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Zhao Zhi Ying (Ying Zi “Shadow”) –
Vicki
Zhao Yuan Feng (Qing Feng amongst his ‘worldy’ friends) , the first prince
– Alec
Zhao Guan Yi, also known as Sung Tai Zong, Emperor of China - whoever!
Zhao Heng , the younger prince – whoever!
Zhao Xin Ping, Yuan Feng’s sister, Princess of China –Kristy Yeung
Zhao Zhi San, adopted son of the emperor – whoever!
Bai Wu – Cheng Ekin
Wu Feng – Louis Khoo
Lin Mei Wah (Xiang Er) - Ruby Lin
Tian Huang, Master of Assassin Guild – whoever
Zhao Yu smiled at his little daughter dancing, then suddenly, his head lifted. He could sense someone watching them, and his heart and mind already told him what was to come. He turned around slowly to face the trees, “Do not hide in the shadows, let me see the face of my killer.” His face drained of blood as he recognised the young man who stepped out of the shadows. It was Bai Wu [my pin yin is BAD but is to mean ‘White Wolf’]. Zhao Yu sighed, knowing his presence meant that his wife, and his servants back at the inn were all dead by now…they had finally found him. “Bai Wu, so it has come to this.” Bai Wu stared at him without any expression in his eyes. “Hei Ying, or should I say, Zhao Da Ren? [Lord Zhao]. You are a spy and traitor to the Assassin Guild, and the Master has ordered your death.” Zhao Yu made no attempt to fight, he’d known this man for the past five years and knew that he could not win this fight. “No, I am not a traitor, my loyalty is to my Emperor, as it has always been. I am not afraid to die, but…” Zhao Yu’s voice faded, and his face paled as he heard Ying Ying childish laughter in the distance. “Bai Wu, for the sake of our friendship once, please spare my daughter,” he begged urgently but the young man only looked at him with the stone cold mask of the assassin. “Assassins do not have friends.” This simple statement struck Zhao Yu to the core, in his panic to save his daughter, he pulls out his sword…
The sword drops with a thud to the ground, Zhao Yu, his eyes blank and blood seeping from the thin red line across his neck, slowly collapses on the flower covered ground. Bai Wu stares down at the man that he had been afraid to call friend, because to have friends, to have feelings…was a weakness that professional killers could not afford to have.
Zhi Ying pouted as the butterfly flew up and away, refusing to play anymore. She turned around to run back to her father…why was he lying on the ground? “Papa!” She called in her childish voice, and ran sturdily on her little legs back to where her father was lying, and the man who was standing over him. She stopped just short and stared at the man with her round little eyes. “Ge ge, why is my papa lying on the ground? Did he fall asleep?” her innocent little face smiled up at Bai Wu, to her four year old’s mind, there wasn’t any bad strangers, just nice people she’d never met. As the man only stared back at her intensely, she ran up to him and took his hand. “Ge ge, what’s your name? My name is Zhao Zhi Ying, but papa calls me Ying Ying.” Bai Wu looked down at the little girl who was beaming innocently up at him, and in his mind, Zhao Yu’s last words echoed, “For the sake of our friendship, spare my daughter…” He raised his hand, and patted the girl’s head, so fragile, all it took was one twist… “Ge ge?” her childish voice interrupts his thoughts, it strikes him deep inside, in a place that he’d never ever expected to feel again…his own little sister…Ling Er, running after him calling “Ge ge!”, her being trampled to death by a cruel lord’s horse as the lord laughed and laughed…
Bai Wu’s hand left the little girl’s head, he couldn’t do it...seeing her big round eyes staring so trustingly up at him, he saw Ling Er’s eyes… “Do you want to be my mei mei?” He asked abruptly, his mind in turmoil, but the little girl only laughed and clapped her hands delightedly. “Oh yes, yes, I’ve always wanted a ge ge!” She threw her arms around his leg, hugging him exuberantly. Bai Wu felt his heart soften, and leaned down to hug her back, “You may call me Wu ge ge, ok?” She nodded, then asked in a tiny voice, “Why is papa still sleeping, Wu ge ge? Is he going to fly away and leave me like the butterfly?” She was too young to understand what death meant, but Bai Wu had seen too much death…did he really want to bring her into his world? But he couldn’t kill her, end her innocent life right here and now…assassins didn’t have family, but his soul longed for one, and this little girl had no one but him now… “Does Ying Ying want to go home with ge ge?” Zhi Ying looked up at her new brother, and smiled. He leaned down and picked her up, after she said a goodbye to her papa and asked him to wake up and come back real soon. Knowing he was breaking the first and basic rule of the Assassin Guild, knowing what he would face with the Master for not completing his mission…Bai Wu carries his new sister into the sunset…
SIXTEEN YEARS LATER
The drunken lord roared with laughter as he grabbed at the semi naked girl, who only giggled and told him to catch her. He ran drunkenly through the gardens of the whorehouse chasing the girl who was used to doing this as part of the entertainment, these lords pay a lot of money for her act, and her…later…Neither noticed the shadow that was in the trees above them…suddenly the lord fell, and dropped to the ground, silent. The whore turned back, and thinking the lord was drunk, she runs up to him and cradles his head. “My lord, you’re too drunk, we should get back…” her voice faded as she finally noticed the lord wasn’t breathing. In utter shock, she dropped his head, and starts screaming in terror…she never saw the little hole in the lord’s neck made by a tiny needle, nor the shadow that was moving through the trees, disappearing into the night…
“Shi Fu, my mission is complete. Lord Bao is dead.” The steady, emotionless tone of a girl’s voice made Tian Huang look up, he’d sensed her kungfu already, her silent lethal walk could not hide her presence from him. “Well done, Ying Zi, well done. You may retire now, I will summon you when I have another mission for you,” he dismissed her, ignoring her round, cold, dead eyes looking at him. She turned silently and walked away. You are getting very good at this, Ying Zi, he thought. Too good, in fact, he thought grimly, I should put my plan into action soon. I don’t want Ying Zi to go astray like Bai Wu before I get my revenge, his eyes cold as he contemplated this charade he’d put together sixteen years ago…she is ready. Soon, he thought almost happily, soon I will avenge myself on all of them…the Emperor, his precious son, Zhao Yu, Bai Wu and ah, yes, the Ying Zi herself…The Master of the Assassin Guild clasped his hands together and rested his chin on them. Let the games begin…
One day, Ying Zi thought, as she silently walked back to her rooms in this dark palace that she’d been trapped in for the last sixteen years, her eyes showing a dim light of fury now that no one was there to see her. One day, I will kill you…
The girl dressed in bright red and pink silks narrowed her eyes as she saw the silent approach of Ying Zi in the corridors. “So you’re back? How was the mission?” she asked in a sweet voice and a condescending smile, neither of which hid her hatred for this girl, this Ying Zi, who was, and has always been, an unknown, a threat to her position here in the Assassin Guild. Ying Zi looked at her with dull, impassive eyes, her senses had already told her of the girl’s presence, the sweet sickly smell that permeated the air only reinforced her presence. “The mission was completed.” She stated simply, and would have continued walking, but the girl stepped in front of her, her beautiful, painted face twisted into an ugly expression. “Don’t you dare ignore me, Ying Zi, I have as much right as you do for being here!” Ying Zi laughed bitterly inside, probably more, Xiang Er, she thought, probably more. You want to belong here, I wish I didn’t…She pushed pass the girl, saying, in a quiet tone, “Get out of my way.” Xiang Er turned and spat out in a high pitched voice, “Don’t get too above yourself Ying Zi, or the Master may get rid of you, just like Bai Wu.” At this, Ying Zi froze, and silently swung back to look at Xiang Er who paled, suddenly afraid of what she saw in the normally impassive Ying Zi’s face. “If I hear you utter any word about Bai Wu Ge again…” “I’m not afraid of you!” shrieked Xiang Er, trying to hide the fear in her heart, “You wouldn’t dare, the Master loves me…” She faded as Ying Zi only laughed coldly. “Do you think I even care?” Her eyes grew flinty. “Don’t push your luck, Xiang Er, if I wanted to kill you, there’s no one in the world who could stop me.” She turned and strolled away, leaving Xiang Er staring after her, at lost for words.
Ying Zi closed her eyes, trying to seek her peace as she relaxed in the warm bath water, breathing in the steam. She was so tired, tired of killing, tired of living like this, tired of not being in command of her own life, tired…tired of living as a ying zi…Bai Wu Ge, she thought, her mind filling with the hazy image of her brother, so many years ago. Why? Why did you bring me here? Why didn’t you just kill me when you killed my family, let me die as Zhi Ying? Her eyes were soft as she remembered her Wu Ge Ge, he’d been the only family she’d had. She, the Ying Zi, knew what courage it must have taken him to not just kill the little girl she’d been, but instead let her into his heart and taken her home…but his home had been here, this dark prison. She could remember dimly Wu Ge Ge had left her with a lady in the local village, remember herself crying every time he went away and left her alone, until….
FLASHBACK (VERY LONG!!!)
Ying Ying’s head hurt, and she wondered why she was lying in such an
uncomfortable place, and why could she smell the ocean? Dimly she heard a
man’s voice, a voice that made the four year old girl shiver…even at such an
age, she could hear the ice, the lack of ‘goodness’…Ying Ying had always
seen people as ‘good’, this was the first time in her life she’d ever
thought of anything as not ‘good’. With a new founded caution, she didn’t
open her eyes, but kept listening, wondering…
“Bai Wu, why did you not complete your mission?” the man’s steely voice
made Ying Ying feel really cold. She heard her brother’s voice say softly,
“Zhao Yu and his family of 20 people are all dead, as ordered.” Papa? She
thought curiously, what about papa? “But you left this one. Why is she not
dead?” Bai Wu looked up at his sifu, his Master, with a previously unseen
expression in his eyes, “Because I couldn’t kill her. Master, she is but
four years old…” He paused as his Sifu laughed coldly in disbelief.
“Don’t tell me you’ve developed a heart Bai Wu. Assassins do not feel, do
not pity, assassins kill and complete their missions. Have you forgotten all
that I’ve taught you?!?” “No, Master,” Bai Wu replied softly, his mind
confused at the strong feeling in his heart. He did not know how to label it,
he’d spent his whole life under the master, as Bai Wu…this feeling, he could
not know the name of it was defiance. “Then kill her. NOW.” A sword
clattered as it fell to the floor in front of him.
Tian Huang watched with narrowed eyes as Bai Wu stared at the sword, his face
revealing the inner struggle. This boy is getting dangerous, he thought, how
dare he defy me!
Bai Wu looked at the unconscious Ying Ying, his little sister. He couldn’t do
it. He threw himself in front of his master, saying stiffly, “Master, forgive
me. I cannot do it.” Tian Huang’s eyes flared. “You would break oath as
assassin?” “Yes.” Bai Wu sighed, his head hanging in defeat, not knowing
why he could not simply raise his hand and with a simple twist, end Ying Ying,
end this conflict inside him. Tian Huang stared at his pupil, his most powerful
pupil, then hid his furious expression. He knew what he had to do, he was
planning to eliminate Bai Wu anyway, as he was a threat to his position, but
now… “Then I must take away your position as an Assassin, and your kungfu.”
Bai Wu didn’t speak, he knew his martial arts came from his master, surely it
was up to him to take it back….what he didn’t expect was for Tian Huang to
suddenly reach out with his Catching Stars Fist and clamping his forehead, began
to draw all his kungfu energy from him, he felt so weak…then as he collapsed
on the ground, Tian Huang reached out and with a sickening crush, broke all his
arms and legs…Bai Wu screamed in pain….
Ying Ying heard his scream echo in her mind…Ge Ge!!! Her little heart pounced,
she was so afraid, she would have ran to him if she didn’t hear the Master’s
evil laughter…it reverberated in her head…she was frozen by horror…
“No one leaves the Assassin Guild alive, Bai Wu, and no one defies me!” He
laughed as Bai Wu tried to reach his little sister, his limbs dragging behind
him, useless. “Good bye, my dear pupil…” he drawled, and with a well aimed
Fire and Wind Palm, his powers threw Bai Wu helplessly over the cliff…
Ying Ying laid there in the silence, her innocent mind trying to cope with the
horror she’d heard, the gut wrenching scream that echoed in her mind…she
felt herself picked up and carried away. As she dangled helplessly over Tian
Huang’s shoulder, she felt a coldness in her heart that she’d never felt
before, her little eyes burned beneath the cover of her eyelids. No tears
trickled out of her round eyes, her eyes were dry on her little pale face, as
she thought, with a clarity beyond her years, one day, she will kill this man…
END OF FLASH BACK
Ying Zi sat up in the lukewarm bath water, her round eyes clouded as she remembered…that was the day Ying Ying, Zhao Zhi Ying, had died. She was Ying Zi now, the shadow, her whole life devoted to survival, to revenge…she clutched at the wooden rim of the bath tub, her knuckles white. The scars on her arms and legs were all marks of her survival, each one made her promise, in the depths of her mind, to repay in full to the man who’d ruled her life, who’d killed Ying Ying and made her a Ying Zi…but that was just as well, she thought, as she stared at her hands. In her mind, she saw them tainted with blood, the blood of all the people she’d killed since she was fourteen. Her heart didn’t feel any regret, and sorrow at what she’d had to do, she couldn’t feel, couldn’t cry anymore…yes, all that had died with the death of Ying Ying, the death of her childhood innocence…only Ying Zi can be as cold as the Master…only Ying Zi can kill…
“Else, I’ll kill you.” The simple statement stopped him in his tracks. “Ying Zi, why? Why won’t you care for me? Why do you push me away every time…” “Because you disgust me.” Her cold eyes showed the truth in her words. “But I need you…” She laughed coldly. “Yes, I’m sure you do, like you need to conquer every woman that crosses your path. I don’t think so, Wu Feng. Get out of my room.” She turned away, silently dismissing him. Wu Feng stared at her beautiful figure, then said, quietly, “What can I do to change your heart? What do you want me to do?” Ying Zi laughed mockingly. “Go to Xiang Er,” she said, “Don’t you always?” He only stared at her, this woman he so needed to conquer, then turned and left. Ying Zi sighed, finally revealing her inner fear of Wu Feng, of what he wanted to do to her. To possess her, to conquer her, because she was the only one who refused him…he was no different from all those around her, these people who wanted to rule her life. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, the young pretty face, with the bright round eyes that were wise, and sad, beyond her years. Her heart yearned for something she no longer had a name for...would anyone ever see the lost Ying Ying inside? She shook herself, then pasted a cynical smile on her face. Wake up Ying Zi, she thought to herself, you’re an assassin, assassins don’t need people, assassins don't...love...
Xiang Er looked up as the door to her room banged open. She smiled sweetly at the disgruntled Wu Feng who walked towards her. “So, she turned you away again, did she…” Her voice dripped with sarcasm, then stopped as Wu Feng grabbed her into his arms and kissed her hard…She looped her arms around him, and together, they made their way to the bed…
On a hill, far away from the Assassin Guild’s stronghold, a young man sat alone staring up at the stars, playing a melancholy tune on a leaf. His heart yearned for something that he had no name for. Suddenly a voice called, “Your Highness!” He sighed as he tucked his leaf away, if only he could be as free as his common name, Qing Feng…squaring his shoulders, he assumed his regal bearing as he turned to watch his guard approach. “Your Highness, a letter from his Majesty.” Holding out an envelope. He stared at it, and took it, waving the soldier away. His face grew grave as he read the words on the piece of paper…sighing inwardly, he knew it was time to go. Saying a silent good bye to the Qing Feng who could sit and stare at the stars in peace, Zhao Yuan Feng got up, and brushing at his clothes, made his way back to the camp, where he would have to pack, and go back to the golden palace that was his home…
“Yuan Feng, are you listening?” His father’s voice jolted him out of his reverie. “I’m sorry, father.” “I said, unfortunately I need to send you out again. There have been rumours of a rebel group gathering in Guangdong, I need you to go and investigate this for me, as it’s a sensitive matter. And…” “Father?” Yuan Feng looked up, startled at his father’s hesitance. The Emperor sighed, as he looked at his favourite son. “I need you to get your ‘kongwu’ friends to keep an eye out, Xin Ping’s disappeared.” Yuan Feng eyes widened. Oh no. “You mean, she’s been kidnapped? Or she’s run off again?” “What do you think?” snapped his father, then made an effort to calm himself down. That daughter of his… “What else is our Princess Xin Ping famous for? I knew I should have not listened to your queen mother and sent her to Moi Dong Mountains for training…you turned out fine, with good martial arts training, but your sister…” he sighed, at lost for words. It was only to this son that he could express his concern and his doting on his favourite daughter, Xin Ping, who was like no other princess. It was his fault, he supposed, thought the Emperor wryly, but he loved seeing his daughter happy, and as he himself had not grown up as a royal, he himself didn’t like all the rules and regulations of being royalty. As Emperor, he had to be stern and fair to all, but as a father…he turned a blind eye, to some degree, to the propriety of his favourite daughter’s actions. But now, she’d gone too far.
Yuan Feng knew immediately that his little sister had wandered off to be a ‘swordgirl’ again…if only she was a boy, he thought ruefully, then I could be entirely guiltless in leaving the struggle for the throne to her. But…I must continue with this path, he thought soberly, it is my duty. Dimly in his heart, his soul yearned for something that every common person had…freedom…and unconditional love…
“Father, don’t worry, I will find her. If there is nothing more…” he made as if to withdraw, but his father wasn’t finished. “Yuan Feng, I want you to be careful this time. The reports I got, which you can read later, indicate that there may be a bigger plot behind this rebel group, possibly something to do with…the Assassin Guild and it’s master…I NEED to eliminate that man, he’s caused me too much trouble and pain for too many years.” Yuan Feng nodded, his expression very serious. The Assassin Guild? The Master? His normally genial eyes narrowed. That man…yes…there were debts to be paid…his memory flashed back to his childhood when a favourite ‘uncle’ of his would teach him how to fish and climb trees…and a certain little girl…who chased butterflies…Prince Sung Yuan Feng suddenly felt glad he’d gotten this mission. After all these years, it was finally time…to settle old scores…
Zhao Guang Yi stared silently after his son’s back, and wondered about the wisdom of sending Yuan Feng after the Assassin Guild. If anything happened to him…his thoughts were dark, but then, I had to survive a lot worse to get here. If he is to be king, he must see what the darker side of life looks like, to be able to keep his throne. But…Zhao Guang Yi remembered all the bloodshed, betrayals, pain and lost he’d went through to get this throne…did he really want Yuan Feng to have to do the same? Yuan Feng might make a good crown prince, a good emperor, but did he really want to be king? The Emperor of China shrugged off these thoughts. What will be will be, he thought, the heavens has it’s own plan. Why else would I, common soldier that I was, be Emperor of all China? And go from having a loving wife and good friends, to now, surrounded by family, hundreds of wives and concubines, that plot against each other, like snakes, and despite ruling the world, having absolute power and wealth…have no friends? His thoughts dwelt on Tian Huang, and Zhao Yu. If only…
Ying Zi stood silent in the study of the Master of Assassins, her face impassive as Tian Huang took out a paper envelope. “Here is your next mission…”
Ying Zi took the envelope and opened it, staring at the piece of paper with expressionless eyes, her face betraying none of the thoughts that were going through her head. She nodded slightly, then dropped the paper into the coal burner in front of her, erasing all traces of it’s existence. Tian Huang was watching her closely, but she was too well trained. “Xiang Er is already in Guangdong stirring up mischief for us, hence your target will soon be sent to the town to settle things down. You will go there and wait for him, he would most likely join his followers and the group of imperial guards camping a few miles from the town itself. Then you will finish the mission and leave this letter next to the body,” he hands her a sealed letter, which Ying Zi takes without a word, and tucks it away into her sleeve. “Yes, Master.” He waves her out of the room. Ying Zi turns, and walks out silently, her mind somewhat troubled. Closing the doors behind her, she fails to see the glint of triumph in her Master’s eyes…
Ying Zi’s face was impassive as she returned to her quarters to pack, as Guangdong was quite a bit of distance. Her mind was somewhat confused. Her target…she didn’t know him, how could she? She thought cynically, she had no life outside these walls, she was just a shadow, a yingzi, but…she’d heard a lot about him. True, only rumours, but too many to all be false…he was a good ruler, a good prince…for a moment, Ying Ying felt sick…she stared at her set of golden needles, all dipped in deadly poison. Could she do it? Kill a good, kind ruler, and make the rest of the people suffer for her action? But…Ying Zi controlled herself, pushing away the uneasy feeling, the sudden emergence of the innocent girl inside her, I’m an assassin, she thought bitterly. Assassins kill…no matter who, or what I have to do, I must carry out the mission…even if it’s a prince, or the king himself…
Swinging the small bundle of clothes onto her back, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Dressed as a normal ‘swordgirl’, she looked like any other normal young girl who wandered the land doing deeds with their martial arts…but her eyes, her round eyes glinted with wisdom, and sadness far beyond her years. If only this image was real, she thought, if only…I was free…a dim memory of running after a butterfly flashed through her mind…the distant memory of having smiled, having laughed with joy…she smiled slightly, but then an image flashed through her mind…a butterfly pinned dead by a needle…Ying Zi’s eyes hardened as she stared at herself in the mirror, remembering. She’d only been ten, learning to aim with deadly accuracy for the golden needles…standing blindfolded as small pieces of paper were released from the ceiling…she stared at the scars on her arms...she’d been whipped by the master, one lash for missing one piece. Then, on the last day, somehow, a butterfly had gotten into the room…she’d killed it, then realised what she’d done…she’d killed something very dear to her, her dreams…but assassins should have no dreams, as they have no futures, no destinies. They are only shadows in the night…
Deep in thought, Ying Zi jumped suddenly as she heard someone breathing behind her. She swung around, her face showing none of her panic inside…it was Wu Feng. His intense eyes stared at her, at her disguise as a swordgirl…it made her different, less…less cold, less like the shadow she’d been named. Ying Zi gripped the sword she held in her right hand tightly, the engraved patterns on the scabbard making prints in her hand. She did not like the way his eyes were moving over her, examining her…it made her want to shiver. It was funny, she thought, her face showing none of her emotions, how is it I can stand unafraid in the face of death and torture so many times in all these years, yet be afraid of this man, who…who doesn’t want to kill me, but just…just want to…she couldn’t think it, the thought made her want to shiver in fear and disgust. I’ll really die then, she thought silently, he would kill what little respect and hope I still have inside. He would kill all my dreams entirely. “What do you want?” she asked quietly, her voice cold. “I came to say goodbye,” he replied huskily, taking a step closer, but Ying Zi raised her arm, holding her sheathed sword sideways to keep him away. “You’ve said it, now please leave,” her eyes looking at him steadily, her voice betraying none of the unease she felt inside.
“Ying Zi, I…” Wu Feng began, but she stopped him. “Just get out, Wu Feng! I’m not interested in what you have to say, never have been, and never will!” Wu Feng’s eyes flared, as his anger rose. “Ying Zi, who do you think you are?!? I, Wu Feng, have hundreds of women begging me to be with them, but I only want you! Don’t you feel happy in that…” “In what?” she interrupted him in a scornful voice, “Yes, I am happy in that I’m the one who refuses to get into your bed as some kind of prize, some kind of pathetic trophy to your manhood! I would rather die first, do you hear me? If you’re so wonderful then you can just go and make those hundreds of women happy, and me happy by disappearing from my sight!” She stormed pass him to leave, but he grabbed her arm. Whipping around, she would have attacked him but he grabbed her other arm, and whispered in an intense voice, “You WILL be mine, Ying Zi, when the Master makes me his heir, the first thing I will do is ask him to give you to me, and he won’t refuse. You will be mine forever, and there isn’t a thing you can do about it.” He tightened his grip on her arms as his wild eyes stared down at her. Ying Zi felt a shiver go down her spine…no, that would never happen…and if it came down to that… “I would kill myself first.” Suddenly using her kungfu, she pushed him away forcefully, her face drained of blood. “I would die before I let you take me.” Before Wu Feng could retort, she used her ‘Light Steps’ and left the room, disappearing like the shadow she was named. Wu Feng stared angrily into the darkness…whatever I have to do, you WILL be mine, Ying Zi, I swear it!
***
A young lad with a muddy face and dressed in dirty rags ran up to one of the street vendors and grabbed a bun before running off down the street. The owner yelled, “Stop thief! You dirty little beggar!” The boy grinned as he turned around to see the big fat man trying to run after him, when suddenly he crashed into someone. Sitting stunned on the ground, he looked up to see a crowd of people gathering around him as the owner came up, gasping. “You dirty little thief…you disgusting creature! How dare you steal from me, you…you motherless son…” “HEY!” the boy exploded, standing up, “Don’t you dare say that! All I did was take your bun, fine, I don’t want it anymore, have it back!” he shoved the bun back into the owner’s hand, but the man wasn’t satisfied. “It’s dirty now, no one would want it! I’m going to teach you a lesson!” Raising his hand to beat the boy, who tried to duck…then looked up as the expected blow didn’t come. “I think that’s enough, mister,” a steely voice said quietly.
The boy’s eyes widened to see a swordgirl of about twenty, holding onto the fat man’s big wrist and the man’s face white with pain. “But…but he’s a thief!” A few coins tinkled as they hit the ground. “He isn’t now. Take your money and go.” She flicked his wrist away contemptuously and the man fell to the ground, scrambling for the money. She turned to walk away, but the boy ran up to her. “Thank you for saving me! You’re so brave, and smart, what’s your name?” She just kept walking, but the boy grabbed her sleeve. The girl turned around and flicked him away, but seeing the shocked look on his face, her eyes softened. So young and innocent…she thought, to think that I could have been like her, if…she shook her head slightly, her mind was still amazed that she’d butt into their business in the first place. Looking at the forlorn little figure in front of her, Ying Zi only said quietly, “Next time you want to disguise as a boy, you might want to be a bit more careful. You wouldn’t want others to know, would you?” She turned and disappeared quickly into the crowds….leaving the little figure staring after her. She KNEW I was a girl? Xin Ping thought, Wow, she’s so smart…I would love to be as smart and powerful in martial arts as her…the Imperial Princess Xin Ping of China, hurried forward, trying to catch a glimpse of the her vanished rescuer…
Desolated, Xin Ping walked into an inn, her mind still on that girl who’d saved her…she was like the idol that Xin Ping had longed for…sitting down at a table, she ignored the others who were holding their noses and giving her contemptuous looks. She did this deliberately, having lived all her life in a palace where everyone fawned over her no matter what she did, it was fun to see what people would be like if they didn’t know who she was… “Little beggar, we don’t do charity here, please leave!” It was the owner of the inn, his voice full of disgust. Xin Ping looked up at him coolly. “I’m not here for charity.” She reached inside her pocket and threw a silver tael onto the table. The owner gawked at the big tael as Xin Ping fought to hide a grin. “I want the best food, the best wine…anything that’s expensive here!” she said expansively. “Yes, yes..of course, of course master…” Xin Ping suddenly felt sad at his tone…was this how all people reacted in the sight of money? Picking up her cup of wine, she took a small sip, and sighed.
“Who taught you to drink?” A quiet voice behind her made her jump, dropping her cup. Turning around, she saw a young man standing there, watching her with twinkling eyes, and she grinned. “Feng ge ge!” she screamed, throwing her arms around him. Yuan Feng hugged his errant sister softly, then looked at her, his eyes incredulous. “What on earth have you been up to, you silly girl, or don’t I want to know?” Sitting down at the table with his sister, a princess in rags, Yuan Feng thought amusedly, and this is my normally courtly and graceful sister… “What are you doing? Father’s been worried sick! Did you run off or did you actually finish your training…” seeing the innocent look that Xin Ping was giving him, he sighed, knowing the answer. “Ge, I don’t want to go back so soon! I’m sure father didn’t send YOU just to find me….you must have something else to do, right? Please, please, please let me stay with you…” “Well…” Yuan Feng drawled, as his little sister tugged at his sleeve. “Please???” “Father never DID say to send you home right away…” “YES!!! Thank you ge ge!!!” Giving him her little girl smile, which only made Yuan Feng laugh…
Ying Zi watched quietly from the corner of the room, where she’d been eating. Her eyes were unreadable as she watched the girl hugged and laughed with her brother…it evoked emotions in her that she didn’t want to examine…would she have been like that? If her own brother hadn’t been killed, COULD she have been so happy, so free? As she watched the man smile indulgently at his sister, she felt a slight twinge in her heart. Family, love, happiness…words that she knew…yet could never mean anything to her…all of them were dead…dead…
Yuan Feng felt eyes watching them and looked up to see a pair of mysterious round eyes across the room. His smile faded as he stared back at the beautiful girl in a pale blue outfit…her eyes, they made him feel so sad, yet…they looked familiar…Xin Ping saw him staring, turned and looked. “Hey, that’s the girl that saved me!” “What?” his attention broken, Yuan Feng turned to look at his sister. “Saved you? What from?” But Xin Ping had already sprung up and was walking to Ying Zi, who was trying to leave. Xin Ping ran up to her. “Jie jie, thank you for saving me back then! My name is Xin Ping and…and that,” pointing at her brother who’d come up too, still looking at the girl, “That’s my brother…” “QING Feng, nice to meet you!” He interrupted his sister, who blushed slightly at forgetting the need to use other identities. Ying Zi looked at the two of them, speechless. It’d been so long since she’d had to talk to anyone…normal…anyone not in that dark palace, that she didn’t know what to say. Always she’d been invisible to the outside world, a shadow…
“What’s your name, jie jie?” Ying Zi looked at Xin Ping in bemusement. “Um…my name…my name is Zhi Ying. Just Ying Ying will do.” Ying Zi’s mind was confused, she couldn’t believe she’d given them her name! But then, she could’ve hardly said it was YingZi, could she? Yuan Feng smiled at her, Zhi Ying, he thought, what a nice name… “Ying Ying, so nice to meet you. Thank you for helping my sister, she’s always causing trouble.” Xin Ping hit him lightly on the arm. Ying Ying could only stare at them, then utter, “Um, I’ve got to go now, nice meeting you.” “Ying Ying jie jie, wait…” Xin Ping stopped as Ying Zi had disappeared already outside. “Why does she always run off?” she grumbled slightly, but her brother wasn’t listening. Yuan Feng’s mind was filled with that brief, but tantalising vision of the mysterious swordgirl and her sad, round eyes…Ying Ying…he thought, and his heart suddenly twinged, strange feelings he’d never really known started to rise…
“Who else is there?” she asked casually, “Our little brother?” Yuan Feng laughed, “No way, he’s still forbidden to leave the…um, our home, since the last prank he pulled on the Queen! But I think Zhi San [their ‘adopted’ brother] is there, father sent him down here first to keep an eye on things…” he paused as Xin Ping stopped dead in her tracks. “I think I’ll rather stay here in the inn,” she said flatly. Yuan Feng sighed in exasperation. “Now what? Xin Ping, stop being so childish!” “I don’t want to see the man, he gives me these weird looks, Feng Ge!” Yuan Feng HAD noticed, but his father had adopted Zhi San, so… “Xin Ping, don’t be silly, you’re his sister. Besides, I’ll be there, if anyone lays a finger on you, I’ll hit them for you, alright? Now come on, don’t make things anymore difficult than they are already.” Xin Ping was about to retort when she noticed her brother’s tone, and the tired look on his face. Her eyes softened, what task did he have to do now? She pitied her brother, who had so many responsibilities and burdens to bear, when deep inside, she knew that he would rather be free than to sit on that gilded throne that loomed in the future, his future. Of all the people around her, he was the only one who loved her for who she was, not WHAT she was, he never expected her to act as the princess she was supposed to be…but then, neither did he want to be the prince…if only they were just a normal family, with normal lives…she reached out to take his arm gently. “Alright, I’ll listen to you.” Yuan Feng smiled down at his sister for her understanding, and they walked off together…
Xiang Er [this is ruby lin, in case everyone forgot!] combed her tresses gently as she stared into the bronze mirror in front of her, where she could see Zhao Zhi San still asleep, snoring away behind her. Her eyes were clouded as she looked at her reflection in the mirror…was that her? How come she didn’t like what she saw? This…this woman, who used her face, and her body, to get what she wanted…was this really her? Behind every face, every person there is a story, what was hers? Her past…she gripped the comb so tight the wood cracked. No, she didn’t want to think of her past, of what had made herself join the Assassin Guild WILLINGLY…she remembered the note that she’d gotten from the homing pigeon this morning…Ying Zi was coming, to fulfil a mission…her eyes flashed in anger. Ying Zi, Ying Zi, Ying Zi…why must it always be Ying Zi?!? Why does she always have to come and take what’s hers? Why is Ying Zi always better than Xiang Er? Xiang Er clenched her small delicate hands into fists. She hated Ying Zi, hated the way she always felt inferior next to her, hated the way every man would look at Ying Zi before they came for her, hated her for…for her strength…her courage…something that Xiang Er wished she had too…Ying Zi’s past was no better than Xiang Er’s , they were both orphans, but...but the paths they walked...Ying Zi’s path had been forced upon her, while Xiang Er had, to some degree, chosen it herself…something she hated herself for, which made her hate Ying Zi even more…because she was a constant reminder…a reminder of her own weakness. Suddenly a pair of arms grabbed her around her waist, and she was assaulted by wet kisses on her face, her neck. She leaned her neck to one side give him more access and his hands roamed her body. Xiang Er closed her eyes as Zhi San picked her up and carried her back to the bed…she felt so dead inside, but she couldn’t cry, no, no one from the Assassin Guild remembered how to cry…and…this was the path she’d chosen, now she must walk it, and there was nothing she could do...
Zhao Zhi San buttoned up his tunic as he watched the girl on his bed sleep. What a beautiful girl she was…and absolutely…delicious…he grinned as he put on his shoes, thinking of what fun he would have tonight, when a voice shouted, “Their Imperial Highnesses, Prince Yuan Fen and Princess Xin Ping!” The blood drained out of his face. What were THEY doing here? He hurried out of his tent, and seeing Yuan Feng, smiled awkwardly, “Brother!” Hugging him, hiding his frustration at seeing Yuan Feng. “Zhi San, how are you? And how is everything?” “Fine, just fine,” he reassured Yuan Feng hurriedly, “Why wouldn’t it be? What is this, a spot inspection?” Xin Ping smiled icily, and said in a formal tone, “Greetings, brother. Yuan Feng Ge is here to take charge, of course, since father sent him.” “Xin Ping Gong Zhu,” he greeted, his face neutral. “Of course, I would be happy to hand the reins over to our brother.” His voice was pleasant, revealing none of the anger he felt. Why is it that Yuan Feng must always show up when things are going so well? Just because he is a true prince, and I’m adopted…I should be the heir, the true prince! Unaware of his brother’s thoughts, Yuan Feng smiled at him, gave Xin Ping a discrete frown, at which she just shrugged. “Come, brother, show me around.” Zhi San nodded, and led them to the troops…
Ying Zi watched from a distant hill as people moved around the tents…she was hidden from their view by a number of bushes. Careful snooping had told her that Xiang Er was no longer with Guangdong city, in the brothels stirring up trouble between the commoners and the guards, instead she’d been ‘taken in’ by the adopted prince, and was within the camp now. Ying Zi didn’t really care, she was only here to assassinate her target…what Xiang Er did, or didn’t do…that was her own business. Besides, she thought, fingering a little porcelain flask she keep in her sash around her waist, we all know what we have to do, and what the consequences are…if we don’t fulfil them in time…Ying Zi crouched amongst the bushes, waiting for the night, waiting to meet this Prince Yuan Feng…and complete her mission…
“Your imperial highness,” Xiang Er curtseyed in front of Yuan Feng, giving him a sweet, seductive smile as she rose, looking him in the eyes…her strong, mysterious perfume wafted towards him and for a moment Yuan Feng was muddleheaded, feeling a strange sense of giddiness…Xiang Er hid her triumphant look as the prince looked at her confused…it was working…it always worked, the strong perfume that permeated from her body and her bewitching eyes drew all men to her…and then…she would strangle them with the bed cloths…HER way of completing missions. And if she did this, then she would be in favour with the master…and Ying Zi would…she couldn’t stop the smug little smile from appearing on her face. However, Yuan Feng suddenly shook his head to clear it of the mind bogging smell…he used his qi gong and suddenly, his mind was clear again. He only smiled briefly at Xiang Er, then turned to his brother, “Zhi San, I’m tired now. I think I’ll retire for the night, and we shall have a meeting on the current situation in the morning.” “Alright, brother,” agreed Zhi San, staring at him, then at Xiang Er, angry that she’d diverted her attentions to his brother now that the ‘higher’ prince was here, yet astonished that his brother had been unaffected. Yuan Feng only said casually, “Good evening, everyone,” and strolled out of the tent…Xiang Er looked after him with astonishment…what? Why didn’t he…? Her mind confused, she forgot to guard her thoughts, and her eyes wandered…till she saw Zhi San’s cold, furious eyes…and shuddered.
Ying Zi was a dark shadow in the night as she stood outside the Prince’s tent, hidden from view due to the total stupidity of the men, by putting the tent near some trees…she watched silently as a dark figure strolled towards the tent, and the guard outside bowed to him. “It’s alright, soldier. You may leave now.” “But your highness…” “I SAID, I would like to be alone.” The man bowed, and left. Yuan Feng sighed as he entered the tent, leaving the flap up as he got out some flint to light the lamp, not noticing the dark shadow that detached itself silently from behind a tree to stand before the tent. Making a small hole in the fabric, Ying Zi surveyed the interior to see her target at the table. Yuang Feng struck the flint a few times, cursing, it was wet…Ying Zi raised her silver gloved right hand, holding deadly golden needles…her hand moved through the air as her eyes watched her target…who suddenly gave up and straightened…his face reflected by the moonlight…in that instant, Ying Zi felt shock as she recognised him… Qing Feng…the big brother of that girl… Bai Wu Ge’s face flashed through her mind…and for the first time in her assassination life…her hand faltered as she released the needles…
Yuan Feng froze as something flashed right by him in front of his face, and heard the thud of the needles hitting the tent post behind him…reacting purely on instinct he used his qi as “Whirlwind Fist” towards the direction where the needles should have come from…Ying Zi knew the instant she released them that the needles would miss…but not that this prince would have such powerful wukong…she jumped and rolled as the fabric in front of her burst, releasing yet more golden needles. But it was useless, her target had already been warned, he avoided them easily, and advanced on the black figure who drew her sword. Flying towards him, she tried to stab him, but Yuan Feng drew his own sword…and they were engaged in a deadly fencing battle for survival…but he was too powerful for her…suddenly Yuan Feng’s hand did a peculiar twist and Ying Zi’s sword flew from her hand, clanging as it hit the ground. “Who are you? Who sent you?!” Yuan Feng’s sword aimed at the black figure who stood still in front of him. The moon shone on the covered face…reflected in the round, sparkling eyes…Yuan Feng froze as they stabbed right into his mind…what…why did they look so familiar?
Ying Zi knew there was only one path for a caught assassin…taking out a knife she made to kill herself, as all assassins were bound by oath to do when caught…Yuan Feng’s eyes widened in alarm…NO! His arm shot out and used his qi gong to hit her knife away…his hand slipped as the knife fell, hitting her right in the shoulder…Ying Zi flew backwards from the blow, spitting out blood…and slammed back against the tree. Yuan Feng ran up to the assassin…but she reached inside her clothes and threw something at him…smoke suddenly woofed up, overwhelming him. He struggled to clear the smoke, to see…but the dark figure was already gone. Yuan Feng stared at the empty spot under the tree, his mind running at a hundred miles a minute…who was that, why did he…or she…seem so familiar? Suddenly he noticed something. Bending over, he picked it up and stared at it curiously…a tiny blue flask…he stared at it, mystified as behind him, he heard cries of alarm from the guards as they finally responded to the noise of the fight…not noticing the shadow that crept away in the night…
Yuan Feng sat in another tent, twirling the tiny blue flask on the table, wondering…wondering why the assassin had seemed familiar, and also, why did he or she miss? He’d carefully collected the golden needles that were stuck on the tent post as the guards searched for the black figure, and the healer that travelled with the guards had told him that they were coated with a deadly poison, from the Deadly Nightshade plant, all it took was one scratch from these needles to put a person to rest…forever. What he couldn’t understand was, if the person WAS from the Assassin Guild…then he should’ve been dead by now…so why did they miss? Unless…the assassin had recognised him too…maybe…maybe it was someone he knew…those eyes that had looked right into him for that one moment in the moonlight… “Ge? GE!!!” He jumped, almost dropping the flask as he looked up to see his sister. “What is it, Xin Ping?” Xin Ping sighed in exasperation at his calm tone. “What is it? Someone just tried to kill you, and you sit there so calmly and ask me what is wrong?!? I don’t believe you sometimes! Are you alright, are you injured?” Yuan Feng smiled and shook his head. “No, I’m fine, you should go back to sleep, everything is taken care of.” Xin Ping looked at him, then at the flask he held in his hand. “Ge, what is that? And why did you call the troops off from searching?” Yuan Feng stared at the flask, unable to reply. Even he himself did not know, did he want to find this person, and find out who was behind the attempt for his life? Or did he want to give this mysterious figure a chance to live…He, Prince Zhao Yuan Feng of Imperial China, the man who’d always done things as ordered by his father, and the rules of power…wanted to spare the life of a mysterious stranger who’d tried to kill him? He noticed Xin Ping watching him, and finally he just said, “I injured the assassin most severely with my blow, I doubt he’s still alive anyway. I don’t want to waste the time and efforts of the imperial guards when we have more important things to do.” It sounded right and very convincing…if only he himself believed it too…
Ying Zi staggered into the dark cave she’d found earlier that day, clutching at her wounded shoulder. Who would have thought that a prince would have such powerful wukong…and that the prince Yuan Feng…was Qing Feng…she collapsed onto the ground, sitting cross-legged as she struggled to untie the cloth from around her face with her left hand…why had she missed? She hadn’t missed a target for the last ten years…her eyes clouded as she remembered at how her hand had faltered slightly just as she released the needles…what had taken over her?!? It’s not like she cared about him…about anybody…I am an assassin, she thought, I have no family, no friends…and no feelings…so why did she hesitate in killing the man she’d only met once? A vision flashed through her mind…of Qing Feng…no, his name is Yuan Feng! Yuan Feng laughing and teasing his little sister…Yuan Feng’s eyes staring across the room at her…his smiling at her in the inn…she felt a strange twinge in her heart…Ying Zi shook her head, confused…at this feeling she’d forgotten the name for…and angry at herself for having hesitated. She coughed again, and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth…his wukong had been really powerful…she took a deep breath and sat up straight, pushing all those confusing thoughts aside, she summoned her own qi to treat her internal injuries….
Xiang Er watched the Prince Zhi San stalk around the tent, deep in thought…she was careful to keep her face bland and expressionless, but inside, she was in as much turmoil as this man. Ying Zi had made an attempt on Prince Yuan Feng’s life…and FAILED?!? It was impossible…wasn’t it? How could Ying Zi miss? True, Xiang Er admitted to herself, she despised Ying Zi, but it was because deep inside she knew Ying Zi was better at assassination than she would ever be…the thought of Ying Zi failing was very disturbing…something was wrong, she should not have failed. What was to happen now? Would Ying Zi come back and finish it off? If she didn’t…Xiang Er’s eyes clouded briefly…she was dead, whether or not the Master came to finish off her personally. Xiang Er felt confused, didn’t she want Ying Zi dead? So she couldn’t compete with Xiang Er anymore? But…she didn’t know anymore, her mind was in turmoil…her eyes narrowed as she watched Zhi San’s apparent turmoil as he wandered the tent. She’d been ordered here by the Master to stir up trouble in order to attract the Emperor’s attention, and make him send his favourite son Prince Yuan Feng here….so he could be killed. In order to do that, she’d entered a brothel, to spread lies and rumours throughout the Guangdong city, and when she’d seen the Prince Zhi San, she’d attached herself to him in order to further her mission…but now, as she watched him, she began to get suspicious…WAS she the one playing him, or the other way round? His distress now seemed more to the fact that the assassination attempt had FAILED…carefully maintaining her ‘pretty but brainless’ look, Xiang Er wondered…had she managed to attach herself to the very man behind the plot in the first place?
Ying Zi woke up to see the sun almost setting in the horizon. Though still feeling weak, she struggled to get up and changed into her normal outfit, as she knew she could no longer remain here in this cave, she had to leave before guards came, and she needed food, and water…she’d decided to walk to the nearby village. As she burnt her black clothes to rid the evidence, a sudden cold feeling ran up her spine…she patted her clothes…where…where was it? Her face drained of blood as she searched the ground, maybe she dropped it as she changed…no…she grabbed a stick and dragged the still burning clothes from the fire, searching for it…for the blue flask that meant her life…it wasn’t there! Her eyes widened in despair, I must have dropped it when I was fighting with him last night! Oh no…she looked out the cave entrance. The sun was setting…and it was full moon tonight. Her face pale, but resolute, she knew what she had to do…grabbing her sword, she ignored the pain in her chest as she used her qigong to walk swiftly towards the camp…she needed to get that flask, before…midnight…
Her legs faltered as she tripped over a hidden tree root, but Ying Zi dug at the ground with her sword, forcing herself up…no, I can’t give up, I can’t! She told herself fiercely as she struggled to keep going, I have to…suddenly she felt a thousand needles stabbing at her from inside, and she gasped, doubling over with pain…oh no…she thought, as she struggled from crying out loud, it’s starting…sweat dripped from her forehead as she tried to bear with the pain…the burning, stabbing pain that was everywhere in her body, the poison that was flowing fiercely through her veins…she collapsed on the ground, her face a pale white in the moonlight…the light of a full moon directly overhead…without the flask, without the suppressant for Death Bloom…she could only endure the intense pain as the poison acted on all her vital points…it was as if something was eating at her, from the inside…Ying Zi couldn’t stand it anymore, she gasped loudly as a strong pain wrenched at her head…and fainted.
The moonlight continued to shine down on the silent, still figure curled up under the tree branches…blissfully unconscious as the poison once again, flowed through her veins…
Ying Zi sat up, her face covered with sweat…it was that dream again. Why did it keep haunting her? She didn’t want to remember, remember how she became who she is…she felt so weak, and tired…what was wrong? Her eyes widened as she finally noticed her surroundings. She was in a richly furnished tent…what? How did she get here? What happened? She tried to get up, but gasped as a sudden wave of weakness overtook her. Yes, that’s right, she’d lost the ‘suppressant’ for her poison, so she’d had an attack…on top of her wounds from her fight with the Prince…then…then she’d fainted? But how did she get here? Where was she? Ying Zi’s narrowed eyes surveyed the tent, whoever had brought her here, she didn’t like it…her weakness made her feel uneasy and…vulnerable…a feeling she’d not felt in many years. That’s it…I’m getting out of here…she stood up, clutching at the side of the bed as the room spun…suddenly she heard the tent flap lifted, and she turned quickly, her whole body tense…
Zhao Zhi San’s eyes grew wide as he observed the girl he’d found when he was coming back from a certain stroll he took last night…well, she was certainly a pretty one…he felt a surge of lust rush through his body…yes, even more pretty than Xiang Er, who wasn’t even a challenge anymore. He approached the girl. “Well, so you’re awake? And how are you feeling, Mei Nu (pretty girl) ?” Ying Zi watched him with impassive eyes, her heart pounding with an unfamiliar fear…this man’s wukong was pathetic…she normally could kill him in a flash…but right now, she wasn’t even sure if she could kill an ant. Her face was expressionless though, as she replied, “I’m feeling much better, sir, thank you for helping me. But I really must be leaving now.” “Oh but not so soon, mei nu, not even a thank you gift? How ungrateful…” he drawled as he reached out to her, but she pulled away, her eyes burning. “I suggest you be a bit more gentlemanly, or else…” Zhi San paused for a moment at her cold stony face and burning eyes, feeling a slight twinge of doubt…but he shrugged it off as he saw her body waver slightly, she’s no danger, so weak can’t even stand properly! This will be fun…he lunged suddenly and grabbed her in his arms. “Or what, honey? You’ll punish me? Go right ahead!” He leaned down to nuzzle the weakly struggling girl’s neck. Ying Zi felt like the world was ending, she tried desperately to call up her qi, to push this revolting man from her…but she was still too weak from the attack of the poison… “Get away from me!” Pushing at him, but he only grabbed at her clothes, ripping the front…suddenly Zhi San yelped, and clutched at his hand. He stared at the blood incredulously, then at Ying Zi, who was standing there, shivering, a knife in one hand. “How dare you attack me? Do you know who I am? I could have you beheaded! Drop that knife right now!” he commanded, advancing on her again, but stopped as Ying Zi held it in front of her, her eyes stony, wondering if she still had enough energy left to throw it…afraid, he shouted instead for soldiers, “Guards! Come and disarm this assassin!” Ying Zi’s face paled…how did he know… “Assassin? I don’t think so!” a voice remarked from the entrance.
Xin Ping had overheard the struggle inside, and was burning with fury…she could no longer contain herself. She glared at her adopted brother. “More like a poor harmless girl you want to take advantage of, isn’t it?” “Xin Ping, what are you doing here?” Zhi San demanded, angry that she was spoiling his fun… “She’s an assassin, look, she has a knife…I was just interrogating her…” Xin Ping looked at the girl, standing so bravely there with a knife staring at them both with her impassive eyes…and did a double take. “Ying Ying jie jie?!?” she exclaimed, recognising her. “How DARE you?!? How dare you treat her like this!” she yelled at Zhi San, rushing over to Ying Zi, putting her arms around her. “What happened? What did he do to you?!?” Ying Zi just looked at her, too shocked to speak. “Xin Ping, get away from her, she’s dangerous!” Zhi San ordered just as a mild tone came from the outside, “What’s all the yelling so early in the morning?” Yuan Feng came in, and paused as he saw the scene inside. “Feng Ge Ge, Zhi San was trying to rape Ying Ying jie jie!” Stunned, Yuan Feng looked at his sister, then at the girl in her arms…Ying Ying…that swordgirl with the sad round eyes? He stared at her, what was going on?!? Wasn’t she part of the pugilistic world…with good wukong…what had happened to her? Then he saw how pale and weak she was, and the tattered remains of her clothing…he felt an unfamiliar burning rage inside, as he turned to demand, in a soft, steely tone, “What is going on? What were you trying to do?” His furious eyes stabbed at his adopted brother, who stepped back, unaccustomed to his bleak look. “Um, I…um…” he faltered, unable to continue. Yuan Feng gave him a most disgusted look, then approached Ying Zi, unclasping his own cloak, and wrapped it around her gently. “Miss Ying Ying, are you alright?” He felt a strange, irresistible urge to comfort this girl, to protect her…“Don’t worry, my ge ge will protect you!” Xin Ping added enthusiastically. Ying Zi looked at the two of them, she was so confused, they were her enemies…weren’t they? They…they want to help her? As if they were...friends...but...but she had no friends...no one ever helped her…they all wanted something from her…didn’t they? But there was something in this Yuan Feng’s eyes…stepping forward, she opened her mouth to speak when a sudden rush of weakness overwhelmed her…the room spun…
Yuan Feng grabbed her as Ying Zi fainted, her knife dropping onto the ground. His heart did an unexpected jump as he stared down at her pale, beautiful face…so very pale… “Get the healer!” he told Xin Ping, who nodded and hurried outside. Yuan Feng swung Ying Zi up into his arms, amazed at how light she was, and carried her to the bed…staring down at her with perturbed eyes. Then he turned back, his eyes glinting dangerously as he looked at his adopted brother. “I don’t want to ever see you near this girl again, do you hear me?” His cold, stern tone stunned Zhi San, who’d never seen Yuan Feng act so much like royalty before. “Just get out, brother,” Yuan Feng almost spat out the last word, his heart still filled with cold fury at the way his brother, a prince for all that, had treated this girl…had almost…that was no way for a prince, nay, even a gentleman to behave! And this…this was Ying Ying…he clenched his fists, trying to calm down as he heard Zhi San silently leave. His eyes softened as he stared at the white, pale face of Ying Ying…a face that had imprinted on his mind from those few moments in the inn…what was she doing here? Who was she? Reaching over, Yuan Feng covered her better with a blanket and sat down beside the bed…only looking at her silent form with a his deep, black eyes, wondering at this strange, unfamiliar feeling inside him…unaware that he'd already sealed his destiny of what was to come...
The healer held Ying Zi’s wrist gently, feeling her pulse, as Yuan Feng and Xin Ping watched anxiously. Yuan Feng saw the healer frown, and couldn’t help but ask, “Yu Taiyi, how is she?” The healer looked up, genuinely puzzled as he had never seen something like this before. The patient seemed to be poisoned for a moment there…yet her pulse was returning to normal “Your Highness, I truly do not know what is wrong with this lady. Her pulse is most irregular, but it seems to be returning to normal as we speak. Other than that, it seems that she has some injuries from a fight, as her qi is weak, but she should be alright with a few days rest.” Yuan Feng and Xin Ping sighed in relief…unknown to them, the poison in Ying Zi’s veins had already receded back into her vital points…awaiting the next full moon…when it would slowly leach into all the tissues in her body…until…
“I wonder what happened to her? Who did she get into a fight with?” Xin Ping mused as the healer left, to make Ying Zi’s medicine. She shot a quick look at her brother, who was still staring down at Ying Zi’s pale face. She laughed inwardly, she’d never seen her brother so taken before…even with all those beauties that haunt the palace…but then, all that beauty was but a mask…something they both knew all too well. She looked so sad, even asleep, Yuan Feng thought, I wonder what happened to her to make her this way…she’s so young, younger than me, why is there such sadness in her eyes? Her eyes…something bothered him but he could not name it…what…what was it? Suddenly Ying Zi’s eyes opened and looked straight at him…their eyes stared into each other’s souls…Ying Zi felt complete shock as she woke up to see his eyes staring at her…what was going on? Why was he looking at her so…and…why couldn’t she do anything but stare back…what was he seeing in hers? Yuan Feng felt like he was drowning in her deep, mysterious eyes…and something clicked inside of him…as he realised what was bothering him all along…he knew them…
Ying Zi broke eye contact first, she felt a such a strange rush of feeling inside her it was unnerving…she tried to sit up, wrapping the blanket around herself. Yuan Feng suddenly flushed as he realised what he was doing…sitting on her bed…ignoring all propriety…and she didn’t even really know him! “Um...ah...sorry…you’re awake!” He uttered, flushing even more when he realised how inane that sounded. What was wrong with him?!? He saw the strange look that Ying Zi was giving him and he tried desperately to regain his composure as his sister stared at him in amusement, then turned to Ying Zi, bombarding her with questions. “Ying Ying jie jie, we’re so glad you’re awake! Are you feeling better now? That horrid man didn’t hurt you, did he? What happened to you, why are you hurt?” Ying Zi stared at her, then back at Yuan Feng. Could it be…he doesn’t recognise me? They don’t know I was the assassin? Why are they being so nice to me? And…and they’re royalty too…“Ying Ying jie jie, you’re alright, aren’t you?” At Xin Ping’s concerned tone, Ying Zi felt a lump in her throat, at the concerned looks she saw on their faces…she suddenly felt a warmth she’d forgotten a long time ago. She attempted a small smile…something her face had almost forgotten how to do… “Um, I’m feeling much better, thank you.” Just then, the healer came in. “Your Highnesses, the medicine is ready.” Ying Zi knew who they were already, but she had the presence of mind to pretend to be shocked…as she knew she could not let them know she was the assassin…or she would die… “You’re…you’re royalty?!? But why…” She stopped, not knowing what to say…she felt so strange…suddenly she felt horrible for having to act…she didn’t know what was wrong with herself! Unknown to her, Yuan Feng was watching her, his eyes soft…but speculative…
Xin Ping thought she meant why they had helped her, and came to sit next to her. “Ying Ying jie jie, I’m SO sorry! That was Zhi San, our ‘adopted’ brother, mind, so I’m not really related to that son of a…” “Xin Ping!” “Um, that nasty person,” giving her brother a look, changing her original words. “Anyway, I would help anyone he was trying to hurt…and you helped me before, of course I had to save you! Well, my brother did, actually, so you can thank him instead.” Giving Yuan Feng a cheeky smile. Ying Zi’s mind froze for a minute…he’d saved her? But…but…she was supposed to…staring at Yuan Feng’s friendly smile, she could only go along with it... “Thank you for helping me,” she said simply, but her mind was in turmoil. She had to pretend, to lie…because they couldn’t know that she was the assassin, or she would die…but…deep inside her, she felt a strange unnamed feeling as they fussed over her, making her drink medicine and rest. It was as if…she was glad, glad of this chance to pretend…even for this little while that it took for her to regain her strength…to pretend, to be someone normal…to be who they believed her to be…Ying Ying…
Yuan Feng sat in his own tent, holding the blue flask gently in one hand…his mind flashed with the image of the eyes that glimmered at him in the moonlight…and Ying Ying’s sad round eyes as they stared at him when she woke up…they were the same. He was certain that she was the one in the darkness last night…the assassin…who missed him…did she miss him deliberately? But why? Because she recognised him at the last moment and…could it be? His eyes stared unseeing at the flask…could it be she felt this strange feeling as he did? He didn’t know why he didn’t reveal that he knew who she was, nor did he know where his usual caution and wisdom was…he would have normally arrested anyone who made an attempt on his life, or the lives of others, but…Ying Ying’s sad, mysterious face appeared in his mind…no, somehow, deep inside, he knew her, the sad, mysterious girl who was inside that assassin mask…he knew she would not hurt him…or she would have finished it off last night…with the first swift rain of poison needles. He wanted to know her…to know who she really was…and…make her smile…get a grip, Yuan Feng, he plonked the flask down on the table. Are you crazy? She’s an assassin! And even if not, even if she’s just a normal girl…you’re a prince! Wake up! But he could not control this strange yearning inside him…the yearning he’d had no name for all these years…but now he knew…
Hearing someone approaching, Ying Zi quickly hid her emotions and turned to greet the person…it was the prince Yuan Feng. A totally different feeling assaulted her, wiping out the previous anger. Ying Zi was confused, how is it that she could even feel any emotion at seeing this man whom she was supposed to kill…but…he did save her from a danger she’d never thought she would have to face…as an assassin, she had no feelings, but then, assassins had no weaknesses either, or they would be dead, but she had been exposed to weakness, and hence danger, four days ago…and he’d helped her. No one had ever helped Ying Zi the assassin before…without wanting something, and Ying Zi had never needed anybody’s help…until now…her mind was in turmoil at what she should do now…and that strange, unnamed feeling rising inside her only served to confuse her even more. “You look much better now, Miss Ying Ying, do you still feel dizzy or weak?” Yuan Feng asked, seeing her silence, unnerved by the way her eyes stared at him…not that he was afraid of her, but he was afraid of himself…of that light flutter in his heart as he saw her face…She smiled politely, “Your Highness, I…” “Please, call me Yuan Feng. I get so sick of formality anyway, and besides, you helped my sister, which makes you our benefactor.” “Oh no, please,” Ying Zi protested, “That was nothing, and you just saved me so…” “Alright then, that makes us even. Call me Yuan Feng.” His tone was dead serious, and feeling strangely flustered, she agreed hastily, “Alright, Your High…um…Yuan Feng.” “See how easy that was?” he teased her lightly, “Now I’m going to turn around and you’ll say, Yuan Feng, and you’ll be amazed at how quickly I’ll respond.” Yuan Feng grinned at her, and his grin was so infectious Ying Zi couldn’t help but smile back. He caught his breath at her smile…the way her eyes lit up…it was gone now, but it was imprinted in his mind…then he sobered, remembering what he had come to do, to find out what he could about who she was…and why did she try to kill him… “Miss Ying Ying, I was wondering if you wanted to go for a walk, since you’ve been couped up in here for a few days. Some fresh air might do you some good.” Feeling strangely light hearted, Ying Zi nodded, and followed him out of the tent…
Xiang Er watched, incredulous, as the girl she’d heard about, the girl who Prince Yuan Feng had rescued, the man that had refused HER had rescued, walk out of the tent with the prince himself…it was Ying Zi! She stood shocked as they walked towards the hills…what was going on? She had heard that Ying Zi had been injured, probably by Yuan Feng, and that she’d been rescued by Yuan Feng from Zhi San…they all had no idea that she WAS the assassin…but…but…what was she doing now? Was she trying to get close to the prince so she could complete the mission? But Ying Zi the assassin had always been just that, the shadow in the night, she didn’t interact with the targets like Xiang Er did…what was Ying Zi up to? Unless…no, it’s not possible, Xiang Er thought, assassins don’t have emotions, and Ying Zi…she is more cold than the rest of us put together…still, Xiang Er began to feel slightly angry…why is she here? Why is the prince paying attention to her when he ignored me? It wasn’t as if she cared about Yuan Feng…other than the fact that he was the first man who’d not been attracted by her perfume…unlike others, she thought bitterly, others who should not have been attracted, but were anyway…she closed her eyes briefly to shut out the painful memories of her childhood…a childhood that had driven her to this path she now walked. Suddenly she knew that she would not report Ying Zi’s deviation back to the Master…no, not even if she was jealous of her, Xiang Er thought. I don’t want any more blood on my hands…any more than is necessary…besides, he’s bound to know without my report anyway…and even if he didn’t come to punish her…Xiang Er’s eyes clouded…Ying Zi would be doomed if she didn’t finish her missions…which she knows damn well…if she doesn’t…then it’s her own fate…
Ying Zi stretched, closing her eyes as she took a deep breath. It was so nice and quiet here, on this grassy hill with the wind caressing her face so gently…Yuan Feng was silent, his eyes drinking in the vision of this mysterious, beautiful girl in the sunshine…this was where she belonged, he thought, not in the darkness of the night, not as the black figure who walked the night unseen…He sat beside her, trying to think of what to say, tongue tied, for the first time in his life! Ying Zi cocked her head, and looked at him curiously. This prince was so strange…sitting with a ‘common’ girl on the grass…she didn’t know how to classify him in her mind…not her enemy, no, he didn’t ‘threaten’ her like those others did…but…he was the target of her mission…no, she couldn’t, didn’t want to think about that right now, about whether or not she was going to kill him…besides, her wugong was still too weak…his cheerful, kind nature, his lack of royal airs, the way he helped her without any demands in return…was he…a friend? But Ying Zi had no friends…she didn’t know what a friend WAS, anymore…then, there was that strange, indescribable feeling she got when he looked at her with those eyes…
Suddenly she realised he had said something. “Sorry? I didn’t hear.” “I asked, where are you from? Where is your home?” Yuan Feng, watching her closely for her reaction, because he wanted to see…see if she would lie, put up some act…but instantly regretted his question when he saw the sadness in her eyes…sadness that could not have been faked. “I…I have no home, my whole family is dead,” she said quietly, all her transient contentment had vanished. “I’m sorry, Ying Ying, was it some kind of pestilence or famine?” he asked gently, but his eyes widened when she said, in a dead tone, “No, they were murdered.” “Tian, I’m so sorry Ying Ying, I didn’t mean to…” “It’s alright, really, it was a long time ago.” But it wasn’t alright, it was still a bleeding wound inside her…she felt so angry at herself…how could she sit here and contemplate not finishing her mission when…when that would mean…her life would be forfeited…who would avenge her family then? Who would kill the Master? How could she give up all that she struggled for through all this hardship and pain because of…because of this slight feeling inside her for this man next to her, this man who probably wouldn’t even remember her name the moment he went back to his golden palace? She stood up abruptly. “Um, I’m feeling slightly dizzy, I think I’d better go back now.” Yuan Feng scrambled up, offering to go with her, but she only shook her head and walked away quickly.
