"What an awful way to send someone off," Tai chuckled through a bloody mouth, his expression turning worser by the second. Every word struggled to get out from his damaged lungs, but he still had the leisure to joke around.
"Stop talking. I'll find some help," Xiuying said with a sad face.
Tai spat out more blood. "No, this is… it for me. There's no saving me."
"You can't give up until it's over, you idiot! Just shut up and I'll find someone…"
However, before she got up, Tai grabbed her wrist and held her in place. Xiuying was surprised. Tai was a martial artist and specialist in unarmed combat, which made his body extremely robust and sturdy. Although every muscle should pack incredible power behind it, his current grip strength was insignificant. Like a dying twig, she could snap it with the tiniest movement. This showed how weak Tai was right now. Xiuying could tell his fate was sealed, but she refused to accept it. It seemed like everyone was leaving her side. Her mother, her father, and now her friend… How was this any fair? It felt like the entire world was against her!
"You didn't need to sacrifice yourself! Why did you do something so stupid? You idiot!" She hid her snot-covered and tear-stained face in embarrassment.
Seeing her distressed face, Tai habitually grinned. What a silly goofball she was. That was how Tai viewed her: a little sister that needed protecting. She might be an Imperial Princess, but she was too awkward and clumsy. Look at the incident in the Imperial Gardens for example. If Tai was not there, what would have happened to her? It was the same when she decided to hand Elizabeth over to General Illion without a fuss. She constantly made people worry. For a foolish little sister like her, someone needed to be a big brother and clean up her messes. Tai had a forlorn smile. That was his role as Princess Xiuying Tzu's Protector!
"…"
Elizabeth walked up quietly with her guards. How awkward! They were on a tight schedule with the Imperial Council's impending attack, so Elizabeth wanted a temporary alliance with the Li Family. Anything that could increase their odds was welcomed. Furthermore, seeing the damages that the Li Family took, it was evident that they were betrayed by their own people. The chances of successfully negotiating were quite high. That said, her motivation dampened down. This was not the time for her to interrupt. While she felt little connection to Protector Tai, death was always a sad thing. She felt melancholic just by watching.
"…Can you save him?" Xiuying turned her fierce gaze to Elizabeth. "If you can…"
Faced with that gaze, Elizabeth turned away. "I'm sorry, but… it's impossible for us too."
Although this world was filled with miracles, that was the harsh reality. Their greatest Arcanists, the Ten Dawns, were busy preparing for the upcoming battle. Ten Dawn Yvonne and Rosemary worked to break through the large-scale beguilement array, while Ten Dawn Iris and Krogan worked to counterattack against the Featherwind Sect. There was no leeway to attempt to save Protector Tai, especially when the odds looked so poor. Tai looked one step away from death! It might have been possible with a Rank 3 King or someone superior, but humanity was woefully deficient in that area. Elizabeth gripped her Whiteangel Bow tightly and recalled the conversation with Rena. Her teacher's true capabilities remained a mystery, but she believed that her teacher firmly exceeded the realm of Rank 3 King. It should be trivial for her teacher to save Protector Tai except…
(Why should I?) Rena asked flatly.
Elizabeth hesitated. Though it was a cold-hearted response, it was also true. Elizabeth herself barely had a reason to help Protector Tai. Everything she knew about Tai came from second-hand information and she never interacted with the young man herself. They were basically strangers. While she did believe that saving people was a good reason alone, she also knew it was flimsy. There were more pressing matters to worry about like the Imperial Council or the Featherwind Sect. She had neither the leisure, reason, nor ability to help him. If she had this little motivation to help Tai, then her teacher had even less. It would be impossible to convince Rena, so much as she hated to say it, she and the Alzar Kingdom could not offer help.
Xiuying despaired. She knew what Elizabeth would say before she asked the question. Anyone would think the same upon seeing Tai's injuries. However, that did not lessen the mental blow. Her heart tightened and her head turned to mush. One second, they were still chatting merrily, and in the next, a massive attack bisected the town and fatally wounded her Protector. Nothing felt real and it resembled a nightmare more than reality! She was dangerously close to snapping.
"No, you're lying… I can tell you're lying! You can save him! I know you can!" she shouted hatefully. Despite her mental state, she could sense Elizabeth was hiding something. Her sudden shouting aggravated a lot of her injuries, causing her to stumble and spill blood. She was about to grab Elizabeth when Tai spat out a large mouthful of blood and collapsed. Xiuying instantly lost interest in Elizabeth and kneeled next to Tai.
"Damn it, I don't have long now," he chuckled quietly. There was no pain nor regret on his face. It was strangely calm, as if the one dying was not him. He glanced at Xiuying and said, "You're a handful, you know? You never woke up on time… You never attended your meetings… And you never acted princess-like… But most importantly, you never looked out for yourself… You always wanted to help others, even though you might suffer for it… Still, I liked that part about you. Never change, Xiuying. It was fun while it lasted… It really was…"
"Tai, please don't give up yet! We can still save you!" Xiuying grabbed his hands and pleaded. She choked on her words as her tears welled up again.
"Do me a favor, will you? Smile for me… I don't want to leave like this."
"How could I?"
"Please…"
Xiuying shook her head and cried, but she still forced an ugly smile. She had no idea what she was doing anymore. The contrast between her tears and her forced smile would make any onlooker feel sympathy. Elizabeth especially felt a gut-wrenching sadness. Rena had the ability to save Tai, but Elizabeth ultimately could not convince her teacher. In a way, she created the current situation. Xiuying was right to be angry with her. She was disgusting. Unlike what others thought though, Tai revealed a genuine smile from the bottom of his heart. He was satisfied seeing Xiuying's final farewell present.
"…Thank you. Tell my family that I'm… sorry…" his last words turned to a whisper. His eyes closed and his head slumped over. Xiuying's Protector, Tai Shui, was dead!
Xiuying continued sobbing uncontrollably, ignoring everything else around her. She was not in a right state of mind. Elizabeth wanted to comfort the girl, but she restrained herself. What could she say? That she could have saved Tai, but chose not to? Anything she could say would feel insincere. Elizabeth sighed and decided to invest her energy elsewhere.
"Tend to the Imperial Princesses and Protector Chang," she ordered.
Xiuying aside, Ming and Chang were unconscious off to the side. The three of them suffered grievous injuries that could become life-threatening if not treated quickly enough. Of course, emergency aid might stabilize their conditions, but they still required more comprehensive aid, which the Alzar Kingdom could not offer here. At the bare minimum, they would need to head to the Yunyun Stronghold. Elizabeth did not know what the repercussions in saving them would be but letting Tai die on her watch hurt more than she expected. She was not about to repeat that again.