4-7 -- 4-9

Book 4 Chapter 7 – Escape from Daliang

5 days later, Xiang Shaolong was able to get off the bed and walk. Besides the wound under his armpit, which still gave him some pain, he has regained all his strength.

The relationship between him and Zhao Qian has grown to a point that they cannot bear to be apart from each other. Although they are in hiding in the room all day long, they don't find the confinement difficult at all.

Ever since that day, Ji Yanran had not returned and according to Zou Yan, Prince Xinling has always been suspecting her so he's keeping a very close eye on her.

Xiang Shaolong believes that Daliang's security will ultimately loosen up, because that is human nature, there's no way they can carry on with this forever. Besides, even after such a thorough search revealed nothing about their whereabouts, anyone would have thought that they have escaped.

That night just as they were embroiled intimately, Ji Yanran arrived and upon seeing the blushing Zhao Qian, her own face reddened as well, which made her look even more alluring and beautiful.

Xiang Shaolong's body was all heated up but he dare not get into the real act with Zhao Qian and on seeing this lady whose beauty is more than Zhao Qian arriving, he was secretly overjoyed. Just as he was about to start flirting with her, Zou Yan came up.

Xiang Shaolong had no choice but to let go of Ji Yanran whom he was half forcing into a hug and let her sit on the rug.

Ji Yanran stared at him daintily for a moment, blaming him for behaving more and more rudely with her before she said, "10 days ago I sent some people out of the city and ordered them to dress up as both of you, even carrying a fake wooden sword with the purpose of letting others discover them. Now the plan is indeed working. Yesterday Prince Xinling personally led the troops and went towards the border of Chu in pursuit. The security at the gates of Daliang is more relaxed now, so it's time for you to leave."

Xiang Shaolong and Zou Yan both cheered, they did not expect Ji Yanran to have such a splendid plan. What is even more rare is that she only talked about it after the plan is a success, which shows how much self control she has.

Ji Yanran looked at Xiang Shaolong with sadness and unhappiness, her pretty face revealing how she cannot bear to part with him.

Xiang Shaolong was stunned and he asked, "You're not leaving with us?"

Ji Yanran shook her head, "I really wish to, but if I leave, everyone will know that I am connected with you and I will put many others in jeopardy, maybe even Mister Zou included. That day Prince Xinling came to search this observatory precisely because Yanran kept finding excuses to come here and look at the stars, and that aroused his suspicions."

Xiang Shaolong knows this to be the truth so he sighed and asked, "Then when can we meet again?"

Ji Yanran smiled prettily, "Don't worry! Yanran's greatest wish in life is to be able to assist the new saint in unifying the world so that the people need not have to suffer wars any more, so I will not let you off from now on."

Xiang Shaolong shook his head with a bitter smile, "I don't believe that I'm really the new saint. Even if I can return to Zhao, the way will be fraught with dangers. If you want to find the true new saint, you'd better be more patient in your search in case you find the wrong person and regret it in future." His words were filled with jealousy, naturally because the reason Ji Yanran fell for him is all because he is that new saint.

A strange look flashed past Ji Yanran's face and she lowered her head, not speaking.

Zou Yan said seriously, "What you've said further affirmed that you're the new saint, because the especially bright star that represents you is now being chased by other stars. According to the heavens, you'll need at least 20 years before you can unify the world and before that you'll naturally face countless dangers."

Xiang Shaolong's body trembled as he heard all this and looked at Zou Yan dumbfounded and for the first time he dare not belittle this ancient astrologer because it is indeed about 20 years later that Emperor Qin unified the warring states and became the first emperor in history.

Ji Yanran suddenly said, "Mister Zou, Princess Qian, Yanran would like to ask you to wait outside the hall for a while. There's something I have to speak with Xiang Shaolong about."

Zou Yan and Zhao Qian understood her meaning so they went out the room and even closed the door.

Ji Yanran's head was still lowered as she said quietly, "Xiang Shaolong, I want you to know clearly that Ji Yanran likes you as a person, and it has got nothing to do with whether you're going to be the new saint or not."

Xiang Shaolong knows that his words earlier have hurt her and was feeling extremely apologetic so he reached out to hug her.

Ji Yanran exclaimed angrily, "Don't touch me!"

Xiang Shaolong is an expert in the field of love and knows that she finds it a loss of face if she accedes so he ignored her warning and jumped over, pressing her down on the rug and kissed her hard on her lips.

Ji Yanran gave a token struggle before her stronger reaction took over and she can't help but want to join with him immediately.

After their lips parted, Ji Yanran said sadly, "Tomorrow morning, Mister Han Fei will escort the grains he borrowed back to Han. Yanran has made arrangements with him, one of the carriages carrying the grains will have a secret compartment in it and it will certainly be able to bring you out of Daliang safely. Xiang Lang! Alive, Yanran will belong to your Xiang family and no matter what I will look for you. Don't forget about me!"

Xiang Shaolong and Zhao Qian hugged each other as they lay in the secret compartment under the carriage and left Daliang without much trouble towards the canal. When they reach that place they will change into traveling by boat and follow the river up west to the Han border.

Late snow was falling outside and the carriages moved slowly. With thick blankets lining the bottom of the secret compartment, the 2 of them don't feel too uncomfortable at all. In fact they felt as if this is a warm and sweet little heaven.

The 2 of them behaved intimately for a while before they suppressed their desire so that they will not lose self-control and engage in the real act.

Zhao Qian looked at the top of the secret compartment and said sincerely, "I've never seen a girl more beautiful and intelligent than Sister Yanran. Just a little trick from her and she can escort us out of Daliang comfortably."

Xiang Shaolong looked at her beautiful profile but his mind was on another matter as he asked with a smile, "Would you mind not being a Princess!"

Zhao Qian turned around, leaned her face in her hands, her pretty eyes shining as she looked at him with love and said, "Qian'er will only mind one thing, and that is not becoming Xiang Shaolong's woman. I don't care about anything else."

Xiang Shaolong kissed her lips lovingly and said with a low sigh, "That will make things easier. I'll find a way to hide you, then report that you've been killed by Xiao Weimou so you need not return to the palace and become a pitiful princess."

Zhao Qian was ecstatic, "Will you really do that for Qian'er? You're not afraid Imperial Father will punish you?"

Xiang Shaolong boasted, "I am the new saint, how can I possibly be so easily dealt with." He continued with a chuckle, "Actually I'm doing this for myself, it's been to torturous suppressing myself."

Zhao Qian blushed brightly as she buried her head in his arms, saying quietly with a mixture of shyness and happiness, "Whenever Xiang Lang wants Qian'er, I'll give myself to you."

Xiang Shaolong was touched and hugged her tightly.

Zhao Qian said gently, "Didn't Qian'er ask Xiang Lang to kill Zhao Mu for me as revenge? I've now changed my mind, and only hope I can flee far away with Xiang Lang. I don't care about anything else."

Xiang Shaolong secretly sighed, what about avenging Shu'er? Zhao Mu and him, there can only be one.

The carriage stopped, it has reached the pier at the canal.

3 ships from the state of Han with twin masts returned to Han with the 10,000 stone of grains.

Xiang Shaolong and Zhao Qian, with Han Fei's cover, came out and hid inside a small cabin.

Although all the soldiers on the ship are Han, Han Fei is still cautious in case news gets leaked out.

The 2 of them were happily ensconced with each other especially now that they have unlocked the restriction of not being to join as one and both knows what will soon happen. Nothing much needs to be said about the flirtatious Xiang Shaolong, but even the usually gentle princess is starting to become bolder.

Han Fei sent his trusted aide to send them their dinner and the both of them sat shoulder to shoulder on the rug, enjoying the meal.

Xiang Shaolong wanted to drink some wine but Zhao Qian forcefully took his wine cup away and said coquettishly, "No! Zhao Qian will not allow you to drink, I want to yo be fully aware of what you're doing."

