LEGEND OF THE GOLDEN TIGRESS

That cannot happen! He better stay alive!

"Wait..", he called and Xing turned to look at him,

"Have it with you. You will need it for your purpose", he tried to push that sword in her hands.

The sound of the flowing water intensified as night approached and the air carried a chill that made her skin have gooseb.u.mps. She looked at her hero she had admired for years is standing in front of her and he has every plan to kill himself.

"I have a condition. I"ll accept this sword only if you promise me one thing", she folded her hands over her chest and looked at him with her chin up.

The Tians.h.i.+ Emperor sighed looking at her. He looked impatient and withdrawn as if he had finished what he has to do and have nothing else to live for. Can"t she just accept it and get on with her life? He has somewhere to go, right?

"What?", his tone showed the impatience he had.

Xing took a step closer and whispered in his ears, "Promise me that only I am allowed to kill you", saying this she stood straight with her eyes focused on him and raised her eyebrows as if asking for his answer.

Xing looked at the Tians.h.i.+ Emperor for a full minuite who had now figured out why she is asking for such weird promise.

She wants me to live and not kill myself!

Seeing him not responding, she turned to leave, "Think about it... I will accept the sword only from your hands after you promise me and not from anywhere else. So don"t get smart with me", she left without turning back.

She didn"t want him to leave the sword with someone else or hidden in a puzzle and continue on with his plans.

Xing was led to the campsite by the owl when Bai Li appeared in front of the Tians.h.i.+ Emperor, "Isn"t she a lot like you? Doing what she wants?", he snickered.

"No she is better than me. She knows what she wants and has the courage to stand and fight for it and she is too kind",he had a proud smile in his face. Who would stand in front of him and say that they"d prefer a n.o.ble family name over the imperial name!

"That boy too...and her... They have the patience to go through the right path even though they know the success rate is zero. I am truly impressed by them", he continued and Bai Li stood silently.

"He trusts her and she trusts him and both love each other the most. There is no way they"ll fail", Bai Li said. He has lived more than a thousand years and he has never come up with someone like her.

"Watch over her... She still wants me to live and it surprises me. I thought she"d kill me immediately after telling her I am the reason for all her sufferings", he sighed.

"Don"t put yourself down, little Yuan. If not for you, I wouldn"t be here and my entire race would have been eliminated. I will pay for what I owe to you", Bai Li patted the Tians.h.i.+ Emperor"s back and both of them watched the last rays of sun disappear in the far West.

"Do you remember my name, w.a.n.g Zian?", the Tians.h.i.+ Emperor asked.

" Isn"t it Lu Yuan? Everyone calls you little Yuan don"t they? And why are you asking me what your name is?"

"I don"t think my given name has Yuan in it. It was a pet name. That child asked me and I didn"t know"

"That child..! She really is something..", Bai Li chuckled, " I think It is WeiYuan"

"No... I told you I don"t have Yuan in my name"

"ZhiYuan? "

"Nooo!"

"Yuanyi"

"Now you are making it up.."

"You were the one who asked me.."

The two people who had lived for centuries started looking for a name when Xing reached the camp place..

"You really are here! ", a familiar voice was heard that made Xing smile, "General Kin ", she turned to look at the direction of that gentle voice to see him holding a lantern and even with the shadows on his face he looked handsome.

"I... I"m glad to meet you", his eyes were s.h.i.+ning in that light.

"Yeah, me too. Come, Let"s join the others for dinner ", Xing said and tried to pa.s.s him when he grabbed her arms, "Wait!", he said.

What"s with me being stopped today! And why is he having that faint silver glow of the Lu family too?

Xing who doesn"t like being grabbed tried to compose herself to listen to what he has to say. They had worked together in the past afterall. She got herself out from his grip and looked at him.

Ying Ryuga"s expressions startled Xing. He looked at her with sorrowful eyes knitting his brows and he took a deep breath and gulped to compose himself before he said, "I am sorry for your loss. I felt bad when I heard about him..", he paused as he didn"t know how to continue.

It took a full minute for Xing to process what he meant... Is he talking about Chenglie? He knows Lord Táng is a girl and so he must have guessed who Chenglie is to me and it is announced that he is dead. So that is what he means, right?

"Yes, it is unfortunate", she said and looked down to pretend to be sad. What a bother! My Prince is fine though!

Suddenly he let the lantern down and held her hands and cupped it inside his hands. With his eyes glistening he spoke in his gentle voice, "It is unfortunate that your father sent you to the inner palace the moment your lover pa.s.sed away. You don"t deserve a life in the palalce. Come with me... I"ll..."

