Chapter Two: The Princess of Heavenly Melody

It was said that Princess Celestial Voice was as beautiful as a heavenly maiden, thus King Zheng bestowed upon her the name "Celestial Voice." She was an extraordinary person; many claimed she possessed a remarkably kind heart, for since childhood she had opposed war, detested policies detrimental to the people, abhorred the oppression of the populace by the powerful and wealthy, and had obtained King Zheng’s permission to frequently inspect the common folk.

Yet others said she was cold and merciless, for she never forgave those who broke the law. Once, a royal relative committed an offense, and upon her discovery and insistence, King Zheng was compelled to order punishment according to the law. If she was uncompromising even towards royal kin, how much stricter must she be with ordinary citizens?

Initially, King Zheng was vexed by her, ignoring her for a time. The execution of the royal relative stirred dissatisfaction and resentment among many nobles. However, when King Zheng later toured the land, he was greeted everywhere by throngs of people kneeling in gratitude, singing his praises, the spectacle far surpassing any previous orchestrated displays. Upon learning it was due to his just handling of royal misconduct, King Zheng recalled Princess Celestial Voice’s advice and was deeply moved. From then on, he cherished her anew, no longer obstructed her requests to venture out, even gifting her the royal sword and granting her authority to act before reporting.

Such was the singular Princess Celestial Voice, causing many to lament that it was a pity she was born a daughter.

Yet her extraordinariness was not enough to make Bu Jingxian feel he had to meet her; her beauty likewise failed to compel him, nor did her noble birth move him to awe at the prospect of meeting her. The true reason was simply that Princess Celestial Voice was already betrothed to Ling Luo—she was Ling Luo’s fiancée.

Ling Luo’s background was far from ordinary. His father was the Left Chief of Zheng, a man whose deeds had earned immense respect among the royal family. He was the only minister who could meet King Zheng without kneeling. King Zheng had said thrice in his life, “Without Ling Luo’s father, there would be no Zheng.” The Zheng royal clan had once knelt together to thank Ling Luo’s father.

In the past, Zheng had been a weak state, forced to relocate its capital by invading enemies. During that retreat, it was Ling Luo’s father who alone fought to buy time, his valor so legendary that the phrase “enemy of ten thousand” was no exaggeration.

Even when enemy states offered high rank and wealth, he remained unmoved.

His loyalty and courage were unparalleled.

The current Grand General Han Feng was his personally taught disciple.

King Zheng honored him so greatly that even exempting him from customary rites of king and minister raised little dissent.

At Princess Celestial Voice’s birth, it was said that celestial omens appeared. The national sage declared her an immortal descended to earth. Overjoyed, King Zheng summoned Ling Luo’s father and decreed a marriage to the then one-year-old Ling Luo. He declared, “My beloved daughter, like a heavenly maiden, I could not bear to give to anyone else, only to the Tiger’s Son of my Left Chief!”

Ling Luo said Bu Jingxian must meet Princess Celestial Voice. Behind his words lay deep sentiment; with Bu Jingxian’s current disheveled and sullied appearance, most would feel ashamed to walk beside him. Yet Ling Luo insisted on introducing his betrothed to his friend. If he did not truly regard Bu Jingxian as a friend, how could he make such a decision?

“Congratulations, Senior Brother, on meeting your beloved,” Ling Luo said, for he liked Princess Celestial Voice, having mentioned her more than once to Bu Jingxian—her admirable deeds, her courage and wisdom, and her beauty.

“To be honest, Junior Brother, I once hoped to join the Sect of Flying Immortals, thinking I could often see the princess. Truly foolish, was it not?”

Bu Jingxian knew this story well. The Sect Master of Flying Immortals had told Ling Luo’s father that for Ling Luo to achieve greatness, he must learn from the Elder of Northern Spirit. Ling Luo’s father, who respected the sect master deeply, understood the earnestness of her words and, with great resolve, parted from his young son, sending him off with the Elder of Northern Spirit.

Upon sending Ling Luo away, he uttered a stern warning:

“In the past, I only hoped you would become a battlefield general worthy of our family. Now, with the king’s immense favor, you must become a dragon fit to match the princess! When you leave the mountain, if you have not disciplined yourself and trained to be worthy of her—do not return. Find a place and end your life. I will not allow you to live and let people mock the princess for marrying a useless man, nor let the king be shamed as faithless.”

Ling Luo never dared forget those words.

He and Chu Gaoge were the most diligent students atop Northern Spirit Mountain, never allowing themselves distraction, for both bore heavy responsibilities. The difference was that Chu Gaoge focused on royal doctrine, while Ling Luo devoted himself to martial arts.

Ling Luo never found his father’s warning cold or heartless, for he believed the princess’s husband should not be worthless.

“Senior Brother, should we arrange more guards? The princess will depart from the palace; most likely, she will not wait for the Sect Master of Flying Immortals to fetch her. There are many bandits near the foot of Northern Spirit Mountain…”

Many who failed to join the sect, lacking gold and silver, became destitute and, with their hopes denied by the Elder of Northern Spirit, turned to banditry. Some preyed on those bringing wealth to seek admission. Now, bandits had formed gangs, hunted by local soldiers, but the terrain thwarted every attempt, and in recent months, the situation worsened. Rumor had it that over a thousand had gathered, many refugees from nearby counties.

Ling Luo, reminded of the danger, realized the problem. Princess Celestial Voice was assertive and bold, unlikely to trouble the sect master with extra travel to fetch her, and would surely arrange to meet at the mountain’s foot. She disliked excessive guards, believing that too much display hindered closeness with the people.

“I fear it’s too late to send word now. Instead… let us go to the foot of the mountain to meet her! Technically, we haven’t left the mountain, so our master won’t rebuke us. If anything happens, we can gain practical experience. What do you think, Junior Brother?”

Bu Jingxian knew Ling Luo also wished, should danger arise, to prove himself before his beloved; besides, he, like other disciples, hoped to test his training. Results needed real combat to verify.

“Who else do you plan to bring, Senior Brother?”

“No need, with us two it is enough.”

Bu Jingxian knew the princess’s guards were skilled, and the bandits unlikely to be formidable—true experts would not linger, hoping for admission until their funds ran out, only to turn outlaw. He often heard that even junior disciples, after one or two years of training, were already formidable; Ling Luo had the best aptitude and training in the Northern Spirit Sect, so handling bandits would not be an issue. Thus, he did not object.

The next day, after morning lessons, Ling Luo predicted the princess would arrive soon. The two brothers descended the mountain, chatting along the way, and stopped at the edge of Northern Spirit Mountain, not daring to step further, gazing toward the road leading to the small town.

It was the cold winter season; the roads below were frozen, broken by passing carts and travelers, mixed with wet mud, and difficult to traverse.

They waited until noon, when finally a horse approached.

A fine pure white steed, flanked by two long-maned red horses, galloped toward the mountain’s foot.

The armored guard in front saw the two waiting figures from afar, sped ahead, saluted, and asked if they were disciples of the Northern Spirit Sect. Upon hearing Ling Luo’s name and seeing the golden token proving his identity, the guard dismounted and bowed, joyfully announcing he would report to the princess at once, quickly remounting and returning.

The princess’s mount had already drawn near; upon receiving the guard’s report, she raised her head and looked over, though a veil obscured her features.

Bu Jingxian saw only Princess Celestial Voice, clad in a yellow robe, the royal sword with a golden dragon motif at her waist, a gold-inlaid whip in hand, urging her horse forward at a gallop.