Xiang Shaolong looked at her pretty face and said while shaking and bobbing his head, "Even if wine will not intoxicate, the person will still feel intoxicated. Later when I see Princess's beautiful body lying on the bed, I will definitely be thoroughly intoxicated, how can I still stay sober!"

Zhao Qian fed him a piece of meat as she exclaimed happily, "So well said, and making me so happy on hearing it. I'll reward you with a piece of meat."

Xiang Shaolong took the piece of meat in his mouth and leapt over hugging her and extending his hands to loosen her clothing, saying with a smile, "Let me take a look at Princess's tender meat."

Zhao Qian was greatly embarrassed and tried to use her hands to fend him off but the ultimate winner is naturally Xiang Shaolong and his hands reached into her clothes through the sleeves and started having fun with the tender flesh inside.

The pretty princess's body totally softened as she curled into his arms as she accepted her beloved's attack with a mixture bashfulness and joy, saying gently at the same time, "It's snowing outside!"

Xiang Shaolong's hands were enjoying themselves so how can he possibly be bothered if it's snowing outside. He went close to her face as he continued his caress and said, "Is what I am doing now considered stealing what I'm supposed to guard?"

Zhao Qian guffawed and stroked his face a few times with her finger to signify that he should be feeling ashamed.

Xiang Shaolong's felt warmth in his heart.

Ancient beauties are even better than 21st century beauties. Because in this society where men are the center, their entire life is dependant on men, so they are more caring, more giving, not keeping away any part of themselves at all.

Zhao Qian suddenly thought of Ji Yanran and said, "Do you know that Sister Yanran is not a Wei, but the descendant of Yue royalty. That's why she's so beautiful and her martial arts so good."

Xiang Shaolong asked in puzzlement, "How do you know?

Zhao Qian replied, "Of course I know it, when you were unconscious, we talked a lot." She paused and continued with a smile, "Make a guess why the state of Han sent Master Han Fei who is not eloquent at all to come here and borrow rations? It turns out that the King of Wei is frustrated with him trying to urge him to change policies all the time, so he deliberately gave him an impossible mission so as to humiliate him."

Xiang Shaolong shook his head and sighed, "The state of Han is weak enough, and now there's such a muddleheaded King who use such a serious matter of borrowing grains to vent his temper."

Zhao Qian replied, "But the King of Wei made a wrong guess. Because Master Han Fei has Sister Yanran to help him persuade the King of Wei, who finally agreed to lend them rations. But of course the loan will have to be repaid."

Xiang Shaolong was stunned, "Something is not quite right. It seems that Wei will really attack Zhao, or else there's no need for them to be so nice to Han."

Zhao Qian pouted, "Let's not talk about such dampening matters, all right?"

Xiang Shaolong hurriedly apologized and laughed, "Come! Let me take a look at Princess's pretty legs!" and he reached out his hands to remove her robes.

Zhao Qian screamed and leapt out from his arms.

Xiang Shaolong sat up and moved to her side before stretching his body lazily and groaned in comfort before yelling out incoherently, "Come! Let us do something great that will be unforgettable for the rest of our lives!"

3 days later, the ships entered the border of Han.

Xiang Shaolong and Zhao Qian bid their farewells to Han Fei and Han Fei ordered his man to bring them a handsome and extremely excellent horse that is totally black in color, saying, "Brother Xiang! This is Miss Ji's most beloved horse, and she especially told me to bring it along for you to use on your journey."

Zhao Qian exclaimed with an 'Ah!', recognizing it to be the handsome horse that Ji Yanran rode that night while saving them and happily caressed its head.

Xiang Shaolong saw how the beauty has once again helped them and can't help but miss her, heaving a great sigh.

Naturally Han Fei understands his feelings and as he shook his hand in farewell, he said, "The trip to Wei this time, my biggest gain is getting to know a confidante like Yanran and a great hero with ambitions like Brother Xiang. This horse is named Jifeng (Gust of Wind). Take care!"

Xiang Shaolong recollected his emotions and bounded up Jifeng with Zhao Qian, speeding away like lightning and from far away they could still see Han Fei waving at them.

The 2 of them traveled by day and rested by night, traveling along the Han border up north towards Zhao.

Ji Yanran also prepared rations and a simple tent for them as well as some necessities needed for camping so that they need not worry over such matters.

Their mood during the return to Zhao is a lot different then when they were going to Wei. Now they're more relaxed and Zhao Qian has tasted for the first time the joining between a man and a woman and has changed from a girl into a woman. She's as happy as a lark and kept singing tunes from Zhao in Xiang Shaolong's ears, giving him another sense of enjoyment.

The more the travel up north, the colder it got and when it started snowing, they had to find caves to hide in.

10 odd days later, they reached the wide forests of the Han border and after this area they will once again enter Wei border. It will take another 3 days before they can reach Zhao's border.

This is a famous hunting ground in Han, with low hills and valleys, with a mixture of pine trees and trees with wide leaves growing there as well as a large variety of other trees.

Black bears, horses, deer, mountain goats, wild rabbits etc can be seen everywhere as well as wild wolves, who sometimes ran after the horse in a pack. Xiang Shaolong had to kill a few with his needles and the wild wolves stopped to fight over and consume the bodies and finally stopped chasing them.

Both of them on one horse, galloping though the snowy forest with a layer of snow cloaked over the trees. The pure and clean scene is enough to take one's breath away.

This day they came to the western bank of a long river, the heart of the river has not yet turned to ice and the water reflected the snow and sun, flowing towards the northeast.

The weather turned harsher. The both of them were heavily wrapped up to their heads in thick cotton robes and on top of that wore cloaks to keep out the wind and all these could barely keep them warm from the snow.

The snow on the ground was up to knee level and even Jifeng had difficulty walking though it so they ha no choice but to dismount and walk, hoping to find a family where they can spend the night with and hide from the snow.

Although it was bitterly cold, the scene of the endless snowy forest, the ever changing snowflakes are enough to take this pair of lovers' breaths away.

Silence surrounded them, with only the sounds of their feet stepping on the soft snow can be heard.

Once in a while the roars of a ferocious tiger or howls of a wild wolf could be heard from the distance, making their hair stand.

At noon, the wind suddenly blew madly and the snowflakes flew haphazardly around like thousands of silver needles, shooting towards them, making them unable to keep their eyes open and their steps unsteady. After a while, Jifeng refused to move further.

Xiang Shaolong secretly thought that no matter what they have to avoid this blizzard, but there no one in front of them, neither did they pass by any houses. Suddenly he remembered how he learnt to build an Eskimo's igloo while in military training, which is quick to make and appropriate. He suddenly felt like a kid again and went to the riverbank and using his sharp knife, dug out frozen blocks of ice from the river. Under Zhao Qian's doubtful stare, he made a large ice house enough to house man and beast. He used the tent as a blanket and even chopped some wood and started setting up a fire inside and soon the whole house was warm and cozy. The blizzard became a romantic and fun event instead. Even Jifeng regained his usual calm.

Zhao Qian saw how capable her beloved is and all the more she idolizes him and sincerely wanted to make him feel good and enjoy her gentleness.

The 2 of them slept naked under the blanket, their limbs intertwined, whispering never-ending sweet nothings to each other and in the end fell into a sweet sleep in each other's arms. At dawn, they were suddenly startled awake by a strange noise.

They listened carefully and it turned out to be the sounds of birds happily playing as they flew across the sky. They got up and looked out the small snow window cut out for ventilation and saw that the sky is now clear and the blizzard has stopped falling.

They were ecstatic and hurriedly packed up, finally leaving that igloo filled with sweet memories with a tinge of sadness.

Xiang Shaolong was afraid that Jifeng would be too cold so he wrapped up it's limbs with cotton strips and the belly as well so that the cold will not penetrate into its organs. He also made a simple sled and put all their luggage on it so that Jifeng can pull it along with Xiang Shaolong leading him and Zhao Qian walking along by his side as they continued their journey north. By now they cannot tell if the land they're walking on belongs to Zhao or Wei. After all, borders are something made by men and nature itself will definitely not adhere to it.

