14 I got it!

Huan Meirong stopped before the boudoir and squatted down. She could see the place where the soil was floating but couldn't detect a thing besides that. In fact, that something was stuck between the wood planks had just been her assumption as it was the most rational answer she could formulate about such a strange scene; she hadn't perceived any kind of strange energy and if it was air, the soil wouldn't be motionless so she had long ago discarded those ideas.

Even so, once there, she deepened her soul sense around that spot to be sure of her assumptions.

'Huh?' she raised her brows and put her knees and both of her hands on the floor; then, she lowered her head to be closer to the place she was checking and furrowed her brow in thought, 'I haven't noticed this before but… there are specks of dust fixedly staying vertically right here and it is precisely above the floating cumulous of soil that is on the other side of the wood planks…' she tilted her head to a side and slowly took seat on the floor as she raised her back.

Before, when she was scanning the room, she had also made herself aware of the dust but it seems she didn't put it too much importance to it as she had overlooked such a weird thing. It wasn't something to be at fault though; cultivators didn't tend to see dust when they use their soul sense because when they learnt about their soul sense, they also learnt to make some omissions which included the normal energy in the environment and the simple composition of certain particles like specks of dust.

She placed her arms before her and went into deep thought as she continued to check that area with her soul force to be sure if she wasn't seeing wrong. Then, after some deliberation, she stretched her right hand to pick up what she supposed it was a corner of what it was stuck between the wood planks.

"Eh?!" She did really feel something when she pressed her delicate fingers on the place where the dust was static. Its surface was cold and smooth; it felt thin but also very firm.

*Creak* *Squeak* *Rasp*

'Why does this thing doesn't come out?' she moved it up and down, back and forth but was futile until she decided to use her other hand along with all her physical strength which wasn't much at the moment. She didn't circulate her martial energy as she might get discovered; though there was a protective formation that isolated this chamber, she chose to play safe. Her soul force too, was of no use in this situation as it not only couldn't detect the thin thing but it also passed through it, as though it was non-existent.

'Yes, yes, yes… I got it!' she exclaimed in her heart; it had come out and she had almost fallen back despite being sat but thanks to her quick reaction, she didn't fall. She didn't know what the thing was but she couldn't help but be happy when she had it.

She looked down at her hands. It was so rare, she clearly could feel something light and palm-sized on her hands but her soul could only perceive the dust and soil on it.

At length, she shook her head and kept the little thing inside her broad sash.

She stood up and palmed her clothes, she felt dusty. There was plenty of dust in this room, she remembered that the outer chambers of this courtyard were cleaner, 'Maybe because this room still have things and seems to be used often,' it was not that she couldn't tolerate dirtiness, she was a cultivator and was trained as an assassin whatsoever but after being married and be the Mother of her Nation she much more preferred cleanness; that's why she hadn't dared to check up her little cottage and relied on the memories of the previous Huan Meirong to walk around there.

'Well, my place must have a wide range of other kinds of particles besides dust,' she shivered at the thought before going to the door entrance.

Once there, she decided to give another scanning to the chamber. This time she put more attention to the tiny details but she found nothing of relevance or out of place. Therefore, she pouted her mouth, displeased with the result and walked out.

The sound of footsteps welcomed her when she was out but they sounded far away. Even so, she hurried; such movement meant the servants must have woken up by now. She extended her soul sense to find a route back and swiftly go.

Even though she found one, it took her some time to reach her yard; she had to hide from time to time in the little green shrubs as the servants were walking here and there but their activity decreased as she came closer to her cottage.

She entered her room and took seat before the wooden table; she cleaned the dropped of sweat on her face with her sleeves and thought, 'Sigh, I really need to feed and train this body better, her condition is lacking.' She had felt her body heavy when she had sat.

'Anyway, that's for later. I can't wait to check those items…' and with that thought, she entered the marquis-shaped black stone. She wanted to inspect Yu Lanlan's case and the thing she had just found and there was no better place to do it that the space on the little black stone; there, she could see as she was seeing with her eyes, after all.