"Stay there," said the bandit as he shoved the young woman into the prison basement at their hideout. The girl resided into a corner as fast as she can and found some human bones beside her and screamed out, provoking a string of laughter and amusement from the bandits.

"Be a good girl and you would not end up like those bones," said Scarface and they left.

Upon closing the prison door, Scarface told the old bandit "Old Tu, watch her carefully, so she doesn't escape."

"Aye, sir," said the old bandit who had already lost all of his teeth except for the big front ones which was why everyone was calling Old Tu meaning old rabbit.

The group of bandits who were tired from the pillaging walked along the corridors and headed towards to the kitchen to find some food and drinks. "There might be a new recruit tonight," said one of them to another as they passed along the corridor to the main hall.

"Maybe even a new family member," said another.

"The boss is lonely. He has been talking about finding a wife. Maybe that girl will do," they all looked at each other and laughed.

"Her, that little prick. I think the boss doesn't like her at all."

"Sly as well."

"Suspicious too."

"A fiery chilli," exclaimed Scarface.

"Speaking of chillies, I am craving for some hot and spicy lamb. Let's walk faster. I am getting hungrier by the moment," said the youngest bandit and they talked no more about the boss and the newest recruit.

The boss had carried the boy to his room where a middle age woman, the boss's mother was waiting.

"Did it go well?" asked his mother.

"Yeah, everything went well. You do not need to worry, and here," said the boss as he laid the boy onto his bed.

And then the man shook the boy until he woke up.

"Good evening," said the boss when the boy finally opened his eyes.

"You look quite girlish," said the man as he examined his face. "But never mind, after a few years of training, I am sure to turn you into a fine bandit."

"What are you talking about?" asked his mother, confused by his words.

The boss looked at his mother and said in a cheerful tone, "Why, I am going to turn the boy into my brother. I am going to be bond brothers with him."

"You can't. You do not even who he is," said his mother. "You are doing something very foolish. He might be a constable, guard or a minister disguising himself."

"I do not care. I like the boy," said the boss to his mother. Acting like a child in front of his mother.

"I am not a boy," said the supposed boy and the both of them looked at him.

"See," said the boy as he lets down the bun tied on top of his head.

"That doesn't prove anything. It's just hair," said the man denying the fact. Annoyed JinGe walked over to the middle-aged woman and let her touch her chest.

"Oh my," said the boss's mother. "Son, she is really a girl."

The boss was enraged.

"You dare lie to me," said the man as he took her collar in his hand.

"I never lie to you. I am not a boy. It is the truth. I am not doing this for fun. I had pursuers behind my back. It's better if you are all to be unrelated to me," told the girl truthfully.

"What is your name?" asked the boss.

"Bai Li... No. I am called Yang JinGe," said the girl. "It's been so long that I haven't used my own name," hearing herself telling another was even stranger.

"Humph, I do not care," said the man.

"Then why did you ask?" said the girl bluntly.

"You prick," said the man. "You know if you continue to anger me. I could sell you to the brothel or I might even kill you."

"You would not kill me. You just said that you like me," stated JinGe.

"You..." said the boss when his mother interfered.

"BuDao, my son, maybe you can consider bonding with her as your sister. I do, want to have a daughter. I only had a son," said the woman.

"I am glad to be," answered JinGe in the spur of annoyance from the bald man to the woman which made the woman happy and smiled.

"No, I do not want a sister. I wanted a brother who is brave and capable."

"Nothing changed. I am still me. I am the one who confronted your lackeys and even defeated them. I can defeat you now, but I do not want to destroy our little relationship," said JinGe arrogantly.

"Why do not...you-" before he could even finish his sentence, she took his arms and locked them in place so he could not move and kicked his shin so he would yell out in pain.

Arms locked; the man kneeled down onto the floor in pain. JinGe then locked onto his neck and took a dagger hidden at the back of her clothes and pointed it near his neck. "See, easily done," said the girl.

"Let me go," said the boss.

"Sure," said JinGe and she released the bald man.

"No, I do not want a sister," complained the man.

"Then I will adopt her," said the woman. "I seem to have taken a liking to this girl."

"If she is your daughter. She is still my sister," said BuDao in protest.

