She continued;

"I sent my guard home to deliver our conditions and also told her to tell my mom that I would do all I can to make sure I return with you in five years, but I never knew I would come to love you so deeply in less than four months…"

Then the princess paused as Min Hong braced for the massive bombshell which was the endpoint of all the historical narration so far...

"But contacted my mom contacted me yesterday whilst you were asleep, and told me the grand elders have begun to pester her the more, meaning they are getting impatient…"

"Though my mother didn't explicitly tell me how much time I have left, but I have lived around the old women so much that I know how they behave and think, and I can tell that I have less than two years at best, before they tell me to come home, or send people to come bring me home…"

"The best I and mother can do is fight for three years at least and by then, if I don't return with you, I would have to settle for whomever they make available to me, otherwise I and my mom would be in a serious pinch…"

The princess subconsciously lowered her head in guilt and Min Hong knew that, but before her head could go any lower, he already supported it upwards again as he spoke;

"So, all you are saying is that I have only three years to settle all my affairs and follow you back to your clan right?" Min Hong asked deep in thought;

"I'm afraid so…"

The princess' voice was barely audible when she said this and Min Hong could tell she was about to start crying;

"I'm sorry dear, I am just too weak to control my own life… I don't deserve to be with someone like you who strives to be free and unbound by any restrictions…"

At this point she had begun to cry;

"I am so sorry Hong, I acted high and mighty when we met, and treated you like I own you when I actually didn't even own my own life…"

The princess' eyes were flowing with tears which began to drop into the pool, and Min Hong could hear the slightest sound they made as the moment they touched the pool;

"Silly girl, Hehe…"

Min Hong didn't know how, but the princess current state had spurred not only his emotions, but even Daniel was raging at the way she was being treated, whilst Little Fei who was a victim of such political shenanigans himself was feeling very sorry for her;

'Imperials and royals do live a miserable life…' Little Fei muttered;

"Her ancestors were still even considerate giving their princess 50 years to live freely, but their current old hags are trying to change that, and are even using aggressive moves too…"

"If I get a hold of them, I will eat their flesh raw and pick my teeth with their shaggy bones!"

Daniel kept fuming, and since their consciousness were linked, their emotions influenced Min Hong and Min Hong's emotions also influenced them which was why Min Hong was currently in a mixed state of melancholy and fury…

But Little Fei being in his nature was the first to look for a solution to the problems;

'Alright, you have the Imperial Seeding Tournament in five months, the inheritance ground the Pirate were going to is also due to open in seven months, and out of our current three month long mission, you have already taken one month out…' Little Fei began his analysis;

"This means, all your immediate concerns are to be fulfilled within the next year, and in the second year, we don't know what being an Intern Protector consists of, and we don't know when the Super Clans would rebel against the Empire… Shit, this is the first time there are so many invariables that I cannot even think of a precise solution…"

Little Fei failed and it stunned Min Hong and Daniel, because Little Fei was by far the most intelligent, logical, and calm one amongst them, and if someone like him couldn't find a solution to this, then there was no need thinking about a solution themselves…

"It's alright guys, we will just handle things as they come…"

Min Hong eased their frustrations before returning to the matter of the princess;

"No one is ever truly free, and no one is ever truly unbound…"

"It is nothing but fantasy, or a state of mind one reaches to make them feel better about the miserable situations they find themselves…" Min Hong responded;

"Even the gods themselves are still bound by the power they possess and the powers themselves are bound by some certain inexplicable phenomena…"

Min Hong thought about someone on the level of the 'Great Creator' still having to go through so much troubles to find the Origin of the True Spirits just so he could obtain enough power to face the great calamity that was about to befall the mirrored dimension, and then he chuckled self mockingly…

If someone like the great creator has not achieved freedom, who was he or the princess to seek for one not to even talk of claiming to have found one…

"We still have three years before they come for you…"

"Let me handle my affairs as they come along, and when the time comes, I believe I would have reached a solution to the problem then…"

Though Min Hong sounded unsure, and he felt stupid and weak to be unable to reach a definitive solution, but that was the best he could offer, and it was better than making promises that he couldn't keep…

But even at that, he still wasn't satisfied with his response and wanted to say something that would make the princess feel better, thus he added;

"But anyone who thinks they are going to take you away from me, would have to do so over my dead body…"

When the princess heard this, she sighed, and though she was still sniffing, she stopped crying…

For some mysterious reasons, she kept feeling that as long as Min Hong was by her side, there was no storm that she wouldn't face and overcome;

It was more than a feeling, it was an outright trust, and though it was baseless since they have not really faced any trials together, but she had utmost faith that as long as it is for this youth behind her, she could overcome it…

The princess leaned her head back on his shoulders and took both of his arms and wrapped it around herself beneath the hot water as she gradually began to feel at peace…

"Do you need to make any preparations for the upcoming battle?" Min Hong asked;

"No… You?"

"No…" Min Hong replied;

"Good, just stay here with me for a bit longer and we can join them…"

The princess added before turning around to face Min Hong as they both began to make out…

The princess moans were extra erotic, loud and sounded somehow craving; it was like she desperately needed to flush out the residual frustration within her mind, and as Min Hong kissed her all over and groped every inch of her body, she felt truly owned, and this made her heart melt and her worries fade away gradually…

Min Hong also knew why she was extra sensitive, and he touched and kissed her like he owned her, he wanted to tell her she was his, and despite the fact that what he was currently doing might cause his doom and that of everything he cared about, he used his actions to tell her that he didn't even care if the world burnt and the heavens were flipped upside down, no one could stop him from loving and owning her…

This level of possessiveness and commitment was exactly what the princess craved, and he gave it to her, and from then on, the last thread of individuality amongst them snapped, as they mentally considered each other as the extension of themselves…

After about an hour of nonstop, solid make out, the duo finally stopped since the princess just had a mind-blowing, nerve wracking and soul shattering orgasm without even being penetrated which was the result of her over sensitive state, and the manner of which she had it also pushed Min Hong over the edge as he also joined her in the process…

His mayonnaise floated up to the surface of the water and the princess saw it, but whilst Min Hong thought it was disgusting, the princess even went to the extent of touching it, and to her she felt a sense of intimacy with it rather than disgust…

Min Hong drained the water by simply pouring it out into the void after he created a spatial slit at the bottom of the pool, then the princess filled it up with another clean water, before Min Hong had it boiling once again, and this time, they truly had their bath…

Then after a two hours at the hot springs, Min Hong and the princess got dressed and stepped outside…

The princess had a tight fitting battle comfy outfit on which consisted of a sleeveless dress, a pant [Trouser] and a loose robe to act as an overall…

Her hair was tied into a bun, and her wet bangs and steamy appearance made her appear sexy as hell to the rest of the experts…

Min Hong on the other hand had a long sleeved top and a pant [trouser] also with his core court robes pulled over his body, which when the rest of the Sect members saw, provoked a smile of confidence in them…

Gong Yi was the first to don his own core court robe, followed by Tong Tian, Xiao Gui, Ki Ting and the rest…

This would be their final time here, and they didn't care if their enemies knew where they were from, because they wouldn't be alive long enough for it to matter…

This was the message Min Hong passed to them, and they got it point blank…

They all wore sandals with roped that tied it up to their shin, but everyone within the hideout were all looking at the duo at the entrance of the hot springs…

Their similar looking bangs [which was made by the princess as her symbol of love to him] made them appear like they were a perfect match made from heaven, a true King and Queen, and every single expert present were ready to follow their lead…