Honghui slowly walked up to Commander Tung's tent, his mind running with scenarios of how the conversation would go. "I could be executed… I could be expulsed… maybe that's for the best, I can find her, protect her… Yes… perhaps… I hope she is alright," Honghui thought to himself as he walks up to the tent.
"Honghui, commander," one of the guards standing in front of the tent notified Commander Tung who is inside the tent after noticing the man standing in front of them.
"Enter," Honghui heard the commander say. His tone didn't seem to be fierce nor angry. But Honghui didn't dare to get his hopes up after all that happened. Honghui took a deep breath and walked inside the tent.
As Honghui walked inside, he saw Commander Tung setting his brush aside and looked at him as Sergeant Qiang stood beside him. Commander Tung's expression was unreadable to Honghui while Sergeant Qiang's face was full of anger.
"Chen Honghui," said Commander Tung calmly, but his voice holding back. "How are you feeling?" asked Commander Tung.
"Oh- I- Much better now, my wounds weren't that serious," Honghui stuttered as this was not how he thought this conversation would start.
"Hmm… Glad to know that," Commander Tung said. "I want you to be honest with us," Commander Tung said, changing the topic abruptly. "And answer my questions truthfully."
"Of course, commander," Honghui answered, knowing that the moment has arrived.
"Did you know?" asked Commander Tung calmly.
"Yes," Honghui said straightforwardly. He has decided and chosen his path.
"How?" asked Commander Tung thoughtfully as he began to frown.
"I found out at the lake," Honghui said. "When she took her bath."
"Then why you didn't report this to us?" asked Sergeant Qiang, his voice full of anger.
"Sergeant Qiang, calm down," Commander Tung said firmly.
"Why should I?" asked Honghui, the weigh in his voice equal to Sergeant Qiang.
"You dare-" Sergeant Qiang growled.
"Qiang!" Commander Tung reminded. "Honghui, you know the law. Every family is to contribute a man, not a woman-"
"She did it to protect her father who was ill. Is it wrong to have such devotion and love for someone?" asked Honghui. "You all saw her fight, how she defeated me that day, and how willing is she to help others. Does all of this doesn't matter in your eyes?" asked Honghui, his tone growing angrier. "Just because she is a woman?"
"I saw her took on the enemies riders when the others ran like a coward. She fought the witch and got injured trying to protect her comrade. She even drew the enemies attention towards her to cause that avalanche that gave us the win during the last battle, does that all mean nothing to you all? Just because she is a woman?"
"Young man! Watch your mouth!" Sergeant Qiang said angrily. "The law is the law-"
"I was protecting her," Honghui said.
"Commander Tung, he was in aid of bringing the witch into the camp," Sergeant Qiang reminded. "He should be executed."
"Mulan isn't a witch! She is a warrior, more than you could be," Honghui said angrily.
"Dishonesty isn't tolerated here!" Sergeant Qiang retorted. "You broke that rule when you hid the truth about Mulan's identity."
"If I had told you, you would have killed her!" Honghui said.
"Yeah, so why do you care so much?" asked Sergeant Qiang. "She is a nobody. And you landed yourself in trouble by hiding the truth from us."
"Not to me sergeant," Honghui said angrily. "She means more to me than you will ever know or understand. I decided to protect her because of her bravery and determination to protect her father from this war."
"The law-"
"Let me ask you a question, Commander Tung. If Hua Mulan came into the camp as herself, telling you that she wants to take her father's place because he was unwell, would you all have accepted that?" asked Honghui, trying to hold himself back in rage.
"Commander, let me execute him," Sergeant Qiang said firmly. "He has gone too far."
"Sergeant Qiang… Let me handle this," Commander Tung said in an unexpected calm tone.
"Chen Honghui, you're one of the battalion's most admirable soldiers, alongside Hua Mulan, but like what Sergeant Qiang said, the law is the law. According to the rules, you should be executed, but you have done many great things for this battalion," Commander Tung said. "Consider yourself… expulsed from the army, and if you return, then you will be executed," Commander Tung warned. "Now take your horse and go, and don't mention this to anyone else."
