Friend? were they friends before? maybe, but it happened a long time ago when they don’t know the cruelty of life at that time they were still young and hopeful towards the bright future ahead of them… right, at that time they were indeed friends. Before they were known as the venerable Seven Elders of the Misty Lake Clan, they were just like other children the only difference was their talent and intelligence surpassed their peers so their families placed a lot of expectations on them. 

Although it was privileged but it was also a shackle, no one could understand the burden as the one who was heralded as a genius in their family, perhaps because of that, they became close.

Unfortunately, as time goes by they start to be influenced by the people around them, they start to feel not enough, not enough time, not enough resources, not enough knowledge, they start to doubt themselves while their friends who were at the starting point both develop faster than they were, soon fear overtook them for they feared being left behind.

The years passed slowly but surely the admiration they used to have for each other turned into jealousy and hatred grew as the weeds unknowingly drifted away from each other followed by paranoia that grew inside them.

The climax occurred with the mysterious deaths of the first and second elders, the two best friends died at almost the same time until now he still suspected that one of them might be involved with the deaths of the two friends.

Yes, it was that day everything changed drastically when they were young they could spend hours talking about anything but now they get older he can’t start a conversation with Bu San Giu without making a fuss first still that was better than his relationship with Zhuang Zhen Yao, he has forgotten when the last time they talk other than exchange formal greeting, he also cannot follow Zheng Xiu Ma thinking anymore as he becomes drawn further in his own search for knowledge, as Ran Wei Zhao, he has never seen that man for almost five years.

In the end, They are separated whether, by greed, ambition, power… or even death, it is only in his old age that he realizes how wrong he was… no, how wrong they were.

_____________________________________

elsewhere Jin Hua and Lan Hua pretend to be busy when people don’t pay attention to them, Jin Hua and Lan Hua sneak into the passage that looks like a long tunnel, luckily no one is there so they both can quicken their pace but their movement arrives suddenly stopped when they heard the sound of people coming from behind them, Jin Hua and Lan Hua rushed to find a place to hide by sheer of luck Lan Hua found a small warehouse, she forcefully opened the door then pulled Jin Hua’s hand with her, just as they closed the door of the two men walked past their hiding place while grumbling incessantly.

“We’re really unlucky to get the task of feeding that black blood to the fifth elder for two days, because of that we won’t be able to rest!”  one man scoffed in indignant.

“Calm down, look on the bright side, when are we going to experiment with the elder’s body?” the other said in a mocking tone.

His voice suddenly becomes cheerful “You’re right…but we also shouldn’t neglect the other Su family, the fourth elder keeps reminding us to make sure the other Su family stay alive, What a hassle!” he becomes annoyed again.

“I know, lt just bring their food and back to the fifth elder again” the other man also didn’t sound happy but he had no other choice.

After the two men left Jin Hua and Lan Hua peeked through the door then they exchanged worried looks and without a word, they secretly agreed to follow the two men through the dim tunnel until they finally reached the end of the tunnel, there was Jin Hua. and Lan Hua had to stop in their tracks again when they heard more noises coming from the end of the tunnel.

“What’s that?” Jin Hua held her breath.

“I don’t know, but I could sense a lot of people,” said Lan Hua.

Jin Hua then raised her brows while appear hesitate “Should we continue?” 

Lan Hua bit her lips and frowned, she wasn’t sure either their priority is to find the Su family first and they running out of time “Let’s go, worst come to worst we fight with all of them!”

“I’m ready!” Jin Hua agrees readily, she also worries about the Su family’s safety.

The two girls passed through the tunnel and once again they entered another large space that looks like a cave but this time it was filled with prison blocks that filled three floors and each prison was closed with steel doors, Jin Hua and Lan Hua were shocked to find out there was a prison of this size beneath the forbidden building belonged to The Misty Lake Clan Leader and from the looks of it the prison seemed have existed for a long time.

Jin Hua shuddered at the thought of what the previous clan head had done with this place, meanwhile, Lan Hua noticed that the voices were coming from inside the cell which meant the prison contained more people than she thought.

“Look, they are walking to the third floor!” Lan Hua pointed to the two men walking towards the far end of the cell.

“Su Feng and the others might be there!” Jin Hua said expectantly.

“I hope so!” Lan Hua saw two guards coming towards them Lan Hua pushed Jin Hua to immediately go up to the third floor before the guard saw them, with fast steps the two women climbed the stairs to the third floor while following the direction the two men left.

They were suddenly startled by angry shouts “Hurry up and eat, you are lucky to still be fed if you don’t eat we will make sure the fifth elder will feel more tortured in this experiment!”

Su Sheng and Su Feng sat limply on the dirty prison floor, they looked very weak and helpless but they refused the food and drink that was provided for them.

“No need to be fed them, maybe they think they are still the respectable Su family so they don’t like a common food like this, isn’t that right?!” the other man mocked.

“But if they don’t eat they will die if they are dead the fourth elder will punish us!” the man who was shouting before now look petrified.

The other man turn silent after he realize his friend was right, then he click his tongue angrily “Then just force it, I open your mouth, you shove the food in!” they said casually without the slightest bit of guilt.

The two men walked towards Su Feng while carrying a bowl of rice, one of the men pulled Su Feng’s hair roughly.

“No!” Su Feng tried to fight back but the poison in his body was too strong he simply didn’t have the strength to resist.

“Open his mouth!” the man pulled Su Feng’s hair while commanding his friend.

“Don’t…don’t touch my son!” Su Sheng tried to help but he was kicked by one of the men and his body hit the wall hard.

Su Feng was infuriated seeing his father being hurt but he was helpless, when he felt hopeless suddenly the two men’s heads were hit against the wall making a crushing sound as their heads slide down they left bloody trails on the rocky wall.

Su Feng was dumbfounded by the two women wearing Jin Kai men’s uniforms, he didn’t know why Jin Kai men were helping him, then he heard a familiar voice.

“Are you guys all right?” Jin Hua took off his hood and ran towards them.

“Miss Jin…” Su Feng muttered as hope swirled within him, but he immediately remembered his father, “Father… my father”

“I checked Master Su, you checked young master’s condition” Lan Hua immediately checked Su Sheng’s condition, although he didn’t faint however, because his Qi pathway was blocked his rib was crushed a bit from the previous kicked but what was worse he seemed to be poisoned.

“Master Su was poisoned?” Lan Hua gasped.

“Young Master Su has also poisoned” Jin Hua’s voice is tight with stress.

Lan Hua took out a small jade from her spatial ring then took out two pills and gave them to Su Sheng, Lan Hua then threw the jade bottle at Jin Hua saying “Tell young master Su to take two pills, this is the emergency medicine from Master Jin Hao it should able nullify a hundred kinds of poison, this should work”

Without further ado Jin Hua pushes two pills into Su Feng’s mouth, the weak Su Feng also could only obey but indeed Jin Hao’s medicine worked quickly, his consciousness gradually returned he could feel the strength return to his arms and legs gradually, at the same time, he could feel The Qi Path gradually clear.

Su Sheng’s condition was getting better, their faces finally regained their color after they looked better Lan Hua helped Su Sheng to fix his seat posture while Su Feng was helped by Jin Hua then the two men sat in a lotus position while circulating their Qi and the two girls have found one of the man who bullies the Su family still alive, how lucky they are!