A guqin melody flowed through from the streets. It sounded very melodic and sympathetic, as if drumming against the eardrums of passerby's. The melodramatic tune was smooth and amorous.

Jin Ling bit his bottom lip while scavenging around.

When searching for a missing person, the first to do was to obviously hand out 'missing person' posters. However, whenever such a thing was done, it was unlikely for the problem to be handled shortly. It was a long-term effect.

It was better to search for the last traces of the child.

"Where have you last seen Tang Tang?" Jin Ling questioned. The two parents behind him shuffled around before answering, "We were strolling around the flower shop. Tang Tang really likes flowers; she's a child
fond of beauty. Perhaps, she's still around there."

Jin Ling nodded. "Then, we should head over there first."

Wang and Ming both shared a similar theatric smile before erasing it, leaving no traces behind. As they were walking towards the nearby flower shop, they heard some brief arguing. Turning around the corner, it turn3 out that the argument was between a little girl and... Jin Chan?

Jin Ling was surprised. "Jin Chan...? What are you doing here?"

Jin Chan was vexed. He was ordered to bring Sizhui to Sect Leader Jin, however, he bumped into the young girl that Sizhui was talking to. The little girl even had the nerves to diss his appearance! Jin Chan was vexed. How come he was ugly in the face of a puny little girl? What about him was ugly? When he was a child, his grandparents would always (coax) brag how handsome he was!

Ugly? Impossible!

"Huh?" Suddenly, Jin Chan was in no mood to argue anymore. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jin Ling—Sect Leader Jin! He stiffened before kneeling on the ground. "I'm sorry, Sect Leader Jin. I wasn't able to bring Sizhui to you in time."

As Jin Ling looked closer upon inspection, he could notice that Sizhui was standing behind the little girl with an awkward smile.

Jin Ling shrugged. "It's fine. It's not like I expected you to get it done anyways."

Jin Chan got up from the ground. "Please tell me my punishment!"

Jin Ling's eyebrows furrowed. How come this imbecile is so insistent on punishment? Do I look like the type of person who punishes people for no reason? "Go back to Koi Tower. Find Shao Qing, and help her with work."

Hearing his command, Jin Chan bowed his head and ran off.

Jin Ling could only apologize inwardly to Shao Qing in his head. He then coughed. "Anyways, Sizhui, I was just looking for you."

Sizhui nodded. "I was looking for you too."

"We were looking for you too." Wang and Ming chorused at the same time. That brought the two lover's attention towards the parents, confusion plummeting their process. "Oh, you're mistaken." Wang chirped. "We didn't mean 'you', as in Lan Sizhui, the favorite disciple of Lan Qiren. We meant Little 'Tang Tang' here. We finally found her!"

Wang posed a brilliant smile to the little girl. "Tang Tang, we've finally found you!" She opened her arms wide, waiting for 'Tang Tang' to jump into her embrace.

However, instead of doing that, the little girl backed away with unease. "I don't know who you are."

Puzzlement churned Jin Ling's head. "What?" He exclaimed. "Aren't you Tang Tang?"

Tang Tang nodded. "I am Tang Tang, but... I don't know who these... ugly people are."  She pointed at Wang and Ming. Having been called ugly, the smile on Wang's face had faded. It left as soon as it came.

A vein popped on Wang's head. "I thought we've already taught you manners, Tang Tang, my dear. You can't go around calling people 'ugly', especially when they aren't really ugly."

Tang Tang stared up at Wang brazenly. She declared, "Your appearance isn't as ugly as the ugly Big Brother from earlier (she means Jin Chan), but your heart is uglier than his."

Another vein popped on Wang's forehead. She seemed to have enough.

"Enough!" Wang snapped. "We're going back home, Tang Tang." She extended out a hand, and reached to grab onto the little girl's skinny and fragile arms. Tang Tang tried to avoid her, but was still caught in the woman's grasp. "Let go of me! I don't know who you are!"

"Miss Wang." Jin Ling stepped in. His eyebrows were raised. "Please be aware of your actions. You are hurting Tang Tang."

Wang seemed to shrink back against Jin Ling's powerful prowess, so she reluctantly let go of Tang Tang.

The place where she grabbed on Tang Tang's arm had already began to burn a sufferable color of red.

"I'm sorry, Sect Leader Jin." Wang smiled. "It's just that my child is awfully misbehaved. She likes to randomly accuse things, and doesn't have a straight mind. I plan on getting her a psychologist, or getting her a new friend. She is quite lonely without any friends, and never behaves."

"No." Sizhui cut to the chase. He stepped in front of Wang, blocking her view of Jin Ling. "Tang Tang has told me that her parents already passed away. She only has her Grandmother. You're saying that you're her mother and father, but they've already left. So who in the world are you guys?"

