Just as I had done the night before, I follow Lung Chi to the queen's chamber. But this time, I am prepared. I leave symbols at inconspicuous places on the walls with my sword as Lung Chi is busy pushing the wheelbarrow towards its destination.

Finally, we reach the queen's chamber. I find her waiting for Lung Chi, who leaves the items at the threshold and enters the room, closing the tunnel behind him.

I watch the queen invite him for a cup of tea, and the two get talking.

 "Lung Chi, I want to thank you for keeping my secret and helping me retain my position."

"YuanYou, I am done bowing to you. Don't forget what I did for you. Without me, you would not be sitting next to the king now!"

"And I have done everything in my power to do what you wanted. I even made slave trade legal!"

Lung Chi remains silent and sips his tea before asking, "You mentioned something about the ceremony. What secrets are you keeping from me?"

"Wei Zhan's marriage to YiJuan."

"What about it?"

"Once they get married, I will be in complete control of both the kingdoms. Then taking over Waihonglai would be a piece of cake. King Wai Xiu would do anything for YiJuan."

"You seem to have forgotten that both of them have gone missing."

"We still have a few days before the time runs out. I have sent my spies all over the kingdom. Lung Chi, is there something you want to tell me?"

"What do you mean?"

"I got news today that someone who looks like Zhan was spotted working in the tunnel."

"The tunnel?"

"Yes. My spy even managed to get a look at his permit." Aunt smirks, "Why didn't you tell me that you have been hiding him at your place?"

What! She knows about Zhan! How? I need to leave right away! But if I do, I will alert them. What should I do?

Just as I am about to start panicking, I remember that Weredra could hear and see this. 'Weredra, are you hearing this?' I ask to confirm.

 'Yes.' Comes the instant replay, 'Stay put. We need to know more.'

Feeling a bit relieved, I turn my attention back to Lung Chi and my Aunt.

"What are you talking about?"

My aunt snorts, "Stop pretending, Chi. I know that you are playing some game with me. Why else has he not done anything since he arrived in the inner city? Why else has he been hiding his face?"

Lung Chi purses his lips. "Are you talking about Zhan?"

My aunt nods.

"The boy told me that a witch had placed a curse on him." Lung Chi stops abruptly. "Are you sure it's him?"

"Yes."

"But he has been staying with two others. A younger brother and a sister of about ten."

"Ten?" Aunt asks, clearly taken aback. "I presumed the sister to be YiJuan."

"Don't you think I would have recognized the princess right away?"

My aunt goes silent and shakes her head as if trying to clear her thoughts. "How old is the boy accompanying him?"

"A few years younger than him. If I had to guess, I would say eighteen or nineteen. Why?"

"No reason." She shakes her head. Then all of a sudden, her head snaps up, "Are you telling me that you truly didn't know who Zhan was?"

Lung Chi nods.

"So, you haven't given him the potion?"

"NO! Even if I had the potion, it wouldn't work unless you enchant it, remember?"

The queen closes her eyes. Beads of sweat appear on her forehead, "Why is Zhan still alive?"

"What do you mean?" Lung Chi demands then in an instant, his face clouds, "Oh!"

"Exactly! Once the potion enters the system, one has to take it at regular intervals."

"YuanYou, you have never told me what exactly might happen if one were to stop taking it?"

"It will result in mind degeneration followed by death."

I gasp. Was it the same for Zhan's father too? 

"Maybe it's not been a month since he last took it."

Aunt nods, "Tomorrow, send him to the tunnel-like usual. I will take it from there. Do you have the ingredients ready?"

Lung Chi nods, "Yes."

"Bring it over now."

"I am not your fucking slave!" Lung Chi fumes.

"Aren't you?" My aunt beams. She tilts her head towards the cup and asks, "Even if you weren't till now, how can you be sure that you are not now?"

Lung Chi looks at the porcelain cup in his hand, "You won't dare!" He growls.

"Won't I, though? Lung Chi, I have taken three lives and am controlling many more. Did you think I will let it all fall apart like this?" She whispers in his ears before standing tall. "The drink you just relished was infused with poison and magic. Your life is mine now. So if you value your life, be a good dog and do what I ask."

I watch the proud man fall to his knees in front of my aunt. "Do you have a heart? I have been nothing but loyal, and yet you tricked me?"

"You know me, Lung Chi. You know what I am capable of, and yet, you let your guard down. And you dare to blame me? Ah!" She walks to the wall in front of her mahogany bed. She pulls at the satin curtain covering it to reveal the map of the six great kingdoms.

"This is my dream. And I am so close to it. I already have TuCheng and Dezhutang. Soon I will have Waihonglai too. I caused famine in the other three and sent help. Help my foot! Ha! They don't even know what they have been consuming is poison. Only a few more dozes, and they will be helpless without it. Then I will ask their kings to kneel to me."

