CHAPTER 43: Princess
Ji Lingyue watched her retreating figure, then suddenly let out a low laugh.
Behind her, golden rings materialized one after another, their brilliance illuminating half the sky. Even Lan Wu, who had already fled a considerable distance, couldn’t help but notice the sudden burst of light. She glanced back and, through the swirling sand, saw the golden light descend, plummeting into the heart of the surging beast horde.
“No!”
Her eyes widened, and before she knew it, she was already pulling the head of a black beast, running back in panic.
But even faster were the hundreds of black beasts that were also suddenly changing course. By the time Lan Wu arrived, all she could see was a heaving mound of flesh and teeth. The monstrous creatures were piled on top of each other, their horrifying mouthparts clicking and snapping as they desperately clawed their way towards the center of the chaotic mass.
“Get away!” Lan Wu shouted, drawing her sword and stabbing furiously. “Move! All of you, get down!”
But for every beast she killed, a dozen more took its place. Breathing heavily, Lan Wu gripped her sword tightly, suddenly pressing her left hand against it and slicing it open. Blood dripped onto the sand below.
The scent of blood filled the air, and soon the beasts that were swarming toward Ji Lingyue began to shift their focus. Some of the black beasts started moving towards Lan Wu.
She clenched her hand, ready to retreat and lure them away, when a clear, ringing sword cry pierced the air. Blinding golden light flashed, and the mound of beasts exploded outwards.
Blood and flesh flew everywhere, limbs scattered across the ground. The woman standing amid the blood showed neither joy nor sorrow as she walked slowly from the carnage. Ji Lingyue’s white robes remained pristinely clean, golden rings burning bright behind her. With the light at her back, her face remained hidden in darkness.
Lan Wu’s breathing grew heavy, unable to contain her anger any longer. “Do you even care about your own life?! If they had all reached you at once, even you wouldn’t have made it out! How could you just jump down like that?!”
“Why not?” Ji Lingyue tilted her head indifferently. “As long as it brought you back, any cost is worth it. I’ve let you get away once. I won’t let it happen again.”
Faced with such stubbornness, Lan Wu sighed bitterly, voice tinged with regret. “Why are you so obsessed? I’ve been away from you for longer than I was with you. You hate demons so much. After I left, you could have forgotten about me…”
Ji Lingyue’s long eyelashes trembled as she frowned, staring intensely at her.
“You could have started a new life…”
“How dare you say that?!” Ji Lingyue’s voice interrupted her furiously. Her shoulders trembled as if struck. Her voice, usually so controlled, wavered with emotion. “Do you think my feelings are something that time can just erase?!”
Lan Wu stared at her, speechless.
“All these days and nights, I’ve been waiting for you! Each time I got so desperate, to the brink of hating you, I’d tell myself maybe something was holding you back, that there was a reason you couldn’t find me. But it turns out, you had already decided to forget all about us! All these years, I was the only one fooling myself!” Ji Lingyue choked back a sob, her grip tightening on her sword. “Had I known, had I only known, I wouldn’t have held on to such foolish hopes!”
As she spoke, she suddenly lunged with her sword, unleashing a powerful sword energy aimed straight at Lan Wu. Instinctively, Lan Wu blocked, feeling her hand go numb from the force. She stepped back, her eyes widening in shock as she finally got a clear look at Ji Lingyue’s face, now inches from her own.
Those beautiful almond eyes were bloodshot, and crystalline tears had appeared on her jade-like cheeks.
Lan Wu’s heart clenched, and she unconsciously called out, “Ah Yue…”
Ji Lingyue trembled, gritting her teeth as she snarled. “Don’t call me that!”
She swung her spirit sword like a knife, each word punctuated by a vicious swing of the blade. “You! Damned! Damned demon!”
Lan Wu was forced to retreat, step by step. She realized that Ji Lingyue wasn’t trying to kill her, not really. This was pure, unadulterated rage pouring out of her. Lan Wu’s heart ached as she looked at the woman she knew, lost in her fury.
As Ji Lingyue swung at her again with reddened eyes, Lan Wu made a decision. She dropped her own sword, opened her arms wide, and stepped forward to embrace her.
As she pulled Ji Lingyue into her arms, the deadly blade brushed past her ear.
“It’s okay, it’s okay…” Lan Wu cradled her head, her voice hoarse. “It’s alright, calm down, just calm down… I was wrong, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, please don’t cry.”
Ji Lingyue was gasping for breath and her entire body was trembling. Soon, Lan Wu could feel the dampness of tears soaking through her robes.
Lan Wu bit her lip, lowering her head to rest her cheek against Ji Lingyue’s head, soothing her repeatedly. “I was wrong, Ah Yue, it was my fault, don’t cry…”
After a while, Ji Lingyue’s arms slowly wrapped around her waist, holding her tightly. She mumbled indistinctly, “You’re a bad demon…”
“I am,” Lan Wu agreed softly.
She clutched Lan Wu’s clothes, crying a bit more before lifting her head, moving closer with tear-blurred eyes.
Lan Wu frowned, hesitating before carefully capturing her lips. The moment their lips met, Ji Lingyue let out a soft moan, both hands rising to wrap around Lan Wu’s neck.
Her kiss was hungry, desperate, her tongue seeking entrance. When Lan Wu tried to pull back, Ji Lingyue caught her gaze, her eyes shimmering with a vulnerability that Lan Wu couldn’t resist. She surrendered, opening her mouth to the kiss, letting Ji Lingyue take control.
It was then that Lan Wu felt something small, cold, and round slip past her lips.
Her eyes flew open. Ji Lingyue held her firmly in place, one hand pressing against the back of her head, the other stroking her throat lightly, urging her to swallow. Lan Wu realized with a jolt that she had.
She shoved Ji Lingyue away, her voice panicked. “What did you give me?”
Ji Lingyue wiped a stray tear from the corner of her eye, still showing traces of passion in her eyes even as her expression grew cold, “Just something to make you sleep for a while.”
Lan Wu stared at her in shock. “You tricked me?”
“Is it really a trick? I was simply taking advantage of the situation.”
“You… I…” Wu shook her head as her vision began to blur, her eyelids growing heavier. She groaned, her legs giving way. Ji Lingyue caught her, guiding her down gently until Lan Wu’s head rested against her shoulder. “Be good,” Ji Lingyue whispered, her voice a chilling caress. “When you wake up, this will all be over.”
Lan Wu struggled to draw a breath, “W-What… what are you going to do…”
Ji Lingyue stroked her long hair, saying softly. “I’m going to form a contract with you.”
“No, you can’t… you can’t do that…”
Lan Wu fought to keep her eyes open, to resist the overwhelming drowsiness that threatened to consume her. “I can’t… be bound… I’m… a mermaid… a princess… I can’t…”
“A princess?” Ji Lingyue gazed down at her, seeing her sliding down uncontrollably. She held Lan Wu tightly in her arms, wrapping her arms around her waist. “Then be a good contracted beast for me, Princess.”