The smile on Wang and Ming's faces had drooped into a frown.

It was ugly, horrendous, and quite treacherous.

Wang straightened her back as she argued. "You can't trust a child's word nowadays. Lying that her parents are dead—how misbehaving!" She turned her attention on Tang Tang. "When we get back home, we'll be teaching you a great lesson, Tang Tang-"

"If you truly are her parents." Jin Ling stepped out from behind Sizhui. "Then you must be able to name Tang Tang's family name (surname). Well?"

Wang hesitated. She curled her tongue before spitting out. "She gets her father's name, so it's obviously Ming."

Tang Tang shook her head. "That's not true. I go after my Grandmother's name, it's Liu. My name is Liu Tang Tang, not Ming!"

The expression on Wang's face was exceptionally ugly. She snarled, "stop lying to us!"

Jin Ling hardened his expression as he argued. "Then why don't we go visit Tang Tang's Grandmother and see if her surname is truly Liu? If you're all family, it wouldn't exactly be a problem if you visit back? Right?"

Wang seemed to be caught in a scandal. She wasn't sure of how to respond.

Out of options, she nudged towards Ming. "You're Tang Tang's Father! Go and persuade them! Do I have to do all of the work here?"

Jin Ling's eyes had thinned. He probed Sizhui on the arm. "Go take Tang Tang to a safe place."

Sizhui shook his head. "What about you?"

Jin Ling felt cold. He scowled. "I'll deal with them."

Sizhui felt concerned for his lover. He patted Jin Ling's hand. "You should protect Tang Tang. I'll deal with the traffickers-"

Jin Ling shot him a glance. That glance seemed to freeze Sizhui on the spot. "Who is the Sect Leader here?"

Like a wounded puppy, Sizhui stepped back. He circled an arm around Tang Tang, whispering words in the child's ear. She seemed to understand Sizhui, so Tang Tang followed the former to a safer place. Wang and Ming were still arguing. They didn't come to notice that their prey had already vanished from their sights.

Jin Ling unsheathed his sword. Within an instant, the blade on the sword laid on the two trafficker's neck. They froze.

Jin Ling scowled. "If you don't come with me quietly, then I'll make sure to end your lives here and now."

Wang tried to say something, but beads of blood had already been pressured out from the cut on her throat. She shuddered at the thought of death. In the end, she could only reluctantly nod. Ming shot her a look of shock. Wang ignored him.

"Guards!" Jin Ling called.

It didn't take that much time for the patrol guards to arrive. As ordered, they arrested the two traffickers and slowly brought them over to Koi Tower.

Once the scandal was over, Jin Ling sighed. He sheathed his sword.

*****

"Scoundrels!" Wang screeched. She was chained and cuffed, then dragged along the hallway of the Koi Tower. "If I knew you guys would be so rough to a lady like me, I would've long left this place!"

The guards ignored her and continued to drag her harshly across the floor.

Hatred flashed across Wang's face as she glared at them. "I swear on my life that I'll do whatever it takes to kill all of you! And I mean ALL OF YOU!" Out of the corner of her eye, she caught thousands jars of wine stored in a room. Malice flashed through her eyes, and she quickly slammed her body against that jar.

Instantly, the jar shattered and the dominoes effect started.

Jars after jars shattered, and the wine inside spilled into the hallway. It flooded the second floor immediately, dripping down the staircase.

The guards frowned at her, picking her up from the mess she made.

Even her clothes were soaked of wine.

"I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU! YOU WILL ALL BURN TO YOUR DEATHS!" She cried. Ming just stared blankly at her. When he heard her cry, he seemed to understand something, and a creepy smile flashed through his face. Instantly, he squirmed around in the shackles and grunted in pain.

His wrists burned with the color red from the shuffling around.

Sooner or later, cuts formed. "Oi!" A guard noticed. "Stop that! Or else your hands might as well be cut off!"

"Then cut them!" Ming scowled.

A guard frowned before ignoring him. He seemed to think of Ming as a maniac. When his eyes were averted, Ming quietly moved to Wang's side. His eyebrows raised when his back moved to Wang's back. His hands squirmed around to feel around Wang's waist.

Once under her clothes, he could find a box in her clothing, and he quickly pulled it out.

It was a box of matches!

*****

Jin Ling swayed around and around. He sighed and was about to go find Sizhui until a guard raced to his side. That guard was panting heavily, sweat coating his armor. "Sect Leader Jin!" He roared.

Once he arrived at Jin Ling, the guard bowed and planted his head at Jin Ling's feet.

Jin Ling was astonished. "What's wrong?"

"The Koi Tower!" The guard gasped for air, his face looking as grim as hell. "THE KOI TOWER IS ON FIRE!"