Chapter 12

“Brat! Let me go!” The middle-aged man shouted at Boran. “Or else--”

“What? You want to hit me? Hao ah! How about one on one with me instead… You’ll even get a work out.” He said and threw the old man’s hand back. “Hit me,” He pointed to his face.

The middle-aged man frowns in fear. He glanced at how built Boran’s body was for his age, and could tell that he knew a bit of martial arts. He then rubs his right hand back and forth spitting to the side.

“You little Brat! And you!” He points to the young woman. “Don’t ever show your face here again! If I see you around here, I will really hit you!” He threated and turns to runs back into his store.

Boran smirks and turns to face her finally, “… Are you hurt anywhere?” He asked her.

“No,” She replies and softly smiles.

“Piao-Ge!” Lushi runs and trips over.

“Oh, Lushi,” He catches her before she could fall flat onto the ground.

“Thank you!” She thanked him quickly and stood, “Do you know her?” She asked him.

“I do…” He pauses, “I think do,” He looks at the young woman, “I mean, I know her, but I don’t know her…” He explained in a mess and chuckles.

“So, do you now her or not?” Lushi frowns as she drifted the green mask to her side.

The young woman giggles, “We only met once, he saved me a few days ago from a wolf in the woods…”

“Oh,” Lushi shakes her left first finger at him, “A hero!”

Boran interrupted her by covering and turns to the young woman again, “Don’t mind him! But, you left so early the next morning, I never had a chance to ask for your name that day.”

“What!?” Lushi removes his hands, “You two spent a night together?!?” Her eyes pops out from her eye sack.

Boran grabs her and twisted her around and covers again, “Don’t mind him.”

The young woman laughs at them being silly, “My name is… Yang Sun,”

Daming Palace;

Ruyang was seen siting in her living halls enjoying the hot tea her maid had poured for her.

“If Taiyang was here, I bet you she would have guessed what kind of tea you were drinking, correctly.” Feiyang walks into Ruyang’s living halls with her maid, dragging her long dark colored robe behind her.

She looked more mature from 5 years ago. Her eyes were still so sharp and her skin was still to die for. Her hair flow onto her back like a promising silky and glittery waterfall.

“Feiyang?” Ruyang opened her eyes and saw her. “… What brings you here?” She places her cup down.

Feiyang takes a seat to the right and rolls her hands onto her lap, trying not to speak with so many people in the room.

Ruyang noticed her silence attitude, “… You all can be excuse for now,” Ruyang excused all her maids.

“Yes,” Everyone one walks out the room with the door shut.

Feiyang smirks as soon as the doors closed shut, “Did you ask father to marry me off to Weiting?” She went straight to the point.

“Ho, I got all nervous and thought that it was something important you needed to talk to me about, but here you are, talking about your wedding?”

“My wedding is important!” Feiyang frowns.

“… Yes, I brought it up to royal father, why? You don’t so happy. I thought you’d always liked General Weiting?” She rolls her hands onto her lap as well.

“I like Weiting, but that doesn’t mean for you to fiddle with my marriage.” Her eyes gave off a dark allure.

“Fiddle? Who’s fiddling?” She chuckles.

“You asking the Emperor to marry me off to Weiting will make it look like I kill Taiyang.” Her voice shook a bit in nervousness.

“But did you not?” Ruyang asked slowly. “You were the one who gave me the black poison,” She points. “If anyone should be blamed, of course it should be you.”

“You!” Feiyang gasped, “… But you were the one who made her drink that soup!” Feiyang stood.

Ruyang gave a faint smirk and turns to the side and picks up her cup of tea again, “Are we really going to sit here and blame each other?” She rolls her eyes, having enough of Feiyang’s child play.

She blows 3 times into the hot tea and takes a sip of it.

“Just because you have become the crown princess, it doesn’t mean I have to foil in.” Feiyang turns to the side and frowns deeply in anger.

“What?” Ruyang sighs, “Are you mad?” She places the cup back down. “I’m doing this for you,” She stood as well and walks over to Feiyang. “I’m your older sister, if you tell me you want this and want that, I have to give it to you…” She pretended to sugar coat Feiyang up.

Feiyang chuckles bluntly, “Yeah right,”

Ruyang noticed her ashy attitude towards her but brushes it off for a minute.

