Battle of Liguang: Clash (3)
She was not particularly hopeful because she suspected the main reason their side suffered as few casualties as they did was related to their Arcanists. Well, that only made sense. No matter how extraordinary or spectacular the regular soldier was, what could they hope to do against the Featherwind Sect's monstrous attack? They were nothing more than fodder, meaningless corpses ready to be piled up and tossed aside. Therefore, she felt the Li Family's side must have suffered catastrophic damage, if not near-total annihilation. It would be a miracle if they got away as well as the Alzar Kingdom did. And her predictions held true.
Just like everyone else, Princess Xiuying thought she was going to die. Against that incomparable 'attack', which resembled divine retribution instead, it was natural to think that they would perish. Their previous preparations against the Featherwind Sect seemed almost comical. Was this something that they could contend against? An individual capable of wielding this kind of power was practically on par with a god! In her last moments, she abandoned all thoughts of resistance and hugged her sister tightly. At the very least, they would be together when they died. If the heavens were kind, they might go to the afterlife together too. That was not a bad thought. She closed her eyes as the tension in her body disappeared. This was it… The world had ended!
After an unknown amount of time, her eyes opened again. She regained consciousness and like Elizabeth, she thought she died. That being the case, was the afterlife supposed to be this dark and cold? She could barely see anything except for the vast open sky. Not to mention, her teeth clattered, and she shivered uncontrollably. Xiuying realized… it was not the cold air, but her own fear. She was so terrified that her body reacted accordingly and refused to move. She was petrified in position! Were that all, that might have been acceptable except blood began trickling out her mouth. Her throat and innards felt strangely warm, as she spat blood out. Pain! There was enough pain to cause her to cry. However, that meant she had not died yet. This was still the world of the living!
"Hey Ming… are you awake? Are you… okay?" she asked with an unsteady tone.
She grabbed Ming and held on for dear life when the attack came. The fact that she survived must mean that her sister survived too, right? And yet, Ming was strangely unresponsive. The girl did not respond even as she was shaken and yelled at. Furthermore, her body was strangely… cold like a corpse. Unease swelled in Xiuying.
"Hey… Wake up already. Please Ming… don't leave me alone like this…" her voice turned quiet while tears fell.
Despite what outsiders may think, they were not the perfect sisters to each other. They often argued and fought each other over trivial things. Worse yet, it was not always verbal arguments either. On the rare occasions, things got physical. They would slap, punch, claw, or grab at each other's hair in a fierce fight. For the sake of their positions, they never drew blood, since it would incur the gossip of the nobility, so they had restraint still. Once, they had a big falling out and refused to talk for several months. Whenever they saw each other in the hallways, they would pout and look the other way. The atmosphere in the Imperial Palace turned awkward enough that none of the servants or guards dared to say a word. She even shouted a line like 'I don't want a sister like you!' back then. Nevertheless, they would always make up again. That spoke about how strong their bond was. Xiuying was unwilling to see her sister go like this!
"Please… anyone… please help…" she cried.
"She's not dead yet, so stop crying," Tai groaned.
She had no time to feel happy. When Xiuying turned around with a messy tear-stained face, she paled. Although Tai stood there gallantly to protect them from the Featherwind Sect's attack, a large piece of debris was sticking out of his abdomen. It likely pierced his body all the way through. Blood poured out in copious amounts, staining his clothes in a vivid red, and created a small pool around his feet. The young man coughed out thick blobs of blood, his organs a mess. Since he lost enough blood, his complexion paled by the second. His healthy and tanned skin changed to a sickly and pale white. She could tell from a single glance that he would not survive. Her Protector, Tai Shui, sacrificed his life to protect her!
"You…" She wanted to say something… anything before he died. Words of comfort or gratitude or respect or anything, but nothing came out. Her mind was a total mess. The reality had yet to settle in and she thought she was dreaming.
Tai Shui… Xiuying was not about to say something silly like she loved him or anything like that. Never once did she think that way. If she had to describe him to someone, she would say he was brutish, arrogant, and a downright bully. He was the penultimate example of a brat who would pick a fight with whoever looked at him funnily. For nobility where their weapons were words and schemes, someone like him was an outlier, a blatant outcast of upper society, especially since he descended from the Shui Family's main branch, one of the Four Great Nobility Families. No one wanted to associate with him, and everyone jeered at him from the sides. It was the disgusting reality of this world. When Xiuying first heard of him, she also thought it was better not to associate with him…
One could imagine her surprise when he was declared her Protector. Like the Alzar Kingdom, the position of Protector was a sacred one. It was not an exaggeration to say their liege's life was in their Protector's hands. Everything depended on their capabilities! And one could imagine how many people sought out Princess Xiuying's life. After all, she was one of Emperor Lianghu's daughters and the next in-line for the throne! Therefore, it went without saying that she became both uncomfortable and upset with Tai becoming her Protector. In the first place, how could a snotty brat like him protect her? He was barely older than her and his personality stunk. He was everything she hated! She protested to her father to change her Protector, citing all sorts of reasons, but her father would not change his mind. Young Xiuying threw a temper tantrum and stormed out right there.
She went to the Imperial Gardens and sat at the pavilion. Here, she could watch the fish swim and the lotuses sway as she dangled her feet off the railing. This was one of her favorite places to be in the palace. Normally, she would snatch the role of feeding the fish from the servants so she could play with the fishes. It was a therapeutic experience that soothed her heart. Xiuying even named her favorite fishes adorably like Big Dumpling or Round Chestnut. Unfortunately, she was too angry to enjoy anything. It felt like her entire day was ruined. The servants and guards realized this too, so they kept their distance. As this was the Imperial Gardens, one of the safest places in the Xingyuu Empire, no one thought she would be in danger until it happened. She was pushed into the water!
The pond was surprisingly deep to the young Xiuying. She was completely submerged in an instant. As she gasped for breath and tried to swim to the surface, something tangled around her feet. Was it weeds or something else? She had no time to think. Try as she might, it tangled her more and more, constricting and pulling her to the bottom of the pond. The sunlight receded and the darkness loomed. Since the servants were too far away to notice, she realized this was it. However, before her eyes fully closed, the last thing she saw was Tai jumping into the water after her. Despite how she treated him, he rescued her. He also later identified the culprit and closed the case. From then on, Xiuying decided to accept Tai as her Protector.
That was how Tai always acted. A headstrong brute whose fists moved faster than his mouth, much less his head. He got into trouble too many times to count. Heaven knows how many complaints his father, Lord Daiyuu Shui, must receive daily. It might pile into a small mountain! He was the very definition of a 'problem child' to everyone else. And yet, Xiuying understood how kind and considerate Tai really was. He probably found it hard to show his emotions well, so he covered it up with his strong act instead. However, he would not hesitate to sacrifice everything to protect his friends and family. Who else could be a better Protector than him? This time, it was no different. He made the ultimate sacrifice and threw his life away to protect her! Her Protector, her friend, and now her savior… Tai Shui was going to die here!