Hu Li watch over the two men on the beds. Both are not moving for days. The Yamen is in chaos that their men is down especially when he is the head of a team. Young Prince Wang Cao comes to visit. He stare at the men and walk about the room. While Hu Li lie to Officer Zhou's mother that he is busy at work because he wants to buy a big house for her. She is happy that her son is looking to make progress for his life.
On a quiet day, she ask her little friends what happen in the desert house when she ran off chasing the stranger.
"Master, we saw the prison guard is still asleep because of the smoke you blow on him, i see a dark figure walk in through the hole you make."
"While officer outside had a scare jump from his sleep. He walk in with sword on hand."
"The prison guard suddenly move and the dark figure press the knife at him."
"Officer rush in to fight."
"Maybe he is slower and so the knife stabbed at him. He scream so loud."
"Prison guard must have hear that he try to block the attacker with the stick he feel on the floor."
"That dark figure say that he must not live any longer. They will take care of his sister. Prison guard say something i don't understand. Suddenly attacker grab him from behind and stabbed him."
"At that point we see you running up the path. The stranger exit at the front door. We watch him get on the horse that is place on the far corner."
"The horse, does it have any thing on it that is special? Like a badge? Or the saddle have a special design? Or what is the color of the horse?"
"The horse have a strange shimmer coating.Like the fur is shining. It is a white horse. I cannot draw or describe the design to you. But if see it again. I will recognise it!"
"When the attacker talks, how does the voice sound like? High pitch, low pitch?"
"Low pitch and the strange thing is that... the voice is rather familiar. I am not sure where i hear it from."
The other rat nod it's head. Hu Li look at Officer Zhou who is looking like he is sleeping. She place her hand over his heart. It is still beating in a normal speed.
"You better wake up soon. Your mother is waiting for you , everyday. "
Hu Li walk back alone while thinking where to find a white horse with shimmering coat. Is it possible there is a creature with it? Horses she have seen are all either black or brown. There is no white one she have to ask someone about white horses.
She ask the men who are spying on the residence of the female beggar.
"So far, she never step out of this place and no one have come out. Some enter."
"Who have enter?"
"One was an older man who wears like a merchant. Another three men with a push cart. The last one is another man with a huge carcass pig."
"So that means there are people inside opening the door?"
"Yes. Do we still keep watch?"
"Yes. Till someone comes out of this residence"
Hu Li in the morning goes to visit Office Zhou and later the day goes to the hide out to watch the residence. On one of the day she look at the prison guard. She place her hand over his chest. She feels his heart is beating too. She lean over and whisper.
"If you are awake and if you want to save your sister, find a way to tell me who is harming you. I will save your sister and return her to you."
She see his finger twitch. He must have hear what she said.
"Think about it. I am the only one can help you now. I can tell you, there is a residence that i am watching. People come in but no one comes out. There is a strange code of knocking when those people approaches the door. Do you know anything?"
He remain still for a long time. Hu Li gives up and wants to move away, he grab her hand. He turn his head and his empty eye socket which fill with blood seems to stare at her and because he is without a tongue the words are unclear. He feel for her hand. Turn it around with her palm facing up. He use his finger and begin to slowly write a word on her palm. With every stroke he write, Hu Li mentally focus in her mind and picture them together the strokes. After he have done it, he release her hand. Hu Li look at him.
"Which princess? Do you have the name?"
The prison guard did not move. He probably asleep. Hu Li now know that it's a princess. Probably that's why the horse is white, a rare breed that only royalty keeps. That means she have to get inside of the palace. She turn around and look at Officer Zhou, he is still asleep. She turn around to the prison guard. She whisper to him.
"I will go find this princess and take your sister out to you. Can you stay alive with Officer Zhou?"
She see that his finger move.
"The attacker might come back for you. I will give you a form of protection. You cannot see and cannot talk. Thus i will cast this spell to protect both of you."
She stand up in the dark room and put on her bells on her hand. She raise her bells up and look at the moon.
"May the night of the velvet sky protect the one that i want to protect. May the ones who seeks to kill them will not able to see them till the day i arrest them! Cover those eyes with dark of the night!"
She bend down with one knee on the floor and the other knee bend up. She slam her hand down on the floor with the bells each loudly into the night.