Mitsuko's small army traverses the plains of China, they wonder around following their leader after their rather brutal battle at Xia Pi. Only a small amount of troops are those that belonged to her former unit as the rest were either scattered or slain, the rest are the black turbans that were under the command of Diamondback. The soldiers tend to keep to themselves as they tolerate each other for unit cohesion though there is a clear divide between the two sides, both viewing each other with suspicion. Though Mitsuko's officers which consist of her three demons, Pang Tong and LingQi march behind her as Mitsuko herself leads the small unit, where to though she doesn't have an idea. They've been traversing the unit for a couple of days however the supplies that were brought from the black turbans are quickly diminishing. Due to the nature of the battle of Xia Pi Mitsuko's unit couldn't grab any supplies before being able to flee from the battle. Pang Tong makes his way to Mitsuko side, noticing how silent she is.

'How are you holding up my lady?' Mitsuko was surprised to see Pang Tong suddenly appear beside her. Though soon after she regained her composure.

'Oh hey, I'm all right why do you ask?' She asked, trying to keep up appearances.

'Oh no reason, just that its all so deathly silent all around, thought you may have had some words of courage to help boost up morale.'

'Oh yeah, sorry its just I'm trying to find something to help with that, once we get some supplies their morale should be fine then.'

'Maybe, but an encouraging word or two from their leader may help that as well you know.'

'Well what do you want me to say to them? That everything will be ok and just give them empty promises?' Mitsuko replied harshly.

'Not quite, its just more reassurance that some progress is being made, the effect the words have on people are underestimated.' Pang Tong advises.

'And then what happens? What happens if we don't get any supplies, what then? I would pretty much just gave them empty hope before they starve wouldn't I? Is that really what a good leader should do!? Fill them up with hope just to watch it all fade away in front of them?' Mitsuko replied with a harsh tone. Pang Tong seemed unfazed however Mitsuko regretted her words and sighed.

'I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that its just…look I don't want to raise morale until I know for sure we actually have some is all.' Mitsuko explained.

'Would this have anything to do with the previous battle.' Pang Tong inquired. Mitsuko gritted her teeth, she didn't really want to admit it was that though nothing much gets by him. Nevertheless she attempted to get out of this anyway. She didn't really want to talk or think about it.

'What of course not. I'm just…trying to be practical is all.'

'Practicality is all well and good however would you say that fleeing away from the past is a practical way of dealing with things?' Mitsuko growls though she doesn't reply. She didn't have anything to say, she couldn't say anything. She knows what he was getting at however…she just can't face it at the moment. She was always one to look forward, never back. She was moving on, that's what she did best just moving on.

'Well in any event, just remember all your soldiers are ready for your orders and to assist you whenever you need them to my lady.' Pang Tong chuckles before slowing his pace down to fall behind Mitsuko. As he returned to his normal walking speed, LingQi quickly went next to him.

'What was that about?' She curiously asked.

'Oh nothing, just wondering if our lady has an objective is all, she just seemed quiet recently' Pang Tong chuckles again. LingQi gave Pang Tong a stern glare but then quickly looked at Mitsuko, unbeknownst to her, her face relaxes from a stern glare to a concerned stare.

'Yeah I noticed, do you happen to know any idea why?' Pang Tong puts a hand on his chin as if he was contemplating.

'If I were to hazard a guess it would be to do with the previous battle. I don't think my lady is accustomed with loss of people she knows.'

'No she knows about loss.' LingQi blurted out. Pang Tong gave LingQi and inquisitive look while chuckling.

'Is that so? Sounds like she says something to you and keeping it from the rest of us.' Pang Tong nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders.

'No that's not it.' LingQi quickly defended.

'There's something about her eyes…I can't pinpoint exactly what happened but I'm sure she's not a stranger to loss.' LingQi whispered to him to make sure no one else could eavesdrop. Pang tong chuckled at her answer.

'I see, well it seems like you can see more than I can, I'm rather envious. Well looks like I'll leave her in your capable hands again. Though this time I'll be sure not to interfere.'

'Hey wait' LingQi started. As they were having their conversation behind them Gyuki bent down and whispered towards Dodomeki.

'Hey Dodomeki, do you have any idea what's wrong with her? She hardly said a word since we started this journey.'

'Why would you think I know?' He responded bluntly.

'Because you always have an inkling or something about things like this.'

'Well I don't and anyway what makes you think something is wrong? Have you never thought that she may be a silent type or something?' Dodomeki questions. Though Dodomeki would be lying if he said he wasn't worried about her, which was unusual. Sure he was concerned for Orochi's safety before though when it came to Mitsuko it was something…more personal. He didn't really understand it. Gyuki scratches his head.

