Lu Na sat up, her wrist not burning for once from that massive attack. She had been siphoning as much of the spirit energy from the bracelet to the ground as she could and since her arm was already on the ground; it made it a lot easier.

  A dust cloud surrounded everything. Lu Na couldn’t see much except for Elder Hen sitting up beside her. The only good part was that the earth dome was gone.

  “Are you okay?” Sun Ren asked. She dusted Lu Na and helped her stand.

  “I think so?” Lu Na dusted the front of her tunic and her pants. She was glad of her choice to not wear a skirt. “What happened?”

  “When the two spirits charged your dome, it exploded. I’m assuming you did that.”

  Lu Na nodded.

  “Where are the spirits now?”

  Elder Xu cackled.

  “They’re dead. Those traitorous spirits got what they deserve.”

  “But wouldn’t that hurt you?” Lu Na asked.

  “Oh, little girl. You’re still worried about an old woman like me. You’re so kind. But no, I have many other spirits that can sustain me. It was just that one cat that thought he was better than me.”

  “What about my father?” Hen Li asked.

  All his senior disciples attended elder Hen as Senior Wong kept their spirits at bay.

  “That dying old fool will be fine,” Elder Xu said.

  Lu Na looked at the spry older man. He didn’t look like he was dying at all when he fought his horse spirit. Yet, as he was being helped by his disciples, he looked his age. His back was hunched and his hands shook as he held onto them.

  “Serves him right.”

  “Amituofo. As long as he’s alright, then we can continue our journey,” Hen Li said.

  Lu Na noticed Hen Li’s change of tone. He cared little for his father before. Yet now he asked about him. Maybe it’s true what they say. Your father is your father no matter what happens. In that moment, she missed her own again.

  Lu Na walked only a few steps before she collapsed to the floor. She couldn’t feel the left side of her body.

  “Na Na!” Sun Ren rushed to hold Lu Na. “What happened?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve never felt like this before. My entire left side of my body down to my feet is numb. I can’t move it either, but my right side is fine.”

  “Can anyone help her?” Sun Ren asked the Wintersweet disciples gathered around them.

  Elder Xu knelt down and felt Lu Na’s forehead. The Elder lifted her left arm and dropped it.

  “What’s happening? I didn’t feel that,” Lu Na said.

  Elder Xu used two fingers and pointed right at Lu Na’s chest.

  “Don’t move. This is going to hurt.” Elder Xu’s fingers glowed yellow. She thrust yellow spirit energy into her chest.

  Lu Na pushed hard against Sun Ren. Her entire left side was on fire. The pain ran up and down her left side with every beat of her heart.

  Lu Na screamed.

  “What did you do to her?” Sun Ren asked. She pointed a dagger at Elder Xu’s throat.

  The Elder cackled.

  “Ah, to be so young and so disrespectful of your elders. I remember when I was like that.”

  “No Sun Ren, I’m fine now,” Lu Na said. The burning went away and calmed down to mostly pins and needles. She lifted her left arm. “But what was that?”

  “You must have used a spirit energy releasing technique. But whoever taught you that didn’t teach you how to regulate it.” Elder Xu lifted Lu Na’s arm again, pulling her sleeve back. Her arm had yellow spiderwebs running all the way up from her fingers to her shoulder. “The spirit energy you released was burning you inside. It must have been really dense spirit energy. All I did was expel the remaining spirit energy so it didn’t kill you.”

  Lu Na cupped her hands and bowed her head toward Elder Xu.

  “Thank you for saving me, Elder Xu.”

  “Don’t thank me child. You saved us. It’s the least I could do. But don’t use that technique unless you purge the rest of the spirit energy inside you. Or the next time, you will die.”

  Lu Na nodded.

  Sun Ren cupped her hands toward Elder Xu.

  “My apologies Elder Xu.”

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  Elder Xu tilted her head and examined Sun Ren from head to toe.

  “You know, if you ever tire of working for your family, I would love to have a disciple as decisive and deadly as you. I could teach you things that will make you one of the best summoners in the country.”

  “Thank you, but I serve my father’s higher purpose of protecting the people,” Sun Ren said.

  “Such a shame.” Elder Xu left them alone to attend to her disciples and their spirits.

  “Are you okay?” Sun Ren asked.

  “No. But I will be.” Lu Na couldn’t stop thinking about the blinding pain. She couldn’t use that technique to rid her bracelet of the spirit energy again without learning the other to release it from her body. But, there was another idea she had. What if she made a device that did that for her?

  “You have that look on your face again, Na Na. What are you thinking about?” Sun Ren asked.

  “Oh nothing. Just thinking about a new device I’d have to make to improve my bracelet.”

  “That’s great and all, but since we saved these people, I think we should go. The last thing we need are for their Elders to force us to follow them.”

  “But Sun Ren, they have the numbers. They could help us reach the center of the labyrinth. Wouldn’t that be easier than going by ourselves?” Lu Na glanced at Hen Li who was reciting the heart sutra again. “And besides, Hen Li isn’t as powerful as he was outside of the labyrinth. What if we need more help?”

  Sun Ren glanced at the monk as well. Then she looked at Elder Hen who was being helped by Elder Xu. She was using a similar technique with her fingers on the Elder.

  “And if they force us to give up whatever device we find when we solve the puzzle? That would be very dangerous if they’re able to use it outside. The power wouldn’t be something my father or even the Imperial forces can fight based on the historical records.”

