The Terms for one's life
The two girls took turns in Mercenary Work, buying wares, and perfecting their skills.
This was how Yingye found them when she visited her eyes popped at so many pills and herbs on the floor, and two girls are exhausted, panting on the floor in a room that reeked of medicine with a smoky scent to it, giving the impression of scent of incense.
'Whoa! You've certainly gone busy!' she exclaimed. "Dongling is a known Summoner of Earth Element so she can certainly do Pharmacy as everyone knows you need to be an Earth Element to do it." The Huang Family are all Fire-Alignment so they can't do it even if they wanted to!
But Beiyue was a rare-born Non-Element when tested when well enough to use Ki after that reckless stunt of hers. Thus she has the highest potential that she can be anything she wanted with no restriction in her way. Thus she can really practice Pharmacy and Healing, two fields exclusive to Earth and Wind Elements. Yingye recognized all the pills on the floor and they're all Yellow-Grade Pills.
Well, she has one restriction...her mental state. Her motivation depends on her mental state.
She's still mad even if she kept her reasoning.
But still...the school year just started.
Aspiring Pharmacists can't even calcinate herbs into a powder within two months of enrollment, nevermind form them into pills...and yet these two...!
'Oh! Sorry about the mess Yingye but we're hard at work!' Beiyue told her cheerfully.
'I can see that!' Yingye deadpanned. 'But when did you take an interest in Pharmacy? Moreover if you had talent, why enroll in the wrong classes?! You ended up wasting your time!' she said in dismay.
'Well we can self-learn at home so why not?' Beiyue giggled. 'Besides I'll move to a different course next year, my first year was just to ease my body after my experiment!'
'And I needed to fight to protect missy until then so I have to master Summoning Skills first and learning teamwork with my partner.' said Dongling.
'Well, by the looks of these, you ought to be in third year classses.' said Yingye, picking up a pill off the floor and observing it. Perfectly round, spherical, glossy-vibrant with the scent of medicine and oozed the 'power' it promised, their potency. She was amazed by the results. 'I heard what happens in first year classes and yet you guys can form well-made pills so soon! They can't even refine herbs into powder yet, nevermind calcination...you gonna tell the family soon? This is big news!'
'Nope!'
'Nope?!'
'Yup! Because if its known I can do Pharmacy, shameless pigs who wrote me off before will shamelessly bug royal uncle for my hand in marriage, so nope!' Beiyue tut-tutted with a finger wag. 'I'll choose my husband myself! It's fun being the Mad Princess!' she laughed happily.
Yingye was utterly floored. Insane she may be but definitely knows what she wants!
By being Mad, she is effectively out of politics thus no influence in court, so nobody's going to kiss up to Beiyue. Normally, Princesses must be involved in court. Yingye began being involved since twelve years old though learns the political atmosphere by watching court proceeds, and can only begin speaking at fourteen and saw the world of politics.
This effectively makes Beiyue worthless as a Princess, but Beiyue clearly doesn't care for politics or anyone considering what the Xiaos had done, that everyone wrote her off. She doesn't mind as this way, she saw everyone's true colors thus wants nothing to do with them in turn. She also effectively, chose fiancee candidates by knowing who's who through this manner after Jing wrote off Lin Wanyi.
Jing, Zhanye, and Yingye are officially single but has a chance to marry well in the future. Feili's already spoken for with Meng Hongling, a future Imperial Princess if they further hit it off.
Her chances in Nanyi are zero thus Beiyue can choose anyone she wants, status be damned.
xxx
Zhanye knows now as Yingye told him what she found in Beiyue's Residence when she visited. Yingye always confides in him everything.
He wondered what she could not do, since she took to experimenting even on herself. At Bronze Levels with pills from Prince Xiaoyao, she can already accomplish what third to fourth year students take time in mastering. Bronze C at the beginning of the school year, she's now a Bronze A so soon!
Reaching Silver Class takes one at least, fourteen years old like Yingye did IF one has money to burn as supplements are expensive.
