She will make sure that his life bes a living hell.. " This pill will have wonderful effects after a while.. Remember to thank me everyday.." " I am called Gwen.. You must be dying to know the name of your benefactor.." after saying her shameless words Xia Lian whistled and Jun Moyin entered the room. " Brother, we can leave now.." Xia Lian nudged Jun Moyin but her words stuck in the middle of her throat on seeing his cold eyes. ''OMG! This brat.. is angryyy...'' Xia Lian involuntarily gulped. " You wait outside. I have something to do.." Jun Moyin spoke while looking at the dirt bag before him. " Are you sure you will be alright.." on seeing Jun Moyin''s angry gaze, Xia Lian nodded and hurried out of the room. She could not help but break into a cold sweat. This is the first time she saw Jun Moyin getting this angry. She could not help but sigh on imagining the fate of that unfortunate Lan Chang. " Who are you?" Lan Chang asked with a raspy voice. He didn''t know why he felt a burning sensation in his throat. " I am her brother.. Who did you call a w*ore earlier?" Jun Moyin hissed as he punched Lan Chang hard in the stomach. Outside the room, Xia Lian was grinning from one ear to the other after imagining the scene that will happen in the next few seconds.. ''One.. Two.. Three.. '' Xia Lian counted in her heart.. On the count of three Xia Lian heard Jun Moyin''s terrified scream " Get off me.. You dog.. Get off me... I''m still a v.i.r.g.i.n... " Good.. Very good.. Excellent.. This Moyin is more dramatic than she imagined.. Xia Lian could not help butugh hard while pounding the wall behind her with her fists.. '' One.. Two..'' This time before she could count three she heard another pitiful wail " Sister.. help me ah! How can you do this to me? This fellow is like a leech.." Xia Lian''s face turned red due toughter and her cheeks started to hurt.. She entered the room slowly while patting her cheeks.. On entering the room, she witnessed a scene which she would never forget for the rest of her life. She saw Jun Moyin pinned to the wall.. He was pushing Lan Chang''s face away from his face, while his other hand was blocking Lan Chang''s naughty hands.. Poor Moyin, he was even using his legs to push the leech away from him.. " pfft.." Xia Lian was about to roll on the ground again. On hearing her voice, Jun Moyin tilted his face to look at her with pleading eyes. Xia Lian just raised her brows and walked towards the chair. She sat on the chair intending to enjoy the show.. " Sister, what did you feed him? Where did he get this monstrous strength from?" Jun Moyin shouted. " It is called L.u.s.t pill.. It will have reverse effects.. He generally likes women, but after taking this pill he will loath women.." Xia Lian looked at Jun Moyin''s face which is loosing color slowly " But, now he will have insatiable desire for men.. His strength depends on the degree of his desire.. So, I think he really desires your beauty.." " Also, he will only l.u.s.t for men from now. So, you better be careful.. With your beauty, you can ignite his desire to the fullest.." " Sister.. You can''t do this to your brother ah! " Jun Moyin''s face turned pale. He didn''t even experience the awakening of his first love.. But, now here he is about to loose his v.i.r.g.i.nity.. He stomach started to turn on seeing the disgusting face before him. Xia Lian finally gave up on seeing the priceless look on his face. So, she immediately rushed forward and tapped on Lan Chang''s neck making him unconscious. " Sister, if you ever get angry at me beat me up as you wish. But, please don''t use that pill on me.." Jun Moyin was really terrified of his sister-inw''s abilities now. He patted his thumping heart and he was sure he will have many nightmares due to this incident. But he was secretly gloating after imagining Lan Chang''s future.. '' hehe.. I am looking forward to the scenes where he will jumping on whichever man he finds..'' But, now he seriously needed to rx his mind. So, he looked at his crafty sis-inw who is smiling slyly at him.. " What are you up to now?" Jun Moyin sighed. " It''s time for our bet.." Xia Lian smirked. Jun Moyin nodded immediately. He needed to see beauties to forget his horrific experience.. '' Beauties.. your master ising.. hehe...'' he grinned like a fool. " Leave it to me.. I will take you to the paradise now.." Jun Moyin dragged her but Xia Lian stopped him. " I need to disguise as a man.." Jun Moyin pped his head and smiled sheepishly " hehe.. I forgot.." " Just wait here.. I will be right back.." Xia Lian disappeared into the crowd. Chapter 81 - Sensual Bamboo House (1) Chapter 81 - Sensual Bamboo House (1) Jun Moyin was observing the stalls on the streets when he felt a slight tug on his sleeves.. He tilted his head and he was shocked on seeing a brat wearing a feathered ck mask beside him.. " Who are you?" he scrunched his brows. " Ben, why can''t you recognize me?" Xia Lian stood on her toes and flicked his forehead. "..." Jun Moyin opened his mouth but he could not find words to express his shock. He calmly observed his sister-inw.. Xia Lian was dressed in in ck robes with no embroidery whatsoever.. She covered her face with a ck mask but the mask looked so cool.. Jun Moyin had no idea that such masks existed.. " hohohho.." Xia Lian guffawed on seeing his reaction. She brought a in and long mask from one of the street stands.. She used her dagger and shaped it into a masquerade mask.. She then brought some ck ostrich feathers and attached them to it.. Xia Lian removed her mask and Jun Moyin widened his eyes on seeing her altered face.. " So handsome.." he blurted sub-consciously.. Xia Lian''s smile deepened on hearing his words. So, she generously exined it to him " I used some herbal creams to add masculinity to my pretty face.." " Sis, you are so talented ah!" Jun Moyin was totally smitten.. " Let''s go.." Xia Lian smirked lightly while putting her mask. The mask covered her entire forehead and nose. Only her cheeks and her seductive red lips are visible.. The ck color entuated her lips and jade white skin to a whole new level.. Even Jun Moyin gulped on seeing her smirk.. '' Why am I feeling that I lost the bet already..'' Jun Moyin pouted on realizing that his sis-inw has more charm than him as a man.. " Here we are.." Jun Moyin stopped before arge lively mansion. Xia Lian''s lips arced up beautifully on seeing the name of the brothel " Sensual Bamboo House.. I like the sound of it..." Thedies who are near the door to wee them are already looking at Xia Lian with hungry eyes, and their gazes intensified after hearing her words.. " Such seductive voice.. Young lord, pleasee in.." a young girl blushed. Jun Moyin: "..." Little beauty, you forgot this master.. Xia Lian did not wait for Jun Moyin as she walked towards the door gracefully. All the girls looked at the simple but hot young maning towards them.. His long silky ck hair is held in ce by a single ck pin.. He yed with a silver coin with his right hand, while his left hand moved gracefully along with his legs. His walking style was neither hurried nor slow.. His steps were light and urate and the heartbeats of the poor maidens reached to a terrifying level with his each step.. Jun Moyin stared at his sister-inw''s back like a fool.. '' I should learn from her..'' he shamelessly decided. He hurriedly followed her as he did not want to miss how she will draw thedies to her.. He pushed the matter of bet to the back of his head. Xia Lian walked into the bamboo house with a light smirk on her face. All the women stared at the mysterious young man.. All of them were drawn to the slight smile on that face.. Those red lips looked so delicious to them.. One of the girl carrying the tea tray slipped on the carpet as she lost herself when looking at Xia Lian. She closed her eyes in fear, but she did not hear the breaking sounds of cups or she did not feel any pain. Instead, she felt a strong and gentle grasp on her waist. She slowly opened her eyes and met with a pair of hypnotic ck eyes under the mask.. Xia Lian rushed forward as soon as she heard a scream. She held the girl with one hand while she caught the tea tray with her other hand.. " Are you alright?" Xia Lian''s low s.e.xy voice made the girl blush hard. The girl nodded feeling too shy to speak. She was still feeling dizzy from happiness that she was in the arms of this man... Jun Moyin''s lips twitched on seeing this scene.. '' Girl, that is my sister-inw.. Don''t stare at her like a love struck fool ah! It''s a girl! Wake up my dear..'' he screamed in his heart. Xia Lian smiled at the girl and straightened her. The girl opened her mouth on seeing the young man''s smile. She lost herself under his gaze.. Xia Lian''s smile deepened as she slowly pulled the arms of the girl before cing the tray on her palms.. " Hold it tight and be careful.. I will not be there to hold you every time you slip.." Xia Lian''s words caused all the young girls to scream. They were all so jealous of the girl.. Why isn''t it them? They really wanted to throw themselves in the young man''s arms.. Xia Lian noticed their jealous gazes and looked at everyone " Mydies, the night is long.. Don''t worry, this young master will not neglect anyone.." *cough**cough** Jun Moyin choked on his breath.. His sister-inw is really a smooth talker.. He looked at all the blushing young women and sighed helplessly.. Chapter 82 - Sensual Bamboo House (2) Chapter 82 - Sensual Bamboo House (2) Xia Lian walked towards another girl who looked timid and shy. She held her hand gently and this action made the girl to bury her head in her chest. Xia Lian chuckled on seeing her actions " Mydy, please show me my seat.." " Y.. Yes.." the girl stammered and led the way. Jun Moyin followed Xia Lian in a daze. It felt like he became invisible in there.. He was never stuck in this kind of situation.. Every time, many women used to flock around him because of his handsome face.. Then again, he looked at his devilishly charming sis-inw who outshone him.. He was sure that even his big bro will be defeated in her hands.. He suddenly felt that his sis-inw is very interesting and that his brother still had a long way to go.. Xia Lian crossed her legs and spread her arms across the armrests of the cushioned chair.. Her posture looked like azy cat.. Seductive and stylish at the same time.. Ady of about 23 years old slowly approached Xia Lian while swaying her h.i.p.s seductively.. Xia Lian admired the woman''s boldness ah! She can really be a top notch actress in the modern era.. Such killer looks and curvy body is wasted.. tsk..tsk.. Xia Lian was depressed.. Such a potential actress was wasted away.. s! She couldn''t do anything.. So, she just smiled at her.. " Young man.. Why are you smiling so respectfully at me.. Am I too old for you.." thedy pouted and bent her body so that her face is just a few centimeters away from Xia Lian''s face. Jun Moyin gulped on seeing this scene.. Damn! It''s too hot in here.. Xia Lian smiled lightly and spoke slowly while tracing her index finger along the contours of thedy''s face " Old is gold.. As the saying goes, you are a beauty of your own kind.. Oh! How I wish that I am older than you.. I would have taken you away from here.." Even thedy could not help but blush due to this young brat''s actions and words.. She met many who flirt with her and they disgusted her.. But, something about this young man made it hard for her to hate him.. It felt natural when he spoke such words and there is no obscenity or indecency in them.. If Jun Moyin knew her thoughts, he would have rolled his eyes at her '' That''s because she''s a girl and she obviously respects her gender..'' " How about you get some wine for us... A calm night, beautifuldies, a fool.." Xia Lian looked at Jun Moyin while saying the word fool and he grinned shamelessly.. Xia Lian ignored his reaction and continued " The only thing missing is wine.." The young woman straightened herself as she spoke with a bright smile " This young master, you made this ce lively today. So, I will get you the best wine here.." Jun Moyin looked at his sis-inw in wonder.. Xia Lian smirked at him " Tell me, who is the winner of the bet??" " Is there a need to ask? Of course, it''s you." Jun Moyin looked at her with puppy dog eyes " Please take me as your disciple.. I want to learn flirting techniques from you.." Xia Lian''s gaze darkened " You are not allowed to do these things.. I refuse.. " How dare he think of flirting ah! She can because she is a girl.. How can she face his future wife, if he introduces her as his flirting master ah! No way.. Jun Moyin pouted but he did not refute her.. In the meantime, a young girl brought wine and poured them into the small cups.. Xia Lian brought the cup to her mouth and a bitter-sweet fruity taste filled her mouth.. She liked it.. So, she started to drink one cup after another.. Jun Moyin also got drunk but he tried to stop Xia Lian from drinking. Xia Lian just brushed him off as she relished herself in enjoying the wine.. Thankfully, thedies in here are decent and they admired her from far as she did not call for them.. ...................... " General, I think someone ising for us.." Great One squinted his eyes at the figure flying towards them at rming speed. " Don''t worry.. It''s Min Zin." Xuan Li Wei spokezily. " General.." Min Zin''s voice sounded fl.u.s.tered. " What is it?" Xuan Li Wei frowned. He asked this fellow to tail those two troublesome brats, in case they messed up something. Did they really get into trouble? Xuan Li Wei became anxious " Did something happen to them?" " Nothing happened to them general.." Min Zin''s face was flushed as he spoke " But, the situation is getting out of control.." Min Zin hastily exined everything and Xuan Li Wei''s face disyed an incredulous expression. " Sensual Bamboo House.." Xuan Li Wei spoke slowly but he froze as a sudden realization hit him hard.. " You meant that , the little girl entered that ce.." " General, not only entering there.. Lady Xia is the center of attraction of that ce.." Before Min Zin could finish speaking, Xuan Li Wei soared into the sky at an rming speed.. Min Zin sighed before following him.. Great One looked at his team with an fan-girl expression " Our goddess is great, no matter what she does..". The other five nodded in agreement. On the other side, Xia Lian and Jun Moyin are relishing in the moment unaware of their impending doom.. Chapter 83 - An offer Chapter 83 - An offer " Music.." Xia Lian waspletely drunk " I w..want some music..". Her face was now in a beautiful shade of drunken red.. As she was a bit tipsy, she was not able to drink the wine properly and the wine started to slowly trace her neck all the way from her lips.. " No more drinking.." Jun Moyin pulled away the cups from her hands. Just when she was about to grab the wine cup from his hands, a girl of about 15 years fully dressed in white stood before them with a Guqin in her hands. " Masters, please allow me to y a song.." the girl performed a quick greeting and started to arrange the instrument on a low table. Xia Lian turned her attention to the young girl.. Shepletely ced her attention on the girl before them.. Jun Moyin didn''t understand why his sister-inw is looking at the girl so intently.. '' Alright, the girl is quite pretty.. Don''t tell me that wine is making my sis-inw muddleheaded.. Did she possibly take a liking to her..'' Jun Moyin frowned.. Xia Lian noticed a hint of resentment and unwillingness in the girl''s voice when she greeted them. That is the reason why Xia Lian is observing the girl closely.. Xia Lian was feeling a bit tipsy, but she didn''t drink so much to get a hangover next day.. Also, the slight tipsiness disappeared as she found another interesting specimen.. The girl started to sing slowly while ying a soft tone.. ''Since yesterday had to throw me and bolt, Today has hurt my heart even more. The autumn wild geese have a long wind for escort As I face them from this vi, drinking my wine. I am exalted to distant thought, Aspiring to the sky and the bright moon. But since water still flows, though we cut it with our swords, And sorrows return, though we drown them with wine, Since the world can in no way answer our craving, I will loosen my hair tomorrow and take to a fishing boat. Farewell..'' '' This is not a song.. It''s a poem..'' Xia Lian''s lips curved up as she slowly walked towards the girl. '' Sis-inw, haven''t you flirted more than enough today.. You are not sparing even the musicians..'' Jun Moyin gritted his teeth. The girl sensed someone approaching her, so she raised her head and looked at Xia Lian in her eyes.. '' Oh my! What is it I see there.. Disgust?'' Xia Lian was amused on seeing the girl''s eyes clearly disying her disgust.. Is she disgusted about men? Xia Lian frowned as it''s a bad thing.. Everyone should respect others.. She is a feminist and her idea of feminism is that men and women should soar together.. They should not try to look down on the other gender or try to dominate them.. This applies to both men and women.. Xia Lian felt that this girl is clever and that she would be wasted away if she is left here.. So, she pondered for a while before speaking " If you want to get out of this ce, I will free you.." Xia Lian bent forward and spoke near the girl''s ear " But, you should be willing to work under me." Xia Lian was originally speaking like that so that other''s couldn''t hear them.. But, the position looked as if she is whispering sweet-nothings.. So, everyone around them blushed on seeing this scene.. She then looked into girl''s eye waiting for an answer.. Both of their faces are only a few centimetres away and Jun Moyin tilted his head not willing to torment his poor heart anymore.. " I will never work for a man.." the girl evenly replied.. " Then who are you working for now.." Xia Lian smirked at the girl''s arrogance and sure enough the girl''s face turned pale.. " You can decide by tomorrow. I will send one of my men tomorrow and if you are willing to work under me, I will free you.." Xia Lian looked into the girl''s eyes and spoke slowly " Also, who told you that I am a man.." The girl widened her eyes as she was not able to believe that the young man before her is actually a girl.. " Keep it a secret..." Xia Lian winked at the girl. " Little Li.." at this moment Xia Lian heard an angry roar making her close her ears. Before, she could scold that person, she felt a force on her hands following which shended in a warm embrace.. Chapter 84 - Beauty, Ill accompany you Chapter 84 - Beauty, I''ll apany you Xia Lian felt her head dizzy due to the sudden force applied on her.. Before she could understand what is happening she felt a hand lift her chin and her obsidian ck eyes met with a pair of hazel brown eyes.. Xuan Li Wei looked at the girl who covered her face with a mask.. He looked at her robes and breathed out in relief that she came here dressed as a man.. " Min Zin, Why didn''t you tell me that she is in disguise.. " Xuan Li Wei was frustrated.. His heart almost stopped when he heard that this girl entered a brothel. " General, I didn''t notice.." Min Zin was still looking in awe at the handsome young man in his general''s arms.. Xuan Li Wei was also shocked on seeing this little girl''s appearance.. That ck mask is exquisitely carved and it brought out the sharp contours of her altered face.. Her cheeks glowed with a shade of drunken red.. Her sharp eyes are lightly misty and the eyes looked so seductive with the mask adding a mysterious charm around them.. Xuan Li Wei traced the skin below her mask and Xia Lian looked at him nkly not understanding what is going on.. But, she felt something on her skin.. So, she pped his naughty finger thinking it is a mosquito " Stupid mosquito, die.." " Little Li, are you drunk?" Xuan Li Wei asked ame question even though he knew the answer. Xia Lian squinted her eyes and looked at the beautiful specimen before her.. She didn''t recognize him as her mind is mushy mushy.... Xia Lian lifted her small hand and brushed his cheek " Beauty, you are so pretty... Let this young master apany you..". Xuan Li Wei''s eyes darkened. Min Zin: " pfft.." Their mistress is sure interesting.. Jun Moyin: "..." sis-inw, that is my big bro.. Pleasee out of your flirting mode ah! Xuan Li Wei froze for a moment before he slowly untied the mask.. The ck feathered mask slowly slid down her face revealing her handsome altered face.. All the women squealed out of excitement on seeing the face behind the mask! Then again, they looked at Xuan Li Wei with caution in their eyes... What is this man doing to their dreamboy ah! Though this big guy is handsome, their hearts belong only to the masked man... So, they looked at his arms which are hugging Xia Lian with a killing intent in their eyes.. Xuan Li Wei looked at his surroundings.. Everyone, be it a man or a woman they are staring at his little girl with owl eyes.. He didn''t like it.. He looked at the little girl''s face for a moment before locking his eyes on hers.. Without removing his eyes on her, he spoke in a cold voice " Take me to the private suite.. Min Zin, no one should disturb us.." Jun Moyin: "..." Bro, your words are quite ambiguous... Then ignoring everyone, Xuan Li Wei dragged the girl with him.. He felt the little one struggle initially, but she calmed downed after a while.. Xia Lian initially struggled when she felt someone dragging her, but she stopped struggling as she somehow felt that this person is very familiar to her.. Bham! Xuan Li Wei mmed the door shut and pulled the girl to sit on a couch.. He then crouched in front of her to meet with her eyes.. Both of them stared at each other.. Xia Lian stared at the pair of hazel brown eyes fixedly.. She didn''t know why but she is starting to like them.. She can see anger, concern and some other emotion which she didn''t understand.. ''My.. My.. such expressive and deep eyes..'' Xia Lian secretly praised in her heart. Xuan Li Wei was about to scold this girl, but his words stopped in his throat when he found her staring into his eyes without blinking.. On seeing those obsidian ck eyes seemingly prating into his soul, Xuan Li Wei''s heart skipped a beat.. But, today he needed to reprimand her. So, he cleared his throat.. " Don''t do this again?" he spoke sternly. " What?" Xia Lian tilted her head in confusion... Her eyes looked innocent and the ck hair gently traced her reddened cheeks.. She looked so vulnerable.. '' Oh God! So cute.. This girl is going to be the end of me..'' Xuan Li Wei took a deep breath and looked at the girl helplessly.. Chapter 85 - I like your scent Chapter 85 - I like your scent His little girl is too cute ah! Because of the wine, she is looking more docile and cute than her usual self... Xuan Li Wei rubbed his forehead and sighed before speaking. " Little Li, don''t be so careless.. " Xuan Li Wei spoke slowly but Xia Lian interrupted him.. " Little Li.." she scrunched her nose " Beauty, don''t call me like that.. I don''t want another idiot calling me by that name.." " Idiot.." Xuan Li Wei''s lips twitched.. So, he is an idiot in her mind.. " Hmm.." Xia Lian nodded profusely " a big idiot.." " What else?" Xuan Li Wei wanted to know what else she is thinking about him. They say that a man speaks truth when he is drunk.. So, he will make a good use of this opportunity.. Xia Lian rubbed her temples thinking seriously... Then she raised her head and lifted her right thumb " One, he is fool.." Xuan Li Wei choked on his breath.. '' Fool.. Which of this girl''s eyes saw me as a fool..'' Xia Lian then raised her index finger " Two, he is a flirty prince.." Xuan Li Wei nodded along with her '' Of course, I will be flirty with my wife..'' " And finally he is insanely handsome.." Xia Lian looked at him seriously.. Xuan Li Wei smiled like a kid who got his favorite candy after hearing her words.. Xia Lian widened her eyes on seeing his smile and immediately cupped his face.. Xia Lian brought her face dangerously close to his and Xuan Li Wei froze as he looked at her nkly... " Eh?!.. Is it you my flirty prince?" Xia Lian huped " You both look exactly the same.." " Yes, it''s me.." Xuan Li Wei was amused on seeing her actions. As if his skin burned her, she immediately let go of his face and moved a few steps backward.. Xuan Li Wei frowned " Why are you avoiding me?" " Because you are a perverted flirty prince.." Xia Lian spoke warily " Mommy told me to stay away from perverts.." Outside the door, Min Zin and Jun Moyin tried hard to notugh out loud. Jun Moyin felt bad for his brother.. His sis-inw took his bro to heaven before dumping him the pits of hell.. " I was just joking.. I am not that prince.." Xuan Li Wei spoke each word slowly and clearly. Min Zin: "..." When did our general be so shameless.. " Really.." he nodded and Xia Lian''s eyes brightened. She hesitated for a while before moving towards him.. " If that princees tell me, I will hide.." Jun Moyin: " pfft.." Xuan Li Wei nodded with a poker face. He thought that she would say something else, but he stood rooted in the spot when he saw her ridiculous actions.. * sniff**sniff*** Xia Lian suddenly moved towards him and started to sniff around his chest.. She frowned as she spoke " Eh?! But, why.. why do you both smell the same.." " How do you know what he smells like?" Xuan Li Wei was curious now. " Because he shamelessly picks me up.. My nose is in perfect condition, so naturally I can smell his scent every time he carries me.. " Xia Lian thought for a while and added while looking at him with big eyes " You both smell like morning rain.." Xuan Li Wei observed the girl chatter as he stood silently.. His mind was still on her words.. He smelled like Morning rain? Wait! Did she like it or not.. As if answering his question, Xia Lian moved closer to him and sniffed again.. " I really love this scent.. It calms my mind.." Xia Lian spoke sleepily.. Then she hugged his waist and buried her face in his chest inhaling his scent deeply.. Then just like that she fell asleep.. Chapter 86 - Causing troubles (1) Chapter 86 - Causing troubles (1) Xuan Li Wei looked at the girl who fell asleep just like that.. He coiled his arm around her waist to prevent her from slipping.. He looked at her sleeping face and he could not help but smile.. Jun Moyin felt that there are no movements in the room.. So, he slowly opened the door to check the situation.. But as soon as he entered the room he saw this scene and stared at them foolishly.. He never saw his brother smile so happily and why is he finding this scene like a husband hugging his wife lovingly.. " Big bro.." Jun Moyin started to speak excitedly and then he saw his brother''s deadly re at him.. ''Oh shit! I am done for..'' Jun Moyin cursed under his breath. " Do you know your mistake?" Xuan Li Wei''s voice was terrifyingly calm. " Yes, and I won''t take her to these ces again.." Jun Moyin lowered his head. Xuan Li Wei stared at Jun Moyin silently for a long time making him uneasy. Just when he was starting to speak, Xuan Li Wei''s calm voice sounded " Both of you can go wherever you want.. It''s not easy to find good friends and you should not let go when you find one.. I can see such friendship between you both.." Jun Moyin didn''t expect his brother to speak such words to him.. So, he was momentarily dazed out. Then, on hearing his next words Jun Moyin smiled brilliantly " Next time you n on going to these ces, remember to bring me along.. I can keep worrying about both of you.." " hehe.. Bro, Suddenly I want to hug you.." Jun Moyin rubbed his nose. " Don''t even think about it.." Jun Moyin: "..." Brother''s affection is also a form of love.. You are so mean bro.. Xuan Li Wei did not mind his heartbroken brother.. " Bro, should we return to the camp now?" Jun Moyin looked at his sleeping sis-inw. " No, I don''t want anyone to see her in this state.." Xuan Li Wei frowned.. Whoa! His big bro is possessive.. " Let''s just stay here.. We will rest in the adjacent rooms.." " Big bro, you can stay with sis-inw in this room.." Jun Moyin started to chirp.. " I am not so eager.. I can wait till she grows up.." " Big Bro, then are you confessing now.." Jun Moyin folded his hands across his chest and smirked at his bro yfully.. " Hmm.. Only she can be your sister-inw.." Jun Moyin gasped loudly as he really didn''t expect his wooden block brother to sort out his feelings so quickly.. Anyway, he was happy for his bro.. Then again he sighed as his brother still had a long way to go if he wanted to court his sister-inw.. " Don''t worry brother, I will help you.." Jun Moyin assured his brother while patting his chest confidently. Xuan Li Wei raised his brows as he silently thought that this brat has his own use.. So, he decided to let him off the hook.. Xuan Li Wei carried Xia Lian and headed towards the couch. Xia Lian felt some movement and she clutched Xuan Li Wei''s robes sub-consciously.. Xuan Li Wei did not notice her actions and ced her on the couch while Jun Moyin covered her with a nket. Xuan Li Wei felt a slight tug at his chest and lowered his head to find that his little girl is still clutching his robes.. He gently pried open her fingers and ced her hand down.. " Who are you?" Xuan Li Wei frowned on hearing her voice. Did he wake her up? Jun Moyin and Xuan Li Wei stared at her nkly while the little girl sat on her bed with a menacing look on her face.. Chapter 87 - Causing troubles (2) Chapter 87 - Causing troubles (2) " Little Li.." Xuan Li Wei spoke gently as if he is speaking to a kid.. Xia Lian was still intoxicated by the wine.. So, her mind is still fuzzy. She looked at the two pretty men before her and frowned.. She didn''t want them.. So, she crinkled her small nose in disgust on seeing them. Jun Moyin chuckled on seeing Xia Lian acting like this. Where had the fierce girl gone.. The one before them is just an innocent girl now.. Xia Lian slept inhaling her special scent.. But, suddenly it disappeared. She woke up searching for her warm scented pillow.. Xia Lian looked at the pink square shaped pillow on her bed.. She bent and sniffed it.. * cough**cough** " Disgusting.." Xia Lian rubbed her nose.. She absolutely hated the smell.. She then started looking around the room.. Xuan Li Wei saw the girl bending down and thought that she is going to sleep. Then again she started to search for something in the room. He tilted his head and looked at the girl with a puzzled expression on his face.. But, Jun Moyin understood the situation. He stood on the side with a small smile on his face. He wanted to see the look on his brother''s face, when his sister-inw does something outrageous again.. Xia Lian leaped out of the bed and started to look around the room. But, when she passed by Xuan Li Wei she stopped in her tracks and looked at him.. She moved a bit closer.. Yes, her pillow is near by.. *sniff**sniff*** Xia Lian now stood before Xuan Li Wei and stared at him with clear ck eyes.. Then, she suddenly hugged his waist while looking at him usingly " This is my pillow.. Don''t take it away from me..." " What pillow are you talking about?" Xuan Li Wei started getting a headache.. Now, he really didn''t know that girls can be such a handful when they are drunk.. He is not sure of how to deal with her. " This is my pillow.." Xia Lian patted his stomach and hugged him tightly while emphasising the words again " MY PILLOW!" Then she pointed her small index finger at him " Don''t even think of taking it away from me.." Xuan Li Wei was stunned beyond words and looked at the girl helplessly.. Jun Moyin was watching the whole y with a sly smile on his face.. He is really liking the expressions on his brother''s face... He wanted to tease him more. So, Jun Moyin spoke in a smug tone " hehe.. Big bro, it''s time you be a pillow for my sis-inw.." " NO!" Xuan Li Wei was horrified and he immediately refused.. God knows his self-restraint around this girl.. " hohohoho.. Bro, I didn''t think you are such a bad wolf.." " I am a big bad wolf.." Jun Moyin coughed after listening his brother''s words. His brother is really bing more shameless.. " I want to sleep.." Xia Lian''s drowsy voice made the brothers to look at her. Xia Lain then dragged Xuan Li Wei''s robes and made his sit on the bed all the while mumbling '' Don''t even think of stealing my pillow..'' She shot a threatening look at him before resting her head on hisp.. She then buried her nose in his stomach while embracing his waist.. Xuan Li Wei sat on the bed like a frozen statue not daring to move even a little.. He looked at the girl who is in her dreamnd.. " How can she fall asleep so soon.." Xuan Li Wei spoke slowly while ying with her long hair which is spread on his long legs. He was not able to see her face as she buried herself in his stomach... " It''s because of your calming scent.." Jun Moyin spoke with a teasing voice and Xuan Li Wei smiled.. Jun Moyin : "..." This is no fun, his brother is not even getting embarrassed.. Xia Lian slept in foetal position with her head on hisp.. " Did she always sleep alone in fear?" Xuan Li Wei frowned on seeing her position. Jun Moyin looked at her thoughtfully.. The whole night, Jun Moyin and Xuan Li Wei talked about various things while Xia Lian slept peacefully.. Chapter 88 - Opening up (1) [Edited] Chapter 88 - Opening up (1) [Edited] Xia Lian slept well without getting any nightmares for the first time since forever.. She really didn''t want to wake up. But a faint aroma of food tempted her heavy eyelids to slowly open. In the beginning she everything was rather blurry. She blinked her eyes a few times and unfamiliar surroundings came into her view.. She tilted her head and found Xuan Li Wei and Jun Moyin discussing something seriously. " Did you bring everything I asked for?" " Of course, look at them once. If you are not satisfied then I will exchange them immediately." Jun Moyin continued " After all, we can take anything from our auction house..." "No need you managed it well." Xuan Li Wei nodded in satisfaction after examining the items. Xia Lian was not able to hear their voices clearly and as they sat with their backs facing her she was not able to see anything. Even though she feltzy and had a strong urge to just continue sleeping for the next few days there was no way but to get up now. So she sat up straight on the bed and stretched her bodyzily while yawning " Morning.." Both the fellows froze and quickly hid all the items before them. Xia Lian didn''t notice their actions as she continued to sleep with her head resting on her palm. Her body is not listening to her anymore. She just wanted to sleep and she is toozy to lie down.. Jun Moyin''s lips twitched on seeing Xia Lian sleeping while sitting on the bed.. " Little Li.." Xuan Li Wei stood at a safe distance from her, before calling her name. He is not ready to be her pillow again. Only he knew how hard he controlled himselfst night.. He didn''t even dare to move a little as the little girl slept on his thigh, dangerously close to a certain part of his body. Thankfully the girl also didn''t move and slept like a log..it was truly dangerous. After a while there was still no response from a certain little girl.. " Sis Xia, it''s time to get up.." Jun Moyin cooed.. Still, no response.. " Little Li, get up and eat something.." Xuan Li Wei gathered her hair which is covering her face with one hand and poked her nose with the other.. Xia Lian felt a tickling sensation on her nose and she smiled sub-consciously " Bolt, stop it.." " Eh?! Bolt??" Jun Moyin scratched his head.. Xia Lian opened her eyes suddenly and looked at both of them nkly. She did not remember anything that happenedst night. But she did not panic on seeing these two men in her room. She was more than sure that they guarded her the entire night. Afterwards she looked at Xuan Li Wei''s finger which is still poking her nose. Then something unexpected happened which made both the fellows panic. Out of the blue, Xia Lian started crying. Starting with a single drop her tears escted to a waterfall but she made no sound and continued to cry silently. " S..Sis Xia.. We did not do anything to you.. We didn''t even touch you ah! Don''t cry.." Jun Moyin started to stutter. '' What is this brat speaking early in the morning?'' Xia Lian shot a nasty re towards him while crying.. " What''s wrong?" Xuan Li Wei asked gently while wiping her tears with his hand. Xia Lian came back to her senses and she politely moved away from his hands with a smile on her face " Thank you.." Xuan Li Wei continued to look at her quietly.. Xia Lian sighed.. It''s difficult to hide something from this Li Wei. So, she decided to tell the truth " I remembered my pet dog Bolt.. when you poked my nose.." " Pet dog.." Jun Moyin face-palmed. So, his sis-inw cried for a dog. " Hmm.." Bolt, a tough and handsome German shepherd is her onlypanion in her previous life.. She is missing him now.. " But as far as I know Xia household does not allow animals inside.." Chapter 89 - Opening up (2) Chapter 89 - Opening up (2) " But, as far as I know Xia household does not allow animals in.." Xia Lian froze for a moment on hearing Xuan Li Wei''s words. Xia Lian bit her tongue.. Howe she makes foolish mistakes before this flirty prince? But, she immediately recovered " The whole household is filled with animals.. That''s why Xia Jiang didn''t allow outside animals in.." " Sis Xia, you are saying that your Xia family are not humans but animals.." Jun Moyin''s face had a wide smile. " No.." Xia Lian put on a sad face " I''m insulting animals byparing with them.." Xuan Li Wei still looked at her with '' You can''t fool me..'' expression. She sighed as she knew that she can''t hide many things from him.. But, she wanted to know from when did he start having doubts.. So, she looked at him " What else do you want to know?" Xuan Li Wei and Jun Moyin looked at each other.. Their eyesmunicated the same meaning '' This girl is really smart..'' " We know that your father does not favour you.. So, from where did you learn martial arts.. I assume your medical arts are from master Wu Gong.." Xuan Li Wei voiced out. " It''s not that we doubt you.. We are curious cats.." Jun Moyinughed sheepishly. On seeing his silly smile, Xia Lian also smiled. She looked at the two fellows before her. Strangely, she didn''t feel apprehensive when faced with their questions. For the first time, she was able to rxpletely letting all her guards down.. Also, theypletely trusted her and didn''t hide anything from her. So, why should she lie to them? But, here''s the real problem.. She looked at the two who are staring at her expectantly. What would be their reactions if she said that she is a soul from other world.. Xia Lian immediately dismissed the thought.. Finally, she sighed and looked at both of them with sincere eyes " You want to know from where I learnt martial arts?" Both fellows nodded their heads in anticipation.. " It''s a secret..." Xia Lian suddenly smirked evilly.. Xuan Li Wei and Jun Moyin: "..." This is not fair!! On seeing their pouting faces, Xia Lian spoke seriously " Nothing can remain a secret forever.. I will tell you my secret at the right time.." On seeing the seriousness in her eyes, Xuan Li Wei smiled. The girl is really sincere towards her friends.. He had to admit that he was intrigued by the girl''s abilities and he was curious from where did this girl learn such skills.. But, now he really did not care.. After seeing her trusting eyes, hepletely erased the thought of interrogating her.. He decided that he will ept her for what she is now.. Her past, he really did not care.. " Little Li, Some secrets are best hidden.. No need to tell us, we are not interested.." Xuan Li Wei spoke yfully. " Then why did you both ask me in the first ce.." Xia Lian rolled her eyes. " Sis Xia, I told you earlier that we are curious cats.." Jun Moyin started chirping.. " Curiosity kills the cat.." Xia Lian words choked his breath. " Sis, why are you so cruel to me?" " Eh?! Till date, I am only kind to you.." Xuan Li Wei chuckled as he looked at their banter.. He had to admit he was a bit envious of their friendship.. He might make her love him, but this kind of friendship.. sigh.. his little brother Moyin was really lucky.. Moyin really didn''t have any friends and he never let anyone near him.. But now he was like a puppy wagging his tail around this girl.. Xuan Li Wei sighed for the nth time on how cute and special his wife was... Chapter 90 - Do you want to be free? Chapter 90 - Do you want to be free? The three of them finished breakfast while teasing each other. Xia Lian was now dressed in a royal blue male robes. She altered her pretty face into a handsome one. " Call the girl who yed guqin for us." Xia Lian looked at the maid who is standing beside her. The maid blushed while nodding and hurriedly exited the room. Xia Lian: " It seems that I charmed all the youngdies here. They just need to say the three little words. *sigh*" Xuan Li Wei''s lips twitched on hearing her narcissistic words.. " Greetings, My lord." the petite girl who yed the Guqin bowed at the entrance of the room. Xia Lian dismissed all the servants in the room, before inviting the girl in. " Mydy." the girl bowed slightly towards Xia Lian. " Sit here" Xia Lian pointed to the space beside her. But, the girl shook her head " How can a lowly servant like me sit beside the youngdy? I do not dare." " Then I order you to sit beside me." Xia Lian spoke sternly. She did not want to scare the girl, but she had no other choice as the girl is too scared to even look into her eyes directly. '' Damn this monarchy!'' Xia Lian cursed under her breath. She hated this concept of servant and master. As she is a woman from the modern era, equality and women rights were deeply integrated into her mindset. Even though it''s a different era, she still had problems adjusting her attitude towards this issue. "A courtesan like me is not fit to stand here, let alone sit.." Xia Lian did not miss the light tremor in her voice. " What is your name?" Xia Lian suddenly asked while looking at the girl. " I am named Xin Li, mydy." " Xin Li, in my eyes you are not any lesser than myself." Xia Lian spoke firmly "You have ovee a lot of desperate times and still managed to keep your will to live on. I truly admire your strength." " I think that the people who forced you into this situation are truly despicable. You deserve so much more respectpared to them." Xin Li''s fingers trembled on hearing such words. Xia Lian''s each word struck like a hammer on her heart. She never expected that someone would say these words to her, and on the top of it it''s a woman. " I am asking you again. Do you want to free yourself from here? I would let you go if you want to be on your own. If you have no ce to go, then you can work for me and I will always treat you with respect." Xia Lain spoke seriously. Xia Lian''s words not only surprised the girl, even the two siblings opposite her remained quiet as they tried to decipher this situation. " Why are you helping me?" Xin Li asked the question which is troubling her the most. " A Phoenix is born to soar high in the sky, it''s not to be caged." Xia Lian looked into the eyes of Xin Li " You are the same.There is so much potential hidden in you." " Your dress is made from the most simple fabric, but it looks exquisite due to the embroidery. I believe that you refused to wear the skimpy outfits and I am sure that you embroidered the dress yourself." " How can you be so sure?" Xin Li countered. " Oh dear, don''t tell me that they give such beautiful clothes to the women working here." Xia Lian was really amused after hearing her stupid question. Xin Li blushed in embarrassment while Xia Lian continued " Also, the calluses on your fingers tell me that you are a warrior." " The scar on your neck which you failed to cover with your makeup tell me that you fought against death and you have a strong will." " Your words tell me one thing but your body tells me the truth." Xin Li was not able to respond for quite some time. She opened her lips but she did not find her voice.. " So, do you want to be free or you want to reach for something more together with me?" Xia Lian''s lips had a light smirk. Chapter 91 - Nirvana, the Divine whip Chapter 91 - Nirvana, the Divine whip Xin Li clenched her fists and pursed her lips tightly. She looked as if she was struggling with her inner demon. Her expression changed multiple times. How could a little girl that never experienced joy in her life simple trust the words of a master. All her life she was only disappointed by them. After a long silence, her delicate voice echoed throughout the room. " Mydy, will you really free me ?" the hope in her voice did not escape Xia Lian''s keen observation. " I never make empty promises." Those five magical words made Xin Li''s heart palpitate. She took a deep breath topose herself as she looked at the cross-dressed girl before her. The girl is obviously younger than her but the maturity in those obsidian ck eyes far exceeded her age. Her eloquent speech and graceful demeanor.. everything about the girl before her is attractive and one could not help but be drawn to her. She was her goddess. After debating for a while in her heart, Xin Li sat on her knees and crossed her arm across her chest. She then looked straight into Xia Lian''s eyes while speaking " Master, I , Xin Li will pledge my life and loyalty to you henceforth." " No need to pledge your life." Xia Lian smiled "As long as you stay by my side I will never let you die." " Also, don''t address yourself as servant. I prefer if you call yourself as my sub-ordinate. What do you think?" " This sub-ordinate understands." Xin Li smiled from her heart. "Xin Li, as a symbol for your new life, I will personally grant you a new name." Xai Lian said while smiling sweetly at her very first follower. Xin Li didn''t react at first, she stood still, as if frozen in ce and time. A crystalline tear was slowly forming in her eye and she tried to suppress it. Xia Lian slightly chuckled at the little girl who is trying to uphold her dignity. "From today, your name shall be Fai Ling and I am sure that you will carry it with pride in the future" Xia Lian said, but her tone of voice was changing from yful to one that is filled with dignity. '' Fai Ling'' the petite girl chanted her new name in her heart and it caused a small wave in her stoic eyes . She looked at her master, who freed her from her shackles and granted her a chance of rebirth. The look in her eyes changed from respect to determination. At that moment she resolutely decided that in life or death, heaven or hell,no matter what she will always follow in her footsteps.. " Moyin, I want you get some clothes and weapons for Fai Ling. Also, buy a suitable horse for her. Don''t cheap out on her, she will represent me in the future. I will be taking her with me." Xia Lian handed over her money pouch to him. " Sis Xia, keep the money with you. You will be needing it for your journey." Jun Moyin refused the money and stood up. Xia Lian sighed as she knew that she cannot convince him. So, she looked at Fai Ling " Go with him and buy whatever you want. Don''t hesitate as the young master is quite rich." Jun Moyin did not know if he should cry orugh on hearing her words. After Jun Moyin left with Fai Ling, Xia Lian met with the owner of the bamboo house. She then bought the ve contract of Fai Ling for 100 silver coins. Thedy in charge was surprised when Xia Lian refused to write a new contract with her name as master. Seeing that the young man before her is adamantly refusing, thedy shrugged her shoulders. Xia Lian then returned to the room where Xuan Li Wei was waiting for her. " I will be leaving today." Xia Lian looked into his hazel brown eyes while speaking. " I know.." Xuan Li Wei handed her a wooden-box. Xia Lian eyed the box curiously and after opening it she found a whip inside. Xia Lian was stunned by this strange sight. It was a deep ck colored whip with spikes all along its body. What attracted her the most was the handle of the whip. It was made of a material which she never saw or heard of. The apex of the handle is carved into the shape of a dragon making it look majestic. " What is the story behind this whip?" Xia Lian was sure that it is not an ordinary whip. " It is called Nirvana. It can only be used by the chosen one. Till today no one was able to im it. I wanted to see if you can gain its approval." Xuan Li Wei spoke seriously. " The chosen one?" Xia Lian was confused " The weapons can choose their wielders?" What kind of mystical thing is this? She never heard of such things. " Not all weapons can choose their owners. Only divine weapons can choose their owners." '' Divine weapons?'' Xia Lian was bbergasted " Are you kidding me? How can I wield a divine weapon?" Is this prince''s brain in the right condition? Of all the people, why did he choose to give it to her.. " Touch it.." Xuan Li Wei did not bother to exin much. Chapter 92 - The first summoning (1) Chapter 92 - The first summoning (1) Xia Lian''s heart calmed down after looking at Xuan Li Wei''s intimate expression. Due to her trust in him she confidently reached out her left hand to hold the handle of the majestic whip. When the cool surface of the whip handle came into contact with her hand Xia Lian felt a terrifying pain spreading out deep into her bones. The blood being drained out and her face turned pale at an astonishing rate. It was a kind of torture she never experienced before. While feeling suffocated her heart beat increased dramatically and her chest was under immense pressure. Xia Lian did not understand what was happening to her in this very moment and all that was left in her world was sorrow. Her knees turned weak as she fell on the ground. Xuan Li Wei rushed towards her as soon as he saw her face turn pale but he was not able to get near her. It was as if a invisible barrier was present preventing anyone from getting any closer. All that was left for him was to look at her nervously while having the most panicked and distressed expression of his entire life. Xia Lian felt a series of images sh in her mind and was close to surrendering to the pain. No matter how tough she was there was still a limit to the human endurance and the only way to relieve a little stress was to wail out loudly. In the little girls view appeared the back of a woman who was dressed in fiery red robes with her long hair dancing majestically in the wind. Her view suddenly changed to two armies shing against each other. Immediately after she saw the image of the woman kneeling on the ground while holding someone in her arms. She appeared two times but Xia Lian was only able to get a glimpse of her silhouette. Nevertheless there was no doubt that both were the same person. Just who was she? Before the question could torture her mind any further she was engulfed by darkness. Xuan Li Wei was scared witless after seeing her faint. Out of the blue a blue barrier appeared which surrounded her. No matter how hard he tried there was no way for him to enter and he began to turn restless. Before he could lose hisst sense of reason the girl suddenly moved and the barrierpletely disappeared. Xia Lian slowly opened her eyes but before she had any time to react she found herself lifted by a pair of strong arms. Xia Lian moved her arms and she did not feel any pain left in her body. It was as if the previous torment was just an illusion. She furrowed her brows as she was trying to figure out the meaning behind the images shown to her. ''What was all that about?'' Xia Lian sighed and she pushed that matter to the back of her head. Right now she was only concerned about the damn whip which made her go through this torment. Chapter 93 - The first summoning (2) Chapter 93 - The first summoning (2) ''What was all that about?'' Xia Lian sighed and she pushed that matter to the back of her head. Right now she was only concerned about the damn whip which made her go through this torment. One look at the object guilty for her torment and she stood rooted at the spot. It was a sight she would never forget for the rest of her life. The whip seemed to be brimming with life as it started to coil around her arm like a snake. The dragon head which was carved on the handle was now tinged with a touch of ck l.u.s.ter while the eyes brimmed in a deep shade of gold. The snakelike presence coiled slowly around her left arm and the handle which was about 20 cm long started to bend into a circle till the end touched the dragon head carving. Afterwards the spikes on the body of the whip disappeared followed by the whole body of the whip. Xia Lian had a foolish expression on her face as she examined the whip which was now around her shoulder. All that was left was the handle of the whip as it coiled around her shoulder with the dragon head facing forward. Xia Lian had only one word in her mind ''Awesome..''. She was enchanted on seeing this enthralling sight before her. '' What kind of magical thing is this?'' she could not help but wonder. It looked like an ornament and she was sure that it looked amazing because even the flirty prince was staring enraptured at the whip.. Xia Lian felt a deep connection with her new weapon. She now felt that this whip is a part of her body and soul. Even she could notprehend this deep feeling of her heart. She wanted to test it out immediately which resulted in her trying to remove the whip but it didn''t budge even for a second. She did not know what kind of magic took control of her but she found herself slowly opening her small mouth to whisper in anguage she never heard before " Demasis.." As soon as the word left her mouth the eyes of the dragon head shone in a bright golden colour and the whip slipped to her palms in the next instant. Xia Lian tightened the grip around the handle as the spiky body of the whip slowly appeared from the dragonhead''s opened mouth. A smile was slowly disyed on her face after witnessing this scene unfold. She was now absolutely certain that this whip was special. Though she did not understand how or why she spoke in this strangenguage it helped her to summon this whip at least so Xia Lian did not care for now and moved this topic to the future. The thought of undoing the summon was now filling her mind and the situation seemed to repeat itself as she found herself whispering " Vris.." which resulted in her new partner coiling around her shoulders looking like a beautiful but ordinary ornament. Chapter 94 - Soul Imprint Chapter 94 - Soul Imprint Xia Lian was immersed in the joy of wielding her new toy and did not notice that the man beside her was frozen stiff. He did not expect these strange turn of events at all. " Let me see your hand." Those words pulled the little girl out of her own world and she was actually a bit embarrassed because she ignored his existence for so long. She quickly tried topose herself but her cheeks turned to a tiny shade of pink. She immediately covered both of her hands in front of her face before the man standing opposite of her could notice it. Xuan Li Wei chuckled after seeing her act without thinking twice. He was d that she was trusting him. If he knew why she did react like this he would probably spill out blood. Xuan Li Wei lifted the sleeves covering her hand and observed her tiny but smooth wrist. After taking a closer look a beautiful symbol appeared in his view. A golden orchid coiled around her wrist and created a dazzling sight. Thebination of the smooth jade like skin and the golden flower created a truly beautiful picture. Xia Lian also noticed the marking on her wrist. She was instead more concerned about the strange appearance and she hoped to find the answer to it in the man in front of her. Her worries only increased because she witnessed Xuan Li Wei staring at her wrists without blinking. " Is anything wrong?" Xia Lian asked nervously. Xuan Li Wei came out of his daze after hearing her voice. He immediately covered her wrists and let go of her hand. Now it was his turn to turn his head away to hide the flush on his cheeks. " No, there''s nothing wrong." Xuan Li Wei chuckled lightly " This whip can only be wielded by you." '' Soul imprint '' , the whip originally contained a part of her soul. The reason for her immense suffering was the little piece of her soul merging with her main body. The symbol on her wrist confirmed his suspicions as these kind of weapons leave a certain mark on the wielder''s body. Divine weapons were exceedingly rare but the soul imprint was even rarer. With the heavy torment came a fruitful encounter. The weapon now belonged to the one rightful wielder and no one else could use it effectively anymore. " Do not use this whip recklessly." Xuan Li Wei warned her " No one knows the power and secrets contained in it." Xia Lian was little disappointed due to his warnings. Now she had a formidable weapon in her hand but she was not allowed to use it freely?! " I know a person who knows about this whip but he rarely meets anyone but me." Xuan Li Wei spoke after sensing her disappointment " I will let you know after setting up a meeting with him." Xuan Li Wei decided on meeting this person to extinguish any danger left for Xia Lian. " It''s alright. It would already be a great help if you could meet him on my behalf." Xia Lian was not bothered " Anyways, it''s been a week since I left my little brother behind. I have to return today." She was dead set on returning today as she terribly missed her little bunny. " Don''t worry. I will let you know after meeting him." Xuan Li Wei agreed immediately. He was more than happy to help her. " I''ll be leaving today and you will not be able to find me." " I have my ways.." " I hate it if you let someone tail me." Xia Lian was displeased and her eyes turned sharp. She wanted to train herself and she had her own ns which she wanted to conceal from everyone else. " I will not tail you and I promise that I will not interfere in your ns." Xuan Li Wei vowed. Xia Lian''s eyes turned gentle after hearing his deration. In this era people never made empty promises. They really honored their vows so she believed his words. " Then how will you inform me?" Xia Lian was confused. " Come with me and silence your steps." Xia Lian followed Xuan Li Wei into the adjoining room taking utmost care to minimize their presence. She noticed two birds which were peacefully sleeping in their cages. Xia Lian looked at the birds curiously. They possessed the dark blue colour of a peac.o.c.k. A body covered with beautiful blue feathers was truly a sight to behold. Their wings were outlined with a dark shade of red. What attracted Xia Lian the most was the golden crown of feathers right on their head which resembled the East African crowned crane of the modern era. "Those birds are beautiful" Xia Lian whispered because she did not want to startle the little animals. But they immediately opened their emerald green eyes and stared at her. Chapter 95 - Trust and loyalty Chapter 95 - Trust and loyalty Xia Lian was really fascinated by these colourful little birds. The emerald green eyes attracted her a lot. Well she was not to me for her infatuation as those damn birds contained both of her favorite colours, blue and green. Xuan Li Wei smiled after seeing her excited expression " They are called golden hawks." " What a stupid name. How can they dismiss the signature blue?!" Xia Lian snorted. Are these fellows blind? Clearly these birds have a royal blue coloured body. Instead of honoring this majestic view they focused on the tiniest part of their appearance. '' So, my wife likes this shade of blue..'' Xuan Li Wei mentally made a note. " Give me your hand" Xuan Li Wei pricked her index finger and squeezed it a bit. Afterwards he ced her finger on the forehead of the first bird swiftly followed by the second bird. Xia Lian stared amazed at the birds with wide eyes as she observed the process of a tiny drop of blood being absorbed by the both of them. Xuan Li Wei then pricked his own finger and repeated the process. Xia Lian more or less understood the situation after witnessing this scene. " So you will use these birds tomunicate with me? And based on the fact that we used our blood these birds belong to us." Xia Lian guessed. " You are right to an extent. These birds can recognise you no matter where you are. The lightening speed and the ability to carry heavy weights are it''s specialties. They are drawn towards person''s soul once their blood is absorbed between their forehead." Xuan Li Wei exined to her patiently. "Hehe, these little fellows actually belong to the three of us" Jun Moyin''s lively voice made them turn around. After gaining Xuan Li Wei approval Jun Moyin also added his blood on the bird''s forehead. "Now these birds can exchange messages among our little group. If I am too far away they will automatically reach out for Moyin." Xia Lian thought for a while and voiced out a proposal " Fan Ling, I would like you to ce your blood on them as well". She turned with a serious expression towards Xuan Li Wei " If I am too far away they will reach out for Fan Ling. I trust her and you should do the same." Xuan Li Wei nodded in agreement. Fan Ling was deeply touched by this gesture of her master. She was truly happy that her master trusted her and she would repay this grace bymitting herself wholeheartedly. She followed suit and after the process was finished Xuan Li Wei handed a bird to Xia Lian. The little animal very naturally found his ce on Xia Lian''s right shoulder. With the dragon head on her left shoulder and the bird on her right shoulder Xia Lian looked quite exotic. Jun Moyin noticed the dragon head and a trace of surprise shed in his eyes before he quickly concealed it. He returned to his jovial personality as he chirped " Sis Xia, why don''t you take me with you?" " No thanks, I don''t want extra baggage." Jun Moyin: "..." Xia Lian suddenly noticed something strange about Fan Ling. " Why are you covering yourself with a hooded cloak?" Xia Lian was confused as it isn''t even cold outside. Fan Ling slowly removed the cloak and Xia Lian stared at her with disbelief. "Why did you cut your hair short?" Xia Lian''s voice trembled. Her new hairstyle could be considered fashionable in the modern era but totally out of ce in the current era where long hair was considered a symbol of luxury and beauty. "Master, Fan Ling''s only wishes is to protect you and I have no worldly desires anymore." Fan Ling did a 90 degree bow and spoke in a respectful tone. Xia Lian understood her reasoning. In this era both men and women treasured their hair. For women, long hair signified beauty and respect. Fan Ling was truly serious about her words and she did this to prove her loyalty. " Fan Ling, I would have believed you even if you didn''t cut your hair." Xia Lian spoke in a firm tone "I vow that I will not only protect you but also treasure you, my dear." One could imagine the impact those words had on Fan Ling as a small teardrop hit the cold floor, but the scene was not as beautiful as it should be ah. The temperature in the room suddenly dropped by a few degree and Xuan Li Wei expression while witnessing the two female practically flirting with each right in front of him was truly hard to describe. Jun Moyin truly wished he could find a hole to bury himself. His sis-inw is really a queen of natural flirting and even he was embarrassed after listening to her words. Chapter 96 - Farewell (1) Chapter 96 - Farewell (1) " No.. I absolutely refuse to take him with us!" Xia Lian squinted her eyes dangerously at the flirty prince. The shadow guard in the question stood silently at the side feeling a bit wronged. "I don''t want to attract any further attention by bringing an unnecessaryrge group of people with me. Most importantly, how can I be sure that you did not send him to secretly spy on me!? I already know how cunning you can be ah." Xia Lian did not back down. " Don''t worry, you will be his only master from this day. Please take Bao Su with you. At least I can feel a little at ease knowing that he will protect you while you are wandering around aimlessly." Xuan Li Wei tried his best to convince her but this little girl was way too sensitive. He was only concerned about her safety.. no need to make such a fuss ah. Xia Lian looked at his concerned face andpromised atst. After looking into his hazel brown eyes for just a few seconds she was simply not able to deny his wish anymore. Seems like Ming finally found a worthy rival. How annoying! Anyways, it was not all that bad to have a capable martial artist by her side. She would slowly train him and turn him into a little obedient sheep. If Xuan Li Wei knew that he just nted a hidden danger besides the little devil side he would sure die of anger! " Alright I will reluctantly allow Bao Su to follow thisdyship. But if I ever find out that he was sent by you to tail me don''t you dream of ever gaining my trust again!" Xia Lian was trying really hard to suppress herughter after giving such a righteous speech! " Damn girl! I am only doing this for your own good and now you turn it into me being a stalker that would not be able to live without knowing about your whereabouts for a day! As if I had nothing better to do!" Xuan Li Weished out at her. "Pfft.." Xia Lianughed after witnessing his exaggerated reaction. "I take your words to be true then." The handsome prince truly did not know what to say anymore. He resigned to his fate for now and turned towards the window to take a look at the blue sky. "Master, this servant Bao Su is at yourmand." the man in ck robes wearing a ck mask bent on his knees. "I do not own any servants. People that wish to follow me must address themselves as subordinates. The next time I hear the word servant from your mouth,you can find a new master. " Xia Lian''s lips twitched "You better change your robes and get rid of that boorish mask of yours or I can just announce to the world that I acquired a shadow guard recently." " Yes, master." Bao Su replied obediently and left the room. Two minutester the door was opened again and a handsome young man stood before her. " I finished all preparations, master." Xia Lian tilted her head after hearing the robotic voice. She carefully observed the man who was dressed in dark green robes with no apparent expression on his face. " Such an aesthetic face was wasted just like that ah. A certain general definitely does not know how to use his resources correctly." Xia Lian mumbled under her breath . Jun Moyin smiled and was certainly entertained after hearing her littleint. He then scanned his wolfish brother who had a faint smile on his face handsome face. Jun Moyin''s smile instantly froze after he realized the motives behind his brother''s sneaky actions. " Bro, you sent Bao Su to her side to keep the flies away. Right?" Jun Moyin whispered in his brother''s ear with a hint of provocation. " Yes, your sis-inw has the ability to attract both men and women all the same. I can ignore the women reluctantly but I won''t let any man get near to her in these three years or I might spell disaster for myself!" Xuan Li Wei did not worry about Bao Su. He was sure that his stone hearted guard will never allow any man near this girl. He can worry less now. Jun Moyin looked at Xia Lian who was busy with adjusting her bag on the horse. After pondering about the problem for a while he slowly shook his head " Big bro, It''s very difficult to woo sister-inw. I guess she would simply butcher any man who tries to get close to her with any impure intentions." " I know.." Xuan Li Wei spoke slowly "But better safe than sorry. My lifetimes happiness is in danger right there!" Jun Moyin: "..." His big bro was truly very possessive ah. Xia Lian and Fan Ling mounted their respective horses after securing all of the luggage. The little girl turned around for thest time to face her two handsomerades. " Please take care of Hua family in my absence" Xia Lian''s only concern was about her maternal family. " Sis Xia, I will take care of them. Don''t you worry about your family. Please take care of yourself and return safe and sound. I would not know what kind of disaster you would cause if you did not!!" Jun Moyin spoke seriously. Xia Lian smiled and then looked at Xuan Li Wei with a sincere expression " I will be back after three years.." " I will be waiting for you." was his simple response. His stoic expression did not reveal his inner struggle. If he could he would certainly apany her and protect her from any dangers. Only he knew how difficult it is for him to send her away from his side. Xia Lian gifted the both of them ast mesmerizing smile before turning around to start her new journey. She gently patted her horse and whispered" Hurricane, let''s go.." After receiving her signal Hurricane galloped forward wildly. Fan Ling and Bao Su maintained a suitable distance between them before starting to follow her towards their unknown destination. Xia Lian did not look back again because the only emotion left was determination. Xuan Li Wei and Jun Moyin stayed for a long time even after Xia Lian disappeared from their sight. They knew the farewell was inescapable but it was still hard to ept nheless. Jun Moyin was just about to ask his brother if they should return before he heard him saying, with a voice filled with a hint of sadness that could not be hidden no matter how much he tried.. " Moyin, I am already missing the little girl.." Chapter 97 - Farewell (2) Chapter 97 - Farewell (2) Consoling was a strength of Jun Moyin due to his overly happy and cheerful attitude. This strange sad atmosphere really left him not knowing what to do. Being a good listener was the only option right know to at least be of little help to his brother. After what felt like an eternity Xuan Li Wei sighed " Let''s go back. I need to meet my old man.." " What good will that old fool of an emperor do in this kind of situation?" Jun Moyin''s lips twitched. " It''s not easy to convince that little girl''s grandfather. Only our father stands a chance of summoning that fiery old man back.." Jun Moyin went silent after hearing his brother''s reasoning. He epted his sister-inw''s request on a whim but only now did he understand the gravity of the situation. He cast another nce at the side profile of his brother that was wholeheartedly supporting him for the first time in his life and cried out emotionally " *sniff* Big brother.." " Cut that whining.." Xuan Li Wei red at this emotional brat " I am doing this for my wife.." He was in turn greeted by a couple of wet puppy eyes" Bro, you are such a bully.." The handsome general only smirked at his whining brother. " Bro, you teased me?!" Jun Moyin eximed happily forgetting the earlier humiliation " It seems that you are bing more human after spending time with sis-inw. Maybe mother can finally rest at ease ah" Xuan Li Wei''s lips twitched but he restrained himself frommenting such nonsense before they made their way towards their horses.. ........................ " Master, where are we going?" Fan Ling inquired excitedly. " To get my little bunny." Xia Lian smiled happily. After seeing the confused expression on Fan Ling''s face, Xia Lian cleared her throat " It''s my little brother, Ming." Fan Ling nodded " Master, will we be taking the young master with us?" '' Young master.. Hmm. That is truly very pleasing to the ears!'' Xia Lian grinned " I will never leave my little brother behind. It is an excellent opportunity to show him just how far and wide the world truly is." ''Master really likes her brother'' Fan Ling thought to herself. After traveling for a day the familiar greenery of the vige greeted Xia Lian''s sparkling eyes. " Master, I''m back.." Xia Lian shouted while jumping off the horse " Ming,e and give a kiss to your sis.." The door of her master''s house opened with a bang and Xia Lian saw a figure rushing towards her with a lightning speed. The little girl stood still with a smile stered her face allowing herself to be knocked down under the little bunny''s tiny strength.. " Sis, you''re finally back.." the little bunny smiled making Xia Lian''s heart skip a beat. " Ming, how about we go on a trip?" Xia Ming''s eyes shone like stars after hearing her words. He nodded his head furiously in an excited manner. " Ming, this is sister Fan Ling. But, you should call her big brother outside." Xia Lian pointed towards her new subordinate who was obviously melting after seeing ''her'' little bunny. " And from now on you have to call me big bro as well, but only when we are outside! As long as we are cuddling alone I still expect you to sweetly call me big sis! Do you understand?" " Yes, big bro." Xia Ming nodded at his foolish sister and then looked at Fan Ling thinking deeply "I would rather call you small bro though.." "Pfft.." Fan Ling could no longer remain quiet as she let out a chuckle. This young master was simply too cute.. Even Bao Su could not help but smile after listening to his words. Xia Ming took a peek at Bao Su and seemed rather confused " Big bro, what should I address him?" Xia Lian pondered for a while as a sly smile spread across her face " You can address him as uncle.." Chapter 98 - Farewell (3) Chapter 98 - Farewell (3) '' Uncle?'' Bao Su facepalmed. He was only 17 years old ah! Nevertheless he maintained his stoic expression on his highly attractive face. He could not allow such a simple and tant provocation to ruin his discipline in front of a little child. That would truly be a big shame for a hidden guard, trained by his Highness the Fourth Prince. The little girl was slightly surprised about her personal guards being so unperturbed by her teasing. Her lips slightly twitched. ''Boring'' she screamed in her heart. Afterwards she stood up from the cold and moist ground to gracefully turn towards her master, who waited by the side all the time to enjoy their small y. " Master, we need to talk." Xia Lian''s expression turned serious. Wu Gong and Xia Lian entered the hut while thetter started to speak after closing the door " Master, I will be leaving for a long time. I want to train myself. And only by surviving and improving myself in real fights and by facing true danger can I gain the strength needed in the future battles." " When will you be back?" Wu Gong would naturally support her decisions and did not intentionally hinder her growth. "It will be at least three years, depending on the situation. But the n is to return after three years to take my rightful ce in the capital." Xia Lian answered straightforwardly. She was truly relieved because her master did not oppose her decision in the slightest but was rather understanding and supportive. ''One can be truly strong only if he can face all the problems by themselves. That is the sad nature of this world. The strong will devour the weak in the end.'' Wu Gong knew this all too well himself. His disciples nature and principles would help her to achieve truly great things in the future. He wanted the petite girl to grow up quicker. Mainly because he already knew that her mindset was a lot more mature than any typical 12 years old teenager. Even though he was concerned a lot about her wellbeing while she was gone he only showed kindness and a supportive expression on the outside "I will patiently await your return then. But you should be careful and also make sure to protect your brother. He is still a small child and depends solely on you after he lost his mother. Always keep that in mind before taking risky decisions." " This experience will help the both of you to grow up." Henceforth his supportive speech reached an end and he slowly stood up to reach for an old cab and calmly remove a petite jewel box. After opening the lit a mesmerizing translucent jade pendant came to view. " What is this master?" Xia Lian asked while examining the pendant excitedly. " Just remember to wear it all times. It may be of help in some situations." " Yes, master.." Xia Lian replied while adjusting the pendant on her neck carefully. " When are you leaving?" Wu Gong asked the question which has been weighing on his mind every since he got to know about her ns. " I was nning to leave immediately after visiting you for ast time and exining my ns." "Well, remember to be alert during any situation even if it appears to minor and safe. Furthermore it is safer if you travel while disguising yourself as a man. Even if you are strong, your outwards appearance is still a delicate little girl. You would only invite trouble for yourself if you show yourself with this appearance." Xia Lian had a faint smile on her face as after she listened to her master''s nagging patiently. ''It truly feels good to have someone who cares for you wholeheartedly.'' she sighed in her heart. The little girl managed to get out of the room only after repeatedly assuring her master that she would be alert and careful. In the end she could not erase all the worries of her master but his face still visibly rxed. A second went by since she walked out the door and Xia Lian''s eyes immediately widened because she witnessed a truly wondrous scene. Her little bunny was petting her lovely horse.. Just what in the world happened while she was not there? Xia Lian knew of hurricane''s temper more than anyone. How in the world did this self-arrogant and prideful horse turn into a puppy wagging it''s tail before her little bunny? " What happened?" Xia Lian was not able to believe her eyes. " Big bro, is this your horse? I fed him pancakes and I think it likes them very much." Xia Ming continued to chirp. '' Pancakes?! Sigh, my lovely horse turned into an idiotic horse because of pancakes..'' Xia Lian felt that her horse is too cute and muddleheaded. " Hmm.. this is our horse from now on. Let''s ride together Ming!" Xia Lian picked up her brother and made him sit properly on the saddle. Xia Lian leaped on to the horse after it adjusted itself to match her height. After securing the little bunny tightly she turned to look at her master.. " Master, we will be leaving with your blessings. I will always remember the favor you bestowed on me. No matter where I go in the future, Xia Lian will always be the only disciple of Wu Gong, the famed doctor and herbalist." " Little girl, I want to see a strong-willed, confident and a fierce girl after three years! You better not disappoint me or I will lecture you!" Wu Gong spoke with a small smile on her face. Xia Lian smiled brilliantly and galloped forward after bidding a final goodbye to her master.. Wu Gong stood at the same spot for a long time even after the figures disappeared from the spot.. No one could understand how he felt in this moment.. Chapter 99 - The Time scroll (1) Chapter 99 - The Time scroll (1) " Father-inw.." Wu Gong snapped out of his daze after hearing his daughter-inw''s voice. Wu Gong nodded at her and entered the hut. Aunt Qian was worried after seeing her father-inw''s troubled expression so she followed him into the house obediently. " Sit here.." Wu Gong pointed towards a chair. Aunt Qian spoke as she adjusted herself in the rocky chair " Is anything the matter?" " Nothing is wrong." Aunt Qian remained silent after hearing Wu Gong''s calm answer. " That child, she is the wielder of Nirvana.Only trouble will find it''s way towards her in the future." Aunt Qian''s eyes widened at this sudden revtion. She was not able to speak for a while due to the sudden excitement "After all this time of waiting she is the one, truly a coincidence.. or maybe it was fate that sent her to our doorsteps. Then why did you send her away like that? Isn''t it dangerous? What if those men recognise her?" Aunt Qian started to speak all her worries in a single breath. " Calm down.." Wu Gong sighed " With the moon jade pendant I gifted her no one can sense the divine whip''s aura spreading out from it." " I put a special charm on it. In the end no matter what tricks they use no one will be able to recognise her for the time being." Aunt Qian''s thumping heart calmed down after hearing his words. She carefully observed her father-inw who was the greatest time maniptor in all of history. " Father,are you sure that she is the same person?". Aunt Qian had a close rtionship with Wu Gong, so she subconsciously called him father many times. " Yes, she is the one." Wu Gong confirmed her suspicions. Tears started to well up in her eyes after she heard his reassuring words. " Father, she has finally returned. We have not waited for 10,000 years in vain." Aunt Qian smiled due to the response she longed for what seemed to be an eternity. The old man suddenly began to chant in a mysteriousnguage. If Xia Lian were to listen to him right now she would realise that he was chanting in the samenguage she subconsciously used for controlling her weapon. Slowly a white light enveloped both of their bodies. The atmosphere in the room changed abruptly and only after the light slowly disappeared did the tranquil mood slowly return to the old house. But the appearance of the two people inhabiting it was never the same as before again. Wu Gong''s appearance changed from a 50 year old man to that of a 20 year old youngster. The long silver hair and ruby red eyes of his made him look truly outstanding and he could rival even Xuan Li Wei . " Father-inw, you are handsome as ever.." a woman with a delicate face sighed. She had long brown hair and ck eyes. Outwards she seemed to be as normal as one could imagine but the shining patterns on her soft hands totally said otherwise. " Qian, it seems that you''ve be quite powerful in all these years.." Wu Gong was pleasantly surprised after witnessing the prowess of her power. " 10,000 years of rest.. Of course, I have recovered by a lot." Qian spoke with a trace of sadness and a mncholy that could not be hidden in her voice. " Father-inw, are you really sure that she will be alright?" aunt Qian could not help but worry. " Are you doubting this old man and his eyes even after all this time?" Wu Gong pointed his ruby red eyes. " Father-inw, don''t shamelessly describe yourself as an old man when you are in this appearance.." aunt Qianined. " Don''t forget that we are thousands of years old.." Wu Gong''s voice slowly turned serious " I sincerely hope that the little girl will pass through all the trails safe and sound. " " We can''t protect her every time. She needs to ovee all the hurdles by herself. No matter what she needs to be strong enough. At least in the near future she will not need our help. It is better this way, she can grow up without too many worries for the time being." Wu Gong spoke mysteriously. " Come, I will show you the truth.." Wu Gong replied after seeing his daughter-inw''s doubtful expression. Chapter 100 - The time scroll (2) Chapter 100 - The time scroll (2) Aunt Qian expression turned serious and she watched her father-inw chant a mysterious. A golden scroll appeared in his hands as soon as he finished chanting. " T-the time scroll?" Aunt Qian stuttered. " Hmm.. Anyways you do not believe my words. There is no other choice but to prove it to you" Wu Gong rolled his eyes at his daughter-inw who was looking at him guiltily. Wu Gong opened the mystical scroll and took out a tiny transparent jade bottle. He tilted it slightly after opening and a drop of blood fell on the shiny golden scroll. " When did you collect her blood?" Aunt Qian was puzzled. " On the day I treated her.." Wu Gong''s gaze was on the scroll which was now greedily absorbing the drop of blood. " So, you knew about her back then and you kept me in the dark all this time?" Aunt Qian felt her lips twitching and her facial expression turned dark but before she could voice out herints she was interrupted. " At that time I was not sure but her blood will be usefulter." Wu Gong did not bother to exin anything even after looking at her puzzled face. " Have a look.." Wu Gong moved to provide space for her after confirming that the scroll started to have a reaction. Aunt Qian watched with wide eyes as the images started to y one by one like a slow movie. She looked at the scroll which was showing Xia Lian''s future. The images stopped suddenly after a while. This prompt stop was not supposed to happen for a normal person. " What happened with the time scroll? Why would it freeze before showing herplete future??" Aunt Qian was confused. " Even time and fate can''t decide her future from that point.." Wu Gong was emotional " For she will have awakenedpletely by then." " All we can do is to support her.." "This time we have to protect her well.. I refuse to repeat the mistakes of the past!" Aunt Qian mercilessly ndered her father-inw. " I know.. I am not foolish to make the same mistake twice.." Wu Gong chuckled. "You don''t have to worry about her safety for the time being." Wu Gong assured her " She will return safe and sound after three years.." " I believe what the scroll showed me. That is the only reason why I am not worried at all for the time being." Wu Gong shook his head helplessly after seeing the little amount of trust she had in him. ........... The girl in question was now humming a song without a care in the world. " Sis, what are you singing?" Xia Ming scrunched his brows while he tried to figure out what his sister was singing. No matter how hard he tried he was not able to understand even a single word. That slightly annoyed him.. the little one wanted to have part in the apparent joy of his sister. " Gangnam style.." Xia Lian flicked his head " Now, I will sing another song.." " You''re the light, you''re the night.." Xia Lian started to sing ''Love me like you do..'' in response Xia Ming''s face darkened with each minute. He suddenly tilted his head and cupped his sister''s cheeks. Since there was no helping it he changed his ways to get the reaction he wanted and looked at her with teary eyes " Sis, please sing something I can understand..". Even Hurricane let out a snort in agreement much to her amus.e.m.e.nt. " Pfft.." Xia Lianughed heartily after seeing her little bunny''s face. Ah! She really missed teasing this little one. Since it was such a fun thing to cross time she started to sing all these modern songs to observe his reactions. His reactions were too priceless.. truly a sight to behold. She felt that slightly guilty after seeing him teary eyes and came to the conclusion that she went too far this time so she decided to stop for a while. " Next time I will sing a song which you can understand..I promise!" Xia Lian spoke with a straight face. Truth be told she didn''t know any songs which he could understand for the time being. Seems like she had to research the music culture of her new world. " Is our master alright?" Bao Su asked with an incredulous expression on his face. Though his master''s voice is nice to listen, he was creeped out after listening to the strangenguages. " Our master is naturally talented.." Fan Ling''s shaky voice betrayed her straight face. Even she was not able to understand what is happening. She then looked at the little one who is chirping happily. He only had her master in his eyes.. Her master is really lucky ah to have such a cute brother! Fan Ling shook her head helplessly before speaking " Master, where are we going?" " The dark city.." Xia Lian''s words made both Fan Ling and Bao Su speechless. Chapter 101 - The Dark City (1) Chapter 101 - The Dark City (1) " The dark city.." Xia Lian''s words made both Fan Ling and Bao Su frown in displeasure. They naturally heard about this dark city which was well known for its auction house and the underground battle arena. It was said that all kinds of people from all corners of the world assemble here just to test their strength. What these two shadow guards did not understand is their master''s sudden interest in such a ce. This dark city is no ce for women. " Master, why that ce of all ces?" Bao Su was unsettled by her choice of ce. Well, his master was known for breaking the general stereotypes. But, this dark city is much more than she can handle, that is what he thought. " To earn money" Xia Lian very naturally answered his question. She heard that one can money in the battle arenas through bets. Other than that, she had a solid n in her mind and she will take it step-by-step. And for her ns to bear fruition, this dark city is the foundation she required the most. Xia Lian heard of this city from her master Wu Gong. He told her many things of this Dark city and due to her curiosity she made him spill out many secrets of this ce. In that way, this ce caught her interest. This Dark city is a basically a home to mercenaries, assassins, thugs, secret dealers and what not.. Women are rarely seen in this city as there are very few to zero women mercenaries and assassins. Mostly, houses are seen about a few kilometers away from the center of the city. But, no one is to disrespect the women present here. The leader of the Dark city had strict rules and one of those rules is to respect women. If anyone tries to misbehave with women, they are immediately executed. But, no one knows who the leader is. There are only rumors that this leader is extremely cruel and bloodthirsty. They say that he loves killing and anyone who looks at his face dies out of fear. They say that he is ugly. But, rumors are rumors.. Xia Lian never believed in rumors.Nah! She refused to believe those shitty rumors. Ugly.. How can someone who respect and treasure women be ugly? In her view, it is the inner beauty which matters and not the outer shell. ''Disrespect a woman and you will be immediately executed..'' Even many countries in the modern worldcked such strict rules regarding the safety of women. So. introducing such rule in this ancient era can be considered as something revolutionary. This rule of immediate execution naturally scratched Xia Lian''s itchy heart. Who in the world made such awesome rule? She wanted to meet this leader.. If possible she wanted to get an autograph.. She had an intuition that this person might be a great partner if roped in her ns. So, she wanted to try her best to meet this person hiding in the shadows. Other than the leader, Xia Lian was interested in other things as well.. 1) The ck Dragon auction house The ck Dragon auction house is the biggest auction house in this Qilin continent. It houses many ancient and mystical weapons, herbalists can sell their medicines, very rare stones and precious metals are auctioned here. It was also named as the auction house for the rich and wealthy. It is said that princes and many important people form various corners of the world visit this auction house. Such is it''s poprity. Xia Lian felt that a partnership with this auction house will be helpful in future. No matter what, having a person with many contacts and resources is always beneficial. So, Xia Lian decided to form a partnership with them. 2) The Golden Lion mercenaries This group of hot blooded mercenaries also caught our bad wolf, Xia Lian''s eyes. They ept various tasks and most importantly they go on treasure hunting. Ancient artifacts, precious herbs whatever or how difficult the task may be, they ept as long as they are paid well. They never betray their employer. Xia Lian naturally cannot bring herself to hate these well behaved mercenaries. ''First be one among them and then conquer their hearts'' This was Xia Lian''s strategy with regards to the Golden Lion mercenaries. Fair y or foul y, does not matter as long as she was able to get these mercenaries into her hands. Xia Lian decided to conquer these mercenaries for herself. Having a group of well trained men is helpful to her as she want to build her own army. 3) The yer grounds The yer grounds is the underground fighting ce where one can challenge other and fight for money. The top fighter is known as yer. It is said that people of all kinds can be found at this ce. It is the only ce which has the signboard '' Women are advised not to enter. Your safety is your responsibility here.'' This is the only ce where fights take ce at any time. Xia Lian needed money and wants to improve her fighting skills. So, this is the best ce for her. Xia Lian had three goals in her mind as she stared at the gate of the Dark city. This is not just some random ce, this is thend of her dreams. She was going to start form the scratch and this ce was going to be her base. " Master.." Fan Ling called out as she noticed Xia Lian staring at the gate. Xia Lian did not respond for a while and no one knew what was going on in that meticulous mind of hers. " Fan Ling, from this day you call yourself Fan and I will call myself Li." Xia Lian turned to look at her loyal sub-ordinate. Fan Ling nodded at her master. Whatever her master says, she follows. " Bao Su, from this day treat us both as men. You should forget that we are women." Bao Su nodded in understanding. After all, this Dark City is no ce for a woman. Then again, he sighed as his master is no where close to be called as an ordinary woman. She was a unique woman after all, who managed to capture the heart of the wooden block prince. " Ming.." before she could continue the little bunny raised his hands in surrender " Brother Li and brother Fan.. I know how I should call you both.." the little one was too intelligent for his own good. However, that was what made him look cute and enchanting in the first ce. Xia Lian and the othersughed heartily on hearing his words. They all loved this little bunny deeply. Both Fan Ling and Bao Su spoiled him to the maximum. Xia Lian naturally took good care of him and now he looked round like a fluffy ball with chubby cheeks, thanks to her excellent cooking skills. He fell in love with her cooking and now he is not eating anything unless it is cooked by her. '' This little bunny is truly clever.. May be I should start polishing him..'' Xia Lian thought deeply while looking at her little bunny. He is clearly three years old, but it seems that the little one''s IQ is quite high. Xia Lian was sure that her bunny is intelligent. She will start to teach him slowly. He''s still young and she did not want to rush up anything. Chapter 102 - The Dark City (2) Chapter 102 - The Dark City (2) Xia Lian and the group entered the city gates. The guards at duty stared at this group of lookers. Xia Lian and Fan Ling although they are females, they looked quite handsome in their respective male outfits as Xia Lian altered both of their facial features using her special cream. Bao Su and her little bunny also had quite the killer looks.. So, many stared at this group for a while before resuming their works. The group slowly made their way forward ignoring the heated gazes directed at them. But, many of them stared at Xia Lian''s horse with envy. They can only look from a distance, but no one dared to steal the horse as they knew that this breed of horse recognizes only one master. Those who dared to covet it, never met with a peaceful death. So, all the envious men cursed a few words under their breath before reverting to their original business. Xia Lian raised her brows at her lovely horse. This horse of hers was too eye-catching and it is totally out shining her. Hurricane snorted in pride as if he read her thoughts. The petite frame of Xia Lian made some people get sinister ideas of picking up a fight with her. But, those who had some sense reprimanded them saying that the one who was able to scarlet dragon horse is not a normal person and should not be underestimated. Though Xia Lian looked weak after hearing such words of warning, no one dared to under-estimate him because normal person can''t subdue this mad horse. So, slowly themotion calmed down. If Xia Lian knew their thoughts, she would have rolled on the groundughing loudly. What mad horse? Her Hurricane is a lovely horse which followed her willingly and the horse which melted under her little bunny arms. If they knew that the horse which they are fearing can be subdued with pancakes, she wondered if they would puke their guts out. Xia Lian observed all the inns in the city while riding her horse. Now, thanks to the veiled man''s and Li Wei''s grace, she had enough money for now. So, she would obviously choose the best inn which had good security. She cannot neglect her people''s safety in this city. Finally, Xia Lian''s gaze stopped at arge inn which read '' Kuaile inn..''. " Happy inn.." Xia Lian raised her brows after tranting it''s meaning. She nudged her horse and started to move towards the restaurant. Xia Lian dismounted from her horse and made her way towards the entrance, but she raised her brows when she was stopped by guards. She did not understand why they were stopped at the entrance. This was clearly rude and it reflected the narrow mindedness of those who are running this inn. " You poormoners are not allowed in here.." the first guard snorted with disdain. On seeing their in clothes, the guard assumed that they arecking in money. Though they are good to look at, what use is looks without having sufficient money? " Just go and search for other restaurants which fit your status." another one waved his hand as if driving them away. " Why? Is this inn only for royalty?" Xia Lian was totally unaffected by their words whereas Bao Su and Fan Ling were ready to tear their heads off. " Why should we answer you?" the first guard sneered at Xia Lian. Without giving time for Xia Lian to react, Fan Ling rushed forward and kicked them in the knees making them kneel before her master. How dare these sc.u.m insult her master? " Now, will you call your owner or manger whoever it is or.." Fan Ling pointed her sword at their necks " Should I cut off your heads?" " Master, shall I cut off these worthless heads?" Fan Ling tilted her look at her master who had azy smile on her face. " Brother Fan, just let them go and call their owner" Xia Lian spoke slowly with a look of amus.e.m.e.nt on her face. ''This Fan Ling is quite fierce..'' Xia Lian had a wild tiger at her side. " Yes, Master" Fan Ling then turned to look at the two shivering men before her " Didn''t you hear my master''s words?" The two men were stunned when the young man before them addressed the young kid as his master. Then again, this group looked weak except the muscr man so they thought that they can drive them away. But, they didn''t expect that this skinny young man to have good skills. But, he addressed the young kid who was barely 12 or 13 as his master. So, the young kid must be more powerful than him. So, they secretly gulped and hurried inside to call their owner. Xia Lian and Fan Ling chatted in the mean time and Bao Su silently looked at his new master. After sometime, the guards returned with a fat man of about 40 years old. His oily and greasy skin shone under the sunlight making Xia Lian cringe. " Are you the owner of this inn?" Xia Lian asked the fat man who decorated himself with various ornaments. " No, I am the manager." the fat man replied in an arrogant tone " The owner of this ce is the first prince of Qilin empire." Chapter 103 - The Fourth princes people Chapter 103 - The Fourth prince''s people " Oh! So, this inn is under the First prince?" Xia Lian asked for confirmation. The fat man thought that these lowly peasants are now afraid after hearing the First prince''s name. So, he raised his chin with a smug smile on his face. Bao Su was unable to watch anymore. Before he could open his mouth, Xia Lian interrupted him " Give me the token." Bao Su was dazed " Master, how did you know that I am having Fourth Prince''s token?" " I can easily guess that fool''s actions. Don''t tell me that he simply sent you to guard me.." Xia Lian rolled her eyes at him. If they took her for a fool, they are mistaken. Bao Su face-palmed and he absentmindedly handed the jade token to his master. He now remembered Xuan Li Wei''s warning '' Your new master is quite clever. So, serve her wholeheartedly and no need to send any reports about her. If she finds about it, she will slice both of us into mincemeat without any hesitation.'' Bao Su shivered involuntarily. He decided that he will try to y any tricks on his master. His master is scarier and ruthless than the fourth prince. Truly a match made in heaven. " Hey fat man!" the fat man''s body shook in anger on hearing how the kid called him. " How dare you call me like that?" Xia Lian ignored his loud voice and she raised her hand motioning him to stop. The fat man sub-consciously closed his mouth on meeting with Xia Lian''s fierce gaze. Xia Lian then disyed the token in her hand. The fat man''s body shook and he dropped on to his knees after seeing the token in the kid''s hands. ''Fourth prince? This kid is rted to Fourth prince.'' the fat man now felt a sense of dread in his heart. Even a kid in Qilin empire knows how the four princes treat each other. They are known far and wide for their brotherly affection. No intricate scheming and No backstabbing.. They support each other and the Qilin empire is prosperous today because of theirbined efforts. Even the emperor is proud of his four sons. The First prince takes care of business with in and outside the Qilin Empire. The Second Prince takes care of administration within the empire and helps his father in ruling the kingdom. He is also the crown prince. The Third Prince is known for his schrly knowledge. He is the one who takes care of education and examination system. The Fourth Prince, the youngest and most loved by his brothers is in charge of the military and defense system of the Qilin empire. Now, this fat man was disrespectful to Fourth Prince''s people. If this matter makes way to the First Prince''s ears, he would surely lose his head. " So, even the fourth prince''s people are not allowed in here?" Xia Lian had a mocking smile on her face. " No.. N-No.. I was wrong. Please forgive me." the fat man started to kowtow to her and Xia Lian did not stop him. Xia Lian allowed him to stop only after his fore-head started to bleed profusely. Xia Lian looked at the ground which was painted in red before her and nodded in satisfaction. " The next time I see you speaking disrespectfully to anyone is the day you die." Xia Lian spoke coldly " Rich or poor, Young or old.. learn to respect everyone. It is the basic human nature." Xia Lian brushed past the fat man and the guards who are now trembling on the ground. The waiter in the hotel did not dare to neglect this big boss and so they immediately arranged three rooms for the group. A single room for Xia Lian and the little bunny, and a room each for Fan Ling and Bao Su respectively. After entering into her room, Xia Lian took out a paper and started to write something. Xia Ming looked at her curiously. She then melted the wax and stamped it with a seal which Xuan Li Wei gave her. She then tied it to the bird''s leg and patted it''s head. The little bird then soared into the air and it disappeared with a lightning speed. '' Just how fast is it?'' Xia Lian wondered for a while before heading into the bath. Chapter 104 - The Four Pillars of the Qilin Empire Chapter 104 - The Four Pirs of the Qilin Empire In the Imperial Pce, Three pairs of eyes stared at each other in disbelief and the room was filled with a strange atmosphere. They pinched themselves to make sure that they were not simply seeing an illusion. " I never thought I would see my Wei''er again in this lifetime.. So you finally remembered that you have three pitiful brothers waiting for you at home." a young man of about 25 years old sighed dramatically. He had extremely beautiful facial features with long silky jet ck hair. Appearance as breathtaking as if he came straight from a beautiful painting. One could say that he was the heartthrob of the Qilin Empire. This man was the First Prince of the Empire, Xuan Li Yan. "Hehe.. Bro, it''s good to see you back" another man of about 23 years enveloped Xuan Li Wei in a huge bear hug. He then scrutinised Xuan Li Wei from top to bottom and nodded his head with pride "You''ve grown up.. You look more handsome and dashing than us brothers..If I were not that excited about the lost soning back, I would truly envy you!" Xuan Li Wei was speechless after seeing his second brother''s excitement. Was he truly the calm and reserved Crown Prince? This was his silly and fun loving second brother, who he followed like a tail in his childhood. Xuan Li Wei hugged his second brother with a huge grin on his face. "Ahem!" Xuan Li Wei and Xuan Li Min broke out of their happy hug and turned to look at the darkened face of the third prince, Xuan Li Shan. He was the schrly prince and was widely known for his knowledge across all the different empires. The young man of 21 years had an attractive charm of a schr around him. Xuan Li Min raised his brows after seeing the wronged look on his third brother''s face and spoke up with a tinge of provocation" Don''t look at us like that. You should read more books on how to interact with others rather than those boring scrolls. " Xuan Li Shan''s face darkened dangerously. Just as Xuan Li Wei was about to greet his third brother, his second brother spoke again " Your third brother missed you the most. He would always say ''Little fourth must have grown up, right?'' or ''I wonder how he looks now'' or " Xuan Li Min was suddenly interrupted by Xuan Li Shan as thetter punched the former in the stomach making him stop spouting all his secrets. Xuan Li Wei had a silly smile on his face watching his brother''s antics. He knew that his third brother was poor with words, a trait which they both shared inmon. Xuan Li Wei only chuckled and tried to smooth the waves, "Third brother, shall we y Go. It''s been a long time since we yed, just the two of us together." Xuan Li Shan nodded with a smile " Alright, let''s y." No extra words were needed between them as a million emotions could be conveyed in those two exchanges between close brothers. " Let''s gather in our fun room.." Xuan Li Yan was now excited. It''s been a long time since the four of them gathered. But before they left he looked around and frowned at Xuan Li Wei "Where is Moyin?" Xuan Li Wei face-palmed after noticing his elder brother''s ming looks. He immediately defended himself " Moyin will be here in a while. He went to meet mother." Xuan Li Min started tough heartily " No wonder Mother Hu Rui likes Moyin more than you and that little devil." Xuan Li Wei naturally understood that the little devil his second brother was speaking of could only be his little sister, Xuan Li Na. Xuan Li Shan summoned a pce servant and instructed him clearly " Go and tell the princess that this prince invited her to y." After making sure that the servant left, Xuan Li Shan turned around only to meet with the killing looks from his brothers. They truly wanted to skin him alive. " What is wrong?" Xuan Li Shan was naturally confused as to why his three brothers were ring at him. "Eunuch Jang.." Xuan Li Min summoned his personal eunuch " Go and tell the princess that she cane only after the sunset. Tell her that her brothers have some important works to do." Xuan Li Shan scratched his head and voiced his doubts after the eunuch left " Brother, what work do we have?" " My silly third brother.." Xuan Li Yan sighed helplessly " We brothers need to have a heart-to-heart talk and obviously girls should not be there." Xuan Li Shan scratched his head and spoke up sheepishly, "Why?" Xuan Li Yan had a sudden urge to strangle this brother of his. How can they talk about girls in their sister''s presence. He really wanted to spank this brother of his and impart him some knowledge about the affairs between men and women. Xuan Li Min interfered before his elder brother could flip out, " *cough* Let''s go.. Let''s go.. We have a lot to talk today. I heard a lot of sweet rumours recently ah!" Watching the yful scene of his brothers quarreling with each other left Xuan Li Wei helpless and amused at the same time. But he was also excited as it was very rare to see this side of his brothers. Chapter 105 - The Wooden block is in love! Chapter 105 - The Wooden block is in love! Xuan Li Shan and Xuan Li Wei sat across each other, the former taking white pieces and thetter adjusting his ck pieces on the board. " Should you really y this stupid game now?! We want to have a friendly and brotherly chat with our dearest brother!" Xuan Li Min pouted at his younger brothers. " Shoo.. Go away.. Don''t disturb us." Xuan Li Shan waved his hands at his second brother. Xuan Li Yan''s lips twitched after witnessing this tant denial and he dragged his second brother away from them. Xuan Li Wei and Xuan Li Shan were deeply involved in their game, when they heard a lively voice chirping through the corridor. " Hey big bro''s.. your silly little bro is back." Jun Moyin had a huge grin on his face as he entered the room. " Speak of the devil and he shall appear!" Xuan Li Yan''s face was full of smiles. He was just thinking about this brat and in the next minute he found him in the room. How could he not be happy? This Moyin was the right medicine, or rather happy drug, for the two wooden blocks in front of them. Seeing the two wooden blocks who were deeply involved in their Go game the red devils lips twitched and his brain was already working on a n! He needed to disturb them without provoking them too much, truly a dangerous job. Jun Moyin sat in between his first and second brother while rubbing his chin. Slowly, a sly grin spread across his face as he turned to look at his eldest brother. " Bro, I heard that your marriage talks are going on. Let''s talk about life a bit hehe!" Jun Moyin had an evil grin on his face. Xuan Li Yan choked on his tea and looked at the brat with disbelief on his face. He wanted to tease his younger brothers, how did he end up being teased by this brat? Jun Moyin slowly inched closer and spoke loud enough to grab the two wooden blocks attention " Bro, how can you keep such things a secret. I wonder who is the lucky girl?" Xuan Li Wei''s hand stopped in the middle and he had an incredulous expression on his face " Elder brother is getting married?!" " No.. No.." Xuan Li Yan immediately refused " Father is searching everywhere for the '' perfect girl''. He asked me if I have someone I like, but too bad this prince''s heart is still not taken. That is why he started to search like a mad dog and he just wouldn''t stop, no matter how much I am begging!" '' Mad dog??'' Xuan Li Wei''s lips twitched. Only his elder brother had the audacity to call their father a mad dog. Everybody else would tremble, just from listening to their discussion. On the other hand, Xuan Li Shan was ring at the two who disturbed their game. Jun Moyin noticed his third brothers fiery gaze and shivered. He then coughed to gain everyone''s attention " Ahem!" All the four turned to look at him with inquisitive gazes. Jun Moyin then looked at Xuan Li Wei with an evil grin on his face. Xuan Li Wei felt a bad premonition in his heart. Sure enough he was not disappointed by his useless brother of his, because before he could think about it he already heard Jun Moyin''s conspiracy voice " Brothers, I got a sister-inw.. hehe.." All the three princes were surprised and Xuan Li Wei had a priceless look on his face. Xuan Li Min was the first to catch the change in Xuan Li Wei''s expression. He instantly understood that Jun Moyin was referring to Xuan Li Wei. The world was going to end, there was simply no other exnation! '' This wooden block is in love!'' Xuan Li Min raised his brows in amus.e.m.e.nt. His amus.e.m.e.nt was clearly reflected in his voice " So, Little four is in love ah..." Xuan Li Yan also joined in the fray as he crouched before Xuan Li Wei " So, who is she? Tell me everything about her!" He asked while raising his brows. His expression is like '' Don''t even think of lying! You won''t be able to shoulder the consequences!'' Xuan Li Wei smiled wryly after seeing his eldest brother''s expression. Even if he wanted to keep it a secret for the time being, this Moyin was more than ready to spill the beans. Since the things have already reached to this point.. What was the point of hiding and evading? It''s better if he revealed the truth himself, otherwise thinking of how his brothers will tease him in the future made him shiver involuntarily. There was no other way around it anyways. " Ahem!" Xuan Li Wei cleared his throat. All the three brothers looked at him with curious and intense gazes.. The atmosphere changed to a courtroom. Judgement Day was nearing! Chapter 106 - We have a sister-in-law Chapter 106 - We have a sister-inw " W-well I saved her li-.." Xuan Li Min interrupted him ,"Our little brother is the knight in the shining armour?!" Tsk..Tsk.. Typical love at first sight! Xuan Li Min was disappointed. There was no totally romantic chance encounter and a following dramatic chase of love?! It seems he expected too much.. How could Xuan Li Wei not understand his second brother''s thoughts. As a result he quickly exined everything that happened between him and the little girl. By the time hepleted the whole story, Xuan Li Yan had a priceless expression on his face. Xuan Li Min was rolling on the ground withughter and even Xuan Li Shan had a huge grin on his face. The main culprit Jun Moyin was relishing on the pastries while enjoying the four man show before him. Truly entertaining. " You want to tell me, you are still chasing her?" Xuan Li Min''s eyes glistened due to the tears caused from hisughing fit earlier. " Yes. I am not as talented in this sort of skirt chasing as you all, sadly." Xuan Li Wei nodded with a solemn expression on his face. Xuan Li Yan asked with an incredulous voice "Seems like a hard case if she was not wooed by your looks.." Xuan Li Wei rolled his eyes at his elder brother " Elder brother, she doesn''t care about looks." he then sighed sadly "She considers only Moyin as her close friend. I think the little girl sees me rather as an enemy to be cautious about. Sigh!" " Oh! Then what does she think about you?" Xuan Li Shan was thoroughly intrigued by this little girl. " I am just a flirty prince in her eyes. I don''t know if I even caught her eyes." Xuan Li Wei sighed and the three brothers looked at him with pity in their eyes. "Big bro, please don''t lie ah!" Jun Moyin interrupted them. Under their curious gazes he spoke in a yful tone " Actually, sister-inw likes brother''s smell very much!" Boom! All the three princes remained frozen on the spot and let their imagination run wild.. " Hehe.. Just what in the world happened eh!" Xuan Li Min was the first to react. He had a naughty expression on his face. " Bro.. How can you do this to a young girl? She is just twelve! Show some restraint please.." Xuan Li Yan shook his head in disappointment. Anyone could tell that he was exaggerating his actions. Jun Moyin''s lips twitched after hearing his elder brother''s words. It seems like he was not shameless enough yet, for this bunch of brothers appeared more shameless than him. " If I find that you did anything immoral, I will castrate you! A shame for the royal family." Xuan Li Shan spoke in a calm tone which made everyone in the room shudder. This prince had ice in his veins. Whoa! Jun Moyin really wanted to prostrate in front of his third brother. Such a righteous person, one could not help but admire. " Am I even a brother to you?" Xuan Li Wei was unable to endure " First listen to what I have to say, then judge me after hearing all the facts!" Once again, the brother''s became breathless due to their unceasingughter after witnessing Xuan Li Wei narrate the incident and with Jun Moyin''s exaggerations in between, the atmosphere turned lively real quick. They seemed like a bunch of girls, gossiping away. "In the end, the girl doesn''t even have a crush on you?" Xuan Li Wei''s face darkened because this was the major point that hurt his pride so much. Even after all his relentless efforts the girl didn''t show many emotions to him at all! Seemingly hitting bullseye with his assumptions, Xuan Li Yan broke out in roaringughter again. This was truly too priceless of an event to ever forget about it again in this lifetime! " And you say that she doesn''t even know that you are the one who saved her." Xuan Li Min was curious " Why don''t you tell her that you are her benefactor and even carried her and the little bunny around hehe. Maybe she will like you then and if not, maybe she will at least stay a few years with you to repay the debts. It would give you time to twirl her around your fingers." " No, then she will like me out of gratitude." Xuan Li Wei was strongly against it " I want her to like everything about me, not just the kindness I showed her in a moment of need. Our rtionship would seem forced that way." " My bro is deeply imprisoned in theke called Love.. Truly unable to drown within, but without any chance to rescue anyways." Jun Moyin choked after hearing Xuan Li Yan''s words. "Wait a moment, you are saying that the girl entered the brothel. Did she not have any disgust towards such ces?" All the men in the room red at Xuan Li Shan for asking such an unrted question and destroying the moment. Did this guy not have any skill in reading the atmosphere at all?! " No, sister-inw doesn''t loath anyone. She is a wonderful person.." Jun Moyin continued to speak about Xia Lian without a pause.As a result, Xuan Li Shan''s opinion on the girl started to improve for the best. The three brothers listened to Jun Moyin chatter with a genuine smile on their faces. This scene was truly picture perfect and even the normally stern general of the Qilin Empire had a calming smile on his face. How long had it been since they saw such an sincere happy expression on this little kids face? Ever since that incident, the genuine smile on Jun Moyin''s face disappeared for a long time. He locked his heart and refused to speak to anyone. If not for Mother Jun Hu Rui taking him under her wing, he would have turned into an emotionless stone. Even now his cheerful demeanor was only an external facade. Deep under the smiling mask was a young man who had suffered grievances and whose heart contained nothing but sadness and thirst for revenge. Even they, as his brothers and family, were not able to make him smile happily, no matter how long they tried. But who would have guessed, this random girl ,seemingly appearing out of thin air, did it somehow. At this moment, all three of them had only a single thought in their minds " We have a sister-inw. And if not, we will catch her anyway!" Chapter 107 - A Blood Debt Chapter 107 - A Blood Debt After bantering and teasing each other for a while, everyone in the room calmed down. In the end they were still respectable princes! One had to take care of their behavior and attitude ah. " I wish that you will introduce our sister-inw soon. You have to put in more efforts!" Xuan Li Yan sighed. He was looking forward to meet this interesting sister-inw quite a lot. " As if I will let you meet my wife so easily.." Xuan Li Wei rolled his eyes making Xuan Li Yan speechless. When did she be this fellow''s wife? Xuan Li Yan face-palmed after witnessing his brother''s shameless action and words. He should teach him about being calm and ssy again. " Hah! She didn''t even have a liking towards you. Isn''t it funny that you are already calling her your wife.." Xuan Li Min teased but Xuan Li Wei maintained a straight face as if it''s only natural that he would call her his wife. Xuan Li Min wondered when this brother of his turned so shameless! " You have a long way to go. Work hard. Maybe you will make your mother happy for once." Xuan Li Shan once again spoke nonchntly as if he is reporting today''s weather. " Did you find anything?" Xuan Li Yan spoke in a serious tone while looking at Moyin. Jun Moyin''s hand froze in the middle and he shook his head while looking at his brother, "Nothing." Xuan Li Wei sighed after noticing the murderous intent behind his voice. Even he could not help but clench his fists while remembering the events that happened in that year. But in the end, everyone seemed helpless as they were not able to find even a single clue. No matter how hard they tried, they were back at square one. No one could imagine what Jun Moyin was feeling at this moment as he was the one who survived in that hellish nightmare. The four of them only heard about it, but Moyin was the one who went through it. Xuan Li Yan still remembered the day when he first saw Moyin. A young boy with lifeless eyes and pale face. Tattered clothes and a face painted with blood. The kid was only 8 years old at that time, but it seemed like he went from heaven to hell in a single night. Xuan Li Shan and Xuan Li Wei were only 12 and 10 years old at that time, still children. They did not understand much about the situation back then, but even though it was hard for them to realize what was going on exactly, the devastating atmosphere could not be forgotten, not even after all this time. But, Xuan Li Yan and Xuan Li Min ,who were 16 and 14 years old at that time, clearly understood everything and the implications of the incident. In the past, they could not help but feel a chill in their bones after listening to the way in which the Jun family was exterminated. They still remembered the valiant figure of their Mother Jun Hu Rui when she vowed to kill everyst one of those, who were responsible for the fate of their Jun family. Jun Moyin was her younger sister''s son. Only Moyin was able to escape from the terrible fate on that day, because the family''s head servant escaped with him and brought him to the Jun mansion. Jun Hu Rui raised him as her own son. In the beginning, he did not open up himself to anyone. But Jun Hu Rui stayed true to her efforts and the only thing that still connected her to her beloved sister, so did not give up, no matter how many efforts it took. Slowly, the little boy began to develop a response. Xuan Li Na was born just a few months earlier to his arrival. Jun Moyin started to smile around her and started to y with the baby girl. As the years passed by, the voids in his heart were reced by the warm memories of his mother, brother and his little devil of younger sister. Especially the girl was a huge part of his healing process. His other three brothers were like an icing to the cake. But a part of him was never able to forget the events of that day and the memories haunted him even now. Sometimes he couldn''t sleep for the whole night. How could he forget those masked men who mercilessly killed the entire Jun family. He could never forget. He would never forget. " No need to worry. We will continue to look for clues." Xuan Li Min spoke with a grim expression on his face " I deployed my Eagles troop. Let''s hope for some leads.." " Brother, my shadow troop is not able to find even a single clue." Xuan Li Wei''s words made Xuan Li Min frown. If Li Wei''s Shadow troop were not able to find the clues, then his Eagles troop had no chance of finding anything at all. Xuan Li Wei vowed to kill all those bastards who were responsible for making his mother and brother sad for many years. He put all his efforts in finding informations about that incident, but till today they were not able to find even a single lead. Thinking about all of this, he had a worried expression on his face. Everyone in the room had either a grim or concerned expression on their faces. " Brothers, don''t worry.." Jun Moyin smiled warmly after observing their concern for a while, " I will turn every stone upside down, if that is what it takes to find them." " A blood debt will neither be forgotten nor forgiven." Jun Moyin spoke in a calm voice, which was quite unusual for himself. " They own me a blood debt.." were his words before they were interrupted by a young and melodious voice. Chapter 108 - Their Little Devil Chapter 108 - Their Little Devil " Brothers, did your meeting go well?" a melodious voice interrupted them, turning the grim atmosphere into a happy one instantly. All the five brothers had huge grins on their faces, because of the arrival of their little devil, Xuan Li Na. Only this girl could make them smile and only she could receive all their love and care. The seemingly sweet girl folded her hands across her chest and red at them. Her cheeks turned pink and she looked very adorable, even when she was angry and displeased. The little girl was very tiny, of course, because she was only 10 years old. As a result, all of them immediately startedughing after witnessing her cute but funny appearance. " Humph.." Xuan Li Na stomped her feet " I am taking back the desserts prepared by mother. I will eat everything by myself!" After saying her part, she immediately turned to leave. Her words about desserts made the five men stopughing. They had a huge impact on them, simr to a deration of war. Desserts made by mother Jun Hu Rui were simply the best. Mother Gu Xinyi and Mother Wan Bing could not evenpare to her cooking. After some contemtion, all the brother''s cast their pride aside and shamelessly started to beg for the desserts. " Hehe.." Xuan Li Na had an evil grin on her face " Then you should ept my conditions." " What are they?" Xuan Li Wei asked even though he had a faint idea of what was going toe, and anything thates out of this little devil''s mouth couldn''t be good for their current leisure time. Sure enough, she did not disappoint them. " Eldest brother, you must carry me on your shoulders and run 4 rounds around the pce.." Xuan Li Yan''s face darkened but he nodded. A few rounds around the pce were nothingpared to the delicacies. Anyways, this was not the first time, and will not be thest, he made rounds with this little devil on his shoulders. Once, this girl started to use his head as a drum and started to sing when he was making rounds around the pce. On that day, rumours spread around the country, about how the princess was doted on by the eldest prince. " Second brother, you should sing 20 songs for me. And you should use your jade flute." Xuan Li Min readily agreed. After seeing this, Xuan Li Yan grunted " On a normal day, you won''t even sing a single song for us.." Xuan Li Min naturally ignored his eldest brother''sints. " Third brother is actually good, so I will naturally give the best desserts to him." Xuan Li Shan had a smug look on his face when he looked at his two elder brothers. " Fourth brother, this time I will make sure to strangle you in the pillow fight. Let''s have a pillow fightter on." Xuan Li Wei''s lips twitched slightly, but he remained hisposure on the outside. Did she even remember that he was her elder brother at all!? " Big bro.." Xuan Li Na was closest to Moyin as he doted on her the most from childhood till now, " Are the desserts delicious?" Xuan Li Na asked Jun Moyin who was eating the best of the best desserts. This little devil saved all the best desserts for him and she naturally gave the leftovers to her other four brothers. She snuggled in his embrace, to feel his warmth. The four princes gritted their teeth and endured this ill-treatment from the little girl. Xuan Li Na teased them for a while, before serving them their desserts. All six of them chatted happily and the servants who were in the room smiled because of the harmonious atmosphere. " Finally, the little devil is tired.." Xuan Li Yan chuckled. He could finally rx, since the little devil was peacefully sleeping in hisp. " Eldest brother, I am going to allow women to participate in the Imperial Civil Service Examination from this year on wards." Xuan Li Shan informed them of his decision. Though it was going to be a tough fight, he was ready to fight it out with the court till the end. " What made you to think about such a good thing?" Xuan Li Min raised his brows. " Li Na is quite clever for her age. If I groom her from now, maybe in the next five or six years she might be a great officer of court. Well, there might be other girls like our Li Na out there. We should just give them the opportunity.." Xuan Li Shan then turned towards Li Wei " You should ask sister-inw to participate in this exam. A woman who is not disgusted about other women, no matter the circ.u.mstances, is surely a woman of character.." " I will tell her" Xuan Li Wei nodded " But well, my wife is more interested to lead armies than to sit in the court." " She wants to be soldier?" Xuan Li Shan felt that his sister-inw never failed to surprise him. " No, not a soldier.." Xuan Li Wei''s voice had pride in it " A General, or if possible a Commander." Chapter 109 - My Dear.. Chapter 109 - My Dear.. '' Commander?'' The three princes fell silent for quite a while after hearing Li Wei''s words. The Qilin Empire never had any women warriors in its history. It will be really difficult for people to ept women in such professions. From this point forward, the road ahead was going to be a tough for their sister-inw. " Anything can happen in three years. Let''s wait and see. If she is determined to join the army after returning, remember that we will do our best to support her." Xuan Li Yan''s words made Li Wei smile subconsciously "Well then, I will be counting on you elder brother." " Chirp.. Chirp.." Xuan Li Wei immediately stood up after listening to a certain bird''s voice. Since the scene was a bit strange at first, Jun Moyin could only chuckle after noticing his brother''s anxiousness whereas the other three princes looked at him in amus.e.m.e.nt, already aware of what was going on. Xuan Li Wei untied the paper from the birds leg and immediately broke the seal, because he simply could not wait any longer, to hear news about his little treasure. " Yay! Love letters. Fufufu!" Xuan Li Min smiled naughtily " It''s so good to be young ah!" " Second brother, you are expecting way too much from my sister-inw. She would never do something like this!" Jun Moyin rolled his eyes. Was his second brother''s brain mentally ill? How did he possiblye to the conclusion that she would write a love letter. The day his sister-inw wrote a love letter to his big bro would certainly be his death day! " She''s also my sister-inw! You can''t take her for yourself alone. " Xuan Li Min frowned. " One idiot calls her his wife and the other idiots call her sister-inw. Brothers, our little four did not even enter her eyes." Xuan Li Shan brutally extinguished their excitement. " Elder brother, this letter is rted to you." Xuan Li Wei''s lips twitched. " Oh! What is my sister-inw saying?" Xuan Li Yan perked his ears. " She says it''s time you inspect your restaurants and pull out the weeds." Xuan Li Wei spoke in a mirthful voice " I think she stopped at one of your inns and she had to use my token to enter. It seems that things are going out of our hands. It is time to tighten the reins again." " How Presumptuous! How dare they insult people based on their social status! " Xuan Li Yan''s face darkened " I think I''ve been too lenient these days. It''s time to show my dark side again, or else people mighte to the conclusion that I have grown weak with age hehe." Everyone in the room shuddered. Their eldest brother may seem too kind and beautiful, but no one was deadlier than him when angered. Combined with his sinisterughter, it was a sign to go for away and don''t look back for a while. Xuan Li Wei started to write a reply as the others were involved in a serious discussion. .................................. " nk.. nk.." the sounds of metal shing reverberated throughout the area. Fan Ling has been watching Bao Su and her master practising sword y for one hour already. " Ouch.." Xia Lian grunted when she was pushed backward by Bao Su. Bao Su''s swordsmanship was indeed quite superb. With his incredible strength, he was able to defeat Xia Lian easily. Xia Lian knew that her skills in using swords were very poor. As a result, in her eyes this Bao Su was like a fat piece of meat. She was determined to improve her skills with his help and only arge amount of serious practice could help her out. Bao Su also didn''t hold back after getting to know her intentions. By the time time one hour had passed, Xia Lian''s hands started to ache. How could the hands of a tiny 12 year old be able to hold back a 20 year old man''s strength, and a trained shadow guard at that? Bao Su sheathed his sword after noticing her pant heavily. He was more than sure that her hands were aching terribly. In response, the loyal follower decided to stop for now, " Master, let''s take it slow. Your moves are excellent already.Only your strength is stillcking, but this needs some time and constant training. You can''t force an issue like that in a single day." " To improve the process, I will teach you how to develop your inner strength in the future. With inner strength your attacks will be a lot stronger and deadlier. You should focus on training your hands well. But don''t overdo it, your body is still in the growth process. If the impacts received are too big, it can hinder your future potential." Xia Lian nodded and decided to follow his words. A month or two, no matter how long it would take, she must improve her strength. Only a leader strong in both mind and body could develop powerful armies. What shecked most at the moment was physical strength, so she must train well, continuously. Her archery skills were back, but now it was time to take it to another level, a supreme level. After taking a nce at Hurricane, she fell deep in thoughts for a while. The little girl must practice shooting arrows from horseback. Hurricane was her horse, but she must practice riding on it''s back so that both of them will get used to each other. It would truly be a waste to not use the potential of such a horse with devastating power. Xia Lian returned to room with many thoughts on her mind. She slowly massaged her hands to relieve at least a bit of pain. She could already imagine the calluses that would form ah! Well, she could take care of her beauty after surviving the hellish training. " Chirp.." Xia Lian broke out of her training thoughts and looked at the source of the sound with widened eyes. This bird was back in about 5 hours. Whoa! It''s too fast! That was practically cheating. Xia Lian rubbed the bird''s head while removing the paper that was tied to it''s leg. " My Dear, Elder Brother will take care of the inns. You just stay safe and train hard. But don''t force your little body too much." After reading the message, the little devils face immediately darkened. This flirty prince was bing bolder with each day! ''My dear!'' Xia Lian gritted her teeth and kept the paper in a box. She would deal with that man as soon as she returned home! On the other hand, Xuan Li Wei wasughing hard because he could almost imagine her furious reaction. Jun Moyin and the other princes just ignored this creep. Their sister-inw didn''t deserve such treatment ah! She is really getting bullied by this big wolf! Chapter 110 - The Herbalist Awakens Chapter 110 - The Herbalist Awakens " Whoa! Not again..." Xia Lian cried as she fell on the ground with a thud! Hurricane rushed towards her and started to lick her face. The saliva mixed with all the dirtbined to a wonderful picture. A little girl ying with her big horse. Xia Lian looked at her partner with a gloomy expression on her face. For thest five days she was trying her best to maintain any kind of bnce on this godforsaken horse while sitting in a crouching position on it''s back. Who would imagine riding in new positions to be this difficult, as it didn''t even take a few seconds before thest tiny bit of hope she had for a wondrous performance on the battlefield vanished. What kind of disastrous picture would amander that couldn''t even sit on his own horse be?! The morale of her soldiers shouldn''t even be mentioned. As a result, she continued to practice no matter what, which lead to the little girl being thrown off again and again. The tiny body was already covered in cuts and bruises and one could imagine her current mood. She was slowly beginning to imagine what horse meat would taste like ah! After tormenting her for all this time, this horse was acting sweet and innocent before her. This damn horse was exceeding her in shamelessness by arge margin. Well, as the saying goes, the apple doesn''t fall far from the trunk. First, she had to master the crouching position before proceeding to standing on the running horse. It was a highly important task, because she had to learn to shoot arrows while standing on her horse. Only then could she consider herself as a master in archery. Xia Lian sighed and got up. Numerous thoughts run through her mind while she led her horse to the stable, but she did not lock it in there. Her Hurricane was a wild and free horse. She loved it and she did not want to tame it. Both of them would slowly get used to each other. If her interest in horse meat would vanish within the next few days ah! Xia Lian patted herself on the shoulders encouraging herself. Yes, she needed some self motivation to get going. This horse was making her go crazy! But in the end, she loved challenges the most and making sure to be in resonance with her lovely horse soon was definitely the most challenging at all! The little girl, covered in mud and injuries, took a warm bath and changed into a set of royal blue male robes. She tied her entire hair into a simple bun, supported by a in wooden hair pin. After applying her unique cream and altering her facial features to look more masculine, she perfectly fit the role of a young master. To be fair, she looked more like a young schr. Xia Lian nodded her head in satisfaction after staring at the young man reflected in the mirror. ''Knock.. Knock..'' A series of patterned knocks interrupted her thoughts. Xia Lian knew that it was Fan Ling because she taught her on how to knock the door following a certain pattern. Anticipating the reasons for her visit, she immediately called out, "Come in." Fan Ling and Bao Su entered the room with huge sacks in their hands. Xia Lian''s face bloomed into a handsome smile after carefully observing the sacks. " Did you get everything I asked for?" Xia Lian was mostly concerned about this. " Yes Master, we bought everything you asked for. No mistakes were allowed." Fan Ling and Bao Su replied at the same time. Herbs! Finally, she got her hands on the herbs! Now, it was time to satisfy her pair of itchy hands. She would make use of the knowledge which her Master imparted to her! With this knowledge she could beat the crap out of those who dared to insult her or belittle her master. Let''s see who would dare to look into her direction again, after she finished her preparations. " Good! Keep them on the table." Xia Lian instructed them to ce the bags on the working table, which she specially prepared for the herbs. " Bao Su, search for a house. We will be moving out of this inn as soon as possible." The little girl wanted to have her own working space. Naturally, it should be big enough to fit at least a hundred people. " Oh by the way, it should be able to amodate a hundred people at the least. Well, the bigger the house, the better obviously." " Yes, Master." Bao Su immediately left the house while humming a song. " Fan Ling, you will help me with these herbs. But be careful." Xia Lian showed her how to grind the herbs using a stone. Fan Ling observed her master carefully for a while. As soon as she remembered all the necessary steps and was ready to grind, Xia Lian suddenly stopped her. Fan Ling looked at the gloves in her hand with a confused expression her face. Xia Lian sighed, " Put these on your hands. Now, we are going to make some pastes and poisons." The loyal maid followed her instructions and started to grind the herbs. Xia Lian busied herself in extracting the juices from the mashed herbs, using the special equipment which her master gifted to her. Since it was a necessary step, some of the herbs were hung up to dry. They would be made into powders and pills. But it was of the utmost importance to carefully follow all the procedures in a correct order. Xia Lian worked for quite a while and finished concocting her first poison. She used up all the Midnight Grass and Poison Ivy flowers for this particrly dangerous poison. While looking at all the transparent jade bottles, containing a faint purple liquid in them the little girl had a mischievous smirk on her face. This was going to be her own first signature poison and the consequences it would bring to the poison market would be truly beautiful. The little devil nodded her head in satisfaction while she left the room. Chapter 111 - The Black Dragon Auction House Chapter 111 - The ck Dragon Auction House " Bao Su, which is the richest auction house in this city?" Xia Lian questioned him while feeding her little bunny with delicious snacks. The little money-grubber had her eyes only on the very rich this time. She would make sure to squeeze their fat pocketspletely. " ck Dragon Auction House." Bao Su immediately replied. All these years he did not serve Fourth prince in vain. He continued to speak, " This auction house sells very rare and precious items from all over the world. You could describe it as overly luxurious and extravagant. If you don''t have very deep pockets you will never be able to be even a single item, not even the cheapest. That is the reason why only the rich and influential personse to this auction house. It would simply be a waste of time and a disgrace for other people, trying in vain. Furthermore, even people from neighbouring countries visit the Dark City especially for this auction house. One can imagine the variety of items resulting out of this arrangement." " And the head of the auction house is known for his entric attitude. The rumours suggest that he is too beautiful for a man and that even men cannot help but stare at him. Well, Master please be careful even when you are just speaking with him." For the next 20 min, Bao Su continued to exin the story behind the name of this auction house. History tells that this auction house was established many centuries ago and it is named after the mystical Divine ck Dragon. Xia Lian let out a deep breath once he stopped speaking. After digesting the information for a while she could not help herself but ask the most unexpected question, catching both of her subordinates off guard, " Bao Su, do you know everything?" The little girl waspletely fascinated and awed during the time when he was speaking. It was like a historic excursion into the mysterious past of the continent. " When serving under the Fourth Prince, I read a lot of books." That''s it! This man was a living encyclopaedia. Xia Lian ,for the first time, thought that the flirty prince did something excellent. It could be said that this Bao Su will be of great help to her, whockedplete knowledge about the history of the continent, so she pardoned him for making a gaffe in calling her "My Dear". Well, ck Dragon Auction House it is then. ''Hold your breaths, this lord ising for you hehe.'' Xia Lian smirked in her heart and stretched her bodyzily " Come on, let''s go and meet this beautiful man. Let''s see if he can enchant me." Xia Lian took out 10 jade bottles of her newly concocted poison and ced them in a wooden box. Afterwards she excitedly exited the inn along with her little team. The group of four walked along the busy streets observing their surroundings carefully. Almost everyone was in their own world and minded their own business. It could be said to be a very pleasant experience to travel around the city. After wandering for a while, ck Dragon Auction House , a magnificent sight to behold, appeared in their line of sight. It was a gigantic building and it looked absolutely majestic, befitting that of it''s name. The aged stone walls seemedpletely out of the ce though. Xia Lian thought that this would be considered as a world heritage site in the modern era. " Sis, let''s go in.." Xia Ming''s eyes twinkled after witnessing the splendor of the auction house. It was his first timeing out of the home and wandering around like this. Naturally, he was clearly excited and his facepletely reflected his inner enthusiasm. " Alright, let''s go. I am eager to learn about it as well!" Xia Lian chuckled as she led him towards the entrance. The guards d in silver armour blocked their way, but they spoke in a polite voice, " Young master, are you here to buy or sell?" " Sell." Xia Lian also answered in the same calm and polite voice. Since they were respectful towards her, she will reciprocate the same, obviously. The guards were pleasantly surprised after noticing the young boy''s respectful tone. Many of them either shouted or tried to pick up a fight, when they blocked them from entering. It was a strict protocol to ask first and then allow them as per their need. It was meant to be a thoughtful assistance for their customers, but many interpreted it as a disgrace of their honor. Truthfully, hearing a calm and polite voice in the midst of curses and misunderstandings was really refreshing to them. Afterwards, they spoke in a more amicable tone, " What are you nning to sell, young master?" " Poison." Nevermind then, the guards were seriously surprised that the most amiable person they meet for a long time, came to sell the most sinister thing in the world and gazed at each other with disbelief. Almost everyone appeared in front of them, telling that they were selling poisons. In most cases though, it turned out to be a prank. Xia Lian naturally understood their worries. In response, she assured them in a cozy tone, " I am not speaking empty words. I believe that there is a herbal master in this auction house. He will naturally appraise the quality of my poison. As a result, you don''t have to worry if I am a fake or not. If youe to believe that I lied to you after the appraisal is finished, then you can punish me, as per thew." The guards felt their worried hearts calm down after hearing her confident voice. It was pretty rare for them to hear such a calm and collected exnation from such a young person. Out of their own goodwill towards this customer, they did not push the matter further and immediately brought them inside. After making them sit in a private room they hurried to call their appraiser, a bit excited to see the results. Chapter 112 - Silent Night Chapter 112 - Silent Night Xia Lian yed with the wooden box in her hands while waiting for the person to appear. Xia Ming continued to observe his surroundings. Everything around him was new and the little bunny soaked all the impressions like a swamp. The duo of loyal followers simply sat behind her because she didn''t allow them to stand. The little girl lifted her head as soon as she heard the sound of faint footstepsing towards their direction. " Fan Ling, take Ming outside or sit in the adjacent room." Xia Lian instructed her and then looked at the little bunny, " Go with brother Fan and I wille back to get youter. Be a good boy and listen to your elders." Xia Ming nodded and Fan Ling carried him in her hands. She understood that her master didn''t want him to experience the things that were going to happen next. It''s really not good to spoil a little child''s innocence, at least not yet. Xia Lian stood up and did a 90 degree bow when she saw an old man, about 50 years old, entering the room. He calmly nodded his head in approval ," Youngd, I heard that you are here to sell a poison." In response, he received a decisive conformation, so he continued " Let me have a look at it." The wooden box was slowly opened and the old man came into contact with an exquisite jade bottle. The appraiser stared at the bottle with amazement, because he simply never witnessed such a beautiful poison. He carefully opened the lid and a strong smell assaulted his nose. He immediately recognised the herbs which were used in this poison''s preparation andption, " Midnight grass and poison ivy. Truly excellent." Receiving such an urate appraisal this fast, Xia Lian raised her brows slightly. Well, this old man was indeed quite good. She didn''t expect that he would recognise the herbs contained in the poison just based on smell and in such a small amount of time. It seems like she had to pay more respect to the important people in the Dark City and she scrutinised him from head to toe again. If even the appraiser of the auction house was this skilled, she had to be more careful in the future. He might recognise the herbs but she was sure that he could not possibly guess the effects of this poison. It was her own creation of poison and she was quite proud about it. Anyways, it would be unfair to expect any positive response from the old man. Sure enough, he looked at her with curious eyes, " Youngd, what exactly is this poison?" " It can be considered an instant death poison. The person who takes it will experience a serious organ failure, and most vital organs will stop working within a few seconds. First, the victim will find trouble with breathing and after his breathing stopped, everything else will follow very quickly. You could say, he will die quickly and the process will be very smooth and efficient." " Oh!" The old man was pleasantly surprised. He did not think he would see such a single hit-kill and less insidious poison. " To summarise, the victim won''t feel any pain." It was more like a statement rather than a question. Xia Lian nodded as she created her first simple poison with only a single thought in her mind. She should created a poison which would be useful for the army. It could rece executions and gory scenes in the military barracks and camps. Criminals or captives could be executed in a humane and efficient way. " So, could you tell me the name of this poison? I never heard about anything remotely close to it." "The Silent Night." The old man chuckled after listening to the name. A truly beautiful name to describe the effects. It nearly inflicted mncholy, even as a poison. " Old sir, I have a request." Xia Lian spoke seriously attracting his attention " I want you to sell this poison only to the army and royalty. I don''t want to sell my poisons to the other nobles. It is not meant to be a tool for silent assassination." " Why?" the old man was confused. Why would you decrease the market for such a interesting and useful poison. The loss of profit would be immense. " I don''t want to have any innocent''s lives on my hands. It is only about my clear conscience." Xia Lian shrugged her shoulders. She really didn''t want to be an indirect murderer. The use of poisons in this era was quitemon and the sess of many schemes depended on them. As a result, no one thought twice when they were selling them. Even though she created poison herself, that did not imply that she would support this idea. The little girl simply did not want to take the lives of innocent. The only measure left, was limiting her poisons only to army and royalty. The royalty including the king and princes. " Again, don''t sell these to women. It''s a strict rule." The old man had an incredulous expression on his face. Xia Lian cleared her throat " Poison is a woman''s weapon. They will use it to kill someone out of their jealousy or on a sudden whim. I don''t approve of this, it''s a big no." " Well, at the beginning of the auction, announce that only those having army tokens and those having the token of a prince can buy them." Xia Lian had an evil smile on her face. "If any one from the Qilin army or Qilin royaltyes, bring them to me. They need not participate in the auction. Nevertheless, make sure to squeeze as much money as possible from the royalty of other nations. Let''s see how much our poison is valued by them." Chapter 113 - Young Master Wu Chapter 113 - Young Master Wu " Your aim is really gracious I admit. Sparing innocent people seems really noble in itself." The old man chuckled, " But, why do you think that the royalty would spare the innocents?" Xia Lian looked deeply into the eyes of the old man while speaking, " Old sir, if the royalty truly want to kill someone, nothing can stop them anyways. Those who are targeted by the royalty will die no matter what. My poison doesn''t make any difference, at most it may ease their suffering. At least they won''t feel any pain in the end. And I am no saint, to take up the mission impossible of protecting everyone was never my intention. For every innocent soul in this world, there is one that deserves to die and I have my own priorities." The old man looked at the youngd in admiration. What the kid spoke was the truth. He only wanted to test him, but he did not expect such sharp words from such a young mouth. It felt like talking to one of his peers with a lot of life experience. " I can only try to minimize the deaths. That''s all I can do." Xia Lian spoke in a monotonous tone " And no one in royalty is clean, one could say it is the home of the most ruthless people. Everyone''s hands are stained with the blood of the weak and poor. The riches they are experiencing now is built on the blood and sweat of themon masses. No need to treat them any better than ves, make sure to extract as much money as you can." The old man stopped asking too many questions, because he was more than satisfied by the young kid''s attitude. But, he had onest question remaining," If I may ask, did you concoct this poison personally?" There was a saying, ''Curiosity kills the cat'', but he truly could not contain his desire to know. " Yes, I did." Xia Lian answered directly. She had no reason to conceal the truth. Anyways, now she possessed the appearance of a young man and no one would be able to recognise herter. " Oh! Well, who is your master?" the old man was excited. Who in the world trained such a talented poison master? He really wanted to meet this fellow''s master to exchange some notes. " It''s a secret.." Xia Lian spoke slowly, " at least for now it is." The old man was disappointed but he did not pry further. There was a limit to his curiosity and not prying too deep into some secrets was amon courtesy in the Dark City. As an experienced appraiser he knew where he should stop and so he did, naturally. " Young master, I am Du Weng. May I know your honorable name?" " You can address me with the surname Wu." Xia Lian decided to use her master''s name. It was the safest and she had an additional reason for using that name. " Young master Wu, everything''s fine so far. But, we need to test it out to be sure." " Alright, I have no objections. But, how are you going to test it?" In response, Du Weng pped his hands and a servant dressed in brown robes immediately rushed into the room. The servant did not dare to raise his head, because the only purpose of his life was to listen to all the orders with his head bowed down. No questions were allowed. " Bring out the next test body." Thismonly used phrase for Du Weng nearly ignited a powder keg in Xia Lian''s mind. This auction house was really testing her temper and patience. The servant left the room very quickly and returned, a little whileter, with a young man bound in chains. The subject was so frail and weak and his tall frame had to be supported by two guards. Wearing torn down clothes he looked absolutely pitiful, while spreading the smell of reek and filth in the room with his each step in. The guards just threw him onto the cold floor, not treating him any different from a cold corpse. Xia Lian''s gaze turned cold and it was harder and harder to suppress her killing intent, after witnessing the scene in front of her. Again and again, she was hit by the cruel truth of this world, the weak were bound to be abused by those in power. She fiddled her fingers as she tried to control her raging emotions. To be honest she didn''t know why she felt such strange emotions about a stranger. But the implications on society of treating humans like trash just passed on the stamp of very nearly turned her insane. She was not a naive girl, one could describe her as an asura of the battlefield, but she always had a soft side for the innocent, with a pure soul. While still contemting about how to handle the situation, Du Weng was about to move and the end for the ve seemed imminent. In this sliver of a second everything seemed to be out of her control and her heart already decided before her mind could wager the benefits. She intercepted at thest second, while screaming inside to stay calm. But, her voice came out a few degrees colder than she intended to, " Did he do anything wrong or immoral?" " No." " Then why are you treating him like that?" Xia Lian was clearly agitated now. " Because he is a ve." This simple answer was so much more destructive than the appraiser could have ever imagined. This very instant was the moment no one in this world should ever witness, Xia Lian was absolutely pissed off, close to unleashing her fury and removing all brakes she put into ce after arriving in this era. " I refuse.." Du Weng widened his eyes in disbelief as he did not believe his ears. Not only the words spoken, but also the way they were spoken left him with a deep unease. It didn''t feel like a rejection for business, more like a judgement of his life. " Young master Wu, I did not understand.." " What part of my words did you not understand?" Xia Lian spokezily with a dark expression on her face. Du Weng felt cold sweat building on his forehead when faced with this young kid. All that was left was single premonition: ''If I refuse him now, there will be a deadly storm.'' " You cannot kill them under the pretext of testing poisons under my name. Test this poison on those whomitted crimes, or don''t test it at all. If you cannot ept my conditions, then I will search for another auction house. If you can''t decide within five seconds, this deal