For the next few days Nick and YunYun happily dived during the day and in the evenings feasted on fruits they bought in the nearby villages. They led a careless life and their travel was mostly done under the water. Neither had a map, but they were in a peaceful country and knew the general direction of the capital where they would return at a later date.
Unfortunately not everyone was as happy as them and on the twelfth evening they heard a familiar voice.
"Princess!" Ling shouted from far away after noticing them coming out from the sea.
Turns out the poor fellow started to look for them four days after they left. When the princess didn't come out from the palace on the first day, people just patiently waited and on the second day as well. But on the third her crazed admirers went into frenzy and started to send challenge requests to Nick. Someone from the palace leaked the information she was engaged and, obviously, no one wanted to loose another princess to some 'bastard' from Mainland. Thus every single youth who was capable of holding a sword did his best to 'save' her and sent a challenge to the coward who was hiding behind the palace walls.
"What's the big deal? We can just ignore them. It's not like they can come and kill me." Nick shrugged.
"Don't you care about your reputation at all?" Ling was surprised.
"Think about it. If I responded to every single challenge, I wouldn't have free time till the day I die from old age. I'm simply not interested. And my reputation doesn't matter. YunYun, what do you think?"
"They are just random clowns, why would we care? If they are too annoying we can go to Styx kingdom and have fun there." She had obviously become as careless as Nick.
"Alright, then let me tell you this. On the fourth day that youth from Chu family spread the news that Nick accepted his challenge and will compete with him for the princess's heart during the 'Tiger hunt'!" Ling sounded anxious.
"You are so unlike your brother." Nick smiled, "So what? Another clown wants to fool around, just let him!"
"If that moron has made a move it might not be as simple." YunYun furrowed her brows, "He's been running after me for years, never giving up."
"So what?"
"He's incredibly cunning and perverted as well. People say he had raped quite a few young girls, including a couple of sisters from a smaller village. In addition, he uses different schemes to always get his way." YunYun sounded frustrated.
"If he's a rapist, he should be judged and put to death or go to prison, especially in your country that has a strong matrimony. If people know of these things, there has to be evidence." Nick was confused.
"That's the thing, the Chu clan is extremely influential and Feng is the favorite child of his mother. She manages to buy him out of every situation and, even when the two raped sisters committed suicide, their family received compensation large enough to shut them up and move to another city. Although after that incident he supposedly calmed down, he now uses some weird tricks and there are even suspicions of him drugging married women to fulfill his perverted desires. As you can understand, with previously married woman …" Ling was trying to report the latest information, but blushed in the end and got uncomfortable.
The other two blushed as well and an awkward silence lingered around for few moments.
"Even if he's rapist, it has nothing to do with us, but with the local law enforcement and the court system." Nick finally spoke.
"Sigh, you're right, but her majesty ordered for the two of you to return and take part in the 'Tiger hunt'." Ling sighed, "Please don't make it hard for me, I have to bring you back. She'll already be furious I couldn't find you for almost ten days, but how can I find a couple of fishes in the sea? I just got lucky tonight!"
"What is this 'Tiger hunt'?" Nick asked.
"It's something similar to your 'Royal hunting festival', but takes place in the mountain wilderness and lasts for ten days, not one. It's also an annual event and starts in late spring when the mating season is over" YunYun explained.
"And, let me guess, they are hunting tigers."
"My mother's favorite exercise was to hunt tigers when she was younger and this event was established after her inauguration. The youths go in the woods and compete on who will kill the largest male tiger. Young female Qi masters use the opportunity to show off their bravery while males are trying to prove they are not weaker. But I don't understand why my mom ordered for you to take part in the event."
"Isn't it obvious?" Nick grinned, "She called for us only after getting the news this Feng guy spread. She obviously wants to use us, or rather me, to kill him because she can't do it herself in the capital using proper legal means. It probably could even be some kind of a sick test that she thought of."
"You … have you known our queen from before?" Ling was shocked.
Nick shook his head and stood up, "When is this hunt? And where do we start from? I think we might need to visit few alchemy shops before departing."
"You think he might try to poison us?" YunYun smiled.
"Judging from what Ling said – highly likely, but we already have most of the possible antidotes. It's just a feeling – I can't explain."
"You two … how can you be so careless – he is obviously targeting the princess!" Ling sounded upset. He was trying to warn them, but these were smiling as if nothing dangerous was happening.
