Chapter Seventy-Three: The Training Begins

Once this wicked thought took hold, Chu Han could no longer restrain it and was ready to put it into action immediately.

"Fine then, go ahead and call Zhang Yinshan to save you. I'm done serving you. I'm heading down the mountain, and you can wait here as long as you like," Chu Han snorted coldly, got up, and made to descend, but the princess called after him at once.

The princess had no way to contact Zhang Yinshan; if she did, she would have summoned him long ago to get rid of this scoundrel Chu Han. Yet now, seeing Chu Han about to abandon her without a hint of hesitation, she was truly frightened.

"Don't go! I'm just a girl—how can you bear to leave me in such a dangerous place? You're a man, aren't you? Shouldn't you have a bit of chivalry?" The princess stood up and grabbed at Chu Han's sleeve, her expression pitiful. Seeing her change so quickly from arrogance to helplessness, Chu Han was speechless. Was this woman’s face made of water, to shift so fast?

But he was not moved by her act. He shook off her hand, though he did pause in his steps and did not continue forward.

"If you want me to take you down the mountain, that's possible. But first, let's make an agreement. From now on, you will be my maid—you must obey my every command. Whatever I ask, you must do. Of course, once we're back, you can take any revenge you like; I’ll accept it all. So, what do you say?"

A wicked smile curled Chu Han's lips as he spoke words that left her utterly shocked. It was clear he was not joking.

The princess stared at him in disbelief. She hadn’t expected such an outrageous demand—to obey him completely, to become this scoundrel’s maid. It was an insult beyond endurance. What if he made truly shameless requests? Was she to obey those as well?

"Chu Han, don't push your luck! I’ve already set aside my status as a princess to treat you as an equal—consider that a blessing for you. If you still want to indulge in such wild fantasies, you’re dreaming. Make me your maid? You might as well kill me right now."

She shouted, her face flushed with anger. If word got out that a princess had been made a maid, she would have no place in Great Chu.

But Chu Han was unmoved. "Very well, since we can't agree, there's nothing more to say. I'm leaving, and don't follow me. Even if you try, you won't catch up. Goodbye."

Without another word, Chu Han continued down the mountain without looking back. At first, the princess wanted to hold her ground, believing Chu Han would never really leave her behind. So she didn't stop him.

But Chu Han never looked back, and as his figure was about to vanish from sight, fear finally struck the princess. This was Mount Mangdang, after all—a place rife with danger. After Chu Han left, silence closed in around her, and terror crept over her heart.

"Chu Han, don't go! Let's talk this through—there's no need for this!" she finally cried, running to catch up with him and blocking his path. "Your demand is too much. Name another price—whatever you want, I can give you: a title, wealth, beauties, endless glory and fortune. If you can name it, I can provide it!"

"Sorry, none of that interests me. I have only one condition. If you can't accept it, we have nothing further to discuss." Chu Han shrugged. Money, women, power—these things meant less than nothing to him. What he wanted was to properly discipline this haughty princess; it would at least add some flavor to the dull journey down the mountain.

Seeing his stubbornness, the princess was at a loss, standing there in silence, lost in thought. Chu Han, however, had no patience to waste. He shrugged again, walked around her, and was about to continue forward.

"Fine, fine! I agree—but you can't make excessive demands," she bit out, finally relenting. Compared to dying, being a maid was really nothing. Without Chu Han, she had no hope of leaving the mountain alive.

Though she agreed out loud, hatred seethed in her heart—she was already plotting how to deal with Chu Han once they returned. But all of this remained hidden; Chu Han was oblivious.

"Good. A wise person yields to circumstance. The princess is quite sensible after all. What’s your name? Since you’re my maid now, I can’t keep calling you ‘princess,’ can I?"

Chu Han nodded in satisfaction. She had finally set aside her pride to choose life, which he had known would happen sooner or later. No one, especially a princess, would throw away their life so easily.

"My name is Ye Tingyu. My title is the Virtuous Princess."

Ye Tingyu lowered her head, unwilling but forced to comply. For now, she had to swallow her indignity; every insult suffered here would be repaid a hundredfold upon their return.

"Ye Tingyu—a fine name. From now on, I'll call you Little Rain. Come along, Little Rain, my maid. Let’s be on our way," Chu Han laughed heartily, giving her a nickname without a second thought before leading her onward.

All along the way, his demands were endless—now thirsty, now hungry. Ye Tingyu, carrying the water and food, attended to him with forced patience, though she wished with all her heart that he would choke.

"All right, you must be tired too. Let’s rest a while—come, massage my shoulders," Chu Han said with a smile, finding a relatively safe spot to sit down and beckoning Ye Tingyu over.

Though reluctant, she had no choice but to shuffle behind him and begin to gently knead his shoulders.

Chu Han closed his eyes to enjoy the moment when suddenly a chill swept over him from behind, drenching his clothes in cold sweat. Ye Tingyu, massaging his back, sensed his change and looked at him in confusion.

Startled, Chu Han spun around and pressed the princess down beneath him. Ye Tingyu was startled, thinking he was finally making a move against her—her hand gripped a dagger she had prepared for just such a contingency.

But at that instant, a strange, birdlike cry pierced the air, and a wild gust of wind tore over their heads. She dodged, but not far away a branch was splintered to pieces by the wind. She shivered in fright.

If Chu Han hadn’t pulled her down, she would have been shattered like that branch. The thought made her shudder, and her gaze towards Chu Han changed subtly.

Chu Han, however, didn’t notice her. He stood up with a grim expression, eyes fixed on the nearby forest. Soon, a massive white bird emerged from the trees. Its whole body was white, with an enormous yellow beak, emitting strange cries.

Its plumage was flawless, its size enormous—much bigger than a condor. It looked down on them from above, its eyes glinting with an almost human malice.

"Hide in that hollow, and don’t come out until I say so," Chu Han shouted. Ye Tingyu obediently ducked into a large hollow nearby—a spot Chu Han had carefully selected, just big enough to conceal a person, which was why they had chosen to rest there.

Chu Han, meanwhile, was wreathed in blue lightning. He raised his head and stared coldly at the giant bird in the sky. The battle to the death was about to begin.