The only rule

The sword was shiny, drawing in his strength but he had no idea.

"Yuan!" Princess Xi Xilang shouted. She hastened the wheels of her chair so she can get to her brother fast. Instinctively, she kicked the sword away from him.

Prince Xi Yuan tried to stabilize his breathing as he rose up. Seeming like his eyes just cleared, he hugged her very tight. "What are you doing here?"

"It's been months since I saw you. Father wouldn't allow me come out of my room. I snuck out today just to come -- see you." Princess Xi Xilang held his hands, massaging his cheeks.

Prince Xi Yuan sighed, "Where are your guards? What if you get attacked and can't defend yourself?" He remembered what happened to Wei Xun earlier. No one can guarantee it wouldn't happen again.

"Do not worry about me." She managed to convince him as he got pulled to sit on her laps.

The Prince felt embarrassed as he tried to stand up, even though they were the only ones in that particular area. "We are not kids anymore." He rolled his eyes.

"Where did you get that sword?" Princess Xi Xilang's expression became serious, she pointed to the sword.

Prince Xi Yuan shifted uncomfortably, his eyes on the sword. How on earth would he explain that he drowned? How would he explain his encounter in the water? How would he explain the awakening of some cultivation in him?

"Yuan...." The Princess tapped him, calling him back from thinking too far.

He shook, trying to figure out what lie to cook up for his sister. "Master Yuan!" His savior in disguise yelled his name from a close distance.

Prince Xi Yuan was surprised to see recognized Wei Xun's maidservant. "Mistress! She is --- poisoned..." Yang Xia struggled to balance her breathing as she tried to explain in a fast pace.

"---- she is poisoned and likely not to survive after the next hour." She bursted into tears while the Prince sprang to his feet immediately.

Wei Xun could feel the toxins traveling in her entire body. Prince Xi Yuan's eyes widened as he saw her fall unconscious, entirely. "Wild kitten!"

Quickly, he sat on the floor beside her and pulled her up. He turned her back against him and placed his left hand on it, driving some cultivation power into her.

Wei Xun coughed out blood and fell on him, "Do not transfer cultivation into her!" Princess Xi Xilang wheeled her chair into the room. "It will speed up the toxins in her body." She explained.

"What do I do? It's fast spreading and her pulse is getting weak." Panic sounded in the prince's voice as he carried her to the bed.

Princess Xi Xilang went to her. Wei Xun's face was pale, her lips were dry and wounded. Her body is shivering slowly, her head swiveled from one side to the other.

Wei Xun met herself, lying down in ice. She shivered greatly, "Xing'er!" A particular woman called repeatedly. Her head swirled forward and backward.

Arrows flew around, another section of shock. Xing'er fell into the deep waters, her head hitting the depth, causing her to bleed. "Stay alive!" The voice warned.

"Purple leaf orchid and bone flower." Princess Xilang said in an instant, like she just remembered. She is one of the top medicine professional in the whole of Xi's dynasty but denied of her position because she is lame.

"Where do we find that?" Yang Xia asked, looking at her with unsure eyes. She has known the heavenly princess to always recover on her own, without any treatment but this case is different.

Princess Xi Xilang looked up to her brother, "You can only find them close to the demon caves." She finally answered.

"The demon clan has always been enemies with our Xi clan. How do I convince them to give me these items?" Prince Xi Yuan was confused, this solution would be very difficult to attain.

"I have a long time friend there. He knows me by my third name." Princess Xilang lowered her head.

    *

    *

"Lang'r?" The Prince of the Demon clan asked surprisingly. "You are her brother? The one she always talked about." Prince Xi Yuan nodded.

  

Prince Fei Yan sighed, "It's been five years." He muttered. "Five years since she became lame."

"I'm here to beg you for two ingredients." Prince Yuan wanted to avoid the topic. His sister becoming lame was such a tragic incident. He doesn't want to remember. No, he doesn't!

Prince Fei Yan looked at him, "Purple leaf orchid and bone flower." He asked. "Because of Lang'r....." He added.

