As the group of adventurers crossed the entrance to a stay-in and got their rooms shown to them, Jiti exclaimed.

- Wow... Who would've thought that the World is so small? How did that Weng Lin coincidentally get to us I wonder...?

Hei Bao immediately corrected him.

- It was not coincidentally. At least, I don't think it was.

Xián Leng didn't know Weng Lin either but everything looked strange. He was unaware that Lord Zhu Quanzong knew about Pamella, or in this case Wu Chu Shi; she hadn't informed him about such encounter. How coul the Lord know about Wu Chu Shi if the only encounter both had was at the Royal Peony Festival at the Imperial Palace, but Pamella was dressed as a woman. No one suspected that she was the wanted Capital necklace thief the authorities were looking for. Nothing made sense and as for the present time they had to plan how would they get the charm from the Wise Spirit without getting killed in the process.

After some no significant development on a successful plan for the next day's charm hunting, they; as tired as they've been for a long time, bid themselves goodnight. Hei Bao and DuZhi, plus Jiti would share one of the two guests' rooms offered by the landlord, while Pamella and Xián Leng occupied the other. Although, Hei Bao and Jiti were against the idea of shearing a room with a man-eating demon. Jiti was the one that complained the loudest.

- No! Not in a million years will I share a room with that cursed kid! What if he tries to eat me while we are all asleep?! Heaven forbids it!

DuZhi felt insulted.

- How dare you, xiǎoniǎo! I... I don't like things with feathers or...

Looking at Hei Bao's Beast form,

- ...Or with too much hair on them... Just imagining it... Ugh! Disgusting!

While DuZhi entered their shared guestroom, Hei Bao murmured to himself.

- Thank Heavens he's a picky eater...

In the other guestroom, Xián Leng had already taken off his sword and body gear, especially his shoulder blades, which even if for him their weight wasn't much, looking from a far, they looked extremely heavy. Pamella took off her boots and socks. She hadn't taken them for quite a long time, so she wasn't expecting any less of their soaked condition. She placed them a top the windowsill to grab some air and dry out. She accommodated herself on the bed and after stretching her feet fingers like an early born baby, she crossed her legs and started working up some thoughts that had been bothering her since they met Captain Weng Lin.

- Hey Xián Leng!

While he took off his boots as well and placed them on the windowsill as well, he gestured,

- Mn?

Pamella continued while looking at nowhere in particular.

- Do you have the ability to tell when someone is lying?

Xián Leng rested his back on the wall near the opened window. The night was accompanied by a fresh cool breeze, pleasant to cool one's uneasiness and making one's thoughts clearer. He wondered why such a straightforward question as that was thrown at him, but he answered anyways.

- As some special power, no... But with keen observation and analysis of the person's gestures and expressions, from the tone they use to address to you, on to their body's reactions, one can tell who is lying and what not. Dose that answer your question?

Pamella went silent for a moment, knitting her brows together and cupping her chin as she thought about what he said. She resumed her speech.

- Then if I ask what you think of Captain Weng Lin... Do you think he was lying; a fraud? Didn't he look suspicious to you?

Xián Leng crossed his arms and looked straight at her eyes.

- I don't know his intentions, but he did look suspicious, everything that he said sounded to good to be true as if rehearsed until perfection, but what really took me aback was, how in this World did you ever meet the Capital's Warlord? How was I not aware of this encounter?

Pamella,

Sh*t... Didn't see that coming...

Xián Leng continued to draw the events and get to conclusions on his own.

- I thought we agreed to tell each other everything... I'd believe in your words and you'd believe in mine. Isn't that so? Then why is it that I sense that you don't want to tell me a thing? How will I be of any help for any of THIS if I am left in the dark?

I've heard of this course of dialogue somewhere... Like in some Asian Opera Drama! He's just acting like the female lead drama queen character who just learnt that she had been betrayed all along and making me the one who betrayed her. What the Hell!... But... He really does sound hurt...

Pamella sighed.

- Xián Leng, don't be so extreme... You're starting to make me feel bad...

Xián Leng huffed.

- You're not feeling bad at all! Have you looked at yourself?! You're practically trembling of contained laughter. Even your mouth can't stand being in a straight line!

Am I that constrained? He sure doesn't loose any hint over one's actions. No matter the case, if anything happens with the "Devil King" and his puppy dogs, I am sure Xián Leng wouldn't hesitate to help me out off the trouble. But I can't tell him right now about the conversation I had with that geezer. I guess that telling you about your identity is also off the subject for today, even if I had promised myself, I'd tell you...

Xián Len continued his stubborn exaggerations and nagging.

- Pamella... Don't you think that it's hard enough for me to not know almost anything about my self's past; wake up lost in Heavens knows where and surrounded with strangers! Including, the fact that we are risking our lives to put together a piece of old metal to work again and for what exactly?! See! You have been leaving me out of anything other than saving your...

He quickly bit his lips and restrained himself from speaking any further. He casted down his eyes while the room filled with silence.

Pamella had been staring at him with wide opened eyes and muscles tensed. Even the cut in her hand started to sting with the way Xián Leng had been reprimanding her. As soon as she started to relax, she massaged in the middle of her two brows as she closed and opened her eyes.

Xián Leng still didn't have the intentions of speaking some more, obligating her to break the best she could the dead silence.

- Look... I'm not trying to make you stay in the dark... For long...