"Thank you, madam, I am thankful for your compliment," interceded JinGe while giving a little bow towards the boss's mother.

"Oh child, you should stop, you should call me mother like my son. We are going to be a family from now on," said the woman. "Here take this mithril ring, it was supposed to be given from mother to daughter, but I never had a chance," looking at the oaf of a son she had.

He only had his looks going for him but inside his mind was still quite immature.

"Oh, thank you, mother," said JinGe as her new mother puts on the ring on JinGe's hand.

"Mother, you can't. You do not know anything about the girl," said the boss.

"Why are you repeating the words I have just said to you? And what did you just do to me when I asked you. You ignore me. So, I am going to ignore you too."

"But mother..."

"No buts, I like her and that's all. Tonight, we will have a little ceremony to celebrate this auspicious event," said the woman. "You see to it," ordered the mother to her son.

He was about to say something but thought better of it, being a filial son, he followed his mother's orders.

"Oh, and how old are you JinGe?" asked the woman.

"I turned twenty-five this year," replied JinGe, lying about her age.

"Oh, you are even older than BuDao," said the woman with a smile. She then turned towards her son who was standing over at the side, pouring a cup of tea for his mother.

"BuDao, she is older than you. Come on over and call her," said his mother.

He looked angrily at JinGe and muttered under his breath.

"Are you eating dirt like a ghost, I can't seem to hear a thing," scolded his mother.

"It's okay. He still hasn't gotten his mind accustomed to my sudden appearance," said JinGe. "He is still a little boy anyway. It is plausible," provoked JinGe at her newly found brother.

"DaJie (Big sister)," called BuDao loudly.

"Good boy," praised JinGe and the woman at the same time which made the both of them laugh to the brother's annoyance.

"Go on, get busy, I have many things to say to your sister," said his mother.

"Yes, mother," said BuDao begrudgingly, before strutting out of the room.

Celebration

Every bandit at the hideout was present in the main hall where they held a small yet festive party. There was a roast lamb in the middle, and everyone was having a good time, they do not care about the event they were just happy that they are wine and food. They sang throughout the night until all the wine barrels were empty. When midnight came, BuDao too was drunk and sleeping on the floor with the other bandits.

"Mother, are you tired? Do you want to go and get a rest back inside the room?" asked JinGe who was sitting beside the woman. JinGe had took off her boy's clothing and worn back girl's clothing to celebrate the occasion.

"JinGe you are really a good child as I expected," said the mother. "But no, I do not want. I am still energetic. Let's talk some more."

"What do want to talk about, mother?" asked JinGe.

"Please help me take care of BuDao, he is still young and doesn't know much about the world," said the woman.

JinGe was feeling a sense of guilt. She didn't really mean to be her stepdaughter. She only accepted the proposal because she was annoyed by the bandit boss.

The girl thought, she would tell the woman the truth but it's very hard for her to confess it while looking at this woman in front of her. She dearly reminded her of Madam Sun, her stepmother.

JinGe continued, "Mother, you know that I am actually younger than BuDao, right?"

"I know but you seem more reliable than my stupid son. I knew you were the right person to look after him after I die when I saw how you acted in front of him. Ha, it's been so long since I saw someone beat him to the ground other than his father," said the woman looking towards her son who was snoring away.

"Mother, are you sick?" asked JinGe when she heard the woman said the word 'die'.

"You must just reach eighteen this year," said the woman, ignoring her question. "Oh, how long has it been, when I was eighteen and my encounter with BuDao's father. It was not love at first sight for me, but his father loves me so much when he met me. He could not take his eyes off me and eventually he was finally won my love through his sincere actions. And we got married not soon after and had BuDao. We had a few years of happiness until I contracted an incurable disease. His father tried his best to find the cure for me but when he tried to snatch a medicine from a travelling city lord and was killed in the process."

"My son, he felt obliged to take over the gang and was forced to grow up. So, treat him like a little brother and pamper him."

"But mind you not too much. I do not want a rotten child," said the woman with a laugh.

"And also, scold him when he was out of line. I really hope you can be someone he could rely on when I am not here to care for him," said the woman, looking at JinGe clasping her hands.