He stared after her, his eyes troubled…he had guessed already that she was from the Assassin Guild, but he could see that she was struggling inside herself on whether or not to kill him…strangely, he was happy about that…that she wasn’t the cold hearted killer that he’d always assumed people belonging to the Guild would be. Yet…he saw her sad burning eyes as she told him her family had been murdered…could it be, that was the reason she was walking this path? That was the reason her eyes were always so sad? The image of her eyes twinkling with laughter…for that one brief moment…haunted him…unconsciously, he, the Prince of Imperial China, had already decided, that he would try to pull this lonely girl back from the path she was walking, and…to make her eyes laugh again…
IN THE ASSASSIN GUILD STRONGHOLD
The Assassin Master stared at the letter he’d took off the pigeon’s leg incredulously. Ying Zi had failed?!? That pathetic piece of work who thought he could become Emperor had written to him to demand he do what he had been paid to do…demand…HIM? The Master?!? He scrunched up the letter and tossed it into the flames, his eyes grim. How could his plans be going astray? How could Ying Zi fail…unless it was deliberate defiance on her part…but she didn’t know the truth, so why would she? She had no reason to miss…especially since…he smiled grimly, since the Mid Autumn Festival was in three months…when the Death Bloom reaches its final peak, and all must return to him…if they wanted to live…But still, his eyes were cold, she was his! His puppet, his pawn in this game of his, and he will not let her go unless she was dead…summoning his servant, the Master made them go find him Wu Feng, his eldest disciple. Yes, Wu Feng will finish off this prince, and bring her back…bring this errant Ying Zi back so he could finish off this game…soon, he thought, staring at a painting he’d hidden behind a fake section in the wall. It was a painting of five young men, in the battle armour, all looking like they were the best of friends…he glared at them, the other four men beside him in the painting….soon, he thought, his hatred brimming up as they smiled down at him…the debt will be paid in full…and I shall have what should have been mine!
“Ying Ying jie jie!” Xin Ping’s cheerful voice broke into her thoughts. Spinning around, she attempted to smile as Xin Ping looked at her curiously. “Jie jie, are you alright? You look like you’ve been crying…has that Zhi San come and bothered you again?!?” she sounded so angry that Ying Zi felt a strange warmth inside. Hastily, she smiled and said, “No, no one’s bothered me, I was just thinking, that’s all. Did you want me for something?” Xin Ping instantly grinned, forgetting her previous anger, “Yes! Yuan Feng ge ge is going into town to check something out, and I begged him to take me, but he said I needed a guardian as he would be busy…”she made a face at that, “Anyway, I thought why don’t you go with me? You’re recovered now, so your wugong is definitely going to protect me…and it would be MUCH more fun to have you with me than some boring guard!” “Well, I…” Ying Zi wasn’t sure, but Xin Ping cut her off. “Please Ying Ying jie jie? Please please please please…” “Alright, alright!” Ying Zi, laughing in spite of herself, she couldn’t believe this cute little girl was actually a princess. “Yes! You’re the best friend ever! Well, come on!” Grabbing a startled Ying Zi’s hand and dragging her outside…stunned, Ying Zi could only follow her…it has been so long since anyone had held her hand…dazed, she missed the discrete little smile Xin Ping had on her face…great, she thought, brother, you owe me big time!
Yuan Feng was about to get on his horse when he heard someone call him. Stopping, he saw his sister running towards him…with Ying Ying behind her. “Well?” “I’m going too, and Ying Ying jie jie is recovered now, so she’ll be my guardian, so you have to let me go!” Xin Ping declared, tossing her hair. Yuan Feng looked at Ying Zi, who could only smile and shrug, whatever, so he flung his hands in the air dramatically, giving up to his sister, who grinned in triumph. As he ordered guards to bring them two more horses, however, an unconscious smile broke out on his face…But as they mounted the horses, he noticed Ying Ying hadn’t mounted…she was staring off elsewhere. Looking, he saw it was Zhi San’s light woman, what was her name? Xiang Er? He watched them discretely, his eyes narrowing…they knew each other? But neither looked happy to see each other…so was this Xiang Er part of the Assassin Guild as well? He refused to think about what he was going to do with Ying Ying…about her role in the attempt on his life…right now, he convinced himself, there was nothing he could do but wait for her move…yes, that’s it…that’s why he’s keeping beside her, and…watching her all the time…he ignored the dry, disbelieving voice inside his mind, the voice that scorned his supposed impartiality…‘yeah, then why does her face haunt your dreams?’
“Ying Ying jie jie?” Ying Zi broke eye contact with Xiang Er and ignoring Xin Ping’s puzzled look, she mounted her horse, her face bland, hiding the thoughts that were going through her mind…Xiang Er was here…she’d known that…but what was behind that look she’d given her? Ying Zi was deeply puzzled…Xiang Er had always delighted in making her life as miserable as possible…but the way she’d only stared at Ying Zi just then…it was like she was a totally different person…or was she? Or was it Ying Zi who’d changed, who’d changed enough to see Xiang Er as someone other than the girl who hated her? She didn’t know, she was too confused, everything around her was all changed, the way she thought and felt about things had somehow changed in these last few days…it was strange…and frightening. Suddenly, she noticed Yuan Feng watching her…she made an effort to smile, and he grinned back at her in reply. “Well, shall we? Before Xin Ping runs off without us?” Xin Ping stuck her tongue out at her brother, and he laughed. Ying Zi couldn’t help but grin as well…she tossed her hair back as she spurred the horse on…pushing back her worries for the moment…yes, I’ll worry later, she thought, after sixteen years, can’t I have this one day of just being Ying Ying? She dug her heels in, her eyes twinkling as she made her horse chase after Xin Ping, who was laughing as she made faces at them…just this one day…
They all sat, exhausted, around the fire as the fish they’d actually caught, despite the water fight, cooked slowly in the fire, on sticks they held. Xin Ping had gone totally crazy once they reached Guangdong city, running around looking at all the markets and making them try all the strange foods the city had to offer. Ying Zi and Yuan Feng had followed her ruefully, rolling their eyes as Xin Ping was like some monkey released from a cage…Ying Zi smiled as she remembered how much fun they’d had…true, she had been in countless cities before, but there had never been one time when she was there for no reason other than to have fun, and somehow, from the way Yuan Feng had laughed and stared at the strange wares for sale, he was the same as her…Yuan Feng looked at her from across the fire, at the smile on her face, and felt really happy. He’d never really seen her as relaxed and as happy as she’d been today, and somehow, the fact that she WAS smiling, that she’d laughed…made HIM happy…somehow…it was very important to him. Seeing her eyes twinkle by the firelight, he was suddenly very grateful to his sister, who’d been irrepressible in the city, so they’d ended up being too late to return in time to the camp anyway…hence they’d decided to camp out here by themselves…then, he’d tried to teach them how to catch fish in the streams… “What’s that smell?” Ying Zi asked curiously, sniffing the air. The other two looked at her, then sniffed as well. “Smell? What smell…my fish is burning!” Xin Ping yelled, waving her flaming fish around frantically to put out the fire. Ying Zi and Yuan Feng could only look at her, then at each other, before bursting into laughter…
Yuan Feng kept watch as the two girls slept, because despite everything, he didn’t think it was safe…he was supposed to wake Ying Zi up half way through the night to take her turn, but he couldn’t do it…he stared at her beautiful, still face as she slept. She looked so…so young, and so vulnerable…again he felt that urge to protect her, to pull her back from the path she was walking and…and what? He asked himself mockingly, and what? Hold her in your arms forever? Promise to always be there, when you damn well know you can’t be? Wake up, Yuan Feng! You’re a prince remember? Princes…can’t fall in love with commoners…or assassins…But his heart refused to listen to his mind…indeed…had it ever? His head knew he was a prince of the royal…but his heart had always yearned for something else, to be Qing Feng, his pugilistic world identity, to be free to walk his own path, to love and be loved as him, the real him inside, not just the ‘prince’ and…to hold her…his eyes were soft as he reached over, and gently tucked a cloak under Ying Zi’s chin…
Ying Zi remained still as she felt him tuck the cloak around her before he walked away…her heart was fluttering…something she’d never really experienced before…and despite herself, she felt a strange warmth at his actions…she knew she would have to reach a decision soon…about what she had to do…but today, today was her one free day…for her whole life…the one day she’d been just Ying Ying again, an ordinary girl, with friends, a girl who could smile and laugh…and feel happy that someone cared enough to tuck her in…she knew this was all fake, it was all but a transient dream, something that had as much substance as a cloud…this…this bliss was not to be for someone like her…someone who’d only lived through pain and sorrow, closing out the world in order to survive…someone who’s only goal in life had been revenge. But…she grasped the cloak to herself, but she’d been happy for even this transient dream, this one chance, this one day of happiness…she would go back to her dark world tomorrow…let her have this dream to last her the rest of her life…she smiled sadly to herself, her eyes felt hot, but there were no tears…she knew it was futile, but somehow, she wished she would never wake from this dream…that…she remembered how to cry…
Ying Zi sat in her tent, once again, staring at her own reflection…how different it looked now…though it was still her who stared back at herself…the dream was over…yes, that was all yesterday had been, a brief, happy dream of what life could have been for her…but would never be. Deep inside her, she’d already knew the answer she had to find…whether or not she would kill Yuan Feng, whether or not she would go back to the Master to accept her fate…she didn’t want to face the reality, not so soon….but she did know one thing…she had to leave…she swung a bundle onto her shoulder and took her sword…leave…his face flashed in her mind…I have to leave now…before they find out who I really am…let them remember me as Ying Ying. I must leave before…before I care so much that…I can’t…
“What are you doing?” his voice grated as he appeared abruptly in front of her. Ying Zi looked up slowly, her voice composed as she bowed slightly, and said, “Your Highness, I would like to thank you for your hospitality for these few days, but I would like to take my leave now.” He looked at her sharply, but her eyes were distant. He struggled with the strange emotions that was flooding him, struggled to control his voice as he asked quietly, “Why?” Just one simple word, but his tone made Ying Zi look at him, startled…it was a mistake, as she caught his intense eyes, she felt something inside her flutter. Her eyes flickered for a moment, before she hurriedly looked away, her voice a bit unsteady, “I…I have something I must do and…I’ve imposed on you for too long…” He opened his mouth immediately to refute that when Xin Ping ran up to them, grabbing a startled Ying Zi by the arm, “Ying Ying jie jie, what’s going on? You’re not leaving, are you?” Her panicked voice made Ying Zi feel even worse, she longed to stay, to be this…this girl they both believed her to be…but she knew it was all a dream, a vision that will never be real…and she had to leave. She smiled gently at Xin Ping as she took her hands, all the while conscious of Yuan Feng staring at her. “Princess Xin Ping, I must leave, there is something I have to do, and besides, I have to go home sometime anyway…”
“You HAVE no home!” They both looked up at Yuan Feng, who flushed slightly in embarrassment at his outburst, then felt his heart ache at the sadness that was in Ying Zi’s eyes.“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…” “But it’s true, I have no home, no family…no one…” Ying Zi said softly, her eyes distant. Xin Ping shot her brother an angry look, who was already hating himself for his words. Ying Zi shook her head, “But I really must go…” “So fast? Is it really important?” Xin Ping, making a desperate effort to make her stay, “Can’t you stay for another two days?” Ying Zi looked at her, puzzled. “Why? What’s in another two days?” Xin Ping grinned, as she gave Ying Zi her best pleading look, “It’s ge’s birthday, and we’re going to help him celebrate it! Please, Ying Ying jie jie, stay till afterwards, please?” in her best whinging voice. Ying Zi looked at her, then at Yuan Feng, who was still looking at her steadily, his eyes too, silently asking her to stay…she sighed. “Alright, you win,” she said, smiling at Xin Ping, “I’ll stay for another two days.” “Yay! I win!” Xin Ping did a little jump, clapping her hands. Ying Zi and Yuan Feng both laughed at her, neither meeting each other’s eyes…afraid of what they might see…at least, Yuan Feng thought to himself, she’s not leaving yet…I still have time to figure out what to do…Ying Zi felt him watching her from the corner of his eyes. She pasted a casual look on her face, revealing none of the turmoil inside her. I’ll…I’ll live this dream…for just a few more days…then I will go, I will! She ignored the little twinge inside her…I will…
Kwok Zhong had observed all this, and he could not repress the uneasiness inside him. This girl…he had his doubts about her past, and whether or not she had an ulterior motive for being here…seeing his Prince and his Princess both acting so concerned over her only made him worry more…he was an intelligent and loyal man, and he would lay down his life instantly for his prince and king…so naturally he was concerned over this girl…and on top of that, he’d noticed such strange behaviour from the Prince Zhi San, and the lack of any activity at all by the so called rebels in the city…he knew he had no place to criticise the Prince Zhi San, but still…his loyalty to the Prince Yuan Feng was absolute. He made up his mind to watch this girl very carefully…if she meant to harm his Prince in any way…
Xiang Er sighed, as she removed jewellery from her hair as she readied herself for bed…her feet ached. She’d just spent the hour dancing her most exotic dance in front of a crowd of intoxicated men…and the only one that she wanted to notice her…Prince Yuan Feng…he’d barely even looked! It was the celebration for his birthday and all the guards had been in a joyous mood, and they’d gawked at her, in her silks, dancing like some kind of sprite, a nymph…but he…he’d spent the whole evening staring at…at Ying Zi! Her eyes flashed, her natural jealousy of Ying Zi overtaking her new found peace with her…she had still not exchanged a word with Ying Zi since they’d stared at each other that morning…in a strange way, she’d almost felt sorry for her, for her changed heart…for this cold assassin to suddenly discover emotions again…it was not a wise thing to do…deep inside, Xiang Er had felt a kind of bond between them, a bond of mutual sorrow…for the path they walked…yet…the shallow side of her was still consumed with jealousy…she wanted Yuan Feng to look at HER, to notice her…the only man who’d not fallen under her spell, the spell of the perfume that permeated from her body….the spell that had ruined her life…she wanted him…She stiffened as she felt someone’s presence outside her tent. “Who is it?” she asked sharply, knowing fully well it wasn’t that Zhi San, she could sense this person had a strong wugong…he entered her tent and her eyes grew cold as she recognised him. Wu Feng. She shivered slightly as his soft voice asked, menacingly, “Where is she?” Xiang Er could only stare up at him without reply…she knew that Ying Zi’s time had ran out… as Wu Feng’s eyes narrowed…Xiang Er couldn’t help but feel a strange sorrow for her…
Yuan Feng felt his heart jump as he stared at her. He hastily looked away, saying, “Did you want me to teach you how to play a tune on it?” She looked at him, they both knew that she wouldn’t be here long enough to learn it, but she only said, in a soft voice, “Yes, but…why is that tune so sad? I wouldn’t think a prince would be sad…” “A prince is only human,” he turned to her, his eyes showing an intensity she’d never seen. “And I…I may be a prince, I might have everything I might wish for, but do you know, sometimes I really envy the commoners…I envy their freedom, their joy in life. I grew up in this big golden palace, with my life stretching before me like a paved path, neatly shaped and bordered. A good and worthy life, with everything I could wish for, but…I hate it,” His voice was soft as he spoke, his eyes staring into the distance. “I hate having my path chosen and all laid out in front of me, I hate this emptiness I feel inside…that’s why I chose my name amongst the pugilistic world to be “Qing Feng”, because that’s the one thing I long for, freedom, to be as free as the wind, to walk my own path…”
He stopped as he saw Ying Zi staring at him, as if transfixed. “I’m sorry,” he smiled ruefully, “I didn’t mean to bore you.” “No, it’s not that,” she said hastily, she’d been startled to hear such lonely words from a prince, that he too, yearned for something so simple, yet so complex… her eyes grew soft, full of ancient sorrow. “I…I know what you mean,” she murmured, her heart reaching out to this rich and powerful prince, whose life wasn’t really all that different from hers…neither had a choice in the paths they walked, nor the person they must be…Yuan Feng stared at her…did she? Did she really understand what it felt like? Then again, maybe she did, maybe that was why he felt so drawn to her from the start…because…because she was the only one who would see, who would understand….he drew his breath…she looked so beautiful in the starlight, her eyes glinting with hidden sorrow…as if be spelled, they stared into each other’s eyes, reading what was left unsaid. Drawn by her deep mysterious eyes, he leaned forward…Ying Zi couldn’t breathe…his eyes pierced into her soul…his lips touched hers lightly…she felt a sudden shock and her eyes widened…no, this…this can’t be…her hands pushed at him weakly, but he drew back, his face flushed as he stammered, “I…I’m so sorry, Ying Ying, I didn’t mean to…” Yuan Feng was loss for words, he couldn’t believe he’d acted so inappropriately, yet his heart yearned to hold her…she flushed, but whispered, “It’s…it’s alright, but…I better go now…” She stood up and practically ran from him, from the confusing emotions that flooded her. He stared after her…her slender figure disappearing into the night…his eyes clouded…I can’t let her go…can I? He remembered the feel of her lips on his…the stars shimmering in her eyes…oh tian, how I wish…
Unknown to them, the entire scene had been watched by steely eyes from a distance…Wu Feng clenched his fists as he saw the prince lean forward and kiss Ying Zi…How dare he?!? How dare he touch her!!! He thought, his blood boiling in his veins, she is mine, MINE! His eyes narrowed as he watched Ying Zi hurry away from Yuan Feng, how dare she jeopardise her mission like this, for a man…for the man she was supposed to kill, when all the while she refused HIM! No, he wouldn’t allow it…he wouldn’t allow this to happen…she was his, his entirely…
Ying Zi’s mind was in turmoil as she stumbled through the trees back to the camp…he…he kissed her? Why did he…how could she let him…what was this strange feeling inside her…could it be…oh Tian! She thought, shaking her head, what is wrong with me? What is happening? Suddenly she froze, her eyes catching sight of the figure in front of her…it was as if ice water was dumped on her, waking her from the dream…the blood drained from her face as her eyes lost their brightness, staring at the man before her. “Wu Feng.” She stood silent as he approached her, his eyes wild. “What do you think you’re doing?!? How dare you get close to that…that prince…” Her eyes suddenly flashed with fury. “Who do you think you are? It’s none of your business who I’m with, you don’t own me, Wu Feng, and you don’t rule my life, not you!” He grabbed her arms in a painful grip, “You’re mine Ying Zi! Mine! You’ll always be mine, no matter what you think!” She pushed him away violently, disgusted by his touch, “Get away from me! I would rather die!” She turned as if to run, but he grabbed her shoulder. “What about your mission? Did you forget you have to kill that man? The Master sent me to make sure you finish what you started.”
She froze, her heart ached bitterly as her fate finally caught up on her, she could no longer hide from who she was…not when it stood in front of her, demanding she finish her job…she was Ying Zi, an assassin, a pawn in the Master’s game…She glared at Wu Feng, hating him, hating his reminder of what she was. He smiled cynically at her, “You can’t run from it, Ying Zi, you can’t run from who you are…face it, you are an assassin, and you WILL complete the mission, or you will die. Is that what you want? What happened to your will to survive, your wish to kill our Master? Have you forgotten your Bai Wu ge ge? Or your family’s death?” He waved them in front of her, knowing damn well that these were the only things that had kept her going all these years, the only thing that would make her finish her mission…and continue this path…this path, he promised himself, that would lead her right into my arms…the Master will give her to me…and she will be mine, mine forever…He felt a great satisfaction in seeing her eyes flash, as she remembered her need for revenge…her need to know the truth behind her family’s death. Her eyes dead, Ying Zi looked at him, giving him the answer he wanted. “I will finish the mission,” in a bleak, dead voice as she spun and ran from him, disappearing into the night, once again a ying zi…
Yuan Feng held the little grasshopper very carefully, it was just a grasshopper cleverly weaved out of grass strands, but to him, it was very precious…it was his birthday present from Ying Ying. He smiled softly as he remembered her soft voice, telling him that she had no riches, and that there was no way she could get him anything he didn’t have anyway, so…holding out the grasshopper, something she’d made, that was unique, and only his…he’d looked at it, then at her…no one had ever cared enough to put effort into making him something…this little trinket…was priceless. Then he remembered last night, under the stars, it was like some kind of dream, had it really happened? The way she’d looked under the starlight…he shook his head ruefully, I can’t believe it, what’s wrong with me? Could I…could I really be…his head lifted as he heard her approach…Ying Zi stared at him from the tent entrance, the man who she was supposed to kill…holding her grasshopper as if it was something precious…she’d made that out of a sudden whim…it was something she’d learnt from her brother, before she became Ying Zi, and the only thing that Ying Ying could give Yuan Feng…the only thing she had to give…
Why was she staring at him so strangely, Yuan Feng wondered, what was wrong? He stood up, smiling at her to put her at ease. “Good evening, Ying Ying. Was there something wrong?” his voice casual, hiding his concern. She avoided his gaze as she spoke, trying to maintain a casual tone as well. “No, nothing’s wrong, I just came to…to say goodbye,” ignoring his sharp look. She was really leaving? He didn’t say anything, there was nothing he could say…was there? “I’m leaving tomorrow, I just wanted to thank you for all you’ve done for me.” She reached over and picked up the wine flask on the table to pour them two cups. Yuan Feng’s hand shot out to stop her, and she looked up at him, her eyes full of an emotion he couldn’t describe. But he knew what she was trying to do…had it really come down to this? He’d hoped and hoped… “Let’s go outside, and drink to the stars like last night. I promised to teach you to play a tune, remember?” He picked up the wine flask, and the cups, and left the tent. Ying Zi looked after him, her eyes wary, but she followed him…the poison vial was already empty…and the cup of wine…would be his last…
They sat silent, on the grassy hill, staring up at the crescent moon, and the stars that surrounded it. Yuan Feng knew the stage was set…this was the moment of truth…whether or not Ying Ying could be saved from the path she walked, whether or not she would let him die…his heart was pounding…he wanted to know so badly, yet, he didn’t…didn’t want to see her let him drink that wine that he knew had been poisoned. Hiding his turmoil inside, he picked up a leaf and started playing his song, the song that spoke his heart’s yearning…Ying Zi looked at him, at his calm face as he played his haunting tune…this would be his last tune…would it? Could she…could she just let him die? But…but what about her, what about her family and her need to find the truth…he could feel her eyes on him as he finished the tune. Forcing a nonchalant smile at her…he picked up the flask and poured…the trickling sound sent an unfamiliar shiver down Ying Zi’s spine. He looked at her steadily, his eyes filled with his hidden sorrow, sorrow that it’d come to this… “To our friendship,” he said softly, raising his wine cup to her. Ying Zi stared at him, her eyes clouded as she picked up the cup numbly…and clinked it with his softly. She watched numbly as he raised the cup slowly…towards his lips…all the scenes from the last week flashed rapidly through her mind…his eyes watching her when she first woke up, the way he smiled at her…how he’d laughed as they splashed in the water…his eyes as he’d told her how he hated the path he was made to walk…just like her…
Something snapped inside her. She suddenly coughed, splashing her wine on him. “Oh I’m so sorry!” Making a big fuss of wiping the wine, she tipped his cup too…spilling the wine onto the ground…Yuan Feng didn’t move as she pretended to wipe his clothes for him…his mind was blank as his heart pounded…she…she didn’t let him drink it! His eyes flashed with sudden joy, she…she really did care! “Ying Ying…” he began, but she backed away quickly, “I’m really sorry, could we talk later? I…I need to think about something…” her mind was totally confused, she…she had to think…she was so confused…why did she just…His eyes were sober as he looked at her. “Alright,” he said softly, “I’ll see you tomorrow then.” She gave him a flustered smile then turn to run from him…from the disturbing thing she’d just done…she’d deliberately failed… “Let me walk you back,” he said suddenly, and she could only look at him, then nod…silently, they made their way back to camp, each preoccupied in their own confused, almost frightening emotions…
Wu Feng watched with with fury as Ying Zi stopped Yuan Feng from drinking…what did she think she was doing? How dare she…how dare she care for that man…Jealousy raged in him, making him clench his fists as he glared with hatred at Yuan Feng’s distant figure…she is mine, mine!!! No one can take her from me…his eyes narrowed as he watched Ying Zi and Yuan Feng make their way back to the camp…if she wouldn’t do it…then he would just have to do it for her…Yuan Feng will die, and Ying Zi will be his…his forever…
Ying Zi’s uncanny sense warned her before anything else…without thought she grabbed Yuan Feng’s arm and pulled him back…as a object sped silently through the air…right where he’d just been…momentarily stunned, he only looked at her, then at the dagger embedded deeply in the tree trunk…then his reflex took over as he aimed his “Whirlwind Fist” at the dark figure within the trees. The dark figure leaped, dodging his blow and used a technique he recognised as “Crystal Rain” as deadly shards flew towards them with deadly accuracy …Yuan Feng stood in front of Ying Ying, shielding her from the rain of death as he drew on his qi and formed a energy shield, deflecting the missiles. Ying Zi could only stand there, stunned…not at the furious attack by the dark figure she recognised as Wu Feng, but at her own automatic reaction…to save him…she knew then, in that single moment of truth, she’d decided her own destiny…Wu Feng realised belatedly that Yuan Feng’s martial arts were no less powerful than his…burning with anger that Ying Zi had saved Yuan Feng, he threw his smoke bomb as Yuan Feng rushed towards him…
Yuan Feng covered his eyes as the bomb went off, coughing and waving his arms to clear the smoke…but the dark figure was already gone. Furious at himself for letting the man escape, he turned back to Ying Zi who was still standing there, her face drained of blood. “Ying Ying, are you alright? You’re not injured, are you?” his concerned voice finally broke through her inner turmoil…she looked at him, her eyes clouded. “I…I’m fine,” her voice shook, betraying her. How could she be fine, when she’d just, in that one instant, revoked all that she’d been, all that had been her life, for the last sixteen years? She had just broken her oath as Assassin…oh tian, she’d broken the code…what had she done?!? The consequences from that one action… her distraught eyes would have given her identity away to Yuan Feng anyway if he didn’t already know what she was…his thoughts were still like a whirlwind…she’d saved him…if she didn’t pull him back…she’d saved him! She… “Ying Ying, I…you…” he broke off, not knowing what to say, how to tell her he already knew the truth… “I…I think I better go back now,” she turned and ran from him, back to her tent, back to where she could think, to fully deal with what she’d just done…and why…
Yuan Feng watched her go, his eyes deeply troubled. What will she do? What she’d just done…he struggled with the elation in his heart…elation that she’d cared enough to save him…what will that mean for her? His eyes narrowed as his mind thought rapidly…the Assassin Guild was renown for it’s ruthlessness with those who broke oath…traitors…would…would that figure come back for Ying Ying? Let him come, Yuan Feng thought fiercely, as that strange urge to protect Ying Ying finally became something solid, and embedded in his heart…I will let nothing harm her, nothing! His face determined, he followed her into the night.
Her eyes looked round, and haunted as she stared into the mirror…she knew she’d done the unthinkable…an assassin developing feelings…an assassin that didn’t kill…an assassin that had broken oath…all three meant her death…but she’d done all three without thought, and now…she took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. That face in the mirror, the girl that looked back at her, who was she? Ying Zi? Was she Ying Zi anymore? She’d broken oath, in that one action in saving him, she’d broken her vow as part of the Assassin Guild…a guild she’d never wanted to join…a path she’d never wanted to walk…in that one moment of truth, she’d revoked it all, the last sixteen years of her life…now, as she looked at her reflection, at a girl she didn’t really recognise, Ying Zi realised the ironic truth…Ying Ying had never really died…the little girl had always been inside her, and Ying Zi was but the mask she’d been made to put on…now the die has been cast…and she’d decided her own fate. Suddenly she smiled, letting go of all the emotions she’d kept under lock and key inside…she’d finally, finally chosen her own path…she’d made her own choice, never mind the reasons behind it…no matter where it ends, she thought, nor how soon it will end…I will not turn back…
She stopped as Wu Feng turned to face her in the clearing, his face dangerously calm. He watched her, her face impassive in the moonlight, her silence only serving to aggravate him even more. His soft, lethal voice reached across the night, “What do you think you’re doing? Do you even realize what you’ve done?” Her eyes were clear as she looked at him, yes, she knew already, she knew what it had meant. “Yes, I do. I’ve broken oath. I know what the consequences are.” Her calm tone made his blood boil, moving rapidly towards her, he grabs her arm, his eyes flashing as he shook her, “Are you crazy, Ying Zi? Have you lost your mind completely?!? Failing to finish your mission, then breaking oath…for someone like that!!! He’s nothing to you, he’s a prince, you’re…you’re nothing to him, nothing! You KNOW what happens to assassins who break from the guild, you would die for someone to who you’re nothing?” Ying Zi pushed away, shaking her head. “Wu Feng, I don’t KNOW why I did it…it’s just, I can’t kill him…I can’t watch him die. Besides,” her eyes flinty, “I’m tired of being Ying Zi, I’m tired of walking this path! I know the consequences, I’ve always known…and I don’t regret my decision.” His eyes narrowed as he watched her, his face white with suppressed fury. “You would give up all you’ve done, all you’ve accomplished for that man? Ying Zi, you can’t, you’re an assassin…you’re our yingzi, you always will be! You can’t run away from it!”
“NO!” Her eyes shone with newfound defiance, or was it the defiance that had dwelt within her all along? “I’m not an assassin! It was just a role I had to play, a path I was made to walk, but I hate it, I hate it! Enough, Wu Feng, enough! I’m not Ying Zi, I’m not the master’s shadow, I refuse to be manipulated anymore! No matter what the consequences are, I won’t turn back!” He watched, stunned by the violent outburst from the normally icy princess, as she reached inside her sash to withdraw her Guild token and threw it at him. “I hereby revoke my position within the Assassin Guild,” her voice was calm as she looked steadily at him, “I sever all ties with the Guild and it’s members, with Ying Zi who is now dead…whatever the cost may be.” Ying Ying’s face was pale, but calm as she faced her fears with determination…she’d chosen her path…and she will walk it to the end. Wu Feng looked at her, stunned at her defiance, at the determined way she was standing there, waiting for him to do his worst…then, his blood boiled….she was giving up everything for that…that man! How could she do that, how could she care about someone when she refused him… “NO! You’re Ying Zi, and you’re mine! I won’t let you leave!” His face was full of rage as he grabbed her arms, shaking her, “I won’t let you go with that man, you’re mine!” Shocked, Ying Ying only stared at him for a moment…she’d expected him to try to kill her…for her deviation…but not this…then her panic rose, pushing at him forcefully, “Get away from me!” Her eyes, glaring up at him, “I will never be yours, never! You can kill me, but you will never rule me.”
Wu Feng’s eyes narrowed, his soft lethal voice sending shivers down her spine. “I will take you back to the Master…you will never leave us…you will never be free with that man…never!” Blind with rage, he flew towards her, using his ‘Crystal Rain’ to aim at her vital points…Ying Ying panicked at his words, no, I don’t want to go back, no! She dodged, slipping on her silver gloves and firing her deadly needles in one smooth movement, but Wu Feng deflected them easily with his qi…She rolled, then stood up quickly, watching his approach warily, backing away from him…she knew his wugong was more powerful than hers…the only one in the whole of the Assassin Guild other than the Master himself…dying, yes, she’d been ready to face that, but to go back? Back to face the Master…to be forced into that path she’d just revoked…to be forced to be Wu Feng’s…NO! Drawing her sword, she flew towards him, her eyes deadly…I will never go back! Wu Feng drew his own sword, and fended off her attacks easily…Ying Ying watched as their swords clashed…she knew she couldn’t defeat him…she just needed an opening…to run…her mind flashed suddenly, back to the fight she’d had with Yuan Feng not too long ago…her hand did the same peculiar twist sending Wu Feng’s sword flying…he paused momentarily, stunned but Ying Ying didn’t waste anytime…she used her qi…not to attack him, but as her best power, ‘Light Steps’, to flee…
Wu Feng’s eyes widened as he realised her intentions, he threw all his qi as the “Wind of Fury”. Ying Ying swung back to deflect it…not in time as it hit her squarely in the shoulder. She fell backwards, landing heavily on the ground, spitting up blood…trying to get up, but froze as Wu Feng hit one of her vital points. She glared up at him, her eyes defiant in spite of her inability to move. “Let me go, Wu Feng, I will never turn back…I will never accept you no matter what, you know that! Why must you persist?” “Why?” he asked softly, looking at her, “Why must you defy us?” She gave him a surprised look at his tone…maybe…she thought desperately, maybe he would let her go, if she could but appeal to his heart…if he has one… “Please Wu Feng, just let me go.” His eyes were unreadable as he looked at her. “Do you love him?” The question hung in the air, and she struggled with the panic and emotions within her…but she knew the answer…she’d known all along…she couldn’t lie anymore. Ying Ying looked at him, her eyes soft, her voice was quiet. “Yes, I do.” It was the wrong words to say, Wu Feng felt his anger rise at her defiance, his lust mixing with his anger, and jealousy…at her admission…Ying Ying felt panic at his expression, hurriedly pleading, “Please Wu Feng, just let me go…” He sneered at her, his eyes cold as he drawled, “Let you go so you can live happily with your prince? No, Ying Zi, you’re mine, MINE! No one can take you away from me! No matter who enters your life, no matter how hard you run, you will always belong to me! I’ll make you mine, tonight, now!!!” Ying Ying felt the blood drain from her face as he spat out the words, pushing her roughly to the ground…she felt the world was coming to an end…no…NO!!! “ No, Wu Feng, no…get AWAY FROM ME!” Struggling desperately to break her paralysis, panicking as Wu Feng settled on top of her, his hands at her waist sash…his steely voice echoed in the darkness as he ripped at her sash, “You’re mine, Ying Zi, mine.”
Ying Ying couldn’t believe it…was it really him? He…he was here? But it was his concerned eyes staring down at her, his arms holding her…suddenly her body started shaking from shock…she couldn’t stop it…couldn’t stop shaking… “Ying Ying?” His worried voice stabbed at her heart, and she couldn’t control it anymore…she threw her arms around him, hiding her face in his chest as her pent up emotions finally burst out…he wrapped his arms around her, holding her shaking body tightly…Yuan Feng was stunned to see her like this…so…frightened…his heart filled with cold fury as he held the shaking girl in his arms…wanting to kill the man responsible for this…for her scare…for almost taking advantage of her…of Ying Ying…his Ying Ying…his eyes glared at the injured man lying on the ground. Wu Feng watched with helpless anger the prince held HIS girl… “Let her go! She’s mine! Ying Zi belongs to me!” His voice grated, getting on his feet, wanting to go and rip Ying Zi from Yuan Feng’s arms…Yuan Feng’s eyes widened as he stared at the man…how dare he! “You…you…I’ll KILL you if you touch Ying Ying again!” Feeling Ying Ying still shaking in his arms from shock only made his blood boil even more…unclasping his cloak, he wrapped it around the distraught Ying Ying, helping her stand up…steadying her as she swayed slightly on her feet. “Ying Ying, what is going on? Tell me…if he’s hurt you in any way…” His eyes burned with anger.
Ying Ying took a deep breath, finally getting control over her hysteria… she shook her head slightly. “No, I’m alright…he…he didn’t…” she couldn’t say it…but she didn’t leave Yuan Feng’s arms either…she was still in shock. “Ying Zi…” Wu Feng reached towards her, but she shrank away behind Yuan Feng, who stood in front of her protectively. “Just go away, Wu Feng,” she said wearily, “Go away, I don’t want to ever see you again!” “Did you hear what Ying Yin said? LEAVE. Before I kill you myself!” Yuan Feng’s voice rang in the clearing. Wu Feng looked at her, at Yuan Feng, and felt his anger rise. Throwing all caution to the wind, he snarled at Yuan Feng, “You think you’re so heroic, rescuing the maiden from distress, princeling? You’re an idiot, that’s what you are, she’s no maiden, she’s an assassin! We’re the Assassin Guild!” Ying Ying gasped, her face going white as she looked at Yuan Feng…tian…now he knew…he…he’ll hate me…Wu Feng looked at her in triumph…now he knew the truth…
They were unprepared for Yuan Feng’s calm voice, “I know already. And I know she’s broken oath with the Guild as well, so there’s nothing you can say to make me leave her alone with the likes of you!” “You…you knew?” Ying Ying’s whisper broke his intense eye contact with Wu Feng. He looked at her pale, shocked face, and said gently, “Yes, but…” Wu Feng broke in, his voice full of venom, “But he wanted to make you break oath anyway, don’t you see, Ying Zi? He’s not who you think he is, he’s been planning this all along! To get you to believe in him…so he would have a pet assassin to help him exterminate the Guild! That’s all you are to him, a pawn, don’t you get it?” Ying Ying felt her heart stop…her face drained of blood as her big round eyes stared at Yuan Feng, filled with disbelief…and pain… “No, Ying Ying,” Yuan Feng said hurriedly, his heart aching at the way she was looking at him, “I didn’t plan anything, it was just…” She backed away from him, from the both of them, shaking her head, her eyes filled with unshed tears. “Ying Zi, come away with me…come back with me…” “NO! No, I hate you both, just leave me alone!” “Ying Ying…” “Ying Zi…” she clapped her hands over her ears, and ran…ran away into the night. “Ying Ying!” Forgetting Wu Feng, forgetting everything, Yuan Feng ran after her…desperate to find her…to explain…Wu Feng tried to follow, but collapsed on the ground, Yuan Feng’s blows had caused internal injuries…Ying Zi…you’re mine…I won’t let you go…
She ran, her heart filled with a pain she’d never thought to feel again…it was all a lie…she thought bitterly, her eyes stinging, a lie within a lie…how could I have been so stupid… “Ying Ying!” She kept running, she didn’t want to see him, to hear his voice…someone grabbed her arm and spun her around. “Ying Ying, listen to me, listen! I didn’t lie to you…” She pulled away from him, her eyes flashing. “I don’t want to hear it, your Highness! I admit that I’m stupid, stupid to believe that someone as ‘high up’ as you could care about a commoner like me…an assassin…yes, I’m an assassin! I tried to kill you, so why don’t you just kill me now? Or aren’t you bored of your games yet?! Do you still want to play the ‘saviour’ to the poor assassin girl?!?” Her eyes were filled with cold fury as she glared at him. He grabbed her arms, shaking her. “Ying Ying, there IS no plot, I never meant to lie to you, I…I just…I just didn’t want to scare you away if I told you I knew…” But she wasn’t listening, she was still boiling with anger…anger at her own stupidity…for feeling… “I’m sorry to disappoint you, your Highness, but even though I’ve revoked the guild I refuse to be your pet assassin, to be your pawn, to be a pawn in your game…”
His anger rose at her stubbornness…how could she believe that… “YING YING!” Shaking her violently, “Will you listen to me? I don’t CARE! I don’t care what you are, assassin or beggar, I don’ care! I just care about you!” She looked up at him, feeling disoriented…grabbing at him as he shook her to steady herself…wish…he would stop shaking me…everything’s so…faint… “Ying Ying, I…” suddenly Ying Ying collapsed against him, unconscious. Yuan Feng grabbed her urgently, his heart stopping… “Ying Ying?!?” Feeling for her pulse…oh tian, she has internal injuries…and I’ve just been shaking her like…swinging her up into his arms, he ran swiftly back to the camp…his face pale with urgency…you’ll be alright Ying Ying, I promise…his face determined as he looked down at the precious burden in his arms…I’ll never let anything or anyone harm you again…ever!
Xin Ping sighed, oh dear, she thought ruefully, a prince…and an assassin…Father’s going to LOVE this…she couldn’t believe that Ying Ying jie jie was an assassin…the last few days they’d spent together…sure, she’d seemed sad, there was always that underlying sorrow in her eyes…but an assassin? But…she hadn’t killed them…even with so many opportunities the last few days…so I guess there must be something else…some other reason…as she helped the unconscious Ying Ying out of her ruined clothes…her eyes narrowed in shock, then glistened with unshed tears. Xin Ping stared at all the scars on Ying Ying’s arms…faint, as if from a long time ago…oh tian, no wonder there’s such sadness in her eyes…jie jie…what happened to you? Why…why…Xin Ping wiped at her eyes hastily, you’re supposed to look after her, you silly girl! But as she wiped Ying Ying’s face gently with a wet cloth, and covered her with the blanket, she knew, deep inside, assassin or not, Ying Ying will always be the jie jie of her heart…
Kwok Zhong stared at his prince, shock registering on his normally expressionless face. “Your highness KNEW she was the assassin and didn’t have her executed? Your Highness, this is most unwise…she MUST be killed immediately.” Yuan Feng held up his hand, he knew Kwok Zhong was only concerned over his safety, but… “I don’t want to hear it, General. Ying Ying…she missed deliberately on the first attempt on my life, and I owe her my life! I will NOT kill her!” Never mind that even if she’d tried to kill him for real he wouldn’t have the heart to execute her anyway…Yuan Feng gave his protesting general a steady look. “In all this time she has spent here, I’ve been watching her and she has made no attempt to harm either me nor Xin Ping, and I witnessed her revoke the Assassin Guild…and we all know the consequences of turning traitor to the Master of the Assassins…Ying Ying is an assassin no longer, and I have no intention of harming her. Nor will I allow anyone to do so, do you hear me, General?” Kwok Zhong was momentarily stunned…she’d turned traitor to the Assassin Guild? Why? Was it the truth…or was there some ulterior motive behind it…he saw his Prince’s stubborn face, and knew that there was nothing he could say right now to change his mind. He bowed stiffly, “Yes Your Highness…with your permission?” Yuan Feng looked at his stiff, unbending face and sighed inwardly. Kwok Zhong was a loyal soldier, and a good general…but as stubborn as a mule…he waved his permission to leave. Yuan Feng watched him leave, then, with a sombre mood, he lifted the tent flap…
His eyes locked with Ying Ying’s round, sober ones as she looked at him from the bed…she was awake. He paused for a moment, then let the flap down, watching her pale, wan face as she looked at him without a word…the silence stretched over them…he couldn’t stand it anymore. “So you’re awake?” He couldn’t believe he’d said something so stupid, but all she did was look at him with those round, tired eyes, filled with something he couldn’t name….it made him feel flustered, and he started to talk rapidly… “Are you thirsty? I’ll pour you some tea, Yu Taiyi is making you some medicine, he says that you will be fine…” “Why didn’t you just kill me?” His blood froze, and he looked up into her sad, expressionless eyes… “What…” “You’ve known what I was since when? Since the beginning?” His expression was sober, as he took a deep breath and nodded slightly. “From when you first woke up.” Her lip curled into a bitter smile…smiling at her own foolishness. “So you’ve just been playing me along? You knew I was trying to kill you that time with the wine…why? Why your Highness, is it funny…do you find it funny to watch me pretend to be a normal person? Why didn’t you just kill me?!?” “Probably because of the same reason you didn’t kill ME the first night.” His answer stabbed at her inside, she stared up into his calm face in shock…struggling with the conflicting emotions inside, she shot out, “I…I meant to…I just missed accidentally…” His lips curled up sardonically, “Liar.” “I am NOT lying…why should I miss deliberately…you’re nothing to me…I…” she blurted out, flustered, confused with the rising emotions inside her…
Yuan Feng strode across the room and grabbed her hands, holding them tightly, repeating softly, “Liar. You’re lying…you missed because you didn’t want to kill me, just as last night when you wouldn’t let me drink the poisoned wine…because you care about me.” She gasped at his audacious tone, then her temper flared. “I don’t care about you, you…you liar, I hate you! You pretended not to know, so that you could have a pet assassin to help you defeat the Guild…you’re just like the rest of them! It was all a lie…one big act…get away from me!” Trying to pull her hands away, but he only gripped them more tightly. “Ying Ying! I have NEVER meant to lie to you, in any way…it wasn’t an act…I didn’t want to kill you….COULDN’T kill you…I care about you too much! Ying Ying, I…I think I love you.” She caught her breath…what…what did he just say? She stared up at his serious face, her eyes round with disbelief. “You…no, I don’t believe you…you’re lying…” Yuan Feng, shaking his head desperately but she refused to believe it. “Yes you are! This is all a lie, it’s not real, it can’t be real…it’s all fake, I…” Yuan Feng suddenly pulled her into his arms and kissed her, drowning her words out…Ying Ying felt like the sky had fallen down…she…she couldn’t believe this was happening…as all the emotions inside her threatened to overwhelm her completely…he broke away, his eyes wild with suppressed emotion…and she felt a strange feeling…almost like regret…
“I…I’m sorry, Ying Ying…I didn’t mean to take advantage of you like that…I just…” flustered, Yuan Feng blabbered, her round shimmering eyes making an impact on his heart…tian…I didn’t mean to hurt her… He felt himself breath again in relief when she shook her head, she…she wasn’t angry…does that mean… “I…I need to think…Yuan Feng, please, just…leave me alone for a while…” her soft, tired voice tugged at his heart. He nodded, letting go of her hands with a tinge of regret. “I’m sorry, of course you need to rest…just…Ying Ying?” He waited till she looked up at him, her eyes expressionless. “None of it was fake, I meant what I said…please, whatever you do, please don’t leave, please don’t just disappear into the night…I…that was why I didn’t tell you I knew…I didn’t want you to just leave…” Ying Ying looked into his serious face, and knew, deep inside, that he meant it…she didn’t know how to deal with the cloud of confusing emotions inside…all she could do was give him a tiny nod, her face expressionless still. Yuan Feng gave an inward sigh of relief, smiling at her gratefully...for this chance she was giving him…whether she knew it or not… “Thank you…I’ll…I’ll leave you to rest now,” he walked to the tent entrance, then, turning around, he looked at her as he said softly, “Good night, Ying Ying,” The love in his eyes reached right into her soul and as he left, Ying Ying felt a strange, bubbly happiness inside…and unconsciously, she smiled softly…
Xiang Er looked up in surprise as she heard footsteps…and froze in astonishment. It was Ying Zi! What…why was she here? She stared at the girl in stunned silence as Ying Ying gave her a tiny smile before sitting down in front of her. She could only look at her, was this the same Ying Zi she’d…well, not known, not really, but lived with at the stronghold for the last six years? She…she’d never seen her smile…Ying Ying saw Xiang Er’s stunned amazement. I’ve never really known her, ever…I know she has her own story, her own past…but she’s not really that bad inside…I just never wanted to see her before…to see what she stood for. “Xiang Er, I…I know we’ve never been close, but…but whatever differences we’ve had in the past, I still wish you well, so I had to warn you. Yuan Feng knows we’re Assassins, and I…I revoked the Guild.” Xiang Er’s eyes widened with disbelief. “You…you’re betraying the Master?” she whispered in shock. Ying Ying’s mouth curled in a cynical smile. “Betrayal? No, I’m not betraying him because I’ve always hated him! Hated what he did to me, to all of us! I’m only choosing my own path, for the first time in my life, and…and I don’t regret it.” “But…but what about the Death Bloom…are you crazy?!? Aren’t you afraid? Is it worth it?” She couldn’t believe it, couldn’t believe anyone, even Ying Zi, would have the courage to choose death…and to sit there so calmly! Ying Ying shook her head, tired, she didn’t want to think about that, about what will happen…really, it wasn’t as if she had a choice anymore. No matter what happens, or won’t happen, with Yuan Feng…she was Ying Ying again…she was free! “Xiang Er, I only wanted to warn you…I’m not sure what you’re doing here, or what the Master intended…and…I don’t really care, but Zhao Zhi San will find out soon, and despite everything, I don’t want to see you hurt.” Ying Ying stood up, still weary from the injuries she’d suffered from the fight with Wu Feng, and turned to leave. “Do you love him? Is it really worth it?” Xiang Er’s soft voice made her pause at the entrance. Ying Ying’s eyes were clouded as she turned back to the girl she’d always thought was her enemy, her heart and mind still in a cloud of confusion. Finally, she spoke quietly, “I don’t know, Xiang Er, I really don’t know.” Turning, she left, leaving Xiang Er staring after her with troubled eyes…
Yuan Feng watched her as she talked to Xin Ping, like he’d been watching her for the last three days since that night, since that…incident. She was avoiding him, he knew it, from the way she flushed and made pathetic excuses to run the moment they were alone…the way she hardly looked at him now as she talked happily with Xin Ping…why was she avoiding him? He fiddled with the cup in his hand, his heart struggling with his inner turmoil. Didn’t…didn’t she care…was that it? But no…the very way she acted now, the way she’d refused to kill him reassured him otherwise. Then what was it? She can’t still believe what that snake Wu Feng said about me wanting to use her as a spy, does she? Oh tian, this was driving him crazy, this need to know…to know for sure…he poured himself another cup of wine, his mind preoccupied. Xin Ping gave her brother a discrete look, and grinned to herself…maybe I should help him…hmm…I’ll plan something... “Jie jie, are you sure you’re feeling better now? I mean, you’re not still hurt or anything…” Ying Ying smiled and shook her head, still unable to believe that this princess would just accept her, accept what she was…and treat her like normal…what a rare person she is, she thought, they both are…unable to resist shooting a quick glance at HIM, then avoiding his eyes. Oh, how I wish…if only I could….but no, suppressing her longing quickly, why go there, Ying Ying, when you know nothing good will come out of it? When you know…that in a few months…she shook her head slightly, swallowing the lump in her throat, be grateful, Ying Ying, at least you still have these few months, people like you aren’t meant to be able to live happily to an old age…or to have happiness, there’s too much blood on your hands…no matter what you do…the stains will always be there…yes, people like you don’t deserve them…looking at Yuan Feng and Xin Ping with a smile pasted on her face…be grateful for this dream…no matter how transient it is…
BACK AT THE CAMP
Yuan Feng dispatched the messenger with the letter to his Father, then sat
there, silently staring into his wine cup. His mind was in utter turmoil…why
does she avoid me? Why? He threw back another mouthful of wine, pouring himself
some more. Maybe she’s just not ready…she’s lived all her life hiding from
everyone, including herself…maybe she’s just not ready yet…but I am! He
thought bitterly, I am, I think of her everyday, I see her eyes in my dreams
every night…he downed another cup of wine…maybe she doesn’t care, he
thought with despair, maybe she really doesn’t care…not in that way…oh
tian! For all that he was a high and mighty prince who could have any woman he
wanted, he only wanted her…her smile, her round, glimmering eyes to look at
him….for all the powerful martial arts he had that he was afraid of
nothing…he was finally afraid, afraid that the one girl he’d finally learnt
to love…didn’t love him…Suddenly the tent flap was lifted, and he looked
up, blinking from the glare of the sun behind the figure…could it be…Ying
Ying? He shook his head, trying to clear his mind as he stood up…totally
unprepared for the figure to throw herself into his arms, wrapping her arms
around his neck…he wavered, his arms closing around her automatically… “Oh
Yuan Feng, I love you, please…please don’t send me away…” Her voice
finally penetrated his wine fogged mind… “Xiang…Xiang Er?!? What…what
are you…”
He looked up in shock as voices came from outside his tent, and Ying Ying and Xin Ping walked in. They froze when they saw him and Xiang Er…the blood drained from Ying Ying’s face as she stared at him in disbelief…her eyes flashing with anger…and pain. Yuan Feng felt his blood freeze, “Ying Ying, I can explain…” trying desperately to disentangle himself from Xiang Er, “It…it’s not what you think…” But she only gave him a furious glare, then spun and ran outside. “Ying Ying!” he shouted desperately, pushing Xiang Er away from him, his mind only intent on chasing after her… “Now you know.” He froze, then looked at his sister in bewilderment, “What?!?” He was totally unprepared for her to grin at him, “Now you know for sure what Ying Ying jie jie feels, don’t you?” Seeing her brother standing there like a statue, trying to absorb the meaning of what just happened, she sighed in exasperation and pushed him towards the entrance. “Oh for crying out loud! Just go and find her!” Yuan Feng looked at her, then at Xiang Er, who was also smiling, he finally realised what had just happened…and Ying Ying…her reaction showed that she…she did love him…a silly grin overcame his face as he gave his sister a grateful kiss on the forehead, then ran outside…to find his love…
Xin Ping looked at Xiang Er, her co-conspirator, but with a serious look on her face…those words she’d said…was there a ring of truth in them? Because…why was there that sad look in her eyes… “Xiang Er?” She looked at her, her expression sober. “DO you love my brother?” she asked straightforwardly, watching Xiang Er for her reaction. Xiang Er only looked back at her, her eyes clear. She’d asked herself this question many times, since she’d first felt the twinges of jealousy at seeing Yuan Feng’s concern over Ying Ying…did she love him, or was it just…the old reaction…the need to have whatever Ying Zi had? She could answer truthfully now, looking at this princess who’d accepted her for what she was, “No. For a while, I thought I did, but now…now I know, I don’t know what love is,” smiling bitterly, “If love is what made Ying Zi revoke the Guild for Yuan Feng, risking everything…then no, I don’t love Yuan Feng…because I can’t see myself doing what she has done. I…I think the only reason I believed I did was because…because your brother was the only man who didn’t react to my perfume…to me…” Xin Ping frowned, puzzled. “What perfume? What do you mean?” Xiang Er’s eyes clouded, and she sat down, clutching at the table. What was this feeling inside her? Why did she suddenly want to tell the truth…to tell her secret to this girl, this princess, when she’d hidden it all her life? Was it because of Ying Zi…maybe rebellion is infectious, she thought ruefully…I’m so tired…tired of hiding…but what will they think of me once the truth is known? But then, could it be any worse than now…she looked up in surprise as she felt Xin Ping touch her arm gently, her eyes soft. “You can tell me.” And suddenly, Xiang Er knew she could…giving Xin Ping a small smile, she nodded. She took a deep breath, and sighed, her eyes growing hazy as she remembered…a past she longed to forget…
**XIANG ER’S PAST**
“I was born in a little village north of Guangzhou. My parents were farmers,
but they loved me very much…my name was Lin Mei Wah. From when I was very
small, there would always be this smell, this perfume that permeated from my
body…it was nothing I could control…but when I was young, I used to love it
because it made all the little kids and adults like me…it made me feel
special. But neither me, or my parents realised just how ‘special’ this
scent was…if I did…
My parents both died of plague when I was thirteen, and I was sent to live with my uncle in Guangzhou, a rich merchant of spices…at first, he treated me really good, always making sure I had enough to wear, and it was like they were my parents…but then my aunt died, and my uncle started to give me these strange looks…and followed me around…I was…unnerved, but I was only thirteen…how was I to know…I finally found out what the scent meant when my uncle came into my room one night, it was like he’d totally lost his mind…I tried to run, but he hit me, and…and then…” her voice faded as her eyes filled with horror at the memories. Xin Ping looked at her with wide eyes, feeling very cold. “You…your own uncle…” Xiang Er looked at her with haunted eyes as she nodded wearily, “Yes, he took me…when I woke up…he was still next to me…and I hurt…hurt so bad…and…he was my own uncle…” She covered her face with her hands, remembering…the horror from her childhood was flooding back…the horror that had made her unable to trust anyone again…Xin Ping looked at her with horrified eyes, her heart ached with sympathy…tian, how could this happen?
“Then?” She was unprepared for Xiang Er to freeze, and look up at her with dead eyes. “I…I tried to run, but he woke up and…and he tried to…to take me again…I struggled with him and then…somehow my hands found a pair of scissors…I…I’d killed my own uncle, and then the townspeople found out…they didn’t believe me…they called me a whore and a murderer…that I was some evil spirit who used scent to seduce men…they were going to have me drowned.” Xiang Er picked up the wine cup and tossed it all down in a gulp. Her eyes suddenly flared, “The Master heard about how I killed my own kin and he thought I would make a good assassin, so he saved me…and I chose to follow him, because I believed him…I’d killed my own kin…who can’t I kill? And I learnt…learnt to use the scent from my body as a weapon…not a weakness…because no man has ever been able to resist it…if I can’t get rid of it, I might as well use it…so no one could hurt me again. So I became Xiang Er, the assassin who used her body to accomplished her missions…but…deep inside, I really hate myself…I hate what I’ve become, I hate my weakness in choosing this path…that’s why I envy Ying Zi, I envy her courage in defying the path she was forced to walk…but…but I respect her for it.” She fell silent, her eyes still staring into the distant…seeing her uncle’s face…the faces of all the men she’d killed…Xin Ping, her eyes filled with tears, could only reach across and gently squeeze her hand…oh tian, no wonder she is…what she is now…oh tian! If this is what made Xiang Er this way…does that mean something just as bad happened to Ying Ying jie jie? What was jie jie’s story? Xin Ping’s eyes were suddenly worried as she thought of Ying Ying and her brother…hoping he would find her, and help her tell her story…to bleed out the pain inside…
Ying Ying stared into the water, neither the beautiful scenery nor the wind that caressed her face served to calm her down…that burning sensation inside, that powerful wrench on her heart…it was something she’d never experienced before…her eyes felt hot as she remembered the image of Yuan Feng, holding Xiang Er…why was it suddenly so hard to breath…what was this choked feeling? “Ying Ying.” She stiffened at the sound of his voice. Her face stony cold, she turned to face him, dignified…she would die before she let him see that she was upset…she was totally unprepared for him to give her a gentle smile…her heart did a peculiar jump…flustered, she looked at his shoulder instead, saying coldly, “Your Highness, I’m sorry I interrupted you…please, you don’t have to worry about me, please go back to…whatever you were doing before.” Her stiff tone only made him chuckle softly…she shot him a furious glance, how dare he laugh at me! She could feel her irrational anger flaring…it was frightening…all of this was frightening…she had never felt like this before…ever. She spun around to leave, but he grabbed her arm, pulling her back. “Ying Ying, I’m sorry I laughed, but there is nothing going on between me and Xiang Er…” seeing her disbelieving look, “It’s true! It was just something Xin Ping and Xiang Er set up…to see how you react…I…I knew NOTHING about it!” he added hurriedly as he saw the anger grow in her eyes.
Ying Ying trembled with fury, forgetting to act dignified, forgetting to hide her emotions…forgetting everything as she realised how…how she’d been set up…and she’d fallen for it…completely! She was completely furious as she realised how…how SILLY she felt… “You…you planned this little charade with them all along! How could you do that…so did you all find it funny?!? Was it funny to see my reaction, was it worth all the effort?!? I certainly hope I didn’t spoil all your fun…” “Ying Ying, it’s not like that, and you know it! We weren’t making fun of you, it was just…” but she wasn’t listening, she was too angry…too humiliated. “I can’t believe I was so stupid! How can I be so stupid as to…” “To fall in love with me?” she froze as he finished off her sentence, staring up at him in shock. “You do, don’t you? If you didn’t love me then you wouldn’t have reacted like that…oh Ying Ying, I’m so glad!” he embraced in his jubilation, his sudden burst of joy after the last few days of frantic worrying…her mind spun as she stood in his embrace, then her anger got the better of her. She pushed him away, hiding her face, “Don’t…don’t touch me…I never said anything about being in love with you…” “Ying Ying!” his anguished tone tugged at her heart, but she turned away, her voice bitter as she spoke her inner pain, “Even…even if I did…so what? It doesn’t mean anything…you’re a prince, remember? I refuse to be one of the many women in your life…I may be a nobody, but I still have some self respect!” Exasperated, he moved quickly in front of her, grabbing her arms. “WHAT women?!? There ARE no other women in my life, there never will be…only you, Ying Ying…Ying Ying, look at me, look at me!” He waited till she lifted her head reluctantly, to see him staring intensely down at her…it sent a pleasant shiver down her spine. “I love you, Ying Ying, I think I’ve loved you since the first time we met! You’re the only one in my heart, now and forever, do you understand?” She couldn’t breathe…her eyes burned…was this true…could this be happening…she shook her head sadly, trying to back away but he tightened his grip. “Yuan Feng, don’t be silly, you’re a prince…princes don’t fall in love with commoners…and I’m not even a commoner! I’m an assassin! My hands are stained with blood…I’m…I…I don’t deserve you…you can’t…” her words were cut off as he leaned down and kissed her passionately, his arms tightening around her, showing her wordlessly how a prince COULD fall in love…Ying Ying was stunned, it was like the world had stopped…but…his lips were on hers…and it felt so warm…so safe in his arms…her eyes closed as she finally gave in to the ocean of yearning that had battled within her for so long…her arms slipped around his neck and kissed him back…longing for this moment to never end…
Finally they broke apart, staring into each other’s eyes without speaking. Gently, Yuan Feng reached up and touched her cheek. “You’re Ying Ying…the only girl I will ever love…no matter who you are, or what you are…I love you. Do you understand?” Her eyes filled with unshed tears, sparkled in the sunlight…she knew it was foolish…but her heart yearned to live…to be happy…even for this very short time…she nodded slightly, and smiled up at him, smiled with all that joy that engulfed her…Yuan Feng caught his breath as he saw her smile…the way her eyes seemed to come alive with joy…laughing, unable to contain his happiness any longer, he flung his arms around her and hugged her to him fiercely, not wanting to ever let go…Ying Ying hid her face in his shoulder, feeling so safe, so warm…tian, let me have these few happy moments…just for these few weeks…it’s not that much to ask, is it? Just let me be happy…for this short time…
“Is it that hard to start?” his soft voice whispered in her ear, as they sat beside the lake, Ying Ying snuggled in Yuan Feng’s arms. He felt her stiffen, her eyes were haunted as she looked at him…she so wanted to tell him about her past…but she didn’t know where to start, or how to. He took her hands, grasping them gently in his own. “You can tell me, you have to just, bleed it out, you know.” She looked at him, her eyes were full of pain. “I know,” she said softly, “I…I just don’t know how to start…” “Is it to do with the scars on your arms?” At her surprised look, he said, “Xin Ping told me. She loves you too, you know, we both do. No matter what happened in the past, we love you for who you are now…nothing will change that.” She smiled gratefully at him, for the reassurance she so desperately needed. Sighing, she took a deep breath and looked up at him. “Don’t stop me, will you? I’m not sure I can continue.” Her eyes became hazy as she remembered…back to the day she chased butterflies…the day her life changed forever. “I was only four years old…my name was Zhi Ying, but everyone called me Ying Ying…”
Xiang Er froze as Zhi San’s voice called her from behind. His arms reached out and encircled her, trapping her in his embrace. “There you are, Xiang Er. Where have you been? There’s someone I want you to meet…” she stared up at his smug face as he dragged her back to his tent…he lifted up the flap, and froze, the blood draining from her face…did her choice have to come, so soon? Wu Feng stood up, his eyes stabbing at her from across the tent. “Hello, Xiang Er, we’ve been waiting for you,” he drawled casually. Zhi San let the tent flap drop behind them, shutting out the world she’d so briefly been in…
Ying Ying walks over to her, leaving the siblings to continue with their fight. “Xiang Er, are you alright? You look a bit pale,” her concerned voice broke into Xiang Er’s brooding. Looking up at Ying Ying’s sombre, but relaxed face, Xiang Er longed to tell her what was wrong…to have the same courage as this girl to break free…to warn her…warn THEM of the Master’s treachery…but something stayed her voice. Instead, she smiled weakly, and whispered, “It’s a full moon tonight.” Ying Ying paled…oh tian, how could she have forgotten! What was she going to do…no…Yuan Feng mustn’t find out about the poison…then she looked at Xiang Er, at the sadness in her eyes and understood. She…she was still with the Master, because of the threat of the Death Bloom…and Ying Ying couldn’t blame her, indeed, she’s smarter than me…who would want to die… “Thank you for reminding me, Xiang Er, I nearly forgot.” Ying Ying smiled at her, sorry for her…her choice to stay…but couldn’t fault her for it. She turned away, but Xiang Er asked, “What are you going to do? Tonight?” Ying Ying could only look at her, with calm, steady eyes. “I shall go into the forest, until the poison attack is over…please, Xiang Er, I don’t want them to know about it…I don’t want him to be worried…” “But Ying Zi, he’ll know someday! It’s only another two months till Mid Autumn Festival and…” Ying Ying reached out and took her arm gently, shaking her head. “There’s nothing he can do anyway, and…and I don’t want him to be sad, Xiang Er…I just want to spend the time I have with him, happy for once…that’s all. Please?” Ying Ying sighed in relief as Xiang Er nodded slightly, then hastily hide the sorrow on her face as Yuan Feng called her…
Yuan Feng gave her a curious look, but said nothing as they mounted the horses, on their way for a picnic by the lake. Ying Ying only smiled at him, her eyes twinkling as she challenged the two of them to a horse race. Xin Ping grinned and hastily agreed. “Ready?” Ying Ying asked, and the other two nodded. “One, two….” She dug her heels in and her horse raced off, her laughter ringing in the ears of momentarily stunned brother and sister, then they yelled in surprise and chased after her, yelling at her that she cheated…and come back here!