  Lu Na was interested in the device that the Xia inventors hid in such an elaborate place, but ultimately she realized what she truly wanted above all else.

  “I’m sorry Sun Ren. The only thing I care about is saving my mother. The politics outside doesn’t matter to me. I doubt it matters much to most people. If the Wintersweet Sect uses the device to bring about peace, that wouldn’t be a bad thing either.”

  “Amituofo, if I might say something?” Hen Li sat down next to the two women. “The Wintersweet Sect is a dangerous sect, but its original goal was to protect those that needed protection. If Elder Hen and Elder Xu gain the device, they would use it for that purpose.”

  Sun Ren snorted.

  “Unless they realize the type of power, they would get from it. Then, they would easily corrupt themselves and twist the sect’s goals to serve their own purposes. Much like the previous Sect Leaders and your Ancestor.”

  “Oh, is someone smearing my name?” Elder Xu said.

  Lu Na almost jumped out of her skin. How did Elder Xu walk to them so fast? The other disciples also looked around in surprise as Elder Xu appeared beside them unexpectedly.

  “Young Miss Sun, I know your father is an honorable man, but the way he raised you tell me he’s a very paranoid man. He wouldn’t make for a very good ruler,” Elder Xu said. “And before you start defending the man, understand that I don’t care for him or your opinion. However, know this: I don’t need this device to cause havoc across the country. I only came as a favor to my best friend.”

  Elder Hen coughed and staggered over. He popped two red pills into his mouth.

  “And I thank you, Xu Ming for coming with me. But before you children think we’re after you, we are not. I realized there are forces here that we can’t fight against ourselves. So for once, no tricks, no lies. We should work together to get out of here. We’ll figure out what to do with the device when we get out of here. Agreed?”

  Lu Na answered before Sun Ren, “Since I want to work together with the Wintersweet Sect and Sun Ren clearly dislikes them, let’s have Hen Li be the decider. He knows the Wintersweet Sect and all those gathered here better than us.”

  Sun Ren nodded.

  “Amituofo. While I detest the way the Wintersweet Sect has operated in the past, I think it’s only fair that we prioritize the sanctity of life and make it out of here together. But fair warning, Elder Hen, should you try to betray us when we escape from the labyrinth, I will unleash Bifang Niao in full force.”

  Elder Hen smiled, his wrinkled face adding a few creases.

  “I would have it no other way, son.”

  Hen Li didn’t respond and walked away.

  Elder Xu clapped.

  “This is good. I wanted to work with the little inventor, anyway. I have so many questions for you.”

  Lu Na bowed her head. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that, but now that they were with powerful summoners, Lu Na relaxed. Hopefully, everything will be alright and they can save her mother.

  The group of Wintersweet Sect disciples and their Elders assembled at the room with the fountain. Many of them had brought their own water skins and plenty of food. They had decided that they’d rest there with a fire going along with a few watchers.

  That was all fine with Lu Na as she didn’t get quality rest the last time. She, along with Sun Ren, rested with the female disciples on one side of the room, as the male disciples were on the other side. Of course, knowing Sun Ren, she was not resting right away.

  “Sun Ren, we finally have other watchers. You can rest,” Lu Na said.

  “I don’t trust the Elders,” Sun Ren said. “They’re cunning old foxes that have been around for too long.”

  “Might I say something?” Lu Fen asked. The Wintersweet disciple scooted over to the pair. “I understand why you don’t trust us or the Elders. But something you should know is that Elder Hen was the one who stopped Sect Leader Wong from killing us all. Elder Xu was the one who opposed the kidnapping from the start.”

  “Yet they still agreed to go along with the plan to capture all the Lu maidens and kill them afterwards,” Sun Ren said. “And if I remember correctly, they were going to sacrifice you, too.”

  “You’re right Sun Ren,” Lu Na said. “But even if they were going to betray us, they wouldn’t do it now. As far as I know, they still need us to help solve the labyrinth’s puzzle. So until then, I’m going to take as much advantage as I can.”

  “Fine, whatever.” Sun Ren stalked away to the tunnel’s entrance.

  “Is she okay?” Lu Fen asked.

  “I’m not sure. The labyrinth has changed her,” Lu Na said. “What about you? Have you noticed anything different ever since entering the labyrinth?”

  Lu Fen scratched her head. She looked at her fellow disciples.

  “I don’t think I have, but some of my fellow disciples seem different. Ever since our spirits manifested outside of our spirit realms, I have felt like I have been missing my best friend. But for some of them…”

  “It feels like they’ve lost a part of who they are?” Lu Na asked.

  Lu Fen nodded.

  “Some of them were the nicest people I’d ever known in or out of the sect. But ever since we came in here, they’ve become meaner. Not entirely different, but not as they were before. I’m not sure how to explain it.”

  “No, I understand what you mean.”

  Lu Fen smiled.

  “I’m glad it’s not just me. Anyway, rest as much as you can now. Who knows what we’ll have to face later.”

  Lu Na laid her head down on the cold, hard floor. She used her arms as pillows. There was only one thought going through her mind: a hope that this ordeal will be over soon and she can have her best friend back and her mother. But seeing a glimpse of what this labyrinth could do, she knew it would be a fool’s dream to expect it to be easy.

  Those Xia inventors really didn’t want anyone to get the device they have hidden behind all these defenses. If that’s the case, why did they create it in the first place? More importantly, could Lu Na go around these defenses? There had to be a way.