❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

"Don't give up, Yi-Nuo. Endure...I'll find a way to fix everything, I promise."

Those words echoed through her mind as she sat on the cold floor, her lip trembling.

The veiled man's footsteps came toward her, causing her to look up and scoot back a little.

"So you're her...Wu Yi-Nuo..." The corners of his eyes lifted as a cruel chuckle escaped his lips. She averted her gaze from him, tears stained her cheeks as her brow furrowed.

"Who are you....and what do you want from me?" she managed to choke out, feeling her lungs being constricted and sore from sobbing.

The man only chuckled more as he came closer. He stood in front of her now, and he reached out to grasp her chin. With a rough pull, he tilted her head so that she looked up at him.

"There's no need to cry, I don't intend to hurt you." he spoke as he looked down at her, his tone sweet in a mocking type of way.
"I need your help, that's all. It's rather simple if you think about it."

He offered her a smile before letting go of her chin.

"Lei, bring this kind young woman to her quarters, please? She needs some rest before we begin our training tomorrow." he called out.
Almost immediately, a young man emerged from somewhere in the hall.

He carried a jian at his hip, and Yi-Nuo found that he had a strangely familiar presence.

"Yes, sect leader." he nodded, before she scooted away from him.

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's happening." she stated as firmly as she could muster.

The veiled man locked eyes with her, his head tilted in amusement.

"Oh? Now we're fighting back? Interesting. This could be more of a hassle than I previously anticipated. But what is success without challenges along the way? Nothing but mediocrity....and we won't settle for anything short of our goal, i'l have you know. I'll cut down anything and anyone who gets in our way, got it?"

He raised his brow at the young male and turned, looking to the Emperor.

"Your Majesty, you agree, right?"
The man nodded his head in agreement, sending a shiver down Yi-Nuo's spine as the young male pulled her to her feet.

'What on earth is going on?? It's like he's being controlled....'

"We'll take our leave, then, sect leader..." The boy bowed his head, and before Yi-Nuo could protest, he began leading her across the stone pathway. His grip dug into her wrist as he pulled her.

"Let go of me!" she furrowed her brow, attempting to pull his hand away, but his grip was too strong.  He said nothing, only continued walking as if she wasn't even there.

Tears began to well in her eyes once more. She suddenly missed the warmth of the Zheng clinic that she had grown to like over the past week. The young master's smile flashed in her mind, and she felt her heartbeat thump in her chest.

"Don't shout." The boy finally spoke when they got a little further from the Hall of mental cultivation, his eyes glued on the stone path in front of them.

"If you want to keep your neck under the sect leaders orders, you have to be as compliant as physically possible."

She opened her mouth to speak, but was too confused to do so.

"Yes, we're cultivators. The last ones to exist."

Her brow furrowed gently at his words, and she chose not to question any further for now.

'I need to find Master Zheng as soon as possible....if anything, hopefully he can tell me what's going on.'

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A groan left the young master's lips as he was tossed onto the freezing stone floor at the city gates, his injured arm pulsing with pain.

"Sorry, Young master. Emperor's orders." The Eunuch spoke before shutting the crimson gates behind him.
He reached to brush his hair out of his face as he struggled to stand, earning strange looks from passersby. He probably looked like a crazy man, hair all disheveled and unbound, arm slung up under his cloak.

Finally, when he gained his composure, a large sigh left his lips and he looked to the crimson gates that towered over him. 

'Haoran...I should go to Haoran and ask if he can help with this.' 

After all, he was really the only one he could go too.

He hurried across the bustling city street, making his way through the crowds of people all gathered at the city bulletin.

He began to lose breath as he pushed forward, an all too familiar pain sparked in the left side of his chest. It spread quickly and became more intense with each second.

He leaned against the cold stone wall of a building and slowly slid to the ground, straining to breath correctly as the pain worsened, creating a pounding in his head that blurred the corners of his field of vision.

'No, not here....Not now...'

His eyes shut quickly as the world around him faded. He tightly grasped the fabric of his hanfu over his chest as if it would sooth the pains. A habit he had picked up over the years.

At that moment, a familiar voice called his name. It was muffled, but he recognized it.

'Young master...? Are you alright?'

Her voice was kind and gentle, like always. Full of a warmth and compassion that he had grown accustomed to in the short amount of time that they had been living under the same roof.

His pain suddenly began to fade away as warmth spread through his chest instead.

"...Yi-Nuo...." He muttered aloud, a sigh of relief left his lips. He strained to open his eyes.

When he finally glanced around, he saw a crowd of people surrounding him, eyes wide and full of concern. Kneeling in front of him was a face he didn't anticipate.

