Chapter 13: Xiǎo Hé’s Poor Bottom |
“I can’t.” She looked around at the baby demons and the devastation they wrought. “There’re still some things I have to do here.”
Seeing Shěn Lí struggle made Mò Fāng wrinkle his brow involuntarily. He didn’t want to push her, but this matter could not be delayed! He decided to prioritize the latter. Saluting with his fists in front of him and his head bowed he said, “Your Highness, the matter of leaving can no longer be delayed! If Your Highness is caught, another escape will not be possible. The Immortal realm has already prepared for the marriage ceremony . . .”
You didn’t have to tell her twice. Shěn Lí understood this matter better than anyone else. It was just that she really couldn’t leave! She looked to Xíng Yún and watched as he used her spear to poke at a baby demon’s bottom. He reacted with surprise when it dissipated before it even had a chance to cry out. He sighed and turned the tip of the spear towards his face studying it closely.
Shěn Lí turned to Mò Fāng. With a complicated expression on her face she rubbed the space between her brow. Sighing she said, “I know, but I can’t leave right now.”
“Your Highness?” Mò Fāng was really confused. He didn’t think the Azure Sky king had the word “can’t” in her vocabulary. It was either “do” or “don’t.” Where did “can’t” even come from? His brain couldnt compute what she said. He couldn’t help but continue to stare at her with a blank expression.
“After spending time here in the mortal world . . . I have fallen for someone.” She looked at Xíng Yún as she spoke.
Mò Fāng turned to follow her gaze. What he saw was a distracted looking man, disorderly attired, pale faced, weak looking, and very importantly – mortal. The vision only made him more confused. This guy?! He’s so . . . I don’t get it.
The two watched as Xíng Yún lost his grip and dropped the spear. It rolled on the ground and hit several baby demons, immediately causing them to dissipate on contact while a few others dissipated simply by proximity. Xíng Yún chased after the spear but the constant coughing that wracked his body would make him stumble and accidentally kick the spear, making it roll away again. It took him three tries before he finally grasped it.
Mò Fāng couldn’t help but wonder. This person captured the king’s heart?
Mò Fāng silently looked down averting his gaze. After hearing the resolution in her voice, he knew she had made her decision. Once she set her mind there would be no swaying her so he said, “This subordinate will share in Your Highness’s worries, and will do as commanded.”
“Half a day.” Shěn Lí walked to Xíng Yún. “Stall them for half a day. I will finish this matter then.”
“As Your Highness commands. I will try my utmost to do so.”
“Thank you!”
With the decision made Mò Fāng didn’t linger. He disappeared like the wind, intent on his mission.
Shěn Lí took the spear from Xíng Yún’s hand. When she did so he told her, “Your spear is really powerful.”
“That you could hold onto it for so long is impressive. You are also quite powerful.” Her spear was obviously no ordinary spear. It had taken countless lives with an aura that was enough to intimidate and instill fear in most creatures. Just seeing it would make people’s emotions fluctuate. Xíng Yún appeared utterly unaffected by it, so in a sense he was also a master.
Shěn Lí changed the topic. Looking around in a circle she whispered, “Xiǎo Hé should not have gone far. Where could she be hiding?”
“Well just ask yourself, where would a child who is beaten and wounded go?” Xíng Yún smiled. “Where else but back home?”
“The lake!” Shěn Lí exclaimed. Xiǎo Hé’s true form was a lotus. Since she wasn’t out causing damage she had to be hiding there. Shěn Lí was very happy to have the mystery solved. She stepped forward about to head over when she realized something. She turned to Xíng Yún and suspiciously asked, “You wouldn’t have told me if I hadn’t asked, would you?”
“How could that be?” Xíng Yún smiled slightly. “You’re thinking too much of it. I just thought with your intelligence you would have already figured it out . . .”
Shěn Lí gave him a look but decided not to say anything. She had a strange feeling. Whether intentionally or not, it felt like Xíng Yún was hindering her progress and forcing her to stay longer than necessary.
She walked towards the lake with the lotus earlier. The unopened lotus tonight was no longer pink like yesterday. From stem to bloom, everything was dyed a deep red as if blood was flowing into it.
She picked up a nearby stone and flicked it into the lake. “Come out.” There was no response. “Alright then, don’t blame me for my actions.” With a murderous glint in her eyes she formed the silver spear in her hand. Just as she finished forming it, Xíng Yún grabbed her hand. She frowned and asked, “What are you doing?”
Xíng Yún whispered as he let go, “I didn’t expect you’d go directly to taking her life. If you look at it, she’s just an innocent. She’s just a child. If you kill her now, I’m afraid that when you look back on this you’ll regret it.”
