If only everything had fallen into place just as the mountain clan carefully planned. Their mission was to kill the emperor and that task was stolen by someone greedy for power. The exposure of Joaolong's bloodlines happened in danger instead of in a safety nest. Now, Mingzhu risked her life to make at least one good intention go right; she would protect Joaolong no matter what.

Lady Gaze stayed empty as seconds ticked by. The whistle — which warned them of soldiers and foxes in the garden — still hung in the air. Mingzhu waited behind a bush, tensed up and on high alert. They needed this backup route to work. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness and sought signs of struggle. A footprint in the dirt. Fallen leaves. Snapped twigs. She convinced herself the danger had passed and a Fox already led the soldiers away. Otherwise, they were trapped inside the palace.

“Keep quiet or else,” she snarled at Xiaoli.

The woman cowered and choked on a whimper. She looked pathetic, with all ounce of harshness and strength drained with her loss of power. Why did she save the woman? Mingzhu found herself struggling to grasp the reason of her own actions. It had something to do with pity but it was more than that. Was it for Joaolong’s closure? Was it empathy? Why? Why? Why? Yet, she feared the reason was more personal than she wanted to discover.

“Is it clear to move?” Joaolong asked.

“When you checked the garden, which tree was your choice?”

“The one beside the red flowers is our only hope. It has strong branches and reaches closest to the border wall but…”

“But?”

“We still have to jump.”

Mingzhu cursed; a jump over the border wall decreased their survival. One wrong move and they would be caught or left broken for the enemy. She gripped her rope tighter. For the mountain clan, she reminded in her head, for the new emperor.

“Desperate times call for desperate measures. Are you ready to—”

The sentence remained unfinished. Boots thudded against pathways. The clank of weapons echoed around. A man laughed with glee. Worst of all, Joaolong stared towards the flaming torches at the garden entrance.

Huli waltzed onward, illuminated by fire. A dark grin tightened his face and those mismatched eyes glowed as if belonging to a demon. In his hand, he twirled a human head by it's straw hair. The face looked defeated and blood still dripped from it's sliced neck. From far away, Mingzhu saw him taunt something to the dead, familiar face. Oh no. She looked at Joaolong and knew this changed everything. The small hope of escape died into embers. Oh no.

"Master Wang," Mingzhu hissed in desperation. "We must stick to the plan."

"They killed him."

Mingzhu swallowed audibly. "That was the price we agreed to pay tonight. We must leave before you follow the same fate and leave Shanhe without a rightful emperor."

"They killed him."

"We cannot mourn if you are dead too," Mingzhu argued but she knew her words meant nothing. The look on his face matched the expression she wore over a year ago. The pain stirring in his chest she had once shared. He would not leave now. "Please listen."

"Is that...?" Xiaoli mumured, joining the to stare towards the courtyard. "E-e-emperor. No. No! He must not know I ran! He will kill me! He will!"

"Oh, shut up!" Mingzhu growled and gripped Xiaoli's hair in a threat. But as soon as her eyes left Joalong, he acted.

Seven guards. One emperor. Only of of us who can fight, Mingzhu calculated while she shoved Xiaoli to the ground. Frustration bubbled in her as she touched her Fox mask. I will be with you soon, my dear sister.