That night, Feng XiaLin fully recovered. Rong ZhanWu's medicine truly made wonders! In the morning, he went to the courtyard and saw Qin Li who was sipping her tea. They nodded at each other then he began to stretch his body. He then noticed the ring on his hand.
Then Rong ZhanWu called out to him, he asked while grinning, "What do you want as a reward for your task last night?"
Feng XiaLin, "Reward? But I didn't even complete that task successfully."
Rong ZhanWu, "I know."
Feng XiaLin arched an eyebrow and asked, "Then why."
Rong ZhanWu had his hands behind his back as he walked around him "Well, you almost died last night due to the poison. I feel guilty. So, I still felt like compensating you."
"Heh," Feng XiaLin smirked, "you really are generous, aren't you?" He rubbed his chin elegantly as he pondered, moments later he exclaimed, "Ah! I know!"
Rong ZhanWu, "What is it?"
Feng XiaLin beamed, "I want some lone time with Princess Qin Li!"
Qin Li who heard this spurted out her tea while Rong ZhanWu's face darkened at once. He asked in a cold tone, "You want a lone time with her? What do you want to do with her?"
Feng XiaLin who was still unaware of his darkening mood complained, "What's wrong with being alone with her? It's not as if I wanted to do something indecent, well that kinds of thrilling too but never mind. What I want is to have a date with her."
The explanation seems to clear out the foreboding storm in Rong ZhanWu's eyes. The fire raging in his heart was completely extinguished when Feng XiaLin gave him a pleading look. Those look that you can't definitely reject.
Rong ZhanWu begrudgingly arranged a day for their date.
The next day, Feng XiaLin and Qin Li went to the courtyard together enjoying a normal couples time. They talked about a lot of things but most of them were about Rong ZhanWu. He noticed that Qin Li had been drinking too much tea today so he asked, "That's too much tea. Won't it upset you stomach?"
Qin Li's face flushed and she had this offended look on her face, she answered, "It's a woman's thing, you don't have to mind this." But all of a sudden, Qin Li's limbs all felt weak, the teacup on her hands fell to the ground spilling its contents. Her body slowly tilted to the side but Feng XiaLin immediately caught her in his arms.
With a guilty expression on his face, he apologized, "Forgive me about this Qin Li, but I needed to do this." He wrapped his arms around her. Qin Li closed her eyes and braced herself for what kind of indecent thing was about to happen to her body when she suddenly felt that she was being lifted up. She opened her eyes only to find that Feng XiaLin was running away with her.
Qin Li, "Wait! Where are we going? Rong ZhanWu will not allow us to leave!"
Feng XiaLin, "I'm taking you home with me! I will protect you from him!" When he saw his white horse tied at the gate, he saddled it quickly. He shoved Qin Li onto the horse before mounting. He seized the reins and away they went like the wind.
They haven't gotten far when Feng XiaLin heard a solid sound of thumping. He looked back and saw a cloud of storm form behind them with Rong ZhanWu beneath it. He was running so fast the he was almost flying! Each stride, their gap was halved.
"What shall I do?" Feng XiaLin asked in panic.
Qin Li, "Don't ask me, I'm already shaken into bits through this entire ride."
Feng XiaLin, "But aren't you supposed to be strong? Think of something!"
Qin Li refuted, "I'm having a period cramps right now. Besides, I thought you said that you are going to protect me?!"
Then Feng XiaLin suddenly remembered something. He desperately felt for his pouch and grabbed the palm size mirror. He threw the mirror behind them and saw that it formed into a lake glistening under the sun. Feng XiaLin's eyes widened in amusement.
Qin Li commented, "I told you, consider yourself lucky if you have that mirror. Aren't you happy that it saved you?"
But his happiness was short-lived when Rong ZhanWu turned into a fish and swam across the lake.
In desperation, Feng XiaLin reined the horse. Rong ZhanWu was gaining his speed as he turned into human once again, he ran with loud 'thumps'. Feng XiaLin felt for his pouch once again and he grabbed a brush. Just like the last one, he threw it behind them and a forest rose up. The trees were so thick that it was impossible for something wide to pass through.
But then Rong ZhanWu turned into a sleek snake maneuvering his way in the forest smoothly.
Feng XiaLin asked in disbelief, "What?!"
Qin Li, "Just give up."