The sheltered Zhao Qian was tired after walking lass than half a mile and sat on the sled, letting Jifeng pull her along effortlessly.

The forest looks like it's filled with layers of tall walls, never ending as they weaved through it, making them feel as if they're lost in a maze. Luckily Xiang Shaolong is experienced in military travel and while the weather was clear a few days earlier, he found the position of the Polar Star and ascertained his location so they did not travel towards the wrong direction.

Snow was stacked up beneath their feet and occasionally they would see the prints of animals on the snow crisscrossing one another, making it into a strange and unique drawing. Naturally they also left behind them another set of endless scars.

The weather won't stay good for long, and it started snowing after noon, getting bigger as well.

Xiang Shaolong was secretly troubled, just as he was wondering if they should stop or continue, 7 wooden huts appeared amongst the trees towards their left.

The 2 of them were overjoyed as they went towards the houses.

The few wooden houses were built on a foundation of stone and made of pine wood with railings surrounding the house. There was snow packed on the roof and tall trees surrounded the front and back of the houses, making it a picturesque scene.

They liked what they saw on first sight and came to the front of the house and called out loudly but there was no reply.

Zhao Qian suddenly screamed and pointed at the entrance of the largest house, only to see it filled with bloodstains, the scene utterly shocking.

Xiang Shaolong walked closer for a look and realized that the bloodstains were still quite fresh, obviously the incident happened not too long ago. Therefore he instructed Zhao Qian to wait outside while he went into the house alone. Not long after he came out with a solemn expression and after checking the other houses, returned to Zhao Qian's side and said, "Qian'er don't be startled, a terrible crime and tragedy just happened here. It seems that all the men, women, old and young were all gathered to this house in the middle and slaughtered. Even the dogs were not let off, and the women had signs of being raped."

Zhao Qian's expression paled as she asked, "Who did such a cruel thing?"

Xiang Shaolong replied, "Either horse thieves or army troops, or else they would not have so easily taken control of these strong hunters."

Zhao Qian stammered, "What should we do?"

Before Shaolong could reply, hoof beats were heard.

Their feelings still unsettled, they turned around to take a look, only to see a person on top of a horse coming towards them. A huge burly man was seated on the horse and behind the horse he carried a pair of hunted wild deer.

That person is about 25 or 26 years old, his arms stouter than an average person's, his eyes gleaming, his face rough and gallant with a great aura about him. He saw them from afar and called out in greeting, "Friends, where are you from!" and added, "Teng Yi is back!"

Xiang Shaolong and Zhao Qian exchanged a look, both feeling sad for this returning man.

The burly man called Teng Yi slowed down his horse's progress, a strange look came over his eyes as he looked at the houses with no family coming out to welcome him, obviously feeling that something is not quite right.

Xiang Shaolong went forward first to block him and said earnestly, "Friend, please listen to me first."

Teng Yi jumped off his horse nimbly and asked him coldly, "Who are you people?"

Xiang Shaolong replied, "We're just passing by, inside…"

Teng Yi pushed him away as he shouted, "Move aside!"

With Xiang Shaolong's weight and steady stance, to be pushed aside like that, and although he was caught unawares, it can be seen that this Teng Yi has amazing arm strength.

Teng Yi dashed into the house like the wind, followed by an earth shattering and heart rending cry. Men truly do not cry easily, unless they are really heart broken!

Zhao Qian felt her nose stifling and leaned onto Xiang Shaolong's shoulders and wept as well.

There was a wild roar and Teng Yi rushed out with bloodshot eyes and his sword in his hand, pointing at Xiang Shaolong and asked, "Did you do this."

Xiang Shaolong and Zhao Qian looked at each other in shock.

Obviously extreme grief and fury has made Teng Yi lose his normal senses and he slashed towards his head with the sword.

Xiang Shaolong is already well prepared and pulled out his wooden sword and forcefully blocked this blow while pushing Zhao Qian away with his other hand.

Xiang Shaolong felt his arm go numb from blocking that blow and just as he was secretly thinking that this person's arm strength is comparable to Xiao Weimou, Teng Yi has made another attack like a crazed tiger. His swordplay was wide and extremely intricate and excellent.

Xiang Shaolong never expected to meet such a frightening swordsman in this wild snowy forest and dared not even split his concentration to try to explain. He followed the Mozi swordplay and only defended, not attacking and retreating as he fought. After blocking off his opponent's 100 odd attacks, Teng Yu suddenly cried out piteously and knelt down on the ground, holding his head and sobbing bitterly.

Zhao Qian ran over in fear and hid behind Xiang Shaolong as she called out, "Big man! We didn't kill those people inside."

Teng Yi nodded his head as he cried, "I know! You're using a wooden sword and there are no bloodstains on you. It's just that fury got to my head." He then continued crying in the snow.

Teng Yi knelt in front of the newly erected tombstones, his expression wooden.

Right below, buried were his parents, brothers, wife and children.

A self-sufficing happy life is no longer something he has.

He doesn't even know who his enemy is, so he can only use all his effort and life to find them.

Hatred was gnawing at his bleeding heart.

Zhao Qian cried along with him.

Xiang Shaolong came up to Teng Yi's side and asked solemnly, "Does Brother Teng want to take revenge!"

Teng Yi suddenly lifted his head, a look of resolution shot out from his eyes as he said, "If Brother Xiang can allow me to avenge this hatred, I will give you my life."

Xiang Shaolong secretly thought that this person's sword skill is excellent and his martial arts outstanding as well. If he has his help, it'll be even better. He nodded his head, "Did Brother Teng think why the thieves would gather everyone into one house?"

Teng Yi was stunned as he replied, "They're thinking of keeping the other 6 houses for use."

Xiang Shaolong was extremely impressed with his quick thinking and said, "So they will definitely come back, and it will be before dusk."

A strong look of hatred came over Teng Yi's eyes and he leaned forward to kiss the know before coming towards Xiang Shaolong and grabbing his shoulders, said with gratitude, "Thank you! You'd better be on your way! Or else it'll be even more dangerous if you bump into them."

Xiang Shaolong smiled, "If you want to kill all your enemies, then you should not ask me to leave."

Teng Yi looked at Zhao Qian and shook his head, "Your little wife is both pretty and kind hearted, I do not wish harm to befall her. Although my 3 brothers are not as good as me, but they're not easily trifled with as well so obviously the enemy is a big group and highly skilled. We might not be able to fight and win them."

Xiang Shaolong said with confidence, "If it's a head on attack, naturally we're not their match but now that we're planning something against the unguarded, it's another story altogether. There's still some time left, we need to start preparing immediately."

Book 4 Chap 8 – Revenge on the Snowy grounds

Xiang Shaolong and Teng Yi sat on the 2 sides of the window inside the house, waiting quietly for the cruel enemy to arrive. Teng Yi's emotions have calmed down, revealing the collected and stable composure of a highly skilled fighter but the pain and sadness in his eyes was intensified. Xiang Shaolong wanted to keep his mind away and asked, "Has Brother Teng been hunting here for a living since young?"

Teng Yi was silent for a moment before saying quietly, "To tell you the truth, I once had the dream of doing a little something for Han so I was in the military before and even raised to the position of commander. Later I saw that the people on top were too much, they only know how to belittle talents and pander to outsiders so disheartened, I brought my family with me to live in seclusion here. But who'd expect…"

Sounds of hoof beats were heard. The 2 of them were immediately energized and stood up to look outside the window. Amongst the falling snowflakes, in the silvery white world outside, a group of men and horses rode towards them slowly. Xiang Shaolong was stunned on seeing the scene and exclaimed hoarsely, "There's at least 60 to 70 people!" Teng Yi replied coldly, "It's 90 to 100."