"Yes, sir. Can I say one last thing?" asked Honghui, his tone cold.
"You may speak," Commander Tung said.
"What use are these traditional views and laws if they are not even helping anyone?" asked Honghui coldly. "Mulan was a fine example of that. Why is she not allowed to fight alongside men when she is more capable than most of us here?" asked Honghui. "And just because she is stronger, you will label her as a witch?" Honghui asked, turning towards Sergeant Qiang.
"Leave," Sergeant Qiang growled as Commander Tung leaned back on his chair, thinking thoughtfully.
Honghui nodded and turned aggressively. He quickly walked out of the tent and walked towards the stable to find his horse. "It hasn't been long, I can still find her," Honghui thought as he got on his horse and rode out of the garrison. As he opened the stables to find his horse, other soldiers were looking at him with visible confusion but he didn't care about them. In his mind, he had only one goal, to find Hua Mulan.
Then, after riding quite a while away from the garrison, Honghui thought of a question that he hadn't thought of before. How was he supposed to find Mulan when Mulan could be anywhere at this point. Honghui groaned as he realized it would be nearly impossible to find her in the middle of nowhere with no trails to follow, no tracks as well.
"No... Why didn't I thought of that before... urgh," Honghui groaned as he stopped his horse and covered his face in anguish as he sat on his horse.
Then, a shadow was cast over him. He looked up into the skies, there was a rather large bird with red, orange, and gold feathers that covered its body. "That couldn't be... a phoenix?" Honghui thought to himself. As he looked at the bird circling above him, then he remembered a conversation that he and Mulan had some time ago.
"Does your family have an animal guardian of some sort?" asked Mulan.
"Not that I know of," Honghui said. "You?"
"My father told me that a phoenix always follows him into battle, that the phoenix is our guardian," Mulan said.
"Hmm... Have you ever seen it?' asked Honghui?
"Only once, on my way here," Mulan answered.
"That's interesting... I've only heard about them in stories," Honghui said. "How can I see it?"
"I don't know... Maybe when we get married," Mulan chuckled.
"Ha... That's funny," Honghui smiled at what he thought was a joke.
"Now I see..." Honghui muttered as he smiled. "Lead the way, guardian," Honghui thought as he looked up at the bird.
The bird seemingly heard Honghui's thought, flying in a direction. A feeling of hope filled Honghui once more as he rode behind the phoenix. "Hua Mulan, I'm coming for you, stay strong," Honghui thought as he rode.
Mulan sobbed, feeling hopeless and lost about everything that was happening to her. She had never felt so lost and hopeless in her life before. "Who am I? Why?" Questions of doubt and regret filled her mind as she lashed out her emotions as she cried. Suddenly, she could hear something land behind her and walk towards her. But she didn't care, she was too emotional to bother who or what was moving towards her.
"Hua Mulan," Mulan heard the voice said. She immediately recognized the voice, turning around quickly, her face covered with tears and her eyes still red, she saw the witch, the same witch who caused so much trouble for her. Mulan's first reaction towards the threat was to draw out her sword and face the witch.
"You're the witch," Mulan said as she stood firmly.
"I would rather you don't call me that. My name is Xian Lang, and I'm not here to hurt you," Xian Lang said. "Lower your sword."
"Why would I trust you?" asked Mulan firmly. "You are the reason I'm in this situation."
"You're right, you shouldn't trust me. You barely know me, and I hurt you and Honghui," Xian Lang said. "But I did all that for a reason Mulan-"
"You want me dead, that's why," Mulan assumed in anger.
"If I wanted you dead, I would have killed you during that last fight… Didn't you ever wonder why I never killed you or Honghui during our last confrontation when it would be so easy to do so?" asked Xian Lang calmly.
Upon hearing the witch question, Mulan realized that she had never thought about how weird and unnatural the last battle between them felt. Now she knew why, the witch was holding back, if not, it would've been easy to kill them. "Why? So, you could watch me suffer?" asked Mulan, the anger in her voice still there.
