The General's Daughter

Friends

Every day, they would practice Kung Fu in the morning, then archery and horse riding in the evening and swordsmanship at night. The only time they could rest was during noon and after they won at least 5 rounds in swordsmanship or else they couldn't eat dinner.

While they went on an expedition one day, Captain Cheng ordered Yin, Zhao, Ting Ting and two other recruits to follow him to find some food as well as get some wood for the fire.

Zhao was in charge of getting firewood while the captain and the two other recruits hunt some animals, and Yin and Ting Ting were in charge of finding edible plants or fruits.

Yin thought this was finally a good opportunity to befriend Ting Ting and one day introduce herself properly.

But Ting Ting didn't seem to want to be with Yin as she requested to change at the captain saying she could hunt instead.

Captain Cheng sighs saying, "The reason why I gave this task to you two is that you two are knowledgeable on what plants are edible and what are poisonous, I wouldn't have chosen you two if it weren't for that reason."

Ashamed she let the captain down, Ting Ting apologizes before picking up the basket where they would put the plants. There was one basket for each person as they needed to feed more than 50 people.

Ting Ting was about to fall down a slippery slope when Yin notice this and puts her arm around Ting Ting's waist before she could have fallen.

When she was stable, Ting Ting immediately releases Yin's hands around her waist and walks ahead refusing to look at Yin and didn't even say 'Thank you'.

Yin didn't mind this but she also didn't want their relationship to be bad so she asked, "Do you hate me soldier Ting Ting? If so, can you tell me why?"

Ting Ting was surprised Yin asked her this question so she gushily answers, "No I do not hate you. Instead I respect you soldier Yin. I admi-" she stopped herself before talking. "It's nothing. Please do not mind me and thank you for saving me just then"

Yin smiled but there was no way anyone could see it behind the mask so she said, "I see, it is not a problem as that is what friends do"

"Friends?" Ting Ting's questioning tone made Yin nervous.

"Ah, I am sorry. It was weird of me to assume you were my friend without asking your permission. Do you want to be friends with me?"

Ying Yue was nervous because, besides her maids and the other servants in the household she hasn't made a friend that was her age outside her house as she didn't like spending time outside thus, she hasn't really met anyone who she could call a friend. And even in her previous life, she was bad at making friends as well as maintaining them. However, she was a good judge of character as she watched too much drama in her previous life.

Ting Ting had to blink twice as she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Was the great Yin blushing to the point his ears had gone red just because he wanted to be friends with her? Ting Ting had also blushed in return.

"N-no," she said and Yin became disappointed so she hurriedly explains, "I mean no, I do not mind becoming your friend soldier Yin as it would be a great honour"

Yin nods happily and said, "Alright, so we are friends from now on."

The two then began to search around for anything edible until they found something that Ying Yue recognize in her previous life. It was a Yacon fruit that was shaped like a potato however it tasted like pear and an apple. It was good for a healthy diet and there were lots of them underground when Yin found them.

Ting Ting found some wild grass that could be cooked and some mushrooms so both could be made a herb soup.

When both of them was done stacking their basket for the right amount of people, Ting Ting jump in excitement as they got a good haul but she didn't see the hole in front of her thus Yin had to stop her from falling.

Alas because Ting Ting's basket had more weight, her balance was disturbed and it made her back lean more which caused her to fall.

"Ting Ting!" Yin took off her basket and dive into the hole to save Ting Ting.

The hole didn't look that deep from where they stood before but when you enter, it was a different story.

It seems like an underground cave instead and Ting Ting open her eyes when Yin squeezes her arms with a little pressure.

"Ting Ting, are you alright?"

Yin scan for any injuries and sigh when she realizes Ting Ting just had some light bruises and cuts.

Yin immediately gave her first aid treatment that she knew and applied some ointment so it could heal faster. It was a good thing she never left her first aid kit which was a small pouch filled with medicines for injuries.

"Thank you, Yin, I am fine now. Where are we?"

They look around, with the help of the light that penetrated from the hole, they could see clearly there were some writings or paintings scribbled on the wall.

The most noticeable one was the drawing of a sword.

Ying Yue had studied some ancient language hoping it would help her whenever she gets caught in ruins and needed to read some runes.

The sword was called the Elemental Sword.

"He who wields it will be able to control the elements" Yin reads aloud as Ting Ting asked what it was.

Typical drama, this was quite surprising however it runs with the plot, thought Ying Yue.

And like in any historical drama, the cave looks inviting as if they welcome both Ting Ting and Yin as their honourable guests as it seems that nobody had ventured into the cave before.

Ying Yue was disturbed. How did the hole appear there when they pass through the area before, there wasn't any hole?

Ting Ting was shivering beside her and Yin gave her outer layer to make sure she was covered up more now for heat.

"I don't think we'll be able to get up there anymore" Ting Ting looks back to where the hole was which seems to be hundreds of feet above them. If it was just a few jumps Yin was confident they would be able to pull this off but Ting Ting was right.

"Looks like we'll have to find another way out. I only hope we'll be able to get back to the campsite by sunset" as they left around noon.

Ting Ting nods in agreement. Together they both entered the labyrinth.