The Princess’ Shadow Guard – Chapter 93

Faithful Dog Training Camp (2)

You, to me, are just a piece of walking pork

If you were to ask Song Shuqing what she drank the most in her lifetime, or rather, two lifetimes, what would she say?

Not plain water, not tea, and certainly not Coca-Cola.

She would probably roll her eyes dramatically and answer:

River water.

(Did you think senior sister would answer 『Zi Yan’s saliva』? Hey! What are you bad people thinking!)

After jumping off the ship, Song Shuqing dragged Cao Yun by the neck, kicking her legs to fight against the waves.

Even though she was submerged, she kept pushing the man’s nose and mouth above the water. The icy river water poured into her lungs, making her want to cough, but she had to hold it in to avoid choking on more water.

Everything around was pitch black; Song Shuqing couldn’t see anything, and even the sound of the river slapping against the boat gradually faded, leaving only the bright moon hanging high above.

Her body temperature was being mercilessly drained, and her movements gradually stiffened. Yet, even at this moment, her mind couldn’t stop racing.

Damn it, if a wooden plank could drift by right now, it would be like Titanic (Titanic, the romantic disaster film released in 1997).

But I would definitely not be as stupid as Jack. I wouldn’t throw Ah Yun onto it and then stay in the water to die. The plank in the movie was clearly big enough for two people!

Her limbs grew weak as she dragged Cao Yun along, feeling desperate, but she still didn’t let go, grumbling messily in her mind.

God, I’m still single, and you’re just going to take my life like this?

Not even giving me a wife, so stingy!

And Ah Yun talks so little; it would be really boring if it’s just the two of us in line waiting to drink Meng Po soup.

(LP: Meng Po is the goddess of oblivion in Chinese mythology, who serves Meng Po Soup on the Bridge of oblivion or Naihe Bridge. This soup wipes the memory of the person so they can reincarnate into the next life without the burdens of the previous life. She awaits the dead souls at the entrance of the 9th round Fengdu.)

Ugh… Speaking of which, Ah Yun is also single…

God, look at yourself, do you think this is right?!

If her nose and mouth weren’t submerged, Song Shuqing would have really wanted to point at the sky and curse. Just as the two were about to sink to the bottom of the river, she saw a faint firelight in the distance.

It’s the shore!

Seeing hope, but after struggling in the turbulent river for so long and experiencing a fierce battle, Song Shuqing was already exhausted.

Her calves cramped up, barely able to resist the waves. She bit her lip, feeling an inexplicable rusty taste in her mouth, but still pushed Cao Yun towards the distant shore.

Damn it!

If I survive this, God, you better be sensible and give me a wife!

Her thoughts chaotic, Song Shuqing forced herself to ignore the weakness in her limbs, muttering in her heart.

Finally, she didn’t know how long it took, but she felt the muddy ground beneath her feet, her body no longer floating. She struggled to drag the man ashore, panting heavily.

But the sense of crisis urged her not to rest, especially feeling the burning heat from Cao Yun’s body that had just left the river, his whole body trembling. Song Shuqing quickly carried her senior brother into the forest, trying to find a hidden and dry place.

Under the moonlight, the fire starter in her arms was already wet. The woman used the faint moonlight to navigate, protecting the person behind her as best as she could, despite stumbling.

In a dirt pit covered with dense branches, she put Cao Yun down. Seeing their wet clothes constantly sapping their body heat, Song Shuqing muttered, “Ah Yun, don’t say I took advantage of you when you wake up.” She deftly undressed the man.

Cao Yun’s left arm was still bleeding profusely, the flesh torn, and the wound mixed with mud. Without looking, Song Shuqing knew how bad the situation was.

Frowning, she took out a firestone, trying to light the collected dry branches. Her cold, stiff fingers fumbled, the stone falling several times, cutting her palm. But Song Shuqing persisted, tilting her head to avoid dripping water from her hair.

Finally, after who knows how long, a small spark ignited the twigs. She carefully blew on it, even as the smoke made her eyes tear, fearful of losing the precious warmth.

Finding the knife Cao Yun always carried in his clothes, Song Shuqing heated it in the small fire. She then used the remaining clean water from a leather pouch to clean his wound, stuffing torn cloth into his mouth.

After a while, looking at the red-hot blade in her hand, Song Shuqing whispered to her unconscious senior brother, “This is going to hurt, I’m sorry.” She straddled his chest, took a deep breath, and decisively pressed the hot iron onto his severed arm.

The silent forest echoed with the sizzling of flesh and Cao Yun’s painful wails. The originally groggy man was jolted awake by the sudden pain, his throat emitting muffled roars like a struggling beast, twisting to break free.