"First, I'm sorry for what I've done to you… I haven't intended to hurt you like that… But I needed you to see-" Xian Lang said.
"For me to see what?" Mulan asked aggressively.
"For you to finally see through those unrealistic hopes that you've been giving yourself," Xian Lang said. "You see you and I are very much the same."
"We're not the same," Mulan growled in anger at the witch. "I would never take the path you took… siding yourself with a person who wants to bring disorder to the kingdom."
"Is it a disorder to bring a new change… that would better the lives of others… for the greater good?" Xian Lang questioned.
"Not through a method like this… I don't know what change you're looking to bring… but this isn't the right way," Mulan disagreed.
"This is the only way that it could work," Xian Lang said firmly. "Do you expect the emperor to listen to a woman like us, in their eyes, we are woman, we don't have any significance in this kingdom."
"There is always a better way, a more noble way," Mulan argued.
"Oh, you're so naïve and so young… You think I don't want to take a noble path?" asked Xian Lang, her controlled frustration showing.
"You certainly aren't taking the noble path now," Mulan pointed out.
"What do you expect me to do? What do you expect a woman like us can do? Walk up to the emperor and pronounce the changes I want to bring? And they would listen? I would probably be executed first," Xian Lang scoffed. "Through the things I experienced… the things I suffered… I learned one thing… that the people will only listen and accept those who have power, who have significance in the kingdom. To bring the changes that I want… I need to gain that power, then the respect first."
"Let us get something clear… I'm not like you… and I'll never be," Mulan said, less firm than the first time, realizing that the witch made a lot of valid points but still couldn't understand what the older woman meant by them being the same.
"Oh? Is that so?" Xian Lang asked. "You and I are the same. A girl blessed with a gift that most people thought was a curse. A disgrace to our family our village for not being a traditional woman, for being different from other girls. I was just like you, Mulan. You know I'm right, Mulan," said Xian Lang calmly, trying not to provoke the girl.
Mulan lowered her sword a little, realizing that the witch was right in some ways. Her body relaxed a little, becoming less stiff as Xian Lang walked closer towards her.
"The villagers loathed me, but my mother loved me… she even taught me how to use my abilities. However, my father did not The more I showed my true self, my powers, the more I saw shunned and crushed. The people that I once called my father, my friends, they abandoned me when the villagers came to kill me. I was nothing to them, they killed my mother for trying to protect me… I was just a shadow until I met… him. A man… who truly can accept who I am… love me for who I am… our relationship was not quite different from you and Honghui… He encouraged me to be myself… to explore who I am, what I can do… But… in doing so… I…" Xian Lang's voice broke a little as she remembered the night when she lost him. "Lost him… killed by a mob that wanted me dead… I was truly lost… wandering in the desert steppe until Bori Khan found me… And gave me a direction in my life… To take over… to free… others from this suffering… no one should suffer this fate… and neither should you… A woman like you and I should be free of who they are," As Xian Lang said all this, she walked closer towards Mulan as she slowly lowered her sword.
"All I did… the people I killed… the blood on my hands… I always believed that it was for the greater good… for the girls and woman that are gifted… to have a better life… to be able to be themselves… to be who they are… with no need to hide, no need to be afraid of the old and traditional views of others. That's all I want Mulan," Xian Lang said. "I can't imagine that you don't feel the same." Xian Lang was now standing right in front of Mulan.
"You're a noble, brave warrior Mulan. You decided to take your father's place in the army just to protect him, a feat that I couldn't even dare to think of, let alone take this journey that would be impossible. You're so devoted to your family, and you love Chen Honghui as much as I loved Hong An. But now, you're exposed… you can't go back to them now, even if you do, people will come after you to kill you while the people who do care for you try to protect you. Do you want your family and Honghui to get hurt or even worse… killed while trying to protect you from them?" asked Xian Lang.
