Murim's Weakest Princess-Chapter 218: Wait For Me

Anji’s eighth birthday was more humble than some of her past birthdays. Yet, it was deeply memorable as it celebrated not only Anji’s growth but also a possible permanent departure.

"Don’t cry," Anji tried to comfort her mother and Lizi, who had their handkerchiefs completely drenched. "I’ll call back often! You don’t have to wait for Gu Ying to send my letters, she will call in daily, even if I’m not able to talk!"

Unlike when leaving the Celestial Dragon Sect for the first time in a grand carriage with her older brother, Anji barely had anything to pack. She would be flying with her shifu, travelling with no luxuries. There would be no camping, no restroom breaks and most certainly no naps during the journey back.

Yan Ping did not rush the goodbyes. It could very well be their last time together. No matter how confident she was in the seal modification procedure, nobody had done it on a person before. The wooden dolls cannot scream in pain, but Anji had to endure pain more excruciating than creating artificial cores in her meridians. It was a pain unlike anything experienced physically. It was an agony that reached the soul. Not even Yan Ping could understand how that would feel. No matter how strong a person was, they would eventually break if they were human. Moreover, the procedure had to be repeated twelve times over twelve weeks.

Anji consoled the ladies with hugs and promises. Zhao Mingshen had decided to leave right after Anji’s cosy birthday banquet. He gave an excuse that Hong Nian Niang needed him, but Anji did not stop him. Her second brother was known for being skittish and hiding his emotions behind a fan. He probably wanted to avoid dramatic goodbyes like this, so Anji did not stop him. Instead, she stored all his gifts in her original room, which Lizi took care of at the Celestial Dragon Sect.

When the waterworks finally paused, Anji turned to the silent figure at the back. From the very beginning, he had been there for her, and Anji had so much to thank him for.

"Father, I’ll be back. Please wait for me," she told him confidently, locking his eyes with hers.

Voice thick with barely restrained emotions, Zhao Mingfeng nodded.

"Travel safely," he rested a large hand on her head for what might be the last time. "Father will be here. Father will always be here, Anji."

Like a prayer true to her name, Zhao Mingfeng watched as Yan Ping carried his daughter up to secure her on the floating staff.

"We’re leaving now," she told them. "I’ll set up the array in my hut when I return. Expect a call in about a week."

Without dragging the parting any longer, Yan Ping took to the skies with the same pigeon as a guide. Anji waved goodbye, but in less than three seconds, she had to hold onto the staff with all her might. Her teacher was right. It might not be a rough ride like the horse Gu Ying departed on. However, it would be more demanding to travel on a flying staff than on a horse.

That fear soon faded into excitement when they passed the barrier of the Celestial Dragon Sect’s mountain. Anji found herself getting further from the ground but closer to the clouds. She remembered the first time she flew on the staff with her teacher when she was much smaller. Initially, she was slightly concerned that she was too heavy for it. However, Yan Ping’s aerial control was steady. There was nothing to worry about.

From behind her, Yan Ping noticed the fluctuating energy in Anji and frowned. It was a good thing Anji managed to gain her family’s approval in such a short time. Any delay would further complicate the risky operation. Even now, she could sense a faint foreign energy in her student. It did not seem harmful. However, it had grown stronger since her time at the Ginkgo Sanctuary.

"Are you cold?"

Anji shook her head. "No, shifu. Lizi and Mother made me wear an extra coat today."

Nodding, Yan Ping slowly increased their altitude. Although she could cloak them with an invisibility spell, it was better to hide in the clouds to avoid detection.

Admiring the sea of fluffy white that they approached, Anji giggled and leaned back a little, making herself comfortable. Although they were still travelling at a very fast pace that made Anji barely able to keep her eyes open, she had never felt safer with her shifu right behind her.

Once they were among the sea of clouds, there was barely anything that Anji could see. She tried to catch clouds in her mouth, only to realise they did not taste like anything. The air here was much colder, but not cold enough to make Anji shiver.

"If you’re bored enough to try to eat clouds, you might as well try the harmonising exercise I taught you. Where is your locket? I hope you did not leave it behind."

Fiddling with her waist sash, Anji fished for the locket trinket.

"No, shifu. Anji wears it every day. Is it really alright to chant the mantra and meditate while we’re this high up?"

Smirking in amusement at a child trying to bargain her way out of training, Yan Ping made a drastic nose dive for a while, causing Anji to shriek and hold onto the staff for dear life as it free-fell through the sky until Yan Ping righted its course again.

"Do you believe that I’d throw you off this staff if you skive?"

With her point strongly delivered across, Yan Ping watched as Anji scrambled to quickly recite the Seven Sound Mantra. It was still very off pitch so the blind prophet guided her patiently with pop quizzes and tips as they flew.

Anji had never felt more thrilled and terrified. Having a lesson mid-flight had to be a first for anyone. She could barely believe Yan Ping was trying to lecture her while they were ten thousand feet above the ground. Yet, she knew that if she did not focus, Yan Ping would not hesitate to throw her off the staff for a few metres before catching her by the scruff of her collar to wake her up.

Either way, the week travelling back to the Mystical Qilin Sect was not spent in vain. Anji wondered if it was the fear of falling or the intensity of their lessons that worked wonders. However, by the time they arrived back at the Mystical Qilin Sect, she found herself able to replicate the seven sounds with enough accuracy.

The only rest Anji had lasted for a night, while Yan Ping set up the voice transmission array as promised. Then, it was time for Anji to meet the six elders who would explain the twelve-week procedure and prepare her for it.

With so many things to do right off the bat, Anji’s first call with her family only lasted three minutes, even if Gu Ying could hold the spell for nearly ten minutes.

"There is no going back once we begin," Yan Ping told Anji. "The pain is worse than dying. It flows directly into your soul."

It was the ninth time master and student were having the talk in private at the hut. Anji sighed heavily.

"I promised Father that I would return to the Celestial Dragon Sect one day. A man who breaks his promise is worse than a dog. Shifu, I don’t want to be a dog. Let’s not delay this any longer. You’ve already prepared me for the week-long flight back. My body and mind have been cleansed. Anji is not afraid of pain, only afraid of not trying my best to live."

Feeling equal parts proud and sorry for such a difficult fate the young child must suffer, Yan Ping finally set a date to the seal reconstruction operation.

"Then sleep. We begin in three days. In that time, you already know what you cannot do." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Anji nodded. They had discussed this a few times.

"Yes, shifu. No eating or drinking, no training, no meditating, no energy circulation and no extreme emotional fluctuations. I memorised the Heart Sutra completely. Anji is ready."

Seeing how resolute her successor was, there was no reason for Yan Ping to delay it any longer. She would leave praying to those in the Celestial Dragon Sect. In three days, the Mystical Qilin Sect would put its reputation and cultivation base on the line to create yet another miracle.

With only one chance, there was no room for error.