'No not really, I suppose she can be, though she didn't seem that way to me too much.' Gyuki responded.

'Either way it doesn't really concern us with the way she handles herself. Unlike some people we know our position with her.' Dodomeki glances forwards at LingQi, he didn't know why but this human both intrigues and infuriates him. The latter confused him most of all. As an ally he should be grateful for their support or at least tolerate them like Pang Tong, this human though. She was something different. Something about her relationship to Mitsuko troubled him…he didn't like feeling like this though he thinks its for a good reason. LingQi meets with his eye with an angry expression on her face as she walks up to him after hearing their conversation.

'What do you mean it isn't our concern?'

'Isn't it obvious, we're just subordinates of lady Mitsuko it really isn't our concern on how she handles herself, what matters is that we follow her orders to the letter and protect her from dangers.' Dodomeki replies, not backing down.

'Is that how you see her? She may be our leader but she's still living and breathing like the rest of us, she's not some goddess without emotions.'

'And as such everyone has a different way of dealing with their problems, its not up to us to tell her how best to handle a situation.'

'Hey c'mon guys there's no need to argue.' Gyuki attempts to clam down both parties, though he was ignored.

'That doesn't mean we should ignore her and let her fight her own battles.'

'Fight her own battles? That's why she has us under her command, she won't need to.'

'I'm not talking about that kind of battles, I'm talking about the other kind, the kind people have in their own minds.'

'Ha! Are you suggesting she has those kinds of battles? How laughable, Lady Mitsuko wouldn't have such weakness.'

'Hey Dodomeki you're going a bit too far now.' Gyuki warned him. LingQi however was furious at this demon and threw a right hook at his helmet. A metallic clank was heard as Dodomeki's head was forcefully tilted to his right. Gyuki and Dodomeki looked shocked at this sudden surprise attack, both Diamondback and Pang Tong glances at the argument between the two. Dodomeki straightens his head and stared at LingQi sternly with his singular golden eye.

'You dare?'

'I dare? You dare laugh at her pain and call her weak! You call yourself her subordinate and you say those things about her? Please, you don't care about her at all do you!?' That made Dodomeki angry as he retaliated with a hook of his own. LingQi looked shocked as she let her head stay facing to the side. Diamondback and Pang Tong quickly rushes to those two. Gyuki was surprised, normally he wasn't so violent or so confrontational with his allies, at least in the past.

'You think I don't care? You arrogant human you have the temerity to assume you know me? To know lady Mitsuko!? Please! Don't even try to insult me with your lack of knowledge.' Dodomeki states, LingQi straightens her head and grits her teeth.

'We're the ones who have been keeping an eye on her throughout her journey, where was you?'

'I was with her when she needed help, where was you when she needed it!? You never even considered helping her instead you just watched her like a game!'

'Why you!' They both go in for another punch however Diamondback interrupts them both as he slams his halberd between both of them and swings it around forcing both parties to leap backwards.

'Enough! We cannot afford to argue and fight amongst ourselves. Lady Mitsuko will need all of our help, all of us.' He glares at Dodomeki before turning to LingQi.

'Is that understood?' he asked. The two looked away while snarling, LingQi marches forwards away before Diamondback went up to Dodomeki's face.

'What the hell was that about?' Diamondback questioned him.

'Yeah you're not normally that confrontational or physical with allies. What's up? Gyuki asked, concerned for his blood brother who looked to the side.

'…I don't know, that one just annoyed me. Besides she started it, shouldn't have gotten involved in our conversation anyway.'

'You know full well you provoked her, why is that?' Diamondback inquires, curious of this sudden change of behaviour from Dodomeki.

'That's none of your concern. Now if we are done with this pointless discussion are you ready to continue? Dodomeki asked as he marches on forward.

'You have any idea why he's acting weird?' Diamondback asks Gyuki who shakes his head sadly.

'Not a clue, I don't think he knows either.' The two demons catchup to Dodomeki as they continue to march. LingQi resumes her march with Pang Tong who chuckled.

'Well do you want to explain what that was all about?'

'Hmph, I'm not about to let some damn demon insult Mitsuko like that and tell me that I shouldn't be concerned about her.'

'Perhaps, but still we should try to at least tolerate our allies. No good will come from picking fights with them, no matter they're personal beliefs may be.' Pang Tong advised.

'So you expect me to keep silent while they talk about insult Mitsuko?'

'At the moment, yes. Unit cohesion is vitally important especially now as we need all the help we can get.'