Xiang Shaolong took a closer look and looked back at him in surprise, saying with a nod, "Your observation is very accurate." Teng Yi said, "Brother Xiang, you better leave! Just with the 2 of us, even with the traps we won't be able to handle so many people." Xiang Shaolong was originally feeling numb and was toying with the idea of retreating but now that he knows that Teng Yi has his mind made up to fight to the death, his valor was stirred instead and he said seriously, "Brother Teng do not be pessimistic so quickly. As long as we can persevere a little longer, once the sky turns dark, it'll be beneficial to our movement. Humph! I, Xiang Shaolong, is not one to retreat at the last moment."

Teng Yi looked at him in gratitude before focusing all his attention on the slowly approaching enemy. By now the sky is slowly darkening and Xiang Shaolong looked hard before he exclaimed in shock, "It's Xiao Weimou!" And he felt a strong surge of apology.

Teng Yi had already heard his story and was stunned, "It's Xiao Weimou from the state of Qi!" He sighed and continued, "Brother Xiang need not blame yourself, this has got nothing to do with you. You're a victim as well!" Xiang Shaolong saw how understanding he was and felt a little better and at the same time gained more admiration for this highly skilled swordsman who is willing to lead a peaceful and boring life.

By now the large group came to the empty space in front of the houses and dismounted. The house that Xiang Shaolong and Teng Yi were hiding in was where the tragedy happened so logically, Xiao Weimou's men won't step in here. Xiao Weimou looked gloomy and Zhen Lei stood next to him, his expression not any better either.

Looking at his men move the saddles and luggage from the horses back and moving them into the other houses, Xiao Weimou cursed and fumed, "I'm definitely not wrong. Xiang Shaolong pretended to escape to Chu but that is just a trick. If he wants to return to Zhao, there's only 3 ways. I bet he will not dare to travel through our Great Qi and the state of Wei, so the only route left is this path in Han, but why is it that we still cannot find him?" Zhen Lei commented, "We came here by ships and traveled on the official paths, so it's not strange that we'll be about 10 days faster than him. Now we will stop and set a trap here and once he passes by this place, he'll certainly not be able to escape unnoticed from the 10 odd sentry posts we set up."

Xiao Weimou replied, "Remember not to hurt Zhao Qian!" After he spoke he walked towards the house Xiang and Teng were hiding in. The both of them were overjoyed and moved separately to the 2 huge windows next to the door and raised their bows, getting ready to shoot as soon as he steps within shooting distance. Zhen Lei called out, "Head! That house…"

Xiao Weimou grinned fiendishly, "Such an exciting sight, it's good to see it one more time. I love to see women who has been raped and killed by me." And then he walked forward with large strides. Xiang and Teng were ecstatic, as they got ready.

Suddenly someone cried out from afar, "Head! Something's wrong! There are fresh graves here." Xiang and Teng instantly regretted their actions. They did not expect Xiao Weimou to be so cautious as to send his men to take a look around. They know that the chance is not to be missed and the sound of the bows rang as 2 arrows shot out the window towards Xiao Weimou. At that point in time that fiend was about 300 steps away from them and on hearing the swishing of the air he was startled and immediately dodged aside.

He could have avoided both the arrows but because Xiang Shaolong knows that he's very nimble, he deliberately shot a little to the side so although he avoided Teng Yi's arrow, he could not avoid Xiang Shaolong's arrow, which shot through his shoulder. He cried out in pain as he fell backwards. A pity that it did not strike any of his vital points but it's enough to make him suffer.

At this point in time almost half of the 100 men were already in the 6 houses while the rest of the 40 odd men outside all cried out in alarm and dashed towards the house they were hiding in. Xiang Shaolong and Teng Yi hurriedly retreated towards the back door and once they reached the back of the house, they lighted the fire arrows and shot them towards the other houses.

These roofs and pine wood walls have all been tampered by them and a layer of inflammable pine oil has been poured on it so once it made contact with fire the flames spread immediately through the whole house and even the windows and doors were smeared with them. With the northern wind blowing, those who went into the houses seems to be in a space where they are cut off from the outside world and after traveling for the whole day, they all lied down to rest, not knowing that something has happened outside. By the time they realized something was wrong, the whole house was engulfed in flames. For a moment screams were heard everywhere, as if it's hell on earth.

The 10 odd men who were running towards the house saw that they were about to reach the steps to the house when they suddenly felt the ground give way and they fell into the trap that Xiang and Teng made earlier, into a deep hole more than 10 feet deep and filled with pointed spikes so there's no way they can stay alive even with luck. In that instant, more than half of the almost 100 enemies were either killed or injured and even the leader Xiao Weimou was injured.

With fire seemingly shooting out from his eyes, Teng Yi roared as he dashed out, killing everyone on sight. Xiang Shaolong dashed out from the other side, 2 flying needles flew out and killed 2 bewildered thieves before he drew out his wooden sword and killed his way towards the direction of Xiao Weimou.

Xiang Weimou was being helped up by Zhen Lei and another man and he felt the intense pain on his shoulder where the arrow injured him as he moved. He knows that he cannot fight and although he saw he greatest enemy Xiang Shaolong, there's nothing he can do except grind his teeth in hatred and now that there's only 20 odd men left, he cried out angrily, "Let's leave!" Zhen Lei and his man hurriedly helped him towards the nearest warhorse as they left in a hurry.

Xiang Shaolong looked around and shouted, "Xiao Weimou is leaving!" The remaining thieves saw that it is indeed true and realized that the 2 of them were extremely highly skilled and although they have more people on their side, they could not take any advantage of them at all. In an instant their enemy killed another 5 of them and they all ran away in fear. Xiang Shaolong and Teng Yi saw that it's a chance not to be missed and they went after Xiao Weimou.

A few men who were loyal to Xiao Weimou turned back to stop them but they were soon gotten rid of by these 2 ferocious and highly skilled fighters. After Xiang Shaolong kicked a man flying away, he soon caught up with Xiao Weimou. Zhen Lei saw that they still have another 10 odd steps before reaching the horse so he pulled out his sword and turned back to block Xiang Shaolong.

Xiang Shaolong shouted, "Teng Yi! Give chase!" as he slashed towards Zhen Lei. Zhen Lei is indeed a highly skilled fighter and blocked the blow with his own sword. He dashed forward without fear for himself and for a moment the sounds of swords slashing in the air was heard and the fight was intense. The worse thing is that Zhen Lei is fighting with the thought of perishing together with the enemy and for the time being there's nothing much Xiang Shaolong can do but to wait for the moment his attacks turn a little weaker. By now Xiao Weimou has jumped onto the horse. Teng Yi arrived just in time and slashed with his sword. One of the men was about to turn around to fight but was caught in the slash and he was thrown 7 steps back away by the impact, his blood spurting. This shows how strong is the hatred in his heart.

Xiao Weimou tolerated the intense pain as he clasped his legs around the horse's belly and rode out. Teng Yi roared and he leapt forward, his great hand extending out and he actually managed to grab the horse's back leg. The horse lost its balance as with a terrified neigh, fell down on the snow and Xiao Weimou was thrown off its back. Zhen Lei turned around for a look and was immediately terrified.

Xiang Shaolong was not one to miss the opportunity and he slashed thrice successively and on the 3rd slash, Zhen Lei's long sword was thrown off and a huge opening was revealed. When Teng Yi leapt over and was tumbling around with Xiao Weimou, Xiang Shaolong's wooden sword pierced forward like lightning and Zhen Lei gave out a horrifying cry before he was thrown back by the impact and died on the spot. At this time Xiao Weimou was struggling, his hand pinching Teng Yi's throat and just as he was about to gather his strength to shatter the throat, Teng Yi pressed down hard on the arrow wound on his shoulder and the pain thoroughly numbed him for the moment and he loosened his grip as well.

