The Past: Part 1

"Dad, when can I leave home and cultivate magic?" Wen Qiang asked while peeling the skin of the apple with a sharp bladed knife. He smiled and placed his cup of green tea down on the white jaded table, "Wen Qiang, you are a woman now, instead of trying to learn how to cultivate magic like your older brother, you should focus on getting married soon."

She pouts while holding the peeled apple, "There is no guy I like, and I don't want to leave my family. I want to stay with you all forever." Her mom laughs, "My silly baby. Sure thing, you can stay with us forever!" Wen Qiang turns back to her dad, "See? Even Ma said I can stay." She crosses her arm in great victory. Their father looks at his wife, "Song Hua, she can't stay forever, she'll have to live her own beautiful life one day as well." "Liu Qi Yu, of course my daughter can stay with us forever, she's a gorgeous sweet little one of mine." Wen Qiang frowns as her mother laughs.

Liu Shi Tangzi, her older brother, walks in the room, "You can totally stay here forever." Wen Qiang's eyes brightens as she heard the voice of her brother who has been long gone for almost a year. "Ge-ge!" she runs up to him just to smack his back. Their parents smiled at them in pure joy. Wen Qiang continues talking to her Shi Tangzi, "How was it like in Jin Xing Palace? What they make you do? Were you treated badly?!"

He calmly smiled at her, "Nothing bad, don't worry about me." Song Hua walks up to them and looks at her son, "Glad you are back strong and healthy. You also came just in time, I just about to finish preparing dinner for us all to eat." She orders the servants to set up the dining table. Qi Yu sits down on the chair and lays one hand on the table, "Shi Tangzi, you must be careful. I've heard there were strange things happening at Jin Xing Palace?" Liu Shi Tangzi looks at his father, "I'm sure about that, but yes, I have seen some things I shouldn't have."

Concerned, Wen Qiang stands up from her chair, "You just said there was nothing bad? How can I not worry?! What if something happens to you?" Shi Tangzi responded to her, "I don't have anything against them. They don't have anything against me. I will be fine, do not worry and stress yourself." Song Hua looks at her son, "What did you see?" Qi Yu listened as he sips the warm tea.

"While I was walking around the place, a horde of men and horses past by me. They headed straight towards the village across where I was and killed off the entire village. I saw it all, blood and burned homes...Then I overheard the Crown Prince, 'If I can't have that woman, I'll take everything away from her. She will be mine eventually," Shi Tangzi began telling what happened. Song Hua and Qi Yu looked at each other with a worried face then turned their heads at their son. Wen Qiang asked, "Does the King not know that he has such a selfish and wicked Prince?"

Liu Qi Yu puts his cup of tea down on the porcelain plate, "You must promise me to never get yourself involved. Even if you have witnessed things, you must tell them you saw and know nothing. Do not put your nose into their dangerous business else you will just throw yourself into a pit of hell." Shi Tangzi bows his head, "I understand Dad." After they finished eating dinner, they went their separate ways into their rooms to sleep the night away.

The next day, in the early morning, Shi Tangzi and Wen Qiang went out for a walk in town. They stopped at certain shops and bought little gifts for each other and ate together at food carts or at the restaurant. As they stepped out of the restaurant, a man approached Shi Tangzi, "I need to have a word with you." Wen Qiang takes a look at the man dressed in a green and white robe, "Who are you and why do you want my brother for?" Shi Tangzi faces towards her, "This is my friend Mu Li Yang, he was my partner while I was in Jin Xing Palace." He then turns to look at Li Yang, "This is my younger sister, Liu Wen Qiang."

She smiled at Li Yang, "Ah, so you're a good friend of my brother then. That's good to know." He bows his head to greet her then talks to Shi Tangzi, "It's about the Crown Prince. I need to tell you something important you may need to know." Shi Tangzi calmly tells his sister, "Wen Qiang, go wait for me over there by XingGuan Inn. I'll come get you when I'm done talking." She nods her head and takes her leave.

Mu Li Yang and Shi Tangzi continued their conversation as Wen Qiang waited for her brother to come get her by the Inn.

Jia Yi stops by the herbal medicine shop, "Can I buy three Licorice Roots and one of the Snake Root?" Wu Zhou yawned and places his arms behind his head, "This is so boring I should've just stayed home~" Ying Pei laughs, "If you're so bored, why don't you go ahead and talk a walk for a bit? Just don't go too far and make sure you stay in our sights." Wu Zhou scoffed, "What am I? A little kid? I'm already 20, I can take care of myself. Unlike you and Jia Yi who's already 22, you're getting closer to become one of those old people." Ying Pei's eyes widens and points at Wu Zhou, "You! Where are your manners?" Wu Zhou runs off while laughing. Jia Yi returns with the herbal medicines, "I got what we need, why don't we eat some beef noodle soup first before heading back home?" Ying Pei crosses his arms together, "Sounds nice but the little on ran off to somewhere." She sighs and laughs gently for a short moment, "Let's go find that troublesome boy then."

Wen Qiang waited patiently, "I wonder when he's going to come back..?" As she stood up to stretch after sitting down for quite awhile, she overheard a conversation:

"She's pretty isn't she?"

"Go get her, have her sit down with us hahaha!"

"How much do you think we can use and sell her for?"

Getting uncomfortable with the conversation, she gets up and walks further away from the group of men. And just as she turned her back towards them, one of the men grips onto her arm, "Hey young lady come with us. Don't be scared, we won't do anything to you." He had a mischievous look on his face. Startled, Wen Qiang shakes his hand off her arm, "Don't touch me!" Again he grabs her arm, "Just come and have a little talk with us over there.." Her eyes widened in great fear, "Help me...someone, please.."

As Wu Zhou walked around he stops by a snack cart, "Can I buy three hawthorn candies?" As the Vender was taking out the candies off the haystack, Wu Zhou notices something that caught his eyes.

The man took out a dagger and hid it underneath his sleeve and he wrapped his arm around Wen Qiang, "Good girl.. now don't do anything stupid like yell or run away or else I will stab you to your death." The rest of the men were laughing at the scenery. Wen Qiang spoke in her mind, 'Shi Tangzi..please hurry up and help me! I'm in danger!'