Lu Na gave up trying to clean her tunic. There was just too much dust and dirt from their rumble with the bandits. Instead, she tossed it into a corner and took out a new tunic. It was her only tunic left to wear. It was also one of her better tunics that she had specifically done.

Wearing the lower quality tunics of peasants allowed her to blend in with them while she was on the run, but now they’ve already been caught. There was no reason to wear that dirty rag anymore. So she put on her higher quality tunic made with a silk lining on the inside and a cool light blue-green color on the outside.

“And now you finally look pretty again. It’s a shame that you’re still dirty from rolling around on the ground though,” Nugua said.

Lu Na wished she could take a bath like Senior Wong, but she knew this was the only time she could plan with Sun Ren in peace and secret. Besides, Senior Wong didn’t look like a person who cared about her comfort. If anything, she relished in her misery.

Sun Ren had left her second tunic off and kept her Sun family tunic on the whole time. Just like Lu Na, there was no reason to hide anymore.

“Later tonight, I’m going to break into the ancestral shrine and steal the relic,” Sun Ren said. “What I need from you is to wake Hen Li and get him to meet us outside of the village. Do you have any more spirit walls I can have?”

Lu Na took out four spirit wall wards for Sun Ren. While she waited for Sun Ren, she might need to make some more. All the materials were in her pack.

“But how are we going to get around Senior Wong? She’s going to be sleeping in this bed.”

Sun Ren took out a small packet.

“This was the same sleeping drug they tried to use on us. I’m going to slip it into her drinks and food all night long. Don’t eat with her even if she offers you food, but if you do, I have the antidote. But knowing her, I doubt she’d offer us any food at all, anyway.”

“But what about any of the other disciples guarding outside? Don’t tell me you’re going to kill them.”

“No, I won’t kill unless forced to,” Sun Ren said. “I don’t make it a habit. But if I have to, I’ll hamstring them instead. It’s the least I could do since they saved us.”

“Then made us prisoners right after,” Lu Na said.

“And took over your comfy beds while I get to rest blissfully in here no matter how much you suffer,” Nugua said.

“Did Nugua say something?” Sun Ren asked.

“No, why?” Lu Na asked.

“You have that face like you smelled something bad but you’re too polite to say anything about it. Since I know it’s not from me, it must be from that snake spirit of yours.”

Lu Na sighed.

“Yes, it’s her again. I’ve always wondered how other people can suffer through their spirit’s thoughts and not want to kill them. Nugua has always been very… opinionated ever since we’ve bonded.”

Sun Ren looked with pity toward Lu Na.

“Oh Na Na, sorry you’re having such an experience with your spirit. For most people, they bond naturally with a spirit around age ten, but for most of their lives their spirits are just a part of them. They don’t talk to them. It requires a lot of summoner training before they talk back.”

“Yeah, I remember you told me it took you two years. But does your spirit say inappropriate things to you?”

“No, but she nags me like my sifu. I’m not sure which is worse.” Sun Ren laughed. “I guess we’re both blessed with interesting spirits.”

Lu Na forced a laugh herself.

“See, I am special. You have a friend for life. What more can you ask for?” Nugua said.

Senior Wong came back not too long afterwards. She looked refreshed in a new dark blue tunic. Her hair was freshly tied back and for once, her eyes were soft and relaxed instead of the usual glare she had.

It didn’t last long when she saw Lu Na.

“Greetings, Senior Wong.” Lu Na bowed her head.

“I don’t want to hear you,” Senior Wong said. “I’m about to eat, so you two should go find something to eat on your own.”

“Are we not eating together?” Sun Ren asked.

“Why would I ever bother eating with you two? I wouldn’t be able to keep anything down. So no, go find somewhere else to find your own food. And I’d hurry if I were you. Most of my fellow disciples have already started eating.”

Sun Ren shared a look with Lu Na and shrugged. She led the way out of the little room they shared.

For a moment, Lu Na thought they were free. Except there were three female disciples in dark blue tunics already waiting for them. All three bowed their heads toward Sun Ren.

“Greetings, Young Miss Sun. We’re here to escort you to the kitchens or anywhere you need to go,” one disciple said.

“I knew Senior Wong would not let us go so easily,” Sun Ren said. “Whatever, I’m hungry. Lead us to the dining area.”

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“Begging your pardon. It was actually Elder Hen that assigned us to be your liaisons,” the disciple said. “He didn’t want our Senior Wong’s attitude to affect your opinion on our Wintersweet Sect.”

“If that were true, you wouldn’t be keeping us as prisoners.” Sun Ren pushed past the three disciples before they could answer.

“I’m sorry about that. We’ve had a lengthy and tiring day today.” Lu Na bowed her head slightly toward the disciples before following Sun Ren.

Every table in the dining area was filled with Wintersweet disciples. No matter where she looked, every space was taken up from the tables to the floor. People were eating while squatting or sitting on the floor. There were large bowls of food in the center of the tables where disciples were scooping up with a large ladle.

“What is that smell?” Lu Na asked. Focusing on the smell, she could pick out notes of meat. Actual meat! She had eaten nothing other than some fish and many of those white buns that Hen Li had bought.

“It’s something a few of our fellow disciples cooked with the ingredients from the inn,” the disciple said. “The innkeeper was nowhere to be found, so we made use of his kitchen. This is the first actual meal we’ve had in a long time.”

“Have you eaten yet?” Sun Ren asked.

The disciples all shook their heads.

“We were told to serve you two first. Elder Hen made sure that we were to treat you two like our most valuable esteemed guests. We would never eat before you.”

