13 13. You Beast!

Xueling stirred and opened her eyes. The next day had arrived and sunlight peeked into the cave. Each of her four limbs was still attached and fully functioning. She was perfectly fine. It was a miracle to be alive.

She was lying on some coarse straw that was itchy and uncomfortable. She looked to her right to see pots and random tools as well as the burnt remains of some kind of animal. The cave was large and spacious. She then smelled a heavy stench from her left and turned to see…

She shrank back in surprise. It was the mountain demon!

Only it wasn't. It was a man, a large man with a youthful face and long unkempt gray hair. His tanned body was naked from head to toe except for some shorts. Her eyes eventually drifted below his round stomach and onto the large bulge there.

Her brain seemed to stop functioning as she realized what it was. It took a few moments before she finally reacted.

"You beast!" She cried.

Her foot moved on its own and kicked him away. The man woke up from the physical abuse and jumped up.

"Hey! Are you crazy?" He yelled angrily.

He towered over her, his stuff dangerously close to her face.

Xueling leaned back and turned her face away, "Am I crazy? Why are you naked?"

She held out a hand to block that disgusting view and glared at him.

"I'm not naked and this is my home. Why do you keep hitting me?"

"I… you…" She couldn't find the right words and felt extremely frustrated.

After a minor standoff, the man grunted and sat back down. An awkward silence fell between them as they studied each other. His expression eventually changed and he grinned like an idiot. Who knew what improper thoughts were taking over his mind?

She finally couldn't stand it anymore and spoke. "What's your name?"

"Gray." He replied simply.

"Do you have family?"

"Nope, I've always been by myself."

"How old are you?"

"Sixteen!"

After a barrage of questions, Xueling felt better. She found out that Gray had taken her from the shuttle crash site. He reached the crater first and brought her back to his cave, away from other peasants. It was fortunate, dealing with one boy was easier than dealing with groups of lecherous old men.

He had performed rudimentary treatment and it was a good effort. It didn't help her internal injuries but at least her left arm would recover faster. Her clothes were also perfectly intact, proving that he didn't do anything improper.

All in all, he saved her life and she was glad it was him. He seemed like a pure-hearted and innocent mountain peasant who hadn't experienced the world. He lived life without care; mining, eating, and sleeping.

She wasn't an ungrateful person and she felt a burst of appreciation.

"Gray, thanks for saving me life," She said and gave a deep bow. "So... do you have any questions for me?"

"Uhh…" Gray blushed. After a long pause, he shyly said, "Uhh… will you marry me?"

"…"

Xueling was left completely speechless. This was probably the last question she expected. She suppressed a sudden desire to slap his silly face.

She calmed her emotions and examined his honest, hopeful expression. His question was pure, without any ill intent. At the very least, he did not have the arrogance and self-importance attitude that plagued others who asked her the same question.

Xueling was not sheltered and she was not shy. She was at the marrying age and had already attended countless marriage meetings and courtship parties. It was her responsibility as a woman of status to find a suitable match and she accepted this fact.

The last few years were a blur, alternating between cultivation, missions, and seeing potential husbands. She met princes of kingdoms and young masters of sects. She met heirs to great military or economic powers. There were countless geniuses with tremendous talent. She met so many that she lost track and their faces all melded together. Each one was more handsome than the next. Their flawless appearance and charm could captivate any maiden.

But she wasn't a simple maiden. She was Princess Sun, daughter of the sect master of the Fortune Sect. Her talent was shocking, her background even more so.

There was not a single man she liked. They were all boring, arrogant, soulless, conniving, and only saw her for the benefits she could bring. On the other hand, she also wasn't a romantic idealist. She would never marry some poor vagrant off the streets just because of love.

What she wanted was perfection. She wanted a partner who understood her and appreciated her for herself and not her resources. At the same time, he also needed to be rich and powerful and able to provide assistance to her father and her sect.

Alas, such a perfect man didn't exist in the world. As a result, the list of failed suiters grew steadily with each passing year.

"Why do you want me to marry you?" Xueling finally spoke.

Gray shrugged, "I saved your life, so you owe me a life debt. Life debt! In the King's Mountains, if a woman owes a man a life debt, she must marry him… So, you must marry me!"

She scoffed. "That's not how it works."

"Why not?" He asked.

"Well, what if the person you saved is an extremely old grandmother or a young girl? Would you marry her then?"

"Uhh… no?"

"What if you the person you saved was a man? Would you marry him?" She asked again.

"No…"

She crossed her arms with a smug smile, "See, life debts aren't like what you think."

He was confused, "It's not?"

"No. People don't get married simply because of that. Debts can be paid off through other means. Also, I can't marry you because you don't know anything about me!"

His frown turned back into a smile. "Oh… uh, in that case, what's your name?"

"Xueling Sun."

"Oh, that's a beautiful name. You're the most beautiful snowbell blossom in the whole world. I know your name now… will you marry me?" He asked again.

"No!" She said exasperatedly.

"But…"

"No buts!"

"Please?"

"We're not suitable!"

"I'm Gray, the strongest man in the entire valley! We're suitable!"

She rolled her eyes, "Really? When I was five, I could already beat you into the dirt."

"Impossible, your blows are soft like a woman. Beat me up if you dare!" He said defiantly.

Xueling held up her right fist in aggravation, wanting to hit his stupid face. But simply doing so was painful and she let it go.

"You're lucky I'm still injured. I'll gladly beat your ass when I recover." She sighed.

Gray merely laughed.

He then stood up and brought the bird carcass and a jug of water over. "Sorry for not treating you with better hospitality. Are you thirsty? Hungry? Here's fresh water from an underground lake and some bird I cooked yesterday."

"Sure..."

She scrunched her nose at the disgusting-looking meat. She wasn't sure such a thing was edible but her stomach suddenly grumbled. She pulled a pair of chopsticks and a small knife out of her spatial bag which she wore as a bracelet on her wrist. It was a treasure capable of storing items in a separate dimension. It contained many useful things but sadly no food.

She ignored Gray's astonished expression and took a bite. The strange bird meat tasted bland and bloody but it was still better than nothing. She had not eaten anything in at least two days and she needed to replenish her energy for her body to heal.