is canceled and my rtionship with the ck Dragon Auction House is severed for all eternity. " Xia Lian''s resolute voice left no room for any kind of argument. Chapter 114 - Forbidden Love Chapter 114 - Forbidden Love Du Weng was put in a tough situation. In such a small timeframe, he had to weigh the pros and cons of the situation before him. He mentally calcted in his mind and no matter what, the poison which valued over thousands of gold coins was far more important than a few nameless ves, who could be bought with only a few silvers. He was a businessman and he always calcted profit or loss? Human emotions andpassion were never known to him. Furthermore, if he was able to please this young kid, then the young master before him may sell all the new poisons from here. Contrary, if he rejected now, he might even create a future enemy. This kid choosing another auction house could be an important step for another rival to appear. Having two famous auctions in the vicinity would lose them so much money. As a result, he replied in a resolute voice, " Young master Wu, we ept your terms." " That''s good for you." Du Weng was speechless now. Where did this young man get this confidence ah?! He had to admire his conduct. But, their auction house had a rule as well. Preparing himself for the following, he cleared his throat, " But, you must take the ve under your wing because you refused to kill him. Either you take him or he dies now." " Then I will take him. By the way, no need to write a new contract. Just destroy the old one." Du Weng was again surprised and nodded his head in a daze. Today he came across too many surprises, all because of the unknown kid before him. Afterwards, the appraiser called his servants and started to give them several orders. Under careful instructions, the servants hurried outside to bring the next test bodies. Now, Du Weng raised his chin and spoke in a proud voice, " Young Master Wu, you will definitely be satisfied after seeing the next criminals." " They better be criminals or else I will use this poison on you." Xia Lian raised her brows and spoke in an eerily calm voice making Du Weng shiver. Behind her, Feng Bin was clearly enjoying the show. His master seemed to be formidable and sly. Finallydy luck was on his side for once. After going through a lot of darkness and despair, there was a tiny seed of hope ced inside his heart, after witnessing the conduct of his new master. Days seemed to get better, slowly. Just when Xia Lian started to get restless, the door opened and this time two men were brought inside bound by heavy metallic chains. Xia Lian''s mouth formed into an ''o'' after observing the two extremely beautiful human beings in front of her. Their beauty and elegance was not concealed in the slightest by those unsightly rags covering their jade white bodies. Though they were frail and weak, their bright eyes were enchanting. The unlimited potential, wasted in such a cruel way. Sigh, today was just getting more problematic by the second. After some contemtion Xia Lian raised her brows after noticing their intertwined hands. What could they have done to deserve death? Xia Lian had a hard time believing that the couple, while having such bright and faithful eyes, did something immoral. Considering this fact, she turned towards Du Weng ," What did they do exactly?" " They did the most shameful thing possible." Du Weng snorted disdainfully, resulting in a deep frown by the little girl. " Just tell me exactly what they did. I don''t want to hear any nonsense, and keep your opinions for yourself!" Xia Lian was slowly getting annoyed with this old man. Du Weng straightened himself and exined in a loud voice, " They both are men and they announced to the world that they deeply loved each other and could now be considered an official couple." The whole room fell silent and waited curiously for Xia Lian''s reaction. Nevertheless, Xia Lian was still looking at Du Weng without any worries, waiting for him to continue. After not receiving a satisfactory answer for quite a while, she admitted defeat and sighed, " I asked what wrong theymitted and why is that you are not speaking? Do you take me for a fool?" Du Weng widened his eyes like a fish and eximed, " It is Forbidden Love. That is a sin. It''s the biggest crime. If not death, what do they deserve?!" Xia Lian did not know whether she shouldugh or cry. She came to this auction house in high spirits and with so many expectations for the future. Now, this old clown drained all the positive energy out of her. What will he do next?! Bring in little fluffy puppys and kill them because they are just animals?! " Just because you find it difficult to ept doesn''t mean that it is forbidden." Xia Lian spoke while rubbing her forehead because she was starting to get a headache. It was truly hard to keep herposure, but she did not bother to banter with the old man now. As calm as possible she spoke without beating around the bush, " I am buying those two. As for the ve contracts, I presume you know what to do." " Young master Wu, they will be a taint to your name. Don''t be tricked by their harmless appearance!" Du Weng opposed the idea strictly. Xia Lian didn''t bother about these things. So, what if they were gay couple? She is from the modern era and she didn''t give a damn about what others gossiped about behind her back. The silence of the room was interrupted by amanding voice, " When I said I will buy, where is there room for you to interfere. Aren''t you meddling too much in my affairs, manager Du?" Du Weng stiffened and immediately apologised after realising his folly, " Please forgive me young master Wu." The little girl waved her hands and spoke calmly, " The next person you bring out must be a murderer, did you get it?" " Yes. I understand." Du Weng spoke nervously and returned to shout orders to the servants in the room. He was pretty sure that this was his veryst chance, he had to make it count ah! Chapter 115 - The Outcasts Chapter 115 - The Outcasts Obviously, this time they did not disappoint her again. The first victim of the new poison was a murderer and a child murderer at that. Without waiting for the appraiser to ask about her consent, Xia Lian already spoke up," You can use him." "Ah?" Du Weng was speechless by this kids decisive attitude. He asked once again to confirm, " Young master Wu, are you sure?" " A life for a life. It''s only fair." Du Weng could only slightly nod after listening to her sharp words once again and began to test the poison. The guards held the man captive and one of the servants proceeded to pry open his mouth. It was quite a cruel scene, but Xia Lian never felt pity towards people that harmed innocent children. Afterwards Du Weng poured all the contents of the jade bottle into his mouth and watched the process closely. In the beginning everything seemed normal. But, in the next instant the man started to have trouble with breathing and his face turned into a light shade of blue. Slowly his nerves started popping up and without suffering for long he dropped on the floor, no reaction remaining. A simple and neat poison! Everyone in the room had the same thought in their minds. Du Weng was highly satisfied with this new product. As a result, he immediately disyed his professional smile, " Young master, we will be more than honoured to sell this poison. Do you have any additional requests? " No. Just make sure that they are sold at a sky high price." " May I ask how many bottles are you nning to sell?" " Fifteen. I will bring more the next time. But act as if the supply is highly troublesome and you don''t know about future deals." Du Weng was truly happy now. This young master would bring his future poisons here and he had a mind for business opportunities. Finally, his constantly anxious heart calmed down. Seems like he avoided any trouble in the end, without offending anyone. " So, how many ves are you having here in total?" Xia Lian had her mind on this since witnessing the treatment of the first ve, who was meant to test the poison for no reason but being a ve, and she was unable to get away from those thoughts, no matter how hard the little girl tried to convince herself. " Answering young master Wu, they are many sick people and they are not fit to be ordinary ves. " Du Weng continued to speak as Xia Lian''s perked up with interest, " Their families abandoned them because if such a severe illness would spread, not only could they not afford the treatment, even their entire family would die as a result. That''s why we keep them in the underground den. They just have no other purpose left, but to die. The family of an outcast doesn''t have any other chance to be honest." Xia Lian understood everything clearly now. Since these people were terminally ill and not physically fit, they were being used as test subjects for various medicines. It was truly cruel, but not to me on anyone, but the medicine standard of this era. " Take me there, please." Xia Lian''s sudden request ced the appraiser in a highly awkward situation and he replied fl.u.s.tered, " Young m-master Wu.. It''s a filthy ce and filled with germs.." " Just show me the way, I will go in on my own. There is no need for you to apany me, or to trouble yourself with my matters." Xia Lian didn''t want this clown by her side either, it was starting to annoy her too much. She wanted peace of mind for a moment. An important decision was right in front of her, she could feel it. Du Weng could only nod helplessly as thetter did not heed to his warnings. All that was left for him to do was order one of his servant to show the way. Bao Su followed Xia Lian without second thoughts. Nevertheless, he was curious why his master suddenly wanted to go there. In his opinion, this ce didn''t hold any value. The loyal shadow guard couldn''t see the bigger picture yet. " Young master, this is the ce.." the servant started shivering as if the god of death was waiting for him behind the door. From his reaction alone, one could imagine the horror and despair awaiting them. Xia Lian could do nothing but sigh and dismiss them. Keeping hundreds of terminally ill humans within a small, dark and unclean environment. One didn''t have to contemte for too long, to shiver from the thought of it. If it was not hell, it was as close as you could get. After resolving herself for thest time, she slowly pushed the heavy door in front of her, with both hands. As soon as the Pandora box was opened, a foul stench assaulted their senses. Bao Su felt his stomach turn immediately and a nauseous feeling nearly overwhelmed him. Witnessing her followers situation the little girl immediately pushed him outside again, shutting the door behind her before locking it. Only after taking deep breaths for quite a while did the feeling from before slowly subside. His personal training as a shadow guard could be considered frightening, but this situation was out of his wildest dreams. As if struck by lightning he suddenly paced forward and tried to open the door hysterically. His normally indifferent face was suddenly filled with horror as he banged the door from the outside. Only a few seconds in there made him feel absolutely weak, how could his fragile little master be in there for such a long time already? Did his master faint? Bao Su had various thoughts in his mind. One more devastating than thest. He was done for.. Just when he was about to knock again, the door opened without any warnings and his hand stopped in mid air, directly in front of Xia Lian''s nose. Like a reflex, his hand repelled backwards, leaving him with the pain of the impact. " Why in the world are you making such noise?" Bao Su gulped after seeing the furious expression on her face. Xia Lian hated to be disturbed when examining her patients. And this fellow here was shouting as if the end of the world arrived. Was he truly a man?! Bao Su looked at her and was shocked beyond words. The little girl was perfectly fine and there were no traces of uneasiness on her face all. She didn''t even look pale. Bao Su ,for the first time, felt ashamed of himself, even slightly afraid. Xia Lian chuckled after noticing his gloomy face. Since he was worried about her earlier she decided tofort him a little bit, "I am a doctor and these sights are simply nothing in my eyes. I''ve seen many situations worse than the current one. Don''t take it too hard, because it is only a matter of experience." Although speaking the truth, how could Bao Su understand? At the time they were undergoing training to be a doctor, working on numerous corpses to get used to the smell and not to faint was one thing they slowly got used to. Burnt corpses, bloated corpses, mutted corpses.. what did she not see already? Xia Lian closed the door again before patting him on the shoulder,"Cheer up, we have a lot to do in theing days. And if this can already bring you down, you better return to your prince as soon as possible. But well, what do you think would happen if you returned without me ah?" Chapter 116 - You want to buy them? Chapter 116 - You want to buy them? Bao Su was scared out of his wits at the very instant the fourth prince was mentioned. He steeled his heart and vowed to never show any weakness again for the rest of his life, and followed behind her with a determined expression on his face. Du Weng noticed them returning and he quickly approached them, " Young master Wu, our master decided to auction this new poison on the third day of the next week. On that day, many important people are scheduled to participate in the auction. Is this arrangement ording to your wishes?" " I have no problem." Du Weng breathed out in relief after hearing the kid''s confirmation. Finally no surprises anymore, otherwise his poor heart couldn''t take it. " But, I need to speak with you about another thing." " What is it young master Wu?" The old appraiser broke into a cold sweat again. " I want to buy most of the sick ves in there. I don''t want those who have any history of violence though." Xia Lian was interrupted by the old clown again, " Y-young master.. You want to buy them?" " Yes, is there any problem?" Du Weng shook his head as he knew that he couldn''t knock any sense into this kid. Well, if one wanted to buy them they could as long as they can afford to pay. As a result, there was no need to anger a potential future business partner over a few worthless people. " Young master, I will sort them out as per your orders. I will remove all those with questionable history. And each one costs between 5 to 10 silvers based on their age and other factors. There are about 200 in here. After removing the criminals, the number may reach approximately 100. Let me ask you again, young master are you sure that you want to buy them all?" " Yes, all of them." The rification seemed to be resolute and having received a decisive answer Du Weng nodded in understanding" Then I will proceed with the work." " Furthermore, I need some carriages and some people to transfer the sick into them. I hope you could help me arrange them." Another request was suddenly ced in front of him, but he decided to stay quiet. Actually, the old man simply did not find the courage in his heart to disobey. After concluding the deal, Xia Lian no longer stayed in the auction house and immediately left the ce with Bao Su following closely behind her. On their way they met Fan Ling and her little bunny at a tea shop. After pacifying her little brother with some cuddling, she instructed them to return to the inn, while Xia Lian and Bao Su walked around the streets for a while. " Erm.. Master, where are we going exactly?" Bao Su could not help but ask her. It''s been an hour and they were still wandering aimlessly. " Just follow me. You will know when we go there and don''t ask such silly questions again." Xia Lian''s cold voice made him shut his mouth instantly. The little girl stopped in her tracks after noticing a cloth traders shop. She immediately made her way towards it without any hesitation. One of the shop assistants observed them disdainfully, obviously because of their poor choice of clothing. But he did not say anything on the outside and asked them politely, " Young sir, what are you looking for." " Cotton cloth.. I want huge rolls of cotton cloth." The shop assistant was immediately taken back as soon as he listened to the request, because an entire roll of cotton was indeed quite costly. After the initial shock passed, he kindly reminded them, " Young master, each roll costs about five gold coins. Well, how many rolls do you want." Xia Lian paused for a moment before replying, " I want about 100 rolls." The shop assistants jaw dropped to the floor as he stuttered, " Young master the entire store only possesses only 40 rolls at the moment." " Then pack all of them and tell me where to pay the bill." The little girl spoke while taking the money pouch from her robes. Another young boy led her to the payment counter and everyone watched in awe while this tiny and in kid easily paid about 200 gold coins. " Young master, we can deliver them to your address." the shop owner was extremely polite to them after receiving such a huge business deal. Xia Lian didn''t refuse his gesture of goodwill," Then many thanks to you kind sir. We are searching for a new house. We wille backter to give the address to you." The shopkeeper nodded in understanding and promised to keep their purchases safe. " Well, what are we going to buy next, master?" He simply could notprehend as to why his master went on such arge shopping trip. " We need to buy some pails, gourds and raw cotton." Now it slowly dawned upon him! His master was buying all this equipment for the ves she acquired today. Sigh! Using cotton silk to dress 100 outcasts. Anyone else on this continent would simply dere her as insane! " By the way, get these herbs as quickly as possible and make sure to buy all the herbs avable." Xia Lian handed over a list to him. " You get these herbs and I will get the other things. I need to something and I will bete. Anyways, you go back and don''t wait for me." Bao Su epted unwillingly, because he simply couldn''t disobey her. In the end, he just sighed, " Then, be careful master." Xia Lian nodded and both of them parted ways toplete their respective tasks. Chapter 117 - The Money Tree Chapter 117 - The Money Tree After parting ways, Xia Lian searched around the city for cloth shops and finally managed to purchase another fifty rolls of cotton silk. Therge acquisition of cloth was paired with an equal amount of sacks containing raw cotton. To finish her shopping tour, clothes for men and women were purchased on arge scale and in many different sizes. Obviously, because she brought a whole lot of people back with her she had to provide their needs. She simply can''t leave them after treating their illness. Only after hiring a carriage and loading everything did she rx again. With the release of so many trapped people she not only gained additional manpower for her future goals, but also arge responsibility. Even though they were just filthy ves for other people, her conscience wouldn''t be able to keep up if her people would be mistreated. Because the errands went rtively smooth, she proceeded to buy some fresh vegetables and fruits in addition to other ingredients and utensils required for cooking. After finally finishing everything she needed, Xia Lian risked a nce at the money left in her pouch. Her lips twitched continuously after noticing the pitiful fifty gold,which was the only money in her hand now. Well, now she slowly began to understand the importance of strong finances and that she should start nning to earn more money, as fast as possible. If not for the flirty prince''s grace, she would have been a pauper long ago. Xia Lian sighed aftering to terms with the kind of depressing reality. Never mind, after the auction she might earn a good amount of money. But, she would pay back everything that she borrowed from the flirty prince with interest, of course. That''s the only right thing to do and she couldn''t owe this sly guy a favor over something as easy as money. It was finally time to start her next n after the auction. This would take some time, but she needed to train herself in inner qi before attempting the next goal anyways. " Master.." just when she was immersed deeply in her thoughts a familiar voice caught her off guard and she had to raise her head abruptly. Xia Lian was stunned to see Bao Su in front of her. Why would hee searching for her when she strictly ordered him to return back without returning anymore? As if reading her thoughts, Bao Su immediately started exining," Master, I came here to check if you have enough money or not?" '' Money...'' Xia Lian''s head dropped after hearing that word. Bao Su tried hard not tough after seeing the dark cloud above her head. Sure enough, he heard her say, " How great it would be if we have a money tree. Then I would just sit in home watering it everyday." "Pfft! Master.." Xia Lian furrowed her brows after noticing himugh, and about her if nothing else. But, it only made himugh harder. Afterwards she observed him taking out a golden card and ce it in her hands " You already have the biggest money tree in your hands, no need to fuss about it." " This.." Xia Lian did not find the right words to describe what she was feeling at that moment. " This is the fourth prince''s card. You can use it however you want." No reaction from the other party.. "Master, feel free to use it. Please don''t hesitate.." Bao Su thought that she was too emotional to speak. For many people in this era, a sudden gain in money was hard to understand immediately, and she was only a 12 year old girl at that. Just when he was about to put in some good words about the prince, he heard herugh. Yes,ugh and a creepy one at that. Something he had never seen before. A new side of his master, a evil and dark side. Bao Su silently lit candles for his general ''My lord, you better be careful in future. Mistress is more sly and ck-bellied than you.'' "Fufufu.." Xia Lian had an evil smirk stered across her face, which made him shudder. He was not looking at a little cute girl anymore, but a bottomless pit of evil. He suddenly had a ridiculous thought ''Maybe the Qilin Empire would be sold off by her?!'' " Why would I ever hesitate? I will make sure that I will use this card to the best of my ability." Xia Lian was in an extremely happy mood. Now, she could take care of those 99 odd people and nurse them back to health with proper food and medicine. Good food and medicine needed money and now the world bank was literally in her hands. It was as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. It was time to invest in the future! Nevertheless, she left a tiny, infinitely small thought in the back of her mind to repay back this favour of his a hundred times over. " Master, here are another thousand gold for immediate use." Bao Su handed her another money pouch. " When and where did you draw out this money? And howe you found me so fast?" Xia Lian was truly curious. " Master, don''t worry. I took the money from the bank which is located in Xianzu vige. Don''t worry, the prince will not be able to find our exact location." Xia Lian nodded but now she didn''t have any problem even if the flirty prince knew their location. He was giving her enough space already. No need to be overly insensitive. Furthermore, she didn''t know why, but she believed that he wouldn''t spy on her. He would be at least that smart hehe. " By the way master, my inner qi is quite powerful because the fourth prince personally taught me. It is really not troublesome for me to cover arge distance in a short amount of time." Xia Lian was actually envious of her subordinate now and she felt really bad about it. She immediately requested him, " Teacher Bao, your student is ready to learn manifestation of inner qi as per your instructions." "..." A certain teacher was speechless. After a few moments he smiled helplessly, " Master, we can start training whenever you are ready." Xia Lian grinned happily as she was finally going to learn this formidable ancient martial art skill. Chapter 118 - The First Hospital Chapter 118 - The First Hospital " Master, I''ve found the perfect house to use as our temporary base in the Dark City. You will be definitely satisfied with my choice. " Xia Lian''s smile widened after hearing the good news. Her initial gloomy mood totally disappeared like the wind while her face was bright like a thousand watt bulb within seconds.Having money wasn''t necessary to be happy, but it made life incredibly much easier though. " Let''s go. We need to forget sleep for a few days as it''s going to be busy soon." Bao Su nodded, even though he had no idea about what was going on. Xia Lian repeatedly nodded her head and praised Bao Su after carefully observing their new house. It was so much better than what she thought it would be, as it had many rooms. There was so much space to work with. After the initial shock subsided, Bao Su started to describe the history of this spacious house, " This ce was formerly owned by Wu Gong and this was his first hospital, back in the day. " What a pleasant surprise! Xia Lian never expected that she would stumble across her master''s first hospital. Bao Su continued speaking "After careful search I just couldn''t find a single house big enough to amodate arge number of people, so I went to look for former businesses. I found this property in the afternoon and was surprised for it to be empty, even though it was in such a nice location and due to therge space, the potential for business was unlimited. Later on, I researched about the origin and due to master Wu Gong''s name being a taboo across the continent, no one wanted to invest in his former first hospital." " Master, do you know that Wu Gong''s name is a taboo?" Bao Su asked the question which was bothering him the most. He knew that Wu Gong saved her life, but she needs to know about this. Xia Lian nodded. She was his student, how could she not know? Master Wu Gong''s name was indeed a taboo, but Bao Su only knew that he was Xia Lian''s benefactor and saved her brother before. That was the only reason he dared to make the decision and purchase the property without asking for his masters consent first. But what he didn''t know, was that Wu Gong was the one who taught her everything about poison concoction. Everyone only knew about Wu Gong the godly doctor, but no one knew about his identity as the deadliest poison master of all time. Bao Su had no idea that Xia Lian was his student. If he knew, may be he would not have worried so much in the first ce. After making sure that there are no signs of displeasure on his masters face, he continued his exnation, " Even though this ce is abandoned, this is the only ce which is best for us. So,I immediately purchased it and ordered a thorough cleaning. If we find anything out of ce, we can just renovate the whole ce." Xia Lian finally understood why her master knew so much about the Dark City. It was his first hospital and it must have meant a lot to him, obviously anyone feels the same about their first practice. The best way to repay his teaching and clean his name, was to rebuild his former hospital and bring glory to its name! "No need for any drastic changes." Xia Lian''s face was full of smiles as patted Bao Su on the shoulder, "You''ve found the right ce. Nothing could be more perfect than this." " Thank you.." Xia Lian sincerely thanked him. Now,this was going be her first hospital as well. She wouldn''t change much about the buildings as she found that they are good enough to amodate various patients. Xia Lian examined all the rooms carefully. They were specially built to amodate the sick patients. There were sufficient windows to allow free cirction of fresh air and to allow ample sunlight. Sunlight was very important because she was sure that many of the outcasts were suffering from leg pain due tock of Vitamin D. Then she was in for another surprise, because she noticed that the hospital had many partitions and she decided to turn each partition into a wing for each specialty. It was important to keep a strict system of order. Xia Lian slowly took in all her surroundings of the very huge hospital. What hundred? This hospital could amodate about a thousand people. She now finally recognized the former glory of her master and she was able to figure out his tragic fall. The higher the glory, the deeper and more desperate the fall. Each room was additionally equipped with many wooden beds covered with new quilts. The quilts were new but the wooden beds were pretty old. Bao Su exined to her that he only managed to buy the quilts on time and the beds were already there before he arrived. But those beds, even though old, were not rotten or eaten away by termites. Apparently, someone must have taken care of this ce without anyone knowing about it. Xia Lian truly wanted know her master''s secret admirer. Naturally, she only wanted to thank him or her for taking good care of this ce. Otherwise, it would have been a great pain to rece all these beds and clean up the ce. Nevertheless, she pushed this matter forter because the task to do now was to get ready for treating everyone she freed earlier today. Afterwards she hurriedly visited her little bunny who apparently was fast asleep, with Fan Ling closely guarding him. Motioning Fan Ling to follow her out, Xia Lian exited the room and Fan Ling immediately followed her gently closing the door behind her, without making any unnecessary noise. " I need the both of you to help me in the uing couple of days and be warned, I will not go easy on you guys in the slightest. If you can''t surpass the hurdles of the next days, I will reevaluate your position next to me." Xia Lian spoke sternly while looking at her two subordinates. After receiving a determined conformation from both of them, she started giving out orders. " Bao Su, ce a quail filled with water near each bed." " Fan Ling, cut the cotton silk into several strips vertically. Each strip''s width should be roughly the size of your palm." " Now start the work assigned to you while I visit the patients." She needed to have a close look at everyone to determine what they are suffering from. She then needed to separate them as per their conditions. Those with mild injuries can be left forter, but those in dire or life-threatening situations must be treated first. " M-master.. You are really going to treat them all?" Bao Su asked a totally stupid question. Xia Lian and Fan Ling stared at him with an expression of, '' It''s so obvious! And are you really that stupid to ask such a foolish question after preparing so much to receive them afterwards?'' In the end, he could only rub his nose in embarrassment and clear his throat while hurrying away to start his work. Fan Ling also followed suit, full of determination to not disappoint her master. Chapter 119 - Doctor Hunt Chapter 119 - Doctor Hunt Xia Lian crouched in front of the first male patient who seemed to be around forty years old. He had a wary look in his eyes while he started to move backward as if to avoid her. Xia Lian didn''t move any further and spoke with a gentle voice " Calm down, please. I will not hurt you. I am here to free you from this endless suffering and cure your illness." The frail man visibly rxed, one could ever see a glimmer of hope in his eyes, that felt lifeless before. After giving him some time to adapt to the new situation, she spoke up again, " I am a doctor, let me examine your body carefully. Nothing will happen to me or you. I give you my word!" He remained silent, and taking his silence as confirmation Xia Lian started observing his eyes and his body. Due to being highly serious while examining, the little girl didn''t notice the tant confusion of the patient. Why would such an elegant and delicate young boy waste any time to treat someone useless like him? The cruelty of this world long robbed him of any kind of charity, but what use was staying vignt anyways. He would just be freed of his suffering a few days faster. The decision was made rather quickly, let''s just pray for thest time. Meanwhile the little doctor examined a character closely which has been carved deep into his body. The man noticed her gaze and patiently exined the circ.u.mstances, " They ce a different marking on everyone, it is a way of removing thest hope of us and states that we cannot be used as an ordinary ves anymore and we basically belong to them. We are just waiting to die here. This marking seals or fate in this ce." Xia Lian was infuriated inside but calmly nodded in understanding. The best way to gain the trust of these hopeless people was to stay as emotionless as possible. No one in this cage would believe you if you turned angry for their sake. It would seem like ying an act in front of them and receive nothing but additional distrust. Afterwards she made her way towards the table where a book and a ink stone were present. While grinding the ink slowly she made mental notes about the condition and the possible treatment methods for the first patient. It had to be extraordinarily sessful, for the future patients to gain trust in her. After grinding for a while with great difficulty, she started to note down her first patient''s condition ording to her practice from the modern world. Not many people would truly understand her notes. It could be considered an additional safeguard for all the information about her future loyal followers. The character on his shoulder served as primary identification name. It was definitely the easiest way of identifying them because she didn''t know their names, or if they even possessed one in this hell. A list of her observations, containing all sorts of illnesses like broken ribs, fractured hands and many more minor injuries, was finished after writing for a few minutes. Since the examination of her first patient was finished sessfully Xia Lian proceeded to her next patient and again, she ended up sitting at the table while noting down her observations. This seemingly endless process continued for a long time, without anyone disturbing her at all. After nearly losing track of time, the repetition of steps was finally interrupted by a familiar melody. " Master, can I do anything? I''ve finished my work already." Bao Su reported to her with a hint of pride contained in his voice, which prompted Xia Lian to chuckle slightly. After contemting for a while the little girl expectantly looked up to him," Yes, there''s indeed something I need you to do, and the faster the better." " What is it, master? Your loyal subordinate will obey!" " I need you to assemble those who are familiar with medicine. I can''t possibly treat all of them by myself. The sheer amount of work is simply too much for me. Nursing someone back to health doesn''t require my personal time. Therefore, go around the city and request any qualified doctor to help us. Tell them that there are lot of injured people here. For the time being, don''t promise them any big reward." Actually, Xia Lian had another purpose. It was indeed true, she needed help, but what she also wanted to know the attitude of doctors in the Dark City. Would anyonee to help, simply because they possessed the heart of a doctor, or turn a blind eye to this matter? Well, she had to wait and see for the time being. Xia Lian resumed her work after Bao Su took his leave. It took almost an three hours for Xia Lian to make a detailed analysis for all the people there. There were young and old, men and women and overall, people of many different groups were present. The youngest being ten and the oldest being about sixty. So many different injuries and treatment methods would require a lot of work. But when thinking about the smiles of the people, formerly despairing in hell, and possibly gaining theplete loyalty of all of them, she deemed her actions well worth it. The patients were divided into various groups. It was not possible topletely unify the different illnesses, but at least a general differentiation was possible. " Fan Ling!" Xia Lian called out loudly, resulting in a certain girl throwing away everything in her path and rush towards her master. " Master..." she was greeted by a paper and a person too busy to even look up to her, "Divide them into groups, exactly like I mentioned in this paper. Allot a separate room for each group. Don''t make any mistakes, the health of our people is at stake." Fan Ling nodded seriously and started to move them as per the instructions given to her. Subsequently Xia Lian made her way to the room where all her herbs and equipment were located. She looked around the room and rolled up her sleeves, mentally preparing herself for a long working session. Meanwhile in the Dark City streets, " I told you already, we won''t be treating those filthy and sick people. We don''t want to get their diseases by staying too close to them." Bao Su forced a polite smile and left from the ce at the very first chance. Otherwise, he was truly afraid that he would squash all those noisy flies. How dare they turn down his master''s request! Additionally, this is not the first hospital which straight up rejected their request. Many of them shut the doors on his face without even giving him a chance to speak. Some had the basic courtesy to listen first and then turn him down, mostly not very polite anymore. This doctor hunt is turning out to be more difficult than expected. The shadow guard sighed while he observed his surroundings helplessly. He almost went through every street and was pretty afraid that there were no longer any doctors left to ask. A short collection of ideas granted him with a new stroke of inspiration: ''Why not simply ask themon people, if there is any doctor around the Dark City that is treating the poor?'' " Mister, do you know of any doctors who are willing to treat the poor?" Bao Su asked a man in the tea shop. " Oh! That''s easy to tell. There is only one man living within the Dark City, who is willing to treat everyone, no matter how much money you can afford. He''s such a good soul!" the man didn''t think twice before answering him passionately. " Really! Then tell me who is he and where does he live?" Chapter 120 - He Chun and Twins Chapter 120 - He Chun and Twins " It''s Doctor He and there is a pair of twins by his side all the time." The man in the tea shop exined, while relishing on the steam bun. " They are the only ones who are willing to treatmoners like us. It is truly fortunate for the people of the Dark City." "Furthermore, they live in a rather normal ce. But let me warn you beforehand, don''t make wrong assumptions based on their normal clothing. Themon masses respect them for their skills. If they wanted to, they could live like any other rich doctor in the city, don''t look down on them!" His gentle attitude turned to a defending one and he gazed at Bao Su while speaking in a threatening tone, " You look quite rich. If we hear that you disrespected them in anyway, then be prepared for the consequences. Doctor He is the only one that cares about us and themon people of the Dark City will always be loyal to him." Bao Su was surprised definitely surprised after witnessing his protectiveness. The man''s attitude was rather straightforward and impressive and it left Bao Su already with a faint idea about the Doctor in question. He must be a truly remarkable man and his skills must not be shabby either. Most importantly though, his character seemed to fit well with his master. In the group of mirages, he finally found an oasis. And this was hisst hope of finding a doctor to assist them with their hospital. Therefore, he immediately exined to the man in a calm way, " We have about a hundred sick people. We are looking for some doctors to assist us. But, all the doctors drove me away and not even a single one is willing to help us at all. That is the sole reason I urgently need to talk with this Doctor He!" After careful contemtion the customer assessed that Bao Su was indeed telling the truth, his sincerity was not faked. Nheless, there was still room for confusion, so he questioned again, " Don''t tell me that you are a doctor.You don''t look like one. How were you supposed to treat anyone in the first ce?" " Of course not. My master is the doctor and I am only his guard. While I am desperately searching for aid, he is already treating the people at our ce." Bao Su immediately spoke up patiently. The man stopped eating and pondered for a while before speaking in the end, " Since it''s for a good cause, I will personally take you to Doctor He Chun. He will definitely ept your request, as long as you are respectful and speak with a sincere heart." Bao Su smiled in relief and thanked the man profoundly. This was indeed the fastest way to quickly find a passable doctor and aplish the goal of his mission. Bao Su carried the man on his back ,using his qing qong, while the man pointed out the directions in front of him. Due to his earnest attitude, he finallypletely convinced the middle aged man of his intention. The doctor lived in a rather secluded ce, but because of Bao Su''s abilities they reached in front of the ''clinic'' rather quickly. Bao Su could not help but be taken aback after witnessing the simple and deste house in the midst of wilderness personally. The house, well not a house but a straw hut to be exact, was rather big and simr to the crude lifestyle formerly described. Bao Su mind contained only a single thought at the moment and he wasn''t able to hold back for long, so he put his assumption into words to satisfy his curiosity. "Did this man never charge you any money at all? Not even once?" " Yes,he never charged money. Doctor He is a great person, don''t you think the same?" Bao Su nodded quickly because he didn''t want to disappoint the excited man in front of him. In his eyes, only his master is the greatest! After looking at the hut before them, anyone could understand that this man must be treating free of cost. But, how on earth did this man survive all this time? He must be surviving with the help of wild fruits and some gifts of the people he treated! While all sorts of thoughts kept running through his mind, the man already went forward and knocked on the door. Afterpleting his task, he took a few steps back and waited patiently for the doctor to open. After a few moments, the door was indeed opened and a young man with refined features stepped outside. His hair was tied into a tight bun and a simple jade hair pin supported it. The long and loose robes made him look like a well educated man. All-in-all , he had the appearance of an attractive schr. " He is He Chun, the doctor I spoke of." the man whispered in Bao Su''s ears. " Shun, what is the issue? Is anyone not feeling well?" He Chun asked while looking at Bao Su, " And who is this?" He Chun had a warm expression on his face and his voice sounded like the breeze caressing one''s heart and one could not help but feel rxed after listening to his melodious voice. " Brother He, who came at this hour?" Two teenagers, about 15 years old, stepped outside with curious expression on their faces. ''Quite obviously, these are the identical twins. Truly not an understatement.'' Bao Su thought to himself. " Greetings, Doctor He Chun." Bao Su bowed slightly and He Chun nodded at him in response, " Well, is there any problem that needs my attention?" " The truth is Doctor, I came here today to request for your help on a special task." After confirming that He Chun was listening attentively Bao Su continued, " We have about a hundred sick people at our residence. Our master cannot possibly cure everyone only by himself. Therefore, if you could help us we would deeply appreciate it." " A hundred sick people?" He Chun frowned, " Did an epidemic break out?" " No Doctor, nothing problematic like that. The thing is, they are all ves from the ck Dragon Auction House." Bao Su sighed, " And they are in a pretty bad condition. I am here in order to request your help on their behalf. For the sake of those innocent people, doctor are you willing to help us?" Bao Su could not waste his time here any longer. His master must be expecting him by now. If this person also rejected them, then he would have to think about another way to effectively help his master, so he waited rather anxiously for the reply. " Yes, I am willing to help you." He Chun''s words prompted Bao Su to sigh in relief. " And I think it''s best if we leave now. We cannot leave the sick unattended for a long time." After saying his part, he turned towards the twins behind him, obviously implicating something with just his look. They immediately understood as they rushed into the hut to get their equipment ready. After a moment, the twins returned with a rather simple box and He Chun received it from them. "Let''s get going then." The doctor seemed definitely time efficient when it was rted to treating patients in need. Bao Su calmly observed the twins who wereing along with them, doubt obviously visible on his face. He Chun noticed his changed expression and he cleared the situation, " They also know the basics of medical practices. They will be helpful. I promise they won''t be in the way of treating the patients." Bao Su felt that this was also considered good fortune for his master, to relieve her of some burden. Therefore, he did not probe any further into the matter. Instead he asked attentively, " Doctor, is it ok if I carry you? I fear we can''t dy any further." He Chun nodded , naturally very understanding of the seriousness of the situation, and Bao Su cast a single nce at the twins. But, the twins beat him to a response before he could even speak, " We know qing qong. So, we will just follow you. Don''t worry about us!" Bao Su nodded and went forward to carry the doctor before leaping in the air. He instantly sped up to reunite with his master and finish his mission. The twins closely followed them closely. Chapter 121 - Miracles of Medicine (1) Chapter 121 - Miracles of Medicine (1) Initially, He Chun and the twins did not think too deeply about where exactly they were heading to. Nevertheless, afternding on the ground, He Chun was surprised to see a famous building in front of him. How could he not know the very first hospital, which helped save the lives of many. It was a mysterious event a few years ago and no one really knew what happened back, then but the godly doctor Wu Gong disappeared all of a sudden. In a short amount of time the once majestic building turned out empty and deste. He didn''t expect that someone would actually open it after all this time. Over the course of thest couple of years, everyone was scared away by the past and the current Medical Association. " Did your master reopen this ce?" He Chun asked for confirmation. " Yes, I think he is probably treating the patients now. We should go inside and support him to the best of our abilities." Bao Su spoke while gesturing them to follow him inside. He Chun and the twins followed him quietly. The young doctor was already familiar with this ce because he once visited it in his teenage years. It could be considered a pilgrimage, in honor of the most famous and mysterious doctor in history. But on the other hand, for the twins it was their first time seeing this ce up closely. Naturally, they were very curious and observed everything around them, taking in most of their surroundings. They never witnessed such detailed partitions in a hospital and they also noticed that some of the rooms were already upied with the sick people. Contrary to their expectations, no one was still filthy, not like any other ve of the ck Dragon Auction House, and it appeared that they were cleaned well before starting treatments. Most patients were changed into simple cotton robes already. Seeing the clean attire of the patients, He Chun could only nod in satisfaction. Honestly, cleanliness was the important point to avoid future infections. This unknown doctor at least followed the basic rule very well, which many others unfortunately neglected, even though it was such a simple method to increase the health of the patients. Therefore, he had to admit to already have a decent impression of his future colleague. Afterwards they slowly entered into a huge room and noticed that some of the patients were wrapped up in thick bandages. He Chun noticed the neatly wrapped bandages, nearly radiating with perfection, and he was surprised and astonished that someone could wrap up the bandages in such a superb way. Just for this skill alone, it would already be well worth it to discuss medicine with him for a while. This opportunity seemed to be more than just a short term work rtionship. " Fan Ling, cotton.." Everyone made their way towards the source of the sound. The picture that spread out in front of them was something they would never forget for the rest of their lives and it captured their hearts within seconds. When asked after dozens of years, about the most precious memory, they would immediately answer with this very moment. A qualitative leap in medical knowledge was right in front of them, they only had to take the chance. A petite person dressed in a weird white dress over the main robes was working without stopping, nor did he notice the new people in his surroundings. Additionally, there was some weird kind of cloth on his hands, which did not seem to restrict the precise movements of his fingers. The poor fellows, it was their first time seeing gloves, and it left them bbergasted for seconds. Nheless, what attracted them the most was the concentrated expression on the youngd''s face. Nothing seemed to catch his eyes while working wonders with his hands as he was sewing the wound. He Chun never imagined that the specialist he was going to meet would surpass even his wildest dream. Let''s not talk about his superior skill in medicine, he appeared to be at least a decade younger than he himself. But, this made the admiration in his heart grow even stronger. Though he was not yet sure about the kid''s overall skill in every aspect of medicine, being able to manage all this on his own was not an easy thing to aplish already. Xia Lian waspletely unaware of the situation, or that these people were observing her closely. She waspletely involved in treating the man in front of her. He Chun and others slowly made their way towards her back and stood behind quietly, because they were highly afraid to disturb the kid''s work. Everyone observed Xia Lian clean the wounds using a weird green liquid. Additionally she sprinkled some herbal powder and started to wrap the wound carefully. Afterwards the little girl proceeded to touch his arms and the man let out a cry of pain. His expression was getting worse by the second. In response, Xia Lian took out a dart filled with her own anesthetic liquid and quickly injected him in the hand, directly into a blood vessel. After a few moments she checked the situation again and asked the man calmly, while touching his hands, " Do you still feel any pain?" The man shook his head in a daze because he was amazed by this doctor in front of him. He didn''t know what kind of magical liquid was used on him, but he did not feel pain anymore. It was simply a miracle. Xia Lian looked at Fan Ling ,who immediately prepared a new pair of wooden sticks and fresh bandages and ced it carefully around the man''s arms. In a short amount of time the little girl very skillfully wrapped the bandages around the arms ,with Fan Ling supporting the branches with her hands. The patient looked at Xia Lian with gratitude filling his eyes and was about to get up when she sternly rebuked him, " Lie down and rest well. After you recoverpletely you can do or speak anything. I won''t run away, don''t worry." While already having her eyes on the next patient, she swiftly turned away. The situation was slightly awkward, because his master apparently didn''t notice them. Bao Su coughed a few times, finally gaining her attention. But in the end, she just ignored them and turned to Fan Ling, " Clean all my needles and scalpels in hot water. I will resume after a while." Xia Lian removed her gloves, revealing her small hands that were full of glistening sweat, and threw it in the wooden basket, kept separately for wastes. Everyone noticed that the basket was filled with bloody gloves, cotton which was used for cleaning etc.. Before engaging in a conversation, the little girl carried the basket outside and even after returning, she first thoroughly cleaned her hands, before greeting her guests. He Chun observed thed''s treatment procedures earlier and he was now fully convinced that his skill in medicine was more advanced than even himself. Furthermore, he had a faint feeling that there was more to learn, than he caught with his eyes. " My apologies for not greeting you earlier." Xia Lian apologized with a humble attitude, because it was indeed rude to let them wait for such a long time. " You are doing what a doctor should do. No need to apologise. We are here due to the request of your guard, in order to help you with your patients." He Chun smiled slightly while he admired this kid''s conduct. After receiving such a generous reply, the little girl already ssified the refined man in front of her as a good nurtured soul and considered epting them into her hospital, provided they were skilled enough. After contemting for a few seconds she finally made a decision. Chapter 122 - Miracles of Medicine (2) Chapter 122 - Miracles of Medicine (2) " Thank you so much foring forward to help us in our time of need." However, He Chun only shook his head instead of epting additional praise, " It''s my duty as a doctor. There is nothing to thank me for." '' This man is really quite special.'' Xia Lian smiled in her heart. Giving everyone some time to adjust to the situation, she continued to ask them " So, is everyone of you a doctor?" " No, we both are his apprentices. We can do basic things like cleaning and bandaging. Master He Chun is the professional doctor here." One of the twins spoke up. Xia Lian nodded, showing her understanding, and went straight to business, "Pleasee with me." Everyone expectantly followed her into a room filled with various medical supplies. They stared with wide eyes because it was definitely their first time seeing something this marvelous. They could roughly guess some of the functions for some objects, but not for certain. The room was filled withbeled drawers, on the first nce it seemed messy. But after noticing the system behind the differentbels, it started to make sense. Either way, after inspecting everything slowly, a huge amount of different pulvers and pills were presented to them. Just what kind of effort was behind creating such mysterious medicine? The little girl regained her efficient work attitude and instantly handed a new task to the twins. " I need both of you to help me in dressing the wounded. First clean the wounds with wet cotton and afterwards use this liquid for disinfecting." Xia Lian handed over a huge porcin jar to them, which they treated with extreme care as if it was their favourite treasure. " Before closing everything, sprinkle this powder over the wounded area. I assume you are already efficient in using bandages to wrap the wound." The twins nodded excitedly while receiving the powder in their hands. "By the way, do you know how to deal with minor fractures?" This was the thing that Xia Lian wanted to know the most. Many of the cases were of either broken ribs or broken arms. She would take care of those with broken ribs personally, but those with broken arms were simply too many. She already treated a few of them and there were still plenty of them waiting to be treated. It was truly troublesome, because she needed her energy and concentration for the heavy injuries, or difficult to treat illnesses. " I can deal with minor fractures. But only if it is not tooplicated." The silent one of the twins spoke up. Xia Lian smiled with relief, " Give me your hand. I will show you an effective way to treat the patients." The boy obediently lifted his hand and Xia Lian pulled his sleeves back. Afterwards she squeezed the area near the wrists till the nerves started showing up. While receiving his full concentration, she pointed out," When you are dealing with fractures use the darts and inject one of them into this nerve. They are anesthetics. The liquid contained in them, will temporarily relief the patient from any pain. It will make your job much easier." She crouched down and did the same for his legs and showed him the exact nerves that should be injected. The little girl didn''t even have a moment of hesitation while she was doing these ambitious movements and He Chun couldn''t help but admire thisd even more. He always believed that he would be the only one crazy about medicine, but at this moment a new realisation struck him. His opposition was aplete medicine maniac. Meanwhile, in a secluded corner of the room, Bao Su was facing the cold stone wall, with bitter tears in his eyes. The moment Xia Lian started touching the shy teenager upside down, he realised his terrifying mistake. Burying his face deep into his palms, he was secretly praying to every deity he ever heard of. ''God! Please make sure that the fourth prince will never find out about this day. If he would see his wife touching other men so casually, this hospital would definitely turn into a graveyard.'' His prayer was finished, but the imagination of his fate, would anyone of the royal family know about this, left him with a deep fear imprinted in his soul. In the pce, a certain prince sneezed suddenly. He spoke in glee, " I think my wifey is thinking about me. With Bao Su by her side, the only male person in her dreams will definitely be me. Truly a wise decision to gift her my best shadow guard ah!" Jun Moyin looked at his big brother with disdain, " She must be cursing you into oblivion. Bro, snap out of your sweet dreams. I bet she wouldn''t need a single day to turn your brutal shadow guard into an obedient puppy hehe. As if my awesome sister-inw could be controlled by something this trivial." Xuan Li Wei red at him for a moment before turning back to resume his work, but a lingering fear was installed in his heart at this moment. After giving the twins the list of patients they should take care of, Xia Lian shifted her focus towards He Chun. He didn''t know why, but he felt nervous, even a slight pressure, under the kid''s gaze. Even though he was always self confident, the examination of this master of medicine left him in an ufortable situation, as if his skills he worked all his life for, were just trivial. " Sir, do you know about the stitching of wounds?" Xia Lian spoke with a slightly respectful tone with this man, who seemed to be in histe twenties. " Hm." He Chun nodded making Xia Lian smile again, "Alright. Sir are you interested to assist me in surgeries?" " Surgeries?" He Chun was extremely stunned because he did not expect that this kid even knew about surgeries, much less how to perform them. How old was he? 12 or 13?! Truly a miracle. The passionate doctor could not help but imagine what his prowess would be like after a few years. The only person who knew about surgeries was Wu Gong. How did this kid know? Losing to his curiosity, He Chun could not help but asked, " Who exactly are you?" " Oh! You can address me by the name Wu.." Xia Lian smiled " and I am the student of the godly doctor Wu Gong." As a result of this seemingly trivial statement, He Chun was frozen on the spot. A random thought proved to be the truth, no matter how unlikely it seemed. No wonder this kid bought this ce without caring about the rest of the world. It definitely needed a lot of guts to reopen this hospital and soon he would have to face them. The association and individuals aiming for this teenager would be unrelenting until everything was destroyed. A slight sense of pity was spreading all over his face, just after thinking about it for a few seconds. Due to noticing the obvious worry on his face, Xia Lian shed a confident smile, " I am prepared to face everything and anything. I am deeply grateful for your considerations, but please don''t worry about me or the future of this hospital." While clearing up his confusions, Xia Lian led him into a room which contained about ten patients. These were the cases that required immediate surgery. She already performed preliminary first aid to stop their bleeding and prevent their conditions from worsening into an incurable state. In order to prepare for the surgery she let Bao Su carry the first patient carefully into the operating room. The first patient was chosen, purely on the need of surgery. The more critical the situation, the faster the surgery was nned. The operating room was constructed in a way that allowed clear sunlight to flood the entire chamber. No doctor could wish for better circ.u.mstances to perform a surgery. Xia Lian handed over a cloth mask to her new assistant and instructed him to put it on. Afterwards she scrubbed her hands with a herbal paste. He Chun followed suit and did not even try to ask many questions. His concentration nearly hit the limit, because he was eager to learn new techniques from this mysterious teenager. Chapter 123 - Miracles of Medicine (3) Chapter 123 - Miracles of Medicine (3) Xia Lian patiently exined the names and usage possibilities of all the instruments, which were entirely new to him. He Chun was already quite clever and adapt in medicine, therefore he managed to remember all the names after only hearing them once, at most twice. Xia Lian was honestly impressed by this refined man. Not only was he smart and attentive, but also possessed a pure soul for caring about all the poor people in this world. Having an intelligent partner to work with was going to make everything so much easier in the future. The little girl was slowly integrating her new acquaintance into her further goals, without even noticing. Xia Lian and He Chun entered the operation room fully equipped with gloves and a mask. It already resembled a scene from the modern world. He Chun was definitely a lot taller than the little girl, so he chose to refrain from wearing a small white apron, like what Xia Lian was wearing, and entered the room in his original attire. After entering and preparing mentally for a surgery, Xia Lian''s demeanour turnedpletely serious and He Chun naturally followed suit. A small report was already waiting for them next to the operating table. Every major surgery was doc.u.mented, because a solid foundation for the credibility of the new hospital was built on the little details. He Chun curiously nced at the report from behind the thin shoulders shoulders, but it was written in anguage which seemedpletely foreign to him and even the characters seemed to be written horizontally, rather than vertically. Although he was indeed curious, but being a good doctor, in his point of view, also included respecting the privacy of each individual. Keeping every treatment he ever did a secret could be considered his honor of a doctor. Unknowingly, the first part of the modern doctor vow was already integrated in his mindset. Well for the time being he would not care about such trivial things, rather learning about new techniques and absorbing knowledge. "Well, let''s begin the treatment." Xia Lian spoke with her eyes still glued on her report. " Hmm." He Chun confirmed her intentions with a simple nod. " Anesthesia." He Chun immediately took out a dart ,which Xia Lian prepared earlier, and injected it into the man lying the bed. After waiting for the effect to kick in, the little girl ced the report in her hands on the table and He Chun immediately handed over a scalpel to her. Both of them were doctors and they didn''t need any unnecessary words between them. Without even finishing their first operation as a team, they already possessed a tacit understanding of each other, a truly lucky circ.u.mstance. Having good teamwork couldn''t be any better right now, because they started with the most serious case in the beginning. The patient had many broken ribs and heined about acute pain in the chest area which made Xia Lian drop all her work instantly and rush him inside. It was definitely the case of a STEMI heart attack. She already gave him the basic first aid to improve the blood flow in his chest. Unfortunately, due to theck of equipment, she was unable to carry out oxygen treatment and she did not have the ECG readings as well. For the first time Xia Lian felt truly frustrated after arriving in this unknown world. Knowing that with the correct equipment she could surely safe this person right in front of her, but not being able to change those facts was driving her nearly insane. Nheless, she couldn''t change the current predicament or get angry about it, for the patients sake. In the end she decided to opt for the surgery, as thest possible lifeline. If she was careful enough, then the chances of saving this person would increase significantly. Calming herself down, she took a deep breath and brought the scalpel to his chest. By this time the man on the bed was naturally deep asleep. Every movement needed to be absolutely precise, one wrong movement and the person would die in her hands. While Xia Lian was weighing the pros and cons and using all her expertise to save her patient, He Chun observed her movements carefully. He only read about surgery, but he never saw someone do it. Honestly, at the start, he was highly skeptical when this kid casually mentioned that he would perform a surgery in front of him. He really couldn''t believe that this kid would be able to do it, and didn''t even have any problem with passing down this highly confidential knowledge to an outsider.Nevertheless, now he had to admit it, no matter how unlikely it seemed. A newfound respect for this young boy, whopletely shook his heart to the core, evolved. " Forceps." He Chun handed over a forceps with cotton and Xia Lian received it without lifting her head. Currently, she possessed no equipment that could help her deal with sudden emergencies. The only chance was to focus 100% on sess and avoid any furtherplications. The only truth in this moment, a single mistake would cause death. It was a tense situation, but even as an assistant He Chun learnt many things, simply by observing her. But when he witnessed the kid recing the damaged heart valve with the patient''s own flesh, his head kept spinning. He never expected that such wondrous things could be done, this was like a transntation. No matter how curious he was, he could only shut his mouth and endure. A slight disturbance could ruin all the previous effort and even cost a life. He Chun admired the skillful hands of this kid, when he started to sew the chest back to its previous shape. The serious demeanor and calmness that radiated from such a small human being awoke feelings inside him, he never dreamt of having. It was slowly turning from pure admiration to the level of worship. After finishing the operation, Xia Lian and He Chun cleaned their hands thoroughly and started to get ready for the next one, as if the high pressure situation never happened in the first ce. Fan Ling was tasked to take care of the previous patient and deal with the aftercare. He must be under thorough observation, because every transntation had high risks ofplications. For now, she had other patients to take care of, so she instructed Fan Ling to report to her immediately if anything seemed out of the norm. The following cases were a piece of cake for Xia Lian and she even allowed the twins to watch her treatment. They consisted mainly of cases which required simple suturing, or setting of bones inplex fractures and a few ointments were used to improve them in a short amount of time. Sometimes the twins gave in to the excitement and asked a few questions. The little girl patiently exined everything and as a result, even the two teenagers changed their attitude into something akin to worship. Someone even younger than them possessed knowledge and skills way bigger than even their master, how should they even feel. By the time Xia Lianpleted all the treatments, He Chun and the two twins werepletely dazed and followed her absentmindedly. After noticing her master enter the room, Fan Ling immediately stood up and greeted her respectfully. A weak nod was all the little girl could manage as a response and she just plopped onto the chair beside the heart patient. Damn! These continuous surgeries surely took a toll on her for the day! Nevertheless, she had another matter to take care of. She rubbed her temples as she instructed Fan Ling, " Go and the cut the vegetables. I will join you after I rested for a while. We need to prepare the food before everyone starts waking up. It is crucial for their health to eat after going through all of this stress." Fan Ling immediately left the room to begin her task. Her three assistants simply waited by her side and enjoyed a period of rest to slowly realise what they experienced during the day. " Erm. Excuse me sir." Xia Lian turned to look towards the active one of the twins standing in front of her. " What is it?" Xia Lian raised her brows. " If you are ok with it, I can bring some people to help us in cooking and other stuff.." the twin spoke rather nervously after noticing Xia Lian''s indifferent expression, " You are working like a donkey and you honestly need some rest." Chapter 124 - In times of need Chapter 124 - In times of need '' Donkey???!'' Everyone in the room looked at this kid as if he was an idiot. Xia Lian''s lips noticeably twitched, but in the end all she did say was, " I would obviously love to get some help." The twin patted his chest proudly and dered " Honorable doctor, I will be back in a moment. With us twins here, you can be at ease. You just take a rest!" The other twin had a gloomy face though, since when did he get involved?! Whereas He Chun cried silent tears due to his apprentice behaving like a puppy wagging its tail in front of this young kid. '' Who exactly is this fellow''s master?'' he could not help but think, but didn''t reject their proposal. Before Xia Lian could even think about the possibility of asking them about their names, the boy in front of her dragged the other one and soared into air, disappearing from the sight immediately. " I will go check on the other patients. Please excuse me." He Chun also left the room to allow the kid to get some rest. '' Holy f*ck.. I didn''t even ask their names?'' Xia Lian facepalmed after realising her own folly. Then again, she convinced herself that she could have a chat with themter on and continued to observe the patient''s condition closely. The little girl continued to check the man''s pulse and body temperature to make sure that nothing was wrong with him. She performed this surgery even though the sess rate was low without the modern equipment avable. It was like a big gamble, but the man would have surely died if she didn''t try. Such a difficult surgery, a heart valve recement at that, was always apanied by major risks. Maintaining her vignce even after working all day was truly difficult though. Noticing that her master was not sleeping at all despite all the effort she put into saving so many people, Fan Ling felt heavy in her heart. She knew that she could not persuade her anyways, and the only chance of sess would be looking for the one single person she ever met to win over her master in a discussion. After sending that ominous person into her master''s room, Fan Ling went back toplete her work of cutting vegetables with an expectant expression. " Big brother." Xia Lian immediately turned back out of surprise, only to see her little bunny with a wronged expression on his face. She immediately felt guilty for neglecting this kid, even though she was busy with all her work she should make time for her family. Getting down on her knees and slowly hugging the little boy, she began coaxing him to the best of her abilities, " Ming, your brother is busy in treating all these brothers and sisters." Xia Ming naturally saw many people who were happily sleeping. Oh, they were injured? The little bun''s face had a concerned expression. "Brother, so they are hurt.. I thought that they are just sleeping." Xia Lian couldn''t help but be proud of this kid. She only mentioned about the situation of her disguising as a man a single time, but he already remembered it so well. Generally, kids at this age forget such things easily. It seems her bunny was already a little different. She had to start thinking about his future education. '' Hmm.. Different?'' Xia Lian questioned herself, '' No, he''s just special.'' her heart answered her stupid question. " Well, before they are badly hurt but now I treated them. Therefore, they won''t feel pain anymore." Xia Lian chuckled " They are really sleeping." " Oh! Then you should sleep. Come, let''s sleep.!" Xia Ming started dragging her hand. Although slightly reluctant, Xia Lian very patiently exined, " Ming, be good. This uncle is sleeping. I need to take care of him, he is the one who was the most injured." Noticing his sisters ufortable expression, the little bunny stopped speaking for a while. After some contemtion, he carefully observed the man on the bed closely again. Even though he was afraid of his sister overworking, a life was at risk at the moment. While having the death of the patient in mind he gradually calmed down and left the room, although slightly hesitant, towards brother Fan Ling, repeatedly assuring himself that his sister woulde to him after taking care of everyone. Xia Lian watched her little bunny in amus.e.m.e.nt. She had to admit, those mature and thoughtful reactions really touched her heart. Showing such a huge understanding for his sister''s problems at such a young age was truly remarkable. He even refrained from the typical nagging of a small child, because he didn''t want to trouble her any further. " Ming." the little bunny tilted his head to look at this ''brother'', " Come here." Xia Lian stretched out her arms and the little bunny immediately ran into her arms with a huge smile on his face. " Sleep for a while, I will wake you up." Contrary to her expectations, Xia Ming shook his head, " I am not sleepy. Well, big brother I have some questions for you!" " Oh!" While noticing his sparkling eyes she showed a surprised reactions. Afterwards, he started to ask her about the bandages and whatever that came to his mind. The little girl was actually very tired, but all her exhaustion disappeared due to the little one''s liveliness. It was like a potent drug that induced her deeply with happiness and she was just really satisfied while hugging this warm dumpling in her arms. " Master!" Bao Su''s excited voice interrupted their lively chatter. " What is it uncle?" Bao Su almost stumbled after hearing the little boy call him uncle. What uncle!? He is just a hot-blooded man ah! While being at the prime of his life, with a handsome body full of vitality, he was titled like this by a little brat. Unfortunately, disagreeing right now would inflict him with the fury of his little master ah! " Call me big brother.." Bao Su spoke up, with a gloomy expression on his face. However, Xia Ming simply rolled his eyes, " I have only two brothers, big brother and brother Fan. You are and forever will be my uncle hehe." The poor shadow guard bit his lip and calmed himself, although reluctantly. Xia Lian was truly satisfied with her little bunny. He was learning fast how to tease people and the best part, all his knowledge came straight from her hehe. Being high spirited as a result, she decided to stop teasing poor Bao Su for a while. If he knew about her thoughts, he would probably go back to the fourth prince, spilling all the beans to find himself a peaceful death ah! " What important event is happening that gave you the impudence to charge into this room like that?" Even though she refrained from teasing him, tantly breaking a rule set by her personally needed a strict warning. Although embarrassed and feeling slightly guilty about his failure of following the rules, Bao Su was way too excited to listen to her speech. He quickly wanted to inform his master of the special event! After remembering the reason for his earlier excitement, Bao Su''s face lit up again and he nearly shouted, " Master, the twins have arrived!" Chapter 125 - Charming young master Chapter 125 - Charming young master ''Why did they arrive this fast?'' Xia Lian went outside with many doubts on her mind. Four middle aged women were already waiting for her. After noticing her arrival, the twins immediately spoke up, " Doctor Wu, thesedies here will help us with the cooking. You can rest easy now." Then they shed a smile at her, " Many more are already on their way here. As you already mentioned, meals are really important for the health of the exhausted patients. I am sure that the quality and quantity of the food will not disappoint you in the slightest, don''t you worry." " Also, brother Bao Su and we both will make trips to bring the people here faster. Doctor Wu, just you wait and see. You will be pleasantly surprisedter." the cheerful one winked his eyes at her. Xia Lian simply rolled her eyes and ignored their words. She then red at Bao Su. When she heard the line '' The twins are back..'' she expected a mini army of people. She had to say that she was truly disappointed by this shadow guard of hers. Getting over excited for little things. Bao Su lowered his head in shame on seeing his master''s displeased expression. Even he didn''t know why he is bing like this.. He was not like this when he followed the fourth prince ah! Well, he had to maintain a poker face before the fourth prince. But before Xia Lian he started to bare his true feeling in the open without any fear. Xia Lian sighed on seeing her silly shadow guard and she did not have the heart to scold him. She was truly grateful to the twins for their help. So, she smiled at them before speaking " Thank you so much for your help. Any additional manpower is weed. And Bao Su will join you in a while. So, please wait for a few moments." " I will join you in the kitchen as well. An extra pair of hands will always be helpful." Xia Lian spoke to the women while pointing towards Bao Su, " He will take you to the cooking area. I will be following you in a moment. And thank you so much foring to help us." Xia Lian slightly bowed to them and the women hurriedly shook their heads, seemingly afraid by the gesture. "What are you doing y-young master?" Xia Lian was puzzled as she asked, " I am only respecting my elders, is anything wrong?" The women were speechless