Zhang Jingyun had arrived at the mountain range early in the morning. By afternoon, Yun Zi'an and Gu Lingbo went together to a village near the Tandao Sect to help test the local children for cultivation talent.
After she had tested seven or eight children, a small boy suddenly came running over in a flurry. Tugging at her sleeve, he pleaded, "Fairy Sister, Fairy Sister! My brother went up the mountain to gather herbs and still hasn't come back. Can you please help me look for him? I'm afraid something might have happened to him."
Whenever she faced anyone other than Zhang Jingyun, Yun Zi'an always maintained the gentle, kind-hearted image of a pure white lotus. Although this kind of princess persona was somewhat clichéd, it remained immensely popular.
Moreover, Yun Zi'an herself thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of being worshipped and respected, as if it could slightly diminish the humiliation she had suffered at Zhang Jingyun's hands.
Therefore, without any hesitation, she patted the little boy's head and said softly, "All right! Do you know which specific area your brother went to gather herbs?"
"I know!" The boy pointed in a certain direction and said, "My brother is right over there."
Yun Zi'an gazed into the distance and then said to Gu Lingbo, "Senior Sister, this child and I are going up the mountain to find his brother. I'll leave things here to you."
Gu Lingbo was busy and replied without even raising her head, "Junior Sister, remember to be careful. The higher you go up the mountain range, the more dangerous it gets."
"Don't worry, Senior Sister. I'll only search at the foot of the mountain."
After exchanging words with Gu Lingbo, Yun Zi'an took the little boy by the hand and headed toward the mountain range. She reached the foot of the mountain and searched for a long time without catching sight of the boy's brother. She walked a little higher up, but still found nothing.
Hesitating, Yun Zi'an stopped in her tracks, but second-thought crossed her mind: she was a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator, so going a bit higher wouldn't hurt.
Thus, after a brief pause, Yun Zi'an took the little boy and continued upward.
This time, she finally found the boy's brother, who had fallen into a cave. Reaching out, she pulled him out. But at that moment, a pack of demon wolves caught the scent of humans and swarmed around them.
Ordinarily, this pack of demon wolves would have been no match for Yun Zi'an, but they were exceptionally cunning and actually targeted the two boys. To protect the children, Yun Zi'an was bitten on the right leg by a demon wolf.
With her mobility restricted and two children still to protect, her situation became perilous in the extreme.
Clutching the exquisite Bishuang Sword in her hand, she said to the children behind her, "Hurry and run! I'll hold these demon wolves off."
Hearing this, the two boys hesitated. Terrified and wanting to flee, they were nevertheless unwilling to abandon Yun Zi'an.
Seeing this, Yun Zi'an barked sharply, "What are you standing there for? Run!"
"If you stay here, you'll only hold me back and be of no help at all."
Hearing those words, the children felt a jolt in their hearts, and the logic instantly dawned on them.
Gritting their teeth, they turned and bolted down the mountain, their small figures moving rapidly along the mountain path.
When the two children had completely vanished from sight, Yun Zi'an let out a long breath and focused all her attention on the demon wolves before her.
The demon wolves watched Yun Zi'an for a moment, then lunged at her simultaneously from left and right.
Her body reacted faster than her mind. Before she could even clearly see the wolves' shadows, she lashed out with a technique: Setting Sun Illuminating Snow.
This strike was fierce, swift, and precise. It cleaved the demon wolf on the left in two, while the lingering edge of the sword just managed to slash the throat of the wolf on the right—even a fraction of an inch off would have made such an effect impossible.
*Thud, thud.* Two demon wolf carcasses crashed heavily to the ground. Zhang Jingyun's hellish training back then had made Yun Zi'an's mastery of the Moon-Breaking Sword Technique smooth and fluid; even unable to move, she could still execute the most flawless Setting Sun Illuminating Snow.
Once again, she had survived a mortal crisis by relying on the Moon-Breaking Sword Technique, rather than the high-tier sword techniques taught by the Great Xia royal family, or the Phantom Star Frost Moon Sword Technique.
At that moment, Yun Zi'an did not even realize how deeply dependent she had already become on the Moon-Seizing Sword Technique.
