The Medical Room door was pushed gently open. Afternoon sunlight slanted through the gap and fell across the stark-white sheets, spreading a faint, warm glow.
Tang Ya hurried in carrying a bag of fresh fruit, her canvas skirt brushing the threshold, her face full of heartache she could not hide.
She had already submitted her withdrawal application. She had planned to leave Shrek, return to the Tang Sect for revenge, and restore the sect. Then a notice came from the academy: Tang San had been gravely injured and was recuperating in the Medical Room.
She had been stunned. She crumpled up her withdrawal application, stuffed it back into her pocket, and ran straight to the Medical Room.
The first time she saw Tang San in the hospital bed, her heart clenched—
Half the boy's body was nearly charred, like rotten wood burned black. His breathing was so faint she could barely detect it. Nothing of his former appearance remained.
After a month of recuperation, he looked human again, and his skin had returned to its normal color. But everyone knew how badly he was injured inside. He still could not get out of bed.
"Sister Tang Ya, you're here."
Hearing her voice, Tang San slowly turned his head. A gentle, innocent smile spread across his face, his eyes clear and soft. The malice and resentment he had shown while lying alone in bed vanished without a trace, as though that surging hatred had never been anything but an illusion.
He regarded the girl who would inherit the title of Tang Sect Leader ten thousand years later with a measure of condescension, though he wore an obedient, affectionate expression.
The pawn had come to him. Why not use her?
"Yes. The tournament's over, so Bei Bei and the others should be