Yan Mei Ling had decided to gather woods when she failed to bring a game after what happened to her. Jinzhou Lu Wang Wei and the others prevented her from doing so, considering her injuries, but she was adamant. She insisted that she felt well and a productive stroll in the forest would make her immensely better.

Surprisingly, Lady Chao Biming volunteered to accompany her. Yan Mei Ling was hesitant but she reluctantly agreed in the end at the latter's gentle prodding. She could not find it in heart to say no for too long; not when, in many ways, Chao Biming curiously reminded her of her bestfriend, Li Lei Shuang.

"Thank you so much, Tang Lao Fang," Lady Chao Biming said to Yan Mei Ling as the two quietly picked fallen branches to use as firewood. "If it was not for you, I could not imagine what would have happened to me - it is terrifyingly unthinkable."

Yan Mei Ling paused from gathering firewood. She blankly stared at Lady Chao Biming for a moment who was an arm's length away.

The tall and thick umbrageous forest trees shaded them from the scorching noon heat; only a few birds and forest animals could be heard --probably, resting until the volatile weather ceased breathing fire. Surprisingly, the latter's cheeks blushed intense red under her guileless scrutiny.

Yan Mei Ling sighed before smiling. "You saved my life too, remember? I think we are even - you don't need to thank me."

Yan Mei Ling continued picking branches. Examining the branches closely and chosing the dry woods while ignoring the rain-drenched ones.

"But if you had not arrived, Jiangjun Han Li would have succeeded with his evil plan," Lady Chao Biming struggled as she spoke about the horrendous thing that transpired a while ago near the river. She did her best not to show just how much it had deeply traumatized her. It was something she considered an agonizing indelible memory that she would wish to forever forget. "And because of me, you are injured."

Yan Mei Ling turned her attention back to Chao Biming; she seemed to look piqued. Her face flushing with anger; her shoulders shaking with unleashed fury. "It doesn't matter, Lady Chao Biming - my injuries are the least that I am thinking about. I just hate it when men treat women like mere receptacles to where they could slake their disgusting and perverted desires to. They infuriate me and I wish I can kill them all! No, I wish that I can kill all of the Hsien armies!"

Lady Chao Biming shuddered as she listened to Tang Lao Fang impassioned words, his eyes were brimming with unspent tears and extreme hatred. She placed the firewoods that she gathered on the ground and gently put her palm on his quaking shoulders in a comforting gesture. "As soon as we come back to my father's village, you can have the revenge that you seek, Tang Lao Fang. I promise you that."

Yan Mei Ling gently removed Chao Biming's hand from her shoulder much to the latter's dismay. "It will never be enough." She said with uncharacteristic coldness. She exhaled deeply to extricate herself from her choleric state before resuming to gathering firewood.

Lady Chao Biming silently watched at Tang Lao Fang with a forlorn expression. It was beyond the realm of what her mind could grasp but within her heart, she desperately wanted to fix this seemingly broken boy. She wanted him to notice her, be friends with her and, perhaps, care for her in the way that she cared for him.

Pathetic it might seemed to be but what she felt for Tang Lao Fang was so strong - it almost terrified her mainly to the fact that she barely knew him. But like a warrior sent from the Heaven, he had saved her when she thought that her life would end up tragically - an insignificant casualty of the devil. But it was not just what she felt, Tang Lao Fang greatly reminded her of someone. Someone she knew not the face of but had came to love deeply no matter how foolish the notion might be.

Ah, the yearnings of her young heart, was she destined to be tragically unfulfilled? First, to a person who hid his identity behind a mask then, next, to someone who undoubtedly felt nothing for her other than what was purely platonic.

"It is Lord Hsien Mao Dong, isn't it? He has the princess with him?" Chao Biming gently asked; curiosity struck her wildly.

Yan Mei Ling faced Lady Chao Biming, scowling at the latter as if she just uttered something terrible. "Lord Hsien Mao Dong does not have the princess yet! We are taking the shortest route to the Hsein Capital. We would have encountered the abductors and saved the princess if they dare take the shortest way."

"There is still another shorter path to the Hsein Capital. It is the Devil's desert, south to the Central Capital. No one wants to venture that path because its arid land is fabled to fume fire and the quicksands that frequented the desert are far too traitorous."

"How do you know if those things are true?"

"My father is a trader. Sometimes he passes to the Devil's desert when things become desperate. It may be perilous but it provides more access to places other than the Hsein Capital."

Yan Mei Ling scoffed, thinking that the idea was foolish. "If it is as dangerous as you described it, then I doubt if the abductors will go there."

"Exactly," Lady Chao Biming exclaimed but in opposition to Lao Fang's words. "It is an entirely feasible route albeit dangerous considering no one would think they would venture into the Devil's desert."

Yan Mei Ling became silent - reflecting over Lady Chao Biming's words. Her chest was heaving wildly; she held the firewoods so hard until she broke a few in the bundle. The snap from the broken woods pushed her to the brink. The firewoods fell from her hands as she dejectedly stumbled on her knees. She hopelessly covered her face and began to cry.

"No...." Yan Mei Ling whimpered in pain and sorrow as she shook her covered face. "No... It simply can't be..." Her voice quivering with so much emotion; so much misery --everything seemed to astound her. She could barely contain what was inside her. "They can't have the princess - Lord Hsien Mao Dong cannot have Li Lei Shuang. Please.. No. Don't tell me that... I beseech you, please do not. For it is hurting me - you know? It terribly hurts."

"I am so sorry, Tang Lao Fang." Lady Chao Biming said guiltily for causing the distress in him; tears of shared sadness fell from her eyes. She embraced him to somehow gave him solace. She gently caressed his back to soothe him. For a heart-stopping moment, she expected that Tang Lao Fang would reject the comfort that she was offering, but he seemed pliant. Possibly, because in the saddest moment in his life, he needed someone to ease the pain within him.

This astonishingly strong warrior who ended up crying in her arms had given Lady Chao Biming a glimpse of his vulnerability.

True, Tang Lao Fang was susceptible to emotions and easily affected by them as what happened to his fight with Jiangjun Han Li but not, in any way, it had affected her high opinion of him. Perhaps, it was his vulnerability that made him stronger or, maybe, it was his immense love for the princess of the Imperial Capital. His despair and tears as well as passionate rage for the princess' possible demise in the hands of Lord Hsein Mao Dong could only be attributed for love. For how could you feel such strong emotions if it was not love? Jiangjun Han Li had noticed it and effectively capitalized on it before she hit the wicked fiend with a rock on the head.

Lady Chao Biming could not help but somehow felt a strong wave of jealousy washing over her. The princess was very lucky to have someone as strong and brave as Tang Lao Fang to love and care for her - even willing to lay down his for her. But, then again, who would not dare to love the princess? She was known to be very beautiful as if the celestial gods had gifted her with all of Heaven's bounty.

It was rumored that even wild animals were so captivated by her ethereal beauty that they calmed down when she went near them as what happened to the untamed tigers brought from Tianzhu. She was also demure, graceful, intelligent and well-mannered. Other than her unparalleled beauty and desirable traits, she was exceptionally kind as what the people from the Central Capital said - everyone clearly revered and loved the princess.

She would never be in league with the princess when the latter was everything any girl could ever want to be. The princess was simply the epitome of a perfect female.

"Please don't cry - I can be wrong, Tang Lao Fang. You will definitely save the princess, and my father will help in the best that he can. I promise you." Lady Chao Biming softly whispered to the crying warrior that she had came to love in a very short span of time.

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