Chapter Four: Punishment

Unbelievable! Ling Luo could hardly believe his eyes, and Bu Jingxian was equally stunned. Yet the latter did not stand frozen; he charged forward like a wild bull, swinging his sword at the broad back of the burly, dark-faced man.

Just as the sword was about to hit, the man spun around and, with a single palm strike, sent Bu Jingxian's blade flying. Without pause, he stepped forward, hooked his fist upward, and despite Bu Jingxian’s quick reflexes, he failed to evade and was struck squarely in the chest by a fist the size of a bowl.

The impact sounded like a drum beating against his ribs, echoing repeatedly through the mountains.

The dark-faced man landed his blow but didn’t even glance at his assailant; he withdrew his fist, about to turn back.

Bu Jingxian had expected to be doubled over in pain, just as Ling Luo had been, but to his surprise, despite the tremendous reverberation, he felt no pain. Seeing the man turn to seize the Princess of Tianlai, Bu Jingxian wasted no time; he summoned all his strength and punched toward the man's waist.

If surviving the man’s punch unharmed was already astonishing, then the sight of the man screaming and flying forward from Bu Jingxian’s blow was utterly beyond expectation.

“Damn!” For a moment, Bu Jingxian was stunned, realizing the man would crash into the Princess of Tianlai.

Sure enough, as the man flew, he nearly knocked the princess off balance. Just as she thought herself safe, the man, flailing mid-air, managed to grab her yellow robe, the force pulling her off the cliff.

Bu Jingxian did not hesitate; knowing he had to save her, he leapt after her, swiftly shedding his outer garment and tossing one end out. The Princess of Tianlai reacted quickly, grabbing hold before he could even shout.

Bu Jingxian pulled her upward, only to realize he himself had gone over the cliff’s edge. The precipice was a hundred yards deep—falling meant certain death. He braced himself against the steep face, using the momentum to haul the princess higher and grab her hand. Then, drawing a dagger from his waist, he spun mid-air, inching closer to the cliff, and stabbed the blade into the rock.

The Princess of Tianlai wrapped an arm around him, both their weight and momentum dependent on the dagger.

Yet the force was too great; the dagger carved an ever-lengthening groove in the cliff, sending them plummeting faster and faster.

Bu Jingxian feared that pulling out or inserting the dagger might snap it. Wind howled around his ears as their descent accelerated. At this rate, both would surely die.

Unable to wait any longer, Bu Jingxian pushed off the wall, lifting the princess while swiftly withdrawing the dagger. In the brief moment of slowed momentum, he jabbed the dagger horizontally into the cliff once more, pressing the princess’s hand onto the hilt. “Hold tight!” he said, then let go, dropping away himself.

He looked up, relieved to see the dagger held the princess’s weight without breaking. He hurried to save himself.

He had no more weapons left.

But he refused to die here. He pressed his arms and legs against the cliff, digging his fingers in as if to claw his way into the rock.

Friction instantly shredded his clothing, then his flesh, as he slid several yards, leaving a bloody trail behind him.

At last, his downward motion halted when a jutting rock absorbed the impact without breaking. He took deep breaths, gradually feeling the pain of torn skin and flesh. Hearing shouts from above, he looked up to see the Princess of Tianlai about to throw down her sword—he hastily called out for her to stop.

“I can’t support myself with a sword now. One move and I’ll surely fall to my death. I must wait for Senior Brother’s help,” she replied.

The princess sheathed the King Zheng Sword into the cliff as a foothold, then called down, “Can you hold on a little longer? Xin Hou has gone to fetch ropes.”

“Yes,” Bu Jingxian answered.

After a moment, the princess suddenly asked, “We are neither kin nor sworn companions, and you are not my guard. Why risk your life to save me?”

“I need to conserve my strength to hold on longer…” Bu Jingxian, frustrated with her questions, lacked the patience to answer. His whole body was in agony, unable to move, his focus strained simply to maintain balance—he could hardly spare attention for idle conversation and so cut her off, risking rudeness.

