Curiosity

The next night, Long Xia's blood pumped as she ran.

She loved the thrill of being chased, but this time, she was the one who did the chasing. Her silver braid swayed over her back as she sprinted through alleyways, turned corners, and climbed stairs. She was on the roof as the masked woman ahead of her moved faster.

Long Xia loved challenges and chasing after the strongest woman she'd ever known—the Empress of the Underworld—was the biggest challenge she ever had.

Tracking down the Empress was no easy feat. The woman kept her identity tightly hidden, and once a month, Long Xia would be lucky enough to locate her but never fast enough to catch up. The Empress would always disappear right when she neared, and she hoped to speak a few words to her, to get a chance to be in her presence.

Only Long Yat-sen and her father were graced enough with such an opportunity, and Long Xia was just a warrior candidate, not yet high-ranked enough to receive orders from her.

Warrior candidates were a group of people selected by the Empress to train and fight. One day, she would choose the strongest candidate to be selected as the next Emperor or Empress of the Underworld.

Not only had Long Xia dreamed of meeting the Empress, but she had also dreamed of becoming like her one day.

Empress Xia—she liked the ring to it. Not only would she regain the title back for the Long family, but she would also annoy Yuan Bojing because he wanted the title too, as Emperor.

The Empress charged ahead with incredible speed that she did something Long Xia did not expect. She jumped from the roof and landed on the next one.

Long Xia was stunned. It was a big and impossible jump. The Empress did it, but Long Xia did not have the chance to prepare for the jump she was about to follow, and she could not stop at the speed she was running, so she jumped. And landed in the wrong position.

"Ahh!" Long Xia yelled as she rolled over.

She watched as the Empress ahead turned to face her for a moment before she jumped again and disappeared.

Long Xia hissed, holding her aching ankle. She glanced at the joint her foot met her leg. It was dislocated.

Long Xia could not stand or walk, and it was throbbing. She took out her cellphone.

She could call Shao Lin, but she'd be panicked and tell Long Yat-sen, and the last thing she needed was for any of her family members to know or to worry.

Her mother's side of the family—the Song's—were medical experts, so she could not walk into any ordinary hospitals, they would receive word immediately, and it would defeat the purpose of her family not finding out.

"Crap!" She shouted. She dialled a number.

He answered.

"I need your help," she told him.

"Where are you?"

"I'm not sure exactly. Can you track my phone?" She hissed as her ankle throbbed.

"Are you hurt?" Yuan Bojing questioned worryingly.

"Sort of, but please don't make fun of me."

"I'll be there soon," he said, ending the call.

Long Xia was surprised Yuan Bojing did not make some retort as to why she was hurt. When they were sparring partners, he would tease her about her positions and stances, and the way she lunged, and how easily she could get hurt if she had ill form. Long Xia hated how Yuan Bojing was better than her and right about everything.

He trained for years as a warrior candidate to become Emperor of the Underworld, and Long Xia had trained just as hard, but it wasn't easy to catch up to him. Although she had no issues with defeating her other opponents and the other warrior candidates, Yuan Bojing was someone she could never beat, and he was her greatest rival.

They had always been rivals. He challenged her with everything since they were children, long before they decided to become warrior candidates. Even though they had made love once shortly after her sixteenth birthday, even if he had been sweet, gentle, and patient, that time remained as it was back then—a moment of weakness. It could never happen again, even if she thought they could—

Footsteps interrupted her thoughts, and her attention snapped toward the noise. "Xia," she heard Yuan Bojing call, panting.

He ran to find her?

"Over here."

Relief filled his expression once he heard her voice, once she was in his sight. He came over, bending down, searching her body, and shaking. "Are you all right? Where are you hurt?"

Long Xia realized he must have been afraid she was bleeding or, worse, dying.

"Bojing, it's just my ankle."

He shuddered, relief filling him as he released a breath. He looked at her ankle. "We need to take you to a doctor."

"All right, but can you get one that doesn't have connections to my family?"

He nodded. "Yes, I know someone," he said, placing an arm beneath her legs, lifting her, careful not to touch her ankle.

Yuan Bojing then carried her bridal style down the side of the building. He took her into his car and sped off, calling a doctor on the way.

He took Long Xia to his apartment, where the doctor could look at her comfortably. After the doctor finished treating her, he put an ankle brace on her to treat her sprain, and then she was left on Yuan Bojing's bed.

Yuan Bojing paid the doctor discreetly before the physician left.

They were left alone when Yuan Bojing turned to face her with scrunched brows and crossed arms. "What were you doing?" he questioned angrily.

Long Xia didn't answer.

"You were chasing the Empress again, weren't you? How many times did I tell you it is forbidden to find out who she is? She'd have to kill you if you got near."

"Like I have to listen to you," she spat. "Besides, she seems to like the chase. The Empress is strong, and there are times she makes it easy to find her, to catch up, as if this is a game between us—only us."

"A game?" He countered. "You are courting death, and she is death incarnate."

Long Xia pouted. "I only want to hear her voice…a command. She noticed me, and that is why she selected me. I want to see what she sees in me."

Yuan Bojing sighed, running a palm down his face. He then bent down to be at her level. "The Empress chose you because you are strong. Isn't that enough?"

She sighed, shaking her head. "Don't you ever feel curious about the woman that commands all eight organizations? About her life, what she does? She has a husband, the Emperor Consort. I wonder if she has children too, but that would make them my rivals, I suppose."

Yuan Bojing gave her a pitying look. "I understand the curiosity, Xia, but you are asking to be killed. There's a reason her identity is secret and hidden. She's protecting others."

Long Xia did not think of it that way. Perhaps the Empress does have a family she wants to protect since she has the biggest target on her back, and they were her greatest weakness.

Yuan Bojing watched her internal conflict before he continued, "If you only want to meet her, just to share a few words, then I will help you. It won't be easy, although. The Empress gets to decide who she speaks to and when."

Long Xia gaped at him, surprised. "You'd join me?"

Yuan Bojing nodded. "Yes."

Long Xia felt the sudden urge to throw her arms around him, but then, she reminded herself that they did not have that kind of relationship, not even a friendship. "All right, then I will wait for my ankle to heal a bit first."

Yuan Bojing stood. He then reached for her hair, removing the wig, letting her black locks fall over her shoulders. He twirled a loose strand. "Get some rest, and shout if you need anything."

Long Xia gave him a curt nod. "Thank you."

Yuan Bojing only glanced at her, long and hard before he left, shutting the door behind him.