ShuîYuê left the house in the afternoon, and from the lead, Bai Yan gave her this junior official who usually passed through a flower shop at this time; it was very difficult to track him down.

ShuîYuê twirled a flower in her hand; her eyes glanced at the man who stopped to buy some red flowers and then left; ShuîYuê dropped the flower before discreetly following him; he made a quick conversation with a shopkeeper before continuing.

ShuîYuê narrowed her eyes at the alley he entered; she looked around before sneaking after him; he entered a door of the house in the corner; ShuîYuê stayed hidden behind a stack of wooden trunks that man returned twenty minutes later and then left for a small clearing.

'Why is he going to so many places?' She wondered, following him again; a group of men dressed in rages appeared from a nearby forest; ShuîYuê hid behind a tree as they approached the man she'd been following.

"Sir, what are orders for today?"

"A protest in the trade market, at seven in the evening," the man ShuîYuê had been following announced.

"We'll leave right away, sir," they replied, bowing their heads and leaving; ShuîYuê waited so he would leave before she walked out of her hiding spot.

"This man doesn't seem like the junior official I need, could Bai Yan's lead be incorrect?" She wondered squinting her eyes.

Jade was working on the preparations for dinner when she was pulled away abruptly, "Jade, it's me," ShuîYuê whispered covering Jade's mouth.

"Master," she looked around, "What are you doing here?" She asked constantly glancing around herself.

"Where's the trade market?" Water Master asked instead, a hint of impatience in her smooth voice.

"It's to the southeast of our market," Jade answered with furrowed eyebrows.

"Take me there," ShuîYuê demanded, Jade opened her mouth to speak, "No, I need to be in that trade market this evening, you'll take me there," Jade bit her lips wondering how she was going to escape her Aunt and her questions, she, however nodded her head assured, "We'll leave as soon as it's time, and I want to be there before seven, so hurry up," ShuîYuê added pointing to the unprepared food.

ShuîYuê covered her nose at the fishy smell wafting all around her; a variety of seafood was displayed outside each shop, where their owners yelled loudly for more buyers while hurriedly returning and taking money.

ShuîYuê turned her head away at the sight of crayfish cooking alive in a large wok, oil splattering around the area where a man stood preparing bamboo sticks for skewers, "Why are we here?" Jade asked looking confused.

"To enjoy the evening," ShuîYuê answered airily, her eyes wandering around for the man she had been waiting for all evening, a small crowd was walking in the same direction and Water Master followed them with Jade behind her, a man stood on a wooden barrel, some men around him shouting for everyone to be quiet.

He cleared his throat and opened his arms, "Today I want to bring your attention to the tax we pay," He looked around at the listeners, "The department of expenditures, collects tax from all over Heaven, each village to big city pays tax every month, do you know how much of that tax the royalty uses to give us funds?" He waited for an answer.

"Five per cent, the rest of our money goes to fulfil their luxuries, they bath in rose oils, with milk and honey, staples we struggle for in hard times," a murmur occurred within the crowd as they shared opinions.

Jade glanced at her Master, who was standing behind a stall. With her back turned to Jade, she approached her Master, tapping her on her shoulder. Jade screamed at the scary face, but her scream didn't catch any attention under the loud protest cheers.

"What?" ShuîYuê asked, tilting her head to the side; Jade touched ShuîYuê's cheek, rubbing the white powder in between her fingers.

"Master, what have you done?" Jade asked, wiping the white powder on her clothes as she looked at her Master, whose face was covered with white powder and too-red lipstick, which was drawn as if ShuîYuê was smiling, pink powder on her cheeks and dark black powder over her eyebrows.

"This is makeup; Yìfēi does it all the time," ShuîYuê answered indifferently; Jade sighed loudly as if the world was about to end.

"Master you should look at yourself, you look like-" Jade bit her lips and looked around for a reflective surface finding a metal board she turned ShuîYuê towards it,
"Look."