Xiang Er watched them go with wistful eyes…oh how I wish I could…I could as brave as you, Ying Zi…no, Ying Ying now…but…I belong on this path…I chose it, and I don’t have the courage to revoke it like you…you who was forced onto it by fate…now break from it by free will…I wish I had the same courage…Her eyes clouded as she remembered the conversation with Wu Feng last night…she shivered slightly…no, she couldn’t break from the Guild…she…she didn’t want to die…her heart tightened as she remembered what she had to do tonight. It wasn’t a bad thing to do…it would even seem as if she was doing something nice, as a friend…but the end result would still spell their doom…could she do that? Could she really watch the Master’s plan succeed? But if she didn’t, she would die, just like Ying Zi…and I’m so sorry, Ying Ying, I don’t want to die…I really don’t…I’m so sorry…
LATER THAT NIGHT
Yuan Feng frowned slightly as he read his father’s message, and sighed. It
suggested that since the rumours of a rebellion in Guangdong were fake, only a
lure for the prince himself to show up to be a target for assassination, there
was no further need to stay in Guangdong, and he should return to the Palace,
with his sister. He rubbed his temple with his fingers…he could feel the
headaches already…one was telling Xin Ping that her fun was over, and she was
to go back to being a princess…the other was…Ying Ying. His heart pounded as
he contemplated telling her that he had to go home…and would she come with
him? She had to…we’ve only just started to…to know each other in that
way…I’ve never been so happy in my life…I can’t lose her, I won’t! But
the thought of making Ying Ying going home with him…she would have to act like
a lady, all proper and polite…something which he himself hated anyway,
but…what would happen then? Could he convince his father to let him marry Ying
Ying? What happens if he said no…what will I do? Briefly he considered rashly,
for the first time in his orderly life, to pretend to not have seen this
letter…so he could spend a few more days with his love…but his sense of
responsibility battled with him. Sighing, he picked up the pen to write back to
his father…when a sudden black figure passing his tent distracted him…who
could that be? Silently he rose, and went outside rapidly…to see a figure
disappearing amongst the trees…his eye narrowed as he followed where he’d
last seen the figure…
Away…away from here…must get as far away as possible…she thought, her legs hurrying through the bushes…I’ll go back to that cave, yes, I’ll go there and bear out the attack…oh tian, please, not yet…I should have left sooner, but Xin Ping wouldn’t leave me alone…she looked up at the full moon…not yet…please…suddenly she felt a thousand needles stabbing at her from inside, and she gasped. Oh no…she thought, as she struggled from crying out loud, it’s starting again…sweat dripped from her forehead as she tried to bear with the pain…the burning, stabbing pain that was everywhere in her body, the poison that was flowing fiercely through her veins…I…I must go on…I can’t…can’t give up…but the pain was worse this time, a thousand times worse as it was the second attack…without the suppressant…she collapsed on the ground, writhing, trying to not scream…tian…oh tian…
Yuan Feng froze as he saw the figure writhing in agony on the ground, in the moonlight…horror flooded his mind…Ying Ying?!? He rushed to her, picking her writhing body into his arms. “Ying Ying! Ying Ying, what is it?!?” he asked urgently, his heart filled with terror at the agony on her pale, sweat covered face…tian, it’s Yuan Feng…oh no…I didn’t want him to see this! “I…I…” she gasped as another spasm overtook her body, she clenched her teeth to fight the pain…no…no, I won’t scream…I won’t… “Ying Ying? YING YING!” shaking her as she lost consciousness. Oh tian, what is it? Please…please don’t let her be dead…feeling for her pulse, Yuan Feng felt his heart jump…tian…she’s been poisoned…oh tian! Picking her up, he ran for the camp…for the healer…holding her so tight against him…I won’t lose you, I won’t!
“Well?!?” Yuan Feng asked urgently as Yu Taiyi felt Ying Ying’s pulse, shaking his head. “Your Highness, Ying Ying xiao jie has been poisoned with a rare poison…it now runs violently through her veins, spreading to every point in her body…hence the spasms her body goes through now.” “I didn’t ask you for an explanation! I want you to heal her now!!!” “Your Highness, there is nothing I can do.” “WHAT?!?” Yuan Feng, grabbing the healer by his shoulders, his face filled with fury…underlined by deep worry. “GE! Let Yu Taiyi speak, getting upset won’t help Ying Ying jie jie!” Xin Ping tugged at his sleeve, and Yuan Feng slowly released his grip on the healer, taking a deep breath to control his anger…and that sinking feeling inside, the feeling of complete and utter panic. Yu Taiyi went down on his knees in front of the prince, “Your Highness, I have never seen a case like this before, I can’t even identify the poison…” The words sunk into Yuan Feng’s soul…no, this was not happening…tian…Suddenly Ying Ying’s body started to shake and convulse on the bed, Yuan Feng’s heart felt like it was stabbed as he ran to her, making her sit up. “I’ll force the poison out of her!” Using his wugong, he called on his qi to push the poison out of Ying Ying’s veins… “No, that won’t work.”
Silence filled the tent as Xiang Er stepped in, her face grave. Yuan Feng looked up at her, his eyes filled with shock. “What? How do you know? You…you know what is wrong with her?!?” His face lit up with sudden hope as he stared wide-eyed up at her. Xiang Er felt her heart being stabbed…oh tian…these people trust me…why must I do this? But I’m only telling the truth…for now…they should know anyway… “Your Highness, there is nothing you can do. The poison is Death Bloom, the Master forced all the assassins to take it when they first enter the Guild…so that none may betray him, as there is no cure.” Yuan Feng felt the ground fall away from him…what? This…this can’t be true…he looked down at Ying Ying’s pale, pain convulsed face… “You’re lying!” “Why aren’t you like Ying Ying jie jie, then?” Xin Ping asked, her eyes narrowed suspiciously. Xiang Er looked at her as she explained. “The Master controls us completely. He gives us a flask when we go out for missions, it is a suppressant for the poison attacks which occurs every full moon…it is only enough for the time we need to spend away from the guild…if we don’t take the suppressant, we end up like Ying Ying…as the poison spreads throughout our body, but it doesn’t kill…not yet.” Her eyes were grave as she stared at their horrified faces. “The poison spreads more and more into our body tissues until Mid Autumn Moon Festival…all assassins must return to the Master for the annual antidote…or we die. That is how he controls us…why none dared to betray him…until Ying Ying…” Yuan Feng looked at her in horror as understanding dawned. “She…she KNEW she would die…and…and yet…” Oh tian, Ying Ying! He wrapped his arms around her still, silent body…his mind screaming with anguish…how could you…how could you not tell me…why? Why are you doing this…why are you giving up your life like this…
“It’s because she loves you, ge.” He hadn’t realised he’d spoken out loud. Looking up in surprise at Xin Ping’s gentle eyes, the words echoed in his mind...oh Ying Ying...you...you gave up your life...for mine? His heart filled with a sudden pain and horror...tian...I love you...I can't just watch you die...I won't! He suddenly felt irrational anger flare up. “No! I won’t let her die, I won’t!!! There must be a way to save her, there must be!” His fierce eyes turned to glare balefully at Xiang Er, “Did you say the Master has the antidote? Then I will go and get it off him…I will storm the Assassin Stronghold…heck, even if I have to kick down the gates of Hell itself, I will save her!” Suddenly someone touched his arm…looking down, he saw Ying Ying’s eyes were open. His anger was instantly replaced by concern as he held her hand. “Ying Ying! How are you…don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to you!” She swallowed, trying to speak…her throat was so dry…she whispered huskily, “Don’t…don’t go against…Master…he’s too powerful…” “I’m not afraid!” Yuan Feng reassured her, his eyes burning, “I will kill him for what he’s done to you!” Ying Ying shook her head slowly, her eyes begging him… “Please…don’t…don’t go…” He only held her tighter in his embrace, “Ying Ying, I’m not going to let you die! I can’t!”
Xiang Er shook her head, her eyes sorrowful. “Yuan Feng, even if you killed the Master, you would only stretch out our lives for another year. The Master himself does not know how to cure this poison completely, the antidote only fends off our death for one year…until the next Mid Autumn Festival…no one knows the real antidote…well, no one except…” “EXCEPT WHO?!?” Yuan Feng’s urgent voice interrupted her…looking at their concerned faces, Xiang Er felt herself waver…but no, she must do this…she didn’t want to die…to be like Ying Ying was now… “Except the best healer in the world, Wah Shenyi, who lives in the legendary Blackwood Forest…but no one can go into the Forest and come out again alive! Yuan Feng…if it was possible, don’t you think we’ve gone already?” “I will go,” there was grim determination in Yuan Feng’s voice, “I will take Ying Ying, and I will save her. Nothing in this world can stop me.” Ying Ying lifted her eyes weary to see his stubborn face…oh Yuan Feng…I didn’t want you to know…because I know how hopeless it is…I didn’t want to see you like this…didn’t want you to see me die…But she knew how stubborn Yuan Feng could be when he set his mind on something.
“Yuan Feng…do you have…a blue flask? I…dropped it….the first night…” His eyes suddenly widened. “Yes, yes I do! You mean, that is your suppressant?” Knowing the answer already, he fumbled for it in his pocket, as he kept it with him at all times…because it was something of Ying Ying’s…tian…it was for her poison…and I had it all along! Unplugging the top, he held it up to her lips, holding his breath as she drank slowly. He sighed in relief as the pain lines eased from her face. He put her down, and tucked her in, his face gentle. “Rest now, Ying Ying, we’ll talk about it tomorrow, alright? I’m NOT going to just stand around and let you die.” She wanted to protest, but she felt so weary…so tired. She only nodded slightly, her eyes already closing as he leaned down and kissed her softly. I won’t let you die…I can’t…I can’t live without you…he ushered everyone out of the tent, then turned to Xiang Er with steely eyes. “Now,” his voice was dead calm, “Where is Blackwood Forest?”
A dark figure in the night listened to this conversation with glee. Yes, all is going to plan…with Yuan Feng out of the way…there will be no one to stop us! Silently, the figure melted into the night, unseen.
Xin Ping battled with herself as she sat down in front of Ying Ying at the table…the childish core inside her wanted desperately to sulk, to plead her to convince her brother to let her come along…but as she saw Ying Ying’s wan, pale face, she kept her silence. A strange maturity took over as she smiled at her jie jie, and said, “Don’t worry jie jie, I KNOW you’ll find this healer person…my brother always does what he sets out to do. Besides, lao tian ye won’t be so blind as to let you die…” She covered her mouth in horror at her slip, then hurriedly tried to make up for it, “I..I didn’t mean that jie jie! I…” “It’s alright, Xin Ping,” Ying Ying said gently, “What will come, will come. I choose my own fate, and I don’t really regret it…in fact, I don’t really feel that we need to go, it’s so remote a hope, but your brother insists…” “And he is right! Ying Ying jie jie, you can’t sound so pessimistic! While there’s life, there’s hope!” But she only smiled sadly…she knew her own life too well…it…it was cursed…she was already content with this brief time of happiness…Suddenly arms closed around her waist, holding her close. “Ying Ying, listen to Xin Ping…we’ll find this healer. I’m not going to let you die. I’m a prince remember? I command you not to die, so there!” Yuan Feng’s eyes twinkled down at hers, and she could only shake her head, smiling at his silliness. “Look after her, Ge.” Yuan Feng smiled to see his sister acting so mature…yet felt sad that it had to come down to this to make his little sister grow up. “Of course Xin Ping, look after Father for me. I will come back soon, with your Ying Ying jie jie completely healed.” The three of them smiled at each other, together for the last time for a very long time…but none of them could imagine what would befall each of them before they would see each other again.
Zhao Zhi San watched his royal brother ride off with a sly grin on his face. Yes, my dearest brother, go…go and save your dearest love…and when you come back, all that you own, all that you hold dear…will be mine! His eyes fell on the princess watching her brother leave…his adopted sister…his eyes took on a terrible glint…his next target…soon, he thought, soon…it will all be mine!
Xin Ping watched as her brother and Ying Ying ride off into the distance. Lao tian ye, please, watch over them, she thought, her young heart unusually heavy, please let Ying Ying jie jie find the cure…if not…her eyes clouded, how will Yuan Feng ge ge go on? Please…tian, please…She suddenly felt eyes watching her, and she spun around to catch Zhi San’s glance. He only smiled, and bowed ironically at her. In spite of herself, she shivered.
Later that night, Ying Ying sat staring into the campfire as Yuan Feng groomed the horses. He seemed so determined to find this healer, to save her…her eyes watched the man for whom she’d been willing to give up her life for. Oh Yuan Feng, she thought, her eyes worried, I’m not afraid to die…I’m happy that I’ve even had this short time with you…this brief happiness is more than I ever dreamed of. Why can’t you understand that…I didn’t want you to be like this, to feel so much pain, to struggle with something that’s inevitable. “Yuan Feng.” Just his name, but he turns around to see her watching him, her eyes sparkling with the glow from the fire. “If…if we don’t find this healer…” He dropped the brush and came over to her, his eyes serious. “Don’t say that,” he admonished her gently, sitting down beside her and wrapping his arm around her shoulder. “We will find him, and he will heal you. Then we will live happily ever after, just like the fairytales, alright?” His voice was light, but Ying Ying did not smile…fairytales didn’t come true. But she saw his concerned look, and made herself smile for him to make him feel better. She snuggled up in his arms as he talked, telling her of how happy their future would be, together forever, but she didn’t really listen, her eyes were clouded as she nestled in his embrace. Happiness, like life, is ephemeral, she thought sadly, it can no more be saved up for later than a sunbeam can be hoarded…now is all there ever was…I must treasure this…these moments with him…smiling up at Yuan Feng, not letting him see the sorrow inside…because this is all I’ll ever have…
Meanwhile, in the Assassin Stronghold, the Master smiled as he gazed upon his hundred disciples, all kneeling in front of him, waiting for his command. Now…the plan shall be put into motion…and soon, all of China will be MINE!
Ying Ying watched as he slept, her lips curving into a smile as wayward tendrils of his hair drifted over his face gently, in rhythm of his breathing. It was her turn to keep watch that night, because, despite it all, neither of them felt safe to sleep unguarded…not that she was afraid anymore, she thought ruefully, it’s not like it will make much of a difference to me…I’m not afraid of dying, I’ve never been, but…her eyes softened as she watched her love sleep…now, I’m not so sure. Her hand reached out to gently brush the wayward strands from his face, then froze. Without thinking, she was up in a crouch, a dagger seeming to fly out from her belt to her hand as her assassin sense of wariness signalled danger. Poised to fight, her eyes were narrowed as they scanned the darkness of the trees, her heart pounding, as certain of a death struggle as she’d ever been in her conflict-torn life. Her senses telling her no one was there, she slowly relaxed…the moment was gone. She shook her head in perplexity as an odd disquiet settled in the pit of her stomach. She returned to her position next to Yuan Feng’s sleeping figure, the strange feeling gone, but her eyes were narrowed as she occasionally stared into the gloom, as if to catch a glimpse of some hidden danger. As she’d discovered nothing, she wouldn’t mention this to Yuan Feng when she woke him up the next morning, but her eyes would occasionally grow sober and serious as she scans the landscape through which they travelled, as if to ‘see’ that which was hidden…
The dark figure retreated back into the darkness, with a silence that hid him from even Ying Ying’s extraordinary keen senses…his eyes were sober as he watched her from a distance…perhaps, perhaps this was the one he searched for…but it was too soon to know…too soon…
Yuan Feng frowned as he left the magistrate’s office in the town. [My lack of knowledge of chinese towns is only defeated by my even TOTAL lack of knowledge of chinese history, so let’s just say TOWN, ok?] It had been over a week since he’d first left the camp, and there had been nothing, absolutely no news whatsoever for him from the capital about the imperial guards, and his sister. Surely they must have started moving back to the palace by now, surely his father would have known enough to send him a message via messenger pigeons…it’s not like they didn’t know he was headed off in this direction with Ying Ying. Or was it Father was mad at him? Yuan Feng made a wry face, that might be it, he thought, because for once I’m not acting like a ‘prince’ should, but as…as a normal man, who can’t let the woman he loves die…he froze as he suddenly realised the space in front of the mansion was empty. But…she was supposed to wait here for me…where was Ying Ying? His eyes were wild as he started to panic, strolling rapidly down the street, searching for her familiar figure. What if she met some bad people, what if the Master came after her…then stopped as a flood of relief overwhelmed him at the sight of the familiar figure, looking at something in the street stalls.
“Ying Ying!” ready to scold her, but she turned and smiled at him. He felt his knees go weak as his face automatically smiled back at her, how is it she can do this to me? Reaching over, he took her hand gently, his tone lightly chiding, “You scared me, you silly girl, walking off like that!” Ying Ying wrinkled her nose at him, looking incredibly childlike, as she tugged at his hand. “I can look after myself…I just wanted to look at these…” “Kites?” he asked, surprised at her fascination. “What’s so special about them?” Ying Ying’s soft expression tugged at his heart as she said sadly, “I used to long to fly them, to play like all the children I see in the streets, but I never got to…ever…” She smiled sadly, then shook her head, her tone slightly self-mocking, “Ah well, what’s done is done, right?” Yuan Feng made himself grin at her, to cheer her up. “Who says?” Turning to the stall owner, he threw down some money. “I’ll take that one.” Grabbing a plain paper kite, he grabs Ying Ying’s hand and start dragging her away. “What…what are you doing?” she asked, startled, unprepared for him to turn around and grin childishly at her, “Isn’t it obvious? We’re going to fly a kite!” Ignoring her protests that this was ridiculous, he laughed as he hurried her along….
Ying Ying shook her head in disbelief, her eyes were dancing in laughter as they dismounted from their horses in the midst of a grassy plain. “Yuan Feng,” she began, but he handed her the kite, and started rummaging in his bundle. “What are you doing?” she asked, curious, as he said, “Ah ha!” in triumph, and withdrew his feather pen and some ink. She looked at him in puzzlement as he grinned at her. “Don’t you know? People say that if you write down your wishes and dreams on a kite and fly it, the higher it flies, the more likely it will come true. Come on, let’s write down your wishes!” He looked so enthusiastic that Ying Ying couldn’t help but laugh. “Yuan Feng, come on, that can’t be true!” He cocked his eyebrow at her, “How do you know if you don’t try? Oh come on, Ying Ying, tell me, I’ll write, alright?” He dipped the pen and then, noting her silence, looked at her questioningly. “I…I’m happy now…I can’t think of anything else I might wish for,” she said quietly, her face troubled. “One cannot ask the Heavens for too much.” His face grew stubborn at seeing her like this, admitting defeat when she hadn’t even fought the fight yet! “I don’t believe that!” He thought for a moment, then wrote on the paper kite
“Xi wang Ying Ying keyi yongyan xinfu kuai le, he wo baitou xielao, yongbu fenli” [basically, wishing Ying Ying will always be happy, and that we may grow old together, and never part….something like that! *grin*]
Ying Ying felt her eyes grow misty as she read those words…words that meant so much…words that she knew would never come true. Yuan Feng turned to her with a determined look in his eyes. “Let’s fly our kite.” She could only mutely take the reel as Yuan Feng took the kite, and tried to launch it. Tried again and again as the Heavens gave them it’s silent answer…there was no wind. Oh Yuan Feng, she thought sadly, her hands still holding the reel numbly, why must you be this way? Her heart ached as she watched his stubbornness…it’s not meant to be…
“Go up…go…please…PLEASE...” Yuan Feng muttered underneath his breath as the stubborn kite fell down again. “Yuan Feng.” He looked up, almost afraid of what he would see, her sad, shimmering eyes piercing into his soul. “Don’t…some things are just not meant to be…I’ve always known it…I could never be xinfu, it’s my destiny…we can’t change destiny.” “NO.” His harsh, determined voice made her catch her breath. “We will make our own destiny!” Blowing a shrill whistle, he summoned the horses, then helped the startled Ying Ying onto the horse. Mounting up behind her, he wrapped one hand around her waist, and the other held the kite that signified their dreams… “We make our own fate!” Kicking the horse into movement, he held on with his knees as he shouted to Ying Ying through the wind, “Let it go Ying Ying, let it go!” Ying Ying could only turn and stare at his bright determined face…her lips curved into a tiny smile and a sparkle reached her eyes once more. Her hands released the reel, it spun like crazy as Yuan Feng launched the kite into the sky…and it flew… “It’s flying! It’s really flying!” Ying Ying cried, her voice full of incredulous laughter as she watched the kite doing a crazy dance behind them…flying… “See? I told you so!” his voice murmured into her ears. A brilliant smile appeared on her face as she leaned back into his warm embrace, for the first time in so many years…she felt the fragile wings of Hope brush her life once more…
They groomed the horses together in a comfortable silence that neither wanted to break. Yuan Feng smiled as he watched Ying Ying from the corner of his eye. She had an absentminded smile on her face as she brushed the dirt from the horse’s back, and he remembered with a gladness back to this afternoon, the way her laughter had rang in the grassy emptiness as she’d finally let go of the kite, the kite that represented their hopes, their dreams, and let it fly away into the blue sky…it was a scene that would remain with him for the rest of his life…the happiness that had shone in her face, in the face of the woman who was his heart, his soul…he yelped, then ducked skilfully as a brush missed his face by an inch. “Hey! You trying to kill me or something?” he shook his own brush at Ying Ying indignantly, who was grinning mischievously at him. “No, but you weren’t listening to me, so…” she shrugged, and he rolled his eyes at her, his heart secretly glad at her playfulness, something that he’d feared had been lost in those dark years that had haunted her life… “Well?” she asked impatiently, and he deliberately put on an obtuse face to irritate her further. “Well what?” Then had to hide a grin as she sighed exasperatedly at him, “Well what, was there any news from Xin Ping, you infuriating man!” “Don’t you love me anymore?” he asked in a tiny, trembly voice, then dodged as she made to hit him.
“Oh alright, alright! No, there wasn’t any messages, which is really strange since even if everyone else forgets, Kwok Zhong at least would remember.” Ying Ying’s expression grew serious. “You don’t think anything’s happened, do you? Should we go back?” Yuan Feng gave her an indescribable look, then shook his head gently. “No, don’t be silly! Nothing would have happened, most likely Father is mad at me for going without his permission, hence the lack of messages.” Ying Ying was silent, her eyes serious as she turned from him, but he moved in front of her, and tipped her chin up gently. “What is it, Ying Ying?” he asked quietly, his heart aching as her shiny round eyes gazed seriously up at him. “Yuan Feng, I’m sorry I bring such trouble to you, and your family…I…” “Don’t be silly!” he admonished her gently, “It’s nothing to do with you, Ying Ying, I’m so sick of being the Prince who must always follow commands that it’s time I did something I, myself needed to do.” “But…” she started to protest, but he leaned down and kissed her, making her catch her breath. When they finally broke apart, he grinned down at her stunned, dreamy look. “Any more buts I should deal with?” he teased, laughing at the way her face turned a rosy pink. “You…you are so bad to tease me, my prince, I hate you,” she scolded him, but he pulled her into his arms, blissfully happy to have this wonderful creature in his embrace, and whispered softly into her ear, “Liar.” He could feel her smile against his cheek.
Xin Ping’s eyes were narrowed as she watched the group of imperial guards made their way back into the camp. They all looked the same as when they left, they dressed the same, even sounded the same, but no...something was wrong. Her instincts told her something was terribly wrong. As she slipped back inside her own tent, she remembered the conversation she’d had with Zhao Zhi San last night, and her face went bleak. She looked very different from the childish, playful sister of Yuan Feng now, but then…now there was no one to look out for her…she must learn to survive by herself. And now, her own senses told her that something was very wrong here…the last few days, her adopted brother had claimed that there were rebels in Guangdong, and sent out groups of the imperial guards to investigate. Never mind that Yuan Feng had already pronounced the rumours of rebels as false, never mind that their orders were to return to the palace immediately…Zhao Zhi San had told her that she was but a woman, a princess, but a woman nonetheless, while HE was the Prince, so she should just keep quiet, and obey him…Xin Ping shuddered at that thought, at the way his eyes had looked at her when he’d said it…he was her adopted brother, true, but she didn’t trust him one bit! And then, even if it was true, even if there WERE rebels, then what was the sense behind what he was doing now, sending out different groups of men every time, and not the same group who’d investigated the area yesterday? And the men coming back…they looked the same, sounded the same…but a shiver went up her spine. It…it just wasn’t right…something didn’t fit…suddenly, she longed to see Kwok Zhong, the leader of the imperial guards, and her brother’s friend, the only one she was sure she could trust. Where was he? She thought, frustrated, what stupid mission could he have been on that’s taking him so damn long?!? Come back here…I need you…I…her face going slightly pale as she admitted to herself, I’m scared…
The man coughed, his whole body jerking as the pain returned with his consciousness. “Ahh…” he groaned, as he struggled to get up, ignoring the intense pain inside him…tian, my ribs must be broken, or fractured, at least…what…what happened? Then his eyes widened as the memories flooded back…of the prince asking for his loyalty…for him to betray his prince, and his king…his pointed refusal…the prince’s pretended acceptance, and then…The man struggled to sit up, and started to use his qi to heal his internal injuries as the rest of the memories haunted him. The trap, how he’d rushed to save the prince Zhao Zhi San from a trap, only to have him betray him…to have a black figure spring up from nowhere and use his wugong to hit him so badly that he’d fallen off the rocky cliff. They’d left him for dead…tian, how long? How long had he lain here, what has happened since then? Kwok Zhong struggled to his feet, his eyes glinting with determination. The princess…the princess is in danger…I must save her…
Xin Ping stared at the tiny piece of paper she’d found slipped under her pillow. {Danger. Run} Who’d left her this message? And what danger…her face grew bleak as she crumpled up the piece of paper, yes, I know, danger…I’ve only had my bump of trouble itching at me for the last few days, but what danger? And…a sudden noise made her turn swiftly. By the lamp light, she could see who it was, and her face drained of blood. No… “Hello, my dearest princess,” Zhao Zhi San drawled, dropping the tent flap behind him with a sense of finality. “Let’s have some fun.”
Xin Ping froze, appalled at the smirk on his face. She drew herself up stiffly, trying to control the tremble in her voice as she ordered him harshly, “What do you think you’re doing? Get out of my tent now!” He only gave her a sly smile as he advanced towards her, she fought hard not to wince and stood firm, her eyes flashing with anger, anger laced with fear. “I don’t think so, princess,” he drawled softly, “In fact, I think we shall share a tent for a very long time to come.” The words sent an icy shiver down her spine, and she dodged quickly as he reached for her, running out of the tent, calling for guards, for anybody! Relief surged through her body as she saw all the guards coming towards her. Xie tian xie di! She thought and ordered them harshly, “Guards, I want you to arrest this man for molesting a princess! Now!” Then she noticed them standing there motionless, and the relief died inside her. Xin Ping felt the blood drain from her face as she looked at the imperial guards…why…they were smiling…they…they were laughing at her! “What is wrong with you all?!?” she shouted in her fear, “I said to arrest this man!” “I don’t think so, Your Highness,” one of them said mockingly, and she looked at him in shock. No guard EVER spoke to her like that, never! “What…” “Because I’m their leader now, honey,” his voice reached across the darkness to penetrate her shock. Xin Ping spun around to stare at him, at the adopted brother she’d never trusted.
“What? But…” her eyes narrowed as she scanned the guards standing around her, her fears had been true… “What have you done to them? They’re not the Imperial Guards…are they?” Her heart was pounding with fear, and a deep sense of dread filled her...Zhao Zhi San laughed, his eyes glinting with amusement as he said, “Smart girl! No, they’re not, so there’s no point in appealing to them, they will only obey me…” “What have you done with them? Where is Kwok Zhong?” She demanded, backing away as he came towards her, only to be stopped by the guard who stood behind her, preventing her from escaping. “That stupid fool…he refused to follow me …ah well, he’s been taken care of, as well as the precious imperial guards who are loyal to your pathetic brother. ” He stopped, then looked at the princess with an amused look. “No one can save you, princess, no one can stop me now!” Xin Ping felt her anger rise…he…he’d killed Kwok Zhong? And the guards…they were all dead? Furious, she struck out at him, her half learnt wugong was still more powerful than his…but a man grabbed her arm, twisting it painfully behind her back. “Ah, princess…aren’t we supposed to be a bit more ladylike?” A husky voice grated in her ear as she struggled to break free. Zhao Zhi San got up from the ground, his eyes flashing with fury. Without hesitation he reached out and slapped her across the face. “You really must learn to control that temper of yours, princess,” smirking at her furious eyes glaring at him. “But then, it should be fun to break you…slowly!” Zhao Zhi San felt a big sense of satisfaction as Xin Ping could no longer hide the fear inside.
“Thank you, Wu Feng, for catching this unruly princess.” Xin Ping felt her blood turn cold…this man holding her was Wu Feng? The Wu Feng who’d tried to hurt Ying Ying jie jie? Oh tian, as her arms went numb from the pressure he was exerting on them, his wugong is so powerful…how the hell can I run… “What did you want me to do with her?” “Take her to Xiang Er, to get ready.” Xin Ping looked at Zhi San, momentarily puzzled…ready for what? He saw the question in her eyes and leaned forward to touch her flinching cheek. “For a royal wedding, princess.” What?!? She jerked away from his filthy hands, her face pale with shock, “What?!? Are you crazy? That…that’s disgusting!” She cried out softly with pain as Zhi San grabbed her chin in a steely grip and tilted her face up forcefully. “When you are my wife, and your brothers are dead…I shall be emperor! I’ll have what should have been mine all along!” Despite her pain, she kicked out at him, then gasped as Wu Feng twisted her arm further behind her back. “You’re crazy…I’ll never marry you, you’re an illegitimate bastard…you…you utter coward…you ungrateful piece of slum! My father took you in and adopted you…you disgusting lowlife!” She spitted at him, her eyes flashing with anger. Zhao Zhi San’s eyes narrowed, glinting with fury. “My father was Zhao Ting Mei, your uncle! HE was meant to be king after your father…if the stupid man hadn’t died first!” Xin Ping gasped at the way he was talking about his father, she’d always suspected that he was her uncle’s son, that that was the reason her father had taken this man in, but…but still… “I should be the heir…not your pathetic Yuan Feng Ge! The throne is mine! And it will be,” his voice softened into a deadly tone as he turned back to her, his bleak look sending shivers down her spine. “And you shall be the stepping stone to it. Once we’re married, and your brothers and your father are all dead, the officials will HAVE to accept the prince consort as the new emperor, and all of China will be mine!” She paled, her face draining of blood. “But…but…even if we’re not real siblings, then I’m your first cousin!!! This…this is immoral…it’s…it’s filthy…you can’t do this!” she cried desperately, “The officials will all be disgusted, they won’t accept you! You can’t do this!” “Ah my dearest bride to be, you’ve forgotten one thing,” he drawled, smiling grimly at her. “Your beloved father kept my heritage a secret, remember? No one knows who my father is…and as for it being immoral?” He laughed ironically at her, “Morals will have nothing to do with it when you are in my bed tomorrow…as my wife.” A chill spread over Xin Ping’s body…tian…no!!! “Take her away,” he told Wu Feng, and Xin Ping started out of her shock to struggle hysterically with Wu Feng. “No! No! I won’t…I’ll rather die first…no!!!”
Suddenly she froze as Wu Feng struck her pressure point, freezing her. “But you will, princess,” he whispered, his eyes gleaming with an evil light as he swung her up into his arms, carrying her towards Xiang Er’s tent to get ready, “Tomorrow you shall be a royal bride.” She glared up at him helplessly, unable to move, but she said spitefully, “And what do you get out of it?!? I know you’re a dog, but couldn’t you have at least found a better master than that pathetic lump?” Wu Feng’s eyes narrowed as he tightened his painful grip on her. Bitch! He thought, she’d struck home there…he hated being under the thumb of such a weakling…but then… “Why, I get to kill your brother.” He grinned as Xin Ping paled, staring up at him, “My Master promised me I get to rip Yuan Feng’s guts out for stealing Ying Zi!” “You’re just as crazy as that jerk, my brother will kill you first!” But he only cocked his eyebrow at her as he dropped her unceremoniously onto Xiang Er’s bed. “We’ll see, princess, we’ll see. In the meantime, I suggest you get ready for your wedding,” he smirked at the fear in her face. “It’s going to be such a joyous day tomorrow. With your leave?” He gave her an ironic bow, and strolled out of the tent…leaving Xin Ping struggling helplessly to break the paralysis on her vital points…tian, someone help me…I…I don’t want to marry that…that filth…please, she thought desperately, please…Yuan Feng ge ge…where are you?
Yuan Feng tied the reins of the horses to a tree as Ying Ying stood there, on the top of the slope, staring off into the distance. He gave her a worried look, then went up to her, slipping an arm gently around her waist. “Ying Ying?” She tilted her face around to look up at him with her soft, round eyes. “That’s it, isn’t it?” she whispered softly. His eyes followed hers to observe the dark shadowed valley in front of them. “Blackwood Forest.” He felt a strange shiver at her words…with a strange sense of foreboding, he wondered what dangers they might have to face tomorrow…what might lay waiting within the dark shadows of the trees. His arm tightened around her waist, and forced a smile as she turned around to give him a puzzled look at his strange reaction. Let it come, he thought determinedly, as he held Ying Ying in his embrace, whatever happens, I’m not going to lose her!
****
[Ok, for all of you who’s confused, here’s a bit of the Chinese history I used for background. Yuan Feng’s father is Zhao Guang Yi, the 2nd king of the Song Dynasty, his brother was Zhao Kuang Yin and was the 1st king. He also had another brother called Zhao Ting Mei. They all promised their mother, the Queen Mother that they would take turns to be king, and Zhao Ting Mei (Zhao Zhi San’s father) was supposed to be king after Yuan Feng’s father, but he died, so now it looks like either Yuan Feng or his brother will be the next emperor. But of course, Zhao Zhi San, despite being a bastard (born out of wedlock, but everyone guessed he was Zhao Ting Mei’s son) thinks HE would have been emperor if his father hadn’t died, so…]
“Give me your knife.” Her head shot up at Xin Ping’s dull tone, and stared at her incredulously. “What…” her voice faded as Xin Ping’s dead eyes burned into hers, “That’s the least you can do for me, isn’t it? Give me your knife.” Xiang Er stared wildly at the pale, resolute princess. She…she’s going to…but…she met Xin Ping’s eyes, and saw the strength and determination there…suddenly something inside her snapped. She couldn’t do this, she couldn’t watch as this girl walked into the same nightmare as her uncle had forced on her, all those years ago…she didn’t want to see this sweet, childlike princess to be like her, a sacrifice to the lust of men…She reached down, pulling a long, silver dirk from her boot and handed it to Xin Ping. She reached out and clutched the princess’s shoulder, whispering, “I will help you, if I can. Tonight, before he comes…” Xin Ping’s head shot up, and she stared at Xiang Er, her eyes shining wildly with hope. “But…what about you…” Xiang Er shook her head slowly. Her face was pale, but determined. “I must do this, I cannot run…I’ve been standing at this crossroad too long. Now I have made my decision.” Indeed, she had…suddenly Xiang Er wanted to laugh, to dance with happiness…something she’d thought she’d long forgotten how to do. Despite the outcome of her decision…she knew it was the right path to walk…leaning forward, the two girls whispered urgently to think of some way to end this nightmare…
*******
The eerie silence of the woods made Yuan Feng shoot Ying Ying a nervous glance, but she wasn’t looking at him, her entire mind was focused on the path in front of her. She’d convinced him to let her lead…despite his superior martial arts skills, her extraordinary senses from her Assassin training still made her the best equipped for detecting any traps or hidden dangers within the Blackwood Forest. Neither had forgotten Xiang Er’s words, that no one had ever found the secret of the Blackwood Forest, nor the Wah Shenyi within it. All her senses were trained to hear, to see, to feel for the presence of danger in the gloom around them. The sunlight filtered through the dense treetops in rare rays of white light that served more to blind them that help them see in the shadowed forest. The eerie silence served only to make them more tense as they advanced cautiously, their footsteps muffled by the undergrowth.
Suddenly Ying Ying stopped, and Yuan Feng held his breath as he came up beside her. “What is it? What is wrong?” He could only see thick, dark green bushes lining the path in front of them. “Well?” he asked, a bit agitatedly, as Ying Ying remained silent, staring with puzzled eyes at the bushes. “I…I’m not sure,” she said slowly, “Something’s fishy here, I KNOW I’ve seen those bushes somewhere before.” Yuan Feng took a deep breath, trying to control his impatience…he hated this gloomy place, he hated the eerie silence and the edginess it made him feel, and more than anything, he hated the fact that he knew how very little time they had left. “Oh come on Ying Ying! How dangerous can a few bushes be? Alright, even if they’re poisoned, we just won’t touch them, fine?!? Now come on!” He strolled towards the bushes rapidly, his mind only intent on finding that healer…Ying Ying’s eyes widened as a memory resurfaced…
Like lightning she used her wugong to pull Yuan Feng away, both falling to the ground as a rain of deadly missiles suddenly flew through the air above them. Shocked, Yuan Feng stared at Ying Ying, stunned, as she laid on top of him. “What…what was that?!?” barely able to control the slight tremor in his voice. Ying Ying looked at him with sober eyes, trying to speak…if she hadn’t remembered in time, if she had been too slow…shivering slightly, she got up slowly, one eye on the shrubs to watch out for any further missiles. “These bushes are called Death Arrow,” she said slowly, her voice almost faltering as she looked at him, it had been close, too close. “They shoot out poison splinters to protect themselves when animals approach too close. The poison…kills almost instantaneously.” Yuan Feng stared at her, stunned by the magnitude of her words, he…he’d almost died in his impatience…then he saw her shaking body, and reached out, taking her into his arms as he backed away even further from the plants. Ying Ying was trembling with shock as she buried her face in his chest, trying not to cry as he hugged her tightly, telling her it was alright, that he was alright.
But it’s not alright, she wanted to cry, holding him close to her, it’s not alright…she’d almost lost him…and in that one single horrifying moment that she realised what the bushes were, and what it meant…she’d been frightened, so very frightened…the fear of losing him was worst than anything she’d ever experienced in her life. As she huddled in his arms now, she knew she couldn’t lose him, she couldn’t live without him…ever… “I love you.” The soft words were almost lost in the eerie silence of the forest, but Yuan Feng heard, and caught his breath. Ying Ying raised her head to stare up into his deep brown eyes, her own were glistening with tears. “What did you say?” he asked softly, holding her tightly around her waist. He couldn’t believe it…he knew she did care, all along…but she had never said out loud like… “I love you.” Three simple words, but it wiped out all the shock and fright from a moment ago as Yuan Feng’s face broke out into the most amazing smile. “Don’t ever do that to me again, Yuan Feng, I don’t want to lose you, I can’t…I love…” the rest of her words remained unsaid as he leaned down and kissed her. Ying Ying suddenly felt as if she had let go of something, something that had weighed down her heart for a long time…she curled her arms around his neck, and kissed him back, strongly, passionately. The gloomy darkness around them ceased to exist, it was as if the whole world was filled with light as they sealed their promise of love eternal…
Yuan Feng was still glaring at the dark bushes that block their way when he suddenly noticed Ying Ying was smiling. “What are you smiling at?” he asked, sounding a bit waspish. He was slightly irritated, he couldn’t believe that they was stuck because of some stupid bushes, and now, to top it off, she was smiling… “Well?” he demanded a bit tersely, but Ying Ying only replied lightly, “Oh, I just figured out how to pass.” She smiled discretely at his irritated look, he was so obsessed with finding this healer…what if they didn’t? Her smile faded. She would be fine, her life had been filled with disappointments anyway, but Yuan Feng…looking at him with a sombre expression as a sudden worry gripped her heart, how would he take it? Would he be alright…noticing him staring at her, she pushed the thought away. Leaning down, she gathered a handful of stones, before saying, “These bushes take about a minute or so to reload their thorns for firing, so, if we hurry…” she drew on her qi and cast the stones with deadly accuracy towards the bushes. Instantly the air between the bushes were filled with a rain of deadly missiles. When it stopped, Ying Ying cautiously threw another handful of stones, but there was no response. Grabbing Yuan Feng’s hand, they both used their qigong, and hurriedly sprinted through the treacherous path…
Stopping on the other side, they both heaved a sigh of relief. Yuan Feng smiled at Ying Ying, his tone light, “Well now, wasn’t that exciting?” Ying Ying rolled her eyes at him, but he only grinned, his mood greatly improved as they’d passed another obstacle. “Now, shall we see what other welcoming surprises our Wah Shenyi has in store for us?” he said lightly, gesturing to the path that meandered off in front of them. Her tone was equally light, “Why, your highness, indeed we shall.” Holding hands, they continued deeper into the forest…
****
Wu Feng paused at the sight of the figure inside his tent. So, now that the princeling has a new playmate, she’s come crawling back to me, he thought as his eyes observed the silent form of Xiang Er, standing there in front of him. Nevertheless…the moon shone through her thin, fragile dress, silhouetting the curves of her body. He could feel his lust rising, and he dropped the tent flap, strolling rapidly towards her. He grabbed her waist, and pulled her unresisting form into his arms. “Well? Now that your princeling has a bride, you find time for your old lover now, hmm?” he muttered as he rained kisses on her face and her neck. “I…I…ah!” she cried out involuntarily as he tightened his steely embrace. Xiang Er fought her rising panic, and draped her arms around his neck, pretending to moan as he kissed the base of her throat.
Oh tian, she tastes so sweet, Wu Feng thought crazily as he reached to untie her sash…suddenly he felt a tiny prick on the back of his neck. Shocked, he pushed the girl away, feeling his neck, there was nothing… “Why…what are you…doing…” abruptly the world started to spin, and he could feel his words slurring… “You…you will pay for this…” The world went dark. Xiang Er stared as his body collapsed on the ground, unconscious. She looked at him, then at the tiny needle between her fingers. She knew he was too powerful for her to kill, all she could do was this, to use her body, once again, she thought bitterly, to catch him off-guard…the needle was only dipped in tranquilliser, enough to make sure he stayed unconscious till the next day. Hastily, she knelt and felt his clothes, quickly finding his own bottle of suppressant…she knew she was going to die for her act, but not so soon! She quickly tucked the bottle inside her sash, and for a moment there, she stared down at him. It was so easy to kill him now, this man who’d, along with the Master, dominated her life since…since she became Xiang Er. But…she looked at his unconscious face, it looked so much younger, sadder…he was an evil man, but he’d been made this way, just like her, and Ying Zi…she couldn’t do it. Instead, she took out something from her sash, and left it beside his body as she left the tent, slipping out the back where she’d previously cut a slit. It was her Assassin Guild token…as she moved through the night, Xiang Er suddenly wanted to laugh. She was free!
Zhao Zhi San stunk of wine as he pushed into his tent, wavering on his feet unsteadily. His eyes lit up at the sight of the figure in red sitting at the table. His! His bride! He reached and flung off the red cloth covering her head, revealing a pale looking Xin Ping. He leered down at her, “Hello, my princess, you are mine at last!” Xin Ping felt her skin crawl as he dragged her to her feet, and made as if to grab her and fling her onto the bed right away. She deftly slipped out of his grasp, trying to keep her voice from shaking as she said, “My lord, we have not taken the wedding cup of wine yet.” “Who cares about that? Come here!” He reached for her again, but Xin Ping retreated hastily around the table, saying, “But it is tradition, my lord. Otherwise, we would not be really husband and wife.” And we will never be! Xin Ping thought to herself determinedly, but her eyes were innocently blank, devoid of any emotion. Zhao Zhi San narrowed his eyes as he looked at her diminutive figure. “Fine, then,” he gestured impatiently for her to pour the wine, then watched her carefully for her to drink her cup, before he drank his, just in case. He dropped his empty cup and lunged for her, wrapping his arms around her tiny body as he covered her face with wet kisses. Xin Ping felt a shiver run down her spine as his hands moved over her body, but she leaned up and whispered softly into his ear, “My lord?” “Mmm?” he muttered, his mouth busy as he nibbled her ear, which made Xin Ping want to scream, but she controlled the urge as she murmured into his ear, “Have you ever heard of Henbane?” “No…why are you asking such strange questions?” as his hands reached to her sash, to make her his, finally…abruptly, the world became dark, and he collapsed to the ground…as he lost consciousness, he heard her soft, amused voice, “Because you just drank some.”
Xin Ping hurriedly threw off her bridal costume, and kicked it vengefully under the bed as she pulled on some commoner clothes. Grabbing a bundle she had previously hidden under the bed, she picked up her sword, and was about to head out the back of the tent when she paused and swung back to Zhao Zhi San’s still body. Swiftly she felt around his clothes, and pull out his money pouch triumphantly, as well as some papers. She stuffed all of it into her bundle as she made a face at him. “That’s for trying to bully me!” she muttered, giving him a good kick in the side. Blowing out the lamp, so that the guards at the flap would think them asleep, she pulled out her sword and cut a slit down the back of the tent. “Goodbye, my lord prince, and good riddance!”
The two silent dark figures met within the trees, and with a silent grin, they hugged each other, exhilarated at their sudden freedom. Then one frowned, and gestured at the guards that still prowled the night, and the other nodded. The two girls quickly turned and vanished into the night….
***
They stared, stunned at the sight before them. Somehow, deep within the forest, there was suddenly a rock formation…nay, a more like a rock garden, only the rocks were the size of trees and just as tall. The path they had been following meandered down and disappeared through a gap between two of these boulders. Ying Ying looked up at Yuan Feng, who could only shrug in response to her silent question. “Well, we’ll find out soon enough, right?” he said lightly, and she nodded. Holding hands, they advanced cautiously down the road, then, with one last look at each other, through the stony entrance…the path had disappeared as suddenly they were confronted by a maze of stone…confused, they stared in front of them when a sudden noise made Ying Ying spin around instinctively, uttering a cry. Yuan Feng turned around just in time to see the gap they had entered through blocked as the stones moved to shut out the forest view…they must have triggered some type of mechanism. Yuan Feng felt a wave of apprehension at Ying Ying’s sombre expression as she looked at him, saying bleakly, “We’re trapped.”
Wu Feng was pale with cold fury as he stalked into the prince’s tent without bothering to wait for permission. “Your Highness, you have to…” he froze at the sight before him, then swore viciously, spitting with anger. The prince laid, convulsing on the ground, his face screwed up with pain. Wu Feng spat out another curse as he ripped the ball of cloth out of the prince’s mouth, who moaned softly, “Help…me…poison…that bitch…” His eyes rolled, and he blacked out again as Wu Feng strike his pressure point. Wu Feng looked up at the ground, and picked up the wine cup, sniffing cautiously. Henbane, he identified grimly, that…that bitch! Anger boiled in his veins as he thought of Xiang Er, who had to have been behind this, first putting Wu Feng out, then using Henbane…how dare she help the princess!!! She’d known that while Henbane was not life threatening, it would delay the pursuit for them as Wu Feng must first find the cure for the prince…his knuckles whitened as he tightened his grip around the cup. Traitor…she’d turned traitor to the Guild, just…like Ying Zi, and it was all because of…Yuan Feng. A image of the prince appeared in Wu Feng’s mind, and a deep, murderous hatred rose within him. His fingers clenched the cup so tightly it shattered. Tiny flecks of blood appeared on the ground, with the porcelain shards. Soon…soon I will have my revenge…I’m going to kill you, Yuan Feng, for all that you’ve taken from me…I’ll make sure your death is excruciatingly painful…that you will beg me to put an end to your suffering…soon…
Silence fell as Ying Ying’s words echoed around them. Yuan Feng looked at her, then at the stone maze in front of them. He shook his head slightly, sighing. Nothing in life is ever easy, I suppose, he thought ruefully. “Have you ever seen anything like this before?” Ying Ying shook her head, her bright round eyes never leaving the stones in front of them. All her assassin-trained instincts were screaming at her, screaming that something was wrong…that this wasn’t as simple as it seemed. “Well, I guess we’ll just have to find out as we go along,” he sighed, and she shrugged in agreement. Together, they advanced cautiously, they could feel that tingling inside that signalled danger…Ying Ying took a step towards the left. Suddenly she felt the ground beneath her felt sink a bit and she backed off quickly, but it was too late. They both dodged quickly as the rock formation rearranged itself…an unknown mechanism made all the stones moved with lightning speed to rearrange the pattern of the maze. A stone slid like lightning on a collision course towards them, only their lightning quick reflexes saved them as Yuan Feng quickly pushed Ying Ying forward, falling on top of her as the stone slid to a grinding halt just behind them. He laid on top of her protectively as the thunderous grinding noises finally stopped. In the dead silence that followed, he could only hear his own harsh breathing…and feel Ying Ying’s body trembling beneath him, or was that his own? Slowly, cautiously, he got up and looked around. The stone formation stood as still as the night, but it was like the world had changed…he no longer knew which direction they had come from, nor where they were headed. He looked at Ying Ying, her face was as white as sheet. Dimly he wondered if his was too… “I guess we just found out.”
There was something about the rocks that nagged at his mind, as Yuan Feng followed cautiously behind Ying Ying, who made her way carefully through the maze. They had decided her assassin-trained reflexes would serve them better if she was to lead, but there was nothing to warn them about this danger…twice more they had triggered the maze, causing the stone formation to rearrange itself, and both their lightning quick reflexes combined with their wugong had saved them from being crushed beneath massive stone. But they were still hopelessly lost, with no way out. There has to be a pattern to this…a certain way to cross this without triggering the maze, Yuan Feng thought, but what? Ying Ying however, felt like she wanted to kick something. She was somewhat surprised at this unusual feeling inside her, this…irrational urge to just…give up, to admit defeat. She’d never seen anything like this before, and as they tried time and time again to gain their way through the maze without any progress, she felt more and more hopeless…and an irrational anger flared up as she glared around her. Tian, I hate this maze! She thought, stopping again. She was so tired, her head hurt, and she was so high strung she was jumping whenever Yuan Feng made a noise. “Ying Ying?” “What!” it came out more snappish than she’d meant, and she regretted it immediately when she saw Yuan Feng’s tired, concerned face. Her voice softened, as she sighed, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you. I’m just…tired, I guess. And frustrated, how on earth are we supposed to get out of here!” He heard the slight edge of hysteria in her voice, and he took her hand gently, giving her a comforting smile. “Don’t be silly, of course we’ll find our way out. We just need to figure out the pattern of this maze, that’s all.” She wanted to retort that might take forever, but then…she only smiled slightly at him, and nodded. The last thing they need now is an argument.
She turned to continue walking, when Yuan Feng suddenly stopped, swearing loudly at himself. She looked back at him in surprise, but was amazed to see he was smiling! “What…” she asked, puzzled as Yuan Feng suddenly laughed and pulled her into his arms, giving her a big hug. She was mystified at his strange behaviour, and she pulled away, giving him a bewildered look, which made him laugh. “I’ve just remembered why this stone pattern looks familiar,” he explained, his eyes shining, “I know how to find the way out!” Her eyes widened as she stared at him. “Really? How? And how do you know?” she cried, excited, suddenly giddy with relief…they were going to get out! He grinned at her. “Oh, it was these boring lessons that were droned into me as a child…” he began loftily, but she hit him lightly on the arm, “Get to the point, this maze is driving me crazy!” “Alright alright!” he laughed at her exasperated expression, then sobered as he explained.
“Anyway, there was a period when I studied things such as the different mazes and labyrinths that exist, and the set ways to get around them**…I thought these stone arrangements looked somewhat familiar, but it didn’t jog my memory till a moment ago. This,” he said, gesturing around them, “Is what is called a “Ba Gua Zhen”. The stones are arranged in the pattern of a ba gua, and on each triggering of the mechanism, I think the stones are rearranged such that we find ourselves in a different ‘layer’ of the ba gua, hence our inability to find our way out.” “And?” she demanded, arching her eyebrow at him. “I want the way out, Your Highness, not a lecture!” He rolled his eyes at her, his tone light hearted now that they had, once again, passed another obstacle. “Such impatience, my lady,” he teased her lightly, catching her hand as she made to hit him. “There is a set pattern to walk if we are to pass through the maze without triggering a rearrangement, and of course, I, the smart and wonderful prince, remember it,” he said, grinning impishly at her, but she only sighed in exasperation. “If Your Highness doesn’t mind…”she said acidly, gesturing for him to lead the way.
Grinning, he started off down the path with Ying Ying carefully following in his footsteps, treading where he did. Four paces to the left, then ten paces forward…then…sweat dripped from his brow as he fought to concentrate, to remember the books he’d read, so many years ago….the world around him ceased to exist as he submerged into the puzzle, and the steps to solve it…then five paces forward and…. “Yuan Feng!” her voice broke into his thoughts, and his concentration broke. Frowning, he turned back to her, but was surprised by her giving him a spontaneous hug. Staggering slightly, he barely had time to hug her back before she pulled away. “Huh?” he asked, confused, and was met by her broad smile of relief. “Can’t you see? We’re out!” His eyes widened at her words, and he looked around, startled…to see only the path wandering down to disappear behind some dark green trees…the stone maze was behind them…they were out!
** in Cantonese, is something like ‘Qi Men Dong Fa’ please excuse my atrocious pinyin!
***
After a brief rest, they continued their journey along the path deeper and deeper into the Blackwood Forest. Ying Ying led the way cautiously with Yuan Feng following in her footsteps carefully, both wary of any further traps that laid in waiting. But the path was peaceful…suspiciously so. Neither hidden traps nor dangerous obstacles met their way, but this only made Ying Ying more wary…her narrowed eyes continued to search carefully for the dangers that she knew lurked here, somewhere…for didn’t traps come in threes? It went against all her instincts to believe that they had conquered all the challenges already. Perhaps another assassin might have felt that way, indeed, she thought sombrely, if I was this Wah Shenyi, and I wanted to make sure that no assassins disturbed me, I would do exactly that. Place two dangerous traps at the beginning…so that if the intruder passes them, he would feel cocky and…and…start being careless…and then…she froze suddenly, staring at the sight in front of her.
“What is it?” Yuan Feng asked worriedly when she stopped moving, then came up beside her. In a dry tone, she said wryly, “Oh nothing, I guess I was hoping I would never see a stone again, at least, not so soon.” Yuan Feng laughed, finally seeing what had made her pause. Beside the path, a giant boulder stood, covered with dark green moss. He peered at it curiously, then said slowly as he walked closer to it, “Ying Ying, I think there is something written on the surface.” She gave him a startled look, before going up beside him. Together, they brushed off the dirt and moss from the boulder surface to read the hidden writing carved into the stone. In flowing Chinese script, the words “Wah Shenyi” were carved in big characters. Yuan Feng grinned widely at Ying Ying, his eyes sparkling with happiness. “Yes! We’re here! We’ve finally found it!” he shouted triumphantly, but his excitement died at Ying Ying’s pale face, devoid of any joy. “Ying Ying?” he asked, puzzled, but his eyes widened as she pointed silently at the script that was carved below the big characters. He read slowly, the sparkle dying from his eyes, “Turn back now, and venture forth no more into this realm. Take the challenges you have passed as warning of the wrath that awaits you, neither heroes nor those that stalk the night are welcomed into my humble abode.” He paused, giving Ying Ying a slightly puzzled frown. “Those that stalk the night?” he asked. She gave him a brief, bloodless smile. “Assassins.” His eyes widened in understanding as she continued, “He refuses to heal assassins,” she laughed mirthlessly, her face bitter. “No wonder no assassin ever revoke the Guild…when the only man in the world who can save them refuses to.”
She felt bitterness grip her heart, after they’d gone through so much, so many challenges…now that she’d finally began to hope, to believe…it came down to this…suddenly she felt an urge to cry as despair gripped her soul. Why…why now? Why do this to her now, when, after so long, she’d finally started to hope again? Suddenly warmth surrounded her, and she closed her eyes as Yuan Feng embraced her comfortingly. She so longed to cry, to weep at the irony of it all…but she couldn’t…after all she’d been through, all that had changed her life…she still could not remember how to cry…her eyes burned with moisture that she’d forgotten how to shed. His soft voice reached her in the depths of her despair, as he said gently, “Ying Ying, it’ll be fine. We’ll make this healer heal you, no matter what!” She shook her head, still hiding in his arms, no, how could they? He was a shenyi…they could never force him to do something he didn’t want to. Yuan Feng held her away from him, gently lifting her chin with one hand. “Yes we will,” he said determinedly, “Besides, you are no longer an assassin, remember?” He smiled at her, trying to cheer her up…they can’t give up now, now that they’ve come this far! She could only stare up at him, his deep brown eyes were staring right into her soul…she could feel her heart ache in response. He believed, she thought sadly to herself, he still believes in miracles…that we can make our own destiny…oh Yuan Feng! I wish it was true…but…she forced herself to smile for his sake, a tiny smile, but a smile nonetheless. He heaved a slight sigh of relief, before kissing her gently on her temple. “Everything will be fine, I promise,” he told her quietly, and she could only nod in reply, not meeting his eyes…she didn’t want him to see what was in there, let him be happy, she thought to herself sadly, if only for this short time. Taking her hand, Yuan Feng led her down the path, towards the healer’s domain….
***
An old couple hobbled up to the road blockade that had been enforced by the Imperial Guards, lining up behind the some farmers waiting to pass. The old man coughed loudly, wheezing for breath as the old woman patted him on the back worriedly… “Who are you, and why are you on the road?” A harsh voice grated out. The old man peered blindly at the guard who’d spoken. “My lord…we…my wife and I…are going to see our children…” he coughed intermittently between the words, deliberately in the guard’s face. The man leaned back in disgust. Who knows what disease this old man might be spreading! He waved them on hastily, his eyes full of disgust as the old man and his wife hobbled on… “HALT!” The couple paused, and the soldier turned back to his squad leader in surprise. “Sir?” The leader approached the old couple who was still standing there, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Where did you say you were from again?” his tone suspicious. The old man stroke his beard, saying hoarsely, as he coughed loudly at the unflinching man, “Oh, Wu Nam…we’re on our way to visit our children.” “Really now?” the leader in a sarcastic tone.
Suddenly the world froze for a second as a chunk of the old man’s beard came off in his hand. They all stared at him…as the blood drained from his face. He swore and suddenly with a speed that seemed impossible for his age, he grabbed the old woman and they both started to run like lightning…the guards, momentarily stunned, then yelled and chased after them. Xin Ping swore again as she ripped the false beard off her face, shouting to Xiang Er as they ran, “What kind of glue was THAT?!? It sticks…NOT! Now we’re in deep trouble!” “You shouldn’t have fiddled with it!” Xiang Er retorted, then cast a glance behind them at the guards, or in truth, assassins that were chasing them. “We better split up and try to lost them that way! Meet at the river at sunset!” Xin Ping nodded, and they split up, each running off in a different direction to disappear into the bushes…
A single shout penetrated the silence of the woods. “I’ve found the trail!” The six guards who had been following the old man, who they’d realised was their missing princess, ran up to the seventh man, who was standing there, pointing triumphantly down at the clear footprint in the soil. Without a word, they hurried on, their eyes intent on the trail of footprints that their princess had so nicely left behind…the leader suddenly swore. They all stopped as they looked at the stream in front of them, and the footprints that led directly into it. “The bitch must have used the stream to hide her tracks!” “Now what?” One of the men demanded, and the leader of the group turned on him, his eyes narrowed. “What do you mean, now what? We keep searching, of course!” “But how? Upstream or down?” The leader paused, then quickly decided. “Alright, we split up, half of us to search upstream, the other head on downstream. We must find this princess, or Wu Feng would kill us!” The rest nodded in agreement, and the group of men split up, each fording the stream and, their eyes intent on the ground, looking for tracks, they moved on away along the stream on the other side.
