The great plan.

It was totally a freaking disaster. She thought it was going to be as great as an easy fight as her master had said.

Her master has managed to connect with her through the communication spell, which was dispell immediately after it came. All she could her hear was 'fear should not consume you. The bright side is what matters '

But that was totally the opposite of it, when she was forced into a fight by the gory mist.

LuPeng and XiMei had joined in but were brutally beaten by a handless and feetless gory.

Still not admitting defeat,

"Elder sister, I think I see a house near the the river." XiMei said to the both through the mind communication spell that she had set for the three only.

The gory has no right what so ever.

"What has a house got to do with the fight we are having here?" Wenli asked some what disturbed.

"We can take shelter and come back when we've found a way. We can't defeat this beast like this... This was the only thing I could think of,... I'm sorry if it was naughty of me." She apologized.

Wenli let out a heard sigh, that even the gory could hear.

" We understand. There's nothing wrong with your words. But since you have the power, why can't you send your butterflies, they might be of help, at least they would tell you if it was safe or not. Just try. No discouragement." LuPeng stepped in and was like the elder brother, Wenli was at the least, finding it difficult to be.

XiMei nodded slightly, leaving the battle to concentrate on summoning her butterfly spies, to spy on that godforsaken house.

Once she was through, she joined back the fight, but not as serious.

She has some house to observe through the spies, she sent.

Suddenly something caught her eyes , which indeed got her distracted. The gory , had taken the opportunity to throw her far, far away from the fight scene.

"XiMei!!!" The both shouted.

"I'm okay. Don't fret." She said trying to get up.

"But..."

"Elder sister, teacher LuPeng, I think I found something."

"Huh?" The both asked.

LuPeng almost landed in the same hard beaten as XiMei, but Wenli was there in time to intervene.

"Thanks." He was grateful.

Still holding hands together, they dashed towards the gory.

Every slash, every punch, every stab, seems to be going on air.

It was like fighting water and air at the same time. This , frustrated Wenli more than anything.

"There are two people in that house." She announced.

"What?"

"A young girl girl and a man...wait... That man looks familiar..."

"What're you taking about? Talk in the way we..."

"The narrator!" XiMei suddenly distracted

"What?" The both asked while trying to get out of the tangled position the gory has made them be.

"The narrator at the inn last night. The man that first started story, he's there inside the house. "

What? That asshole?" Wenli cussed.

"Is he a captive?"

XiMei shook her head.

She seemed to be off the fight. She was totally seated far away from the fight, now seated prim and proper in a meditative position. Eyes closed to concentrate on the matter inside the house. It was the more convincing thing to do than fighting.

She was never to be compared to the two fighters. She should help with her magic.

"I think he's the one controlling this gory."

"What... He's just a..." Wenli tried to intervene but was cut short.

"My master is the best magician that has ever lived. I've seen him perform that kind of magic. This is a dark magic, and I'm sure." XiMei said while looking at the man.

"And the girl?" LuPeng asked this time.

"She... Seems to be holding a knife. Too little to aim at cutting something."

"A medical knife." Wenli doesn't need someone to tell her that.

"Is she cutting?"

"She's hesitating." XiMei said, sudden, a wave of light clusters and she felt blinded by it.

"What should we do teacher LuPeng? I don't think my butterflies would be able to hold that amount of power anymore. The power is taking their energy."

"Do you have any ideas?" Wenli asked using her sword to slash on the gory. But like always, it was slashing through air.

XiMei opened her eyes and saw the state they were in.

"Master says it's dangerous." XiMei said.

"Hey!!! We're about to die here. What's more dangerous than a bodiless beasty being controlled by a perverted narrator wasting us here." Wenli said. She felt like the heavens haven't given her a chance to fight something bad assed. She just felt cheated.

"Then,... You and teacher LuPeng should lead the gory far from the river. I'll call that bastard out of his hiding place."

"You?"

"I think the girl has something to say. I'll get him out of there. You keep him busy. I'll conduct empathy on the girl, then, tell you what I found out."

