"No, you can't, there is no way they won't be able to recognise each other even though they are wearing masks and you have a tiny figure, Huo Qiang should be the one to stay behind," Bingchen said

"Why should I be the one to stay behind," Huo Qiang asked, he was clearly not satisfied with Huo Bingchen decision and he didn't like taking orders from him. ​​

"You have the same figure with that guy so it should be easier for you to disguise as him," Bingchen said, he knew that Huo Qiang doesn't like it when he is giving him orders since they are not very close, unlike the rest.

"Then I will stay, the both of you should take the herbs as soon as possible" Huo Qiang said.

"what if that guy wakes up and goes back to expose us," Huo Li asked

"he wouldn't dare to enter the forest when he doesn't have the sachet with him, he has been outside for long so the sachet won't be effective for him by the time he wakes up," Huo Qiang said then he changed into the guy's cloth and he took the guy's waist bag, then they all entered into the energy-sucking forest. Huo Qiang looked around the forest then he saw about twenty guards guarding the forest from within, he walked up to them and just stood in an empty space between them. The head of the disciple who had ordered him to check on the fire looked at him for some minutes, he was wondering why he was not reporting the situation and why he had taken so long.

"You, why are you not reporting the situation at the entrance if the forest," the head of the disciples asked, Huo Qiang wasn't aware that he as speaking to him and he didn't want to make a mistake so he just continued looking forward without answering the head disciple, One of them noticed this then he tapped his shoulder.

"the head disciple is asking a question, why are you not answering," the disciple said, then Huo Qiang quickly turned to the direction of the disciple who asked the question first, he bowed his head and said, "I am sorry, I was absent-minded just now, the fire is not serious, I think it came from the opposite forest". The head disciple looked at him with disapproval in his eyes.

"then why did you take long there," the head disciple asked, he was already becoming suspicious of the disciple, when he answered him his voice was not the same as it was before he went to check on the fire, he examined him from his head to his toe then he realized that everything about him is the same except for his voice.

"I just wanted to confirm properly before coming to reply" Huo Qiang quickly replied, he was just hoping that the disciple wouldn't ask him anything that he wouldn't be able to answer, the head disciple was not satisfied with his answer, he just felt like there was something wrong.

"Then what did I tell you before you left," the head disciple asked, he just wanted to confirm his suspicion, is he didn't remember what he told him before he left that would mean that he is a fake disciple. Huo Qiang widened his eyes in fear, he couldn't afford to be caught at this moment or else their plan to steal the herbs will be sabotaged. He decided to just try his luck, then he said "you told me some things but I don't know which one you are referring to".

The head disciple was now half sure that he wasn't the one, then he said "I gave you instruction about something before you left, tell me what it is now". Huo Qiang felt that he was now cornered, he was almost ready to attack them with his hidden dagger since he didn't take his sword with him, but fortunately for him, one of them said "have you forgotten that the head disciple warned you not to go out of the forest", Huo Qiang quickly got rid of the dagger in his hand then he acted as if he wasn't sure of what the head disciple was talking about.

"oh, forgive me, head disciple, I didn't know that you were referring to that, I did what you said, I just stood at the at the edge of the forest" Huo Qiang said hurriedly, while the disciples were distracted by the conversation between Huo Qiang and the head disciple, Huo Li and Huo Bingchen quickly passed by. The head disciple turned in the direction they went when he heard the sound of leaves crunching then Huo Qiang quickly crushed the leaves under his feet to bring the head disciple's attention back to him, then the head disciple glared at the disciple who answered his question instead of Huo Qiang.

"I don't think I was asking you the question then why did you answer" the head disciple snapped, the disciple bowed his head to apologise but the head disciple was still not satisfied, his sixth sense had never been wrong before and he felt that this disciple was acting weird, he then thought of another way to text him, outsiders don't know about the poison immune sachet so if this disciple doesn't have it that would mean that he is not one of them.

"Where is your sachet," the head disciple asked, he didn't want to say what is was used for in case he was really disguising as one of them, Huo Qiang smiled underneath the mask, he was already scared that the head disciple would prompt him to attack them with his next question but he actually made things easy for him, he reached his hands into the tiny waist bag and brought out the sachet, then he handed it to the head disciple. After confirming that it is indeed the poison immune sachet, he returned it to Huo Qiang, he didn't have any intention to pursue the matter further since he had the sachet.

