Gu Lianqian, pursued by enemies from every side, fled into the depths of the stone forest.
At first, she was still able to barely fend off those cultivators whose strength was about equal to her own.
The first waves that came after her were mostly from small sects hoping to try their luck.
Though those cultivators matched Gu Lianqian in cultivation, they were far inferior to her in martial skill.
Initially, Gu Lianqian suffered repeated setbacks due to her lack of worldly experience. But later, as she gradually adapted and learned how to properly use her techniques to kill, those people could no longer do anything to her.
Thus, though injured, she managed to keep running for a while.
However, after the great sects verified the accuracy of the rumors, even fifth-grade grandmasters began to take action.
One such grandmaster concealed his identity so as not to be recognized by Gu Lianqian, restraining his use of distinctive techniques and thus weakening his strength somewhat.
But even so, that was more than enough to deal with her.
Now, Gu Lianqian's face was pale as paper, utterly devoid of blood. Even after taking time to regulate her breath, she could not calm the chaotic spiritual energy surging through her internal organs.
Her small body, stripped of its outer robes, was clad only in a thin fighting garment, her skin fair as jade. Her back, abdomen, and arms were covered with wounds of various sizes, the blood soaking through her light-yellow undergarment.
If not for the few life-preserving pills she carried, she would likely have been dead already.
At that moment, on her snow-white back, the bleeding wounds spread into blood-red patterns like blooming lotuses, faintly glowing as they squirmed and mended her torn flesh.
Each drop of her blood that fell into the cracks of the cave caused seeds hidden there to sprout and push out tender green leaves.
Yet she remained completely unaware.
Her head was spinning, vision blurred with golden stars. Her heart was full of grievance and despair.
She had come out intending to act as a righteous heroine punishing evil and upholding justice, so how had she suddenly, without reason, been framed by the Sky-Eye Division and hunted across the land?
And the more wronged she felt, the more she hated Gu Fangchen.
If not for him, how could she, born of noble blood, have ended up like this?
Her whole body was caked in mud and blood that could not be washed clean.
And the wounds, they hurt so much!
Gu Lianqian wiped away her tears, only to smear another muddy streak across her cheek.
At this point, she dared not go outside, fearing that if she did, she would be captured and eaten alive.
"Eaten" was no exaggeration.
As her injuries worsened, the gazes of those pursuing her grew stranger and stranger.
The way they looked at her, it was not as though she were a person, but a piece of meat.
Gu Lianqian did not understand why, but instinctively she felt afraid.
So she found this hidden cave, washed away her scent in the cold stream, and hid inside, trying to heal.
But she soon discovered that in the chaos, her meridians had been sealed by an array.
Now, unable to break the seal, she could not circulate her spiritual energy, not even enough to heal herself.
At this point, she might as well have been waiting for death.
Gu Lianqian was only sixteen, having just reached adulthood last year when she was granted the title of princess.
In truth, she was still little more than a child.
Frightened and alone, her growing terror nearly crushed her spirit. She cried for most of the night, her sobs echoing through the cave.
As she cried, she used the mud by the cold pool to mold a small figurine shaped like Gu Fangchen, torturing the "Gu Fangchen" doll to muster a bit of courage.
The little clay figure, with its exaggerated, monstrous features, bore absolutely no resemblance to the real Gu Fangchen.
But to Gu Lianqian, it was her only source of comfort.
"Damn you, Gu Fangchen! You shameless scoundrel! When I get back, I'll beat you to death!"
She glared at the tiny figurine, then lifted her fair, delicate foot and stomped it flat.
Then she made another one, punching and kicking it repeatedly.
She didn't care anymore that she used to hate dirtying her hands with mud. Sitting cross-legged on the ground, she made another little figure of herself holding a sword, chasing Gu Fangchen's effigy across the mud.
But before long, the scene changed, the Gu Fangchen doll turned into a snarling monster and began chasing her instead.
Gu Lianqian shivered and shook her head.
"No, no! I'm a true heroine! How can I be beaten by a villain?"
Thinking hard, she molded another little figure, a hero from the storybooks. He descended from the heavens, defeating Gu Fangchen's monstrous figure and sending him fleeing in disgrace.
Gu Lianqian's lips curved into a smile. She held up the hero figurine, her eyes shining.
"That's better!"
"Just like in the storybooks, the unparalleled hero of the world who defeats the wicked villain!"
But then, clutching the little clay hero to her chest, she looked around the dark, gloomy cave. The light in her eyes dimmed once more.
"Cough... cough, cough..."
She coughed twice, wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, and shrank further into the corner.
Looking toward the cave entrance, half hidden by the waterfall, she murmured,
"Do real heroes... truly exist?"
If they did, could one come and save her?
The girl forced herself to stay awake, staring dazedly toward the mouth of the cave.
...
"She's just ahead!"
As soon as Qiu He finished speaking, the forest fell into sudden silence. Moments later, several black-clad cultivators wearing demonic ghost masks stepped out from the shadows.
Everyone was shocked. Swords were drawn, faces tense and grim.
None of them had sensed these people's presence until they appeared, proof that their cultivation was far above their own.
Qiu He's face turned cold.
"Who are you? We are disciples of the Sword Pavilion. Is there some misunderstanding? Why do you block our way?"
The leader of the masked cultivators stepped forward, eyes icy, his tone mocking.
"No misunderstanding. We came for the Sword Pavilion. Following you wasn't in vain, looks like we've found where that little girl is hiding."
Qiu He's expression changed instantly.
Only then did he realize, they had been used as bait.
The Sword Pavilion disciples exchanged quick glances and began to move, taking their positions in formation.
Both sides knew what the other wanted; there was no need for words. At the leader's shout of "Kill!", battle broke out instantly.
After slaying several enemies, Qiu He's expression remained dark.
Gu Fangchen approached him and said in a low voice,
"There are definitely more of them. They've probably split off to find the young princess while keeping us occupied!"
"It would be better to split up, one group to rescue her!"
Qiu He gritted his teeth. He had been thinking the same thing.
He looked at Gu Fangchen and said,
"Daoist, you go rescue the young princess. We'll hold them here!"
At this moment, Gu Fangchen's cultivation and character made him the most trustworthy choice.