A pair of eyes watched intently as the group of men forded the stream, and continued searching further up and down stream for tracks…tracks that they wouldn’t find. Xin Ping grinned. These assassins aren’t really that smart after all, she thought cheerfully to herself, I can’t believe the old making a false trail, then stepping back on your own footprints to hide still works! She waited patiently behind the bushes, watching the men walk further and further away. I’ll wait till they’re out of earshot, and then go and find Xiang Er. Her smile suddenly faded…I hope she’s alright…
Xiang Er used her wugong to speed swiftly through the forest. She knew that the men following her were once her fellow assassins, but she was not afraid of them. Other than the Master himself, in the Guild, there was only Wu Feng and Ying Zi who were more powerful than her, and more apt at the stealth game…she would get away, in time. In fact, she could sense them falling further and further behind. She smiled to herself, these men were of much lower calibre in terms of martial arts and assassin skills compared to her…she vanished into the gloom of the bushes as they passed right by her, not even sensing her presence. She waited patiently for them to continue further into the woods, then stepped back out into the clearing, a small smile on her face. Turning, she was about to make her way back to the meeting place with Xin Ping when suddenly she sensed danger. Instinctively she ducked, and she felt something barely brush pass her head. Without a pause, she whirled around and attacked the man she knew would be standing behind her, fine streams of cloth flying from her sleeves as they entangled the man, who struggled to cut through the cloth with his sword. Her eyes were cold as held up her right hand and wrapped a long scarlet scarf around his neck swiftly, and jerked. The sound of his neck breaking echoed in the silence of the woods, and her face was unreadable as she redrew the brightly coloured scarves…these were her weapons…her assassin training had left her no qualms about killing this man who threatened her life. She did not know him, there were too many underlings at the Stronghold for her to know every face, but she could tell from his wugong that he too, was of the Guild. A Guild to which she no longer belonged…she froze at the cold sound of applause. Her hair stood on end as Xiang Er turned around, her heart filled with despair…she knew who it was.
***
Yuan Feng felt a strange sense of excitement within him as they walked further and further into the forest. Any minute now, he thought, we’ll see the Shenyi’s house…finally, we’ll find this man, and then Ying Ying will be cured! He never doubted for one minute that this man would refuse to heal Ying Ying, that Ying Ying would die…it just wasn’t possible. They would convince this shenyi, somehow, they would! So he walked with an extra spring in his step, as he foresaw the end of their journey soon…after all, they had just passed the sign that led them into this shenyi’s home, right? Ying Ying, however, felt a heaviness in her heart as she walked, her eyes still naturally observing every tree and rock for some hidden trap. Even though Yuan Feng was convinced that they had passed all the challenges, she believed differently, though she kept her silence. It was obvious that this Wah Shenyi hated assassins…and only assassins or those highly skilled in martial arts could have made it this far…what better way to make sure no assassin would ever intrude on him than to make them feel assured and confident by giving them hard challenges to pass, and leave one extra little trap to kill them now that they thought they were safe? So she walked slightly ahead of Yuan Feng, using her instincts and training to keep them safe, and though he felt she was overreacting, he said nothing.
Their being in a forest meant she was instinctively careful of the areas around them, and above them for any traps…never in her wildest imagination had she expected this…Ying Ying kept walking on the path when suddenly the ground disappeared from under her feet. She screamed in horror as she felt herself plunging into darkness…
Dimly he felt pain as he regained consciousness…he struggled to open his eyes, only to be met with darkness…and faintly, in the distance, he could see a light above him. What…what happened? Where was he? He groaned as he felt pain stab at him all over his body, and his head felt like it was on fire. Groggily, he sat up, and winced as he felt his head…there was a big lump there, no wonder he had a blinding headache. Now…what had happened? They had been walking…and then…he caught his breath. YING YING! Oh tian… “Ying Ying? Ying Ying! Are you alright? Where…where are you?” he asked as he flailed around with his arms, trying to find her. Suddenly he froze…an icy shiver ran up his spine as his hand touched something warm, and sticky. His hand shook as he lifted it to his face and smelt it…blood. Tian…panic overtook him as his hands finally found Ying Ying, and frantically he felt her for her pulse…don’t scare me Ying Ying, don’t leave me alone! He sighed in relief as he felt her pulse, still beating steadily. “Ying Ying!” he called her, shaking her gently. She moaned, still unconscious. I need to see, he thought frantically, I need to see what’s wrong with her, where’s she wounded, oh tian, don’t let it be serious…please, not when we came so close! He fumbled inside his tunic for his flint and stone. I need light…
Ying Ying moaned as she felt pain throughout her body…oh tian, what happened? She opened her eyes reluctantly to see a pair of worried black eyes watching her, with a tiny light that flickered in them as they reflected in the firelight. “Yuan…Yuan Feng?” she whispered, trying to sit up. Immediately he was beside her, supporting her as she gasped with pain. “What…what happened? Where are we?” “Don’t you remember? We fell into this hole, and you managed to hit your head, as well as dislocating your arm, but I connected that for you already, and bandaged your head.” He smiled ruefully at her. “You scared the living daylights out of me, you know,” he scolded her teasingly, his eyes gentle, “I couldn’t see in the dark, and I felt your blood…I thought you mortally injured or something! Don’t ever scare me like that again, alright?” She was staring at him, trying to absorb all this with her mind that ached like hell. So, she had hit her head…no wonder it was aching so bad…that’s right, they had fallen…suddenly her eyes widened, and she sat up. “I fell, YOU jumped after me! How could you do that!” her tone slightly hysterical as she remembered the fright and horror that had ripped through her as she was falling…at the sight of him jumping after her. “Are you crazy? You could have been killed! How could you do something that stupid!!!”
He stared at her, shocked at her outburst, before feeling his own anger rising. What…how could she say that! He grabbed her shoulders, his fingers digging hard into her flesh, not hearing her gasp of pain. “Because I’m not prepared to lose you! I would rather die, don’t you understand?!?” His words struck deep into her heart…she suddenly felt a rush of joy within her, displacing all the despair and bleakness she had felt for the last few days…all the pain she felt disappeared as she stared up at him, at his flashing eyes, and she smiled up at him, her eyes shining with happiness. He stared at her, his sudden anger fading away…then his heart did a jump as he realised he was gripping her shoulder…her wounded left shoulder. He dropped his hand as if he was holding live coals. He started blabbing, his eyes filled with frantic worry, “Oh tian…Ying Ying, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to hurt you…I…” His words died as she leaned her head against his chest, shaking it slowly. Gently, he folded her into his arms, muttering a silent pray to the heavens, thanking them that his Ying Ying was still with him…
Some time passed as they sought comfort, and solace in each other’s embrace, before Ying Ying took a deep breath and attempted to stand up. She swayed slightly, but quickly regained her balance as Yuan Feng steadied her. She looked around them, then back up at the distant patch of sky, and winced. It was so high…if Yuan Feng hadn’t jumped after her…she shuddered, knowing fully well that she would be dead by now. No wonder this was the final trap…that Wah Shenyi must have known that all assassins travelled alone…that they would never risk their lives for each other…or have someone who would risk their lives for them. But now…they were alive, alright, but now what? They looked at each other, and instantly knew that they had both dismissed the option of climbing back up…it was too high. Unless there was absolutely no other way out…silently Yuan Feng picked up his sword, and held it out to her. She took it, and together, they started to examine the granite walls that surrounded them, Ying Ying tapping the walls carefully, listening for a difference in sound. This was too unnatural a hole to exist in the middle of a forest…it had to be manmade. If it’s manmade, there must some mechanism to open an exit somewhere…the shenyi wouldn’t want to have a hole full of rotting corpses to stink up the place, right? Or even if there wasn’t an exit…there would be some place that wasn’t solid stone, some place that they can force their way out through…there must be…
***
The blood drained out of Xiang Er’s face as she looked straight at the man she’d never wanted to see again. Wu Feng. He smiled at her, but there was no humour in his face. His eyes glinted with a cold fury as he said casually, “We meet again, Xiang Er. That was a very bad thing you did, my love.” He stalked slowly up to her, Xiang Er stood there silently, her eyes watching his approach with dread. She forced herself not to wince as he caressed her face gently, before holding her chin in a steel-like grip. “Trust me, I was VERY displeased. You shall be punished for it,” he drawled in a steely tone. Xiang Er stared at him silently, her eyes expressionless.
Without warning she struck out at him with her wugong, and he backed away, avoiding her blow easily. But her aim wasn’t to hurt him, she knew his wugong was more powerful than hers…instead she turned to flee. She dodged instinctively and warded off his blows as he advanced on her, he was toying with her, she knew, but there was nothing she could do…suddenly his eyes flared up with anger and one of his blows hit her squarely in the shoulder. She flew backwards from the force of the blow, collapsing on the ground as he advanced slowly on her. She looked up at him with unflinching eyes.“You can kill me, but I will never go back…never again.” He lifted his eyebrow cynically at her, his face cold. “If that is what you wish…” He raised his hand, drawing on his qi to deal a death blow….Xiang Er watched with dull eyes, her mind numb as she waited for death to descend…suddenly he cursed, and reeled backwards, and dimly she heard a voice. “Xiang Er, run!”
Suddenly she felt someone beside her, and startled, she turned…to see Xiang Er standing beside her. Xiang Er’s face was pale, but determined. “I…I won’t abandon a friend,” Xiang Er said quietly, drawing out a hidden dirk from her boot. At Xin Ping’s startled look, she gave her a small smile. In fact, she had been stunned to see Xin Ping risk her life to save her, and despite the danger they faced, she had felt warmth in her heart. That someone cared enough about her…to risk their life…she couldn’t run, not now, not ever again. “Let us kill this bastard together,” she smiled at Xin Ping, whose eyes widened, then grinned in reply. They turned, their eyes grim as they looked the man who was watching them with a smirk on his face. “This is so nice and sweet it’s making me sick! Ah well, two birds with one stone…” without a pause, he threw out Crystal Rain. The two girls dodged, Xin Ping deflecting the poison shards with her sword, then went into one of the sword stances she had learnt at Moi Dong Mountains to attack him. As they both flew to attack Wu Feng with surprising power born out of desperation, Xin Ping thought rather wryly to herself, if I had known it would come down to this, I would have paid more attention to my martial arts master…I guess it’s a bit too late now…at least…she staggered slightly as her sword was wrenched out of her hand…I won’t die alone…
***
Ying Ying shook her head, trying to clear that faint, dizzy feeling…the headache from hitting her head had receded, but instead she was feeling slightly light headed. It’s probably due to the bump…it’ll go away, she thought to herself, as she continued tapping the granite wall, looking for any odd spot. She decided not to mention it to Yuan Feng. As if he doesn’t have enough to worry about, she thought wryly, looking at the man who was tapping the walls behind her, occasionally a frown would crease his face as he tapped a spot again, listening to it carefully. She felt a sudden urge to sooth that frown on his forehead, to make him smile that brilliant smile that was forever locked in her memory. She shook her head again, smiling to herself. How could you be thinking about stuff like that right now, she scolded herself in amusement, but deep inside, she felt a sudden wonder at everything…at these strange, wonderful warmth that he could evoke in her, at his ability to bring about this strange, bubbly joy that she felt inside, despite being trapped in a deep, dark pit in the middle of nowhere. She felt so alive, alive for the first time in so many years, despite the dark day that crept closer and closer…Mid Autumn Festival. The twinkle in her eyes faded as she contemplated what would come…if they didn’t find the cure…she felt as if something was wrenching at her heart. Not at the thought of dying, no, that no longer frightened her, but…Yuan Feng…her eyes grew misty as she watched him. She didn’t want to leave him alone…to leave him alone with sorrow and anguish…she feared it, she feared that day because she feared for him…she jumped, startled, as Yuan Feng suddenly yelled triumphantly. “I’ve found it!”
He tilted his head slightly, indicating the slight irregular bump in the granite wall, and lifted his eyebrow at her. Ying Ying looked at it and shrugged slightly. Yes, it was a trap mechanism, alright, but…what did it do? There was only one way to find out…she lifted his sword in her hand, and deftly struck the bump right in the middle with a controlled force. An audible click echoed in the silence, then a deep rumbling sound filled the empty cavern. They looked around quickly, their eyes swiftly tracing the sound…their extraordinary senses noted a slight breeze ruffling their clothes and a different musty smell coming from behind them. A dark opening had appeared behind them, almost like some kind of doorway. Yuan Feng looked at Ying Ying excitedly, but she touched his arm. “We should be careful. I think we’ll need some light.” He nodded in agreement, who knew how long the darkness stretched for, or what else might be hidden within it. Quickly they formed a few torches from wrapping some oiled cloths around wooden sticks. Ying Ying wisely handed the sword to Yuan Feng, taking the torch herself…he would be better prepared to handle danger right now that she would, with her injured shoulder. With Yuan Feng in front, and Ying Ying behind him lighting their way, they cautiously entered the darkened corridor, leading them out of the pit…to whatever that might lay beyond…
“Is it my imagination, or are we heading upwards?” Ying Ying’s words echoed in the emptiness of the endless corridor, making Yuan Feng jump. They had been walking in silence for some time, but to him, it had seemed like forever…his mind had gone blank as it concentrated only on finding danger, his eyes scanning every inch of the place as they walked. Now that she’d mentioned it… “You know, I think you’re right. What do you want to bet that this leads to the surface, probably right to Wah Shenyi’s doorstep?” “You’re a prince, remember?” her arch reply made him smile, “Princes aren’t supposed to gamble!” He was about to retort when he caught his breath, and stopped. Ying Ying looked up at him, puzzled. “What is it? What’s wrong?” She came up beside him, and touched his elbow in concern, but then paused as she finally noticed what he was staring at. A smile appeared on her face as she moved towards it…sunshine flooding in from an opening…she felt her heart sing with gladness not only from seeing the sun again, but also…beyond the opening, she could see a clearing…and a path leading to a big, wooden house…they’d finally found him, Wah Shenyi! She stepped into the sunlight, blinking rapidly as her eyes were stabbed by the light…when suddenly someone grabbed her from behind, swinging her around. She laughed as she looked up at Yuan Feng’s grinning face. “We’re finally here, Ying Ying!!! Finally!” She nodded, and they both laughed in delight as he hugged her exuberantly. “We finally found it!”
***
Xiang Er gasped as she was flung against a tree by Wu Feng’s Wind of Fury, and she fell to the ground, stunned. She struggled to get up, but sprawled down again as he kicked her in the ribs. Xin Ping leapt to her defence, but a quick blow from Wu Feng caught her on the side of her face, she spat up blood as she landed bodily atop of Xiang Er, who crumpled from her weight. Wu Feng grinned nastily down at the two girls, who could only stare up at him helplessly, unable to fight anymore… “So, have we had enough fun yet? Are you both ready to come home with me now?” he lifted his eyebrow cynically as he grinned evilly. Xin Ping spat at him, her eyes filled with cold fury as she wheezed, “I’ll rather die first!” Wu Feng raised his hand, and slowly wiped her spit from his stony, bleak face. “That, your Highness, can be arranged.” Xin Ping felt Xiang Er’s hand slip weakly into hers, and she could feel her own courage rising…I will not be afraid, not in front of this creep…she only looked at him defiantly, her eyes mocking. “No matter what you do, Wu Feng, you will never win. We’re not afraid…not of you, not of death itself!” Furious at her defiance, Wu Feng lost all control as his anger burned like fire…ignoring that he’d wanted them both alive, ignoring that she was a good pawn for their game…he raised his claw-like hand to crush the life out of this defiant princess who refused to submit to him…Xin Ping watched calmly as the claw-like hand descended…
A sudden force threw Wu Feng backwards, slamming into trees. He coughed, spitting up blood as a figure walked into the clearing, his voice ringing in the silence. “I’m sorry I’m late, your Highness. Please forgive me.” The words echoed in Xin Ping’s startled mind, and suddenly her world suddenly seemed to fill with bright light. She spun around to look at the person who had appeared, a very familiar figure, and her face broke into a joyful grin…
Kwok Zhong strolled into the clearing, intending to bow towards his princess but was stunned as she flung herself into his arms, nearly strangling him. “Oh Kwok Zhong, I’m so GLAD to see you!” Xin Ping laughing and crying at the same time, tears of relief were rolling down her cheeks as she hugged him…someone who she’d thought had been killed already. Astonished, and extremely flustered, he detached his princess gently, his face red as he tried to speak, his mind dazed by the brilliant smile on his princess’s face. “Your…your highness, um…I’m glad you’re alright, um…I…um I’m at your service,” sketching a flimsy bow. “Oh goodie,” Xin Ping said, calming down now. Her eyes were cold as she pointed at Wu Feng. “Kill him for me.” Kwok Zhong looked at his princess, at the injuries on her, at the big bruise that was already showing on her face, and felt his blood boil. Someone had dared to hurt his princess…his eyes glinted dangerously as he advanced on the man responsible, drawing out his sword. With surprising agility, Wu Feng leapt up and went into a roll, picking up Xin Ping’s sword as he stood up. “What a faithful dog you have, princess, even falling off a cliff didn’t stop him come running back to your heels like some loyal hound…” he dodged nimbly from a sudden attack by Kwok Zhong’s sword, then narrowed his eyes, advancing on the General of the Imperial Forces, his sword moving rapidly. Their swords clashed, and became engaged in a deadly dance of survival…and death. Steel clashed on steel, all else was forgotten as they pitted their skills with an opponent of equal power…Xin Ping helped Xiang Er to her feet, and the two girls stood and watched anxiously as they fought.
Wu Feng was having second thoughts at this point, this man’s wugong is not below mine by any means…this is not worth it…he feinted to the right, but to his horror Kwok Zhong didn’t even bother to block, but thrust his sword straight ahead…and plunged into Wu Feng’s left shoulder. He yelled and backed away, covering his wound with his other hand. Xin Ping did a little jump in triumph. “Kwok Zhong, you’re the best!” Wu Feng’s eyes narrowed as he glared at the princess, and the General. “We’re not finished, princess, Xiang Er,” he snared, his eyes filled with hatred. “I’ll be back!” Swiftly he threw something on the ground, and it exploded, covering the area with thick smoke. Kwok Zhong yelled, and plunged into the smoke, trying to find the man…but as the smoke cleared, a rush of disappointment and anger filled him. Wu Feng was gone.
****
They paused outside the door, unable to believe they were even here. At the doorstep of Wah Shenyi’s cottage. Ying Ying looked at Yuan Feng, who returned her look, and shrugged. Fine then, she thought, and raising her hand, she knocked on the door sharply. There was no answer. “Hello? Is anyone home?” Silence greeted her words. She turned to him, her eyes worried. “Now what?” Yuan Feng knocked harder on the door, saying in a steady, loud voice, “Wah Shenyi, we come to seek aid, please, are you home?” The silence was unbearable, Yuan Feng felt more and more frustrated, and pounded on the wooden door. Suddenly, the door swung open as it’s old, rusty lock gave way. Stunned, they stood there not moving. What the…? Sudden anxiety overcame him as he looked inside…the house looked furnished, alright, but it was empty…eerily so. Doubt began to gnaw at him inside…what if…but they were here now anyway, they would find out soon enough. Giving Ying Ying a reassuring smile, he took her hand and stepped over the threshold.
Neither of them spoke, but they knew the other was thinking the same thoughts, the same dark, despairing thought. This…this place, it may once had been Wah Shenyi’s home, alright, but there was no one here now. In fact, Yuan Feng went over to the table, and took one swipe along the surface with his finger, staring at the dust with bleak, dull eyes, no one had lived here for a long time. He suddenly wanted to shout, to yell angrily, to break something as despair filled his heart, but looking at Ying Ying’s wan face, he controlled himself with difficulty. If I break now, he thought, she would too…there must be SOME way…maybe there is some clue to his whereabouts now left here. And heavens help us, let it be somewhere close! Turning to Ying Ying with a forced smile, he said cheerfully, “Let’s split up and search the place. He might have left some kind of note as to where he would be going…or worse come to worse, we could try to find his medical texts, and try to find the cure ourselves!” Ying Ying looked at him with her round eyes filled with that wisdom mingled with deep sorrow…it was something he’d thought he could banish from her eyes completely, that sorrow… it tugged at his heart. But she only nodded, and they ventured into the different rooms, looking for something, anything that would bring the hope back into their lives.
Please, tian, please…there must be something…Yuan Feng thought despairingly as brushed at the cobwebs spanning the doorway. It was someone’s bedroom, and besides the usual bed, table and wardrobe, the room was bare. Frustration was eating away at him, and he slammed his fist on the table, his eyes filled with fury and despair. I can’t let her die…I won’t!!! He gritted his teeth, this can’t happen…it can’t! “Yuan Feng!” he jerked upright at the sound of her voice. “What?” he yelled back, heading out the door. “I’ve found his study…and something else.” He heard a peculiar tone in her voice, but he didn’t understand it as he hurried to the room where she was. His eyes widened as he entered, there were shelves and shelves of books…medical texts. Somewhere within them MUST be the answer they needed…his face grew puzzled as he looked at Ying Ying, who was standing there stiffly, with her back to him. “What is it, Ying Ying?” he asked concernedly, as he walked up to her. She only looked up at him with her sad, dull eyes, and said quietly, “I think we’ve found Wah Shenyi.” Puzzled, he looked at her, then at what she had been staring at in front of them. He blanched, his face going a pale white as despair sunk into his soul…there, in front of them, was a small shrine, and on top of the wooden table was… Wah Shenyi’s wooden spirit tablet.
Yuan Feng watched with an expressionless look on his face as Ying Ying rather calmly bowed before the shenyi’s tablet, and lit some incense. Inwardly, he was amazed at her serenity…how on earth can she be like this?!? After all that we went through to get here…to find this! And…he laughed bitterly at himself, his heart filled with bitter anger at the Shenyi for being dead, at them, for being so late…at the heavens themselves…how could they be so cruel, to play such a hoax on them?!? He clenched his fists impotently, wanting to smash everything in the room to smithereens in his fury…his fury at the world…at everything that was conspiring to take her away from him, to take his life away. He felt her touch his cheek gently, her fingers icy cold against his flushed, angry skin. “Don’t, Yuan Feng,” her voice reached him through his despair and anger, calming him. Abruptly he pulled her into his arms, giving her a tight hug as he hid his face in her soft, silky hair. Tian, please, I can’t lose her…I can’t! Don’t take her away from me…don’t take the light away from my life…Her hands rubbed soothingly on his back. Ying Ying could feel his anguish, his despair, and it pulled painfully at her heart. She wished more than anything in the world that she could wipe it away, to take these burdens herself…his pain wrenched at her soul. But she could only stand there, within his embrace, and offer the only comfort she had left…the comfort of her presence…for now. But what will happen when I'm gone? she thought despairingly. Oh tian...please don't be so cruel to him, to us...
Death Bloom…Death Bloom…come on! Yuan Feng thought irritably to himself as he flicked through the pages of yet another book on dangerous poisons…why are you so bloody rare? He had already thanked the heavens that this Wah Shenyi was an orderly person, on closer inspection, the healer had categorised his bookshelves into books on types of illnesses, books on how to heal and treat injuries, and books on poisons and antidotes. This had narrowed his search down considerably, down to just one book shelf…however, this was still quite a huge number of books to search through, and…casting a worried look outside the window at the evening sky, and the waxing moon…time is not something they had a lot of, he thought sombrely. In two days time, it was full moon…then they had one month before the Mid Autumn Festival...before Ying Ying…with great effort, he wrenched his mind back to the text he was reading. Pay attention and stop wasting time! He scolded himself, and continued scanning the text…Deadly Nightshade…hmm, isn’t that the stuff Ying Ying uses on her golden needles…“Yuan Feng.”
He jolted slightly, then turned in surprise to look at her. “What is it, Ying Ying?” He stared at her, puzzled, as she looked up at him, her face drained of blood. “I don’t think you will find anything there,” she spoke slowly, her eyes dazed. “What? How do you know?” He walked up to her, but her eyes only dropped to the book in her hands, something she’d found inside the big dusty box she’d dragged out from under the table. “I think…Wah Shenyi himself was searching for a cure too…” her voice faltered, and slowly, he took the book off her to see the cover. He felt a sinking feeling as the he read the words slowly, “Diary of Wah Guan Hong - the search for Death Bloom.” He looked at Ying Ying…their thoughts were the same…if the shenyi had been searching for a cure himself…did he find it? Or had he…swallowing a lump, he sat down at the table, pulling Ying Ying down beside him. Their answer laid within…their Fate itself laid within these pages. He felt her tiny, cold hand slip into his, and he held it tightly, both seeking comfort in each other’s presence. Then, slowly, he opened the big book to the first page…
“Being an account of my quest here for the deadliest and rarest of all poisons, Death Bloom. This plant haunts my dreams, and fills my days with worry as I watch it, helplessly, attack my beloved fiancee’s body…despite my being the able to cure all sorts of strange illnesses…being a shenyi…I cannot heal my love. We have moved here to Blackwood Forest, where the Death Bloom thrives…it is my belief that the plant to counteract the poison of Death Bloom should also thrive in the same place that it grows in. My pupils even now are setting the traps by which I shall keep the rest of the world from distracting my studies, my vital studies, while my niece tends to my future wife, whose impending madness and death haunts our very thoughts…my love, whose only fault laid in finding Death Bloom an attractive flower to pick…” Yuan Feng stopped reading, he shared an incredulous look with Ying Ying. “His betrothed was also poisoned with Death Bloom? No wonder he concentrated on finding the cure! Tian, I hope he did!” But Ying Ying had picked up something else, something that Yuan Feng didn’t seem to have noticed. “Madness?” she whispered slowly, as an icy feeling settled inside her. “What madness?” Not noticing her pale, wan face, Yuan Feng flicked to the next pages eagerly….
“Month by month, the only way to control her pain has been to take more Death Bloom, in small doses, to control the attacks…but this in itself is poisoning her system even more. My search grows more desperate as the poison…” Yuan Feng’s voice suddenly faltered, his face draining of blood…tian, no…But Ying Ying continued it for him, her voice monotonous…she was beyond feeling shock now. Inwardly, she marvelled at how steady her voice sounded as she read slowly, “as the poison begins to attack her brain, first she shall feel faint and dizzy, then as time passes she will lose her fight and descend into madness before death…” Slowly she looked up, her face expressionless as she returned Yuan Feng’s horrified look. She attempted a small smile…but he saw through it instantly. Pulling her gently into his arms, he whispered brokenly, “I won’t let that happen to you, I promise! There is a cure…there is! He must have found it!” She didn’t speak, she couldn’t…only…death, yes, she’d known all along that it might come to that…but madness? To have to have Yuan Feng watch as she went crazy, and rave like some mad…animal? She shivered inwardly…no…I won’t let this happen! I won’t…I can’t…she pulled away from him, giving him a tiny smile. “Come on, maybe he finds the cure in the end!” He nodded slowly, and flipped the next few pages as the healer describes the many plants he experimented with, along with his pupils…I want the cure, damn it! Yuan Feng thought, not noticing Ying Ying staring off into space. If…if it came down to that…if there is no cure…I can’t let him see me like that…I won’t…
“Ying Ying!” she looked at him, startled, but he was staring at her incredulously, his face a complete white. “What is it?” she asked, puzzled at his reaction, but he only said slowly, “Listen to this – “My love refuses to marry me until she is fully recovered, but day by day, her condition deteriorates...she has asked that before she loses her sanity completely, she would like to see my niece bestowed on someone who would take care of her…so she has asked me to act on Yue Yin’s behalf. Of my three pupils, all have asked for her hand in marriage. Zhao Guan Yi, my oldest pupil is from a noble family, and is a brave, and courageous young man, while Tian Huang, my second pupil, is perhaps the most skilled of the three in both marital arts and the healer craft, but there is something of the sly within him...he seemed most angry when Yue Yin rejected him…perhaps it is for the best that my beloved asked Yue Yin her own mind…it seems she has chosen my youngest, and perhaps the most honest and filial of the three…Zhao Yu.” Ying Ying caught her breath, stunned. What?!? Yuan Feng was astonished, not noticing her reaction. “Ying Ying, Zhao Guan Yi…that’s my father! My FATHER was the elder pupil of this Wah Shenyi…and, oh tian, he was the elder martial art brother of Tian Huang?!? The Master of the Assassins? Why didn’t he tell me? And why do they hate each other so…unless it’s because of this Yue Yin…” Awed, he stared at the pages, and the strange story it was revealing…then suddenly noticed Ying Ying’s stunned look. “Ying Ying?” he asked, concerned, but she only stared up at him, her eyes wide. “Yuan Feng, this…this explains many things…” she said quietly, her hand touching the pages gently. “Why the Master had my father killed…why he hates me so much…” Looking up at him, she said softly, “Zhao Yu was my father, and my mother…my mother was called Yue Yin.” Thunderstruck, he could only stare at her as she continued, with a small incredulous smile on her face, “This Wah Shenyi was my great uncle!”
***
Xin Ping stretched, wincing slightly at the pain from Wu Feng’s blows earlier on. She tended to the fire, and the fish that were cooking merrily on the spit as she watched Kwok Zhong used his internal qi to stabilise the flow of qi inside Xiang Er’s body…she had been injured far more severely than Xin Ping, but with Kwok Zhong’s energy, she would be alright, Xin Ping decided, her eyes lingering on Kwok Zhong’s stern face as he concentrated. She’d thought it was dream when she saw him come strolling into the clearing just as they were about to be killed…but it was no dream…he had showed up, and there had been a sudden rush of emotions within her. She’d dismissed it as simple joy at seeing him again, a friendly, familiar face in this suddenly harsh and dangerous world, at having someone to help and protect her, but…was it just that? He’d changed…he didn’t seem as unbearably stiff and unbending as before, or was it she who had changed? Maybe it was her perception of him that had changed…she remembered the flustered look on his face as she had hugged him earlier, and unconsciously, her lips curved into a small smile. She watched bemusedly as Kwok Zhong slowly redrew his qi, and laid Xiang Er down to rest on a pile of leaves.
He looked up, puzzled at his princess’s expression…at the way her eyes stared at him steadily across the fire. “Are you alright, your highness?” he asked politely, but she made a face as she walked over to him. “Is she going to be fine?” she asked, looking down at Xiang Er, her eyes filled with concern. Kwok Zhong felt a sudden jolt at her face…how mature his princess has suddenly become…it was strangely unfamiliar, and somewhat disturbing… “Um, she will be fine,” sniffing the air a bit, “Can you smell that, your highness?” he asked, puzzled. Xin Ping looked at him, then took a few sniffs as well. “Smells like something…burning…AI YAH!!! My fish!!!” she yelped, rushing over to the fire, waving the spit around comically trying to put the fire out. Kwok Zhong looked at her incredulously, then something strange happened…he could feel it rushing up, and he couldn’t hold it in…he started laughing…Xin Ping looked up in surprise, at Kwok Zhong’s grinning face, and slowly, she smiled back…
His eyes skimmed the pages rather impatiently, only stopping at certain places that looked interesting. “Hey Ying Ying, I think I found out why Wah Shenyi hates assassins so much,” he said quietly, pointing to a place in the book. She gave him a curious glance before reading the page for herself. Her eyes widened. “The Master stole martial arts scriptures from Wah Shenyi’s library on the wedding night and tried to set fire to the place? So the Shenyi was also a part of the pugilistic world…he must have been really powerful…” “Yeah, too bad he was busy trying to cure his betrothed, if not he would have chased down and killed the Assassin Master for betraying him…good riddance to bad rubbish.” Ying Ying only smiled weakly, all of a sudden she felt very weak, almost dizzy…she was suddenly grateful that the light from the lamp was too dim for him to notice…he turned back to the diary as she sat down beside him, not really paying attention to the reason she wasn’t reading it herself, but made him read aloud. Ying Ying fought down a wave of panic as he read…her eyes had suddenly had problems focusing on the tiny neat print…tian, it’s the poison…it’s fogging up my concentration…suddenly she noticed the silence.
Concerned, she looked up at Yuan Feng, forcing her eyes to focus on his suddenly expressionless face. There was an unreadable look in his eyes as he stared at the page before him. “Yuan Feng?” her concerned voice broke the silence, but he only stared at the page blankly…his mind reeling in shock, and horror…yes, horror. He was horrified for this man whose mind and heart was revealed to them thru the pages, they who came long after his death to read his age old words…for this man whose life had been ruined by a flower…and horrified for himself…for the gentle maiden by his side…without looking at Ying Ying, he read slowly, his voice dull and lifeless. He could hear this Wah Shenyi in his mind…feel his anguish through the words…
“Suet Er, my dear beloved fiancée, the wife of my heart, has left me…I…I cannot write, my hand trembles and I cannot see, but I must…let the world remember her forever, and she will live in this manner…the poison has finally defeated me…I did not find the cure in time to save my love. She has left me, to struggle alone in this suddenly dark and empty world…I feel so tired, so cold…she is the light in my life…was…now, my only wish is to follow her, to see her smile at me just once more. But I cannot, her last coherent words, before the poison finally attacked her mind and overcame it, made me promise I would go on…that I would find the cure, whether or not she was still on this earth, and she shall await me in the afterlife. I know she holds me to this promise, and go on I must….though my heart is heavy, and full of pain and regret. Yes, I regret that I left her alone to pick that flower that took her from me, I regret that I listened to her when she refused to marry me until she was cured…she who was meant to be my wife all along, and now I have lost her forever…what I would give to turn back time…I shall write no more until the cure is found, as this is a journal…to mark the events in my life…and I shall never have a life again…from this moment forth, there is no life for me…no more joy, no more light, only the endless search for the answer…for the cure. Then I shall go forth happily, to find my love once again…”
His ashen face turned to Ying Ying, whose eyes were sparkling with unshed tears, brimming with sorrow for this man, this great uncle of hers, this great Shenyi who had saved countless lives, but had stood by, helpless, as the most important person in his life was snatched away by the cruel hands of Fate. No wonder the Master had used this poison to control them…what other poison would come to his mind…when he knew that even his own shi fu had been helpless to cure it? Her hand trembled as she slipped it into Yuan Feng’s large one. He grasped the tiny, cold hand tightly as he reached out, and slowly, flipped the page…then another and another…the rest of the journal was empty.
****
Within the shadows of the forest, the slight image of two figures could be made out by the pale moonlight. One knelt at the foot of the other, his head bowed as the powerful figure glared down at him. “First Ying Zi, now Xiang Er…can you not follow orders, Wu Feng? I TOLD you to control them…kill them if necessary should they disobey, now you tell me that you have lost the both of them! That they have revoked the Guild, and they live to tell the tale! Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t kill you right now!” The harsh voice of the Master made Wu Feng’s blood boil…but he hid his anger skilfully. The Master’s powers were far too great…there is no way I can defeat him…and I can’t…I don’t want to die…I’m not as stupid nor as sentimental as the two females are… “Because, Master,” he replied calmly, “You need me to serve you. I’m the only powerful pupil you have left, and you need me to help you gain the throne of China.” He gasped as the Master hauled him up by his hair with one hand, his eyes were glowed in the darkness as he whispered, in a cold, deadly tone to his pupil, “Don’t be too smart, Wu Feng. I trained you…and I know everything that you might plot…don’t even think to cross me, or I will make sure you don’t live to regret it. NO one betrays me and lives.” He flung the man away from him easily, as if he was some rag doll. “We shall carry on as planned. Ying Zi and Xiang Er needs no effort on my part to terminate them, but if you come across either our prince Yuan Feng, or the princess…you know what to do.” Oh yes, the Master thought, clenching his fists as he thought of the prince…and his father. Zhao Guan Yi…his once elder brother…his most hated enemy now…as was Zhao Yu, who he had killed already. For all that you took from me when you stole away Yue Yin…I shall have my revenge on you all…all that you own, all that you hold dear, will be mine!
****
Silence fell over them like a heavy cloud. There was nothing left to be said…the blank pages in the book that they had based all their hopes and dreams had shattered what allusions of happiness they had left. Ying Ying slipped her hand out of his numb one, and Yuan Feng was too dazed to protest. His mind was numb with shock…he couldn’t believe it…all their struggles, all their hopes and dreams…ended with blank pages in a book? That he would lose this girl that was his inspiration in the mundane world, his light in the darkness…his life…that he would lose her, that she would be snatched away from him by the cruel hands of Fate like Suet Er had been snatched away from her betrothed…that he would relive this Wah Shenyi’s nightmare…to live a life full of pain and regret. Nay, he thought to himself, in the inner recesses of his mind, full of anguish and dark despair…he is right…there will be no life…nothing but emptiness once she is gone…
Motionless, she sat beside him, her face drained of blood. There was a haunted look in her big, round eyes, eyes that were once again filled with that sorrow and wisdom far beyond her years…the darkness she’d thought she could run from had risen once more to engulf her soul…death…it had always been a possibility, but never a certainty…till now. She had felt her heart reach out to the poor man who had watched the woman he loved died before him…but now it bled, her heart felt like it was being stabbed by a knife as she thought of Yuan Feng…of the pain and suffering he would have to go through…like the Wah Shenyi, as…as he watched her go mad…tian, would he too, lose all his hope, his will to live like this ancestor of hers? She wanted him to go on, to live, to be happy….there was nothing left that she could hope for but that…
Ying Ying stood up, wavering slightly on her feet, but she managed to stumble away from him towards the big, dusty box she’d found the journal in…she fell to her knees beside it, shaking her head to focus her dizzy mind. Instantly he was there, supporting her, his face worried. She flinched away from him, not really knowing why, only that…that she was going to die, and that there was nothing they could do that could change that….that he and she, they were never meant to be…Yuan Feng stared at her with astonishment in his eyes, and…and pain, but he didn’t say anything…there was nothing left that he could say…instead, he looked at the box. Momentarily distracted, they both peered in the box, fumbling past the layer of fabric to find…red silk with gold and silver patterns…of a dragon and a phoenix…bridal clothes…bridal clothes that never got the chance to be worn by the bride. Silently, reverently, Yuan Feng took out the set of bridal clothes, the xi pai (the piece of silk that covers the bride’s face) and the sparkling hairpins, laying them gently in his lap. They were all there…ready for a wedding that never took place…a wedding that a man had longed for, and regretted not having for the rest of his life…regretting letting go of the chance to bind his life for all eternity to the one he loved…suddenly Yuan Feng knew what he had to do, what he needed to do…he knew that he would not, could not live with that same regret…that he could not make the same mistake that Wah Shenyi had. He reached out swiftly, and grasped Ying Ying’s hands tightly. Startled, she looked up into his pale, determined face as he said steadily, “Ying Ying, marry me.”
Her heart stopped…the breath caught in her throat. Stunned, she stared at him incredulously, her eyes wide with disbelief. He…he didn’t just say that…she’d heard wrong…she had… “Marry me, Ying Ying,” he repeated, looking into her eyes steadfastly. Her mind froze…he…he was asking her…to marry…but…she…she was going to die…she…she can’t marry…despair and anguish flooded her heart…they weren’t meant to be. She ripped her hands away from his, shaking her head slowly, her round eyes filled with pain. She whispered in a choked voice, “I…I can’t marry you…I can’t!” “Ying Ying…” He reached for her, but she backed away quickly, her hands stretched forth in a helpless gesture, as if to ward him off. “I’m going to DIE, Yuan Feng! Have you lost your senses completely? We’re not destined to be together…even…even if…if I wasn’t going to…we still couldn’t marry, you’re a prince! And I’m just…” Her voice faltered as he reached and pulled her resisting form into his arms, holding her tightly. “Look at me, Ying Ying,” he commanded in a soft tone, “Look at me.” He waited patiently until she hesitantly lifted her pale, tormented face up to see the love and determination in his eyes. “Yuan Feng,” she whispered in a soft voice full of anguish, “We can’t…we shouldn’t do this…” She couldn’t speak anymore, she felt so choked up inside. But this cannot be…she could not let him do this…it would only end in pain…and endless torment for him…she could not let him…
“I love you, Ying Ying,” he said simply, his intense eyes holding hers, commanding her to listen to his words…to hear his heart speak… “You are my light in the darkness, my joy, my love. Please, make me the happiest man in the world…marry me.” She stared up at him incredulously, unable to speak. Her heart was bleeding…at that moment, she felt so much love and longing well up inside her…his words were so bittersweet….oh, how she longed to let it be…no, she couldn’t let him do this…she was going to die…the poison will attack her mind…and…and then… “Yuan Feng, please, don’t act irrationally, don’t do something you’ll regret later on…the poison is going to attack my mind soon, before I die…I’m going to go crazy!” she cried hysterically, “I don’t want you to marry a mad woman, to have you hate me when you have to look after me till I die…no, no, we can’t marry!!!” She tried to pull away from him desperately, but he tightened his grip, refusing to let her go. “Yuan Feng, let go of me, please!” “No!” he said determinedly, “I will never let go! I love you, Ying Ying, and I will never hate you…never! No matter if you go blind, or deaf, or even mad…I will still love you! I will take care of you, cherish you, because no matter what, you will still be my Ying Ying!”
She shook her head, not wanting to believe…to hear him say it…she opened her mouth to protest but before she could speak, he continued softly, “Ying Ying, I’m not crazy…I know what will happen, and what I’m asking. I mean every word I say…I don’t want to spend the rest of my life living with pain and regret like Wah Shenyi did…and I would if I don’t take you as my wife, my soul mate…I would! I don’t care if you’re going to die in a month’s time, in a week’s time, or even tomorrow! I just want to spend the rest of my life…the rest of YOUR life with you…to hold you in my arms as my Ying Ying, to have our souls bound together forever and ever. No matter how long, or how short a time we have left…” his voice faltered, watching Ying Ying’s round eyes fill with sparkling tears. His eyes burned as she reached up with a trembling hand, and touched his face gently. “Oh, Yuan Feng, I…I don’t want you to mourn me…to suffer when I’m gone…if we did…you…it would be so much more grief and pain…” Oh tian…his heart felt like it was being stabbed by a knife…no matter how long, or short a time he will have her by his side…he will love her forever…he reached up and caught her hand, holding it firmly against his cheek. “Even if we had just one day left in this world, I would only be happy if I spent it with you beside me…I will never ever forget you, my love, never…neither in this life, or the next life, or the next…our souls are entwined, forever, and there is nothing you can do to make me forget you…please, marry me, Ying Ying…I need you, as my wife, as my other half…even if for just one day, I will cherish the memory for a lifetime.”
She couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe…she felt so choked up inside at his words…words that, she knew, came from deep within his heart…and it tugged at her heart, her soul…his dear, beloved face looking at her so gently, she felt her heart breaking…to be his wife…to be his, forever…there wasn’t a thing she wanted more in this world…to have this precious gift, this memory, to take down to her grave…it was unwise, it was selfish to yield, to let him commit this mistake…to marry a soon to die person…but as he lifted his hand, and gently caressed her face, smiling gently down at her, as he whispered again, “Don’t let me hold this regret in my heart for the rest of my life? Marry me?” she felt her last resistance break…yes, tian, let us have this…this one happiness together…she looked up into his eyes, and nodded slowly. His eyes widened, and his face broke slowly into a large grin. “Do…do you mean that?” he asked, half holding his breath, unable to believe… “Yes,” she whispered, softly, her eyes shining with unshed tears, “I will marry you.” He pulled her into his arms, exuberantly, holding her tightly, as if he didn’t want to let go…as if he would stop anyone or anything from taking her from him now…she hugged him back, fighting down the choked sobs she could feel behind her throat…if they had but one day…it would be enough…
***
He caught his breath as he walked into the room, where the vision in the bright red bridal dress tugged at his heart. He stared into those round eyes through the bronze mirror she was looking into, those eyes filled with a strange deep sorrow, and yet, a sparkle of joy as she saw him. “You…you look beautiful…” he breathed, coming up beside her, and she smiled up at him through the mirror…yes, it was like his dreams come true…this girl in the bridal clothes that were never worn was all he’d ever wanted in his life, yet it tugged painfully at his heart to see her pale face making a stark contrast to the bright festive red. “Do…do you think my face looks pale…sick...” she asked quietly, her voice sad. “I must be the ugliest bride there ever was…” “No,” he struggled to keep his voice even, from showing the anguish he felt within him, stark anguish and pain at how pale his love looked…he reached out and touched her lips gently, “You’re the most beautiful bride in the world…and you shall be my wife.” She gave him a small smile, and stood up, covering her face gently with the silk xi pa. In the reverent silence, he led her slowly to in front of Wah Shenyi’s spirit tablet.
They knelt, facing the open window…the skies were lit with a thousand stars, shining brightly down at them, as if to bless this union…they bowed once, to the heaven and earth…twice, to the spirit tablet of Wah Shenyi, their ancestor…and then, to each other…sealing their destinies…
Within the bridal chamber…the chamber of people long gone, he reached out slowly, with a slightly trembling hand…lifted the thin red silk to reveal his soul mate…his love…his wife. Now and forever…without a word, he got up, and poured the two cups of wine…spilling some onto the table in his nervousness. He stared into her shining, round eyes as she quietly took the cup, and leaning forth, they entwined their arms as they drank the nuptial wine… “Now we are joined, this life, and the next…our souls are sealed as one, forever and ever…” he whispered, smiling down at her beautiful, fragile face. Her eyes filled with unshed tears…she couldn’t help it…she was his wife now, now and forever…this moment would be captured in her heart, she would never forget the way he was smiling at her…no matter what may come…she smiled up at him… “I love you.” They both whispered simultaneously, then laughed…his breath caught in his throat at the way her eyes danced with laughter…she noticed him staring at her, and blushed. Slowly, his expression serious, he leaned forward and kissed her ever so tentatively on her soft, red lips…she was his, finally…his one and only love…his bride…he gathered her into his arms, and kissed her more passionately. Ying Ying’s eyes closed as she leaned into the embrace of the man she’d loved from the first time she’d seen him smile at her…and as the candle goes out…that deep yearning within their hearts for something unnamed…something so intangible that it was called love…that deep yearning is filled at last as they become one…as was their destiny all along...
She sat up on one elbow and leaned over, gently touching his dear, beloved face…it was so calm, so peaceful as he slept. Her fingertips traced a faint trail around his face, to his lips…and faltered, trembling…her heart was bleeding as she stared down at him, the man she’d loved from the very first time she’d seen him, the man she’d given up her life for, gladly…and would do it again, should she had the chance to turn back time…he was everything to her, the only person who had seen who she was inside, the man who had brought Ying Ying back to life when she was but a shadow in the night. A man she would not allow to grieve and mourn her…not if she could help it…she would not let him see her grow insane, let him bury her in her grave with his own hands…a sparkling tear fell from her face to drop gently on his. Finally…finally she’d remembered how to cry, to let those tears within her fall…but it was too late…she leaned over to press her lips softly against his, as if to take from this one, soft kiss, all the strength and courage he could give to her…for her to leave him…
He reached out to her, his dear wife as she smiled brilliantly at him…he could feel his heart fluttering at the beauty of her smile…full of yearning, he reached for her…but his arms failed to grasp her as she stared up at him, her face suddenly filled with sorrow…frantically, he tried to grab hold of her as she started to float away from him…her round eyes filled with a deep sadness and grief…good bye…my love…the whisper fills his heart with a terrible fear…no…no, Ying Ying, NO!!!!
“NO!” he sat up violently, his forehead drenched with sweat. He blinked as he saw the sunlight filling the room…and slowly wiped the sweat from his forehead. It was only a nightmare…but then he froze, his heart pounding. Why…why was it so quiet? He spun around and grasped frantically at the empty spot beside him…gone…where was she? He thought, his heart pounding frantically as he was filled with sudden fear. She…she must be here…it was only a dream…she can’t have gone…Jumping out of the bed, he hurriedly dressed, yelling her name, desperately hoping she was in the kitchen, in another room…his heart stopped beating as his eyes fell on the piece of paper on the table. No….slowly, as if walking through water, he reached out and picked up the piece of paper with a trembling hand…the sheet of paper felt so heavy. Pale, his eyes were filled with a dreaded look, he focused on the tiny, neat script written in ink…the words of his love…
“Forgive me, my love, for my cowardice…for my lack of courage to stay, and spend the rest of my life with you. You will always be in my heart, for all eternity, but I have not the courage to let you see me grow mad, to see me die…I wish not for your last memory of me be a mad woman wracked with pain, let it be instead the Ying Ying who was your bride, the one you saw smile up at you when you lifted the xi pa. Our love was doomed before it began, you are a prince, and you must go on and fulfil your destiny…I am but a shadow in the night, a Ying Zi, touching ever so brief in your life. Promise me, Yuan Feng, that you will go on…and don’t mourn me, let me be but a brief yingzi in your life, and wherever I am, wherever I go, I will be with you, forever. I will never drink Meng Po Tang*, I will always hold you in my memories, in this life, and the next…I will cherish the memories of you, and of all the joy and sunshine you gave me. Thank you, my love…for everything…- Your wife, Zhao Zhi Ying.”
The paper falls from his nerveless fingers to flutter gently to the ground. Shocked, stunned, he stared unseeingly into space…she had left him…she…she was gone…she…but a shadow, a yingzi? NO!!! He couldn’t believe it…he couldn’t! Shouting her name, he ran through the house, through all the rooms, frantically searching for his wife, a woman he refused to believe he had lost…there was nothing but the empty silence that had been so for many years. Stunned, he realised he had come back to the shenyi’s study, and was staring at the spirit tablet. Why? He thought painfully, as he gripped the edge of the table tightly, why couldn’t you help us? Why must my fate end up like yours? No, you…you at least had her beside you…she…she’s gone now…she left me! The words floated back into his mind, “I have not the courage to let you see me grow mad, to see me die…” So you would rather leave me, and die all alone? Leave me forever wondering where you are, forever longing to see your face just one more time?!? He thought tormentedly, his eyes wild with anguish, I can’t let you do that…to be all alone…my Ying Ying…to leave this world alone…He grabbed his sword, and ran out of the cottage…I will find you…no matter what happens, I won’t let you leave me like this!
His heart hurt, his mind was tortured as he searched for traces of her, his love, his other half…all day, and now, as the sun set, he refused to give up…she has to be here somewhere! He knew she would not have gone back the way they’d come, she would not know her way through the maze without him…so he headed in the opposite direction…shouting her name occasionally as he moved through the trees, his way illuminated by the moonlight…Suddenly he froze, and stared up at the moon. His blood ran cold…tonight…tonight was a full moon! Exactly one month before the Mid Autumn Festival…and…urgency gripped his heart as he panicked, Ying Ying would have another poison attack tonight! I must find her! Ying Ying! Where are you?!?! He thought worriedly, and began to run…in the night, he searched endlessly for his Ying Zi…
Tired and weary, Yuan Feng continued persistently in his search for Ying Ying…dawn was coming…the world around him was being illuminated by the first signs of light, but he did not notice…he…he had ran until he’d gotten to a cliff…now, he ran along it…looking for her, for any signs of her trail…something illuminated by the first rays of light fluttered in the slight breeze. It caught his eye, and he froze…his blood ran cold as he stood still…the world falling from beneath his feet. No…I must be tired…I’m imagining things…slowly, as if in a dream, he walked over, and reached out with a shaking hand…to grasp the fluttering piece of cloth caught on the rocky edge of the cliff…it…it felt real…his heart stopped as he stared with wide, disbelieving eyes at the cloth…cloth ripped from Ying Ying’s dress…Ying Ying…he turned his head, his eyes haunted with dread and horror, to stare down…down the sharp cliff which fell away to nothing…Ying Ying…the cloth fluttered away in the wind as his senseless fingers lost their grip on it…the sky had fallen…the world went dark as he stared with stunned, haunted eyes down the endless cliff…Ying Ying…NOOOOO!!!!!!
Finally he dropped to his hands and knees, completely spent. The world was dark to him…now and forever…he could no longer feel anything, anguish, pain, anger…he felt so drained…nothing mattered anymore if she was gone…he felt dead, so bleak and grey inside as he stared down the distance that separated him from her…it…it would be so easy, to follow her…to take that final step and follow her to where she was waiting for him…he felt so tired, so dead…he didn’t have the strength to go on…to try to live without her by his side…without the light in his life, there will be nothing but darkness…nothing but the vast emptiness in his heart without her…so easy…he couldn’t live without her…he didn’t even want to try…nothing in this world meant anything without her…his Ying Ying, who could never be but a shadow in his heart…she had taken it with her, and now there was nothing but a hollow emptiness within him, an emptiness that will never be filled. So easy…and he would see her again…see her smile…as he joined her on the final part of their journey…and nothing in the world would be able to separate them again…his heart yearned to let go…to find her again…
Suddenly her words echoed within the vaults of his anguished mind. His blood froze. “Promise me, Yuan Feng, that you will go on… let me be but a brief yingzi in your life…our love was doomed before it began…” Oh Ying Ying, his mind cried in anguish, how can you be just a yingzi in my life? You are like my flesh, my blood…how can I go on without you? How could you leave me here…with all the memories of you to haunt my life forever?!? He longed to take that one small step that separated him from her…but deep inside, he knew he couldn’t…she’d made sure of that. “Promise me you will go on…” It was almost as if he could hear her soft voice whispering in his mind…he clenched his fists in anguish…for her, he knew he had to go on…for her…she’d asked him for this promise…it was the only thing she’d ever asked from him…when she’d given up everything for him, including her own life …no matter what, he had to keep this promise, for her sake, he had to! But…he gasped as the sparkling tears fell drop by drop from his anguished face…without her…without Ying Ying…there was no more joy, no more light…yes, I will go on for your sake, my love…but I shall never live again…from this moment forth, there is nothing but darkness, forever…
***
Three faces were drawn in detail on the bright yellow papers that were posted on
the board. Unseen, hidden amongst the crowd that had gathered, a figure in dull,
woodcutter’s clothes slipped between the people, and scanned the paper with
narrowed eyes…
“WANTED – one KWOK ZHONG, formerly the General of Imperial Forces, for crimes against the throne, including high treason and the kidnapping of the Princess Xin Ping. Highly dangerous criminal, wanted dead or alive along with accomplice, reward of hundred thousand taels for their heads, or accurate information as to their whereabouts.”
The figure stood silently as the people around him muttered and gossiped about the news…that this had been a royal decree issued by the Prince Zhao Zhi San, on behalf of the Emperor himself…the Emperor himself probably doesn’t even know about it, the figure thought bleakly to himself, or, he probably only thinks Prince Zhao Zhi San is only concerned about his sister’s welfare…there is no way for him to know of the deadly treason that is being plotted against him…nor will he believe me, over his foster son! There is only one person he would trust completely…he thought desperately, we need to find the Prince. Only he can save the Emperor now…Prince Yuan Feng, Kwok Zhong, the former General of Imperial Forces pleaded silently, as he slipped away unnoticed in the crowd, where are you?!?
Xin Ping jolted out of a doze at the sound of coughing. She looked up startled, and rushed over to Xiang Er’s side, her concerned voice asking worriedly, “Xiang Er jie jie, are you alright? You look so pale…” Xiang Er smiled weakly up at her friend, the Princess of Imperial China…currently looking more like a beggar lad than a lady, much less than a princess! She sat up, closing her eyes briefly to ignore the momentary dizziness she felt. “I’m fine,” she reassured her friend, “It wasn’t so bad an attack, plus I had taken my suppressant.” It had been full moon last night, and Xin Ping had spent the whole night watching over her, tossing and turning in pain despite the numbing effects of the suppressant. She’d meant to keep watch, Xin Ping thought, as she flushed slightly in remonstrance, who knows who might walk into this ruined temple anytime…but I fell asleep!!! Tian…but nothing had happened, right? She shrugged the incident off entirely as she took out their waterbag to give Xiang Er some. “Stop treating me like some invalid!” Xiang Er said lightly, and Xin Ping laughed, her normal bubbly self again.
The two girls chatted amiably for a while as they chewed on some old, dry buns (mantous)…but as time dragged on, Xin Ping started to get worried. Where was Kwok Zhong? He said he was only going to take a quick look around in the nearby town for signs of pursuit…he’d been gone since yesterday! She fiddled with a piece of straw idly, breaking it into smaller and smaller pieces as she fretted, a worried look in her eyes. Was he in trouble? What if he was captured by soldiers that were assassins in disguise? How was she to help him? Don’t be silly, she scolded herself, Kwok Zhong’s wugong is so powerful…he can’t be in trouble…but still…where was he?!? She sighed audibly, and got up, packing their gear while keeping an intent eye on the door. Xiang Er saw the strange behaviour of the normally childlike princess…and smiled discretely. She loved this princess dearly as a rare friend…but she was so…childlike, and innocent…despite her wily tricks. To see her fretting over Kwok Zhong like this was somewhat amusing…she hid a smile, so, our princess is finally learning about romance? The smile suddenly faded from Xiang Er’s face. I hope and pray, my little friend, that you have much better luck than me, she thought sadly, in both love and life…I…I shall never know the joy that you and Ying Zi feel, nor the love that you both receive…no matter how brief it is for her…thinking of Ying Zi, Xiang Er suddenly frowned. I wonder if she and Yuan Feng have found the Shenyi…tian, please let them be fine…
Light footsteps made both of them freeze, and rise rapidly, ready to defend themselves…they heaved a sigh of relief, and relaxed as they saw who it was. Kwok Zhong. “Kwok Zhong, I…we were so worried about you!” Xin Ping began happily, moving towards him, then paused as she saw the grim look on his face. “What is it?” she asked softly, touching his arm. He looked down at her, his thoughts so preoccupied he did not notice the closeness of her presence, normally, he would have flushed and been flustered at such familiarity from someone above his rank. “Princess, Miss Xiang Er…” he began, but she cut him off. “Xin Ping,” she said firmly, “We’re in disguise, remember? You can’t run around calling me princess!” He nodded absentmindedly, and continued, “We have a problem…” He elaborated on what he found out within the town…that he and Xiang Er were now traitors to the throne, and they’d supposedly kidnapped Xin Ping. Now they not only had the soldiers to worry about, but all those who were interested in money… “We’ll never make it back into the palace alive at this rate!” Xin Ping said frustratedly, “Father needs us! We can’t let Zhao Zhi San and the assassins get away with this! We need to warn him…but how?!? No one will believe me…my word against a male of equal rank…tian, WHY did Father have to adopt that bastard son of a…” she gulped, and swallowed her last word as Kwok Zhong shot her a startled look. Xiang Er hid a smile. “Because of this, we need to find the Prince Yuan Feng immediately,” Kwok Zhong continued, and Xin Ping nodded in agreement. “Let’s hope that Ying Ying jie jie and Yuan Feng ge ge have found the healer already,” she said wistfully, then looked to Xiang Er. “You’ll have to lead us to the Blackwood Forest. We MUST find Yuan Feng ge ge.” Xiang Er only nodded silently.
Later on that day, three figures left the ruined cottage, a woodcutter travelling with a beggar and a young man. The woodcutter hurried after the beggar, trying to take a bundle off him, but the beggar only rolled her eyes at him, saying in a pert tone, “I’m not made out of glass, Kwok Zhong! I won’t break under the weight of a few clothes you know!” The woodcutter only gave her a look, then couldn’t help but smile. “Alright, Prin…” pausing at the “tian ah!” way she rolled her eyes, and corrected himself, “Alright, Xin Ping.” She smiled slightly to herself as she continued to walk alongside him, her thoughts preoccupied…he’d called her by name! ! The sound of her name from his lips made her heart do a peculiar little flip…as if it was something important…
They had been travelling for nearly ten days now…travelling on foot, it had taken them this long to reach the little town that was the last sign of civilisation before the Blackwood Forest. Wearied, hungry and haggard from fear of pursuit and discovery, the three travellers sighed in relief as the town came in sight…finally…they were almost there. They entered the gates, relieved that there was no sign of any soldiers guarding the entrance to the town…it seemed that the Prince and the Assassin Guild had not guessed they would be travelling in this direction, instead of trying to head back to the Capital to warn the Emperor…the three young men in nondescript clothing headed for the nearest inn…weary to the bone, nothing would suit them more than a good night’s rest before continuing on their strenuous journey…
Xin Ping groaned loudly in pleasure as she sunk herself in the wooden tub, luxuriating in the warmth and comfort of the hot water as all her tired and weary muscles relaxed…Xiang Er, who was sharing her room, laughed on the other side of the paper screen that gave Xin Ping her privacy. “Laugh all you want, but I’m SO happy to finally get this layer of grim and dirt off me!” She declared as she soaked her hair in the tub, splashing vigorously as she attempted to get all the knots out, wincing with pain. “Oh yes, you DEFINITELY smell a bit…pungent downwind, princess,” Xiang Er teased as she brushed her own hair, having bathed already. “And you don’t?” asked Xin Ping a bit mockingly, as she finally managed to untangle her wet mass of hair…now she laid back, enjoying the pleasant feel of the warm water on her skin… “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving! I’m going downstairs and ordering some food…you come down when you’re ready, alright?” “Mmm…” Xin Ping closed her eyes as she heard Xiang Er closed the door behind her, relaxing herself momentarily after all their hectic journeying…
But it wasn’t all hectic, she thought with a small smile on her face, as she reflected on the days past…despite their being on the run, their fear of pursuit and their desperate need to find her ge ge and Ying Ying jie jie as soon as possible, there were a few times when she, strangely enough, actually was enjoying the journey itself. She felt so alive, on the road, travelling with friends…for the first time, she’d forgotten she was a princess…for the first time, she was just Xin Ping, and…she smiled softly as she thought of a certain person…he had treated her like a normal person, and not a princess…that straightforward, stern and unbending man who had always irritated her before…that Kwok Zhong who had always been letter book perfect on what was right and wrong, so perfectly genteel it annoyed her exceedingly…why was it that suddenly she cared so much about what he said and did? He had smiled, and even laughed once or twice in the days past…why did it matter so much to her? She had felt so happy…her heart felt so light when he smiled, the way it lit up his usually stern, and expressionless face…it got to the point she was almost striving to make him smile…she would say or do silly things…just to see his stern face lose that grim look, even for a moment.
