The little princess held up Chen Nan's contract of servitude, frowning as she said, "This is horrendous, what terrible handwriting! It's worse than a spider's crawl. You, ignorant fool, haven't even learned how to write properly. Truly... sigh, how could our Chu country have someone like you? You're a disgrace to the nation, a shame to our people."

  Dizzy with frustration, Chen Nan sat expressionlessly on the ground, unable to speak out in anger.

  "You, filthy thief, weren't you so proud? You even dared to strike me..." The little princess's face turned beet red with shame and indignation as she spoke. She turned and ran into the woods, returning shortly with a piece of dry wood about the thickness of a bowl. She shouted at Chen Nan, "Lie down!"

  Looking at the thick, long piece of wood, completely disproportionate to the little princess's delicate figure, Chen Nan was nearly terrified into unconsciousness.

  "Your Highness... you..."

  The little princess forcefully pushed Chen Nan to the ground, holding the thick piece of wood and giving him three hard strikes to his backside.

  "Ah..." Chen Nan couldn't hold back a painful scream, "Your Highness, you’ve broken me! How am I supposed to leave the mountain like this?"

  Hearing this, the little princess felt it made sense. She couldn't possibly carry this guy on her shoulders. With a couple more hard strikes, she was about to throw the wood down when Chen Nan, wincing from the pain, screamed again, "Little demon, I only tapped you twice, you can't possibly..."

  Upon hearing this, the little princess nearly lost it, gritting her teeth and growling, "You damned bastard, you dare bring that up? I’ll hit, hit, hit, hit, hit!"

  After several more painful strikes, the little princess finally tossed the heavy branch aside.

  "Hmph, we'll call it even for now. When the chance comes, I'll deal with you, filthy thief."

  Suddenly, the little princess caught the scent of roasted snow chicken, and she couldn't help but sigh, "It smells so good." She walked over to the campfire, pulled the roasting stick with the snow chicken from the ground, and bit into the golden-brown meat.

  The smooth, fragrant meat of the snow chicken entered her mouth, and she couldn’t help but exclaim, "The texture is delicate, the flavor is rich, fatty but not greasy. It's truly delicious."

  Perhaps because she had been hungry for so long, the little princess completely forgot about her royal demeanor. She stuck the roasting stick back into the ground, tore off a chicken leg with one hand and a wing with the other, and began devouring the meat without any trace of grace.

  Chen Nan, gritting his teeth, struggled to get up from the ground. Watching the little princess eat so ravenously, he swallowed his saliva and slowly moved forward.

  "What are you doing? Stay away from me! Just seeing you, you filthy thief, makes me angry!" The little princess shouted at Chen Nan in displeasure.

  "I was just taking my snow chicken," he said, reaching for another piece.

  "Don’t touch that snow chicken."

  "Why not?"

  "You bad guy, after what you did to me earlier, all those bad things... hmph, I’ll punish you with three days of fasting."

  "If that's the case, I’ll be too weak to walk. In this vast mountain, I’d only become a burden to you, Your Highness."

  The little princess’s eyes twinkled mischievously, a playful smile curling on her lips. "Here, take this, and this too."

  She handed him the chicken head and the chicken tail with her little hands, which were covered in grease. Looking at her wicked smile, Chen Nan could hardly resist the urge to rush forward and pinch her little face, squeezing it hard.

  "Eat or not? If you don’t eat, I’ll throw it away right now, and your meal will be skipped," the little princess teased.

  "I’ll eat!" Chen Nan bit into the chicken head and tail, chewing as if he were viciously biting the little princess herself.

  "Slow down, you filthy thief. No one’s going to take it from you. Here, there’s more," the little princess giggled, tearing off another chicken head and tail and offering them to him.

  "Oh, it smells so good, the taste is amazing. You truly are a disgrace. Even though it’s delicious, there’s no need to chew so hard," she said between bites, adding in more irritating words.

  Chen Nan muttered quietly, "Demon, and yet she’s a princess. Look at you, one hand with a chicken leg, the other with a wing, your little face all red, your mouth greasy... truly..."

  "What are you muttering about, filthy thief?"

  "Oh, nothing," Chen Nan said, not wanting to get into an argument with her, so he kept silent.

  Eventually, the little princess handed him the remaining snow chicken. "I’m being merciful. Remember to repay me properly and follow every one of my commands seriously."