"What a horrendous job," Water Master smirked, looking at her reflection; Jade's mouth was wide open, speechless, as she stared at her Master, "Come, I'll do yours too."

Jade leaned back, "Master why?"

"Too looks pretty," ShuîYuê answered before powdering Jade's face who coughed at the white powder rising high.

She looked at herself, looking just as horrendous as her Master, "Master, why?" She asked looking at ShuîYuê with glassy eyes as if Jade had gone through the worst thing in her life.

ShuîYuê rolled her eyes, "Let's go back," she said dragging Jade back to the crowd.

"We won't pay taxes if we don't get grains in advance in case a calamity befalls us!" The crowd cheered, raising their fists in the sky; the man jumped down from the barrel, speaking to some villagers.

ShuîYuê shoved Jade hard towards the floor, who fell with a cry, "Help me!"
ShuîYuê cried, trying to help up Jade, "Just pretend you have sprained your ankle, no questions, do as I say," she whispered, looking up at the man whom she had followed.

"Miss, are you fine?" He asked, looking down at Jade, who shook her head.

"My friend has sprained her ankle!" ShuîYuê spoke in a high-pitched voice,
"Please help me carry her."

He looked down at Jade's feet, "Is it fine if I carry you?" He asked Jade, who nodded her head slowly; he picked her up, "Where to?"

"Over there," ShuîYuê pointed to some rundown shop; he nodded his head and carried Jade there; he gently put her down before standing up straight, "Thank you so much for your help; let me thank you with dinner," ShuîYuê spoke in the high pitched voice she's been using.

"No need, be sure to return to your place safely," he said before turning away.

"Ah, Mister!" ShuîYuê called he halted in his steps as she appeared in front of him,
"I haven't got your name," she added with a red-lipped smile.

"Dong Che," he replied not once expressing his opinion about the joker makeup of the two women.

"Haha," ShuîYuê covered her mouth as she giggled fakely, "Mister Dong, thank you for helping us; I was intrigued by your thoughts about the expenditure department, and I would like to offer my help," she added with twinkling eyes.

Jade coughed at her Master's brilliant acting skills, Dong Che glanced at Jade,
"Miss, I do something which the royalty dislikes greatly, badmouthing them, I don't want to cause you any trouble in case I get caught."

"Oh, no worries, I want to aid your kind thoughts of awareness to the common people; please accept me in your group," ShuîYuê responded with sincerity and kindness dripping from her eyes.

Jade stifled the need to gag; this pitched voice and overall sweet demeanour didn't suit her Master at all, "I warn you, it's a highly challenging job; if royal soldiers get the whiff of us doing such protests, all of us would be sent to Hell."

"It seems you have been doing this for a long, and how they haven't managed to catch you yet, I am certain they won't in the future," ShuîYuê put forth, batting her eyelashes.

His eyes stared at her for a moment, as if reading her intentions, "I would prefer they throw me in Hell, instead of this so-called righteous empire," he expressed disdainfully.

"Hell? You must be crazy!" ShuîYuê covered her mouth, shivering visibly in fear to enhance her scared girl performance; Jade scoffed at her Master's words and actions; this woman fights General Yông of Hell with no fear.

Jade wondered why her Master chose this way to investigate her mission; she was certain her Master had other ways. Jade knew of her Master's capability quite well, threatening to be an overly used one, but it worked like a charm.

"At least the one who sits on the throne of Hell isn't a greedy man who sleeps with women all the time," Dong Che said, his distaste for Jun Wu visible.

"You are complementing a ghost!" ShuîYuê gasped covering her mouth.

"Our righteous, judicious, magnificent Emperor does not dismiss taxes; that man sucks everything his people have to offer; I wonder why everyone is so charmed by him," Dong Che grumbled, crossing his arms.

"You seem to prefer Ghost King over Emperor," ShuîYuê commented airily.

"I prefer a man who built a whole empire out of nothing, Our Emperor has everything, but still us people suffer," Dong Che stated his thoughts.

