Xiacang Anxi’s royal families protected the tradition of processing big beasts’ bones that weren’t cracked and were smooth, which was something they started ages ago. In a nutshell, the process entailed shaving the bone into a specific shape, applying oil and heating it.
To anyone not part of the royal families’ lineage, the text used from the beginning of Xiacang Anxi’s history made as much sense as someone without knowledge of the stars trying to interpret the meaning of star alignments. Even those who could comprehend the language could only read it. Forget giving commoners permission to lay eyes on the text; the royal families even composed and read the text differently depending on which branch of the royal families they belonged to.
Ah Neath didn’t teach the language to her Princess Consort even when the former was still trusting of the latter. It wasn’t an issue of trust but a question of principle. As such, it was one of the royal families’ most secure methods of transmitting information secretly.
Ah Neath slid her finger across the crimson bone close to the colour of mud, imprinting the information on it to memory. Owing to her father’s untimely death, he didn’t leave behind a bone for her. In the event that he did, his maker would have taken it.
Baimu’s royal family had been preserving the bone for hundreds of years, permitting only the King to read its content. Ah Neath was hoping to find a means of strengthening her side from Baimu’s royal family’s history. Instead of feeling relieved to have Feng Xue and Ming Feizhen aiding her, she felt more apprehensive for the reason that things were developing faster than she imagined.
Although Feng Xue was old, Ah Neath was no longer a child; it was no longer appropriate for him to be alone with her in a room. Feng Xue may have appeared blithe, but he respected Ah Neath as a monarch.
While Ah Neath may have seemed safe behind the doors Feng Xue guarded, her opponent wasn’t only Baimu, who would have trouble forcing his way in. Her Princess Consort was an enigma whom even she couldn’t read. Most importantly, her Princess Consort didn’t only have brawn as a weapon. Ah Neath couldn’t untie her bundled nerves whilst knowing she had a shaman around her, reasoning the shaman definitely had alternative plans and the support of Wanyu Peak.
Despite becoming acquainted with her Princess Consort at eight years of age, Ah Neath only knew her Princess Consort’s name, that she was modest, approachable and adroit at politics. That being said, how much of those traits were real was questionable, just as the other missing parts of her profile. In fact, Ah Neath suspected her Princess Consort approached her with a fake profile prepared beforehand and erected an invisible barrier to avoid detection.
Ah Neath’s Princess Consort came from Wanyu Peak’s Shaman Monarch Palace. Like a god, nobody, royal family members included, was granted an audience with the Shaman Monarch – a term ascribed to someone whom the sun possessed, namely Great Spirit Shaman. The only way to hear from the Shaman Monarch was via Shaman Monarch Palace.
The shamans from Shaman Monarch Palace were said to be the Shaman Monarch’s only representatives, tasked with passing on their will. From certain perspectives, Shaman Monarchs held more influence than the state sovereigns.
“Guya Martial Paragon, this one has an urgent matter to report to His Majesty.”
Recognising her messenger’s voice, Ah Neath ordered, “Just tell me from the door.”
The messenger cleared his throat and raised his voice. “Two girls request an audience. The two have brought with them the lord of Xiuyu’s arrow token.”
“Xiuyu… Who?”
“One of them said that her husband, Ming Feizhen, is currently in the palace. The other one is his elder sister.”
“Who the heck is Ming Feizhen? Tell them to get lost!” Within seconds of resuming her reading, Ah Neath looked back up. “Jiang Zhouzi?”
***
I didn’t know the wooden dummy I lit up was Baimu. For a second, I thought my ears malfunctioned because I never heard them capture anyone.
I slipped on Baimu’s armour and wore on the mask that took me an entire night of modifying to get right. From my fiddling last night, I discovered Nanjiang followed a different procedure for manufacturing masks. Because I had him in person to research, I managed to modify my physique to resemble his. If he was married, I bet his wife wouldn’t be able to tell I was an imposter.
I told Ah Neath that I didn’t need backup as involving more people only increased the complexity and margin for error – which included revealing my skills.
It wasn’t hard to find the Princess Consort’s grandeur palace since it was nearby. The scent in the room furnished with jade and gold items was akin to an aphrodisiac.
“Baimu, do you have a death wish? How dare you barge into my palace?” The frigid Princess Consort emerged from behind me. Apparently, she didn’t care her thin sash was so loose that anyone could see her curves from afar. “What are you here for?”
I chortled cockily as I was told Baimu would do the same.
Though I had my back to her, I had no problems imagining what was under her loose-fitting pyjamas. Nevertheless, the last thing I expected was for her to gently coil her arms around my torso and press her body against my back. She leaned in right next to my ear to inquire, “It’s been ages since you visited. Miss me?”
Huh? Hmm? Mm? … Looks like this mission won’t be as simple as I imagined…
