"Wu Huan!" Shi Lihua caught his head before it hit
the ground. He quickly fell his pulse and luckily, he had only passed out due to exhaustion.
"Oof. This guy passed out at the sight of me. Shi Lihua, what a great backup you have."
He had perched Wu Huan to a nearby wall as far away from Yin Fan as possible. "I'll kill you today, Yin Fan as a justice for all the victims."
Yin Fan only raised a carefree brow. In between his lips was a strand of grass. "Victims? You mean your other two fellow disciples back in my sect?"
Shi Lihua froze, "What?"
"Don't worry. I haven't killed them yet. I tried to cripple that bastard Luo Yang but honestly, I felt pity seeing how tough he was acting. He took at least three whips for my beautiful Wan Qiang. Tsk. The bitch deserved to die long ago anyway. She thought she was good at deception." Yin Fan turned to Shi Lihua, "What? You don't believe me? You do not honestly believe your shidi comes for you alone? If he hadn't gotten smart and left, he would have also been in my personal prison chamber."
"You want me, don't you? Take me and let them go." Shi Lihua dropped his sword when Yin Fan eyed him cautiously. How had it come to this? "Let them go. I was the one who killed your men," He nearly yelled to get a reaction out of that nonchalant face.
He was so scared. So guilty.
The young master laughed satisfyingly in exchange. It was indeed beyond rare. Beyond rare to see the high and mighty Shi Lihua of Taohua so easily defeated and shaken. He loved that crushing expression. He loved this scene so much he would take it to the grave.
"And, do you want me to take that shidi of yours with you as well? It doesn't seem like he enjoys being separated. We can all have a big party."
His lips have begun to shake involuntarily. And even though, every part of him was rigid with shock, he could still yield an effort to respond, "I beg you. Let them all go. You can kill me."
-
Wan Qiang had been deep in her slumber from her wounds when the jail's door was opened. She has cracked a stubborn eye open as a realization has dawned into her that she was again taken for another session of torture.
But, the guard has looked disgustedly at her before he dragged her out by her staw mat into the open field. When she noticed Luo Yang half-dead in the daylight, she had wanted to rise up to check on him.
[Have they decided to kill them?]
It would have saved her a mountain of grief if she was the only one being punished through death. She had deserved it more than anyone.
They dragged them far. Far to the south gate where no one would see. And finally out of the gate.
A black pair of boots has blocked her sight. "Young master has let you go to rot somewhere else. Don't ever step in here again."
She couldn't believe her ears and only when the guards had left did she tried to crawl to the other body. "Luo Yang," her shaky hands shook his shoulders. He was barely still alive but that was enough for her.
Her legs gave out multiple times when she dragged his mat under the warm sun and red dirt. She couldn't feel her arms anymore from all the whips they took but it didn't matter. They were finally free. They could get help from the sect now. She didn't care why they let them go but whatever the reason was she could only kneel to the gods.
That night, she gave up because dehydration and exhaustion. She hadn't even made it halfway outside. This time a pair of boots had also run to her in the corner of her eyes. The person crouched down to look at her pale sickening face.
"Wu Huan?"
.
.
Three days later, Wan Qiang was lying on a soft bed. She was greeted by the sight of a familiar room. It was her room back in Taohua. Feeling some strength in her arms, she hurried to perch herself up. This was really her room. The afternoon breeze softly touched her cheeks from the open window.
"That's right. Luo Yang and Wu Huan."
Her bare feet drummed through the wooden floor as she exited the door. There was no one around the courtyard. She ran to Yao Ping Peak. A few disciples had been surprised by her sudden frantic appearance but no one could stop her. So they could only alarm Master Zhao.
"Luo Yang!" Wan Qiang almost ran into the doors of his room. Someone rushed from inside when they heard her voice. It was Elder Yi.
"Wan Qiang?" He was surprised when she brushed past him to the body on the bed. "Don't worry. He is only in a coma to recuperate his spiritual energy. When did you wake up?"
"Elder, it was my fault." Drops of tear rolled down her pale cheek. "If only I didn't insist on staying there..." Her eyes didn't leave the unconscious person. He had actually looked more alive than before.
"Calm down, child. It was no one's fault. Now stand up," he took her arm and made her sit by the table. When he saw her fringed in pain from her wounds, his shoulders dropped in dejection. Just then, Elder Zhao and Sect leader Shi entered the room. "Sect leader and Elder Zhao," he cupped his hands.
"Wan Qiang!" The old face of her Master seemed to age the moment he saw her stubbornly raced here from such a distance from her bed. "Good. Good that you've woken up," he patted her head in relief. "But, why aren't you resting on your bed? You could have injured yourself again!"
"Master..." she wiped her face, "Wan Qiang apologizes. I was worried about Luo Yang. And...Sect leader, where is Wu Huan?" She looked into the face of the other elder and to her surprise, he also looked no other different than the actual unconscious person.
Regardless, he turned to her with soft eyes, "Wu Huan is with Master Ciu. He is not injured."
"That's a relief."
"He has told us everything. Why didn't you come to us right away?" Elder Yi released a heavy sigh. "You, youngsters, really have guts to keep secrets from the elders." It was usual of Elder Yi to start scolding after being concerned. He looked disappointed when Wan Qiang bowed her head.
"We thought master and elders were all busy with the Sect's affairs so we decided to set out for Shi Lihua on our own. Who knew...who knew we ended up on the hands of Yin Fan. Sect leader, Shi Lihua should be in the east or north.
Has Wu Huan told Sect leader yet?"
"Wan Qiang," her master turned away after seeing her puzzled look. "The young master has been taken by Yin Fan."
Words were stuck in her throat. She couldn't look at Sect leader Shi anymore. With clench fists, she murmured, "That's why. That must be why they let us out." She rose up despite the pain, "We'll go get him back right now. What if they...Master, how about the Yin Dragon Sect's leader? How could he let his son-"
"What sect leader?" Elder Yi shook his head in anger, "The bastard of a son had killed his own father three days ago and announced himself as the new leader! He doesn't even fear heaven's punishment and now he declared Taohua as his enemy!"