LEGEND OF THE GOLDEN TIGRESS

Just then majestic roar echoed inside that room as Fei Lian appeared in his tiger form and his roar made the fog loose strength and Shengli could feel Xing getting her consciousness back.

"You thought of touching her under my watch?", Fei Lian roared and the fog retreated and disappeared entirely.

Shengli looked at the G.o.d who had now transformed to his humanoid form walking towards them in larger strides with his face showing emotions filled with concern, anger and disappointment clearly. He had the same expression back in the library fire too.

Shengli could never understand this G.o.d. He had known him for long as Xing introduced him to him and he never looked at him with good intentions. Shengli knew this G.o.d wanted him dead and he never even hid that fact. Only Xing didn"t see it because for her this G.o.d is someone close to a father figure and that G.o.d was a hypocrite who masked his hatred towards him perfectly well in front of her.

But lately this G.o.d is fine with him and even helping him for some reason...? Or is it just an illusion?

When the Fox Prince told her about the hidden mark of spell on her forehead is to say that his Xing is that G.o.d"s... surprisingly, he didn"t get angry or jealous as he should have been. For some reason, this G.o.d is willing to go all out of his way for her, even helping her get her lover who is an abomination in their eyes and Shengli could not find any plausible reason for this G.o.d willing to do all that.

Well, whatever! As long as he is helping Xing!

"Little one! Wake up", Fei Lian patted Xing who was in Shengli"s arms, in the cheek and Xing woke up. Shengli was relaxed only then.

"What happened? What does he want?", he grabbed her shoulders and asked her in an interrogatory tone,which made the groggy Xing a little uncomfortable.

"Huh! Wait...", she sat up straight and rubbed her eyes and Shengli stood up to get some water for her. Xing had been having dreams in the past couple of days of her returning back to the Netherworld but today the dream was so lucid and even King Yan was there with his pervy smile calling her to him.

"He wants me... That pervert... ! But I don"t want to see his face ", she said gritting her teeth after she drank the warm water Shengli gave her and Shengli patted her back to comfort her. Shengli"s eyes had a dangerous glint and he was biting his lips in frustration... If it was some human who had made such indecent advances on her, he"d have been shred to pieces by his own hands and fed to pigs by now. But what could a mere mortal like him do to the G.o.d of death?

"Is that so..?", Her words expressed how cringy she felt and how irked she was by King Yan and Fei Lian smirked but it felt murderous, " Once again, He dares...", he then cupped her cheeks in his hands, "Listen to me little one, you"ll never see him ever again", he said as a promise and disappeared just like that only leaving Xing perplexed.

Never see the G.o.d of death again? I"m a human! One day I"ll die and will have to see him..! But whatever!

She looked at Shengli, "Seems like I won"t be left alone even for a single day !". Although she had a slight smile in her face and her tone was flat, Shengli could feel the deep sorrow in her heart. She was all smiles and having fun till now after a long time and even before the day ended, troubles found her. That too, supernatural ones.

" Xing",

Shengli didn"t know what else to say and hugged her close, "It will be fine soon..", he rubbed her back with his palms to soothe her.

"I"m fine, don"t worry", Xing looked at the deeply frowning Shengli and kissed his chin.

"I know that"s how it is and it will be over only when that Old Rong is dead by my hands"

"You are right about that, la.s.sy", Bai Li appeared beside them with a wine jar in his hand, startling the living light out of the both of them.

"Is this how you protect me?", Xing asked him in a mocking tone after she composed herself. Didn"t he offered his protection? He seems to be not doing what he promised to do... How typical of a fox!

Just then they could feel the ground shaking and Xing held on to Shengli, "Is it an earthquake?", she asked. She had never seen an earthquake before but heard a bit about it. This one seemed mild as nothing fell down or anything.

"Oh... So he did it", Bai Li snorted and took a sip right from the jar, "You humans make the best wine!", he had a contended expression.

Xing didn"t understand what he said for a while but then judging by the angry way Fei Lian left, she realised what Bai Li meant.

"Is Fei Lian actually fighting King Yan? ", she asked surprised. That shouldn"t be right...

Bai Li smiled mysteriously, "Is that what you think...?", he chuckled, "The cracks of the Netherworld aren"t fixed yet. That"s why when your consciousness was less, which happens when you are in deep sleep or dead drunk, you are able to slip down there and he could get to you. Now that Fei Lian is involved, the cracks will be fixed soon"

He knew about it and yet he didn"t warn me not to get drunk?