" Enough", Xing gritted her teeth and pulled her hands out of his grasp.

What is he blabbering? To go with him..? As in elope? What in the.... Is he in his right mind? What made him think that I"d ever do that? Did I ever made him think I like him that way? And why is everyone talking bad about my family? My father didn"t send me to the palace! Her entire face twitched in anger.

"Ying Ryuga!", she spoke gritting her teeth voice and her dark eyes exuded a deadly aura that made him shudder, "Do you know who you are talking to? "

Do I seem like someone who"d run away with any man? How dare he? Even if he thinks Chenglie is dead, isn"t he crossing a line here?

" Who am I talking to, Huh?", he took a step forward and Xing stood her ground,

"The Empress of the Wind Kingdom?", he continued, " Are you really happy being there? How could that guy mindlessly leave you here? Shouldn"t he have protected you well? Did he want the throne that much, he had to die for it? "

"Tsk", Xing clicked her tongue. She didn"t like him talking bad about Chenglie without knowing anything. "You"ve crossed your limit. Stop now, I"ll spare you... Or else..."

Xing shouted pointing her index finger at him, surprising him but was interjected by another loud voice,

"How dare you accuse us of this? "

It was the voice of the Emperor and he sounded really enraged that startled Xing since she has never seen him this way before.

She ignored Ying Ryuga and followed the direction of the voice to see the Emperor in one side and the Water Emperor on the opposite held by Yi Kwan and Ayane in between trying to pacify the two.

"What"s going on here?", Xing was perplexed to see the two Emperors in fighting stance. What went wrong? Her heart skipped a beat.

"There you are!" the Water Emperor shook Yi Kwan off, "I thought you"d ran away!", he took a step towards her.

"I dare you to take another step forward..", Kouki stretched his hand to stop him.

"What happened?", Xing asked but no one answered her as the two of them were in a staring contest and Yi Kwan was trying to pull the Water Emperor back.

"Ayane.."

Xing looked at her and she reluctantly showed Xing the jar she collected the venom, "Is this poison?", she asked with her voice shaking and eyes filled with confusion.

"It is venom", Xing replied and Ayane"s eyes widened in shock.

"You agree to it?", the water Emperor shouted.

"Why wouldn"t she? It is the truth", the Emperor answered.

"Why are you having it? I asked to give it to Yukiko", Xing ignored the men and talked to Ayane but she was too shocked to answer, "Ayane, where is Yukiko?", Xing kind of understood the situation here. The venom must have been misunderstood for Poison and it is still here.

But Xing knew if Yukiko isn"t given the antidote for the Poison she had affected with immediately, she"d lose her child.

How stupid was I to not get that venom to Yukiko by myself!

Xing chided herself.

Xing ignored the screams from the Water Emperor and asked Ayane to lead her to Yukiko. For now getting the venom to her would be the priority!

"It is antidote for the Poison she is already in contact with!", Xing uttered in a loud confident tone making everyone shocked. They have never heard of it!

"What are you saying? How is venom an antidote and Who"d Poison my wife here? Don"t try to s.h.i.+ft the blame because you are caught red-handed", the water Emperor screamed at her.

"Your Majesty! May I know what purpose does the Wind Empress has to Poison her highness?", the clear, gentle voice of Ryuga was heard.

"Ryuga! Not you too... How could you trust her more than me? I saw with my own eyes, how she extracted venom from a snake and the Wind Emperor tried to pa.s.s it to Yukiko. For what purpose? Isn"t she the divine ruler? She is trying to take over our kingdom by hurting my woman ", the water Emperor was disappointed in Ryuga and accused Xing.

" And you thought for me to take over your kingdom, I have to kill a pregnant woman? How stupid of you! ", Xing felt hurt by his words. Who in their right mind would do such a nasty and a cruel thing? Then again these things are common in palaces with many women so he is lumping me up with those women! Xing felt disgusted!

"And I just wanted to help her, sincerely!", she mumbled to herself. Why would I try to kill a child in a womb? I know how much I want to carry a child, yet I cannot... How would I give such pain to another woman?

The Emperor noticed Xing"s face turning sad and he stopped the Water Emperor from speaking further, "One word... One word more and we will be facing each other in a battlefield, I promise you!", he stood with his back straight with his hands fisted and eyes focused on the Water Emperor telling him he is meaning what he says.

The situation was too tense with everyone riled up and a soft voice broke the tension,

" What is going on? Why is it this noisy? Where is Mingxia?", Yukiko walked towards them with her maids and the moment Xing saw Yukiko, her face paled.