9 First Action

Before Zhi'er arrived, Huan Meirong walked to her backyard; just now she had seen that there were some useful wild plants there. She picked up some linear-shaped green leaves from a plant with little yellow flowers and kept them in her golden qiankun bag. After two weeks of cultivation, she had already been able to bind it; thus, for convenience, she had decided to store her things in the qiankun bag instead of the space ring.

When Zhi'er entered, he saw his master seated in the little table. He calmed down and smiled at her, saying cheerfully, "Eldest miss, I went to get the ten silver coins. Zhi'er doesn't know why but the elder gave ten extra silvers coins. Eldest miss' maternal family business must be going well. Zhi'er had bought some delicious pastries but Zhi'er was careless and dropped them. Zhi'er was also late and made the eldest miss wait. Zhi'er asks the eldest miss for punishment." He put a little sac with the coins on the table before kneeling and kowtowing.

Her heart soured, she had a soft spot for little kids and she didn't know what to say for some time. She hardened her heart and feigned ignorance, "If Meirong comes to punish you; it wouldn't be for some pastries and being late but for worrying me. Your master will think of your punishment later. Alright, get up and first take a bath. Today was windy and Zhi'er must have been covered by dust."

"Mmh," Zhi'er eyes misted and just nodded. Then he went to bath per her orders.

"Agh," he groaned lowly when he touched the water.

"Is there something wrong?" She asked.

He pressed her lips and swallowed his pain, "The water is just a bit cold."

"Even so, Zhi'er must wash carefully."

"Aye."

At this point, Huan Meirong was truly stunned. This kid had answered twice already, his voice was also steady. The water wasn't cold but a little warm instead. She had added to the water a healing green powder made with the leaves that she had picked up earlier, it wasn't that great but it will be more than enough for his wounds, though it would be quite painful. If her eyes were alright, a glint of light would have flashed through them.

They ate together after Zhi'er bathed. The little kid fell asleep before six, it was a side effect of that powder. He will sleep until tomorrow morning.

She did what she had been doing the past two weeks, but this time she didn't fall asleep past midnight but waited until 3:00 a.m. to go out from her cottage. She spread out her soul force and locked it on the west wing where her little sisters were staying; she deepened her sense and inspected through all the chambers, looking for the body frame she had seen in the afternoon.

She raised her brows when she found her but it didn't surprise where her little sister was; she was in the biggest and most luxurious courtyard of the west wing.

Huan Meirong scanned the surroundings and after having found the loopholes on the night-watchmen, she went to that courtyard .

She shook her head and thought, 'Tsk, this is what happens when a country has year s of peace, such a loose guard.' The country she belonged before was a top-class country in the northeast, the Huang Dynasty, and they had been always at war with the neighbouring countries and nomads from the north; this empire was also a top-class country, the Gao Dynasty , but its location was in the south, it was wealthy and prosperous and didn't have external conflicts in the surface. Her heart bled for such a situation.

Her past Huan family was a military family like her new one but it resided in the Imperial Capital, not in a border city. Because the Huang Dynasty was in constant war, it wasn't strange for women to join the militia and more so for someone who had a military lineage but her father didn't want her in the battlefield, so she was trained as an assassin instead until her talent as an Alchemist was discovered.

Therefore, even though she hadn't been a soldier or a guard, this sight was simply disgraceful. She retrieved her thoughts when she reached her destination. The front of the courtyard was made of many precious materials; she knew their textures and colours so she shivered at its obviously flashy looks before entering and go to Huan Meiqi's main chamber.

As she entered, a sweet incense fragrance assaulted her nose. This incense was worth some thousands of gold, 'What a contrast,' she thought mockingly at the disparity in treatment.

At length, she reached her bedside and regarded her beautiful countenance, Huan Meiqi looked harmless like this; she had a gentle beauty but a poisonous heart, she couldn't even spare a little child.

She thought for a moment and pressed some acupuncture points with her soul force in the right side of Huan Meiqi's body; principally on the part of her abdomen. After she was done, she left while laughing in her heart, 'I don't have the right herbs or needles to make you suffer more, but this will be enough. Though I´m already big for this child play, who let you bully the only person that is loyal to me in this lifetime. Hmph! I want to see how gentle you will look tomorrow morning.'

She stopped at Huan Meiqi's backyard to enjoy the cold wind for a moment before deciding, 'It will be a waste to just do this. As the mother, that Si Xuli also needs to share her kid's suffering. Moreover, it wasn't only a child play what she did to this body's mother.'

Pleased with her choice, she nodded and then with swift steps she jumped out from the backyard.