"You fool! Don't get trapped there. I heard people gets trapped there." LuPeng said. The fool that came out of his mouth, sounded like ' I trust what you can do.'

"Thanks."

"Now hurry and do your thing. We have this beast to capture." Though there was confidence in her words, the confidence seemed like an exaggerated reassurance that all would be well.

She has done that a lot when she sat for the medical exam, when she had her interview. When she was bullied for being over smart during her internship.

She had always gave that overconfidence look when people deemed her worthy, when she knew she was nothing but a scared cat.

When she had lost her aunt who had tried to defend her in her work place. Who had died just that night she came to her workplace. She had tried hard not to cry. Even when she wanted to. She has been giving people that overconfident look. She hadn't known when they had worked but she suddenly used it as her shield.

People had stopped bullying her when they found out that she was the daughter of the richest and wealthiest man In the world.

Trying to befriend her. But she used that she as an opportunity to shine the more.

Then, she saw envy. But she didn't care.

Now, she showing that look of everything will be all right, as they tried their possible best to get that beasty out for XiMei to perform her thing.

When they were far, far enough for XiMei to nod at them, they continued fighting relentlessly with the hope that dims and brightens at the same time.

___

XiMei has known that water was where that demon came from, judging from the the power the narrator held, and the magic he performed, water can heal them of their energy and renew their strength for they were call the water demon. But if consumed in essence, will wreck them.

"I'll have to give it a try."

She stood up and have known that they were in a very far distance. The reason, as she doesn't want her friends to drawn in the waves that was about to come.

Bringing out a blue talisman, drawing some symbols on it, threw it to waters of the far away river.

Like being hung on the thread, it stood just in the middle of the river. Tapping her vitals for some time. It was painful. Sealing some of her powers and making her body numb are the only way to surpass the storm. Though it would take hours to restore, casting waves and conducting empathy, shouldn't be hard to do.

She had learned many more painful trainings and had known a lot that could hurt ten times to the point of death, her master, was a total brute, when it comes to training, but that had helped her perform this, without the losing her balance.

After a multiple hand seals, she hit her hand forcefully on the ground, thereby the windy breez and the waters dancing in an angry rhythm that promised death.

Using her free hand, quicker than she had done the first time, brought out another talisman from the mini bag she was with. Though she had the ring that she can put all the things she had wanted to put, the mini bag was at least of help.

Free hands moving as quick as she could, she set out the protection barrier around her. Just immediately, the waves came.

Shredding anything in sight, including damping her clothes all wet.

The butterflies were still inside, still weak that the sight was blurry, both with the water that rained nonstop from her hair to her eyes. And the glitching vision her butterflies could make.

She was able to make out an almost pool of water.

Wow!!! That man was really prepared. But the man has disappeared just as she had anticipated.

"Elder sister, teacher LuPeng, hurry. I think he's..." Before she could continue, a hand wrapped around her neck tightly. With her weak and painful body, it was more hellish and painful.

"I was suspicious of that lady, you were never a fancy to my eyes. But I've truly underestimated you too much. "

Let go of me, you bastard!" She struggled to voice those words out.

"Only a strong warrior can be able to make the move you made. Just who's your mater. Who knows, I maybe able to pay my respect."

"Piss off you asshole." She struggled.

"You..."

Suddenly, a string of lightning came through their way, hitting them both.

Wenli ran to her.

"You okay?"

"Elder sister, are you trying to kill me with that power of yours?" She teased.

"I was worried for nothing."

"We'll take it from here." LuPeng said shielding his head with his sword, from the sword that has tried to aim itself to his head.

Wenli took the initiative to pull out that string like lightning, shoving the man backwards. The two chased after him, while XiMei made her way to the house.

____

In the house, were many local medical tools on the floor.

She met the girl in front of a body aiming to cut the tommy of the obesed unconscious man.

"Are you really going to take out the organ?"

The girl who has her eyes on the man stuttered.

"Who are..."