and could not help but curse the high heavens for their bad luck of being born to early. Such a polite and handsome man ah! If they were a bit younger, sigh. Why could their sons not be like this charming kid in front of them? Before they could dwell further in their fantasies, Bao Su interrupted them, " Please follow me!" The women broke their gaze and followed behind the shadow guard reluctantly. The poor guy had a horrible premonition. Not only did he not defend his master from the pursuit of males, he even brought along a batch of women that were already fantasizing about their future marriage! His master was a female! He really underestimated the attraction and radiance of the little girl. From fearing the reaction of the Fourth Prince, he was now absolutely despairing! Why was his little master that charming. Not only young people, she even charmed a batch of future mother-inws! His poor life was already not enough to pay back a certain flirty prince. On the other hand, Xia Lian stared at the twins curiously, "I am sorry for not asking earlier, but may I know your names?" " I am called Bohai." the one with the cheerful demeanor spoke up first, " It means sea waves, I am fierce and unsteady like the sea!" Xia Lian observed Bohai with a spark of amus.e.m.e.nt in her eyes. This fellow was too cheerful and happy for his own good. Afterwards he started to introduce his brother, " He is my younger brother, Bolin." he continued with a smug grin on his face " It means as gentle as raindrops. Doctor Wu, we are the pr opposites. But don''t mind his demeanor, he is a pure soul at heart hehe." Bolin who was silent the whole time suddenly voiced out his thoughts, " You are younger than me." '' Eh?! Bro, is that important now?!'' Xia Lian facepalmed. " Alright. Nevermind this old issue, only god knows who is the younger one!" Bohaimented. Thus, a war of words started between them. " Alright, I have a task for the both of you." Xia Lian''s words made both of them freeze. Immediately, Bohai rushed forward " Doctor Wu, whatever it is as long as I can help you, I will do it. This humble servant will go through fire and water for you!" Xia Lian coughed to control herughter, "I want you both to observe the heart patient. You don''t have to do anything in particr, just take a seat and inform me as soon as possible if the situation changes in any way." Bohai will check the pulse and Bolin will be in charge of controlling his body temperature. If anything happens, immediately look for me. I will be in the kitchen in the meanwhile." After sending the twins away, the little girl made her way towards the kitchen while rolling up her sleeves. She was already a bit drowsy from the overload of work, so she didn''t notice that all the women instantly stopped their work as soon as she entered even a single step into the kitchen. The picture of four women with one hand frozen mid air while looking at the door with a shocked expression was truly a sight to behold. She looked like a handsome young man with her altered facial features and her focused look when rolling her sleeves made her appear more appealing in everyone''s eyes. Even Fan Ling couldn''t help but stare at her master for a moment before she recovered. After witnessing the expression on the older womens face, she was deadly afraid that her little master would be eaten on the spot. Chapter 126 - A cleanliness freak Chapter 126 - A cleanliness freak "*Cough*" Fan Ling coughed slightly, finally bringing the women out of their infatuated gazes.Meanwhile, Xia Lian was oblivious to all these and she quickly excused Fan Ling from her work saying that it was her turn now, totally ignoring the poor girls words. The poor subordinate was of the firm conviction that her master was unable to cook and would hurt herself in the process of cutting. The near sleeping state didn''t improve her worries in any way. But when she observed Xia Lian cutting the vegetables neatly, with a good and steady speed, Fan Ling was utterly speechless. Is her master good at everything ah!? While developing a new understanding of her idol, her lips slowly curved up and she felt really proud to follow someone amazing like this. Xia Lian noticed this expression and started to tease her " What now? Proud of this master eh? It is just a bit of cooking. If you are a good boy in the future, this gentleman will take you out on a date and cook a feast for you myself hehe." Fan Ling''s jaw dropped after being so obviously flirted with. If Bao Su witnessed this scene, he might already be nning to assassinate the poor girl. Oh no! This was truly going to be the end of her. Her master is was too seductive. By all means possible, she needed to avoid alcohol in the future. If she made a mistake once, the consequences would be too severe ah! The pitiful subordinate shook her head rapidly to get rid of any impure thoughts and then she continued to stare at the cooking pot instead. '' Did I take it too far?'' Xia Lian pondered and just shrugged it off. If her subordinate couldn''t even tolerate this level of flirting, how would she find a partner for herself in the future? Therefore, Xia Lian distracted her to avoid any unease from appearing, " Fan Ling, get me the herbs from the second drawer in thest row." As if being struck by lightning, a single order of her goddess made Fan Ling forget about everything else, while she immediately rushed toplete her mission. Xia Lian stared at the retreating figure speechlessly. At this moment, a realisation struck her and she could not help but giggle. Her little follower would be so hard to pursue in the future and whoever the man would be, he should prepare himself for a lot of trials and tribtions. She was truly pitying this poor creature ah! The little girl sighed as she prepared to to cook the porridge and the women continued to cook the vegetable soup. Light foods were best for her patients, because their body was too exhausted too stomach any heavy food. Whenever they recovered fully they could enjoy the pleasure of oily food again. Fan Ling returned swiftly with many paper bags containing powdered herbs. After some contemtion and calction, the little cook added many herbs in both the soup and porridge. Noticing the curious gazes Xia Lian started to exin, " These herbs will help in replenishing their blood. The surgery and former living conditions weakened them a lot. Having a bountiful amount of blood will help them quickly strengthen their body again." Almost everyone of her patients was deathly pale at the moment, but Xia Lian was sure that after just a few days of careful nursing, everyone would show many signs of improvements. She definitely would not stop before every single patient was as fit as a fiddle. The other women quickly learned the recipe and took over the charge of cooking urging Xia Lian to rest for a while. They did not listen to this youngd''s words and drove him and Fan Ling away from the kitchen telling that they can manage this level of cooking by themselves. Xia Lian also did not trouble them further as she saw their cooking previously and truly they are not exaggerating about their skills. But, contrary to one''s expectations Xia Lian did not rest and proceeded to clean the surroundings. All this treatment would be for nothing if the surroundings are dirty. She took a broom and started to sweep away the dry leaves which are scattered all over around the hospital. Fan Ling also followed the suit and both of them started to sweep the ground around the hospital. On the side, He Chun was observing the kid and his subordinate cleaning the ground while humming songs. Clearly, they are enjoying the work and they are not feeling burdened by the sick and poor. Thinking for a bit, he also rolled up his sleeves and went outside. Xia Lian and Fan Ling stopped in the middle and looked at each other on seeing He Chuning towards them with a broom in his hand. The picture of a schrly and gentle man with a broom in his hand looked really warm and pleasing to one''s eyes. Xia Lian sighed once again as she hated that these beautiful men and women are being wasted away in this ancient era. If they are in modern era, she was damn sure that all the modelling and filming agencies will form queues before their vis.. Mumbling some incoherent words of distress, Xia Lian went back to work. Fan Ling and He Chun smiled wryly on seeing the dark cloud above Xia Lian''s head as she was sweeping away the leaves with such force as if they were her sworn enemies. Fan Ling and He Chun remained frozen on the spot as they never saw someone work with such monstrous speed. " Why are you standing there?Come and help me.." Xia Lian shouted at those two from a distance. There was such a huge gap between them and He Chun really wondered how the kid covered suchrge distance in a few minutes. " Master, what is left for us to clean? You''ve cleaned everything.." Fan Ling shouted back with a helpless voice. " W-What?..." her words stopped in middle as she saw the clean ground around her. Then she saw the huge pile of leaves before her. Not even a single leaf can be seen near the premises of the hospital. Whenever she is angry, she has this habit of shifting her anger on something and the object of her target is bound to shine due to the torment of over-cleaning in her hands. Xia Lian coughed slightly as her old habit resurfaced again and sheughed awkwardly shifting the topic of conversation " I just carried away.. I will be back after taking a bath and then I will check around the patients.." Fan Ling and He Chun stared at her retreating figure with bewildered gazes. They discovered a new maniac side of this little doctor.. A cleanliness freak Chapter 127 - Cheering for their idol! Chapter 127 - Cheering for their idol! Dropping the broom in her hand onto the ground, Xia Lian stretched her handszily before proceeding to dust her robes. Due to her maniac and the 10X times her original speed cleaning mode, her entire body waspletely drenched in sweat now. Her ck silk robes are tightly hugging her body. If she stayed there any longer, she was afraid that her chest bandage will start to show up and her secret will be exposed before she evenid foundation to her ns. So, to avoid a possibly dangerous predicament Xia Lian excused herself " I am feeling sticky all over. I will return after taking a bath. You can rest for a while." He Chun nodded in understanding as he witnessed this young brat''s abnormal speed earlier. It was only right that one takes a bath after that crazy ordeal. " Master, let me assist you in your bath." Fan Ling''s considerate offer was immediately rejected by Xia Lian making the other girl dejected. Xia Lian sighed as she did not how tofort her. " I always bath by myself." Fan Ling felt better after hearing her master''s words. So, her master did not hate her. But what she didn''t know is that Xia Lian was really not used to have someone helping her in her bath. Also, no one knew that she is an avid bathroom singer. That is one secret she wished to take it to the grave with her. So, having someone find about her awkward singling skills is a big no! That is the second reason why she didn''t let anyone near her room when she is bathing. Poor Xia Lian didn''t know that the flirty prince heard her singing long back at theke in the forest. If shees to know about it someday, she will surely whip that flirty prince to death. After making sure that she cleaned herself of the sweat and dirt, Xia Lian changed into a set of fresh ck robes. ck and royal blue are the two colours which she liked the most. So, she had four set of robes, two in ck and the other two in royal blue. She dressed herself up quickly as male robes are easy to put on. She was clearly loving her identity as a male and if possible she really wanted to stay as a male forever! Only after altering her face and tying up her hair into a neat bun, did shee out. But she was almost given a fright when she saw Bao Su''s face in a close up as soon as she opened the door. Bao Su was also stunned by her reaction. He was about to knock but the door was abruptly opened by his master! " Oh my god! What is it now?" she asked her stupid shadow guard while patting her chest. He gave her a huge fright! Now, she didn''t want to see the conjuring movie in her dreams ah! Bao Su raised his brows on seeing this angle of his master. Was his master scared earlier? But, what was she so scared about? Bao Su yed the previous scene in his mind again and his face disyed an incredulous expression as he asked cautiously " M-master, are you afraid of ghosts?" Bulls-eye!!! When did this zero IQ fellow be an Einstein? Xia Lian huffed at him, why is he stupid sometimes and why is he so clever in these type of things which make her mad easily? On seeing her angry and puffy face, the poor guard coughed to stop himself fromughing out loud and he cleverly diverted the matter " Master, this time the twins and I really brought arge number of people." These words made her face return to her former calm expression. He breathed out in relief as she was now sessfully distracted by his words. He did not want to incur the wrath of her, not even in his dreams! " Hmm.." Xia Lian raised her brows in an exaggerated manner " So, you stood in front of my door to brag about your achievements?" Her tone was clearly mocking at the end but the poor fellow did not notice her tone and he nodded his head fervently. IQ back to zero again! How did this fellow store all his knowledge in this matter less brain of his.. This encyclopedia is making her go through an emotional roller coaster ride ah! She really wanted to cut open this guy''s head and see what his brain is truly made of. " Let me see with my own eyes." After the previous episode she was not going to believe this guy, not so easily. The expectation of a mini army turned into a micro army. She was not ready to face such heart break again. So, she steeled her heart and made her way out with Bao Su following her like a tail. Xia Lian heard whispers as she was slowly making her way down the staircase. At first they sounded like whispers, but then they sounded like happy chatters as she made her way outside. She stopped in her tracks on seeing the huge crowd of people before the hospital. She opened her mouth but she didn''t find proper words to speak on seeing such a magnificent scene before her eyes. To say precisely, she was dumb-struck on seeing therge number of people before her. How many exactly are they? A hundred, Five hundred or a thousand? Gathering these many people in this dark city can be really considered as an achievement. From where exactly did these people pop up from? She then shifted her gaze towards He Chun and the twins who had mysterious smile on their faces. On seeing the awestruck expression on Xia Lian''s face, the happiness on the twin''s faces became even more noticeable. She did not know what to feel at that moment on seeing the beaming faces of Bohai and Bolin. Xia Lian''s happiness did notst for a moment before it is reced by a forlorn expression. What is she going to do with this tide of people before her??? She really underestimated these twins, that''s the only reason why she said that '' Any manpower is weed..'' . Now, she really wanted to hit her head against a wall for being so muddle headed earlier. A maximum of fifty people are enough to take care of the sick. But, where will she stuff hundreds of them? Are these twins so excited that their brains stopped working? " Bolin and Bohai.." the twins disyed puzzled expressions on hearing their idol''s weak voice. They gathered an army of people just to cheer up their idol. What is it with this dispiriting voice ah!!! The clear frown on their faces made Xia Lian cry silent tears in her heart. Why is it that they are making her look like a viin?! " Master, if you are not satisfied then we can gather even more.. We only want to cheer our idol." Bolin and Bohai cooed in an earnest voice. But, Xia Lian''s face disyed a wonderful expression on hearing their words. Now, the twins werepletely puzzled on seeing the petrified expression on their idol''s face¡­ Chapter 128 - Golden Hearts Chapter 128 - Golden Hearts " M-master?!" Xia Lian''s face slowly recovered from the effects of their earlier mind-blowing words. She blinked her eyes at them " What am I going to do with the whole lot of them?" " They are at your mercy. They will follow your orders without any hesitation." Bolin and Bohai assured her. " From where exactly did you gather this crowd?" she felt a headacheing over as she enquired them while rubbing her temples. " Oh! These people are from the families of the patients whom our brother He Chun treated." Xia Lian had a faint feeling that this calm and docile doctor has more than what meets the eye and now it seems that her premonition turned out to be true. " I am happy that you thought so much for my well-being." she was truly grateful but she cannot possibly use all of them. So, she politely rejected them " I only need about 50-60 people with a strong build to look after the patients. I need about ten others for cleaning andundry." On seeing that they are about to retort, He Chun interrupted them " How on earth did you think of bringing about a thousand people for a mere hundred patients?" Bolin and Bohai turnedpletely speechless after hearing He Chun''s words. They now understood their own folly and they rubbed their noses in embarrassment. Xia Lian sighed at them and she found that they are rather cute when they are embarrassed " I will select the ones to my liking and you can send the others away after giving them a proper exnation." Bolin and Bohai nodded their heads obediently as they did not want to embarrass themselves any more than they already have in front of their idol. Xia Lian selected about forty men and twenty women to take care of the sick. After allocating the men and women to take care of their respective men and women patients, she motioned the twins to send the remaining away. Xia Lian felt that these people are really kind as they volunteered to help with a single request from the twins. They are very eager to repay He Chun''s kindness for treating their illness. True enough, No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted. These people proved it. Bolin and Bohai went forward exining the situation to the others. Xia Lian expected a minimotion but she was surprised to see everyone nod their heads in understanding. She straightened her back on seeing a few elders making their way towards her. She immediately got up and greeted them " These elders,is there anything I can help you with?" " Ai.. It''s nothing." the old men were really pleased with the youngd''s attitude. They felt that this kid is quite down to earth and they were relieved that their Doctor He did not make a wrong judgement. So, they spoke in a more amicable tone " Doctor Wu, if you need any help send us a word and we will be right before you.." Their words made her smile and she also started speaking freely with this bunch of friendly grandpa''s " What if I am bad person? You don''t know anything about me and you are ready to help me." she could not help but ask in a yful tone. But, she really did not expect their answer and their wordspletely shook her heart to the core. " We trust Doctor He Chun''s judgement of people. Everyone respects him and we all love the twins. So, we will not believe that you are a bad person, even if you are the one saying it." If she said that she was not moved by their words, she would be lying. Such good people with hearts of gold!! Xia Lian had a very very good impression of these people. " Also, we saw how the twins spoke so highly about you. They said that you are more skilled than Doctor He and that your medical skills are iparable .. Is that true?" Xia Lian was put in a tight spot now. Just when she was about to say that they are equally skilled, a warm and spring breeze like voice traveled to their ears " Uncles, Doctor Wu is tired. So, save your questions forter." Just as the words ended, Xia Lian found arge and warm hand dragging her away from the old men. She waved her hands at the old men and turned to look at the broad back of the person who was dragging her. So, this is what it feels like to have an elder brother ah! Her lips tugged up sub-consciously as she called out " Brother He.." He Chun turned around after hearing the kid address him intimately and surprise was clearly written all over his face. Xia Lian''s eyes had an evil in them as she noticed his reaction " Brother He, I can walk by myself. So can you leave my hands?" For a moment He Chun thought that this kid was cute when he was teasing him. So, he raised his brows as if challenging Xia Lian as he left his hands only to hook them around the brat''s neck.Since, Xia Lian was way shorter than He Chun she was easily dragged along by him. The scene looked like two best friends hugging each other side by side and walking together harmoniously. Crash! The sound of porcin containers smashing the floor and breaking into several pieces echoed in the tranquil atmosphere. Bao Su was now looking at the pair of doctors who are in an their own world with an indecipherable expression on his face. However, his inner chaos betrayed his outer cid demeanor. '' I am done for this time. Fourth prince is going to murder me for sure. It''s time to bid goodbye to all my close people.'' Bao Su''s mind was filled with thoughts of his nearing death. He was also pitying the fourth prince on the sidelines. The prince is going to have a tough time in winning her heart with all these potential suitors by her side. Now, she is just 12 and she is attracting a colony of bees and butterflies. He can almost imagine the situation after three years. Bao Su sighed and vowed in his heart he would light some incense sticks and pray with all his heart for the fourth prince''s road of love to be less bumpy. Chapter 129 - Scary Teacher Bao Chapter 129 - Scary Teacher Bao Xia Lian and He Chun made several rounds along the wards to check the conditions of their patients. Both of them sighed in relief as all the patients were out of danger. Even the heart patient''s condition stabilized, thus paying off her efforts the other day. By the time they finished all the examinations, word has been sent from kitchen that the meals have been prepared. Xia Lian instructed the vigers to feed the patients who are not heavily injured with light porridge. She instructed the others to feed a particr medicinal liquid to the patients who are unconscious. Since, Salines are not avable she asked them to feed them drop by drop using mini funnels. The men nodded in understanding and proceeded toplete their tasks. All the vigers were determined to help Doctor He''s little friend. So, they did all the works diligently without any mistakes making it easy for Xia Lian. She told everyone to have their meals before leaving. Xia Lian proposed the idea of paying them wages for their work but was dismissed off ruthlessly by He Chun. His reasoning was that the vigers helped them with a good intention and paying them wages would belittle them. Finding nothing wrong in his words,the little girl agreed with his thoughts and both of them parted their ways to rest for a while in their respective rooms. Xia Lian felt her body numb from over-exhaustion. What she wanted at the moment is a good sleep. She instructed Fan Ling to wake her up after six hours as she wanted to start her internal qi training with Bao Su. Her eyes started to droop and she fell into a deep slumber as soon as her tired body hit the bed. Fan Ling felt heavy in her heart on seeing her master tire herself out like this. She covered Xia Lian with a nket and sat on the chair beside the bed to guard her defenceless master. " Master, wake up.." the girl on the bed purred lightly making Fan Ling chuckle. After continuing her efforts for a while, Xia Lian finally sat on the bed while rubbing her eyes. She thanked Fan Ling with a sleepy voice and proceeded to the bathroom to wash her face. By the time Xia Lian freshened up, Bao Su was waiting for her at the door. Leaving the little bunny in the care of Fan Ling, Xia Lian and Bao Su made their way towards the huge open ground at the back of their hospital. The zing afternoon sun made Xia Lian squint her eyes. Before she could ask her shadow guard anything, she found him bring out a heap of books. "Should I read them?" she tilted her head in confusion. " No.." Bao Su stopped walking when he was a foot away from her and ced the pile of books on her head. Three ck lines appeared on her forehead. It shouldn''t be what she is thinking, right? The little girl stared at Bao Su expectantly but he mercilessly ughtered her wishful thoughts " The first step is bncing and we will proceed to the next step only after you''ve managed to bnce all these books on your head." " And you should keep your back straight and your eyes must always look forward.." a dark cloud materialised above Xia Lian''s head immediately after his words fell. She grunted while straightening her body. Thump! Thump! Thump! All the books on her head fell on the ground as soon as she moved. She immediately picked all the books from the ground and cradled them in her embrace. She then raised her head cautiously only to meet with the expressionless face of Bao Su. Beads of cold sweat started to form on the little girl''s forehead as the expressionless Bao Su seemed too scary in her eyes. She secretly gulped and finally after what seemed like an eternity Bao Su opened his mouth " What are you waiting for? You can''t expect me to say start every time you drop your books. I will stay here and watch your moves. So, don''t even think of escaping.." " Yes, teacher.." she subconsciously nodded her head after hearing his monotonous voice. Seeing her act so obedient, Bao Su didn''t speak anymore as he sat on a nearby rock and continued to observe her. She slowly straightened her back and started to ce single book at a time on her head. She was able to ce a maximum of three books on her head when they came falling down like a waterfall. Picking up the fallen books, cing them on her head.. This endless cycle continued till dawn and she was stopped by Bao Su " Master, we will wrap it up for the day and we will start again at daybreak tomorrow." " Hmm.." the little girl had a grave expression on her face as she made her way towards her room with the books in her arms. Seeing the pondering expression on her face, Bao Su silently followed her and retired to his room. Shutting the door of her room tightly, Xia Lian started to practise with the books. The results of the day''s training did not satisfy her, not in the least. After making continuous efforts for four or five hours, she finally managed to bnce all the books on her head in the standing position. Only now did she manage to rx for a while. The next day is going to be a tribtion for her and she dreaded it. How on earth could she possibly walk with all these books on her tiny head ah?! And Bao Su seemed to be taking revenge on her because of her teasing him..The little girl is seriously considering this possibility but immediately brushed it off as her shadow guard would not be so petty. Grumbling she finally hit her back on the surface of the bed. Sorting out all the thoughts in her mind, she finally slept well. But her peaceful dreamy state did notst for long as the daybreak arrived after a few hours of her sleep. Fan Ling''s shouts hit her like a bolt of lightning as she sat up on the bed abruptly. The little girl hurriedly rushed to freshen up as her teacher Bao might be waiting for her with a grim reaper look on his face. Chapter 130 - The student surpasses master Chapter 130 - The student surpasses master As expected, Bao Su was waiting for her at the training grounds. She hurried her steps as she didn''t want to be a bad student in his eyes. Standing before him, she started to ce the books on her head. Due to her practice on the previous night, she was now able to bnce all the books on the head without much difficulty. " Start walking and take it slow. One step at a time.." she muttered a low sound indicating that she understood his advice. Taking in a deep breath, Xia Lian took a step forward with utmost care so as to not drop the books. She never expected that Bao Su would actually shake his head in disapproval " You cannot defeat your enemies with that snail pace of yours.. Faster.." She was able to bnce the pile of books for a short while before they came tumbling down. Grimacing, she picked them up and continued to practice. This routine continued for a few days. During this time, the little bunny spent most of his time watching his sister practice hard. Unknown to him, a deep desire to be strong started to burn in his heart. He wanted to be strong, strong like her. He decided to speak with his sister, once she is free from her training. So, he continued to watch her everyday. Most of the patients in the hospital started to be better and they wanted to thank their benefactor. When Xia Lian was informed of this, she simply instructed Fan Ling to tell them that she was in training and she will not meet them anytime soon. If anyone wanted to go to their families, they are free to do so. Measles, pox and allergies are the things that are considered incurable in this era and these people were forsaken by their families because they are infected by them. But, she had done her best and cured thempletely. So, if anyone wanted to leave she would dly allow them to leave. Xia Lian resumed her training after dismissing Fan Ling. Now, she was able to twirl, twist and rotate with the books on her head. Not allowing this smug victory to affect her, Bao Su reced the books with porcin jars and watched her struggle. So far, he was satisfied with her progress. He had to admit that she is a fast learner and he was more than happy to groom her. The fourth prince did not ce him by her side for nothing. He still remembered the prince''s words " Make sure to protect her. If she wants you to train her, do not go easy on her. Only harsh training will give good results." The prince really values her and he sighed softly at that thought while continuing to watch her bnce the jar. Not giving her time to celebrate, he ced two jars on her hands one on each respectively. Looking at the stern expression on his face, Xia Lian gulped and started to walk fast without uttering even a single word. Not long after a crashing sound reverberated through the silent air. With a defeated expression she turned around only to find Bao Su pointing to the stack of jars beside him. Grinning, she grabbed three jars and continued to train. After a few days, she finally managed to master the art of bncing. The first step was nowpleted. Without showering her with any flowery words, Bao Su simply gave her a fat scroll and excused himself from the training grounds. She understood that she had to rely on herself now. Without leaving any room forints, she started to understand all the movements described in the scroll. After making sure that she understood, she started to follow the instructions listed in the book. The exercises consisted of physical training and mind concentration improving exercises. After many failed attempts, she finally managed to enact all the movements in the scroll. Realising that she was finally able to sense her internal qi, Xia Lian was ecstatic. With additional vigor, she started trying to channel her internal qi to different parts of her body. After one month, Thunk! A huge tree came crashing to the ground. Bao Su''s face had a satisfied look on his face watching Xia Lian bring down the tree. Bringing down such a huge tree with a sword is impossible. Only with the help of inner qi such feats can be aplished. Now that she was able to do, proved that she mastered the art of inner qi. " Good! Now, fight me.." Xia Lian''s face had the smile of a predator as soon as she heard his words. Bao Su was clearly looking forward to her as he was the one who knew how hard she worked all these days. She was able to draw all the matches between them. But, what he wanted is to see herpletely crush him. Only then he can say that he trained her well. There was not a moment of hesitation as the girl charged right at him. The slicing sound of the air by her sword made him cringe for a moment before he dodged her attack. She was getting better and Bao Su had no doubts about that. The two of them exchanged blows for a short while soaring high in the air before Bao Su ended up on falling on his back with her sword poking his throat. " You lost..." Though the girl waspletely covered in sweat and dirt, her grin outshined all the gems in the world. " And I think there is nothing left to teach you." Bao Su smiled faintly at her. " The student surpassed her master." It was not a touchypliment but Xia Lian''s eyes turned into crescents due to the hard to suppress smile blooming on her face. It was the first time heplimented her in this one month. He had been unbelievably strict with her all this time but she felt all her weariness disappear as soon as she heard his words. They may be simple, but those were the words which she wanted to hear the most. " Sister, you are amazing." her original happy mood increased to a ten fold after hearing her little bunny''spliment. Chapter 131 - Pledging loyalty Chapter 131 - Pledging loyalty " Hmm.. This big brother of yours is quite stunning." Xia Lian praised herself as if it was the natural thing to do. Witnessing her narcissist attitude even the docile little bunny was speechless. His sister was truly bing shameless. But, he liked his shameless sister very much and what''s more he wanted to be like her. " Sister.." Xia Lian tilted her head to look at the little bunny who is fidgeting. She was surprised that the little bunny is feeling rather nervous at this moment. ''Had she been strict with him?'' She couldn''t help but wonder. " What is it Ming? Don''t be afraid and tell me what is going on?" then after pondering for a while she added another sentence " Even if you want this whole world, I will win it for you." She really meant it, her little bunny deserved the best. Hearing her words, his chubby little face broke into a cute smile making the hearts of everyone who are present there to fall into a frenzy. Even Xia Lian couldn''t help but sigh at his charm. She was sure that this little bunny will transform into a handsome bunny in a few years. The thought of it made her heart fill up with mixed feelings. She wished that he would stop growing and remain a little bunny forever, but she immediately scolded herself for being selfish. She would enjoy every phase of his growth, his innocent childhood and charming a.d.u.l.thood, she would be by his side and mould him into a person who follows his heart. " Sister, will you teach me martial arts?" the serious expression on his innocent face made her stop in her tracks. She was surprised to see the little guy''s serious demeanour. " Let me think.." the little bunny immediately shed a smile. He thought that his sister would say no, but it seemed that he had a chance. So, he was happy with the oue. He wanted to be strong so that he can protect her. If Xia Lian knew his thoughts, she would surely be moved. Leaving the little bunny with Fan Ling, she returned to her room and her little face had a serious expression the entire time. She slumped into her chair and started to n out the little bunny''s training. Knock! " Master.." Failing to get a response for a long time, Bao Su called out to her. " Come in.." a faint and tired voice answered and he slowly pushed the door open. Xia Lian was currently resting on the chair with her eyes closed. Bao Su felt bad for disturbing her rest but he had no other choice. " Master, it''s time to address the people you saved." Fluttering her eyes open, she looked at her shadow guard coolly " Did any of them leave?" " No master, not even a single one." there was a hit of joy in his voice making her raise her brows. She was pleasantly surprised as she did not expect that the people would actually stay. She gave them a chance to leave, but they didn''t. It shows how grateful they are and she decided to meet them. " What about Doctor He and the twins?" " Master, word has spread that someone is treating sick and poor in this hospital. So, people of lower sses started to show up here. Sincest month Doctor He, Bohai and Bolin are taking care of the hospital." Now the expression on her handsome face slowly turned into aplicated one. This Doctor He and the twins are too kind and gentle. In the start, she thought of ckmailing them and slowly rope them on her side. Now, she would seem too cruel if she actually did such a thing. She needed talented doctors and she can train them into something more. He Chun and the twins have been extremely good to her. So, she did not have the heart to threaten them. She will kindly request for their help and she will persuade them with all her abilities. " Let''s go.." she got up as if she was injected with chicken blood and walked out of the room with a ramrod back. Bao Su''s lips twitched noticeably as he followed her. As she made way downstairs, she observed that her previous bedridden patients were now walking around with ease. Only those with leg fractures were on the bed. Even her heart patient was walking around slowly with a person supporting him. She then saw a few robust men in the group helping He Chun in his treatments. Unknown to her, a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. The whole atmosphere in the hospital looked harmonious. He Chun noticed hering down and he went forward to greet her. He had seen this kid train like a monster in thest month. He didn''t know why but he snuck out like a thief only to watch the kid train. The determination and perseverance this kid showed created asting impact on his heart. " Doctor Wu, you''ve finally decided to visit us." He Chun''s voice made the surroundings go quiet immediately. Everyone heard that the person named Wu had saved their lives. But, they did not expect that it would be such a youngd. The surprisested for a moment before their faces disyedplete reverence. Before she could open her mouth, all the people in the hospital went down on their knees.The words which were at the tip of her mouth froze as soon as she saw their actions. It was at that moment that one of the elderly men about 45 years old, lifted his head to look straight into her eyes " Doctor Wu, you saved us from the depths of the hell and gave back our freedom and the right to make our own choices." " From the moment you treated us like humans, we decided to follow you either in life or death, to heavens or to the depths of hell." Once he finished speaking, all the others on the ground looked up at Xia Lian. " In the presence of all gods and in the name of Agni, god of fire we pledge our undying loyalty to our benefactor and never betray his trust." the sonoric sounding of all their voices struck a chord in her heart. Chapter 132 - Apprentices Chapter 132 - Apprentices Xia Lian''s face disyed a tranquil expression, but her inner emotions werepletely churned up. She clenched her fists to keep her trembling fingers at bay. Taking in a deep breath she addressed them in a determined voice " This one with the surname Wu, vows to protect you and will never ask anything of you that might bring shame upon you or trample upon your dignity." '' And also I will make sure that you all will live well..'' This was vowed in her heart with equal determination. She was a doctor and it was her duty to save their lives. There was no need for anyone of them to pledge their loyalty to her. A simple act of her care, in turn brought her a group of loyal followers. It is said that there is no duty more obligatory than repayment of kindness. Now, it''s her turn to repay them for their trust in her. " Thank you for believing in me and you can feel free around this ce. From now, we all are of a single family." her words once again caused tremors in their once ice cold heart. Family? How long had it been since someone considered them as a part of their family. Needless to say, their hearts were moved for good this time. Xia Lian didn''t realise the impact of her words on their hearts at this moment. But, Bao Su who was standing by her side all this time felt that his master got herself something more than a group of loyal followers. He had a faint feeling that this group of people would not hesitate to put their lives in line when the need arises, and this prediction of his turned out to be true a few yearster. " Doctor Wu, I have something to request." Xia Lian slightly nodded her head at He Chun indicating that he could continue what he wanted to say. On seeing the kid listen to him, He Chun smiled lightly and went down on his knees " Doctor Wu, please ept me as your apprentice." What in the world is happening? Xia Lian was stunned beyond words. She never expected that this dumb doctor will ce himself on a chopping block. She was not that good of a person ah! He was a fat meat in her eyes and how could she reject him? But, she need his help with something and she did not have the heart to ckmail him.. She was not that heartless ah! " Doctor Wu, if you ept Doctor He, then you will get two additional lovely and clever loyal subordinates.." she was thinking deeply and did not notice when Bolin and Bohai entered the scene. But, their words and the look of anticipation on their faces made her smile. " It''s my pleasure to have you as my disciples.." It took a moment for her words to dawn on them and the twins immediately squealed in delight. He Chun had a slight smile on his face but he was stopped by Xia Lian when he was about to kowtow " I think there is no need of such ceremonies between us.. Doctor He, there is something I need to discuss with you." On seeing the serious look on her face, He Chun nodded as he got up. Excusing themselves from the crowd, He Chun and Xia Lian went back to her room with Bao Su following them. No one knew what discussions went on in the closed room, but He Chun had an excited expression when he came out of the room. Inside the room, Bao Su''s face had an incredible expression as he stared at the little girl before him. Not caring for the proper etique, he grabbed an empty chair in the room and pushed it so that it is in front of her. Sitting on the chair with his chin propped up on his fists, he stared at her. What is this fellow doing? Did his brain go short-circuited because of her mind blowing n ah?! " What is it?" her lips twitched as she observed the unpredictable fellow before her. In the start, he was simr to a wooden block like his master. But, now this fellow started to disy a myriad of emotions and even Xia Lian had hard time believing his abrupt change. For example, if it was the previous Bao Su he would have silently retreated from the room like a robot. But, now here he was staring at her as if he wanted to ask her something but not sure if he can or not.. " Since you''ve not left the room, ask what is on your mind?" Xia Lian spoke helplessly. She was not ying a staring contest with this fellow now! " Master, when did you n all this?" he had to admit that his little master was quite clever and he was awed by her words earlier. " Long back.." she was telling the truth as she nned it before she entered this dark city and back when she was still learning about the herbs. Hearing her words, Bao Su sighed. Xia Lian suddenly remembered her little bunny and his interest in learning martial arts. " I want you teach Little Ming the basics of martial arts." " Just the basics?" he had no objections in teaching the kid. ording to him, it is the best thing to teach the kid a bit of martial arts. But, why stop at the basics? He did not understand that. " What? Do you think that a three year old can wield a sword?" Xia Lian rolled her eyes at him. " Just teach him the basics and see that his arms are trained well. Also, make him run about fourps around the ground." " Fourps? Isn''t it too much?" he could not stop himself from asking. " No, it''s just the right amount of exercise.. Follow my instructions and train him well. I will personally teach him after he bes a bit strong." Xia Lian remained quiet for a while before she continued speaking " At the moment, I don''t need him to develop the abilities to kill hundred people.. Just teach him how to protect himself." " Don''t worry master.. I will not disappoint you." Bao Su naturally understood her worries. Life is unpredictable and no one could tell what might happen the next moment. So, having basic defence skills is always advisable. Seeing her nod, Bao Su spoke a few words before excusing himself from her room. Xia Lian went to bed with a million thoughts in her mind. Chapter 133 - Its for your daughter-in-law Chapter 133 - It''s for your daughter-inw Next day morning, Xia Lian found He Chun busy himself with the new patients who areing everyday. After thinking for a while, she asked Bao Su to bring Doctor He and the twins to her room. She had a clear n on how to train He Chun and the twins in medicine. " Doctor Wu.." Bolin and Bohai rushed into the room. He Chun followed them with a helpless expression on his face. He knew that these fellows arepletely charmed by the young doctor. " Doctor He, this is for you." Xia Lian handed over a thick and fat book to him. He Chun epted the book and out of curiosity he opened the book only to turn frozen stiff on seeing the contents. " A b-book on s-surgeries?" he managed to stutter after some time. " Yes, you can study it in your free time and you will apany me in the future surgeries." she clearly thought about it. Out of the three, He Chun is the one who is well versed with medicinal practices and he had a basic idea about surgeries. He Chun nodded as he was too stunned to speak. He didn''t think that this kid would actually teach him about surgical methods. So, he was quite happy at the moment. " This is for you.." she handed over another book to Bolin and Bohai. " This is about herbal medicines and poisons. I would suggest you to prepare your own notes by using this as a reference. The same goes for you, doctor He." The three of them nodded as they knew that the books in their hands are invaluable and they might be the only copy. So, making their own notes will be helpful for them in future. " Bolin and Bohai, you will apany me whenever I am concocting medicines and poisons." both of them nodded their heads like a pecking hen. Whatever Doctor Wu tells, they would do it unhesitatingly. " Doctor He, you concentrate on developing your surgical abilities. You can learn herbal medicer and I am sure that it will be a piece of cake for you." Xia Lian was sure about He Chun''s learning abilities " You cane to me if you have any doubts." " Whereas, both of you will study under my guidance.." she spoke to the twins who now had a hundred megawatt smile on their already bright faces. Dismissing them from her room, Xia Lian started to write her new poison forme. It''s time to put her creative mind to work. In the imperial capital, " My dear good son, is there no other way?" a certain emperor had an expression of fright written all over his face. "..." A certain son remained expressionless as he stared at the overreacting old man before him. " I don''t want to do this.. Summoning that old man with an imperial edict is like offering myself on a te to the god of death." the emperor had a look of clear protest written all over his face. " If you want a daughter-inw, then do it.." Xuan Li Wang cried silent tears after listening to Xuan Li Wei''s words. This son of his is bing the epitome of eviltely. How dare he use daughter-inw as a bait? Too bad, it is actually working on him. Gritting his teeth, Xuan Li Wang scribbled something on a golden silk scroll. His hands trembled with each word on the scroll. Incurring the wrath of Hua Bingwen is thest thing he wanted to do. But, he would do anything if it is for a daughter-inw. He was ying with fire, and he cannot help it. " Here, take this imperial edict and scram now. I did what you asked for." Xuan Li Wang was irritated on seeing the smug smile on his son''s face. " What? Should I personally go and announce the edict now? Send your head eunuch to announce it. I am afraid of that old man since I was a kid. I am not going.." Xuan Li Wang''s lips twitched on seeing his son who was adamantly refusing to meet the old man. " Then how are you going to ask for his granddaughter''s hand?!" Xuan Li Wang had more than enough and he finally could not take it anymore.Why is this fellow forcing his father when he himself iscking the courage? " It''s a matter concerning the future. So, why are you getting worked up on it. And who would refuse a grandson-inw like me?" a certain shameless prince was very sure about himself. He then remained silent for a while before continuing" But, changing the old man''s mind to return to the army is quite difficult. He might give in if it is an imperial edict. It''s worth the risk." Xuan Li Wang thought for a while and added a few sentences in the scroll " He won''t be able to refuse now and I will see that the old man returns to the army. I heard you will be visiting the temple of stars today. Is there anything that matters?" " The divine whip was awakened." Xuan Li We''s words hit the old man like a bolt of lightning. " W-What?" the old emperor was shocked beyond words. " You are saying that the second divine weapon was awakened?" this time he asked in a serious tone. Chapter 134 - The Temple of Stars (1) Chapter 134 - The Temple of Stars (1) " Hmm.." Xuan Li Wei hummed in response as he was thinking about something else. He then flicked his fingers while murmuring a few words in the samenguage which the little girl used while summoning the whip. In the blink of an eye, a battle axe materialized in his hands. The shiny ck l.u.s.ter of the axe''s body attracted the onlookers eyes. The twin crescent shaped des with their sharp edges can evoke fear in anyone who are facing this monstrous weapon. The des were crafted with such precision and care that their surfaces now resembled mirrors which clearly reflect anything before them. The handle of the axe had a dragon engraving on it making the proud weapon look even more majestic. On clear observation, one can find different kinds of runes inscribed on it''s body. Xuan Li Wang stared at the weapon in a daze. No matter how many times he saw, he could not help but be attracted by this divine weapon. Such is the charm of this weapon. But, one could not stare at it for a long time, because of the bloodthirsty aura around it. Xuan Li Wei stared at the battle axe haltingly and no one knew what exactly is going on in his mind. On seeing his son stare at the battle axe absentmindedly, Xuan Li Wang gently called out " Wei''er.." " Father, there''s something that has been bothering me for a long time" Xuan Li Wei spoke slowly without breaking his gaze away from his battle axe. And these thoughts are making him restless everyday. " What is it?" Xuan Li Wang was internally surprised on seeing his ever decisive son stuck up on something. When had he seen his son in such dilemma? He could not help but think as what or who messed up this fellow''s thoughts. Xuan Li Wei did not speak up immediately. He stared at his axe for a while before chanting something which made the axe disappear from his hands. He sighed deeply before opening his mouth to speak. " When my weapon chose me, I did not feel pain in the slightest." Xuan Li Wei paused for a bit before speaking a low voice with a hint of pain " But, she went through spasms of pain before my eyes and I was not able to do anything. I stood there like a rock just staring at her. I was useless.." " And I believe there''s more to that whip and her. I''ve never heard of someone going through pain while acquiring a divine weapon." Xuan Li Wei was sure that there is something more to that situation. " Who is the she we are talking about?" Xuan Li Wang was more curious about the owner of the second divine weapon. " My wife.." Xuan Li Wei rolled his eyes at his old man. Who in the world is more skilled than his wife and what sort of a question is that? On hearing his son''s answer, a certain old man became speechless. Just what sort of attitude is his son showing ah?! Why is he having a faint feeling that his son is bing a hopeless romantic? Xuan Li Wang shook his head. He should not be having such thoughts regarding his son''s future. What hopeless romantic? His son is a passionate lover! Yes, that''s it.. Then again going back to the matter in hand, Xuan Li Wang pondered for a while before speaking " There are many things which we cannot understand. But, it should not be a matter of concern if she is alright now." Xuan Li Wei had a sour expression on his face as he stared at this useless father. " cough.. What is it? Don''t look at me like that.." Xuan Li Wang was fl.u.s.tered now. Why is it that he is the one who is receiving such mean looks? He is not at fault ah! Xuan Li Wang was not able to remain calm anymore as he pointed his finger at a certain unfilial son " If you are worried about your wife, then go to the Temple of Stars. The old man who seems to have all the free time in the world will answer your questions." " I know. But I never thought that you are so useless¡­" Xuan Li Wei criticized his old man without any slightest hesitation " I am leaving now. I need to find the old man and find out what exactly is happening." Without waiting for his father to answer, Xuan Li Wei immediately soared into the air leaving the pce. He should find that old man at any cost today. There was this nagging feeling in his heart that something is not right with the scenario on that day. Initially, he felt that he was being paranormal and making a mountain out of a molehill. But, after careful thinking he found the crux of the problem. Barriers! There was no barrier that he could not break, but no matter how hard he tried he was not able to break through the barrier surrounding her on that day. It was as if something was preventing him from going near to her and it left him feeling unsettled. Luckily, she did not suffer anything major except the bone wrenching pain and why she suffered from such pain is another question which has been bugging himtely. With a myriad of thoughts in his brain, Xuan Li Wei rushed towards the Temple of Stars with a lightning speed. After an incense stick1 worth of time, a simple shrine came into view. The shrine was on the highest peak of Yun mountain range. The Yun mountain range was near the northern border of the Qilin empire. As the name Yun implies, it was as if the mountains are shrouded by clouds. A simple shrine in the midst of white mist like clouds looked picturesque. When Xuan Li Wei entered within the Li2 radius of the temple, an old monk dressed in pristine white robes who was meditating in the temple opened his eyes abruptly. Chapter 135 - The Temple of Stars (2) Chapter 135 - The Temple of Stars (2) Priest Lao opened his eyes as soon as he sensed someone entering the barrier which he erected. He only knew a single person who could break through the barriers with such ease. So, he shrugged his shoulders and waited for a certain person to appear before him. He was more curious as why this prince ising for him at the moment. Xuan Li Weinded before the gate of the shrine nonchntly. It was not his first timeing here. In the start he came here for himself, now he was here for the little girl. The chirping of the birds and the sounds of the waterfall can calm down anyone. The earthy smell of the surroundings and the misty clouds made the surroundings unique and noteworthy. He slowly walked towards the door and entered the shrine which was as serene as a calmke. The interior of the shrine ispletely the opposite of it''s exterior. The exact opposite of simple- refined and detailed. The inscriptions on the walls and the many passageways inside made the shrine look mysterious. One could say that the word '' mage'' suited more to describe the scene before him rather than passage way. No one would imagine that the seemingly tiny shrine from the outside to have such spacious andplicated interior. " There are many mysteries in this world." Xuan Li Wei mused for the umpteenth time as he observed the surroundings. He walked through the mage like an expert now standing before the intricately carved door. Xuan Li Wei kowtowed before the door and spoke with a respectful voice " Priest Lao, This humble one Xuan Li Wei requests your audience." Xuan Li Wei did not wait for a long time as the door opened after a few minutes. Without rushing inside at the first opportunity, Xuan Li Wei thanked the priest for his time and only then did he enter through the door. This humble attitude was naturally noticed by the priest who now had a slight smile on his face which disappeared in an instant, making one doubt if he smiled in the first ce or not. Xuan Li Wei noticed the priest who was meditating deeply with a string of beads in one hand, sitting at the most inconspicuous corner of the room . He then noticed the statue of goddess Zodia in the middle of the room, which had a regal aura around it. Removing his sandals, he made his way to the statue of Goddess Zodia, the goddess of destiny and stars. He lit an incense stick and kowtowed to pray. After a while, he got up and straightened his robes while making his way towards the priest. " What is it that you came looking for me?" Priest Lao did not beat around the bush and directly cut to the chase. He was always straightforward and he knew that there is something that is troubling this young prince''s heart. Although, he had a faint idea he wanted to hear from this person''s mouth. So, he directly asked the question. " Priest Lao, you must have known that the second divine weapon has been awakened." Xuan Li Wei spoke while kneeling on the cold floor. " Nothing escapes my divine vision." Priest Lao spoke with a poker face and it made hard for one to understand what exactly he is feeling at the moment. " Then I must trouble you with my ignorance." Xuan Li Wei spoke with a cid expression " The wielder of the whip went through pain in the process of acquiring the whip, which did not happen in my case. What can be the reason behind it?" " She and you are different, everyone has their own secrets." Priest Lao spoke slowly and calmly as if he was reading a weather report. What did this old priest exactly say? Such vague words.. His words are not an answer to my question? Xuan Li Wei had an indecipherable expression on his face which made the old priest chuckle " Fear not prince, there is nothing wrong with that pain. Some things are better known at the right time." Xuan Li Wei felt at ease after hearing his words. Though he didn''t find theplete truth about this matter, he knew that the priest would never lie. So, he believed in his words without a second thought. " How did you know that the person is a she?" Xuan Li Wei felt that this person before him is weird, in a good way though. But, sometimes he couldn''t help but feel creepy. " As I said, nothing escapes my vision." Alright, I give up! Xuan Li Wei surrendered to this old priest. He knew that he could get nothing meaningful from this old man. " Who are the persons around her? Even I couldn''t sense the divine whip''s aura anymore.." Priest Lao was very curious about this. Concealing the divine whip''s aura is no child''s y and he knew that it is possible only by using jades. There are only two such jades in this world and one is in his possession right now. ''The other jade must be with that old man'' Priest Lao mused. That tricky old man did a good job in concealing himself all this time. Even he was not able to sense that stinky old man''s aura all this time. " It''s Doctor Wu Gong. He was the only noteworthy person around her. Others are either family or my men." Xuan Li Wei promptly replied. " Are you sure that you are not forgetting anyone?" Priest Lao wanted no mistakes. " Yes, I am." On hearing Xuan Li Wei''s unflinching answer, a smile bloomed on Priest Lao''s face. Xuan Li Wei raised his brows in surprise, he never thought that he would see an emotion on this man''s face. " So, Wu Gong, is it?" Priest Lao chuckled and spoke in a low voice which only he could hear " Bai Long, no matter what name you use I will find you. It''s been a long time since we met." Chapter 136 - The Two Illusionists Chapter 136 - The Two Illusionists "Achoo.." Wu Gong sneezed loudly as he felt a chill on his back. Someone must be cursing him, he mumbled under his breath for a while before getting back to his work. Priest Lao thought for a while. Since, the jade is in her hands there is nothing to worry about. With the aura concealed, no one could sense her and trouble her. With a flick of his sleeve, a scroll appeared in his hands. This scroll should be given to it''s rightful heir, and since the prince knew her there was no need for him to meet the girl at the moment. So, he passed the scroll to Xuan Li Wei. " Give this scroll to her.." Xuan Li Wei caught the scroll and nodded in agreement while examining it. There was a dragon seal on the scroll, simr to the one on his scroll back then. Subconsciously, his hands traveled to the seal but his hand stopped in mid air as he was interrupted by a calm voice " Don''t even think about it! You can''t open it. It only recognizes the soul." " Is there anything else you want me to convey to her?" Xuan Li Wei naturally heeded his words and did not touch the seal again. " Tell her not to remove or lose the jade at any cost. It is of paramount importance. And give her this scroll, for it contains the necessary information about her weapon." " All right, then I will be taking my leave Priest Lao." Xuan Li Wei bowed slightly and on seeing the old priest nod his head, he made his way towards the door. Xuan Li Wei flew towards the imperial pce with a thousand thoughts in his mind. Most of all, he was excited that he could meet up with his wifey again using the scroll as an excuse. Meanwhile in the dark city, Xia Lian busied herself in preparing pills and medicinal powders. She was now engrossed in concocting the antidote against all poisons. She knew what types of poisons are there in this world and making antidotes for them is a piece of cake to her. But, she had ideas and recipes of poisons which can be considered as deadly and sinister. She crafted about ten new poisons but decided not to sell them, for she can imagine the chaos once such poisons are out. Selling one poison is more than enough. These poisons will be her special weapon and her secret trump card. Now, she was racking her brain hard to create an antidote which can nullify the effects of all her signature poisons.Feeling tired, she pushed the matter of antidote to the back of her head. Xia Lian rubbed her chin and her eyes twinkled brightly as an idea struck her like a bolt of lightning. Why didn''t she think about it earlier? As if injected with chicken blood, Xia Lian immediately pumped her fists and sprinted towards the crates containing medicinal herbs. Fishing out three kinds of herbs, she started to grind the herbs. " Master, we finished making pills." Bolin chirped happily. It was his first time making such exquisite pills and he was so excited that even now his cheeks are flushed up and to be precise he looked like a red tomato who was waiting to be praised. Xia Lian suppressed herugh on seeing his appearance and praised him generously " You did well. If you work diligently, I will teach you the art of poison concoction and recipes of various medicines." " hehe.. Thanks master. You are so generous.." Bolin buttered up Xia Lian, while thetter''s lips twitched in amus.e.m.e.nt. She spoke in a voice tinged withughter " I am not so generous. Now, take these herbs and draw out the liquid essence from them." she handed over the ground herbs to him. " Yes, master.." Bolin''s voice was filled with reverence which made Xia Lian''s ears go red from embarrassment. Bolin naturally noticed this and he could not help but think that his master is cute. Then again, he noticed the dragon ornament on her shoulder. He noticed it the first time he saw this tiny doctor and he was intrigued by it. He remained silent as it was rude to ask a person about such things. But now they are in a master-student rtionship. So, he felt that he can ask this question to sate his curiosity. " Erm.. Master.." Bolin cleared his throat awkwardly. " What is it?" Xia Lian did not think much as she knew that this fellow is always curious, and she did not hate it as it was a good trait which most students arecking nowadays. " What is the story behind the dragon ornament on your shoulder?" Now, this question caught Xia Lian off guard. She did not expect this question out of the blue. She tilted her head to look at the dragon head which is resting peacefully on her shoulder. " It''s a simple ornament which caught my eye." Xia Lian then ced her hands on her h.i.p.s and questioned the tomato standing before her " Aren''t I looking good?" Bolin very seriously nodded his head " Yes, master. You look absolutely stunning." Xia Lian had a smug smile on her face as she was openly gloating about thepliment she received. Bohai who just entered the room was rendered speechless on seeing thisical scene. He stared at Xia Lian who was dressed in simple and wrinkled ck robes. Her hair resembled a birds nest. How in the world can one describe this appearance as stunning? He then stared at himself, if doctor Wu is stunning in that pathetic appearance then he can call himself as an ethereal beauty. Shaking his head in a helpless manner, he just ced the pills on the table and retreated from the room filled with illusionists. He didn''t want to be like them. " Chirp.." Xia Lian''s ears perked up on hearing the birdie chirp. She tilted her head only to find a blue bird simr to her Bubba standing on the window with a paper tied to it''s leg. Yes, she named her messenger bird Bubba. The flirty prince sent her a message ah! Xia Lian was in a particrly good mood today. So, she happily sprinted towards the bird and opened the seal to read the message. But the huge grin was immediately reced with a furious expression as she read the message. This prince is seriouslycking a beating! Chapter 137 - Going to Pulverize him Chapter 137 - Going to Pulverize him " Lian Lian, I know that you are missing your prince so much. Pitying you, I decided to grace you with my visit. ce and timing at your discretion; I will be there at any cost. By the way I have a gift for you. Now now, don''t get excited. Waiting for your reply." Xia Lian had murder written all over her face. Bolin didn''t know what was written in that letter, but he was scared on seeing this terrifying side of his master. Not knowing what to do, he ran outside and immediately sent Bao Su into the room. Bao Su blinked his eyes in confusion. He really did not understand why this Bolin dragged him all the way here. And why did that kid run away as soon as he entered the room? Bao Su was truly puzzled by these turn of events. Then, his gaze fell on the bird and paper in Xia Lian''s hand. Bao Su''s face darkened as he had a faint premonition as of what happened just now. What did the almighty general write that made this little master of his look like a furnace ready to explode at any instant? Slowly and cautiously, he walked towards his little master. He cleared his throat awkwardly " Master, what is wrong?" Xia Lian shoved the nonsensical letter into his hands. Out of curiosity, Bao Su started reading the letter. But soon, his face was covered with cold sweat. What is this prince thinking? Openly flirting with the little devil! Their general was truly having a death wish ah! " Lian Lian? Am I his pet?" Xia Lian''s voice was frighteningly cold; Bao Su gulped. " My prince? When did I dere him as mine?!" This prince was truly looking for his death; Xia Lian decided to grant his wish. " He will grace me with his visit. What am I? Is he thinking that I am some love struck concubine waiting for his visit?" the little demon was truly agitated now. Bao Su was horrified " Master, you must absolutely not think like that?" Xia Lian shifted her ice frost face towards him " Those misleading words will be interpreted by anyone in the same way. What, are you having any problem with that?" That made the poor shadow guard shut his mouth; he shook his head like a rattle drum which made Xia Lian''s gloomy heart a bit lighter. " And how in the world did he feel that I am excited to see him?" she spat out these words while gritting her teeth. Bao Su felt truly bad for Xuan Li Wei now. " Initially, I am not.." Xia Lian thought for a while before adding with a sinister smile on her handsome face " But now I am super excited to meet him as soon as possible." " Eh?!" Bao Su was not able to cope up with these sudden mood changes in his master. What is this sudden change?! But, her next words made him instantly petrified and he lit hundreds of candles in his heart praying for the safety of their general. " I am going to pulverize him at the instant I see him.." Xia Lian cracked her knuckles in anticipation. She was imagining the scene where she was going to beat the crap out of this narcissist prince. It was such a beautiful picture, thanks to her excellent imagination skills. " That psychopathic prince.." Xia Lian muttered under her breath while grinding the herbs. Directing all her anger and hate towards the herbs, she ground them at an astonishing speed. Bao Su zipped his lips and silently assisted his fuming master by handing her fresh set of herbs at regr intervals. " That frenzied flirt is going to be reduced to smithereens.." " That demented maniac of a general, I am going to dismember him alive." " That insane illusionist sure has some vivid imaginations. I should knock some sense into that mud brain of his.." This series of indecipherable curses continued for a long long time; Bao Su was now truly in awe of their general. If it was a normal letter, then she would have just read it. But now, her mind was literally filled with the thoughts of their general; Bao Su totally disregarded that the thoughts in Xia Lian''s mind arepletely filled the vibe of murder and torture. He was looking on the bright side of the present events. It seems that he truly underestimated their general ah! Such terrific way of courting someone; it was his first time witnessing such passionate love ah! Then again he stared at his master who was still in the process of cursing the general. He could not help but pity his master who was clearly falling into the trap of a certain big bad wolf. Never in his dreams did he expect that their general is ck bellied and on top of that such a shameless flirt! He sighed for the umpteenth time; he was truly powerless and he could not possibly warn his little master, can he? Should he support his prince or warn his innocent little master? He waspletely baffled. Bao Su weighed all the possible options in his mind before finally deciding to support their general. One is a fearless and kindhearted devil while the other is a two faced war god. Such an excitingbination! He truly loved to see these two be a couple ah! So, he unanimously decided to support his prince. " Bao Su.." He snapped out from his ridiculous train of thoughts as soon as he heard his master call out from him. Bao Su apologized to Xia Lian in his heart for not warning her ah! He truly wanted to be the cupid for this couple. " Find out when the auction is going to take ce." Xia Lian was now interested in the auction. It''s been sometime since she heard from the old man in the auction house. Bao Su nodded his head and immediately rushed out toplete the task at hand. Chapter 138 - Going for Live Testing Chapter 138 - Going for Live Testing The guards standing outside the ck dragon auction house immediately recognized Bao Su; how could they forget the group who introduced the sinister new poison '' Silent Night''. Without asking any further questions, they immediately led him to the VIP room. But, Bao Su was not here for their hospitality. So, he directly asked them " Where is your appraiser Du Weng? I need to meet him." " Y-yes young lord, please take a seat. I will bring old maester Du Weng to you in a while. He is wrapped up at the moment with examining potions." Bao Su didn''t make it difficult for the young guard " Hmm.. Then I will be waiting in here." The guards thanked him for his easy going attitude and left the VIP cube to inform the old appraiser about his arrival. In another general room, Du Weng felt his lips twitch in annoyance while examining the so called omnipotent potion. The potion maker guaranteed that those who consume this potion will have their physique developed and that their internal qi will develop by leaps and bounds. Though feeling skeptical about such exaggerated words, he patiently tested the potion. Instead of improving one''s physique, it destroyed the meridians in their body. What omnipotent? It was clearly a fraud! " Maester Du Weng, what are the results?" the young man who was the so called creator of this useless potion seemed very excited about the results as his excitement was clearly reflected in his voice. Du Weng was nowpletely vexed up with all these quacks. From thest week, he examined many such useless potions. Even his patience has a limit! " What omnipotent potion? Didn''t you see the results with your own eyes?!" Du Weng was clearly pissed off " On what basis are you still expecting positive results?" " Just get out of our auction house. Don''t sully our good name with your presence. Scram now.." On seeing that the young man before him being in a daze, Du Weng was further angered " Do you want me to call the guards and throw you out?" The young man snapped out of his daze and immediately scurried out of the old man''s sight. Du Weng patted his heaving chest and slumped onto the chair in defeat. Why is the new generation filled with such useless sc.u.ms? He could not help butment. Then again, he subconsciously remembered the fiery tempered kid who concocted a brand new poison. What kind of heaven defying poisons will the kid develop? If he concocts potions, what kind of effects will they have? Du Weng waspletely immersed in his fantasies of elixirs and toxins. " Maester.." Du Weng tilted his head in annoyance.He was unhappy; the guard disturbed his thoughts. The guard sensed the old man''s annoyance, but he was helpless. The guest was an important one and he could not neglect him. So, he courageously spoke " Maester, did you remember the person who concocted the poison called '' Silent Night''?" Du Weng stared at the fl.u.s.tered guard before him with an '' Are you an idiot?'' expression. How could he, the maester forget about poisons and potions? The guard also recognized his folly and immediately corrected himself "A person from that group came to meet you. I made him sit in the VIP room.." Whoosh! Not allowing the guard toplete his words, Du Weng rushed towards the VIP section with a lightning speed. The young guard had a bewildered expression on his face as he stared at the old man''s back. The door of the room opened with a loud bang and Du Weng entered the room gasping for his breath. The little white hair on the old man''s head was now blown up and he looked like a hen without feathers. His old face was now flushed up due to theck of air. Bao Su raised his brows in amus.e.m.e.nt after seeing the sorry appearance of this appraiser. " It''s you young lord. What about Doctor Wu?" the old man was visibly disappointed. " Doctor Wu is busy concocting some new potions. So, he could note personally and he asked me to apologise on his behalf." " No, No.. I do not dare to ept apologies from the great doctor." Are they kidding him? He was not looking for his death ah! If this doctor Wu is displeased, who knows which poison will be used on him? He was not so eager to enter the gates of hell. He was simply curious,that''s all. " Fret not, Maester. Doctor Wu is not the one to bear grudges on such trifling matters. You can speak at ease." " You are so humble, young lord. So, can I know what brings you here?" " Ah! Doctor Wu is curious about when the auction will take ce?" Bao Su squinted his brows making the old man break into a cold sweat. Like master, like followers.. Even the subordinates of this Doctor Wu are no ordinary people. Such terrifying pressure; Du Weng gulped in fear. " The grand auction is going tomence in three days from now. We are about to send over the invitation to your ce. Since, you are here I will personally hand it over to you." Du Weng handed over an invitation in gold to Bao Su. " Thank you Maester. Doctor Wu asked me to inform you that he will be bringing two new potions on the day of auction." Du Weng''s eyes brightened after hearing his words. It was as if someone had pulled him back from the abyss of hell. " Then what about the testing?" " No need to worry about that. Doctor Wu said that he will go for live testing." Du Weng widened his eyes in disbelief. Live testing; testing before the huge audience, and what if something goes wrong? Is doctor Wu not afraid of such consequences? There gotta be only one exnation: '' He was really confident of his skills..''