Teng Yi sat on him and using his left hand, pulled out the arrow together with a piece of flesh as blood spurted out from the wound. Even as Xiao Weimou was reeling from the pain, his right fist was plummeting on his chest like a hammer more than 10 times and the sounds og bones breaking can be heard. Blood flowed out from the orifices of Xiao Weimou's face and he died horribly on the spot. Teng Yi then fell off his body and crouched on the snow, crying bitterly.

Unexpectedly, Xiang Shaolong found his lost Flying Rainbow on Xiao Weimou's body and a wave of feelings rushed upon him. When Xiang Shaolong carried Zhao Qian up from the hidden hold underground, Zhao Qian was pale from worry and her delicate body was trembling.

The heavy snow stopped, stars filled the sky, pretty and alluring. Xiang Shaolong kissed her fragrant lips lovingly and carried her up by her waist and walked towards the graves. Teng Yi cut off Xiao Weimou's head and put it in front of the graves with incense as an offering.

Xiang Shaolong put Zhao Qian down and asked, "What does Brother Teng intend to do from now on?" Teng Yi said calmly, "I have nothing left, except for my life and my sword, and I have no other concerns. If Brother Xiang doesn't mind, I will follow you in future. I am not afraid of any hardship or danger, or even death, as it will end this pitiful fate of mine!" Xiang Shaolong was overjoyed as he replied, "I'd really love it, but Brother Teng need not wallow in sadness. You should get back your fighting spirit and start a new life!" Teng Yi shook his head, "Brother Xiang will not understand the feelings I have for my wife, children and family. They are everything to me, now that I have nothing left, besides the gratitude I feel for Brother Xiang, I will no longer have any feelings for anyone else. That is too painful."

Zhao Qian felt her nose sniffling, and started weeping. Teng Yi sighed, "Ai! Weepy little princess!" Xiang Shaolong hugged Zhao Qian as he said offhandedly, "Xiao Weimou's head will be worth a lot, does Brother Teng have any way of preserving it!" Teng Yi replied, "That's easy, just leave it to me!"

With Teng Yi with them who is familiar with the environment, their journey became a lot smoother. Not only is he an outstanding hunter, he's also an expert in barbeque and knows how to season the food with wild herbs and plants, gaining much compliments from Xiang and Zhao on the food. Teng Yi treated nature as if it is a religion, believing that there are various types of deities in nature so whenever they came to a new place, he'll kiss the soil and pray for luck.

5 days later, they reached a large village near the border of Wei. There were a few hundred houses and a few animal enclosures scattered on the wide snowy plains and the scene looked beautiful and peaceful. It's really a paradise that one can hide away from in this chaotic warring period.

Not only is Teng Yi very familiar with the people here, he's also well respected. A few young shepherd saw him arriving and immediately flew back to the village to report and some even came to welcome him with their gongs. Zhao Qian found all of these interesting and revealed a sweet smile, making Xiang Shaolong feel like carrying her into the room immediately and spend the night together.

Along the way there're always men, women, old and young who walked over to greet Teng Yi, the men can't help but stare at Zhao Qian while the women were stealing glances at Xiang Shaolong. 10 odd dogs came out from all over the place and ran after their horses, shaking their heads and tails at Teng Yi, showing their welcome.

"Brother Teng!" The sound came from the top. Both Xiang and Zhao were startled and lifted their head to look only to see a skinny youth about 16 or 17 years old with long limbs. He's not considered handsome, but he has a suave, happy-go-lucky air about him with a happy and honest smile, his 2 legs swinging as he sat on the branch of a huge tree filled with snow about 3 feet off the ground, making one worry that if he were to lose his balance and fall, that'd be terrible.

Zhao Qian exclaimed in alarm, "Be careful! Stop shaking!" That youth went 'Ah!', as if he only realized the danger now and fumbled, all the more causing him to lose his balance as he fell. Zhao Qian was so frightened she closed her pretty eyes but did not hear the sound of anything heavy falling. When she opened her eyes, she saw the youth with his legs hanging off the tree, his arms around his chest and grinning at her as he blinked. Zhao Qian stared at him angrily, upset with him for putting on such an act to scare her. Xiang Shaolong was extremely impressed and complimented sincerely, "Friend, what great moves." Teng Yi shouted, "Jing Jun aren't you going to come down!"

Jing Jun chortled and made 2 somersaults as if he's making a performance before landing lightly and nimbly on the snowy ground before asking Zhao Qian, "This regal and pretty looking miss, may I ask if you already have a husband!" Zhao Qian stared at him with annoyance and thought that she is leaning so closely in Xiang Lang's arms and yet he had to ask this question.

Teng Yi said unhappily, "Control your slick mouth! This is the royal 3rd Princess from the state of Zhao, how can you be so rude?" Jing Jun was stunned as he looked at Xiang Shaolong and shouted, "This must be Xiang Shaolong who defeated Hui Wu and Ren Lang!" Teng Yi and Xiang Shaolong exchanged looks of puzzlement before the former asked, "How did you know?"

Jing Jun replied, "I heard the Wei soldiers at the border talking about it. They instructed us to help them keep a look out for Master Xiang and the Princess and if I find out anything, they'll give me a hundred taels of silver."

Zhao Qian was frightened, "You wouldn't do that right?" Jing Jun jumped up without any effort and did a back somersault before kneeling on the ground, his hand clasped around his fist as he said, "Of course I won't. I have made a decision to follow Master Xiang and roam the outside world. Master Xiang please accept my request." Xiang Shaolong felt a liking for this person and looked at Teng Yi, meaning that he will respect his thoughts on this.

Teng Yi nodded his head, "Jing Jun is the most outstanding hunter here and an expert in sneaky acts. I came especially to this village this time because I would like Brother Xiang to meet this lad who dreams of roaming the outside world all the time." Xiang Shaolong chortled, "Get up! Follow me in future then!"

Jing Jun was so happy he jumped up and made 3 continuous somersaults as he cried out, "Let me go and scout the roads first, I'll certainly come back tomorrow morning with a report!" and he was far away in an instant. Xiang Shaolong saw how obedient he is and was secretly happy.

That night they stayed in the village head's house and received the warmest welcome. During the feast, all the elders in the village came and it was extremely lively. Before bedtime, Teng Yi told the 2 of them. "If you hear any weird sounds tonight, do not come out, because someone will be here to kidnap the village head's daughter." Xiang and Zhao were perplexed and could not understand why would there be thieves stealing women away. Teng Yi explained, "This is a local custom, the night before the wedding there will be a ceremony to steal the bride away. Everyone will pretend nothing is happening and after the groom steals the girl home, they will consummate the marriage immediately. The next morning they will return to the girl's home to hold the wedding ceremony. You can take part in the wedding feast as well."

The sounds of drums shocked the lovers awake from their dreams. At this time the sky is not yet bright and Xiang and Zhao climed out from under their warm blankets bleary eyed and hurriedly washed up and changed. By the time they walked to the hall, it's already filled with people here to take part in the wedding ceremony. They were arranged, together with Teng Yi, to sit behind the family to view the ceremony.

The village head and his 4 wives were seated at the front row and the newly weds were dressed in red robes and crowns, each kneeling on one side and holding a basket of fresh fruits. The guests all clapped and sang to express their congratulations.

Zhao Qian was smiling from ear to ear and she went closer to Xiang Shaolong's ear and whispered, "Xiang Lang! Qian'er wants to wear a wedding outfit like that as well and marry you." He felt a sweetness in his heart and replied, "One day when we escape from Handan, we'll hold a wedding ceremony like theirs immediately, all right?" Zhao Qian nodded her head furiously.

At this time, someone tied strings made with 7 colors around the wrists of the newly weds and everyone gave their blessings like wishing them togetherness til old age and hearts joined forever. The ceremony is simple yet significant. After that they had a feast of more than 10 tables at the great ancestral hall in the middle of the village where the whole village attended. The little kids wearing new clothes were even more happy, using their laughter and noisy play to add to this joyous atmosphere.