  Chen Nan felt frustrated but could only vent inwardly: Damn it! I was the one who caught the snow chicken. Is the heavens playing a joke on me? Why am I once again at this little demon’s mercy?

  The little princess ran to the river to wash her hands, then came back to wipe her hands on Chen Nan.

  "Wow, you’re such a slob, look how dirty your clothes are. It’s disgusting," she said before running back to the river to wash her hands again.

  Chen Nan couldn’t help but laugh.

  "Filthy thief, turn around," the little princess ordered, then took off her shoes and socks, revealing two smooth, jade-like little feet. She began wading through the river, skipping stones. After tiring herself out, she sat on the shore. But as soon as she sat down, she cried out in surprise, "Ah, that hurts!"

  She quickly stood up from the shore, her small hands rubbing her backside. She had been thrown to the ground twice by Chen Nan earlier, and all her energy had been sealed at the time. Both times, her backside had taken a hard hit when it came into contact with the ground, and it still ached terribly now. The little princess was both embarrassed and furious, glaring at Chen Nan with eyes that seemed to shoot fire.

  "You damn guy, you’re still eating? What a great appetite!"

  As the little princess approached him angrily, Chen Nan quickly stuffed the last piece of chicken into his mouth. To vent her anger, the little princess rushed up and forcefully knocked him to the ground.

  Chen Nan’s already sore backside made contact with the ground again, and a chilling scream echoed through the woods.

  "You scoundrel, how dare you do that to me earlier? Serves you right!"

  The angel and demon in one, beauty and wickedness coexist. The little princess had the appearance of an angel but the nature of a demon. Anyone who saw this flower-like girl would never imagine that she was a troublesome little witch.

  After once again falling into the hands of the little demon, Chen Nan endured countless hardships along the way as the little princess relentlessly took revenge for his previous actions.

  Two days later, the little princess and Chen Nan finally made it out of the mountains.

  When they entered the mountains, the little princess and her companions still had some clothing with them, but after the battle with the giant snake and the skirmishes in the woods, almost everything was lost. By the time they emerged, both were in tattered clothes, their garments shredded by the thorny plants in the mountains, with nothing to change into.

  "Filthy thief, what are you staring at? Turn your head!"

  The little princess was barely covered, her pale skin exposed. If Chen Nan accidentally turned his head or leaned his body in the wrong direction, he would be immediately scolded.

  Looking at the distant unknown town, the two of them seemed to be in a different world, finally leaving the desolate mountains and entering a human settlement. As they walked through the town, observing the people coming and going, they couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity, as though everyone was so approachable. Of course, neither of them would find the other approachable.

  Passersby stared curiously at the two ragged youths. Chen Nan, with his average appearance, attracted only a few glances, but the little princess, born with extraordinary beauty, even with her clothes in tatters, still captivated the majority of the onlookers with her stunning looks.

  Being stared at by so many people made them both uncomfortable, and they quickly rushed into an inn. The little princess took off a pearl flower from her head and handed it to the innkeeper, asking him to pawn it for money and then buy some appropriate clothing.

  Of course, the royal princess's pearl flower was no ordinary treasure; the luster and size of the pearls were among the finest. Seeing the greedy look in the innkeeper’s eyes, Chen Nan knew that the shady businessman would surely make a huge profit from it, but since it was the little demon’s property, he didn’t feel the need to warn him.

  Just as Chen Nan expected, the valuable pearl flower was sold for a ridiculously low price, but the clothes bought with the money were shockingly expensive. However, overall, the clothes were dazzling and suitable, transforming the two ragged youths into much more presentable figures.

  The little princess’s noble aura naturally radiated, and every movement exuded royal dignity. But whenever she faced Chen Nan, her royal demeanor disappeared entirely. To outsiders, she appeared as a playful little fairy, while to Chen Nan, she was a mischievous little demon.

  When the sumptuous dinner was served, the two of them ate greedily, as if forgetting their identities, focused only on devouring the food before them. While there were countless wild delicacies in the mountains, they lacked seasoning and condiments, so no matter how fresh the meat, it couldn’t compare to the refined cooking before them.

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  After finishing the meal, the little princess gave Chen Nan a fierce glare, wanting to punish him, but an overwhelming sense of exhaustion hit her. The dangers of the mountains had left her utterly drained, and she could only relent. In the end, she pressed several acupoints on Chen Nan’s body, ensuring he couldn’t move, before unceremoniously tossing him into another room.