"Your thoughts are quite refreshing; I want to work with you, too," ShuîYuê replied distractedly.

He looked back at her, "It's a risky task, are you certain?"

"I am,"

He nodded his head, "Very well, tomorrow at three pm me and my team are going to inform the people about the funding we received and what we should have got, be there in time, I'll see if you can handle it or not," he told before dipping his head and leaving.

ShuîYuê cleared her throat, "Hello? Hello?" She called coughing a few times,
"Goodness and I thought I lost my voice," ShuîYuê sighed in relief before turning to Jade, "I would drink mercury if Yìfēi ever saw me doing this."

Jade giggled quietly, annoying Water Master even more, who turned around and left before Jade ran after her.

The next afternoon, Water Master appeared in the trade market with the same makeup she had done behind the same stall; Jade wasn't with her this time to laugh at her face. ShuîYuê tapped her foot impatiently, her eyes searching for Dong Che, who was nowhere in sight; she scowled in annoyance.

'Looks like he's all talk and does nothing sort of guy; what a waste of time and my honourable reputation in front of Jade,' she thought, glaring at random people.

"I wasn't expecting you to be early," ShuîYuê turned around looking up at Dong Che.

"Well, I don't make fake promises," she spoke in a pitched voice. Dong Che nodded his head, gesturing for her to follow him, and she did without question. ShuîYuê started to get worried when they reached a more isolated alley "Where are we going?" She asked looking around cautiously.

Dong Che turned around, "I warned you it's not a job for everybody; you still have time," when ShuîYuê didn't leave, he shook his head, "Your choice," he added before beckoning her inside a door; ShuîYuê entered looking around with sharp eyes.

"So... what do you think of this place?" He asked curiously, ShuîYuê stared at the uniform of royal guards, and she knew Dong Che and his men killed them.

"It's dark?" She answered uncertainly.

He chuckled, plopping on a chair, "You can drop the voice; it's quite hilarious to listen to," ShuîYuê stiffened at his words, "And wash off that horrendous makeup," he added.

She stood up straight, "Mister Dong Che," she spoke in her normal voice, "What is it that you want?"

Dong Che smiled kicking a chair towards ShuîYuê, "Sit sit, we have long conversations to make," he added clapping his hand, a boy appeared with a tea tray in hand and served tea, "Please sit," he added watching ShuîYuê still standing in her spot, she examined the chair before sitting down.

"Tea?" She shook her head, "Let's start by introducing each other, shall we? I am Dong Che senior official Jing's junior martial official, deputed to the borders of the Capital city where I was brutally killed by escaped criminals of royal prison," he finished taking a sip of the tea.

"Are you doing this on senior official Jing's orders?" ShuîYuê questioned suspiciously.

"Hmmm... he doesn't know I am alive," Dong Che stated cocking his eyebrows, "So I am not technically working for him."

"Independently running such a big rebel group is not easy," ShuîYuê remarked leaning back in her seat.

"We are not rebels. I refuse to obey Jun Wu's stupid orders, and I am doing so purely because I want to; no senior official or official or anyone for the matter has bribed me," he said with a proud look in his eyes.

"Well, your so-called awareness campaign isn't going to last long," she said, amusement twinkling in her orbs.

He tilted his head to the side, "Why not?"

"For starters... your group isn't operating all that secretly, so you are bound to be caught soon."

"And you are here to find out more about me right?" He asked, ShuîYuê merely smiled, "I knew you weren't some simple lady with a sacrificing heart."

"What kind of a lady do I look like?" ShuîYuê asked batting her eyelashes.

"The kind to threaten," Dong Che finished his tea, "Before you kill."

"Accurate judge of character, Mister Revolutionary," she teased with a smirk.

"So what are you going to do?" He asked with a sigh.

"What can I do?"

"Yes, you wouldn't be sitting here having this conversation with me if you weren't open to knowing my side of the story."

