They have finally arrived in Zhengfa, with Miles and Franziska suffering from jetlag. Franziska's eyes were red and Miles had pressure building up in his head which caused a migraine since he had a cold. Shi Long had something more than the luggage he had with him, three teenagers handcuffed together and tied roped. He didn't care about the people staring at him, he was in a pissed mood after reading the USB stick. After he had finished reading everything, a note appeared on his laptop.
I LIED, QILIN NEVER KEPT A DIARY :-P
He was going to have to force the secret out of him, one way or another. As he concentrated on ways on making Liuxang talk and then murder him, he noticed that he hadn't heard Franziska and Miles talking and that they were frozen and stunned at what they saw. He looked at the same direction and became rooted to the spot like them. A black shock of long hair wearing glasses was talking to a porter, she glanced at the three of them and hastily got in the taxi. The green eyes she had left an impression on all three except for Kay, Ralos and Luna, they were busy complaining about how tight the rope was and their means of escaped which were crushed by Ralos realistic comments.
"Taxi! Taxi!" Shi Long called out to the cars that were lining up. Ralos rolled his eyes exasperated at how the Interpol agent could forget the quickest method to getting a taxi. Losing his patience, he cut the rope with his ninja star and carefully hid it back in his pouch. He put his pinky fingers in his mouth and whistled.
TWEET! It was the shrillest whistle that Shi Long had ever heard, and his ears were still ringing as a taxi pulled over. For some reason, the luggage of the mysterious passenger wasn't finished being placed in the other taxi. The lady casted one final glance at Shi Long and ordered the driver to go as the luggage were finally in the trunk.
Shi Long didn't care about Miles's and Franziska's mental state and quickly pushed them into the cab along with the three pesky teenagers, he helped the cab driver load up the luggage and got in the cab himself. "Follow that taxi and step on it!" he ordered. The driver didn't say anything, all he did was study Shi Long and then stepped on the gas pedal.
They were going over the speed limit, yet no cop was in sight. In fact, nothing was in sight, Miles gulped apprehensively, he would have wanted to argue with Shi Long but the agent seemed to intent on following the mysterious lady. Only the Yatagarasu trio were alright, they were bored with the excitement and had taken a nap. Ralos was snoring, Kay was resting using his shoulder as a pillow, and Luna leaning against the car door. "Can't you go any faster?" Shi Long asked impatiently.
"No Sir, in fact, I must stop now."
"What do you mean?"
"If you noticed Sir, the cab is gone."
No one expected it, no one. Shi Long then looked at his surroundings. "Where is this?"
A sign board with faded characters were in beside the road. It read:
水浒传
Shuǐhǔ zhuàn
Water Margin
Suspicious, Shi Long glared at the driver. "You knew this, didn't you?"
"What's this placed?" Franziska demanded.
"This is a forbidden territory," Shi Long replied, his gaze never wavered at the cab driver.
"A WHAT?" Miles shouted.
Shi Long turned the lights on. He gasped, so did Franziska. Only Miles was puzzled by their reactions.
"You're the assasin!" Shi Long exclaimed.
"You shot me!" Franziska shouted.
A chop on Shi Long's neck knock him out. "Sorry Agent, but I think you have to calm down," Luna said. She grinned maliciously as she proceeded to bind Shi Long with the same ropes he used on all three of them.
"L-Luna?" Miles said shocked.
"We already know how to untie knots like this," Ralos said as he stood up.
"Wh-What do you mean, Sola?" Franziska asked.
"We are here to look after you," Ralos explained simply.
Before Franziska could reach for her whip, Kay grabbed it and quickly used it to bind Franziska. "Sorry, but this is for your own good," She said as she put a blindfold over Franziska's eyes.
"Fran-" He felt pain on his neck and he looked at Luna.
"Sorry, but we have to do this."
A black-haired figure was looking at Miles. The figure smiled at him warmly.
"Hello Miley."
Miles back-stepped in utter disbelief.
"Y-You're dead..."
"No, I'm not, you saw me, I'm still alive."
"This is not possible ..."
"No Miley, it's a miracle."
"Why are you here?"
"I want to show you something that Shi Long knows but you and Ziz don't know."
The white void changed into a scenery that was not for the faint-hearted. Scrawled all over the walls with a pen knife were words that Miles couldn't believe was from the girl he once knew.
为什么？杀了你。恨你。死亡。你怎么敢！
Those were the words that covered the walls, the figure scrawling on the walls stopped once the figure felt like being watched. The figure turned to Miles and pointed the pen knife at him. The face of the figure was one he could barely recognize for it was covered with crimson blood, but the eyes, the green eyes told him who it was. With a sleeve, the figure wiped away the blood and gave him a nonchalant grin. The younger version Qilin smiled at him as if nothing was happening.
"Qilin, that's you? That can't be you!" Miles shouted as he shook the small girl.
She continued smiling at him. She opened her mouth to utter one phrase:
"Wǒ shì zhēnzhèng de qílín."
"What are you saying here?" Miles asked as he tried to wipe the remaining blood on Qilin's younger self.
"She said she is the real Qilin," the figure sighed.
"No Qilin, this isn't you! You're a good person!" The blood could not be wiped away. The silk cloth of his jacket only made raw patches over Qilin's face. The young Qilin finally held Miles's hands and gestured him to stop it, and she gave him an empty smile like that of a hollow shell. The black-haired apparition looked grim, as if he knew what was coming.
"Wǒ shì yīgè huàirén, zhè jiùshì wèishéme wǒ zhān mǎn le xiānxiě."
"No! Qilin, whatever you're saying, it's not true! I met you and you were a great person."
The young Qilin didn't smile anymore and her eyes fell on the pen knife she dropped, she picked it up and looked at Miles. She pointed the knife at him.
"Qilin?"
She didn't stab him, all she did was let him look at it. She cut her left arm to show Miles how sharp the pen knife couls be, and it scared him. Not the sight of the blood, but at how Qilin was before she met him. Was this Qilin a part of her that she kept secret? Why was she like this? He had to ask Shi Long. This thoughts raged in his mind, and momentarily he forgot that Qilin was there.
"Zàijiàn gēgē."
He knew what it meant. Good bye brother, that was what she was saying. That was what she said before she left them. But what did she mean now? Why goodbye again?
"Qilin, what are you saying?"
She didn't say anything but she reverted to an older version of herself, to the same Qilin he knew. And he saw his dream guide turn away.
Qilin plunged the knife to her chest. Miles flinched as the blood splattered all over him.
"NO!" He shouted, as everything past by him in slow motion. It was too late, she was dead.