The start of the war.

Yan Mei Ling watched as the clear white sky had turned dark from her room's balcony. How everything in her house seemed at peace, considering that a terrible war was brewing outside the empire, was still a wonder to her.

Among the infinite glowing gems scattered across the dusky sky, one shone brightly. Thinking it was a sign from heaven, Yan Mei Ling hurriedly knelt down and clasped her hands together. She prayed hard to her ancestors and to the gods that they would always keep her and the people she loved safe from the evil tyrant, Lord Hsien Mao Dong.

While she was pouring her heart to her prayer, a tear slowly found its way out of her eye. She immediately wiped it away but it became incessant. Tears came down her eyes like the rain brought by a violent storm.

The war was immensely stressing her that she did not know if she could handle it. Deep inside, her mind was troubled and her poor heart was restless. Peace, at the moment, seemed unattainable.

When she was done, she stood and went inside her room to the study table. As she was about to review the letter that she wrote for Li Lei Shuang, she heard a soft knock from her door.

"It is open. Come inside," She said.

Yeng timidly came inside, her eyes full of worry. "My lady"

"What is the problem, Yeng?" Yan Mei Ling asked with concern and gestured Yeng to go near her.

"I have heard that the Hsein clan had started attacking the Empire. They had razed several villages at the Eastern border." Yeng started with a broken sob.

Yeng's grim news had terribly distraught Yan Mei Ling's already fractured heart. "My father? Has he arrived?"

"Not yet, my lady"

Yan Mei Ling swallowed the lump on her throat, and bit her jaws together so that Yeng would not notice how the news had thoroughly shattered her.

A lot of murky thoughts formed her head. She could feel the enemies marching to the village - attacking and killing everyone. In her mind, she could hear the desperate cries of the villagers, the burning houses and maniacal laughter of the enemies.

Yan Mei Ling curbed her fists in fierce determination. She would not let that happen, not when she could do something about it.

A sudden thought came to her and, in a desperate voice, she said, "I need to go to the palace tonight, Yeng. Please stay here in my room, sleep in my bed. I need you to cover for me so that when baba arrives and decides to check on me, he will not notice my absence."

"What if your father open the curtains to look at you? He will find me instead of you!" Yeng said in panic.

Yan Mei Ling smiled in affection and gently held her maidservant's hands. "My father does not open the curtains. He just goes inside the room and watch me sleeping from afar. Please, Yeng, I need your help."

"What you are planning is extremely dangerous! What if your father will not arrive tonight, my lady?" Yeng asked worriedly. "Please - it is not safe to go out at this time."

"You have always been more than a maidservant to me; you are my best friend. You have helped more than anyone else. In this very moment, I beseech you to help me again as you always did." Yan Mei Ling appealed to Yeng. "I need to send a letter to Li Lei Shuang. It is very important."

Yeng sobbed. Her fear for her lady's safety and their friendship had played upon her heart like a tug-o-war. "If you want to send a letter to the princess, then let me do it instead, my lady."

"I know that you are concern about me, and I am grateful, Yeng." Yan Mei Ling said softly. "But I want to see Li Lei Shuang. I desperately want to see her."

"Can't you do it tomorrow when the sun sets high up in the sky, my lady?" Yeng's voice was full of anxiety.

Yan Mei Ling sadly shook her head. "No, Yeng, there is no other better time than now. Tomorrow may be too late."

°°°°°

The Hsien army advanced to the next village at the Eastern border after burning the previous one to the ground.

Under the blistering heat of the sun, all of the houses were consumed by the fiery monsters of inferno. Men were killed like dumb animals; women were utterly ravaged and violated beneath the glaring heat of the sun to abate the monstrous lust of the Hsien soldiers; and children were brutalized in all devious forms imaginable or some were hurled thoughtlessly like mere logs to feed flaming houses.

Some villagers, especially the males who fought back, were flogged until their back were bloody and raw. Their skins were flayed like cattles when their flesh became tender - this made the pain more agonizing, utterly unbearable. The method was so inhumane and brutal as the victim died from the shock of losing too much blood.

The others were subjected to another severe type of torture by having the nails removed and then pricking the fingers with sharp needles. The victims were then thrown to fire when the amusement of the sadistic Hsien torturers began to dissipate.

Thick black smoke rose above, overwhelming the pureness of the white sky with the devil's breath. The clear running water of river was soon tainted with red and black soot. The air smelled strongly of roasted human bodies and burning establishments. Cries and shouts for help filled the entire place but were hastily subdued after the silence, caused only by death, engulfed them.

The imperial army sent by the Emperor had soon arrived but the Hsien army outnumbered and crushed them like a pathetic worm beneath a man's boot.

The Hsien soldiers had already expected their arrival and had prepared a trap to defeat them. All Imperial soldiers were rained upon with arrows and cannons. Those who survived were immediately seized and beheaded.

It was an unfortunate day. Tragically unfortunate. . No words could describe the wickedness that had pervaded the entire village. It seemed that the Hsien army was the manifestation of the devil himself who only brought terror and death.