Why am I doing this? What is wrong with me? She asked herself, slightly irritated…her eyes stared unseeing at the high ceiling…I…I can’t be feeling anything for him, can I? But…he’s always so stern and unbending…and he hardly ever smiles…he wouldn’t know a joke if it crawled up his nose and died there! Well…she admitted ruefully to herself, maybe not THAT far…but still, this is Kwok Zhong…he may have changed for the better lately, but still!!! I can’t be falling for him…he’s just a friend, she decided, a good friend, but just a friend. But memories flashed through her mind…at night, on their journey, he had given her more instruction on her sword skills…his face was stern but strangely, warm as he showed her new stances…and the way he’d laughed at her as the fish caught on fire while she was cooking, his cool, impassive face lighting up with a cheerful grin…the way his eyes looked at her, as if penetrating into her soul…oh tian, what is with me? Xin Ping sat up in the lukewarm bath, her face distraught as she struggled internally with these strange and disturbing emotions. Tian, I…I can’t be in LOVE with him, can I?
Two silent figures sat at the wooden table, deep in their own thoughts. Xiang Er’s inbred assassin instincts made her eyes scan the almost empty tavern room every so often…her eyes fell on Kwok Zhong’s preoccupied face, and felt a slight bemusement…and also, a twinge of bitterness. It was amusing that this Imperial General, this powerful, confident and stern man could appear to be so…disturbed…she had even caught a few sheepish grins on his face during the past few days when Xin Ping was around…even if the two people involved were still not clear about what was happening, it was apparent to an outsider. She felt happy for the dear princess who had become her friend, and also this man who she had once thought was incapable of love…yet, she felt bitter…almost jealous…yes, jealous. Not because she loved Kwok Zhong…tian, no! It was just that…why? Her heart cried bitterly in the silence within…why am I always alone…why can’t it be me? To be happy…to be loved…just once…Ying Zi, even Xin Ping has someone who cares about them…why am I always the one alone…looking into a world that I will never be part of? Choked emotions well up behind her throat…why? Why can I not let go of the darkness of the past, and just be me? Her eyes were filled with pain as she thought bitterly…no matter what I do, I will still be Xiang Er…Ying Zi could become Ying Ying once more because she was forced onto the road she walked…but…me, I will always be Xiang Er…Lin Mei Wah killed herself the day she stabbed her own uncle to death…no one will ever love me…I don’t deserve to be loved…it’s a world I will never know…
Kwok Zhong didn’t notice Xiang Er’s inner turmoil, he was too preoccupied with his own disturbing thoughts…plus, though he travelled with her, he noticed her not…he only accepted this former assassin because of Xin Ping…his princess…yes, she was his Princess, while he was but a General to serve and protect her…that’s all. But…he grimaced slightly, lately he’d almost forgotten she was the princess…she had changed. He recognised this, his princess had somehow matured a lot in the past few weeks…where she would have acted recklessly before, she now stopped and analysed her move very carefully…where she was almost childlike before, she was now gentle and considerate of others, like Xiang Er’s illness…and yet, despite all this, she was essentially still the girl he’d known all his life…the bright, cheerful sunshine princess…the princess he had sworn an oath to protect. But now…he felt strangely distressed as he was no longer sure he was acting due to his oath to his prince and the throne, or because he himself longed to protect this girl from harm…his heart was filled with the sudden urge to hold and protect this precious girl from the dark and dangerous world…but this strange, new and disturbing emotion flooded him not as he thought of the royal princess…but appeared instead when a vision of a certain cheerful grin on a dirt smudged face, the tiny figure in beggar clothes struggling comically with a roasted fish caught on fire…his heart did a peculiar flip…no, he can’t do this…this was wrong! She was a princess…the princess he would protect with his life…but he was just that, the general, the protector…he was too sensible, too self-conscious to…his mind trailed off into stunned silence as a figure walked down the stairs…
He stood up jerkily, his eyes wide, unable to speak. For a moment, their eyes meet and held…and something deep within clicked…and settled, as if something had been decided then and there. Feeling as if his eyes were burning into her soul, Xin Ping blushed slightly, and fidgeted with her long, silky hair. He opened his mouth, trying to speak, but no sound came out…he swallowed nervously. Finally he managed to croak, “You…you’re not dressed as…you…” Look wonderful, he finished off silently, but the words died in his throat. Xin Ping looked down self consciously at her plain, simple yellow dress. “Um…I…err, I decided it was probably time to change my disguise, so even if anyone was searching for us…they wouldn’t find us if they look for a group of three men, instead of two men and a girl…besides,” she continued lightly, flashing him a smile that silenced any response in him, “I’m tired of dressing as a beggar, so smelly!” She wrinkled her nose comically, and he couldn’t help but laugh…their eyes met for a single instant…and all the mirth faded as he suddenly found it hard to breath…there was something in her eyes that would haunt his dreams for many days to come…he wrenched his eyes away from hers almost painfully, and gestured to the table, saying in a light tone that sounded only slightly forced, “Um…come, join us for dinner…” Awkwardly, both aware of a new tension that had not been there before, they ate their food in silence, neither of them aware of the amused look they were receiving from the former assassin sitting with them…
The wild haggard figure staggered drunkenly down the street, bumping into people who drew away in disgust. His dirty, smelly clothes were of fine material once, but now they resembled beggar’s threads…his dirty, untied hair hang about his wild, flashing eyes as he swigged another mouthful from his wine flask…the liquor dripped uncaringly down his chin to wet his grimy stained shirt. He tipped the flask back, then smashed it violently against the ground as he fell to his hands and knees…unable to keep his balance in his state of drunkenness. He stared wild eyed at the wine dripping from the broken shards on the ground…wine…gone…all gone…like she was gone…there was nothing left…nothing…Prince Yuan Feng laughed manically, his mind intoxicated by the liquor and the bitterness within…oh yes, I promised to go on…but I shall never live again…there is nothing left…nothing but darkness…
Perhaps it was just luck, or mayhap Fate had a hand in it…a drunk, haggard man staggered into the inn, and slumped down at one of the tables, growling for wine. The three companions shot him a startled glance, but relaxed on seeing it was but a common drunkard…though, Xin Ping frowned slightly, that dirty, stained shirt looked vaguely familiar…she gave the drunk a curious look, but the matted hair hung over his face which was slumped against the table…she shrugged, and turned her attention back to the food in front of her…tian, she was SO hungry! After the last ten days on travelling rations…the smell of food was just heavenly! She closed her eyes in comical bliss as she drank the soup…and Kwok Zhong couldn’t help but smile in amusement…no matter how…alright, he admitted quietly to himself, beautiful…no matter how beautiful she may look, she’s still that childlike, sunshine girl inside…still…Xin Ping…he ducked his head as he felt his face flush slightly at the strange emotions roiling within him…
Meanwhile, the owner had already approached the drunkard with a look of total disgust on his face…tian ah, this drunk, dirty beggar was stinking up his inn! “Mister,” he began coldly, his voice full of contempt, “We don’t do charity here! You are disturbing my customers, please remove yourself before I get my people to do so!” “Wine,” was all that the slumped man muttered, his head cradled in his arms… “We’re not serving you! Wine indeed!” the owner scoffed, “It’s not like you have the money to pay for it, you drunken, dirty…” his voice trailed off as the man reached inside his tunic and threw a silver tael on the table. The owner’s eyes widened as he stared at the money, his mind barely registering the man’s rough demand for all the wine the money was worth…the owner jerked, and snatched up the precious tael, and stammered apologies as he hurriedly ordered his waiters to bring wine…quickly! The man ignored him…it didn’t mattered...nothing mattered anymore…
“Gao yan kan ren di!”**Xin Ping muttered underneath
her breath, having noticed the owner’s derision, then spontaneous change in
attitude at the sight of a silver tael. [**sorry if my pinyin is bad, supposed
to be, literally, “Dog eyes see human as low” meaning more or less that the
owner looks down on a man probably better than him]
Kwok Zhong shot her a glance, but she merely wrinkled her nose at him, before
giving the drunk a sympathetic look…who was this man? He was clearly not some
simple beggar if he had so much money…was it a disguise? But the state he was
in, his misery and haggardness…it all looked real…her forehead creased into
a frown. Kwok Zhong noticed. “What is wrong, Xin Ping?” “I’m not
sure,” she said slowly, her eyes remaining on the slumped figure on the other
side of the room, “But…he…that man, he looks familiar, for some
reason…” Both Kwok Zhong and Xiang Er turned to look at the man intently,
but shook their heads…no, they did not see it… “It’s probably your
overactive imagination at work again,” Xiang Er teased her lightly, and Kwok
Zhong smiled. But Xin Ping didn’t hear them…the world had stopped still as
the drunkard murmured to himself…she heard every word he said, and it froze
the blood in her veins.
“A shadow cast briefly on my life…no…you…you’re not a yingzi…you are the light…left me…why did you have to leave me…leave me in the darkness forever…you…perhaps you ARWE a yingzi...” he laughed harshly, his mind blurry from the wine “A bloody yingzi cast on my heart, my soul forever…go on without you…and…and how am I to do that…” Xin Ping stood up, her face ashen as she stared at the drunk, ignoring the surprised glances she was getting from the other two. “Xin Ping…” Kwok Zhong began, then faltered as he too cast the drunk a startled glance as the man finally lifted his face from the table as he groped blindly for another wine flask. “Ying…Ying…my yingzi…” Xin Ping’s breath caught in her throat as horror flooded through her veins. Tian, it was her brother!!! She ran over to him and grabbed him by the shoulders.
“Ge? GE!!! It’s me, Xin Ping! Are you alright? What happened?!? What’s wrong with you?” she blabbed in panic, her eyes filling with hysterical tears as she saw her brother clearly for the first time in weeks…tian, what had happened to him? The matted dirty hair, the grim on his unshaven face did not disturb her as much as his eyes…his wild, almost crazed, bloodshot eyes that stared blindly up at her. “GE!” she cried, tears streaming down her face, “It’s me, Xin Ping! What happened?!? Please, please tell me!” He stared at her, his wine intoxicated mind not registering who she was…or maybe he just didn’t want to know…he didn’t want to know anything anymore…he shook off her hands and took another deep swig from the wine flask, not caring that it was spilling down his face to wet his grimy shirt. Xin Ping stared at him, her mouth parted soundlessly…he didn’t see her, didn’t hear her…the brother she loved more than anything…what had happened to him…she sobbed silently into her hands desperately, it was like he was…dead…her eyes widened.
“Ge,” she whispered softly, her eyes filled with dread, “It’s Ying Ying jie jie, isn’t it? What happened to her? Is she…” her voice faded as he finally looked her right in the eyes…a sharp pain stabbed her heart as she saw his eyes finally register her presence…her words…his face was ashen as he said in a dull tone, “She’s gone…she left me…she’s dead, dead, DEAD!!!” he shouted, throwing the wine flask violently from him. It shattered on the ground, the wine dripped onto the floor in the sudden silence of the room. The three companions stared at him in horror, at the sight of a prince lost in a cloud of pain and madness as he laughed wildly in his wine fuddled craze, “Ying Ying is dead…she’s dead…” Xin Ping felt the world stop. Ying Ying jie jie…dead? Tian…no…you can’t do this, can’t be so cruel…she longed desperately to sob, but the sight of her brother stopped her…oh ge ge, how I wish I could do something, anything to ease that pain…to ease your sorrow…but there is nothing I can do…nothing anyone can do…she knelt down in front of him, the man who was breathing harshly into his cupped hands, trying to suppress the storm of emotions within… “Ge, I’m here…I’ll always be here…” she whispered gently.
Her voice, the sweet, gentle voice of his little sister finally penetrated the cloud of pain and madness within…looking up, the prince saw her gentle, sparkling eyes as she regarded him steadily…her eyes…for a moment there, in his wine befuddled mind, they…they reminded him of Ying Ying…something in him snapped. He ran from them, from the world…he needed to be alone…to shout, to scream out the pain and anguish he’d kept locked up within…by refusing to face it, by submerging in a fog of wine…to…to weep…to finally shed those tears that refused to be suppressed any longer as he tried with all the strength he had left in his world weary soul, to find the courage to go on without her…without the only person he’d ever loved…
The gentle night breeze ruffled his wild, unkempt hair, and as he looked up, a leaf fluttered by his face as if on phantom wings…his hand reached up and caught it almost automatically. He regarded it almost absentmindedly. The pale green leaf felt so fragile between his fingers…a single, sparkling drop fell, tracing a tiny path down his suddenly peaceful face as he lifted the fragile leaf to his lips…
The same, familiar haunting tune drifted through the night to tug painfully at Xin Ping’s heart…it was the same tune, and yet…it wasn’t. The melancholy tune was filled with vast pain and heart-wrenching sorrow, filled with grief and lost…it was filled with a longing, a yearning for something that was no longer not named…but will never be found again…it was like a beckoning, a desperate call from his soul for that which was now lost…it was like a river, a flood of the dark and bitter emotions that he was drowning in…all because of that one figure that haunted his memories…a big part of him felt dead now…now that Ying Ying was dead. Xin Ping suddenly understood, with unusual clarity, the turmoil and darkness her brother was lost within…love…it is like a light, like a sudden joyous ray of sunshine in the bleak darkness of life, she thought with sudden wisdom, perhaps due to the unforeseen ray of light that had entered her own life. When it is gone…you no longer remember how you ever lived without it, nor wished to go back there into the darkness…her brother, though he was a prince, perhaps even heir to the throne, though he was so high and mighty, so rich and handsome…he’d always been lonely…the perfect prince who despised the isolation and loneliness that always came with power…the ultimate price of having power. Her brother had never really let anyone in, never really loved someone…until he met Ying Ying jie jie, and now, he’d lost the only ray of light to enter the lonely prince’s heart…the tune he’d always played had always represented the loneliness inside, the prince who yearned for something else…now, it…it was more. It was the tune of lost, of unending grief…of a sorrow that will never go away…it was the tune of a prince who would never love again.
“Ge.” Her soft voice penetrated the silence that followed the end of the tune. He made no reply as he continued to stare into the starlit sky. Xin Ping sat down beside him on the grass, her voice gentle as she said softly, “Ge, please, don’t do this to yourself. No matter where Ying Ying jie jie is, she wouldn’t want to see you like this…she would have heard your tune, and she would feel sad that you are so lost…Ge!” Her hand shook his arm insistently, until, finally, he looked at her. Her breath caught for a second as she stared into his eyes…the vast emptiness within them frightened her…He sighed tiredly as as well as his emotionless voice as he whispered softly, “She’s dead, Xin Ping…nothing really matters anymore…she’s gone. The Shenyi was long dead before we found his home, there was no cure. She…she left me, because she didn’t want me to see her die. I woke up in the morning to find her gone…leaving me only a cursed letter!” “But…” Xin Ping, puzzled, “How do you know Ying Ying jie jie’s dead? Maybe she’s not dead, maybe she’s just…” Her voice faltered at the sight of his face. Softly, steadily, his voice drained of any emotion…he told her what had happened…his marrying Ying Ying…the letter…the cliff…
Her mind whirled, stunned at all that had happened…he…he had married Ying Ying jie jie? There was no cure…she was to go mad before dying? So she left him…her eyes brimmed with tears as she thought, her heart filled with sympathy and sorrow, and also…an awed respect for the courage that Ying Ying had. She’d known she would die, yet she’d loved my brother so much she’d left him…she’d killed herself rather than let him watch her die bit by bit…than let him be filled with endless grief and torment…her heart filled with respect for the courage and bravery of this girl they’d only known for a short time, yet had had such a profound effect on them both…for her loving Yuan Feng so much she was willing to do anything, even giving up her own life…poor Ying Ying jie jie, she thought sadly, you sacrificed so much for him, and yet…she shot her brother a look. No, I can’t let all your sacrifices be in vain…I won’t let him go on like this, she thought determinedly, Ying Ying jie jie, for your sake, I will make sure he goes on…
“So is this what you call ‘living on’?!?” her sharp voice stunned her brother into a shocked silence. Xin Ping’s heart filled with pain at her brother’s hurt look, but she couldn’t soften, for his sake, and for Ying Ying jie jie. She looked steadily at him, her face no longer as childlike, “You promised Ying Ying jie jie you would go on, and yet this is what you do! Don’t you care what she would be thinking if she saw you now, in this state? You’re a prince, as well as honourable man…you must keep your word!” Yuan Feng stared at her wordlessly…this…this was his sister, yet…there was something so different about her, there was a new wisdom in her steady face that had never been there before…her words struck at an inner core. Yes…I had promised…but such a promise! It was so hard…so hard to find the courage to live each day, live each day knowing that the one chance of happiness was… “And Ying Ying jie jie might not be dead you know.” She said it in a normal, conversational tone, but it snapped him out of his preoccupation immediately. He looked up at her, his eyes wild with emotion. “What?!? What do…what are you talking about?” he tried to repress the sudden surge of hope that flooded him…an emotion he’d forgotten how to feel.
Xin Ping looked at her brother’s face lit up with hope and suddenly felt ill inside…ill for what she was about to do and say, for the false hope she was about to give him. But how do you know it’s false? She thought to herself angrily, maybe it’s true… “Ge, you found a piece of jie jie’s dress on the cliff…but how do you know she actually jumped?” she said in a calm voice, though she was racked with guilt, this is the only way…the only way to get him to stand back up again on his feet…Ge, please forgive me…because deep inside, she didn’t believe what she was saying either… “Maybe she only left it there to make you think she is dead.” Yuan Feng stared at his sister, stunned. “But…” he stammered, desperately grasping these tiny tendrils of hope, “But why would she do that?” He knew the answer already, but he longed for his sister to say it, to give him this one last ray of hope… “To make you think she is dead, to make you let go…but Ge, maybe she didn’t jump. Maybe jie jie had something left she wanted to do, before she died…”
Could…could it be true? For the first time in weeks, he felt a brief shimmer of hope…to be able to see her, even one last time…but…where could she be? What would there be left that she wanted to do…his eyes widened as he thought of the one thing that had haunted his beloved all her life…the one thing she’d lived for until she’d met him…He stood up abruptly, and Xin Ping jumped up next to him, surprised. “What is it, Ge?” She was totally unprepared for the determined, conscious look in his eyes…Yuan Feng was no longer lost, nor drunk… “If Ying Ying lives, she must have gone to lay the past to rest…she must gone to try to avenge her parents. To try to kill the Master. I must find her before it’s too late.” He began to walk back to the town, his stance once again strong and full of purpose. Xin Ping hurried after him, her eyes worried despite her words…yes, her strong, determined brother was back…but for how long? Because despite her words, deep down, she feared that her jie jie was gone forever in the endless darkness below that cliff…
“Sorry, Your Highness?” Kwok Zhong jumped as he realized his prince was giving him a puzzled look. “I asked, will we be ready to leave tomorrow morning at first light? All haste is needed.” “Oh! Um, of course, your Highness, the whole purpose of our presence here was to find you, but…” his voice faltered as he wanted to ask his prince why the need to hasten, after all, Xiang Er had told them that the Master’s plan was for…he finally caught the look Xin Ping was giving him. So…she had not yet told him about the rebellion? The betrayal of the Prince Zhao Zhi San and the Master of Assassins?!? But he kept his silence as she shook her head warningly at him, mouthing, ‘later’. Yes, perhaps that might be wise, he thought to himself. Though he had no idea by what miracle his princess had managed to perform to pull the Prince out of his depression, he knew this was only temporary…he stood by as Xin Ping urged her brother to go to his room and clean up before getting some rest.
Yes, there was plenty of time tomorrow to reveal what had happened in his Highness’s absence, no matter what he said or did now, Kwok Zhong thought, looking at the tired, weary stance of his prince as he trod up the stairs, he knew his prince would not hear at all…not when a yingzi was cast over his heart. The shadow of a love lost…Kwok Zhong was a straightforward and dutiful man, from birth he had been raised to serve the throne, and his Prince. He had never known anything, nor indeed could he ever conceive of anything other than serving, and fulfilling his duties as a loyal servant to the throne, as the General of the Imperial Guards of China. Perhaps a month ago, the General Kwok Zhong would have never understood this shadow that haunted his prince, never believed in it’s power. But now…his troubled eyes followed the slight, diminutive figure of a girl as she slipped from the room into the night…now, perhaps he understood. For that figure held the very same power over him, and his mind…disturbing the structured and orderly fashion with which he had perceived the world, and his place in it. The very same power drew him, unresistingly, into the night to see how his princess fared, and to see, if by any miracle, it was within his power to drive away the sorrow in her dark, mysterious eyes…
For a moment, he could see nothing in the darkness of the night. Kwok Zhong paused in his steps as his eyesight adjusted, catching sight of the faint outline of her in the pale moonlight. He called her name without thinking, “Xin Ping?” She turned slowly, as if in a dream, to see him standing there, his tall, strong figure outlined by the light coming out of the inn. A wave of emotion swept through the young princess’s heart…his very presence comforted her inner turmoil, yet…tears started to roll down Xin Ping’s face. Tears that sparkled in the moonlight, and wrenched powerfully at Kwok Zhong’s heart…tian, the princess was crying…his princess…without thought he strode forward to her, his hand gently wiping at tears that fell. “Xin Ping, don’t cry, please don’t cry! I…I don’t know what to do when you cry…I…” he said, sounding distressed, and she looked up through blurred eyes to see his concerned and passionate face staring down at her. She couldn’t hold it in anymore, the brave front she had put up in front of her brother collapsed as she flung herself into the startled man’s arms. This stubborn, sometimes irritating, but loyal and caring General…this man she had somehow fallen in love with, without knowing how nor why. Love…it was so very strange, it had no rhythm nor reason…and no cure. Her heart mourned her Ying Ying jie jie, and cried desperately in fear for her brother…her dear, beloved brother who was now only holding onto his sanity on the fragile threads of hope…threads she had spun, but knew held no truth in them…what would happen when Mid Autumn Festival did come, as it surely will? What will her brother do then, when this last fragile dream is broken? Will…will she lose him too? Tian…please, no….she wept silently, don’t take him away from me…let Ying Ying jie jie be alive, please! Please don’t do this to me, to us, please!
Kwok Zhong stood, stunned motionless as the girl flung her arms around him, and sobbed into his chest. His mind had frozen…what did he do now? Tian, she was crying…in his arms! Her fragile form was pressed up against him, shaking with the sobs she could not control, crying in an anguish that he knew not how to comfort nor ease…“Xin Ping…” he finally managed to croak out as his mind started to work again, putting his hands on her shoulders as if to put her away gently, but her soft plead stabbed at his heart, making him freeze. “Please…please…hold me…” her tiny, desperate plead made his breath caught in his throat. Kwok Zhong felt his heart flip…forgetting all propriety, forgetting all the rules and manners ingrained in him since childhood, his arms closed around the girl who had finally taught him how to love, and comforted her, in the only way that he could…by being there. In the darkness of the night, she was held tightly in the embrace of the man she’d come to trust and love…and her sorrow and grief was comforted by his presence…and the promise that love will not always die…
***
Yuan Feng stared across the campfire at his little sister, who was not so little anymore. She had changed, even as he had, in these short days since he’d first found her in those beggar clothes in the inn…the day he’d first met Ying Ying, and his life had changed forever. Was it only a few short months ago? It felt like years…he observed the serious look in her deep, dark eyes. He’d never seen such an expression on his kid sister’s face…yes, she’d matured into a cautious, and caring young woman in the his absence, and Kwok Zhong…his mind turned to the General who was now his friend. A man much changed…yes, love did strange things to people, he thought sadly, as he cradled the tiny grasshopper weaved out of dry grass in his hand. The only gift Ying Ying had ever given him…other than her life. The prince himself was not stupid…he knew it was only the faintest of all hopes that he could find her before the Mid Autumn Festival…before the day she was due to leave this earth forever. He knew that…and he knew that even if he found her, there was no way he could prevent her from leaving him again…
The day that Xin Ping had yelled at him, and asked him in that strangely matured voice, that did he call this living on, he had realized that she was right, he had no right to waste his life as a drunkard, not when Ying Ying had given up so much for him…when she had offered him this fragile hope of seeing Ying Ying one last time before she died, he’d jumped at it. Not only because…he caught his breath sharply as he thought, because he wanted to see her dear, beloved face smiling at him one last time…but also because…his eyes grew grim as he stared down at the grasshopper in his hand, at what might have been….because he had decided to rid China of this evil for once and for all. He had decided to avenge Ying Ying, avenge himself against the one man who had ruined their lives…and after Kwok Zhong and Xin Ping had told him what was had been plotted against him and his father the Emperor, he was only more determined to end this. To kill the serpent of evil, he had said to his General in a quiet voice full of conviction, you must cut it off at it’s head. Yes, the Prince Yuan Feng will live on…live on with only one purpose…to kill the Master of the Assassin Guild. To end this, for once and for all!
He had caught her in private as she had packed alone in her room, his face bleak as he demanded quietly, his mildness only betraying his inner anger as he asked if she had forgotten her duties to the Emperor and to China itself. If she had lost her senses completely…did she not remember she was a royal princess, and as such, must put the country before herself? If so, why did she encourage the prince to persist in such madness?!? His harsh tone, as well as his accusing eyes that glared down at her had struck at her within, wounding deeply. Her heart felt like it was being stabbed as she had looked up at his accusing face, with sparkling tears in her eyes. Despite the tight feeling behind her throat, she had only asked simply, “Between my duty, and my brother’s sanity…how do you expect me to choose?” Yes, indeed, if he didn’t have this, this slight hope of seeing Ying Ying jie jie again, of killing the Master and ending this nightmare, she feared her brother might never wake up…never be free of this darkness that he dwelt in. Duty, and her brother…how COULD she choose? They had only stared at each other, silent, before Kwok Zhong had spun around on his heel and left her standing there in the room, staring after him.
“Missing him?” Xiang Er’s light tone broke into her preoccupation, and Xin Ping glanced at her friend, smiling wanly. Was it that obvious? Each and every little memory she had of him kept popping up unexpectedly, especially that grim look on his face as he stared down at her before leaving without a word. “We…we didn’t exactly part on the best of terms,” she said awkwardly, her eyes burning with unshed tears as she remembered the silence that had come between them…He had complied with his prince’s orders, to deliver the message safely into the Emperor’s hands, a message in Yuan Feng’s own handwriting and sealed with his jade seal, proving it’s authenticity. They had parted ways once they left the inn, Kwok Zhong headed for the capital, alone, while the girls accompanied the Prince. Kwok Zhong had only bowed stiffly to his prince and princess, and left…not seeing how his stiff, unbending manners had torn at her heart, along with his cold and stern face as he avoided meeting her eyes. For a moment there, she had almost cried out loud, cried to him to stop, and look her in the eyes again, but something stayed her voice. Xiang Er looked at the young princess, and her miserable face, and took her hand gently. “Don’t worry, I’m sure it will be fine,” she murmured, but Xin Ping shook her head slowly. “No, it won’t! He thinks I’m just some stupid, irresponsible girl acting on impulse, that I’m worst than a criminal because I am the PRINCESS and I myself refuse to obey my duty and obligations…and duty is like, the most important thing to him! He’ll never respect me now…never…and…” “Then why?” Xiang Er asked softly, studying her face, “Why did you stand up against him then? Why did you support your brother in seeking this path?” Xin Ping was silent for a long time, before saying, in a much calmer voice, “Because I believe this is the right thing to do.” “As long as you believe in it with all your heart, then, it is.” Xin Ping gave the former assassin a small, grateful smile. “Thank you Xiang Er,” she said, her eyes smiling once again, “Thank you for believing too.”
Did she? Did she really believe? Xiang Er wondered, as she kept watch over the sleeping prince and princess, her eyes troubled. Was this the right path to tread? Deep inside, she knew it was madness, madness to agree, to lead Yuan Feng safely into the Assassin Stronghold…safely, she thought, with a bitter smile on her face. And how safe would he be, would all of us be once we face the Master? She knew this was plain foolishness, though Yuan Feng’s wugong was powerful, she had grave doubts as to his power to withstand the Master’s martial arts…the dark arts that he had stolen from Wah Shenyi over twenty years ago. And she knew, also, whether they succeeded or failed in their search for Ying Ying at the Stronghold, she would die…and Xiang Er, with her stolen vial of suppressant, taken from Wu Feng’s unconscious body, she herself would also die, if not on the day of the Mid Autumn Festival, then certainly one month later, under the full moon. Then why was she, with such transient time left in this world she had never really seen nor felt, why was she marching straight back into Hell, and this time taking the only friends she’d ever had along with her? She should convince them to give up, make them stay away from the Master before he ruined their lives too…but…her eyes filled with tears as she stared at the sleeping prince. At the tiny grasshopper weaved out of grass, that he held onto tightly, even in his sleep, as if it was the only treasure in the world. She knew that even if it cost her life, she would lead him where he wanted to go. This strange, painful longing that tugged at her heart, was this called love? Was this the self same mysterious power that had turned a Ying Zi back into Ying Ying, and a prince into a drunkard? Did she herself, did she love this prince? This prince who would never ever see her, with every inch of his heart and mind filled with Ying Ying…
These tears that fell down her cheeks now…were they for him, or for herself? Xiang Er tore her glance away from his sleeping form to stare into the endless night, her mind rolling with turmoil. She no longer knew what she felt, whether it was love, or perhaps just love for the IDEA of love…was she in love with Yuan Feng for who he was, or was it just…just she loved the way he loved Ying Ying, even in death? Was it simply her heart yearning for someone to care about her, to love her and remember her in the same way as Yuan Feng remembered Ying Ying? But…who was she kidding? She thought bitterly, who would love someone like me? Ying Ying…she was forced onto her path, forced to be Ying Zi, but she lived each and every day with courage and no matter what the world cast upon her, she never once bowed down before the darkness…me? She shook her head slowly, her heart heavy. I chose this path…I allowed the darkness to enter my soul…Ying Ying was never really Ying Zi, but I…I will always be Xiang Er. I can never hope to be Lin Mei Wah again…never…no one will ever love Xiang Er the way he loves Ying Ying…no one…
*****15th day of the Eighth Month of the Lunar Year, MID AUTUMN MOON FESTIVAL*****
Like some shadow wandering over the hills unseen, the endless night crept up on the man who felt the last fragile wings of hope crushed beneath the sun as it set in the distant horizon. With it, came the final despair…the final darkness that settled in his heart forever. He has not found her. Even with the fast pace he had set them as they had journeyed to the Stronghold, they had not found one single trace of her whereabouts. Now, only a few days away from the Stronghold itself, time has finally turned traitor on them…it was the day of the Moon Festival…the day she left him and this world forever…and all he could do was watch as the sun set, it’s fire extinguishing behind the horizon as the fiery furnace of hope and love within him extinguished also…leaving only the dark ashes of familiar grief, and anguish. He…he knew that it was hopeless, he had known from the moment he’d asked her to marry him…that she would leave him one day…that he would lose the only woman he’d ever loved. He’d known all along…but it did not make this pain any less, nor banish this vast emptiness that engulfed his soul as he clutched at the tiny grasshopper in his hand as if it was the only link he had on life…as if he never wanted to let it go…to let her go…to let that face fade from his mind, or her presence from his anguished heart…never…as the dark night descended upon the man who cursed the full moon that rose before him, the Prince Yuan Feng could only stare mindlessly into the brightly lit night sky…and see her eyes in the stars that twinkled down on him, mocking his lost. Filled with heart wrenching anguish, he could only repeat her name endlessly in the silent emptiness of his soul…Ying Ying, Ying Ying…oh, Ying Ying…
“Ge.” He sat unhearing of her call…Xin Ping watched her brother staring into the night sky, his face free from tears, yet, she knew that deep inside, his heart was bleeding…bleeding from a wound that would never heal…the tears that he could not shed, no longer knew how to shed, she would cry for him…as Xiang Er would cry for him. Yes, the young princess had noticed her friend’s developing feelings for her brother, and could only feel sympathy towards the assassin. Xin Ping knew fully well, as did Xiang Er, that Yuan Feng will never forget Ying Ying…never let another person into the space within his heart that Ying Ying filled now, even in death. Xin Ping bit her lip as she knelt slowly next to her brother, struggling to keep her emotions under control. Yes, she had known all along that this had been but a false hope, but an excuse to get her brother back on his feet again…but the knowledge did not lessen the grief that threatened to overwhelm her now…to make her weep those tears that she struggled to keep from her brother…he did not need her to add to the grief and anguish that racked his mind already. Her shimmering eyes followed his glance up at the full moon that shone mockingly down at them. She cried silently to the indifferent night sky, you’ve stolen my jie jie away, please, tian, please don’t take my brother too…
Xiang Er approached them hesitantly, unsure of what to say or do…there was nothing she could do to ease the sorrow that had settled, like some dark cloud, over the two people she’d learnt to care about, but whose heart held only the shadow of a girl she’d loved and hated all her life. Ying Zi…a Shadow, but so inaptly named, Xiang Er thought bitterly, I’M the one whose the shadow…I’m the one who’s always in her shadow…always…always she is better than me…why? Why is it that all my life, I am always less than her…always envious of what she has? Her strength, her courage…her love…Xiang Er bit her lip, as she looked at the prince who stared unseeingly into the night sky. I know this is wrong…I know she was my friend…I shouldn’t feel this way…but…she’s gone! Why is it even if I’m the only one standing here in front of them…all they see is her? Why is it even if she’s dead…all he thinks about is Ying Ying? “Yuan Feng, have something to eat.” She held out the mantous she had taken from their packs, but he didn’t respond…he did not even see her. Xin Ping gave Xiang Er an anxious look as Xiang Er’s face grew dark. She struggled to repress the emotions within her. “Yuan Feng, please, you must eat…you haven’t eaten for the whole day…Yuan Feng!”
Finally he looked up at her, at the girl who was fated to follow Ying Ying’s footsteps…though she had taken her suppressant today, Xiang Er was also doomed next full moon. Despite this, she still offered to lead him to the Stronghold…yet, seeing her made his heart wrench painfully…she reminded him too much of Ying Ying, of the love who would leave him tonight, if she was not dead already. Ying Ying…the only presence who filled his dreams, the only girl to ever see the real Yuan Feng hidden within the Prince…the only girl who he would love…now and forever, he had sworn to himself on the bittersweet day he had taken her as his wife, and he had meant it. This girl who stood before him now, with all her grace and beauty…he could feel nothing for, nothing but plain friendship and also, an irrational resentment…why was it she could stand here when Ying Ying was gone? Why can’t it be her…why? I just want to see her…a vision of Ying Ying in her bridal dress that fateful night appeared in his mind…just to hold her one last time… “Leave me alone,” he said brokenly, staring back down at the tiny grasshopper in his hand. Xiang Er felt her anger rose at his actions…he would rather stare at a lifeless, stupid grasshopper than me? Why? Mixed emotions took control of her, envy of Ying Ying, jealousy…pure simple, irrational anger that she was the only one who was not loved nor cared for…she threw the mantou on the ground, and ripped the grasshopper out of his startled hands.
“She’s dead, damn it! Will you just face the fact? She’s DEAD!!!” “Give it back,” he spoke softly, but his face was deathly pale with fury. “Why can’t you just let go, damn it! She’s gone, dead as yesterday’s leaves…dead dead DEAD!!!” She glared at him, her face pale with anger. “Xiang Er…” Xin Ping began, but faltered at the grim look on Yuan Feng’s face. “Ge…Xiang Er…please,” she began, but Yuan Feng only repeated quietly, his voice deceptively calm, “Xiang Er, give me back the grasshopper.” “Or what? You’ll kill me?!?” Her voice was high pitched. “If I have to.” His chilly, matter-of-fact tone stunned the girls into silence. She stared incredulously at him…this was the mild, honorable and brave Prince Yuan Feng? This…this dark, silent man who would kill her for a stupid trinket of Ying Ying’s? That kind prince was only for Ying Ying…never would she have him…never…her heart filled with a deep bitter resentment against him. Why am I not good enough for you, why? Why is heaven so unfair…why can’t I have some happiness too? Why?!? Bitterly, she threw the grasshopper onto the ground, and stomped on it, again and again.
“NO!” he shouted, his heart filled with anguish, but she refused to stop…no…no…Ying Ying…pure anger took over his senses as he used his wugong and pushed Xiang Er away. She fell to the ground, stunned at the power of his blow, and watched silently as he knelt slowly, and gently picked up the grasshopper, crushed almost out of shape. His heart filled with anguish as he cradled the misshapen grasshopper…the only gift she’d ever given him…crushed…as all their dreams had been crushed. “Ge…” Xing Ping began as he stood up, looming ominous above the former assassin who looked at him apprehensively, but his pale face was expressionless as he grated out, “Just leave me alone…both of you. Leave me alone!” Turning on his heel, he disappeared into the night…leaving the two girls staring after him. Xing Ping looked at Xiang Er’s face, drained of blood and felt a surge of pity towards the girl. Unrequited love…if she really did love Yuan Feng ge ge, that is…but even if she did, he will never return the feelings…oh Xiang Er, how could you be so stupid? “He will never love me, will he?” her emotionless whisper broke the silence of the night. Xiang Er looked up at Xin Ping…who could only tell the truth, shaking her head gently. Slowly, the tears started to fall down her cheeks as Xiang Er wept for herself, for the loneliness within…while Xin Ping could only watch silently, unable to comfort her as she mourned the death of a dream she’d had created over the last few weeks…a dream doomed from the start…
“No, Ying Ying, NO!!! Don’t leave me again, please…” his voice filled with anguish, “Please don’t leave me! I love you, Ying Ying, I love you!!!” He lunged for her, arms outstretched, but she slipped away as if she had no more substance than a shadow…his mind filled with heart-wrenching anguish as her slight form faded into the mist… “My love…I love you too…Yuan Feng…I…love you…” her voice fades into the darkness, leaving only a haunting tune…bowing his head in his arms…the prince wept…
****
Yuan Feng sat up abruptly, his eyes wide with shock, cold sweat dripping from his forehead. Oh tian…it was only a dream…Ying Ying…she hadn’t really come back, it was all a dream…wasn’t it? But it had been so real…even now, he could hear that haunting tune within his mind…their tune…see her eyes glimmering with tears as she said goodbye…suddenly, he caught his breath as something finally registered on his senses…the sky was getting light. It was dawn. He…he had fallen asleep, somehow, some when, and now…Mid Autumn Moon Festival was over, and…the blood drained from his face as he stared at the misshapen grasshopper in his hand. She was gone…really gone now…there was no hope left anymore. He would never see her again, never hear her laugh…never feel her hand against his cheek…almost as if in a trance, he stood up and walked up the slight slope to look out…to see the rising sun in the distant horizon. The world around him was starting to light up, to come to life again…but to him, there was nothing but endless darkness now, forever and ever…as something within him shriveled up and died. His cold, trembling hand picked up a leaf off the ground, and lifted it to his lips.
The same, ancient, haunting tune poured out of his heart, filled with the grief and pain that was trapped within him…forever. She had said goodbye...like some sprite in his dreams…she was gone, really gone now…he would never find her again…Ying Ying…the only girl he’d ever loved…the only one who had listened to him play his tune…the only one who had loved him for who he was within…his yingzi…as the tune traced his heartbreaking anguish with delicate notes, his eyes filled with sparkling tears. Goodbye, my love…goodbye…the tune faded as he dropped the leaf, covering his face with his hands. He couldn’t hold it in anymore, and he had no reason to…his body shook as he finally allowed the grief to pour out…Prince Yuan Feng of Imperial China, the second most powerful man in the country, sobbed into his hands like a heartbroken child…crying for the dream that was broken…for the darkness that would haunt him for the rest of his life…for the death of the only light that had illuminated his life, ever so briefly. Goodbye, my Ying Ying…nay, he thought to the image of his wife within his mind as he suddenly came to a startling conclusion, nay, never goodbye…we shall meet again sometime, soon, real soon. I…I know you may be angry at me…tian, you would probably scold me, he thought, his mouth twisted into a bitter smile as he envisioned Ying Ying’s dear face frowning at him, but I can’t live without you. I'm sorry,I…I lack the courage to do so…my love, my dearest love…I will live on to avenge you and your family, he vowed to his memory of Ying Ying, to the image of her within his mind, I will kill that serpent who poisoned your life and mine…who would kill China itself with his poison, and then…he smiled gently at the girl within his memory. I will join you…I will meet you on the road, and walk with you into the afterlife…wait for me, Ying Ying, I’m coming soon…wait for me…
****
The man frowned at the tiny figure on the bed, who was moaning and writhing in pain. He watched silently, there was nothing left he could do…but watch, and wait. Wait as the girl’s body battle with the dark poison that had infiltrated her system, wait as she fought unconsciously, as she had been for the last month, against death itself…a battle she seemed to be losing. Now he could only sit here and watch, watch this girl who he had searched for many years, this girl whose identity he no longer queried, as she walked further and further from him on the path to death, and beyond….
The pain…the burning pain was searing her soul…she could feel each and every part of her body as it writhed in agony…tian, let it end…please, let it end…she was tired, so tired…she didn’t want to fight anymore…just let it end…She was walking down a path…a path strangely paved out of soft dirt. It…the pain was getting less…there was darkness in front of her, but she was unafraid…the darkness felt comforting, felt…right. The pain lessened as she was feeling her body less and less…as if in a trance, her feet traced the path…walk…keep walking…it was the right thing to do…keep walking…Suddenly she could feel his presence, and her mind which had seemed so clouded finally registered something. This was wrong…he shouldn’t be here…turning around, she felt as is she was forcing her head through something solid…no one was supposed to turn back…but he wasn’t supposed to be here either…tian, no…She smiled at him, at seeing his dear face again…she had missed him so much. But he had to go, he couldn’t come along…farewell, she bade him. Keep your promise…farewell, she thought towards him, but he continued to move towards her, reaching for her…but she could feel the road pulling at her, pulling her away from him…I love you!!! She dimly saw him lunge forward as her vision became shrouded by mist…tian, no…he can’t follow me…he can’t!!! I can’t let him die too…NO! Her heart filled with hysteria, she fought frantically at the bonds that pulled her down the path…at the searing pain that surged through her mind again as she fought against the pleasant numbness of death, as she fought for consciousness…for him…I can’t give up…can’t let him follow…no! I love you too…Yuan Feng…I…I love you! She screamed with all her strength as she plunged into the thick mist…
Zhao Guan Yi, the Emperor of Imperial China read the letter with a grave expression on his face, before folding it once, and held it to the lamp, burning it. As the parchment burned to ashes, the young prince Zhao Heng looked at his father anxiously. Although he was seventeen now, more than old enough to handle the plots and intrigues of the imperial life, and to participate in the game of thrones…he had never had the desire to. Rare as it was amongst the royal family, there was genuine love between them, he, his brother and sister…perhaps because it was because they shared the same mother, the first Queen. Or maybe it was just because his mother had died when he was born, and his two elder, full blood siblings had looked after him, protecting him from the other siblings he had from his father’ concubines and their plots and plans. To Zhao Heng, his brother Yuan Feng was a person he looked up to, a very cunning, charismatic and honourable man and prince, and most importantly of all, he was a kind and good man. So it was only natural of him to ask his father anxiously, “Father, is it ill tidings from Da Ge? How is he and Xin Ping Jie Jie? Are they alright?”
Zhao Guan Yi looked at his young son, and sighed. With a heavy heart, he spoke quietly, “Yes, indeed, it is ill tidings, but it’s not to do with your brother Yuan Feng. It’s your cousin and adopted brother Zhao Zhi San. It seems that he would claim the throne for his own. And your brother…” The Emperor’s voice trailed off as he pondered on the strange behaviour of his eldest son. Always a dutiful and filial son, he should harbour no doubts on his decision to attack the Assassin Stronghold instead of returning to the palace. Somehow, he must have his own reasons for his actions, yet…as an Emperor, he knew he must applaud the prince’s daring in ending a threat to him and China, yet, as a father, he worried over the safety of his son. He knew fully well the powers of the Master of Assassins. Tian Huang…once his younger brother in martial arts…once his friend when he was just a simple man, without any titles…or a throne. But there had been a dark shadow within that man’s heart that none of them had seen, neither him, nor their shi fu, Wah Guan Hong. After Yue Yin had chosen Zhao Yu over them, he had left, unable to stand watching the ceremony, so he had missed seeing the treachery of Tian Huang…his stealing their shi fu’s scriptures. What powers had the man cultivated over the years? Was his son safe against this treacherous man? Surely the mass murder of Zhao Yu and his family had been some sign of Tian Huang’s hatred of those who had taken his shi mui from him…a shi mui who did not love him. He, Zhao Guan Yi, had supported Yue Yin’s decision when she had chosen his sworn brother over him…as the Emperor, he had been a hard target to reach. Until now. As the Emperor of Imperial China, he must defend his own against the treachery and betrayal being bred on his own doorstep…there was naught he could do for his faraway son and daughter, except perhaps pray for their safety, and their success. Lao Tian Ye, he thought, staring out the window, watch over him…over them both.
The General Kwok Zhong had secretly gathered those Imperial Guards he could trust to keep an eye out for any potential assassins. Their hands were tied until Zhao Zhi San chose to act…even now, the false prince was returning to the palace. The General himself had kept his return a secret, and intended to lie low until the Master’s plan took place. On the day of the Emperor’s birthday, a month from now. Anyone that was returning with the false prince, anyone who would be brought into the palace from now on could not be trusted…not with the Assassin Guild so very apt at disguises. He would give anything to denounce the prince here and now, but he knew his words would have no weight against a prince, even one adopted…and the Emperor would be forced to support Zhao Zhi San instead. So the Emperor had decided on caution and stealth, to wait for the traitors to act first. Now, there was nothing left to do but to watch, and wait…and…dream. He sighed as the image of her came to him again, her eyes sparkling with tears as she said simply, “Between my duty, and my brother’s sanity…how do you expect me to choose?” The anger he had felt at her impetuous and foolhardiness had disappeared with her absence…perhaps she had not been completely wrong. Sure, she was like a child most of the time, never thinking her actions through completely, yet…there was something about her, about her open manner and honesty that tugged at the stiff, unbending heart of a General who had never believed in something as flighty as love. But now…her face haunted his dreams at night as he worried over her safety…a princess he had known and sworn to protect all his life…now, it was more than that. Now, he knew, as he longed to see her safe and sound, standing in front of him again, as he longed to hold her gentle frame as he had that night she wept in his arms, he knew that he, Kwok Zhong, had fallen in love with the princess Xin Ping. Silently, deep within his heart, he prayed to the heavens for her safety…for the chance to say the words he’d been too slow and too proud to utter before…
****
“I’m coming too!” Yuan Feng sighed as he saw the stubbornness in his sister’s eyes as she looked defiantly at him. “Xin Ping, please,” he began in a reasonable tone, “It’s too dangerous…I would prefer to know that you, at least, is safely away from…” “How safe will I be on my own?” she challenged him, “You know there are still soldiers looking for us, and besides, you know how I always get into scraps…who’s going to get me out of them?” Her eyes softened as she tugged at his sleeve, “Please, Ge, let me come with you…please,” she begged, her eyes filling with tears, “I don’t want to be alone…” Yuan Feng looked down at his sister, and felt his heart soften. She was right, while it was too dangerous to take her with him into the Stronghold…was it any less dangerous to leave her here? And…he sighed, and nodded. “Fine, I guess if I’m stupid enough to do something like this, I can’t very well use reason to convince you otherwise,” he admitted ruefully, giving her a slight smile. “BUT you must keep out of the way, and if anything goes wrong…if…” he faltered, not wanting to say it, “You must leave AT ONCE with Xiang Er, don’t do anything stupid, alright?” He could see the refusal in her eyes, and grabbed her shoulder, shaking her gently. “Xin Ping, you must promise me this!” he said urgently, “I don’t want you to die like Ying Ying…promise me!” She stared up at him, and reluctantly nodded.
He released her, and looked at Xiang Er, who had been silent throughout the whole conversation. Things had not been the same since that night…the night of the Full Moon. Though she was still willing to take them up into the Stronghold tomorrow night, through some hidden doorway, she had been distant for the past weeks. They’d hardly said a word to each other in all this time…he had only nodded slightly and turned away in response to her mumbled apology over that incident, and kept the misshapen grasshopper in his pouch. He’d seen the stricken look in her eyes, how could he have not? But there was nothing he could do for her…nothing at all. Why give her hope for something he would never give? He had thought to himself as he watched expressionlessly as Xiang Er started to avoid looking at him, avoid his presence. I don’t want to hurt her…but…there is nothing I can do. Not when all he dreamed of at night was how Ying Ying looked when she came to bid him goodbye that night, in his dreams…when all he looked forward to was the day he killed the Master, and can let go of his duties…to be able to find Ying Ying again…looking at the girl now, all he could do was say quietly, “Please look after Xin Ping for me.” She nodded, and started to turn away, but froze as he uttered her name once more. “Xiang Er.” “Yes?” her voice was a bare whisper, but the emotions within it cut Yuan Feng to the quick. He never wanted to hurt her, to hurt anybody, but… “I’m sorry.” Only two words, but they were all he had to give. She turned and looked at him with deep, sad eyes, and nodded slightly before vanishing into the night. I’m sorry, Xiang Er, he thought, his eyes staring at the spot where she had disappeared…I’m sorry…
THE STRONGHOLD
Even within the dark tunnel that only the Assassins themselves used to move in and out of the impenetrable walls of the Stronghold, there were guards stationed discretely, waiting in the darkness for any intruders…mere shadows in the glimmer of the pale lamplight that fell from the covered lamps that were positioned strategically on sections of the walls of the tunnel. But these shadows had met their match…Xiang Er knew every nook and cranny of the place, as did nearly all of the older assassins, as they had all considered, at some time or another, running away, escaping…they all had learnt every section of this tunnel, every trap that it held. The Master did not stop them…nay, why should he? When he held their lives in his tight grasp…with the poison in their veins…none of them had actually ever ran, nor had any of them ever did what the prince was attempting this night. To kill the Master.
Xiang Er knew the folly of this venture…mayhap Yuan Feng’s powers were powerful enough to defeat them all, Ying Ying, even Wu Feng…but he was no match for the Master. Not when the Master had learnt the Forbidden Arts from the scriptures he had stolen twenty years ago…but she still led them confidently into the dark entrance of their doom. She knew he would not listen to her…that he would do this with or with out her, and Xin Ping would follow her brother. Her two friends…the only two people she cared about now…perhaps she could run, she could escape the Master’s wrath by fleeing even now. But what would be the point? She would still die…it would be better to die with them, then to die alone…as she paused, and tapped on Yuan Feng’s arm, pointing to where the guards stood hidden with their backs to them still…she remembered his voice in the night. “I’m sorry.” Only two words…but she knew that he meant them…that he had given her all he could. Perhaps she could hate him, hate him for loving Ying Ying too much…for refusing to see her, but then…what would be the point? Did she not love him because of the way he loved Ying Ying? Would she prefer it if the prince HAD accepted her so soon after Ying Ying was gone? She smiled ruefully at herself as she walked soundlessly up to a fellow assassin…one whose senses were well tuned, but not keen enough against an adept. I can’t believe I’m worrying over stuff like this, she thought, when we’re all going to be dead soon…like lightening, her silk strands flew from her sleeves to wrap themselves around the man’s neck, breaking it effortlessly. Gently, she lowered the dead man to the ground, noting that both Yuan Feng and Xin Ping had managed to silence the other guards, permanently. Let it end here and now…
They were safe, at least, for the moment. “This is my room, WAS my room,” she corrected herself, as she barred the door shut behind them. Turning, she gave him a serious look. “Are you sure you still want to do this?” she asked the silent prince. It had taken them the last two hours to pass unseen through the traps and guards within the tunnel. Though the guards were assassins as well, their skills were nothing compared to Xiang Er, much less to speak of Yuan Feng. So far, no one has noticed their presence. Yet. As the shifts for the guards are changed every four hours, they only had another two hours at the most before their intrusion would be noted. Yuan Feng looked at the Xiang Er, then at his sister, who was watching him expressionlessly. This was something he had to do, yes, but… “Yes, I am decided. Tell me where the Master’s room is.” “I’ll take you there,” she spoke quietly, and Xin Ping added quickly, “We’ll all go together.” He looked at them, at their faces watching him expectantly, and suddenly, his mind was made up. He nodded, moving forward casually. “Yes, tonight, it all ends here…” Swift as lightening, his hand shot out and froze the vital points on both of them.
“GE! What are you doing?!?” Xin Ping asked urgently as he smiled down at her sadly. “Xin Ping, I know the risk I’m taking here…and I accept it, because…there really isn’t that much left for me to live for anyway. But I refuse to let you join me. Or Xiang Er.” He turned to smile at Xiang Er, who only stared at him in astonishment. Tian ah! Xin Ping thought, as she struggled frantically to unfreeze her points, he KNOWS he’s going to die…he WANTS to… “No! No, please ge ge, please, I won’t let you die, I won’t let you die alone without me…” she begged him, sobbing. “How can you be so selfish? Don’t you remember your promise to Ying Ying jie jie?!?” her voice grew shrill in her hysteria. He can’t leave me here while he goes to die…he can’t! “Ge, don’t you…” her voice faltered as he froze another point on her body, paralysing her voice. She stared up at him pleadingly with her mute eyes…ge, no! “I do remember, Xin Ping, and I have lived on for her…that’s why I’ve come to finish it off where it started.” His lips curved into a bitter smile. “Then I shall join her…I won’t ever let her leave me again.” Her shocked expression said it all, and he continued softly, stroking his sister’s hair, “I’m sorry, Xin Ping, but…I admit…I’m a coward…I…I don’t have the courage to live without her.” Her eyes screamed NO to him as tears began to fall down her face, but he only smiled at her.“Be a good girl, Xin Ping, and tell our little brother to be a good emperor…don’t be like me.”
“Yuan Feng…” Xiang Er began, but he only looked at her. “Please, take care of my little sister for me. I beg of you, please, don’t let her follow me.” His eyes were so compelling as he requested this of her…she longed to be with him, to join him in that final battle, even if it meant their deaths…but she knew that even if she was there, there was nothing she could do. Even if she died with him, he would meet Ying Ying on the road…there was nothing she could do for him but this…tears welled in her eyes as she said goodbye to her prince, never really hers, but her dream nonetheless. She nodded, and he unfroze her vital point. “Wait till the commotion has started, then take her away…and don’t turn back.” She only nodded again, staring at the ground…she didn’t want him to see her cry. Yuan Feng’s lips curved into a brief smile. “Thank you, Xiang Er, thank you for everything,” he said simply, then turned to his weeping sister. Don’t go, ge, please…please don’t go…she begged him silently, but he only reached over and gave her a tiny peck on her cheek. “Goodbye, Xin Ping, and be well.” Turning on his heel, he left the room silently, disappearing into the darkness of the Stronghold, leaving the two stunned girls behind him, both weeping bitter tears at what was to come…
*****
The rain dashed against her face as she stirred her horse on urgently, galloping into the night. She could feel the dizziness rising up in her again…she still felt completely drained of energy, but she held the reins grimly in a deathlike grip as she kicked her horse on and on. Almost…almost there…I…I must get there…he…he needs me…I…I can’t faint now…no. He rode beside her in silence, they had no need for speech…nor was it possible as they rode against the wind, the icy rain pounding against their faces hidden beneath thick dark hoods. Suddenly her horse’s foreleg gave, and it collapsed on the ground. She jumped off wearily, and nearly sobbed with hysteria…it had broken a leg, and would be able to go no further. But she must hurry…it was still some distance away…she had to get to him…she had to!
“Take my horse.” She looked up at him in surprise, but he only smiled at her, jumping off the saddle. “If you hurry, you might even reach him in time…I’ll follow on foot.” She nodded gratefully, and quickly mounted his horse with his help…she was still feeling weak, damn it! “Be careful,” he patted her arm gently, and she nodded, smiling down at him. “I will, you too!” Without further ado, she kicked the horse into a run, rushing against time…to find him…to stand with him, even in death. Be careful, he thought to himself as he followed her quickly on foot. Be careful, Ying Ying.
*****
“So you are finally here.” The sudden flash of lightening lit up the dark shadow that stood within the gazebo. Yuan Feng only gazed calmly at the figure who had not yet turned around, he could sense the powerful energies that radiated from him. Finally. The Master. The one who had caused all the pain and anguish in Ying Ying’s life…in so many people’s lives. “Yes, I have come to kill you,” he replied calmly, unflinching as the Master threw back his head and laughed. His shrill laughter echoed in the silence of the night as he finally turned around, his eyes gleaming with triumph as he looked at the still figure of the Prince before him. “You, young Prince Yuan Feng, have come to join your precious Ying Zi in Hell…” A steely hiss penetrated the night as Yuan Feng drew his sword, his eyes ablaze. “Let us end this, here and now.” The man’s lips curved into a cruel smile. “Yes,” he drawls, picking up a sword, “Yes, Princeling. Let the games begin…”
The two figures stood for a moment in the midst of the thundering rain, swords unsheathed. Then, unleashing the full power of his sixteen years of training, coupled with his towering anger at this man who had ripped his world asunder, Yuan Feng attacked his dreaded opponent. Sparks flew as the sharp ring of steel on steel split the dark night. The man’s sword clashed with his in mid air, and like lightening Yuan Feng’s sword slashed and parried with his. Their swords met again and again as they engaged in a deadly dance of death. With the full power of his towering rage at this hated man, Yuan Feng attacked him again and again…then suddenly, he was gaining ground! The man retreated step by step before his powerful sword stance, and with the peculiar flick of his wrist that he had invented on his own, Yuan Feng sent the man’s sword flying into the air. Quick as a flash he leapt forward with his sword aimed directly at the man’s dark heart…and flew backwards as the man unleashed his qi as pure energy, catching him unaware. Yuan Feng fell, and rolled, getting up swiftly, his eyes narrowed as he gripped his sword tightly in his hand. The lightening lit up the night sky. The prince couldn’t hide it anymore, he coughed…spitting up blood. The man’s lips curved into an evil smile as he summoned his qi once more….
****
Just a bit more, she thought, struggling with all the energy within her to break through her nerve points…just a bit further…I have to do this, I have to! Damn it, she thought inanely as she struggled, if I’d known it would come down to this, I would have paid more attention to shi fu…and trained more…lucky I wasn’t completely asleep when she taught me how to break through paralysed vital points…suddenly she gasped. “YES!” She had broken through her mute point, but she still couldn’t move…not that that mattered. “Xiang Er!” She cried urgently to the girl who had been sitting silently on the bed, “Xiang Er, hurry up and unfreeze me!” Xiang Er didn’t even look up at her, but continued staring into space. Damn damn damn! Xing Ping thought to herself, this is NOT the time to be moping over my brother! My stupid, selfish brother who’s about to get himself killed… “Please Xiang Er!” she begged, tears starting to well in her eyes as she thought of her brother, “Please, I beg you!” “I…I promised him I won’t…” she said softly, her eyes unreadable as she looked at the princess, at the urgency in her face. “Oh damn it all, Xiang Er! He’s in danger! How can we sit here while he’s out there…in danger?!? Let me go!” Xin Ping shouted, struggling frantically herself to break through this final nerve point that held her frozen, but her powers were too weak. Damn it all! She swore, as she sobbed…Ge ge, please, please don’t die…please don’t leave me here… “If we go, we’ll die too.” Xiang Er’s dry, expressionless tone got through Xin Ping’s hysteria. She took a deep, shuddering breath, and looked Xiang Er straight in the eye. “I would rather die with my brother than to live as a coward. Now let me go!” Xiang Er looked at her, stunned at the sudden maturity in her friend’s manner. Maybe…maybe she was right…
****
The rain suddenly became Yuan Feng’s deadly enemy as his opponent turned the raindrops themselves into shower of deadly shards, flung with fierce energy directly at him. Swiftly his sword danced in the air, deflecting the missiles as it swung in large arcs. For a moment there, he pondered as he slashed at the crystal missiles…why does this look strangely familiar? But I have never exchanged blows with the Master before…have I? The Master’s eyes narrowed, and the shower of death stopped. Before Yuan Feng could leap to the attack again, he drew on his full power, and a ball of pure energy formed between his cupped hands. Yuan Feng suddenly found it hard to breathe, he could feel the power emanating from the man…the pure energy that gathered…quickly he stabbed his sword into the ground, and braced his feet. He could feel a powerful tingling within every inch of him as he drew on all the energy within his body…ready…none too soon as the Master finally released his fierce storm of pure power at the princeling who dared to challenge him.
Pure crystal shards flew at him from all around him, enclosing the princeling in their deadly trap. But Yuan Feng had learnt his martial arts well…swiftly he called upon his “Whirlwind Fist”, but this time, with a difference. Throwing all his power into this, he summoned the art not at the shards flying with deadly accuracy towards him, but at the leaves that lay on the ground. Quick as lightening the leaves flew up with his power, round and round the prince like the ultimate whirlwind, weaving the perfect energy shield against the flying shards. For moments they hung there, their powers balanced as the Master struggled to break through the shield, and Yuan Feng holding it unsteadily…his forehead dripped with sweat over the effort. I can’t give up…I can’t! I must kill this man…for Father’s sake, for China…for Ying Ying…his beloved…his wife...dead…his heart pounded, and suddenly he tapped into a reserve of energy he never knew he had within him. Screaming her name, he lowered his shield for a brief moment as he flung a blow of pure energy at the Master.
The Whirlwind Fist hit the Master completely by surprise, and he flew back from the force of the blow, landing heavily on the ground. He gasped harshly as he coughed up blood…internally injured. Yuan Feng winced as the brief moment had costed him external injuries. The shards broke had through and sliced many cuts on his body. Quickly he made an effort to stop the bleeding from his arm…and his eyes narrowed as he saw the Master struggle to get up. This ends here and now! He pulled his sword from the earth and gripped it tightly, his eyes grim as he advanced determinedly on the master of the assassins…his sword lifted as he prepared to skewer the man in his black heart…at the last moment, a dagger shot out and parried his thrust. The Master rolled away and struggled to his feet, his eyes filled with hate. “Damn you, princeling, damn you!” he cursed, as he desperately tried to flee, but Yuan Feng stopped him with another sword stroke. The man swore as he clutched at his bleeding hand, the dagger dropping to the ground. Quick as a flash, his sword stabbed at the Master, who caught it desperately between his palms, stopping it an inch from his chest. Yuan Feng’s eyes were grim as he drew on his full power to force the sword on…sweat and blood dripped from the Master’s face as he unleashed his life force as pure energy at Yuan Feng, through the sword. Their eyes were pierced painfully by the bright flash of light as the blade gleamed with their clash of power….