.Du Weng couldn''t help but admire the young doctor''s courage. " You can publicize about this live testing without any worries." Bao Su chuckled " I will be taking my leave now." Without giving Du Weng a chance to pose any further questions, Bao Su left the ce. Du Weng contemted for a while. If the live testing is a sess, the auction house reputation will soar along with Doctor Wu''s poprity. If it is a failure, only Doctor Wu''s reputation will be tarnished. The auction house will not suffer any serious damages, the only exception being a little bad mouth talk which can be easily controlled. It was worth the risk. So, Du Weng decided to speak with the owner about this new development. He needed the owner''s permission before publicizing anything. Chapter 139 - A Sweet Reply Chapter 139 - A Sweet Reply " Master, one of our client requested for live testing." Du Weng spoke in a shaky voice as he stood in the dark room. " Requested?" the man''s voice had a dangerous vibe to it. He heard the earlier conversation; nothing could escape his ears. It was not a request, he was sure of that. But, the little doctor is interesting. Even his servants are fearless. " Erm.. Master.." Du Weng started to panic. No matter how many times he spoke with this venerable deity, he could not help but feel fear seep out from his bones. " Do ording to their wishes.." the man in the dark chuckled lightly. Du Weng was dazed for a moment before he recovered quickly excusing himself " Then it will be done ordingly, master." " Hmm.. You can leave now." Du Weng fled the room as he did not want to be suffocate himself to death by staying in that damn room any longer. His master was way too terrific. But, what made his master ept Doctor Wu''s request so easily; even he was doubtful about this scenario. Pushing all his doubts to the back of his mind, Du Weng started to make the necessary arrangements. ************************************************ In the medicine room, " Master.." Xia Lian who was engrossed in concocting her new potion, answered without raising her head " Hmm.. What did they say?" " Three days from today, Grand auction is going to take ce. They naturally agreed to the live testing." Bao Su''s answer made Xia Lian smirk evilly. " Get me paper and brush, Bao Su. I am upied at the moment." her blissful voice somehow made Bao Su shudder. He was sure that something or someone is at bad luck today. No matter what grievances his heart suffered, he brought all the items like an obedient cat. After cing them on the table, he started grinding the ink. " Master, everything is ready.." Xia Lian got up and washed her hands after hearing his faint voice. On seeing that he even prepared the ink, her little heart melted into a puddle. " Thank you.." she sincerely thanked him, but the other party was naturally confused. So, he scratched his head while looking at her with bewildered expression. " M-Master, did you thank me?" " Yes.." she rolled her eyes at this puzzled fool. Who else is there in the room other than them ah?! This guard of hers is getting more and more stupid with each minute. " Why?" On hearing the genuine confusion in his voice, Xia Lianughed out loudly. Her guard is an adorable fool.. He clearly didn''t think that he did something that should be thanked for and she didn''t bother to exin him either. So, she shook her head " Nothing.." Then ignoring the dazed fellow behind her, she dipped the brush in the ink and squinted her brows thinking deeply. She should give that idiotic prince a reply now. But, she was angry at him. Now, she really didn''t know if she should scold him or not. Bao Su''s lips twitched with amus.e.m.e.nt on seeing her thinking hard. The pensive look on her face almost made himugh out loud. Their Prince is too clever ah! Making this little master think about him all the time is no easy feat. Bao Su waspletely impressed by Xuan Li Wei. Xia Lian tapped the brush against her forehead. No matter what she wrote she knew that she cannot make that flirty prince lose his temper. She suddenly stopped tapping her forehead as a diabolical smile bloomed on her refined jade like face. And that smile of her made Bao Su uneasy. With renewed vigour, Xia Lian started scribbling on the letter. She directed all her anger on that poor paper; her strong and wild strokes clearly reflected that she used extra strength while writing that letter. Xia Lian grunted in satisfaction after reading the letter and blowed on it to dry it quickly. She could not wait to send it to that flirty prince. She tilted her head as she felt a burning gaze on her back. She found Bao Su trying his best to peek at the letter. On seeing her turn abruptly, the poor fellow froze like a statue. He only wanted to see what his master wrote ah! How did he end up getting caught in the act? Cursing his misfortune, he cried silent tears when he noticed Xia Lian''s amused look. It was as if she was watching a clown perform a y. Well, he was standing on his toes and his body was bent in a weird angle, and he definitely looked like a clown. " If you are so curious, then you can ask me. Why perform stunts ah!" Xia Lian was particrly happy today, she handed him the letter so that the poor cat could satisfy his curiosity. The poor guard took a casual look at the letter, but in the next instant his eyes popped out and his mouth formed into an ''O''. He was too stunned to speak anything. Xia Lian waspletely satisfied after seeing his reaction. Though a certain person had no shame and she could almost imagine his smug smile after reading it, it was worth the risk. The merrier he is, the easier it is for her to knock him downter. Pulling the letter from her electrocuted guard''s hands, Xia Lian tied it to the bird and released it into the sky. Bao Su still did not recover from the shock. He expected a letter full of curses, but why is it filled with honeyed sweet nothings. Did his master''s brain suffer a serious damage? ************************************************ "Chirp.." Xuan Li Wei lifted his head from the stack of doc.u.ments and his cold face had traces of warmth on seeing the bird. His wife finally decided to reply ah! He could almost imagine her reaction after reading his words. Now, he was curious about what was written in that letter. Just when he was about to break the seal, the letter was snatched from his hands. He turned around with a vicious expression on his face, but the other party had no fear on his face. " What?? I am not scared of you!" Jun Moyin eximed and his face showed an expression of disdain as he said the following words " I did not expect you to flirt even through the letter. Let me see my sister-inw''s reply first. Humph.." He was by this perverted prince''s side, while thetterposed such a flirtatious letter. So, he was curious as how his sis-inw replied ah! Silence¡­. " pfft.. Hahaha.." Jun Moyin roared withughter after a while. His sister-inw was truly a gem. He never expected that she would reply in the same way. He raised his head only to find Xuan Li Wei''s darkened face. The poor prince''s agitated heart was itching to read the letter. Jun Moyin rolled his eyes at a certain restless person.. "Here, read it till your eyes fall from your sockets.." he generously handed the letter to his brother. Xuan Li Wei grabbed the letter and snorted at his little brother''s antics. What did she write in there that made this little pimpugh like a maniac? He was now truly curious. " Wei Wei, my prince.. Let''s meet at the ck Dragon Auction House, three days from this day. This one is looking forward to your visit with all her heart. Don''t keep me waiting for too long; my fragile heart can''t wait for too long. I have nothing to gift you, but I will give you a passionate wee ah! You will find it difficult to forget for the rest of your life. hehe.." A certain prince''s eyes widened in surprise. He then squinted his eyes and observed the letter carefully. He did not read it wrong, but the strokes are written with heavy force. He could almost imagine how furious she was while writing these sugar coated words. " pfft.." Atst, even he was not able to stopughing. Such a sweet reply, but he could sense her fury behind each word. He carefully read the letter again, and broke out into a second round ofughter. Fragile heart.. Passionate wee.. How in the world did she write such words? His wife was cute.. Too cute.. On seeing the love struck expression on his brother''s face, Jun Moyin''s face twitched. His brother was hopeless, truly hopeless! Chapter 140 - Bunny Tactics Chapter 140 - Bunny Tactics After sending the letter, Xia Lian stretched her hands and made her way towards the little bunny''s room. It''s been a while since she spent some quality time with the kid. She knew that he was training in martial arts and all, but she didn''t want him to mature too early. He was a kid and he should enjoy the bliss of childhood. Knock. Knock. A series of rhythmic sounds sounded in the room stirring a sleeping bunny awake. He slowly stretched his numb limbs and slowly got out of the bed. He then ced his tiny foot on the floor but he felt a sharp pain in his legs as soon as his feet touched the floor. He should not cry, he is a big boy and he should not let his sister worry about him. So, he gritted his teeth and started to limp slowly towards the door. Xia Lian ced her hands on her h.i.p.s after knocking on the door. It remained silent for a while before she heard a soft rustling sound followed by strained foot steps. She scrunched her brows when she noticed the irregr sound of the footsteps. She had a faint premonition as of what is going on with her little one and she sighed softly. Creak! On hearing the soft sound of the door being opened, Xia Lian stered a smile on her face. The door slowly opened and a little face popped out. " Ming!" Xia Lian''s smile froze on seeing his pale face. Without second thoughts, she carried the little bunny in her arms and shut the door on Bao Su''s face, who scratched his head helplessly before leaving. She touched the little fellow''s forehead and rxed when she found that he is not burning. She then pressed his arms and the little one grunted in difort. Xia Lianid him on his back on the bed and took out massage oil from the cupboard. " Sister!" the excitement in his voice did not escape her ears and she smirked at him " Hmm, I am here. Don''t worry, I will make your pain fly away!" Little Ming''s face fell; he never thought that his sister would discover that his arms are hurting. He thought that he covered it well, it seems that he did a bad job at it. He wanted to be a big man and he failed miserably at it. Calmly observing the various reactions on his face, Xia Lian sat on the bed by his bed and poured some oil onto her hands. Rubbing the oil onto her palms she started to massage his legs and hands. The little one''s face visibly rxed under her skilled hands. Finally being relieved of the pain, he slowly fell asleep on herp. Xia Lian stopped massaging as soon as he fell asleep. She then made him lie down in afortable position before slipping under the covers and hugging the little one gently in her arms. She stared at the ceiling with a hundred thoughts running rampant in her mind, she was not feeling sleepy anyway. The sky outside turned dark and the sleeping bunny finally stirred awake. He slowly got up and rubbed his eyes hoping to catch a glimpse of his sister. He remembered that she came to see him. " Finally you are awake huh?" Xia Ming blinked his eyes and his surroundings became clear. He found his sister leaning against the wall with azy smile on her face. The little one''s face brightened up as he spoke in an excited voice " Sister, I have been practicing martial arts. Now, am I a big boy?" " pfft..." Xia Lian chortled and immediately coughed to suppress her smile on seeing his pouting face. This fellow is too cute for his own good! " No matter what, you are always a little boy in my eyes." She flicked his forehead gently and sighed " With you sister here, no one will dare harm us. So, you can y all you want." But, her words did not make him happiest in the slightest and the frown on his face deepened. Humph! He will prove his sister that he is a very big boy! Xia Lian raised her brows on seeing her frowning bunny. She started to tickle him and in no time the little bunny''s face turned into a deep shade of red due to the heavy round ofughter. Despite all her efforts, he still tried to maintain a stoic face not knowing that it made him look irresistible in her eyes. Not able to control herself anymore, Xia Lian smooched him heavily on both of his cheeks which made the little one break into a huge smile. Now, she found another interesting thing about her little brother. He liked her kisses, and she loved kissing him ah! It''s a win-win situation. So, She decided in her heart to rain him with kisses all the time. She pondered for a while when she suddenly remembered a certain task which she entrusted to Fan Ling. It''s almost time she checked the progress of that task. Scooping the little one in her arms, she made her way towards the outer shed at the back of the hospital. It was far from the hospital building and there were different types of vegetable ntations all along the huge area. She slowly walked forward observing her surroundings and answering the little one''s questions along the way. Fan Ling was busily inspecting the sacks when she heard the voices approaching her from a distance. Recognizing her master''s voice, she immediately turned around with a faint smile on her voice. " Master, is anything wrong?" she asked with a concerned voice making Xia Lian smile. " Everything is good." she answered and focused her gaze on the numerous gunny bags before her " Are they ready?" " Yes, Master." Fan Ling immediately went forward and opened one of the gunny bag. Xia Lian went forward and examined the goods with her free hand. Good! Everything is ready. Chapter 141 - Forcing Him Chapter 141 - Forcing Him " Sister, what are those?" Xia Ming was confused. He never saw these golden little things. So, there was a natural curiosity in his voice. " These are dried corn kernels. Erm, you can say corn seeds!" she exined him using the most simple words she can. Corn was not much used in the cuisine here. Rice was used in almost every home and corn was a rarely seen. But, Dark City is a home for all kinds of goods. Merchants from many neighboring countriese here to sell their goods. She identally saw a foreign merchant selling corn, she was so excited that she made Fan Ling buy all of his merchandise. The poor fellow who thought that he wouldn''t be able to sell anything was overjoyed when he heard Fan Ling say that she would buy everything. He repeatedly thanked her much to the dismay of the girl. Fan Ling knew about this corn, but she was horrified when her master asked her to dry half of the corn in the sun. She was not able to understand why her master is wasting suchrge quantities of food, she was unhappy but she remained quiet. She would never question her master''s actions. But, who knew that Xia Lian actually saw through her struggles. Xia Lian assured the dejected girl that she was going to show her a new dish, which thetter obviously did not believe. But now the corn ispletely dried and each kernel is as hard as a rock. She was unable to endure anymore and curiosity got the better of her. " Master, now that the corn is dried what are you nning to do?" Xia Lian smirked at the girl''s question. What was she going to do? Well, it''s time to unleash her skills! Handing over the little bunny in her arms to Fan Ling, she grabbed a sack on her shoulder and made her way towards the kitchen. " M-Master, let me carry the bag!" a certain girl''s cries were naturally ignored. Xia Mingforted the panicking Fan Ling by softly tapping her cheeks with his plump hands. " Brother Fan, big brother is very excited today. So, don''t worry!" Fan Ling''s heart turned into soft cotton after hearing his words. Such a cute and chubby kid! Who would not want him? " Doctor Wu!" Xia Lian turned towards He Chun who was sprinting towards her carrying the fat medical book which she gifted him in his hands. He was holding the book as if it''s his precious treasure and she openly rolled her eyes at him. " Brother He Chun! sigh..." Why is this He Chun studying as if it''s the end of the world tomorrow. This is not apetitive world like the modern era ah! Why couldn''t he rx a bit ? She was not happy and rubbed her chin while squinting her eyes at him. " Hehe.." He Chun felt chills on his back after hearing herughter which waspletely filled with malice. He wanted to clear his doubts and he absolutely had no intentions of disturbing this little doctor. But, why is he sensing such murderous aura around this kid? " Brother He, you can read this encyclopedia anytime. Let''s rx and enjoy life ah! Come on,e with me." without giving any chance for him to reject her words, she dragged his long sleeves with her free hand. So, a certain poor doctor had no choice but to follow her. " Doctor Wu, what is an encilopadio?" " Eh?!" Xia Lian almost tripped after hearing his silly question. Hehe, he was not able to pronounce encyclopedia. He was not at fault since she spoke that word in English. But, that did not stop her from chuckling. " Brother He, it means a stupid fat book." He Chun naturally believed her and sighed. Why is this brat calling his own book as a stupid book. This kid is truly reckless, he shook his helplessly and followed her like a puppet. " Doctor Wu?" Xia Lian snapped at a certain fellow " It''s not Doctor Wu, it''s Brother Wu! I will answer your questions only if you address me as your brother." She crossed her arms across her chest and red at him. " Alright, It''s Brother Wu then!" He Chun finally lost it and Xia Lian smiled in triumph. Bao Su stared at the smug smile on kid''s face and face-palmed. " Why did you drag me into the kitchen?" He never thought that he would be dragged into the kitchen by this kid. What exactly is this Doctor Wu nning to do now? " Such a stupid question!" Xia Lian snorted at him making him choke on his breath " Of course, it''s to cook! Why else would one enter a kitchen ah? That''s the reason why you shouldn''t spend all your time churning that fat book!" He Chun was rendered speechless and he could only nod his head. It''s not as if he had another choice! " So, what are we cooking?" he could only ask that while rolling up his sleeves. " What''s the hurry doc? Here, wear this!" He Chun caught the piece of white cloth which was thrown at him. One look at that apron and his face darkened instantly. How in the world could he wear such thing! He lifted his head wanting to deny wearing that apron. But, his words were caught up in his throat when he saw the brat before him dressed up in a cute bunny apron; the worst thing is that the kid was now looking at him and the apron sessively silently threatening him to wear his apron. Oh God! Why is he finding Doctor Wu cute? Then again he nced at the bunny apron in his hands. How could he wear such thing! Swallowing his silent tears, He Chun slowly put on the apron. " Good! Brother He, you are looking good!" Xia Lian genuinely praised him. Outside the kitchen, Bao Su clutched his heart when he heard his master''s words. He was searching for Xia Lian, to inform her that Xuan Li Wei sent her a message that he would be there for the auction with Jun Moyin. He was informed that she headed towards the kitchen. So, he happily sprinted towards the kitchen while humming a song. But, he never expected to hear such words as soon as he reached the kitchen ah! His heart was instantly shattered into a million pieces. The Fourth prince will definitely strangle him to death! Chapter 142 - Popcorn Chapter 142 - Popcorn " Master!" Bao Su rushed into the kitchen with a gloomy face. Xia Lian didn''t even bother with this fool. She knew that he would be excited like a clown for trivial matters. She gathered the firewood and squatted on the floor to start the fire. " Brother Wu, leave the fire to me." He Chun squatted beside her, no matter what he couldn''t let a kid do all the heavy work. That''s what the a.d.u.l.ts are for. Considering himself the only a.d.u.l.t in that tiny group, he volunteered himself. She would be a fool if she did not ept such kindness; she happily got up with a huge grin on her face. Bao Su was unable to watch this anymore. Not caring for any etiquette, he dragged Xia Lian by her hand making her extremely surprised. Bao Su never acted out of his line and she was wondering what made him drag her away like that. * cough* she could only clear her throat to get his attention; which she sessfully did. Bao Su released her hands and scratched his head awkwardly. He then told her about Xuan Li Wei''s reply. " You dragged me away like that only to tell me that the stupid prince ising?" Stupid prince? It seems that the prince really had a peculiar position in her heart ah! Bao Su smiled wryly " I got carried away master. Hehe." " Eh? Seeing your excitement, I thought that you are meeting your love ah! Who knew that it was that flirty prince. So, he ising! I am waiting for him to show his face. Now, let''s go back!" Indicating that she understood, she made her way towards the kitchen; this time with her dragging the poor shadow guard along with her. He Chun took out the cooking utensils and started to preheat them. On seeing that the kid returned, he naturally spoke " Brother Wu, everything is ready. We can start." " Bao Su, stay here and don''t interrupt me in the middle." Only after making sure that this stupid fellow understood what she said, did she grab the pail of oil. " Brother He, you can just stay by the side and watch me cook." She is not going to make something which is difficult. It is the one of the most easiest recipes in the world and she definitely did not require someone to assist her. He Chun very obediently stood by her side. The cooking utensil wasrge and Xia Lian was satisfied because only with such utensil will she be able to cook for all these people. She poured a generous amount of oil into the utensil and waited for a few minutes for it to get heated. Then, under all the curious gazes she picked up many handfuls of corn kernels and dropped them in gently and started to fry them. In the beginning all were skeptical of what Xia Lian was doing; then something unbelievable urred in front of their eyes. Pop! A corn kernel burst opened and a white thing appeared. Pop! Pop! Before they could make head or tails of what is happening, a series of popping sounds followed. " Brother He, bring me a terge enough to cover this vessel." He Chun immediately fished out arge te and covered the vessel by himself. " Well then, it will be ready in a few minutes. We need to take the vessel out from the fire after the popping sound ceases." After a while, the popping soundpletely stopped indicating that the popcorn is ready. Xia Lian happily sprinted towards it and removed the te used as a cover. All one saw is a huge sea of white cotton like things. She then mixed the popcorn with salt and ck pepper, since they are the only spices she could find at the moment. She then transferred them into bowls and handed them to the curious specimens around her. " This dish is called popcorn. Have a taste of it." After handing over the bowls to everyone, she carried a huge bowl in her hands and ced the little bunny on herp. Looking at the confused yet excited expression on his face, she chuckled. " Eat up! What are you waiting for?" That was all what the little one needed, and he immediately started to dig in. " Vig Wrother! It''s Cho good!" Xia Ming turned towards her with puffed up cheeks, and his words sounded weird. But, Xia Lian''s heart was giddy with happiness after hearing his words. She naturally understood that he liked it. She was happy, as long as he likes it, that''s enough for her. It doesn''t matter even if the whole world dislikes it. " Brother Wu, It''s good." He Chun spoke while eating. His each movements were so graceful that Xia Lian couldn''t help but take another look at him. " Master, I never knew that corn can be used like this!" Fan Ling was pleasantly surprised. In the beginning she doubted her master a bit, but now she was convinced that her master is one of a kind! She would never doubt Xia Lian again. " Oh! You knew about corn?" Xia Lian tried her best to sound normal. " Master, I grew up eating it." the words smoothly slipped out of Fan Ling. Xia Lian frowned at her words. She looked at Fan Ling with a probing gaze, but Fan Ling was oblivious to her gaze as she continued to munch on the popcorn. Xia Lian remembered the first time she saw Fan Ling. The girl was graceful with her words and even her movements seemed noble. She was eloquent and cold. Xia Lian concluded that she was from a noble family; and why she ended up in such a ce is not known. Initially she had no leads about this matter, but now she has. There are no families in Qilin empire who used corn as their food and there were absolutely no farmers who grew corn. So, this Fan Ling was not from the Qilin empire. How did she end up here and who exactly is she? And her family? When she is freed, she did not express her willingness to go back to her home. It leaves three options: She''s an orphan, Her family was killed or she was banished from her family. Xia Lian felt a headacheing over. She needed to investigate about her subordinate. He Chun was intrigued by this popcorn; he started a second round of cooking much to Xia Lian''s amus.e.m.e.nt. She then handed over the little bunny to Fan Ling. The girl loved him and little Ming was alsofortable with her. Leaving him in her care, she motioned Bao Su to follow her. Many things are yet to be done. Chapter 143 - Lu Wen, The sharp brother Chapter 143 - Lu Wen, The sharp brother Xia Lian sat in her room with a brooding expression on her face. Bao Su sneaked nces at her from time to time. He could not understand what is making her so worried. "Master, is something wrong?" " Bao Su, Is it possible for you to find information about a certain person?" " Master, finding information is a piece of cake for me." Xia Lian smirked after hearing his confident tone. Since he was so sure about his abilities, it''s time she put them in use. " Well then, find everything you can about Fan Ling." Xia Lian spoke in a low voice. Fan Ling? Bao Su raised his brows as he didn''t expect thising. " Is there any problem with her?" Bao Su didn''t feel anything off about the girl, did his master find anything? " She is not from Qilin Empire. Start your search from Cl.u.s.ter Lands. Did out everything about her roots and how she ended up in Qilin Empire." " Why Cl.u.s.ter Lands?" Bao Su blurted out as it was bugging him. " Corn." Xia Lian gave a one worded reply but Bao Su understood the reasoning. He heard Fan Ling''s words back there but it was only now he came to his senses. " Master, I will be leaving now. In my absence I would like to assign you new guards." Bao Su whistled and after a few minutes a knock is heard on the door. " Come in." As soon as her faint voice faded, the door was gently pushed open and two persons entered the room. Xia Lian''s eyes widened after seeing the two young men standing before her. They are the love birds aka gay couple! Both are a feast to one''s eyes. She would absolutely love to have them by her side. Though she maintained a poker face on the outside,she was dancing in her heart. She almost forgot that she rescued this couple ah! " Master, their martial arts are very good. And since you are their savior, they pledged to protect you with their lives." Bao Su gave the necessary information to her before advising them " Be vignt at all times. No harm must befall master in my absence. If anything goes wrong, I promise that I will skin you alive." Why did this sound more like a threat? Poor love birds, tsk... Xia Lian rested her chin on her palm and had azy smile on her face. This Bao Su is spoiling her rotten ah! She watched him continuously advise the two before taking his leave. Xia Lian and the two lovebirds in the room now facing each other. Each party is eyeing the other with curiosity. Xia Lian observed the two dashing specimens before her; both were dressed in white robesplementing each other. She took the initiative to break the silence in the room. " How should I address you?" she still had thatzy smile on her face. " I am called Lu Wen." the man with a slightly heavier build replied " And he is called Yang Qiu." Both of them then bowed to her " You are the first person to treat us like normal persons without any discrimination. Therefore, we are willing to protect you with our lives." Xia Lian nodded in agreement, the world is quite cruel towards homos.e.x.u.a.ls, not to speak of ancient era. It was the best thing that they decided to stay by her side, she will not allow anyone to belittle them again. " Then I am looking forward to your protection." Xia Lian chuckled breaking the serious atmosphere in the room. Lu Wen stared at her profile for a while before speaking " Yang Qiu, I want to speak with master alone." Yang Qiu raised his brows but he left the room without any hesitation. What did he want to speak with her? Xia Lian pointed to the chair near her " Take a seat and speak what is on your mind." Lu Wen sat on the chair without any reservations. He then looked straight into Xia Lian''s eyes and stressed each word clearly " Since, you saved us from the bondage you are not merely a master in my eyes. From this day, I am your sworn brother and I consider you my little sister." Huh?! Sister? Xia Lian''s eyes slowly widened in disbelief and she subconsciously looked at her attire. She was dressed in male clothes. How did he find out that she was a girl? Lu Wen found it funny when he saw her doubts clearly written on that little face of hers. Clearing his throat, he patiently exined to her " Little sister, your makeup is wless and you look quite handsome." Xia Lian pouted. She knew that she was handsome! She didn''t need any confirmation from him. First, he somehow found out that she is a girl and now he is calling her handsome. What kind of a big brother is he? " But, you forgot to cover your neck. You are young now and most people will not find out that you are a girl. But, as months pass by your identity of a woman will be an open book for everyone to read if you do not cover your neck." " Generally, no one would be able to find out that you are a girl since your makeup is wless. But, there may be some people like me out there who can tell that you are a girl after careful observation. You better be careful." " I know that and I am dressed like this because I am still 12 years old. I never expected someone to have such keen eyes." Xia Lian knew that the Adams apple will give away her disguise. Since she is young, she did not find it as a problem. But, now it seems she did not consider some things. She should start wearing high neck robes as soon as possible. " Also, what about your voice? For now, you are changing your voice. But, you can''t go on like that." Lu Wen asked her with a worried expression on his face. " No worries, I have my own ways for that." After hearing her confident answer, Lu Wen did not probe her any further. " No one except me knows that you are a girl. I presume that your two subordinates know that you are a girl. Seriously, how are you able to stay that calm with two men around you all the time." Wow! It''s good that he thinks Fan Ling is a man. Since, Fan Ling is almost near to 15 years of age, she always wore high cored robes. And she looked surprisingly masculine with that ice cold expression on her face. So, he didn''t suspect her being a girl. Without giving any chance for her to speak, he continued to chat. " I will always be by your side and I will make sure that no one finds out that you are a girl." he paused for a while before speaking with a proud smirk on his face " Even Yang Qiu thinks that you are a man. I didn''t leak it even to my other half." Xia Lian''s lips subconsciously curved up. She smiled at him " Thanks for your reminders. I will be more careful in future." " Yes, sis-Master." Lu Wen scratched his head " I will be taking my leave now." Chapter 144 - Herbal Projects Chapter 144 - Herbal Projects Next day morning. Xia Lian returned back to her room after her morning workout routine. Sadly, not even a drop of sweat could be seen on her face or body. Since Bao Su was out on a mission, she took the little bunny along with her. She made him stop his running spree barely after an hour. In her opinion, it''s more than enough for a three year old kid ah! She was truly not able to see her little bunny work hard. But, the little one insisted that he would not stop running as long as she practiced. So, she had no choice but to return early to her room. In the midst of her thoughts, Xia Lian remembered that the auction is going to be held the next day. Holy molly! She had not prepared the things required for the grand wee next day. Hehe¡­ Xia Lian smiled maliciously at the thought of the prince. Should she use poison on him? Nah! That would be truly heartless. He did not anger to the extent that she would use poison on him. But, he needs to be taught a lesson. A very good lesson at that! And then she would see if he would dare flirt with her in the future. She started imagining various ways to deal with the perverted prince, but she found them to be either too lenient or too vicious. Finally, she sprang up from the chair in excitement. Finally her genius brain had an idea which would let her vent up all her inner steam. She could almost imagine his pitiful state and guffawed loudly. Herugh was so loud that it resounded in the entire vicinity of the hospital. Many innocent citizens were terrified after hearing that eerieughter. Even those who are familiar with Xia Lian felt a bit weird. But, some remained calm as if they were used to these scenarios. Bohai: " Doctor Wu must have concocted a new poison. That must be the reason why he isughing like that." Bolin: " Nope, I bet that he imagined the effects of the poison. The aftermath must have been so sinister that he could not help butugh like an entric. Geniuses are always like that." He Chun was bbergasted after listening to their analysis. What exactly is the image of Doctor Wu in their eyes? He stared at them for a moment before locking his eyes on the fat book before him. In a certain room, Fan Ling: " Young master, let me go and check on master." Xia Ming: " Brother Fan, big brother is just ying around. Don''t worry about him. We need not worry about thatugh, he must have been too happy with those stupid nts of his." The little one let out all his thoughts in a single breath making Fan Lingugh out loud. This young master is pouting ah! But, master must have been busy preparing for the auction tomorrow. She could not interrupt Xia Lian''s work without a proper reason. So, she coaxed him " Young master, your brother is preparing for the auction tomorrow. It is important for him and tomorrow your brother will be taking you out." Xia Ming did not understand what an auction is, but he caught on with the main point. His sister was going to take him out! He was excited. The person who was the center of their discussion was immersed in her own world of herbs,pletely oblivious of themotion she caused. Her eyes shone brightly as if the whole treasures in the world were hidden in them. Her profile was bathed in the warm light of the morning sun making her look ingenious. The herbs on the table swayed along with the morning breeze carrying the whiff of the medicinal fragrance with it. It was not the usual stench of medicine, but it was a light aroma which calmed one''s nerves instantly. After fiddling with the herbs for a long time, she raised a translucent bottle which was filled with a crystalline blue liquid. She smelled it and nodded her head in satisfaction before cing it on the table. She then raised another bottle which had a liquid which is in a deep shade of ck. She then proceeded to her next project i.e; making a certain powder and an ointment. The sky turned dark and the room was enveloped in the faint light of the burning candles. Xia Lian finally pped her hands and the stern look on her face was reced with a look of contentment. Now that she finished concocting, she can rest at ease. Xia Lian ate the bowl of vegetable soup after bathing. She then made her way towards her cozy little bed and slipped under the nkets. ''Tomorrow things are going to get interesting.'' Xia Lian had a faint smile on her face as she drifted into her dreand. " fufufu..." Xia Lian''s mood was exceptionally good at the breakfast table. She got up early today and was all pumped up for this big day. Her mood was so good that she started tough randomly like she was doing at the moment. But, thatugh sounded eerily creepy to all the poor fellows around her. " Master, stopughing. It''s so creepy." Fan Ling immediately rebuked her after seeing Xia Ming''s bbergasted face. The little fellow was so shocked that his jaw dropped as his eyes were fixed on his crazy sister. But, Xia Lian waspletely immersed in her imaginative fantasy world where she was picturing the fall and demise of a certain unlucky prince. All their pitifulints did not reach her ears. " kekeke¡­" she startedughing in a low voice as she imagined another wonderful scene where the prince was getting crushed in her arms. Xia Ming looked as if he was about to cry. Fan Ling saw that her master was not in this world and she started to doubt that her master is possessed at the moment. So, she immediately took Xia Ming in her arms and soothed him " Young master, let me get you ready for the auction. Master will be sober by the time we return." Xia Ming reluctantly nodded his head but his face still had a worried expression as Fan Ling carried him. " Master?" Lu Wen called out in a clear and loud voice. A certain person had no reaction. Lu Wen''s lips twitched on seeing the smile on her face. It looked as if she was rejoicing in others misfortune. So, without second thoughts he pped her forehead. " Ouch!!!" Xia Lian finally woke from her daydreaming and looked at him with a wronged expression on her face. " Stop looking at me like that! What do you think you are doing spacing out like that. It''s time we leave for the auction." Xia Lian''s eyes widened after hearing Lu Wen''s words " You areing with me to the auction?" " We are here to protect you at all times. How can we do so if we are not by your side?!" Lu Wen looked at the foolish girl before him with disdain written all over his face. On the side, Yang Qiu was petrified by this exchange. Why is his Wen Wen speaking with master in such a way? And much to his surprise, why is their master spoiling Wen Wen like that without scolding in return? He was once again smitten by his other half! Such a charming man, who would not fall in love without him. Just when one person was drowned in the sea of love, Lu Wen roared " Y-you! Stop biting my hand!" Xia Lian was biting Lu Wen''s hand like an animal deprived of a meal for several months while thetter was struggling to get his hand out of her merciless canines. " You should not have spoken to me like that! And you even used physical violence on me. It''s no longer a child''s y, it''s a case of domestic violence! Now, it''s all about tit for tat. I am just returning the favor." she roared at him with equal intensity snapping Yang Qiu out of his daze. Now, both are exchanging blows ah! The scene before him scared the soul out of him. It was as if Yang Qiu had been drenched with a bucket of cold water, the original reverie which he had for Lu Wen disappeared in an instant. Why are these two behaving worse than kids? His face had an ugly expression as he rushed towards them. Chapter 145 - Enemies on a narrow road Chapter 145 - Enemies on a narrow road With great difficulty Yang Qiu managed to separate the two mad bulls. Xia Lian was unscathed but Lu Wen was like a scratched catpletely filled with wounds and bruises. The teeth marks on his hand were the most prominent as they were clearly visible to n.a.k.e.d eye. " Master, should we all head together?" Yang Qiu spoke cleverly to divert their attention to the important matters at hand. Just as he expected, Xia Lian''s demeanor changed as she spoke with a voice which did not allow any further discussions. " Lu Wen and I will be heading first." she then spoke to Yang Qiu " You will bring Fan Ling and my brother from the back entranceter. We will go in two separate routes and we will be starting now." " Let''s go Lu Wen." The original hostile atmosphere disappearedpletely as Lu Wen started to follow Xia Lian obediently. Yang Qiu was not able to make head or tails out of this. Just a few moments before they were like mad dogs, it was truly difficult for his heart to ept such earth shattering changes in a short amount of time. " Master, are you sure that you both would not start fighting in the middle of the streets?" Yang Qiu was highly suspicious of these two. " No need to worry. And don''t think too much about the fight. Such small banters aremon between brothers." Lu Wen winked at Yang Qiu making Xia Lian disy an extremely funny expression her face. Are they flirting before her? Tsk, with a pair of lovebirds by her side she would have no shortage of dog food in future. She was sure that her days will be definitely more and more enthralling in future. " Make sure to bring the young master safely. We will be going now." Brothers? When did these both develop brotherhood? Yang Qiu''s mind was in a mess but before he could ask, Xia Lian and Lu Wen disappeared from the room. " Sister, I didn''t think that you are such a creep!" Lu Wen still felt shivers along his spine when he remembered her eerieughter. " If you thought that I am an obedient cute little girl, then you are mistaken." Xia Lian nced at him side-eyed " I am more like an unruly boy, nowhere near to your typical impression of a girl. "Regretting that you are my brother now?" " Tsk¡­" Lu Wen crossed his hands across his chest and shot a provoking look at her " Regret? Not a bit of it. I will surely control this unruly sister of mine." " Heh!" Xia Lian was speechless and she immediately red up " Such confidence! Let''s see who will win the upperhand!" " I ept!" Xia Lian humphed and did not speak anything further; they would definitely end up fighting if she did not stop now. So, she very reluctantly stopped bickering with him. Soon they reached the ck Dragon Auction House. Since it is the big day, the room waspletely filled with huge crowds of people. Du Weng recognised her immediately and led them to the pre-prepared VIP room. Du Weng nced at the stern and handsome man beside Xia Lian. '' Why is this Doctor Wu always surrounded by beautiful men? Why is that he could not see a single woman ah, may be this youngd ismitted to a single woman.This Doctor Wu must be a man of high principles'' Du Weng was knitting his own thoughts into a never seen web of respect and admiration. As an important client, Xia Lian was led to one of the best rooms. Since it was her first time witnessing such grand and ancient auction house, she was taking in everything with a curious expression. '' No matter how tough she acts, she is a little girl.'' Lu Wen observed her curious face while thinking in his heart. Since they were in the auction house, Lu Wen and Xia Lian stopped bantering with each other. The floor was covered with a long and exquisite carpet. Xia Lian closely observed it; the intricate patterns, the golden thread flowers which seemed to be brimming with life and the animals which seemed to be running freely against the wind. Such expert handiwork, Xia Lian was truly impressed and her lips slowly curved up as an idea slowly started to take its roots in her heart. The couch which they arranged for them sit was soft enough to rival the modern day mattresses. On seeing that Lu Wen was still standing by her side, she rolled her eyes in exasperation. " Sit by my side." she patted on the space beside her. On seeing the hesitation on his face, her face twisted. " Brothers don''t hesitate¡­" Before she couldplete the sentence, Lu Wen rushed towards her side and sat beside her. " Brother, I need your help¡­"Xia Lian stopped speaking and her features turned sharp all of a sudden as she focused in a particr direction. She pursed her lips in agitation and balled her fists. Slowly her face started to turn pale. Lu Wen sensed the abrupt changes in the the person beside him and frowned when he saw her face turn pale like a paper. He followed her line of sight and saw a man in his early forties making his way towards the rooms in the second floor. They were seated in the third floor and all the other rooms in the lower floors were clearly visible from their room. The man had a huge grin on his face as he talked with the others in the group. " Master, who is he?" Lu Wen called Xia Lian as sister only when they were alone, to avoid unnecessary problems he decided to call her as master. Xia Lian immediately recognised Xia Jiang among the group from her memories. Hate and anger burst forth from her heart, making her face pale as she saw the cold blooded man who was supposedly the father of this body, the man who tried to kill them, the man who tried to kill his wife. She felt nauseous on seeing such a heartless man, who would kill his own children for his own benefits. Not willing to look at such despicable man, she lowered her head and breathed in deeply to calm her raging heart. Xia Lian spoke in a low and faint voice after a long time. " Technically my father, but now aplete stranger." she added after a pause " I feel that enemies is the best word to describe our current rtionship." " I never expected that we would cross our paths so soon¡­" her thoughts trailed off at the end as her words came to a halt. In the beginning, she thought that she would deal with him when she returned to capital after three years. She would neither hurt him nor kill him, she will make him regret his actions and repent his sins for the rest of his life. Now that he is in front of her eyes, she found it so difficult to not go and strangle him to death. '' Xia Jiang, you better not eye my poisons. If you indeed came for those, not even god could save you from my hands¡­'' she vowed in her heart. Chapter 146 - Jealousy, disappointment and curiosity Chapter 146 - Jealousy, disappointment and curiosity Lu Wen sensed the extreme hostility from Xia Lian and remained silent not wanting to push this matter further. He wondered as what the man did to make his own flesh and blood hate him to such extent. Taking care not to make her mood worse, he tried to change the subject " Before you were saying something. What is it?" " Hmm, can you bring Du Weng over here?There''s something I need to discuss with him." Lu Wen left the room to search for that old man who would always be around his clients. Xia Lian stood up and walked towards the window and leaned against it''s frame. She started to observe all the upants who are currently enjoying the wine and fruits in their respective rooms. What the hell? She was not able to recognize anyone in this room. Sigh, it seems that she needs to do a lot of homework. She started to take in their attires and other features since she had nothing to do. Some were dressed up inpletely different attires and she deduced that they were from the neighboring countries. A gentle knock on the door broke her train of thoughts. " We areing in, master." Lu Wen entered the room with Du Weng trailing behind him. The old man''s face was flushed and he was looking at her as if she is a piece of meat which made Xia Lian frown. She did not like that look! Not noticing her displeasure, the old man spoke with difficult to hide excitement in his voice. " Doctor Wu, is it true that you concocted new poisons?" So, the earlier excitement was about poisons? Too bad, it''s not poisons this time. She happily broke the old man''s heart. " Not poisons, it''s potions." " Oh! What are the effects of your potions?" the excitement in the old man''s voice did not fade in the slightest, instead it increased by a few decibels. Xia Lian was also affected by his excitement as she happily exined the names and effects of all the potions, powders and creams on the table. Du Weng felt dizzy after hearing everything, his hands trembling from excitement. " Doctor Wu, so you want to live test all these things?" he spoke in a trembling voice his heart thumping hard against his chest. " Not all, but a few." she spoke after a pause " Take a note of what I am going to say." Xia Lian listed out the names and which of these could be used for live testing. Du Weng very obediently noted down everything like a good student. " Then I will arrange for the person to undergo live testing." Du Weng was surprised when the young doctor refused to that suggestion. He was stunned by his next words. " No need for all the trouble. Theb rat will be arriving soon." " Lab rat?" Is this doctor going to test on rats? It''s not heard of till now. Du Weng was skeptical. " No, it''s a human. A slip of my tongue. I will bring out the person at the right moment." Xia Lian patiently exined and Du Weng nodded before leaving the room in high spirits. Hmm¡­ She forgot thatb rat is a foreign terminology here and she found it funny when she rted Xuan Li Wei to a rat. " Bwahaha¡­" she startedughing happily as she was highly anticipating this day''s events. She wanted to see how the prince is going to face the world from tomorrow. Herughter stopped in her throat as Lu Wen shoved an apple into her mouth. Instead of fighting with him, she started to munch on the apple forgetting himpletely. He thought that she would flip out, but he stared at her dumbly as if he did not expect this oue. Was he that insignificantpared to an apple? Suddenly, he was jealous of that apple. " Is that apple more important to you?" he poked at her. " Yup." she replied without the slightest bit of hesitation. " Then I will make sure to keep apples out of your reach." he muttered under his breath. Xia Lian choked on her apple when those words drifted to her ears and her face had an incredulous expression as she stared at the twisted face of her ''elder brother.'' Is he jealous of an apple?! Xia Lian now truly wanted to roll on the ground withughter. Now, her mood instantly eclipsed. " Hey jealous bro!" she teased him " Tsk, getting jealous over a simple apple." " As long as it is food, I will choose it over you!" she dered with a haughty expression on her face. " I am a foodie!" Ignoring the heartbroken man beside her, she made her way towards the window. The window is covered with strings of pearls acting as a curtain making it easy for her to see others without her identity getting discovered. At most, they can see her silhouette but they cannot tell where she is looking. The auction hall was circr is shape and there were three men seated in a room opposite to that of Xia Lian''s room. The hall was of arge area, and the room is far away from hers. At most they could see the curtain and the faint shadow of the person standing behind it. When she was staring at others, the three men were busy trying their best to catch a glimpse of her face. They were only able to see a person in male robes, but they were not able to see her face no matter how hard they tried leaving them disappointed. Xia Lian was oblivious to the fact that she was being watched by others as she locked her gaze at a man who was dressed in a bizarre way. He was also on the same floor as her and his room was diagonal to hers. He wore a loose set of silk pants and his chest was bare except for the heavy pieces of ornaments on his neck. His toned upper body and muscles were highly attractive even for men, not to speak about girls. He was s.e.xy ah! He was good looking, but she was now immune to all good looking men after being with Xuan Li Wei. She was able to resist the big devil''s temptations, and now anything is just a piece of cake for her. Before that flirty prince, all pale inparison. So, the only feeling in her heart at this moment is curiosity. She was curious about this man''s attire and all, so she started to study this exotic specimen in the room. The man felt a gaze on him and raised his head to meet his eyes with Xia Lian''s. He did not see any l.u.s.t or envy in them, those ck iris seemed curious. Feeling amused, he tried to observe the person clearly and noticed that it was a little boy. He raised his cup and smiled in greeting, which Xia Lian reciprocated with a polite smile. After that faint greeting, both of them turned away getting involved in their own business. Chapter 147 - Digging ones own grave (1) Chapter 147 - Digging one''s own grave (1) " Big brother, why are you so excited?" Jun Moyin who was dressed in fiery red robes asked out of the blue making the smile on a certain person''s face freeze instantly. Xuan Li Wei chose not to answer and his eyes were fixed on the road ahead without sparing even a single nce at his brother. But his indifferent attitude did not discourage the other person in the least as he continued to speak, but a trace of seriousness can be detected in his words. " Brother, I think you what you did is not right." Those words had the desired effect as Xuan Li Wei immediately turned around and red at Moyin " What are you speaking about?" What did he not do right? He absolutely had no idea about what this brat is so concerned about and why he was suddenly going against him. " It''s about sister-inw. You should not have used such flirtatious words with her." " Eh?! If not with her, then should I flirt with you?" Xuan Li Wei rolled his eyes and smirked at Jun Moyin, while thetter was horrified after hearing his brother''s words. He was absolutely against it, even if he had an interest in men he would not have such strong tastes as to go for a man like his big brother! The idea itself is too revolting! Jokes aside, he had to know what exactly is his brother thinking. If his brother was seriously interested in Xia Lian, then he needed to advise this pig head so that something outrageous like flirting with a young girl who is barely 12 years old would not repeat again. " Brother, are you serious about sister-inw? I won''t be polite if you are just ying with her" he finally asked the question which has been weighing on his mind for a long time. " I''ve told you earlier that only she can be your sister-inw. Doesn''t this count as serious in your eyes?" Xuan Li Wei spoke with a never seen seriousness in his voice and his eyes were sincere as he said those words. He could not help but wonder what was wrong with this brat. Why on the earth is he asking such meaningless questions, dampening his mood like that. Jun Moyin''s stern face finally softened after hearing his brother''s words. So, he decided to open up with him " Brother, the way you are courting sister-inw is not right. How can you flirt with her ah! She is just a kid!" " She is a kid in your eyes, not in mine." For the first time in his life Jun Moyin felt the strong urge to beat this fellow into a pulp and knock some sense into his head. " Brother, you need to control your carnal desires. She is just 12 years old. Are you such a beast that you would not leave a child at peace, constantly irritating her?" " But, I''ve seen you speak with women in that way." Xuan Li Wei frowned. He always saw Moyin speak withdies in that way. That''s the reason why he started flirting with the little girl. He was genuinely confused now. He thought that he was doing everything in the right way as he followed the lead of his younger brother, who was usually very good with women. If not, why would he take such a risk of flirting with that hot headed girl? Isn''t it the same as courting his own death? He was not that stupid to do that! On the other side, Jun Moyin''s face paled as a sudden realization hit him. He was hitting on thosedies, he was not courting them! How could his big brother not even understand such a thing? So directly or indirectly,he was the one responsible for this huge blunder!!!!! '' Big bro, I never thought that you are this stupid!'' Jun Moyin screamed in his mind. With this level of intelligence, it''s only a miracle if his sister-inw did not kill this man before they even fall in love with each other. Brother, you will flirt with a woman if you are just attracted to her." Jun Moyin looked directly into Xuan Li Wei''s hazel eyes as he stressed his next words clearly " If you are seriously desire a woman, then you should respect her." Xuan Li Wei knew about her personality but he really did not think that flirting with her would be so disastrous ah! He never thought that his master n would backfire on him. All this would have never happened if he has not taken his brother as an example. With these thoughts floating in his brain, Xuan Li Wei red at Moyin. The me andints in his eyes were as clear as day. Moyin naturally understood his brother''s wounded animal appearance. He casually shrugged his shoulders " Who asked you to make your own assumptions. You should have asked me directly if you needed my advice on romance. It was you who dug your own grave." " So, listen to me and stop flirting with her before she murders you out of rage." Jun Moyin really felt bad for his brother. He decided to look out for this brother of his who ispletely clueless in matters of dating and pursuing women. " Are you kidding me? Now that I realize my mistake, I would be a fool if I continue to flirt with the little girl." Xuan Li Wei paused for a bit before speaking in a low voice. " She must be mad at me. I would not be surprised if she directly ps me in the face." Xuan Li Wei prepared his heart for the worst. " Knowing her temper, are you still expecting that she would simply p you and let go of this matter." Jun Moyin spoke in a deep voice " You must harden your heart brother and I have a faint feeling that she would break all the bones in your body." Jun Moyin smiled maliciously and Xuan Li Wei felt a cold sweat on his forehead as he knew that nothing could be done if the girl decides to beat him. He cannot bear to hurt her and he was sure that he would be a punching bag for her if a fight breaks out. He imagined her monstrous strength and he could even hear the cracking sounds of his bones. He shook his head like a rattle drum to get a hold on his thoughts. He then shamelessly dered " If the matter goes out of hand, I would simply apologize to her." Chapter 148 - Digging ones own grave (2) Chapter 148 - Digging one''s own grave (2) Apology? Is his brother thinking that a simple apology would be enough? Jun Moyin smiled wryly. He was the main reason for all this drama. He decided that he would exin it to her in a convincing way. He prayed in his heart for his sister-inw to be in a good mood today, if not the consequences would be terrible for them. What he did not know was that no matter how rxed and happy she was, Xia Lian would not let them off the hook today. As he was thinking how to cate the fuming girl, they arrived at the gates of the Dark city. The entrance gate to the city was majestic with the statues of soaring dragons unlike the shady businesses taking ce within the city walls. Riding along the busy streets, they quickly reached the ck Dragon Auction House. The chattering of the crowd was clearly audible to the outside world indicating that the whole auction house was packed with crowds of people. " Brother, it seems very lively today." Jun Moyin remarked while dismounting from his horse. " Of course it will be, they are going to auction new poisons today." Xuan Li Wei was not originally interested in these poisons, but hisrades arguments won at thest. Why exhaust their efforts, if they could use a simple poison? But this was an auction house, where ridiculous amounts will be priced for even a rock not to speak of poisons. He sighed as he walked towards the auction house " Let''s hope that the price for the poisons does not exceed our reach." " Hmm¡­" Jun Moyin suddenly remembered something " Brother, I heard that there is going to be a live testing today." Now, this was something. Xuan Li Wei raised his brows in amus.e.m.e.nt. Who in the world has such confidence and abilities to go for live testing? The day is going to be interesting, or so he thought not knowing that he was going to be the test subject of the live testing. After taking a look at his token, the guards immediately escorted Xuan Li Wei and Jun Moyin in. Xuan Li Wei was dressed in white robes which made him look like a venerable deity. His ice cold face void of any expression made the people in the room develop a deep sense of fear in their hearts. But, the man was too handsome that a few brave women stared straight at his face unabashedly. Not speak of women, even men stared at this specimen who was definitely the source of their envy. Sure enough, people started discussing about the cold but handsome man who was walking before them. Sensing the rather intense looks directed towards him, Xuan Li Wei tilted his face and swept a nce at all those in the room. His furrowed brows indicated his annoyance making all the people shiver under his gaze. The atmosphere surrounding him turned frightening as he gave off a bloodthirsty aura befitting his title as god of war. Under his intense hazel eyes, all those who were initially staring cowered into a corner instantly. '' Poor fellows, my big brother is not one who you can simply stare at! His soul and body is exclusively reserved for sister-inw!'' Jun Moyin guffawed in his heart after seeing their sorry appearances. After silencing the noisy crowd, Xuan Li Wei subconsciously raised his head and locked his eyes at a certain room on the top floor. His eyes were specifically locked on the window which was covered with a beaded curtain. He could see the faint silhouette of a person behind it. May be the wind did not want to torment his mind anymore, as it flew against the window making the beaded curtain dance along with it, revealing the person in the room. The person behind the curtain seemed to be speaking with someone in the room, as only his side profile was visible. Even then, one could tell that the person was extremely handsome and charming. The person was dressed in white robes and his neck waspletely covered by the robes making the kid look more mature for his age. It seemed that the conversation in the room came to a halt, as he saw the kid tilt his head and stare at a particr room. Looking at those familiar and curious ck iris, Xuan Li Wei''s lips curved into a mesmerizing smile. He found her¡­ All those around Xuan Li Wei suck in a deep breath after seeing such breathtaking smile. Ignoring all the starry eyed admirers around him, he gracefully made his way towards the stairs, his each step resembling a work a art. " Who exactly is that man? He seems formidable." a man could not help but blurt out his thoughts. The crowd remained silent curious in their hearts, waiting for someone to answer the question which has been bugging them. An old man in the crowd cleared his throat and under everyone''s expectant gazes he spoke "He is our Fourth prince and the general who is hailed as God of the War. Do not speak his name carelessly unless you want to lose your pretty heads." Everyone were knocked to their senses, thanks to the old man''s warning. But they were still not able to forget that smile, which can make hearts palpitate and blind one''s eyes. " Big brother, where are you going?" the familiar loud and cheery voice made Xia Lian shift her eyes towards the source. She raised her brows in amus.e.m.e.nt on seeing the youth in red. He was always carefree and cheerful making everyone around him happy. She then shifted her eyes to the person who was d in white, only to find that he was already looking at her. He had a faint smile on his lips as he stared directly into her eyes, making Xia Lian secretly stunned in her heart. The knowing smile in his eyes made her heart skip a beat. He recognized her¡­ Xia Lian did not have any reaction as she stupidly stared at him. She did not think that he would recognize her so easily. On seeing her in a trance, the smile in his eyes deepened. She was angry at him for all that flirting which crossed the limits. She must be angry at him, she reminded her heart. But at that instant, seeing that smile on his face and under those eyes which were staring at her, shepletely forgot all her grievances and shed a brilliant smile at him to which he responded with a foolish grin resembling to that of a child who finally got his favorite candy. Chapter 149 - Punching bag Chapter 149 - Punching bag Xia Lian''s smile disappeared as soon as she saw that foolish grin on his face. She remembered that she just smiled at him, making her mad instantly. Who was she mad at? She was mad at herself for smiling like a fool after seeing the prince. Was she that easy to manipte? She was starting to doubt herself? No,no,no. She was a marine corps officer and the squad leader of her team. She was not that easy to manipte, but here she was grinning like an idiot. Lu Wen gulped on seeing her darkened face. He did not understand why the smile on her face disappeared suddenly. He was certain that someone was about to be doomed. " Drink this." Lu Wen stared at the ck liquid in her hands with suspicion. Xia Lian''s gaze turned terrifying on seeing his hesitation, the poor man finally relented and gulped down the liquid in the tiny porcin jar, silently praying to all the gods to spare his life. " What is this liquid?" Lu Wen was naturally curious, he wanted to know if he was made to drink up a poison. " Something that''s good for you." He was not at all disgruntled by her vague reply. He oddly felt as peace knowing that it was not a poison. He then saw her take out a tiny pouch from her robes and sprinkle the powder in it all around the room and into the air. Her peculiar actions roused his curiosity. " What is this thing that you are sprinkling around?" " Something to wee our guests." she cracked her knuckles in anticipation. Today, she was going to give them the sweetest memory of their lifetime. Guests? Lu Wen racked his brains hard to remember if they were going to meet anyone. He did not know about Xuan Li Wei''s arrival, so he was ignorant of what she was saying. He understood one thing perfectly, those so called guests are going to end up in a pitiful state. All he could do was to wait and watch. So, he slumped down on the couch and started to eat the gr.a.p.es waiting for the show to start. His rxed and carefree appearance resembled to that of those who were sitting in the movie theater waiting for the movie to start. Xia Lian facepalmed. This big brother of hers is truly¡­ shameless! Knock! Xia Lian''s face lit up instantly as she sprinted towards the door. Trying to suppress the excitement on her face, she opened the door revealing Xuan Li Wei who had a huge smile on his face. " Hello,..." before he was able toplete his sentence, he found the little girl soar into the air using her qing qong. He was about to praise her for developing her qing qong in such a short span of time, but his words choked in his throat when he saw her aim her fist towards his face. Oh no! This was going to be bad! Thanks to his fast reflexes, he immediately dodged the attack and entered into the room. Her punchnded right on Jun Moyin''s nose making the poor fellow to fall on the ground with a thud. " Ouch! My nose is broken..." a pitiful and painful scream echoed throughout the floor making everyone cringe their heads subconsciously. '' Sorry little brother...'' Xuan Li Wei rubbed his nose in embarrassment. That must have been really painful! " Nice shot!" Lu Wen cheered for her making Xia Lian''s lips curve up. At the same time, Xuan Li Wei narrowed his eyes at the man who was watching the show while encouraging his wife. He did not like this man, for the man was too good looking to be around his wife. Lu Wen remained unaffected by his stares and his focus waspletely on Xia Lian, making Xuan Li Wei''s face bitter and gloomy. Lu Wen''s voice had no trace of sympathy for the broken nose. Xia Lian stifled herugh as it was not appropriate tough at an innocent fellow who was beaten in her hands. "Moyin?" Xia Lian called out cautiously. She really did not want to hurt him ah! Hearing no response from him, she stepped forward only to find her lips twitching at the sight before her. This guy has fainted! What sort of man faints when his nose is punched? Xia Lian pitied Jun Moyin for a moment before turning around to face the main criminal of the day. She raised her legs and slid forward aiming for his knees. This time she was fast and did not give him any chance to resist as she kicked his knees making him fall on the ground. " Girl, why are you so vicious?" Xuan Li Wei whined at her. The kick was pretty strong, he underestimated her strength and let go of his defense. He thought that he would remain calm and let her beat him to her heart''s content. If he knew that she was this strong after her training, then he would not have acted like that. Now, he knew that if he did not defend himself he would end up in a pretty bad shape. Xia Lian started raining punches on his pretty face, each puch adding a new contour to his face. He tried to block the attacks, but the girl was too fast. " Master, you''ve forgotten the right side of his face¡­" " Kick him on the right calf¡­" " Twist his elbow¡­" Lu Wen seemed to be more excited than her as he started giving her pointers which she epted graciously. Xuan Li Wei: '' Who exactly is this clown and why is he so close with his wife?!'' The punch in his stomach made him crease his brows and he was immediately pulled back to reality. Initially, he thought that the girl was fast. Slowly, he observed a strange phenomenon, his strength was decreasing at an rming rate and now he was not even able to move his arms. The girl was happily kicking him and punching him, she had no remorse at all. " Ouch!" Xuan Li Wei cried out atst unable to endure " Girl! Stop it, you''ve yed enough!" " Hmm¡­ Did you say that I was ying?" Xuan Li Wei shook his head in denial after hearing her arctic cold voice. He did not know what is happening with him, and he surely did not wish to provoke this youngdy again. He would never flirt with her again, at least for the time being. His body cannot take it anymore, he could only wish that this great demon before him is pacified. Chapter 150 - Test subjects Chapter 150 - Test subjects Xia Lian stopped beating him after a while. The raging fire in her heart finally subsided, thus calming her and putting her actions to a stop. " Eh?! Why did you stop?" Lu Wen was initially disappointed but after staring at the empty te, he changed his mind " Master, I think it''s enough. Let''s stop the y now." Though Xuan Li Wei did not like him, he was truly grateful in his heart after hearing such melodious words. " Stop?" Xia Lian chuckled " The y has just begun¡­" Xuan Li Wei shuddered and was about to speak something when the door to the room was kicked open and a figure in red rushed into the room. On seeing Xuan Li Wei''s battered state, Jun Moyin was instantly angered and he charged right at the kid who was dressed in white. Xia Lian''s brows rose up in amus.e.m.e.nt as she weed his attack. " Moyin, be careful¡­" Xuan Li Wei was now worried about his brother ah! He knew that this brat could never beat up this great demon. Even he was helpless against her, how could Moyin fare against such a person? Xuan Li Wei opened his mouth in disbelief as he witnessed the series of events unfolding before his eyes. Xia Lian caught his hand which was aimed at her face, and flipped him over with ease as if he weighed nothing. Not giving any time for the kid to grimace in pain, she lifted him up and threw him onto the couch. " Tsk¡­ Such a waste." Lu Wen rolled his eyes at Jun Moyin and then turned towards Xia Lian " Master is so great! Not many can stand against you." He was genuinely proud making Xia Lian''s eyes turn into crescents and reveal her set of pearly white smile. " What master! I will beat the crap out of you!" Xia Lian simply pressed an acupuncture point of Jun Moyin and pushed him back onto the couch. " You didn''t recognize me, did you?" Xia Lian staggered. " Who are you?" Jun Moyin clearly did not remember her. " You really did not recognize me¡­" Xia Lian was heartbroken and leaned against the wall with a sad face. Jun Moyin squinted his eyes and searched through his memories in vain. Thinking that the kid before him is bluffing, he exploded "You brat! How can this young master be acquainted with the likes of you?" That''s it! Xuan Li Wei facepalmed. This Moyin was truly a fool! Jun Moyin clearly did not understand the present situation as he questioned Xuan Li Wei ignoring Xia Lian " Big brother, why are we with this brat! Where is our Sis Xia Lian?" " Big Brother, I need to apologise to her. You were already beaten up by this brat. I can''t imagine how you will look after sister-inw beats you. So, I will admit my mistakes." Xuan Li Wei''s face paled immediately after hearing the word sister-inw. If he had enough strength in his body, he would have strangled that loose mouthed kid to death. Xia Lian was confused on the other hand. Why would he call her sister-inw? Did this kid hit his brain when he fell on the ground earlier? " Moyin, are you alright?" Xia Lian cleared her throat and spoke in her original voice startling him. Jun Moyin lifted his head abruptly and stared at the young boy before him withrge eyes and open mouth clearly resembling a goldfish. " Sis L-Lian?" he stuttered unsure if he heard right or wrong. " Hmm¡­ So, what is this sister-inw?" she tilted her head in confus.e.m.e.nt. " A slip of tongue. Please don''t mind me." It scared the wits out of him after realising his mistake. He almost sold off his big brother! Xia Lian did not think much about it and she brushed it off thinking that the brat was just spouting some nonsense. But, there was another thing which she was itching to know about " So, why do you want to apologise to me? Don''t tell me that it was also a slip of your tongue." " Sis Lian, you must promise me that you mustn''t be angry with meter." Now, she was sure that the kid did something insane. " I don''t make promises." Jun Moyin tried to move his hands as if to plead her, but he found that he could not move his arms at all. His face was suddenly filled with apprehension making Xia Lian chuckle " It''s the effect of my numbing powder. Don''t worry, it will fade after a while." " Sis Lian, it''s me who advised big brother about all that flirting. So, don''t be mad at him." Xia Lian''s face fell " Oh! I understand." So, this brat was the one ah! Very well, she would make him understand that she was not the one to be messed up with. She fished out two pills from a porcin bottle and stuffed one into each of their mouths. After a few moments, they found that the numbness in their bodies disappearing gradually. They stared at her with amazement, these pills were superb. She then walked towards Xuan Li Wei and fed him another pill. She was sure that his body would be in a pain, so he needed a pain killer and her anger was already appeased. She then took out a jar from the table and applied the cream all over his face. That would take care of the bruises and scars, she was now satisfied. She almost destroyed his pretty face! Jun Moyin gaped at her foolishly and Xuan Li Wei was frozen on the spot. He really did not expect such sudden change in his wife ah! She then turned around and squinted her eyes at Jun Moyin while enunciating each word clearly " Both of you are going to be the test specimens of the live testing." Chapter 151 - Live Testing (1) Chapter 151 - Live Testing (1) " What?" Jun Moyin was instantly petrified. Xuan Li Wei surrendered to his fate long back and he remained silent. " You are the reason why your brother ended up like that in my hands. Now, you want to escape?" " N-No¡­" Xia Lian smiled in satisfaction after hearing his words. She then turned towards Xuan Li Wei " Hope you learnt your lesson." Seeing that he nodded, Xia Lian sighed and sat opposite of him " Li Wei, I need to tell you something." " Flirting is not a sin, but you shouldn''t flirt with everyone ah!" Li Wei: '' I know, I flirted only with my future wife!'' Taking his silence for granted, she continued to lecture him¡­ " Also, remember to flirt only with the girl you have taken an interest to or with your wife." Li Wei: " What if she is young?" Xuan Li Wei felt that it was better to take advice from her, rather than his unreliable brother. So, he decided to be straight forward to be with her. " What sort of question is that? You must wait for her to grow up." Xuan Li Wei seriously nodded " I understand." He was not a child and she need not exin everything in depth to him. So, she concentrated on the matter at hand. " Put on these coats on your robes." Xia Lian handed them long and loose ck robes to put on their original clothes. Jun Moyin and Xuan Li Wei silently put on them crying silent tears in their hearts. Xia Lian then applied the face altering cream and changed their features to the extent that no one would recognize them even if they observe these fellows closely. Xia Lian''s lips twitched on seeing their bewildered expressions " I am not that sinister to humiliate you in front of the public. But, I want to teach you guys a lesson that you will never forget. So, I changed your features." Jun Moyin and Xuan Li Wei''s hearts were touched by this gesture of hers. No matter how angry or mad she was at them, she still cared for them in the end. " Doctor Wu, I aming in." Du Weng entered the room and his face was in a deep shade of red due to theck of oxygen. " The auction is going to start in a few moments and we decided to go with the live testing at the start and sell your items at thest." Xia Lian did not care when they auctioned the items, all she cared about was about the money " Do as you wish, but see that you extort as much money as you can." Extort? His sister-inw was bing a full fledged hooligantely. Jun Moyin shook his head helplessly. He then turned toward Xuan Li Wei only to find that the man had a look of approval written all over his face. Jun Moyin face palmed. '' Truly made for each other.'' hemented in his heart. " Sir Weng, you can take them for the live testing and I hope that you would finish it quickly." " Of course, it would be done ording to your wishes." Du Weng immediately answered her respectfully and motioned the two people dressed in ck to follow him. Jun Moyin and Xuan Li Wei could only follow him swallowing all their grievances. As they made their way towards the tform in the middle, a fat man adorned in grey robes started to announce in a cheerful voice " Ladies and gentlemen, you must have heard that there is going to be live testing today." " After many years, someone is actually brave enough toe up with the proposal and I could see from here that you are all excited. So, the owners of the ck Dragon Auction House decided to start the auction with the live testing." As his words dropped, the auction house was filled with deafening cheers. The auctioneer was obviously excited on seeing the response from the masses. His fighting spirits instantly red up, and he announced with extra vigor. " Please bring forward the people." Xuan Li Wei and Jun Moyin stepped forward. The audience saw a pair of young men with below average looks step on to the stage. They seemed healthy and well built for their age. Their anticipation further escted. No one noticed the two victims whispering between themselves on the stage. " Psst¡­ Big Brother, what is sister-inw going to test on us?" " Don''t worry too much. Nothing bad is going to happen." Xuan Li Wei was standing on the tform free from any worries. He was not at all worried about what is going to happen next. Chapter 152 - Live Testing (2) Chapter 152 - Live Testing (2) As Jun Moyin and Xuan Li Wei were whispering, the auctioneer announced in a loud voice disying the translucent bottle containing crystalline blue liquid " This is our first poison, Twister." Twister? The name was not scary, much less to be called as sinister. Jun Moyin was secretly relieved. Too bad, Xuan Li Wei did not feel the same as he frowned at that name. The name gave him a weird feeling but he could not pinpoint what exactly he was feeling off about that name. Just as Jun Moyin was rejoicing, the auctioneer made his way towards him and made him drink the liquid. Jun Moyin: "..." Such a pungent taste, h! The audience had the looks of expectation on their faces, waiting to witness the effects of poisons with their eyes. Xia Lian felt a chill on her back on seeing the crazed look on the faces of everyone. The ancient era is truly wicked and sinister, it seems that she had to harden her heart and turn into a monster if she wanted to survive in here. " Ahhh¡­" Xia Lian cringed despite herself after hearing Jun Moyin''s terrifying screams. His screams were followed by shocked gasps and loud whispers. " This is unbelievable. How can a poison twist the bones in a person''s body? Are my eyes deceiving me?" a young man rubbed his eyes in disbelief. " Yes, this so called Doctor Wu is talented. This is the first time I am seeing such a poison!" Xia Lian nced at the curled up ball on the floor. It''s a good thing that she changed his facial features, else he would never go outside of the pce after facing such humiliation. But the feeling of pity did notst for long, he needed to learn his lesson. Jun Moyin was truly feeling terrible at the moment. His body was twisted at various angles and now he was lying on the ground like a ball. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his brother staring at him with pity and¡­ amus.e.m.e.nt! All that Jun Moyin was feeling at the moment was pain and¡­ embarrassment. Even if the world turns upside down or the rivers be dry, he would never ever dare to upset his sister-inw again. Women are truly formidable! He realized that he should never mess up with a woman like his sister-inw. It would only result in a series of misfortunes and cmities for those who provoked her. Even the stone hearted auctioneer seemed to pity the kid as he came forward and made him drink another liquid which felt cold andforting as he swallowed. The liquid seemed magical as all the tangles in his body slowly began to revert to their original shape. Now, the ball changed into a human sessfully much to everyone''s relief. Jun Moyin slowly stood up and stretched his body for a while as he heard the cracking sounds of his bones. Phew! He decided that he was never going to be near his sister-inw after provoking her. Xuan Li Wei was pondering over what his wife was going to test on him. He never thought that his wife was the poison master. He finally understood that the road to his love is going to be a long one! The auctioneer was definitely satisfied with the results as he announced " Now, let''s move on to the next one." He then disyed a jar having ck liquid in it. Everyone thought that it was a poison, but the auctioneers words made the crowd go silent for a while. " This is the antidote for all the poisons. Those who consume this cannot die, not in the hands of poisons. It also cleanses your body of any poisons that are present in your body. This is called purgatory." " We''ve told you to bring your own poisons so that you can check the authenticity of the liquid by yourself. Did anyone of you bring the poisons?" The auctioneer saw that ten people did bring the poisons, so he sent a person to collect all the jars. He made Xuan Li Wei to drink the antidote first. Then without waiting for the auctioneer to announce he grabbed the first jar and announced it''s name aloud. " Spider lily poison." This was known to cause death by excessive bleeding through nose. After announcing the name, he drank it without any hesitation. He did the same for all the other poisons, there were no signs of exhaustion, weakness or bleeding. There were no signs of poison acting up even after an incense stick of time, so everyone were convinced of this antidote. The ten poisons which he drank were known as the most sinister and deadly of all the time. This made everyone look at the antidote as if it''s a fat piece of meat. At that everyone had a single thought '' They must get this antidote at any cost." Noticing all this, Xia Lian had a look of satisfaction on her face. " Master, why did you beat them earlier and you even made them as test specimens for you. Who are they?" Lu Wen voiced his thoughts nonchntly as he yed with his robes. " They needed a beating and the one in white is the fourth prince and the one in red is his younger brother." Lu Wen: "..." Damn girl! Why did you not say this earlier? I was ever cheering and encouraging you to beat them! Will they behead him? As if noticing his fears sheforted him " Don''t worry, nothing will happen to you. They will never hurt me or my people." Lu Wen raised his brows at her shameless deration but he did not retort. He was not blind, he saw how they spoiled this girl. If they wanted, they absolutely had the power to escape from this live testing. But they happily followed hermands, not giving a second thought. They are truly spoiling this great demon! " Master¡­" Xia Lian immediately stood up on hearing Fan Ling''s voice. The girl was truly reliable, they came at a right time just after the testing is finished. She really did not want her little bunny to see her evil side ah! Just as the door was opened, the little bunny who was holding Fan Ling''s hands jumped onto her. Xia Lian was totally overwhelmed by the kid''s disy of affection. She hugged him with a helpless expression on her face and everyone followed her in. " Brother He?" Xia Lian tilted her head in confusion on seeing this gentle refined jade like person in this ce. She didn''t know why but she felt that it was a sin for such a pure person like him to enter this ce. " I am interested to see today''s auction. Can I join you?" He Chun spoke in his usual gentle voice making it difficult for her to say no. She nodded her head making the doctor smile widely. " Doctor Wu! We, as your faithful disciples came here to see your glory." It was not known from where Bolin and Bohai popped out, but they both dered at the same time. Xia Lian observed the group of men in the room. He Chun, Lu Wen, Yang Qiu, Bolin and Bohai¡­ Only she and Fan Ling are the women in here. Why is that her little family has so many good looking men? Chapter 153 - Barrels of Vinegar (1) Chapter 153 - Barrels of Vinegar (1) Xia Lian felt that all these men are truly a feast for one''s eyes. She then stared at her bunny who was dressed in a bunny outfit. She personally made this outfit out of grey fox fur. Therge stuffed ears on his head made him look like a real rabbit, fluffy and soft.The kid looked so cute in that dress that Xia Lian started to squeeze him. No matter how many good looking men are there around her, the little bunny is the showstopper of the day. Just when everyone finished settling down in the room, two devilishly handsome men entered the room. One looked like a celestial in white and the other looked ravishing in red. All the men who were seated along with Xia Lian stared at Xuan Li Wei and Jun Moyin as if they were enraptured. It was only He Chun who turned his head away after a single nce, he was not interested in things like beauty and looks. Likewise, the smile on Xuan Li Wei''s face froze as soon as he saw the horde of men in the room. Each one of them looked good and why were they seated around his wife? He was unhappy and his face had a bitter expression as he stared at all the men in the room. Jun Moyin started to whistle a song as he observed his big brother''s funny yet miserable expression as he sat opposite of Xia Lian. The sight was too funny. There was another one who was unhappy seeing all the flies around his little sister. Lu Wen observed each man in the room quickly assessing them. Bolin and Bohai- Naive and naughty. Eliminated from the list of pestering flies. Jun Moyin- Ravishing body but no ulterior motives detected. Sessfully eliminated from the list. He Chun- Refined and warm. Possible husband candidate. Danger! Lu Wen pretty much assessed everyone in the room but he almost stumbled when his eyes fell on Xuan Li Wei. The initially handsome face was twisted as if he ate something bitter. Even he was able to smell the sour scent of jealousy that is being emanated from the great general''s body. It was at that moment that Lu Wen decided that this person was the biggest fly of all. Now the first task at his hand was not to allow anyone of these dangerous men sit beside the girl. " Qiu¡­" Lu Wen called out to his other half and pointed to the space on the left side of Xia Lian " Sit beside master." Yang Qiu was not able to understand why this man is acting like that. Nevertheless, he obediently nodded his head and sat beside Xia Lian who was busy ying with the little bunny. Lu Wen then naturally sat on the other side of Xia Lian making a certain person mad. The temperature around him suddenly dropped and the expression on his face dropped as no emotion could be detected from those bottomless eyes. Jun Moyin gulped on seeing this, his brother was definitely mad! The two men on either side of her seemed like thorns in his eyes. He decided that he would toss them out of the window. Just as he was about to take a step forward, he saw a certain ungrateful girl squint her eyes. Xia Lian''s lips twitched when she saw Lu Wen and Yang Qiu sitting on either side of her. What was she doing sitting between this pair of sweethearts? She didn''t want to deprive them of the basic privacy. So,squinted her brows and stood before Lu Wen. " What?" Not answering his question, she simply grabbed his cor and dragged him to sit beside Yang Qiu, while she sat beside Lu Wen. " How can you leave your sweetheart alone big brother?" Xia Lian blinked her eyes innocently making Lu Wen and Yang Qiu blush at the same time. Xia Lian: "..." Aiya! Being young feels so good! Xuan Li Wei who was dead set on tossing them out of the window, now had a foolish expression on his face. Sweethearts? He immediately understood what was happening and his face eased up a bit. " Who is he?" he asked her while pointing at Lu Wen. He naturally saw the man''s protective nature towards his wife and he was really curious about their rtionship. " Eh? He''s my sworn brother, Lu Wen and that is his other half, Yang Qiu." Xia Lian''s words made him brighten up instantly. With this Lu Wen around her, he was assured that not even a single fly could enter her vicinity. But, the only person who bothered him was that calm and gentle man who had a kind smile on his face. Who was he? With all kinds of thoughts in his mind, Xuan Li Wei finally sat beside Jun Moyin with a not so good expression on his face. He Chun naturally had a deep understanding of all the poisons and he heard about the new poisons which the kid concocted from Bolin. He was astounded about how this kid could be so sly and now he was ying with his little brother with an innocent expression on his face. Suddenly finding the kid cute, he found himself stretch his hands and pinch Xia Lian''s cheeks. Chapter 154 - Barrels of Vinegar (2) Chapter 154 - Barrels of Vinegar (2) Xia Lian froze at his touch as she did not expect this sudden skin contact. She cannot push him away, since this act of his was truly unintentional and he was in a delusion that she is a male. If it was Xuan Li Wei she would have chopped his hands away without any hesitation.For the first time, Xia Lian absolutely had no idea as how to react. This hesitation of hers made Xuan Li Wei''s heart go berserk. Losing all his rationality, he simply lifted his hand and did a chopping motion on He Chun''s hands, making him retract his hands due to the sharp pain. He subconsciously shivered under Xuan Li Wei''s terrifying gaze. He did not understand what made this person upset. Throwing a cold nce at He Chun, Xuan Li Wei then red at the girl who was staring at him stupidly. " What are you staring at with that stupid expression? Come here and sit beside me. I need to discuss somethings with you." he snapped at her making the girl stand up like a straight rod as soon as his voice fell. She did not know why but she felt that this man would tear up this ce if she did not listen to him now. Swallowing herints, she stood before Xuan Li Wei and stared at him for a while. Then, both of them turned towards Jun Moyin who was drinking wine leisurely. Feeling the two pairs of burning gazes on him, his lips twitched "I get it. I am getting up now. Young master Wu, please sit here." He offered his seat to her and he sat beside Lu Wen who tantly ignored him. Xia Ming who was seated on herp, lifted his chubby hands and started rubbing her cheeks. " What are you doing little one?" she chuckled as she felt ticklish. " Cleaning the dust." Xia Lian was confused but then she saw him turn towards He Chun and announce in a loud but cute voice " No more pinching." Xia Ming then turned towards Xuan Li Wei and red at him, while thetter rose his brows in amus.e.m.e.nt. But soon, his amus.e.m.e.nt faded. " You snapped at my big brother. I hate you." After speaking his words, Xia Ming turned his head away and then stared at the auction which is going on below. " pfft¡­" Xia Lian and Jun Moyinughed at the same time and even He Chun could not help but smile at the little guy''s words. Xuan Li Wei felt bitter in his heart. The kid is same like his sister, ungrateful and stubborn. Humph... " Your Highness, what do you want to discuss with me?" As much as she wanted tough, even she felt that her little one was quite straight forward and harsh with words, and his ashen face gave rise to pity in her heart as she changed the topic. Your Highness? Xuan Li Wei choked on his breath and he felt goosebumps rise all over his body after hearing such formal addressing from her mouth. " Did you n on buying anything in this auction?" Xia Lian shook her head and she then spoke Xia Ming " Little Ming, if you find something interesting then tell me. This big brother will buy it for you." For some unknown reason, Xuan Li Wei was particrly jealous of the little kid. His wife had only the little one in her eyes. It''s like her whole world is now revolving around the kid. Paintings from the Snownds, the ce also known as homnd of great artists; pearls from the pearl isles and carpets from the Barbariannds which are beautifully woven with intricate designs, Xia Lian found them fascinating. She was an admirer of art and she loved to collect paintings. But, now she neither had home nor a ce where she could hang them. Also, she didn''t have enough money to spend on paintings. She sighed faintly in her heart and then started to munch on the gr.a.p.es as she found the auction boring, now they were starting to auction weapons whichpletely bored her. She had a dagger, a sword and a whip which she never used. She was in no need of any additional weapons and she found no weapons suitable for her little bunny. Naturally, she did not feel like watching. After, a few moments she felt a tug on her sleeves and she lowered her head to look at Xia Ming. His plump little hand was pulling at her hand and his eyes were shining so bright that all the jewels in the world would pale inparison. Xia Lian was fascinated by the pure and innocent look on his face. She really didn''t want him to grow up. "Big Brother, I want that." he pointed his plump finger in a certain direction as Xia Lian looked over. She found a group of animals in cages which are ced on the tform. She found lions, peac.o.c.ks, tigers¡­ " What exactly do you want?" Out of the many animals, she wondered what exactly caught this kid''s eye. " Those pair of white cubs." Xia Lian scanned over the entire area but she did not find such white cubs. She beckoned Xuan Li Wei and even he ended up failing as he did not spot any white cubs. Both of them were clearly confused now. What did this kid end up seeing and why were they not able to find it? " Ming, show me where they are?" Sensing his sister''s helplessness, he clearly pointed out " Big Brother, look behind the cages where the lions are kept." Xia Lian squinted her eyes and sure enough she found two white cubs which are huddled up in a corner. She abruptly turned around only to find Xuan Li Wei staring at Xia Ming with an indecipherable expression on his face. The words which she was about to speak were stuck in her throat and a feeling of uneasiness bubbled up in her chest. Chapter 155 - Astounding and mysterious eyes Chapter 155 - Astounding and mysterious eyes Xuan Li Wei had a good eyesight whenpared to others and his eyes were a bit special as even the Mu tribes golden eyes have no effect on him. Even with such special eyes, he was not able to spot the cubs. But, this little kid had absolutely no problems in locating them. He was able to see them clearly and Xuan Li Wei had no idea why this is happening. ''This kid might have some special eyes.'' he finally came to a conclusion even though there were no concrete proofs to it. " Is anything wrong?" Xia Lian''s anxious voice finally brought him out of his trance. On seeing her nervous face, he shook his head and spoke with a gentle smile on his face " It''s nothing. I was lost in my thoughts." " Are you hiding something from me? Is there anything wrong with his eyes?" she frowned making him sigh in his heart. '' This girl is very perceptive.'' " There is nothing wrong with his eyes. Believe me, I will never lie to you." he said and she visibly rxed at his words. For a moment, she thought that the world wasing to an end after seeing the stern look on his face. It was quite scary! Xuan Li Wei did not lie and there was really nothing wrong with the kid''s eyes. How could an excellent eyesight be a hurdle? It was a blessing and he was curious about how the kid obtained such eyes. But he did not want to draw conclusions in this unreliable way. So, he wanted to check if the kid''s eyes are special or not. " Give him to me." hearing his sudden deration Xia Lian was stunned at the first and she then started to hesitate. " Any problems?" he raised his brows as he sensed her body going stiff. " Yes, there is." Xia Lian nodded her head and spoke in an extremely concerned voice " Didn''t he say that he hates you?" " Is that an issue?" Xuan Li Wei face-palmed. " Of course, it is." she refuted. '' Anyone will think that a married couple is arguing. It seems I need to speak with my little sister about the issues between man and a woman.'' Lu Wen was not at all happy on seeing these both bickering like newlyweds. He could only pout as he could not possibly anger the prince by interrupting them. " Nothing will happen. I can handle the kid." Xuan Li Wei reached out his hands to grab the furry ball on herp, but just as his reached the hem of the fur coat, the little ball tilted to the other side. How could a little ball outsmart and escape from the ws of big bad wolf? Sadly, Xia Ming ended up in Xuan Li Wei''s arms much to the former''s displeasure. He tried to escape making Xuan Li Wei have no choice but to hug him tightly and lock the fur ball in his embrace. Xuan Li Wei expected that the kid would resist, but Xia Ming remained stiff as if he was electrocuted. Finding the kid calm down, Xuan Li Wei also did not move not wanting to scare the kid. What he did not know was that Xia Ming was not afraid of him, not even a tiny speck of fear could be seen on his face. Xia Ming remained stiff because he found the embrace familiar. He did not know why but he did not want to resist this man''s warmth. So, he embraced Xuan Li Wei''s neck totally catching the man off guard. Xia Ming embraced Xuan Li Wei tightly and refused to let him go. Xuan Li Wei naturally understood that the kid was able to recognize his scent and body warmth, after all he carried this kid on his back. He was not familiar with kids and he could look at Xia Lian for help. On seeing that the girl waspletely dazed, he rolled his eyes and patted the little guy''s back, that was the only form of affection he could show. " Doctor Wu, why does this scene look like a kid finding his mother atst?" Xia Lian nod her head as she agreed to Jun Moyin''s words. Even she was thinking the same thing. Xuan Li Wei paid no heed to the two whiny beings, they were just jealous or so he told himself. He slowly coaxed the kid by rubbing his head and Xia Ming finally loosened his arms and settled on Xuan Li Wei''sp. " Kid, can you read what is written on that wall?" Xuan Li Wei pointed to a wall far away from them. Xia Lian furrowed her brows on seeing the wall. She was not even able to find the letters on the wall, not to speak of reading them. Just when she was about to ask why he chose such a far away wall a pristine clear voice sounded in her ears¡­ " The history of ck Dragon House can be traced back to an ancient era that was founded on thisnd thousands of years ago¡­" reading till here the little bunny put on an embarrassed expression on his face as he faced Xuan Li Wei. " I don''t understand the next characters." Xia Ming was disappointed with himself. " You did well." Xuan Li Wei genuinely praised the kid, making the little one''s ears turn into beet red. " There is nothing wrong with his eyes. I would rather say that he is gifted, even I cannot see those characters clearly. This kid is going to be remarkable in future." Xuan Li Wei felt that this kid''s eyes are rather astounding and mysterious at same time. " How old is he?" he continued to ask the girl who was staring at the kid with pride written all over her face. " Four months before he turns four." she nonchntly replied. Xuan Li Wei pondered for a while before saying " So, you will also be turning 13 after four months." " No,no.. After two months and four days, I will be turning 13." the naive Xia Lian immediately corrected him not knowing that he deliberately spoke like that to know when her birthday is. Jun Moyin was speechless on seeing this, where did his sister-inw''s intelligence go ah! She delivered herself to the wolf''s den¡­ Beside him there was another person whose lips are twitching uncontrobly at the moment, he was none other than Lu Wen. He really did not have such a foolish sister! Yup, the girl is no longer his sister¡­ He decided that he should knock some sense into her head as soon as they return home. Chapter 156 - The Grand Auction (1) Chapter 156 - The Grand Auction (1) "This is the Golden Mane Lion from the Willow woods." a hint of pride can be detected in the auctioneer''s voice as he pointed towards the roaring beast inside the cage. It did not betray it''s name for it''s mane was shinier than gold and it seemed thick too. " Heh, it is said that no one returns alive from that ce once they enter. How did these guys catch a lion?" the sarcasm in her voice was clearly evident. " But they can''t stop animals which leave the forest, can they?" He Chun spoke faintly with his eyes still locked on the auction stage. '' Ah! So, that''s the case.'' Xia Lian nodded silently in understanding. " Where did Bao Su go? It seems that I should give you a more responsible guard." Xuan Li Wei gritted his teeth. What was that fellow doing? If he was doing his work properly the little girl would not have been surrounded by all these pests. He was seriously considering to fire that irresponsible fellow. " I sent him on a mission. He will not be back anytime soon." Xuan Li Wei''s mood did not improve even after hearing her exnation. Xia Lian started to praise Bao Supletely oblivious to the gloomy prince''s dissatisfaction. " Li Wei, your shadow guard is truly reliable. He trained me in qing qong and in the art of sword fighting. The most attractive thing about him is his vast amount of knowledge on various things. No matter what I ask, he always has an answer." Bao Su is attractive? It was he who trained all his shadow guards. Why is that he is the one who is getting beaten and his shadow guard was the one who is getting praised? It was unfair! " I was the one who trained him." his voice came out almost like an inaudible whisper, but Xia Lian who was seated beside him heard hisining voice clearly. " Only a well trained and excellent general can produce such good saplings." Xia Lian tried hard to maintain a straight face while praising the man before her. Was he a kid sulking on such trivial matters? On seeing the smug smile of victory on his face after she praised him, she red at him " So, don''t even think of taking Bao Su away from me!" Xuan Li Wei could only nod, how could he reject her words. One can say that many are fond of this Golden Mane Lion as the price reached 50,000 gold coins. " 60,000" A man dressed in blue silk robes shouted. Not willing to back down, a plump man in green robes proudly announced "70,000" " 90,000" A slim and tall man with beard covering most of his face, yawned in azy voice. The audience seemed to be riled up as the prices began to soar up again. "100,000" "150,000" The bidding went on as it stopped at 400,000. The auctioneer nced around the room only to find pin drop silence after the man in beard bid at 400,000 gold. It was a huge sum for a lion. " Then 400,000 it is." saying that he rang the bell for the first time. There was no response from the crowd and he proceeded to ring the bell for the second time. " 800,000" Just as the auctioneer was about to ring the bell for the third time, a seductive voice which seemed to draw everyone like a ma echoed throughout the room. Everyone started to whisper as the women in the room started to fawn over the voice of this unknown man. Out of all the women in the room, only Xia Lian had a different reaction. She felt that this man was quite good at making others mad and it seemed that he was very rich like the modern day CEOs who were described in the novels, arrogant and narcissist. That poor man bid at 400,000. If he wanted the lion so badly, could he not bid at 500,000 and leave that man a bit of face. Instead, he bid at 800,000 twice the original amount showing off his money and humiliating the man. She had to say that man valued his face a lot and he was a shrewd. She found something to y with. Xia Lian''s lips curved up into a smile as she stared at the auctioneer to speak. " The new bid is 800,000." He rang the bell for the first time. " 900,000." The voice of a middle aged man startled everyone. Everyone nced at the room on the third floor from where the voice came. In the private room, Xia Lian had azy smirk on her face apanied by the mischievous glint in her eyes, making her look extremely attractive under the hazy light of thenterns. All the men in the room froze as she shouted 900,000 in a foreign voice startling them. They did not understand her sudden interest in the lion, but before they were able to ask her they were awestruck by her side profile under the light. Whoosh! It was not known how but arge clothnded on her face, making everyonee back to reality as they awkwardly shifted their gazes. Lu Wen stared at Xuan Li Wei who was covering Xia Lian with arge cloth with an expressionless face. This gesture made Lu Wen to have a 0.001% change in his opinion on Xuan Li Wei. If he thought of Xuan Li Wei as the biggest fly earlier, he now promoted him to the post of good biggest fly. No matter how good he was, he was still coveting the little girl who was now his, Lu Wen''s sister. So, he will always remain as a fly in Lu Wen''s eyes. " How did thisnd on my face?" Xia Lian asked while removing the cloth from her face. " I thought of dumping it in the bin, who knew that it wouldnd on your face. Even the cloth knows that you are a waste bin." Lu Wen spoke up as he did not want to put Xuan Li Wei in an awkward position. Xuan Li Wei was pleasantly surprised whereas Xia Lian spat out each word while gritting her teeth while ring at her big brother venomously " Let''s settle our debtster. Don''t provoke me now." Lu Wen nodded his head obediently making the girl go mad. Just as she was about to retort, she heard the seductive voice shout out loud, if she was not mistaken she found traces of annoyance in his voice. "1,800,000." Chapter 157 - The Grand Auction (2) Chapter 157 - The Grand Auction (2) "1,800,000" "2,000,000" Xia Lian shouted making the whole crowd go crazy. Even Xuan Li Wei could not get what this girl was ying at. "4,000,000" the man in the other room shouted immediately. This time Xia Lian did not say anything, making it clear that she cannot bid any amount higher. The auctioneer rang the bell three times, and the Golden Mane Lion was sold at a whopping price of 4,000,000. In the private room opposite to hers, the shirtless man finally let out a sigh of triumph. He won atst. For him 4,000,000 is small amount anyway. Xia Lian stared at the shirtless man with amus.e.m.e.nt in her eyes. " Master, why did you bid for that lion and back out at thest moment?" Fan Ling who was silent for the whole time opened her mouth. Xia Lian almost forgot that the girl is present in the room. This very question was bugging not only Fan Ling but also others in the room. So, they all stared at her curiously. Xia Lian finally gave in to their pitiable looks " His initial bid was at 400,000. No one was willing to bid any further. But, I made him to increase his bid to 4,000,000. It was an increase of 3,600,000 out of which I will get 1,800,000 and the remaining amount goes to this auction house." " In a nutshell, if I was able to raise the price of auction when no one is willing to bid the profits will be shared in the ratio of 50-50." " When did you discuss all this?" Lu Wen now understood that the girl was truly something. He never heard that one could negotiate in this way, how did she manage to convince the other party? " It''s not difficult to manipte that old man, Du Weng and when we came to a deal is not important." " So, all your next bids are going to be empty bids. You are quite c-clever to think of such a method." Xuan Li Wei spoke in an incredulous voice. " When money is a necessity, I will think of any possible method to earn it." Xia Lian shrugged her shoulders. " It''s that man''s fault for falling into my trap." " Who is that person?" she pointed to the shirtless man adorned in gold who bid 4,000,000 for a single lion. Earlier on, she greeted him with a smile not knowing who he was. If she was curious earlier, now she was itching to know who this arrogant rich man was. Xuan Li Wei raised his brows on seeing the man. His wife really had good eyes, she was able to spot handsome men no matter at which corner they are. " He is one of the princes of Barbarian Lands, Mo Yan." Xuan Li Wei continued to speak on seeing herrge sparkling eyes, she was really curious about new things. " Barbariannds have four tribes namely fire, water, wind and earth tribes. Each tribe has a king and these four kings are controlled by a single emperor." " Mo Yan is the next in line to the throne of fire tribe and as you can tell from the gold on his body that the fire tribe is richest of all." " Oh! Then who is the emperor?" Xia Lian''s curiosity made everyone in the roomugh. " He has been missing for a few years now." " Ah!" Xia Lian didn''t know what she should say now. So, she just nodded her head and stared at the auction. This Mo Yan seemed to be a lover of animals as he bought the white tiger and ck panther at high prices. This time she did not interrupt his bidding, she did not want to be too obvious that she was just doing it for fun. Evoking the wrath of prince of othernds is not a good thing. In the beginning, when someonepeted with him for the Golden Lion, he thought that the other party was messing up with him. But, the person did not interrupt any of his other bidding''s. Mo Yan was now convinced that the other party had no intention of messing up with him. '' Poor fellow¡­ He must have taken quite a liking to the lion.'' Mo Yan sighed in his heart. A certain prince did not know that all the men around Xia Lian are currently pitying him for falling into their great demon''s trap. Finally, the auctioneer ced the two wolf cubs at the centre of the stage. The bigger of the two seemed to be protecting the younger one, as it was standing protectively before the younger cub. " Big Brother, those cubs are simr to us." Xia Ming''s words made her mind go nk for a while followed by fierce thumping of her heart. " Hmm¡­ The only difference is that the bigger cub is a female while the younger one is male whereas you both are male." He Chun spoke while rubbing his chin. But, those who knew that Xia Lian is a girl maintainedplete silence as they stared at the little boy whose words struck the chords of their hearts. Xia Lian stared at the wolf cubs and she felt that those cubs are really simr to them, alone and helpless. " The bidding starts at 100 gold coins." The auctioneer had no hope on these pair of sickly wolf cubs. He determined that no one would be interested to buy them and so he stated the low price. " 200 gold coins." a man shouted making othersugh. They felt that man had no brains as he was wasting 200 gold coins on such wolf cubs. "1000 gold coins." Xia Lian''s bidding evoked huge rounds ofughter from the crowds. " Who in the world is that other mad man who wants these pair of sickly cubs?" " Tsk... What did he find interesting in these cubs?" Xia Lian heard everyone''s sneers, but the expression on her face did not change. But, Xia Ming frowned " Big Brother, why are they speaking like that?" " Let them bark as much as they want. We should not care about such unimportant things." she flicked his forehead and Xia Ming nodded very seriously after pondering for a while. " Yes, brother." Chapter 158 - The Grand Auction (3) Chapter 158 - The Grand Auction (3) Initially Mo Yan thought of bidding for these pair of pitiful wolf cubs, but he stopped when he heard the same voice again. It was the person who bid against him for the lion. Since the man already lost the lion, he decided not to bid against him for these pair of wolf cubs. Praising himself as a benevolent man, he started sipping his wine again with no intention to bid for those cubs . It seems that the crowd was really not interested in these cubs, the bidding stopped at 1000 gold coins. The auctioneer hit the bell three times in the blink of an eye afraid that the bidder would change his mind. " Ming, now they are no longer alone. The same goes for us." Xia Lian spoke while pinching the little bunny''s cheeks " All those who are in the room are our family. So, we are not alone." Though he was not able to understand everything his sister spoke, he knew that his sister was always right about everything. So, he nodded his little head without any hesitation. Knock! " We havee to collect the money for thetest bid. Can wee in?" a young girl spoke in a sweet and charming voice. " Come in." The door was pushed open as soon as Xia Lian''s voice fell. A young woman entered the room with a tray in her hand. She was rooted at the spot on seeing the bunch of handsome men in the room. On seeing her fl.u.s.tered appearance, Xia Lian did not wait for her to speak and ced the thousand gold coins on the tray. The clinking sounds of the coins snapped the woman out of her gaze. " Y-young master, you can take the cubs with you after the auction. Here''s the token and please show this token at the collection counter. Also, please excuse me for my absent mindedness earlier." She apologised for her behaviour to which Xia Lian justughed and let go of the matter. The woman was just appreciating beauty and it was not a capital offence that requires any sort of punishment. Xia Lian epted the token from her and dismissed the woman. On the other hand, the woman was still in a daze as she closed the door of the private room. If it was any other person, they would have at least pped her or whipped her. But the young man in there justughed and let her go. This type of man was a rare gem, the woman sighed as she walked. " Ladies and Gentlemen, the most awaited moment has arrived. Let''s start the auction of the medicines concocted by the peerless genius doctor Wu." the auctioneers announcement made Xia Lian choke on the water she was drinking. " *cough* * cough*..." she patted her chest to calm down her heaving chest. As soon as the symptoms of her cough subsided, she immediately exploded " What is that Du Weng instructing his people?! What peerless genius? I thought of announcing my master''s name but this old man spoiled everything." " Master, calm down." Fan Ling patted her shoulders gently " We can find another asion to do that thing." Fan Ling''s voice had an effect on Xia Lian as she immediately calmed down. Xia Lian stared at the calm and cold faced older girl beside her with mixed feelings. She really wanted to break that ice cold facade, but she absolutely had no idea how to do it. As if remembering something, Xia Lian took the little bunny who was in Xuan Li Wei''s grasp and ced him in Fan Ling''s arms. It was as she expected, the sight of the little one softened Fan Ling''s sharp contours. It was at that moment Xia Lian decided to leave Xia Ming in Fan Ling''s care whenever she was busy. " Let''s start the bidding for the poison Silent night." The auctioneers announcement caught Xuan Li Wei''s attention for a while, then he turned towards the little girl " Silent Night, hmm¡­ I want to bid now." " You are really stupid." Xia Lian rolled her eyes at his stupidity. On seeing his confused face her lips twitched. Is he thinking that she will extort money even from her friends? She was disappointed but she did not show it on her face. Instead she pped his shoulders " Do you even need to bid? I would never take money from you and Moyin¡­" " Oh!" Xuan Li Wei really did not think in that direction. He was not willing to ept anything from her and he wanted to bid. " No problem, I want to bid." Very well then! She rolled up her sleeves and took out a jade bottle from her robes. Noticing the jade bottle on her hands, Xuan Li Wei felt apprehensive " What is it?" " A new poison. I am not sure if it freezes a person or makes a person die from excessive bleeding. If you are kind enough to be my test subject, then I will allow you to bid." she spoke leisurely as if she was reading a weather report while ying with the bottle in her hands. " No thanks, I think it is not a good idea to refuse your good intentions." Xuan Li Wei gulped " Since you are giving it to us for free, I won''t be hesitating any longer." " Hehe... Now, you are on the right track." Xia Lian squinted her eyes like azy cat. " 220,000" the excited shout of a woman made Xia Lian rise her brows in amus.e.m.e.nt. Why did she find this voice so familiar? Chapter 159 - The Grand Auction (4) Chapter 159 - The Grand Auction (4) Lin Rong who never participated in the auctions before, pestered Xia Jiang to take her along with him. Xia Jiang usually didn''t take women along with him, they were a nuisance ording to him. He had only relented since he had been harsh with her and he had also confined her to house arrest. For only this once, he made an exception. Lin Rong was usually not interested towards auctions and truth be told she hated such crowded ces. In the past week, rumors had been going on that a prodigal doctor had introduced new poisons. Apparently that bit of news caught her interest. Her husband Xia Jiang seemed to have taken interest in an young dancer. She can use this poison to eliminate that woman if she dared to enter the house. It was only for this reason that she pestered her husband suppressing the fear in her heart. She saw all those in the auction hall bid for that poison fervently. She noticed that it was only men who were raising the bids. She felt that something was off but she brushed it off saying to herself there were no women bold enough to do that. Wanting to show off her courage she shouted her bid. Only silence followed her voice as many started to look towards her direction with weird expressions on their faces. Lin Rong would not have been so confused by their gazes if she had lifted her head and noticed therge cloth banner hanging above the stage¡­ NO WOMEN ARE ALLOWED TO BID FOR THE POISONS¡­ " What the¡­?" Xia Jiang''s disappointed gaze made her swallow the rest of her curses. He was now regretting his show of momentary pity on her, he should have locked her in the room for the entire year. Who would have thought that the women would bring shame on him. ''A dog''s tail can never be straightened.'' he thought to himself. " Madam, it is clearly written that no women are allowed to bid for the poisons. You may not have noticed it, but it is clearly written on the banner." even the auctioneer was shocked that such a foolish woman was present at their auction. They had clearly made their people announce that no women can bid for poisons. Mouth publicity will not reach everyone, so they prepared arge cloth banner for this asion. It was beyond their knowledge that a person who would not notice the banner exists¡­ Lin Rong nced at the banner and clenched her fists. She had not only failed to notice suchrge banner but instead managed to be aughing stock before everyone. Loud sneers andughters were heard from her surroundings making her clench her fists tightly. Xia Jiang was the prime minister but it was not the court where he could silence the whispers with his re. All those who were in this auction house were either nobles or royal families from various neighbouring nations. He could not possibly offend anyone of them and ring at them is equivalent to inviting death. Xia Jiang felt a massive headacheing over him. Talking with this woman would only worsen his already plummeting mood. Acting wisely, he chose to feign ignorance. Noticing her husband''s indifference, Lin Rong felt anger bubbling up in her heart. She could not possibly go against him, she could vent her against this so called entric, Doctor Wu¡­ " What sort of rule is this? Why are women prohibited from bidding?" Lin Rong''s voice became increasingly agitated. " Is that Doctor Wu discriminating against women?" Lin Rong''s voice started shaking and anyone would easily believe that the woman is crying when the reality is that she was only acting. " Is that woman mad?" He Chun was clearly disgusted with Lin Rong and one can see that he was clearly displeased by his stern face and pursed lips. Xia Lian maintained a poker face but her insides were dancing and jumping with excitement. She was originally very disappointed on finding that the auction was really going on smooth without any fun events like this. She was eagerly waiting to witness these fights in the auction houses which she greatly fantasised while reading the transmigration novels. Now she finally got the chance and on top of that it seemed like she was going to be the centre of attraction in the argument. Though she maintained a poker face, her eyes were radiating with a naughty and yful glint which did not escape from Xuan Li Wei''s eyes. '' This girl was going to cause trouble now¡­'' he sighed but a simr glint shed in his eyes. If she was going to cause trouble, he was going to fan the mes and join the fun. Somehow, he was looking forward to it. " All the women here, I implore you to support my ims¡­" Lin Rong''s voice sounded pitiful to the point that one would want to wipe her tears andfort her. Some of the women were totally unconcerned but many felt that this Doctor Wu was being unfair to women. They also wanted to bid for the poisons, but they were only subjected to disappointment after knowing the conditions. " Yes, it''s really unfair¡­" " This Doctor Wu is really biased¡­" " We demand an exnation from the Doctor. If it is reasonable then I will apologize to the doctor." Lin Rong spoke before Xia Jiang could interrupt her. Chapter 160 - The Grand Auction (5) Chapter 160 - The Grand Auction (5) ''Exnation?'' Xia Lian sneered in her heart. This little concubine was truly bing impudent.It''s time to show her who exactly is the boss. Xia Lian felt the need to pacify all thedies who are now showing hostility towards her. But, she cannot be rude before her bunny and scare him. " Yang Qiu, leave now with Fan Ling and my brother." Xia Ming was also feeling drowsy and he readilyplied with her words. She turned towards He Chun " Brother He, the way I am going to deal with them is not something that I wish you to see. I would like it if you take Bolin and Bohai back with you." In reality, He Chun would not feel ufortable at all. What had he not seen in all these years? But, he felt understood that this kid might have something he wanted to discuss with the two handsome men in the room. Without any protest, the group of six left the auction house without attracting much attention. Now only four members were left in the room. Xuan Li Wei saw that she did not send Lu Wen away which made him rather curious. How could Lu Wen not understand his probing look? " If she is not a girl, I wouldn''t be so protective of her." his blunt and direct words made Xuan Li Wei gape in amazement.It was his first time seeing such over protective brother ah! Would be turn like that when his little sister also finds a man? His thoughts wandered to a far and distantnd¡­ " Sis Xia, now what should we do? The crowd is going crazy." Jun Moyin was rather anxious on seeing her unaffected and calm profile. " Don''t be so nervous!" Xia Lian patted his shoulders and shed a charming smile at him " It''s time you see my abilities¡­" Xia Lian''s altered look can be considered as good looking. She did not look too gentle like He Chun or yful like Jun Moyin. And she did not possess heaven defying looks like Xuan Li Wei. She possessed above average looks and can be considered to be a handsome schr. But, there is one thing that was attractive about her and it was her smile. A smile capable of making young maidens heart palpitate and making men''s heart burn with envy, she possessed such smile. She also had a pair of hypnotic obsidian ck eyes into which women would lose themselves willingly. It was only when she smiled that Jun Moyin realised how fatal his sister-inw was as a man. The smile made her sculpted face look seductive and evil, a kind which all girls would fantasize about. " O-Ok¡­" Jun Moyin was too fl.u.s.tered to reply and he managed to blurt out only that single word. Xia Lian''s smile deepened on seeing her effect on him. Xuan Li Wei did not see her smile as her back was facing him, but Lu Wen who sitting beside Moyin clearly saw this little brat''s actions and he had to admit that he was amused by her actions. With a doting smile on his face, he rubbed her head " En, we will clearly watch you. Go now¡­" "Hmm¡­" Xia Lian was embarrassed by his sudden disy of affection and strangely she liked this feeling. Lu Wen immediately retracted his hand not sure of what she was thinking about him. But his worries were unfounded as she took his hand and ced it on her head. Jun Moyin: "..." Is his sister-inw a puppy? Xuan Li Wei: "..." My wife is too cute! Now, I am tempted to rub her head!! Allowing herself to be spoiled for a while, Xia Lian hesitantly stepped out of the room into the corridor. She really like Lu Wen patting her head ah! " Ladies¡­" Xia Lian''s clear voice sounded out in the room silencing everyone. " Doctor W-Wu, I think I can ¡­" The auctioneer tried to persuade Xia Lian not to get involved in this argument. It was really not easy to silence the angry crowds, especially women. Moreover he was their honored client and how could they allow him to take any damages! " They are finding problems with me and so it''s only natural that I should be the one who clears up." her voice left no room for any argument and the auctioneer found himself nodding his head. " To all thedies present here, I would like to ask you a few question. I would like to expect answers from all of you." " Why are you all so interested in poisons? Don''t tell me that like to y with them?" she chuckled at that " Your interest in bidding only makes it obvious that you want to kill someone." After this she suddenly changed her question which rendered all the men speechless for a moment before they burst outughing " To all the husbands here, tell me how many of you will eat the food cooked by your wife or concubines without testing them?" Theughter from all the men broke the tense atmosphere in the room. What she said was true and with each man having three wives and four concubines who knew which one of them would plot against him? It was only in the fear for their life that they check the food for any traces of poison and this matter was also known by all the women here, so they were unable to lift their heads out of shame. Chapter 161 - The Grand Auction (6) Chapter 161 - The Grand Auction (6) On sensing the silence everywhere, Xia Lian quietly tiptoed into the room and whispered in Xuan Li Wei''s ear " Which one of your brother''s takes care ofw and order, I mean who knows the statistics of crime?" " My second brother, Xuan Li Min." Though Xuan Li Wei was suspicious on why she was asking that he did not hesitate in the least to sell his brother out. " Thanks¡­" she blurted out in a hurry while rushing out of the room. All this time Xia Lian was standing in a dark corner while speaking, but now she chose to stand in the area which is brightly illuminated. Now that she was in the light, many turned their heads to take a peek at her. They were all stunned by the sight of the person before them. He was young but that face was¡­ too good-looking! All those women who cursed insults found themselves staring at the young man in a daze. '' If only I am younger, I would have definitely pursued him to death.'' that was the only thought running in the minds of all the women at that moment. " It''s sad to say this, but I need to. ording to the crime statistics, most of the poisoning cases were either due to envy or greed of women." Just as they were about to doubt the credibility of the information she dropped a huge bomb " It was the Crown Prince of the Qilin Empire, who gave me this information. And out of moral duty, it was decided that we will stop selling poisons to women. The Crown Prince is truly the one who cares for his citizens. If you have any doubts, you are free to doubt him." The Crown Prince who is also the next in session to the throne? They would be retarded if they were to doubt such a man! They didn''t want to lose their heads ah! " *cough* *cough*" a man in a private room started coughing violently on hearing his name being used like that. No! He did not want to be popr! If the word of this spreads out, all those stupid officials will " It seems that our sister-inw is quite clever and sly like a fox¡­ Really suited to be with little fourth. I approve¡­" Xuan Li Yan spoke in voice tinged with mirth. His eyes were on the handsome young man who was speaking in the corridor. The three princes heard that their younger brothers were going to the auction to meet this girl. They heard from Moyin that she was going by the identity of Doctor Wu. Thanks to their curiosity, they secretly arrived to the Dark City much to the amus.e.m.e.nt of the old emperor on the throne. They tried to take a peek at her when she entered her own room which they failed at miserably as they were not even able to take a single nce at her. They were disappointed and restrained themselves with great difficulty from barging into the room when then they saw Xuan Li Wei and Jun Moyin also enter her room. But now that she entered into the light, their eyes were naturally scrutinizing their future sister-inw. It was totally unexpected to them that she would use Li Min''s name, but that only made them more amused than before. They had to admit that this girl waspletely different from what they expected, different in a good way. Xuan Li Min whose name was used had a proud smile on his face "Hehe¡­ Sister-inw used my name first¡­" Xuan Li Yan and Xuan Li Shan: "..." Shameless!! At this time, Xia Lian was speaking in such a way that all the women are blushing furiously. " All thedies here, I believe that each one of you is a fragile flower. You should not stain your hands by using such poisons." "If you find your husband cheating on you, then just murder him. Don''t think twice about such things and just go for the kill. Why to harm the women ah?" " As women you should learn to support each other, but not harm each other." " Of course, not all women are good and some are as dangerous as snakes. Just beat them in front of everyone, killing is not the best form of revenge." '' Why is this Doctor spoiling all thedies?'' all the men had the same thought in their minds and their eyes started twitching on seeing the fangirl expressions on all the faces of women who were with them. " Personally, I hate to see women resorting to such shady schemes. I would love to see you fight head on with your enemies. So, I naturally forbid selling poisons to women." Xia Lian''s husky voice sounded out " To make it up for you, I made some special creams for you all which will make your skin supple and soft. They will be introduced into the marketter." " Do you think that I am unreasonable now?" " No, N-no¡­ We are the ones who were in the wrong. We apologize." All the women who initially criticized her immediately admitted that they were wrong. This Doctor Wu is really biased towards them, in a good way. Initially they thought that he hated women, but who knew that he was such a sweet talker ah! " I am not the one who bears grudges over such petty matters. All are not the same, if I were you I would think twice before offending anyone." she advised them in a gentle voice before fixing her gaze on Lin Rong. Chapter 162 - The Grand Auction (7) Chapter 162 - The Grand Auction (7) " You there, not only did you nder me but also manipted others with your words to go against me. Just because of your mistake, I don''t want to punish everyone. Who gave you the courage to go against me?" Xia Lian''s voice was no longer polite and her gaze was like daggers slicing the other party''s hearts. Lin Rong shivered under Xia Lian''s gaze, it was as if she was a pest under those cold and bottomless eyes. She felt as if she was rooted to the spot and as if someone was choking her throat. No words wereing out. Why is she sensing such deep hatred from those eyes? On seeing the trembling figure of her concubine mother, Xia Lian''s lips curved up. It was a smile that did not reach her eyes. " Shouldn''t you be apologizing to me now?" there was not even a hint of respect in her voice as she spat out the words. Lin Rong knew that she was the one who was impulsive this time. So, she did not make a fuss out of it and immediately apologist " Please excuse me for my rash behavior." Lin Rong felt that she did pretty good in apologizing, but her whole body turned cold after hearing the following words¡­ " Are you taking me for a fool or are you thinking that you can spout all sort of nonsense and get away with it. Not everything can be fixed with a single word called sorry¡­" " Kneel and apologize to me¡­" Xia Lian didn''t feel even the slightest bit of pity for the woman. They were chased away from their home and if not for that veiled man and her friends, she and Xia Ming would not havested this long. Her mother was missing and her whereabouts were unknown till date. It was clear that her mother was hiding from someone as she even requested the emperor to take care of them in her absence. Who knew what kind of hardsh.i.p.s she was facing? With the thought of her missing mother, thest shred of pity disappeared from Xia Lian''s heart. It was already a miracle that she did not tear up the woman before her into pieces. She was not a saint and she would definitely make the woman kneel before her. And this would be only the beginning¡­ Xia Lian was not the one who would kill her enemies or torture them physically. She would rather make sure that they would regret their existence on the earth. It would be the same for Lin Rong, the woman would be crying tears of regret sooner orter. Xia Jiang initially wanted to defend his wife but remembering that this Doctor Wu is someone rted to the Imperial family, he held himself back. He red at Lin Rong as if saying not to cause any more trouble. Flinching under his gaze, Lin Rong understood that she had to kneel or else she would be disposed off by her own husband. She knew him too well and nothing is more important than her life. Taking in deep breaths, she maintained a poker face and knelt on the floor which was as cold as her heart " Doctor Wu, now I am deeply regretting my impulsive behavior. Please forgive my rude actions and meaningless words." Lin Rong was truly regretting her actions and she was not acting now. Why had she gone against this Doctor? She was reprimanding herself as she knelt on the ground with her head bowed down. Xia Lian swept a faint nce over her before announcing in a loud voice " Continue the auction and those who dare to go against me will end up like her." Continue the auction? Lin Rong was dazed¡­ The meaning of Doctor Wu''s words was that she should continue kneeling like that. Lin Rong felt deeply ashamed and enraged. She felt wronged but she knew that if she spoke anything now, not to speak of that doctor her husband will behead her immediately. The auctioneer on the stage also backed Xia Lian " Doctor Wu is our honored client. Going against him is equivalent to going against us and such persons will not be allowed in here in near future." " As a show of our faith, Prime minister Xia and his family by Lin Rong of Qilin empire can no longer participate in any of the future auctions. Since you are already seated in for this day''s auction, we will not chase you away." Boom! The auctioneers words not only made Xia Jiang''s mind go nk but also Xia Lian to be surprised. She knew that her poisons had impressed the old man but that was not enough for them to be so fiercely protective of her. " Let''s continue the auction from 200,000 gold¡­" his words made everyone push their thoughts to the back of their minds and concentrate on the auction. No matter how curious they are, the auction before them is more important. Xia Lian stood on the corridor with a deep frown on her face. What exactly happened now?! She made her way back to the room and raised her brows at Xuan Li Wei¡­ Xuan Li Wei: " It''s not me¡­" This only made her further confused. She had thought that Xuan Li Wei was the one who made them do this, but now it was clear that it was not the case. She must ask that old man Du Weng about hister on! Chapter 163 - The Grand Auction (8) Chapter 163 - The Grand Auction (8) The auction continued on and the prices of the Silent Night soared up with each bidding. The four bottles of the poison were sold at 8,000,000 each which was pretty good price ording to her. What made her dumb founded was the intense war of bidding''s for her antidote ''Purgatory''. Once it was consumed, no poison could ever harm them. So she understood the excitement of the crowd. The only problem was that Xia Lian was starting to get bored. The shirtless man, Mo Yan was not bidding much to her disappointment. Ever her shameless father was not bidding¡­ She then stared at the men in her room. Jun Moyin and Lu Wen were busy eating and it seemed that they arefortable around each other. Lu Wen was friendly with Jun Moyin because the former decided that thetter was not a pest who would bother his little sister. Much to Jun Moyin''s surprise Lu Wen was the one who initiated the conversation and they immediately hit off, thanks to their love for food¡­ " Gluttons¡­" Xia Lian snorted yfully and Jun Moyin immediately turned towards her " Sis Xia, so once the antidote is taken no poison can kill us, right?" Xia Lian smirked on seeing the look of expectation on his face. She ruthlessly nipped off his thoughts " No poison can affect you except my super special signature poisons. So, don''t even think about ying with me." " Got it. I will never ever go against you¡­" Jun Moyin was scared to death and he raised his hands in surrender. " Sis Xia, are poisons really that scary in the hands of women?" Jun Moyin was confused about this. " Am I am Man or a Woman?" Xia Lian face-palmed at him. " Of course you are a girl!" " Did you forget that I am the one who created these poisons and here you are still asking if poisons are that scary in the hands of women." Xia Lian was truly rendered speechless by this kid. Now, Jun Moyin was truly scared. He was deceived by his sister-inw''s bunny like appearance. Though he was used a test subject, he was not traumatized by that experience. He only treated it as ying around. But, now it seems that he can''t tease Xia Lian anymore and it made him sad. His gloomy appearance was somehow very pleasing to her eyes. Nodding her head in satisfaction, she turned to look at Xuan Li Wei only to find that thetter was thinking deeply. " What are you thinking?" she waved her tiny hands before his eyes sessfully distracting him in the process. " Oh! It''s nothing." Xuan Li Wei shook his head before speaking " Your grandfather will be back in the capital soon." " Really! Did my grandfather agree toe back?" Xia Lian''s face brightened at the mention of the stubborn old man but it immediately turned into an expression of disbelief. She heard that no one can convince him, so she was not sure if that old man would agree so peacefully. Xuan Li Wei was able to guess to what she was thinking " Even a stubborn man cannot refuse an Imperial edict." " And there are your little cousins, two little girls in the family. He will return to the capital for their sake." " Is he going to join the military?" the admiration and awe in her voice was evident and there was a genuine smile on her face. " The position of Senior Strategist is reserved for him. No one can beat him in strategies of war. Such is his intelligence. His martial arts are also at the level of an expert. " Xuan Li Wei was not stingy with his praises. He may be good in martial arts and sword fighting, but his strategies are always a step behind the old man''s. He had a deep sense of respect for Hua Bingwen. " Expert?" Xia Lian''s voice turned extremely sad " Didn''t he lose his right hand? So, he won''t be able to fight anymore, would he?" Her words made Xuan Li Wei speechless. He wondered if this girl knew anything about her maternal grandfather. " Do you know anything about your grandfather?" " No, I didn''t see him even once." Xuan Li Wei was surprised but Xia Lian was telling the truth. The original body never met with her grandfather, she had no idea how the old man even looks like. " Your grandfather is a left handed person like you. His right hand will never be a hindrance to him." Realization dawned on her, if her grandfather is a left handed person then it''s good. She wanted to see him fight one day¡­ " This is the scroll about your divine whip. Go through itter." Xia Lian immediately ced the scroll in her robes. " This has be a mere decorative ornament on me." she spoke while rubbing the dragon head on her shoulder as Xuan Li Wei observed it. " 15,000,000 gold is the final bid." The shout was followed by the ringing of bells three times sessfully attracting the attention of Xia Lian. " It seems that I am finally rich now. Now I can return your money." Xia Lian did not like to owe anyone anything. She sold ten bottles of the antidote and the mere thought of the amount of money which she earned was making her giddy with happiness. Xuan Li Wei wanted to say that there is no need to return the money. But she would never listen to him. He would give her everything, if she would depend on him even a little. Knowing her independent personality, he chose not to speak anything lest it infuriates her. Chapter 164 - Consignment Chapter 164 - Consignment " Doctor Wu, do you have any bank ount on your name? We want to deposit the money in your card." Du Weng rushed into the room and the old man''s face was swollen with happiness. The auction really excited him this time. It was the first time their auction house made such huge amounts of money only by selling a single poison and a single antidote. The heavy atmosphere during the bidding sent his blood boiling. " Take this card and make sure to put all the gold under that name." Du Weng took the golden card from her hands and stared at the name on it. It was the name of the Fourth prince of Qilin empire or rather the name of the man sitting before him. He had a hundred questions he wanted to ask as he was curious about how Doctor Wu was on such good terms with the rumored War God. s! But, he was not in a position where he could ask whatever thates to his mouth ah! What if Doctor Wu bes enraged and makes him kneel like that unfortunate woman. Du Weng subconsciously tilted his head to find Lin Rong who was still kneeling on the cold floor with her head bowed down. " I will take care of the deposit." that was all Du Weng could manage to speak on seeing the woman who was trembling on the floor. He was not that eager to kneel on the cold floor just for the sake of satisfying his curiosity and he immediately escaped from the room lest he should speak something impulsive and anger this young doctor. " Li Weie with me. There is something I want to show you." Xia Lian spoke while dusting her clothes as she stood up. Xuan Li Wei stood up suddenly as if a bolt of lightning suddenly struck him making Xia Lian chortle. Her lips twitched when she saw Jun Moyin and Lu Wen still sitting on thefy couch and relishing on the snacks. " Should I invite you both specifically?" she snapped at the two idiots who arezing around. Jun Moyin and Lu Wen disyed wronged expressions on their faces. She addressed that big brother of his sweetly calling him Li Wei. She didn''t even invite him and Lu Wen toe with them, but she was expecting that they should join these both. What are they? Third and Fourth wheels between this pair? No chance! " Sis Xia, you both can go ahead. Brother Lu Wen and I have somethings to talk about." Jun Moyin really didn''t want to be the third wheel but there was someone who didn''t think the same. " We have nothing to talk about¡­" Lu Wen''s deration made Jun Moyin look like a deted balloon " This guy must be bloated by all the food he ate. Let''s leave him here, he''s not a kid anyway." " Then sit here for a while. We will be back soon." Xia Lian was quite considerate with him. She really thought that Moyin was feeling ufortable. " Sis Xia, I am fine. I will being with you." Jun Moyin spat out the words with great difficulty and to his relief she did not question him anything and simply waved her hand at him indicating that he can follow them. Xia Lian led them to the huge storage room in the backyard of the auction house. There are many guards stationed at the front door of the storehouse. On seeing Xia Lian, one of the guards stepped forward and saluted her. " Doctor Wu, let me lead the way¡­" Xia Lian did not refuse him because she did not know the way inside this house which had intricate pathways. Also, she did not know where her consignment is¡­ The storage room was made of manypartments. The most valuable items were locked away in the innermost rooms and less valuable items are ced in the rooms with less security measures. The guard led Xia Lian to a room which was definitely not the innermost one¡­ " Doctor Wu, your goods are ced in this room. I will be taking my leave now." the guard handed over the key to her and took his leave. The trio followed her into the room as she unlocked it and under the faint light of the torches on the walls they sawrge number of crates stacked upon each other. The sight before their eyes made Xuan Li Wei and Jun Moyin widen their eyes with Lu Wen remaining impassive as he knew about this. " What are these?" Xuan Li Wei asked in a low voice. He had a faint idea but nevertheless he asked her. " These are the boxes having antidotes and tonics. These antidotes are the improvised version of the ones I sold in the auction house. Even my poisons cannot affect you if you take them. Give them to all the trusted soldiers in the army." " As for the tonics, give them to everyone. It does not do any wonders when consumed but if consumed daily it will slowly improve the muscles and strength of the body." " For now I was able to make only about a thousand of antidotes. Doctor He Chun and the twins are in charge of concocting them and delivering it to your army barracks." " As for the tonics, there are five hundred of them. Take this recipe with you and give to one your most experienced and trusted doctors, he will know what to do." she handed him a paper while speaking. It seemed that she had no intention of stopping as she continued to lecture him " Ah! And that medium sized box is for your family. There are antidotes and skin care creams in there. Anyone can use them and tell the women in the pce that those are not skin whitening creams, they are just normal moisturising creams." Speaking till here she paused and buried her nose in her hands thinking deeply. Xuan Li Wei almostughed out loud on seeing her like this. " Are you done lecturing me?" there was mirth in his voice. " Yes, I am." she nodded not noticing the word ''lecturing'' and stared at him with herrge eyes. " Then we will be leaving now." Xuan Li Wei sighed while rubbing her head " Be careful and don''t act impulsively. Make sure to eat well." " Alright, I will listen to you." Much to his pleasant surprise she nodded her head like an obedient cat. Chapter 165 - Moody Xia Lian Chapter 165 - Moody Xia Lian " It''s good that you are listening to me! So, go back now." Xuan Li Wei retracted his hand from her hair and flicked her forehead. " Hey!" Xia Lian shouted while rubbing her head " Why do you always flick your finger on my forehead? It is quite painful" " Just for now. Hurry up and go back." Xuan Li Wei''s voice was gentle and patient as if he was coaxing a kid. " I will send you both off." Xia Lian did not understand why this fellow was sending her away, so she could only admit that she want see them off. " No need to do such things. Lu Wen, take her away." Xuan Li Wei sent a meaningful nce to the man standing behind the little girl. " Master, let''s go inside. We still have to get the wolf cubs from them." Lu Wen patted her shoulder sessfully making her turn towards him. He winked and she spoke in a fl.u.s.tered voice as a sudden realisation dawned on her " Ah! I will be going in then¡­" " Both of you, please be careful on your journey back." she shed a brilliant smile at both of them before heading into the auction house with Lu Wen trailing behind her. '' Oh S*it! Xia Lian, you are turning more foolish with each passing day. They obviously had something that they want to discuss alone. Not only did you fail to take their hints and leave them alone but also insisted that you would send them off! What sort of mud was .u.mted in your brain ah?!'' she was busy scolding herself in her heart that she did notice the wall before her and bumped right into it. " Ouch!" she cried out loudly but did not stop walking as she wanted to return home soon with her wolf cubs. There was this nagging feeling inside her heart, something that is making her ufortable. And somehow she knew that it was because she was returning back without properly sending off those two idiotic friends of hers. This feeling was making her suffocated and so she wanted to go to her bunny, her only salvation in this cruel world. Truth be told, she was having these crazy urges to turn around and wave her hands at them. But she was not sure if those fellows are busy discussing something or not. Maybe they are not as enthusiastic as her¡­ That thought itself was so depressing¡­ She shook her head to get rid of these ridiculous thoughts and restrained herself from turning around. " Heartless fellows¡­" she cursed under her breath " Even this Moyin is a heartless fellow and that Li Wei is a ice cold wooden block¡­" Lu Wen who was silently following her all this time had an extremely amused expression on his face and his eyes turned into crescents after hearing herints. She was now like a little furry cat which was provoked and would explode in fury at any time. " Stupid girl¡­" Xuan Li Wei chuckled when he saw her bump into the wall. His eyes had a never seen gentleness as he stared at her departing figure. Jun Moyin was long ustomed to this side of Xuan Li Wei and he knew better than anyone the whirlwind of emotions in the heart of his brother. His brother must be feeling terrible now. He was sure that if chance be given, this brother of his would dly leave everything behind to follow her like a tail. Only when she was out of his sight did Xuan Li Wei turn around to face Moyin. Gone was the warmth and the gentle smile on his face. All that remained was that signature poker face of his as he spoke " Let''s get to work. We need to move these crates¡­" Inside the auction house¡­ " What do you mean that you will not give those wolf pups to me?" Xia Lian was starting to get impatient and the people who were responsible for the exchange of goods broke out into a cold sweat. Lu Wen started to get a headache and not knowing what to do he just pulled her behind him and apologised to the two men who were trembling " My master is in a bad mood. So, don''t be so scared and we have no problem with you sending those cubs to our ce tomorrow. We will be counting on you." Lu Wen''s words made the two trembling bodies finally calm down and they thanked him for his grace. " What is the problem with you? I can understand that you are not happy, but you should direct your anger on the weak and innocent¡­" Lu Wen''s voice was helpless as he was dragging her away from the ce. " I¡­" she wanted to retort something but she stopped in the middle and let out a long sigh " I understand and I''m sorry. I will not act like that again." " Good¡­" Lu Wen nodded and stared at her with a serious expression as he spoke the following words making the little girl''s face darken almost immediately " You are quite a handful. I am really feeling sorry for your future husband¡­" " Doctor Wu¡­" It was Du Weng''s voice that saved Lu Wen from getting hit by the hot headed girl before him. Seeing that the young doctor''s attention was on him, Du Weng spoke in an urgent voice " My master wants to meet you." " Even I want to meet him. Take me to him." Xia Lian then snorted at the woman who was still kneeling on the floor " You can leave now and the next time you go against me I guarantee you that you would regret it for the rest of your life." Xia Lian did not spare another nce at the woman as she turned around and followed Du Weng. If she had, she would have noticed the undisguised murder and rage in Lin Rong''s eyes. Lu Wen who noticed all this furrowed his brows but he did not say anything. '' If that woman dared to do anything stupid, he himself would strangle her.'' he vowed in his heart. Chapter 166 - Meeting the owner of the Black Dragon Auction House Chapter 166 - Meeting the owner of the ck Dragon Auction House Inside a dark room¡­ In the midst of all the darkness, there was faint light emitting from the dancing mes which are in the form of a ring. One could see the images of a person moving around reflected in it''s hollow. A man was intently staring at the fire mirror floating before him. His gaze was transfixed on Xia Lian who was now walking with Du Weng and Lu Wen. He blinked his eyes rapidly and pinched his hands to make sure that he was not seeing an illusion of her. If Du Weng was there to see this action of his master, he would have surely rolled his eyes and assured the insecure man that he was definitely not seeing an illusion. This was not the first time the man pinched himself, he was doing so from the time he saw her entering the auction room. Lidan was not a man who was interested in the worldly affairs and he never stepped out of this dark room. Even he didn''t know why but he felt like he had to watch today''s auction at any cost. He may not believe people''s words or auctions, but he never doubted the voice of his heart. It was just a gut feeling, but he immediately used the fire mirror to watch the auction. He was initially disinterested but his whole body shook when he saw her. For the first time in ten thousand years, a flicker of life returned to his empty eyes... Out of all the ces, he never expected that she would being here. Most of all he never expected that he would see her again, alive and well. It had been ten thousand years and he had been searching for her from then, in the hopes that she would be reborn again. He left the immortal realm and roamed around the world only in the hopes of finding her again. But he was bound to be disappointed. Out of depression he locked himself in the darkness, for it was his world without her. Though she disguised herself as a male, his crystal blue eyes could see through any illusion. So he recognized her in an instant. She was petite and young and it was then he remembered that she was still a child with no memories of her past. To make sure that he was not hallucinating, he asked Du Weng who was staring at the fire mirror in awe " Do you see this person? Who is he?" " He is Doctor Wu, our new client." Du Weng was stunned on seeing his master ask about Doctor Wu. His master was not a man of many words and it can be considered as a fortune if they hear his voice. So, Du Weng concluded that this Doctor Wu must be great to catch his master''s attention. Both personally and professionally, Du Weng admired the young doctor. So he praised genuinely " Master, doctor Wu is very talented and even his character is excellent." Lidan''s brain was short circuited when he realized that he was not dreaming. So, he was not imagining things¡­ Lidan didn''t know if he should be happy or not and he had to admit that he was having mixed feelings after seeing her. Happy that she was alive and sad that she would be facing many trials and tribtions in the near future. It was then he saw a mere human disgracing her. He was so angry and if he wanted to he can kill the noisy woman with a single flick of his finger. But, he will not reveal his presence in the mortal realm, not now at least. So, he ordered Du Weng to not allow those group of garbage into the auction house ever again... Humans or not, no matter what, he would protect her this time. He then stared at the darkness around him and flicked his fingers. Five small floating balls of fire traveled to all the corners of the room cleaning everything in their way and illuminating all the torches in the room. The originally gloomy and dark room was now bright and filled with white carpets and white curtains. Seated on the couch, Lidan''s face finally showed a hint of satisfaction. When she was taken away from him, all that remained was the darkness