The Different Paths They Took

The next day, Ying went to visit the girl who was raped by the bandit. That girl still had another younger brother who was only three years old. The boy was safe, and a neighbor took care of him.

Ying walked near her bed with a bowl of congee and said, "Little sister, let me feed you! You have to eat something!"

The girl ignored her and kept on crying.

Ying caressed the girl's hair and said, "I'm also an orphan." She sighed and continued, "As long as we still live, we still have hope."

The girl wiped her tears and said, "You just didn't know what I went through!"

Ying nodded and said, "I believe that you are a strong girl!"

The girl sighed and said, "You have saved me! Thank you!"

Ying nodded. "You still have your house and your parent's farm! You shall continue your life!"

The girl sighed, "It's better for me to die. The neighbor could take my father's land to feed my brother and take care of him!"

"I know that your life is not easy. But let me tell you my story. A few months ago, I was also captured by a bandit. The bandit almost did to me like what the bandit did to you. I resisted! As a result, that bandit killed me. He stabbed my stomach with a big blade. I saw my intestine was pulled out from my stomach! I'm lucky that I don't die! Mister Yao and his wife saved me and become my teachers. Now, although I'm all alone in this world, I have a purpose in my life. I want to kill as many bandits as I could. You still have a younger brother. You have to be healthy and live! It's for your parents, for your brother, and yourself!"

The girl cried again.

"You are not the only one who has this kind of experience. There are many girls out there who have the same experience as you. Yet, they still live and continue their lives! Be strong, at least…for another few years until your brother could live by himself!"

The girl nodded and wiped her tears, forced herself not to cry. "Then I also want to be like you, I also want to kill as many bandits as I could!"

"Good! Therefore you have to eat now! Be healthy, therefore someday you could take revenge!" Ying said and handed the bowl to the girl.

The girl accepted the bowl and said, "Jiejie**, thank you!" (**jiejie : older sister)

Ying nodded. "What's your name?"

"My name is Qian!" she said and started to drink her congee.

"My name is Ying!"

"Ying-jiejie will you come to revisit me?"

Ying nodded, "If you let me!"

The girl looked at Ying and saw her clothes were torn on the stomach with blood on it. She asked, "I don't see your gut! Where is it?"

Ying was a bit surprised then laughed, "It was a few months ago. This wound, I just got it yesterday! Yesterday I killed four bandits! Two with arrows, and two with bow and sword!"

Qian laughed, but then she started to cry again. She put her bowl on the floor and hugged Ying said, "Jiejie, I'm scared!��

Ying didn't have any siblings, and as an adopted child, nobody ever hugged her before. She was a bit confused. After some time, she hugged back the girl and patted her back said, "Don't be scared! Jiejie will do the utmost to help you and take care of you!"

Ying's childhood, Min, her first death experience, and Qian, had changed Ying's life forever. She found her purpose in life.

Mister Yao and Madame Ling saw Ying was not only smart and a hard-worker girl. But she also possessed a kind heart who had compassions to other people. They loved her more and more.

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Summer 484 BC.

That day Wu Zixu and Xuanye took a walk around Guanwa Palace - The Palace of Beautiful Woman. A palace built for Xi Shi.

"Xuanye, look at this palace!" Wu Zixu appointed the Guanwa Palace's main building. "See how beautiful it is!"

"Indeed, beautiful!" Xuanye said.

Both of them then took a rest and sat on the pavilion and enjoyed the beautiful scenery

"This used to be our soldiers' training ground. Now it becomes a beautiful palace." Xuanye sighed. "Once someone off guard, then the disaster will come. Just a few years ago, we wiped out Yue from the map. But now, they are growing bigger."

Thinking about it, Xuanye's heart became weary.

Xuanye was a trusted aide of Wu Zixu. He was a genius scholar and an excellent blacksmith. Besides his title as a military commander under Wu Zixu, he's also in charge of the weapon production of Wu. When he was younger, he was trained under Ou Yezi, the legendary blacksmith.

He was a tall, well-built man with a long thick beard covered his face. With beautiful eyes and nose, probably he was handsome when he was young.

During his service at Wu, he made a lot of merits, especially in the military. Yet, he was very low profile. When other people tried to be outstanding, Xuanye attempted to be as low profile as he could. He was just happy to be under Wu Zixu.

"Xuanye, you have many talents! You should leave Wu and make a career in another place. You are much better than me. It's just you're too humble," Wu Zixu said.

"My lord, it is my honor to serve you!" Xuanye said. "I always respect you and treat you like my own senior. I will serve you no matter what!"

"Xuanye, do you remember the day when I gave you my sword?" Wu Zixu asked.

"How can I forget? That day you told me what I am. That day, you officially become my mentor, and you gave me your sword!"

"I hope that you will use my sword to help me to reach my dream!" Wu Zixu continued and said, "I know that you don't feel comfortable with your immortality. But a human like me. How I envy your immortality. "

Xuanye laughed and said, "Lord, you are a brilliant, loyal minister. You will be immortalized because of your deeds!"

