Lu Na and Sun Ren followed Senior Wong to the reception area of the inn. The innkeeper was nowhere to be seen.

“I was hoping to get another room, but if there is no one here, I’ll settle for yours,” Senior Wong said.

“It’s fine. We have two beds,” Lu Na said.

“No, you don’t. You’ll be sleeping on the floor where I can monitor you.”

Sun Ren ignored Senior Wong. She walked behind the small desk and went inside the back area of the inn. There was no one there. No cooks, no maids or servants, and definitely no innkeeper.

“They’re gone,” Sun Ren said. “I had a feeling that they were working with the bandits, but I didn’t think they would all flee their own village.”

“The bandit leader ran when Elder Hen summoned his horse spirit,” Senior Wong said.

“But why would these people run too? They had nothing to do with the bandits. They’re not stupid enough to follow them into the labyrinth, especially since they know there is no coming back out.”

“Why don’t we go out and see where the rest of the people are?” Lu Na led the way out of the inn and into the afternoon light. The fresh air was a welcome relief from the smell coming from Senior Wong. At least for the moment, before two other Wintersweet disciples flanked her outside.

“Report. Did any of you see any of the other villagers?” Senior Wong asked.

The left disciple cupped his hands and bowed.

“Reporting to Senior Wong. All the villagers are gathered in the village’s ancestral hall in the middle of the village. Elder Hen is already on his way to talk with them.”

“If Elder Hen is there, then they’re probably fine,” Lu Na said. “Why don’t we all take a nice bath in the stream?”

Senior Wong glared at her.

“No, I can’t let Elder Hen get all the credit for this. Let’s go.”

The three ladies walked down to the ancestral hall where two of the male villagers stopped them.

“I’m sorry ladies, but the village leader is discussing matters of great importance with the Wintersweet Elder. Wait until they’re done.”

“I’m with the Wintersweet Elder. Let me through,” Senior Wong said.

“I apologize, but women are not allowed inside our ancestral hall.”

Senior Wong walked up to the male villager blocking her way. His face scrunched up from the smell.

“I’ve been through all manner of hell to get to this little backwards village. I had to deal with so much crap from some spirit monkeys that I’m already furious. And if you don’t let me through, I’ll spend all my anger on you.”

The spirit energy around Senior Wong became dense. The pressure from it pushed the male villager back three steps.

The other male villager walked up to Senior Wong. This one was taller and better muscled. He looked like he’d been toiling on the farms every day of his life. He pushed Senior Wong back a step.

“You can’t go in, woman. Our ancestors will strike us all dead if we allow a woman in.”

Sun Ren pulled Lu Na three steps back and activated her earth wall ward. A thick brown wall rose from the ground in front of them.

“Senior Wong won’t hurt us,” Lu Na said.

A hard thud slammed against the earth wall, cracking it. That ward was enhanced with null metal. Lu Na was glad Sun Ren put it up.

“Never underestimate angry women,” Sun Ren said. “She only needed to monitor us. No one ever said she couldn’t accidentally hurt us while taking care of other business.”

Sun Ren tapped the earth wall ward and it collapsed. The two male villagers were on the floor, one bleeding from the head while the other seemed like he fainted. When the dust settled, Senior Wong was glaring at Lu Na.

That was getting old.

“I’m so glad that I didn’t injure you,” Senior Wong said. She turned and walked toward the ancestral hall.

When they reached the doors, the two male villagers quickly opened the door to welcome in the ladies. Some of the male villagers ran outside to tend to the two that were on the floor. The heavy scent of incense was the only welcome thing as it finally overwhelmed the smell coming from Senior Wong.

“Little Yoong, you didn’t have to come and disturb the peace of the village,” Elder Hen said.

“I don’t care. I came with you because I don’t trust you, old man,” Senior Wong said.

“Well, since you’re here, you can listen in on the village leader’s plight. I’m sure there’s something we can do to help him.”

The three ladies sat down behind Elder Hen on straw mats.

The village leader stared at the three women and then at their feet.

“What?” Senior Wong said.

“You didn’t take off your shoes,” the village leader said.

“I would have respected your ancestral hall if your men didn’t stop me. So deal with it.”

