Joy and warmth was in abundance within the walls of Shanhua. Shouts of glee and rumbles of carts and other such things echoed through the city and into the skies above. From Xieren's view within the palace, everything taking place in the major parts of Shanhua were clear as can be. Though, this view was not of Xieren's own choice. From the spot in his window, he felt the warm wind and rays from the sun over his body, but the beauty of the view and the sensations of joy below were lost on him.

  Xieren's blue eyes were dull and lifeless. He had seen this view everyday, all day, and it had grown bland and, quite frankly, painful to watch. While all those children and adults were out there living their lives without even realizing it, Xieren was stuck in his room. For many, many months on end, Xieren was confined to his room. And it all started because of his hands.

  "Prince Duan?"

  "Teacher Pan?" With listless movements, Xieren turned to face the source of the voice. Pan Yang entered the room, a bundle of scrolls tucked under his left arm. The only arm he had.

  "I brought you some of your studies, Your Highness." Xieren had no reply for this. He simply gave a passive glance back to the city before climbing back into the room before Pan Yang could scold him.

  "Make sure to close it."

  Xieren did as told. With an equally passive sigh, Xieren peered down at the items. "Is there any point in this?"

  "What do you mean, Your Highness?" Xieren's mouth tucked into a frown, his gaze burrowing into Pan Yang as the older man set the items on a table near the door. "Is there any point in doing this? I'm going to be stuck here until I'm cured, but is that ever going to happen?" His gaze dropped to his bed. "I may still be called a prince, but I'm clearly in exile, despite remaining in the palace. No one comes to see me." He paused. "My family doesn't come to see me."

  "As you know," Pan Yang interrupted, "they are doing this for you and their own safety."

  "It's for themselves," Xieren muttered. Pan Yang took a step forward, but went no closer. "Everyone still admires and respects you, Your Highness—"

  "Leave me." Though Xieren's voice was steady, his face had grown dark and foreboding as he pointed at the door. "Now." Pan Yang's expression had contorted, and his lips twitched as if eager to speak, but seeing as he had already done what needed to be, he took a bow and quit the room as gracefully as he had entered.

  Xieren had a complicated mixture of feelings welling up inside; he was angry, upset, lonely, and disgusted. What had his life become in such a short span of time? He was a parody of a prince at this point. What a humorous existence his turned out to be. At this point, Xieren wasn't even sure he should take a look at the plethora of scrolls Pan Yang had left him. Did it matter anymore if he even read them? It couldn't possibly benefit him now. Xieren had basically been abandoned in his room. The chance of ever becoming emperor now was slim to none!

  Lost to his thoughts, Xieren was startled, though it barely showed, when his door reopened. "Your Highness," said the voice of a young man; not fully matured, but no longer childish.

  "Lu Yi. What are you doing here? I just told Teacher Pan to get out."

  "Yes, I noticed." The youth gave a slight nod before taking a step further into the room. "I am an attendant to you, Your Highness. With you under these restrictions, I feel there is a large gap in my daily activities." Lu Yi gave a soft chuckle as he spoke. "When I saw Pan-xiansheng exit, I had assumed you needed some asistance—"

  "I need none. I won't be studying anything." Xieren paused. "Why would you think I need assistance?"

  "Because," Lu Yi smiled. "You are the most promising prince of recent times. Surely, you wouldn't give up hope."

  "You are blind and stupid." Xieren crawled onto his bed, his gaze anywhere but the youth across from him. "I have no future as the emperor, Lu Yi. How can you believe otherwise?"

  Lu Yi crossed the room with an air of formality, his form strong and vigorous. "I believe you have a future of light as powerful as the sun, and as tender as the moon. You will blossom as the garden your mother poured her hopes into."

  "Don't speak to me about this with such flowery words. I—"

  "You worry too much."

  "I am worrying too little, Lu Yi."

  The younger male knelt down at his prince's feet. "A way will be found to cure your predicament, Your Highness. Of that, I am sure."

  Xieren felt a cold, strong hand grasp his heart, restricting it as much as it possibly could. He wanted to cry. He was being filled with false hope, and this, he couldn't handle. It was painful, too painful. False hope. It was hell.

  "Gege, are you married?"

  "What?" Xieren rose a brow, peering back at his companion with a sudden sense of unease. "Why would you ask such a thing?"

  "Because," the corner of Liang He's lips curled ever so slightly. "If gege has a bride back home, his motivation will be even greater, isn't that right?"

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  "If I had a bride, yes. But I don't."

  "Oh?" Liang He's voice was flat, but the perk in his brow was prominent enough. "Did your parents not hold some ceremony for you?"

  "Hm? I had brides to pick from if that's what you mean. When I turned fifteen, yes. But I made no pick."

  "Why not?"

  "I didn't want to. Nothing more, nothing less." Throughout this conversation, Xieren never turned back to look at Liang He, but regardless, he still felt like the thief was grinning at him for whatever reason. "Liang He, do you have a wife?"

  "I do not."

  "I'm unsure whether or not this surprises me." Liang He chuckled at this, but that was the limit of his response. Still with a lingering sense of curiosity, Xieren continued, "Is there anyone waiting for you?"

  "I asked you first."

  "Not that specific question, no." Liang He immediately caught up with Xieren, his body heat bracing the prince's back from the sheer lack of distance. Xieren wanted to turn around, but Liang He spoke up. "It doesn't matter whether I have anyone or not. All that matters is right now. That's enough motivation for me." Xieren wasn't sure what to think of his companion's explanation. It seemed like an unusual one to Xieren, but he found it to be intriguing all the same.