Although quite unwilling JinGe was touched by her motherly love and decided to accept this position. "Mother, I will forever be his elder sister, so you do not need to worry," promised JinGe. "Leave him to me."

"Thank you, child," said the woman.

Unaware, their conversation was overheard by everyone in the hall who was thought to be drunk and sleeping. According to the boss's scheme, they were all supposed to act drunk and when the girl was alone, they would all attack her and throw her out from the hideout.

"What to do now?" asked one of them to the other bandit after he rolled over to the other.

Another bandit who was close to the boss, seize onto the boss's sleeve and tugged at it, "Boss what are we going to do now?" asked the lackey quietly.

The boss was trying his best not to cry but his squeaky voice gave him away. "Halt all activities and sleep," said the man.

The lackey relayed the message to the other bandit where all the bandits just nodded and smiled, hearing the answer his mother had just said, the boss would be heartless if he did not acknowledge this new sister. "Our little hideout had just gotten more family love," thought all of the bandits.

However, there was still another person who had listened to all their conversation and had observed everything from her position, it was the girl they had kidnapped before. She had escaped from the prison by sheer luck. Her prison had been rusted so when she tried to look out from the door, it just came off and fell onto the ground, when the old man came down to take a look, she knocked him down with an empty wine bottle she found at the side of the prison.

"So, that boy I had saved was one of them from the beginning," thought the girl." He was just pretending to help me. Maybe it was their scheme to recruit me into the group." Looking more closely, she noticed that he was not even a boy but a girl. "That lying girl," thought the girl. "You are not going to get me. Better to leave now before they noticed," said the girl quietly to herself and she turned around to head back into the way she came before, when there standing in front of her was something far more dangerous.

It was a person, carrying a knife in his hand. The person was draped in white from head to toe. He was wearing a white hat shawl that was covering part of his face as well, but instead of showing the eyes like normal, it was covering the eyes and showing off the mouth, so the girl had no way of knowing what the person wanted.

But she tried nonetheless, and entered into her negotiation mode, "My name is ChunWah. I am just a captive of theirs. I am not related at all to these thieves, help me," pleaded the girl as sad and as fragile as she can. She also tried using her sexual appeal, by closing and touching the man's chest.

The man did not even move a muscle and instead of helping. He pushed and tried to hurt her. ChunWah screamed out when the second strike struck at her, she thought she was going to die and closed her eyes. But the moment, she was waiting for never arrived because it was blocked by ZhenYu.

He had just arrived after searching in the forest for the longest of time. When he had thought of giving up his pursuit, it was luck that he had found some cloths that was placed on the forest floor and followed it through the thick forest and found this place.

Now, he had been hiding, on a small hill, from a bush not far from the hall and although he could not tell what the people in the hall was talking, he could still saw everything from the spot except for the front part of hall which was blocking by a wooden pane. The bandits were singing and dancing and drinking while waiting he felt asleep but at midnight, when the excitement had died down, he woke up and saw that everyone was drunk, "It's time for me to search for the boy," he thought. He was about to leap to the other side where, he assumed to be boss's bedroom when walking along the ledge, he heard a girl screamed out.

He turned around and saw a girl, "She was the girl the bandits had kidnapped," thought ZhenYu but the people who was attacking her, was different from the bandits. They were all wearing white, a strange group of people.

Huffing and puffing he jumped to her side and blocked his attack when he saw the mask man tried to strike the girl a second time even though she was defenseless, "Just in time," thought ZhenYu.

"Get behind me," said ZhenYu as he held off the man's attack. He then kicked him in the stomach which caused him to fly off the floor.

Even though they were discovered, his comrades pushed on.

They backed away from the narrow corridor and reached the hall where all the drunken bandits were now replaced a group of sober and very conscious bandits. They had all woken up and, on their toes, when they heard the girl's scream.

ZhenYu thought that he was in a bad position because he was being surrounded by two groups, in front of him there was the group of white and behind him they were a group of unruly bandits. They were tension in the air because each group doesn't know who was their enemy and who was the ally and were waiting for each other first move.

