Murim's Weakest Princess-Chapter 234: Too Young for War

"Anji!!" Zhao Mingfeng’s cries and sniffling could be heard from even outside the communication room.

Yan Ping gave Anji permission to use an image projection communicating spell to talk to her father in the morning. Anji also learned how Gu Ying left the Mystical Qilin Sect during her isolated training to assist her second brother. Now that Zhang Mou and Hong Nian Niang were out of commission, her role as an informant scout became more important than Anji’s escort or bodyguard.

If Zhao Mingfeng could, he would teleport and hug his youngest daughter. One after another, Anji kept making him worry. Although the surgery went well, Anji had to enter isolation training and even missed her eighth birthday. The only silver lining was how she was with the Mystical Qilin Sect when the ambush attack happened.

For a good while, Anji tried to cheer her father up. Zhao Mingfeng’s noise attracted his wife’s attention. In the end, Anji had to placate two bawling grown-ups over the image-transmitted call. Thankfully, Anji was given privacy for the call. What would others think if they saw the great patriarch and matriarch of the Celestial Dragon Sect crying like two-year-olds? Not even Anji did that anymore.

After the waterworks stopped, the worried parents bombarded their daughter with questions. Patiently, Anji smiled and answered every single one until they worked the worry out of their system. It took nearly an hour as they demanded to know every single detail about Anji’s time in isolation. At the same time, they worried over her safety with the war escalation.

"Shifu told me that I will not be allowed down the mountain until I finish my successor training," Anji answered truthfully. "I have not even started the training because I requested a week off to talk to you and Sect Leader Hong. I heard that she is residing here in the Mystical Qlilin Sect to recuperate from a serious injury."

Hearing about Hong Nian Niang’s situation made the expression on her parents’ faces turn grim. While they were thankful their youngest daughter remained safe, not everyone remained as fortunate. Zhao Ruiting suffered some minor wounds defending against the ambush. However, it was nowhere near as devastating as Hong Nian Niang’s injury or Bai Dajin’s fatal wounds. Zhao Mingshen slipped out with minor curses that were quickly dispelled, and Zhao Yihao was still in isolation training. The Zhao family was blessed to remain relatively safe thus far. They thanked their lucky stars and counted their blessings despite the looming tragedy.

"Take all the time you need," Zhao Mingfeng told his daughter. "You don’t have to be in a hurry to participate in this war. Ten years old is still too young for war. Don’t follow in your brother and sister’s footsteps. Grow up safe and healthy in the Mystical Qilin Sect now that you have recovered against fate with that high-risk surgery. Nobody will blame you for taking your time."

Unlike usual, Anji did not reply immediately. Was there really such a thing as being too young for war? Even innocent babies born during war were not spared from the effects of it. When armies invaded their enemy’s cities, did they spare the civilians? It was always the rulers who waged war and the innocents who suffered. Anji read a lot of stories. She learned a few things from the war classics that her second brother used to read with her. There was no such thing as being old enough for war.

"Don’t worry, Father, Mother. Anji will prepare well. It would be foolish to throw away the life that everyone worked hard to earn for me. Although I cannot participate actively, shifu and I will do what we can to turn things around. The Mystical Qilin Sect did not survive for a thousand years in the murim world without overcoming its fair share of trials. This time, it would be no different. Please take care of your health even in trying times like this. Anji wishes that both of you will continue living long lives."

Unable to speak otherwise, Zhao Mingfeng and Zhao Wanting relented to their wise daughter. The isolation training helped Anji see past mortal matters. Even if she was still an eight-year-old child who was still losing her milk teeth, she was growing into the role of the Mystical Qilin Sect’s heiress splendidly.

"If things become too difficult, Father and Mother will always be here," Zhao Wanting smiled wobbly. "You can always tell us when you’re happy, sad, afraid or suffering even if we are far away."

Hearing how loved she was, Anji smiled from the bottom of her heart. The distance they shared was cruel. Anji wanted to hug her parents very badly. However, she knew it would be selfish to ask for more than this image-transmission call. Like her, they had important duties to perform.

"I miss you," Anji admitted. "But I won’t be able to contact you for a long while when I’m undergoing the successor training. I just wanted to have a last call so that I can focus on the training next week. Shifu was kind enough to grant me time to finish what I needed to do before we started."

Without missing a beat, her parents chimed in how much they missed her as well. Unlike Zhao Mingshen, whom they can visit freely, and Zhao Yihao, who was right beneath their noses, Anji was the furthest away from them. Each time they reunite, Anji’s sleeves have grown a little shorter. It felt as if they were missing out on a huge part of seeing their youngest grow up.

"Don’t worry about us," Zhao Mingfeng declared after his wife had spoken her thoughts. "Focus on your successor training. No matter what happens, we will always be your parents. It doesn’t matter how it turns out. I heard that the successor training changes people, so do what you must. The Celestial Dragon Sect is always your home. Nobody will think otherwise."

Hearing her father comfort her unspoken fears, Anji bit back tears. Although she knew nobody would be disappointed if she failed the successor training the first time, Anji wondered if they would still treat her the same. Knowing that her parents would not see her any differently even if she emerged unrecognisable was a huge relief. She had no idea what the successor training consisted of. However, the older senior researchers and some Sect Elders mentioned that Yan Ping used to be more hot-tempered. She only exercised the patience of a saint after succeeding in the successor training. None of the previous sect masters remained the same after going through the successor training, apart from the founder, who was exempted from it.

"Anji will work hard," she promised. "I won’t ever forget Father and Mother’s teachings at the Celestial Dragon Sect, even if I must abide by the rules of the Mystical Qilin Sect."

Nodding with pride, Zhao Mingfeng gave his daughter his blessing before the call ended. Honestly, that was all they asked for. Anji would still be Anji no matter what. She would always be their beloved fourth daughter, no matter how she changed.