As the wine warmed them up to their ears, Jing Jun returned and went behind Teng and Xiang, saying with a lowered voice, "The defences between Wei and Zhao are tighter than normal, everyone is keen on capturing Master Xiang and the Princess to get the reward. Luckily I know of a secret route via the water so if we take advantage of the snow and the cover of the night, we'll definitely be able to sneak back into Zhao." Xiang Shaolong said happily, "If only it'd start snowing soon!" Teng Yi looked up the sky and commented, "Don't worry! There will certainly be a heavy snowfall tonight."

Teng Yi's prediction truly did not disappoint as balls of snowflakes started falling since dusk. By now the 4 of them have already passed the border between Han and Wei and made their wooden rafts, to be controlled by Teng and Jing. With the water and wind going in the right direction, they safely returned within Zhao's border the next morning.

Book 4 Chap 9 – Shocking and sad news

The next day at dusk, the 4 of them arrived at the sentry post just inside the Zhao border and outside the city of the Zi district. By now Zhao Qian has dressed up as a man, masquerading as Jing Jun's younger brother and because none of the generals outside has ever seen this beautiful 3rd Princess, so as long as they're out of Handan, no one will be able to reveal her real identity.

The guard on top of the city walls called out to the 4 of them to stop and when he saw it's Xiang Shaolong, the guard immediately opened the gate to let them in without even waiting for his superior's instruction. His attitude was extremely respectful, which shows how well respected and famous Xiang Shaolong is within the Zhao army now. The truth us when Xiang Shaolong sent back the heads of the thieves he killed, the weapons and war horses back to Zhao after each victory, the first to know are usually these guards, so naturally they have a very high opinion of Xiang Shaolong.

Under the escort of the Zhao army, Xiang Shaolong and the rest rode towards the city of Zi. Zhao Qian's horse riding skills are quite good and sitting high atop the horse, looks like a handsome young man. Before they reach Zi, suddenly there was a team of Zhao soldiers riding towards them. The 2 groups slowly got closer to each other and Xiang Shaolong recognized the 2 leaders. One of them is the general in charge of defending the city, General Wa Che, and the other is shockingly his great enemy Zhao Mu. Zhao Qian and Xiang Shaolong's expressions changed. But by now it's too late to avoid them so they can only grit their teeth and move forward.

Zhao Mu hastened his horse and came forward with Wa Che hurrying to keep up with him. The 2 groups met and all of them dismounted. Zhao Mu saw Zhao Qian dressed as a man and immediately recognized her, his eyes shone with greed as he knelt down and paid his respects, "The Marquis of Julu pays his respect to Third Princess!" This shocked Wa Che and the rest so much that they hurriedly fell to their knees in respect. Xiang Shaolong was secretly lamenting that Zhao Mu's sudden appearance has spoiled what he thought was a perfect arrangement, and now he has to deal with the outcome if Zhao Qian is found to have lost her virginity. Zhao Qian was surprisingly calm as she said, "Marquis of Julu, please rise!"

This time it's Xiang Shaolong, together with Teng Yi and Jing Jun's turn to pay their respects to Zhao Mu. The 2 of them already knows the relationship between Xiang Shaolong and Zhao Mu so they pretended to be extremely respectful but of course were cursing the ancestors of this conniving fiend in their hearts.

Zhao Mu instructed Wa Che, "The 3rd Princess must have endured a lot of shock and suffering along the journey, send her quickly back to the city to rest." Zhao Qian was quite obedient and without even taking a look at Xiang Shaolong, followed Wa Che back.

Zhao Mu and Xiang Shaolong rode alongside each other and he complimented, "Lady Ya and Cheng Xu has already told what happened in Daliang to his Majesty. His Majesty is extremely pleased with how Shaolong reacted to the situation and your intellect. The only problem is that muddle headed King Anli sent an envoy to blame his Majesty that he has not even set eyes on 3rd Princess and you've already kidnapped her. This matter is quite troublesome and it seems that more will come." Xiang Shaolong pretended to fully trust him and loyal as he said, "I hope that Marquis will say a few nice words in front of his Majesty for me." Zhao Mu replied insincerely, "That is but of course!"

He also asked about Teng Yi and Jing Jun. Xiang Shaolong replied, "They're Hans who have helped me and I have accepted them as my family servants." He did not mention anything about Xiao Weimou. Zhao Mu asked quietly, "Did Shaolong meet with any enemies on the way back?"

Xiang Shaolong's intuition told him that Zhao Mu's words are not as simple as it seems. Besides with Zhao Mu's status, why would he come here especially to wait for him? Or could it be that Zhao Mu and Xiao Weimou have some secret relationship? At the same time he remembered that Xiao Weimou once said that Zhao Qian must not be harmed, it could be because he promised Zhao Mu that he'll hand her to him.

He replied, "I met Xiao Weimou, and also chopped off his head!" Zhao Mu was stunned and asked hoarsely, "What?" Xiang Shaolong is all the more certain of his guess. If Zhao Mu is not sure of Xiao Weimou's ability, why else would he be so shocked. After he heard Xiang Shaolong repeat his words again, Zhao Mu was silent for a moment before he turned his head and stared at him, saying "According to our spies in Daliang, that night when you escaped from Prince Xinling's residence you were surrounded by Xiao Weimou and his men, but someone later saved you and sent you out of Daliang. Who is that person?"

Xiang Shaolong is all the more certain that Zhao Mu is in cahoots with Xiao Weimou. Because at that time things happened so quickly, and the residents there dared not witness the fight for fear of getting trouble on themselves. Besides, onlookers would not know that they were surrounded by Xiao Weimou and his men, they would think that they're Wei soldiers. But now Zhao Mu is so certain of what happened, the only reason is that the news came from Xiao Weimou.

He was secretly cursing but on the surface he pretended to be nonchalant as he sighed, "I'd like to know who was that hero who saved me as well, but he left after taking me and the Princess away from danger, not even leaving us his name." Zhao Mu furrowed his brow, "Weren't you seriously injured then?" Xiang Shaolong was secretly chortling, thinking that evil fiend has finally let the cat out of the bag. If not for Xiao Weimou telling him, how would he have known that he was seriously injured. He pretended to be puzzled and looked at him, asking "Who told you that I was seriously injured, it's just all superficial wounds!"

Zhao Mu knows that he has revealed too much and coughed dryly to cover up his embarrassment. By now the team has entered the city walls of Zi. Xiang Shaolong thought to himself: Just come! Let's see who shall be the ultimate victor.

The next morning Xiang Shaolong, Zhao Mu and the rest started the journey as soon as it was bright. Following the official path they reached Handan 2 days later and entered the Palace immediately to see the King of Zhao. He arranged for Teng Yi and Jing Jun to return to the Wu family first. The King of Zhao received him in the Politics Discussion Hall, and Zhao Mu was the only one accompanying him.

After respects was paid to the ruler, King Xiaocheng walked down the stone steps from his dragon throne and with his hands clasped behind his back, commented, "Shaolong! Tell me how I should deal with you? You successfully stole 'Lu Gong's Secret Manual' and killed Hui Hu, eliminating a troublemaker for our Great Zhao and achieved great accomplishments. But you did not wait for my instructions and brought the 3rd Princess back on your own accord, making me go back on my words towards the Weis. Tell me! Should I reward or punish you." Xiang Shaolong pretended to be astonished as he knelt down and said, "Your subordinate knows he's made a mistake, but I was really forced by circumstances, the Weis were…"

The King of Zhao interrupted him, "No need for more words, whatever you wanted to say, my royal sister Lady Ya has already told me. But ultimately you did not accomplish the mission I gave you. If King Anli goes back on the marriage agreement, then just let him go back on his words. But now it has turned out that he is putting the blame on me, tell me how should I account for this?"