"Join me… we can take our place together… we can help those like us… imagine the good we can do… for them. I can't imagine you don't feel the same way I do," Xian Lang said as she placed her hand and Mulan's right shoulder. "We can keep the people you love safe… and you can be yourself, be free of other people's views. They are so much that you still don't know about your abilities… I can teach you and Honghui... We can work together to protect the new rule."
Mulan stood frozen in silence. She was conflicted, even more, when she debated whether to take her father's place in the army. She knew that Xian Lang was right, she is just a girl, what changes could she bring? After all, whatever she did, she was still a young girl that disgracefully took her father's place. Now, she had even destroyed any chances of her proving herself. She had disgraced her own family and presumably already landed Honghui in even more trouble. Now, the witch, Xian Lang is offering what seems to be her help, which if she accepted, would help her. But soon questions came into her mind. "What would my family think… if I joined forces with them? Wouldn't that be an even bigger disgrace? Would they even look at me? What would Honghui want me to do? No, they wouldn't want me to do this… There is always a better way… There must be."
"You said… that we could take our place together… how?" asked Mulan, her voice wasn't as firm as before. "You follow a coward... who runs from battle"
"Bori Khan didn't run from the battle. The coward will take the Imperial City," Xian Lang revealed.
"That's impossible, we defeated his troops," Mulan muttered in disbelief as she remembered the avalanche.
"No… You just took out his allies. As we speak, Bori Khan and the Shadow Warriors I trained are riding towards the Imperial City. We will gain our victory by tomorrow, and their emperor will fall," Xian Lang revealed. "The army now thinks that we are defeated. This would be the perfect illusion for us to slip behind. My lifelong vision will be fulfilled tomorrow."
"No… I can't let you do this," Mulan muttered.
"What?" Xian Lang said surprised.
"I know my place… I'm the daughter of Hua Zhou and Hua Li. I have chosen to take my father's place in the army, and I will stay there, I swore to be loyal, brave, and true to the Imperial Army and I will be," Mulan said firmly as she made her choice. "I will stand with my family and the friends I have, and it's my duty to protect them as it is my duty to protect the emperor."
"Then you are a fool," Xian Lang growled. "I thought that I could turn you... Clearly, I was wrong," Xian Lang said as she turned away from Mulan, closing her eyes. "I'm sorry."
"You have nothing to be sorry for. I understand what you do, what you feel, but there will always be a better way… A way that is noble and right," Mulan said. "What would Hong An and your mother feel about what you have done?" asked Mulan. "Would they have wanted you to go down on this path?"
"They no longer feel anything!" Xian Lang shouted in anger as turned around, brandishing her claws, and attacked Mulan. Xian Lang began to let her anger cloud herself as she attacked Mulan violently.
Mulan who was prepared this time managed to block off the attack and moved away from the witch.
"You're so naïve as young as you are Hua Mulan," Xian Lang growled. "Can't you see? That your views are unrealistic?"
"You may think that my views are unrealistic. But siding with the enemy isn't what Honghui. or my family would have wanted me to do," Mulan said firmly. "It's not right."
"I didn't want to kill you, but now since you know about Bori Khan's plans, I can't let you live," Xian Lang said angrily. She can't let this girl destroy what she has worked so hard towards, no matter how much she wanted to help her.
Xian Lang threw a couple of blades at Mulan who managed to dodged them swiftly before attempting to stab the witch. Xian Lang's claws and Mulan's sword clashed together.
"Arghh!" Xian Lang shouted in anger as she slashed at Mulan who barely dodged it.
"I'm sorry for your loss… Xian Lang… I really am. But you have to understand, you can't let yourself go down this path anymore… Can't you see… Argh…" Mulan tried to reason with Xian Lang as their blades clashed in the air. "That you've changed into a person didn't want to become," Mulan said straining her voice as she tried to push Xian Lang's claws away from her.
"If that is the way to achieve my goals, so be it!" Xian Lang shouted as she clawed Mulan's left arm.
"Argh!" Mulan shouted in pain as Xian Lang's claw drew blood. "Stop… there is no need to-"
"I can't let you stop me," Xian Lang said as she prepared to strike the last blow. "Sorry… Hua Mulan."
