17 In a Rush

Chu Fan and the others followed the eldest prince willingly, none thought to disobey.

Yao Cong, though initially against the idea, chose to follow the group lead by Yao Gang and Chu Fan.

Besides, along the way Yi Ai would have a pleasant conversation with him about the various plants he wished to see in the future. The two seemed to have created a rapport over the topic of plants; hopefully it would blossom into more than that.

While walking to the stables, Chu Fan noticed that Yao Gang would occasionally glance over his shoulders many times; he would bite his lips as he looked very nervous.

"Is he checking for assassins?" Chu Fan initially thought.

He turned around to see that Yao Gang had been looking at Yi Bai and Yao Lingyan who were happily chatting away.

"Ooh! So that's what it is."

He snapped his fingers, getting Yao Gang's attention.

He had figured it out. Their are only two things that give fear to even the fiercest of heroes: fighting an opponent that could kill them with one hit, or getting hurt by the one they loved.

Chu Fan got his attention with his finger-snapping.

"Aiyoo! Even the bravest of warriors must bend their knees and beg for mercy when it comes to matters of love. Isn't that right royal brother-in-law?"

He placed his hands on Yao Gang while sighing.

"W-Wh-What are you talking about? Stop it with your nonsense. Ahem, let's hurry, we shouldn't waste any more time walking at such a slow pace."

Yao Gang then sped up as he started to walk faster. It didn't take Chu Fan long before he could catch up to Yao Gang who only gave him strange looks.

"This little fat dragon is surprisingly fast." he thought to himself.

"Royal brother-in-law, why are you in such a rush? I don't think the others can catch up to us?"

Yao Gang shook his head and looked back at the others to see if they could keep up.

Yi Ai and Yao Cong didn't have a care in the world and happily chatted; they didn't even notice the others walking at a faster pace. These two would take their time and arrive whenever they wanted to.

Yao Gang didn't care for those two happily chatting away. His attention was fixated on Yi Bai, he wanted to see if he was going too fast for her.

He saw that Yi Bai was struggling, she was running her fastest and stumbled along the way, even with Yao Lingyan's help.

Yao Gang slowed down to allow them them to catch up. But he was too late; Yi Bai couldn't keep up with Yao Lingyan's speed and tripped on her own feet.

"Aah! It hurts so much."

Everybody stopped and gathered around Yi Bai. Yao Lingyan inspected her legs.

"It looks sprained."

Before she could say much, Yao Gang knelt down and lifted the injured girl. He carried her princess-style, making her blush.

"There is a combat beast capable of healing this minor injury, let's hurry to the stables."

He rushed to the stables with Yi Bai in his arms; he didn't dare look down as he was too embarrassed at the moment and needed to maintain focus.

To Yi Bai, he looked like a calm and composed hero giving his all to help a damsel in distress. She began to blush every time she took a peak at his face.

The two of them arrived first, with Chu Fan and the others taking a couple of minutes longer to allow Yi Ai to catch up.

When they arrived, Yao Gang had already removed Yi Bai's shoes and socks. He caressed and massaged her ankles while an entrancing song was chirped by a bird. The pained expression on Yi Bai's face lightened significantly.

"It works, it really works. Thank you brother Adarna!"

Yao Gang was happy, he was able to help his crush in a time of need and he was able to prove one of his theories true.

Yao Gang was a person who was drawn to combat beasts from a young age, he strove to learn everything about them. In recent years he had come across a specific combat beast, the Rainbow Feathered Adarna.

The Rainbow Feathered Adarna was an incredibly rare combat beast to come across, there were not many in existence but they were more for decoration then to be used as a combat beast. To find one required much wealth, as many people sought to add it to their collection.

The Rainbow Feathered Adarna itself held a legend surrounding it. It was told that if one could get it to sing it's magic tune for them, they would be cured of any disease or life-threatening wounds.

In the past millennia none who attempted to make the Adarna sing its tune were healed; they would receive a song, but it would always sound forced.

In the past couple of years after Yao Gang had acquired this Rainbow Feathered Adarna, he had spent countless days bonding with it. They had become the best of friends; all in an attempt to prove this myth true.

Though every time he asked to hear a tune; he didn't feel any difference from its tunes. He had yet to fully convince the Adarna to trust him fully.

In an act of desperation he brought the injured Yi Bai to the Adarna, begging it to heal the fair maiden before it.

Seeing the sincere and selfless feelings that Yao Gang had in his words, the Adarna finally chose to sing its true song of healing.