However, lady luck was still on his side because the first to attack was the group of white, a woman from their group thrust her sword, at ZhenYu. He avoided it but it was heading towards the bandit, ZhenYu intercepted it, from slashing the bandit behind and manoeuvred the sword skillfully and returned her attack.

With that one action, everyone knew that ZhenYu was on the bandit's side and the group of white were neither on ZhenYu nor the bandit's side.

The boss stood up and took his sword that was hanging on his waist and roared out. Everyone began fighting. It was a frenzy as one or two bandits was fighting one of the white cloth or the other way around.

"DaJie, take mother to safety," shouted BuDao to JinGe.

JinGe ran away with her and was headed to the back, along the narrow corridor which was connected to the back gate and the boss's room when the woman who was slashed by ZhenYu before, from the white group attacked her. She blocked it with her dagger, but it was not enough. A dagger versus sword, she was losing the battle.

It was coming down on her when her stepmother lent her strength by supporting her back. "Thank you, mother," and she focused all her energy to her right hand and pushed her off. Taking the chance, that the white cloth woman had fallen down onto the ground, JinGe carried the woman with her and ran away.

The white cloth girl wanted to give chase, but she was blocked by Scarface. "Go," he said to JinGe and her stepmother.

ZhenYu, could not focus with the girl latched onto his back, "Follow those who ran just now," said ZhenYu to the girl. The girl nodded and ran in the direction where JinGe and her new mother had escaped.

"You are not going to get away," said Scarface but he was no match for the attacker. She was better skilled than him and she defeated him with a few clever moves which left him sprawling at ZhenYu's feet. "Help them," he said to ZhenYu, pointing towards where the girls had gone, before passing out.

ZhenYu placed the guy at the side, leaning against the wall and ran after the others.

After turning a small corner, ChunWah reached and saw JinGe pushing her mother into a room, closed the door behind her and ran in another way.

"So, good for being a filial daughter, leaving her mother in a room while she herself ran away," thought ChunWah. "I think it would be better if I hide in the room too. Let them chase her." She opened the door and found the woman "Shush, I am hiding too. Give me some space too," said ChunWah.

They both hide at the corner using a screen as cover.

They heard footsteps as someone was approaching. "It must be the girl in white," thought ChunWah. She peaked at the window and saw the girl's shadow. She was still outside. "Go on, there is nothing here," thought ChunWah.

It was then that the woman cough and it alerted the girl outside. "What a stroke of bad luck I have been having. Leaving the town, kidnapped, escaped but now," thought ChunWah as she sighed at her fate, but she was not going to give up as she never did. Tenacity was her little name.

The girl quickly picked up a vase that was beside her and readied herself at the door, squatting so that she would not see her and prepared to strike when she entered.

Just as she expected the cough had given away their hiding place, the attacker was opening the door slowly. From her position, ChunWah could see the girl's foot as she entered into the room. She walked into the dark room, and scanned the room, from her right and slowly towards the left.

"A little more and she will see me. This is my chance," thought ChunWah.

The attacker hadn't noticed her, and she rushed out with the vase in her hands. She plunged in with the vase, trying to hit her with it. But the girl seems to have a strong sense, she evaded ChunWah's attack as the vase was brought down and in the process the girl also, knocked out ChunWah by striking at her neck.

ChunWah crashed on the floor with the vase with her. The vase turned into small and big chunks on the floor, while ChunWah was laying there unconscious. The girl took out a short sword from her back.

She threw away the scabbard and held the sword up in the air, facing its point downward at ChunWah. It glinted in the moonlight, before the white cloth girl moved in, trying to stab ChunWah with it. She was halfway there when the boss's mother rushed out from the hiding place and grabbed onto the girl's arms.

The white cloth girl struggled with the woman, and it was then a voice called out from behind, "Hey, let them go," said JinGe in the loudest and most annoying voice as possible, to attract the white cloth girl's attention.

"You coward. You are just bullying someone unconscious and weak," said JinGe, provokingly.

The white cloth girl turned around and faced the JinGe, JinGe's stepmother lets go of her arm and let the white cloth girl walked out from the room.

"Yeah, let's fight one on one. You and me," said JinGe as she lured the girl out from the room to the back yard where there were a lot more space.

