Dressing Up As A soldier!

Li Mei had long run away from that place, but she knew she was far from safe. After all, that fatty man was rich and probably had several shops under his command. He would surely send guards after her!

Thus, she continued to run away from that place, directly sending herself into the crowd. Why was there a crowd in the first place? She didn't know, and neither did she care.

Being a slave and a runaway demon who lived on the streets, she had seen several royal processions that would cross the street on a daily basis. The one who would often go on an outing was the fourth child of the Empress, Princess Cao Xinyi.

Even though her name clearly meant graceful and respected, she had none of those things. The woman was a trouble and she only knew how to show herself off in front of others. She was rich, fine. But why was there a need to show off how she was the most perfect being on the entire planet?

They could already tell by the pompous way she wore clothes. She didn't have to put up extra effort to look down on lower-class people and deliberately make trouble for them. But no, she had to go ahead and scold a few servants and slaves, especially those demons, and have them beaten up by her bodyguards.

If that wasn't enough, she would even kick a few of them out. Of course, no one would care about the demons and servants because no one liked them in the first place.

The reason was simple. Before the Cao dynasty was established over six decades ago, the country wasn't stable and the invaders continuously stole wealth and food from the entire place, creating havoc. Several innocents died brutally and commoners were even killed forcibly by stopping their source of food for the sake of sending it out to the foreign for money.

It was the Cao family's military arrangement that saved the country from the invaders. After that, the country did manage to stand on its four pillars of society: family, government, economy, and cultivation.

But, of course, minus the last one as Li Mei believed that the country was still lacking in that area. Wherever she went, she would only see pretend, fake cultivators, posing as some great personalities and even immortals to loot money. Some of those people were even demons who wanted to earn money.

Of course, this wasn't why people were mad at these demons. It was said that a long, long time ago, when these demons had a sect in the past, about a thousand years ago, they were powerful enough to destroy an entire world. But they actually colluded with the invaders from the foreign and let them slaughter people, and rule over the country for what? For money? Women? Fame? Herbs?

People still didn't know why the demons colluded with the foreigners despite living in their country. Not that those cultivators from the Sheng Di sect were actually demons. They were actual cultivators, powerful ones at that.

But none of them were on the righteous path since they all colluded with the enemies. In the end, the invaders themselves backstabbed them and killed the elders because, in their minds, they didn't need people who could give out their own country to their enemies.

The Sheng Di sect was the only reason why there were invaders in the country. They were the ones who made the innocents suffer and forced the entire dynasty to lose its wealth, fortune, and even ancient cultivation texts that were precious and medicinal. That sect was the reason why there were so many pretend cultivators around the place, creating trouble.

Today, no one believes in cultivators and immortals anymore, considering it to be merely a myth because of the Sheng Di sect that was destroyed by the invaders themselves a thousand years ago. This was why everyone hated that sect, and of course, Princess Cao Xinyi wasn't any different. Ever since the Cao dynasty came to rule the nation, they nicknamed the Sheng Di descendants as demons.

But it was one thing to look down on the demons and another thing to even treat commoners as them! The princess was the opposite of the word graceful, acting as a cruel and rude young woman extremely proud of her identity. Her arrogant ways were known to all.

As for respect. Hah, a woman who often showed arrogance in front of her elders, what could possibly be said about that?

Li Mei thus assumed that it should be Princess Cao Xinyi who had come with such a procession, otherwise who would order imperial soldiers to appear on the streets with such fanfare?!

And she was right. A decorated sedan finally appeared on the street when it was cleared up by the soldiers. Four powerful men carried it on their shoulders as they walked at a slow pace. Suddenly, a rude voice echoed from inside the sedan.

"Can't you walk faster?!" The woman's hand pulled up the curtains as a pretty face appeared. Her head was decorated with hairpins and golden ornaments dangled from her hair, making a tinkling sound as she moved and glared at the people. Her red outfit decorated with silver design looked stunning, but her expression was extremely opposite to that of her entire being, cruel and arrogant with her nose crunched up in disgust. "You smelly men! You're all good for nothing!"

"...."

The soldiers wanted to cry. If she was so rich, why not bring a carriage?! Why did she have them carry a sedan in the first place, looking like a bride?!

In this world, a sedan was ordinarily a common man's traveling companion, but it was also a tradition to bring a bride in a sedan looking all beautiful. Normally, girls from the city would often travel by carriages, but Princess Cao Xinyi was the only one who liked making others suffer, especially the imperial soldiers under her.

Li Mei's eyes restlessly looked across the row of soldiers standing on either side of the street. She bit her bottom lips as her glance finally paused at a dark, inconspicuous corner. She looked at a soldier looking too weak and tired standing there, leaning against the wall. It seemed as if he was sick and yet he had to force himself on the duty because of that damned princess.

Then she turned back to see the fatty man's people still chasing her. She instantly made a decision and sneaked closer and closer to that exhausted soldier standing in the dark alley.

Behind him, she felt a little bit sorry for the man as she picked up a wooden slab from the side and hit the back of his head. Since the man was in the shadows, he wasn't noticed by anyone.

What a weak guard! Li Mei Quickly glanced at the back, still frightened. She didn't want to be caught by the fatty man and 'enjoyed' by his men at all! Thus, she could only resort to changing clothes and transforming into a 'man.'

Not that she enjoyed this. She didn't want to hurt a stranger and an innocent person. This guard seemed sick on top of that! But this was the only choice she had.

After wearing the outer robe of the guard, Li Mei also picked up the guy's helmet and wore it on her face, hiding her womanly features. the silver armor that the soldiers had to wear hid her chest.

Just as she was done, a voice interrupted her from outside the alley.

"Li Wei! What are you doing there in the alley?! Come out already" The man's voice sounded rough as he said loudly, "Her Highness has already gone by!"