While the soldiers of the Hsien army destroyed what remained standing in the village, TongJun Linghua, one of the generals of the Hsien army, emerged from a small hut that wasn't burned yet. He licked his lips wickedly and adjusted his trousers; he felt carnally satisfied after raping the mother and daughter who lived in the hut. He flicked his finger to one of his soldiers who was holding a burning log. Throwing a meaningful look at direction of the hut, the soldier immediately complied to his silent command and set it on fire.

"Emperor Li Huang Di, you are a fool for refusing Lord Hsein Mao Dong's simple demand; now, you are next," TongJun Linghua muttered devilishly as he watched the bestial fire consumed the hut.

°°°°°

With the knowledge that her father had not came back yet, Yan Mei Ling sneaked stealthily into her room, like a thief in the night. She expected Yeng to be awake, waiting for her return, but then she found her maidservant sleeping soundly on her bed covered with several embroidered silk bedsheets.

The first thing that came to her mind was to shake Yeng until she woke up but she did not do it because of guilt. She felt that Yeng needed an uninterrupted rest after all the stress she put her poor maidservant into.

She sighed restlessly in her room and sat on the wooden chair near her study table with a rolled paper in hand. She thought about how she got the letter and its contents.

Yan Mei Ling had disguised herself as the Ninja boy again when she was walking along the cobbled street of the empire. She noticed several papers posted on the walls. Out of curiosity, she read it and was surprised that it was an announcement to call on men, experienced warriors or not, to join the Imperial army in haste.

She knew that it wasn't easy to join the army as one needed to pass the Imperial examination and, then the rigid military training before being admitted to the imperial army. But now qualifications were not important anymore as long as you were an able-bodied man.

She mentally scoffed at the discriminating qualification but she knew why more soldiers were needed. The Imperial army needed reinforcements to ease the dwindling number of imperial army soldiers due to the ongoing war.

After reading the entire announcement, a thought came to her but then she quickly dismissed it. Instead of going to the mountain, as she previously planned, she headed to the Imperial Palace after tearing one poster from the wall.

Still disguised in her ninja garb, she finally arrived at the Imperial Palace. With her extensive knowlege about its architecture and stealthy skills, she was able to elude the multitude of Palace guards.

She reached the Royal Princess' wing, she frowned when she saw the door of Li Lei Shuang's chamber slightly ajar. She tiptoed to make sure that no one would hear her. She saw a maidservant finally closing the door and eliminated the light inside.

Yan Mei Ling pressed her ears upon the wall and when total silence finally engulfed the chamber, she silently opened the door of the chamber and went inside. She carefully put her letter on Li Lei Shuang's desk. She was about to leave when a certain part of her beckoned her to take a look at her beloved best friend. She followed her heart for somewhere, deep inside, she felt that this would be the last time she would see the person that she loved. It maybe a sad thought but it was not far from impossible.

She slightly opened the silk curtains that covered Li Lei Shuang's bed.

Yan Mei Ling's breathing was arrested the moment that she laid eyes upon her best friend. Despite the shrouding darkness, Li Lei Shuang's beauty stood out like the vivid full moon against the expansive canvas of sable sky. Her straight long hair was like a jet-black ocean, glimmering wonderfully like a black onyx. Her melodic murmurs were like a divine song sang by the sweetest nightingale - it felt like a balm to her wounded heart.

Li Lei Shuang ethereal face shone with an incomparable radiance - she was, in every essence, like a goddess. She was so sweet, pure and delicate like an exquisite flower. No one should despoil her pristine sweetness. A sweetness that was inherently her.

Yan Mei Ling smiled through the darkness as she continued to watch her sleeping best friend.

Li Lei Shuang looked so peaceful and beautiful while sleeping. But, at the same time, she looked so fragile and vulnerable. Her endearing qualities always sparked out a deep sense of protectiveness within Yan Mei Ling.

The need to protect Li Lei Shuang was so strong that she was willing to lay down her life for her best friend. She was even willing to walk into the gates of hell if that would secure her best friend's happiness in heaven. Yan Mei Ling would do anything for her - anything and everything.

'I swear that I will protect you with all my life, Li Lei Shuang,' Yan Mei Ling whispered before planting a soft kiss on Li Lei Shuang's milky cheek.

Yan Mei Ling looked blankly into the wall of her dim room. She was thinking - thinking utterly hard. Her hands were unconsciously rolling and unrolling the poster that had been reading. If she was going to take the plunge into the ocean of danger, there would be no turning back. This thing she had been ruminating over was not something a child would play and easily get away with. If she would do this, she would be force to be an adult. She breathed in deeply hoping to calm the irrational beating of heart.

She stood from her stool, anxiously pacing back and forth. However, her steps were as light as a feather so as not to disrupt her slumbering maidservant, Yeng. She sat back to the chair after a moment, contemplating deeply. She sighed again and again.

'Think. Think hard. It's not going to be easy so think!'

A few more moments passed by and, finally, a decision had came to her mind. But she already fell asleep on the chair with her head resting on the table.

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