1 Yan Nuan!

"To reach great heights, you must have walked through the throes of evil, passed through the gates of hell. You must have received a thorough cleansing to the marrow. You must have suffered to the extent where you can no longer feel pain"- Mide

***

Han Jingrou, lead your army to the eastern fortress. We have to acquire Anhao before dawn,"

A clear voice rang in the vast battlefield, a deep contrast to the smell of blood in the air. Dead bodies littered the ground, blood smeared all over their shields and armor. Their attires were in two different colors; Red and Blue.

On a white horse, a figure sat gallantly. The back of the figure revealed its femininity. Her name was Yan Nuan. Her back stood straight and forlorn as she held a blood tainted sword. Her skin was fair and smooth revealing the beauty beneath the mask.

Her thin lips moved as she gave out several orders. She waved her sword and proceeded towards the rows of soldiers fighting up ahead. The horse sped out in full speed on par with its rider's swiftness as she slashed several of the enemy's army.

She wasn't able to move for a long time before a heart wrenching pain seized her. She groaned, not letting out a scream and let go of her tight grip on the sword's hilt. Due to the chaos playing out around her, no one noticed her strange behavior.

Except of course, a certain soldier also putting on the same color of armor approached her. Upon seeing an ally, Yan Nuan hurriedly stretched her hand out for help.

The other soldier merely glanced at her indifferently and snorted,

"Finally!'

Yan Nuan groaned again and due to lack of strength, she rolled off the horse. The white horse immediately limped towards her and squatted on the floor beside her. It nudged her with its mouth, trying to get a reaction from her.

She soon opened her eyes, though and smiled at the horse before glancing at her second in command who was currently sitting on a horse and looking at her with a smirk on her lips. She forcefully squeezed out the words, "Han Qing, why?"

Han Qing glanced at her and laughed. "Do you think I'm cruel? I've been waiting for weeks for you to die. The Mandrake Poison can kill even a Supreme Master within hours. But you, Yan Nuan refuse to die. Such luck you have. You even survived for four weeks. Anyway, aren't you dying already? You are going to die. Who is going to save you now?"

Yan Nuan was stunned. She found it completely unbelievable. Han Qing had even shown sympathy for her during the past four weeks of endless torture. She had even promised to go to the Supreme Physician on her behalf.

Was that all just a lie?

Where was the bond between them? As a shadow guard leader, she had never placed her trust in anyone. Except the Emperor and Han Qing. Where did it go wrong?

"I've never wronged you, Han Qing. Why are you doing this to me?" she asked, holding her stomach painfully.

Han Qing sighed.

"Yan Nuan, you've never done anything wrong to me. But, I just can't stand you. Why do you have everything? Why do I always have to be second best? Why do I have to be compared to you? Even the Emperor likes you the most. Why? Is it because you are his childhood friend? I had no intention of killing you, especially after the Emperor consulted me on his feelings for you. I thought he would hurry up and make you his consort. Then, you'll have to renounce your status as the leader.

Then, I'll have all the shadow guards under my command. But, he is so slow. I can't wait that long. Now, even the Emperor can't save your life."

Yan Nuan shut her eyes and her brows furrowed. She scoffed in her heart. She had been such a fool to trust someone like Han Qing. She had always thought about the wars and blood they had both shared and survived. But, it made her so naïve instead. No wonder, Han Qing persuaded her to hide her illness from the Emperor on account that he would be too worried to attend to his duties.

She sighed heavily in her heart. Yan Nuan, you're such a foolish soul.

Her eyesight became much more blurry and the pain grew more intense. She could feel her consciousness slipping away along with time. Soon, she couldn't hear or feel anything anymore. She became very numb. And, the only thing she could make out was the mocking smirk on Han Qing's lips.

***

A deafening silence took over and Yan Nuan couldn't hear anything for a long time. It was very uncomfortable for her. She had regained her consciousness but couldn't even feel her own body. Soon, she could see a deep fog. It was so thick and deep that she couldn't see anything beyond it. She looked around in confusion. She could only see clouds; several clouds of different sizes. She couldn't see her own body.

Was this what was called the soul leaving the body?

She looked back at the fog and saw that it was beginning to clear up. Her soul floated in the aerosol for a long time as she watched the fog clear up. It took a very long time but it cleared up completely.

Yan Nuan was shocked to see a crowd of people in the military camp. Curiously, she floated closer and saw her lifeless body in a man's arms. The man was putting on a purple robe.

Yan Nuan gasped, 'The Emperor!'

She moved towards him and could now see his face clearly. It was really the Emperor. He actually found out. His shoulders seemed to be shaking as he held her body tightly in her arms. Was he crying? He seemed so heartbroken. All the guards instantly kowtowed at the sight. Yan Nuan couldn't comprehend how she felt but it wasn't a good feeling. She felt like crying and her eyes stung painfully. It was only when she saw him cry, did it finally dawn on her: She was really dead!

She finally noticed someone beside him. That person she was also very familiar with. She was also very familiar with. She was also crying pitifully albeit pretentiously. It was Han Qing. She seemed so smug and pretentious that Yan Nuan couldn't stop herself from flying over to them. In a fit of anger, she rushed towards Han Qing and desperately tried to rip her face. She wanted to rip that pretentious face of hers.

But Yan Nuan seemed to have forgotten that she was only a ghost. Her hand passed through Han Qing's face. She was stunned and hurriedly retracted her hand. No one could see her. Even Han Qing didn't feel anything.

Yan Nuan sighed and looked around. She could see the rest of her subordinates huddled up together in their armors as they wept. Yan Nuan's heart further squeezed with sorrow at the sight. She returned her attention to the Emperor and saw that he was no longer crying. He wiped the streaks of tears off his face and pulled out the silver hairpin in her hair.

He put it in her mouth and watched as the needle slowly turned black. Yan Nuan's eyes widened. He was testing whether she was poisoned.

His gaze seemed very forlorn and those pair of eyes which always glittered whenever he saw her very dark and broody. He swooped her up and ordered,

"Get Physician Wu over. I want an autopsy. I want to know what kind of poison it is. Yan Nuan never fails to keep her promises. She told me she wouldn't get hurt. Since someone dares to kill my woman, he should be prepared to face the consequences!"

Yan Nuan instinctively turned to look at Han Qing and saw that she was stunned and beginning to panic. She returned her gaze to Emperor and her heart felt warm. Yan Nuan was very happy. At least, the Emperor was very observant. He knew that she didn't die of a soldier's sword. He ignored the stares of the people looking at him, strapping her onto his horse and rode off. Yan Nuan wanted to follow him but she was unable to move anymore. She could only watch his retreating figure as he rode off.

She wanted to struggle but she suddenly felt herself being pulled by a force. She could see a loop of white light ahead. The force of light seemed very endless as it sucked her in.