Xin Ping would remember the scene for the rest of her life. Scrambling madly through the hallways of the dark Stronghold, she threw caution to the winds as she followed Xiang Er, striking down anyone who dared challenge them. We must hurry…ge, don’t die, please…ge! They froze as they entered the courtyard to witness the fierce battle…the bright source of pure energy focused on the sword stabbed their eyes, temporarily blinding them. Yuan Feng gritted his teeth as he felt the Master’s qi meeting his, pushing back…both were in a precarious balance centred on the blade through which they were channelling their pure energy…the blade hummed with power. Yuan Feng did not know how long they stood there, in this fierce battle for survival…their internal energies fighting for supremacy. He grimaced as he fought…fought to push the man away…to send the sword fast and true…through the bright light that was blinding him, into the heart of darkness. He could feel the power draining fiercely out of every inch of his body, the effort was so immense he could feel the pain stabbing in every part of his body, but he refused to give up…even if I die, he will die with me…he will…let us die together…draining our life force…his eyes teared from the brightness that emanated from the blade and he looked away momentarily…
No…it can’t be…can it? His vision still affected by the glare of the fierce light, Yuan Feng’s heart stopped beating for a moment in time as he stared at the image in the darkness…it was her. Suddenly the Master, the power than was draining out of him even now, the whole world itself ceased to exist as his mind struggled to deal with what his eyes told him. Was he dead already? Has he drained all his power, even his very life force into this battle…was he dying and she had come for him? But then…the pain still burned fiercely in his body…his eyes struggled to see clearly through the mist of tears that the brightness had induced. Was she really here? Suddenly her round, sparkling eyes met his…something within him exploded, and he screamed her name… “YING YING!!!” A surge of untapped energy flowed through his hands and into the blade…the metal SHRIEKED with the power that was trapped within it…the blade flashed a brilliant light, blinding everyone as it shattered…
Time stood still. Stunned, they all stood silent as they struggled to see again, their vision slowly clearing…Yuan Feng’s face was drained of blood. His numb fingers slowly uncurled from around the tightly gripped hilt of the sword…the broken sword…which was protruding from the Master’s chest. The man looked down at the sword incredulously, his eyes filled with astonishment as he looked up at the Prince, before staggering backwards…his hand reaching for the broken half of the sword the Prince had stabbed into him…he collapsed onto the ground, moving weakly…as if trying to get up, to fight…something he would never be able to do again. Yuan Feng stared down at him…at the weakly struggling man…what had he done? He…he had defeated the Master…finally…he had kept his promise to his love, to Ying Ying…his head shot up. Spinning around, he froze, rooted to the spot by the image before him…the image of her, his dearest love, looking at him with those familiar, sparkling round eyes. Tian…he hardly dared to breath…to blink lest she disappeared again. “Ying…Ying Ying?” his voice shook as tears welled in his eyes, his heart thumping like crazy. “Did…did you come for me…or…or are you really here?” he could hardly believe it, he didn’t dare to…she smiled that same, breathtaking, radiant smile as she approached him slowly, stopping a pace away from him. Tears were falling freely down her rosy cheeks…his hand shook as he reached out to touch her, to prove that she was real…that this was real…that this wasn’t another cruel hoax his mind was playing on him. His hand faltered just before touching her tears, not daring to touch…to find she was only a vision… “Yuan Feng.” Her soft whisper tugged at his heart…he caught his breath as she reached out to him. “I’m really here…” Her soft, warm touch on his hand…his heart leapt as he felt the warm solidity of her touch…her hand led his to her chin…shaking, he reached out and tentatively caressed her chin with his fingertips…it…it had substance…she…she was REAL…
He reached out and pulled her into his arms, hugging her fiercely, urgently…tian…she…she was really here…she was real…she was warm, and solid…and in his arms again! Tian…could this be real? He drew in a shuddering breath as her arms went around him…he buried his face in her hair, her soft, silky hair…she was here…she was in his arms again…if this was a dream, only a dream…then let it never end…let him never wake up… “Ying Ying,” he breathed, his eyes closed as he felt her presence…he didn’t want to open them, to see her fade away…to find that he held nothing but smoke in his arms…but she felt so real…he opened his eyes slowly to see her round eyes sparkling up at him once more…looking right into his empty soul and filling the emptiness again with love and hope. His heart hurt so much…he stroke her cheek gently, relishing in the warmth he felt…proof that she was here…she was really here! Hoarsely, he whispered to her, his voice trembling. “Don’t leave me,” he begged, his eyes filled with pain, his arms holding her tiny body in a tight grasp, “Don’t ever leave me again, Ying Ying, I don’t care if you’re alive or dead, ghost or vision…just don’t ever leave me again! I…I love you…my love, my dearest love…” His voice broke as tears fell openly down his cheeks.
Her breath caught in her throat as he called her…my love…sobbing, she flung her arms around his neck, burying her face in his warmth…oh tian, she was here again…in his arms, where she belonged…where she’d always belonged. She could feel his joy and pain…his anguish…he had thought her dead…her heart was bleeding to see the pain that was in his eyes…pain she had caused. But she could comfort him now…comfort the man she loved more than anything that was now holding her in a tight embrace, as if afraid she would slip away again. But it would never happen…never again… “I’m real, Yuan Feng,” she laughed and cried at the same time, “I’m alive! And I’ll never leave you again…ever…” He pulled away from her to look her in the face, her smiling, crying face. “I love you,” she whispered, smiling through her tears, “And I will always be here…always.” He stared at her, stunned…then slowly, his face broke into a wide smile. His heart, which had felt so dead for so long finally warmed again…filled with joy and hope…it…it was true, she was here…Fate had given his life back to him again… “I love you,” she repeated, and suddenly he pulled her to him and kissed her, urgently, passionately…kissed her as if she was the only anchor to life he had…and she, she kissed him back, with just as much love and longing…for they had finally found their soul mate again.
As the sun rose, the first ray of light shone brightly on them…on their radiant faces filled with love and joy as they stared up into each other…their eyes tracing again the beloved face that was already imprinted in their minds forever…a face they had believed to only see again in the next life, and the next…the prince smiled at his lost love, found again…this time, he would never let go…no, now she had come back to him, nothing will ever steal her away from him again. Nothing, he thought determinedly…
She sighed contentedly, feeling so warm, so happy in his arms again…she had felt so weak as she had rushed to the Stronghold as soon as she could get up…she had known he would be here, known he would do something this foolish…but now, as he held her in his tight, loving embrace as if he never wanted to let go, she suddenly felt alive again, so full of energy…she lifted her head, puzzled…did she hear something? Her eyes widened as she realised it was someone screaming…and she recognised the voice. She turned around, her face breaking into a huge smile as Xin Ping ran up to her… “YING YING JIE JIE!!!” she shrieked, flinging her arms around the startled girl who was released by the prince, albeit a bit reluctantly. Xin Ping sobbed tearfully, “You’re alive, you’re alive!!! I missed you so much, jie jie, I’m so happy, so happy!!!” She was laughing through her tears, and Ying Ying felt her eyes misting up again as she hugged this princess, this amazing princess who was jumping up and down like an excited child. She laughed, smiling at this dear girl. “I missed you too, Xin Ping.” Xin Ping grinned up at her jie jie, her eyes filled with delight. Ying Ying jie jie was alive…alive!!! Everything would be alright now…wouldn’t it? Then she frowned slightly. “Jie jie,” she began, puzzled, “How come you didn’t die?” “I-” she began, but broke off as someone coughed. Stunned, Xin Ping stared at the body on the ground. “He…he’s still alive? The Master’s still alive?” she whispered, shooting her brother a nervous look. His face was grim. “Not for long,” he said determinedly, “After all he’s done, he deserves to die…” “He’s not the Master.” The abrupt statement stunned the siblings into complete silence. Turning to give her a bewildered look, Yuan Feng frowned at Ying Ying in puzzlement, “What?!?”
Ying Ying gave him a sober look as she repeated quietly, “He’s not the Master.” Ignoring the puzzled looks they were giving her, she walked steadily to the man who was lying on the ground, covered with fresh blood. Swiftly her hand reached out and touched the man’s neck. Xin Ping gasped as his skin peeled off…tian, it wasn’t his skin, it was a mask! Eyes wide, she exchanged an astonished glance with her brother as she peered at the face beneath the mask…it…it looked familiar. “Wu Feng.” Ying Ying named him simply, having known all along. The dying man started to laugh harshly, gasping for breath as he clutched at his mortal wound, fresh blood was spurting from it as his body convulsed with humour. “How…how did you know…” Ying Ying’s lips twisted into an ironic smile as she beheld the man she’d been afraid of for so very long…the man who she had grown up with, and despite the fear and loathing she felt for him, she still knew him very well… “I recognised your wugong,” she said simply, “After all, we did grow up together.” His mouth twisted into a bitter smile. “You’ve finally escaped me, Ying Zi…” His flailing hand grabbed hers, holding it tightly as he stared up at her, his eyes intense. She made no effort to pull back, and shook her head as Yuan Feng came forward angrily to pull him away. There was nothing he could do to hurt her now…and somehow, deep within her, she felt a sudden sympathy for the man before her. His face twisted in an effort to speak again, holding her hand tightly as she looked at him with that strangely gentle expression on her face…why had he never seen that look from her before? Before it was too late…all too late… “I…I’m glad…glad you’re alive…Ying Zi…” he whispered hoarsely, breaking off into a fit of coughing, spitting up blood. “I’m…sorry…sorry for all that I ever did…forgive…forgive…” his voice faltered as he gasped for breath. The pain…the pain was fading, now there was a pleasant numbness spreading throughout his body…he knew he didn’t have much time left…but he was content, she…she was holding his hand, and looking at him with those beautiful eyes of hers…buried within his twisted lust to possess her, body and soul, somewhere, there had been a tiny spark of true love for this Ying Zi…this girl who had always been so untouchable to him…a dream that he would never find now…
All the hate and fear she had ever felt for this man had vanished as she watched him dying…memories, vague memories from long ago was flooding back to her. Memories of a boy who had wrapped her wounds as a child, who had sneaked food to her when the Master had locked her up, once again. A boy who she had grown to fear as she watched the warmth in his eyes grow to be something more intense, something that wanted to take her and swallow her whole, to make her into something she didn’t want to be…she had started to avoid him, to fear his approach…but there was once a spark of warmth there, long ago. As she watched him dying now, she could see the boy he had been. The boy who had been as much of a victim of the Master as Ying Ying had…she spoke gently, truthfully, “There’s nothing to forgive.” It was true…they had all been pawns in a game, and…he was dying. Nothing really mattered anymore…let him go in peace…Wu Feng’s twisted face relaxed at her words…simple words, but now he was at peace. The world was getting dark…he could feel himself slipping, but he struggled to tell her fading image one last thing…the one truth within him… “Ying…Ying Zi…I…I love…” He sighed, and letting go of all the emotions within him, Wu Feng was finally at peace.
Ying Ying slowly slipped her hand away, and stood up. Her eyes were welling with tears…she had never loved this man, but yet…I’m sorry too, Wu Feng, she thought sadly as she stared down at the man she hated no more, I’m sorry for all that went wrong between you and I. Despite all the pain and sorrow he had caused her, he had loved her, in his own way…and it was this that made her feel a sudden flush of remorse. If…if I hadn’t rejected him…if…suddenly she felt his presence as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her . “It’s alright, Ying Ying, it wasn’t your fault, it was just…Fate.” Yuan Feng’s voice comforted her, as he stroked her back soothingly. She buried her face on his shoulder and wept…wept for someone she never thought she would shed a tear for…wept for the bitter twists of Fate…wept for the fact that she could still stand here, in the arms of the man she loved more than life itself. “Hush,” he whispered soothingly into her ear, his voice gentle and full of warmth. “I’m here…I always will be.” Yes, she thought, as her sobs receded, he will…Yuan Feng…He just held her, and let her cry…all the questions, the story of what had happened could wait. His love was here, in his arms again, and that was all he needed to know…
Xin Ping watched her jie jie cry with a stunned look. She’d never seen Ying Ying jie jie cry…or known that she could…for some strange reason, it comforted her. Assassins could never cry…and Ying Ying was never a real assassin…speaking of which, she thought, where’s Xiang Er? She spun around, looking for her other friend…and frowned worriedly. Xiang Er…she was gone. She must have left when she saw Feng ge ge and Ying Ying jie jie together again, she thought, her heart filling with sympathy for the girl. But…she must have known all along that…that for ge ge, it had always been Ying Ying jie jie…always…
***
She stumbled along in the forest, not caring if she tripped again, her eyes blinded by tears. She was glad that Ying Ying was alive…somehow…it wasn’t as if she hated Ying Ying or anything, but…the sight of Yuan Feng reaching out so fearfully to stroke Ying Ying’s cheek, his anguished words, “Don’t leave me” it had stabbed painfully at her heart. He had never loved her at all…not even for the briefest moment in time…it had been Ying Ying, always Ying Ying…she could not lie to herself any longer, could not pretend that someday, somehow, maybe he would see her, because he never would…Xiang Er had spun around and left ran, ran from the sight that was breaking her heart. No one would ever love her…she was alone, always alone! She could name the tears as they fell…pain, loneliness, self-pity…suddenly, her foot caught on a root, and she tripped over in her haste, rolling down the slope as she struggled frantically to stop herself…with a thud, her head makes contact with a tree as she stopped…and everything fades into darkness.
***
She couldn’t keep her silence anymore, she was too worried. “Ge,” she interrupted them, “Xiang Er’s left.” Oh tian, he had forgotten entirely about her! Dear heavens, he thought, how will she react…should I tell her that… “Xiang Er?” Ying Ying asked, puzzled, then saw the sudden flush on Yuan Feng’s face. She stiffened, her face went a bit pale as her heart thudded. “What about Xiang Er?” she asked quietly, moving slightly away from him, but he refused to let go, holding her tightly. “Ying Ying, don’t…there’s nothing between Xiang Er and me…it was just…” he struggled briefly for words, and looked at his sister pleadingly for an explanation. Xin Ping rolled her eyes heavenward at the hopeless expression in his eyes, but took pity on the poor man. “Jie jie, nothing happened, only that Xiang Er kind of fell in love with ge ge here,” she said casually, and thought, opps, as Ying Ying’s face grew dark. This sudden stab of pain in her heart…was it jealousy? Or was it…she suddenly wasn’t sure anymore about anything…could a prince really love her forever? A prince brought up to have many wives and concubines…she loved him more than she could say, but she suddenly filled with doubt…yes, maybe he does love her, but she was nothing, really…would he always feel this way? And what would she do if he stopped loving her…he saw her face, and had to repress the sudden panic within him. No, no, don’t misconstrue…he felt pain at seeing HER pain...
“Ying Ying, I love you, only you. I’ve never felt anything more than friendship for Xiang Er, never have, and never will…” The doubt and uncertainty in her eyes stabbed in his heart…he couldn’t stand it. Suddenly he reached into his tunic, and drew out the misshapen grasshopper, and held it out to her. Ying Ying’s eyes widened as she saw it…he…he still had it? That…that little trinket? She felt her eyes getting misty again, as he said hoarsely, “All this time, I had thought you dead…I kept this grasshopper next to my heart, because it was all that kept me going…the memory of you…you are the only person next to my heart, each and every day.” He took her hand gently, and placed it over his heart. “I swear with every breath in me...that we will always be together, forever. Believe in me, in us,” he urged, and was rewarded by a brilliant smile lighting up her dear face. Leaning forward, he gently placed a kiss on her forehead….sealing his promise.
***
The man had thrown away his well-oiled cloak as he hurried on his way to the Stronghold, his eyes worried as he saw again the slender figure of a girl racing away on a horse. Ying Ying, please be alright, he thought…but then, he was so certain that the Master was not at the Stronghold itself…so she should be fine. Shouldn’t she? The poison had been completely neutralised and forced from her veins…but her body was still weak…he grimaced as he hastened his stride. He would only feel better when he saw her safe…after all, she was the only person he cared about in this world…the only…he froze as his eyes narrowed. Was that…yes, there was an unconscious figure nestled next to that tree! Hurrying over, his experienced eyes noted the slight bleeding from her head wound. He felt her pulse, yes, she was still alive, and…his face grew grim. She was obviously an assassin too, he could feel the Death Bloom in her veins, though it was not as strong as it had been in Ying Ying. This girl must have been taking the suppressant…his keen eyes observed her wounds, his sense of smell detecting the sweet odour that permeated from her. So, this was Xiang Er, the girl Ying Ying had mentioned, he thought to himself, and sighed as he picked up her slight figure gently. He better find a place where he could treat her wounds, and the Death Bloom…Ying Ying would have to wait…
****
Ying Ying felt a sense of foreboding as she noted the amount of assassins that was actually at the Stronghold. “This was a diversion,” she said quietly, her eyes sombre as she looked at the Prince, “A backup plan of the Master’s, to have Wu Feng disguised as him, so no one would know the Master was up to something, was elsewhere…” “If he’s not here…” Xin Ping began slowly, her eyes filled with dread, “Then where is he?” Ying Ying opened her mouth to speak, but Yuan Feng knew the answer already. “Heading for the palace with Zhi San,” he said softly, his face emotionless. He had been foolish indeed, to think he could end this whole twisted plan so easily…he had fallen right for the Master’s trick! He was here, while he…his face twisted as he worried over the safety of his father, the Emperor. True, he was ready, and Kwok Zhong was there, but the Master… Ying Ying nodded, her eyes grim. “He’ll be at the palace, but as WHO? We have no means of finding out who he is hiding as, until…” Until he strikes, until the final act is played. The three exchanged grim looks, then, without further ado, they hurried from the courtyard…there was no more time to waste…
The imperial guard smiled slightly to himself as he entered the gates of the Forbidden Palace with the rest of the troops. All was going according to plan…he could act now, and end it all, but no…he would wait. Yes, he thought to himself with a satisfying smirk, let us wait till the great day…the Emperor’s birth date…shall match his death date. And the final blow shall perhaps not be struck by me…but by someone nearer and dearer to his precious son’s heart. He smiled to himself, his eyes burning. He had known of their trip to Wah Shenyi, his old shi fu’s home, but he had also known of his shi fu’s death, but who knew what wealth he had left behind in books and medical texts? So he had left her a surprise, a present, just in case she lived…she shall prove to be useful yet…to do the deed that he had trained her up for from the very beginning. If she lived…it would be the perfect irony for the Emperor, for the daughter of his best friend to hold the knife that killed him…the Master of Assassins had to repress the sudden urge to throw back his head and laugh. Instead, he marched to his quarters behind his fellow guards, his eyes gleaming…this, this shall be fun…and he would finally have revenge on them all…on all those who had stolen his Yue Yin from him! And he…he will have everything that they held near and dear, their precious daughter Ying Zi who looked so much like Yue Yin that…his lips curved into an evil smile, she would do well as a replacement…and…the Emperor was but a man on the throne…indeed, who would look behind to see the man beneath the mask? Soon, he thought, soon…all they love and care about will be mine!!!
***
Ying Ying paused in her stride as they made their hurried way through the hallways. Yuan Feng turned to look at her, his eyes concerned. “What is it, love?” he asked, and she looked at him and smiled. Love…she had to repress the sudden fluttering in her heart at the sound of his voice, at his eyes staring so concernedly at her…think clearly, girl! She scolded herself, and sobered as she remembered something. “You both go ahead, I’ll catch up with you later,” she urged them, and as Yuan Feng frowned slightly, she squeezed his hand gently. “I’ll be fine,” she assured him, “There’s something I need to check up on…I’ll explain later. There’s a cave, just five hundred paces into the forest, hidden behind two boulders. I’ll meet you both there, alright?” Without further ado, she started to rush off down the corridor. “Be careful!” he shouted after her. She turned around and gave him a radiant smile before rushing away…Yuan Feng stared after her anxiously, but then Xin Ping tugged at his sleeve. He turned to give his sister a puzzled look. She only grinned at him wryly, indicating down the corridor. “Shall we? Or should we book a room here for the night?” she asked wryly. He stared at her for a moment before cracking up. Chuckling, the two siblings made their way out of the Assassin Stronghold.
She paused for a moment at the threshold, her eyes sober. The memories all came flooding back…memories of the man whose room it was, the way she would normally steel herself before entering, only the power of her hatred preventing her from shivering with fear every time she stood before him as a ying zi, once again here to take orders…to accept missions that she had no desire to perform. For a moment in time, she almost expected him to feel his dark, powerful presence, as if the last few months had been naught but a dream. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, she steeled herself and entered the room, the Master’s study. It was empty. Instincts drilled into her made her automatically scan the room for any traps, any newly added, that is. She had memorised every little detail of this room as the years went by, forever in the hopes that, one day, she would have the chance to do what she was about to do now. Slowly, silently, she approached the gold figurine of a dragon on the bookcase. This…this had occupied her thoughts, her dreams for many years now…grasping the figurine in two hands, she applied force and twisted it slowly…a rumbling noise filled the silence of the room.
Turning slowly, her face pale, she looked at the hidden compartment in the wall that was suddenly revealed. Here it was…finally…she walked slightly unsteadily to it, her thoughts in turmoil. All these years, she had dreamed of getting hold onto this, of finding out the truth…her hand trembled as she reached in and retrieved the thick book that laid within. Putting it on the study table, she faltered for a moment. Did she really want to do this? To find out? Yes…of course…hadn’t she dreamed of getting her hands on this book, this book of death? Drawing a shuddering breath, she opened the book, and flipped through the pages…through the dates…back to sixteen years ago…to find the true killer of her family…the person who had paid the Master for their deaths…she caught her breath in shock as her eyes finally fell on the line with her father’s name, and the person who had taken out the contract. No…tian, it can’t be…
***
Hot…so hot…it was like the very blood that flowed within her was burning…burning….she moaned, writhing around semi-unconscious on the ground, her forehead dripping with sweat. She struggled to wake up, to open her eyes…he watched her with attentive eyes, yes, the poison was not as strong within this girl as with Ying Ying, she should regain consciousness soon…he had administered the counter poison about two hours ago, and…suddenly he stiffened, his keen sense of hearing noted someone’s approach. No, two someones…one with a very strong basis in wugong…he stood up swiftly, watching the entrance to the cave warily.
Yuan Feng froze, and Xin Ping, already wearily and half dazed by the lack of rest they had had for the last few days, walked right into his back. “Ouch! Ge! Why did you stop…” her complaint trailed off as she noted the presence of another person in the cave. There was an ominous silence in the air…who was this…another assassin? The same thought passed through their minds simultaneously. There was something about this man…something different…Xin Ping cast an anxious look at her brother, at his terse face. In his dealings with the Assassin Guild these past months, his natural geniality had hardened…he was a lot more cautious and wary now…this situation could become nasty, she thought worriedly. This is the last thing we need…she shot a look at the man who was standing there silently watching them. “Hello,” she said casually, trying to ease the tension in the air, “Um…we’re just passing by, sorry to intrude on you…Xiang Er!” she exclaimed, finally seeing the figure behind the man. “What have you done to her?!?” she shouted, shoving pass the man heedlessly to get to her friend. Her heart pounded urgently as she noted Xiang Er’s flushed cheeks, and the sweat on her forehead. “You…” Yuan Feng’s voice was filled with quiet fury as he advanced on the man grimly, “What did you do?!?”
They were both unprepared for the man to suddenly smile, asking casually, “You’re the Prince Yuan Feng, aren’t you? And the Princess Xin Ping. I’ve heard a lot about you both.” “How…” Xin Ping began, shooting him a strange look, but he knelt down and felt Xiang Er’s pulse. “Don’t worry, your highness, she’s fine,” he assured her, “This is only her reaction to the antidote for Death Bloom.” There was a sudden silence in the cave as they stared at him, their eyes wide. Antidote…for Death Bloom? What… “Who…who are you?” Xin Ping managed to ask, finally finding her voice. The man suddenly grinned, the smile making him seem much younger despite the white streak in his hair. “I’m Wah Shenyi’s last disciple,” he said lightly, enjoying the sudden gasp of surprise from them, “My name is Yi Hang.”
Xiang Er suddenly moaned, interrupting the surprised silence of the cave. They all turned to her to see her eyelids fluttering open…what…what had happened? Where…where was she…her blurred eyes strained to see…a pair of dark, intense eyes were staring down into hers, and suddenly her heart did a strange flip…in that one moment, her Fate would take her down a different path…nothing would ever be the same again…
“Miss?” his voice caressed her awareness gently, and she struggled to hold onto her consciousness, to hear his words. “Don’t worry, everything’s fine, it’s just that the Death Bloom is being neutralised in your blood…everything will be fine from now on, you will live to be an old lady,” his voice was light, and it made her lips curve up into a small smile as she passed into unconsciousness again, this time her body was at rest as the last traces of the treacherous poison faded away…
“So how do you know about us? And I thought that Wah Shenyi didn’t like assassins, why are you helping Xiang Er?” Xin Ping was curious as she gazed at the stranger who was saving Xiang Er’s life. He was old, but not that old, perhaps in his thirties, but there were streaks of white in his hair, and his eyes looked a lot more mature…they were like Ying Ying’s eyes when she’d first met her, sad, and…tired, world-weary. There was also a powerful sense of qi around him…this man was also an adept in the martial arts. But…who was he? And why was he helping them? Suddenly a thought came to her. “Did you save Ying Ying jie jie too?” she burst out in excitement, “Is that why she’s not dead yet?” The man gave her a devious smile which lit up his face. Suddenly it wasn’t so old anymore…actually, he was quite handsome. Yuan Feng’s eyes narrowed as a strange feeling arose, a feeling that he could not put a name to. “You’re pretty smart, princess,” he smiled at her, his eyes twinkling, “No wonder Ying Ying speaks so highly of you.” Xin Ping shot him a startled look, and saw the humour in his face. She began to laugh, liking this man already…but Yuan Feng wasn’t so sure. He opened his mouth to speak, then paused as he saw another person at the cave entrance…
“Ying Ying!” he said gladly, taking a step towards her, but froze at seeing her pale face, drained of blood. “Yuan Feng.” Her voice was but a bare whisper as she avoided his gaze…his heart pounded with sudden fear and concern. “Is…is something wrong? What is the matter?” he asked worriedly, reaching for her hand, but she pulled away slightly. His heart missed a beat. Tian…what…what was this? “Ying Ying…” he began, but she cut him off with an awkward smile which did nothing to ease his sudden panic. “Yuan Feng, it’s nothing…it’s just…I…I’ve got to talk to you, Yi Hang ge ge,” she finished in a hurry, giving Yi Hang a pleading look. “Right now, please?” Yi Hang looked at the Prince’s suddenly clouded face then back at her, raising his eyebrows querying, but shrugged and nodded. Xin Ping glanced between her and Yuan Feng in astonishment, and started to speak, but Ying Ying just looked at her, saying quietly, “I’ll explain it all later. I just need to…to find out something first, alright?” Without waiting for any response, she took Yi Hang’s arm and dragged him out of the cave, leaving Yuan Feng staring soundlessly after her, with the bleakest expression in his eyes. Who was this Yi Hang, and…Ying Ying…she…what has she got to do with him? His fists clenched as he struggled to control the sudden storm of emotions within him…the burning sensation of irrational anger and…panic…fear…fear of losing her…he didn’t want to lose her, he couldn’t! Not again…
“Ge?” Xin Ping touched his arm tentatively, her expression worried as she noted his stormy looks. “I’m sure it’s nothing, maybe Ying Ying jie jie is just asking him something about the poison, or…” she couldn’t think of anything else, to be truthful, Ying Ying’s strange behaviour had her stumped as well. But she couldn’t bear the awful look on her brother’s face, she would never have believed that he could look like that, like…so…afraid, so…jealous. He was a prince, after all, and there had never been anything in their lives that they could not have, could not keep if they wanted to…except perhaps freedom to do and go wherever they wanted…yet, it was Ying Ying in question here…someone who he treasured more than anything in this world. Perhaps it wasn’t so strange he would act so…so rash, she thought to herself, her eyes distant. If it was Kwok Zhong…still, she had to say something. “Ge,” slipping her hand into his and giving it a comforting squeeze, “Ying Ying jie jie loves you, you’re the one she gave up her life for, remember? How can you doubt her now?” Yuan Feng’s face softened as her face appeared in his mind…her eyes shimmering up at his as he lifted the bridal cloth…the most beautiful bride in the world…his bride…the look in her eyes as she admitted she loved him in the Blackwood Forest…yes, how could he doubt her? She was Ying Ying…his Ying Ying…and he loved her with every breath he drew. Nonetheless, his lips tightened briefly, he would like to know what had happened to her…at the cliffs…and most definitely, what she was asking Yi Hang right now…unable to control his burning curiosity any longer, he stepped out of the cave and looked for the two figures that were burned into his mind…
“Are you sure?” she asked him, she knew the answer already, deep inside, but she had to make sure…because it was too important to her, too important to all of them. Yi Hang nodded, smiling. Ying Ying heaved a sigh of relief…thank heavens! “I…I knew it, I knew there was something fishy about it all, but I just HAD to be certain…now…” she flashed him a brilliant grin, and threw her arms around him impulsively. “Thank you Yi Hang ge ge, thank you!” He only tousled her hair affectionately, “You silly girl,” smiling down at her. She grinned up at him, both unaware of the two people watching them…
His blood boiled fiercely as he stared at the vision before him…the two standing so close together…he clenched his teeth, trying to repress the rise of pure fury within him. Jealousy gnawed at him...and also, fear...fear of losing her...his eyes burned with anger…then something else. His breath caught…stark pain stabbed his heart as he watched her fling her arms around the man…the tall, handsome stranger who had saved her life…the blood drained from his face. Without a word, he turned and walked away…
****
Her eyes fluttered, and she sighed, slowly waking up…as if from a nightmare…but the pain, the burning pain and agony was gone. Instead, she felt…she felt light…and…good. Slowly, she opened her eyes to see a pair of dark, shimmering eyes watching her with a strange expression, and her heart missed a beat. She…she had never felt like this before, this breathlessness…was it due to her illness, or…not? “I’m glad you’re awake finally, Xiang Er.” Her eyes widened, how did he know her name? Wait…that dream…the one where someone had been watching over her as she slept, taking care of her…had it been real? Was he…was she…cured? He saw the question in her eyes, and smiled down at her. “Yes, the poison is completely gone from your body now. And you will never feel the agony of Death Bloom ever again, I promise.” “Thank…thank you…” she whispered falteringly, her eyes wide. “And you are…” “My name is Yi Hang…” Smiling down at her, his eyes filled with warmth. Slowly, her lips curved into a smile too…Yi Hang…
As she smiled, for the first time, his heart skipped a beat…for a brief moment, something in his eyes changed as he stared down at her. Perhaps…perhaps…
She looked at his dark, stormy face and suddenly felt very warm inside…all the love she felt for this man, all the joy he gave her with his mere presence…Ying Ying wanted to smile, to throw her arms around him in happiness. She knew why he was acting so strange, Xin Ping had given her the strangest look, and pointed out her brother’s lone figure, sitting by himself…it…it was because of Yi Hang, and…he…he was jealous of Yi Hang for crying out loud! After all that they’ve been through together, all that they’ve done…perhaps she should feel annoyed at his reaction, at his sudden jealousy and distrust, yet…she was touched all the same. It was because of her…because she meant something to him, to this prince who was like no other…this prince who would have been the last person in the world anyone would have suspected of having a weakness… no, not weakness, but just…unsure of what to say or do to comfort him, to show him that he was the one and only person in her life…she sat down beside him and leaned her head against his shoulder, sighing softly in contentment. Yuan Feng looked down at her in surprise, his arm automatically going around her shoulders, holding her close…her face looked so soft and radiant as it was bathed in the last rays of sunlight, like some kind of heaven maiden…his dark mood vanished without a trace as he leaned down impulsively to kiss her temple gently. How could he ever doubt her love? She was the heaven’s gift to him…she had died for him once…he had lost her once. Now she was in his arms again, and he could barely believe it…the only thing he could think of was that he would never ever let go…no matter who or what, nothing was going to take her away from him again.
“I’m sorry.” His soft voice whispered in her ear, and she looked up, startled. He smiled ruefully at her surprised expression. “I’m sorry for being such a moody…” his voice trailed off as she lifted a finger to his lips, smiling at him…his breath caught. “Don’t…I understand.” “You do?” he asked, slightly uneasy, but she only grinned impishly at him. “Yes I do,” she teased him lightly, wanting to ease his worries, “It’s because you love me so much, isn’t it, my dear prince? Of course, I do love Yi Hang…” His heart stopped beating. Yuan Feng’s face paled as he stared at her with wide astonished eyes, but she continued, ignoring him, “He’s so tall and handsome, his wugong is so very powerful, and he DID save my life…” “If you love him so much then why are you here? Why don’t you go to him?!? I won’t stop you…” He said stiffly, his eyes spitting with anger, his heart feeling like it was being stabbed at every word that fell from her lips… but despite his words his arms held her even tighter, refusing to let go.
Ying Ying had to struggle to keep the giggles inside her at the expression on his face, the way his actions made a lie of his words. “But I like it here,” she said archly, wiggling around to look him in the face, grinning. “Ying Ying.” Her eyes softened at the pain in his quiet words…she didn’t know what she had ever done in this life or the last to deserve someone like him…a love like this…she felt so happy, so loved that it made her heart want sing. Relenting, she cupped her hands around his face and whispered softly, her round eyes shimmering, “You silly man, you’re the only person I’ll ever love, heart and soul, now and for all eternity.” His heart started beating again as he looked into her round eyes, at that smile that was only for him… “But what about Yi Hang…”he began, but stopped as he saw her eyes twinkling merrily, her voice filled with repressed laughter as she leaned over and whispered in his ear, “I love him too…he is, after all, my brother.”
His eyes were round with astonishment as he stared at her, totally shocked…she couldn’t help it anymore. Ying Ying burst into silvery laughter. Yuan Feng stared down at her with a bemused expression, then gradually a sheepish look came onto his face as he also laughed wryly. “You terrible girl, how could you find something like this funny?” he scolded lightly, shaking her gently, “My heart almost stopped beating!” She looked up at him, but his eyes were also filled with wry amusement. “Oh I’m so sorry, how on earth can I make it up to you?” she asked in mock concern, smiling…then caught her breath as he swooped in swiftly and kissed her passionately…
“That will do for starters,” he said lightly, laughing at the expression on her face when he broke off the kiss. He chucked her chin playfully, “I’ll think about the rest later…now, what is this about a brother? How on earth did Yi Hang become your brother? And…” his eyes suddenly grew sombre as he remembered that night, not too long ago, when… “What did happen to you after our marriage night…Ying Ying, I thought you were dead. I thought you had jumped off that cliff and…” He couldn’t go on, his arms tightened around her as the thought of losing her made his heart ache again… “All this time, I thought you were dead…and it was like…it was like I was dead too.” Her eyes brimmed with tears as she heard the vast anguish in his voice, her heart felt like it was being stabbed as she imagined all that he must have gone through these last few weeks…tian, she never meant to cause him pain, never… “I didn’t jump,” she whispered, stroking his sombre face gently, “I fell…”
****YING YING’S STORY****
“I ran away because I couldn’t stand the thought of you watching me die…watching me go mad bit by bit as the Death Bloom attacked my mind. So I left you that letter and…I didn’t know where I was going, I just ran…then, I had another poison attack. I guess I’d forgotten it was a Full Moon.” Her eyes were distant as she remembered back. Now, safe in his warm embrace, she could think and remember back…she didn’t speak of how alone she had felt, of how her heart had wracked with pain and grief at leaving him…at never seeing him again…of how she had wanted to die…while she still had her mind left, while she could still remember what happiness she had felt in that one night…the night she had become his bride. She didn’t speak of all this…she didn’t want him to grieve over something that was passed…yet he could read it in her eyes nonetheless. He hugged her tightly, and she smiled bravely up at him, trying to summarise what had happened to her very briefly. “In the midst of the attack, I think I must of taken a wrong step…I remember trying to hold onto the edge, but I was too weak. I remember falling…”
How to tell him of what she had gone through for the last few weeks, weeks that had seemed like eternity without him by her side? How to tell him of all the pain and torture that had wracked her mind and soul as the poison ravaged her body, as the antidote fought the fierce battle within her…as she struggled to live for him, for the image of him threatened to follow her, even into death? Ying Ying didn’t want him to know, yet those eyes that watched her so seriously, so intensely, so filled with love that she didn’t ever want to move out of this embrace…they saw all that she did not say, all that was within her very soul. As if time had stopped just for them, the two forgot all the twisted plots and plans going on back at the palace, forgot all the sorrow and grief that had haunted them for so long. As the sun set in the distant horizon, they took comfort in each other’s presence, in the love that didn’t need to be spoken, didn’t need to be questioned, as Ying Ying told her story…
Xin Ping stared at the man in surprise, her eyes wide with bewilderment. “You’re Bai Wu?!? You’re Ying Ying jie jie’s brother? But…but didn’t you say that your name was Yi Hang?” Her brow was creased in confusion as she struggled to understand what he had just told her. Yi Hang grinned at her. She had up to him most impetuously when he had come back to the cave, demanding an explanation, her expression clearly saying that there better be a good one, and that if he meant to come between her brother and Ying Ying then SHE definitely had something to say on that…in spite of the seriousness in her air, he still felt like laughing. And now that look on her face…no wonder Ying Ying loved this little princess so much…
With effort, he controlled his laughter and smiled at her. “I told the truth. I AM Yi Hang…Bai Wu died sixteen years ago when the Master broke all his arms and legs and threw him over the cliff. I am no longer an Assassin…I broke the Oath when I spared Ying Ying’s life, as did she when she couldn’t kill Yuan Feng.” His eyes grew distant as he remembered back to the past, to all that had happened to him. “You…you’re Bai Wu?” The soft whisper startled him out of his preoccupation. Spinning around, he noticed her soft eyes watching him, and he smiled as he walked over to her. “I’m glad you’re awake. Feeling better?” His soft hand caressed her forehead gently as he felt her temperature. Xiang Er couldn’t breath…what was this? What was this strange rush of emotions within her? She didn’t even know this man…no wait… “You’re Bai Wu?” she asked again, her mind trying to grasp the concept. “But…but how come you didn’t…” “Die?” he asked lightly, and laughed as both girls nodded. “Guess the tian didn’t want me yet…or maybe, it decided I deserved another chance to make amends for my past. Wah Shenyi saved me. His wife had died of Death Bloom and he had made a vow, a vow to find the antidote before he went to join her. So…he experimented on me.”
“For six years I was in a state of unconsciousness as he tried out many herbs on my body…some that prolonged my life so he could keep trying, others that only made the Death Bloom retreat into my vital points…none that were true antidote. All I remember of those years is pain, burning pain…” “How could he DO something like that? Treat you like some…some…” Xin Ping exploded indignantly, her eyes flashing with fire. “And I thought he was a wise, good man…” Yi Hang shook his head. “No, it wasn’t his fault, I don’t really blame him. He DID save my life, and in truth, I pitied him…he was like nothing but a shadow, almost like he himself was dead after his wife left.” The fire left Xin Ping’s eyes as she heard his sombre tone…yes, she could understand. She had watched her brother walking around half dead when he thought Ying Ying was dead…
“The first memory of Wah Shenyi I have is him smiling…not at me, but at the fact that I was awake. He had finally found the antidote, most ironically, it is Silverthorn…the thorns of the Death Bloom flower. He had finally fulfilled his promise. By the time I was truly conscious, and the poison was gone from my body, six years had passed. All I wanted to do was to find my mei mei, Ying Ying…but my arms and legs were useless. I could barely walk...there was no way I could come against the Master to find Ying Ying’s whereabouts. The Wah Shenyi left me the Scriptures of the Golden Light, martial arts scriptures to help me regain the use of my powers, in time…and his hut filled with medical texts, and left. I don’t know where he went, except that his sole aim was to find his wife again.” Xiang Er’s eyes felt something inside her move as she saw his eyes grew misty. “I like to believe that he did, that somewhere, beyond this time and place, they are together once more.”
***
“Bai Wu ge ge…no, now he is Yi Hang, as I am Ying Ying and no longer Ying Zi. We are both assassins no longer. Anyway, Yi Hang ge ge saved me…he had been searching for me for the last six years, and once he had found out that there was an assassin called Ying Zi…he was following us, on our journey to the Blackwood Forest. He saw me fall…and he saved me, and cured me of the Death Bloom. If it wasn’t for Yi Hang ge ge…” her voice trailed away, and he held her tighter against her, his throat suddenly tight. If…if she had not reappeared in his life, if she had really died…he would be dead too now…he would have joined her on the road to the next life, and the next…
“Thank you.” She looked up at him, startled. His eyes…they were shimmering as he looked down at her, filled with something that took her breath away. He whispered hoarsely, his heart aching as he saw her glorious eyes staring up at him once more. “Thank you for coming back…thank you for being in my life…thank you…my love, thank you…” He lifted his hand, and gently wiped the tears that rolled down her face…finally, she could cry…but these…these were happy tears. Neither spoke, but they both heard what was echoed between their hearts…I love you
“I would never have done anything to hurt you or your family, no matter what the truth was…I…I couldn’t, even if I knew I should…” she spoke quietly, her voice quavering slightly. Ying Ying looked up at him, her round eyes clouded with emotion, but her voice was steady as she tried to make light of the situation. “I guess the Master overestimated my ability to hate, to crave revenge…I must be such a disappointment to him,” she said wryly, but Yuan Feng smiled, the sudden chill at the close call they had had fading away. “No, he underestimated you,” he said gently, “He underestimated you, and your strength, your courage…your being able to stand up to him and remain Zhao Zhi Ying, no matter what happens…to be the Ying Ying full of hope and love, and for that, he shall lose this time.” Yuan Feng’s eyes shone with determination. “He shall pay for all the pain and suffering he has wrecked upon us all, all the deaths he has caused…for this little trick of his, he shall pay most dearly…with his life!” Ying Ying couldn’t help but smile, her eyes twinkling with wicked amusement. “So you’ve thought of what Yi Hang and I both thought to do once he confirmed that the records were false…to use this against him. This…this is going to be fun,” she drawled, and Yuan Feng nodded, his mouth twisted into a wry grin. He stood up abruptly, holding out his hand to her. “Come on, we better go back to the others. We have a surprise to plan for our Assassin Master.” Her eyes twinkled as she took his hand and stood up. “Yes, let us put an end to this, for once and for all.”
****
“Please don’t come with us.” Xiang Er looked stared up at him in astonishment. What? Why was he saying something like that? Is it because…her face drained of blood as a cold feeling settled within her heart. So she had been the fool again, in these few moments that she had been conscious, in these few moments that their eyes had met, she…she had felt her heart pound and the strangest emotions within her, as if there was something…that there could be something between them, yet now… “Don’t you trust me?” She spoke quietly, her expressionless tone revealing none of the sudden rush of anguish within her heart…she stared down at her hands, her eyes burning. I won’t cry, she thought fiercely to herself, I won’t…I…I should be used to this, it’s true, why should anyone trust me, believe in me? I am Xiang Er…not worthy of anything, or anyone, I…her heart stopped as his warm fingers gently tilted her chin up, forcing her to look into his deep brown eyes. “Don’t be silly,” he scolded her lightly, “It’s not that, it’s just…” His voice trailed off uncertainly. No, he himself didn’t know what he wanted to say, this…this was something he had never experienced before, this strange rush of emotion within him, this sudden urge to hold this maiden in his arms and shield her from all the pain and sorrow in the world…to protect her from being hurt again and again. No, his heart and soul was confused…at lost at what to do or say, it…there was no sense behind this, this fierce need to hold and protect this girl he had only just met, but there was something about her that tugged at his heart, a heart that he had thought he did not possess until the little Ying Ying had proved otherwise, so many years ago. Yi Hang had never loved before, certainly not as Bai Wu, and all these years as Yi Hang, his whole mind and soul had only been on finding his little sister again. This..this strange, powerful surge of emotion that Xiang Er could evoke in him with just a look or a smile, it…it was almost frightening. He didn’t know what he was doing, only that he didn’t want her to go into danger, didn’t want to see her fall back in the hands of the man who had haunted their lives for so long…
“Just what?” She demanded, her eyes flashing with a sudden anger that was born of hurt and self-pity. Why? Why can’t anyone ever love her, trust her, why is it that every time her heart reached out it was just injured, again and again? She spun around as if to leave, her eyes burning from the tears that threatened to fall, but froze as he grabbed her arm. “Just that I don’t want to see you go into danger…don’t want to see you get hurt. Xiang Er, I…” he faltered, unable to speak as she looked up at him with a sudden light in her eyes. “I…I think I like you,” he confessed, feeling his face burning as he struggled on, his words stumbling over each other. “I like you a lot, actually, and I don’t even know why, I’ve only known you for such a short time, and yet…I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. It’s not that I don’t trust you, oh no, it’s…I guess I just don’t want you to come with us into danger and…” His voice faded her hand covered his mouth gently, her eyes sparkling with tears as she smiled up at him…her face lit up so brilliantly that he caught his breath. Slowly, tentatively, as if he was afraid she might resist, Yi Hang pulled her towards him, and embraced her ever so lightly. Xiang Er stiffened, then sighed, and, letting go of her fears of love, and not being loved, of being hurt…she leaned into his embrace. There was no need for words…not now. The two whose hearts had never truly loved before…the two former assassins that were no longer…held onto each other, the words remaining unspoken, for now…but they knew that from now on, they would no longer be alone.
****
She stared up into the night sky, her eyes that normally twinkled with mischief were unusually serious and sombre. Now that she was alone, that all those she cared about were safe and sound asleep, she could let mind wander…let her heart rule her heart for this brief moment and think, let the vision of him resurface in her memories. The princess Xin Ping felt the tears well up in her eyes as she remembered the grim look on his face, the way he avoided her eyes when he left…I will not cry, she told herself sternly, it’s nothing, really, after all, I was right! If we didn’t come here, then we would have never known that the Master himself was within the palace, my brother would have never found Ying Ying jie jie alive, and we would not have Yi Hang to help us to destroy this rebellion, and…despite all of this, her heart still felt troubled as she remembered how hurt he had been when she had chosen her brother over him, chosen emotions over rationale…
He’s such a stiff neck, always sprouting the same stuff about honour, and loyalty, and stupid obligations, she thought to herself, fiercely tugging at blades of unoffending grass from the ground around her as his stubborn face tugged at her heart. Stiff, unbending, stubborn, irritating…she sighed to herself as she leaned back against the tree trunk. Then why is it I can’t get him out of my mind? Why am I so confused…I want to see him again, yet…I am afraid to…afraid to face him again…her heart troubled, she stared unseeingly as the distant horizon light up with the approaching dawn. Today, they would set off…they would return to the palace, to put an end to all of this, and…I hope he is safe, she thought suddenly, unable to repress the sudden worry within her at his wellbeing, the wellbeing of the man who haunted her dreams. Kwok Zhong…you stupid, stubborn, irritating man, please be safe…
***
He slipped the tiny piece of paper out from the holder on the bird’s leg, and let it go. The pale white shadow of the pigeon disappears back into the darkness of the night as he shuts the window. Under the flickering light of the oil lamp, he scans the tiny characters from his son…and smiles slowly in satisfaction. Yes, Yuan Feng's plan does indeed seem most appropriate...as the tiny slip of paper catches fire on lamp wick, burning to ashes, the Emperor of Imperial China, Zhao Guan Yi’s eyes gleam with anticipation as he waits for the day of his birth…the day he can finally settle all the hate and revenge that laid between him and the Master of Assassins…soon…
KAIFENG, CAPITAL OF CHINA (SUNG DYNASTY)
The brilliant, multi-coloured fireworks lit up the night sky, bathing everyone in glorious rays of light as the people of the whole city gasped, and roared in appreciation at the breathtaking display. It was as if the heavens themselves were in celebration with them…the birthday of the Emperor of Imperial of China, and all of China shared in the joy and happiness of the occasion, none aware of the fierce, underlying tension that laid at the heart of the celebrations, within the Imperial Palace itself. For while the whole kingdom rejoiced, a fierce battle was about to take place within the supposedly impenetrable walls of the seat of the Dragon…a battle of deception and power…within the very walls of the home of the Emperor. For tonight, tonight all shall be revealed…and the ancient conflicts be laid to rest at last…
Zhao Zhi San sat in his gilded chair, a false smile pasted on his face as he watched the celebrations with the rest of the royal family. Amidst the crowd, his eyes could not catch the whereabouts of his men, and those few people who were to deliver his very special birthday present to his adoptive father, the Emperor. Good…very good, he thought to himself, a smirk curving his lips. He hadn’t planned it to be like this, truly…though he hated the Emperor for refusing to acknowledge him as his real blood nephew, the bastard son of the Zhao Ting Mei, for ignoring his own claim to the throne, he had never meant it to end like this, here and now. Despite it all, the man had taken him in, and raised him…he had only wanted to secure his own claim to the throne. With the deaths of the other royal princes, and himself also married to the princess…he would have waited for the Emperor to die before taking the throne, or at least, locked the old man up forever in the dark recesses of the palace, never to see the light of the day, nor to stir up any trouble.
But his plans have gone astray…first Xin Ping had escaped, thus dashing his hopes to further his position as the prince consort, and now there were the rumours that Yuan Feng was still alive…both these two royal siblings, and that troublesome general Kwok Zhong would know of his plans to seize the throne, would know that the sudden deaths of the other claimants would be due to his actions. So now, instead of deceiving the lords and gentry forever into accepting him, he must seize the throne outright…this could only mean one thing…that tonight was the last time his uncle, the Emperor would be able to sit upon that imperial throne…after tonight, all that remained of the Zhao bloodline, would be him, Zhao Zhi San…the bastard…the Emperor!
The agility of the acrobats that performed before the big gathering of the nobility went almost unwatched by a number of people, whose attentions were otherwise divided. Beside the Emperor and his haughty, stony faced Empress stood a pair of eunuchs, newly appointed to the Emperor’s service, both of whom stood with their heads bowed most appropriately, their whole stance of complete servitude, except their eyes…their eyes that watched everything but the performance. They knew that this was not the performance that mattered…oh no, but still, they gripped the wine trays firmly in anticipation, anxiety…this was a big risk that they were taking…tonight, decides the fate of an empire…one of these eunuchs exchanged a glance with a minor noble who sat with the younger prince Zhao Heng. This noble was normally the young prince’s companion in studies, yet on a night like this, nothing is ever as it seems…
The performance ended with polite applause from the gentry, the acrobats prostrating themselves before the Emperor as they chanted, “Long live the Emperor!”** The Emperor of Imperial China gestured benignly with one hand, and the performers retreated as the drums and cymbals started to beat wildly as the next part of the night’s entertainment arrived…two great, golden lions entered swiftly onto the stage, and started to perform acrobats that had the gentry muttering in appreciation. The drums were deafening…the spectacle was stunning as the two great lions looked alive as they leaped, pounced, turn somersaults and climbed ladders with ease. One lion had jumped on top of the other, standing high and defiant, the red scroll it held in its mouth opened, and the brazen gold words on the red background shone for all to see as the drums stilled for that one moment. “LONG LIVE OUR EMPEROR.” Loud applause broke out as the formation stayed thus, standing in mid air until the Emperor could not help but clap also, shouting out but one word, “Hao!” The drums that had stilled suddenly beat again, in one loud, deafening beat as the topmost lion leaped, not down…but straight for the Emperor’s throne…the person within it shredding his golden lion skin as he drew a wicked dagger from within the scroll ends…his eyes gleaming as he aimed straight for the Emperor’s heart….
Time froze as the Emperor watched the dagger point flying towards him, his eyes calm…before anyone could react, Zhao Zhi San had pushed the Emperor aside, wincing as the dagger grazed his left arm. Without a pause, he reached out and the man flew backwards, but got back onto his feet. The rest of the Lion Dance procession had thrown down their tools, suddenly bearing weapons that had appeared out of nowhere…Zhi San started yelling “Guards! Protect the Emperor!” General confusion ensued as Imperial Guards flooded the courtyard, the lords and ministers suddenly pushed outside by the Guards ‘for their own safety’. Amidst the confusion, the lion dancers were struggling with the swarm of Imperial Guards, and the last view that the lords saw of the situation was the adopted bastard prince, Zhao Zhi San, standing protectively in front of his uncle, the Emperor…then, the huge wooden doors slammed shut to prevent the assassins escaping.
The young prince Zhao Heng and his fellow companion ran to the Emperor’s side, his eyes concerned as he helped his father up. “Father, what is going on? Zhi San ge ge, are you alright?!?” Zhao Heng touched his adopted brother’s sleeve anxiously, peering at the blood…then froze as something finally registered on his senses. The sounds of struggle had stopped completely. His head snapped up, startled as he looked at the people remaining in the courtyard…just them, a few servants, and the assassins and the guards…none of them were fighting anymore! What the…he exchanged a look with his father, his eyes bewildered as he cast his adopted brother a questioning look. There was an eerie silence in the courtyard as no one spoke, the atmosphere reeked of suspicion, and…danger. In the eerie silence, he couldn’t help but snap, “What is going on here, Zhi San?!?” Zhao Heng was totally taken back when Zhao Zhi San began to laugh, his eyes gleaming triumphantly as he shook off the young prince’s hand as if it was covered with grim.
With a cold shiver, the young prince understood instantly…it was all a set up…instinctively he moved in front of his father in a protective gesture, his young face determined as he looked scared, but defiantly at his bastard adopted brother, this false prince… “My my, have you become the smart brat all of a sudden,” Zhao Zhi San drawled, his eyes noting Zhao Heng’s action almost immediately. “Yes, you’re guessing right, this is what they would call….treason. I prefer the term, rebellion, but as I bear the same surname as you, I could hardly start a new dynasty. I guess I shall have to satisfy myself by sitting on that throne that should have been mine!” “You…you…traitor! You bastard! How could you…you’ll never get away with it!” Zhao Heng hissed, but Zhao Zhi San only laughed, his face filled with spite. “But I already have, my dearest little brother…don’t you see? After all they saw, the lords will believe every word I say when I walk out of here…even if what I say is that the assassins were captured, but not before…they killed you and your precious father! And then…I guess I shall just have to take charge of everything, since I’m the only one left…how sad.” A smirk curled on his lips. “But how fortunate for me…”
As the Imperial Guards, with flat, murderous eyes approached the father and son, Zhao Zhi San backed away from them, his voice filled with cold amusement as he drawled softly, “Say hello to my father, the spineless idiot, when you see him…” His steely command penetrated the darkness of the night. “Kill them.”
“Kill them.” The cold, steely words reverberated the stone courtyard as the false Imperial Guards advanced grimy on the royalty standing on the pedestal…the young prince standing ever so defiantly in front of the Emperor and Empress, his hands empty as palace orders were that no arms were to be borne. A steely ring chilled the night as the men drew their swords, and on some silent cue, lunged towards the young prince, intent on murder…Zhao Zhi San laughed, a cold chilling sound as he turned away, his face filled with triumph…
The sudden ring of steel on steel, and a strong, powerful rush of power made him jump, startled. His face drained of blood as he whirled back around swiftly to see bodies flying through the air, crashing heavily as they fell on the ground, stunned by a powerful force beyond their expectation. Eyes wide, Zhao Zhi San looked at the writhing men on the ground, then back up at the people on the pedestal…at the two eunuchs that had been beneath his notice a moment ago, now standing in front of the royal family, emanating an aura of power and strength that no mere servant should display. One of them was holding a sword, his whole stance somehow familiar…a sinking feeling settled within him. “Good evening, my dearest brother, traitor to Imperial China,” the eunuch drawled, his lips curved into a wry smile. Oh tian…his thoughts were in a whirlwind, a shiver ran up the false prince’s spine, it can’t be…it can’t…his face drained of blood as the two eunuchs reached up with their hand rather casually and peeled off the human face, a thrice damned mask, to reveal…
It…it was him. Yuan Feng. Zhao Zhi San stared speechlessly at the powerful man standing before him, the rightful prince to the throne whose very presence emanated a power that cowered all the greed and spite within him…Yuan Feng’s lips curved into an ironic smile, his hand holding his shining sword firmly as he gestured towards his adopted brother, the traitor. Zhao Zhi San couldn’t help but flinch as the sword tip pointed directly at him. “Now…” Yuan Feng drawled casually, his voice cold. “What shall we do with a traitor, my dear General?” Kwok Zhong, for it had been him beneath the other mask, replied quietly, his eyes burning with anger as he stared at the false prince who had caused his loved one so much grief and terror. “Your Highness, the law states that treason against the throne should be punishable by death.” “Yes, kill him Ge!” shouted Zhao Heng, the young prince’s face filled with righteous anger. This…this man had been taken in by the charity of his father, the Emperor, who had treated him like a son…how could he…for the sake of power…it was all for power…suddenly, Zhao Heng felt old and tired…so, this was what his brother Yuan Feng had to live with, every day. All of a sudden, he felt a vast amount of respect and awe for this brother of his, and the burdens that he bore.
“I see…death, by trial and prosecution? Hmm, let’s see if I can speed things up a little, I’m sure father doesn’t mind,” Yuan Feng’s voice was filled with casualness, but it chilled Zhao Zhi San to the heart as he advanced on the false prince, the deadly sword held in front of him. Zhao Zhi San’s entire being was focused on that gleaming sword, his breathing haggard as he watched it advancing closer and closer, his whole body filled with a sense of impending doom. “Well, Zhi San? And what do you have to say for yourself?” Yuan Feng’s soft, deadly voice finally penetrated his thoughts, and suddenly his head snapped up, his face filled with desperation as he shouted a bit hysterically, “What do I have to say for myself?!?” His voice shook as he laughed shrilly, “You’re still outnumbered, you pompous, righteous princeling! All the Imperial Guards still answer to me, and the doors are barred already…it’s your turn to die, Yuan Feng, your turn! Kill him, KILL HIM!!!” His voice grew shrill as he turned around, gesturing at the group of fake Guards that still occupied the courtyard. There were over thirty of them, their face expressionless as they first look at the false prince, then back at Yuan Feng and the General Kwok Zhong, who watched them with calm, steady eyes. But these were assassins in disguise, and assassins did not know how to fear, not any more…all they knew was to obey…a cold, ringing noise filled the night as they all drew their swords, taking one step towards the royal pedestal…Zhao Zhi San turned his cold expression back to his royal brother, who was watching him calmly. “Tonight, you will die, Yuan Feng…and all that you love, all that you cherish, will be mine!!!”
“I don’t think so,” a voice said coolly behind him. Startled, Zhi San was about to turn around when he felt a cold, icy point pricking the damp, sweaty skin on his neck. The moonlight reflected off the shiny, smooth steel that was held to his throat. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the person who had crept up behind him unseen, that wretched studying companion of Zhao Heng…but why…the face looked up at him with cold, flinty eyes. The lips curved into an icy smile as the person drawled, “Don’t you recognise me, your highness? Deary me…you’ve forgotten me already, how very heartless…” In one smooth gesture, the free hand reached up and swiftly peeled off the mask as well…it was the Princess Xin Ping. Zhao Zhi San’s face paled. A wicked glint was in her eyes as she held the blade firmly to the man’s throat. “Don’t move,” she ordered coldly, “I would love to carve straight into your throat, so don’t even tempt me!” Zhao Zhi San believed her completely, this princess meant business. “Tell them to drop their weapons,” she said steadily, “NOW!” She shouted, the dagger nicking his flesh as he remained silent. “Drop your weapons.” His voice was quiet and ragged. He…he had lost…it was impossible…but he had lost…
The Imperial Guards who were in truth assassins from the Assassin Guild looked at Zhao Zhi San, then…for a brief moment, Xin Ping could have sworn their eyes flicked elsewhere before…the clang of metal hitting the ground finally shattered Zhao Zhi San’s dream of power as the men disarmed themselves. Where…where was the help he had been promised? Wu Feng…he had secreted himself amongst the troops, hadn’t he? Why did he not act…how could it end like this…no… “Open the doors, and let the real Imperial Guards in to take charge, Kwok Zhong.” Kwok Zhong nodded at his prince’s words, and walked slowly to the doors…his keen eyes were scanning the men surreptitiously for the one foe who had not yet made his appearance. But nay, the man was too cunning an adversary, it seems destined to be…this show had not yet ended. It had barely begun…
A pair of flinty eyes watched as the princess and her younger brother tugged fiercely at a rope, tying the hands of the false prince firmly with a relish that was almost unseemly for those of noble blood. They flickered over to where the prince Yuan Feng stood with his father, the Emperor…the man around which tonight revolved…ah, mayhap he should act now? While he still had the chance, there were none here with the ability to withstand his power, not even that princeling, if he stood alone…and there would be no other witnesses to silence. But there was one piece missing from this game board, one final person in this act who had not appeared yet…this show that had been his planning for many years now, surely…surely…ah yes, he thought triumphantly to himself, his eyes gleaming with glee…there she was now, he had trained her well, her skills were almost undetected even by him…
A sudden dark shadow swept down like a whirlwind, the action so swift that all that could be seen of her was but the shiny blade she held in her hand…the blade aimed directly at the Emperor’s chest. Her eyes were filled with hatred as she lunged for the man in the golden robes…only to stop, her sword clashing with another, the ring of steel upon steel splitting the silence of the night. “Get out of my way,” the dark figure grated, her eyes flaming with anger as her sword dipped swiftly into another sword stroke, but Yuan Feng caught it easily with his own sword, his voice was dead calm as he said, “No, Ying Ying, I won’t let you…” His eyes glimmered with tears as he looked her right in the eyes. “He murdered my whole family, left me to the Assassin Guild, caused me a whole lifetime of anguish…he shall pay for all the pain and suffering he has wrecked on us, on all of us!” Ying Ying’s round eyes shone brilliantly as tears rolled down her face. “If you want to kill my father, then you’ll have to kill me first.” Her face drained of blood as she stared at him, at his stony, resolute face. For a moment, her sword wavered in midair…then, her eyes narrowed as they filled with pain, and anger, filled with a hatred that had been bred within her for the last sixteen years. “Fine then.” Her sword held aloft, she summoned the qi within her as she faced down her prince. “If that’s the only way…forgive me, Yuan Feng.” Swiftly, she lunged towards him, her sword gleaming in the moonlight as it aimed directly for his heart...
