"Don't be stupid, I won't be unconscious, not now and not ever, even if I do, it won't be forever only until my spirit has recuperated so don't say something like that next time," he smiled to reassure them but they were no fools to fall for it again.

"Master...." she called while the tears welled out of her eyes, she wrapped her arms around his back, hugging him tightly, causing her tears to fall on his robe, he smiled warmly and reciprocated her hug, Xi Feng also felt like joining in but he couldn't bring himself to, as a man.

​​

"If we keep hugging, we won't be able to find the grass in time...." he waited for her to loosen her grips on him but she still hugged him, even tighter. the fourth prince sighed knowing that it would be hard to get her to release him.

"Unless you want me to fall unconscious for hundred years," he added, this time, she quickly released him and started walking forward, both men glanced at each other and chuckled before following after her.

They had now entered deeper into the forest with their eyes scanning their surrounding with every step they took, the only things they could see as they walked are big and tall trees with a pale green colour showing just how old the trees are, everyone apart from Ruo Rufei was wondering how it is possible that this forest is as dangerous as everyone says they are with the enchanting although old looking view of nature, they were already starting to let their guard down.

"Stop!" Ruo Rufei ordered with her hand raised, they all stopped with their eyes looking at her in confusion.

"Young mistress, we have been walking smoothly for some time now, why do you tell us to stop?" Xixi asked, looking around to see if there is something that made her young mistress stop but she couldn't find anything ahead just like the others.

"Something is wrong," she rubbed her fingers against each other and used her other hand to brush the branches away from her view as she walked forward with a scrutinizing gaze as she carefully examined the area.

"What does Miss Rufei mean?" he followed behind her with his hand on the sheath of his sword, in preparation for the presence of danger, she hated his questions and his presence but she didn't have a choice but to put up with it since she is also using him like he is using her even though he claims he wants to enter the forest out of curiosity.

"Based on previous experience, the next problem we have to solve should be right here but the trigram puzzle isn't here yet, something must have gone wrong," she answered reluctantly, even if she doesn't remember anything about the forest, that one area is a place she would never forget, after all, she almost got killed when she couldn't solve the trigram puzzle and that was where she killed the man who saved her.

She was rather thankful that the trigram hadn't appeared, that was the place that marked her tragic failure...

"Miss Rufei!" Wei Xianlu called seeing how she was staring into space with her fist resting on the bark of a tree tightly clenched, she quickly snapped out of it with a smile hanging on her lips but it was too obvious that her smile isn't sincere.

"I only know of one thing that would cause the trigram not to appear, that is someone must have entered the spirit forest before us, I read about this in books but I don't know what we have to do in this situation or if my guess is right,"

"Someone had already come before us..." he repeated in a slightly alarmed voice, she turned to see just how alarmed he looked while he and his bodyguard exchanged glances, this raised her suspicion, his bodyguard cleared his throat to warn him when he noticed that she was staring at them, understanding what he meant, they stopped looking at each other.

"So what do we do now?"

"I don't know about that but I say we move forward," Ruo Rufei answered, turning back to see if they are willing to go forward, they nodded at each other in support of her suggestion then they started walking forward.

Swoosh!!!!

He felt a strong and swift presence rushing towards them from behind, he quickly deduced that it was rushing towards Rufei, he pulled her by her elbow and spun her to his chest before somersaulting backwards.

"Stand back!" he warned, Ke Yang who also felt the strong presence rushing towards them pulled Xixi by her arms and pushed her back before somersaulting back.

"What is it?" Rufei asked as they landed on the ground, still startled but Xianlu only nodded and looked forward, she traced his gaze only to see a golden figure standing in front of them with the golden aura surrounding the figure but the figure didn't have a face.

"What is this?" Xixi muttered with her eyes widened at the tall and overbearing figure standing in front of them.

"I have no idea," she had a confused look on her face, when she got to this stage she didn't see this golden figure when she failed to solve the puzzle but she was only attacked by faceless monsters, she was also as shocked as they were.

"Who are you?" Xianlu took the initiative to ask, he had already figured out that Ruo Rufei also doesn't have any idea what this figure is so he didn't bother to ask her.

"You don't deserve to know, how dare you try to pass through without solving the puzzle first, you..." he turned to Rufei, her eyes widened when she realized that figure is referring to her.

Her fearful gaze didn't escape the figure, it extended it's hand out, pulling her closer to him like a magnet, it happened in one swift moment that Wei Xianlu couldn't stop or comprehend, a smile formed on the figure's face then suddenly, a face appeared out of nowhere.

Ruo Rufei would have fallen on her knees if she wasn't pulled midair by the figure which she now recognises as the man she killed years ago, how can she forget his face?

"You...."

Wei Xianlu who was about to start a fight in her defence stopped when he heard her, he felt that everything about her had gone wrong the moment she mentioned the trigram and now it seems like she recognises the face the figure has taken on.

An evil smirk appeared on his lips as he pulled her closer to him and whispered into her ear.

"Why, did you think you would be able to get away with what you did?" she had originally thought she was tripping but hearing what he said, she realized that he is real, the man she killed is the one holding her up even though he is no longer normal.

"I...I" She stumbled leaving the others confused since they couldn't hear what the duo was saying.

"Young mistress!" Xixi called out in fear that her mistress might be harmed.

"What do you want?" she questioned with an unremorseful look on her face, she didn't want to show that she was scared of him, she definitely confirmed his death with her own eyes so there is no way she would believe that he is real.

"What do I want..." he broke into hysterical laughter which made her feel more terrified inside even though she wasn't showing it, more than her life, she fears that her reputation would be soiled in the presence of Wei Xianlu who has been full of praise since he arrived at her manor.

"What do you think I want? a life for a life,"

"Do you think you will benefit anything from killing me?"

"I don't need anything else, what I want is your life only and nothing else!!!" he tightened his grip on her neck, strangling her. Her legs dangled in the air with her hands pulling his hand as she struggled to breathe, she could feel her body slowly losing strength and her eyes slowly closing.

"Miss Rufei! Miss Rufei!" he called

"Young mistress!!!" Xixi shouted

Her body jerked forward with her hands on her neck as she opened her eyes.

Gasp!

Her chest went down just as it came up, she looked around her in confusion with her mind filled with questions.

"Where is he?" she questioned in confusion.

"Who are you talking about?" Xixi asked with concern written on her face, her young mistress is doing the same thing she was doing when she returned from the spirit forest years ago, an uneasy feeling was starting to rise inside her again but it isn't up to her to make any decision so she can only keep her thoughts to herself.

{Was I hallucinating}

She pondered!

She scanned her environment to make sure that she was just hallucinating when her eyes caught Xianlu's hand clutching his sheathed sword, just now, his sword wasn't sheathed.

She finally confirmed her suspicion.

"Is anything wrong Miss Rufei, you look quite tensed?"

"It is nothing, perhaps it is because I am reminded of the struggles I once experience in this forest so I was spaced out for a moment, where are we, what of the trigram?" she realized that they weren't in the same area they were a moment ago.

"It seems like what you said is true since you can't remember that you just solved the trigram and it has disappeared but a golden light entered your forehead and you have been spaced out since then,"

"I did...."

"Do you not remember?"

"I...."

{It seems like the findings I made after the first time has greatly helped me this time}

"It is nothing, let's move forward,"