Chapter 8

The midday sun descended, illuminating the entire small courtyard brightly.

Cui Yunqi stepped inside the room, his gaze sweeping across the surroundings before settling on the somewhat disheveled bedding. He took a few steps forward, picked it up, and bent down to sniff.

“Young master!” A respectful voice called from outside the door.

Cui Yunqi put down the bedding, turned, and followed the person outside. They went to the back and finally stopped in front of a thatched latrine, where a specially trained hunting dog crouched panting on the ground. A guard was holding a pole, fishing out clothes from inside.

“These are the princess’s clothes.”

Cui Yunqi looked down at a red embroidered undergarment soiled with filth lying on the ground. His gentle and refined face instantly darkened. “Turn your back.”

The guard immediately obeyed and turned away.

He lowered his eyes, a shadow falling over his eyelids. He ordered for a torch and dry wood to be brought. They piled the wood on the clothes and set it aflame.

Thick black smoke rose gradually in the courtyard; the sky seemed to darken as well.

“Young master, it’s time to leave. We can’t stay here any longer. The elite troops sent to find the princess will surely locate her. Perhaps we will encounter the princess along the way… The new emperor in the capital has already sent people to seek you. Young master, if you don’t leave now, it will be too late.”

Cui Yunqi looked down at the burning clothes without responding.

The guard, braving it, added, “Minister Xiang has urged you several times to hurry to Longxi. Don’t fall behind him for too long,” he whispered.

Cui Yunqi asked, “Still no clue who followed Yu’er?”

“...We could only trace it back to the emperor’s envoy. None of the dark guards on the secret roster match.”

Cui Yunqi’s graceful face showed no expression, and he said no more.

Only after the fire had completely turned to ashes did he finally depart.

...

Dark clouds covered the sun, and a sudden summer rain poured down like a waterfall. The rain struck the leaves with thunderous noise. A swift horse galloped through the storm carrying two riders. Li Mianyu was only slightly wet, her head resting against Yan Shi’s chest.

Whenever she tried to open her eyes and look ahead, all she saw was a blurred world soaked by rain, nothing clear. So she buried herself deeper into her dark guard’s embrace.

Though Yan Shi wore no bamboo hat nor held an umbrella, no raindrops touched him. Li Mianyu pressed against him and was barely drenched.

Some carriages on the road moved slowly, and many riders sought shelter from the rain. Yet Yan Shi kept urging his horse onward, racing through the storm.

Li Mianyu’s heart mourned the dire situation of the Great Zhou Dynasty, tears welling in her eyes. Gradually, she couldn’t help but study Yan Shi, reaching out to touch his arm, then squeezing his shoulder.

Yan Shi showed no reaction, only tensing his muscles slightly.

Finally, Li Mianyu spoke up, “Yan Shi, why aren’t you wet?”

“Because I’m projecting my internal energy outward.”

“What’s internal energy?”

“...Martial artists cultivate internal energy through daily practice over time.”

“What’s internal cultivation?”

“...It’s the martial discipline of breathing and energy circulation into the lower dantian, filling the meridians and strengthening the lungs and heart.”

“Where is the lower dantian?”

“Three inches below the navel.”

Li Mianyu covertly touched her own navel and slid her fingers down three fingers’ width, massaging softly, trying to breathe in and out, but felt nothing entering the dantian.

Yan Shi caught her movement from the corner of his eye but pretended not to notice.

She nonchalantly withdrew her hand and asked, “What technique do you practice? Can I learn it?”

If she could be as formidable as Yan Shi… last time in the forest when he ran, he seemed almost to fly. If she were that strong, she wouldn’t need protection and could protect others herself. If she had been this strong before, she could have carried Aunt Qingling flying wildly in the palace long ago.

Yan Shi thought for a moment and nodded, “Yes, you can.”

Her heart raced, voice splitting with excitement, “Really?”

“Really.” The young dark guard’s voice was calm.

Li Mianyu already imagined herself scaling walls and leaping across rooftops, her teary eyes sparkling as she asked, “Can I become stronger than you?”

As a princess, she naturally wanted to excel at everything. How could she be outdone by her own dark guard?

The youth remained silent for a long moment before answering, “No.”

Li Mianyu fell silent, her joyful mood faltering with a frown. “What do you mean? Are you saying I’m not as good as you?”

His voice was clear, “I started martial arts at three years old and have practiced internal energy for fifteen years. You are only fourteen…”

“In one more month, I will be fifteen!” Li Mianyu corrected him firmly.

The coming of adulthood was significant for a girl; she would not allow Yan Shi to call her fourteen.