"Young master Zheng...!"

It was Zhou Daiyu. Her brow was furrowed gently, eyes dark with concern. So, if it was her....why had he heard Yi-Nuo's voice?

He blinked a few times, reaching to rub his eyes.

"Young Master Zheng, who is Yi-Nuo, do you need me to get her for you? Are you ok?"

The young man quickly shook his head, feeling embarrassment rise in his cheeks.

"N-no need....I'm alright-"

"Mingze!"

Another voice caught his attention, and a young man pushed his way through the crowds, finally reaching the young master.

It was Haoran this time. He looked even more worried than the rest and carried a basket full of porcelain incense burners. He was likely on his way to deliver them to the market stall.

Placing it on the ground, he kneeled by the woman and began to examine his friend.

"What happened, you look terrible! On top of that, you should be resting at the clinic!" He announced firmly. He then looked to the crowd surrounding them and shooed them away, providing a bit of relief for the young master.

"Come on, let's get you up. Can you walk?" He asked, placing his arm around the male and attempting to help him to his feet.

"Yeah....I'm alright." He smiled, "I just got dizzy all of a sudden...but I'm ok. On the other hand, there's something I need to talk to you about."

Haoran nodded.

"Alright. But we're getting you back to the clinic first. You need to rest, ok?"

Daiyu stood alongside them, hesitating for a moment before she spoke.

"Umm...I'll come with you. I can carry this, and there's something I need to speak to you about, as well, Young Master Zheng..."

She took the basket that Haoran had been carrying, following as he helped the male to walk.

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

They arrived at the clinic soon after, Haoran helped him up through the empty courtyard and entered after the woman opened the door to the main clinic.

They went to the patient's room, a fairly large room with latticework walls and wood slat flooring. A few shelves on the walls and a couple porcelain pots with plants were there for decoration as well. The geometric  lattice bed frame stood tall against the sidewall, and a single wooden chair rested around it.
The Go board from yesterday was pushed to the side, as Haoran helped the young master to the bed.

"Ok....sit there, I'll get you some tea.....-Oh, where's Yi-Nuo? And your Ba....it seems empty in here, are they out?" He wondered, suddenly glancing around.

The young master winced as he adjusted his position on the bed.

"No need to get tea, just sit down." He waved his arm, motioning for him to sit. "Something happened earlier. It's urgent."

He looked to him, brow furrowed gently.

"Alright." He nodded.

He brought the chair next to the bed and sat down as he smoothed out his silks.

"I'll get some **hot water. You need to drink something, Young Master Zheng,"  Daiyu voiced from the side, before hurrying off to the kitchen.

A sigh left the male's lips as his mind drifted to the events this morning. Yi-Nuo's tear stained face, the veiled man, the strange behavior from the Emperor...it was all clouding his thoughts.

It wasn't long before the woman entered again, this time carrying a tray with three cups and a steaming pot of water. She placed it on a nearby side table and poured them each a steaming cup.

"Here you go."

They both thanked her, and the young master sat up a bit as he began to tell them everything.

They both stood, their expressions shifting as he explained.

"Oh my goodness...." The woman muttered, eyes wide as her hands went to cover her mouth.

"Wait," Haoran stood, his brow furrowed slightly. "Yi-Nuo....is from the palace? That's why she came here, because she was accused of murder?"

The young master nodded once more.

"Yes. I've been helping her the last week with proving herself innocent. But it seems this 'Yun-Shen,'  had other plans. It's confusing, but what I do know is that my Ba and Yi-Nuo are both in danger now. I won't sit by and wait when I could be doing something to help." He explained further, scooting forward to stand up, though Haoran caught him by the shoulders before he had a chance.

"I see... but you need to focus on your health first, Mingze. It won't help Yi-Nuo or your Ba if you collapse again trying to rescue them."  He stated, looking into his eyes with a firm gaze.

A soft sigh left the male's lips, and he looked away after a moment.

"I can't afford to rest. I can handle my injury, Haoran. I appreciate your concern, but I'll be fine."

"I'm not talking about your injury." He replied quickly, "I know the reason why you collapsed, there's no need to act as if you're invincible. If you push yourself too hard, there will be a point of no return."

He let go of his shoulders and straightened up, his gaze unwavering.

"I'm sure your Ba and Yi-Nuo would say the same."

The Young Master swallowed the lump in his throat, taking a moment to digest his words. No matter how much he wanted to say otherwise, he was right. The pains from before returned to his mind, and at the same time, he remembered Yi-Nuo's voice. Why had he heard her at that time? And why...why did the pain leave when he pictured her smile? He wondered, the question lingering in his mind for a moment before he shook it away quickly, seemingly embarrassed with himself.