They disappeared and reappeared in a crystal cave. "This cave is where rare items like those you need grows."

Prince Fei Yan held Prince Xi Yuan's hands when he was about to go into the cave. "Take care of Lang'r. I will visit her sometime." He said, with emotions running through him that Prince Yuan didn't even pay attention to.

    *

    *

"Burn the items with cultivation flames until it produces a crystal - like pill." Princess Xi Xilang instructed and he went to work immediately.

Prince Xi Yuan shaped his cultivation flames, burning the two items for more than ten minutes. "Ah!" Yang Xia breath in relief when she saw the pill drop into a small bottle the Princess held.

Prince Xi Yuan opened Wei Xun's mouth and was about to drop the pill into it, "It doesn't work that way." His sister stopped him.

He got confused, "You have to chew the pill, extract the liquid and transfer that into her mouth." Prince Xi Yuan's heart stopped beating for some seconds.

"She doesn't have much time left, Yuan." The Princess reminded him, rolling her wheelchair out of the room and she pulled Yang Xia along too.

Prince Xi Yuan didn't have a choice. He threw the pill into his mouth and chewed it. Extracting the liquid, he lowered himself to her thin pink opened lips. It connected and the liquid dropped in bits into her mouth.

After covering her up, he went outside. "What type of poison is it?" He had to ask. Who else has the guts to poison her? Why is she being attacked consecutively within three days?

"Cold, pale skin, bruised lips ---" Princess Xi Xilang paused, looking at him. "It's a rare western drug." She concluded as she stared at the dead spider Yang Xia brought to her which was already placed back in the box.

Prince Xi Yuan's eyes were focused on the box, "Who brought the box to her?" He asked.

"One of the gifts the Emperor brought to my mistress. He insisted she should place it under her bed when she wants to sleep. Wei Xun didn't want to disrespect his intentions which she labeled good." Yang Xia explained, anger radiating over her face.

Wei Xun stepped out of the room, walking slowly and tiredly. "What are you doing ---- you are?" What question would she ask first?

"Mistress!" Yang Xia hugged her happily while the Prince introduced his sister.

Wei Xun smiled weakly, "Thank you for saving me." She bowed. "No worries. Inform my brother if you need anything." Yang Xia volunteered to help the Princess to her wing.

Everywhere became silent until Wei Xun got pulled by the Prince, on his laps. "What --- let me go." Even though she doesn't have enough strength. The Prince chuckled at her stubbornness.

Wei Xun finally surrendered but grumpily, "You owe me." Prince Xi Yuan started a conversation. "I saved you three times. You owe me." He repeated.

"What do you want?" She frowned, wrapping a shawl around her shoulders.

Prince Xi Yuan smirked intentionally, "In return for saving you, you'll be my Master."

Wei Xun's face snapped towards him, "What did you say?" She stood up immediately.

Prince Xi Yuan stood up too, "Be my Master, Wei Xun." It appeared as a plea.

Wei Xun is still in shock, why will he come to her? "Why do you want me to become your Master?" She asked him.

"Because I saved you, Xing'er." Prince Xi Yuan said. Wei Xun's eyes snapped to him in another shock, the voice ringing in her head - that person that always called her in her unconscious state.

Wei Xun didn't know how to respond, knowing fully well he already saved her twice. "Show me your cultivation skills."

Prince Xi Yuan got to work immediately. He did everything he knows. To the practices, the cultivation flames, every single thing he knows.

"Rank 9 ---?" Her eyes widened in shock. "Your cultivation is on a rank 9." She looked at him with bewilderment. "Where? How? --- I want the truth."

Prince Xi Yuan didn't think it was something special, he told her everything as she listened attentively. That was why, the heavens changed. That was why she was sent to the earth - she thought.

"To be my student, you have to follow my one rule." Wei Xun started, throwing her shawl away. "From now on, pretend to be the once humiliated young prince of the Xi's dynasty again. That's the only way."