After walking faster than normal, Pamella didn't feel so cold anymore. Even the metal from the necklace inside her robes didn't feel as cold as the first time she threw it inside her top robes. She should be near by now already. Even if walking fast, the scary past experiences had drained her from all her energy. She was feeling tired, sleepy, sticky, and hungry. What didn't she feel? All this while; alone in the darkness of the forest, she could think about the things that occupied her mind other than being scared to death and being persecuted by anything she encountered in her way.

It was a fact that she was a man. She hadn't had the time to look at herself at all, so she couldn't tell if she was as ugly as an old bore, or as gracious as her real woman self. Maybe, she was as pretty as she was in her woman's body, and she was overthinking the idea that she was having a low, and a tiny bit rough voice, her appearance might be like that; rough and too husky. Now, that made her worry even more. To see everyday a reflection that was her but didn't come near to the expectations she had of a perfect man; her type to be exact, then that would be an unbearable torture. She hoped that when the time came for her too behold her present appearance, it would baffle her, not from disgust, but from satisfaction. All this rambling over a simple idea, distracted her to the extent she didn't realize she was already among a bustle of loud people.

So, this is the town of Luoyang? The people look lively.

Pamella listened closely to the conversations she could pick up from all the yelling and screaming. Earlier she also thought about the reason she was able to understand ancient Chinese, and speak it fluently, but she concluded with going with the flow of things, and not give her brain any trouble. She certainly loved the idea she could understand this people and listen to their stories. Some were interestingly funny, and others just made her face feel hot from embarrassment. As she walked through people, trying not to bump into anyone, and unnecessarily attract more trouble than she already had on her hands, she could see that various young, and old ladies were eyeing her with extreme interest shown in her eyes. Men were as well having a glance.

This could mean that maybe, I don't look as awful as I thought.

Pamella concluded, that she had to have an attractive figure, or else she been all dirty, and sweaty wouldn't have passed the viewers judgement, and she would have been looked at in a reproachable way. She felt better, but the hidden eyes made her feel uncomfortable as well.

Sorry girls, I'm not into women, and neither I am for "viejos verdes".

Even though, some random men from the crowd, that were oblivious to her existence, and some from the eye catchers, were of her interest. She had an eye to find from decent, to extremely gorgeous men, she would usually show interest, but her inner self was to bashful to make a move on them or follow their invitations for some "quality" time. She wasn't a simple chick, and her stubbornness was the cause of her being still single, and with little, to no experience on the "going out with someone" matter. And anyways she wasn't here to have "fun". She was looking for some place to wash off the grime on her, and then try to understand her situation, and find a solution to all of it.

She had walked for only ten minutes, and in those ten minutes, she already had counted seven brothels. Some cheapish looking, others looked decent enough, and others didn't even give the idea of being brothels. What answered her doubts were the already drunk ladies on top of men's laps and breast exposed; sucked and massaged by big hands.

Disgusting!

Some of the still apprentice courtesans offered her to come in for a night of "bliss", while other offered a drink, and a dance performance. Soon, Pamella could recall that even for brothels, there existed a status division. The courtesans who offered her only a night of "bliss" as they articulated, in their cheap, and dirty accommodations, were the sān péi. They most likely were infected with some HIV, and what else. Pamella couldn't help shuddering in disturbance when she saw a rat run pass one of the sliding doors of the unkept place. In contrast, even if it was a shameless place, the brothels from high ranked, and talented courtesans; the were far more a suitable place to have a rest.

There is also the jiǔbā...

Pamella was thinking as hard as she had always has done; until she got a headache. The reason why she was taking into consideration these kinds of places was because the more unrefined the place was, the cheaper they would offer their services; in this case water, food, a bath, and a bed to sleep in. Of course, there can be the case where they'll try to ask for too much of a bargain. She also, had no money on her. Not even her cellphone was with her. Not that it would have worked in this "dimension", but at least she could have tried, couldn't she? Deep in thought, a yank towards the front of a drinking bar made her cry out in a hurtful tone.

- AH?! Ugh!

A strong arm wrapped over her shoulders, and an intoxicating smell of alcohol punched her on the face. A man larger than she, hissed a whisper in her ear.

- Lower your voice ! Or you'll draw unneeded attention.

The stranger said this while clenching and pointing a knife to her lower back. He spoke merely, but behind carrying a hint of sourness.

- Come! Boss is expecting you, and you better have a justifiable reason for your two months disappearance. He's very angry at you, so angry he almost beheaded us and fed us to his fire wolfs because of you!

What's a fire wolf?