Everyone was amazed by the sight and sound of the Adarna singing. Particles of light flew about at the concentrated qi in the air enveloped the Yi Bai's injured leg, making it glow in a rainbow-like pattern.

"Woah, by the heavens! You've really proven it brother; the Rainbow Feathered Adarna isn't just a mere decorative bird."

Yao Cong could only praise his brother. He had seen Yao Gang spend countless days and nights trying to prove the Adarna's worth. It turns out his eldest brother had been right all along.

After the Adarna stopped singing, it flew off while screeching. It was embarrassed as it didn't expect such a large audience to arrive as it was in the middle of singing.

Yao Gang clasped his hands and bowed to the Adarna that had just taken flight.

"Thank you brother Adarna. I thank you for allowing me to hear your majestic tune."

He turned to the lady, whose foot he was holding.

"It doesn't hurt anymore right? Let me help you put on your shoe." he said it with a smile on his face.

The girl could only blush as she couldn't reject the prince's offer to put on her shoe. She shook her head, telling him that the pain was gone.

Yao Gang helped her up and brushed her off of any dust or dirt.

Yao Lingyan walked up to Yi Bai with a smile.

"You're really lucky Yi Bai. In all these years that Brother Gang had the Rainbow Feathered Adarna, it never sang for him, even when he needed it most. His begging must have convinced the Adarna to help you."

Yao Gang stood at the side scratching his head with a smirk on his face.

"Hehe, it wasn't really much."

"Right, my magnanimous royal brother-in-law was able to convince even the fabled Rainbow Feathered Adarna to help you. This shows his devotion and selflessness to you, his loyal subject of course."

Chu Fan said this with a smirk on his face as he stared at Yao Gang.

Yao Lingyan had informed him about Yao Gang and the Rainbow Feathered Adarna as it was singing.

Yao Gang and Yi Bai both turned beet-red and couldn't face one another, they understood the hidden meaning behind Chu Fan's words.

"Thank you first prince. This undeserving subject shall remember this favor forever and always."

She curtsied to the prince and slowly turned her face towards his to make eye contact with him.

"Ahem. I shall spare no effort as the prince to ensure that my subjects are taken care of. As long as I am around, none shall be harmed."

The four people watching this scene wanted to cough up blood as these two shy teenagers implied their true feelings for each other in glib fashion.

Chu Fan began laughing uproariously.

"Bwahahaha! Royal brother-in-laws stop beating around bush and just confess. I bet the two Yi sisters are only waiting for you two to initiate."

He was laughing while the four others blushed. Yao Lingyan's corner of her mouth and eye twitched as she grew impatient and irritated by Chu Fan; she clenched her fists. He had ruined the mood with his words.

*Smack*

"Ah! Why did you hit me for?"

Yao Lingyan pinched him by his right ear and dragged him away as he waled in pain. She injected qi into her pinch, knowing that his defense and pain-threshold could ignore the ferocity of a normal pinch.

"Ow-Ow-Ow. Stop it, please. My sweetness, I only meant the best. It was only a matter of time before they confessed anyways. Why not a better time than now?"

"I'm tired of your nonsense Chu Fan. Love can't be rushe--..... uh?!"

She was just beginning to rant when she turned to see that her two royal brothers were almost identical in the way that they were confessing.

The two brothers had kabedoned the two Yi sisters at opposite stables. As the girls turned their heads to avert any eye contact. The princes held their respected crush's face by the chin and turned their faces to maintain eye contact.

Yao Lingyan blushed as the sight of seeing her elder brother's confessing to her best friends was too embarrassing of a sight for her to see.

She turned around and covered her ears.

"Lalalalalala! I can't see anything. I can't hear anything."

Chu Fan hugged her.

"It's okay. All you can do now is be happy for your royal brothers. Look on the bright side, at least this means that you'll get along with your future sister-in-laws."

It was hard for her to accept that her closest friends could be her future sisters. She wanted them to just remain her good friends and not see them in that way. And so she pouted while in tears.

Chu Fan did all he could to comfort her and eventually she came to accept the fact that her friends would become closer to her in some ways.

After everything was done and the two couples were now official, Chu Fan was approached by Yao Gang.

"Chu Fan, I feel very happy at the moment, how about I give you a couple lessons?"

Chu Fan was puzzled and backed away as he was ready to take his battle-stance.

"Hahaha, no, not a fighting lesson. Earlier you expressed great enthusiasm for combat beasts. How about I teach you how to train your own?"

Chu Fan clasped his hands and bowed without any hesitation.

"Thank you royal brother-in-law. I humbly accept your offer."