Before anyone could react, Mian Feng leaped toward the man and grabbed his wrist. He started to slide across the snow toward the edge. Han Jun quickly slid onto his stomach and grabbed Mian Feng by the leg, but he also found himself sliding toward the edge. He felt someone grab his leg and looked down. It was Tang Yi.

"I'm not letting you go." Tang Yi then turned to his companions and ordered, "Pull us up!"

Qing Gang, Xu Luo, Xu Chen Ping, and Wen Xiao grabbed Tang Yi's leg and heaved them closer to the mountainside. After Shi Han Jun and the rest were pulled away from the edge, Han Jun got up, and patted his clothing.

Mian Feng looked at Han Jun in awe. "Han Jun! You are usually afraid to get dirty! Why did you jump in and save us?"

Han Jun scowled, "Rén mìng guān tiān."

"Bù kuī shì San Huang Zi," he said.

As soon as the group heard this, they immediately dropped to their knees, brought their hands to their chest, made them touch, and bowed their heads. "Can jian San Huang Zi," they said in unison. Greetings, Third Prince.

Shi Han Jun immediately said, "Get up! Get up!" He helped Tang Yi get to his feet as the others also got to their feet.

"Forgive us for not recognizing you and giving you the respect you deserve, Third Prince," Tang Yi said as he clasped his hands and bowed.

"Don't blame yourselves," he said as he helped Tang Yi straighten. "I didn't tell you because I didn't want to let you know. To not realize my identity is natural. Besides, you were willing to allow us to join you in our time of need. I daresay, you saved my life, even."

"You're making a big deal out of nothing. We helped you because we want to help those less fortunate than us. Helping others is what we're supposed to do. Third Prince, you saved Guang Dong and I am forever in your debt. I am willing to ally with you and support you in times of trouble or times of peace," with that Tang Yi knelt down once again.

Everyone else followed suit and chanted, "We are willing to be your allies! We are willing to be your allies! We are willing to be your allies!"

"Stand up everyone! Stand up!"

They all rose obediently.

"Today I am not a prince. I am only Shi Han Jun. I am the merchant you've met yesterday. You all can drop the formalities. After all, we have been through life and death together and can consider each other Xiong Di."

"Being able to serve Your Majesty is our blessing!" Tang Yi said.

"And being able to meet such good people is my honor," Shi Han Jun replied.

"Let us continue on our way. We still have some ways to go before we can set up camp," Tang Yi said. Soon they were on their way again, trudging along the mountainside.

*********************************************************

"What?!" He bellowed as a jade cup was smashed on the ground. "You're telling me the mission failed?"

"Second Prince, please calm down," his servant said.

"Calm down?! You want me to calm down?! I sent you to kill Shi Han Jun but he's still alive and well! Fèi wù! Why do I have you all when you will fail me?" He kicked one of the servants who wore black and was kneeling on the ground. The servant fell to his side but quickly went back to his original position.

He sat down and huffed. Rubbing his temples he asked, "Where are they now?"

"According to the time, they're almost half way up the mountain," his loyal bodyguard replied.

"Send them to kill him tonight! This time don't fail me," Second Prince said sternly.

"Yes," his loyal bodyguard bowed as he went to arrange the assasination.

**********************************************************

Not long after they had rested, they entered the forest with snow covering the trees.

"Lao Da, are we going to set up camp at our usual spot?" Asked Guang Dong.

"Of course!" Spat Qing Gang.

They walked into a clearing. After Tang Yi gave a rapid fire of instructions, each of the men scattered in different directions to fulfill their quest. Tang Yi turned to Mian Feng and Shi Han Jun and said, "You two can just relax. We'll get everything ready."

"How can that be? We can't sit by while you do everything!" Shi Han Jun protested.

"Sure you can! You're the Prince! You shouldn't have to do work like the rest of us," Tang Yi said.

"No, no. I'm not the Third Prince today. I'm the merchant you met yesterday. Besides, I always wondered what it would be like to live like any other commoner. What can I do?" Shi Han Jun asked.

Tang Yi, upon seeing Shi Han Jun's resolve sighed. " Fine. Maybe you can try to start the fire," he said as he pointed to the bag of dry wood that lay on the ground. He handed Shi Han Jun a flint and a rock.

Han Jun nodded vigorously and immediately knelt down beside the bag. Taking out a pile of wood, he rubbed the flint against a rock to create a spark.  It did not work. He tried again. Another failed attempt. He tried a third time. Same result.

Mian Feng who was watching the whole time, finally sighed ,and walking to Han Jun's side, he knelt. "Here, let me teach you!"

"No! I want to do it myself," Shi Han Jun said stubbornly.

"If you want to learn how to do it, you must see how it's done," Mian Feng said.

