Chapter 7: Clash part I

    Sulfur smell?

    Su Jian inhaled slowly, intrigued by the scent carried by the breeze, indicating a hot spring nearby. In such a remote and rugged area, a hot bath would indeed be a treat. Delighted by the thought, Su Jian trudged through the fresh snow, her hands cradling a healing ointment, passing groups of soldiers who gathered around fires, the moonlight reflecting off the snow and providing clear visibility despite the deep night.

    The moon hung brightly in the sky, the snow had just stopped, and the strong wind made the air bitterly cold. Chen Taohua was half-sitting, half-lying on a kang[1], her eyes tightly closed, eyelashes resting on her flushed cheeks, the soft glow of a lantern casting gentle shadows over her delicate form, making her look as beautiful and sweet as a painting. Despite being in a resting phase, she still wore her light armor constantly, her sword never far from her side.

    Su Jian slipped inside the tent, closing it tightly to keep out the cold wind and prying eyes. She quickly removed her helmet, let down her long hair, and pulled off her heavy armor. What was once dressed in a fierce warrior's attire was transformed in a flash into a petite, charming young woman.

    "Ah, that's a bit better. So heavy and stiff, my shoulders ache."

    Su Jian placed the tray of medicine on a table near the kang, added oil to the lantern, and stoked the fire under the kang. After cleaning her hands, she whispered softly to wake the princess, "Your medicine is ready, Your Highness. May I attend to your wounds?"

    "What time is it now? Has there been any more news reported?"

    "It's the hour of zishi[2], Your Highness." Su Jian said as she adjusted a pillow behind the princess before she began to remove the light armor and padded jacket from Chen Taohua's battered body, revealing purple and green bruises from the arrow's impact. Su Jian gasped in shock, "Princess... injuries like these could take months to heal."

    "I'm fine. Is this all it takes to make Su Jian retreat?"

    "But, Your Highness... that prince was extremely cruel," Su Jian frowned, "The First Prince reminded me dozens of times to take good care of you, to not even let a single hair be harmed... I'm sure to get scolded badly when I return."

    "The First Brother and Second Brother might complain, but I'm sure my Third Brother won't scold you. You can rest easy. He's never laid a hand on you since we were children."

    "You always tease me, Your Highness."

    Su Jian blushed deeply whenever teased, applying the medicine to Chen Taohua's bruises. Whenever she thought of the third prince, Su Jian’s little red lips curled into a smile that she couldn't quite hide. "I'm just a plain girl, not even beautiful, and I've hardly ever spoken to the Third Prince. But there's one thing I've just realized."

    "What is it?" Chen Taohua playfully grabbed Su Jian by the waist, coaxing her to spill everything. Laughter echoed from Deputy General Yang Gao's tent, and Su Jian, considering the matter of grave importance, knelt earnestly in front of the princess.

    "This is my first time in battle, and seeing your bravery has inspired me to try it myself."

    "You want to fight and create your own legacy? That's good. Good, good."

    "I actually want to confess my love."

    "What does my bravery have to do with your love confession?"

    "Oh? Isn't Your Highness endured hardships to come and confess your love?" Su Jian laughed and playfully pretended to pinch the princess. "My princess is so stubborn... I'm really curious to know if there's someone in your heart…, perhaps someone you'd like to kick in the bottom?"

    Su Jian was teasing with all her might, but Chen Taohua remained still as a statue, seemingly unfamiliar even with the concept of 'someone in your heart.' Finding no joy in her teasing, Su Jian stopped and turned to her own mundane tasks, muttering under her breath. As soon as Su Jian turned away, Chen Taohua’s cheeks flushed a deep red, and she had to cover her face with her hands.

    "Oh, right, there should be a hot spring nearby. Should we go relax there? Ever since we left the capital, Your Highness has been suffering from muscle pain. A hot soak might help."

    "A hot spring? That might not be a good idea."

    "It's a good idea, Your Highness. My father loves soaking in hot springs the most. He says the hot water helps relax the muscles and revitalizes the body. Let's go, it’s very late already, we'll go quickly and come back. Commander Shen Tao wouldn’t notice."

