The Secret Princess – Fan Fiction by AC Chapter 29: To A Thousand Caves

♥Author♥Angel♥Chua♥

Adapted from Princess Agents drama series and original novel by Xiao Xiang Dong’er – Chu Qiao Chuan Biography

To A Thousand Caves (proofread done)

A beautiful burgundy Palanquin is passing by streams of water from a mossy forest full of fireflies dancing all around. Chu Qiao asked Viper to stop for a while and witness the dance of fireflies brought her back to her childhood memories and then for a time her memories about her family, her brother Ling Xi, her sisters, and Yuwen Yue resurfaced.

Those memories came from the time she was Xinger a favored maidservant of the fourth young master of the Yuwen household.

She can recall there has never been a day which fear has wrapped her heart for the lives of her brother and sisters but fear did not shrink her will and determination blossomed from the paths of the present slavery system, the aristocrats versus the life of its dogs and pigs of what they call its low slaves.

Her memory was bitter-sweet, from moments of death to moments of short-lived good days, moments of battles, moments of a dog slave fighting the rotten system of the present dynasty’s luminaries.

Viper said: Fireflies in Fall?

Its amazing said Chu Qiao when they only appear, in summer. As Chu Qiao continue to look at them, it brings her recollection of past memories as if she is journeying back in time.

Yuwen Yue was one of the coldest noble she has ever met, but out of his coldness, she remembers the warmest safety walls of the Green Hills courtyard, the unspoken care his young master did to her, and that apple of eyes Yuwen Yue gave to Xinger.

Unfortunately, Yuwen Yue’s bank of good memories was also painted with the most painful and lots of tears for her young master as her heart hopes for the young master’s out of love gestures, will somehow end up in a bright future with Yuwen Yue.

Everyone knows, without some miracle, she will just be a bedchamber maid of the fourth young master.

It was a position much better and elevated than being a dog slave.

But to enjoy the rights of being respected and put into pedestal was quite not part of it.

Though she is not much entitled to it, she took her only chance. And in the contest, she really tried her best to win it. To save her sisters and hopes to live a free and healthy life is her real intention.

Not to mention being the bedchamber maid of the fourth master will gain an opportunity to kill him and avenge the death of his only brother Ling Xi whom Yuwen Yue took its life by its sword.

This part was the hardest. Yuwen Yue tried to explain to her why Ling Xi has to die was not because it was his master’s will but her brother’s last dying wish.

Yuwen Yue honored only what Ling Xi asked him to do. Who is Ling Xi, the slave of fourth young master ordering him to kill him? A low life and humble blood will not dare.

For it is never of Yuwen Yue’s character to obey a slaves because aristocrats do not act that way.

Yuwen Yue realizing the last dying wish request of the servants he trusted all these years, broke it, to honor Ling Xi.

Out of guilt, Ling Xi asked his master Yuwen Yue to do it.

And out of mercy, Yuwen Yue granted it.

Ling Xi thinks because of his not so careful actions he has brought chaos and death to the grandfather of his fourth young master, Yuwen Gao who was at that time on a life and death situation.

Yuwen Yue did not want Ling Xi to die but the available antidote for the poison at that time was only good for one shot, and on that night two of them were poisoned.

Ling Xi in a hopeless situation, he thanked his young master and asked him to end his life not by the poison but by his gentle hands he begged. Yuwen Yue was forced to decide in the middle of two dying people, he has to save one and kill the other one.

Xinger saw at a cold distance what her master did to his 5th brother, and from thereon, she promised herself to avenge the death of his brother unknowingly what really transpired that night and believed only on what she saw with her eyes and his brother put to death and burned into the fire.

She also remembered the sunny prince of Yanbei, Yan Xun who became her mighty pillar who took the opportunity to make her as his comrade and general of Xuili Army.

A bright and gloomy memory of this insistent Yanbei Prince who saved her a lot of troublesome times and as the prince gave her more options to become his perfect escape she decided to join his envoy and left the green pastures of Yuwen household.

Only thing, her painful memory consisted of Yan Xun’s total murder of his family, and she became the Prince deadliest chess piece from Yanbei’s chess match to the Shen Jin Emperor and declared rebellion to the throne.

A total castaway from the royal throne, Yan Xun was stripped off from his royal position and turned into a rebel.

Until she saw that part of herself where she was called A’chu, Yan Xun made her dreams come true by becoming her a free citizen and stripped off her slave status, broke what is customary and lived like there is no status in between them to respect.

At least in the inside, they lived like no boundaries, whatever Yan Xun possess, A’Chu does the same.