“I… I had a dream last night.” Feiyang whispered as she stood towards the windows of the room.

“About?”

“… I think, Taiyang came to visit me.” Her eyes shook gravely.

“Taiyang? Why?” Ruyang pretended to care as she took her seat again.

“She came as a dark large animal. She was chasing me in the woods with blood dripping down . At first, I couldn’t see what kind of animal it was, until it caught me… The horror of the face scared me!”

Ruyang stops to think for a minute. A large dark animal? Chasing in woods? It sounded oddly similar to her dream as well.

“What kind of animal was it?” Ruyang asked and took a slight sip of her tea again.

“It was a large wolf!” Feiyang said and Ruyang spilled half her cup of tea onto her robe.

“Aiya~!” She gasped and Feiyang looks over to her.

“… You had the same dream too?” Feiyang was sure about it.

“… No,” Ruyang jams her cup down on the table in annoyance.

“You did,” Feiyang smirks, “Why would you look so pale listening to my dream then?”

Ruyang brushed off the tea from her robe and takes her stand again, “I never had that dream,” She insisted to Feiyang with a frown this time.

Feiyang knew she was lying, “Since we both had the same dream…. What if it means something?”

“I said I never had that dream!” Ruyang glared death into Feiyang’s eyes for a moment and brushes herself back on track. “I don’t mean any harm,” She begins to change the topic, “About your marriage, I’m only looking towards your happiness… If you don’t want to marry him, I can always ask royal father to have him marry me instead?” She said as she walks away a few steps.

“You dare!?” Feiyang yelled at her with steam, being distracted from the dream talk.

“Look,” Ruyang pointed out, “You’re as mad as a bull!”

Feiyang bit her teeth tightly and looks away again, grumping.

“Hao le, we’re not kids anymore. You should marry anyways. Royal father already gave the royal decree. I’ll give you my blessing early… Congrats!” She said and smirks to the side.

Feiyang didn’t know what else to say. She burned some steamed for a moment in Ruyang’s room while Ruyang secretly looks away thinking about the dream they both had.

City Gates of Zhao State;

“Hao le, you don’t have to send me out.” Yang Sun stops them from seeing her out of the Capital.

“I can take you home,” Boran said.

“No!” Lushi shakes her head suddenly. “Uhh… I mean, don’t you have a lot of work that needs to be done?” She laughs like a man.

“I do?” Boran asked himself.

“It’s okay,” Yang Sun jumps in, “I’ll be fine on my own.” She pulls her large straw basket that was filled with herbs, into her hands tightly.

“Hao, be careful on your way home. It’s going to get dark soon.”

“I will,” Yang Sun stares at him, vice versa.

“H-Hao le!” Lushi waves her hands in front of them both to stop them from staring at one another. “Miss Yang, take care!”

Lushi was a bit nervous at the same time jealous of Yang Sun’s ability to change Boran’s personality. Yang Sun turns to leave the capital and headed home alone.

“What’s wrong with you?” Boran asked her after watching Yang Sun leave.

“What’s wrong with me? Nothing is wrong with me,” Lushi rubs her nose and gulps.

Boran frowns at her, “She’s a weak woman walking alone into the woods, we should at least send her back home”

“No, she looks strong to me.” Lushi crosses her arms on her chest.

“You look strong!” He pokes the side of her head and turns to leave.

“W-Wait for me!” Lushi runs after him.

Yang Sun walks along the unpaved path way into the dark eerie woods that evening. She carried the large basket in her hands as she strolls alone for a while, that is until the large wolf from earlier appears to be walking behind her. She then folds the basket behind her tied into her hands.

“Are you sure?” She spoke to the wolf and it nods its head.

‘I’m sure of it.’ It’s voice echoes into her head. It was a male voice belonged to the wolf. ‘He is has the blood of a pact. If you want to enter the palace, you have use him…’

The blood of a pact? What were they talking about?

Yang Sun stops in the middle of the woods to stare up into the evening sky where the moon was soon to take its place. A bunch of emotions overcame her mind and crowded her soul. She lowers her view a few seconds later and stares at the road in front of her for a brief moment more.

“Use him?” She thought about it some more.

