On a Hunt For a Princess Who Does Not Exist

It wasn't heavenly doctor Tang's fault that he blew up his precious alchemy room. It wasn't the butler's fault either.

Now surrounded by blue flames licking at the wood in the room, heavenly doctor Tang began reconsidering his life. It wasn't that he had done much. He hadn't even treated that many patients.

His treatment method was aromatherapy after all. It was a specialization that was both expensive and took a lot of time. It was mainly used on those with mental problems or patients with a lot of money to burn, which was probably also a mental problem.

But his work did have tangible results.

He was so good at it that people said he could relax someone within seconds. His oils and essential essences were quite expensive for that very reason.

As he lay on the ground he wondered if all those treatments he had done were really worth anything. He had no friends, all his family were long dead and none of his servants liked him.

He sniffled a little, the smoke rising into his lungs as he did.

He felt tears dripping out of his eyes, one by one, falling onto the floor with tiny little plops. The noise of the plops was somehow amplified by the flames that surrounded him.

"Master the door is just a few meters away! Walk out!" yelled the butler as he wondered why his master was belly flopped inside the room when he could easily exit.

Nevertheless, it was a crucial situation and he had to get the heavenly doctor out of there. His master was often stupid. It wasn't that surprising that someone would have to tell him to just walk out of the burning room.

"I must- protect- the tincture-" he said, gasping.

"Master the tincture bottle is smaller than your fist. Pick it up and leave the room." yelled the exasperated butler.

Heavenly doctor Tang looked down at the tiny bottle he was lying on and coughed. He then picked it up while standing up. He brushed his clothes clean and then casually walked out as if he hadn't been sobbing, lying over a 10cm tall bottle.

"Master, if you need more of the tincture talk to the princess. There was no need to risk your life like that." said the butler harshly. He simply could not believe how dumb this whole thing was.

A now subdued heavenly doctor Tang had no choice but to mumble.

"Yes. I'm sorry…"

Now seeing tears in his master's eye's the butler suddenly felt as if he had gone overboard. He walked over to his master and bowed his head.

"Master, that was the best perfume you've ever made." he smiled, "I never knew something could smell that good. It's amazing."

Heavenly doctor Tang knew to give credit where it was due. He knew that without the tincture it was impossible for him to create such a dense and unique scent. It was the best thing that he too had ever smelled.

"It's due to the princess. I must learn to make this from the princess." he said, holding the tincture bottle up high carefully, afraid he might lose some of the precious material the bottle stored.

If he were to find out it was from the wild bush outside his house it was quite likely he would cry. Tears of pain and joy, both. A precious stock of the materials but also the loss of his alchemy room because of it.

As of now though, he could not be bothered.

A new alchemy room could be built but it was unlikely he would ever find another material as intriguing to him. He was also having some sort of reaction, probably allergic to the fumes from the burning tincture.

However he could deal with that later. Right now his passion came first.

"Send a letter to the royal palace. I must meet the princess."

…

Meanwhile at the dam construction site, Bai Jingfei had fallen asleep peacefully.

She had no clue that her careless lack of instructions had burnt down heavenly doctor Tang's prized alchemy room. If she had told him that the flames were flammable would heavenly doctor Tang have set it on fire?

Maybe.

But the chances were far less if she had mentioned the risk.

Well there were no guarantees that he would listen. He was much like Bai Jingfei in the tone deaf and instruction deaf department.

It didn't matter though. Bai Jingfei had seen the dam through. It sounded impossible but the jianghu members had done it. Built a cement wall in less than a few hours. Now all that was left was to redirect the river and then meet up in the flood affected region.

That meant parting with her husband- future husband. That was definitely something she was not looking forward to.