Unable to give in to reality, he blankly carried her in a bridal style while finding a clean place to rest.

'I need to find a clean place. I need to find water. I.. I need to clean her wounds, that way she will survive.' Xuan Di hypnotise himself with these step-by-step instructions to stop him from breaking further.

After walking mindlessly, he found a hidden cave and a nearby small pond filled with clean water. Slowly dropping Jae-in onto the floor, he ran off to find tree branches to start a fire.

With the fire started, there is light for him to see and tend to Jae-in's injuries.

With an unconscious Jae-in, he slowly remove her clothes that revealed her slim white tender shoulder and a prominent define collar bone that show off her feminine side. However, Xuan Di is not in the mood to admire her beauty.

The once anticipated red wound now turn into purple.

Xuan Di cursed under his breath as he realised that the sword has been laced with poison. Pulling her body close to his mouth, he rested his red lips onto her skin, sucking out the poison and spit it out at the side, leaving a red kissing marks on her shoulder.

Sucking a few times till her blood turn red, he finally release a shaky breath. Fumbling over his clothes, he find a small bottle filled with medicine and shake one pill onto his palm.

'100 poison relief' pill that will help to slow down the process of any kind of poison attacking the heart, however it doesn't heal at all. To fully heal, will need a specific diagnosis of the type of poison with the right remedy.

Pushing that small pill into the mouth of Jae-in, it quickly dissolved with her saliva.

After all the necessary measures being done, he finally relax and sat on the floor, definitely not in a graceful way of an educated Emperor.

He slowly recalled the moment she defended him and took that attack for him, a part of his heart clenched tightly while the other soften up.

"Why? Why did you do that?"

"Why do you want to leave?"

"Why do you want to escape?"

"What are you to me?"

He slowly caressed the side of her pale face with these questions being asked without any answer. Observing the skies, Xuan Di estimated that the sun will rise in 6 hours time.

Being confident in the skills of his men, he believe they will find their way here by the time the sun rise. Afraid that Jae-in will be hungry once she is awake, he head off to find edible fruits and gather clean water.

My body feels light and the darkness that I was surrounded soon replaced with a blinding white light. Taking a small step towards the light, it felt as though this world is so big and yet I am so small.

'Jae-in.'

A motherly voice echoed in this unknown world and I stopped my track.

'Who are you?'

'Jae-in.'

My name is once again called out by this woman, a voice that I do not recognise. As I continue my steps, the scenery changed and I was surrounded by a sea of purple lavender. It seems like I am on a hill of flowers.

At the top of the hill, there sits a familiar old tree.

'Wait, isn't this the old tree at Lai Fo Temple?' I thought and quickly ran up the hill in my child body.

Being a child, the size and height of the humongous tree scare me a little. Unlike the tree that was seen in the temple, this tree is filled with red rectangular cloth with words written on them and a bell tied at the end of it, hanging onto the extended branches.

With the movement of the wind, the red cloth follow the motion with a 'tingling' sound made by the bell.

As I drown myself in this blissful moment as a dead person, wondering is this the path towards Gates of Hell, soon I discover a womanly figure hiding behind the old tree.

'Is that the woman who speak of my name?' I wondered and head towards the back of the tree.

With a flowery decorated wooden swing that hang firmly from the thick sturdy branch, sits a woman with black raven hair and dressed in a white robe swinging herself freely. Before I could even speak, she stop swinging and remain in her position.

Her black raven hair that fall on her side, covered her face which hide her identity.

'Time to go back my child.'

As though the world exist under her command of words, I got sucked into the same darkness within seconds. Immediately, I open my eyes expecting the sight of hell, but to my disappointment, a rocky cave came to view.

'Where am I?'

Being forgetful, I attempt to sit upright and soon winced in pain as though I didn't realise my body was injured.

"Stop moving." The same old voice that I once loved.

Turning my head, and there he is sitting on the floor in an unsightly manner that I had never seen before, peeling the skins of an apple in his hands with a knife. Momentarily shock, my eyes remain on him.

'What is going on? Did I not die? Or did he save me? Why did he save me?'

"What are you looking at? Do you think I will let you go like that? No way you are suppose to die until you pay the debt you owe me." Xuan Di said with a threatening tone.

So it means that I am still alive ...

Laughing at the ridiculous thoughts of Xuan Di saving me as a humane action, I blame myself for not facing reality. Since I have endured the attack and saved his life, this will also mean from now on, we are even.

I do not owe anything to him. All the debts for forcing the unwanted marriage, those malicious acts of mine in my 2nd life and those obsessive love that I once force upon him, from now on, it has been paid off.

'I can no longer feel guilty and I deserve to live a life of my own. Act upon how I want to and not be restricted by rules and code of mannerism.'

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[A/N]

Actually I was contemplating whether should I post this but I know, it is hard to endure the waiting period of the update of each chapter. BUT, believe me, the wait is worth it as I cannot wait for you guys to see the advancement in the plots and also the romance to be stirred!

Happy Sunday peeps!