Xiang Shaolong felt fury rising up and almost wanted to strangle King Xiaocheng. A father who does not care about the happiness of his own daughter, how can he be fit to rule a country. He controlled his temper and removed the bag on his back which contained the head of Xiao Weimou and said, "Your Majesty can return Xiao Weimou's head to the King of Wei and he will know that we have found out about his collaboration with Xiao Weimou, then he will no longer pursue this matter!" The King of Zhao looked at the bag in surprise, then looked at Zhao Mu, not quite knowing what to do with Xiang Shaolong's suggestion.

Zhao Mu pretended to be the good guy and said, "Shaolong, you've made a very bold suggestion. But the King of Wei can always deny his relationship with Xiao Weimou, or even say that you're setting him up. Hai! Shaolong is still inexperienced indeed."

Xiang Shaolong expected that this conniving thief would say this so he said with a smile, "Both they and us are just looking for excuses! Your Majesty need only tell Anli that I was trying to save the Princess, that's why I escaped back to Handan in order to hide from Xiao Weimou's pursuit. It's simply not safe within Wei's borders. If the Weis want to marry the Princess, then ask him to send someone here to escort the Princess, let's see what he will do?" Zhao Mu did not expect Xiang Shaolong to come out with such a plan and for a moment had no argument.

The King of Zhao was stunned for a moment before nodding his head, "This is a good idea to round things up. We'll do just that and see how that old man Anli is going to react?" He then told Xiang Shaolong, "For now I'll take it that your accomplishments have atoned for your mistakes and you can keep your current position. Rest well for the next few days! If there's anything else I will summon you into the Palace." Xiang Shaolong was relieved and hurriedly bid his leave.

Xiang Shaolong had just stepped out of the Palace gates when Cheng Xu came up. However there was no joy of meeting after a long absence and instead he lowered his voice and said seriously, "Lady Ya is waiting for Commander Xiang.", followed by a sigh. Xiang Shaolong feels a dark omen and taking a deep breath, asked, "What happened?" Extreme sadness shot out of Cheng Xu's eyes as he gritted his teeth and said, "Lady Ni is dead!" Xiang Shaolong was stunned, "What?"

Cheng Xu said dejectedly, "It happened on the 3rd day after you left. When the maid went to her room that morning, she saw her holding a sharp dagger. Her belly had a fatal wound and the bed was stained red by her blood." Xiang Shaolong felt as if he is falling from Heaven straight into hell, the blood in his body turning cold, his chest felt as if it has been pounded by a thousand kilo force, his breathing difficult and all the strength in his body suddenly disappearing. He staggered and almost fell to the ground if not for Cheng Xu supporting him.

His face turned as pale as paper and tears fell uncontrollably down his cheeks. He thought of Lady Ni's love and elegance, yet such a horrible death befell her, is there justice in the world? After Cheng Xu steadied him on his feet, Xiang Shaolong said through gritted teeth, "She certainly will not commit suicide, don't those maids know anything?" Cheng Xu sighed, "That's all we know upon our return. Now all those maids have been dismissed and we can't even find one of them to question. Those in court are fearful of Zhao Mu and dared not ask too many questions. His Majesty is now totally under Zhao Mu's control and will not object to anything he says."

Xiang Shaolong exclaimed hoarsely, "Zhao Mu?" And he slowly understood. Zhao Mu saw that Lady Ni has given in to him and was extremely jealous so he secretly went to rape Zhao Ni. Zhao Ni was distraught after the shameful ordeal so she used death to wash off her shame. That conniving thief Zhao Mu, who is worst than an animal! A sudden stab of pain and sadness rushed to his heart and Xiang Shaolong finally broke down and wept bitterly.

Xiang Shaolong hugged Zhao Ya tightly, as if he's afraid that she will suddenly disappear like Zhao Ni. Lady Ya cried hot tears together with him and wailed, "Xiang Lang! Brace yourself, all the more Zhao Mu will not let you and the Wu family off. If you don't pull yourself together we'll all die under his hands sooner or later." Xiang Shaolong asked, "Where is Xiao Pan?"

Lady Ya replied, "For now he is under the care of my royal sister. This child is indeed strange, after crying for a few days, he kept quiet and has not cried since, only saying that he wants to wait for your return." As she spoke the last words, Zhao Pan's voice could be heard screaming madly from outside, "Teacher!" Xiang Shaolong pushed Lady Ya aside and hugged Zhao Pan who had ran into his arms.

This little lad has lost a lot of weight and he cried bitterly, "Teacher! It's Zhao Mu that conniving thief who cause Mother to die, I feel such deep hatred in my heart!" Xiang Shaolong became calmer instead and asked, "Tell me what happened that night." Zhao Pan replied, "I don't know anything at all. That day his Majesty sent someone to bring over some snacks and I fell into a deep sleep after eating it. When I woke up Mother is already dead and even her body had been moved away. Mother is so pitiful!" and he cried bitterly again.

Lady Ya couldn't control her sadness and leaned on Xiang Shaolong's back and sobbed uncontrollably and a cloud of despair surrounded them. Xiang Shaolong reached out to hug Lady Ya and said quietly, "From today onwards, Xiao Pan you will follow your royal Aunt Ya. We must certainly avenge your mother, but we cannot act rashly or else it'll only give that conniving thief an excuse to deal with us, understand?" Zhao Pan nodded his head vigorously, "Xiao Pan understands totally. All these time I have been practicing my swordplay everyday as you have instructed. I want to kill Zhao Mu personally."

Xiang Shaolong told Zhao Ya, "Ya'er, take good care of Xiao Pan. For now Zhao Mu will not dare to do anything to you and Qian'er, but it's still better to be careful. Will you be able to get Qian'er out of the palace to stay with you at your residence outside the palace, and at the same time tell Zhao Da and the rest to increase defenses and not give Zhao Mu any opportunities?" Zhao Ya replied, "Although Imperial brother usually does not bother himself with Princess Qian's matters, now because of her marriage agreement with the Weis, it might be a bit difficult to get her out of the Palace. But I will think of a way. After I retrieved the 'Secret Manual', Imperial Brother has regarded me highly, maybe I can persuade him." Xiang Shaolong thought of something and after telling Zhao Pan to leave first, he told Zhao Ya that he's already having a physical relationship with Zhao Qian.

Zhao Ya's expression changed, "What shall we do? Zhao Mu will certainly coerce Imperial brother to give orders to check if Zhao Qian is still intact. If they find a problem, they'll definitely not let you off." Xiang Shaolong replied, "Zhao Mu is extremely distracted right now and may not think of this point for now." He continued with a furrowed brow, "Just how do you determine if Qian'er is still a virgin?" Zhao Ya replied, "Mainly is to see if her hymen is still intact."

Xiang Shaolong secretly thought so that's the case and asked, "Who will do the inspection?" Zhao Ya replied, "It should be the empress who inspects personally, because of Zhao Qian's royal status, no one else is allowed to touch her body." Xiang Shaolong thought of the Zhao empress and a thread of hope filled his heart as he said, No matter what, try to get Qian'er away from the dangerous Palace first, then we'll think of how to deal with Zhao Mu."

By now Tao Fang has arrived with Wu Tingfang and Ting Fangshi and after the long parting, the reunion is certainly a joyful one. If not for the death of Lady Ni, this would be the happiest moment in his life, but now it's a different matter altogether. In the secret chamber in the Wu family stronghold, they held the first important meeting since Xiang Shaolong's return. Besides Master Wu, Wu Yingyuan and Tao Fang, there's also the leader of the family soldiers Wu Zhuo. Now he has become Xiang Shaolong's closest and most reliable battle mate.