Lu Na took off her shoes and grabbed Sun Ren’s as well before running back to the entrance to leave their shoes. How had she forgotten these basic courtesies? Had she been away from her own home that long?

Or it was probably the crazy actions of Senior Wong that were affecting her. Today was a tiring day and it didn’t seem like it was going to end anytime soon.

Lu Na ran back and sat down beside Sun Ren.

Sun Ren cupped her hands and bowed her head toward the village leader.

“I’m Sun Ren, daughter of Sun Wentai, Marquis of Wucheng. I apologize for disrespecting the village leader, but we were attacked at your village’s inn. We would like an explanation.”

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Lu Na followed suit.

“I am Lu Na, daughter of Lu Tien, of Jianye. I also apologize.”

The village leader glanced at Senior Wong, but she only glared back. He swallowed and bowed his own head.

“I am the village leader here, Mu Shun. First, I’d like to apologize on behalf of the village for the actions of Yang Deli. As I was telling your Elder that he moved in weeks ago and has forced us to comply with his orders. We’re only a small village in the middle of nowhere. We couldn’t fight the bandits off without the aid of the Imperial Army.”

Lu Na could accept that. If a certain summoner sect could take over a city in search of Lu maidens because of some prophecy, then why would it be any different to a small village being taken over? The only thing she couldn’t understand was why they were trying to get into the labyrinth without a plan or a key.

“Oh no, Yang Deli has my hairpin.” Lu Na got up, only to be pulled down by Sun Ren.

“Do you mean this hairpin?” Elder Hen asked. He took out the silver phoenix hairpin and waved it around.

Lu Na reached out for it, but Senior Wong’s glare made her freeze.

“It seems like you don’t understand your situation, Young Miss Lu,” Senior Wong said. “You’re not here as a guest this time. You’re here as our prisoner.”

Lu Na sat back down.

“No, Young Miss Lu and Young Miss Sun are both our guests,” Elder Hen corrected. “We are not an evil summoner sect that holds young women against their will.”

Lu Na and Sun Ren both glared at Elder Hen.

“Yes, our last encounter was different. That was only because our sect leader was unwell and his orders conflicted with our Wintersweet Sect’s values. And for that, I apologize.” Elder Hen bowed his head low toward the two ladies. “Now I hope we can work together for the common good and solve this issue before the bandits get the secret in the labyrinth.”

Lu Na wanted nothing more than to slap down all her earth wall wards and run out of there with Sun Ren. But she couldn’t do that with Hen Li still knocked out and she wasn’t sure how restrained all those powerful summoners would be if she tried to escape again. The last time they sent low-level disciples. This time, Elder Hen had an army of senior disciples all about as powerful as Senior Wong.

“That young man is wise,” Nugua said. “And yes, I’m finally back and yes I called that aged body of muscle young. I guess there’s no reason to hide since I’ve already told you I’m thousands of years old. You’re just going to have to accept my little hobbies.”

Lu Na changed her mind. She wanted to slap some sense into her spirit. She’s a prisoner of the Wintersweet Sect and all Nugua could do is ogle at yet another man. What was going on with that, anyway?

Sun Ren cupped her hands.

“I’m only here to support my friend. If she wants to walk away, I’m sure I can borrow the strength of my Sun family to help her. But since we seem to have a common goal of stopping the bandits, then we will work with you on one condition.”

“What?” Elder Hen asked.

“When we capture Yang Deli, I get to determine his fate.”

“Done. We’re not part of the government anyway, but we would be glad to help you put away a bandit who has been terrorizing this village.”

Mu Shun dropped to his knees with his head touching the floor.

“Please, spare the bandits, Young Miss Sun. They had no choice.”

Everyone looked at the village leader. His whole body was shaking. All the other village males within the ancestral hall didn’t bow, but they looked concerned.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Sun Ren asked.

“All the new bandits that joined Yang Deli are actually the boys from our village. He came and recruited them for the dangerous mission of going into the labyrinth. We told them that there was no treasure inside, but he thought we were lying about it. Please spare them.”

“What do you think, Elder Hen?” Sun Ren asked.