in his heart. Since she was back in his life, it''s time he removed the darkness around him. " Master, Doctor Wu is here to meet you. Can wee in?" Du Weng''s voice made Lidan incredibly nervous. He opened his mouth but found himself too excited to speak. Du Weng was familiar with this indifferent attitude of his master. Taking the silence of his master as a sign of agreement, he opened the door and motioned Xia Lian to follow him carefully. Lu Wen remained outside the room, he knew that guards are not expected in such meeting with important people. Xia Lian did not say anything because it was the way this world worked. Du Weng gaped in shock on seeing the room which waspletely lit. He promptly recovered from his shock after sensing his master''s re and retreated from the room not forgetting to close the door behind. Lidan observed the girl before him. She was curiously observing him while he was studying her. When he noticed the dragon head on her shoulder, his fingers trembled violently and his lips twitched noticeably. Now there was doubt, she was the same person. It was only a matter of time before she remembers her past. Xia Lian observed the man before her. He waspletely dressed in white silk robes which only magnified his kingly aura. On seeing his handsome face, Xia Lian was dumbfounded. She started to wonder if all the people in ancient era are so good looking¡­ The most striking part of him was his ocean blue eyes. She had to say that those were the prettiest eyes she had ever seen. She saw him observe her and there were a lot of emotions in his eyes which she was not able to decipher. But there was no malice in those pure eyes. She found herself rxing herself after staring at his eyes. At least she knew that he was not going to harm her. " Doctor Wu, please take a seat..." For the first time in ten thousand years Lidan had a genuine smile on his face. Chapter 167 - The Wolf cubs Chapter 167 - The Wolf cubs " Erm¡­ How should I address you?" Xia Lian was not sure as what he was called. She could not possibly call him as owner orndlord. It would be rude. Weighing all the options in her mind, she decided that it would be best to be straight forward. " Lidan¡­" the man finally spoke and she had to admit that his voice wasforting and soothing to one''s ears. She didn''t know why but she felt a vague sense of familiarity after hearing his voice. " Do we know each other?" Lidan stiffened on hearing her words. " No, you must be mistaken." Lidan spoke slowly and a hint of sadness can be traced in them. But, Xia Lian was distracted and she failed to notice the small detail. Xia Lian nodded her head and dismissed the uneasy feeling in her heart. '' I did not meet him before. I must have been mistaken.'' she thought to herself. " Doctor Wu, you must have been wondering about why I helped you." Lidan did not wait for her to nod or snap out from her thoughts as he continued " It''s because our ck Dragon Auction House want to coborate with you in the future." " I understand but I will not be auctioning anything in the future." Xia Lian politely put forward her real intentions " I will be selling medicines in the shops directly. I want them to be essible to everyone. Only due to theck of money, I auctioned poisons and potions for the first time in my life." " I will not be doing this again." Xia Lian''s voice was resolute. ''Stubborn and decisive¡­ She was the same as always.'' Lidan smiled faintly at her " If you are going to start shops, then don''t you need capital? I am interested to invest in these shops of yours." Xia Lian did not answer right away. If this rich man was willing to invest, then it would be easier for her to start her shops. She could invest her money in opening other businesses. The pros are outweighing the cons. But, what exactly is he expecting in return? " What are your conditions for your investment?" " I want 30% of your profits and if you want start any new business in future I will be willing to invest in them. If you are doubting why I am not asking for more than 30%, I am not a greedy person in the first ce." " Also, I am feeling a bit bored these days. So, I want to help those who are worthy and have some mettle." What sort of nonsensical reasoning is this? Xia Lian did not know how to respond to this man. " Lidan, I need to think about this." Xia Lian was not in a position to think about this anymore. She wanted to give it a thorough thoughtter on. " You can take your time, but try to give me an answer soon." Lidan was in no rush and simply shrugged his shoulders. " I will be leaving now." Xia Lian exited the room hurriedly. '' Little sister, this time big brother will protect you with his life¡­'' Lidan swore in his heart as he stared at her disappearing back. Xia Lian was still in a daze and if not for Lu Wen she would have stumbled many times and her nose would have turned crooked beyond recognition. She was beyond tired with all the events that happened today and she fell into a deep slumber as soon as her back hit the bed. Next day morning¡­ Xia Lian was leaning against the armrest of her chair as she was thinking about Lidan''s proposal. If he provides her with the capital, she was sure that she would be able to start new businesses in no time. It was a good proposal. Lidan seemed to be trustworthy and she knew that such gut based impressions might be detrimental in the business world. But there are no gains without risks and risks are what one should be ready to take at any time. So, she decided to agree to his proposal. " Brother Lu Wen, inform the ck Dragon Auction House that I agreed to their proposal." Lu Wen disappeared out of the room immediately after making a sound of agreement. " Big brother, hurry ande outside¡­" Xia Lian walked towards the window and saw her little bunny waving his hand at her excitedly. His other hand was pointing towards the cage which the auction house sent them now. The kid is so excited about the wolf cubs¡­ Xia Lian had a wide smile on her face as she hurried downstairs. Xia Lian patted on the little one''s head as she crouched down before the cage. She saw a pair of angry ck eyes staring back at her. Xia Lian''s face fell immediately on seeing the protective older snow white wolf ring at her. This was bad! She screamed in her heart. Then she stared at the little wolf which was lying unconscious. Now she understood why this big sister wolf was so angry. Those hunters must have done something to the little one making it unable to move. She can cure the little wolf, but to do so she had to open the cage. Once she opened the cage, she was sure that this big wolf will pounce upon her and tear her down into pieces. She contemted over whether she should use a tranquiliser or not and decided against the idea. The big wolf was already hostile towards her, what if the wolf bes mad and hunts her down after it wakes up¡­ This was bing too troublesome¡­ The little wolf is important at the moment, even if it means to fight with the big wolf she must open this cage. " Fan Ling, sit on the tree with little Ming. No matter what happens, don''te down." she then turned to her brother " Believe in me and don''t freak out and jump off from the tree at any cost." Chapter 168 - Protective sister wolf Chapter 168 - Protective sister wolf After making sure that Fan Ling and her little bunny were seated on a high branch which is at a safe distance from the ground, Xia Lian cracked her knuckles not in anticipation, but in fear. She was afraid! After all, she was a human and the opponent is a wolf. A damn wolf! How was she expected to go against that thing!! Wouldn''t she be scratched and bitten to death? '' No!'' Xia Lian pped her cheeks hard ''If you can''t even tame a wolf, then how can you lead an army of thousands? Lian Lian, brace yourself for you will like a scratched kitten at the end of the fight. Keep yourself together girl.'' '' Ah! Lian Lian, little Ming wants to y with the wolves. So, you must tame this big wolf at any cost. The little wolf is looking harmless, so it can be considered as a sess if I am able to tame this big wolf.'' After encouraging herself for who knows how many times, Xia Lian opened the cage and immediately took a step back. The wolf did not make any moves and stared at the little human before her calmly. The damn wolf is clever! Xia Lian wanted to cry now. It was of no use on being defensive, she decided in her heart and slowly approached the wolf. " Wolfy, I will not harm you and your little brother. I can cure him." even Xia Lian didn''t know why she was speaking with a wolf. " Grrr¡­" the wolf let out a growl as she saw Xia Lian extending her hand towards the little wolf. Deciding that the person before it was an enemy, it immediately pounced on her. The wolf was heavy and Xia Lian was pushed down as she was caught off guard. Her attention was on grabbing the little wolf as fast as possible. But, she did not think that the wolf would be faster than her. Never underestimate a wild animal! Xia Lian learnt her lesson. On seeing that the wolf was about to bite her neck, Xia Lian immediately ced a long wooden pole against its mouth thus blocking the fatal attack. " Hiss¡­" But, it''s paws managed to reach her face and the sharp ws scratched her face and neck, making her groan in pain. That''s it, now she would beat the crap out of this damn wolf! Xia Lian bent her legs into ny degrees angle and using all her strength she aimed a kick at the wolf''s belly. Xia Lian has been training well and now that she used all her strength, the kick must have been quite painful. Sure enough, as soon as the kicknded the wolf let out a groan of pain and was thrown into the air. Thud! The wolfnded on the ground far away from her feet... Xia Lian attacked on the sensitive and weak acupuncture points of the wolf, so she was pretty sure that the wolf would not be able to get up. Even if it was able to get up, it would not be able to fight against her. Xia Ming was staring at his sister fixedly. His eyes never left her figure and truth be told he was not at all scared when the wolf pounced upon her. But he was angry at the wolf when it scratched his sister! Deep inside his heart, he knew that his sister would never lose and would definitely beat the wolf. So, he calmed himself and now he was just enjoying the fight. Sensing no movement from the wolf which was lying on the ground, Xia Lian slowly walked towards the cage and crouched down before it. The little wolf was curled up and it''s tiny body was trembling. She carefully took the cub into her hands and stood up. Just when she raised her head, she saw the wolf which was supposed to be lying on the ground staring at her with murderous eyes. Xia Lian stared at it''s profile for a while, it''s legs were trembling but there was an unwavering determination in it''s eyes. Xia Lian was sure that the wolf would rather die and bring her to death along with it, if she did not prove to it that she meant no harm to them. Letting out a sigh, she stared fixedly into the eyes of the wolf as she slowly walked towards it. Though her pace was slow, her steps were firm and determined. She meant no harm and she will treat the little wolf before it to prove that she did not want to kill them. The wolf was confused on seeing the human walking towards it. It''s anger subsided a little, but it maintained it''s guard against the approaching human. Xia Lian stopped walking when she was two feet away from the wolf. She then sat on the ground and ced the little wolf on herp. She poured a liquid on a cloth and wiped it''s body.Before the eyes of the big wolf she took out some bottles and started applying the ointments all over it''s body before wrapping them in a cloth bandage. Wolves are clever and they can understand if the people before them meant harm or good. They have the thinking power to differentiate between the good and the bad. After observing Xia Lian''s actions, the wolf calmed down and stared at her and little wolf fixedly. After injecting the wolf with a painkiller, she opened it''s mouth and poured a liquid into it. After that, she did not move and stayed at the ce checking the temperature of the little wolf. Three or four hours passed but Xia Lian and the wolf remained in the same positions. " Awuu¡­" the little wolf finally woke up and blinked it''s eyes at Xia Lian. After observing her for a while, it snuggled into her embrace and let out a faint grunt of satisfaction. Xia Lian: "..." Little wolf, your sister wolf is going to kill me now for sure! Chapter 169 - Na Na and Pug Chapter 169 - Na Na and Pug Xia Lian nced at the wolf only to find that it haspletely calmed down and was now staring at her face. Xia Lian squinted her eyes and injected a liquid into the wolf''s neck using a dart. It was a pain killer. The wolf did not squirm under her touch as it was convinced that this human will never harm them. Also, her little brother cub seemed to be attached with the human. So, it would not harm this person¡­ Xia Lian raised her hand and patted the wolf''s head. It was strangely obedient making her eyes turn into crescents. A side of her face and her neck had deep scratch marks and she felt a stinging sensation as soon as she smiled. She immediately retracted her hand and tore off a piece of her outer robe and covered her face with it. Her little bunny must have seen that the wolf had scratched her face, but she didn''t want him to see her face in a close up and he would definitely be scared if he saw the garish scars on her face and neck. Even she was not sure how messy she looked at that moment. After covering her face, she motioned Fan Ling to get down. When she saw that the both are on their feet, she called out to Xia Ming " Come and touch it. It won''t harm you." Though the wolf harmed his sister, he liked this fierce wolf. It was big and fluffy. It was also in a snow white color that he liked so much. So, he ran towards it and started petting it''s head eagerly. The wolf also did not avoid him and allowed him to y as much as he want. " Ming, which one do you want? You will take care of one wolf and I will take care of another." Xia Ming tilted his head to the side and she felt looked really cute like that. " I want this big wolf!" Xia Ming jumped onto the big wolf and rubbed his head against its body. He really liked this wolf ah! And the little wolf seemed to like his sister, so there were no problems. Xia Lian thought for a while and she also felt the same. With thisrge wolf at his side, she can be at ease. She can count on this wolf to safeguard him, if something happens whenever she was away. Though she sincerely hoped that nothing bad should happen, it''s better to be safe than sorry. " I will take care of the little wolf, and you will take care of my little brother." Xia Lian spoke while pointing her fingers at the cub and little Ming. She stared into the eyes of the wolf while saying this. " Awuu¡­" the wolf whimpered and licked her hand before proceeding to lick the little bunny''s face. '' It understood, right?'' Xia Lian could only tell herself that the wolf understood her words after seeing its actions or to be precise its ''show of affection''. Now, what should they call them? This was something very important. Though they are technically wolves, they cannot call them as wolves all the time. " Ming, what do you want to call this wolf?" Xia Ming nced at the wolf thoughtfully and then turned towards Xia Lian withrge twinkling eyes and flushed cheeks as he announced " I will call it Na Na¡­" Na Na? She suddenly remembered Banana¡­ Xia Lian felt that her bunny was too adorable. Such a cute name for such a fierce animal, only he could do that. Anyways, Na Na sounded good and it was the name the little one chose for it. So, she was perfectly happy with it. " Na Na¡­" Xia Ming patted the big wolf''s head " I will be calling you Na Na from today." "Hmm¡­ Now what should I call this one?" she voiced out her thoughts as she poked the sleeping wolf in her embrace gently. The little wolf looked really adorable with snow white fluffy hair and due to it''s tiny body it looked like a domesticated puppy instead of a wolf. " Pug¡­" Xia Lian spoke in a faint voice " I will call it Pug." In the next two months, Xia Lian immersed herself in the producing various kinds of pills, powders and medicines. She holed up in her working ce, day and night producing all kinds of medicines for treating different kinds of ailments and illness. On the other hand, He Chun and the twins were busy with treating the patients and producing the antidotes in their free time. From time to time, Xia Lian took them along with her whenever she is performing a surgery. Except for a few cases, she was able to save many of her patients. Moreover, she treated all her patients for free. She served as a military doctor in addition to her identity as a soldier in her past life. Healthcare is a form of service in the army and she followed the same rule in this life. She was skilled and on top of that she treated her patients with care. Soon enough, her fame as a benevolent doctor spread around to the neighboring viges attracting many patients to the Wu Gong''s hospital. Training with Lu Wen in the morning, treating the patients and then manufacturing the medicines. But, no matter where she went her wolf Pug always followed her like a tail. Xia Ming was learning basic techniques of self defense from Lu Wen. Bolin and Bohai learnt how to make all the pills and powders from her. They then started to teach to some of the young vigers. It was only after two months that Xia Lian was able to rx for the first time. She stared at all the numerous crates before her in satisfaction. This was enough to start her first pharmacy and the stock was enough tost for six months. She sent all the crates to the ck Dragon House as Lidan told her he would be responsible for all the sales and maintenance. He also told her that he brought some people who have decent knowledge about medicine and that she need not work hard any longer. " Then what I am supposed to do?" Xia Lian was finally unable to endure. This big boss of hers was spoiling her to no end. " Just rx and enjoy. I opened an ount on your name and all the money will be deposited in it." was his narcissist reply which made Xia Lian speechless. Chapter 170 - The Slayer Grounds (1) Chapter 170 - The yer Grounds (1) " Little Wu, where are you going?" Lidan asked while reading a scroll. He had to apud this mischievous fellow who was trying hard to escape from his eyes. Xia Lian''s head slumped down in defeat. This Lidan was not allowing her to do any work and he was continuously spoiling her for some ridiculous reasons ... " You are my business partner. We business people must work with our brains. There is no need for you to do any manual work." " These are the perks of being my business partner." Xia Lian naturally did not pay any heed to his words until he used the ultimate attack on her. " I don''t expect you to listen to me. But, you should care about my image. What would others think of me if I am making my partner work like a donkey?" Donkey?? What a beautifulparison ah! Xia Lian did not find the energy to deal with him anymore from that day. But, today she was going to do it. And she can do it! " I am going to the yers ground for honing my skills." Xia Lian let out all the words in a single breath. " You mean you are going to fight with all those men out there?" Lidan was clearly displeased but he did not expect that his displeasure would result in her anger. Xia Lian immediately flipped out at him. " Lidan, aren''t you restricting me too much?I don''t know why you are so protective of me, but I am not a weak person." Lidan found no words to refute her. If he told that she was in danger, would she believe him? Knowing her personality she would just brush it off and he was damn sure that she would think of it as a joke. Well, he should not be ming her as he had no concrete proof to make her believe in his ims. Xia Lian can clearly see the hesitation on his face. She didn''t know why but she felt bad on seeing his gloomy appearance. After all he was speaking like that for her own good. Not wanting to disappoint him she finally backed down " You cane with me and watch me fight. If you feel that I am at a disadvantage then you can stop me from fighting." "But, I am telling you beforehand that I am not as weak as you think. Today, I am going to win all the matches." she had a confident and calm look look on her face. The same words, the same confident look and the same enchanting eyes¡­ All these brought over a wave of nostalgia over him. Lidan couldn''t help but feel a stiff feeling in his heart. She was always like this back then and one day she suddenly disappeared. " Lidan¡­" Xia Lian waved her hands as she saw him stare at her absentmindedly. She had a concerned expression as she blinked at him. " Ah! It''s nothing¡­" Lidan shook his head at her to assure her that nothing was wrong. Then again, the past was past and he should not be gloomy over it. All he had to do is to protect her well this time. With these thoughts, he cheered up as he nudged her. " Let''s go¡­" To his dismay, he was stopped in his tracks and with an extremely dissatisfied expression on her face as she pointed her slender fingers at his eye catchy robes " Change into normal robes, I don''t want everyone to surround you as soon as they see you." Lidan was once again dazed. He suddenly remembered their old times... The girl who was obviously dressed up in male robes red at him as she spat out the words which " Change into normal robes, I don''t want all the girls surrounding my brother like flies." Lidan shook his head and smiled at Xia Lian while rubbing her head " I will be back soon..." Xia Lian stared at his disappearing back with a frown on her handsome face. In the beginning she liked Lu Wen rubbing her head, but now both Lu Wen and Lidan are rubbing her head when ever they find a chance. Now she was finding it troublesome, but she did not have the heart to say no to their enthusiasm. Yes! They are the ones who are enthusiastic to rub her head, not her... " Little Wu, let''s go¡­" Xia Lian studied Lidan who was now dressed up in simple blue robes. The dress was alright, but his face was too beautiful. She immediately applied the cream on his face and altered his features into a below average looking guy. She even provided him a mirror to appreciate her handiwork making the man almost drop the mirror after seeing his new reflection. A very excited Xia Lian and a depressed Lidan sessfully made their way to the yer grounds. When they entered the arena of the yer grounds, Xia Lian stopped in her tracks and gaped at the sight before her eyes in amazement. It was all what she fantasized and never saw in her real life. But now, it was as if she was finally in her dreand. The whole arena was packed withrge number of men and a few women. Here, there was no discrimination between men and women either on stage or off stage. She saw men and women drinking wine together as they cheered on the fighters who werepeting on the stage. The whole atmosphere was harmonious. She then tilted her head to stare at the stage around which a few of the fighting maniacs gathered to look at the match closely. Xia Lian was also a fighting maniac and she naturally made her way towards the stage and squeezed into the crowd. Now, she was only about a two feet away from the tform. There was arge circr tform at the center of the arena which was raised above the ground level. On that tform, there were two persons who were shing their swords against each other. One was a male and the other was a female. The man used his legs and knocked the woman down and it was followed by a heavy punch on to the woman''s face. '' Ouch!'' Xia Lian''s eyes narrowed as she observed the fight. '' True enough, there is no discrimination between men and women on the stage.'' On the battlefield, man or woman, young or old... Death never discriminates between anyone. Here, this stage is the battlefield and there was no going back once you step your foot on it. Chapter 171 - The Slayer Grounds (2) Chapter 171 - The yer Grounds (2) The woman who was punched ruthlessly by the man had no intentions of backing down from the fight. Wiping away the blood from the corner of her mouth, she straightened herself up and stretched her body. She was dressed in a ck robes and her face was covered with a veiled bamboo hat. She ced a hand on her waist while ying with the sword in her other hand. It was as if she was ying with a toy¡­ " Tsk¡­" the woman sneered at the well built man before her " Is that all you''ve got? That doesn''t even count as a warmup." " pfft¡­" Xia Lianughed out loudly. Thisdy before her was truly amusing. How could she say that on the man''s face? It was clear that she was mocking him. She stood with a ramrod back and there were no hints of shaky arms. She liked thisdy. No one would like to hear ady taunting a man. And since the crowd consisted mostly of men there was no mirth on their faces. Xia Lian''sughter was aplete contrast to the stark silence in the crowd and naturally herughter fell into thedy''s ears. She was surprised that someone actuallyughed along with her words instead of mocking her. Out of curiosity, she tilted her head and was surprised to find that the person was a boy who was younger than her. Xia Lian also nced at the woman and their eyes met. It was only a fleeting nce, before the woman turned her head away. " Well, let''s get down to some serious business now. Shall we?" the woman tossed away her veiled hat and took up her stance getting ready tounch an attack on the man. It might me called as some crazy coincidence but the hatnded on Xia Lian''s head. Just as there was no obstruction of a veil, the woman''s face came into the view sessfully evoking gasps from the crowd. She had long jet ck hair and her features were extremely sharp unlike the normal gentle features of a woman. She was like a willow, proud and tall. Xia Lian adjusted the hat on her head and it was not known what sort of thoughts went through her mind as she shook her head like a rattle drum. Lidan who was now standing beside the girl was observing all her actions in amus.e.m.e.nt. Just as he was about to ask her why she was shaking her head like that, he heard her say in a low voice¡­ " The hatnded perfectly on my head. An almost perfect love at first sight scene. s! Too bad that I am also a girl¡­" That voice¡­ Why does it sound like she ismenting over that? Lidan felt that this girl was turning into more of a man and forgetting the fact she was a woman. His lips twitched but he chose to remain silent at the end. nk! The woman who was easily pushed over to the ground earlier on was now holding off against the man pretty well. It was no time before the man was thrown off from the stage and he ended upnding on his butt. Perfect! Xia Lian pped her hands followed by others. Though they were against women taunting men, they acknowledged the strong and so now everyone apuded for the womanpletely disregarding her early words. Here, only strength is recognized. The woman was indeed skilled and soon many started to challenge her. She managed to defeat all of them but soon she was drained out of energy. Every time they saw a well built man go against her, they bid heavy amounts of money that the woman would lose. Much to their disappointment, she won and Xia Lian had to admit that the woman won a lot of money. Just when the woman was about to announce that she was going to retire for the day, a male voice which would cause anyone to creep out spoke making Xia Lian''s hairs stand on edge. " Let me propose a deal. We men will fight against each other and those who wins at thest will get to keep her." " Eh?!" Xia Lian was mortified as she asked Lidan " What is he saying? Is betting on people allowed?" " There are no rules in here. You can bet on people. If a few people likes you, they will bet on you." Lidan looked at her and spoke in a serious voice " Thest victor will get to keep you. And if you are against it, then you have to defeat him to be free." " What sort of thing is this?" Xia Lian managed to speak a single sentence as she has still not recovered from the shock. " There are many ridiculous and sinister things that take ce here. This is the reason why I didn''t want you toe here." Lidan rolled his eyes at a certain person who now had a guilty look on her face " But, someone never listens to me¡­" " Aiya! Don''t worry about me. As if I will let someone to take me away." Xia Lian chuckled while observing the situation on the stage. The woman on the stage seemed unwilling but she had no chance to back away as she was standing on the ring. Since there was no way out, she shrugged her shoulders and exited the ring to stand among the crowd. The man who suggested this thing got onto the stage and he had that smug smile on his face which made Xia Lian want to go and punch him. The man nced at the crowd and his gaze stopped at Xia Lian whose face was covered with a veiled bamboo hat. Only a pair of enchanting ck eyes were visible and he had to admit that he liked those eyes. " Young boy down there... If you were on the ring, then I would have definitely bid for you." Chapter 172 - The Slayer Grounds (3) Chapter 172 - The yer Grounds (3) As soon as the man''s words dropped, Xia Lian narrowed her brows with an apparent frown written all over her face. Soon the frown was reced by an evil smirk as she sensed a dark auraing from her surroundings. Purely out of instinct and amus.e.m.e.nt, she turned around to take a look at Lidan with raised brows. His emotionless eyes coupled with his deadpan face made him look like an Evil Satan who descended from hell. But, it was exactly this appearance that made her heart feel warm. She chuckled while patting his hand " Lidan, there''s no need to be angry. If he messes with me, I will simply beat him to death." Lidan who waspletely enveloped in a torrent of dark emotions felt his killing intent vanish in an instant just by a single touch of hers. He was angry at the man and he almost lost his self control at that moment. But now he felt strangely calm in his heart. His little sister was not the one to suffer a loss and whoever ends up in her hands never had a good ending before. He had a vague feeling that this disgusting specimen of a man was going to be brutally ughtered in her hands. So, he simply nodded his head and sincerely advised her "Yes, if he daresy a finger on you chop his hand off and if he daresy a hand on you chop off his head." Xia Lian''s eyes shed with a mischievous glint as she heard his words. Lidan''s behavior and his gentle temperament made her curious¡­ Why is he so confident about her abilities and why is that he was spoiling her to death? This was not the important matter for now and thus not paying much attention to it, she immediately focused on the battle before her eyes. The man was extremely rxed swinging his sword as if it was a child''s y for him. His calm and poised appearance did not betray the air of confidence around him. No matter how talented he may seem, he was just a disgusting man in her eyes. The man seemed to be not speaking empty words as he clearly defeated all his opponents without any mercy. About ten men challenged him and he won against them without expending any efforts. Either his opponents were severely injured or at the brinks of their deaths at the end of each match. Upon seeing his skills not many came forward to challenge him again. They were not fools to invite death to their door steps! Taking in the scene before his eyes, the man''s face was flushed with delight. He had trained hard this time to grab the title of ''yer'' and he would make sure to crush all his opponents this time. With these thoughts the smile on his face became more evident. He turned to the woman in ck who had an expression of disgust as she red at him. Somehow, that look of hers sent his blood boiling and he wanted nothing but to devour her. Xia Lian felt goosebumps all over her body as she noticed the clear l.u.s.t in his eyes. " Mydy¡­" the man chuckled deeply but it somehow sounded creepy when it reached everyone''s ears " It seems that you are mine now." The woman pursed her lips and there was clear annoyance reflecting in her eyes. She was feeling weak right now, but she was not the one to willingly follow and serve him. She knew that if she retaliated, there would be only a single oue for her i.e; death. She would rather die than submit herself to him. Slowly a firm determination crept into her ck iris. Just as she was about to open her mouth she heard a young voice and she swore that she heard mirth in that voice¡­ " You seemed to desire thedy. Too bad, even I find her to my liking. If you are not willing to back down, then you must defeat me in a fight." That young voice what had yet to mature initially shocked everyone in the room. But soon the shock was reced by thunderousughter. Everyone in the room stared at her with looks of ridicule and contempt but she paid no attention to anyone of them. Her attention was fixed on the man on the stage who was staring right back at her with a different expression from all the others. It was not a look of contempt, he was staring at her beautiful eyes with an inquisitive gaze. " I ept but on a condition. If I win then you will belong to me." he had a mischievous grin on his face which made Xia Lian feel nothing but unprecedented abhorrence. " I agree¡­" Xia Lian spoke in a robotic voice which made it difficult for one to interpret her current emotions " Let me warn you in advance. In case I win, I assure you that you will regret meeting me." Her fiery words only made the man grin with amus.e.m.e.nt. It had been a long time since he found such temper and attitude, not to speak of this time it was a kid who was about half of his age and size. He admired such courage, but courage without strength would take a person nowhere. He was sure that he could mold this kid into right shape, if only he could win him over to his side. Both parties were dead set on taking down the other in their own way. After shooting an assuring nce at Lidan, Xia Lian leaped onto the stage. Hernding was smooth and graceful reflecting her calm and confident demeanor. The light and gentle fluttering of her ck robes due to the wind and thezy smirk on her face as she held her hands on her back gave the impression of an otherworldly celestial. Under everyone''s admiring and heated gazes, a youthful voice tinged with a hint of yfulness sounded out throughout the arena. " Get ready to be thrown out of the stage¡­" Chapter 173 - The Slayer Grounds (4) Chapter 173 - The yer Grounds (4) " Get ready to be thrown out of the stage¡­" Those words might have amused him if he was in the audience as he was the type who would rejoice on seeing the misfortune of others, but at the moment he was having the exact opposite effect of the word amus.e.m.e.nt as those mocking words are directed towards him. The heaving of his chest was clearly visible to Xia Lian making her sneer at him, which made the man pause his breath for a second before snarling out in anger. " Kid, pray that you should not never end up in my hands. For, I , Huji swear in the name of all gods that I would torture you to death." The expected rage or fear was not found on Xia Lian''s face. There was only a humorous look, as if she was watching a clown dancing before her. She chortled as her obsidian ck eyes narrowed at him " Let''s see who ends up at who''s mercy¡­" Feeling that she had enough pep talk with the man who seemed to be a worthy opponent, hernguid mien was now reced with a focused expression. She unsheathed her dagger and entered her attacking form leaning forward, with a gaze predatory like a panther. There was a shock on the man''s face which was followed by a sneer as he noticed the tiny and inconspicuous dagger in her hands. It was like an insignificant toy before his magnificent sword. " Kid, I advise you to use a decent weapon, a weapon befitting to go against my sword." " No weapon in this world canpare to my dagger, it was forged only to be bathed in blood." Xia Lian spoke while ying with the dagger in her hands. It was as if the damned weapon was merged with her body, as her movements were very flexible and agile when she was wielding it. It was her first weapon after all and it made sense if one thinks in that way. " Don''t me meter if you lose, as your chances of winning are narrowed to zero the moment you took out that little dagger of yours." he spat out those words with great difficulty as if his skin was burned with something very very hot. " Enough of this small talk and it''s not your forte to mull over my weapon. Let''s get into some serious business now." she snapped at him rather impatiently before moving to her right side in that attacking position of hers. Two pairs of eyes were locked upon each other as each one started to discern the other''s movements. Huji eyed the kid who had yet to reach puberty wielding a dagger against him. He sneered at the mere sight of the nd dagger. After a quick deliberation, he decided that the kid will not be of any imposing danger or threat given that petite body and slender arms. With this presumption, the cid look on his face was reced by a haughty attitude. The corners of his lips curved up in a provoking manner as he stared at Xia Lian. Xia Lian was not a fool and almost immediately she understood that the other party was clearly underestimating her. A foolish move on his part which is now an asset in her hands. Never underestimate your enemy... The stern and ramrod soldier might be the most gullible one, the seemingly soft and weak woman might turn out to be the most treacherous snake and a tiny harmless kid like herself in reality was the vulpine predator, which he wille to realize a bit toote. Huji, she remembered the man address himself as such, he was not her opponent the moment he let her stature cloud his sense of judgement. There was no need for her to take up the aggressive stance against such person. Unhurriedly she straightened up her spine, as she waited for him to make the first move. Unfortunately her actions seemed cowardly and spineless in the eyes of the spectators as they jeered at her. Their insults and taunts failed to escape her ears, but there was not even a single crack in that calm demeanor of hers. Xia Lian saw Huji unsheathe his sword, an opulent one decorated with many luxurious gems and stones whose names she knew naught. She then saw him raise his sword and charge towards her¡­ The crowd down the stage watched with bated breaths and some closed their eyes unable to witness the scene as the sword was now at a threateningly close distance to the kid who was standing still as if his feet were pinned to the ground. Xia Lian stood on the spot like an immobile rock as Huji charged towards her. His face unted a victorious smile as he mistook her nonchnce for trepidation. Just as the sword was about a few centimeters away from her neck, Xia Lian angled her body side wards and twirled so that she was now standing behind him. She then raised her foot and kicked his knees sending him crashing to the ground. Crash! There was a decent sized crater on the floor of the stage where the sword came into contact. Huji''s muffled cries of pain went totally unnoticed as the deafening sound of the collision consumed his cries of pain. The crowd who were intently observing the fight were left in a daze as all that what followed after the sword neared Xia Lian''s throat was a total blur. The only thing they saw was the fluttering of the ck robes followed by the cry of pain from a man with the stature of a mountain. Bewildered... That word was not even close to describe the emotion which Huji was experiencing at the moment. There was this acute numbness in his knees and he found his legs immobile no matter how hard he tried to get up. The situation where he thought that he had an upper hand ended up in a way he dreaded. Chapter 174 - The Slayer Grounds (5) Chapter 174 - The yer Grounds (5) Huji was a well known fighter, though not an excellent one he could be considered as an above average fighter in the yer grounds. Witnessing a kid who had yet to develop a beard knock him down with ease was something the spectators never dared to imagine. The crowd below who fell silent for a while broke into hushed whispers breaking the eerie calm that has descended on the entire arena. Huji who was bewildered earlier was now frozen stiff as the demeaning whispers fell on his ears. He had underestimated Xia Lian and now he was paying for it. The sneers in his mind have been sessfully silenced by her stealth skills. He had no choice but to acknowledge her and treat her as a formidable opponent. He had learnt his lesson and he was now regretting his hasty attitude in assessing others. He was guarded against her but he had to admit that there was thisrge part of his heart that was looking forward to cross swords with the tiny yet formidable kid. " Are you done reminiscing your sweet past?" Xia Lian''s peevish voice sessfully snapped Huji out of his train of thoughts. Panicking a little bit more than he intended to, he jerked up a bit straightening his spine. But he immediately stopped his movements as he felt a cold and sharp pointed object pressed against the back of his neck. " Still want to fight, hmm¡­" there was mirth in her voice as she continued " Interesting, now from where should I start to cut you?" Suppressing the inner trepidation in his thumping heart, Huji let out a long breath which he had been suppressing for a while. With his shaky voice mirroring the exact turmoil in his heart, he framed his sentences with great difficulty " I-I s- surrender!... I surrender!" " You win!" " Tsk¡­ I expected more of a real fight." Xia Lian snorted as she wrinkled her nose " It seems that you are nothing but empty talk." " Now you have no im on that woman." Truth be told he had no interest in that woman from the start. He had no perverted desires or any fatal attraction towards that damn woman. It was a personal squabble and since she hurt his pride as a man on that day, he was itching for a harmless revenge. That was all and now he was interested in the little guy before him. All that he wanted was another fight. Taking his silence for agreement, Xia Lian spoke as she slipped her dagger from the back of his neck to his throat " Good¡­ Remember this, If you ever try toy a hand on her your head will roll on the ground." She pressed the dagger against his neck making a noticeable cut on his pale skin, his blood trailing a byzantine path on her dagger. She then stepped forward and shed the dagger before his wide eyes. He stared at her unblinking as she spat the words " This was the ''toy'' that managed to draw blood from you. The next time you belittle my dagger, will be thest time you get to keep that pretty head of your intact." Xia Lian felt satisfied as she took in his nk face, she then turned around and headed to the exit the damn stage. Huji was frozen stiff , his heart brimming with both fear and excitement. After taking a few steps forward, Xia Lian stopped in her tracks with a dumbfounded expression on her face as she heard a deration which sadly did not make any sense to her. " Hey kid!" Huji screamed " How about we go for another match? This time I promise I will put up a strong fight." " Are you so desperate about her?" Xia Lian had a bbergasted expression on her face as she pointed her fingers between the woman and him. Even the woman dressed in ck robes snorted derisively at Huji making him annoyed at once. " Damn Woman!" his fingers were shaking as he pointed at the woman dressed in ck robes " If you had not insulted me in the bar, then I would not have gone to such lengths today to exact my revenge against you." The woman was neither fl.u.s.tered or frightened and she replied coolly " You deserved it. If you had notmented about womening to bars, then I would have never emptied that wine sk on your head. If only you have managed your business and left me alone, then this would not have never happened. me that mud brain of yours, if you want to vent your anger." " Y-you¡­" Huji was rendered speechless by her words. She was right, it was himself that started this petty fight. He did want to rebuke her but noticing Xia Lian walk away from the corner of his eyes, he immediately ran towards her while stumbling a few times on the way before sessfully grabbing her slender hand. " Kid, let''s have another match¡­" '' Another match?'' Xia Lian''s lips twitched as she felt an overwhelming desire to strangle this annoying pest who was now clinging on to her like a leech. She turned around with the intention of rebuking him, but hisrge puppy dog eyes convinced her otherwise. Just a single match¡­ What harm could it possibly do? With that thought in her mind, Xia Lian shed a sweet smile at him and before he recovered from that blinding smile of hers she locked his wrists and flipped him over. ******** Hey Guys, I know that I disappeared from Earth for quite a long while. I apologize to all my dear readers for my sudden absence. The thing is that I''ve been hospitalized for Low Blood Pressure in addition to the breakdown of myptop. It''s only today that I got myptop back & I am now working on all my lost chapters. All that I want to say is that I will be making to you guys from today. You guys are the reason why I am writing and I love you all for being so supportive and understanding. I am now all good and it is going to be a marathon for me, but you guys are worth it. Yes, there is going to be a super mass release soon... I can go on and on, but the space here is not enough and I don''t want you guys to spend PS just for reading my notice. Chapter 175 - The Slayer Grounds (6) Chapter 175 - The yer Grounds (6) Kacha! The crushing sound of bones gave birth to chill in everyone''s hearts and the heart wrenching scream which escaped from Huji''s pale did no good to quench the rising fear in their minds. Everyone took in a sharp breath and couldn''t help but exim in awe as the originally proud features on Huji''s face were now wrinkled which acted as the perfect reflection of his physical pain. nk, that was all that Huji could sense at the moment. He only remembered requesting the kid for a match and all that followed after was a blur, the only reminder of the transpired events being the stinging pain in his wrist. The sharp pain slowly cleared his senses and his heart fell to the bottom as a terrifying realization washed over his mind. His wrist¡­ The wrist of his right hand which he was so proud of, he was sure that it was broken into a million fragments, or it seemed that way because of the numbing pain traveling through his nerves. It was unclear to him why he was in this present state nor did he understand why the kid attacked him without any prior warning. As if clearing his doubts, Xia Lian''s sharp voice cut through the air " Lesson one, There are no enemies in this world who warn you before they attack." Those words were not new to Huji, it was just that he never paid any attention to such rules before. He acted on his impulses and it never ended in a way like today. Strangely he found his heart listening to her words and he nodded his head sub-consciously. Xia Lian was also in no mood to toy with him and she narrowed her eyes at the sight of his swollen wrists. Should she treat him or not? There was no need to ponder as the answer was already at the tip of her tongue " You need not worry about your wrist, I did not render it useless. You can go to Wu Gong hospital for treatment. The doctors there know what to do." " Really?!" Those words were like a heaven''s grace bestowed on him. His heart calmed down after hearing her words but it does not hurt to confirm it. Xia Lian rubbed her nose sheepishly on seeing Huji''s excitement. She somehow felt as if she was a wolf preying on a little rabbit as she nodded at him " Yes, I have no reason to lie to you." On the sidelines, Lidan was rendered speechless as he witnessed the shamelessness of his younger sister. But he had to admit, she was promoting her hospital in all ways possible. Supporting his lifeless arm in his left hand, he straightened himself and dered in a loud voice as he locked his eyes with Xia Lian " I will defeat you in the next match." Xia Lian: "..." Not waiting for her to answer, Huji exited the stage and made his way to the wines section to drink away his sorrows, pains and defeat. Also, he want to see the kid''s next fight ah! His appetite for action and excitement are barely satisfied. He plopped on a wooden chair and grabbed a huge gourd of wine and wolfed it down much to the amus.e.m.e.nt of everyone around him. He watched the stage where Xia Lian was standing, herzy and carefree posture looked immensely pleasing to his eyes. He was looking forward as who was brave enough to challenge this monstrous kid and he managed to sessfully choke on his wine on hearing the next challenger''s voice. " I challenge you to a fight, a fight for my freedom." Not only Huji, even Xia Lian raised her brows on hearing the voice. It was the voice of a woman, bold and confident. Xia Lian turned around and eyed the woman in ck with a smile on her face. The woman was interesting, there were no hints of surrender on her face. But, Xia Lian felt that this attitude of hers will do no good to her. " Mydy, I promise to not treat you badly and no one will touch you. Following me is better than fighting here." Xia Lian advised sincerely and she sighed at the sight of the cuts and bruises on her body "We can stop the match before it''s toote. You are in no condition to fight." " This young master, I thank you for saving me earlier. For me freedom is akin to life and there is no going back once I make a decision." there was defiance written all over her face and her features turned sharp as she continued " I would rather die than follow a man for the rest of my life!" Xia Lian''s smile froze and her frivolous attitude disappearedpletely as she squinted her profound eyes at the woman who was standing proudly before her. Everyone watched the current developments with varying expressions, for the current scenario was one which was not seen everyday. " She lost against me, but she wants to go against the kid. Such a hateful woman!" Huji eximed in a hateful voice which wasced with the tiniest speck of concern. Even a man like him was affected by her words ah! He was now looking forward for Xia Lian''s response. Looking at the stern expression on her visage, everyone assumed that Xia Lian was angry with the woman''s outburst. Even the woman herself was berating herself for her extremely impatient character, the young man saved her but here she was acting all high and mighty before him. She was sorry for her outburst, but she had no second thoughts about withdrawing from the match. She valued her freedom and she was willing to pay the price for it. But in reality, Xia Lian''s thoughts are running at a speed of thousand miles per second. She was calm on the surface, but if one observes her closely herbored breathing and thumping heart gave away the cracks in her facade. '' There is no going back once I make a decision!'' '' I would rather die than follow a man for the rest of my life!'' Those two seemingly arrogant yet proud derations echoed in Xia Lian''s mind endlessly... Just when the crowd are about to die in anticipation, Xia Lian parted her thin lips " Fine then! Sword fight, sparing, archery..." she paused for a while before stressing each word clearly " or hand.to.handbat! Choice is yours!" Chapter 176 - Seeds of doubt and recognition Chapter 176 - Seeds of doubt and recognition Hand-to-handbat! The woman dressed in ck was stunned silly as she stared at Xia Lian with a nk look on her face. Of all the things, she never expected that she would hear the other party propose a choice of hand-to-handbat. Her heart was roaring in happiness at the thought of the uing weaponlessbat. Not to brag but she was good at close rangebat, after all she was a first ranked general in the marine corps, her brains and brawn being inferior only to hermander. Due to some unforeseen circ.u.mstances, she ended up in this ancient world. It was time to show the kid a taste of the modern day marine corps attacks. But she was not an evil woman, after all the kid saved her it is only fair that she warn him beforehand. " Young master, if I had to choose it will be martial arts. Be warned I am not to be trifled with in close rangebat." There was no ridicule in her voice and Xia Lian smiled widely on hearing her warning " Well, the same goes for me. Mydy, step on the stage and let''s get on with this." The woman in ck nodded in agreement, she wanted to end this and return to her room as soon as possible. Not wasting any further time, she leaped onto the stage and adjusted her legs while taking the basic stance of a soldier. Tilting her head she found Xia Lian part her feet and bend her upper body slightly forward. It was a clear indication that the other party is ready to block the offensive and the woman could not help but apud the kid for putting up such a confident front. Finding that she had appraised the other party for a long time, the woman in ck charged forwardunching a clear offensive. She balled her fists and raised her right hand to punch the person before her. Xia Lian was on guard right from the moment the woman moved. She raised her left arm and blocked the attack and due to the advantage of her petite and short frame, she twirled around and locked the woman''s right leg with her own. But the woman was not to be slighted for she retaliated by moving her body abruptly making Xia Lian almost fall on the ground. It was with great difficulty that she managed to lock her hands around the woman''s waist and flip her to the side, before moving away to keep a safe distance between them. Xia Lian had a never seen before serious look on her face. It was not of fear of losing, but it was the woman''s knowledge on grappling techniques that made her restless. The woman''s legwork was impressive and the speed at which she moved was the sole reflection of her rigorous training. The woman''s excellent reflexes are what that caught Xia Lian''s attention. By now, she had a faint idea of who the woman was. But, she needed to confirm her suspicions before she could voice out any questions about the other person''s identity. She had her own ways of confirming and out of habit she started to rub the area below her chin deeply immersed in her own world of thoughts. On the other side, the woman''s state was no longer calm from the moment she exchanged blows with her other person. But her heart skipped a beat when she noticed the kid before her rub his chin as if it was an old habit. She knew that she used modern day grappling techniques and no person from this ancient era could beat her. But the fact that the kid before her was able to beat her could mean only one thing and the action of rubbing his chin only confirmed her doubts. There was only one person who could beat her in close rangebat and her sudden death affected had a deep impact on everyone. Then again the one before her was a kid and a boy at that. She had to confirm who exactly was the person before her. Did she also transmigrate to this world? The woman dressed in ck felt that she was about to go crazy. It didn''t matter if the body was a girl or boy as long as the soul belongs to that person. There was only a way to confirm this and with a stead fast determination she raised her head only to find that Xia Lian was already staring at her with those bottomless ck orbs... Xia Lian''s heart went cold as she took in those determined eyes of the woman before her. The woman wanted to test her to be sure. Xia Lian was doubtful before, but now she was sure of who exactly the woman was. There was no way an outsider could have the reaction when they see her rubbing her chin. It was an old habit of hers which only a few knew. Xia Lian''s heart knew who the woman was as soon as she saw a tremor sh by in the other party''s eyes. Xia Lian was angry! Why did she end up dead ? Xia Lian felt a sharp pain in her heart at that thought... How dare she dies! The woman in ck trembled on seeing those eyes which are zing with anger. She did not know why but she felt a chill creeping up her spine under that gaze. That gaze was awfully familiar yet distant at the same time... This time she did not have the chance tounch the attack as Xia Lian moved with a lightning speed andunched a punch on the woman''s stomach using all her strength. The woman ended up staggering a few steps backward due to the impact and ended up coughing a mouthful of blood. Not enough! It was not enough for Xia Lian! The sight of blood did little help in quenching the raging fire of anguish in her heart. The woman who was clutching her stomach slowly raised her head and a smile of relief bloomed on her pale face as she eyed the provoked Xia Lian before her. Tears of happiness flooded her eyes as the image before eyes turned blurry. With blood trickling down her fair neck and with those glistening eyes she evoked the pity in everyone''s hearts. Now she was sure that the person before her was the same as the person in her heart. But her smile of relief only added fuel to Xia Lian''s anger as she balled her fists tightly. " How dare you die?" **** Hey Guys... From today there will be 3-5 chapters for about ten days to make up for all my days of absence. Regarding the super mass release which I promised you guys, I am thinking to release about 20 chapters on a single day and I am currently working on the stockpile. It''s a big goal and I am working on it. I''ve lost all my work stored in myptop and it''s actually a long journey to remember and type all those chapters now. I am working on it and hopefully I will be able to give you guys the promised chapters as soon as possible. I usually don''t break my promises and it happened that I actually failed to live up to all your expectations, the reasons being my poor health and other stuff. But, now I am using all my superhuman abilities to prove that I value my promises. And I thank everyone for your words of encouragement and I thank all those who expressed dissatisfaction over my long absence and breaking promises. It shows that you all care in your own way... Hope you guys understand and support me :) - neha_ Chapter 177 - Salute from the heart Chapter 177 - Salute from the heart " How dare you die?" Xia Lian growled in anger, her entire demeanor evoking a deep sense of fear in everyone''s hearts. Beneath the angered voice there was hidden concern and the smile on the woman''s face widened as soon as she understood Xia Lian''sints. She blinked her eyes and rubbed her eyes to get rid of theyer of tears blocking her vision. But, what she sawpletely blew her away... Xia Lian''s face waspletely red due to her anger and her bloodshot eyes coupled with her almost white knuckles evoked a deep warmth in the woman''s heart contrary to the expected fear. Either in her past life or this life, this was the only person who cared about her. She was not afraid of receiving a few blows and she was certainly not afraid to speak her mind before her. With a stubborn expression encasing her face, she faced Xia Lian''s fierce eyes with an unrelenting look as she retorted " Then how dare you die and leave us?! If you dared to die, then why can''t I? You have no right to question me!" Xia Lian''s eyes trembled slightly before reverting back to the usual bottomless look " Heh... You are learning to talk back when I am reprimanding you. It seems that our parting made you rebellious. It''s my duty to discipline you." As soon as the words fell, the woman''s eyes widened in fear and she hurriedly positioned herself preparing for the iing ughter on her muscles and bones. Xia Lian let out a low chuckle as she noticed the fear in the woman''s eyes and hurled herself towards the woman knocking the woman down along with her. The woman closed her eyes expecting a sharp pain on her back, but her eyes flickered open after a while as there was no pain whatsoever. There was this stupid look on the woman''s face which made Xia Lian''s lips twitch in amus.e.m.e.nt. Earlier she was angry, but she was not that insane to inflict pain on this fellow who was now beneath her. So, she used her hand as a padding for the woman''s back so that she would not be hurt by this fall. ''Did this girl be so dumb that she could not even sense my hand around her waist?'' Xia Lian face-palmed. " Yinri... When did you turn so dumb?" Xia Lian could not resist and blurted out the words guing her heart. What Xia Lian didn''t expect was that the damn girl below her to stiffen immediately as soon as she used the name Yinri... The woman dressed in ck or Yinri was moved to the point of tears as soon as she heard her name. She was a soldier and a woman who had a remarkable control on her emotions. At the moment, all she wanted to do was to cry out all her heart but she gritted her teeth to suppress the whimpers which are threatening to escape from her quivering lips. Noticing the glistening tears in the girl''s eyes, Xia Lian sighed and loosened her hand which was snaking around Yinri''s waist gently. Even after straightening her robes and stretching her arms, Xia Lian found Yinri in the same position, the girl was now rubbing her eyes frantically. " Stupid! Enough of being a cry baby..." Yinri reprimanded herself while getting up from her embarrassing position. What she didn''t know was that Xia Lian was eyeing her with a weird expression and that she was currently acting like a clown. Controlling her watery eyes and bbering mouth, Yinri kneeled respectfully on a single knee showing her respect to Xia Lian. Xia Lian lowered her head and Yinri raised her head, their eyes making contact and almost immediately both of them closed the fists of their respective left hands and ced them on their chest in a swift motion. It was their signature salute, which they followed in their training. After thepletion of match the loser of the match goes down on one knee and ces his fist on his chest respecting and acknowledging the other party''s skills, irrespective of their cadres and rankings. In a simr way, the winner also follows the motion in a standing position, respecting the other party and reminding themselves that humility is a redeeming quality for the soldiers and that they should remain down to earth not letting pride getting over their hearts. It was a sign of mutual respect... Yinri lost many times against her but Yinri was the only woman who managed to make her kneel three times while the others never managed tost even a few minutes on the ring. Xia Lian was quite proud of Yinri, like a teacher proud of her student. " You fought well..." both of them spoke at the same time and there were traces of smile in both Xia Lian''s and Yinri''s eyes. The days in the army training grounds and the daily matches were like a part of Xia Lian''s life and if she said that she was not missing any of that, it would be definitely a lie. She was an expert in concealing her emotions. Her funny and frivolous front is one of her many masks. Only her sub-ordinates knew the decisive and sharp girl beneath her facade. And Yinri was one of the few who could guess her hidden emotions with a single nce. Truth be told, she missed this man hating girl, but that does not mean that she was happy on seeing her here. Yinri being here meant only thing, the girl had died. Xia Lian was current having bittersweet emotions on seeing the girl here. But how and when did she die? There are many things that Xia Lian was curious of and she would take her sweet time interrogating this stupid girlter. But now... " Get up..." Xia Lian sighed helplessly on seeing the girl not moving from her kneeling position. Yinri got up form her squatting position and dusted her flowing ck robes. Not knowing what to speak she eyed the present Xia Lian who was short and younger than her by a few years. But, that did not diminish the regal air around her. The predatory eyes of hers resembling that of an eagle sub-consciously gave birth to respect in her heart. And at that moment, she knew what to speak... Standing upright with an assertive and correct posture, Yinri opened her palm and saluted Xia Lian in a loud and deep voice " Commander!" Chapter 178 - Strange feelings of pain and longing Chapter 178 - Strange feelings of pain and longing On seeing Yinri salute her so emotionally, Xia Lian tried hard to control herself not to let out augh. This was not their modern world ah! All the crowd are now eyeing both of them as if they were two lunatics. This little girl got carried away and saluted her in that ramrod straight posture. But, a part of her was moved after hearing Yinri''s concerned voice. Xia Lian curved her lips into a gentle arc and nodded her head lightly at the girl in acknowledgement, making Yinri grin widely. '' This girl surely lost all her IQ!'' Xia Lian screamed in her mind and swept her gaze on the crowd only to find that all the men were observing Yinri with hazed and passionate eyes... Bewildered, Xia Lian focused her gaze abruptly on Yinri. The girl now had deep ck pool like eyes with long fan like eyshes with thick eyebrows. Her tiny pointed nose coupled with that full luscious red lips were definitely like an invitation to all the men with right minds. On top of that, Yinri looked to be around 16 years old with a curvaceous body and slim waist. The ck robes did a good job enhancing her curves and it hugged her body not too tight. Her flowing long ck hair and her heroic aura made her look like a mysterious enchantress... Yinri was now too beautiful to be described by words. But, Xia Lian was displeased by all those lecherous gazes ah! How dare they eye herrade like that! She frowned deeply and flicked her hands in the direction of Lidan, making the veiled hat in his hands fly in her direction andnd safely in her hands. She then walked forward with lightening speed and ced the hat on Yinri''s head, sessfully blocking her visage from all the drooling men. All the men broke from their stupor and red at Xia Lian with displeasure. " Heh! Dare to look at her again with those eyes and I will personally gouge out those eyeballs from your skulls!" Xia Lian red back at them. If they thought that they could defeat her in the match of ring, they are utterly mistaken! Muttering some curses under their breath, all of those in the crowd averted their gazes elsewhere. They did not dare to disbelieve the kid after seeing her fight ah! Beauty is important, only next to their life. Xia Lian scoffed disdainfully on seeing their cowardly retreat and went back to the task of adjusting the veiled hat on Yinri''s head. Humph! Dare toy their hands on Yinri, they have to get her approval first! Yinri was a head taller than Xia Lian. So, the act of short and petite Xia Lian standing on her toes and adjusting the veiled had looked quiteical in Lidan''s eyes as he burst out into fits ofughter. His little sister''s acts are turning more amusing everyday. How good it is to see her like this, smiling and fooling around. His happiness soon disappeared as he thought how she would behave once she remembers her past. He had to admit that he was curious about the weird exchanges between her and the woman dressed in ck. There are many things which are rather confusing at the moment. He knew that something was different about his sister, but he was not able to pinpoint what exactly was happening. He could ask her but he did not want to be source of her worry. Lidan thought for a while and a figure popped up in his mind. Right! Only that block-head of silver hair must have done something wrong, that''s why his little sister ended up being weird. Slowly, a sinister smile bloomed on his face. He is going to kill that damn fellow right now! He had to leave now to beat the crap out of that man, without any hesitation he leaped on to the stage to inform Xia Lian that he would be going somewhere for a long time. Yinri raised her brows on seeing a gentle warm refined jade h something like man making his way towards her beloved darlingmander. Neglecting the momentary pause where she admired his features, she immediately shielded the petite frame of Xia Lian with her body and raised her sword to his neck. Stupefied, Lidan raised his hands in surrender " Youngdy, I am a business partner of your little master." '' Little master...'' Yinri''s face reflected absolute horror. So, her cutemander is now a boy?! Slowly, all color from her face drained and sensing her turmoil, Xia Lian interjected in a timely manner " Yinri, there is nothing to worry." Yinri''s face brightened up like thenterns in the dark sky and a foolish grin spread on her lips. Now, Lidan was confused. He thought that his sister was the only strange one, but his intuition is screaming that the woman in ck before him is also a weirdo. As if struck by a bolt of lightning, Lidan remembered that Yinri was the one who initiated a salute and they spoke as if they knew each other for a long time. The frown on his face deepened, his mind and heart was in aplete turmoil. '' Damn Wu Gong! What exactly have you done?'' Lidan cursed that old man for the umpteenth time. Xia Lian and Yinri shared a nce on seeing the weird halo around Lidan. He looked extremely terrifying and Xia Lian was sure that someone is going to end up battered in this man''s hands. " Young master Wu, I have some matters to take care of. I will be away for a long time." Lidan sighed heavily. He really did not want to leave her side but there are things that he want to verify first as he cannot bear to lose her again. Since he had no choice but to leave, Lidan fished out a charm from his robes " This is a safety charm that will always safeguard you from any dangers in this world." Lidan spoke pensively as he tied the charm around her wrists. " Are you kidding me? How can a string of red thread save lives ah!" Yinri scoffed as she eyed Lidan and the red thread around Xia Lian''s wrist suspiciously. Contrary to his expectations, Xia Lian stared at him silently as she assessed the serious look in his eyes. She felt that there was a deeper meaning in his words, though she couldn''t pinpoint to it. Also, Lidan had never meant any harm to her from the start. So, she chose to believe him and respect his wishes. If a thread around her wrist could make him feel safe, then she would wear it obediently. " Yinri..." Just a call from hermander, Yinri immediately closed her mouth and stepped back a few steps. " Brother Lidan, fear not. I will always wear this thread and I promise that I will take care of everyone." " Aiya! Remember to take care of yourself!" Lidan admonished her in a helpless voice. He knew it! This girl never took care of herself... Xia Lian felt a bit embarrassed on seeing that ming look on his face. She felt as if she was a child getting reprimanded ah! But, it did not feel as bad as it seems... " Brother, I will take care of myself." Xia Lian smiled shing her canines making Lidan''s ears turn red. His little sister was too cute! " Alright! I will be going now." Lidan patted her head awkwardly and disappeared in a sh. Xia Lian felt something tugging at her heart on seeing him leave. It was not the first time she was patted on her head. Xuan Li Wei and Lu Wen always patted her head leaving her warm. This time it was a pain in her heart as if she was missing something important... Xia Lian frowned as she patted her chest as if to dispel the pain and longing in her heart. She was feeling strange and sad, which was strange. From when did she start experience such feelings. " Yinri, let''s return." Xia Lian no longer wanted to stay at the arena. She had enough up''s and down''s for a single day. Chapter 179 - Black sheep Chapter 179 - ck sheep " Commander! Thank god, you are a woman." Yinri cried tears of relief as she personally tested Xia Lain by groping all over her chest bandages. pping Yinri''s paws away, Xia Lian sighed helplessly. " Yinri, don''t address me like that here. Just call me by my name." " Hmm..." Yinri hesitated for a while " Then I will call you sister Lian." " Yinri, I am just about to turn 13 in a month. Even then, I am younger than you by 3 years. Just call me Lian." " L-Lian!" Yinri eximed incredulously " No matter how tiny you are, you are a 24 years old woman in my eyes. You are like my elder sister, this sudden change is overwhelming." " Whatever! Just call me Lian and get over with it." Xia Lian rolled her eyes as Yinri pursed her lips. She couldn''t understand what this girl was feeling so bad about. Xia Lian sighed helplessly and stopped in her tracks to face Yinri. " Yinri, just imagine this. I, a 24 old woman acting as a naive 12 year old." Xia Lian spoke seriously " This is no joke, dear general. I made many mistakes and by god''s grace, those around me never questioned me about anything even though they are suspicious." In Xia Lian''s view, acting as a naive 12 year old when she was actually a 24 year old soul was challenging. No matter how hard she tried to convince to act, mistakes are bound to happen. And shemitted a grave mistake in the beginning. " I don''t believe you." Yinri stated dryly. Xia Lian raised her brows, a wry smile graced her lips as she threw a question at Yinri " Yinri, have you ever heard of gunpowder in this era?" " Eh?! Gunpowder?" Yinri widened her eyes " How is it possible?" " I personally apanied the prince in gunpowder excavation. I even told him that it is called gunpowder." by this time Xia Lian''s face was gloomy and her face darkened by several degrees as she noticed the '' are you a fool?'' expression on Yinri''s face. " Is he handsome?" though it was an unrted question Xia Lian nodded her head. Li Wei was handsome no matter how you look at him. There was nothing to deny. " Fufu..." Yinri had a smug look on her face as she giggled " Commander, don''t tell me that you lost all sense of reason before a handsome specimen!" " Don''t look at me like that!" Xia Lian grumbled " Though I appreciate beauty, I am not a person who loses reason over beauty ah! I was over excited at that time and identally blurted out that it is called gunpowder." Of course, Yinri did not believe Xia Lian. She must know who this man was " Commander, who is he?" " He is the fourth prince of Qilin empire, Xuan Li Wei." Oh! So, there was a male lead and female lead.Now, she the supporting female lead has arrived. Xia Lian was oblivious to Yinri''s thoughts as she casually continued. " The strange thing is that, Li Wei did not appear shocked that I knew of that name. Did you get anything?" Xia Lian folded her arms across her chest and narrowed her eyes at Yinri who had a foolish smile on her face. Yinri straightened herself sub-consciously under Xia Lian''s sharp gaze. This was the aura of hermander when she discusses battle strategies with them. This only means that the discussion is important and Yinri pondered for a while, before a glint passed in her eyes. " It can only mean one thing. The people of this era are familiar with gunpowder." Yinri paused for a heartbeat before continuing " There is no way that the people of this era could produce gunpowder. Commander, are you thinking the same thing as me?" " I am not thinking, I am sure of this. There is someone out there like you and me. We don''t know if he or she is arade or foe. That person is now in Azure country and we are going to pay a visit to him or her soon." Xia Lian''s face was determined as she spoke " This world is embroiled in a myriad of battles. We shouldn''t add chaos by introducing such things in here. We should stop that person either by talks or force." " Also, the people in Qilin country have no idea about the form. They only know the usage." " Commander, how are you sure of that?" " If they had the form, why will they remain calm without producing it. Gunpowder has too many benefits to resist in this era. The only reason why they are silent is that they don''t have the form in their hands?" " En" Yinri nodded her head "We should catch the ck sheep soon." '' ck sheep?'' Xia Lian choked on her breath. If that person is a ck sheep, they are also the same ah! " Yinri, let''s not jump into conclusions without knowing if that person is forced to do this or not. For now, we are all in the same boat." Xia Lian practically pleaded the girl now " If you don''t want us to be burned like roasted chicken in the future, stop calling memander. Call me Lian and let''s speak about our matters when we are alone." " En" Yinri also understood the implications if anyone heard their strange banter. She was sure that they will execute both of them mistaking them for witches ah! Yinri felt chills all over her body at that thought and followed Xia Lian wordlessly. " Is there any family for you here?" " No, just a single woman on her own." Yinri sighed before smiling " Now I have you. So, no worries." " Now you have not only me. There''s our little brother ... Forget it, now we have a superrge family." Yinri was surprised on seeing the smile on hermander''s face. In their past life, Xia Lian and she grew up in an orphanage. Xia Lian was actually older than her by four years. She was the elder sister she never had. The only reason why Yinri followed her into the military is that she would be able to stay by Xia Lian''s side all the time. It was only after entering the military that they became a part of the huge family called '' brother''s in life and death.'' So, the smile on Xia Lian''s face could only mean good. Yinri trusted Xia Lian blindly, so she was looking forward to meet this family. Chapter 180 - Announcement- Release schedule Chapter 180 - Announcement- Release schedule Guys, I''ve been working on new chapters after taking a one week leave from my job. I will be back on Wednesday ( 21-11-2018) with new chapters. 