Mei Daiyu was the name of a woman who had made herself nothing short of a living legend. Such a thing was expected when one considered the fact that she was the single most dangerous individual in all of Eastern China.
Also known as the Lady of Death, Mei Daiyu was the first thing many thought of when asked to imagine themselves in a waking nightmare. Very little was known of her past, less so about her source of power, but her methods of obtaining whatever she wanted were common knowledge to all. Any village or town that opposed her rule, she crushed mercilessly under her overwhelming power, leaving what remains that survived her onslaught to be plundered by her ever increasing army of mercenaries.
The Lady of Death's influence extended up to the Imperial Palace where the Royal Family resided. Unwilling to attack with his full army and risk mutual destruction with Daiyu's forces, the Emperor had long reached a compromise with the Lady of Death. As long as Mei Daiyu kept her activities at a level which would not greatly affect the Empire, she was essentially free to do as she wished.
Such was the extent of the power wielded by a single woman. Anybody would be terrified by the fact that he or she had attracted tree attention of such an individual, more so for a small time orphaned criminal who had just barely began to make a name for herself.
"But why would she want me?" Liling asked with a great deal of uncertainty in her voice. After all she was just an orphaned thief with a lot of bounties on her head. None of the bounties were even particularly large enough to attract that level of attention from someone like Daiyu.
The duo had rounded the large farm which took over half the space in the village. Liu Han led them onto a different path that curved back towards the rest of the village. He answered her question as they walked.
"I'm certain you've heard the rumors that no one knows the source of the Lady of Death's power?" He asked her. When she nodded slowly, he continued. "That's not entirely true. Instead, it would be correct to say that very few people are aware of her source of power."
"And I suppose you are among that 'very few'?"
It was Han's turn to nod this time. "Mei Daiyu uses an old but very dangerous art which involves the use of one's very life force in battle. It makes her practically undefeatable in combat, but like everything else, it comes at a great price. Each time she utilizes that power, it drains her life energy and weakens her soul.
"In fact, her condition has deteriorated so much that her soul's power is depleted with each passing day. You might have noticed the recent decline in her activities lately."
He was right, Liling realized. Trying to recall the last time she had heard of the Lady of Death destroying a settlement or attacking a town, she found out that the rate of her activities had taken a nosedive a few months back. "But what does all that have to do with me?"
"You probably do not know it but there is a valuable gift that you possess. Your soul has a direct connection to nature itself. It permeates your mind and body and affects you in ways you cannot yet fully understand. There is a reason you were so skilled at thievery. Your connection with nature probably allowed you to blend in effortlessly with your surroundings."
Liling looked at him incredulously. Nothing he was saying sounded logical, but when she put some thought in it, she could see some elements of truth in them. She had always assumed that she possessed natural talents that allowed her to execute heists that had seemed impossible in the past. Apparently her assumption had been partially correct.
But something still was not clear to her in all this. "So how does this make me important to the Lady of Death?"
Han gave her a leveled look. "You still haven't made the connection? Daiyu's techniques consume the power of her soul the longer she uses them, and your soul is linked to the infinite energy of nature." He stopped there and stared at her fixedly. If she still did not understand, he just might reconsider his earlier take on her.
The girl shifted her gaze from Han's face to the rosebushes by the side of the part they walked on. She watched a group of young chicks roving around for food under the watchful care of their mother as she contemplated what this information meant for her.
"So she wants to take over my body or something like that?"
"Your soul," he corrected calmly. "Unfortunately, sometime ago Daiyu discovered a method to graft what remains of her soul onto yours. If she is able to accomplish that, then she will obtain an infinite source of energy."
"That does not sound good. So you all knew of this beforehand?"
Liu Han moved to lean on the wall of a nearby barn. He lowered his voice despite no one being around them. "My team and I have been following Daiyu and her organization for years now. We've devoted ourselves to finding a way to bring her down. And now we have."
Liling raised an eyebrow at his words which had obviously been directed at her. "Me? How?"
"There is a way to remove your connection to nature. In the Northern mountains, hundreds of miles from Hónghé Province and beyond the Cháng lû Forest, there is a temple of monks who still study the ancient art that Mei Daiyu practices. I am more than confident that they will know how to cut away your soul's connection to nature. Once that is done, you will be of no use to her. At that point, all that remains would be to wait for her inevitable demise."
"Well, it seems like you've really thought this through. Your plan sounds perfect. Except for one little problem." Liling straightened herself and looked him directly in the eye. "I'm not coming with you."