  Weary and drained, the little princess lay in bed and quickly fell into a sweet sleep, her flushed little face wearing a satisfied smile. The soft moonlight poured into the room, casting a serene, holy aura around her. She looked like a fallen angel, peaceful and incredibly cute.

  Chen Nan lay stiffly on the bed, his body rigid. He kept using his family’s secret martial arts to try to unlock the twenty or so sealed acupoints, but they only loosened slightly. At this rate, even if it was dawn the next day, he wouldn’t be able to free himself. His family’s secret martial arts were not ineffective; it was just that there were far too many sealed acupoints on him. In the end, he had to give up.

  The moonlight, as soft as water, poured into the room. Chen Nan thought about many things. A thousand years ago, his family had been prestigious, and his status had been glorious. Yet, a thousand years later, he had somehow become someone else’s prisoner. A bitter smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. He had been born into a prominent family, but his life had been colorless. He mused: "Perhaps things will be very different now... But that little princess... she is just too terrifying."

  As he thought about the little princess, he felt an unusual coldness on his head, which was extremely uncomfortable. It wasn’t until then that he realized the awkwardness of his sleeping position. Chen Nan mentally cursed, "That damn little devil... How could she... how could she let my head rest against the iron bars of the headboard? I..." He truly had the urge to curse.

  The town was bustling early in the morning, with a large number of soldiers pouring in. The residents of the town were uneasy, suspecting that war was about to break out. After all, the continent had been peaceful for many years, and if there were no wars, a small border town like this would never attract an army.

  Dust and smoke billowed as three hundred cavalrymen led the charge into the town, followed by two thousand infantry. The sounds of shouting and neighing filled the air, and the residents scattered in all directions. The army sealed off all the exits of the town. A military officer inquired about the town’s pawn shop, and upon learning its location, the cavalrymen charged toward it like a pack of wolves, surrounding the pawn shop completely.

  The pawnshop’s owner and two of his assistants hurried out. When they saw the hundreds of cavalrymen in cold iron armor and the chilling swords, they trembled as if their bodies were shaking with fear and knelt to the ground.

  A general and a dozen cavalrymen dismounted swiftly and walked toward the kneeling men.

  The general asked loudly, "Who is the owner of this shop?"

  The pawnshop owner hurriedly bowed and said, "I... I... am."

  The general said, "There’s no need to be afraid. We mean no harm. Stand up and answer."

  "Yes, yes... yes," the owner replied, standing up in a panic with his two assistants.

  "I want to ask you, did anyone come here yesterday and pawn a fine pearl flower?"

  "Yes, yes, indeed someone pawned a fine pearl flower, but I had it sent to the main shop overnight."

  "Mm, who was it that pawned it?"

  "It was the owner of the Longxing Inn in our town, but... but it seemed like he was acting on someone else’s behalf."

  The general’s eyes lit up and he asked, "Oh, how do you know that?"

  "Because after he gave me the price, he made me issue a false receipt at a low price."

  "Good, take me to the Longxing Inn immediately."

  The three hundred cavalrymen charged toward Longxing Inn with great force, and the infantry followed. The inn was surrounded inside and out, with no way in or out. The innkeeper, terrified, scrambled out and hurried forward, saying, "M-Military sirs... what... what is your command?"

  The general sitting on horseback had a face as cold as water as he spoke in a chilling tone, "Did you pawn a fine pearl flower yesterday?"

  "Yes... yes, I did... I did indeed pawn a fine pearl flower for someone yesterday," the pawnshop owner replied.

  "Who was it for?"

  "It... it was for a pair of young people."

  "What did they look like?"

  "They were a young man and woman, the man about twenty years old, with an ordinary appearance. The girl was about sixteen or seventeen, stunningly beautiful."

  The general’s eyes suddenly brightened. He took a scroll from one of his subordinates, unfurled it, and asked, "Is this what the girl looked like?"

  "Yes, that's her," the pawnshop owner confirmed.

  The general urgently asked, "Where are they? Have they left?"

  Seeing the general's urgency, the innkeeper was startled and stammered, "They... they haven't left. They're resting in the back courtyard... they... they might still be asleep."

  Upon hearing this, the general immediately dismounted and strode into the inn, followed closely by dozens of soldiers. The innkeeper, trembling, followed behind the group.