Lu Na was confused. Why was Elder Hen treating them so well? It couldn’t be because of Hen Li. They dragged the poor monk into dangerous situations and almost got him killed.

“Find us a table,” Sun Ren said.

Two of the disciples broke off to find a table. They found one group that was finishing up to clean up and move on. There was a small disgruntled exchange, but when they pointed toward Sun Ren, they nodded and quickly went away.

Once Sun Ren and Lu Na settled in, the three disciples stood around them like personal bodyguards. They made sure no one approached them.

“It’s fine. You three should sit with us to eat too,” Sun Ren said. “We will not run away in a room with so many disciples and it’d be a waste of your time to stand watch.”

The three disciples looked at each other before settling in to sit around the table with Sun Ren and Lu Na.

“Thank you,” one disciple said.

“What are your names?” Sun Ren asked.

They looked at each other again with uncomfortable stares.

“I’m sorry, my name is Lu Fen,” the disciple closest to Sun Ren said. “My other disciples would rather not say their names.”

“For fear of retribution? I wouldn’t do that,” Sun Ren said.

“Begging your pardon, but we are keeping the daughter of Marquis of Wucheng prisoner and offended you the last time you visited our Wintersweet Sect. We know the Marquis has come back to the city and would demand an explanation from our sect. We’re just mere disciples. We don’t want that focus on us, especially when we know that some of our Elders wouldn’t hesitate to feed us to the wolves if it meant saving themselves.”

“Sun Ren is not like that,” Lu Na said. “She’s very nice.”

“To my allies. To my enemies…” Sun Ren trailed off.

“Oooh, I just remembered something you told me. I’m here to remind you again to never anger Sun Ren or make her an enemy. Although I’d be curious to see what she would do to you,” Nugua said.

Lu Na only smiled as the disciples all looked away from Sun Ren. She knew her friend wouldn’t do anything to her. Yet there was no doubt in Lu Na’s mind that her friend could turn into a monster if pushed. So yeah, she was going to listen to Nugua.

“Anyway, why did you tell us your name then?” Lu Na asked.

Lu Fen clasped her hands and bowed as deeply as she could at the table toward them.

“It’s because I wanted to thank you both for what you did during the Mid-Autumn Festival. I was there when our Sect Leader Wong ordered the deaths of the Lu maidens. I froze. Even though I was one of their senior disciples, my sect didn’t hesitate to kill us for their prized prophecy. Most of the Lu disciples have left the sect.”

“Well, that’s why I say Sun Ren would be too nice to do anything to you ladies,” Lu Na said. “She was the one that stayed to fight when she could have run away.”

“But Young Miss Lu, you’re the bravest of all,” Lu Fen said. “You fought Sect Leader Wong and that monster. As I was escaping from the madness, I saw you stand up to them and won. It was only a small glimpse of the fight, but your techniques and skills put all us senior disciples to shame.”

“I didn’t have a choice,” Lu Na said. “But let’s not dwell on the past. Let’s eat first. I’m glad to have met another Lu maiden that has gone through this unfortunate incident. We’re probably cousins or something, so another thing to celebrate.”

Lu Fen nodded. She picked up the ladle and piled the food onto separate dishes. She first served Sun Ren and then Lu Na before her fellow disciples.

Lu Na picked at her food, suddenly not hungry. Being reminded of her desperate fight with the ancestor and Sect Leader Wong made her hands shake.

Sun Ren held Lu Na’s hand.

“Are you remembering, after being surrounded by Wintersweet disciples again?”

Lu Na nodded.

“The monster is gone and their sect leader is not doing much better,” Sun Ren said.

“How did you know that?” Lu Fen asked in a whisper. “It’s a mess right now in the Wintersweet sect. The Elders are scrambling for power to lead the sect and most of the disciples are latching onto one Elder or another, hoping their side wins. We left with Elder Hen and Xu because they never cared for politics.”

“You shouldn’t be telling outsiders this,” the other disciple said.

Lu Na breathed out in relief. If the Wintersweet Sect was in disarray, then that meant Sect Leader Wong would be too busy to try and kill her for what she did. The only worry she had now was Elder Hen and his desire to meddle in her journey to find her mother.

“Fine, I won’t say anymore,” Lu Fen said. “The only thing I will tell Young Miss Lu is to not irritate or anger Senior Wong. She’s trying to find any excuse to hurt you despite Elder Hen and Xu warning her not to.”

“Thank you for telling me. I will stay out of her way.” Lu Na bowed her head.

“Eat as much as you can now,” Sun Ren said. She picked up her own chopsticks and took a large bite from a piece of roast pork. “We don’t know when we might eat this good again.”

Lu Na picked up her own chopsticks, and her hunger was returning. Sun Ren was right because of what they were going to do that night. After stealing the relic, they would not stay with the Wintersweet Sect. The only thing she had to solve was how to get to Hen Li and drag the monk out.

Before Lu Na could take the first bite of her food, Senior Wong burst into the dining area. Her hair was wet and sticking to her face. Her tunic was mostly in place, but some part of it hung loosely on her body.

“Where is she?” Senior Wong yelled.

The entire dining area became silent.

“Lu Na, come out here now.” Senior Wong clenched her left fist and spirit energy was spiking near her.

There goes the idea of eating any actual food. Lu Na wasn’t sure what was wrong this time, but this woman seemed to be a little crazy and needed help. That or locking her up so that she couldn’t hurt others. Lu Na would prefer that one.

“Here we go again. I hope you’re ready to take her on and all these other disciples,” Nugua said.

Maybe Nugua could go with her. Lu Na wouldn’t mind that either.