Although Yun Zi'an had successfully dealt with the two demon wolves, the situation did not look any more optimistic because of it.
She sat slumped on the ground, unable to move, her physical strength draining away like flowing water. Every single second of delay made the situation increasingly perilous.
Yun Zi'an knew full well that keeping on like this would only make matters worse. Of course she could choose to do nothing and gamble on whether the demon wolves would voluntarily retreat, but the stubbornness and pride deeply ingrained in her bones would not allow her to place her fate in her opponent's hands.
Therefore, Yun Zi'an resolutely decided to provoke the demon wolves. Just as she was concentrating fully, preparing to strike, an incomparably fierce gale of palm wind suddenly came roaring from behind like a violent torrent.
As the palm wind closed in on the demon wolves, the air seemed to tear apart instantly, emitting a sharp, piercing whistle. The six demon wolves, which had been glaring menacingly at Yun Zi'an, were stunned by this sudden, overwhelming power.
Instinctively, they wanted to flee, but it was already too late. The palm wind swept forward with a crushing momentum, ruthlessly destroying everything in its path.
Dust on the ground was kicked high into the air, forming a massive cloud of haze.
Before this formidable power, the demon wolves were as fragile and helpless as scraps of paper.
Their fur stood on end from the gale, and their bodies were involuntarily hurled into the air.
The palm wind slammed heavily into the demon wolves with a dull, booming crash. The beasts did not even have time to utter a single shriek before they were ground into fine powder.
The entire process was as fast as lightning; from the appearance of the palm wind to the annihilation of the demon wolves, it all happened in the blink of an eye.
When all the dust finally settled, only silence remained around them, as if the fierce battle just now had been nothing more than an illusory dream.
"This... What kind of terrifying power is this?" Yun Zi'an's heart skipped a beat, deeply shaken by that sudden strike.
Hastily turning her head, desperately wanting to see who had just stepped in to help her, she laid eyes on someone far more terrifying to her than the demon wolves.
Zhang Jingyun walked toward Yun Zi'an step by step. Through Yun Zi'an's unique filter, that figure resembled a towering mountain, pressing down on her with an unshakeable sense of oppression.
She was done for! Yun Zi'an shrank her head back, involuntarily beginning to reflect on the mistakes she had just made.
In the past, Yun Zi'an had often hunted demon beasts alongside Zhang Jingyun. Every time she made even the tiniest mistake, Zhang Jingyun would lecture her severely, and when the mistakes piled up, it was far more than just a lecture.
Today, she had first ventured recklessly to the mountainside, then mistakenly tried to protect the children upon encountering demon wolves, and finally ended up bitten on the right leg, plunging herself into danger.
Commit any one of these mistakes, and it would be enough for Zhang Jingyun to chew her out until she wished she were dead. To commit three in a row...
Yun Zi'an's teeth chattered, and in fear, she instinctively touched her backside.
Though she knew that arguing with Zhang Jingyun was completely useless, countless excuses to clear her name instantly flashed through her mind—she couldn't help it, old habits died hard.
Before outsiders, Yun Zi'an was gentle, kind, elegant, noble, and Canglan's most beautiful princess; but in front of Zhang Jingyun, all her halos vanished, leaving her nothing more than a lowly maid.
"I... um..." Yun Zi'an stammered, wanting to explain that she was bitten by the demon wolf entirely because the beast was too cunning, not due to any carelessness on her part. To her complete astonishment, however, after walking up to her, Zhang Jingyun merely asked coldly, "Are your injuries severe? Can you still stand up by yourself?"
There was no imagined scabbard striking her backside, not even a single word of reprimand.
Something was wrong! This wasn't right... When did Master become so gentle?
How could I have made such a huge mistake and not get punished at all...? Yun Zi'an suddenly snapped to her senses, remembering that she was now Her Royal Highness the Princess, not the maid Yun'er. Her expression shifted, and she couldn't help cursing herself for being so spineless.
Driven by some indescribable impulse, Yun Zi'an frantically tried to smooth down the mud staining her skirt, only to look up and find Zhang Jingyun towering over her, looking down from on high.
That exact gaze—that look given to a useless piece of trash—all the familiar things were back.