"They're incredible, aren't they?" someone asked.
"Sister!" Xiuying was startled. She jumped away from the window's edge where she watched and faced Ming.
"I heard the commotion, so I came over," she explained. "I must admit that I didn't think the Sword King would be this impressive. The Alzar Kingdom is fortunate to have gained his cooperation… What's wrong, sister? You're being unusually quiet."
"It's nothing."
Ming looked at her flatly. "Xiuying, I'm your sister… I know when you're lying to me."
"It's just… Elizabeth is strong, isn't she? She lost the inheritance race, yet she's still down there, moving forward with a smile. I wish I could be as strong as her."
"What brought this on?"
"I don't know… I guess I'm lost. Are we doing the right thing anymore? First, we lost our mother, then our father, and now Tai… We've even lost our home and our statuses. What else is next? What else will we have to lose? I'm afraid that…"
"The only thing we can do is to keep walking," Ming said. It was not like she did not understand Xiuying's worries. She did. The problem was that this was a horse with no way off. They had to see things through to the end because stopping halfway through might lead to a bigger mess than the one they were in. It would go poorly for everyone involved. She was helpless to resist.
"Keep walking, huh?" Xiuying muttered with a bitter smile. Although she knew her sister meant well, she wanted to hear comforting words, not the harsh truth. Her sister was never one to mince words. It was no wonder people considered her cold and unsympathetic.
"You're not going to join Princess Elizabeth and the others?" Ming asked.
"Why would I?"
"You're about to break into Perception Realm, which is a rare feat for anyone our age. I think you might be able to gain the Sword King's favor."
"I don't know Martial or Magic Energy," Xiuying sighed. "Besides, they're far more incredible than me. A year ago, they were Fundamental Realm Novices, and now, they're about to surpass me. How could I compare to them? The Sword King wouldn't give me a second glance."
"…Is this about Protector Tai?"
Her sister's silence then confirmed it. The awkward mood remained as Ming grew downcast. Tai was more of a friend to them than a Protector. Inside the imperial palace, where true friends were rarer than a phoenix feather, every friend was worth their weight in gold! They knew Tai and Chang since they were young, and she could confidently say that the two boys were their best friends. Imagine her surprise when she awoke from the Battle of Liguang only to realize that he had died! It was a devastating loss! And it was clear that Xiuying took it much harder than her. Ming was silent. Although they had survived, her sister was right. The Battle of Liguang had taken far too much!
"Let's stop already. I don't want to go on," Xiuying whispered lethargically, her tone quiet and delicate, like the slightest touch would shatter her into a million pieces.
She was tired, so tired of everything. She used to live a happy and carefree life in the palace with her family; however, ever since the Second Great Kingdom War started ten years ago, she never had a good night's sleep. It was always problem after problem, struggle after struggle. Her life became miserable, and Tai's death pushed her over the edge. Forget her dreams of ending the war and bringing peace to the empire. She had done enough and lost enough. She wanted to give up! After all, there might not be a happy ending at the end of their journey. It might not be the ending they want. It was better to quit before she lost something else…
"We turned twenty years old a few weeks ago, didn't we? Time flies by before we know it," Ming said. She walked up to the window and looked up at the clear blue skies, taking time to organize her thoughts. "…You can stop if you want, but I'll keep going forward. I need to see this through."
"But why?"
"Because there's still something I can do. Happiness… isn't something that falls into our laps. We need to fight for it. You're my sister, so you should understand. Would you be happy with giving up and settling for what we have now? Would you be able to hold your head high and live without regret? Would you look back and say that you did all that you could? Can you do all that?"
"I…" Xiuying struggled to say yes. Like her sister suspected, she could not guiltlessly carry on. Her mother, her father, and her friend… They did not die, so she could give up here. She would be doing them a disservice if she did. Whether for better or for worse, she had to continue walking forward to fight for the ending that she wanted. She had to grab happiness with her own hands!
"I see you came to a conclusion," Ming noticed.
"I still don't know whether it's the right thing to do, but… I'll keep trying."
Ming smiled and rubbed her little sister's head. "You shouldn't push yourself too hard. It's enough to take things one step at a time. Rely on me when you need to. I am your older sister after all."
"You're barely older than me," Xiuying pouted.
"I'm still your older sister then," Ming teased.
"Hmph!"
"We shouldn't disturb them," a man whispered to a nearby Protector Chang.
"Imperian Qiang!" Chang reflexively jumped. He had been too distracted to notice the man sneaking up on him. As a Perception Realm and a Protector of Princess Ming, he was utterly embarrassed.
"We should give them some privacy. There're things that only they can understand." Qiang looked at his nieces fondly. He returned his attention to Protector Chang and asked, "What did you want to tell them? You can tell me instead."
"But…"
"What? You don't trust me?" He narrowed his eyes coldly.
"No, I do! It's just that… This is related to the Li Family…" Chang said awkwardly.
"Speak," Qiang frowned as he ordered.
"The Li Family has… announced that their next matriarch is Lady Hong-Lan Li." He held his breath, thinking the former patriarch might grow angry, but the man remained surprisingly calm.
They're moving faster than I expected. The elder council must have stepped in to intervene, but why the sudden change in attitude? They should know that by consolidating their power now, they'll only attract the Imperial Council and the Alzar Kingdom's attention. The smarter decision would have been to recover slowly and bide their time unless… things are more severe than I thought, Qiang theorized. Is it the Featherwind Sect or… He looked down at the courtyard and jolted in realization. It's because of the Sword King!
"Imperian Qiang?" Chang asked with concern. He saw the man blank out for an entire minute, so he got worried.
"It's nothing. You don't need to tell the princesses about this. I will discuss it with them later."
"As you wish."
Since they're making their move now, then our predictions need to be redone. We will also have to consult with Princess Elizabeth and General Petra. The next battle is closer than we thought, Qiang thought grimly.
While his mind wandered, he noticed that the boy seemed particularly lonely. As an older adult, he felt inclined to ask, "Are you okay?"
"Huh?" Chang was startled. "Yes, I am. What does Imperian Qiang mean?"
"I don't want to sound crass, but I was wondering if you were taking Protector Tai's death well. I always saw you two together. You two were close like brothers, weren't you?"
Chang's eyes dimmed. "Yes, we were… Although we had our differences, we were the Imperial Princesses' sworn Protectors. In over ten years, there was hardly a day that I didn't see him. We ate together frequently and spoke about many things. He liked to ramble when he was tipsy. We also sparred and fought together. We even helped each other advance into Perception Realm. You could say that… I knew him better than my own brother… Protector Tai didn't deserve to die like this. I didn't even get to say goodbye!" His voice cracked while tears formed, emotions threatening to spill out. His guilt, anger, frustration, and sadness was evident. His friend of over ten years had disappeared before he knew it. What was worse was that his corpse had vanished alongside the town of Liguang! Chang had nothing to pay his respects to! That feeling was gut-wrenchingly awful.
"I lost many people in the Battle of Liguang too, many loyal subordinates that I knew for many years. I can understand your pain… That's why we need to keep our heads high and move forward… for the sake of everyone we lost. We need to prove that their sacrifices were not in vain."
"You're right… Protector Tai would laugh at me for crying. I need to protect the princesses in his place!" Chang declared.
"I'm counting on you, Protector Chang."