"Next time don't be so forgetful," the head disciple said then he turned away from Huo Qiang, underneath the mask, Huo Qiang breathed a sigh of relief then returned to his guarding position.

After they went past the disciples that were guarding the forest, the continued walking deeper into the forest with light steps so that they wouldn't attract any attention to themselves. Some minutes later, they were surprised to find themselves in a garden of flowers, they walked around then they realized that there were more than a hundred flowers in the garden and it was even too huge to be called a garden. After taking different turns to find their way out of the garden, they found themselves in the same place they were before, although they were confused, they decided to try finding their way out again but this time they found themselves in the same place they just left.

"We seem to be going around the same place," Huo Li said, she was already anxious by this time, if they had to keep going over the same place over and over again, they wouldn't be able to return with the herb in time.

"I think so too, we need to get an upward view of this place or else we would be stuck here and we don't have much time to waste," Huo Bingchen said, they knew that they couldn't fly in the air or else they would be discovered, the both of them looked around than for any tree that could stand on but they realize that none of the trees there could accommodate them. Just as they were about to give up, Huo Li sighted a long vine, she quickly rushed to where it was lying then she showed it to Bingchen. He already knew that she wanted them to hang it on one of the trees then they can swing on it, that way they will be able to view the garden from a slightly higher view.

"This vine is thin so it can't support the both of us," Huo Bingchen said, then Huo Li face turned despondent, Huo Bingchen noticed this then he continued "But you have less weight and a tiny body so it should be able to support you then you can direct me on which way to go", hearing this she became happy once again. She looked around for the tallest tree in the garden then she wrapped the vine around it, she held on the rope and climbed to the vine to get closer to the tree. After she got closer to the tree, she swung herself around with the rope then she jumped from one tree to another with light steps, then she was able to see the top of all the trees. She gave him the directions to leave the garden then he followed what she had said but just as they reached the end of the garden, she fell took the wrong step then she fell down but Huo Bingchen quickly lunged into the air and caught her by the waist, She was already going to regain her stance while she was in the air, but she was shocked when he felt his hand on her waist, she turned to look at his face then their eyes met, she felt a tinkle in her heart as he brought her to the ground, she couldn't take her eyes away from his eyes, she realized that for the first time since she knew him he seemed to be more handsome than she thought he was. When he brought her to the ground, he removed his hand from her waist but she was still in a daze then she almost fell on the ground again but she quickly regained her stability.

"You almost exposed us" he snapped in a very harsh tone even though it wasn't loud.

"I am sorry," she said then she turned away from him and started walking in the front, she couldn't believe that one moment she was in a daze because of him and the next moment he was already being harsh with her. He realized that he spoke too harshly but that wasn't the right time to apologize to her, then he quickly hurried to catch up with her but she didn't even bother to look at him. Then they found themselves close to the entrance of the sect but there was no guard guarding the sect.

"How come there is no one guarding the sect" Huo Li said, then she was stood up from where they were hiding but Bingchen quickly dragged her down.

"it might be a trap, don't be reckless," he said then he released her hand, she was even angrier with him at this time but she just chose to keep quiet and face the issue at hand before she vents her anger.

"then do we just wait here," Huo Li said, her anger and impatience were very clear in her tone.

"Since we don't have much time, let's go then," he said then they both stood up and walked towards the sect, they were not planning to enter the sect from the front gate but they needed to go past the entrance in order to sneak into the sect. As soon as they came out of their hiding place, they felt that they couldn't move again, then they looked at their feet only to find that vines had already tied them down. They struggled to release themselves from the vines but they couldn't, another set of vines sprung out of the ground then it tied down their legs and hands, before they could even react, it had already hung them in the air.

"Bingchen," Huo Li said in a panic, they couldn't release themselves even after struggling for a long time.

"it seems like they will soon realise that we are here, we have to get these things off us first or else there is no way we would be able to get the herbs," Bingchen said, at that moment, an idea came into her head...

"Since we are tied closely to each other and we can't use our swords to cut the vines, why don't we use flames to burn each other's vines," Huo Li said