The man gave a rough push at Pamella. There hasn't been once on this night that her body hadn't suffered. By now, she was hating this place with all her heart. She dragged her feet across the floor of the bar that guy had pushed her in. The place was crowded. She bumped to whomever, without a care in the world. She was tired, and painfully dragged by a violent disrespectful ass; she preferred to just not think about anything, and unconsciously walk through the people who were already drunk.

The ass brought her to a private room that contained four people inside; already drinking, and smoking. One of them had two women with melon like breasts that were giggling nonsense. The stupid show stopped when Pamella was brought in, and harshly put into a sitting position. They all glared at Pamella, including dose female dogs who were moments ago giggling as if they had a loosen screw in their brains. The guy who was holding them both, whispered some things to them, and as they didn't want to let go of his arms, he just smiled, and violently brushed them off, cursing them in the process. After the dramatic screaming of the women, and the hollering of the sinister yet good-looking man, his eyes came on to the direction of Pamella. An eerie smile appeared on his face at once. Pamella and the rest of the individuals weren't so far from each other, since the room they were in, wasn't spacious enough to carry more than three people, and here they were; five bores, and one human being trying to have a "friendly" conversation of something she didn't have an idea of what it was, and have the mental capacity to care.

The one called the boss; the one stuck with the stupid scary yet cunning smile on his face, slowly raised a hand towards Pamella's face, and gave it a soft stroke. She was looking at the movements of that hand. She felt shivers run through her bod; not the good king though. She was scared and could tell that his caress wasn't any friendly gesturing. His hand stopped moving along her sweaty, and dirty cheek. Her heart raised, and soon she found out the reason why.

An echoing sound of a slap lingered and filled the room. Nobody spoke; only grins could be seen on three people inside that room, the other with his hand opened in midair, carried an emotionless face while the one that had staggered to the side, with a stupefied shock in the eyes and a gapped mouth from where a small but evident streak of blood trickled from it, all the way to the chin; dripping on the room's floor.

Pamella tried to put in order what just happened. She was having a confrontation between her reasoning, and savage nature. She wanted to beat up this prick. How could he slap her?! Where the hand had met her skin, a burning feeling lingered. She wanted to cry; not from hurt, but from anger. She clenched does big hands into a fist, and bite down on her tongue before she cursed the bastard and got herself killed. All, except Pamella, laughed. The boss threw her a piece of cloth, which had lots of stains, and had a foul smell,

- Clean yourself up! You look more like a disgusting rat, than a man.

The only rats here are you, and those shitty jerks of yours.

Pamella felt nauseous. She didn't dare pick up the cloth. She was not in the best circumstances; being surrounded by these savages. She looked down evading eye contact with any of them.

- Are you deaf? I said, clean yourself up!

Still, Pamella didn't raise her eyes, or moved to pick up the filthy piece of cloth.

The boss gave a sigh and signaled with his head to the one that had brought her against her will too the room. He yanked her hair and forced her face to look at the boss. He still wore a mocking smirk on his face.

- You sure have changed this past two months ! Who would have guessed you'd come back made a witty, ungrateful brat.

So, this body belongs to a so called Wú Chù Zhī...

She again tried to evade looking at that hateful man, and another hurtful yank was awarded in return. She couldn't hold back yelping. She didn't know any background from the owner of this body, so she was oblivious on how to answer him. She just went with lying and hoped they would stop the yanking. She looked at the man with a penetrating glare and answered with a deepened voice that even outstand herself.

- Two months isn't a long time. I was just having a break. Admiring the landscapes. Don't you take time to appreciate the beauties of the world?

The eyes of the boss opened wide. About ten seconds had passed; then a sudden crazy laughter escaped the man. He just laughed nonstop, until his eyes teared up, and his face was red from suffocation. Gaining control of his emotions he blurted,

- No. I don't take the time to, because I don't care about unimportant things like "the beauty of the landscapes" as you just pointed out.

He said it with a ridiculing tone accompanied by more laugh.

- Xiǎo Chù~ I didn't know this was a hobby of yours. Since I picked you up from the streets and took care of your "well" being you never once showed interest in petty stuff as nature. HA HA! Unbelievable! And what do you mean with "having a break"? A break from what?! You haven't done anything that could be counted as hard work you useless piece of shit!

He raged by the end of his speech. Pamella could only grit her teeth. She was slapped, pushed, yanked, ridiculed, and called a piece of shit.

- Xiǎo Chù, you don't do the work around here. The last thing I asked of you was to steal for me that "Lord of Darkness" named whatever's necklace. And look at what came of it. You just went your way, and never returned, and as you return, you come without the thing I asked you, and with a dirty attitude towards the hand who fed you and gave you a home!

