"Looks like Chu Beijie isn't back yet, thank God." Pingting looked up at the sky. "At this time, Mr Zhang will be guarding the back door. He isn't very strong, so go easy on him."

After they had knocked out Mr Zhang, out the little back door they went. Just like that, they had escaped from the Zhen-Bei Ducal Residence, without too much trouble.

They smiled at each other, no need for celebration.

Besides, the further they went, the safer.

Soon, they had left the city walls, galloping past the fields of yellow grass and nectarine trees.

Thinking that they had already left the danger behind, they slowed down a little.

Both of them were tired, so they chose a spot and sat down to have a rest.

Dongzhuo lowered his head, deep in thought. He couldn't help but ask, "It might be better to ask this question in the future, but... Pingting, how did you end up in Chu Beijie's residence?"

The smile on Pingting's face faltered for a second, but it was quickly replaced by the normal expression. "Come closer. Let me tell you."

Dongzhuo leaned closer to her and Pingting whispered into his ear. What he heard made his face change and after she had finished, she jerked his head upwards to stare at Pingting.

Pingting kept her face neutral, "What?"

"So that's the story..."

"Anyways, back to the point." Pingting said, "The residence lost a criminal. Chu Beijie will definitely send soldiers to pursue us. One of us needs to divert the soldiers' attention, the other needs to go back to Master."

"Pingting, I think we should give up."

Her face went cold, "How can we possibly just give up now? I'll go east and you go west. Go."

He didn't reply, so Pingting pushed him onto a horse and whipped it. She watched the horse slowly disappear into the distance.

"Pingting can finally see you again, Master." She checked that Dongzhuo really had disappeared, before heading to her destination.

Pingting had been right, it was going to snow soon. In the early morning, the sun briefly showed its face before darting back into the clouds and very soon, grey clouds began to cover the sky.

Pingting, who was still on horse, knew that the clouds overhead were gathering.

"Ah, that's a big snowflake." She reached out, picking out a snowflake in midair. She watched it melt on her frozen, red hand and this brought a child-like smile onto her face.

She hadn't seen such good snow for a long time.

For the last couple of years, her master always called out to her around this time. "Hurry! Time to admire the snow, don't forget the qin, remember to bring the qin."

Though Master is in hiding, he should be happy with this snow too, right?

She wasn't riding that fast, but was casually appreciating the spiralling white scenery. She'd already taken off the white fox coat off the horse and had draped it over herself.

Chu Beijie had given her that coat recently. It seemed that it was a specialty of Dong Lin. It really was nice to wear, for it seemed that not the slightest bit of wind could penetrate through. As she had expected there to be snow, she had come well-prepared.

"When there is trouble, there are heroes; when there are heroes, there are beautiful women; surviving the turmoil, surviving the turmoil..."

Though it was cold, Pingting was in a good mood and amidst the beautiful scenery, she had begun to sing.

Her mind was occupied and despite the smile on her face, there was an unmistakable trace of confusion.

But her voice was as gentle as ever.

"If there are soldiers, there will be fame; if there is fame, there will be fraud; soldiers know fraud, soldiers know fraud..."

She suddenly thought of Chu Beijie.

Her face suddenly went red, as if she had just brushed blusher on her cheeks.

That person, that man. Pingting stopped singing, softly sighing. No word could even describe him.

It snowed heavily for the next three days, while she continued to ride East.

Three days later, the snow stopped. She had already reached the outskirts of Dong Lin. She stopped at a place exactly a day away from Gui Le.

The earth was white.

Pingting stopped and asked a passer-by for the first time.

"Excuse me Sir, do you know where Three-Swallow Cliff is?"