Chapter Seventy-One: The Willful Princess

When the princess spoke of Toma and Tos, her eyes were filled with terror. No one could say what those two magical beasts had done to her to frighten her so, but on second thought, it was hardly surprising. She had been raised in the lap of luxury, never having suffered the slightest hardship. To suddenly find herself alone, confronting two such powerful magical beasts—simply surviving the encounter was remarkable enough.

Chu Han, however, was somewhat exasperated by her words. This was indeed a princess—so wilful and unreasonable that even her former self paled in comparison. “I’m sorry, but I must refuse. They are my friends, and I will not raise a hand against them.”

His expression grew cold. As a Celestial Lord, the offspring of mortals, even a princess, made little difference to him. Without his respect, even a princess would find his demeanor unforgiving.

Yet the princess seemed oblivious to his mood. With her hands planted on her hips, she glared at him, her cheeks puffed out in a fit of pique, looking rather adorable despite her petulance. “You… you dare befriend magical beasts? And you dare defy a princess? When we return, I’ll tell my father to have you executed. Let’s see how arrogant you are then!”

She shouted, pointing at Chu Han, her face flushed with anger, entirely unaware that her threats meant nothing to him.

“Very well,” Chu Han replied with a cold laugh, turning to leave. “If you want to tear off the mask of civility, so be it. I’ll go on my way, and you can find your own way down the mountain. If you encounter any danger, don’t bother calling for help—I won’t be coming to your rescue.” He was weary of the whole affair. Had he known beforehand how difficult this princess would be, he’d never have agreed to Zhang Yinshan’s request. He had plenty of other matters to attend to and no time to play nursemaid to such a spoiled royal.

Seeing him so resolute, the princess felt a surge of fear and cried out, “You can’t do this! You promised my master you’d take me home. If you break your word, my master will never forgive you. He’s the greatest master in the Eastern Wastes—he could crush you with a single finger!”

Chu Han merely shrugged. “I did promise Elder Zhang to bring you out, but I also said that if I couldn’t find you, that would be the end of it. He agreed. I’ll simply tell him you perished here, and he won’t hold it against me. Besides, you’ll never make it back on your own.”

He ignored her and strode out of the cave. In truth, he couldn’t bring himself to leave her to die alone on Mangdang Mountain, but her intolerable disposition was pushing his patience to its limits. If this was how she behaved the entire journey, he doubted he could endure it.

His departure left the princess stunned. She knew he was right—alone on Mangdang Mountain, she wouldn’t survive.

She had already witnessed the mountain’s horrors when Toma and Tos brought her here. Now, cowering in the corner, her eyes darted with anxiety as she considered her predicament.

“Tos, now that the Northern Bear is dead, what will you do next?” Chu Han asked quietly, sitting beside his two companions.

“Nothing much—just as usual,” Toma replied with a shrug. “There’s little to do on Mangdang Mountain. Steadily improving our strength is what matters most. Don’t forget, it’s not just humans who face danger here; we magical beasts do as well.”

Chu Han nodded in understanding. The competition among magical beasts was even fiercer than that among humans—brutal and direct, often resulting in heavy casualties between species.

After chatting with them for a while, Chu Han returned to the cave. The princess was still huddled in the corner, her face set in defiant stubbornness.

“If you apologize, I’ll forgive you,” Chu Han said earnestly, seating himself on a stone. “Remember, you may be a princess, but here you’re just an ordinary person. Stop wielding your status like a weapon. Even if you return to Great Chu, you can’t do anything to me.”

He was right. The emperor of Great Chu couldn’t touch him, and at worst, Chu Han would simply leave with Tang Hao. The world was vast; there were plenty of places beyond the emperor’s reach. Of course, that was only a last resort. He knew well what Tang Hao wanted—he didn’t wish to leave Great Chu. Still, before anything else, he had to correct the princess’s insufferable temper.

“You wretch! You actually want me to apologize?” the princess snapped, her arrogance undiminished. “My father dotes on me most of all! When I return, I’ll have him send his best warriors to kill you. With your meager strength, that would be child’s play!”

Her words infuriated Chu Han—not for being called a wretch, but for her attitude. In her haughty mind, all her father’s subjects were beneath her, to be trampled as she pleased. Even the emperor would not dare utter such words, for without his people, there would be no Great Chu at all.

“Very well. Since you call me a wretch, I would be remiss not to show you what that means.”

With a fierce look, Chu Han strode over to her and reached out to seize her.

Startled, the princess struggled, dodging his hand and swinging a fist at his head. Her movements were swift, but amounted to nothing more than empty gestures—she was no match for Chu Han. She was only at the Spirit Bridge level; her blows could not harm him. Dodging her attack, he tapped several points on her body, sealing her acupoints with his energy. At once, she was rendered immobile.

Realizing she could no longer move, the princess panicked and tried to shout, but Chu Han was quicker. He lifted her into his arms, then sat down and placed her, back to him, across his lap.

“You wretch! What do you think you’re doing?” she screamed, helpless to struggle. “If you dare harm me, you’re doomed! I am the princess of Great Chu—you’re not worthy even to insult me!”

Her threats rang out, but they only fueled Chu Han’s anger.

“Still unrepentant? Then don’t blame me for being harsh. Seek whatever revenge you wish in the future. If I so much as blink, I am not Chu Han.”

With that, he yanked down her trousers. The princess gasped in shock, never dreaming he would go so far. Thoughts of what Chu Han might do sent a blush flaming across her cheeks.

Chu Han raised his right hand and brought it down on her backside. The princess cried out in pain as a red palm print appeared on her fair skin—not too deep, for he had not used his full strength. It was merely a lesson.

“You wretch!” she sobbed. “How dare you humiliate me so! I’d rather die—I’ll have you killed for this, then I’ll kill myself!”

Never before had the princess suffered such indignity. She burst into tears, but, paralyzed, could do nothing. Seeing her still unrepentant after such punishment, Chu Han’s reason deserted him entirely. He raised his hand again, and this time, struck her hard and without restraint, delivering a sound spanking.