    Su Jian urged, quickly gathering a change of clothes, and not forgetting her sword. Seeing the sparkle in Su Jian’s eyes and her eagerness, Chen Taohua agreed on the condition that they must return before dawn. The two sneaked through the dark, Chen Taohua looking up at the moon as they moved through the trees, its dim light turning the branches into skeletal forms. The sounds of night creatures echoed intermittently.

    Snow fell intermittently, and the biting wind pierced through their fur garments. Chen Taohua’s hands and feet were icy as they traversed over uneven, snow-covered rocks, sometimes narrow and tricky. They stumbled several times until the scent of sulfur grew stronger.

    "We're close now, right ahead, Your Highness."

    "It’s already the fourth hour. We must return before dawn."

    "Don’t worry, Your Highness. Hurry, your hands are already freezing.

    Su Jian exclaimed excitedly as they approached the clear, steaming hot spring, its calm surface reflecting the moonlight through a misty veil, seeming almost otherworldly. The biting wind urged them to hurry, moaning with shaky voices because of the coldness. Su Jian quickly checked the water's temperature with her hand above it while Chen Taohua sat down on a nearby rock, slowly removing her shoes, feeling uneasy and scanning the surroundings.

    "The water is just right. Let’s soak for a bit then hurry back."

    Su Jian helped her undress deftly, and Chen Taohua removed her long garment over her head, pulling down her close-fitting pinafore and undergarments along her slender legs, beautifully shaped hips, knees, and small ankles, handing them to Su Jian to hang on a nearby branch.

    The continuous cold wind swept across the area, covered entirely in soft white snow except for the warm, inviting hot spring. The fair body, with all its curves, sitting on the edge of the hot spring, dipped her legs into it, with the mist and the murky moonlight softly draping over her delicate skin.

    "The warm water feels so good. Come down quickly, Su Jian."

    Silence…

    "Su Jian? Where are you?" She whispered again, but Su Jian didn't respond. Chen Taohua was unsure whether her playful and close confidant was hiding or had already entered the pool.

    "Su Jian?..."

    Chen Taohua looked around. The area was a small hot spring, densely surrounded by trees, the water only chest-deep, nothing frightening. But the dimness and unusual silence made Chen Taohua wrap her arms around herself and search for her sword.

    "Which unit are you from? Who allowed you to leave the camp?" A deep, rumbling voice came from behind, echoing through the darkness and the cold.

    The Prince of Li Region... Li Xuanlong.

    How could he possibly be here?!

    Her eyes widened in alarm as Li Xuanlong stepped through the water, out of the shadows. The dim moonlight slowly revealed his sharp-featured face. His robust figure, broad shoulders, a perfect chest and abdomen became visible. His rough hand carelessly raked his wet hair back. However, his intense, sharp eyes never wavered from her.

    "Deserting the troop, huh?... Speak up!"

    His aggressive stance was as intense as the heat wrapping around their bare skin. The Li Xuanlong she remembered was a fiery youth, always rushing forward like an arrow. But years of battlefield experience had matured him into a solemn, more charismatic man, though his fierce eyes still burned with a fiery intensity. Just his presence seemed to weigh heavily on the surroundings, filling it with danger.

    Chen Taohua decided to remain silent, trying to use the darkness as cover. Even though clouds once again veiled the moonlight, the dim light and the mist of the hot springs could not mask the fiery intensity in his gaze. She wasn't sure she could withstand it.

    "State your name!"

    "Whatever your father's surname is, mine is the same." Chen Taohua had no need to fear of him. But his murderous aura was so intense that even the night birds scattered in terror. The snow reflected the moonlight, and the delicate woman realized she was at a disadvantage, retreating as she grasped her sword, striking at him but he parried easily like an adult playing with a child.

    "Run! Don't worry about me, Your Highness."

    Su Jian shouted as she too was caught in a dire situation, pinned against a large tree by Zhu Zi, her screams echoing and then falling silent. Distracted, Chen Taohua's sword was knocked from her grasp, and his blade followed swiftly.

    Unshaken, Chen Taohua’s eyes were calm, she dodged the young man’s sword. The weight of his strikes grew heavier, and he found an opening to strike at her left chest with his hand.

    Soft?