Xin Ping was the first to break out of the spell. Spinning around, bewildered as she was, she yelled out to Kwok Zhong, “Quick, open the doors and let the Guards in!” Kwok Zhong jumped, and nodded as he ran swiftly to the barred heavy doors, only to be stopped as the disarmed assassins got to their feet, picking up their swords, their eyes flat as they approached the General. They had never been the complete servants to the false prince…their loyalty was only to the man who held their lives in his fist, the man who had ordered them to follow Zhao Zhi San until…until the show began…this, this was the final act…and nothing must prevent their Master from enjoying it! As one, they threw themselves at the General who was about to unbar the doors and ruin the plan. Surprised, Kwok Zhong barely had enough time to duck as the first sword that slashed at his head. Whirling backwards, he drew his own weapon, and watched grimly as the assassins approached. Xin Ping’s eyes widened with horror…they…they had not even had time to talk yet, not since she came back…there were only plans after plans…she hadn’t even been able to speak to him yet, she…she couldn’t let him die! She won’t…with a sudden strength, she shoved the bound false prince at her little brother. “Watch him!” She shouted, as she drew her own sword. With a cry that was almost warlike, she flew at the men that surrounded the General…the man that she had somehow come to love…the man who could not be harmed, who must not die, not when she was still alive! Not when there were still so many things unsaid between them…with a fierceness that stunned her opponents as well as herself, she launched into an attack of her own…
With that self same peculiar twist of his wrist that he had used so very long ago against her, he sent her sword flying once again…but this time, Ying Ying was ready for it. Borrowing the qi that flowed from him in this action, she leaped…her body flying in the same direction as the sword that had flown out of her grasp. Before Yuan Feng had time to react, she flicked her suddenly silver gloved hand, releasing a shower of deadly golden needles that sped through the darkness. “FATHER!” Yuan Feng shouted, but it was too late…the deadly missiles flew straight and true, striking the golden robed figure straight in the chest…with an inarticulate cry of shock, his power struck out on reflex, a ball of pure energy striking Ying Ying as she ducked and rolled. She collapsed onto the ground with a thump, as Yuan Feng raced to his father’s side, holding the slumped body in his arms. “Tian, oh tian, no, father!” “NO!!!” Xin Ping’s loud cry came from the other side of the courtyard where another battle was raging, her eyes suddenly catching sight of the Emperor’s fall. “FATHER!!!” Panic gripped her heart as she swung fiercely at the men who attacked her, her sword flashing as she delivered blow after blow…NO!!!
Ying Ying laid on the ground, blood running from the corner of her mouth…her eyes watching the scene before her. Weakly, her breathing haggard, she muttered over and over again, “I’m sorry…I had to…I’m sorry…” Yuan Feng made no reply as he bent over his father’s body, the Emperor whose breath was sounding strained. “Wh…why?” The husky whisper penetrated the darkness of the night, and fell into the thick, heavy silence that followed it. Suddenly, a soft, but increasingly loud maniac laughter pierced the silence, stunning all those present. Yuan Feng’s head snapped up, his eyes wide with shock…no…it can’t be…but it was. The evil gleaming eyes filled with hate and mania stared down at the body in his arms, the deep, pure evil laughter issuing from those lips…they had known that somehow, somewhere, he would be beneath a stranger’s face, yet…he would have never suspected this…the Master of Assassins was truly a master in disguises. The Empress who was not stood over the body of the Emperor who was even now struggling for breath, and laughed, the eyes gleaming with triumph. He had WON!!! It…it had been a plan that spanned sixteen years, but it had come about…he had revenge…that cowardly, lying, traitor of an emperor laid at his feet, killed by the hands of his sworn brother’s daughter…he had avenged himself on them all!!! Zhao Guan Yi, Zhao Yu, Yue Yin…all those who had betrayed him, who had snatched away all that he wanted, all that he desired…he, Tian Huang had avenged himself on them all! The madness burned like fire within his veins…yes…it was all his now…all…
“Why?!?” he repeated softly, taunting the man lying on the ground, his eyes burning with hate. “You help them steal away all that I ever loved, all that I ever wanted…and you ask me WHY?!? I wanted all of you to die, to suffer the pain I suffered, a hundred…a thousand times more! Zhao Guan Yi, it’s your turn now, your turn!!!” “Who…who…” the man lying in Yuan Feng’s arms struggled to speak, the words barely comprehensible, but the Master heard. He threw back his head and laughed, the wild, crazed intensity within the sound chilling everyone to the bone. “Who am I?!? Ah, Ta Shi Xiong**, long time no see…I trust you’ve been well? I? Ah, I’ve been…not so well,” the Master drawled, his voice soft, but deadly. “Every single day for the last twenty one years I have longed for this day, yearned to bathe my hands in your warm blood, to watch you die by the hands of those who are close to your heart, to watch you suffer like I suffered when you helped that useless nobody snatch my Yue Yin away from me!”
“Your…your…Tian Huang? How…” “The…the Master?” the shocked whisper came from Ying Ying, who was still lying on the cold, stone floor, too weak to get up. “Ah yes, my Ying Zi, you did a splendid job. I guess you didn’t waste all the time and effort I put into your nurturing, did you?” The empress who was the Master drawled, his eyes gleaming as he looked at his prodigy. “But…but why? I…I don’t understand…” Ying Ying almost sobbed in confusion, struggling to get up, to face this man on her feet, but she collapsed back on the ground again. The Master grinned nastily at her helplessness, in this state, she almost looked like her mother, the woman who had scorned him. She too had been a helpless maiden…perhaps this was how she looked when Bai Wu carried out his mission…but he didn’t care. He had stopped caring when she had refused him, he had wanted her, lusted for her…and craved her body and soul only because she was denied to him. “Because Zhao Guan Yi helped your thrice cursed father steal Yue Yin away from me, your mother was meant to be my wife! She was mine! And they took her away…I wanted them to suffer, all of them to pay for what they did! Zhao Yu, Yue Yin, do you hear me?!?” He lifted his head as he shouted to the heaven above him. “How does it feel to watch your daughter kill your best friend with her own hands?!? Does it hurt you to watch?!? Does it give you the pain and agony you put me through? Does it?!? Did you like this little show?!? DID YOU?!?” The man threw back his head and laughed maniacally….
***
His laughter faltered…his face registered shock as slowly, but steadily, Ying Ying got to her feet, looking every bit in control of her power. Whipping around, his wide, and suddenly sober eyes saw the Emperor standing up next to Yuan Feng…what the…what was going on?!? He…he had been struck by the poison missiles…he should be dead! DEAD!!! No, this…this wasn’t possible…he had won…he had!!!
“Checkmate, Assassin Master,” Yuan Feng said softly, his eyes gleaming with determination and triumph. “Checkmate.”
Stunned, he stared at the Emperor with half crazed eyes, not believing what he saw…the man he had yearned to watch die slowly, painfully in front of him all these years, filled with anguish and horror by the fact that he had been killed by the very daughter of his best friend…how could he be standing there as if nothing had happened? As if he wasn’t near death…as if his plan, the plan of the great Assassin Master had failed…no…it wasn’t possible…his mind was frozen as he watched the Emperor reach slowly, carefully, into his golden robes to withdraw a shiny metal plate…the golden needles forced into the metal surface by the enormous power behind Ying Ying’s cast. All her moves had been real, no wonder it had deceived even his keen eyes…but the Emperor had been ready. It had been all been a trap, right from the beginning, a counterplot…and the prey had been…
“Good evening, Master.” Startled, he whirled around to look back at Ying Ying, the girl who had betrayed his Guild…but she was standing there so steadily, her eyes calm…nay, there was even gleam of triumph within them. How…but she had been injured…the blood was till smeared on her chin, and…but her lips curved slowly into an icy smile, her eyes flinty. “I would greet you, Master, and wish you well, but I am no longer a shadow, a Ying Zi to be manipulated by you! And as Zhao Zhi Ying, I want you to pay…pay for all the pain and suffering you’ve dealt us all, pay for killing my parents!” Her eyes flared as she pointed her gleaming sword steadfastly at him, her face as cold as stone. “Tonight, there will be a reckoning!” He stared at her, speechless…no, it cannot be true…she could not have outwitted him, not seen through his trap…she was but his pupil, his puppet in this game of his design, she had no power to escape…to defeat him… “How did you…”
“How did I know that YOU were the one who ordered my parents murders? I’ve known all along, guessed it many years ago…all these years I’ve just been waiting to confirm it, to avenge their lives.” Reaching into her tunic with her free hand, she retrieved the book and flung it at the ground in front of him. “You didn’t really think that this would fool me, did you?” She spat, her eyes glaring contemptuously at him. “You really had everything well planned out, didn’t you, Assassin Master? Right from the moment you made me into your yingzi, it was all planned…all because my mother was smart enough to see the darkness hidden within you. Even this book of yours was part of the plan, wasn’t it? A back up plan…well, maybe it might have fooled me, even for a moment. But you forgot one little detail in this elaborate scheme of yours.” Ying Ying smiled coldly. The Master clenched his fists, a mad rage burned within him as the words sunk in…everything he had planned, had plotted and dreamed about for the last sixteen years…ruined by this mere slip of a girl! She…she was but a pawn of his…how dare she defy him?!? “What detail?” he grated out hoarsely, his eyes burning with dark rage.
“Me.” Shocked, his gaze drifted back to his hated enemy, the Emperor. His mind raced frantically in confusion as the man’s lips curved into a smile. “Don’t you recognise me, Assassin Master?” He drawled cynically. “Well, I suppose not, it has been a number of years since you sent me on that little trip over the cliff…” In one smooth movement, his final enemy had been unmasked. What?!? The Emperor…his arch enemy…was false?!? The Master stared at the strangely familiar face beneath the flawless mask, his eyes widening as he finally realised the truth. “Bai Wu!” No…how could this be? He…he was dead…Yi Hang grinned mockingly at the man who he had once called Master, at the shock on the face that was yet still masked. “Bai Wu is dead…my name is Yi Hang, and I bear the greetings of my shi fu, Wah Shenyi…” Shi…shi fu?!? The Master thought incredulously, staring at the man he had thought he had rid himself of many years ago, never in his wildest dreams would he have thought that he…he would be alive…that his shi fu had taken him in…for a moment, his eyes softened as he remembered his own shi fu, the man who had taken him in, given him shelter, and taught him the arts…but…his eyes hardened again with cold hatred. The old man had never wanted to teach him everything, he had refused to teach him the Forbidden Scriptures…making some flimsy excuse about their being too dangerous to learn…he had let Zhao Yu take Yue Yin away…the senile old man had cared about nothing but his stupid wife…he had betrayed Tian Huang, just like everyone else…but he was dead now, dead…just as Zhao Yu and Yue Yin had died for the wrongs they did to him, just like Zhao Guan Yi would…his breath caught as he finally realised something…NO!!!
“Ah, yes, Assassin Master,” Yuan Feng drawled as he took a step towards the silent, bewildered man who was now seething with dark rage, burning with anger as he was robbed of his chance for revenge…no… “It was just a little show for your entertainment’s sake…after all, how else were we to get you to reveal your gracious presence to us?” Yuan Feng asked mockingly, his eyes dancing with wicked humour. “Now, you didn’t REALLY think I would let you get near my father, did you?” As one, Yi Hang and Ying Ying fell into place beside him, the trio emanating such an aura of power that it suddenly cast a shade of doubt within the Master of Assassins. He had always believed his powers were unmatched by all…now…he wasn’t so sure. “My father does, however, send you greetings…and wish you well, on your journey to Hell, traitor.” Yuan Feng, in a quiet, deadly tone. “My parents are waiting to see you die, Assassin Master. I think they will enjoy this final act.” Ying Ying, her voice equally quiet, her eyes cold as ice as she gazed at the man who had haunted her life…never again. “Shi Fu did sort of mention that he would like me to kill off the traitor…oh well,” Yi Hang, shrugging nonchalantly, though his eyes were flinty as he stood ready, drawing on the reserves of power within him. “I guess he meant you. Goodbye, Assassin Master, and good riddance!”
The Master stared at the three of them, the three who had contrived to ruin the plans he had worked on for the last sixteen years, the three weak, pathetic, young nobodies who dared to ruin his vengeance…hatred burned like hellfire within his veins as he reached within him, drawing on the Forbidden Arts he had learnt, slowly, painfully from the scriptures he had stolen… “Just by the power of you three?” He threw back his head and laughed loudly, the hate and loath that had raged within him for so many years finally turning into a dark madness that was consuming his soul. “I’ll send you all to Hell for ruining my plans!” Without warning, he struck, throwing a ball of fierce energy so fast that the three had to leap for safety…Ying Ying ducked and rolled, jumping to her feet on one side. “No one defies me…no one! I want you all to die…DIE!!!” he screamed furiously, consumed by hate and madness…no, he didn’t care whether or not this was wise, whether or not he could escape with the thousands upon thousands of soldiers that were surely waiting for him outside…if he had to die, he would drag these people down with him, these people who had ruined his plans…who had betrayed him, just like the rest of the world…DIE!!!
****
Xin Ping had watched open-mouthed along with her younger brother as the final card had been revealed in this deadly game…her mind barely on what she was doing as she fended off blows from the other assassins…damn them, she thought, muttering choice swear words as she slashed at the men. Yuan Feng ge and Ying Ying jie jie had nearly scared the wits out of her! How could they not tell her…getting the chance for a breather as she struck down another man, she threw a glance at Kwok Zhong, whose face revealed no shock whatsoever. So he had known too…oh, did she have a thing or two to say to them later! “JIE!” Her head snapped up, her sword coming up instinctively to catch a blow…but no, it was just Zhao Heng yelling at her, “Open the doors!” “Oh…” She spun around, about to race to the great doors, but froze as Kwok Zhong’s voice was heard over the din of the battle. “No! The Master might escape! It must end here!” True…she turned back, her face grim as she met Kwok Zhong’s eyes from across the crowd. Her sword arm was poised and ready as more assassins moved towards her…let it all end here and now…her sword slashes out, clanging against the deadly blade of a would-be killer. Ge, Ying Ying jie jie, Yi Hang…please…win…or we are all lost…
****
Like a web of darkness, tendrils of pure force flew from the Master’s hands, cast out as if like a thousand snakes…searching, writhing through the night in search of power to grapple onto and drain off…leeching off the pure life energy of all that lies in it’s path. Ying Ying’s eyes widened in horror…never in all her years at the Assassin Guild had she seen the true nature of the Master’s powers…so, this was the Forbidden Arts that he had stolen…no wonder Wah Shenyi had locked them away. “Be careful, Yi Hang!” She shouted as Yi Hang had already leapt towards the Master, his hands forming a ball of energy he was about to throw…the dark, writhing tendrils lashed at him. Swiftly he cast the energy at the Master’s chest, as he flipped backwards skilfully to avoid the horrifying threads…his hand flew up like lightening to catch one just before it attached itself to his forehead. Ying Ying caught her breath as he struggled with it…the insubstantial struggle between the qi within his hands, and the dark power that tried to force it’s path towards him…to drain his life force… “YING YING!” Yuan Feng’s shout of warning made her attention snap, and she looked up as the web descended on her from above…
Ying Ying stood frozen in horror, her breath caught, her limbs refusing to react to the instincts that were screaming within her…as the deadly ends of the writhing web hurdled down towards her, intent on leeching off her very life essence…her mind was frozen as she stood there, watching the darkness hurdling towards her…dimly she heard Yi Hang yell out. Suddenly, her motionless body was shoved aside by a powerful thrust, and stunned, she felt herself on the ground, with a heavy weight on top of her. Shocked, she looked up into Yuan Feng’s face, pale from shock. “Ying Ying, are you alright?” He asked urgently, looking down at her. He had only just managed to lunge at her, pushing her out of the way of the deadly trap. She nodded slightly, her keen eyes noting movement…the tendrils that had fallen short of their prey were still writhing on the ground, reaching out…grasping at the fabric of her dress…shuddering, she pushed Yuan Feng off her, shrinking back along the ground away from the horrifying…thing! Yuan Feng quickly pulled her to her feet, both watched with wide, horrified eyes as the dark mass of writhing tendrils suddenly flew towards them again, spreading out as it flew as if to ensnare them both…
As quick as lighting, Ying Ying sent out a shower of golden needles at the tendrils of dark energy, but they passed straight through them…they had no substance…only pure, negative energy. Yuan Feng drew on the power within him, and flung it out as a golden shield of pure energy around them both. The barrier stood steady and glimmering with pure energy…the tendrils impacted against it, and paused. But then Yuan Feng’s eyes widened in horror…the barrier shimmered…the light emanating from it wavering as he felt the power draining from it…what…what was happening? Creasing his forehead in concentration, he tightened his control on the shield, pouring more qi from within him into it, to repel the dark tendrils…but…they…they were unaffected! “It’s not working, Yuan Feng!” Ying Ying shouted, her eyes filled with panic as she watched the silent battle. “It’s draining the power off the shield!” “Don’t let the ends touch you or your power! They have the ability to drain energy from whatever they touch!” Yi Hang shouted, too busy fending off the attack on himself to go to their aid.
Yuan Feng’s eyes widened in comprehension. However, his powers had been breached already…it needed time to recover, and right now, he wasn’t strong enough to…quick as a flash, he spun around to Ying Ying, who knew without words exactly what he wanted. Nodding determinately, she took his hand, her eyes filled with complete trust…for a brief moment he flashed her a smile, feeling the love for her burn within him despite their circumstances right now…how he loved her, her knowing him so well…he felt his whole body tingle as she released her qi into him, the pure energy flowing through their linked hands revitalising him. In that one instant, Ying Ying had dropped all her natural defences and opened up all her channels to him…giving him all the power within her…and in that instant, he struck. Dropping the shield, they stood steady and true as the dark tendrils hurdled towards them through the air…Yuan Feng’s eyes were calm as he drew on both their powers, combined as one, and summoned his “Whirlwind Fist” at the pebbles on the ground…like an explosion, hundreds upon thousands of stones flew up into the air, held by the power he threw at them…the tendrils of dark energy impacted the strange shield of stones, and held! Unable to move through or drain power from innate objects, the tendrils hung in midair, unable to penetrate through to their targets…
Suddenly the tides were turned in the struggle…the Master’s head shot up as he realised he was the one losing power…what…what was going on? His eyes narrowed in anger as he finally noted what Yuan Feng and Ying Ying were doing…no, it wasn’t possible…he was the most powerful fighter in the world…no one can stand against his Forbidden Arts…no one! Especially not that traitor, that wisp of a girl who had turned against him, like her mother before her…and that With an inarticulate cry of rage and fury, he cast more power behind his attack, striking viciously at the whirling shield of rock that surrounded the pair…
Yi Hang noted the Master’s distraction almost immediately, his eyes darting over to where Yuan Feng and Ying Ying stood in the midst of the battle, their faces pale as they strained against the fury of the darkness before them as it struggled towards them hungrily, bent on robbing them of their lives…for a brief moment, their eyes met. Across the distance between them, Ying Ying looked at Yi Hang, and nodded…understanding immediately. None of them could defeat the Master on their own, his powers were far too great…that left only this…may the gods have watch over us all, she thought, squeezing Yuan Feng’s hand. He met her eyes for a moment, realising what she meant through that single gesture…it was a risk, they both knew it. But there was nothing they could do…if this gamble was what it took to decide their fates, then so be it. Straining against the force that pushed against them, their hands gradually raised the swords they held…then, taking in a deep shuddering breath…they dropped the shield.
The darkness surged in one huge wave, hurdling towards them as the Master crowed with triumph, his eyes gleaming with glee as he poured all his strength into his attack…to kill them, to drain all their life essence, all their power…to punish these two who dared defy him…to send them to Hell…in his moment of triumph, he forgot all else but the figures that stood before him, waiting to die…his attention wavered. In that instant, Yi Hang reacted. Releasing the tendrils he held captive with his power, he quickly drew upon the boundless power within him, the power that had been accumulated over the years as he studied the Scriptures of the Golden Light, the scriptures his shi fu had left him to recover the use of his limbs…as well as strengthen his body. Like a lightening blow, he struck, sending a sharp spear of glowing power straight at the Assassin Master…
The darkness rained down on them mercilessly, their gleaming swords flickered in the moonlight as they slashed at the hundreds of tendrils that reached for them at once…so swiftly it was as if there was a shield of swords surrounding them…must stay alive…must keep going…not much longer…Ying Ying thought, her mind intent only on her sword and it’s dance with death…cannot stop, cannot let it in…perhaps it was the closeness between them, their knowing each other’s thoughts without really trying, or mayhap just the strengths of the wugong in both of them, but her sword movements seemed to flow in perfect harmony with that of Yuan Feng’s…like one, they strived to fend off the powerful, single-minded attack from their hated enemy…only for a few moments, to give Yi Hang time to…suddenly Ying Ying cried out in pain as one tendril slipped by her sword at last. It struck her shoulder, clamping down and draining… “Ying Ying!” Yuan Feng shouted in horror, his attention wavering as she stumbled backwards…without her part in this makeshift shield of sword strokes, the darkness finally found an opening and surged towards him…
Suddenly a hopeless scream rang through the night. A shiver rang down Ying Ying’s spine as she looked up, and caught her breath in surprise. The…the attack had faltered, and broke off. Her eyes wide with shock, she looked first at Yuan Feng’s face, pale with the energy spent, then back towards…him. The Master…who stood there, his face showing all signs of shock and horror as he looked at Yi Hang…no…it can’t be…he couldn’t help it, the Master suddenly coughed, spitting up blood. The pain…the pain that ran through his veins like burning fire…how could it be…he tried to draw on his dark powers, to kill this wretched man who had dared to come back from the dead, but…suddenly all the energy seemed to have disappeared from his body, and he fell, slumping to the ground, coughing up more blood. He can’t have been beaten…it wasn’t possible…Yi Hang took one look at the Master who had slumped down at his feet, and sighed. He had delivered a mortal blow, he knew…for he could feel the power he had put behind it…the Master had been totally defenceless in that single instant he struck…with all the power within him. It…it was a mortal blow…
Ying Ying and Yuan Feng slowly came up to stand next to Yi Hang, their eyes expressionless as they watched the Master struggle to get up, his breathing haggard in the sudden silence of the courtyard. The assassins who were still standing were shocked at their Master’s fall, staring over at the scene in horror. Xin Ping’s mouth was wide open, but her eyes danced with joy and relief. Yes! They had won…they had killed that thrice damned, horrible, nasty…her eyes narrowed as she remembered what she was doing. Quick as a flash, she ran forward and froze the remaining assassins still standing...Kwok Zhong blinked, then smiled at her quick thinking. Xin Ping met his eyes by accident, and suddenly warmth flooded through her cheeks. Blushing slightly, she looked away, her heart beating wildly. Kwok Zhong caught his breath at her sudden illuminated face…then shook his head. Wake up, this is hardly the time to…he turned around as he remembered the one last thing he had to do. Quickly, he went and unbarred the doors, pulling them slowly open…
Ying Ying was watching the Master’s desperate struggle to get to his feet, to fight again…her was face expressionless, but her eyes glimmered with unshed tears. This…this was the man she hated all her life, this…this was the moment she had dreamt about for the last sixteen years, to have him crawling in front of her…to have him dying before her very eyes…yet, why did she suddenly feel like crying? All the hate and fear that had burned within her all these years…suddenly, it was all gone. As she watched the once powerful and frightening figure collapsing on the ground, writhing helplessly before finally motionless, she felt pity well up within her. Exchanging a sombre look with Yuan Feng, who looked at her with calm, steadfast eyes that told her he knew without words, without speech, what she was feeling, she finally let go of all the hate…the tiny smile she gave him was perhaps the bravest one he had ever seen in his life. He took her hand and smiled at her, his face full of love, and pride…
****
Ying Ying and Yi Hang exchanged a sombre look before they bowed rather awkwardly to the man before them. Zhao Guan Yi, the Emperor of Imperial China had entered through the doors with a retinue of real Imperial Guards, his keen eyes noting that indeed, his son had executed the plan most brilliantly. Coming before the group of loyal youngsters who had risked their very lives to protect him and his throne, his face was benign as he gestured for them to rise. “Never mind the formalities,” he spoke, his eyes suddenly twinkling as he saw his little daughter grinning. “My daughter certainly never does with me, and it won’t do to have our guests more polite than a royal princess now, would it?” he teased, and laughed as Xin Ping made a face. “Father! You haven’t seen me for so long, and the very first thing you do is pick on me!” “Don’t remind me, young lady, I still have to settle a score with you for that little escapee of yours,” frowning slightly at her, but she only gave him an impish grin. Sighing ruefully, the Emperor shook his head, and her two brothers had to hide a grin.
Kwok Zhong, as the General of the Guards, was already busily arranging the arrest and imprisonment of the remaining would be assassins. The Emperor finally looked down at the body before him, his face expressionless. “So all along he has been hiding right under my very roof, as the Empress by my side…Kwok Zhong!” “Your Majesty?” “Send troops to the Empress’s chambers, we must find where the Assassin Master has hidden her!” “Must we?” Zhao Heng muttered in a low voice to his sister, and Xin Ping struggled not to laugh, totally agreeing with her little brother. The Empress was also their stepmother, and an unbearable, haughty…well, horrible woman. Her eyes fell on the Master’s body, who still wore the Empress’s face. She suddenly burned with an unbearable desire to see his true face, to see what this man who thought he could be an Emperor looked like. “Father, can I…” The Emperor looked at his princess, then back down at his hated enemy, the one man who had betrayed their shi fu, betrayed their brotherhood when he murdered Zhao Yu and his family, and betrayed the country itself by trying to steal the throne…yes, he too would like to see what this man looked like now, this man he had once called brother. He waved his permission to his daughter, never knowing how much he would come to regret his action…how much they would all regret it the next moment…
Ying Ying watched Xin Ping’s antics in amusement, her lips curved into a tiny smile…then all of a sudden, a chill settled in her heart. No…don’t be silly, Ying Ying, she told herself, everything was alright now, wasn’t it? Nothing could ever hurt her, or those she loved ever again…it was all over…but she couldn’t help but feel uneasy…as if there was some dark, ominous cloud hanging over her. Stop it, Ying Ying, stop scaring yourself, she scolded herself, watching with a strange unsettled feeling as Xin Ping darted forward lightly towards the Master’s body…
She never knew why she reacted, unbidden, the ominous feelings within her propelled her forward without thought, only the feeling of danger…stunned, everyone could only watch as Ying Ying lunged forward without warning and pushed Xin Ping aside…just as the Master suddenly reared upwards, his palm striking out with the very last strength in him, draining all his life energy to take someone with him, to strike at the one the Emperor loved the most…
“NO!!!” His mind was frozen with horror as he watched the nightmare unfold before his very eyes…her body flying between his sister and the man who should have been dead…a powerful blow striking her right in the side of her head…the slender, tiny figure flying through the air from a blow that should not have been delivered…he could not move, could not breathe…it…it didn’t happen, it wasn’t happening…his heart stopped beating. A hallucination…it was only a…hallucination…his horrified mind kept repeating over and over again, his blood ran cold. Dimly he heard someone screaming. It was him. “YING YING! NO!!!”
It was as if the world had suddenly ended…all he could see in his mind was her…her body flying through the air…the horrifying thump as she fell on the ground, so still and motionless that he could no longer think, no longer feel anything…his whole consciousness was emotionless as his heart stopped beating. This was not happening…the thought ran over and over again in his numb mind…it was not…he dimly heard screaming…someone screaming her name. Was that him? But it wasn’t happening…was it? He stood motionless, rooted to the ground, unable to move even though his tortured soul shrieked at him to run, to go to her…to hold her, make her get up as if nothing had happened…but he could not move, his body refused to respond. If…if he moved, then maybe it would make this real…maybe if he just closed his eyes, then…then…she would be still standing there, smiling at him as if nothing had happened…as if…
“Ying Ying jie jie?!?” Xin Ping scrambled up from the ground and ran over to her, her face pale with shock. She…she wasn’t moving…no…Xin Ping thought, striving to remain calm, though her hand shook as she reached out and turned Ying Ying motionless form over. Blood…dark red blood staining her lips…her face…oh tian…no, oh no…Xin Ping started to sob hysterically, her whole body shaking. Ying Ying jie jie…it…it was me…I…how could I be so stupid?!? It’s my fault…all my fault… Yuan Feng’s dazed, bewildered eyes finally caught sight of the dark red blood that stained her pale, lifeless face…NO!!! Suddenly his numb body was burning, burning with a fiery rage that he had never known before…YING YING!!!
His eyes burned with an anger that no one had ever seen in them as he turned back to the Assassin Master, who was still on the ground…the man looked weakly over at Ying Ying’s still, motionless form, then back at the prince and he…he started laughing. The Master threw back his head and laughed, his high pitched hysterical laughter stirred the burning rage within Yuan Feng into a roaring madness…his mind went blank as he shouted loudly, his hand moving in one smooth gesture, his face filled with a dark hatred and anger that it stunned the others present…the Assassin Master’s laughter halted abruptly. He stared down at the sword that Yuan Feng had summoned from the ground…piercing straight and true through his chest. Strangely, he could no longer feel any pain…all the power he had left, all the life energy he had within him he had used in that blow…that last defiant blow against those who he thought owed him everything. The prince was only helping him on his way…but a wry smile curved on his mouth. His eyes mocked Yuan Feng as his breathing became laboured. “I…I’ll greet…your…precious…Ying Ying…down there…soon…” His hands flexed instinctively around the sword in him as the world grew dim. “I…I still…win…I…win…” Then…Tian Huang, the Master of Assassins sighed and breathed no more.
Yuan Feng stared in shock at the man…he had killed him…he had killed the Master of Assassins. The man who had played with their lives as if they were pieces on a game board…he…he was dead? It was almost unbelievable…then, his eyes widened. Ying Ying…his Ying Ying…the rest of the world ceased to exist as he ran to her, pulling her into his arms, cradling her as if there was nothing left in the world but her…as if he would protect her with his life…but it was too late for that now. “YING YING!” He shouted, shaking her gently, “Wake up…answer me, Ying Ying…don’t scare me…Ying Ying!” Yuan Feng’s hand trembled as he slowly wiped the blood from her lips, his heart bleeding a thousand, a million times more as he stroked her pale white cheeks, cold…so cold…her beautiful face was blurred as his eyes filled with tears, tears that rolled shamelessly down his face as he pleaded desperately to her, “Ying Ying, please, wake up! Don’t leave me, Ying Ying, you can’t leave me…don’t leave me! Not again…not ever…YING YING!!!” He held her tightly in his arms, as if he refused to let Death take her from him…he won’t let her go, he won’t! He…he can’t…her cool cheek felt so very soft next to his as he held her to him, his tears of shock and horror dampening her smooth, soft skin. He closed his eyes as he pressed his lips against her temple, it…it was so hard to breathe…the sobs that choked his throat…his heart felt like it had been stabbed…his soul screamed in anguish as he held her to him, no…she won’t leave him here…she won’t… “Don’t leave me…I love you…don’t leave me…”
“Yuan…Yuan Feng…” His heart stopped beating for a moment…did…did he just hear that? His eyes widened as he pulled away, his face lighting up with hope. She…she was awake…her round eyes were sparkling with tears as she stared up at him, making a vivid contrast to her pale, white face drained of blood. “Ying Ying! You’re alright!” Yuan Feng’s voice was almost hysterical as he shouted at the Guards, at anybody… “Get me a Healer! HURRY!” His imperious order made the Guards turn and stumble against each other in their rush to obey. Yuan Feng’s soul was burning with impatience…damn it all, hurry!!! “Don’t be afraid, Ying Ying, you’ll be alright, I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise…” his voice faltered as her hand caressed his face softly, her eyes dark and mysterious as she looked up at him. He held her hand to his cheek tightly, relishing in her touch…tian, her hand felt so cold…
“I…I love…you…” her soft whisper made his heart jump, looking down at her, she had a slight smile on her lips…an ominous cloud settled over him, for some unknown reason he suddenly felt cold. “Ying Ying…” his voice failed him as she gave a small sigh, her eyes fluttering shut…his blood froze. NO! “Ying Ying! No…don’t sleep…wake up Ying Ying! Don’t…” But she was too tired…so very tired, and it hurts so much…I…I love you, Yuan Feng…but so…tired… “I LOVE YOU!!! DON’T LEAVE ME!!!” His voice…so very faint in her mind now…echoing over and over again…love you…don’t…leave…
***
The Emperor’s eyes were dark and thoughtful as he watched his son striding around the room, his pace frantic and impatient. He had never seen Yuan Feng like this, ever, and it stunned him that such a short time could change his normally calm and genial son into…into this frantic, nervous wreck…this man who heard and saw nothing except the door that separated them from the Healers and…her. The girl who had managed to evoke such a change in his son, a prince who he would never had suspected of being capable of having feelings this deep, this strong…the girl who was an assassin, but also a lady. Zhao Yu’s daughter…his sworn brother’s daughter…the girl who had just saved Xin Ping’s life, probably at the expense of her own…strangely, he did not know if he wanted her to live or not. As Yuan Feng’s father and Zhao Yu’s brother, he prayed that Zhao Zhi Ying would survive…that she would live, or else he was almost afraid of what his son might do in his grief. Yet…as the Emperor, he wasn’t so sure...Yuan Feng had MARRIED her…a prince, married to an assassin, no matter who her parents are, was not something that can be accepted in this Imperial Court. A total disaster…yet… as her life hung in the balance, the Emperor Zhao Guan Yi could only watch ominously as his son paced the room, and his daughter hiding her face in Kwok Zhong’s arms, both praying with all their heart and soul for a girl who had touched their lives only for such a very short time.
Yuan Feng saw nothing and no one…his whole world had crumbled down when her brilliant eyes had closed…they must save her, they must! He can’t lose her again…no…not after all this, after it’s all ended now! Please Ying Ying, he pleaded in the silence of his mind at the vision of a girl whose round, sparkling eyes haunted him every minute, every day. His face drained of blood as he paced, we can live happily ever after now…don’t leave me alone…not now…not ever…my love…You can’t take her from me! He suddenly thought as he stopped at the window, flinging that thought up to the heavens above him. Haven’t we gone through enough already?!? His eyes stabbed accusingly at the uncaring skies…Why must you take her…I won’t let you take her from me! No, not now, not ever, you hear me?!? YOU HEAR ME?!?!
The door suddenly swung open, startling them all. As quick as lightning, Yuan Feng pounced up on the three Healers that came out of the bedroom, his eyes filled with worry as he frantically demanded, “How is she?!?” A wave of panic swept through him as the three men exchanged solemn glances, then bowed their heads as one spoke very quietly. “Zhao Gu Niang has suffered a terrible injury to her head. Um…while her life is no longer in danger, your Highness, err…” “What?” Yuan Feng’s voice was filled with dread. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to hear this, if he could bear to hear it…but Ying Ying wasn’t going to die! She…she would live…surely, surely that meant… “The force of the blow may have traumatised her brain…throughout the whole period of time, unfortunately, we have been unable to wake her up.” “What do you mean by that?” Xin Ping asked in a tiny voice. She had come up beside her brother, slipping her tiny hand into his…Yuan Feng didn’t know if she was trying to offer him comfort, or to take it from him…her face was a pale as snow, the tears glittering on her eyelashes. “Your Highness,” the Healer took a deep breath, sighing. “Zhao Gu Niang has slipped into a coma.”
A dark silence fell upon the room, the Healers afraid to look up, to see the expression on their prince’s face…stunned, the royal siblings could only stare at the Healer who had spoken, unable to believe what they had heard. No…it couldn’t be…it wasn’t possible…Yuan Feng slipped his hand out of Xin Ping’s. His world had crumbled down upon him…Ying Ying…no…the man was lying…he had to be. His face was bleak as he reached over and grabbed the Healer by his robe, the wild look in his eyes stunning the Healer silent. “I want you to wake her up for me! NOW! You’re the best healer in the kingdom, surely you can do something this simple! If you don’t heal her, I’ll have you all killed!” He had lost all reason, all thought…nothing mattered anymore to him, nothing…the crazed look in his eyes stunned everyone. Xin Ping suddenly felt scared…this...this was not the brother she knew… “Calm down, Ge!” she cried, clutching at his sleeve. He turned to look at her, his wild eyes unseeing…Xin Ping felt fear grip her heart. This…this she had seen before, when he had thought Ying Ying dead, and he…he had gone after Wu Feng…intending to kill himself afterwards. Oh tian, please…don’t, Ge…no, not again… “Yuan Feng.” It was the Emperor. Almost numb with shock and horror, Yuan Feng could only look at his father expressionlessly, before releasing the man…the three Healers threw themselves on the ground, prostrating. “Please forgive us, your Highness!”
“When will she wake up?” The quiet, solemn voice came from Kwok Zhong. He was the only one who remained calm in the room other than the Emperor. Yuan Feng didn’t say anything, only looked down bleakly at the men cowering in front of him. “We…we don’t know, my lord. Perhaps in a few days…perhaps not for months or even, years…” Or never…the words that remained unspoken echoed in their minds…Yuan Feng shut his eyes briefly as the world crumbled before him…all the hopes and dreams he had ever had, ever cherished…without speaking, he pushed past everyone into the room, slamming the doors behind him, not caring what the others might think…he wanted to be alone with Ying Ying, his Ying Ying.
She looked so very pale, so very lifeless as she laid there on the bed, her body unmoving except for the continuous slight rise and fall of her chest in rhythm to her breathing, reassuring him that she had not left him alone…not yet. His heart broke at the sight of her thus, so very vulnerable...her face washed of all the brilliance that lit it up each and every day. Her hand felt so cold as he took it in his, trying to warm it as he held it to his lips. “Ying Ying, it’s me, Yuan Feng.” There was no response…her pale, beautiful face remained expressionless, calm…almost serene in her sleep. “Ying Ying,” his voice almost breaking as he stroked her soft,unconscious face, tears of grief running down his cheeks. Tears he had never known how to cry, not till she had entered his life, like a ray of sunshine in the midst of the dull, grey shadows... “You promised me you would never leave me again, love, do you remember? You can’t go back on your word…please, wake up. Wake up and smile at me, Ying Ying. Talk to me, laugh at me, scream at me…whatever you want, just get up, please…please…” I…I can’t live without you beside me, he cried silently, his whole body shaking with sobs as his heart filled with pain and anguish…she can’t stay like this forever…come back to me, my love…please…I don’t know how to live without you…I don’t think I even want to try…Ying Ying…he clutched at her ice cold hand as if it was his only anchor to life. Wake up, Ying Ying…I love you…I need you…wake up…
Yuan Feng stared at the misshapen little grasshopper in his hand, his face dark and brooding, the young prince trying to hide the storm of emotions within him. The grief and sorrow that haunted him, the pain and anger…and the face of a girl he loved more than life itself…it was almost ironic, he thought bitterly to himself as he twirled the little grasshopper around. His only present from her, the only thing she had ever given him that he could hold, could keep next to his heart which was filled only with anguish and pain…his face grew bitter as he remembered how, on the way back to the Palace, she had seen how mangled the poor little grasshopper had gotten. She had offered to make him another one out of straw, but he had refused adamantly, saying he preferred this one…that this one was the best treasure he could ever have, except…swiftly pulling her to him with sly smile, he had kissed her on the lips. Except her kiss. Ying Ying had flushed, then hit him lightly for his deviousness, her eyes twinkling merrily with laughter…
Yuan Feng caught his breath sharply as he remembered, his heart twinging with pain as he saw once again, her round, laughing eyes in his memory…all the memories of her, of her joy, of her laughter, of her pain and her sorrows…they haunted him day and night. After all they had been through, after all they had done…he was standing here by himself again, like last time, once more holding this trinket that was all he had of her…this thrice damned grasshopper when I should be holding her instead! Thus does fate make fools of us all, he thought bitterly. Ying Ying…what would I give…what would I give just to have you smile at me again, to hear your laughter, to see you do as you offered last time and make me another grasshopper…I would give anything, I would give up my life itself if you could make me another grasshopper again…Yuan Feng swallowed hard, trying to repress the surge of hysteria that threatened to overcome him.
It had been two months…two months since he had last heard her speak…seen her mysterious eyes twinkling eyes staring up at him…two months of watching over her, hovering over her anxiously till his father had ordered him away on this stupid mission. He had almost rebelled…refusing to leave her side, to take his eyes off her for even that one second…in case he would lose her…he couldn’t lose her…But the Emperor had been adamant that this mission was too important to entrust to any but those closest to him. To flush out the remaining assassins who had escaped from the Stronghold and had formed a rebel group in Hu Nan in a desperate, last bid to overthrow the Emperor. In the end, Yuan Feng had reluctantly agreed…despite his unwillingness, his sense of duty had forced him to go. Suffix to say the assassins were faced down with a very grim and angry prince…then he had rushed his way back home, riding his horse hard…stirred forth by the memories of a girl who tugged at his heart, wrenching at his soul…two months without her…two months without hearing her silvery laughter, feeling her gentle presence…it had seemed like two years, two centuries, like an eternity he was trapped in, without joy, without light, only endless darkness.
Now, under the moonlight, he had finally had to let his horse rest. Staring up into the night sky filled with thousands of twinkling bright lights, all shimmering down on him, mocking him for his loss…a loss that was not complete, but still made his soul feel all empty inside. That nameless yearning he had once known…now haunted him with the name of a girl, Ying Ying…a girl who was his wife. Tucking away the grasshopper carefully in his tunic, he took out a leaf. Yuan Feng’s eyes glimmered as he started to play…his eyes no longer seeing the stars above him, but the smile, the mysterious twinkle in a pair of eyes he longed to see watching him again. The tune soared effortlessly into the cool, night air…filled with all the yearning and anguish that threatened to drown him…if only she could hear this…if only she could hear me play this for her, once again…Ying Ying, my love…come back to me…wake up, please…come back…don’t leave me alone…
****
The palace had not changed in her absence, but nonetheless, she felt ill at ease. Perhaps it was not so much that the place and the people had changed, but that, she had changed. She no longer saw the world as she did…what, was it only a few months ago? Xin Ping strolled along silently through the royal gardens under the pale moonlight, her normally sparkling mischievous eyes were instead sombre, and filled with sorrow. Sorrow that had never really touched them before…but then, so much had happened to her in the last few months, like it or not, she was no longer the little princess she had been. This…this sudden weight upon her shoulders, all that she had gone through…yes, it had changed her. Yet, the palace itself had changed too, the internal balance of power had shifted…Zhao Zhi San had been banished to the outlands, never to return, Kwok Zhong was now the right hand man of the Emperor himself, even her little brother Zhao Heng was pulling his weight in the court matters, helping their father in his efforts to keep the kingdom running smoothly, and peacefully.
As for the Assassin Guild…her eyes were grim as she stopped at the bridge, staring into the dark waters. The assassins had all but disbanded on learning their Master’s death, the Master who, behind his mask, had been but a normal man. It was almost disappointing really, when he was finally revealed…to Xin Ping, he looked like just any normal man in his fifties. But he was dead already then, no longer did she see his evil dark eyes gleaming with dark intentions…but that laugh of his, that long, horrible laugh after he had struck Ying Ying echoed in the princess’s mind, haunting her dreams occasionally. Despite the warmth of the night, she shivered. Suddenly, a cloak was settled on her shoulders, and she spun around, startled. Her heart missed a beat as she saw who it was. Kwok Zhong. “You shouldn’t be out here so late, you might catch a chill.” His voice was soft, almost expressionless, but his eyes…they looked into hers, as if reaching into her soul. Xin Ping backed away uncertainly, wincing at his words. Turning away to hide her face from him, she said bitterly, “After all that I’ve done, I think I deserve much worse than a mere chill.” Her conscience tugged at her, like it had for the last two months…the same vision flashed through her mind. Ying Ying jie jie pushing her aside, Ying Ying’s face covered with blood…Yuan Feng’s pale face as he held her in his arms, the tears that she had never seen rolling down his cheeks…like a dagger, they stabbed into her heart. She scrunched up her tiny face, trying not to cry…it had all been her fault, all hers! If she hadn’t been so…so childish, if she hadn’t acted so rashly, then…if Ying Ying jie jie never woke up, if anything happened…she couldn’t hold it in anymore, she…if she hadn’t…the tears sparkled as they rolled down her cheeks, her tiny body convulsing with sobs.
His warm arms embraced her from behind, holding her tightly, giving her the comfort of his presence. “Don’t, Xin Ping, it wasn’t your fault.” “Yes it was! If I hadn’t been so stupid, Ying Ying jie jie wouldn’t have gotten hurt trying to save me, and Yuan Feng ge wouldn’t…he wouldn’t…” her voice failed her as her throat choked with sobs. He wouldn’t be like this, as if he was dead…again…just like before…if anything happened to Ying Ying, Yuan Feng ge would… “No, Xin Ping!” He turned her resisting body around firmly, tilting her trembling chin up with his hand. Kwok Zhong stared down at her, her tiny face wet with tears. The tragedy in her eyes stunned him…hitting him hard. He never wanted to see her like this, ever! She was the effervescent, cheerful, childish princess…his princess…he had once yelled at her for her being irrational, her rash, impudent ways, but in truth, it was her unruly ways as well as her strong, defiant spirit that had captured his heart. Yes, he finally admitted to himself that he loved his princess…after having worried about her by day, dreamt about her by night, the rush of feeling that had gone through his entire being when he saw her again, safe and sound…it could not be denied nor dismissed. He loved Xin Ping, and to see her as she was now, sorrowful, guilt-ridden by something that had been beyond her control…it nearly broke his heart.
“It was just fate, Xin Ping. Even if it wasn’t you, someone would have gone up to unpeel the Assassin Master’s mask, and he would still have acted as he did…yes he would!” He said firmly as he saw her about to shake her head to deny it. His hands grabbed her shoulders, shaking them gently. “Ying Ying gu niang would still have been hurt no matter what, because she would have still leapt to that person’s rescue…you know that! It wasn’t your fault, Xin Ping, stop blaming yourself!” “I…I want to believe that, Kwok Zhong, but I just…” her voice faltered in shock as he pulled her roughly into his arms, hugging her so tightly that she caught her breath. He…what was he doing? Was…was this really Kwok Zhong? That stiff, unbending, thick man who didn’t know anything about love or…Xin Ping’s heart fluttered madly as he leaned down and whispered in her ear, his warm breath tickling her skin. “Believe in me, Xin Ping. Don’t blame yourself, I…I can’t stand to see you like this.” Her face felt hot, like it was burning. What…what was he saying? “I…I don’t know what you mean,” she pulled away, staring up at him with confusion and incredulity in her eyes. He…she had never seen him like this before, ever. Kwok Zhong smiled down at her gently, his eyes filled with an intensity that took her breath away. The time of hiding, of denying it was past, he could not lie to himself anymore…
“I love you, my princess, and I don’t want to see you cry. I don’t want to ever see you cry.” A slow, incredulous smile spread on Xin Ping’s red lips…a sparkle came back into her eyes. He…he loved her? Was this true? Did she really hear that? But… “I’m so bad, Kwok Zhong. I’m spoiled and childish, and I always make such rash mistakes and…” He leaned down and kissed her, cutting her words off…slowly, Xin Ping let go of all her misgivings, all her grief…winding her arms around his neck, she kissed him back…
“Huang Jie! (err…royal sister?) Huang Jie! Ying Ying gu niang….” Zhao Heng skidded to a halt as he saw the two figures on the bridge. Hastily, they broke apart, both flushing furiously. “What…what is it?” Xin Ping muttered, her face bright red. Zhao Heng looked at her and Kwok Zhong speculatively, then a slow, sly grin came over his face. “What are you doing with the General, huang jie?” he asked innocently, his eyes twinkling with mischief. Xin Ping turned an even brighter red, then reached out and hit him lightly on the head. “Oh stop it, you horrible brat! What…what did you want?” Zhao Heng suddenly did a double take. He slapped himself on the head lightly, “That’s right, I came to tell you! Ying Ying gu niang…” “What?!? Ying Ying jie jie?!? What’s happening to her?!?” “She…” Zhao Heng didn’t even have time to finish his sentence, both Xin Ping and Kwok Zhong had hurried off, running for the guest rooms. Zhao Heng stared after them incredulously. Sisters! Shaking his head, he hurried after them, a sly smile once again touching his lips. Xin Ping jie jie and the General? Hmm, Kwok Zhong would make a good brother in law…
****
A FEW DAYS LATER, BENEATH THE FULL MOON
“Do you really want to do this?” The man asked quietly, his sombre eyes on the slender figure in the palest blue, who stood silently beside the window, bathed in the soft moonbeams as she stared up into the night sky. The whole sky shimmered with thousands, millions of stars…each glimmering down at her, twinkling, as if mocking her and the path that she walked, that she had to walk. “Yes.” One word, but it felt like it took all the courage, all the energy remaining within her to utter it. It signified the end, her acceptance of a life of eternal sorrow and emptiness…yet, it was what she must do. “I’m sorry. If we could turn back time…” His voice faltered, unable to speak. His conscience weighed heavily on his soul, but this was what must be done. They were but pawns, pieces on a game board to be played by Fate. They cannot change the moves that had been made. “It’s alright, I understand.” Her voice was soft, and filled with resignation. The tears that she could not repress glittered on her eyelashes as she tried to blink them away. “You are right, after all. We cannot change who we are, nor what the heavens would have of us.”
****
Yuan Feng stared at his little brother, stunned, unable to believe his ears…what? Did…did he really just hear that, or was he dreaming? Zhao Heng had popped up out of nowhere as Yuan Feng had wearily entered the palace gates, the first golden rays of the rising sun lighting up his tired, listless face. But as Zhao Heng repeated his words, Yuan Feng’s face lit up on it’s own…his incredulous eyes shining with tears of joy and wonder. Ying Ying…she…she had woken up?!? She had come back to him…she wouldn’t leave him alone…he knew it! Flinging himself off the horse, he grabbed his brother’s arm, firing rapid questions at the bewildered young man. “She’s really awake?!? When did this happen? How is she now?!?” “Err…ge, Ying Ying gu niang woke up from her coma two nights ago…um, the Healers all say she is fine, except…” But Yuan Feng was no longer listening, instead he had started running…running for the guest rooms where she was, where the girl he could not lose was right now. Two nights ago…two nights ago he had played that tune on his leaf to the night sky, calling her, begging her not to leave him alone…had she heard? Had she really heard his call? Yuan Feng didn’t know, he didn’t care…like a mad man, he dashed through the palace, pushing pass all the people who cluttered his path. Ying Ying…Ying Ying…she was awake…she…she would laugh and smile at him again, and the world would be alright again…
Zhao Heng panted, gasping for breath as he tried to catch up on his brother. Damn it all! Why don’t any of them ever listen to all he has to say first?!? His eyes were worried as he traced his brother’s figure, dashing away like mad in front of him. He…he hadn’t heard it all yet…tian, he didn’t even want to know what his brother’s reaction was going to be…when he found out that…
****
“YING YING!” He shouted cheerfully as he pushed open the doors, racing into the room with a big grin on his face. His eyes lit up with joy as he saw the slender figure standing there, her face pale against the green dress she was wearing. “Oh my love, I’ve missed you so much!” Without warning, he swept her up into his embrace, holding her tightly, as if he was never going to let go again. “I was worried sick about you! How could you scare me like this…are you feeling better now? Do you still feel sick, or dizzy or…” His voice trailed off in astonishment as she suddenly pushed him away forcefully. His wide, incredulous eyes stared at her, stunned. “Ying Ying? What…?” His voice trailed off as biting fear settled into his heart, gnawing at him…she was looking at him with those same, round sparkling eyes, but something…something was missing. Something was wrong. Very wrong. What…his frantic, confused mind struggled to think…what was wrong…why did she… “Who are you?” His heart stopped beating. Yuan Feng’s face drained completely of blood as he stared at her incredulously, not wanting to believe his ears, what he had just heard. No…it wasn’t possible…it was just some cruel, twisted joke his mind was playing on him… “Ying Ying, what are you talking about?” his voice was trembling as he reached out to her hesitantly, but she backed away quickly, her eyes wide with confusion. “I…I don’t know you, do I?”
The world came crumbling down around him for the second time in months as he looked at the woman he loved more than life itself…his whole body shook with shock, his heart aching with anguish and horror…the woman he loved was staring back at him, with wide bewildered eyes. She…she no longer knew him…
Yuan Feng stared at her, his wide with shock, and disbelief. No, it couldn’t be, Fate wouldn’t play such a cruel joke on them, not again…hadn’t they gone through enough yet? It…it wasn’t true…it couldn’t be…his heart wrenched with pain and anguish as his lips curved into a awkward smile on his bloodless face. “Ying Ying, you’re…you’re joking, right? This…this isn’t funny, quit it, you’re…you’re scaring me…” He reached out to her, his eyes filled with a desperate pleading that stabbed right into her soul. But she could only look back at him, her round eyes sad. Slowly, she shook her head, her hand pulling away from his desperate grip. “I…I’m sorry, I really don’t know you…please, you must have mistaken me for someone else, I…” “No! It’s not real, this isn’t happening!” Yuan Feng exploded, moving forward to grasp her shoulders, shaking her, his mind filled with a desperate urgency and fear…she had to recognise him, had to know him…he was her love, her husband, her soulmate…she couldn’t forget, he…he couldn’t lose her…no. “Ying Ying, look at me, look at me! I’m Yuan Feng, remember? We…we’ve been through so much together, you gave up nearly everything, including your own life for me, remember? Tian, don’t scare me like this, I can’t take this anymore, this constant fear of losing you…I need you, Ying Ying! How can you forget me, forget us, forget all that we have together?”
There were tears in his eyes, sparkling tears of anguish that rolled slowly down his face…damn it all! Why must the Heavens be so cruel on them both? Wasn’t all they lived through, all they suffered enough?!? Ying Ying stared up at him, at the sparkling tears rolling down his cheeks, and felt her heart flip. But…she shook his hands off her, backing away to the door. Her eyes avoided his intense gaze, the vision of his pale, horrified face filled with loss. There was nothing she could do for him… “I’m sorry,” she whispered, her face twisted in regret, her round eyes sparkled with unshed tears at his anguish. “I…I really don’t know…I’m sorry.” Turning, she ran outside, leaving Yuan Feng standing there motionlessly, staring after her in pure shock, unable to speak or think anymore. He…he didn’t know what to do…there was only the deep sense of loss that gripped his soul…and a gut wrenching agony within his heart, that would never ever fade…not without her in his life…
***
“How did this happen? Why did it happen?!?” Yuan Feng strived to keep his voice calm, his feelings under control. But it was so hard to do so while he sat here, across the stone table from Yi Hang, who was watching him with those clouded, dark eyes when all the while the girl who filled his heart, his soul…his very existence with her smiles, her laughter…her bewildered eyes that did not know him. It wrenched at his heart that was bleeding inside…the vast, empty feeling of loss haunted him, making his heart frantic for answers, for anything that would bring her back. Bring back that joy and happiness he had only ever felt in her presence… “Yuan Feng, I’m sorry.” “I don’t want sorry, I want answers, damn it!” Yuan Feng shouted, his fists clenched as he gripped the edge of the stone table, his eyes burning with impotent anger as he shot Yi Hang a glare…Yi Hang didn’t blame him. He knew that right now, there was no reasoning with Yuan Feng, who seemed almost half crazed with frustration and anger, the whole world was conspiring against him to steal his Ying Ying away…steal his very life away… “There is no way of estimating the amount of injury the Assassin Master’s blow did to Ying Ying’s mind. With the force of the blow, it was lucky that she didn’t die, but instead she went into a coma as it healed…but…”
Here Yi Hang paused, giving Yuan Feng a sombre look. The prince was pale, deathly pale, but there was no expression on his face as he waited for Yi Hang to continue. Yi Hang didn’t want to say it, to say speak the death sentence to this prince’s hopes and dreams, a prince who had somehow become his friend. Yet…it was what must be done. “But she’s somehow lost her memory, Yuan Feng. Ying Ying doesn’t remember anything about her past other than her childhood, she has no recollection about anything from the point where Bai Wu became her brother. Nothing about the Assassin Guild and the Master, about being Ying Zi, about…about you.” Yuan Feng’s breath caught. She…she didn’t remember anything? All the memories of them, of their past, of the love they shared…gone? No, he can’t let this happen, he can’t…he reached over and grabbed the front of Yi Hang’s clothes urgently, his eyes almost wild as he yelled at the man, “You’re Wah Shenyi’s disciple, you learnt everything he ever knew…surely there’s something you can do, something you can give her to make her remember! I can’t let her just forget everything like this, just look at me like I’m some kind of stranger, Yi Hang…”
“Yuan Feng, calm down…I know it’s a shock, but…” Yi Hang tried to speak, but faltered as Yuan Feng threw back his head and laughed bitterly, the wild look on his face was almost frightening. “Calm down?!? How can I calm down?!? The only woman I’ve ever loved, the girl I’ve almost lost and found again, she’s looking at me like she doesn’t know me, like we’ve never met!!! Damn it all, Yi Hang, you have no idea what Hell I’m going through right now, so don’t even try!” With a sigh that was almost a sob, Yuan Feng grabbed at his pained head with his hands, trying to control the surge of pure rage within him. Stop it, stop being so irrational, think Yuan Feng, think! He tried to reason with himself, but this fear and horror that gnawed at him within, he…he didn’t know what to do, it was not something he knew…no, he did feel this once before. When he had thought Ying Ying was dead…when he had thought he had lost her. But this time…he had lost her even when she was standing right in front of him, her eyes avoiding his as she smiles at the only person she remembers…her Bai Wu ge ge. There was no way he could reason or control the anguish that tortured his mind, stabbed at his heart…he felt dead inside. It hurt so much, this pain and grief, that he felt almost numb inside…like he didn’t even know himself anymore. “Can’t you heal her?” his soft, hoarse whisper repeated the question he had asked earlier, the pleading tone in it wrenched at Yi Hang’s heart. He wished desperately he could say the things that Yuan Feng wanted to hear, the words that would staunch the pain that he knew the prince would be feeling inside. But he knew he couldn’t, that he shouldn’t… “I’m sorry, Yuan Feng. There’s nothing I can do.”
**
Yi Hang looked at her, at her gaunt, pale face, her round dark eyes glimmered with unshed tears. In the safety of Xin Ping’s room, she had finally taken off that heavy jewellery headpiece she had been made to wear, resting her weary body on the wooden chair with some relief. In her present spun silk outfit, adorned with jewels, she looked every bit the noble lady she had been born as, but…the sorrow and weariness was all too apparent in her countenance. They knew, as she did, that she did not belong here…that though she was born as a noble, Fate had taken her down a different path…that no matter what everyone said, no matter what may have happened between her and Yuan Feng, she was still but Ying Ying, and she…no matter what she felt, what she yearned for, she knew it was wrong. Yi Hang looked at her, remembering when he had first seen her…the little girl chasing a butterfly so innocently and carefree on a field of grass. Suddenly she reminded him of that butterfly, so very fragile and precious…a butterfly that had been trapped within the dark cage of the Stronghold. Butterflies were meant to be free…to roam the skies unbounded, yet, even now, back in a place and position she was born to be in, she still looked out of place.This palace…so very majestic in it’s riches and splendour, surely it was like heaven itself. Yet why did she look like a butterfly trapped in a cage, albeit a golden one?
“Ying Ying…” he began, but paused as she looked at him, the sorrow and weariness within her eyes striking him to the core. “I know what you’re thinking…it’s true. I don’t belong here, it’s like some big, golden cage…and I know it, and you know it. You both do.” Xin Ping, who had been silent all this time, suddenly ran forward, grabbing her hands. Her heart was tearing at her…for the past few weeks, she had seen her brother dying before her very eyes…the pain and grief that was written all over his face as he tried, each and every day, to remind Ying Ying of the past, to bring back her memories. The desperation and anguish that gripped his soul as Ying Ying had only looked back at him distantly and shook her head slowly…it tore at all their hearts. Xin Ping’s conscience wrenched at her, her beloved brother was in so much pain, and now, they were hiding this from him until the very last minute…it was as if they were sentencing his death. “Ying Ying jie jie, must you go? Why? Why must it be so, Yuan Feng ge…”
“He…he would be better off if he didn’t see me, if I wasn’t around to remind him of the past…” Ying Ying swallowed, trying to speak from behind the emotions that choked her throat. She felt as if she couldn’t speak, couldn’t think…if Yuan Feng had felt pain and anguish at the thought of her not knowing him, then she had felt a hundred, a thousand times worse…every day, Ying Ying had felt so close to breaking. Her heart had wrenched in agony as he stood before her, his eyes desperately pleading her to remember filled with anguish that tugged at her core. Because each and every day, it took all the courage and power within her entire being to look him right back in his eyes and say she didn’t…to hide the love and pain that threatened to reveal itself in her eyes…to resist the yearning to throw herself into his arms, where she felt so happy, and loved. Her soul was racked with anguish and sorrow every time she saw him, because it meant she had to tell him once again she did not know him, did not feel anything, did not remember anything, when…she did…. “Xin Ping, it’s for his own good, I can’t stay, I can’t be so selfish. He…he will forget me, one day…he will. He has to…” Tian, he has to, I cannot be with him…I cannot stay here…I don’t belong here. I will never belong…he must forget me…he must…
“And if he doesn’t? Ying Ying jie jie, you know how much he loves you! What if…what if…” “I have to go, Xin Ping, I…I can’t stay, it hurts so much…too much.” The bold front she had put forth collapsed, here, it was finally safe to let it down, to be…be herself. Ying Ying bit her lip, trying to suppress the tears that rolled down her cheeks…she looked away, refusing to meet Xin Ping’s eyes. “We…he and I…we were never meant to be. What happened before…it was a mistake, just one stupid mistake. I have to leave now, let it just end here and now, before…he will go on, and be his prince, his heir to the throne. He will forget me, forget all this and be a good ruler, and I…” her voice faltered. I…will continue to live as Ying Ying, as the girl without her memories…the girl who no longer remembered her love. Continue to live this lie…yes, for his sake, I can do this…I will. They had never stopped to think, their love had blinded them to reality. A reality that had reasserted itself with a firm harshness that made a deep impression on her soul. It…it was true…she had no place here, in this cage, in his life…the life of a prince who would be a good and wise king…Ying Ying knew she had to leave, to make him forget her, for his own sake, for his future. It…it had been but a dream, one wondrous, beautiful dream that she would treasure all her life, but just a dream. He will live on, and become a great man, while she…she will run, run as far as she could from here, with only the memories to keep her company, every vivid memory of him will haunt her for the rest of her life. But it was enough…it had to be enough. That they had loved once, that he had loved her once, that was enough…
“Ying Ying jie jie…” Xin Ping whispered pleadingly, her eyes brimming with tears. She…she felt awed at the courage of this girl, she could not imagine herself being able to do as she did, to give up everything that she loved and cared about, for the sake of the man she loved…for his future that had no place for her. Yet…sorrow wrenched at Xin Ping’s soul…deep inside, a voice was shrieking that this was wrong, this was all wrong, it wasn’t supposed to end like this! Love…it should vanquish everything, shouldn’t it? This…this was wrong… “Xin Ping, it’s alright, really. I…I understand. I truly do…” Ying Ying’s lips curved into a bitter smile, the tears sparkling in her dull, lifeless eyes as she looked at them, at them both. “It was just a mistake...princes…princes don’t marry assassins.”
