4 4. Not saying anything

Lihua skillfully jumped towards the rooftop and looked at where the man went. She saw him in the street out of the Prime Minister's manor. The man stopped and looked at her. It looks like he is waiting for her to follow him. She sensed something is up, so, she decided to go after him.

The man used the narrow road from the Prime Minister's manor towards the outskirts of town. The sun just set, so Lihua moved quicker to make sure that she will not lose the man. After a few minutes, the man stopped outside a small bamboo house. The house is dark inside, but the man stood outside and looked at her as if saying to follow him. The man went inside. Lihua immediately moves closer and went inside as well.

The moment she went inside, she saw the man she is following is kneeling in front of another person inside. Lihua doesn't need to look at the man twice before she recognized who it was.

"Master!"

The man moved his hand signaling her to stand up. Lihua stands up straight and looked at the old man in front of him. She hasn't seen him for the past two years and seeing him now, she noticed that he looked older than the last time she saw him.

"Lihua,"

"Yes, master?"

"How are you with the Prime Minister's house?" though this seems like a caring gesture from her master, Lihua knew him well. He never cared about her ever since. She felt like she is like a burden to him than a family relative.

"I am still under the first master's wings," she said quietly.

"Good, good." Master Guang said while walking back and forth.

Lihua stood there waiting for him to say more. She knew that there is an important reason why her master showed up. After a while, he said, "Chao Shen is getting stronger and stronger. I saw his martial arts skills while practicing with you."

"Master!" Lihua immediately kneeled down. She looked at the ground on her feet. She is sure to receive some punishment today. She is waiting for her punishment when she felt her master's hand on her should and helping her up.

"Lihua, no need to be afraid"

She looked at her master's eyes now that they are this close. She saw something there. She is not used to this caring treatment from him. She knew there is something unexpected that will be going to happen.

"Master, please do not frighten me. I will accept any punishment just say it."

Master Guang suddenly laughed.

"I know I gave you a hard time in the past. But you understand the reason why I did them right?"

Lihua just stood there more confused now. What his master told him next made her lose her sanity.

What kind of a joke is this? Lihua asked herself while looking at her master's eyes hoping to hear him say that it is just a joke and that he just wants to prank her. But Master Guang doesn't know how to joke around.

Lihua doesn't know how she managed to go back in the Prime Minister's manor after that conversation from his master. He told him the story of how she was brought to the Holy Mountain and the reason why she needs to go back to her real family. It's been almost 15 years. Before she would bug her master to talk about her biological parents but he would never tell her anything. He would even punish her severely just by asking about them. And now, now, that she is content being part of the Holy Mountain's secret agent, they would suddenly appear. She was walking pass Chao Shen's room dazed when the door of the room suddenly opened. She looked up blankly and started walking again after a few seconds. Chao Shen's eyebrows furrowed. When Lihua did not say anything and just continue walking towards the servant's quarter, he suddenly went out and grab her wrist and turned her forcibly around. He did not expect that he used so much force to pull her around because she fell on her chest. He immediately holds her on her shoulders to support him standing.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked confused but concerned.

"Nothing," she said blankly and she attempted to turn around again but Chao Shen stopped her.

"Did something happened? Where did you go? Did you encounter some trouble again?" Chao Shen fired his questions like arrows.

"I said nothing!" Chao Shen is now starting to get to her nerves. She just wanted to be alone to process everything.

"I don't believe you!" he said stubbornly. He is not letting go of her shoulders.

Lihua skillfully moved his hands on her should and moved swiftly back a few feet away from him. Chao Shen is shocked to do anything.

"I will talk to you tomorrow." then, she immediately disappears in from of him.

"Acting like a boss now? Who is the master here?" Chao Shen said irritably. He promised to himself that he will punish her tomorrow for her boldness. With that, he returned to his room.