A’Chu dreams of a better world happened inside Changan down to Yanbei territories where he commissioned A’Chu to expand his influence including the expense of her life endangered when she went with the Liang Prince Xiao Ce to turn Changan in chaos and let Xiao Ce’s dead head pay for their perfect getaway, up to permitting her to control the Xuili army whom Yan Xun promised to draw out their blood until their bones dry out.

Yan Xun shall never forgive Xuili’s army mistake of letting the Wei army breach their borders, that paved their way to annihilate the Yan royal family and its Yanbei citizen’s dying to the hungry blades of Wei, leaving only him as the only scapegoat.

Chu Qiao getting buried on the bank of her mortal memories, she accepted this part of herself as something permanent and can never select which one to keep and which one to delete.

She has to help herself recover those missing parts before her powers bring her to some unconsciousness of these memories, it may lead her to wipe it out completely.

Chu Qiao also knows that one day she will have to face them again. She hopes that when she does, she is all-knowing and not leaping in the dark.

Let’s go said Chu Qiao after some hanging thoughts and the mesmerizing view of the fireflies, the mossy forest, she got inside her paladin and Viper manned the reins of the three horses and continued their journey to the thousand caves but the Skyshadow woman was not with them.

Chu Qiao wonders where she is but Viper told her, she will just appear whenever she is needed.

To a thousand caves, Zao Baocung just arrived from a long journey, coming from the borders of Liang and Wei. He will stay and shall spend a little longer than usual due to his mission of finding Yuwen Yue as ordered by the Prince of Liang hoping to see the warm body of the previous heir of eyes of God is still alive contrary to Yuwen Household press release.

Zao was busy feeding his hamster pets when suddenly one of the biggest hamsters came and is munching a special mooncake with a note inside, the cute hamster full of its mouth, Zao took it and read: “Come to see me, I need secret information.”

By the time Zao is coming out of one of its cave to meet the visitor, he changed his outfit and put its bloody, blackest red hood and a string of rope as his belt.

With some finishing touches on his face, finally, he looks like a priest of the olden times who will perform a scary ceremony.

He smiled at himself and looks scary. This kind of creepy look builds his credibility as one of the master healers of the underworld spies.

Whatever the proceeds of this job, he sends it to the treasury of Chu Jing Kingdom to rebuild its ruins again.

The gatekeeper of the cave on its usual duty sits at the entrance of the cave like a blind beggar exposing its old wrinkled hand asking for the gold coin.

The cave is literally counted as thousand of caverns underneath the earth and if you are not careful to follow the instructions set by the gatekeeper you won’t come out alive or get lost and like the other unwise visitors have their bones buried inside.

The gatekeeper requires a special gold coin that can only be accepted after being tested, if a visitor tries to lure or attack or offer a fake coin to mislead the gatekeeper.

The story is told, the gatekeeper will feed its soul to the underworld as payment for trickery so is the gatekeeper demands life in exchange.

After seeing the spiritual healer the visitor may come out only after the blindfolded and perform to walk three times in the spiral temple located inside.

Confusing having no sense of direction whether north or south, the healer will guide the way to get out of the cave.

It will take a day to get out. You better prepare because this trip inside the thousand caves would require physical strength and also endurance.

Yuwen Yue and Zuo is determined. Both have great talents as masters of disguise, so they were able to bypass Qinghai’s royal protocols and roamed around free.

At the entrance, the gatekeeper said: “Only one can pass the other cannot.” Yuwen Yue determined to break the rules said: “I brought not only one coin but a thousand coins for my brother, please I am buying his way in, he cannot survive without me.”

Zuo acted like he was such a helpless and disabled brother with his hunch back and filthy clothes and Yuwen Yue from rich to rugged man attire again, true to their titles as the masters of disguise.

The gatekeeper tested one coin in the water, and the coin did not change its color and so poured more until a thousand coins were in the stone basin of water were filled while the two waits at the entrance, they were looking at a possible way out in case of emergency.

The gatekeeper is not looking at whether the guest is rich or poor. Anyone can enter the cave as long as they carry the gold coin coming only from an accepted true source.

Anyone can pass.

The gatekeeper is blind, it is not allowed to see who is coming in.

Yet, its job is to spiritually look at the intentions of the heart. One’s intention will be weighed whether it is good or evil, the outcome is not its business.

“Zuo this is uncharted territory. It is scarier than I thought” said Yuwen Yue.

“I know your Highness, be careful not to show your sword or else we’re done,” whispered by Zuo.

