Old man Ping and little Hua have helped him, a stranger greatly. In absence of Yaoyao and Granny Sha, their freely given warmth has soothed his lonely heart.

  And now little Hua has been kidnapped? If he doesn't help now, he would be worse than a beast.

  "Don't worry uncle, you just wait here. Leave the rest to me. I promise I will get her back safely."

  "Thank you, thank you boy. Please hurry fast. My gut is feeling something bad will happen. Please save her."

  With that old man Ping fainted in his arms. His blood must be running high worrying about the safety of his daughter till his body finally gave out.

  With no time to waste, Ling Yun quickly put old man Ping to rest in his room but before he could depart Brahma's voice rang out in his mind.

  "Ling Yun stop right now! Think carefully about what are you doing. There could be multiple rogue cultivators.

  "If it comes to a fight, you will surely die."

  "So what do you want to me to do?" Feeling vexed Ling Yun shouted back. "Do you want little Hua to disappear? She is like a little sister to me and you want me just stay still and do nothing?"

  Brahma remained unimpressed by his tirade. With a cold voice she replied back, "Little Hua is not Yaoyao. Are you going to abandon Yaoyao for a fake? How will she feel when she learns her brother sacrificed his life for a stranger leaving her alone in this world?"

  Then her voice broke and she started pleading, "Ever since I found out there are gaps in my memory, I've lost all confidence. I don't think I can ensure you can return safely.

  "Maybe it's a bitter pill for you to swallow but even if you go, you know you would be useless. Your death will be in vain. Please just accept this loss and have faith in me.

  "Now you are just a newly born chick which could be blown away by a gust of wind. I promise the day will come when the pheonix will soar high in the sky."

  With the weight of reality setting in Ling Yun slowed down his footsteps.

  I know what she is saying is a hundred percent true. Even if I reach little Hua what can I even do? The family members were right, I really am a useless cripple. Even Yaoyao was taken away.

  Ever since I met Brahma I became deluded thinking I could become someone great. But nothing has changed. She is right, uselessly sacrificing my life would amount to nothing but self-satisfaction. But even so-

  "Brahma do you remember the request you made when we first met. To look down on the heavens together. You have always known that I have been reluctantly following this path half-heartedly.

  "But I'm sorry if I don't do something now, if I continue to remain useless, something inside me might just break. I don't think I could look myself in the mirror anymore let alone continue. I would never become the man that could reunite with Yaoyao let alone stand at the peak.

  "But I have always believed in your teachings. You are all that I have left. I don't want to recklessly charge and lose my life. So please guide me to save little Hua, Master."

  Ling Yun and Brahma. Though both lived in the same body, the relation between them was quite vague. They weren't friends nor they were partners working towards the same goal. At most they were just using each other for their own goals. They were just two strangers who got bound together by a flimsy string of fate due to a prank by the heavens.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  And now Ling Yun had made their vague bond more solid, more real.

  Brahma spoke after a minute of silence. "If you want to save little Hua, the only chance you have is to take that girl Su Ming with you. Being a core disciple of a top sect, she can more than hold her own in a fight. I don't care if you beg on your hands and knees, convince her somehow."

  "But she had just lost her senior -" the words instantly died in his mouth. Brahma had acceded to his foolish request and shown him a path. He has no right to complain.

  "Okay." He made his way to his room where a young girl was mourning the death of a close friend and he was going to do something disgraceful and undignified. But he had made his mind.

  "Master, thank you so much."

  ***

  Fortunately for Ling Yun, it didn't take much to convince Su Ning. He had rushed straight and bowed his head hurriedly explained everything to her. Su Ning immediately agreed and now they were on the flying sword trying to reach little Hua as fast as possible.

  Using his Third Eye, Ling Yun had already located little Hua at the outskirts of the village. That was a deserted area contained of ruined houses from the previous beast tide that nobody had bothered to fix.

  As he guided Su Ning, he could pushed the down the guilt he felt seeing her dead eyes. He had made his choice so any unnecessary emotions could be saved for later. He was non stop chanting the Serene Ocean sutra so his focus was razor sharp.

  Still he couldn't help but apologise. "Sorry you know for all of this."

  "It's fine. Actually I'm glad you turned to me for help otherwise I would have been sobbing in the room all alone. I want to do something to get rid of this feeling of helplessness."

  Ling Yun could understand her feelings. They really were a bit similar.

  "You also have my gratitude for what you did."

  Ling Yun wasn't expecting her to mention the flute.

  "Don't mind it, Daoist Su. I've been through some similar circumstances so I get how you must be feeling."

  "You don't have to be so formal with me. Please feel free to call me Su Ning."

  Even in this tense situation a smile bloomed in his face. "Okay, I'm counting on you, Su Ning."

  They reached the place where he sensed little Hua. Upon looking they could only find wreckage of old houses with no soul in sight.

  Su Ning raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are you sure she's here?"

  "Yes. And there are also many enemies. Be prepared."

  Even though their eyes found nothing, his Third Eye could see past all the deceptions. He had sensed there were six people there excluding little Hua and Chensha. They both jumped on the ground and were horrified to see the sight infront of him.

  Both little Hua and Chensha were laying on the ground tied up with one thug guarding them. Little Hua had been stripped naked. Fortunately there were no marks in her body implying that the worst hadn't come to pass.

  They must have terrified her too much that she wasn't even struggling. She just laid there petrified sobbing silently. Chensha on the other hand his condition was far worse. He was unconscious, his face swollen possibly from being beaten by them.

  Four of the thugs were sitting in a circle meditating. At their centre was a pool of blood. Though hidden, Ling Yun could sense the final thug was inside the blood pool.

  Su Ning immediately took out her sword and beheaded the thug guarding the hostages with a clean slice.

  The other four thugs were shocked and immediately got up and took a fighting stance. They were simply meditating when a boy and a girl showed up and before they could even react one of their comrades head was sent flying.

  "Be careful. One is hiding in the pool." Ling Yun had immediately gone to untie the restraints of little Hua and Chensha.

  "You just focus on securing them. You can leave all of them to me."

  The four thugs were glared at Su Ning and started cursing her. "You bitch how dare you kill our brother. Be ready to die."

  "Look brother. This bitch has got a nice body. Look at her hips brother, I want to rip that veil to see her face."

  "Brothers listen to me, first we will do her, enjoy her all night, then we kill her. As the eldest, I will taste her first."

  "Thats unfair. It's been a long time since I had a woman. Let me have the first turn."

  Su Ning ignored the vulgar words and the lustful stares directed at her. One look at the blood pool and she understood everything.

  She raised her sword stained with the fresh blood of their recently slain comrade and immense killing intent radiated from her.

  "On my word as the core disciple of the Absolute Sword sect I, Su Ning, promise that this would be the last night of your lives you villains.

  "You who had chosen the wrong path, for your sins you deserve death."