  At first, some guests inside the inn peered out of their rooms, but as soon as they saw the heavily armored soldiers, they quickly shut their doors and windows, not daring to watch any longer.

  The innkeeper pointed and said, "The man is staying in that room, and the girl is in the room next to his."

  The general, upon hearing this, walked straight to the girl’s room, stopping three meters from the door. He then knelt down on both knees and shouted loudly, "Lord Zhao Sheng of Fengning City welcomes Princess Yu back to the capital."

  The soldiers behind Zhao Sheng also knelt to the ground.

  The innkeeper was stunned, completely caught off guard. He sat down in shock, never having imagined that the beautiful girl was the princess. He hurriedly knelt as well.

  After days of traveling and sleeping outdoors, the little princess was exhausted. She had finally managed to sleep on a soft bed and had not yet woken up. She was still deeply asleep when Zhao Sheng shouted outside the door for the third time. Only when she heard Zhao Sheng's voice did she groggily open her eyes. By the time she understood what was happening, Zhao Sheng had knocked and called for the fourth time.

  The little princess dressed in a huff, angrily opened the door, and said loudly, "I know—enough already! Hmph, it's so noisy!"

  Seeing the little princess, her face full of displeasure, Zhao Sheng immediately realized that he had disturbed this proud noble’s beauty sleep. Cold sweat immediately broke out on him.

  "Minister Zhao Sheng, by order of Princess Yue, has come to welcome Your Highness back to the capital," he said.

  "Sister? Has my sister come as well?"

  Zhao Sheng dared not look up, still kneeling as he replied, "Yes, Princess Yue is outside the town."

  "Ah, really?!" The little princess quickly shut the door behind her, like a child who had done something wrong. She muttered to herself, "Oh no, oh no, Father and Mother must be frantic. Otherwise, they wouldn't have sent Sister to find me personally."

  Zhao Sheng and the others dared not say another word and quietly waited outside. After quite some time, the little princess slowly opened the door again, now fully composed, her royal demeanor restored. She spoke in a neutral tone, "Please rise."

  After everyone stood, thanking her, the little princess added, "You may go ahead. Gather all the forces and prepare to leave. I will return to my room to get ready."

  As they left the courtyard, the little princess became lively again. She dashed into Chen Nan's room, energetically patting him all over to unblock his acupoints. Then, she grabbed his ear and scolded, "Good-for-nothing, lazy pig, get up!"

  "Ah..." Chen Nan let out a miserable scream, jumping out of bed, rubbing his reddened left ear incessantly.

  "Hehe..." Seeing the little princess's mischievous grin, Chen Nan was thoroughly annoyed. After spending the entire night lying against the iron headboard, he had finally fallen asleep, only to be woken again by the little princess.

  After washing up, the two of them were somewhat reluctantly served a bit of food by the innkeeper, who was both attentive and fearful.

  Once they stepped outside the inn, Chen Nan was stunned. Though he had already heard the noise outside and knew an army had come to escort the little princess back to the palace, he hadn't expected such a grand spectacle. Soldiers lined both sides of the street, their shining armor stretching all the way to the end of the road. The center of the street was completely empty, the entire road under strict martial law, waiting for the princess to depart.

  Zhao Sheng had originally prepared a palanquin for the princess, but she waved her jade hand and said, "No, I want to ride a horse."

  Chen Nan thought to himself: How could a "terrifying" little demon like her sit quietly in a palanquin?

  Zhao Sheng personally led a warhorse over to the princess, while a soldier brought another horse for Chen Nan. The little princess leaped onto her horse and galloped off, with Zhao Sheng and Chen Nan following closely behind. After them came three hundred cavalry, and finally, the infantry. This grand procession marched out of the town.

  The town's residents finally sighed in relief, but the innkeeper at Longxing Inn groaned in distress. Before leaving, Zhao Sheng had fined him a large sum, demanding it be paid to the lord's manor within three days, punishing him for his greed.

  Beyond the town was an open field, where two hundred cavalrymen stood guard to ensure Princess Chu Yue’s safety. When the little princess and the others arrived, the two hundred soldiers all raised their hands in salute to the princess.

  In the distance, a tall figure stood alone, quietly in the morning glow. Dressed in pure white, the figure appeared to be bathed in a faint golden light under the rising sun, like an immortal descending from the heavens. The fluttering of her robes made it seem as though she could take flight at any moment.

