Until the third day, Xing Mei finally woke up.
The person guarding her was, surprisingly, the Princess.
She was startled, "Princess, you..."
"Don't speak, drink some soup first."
The soup had been simmering all night, soft and nourishing, most suitable for someone weak.
Ling Yao wanted to feed her, but Xing Mei was flustered and tried to sit up. Ling Yao stopped her and instead had a palace maid come in.
Xing Mei, however, took the bowl from Ling Yao’s hand and gulped it down.
Sweat broke out on her forehead as she finished. Ling Yao looked at her anxiously, "Don't push yourself, lie down and rest."
"Princess, this servant is not that fragile," Xing Mei's voice was low, her strength clearly lacking. "This servant grew up among beggars, my body is very strong. With food, even a group of adults couldn't snatch it away from me."
As she spoke, her voice grew weaker, trying to suppress her obvious panting.
Ling Yao touched her head, and Xing Mei froze, not daring to move.
"I know you are capable, otherwise the General wouldn't have sent you. But even the most capable people get sick sometimes. When you're sick, you need to rest well. This is our capital, we cannot deplete it."
Xing Mei fell silent.
She hadn't even clearly heard what Ling Yao said, only feeling how warm the hand on her head was.
The General had picked her from the beggars, transforming her from a beastly monkey devoid of humanity into a person with thoughts and flesh and blood.
Therefore, she regarded the General as her master, her benefactor.
Being loyal to the General and the Princess was what a subordinate should do.
Yu Liu and Yu Shan did the same, and everyone in the Immortal King Sect did the same.
So, wasn't what she was doing only natural?
Why was the Princess treating her so well!
So well that she wished she could stay in this bed forever, never wanting to leave.
"Xing Mei, this name is not good. Yu Liu and Yu Shan have already changed their names. Do you want to change yours too?"
"Change my name?"
A princess bestowing a name was the highest honor. Her current name was just a placeholder picked by the ghost registrar casually based on the names above. She didn't know its meaning or if it was good or bad, it was merely a designation.
But, if the Princess were to name her...
Seeing Xing Mei's hopeful gaze, like a child begging for candy, Ling Yao touched her head again.
"The starry river glitters, and you shine brightly. How about Xing Ran for you?"
Xing Ran.
It sounded nice.
Even though she was illiterate, she knew her previous name was related to ghosts.
She liked the name Xing Ran.
The starry river glitters, and you shine brightly.
It sounded bright and cheerful.
"This servant thanks the Princess for the bestowed name."
...
In the desolate mountains and remote villages, a faint cry of an infant and a woman's curses could be heard from underground.
For several days, Su Mian didn't know if it was day or night. Trapped in this pit, she hadn't even seen a ghost.
The scattered food that Foolish Thirteen carried had all been eaten. In the past few days, only one bird had flown by, which he had shot down and roasted to a half-cooked state, and then eaten.
Fortunately, there was a damp stone wall inside that seeped out water drop by drop, otherwise they would have all dried up.
The little county princess cried hungrily. Su Mian, heartbroken, shed tears while cursing the man beside her.
Idiot, utter idiot. He insisted that the Prince's side manor was the safest, unknown to anyone, but look what happened! They fell into a pit.
It was certainly safe enough; they had been shouting for days and hadn't attracted a single living creature.
And his leg was pierced, he couldn't climb out.
If he hadn't protected her and the little county princess, preventing them from being harmed, she would have beaten him to death.
It didn't matter if she died, but what about the little county princess!
"I told you you were too heavy. I've walked this way countless times before without falling into a well, but with you, I fell right in."
Thirteen muttered. Because he wore a mask before, the skin on the upper half of his face and the lower half were completely different colors, as if pieced together.
He was very young, probably not even twenty. Whenever he spoke, his left eyebrow would twitch. At first, Su Mian thought he was frivolous and had even punched him in anger.
Later, she realized it was just a habit.
Truly infuriating.
Annoyed, Su Mian didn't want to talk to him anymore. She simply coaxed Nan Xing with a grim expression, feeling anxious and scared.
Thirteen's leg had festered, and he was also anxious. If it wasn't treated soon, it would be crippled.
However, there was no help here at all. He had tried several times but couldn't get out.
"You're both women, why don't you have what she has? You're not smaller than the wet nurse. Maybe if you let her drink a little, she'd suck it out?"
Thirteen's annoying voice started again.
"You don't feel ashamed when you poop and pee, so why are you blushing about feeding a baby? I'm not looking."
Su Mian finally lost her patience and beat Thirteen's head again.
"I don't argue with women. If it were a man, and he dared to hit my head, I'd twist his neck off."
"If you don't think of a way to get out soon, and something happens to the little county princess, when the Prince returns, he'll twist your neck off too!" Su Mian said fiercely.
However, after not eating much for a few days, she had no strength, and her words lacked any deterrent effect.
"Shh—" Thirteen's ears twitched, and he looked up. "Someone's coming."
Indeed, the next moment, a large head appeared at the well opening.
The man was covered in a thick black beard, unkempt, his face hanging down like an evil spirit.
Su Mian screamed in fright, hugging Nan Xing and leaning against the well wall.
"Hey, brother, pull us up, and you'll be greatly rewarded!" Thirteen shouted to him.
"Alright!" the man replied in a gruff voice, then threw down a rope.
Thirteen tested it and said to Su Mian, "Wait here."
Su Mian was once again infuriated. What kind of person had the Prince chosen? He only cared about himself first.
The rope slowly ascended, but halfway up, it inexplicably fell back down. Fortunately, Thirteen reacted quickly, using his remaining good leg for leverage, and didn't fall too badly.
"What's wrong with you?" Su Mian yelled upwards.
If it were her and the little county princess, wouldn't they be badly injured!
It was a good thing it wasn't them who went up first.
Did this foolish Thirteen think the same way?
"Sorry, brother, I don't have enough strength. How about letting the woman and child come up first, and I'll go to the village to get some people?" the man said gruffly again.
Thirteen chuckled a few times, "That's fine, wait."
He made a gesture to tie the rope around Su Mian.
"Hey, is this reliable? Don't drop us too." Su Mian was a little scared.
The man above the well poked his head out, "Don't worry, I have enough strength to pull you."
However, as soon as he finished speaking, his entire body was dragged down by a powerful force.
"Ah—" a scream.
The man fell heavily to the bottom of the well.
Thirteen's eyes were now fierce. He threw down the rope and said to the terrified Su Mian, "Turn your head away."
Su Mian hurriedly hugged Nan Xing and turned around. Nan Xing had stopped crying and was watching everything with wide, curious eyes.
As Thirteen was about to act, he felt a gaze and turned his head. Well, the adult turned her head, but the child was perched on his shoulder, staring intently.
"Cover the little county princess's eyes."
Su Mian heard this and hurriedly pulled Nan Xing closer, blocking her view, and then heard a "crack!"
The sound of a neck snapping.