***
Yuan Feng’s entire being was struck with horror as he listened to his Father’s announcements in the court. The Emperor of China was thanking Yi Hang and Zhao Zhi Ying for their parts in exposing and defeating the traitors, and bestowing upon them their rewards. The Emperor of China nodded, and gave them his permission to…what?!? She…she was leaving?!? Yuan Feng couldn’t believe it, his eyes shot a horrified look at Ying Ying’s slender figure, still knelt before the Emperor’s throne. Her face was still so very pale, and lifeless…there was none of the joy and laughter he had grown to love to see illuminating her eyes. She was leaving him?!? His blood ran cold at that thought…he could bare her not recognising him, her not remembering their past, if he could still see her every day, hear her voice, know that if he wanted to find her, he could. But…but if she left…he would never see her again, never see her smile, see her laugh…he needed to see that, to hear it…even if that laugh wasn’t to him. He would lose her totally…lose even this last, futile hope that she might remember…that the old Ying Ying would be back one day…
NO! I can’t let her go, let her just disappear from my life like this, I can’t! He took one step forward, as if to speak, to tell them all that she couldn’t leave, that he had married her, so very long ago, on a night when their souls had become one. That he had sworn to always love and protect her, that they were bonded via a ritual that cannot be broken…and that she couldn’t leave him, because she was his, his wife, his soul mate, his everything! But someone pulled at his sleeve. Jerking around, he looked at his little brother in surprise. “What…” He began softly, but Zhao Heng shook his head slightly. “Don’t, ge…not here. Not now.” Confused, he could only look at his brother bemusedly, then back at Ying Ying, who was avoiding his intense gaze.
I must be strong, she told herself, repressing the rising flood of emotions that his single gaze evoked within her. For him…for his sake, let me be able to play this charade to the end, let me be able to smile and bade him goodbye, let me be able to walk away without breaking down…these tears that I feel today, let me shed them tomorrow. I must do this, I must…she repeated over and over to herself, trying to steel herself against the anguish and pain that was wracking her heart, her mind. A life without Yuan Feng…was it possible? Could she truly do this? Could she let go of the man who she had loved from the very first time their eyes met, the man whose voice, whose touch, whose very presence was etched deeply into her memories, never to fade? She bit her lip to stop herself from crying, from betraying herself…she could not look at him, because if she did…she would lose herself again…lose that little resolve she had left, that little resolve that had not been totally shattered by his single glance. Heaven help me, she sent the bitter thought to heavens, the one that liked so much to play with their lives…to torture them with a dream that could not survive reality...after all you've done, this is the least you could grant me...
Tian, give me strength…give me the courage I need to leave him…
The tears I feel today
I’ll wait to shed tomorrow.
Though I’ll not sleep this night
Nor find surcease from sorrow.
My eyes must keep their sight
I dare not be tear-blinded.
I must be free to talk
Not choked with grief, clear-minded
My mouth cannot betray
The anguish that I know.
Yes, I’ll keep my tears till later
But my grief will never go.
***
“Just let it go, Yuan Feng.” He could only stare at them with an incredulous expression on his face, at the two men in the room who could say those words so calmly. They…they had no idea what he was going through right now, what she meant to him…just let it go?!? Just like that, so casually? It was like they were telling him to just let the world end, just let the sky fall… “Son, I’m sure it’ll be alright, you will get over this incident soon,” the Emperor tried to console his son, not liking the frozen, pale look on his face, nor the unusual silence of the room. “It’s just a girl, Yuan Feng, surely…” Just a girl…did they really believe that was all that this meant to him? Just a girl…just another normal incident in the life of a noble man…just…just a fling?!? Suddenly he threw back his head and laughed softly, his laughter sounding almost half crazed with hysteria. They…they have no idea, no idea at all, he thought bitterly to himself, how can they believe that it’ll just be alright, just like that?!? It would never be alright, nothing in the world would ever be alright again if he lost her…if she disappeared from his life. There would be nothing but darkness, and endless pain… “She is my WIFE, damn it! She is the only person who’s ever made me feel happy, who’s ever seen me for who I am, and you want me to just LET IT GO?!?” his voice raised in incredulity as he shouted at his father, at Yi Hang, who was taking her from him…taking her away with him. “You are both mad, the both of you! She is mine, my love, my wife, I married her, I made a vow to love her forever, and I’m NOT going to lose her!”
“YUAN FENG!” His father said imperiously, his face angry at his disrespect, but Yuan Feng didn’t care, it…it was too much. All of it…damn it, he only wanted her, wanted to spend the rest of his life with her beside him. Was that so much to ask?!? “What you did was irresponsible, your marriage is supposed to be an affair of state, and you know that! You’re a prince! Princes don’t marry assassins, no matter who her parents are! What has gotten into you?!? What happened to your sense of duty, your responsibilities to the kingdom? Are you going to just put them aside for a woman? What happened between you was a mistake, and it has no binding on you, or Zhao Zhi Ying. You hear that?” His imperious order made Yuan Feng stare at him in stunned disbelief. He couldn’t believe his ears, his face drained of blood. Forget that it had ever happened? Forget that she was the only person to touch his heart, the only one whose image was burned into his memories…his soul mate…just like that? No, what happened between them had not been a mistake, he had married her because they loved each other, they were meant to be…damn it! Just because he was a prince, he was expected to give up all that he loved, all that ever wanted in life for some stupid rule?!?
He opened his mouth to rebuke him, his eyes flashing with anger, but stopped as Yi Hang stepped forward, taking his arm. “Yuan Feng, don’t. It’s for the best, really. Ying Ying doesn’t even remember what happened between you two that night, nor the marriage. Just let her go.” “You too, Yi Hang?” He asked incredulously of the man who he had called friend. The man who was now asking him to give up the only person who ever made his heart sing. Why was everyone doing this to him? Why were the fates themselves conspiring to take her away from him, the only person he ever loved? “Yuan Feng, the Emperor is right. You’re the Royal Prince, the possible heir to the Imperial Throne, you and Ying Ying…even if she’s no longer an assassin, she’s still not the lady she was born as. She’s just a normal girl, how can you expect her to live, to survive here in the palace? Can you see her as the future huang fei (prince’s wife?), or as the Empress? For her sake, and yours, it might be better if what happened that night just…fade away into the past where it belongs.”
Stunned, Yuan Feng could only stare at Yi Hang without a word, his mind whirling with shock. True, he had never thought beyond…Ying Ying living within the palace? His beautiful, strong and courageous princess trapped in this place that he himself hated…Ying Ying, the Empress? No…she would never be happy thus, but…but he had never seen himself as the Emperor either…he had never thought beyond now, he…he had never stopped to think. For her sake, should he let go? Let go of a girl who no longer remembered him nor her past…let her live the normal, peaceful life that she had been denied before? But he loved her…he needed her…was there life without Ying Ying? Could he live without her in his life, without seeing her smile, hearing her laughter, feeling her in his arms, where she belonged? He didn’t know if he could do that…if he could go through life knowing that he had given up the only person who had seen him as Yuan Feng the man, not the prince, and loved him for it…the only person who could light up the greyness of his life…could he? Could he really do that, and still be alive, truly alive? For without her, there was nothing…nothing at all.
***
There. It was done. She stared at the small bundle she had packed, the unshed tears that threatened to fall glimmered in her round, sorrowful eyes with the flickering lamp light. At the tiny grasshopper she had made when she first woke up, intending to give it to Yuan Feng as a surprise. Now, she may never give him this, the only thing she could ever give him. For she was not to know, not to remember the past…a bitter smile twisted her bloodless lips. It had been so hard, so hard to pretend not to see, not to remember, when their past haunted her day and night, filling her heart with pain and anguish. For it was a dream, just a dream, that she had no right to have. Tian…she didn’t know if she could do this, if she could really walk out that door tomorrow…and not turn back, not see his eyes watching her, pleading her to stay, to not leave him…could she leave him? She didn’t know…she didn’t know anything anymore, only that she wished that the morning would not come, would never come. If only the sun would never rise…if only this night would last forever…if only… Because after tomorrow, she would never see him again, never hear his voice, see him smiling at her, nor feel his presence beside her…
Don’t cry, Ying Ying, tian, don’t cry! She told herself fiercely, clutching at the tiny grasshopper until her knuckles went white as she tried to repress the surge of anguish and pain within her. No, you can cry later…when it’s safe, when…when there was nothing left for her to do but to cry, to grieve, to remember…for she didn’t know what she was going to do, nor where she was going…without him. Yuan Feng, Yuan Feng…her heart cried endlessly into the silence of her soul. She could see his eyes watching her, even in her memories, the way they twinkled with merriment, the intensity in them as he told her how much he loved her…they tugged at her heart, wracking her entire being. How do I live without you? How can I walk away? But…but I have to…for your sake, I have to…my love, I’m sorry…so sorry…the tears began to fall, unnoticed as they rolled down her pale, lifeless cheeks. I have to, because he is right…we were never meant to be.
Ying Ying’s eyes filled with a haunted expression as
she remembered, remembered that night, when the Emperor had chose to speak with
her. To tell her that Yuan Feng would one day be Emperor, that if she was the
Empress…would she be able to play her part in the game? Or was it that they
had never stopped to think of the consequences of their marriage vows that
night, that neither of them had expected to have a future together thus…she
was an assassin, he was a prince. “I’m sorry. If we could turn back
time…” The emperor’s voice had faltered. Ying Ying could see how hard it
was for him to say this, to ask her to consider Yuan Feng’s future, to
consider the future of the nation…if only her family were not murdered, if
only she had grown up to be the Lady Zhao Zhi Ying she should have been. But she
was Ying Ying, once Ying Zi…an assassin. No matter who her parents were, nor
what part she had played in this battle, she was still an assassin, a member of
the pugilistic world…would the other lords and gentry accept her as their
queen? As the wife of their future emperor? For Yuan Feng’s sake, she should
leave him now, let him go back to being his prince, to being a man with duty and
honour carved into his soul, let him be the emperor he was bought up to be. So
what if the rest of her life would be filled with emptiness and sorrow, if she
would spend it wandering alone, in the vast world that meant nothing to her, not
anymore? Her life…in return for one of glory and joy, in return for his…it
meant nothing. “It’s alright, I understand “ she had told the Emperor, her
heart feeling dead. For Yuan Feng, she would do anything…anything. Their
marriage was not a mistake to them, she…she had felt blessed, every minute
with him was a gift from the heavens to her. But in exchange for a bright future
for Yuan Feng, she would give it up, give it all up. For nothing in the world
was as important within her heart, her soul than him. “You are right, after
all,” She had spoken bleakly to the Emperor, with a twisted bitter smile on
her lips, “We cannot change who we are, nor what the heavens would have of
us.”
The sudden noise from the door outside startled her. Jerking to her feet, she
stared blankly at the door for a moment, wondering…it sounded like something
had slumped against it. Curious, despite her depression, she hastily wiped the
moisture from her face as she approached the door, her hands ready for any
attack…some assassin instincts were hard to break. Cautiously, she opened the
doors, and froze in shock. “Yuan…Yuan Feng?” she stuttered in surprise,
her hands reaching out almost automatically to the figure who had been half
leaning against the door, and had slumped inside as she opened it. Her arms went
around him, supporting his staggering figure as he floundered across the floor
for the table. “What…Yuan Feng…what are you doing here? You…you’re
drunk!” Exasperated, she half deposited him on the chair, then spun around to
shut the doors. It was probably against all palace propriety to be drunk, much
less in her room…as if he wasn’t in enough trouble already! Shaking her
head, her pretence of amnesia momentarily forgotten, Ying Ying fussed busily
over the drunken prince slumped on her table, trying to wake him up with a wet
cloth. “Yuan Feng, wake up! You’re not supposed to be here…did you want me
to get you some tea or something…” Tian, what do you use to sober up someone
who’s drunk? Oh never mind, just try anything, Ying Ying, he would be in so
much trouble if anyone found him here… “Ying…Ying…” Yuan Feng mumbled
in his stupor, grasping weakly at her worried hands on his forehead.
“Wait here, Yuan Feng, I’ll go…go get you some tea…wait…” She half turned to go, but froze as he suddenly threw his arms around her waist, burying his head against her body. “Don’t…don’t go…don’t leave me…” he half sobbed in his stupor. Her heart broke at the tone in his voice, at the desperate pleading in his drunken words. But no, she had to go, she had to… “Yuan Feng…” the tears began to well in her eyes again, sparkling with light as they rolled down her soft cheeks. He was clinging to her so tight as if she was his only anchor to life, mumbling her name over and over again like it was some kind of talisman, the words piercing her to the heart. My love…my love, don’t…I can’t bare this, I can’t…her hands ran themselves through his hair unbidden, feeling the silky strands slip through her fingers. I don’t want to leave…I don’t want to become the shadow, the yingzi in your life again, but I have to…
Sighing heavily, she suppressed the urge to start weeping, to fling her arms around him and cry…to tell him the truth, to promise him that she would never leave. Because she couldn’t be so selfish…to sacrifice his future, to dash away all the Emperor and the kingdom’s dreams…she couldn’t. Steeling herself with this resolution, she leaned over and unhooked the half unconscious prince’s arms from around her, helping him to his feet. Staggering under his weight, she stumbled as she deposited him on the bed. Better let him sleep it out, she thought as she arranged his limbs onto the bed, then reached over with a wet cloth to put on his forehead. Her hand lingered over his face, tracing a path along his skin…her breath caught in her throat as her fingers brushed against his lips as he tossed and turned in his drunken stupor. Her heart was aching so much within her as she looked upon his dear, beloved face…the feel of him beneath her fingertips…a person she loved more than anything in the whole world…a person she would never see again. She took a deep, shuddering breath, closing her eyes as if to shut out the pain…shut out the cruelty of reality.
Suddenly a warm hand closed over hers, and her eyes opened in shock to see him looking straight at her. “Ying Ying,” he said quite clearly. Oh no, what had she done? He…he didn’t know, didn’t suspect the truth, did he? “Yuan…Yuan Feng…” she began haltingly, then sighed slightly in relief as he smiled drowsily. No, he was still very drunk…She got up as if to go, but then he refused to let go of her hand. With a sudden jerk, he pulled her down into his arms, the alcohol on his breath swimming over her as he kissed her face, her soft lips, murmuring her name. Ying Ying stiffened and made as if to pull away, but then stopped. Yuan Feng…she thought yearningly, as he held her slender body to his tightly, his hands moving through her silky hair as he kissed her drunkenly, his eyes filled with blurry passion. A sudden rush of yearning filled all her senses…she had made her resolution, yes…she would do what she have to, tomorrow…she would walk away from him, and let him live his life in glory and prosperity. She would go willingly, for him, but now…she moaned softly as he kissed the sensitive skin behind her ear, the alcohol on his breath intoxicating her senses. Just this once, this last night…let them be together again, for the very last time…he would not remember it tomorrow, in his state of drunkenness now, but she…Ying Ying’s eyes filled with tears as slowly, then passionately, she kissed him back, looping her arms around his neck, holding him close. She would treasure it for the rest of her life…this last night with the man who was her soulmate, her husband, her prince…her Yuan Feng...
***
Yuan Feng jerked up on the bed, his eyes wide as he stared blankly at the wall. What the…oh tian, his head hurt! Clutching his head, he tried to think, to concentrate…there was something very important…something that had made him wake up in shock. What the heck was it again? Tian…his head felt like it was being split in two…drowning sorrows in a wine cup was definitely not a good idea, but what else could he do? Sorrows? What sorrows…his head jerked up, his face draining of blood. Ying Ying…Ying Ying was leaving him…she was walking out of his life, and he was just going to let her do that…because she no longer remembered him. Because she would not be happy here…because…I’m losing her, I’ll never see her again! No…I can’t…even if I have to let her go, for her sake, I have to see her one last time, to hear her voice…the blood rushed through his body as he realised that the sun had already risen outside. Oh damn, tian, let me be in time, she can’t have left yet…jumping out of bed, he reached over to grab his clothes…then froze. The obvious fact had finally struck him.
This…this wasn’t his room. Where was he? This…this looked like the guest room…oh tian. Suddenly the vague dreams he thought he had had strike him right to the core. His blood ran cold. Oh TIAN! Ying...Ying Ying…he…it hadn’t been a dream, had it? He was in her room…he had…they had…his confused mind tried to grasp the vague, bewildering memories. What…what was going on?!? His whole being was filled with horrified guilt and remorse as reality hit him hard. How could he…when she didn’t even remember him…what must she be thinking…oh tian, I’ve got to catch up with her, I’ve got to talk to her! Fumbling with his shoes, he started to sprint outside when something caught his eyes.
For the second time that morning, his mind froze with shock as his heart jumped. The blood thudded heavily in his splitting head as he stared at it with wide, stunned eyes, unable to believe his sight. Slowly, almost in a trance, he approached the table. His trembling hand reached out cautiously, almost afraid, afraid that it was only his hallucination…that it would fade into the mist. But no, it was real…Yuan Feng stared at the perfect little grasshopper in his hand, his face expressionless as he reached inside his tunic with his other hand to take out the tiny, misshapen one he carried next to his heart all this time. Looking at the two with wide, disbelieving eyes, it was as if he was thunderstruck…then slowly, realisation dawned…
“Ying Ying.” Her blood froze as she heard his quiet voice, her heart beating wildly. No…why must he be here, when she had been about to go through those gates, why must the heavens torture her this one last time? She…she had said her goodbyes already, though in her heart she knew she would never leave him behind, that he would haunt her dreams forever. But this flood of anguish within her, this bittersweet pain and longing that his single call evoked…she didn’t want to see him, she didn’t know if she could look him in the eyes and not break down, not give in to the yearning that wrenched her soul even now. It was so hard to control her heart, so hard to suppress these tears that threatened to fall...so hard to leave him with this façade that would bring him peace and a bright future in the years to come, but will leave her with nothing but sorrow and regret. But she must…plastering a fake smile on her face with effort, she turned around to face him, face the man she was about to leave forever. “Good morning, Your Highness,” she said stiffly, her head tilted down slightly, her eyes looked at him hesitantly, then quickly glanced away…she didn’t want to meet his eyes, didn’t want him to see…
“Why are you lying to me?” His cold stony voice surprised her. She gave him a startled glance, then dropped her eyes as she mumbled quietly, flustered, “I…I don’t know what you mean, Your Highness, I…” “Ying Ying, stop it! Stop pretending, stop lying to me!” Yuan Feng said in harsh voice, walking swiftly up to her, grabbing her shoulders in a tight grip that hurt. “I’m not…” she tried to speak haltingly, but her words were cut off. “Look at me, damn it, look at me!” He shook her by her shoulders, as he repeated softly, “Look at me.” Ying Ying swallowed hard, her heart fluttering wildly as she hung limply in his grasp, unable to speak, to move…powerless in the sea of wild, frightening emotions that rushed within her. Slowly, almost fearfully, she lifted her eyes to find his intense eyes burning into hers, his face a deadly pale as he spoke softly. “I dare you look me in the eyes and tell me that you don’t remember me, that you don’t remember us. Go on, tell me!”
She opened her mouth, but she couldn’t speak, couldn’t hold up the façade with his eyes burning into her soul…her heart was stabbing with pain as she bowed her head, unable to pretend anymore. All the strength she had had, all the will power…gone. She couldn’t do it anymore…couldn’t suppress the tears that flowed down her cheeks now. “How…how did you know?” she asked falteringly, her soft voice sounded bewildered, almost lost. Yuan Feng sighed inwardly in relief…so it was true, she did still remember him…thank heavens. His tight grip on her shoulders relaxed slightly. “I found the other grasshopper.” Ying Ying closed her eyes briefly in remorse, so it had been that little trinket of hers…that bit of foolishness on her part that had given it all away. Now he knew…now he would not be able to let go without guilt, without regret…all she wanted was to set his heart to be free, to lead the life that was intended for him, without shadows of the past, without a girl who would only be a burden. Now…
She still did not look at him… didn’t she know how much pain he was in, how cruel this was to him, to the both of them? Why? Why was she suddenly so afraid of him, how could she do this to him? “Why, Ying Ying?” he asked softly, in a voice filled with pain, shaking her gently, not letting go of her. He was afraid to, afraid that if he did, she might slip away again, fade into the mist like some dream. “Why are you doing this? Why are you leaving me?” “Because I…because I have to,” she whispered softly, trying to pull away from him but he refused to let go. “What are you talking about?!? You don’t have to do anything! Not unless you want to…do you want to leave me, Ying Ying? Do you want me to forget you, forget our love, forget all that we’ve ever done, all that we were meant to do? Do you?” His angry, furious tone dropped into a soft whisper as he repeated, in a voice filled with pain, “Do you?” “Yes.” Yuan Feng froze, his breath caught as his face paled, unable to believe his ears. His wide eyes were filled with shock and pain as he looked at her, at her bleak, sad eyes. “You don’t mean that! Why are you doing this, Ying Ying? Why?” He demanded urgently.
She didn’t speak, she couldn’t…the sobs were choking her throat, why? Why did he have to find out, why did she have to face him thus? Ying Ying could hear the pain in his voice, the irrational anger and bewilderedness at her actions…it tore at her heart. Her soul screamed at her to throw herself into his arms, to tell him she loved him, that she would always love him, that she would never leave him…but… “Don’t leave me, Ying Ying. Please, don’t leave me.” She couldn’t hold it in anymore…the sobs choked her throat as she cried, covering her face with her hands. Tian, why do you have to be so cruel to me, to the both of us? She could feel her resolve crumbling as he pulled her roughly into his arms, holding her tightly. It…it felt so good here, in his embrace, so right…she would give anything to stay thus forever, no. Her body stiffened as the thought flashed through her mind. Almost anything…but not Yuan Feng’s future. She won’t let herself be his burden…she pushed him away violently, turning her face away from him.
Yuan Feng stared at her in shock. “Ying…” “I have to go,” she said stiffly, refusing to meet his eyes as she swung around, as if to run off. He grabbed her arm swiftly, refusing to let her go. “No! Give me one good reason why! And don’t tell me that you don’t remember me or that you don’t love me, because both you and I know that it’s all lies!” The burning intensity in his eyes sent shivers down her spine. Ying Ying swallowed difficultly, why was it suddenly so hard to breathe? No, she couldn’t say those words, for neither of them would ever believe it. She could never forget him, never stop loving him, even if she tried. “I…I have to go because I cannot be your wife.”
Yuan Feng stared at her in astonishment, his brow creasing into a frown. “What do you mean, you can’t be my wife? Ying Ying, don’t be silly, we’re already married! That night in Wah Shenyi’s cottage, and…and…last night…” His voice faltered as they both flushed slightly. “You’re my woman now, no matter what! We made our vows before the heaven and earth, and…” “Yuan Feng, please…” her soft plead cut his words off. “I married you because I loved you, and you…you loved me. But neither of us thought any further than that, because neither of us expected me to live when we…when we made our vows! A prince? Married to an assassin? It would never work, and you know it!” Her face was twisted into a painful smile, the tears falling from her round, sad eyes as she looked right at him. “Could you truthfully say that you would have still married me that night if we hadn’t thought that I was going to die?” Her quiet question froze him to the core, speechless. She gave him a sad little smile at his inability to respond. “No, I didn’t think so.” She took a deep breath, and shook his hand off his arm. Yuan Feng stared at her, his mind still reeling with shock and confusion. He…he didn’t know the answer…he had never really thought about that night, only…only that… “Ying Ying, don’t go! I don’t know…I don’t know anything anymore, I’ll all confused, but I do know that I need you…can’t we try? Can’t you at least try to be a good prince’s wife, for me, for my sake?” he asked desperately, not wishing to let her leave.
“I don’t want to be a prince’s wife, Yuan Feng,” Ying Ying said quietly, her voice calm, despite the sorrow that shimmered in her eyes. “I can’t. I don’t belong here, and we both know it. I’ll just become a burden to you and your future, because they would never accept me.” “Won’t you even try? For me?” Yuan Feng felt hurt, then burning anger at her continued silence, at the anguish that wracked at him. “So you’ll just give up? Just like that?!? Our marriage didn’t even mean anything to you, did it?!?” He regretted his harsh words as soon as he saw her eyes filled with pain, but he couldn’t control the bitterness in his heart. Almost mad with frustration and hurt, he struck out at her with his words. “Fine then, leave! You’ve made up your mind already anyway about us, there’s nothing I can say or do, is there?!? Just leave me then, like you did last time! I’m not going to keep begging and pleading like some weak fool, I do have some self respect left! Go, run away again! GO!” he shouted angrily at her, his dark face twisted with emotion. “I managed to live without you once, and I can do so again!” He said coldly, despite his heart screaming otherwise. His fists clenched as he tried to clamp down on the flood of hurt and pain that threatened to overflow in him.
Ying Ying just looked at him, her eyes filled blurred with tears of pain. “Yuan Feng, I’m sorry, I would give anything to be able to stay, to be a worthy huang fei, but…” He turned his back on her, his face stiff. “I don’t want to hear it anymore! If you truly loved me, you won’t be doing this…stay or go, I…I don’t care anymore…” He clenched his hands together tightly as he fought for control over his voice, over the lie he was speaking…how could he not care? Only…he was hurting so much that he couldn’t think, couldn’t feel anymore…she was the one person he loved more than anything, yet she had deceived him, and now wanted to leave him, refusing to stay for his sake…was it so hard to stay? Couldn’t she put up with the burdens with his position, if she loved him, she would… “Do…do you hate me now?” Her soft, hesitant question pierced his soul. Hate? How could she even ask that?!? Yet…this burning fury within him, this stabbing pain within him… “If you walk out that gate, I will hate you forever.”
His cold, dead tone struck her right to the core. Ying Ying caught her breath, unable to speak as she watched his stiff, unyielding back silently, her mind was numb. He…he would hate her? She hadn’t wanted it to end like this…she didn’t want him to hate her, no, gods, that was too much to bear…but it was what she had to do, for him. She loved him too much, she would do this, she had to do this…even if he was to hate her forever. Quietly, in a voice filled with sorrow, “I’m sorry, Yuan Feng. I fell in love with you when you were just you, a normal person, that Qing Feng you yearned to be. I married you for who you are inside, because I loved you, always have, and always will. But I did not marry the prince…and nor can I. Princes…don’t marry assassins. We…we don’t make good huang feis,” she said in half jest, her voice mirthless. “Please don’t hate me, my love, for leaving…but I cannot stay. We…we were never meant to be.”
Her voice failed her as her throat choked with grief. Sparkling tears were rolling down her pale white cheeks, but her eyes were steady as she looked at his still, silent figure. There was no response from him…whether he hated her already for her decision or not, she did not care. Because she would always love him…reaching over, she gave his stiff, motionless figure a gentle hug. “Farewell, my love.” Stepping back, she looked sadly on him, on his strong, motionless figure. Perhaps it was for the best, that she did not see his face, not see his eyes staring into her soul again…I love you, she thought to his back. “I…I know you will be a good crown prince, and a wise Emperor. I…I will pray for you, no matter where I am. I…goodbye…”
Unable to control himself anymore, he spun around but…she was gone. Yuan Feng stared in horror at the empty gateway, his heart and mind was still reeling with shock, and anguish. She…she had left…he longed to chase after her, to make her stay. But he did not. He was a prince, he had his own responsibilities and dignity…he would go on, he would live his life without her, as the prince of China, as the future Emperor…he could, couldn’t he? But the Prince Yuan Feng of Imperial China felt his control slip. Slowly, silently, he collapsed onto the ground, burying his head in his arms…though many had seen the prince Yuan Feng laugh and smile regally, seen his controlled anger and calmness, none had ever seen him thus…the burning tears rolled down his face as he wept, his sobs muffled by his arms…none had ever seen the prince cry, his body shaking with heart-wrenching sobs, like a lost soul crying for a dream that would never come again…for a girl whose yingzi would be imprinted in his heart, forever…
****
“Xin Ping.” The princess jumped, startled out of her musing. “F...Father!” she exclaimed, flushing slightly at her father’s presence. “Good evening, Father,” she amended hastily, sketching a brief curtsey. “I’m sorry, I…I didn’t hear you.” No, her thoughts were somewhat preoccupied with two men…one that made her heart fill with sorrow and sympathy, her brother, and the other…a tiny smile curved on her lips. Oh stop it, Xin Ping, she scolded herself mentally, stop acting like a lovesick maiden, and pay attention! “Was there something important, Father?” her tone serious, her eyes suddenly sober.
The Emperor looked at his daughter speculatively. Yes, his little girl had changed, she was no longer quite the childish and carefree girl she had been when she left. There was a sense of maturity about her, a sensitive and serious nature he had never seen in her before. It was something that he had once wished his mischievous, impetuous little girl learn, but now that she had…he sighed. His children had changed, had grown up, and despite his pride in them, he couldn’t help but feel a bit sad. Despite his position, his responsibilities as the Emperor, he too, was just someone’s father. And as a father, he only wanted his children to be happy…though perhaps, his ideals on happiness were somewhat different from theirs. “I think I made a mistake, my little princess.” Xin Ping gave her father an astonished look. What? Did she really just hear that? He, her father, the Emperor…admitting to a wrong? It wasn’t possible… “Father, what are you talking about?” she asked hesitantly, her eyes concerned.
“Yuan Feng.” Oh. Xin Ping’s eyes sobered with sudden understanding. Her heart had been aching with pain and sorrow as she had watched her brother fade before her very eyes these last few days. It was as if he had changed into a totally different person…as if Yuan Feng had died, and all that was left was just the shell…the prince that they had all wanted him to be. But Yuan Feng was dead…he no longer smiled, no longer laughed…like a dark shadow, he fulfilled his duties as Prince, attended court, despatched soldiers to their duties, but…Xin Ping looked at her father. “Isn’t he everything you wanted him to be, father?” she asked in a hard tone, her face expressionless, though her eyes glinted with slight anger. Yes, it was irrational and disrespectful of her, but she couldn’t help it. She had watched the two people she loved have their hearts broken, their dreams shattered, watched them walk their separate ways because of something as stupid as duty, as rank and position. Though she knew that this was only the grim reality of being a noble, Xin Ping hated it. She hated seeing Ying Ying jie jie leave her brother for a future he didn’t even want, hated seeing her brother die before her very eyes, all his power and strength gone into loving and hating the woman whose sacrifice he did not understand. “He’s fulfilling all his obligations to you and the throne, father, isn’t that what you wanted?” she flung at her father, not caring if her tone was harsh, for the tears were falling down her cheeks. She mourned for them, for their lost love… “Isn’t it enough for you, even now? What else did you want him to do?!?” “I want him to be happy.” Xin Ping caught her breath, swallowing the sobs that threatened to overwhelm her at his soft tone. “Happy? I…I think you are asking too much of him, father,” her mouth twisted into a grim smile.
The Emperor sighed. He had known this, even before he had come to talk to his daughter. Yet…it was so hard to admit his wrong, to admit that…though he had power over everything as Emperor, he could not do something as simple as giving his children contentment. “Does he really love her that much?” Xin Ping laughed softly, her eyes filled with pain as she looked at her father. “Yes, isn’t it obvious? Father, don’t you know how much pain it is to love someone and not be able to be with them? Don’t you understand that without love, life is meaningless? Ge will never be happy, never again…he will be a good prince, a wise future emperor…but he would be dead inside. Father…” her voice faltered slightly, then she took a deep breath, tossing caution to the winds. “Father, are YOU happy? Ever since Mother died, have you been happy, truly happy?”
He looked at her, thunderstruck. What kind of question was that? He was the emperor of all China, he…he had power over anything that existed below the heavens, of course he was…a vision of his long dead wife appeared before him. She…she had been but a simple farm girl, a sweet gentle soul he had married long before he ever became a prince, became an Emperor. He had been but a soldier, yet…he had laughed. They had always laughed over everything, there was always warmth, a brightness in his life that he had almost forgotten now…he looked at his daughter with a stunned expression. Her face was gentle as she took his hand, in a gesture so much like her mother it made his heart ache. “If you want him to be happy, father, then set him free. Because Ge has never belonged here, anymore than Ying Ying did. And we both know it.” His oldest son, his ideal crown prince…had never belonged here…it was ridiculous, wasn’t it? But his mind filled with memories of seeing his son play that haunting tune on his leaf in the middle of the night, even when he was young. Of his eyes filled with that faraway look as he stared into the night sky…of the man he had become now, someone without emotion, without mirth. And he knew his daughter was right.
Incidentally, does anyone still remember that Ying Ying’s real name is Zhao Zhi Ying? *GRIN* so when the Emperor says “Zhi Ying” he means her…^_^
He stared up into the sky, his eyes bleak on his emotionless face. Neither the beauty of the brilliant shimmering stars, nor the faint heavenly scent on the evening breeze had an effect on the bleakness of his soul, the heavy weight on his heart that was almost numb from the pain. For the world no longer held any joy for him, no longer did he see the light within the darkness…he could no longer smile without feeling like he was merely baring his teeth, the smile never reached his eyes that were almost dead. For how do you smile, when there was no joy within you? When the world is forever grey…he went through each and every day fulfilling his role as the prince, performing his duties by rote…without thought, without feeling. He did not, could not feel anymore…his mind had gone numb already from the sudden emptiness in his life…without her… “If you walk out that gate, I will hate you forever.” The words echoed in his mind over and over again. A bitter smile curved on his lips as he mocked himself inwardly. Hate her? As if he had the power to do that…when his heart screamed her name endlessly into the emptiness of his soul, when he saw her round eyes shimmering with tears of sorrow wherever he looked…when the skies fell, when winter came in summer, when the world ended…that would be when he would stop loving her, stop yearning to see her just one more time, to walk happy and free with her in a world filled with joy and light, when his heart would finally stop bleeding…
A creaking sound disturbed him from his inner thoughts. Turning around, he could only look expressionlessly at his father, the Emperor, making his greeting perfunctorily. There was a short silence in the room as the Emperor regarded his son who had resumed his contemplation of the night sky, feeling something akin to regret and guilt. Whatever his reasons for his actions, he knew that this half dead shell of his son was his doing…knew that this was the prince he had wanted for an heir. But not at the expense of his son’s life…not at the expense of the death of the Yuan Feng that he loved as a father, not as an emperor…
“Go, Yuan Feng.” He looked at his father, his dull eyes flickering with something that was almost akin to surprise. “I’m sorry, father, you were saying?” He was totally unprepared for his father to smile at him benignly, and saying, in a calm tone, “I said, go after her, son. Go and chase those dreams you have yearned for all your life, the only person who can make you happy. You have my blessing.” Yuan Feng stared at his father, thunderstruck. He must be dreaming, he didn’t just hear that, did he? “But…but…” for the first time, he was speechless. “But what about the throne? I cannot…” Yuan Feng’s face twisted with the conflicting emotions within him, he could not stop loving her, despite her abandonment of him. Yet… “It’s no use,” he sighed heavily, his eyes filled with pain and self pity, “She won’t come back with me, she left me because she didn’t want to live in the palace, to have to bear the responsibilities of a prince’s wife…even if I found her…she doesn’t love me enough…she even lied to me…” The Emperor sighed, and grasped his son’s arm firmly. “Stop it, son, stop trying to lie to yourself. You know how strong the love is between the both of you and unfortunately, even I must see it, though I wish I could turn a blind eye. I…I knew about her pretence of amnesia, as did Xin Ping. It…it wasn’t Zhi Ying’s fault, she didn’t leave you willingly…I made her to.”
“What?!?” Yuan Feng’s eyes were wide with shock as he stared at his father. He…he had…Zhao Guan Yi nodded gravely, heaving a sigh. “I had a talk with Zhi Ying before you got back from your trip, about…about you, about the possibility of my passing the throne to you. Both of us agreed that she would not make a proper match for an Emperor, and that for your sake, for your future, she should leave you, in a way that would be easiest for you to bear. But I never counted on the strength of your feelings.”
“I’ve been the Emperor for too long, Yuan Feng,
that I’ve almost forgotten what being a normal person means. As your father, I
only wanted you to be happy, son, but I guess I’d forgotten what true
happiness means.” Yuan Feng looked at his father soundlessly, his mind still
reeling with shock. He should be angry at him for what he had done, for his
manipulations with his life, yet…he wasn’t. His father suddenly looked very
tired, and…human. Not quite the majestic Emperor image anymore… “It took a
lecture from Xin Ping to wake me up to the truth, that true happiness is not
riches, nor power, but just being with the people you love. I’d almost
forgotten what it was, ever since your mother died…it’s almost funny, that
impish daughter of mine resembles her so much. I guess our Xin Ping has finally
grown up.” Finally, finally, Zhao Guan Yi looked up at his son with an almost
apologetic expression in his eyes. It was something hardly anyone had seen in
him, in the Emperor of China. “Forgive me, my son, for the misguided attempts
of a father to muddle with his son’s life.” “Father, there is nothing to
forgive,” Yuan Feng said hoarsely, touched at the peace offering from his
father, someone he had always felt was high above him. This was the first time
he had ever felt as if they were a true family, that…
“Go and find her, Yuan Feng,” his father said gently, “She is a wonderful
girl, and I would love to have her as my daughter-in-law. May you both live
happily and free. You have my blessing.” Yuan Feng was stunned, his heart was
pounding fiercely with joy at this, this precious gift, yet…“But what about
the succession? Father, I know you mean well, that you want me to be happy,
but…”
“Ge, don’t worry.” Yuan Feng’s head whipped around to see his little brother grinning at him. Zhao Heng shrugged wryly. “I’m not yearning to go anywhere, and I’m certainly not stupid enough to fall in love, so…” Yuan Feng looked from him, back to his father, who was nodding. “You…you mean that?” Yuan Feng asked breathlessly, not daring to hope just yet, to believe that he could go, could actually be free…it was a dream, just a dream… “I think I would be a good emperor, ge, don’t you think?” Zhao Heng grinned impishly at his flabbergasted brother, then his face became serious. “It’s not like I’m sacrificing myself, ge. I like this role, these intrigues and survival games we must play as a royal, but you don’t. You don’t belong here, anymore than Ying Ying jie jie does. Go, go and find her. You need her. Besides,” he said with a wry smile, “You’ll probably starve to death without her helping you in the real world.” “Hey!” Yuan Feng protested lightly, and the three of them laughed. Yuan Feng’s eyes were shining with joy as an incredulous smile spread on his face. He couldn’t believe this was happening, he had felt so dead and cold inside this morning, but now…Ying Ying had left him for his sake, because she loved him, because she thought it was for his own good! Oh my love…how could you do that…how could you be so brave, he thought admiringly of her, his heart filled with longing. And I had blamed you…I had said that I would hate you…he winced inwardly. Yes, his brother was right, he had to go to her, to find her…he needed her.
“Thank you, di di, I…I don’t know what to say, I…” Yuan Feng was shaking Zhao Heng’s hand fit to tear it off in his excitement. He suddenly felt alive again, so full of joy and life he didn’t know how to contain his zest. “You don’t have to say anything, just go find my sister-in-law, and take care of her! If you bully her again…” Zhao Heng laughed as Yuan Feng shook his head vigorously in denial. “Oh, never…never again! Thank you, di di! And Father…” his voice faded as he looked his father in the eyes, his expression suddenly serious. “I’m sorry I cannot be the prince that you wish me to be. I beg you to forgive me…” “No, Yuan Feng, you are my good and filial son, and that is enough. No matter where you go, and what you do, I know that you will make me proud.” Yuan Feng’s face broke into a bright smile, and giving both his father and his brother a surprising hug, something that they, as royalty had never really done before, he turned to run out the door, his mind racing. He needed to pack, to grab a horse, to go find…tian, he froze in horror. He…he didn’t know where she was, how was he to find… “Xin Ping,” Zhao Heng suggested thoughtfully, his keen mind guessing immediately the source of the sudden distress on his brother’s face. Yuan Feng’s eyes widen with comprehension. Yes, she would know…she had to! Throwing his brother a grateful smile, he flew out the door…
***
“Why are you smiling?” Kwok Zhong asked curiously, his eyes filled with a gentle amusement as he came up behind her. Xin Ping sighed in contentment, leaning her head back against his chest as his arms went around her waist in a loose hug. He had changed a lot in the last few weeks, or maybe this was the man who had been underneath that cold exterior all along. She didn’t know, and didn’t care…all she knew was this warm, loving feeling that flooded her every time he was there, this smile that would appear unconsciously on her lips with the very thought of him…it was what life should be about. It was what they should all have, every person in the world, no matter what their status was, what troubles they go through in life…someone who makes you smile and laugh, even if the sky was falling. It was what both Ying Ying and Yuan Feng deserved…find her, Ge, she thought to the man who was even now, leaving the palace that had been his home for the last twenty or so years, the man who had lived here, but did not belong here. She needs you, as you need her. Go, walk the world roads with her, walk with freedom and happiness as you have yearned to for all these years…I shall miss you both, but I wish you well…despite the gentle, happy smile on her lips, sparkling tears welled in her eyes at the thought of parting from the two people she loved as family. Goodbye, and farewell…
Kwok Zhong couldn’t help but smile fondly at the extraordinary girl in his arms…crying and laughing at the same time, serious yet childish…how lucky he was to be able to hold her thus. That he would be able to do so for many many years to come, but that would be only if she… “Because Yuan Feng Ge is happy again. Because it’s like watching him come back to life after the last few days of hell, and he’s going to go find Ying Ying jie jie, and they can finally be happy! And…” Xin Ping twirled around to look him in his startled eyes, her eyes dancing with merriment. She wanted to laugh, to run and dance…she was so happy! “And what?” Kwok Zhong asked wryly, grabbing hold of her before she could dance away, she was so bubbly it was almost infectious. Surprisingly, Xin Ping suddenly flushed, and ducked her head in embarrassment. “No…nothing! It was just something Ge had said,” she mumbled, but Kwok Zhong wouldn’t let it go. With an amused grin, he tilted her chin up, his eyes curious as he asked, “Xin Ping…what did he say? Tell me!” “No! It was nothing…no!” She shrieked as he started to tickle her for punishment. Xin Ping laughed, and grabbed his hands. “Ok ok, stop it!” “Tell me first!” Xin Ping pouted at him. “Meanie! Fine. I told him not to bully Ying Ying jie jie, and he…he told me that I better not bully you that much either, or I’ll be an old spinster...hey!” Xin Ping hit him lightly on the shoulders as Kwok Zhong began to laugh. “Don’t laugh at me! See, I TOLD Ge that you would probably bully me than me you, and he didn’t believe me!” She made a face at the still laughing Kwok Zhong. He couldn’t help it, she looked so adorable pouting like that, he leaned over and kissed her on the lips…
“See?” Xin Ping said, almost breathlessly as he broke off the kiss. “You bully me…” her face flushed at the intensity in his eyes as he looked down at her. “We…we probably shouldn’t be like this, it’s the palace and…” “I don’t care.” She looked at him in surprise at his adamant words, it was so different from the stiff and proper general he had once been. “Kwok Zhong, you…” “Marry me.” Her breath caught. Xin Ping stared at him with wide eyes, unable to believe her ears. “Wha…what…” “I love you, Xin Ping, my dear, sweet and funny princess. I need you beside me forever. Marry me,” he said softly, holding her hands in his strong, gentle grasp. Xin Ping stared down at their clasped hands, then back up into his warm eyes. “But…what about Father?” she mumbled, her mind still reeling. He…he had asked her to…marry? But she was so bad, so childish… “I asked his permission already, love, and he said yes. But I didn’t want him to issue a decree…I wanted to make sure first.” “Make sure?” “That you really want to marry me,” he said softly, giving her a gentle smile. “I don’t want you forced into a marriage by a decree…I love you, and I want to marry you, but only if you want to. I’ll take whatever decision you make.”
Her heart was fluttering wildly as she stared at him, speechless. Slowly, a bright, incredulous smile lit up her face, making Kwok Zhong catch his breath. “Is…is that a yes?” he asked hesitantly, his heart in his mouth, despite his calm words. Because despite his generous words to accept her decision no matter what, he wanted her…he needed her in his life. She was the only person who had ever made him smile, ever made the world seem like a brighter place, and he wasn’t sure if he could let her slip out of his arms, even if she wanted to… “Xin Ping?” he asked nervously as she only continued giving him that wondrous smile. Xin Ping couldn’t help it, she laughed, flinging her arms around his neck. “Yes! Yes, yes, yes!” she shrieked, her voice filled with joy as she laughed and cried on his shoulder, “I will marry you!” A slow, huge grin spread on his face, and with a happy laugh to match hers, he grabbed her waist and swung her around and around… “Xin Ping, I love you!”
****
The man strolled steadily along the winding road, his mind preoccupied on the girl he had parted with two days ago. She was the girl he had worried about and searched for the last sixteen years, the only family he had left. He would give anything to make her smile again, to make her into the happy, carefree little girl he had fallen in love with so many years ago, the girl who chased butterflies…but he knew that it was not something he could do. There was only one person who could make her smile, one person who could make her laugh like she used to, but she had left him behind…carrying with her only the pieces of a broken dream, and his words that he would hate her forever…
His little Ying Ying mei mei, now the sad, brave swordgirl who had just given him a smile, and told him not to worry about her, but to go look for his own love. “Where are you going to go?” he had asked her, concerned, but Ying Ying had merely shrugged. “Wherever the road takes me. It doesn’t matter anymore…go, Yi Hang ge ge, go find her. She’s waiting for you.” And he, despite his reluctance, had obeyed her. He hated to part with her, to let her walk her own path, but he knew that she truly wanted to be alone…his heart had filled with sorrow at the thought of his mei mei walking the same path he did before, alone, always alone. With no home, neither family nor friends, no one but himself and his shadow, forever in his search for his mei mei, and a place where he would belong…yet, he that she did not want to see their joy, while she…suddenly his footsteps paused as he approached that cave that was all so familiar now. His breath caught at the sight of the dear, familiar slender figure in a pale, pink dress as she practiced her sword stances in the open area. His heart was beating madly, but he watched silently as she moved with a fluid like grace through the stances, as if it was some kind of dance, her beautiful face lit up with life. And Yi Hang knew then, that he had found his place.
“Xiang Er.” Her breath caught in her throat at the sound of that voice. That dear, familiar voice calling her…was it true? Had he truly come back for her? Taking a deep, shuddering breath, she turned around and saw…the man standing in the ray of sunlight, watching her with a smile that warmed her entire being. She watched silently as he moved towards her, heart beating wildly, until he stood right in front of her. Slowly, tentatively, she looked up into his eyes to see a look that she knew was for her alone. “I’m back. And I’m not going to leave again, never again.” His hand came up to caress her cheek, ever so softly, and Xiang Er’s lips slowly curved into a sweet, gentle smile. Finally, finally, she had found a love that was hers alone…
Her eyes widened with shock as the melody flowed on and on, filling all her senses. Her mind was reeling…no, it…it couldn’t be…whirling around, her heart missed a beat as her eyes finally caught sight of the figure behind her. Speechless, she could only stare at him, unable to believe her eyes…it couldn’t be him…it was only her mind playing tricks on her, it was a dream, only a dream…but then he smiled at her, the same gentle, wondrous smile that struck her to the core, wrenching at her still bleeding heart. Tian, he seemed so real…like he was truly before her, she…she could almost touch him…yet she didn’t dare, because if she did, he would disappear, he would fade into the mist, back into her memories which were all she had left of him. It…it hurt so much to see him thus, to feel his presence yet…yet he couldn’t be here, he wouldn’t be…he was in the palace, where he belonged. The sparkling tears rolled down her face, pale with anguish…the tune faded, and she caught her breath in pain, shutting her eyes…she couldn’t stand seeing his vision disappear, couldn’t stand to lose him once more…
“Ying Ying.” Her eyes snapped open in shock at his voice. It…it was too real…was it really him? But how could it be? How could he…she stared at him, her sorrow filled eyes were shimmering in the predawn darkness. “Yuan…Yuan Feng?” she whispered softly, almost disbelievingly. Her trembling hand reached out tentatively, then yanked back, as if afraid to touch him, afraid to find that he was nothing but smoke, a vision her mind had conjured up to torture her soul in it’s anguish almost akin to madness. His eyes glimmered strangely at her hesitancy, then, without a word, he reached over and pulled her roughly into his arms, holding her tightly. Oh tian, it…it was real, so very real…his arms felt wonderfully tight around her, the warmth of his presence flooded her senses…unable to repress the emotions within her any longer, she began to cry, burying herself in his embrace as she sobbed, her whole body shaking.
Yuan Feng murmured softly to her as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly, comfortingly, his own mind intoxicated with exhilaration, his heart almost exploding with joy as he held onto the girl who was sobbing her heart out. He had found her! He was holding her once more, as he had desperately wanted for the last few weeks that had seemed like centuries without her beside him, as he was destined to do. No matter how twisted the road Fate had planned for them, this…this was so right, this was how it should be…gradually, her sobs subsided, but she remained in his embrace. Neither moved, not wanting to break the spell, this wonderful, miraculous spell…Yuan Feng sighed contentedly as his face buried in her long, silky hair, breathing in the faint, flowery scent that was uniquely Ying Ying. How he had missed this, missed the feel of her in his arms, of her face pressed against his neck…how right this felt, how amazing…suddenly Ying Ying stiffened, finally coming to her senses. “What…what are you doing here? How did you find me?!?” Her eyes were clouded once more as she tried to loosen his grip on her waist, but he refused to let go.
“I’m here because I want to be here,” he said simply, giving her an impish grin as he leaned close to kiss her cheek. “I found you easily enough because our souls are linked forever, my dear lady, and there’s nowhere you can go where I can’t find you.” Ying Ying flushed before pulling away, her heart fluttering wildly as she muttered, “I’m not your lady.” “Yes you are, my love,” he said in a gentle teasing manner, tilting her chin up to make her look at him. He smiled as he said, “You and I made our vows before heaven and earth, remember? You cannot go back on your words.” Her chin jutted out stubbornly as stared back at him, openly defiant, her eyes flashing at his light hearted tone. “I vowed to marry a man named Yuan Feng, not a prince! I have never been, nor ever will be a prince’s lady…besides,” she said bitterly, her face looking away as she remembered the pain and anguish that had tortured her for the past few weeks. “Besides, you said you would hate me forever! Don’t you remember, my prince?”
“I’m not a prince.” His simple words stunned her to the core. She turned back to him, her eyes wide as she stared at him, astonished. “Wha…what do you mean?” Her brow was creased into a tiny frown as she looked at him. She looked so adorable that he wanted to kiss her, to sooth that crease away, but he suppressed the urge with difficulty. With a gentle smile that made her knees feel weak, he said simply, “If you can’t be a prince’s wife, then I can’t be a prince. It’s that simple…” “But…Yuan Feng, you can’t be serious!” she stammered, her mind reeling in shock. “What about your position, the throne? What about your father?!? He…” “Oh, he sent me.” His eyes danced with amusement at Ying Ying’s shocked expression. “He sends you his apologies, and his blessing.” “What? But he…but I…” she floundered, lost for words. Her flustered, oddly distressed look made his heart miss a beat. Tian…she was so beautiful…unable to repress his urge any longer, he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers, kissing her gently. Ying Ying felt a pleasant tingle run down her spine as her heart fluttered wildly. Her whole body felt weak and trembly, like she was floating… with a sigh, she surrendered completely to his kiss, all arguments forgotten…
Finally, almost regretfully, they broke off the long and passionate kiss. Ying Ying stared up into his intense eyes, her heart pounding fiercely, unable to speak. Yuan Feng saw the sparkle of hope battling with the sorrow and uncertainty in her eyes, and his heart ached. With a muffled groan, he pulled her to his embrace, holding her close...how he had hurt her so, with his harsh, foolhardy words…words that he never meant, could never mean…how he regretted them, regretted his stupid, instinctive pride and dignity that had ended up with him telling her to leave, driving her away…he took a deep breath, and let it out slowly, taking control of the rush of emotions within him. He had to tell her everything, it was only fair to let her know how much she meant to him, let her know his words for what they had been…lies. “Ying Ying, I have a story to tell you.” Her head lifted in surprise, giving him a enquiring look. “Story?” she asked interestedly, her expression almost childlike as she looked at him with her round eyes, sparkling in curiosity.
“Yes…see, once upon a time, there was this prince who watched the stars, wishing for something he had no name for. One day, this girl appeared in his life…a girl who insisted on calling herself a mere yingzi, nothing but a shadow in his life. But she didn’t know how wrong she was, it was as if she was the beacon of light in the grey, bleak world he lived in…as if he was the shadow, not her. He was the shadow that needed her to exist, the shadow who had to be by her side, or he would fade away into the darkness of a world without love, without joy or hope.” He smiled briefly down at her flushed face as she realised what he was talking about. His voice was sombre as he continued. “But one day, someone told this girl that she was not worthy of him, and she, because she loved him so much, decided to leave him for his own good. The stupid, stubborn prince however, didn’t understand what sacrifice she was making for him, and decided instead that she didn’t love him anymore…he…he was very sad. But instead of telling her that, he yelled at her, and told her that he would hate her forever…” Ying Ying looked away, her eyes sombre as she remembered that day…the day he had told her that he would hate her. It was as if she had died then and there…it would have been much kinder if he had just taken a sword and stabbed her in the heart, saving her all the pain and anguish she had felt in the days passed.
Yuan Feng’s expression suddenly grew serious as he broke off, tilting her chin up gently to make her eyes meet his. “My love, you will never know how much those words I regret those harsh words…I…I could never hate you, not in a million years. I…I could never stop loving you, even when the sun doesn’t rise, when the winter comes in summer, when the world stops spinning…I’ll still be loving you…believe in me, forgive me, please?” he whispered hoarsely, almost pleadingly. The intensity in his gaze made her blush. His words warmed her entire being, filling the terrifying emptiness that had haunted her for the past weeks. The weight that had hung so heavily upon her heart, the anguish…it was all gone, as if it had never been. She smiled, her eyes lighting up with joy…forgive? What was there to forgive…he loved her…he still loved her, and that was all she needed to know…all she would ever need…
Almost light heartedly, she asked him impishly, in a teasing tone, “And then what happened to the stupid idiotic prince?” He stared at her almost in disbelief at her light tone, then his face broke into a broad smile. Tian, she…she had forgiven him…for a moment there, he had been afraid…almost giddy with relief and happiness, he couldn’t help but laugh at her impish smile. Tweaking her nose lightly for her mischief, he continued in a solemn tone, “Well…the prince had no peace without his lady, of course. No song could lift his heart, no joke could make him smile, much less than laugh. Neither flesh nor fowl nor sweets could coax him to hunger…” “I don’t believe that bit about the food,” she laughed, her eyes twinkling merrily, “Anything but that, you were always such a…” “Hey, don’t interrupt the story,” he protested mildly, giving her a mock frown. She wrinkled her nose at him, and he tried to repress the laughter within him. Tian, how he had missed this, missed her presence, missed her ability to make the dark world shine in his eyes… “The prince was went about his duties as he was bound to do, but everyone could see that he was dying…there was nothing left for him to live for without his dear lady. So, in the end, a certain father revealed the truth, because he did not want his own son to die, even at the expense of getting the prince he had wanted for the heir. So for the sake of his son, he set the prince free, and bid him to find his own true happiness…for he did not belong in the palace, never did, and never will…”
His face was serious once more as he looked into her round, dark eyes flickering with emotion at his story. The Emperor…Yuan Feng…he had given up his place…for her? Her heart yearned for this to be true, yet feared it… “Yuan Feng, but…for me? It’s not worth it, I…I don’t want to become your burden, become the guilty one in China for stealing away a good prince, a good future Emperor…I…” her voice faded as he put a finger to her lips, hushing her. “Ying Ying, nothing is worth losing you, neither power nor position…without you beside me, I am nothing, do you understand? Nothing.” His adamant words echoed in the silence of the false dawn, the sky was lighting around them as the world slowly woke up…but it was nothing compared to the light that was filling her whole being, chasing the darkness away…unable to speak, she could only look at him hesitantly as he continued. “The prince is dead, he was never meant to be a prince, to exist in that golden cage…he cared too much about others, about love to be a good Emperor…my brother Zhao Heng is the true prince, the true heir. And he is welcome to it, I…I had a more important quest.”
“Quest?” she asked almost breathlessly, her heart fluttering. “Yes, a quest…to find the soul mate I had once, then lost through my own foolishness. The soul mate who I pray would give me another chance to make up for the stupid things I did, give me the chance to spend the rest of my life making up for it…Ying Ying…” He took her hands into his firm grasp, his eyes gentle as he stared into hers with an intensity that took her breath away. “I stand before you now, not as a prince, not as his Highness Prince Yuan Feng, but as a normal, simple man, as the Qing Feng I was when we first met, with no riches, no powers, with nothing to give to you but all my love and the promise to love and cherish you as long as I draw breath, and beyond…the promise that we would never be apart again, in this life, or the next. Let them have the throne, the whole kingdom if they want…my true happiness is here, holding your hand. The only treasure I want in this world is you, the only title I could ever want is but that of being your husband. Miss Zhao Zhi Ying, would you marry me, again?”
Her heart stopped as she stared at him, shocked…his serious, intense eyes looked into hers steadfastly, shining with the promise of a love that would be hers, and hers forever, the promise of a lifetime of joy and hope, happiness and love…that she would never be alone again, no matter what the road ahead was like…The blood was rushing in her veins as her heart sang with happiness…her throat suddenly choked with hysterical sobs. “Give me this one chance to make us a new beginning, and a new life together, please…Ying…Ying Ying?” Yuan Feng stammered, a worried look in his eyes at her silence. “You…” She half laughed, half sobbed as her eyes flooded with tears…happy, joyous tears. With a big, shining smile that lit up the world, she threw her arms around his neck, crying happily, “Yes! Yes I will!” He was stupefied for a moment, unable to believe his ears…then his face broke into a broad, ecstatic grin as he wrapped his arms around her, swinging her slender body round and round in joy as he laughed exultantly with her…the sounds of their joyful laughter soared into the air, echoing in the hills, and in their hearts forever.
The sun finally rose in the far horizon, giving birth to the new day, the new world that rose from the ashes of the past…The soft morning breeze tousled the long, silky hair of a beautiful girl who smiled brilliantly at her companion, her lover, her soul mate who caught his breath, for she seemed like a maiden from Heaven, sent down to bless his life…and indeed he was blessed, to be holding her hands now, to be able to hold them thus forever. For he had found the place where he belonged at last…beside her…Like the light that finally chases away all grief and sorrow, the darkness that haunted them, the first rays of the true dawn shone upon the pair as if in blessing as they leaned forward to they exchange a passionate kiss that symbolised much more than a sealing of a promise of eternal love, of a wondrous and contented future before them, of a constant and faithful companion as they venture forth on the road of life together…it symbolised the death of a prince and a shadow, and the rebirth of two souls without hate, without grief, without sorrow…two souls filled only with eternal hope and love as they faced the future, no longer alone. Two souls who had finally found their true happiness at last.
“A mystical sprite stealing a prince, indeed!” she muttered in a huff, and he laughed, “Oh please, it’s just commoner’s talk! A prince disappears, there’s bound to be some talk, and…” “Who wants to steal you anyway?” she said, giving him a haughty look, which only made him grin. “Oh, a certain girl I know,” he replied offhandedly. “Besides,” he added teasingly, his eyes twinkling, “It’s almost like some legend now, the way they talk! Before you know it, you might become the legendary heaven maiden sent down to earth in the form of a yingzi to choose, and take the worthy back with her to her mystical palace in the sky…”
She couldn’t help but giggle, then wrinkled her nose at him playfully. “You’re so mean!” she complained lightly, making a grouchy face, “Why must you make me laugh, why can’t you let me whinge for a bit longer?” “Because I love to see you smile.” And to see your eyes light up like that, and to feel the warmth of your happiness, and to know that I can make you laugh…his mind thought giddily as the full force of her brilliant smile hit him hard. Swooping swiftly, he claimed her lips, giving her a deep, passionate kiss. “Alright, you win,” she said almost breathlessly when they finally broke apart, her face flushed. He chuckled and whispered teasingly in her ear, “Don’t I always?” “You are such a bully!” she scolded mock angrily, her eyes dancing with merriment. “But you love me, right?” he asked, giving her a sly smile. She stuck out her tongue impishly, saying laughingly, “I’ll have to reconsider that!” “Oh no you won’t!” He tried to pull her to him again but she pushed him away and ran down the path swiftly. He laughed as he ran after her, grabbing her hand in his firm grasp as he continued to run backwards, looking at her sparkling round eyes, dancing with laughter.
“Where shall we go now?” he inquired, in high spirits…he had never felt so happy, so free…she shrugged light-heartedly, “Wherever…” Suddenly, her eyes brightened with joy as she looked at something behind him. He spun around in surprise to see…a cloud of pure white butterflies fluttering in the wind, as if it was dancing. He looked back at her, his heart fluttering at the wondrous smile on her beautiful face as she gave him a look with her warm eyes. “Let’s follow the butterflies,” she suggested excitedly, her tiny face suddenly looking innocent and childlike once again, as if the last seventeen years had been but a dream and she was once again the girl who chased butterflies…his eyes widened, then a broad smile grin on his face as he nodded in agreement. Yuan Feng held out his hand soundlessly, and Ying Ying took it eagerly. Laughing, they ran hand in hand down the long winding road of life, discovering more than just butterflies, more than just dreams, more than just the treasures at the ends of rainbows…for it didn’t mattered how they lived, nor what they did. All that mattered was that, they lived.
***
Zhao Heng became the Emperor of China in 997AD, and was officially named Zhao Zhen Zhong. The succession was unquestioned, despite the few questions raised about the whereabouts and the well-being of the first prince, Zhao Yuan Feng, but he seemed to have disappeared from the face of the earth. Gradually, the facts behind his disappearance became lost, and it was rumoured by many that he had left to ensure his brother’s smooth accent to the throne, for the good of the kingdom, or that he had been ‘taken care of’ by his younger brother. No one ever knew the truth behind it all, and after many years, a legend appeared amongst the common people of China that a prince had left the kingdom with a beautiful, mystical maiden who had come to him in the darkness of the night to rule her magical kingdom in the heaven for her…
The Emperor and his Royal Sister would only smile in amusement at these stories, and shake their heads, without speaking a word. For they knew that the truth had been much more magical and more wondrous than that, that true love, and true happiness were indeed much more rarer, and much more precious than any legend would have of it. Their eyes would become distant as they stare into the skies, thinking, remembering the people who they had once known, the two who would never be confined by anything, neither a golden cage nor the pages of a legend…the two souls who had cast their past behind them forever as they wandered together down that path of life chasing their dreams…and so, the prince who watched the stars and the shadow in the night were no more.
***THUS ENDS THE LEGEND OF THE SHADOW IN THE NIGHT***