"Oh. You have a point," Shi Han Jun said as he handed Mian Feng the flint.

"You're not supposed to set up your stick like this!" Mian Feng said as he rearranged the sticks. By the time he was done, the sticks all met at one point in the middle. "There, now you're ready! What you have to do, Third Prince, is you rub the flit against the rock very quickly like this," he said as he quickly rubbed the flint against the rock and a spark was created.

"I want to try," Shi Han Jun held out his hands to take the flint and rock. Mian Feng handed it to him. The rock and the flint touched each other as Han Jun held each object in one hand. He furrowed his brow then quickly, he rubbed them together. Nothing happened. Disappointed, Han Jun looked at Mian Feng for guidance.

Mian Feng said, "You're  holding it wrong! " He adjusted Shi Han Jun's hand posture and then told him. "Try again."

Shi Han Jun tried again. A small spark hit the branches and a small flame appeared. Han Jun smiled broadly, but before he could celebrate, a strong wind blew by, and the small flame instantly disappeared.

"It almost worked! Try again! You can do it!"

Shi Han Jun, encouraged, tried again. He failed but that didn't stop him. He tried again and again. With every failure, he told himself he would make it. Finally, a small flame appeared and once again lit the branches. It was then that Qing Gang strode out of the forest. His sword rested on his shoulder and in his right hand, he held a couple of bunnies by their ears.

He strode to the front of Han Jun and set his sword down, right on top of the branches that the flame was eating. They cracked underneath the sword's weight. The flame immediately went out. Unaware of this, Qing Gang said, " How you doing?"

Shi Han Jun just looked at the crushed branches. He was speechless as he glared at the sword. Just when he thought he had a fire, someone had to kill it. Qing Gang, noticing Han Jun staring at the ground, also looked down. "Oh," he said as he lifted his blade from the branches. "Sorry."

Shi Han Jun sighed.

"What's the matter with you? Qing Gang? Third Prince just managed to start a fire and then you had to put it out!" Mian Feng shot to his feet, ready for a fight.

Shi Han Jun got up and grabbed Mian Feng's arm. "Don't need to get in a fight."

"But he–"

    "Listen to me. We can always make a new fire. Let's go get more branches from the bag."

Mian Feng nodded.

Soon enough, they had stacked the sticks against each other and made one of the sticks meet in the middle. Han Jun was forced to try to relight the sticks. This time, he was not as lucky. After trying to light the sticks for some time, he heard some more footsteps. Xu Luo and Xu Cheng Ping entered the clearing. Their bows hung on their shoulders as they had some birds in both their hands. Xu Luo went to the pile of bags and started to unpack the tents.

Xu Luo approached Han Jun and pointed. Shi Han Jun tilted his head in confusion. Xu Luo pointed to the pile of sticks and then back to Han Jun.

"I think he's asking if you're making the fire," Mian Feng guessed.

"Oh," Shi Han Jun said as he nodded.

Xu Luo smiled as he walked away shaking his head.

"Why is he shaking his head?" Shi Han Jun asked.

Mian Feng shrugged.

Soon, Guang Dong and Wen Xiao arrived.

When Wen Xiao saw Han Jun trying to make a fire, he stomped up to him and demanded, "Who said you make fire tonight?!"

"Uhhh," Shi Han Jun said.

"Making fire is MY job! You can't take! You be Third Prince but I not budging. Even if you the emperor, I not budge!" He grabbed the flint and stone from Han Jun's hands.

"Wen Xiao, calm down," Tang Yi said. "I know making the fire is usually your job, but Third Prince has insisted on doing something. Would you rather have had him hunt with you?"

Wen Xiao glanced at Han Jun and said, "No thanks. He a burden."

"Exactly. So why don't you give Han Jun the flint and stone back?"

Wen Xiao glared at Han Jun but handed the flint and stone back.

Han Jun continued to try to light the fire but failed each time. The whole group just observed as Han Jun tried to create a fire. At one point, Mian Feng started to count his failures. "That's the 100th fail...101th fail...102th fail..." and he kept counting until he reached the 900th fail. "Han Jun, it's getting dark now. Do you want to hand the flint and stone over to someone else?"

    "No," Han Jun said. "Just a couple more tries." He tried two more times but failed. Finally he said, "I have a good feeling about this one. I think I'll make it." He closed his eyes as he concentrated and then he opened them with resolve in his eyes. Quickly rubbing the flint against the stone, a small spark finally appeared and landed on the dry branches. A small flame appeared and then gradually grew until a cheery fire was going.

    "Yes! I finally made it!" Shi Han Jun cried in victory. The whole group started to clap. He got a couple of pats on the back.

    That night, they ate and drank merrily. As they sat around the fire on their mats, Tang Yi lifted his cup high into the air and said, "This drink I toast to Third Prince because he saved Guang Dong from death."