Take for example that Lin Wanyi. A Minister's household can only DREAM of reaching Silver Class in cultivation. Yet that woman achieved Silver Class through Jing's money. Her brother Zichen a Gold Class. Court Officials can only be Bronze Levels, unless they're Summoners.
People relied on the Bugi'er Clan for their Summons to safely obtain a new Spirit Beast, but that's heinously expensive. It's why people say being a Summoner is expensive when in reality it was NOT as he himself proved when he obtained Kirin last year. His reckless cousin proved she could do it as well for her maid. But, more dangerous as risks of death, are real.
Dongling who was a 2-star at the beginning of the year, will rise to four more stars by the end of the year thanks to her Rank 12 beast.
'This result in just a few weeks...' Zhanye mused, looking at Beiyue's pill. The sample Yingye got, was a Silver Snake Yin Pill, a cosmetic pill for beauty rejuvenation. EXPENSIVE but its how women of...distinguished age stay young and beautiful as if they're 20 years old forever in physical appearance, but will no longer work once they passed fifty years old for some reason after which, they'll begin to age normally.
Its a Yellow-Grade Pill by the way.
What talent. A talent the Xiaos nearly squashed!
Royal Father was so furious he forbade Grandmother from making arrangements for the royal children. If he finds this out but Beiyue wants her skill secret for a reason...
He paid Beiyue a visit. It seems after Pharmacy Training, she was resting off training with the sword with her maid who was just as tired, sweating heavily and enjoying cold drinks. They wore a sleeveless shirt, and a pair of shorts.
From the thin waif she was before, she filled out well now and lost the dark rings on her eyes. She was now the beauty she was supposed to be, had she grown up well.
He's here for a purpose.
'Beiyue, I need your help with something.' he told her softly, but urgently. 'Did Royal Aunt ever tell you...the way to cure the venom of the Sky-Swallowing Red Python?'
Even she did a double-take at his words.
"Of all beasts recorded in that Jade, he had to encounter that one!" she swore. 'There's one, but are you willing to risk it?' she asked him.
'There is?!' Zhanye gasped out. He was bitten by that snake not long ago after doing a tradition only Crown Princes must do, how was he supposed to know a monster like that spawned within the school?!
'Yes.' said Beiyue. 'We need to pay Spirit Deity a visit.' NOW Zhanye did a double-take. 'Spirit Deity's Punitive Fire burns away souls of sinners...but if blasted at a good person, it will purge the body of spiritual impurity, a good benefit for Cultivation. If with poison, not only will you be cured, but it will make you immune to what poisoned you forever. But you need to heal from damage afterward.' she told him. 'Let's just hope he's in a good mood...'
'R-right...that's one thing.' Zhanye twitched in anxiety now. 'I will have Principal Cang He plead my case and hopefully...it will go well.'
'Well, it would if those two conditions are met~ good luck~' Beiyue gave him a wry smile as Zhanye shuddered. Good luck indeed! He would need PLENTY of it!
xxx
That same night, after an urgent letter to the old principal, the anxious Emperor, Grandqueen and the elder Principal was in the Emperor's Office, listening to Zhanye's discovery. All of them are astonished.
For years, everyone knows there's no cure to Sky-Swallowing Red Python venom. And suddenly, Beiyue knows one through her mother who most likely, teaches her obscure knowledge before her murder.
'Yue'er knows such a thing...' Grandqueen trembled in excitement. 'How soon can we see the Spirit Deity?' she wanted to save Zhanye as soon as possible!
'I will ascertain his mood, your majesty.' said Cang He. 'Little princess is right, his benevolence will depend on his mood.' he stated anxiously. 'I will go and see him tomorrow morning. We must be patient.'
'Right...Zhanye, how is Yue?' the Emperor asked Zhanye.
'She is exhausted from sword training with Dongling.' Zhanye reported. 'And...I know Beiyue told Yingye to keep it a secret but Yingye told me anyway...but Beiyue is a prodigious Pharmacist.'
'EH?!'
'First years and Second years can't even turn herbs to powder, nevermind calcinate them no matter the cultivation with the hard part turning them into pills...yet Yingye managed to sneak this out thanks to a messy floor.' it was a cosmetic pill and very well-made at that. Still warm, fresh from being refined in a censer.