Yan Shi obviously had no opinion on whether she was fourteen or fifteen and replied matter-of-factly, “You will be fifteen soon. Even if you start now, it will take fifteen years to be as skilled as me. But in fifteen years, my internal energy will be even stronger, unless I’m dead.”

Li Mianyu was speechless. She wanted to be stronger than Yan Shi but never wished him dead. She fell silent for a long time before changing the subject, “You’re only eighteen—why are your feet so big? Cui Yunqi’s feet aren’t even as big as yours.”

Yan Shi said nothing.

Li Mianyu thought of Cui Yunqi and lost enthusiasm. She leaned on Yan Shi’s chest and looked down at the muddy road beneath them, then gradually glanced up at the torrential rain. “You haven’t found any news about Cui Yunqi yet, have you?”

Soon, she heard Yan Shi’s murmured reply.

She whispered, “He must be very anxious. He will definitely come to find me. When he does, I want to ask him why he didn’t send me a message that day.”

Yan Shi clearly didn’t understand what she meant and remained silent, only focusing on the road ahead, gripping the horse’s belly between his legs as he urged it forward.

Proudly, Li Mianyu said, “The Cui family is a hundred-year-old noble clan, producing many prime ministers. They are not traitors. Cui Yunqi is exceptionally talented—he topped the imperial exam at sixteen, then entered the Secretariat, and now serves as Deputy Minister of the Secretariat!”

Yan Shi wondered silently what a Deputy Minister of the Secretariat was—was that more powerful than the leader of the Dragon Dormant Army?

Li Mianyu was about to say more when a muffled thunderclap rolled ahead, striking a roadside tree and splitting it in two. The tree toppled across the road. Startled, she hugged Yan Shi’s waist tightly.

Yan Shi glanced left and right, then suddenly sped up.

Mud splashed on the ground. Li Mianyu felt the sticky mud cling to her hem.

Though no rain touched her, the sounds of wind, rain, thunder, and Yan Shi’s heartbeat overwhelmed her. Nervously, she widened her eyes and turned her head toward the fallen tree blocking the road, raising her voice, “Slow down! Yan Shi, slow down!”

Her heart pounded like thunder, fearful the horse would crash into the tree, sending her and Yan Shi tumbling into the mud.

Just before the horse reached the tree, Yan Shi suddenly lowered his body, holding her close. He pressed against her back, and she almost hit the horse’s neck. Li Mianyu’s face stiffened, flushed, and twisted for a moment.

Just as she was about to scold him, the horse suddenly leapt into the air, its front hooves raised high. In her peripheral vision, the surrounding trees seemed to shrink. She clung tightly to Yan Shi and looked down.

The fallen tree on the road appeared tiny. In the blink of an eye, the horse landed with a snort. She bounced heavily in Yan Shi’s arms but was steadied and pressed firmly back onto the saddle.

Her heart still raced violently from the shock, and in her ear came a brief, light, and clear laugh.

She snapped back to reality and looked up at Yan Shi.

The young man’s face was slightly pale, but his eyes curved upward at the corners, shining dark and bright as if glimmering with light.

Li Mianyu had been with Yan Shi for several days, and this was the first time she had seen him smile. She stared a moment longer, but the smile vanished as quickly as it came, and his face returned to its usual calm and expressionless demeanor.

She blinked, wondering if she had imagined it. “Did you just smile?”

Yan Shi glanced down at her but said nothing.

Li Mianyu did not press further and paid it no mind.

The rain continued for a long time. The two raced through the storm for hours. By evening, the horse was tired, so they stopped briefly at a dilapidated temple by the roadside.

Yan Shi’s black horse was from a wealthy household, not only strong and well-fed, but its saddlebag contained black beans for feed. After tidying the temple and lighting a fire, Yan Shi went under the eaves to feed the horse.

Li Mianyu had endured the jolting ride for so long that her waist ached, her back ached, and her seat felt as though it might split in two. Though her feet still hurt, she did not sit immediately but steadied herself against the wall, taking small steps. She peeked out to see Yan Shi feeding the horse, who couldn’t see her, so she awkwardly twisted her waist and hesitated as she rubbed her chest.

The tree she had hit with her chest during the leap had caused her pain that made her want to scream.

She whispered, scolding the dark guard, “You reckless wildcat!”

Even after scolding, she wasn’t much better. The quiet around her made her think of her late grandfather.

And she hadn’t finished writing the memorial for her father, mother, and consort to burn for them.

She also wondered about Aunt Qingling, not knowing how she fared.

After feeding the horse, Yan Shi returned to the temple. At the entrance, he saw the girl leaning against the wall, head bowed, eyes reddening with tears, her hands massaging her chest.

He blinked, turned his head, and went back to feed the horse.