  "Is there anyone in specific waiting for gege back home?"

  "Probably not." There was a sort of hollowness to Xieren's words. Though Liang He could not see his companion's face, he could see a sort of tense stiffness come over his body. Deciding to draw back the conversation, as well as his close proximity to Xieren, Liang He said, "I think we're getting close."

  "Not to the Tear of Moonlight, I take it."

  "No," Liang He smirked. "I believe we may be nearing another obstacle."

  "How can you possibly tell that, Liang He?" Without a word, Liang He pointed upward. The two had been ascending a very slight hill that had led them into a foggy forest. Unlike the figurative trail they had been following this entire time, here there was a very literal trail. And up ahead, covered in a thin layer of fog, seemed to be some sort of clearing, though Xieren was too far away to see it clearly.

  "Hmm. Maybe you're right. It does look like there might be something up there."

  "I am sure there is."

  "Why's that?" In response to this, Liang He sneered for but a moment. "I just have a feeling." There was a pause. "You were right, you know. To follow that fox."

  "We don't know that yet."

  "I believe we do." Liang He, strolling up to Xieren's side, he gestured to the fading nature worn trail they walked upon. "Did you know that hundreds of years ago, Nanshan used to be home to a village?"

  "A village?" Xieren squinted for a moment, as if he wasn't sure that he had heard Liang He properly. Then, his eyes widened. "Really? I didn't know that."

  "The people of this village," Liang He went on, "were wiped out. Or more like 'swept out'." There was a vague hint of a smile on his lips as he spoke. "That is where Shanhua came from."

  "I believe you skipped quite a bit, Liang He." With a chuckle, Liang He clarified, "I did that on purpose, gege. As you can see, we're approaching the obstacle I was talking about."

  Turning back to the path ahead, Xieren was stunned in place by the sight before him. Creaking and groaning, like it was ready to fall to pieces was an old, worn-away bridge. Most of it was still there, but all of those parts seemed to be missing something. The planks were falling to pieces and were growing plants over them. The stakes holding the bridge together seemed ready to fall into the abyss they were magically suspending the bridge above. The rope was weathered and frayed, and as with everything else, flowers and weeds were sprouting along it as if it was a perfectly natural part of the environment. All of this spread out at fourteen meters long.

  Xieren was too startled to gulp.

  "This was clearly left here by those people," Liang He added coolly. Hearing this aroused Xieren from his sudden panic. "Maybe we should take a break here for now."

  "Why?" Liang He asked. Every part of him from his blank expression to his flat tone said he wasn't truly interested. "If we don't cross now, we will end up doing it later, isn't that right? Let's get it done, and then," a hint of pleasure began to crawl into his words. "I'll tell you more about these people." Xieren was tempted by this, he couldn't deny that. With a sigh of defeat and fear, he instantly gave in. "You're right. Let's get this over with." Liang He stifled a low chuckle. "You were so eager to scale a cliff, but this is too intimidating for you, gege?"

  "At least you could see the bottom of the cliff." Xieren was not exaggerating in the least. The thin veil of fog over the mountain seemed to have flooded underneath the bridge. But even without that thinly layered coating, it was all darkness below. Xieren had been tempted to drop a rock and wait to see how long it took for it to hit the bottom, but he was afraid he wouldn't be able to hear it.

  "I have a plan," Liang He announced in his solid, calm way. Xieren nodded, having expected to hear this at some point.

  "I will cross first."

  "What?" This, Xieren had not expected. "Why?"

  "Why would I send you?" Liang He cocked a brow in a playful, yet troubling way. "You were the first to cross the river. That alone is reason enough, isn't it? 'It's only fair'."

  "Don't give me that." Xieren's voice held a stern ring to it as he knitted his brows together. Having noticed that there seemed to be no sense of humor in this conversation, Liang He changed his tune. "You know that between the two of us, I'm the heavier. It's only logical that I go first." Placing his hand on the stake to his right with care, he went on. "I will go across to test the bridge. If it holds up, it should be safe for you to cross. If anything goes wrong, I'll come for you. Alright?"

  How will he do that, Xieren couldn't help but think. This seems like a good time to use that rope...but I cut it in...halves... "I understand." Xieren gave a solid nod. "But," he added with haste, stopping Liang He in his tracks. "What if...something happens to you?"

  There was a pause.

  "Well," Liang He spoke slowly and carefully. "Well... I would expect you to try and help me."

  "That isn't very useful."

  "You're smart, aren't you? Isn't that what they said?" With a playful grin, Liang He took a step toward the bridge. "You'll figure out something if you have to."

  Liang He is way too lenient! With a reluctant gulp, Xieren gave an equally reluctant nod, all of the things that could go wrong running through his mind. Having caught on to the state of concern his companion was going through, Liang He chuckled once more. "Relax, gege," he cooed. "If anything goes wrong, I can handle it myself."

  "Even so," Xieren countered with an uneasy voice. "I can still try!" He's saved me so many times. I have to repay him at some point!

  Liang He's eyes had widened, clearly caught off guard by this response. Even still, there was an obvious gleam to his face. A look of intrigue or satisfaction blinking through his eyes. And before long, the matching smile made a momentary appearance before going away in that same instant. "Understood." With a wave of his hand, Liang He turned to face the bridge, the wind whistling through its open pores and the wood clacking and creaking. To Xieren, it all seemed to signal death.

  Xieren felt an itch in his hands, but he pushed his focus back to Liang He as he began to take a step onto the first plank.