21-11-2018 - 12 chapters ( 9:00 - 10:00 AM IST) 22 to 25th November- 3 chapters each day. ( 10:00 PM - 11: 00 PM IST) From 26th November- 2 chapters each day between 10:00 PM - 11:00PM IST. And there will be a mass release on Christmas... yours, neha_ Chapter 181 - Tongue-tied Chapter 181 - Tongue-tied " Lian, what exactly is the meaning of this?" Yinri spoke in a frighteningly low voice as she eyed the horde of male specimens before her. There was no trace of visible anger on Yinri''s face but her scrunched brows and pursed lips did not escape a certain person''s sly eyes. Xia Lian knew that Yinri was extremely furious. Wanting to aggravate her further, Xia Lian blinked her eyes innocently " What is it? Why are you angry?" Yinri was beyond furious as she eyed the group of five handsome men blinking their eyes at her in una.d.u.l.terated confusion. She actually hated these type of flowery men, no, she hated men to be precise and hermander had done an excellent job in collecting all of them. The mere sight of these glowing handsome men is driving her crazy ah! Not noticing that their presence had irked the beauty before them, the fellows shed a weing smile which resulted in the instantaneous darkening of Yinri''s face. He Chun averted his gaze after taking a single nce at the woman before him. He had no interest in women, he would rather observe the little doctor Wu performing surgeries. It was more pleasing to his eyes than anything. It was Bolin and Bohai who stared at Yinri enraptured,pletely oblivious of Yinri''s murderous gaze. It was not their fault as Yinri''s so called murderous gaze was in fact seductive. Xia Lian tried hard to control herughter as she shifted her mischievous eyes from the twins to Yinri. Thanks to his perceptive genes, Lu Wen detected the young woman''s hostility towards them.He was both amused and confused by her obvious disy of repulsion on her face. As far as he remembered, they had not done anything to bug her. Unable to find the answer even after racking his brains, Lu Wen shed a harmless smile at her and questioned Xia Lian " Young master, who is this youngdy?" " She''s called Yinri. She''s going to be with us from now." Xia Lian chirped timely on seeing the eager expression on Bi''s face. Bohai was rtively calm, he was awestruck in the beginning but his now calm face showed that he was either not interested in Yinri or that he was extremely good in concealing his emotions. " Oh! That''s great!" Bolin eximed excitedly while Lu Wen simply nodded in understanding. " It''s a pleasure to have you heredy Yinri." He Chun bowed slightly. " Hmm..." Yinri tilted her head as she stepped forward just stopping a few feet away from the seemingly refined jade like man. Despite the close proximity of such a tempting woman, not even a flicker of change could be detected on He Chun''s face. '' Oh God! This doctor is going to be busted in Yinri''s hands...'' Xia Lian mused. Yinri was most adept at reading other''s personalities and Xia Lian was sure that the sagacious doctor is in for a treat. Yinri scrutinized He Chun from top to bottom without any hints of embarrassment. Rules like men and women should maintain their distance, she didn''t pay any heed to them and she never once cared about her decorum. Her lips quirked into a smile as she parted her lips, her voice simr to that of a soft breeze caressing one''s hearts. " Eyes resembling the twilight of night, their splendor unnoticed due to cold heart hidden beneath." " A man without expressions is simr to a painting without life..." Yinri''s voice held a trace of amus.e.m.e.nt as she spoke " It''s no wonder you are not married." Her casual remark evoked gasps from everyone while Xia Lian chuckled lowly as she expected this turn of events. '' This woman is bing too blunt...'' Xia Lian rubbed her nose as she eyed He Chun who was staring at Yinri with his usual cid face. Yinri did not feel enraged on seeing his undisturbed gaze, instead she smiled even wider than before... Are women these days so straightforward? Did the world change abruptly when he was deeply immersed in studying herbs? As a person who considered himself distant from the worldly affairs, a woman like Yinri was unfathomable in He Chun''s point of view. " I can say that you are the same, youngdy. Your trust is difficult to be earned." " You are right! It seems that you must be my elder brother in past life..." Yinri continued her rumbling " Don''t worry bro, I will find a sister-inw for you." '' Elder brother? Sister-inw!'' Horrified was not even close to what He Chun was feeling at the moment. For a woman like Yinri, He Chun understood that he was of no match in badinage. Being the wise man he was, he curtsied politely before taking leave " Lady Yinri, hope we get along well in the future. Doctor Wu, I will be taking my leave now." " Yes, brother." '' Huh! It seems that I got myself a troublesome younger sister ah!'' He Chun stumbled at that thought and immediately hurried into the room. Xia Lian''s eyes crinkled on seeing He Chun stumble on his way back. From the beginning Lu Wen''s sharp gaze never left the pair of Xia Lian and Yinri. He could tell that both are familiar with each other and as of how they met it was of no importance to him. It was best that he warn the prettydy beforehand, so that she would not betray his sister in the future. " Youngdy, you better protect my young master well. If anything goes wrong or perchance you betray him, be warned that I would personally dismember you." Lu Wen''s words were so sharp that even Xia Lian raised her brows in surprise. When did this brother of hers be so protective ah?! Yinri who had no good impression on men in general did not explode in anger due to his warning. Instead, she smiled warmly at him which was eerie in thetter''s eyes " You need not worry. No one can touch him as long as I am alive. Being a person who values life greatly, I will not let any mishaps befall us." Lu Wen nodded in satisfaction on seeing her calm and collected response. Only this kind of woman is suited to protect his sister, he thought to himself. " You better take care of your lover if you are that free..." Yinri''s eyes darted between Lu Wen and Yang Qiu making both the men blush furiously. How could Yinri miss their intertwined hands and secret winks all this time? She long concluded that these pair of love birds need some privacy. All this time, she was being forced to eat dog food. She really didn''t want to trouble these sweet fellows but a little bit of teasing never hurts. " Such a good looking pair! Eh?! Why are you both red like tomatoes?" " Wait! Why are you both running away?" Yinriughed boisterously at the sight of their fleeing backs. Wiping away the tears in her eyes, she turned around and her smile was quickly reced by a frown on seeing the still enraptured Bolin. She tilted her head and pped her hands breaking him from the trance. Not expecting to be caught in the act, Bolin felt his cheeks burn from embarrassment. " Don''t overwork yourself trying to impress me. I am not into little kids..." Bolin: "...." Even Xia Lian gaped at Yinri, wondering how thisdy was able to make everyone speechless with her words... Chapter 182 - The Lord of Huang Palace (1) Chapter 182 - The Lord of Huang Pce (1) On the mountain peak, a young man leaned against an old tree with his arms folded across his chest. The fluttering sound of his pristine white robes is wiped away by the howling of wind. His phoenix eyes scanned the area beneath him. From his point of view, it seemed as if the entire range of lush green mountains are enveloped in white silk like clouds. But, not many things could escape his sharp eyes... Beneath the canopy of white smoke like clouds and between the serene mountains a bright red structure stood proudly, like a magnificent image spitting mes from every corner. It was a majestic sight to behold but not even a trace of awe could be seen on his stoic sculpted face. " It''s time I grace them with my presence..." he mused absentmindedly as his eyes were locked on the red colored pce with his thoughts haywire. Meanwhile, in front of the towering gates two pitiful guards are ying with the pebbles to relieve their boredom. Their home is more than just peaceful, making their job of guarding rather boring and dull. The whole atmosphere was enveloped in an eerie pin-drop silence the only exception being the screeching sound of the stones across the glossy red floor. " Feng Yi... Say, when will our lord return? Our race is prospering, there have been no wars since thousands of years the only void being the unknown whereabouts of our leader." Feng Er sighed dejectedly. " Our lord will return at the right time." the guard called Feng Yi replied in a stiff voice. His voice coupled with his scarred face gave him the vibes of a cold-blooded freak, which was anything but his inbuilt nature. Knowing this traits of his, the other one did not stop his bbering. " I think our lord will return if another war breaks out..." Feng Er''s eyes widened at his blunder and he shut his mouth as he became aware of what he said. " Don''t speak so casually about another war. The casualties of thest war are still a source of many of my nightmares. " Feng Yi rebuked the fool sternly. The two guards bowed their heads and an awkward silence descended around them. At this time, the same train of thoughts are going on in both of their minds. '' It''s due to our ipetence that we lost our princess and our lord left this realm in search of her. '' Both of them were brought out of their daze when they noticed the sparks of light in the fire crystal embedded in the gate. The tiny sparks morphed into a blinding light making their eyes widen in trepidation. " S-someone entered through the barrier." Feng Er broke out into a cold sweat as he muttered. The fears in their hearts are not baseless. It has to be known that there has been no breach of barrier since thest war. It is not known if the ones who entered theirnd are friends or foes. They could only pray for them to be friends as they are in no position to fight a war, specially without their lord. " Let''s see who it is. Be on guard and be prepared to strike in case of any dubiety of the person''s identity." Feng Yi braced for the worst as he spread his wings and dashed forward against the wind. " Ok." Feng Er nodded his head before following his fellowrade. Feng Yi scanned the green carpet likend with his narrowed eyes and they slowly widened at the sight of a man dressed in white robes walking towards the gate. At close inspection of the man''s features, Feng Yi felt as if his heart was going to stop at any moment. He turned his head abruptly and found the simr expression of shock on Feng Er''s face. They have to make sure if the person was who they thought to be... No more words were needed between them as they both descended down tond in front of the white robed man. Lidan''s brows twitched as he eyed Feng Yi and Feng Er who were now gawking at him as if they are not able to believe their eyes. " Did everyone forget me?" Lidan red at them making both of the guards go weak in their knees. Thump! Feng Yi and Feng Er fell on their knees with their eyes still lingering on Lidan''s face. " I am neither an illusion nor a phantom." Lidan smiled slightly on seeing their bewildered faces. Tremors passed through their nerves as their bodies swayed and it took a while before getting a hold on themselves. " Lord, you have returned." Feng Yi and Feng Er rasped at the same time. " Get up. How are our people?" Lidan questioned unhurriedly as he paced forward, making it difficult for Feng Yi and Feng Er to keep up with his long steps. " My lord, stop jesting us. What else could go wrong with the barrier protecting us. Everyone is fine and happy." Feng Er humored only to earn a re from Feng Yi. " En, everyone is fine and happy just as she wished..." Lidan''s whisper did not escape their ears and those words made them feel as if a heavy rock was weighing on their hearts. Knowing who Lidan was talking about, Feng Yi''s eyes trembled and lowered his head speaking in a low and unsure voice " My Lord, did you find the princess?" " Yes." Feng Yi and Feng Er felt their heart beat erratically. There were many things that they want to ask, but they found no wordsing out from their throats. They did not protect her properly and they had failed their duty. So, what right or with what face can they question their lord. Ashamed, they lowered their heads without speaking further. " Don''t be hard on yourselves. She never has or never will me you guys. As of now, she has no memories of her past. It will be a while before she steps into this ce." Lidanforted them. He knew the pain of losing his precious sister and he knew that these fellows med themselves for her death. After all, they are her personal bodyguards and it was only natural for them to me themselves. But, he knew better than anyone that she herself was responsible for her own death. It was her own decision and it was this decision that haunted Lidan all these years. If only he had been by her side at that time, if only... Chapter 183 - The Lord of Huang Palace (2) Chapter 183 - The Lord of Huang Pce (2) '' There is no medicine for regrets.'' Lidan smiled wryly and shook his head to dispel all the negative thoughts threatening to engulf his entire person. Lian was alive now and it is only a matter of time before she remembers him. With that notion, he immediately stated " Feng Yi and Feng Er, I revoke your punishment. You can stop guarding the gates and resume your initial positions." Their original positions? Their original positions as guardians of Princess Huang Lian! Both of them were overwhelmed but it was soon followed by a feeling of shame, a despondent look recing the original happiness in their orbs. " Are you defying my orders now?" Lidan''s eyes drooped in disappointment. " Lord, we do not dare." both of them replied in unison. Under Lidan''s stifling gaze, it was Feng Yi who opened his mouth summoning his courage from all the corners of hell " My Lord, we are unfit to protect the princess." " It is I, who decides if you are worthy or not. Do you think that I will risk my sister''s life again?" Lidan raised his brows as if challenging them to defy him. " Let the happenings of the past be a remainder to you both. If you are truly guilty, then protect her to the best of your abilities. Right now, she is a mortal with no memories and with a minute fraction of her original power." " You don''t need to show her yourselves. Protect her from the shadows. She cannot detect the aura of immortals and she will be in danger if those bastards show up in the mortal realm. I could have stayed by her side, but there are some troubling matters which should be taken care of." " Protect her well till I return. Go..." leaving hisst words echoing in the air, Lidan closed the gate behind him before browsing through the wide expanse of once colorful orchid garden now without a single bloom. Ten thousand years... Was it? But, even now he could remember her nting and tending these nts all her life. He had seen women showing penchant towards roses, lotus, camellia, begonia and what not. Orchids, a rare flower just like his little princess Huang Lian. He had to admit that his sister''s taste was peculiar or rather that the girl was one of a kind given her preferences as orchids over begonia, royal blue over fiery red, swords over needles, horses over pnquins, green pastures over luxurious silk bed... " Prince H-Huang Lidan?!" Lidan''s reverie was harshly interrupted by an old voice drenched in euphoria. Turning his gaze towards the source of the rustling leaves he heard the increasing sound of a staff pounding the ground following which an old man dressed in in grey robes came into his view. " Old Feng Zhi, still taking care of the gardens?" Lidan chuckled lightly making the old man tear up instantly. " When have I ever stopped tending to these nts?" Feng Zhi sniffed and wiped his tears " These loyal nts never bloomed after she... left." Lidan''s lips curved up on hearing Feng Zhi''s words. This old man is the only one who neither admitted nor believed that Huang Lian died in thest war, in spite of the truth lying right before his eyes. He only mumbles '' That brat will return one day and believe me I am going to teach her a lesson with my staff...'' " Old man..." Lidan smiled softly " She is fine and she will return to this ce soon." " W-What?! Big brat, don''t you dare trick me,lest I beat you to a pulp." " I never lie." Leaving the shell-shocked Feng Zhi behind, Lidan strolled forward towards the pce taking unhurried strides making all his people stare at him with wide eyes and ''O'' shaped mouths. The bustling city fell into a silence before ascending to aplete chaos, all because of Lidan''s appearance after a long long time. " Is it P-prince Huang Lidan?" " Y-yes..." " Ouch! Why are pinching me woman?!" " Ah... Just making sure that I am not hallucinating." Loud whispers broke out along the crowd of the people making Lidan stop in his tracks. Eyeing the sea of red before him, he faintly raised his brows " What is it? This prince returned after taking a little holiday and It seems that everyone forgot about this prince, hmm..." Lidan observed his people who were dressed up in shades of red robes, varying from vermilion red to ruby red and whatnot. Simr to the different shades of their robes, they sported a wide variety of expressions on their faces ranging from utter astonishment toplete bewilderment. Regardless of their outer expressions, everyone had the sameints in their heart. 10,000 years! Can someone please tell prince tell that he disappeared for about damn 10,000 years ah! And on top of that he is calling that a little holiday... " Prince Huang Lidan, is it true that you are in mortal world all these years?" an angry roar bellowed making everyone go on their knees instantly, the only exception being Lidan who yawnedzily while stretching his body. The strong oppressive aura in the atmosphere made everyone break into a cold sweat. " Advisor Feng Huo, quench your anger. It''s not good for your old body." Lidan''s smooth breeze like voice made everyone rx sub-consciously. But, it tickled the wrong nerves of the old man making him burst out in rage immediately " Young man, you better have answers for my questions. Follow me..." " I am not going to run away. Old man, retract your aura. The poor fellows seem like they are going to faint." The old man grunted in agreement and with a flick of his sleeves he retracted his aura making everyone release deep breaths of relief. Lidan obediently followed Feng Huo into the castle much to the old man''s surprise. " Prince Huang Lidan?!" Inside the main meeting hall, almost everyone''s jaw dropped as they immediately got onto their knees as they weed him back with excitement clearly written on their faces. Chapter 184 - The Story so far Chapter 184 - The Story so far It''s been a long time since I updated the story and I''m sure that most of you must have forgotten what happened by now. Let me start with the characters. This story is based on the concept of two lifetimes and so there will be two names for the same character. Let me start with them. Xia Lian - Also known as Huang Lian. Xuan Li Wei- (~~~) / (yet to be introduced) Huang Lidan/ Lidan- Huang Lian / Xia Lian brother from past life. - Owner of ck dragon auction house. Feng Yi and Feng Er - Guardians of Huang Lian. Feng Huo & Feng Zhi- Guardians of Huang Lian and have not made an appearance. Doctor Wu Gong/Bai Long - Master of Xia Lian andter shown to possess the ability to see through time. Father inw to Aunt Qian Aunt Qian - Daughter inw of Doctor Wu Gong ... The Xuan Family ( The Royal family of Qilin Empire) Xuan Li Wang- The Emperor of the Qilin Empire. Gu Xinyi - The Empress and the birth mother of the First and the Second Prince. Wan Bing - Imperial Concubine and the birth mother of the third Prince. Jun Hu Rui- Imperial Concubine and the birth mother of Xuan Li Wei and Xuan Li Na. - Adopts her nephew, Jun Moyin after Jun Moyin''s death. Xuan Li Yan - The first prince. - Has a crafty mind and takes care of the trade and business affairs of the empire. Xuan Li Min - The Second prince and also the crown prince. - Takes care of the administrative affairs and assists his father in ruling the kingdom. Xuan Li Shan - The Third Prince - A renowned schr and is in charge of the education and examination system. Xuan Li Wei - Male lead and the Fourth prince. - In charge of the military and defense system of the Qilin empire. Jun Moyin - Adoptive son of Jun Hu Rui who is also his blood rted aunt. - Spoils Xuan Li Na the most. Xuan Li Na - Fifth Princess & blood sister of Xuan Li Wei. - Called as Little devil and spoiled rotten by all her elder brothers. - Loves Jun Moyin the most. ... The Xia Family Xia Jiang - Prime minister and Xia Lian''s father. Hua Ming Yu- The official wife and mother of Xia Lian and Xia Ming. Lin Rong - Xia Jiang''s concubine Xia Jingli - Xia Lian''s step brother Xia Feiyan - Xia Lian''s step sister Xia Ming - XL younger brother ... The Hua Family Hua Ming Yu - Xia Lian''s mother. Hua Bingwen - Father of Hua Ming Yu and grandfather of Xia Lian. - Formermander and the strategist of the Qilin Empire''s military. Hua Ting - Xia Lian''s uncle and Xuan Li Wei''s master - A posthumous character. - Younger brother of Hua Ming Yu. ... List of Animals. Na Na - Sister wolf of Pug and Xia Ming''s mount. Pug - Little wolf and brother to Na Na, Xia Lian''s pet. Hurricane - Horse of Xia Lian. Shadow - Horse of Xuan Li Wei. Bubba, the Blue Bird - The messenger bird. ... List of Subordinates: Ah Jin - servant / sub-ordinate to Jun Moyin Mu Chen - sub-ordinate / friend / Sworn brother of Xuan Li Wei. Has golden eyes which can hypnotize any person. Great One until Six - Hidden guards of Xuan Li Wei. Du Weng - Appraiser in the ck dragon auction house. Fan Ling/ Xin Li - Former courtesan and presently therade / bodyguard of Xia Lian. Bao Su - Hidden guard trained by Xuan Li Wei, now a protector of Xia Lian under Xuan Li Wei''s orders. He Chun - A kind hearted Doctor who is stays away from worldly desires. Bo Lin and Bohai - Twins who have pr opposite attitudes and He Chun''s pupils. Yinri - A transmigrated character who is a member in Xia Lian''s squad in the modern world. Lu Wen - Sworn brother of Xia Lian and lover of Yang Qiu. (Lu Wen x Yang Qiu = Our favorite Yaoi couple) ... Weapons Nirvana whip / dragon ornament - Xia Lian''s weapon Battle axe - Xuan Li Wei''s weapon Important plot points: - Aftering into contact with Nirvana, the divine whip, Xia Lian remembers a blurry fragments of a woman dressed in red. Brushing it off to the side, she concentrates on the condition of the Hua family. - Xuan Li Wei promises her to bring her grandfather out of destion and only then Xia Lian realizes that she cannot depend on Xuan Li Wei forever. - To improve herself, Xia Lian leaves the Qilin empire with Xia Ming and vows to return after three years. - Lidan, the owner of the ck Dragon Auction house befriends her after finding out that she is his sister in the past life. - Xia Lian meets He Chun and the naughty twins who gets impressed by her abilities in healing and medicine. She also happens to save Lu Wen and Yang Qiu, the yaoi couple. - Xia Lian meets Yinri, the subordinate in her modern life. - To be safe, Xia Lian sends Bao Su to find investigate her background. - With the help of Yinri and Lu Wen, she decides to create an army. - In the meantime, Lidan leaves for the upper realms after ten thousand years. The story stopped at that point and I think that these are the points worth mentioning. If you have any doubts, you can drop your queries in thement section of the next chapter. Hope this update is of some help to you all. Chapter 185 - Doubts behind her Existence Chapter 185 - Doubts behind her Existence Note: Those who lost track of the story can read the previous chapter which I updated or visit https://.*******/nehanovels to read the post titled ''The Story so far.'' I don''t know that the chapter will be locked after updating the chapter,so, I posted it again in my ******* ount. ... "Prince Huang Lidan?!" Inside the main meeting hall, almost everyone''s jaw dropped as they immediately got onto their knees as they weed the lost prince back with excitement clearly written on their faces. "Long live Prince! May your presence bless our kingdom with happiness and prosperity." All the ministers dressed in red robes gave their respects, their mouths chanting the words of good fortune in unison. Lidan who had long been ustomed with the short greetings of the human world, found the greetings of his minister to be ridiculously long. "You may all rise." said Lidan, his authoritative voice making all the men straighten their backs in an instant. Their eyes glinted in anticipation, the excitement of seeing their king after a long time clearly painted on their transparent faces. "I''ve imposed on you all this time. My apologies, and, there will be no repetition of the past mistakes." Lidan spoke, his tone apologetic. Did the prince just apologize? Are their ears hallucinating? Where did their arrogant prince go? The group of the old and wise ministers nced at each other, their visages reflecting the puzzlement in their hearts. Sweeping his eyes across the group of bewildered men in the room, Lidan let out a sigh. Well, they couldn''t be med because he was the most arrogant phoenix in the history of their tribe. If his younger sister, Huang Lian was the epitome of bravery and humbleness, he was the second name for foolishness and arrogance. It seemed that his previous reputation was clearly engraved in their hearts. If his splendid performance after his younger sister''s death and the ten thousand years of his untimely absence was not enough to clear the suspicion in their hearts, then nothing could change their opinion of him. "I''m tired from the journey, you may all leave now. Advisor Huo, stay here, I need to discuss something with you." Parting his lips, Lidan dismissed all the men in the room except the old advisor Feng Huo. "Y-yes, we will be taking our leave, Prince Huang." Breaking from their daze, the ministers stuttered, wondering if they pissed off their prince by their momentary hesitation as they left the pce. "Young brat!" After thest of the men left the pce hall, Feng Huo who had been as still as a rock, bellowed- the deep voice sending tremors down Lidan''s spine. If there was anyone Lidan was absolutely scared of, then it was old Feng Huo. Even the proud and arrogant him in the past was roasted by this wrinkled old man. After all, Feng Huo was the oldest phoenix in the entire race and there was no need for him to bow to anyone. He was the strongest phoenix and it was only because of his disinterest that the throne was passed on to the younger generations. Even now, after thousands of years, Lidan still feared the man whose strength seemed to increase with age. "O-old man Huo, don''t anger yourself lest you burn the pce again..." "Don''t you dare speak! You left the pce and I had to rule in your stead for a damn thousand years! Did you know what a hassle it was for an old man like me to manage the kingdom. You toured around the mortal world all this time and with what face did you return here?" Feng Huo couldn''t help but spill out all his grievances like a kidining to his mother. With a heaving chest and bright red face, Feng Huo looked like a cooked shrimp, making Lidan purse his lips tightly so as not to let out augh slip. Feng Huo whose eyesight had not diminished, caught on to that slight movement of Lidan''s. Only god knew how he hated ruling a kingdom, he was the one to enjoy wine and rain. How could azy man like him be expected to rule a kingdom? But, the impossible happened all thanks to the great-great-great-grandson who was currently standing before him without an ounce of remorse. "Are youughing at me?" Completely riled up, Feng Huo started to fold his sleeves as if wanting to start a fight. At the old man''s actions, all traces ofughter disappeared from his heart. Feeling rmed, Lidan started to coax the old man, who can turn anything into ash with a single flick of his fingers. "Please pardon me, old Huo. There will no next time, you can be rest assured." Pausing his actions in the middle, Feng Huo stared at Lidan with a raised brow. "In the name of Agni, I vow not to cause anymore trouble." Seeing the doubts on Feng Huo''s face, Lidan hurriedly vowed. Finally, the old man''s heart calmed down and his expression eased, all the traces of doubt and uneasiness disappearing at the mention of the Fire god, the god their race worshiped. Lying in front of the gods was a sphemy and so, Feng Huo totally believed in Lidan this time. Finally, the brat seemed sensible and mature! On seeing that the old man calmed down by a few degrees, Lidan finally found the courage to speak. "Old man, Lian is in the mortal world." After Huang Lian''s unexpected death, Lidan left the god''s realm saying that he would return only after he found his sister again. So, it was not that difficult to guess the reason behind his return. But, Feng Huo had his own doubts. After Huang Lian''s death, her soul was scattered into many parts and sealed away by the Demon king. Later rumors has been spread out that even the Demon king had failed to seal a few parts of her soul. The rumors might or might not have been true, but the people of Phoenix race held on to thest threads of their hope and went out to search for any traces of her broken soul. They had searched all over the realms for any traces of her diminishing soul, all their searches to be in vain. So, the entire phoenix race had buried their hopes of seeing their princess again. It was only Huang Lidan, who did not lose hopes and left the God''s realm saying that he would onlye back after finding her. A few years back, Feng Huo heard from Lidan that a girl named Xia Lian resided in the mortal world, who had the same appearance as Huang Lian. But, the girl was sickly and always seemed at the brink of death. After hearing the news, he had personally rushed to the mortal world disguised as a monk to see the girl for himself. After examining her, he had concluded that the girl is indeed the reincarnation of a part of Huang Lian''s soul. But, the soul force within the girl was too weak to keep her alive. The girl could live no longer than a few weeks in the God realm, which was equivalent to twelve years in the mortal world. As per reason, the girl should be dead by now. So, howe the girl was alive? Chapter 186 - Bai Longs Confession (1) Chapter 186 - Bai Long''s Confession (1) No matter how hard he pondered over, Feng Huo did not find himself getting close to the unknown facts. As the time passed, the frown between his browns deepened, making his wrinkles look more prominent. "What exactly happened?" Lifting his head abruptly, Feng Huo narrowed his eyes at Lidan who began to fidget under his gaze. In the beginning, though the matter seemed weird Feng Huo did not feel apprehensive. It was only now, after seeing the guilty look of Lidan did an ominous premonition rose in his heart. "Did you do something forbidden?" As much as Feng Huo dreaded the answer, he still asked the most feared question. "What forbidden things are you talking about? Do I seem like someone who uses forbidden techniques to you?" Being wrongly used, Lidan rebutted. " Yes, you do. You might have forgotten your past rebellious behaviour, but I did not." Feng Huo replied as a matter of fact. Fine, You win!, After mentally facepalming himself, Lidan rubbed his nose. Feng Huo pursed his lips tightly at that sight©¤ the brat always rubs his nose whenever he lies or at the time when he was preparing to get scolded. "I don''t know what happened, but, Bai Long does. He is the one who cured her, so, I think you should question him..." Bai Long? That white lizard? "From when did those stupid lizards start involving in the matters of our race?" Lizards? Old man, no matter how much you hate them, you can''t call the almighty dragon a lizard! Isn''t it a bit too disrespectful? "Old man, what if the dragons hear your words? Don''t you fear the dragon''s wrath?" As if enlightened by his words, Feng Huo fell into a deep thought while rubbing his chin. "You are right. It will be a problem if the dragons hear..." Feng Huo began, but, before Lidan could feel happy, the old man continued in a voice raised by a few octaves "But, I''m having this sudden urge to roast someone and a dragon seems perfect to act as my target..." Hearing the apparent anger in Feng Huo''s voice, Lidan smile wryly. Bai Long, you are in for a good beating. Nothing can save you this time... Taking out a parchment from the wide sleeves of his in robes, Feng Huo scribbled a series of letter following which a golden light filled the room. Thud! "Ouch!" A deep bass like voice echoed in the silent pce hall, followed by a stream of incessant curses. "Ouch! Which idiot dared to injure this lord? I will..." The voice came to an abrupt pause as two pairs of eyes stared at each other. One stared with the fearful eyes of a prey while the other stared with the hunting eyes of a predator. "W-who are you?" the voice began, "And, why did you bring me here?" the tremors in the said voice could invoke pity in anyone''s heart but not Feng Huo''s. "Bai. Long!" Feng Huo stressed each and every word, as he internally shook his head as he watched the poor acting of a certain man who is squirming on the floor. "I am not the Bai Long you are looking for." the same voice sighed, taking on a pitiful note, he stressed "I am called Wu Gong, so elder, please let me go." Wu Gong who was seated on the floor, prayed internally to not let the old man see through his disguise. He had always prided in his hiding abilities, but, he hadpletely ignored the possibility of this old phoenix summoning him. If there was anyone who could match the dragons, it was this regal old man who was now eyeing him dangerously. The old man who never interfered in the worldly affairs suddenly summoned him and that could never be a good thing. As expected, Feng Huo did not disappoint him as he slowly parted his lips, "Tell me, how did you save the mortal girl, the one named Xia Lian?" There was no anger or disappointment in the old man''s tone, it sounded like a casual inquiry, but, each and every word felt like a weight pressing on Wu Gong''s shoulders. "I am not Bai Long!" On seeing that the person on the ground was still dead set on concealing his identity, a cold glint shed in Feng Huo''s eyes. Fine then! I gave you many chances to admit, but, you still lied to me... If you want to be treated in the hard way, I will dly oblige. The figure of Feng Huo who was standing on the mosaic floor vanished in an instant. Before anyone could process what was happening, Feng Huo appeared in front of Wu Gong. Before Wu Gong could react, a pair of fingers attacked the space in between his brows. "Reveal!" Following the old man''smand, a tinge of pain spread throughout his body and soon, the cracking sounds of the bones filled the room. Wu Gong could feel the bones in his body shifting and realizing that he could no longer fool the old phoenix, he stopped resisting andplied to his fate, letting the old man''s magic spell do it''s work. After chanting the spell, Feng Huo retreated back by a few paces, his sharp eyes never leaving the twitching figure on the floor. Copying the old man''s actions, Lidan flew back and soon his eyes fell on the long and spiky white tail, the spikes looking more like ice crystals which reflected the light from the fire beacons on the wall. Following the long tail, his eyes fell on an unobscured view of the white dragon with wings sorge that threatened to break the ceiling of the pce hall. Wu Gong or to be precise, Bai Long, now red at Feng Huo with his blood red orbs. The old wrinkled form of Wu Gong soon morphed into something more enchanting and majestic©¤ An ice dragon, who was also called as the white dragon, hence the name Bai Long. "Bai Long, what did you do to save the mortal girl?" All traces of friendliness disappeared from Find Huo''s face as a deep hostility shed in his eyes. Chapter 187 - Bai Longs Confession (2) Chapter 187 - Bai Long''s Confession (2) "Grrrr..." A deep growl rumbled from the dragon who began to shake his head as if wanting to say something. The series of sessive and incoherent growls eased the atmosphere, breaking away the prevailing tension. With a roll of eyes, Feng Huo flicked his fingers following which the white dragon started to morph into human form. Very soon, a young handsome man with ruby eyes and silver hair appeared before them. The appearance was so striking that it would make people want to look twice at him, but, Feng Huo who had seen all of the world stared at him indifferently, his patience running thin as he waited for the answer. Sensing the old man''s displeasure, Bai Long answered in a hurry "We all know that the human girl is the reincarnation of Princess Huang Lian. To stabilize her soul and to prevent her death, I summoned a part of her soul to upy the body." "We all searched for parts of her missing soul with no positive results. How did you manage to summon a fragment of her soul?" This was the question which Bai Long feared the most. Then again, aftering this far there was no turning back. He had to admit and only hope that the old man does not flip out in anger and roast him to death. Gathering the remaining of his courage, Bai Long gritted his teeth while answering "I summoned her soul from the future." Future... Howe...? Feng Huo stiffened at the abrupt realization of the white dragon''s powers- Bai Long can see through time and manipte it to an extent. The astonishmentsted only for a while, and soon the implications of the dragon''s thoughtless actions settled in. It was a taboo to summon someone from the other dimensions of time other than the one they are living in. Summoning from the future meant killing the physical body and trapping the soul to travel through the time, directing the aimless soul to upy the body given by the summoner. The sad thing is that the summoned soul will have no idea about what happened to them and why they were in a whole new world! Souls cannot transmigrate through the time without the aid of external forces, in this case the force being forbidden magic. "So, you killed a person?" As usual, Feng Huo did not mince his words. Letting out a deep breath, Bai Long continued "It was necessary and I only did what I thought was right." "You did what you thought was right! You took a life!" Feng Huo eximed, exasperated. How could killing someone be right? "Lord Huo, I know that what I''m going to day will not be to your liking, but, I will tell you everything." After a momentary pause, Bai Long confessed "I did not take just her life. I summoned more than one soul from there to this world." "And, I presume that you know all about this." Turning towards Lidan, Feng Huo stated. "I only asked Bai Long to save the girl by using any means possible. I didn''t have any idea that he will use summoning. Then again, even if I knew, I would have dly agreed." Yes, if he could see his younger sister again, then he didn''t care if what he was doing is falling under right or wrong. Moreover, Bai Long summoned the part of Huang Lian''s soul which had been sealed away in the future. It was not like they did her any wrong, they only brought her back to her rightful ce and time. That was the same with the other souls which Bai Long summoned; they all belonged here, in this messy world. The shocking revtions fogged Feng Huo''s mind, a wave of tiredness swept over his entire body making his legs go weak and his body slump into the cushioned chair behind him. "Old Huo! Are you alright?" Lidan rushed forward but was stopped after a few steps by Feng Huo''s wrathful re. As much as Lidan worried about the Feng Huo''s body, he was not ready to get himself killed by going near the enraged old man. So, staying back, Lidan swept his eyes over the old man and sighed in exasperation on seeing the downcast expression on Feng Huo''s old visage. "Old Huo, aren''t you relieved seeing her alive?" Lidan asked in a puzzled tone, he could not begin toprehend why the old man was acting so depressed after hearing the news, shouldn''t he the one who must be jumping around in joy? He was the one who doted on Huang Lian the most, so, why is he visibly disappointed now? "What''s there to be happy about?! Knowing that she is alive and happy in another ce or time would have been enough for me." Burying his head in his palms, Feng Huo mumbled "I would rather prefer her to stay happy and far from us, than getting involved in the mess of this world." So, he is worried about this? "You do not need to worry about her, I will protect her with my life." Lidan vowed solemnly. "Hah! What''s done is done, we will do our best to protect her." Knowing that nothing could be done to salvage the situation, Feng Huo resigned. "Did she remember anything of her past?" the question was directed at Bai Long, who thought carefully for a while before replying "She remembers nothing, not yet. But, the Divine whip found her and she might have remembered the fragments of her past. Then again, it looked like she ignored them, I can''t say anything for sure." Feng Huo let out a faint hum in understanding, pondering for a while, he dered "Lidan, keep an eye on her and keep her safe at all costs." ncing at Bai Long, Feng Huo dismissed him brashly "You can leave now. I would appreciate it if the dragons would stop interfering in our matters. If any word of your baseless actions reach me, I wouldn''t mind roasting you lizards!" When did the mighty dragons be lizards in this old man''s eyes? Though Bai Long''s face darkened, he didn''t dare to retaliate lest he be roasted alive. Thanking the Old Phoenix for his magnanimity, Bai Long left the pce like a wisp of smoke. "Lidan, let me update you with the affairs of our race..." Lidan who was quietly tiptoeing out of the hall, stumbled at the old man''s words. It was precisely because he hated such discussions that he tried to slip away unnoticed, but, it seems that the old man had other ns for him. Surrendering to his fate, Lidan followed Feng Huo into the meeting hall listlessly. In the meanwhile, a few weeks had passed in the mortal realm. Chapter 188 - Detailed Plans (1) Chapter 188 - Detailed ns (1) In the few weeks that had passed, not many changes happened in the Wu Gong''s medical center. He Chun and the twins busied themselves with the never ending flow of the iing patients while Lu Wen and Fan Ling werepletely immersed in picking up men and women ording to Xia Lian''s instructions. Inside a in wooden room, Xia Lian sat on the floor while stacks of papery by her side. Her hair wasbed into a neat bun, while a few strands of wild locks traced her fair neck. Her sleeves were rolled up revealing her slim arms; while one hand rested on the study table the other hand held the wooden brush in a death grip. Squinting her eyebrows, Xia Lian dipped the brush in the ink and finished filling up yet another paper with a series of words. Her calligraphy was nowhere appealing to the eye, it did not contain the elegance and neatness. Her strokes were bold and unruly, disying her unprecedented intelligence. Seated near another table which was a few feet away from hers, was Yinri who had drowned her head in the fleet of papers and bamboo scrolls, her hands copying the texts in a relentless fashion. "Commander, I''m done!" As soon she finished writing thest character, Yinri eximed in glee, tossing the badly mutted brush in her hands to the side. "Good!" Xia Lian praised the girl without lifting her head. I''ve copied countless copies of your notes, can''t you be a little more generous with your words?, Yinri facepalmed in her heart, shaking her head she began to stretch her back and hands which had turned numb from sitting in the same position for a long while. Xia Ming who sat on the side like a little bear stared at his sister with a sulky face- the reason being she had not spared him even a single nce all this time. He wanted his sister''s attention, but, thetter was too busy to notice his futile attempts. He had pulled out many tricks attempting to steal all her attention to himself, but his sister only smiled at him or pinched his cheeks. That was her her only response after which she busied herself in her work. As much as he wanted to disturb her and burn all the papers, he did not find the courage to do so. He had witnessed his sister''s anger when Lu Wen identally mixed up the papers, he had never seen her so angry. The memory still sent shivers down the poor kid''s spine. Not knowing what to do, he folded his plump arms across his chest while his cheeks puffed up in annoyance. Even Yinri, who had an aversion to kids, stared at his adorable figure haltingly. She then looked up at Xia Lian who remained oblivious to the kid''s attempts and sighed, somehow the whole situation seemed funny in her eyes. Wanting to see how the situation will further develop, Yinri leaned her chin against her palm observing the pondering kid- Soon, a Cheshire cat like smile spread on his lips as he crawled towards the busy Xia Lian. As soon as she paused the movements of her brush, the little fellow leaped into herp and settled into afortable sitting position after squirming for a while. The sudden weight on her thighs made Xia Lian cast a helpless nce at the little one who sat straight like a little Buddha. She knew that she had been ignoring the kid all these days, but, it was not on purpose. She wanted to finish writing so that she could spend some quality time with him, but, the kid seemed restless. Not having the heart to put him down, Xia Lian resumed writing with Xia Ming sitting on herp. "pfft..." Witnessing the entire scenario, Yinri rolled inughter. With tears in her eyes, shemented cheerfully "Commander, I''ve never seen you so helpless. Hehe, It seems I finally found your weak spot." Weak Spot? ncing at the fluffy one in her arms, Xia Lian''s lips lifted into a faint arc. Whether he is her strength or weakness, only time will tell. She did not respond to Yinri''s tease and continued her work. Finally feeling bored, Yinri strode towards Xia Lian and plopped down on the floor unceremoniously. Bending forward, she stared at the drawings on the table with astonishment. "Commander, are you nning to train the men in battle formations?" A glint of excitement shed in Yinri''s eyes which reflected in her voice. "If they are worthy, then yes." "But, why are you noting them. Are you not the one training them?" Yinri asked, puzzled. Xia Lian''s paused her movements, which Yinri had clearly noticed. Before she could voice out her doubts, a knock sounded on the door. "Come in..." Putting her brush down, Xia Lian called out. The door slid open, revealing a tense Bao Su. Closing the door behind him, he entered the room bringing in the gloomy atmosphere with him. "Did you find anything suspicious about Fan Ling?" Feeling suspicious about the background of Fan Ling, she had sent Bao Su to investigate everything about the girl. Bao Su had done a month''s worth of work without any results- There were no clues about her or her family. So, she asked Bao Su to monitor her activities secretly. In response to Xia Lian''s inquiry, Bao Su shook his head in denial. Rubbing his head in frustration, he spoke "She is not acting suspicious. She is doing her work diligently." Tapping the table softly, Xia Lian nodded "Fine then, let''s leave this matter." Bao Su did not expect Xia Lian to dismiss the matter so easily. Thinking that she is soft-hearted, he started preaching "Master, it''s not a right thing to keep questionable people on our side." "Oh? Then what do you suggest?" Xia Lian narrowed her eyes at Bao Su. "We can dispose her..." Before Bao Su could finish, Xia Lian interrupted. "Are you saying that we should kill everyone we find suspicious?" Killing anyone suspicious so as to prevent future threats. Isn''t that how all the masters work?, Bao Su nodded his head. Aiya! The thinking of the ancient people is cruel and scary~ She was from a modern world, where the concept of human rights was engraved deep inside her. She knew that she could not change his way of thinking all of a sudden. So, feigning a stern tone, she chastised Bao Su "We will not kill a person without any proof of their wrongdoings. The matter of life and death should not be taken into our hands." Noticing his bewilderment, she continued "For her entire background to be unknown, something big must have happened. Let''s not dig into her past. If she want''s to tell us, she will." " As long as Fan Ling doesn''t do anything unforgivable or betray us, I will not harm her. Since we did not find anything about her past, leave it be." No wonder the prince asked me to guard her, Bao Su still thought that his master was very kind. Chapter 189 - Detailed Plans (2) Chapter 189 - Detailed ns (2) Bao Su was unconvinced by Xia Lian''s way of thinking, but he swallowed his words after seeing the obstinate expression on her face. "Bao Su, could you bring Doctor He, Lu Wen and Yang Qiu here. I need to discuss something important with you all." Xia Lian spoke as she started to bind the papers with a thread. "I will be back in a moment." After excusing himself, Bao Su disappeared from the room in an instant. "Commander, are you nning something dangerous?" "Yinri, have I put any of you in danger?" "Oh, please! I''m not worried about me. Rather, it''s you who always runs into perilous situations willingly. All I fear is that you will go out alone by yourself again..." Casting a doubtful nce at Xia Lian, Yinri expressed her fears. *cough* How did she guess correctly?, Averting her eyes, Xia Lian cleared her throat, her actions making Yinri confirm her suspicions. "Commander! I knew it! I was always right..." As if realizing something, Yinri stopped speaking abruptly, with a downcast expression she pointed her index finger right at Xia Lian''s nose while using "You are going to leave me here. I am right, aren''t I?" Bao Su, wherever you are pleasee soon... Else, I will be buried alive. "Commander~" "Why are you not saying anything?" Not able to stand Yinri''s cries of agony, Xia Lian sighed helplessly "Did I do anything without a good reason? I have my own ns and what I am nning is not safe for a girl..." "Commander! Did you forget that you are a woman?!" "Of course not!" Xia Lian scoffed, in a self gloating tone she praised herself "But, I''m different from the normal woman, strong and sensible..." "Which part of you currently can be considered as strong?" Pointing at her under-developed body, Yinri asked baffled. "Haven''t I turned thirteen a few days earlier?" "Yes, you are thirteen not thirty!" "It would only be a matter of time before I develop into a full fledged woman." Xia Lian dered, rubbing her chin for a while she sighed "No one will doubt that I''m a woman after seeing my thin body. So, you can be rest assured." "Even then, it''s not safe for you to go alone..." After hearing Yinri''sint, Xia Lian smiled mysteriously "Who said I am going alone?" "Who are you taking then?" Not able to hold her curiosity, Yinri poked Xia Lian''s for an answer, while thetter ignored her coolly. In spite of Yinri''s continuous barrage of questions, Xia Lian remained tight lipped as she yed with the little bunny''s hair who was currently sleeping on herp. Realizing that Xia Lian is not going to divulge anything, Yinri ceased her efforts and leaned against the wall to take a short nap. ... "Master, can wee in?" Bao Su ''s muffled voice traveled through the air, rousing Yinri from her slumber. After granting them the permission to enter, Xia Lian saw He Chun enter the room with a bright smile on his face. That was a smile of a man who was satisfied with his life. He was a healer who worked solely for the welfare of the people, and, because of reopening of this abandoned hospital, he was able to treat arge number of patients. In the process, he inherited the science of surgery from Xia Lian. So, He Chun had all the reasons in the world to be happy. Serving the people was his ultimate goal and working with a non-greedy partner lifted his positive spirits. Watching Xia Lian working so hard to teach him new techniques of medicine made him inspired to work hard. The kid might be younger to him by a few years, but, deep down his heart he admired Xia Lian the most. "I heard that you asked for me. Do you need any help? If so, you can state your need without any hesitation. As long as it''s in my capabilities, I will help you at any cost." As the time passed, He Chun dropped all the formalities slowly under Xia Lian''s insistence. Now, He Chun waspletely informal with her which made Xia Lian happy. The doctor was a good man and naturally she was pleased to make his acquaintance. On seeing his natural carefree smile, Xia Lian had a sudden urge to tease him. "Will you kill for me doctor?" "W-what?" He Chun choked on his breath, and even Lu Wen snickered from the side. It was only after hearing Lu Wen''sugh did He Chun realize that he was being teased. "If you insist, I will..." With a red face, He Chun tried to retort which only garnered another series ofughter in the room. Xia Lian chortled at He Chun''s reaction. He sounded as if he would kill someone for her. Xia Lian knew that the man couldn''t bear to hurt even an ant, so, how could he possibly kill someone? She had teased the poor man enough and now it was the time for business. "Doctor He, I have a proposal for you." Xia Lian began, her somber voice attracting He Chun''s attention. Taking out a parchment from the desk, Xia Lian beckoned He Chun toe closer which he promptly followed. Spreading the parchment on to the desk, Xia Lian started to exin him about her ns to develop the medical system throughout the Qilin Empire. He Chun listened to Xia Lian in a smitten daze, he had never heard about multiple chain system of hospitals and the so called pharmacies where they sell medicine at a fixed cost. And the concept of allocating doctors for each division in the capital was enough to make him stare at Xia Lian like a fool. "We can first start it in the capital and slowly expand it throughout the kingdom, if we are sessful. Think about it, if this n is sessful, then we can save the lives of many. Then, medicine will no longer be a luxury!" Xia Lian went on rambling as her eyes shone brightly, as if epassing myriad of stars inside them. The longer she spoke, the more she grew excited and what she did not notice is that all the men were staring at her dumbfounded, while Yinri puffed her chest in pride at the sight of the awe-struck men. Hah! Isn''t mymander too stunning and beautiful?! Chapter 190 - Detailed Plans (3) Chapter 190 - Detailed ns (3) "Brother He, do you ept this proposition?" Finishing her long exnation, Xia Lian stared at He Chun with puppy dog eyes, while thetter simply nodded his head as he couldn''t bring himself to refuse under such pleading gaze. He should just negotiate with the crown prince and go against the medical council, right? If only it was as easy it sounded! "I will do my best." Letting out a sigh, He Chun begrudgingly epted his bestowed upon fate. On getting the answer that she had wanted to hear all along, Xia Lian beamed widely, with the smile never leaving her face, she spoke "Brother He, I know that you will not disappoint me. I will leave Fan Ling with you. She will help you in your work and please take of her in my stead." "Oh! I almost forgot..." Tapping her forehead, Xia Lian pointed towards the stack of books at the corner of the room "Those are the journals I prepared for you. It has all the necessary theories and that I taught you during this period and much more. I''m leaving them in your care." "I understand and I will not disappoint you." With a smile of his own, He Chun responded. Standing on the side, Fan Ling listened to the exchange with her head bowed down. Noticing the not-so-discreet exchange of smiles, Lu Wen raised his brows. It seems that his sworn sister was capable of attracting people no matter her gender. To wake up the smitten doctor from his delusional daze, Lu Wen cleared his throat, which sessfully made both Xia Lian and He Chun to turn towards him. "Since, you''ve allotted the doctor his mission, isn''t it time for you to tell why you called us for?" Feigning an innocent expression, Lu Wen questioned Xia Lian. Not suspecting him, Xia Lian nodded instantly agreeing with his words. He Chun who was seated stood up, he knew that he was not weed in all of their discussions and personally he was not interested in talks concerning other than medicine. With a tiny bob of his head, he excused himself from the crowded room. As the door closed behind the doctor''s disappearing back, Xia Lian beckoned Bao Su and Yinri forward. Gently lifting Xia Ming from herp and cing him on the couch, Xia Lian then tucked the little one in a nket. Standing from the chair Xia Lian stretched her body, stifling a yawn she gave away their tasks "I''m leaving the training of the army to both of you. Both of you know your own ways of training the army. Both of you can draw out your ns for training after discussing among yourselves." "And, when you feel that the men monitored by you are good enough, you can train them in battle formations." "Young master, aren''t I enough for this task?" It was not only Xia Lian, but even Yinri raised her brows in amus.e.m.e.nt as they took in the meaning behind Bao Su''s words. Is he underestimating me?, Yinri felt her lips twitch at the mere notion. "No, you are not." was Xia Lian''s clipped reply. "Nothing could be done by a single person alone. You will find that you have many things to learn from Yinriter. So, please get along well with her." "I will, pardon me for speaking out of my turn." Tossing out a hurried apology, Bao Su left the room in deep thoughts. He truly could not understand Xia Lian''s thought process and much less her decisions. Any master would want to have his people with a clear background. But, there was nothing rted to Fan Ling, and if it was any of his other master, they would have killed her without a doubt. But, Xia Lian had not done so. Instead, she said that she would not kill anyone, not unless they did some unforgivable crime. She treats Lu Wen and Yang Qiu, who are shunned by the society as family. She gave the simple doctor a task of momentous importance. And, even now, she was willing to trust Yinri, who she had just met. Is she so trusting of everyone?, Bao Su could not help but ponder deeply. At this thought, a deep worry crept into his heart. No wonder the prince sent me to protect her. Lady Xia is too kind. With a new found determination, Bao Su vowed in his heart that he would keep any eye on any potential threats. And since, Yinri was their newest addition, he decided to keep an eye on her movements. Not knowing that Xia Lian and Yinri are acquainted from their past life, Bao Su made an useless resolution to keep his guard against Yinri. ... "So, when are we leaving this ce?" Before Xia Lian could open her mouth, Lu Wen surprised her with his question. "How did you know that I''m taking you with me?" Xia Lian sported a baffled look. Lu Wen raised his brows and sneered as if saying ''Are you really that stupid?'' "Other than me and my wife, who is left ah?!" Saying so, Lu Wen flicked Xia Lian''s forehead. "Ah!" Rubbing her forehead, Xia Lian mumbled "Fine! You are right and we will leave tomorrow. Please prepare your wife for the trip." "Did both of you forget that I''m here?" With ckened face, Yang Qiu scowled. He was standing here and the brother and sister pair are discussing about him, treating him as some invisible ghost. "Dear wife, you wound me. How could I ever forget you?" With a mock hurt expression, Lu Wen ced his hand against his chest, his actions earning a sneer from Yang Qiu. "As if you remembered me!" Flicking his sleeves, Yang Qiu left the room as he harrumphed. "Brother Lu, it seems that your wife is sulking." Xia Lian chirped, her tone containing traces ofughter. "Yes ah! I''m off to cate him now." With a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, Lu Wen bounced out of the room. Ah! With Lu Wen and Yang Qiu, this trip will never be dull... Xia Lian mused. "Commander..." "Hmm..." "Why am I getting the feeling that you asked Lu Wen and Yang Qiu toe only for the reason that you can see some PDA?" *Cough! Cough!* Howe this girl always guesses right about me? What she said waspletely true, she did not want the stern Bao Su with her. And, Yinri was the best to train the army, so she could not take her. And personally, she liked Lu Wen. So, the decision was long made in her heart. Burying the guilt in her heart, Xia Lian spoke with a calm and collected expression "No, that''s not the case. Bao Su is the best to help you with the army training. Doctor He has his own work. Lu Wen and Yang Qiu are the only ones who are idle now. They have decent martial arts, so, they are most suited with me on this journey." Though dubious in her heart, Yinri nodded as Xia Lian''s words indeed made some sense. Chapter 191 - Scary Experience (1) Chapter 191 - Scary Experience (1) Seeing that Yinri stopped questioning her, Xia Lian breathed out a sigh of relief. "Are you taking your brother with you?" After a few moments of silence, Yinri voiced out her doubts. "Yes, I am. I''m not leaving him behind." "Isn''t it dangerous? I can take care of him." Yinri suggested. She was truly worried that it is dangerous for a kid to venture out in this world, specially a kid of Xia Ming''s age. And with Xia Ming to look after, can Xia Lian concentrate on her welfare. She would most probably use her life to defend and save him. She would even take an arrow to her heart without second thoughts. Though she had not been long by Xia Lian''s side in this world, she could never mistake the deep bond between the brother and sister. No matter in what way she thought, it would be beneficial for both of them to stay separated. "No, he is going with me." There was no hesitation in Xia Lian''s tone, with clouded eyes she spoke " I promised that I will take care of him. I don''t want to take any chances with him. If it is me, I will save him using my life as a wager. If I leave him with you, he will be an additional burden for you lot. The tasks which I gave you are not easy, so, concentrate on it." The resoluteness in her voice left no room for any doubt or further questioning. Yinri could only swallow her grievances as she knew that hermander would not appreciate any further suggestions from her. Xia Lian has made up her mind and no one could change her decisions. Knowing hermander the best, Yinri wisely did not push further. But, she was curious about one thing. "Who did you promise?" "His mother and the soul of this body, his true sister." Xia Lian sighed. ... Far away in the Qilin empire, Xuan Li Wei felt a sharp throbbing in his head. "It''s the seventh time in these two days."Massaging the area between his brows, he wondered out loud. Xuan Li Wei did not understand the reason behind his tormenting headache. He was physically sound and his mind was not ill either. He did not stress about anything except about the well being of Xia Lian. Bao Su, his well trained bodyguard was with her and, he was not worrying about her to the point of getting sick, well not yet. "What''s wrong with me?" A frown appeared between his brows as he thought of the pce doctor''s words the previous day. ''Your Highness, there''s nothing wrong with your body. A little rest is all you need.'' that was what the old geezer had said. Following the old man''s instructions, he had been resting since yesterday. But, there were no signs of improvement. The headaches started to attack him at regr intervals. The pain usually receded very quickly, making him wonder if the pain was there in the first ce or not. Now, it was different. An incense stick of time had passed, but the intensity of the pain only seemed to increase with time. The pain in his head shot up making his consciousness go into a blur. Blinking hard, Xuan Li Wei tried to keep himself awake. His efforts were rendered futile as darkness embraced his vision, his body went limp as his upper body hit the table with a thud. As he cked out, Xuan Li Wei felt a scene ying out in his mind. ''Grandfather is truly infuriating! How dare he orders me around. I''m not a kid anymore.'' A voiceced with anger echoed in the silent surroundings. With a scowl etched on his face, the owner of the voice spread his wings and disappeared from his home. The cool air dashed against his face, but it did nothing to calm his turbulent emotions and chaotic thoughts. An angry roar escaped from his lips as he continued to fly around. As the conversation between him and his grandfather yed in his mind, a desire to destroy something gave birth in his heart, the feeling was so strong that he felt that he would die if he did not do something about it. He needed to burn something! He needed to destroy something! Only then, he can calm his heart. As the thought solidified in his mind, his eyes surveyed thend below. All thend was barren within a few miles of radius. Even so, he was not heartbroken. His eyes still continued to search for any potential target. Very soon he found one. Spread over at least a hundred miles was a flower garden, interwoven in a myriad of colors the ce seemed as if it''s a heaven in the rather nd God''s realm. As he neared the garden, he found that the garden contained orchids, only orchids of different colors. So, the owner of this garden had a penchant towards orchids, he thought as he hovered in the air. The garden was truly beautiful and something so beautiful acted as a thorn in his eyes. The garden was so peaceful that it formed a contradiction to his chaotic life. In all ways, the garden formed the prefect ce for him to vent out his anger. With a single flick of his finger, a sea of mes spread out in the garden destroying everything in it''s path. As the raging mes carried out it''s massacre, hended in the middle, his eyes taking pleasure in the ongoing destruction. Just when he thought everything was going on well, he was startled by a voice behind him. ''You shrimp! How dare you set a fire in my garden! You are going to pay for this!'' Feeling a murderous gaze on his back, he turned around, startled. He did not even get the chance to see the owner of the voice because he felt a pair of fingers hitting the area between his brows. A warm energy spread from the fingers to him igniting a burning trail in his body. The burning sensation increased and slowly he fell onto the ground following which his body began to twitch. Chapter 192 - Scary experience (2) Chapter 192 - Scary experience (2) He could feel his body undergoing a transformation, the bone-wrenching pain acted as a testament to it. He could feel his skin crack and his body be unbearably hot. The smooth skin on his body soon turned scaly and he soon felt a protrusion on his back. The wings on his back grew exponentiallyrge and his human body started to transformpletely. A few moments of time passed after which the cracking sounds in his body ceased and slowly the pain in his body turned numb. Tilting his head down, he observed the scales on his body which he noticed were in golden color. So, I am a golden dragon, eh?!, he wondered. As the pain disappeared, there was only happiness in his heart. He was not able to awaken his bloodline all these years and this was the source of argument between him and his grandfather. Humph! The old swine even threatened to disown him! Finally, he can show the old geezer that he was not a defective specimen. Then again, is it because of his attacker that he was finally able to transform into a dragon? If so, he was truly indebted. ''I should properly apologize for burning the garden and then I should thank the person for his indirect help.'' But, before he could voice out, he heard a sneer "Tsk, Tsk. After all, you''re a tiny lizard..." Lizard?, his entire body stiffened, with an expression of disbelief he lifted his head abruptly wanting to ask the person if he was blind. The person must be blind, if not how could he call a mighty dragon a lizard? But, one look at his attacker was all it took for him to go nk. Standing in front of him was a woman dressed in royal blue robes with a ck dagger hoisted on her waist. Her long ck hair was gathered together and supported by a simple ck jade crown. The surprising thing is that the woman''s features were no where close to delicate, her sharp eyebrows and her tanned skin attested to her roughness. Her n.a.k.e.d hands were adorned with strong muscles while her clear eyes made him want to lower his head in reverence. She was no where close to thedies he had seen in his race, he felt that the woman resembled a warrior. And, she seemed to be older than him. Completely forgetting the fact that he was insulted as a lizard, he stared at the woman in an admiring daze. While he was busy scrutinizing the woman, she spoke "Little one, didn''t your elders teach you that tant staring is rude and offensive?" Startled, he hurriedly apologized "Pardon me, I did not mean to be rude." "Oh! Then what do you say of this?" the woman pointed at the garden which was now in ashes, her tone barely concealing the pure rage in her heart. Gulping audibly, he replied "It was a thoughtless action. I was looking for a ce to vent out my anger..." "And my garden was the best choice. I see..." There was something dangerous in her tone that made him scared all of a sudden. What if she decided to kill him all of a sudden? A single attack of hers was able to awaken his bloodline, so, he was sure that she could kill him with a single wave of her hand. Following his intuition he stayed silent, not wanting to provoke the woman to kill him. Bowing his head, he yed the role of someone being wronged with perfection. "You are a clever little one, aren''t you?" the womanughed, in a eerie tone she continued "Too bad, it''s useless against me." As soon as her words fell, he felt a gust of wind around him. Before he could what was happening, he felt a strong hand grab his tail and lift him up. Oh no! This is too shameful! If anyone from my race learns of this, I will be aughing stock! So, he began to struggle with all his strength. Tragedy was that his attempts to free himself were useless in the end. The woman stared at the struggling lizard in her hand with disdain. Lifting his tail higher so that his face was in level with her eyes, she spoke "Since you dared to burn my garden, be prepared to face the consequences." With that she tightened the grip on his tail and hauled him on her shoulders as if he was a sack of potatoes.'' ''O kind warrior! Didn''t I apologize for my actions? Please let me go...'' ''I would do anything, so please don''t kill me.'' All his cries of pleas did nothing to ease the woman''s temper and soon he went quiet, as if epting his doomed fate. Just when he felt lightheaded by all the movements, the woman stopped walking. Before he could breathe out in relief, he felt her pulling him off her shoulders and throwing him to the ground. No, it was not ground. His body came into contact with something metallic. As he turned his head to the side, he found himself trapped in a cage. This was truly shameful! ''Let me out!'' he shouted while the woman leaned against the tree eyeing him with amus.e.m.e.nt. ''How long are you going to stay in that dragon form? A golden dragon, so ugly...'' That''s it! He prided himself for his good looks and this violent woman was demeaning him. ''You! Just you wait! I may be ugly in my dragon form, let''s see if you''ll say the same when I''m in my human form.'' A golden halo of light enclosed his body and as the light faded, his appearance was restored to normal. The woman narrowed her eyes at the little lizard- Hawk like gaze, chiselled face, high cheekbones and most importantly his dark bronze skin tone; she concluded that the lizard was handsome. He was totally ording to her taste but, Too bad, he was too young for her. He looked like he was a few hundreds of years younger than her and she was not into younger men. She then eyed his attire- the golden ck robes which signified royaltyy dr.a.p.ed on his body. The woman''s eyebrows rose a bit as a realization dawned on her. In a tone which reflected the same, she stated ''You are the youngest prince of the Dragon race, aren''t you?'' On seeing him purse his lips, a sly smirk spread across her lips. This time she spoke with confidence ''Wee to my home or in other words to your hell, Prince Long Li Wei.'' "Big Brother, wake up! What happened to you?!" The anxious shouts of Jun Moyin made the images in his mind came to a halt and consciousness slowly dawned on Xuan Li Wei. A frown creased his brows and he slowly opened his eyes. Looking at the concerned face of his brother, Xuan Li Wei blinked his eyes as his mind drifted off to his dream. Why did he see himself and Xia Lian in his dream? And, why was he younger than her? Most importantly, why was he behaving like a fool in there? Is it really a dream? But, him getting trashed by Xia Lian... It seemed too realistic to him. Shaking his head, Xuan Li Wei dismissed the ridiculous notions. No, it must be a dream. But, even he had to admit that it was a scary dream. Chapter 193 - Target Red Scorpion (1) Chapter 193 - Target Red Scorpion (1) Xuan Li Wei paid no heed to Jun Moyin''s incessant chatter as his mind was still hovering over his dream, or so he thought. He want to dismiss off the dream as pure nonsense, but a part of him was telling him otherwise. It was not like he could narrate this experience of his to someone. They would simply dismiss him off and they might evenbel him as an imbecile. Sighing in his heart, he buried the beautiful nightmare in his heart- it was a nightmare as he found his actions of burning the garden unforgivable and it was beautiful because of her. Though the woman had a slight muscr body and tanned skin, he was sure that the woman looked like Xia Lian, more like older version of her. Is the current Xia Lian going to look like that a few yearster? Though many things in his dream did not make sense, like him being a dragon and her being hundreds of years older than her, he would not mind in the least if she looked like that in the future. She was exotic and enchanting, well to him she definitely was. Seated by his side, Jun Moyin was totally baffled on seeing his brother''s blushing face. Why was his big brother blushing? For sure, he did not say something embarrassing. Then, is it... With a naughty look on his face, Jun Moyin bent towards his still dreaming brother and whispered in a low voice "Brother, you had a perverted dream. Didn''t you?" The expression on Xuan Li Wei''s face stilled and his usual coldness returned, in a chilling voice he said "Don''t you want to live anymore?" "Aiyoo! Big brother, why are you so boring?" Jun Moyin whined, folding his hands across his chest and sporting a scowl on his face, he started "Actually big brother, you were blushing the entire time I''m speaking. You looked like you were in a daze, even now your cheeks are stained red. If your skin is pale white, then I''m sure that you would have looked like a ripe tomato." "Jun Moyin, get out before I strangle you!" "Well, I will. But, big brother are you sure that it''s not a..." "Moyin!" "I''m leaving!" Noticing the edge in his brother''s voice, Jun Moyin made the wise decision to flee away from the ce. Though he was feeling bad that he was not able to extract the truth from his brother, he had witnessed a truly exciting scene. His stone of a brother was blushing! Hehe! It''s time to spread the news to his other brothers! With a new mission on his hand, Jun Moyin hopped away while Xuan Li Wei was currently looking into a mirror to determine if he was truly blushing or not. And, the answer clearly gave rise to a new question in his heart. Why was he blushing? ... The night had descended in the city. Xia Lian and Lu Wen strode in the streets lit by lights their feet tracing the familiar roads. Turning into the dark alley at the corner of the street, Xia Lian and Lu Wen made their way towards the tiny door which seemed to be embedded in the wall. Reaching the door, Xia Lian tapped on the door a few times in a predetermined pattern. The door opened revealing two burly looking bodyguards. Taking a look at the signature mask of Xia Lian, both men bent their waists respectfully "Please enter in, yer." Xia Lian cringed at the title which everyone addressed her in the yer grounds. It had all started the night when she had defeated the man who had the title of yer. Just like that, the title yer was passed on to her. After witnessing her fight in the ring, not many dared to challenge her. Everyone who had dared to were soundly defeated by her. So, she had now be a godly figure in the eyes of all the fighter and the sight of men about twice her age bowing to her made Xia Lian rather ufortable. So, she had stoppeding to the grounds which had initially caught her interest. Today she had toe because she was challenged and coincidentally her challenger was the man she had wanted to meet. The man went by the code name Red Scorpion and the interesting thing was that the man was the top fighter of the Mogui Fen organization, which was rumored as the top among the horde of the mercenary organizations. Xia Lian had her own ns for the said mercenary organization and for them toe into fruition she had to meet with the owner first. And this red scorpion was the perfect bait in her eyes. As she entered the threshold of the fighting ring, many eyes fell on her. Unaffected by their stares, Xia Lian strode towards the wine counter and settled on one of the stone stools, with Lu Wen seated beside her. Initially she asked Lu Wen to stay back, but the over protective big brother had insisted on apanying her lest any mishaps should happen. On seeing Lu Wen, Old Guo who distributed wines shed a wide smile. Almost instantly, the old uncle ced Lu Wen''s preferred wine on the table. Xia Lian felt envious on seeing this scene, previously when she had asked the old man for wine he had chastised her. He said that wine is not for underdeveloped men like her. The old uncle had concluded that she was too young to drink, he even ordered the other uncles to not serve her any wine. If not for his kind face, Xia Lian would have believed that the old man had a grudge against her. On seeing her ming look, old Guo raised an eyebrow "What''s with that look? Grow up a bit and you can have all the wine you want." With a deadpanned look on her face, Xia Lian turned around only to have her view obstructed by a person. "So, you are yer." A voice sounded above her head. "Yes, I am." Meeting the eyes of the man who''s face looked rather scary, Xia Lian answered calmly. On seeing her unaffected, Red Scorpion swept his eyes across her figure. With mirth filled voice, he said "You are rather tiny for a man..." On the side, Lu Wen froze but Xia Lian raised her brows in amus.e.m.e.nt. Reciprocating his earlier gesture, Xia Lian swept her gaze across the man named Red Scorpion. In the same mirth filled voice, she dropped the words "Well, you are rather huge..." *cough!* On her side, Lu Wen was so stunned by her choice of words that he choked on his wine. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!