Pamella retorted.

- The same hand that just almost knocked my head off!

Another yank at her hair. She was boiling from rage and had lingering tears in her eyes.

- Do not talk back to me! Or do you want me to really rip off not only your head, but all of you into pieces!

The boss had grabbed violently her top's collar and leveled her face to be near front of his. Insane looking bloodshot eyes looked straight into determined, but fearful ones. This time Pamella didn't avert her eyes and looked into the boss's eyes defiantly. She spoke with a trembling voice thinking carefully before uttering.

- I... I... dropped the necklace back at the temple... Imperial guards came after me, and if I turned back for that piece of junk, I would have lost my life. You said so yourself... I am a worthless piece of shit, so what would the shitty me be, against sixteen highly trained guards...?

- ...

- ...

- ...

- ...

The room felt silent. The four beasts eyed her with confusion, and doubt. Was this the same stupid little trash they had picked up from the streets seventeen years ago? Two months ago, Wú Chù Zhī couldn't even utter a single coherent word. He didn't spoke much, and when he did, since he only had learned the basics of mandarin, the only words he uttered were, "Yes master", "Stop", "It hurts", "No", and "Yes". He preferred to be alone, and not talk back. He neither showed any signs of intelligence whatsoever, and did everything one asked, without complaining; not that he ever did anything right. But the Wú Chù Zhī in front of them, poke with a cleverness that even surpassed theirs. The words spoken by the brat were clearly planned out; they didn't lack any significance. Even his eyes showed a glow of knowledge, understanding, and ultimate intelligence. The four men thought that if he was this clever, he could also be hiding that necklace which stories described as being made of pure gold, brass, and had a red gem redder than blood itself. Certainly, a valuable "junk", that could be sold at a high price.

Pamella was waiting for any sign of them leaving the matter at hand, and for them to tell her to get lost, and never show her face again, because she would gladly accept it. No doubt on it.

Still on the boss's hold, he again gave a suspicious smile, that got Pamella creeped out once again. With a soft sweet voice, which was clearly fake, the boss told "Wú Chù Zhī".

- Hmmm... You know... I'm starting to think that you do have the necklace on you. You should consider not lying to me, and just hand it over, before I undress you, take it, and throw you out the streets stark naked. What do you think Xiǎo Chù?

This is the worst! No wonder the guy of this body tried to be as dumb, and submissive as possible. This master of his was an arrogant, selfish animal. Despicable!

- I don't have it I told you. Why would I lie? What could I gain by lying about that stupid necklace?

- Oh please ~ If it were that "stupid" I wouldn't have sent you to go get it for me.

True that... He has a point there...

The boss gave another signal with his head, and at once the three buffoons of his jumped on her. A hand of the boss started to untie the sash belt from her first layer of clothing. The creep, and the other three were smirking victoriously.

- STOP YOU PERVERTS! I SAID I DIDN'T HAVE IT!

- Stop lying~

THIS ASSH...

Pamella made herself cry and directed accusingly her words to the boss. She was extremely scared. Never in her life she would have thought to be pushed down, and abusively stripped from her clothe, and what else.

- I am not lying to you! You, MASTER, accuse me of running away! But, don't you see you are the one that made me do such a thing! How can you say that you cared, and care for me still if you manhandle me, and degrade my integrity as a... as a... AS A "MAN"!

She stuttered at her last words. It was difficult to address herself as a MAN. This was unbelievable!

The undressing stopped. The boss looked at her face. He couldn't take out from his mind, the fact that there was something completely different from his Xiǎo Chù; something that was attractive in a way. He told the goons to let Pamella go, and they all went to occupy their previous spaces in the room. Pamella started to put her clothe in order. Her heart was still beating crazy; almost ready to burst out from her mouth

That was a close one. I just said what came firstly to my mind. It was a fifty-fifty percent chance...

The boss still thoughtfully looking at "Xiǎo Chù" exclaimed,

- Aiyah Aiyah! Don't cry ~ I was kidding~

The other three thought amazed, and confused,

The boss was kidding? The boss has never taken lightly his actions...

- Since you couldn't get the necklace back, how about you go get me another thing? That way you can pay for your miss behavior, and I'll forgive you for your stupidity.

The boss said this with that freaky smile of his. Pamella knew she was not going to escape without some consequence. She asked,

- What THING, are you speaking of?

- Well, there's been people talking about a tree. Since I was a little boy, I have heard tales from this tree. I want you to get me as many leaves of this tree you can get!

He said it with an excited glimmer in his eyes.

He want's me to get him some... LEAVES?!

- But... Isn't there a tree outside? On the entrance of...