His old tutor took the pill. 'Mm! This is what I'd expect of Graduate students!' he exclaimed. 'This quality, appearance, scent and 'power'!'
'Understandably, one pill at a time.' Zhanye chuckled. 'Their room, is full of well-made pills. They'll probably sell it off to clear up space.'
By next morning, they got rumors that there's an influx of five types of Yellow-Grade Pills in Bugi'er Bazaar. People who actually needed those, flocked to buy as much as they could before stocks run out and who knows WHEN more will come!
'Ahhh, it feels nice to have big wallets!' Dongling was so happy she and Beiyue earned a lot making all those pills.
'Yes, it will be of future boon to us in practicing.' Beiyue smiled. 'We'll keep practicing Yellow Grade until we can do it all ten at once, before we move to Mystic-Level Pills and Potions.'
'Hai!'
'Now then, it will be Autumn soon and that means that rumored field trip for students who placed highly in the Feat Contests. Top Ten per field.' said Beiyue. 'For a week and on that week, everyone in East College has the week off to cultivate while business is as usual for Imperial College.' she said. 'Spend that week well Dongling. The plan is for you to be 6-stars before New Year.'
'Yes, miss!' Dongling answered. 'But when will you become a Summoner?'
'As soon as I find a flying one.' said Beiyue with a wry smile. 'I want a beastie that can fly, so we can go wherever we want to go when we're strong enough.'
'Ah...'
Indeed, East College is closed for the field trip. Business is as usual in Imperial College.
Come lunch break, she has Zhanye for company.
In the past, he participated in Feat Contests. But since having Kirin, he stopped as 'It's not fair to everyone else.' and got his training through other means. He was also an Imperial Student, studying Military Arts, Mount Archery, Medicine and Chess as...well, he was tutored all his life from the day he could walk, in martial arts and Summoning that seven years before Lingyang School, he could enroll in Summoning Course's last two years and graduate officially, before spending his remaining school years in Imperial College.
'It seems a meeting wasn't arranged yet.' Beiyue remarked as while she was alone, Zhanye has three of his maids with him. Lanling, Lanhua and Lantao.
'Well, I did ask the night before the Feat Contest.' said Zhanye with a wan smile. Their lunches were different. He has a plate of sliced roast and some dumplings for lunch, while Beiyue's varied on her lacquered lunch box. Rice and three sides of meat, vegetables, seafood and pickles. 'He was busy prepping for the camping trip as usual.'
'Yingye's on a trip this year.'
'Yes. She wants to change her beast and find a better one. The Auction this year delivered only three types of beasts, but no Fire-Type available, otherwise she would have given it all she's got to have it.'
'Too bad.'
'I'm a little worried, I admit.' he said. 'You and Dongling worked together to score her her Poison Lizard, but she'll be alone.'
'Maa maa, her...crush is there with her to help things out.' Beiyue chuckled in amusement. 'She will be more than motivated to succeed herself. Do not underestimate a maiden's heart.'
'I hope she won't overestimate herself to look good.' Zhanye deadpanned. 'And what about you?'
'Nope. Nada. In regards to men outside family, my heart is dead.' Beiyue snorted. 'Thanks to my reputation, I have seen poison within, poison just-as-toxic ladies haven't seen, as they pursue what they deem is the best man for themselves in terms of status and money. I wouldn't touch them even if I were pressured into it. There's always going AWOL and look elsewhere.'
'Yue!' Zhanye squawked at her.
'Maa maa, I have royal uncle's permission for that~ since one, I ensured I don't know National Secrets like you Princes and Yingye do, so I can happily go when I'm an adult and not a security risk.'
'If it comes to that, I hope you choose well.' Zhanye sighed. 'You deem Bugi'er Childe the only decent man among nobility outside family, why not choose him as your fiancee?'