Fortunately, the Princess of Tianlai was clever and considerate, immediately grasping the situation.

“I should not distract you.”

Bu Jingxian said nothing more, concentrating fully on staying alert and balanced. He balanced precariously on a single toe pressed against a jutting rock, his nerves stretched taut.

He had no idea how long he hung there. Suddenly, he caught the scent of her perfume, and then heard the sound of metal above. Looking up, he saw the princess, using two swords of differing lengths, had descended to his side. She gripped the dagger with one hand, while with the other, she stabbed the King Zheng Sword beneath his foot.

“With this support, it should be easier,” she said.

Both stood together on the sword, which held their weight.

Bu Jingxian felt the pressure ease, and couldn’t help but exhale in relief. The princess held his arm, noting the blood and the mangled flesh, unable to suppress a gasp. “Such terrible wounds!”

Bu Jingxian had not expected her to be so courageous, risking herself to help him. He was moved, and grateful for Ling Luo—for having such a wife was indeed a blessing.

“Princess, you risked too much.”

“Whether you are my savior or a guard whose duty is to risk death, I would never abandon another to save myself,” she replied, then suddenly asked, “Can you answer the question I asked earlier now?” She continued, “It’s not that I don’t recognize the danger, but I am truly moved and puzzled. In this forced circumstance, our proximity is natural, but once we return, how could I seek you out privately? Even if Xin Hou is broad-minded, I must remember propriety.”

Bu Jingxian quickly replied, “Princess speaks rightly. You simply do not know the depth of my bond with Senior Brother. I see you as my sister-in-law—how could I not save you?”

“I thought as much. If Xin Hou did not hold you so dear, he would not have brought you alone to meet me. Yet I fear I may not remember your face in the future, thus failing to honor Xin Hou’s intentions.”

Bu Jingxian could only smile wryly. Of course, the princess would not remember him—for she had never seen his face, covered as it was in layers of mud and dust. How could anyone recognize him?

“It’s necessary for my training, but there will be another chance someday.”

“I figured as much; I suspected there was a reason.”

At that moment, Ling Luo’s voice rang out from above. After hearing their replies, he quickly lowered a rope.

The Princess of Tianlai grabbed it, tying it around Bu Jingxian’s waist. He insisted she go up first, but she refused.

“With wounds like yours, you can’t possibly hold the rope securely!” Seeing his continued refusal, she understood his concern and called up to Ling Luo, “Xin Hou, your junior is badly wounded and cannot grasp the rope securely. Should I go up first so you can come down to assist him, or should we ascend together? I dare not decide on my own; please guide us.”

Ling Luo answered without hesitation, “Of course, help him up together!”

Bu Jingxian called out, “Senior Brother, let the rope down further so the princess can tie a few more loops around my waist. There’s no need for her to support me.”

“Alright!” Ling Luo replied, then reminded the princess, “Please take care, and let go of any worldly concerns. Saving lives is far more important than etiquette!”

When they were pulled to safety, they realized Elder Beiling had arrived. He had not descended to help, but watched Ling Luo struggle to haul them up.

Seeing them rescued, and the flesh on Bu Jingxian’s arms nearly entirely shredded, Ling Luo was remorseful.

“This is all my fault! I was too confident, underestimated others, and brought only my junior to meet the princess, leading to this disaster…”

Bu Jingxian hastened to protest.

“Senior Brother, you must not take all the blame to protect me. It was my persistent urging that forced your hand and made you abandon the plan to gather more help…”

“There’s no such thing…”

As the two brothers argued, each wanting to shoulder the blame, Elder Beiling finally spoke.

“You two needn’t compete for punishment; you’ll both be held accountable. Originally, I should not punish you now, given your meeting with the princess, but your actions weigh heavily on my heart. If I don’t make you remember this lesson, you may repeat it one day. To drive it home, I must be harsh and ruin your rare meeting with the princess. Go now to the water prison behind the cliff and serve a month’s punishment.”