He was about to start his rambling again, but Pamella elevated her voice's volume.

- Yes, for now I ask for you to not interrogate me. We are together in this and I know both need to know everything for the rest to work according to whatever needs to result from all, but please, not today... Not now... Please...

Xián Leng didn't raise his eyes immediately, but remained arms crossed and mute. When finally, he straightened up his eyes showed both seriousness and reluctancy.

- At least my message got into that brain of yours...

Pamella's expression brightened, and as she pulled a big grin, she patted her side on the bed.

- Why don't you help with changing the bandages, these ones are all sweaty and itching, plus these ones are all stained red. Come, come! Help me out.

Xián Leng sighed while he gave a small, unnoticeable smile. He looked for the extra bandages given by the doctor and sat where he had been patted to. Pamella found that loosening her top robes was harder with one hand than when she had her two well-functioning. Noticing her frustration, Xián Leng offered her his assistance but she waved away his hands from the fabric.

About fifteen minutes lost in a war between her and her own clothe, she managed to loosen them until at least the side of her massacred arm was accessible, the rest, she thought, she could deal with later.

Xián Leng started with the bandages on her palm. Leaving the wound have some air, splashing it with alcohol to evade any inflammation or infection. The cut wasn't as deep, but neither was superficial as his.

Pamella hissed when the alcohol went in contact with the wound.

- Eeeeeeeeshhh...! Hooooo...! Huff... Huff...

He asked her,

- Does it hurt much...?

Pamela moved from side to side her head and wore an assuring smile.

- I was just exaggerating a little there. But it did sting a lot at first.

Xián Leng started to cover her with the bandages, while watching her visible face in the dim light. Her eyes as if two pieces of candy, showed a sweetness on them.

Pamella,

- I am also in some kind of loss at what to do... You're not the only one that can feel tormented by the mystery of the things unknown to us.

Her voice was soft, but with a hint of sadness.

- Those things which we don't know, most of the times, need their time to completely exposed to the curious; not all are things we ever wished to learn about and we as human beings could get hurt. That is why...

Xián Leng had shifted his eyes to her smooth looking lips; also, his heartbeat getting stronger by each second that passed. Pamella continued with her pleasant lingering thoughts.

- That is why, I believe, it is better to not know a thing, because that way we live carefree and remain strong.

There was a pause, and as she recalled what was to come next, she contradicted herself and put the matter aside.

- But then again, one needs to suffer sometimes to become stronger against life's reality.

She gave out a low laugh and smiled to Xián Leng.

- Don't you agree Xián Leng?

Xián Leng snapped out of it.

- Huh...? Ah! Mn...

Pamella closed her eyes and let her head fall forward. She laughed loudly.

- You weren't listening to me, were you? I didn't expect you would understand anything I was saying but you could have at least acted the part that you were!

She softly slapped him on his chest and just when she was about to retract her hand, he had locked it in place with his.

Having both of her arms restrained like so, made her nervous for some reason.

Why does everyone in this dammed World like to speak holding one's arm as if life depended on it. Can't they execute a conversation "normally", for crying out loud!

Pamella,

- What is it...? Xián Leng? Don't you think you're holding me to tight? The wound might...

Xián Leng,

- Don't speak...

He thought,

There it is again... That feeling...

- Whenever I look at you, I...

Pamella was starting to feel uneasy. What if the "Lord of Darkness" appeared right then and strangled her. Was he having murderous intentions? Considering Xián Leng was a merciless demon, it wasn't going to be a blissful death. She just hoped what he was about to say next wasn't as awful as her conclusions.

Xián Leng continued, locking his eyes with hers.

- ... I feel something inside that burns...

Well that is some weird way of expressing yourself... Ha, ha, ha...

Xián Leng let go of her injured hand and slowly held some of her free-flowing hair.

Oh, now things... Are way beyond "normal".

Pamella's face was starting to warm up as Xián Leng became nearer.

- Umm... Xián... Xián Leng... what...

She herself felt somehow felt a soothing feeling surfacing. Both were already some inches apart and just when she was closing her eyes and their lips about to touch, the door to their bedroom slammed open and a dark shadow flew towards them.

Jiti,

- HELP! HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP MEEEEEEEEEEEEE! THAT SAVAGE ANIMAL WANTS TO EAT MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! XIÁN LENG! PAMELLAAAAAAAAAA!

Pamela pushed Xián Leng with such force he fell off the bed. Jiti slammed unto Pamella's face and slapped it while leaving feathers all around. Hei Bao and DuZhi walked in slowly into the room.

Hei Bao,

Sorry to disturb you at this time on the night, but Jiti here had a nightmare and he...

Jiti exclaimed trembling between Pamella's hands.

- It was not a DREAM! It was REAL! That crazy little demon kid tried to gulp me down! You must believe me!

While he cried, DuZhi went green.

- Disgusting! I'm not dealing with the chicken; I'm going back to sleep.

In the meantime, Hei Bao was trying to convince Jiti to come back to sleep. Pamela sighed and glanced at the straightening up Xián Leng. Replaying what was about to happen between both moments ago, both went on fire. What if they hadn't been interrupted?

What a night... We were going to... Almost...

[Xiǎoniǎo]- Chinese way for "poultry". I was trying to decide between this form or the Chinese word for "hen", but a hen is a female bird so, I went with the general form.