Yuwen Yue sees the old gatekeeper and senses there’s a bit of a problem however they let them pass. They walked together with a map handed by the gatekeeper who disappeared and gone like the wind.

Zuo as immature as he is wanted to jump and laugh out loud because for the first time, the gatekeeper in its sharpness and keen senses they were able to surpass its cruel entrance requirements.

Yuwen Yue slightly tapped Zuo and told him to keep still they need to move according to the map or else they will be buried alive and get lost.

Zuo’s husky voice he whispered: “I should have invited you here before we came to Qinghai, our visit here is long overdue, and he giggled like a boy, and Yuwen Yue tapped him again and put his hands on his mouth to shut up Zuo’s mouth.”

Not so long the two reached the place, and before they could even react, Zao Baocung on his back turned up to see their faces.

Yuwen Yue, on his stature, so handsome also if its rugged appearance, his cold eyes looked at Zao Baocung and Zuo still looking like a hunchback dork.

Zao Baocung on his closed droopy eyes opened them and look at his visitors he said it a scary voice: “You both broke the rule.”

Yuwen Yue quickly said:” “We did not. The gatekeeper let us pass. This is legitimate.”

“No.,” said Zao Baocung, “the sky shadow is following you, you are doomed. I’m done here.”

Suddenly Yuwen Yue raised his brows and twitched his palms and got angry and grabbed Zao Baocung’s hand.

Zao on his other hand got the sword on his waist and about to cut Yuwen Yue when suddenly Zuo stood up straight, came to Zao and without hesitation he holds its sharp blade, his hands were now dripping blood.

Yuwen Yue quickly reacted and in between its moments of a rush, Zuo buying him time, Yuwen Yue took out his Poe Yue Jian sword, and his hood fell.

Zao was surprised to see the person on his mission came to him, and immediately he put down his blade, and Yuwen Yue quickly tore the hem of his clothes and wrapped it around Zuo’s hands.

Yuwen Yue gave a celadon bottle to Zuo.

Yuwen Yue went to finish Zao Baocung when suddenly Zao fell down looking at him, shouted and said: “It is I, I did not recognize you until your hood fell and that sword you are holding is one of the lover’s sword.”

Yuwen Yue heard the lover’s sword and recalls one person who revealed it in front of his apprentice spy Xinger. Yuwen Yue gave the Canhong sword when he was still the master of the eyes of God.

It was the time when both of them were trapped inside Zao Baocung’s cave.

Xinger and Yuwen Yue feeling awkward when Zao revealed the swords they carry is the lover’s sword.

Yuwen Yue suddenly had typhoid fever and Zao revealed it is inborn. If Xinger will not take care of it, Yuwen Yue will die. Zao Baocung took the time to have some fun with Xinger when they stayed for three days at his cave.

Zao Baocung sensed Xinger lost her past memories. He offered to cure and promised the service for free.

Being the crafty and smart merchant, he put a condition to collect the debt when Xinger recalls Wind and Cloud decree. Xinger now owes him. Not a bad business he thought.

 Zao started to place Xinger in a hypnotized state. Xinger for the first time recovered past memories of herself, who she is and what she had been doing before she came to Yuwen household. Yuwen Yue interrupted and stopped Zao Baocung and forced Zao to let them out of the cave.

Yuwen Yue snapped himself back not realizing who is this druid priest-like guy at first, suddenly his pets came one by one nipping the ground. Yuwen Yue on his sharp memory remembered them all and said: “Zao Baocung! A not so pleasant surprise.”

Zao Baocung immediately went to Zuo and said to Yuwen Yue: “Zuo will die in a few hours if the poison on his wound will not be given an antidote.” Quickly, Zao Baocung took out a small bottle and acupuncture needles, unwrapped his wounds and prick some needles around its wounds to stop the poison flowing to his veins reaching his heart.

Zuo Zong passed out soon as Zao inserted the needle at the middle of the wound with the antidote and Zao said to Yuwen Yue: He will lie unconscious for an hour but he will soon vomit the poison and will recover, the poison did not reach its heart.

Yuwen Yue got down on his knees, looking so worried for the first time. On his cold eyes he threw some stern glance at Zao and did not say anything, he just held Zuo in his arms. suddenly, Zao Baocung stood up and countered the attack of the Skyshadow gatekeeper and said: “Old woman, they are not enemies, he holds the Poe Yue Jian sword.”

The old woman still shadowless and did not show itself said: “I know he carried the Poe Yue Jian sword, my master was attacked by him, and the sword was abandoned and now I am getting it back. He is the son of the man who slaughtered the entire Chu Jing Kingdom, he must die.”

