Chapter 88: The Princess Breaks Through (Please Subscribe)

At the sound of the rhythmic slapping that had gone on for a full hour, all three squads were left staring at one another in astonishment. Then, just as suddenly, it ceased. A vast surge of power erupted from the little courtyard, startling the guards to the core.

“Do not panic. The Grand Princess has broken through to the realm of a Grandmaster. She needs time to steady her cultivation. No one is to disturb us before dawn.”

At that moment, Fang Xian’s voice sounded in the ears of the three squad leaders. They hurried to calm their subordinates, while in their hearts joy surged like a tide.

As the Grand Princess’s personal guards, they were already her confidantes. And the squad leaders had all been personally trained by her. They also knew that because she had not yet reached the realm of a Grandmaster, she had lost the command seal that day. Yet they had never imagined that such delight would come so suddenly: she had actually broken through at this very moment. Did that not mean the command seal could be preserved?

When Wu Qingluan opened her eyes early the next morning, she saw Fang Xian’s sleeping face. She herself was lying in his arms, able to feel his body clearly.

Thinking of the madness of the night before, her cheeks flushed. But then she sensed the surging internal force within her, and what rose in her heart was not exultation, but a quiet calm. Perhaps Heaven had chosen this night for her breakthrough, so that she might begin a new life.

Still, she had spent the whole night locked in fierce intimacy with Fang Xian, even being arranged by him into all manner of different positions. That left Wu Qingluan somewhat irritated, and so she suddenly rolled onto Fang Xian, pinning him down as she took the initiative herself.

Fang Xian woke at once, but he did not struggle or resist. Instead, he cooperated with the Grand Princess, cheering her on and spurring her further, until her ardor only grew and her efforts became all the more fervent.

The morning air was filled with a flurry of that rhythmic sound.

The girls of the guard force were awakened by wave after wave of it. The three squad leaders exchanged a look of perfect understanding, then left only a small number of guards behind and dismissed the rest.

Once daylight had come, anyone with even a little discernment would notice that something was amiss in the room. Last night, one could still excuse it as a fight. But surely they could not still be fighting first thing in the morning, could they?

So they sent the remaining guards farther away, forbidding anyone from peeking, and stood by the wall, listening to the lively, relentless rhythm, glancing at one another again and again.

“Last night must have been the Grand Princess’s first time, right? It seemed to go on for a whole hour?” At last, one squad leader could not help lowering her voice to ask her companion. The three of them were all experienced women, and naturally knew what was going on.

The next morning, the sound of rhythmic slapping woke the girls of the guard squad once more. The three squad leaders exchanged a perfectly tacit glance, left a small contingent behind, and dismissed the rest.

Because once day had broken, anyone with a bit of care would be able to notice the irregularity in the room. Last night they could still claim it was a struggle, but there was no way they could still be fighting again in the morning.

They sent the remaining guards farther off and forbade anyone from spying, then stood near the top of the wall, listening to the unmistakably rhythmic sounds and exchanging looks.

“The Grand Princess and Mister Fang are both peak first-rate experts. What’s an hour to them? I and my dead husband would often keep at it for half an hour or so,” one squad leader said.

“You really have no shame, bringing up such a thing with a straight face. But now that the Grand Princess has broken through to Grandmaster, wouldn’t this morning’s round go on for more than an hour?” the third squad leader spat at her, then asked in curiosity.

“Who knows? It depends on her mood. Though with Mister Fang’s cultivation below the Grand Princess’s now, whether he can endure that long is still uncertain,” the first squad leader guessed.

“Shall we make a wager? I say it lasts longer than an hour. The loser pays fifty taels of silver,” the second squad leader suddenly said with a smile.

The other two immediately shook their heads. “We’ll bet on longer than an hour too. So who would be the one paying?”

“You two are no fun. Ah, I can’t listen any longer. If I keep listening, I’ll feel like going home to find a man myself,” said the squad leader who had first proposed the bet, rolling her eyes before covering her ears.

“No need to listen and regret it later. Whether it’s Mister Fang or the Grand Princess, once they’re done, who knows when there’ll be another chance? We might as well keep listening while we can,” the third squad leader said with a giggle.

At that, the other two hurriedly pricked up their ears and listened more closely.

But at that very moment, the sounds from within the room suddenly vanished. It turned out the Grand Princess had discovered her subordinates eavesdropping outside and, with a wave of her hand, set up a barrier of true force that sealed off all sound between inside and out.

“Why did it go quiet? Did they finish that quickly?”

“That can’t be. It hasn’t even been half an hour. Could Mister Fang have been too exhausted from last night, and surrendered so quickly this morning?”

“Bad news. The Grand Princess must have discovered us spying, so she blocked the sound. If you don’t believe me, just watch whether they come out right away.”

Sure enough, they waited for more than half an hour, until well over an hour had passed. Then there was movement in the room, and Fang Xian stepped out unhurriedly before flashing to the three women’s side.

“Mister Fang?”

Startled by Fang Xian’s ghostlike speed, the three squad leaders hurriedly bowed in respect only after they had clearly seen his face. In their hearts, Fang Xian’s standing was no longer the same; he had become second only to the Grand Princess.

“Mm. Bring some fresh dresses for the Grand Princess, and then have someone clean up the courtyard,” Fang Xian said with a light cough. With his hands clasped behind his back, he departed at an unhurried pace, giving the impression of complete composure, elegant bearing, and exceptional poise.

The three women instantly flushed and hurried to comply. Very soon they fetched the Grand Princess’s clothes and brought them to the doorway. A tremendous force came surging out, instantly sweeping the garments away and keeping them from approaching any farther.

Not long after, the Grand Princess emerged from the room fully dressed, a faint blush still lingering on her face. “I have matters to attend to and must return to the manor for a while. You two clean this place up first.”

With that, the Grand Princess vanished in a flash. The three women exchanged a look, then entered the room, only to find that aside from the bed, which was still intact, every other piece of furniture had been destroyed.

On the floor beside the bed lay scattered pieces of torn clothing. A thick, unmistakable scent of desire permeated the entire room, and the three squad leaders, being experienced women, naturally understood what that scent meant.

To their shock, the bedding on the bed had been soaked through, as though it had been immersed in water. Yet at the very center of the sheets remained a vivid peach blossom, bright red and glistening as if it might drip.

“Quick, clean this up. Don’t let the others see it.”

The three of them hurriedly set to work. Only after the room no longer showed any signs of irregularity did they call over the other guards and have them begin clearing away the ruined furniture and tidying the courtyard.

When Fang Xian returned to his own courtyard, he found that Sima Yan had already been waiting for him there. However, at that moment his lower back was still somewhat sore and numb, and he had no mind to tease the young lady, so he sent her to the front clinic to consult alongside her father, Sima Xun.

Sima Yan had grown up under her father’s guidance and studied medicine from childhood, so her skill was already considerable. Over this past month, following Fang Xian every day, he had been teaching her as well, and her medical knowledge had advanced by leaps and bounds. By now, her attainments were no less than those of her father, Sima Xun, and she had been helping Fang Xian treat female patients.