"I respect your brother, even though I don't like him as a person to communicate with. But in times like these you should learn from him – his ability to remain calm is priceless." Nick patted Ling's shoulder, "So, when does this hunt start?"
"In fourteen days."
"Then what's the rush? We could just dive here for ten more days and relax."
"Nick, if I'm not wrong it might take ten days to reach the hunting spot." YunYun explained.
"That changes things." Nick got serious, "We'll depart tomorrow afternoon after sweeping all the alchemy shops and stocking up few supplies. Let's go! Ling – the last one who reaches the palace gate buys breakfast!"
As soon as Nick completed the sentence, he and YunYun dashed towards the capital while Ling stood in the middle of the beach in confusion.
'He didn't want to leave for ten days and suddenly he had to depart immediately? And what's with their speed?' Ling tried to catch up, but for now barely managed to keep the distance from increasing. But he was a Qi master! How was that possible for two Qi practitioners to leisurely outrun him?
Of course, they were not 'leisurely' running, but with their Qi technique and training they had no problems to arrive at the palace gates right before sunrise. Ling was with them, but out of breath and shocked to his bones. These two were definitely not normal!
"Alright, let's wash up and then have breakfast somewhere in the city. Ling buys!" YunYun was excited since they managed to cut few corners in the end by directly jumping over walls and trespassing several estates.
"Don't forget to cover your face so no one recognizes us!" Nick reminded and they dashed towards their respective residences.
'This will be a long day!' Ling looked towards the east where the sky was already slightly red and proceeded to write a quick report to her majesty. After the long run he also wanted to wash up.
An hour later they met up and proceeded to the city. YunYun's admirers long stopped guarding the palace entrance after they hopelessly waited for several days. When the news about the Tiger hunt were spread, many thought she might have already departed and left the capital. Even though the event itself was meant for aristocratic youths, that couldn't hold them back from seeing the girl of their dreams.
"Nick, why did you decide to depart immediately?" Ling asked the question that was on his mind for quite some time.
"Isn't it obvious? If that Feng is really as treacherous as you described, he might try to lay some traps on his way there. It could be even the perfect plan because no one would expect him to assault the princess before the event." Nick shrugged.
"So you want to arrive early? But in that case he has already prepared all traps … so how can you …"
"Not only we will arrive early, we'll get there by taking a longer, alternative route." Nick smiled back at the still stressed Ling.
Ling didn't understand Nick's ideas fully, but then he remembered that this was the guy who got their princess as well as three more girls out of the Nestri empire. Why was he even worried?
They spent the whole day purchasing herbs and other supplies. Ling, of course, had to buy breakfast, but YunYun invited them to a sumptuous lunch later. The restaurant owner turned out to be so happy to see the princess he served them himself, helping to hide her identity. Nick was so impressed by his unmasked and truthful loyalty he got an idea.
After confirming this place had no connection to the Chu family, he called the owner.
"Sir, there is a situation where the princess might need your help, but it's extremely delicate and maybe even a bit dangerous. If you aren't certain you could help, just say so, no one would take it the wrong way, you're a restaurant owner after all."
But Nick underestimated the love these people had for their matriarchs. Later, while thinking about it, he realized that back in the Sun kingdom most of the regular citizens would agree to help people from the Aurora's palace in a similar fashion.
When the owner unconditionally agreed to do 'anything', Nick calmed him down and asked if he knew a couple of youths who could disguise as him and YunYun. Owner immediately offered his son and one of his employees and a new plan was made, of course, ignoring Ling's displeasure.
During the lunch Nick asked Ling to give more detailed information about the political situation in the capital.
"What do you mean the 'political situation'?" Ling got confused when he heard Nick's question.
"Well – which are the most influential aristocratic families, who could have the most powerful Qi masters, which family or maybe even family alliances might have an eye at the throne?" Youth explained.
"Uhm … besides the Chu family, there are Wu, Yang, Wang … Zhang family has few incredible Qi masters, but all these support the queen. There have never even been any signs of a coup, at least not during the last few centuries! Lethe kingdom is very united and that's one of the reasons why we are so prosperous and why Nestri empire never even tried to play any tricks here." Even if there were some secret political schemes, Ling was not aware of those.
"It can't be that simple." Nick shook his head, "With this many players, there should always be someone with a large and risky ambition."
"You mean … the Chu?" Ling furrowed his brows.
"How would I know? I basically just arrived." Nick shrugged, "Maybe we can ask the queen at some point … if this question will come up, of course."