From a far, A’Li approaches a deserted, decrepit temple as she slips off from the horse and tied the rope attached to the horse on to the fence post. She grabs her sword from the side of the horse and latched it onto her belt while walking towards the temple cautiously.

“Is anyone here?” A’Li calls, glancing around for any movement. From behind a pillar, a worn out girl peeks out.

“It’s me, Feng Li” A’Li said, lowering her sword to show that she meant no harm to her. ( Feng Li is A’Li’s real name)

“Were you the one who requested to see me?” she asks, stepping out as A’Li waited from outside of the temple.

“Yes, but Crown Princess wasn’t able to come so I came in her place. Do you perhaps know anything about the poison incident regarding Consort Xue and Crown Princess Xiang Yun?” A’Li directly ask.

“Yes, I do” she gestures A’Li to come inside to talk more privately as if she’s afraid that someone will sneak up and murder her, “I even have the remainings of the poison he asked me to buy”

“He?”

“Yes, it was a man” she said, digs into a pile of hay, “I really shouldn’t be telling you this, but because Crown Princess Xiang Yun once saved me from Consort Fang I’m willing to reveal who did it” she hands over the poison to A’Li with care.

“What’s his name?” A’Li tuck the poison safely into her sleeve pocket.

“I’m afraid I can’t say” she glances behind A’Li faintly with fear in her eyes.

“It’s only you and me here; no one will harm you. You have Crown Princess Xiang Yun and my protection”

“I can’t. I can only tell you that he’s a powerful person and that you two should give up on this”

“Crown Princess Xiang Yun demands to know the truth and you’ll give it to her” A’Li said impatiently.

“His name is-” she suddenly stopped talking as her eyes widens.

A’Li notice some needles that pierced her neck right on the spot of causing immediate death as she rapidly turns around to a charging man dressed in black. She swiftly dodged the man’s strike as more men dressed in black appeared surrounding her. A’Li glances to the dead body of the girl and back to the men. Scanning the 5 men carefully to remember how their physique looked like despite the mask on; she attacks them when she completely memorized their features. The two man who she tried to attack dodged her move as the others took a shot to strike her from behind. She ducks forward and managed to cut one of the men in the biceps and then kick the man, who charged from behind, at the same time she swung her sword like water below her abdomen to steer the enemies away from coming close. Unaware, a man threw silk-like needles toward her direction and penetrated her flesh near the collarbone; missed the immediate death area. Automatically, A’Li pulled out the needles with one grip and threw them back at the owner when he tried to escape. At the same time, a man stabbed A’Li in her lower back causing her to groan softly before flipping the man over her shoulders. Heavily from the pain and the old wounds, she didn’t pull out the dagger and kicks the hay to the men as a distraction before running out of the temple through the back entrance.

    Yi Chen slows down his horse when he spots A’Li’s horse tied to the fence post and climbs off of his while doing the same. He observes the area and heard noises coming from the temple, so he rushes towards the sound without hesitation. As soon as he arrived, he saw A’Li trapped in the corner fending off the men dressed in black maintaining her posture and stance despite the blood flowing out of her as she moved. He grabs his sword from his belt and rapidly like the speed of light cut the men on the neck and soon the men all dropped to the ground inert. A’Li stares at him startled as he slips his sword back into its case like it was no problem to kill the men.

“What are you doing here?” A’Li ask, putting her sword away.

“I should be asking you that question,” Yi Chen turns to her, “Does Xiang Yun know you’re here?”

“She does” A’Li said, “But it’s none of your concern” she steps forward to leave.

“At least say be grateful that I saved your life without asking for an explanation” Yi Chen said turned to A’Li’s back. She stops,

“Jiang Yi Chen, I have no idea why you’re back, but I do know that once you’re back it won’t be good to either side. I suggest you leave and don’t ever see Crown Princess Xiang Yun again” A’Li said, turns to him meeting his eyes.

“Why?” he asks, “Afraid that I’ll make her remember?”

“No, afraid that you’ll only bring chaos into her life”

He scoffs, “You should be saying that to Shen Qing”

“I warn you; as soon as I see you with Crown Princess Xiang Yun with the motive to hurt or make her remember I swear to heaven I’ll kill you and everyone who you love”

“It’s really unnecessary, Li” he circles her, “But you are right; I want her to remember. I want her to remember the man who loves her, yet she decided to choose a man who ruthlessly-”

“Shut up!” A’Li grabs Yi Chen’s collar as he smiles amusingly at her like he intentionally wanted her to be worked up about this issue regarding the past. Shortly, A’Li tips forward about to fall but caught her own balance.

“You should take care of that wound” Yi Chen meant the dagger that is still attached to her.

She darkly glares at him as she sat down. Exhaling wearily, she bends her arm to reach for the dagger.

“Let me” Yi Chen walks over and kneel behind her.

“No need” she refused yet Yi Chen continued anyway and put pressure on to the wound while holding the dagger with his other hand. Quickly he pulls out the dagger at the same time he covered the wound with his hand so blood doesn’t flow out too much.

“I need to cover your wound” he said bit the sleeve of robe, tearing a long strip of cloth to use as a bandage. A’Li stayed still as he wraps the cloth around her waist where the wound is located.

“There” he said as he finished while standing up to leave her. A’Li closed her eyes to focus on her internal energy trying to balance it as she shivers from the coldness. Yi Chen glances behind to A’Li and left.

A few hours has passed and Yi Chen returned with firewoods in his arms. He loudly sets them down on the ground making A’Li open her eyes.

“I thought you left” she asks.

“How can I leave a dying girl out in the cold like this?” he said, piling the firewoods.

A’Li scoffs and scoots over to the pillar to lean against it.