Next morning... in the forest near the Gate of Devil's Wrath, for some weird coincidences... Zi Xia and her master wandered to this part of forest. Zi Xia was really ecstatic with her new-found interest, horse-riding... it seemed that she found a black horse tied to a tree with the owner no where in sight. From the looks of it, the horse's owner must be a man of great importance. The horse had a gold trimmed black leather saddle, with a dragon emblem encrusted, on him. The beggar, sensed something amiss, warned Zi Xia against taking the horse but our headstrong Zi Xia won't listen. Surprisingly, the horse obeyed her commands and let her ride. The black stallion moved as swift as the wind yet quite gentle with his new owner. Yet he had quite a temperament. He refused to let Zi Xia stroke it or pat it. Each time she tried, he would galloped all around uncontrollably until she stopped or whinnied as if he saw a ghost. It puzzled Zi Xia to no end.

Zi Xia( talking to the horse): Your master must be one very strict guy. You're not use to gentle loving or kind gestures. Poor you.... You are afraid... but why...
Beggar: Zi Xia, that beast does not understand you or could answer you back so you might as well shut up and get that horse going...
Zi Xia: I'm trying. But he won't budge..(notice the portal) what is that??? (Inched closer, the beggar stopped him from moving any closer.. His expression showed fear)
Beggar: It's dangerous. That's the doorway to the Netherworld, where evil demons rule and monsters dwell. No place for mortals like us.
Zi Xia (curious): But at least let me see it...
Beggar: No!!

The beggar snatched the reins and flung Zi xia on the horse. With his bamboo staff, he hit the poor horse's back sending it galloping through the forest with Zi Xia screaming in protest. He cast one sidelong glance towards the inter-dimensional portal. Silently, he thought... ' The prophecy will be fulfill. Yet I fear for Zi Xia... Is this the only way?? Could she change the fates, end the feud and stop the Armageddon (the day where the Netherworld collides with Real World and the demons will rule both worlds).'

Zi Xia, still cursing the poor beggar, scrambled to grasp control of the horse. ' Halt, horsie... Stop!!!' The horse obeyed. She gently maneuvered the horse around back towards the gate. She wanted to know why does the beggar acted like that? ' The gate must hold the key to it. Maybe, there's an awful evil creature in that world whom master feared and he doesn't want me to meet whatever it is. Well, I fear no one... no demon or devil or monster could harm me. I'm the Great Lord Zhao's daughter, feared by all, equal by none!! Come on, horsie... Let's go.'

At the other side of the gate... Hu Fei were bidding farewell to Jia Ren.

Hu Fei: Remember our plans. You will stop the Zhaos while my brothers and I retrieve the sword.
Jia Ren (nodded): The plan have just begun. In the Tianshan City, we will stage our plan. From my calculations they should be there by now and heading right into our trap.
Hu Fei (laughed): I can't wait to see you in action, Jia Ren...
Jia Ren: (smiled wickedly) Hush, you must get going. It'll take at least a week from the Gates to get to the Lake. I don't want you to miss anything.
Hu Fei: Don't worry, I'll be there soon enough.

With a slight bow of the head, Hu Fei stepped past the portal, returning to the Real World.

Near the gates, Zi xia was hiding behind the trees waiting for the so called creature to show itself. True enough, a figure clad in black emerged from the portal. With a bow and arrow in her hand, her master's instructions echoing in her minds, she aimed for the creature. Silently she said to herself,' Oh God, please don't let me miss him. I'll make master proud. Now, be one with the arrow. Three, two, one....'

Swish... the arrow sliced through the air. Hu Fei, sensing it, leapt up, skillfully catching the arrow with bare hands. ' Coward!!! Who are you who dare to challenge me? Come out and fight!!' he called out enraged. Zi Xia, shocked to see that the creature was a fellow mortal, ran for her life. Hu Fei saw her and ran after her.

He managed to overtake, used his Dragon Fist. Zi Xia quickly dodged the attack. Since she had no sword, she quickly fashioned a makeshift knives from old bamboo splinters and aimed it on the weakest nerve spots. Hu Fei, quite taken seeing the shooter was quite skilled too (and pretty), using the winds, charged a torrent of dead leaves which successfully shield him from the flying splinters. Seeing that he was much better fighter compared to her, Zi Xia used her plan B.