'Tch!' LingQi grits her teeth and looked away. She could hear Pang tong signature chuckle still. None of them notice Mitsuko slight twitches as they keep pressing on.

'You also got to remember, these are demons not just normal humans. They have a different culture to us so they're used to different things, try and not be too hard on them.' Pang Tong advised. That night the unit made camp, Dodomeki was ordered to scout for any potential villages nearby which he complied. LingQi instead of sleeping decided to train, trying to make up for lost time. She finds a quiet place on the outskirts of the camp where she wouldn't disturb anyone. She started and performed her training more vigorously than before. She finds herself become stronger though she doesn't feel like a better fighter for some reason.

Yue jin managed to block the attacks from LingQi's relentless onslaught. As much as she tried, Yue Jin was a quick and nimble opponent which LingQi wasn't expecting. He dodged and blocked every attack that she could. Some of her attacks landed on the ground and created small holes where the blade penetrated the earth and gravel. However soon after she finds herself getting exhausted while her opponent is still nimble and fast which infuriated her. However as the fatigue starts to take effect Yue Jin took advantage. As LingQi thrusts her left glaive he manages to catch the pole arm with the arc of the hook, sped around to her left dragging her around. As he does so he twists his body and be extension his hook crowbar like blade. Forcing it out of LingQi's grasp, she widened her eyes in shock though she doesn't stop as she still has another glaive she can rely on. She swung horizontally as she twisted her body the other way. Before the blade can make impact Yue Jin ducked. As he ducks he attaches the arc of his other hook to the polearm and spins around, forcing the weapon to escape LingQi's grasp yet again. With no weapons to arm herself with LingQi is stuck as Yue Jin rushes in to the kill.'

'I thought you would've been resting.' LingQi is taken out of her flashback, she looks back to see diamondback leaning against a tree with his halberd over his right shoulder.

'Shouldn't you be doing the same?' LingQi questioned. She didn't know too much about the lizardman in front of her apart from what Pang Tong told her about him being leading the former yellow turbans to the black turbans. She was grateful for them to come to Mitsuko's aid though she still has her doubts about them.

'Maybe, but I figured I wanted to train for a bit, it looks like you had the same idea.' LingQi looked at him suspiciously, unsure the exact reason as she doubted its simply because of training.

'Is that so? Are you sure it isn't about your other companion?'

'Heh, truth be told I'm not sure what happened there, its not like him but its not like he'll speak to us about it anyway. Though he has trust issues, maybe that's it, don't take what he says too personally.'

'Noted. Still, don't expect me to stand idle while he spouts nonsense.' Diamondback chuckled at her feistiness.

'Oh don't worry I won't, if you ask me he probably deserve a couple more.' LingQi couldn't help but snicker alongside him. She was about to go back to her training before Diamondback interrupted her again.

'Your strength isn't the problem its your form.' He states as if he knows her plight. Making her turn back towards him again.

'My form?`

'Yes, you overexert yourself too much for a sustained fight. Even you will get fatigued and an intelligent opponent will take advantage of that, you won't be able to protect lady Mitsuko like that.' LingQi gritted her teeth and looked away ashamedly when she remembers before she was attacked diamondback blocked the attack with his shield giving LingQi a chance to grab her weapons.

'Tch, did it occur to you that's the reason I'm training?'

'You can train all you want but if you're not training the correct things its all for naught, strength alone won't win us battles anymore from this point onwards. Our enemies will be stronger and more intelligent.' Diamondback warned.

'It sounds like you know who they are already. Would it be these mystics that Gyuki went on about before?' LingQi questioned. She figured these demons and mystics have a history of fighting.

'Yep, soldiers of the celestial mystic realm. They'll come for lady Mitsuko in numbers sooner or later and we have to be prepared and there's only one way you'll be prepared for the mightiest of them.' Diamondback stated which made LingQi tilt her head.

'And what's that?' All of a sudden LingQi spotted the halberd crashing down on her, she barely had enough to time to raise one of her glaives to block it in time, it was so powerful she had to go almost go on one knee.

'We need to train smarter as well as stronger!' Diamondback withdrew the halberd allowing LingQi to stand up.

'And I believe in order to do that we both need adequate sparring partners, it can get pretty lonely doing it by yourself after all and we'll both be able to spot each other's weaknesses.' Diamondback suggested as he wore a lop-sided smirk. LingQi returns the smirk as she raised her blade at him.

'Really now? Well I hope you don't think I'm going to take it easy on you.' LingQi challenged confidently.

'Heh, you remind me of myself when I was a fledgling, I too was arrogant, here let me humble you a bit.' He chuckled before they both rush as their blades clash for the first time.