Xing looked at Bai Li who looked like he expected this to happen and yet he looked nonchalant about it and felt mad.

"So you used me because for whatever reason you want those cracks fixed?", she asked.

"Yes. And for these things not to repeat again, you should swiftly transfer to "Light Wing Courtyard". That is the only safest place for you in this realm ", he was honest and for some reason he didn"t seem ashamed of using another person and put them in danger for his own agenda.

" Next time you want something from me, ask my permission first, you crafty fox!", she shouted and grabbed Shengli"s hands and walked out of the room angrily slamming the door on her way out.

"Well, at least you didn"t refuse to help!", Bai Li sat on the windowsill and continued drinking. "That"s something...really something...".

-----

With the Ran family entirely destructed along with other families that supported them, many vacancies were created in the offices of the court and there were heavy compet.i.tion for officials to take those important positions left by the Ran family.

The Emperor along with Rijun and AoTian tried to choose the suitable candidates for each position and so their work engulfed them these days.

Also many new women were added to the Harem from various other families to create a good relations.h.i.+p between the Emperor and the various houses.

The court was not that surprised when a Huang daughter was announced to be the Empress but there were certainly some opposition among the officials.

With other powerful families destroyed and with the strong alliance between the remaining two high n.o.ble families of Huang and Zhong to be strengthened more by the marriage between the first Zhong son and the second daughter of the Huang family had made many people who are loyal to the empire uneasy.

No one family other than the Imperial family should have this much power!

Which is a valid argument since the previous Empress" family had proved them how much power could affect the kingdom. But no one could find a reason to not agree with the Huangs or find a solution to their problem. In any official setting, there is benefits in having a strong opposition but they had none and many loyal officials found that a slippery slope but there is not much they could do.

-----

With only five days to the Coronation, Xing was given the "Light Wind Courtyard" officially and she moved there. Her father sent her everything she"d need and Xing wondered why there is too much of everything in her place. After arranging everything the way she wanted, she sat on the couch made with high quality redwood and silently sipped tea while Bai Li was sleeping in the chair next to her.

Shengli has been going out a lot to take care of a lot of things and he"d return late usually in a guard uniform.

"Are you okay with this much red?", Shengli entered the room that had everything from curtains to bedding in red, in his guard uniform and he removed the helmet while sitting beside her and poured himself some tea.

"Apparently, An Empress is supposed to have everything in red... I suppose it is something related to auspiciousness... Whatever... It"s not like I"m going to be here for long. Anything is fine" she handed him the pastry to accompany the tea.

It"s not her home! She need not bother with those trivial details... Also if she is in a place filled with things she don"t like, won"t she be inspired to leave that place sooner?

"Mmm", Shengli didn"t say much as he understood why Xing didn"t care. She was nonchalant about her room in her Manor this way at first too but after she decided to be a Huang, she did a major remodelling and filled that room with things she liked.

May be she won"t change this room... She mustn"t change this room...

Shengli lied in Xing"s lap and Xing was caressing his hair as usual, "Xing, what do you think I should do for s.h.i.+hong to accept me in his gang ?"

Xing was surprised that he"d ask her something like this. Till now he had never asked her how to do something related to work and what made him want to change that now?

Xing looked at Shengli staring blankly at the floor and she could sense he was feeling helpless like her too. At least she has people who"ll support her in finis.h.i.+ng what she must do but he"ll have to be alone with s.h.i.+hong.

"Just be pitiful", She said kissing his forehead. Which woman could refuse a man looking pitiful, right?

"What?", he adjusted his position and lied looking at her.

"My lover abandoned me and went to my brother,My brother is trying to kill me after my failed attempt to kill him,The Huang family disowned me, I have no support, Help me get the throne... Say these lines with a sad expression and s.h.i.+hong will accept you, I"m sure. Throw in some statements expressing how sorrowful you are and you are good. He"ll accept you... no further questions asked "

Shengli looked wide eyed at Xing who was seriously explaining to him,

" Wifey! Men don"t talk about feelings... Ever! ", he patted her cheek and chuckled like he had heard the best joke ever and went to sleep in a while.

But I can see you feelings right on your face! You don"t want to leave me!

Xing gently caressed his hair while Bai Li just shook his head and wiped his eyes as if he was cleaning it, making it seem as if he had seen the worst thing in this world and Xing just ignored him.

Jealous Fox!