Master Wu first expressed his admiration towards Xiang Shaolong, "Shaolong has outdone himself in Wei and his actions have caused quite a stir. Now everyone regards Shaolong as Zhao's most promising person. But at the same time it has aroused the jealousy of Zhao Mu's gang." Wu Yingyuan said, "Now we have no other choice but to throw in our lot with the Qins. That's the only chance of surviving, or else we'll just be sitting and waiting to die." Everyone's heart was heavy. Besides Qin and Zhao, of the remaining 5 states, Wei and Qi all hates Xiang Shaolong to the core, Yan has trouble protecting herself and is currently under attack by Lian Po while Han is weak. The remaining state of Chu is too far away and they don't have many connections with the Wu family as well. Therefore the only way out is to join Qin.

Xiang Shaolong was secretly laughing bitterly to himself. When he came to the warring states period on the time machine, he had intended to ally himself with Emperor Qin who has fallen on bad times here but later troubles kept coming one after another and he did not even have time to take a breather. He did not expect that after all the twists and turns, he'll ended up back on this old road. Wu Yingyuan continued, "I just made contact last month with the man Tu Xian sent." Looking at Xiang Shaolong's lost look, he explained, "Tu Xian is Lu Buwei's best family warrior, having both brains and bravery with excellent sword skill. He's on quite good terms with me."

He continued with a sigh, "According to Tu Xian, although Qin's King Zhuangxiang* ascended the throne, but because everyone suspects that he killed King Xiaowen with Lu Buwei and King Zhuangxiang has been staying in Zhao for a long period of time, it's very difficult for Lu Buwei to become the premier for now." Tao Fang's expression paled, "If Lu Buwei is thrown out, it'll be the end for us too." Master Wu said, "We're now secretly helping Lu Buwei in various ways. Luckily this person is very experienced and cunning, he'll not be kicked out so easily. As long as King Zhuangxiang stands on his side, there will be a way."

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Zhuangxiang_of_Qin

Wu Yingyuan said, "This is the most important point. The woman King Zhuangxiang loves most is Zhu Ji (Concubine Zhu) and the son he pampers most is Ying Zheng. As long as we can send mother and son back to Xianyang, we'll be able to capture King Zhuangxiang's heart tightly. We're the only ones who can accomplish this matter, although it will be a difficult task." Tao Fang was afraid that Xiang Shaolong would not understand and explained, "Zhu Ji was originally Lu Buwei's beloved mistress and in order to make King Zhuangxiang happy, he gave her to him to become his wife."

Master Wu said, "This woman's beauty can rival a country and is very good in flirting and handling men. She's also extremely loyal to Lu Buwei, so if we have her next to King Zhuangxiang, we can guarantee that King Zhuangxiang will not be against Lu Buwei." Xiang Shaolong can't help but ask, "So is Ying Zheng the son of Lu Buwei or King Zhuangxiang, how old is he this year."

Wu Yingyuan was stunned, "I'm afraid the only person who knows is Zhu Ji. Ying Zheng was born before the battle of Chang Ping, so he should be more than 13 years old now, most likely between 15 or 16 years old." Xiang Shaolong was perplexed, according to history books, Emperor Qin was only 13 when he ascends the throne a few years later. How can it be possible that the history books are so wrong.

Wu Yingyuan said, "I've made an agreement with Tu Xian and will try to send Zhu Ji and her son back to Xianyang in the shortest time possible. So the most important task at hand now is not to kill Zhao Mu, but to try and make contact with Zhu Ji and her son to see how we can stealthily take them out of Handan." Xiang Shaolong asked somberly, "How many useful men do we have on hand right now?"

Wu Zhuo replied, "We have 2 groups of warriors under us, one group are the good fighters we attracted from the various states but these people are not reliable and may very well run away when something happens. The other group are the orphans I adopted for Godfather from various places and the blood relations of the Wu family, which amounts to about 2000 men and they are all trustworthy, willing to even lay their life down for the Wu family." Xiang Shaolong asked, "If we want to move Zhu Ji and her son away, what would be the biggest obstacle?"

Tao Fang replied, "It's still that conniving thief Zhao Mu, the biggest problem is that he's made Ying Zheng so happy that he totally listens to him." Xiang Shaolong gritted his teeth, "That conniving thief again!"

Master Wu said, "Do not belittle Zhao Mu. Not only has that fellow controlled King Xiaocheng, he's also joined forces with Guo Zhong, so the largest Warrior Association and Mohist group here will be on his side. Even Lian Po and Li Mu, generals who hold military powers in their hands dare not step too much on his toes. Shaolong now you're a thorn in his flesh, so you must be careful all the way or else you will die any time." Xiang Shaolong was stunned, "What is the Warrior Association?"

Tao Fang replied, "It's a place which specializes in training professional warriors. The Zhao Warrior Association's leader is Zhao Ba and he's extremely highly skilled. You have to be careful when you meet him, he is very powerful in Handan!" All of them discussed the finer details a little more before Xiang Shaolong returned to his Hidden Dragon Abode.

Tao Fang accompanied him as he walked, "Our men went to the valley you described at Mulberry Village. The house is still there but they've waited until now and there's still no sight of Mei Canniang. But don't you worry! I'm trying my best to find her." Now Xiang Shaolong has another thing to worry about. It's been more than a year since he came to this era and he's falling deeper both in terms of relationships and feelings. Sadness and happiness came at him alternatively, making the 21st century moving further away from him.

Sometimes it's difficult to differentiate, between these 2 eras, which seems more like a dream. Or maybe life is just a big dream. Time is just an illusion, and the time machine is something that allows one to experience different illusions. Maybe even Crazy ma, who invented the time machine, has no answers to such confusing questions.

Tao Fang said, "I've arranged for that 2 friends of yours to stay at the courtyard next to your Hidden Dragon Abode. Heh! Jing Jun and Teng Yi are the exact opposites, his eyes gleamed when he sees beauties whereas Teng Yi has no interest in them at all, how strange!" Hidden Dragon Abode was just ahead so Xiang Shaolong stopped and summarized to Tao Fang the tragic fate that befell Teng Yi before he parted ways with Tao Fang and went to see Teng and Jing.

Jing Jun was hugging a pretty maid and enjoying himself but when he saw Xiang Shaolong he was startled and jumped up, looking a little lost. Xiang Shaolong laughed, "Enjoy all you want! No need to bother about me!" and he went into the inner hall to look for Teng Yi. Teng Yi was sitting quietly alone on the rug in deep thought, and might be thinking of his dead wife and family again. Xiang Shaolong sat next to him and explained to him the current situation.

Teng Yi replied after listening, "If there are 2000 death warriors, it won't be a problem to break out of the city, but it'll be more difficult to deal with pursuing soldiers. If possible, I'd like to personally train these 2000 people." Xiang Shaolong thought about it for a while before replying, "Let me discuss this with Wu Zhuo." Teng Yi said, "Just say I'll be his assistant! When it comes to military and wars, I once spent a lot of effort researching old and new military tactics. When I was a commander in the past, I've spent long periods fighting the Qins and Weis, so I have some insight and experience in this."

Xiang Shaolong knows that this person is not one who boasts so if he can say this out, he must be very confident. He said happily, "Then we should not delay! We'll go and discuss this with Wu Zhuo immediately." Teng Yi greatly admires Xiang Shaolong's way of putting action to words and gladly agreed. Xiang Shaolong brought him to meet Wu Zhuo and the 2 of them hit it off immediately, having discussions about military and battles and both lamenting that they should have got to know each other earlier.

Xiang Shaolong was secretly glad and afraid that Wu Tingfang would blame him for ignoring her, he left the 2 to their talk and left on his own. Lady Ni's death re-ignited the hatred he felt towards Zhao Mu and at the same time he learnt the importance of striking first. The most important task at hand is to make connection with Ying Zheng and after that it will be the time to escape from Handan. Once he thought of this, he can't help but start to miss Mei Canniang.

Heaven has already been very cruel to him, and he hopes that nothing unfortunate will happen to her. He should also learn to control himself, unless he really have the ability to protect the women he loves, or else he really shouldn't involve himself in more relationships. For those who knows Xiang Shaolong very well, they would know that this change in his thoughts can be quite unbelievable.