And the Skyshadow once again is going to attack when suddenly Yuwen Yue rose and slowly unsheathed the Poe Yue Jian sword, and they began to hear a whirring, ear-splitting sound coming from the sword on its unblinding light with its inscriptions lasing its double-edged blades.

The Skyshadow’s eyes saw the light and its eyes caught its light, her hood fell and exposed her face, and suddenly the old woman transformed to its former state and became a beautiful one.

The Poe Yue Jian sword freed her curse and the woman was lying unconscious on the ground, and Zao came to aide her.

After few minutes of making sure the woman is fine, Zao went to Yuwen Yue who is still not putting his guard down and then Zao Baocung on his knees fell in front of him and said: “You, you are the reason I still came to live this life for the sake of the secret princess.

I cannot be mistaken, you are the lost son of the Qinghai King.” and Zao sobs for a moment and asks for pardon.

Zuo was recovering his consciousness and saw his hands with some needles, Yuwen Yue went back to him and said: “Do not move, an hour has not yet passed, the antidote is at work, eliminating the poison, keep still and stay alive.” While the Skyshadow woman was still lying there and she has not regained her consciousness yet.

Zao Baocung still on his knees Yuwen Yue went back to him and said: “Very well, you almost killed my brother, if he does not recover within an hour, I will cut your head.”

And Yuwen Yue on his cold eyes dismissed Zao but continued to talk: “We came here to ask for secret information about the secret princess and the Chu Jing kingdom, and this is what we got.”

Zao replied and said: “Anything you would want to know your Highness, I am at your service.” Suddenly Zao Baocung not that arrogant and airy type of person any longer became serious and showed a servant attitude.

Yuwen Yue accomplishing his goal for the day said: “I need the key to the secret door of Chu Jing kingdom. My brother said, nobody dared to step and lived after they breach its walls, after its shutdown, the ground became parched and dry, a fragrant flower poison grew around its perimeters making it impossible to breach.

“Your Highness, if you don’t mind, may I ask a question.”

Yuwen Yue gave him a cold stare and said: “Ask.”

“Did you just bring Yue Qi here? This guy over here seems to look like Yue Qi without his hunch back and dirty face, you disguised him?

At the back of his mind, Yuwen Yue might have met Xiao Ce first and brought Yue Qi here? He has a long journey back to East.

“You know what, I had that first impression the first time I met Zuo Zong. They both look-alike and yet so different.”

Zao Baocung got released his worries in the wind said: I really thought he is Yue Qi.

Yuwen Yue said: I read his obituary in the newspapers, he is dead. Yuwen Yue sat down and started to wait for the recovery time of Zuo.

Zao Baocung thinks Yuwen Yue does not have that inside information of what happened to Yue Qi and that means Xiao Ce is a cunning master of keeping secrets.

Your Highness, while waiting we must talk, and you must listen. I am your loyal servant from now on.

What makes you so sure, I will become your master? Yuwen Yue gave him a cold stare.

Your Highness, I know some things you seek at the moment. Not just only about the Chu Jing Kingdom but all secrets pass through me regarding your bodyguard Yue Qi.

“You cannot bring back the dead to walk again.” Yuwen Yue looking gloomy hearing the name of Yue Qi.

Zao Baocung replied: “Your Highness, who said, I cannot bring back the dead to life? Your Highness has not given me a chance, and I have not introduced myself to you.”

Yuwen Yue did not respond and just brushed off Zao when Zao said: “I can assure you Yue Qi is alive and well. As to what happened that is something you must find Your Highness. Zao feeling hurt Yuwen Yue is disregarding everything he says. Zao sat down on one of the stone walls pouting his lips.”

Yuwen Yue feeling heavy on his company’s hurt feelings on his coldness, he stood up and went to the woman who is lying unconscious and said: “Can you bring her to life? It seems she’s dead when she saw my sword.”

Zao did not respond, to get more attention from Yuwen Yue.

Yuwen Yue about to come close when suddenly Zuo vomited the poison. Slowly sat on the cave’s stone wall feeling still drowsy and tired. Yuwen Yue went to him instead and asked: “How are you?”

Zuo opened his eyes and meet his masters then replied: “I am fine master, I need water.” Yuwen Yue let him drink. Zao was looking at them both, seems to think he is Yue Qi’s doppelgänger as they really look-alike even if Zuo is disguised on his hunchback beast in this drama.

Zuo gaining more strength said: “What do we do next?”

Zao replied and said: “Nothing, just sit here until the Skyshadow wakes up.”