The gravity of what this woman, this witch, had done and was still doing hits me with force; my head reels.

'YiJun, control your emotions.' Weredra instructs. I don't miss the underlying rage in it. But somehow, knowing that I was not alone in this calms me down.

I will find a way to save them; I have to. I vow to myself, gripping the hilt of the sword so hard that its ridges dig into my palm. 

Lung Chi pulls himself up and walks towards the tunnel on unsteady feet. I follow him out of my aunt's chamber. 

 As soon as we are back in the mansion, Lung Chi enters his room, and I, mine. Having heard and seen everything, Weredra pulls me into a tight embrace as soon as she sees me. I look at Zhan, and he nods. "Meimei told me everything." He says, giving my shoulder a gentle squeeze. 

 "We don't have much time. I think Lung Chi will be here... " Weredra puts a hand on my mouth and blows out the candle that she had left burning for me.

Within seconds we are back in our beds. I cover myself with a sheet, remove my mask, and I tuck the cloak under my head, a moment before the door creeks open and Lung Chi peeps inside. He enters the room without making a sound and crouches next to Zhan.

I fail to see his expression in darkness, but I know it won't be that of happiness. He was, after all, a victim, just like us.

After Lung Chi leaves, Weredra ignites the candle, and the room fills with light. We huddle together on the floor, trying to come up with a plan not only to help Dezhutang and TuCheng but also the entire continent!

"Weredra, can you help in creating an antidote for the poison she has been supplying to the other the famine-stricken kingdom if I were to get you a sample?"

Weredra shakes her head, "I can't be sure." She mutters. It's very unlike her to sound so low.

"What's wrong?" I ask her, and she replies, "I still can't seem to recall how I ended up in the cave. Yes, it did jog my memory somewhat, but I still can't remember anything before that. Moreover, I feel like my life force is draining."

A chill settles over my heart, "What are you talk about!?"

"YiJun, Senior ge," She whispers, looking between us, "I think I am dying."

"No!" Zhan shakes his head, not wanting to accept what Weredra was telling us. Meanwhile, I try to understand how that was even possible. Wasn't Weredra an ancient creature with immense power?

"Weredra, how can you be so sure?"

She closes her eyes and puts her hand over her chest. She brings it away and opens her palm. There, on the middle of it, sat a faintly glowing bead. "This is my soul. Look how faint the glow is. Once it stops glowing, this body and my soul will part ways."

"You just told us that you remember nothing. Maybe you are confused. You look fine to me." I try to reassure her, caressing her cheek.

She smiles, "YiJun, lad, I have no regrets. All I want to do before I leave is to help you fulfill your wish."

No. I couldn't accept it. It was too soon. I would not let Weredra leave me. But for now, I had to think about the lives of countless innocent people affected by aunt's potions.

I take a breath. "Weredra, we will save you. But right now, I need suggestions. We are running out of time. Zhan ge, any ideas?"

"Depends."

"Mn?"

"YiJun, we don't have time to alert your uncle, nor do we have an army. The only thing that we can do is to sneak into the palace and capture her. Then threaten her to give us the antidote or counterspell."

I contemplate it for a few moments and realize that Zhan was right. There was nothing else we could do.

"If she spills the spell, I think I will be able to make a counterspell for it. At least, I can try." Weredra offers.

I nod. "Fine. Let's go." I command, standing up and dusting my bottom. 

 "Right now!?" The other two exclaim. 

 "This is the best time. Lung Chi must be on his way to deliver the potion. We can capture him inside the tunnel and interrogate him."

"We can bring him over to our side. He must be feeling betrayed." Zhan adds excitedly and looks at Weredra. 

 "I will wait in the tunnel and inspect the potion. Meanwhile, we can release Lung Chi so that he can deliver the rest to the witch." Weredra states.

"Once Lung Chi returns after he has delivered the goods, you can incapacitate him." I continue.

"Why? I thought he was on our side." Zhan asks, to which I sigh, "Because he is an ass Zhan ge. Did you forget, he was the one who asked for the slave trade to be made legal?"

"Oh. Yes. Let's go with your plan then." He agrees.

"I will wait and follow my aunt. I will try to see what kind of magic she is using and then incapacitate her too. She is a very secretive woman. I am sure she will be alone when she is casting the spell."

I receive agreeing nods from both Weredra and Zhan.

"I will bring her to the tunnel, where we can interrogate her and threaten her if she doesn't cooperate. No one knows about this secret tunnel, so no one will bother looking for her in there." I finish feeling more excited than I have ever felt in my whole life.

"That's a great idea, Junior gege. I am proud of you." Weredra chirps and throws her arms around me in a brief hug before dusting her bottom as well. With a concrete plan in place, the three of us set out to put it in motion.

{Word count: 2000}