Feng XiaLin shook his head as he reined his horse, it ran faster but Rong ZhanWu was fastest. He once again felt for his pouch but he didn't found any items that Rong ZhanWu gave him. Then his eyes swept to his own fingers. With much hesitation, he removed the ring and tossed it to Rong ZhanWu's direction.
Rong ZhanWu almost reached up to them when suddenly the ring formed into a huge circle and it looped around his body. His arms were tightly held to his body, the magical item wouldn't let him escape. Cutting off all of his spiritual powers, Rong ZhanWu couldn't run that fast anymore and he slumped onto the ground due to frustration.
Feng XiaLin, "Is that the end of him?"
Qin Li, "Feng XiaLin, tell me. Don't you feel any affection towards Rong ZhanWu?"
Feng XiaLin didn't answer, as if he was waiting for something to make him go back and embrace Rong ZhanWu. He doesn't know, but the moment he removed the ring from his finger and threw it away, made him feel a pang in his chest. But he doesn't want to hope anymore. Rong ZhanWu was definitely mad at him for taking away the Princess. Rage was clearly written on his face while he was chasing them! He answered, "I don't know what you are saying."
Qin Li, "He's not mad at you. He won't dare get mad at you. Do you really think that you are alone every time he gives those tasks to you? You don't know this but he was actually guarding you from the outside without any sleep. Do you think, that incident with the winged black snake, Rong ZhanWu just happened to be there? Do you really think he was joking around when he said that he was concerned about you? I think not."
When he heard Qin Li mention that snake incident, he was shocked, "How did you know? Did he tell you about this?"
She shook her head and answered solemnly, "I was there. I saw everything. I would pretend that I'm practicing my sword in the middle of the night next to him and I would accompany him. From the very first night of your task, he would guard you from the outside. Do you know how many times he was urged to go inside just because he is worried that those beasts will harm you?"
As if those are the words he was waiting for, he threw away all of the hesitations and ran towards Rong ZhanWu's slumped form. He would apologize to him no matter what. When he got there, Rong ZhanWu was surprised to see his exhausted and panting figure.
Feng XiaLin knelt in front of him, he sincerely said, "I will let you go but please forgive me and let the Princess go. You can take me as a slave instead. I will repay your kindness to me."
Rong ZhanWu looked at him as if he grew two heads, "Let her go? I am more than willing to let her go."
Feng XiaLin was confused, "Huh? I don't understand. Isn't she your captive?"
Rong ZhanWu's face turned green and he answered, "What? No. She is my cousin. She just visited me for a weekend vacation. And in the end she said, 'Your place is good for training my spiritual powers. Mind if I stay for another day?' And of course I just couldn't say no, that would be rude to a visitor especially she is a woman. But she clearly is a person who 'you give an inch and will want a mile' so she stayed on and on and on. My garden was almost destroyed due to her trainings that's why I was beyond happy that you dragged her away!"
"But then" Feng XiaLin stuttered, "W-Why are you c-coming after us?"
"I wasn't chasing her," Rong ZhanWu said calmly, "I was chasing you. You are the person I am looking for. You are brave, kind, talented, and sometimes stupid, but enchantingly beautiful."
Feng XiaLin blushed causing a string in Rong ZhanWu's heart to be struck, he stammered, "If I am the person you are looking for and you really want her to go away, then why won't you let me date her? I almost thought that you did that because you have feelings for her!"
Rong ZhanWu narrowed his eyes and he said seriously, "Certainly not. But I would get mad at her if she dared to claim a part of you. I would be very jealous."
"Oh..." Feng XiaLin pondered, "I get it now. So, how can I get this ring off you?"
Rong ZhanWu chuckled; he answered "Give me a kiss. On the lips."
He hesitated for a bit but he did it in the end. After their soft lips made contact with each other, the ring shone and vanished from Rong ZhanWu's body, it reappeared on Feng XiaLin's finger.
Feng XiaLin commented in a troubled manner, "I don't know how to explain this to my parents. What will they say to me if I come home with you instead of a Princess?"
Rong ZhanWu ducked down and lifted Feng XiaLin bridal style, he said confidently, "We can only find out if we go back to Yun Ming mountain peak."
Rong ZhanWu summoned a gigantic fire breathing bird and off they went to the Yun Ming Mountain peak palace. When they got there, he formally asked Feng XiaLin's parents their blessing and then they got married.
After their wedding night they enjoyed doing 'pa pa pa' together.
And they lived happily ever after.
The end.