“Really?” said Yuwen Yue, as Yuwen Yue recalling what happened last time, Xing’er and he were trapped in the cave with him. Yuwen Yue started to feel hot in his head, and he leaned on the cave stone wall.

While Zuo is gaining strength, Yuwen Yue is feeling sick, and Zao said the same thing he said to Xinger before: “He has typhoid fever. It’s inborn.”

Zuo cannot believe this is happening as he never saw his master brother sick, only now.

Zuo said: “What can I do?”

Zao said: “I can make it go away and he will recover soon.”

“Do it now!” Zuo is pressing Zao.

Zao said: “we wait until its nightfall.”

Zuo stopped talking and just went beside his master brother, his hands over his head, and Yuwen Yue on his closed eyes started to lie down and sleep for a while.

Zao started to call his hamster pets, and his pets came he whispered to them, and the hamsters begin to disperse. And then after an hour the intelligent small and cute pets came in one by one and their mouths full of herbal leaves, Zao told them what to find. Zao took it from their mouths and cleaned it from his mini-kitchen at the cave.

Zuo was just watching Zao until the Skyshadow woke up and suddenly got a small dagger in her old boots and pointed it to Zuo while she was crawling backward away from Zuo.

Zuo did not bother at her so as not to make her defensive but said: “I am not your enemy.”

The Skyshadow woman suddenly went calm and asked: “what just happened?”

“Same thing here, what happened?” Zuo on his ridicule side threw back her question.

The Skyshadow woman saw his wounded hand and knows the antidote worked on his poison.

Zao just finished his job at the kitchen and saw the Skyshadow woman, said: “Welcome to the cave world.”

The Skyshadow woman threw a star dart but Zao on a fast move was not hit and as if nothing happened. She got upset with him and said: “You mean underworld?” the Skyshadow woman smirked at him and then looked at the man so handsome lying on the ground, though he is so ruggedly looking, his total face is looking like a god.

“And this man, who is he? The Poe Yue Jian sword on his side,” she complained.

Zuo limping came in front of her and said: “hep, hep you are not allowed to come close to a god.” Zuo replied as if he knows what on her mind.

The Skyshadow woman about to pick a fight with Zuo when Zao interrupted and said: “Two is a company, three is a crowd and four is a mass! Suddenly the two stopped to pick a fight, seems to get what Zao means.

Zao added: “I am sure you both know the rules of this thousand cave. So save your strength and fight later. We need to get out before dawn, we will take the shortcut on this one day journey, these herbals will only last for a while and works like a band-aid. Our Highness needs some cold air, he is suffocated, and thus his temperature goes up, and the high fever is the result.”

“His Highness?” The sky shadow woman is looking straight with Zao Baocung waiting for further clarification.

Zao got her eyes and added: “Respect your Highness, without him and his sword, you’re curse has no cure.”

Suddenly the Skyshadow looked at her hands, her feet, her hair and touched her face. And suddenly she said: Zao I am back, I am not blind and people can see me even if the sunset has not yet arrived.

Zao smiled and said: Credit goes to our Highness, we need to help him get out of here.

“Sure any help I would cooperate,” but she threw some stern look at Zuo and Zuo looked at her, came close to her face and said: “You know what, if you were just like what your face now and not what your face looks like earlier, I would have been a very good boy at you.” Zuo threw her a sly smile.

The Skyshadow woman about to slam his face when Zao said: What happened to save your strength and fight later? And the Skyshadow halted her hand and Zuo gave a peace sign to her and said: “Another time!”

The Skyshadow upset on her face just stood beside Yuwen Yue and looks at his face. Suddenly she said: “The man who freed my cursed was my Mimi Gongzhu archenemy.”

“Not at all,” said Zao.

Why not, he is the son of Yuwen Hao, did you lost your memories too like the secret princess? Skyshadow woman sneered at Zao.

“This is hard to explain, but you will come to know about it soon.” Zao told her to dismiss the Skyshadow woman.

At nightfall, Zao gave Yuwen Yue some herbal leaves and took Yuwen Yue, they carried him on their backs. Zao opened some portal at the thousand caves to walk into the shortcut path. Zuo saw them all. Hence he now knows its secrets and Zao did not object but told him: “guard those secrets well, it may save lives someday.”

After a few hours passed, the four got out of the cave between the moonset and sunrise met their eyes, Zuo Zong fully recovered while Yuwen Yue starts to feel better, fever is gone. Zao Baocung and the Skyshadow closed the portals, they began to walk on the mossy forest.

♥♥♥

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