  The little princess shouted, "Sister!" Then, she dashed forward, leaving everyone behind, and threw herself into her sister’s embrace.

  The little princess wrapped her arms around Chu Yue's waist and sweetly said, "Sister, I missed you so much."

  Chu Yue lovingly patted her head and said, "You naughty thing, sneaking out of the palace for so long. Your father and mother have been worried sick."

  The little princess, anxious, asked, "Is Mother feeling better?"

  "Why do you ask that? Mother has always been in good health," Chu Yue replied.

  "Hmph, that old man actually lied to me." The little princess grumbled in displeasure.

  "Hehe, who could it be that tricked our little rascal?" Chu Yue asked with a smile.

  The little princess huffed and said, "Who else but my Master, that old man? Hmph, he tricked me into coming back, while he went off to see the Qilin by himself. It makes me so mad. When I get back, I’m going to pull out all his beard!"

  Chu Yue laughed, "You mustn't be rude to Senior Zhuge. He is someone whom both our father and mother deeply respect."

  "Mm, then I’ll pull out only a few of his beard. Oh, by the way, how did you find me, sister?"

  "You've forgotten? Yesterday, you turned into a pearl flower, and the pawnshop owner treated it like a treasure. He sent it overnight to the main shop in Fengning City. The shopkeeper noticed the royal mark on the pearl flower, and he was so scared. He quickly reported it to Zhao Sheng, the lord of Fengning City. Zhao Sheng has been under my orders these past few days, so I found out about it right away and followed the trail to find you, little rascal."

  Chu Yue gently cupped the little princess's face and said softly, "You've suffered a lot, haven’t you? Let me take a good look. Hmm, your skin has gotten a little darker, and you've lost some weight. Next time, don’t run off like that, understand?"

  "Mm, I won’t run off again, sister. My... my guards, they..." The little princess's voice choked up at that point.

  "Good, don’t be sad..."

  "Ugh, I’m already sixteen, stop treating me like a little kid." The little princess quickly smiled again.

  "Sister, I have something nice to show you." With that, the little princess took out a jade box from her bosom, carefully opened it, and immediately a fragrant scent filled the air. Inside the box was a crystal-clear, fiery red lotus petal.

  "Ah, this is..." Chu Yue gasped in surprise.

  The little princess proudly said, "This is the legendary Fire Immortal Lotus. I specially prepared it for Father’s sixtieth birthday."

  Chu Yue excitedly held the jade box and said, "No wonder it's called the Immortal Lotus. Just the smell alone makes me feel refreshed and light."

  The crystalline lotus petals, bathed in the morning sunlight, appeared even more dazzling. Their sweet fragrance spread far, reaching Chen Nan and the others. The soldiers and officers marveled at the scent.

  "Ah, why does it look like someone has taken a little bite out of the lotus petal?" Chu Yue laughed and pinched the little princess's delicate nose, saying, "It must have been you, little greedy cat, who couldn't resist and took a bite first, right? Hehe."

  "Sister..." The little princess twisted her body, pouting as she coquettishly said, "Don't pinch my nose, or else I won't be as pretty as you."

  "Your little mouth is as sweet as honey," Chu Yue replied.

  The little princess glared at the Fire Immortal Lotus and huffed, "It was a whole lotus petal, but that scoundrel Chen Nan, that despicable, shameless, filthy thief, trapped me with his trick, and when he sealed my acupoint, I had no choice but to bite off a little piece of the lotus to escape."

  "What?" Chu Yue gasped in shock.

  "That filthy thief! I've already caught him," the little princess pointed to Chen Nan in the distance.

  "Chen Nan, get over here."

  Hearing the princess call for him, Chen Nan felt a headache coming on and reluctantly walked over.

  As he approached Chu Yue and the little princess, he was momentarily stunned. From afar, he had only glimpsed Chu Yue’s breathtaking beauty, but up close, her flawless features left him gasping for breath.

  Chu Yue wore flowing white robes, her slender figure and graceful curves leaving no room for imperfection. Her complexion, untouched by makeup, showcased the perfect harmony of her phoenix eyes, delicate nose, and soft lips, creating the visage of a peerless beauty. Like autumn waters in her eyes and jade in her bones, Chu Yue embodied what could only be described as "perfection."