One In The East, One In The West

The cavalryman from the grassland seemed confused. He looked around to make sure there was no one else, and asked, "Who are you?"

He did not answer the girl's question and asked for her identity instead. It seemed so natural as if their confrontation was indeed a coincidence. But it could never be a coincidence for a lonely grassland cavalryman and a young girl in yellow dress to meet randomly in an unknown and remote oasis. He was barely trying his luck.

Unfortunately the young girl did not like to talk nonsense. "You are Ningcuiya, and of course I am Yu Lian," the young girl answered.

The grassland cavalryman paused for a while. Then he stood up and wiped the water on his palms. He looked at the other side of the brook and said, "You are indeed the legendary Twenty-Three-Year Cicada. I was not expecting anyone to see through my transformation."