Quick update; was planning on two chapters today, but have to baby sit my brother. I'll try to get another one out this weekend, but it's awkward writing at home so it may wait until monday.

~~~

As Sun Jiao and Fang Yuehai approached the solid gold wall Sun Jiao noticed the people around him and asked something that had been bothering him for some time.

“Hey. So I really helped you out back there with my Uncle right?”

Fang Yuehai, who had been quietly thinking, spoke up so suddenly it almost made Sun Jiao flinch. Only with the superior body control that comes with cultivation did he manage to stifle the reflex.

“Sure I guess.”

The sudden question that caught him off guard caused him to answer just as quickly.

“Good. Good. I’m sending a message to my Uncle so he can prepare a place for me here, but it will take some time and I need a place to stay until then.” Waving her hand at a nearby inn in a dismissive gesture she continued, “I could stay at one of these cheap places, but since you won’t mind if I stay with you right? If not then I guess I need to let Uncle know that you don’t want me staying with you and which cheap rundown place I’ll be staying in.”

The inns that were close to the golden wall were all high class inns that required an exorbitant amount of money to stay in. If any of the owners heard Fang Yuehai’s words they would have coughed up blood.

After thinking a bit Sun Jiao decided on his reply.

“I admit that clearing up the matter was helpful, but I already agreed to help you find your brother’s fiance. Things can be considered even.”

“Ah! You haven’t found her yet though and I’ve already helped you. How about this; I’ll stay with you until Uncle finds me a place and we’ll consider that interest on the favor!”

“What how is that considered interest? If anything you can consider helping me with that matter as interest for my favor. Not to mention I gave you information on your brother.”

With that Fang Yuehai’s apparent mood dropped and a look of sadness passed over her eyes causing Sun Jiao to regret his words.

“I...sorry that was…”

Instantly Fang Yuahai’s mood brightened and she quickly wrapped her arm around Sun Jiao’s arm.

“I accept your apology. We’re friends after all right? What’s with all this talk about favors and interest anyways? We should help each other without expecting anything in return! In fact I am even going to let Uncle know what a great friend you are for saving me and that he should be supporting you more!”

Sun Jiao rolled his eyes.

“Fine you can stay, but only until Fang Shaofan finds you a place.”

“Thanks brother Jiao I knew you’d help me out! I’ll send the message at the gate!”

The two continued arm in arm until they reached the wall, stopping briefly to send the message and then continued on to the palace.

When the guard saw the two approaching he felt a wave of pity for the young girl. “Another beauty wasted” he mumbled to himself. Naturally he had seen the second prince lure several young women to their unfortunate fate and was unable to do anything about it.

When the young lady turned out to be the grand niece of General Fang the pity turned to panic. He tried several times to suggest a wonderful inn or perhaps a family friend, but under the cold gaze of Sun Jiao he was unable to dissuade Fang Yuahai and accepted the message with reluctance. The only shining light was that he wouldn’t have to deliver the message to General Fang himself.

The message continued up the ranks eventually falling into the hands of the General’s direct subordinate.

The General was in the middle of a breakthrough, had entered secluded meditation, and issued orders to not be disturbed under any situation.

The subordinate that received the message went pale after reading it and looked at the man who handed to him.

“Is this a joke? Who gave you this? Actually, no I don’t want to know. Did you read this?”

The messenger had a curious look on his face and wondered what could possibly cause Shen Duzi to panic as much as he was now.

“No sir!”

Shen Duzi’s had a thoughtful look on his face as he read the letter again. Slowly the look hardened with resolve and he began to burn the letter.

“I suppose I should tell you what’s in the letter. General Shaofan’s grand niece has been taken by the second prince.”

“What! Th-the second prince? We must hurry then an-”

“No. We’ll do nothing because nothing is what needs to be done. General Shaofan is currently in the middle of a breakthrough and if we interrupt him now who knows when he’ll have this chance again. If we don’t interrupt him and he finds out then we’ll be blamed for not notifying him. What’s more important? The life of a single girl or the chance at a breakthrough? There will always be more girls born, but this chance is a once in a thousand years opportunity. Did anyone see you bring this letter to me?”

The messenger thought for a moment and replied; “No. I received it outside the Sanctum and came immediately. Anyone that saw me receive the letter outside wouldn’t know where it was going.”

A cold light appeared in Shen Duzi’s eyes. “How unfortunate for you.”

---

After arriving at his palace Sun Jiao found a room for Fang Yuahai, told her he was going to cultivate, and headed towards his sister’s cultivation room.

Unable to think of a logical reason why Xiaobo reluctantly agreed with the plan.

Sun Jiao quickly found a doll, handed it the Sapphire Star Baobab fruit, and ordered it to be delivered to his Sun Qing. He then found another doll, handed all but two of the lilies and relayed the instructions that Xiaobo gave him on how to process them.

Finally sitting in his cultivation room he asked Xiaobo what to do next.

Xiaobo’s will entered Sun Jiao’s dantain and grabbed as much ki as possible. Then he took the ki and began circulating it through Sun Jiao’s blood veins causing some significant discomfort as the ki normally wouldn’t travel through them.

Immediately the ki began to rampage violently in his blood veins and like sharp blades slashed out into the rest of his body.

It felt like a someone was dragging barbed wire through every one of Sun Jiao’s veins. The pain caused him to scream out and after a few breaths he passed out.

Xiaobo used a bit of the ki to heal the body and then some of his Will to slam into Sun Jiao’s soul causing him to wake. As soon as he woke Xiaobo began the process again causing him to faint in even less amount of time than before. The process, like the cycle of the sun and moon, started over and over again causing Sun Jiao to lose track of time.