Zhi Rui walked through the streets of the empire as herself once again. the familiar noise of people running about and the banter of the servants, it all made her feel nostalgic even though the time she spent in the empire was not so significant.Her entourage followed her elk steed slowly. Soon she saw the gates of the General Manor. A nostalgic face was waiting for her in the front gates with the rest of the servants and maids.
Zhi Rui smiled brightly. Immediately she jumped from the elk horse and landed right in front of her noisy friend.
"Zhin Zhin, how are you?" She asked with a laugh only to have the now slightly plumper woman to embrace and squeeze her tighly.
"Young lady! it"s so good to see you here and healthy!"
Zhi Rui smiled and embraced back.
The maid"s sincerity and mindless straightforwardness were always refres.h.i.+ng.
Zhi Rui let go and kissed the woman"s forehead affectionately and held her hands. "Must"ve been hard without the general or myself on the house."
"Nah, not at all. In fact, all the girls were helping me in every way! and the soldiers kept their guard duty faithfully!" Zhin Zhin giggled.
Zhi Rui smiled. They locked hands as friends and Zhi Rui felt a wooden texture on Zhin Zhin"s finger she held her hand and saw a yellow colored wooden ring.
She widened her eyes and raise the hands right in front of her face.
"Look at this woman! I was away for a mere month and she managed to chain a man around her finger!"
Zhin Zhin squirmed, her ace blushed timidly. "I-I didn"t marry yet, I wanted Young lady"s blessings so I waited for your arrival."
Zhi Rui heard it with a smile, she opened her mouth to answer but she caught small flinches on the surrounding maids, she didn"t pay attention to it before, but now she spread her awareness and sensed worry and restlessness on them.
Zhin Zhin was filled to the brim with the happiness of meeting Zhi Rui, but deep in her gut was obvious restlessness
Zhi Rui circulated her energy and examined her from top to bottom.
Small fading hematomas on the wrists and tighs, human skin under her nails... "Signs of struggle."
Zhi Rui kept her bright smile "OH! my blessing? only after you tell me about him! doe she treats you right?"
There was obvious flinch on the maids near. And Zhin Zhin herself suddenly hesitated but spoke with the same bright mood "Of course! If he dared to treat me in any way bad I"d shove him away from my house!"
"But are you keeping yourself for him? a lady should be adventurous but not promiscuous." Zhi Rui laughed and teased.
"Y-Yes He tried to have me before marriage but I didn"t fall for his words!" She laughed awkwardly.
Suddenly a maid giggled and commented in an innocent fas.h.i.+on.
"Oh, that day he came late and drunk? I heard you two fighting and you struggling. I thought he had you then."
The Ooher maids turned to her with glares "Chin Zhi! don"t be so mindless!" an older maid chided.
Zhi Rui looked at Zhin Zhin silently with the same smile.
She flinched and looked to the side. "He was drunk, and frustrated for some discussion in the tavern, he didn"t beat me. He just got angry, when I refused to let him bother me with his roguesh hands while I was making dinner. He tried to throw me on the bed but I bit him hard and he went away. He"s not like that usually, it was a one-time thing. he"s actually really sweet."
Zhin Zhin babbled explanations nonstop while holding her arm to the side and fidgeting with embarra.s.sment.
Zhi Rui laughed "I get it, it happens, it ain"t always roses and suns.h.i.+ne in marriages fights do happen"
Zhin Zhin nodded repeatedly "Yes, Yes!"
Zhi Rui embraced her shoulders "Let"s go inside, I must give you something like a late engagement gift, treat it as my blessings!"
They laughed, some maids were frustrated and distraught.
Before entering the manor Zhi Rui looked at the other side of the road on the top of another manor.
Hilda and Zhun Xuying both nodded.
Zhi Rui laughed, joked and spend the whole morning speaking with Zhin Zhin.
"This animated naive thing shouldn"t be touched by the world." Zhi Rui thought while listening to Zhin Zhin telling stories.
"I"ll keep you the way you are; sweet and bright. I won"t ever allow you to become bitter or resentful."
After some hours of laughter, Zhi Rui went away to rest in her old bedroom. She put a hand on the handle to open the door when Zhun Xuying"s soft voice sounded in the empty corridor.
"It"s done."
Zhi Rui nodded and opened the door.
She reached for her storage pouch and took a small toylike building.
And threw it inside her bedroom. like in the library building of the barbarian lands; a bedroom appeared. Zhi Rui entered and smiled.