“You’re the highest ranking government official here. Why are you asking me?” Elder Hen sat back.

“It’s because, if we truly are working together, you’re going to be providing the manpower on this endeavor. So if you don’t think your Wintersweet Sect can’t do it, then I can’t promise anyone anything.”

“Young Miss Sun really knows how to use people. I’d be careful of her if I were you, Young Miss Lu.” Elder Hen got up, standing over the bowing village leader. “Fine. We will do our best to rescue these young boys from your village and bring them back. All you need to do is give us all your knowledge and information about the labyrinth.”

Mu Shun sat up, tears flowing down his face.

“Thank you, Elder. They are the future of our village and without them, our village is done.”

Elder Hen stooped to face the village leader.

“I mean everything, including whatever you’re hiding from Yang Deli inside that ancestral shrine.”

Everyone glanced over at the shrine.

Lu Na used her technique and could only see a faint amount of spirit energy along the edges and corners. If she wasn’t focusing so hard on it, she would have missed it along with all the other ambient spirit energy floating around the ancestral shrine. How did Elder Hen see it?

Mu Shun bowed his head again.

“I can tell that this Elder is a very strong summoner, but whatever we keep in the ancestral shrine has nothing to do with the labyrinth. It is a relic from one of our ancient ancestors that we pray to for guidance and help in our time of need. I’m sure you can appreciate how we wouldn’t want to offend our ancestors.”

Elder Hen smiled and nodded. His face looked like a grandfather who heard a joke from his grandkid.

“But of course. It would be rude of me to assume anything and disturb your ancestor. One of the first things we teach our children is to respect our elders and our ancestors. Then I’ll trouble the village leader for any other information you can provide us for the labyrinth.”

Mo Shun cupped his hands and bowed his head.

“Of course. It would be my pleasure to provide you with everything we know if the Elder of the Wintersweet Sect will save our boys.”

“Then if you’ll excuse us.”

Elder Hen stood to leave.

Lu Na and Sun Ren followed behind Senior Wong as the three women left the ancestral hall.

“I’m tired and I would kill for a bath. So I’m going to leave you two with one of my juniors,” Senior Wong said. She waved a man in a dark blue tunic over. The man bounded over like a horse going to its master. “You, watch over these two and don’t let them out of your sight. If I come back and find that they’re missing or gone, I’ll shatter your spirit realm. Got it?”

The giddy face the man had disappeared and he bowed deeply.

“Yes, Senior Wong.”

Senior Wong turned toward them, the putrid smell coming back. Lu Na wasn’t sure if it was from her body or her mouth. Either way, the words she said were grating to the ears as well.

“You two better not try to disappear. Because if you do, I swear that the next time I see you, I will settle it between us for my father,” Senior Wong said.

Sun Ren unsheathed a dagger and cupped her hands toward Senior Wong with the tip pointing toward the ground.

“I wouldn’t dare dream of running away from your kind invitation and protection. If not for Hen Shimin’s kind actions in saving us, we’d probably be dead. But make no mistake, we’re staying because of his actions, not yours. If you dare threaten me again, I’ll sink this dagger into your body like all the bandits I’ve already killed.”

Senior Wong swallowed hard before she turned to walk away.

“That woman scares me, Na Na,” Nugua said.

Lu Na scoffed. Sun Ren scared Nugua? Did she forget how that twisted spirit threatened Lu Na when they bonded for the first time?

“Are we really staying put?” Lu Na asked. “Because if we are, I’d be very interested in looking at whatever they’re hiding in the ancestral shrine.”

Sun Ren smirked.

“Oh, we’re definitely staying. At least until we steal whatever is there.”

“But I just want to look at it. I don’t want to take someone else’s priceless relic.”

“We’re going to steal it before the Wintersweet Sect does. I’ll tell you more when we get back to our room. I don’t want these Wintersweet disciples listening to our conversation.”

The man assigned to them finally got back up from his bow once Senior Wong was out of sight. Even Lu Na noticed that this man either admires Senior Wong or is in love with her. Either way, she actually felt sorry for the man.

Senior Wong is not one to be loved, but to be feared. More so after they steal the relic and make their escape.