- STUPID! The tree I am talking about has leaves of gold, and silver. It is hidden deep in the woods. Only some have pursued to get the leaves, but none of them have lived to show the truth behind such tale.

- Then why are you telling the foolish me to get you leaves from a tree that no one even knows if it exists?

- Because... At least one of those people lived for three days to confirm it.

Oh, how jolly! He... DIED!

Pamella couldn't comprehend the irony in the whole matter. These guys believed the "Xiǎo Chù" they used to know was a useless weak donkey, that couldn't even hurt a fly, and here they were; asking him; Pamella, to go engage in a task that in all its essence concluded with death. Since their donkey, no longer showed weakness, and was brave enough to even kick, and throw curses to their boss, then maybe he could be useful for this deadly task. He disappeared without trace for two months after all. A punishment rightfully earned.

The boss continued with his bargain.

- I don't know how he died but imagine Xiǎo Chù! To become rich just by having these unbelievable leaves on hand! I won't kill you, and I... I mean, WE would be rich! We can even afford a mansion and leave the rat whole we lived back at the grotto.

Pamella just wanted to leave this whole world and return to 2019 EARTH. Understanding her situation, there wasn't any way in this world she would ever leave a problem without getting threatened to get killed. So, even if she escaped these guys, most probably she would get into another bad situation that'll have her getting killed as well.

- And why am I to go alone? I'm smaller than you, and even these three. I don't even have a weapon with me.

Not that I'll know how to use it anyways.

- Here...

The guy who had being hostile towards her the first time they met outside the bar, threw her a medium sized cloth bag. This one was at least clean and smell quite nice. As Pamella opened it, inside she could see some tied together bunches of herbs. Rosemary, mint, witch thistle, sage... Small balls that had a weird, but not unpleasant smell, and there were also some rolled together, and tightened firmly papers, with strangely drawn symbols on them. Holding the roll of paper in one of her hands, the bulky, and grudgy looking man told her,

- Use those things as your weapons. The seals would help destroy, souls or any monstrous creature you encounter. The herbs would lure away ghouls, trolls, and even low ranked móguǐ. If you find yourself encountering, high Qi creatures, don't engage in fighting and run. Then resume the order given to you by the boss.

How the hell, would band-aid sized paper would help me stay alive in those woods. I almost got eaten alive by a monster back there! Are you stupid!

Seeing the confused, and angered face on Pamella the boss continued the other man's speech.

- Xiǎo Chù, use your own spiritual energy to charge the seals, and monster terminating bombs. Surely your spiritual energy has rizen if you are still with us in the mortal world. Stop looking as if my small petition, was a sentence to death. You'll get the hang of it. Of course, if you don't follow our indications, and go your own way again, the woods would "take care" of you in no time.

The last sentence was said with a joking smirk, and serious tone.

As she had expected, she couldn't run away, because even if she did, she would have to confront death, and her insignificant spiritual energy wasn't going to last forever, being constantly on the run. She would get exhausted, as she had been all this while, and she wouldn't be able to lift a finger. She would die one way, or another.

As everything was thoroughly explained to her, in no time she was again thrown back to the bustling streets of the town. She couldn't take a bath, nor eat, or drink to quench her thirst, and replenish her energy. She was conflicted and at a loss. She was walking back out from the town, and a drunken man from the brothels was talking nonsense with one of the courtesans that had accompanied the man out for some fresh air. Pamella watched the alcohol jar on the drunk hand and walked towards the scene. The courtesan was left out from words, as she looked at the eyes and face complexion of the dirty young man that had neared himself to them.

- Excuse me sir, you cannot be here, the rules of passing the line are...

Pamella looked down, and her feet were indeed stepping on a red line. That didn't matter. Pamella's head leveled again with the courtesan's slightly evading eyesight. She turned her head towards the drunken man, and just as that; yanked the jar from the man's hand and walked away while drinking the jar's content. The drunken man's cursing yells disappeared, as the last drop ran through Pamella's mouth, and she walked out Luoyang Town's entrance.

Better to be drunk. That way, when the time to die comes, I'll just laugh it off. 

[sān péi]- One of the classifications of courtesans. They are the low payed, and cheap kind. Known to only give sexual favors, and lack of charming talents.

[jìnǚ]- Another courtesan classification. They were highly payed prostitutes, then other than sexual favors, hold banquets, and were gifted with the abilities to sing, dance, and labor other artistic matters.

[jiǔbā]- Chinese for a place to drink.

[Qi]- The most basic substance from which the world, or universe is comprised. The elements, and worldly phenomena are directly connected to it. Can be referred to as the chakras or flows of universal energies.