Chapter 98: Chapter 98: Leaping from the Horse and Falling off the Cliff, Who Will Save Me?

Reaching around Princess Qingyun, she pulled the reins taut. Feeling the force of her grip, the horse began to calm.

Thankfully, it was only a small, young horse. Had it been a warhorse, Ji Qingwu wouldn’t have been able to control it at all.

Horses have a habit of testing their riders. The gentler you are, the more they’ll act up. But once they feel your strength, they become obedient.

With Ji Qingwu in command of the reins, the little bay horse was much more manageable, but it was still galloping forward, unable to stop.

They were about to smash through the barrier.

Ji Qingwu made a split-second decision. She grabbed hold of Qingyun and shouted, "We have to jump! Don’t be afraid!"

"No... I can’t... I’m scared..."

Princess Qingyun was paralyzed with fear, her feet jammed into the stirrups and her hands desperately clutching the horse’s mane.

Her refusal made Ji Qingwu miss the optimal moment to jump.

The horse vaulted over the barrier. With a surge of determination, Ji Qingwu used all her strength to haul Princess Qingyun off the saddle.

Clinging to each other, the two of them tumbled across the rocky ground, rolling several times before finally stopping at the very edge of a cliff.

Princess Qingyun opened her eyes to find half her body dangling over an abyss. Terrified, she began kicking her arms and legs wildly in the air.

Ji Qingwu’s brow furrowed. "Don’t move!" she warned.

But the Princess wouldn’t listen. She gave Ji Qingwu a hard shove, desperate to scramble away from the perilous edge.

Feeling the earth crumbling beneath her, Ji Qingwu tried to roll back toward solid ground.

But it was too late. The gravel gave way, falling in a cascade of stones. Princess Qingyun shrieked as they both plummeted over the edge.

Ji Qingwu’s reflexes were sharp. Spotting a large tree growing from the cliff face, she yelled, "Grab the branches!"

Princess Qingyun’s survival instinct was overwhelming; she frantically latched onto the tree.

The tree was large enough to support them both, but as Qingyun flailed about in mid-air, one of her kicks struck Ji Qingwu’s arm, making her lose her grip.

She plunged farther down, but as luck would have it, there was a slightly smaller tree below. She managed to grab it, saving herself from falling into the abyss and being smashed to a pulp.

Princess Qingyun clung to the tree, too terrified to look down at the chasm below, wailing and screaming.

"Fifth Cousin! Fifth Cousin, are you dead?"

After securing her grip, Ji Qingwu replied with a hint of resignation, "Not yet, but I was close." ’That wild kick almost did me in,’ she thought.

’Still, Qingyun was just panicking. It wasn’t intentional.’

"Fifth Cousin, what are we going to do?!" The sheltered little princess was on the verge of a complete breakdown. "Is anyone up there?" she shrieked. "Hurry, come save me! I’m down here!" 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

The more dangerous the situation, the calmer Ji Qingwu grew.

She said, "Your Highness, that Miss Huo knows which way your horse went. It will take them some time to find us, so you should conserve your strength."

Hearing her fifth cousin’s composed voice, Qingyun calmed down slightly.

’In truth,’ Ji Qingwu thought, ’I’m not counting on Miss Huo to get help. She didn’t even follow when I chased after the Princess. She must have been terrified. She probably wouldn’t dare tell anyone what happened; she might have even just snuck back home.’

But she was certain someone would come, because she trusted the man Emperor Wu Su had assigned to her. ’Si Hai will definitely find us.’

And sure enough, before long, a group of people carrying torches appeared.

The man in the lead saw the frantic hoofprints and the scuff marks where they had rolled on the ground, and he immediately rushed to the cliff’s edge.

His voice was surprisingly steady as he yelled, "Qingyun!"

Princess Qingyun looked up, and when she saw who it was, tears instantly streamed down her cheeks.

Her voice was laced with self-pity and sorrow as she replied, "Chengxun, you’re here! You came to save me! I shouldn’t have been so angry with you. I’m so glad you’re here."

The two had been fighting, but after her brush with death, Qingyun felt there was nothing more wonderful than seeing him.

Li Chengxun saw Princess Qingyun clinging to the tree below and calmly reassured her, "Princess, don’t be afraid. I’ll have you up in a moment."

But when his gaze fell lower and he saw the woman in red clinging to the smaller tree, his entire body went rigid. His calm demeanor shattered, replaced instantly by panic.

Ji Qingwu hadn’t expected him to be the first one to find them.

’But it doesn’t matter who it is,’ she thought. ’Someone’s here. We’re finally going to be saved.’

Right now, she was filled with a single, profound regret... regretting that extra bowl of porridge she’d had for breakfast.

She could feel the small tree she was clutching begin to sway, groaning under her weight.

Li Chengxun lay flat on the ground. After a moment’s hesitation, he reached his hand toward Princess Qingyun.

But just then, with a loud CRACK, the small tree Ji Qingwu was hanging from suddenly tore loose from the rock, exposing its roots.

Princess Qingyun reached out, only for her hand to grasp at empty air. She stared in shock as Li Chengxun snatched his hand away.

Li Chengxun had seen Ji Qingwu’s predicament. Without a second thought, he diverted the hand meant for Princess Qingyun, lunging down to grab the other woman just as she was about to fall.

An instant later, the small tree tore completely free from the cliff face and plunged into the inky abyss below.

If he had hesitated for even a second, Ji Qingwu would have fallen with it, leaving not even a trace behind.

Li Chengxun’s eyes were wide with lingering terror. Half his body was hanging over the edge as his fingers dug into her arm.

"Hold on tight!"

Ji Qingwu’s lips were white, her heart hammering in her chest. She was clearly terrified. As Li Chengxun pulled, she found purchase with her feet and pushed off.

With his pull and her push, she was finally back on solid ground.

Meanwhile, a few of the guards who had come with him quickly pulled Princess Qingyun up as well.

Ji Qingwu’s palms were slick with sweat. Taking small, gasping breaths, she walked by herself away from the cliff, safely behind the barrier, and tried to calm her racing heart.

She had been calm in the moment, but now, the delayed shock and fear washed over her.

After being pulled to safety, Princess Qingyun was shaking like a leaf, her legs giving out as she collapsed to the ground.

"Qingyun, are you all right?" Li Chengxun stepped forward and took her hand, but she violently shook it off.

Princess Qingyun’s hands ached and her legs felt like jelly, but she was propped up by a furious anger. She staggered over to Ji Qingwu.

Before anyone could react, Princess Qingyun summoned what little strength she had left and swung a slap at her face.

Ji Qingwu instinctively dodged back.

The pampered little princess had no strength left. The slap went wide; her fingernails only managed to snag a few strands of hair as her fingers grazed Ji Qingwu’s cheek.

Having expended all her energy on the slap, Princess Qingyun swayed, lost her balance, and started to topple sideways.

Ji Qingwu was still recovering from the near-death experience and hadn’t expected Qingyun’s sudden outburst, much less that she’d have the energy to come looking for trouble.

It looked like a direct hit, but it didn’t hurt. It was just humiliating.

After all, one doesn’t slap another in the face, especially not in front of so many people.

A glint flashed in her eyes. Unseen in the dim light, she stuck out her foot, and Princess Qingyun fell face-first into the grass to her right.