Under the ashen-gray sky, everything was hazy. The youth lowered his head, sighed at the horse, and murmured, “Crying again.”

He glanced at the rain outside, recalled the stream they had passed earlier, and stepped into the downpour.

Li Mianyu dared not rub her chest for long, fearing Yan Shi’s return. She lightly eased the swelling, then withdrew her hand and wiped her tears with her sleeve. The rough fabric against her wet face made it sting so badly she covered her face, tears streaming down.

When Yan Shi returned, his footsteps heavy, Li Mianyu quickly straightened her posture and looked up, intending to complain, but when she saw he carried two fish, her eyes lit up immediately.

“Where did you get the fish?”

Yan Shi crouched by the fire and placed the two fish on the spit, glancing at her. “Picked them up along the way.”

Li Mianyu’s moist eyes sparkled even more. She had never heard of finding fish on the road. She stretched up and looked outside, “Where? I didn’t see any!”

Yan Shi poked the fire, “Just two.”

Li Mianyu felt a pang of regret but was glad nonetheless. She clapped and said, “Good thing you found them! We can eat fish tonight!”

“Mm.”

Yan Shi then took something from his pouch and handed it to Li Mianyu.

She stared at the object wrapped in leaves, momentarily puzzled, then unwrapped it. Inside was a handful of mulberries, deep purple and almost black.

Li Mianyu smiled, lips pursed, and popped one into her mouth. “So sweet! Where did you pick these?”

“By the roadside.”

Yan Shi lowered his head and pulled out cornbread from his bundle, skewering it on a branch to roast. Li Mianyu, who had been squatting for a long time and whose legs were sore, carefully sat on a straw cushion Yan Shi found inside the temple.

She watched Yan Shi roast the fish. His face looked somewhat pale, reminding her of his injuries, making her feel ashamed. She offered the mulberries, “You should eat some too.”

The young dark guard shook his head, “I’ve already eaten.”

Li Mianyu responded with an “Oh,” without much thought. After a moment’s hesitation, she asked, “Are your wounds alright?”

Yan Shi flipped the fish, “Just minor.”

“Oh.” That was reassuring. Li Mianyu looked at him but said nothing more.

As the fish neared completion, an inexplicable tension gripped her. She glanced outside now and then, recalling the last time Yan Shi had cooked by a stream, only for pursuers to arrive after the fish was done.

Yan Shi looked up at her but said nothing, merely handing her the fish and cornbread.

Seeing only the sound of rain outside, Li Mianyu relaxed and was drawn by the aroma to take the food.

Yet she didn’t know how to start with the fish. She stared at it blankly, then turned to Yan Shi.

He was eating cornbread but noticed her gaze. He looked up to see her holding a fish, staring at him.

“I don’t know how to pick bones...” she said softly.

Yan Shi said nothing, took the fish, placed it on the banana leaf that had held the mulberries, and pulled out two golden hairpins from his pouch. With deft skill, he removed the bones and handed the fish back to her.

Li Mianyu was speechless.

She had never imagined her golden hairpins could be used for deboning fish.

After eating the fish and cornbread, the rain showed no sign of letting up. Yan Shi stood at the door, watching the downpour and the accumulating water on the road, his brow furrowing.

Night had fully fallen, and they would spend it here. The dilapidated temple leaked in many places, save for the spot where they sat by the fire. Yan Shi tidied the place, brought the horse inside, tied it on the other side, laid a piece of clothing on the ground, and gestured for Li Mianyu to sleep.

Except for the time Yan Shi was injured, Li Mianyu had never slept on the ground before. She lay down awkwardly but felt uncomfortable everywhere.

No pillow, no soft bedding—nothing.

She turned on her side and looked at Yan Shi leaning against the wall, arms crossed, black eyes closed, seemingly asleep. She frowned and nudged him with her foot.

“Yan Shi!”

Yan Shi opened his eyes and looked at her.

“I can’t sleep.” Li Mianyu pouted, her voice low and forlorn. “My waist and back ache, and the ground is so hard and cold.”

Yan Shi sat up, his dark eyes fixed on her.

Li Mianyu hesitated a moment but then thought: this was the dark guard given by her grandfather. She was a princess and could command him as she wished. So she said, “Lie down beside me.”

Yan Shi didn’t ask why and lay down next to her.

Li Mianyu took his arm as a pillow and nestled close to Yan Shi’s warm body. The ground no longer seemed so cold, and she felt much more comfortable. Closing her eyes, she thought, No wonder Grandfather keeps dark guards. When traveling, they are truly indispensable!

She opened her eyes again, looked at Yan Shi seriously, and said, “When I find Grandfather, I will formally keep you by my side. Then it will be my turn to take care of you.”