ShuîYuê smiled slightly, pleased with his quick brain, "What's your story?"

"How do I know you won't go spout it out for money?" He asked with narrowed eyes.

"I don't need money; I am rich," she said, tossing a bag of coins to him; Dong Che weighed the money back in his hand.

"Who doesn't love money?" He asked with a scoff.

"Peace of mind is a little more important if you have enough to keep yourself in good condition," ShuîYuê started staring off into the distance.

"Wise words," he sighed, taking a deep breath, "My clan's leader's daughter was taken in as Jun Wu's concubine years ago. She sinned with an official of his, and he punished her to spend her life in the Cold Palace where she eventually went mad."

ShuîYuê blinked her eyes, caressing her rings, "What happened to that official?"

"He was punished with the most torturous punishment of all time," Dong Che murmured darkly.

"And you want revenge on Jun Wu?" She asked carefully; Dong Che looked into her eyes abruptly as if hoping she would bring it up.

"Not revenge, suffering, pain, the same kind my clan suffered," Dong Che took a sharp breath, "My family, friends, people I had grown up seeing, all killed for one mistake, I don't even blame our clan's leader's daughter, she was sixteen married to an eight five-year-old Jun Wu, doesn't matter if he looks to he forty."

"I understand your thoughts and feelings, but are you certain of this? The one you want to go against isn't someone you or I could win against easily, it might even be impossible," ShuîYuê put forth gently.

"I know, I know what I intend to do by provoking commoners isn't going unnoticed, but I won't give up," Dong Che looked up with determined eyes, "Until I breathe my last, I have dedicated my life to my goal, you can sell this information out to Jun Wu for all I care, but even if he throws me in the dungeons or kills me my spirit will come to haunt him!"

His hatred was evident in his eyes, ShuîYuê had seen many with despise in their minds, and the need for revenge, but there were very few who nurtured their hatred deep in their heart and soul, the kind who would do anything for, losing their moral compass, their values, that's actual hatred, ShuîYuê had killed many to differentiate both easily.

"Mister Dong," Dong Che took a breath he had been holding, "Your pain, I understand it, but I can't let you continue this."

"You have the power to keep this under wraps," Dong Che stated, "No one would follow a man into an alley, without panicking, certainly no women would, except for officials of Jun Wu's Court, you aren't a martial official, so it could only mean one thing," Dong Che stared in ShuîYuê's eyes for any signs of being caught, she remained neutral, "You are an elemental Master."

"Mister Dong, your protests will need to end," ShuîYuê announced standing up.

"Are you like other officials? Who forgets about the struggles they went through to get their positions once they entered that Heavenly Court? does Jun Wu's charisma block your ability to think?" Dong Che asked furiously.

ShuîYuê's demeanour remained as calm as ever, "There are things one can't do even if they wish," Dong Che stared at her as she spoke, "Sometimes you can't save things that need to be saved, because they are bound to be ruined," she smiled bitterly, "Not everyone or everything can be salvaged, some things are destined to be destroyed."

Dong Che gripped his knees, his head hung low, "I know I can't get revenge, Jun Wu, I am not strong enough, but you know what?" He raised his head, "I will keep trying, no matter how many times I fall and scum to my lowest, my fire of hatred will keep burning me until it's extinguished."

ShuîYuê sighed knowingly, "I can't allow you to continue your business here in West territory, you'll have to go somewhere else, maybe capital city? Closer to your revenge."

Dong Che stared at her with pleading eyes, "Don't crush my dreams, don't do this please."

"I'll be answerable if you don't stop; that's why Dong Che, you have to stop. I am not asking you to forgo your revenge, but I will not let it rise under my territory," ShuîYuê declared before leaving.

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Author's note: Yo! What do you guys think of Water Master? Do you agree with her decision in this chapter? I am curious. I wanna know, that's all for this chapter. See you in the next update.

Take care of yourself everyone you have Bunbun, the bad bunny here for you

Word count:3100