JinGe had felt something wrong when she ran and ran but there was no one chasing after her, so she went back to look, and it was just as she had feared, the girl had found stepmother.

Now JinGe stood with an inescapable fight with the white clothed girl.

"How could she see through that?" thought JinGe when she saw how the girl was covering herself up like all the others in her group. "It's no use thinking about it. Empty your mind, JinGe. Remember, how Aunt Sun had taught you. First, relax and position yourself," JinGe moved her legs to get a lower center of gravity. "Close your eyes for a brief second and opened them at the moment when you hear the first sound your enemy made."

JinGe opened her eyes, when she heard the sound of the girl's short sword coming towards her as the girl cuts through the wind. With her concentration and focus she evaded it as she saw how the girl was going to move and evaded her attack beautifully. JinGe was able to predict her next move as well and she did not give her the chance to counterattack her and she twirl along the sword and her dagger was about to reach her neck when the girl, bend on her knees and escaped JinGe's assault.

However, the dagger had sliced off the shawl revealing the face hidden underneath but more so the face of the assailant. She had brown eyes like a normal person, but the eye was dead like a fish, she was not blinking, neither was she staring at anything. Although, she was beautiful, the girl's face was expressionless, without thought, and she moved as if she was commanded.

Without hesitation, the girl changed the position of her hand and turned her sword around so it would stab at JinGe's back. Stunned by the girl's look JinGe did not notice the girl sudden turnaround and got slashed.

Her left hand was wounded, and it was bleeding heavily. Before JinGe could regained herself, the girl struck her again with the same straight thrusting form.

JinGe evaded just like before but the girl who has the upper hand, knew that she would have done the same and used her leg to trip JinGe.

Landing on the stone pavement was painful but it was more dangerous as lying down would let the enemy to overpower you. JinGe tried to sit up but it was too late the girl was already on top of her with her short sword glinting up in the air ready to strike her.

She looked at the girl's face and something strange happened, she stopped.

The girl's eyes were turning blue, the colour of her iris was turning into a bright light blue colour, but she seems to be struggling, as the colour change back from brown and then blue again. Whenever, it was blue the girl seemed to stop and there was a slight emotion on her face as if she was fighting something or someone but when it changed back the girl moved, driving her knife nearer to JinGe's heart with an impassive look on her face.

It was so close to her heart that JinGe thought she would die until an arrow was suddenly shot behind her back and she slumped down onto JinGe.

It did not hit any vitals point, only her shoulder. "The shock must have caused her to faint," thought JinGe and she pushed her away, careful with the arrow on her shoulder. When she stood up, she surveyed the direction which the arrow had come. It was a puzzle, they should not be anyone in that direction, all the bandits were already at the party, and I heard from stepmother that they are the only ones living in this part of the forest.

However, time was not a luxury for her to further investigate it because another white cloth person was closing in on her without her realizing. The person had climbed on the roof, and he had a crossbow in his hand which he was aiming at JinGe. He only had one shot. He aimed at her heart with all his focus.

JinGe moved at the last moment and the arrow missed her by a thin strand, and the arrow landed on the grass while JinGe turnaround to look at the attacker. He jumped down from the roof and placed the small crossbow at the back of his body and had taken out his long sword which hung at his waist.

He charged at her and began attacking JinGe even though she was able to shield some of his attack; she was not able to attack him at all due to the difference of their weapon. And as the fight progresses, without realizing, he had cornered her to the side of the wall.

With a swift hand, he even pivoted away the dagger in her hand.

The man raised his long sword high up in the air and it was almost on her when suddenly she was pull away by someone and landed into the person's arm.

JinGe stared at the person's face, overwhelmed by the emotions she felt.

How many times have this familiar face had surfaced in her dreams every night? How many times had she tried to force him out from her mind but can't help to remember him every time she breathes. Her beloved, ZhenYu.

ZhenYu blocked the attacker's assault and parried him causing the white clothed person to lose his balance and taking his chance, ZhenYu launched an attack on him and slashed through his clothes.

Even though the man was bleeding, he continued forward as if he felt no pain, he lunged forward just like the white clothed girl had done before.

JinGe noticed his attack and pushed ZhenYu to the ground, to avoid the incoming assault.