The three of them rode their horses hard as they followed the trail.  Hongmo suggested that her flying ahead could help save them time and their friends, but Doc and Nightmare shot her down quick.  They were going to go together and save their friends, together.  They were not going to let Hongmo go ahead and go in swords blazing into unknown situations and put herself or the others in danger, no matter how invincible she is.  Besides, they needed to find out who was behind the assassination and the kidnapping. 

As they rode on, the sky lit up with the sun, then as the sun began to set, they slowed their horses down as they noticed that the kidnappers had built a fire and they could see the smoke.  They slowly made their way towards the camp and tied their horses up before continuing on foot.  As the three of them quietly and quickly made their way to the camp, the three of them split up and hid behind bushes and waited.  

Around the fire were eight men in all black.  They didn't  move like assassins, nor did they dress like assassins.  They all wore black clothing, but their faces were still covered up as if they didn't want Vixen or BP to recognize who they were. Which let Hongmo to believe that they must be military men.  

Vixen and BP were tied up and gagged.  They sat beside each other, leaning on one another for strength and comfort.  The eight men sat around the fire as they whispered to each other in hushed tones.  As the sun set, they put out the fire as well, not wanting to attract more attention to themselves.  

"When did the General said he would be coming?"  One soldier whispered to the other.  

"Soon."  The leader said.  "Now shut up and wait."  

Hongmo, Nightmare and Doc waited along with the eight soldiers.  They were just doing what they were ordered to do, but they chose the wrong people to mess with.  They would loose their life tonight, if Hongmo had anything to say about it.  

Soon from the South, two pairs of footsteps could be heard.  

"Who goes there?" The leader of the soldier's said.  

"When the day sets, the cold night comes."  Said the first man who walked ahead of the other.  

"General!"  All eight of the men said as they bowed down on to one knee.  

General Lei stepped forward along with Fong Lei, Vixen's brother.  

"What's going on?!?" Fong asked as he saw his sister tied up with another man.  He started to rush forward when General Lei stops him with his arm.  

"You are here as witness."  General Lei said as he strode in with a tight hold on his anger.  "For years, I have indulged you daughter."  

General Lei walked and stopped until he stood in front of the couple.  "I gave you everything a daughter was suppose to have.  Lessons in all of the womanly arts. A roof over your head, food on the table, clothes on your back. All you had to do was marry someone who would help the Lei clan.  You even had several offers from sons of Generals and Ministers that would make our clan stronger, but you just had to make things difficult for me." 

General Lei crouched down so he would be eye level to Vixen.  

"But instead, you wanted to be selfish and wanted more that what your life was worth."  

Vixen stared hatefully at her father as she listened to him spout nonsense.  "Instead, you wanted to learn the martial way and become a martial fighter. And when your mother and I punished you, instead of honoring us as your parents, you run away and make me lose face!  You become an assassin!  You rename yourself Vixen! And made me lose even more face with all your gallivanting around the city as if you were never a part of the Lei Clan!"  General Lei shouted.  "For years, for your mother, I did not take any measures against you.  But now you've gone too far!  Now you have doomed our Lei Clan because of your selfishness!"  

General Lei shouted as he pulled out his hand to punch BP.  

"Out of anyone out there in the Bido Kingdom, you could have chosen ANYONE!  But it had to be this Bastard!"  General Lei shouted angrily.  "I would have left you alone to live your life and make a family of your own, seeing how well you survived without me, your mother and your family. But you just had to fall in love with this man!  The only man you shouldn't have fallen in love with and now pregnant with his child...."  

General Lei sighed heavily before he whispered.  "My first grandchild.... how could I kill my first grandchild?  Tell me, what should I do? For generations, the Lei clan fought for our King, for our kingdom.  For generations, we were always loyal towards the crown.  Always standing tall, next to our King and never wavering.  But now...my hands are shaking and my heart is wavering.  My mind is telling me to do it.  Kill one to save the whole clan. But my heart is tell me to let you go.  to let my grandchild go, for he or she is innocent."  

General Lei sighed heavily.  "Tell me daughter.  What shall I do?  When my King orders me to kill my own daughter, her future husband and my own grandchild?  When that grandchild threatens the very crown he just won from his brothers.  Tell me, what am I suppose to do?" 

General Lei bends forward and takes the gag off of Vixen.  Her tears falls down her face in a constant stream.  She didn't want to bring ill fortune to her clan, nor did she want her child or BP to die.

"Kill me for all the sins I committed, but my child, your grandchild is innocent."  

Beside Vixen, BP is struggling with the ropes that bind him.  His loud muffled pleas are ignored as Vixen keeps talking.  

"My child is innocent.  Please Father, let your grandchild live."  Vixen cried out loudly.  "I'll pay the price that the King has asked of you.  Kill me.  Save my child.  Please." 

General Lei hugged Vixen tightly to his body.  "Forgive this useless Father.  Forgive me.  I'll pay you back in our next lives.  I promise to protect your child so the King could never find out about him or her. I will give every opportunity to your child to survive to ensure that no one will be able to mess with your child.  I will ensure your grandchildren will live on and carry your blood along with this Bastard's blood.  I swear it to you as your Father."  

General Lei pulls back and stands up.  "Son, you will bear witness to todays events and remember.  Remember your Father's promise to your sister."  

Fong nods his head in understanding.  And before Hongmo, Doc or Nightmare could understand what happened.  General Lei and Fong had already killed the eight soldiers without even knowing who killed them.