Shooting up to the sky, a blast of light and her scream echoed, destroying most of her enemies.
General Lu Yang was shocked. "What! How can she be alive?"
Sun Hei teleported in front of him and held him by the neck, and fire from her hand engulfed his entire body as he screamed in agony. As she dropped him to the ground, the rest fled back, frightened. Her steps pierced the ground as she landed, creating a big hole from a blast.
Everyone bowed down; before her and declared, "You are worthy to be our master!"
"Master, please spare us!" they cried out.
Sun Hei's anger was kindled against him, but because they humbled themselves, she had mercy on them and sensed their surrender.
'Why should I not kill you all?" She asked.
"We will serve you until this book vanishes and withers like grass, Master. We devote our lives to you," said Yu Lin, General Lu Yang's cousin.
Sun Hei sighed, "Alright, release me so I can join my friends."
"Yes, Master. Here's the door," he said.
A gold door appeared, opening to the real world.
'I hope this isn't a trap,' Sun Hei thought. She entered and vanished like smoke. As her eyes opened she saw Li Jie coming to her rescue as she fell.
He caught her. "Sun Hei! Are you alright?"
She blinked and answered, "I'm fine, I defeated their boss. Now, I'm their Master."
Li Jie smiled and held her closer to his chest in his arms. "I'm proud of you, Princess." He sighed in thought, 'I promise your mother I would take care of you. I can't afford to lose you, Sun Hei. You're the only one in my heart; that keeps it alive.'
He hugged her. Sun Hei thought, 'He really cares about me? I can't believe he's been with me all this time. Wait, he's seen me naked too when I'm bathing?' She pulled away from him; blushing. Li Jie blushed as well as he heard her thoughts and muttered, "I'm proud of you, Sun Hei. I'm sure, your mother is too."
Changing the subject smoothly, Sun Hei smiled, "I'm sure she is, thanks, Li Jie."
Li Jie smiled at her, and immediately, she felt her heart racing and butterflies overflowed her stomach in joy. Apparently, at that very moment, she fell for him.
"Sorry, let me get up now," Sun Hei said.
"You can stay longer," Li Jie flirted.
Tao coughed, "Eh um, we have a body to revive, remember..."
They stood up, embarrassed and blushing. Cha Ni teased them. "Looks like a new couple is born, Tao."
"It seems so," she laughed.
"Be quiet! Where do we go, Li Jie?" Sun Hei asked, being serious.
"Uh?" Li Jie said, a bit surprised and happy to know she had feelings for him. "Through the east-wing tunnel," he mentioned. "It will take us to the Cloud Tower bridge from there. It will get us into the Sun Dynasty sunflower garden," Li Jie explained.
Sun Hei nodded, "Okay, let's hurry. We don't have all day."
Cha Ni said, "Wait! Take these beads with you; in case, if you run into any wild beasts or enemies along the way. Take these; they will help you heal."
"Thanks, Cha Ni," Sun Hei smiled.
"Aren't you coming with us?" Tao asked.
"Oh no, I'm the guardian of the library. I can't leave," Cha Ni answered.
Tao was saddened by his response.
"I'll miss you, Cha Ni," she said; as he held her hands.
"Don't worry, I'll always be watching over you, Tao," Cha Ni smiled as she hugged him.
Li Jie and Sun Hei looked at each other and blushed before looking away.
"Let's go," Li Jie spoke, walking over to the east-wing tunnel.
"Wait for us!" Tao yelled and grabbed Sun Hei's hand.
"Bye!" Cha Ni waved.
Sun Hei and Tao ran after him heading into the dark east-wing tunnel.
"I can't see anything! Where's Li Jie?" She said.
"I don't know, he was right in front of us," Tao mentioned.
"He couldn't have gotten that far," Sun Hei answered and lit a flame in the palm of her right hand. Suddenly, the moon-stone bats were surprised by her light and ended up; flying up; ahead in the tunnel.
"Li Jie! Where are you?" Tao yelled.
"Quiet, Tao. This tunnel could be a booby trap," Sun Hei said.
"You're right," Tao mumbled.