Wu Zixu shook his head. "I got my hair turned white just in a few days because I was under stressed." He laughed and continued, "You just have to shave all your beard, and you got your handsome youth face again!"

Xuanye laughed and shook his head, "It's painful to see the people I love die. My parents, my sisters, the servants, and maids! Then my first wife. Then my second wife, my third wife, and now my fourth wife, is getting old and started to have some illness!"

"That's the life of mortals!" Wu Zixu said.

For a moment, they said nothing.

"Xuanye, if I die, you should continue and write the military books we compile. Those books might be useful for future generations!" Wu Zixu broke the silence. "That's my only legacy!"

"Yes, my lord!" Xuanye said. "You are a great warrior. And with your book, the history records will have your name forever!"

"Many of my battles won because of you. If not, because of you, I might not be able to achieve it! We both know; you are far superior to me!"

Xuanye said nothing.

"Why do you always try to hide your capability?" Wu Zixu asked. "Is it because of your immortality?"

Xuanye nodded. "Before I knew from you, and before I met Master Yao- the senior immortal; I had already realized that I'm a special breed. Therefore to avoid any suspicion from others, I always moved from place to place every twenty or thirty years. It's pretty tiring! I made merit, built my career, and then I have to leave it," Xuanye sighed. "Therefore, I prefer to be unknown!"

Wu Zixu laughed, "The mortals want to be immortals, yet the immortal sigh for his immortality. Those without talents want to be outstanding, yet the outstanding one wants to be unknown! What an irony!"

Both of them laughed.

"Aye, since you're an ancient man. Tell me, what do you think of Yue beauties, Xi Shi and Zheng Dan! I also think that they are beautiful. Xi Shi is the most beautiful girl I've seen in my life. But I only have these fifty years of life. You, old man is older than two hundred years old. Tell me, is there are any woman more beautiful than her?" Wu Zixu asked.

Xuanye laughed, "Honestly, my first wife could be compared to Xi Shi. And for Zheng Dan, there are some nobles women I saw could be compared to her!"

"Your first wife? That should be more than two hundred years ago," Wu Zixu said. "And only after two hundred years, then you just see again someone could be compared to her!"

"Right!"

"Alas!" Wu Zixu said, "A beauty that could only be found once in a century. No wonder Fuchai was enchanted by her beauty! I guess Wu is destined to doom!"

Before Xuanye answer, a eunuch arrived and brought a message, "Minister Wu, General Yan, today audience with the king is canceled. The king is not feeling well and wants some rest. You may leave now!"

Wu Zixu closed his eyes, tried not to get angry.

"Let's go, my lord!" Xuanye said.

Both of them decided to leave the palace. And as they walked away, almost reached the palace gate, they heard some happy laughter. And that's Fuchai's voice.

Wu Zixu and Xuanye saw Fuchai was taking a pleasant walk while jesting around with Xi Shi, attended with a lot of maids and guards.

Wu Zixu lost his patience. While Xuanye made a salute with his fist to pay respect to Fuchai, Wu Zixu stared at Fuchai with angry eyes.

"Fuchai, not only you have forgotten your father's death. But now you are also neglecting your duty as a king of Wu!" Wu Zixu angrily said.

"Minister Wu, I've never forgotten my father's death. And I've never neglected my duty as a king!" Fuchai replied.

"Then what are you doing here? Are not the king is having fun with his beloved Yue beauty?" Wu Zixu said. "My king, please, don't let this woman bewitched you!"

Xi Shi's face changed. She's not angry and was just embarrassed. What Wu Zixu said was not wrong. She had to bewitch Fuchai and make him neglect his work. That's her mission! Xi Shi could only lower her head.

Seeing Xi Shi's face changed, Fuchai thought that Xi Shi was upset. He immediately reprimanded Wu Zixu and said, "Minister Wu, don't talk nonsense in front of Consort Shi! She respected you and invited you to her birthday party. Yet you refused to come and didn't even want to congratulate her. Now, you're barking like a mad dog!"

"My king, indeed, I am barking like a dog since I am a loyal dog for my master! Your father and I fought many battles together. When he died, he asked me to take care of you. But look at you now! Our Wu State will collapse because of you!" Wu Zixu shouted in a loud voice. "It is my duty as a loyal dog to remind you!"

"You're annoying me, Wu Zixu!" Fuchai also shouted in a loud voice. "Who do you think you are? Just because you're a minister since my father's time, do you think you have a right to control me?"

"My king, you can do whatever you want! Just don't listen to those Yue witches!"

"She's not a witch!" Fuchai angrily said

"I have given you so many chances to change. You have always insulted her, and don't give me a face!"

"A minister gives a face to his king through honest words and bits of advice. A traitor minister gives a face to his king through flattery. I'm sure you know this theory, right?"

Having heard Wu Zixu's grievance and resentment, Fuchai took off his decorated sword hung on his waist and threw it to Wu Zixu. "I have enough with a barking dog!"

Wu Zixu disbelieved what he heard. Wasn't that mean Fuchai wanted him to take his life?