Xiao Feng's POV
My head throbbed as I opened my eyes. The scent of unfamiliar perfume, too sweet and heavy, hung in the air. I sat up slowly, my hands instinctively brushing against the silk mat beneath me.
Where was I?
Around me, girls sat huddled together—some dressed in embroidered hanfu, others in royal silks, all bearing signs of exhaustion and fear. I spotted a familiar crest on the sleeve of one girl beside me—it belonged to the nobility of Western Liang.
This wasn't a palace.
> "Where… am I?" I asked her, voice low and unsure.
The girl jumped slightly and quickly glanced around before leaning closer. Her voice was barely a whisper.
> "Keep your voice down… they're cruel."
> "Who?"
Her eyes trembled with fear.
> "The ones who kidnapped us. They've taken all of us—noble girls, princesses… They're demanding ransoms from our families. But the ones whose families paid… never came back to tell us what happened."
I stared at her, heart sinking.
Traffickers. Extortionists. Cowards hiding behind money.
But they didn't know me.
They didn't know who they had taken.
A slow smirk curled on my lips.
> "Well," I said under my breath, "they've kidnapped the wrong princess."
The girl widened her eyes at my sudden shift in tone.
> "No, no, don't try anything. Don't be stupid," she whispered in panic.
"They'll kill you—"
I met her gaze with a steady calm.
> "I know what I'm doing."
In one smooth movement, I slipped a tiny blade from the inner sleeve of my dress—hidden perfectly inside the silk embroidery. I pressed it to the ropes around my wrists and began cutting.
The tension in the room shifted. All eyes turned to me as one by one, the knots came undone.
I freed myself.
Then, I moved swiftly to the others. My fingers worked fast, my ears tuned for the faintest sound outside the room. The girls stared in disbelief—perhaps not understanding how a princess knew how to do this, how calm I looked while doing it.
They didn't know the training Father made me go through. Or the wars I studied in silence. Or the fact that I was never meant to be anyone's helpless captive.
The last rope slipped free.
I knocked over a tall bronze bowl, letting it clang across the floor.
The doors slammed open—guards stormed in, snarling like rabid dogs.
> "What the hell?! How did you—who cut the ropes?! You all will regret this!" one of them shouted.
I stood, facing them head-on, my expression sweet like spring wine but eyes glinting like sharpened steel.
> "Let's see who will regret ."
With a shout, I launched myself into motion—feet barely touching the floor as I spun and struck.
They weren't trained like palace guards. Just thugs in uniform. One by one, I brought them down, each move clean and precise—joints disarmed, pressure points struck, bodies dropping to the ground with stunned groans.
The girls clutched each other, frozen in awe and fear, watching me cut through our captors like storm winds over lanterns.
When it ended, silence followed.
I stood over them, chest rising and falling with each breath, sweat dampening my collar. I turned back to the others.
> "We're getting out of here," I said calmly. "All of you. I'll take you home safely."
They nodded slowly, hope returning to their eyes.
But just as I turned toward the door—
Warm arms wrapped tightly around my waist from behind.
My muscles tensed.
> "Who—?"
A familiar scent—cedar, wind, and something wild.
> "It's me," came the low whisper against my ear.
"My princess… are you okay?"
My breath caught.
That voice.
> "Bai Long."