She quickly jumped onto the horse and managed to distance herself from the chaser (Hu Fei). Realising that whoever tried to shot him also managed to steal his horse, using his own Ultra Lightness kungfu, leapt from trees to trees at superhuman speed. He let out a high-pitched whistle calling Centaur. The horse stooped and turned back much to Zi Xia's surprice. She panicked and quickly jumped off the horse. Alas, she didn't see where she was going. Centaur had chosen a path right next to a steep cliff near a realy high waterfall. The second Zi Xia chosen to jump off was right at the moment where Centaur decided to leap across the turbulent rapids just before the tumbling waterfalls. When she finally noticed the falls, she managed to held onto a branch of a tree which perched inches away from her watery grave.

Zi Xia screamed for help. Hu Fei heard her and came to her rescue. He extended his hand to pull her up but she refused to take his hand.

Hu Fei: Just grab my hand.
Zi Xia: Leave me, you fool. Just take your horse and go.
HU Fei: Quit being stubborn
Zi Xia: I'm Not being STUBBORN!!!

HU Fei astonished to see her open defiance, quite irked since this ungrateful girl has refused his kind offering which he rarely bestowed to anyone especially strangers. But since he was quite in jovial mood (now that the Zhaos have no chance defeating the Lungs), he feels that the girl desrves a chance to live. After all, he wanted to know why the helll this strange kill try to kill him in the first place. Not to mention stealing his horse.

Hu Fei with a slight flick of the wrist immobilizes Zi Xia's hand, she cried in pain, lets go the branch and screamed as she plunged into the water. Inches before hitting the water, Hu Fei unleashed his whip and successfully catched her. He pulled her safely to shore with her gasping for breath. Just before she gets to shore, Zi Xia retaliate by kicking right on Hu Fei's face but he ducked just in time and tossed her onto the ground. She stubbornly tried to get up but he kept her pinned to the ground. ' Let me go!!!' she screamed!! Really fed up with her antics, HU Fei decided to silent her with a... kiss??

Zi Xia was really shocked by his rude gesture. She almost bite him but he held her down. The feeling was almost heaven. When the kiss was over, she was more breathless.

Zi Xia: HOw dare you???
HU Fei: You're too noisy... I see that as the only way to shut you up.

She pouted and angrily got up to her feet.

Zi Xia: Why bother to save me? I tried to kill you.
Hu Fei: You know, I was getting to that. Why?? You don't know me... I don't know you. What motives you had to kill me?
Zi Xia (embarasingly replied): I thought you're a demon trying to kill my master.
Hu Fei(laughed): Oh I see... now...Who's your master?
Zi Xia(shrugged): I don't know his name but he warned me against going near the portal. I thought that there was something or someone he feared living in the other side of the gates. and when you appeared....
Hu Fei: You think it was me...
Zi Xia: Yess... now that I see you're just an ordinary mortal with weird clothes... I reckoned that you could not be the my master's enemy... or anybody's enemy...
HU Fei: How do you know that I (snickered) don't have any enemy..
Zi Xia: You saved my life! I forever indebted to you. You could kill me but you let me live. Now, I must repay your kindness.
Hu Fei(coldly): You can repay by returning my horse and go back to wherever you came from.

Hu Fei stood up and get on his horse. Without saying a word, he left Zi Xia, riding like the wind, disappearing into the deep forest trees. Zi Xia, quite bewildered, called out, ' Hei mister... Wait!!! Rats... I don't even know his name!!!' She was really puzzled. Why did he leave? Zi Xia just shook her head, dust herself off and went in search of her master. In her mind, she began to replay the happenings just now. The kiss... her first kiss totally shooked her. She shuddered. Who was that man? Was he a devil or just a dashing mortal out to break ladies' hearts? Growing more confused, she wished that she'll never see that horrid man again. But deep in her heart, she know. She was intrigued... fascinated...

The Beggar who watched everything from nearby sighed. Everything was as prophesied, just what written in the stars. Now, the worst is still to come...