"That shouldn't be right, you know?" She asked and the lady bit her lips.

"What made you like this?"

"What do you know?" It was stupid to battle a cultivator and she knows that.

"I can help you" XiMei came closer to her.

The girl shook her head. "You can't. I can't even free myself from the pact we made.

Just get out. It's for your own good." She had pushed her away.

"But I'll try my best..."

"I'm nothing but a living corpse. Nothing you can do to help me."

XiMei knew convincing this girl woul be as hard as anything. But she insisted just like her master.

The others are waiting for her. They need to go back home. Training needs to be held. And being strong should be a priority. She doesn't know how long it would take for the lost energy to be regained.

"We are trying our best. I'm only here to help you. You don't need to talk about it. I can help you. I promise"

They had the words of; I can't and you can't

All trying to defeat the other. After many of the CAN'Ts and CANs, they girl was defeated.

"I don't remember anything. But I know that I'm bounded by some pact. I don't know how but..."

"Shssh! I'll take it from here." XiMei smiled.

"How...?"

"Just trust this Jie, okay?"

Mo Xue nodded.

"Just follow my lead." She said, giving Mo Xue a reassuring confidence.

They sat opposite each other, legs crossed. XiMei's palms on top of Mo Xue's palms,with eyes closed. XiMei tried to shove the thought of her friends in danger. With full concentration, entered empathy.

___

In the Dai village, Mo Xue was in the buzzing streets where the vendors tried to show they sell the best of the goods and products.

Enjoying the free and beautiful street, Mo Xue bought food from an old lady.

"Thanks." She gratified.

Eating the steamed buns she had bought happily, and being beautiful where ever she went.

She had been an orphan, when she was a child, but was taken in by a middle aged physician whom she regards as father, despite many attempts by the man to stop her from calling him dad.

"Why? You're my parents. My parents are no more and they didn't want me to be lonely, they sent you to me. I should give you the title, right father?" She had always told him.

The man had gotten used the fatherly praise, decided to train the girl to follow in his line of work. She had been a very good apprentice, who brought praises wherever she went.

People didn't know her even when she had lived there for almost all her life, and that was because, she had devoted her time indoors, learning and reading. She had wanted to make her father proud.

When she showed her face few years later, when she was eighteen of age.

They thought she came from another village, and she allowed people to think that way.

She has started to show her skill, just few times, when she cured a dreaded disease that killed many. After that, she earned the name, young physician. Life was going pretty well with people admiring her and drooling over her.

Not until the mayor's son came into the picture.

He was an obsessed stalker of Mo Xue. He kept telling people that Mo Xue had agreed to be his lover and that they were living life lovingly.

At first, the rumors were just rumors. People kept on asking and she kept on denying that there was no such thing.

One day, news got to her workplace that the mayor's son was seriously sick and needed her medical attention. As a physician, she tried to push the Idea that there was nothing going on.

"I'm just going to treat him. He needs my medical attention. Nothing more." She tried to assure herself.

"Young mistress, should we come with you?" Her young female workers she took as younger sisters asked.

There were men also working for her. She was so beautiful that her admirers had offered to help alleviate the stress loads for her, also, having the ability to look at her from up close.

"That would be unnecessary. Many needs you all here. I'll be back. It will take a day or two." She assured.

In the house and quarters where the son was. She has realized that she was tricked.

She spent weeks there,

"If you walk out that door, I'll make sure you see your father one legged." Was the threats she received.

Months, the girl had stayed there being his slave. Trying and doing every the bastard has told her to do just to keep her father safe and sound.

After two months of her stay, she was finally allowed to go back to work.

"Just agree to whatver you're asked. Or else..."

Mo Xue sighed.

"You should get over with that threat. I promise to mess with you if you dare lay hands on my father." She snorted dashing out of the place to resume work.

She was surprised at the rumors.

"Mo Xue is sure lucky--,Spending time with her lover---, What a lovely girl---, Using the excuse of going to treat him, spent time with her lover. " She heard many say.

