MOONLIGHT NINJA

MOONLIGHT NINJA CHAPTER 1

Yan Mei Ling, on the other hand, was her royal cousin's opposite. She had the tendency to do outrageous things and she was utterly stubborn. If you forbid her from doing something, the more that she would be tempted to do it no matter the consequences. She detested people who underestimated her and, she would do everything and anything to disprove those who doubted her abilities. With her daredevil attitude, it was not surprising that she had put herself in harm's clutches several times but despite it she was innately kind-hearted and well loved by those who were close to her.

While Mei Ling continued with her rants, an old maidservant came in with the tea set. She curtsied to the two girls before laying down the porcelain pitcher and cups on the low table. She discreetly gave the younger girl a look of distaste. Once done, she bid her farewell and exited the princess' receiving room.

Yan Mei Ling did not pass on the opportunity to make a silly face at the back of the retreating old maidservant to whom she considered her nemesis in the palace. Disappointed at the former's actions, Li Lei Shuang gave her a frown of disapproval.

"Please stop getting yourself in trouble, Yan Mei Ling. I am worried that something worse might happen than what has happened to your cheeks right now."

Yan Mei Ling snorted childishly to express her displeasure at what Li Lei Shuang said. Did she not repeatedly tell her best friend that it was her greatest goal to be the best warrior Chixian Shenzhou ever had? Besides, she loved and found joy in what she was doing. As her best friend, she should be the most supportive person in her every endeavor.

"You know what - you sound like a teacher! How many times have I told you that nothing worse than a bruise will ever happen to me? Well, many times! You need to remember that this is the worst thing that ever happens to me since joining the tournaments!" She pointed to the biggest and most painful bruise on her cheeks.

"Yes, but I can never forget that one time when you came to me with a dislocated arm," Li Lei Shuang reminded gently as she placed the ointment on the table. She took the pitcher and poured some hot tea into the porcelain cup. When the cup was full, she carefully served it to Yan Mei Ling.

"You don't have to make me remember that! It happened when I was still an inexperienced warrior," she said while receiving the tea offered by Li Lei Shuang. "You should have seen me fight- look how I put down the big, fat man on his back with my adept and stealth skills."

Yan Mei Ling mindlessly drank the tea and, suddenly, spit the contents from her mouth. What the heck?

"Oh, I'm sorry I have forgotten to remind you that the tea is still hot." Lei Shuang said. Her cheeks reddened deeply, feeling extremely guilty for her failure to warn her best friend about the tea's temperature.

Yan Mei Ling gritted her teeth, not because she was angry, but to suppress the surge of blood from invading her cheeks. How embarrassing - no wonder her best friends fretted over her joining tournaments because she could not even take the heat.

"It is my fault! I know that I should not have put my guard down whenever that old witch serves us tea!" She said with irritation referring to Li Lei Shuang's former wet nurse, now one of the latter's maidservants.

The old crone never really warmed up to her because she always thought that she was a bad influence on Li Lei Shuang. In retribution, Yan Mei Ling devised several ways to pull mischievous pranks on the witch. Well, the old hen had had her time today but then victory was her twin, and the old woman would someday have her day of reckoning.

"I'm really sorry about everything but you should not say such things against Chunhua, Yan Mei Ling," Lei Shuang told the younger girl as she stood to retrieve a cloth from her cabinet. She knelt in front of Yan Mei Ling and started to wipe her best friend's mouth, but the latter hurriedly moved away and angrily wiped herself with the end of her silk sleeves instead.