“Zhuo Jing, don't breathe!” Han Ming Xi's voice suddenly rose as a dark figure flew into the crowd. Secret Guard No.3 stopped breathing instantly. Different from Xi Ling, not many in Nan Zhao understood the language of Great Chu so as soon as Han Ming Xi landed on the ground, many Nan Zhao men fell. Seizing this chance, Secret Guard No.3 got rid of the attack and jumped up a roof nearby. Landing successfully by Mr. Liang and ignoring him as he lay on the ground groaning, Han Ming Xi stuffed the medicine into his mouth directly as he patted his face with smiles: “Old guy, you are dead.”

Le Jiang was one of the few Nan Zhao men who remained standing. However, seeing many of his men lying around, his expression was grave. He looked at Mr. Liang who was begging him for help as if he was looking at an enemy and a disaster. “d.a.m.n you! What have you done?”

Right now, Han Ming Xi was in a good mood with most of his gloominess acc.u.mulated during the day gone. He picked up Mr. Liang and threw him at the Sick Scholar's direction as he said with a smile: “Lord of Luoyi Clan, you are not in a position to ask me that. Don't you ever look back on what you have done?”

Le Jiang snorted as he said disdainfully: “Do you think your little poison will be a problem for me?”

Shrugging with a smile, Han Ming Xi answered as if he couldn't care less: “It's not my poison. It's none of my business whether you can handle it. Besides, let your men stand up if it's not a problem.”

The Sick Scholar walked up, holding that fat Mr. Liang. By this point, Mr. Liang's face was as dark as ink. It seemed he could die at any moment, indeed a man who suffered from lethal poison.

Le Jiang was shocked. Though he was good with snakes and poison, he couldn't tell what poison got Mr. Liang. However, he couldn't let this annoying merchant from Great Chu die now. “What do you want?”

The Sick Scholar said indifferently: “Let us go and don't follow. Otherwise... I'll kill him.”

Pondering for a while, Le Jiang nodded and said: “All right. But... give back what you've taken from the underground palace!” As he pointed at Ye Li and Secret Guard No.3, he showed an intent to kill.

Ye Li blinked and gave him an innocent smile as she said: “It's not like it's some treasure. I'll give it back. Who knows what you've written with your terrible hand-writing?”

Gazing back suspiciously, Le Jiang said: “Why did you take it if you didn't know what it was?”

Ye Li laughed: “If it's nothing important, I don't think you would decorate it so lavishly. I've always liked lavish things. Well, I'll give this good-for-nothing back.” After she had said that, she took out something and threw it at him. Le Jiang caught it. It was a dark wooden box. On its lid carved several crooked patterns which might have been characters or drawings. There were decorations on the box before but now there were only little holes here and there. Clearly, someone had taken them.

Le Jiang checked that nothing happened to the mechanism in the box and let out a sigh of relief, seemed to be in a better mood now. He watched Ye Li play with a glowing thing as she said with a laugh: “I took a few other things from the table too. I think you are generous enough to let me take a little souvenir, aren't you, Lord of Luoyi Clan?”

Le Jiang snorted as he said: “You can leave now.” Of course, he knew what else was missing from the underground palace. However, they were of no importance so he didn't bother to ask.

The Sick Scholar dragged Mr. Liang and warned for the last time: “Don't play any tricks. Or I'll make sure you can't even find this man's body.”

Ye Li and Secret Guard No.3 had prepared horses in advance. As soon as they left the village, they took the horses and headed for north-west. It was almost daylight when they saw the main road. Everyone was relieved.

Han Ming Xi said with a smile: “What a day. I must thank you, Jun Wei. Let's take a rest here. The next town is only three miles away. We can stay there for a day. With a safe journey, we'll arrive in the capital of Nan Zhao in seven to eight days.”

The Sick Scholar objected: “We go around the town and head directly for the capital.”

“You are not tired but we are.” Han Ming Xi said unhappily.

The Sick Scholar gave him a cold stare as he said: “Do you think we can find a hotel taking Liang with us? Besides, do you really think Le Jiang won't send men after us?”

Han Ming Xi scoffed: “What 'us'? You've got the person you want. Ask him where the treasure is. After that, we'll go separate ways. You've caused us enough trouble yesterday. Jun Wei, don't you agree?”

Playing with the delicate gem decoration in her hand, Ye Li answered: “Well... if we do part ways, are you going to give me my payment, Third Master?”

The Sick Scholar didn't look into her eyes. “So, it'll be the best that we travel together, right? Otherwise Mr. Chu will worry.”

Ye Li said with a smile: “After all the thing we've been through, I don't mind a bit more trouble. Besides, if I do give up halfway, that means what I did yesterday will be for nothing, right?”

Hearing that, Han Ming Xi had no choice but to nod. “I hope you won't get me killed.”

Ye Li smiled: “Actually, Brother Han, you can return to Great Chu as soon as you want to. You aren't interested in what Third Master is looking for anyway.”

Han Ming Xi looked away and refused instantly: “I find it fun hanging around with you. I'll follow you everywhere you go, so let's go together! I've never been afraid of anything.”

The four of them decided to have a rest. The Sick Scholar couldn't wait another second and dragged Mr. Liang aside for interrogation. Han Ming Xi, with hatred for Mr. Liang, went to watch. Ye Li wasn't interested at all. Though Secret Guard No.3 was, he didn't show it and stayed by Ye Li's side to protect her. Walking to a tree and sitting down, Ye Li glanced over at Han Ming Xi and the Sick Scholar who was in a distance then took out something from her sleeve. There were two pieces of paper. She took a sharp crayon and started to draw on the paper.

Sitting by her side, Secret Guard No.3 looked at the crooked strokes and asked in surprise: “My Lord, didn't you say you didn't know that language? Were you lying?”

Ye Li said as she shook her head with a smile: “I wasn't. I don't know it doesn't mean there aren't people who do. But it's indeed hard to remember something one doesn't know. I should have written them down yesterday but I was afraid that they would find it out. Now... I should have them here correctly.” As she said that, she bent down and kept drawing as she spoke to him: “To be honest, I don't know what it is. But I know that box. What I had from that box seems to be the symbol of the Holy Princess of Nan Zhao so it must be very important.” She had seen something more interesting. Since she knew what that was, she remembered it and put it back where it belonged. Now she wasn't in a hurry to write that down either.

Secret Guard No.3 nodded, feeling sorry for Lord of Luoyi Clan who thought his treasure was untouched and had no idea that Ye Li had studied what was inside the box as she waited for the night to fall at the exit. Deep down, Secret Guard No.3 admired his master for her ability to open locks and wanted to learn that from her sometime.

After a good while, she filled the paper with her drawing. Having checked it according to her memory twice, she pa.s.sed it to Secret Guard No.3 and told him: “Send this back home as soon as possible and find out what it is.”

Secret Guard No.3 nodded. As he was thinking, he looked at her, wanted to say something but hesitated. Ye Li looked at him, a little amused: “Speak your mind.”

Looking down at the paper, he asked in a small voice: “It has been a long time since we left home. Since you want me to send a message back, how about writing a letter as well and tell them you are safe, My Lord?”

A letter home?Ye Li paused. In order to hide her whereabouts, she never sent Mo Xiu Yao any messages since she left, nor did she get in touch with secret guards on her way here. Recalling what Mo Xiu Yao told her, she felt a little guilty. Looking at that spare paper she had, she started to write a letter.