With no idea that Li Jie was behind them, he decided to play a trick on the girls, especially Sun Hei. He placed his hand lightly on her shoulder. "Boo!"
"Ah!" she yelled, running away as Tao shot earth darts out of her body. He dodged them as Sun Hei tripped over a rock and fell to the ground.
"What was that?" She asked herself, looking back as she heard a giant's footsteps coming closer to her.
"Don't think I'm going to die here like this!" she yelled and set the tunnel on fire with lava.
Li Jie created a shield around him and Tao. "Sun Hei! Stop, it's me! Li Jie!"
"I don't believe you!" she cried out, drawing out her sword, about to go berserk.
Li Jie sensed the danger and trapped her in a moon-ice prison. Cooling her down. "Relax, Sun Hei, it's really us!"
Sun Hei cleared the fire and lava, leaving only floating flames in the air. She realized it was really Li Jie and Tao.
"You idiot! You did this unpurpose, didn't you! I could have killed you and Tao!" Sun Hei frowned, yelling as she cried angrily.
"But you didn't," Li Jie assured and teleported in front of her, wiping her tears with his thumb.
She slapped his hand away. "Stop it! I can't trust you anymore."
Tao woke up out of her state of shock and smacked Li Jie on the head. "Like what the heck, man! You are trying to kill everybody!"
"Ow! Tao, I didn't mean to," Li Jie said. "I just thought it would be funny."
"It's not!" Sun Hei yelled, walking away.
Tao frowned at him. "Look at what you did. Now she hates you. How are you going to get her back now?"
Li Jie smirked, "I have my ways, don't worry, Tao. Besides, she likes me already."
"I see that but don't make her sad, or else someone will take her away from you, Li Jie," Tao warned.
"It won't happen cause I'm the only one in her heart, Tao," Li Jie smiled.
"I hope so," Tao said and ran off to meet Sun Hei.
Sun Hei spotted a light; coming from up ahead. She noticed it was a doorway; when she heard Tao call her.
"Sun Hei! Wait for me!" she panted.
She stopped and turned back. "Tao? What took you so long?"
Tao answered, "I was scolding Li Jie for you."
Sun Hei laughed and smiled, "Awe, you're the best, Tao. But I don't care about him anymore."
"Why? But he likes you," Tao said.
Sun Hei's eyes went wide open. "What? Li Jie likes me?" She smiled, "Since when?"
"Like probably forever," Tao laughed. "Are you going to forgive him? Or play a dirty trick on him?"
Sun Hei smirked, "What goes around must come around."
"Awesome!" Tao said. "What do you have in mind?"
Sun Hei hummed, "Mm...a honey trap, of course. Plus, I'll need you to dig a hole for me here and capture some moon-stone bats."
"Okay, let's do this!" Tao smirked.
"Yeah," Sun Hei said. 'I'll make you pay for everything you did to me, Li Jie,' she thought as she smiled.
Tao dug a hole in the ground. She filled it with moon-stone bats and covered it with a thin lid of earth.
"It's all done?" Sun Hei asked.
"Yes, now get Li Jie here," Tao said.
"Alright," Sun Hei smirked.
Li Jie overheard her thoughts since they were attached.
"She thinks I'll fall into her honey trap easily," Li Jie smirked and sighed, "But since I'm at fault here, I'll just play along; I'm sure I'll get her wrap around my finger soon."
He went into her body again and found her walking back to where he was.
"Li Jie! I need your help!" Sun Hei lied.
He appeared in front of her out of the dark.
"What's wrong, Sun Hei?" He asked, pretending to be clueless.
"There's a boulder up ahead blocking our way!" Sun Hei said, pointing behind her.
"Let's see what I do for you," Li Jie answered, walking ahead.
Tao watched as he came along, followed by Sun Hei, who winked as she smiled.
Tao thought, 'I hope this works."
Sun Hei thought, 'Alright then, fall into your doom, pervert!"
Li Jie overheard her thought as he laughed inwardly in thought, 'She's really enjoying this.'
"Where is it, Sun Hei?" Li Jie asked.
And she pushed him into the hole, "Right there," and he grabbed her wrist as they fell in. "Ah!"