Mulan closed her eyes. "This is it, the end." Mulan thought as her mind naturally remembered her times with her family and Honghui. The times she and Honghui shared that kiss, the feeling of Honghui's lips on hers.
"Mulan!" Mulan heard another familiar voice followed by sounds of a galloping horse as she shouted her name. It was a man's voice. "Honghui?" Mulan opened her eyes and turned around, filled with hope.
"Stay away from her!" Honghui shouted as he jumped down his horse and attacked Xian Lang, drawing Xian Lang away from Mulan. As the two fought and their blades clashed, they moved closer and closer towards the edge. Dust flew around as they moved swiftly attacking each other. Right as Xian Lang attempted to strike Honghui, Honghui managed to draw a cut on Xian Lang's palm, making the older woman groaned in pain as Honghui held his sword by Xian Lang's neck.
"Chen Honghui," Xian Lang said. "I knew that you would come for Mulan after you got expulsed."
"Well, then you must be some fortune teller," Honghui mocked as he held his sword at Xian Lang's neck as the older woman stood near the edge. Xian Lang then realized what she almost did and cackled after realizing something that should have thought of before she attacked Mulan.
"What's so funny?' asked Honghui threateningly as Mulan walks toward Honghui, clutching her arm.
"Me… thinking that the army could possibly listen to the words of a girl that masqueraded as a man. I really overthought things back there," Xian Lang said. "Well, since you both are out here now, let me give you all a piece of advice, don't try to get in my way, and you will be safe," Xian Lang said, her voice calmer now as she retracted her claws. "I don't want to hurt both of you." Xian Lang said feeling awkward as she looked at them.
"I'm sorry Mulan. I thought that you would understand and take my offer. Well, until we next meet, Hua Mulan," Xian Lang said.
"What-" Honghui muttered as Xian Lang jumped off the cliff and transformed into her hawk form right in front of Mulan and Honghui.
"Honghui… you came for me?" asked Mulan nervously, emotion filling her once more as she couldn't believe that he was really standing in front of them.
"Yes, Mulan, why wouldn't I?" Honghui asked smiling warmly.
Mulan couldn't bring herself to say anything else but embrace Honghui tightly, tears of joy running down her face as she hugged him.
"Don't cry, Mulan. I'm here," Honghui comforted as he let Mulan embrace him as he watched the phoenix in front of him seemingly disappear.
"I missed you so much," Mulan whispered, her voice cracking from her emotions. "I thought I would never see you again."
"As did I," Honghui said as she patted Mulan's back, comforting her.
It took a while for Mulan to finally overcome her emotions and let go of Honghui, who just smiled at her. "So, what now?" asked Honghui.
"We… we need to warn the battalion," Mulan said, remembering what Xian Lang had said before they disagreed earlier.
"What? About what?" asked Honghui confused.
"Bori Khan, Xian Lang, the witch, and a group of attackers are heading towards the Imperial City as we speak, they are going to take the city, and the war will be lost," Mulan said urgently.
"What? But we defeated their troops," Honghui said in disbelief, shaking his head.
"That was what Xian Lang said to me," Mulan answered as she limped towards her horse, clutching her hand.
"How can you believe what she says?" asked Honghui, holding her hand.
"She was trying to turn me, to join her," Mulan revealed. "She couldn't have been lying," Mulan said as she moved towards her horse.
"Mulan… What are you-"
"I'm going to return to the garrison," said Mulan. "I have to warn them.
"They'll execute you," Honghui said.
"I have to try," Mulan said firmly as she got on her horse.
"Wait… I'm coming with you," Honghui said as he got on his horse.
"But… you're expulsed too, aren't you?" asked Mulan, looking at Honghui concerned.
"If you're going back, I'm going back too," Honghui said firmly. "Plus, if what the witch said is true, then our comrades' lives are in danger."
Mulan smiled and nodded at Honghui, who smiled back. "Let's head back.