That infuriated her so much that she was trying to hold in. She had neither accepted nor rejected the claims which led them to increase the dose.

The one that made her mad was the rumors of her making out with the mayor's son. She had endured enough. Wherever she went, what ever she does whatever she eats all related to the to the mayor's son Man Yue. She had gone to the father to complain but the father had thought it to be a lovers spat.

"That's how lovers behave, it will get well with with time."

She was dying inside. That was killing her. The only people that knew that was a lie was all her workers and her little workers she'd regarded as. Younger sisters.

Then, she couldn't hold it on any more.

She planned on confronting Man Yue for the things he had said, then, visit her father, before bidding him goodbye.

She had planned to travel and stay far away for a few months or probably years until the story dies down.

But who would have thought that when she wrote the later to Man Yue to meet, he had taken it the wrong way.

"I want you to stop all of those rumors. These aren't right. How do you expect me to live s normal life when you're stalking my day to day activities." She had started.

"I'm the mayor's son. You can't lack anything..."

"I'm just uncomfortable with you around. Just stop hoping for things you can never get." She said.

As she was about making way to leave like she had promised, Man Yue's bodyguards held her, manhandling her.

There, she was brutally assaulted sexually. Man Yue before leaving the half dead girl, "you could have just agreed. I promised you love and protection. Now, protect yourself then." He laughed and the guards also laughed before leaving.

She has managed to stay alive and in pain till night, when the water demon came.

"Poor soul. How bad have they hurt you?" He asked in his ever lyrical voice that almost made XiMei lose hold of her voice.

She still can't believe that a voice this musical and magical, would hold such a dangerous heart.

"Help...me" she managed to grab hold of the hems of his garment pleading for any to help her.

"You want me to help you?"

Mo Xue nodded.

"Then, your life belongs to me." Was what she heard before she collapsed.

She had woken up not herself. She had no guts to ask where she was and what she had done. But each day, she feels like her life was leaving her.

____

After the empathy, she had found out that her resentment, was the demon's strength. There was no longer life in Mo Xue. Judging, she had profusely bled from that morning till that night the demon came.

The demon had revived her back. Mo Xue was right, she was walking corpse. The only way was for her to forgive whatever that happened and go to heaven and await her reincarnation.

Mo Xue sat sobbing.

"You are the demon's strength," XiMei started.

"What?"

"You already know you're no longer alive. You're a doctor. Though you resented killing those people. Resented asking the demon for help, you still can't forgive Man Yue for what he had done to you. He made my life a living hell, why should I forgive him? That has been your thoughts. Therefore,you still held a great unquenched grudge towards him, thereby being the source of strength to that peaky demon." XiMei explained.

"But I suffered because of that man. He almost made me take my own life..."

"That's why I'm proud. You persisted. You remained strong. And till the end you're still strong. You can get the position of immortality if you just give up on the ideas of revenge..."

"Would you do what you're asking me if you were in my shoes?" Mo Xue asked.

XiMei paused to think. Because her answer depends solely on whether Mo Xue would let go or hold on.

"Well.."

Mo Xue read her hesitance. And scoffed. "I know you wouldn't. Giving an advice for..."

"But I'll not kill anyone for that?" XiMei answered.

"What?" She seem to be taken off guard.

"I've had that kind of life when I'm in my academy. Well. Because I'm different, I practiced magic. And I've been treated badly both by my master and the dean, including the pupils in the academy."

"Are you happy?" Mo Xue asked.

"I wasn't, not until I met elder sister and teacher LuPeng. They were like the family I've always wanted to have. And they are risking their lives just to save you and the village affected by the resentment that demon carries with him."

"That's..."

"You can't tell me that you don't miss someone." XiMei interrupted.

"No, I don't. I've always hated those villagers for accepting the rumors."

"Your workers, I'm sure they're trying to live in your legacy. They never blamed you. And they will never will. Your father would've believed if you told him the truth. And he's still waiting for you to come back..."

Mo Xue's eyes watered. This unknown lady had hit the jackpot.

