82 Chapter 81 - Within a Mountain Cave
In a little village at the border of Lingnan, a fragile-looking yet mischievous girl was stirring a branch in the water, startling the fishes.
By her side was a person tightly bandaged up, limiting his mobility. It was evident that he was forcibly brought to this lake on the whims of the girl next to him. Any ordinary man would have become restless and depressed in such a situation, but he looked calm and peaceful as he observed the girl disturbing the tranquil lake.
The stick hit against the floor of the lake and brought up the silt. The splash caused was especially big this time, splashing against the girl's clothes and the youth's shoes. His shoes were the only part of his body not covered by the bandage and bore a phoenix embroidery. It was clear that his identity was quite extraordinary.
The girl's grip on the stick suddenly tightened as she dug deeper into the silt. A faint 'pu' could be heard before a slender fish emerged at the end stick. The girl withdrew the stick and reached out with her hand to take the fish off the branch, then threw the fish onto a nearby fish stacked with fish. From how high the heap looked, it seemed enough to feed a whole family.
Admiring at her work, the girl happily carried the fish with her in one hand and carried the youth next to her on the other. As she walked, she began to boast about her catch to the youth.
The youth was largely silent, but would occasionally express his admiration with a few words.
Eventually, the two reached a towering mountain by the lake, with a small cave by its cliffside. The girl effortless scaled up the cliff with her qigong, her straw sandals pressing against small depressions on the cliffside, seemingly as light as a feather despite the person and half a dozen fish she carried.
"The city just can't compare to the wilderness. Aside from spices, there's nothing I can't get out here. I even got myself a man."
Starting to cook the fish, the girl began to talk some nonsense.
The man injected, "Miss's martial arts is so good, it's easy for you to seize what you want. But most people don't have miss's abilities; how are they meant to survive?"
"They are they, and I am I. Why should I bother with their lives and their troubles?"
The girl flipped the fish on the fire and watched its skin slowly turning golden. What she said may be cruel, but having listened to the youth speak the exact words so many times, she really couldn't be bothered mellowing her words.
The youth was unbothered with her response and seemed to want her to become irritated and bored of him. He continued, "You may not be concerned with the lives of others, but I must. It has been my responsibility since birth."
The girl's scoffed as she replied, "What good is your identity in the middle of Nanshan (南山) mountain range? Don't forget that before I rescued you, your life and death was undetermined."
Annoyed, she retrieved one of the roasting fishes and bit viciously onto it, as though it was the youth's head instead she was biting instead. After a thought, she realised the youth wasn't eaten yet and, with a single motion, she quickly unravelled the bandage covering his head.
The flickering life from the flames cast its light onto the youth's face, showing his elegant and noble features. In truth, despite his heavy bandaging, he did not suffer any injuries to his head, or else the girl probably would not have rescued him for his looks.
His appearance was exquisite, with a heavy, heroic-looking set of brows and intelligent eyes that shore with brilliance. His lips were slightly pale due to his injuries, yet it only completed his noble appearance.
The girl had seen all that could be seen. She had even taken off his underwear when initially treating his injuries. Then, without a word, she shoved another fish towards his mouth, continuing to nibble on her own delicacy as she did so.
With a helpless look in his eyes, the youth opened his mouth and bit into the fish. Because of the girl's carelessness, he had bit into the fish head, which he had never tasted before.
He did not like the taste.
The girl was ignorant of the youth's predicament, and soon, all the fish cooking by the flames was turned into bones. Although she had eaten fine food in Lin'an, she was most comfortable eating the food whole la.
Feeling her mood better, she brought out a piece of paper and placed it before the youth. She said fiercely, "Here's the news I got from the city. You'd better not think of escaping afterwards."
The paper was an ordinary oil paper used to wrap around food. Besides the snake-like characters, one could even see faint oil marks.
Despite the poor quality of the paper and writing, the youth, reading the contents, felt his heart was stirred by a stick, bringing out his emotions like how silt muddied the water.
The youth did not speak for a long time.
His face moved closer and closer to the piece of paper, until he could smell the fragrance of spring onion pancakes mixed with the scent of poor quality ink.
When he finally retracted his gaze and looked at the girl, he said, "I want to return to Lin'an."
The girl scoffed and did not respond. She had eaten more salt than he had eaten rice (我吃盐多过你吃米 - have greater experience) and knew he would push forth such a demand.
The youth looked at her with a pleading and helpless look.
He was well aware that he owed the girl a life debt, and that although she seemed unharmed, she had accumulated various internal injuries rescuing him from the assassins.
In truth, he couldn't think of anyone in jianghu capable of escaping so many assassins and resembled this woman. He had always found it quite strange since someone at the Qi Manifestation state at such a young age should be well known. Moreover, she did not seem like someone cultivated in secret by a large sect.
"No matter who you are, I can give you countless boons once I return to Lin'an."
He sincerely said.
The girl threw the stick along with the fish bones into the fire. She said, "I don't care if you're the crown prince."
The prince's handsome and noble face showed a slight shock, giving the girl a sense of Schadenfreude. She was, after all, Lei Li, a girl who had dared to strike Consort Li during her adolescence.
"If you want men to play with, I can give you all the men in the world once I'm in Lin'an."
Lei Li answered, "How could I be interested in dirty things like that… what I want is… you won't understand."
Expressing her annoyance, she seized the half-eaten fish into the Crown Prince's mouth and allowed it to cook in the fire a little longer, before eating it.
The prince had already regained his calm. He was too concerned with the state of Lin'an and the empire to think about the fish.
Seeing that the Crown Prince did not delve into another of his lectures, Lei Li felt her mood improve slightly. She decided later, when she redressed the Crown Prince's bandages, she would not make it so restrictive. It was too annoying anyways.
After the embers of the flame were exhausted, Lei Li stripped the Crown Prince before throwing him into the lake within the mountain. Since she would redo his dressing, it would not hurt also to give the prince a bath.
Immersed in the lake, the Crown Prince observed the full moon and the stars that cut through the night sky. He made no attempts to escape, for he knew it was impossible under the eyes of a Qi Manifestation cultivator. He was just a mortal, after all, no matter his status.
The Crown Prince closed his eyes and submerged his face into the lake as he thought of the incoming assassins that seemed to occupy every corner in that forest. He wondered if he would face other such life threatening scenarios throughout his life.
Despite being separated from his entourage and missing from the rest of the world, he never lost his calm, only, he was a little hurried to return back to Lin'an.
He believe nothing could threaten his status as Crown Prince, because, unlike his brothers who had to scheme to increase their standing, as long as he did not do anything scandalous, his position could be assured. As such, he always believed it was necessary for him to expend all his efforts for his future subjects.
Suddenly, a loud splash jolted the Crown Prince from his thoughts. It was the sound of a heavy object crashing into water.
The Crown Prince naturally would not turn to look at Lei Li. If he lusted after women, he would have taken a few concubines.
He allowed his body to be taken with the waves made by Lei Li's cannonball.
After drying off, Lei Li turned with her slender neck and looked at the Crown Prince.
Her eyes were shaped in slits, a bit like a snake.
Glancing at the pile of dressing, Lei Li frowned and said, "I can take you with me the next time I go down the mountain."
The Crown Prince quietly looked towards her. Tilting his head, he asked, "Why?"
Lei Li yawned and leaned against a stack of straws. She murmured, "It's too bothersome to redo your dressing or listen to you rambling like a Taoist priest anymore."
