THE SITUATION NOW

Ye Xiu nodded in agreement by Xiao Jun's words. "The thing is, I had lost contact with him since the last message that he sent me."

Ye Xiu had been hiding in the Kingdom of Rockstone all this time, since the issue with Senja. He couldn't return to Xinghe or hid in Azura, that was why it hard for him to keep in contact with Xiao Jun and Qi Xunyi.

Wang Yu invasion this morning showed that Xinghe didn't have any hope to hold their ground anymore. On the other side, Qi Xunyi had been helping Xiao Jun and him to obtain confidential information about the tragedy 8 years ago.

However, with Qi Xunyi status as the fourth prince, he was a son of the Xinghe's Emperor who was born from a concubine, he didn't have much power in the palace. Furthermore, he wasn't a favorite son as well.

Ye Xiu and Xiao Jun knew Qi Xunyi because he was one of a disciple in Mountain Sui Sword Sect, albeit he wasn't under Ye Xiu's surveillance, but he has a good relationship with Xiao Jun.

"How you reach him?" Xiao Tianyao asked Ye Xiu after a long silence.

"Someone delivered my message. But, the messenger hadn't returned for almost a month by now. I guess he had been found out." Ye Xiu stroke his chin while deep in thought. "Aside from his affirmation about the involvement of Xinghe Emperor regarding your parents' murder, he told me that the Third Prince of Xinghe had been acting very suspicious recently."

Xiao Tianyao and Xiao Jun directed their fully attention toward Ye Xiu. "In Qi Xunyi's message, he didn't elaborate the detail, it mostly only his own judgment." Ye Xiu hastily explained. "The third Prince of Xinghe seemed like had been plotting something with someone from outside the palace."

"Someone from outside the palace?" Xiao Jun repeated. "What his plan?"

Ye Xiu shook his head. "I don't know, I want to know about that too. But, perhaps my letter never reached him." His letter would have been received by Qi Xunyi long time ago if his messenger has still survived. "Because, I never got the reply."

"I could hold back the aggression at least until 3 months from now before my army reached the Xinghe's Palace, but more than that it would be suspicious in our side." Xiao Tianyao stated. His meaning was very clear, that the due date for Ye Xiu and Xiao Jun to obtain more information or to contact Qi Xunyi was only 3 months before The Kingdom of Xinghe became a mere history. "The Kingdom of Xinghe would be destroyed within months."

"Master, if you success to meet with Qi Xunyi, tell him that The Kingdom of Xinghe won't survive, but I will try my best to keep Xinghe's people alive." Xiao Jun wrapped up his disarray mind.

The matter that they need to confirm for now was; has the Emperor of Xinghe been under Modama hypnosis?

***

The noon sun is the harshest and it's burning Senja's body under its heat.

Rindy has been practicing martial arts since 3 years ago and now she was training with bow and arrow. She made Senja stood in the middle of the courtyard while she was standing under canopy with two maid servants on her left and right side holding the quiver that full with blunt tip arrows.

The golden bracer on Rindy's arms shone brightly when she slowly took her bow and nocked an arrow, pointed at Senja, made her the target.

Because the arrow that Rindy used has blunt tip, it wouldn't kill her, even so the pain was still there.

Senja's white dress stained with dirt and tattered in some layers. The little girl was lower her head and covered her face with both of her hands to get some safety.

"Put down your hands!" Rindy bellowed irritably, intentionally she targeted Senja's back hand and release the missile.

Senja screamed in pain when she felt the arrow hit her hands, she gritted her teeth so she could prevent the tears from rolling down her cheek. Crying was only aggravated Rindy further and that the last thing she wanted.

She stroked her hand that had turned blue by the result of Rindy's arrow. When she saw Rindy was about to shoot again, Senja turned on her heel and ran to the direction of the library where the secret door located.

She ran as fast as she could, ignoring Rindy's shouting and screaming at her. She ignored the haste footsteps that were coming after her.

Senja only stopped to catch her breath when she shut the hiding door behind the bookshelf and was inside her secret room again. She crouched down as she pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. The room was bright because the ray of the sun was coming through from the 3 small air holes on the wall.

Her soft sobbing was the only voice in this silence.

The room inside was soundproof as Senja wasn't able to hear the commotion that Rindy's was creating outside in attempt to find her.

It would be take a long time before Senja could come out and went to her room. Midnight would be the best time. The little girl ignored the grumbled on her stomach as she was laid down on the stack of the blanket in the other side of the room.

A thought to run away from here tempted her, but the fact that she didn't know anyone out there and how to survive alone ward off her will.

At least here she could wait for her grandfather to return and her situation would be slightly better.

It had been a year since the last time she met her grandfather and also almost a year since Uncle Ye Xiu left her. She wanted to meet him again and Ye Qing, especially Aunt Su. However, she knew that it was nearly impossible for her to meet them again since her grandfather had misunderstanding toward them.

She was at fault in this fact.

The recent news that she heard from the Shadow Guard said, Azura's army under Prince Xiao Tianyao's command succeed to occupy Xinghe's capital city. It was only a matter of day before The Kingdom of Xinghe would be part of Azura.

Senja didn't care a bit about that, she just hope her grandfather could return before she turned 10, a week from now.