Once the first stranger arrived for the princess, Aini and Baohu did not remain in their home for another day.

They escaped as fugitives after offering Wanggou a funeral befitting a true warrior.

It was difficult yet also simple to leave home. Although the traumatic memories of losing a son and a sibling will always linger there, for Ta, it was all he had ever desired and for Aini, it was the only thing she had ever known.

They had no plan of what to do, they would just be on the run, hunted.

Baohu first advised that they go directly to the emperor during their flight, but Aini firmly disagreed, clearly against the idea.

She said that there were too many risky and unknowable variables.

“What if my father killed us right then and then?” She said.

Baohu wanted to find words in favor of her father but failed to do so, because in his heart, he could not be sure if he still was to be trusted.

The emperor was a very old friend. The whole Wo family had been, but since the death of Chongbaini’s wife, Henhao, he had changed.

"I still yet hope that a fragment of the man I once knew still remains inside him."

They ran for four years, getting closer and closer to Qanshi, the capital of Alaran. The princess's bounty continued to rise throughout this time, and when a certain point was reached, Aini reluctantly agreed to Baohu's scheme, seeing no other way out without putting themselves in even more danger.

In a sort of safe-house in Xueyi, a larger city very close to the capital of Alaran, he left Aini alone.

Baohu had no one to rely on to look after Aini while he was away.

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Either he believed he couldn't trust them completely or he believed he would never be able to forgive himself for endangering them.

The same applied to Aini.

By every definition other than biological, she was his daughter, and if something were to happen to her, just as it had with Wanggou, losing both his son and then his daughter; Ta would be lost forever.

Aini still warned him, "we shouldn't be doing this," before Ta had left.

"I've learned a lot in my life, and if we don't follow this road right away, it can be gone forever. I must seize the opportunity. If your father is willing to embrace you peacefully, then we must try," was his response.

"I have nothing against the idea, as a whole. I simply believe that we ought to stick together. With what happened to Wanggou, separating feels... wrong. Imagine if they took you or what if they discover me while you are away?"

"They won't find you. This place was only known to myself and... and Wanggou.

And I can look after myself. Your father won't take any extreme measures. While I am know that you enjoy using your head, Aini, you do not need to worry this much."

The Princess grumbled but did not say anything to oppose his decision anymore.

"When I come back, then we either join your father or we'll leave the country and start a new, hopefully not the latter. Alaran, no matter how corrupt, dangerous, wild or vicious, is our home and we should not abandon it lightly. Hopefully, we will get our happy ending."

"I know. And I hope so too."

Ta started out, but he never made it to the emperor; instead, a day into his journey, he came upon a group of men who were determined to stand in his way.

They were underworld thugs and wouldn't let him rest.

But not even ten men could stop Baohu's determination.

He didn't try to kill the men, but as fierce as they were, he had no other choice.

After a vicious fight only one of the men was still able to stand on his own.

Ta grabbed him and questioned, "Why do you attack me?

Scared, seeing what had befallen his comrades, the thug spilled everything he had in an instant, "we tried to kill you so that you won't be able to take the princess."

The criminal was shaken by Ta, "how did you find out? Who are you employed by? Answer me!"

"We work for the slave market. We watched you for weeks and waited for the right moment. The princess has already been taken."

"Where is she?! Where is the slave market?!"

"I- I can't tell. They'll kill me!"

"If they've hurt her, I'll do far worse than that!" Ta yelled in response.

The thug fumbled over his words, "They're- They're-"

A hurt thug was still able to lift his hand and shot a crossbow bolt into the throat of the interrogated thug.

He died after gurgling in agony and unable to speak.

Ta threw him onto the ground and mumbled to himself, "they have my daughter."