    Han Jun held up his cup as well and said, "This cup I toast to you all for these wonderful bonds of brotherhood and the bright future we will have!"

They all laughed and clicked their waterskins together as they celebrated merrily and drank deep into the night.

At last, they all headed to bed.

Shortly after midnight, Han Jun woke to find himself feeling a vibration. Thinking it was his imagination, he turned in his sleeping mat as he lay in his tent he shared with Mian Feng and Guang Dong. The other two were fast asleep. Han Jun tried to fall back asleep and was about to, when he suddenly felt another vibration, this time, closer. Alarmed, Han Jun got up quickly and shook Mian Feng.

"Mian Feng! Wake up!!"

Mian Feng rubbed his sleepy eyes and said, "What is it?"

    "Night crawlers," Guang Dong replied.

    Han Jun whipped his head toward the direction of Guang Dong's voice, surprised he was awake. He sat on his bed with alert eyes as he clutched his wooden whistle.

    "Huh?" Han Jun asked, confused.

    Before Guang Dong could reply, there was a thump on the side of the tent and a screeching noise suddenly erupted from outside. It was so loud that Han Jun's head started to ring.

    "OH NO!" Guang Dong exclaimed. "DISCOVERED US! RUN!"

They busted out of the tent, and just in time too, because right after Han Jun exited the tent, an enormous creature swallowed the tent whole. Shi Han Jun fled the scene and only looked back when he was some distance away.

The creature had a long body that glowed a slimy green. It had a large mouth lined with white jagged fangs, and behind it, Han Jun saw a trail of green glowing slime that it had evidently left. There was a bulge near its head that indicated it had eaten their tent. If it had been one creature, Han Jun would not have been so terrified, but to his horror, there were at least fifty of them and they knocked over everything in their way, including the biggest snow covered trees Han Jun had ever seen in his life. They knocked over the trees with ease as they crawled their way toward them.

"STOP WATCHING!" Mian Feng cried as he grabbed Han Jun's hand and struggled up the mountain.

The creatures were moving more quickly now. There was not a moment to lose. Before long, they would catch up with Han Jun and Mian Feng. Guang Dong had already fled the scene and had not bothered waiting for them. They were on their own.

They ran as fast as their legs could carry them as they fled up the montain. From behind, he heard the smashing of trees growing closer and closer. The moon shone brightly and their whole landscape turned bright as the light bounced off the snow. Though tired, Han Jun had no option but to keep running up the mountain. They seemed to run for eternity. Whenever Han Jun thought he couldn't run anymore, he found himself suddenly have a burst of energy that urged him on.

In the distance, Han Jun heard the howling of wolves.

They were almost at the top of the mountain now and the creatures were at their heels.

"M-Mian F-feng! I-I can't run any-anymore!" Han Jun puffed. Mian Feng didn't pay attention, but instead, continued to rush to the mountain top.

Han Jun stopped and shook Mian Feng's hand, forcing Mian Feng to let go. Mian Feng looked back at Han Jun and cried desperately, " Why are you stopping? Do you want to die?!"

"Go on without me! I can't run anymore! Go on!"

In that instant, Han Jun saw a mixture of anger and fear in Mian Feng's eyes. " I can't leave you! Let's go!" He grabbed Han Jun's hand and successfully pulled Han Jun to the summit. By now Han Jun and Mian Feng were barely ahead of them. Han Jun heard the crushing of trees behind him and felt as if his head was being split open. Fortunately, the ground was level, so it was a lot easier to run now. They galloped to the other side of the mountain as they desperately tried to flee. They started to descend the slope. From afar, there came a heavy rumbling. It was about to snow.

The creatures kept chasing them though, and they were forced to keep running. Mian Feng looked behind them and realized...

They again heard thunder, but this time, closer.

"Han..Jun...it...was...my...pleasure... to...get...to...know...you..." Mian Feng panted as he led him through the snow covered forest.

"What...What do you...mean?!" Han Jun asked in surprise as he also panted.

Mian Feng smiled, and before Han Jun could react, Mian Feng yanked him forward and released his hand. Han Jun fell to the ground and his world started to spin in a jumbled mess as he rolled down the side of the mountain. He hit branches and submerged logs here and there, and soon, he had bruises and open cuts everywhere. Then his head hit something hard with a clunk, and he blacked out.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Rén mìng guān tiān(人命关天）：idiom for human life is beyond value, or human life is very important

Bù kuī  (不愧）：to be worthy of, to deserve to be called, or to prove oneself to be

Shì (是）：to be, usually used before nouns

San hunag zi (三皇子）: Third Prince

Fèi wù(废物）：good-for-nothing

Lao Da(老大）：way to address chieftain or leader