“Ah Yun, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

But Song Shuqing didn’t move, pressing him firmly to the ground. The smell of cooked flesh filled her nostrils, and she murmured, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. When you wake up, you can settle the score however you want, but you must live…”

The severely injured Cao Yun was easily restrained by Song Shuqing. Only when she saw the wound close and stop bleeding did she release her grip on the knife.

The man, who had been groaning, fell silent, only heavy breathing remaining before he passed out again.

Summoning her strength, she wrung out their clothes, hanging them on a branch. Song Shuqing hugged her knees, forcing her eyelids open, tending the small fire.

But she was too exhausted. After experiencing a life-and-death battle and struggling in the river, she couldn’t resist sleep, closing her eyes within half an hour.

When Song Shuqing woke up, it was already bright. She shook her head and saw Cao Yun’s open eyes.

Not feeling embarrassed by her lack of clothing, she simply raised an eyebrow at her senior brother, “What? Tempted? I have a great figure, don’t I?”

The pale-faced Cao Yun remained silent, struggling but still showing a disapproving pout.

“Hey! What’s that expression! I’m at least a C!” She casually draped a dry robe over herself and checked his wound.

“You… meat…” Cao Yun’s lips moved weakly, trying to speak.

“Hm? What are you trying to say?” Leaning in with her ear close, Song Shuqing asked.

“You… to me, are just a piece of walking pork…” Cao Yun’s sincere eyes gazed at his junior sister, saying words that left her utterly speechless.

“…If you can’t speak properly, don’t speak… What ‘pork,’ you’re the pig! A wild boar that doesn’t know how to appreciate fine food.” Although Song Shuqing grumbled loudly, her hands were gentle as she bandaged him.

After a while, she laboriously hoisted her senior brother onto her back, covering their campfire traces with her foot. Confirming their coordinates, she headed deeper into the forest.

Clearly, she usually complained about being delicate, whining when carrying even a few things. Yet, carrying the injured Cao Yun for a long time, sweat dripping from her forehead, legs trembling with fatigue, Song Shuqing didn’t utter a single word of complaint.

“You shouldn’t have bothered with me…” Cao Yun, lying on the woman’s back, suddenly spoke as he looked at his junior sister who was gritting her teeth and persevering. “At that time, you should have just jumped off the ship yourself. Insisting on taking me across the river with a severed arm was too dangerous.”

“Ah Yun, you’re so annoying.” She was somewhat out of breath and, after adjusting her grip on her senior brother, said, “Usually, you talk too little and it’s annoying; now that you’re injured, you talk too much and it’s unbearable. A man like that won’t be popular with girls.”

“Speaking of which, why did you block that blade for me?” Climbing over a tree root as thick as a thigh, Song Shuqing rolled her eyes. “You’re really crazy. How are you going to wield dual blades after this…” The latter part of her sentence had a tinge of choking.

“…My body moved on its own.” Even though his voice was weak, the woman could still hear the man’s words clearly in her ear. Cao Yun continued, “If it were you, you would do the same thing as me.”

“…I wouldn’t! You’re overthinking it. I’d run far away at the first moment.” Song Shuqing snorted, her tone cold, but her expression was different where the man couldn’t see. “I’m not Qinqin; I’m afraid of pain. I’d definitely throw you off first.”

Cao Yun heard this, but he wasn’t angry at all. Instead, he suppressed a rare inner smile.

If his junior sister were truly as cold and unfeeling as she claimed, she wouldn’t have willingly stayed to divert the Crown Prince’s pursuers with him, wouldn’t have dragged him through the raging river, and wouldn’t now be insisting on carrying him despite being drenched in sweat.

“Junior Sister Song…” Looking at the slender figure beneath him, the man spoke, “Thank you.”

“…What are you thanking me for… so silly.” Song Shuqing whispered, thinking of her senior brother’s arm that was severed because of her, her throat tightening with emotion. “I should be the one thanking you, and I’m sorry… about your arm.” Uncontrollable guilt seeped through her words.

“Trading an arm for a chance for both of us to live is a rare fortune for a shadow guard.” His tone was light. If not for the pain of his wound, the man might have shrugged nonchalantly. “Being able to retire alive is already good.”

“That’s true…” Taking a deep breath, the woman blinked away her melancholy, forcing herself to cheer up as she said joyfully, “They say that great hardship must be followed by great fortune. Ah Yun, I can guarantee that our fortune is already on its way.”

“After all, God wouldn’t be so thoughtless as to be stingy and not even give us a wife, right!?”

The author has something to say:

Will God actually grant them a wife? I’m so curious (laughs).

LP: Re-translated on June 04, 2024