"Sweet, how are you?"
The lights went off and on repeatedly.
"Happy I see. is there a way for you to speak? Blink twice for no, and one for yes."
The light went off one time.
Zhi Rui held her chin thoughtfully. Trying to guess how.
(Try allowing it.)
"Oh, I forgot your existence, old man." Zhi Rui said.
She looked up and commanded "Sweet, you"re allowed to speak freely."
[....]
"As I thought it doesn"t work."
[I"m just the silent type.]
Suddenly hearing a young boyish voice, Zhi Rui smiled brightly.
But fatigue suddenly washed over her body.
She threw herself in the tub and relaxed.
"Ara ara~ Let"s get to know each other later."
[hm!]
And the lights were off.
----
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----
"Did you hear it!? haha! Zhi Rui settled the mortal"s war. I heard she became a level three too!"
"Someone like her is bound to be great no matter where. Evolving to the third level is merely a step for her. while people like us can only be an elder for a lifetime".
"Speak for yourself, Even if I"m not fated to be great, I "ll pursue greatness! Then I"m sure that if I fall, then at least I"d have fallen ahead of the majority."
Xunhue the one who survived the paG.o.da trial with Zhi Rui and betrayed her benefactors will by convincing herself it was for the greater good. She heard those rumors of Zhi Rui no matter where she walked.
Her steps became rushed, she just wanted to get out of the crowd.
She jumped up startling the people around. took impulse on a tree and flew directly towards elder Aurelio"s quarters.
She gracefully landed in front of his cave. a door made out of blue jade adorned his cave.
*knock knock*
"Come in." Aurelio"s voice came from inside.
He was sitting on a luxurious sofa drinking a glowing spirit tea inside a green robe with golden dragons st.i.tched. He extended his hand signaling for her to sit in front of him.
He crossed his legs and smiled. "Speak dear."
Xunhue opened her mouth righ away.
"You heard how the sect is. Zhi Rui"s name is again on everybody"s mouth. you have a relations.h.i.+p with some of the representatives of the geniuses from outside, if you can host some kind of event, people will be excited and will focus on that. after all, they are all at the fourth level. In this second that"s a rare chance to witness experts."
Aurelio sighed and put his teacup down.
"You"re worrying about things we already expected, things with no importance. Do you think Zhi Rui would take leave just because she offended the level six that came here to "organize" the sect? She knows he can"t casually mess with her, what does she have to fear? SHe obviously wen out with an objective..."
Xunhue frowned "Are you saying knew the war would ensue and waited to stop it?"
"You"re still too naive. She didn"t know it was going happen, she provoqued it."
Xunhue"s eyes opened wide in horror.
"H-How could she!? That"s absurd! what kind of demon would do that!? and only for fame!?"
Aurelio sighed. "Evil exists girl, and it often prevails."
She trembled, opened her mouth and closed a few times. she breathed in and calmed herself. Now with cold eyes. she spoke.
"I"ve reached the threshold to the fourth level. If sir arranges a suitable core for me. I can evolve and outs.h.i.+ne her deeds. Then at least here in the light sect, her schemes won"t prevail."
Aurelio nodded slowly. "True, but that"s putting the carriage in front of the horses, your blood is boiling due to injustice, there are better ways to go about it. What if when she came back, you challenge her to a fight, you"re both at the third level, you could breakthrough midway and end the fight while directly putting her against your own brilliance."
Xunhue hesitated, remembering the way Zhi Rui fights.
Aurelio smiled. "You"re the one who earned the legacy of that trial. You"re the chosen one to keep evil at bay. She just reached level three while you"re in the threshold of the fourth level, you trained in techniques and mastered your abilities. You can safely be confident."
Xunhue. went silent. She got up bowed and went away.
As soon as she was out of the door. Aurelio scoffed and threw his teacup away.
"Dumb shortsighted b.i.t.c.h. Even for me, It"s so disgusting seeing someone genuinely believe she"s acting out of righteousness when everything she"s doing it for her own selfishness. Diminish Zhi Rui because she"s evil? You"re her accomplice! you"re just bitter because it doesn"t matter what you gained, Zhi Rui"s still above!"
Aurelio soon calmed down. his blood was boiling.
"That b.i.t.c.h Zhi Rui who can"t appreciate my kindness will probably pa.s.s by to act on her promise with the barbarian lands. Haha, I better prepare for her arrival then."