“Oh? You suddenly have the heart of a Bodhisattva?” She stared at him. “I’m going to end this now. If she refuses to cooperate, I’ll just take the most direct approach.” She pushed past Xíng Yún. Her voice was cold as she spoke, “I’m not that kind-hearted. For the sake of my objective I will put my conscience to the side. Now get out of the way.”
Shěn Lí was always decisive when facing the enemy even if it meant being cruel and indifferent. She was never merciful or kind. They were traits a leader needed to have. Xíng Yún stopped trying to block her. He thought there were a lot of sides to her. She was interesting.
“Argh!”
The surface of the water rippled as a shrill scream came out of the lotus flower. Xiǎo Hé slowly emerged, slowly taking human form. If it weren’t for the resentment dying her face red, she would have looked like a beautiful fairy transforming. “Why?! Why would you help him?!” She raged, her eyes bloodshot and senseless. Once fully transformed she rushed at Shěn Lí.
Great, saves me time, thought Shěn Lí. She grabbed Xiǎo Hé by the wrist and in one smooth motion pushed her out and twisted her arm behind her back. She dismissed the spear in her other hand and forced Xiǎo Hé’s neck down onto the fence, completely immobilizing her.
Xíng Yún watched fascinated by her speed. Then something completely unexpected happened. He watched as Shěn Lí smacked Xiǎo Hé’s bottom fiercely with her hand. Was Xiǎo Hé being spanked?
“Admit your wrongs!” Shěn Lí yelled.
“Me?! Wrong?! The one in the wrong is Zhū Chéngjǐn!”
Shěn Lí wasn’t in the mood to argue. Patah! Patah! The sounds of fierce bottom smacking repeatedly echoed in the courtyard. Xiǎo Hé screamed as she struggled wildly to escape. She was in so much pain her body kept twitching involuntarily, but Shěn Lí showed no mercy.
“ Zhū Chéngjǐn betrayed me! I will kill him and not leave him a burial place. I’ll destroy his entire palace!”
“Admit your wrongs!”
“Why is Heaven so heartless?!”
“Admit your wrongs!”
“I’m not wrong!” Although Xiǎo Hé was still adamant, it seemed she had at least returned to her senses and calmed down.
“Admit your wrongs!”
Finally with a whimper, “I admit. I admit. Please stop!” Xiǎo Hé finally succumbed.
“How are you wrong?” Shěn Lí halted her hand in midair. She didn’t pull any punches when she went at it so her palm was red and smarted quite a bit.
Xiǎo Hé’s clothing returned to their previous colors and the lotus flower in the lake also regained its pink tone. All the baby demons throughout the palace reverted back to their spirit form. They turned invisible and floated harmlessly in the air.
“I hurt others! I was wrong! I won’t do it anymore!” Xiǎo Hé slumped to the ground once Shěn Lí released her. She didn’t stay down for long though and ran quickly back to the lake in tears.
Xíng Yún was once again really surprised. “Wow. So spanking also work - a simple yet effective method.”
“Weren’t you the one that reminded me she was just a child?” Shěn Lí looked at the weeping Xiǎo Hé in the lake. “She has the temperament of a child, wanting revenge when wronged. But in the end, she didn’t really intend to kill Prince Ruì, just hurt him a little. Like in the room, she could have killed him at anytime, but all she did was block the exit.”
Shěn Lí sighed. “She ran back home the moment she got injured. If it weren’t for all the unformed demon spirits in the yard, she probably would have just hid in her lake and not caused any trouble. Of course a spanking would work on a child like that. Don’t get me wrong, if she hadn’t come out I would have destroyed her, completely and utterly without any mercy.”
Xíng Yún laughed. “Very militarily minded of you.”
Shěn Lí let Xiǎo Hé cry for awhile. Then she walked to her and patted her on the shoulder. “I understand where you’re coming from, but this is the end of the matter. Crying more isn’t going to do anything. You should leave here and go somewhere else. I’ll go back to Prince Ruì and tell him I killed you. There won’t be anything he can do about it.”
Xiǎo Hé was still sniffling but she stopped crying. She said, “I don’t . . . I still don’t believe it,” and fell to the ground as though all her strength evaporated. “He was so good to me. But he only saw me as a cure for her, as hope for her. In the end I wasn’t an alternative . . . just a temporary substitute to groom into medicine for her.”
Not knowing how to comfort the girl ,Shěn Lí could only remain silent and watch. Xíng Yún spoke up. “Well yes, you do smell like medicinal herb. There’s nothing wrong with stewing you.”
Shěn Lí slapped him for speaking.
Undeterred he continued with, “You’re still alive, not to mention you’re clever, so instead of being turned into medicine for someone else, why not leave?”
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