"Ok.....but I'm going to need your help, then." He finally gave in with a sigh.

"We'll both help." Daiyu stepped forward with a firm expression, earning a nod from Haoran. "I've been meaning to come here and tell you this....that I'm really sorry about how my mother's been treating you."

Her words caught both of them off guard. Though Mingze smiled non the less.

"She just....worries sometimes." The woman continued. "I think she wants to make sure I have a good future, that I can settle down with someone like you, but she goes about it improperly."

She sighed, looking down as she grasped the fabric of her skirt.

"Please forgive us both....and I want to help in any way I can to make up for it."

The two males smiled.

"I appreciate it, Miss Zhou. I really do. And I'm sorry that I....turned you down as I did. I suppose you deserve to know the reason, aswell...." He voiced, his gaze lowering.

"N-no need! You don't have to tell me anything." She quickly added, shaking her head slightly as a hint of embarrassment washed over her.

"I understand that...you might already have someone in your heart. Even if that person is a gentleman, like the rumors say...I'll support you because you've been kind to me." She voiced with a wave of her hand, the last bit no louder than a whisper.

The young master titled his head, before the realization hit him and his cheeks turned pink.

Haoran could barely contain his chuckles.

The young master shot him a look, before returning to Daiyu.

"M-Miss Zhou," he cleared his throat.

"It's not like that. I assure you. I have my reasons....ones that have more to do with duty and honor, than...personal feelings. I like to think of it as if I'm betrothed to my studies." He voiced with a small chuckle, before continuing. "To put it plainly-"

"I've dedicated my life to medicine and helping those in need."

His cheeks flushed slightly, and he could barely look Daiyu in the eyes. "But thank you...for your understanding. And for offering to help."

It was silent in the room now, a bleak atmosphere settling between them as Haoran and the woman took a moment to understand his words.

Daiyu nodded finally, her embarrassment replaced by a soft, understanding smile. "I see, Young Master Zheng. Then, of course I'll gladly support you in whatever way I can, as a friend."

"Yes." Haoran added as he cleared his throat, "We'll do whatever it takes to ensure that Yi-Nuo and your Ba are safe.."

The young master looked to both of them, his expression softening. He nodded as well as a small smile formed on his lips.

"Thank you....then, we should think of a plan to get back into the palace. I have an idea, but I'm not sure if it'll work."

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

Across the chilly stone pathways of Beijing and through a small bamboo clearing, resided a large manor belonging to a man named 'Cheng Fu.'

He was the Master of Hua Cheng institute, which happened to be this manor. A place for students to study medicine and surgery procedures in a modern, well-equipped environment.

Though the students of this institution worked hard to uphold the principles of their master, when Liu Haoran and Zhou Daiyu came asking for a favor on behalf of The young master, they found it hard to accept.

"Please, follow me. I'll take you to Master Cheng." The young woman voiced, keeping her head low to avoid contact with the male and female.

"Thank you. This matter is rather urgent, I appreciate your help."

With a stiff nod, the student led them across the courtyard. 

"Master Cheng....you have visitors. They were sent by Young Master Zheng of the Zheng Clinic." She stated, a tinge of annoyance in her tone as she mentioned the young master.

Liu Haoran caught on quickly, but he held his tongue and smiled as a voice answered. From the other side of the lattice screen, a voice called out for them to enter.

"Please be quick. Master Cheng has important work to do tonight." The student instructed as she motioned for them to enter the room.

"Of course," Haoran lowered his head slightly, and the two entered.

Inside was a large room, fairly decorated with porcelain vases, glass jars with herbs where displayed on the walls and a large bookcase stood behind the desk in the middle.

A man sat at the desk, looking up from his scrolls and paper as they entered.

"Master Cheng, I have a request sent from Zheng Mingze." Haoran stated with a bow. Daiyu did the same.

"Ah...of course, Young master Liu, what is it?" The man said as he placed his calligraphy brush on its stand.

"We need your help to infiltrate the palace court."

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Footnotes

** Hot water is a part of Traditional Chinese medicine, it has to do with the balance of yin and yang, or cold and hot energy. Cold water is considered yin, which can disrupt the balance of vital energy and internal organs. Drinking warm water is thought to nourish the yang, which is considered the powerhouse of the body. For this reason, it is  uncommon for people to drink cold water in Chinese culture, sometimes even in modern day times.

Authors note
Hello! Thanks for reading this chapter! I hope you enjoyed it, and I'd love to hear your thoughts and feedback in the comments!
Thank you everyone for your continued support, I hope I can continue to write this story in a way that you enjoy.
Sending kisses! <3