Flash; 5 years ago:

“I can help you…” The witch crawled away from Taiyang’s body on the ground after hovering over her like an animal.

She couldn’t utter a word. She laid there lifeless in cold sweat.

“I don’t mean any harm… My child,” The witch rolls her fingers forwards next. “… Trust me.”

Taiyang bit her lips and slowly brought herself to a sitting position after a few minutes., “What do you want?” She pulls herself away slowly.

“You… You have to help me. And I will help you!”

“H-Help you?” She sat in confusion. “Then… Will you let me go if I help you?”

The witch nods quickly. “Yes, yes, yes!”

“Then… How do I help you?” She asked and the witch hops over to her side again.

“Palace. Revenge. Kill!”

“Kill--- who?” Taiyang’s eyes fluttered in fear as it cried.

The witch laughed and then places her hands over her own mouth quickly, “… I can tell you who… But you must promise me first…”

“… Promise you what?”

“Promise to help me kill… Silly child,” The witch said and Taiyang shakes her head side to side with her hands over her ears.

“No!”

She has never killed anyone before. Not to say a human life, she has never even thought about killing an animal before.

“My child! I’ll make you a deal,” The witch removes Taiyang’s hands from covering her ears. “I can give you your eyes,” The witch whispers as she waves her fingers in front of Taiyang’s eyes. “I can give you life again!” She then waves her slim fingers over Taiyang’s chest near her heart. “I can allow you to seek what you need.”

Taiyang thought for a moment. What was she seeking? Life again with the people she yearns to be with? Having her eye sight? She wanted to be able to see, she wanted her eye sight! For once, she wanted to be stingy and take the deal, but her heart weighed heavy on the choice.

“I… I…” She stutters back and forth. “I don’t think I can…”

“My child, don’t you want to know who tried to kill you?” The witch asked her, already knowing who was behind her sudden death. “I know,”

Taiyang’s mind went blank. ‘Who tried to kill me? Who? Who?’

“Ugh!” She shut her eyes and all the memories came back hunting her down.

“… I’m willing to give you a new face with your eye sight. All you have to do is kill one person for me.” The witch giggles softly.

It was a deal Taiyang didn’t want to pass on, “… W-Who?”

Back; 5 years later:

Yang Sun was the new face of Taiyang as promised given by the witch. She was seen sitting at the tomb stone of hers in Huaijiu Hills, that evening. How did she get in without alerting the guards? A spell that is used from the black magic the witch had passed onto her before her own demise. Yang Sun was able to teleport by using a spell; but only for a certain amount of time does it last until the magic wears off.

Chan Manor; Weiting’s sleep chambers:

Weiting was having a nightmare as he laid asleep on his warm bed in his sleep chambers. A similar one to where he had when Taiyang passed away 5 years ago. He was walking along a white paved road in misty clouds. It was soon to get dark, and rain fell but he never got wet, oddly. He was dressed in his armor, fully loaded with his sword at his side.

Was he running from a battle? Or was he running from something?

‘Who’s there?’ He remembers calling out but no reply came back. ‘Is someone there?!?’

After a few silences, suddenly, a large grey wolf appeared behind him and pounced on him before he could get a chance to draw out his sword.

‘Ahhh!’ He cried in pain, being shredded by the wolf’s claw.

Weiting jolts up into a sitting position, breaking out in cold sweat. His hands clinched onto his cotton blankets and his face turned pale white and his heart beating faster than normal. What was this dream he just had? What does it mean? All he knew was that a wolf doesn’t mean a good sign at all. He pondered to himself as he tried to catch his breath quickly.

He rubs his forehead gently as well as wiping away the sweat. He then swallows his dry spit and peeks to the side of his drawer where Taiyang’s peachy colored handkerchief rested.

The witch was buried in place of her in the tomb stone. That was one of the only reasons why Yang Sun (Taiyang) continued to come there. The night soon fell and the stars were appearing.

‘Sun,’ The wolf calls her as he walks up behind her. ‘It’s time to go. The spell will wear off soon, if we don’t leave now--’

Yang Sun takes her stand from the ground, “I know, let’s go.”

She walks over to the wolf’s side and begins chanting the spell in an unknown language, as she closes her eyes. Like thin air, they disappear into the night.