'Try talking to him and you'll understand.' Beiyue told him wryly. 'As much as I respect him for being a rare good man with no poison in his personality, he has the aura of little brother material. He may change growing up, but if things are impossible between Yingye and 'that one' for obvious reasons, if Bugi'er Luoluo became a reliable man, he would be good for Yingye and we'll be seeing fairy-haired children around.' she snorted. 'And aren't the Bugi'er Noble of all Nobles, just a step below royalty? She'd be secure.'
Luoluo has cherry-pink hair and Yingye lavender-colored hair. It's an...interesting mix, to say the least.
xxx
From afar, Cang He and one other watched the two royals dine together.
'So that is the Mad Princess. Doesn't look mad to me, if she knew what Punitive Fire can do.'
'For now...that is.' said Cang He. 'She shows madness when set off. She was Grandqueen's worst regret that the child only cares for her maid, her uncle and two others.' he said somberly. 'Four years ago started everything...or maybe even longer than that, ever since young Huiwen was made to wed Xiao Yuancheng by her mother. If Mu Mixin never happened...had Grandqueen been stronger...Princess Royal could have had a happier life. She was a good girl...down to her death.' he said mournfully. 'But her good is repaid with evil, she definitely did not deserve her fate.'
'I will bestow the youth, in exchange I see Beiyue for myself.'
'Very well. I shall make arrangements after school. The fact that Zhanye was poisoned by a monster we didn't know was in the school was a secret to the public.'
xxx
By the time the Hour of the Monkey has begun (3-5pm), its time for school to end.
A servant fetched the two royals from two different classes, and instructed them to go to the Seventh Pagoda to meet Principal Cang He. This prompted Beiyue to send a magic paper crane to Dongling that she'll be a bit late today because of the Principal.
She has never been there, so she had to follow the servant. But any funny business, she'll kill him.
She was taken to where Zhanye waited for her, before the two went alone.
'This must be it, if we are to go to that place alone.' Beiyue mused, intrigued. 'Its time. But conditions will be given for sure.'
'Yeah...a valuable cure like that won't be given away so freely no doubt.' Zhanye fretted. 'I wonder what he'll make us do.'
'We'll surely accomplish it if its within our means.' Beiyue told him. 'Since he bothered seeing us, think positive.'
'Right...'
Upon arrival at the Pagoda, there was a white-haired man with Cang He whose good looks cannot be described. All the royals could feel is that its beauty no mortal can ever have. His white hair ombres into salmon-pink tips by the bottom half. He wore black clothes with red patterns. Not just them but there's also the Emperor and the Grandqueen.
And they looked very, very grim.
The jade within Beiyue...resonated with this man. And to think it's in her ring!
And he looked at her.
'You.' he said. 'Will fight for your cousin's life. That is my condition.'
This man is the Spirit Deity!
'Wha-!' Zhanye gasped out. 'Shouldn't it be me who fights?!'
'Zhanye, you're poisoned. Moving faster will circulate it faster.' Beiyue told him. 'Thanks to Prince Xiaoyao it remains in your belly given how it works as does the Hundred Poisons Pill, but fighting this man is a bad idea for you right now, so I'll have to put your life on my shoulders.' this horrified Zhanye as Beiyue drew her katana she had made for her as she didn't like the heavy swords of this world. And it's made of high-level materials too. It'll survive this guy. Hopefully.
Zhanye looked at his father and grandmother who looked just as dismayed and unhappy with the condition.
Upon drawing her sword, she magically-switched her clothes. From her dress to her battle-dress and like any battle, she knows she will die if she didn't give it her all.
"Princess...has the eyes of a warrior...how?" Cang He wondered, deeply perturbed. She has never fought in a battle before! Training cannot bring this expression out of her!
To have a face like that, you must have faced deadly battles where losing is death. Or is it that she has that expression because it's as she says...Zhanye's life is on her small shoulders?
The man with him smirked. He likes the expression on the princess' face.
This is a girl who has faced death hundreds of times over. Being poisoned by her family cannot bring a face like this, so how? Well, he'll know, as both fighters moved in high speeds. The royals and principal were stunned with Beiyue's speed and to think she doesn't use Ki! Opposed to her Spirit Deity uses ki to move just as fast.
