It was fine afternoon in the Inn Li Xiao Yao and his aunt own. Li Xiao Yao hardly smiled ever since he came back from Nanzhao, but then will try his best to be happy in front of his daughter, Li Yi Ru.

It's been ten years from now, and Li Yi Ru has grown up to be a wonderful 16 years old. She helps her father a lot around the Inn when she was old enough to walk. Yi Ru always wondered why her father was always so sad when he tells her such wonderful stories.

After a long sigh, Xiao Yao looked at his student who's becoming really good like him back in the old days. Wang Xiao Hu, a lonesome boy who was taken in by Li Xiao Yao and Li Yi Ru.

Have always admired Li Xiao Yao, and wanted to become a hero like Li Xiao Yao some day. After being taken in to the Li family, Xiao Yao decided to pass on his gongfu and qingong to Wang Xiao Hu, who he trusts.

"Shifu, would you like to have some tea?" Xiao Hu asked Xiao Yao. All Xiao Yao can ever think of was the pass when Number Seven was his disciple and he never took the time to really teach him, and now he taught this young boy who he picked up when the boy was a child.

"Where's Yi Ru?" Xiao Yao asked calmly. "Xiu Lan and Ai Qie went with her to the market to get some more food. Seems like we've been having more customers than usual sir," Xiao Hu answered softly as he poured some tea into Xiao Yao's cup.

"Well, I got a request for you Xiao Hu," Xiao Yao said as Xiao Hu looked at him. "What is it shifu?" Xiao Hu asked as Xiao Yao smiled a bit.

"You've become a great wuxia, and I've given you my best powers. You learned everything wonderfully for about ten years now. I want you to protect my daughter Yi Ru when I am not here anymore. I will be going soon, and I just wish to see my daughter with a man by her side." Xiao Yao said as Xiao Hu smiled.

"Sure thing shifu. I will go find her a great man as I am both yours and her bodyguard!" Xiao Hu said with great power as he tapped himself on the chest. Xiao Yao chuckled a bit as he have pretty much aged himself.

"My request is, for you to marry my daughter," Xiao Yao said as Xiao Hu's eyes widened. "WHAT? But-but-but-but-" Xiao Hu stuttered not understanding what his master is saying.

"Do not stuttered anymore young child. I know you love my daughter since you lived here. I can tell by your reactions towards her when we practice. Whenever she calls out for your name, your heart flutters, doesn't it? Hmm, my daughter shall have a great man, and your the only great ma I know," Xiao Yao said as Xiao Hu cracked a smile and scratched his head a bit.

"But shifu, I-"

"I'm home!" Yi Ru shouted cutting in the conversation between her father and her dearest best friend Xiao Hu. Yi Ru looked at Xiao Hu as Xiao Hu just ran quickly to the kitchen in the back. She was confused as she looked at her smiling father.

"Hm? What's wrong with Xiao Hu ge-ge father?" Yi Ru asked as Xiao Yao looked at his daughter. "Your features, your looks, your personality, everything about you just resembles your mother." Xiao Yao said as he ignored his daughter's question and walked to his room with a cane.

"Huh?" Yi Ru was confused as she shrugged it off. Ai Qie and Xiu Lan went to help Xiao Yao as they were both still longing for his love. Yi Ru didn't mind at all, because she knows her father's past, and she knows he only have her mother in his heart.

Yi Ru then went into the kitchen to find Xiao Hu cooking and working out at the same time. "20..21..22..2-"

"Xiao Hu ge-ge, what are you doing?" Yi Ru asked as Xiao Hu quickly turned around to see Yi Ru. "Uhmm, I, uhmm, I hear the bell being rung. Don't you? I think we have customers," Xiao Hu said as he walked out quickly. "Hm? What's up with him? He was fine this morning," Yi Ru said to herself as she shrugged it off again and started to put the groceries away.

Xiao Hu came to the front and saw a woman dressed in Miao clothing, and two other men dressed the same, but in a guy version of the Miao clothes. Xiao Hu breathed normally as he looked at them. "Looking for Yi Ru again?" Xiao Hu asked with attitude. "Look, King Wu has been longing to see his granddaughter for the past ten years, please let him just meet her once before he leaves his throne," the lady begged as she got on her knees.

"Nan ma," the two men called out to her as she wouldn't move a flinch. Xiao Yao came downstairs to see who the guests were and recognized the lady when she raised her head. "Li Xiao Yao, stop greeding with Li Yi Ru. Please let her come to Nanzhao and rule the city. King Wu will be leaving any day now, and he pleads to see his granddaughter and wants her to take the throne," the lady said as Xiao Yao huffed.

"King Wu was not a good king. He didn't listen to Queen Wu, that's why she stoned herself. Bai Yue killed her statue, let that creature out, and killed the love of my life, Zhao Ling'er. So forget that my daughter Li Yi Ru will see that man and rule his kingdom! Li Yi Ru is my daughter and she will not go to Nanzhao!" Xiao Yao shouted angrily as something dropped to the floor loudly.

