At first glance, she looked like a girl. But on closer inspection, the other person had an Adam's apple and a flat chest. He was a boy.
He looked about thirteen. He was just far too delicate-looking, with flawless features that were handsome and refined, yet possessed a sculptural beauty.
His skin was smooth and fair, so radiant it outshone snow. He was even a little fairer than Chu Yun, whose body had been transformed by the Heavenly Fox's spiritual energy. But a dark, bluish aura swirled between his brows.
"He's been poisoned. It's the signature art of a Great Demon-ranked Sea-Sleeping Jellyfish—the Green Mold Nightmare." White-Browed Alchemist stepped closer and took a careful look, immediately discerning the nature of the injury.
By now, a crowd of young people had gathered around, both boys and girls.
Hearing White-Browed Alchemist's words, someone in the crowd gave a soft cry. "To have escaped the clutches of a Great Demon-ranked Sea-Sleeping Jellyfish, this boy must be quite capable, even though he looks so young."
"Still, after being struck by a poison art like the Green Mold Nightmare, he's as good as dead. Unless he's treated with a high-grade pill. But pills like that are worth a fortune and impossible to find. This boy won't escape death after all." Someone who knew the situation was showing off his knowledge.
"Hm? What's this!" White-Browed Alchemist had been frowning when he suddenly noticed a jade slip clutched tightly in the boy's hand. He couldn't help letting out a startled cry.
Chu Yun looked over in surprise. He had never seen White-Browed Alchemist so moved before.
White-Browed Alchemist picked up the golden jade slip and focused his mind on it, evidently examining its contents.
"She really is the Princess of Dunhuang!" White-Browed Alchemist was shaken to the core. "The Dunhuang Kingdom's upheaval was reported to the Academy Master some time ago by its ruler. He said the princess would be secretly sent here for diligent training, and asked everyone at Heavenly Song Academy to take good care of her. They intend to mold her into an empress and have her inherit the throne. I never expected to meet her here!"
"It seems she was traveling alone and encountered a wild Great Demon, the Sea-Sleeping Jellyfish, out at sea. She used the Gem Dolphin to save herself before she passed out. We have to save her, no matter the cost."
White-Browed Alchemist's expression turned grave. He put away the jade slip, then took a pill bottle from his robes and poured out a pill. After thinking it over, he handed the pill to Chu Yun.
"Quickly, chew this pill to a pulp, then feed it to her mouth to mouth. It'll save her life." White-Browed Alchemist urged him anxiously.
He knew she was a princess, so naturally he wouldn't do it himself. And seeing as the Princess of Dunhuang was disguised as a boy, he couldn't expose her true identity. That meant he couldn't ask any of the girls nearby to feed it to her, either.
Never mind whether the female students would be willing to feed a complete stranger mouth to mouth. To avoid drawing attention, he couldn't give such a bizarre order.
So he could only ask one of the boys to treat her.
Of the male students, he had the best impression of Chu Yun. If the princess decided to settle accounts later, the fact that Chu Yun had caught the Gem Dolphin could offset his fault, and he would be spared punishment.
In that brief moment, White-Browed Alchemist's mind had already turned several corners. Once he had thought it through, he immediately thrust the pill into Chu Yun's hand.
Chu Yun was helpless. What kind of situation was this? He looked at White-Browed Alchemist with a hint of reproach. If you want to save her, why don't you do it yourself?
Still, her life was hanging by a thread. This was no time to make excuses.
Chu Yun bit down on the pill and chewed it vigorously. Mixing it with saliva, he lowered his head.
Mouth to mouth, he pried open her jaw and fed her all the thoroughly chewed pill.
Jin Bihan was trapped in a nightmare. Anyone struck by the Green Mold Nightmare art would sink into a deep dream and be unable to wake. In the end, overwhelming terror would freeze their life force, plunging them into eternal slumber.
In her dream, she had returned to the palace where she had lived with her family day and night.
Her elder brother's ghost drifted before her. "Little sister, my death was murder—cold-blooded murder! Someone among the ministers was bribed, and some of the princes don't want to see me take the throne. You must avenge me! Avenge my death!"
"Brother, who did this? Who?" she cried, her palms cold and tears streaming down her face.
But her brother's ghost scattered into nothing. The scene shifted, and she stood beside a bed where her gravely ill father lay.
"My daughter, the throne of the Dunhuang Kingdom must never fall into the hands of those ambitious princes. As the only surviving heir of the royal family, you must take on the responsibility of protecting the throne! Become the heir apparent..."
Her father was already old and frail. His cloudy eyes fixed on his only child as he struggled to give her his instructions.
"Father, I'll avenge my brother. I'll protect the throne!" Jin Bihan vowed through her tears, dropping to her knees before him.
Fate was full of twists and turns, forever impossible to fathom.
One moment, Jin Bihan had been a sheltered young lady, learning music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, destined to be an excellent candidate for a political marriage. The next, she had to shoulder the burden of an entire nation, become heir apparent, and protect the throne!
But becoming heir apparent would be no easy task. The civil officials who controlled the court, the unruly generals, and the ambitious princes would all stand in her way.
Especially since she was a woman.
"My daughter, your talent as a Spirit Beast Master surpasses even your brother's. But all these years, you deliberately held yourself back to help him win glory. I've seen it with my own eyes. Conceal your identity and go to Heavenly Song Academy. The Academy Master is an old friend of mine, and everything has been arranged. Take this jade slip and this Golden Cicada Garment that lets you disguise yourself as a boy. Toughen yourself, study hard, improve your abilities, and gather capable people around you. Two years— you must return in two years. My body can only hold out that long..."
And so, the princess of old took off the jewelry she loved and shed the dresses she adored. She put on the Golden Cicada Garment, dressed for battle, and secretly set out.
She had deceived everyone, but she couldn't fool the wild Demon Beasts along the sea route.
The ship she was traveling on was unlucky enough to be attacked by a Sea-Sleeping Jellyfish and capsized. In the midst of the disaster, Jin Bihan used the Gem Dolphin to save herself.
The Gem Dolphin wandered through the sea, unsure of the way to Heavenly Song Academy. On top of that, it was injured, and grew weaker and slower by the minute.
But suddenly, it caught a fragrant scent. It was White-Browed Alchemist's Fragrance-Attracting Pill, which held a particular allure for the Gem Dolphin.
The dolphin summoned its remaining strength and caught up with the Treasure Ship Chu Yun was aboard. But the first fishing line it encountered belonged to someone else.
And so, a certain young man reeled it in.
A cool, faintly bitter taste gradually spread through her mouth. As it entered her throat, it swiftly turned into a warm current. Wherever it flowed, the poison melted away like snow in boiling water, dissolving and dispersing.
Little by little, feeling returned to her numb body. As though she had found a glimmer of light in the darkness, Jin Bihan's jade-carved fingers twitched, and she slowly opened her eyes.
Chu Yun was feeding her mouth to mouth, even slipping his tongue in now and then. After all, she was completely unconscious, so he had to use his tongue to "push" the pill down her throat.
Jin Bihan's beautiful, moonlike eyes flew wide open!