'Beiyue...' Grandqueen was shaken. 'Just how on earth did she get to this point by herself? How did she train herself with no guidance, yet she actually has such skill?'
'Mystery to us now...she doesn't trust even me with what she has.' said the Emperor. 'She would never say what she can do. She thinks everyone is out to get her thus keeps what she has to herself.' he sighed. 'Everyone is a threat. Trust no one. That is what she thinks and feels.'
'This skill level that she's shown is beyond Sword Sage.' Cang He shook his head. 'They would rely on ki to move as fast as she. I hate to imagine how fast and strong she'll be if she uses ki!'
'They're getting faster and faster I'm starting to get eye-strain just by watching.' Zhanye swore as his eyes were definitely feeling it now!
Suddenly, there's red specks on the floor.
No, it's blood! But whose?!
The fight lasted twenty more minutes as things went faster and wilder, ending in Beiyue's defeat. The blood came from mostly her. While Spirit Deity has some wounds himself, he healed in seconds.
'Yue!'
'Worry not, she lives.' Spirit Deity held Beiyue in his arms. 'She put her life and sight on the line.' he said as he forced a pill inside her mouth.
'Her sight...how and when?' Grandqueen asked him, trembling.
'In our battle, to keep up with my increased speed, her eyes suddenly turned blood red. Then suddenly she can keep up with me when I increased my speed to ten percent beyond her ability and I increased to twenty. But such a technique will damage her sight over time. She was willing to lose her light, not just her life as she took some hits on purpose just to score decisive strikes.' that was to their horror. 'Such is her resolve. Can you match that when the time comes, boy?' he asked Zhanye who was deeply shaken, before he knelt respectfully on one knee, his hands clasped together in respect.
'I shall return the favor equally, your grace. I will pay her back just as much!' he swore in full resolve as the man then raised his hand and blasted him with his flames. Zhanye firmed his heart and spirit, knowing he would survive as he was no sinner. The Punitive Flame only destroys sinners.
He could see black stuff leave his body. Black stuff that STINKS. Stinks of...rotted flesh and blood.
This is the real deal. He will be forever immune to the poison of one of the most poisonous beings in the world.
'The young princess is impressive. We'll see how far she'll go as she is now.' said Spirit Deity as he floated Beiyue to Zhanye for him to hold into his arms before he vanished.
'Beiyue, you...' Zhanye shook as his frantic father and grandmother could finally check on Beiyue now that the man was gone.
'Hurry, to the doctor!' Emperor cried in urgent franticness. 'Let's take Beiyue home as soon as possible!'
xxx
Beiyue's Residence...
Dongling was horrified when she was ordered to come home by the Principal to see her lady in bandages. Even her eyes has bandages. 'What happened to my lady?!' not far was Prince Xiaoyao refining something in his censer and just finished, taking out a still-hot pill.
'I'm not sure what pill she was given, but this will help get her heal her eyes.' he said as he fed Beiyue the pill anxiously. 'Her eyes turning red...blood must have flowed to her eyes just to catch up to the spirit's speed.'
'...it was a test of resolve.' said the Grandqueen. 'Beiyue was defeated, but she still won in her own way. Zhanye acquired the Punitive Flame...immune forever to the Sky-Swallowing Red Python. Dongling, just what were you girls doing behind closed doors? The skill Yue showed...it's too amazing!'
'I'm forbidden to say.' said Dongling. 'Missy trusted me with her life, I will never betray her secrets. But knowing I cannot refuse a royal order, she put this on me to be sure.'
She stuck her tongue out and on her tongue, appeared a word written in ki. The words shijing, meaning, 'to pledge silence'. 'The moment I tell how we train, my body will stand stiff and rigid, paralyzed for ten days. That way nothing will come out of me even if all interrogation spells are used on me. She put the same spell on her own tongue.' that one was a lie of course.
'My god, Yue...' Xiaoyao shook his head. 'She didn't have to go that far...'
'She will, if its for our survival in this country, wangye.' Dongling said softly. 'As missy puts it...its us...against this country that hurt her for nothing.'
The royals sadly gazed at the sleeping princess. The girl who trusted no one.