While XiMei was sensing a strong wave of demonic power coming their way. She have to settle this before it's too late.

"Teacher LuPeng, elder sister, how is it going there?" She called through the communication spell.

"Not so good. You?" LuPeng asked.

"She has a lot of grudges than I thought. It will take longer than expected."

"We can't hold this grumpy melodious voiced demon for too long. Just hurry."

"I'll set an array, it should be able to hold him off from coming here." XiMei suggested.

"You owe us breakfast, lunch and dinner with the inn we're going to rest for the day." Wenli teased. She smiled letting her fear and anxiety known in that fear.

" I will." XiMei smiled.

After dispelling the communication spell, she looked worried. She was thinking of what she should do, just leave everything and fight along side with them.

Then, Mo Xue spoke.

"Promise me that no body will face the kind of tragedy I faced. That love should not be forced. Promise me that you'll protect the likes of me that might face what I faced or more than what I faced. That injustice and power should be tackled and power should be used to protect the weak... If not, I'll crawl my way back here and deal with them personally. Do you agree?" She asked.

Those words pierced through XiMei's heart like a spear.

"Aren't you going to promise me?" Mo Xue asked the tears dropping.

She was just eighteen years, facing that kind of ill fate. Life indeed was unfair.

She held back her tears but her eyes still stung from holding in. And with a teary tone, she made a promise with a malicious spirit, who wants to let go of her anger, resentments and grudges.

"Mn" she replied eyes stinging, voice teary. "I will." She promised nodding.

Mo Xue tried to smile but failed miserably. But she still held the smile. "Then, I'll hold you to it." She said, letting the tears flow.

She had closed her eyes, allowing the happy and joyous memories of her life to sink in. What she had planned to never to let it surface.

Who would have known that it would be a beautiful memory.

Just immediately she had let go, allowing her body and soul to disappear into bits of tiny bluey lights that outshined the blissing moon of the night. Just immediately her body and soul had disappeared, the demon made his way back to the house, followed by Wenli and LuPeng who were badly injured to the point that they were almost unrecognized.

"You made it!" Wenli shouted letting her legs crumble down with LuPeng holding her.

"I'm ok" Wenli tired to assure but she collapsed at the spot.

The demon laughter at them.

"Fools! You think that's all? You don't know what I've done to you all. I may feed in resentments, but my gory friend has taken a lot of energy from you that you could die, any moment from now."

The only person with little energy was XiMei, though she had wasted some on the great plan, by calling that narrator out of his hiding place, sealed all of her vitals points. But she had never forgotten the promise.

"Master, please..." She mumbled as if asking for power and strength, or even wisdom of some sort.

Reaching to her index finger, bringing out the interspatial ring in her index finger, reaching out her dagger like sword, infusing it with the power,

" I'll never let it slide, no matter what? What you've done to that poor girl."

With fury, her eyes turned purple.

"You could not even let the poor girl die peacefully!!!" She shouted in fury.

Wenli regaining the little strength to look up and saw XiMei's purple eyes.

"Go to hell!!!!" She shouted, and in swift motions, stabbed the vital points of the demon, making the demon weak. Suddenly, the dagger like sword grew longer than it had been, faster, yet slower, it pierced thro and fro through his heart and all the places in his body that held his powers, suddenly, he started deflating before turning into ashes of a long forgotten lava.

Her eyes turned back to normal, rushing towards her teammates, inside her ring, brought out a bottle that contains spiritual elixirs the one she had taken without the permission of her master, for he knew she would be in need of it.

Giving them each, and taken her own,

"It's better to stay here. It will work faster. It takes a gradual process for our bodies to heal." She said.

"Don't ever act so scary in front of me again." Wenli slightly hit her.

The three smiled at their success, proud of their achievements, seating there doing as XiMei had said, catching their breaths.

All having different thoughts in mind but has the same conclusion. 'since this is a success, the rest will be" they would conclude.

The great plan that was their fear, turned into something that people can vote and attest to it, a SUCCESS!!!