Everyone turned to look and it was Li Yi Ru. "Yi Ru," Xiao Hu and Xiao Yao said as the lady and her two guards saw the beautiful princess of Nanzhao. "Gong-zhu?" The lady said as all she can see was Ling'er, not Yi Ru.

"Father," Yi Ru said as she walked up to him. "Gong-zhu," the lady repeated as Xiao Yao looked at the lady. "This is not Ling'er. She resembles Ling'er, but she is Yi Ru. Now that you have seen my dear Yi Ru, please leave and never come back. I don't want to see any more of you Nanzhao citizens!" Xiao Yao said with anger.

"Well have you forgotten that your daughter is a Nanzhao citizen? She'll have to come back with us one way or another. Li Xiao Yao, in three more days, we'll come back for her, and when we do, please let us take her." The lady begged as Xiao Yao shook his head.

"Nan Ma mama, I cannot let Yi Ru go. I already lost Yue Ru, Number 7, Tang Yu, Ah Nu, Immortal Sword Master, my aunt, and my love Ling'Er. I cannot afford losing Yi Ru," Xiao Yao said with grief as Nan Ma mama understood by what he meant.

"I lost Ah Nu and Tang Yu too Xiao Yao. It's hurtful to see them reincarnate into birds, but it was a sacrifice that they did for Nanzhao, and they both did it for peace. I missed everyone dearly, even that drunken Immortal Sword who left Yuan Qing," Nan Ma Mama said as Xiao Yao pounded his fist on one of the table.

"GET OUT! GET OUT! DON'T EVER LET ME SEE YOUR FACES AGAIN! MY DAUGHTER WILL NOT GO TO NANZHAO!" Xiao Yao shouted as he started to throw the gifts that were brought to the Li family. Yi Ru was stopping her father as Xiao Hu helped out. "Please, just leave the Inn. My father is really sick and I don't want him to get any worse," Yi Ru begged with tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Gong-zhu, we understand, but in three days, we'll come back," Nan Ma mama said as she walked out with her two guards. Xiao Yao started to cough instantly as Yi Ru went to make some medicine. Ai Qie and Xiu Lan helped Xiao Hu put Xiao Yao to bed.

-

After a long night, Xiao Hu and Yi Ru were cleaning the tables as it was closing time. Xiao Hu was tired and exhausted from the morning practices with his shifu, and was hitting his own back. Yi Ru chuckled as she went over to help him.

"Here Xiao Hu ge-ge, I got your back," Yi Ru said as she started to massage him softly and hit his back too. Xiao Hu was feeling great until he turned around and Yi Ru they both fell down on the ground. "A-ya!" They both screamed as Yi Ru fell on top of Xiao Hu.

"Ai-ya, Xiao Hu ge-ge, what's wrong with you?" Yi Ru asked as she helped herself up and brushed herself a bit. Xiao Hu stood up and bowed two times asking for forgiveness. "Sorry, I am really sorry, I didn't mean to jump," Xiao Hu apologized over and over again.

"Are you treating me like a princess just because those people called me gong-zhu?" Yi Ru asked as she sat down on a chair brushing her elbows. "Uh, not really, but then you shouldn't over work yourself, since you are a princess," Xiao Hu said looking at her.

"Hmph! Even as much as I want to be a princess and see the city of Nanzhao, my father wouldn't let me okay! Not just that, those Miao people are coming back in three days. I want to see my grandfather and see the city of Nanzhao. I wish I can go and explore the world, but I can't. So don't treat me like a princess!" Yi Ru said angrily as she walked away.

"Ey!" Xiao Hu couldn't stop Yi Ru as he saw her disappear upstairs in her room. Yi Ru closed her door tightly and looked outside her window where she saw the big bright white moon.

"Mother, please let father understand that I want to see Nanzhao. Let father know that I want to see outside the world. Mother, I've never seen you before, and wish to see your gravestone. Please let father know how much I want to see everything!" Yi Ru begged as she wished on the big white moon.

A strong gust of wind drew past Yi Ru's window as she closed it. "So cold tonight," Yi Ru said as she tugged her clothes together. Yi Ru then laid on her bed as she thought of Xiao Hu.

On the other hand, Xiao Hu was in his room which was next to Yi Ru's room as he laid on his soft bed. Thinking of Yi Ri being next to him would be the most wonderful thing, but he's just scared Yi Ru would reject him.

Also, thinking of his shifu's request, Xiao Hu is willing to fulfill it, if Yi Ru agrees to it. Xiao Hu would be the luckiest man on earth to marry Yi Ru, as he known her for so long, he has fallen deeply in love with her.

He shook his head as he smiled to himself. "Stupid boy, she won't like a guy like you okay! She's the princess of Nanzhao, and she will be more successful in marrying another man. Fulling shifu's dream will be harder than I thought," Xiao Hu said as he grabbed his blanket and put it over his head and drfited to sleep.

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Hey there readers!
I hope you all enjoyed Chapter 1!
:D