The Sorceress: Blossoming Power

Lifen was busy laying the power stones and exotic plants from Xionmao's cave for the offensive and defensive formation inside and outside Anjing pavilion. 

"Ma, do we need to do this? It's past midnight. You need to rest to look your best tomorrow. Remember, you're our model." Her son Qinfen said. "How can we get a bulk of sales if your heavy eye bags are what they'll see? The guests will doubt the effectiveness of our products if you look like an old hag tomorrow."

"Old hag?" She unhurriedly said with gritted teeth. "What a son are you? I'm not sure if you're really concerned or you're just cursing me. Anyway, I'll hit the sack once I'm done with the formation. We badly need this for protection. There's nothing that can beat a thorough preparation. Do you think no one would dare to attack just to get their hands on the beauty fruit?"

"I know. I know, but you need to rest now. You need all the energy you need to meet all your suitors tomorrow. I'm not even sure which one to choose among them to become my new father. But don't forget, you might look young, but I think your body is still an old bag." He said teasingly.

Suddenly, a foot landed on his butt and sent his face kissing the grassy ground outside Anjing Pavilion.

"You're really cursing me. Who is an old hag? Who has an old bag's body? I dare you. Say it again, you, ungrateful son." Lifen said, balling a fist with indignation.

Qinfen stood, wiping the dust on his reddened face while massaging his painful butt. "Jeez, Ma. Don't be unladylike or your Zang Wei might get discouraged and will look for someone younger." And scurried away after speaking.

"You?" Lifen said, lifting a fist in the air. She exhaled a good amount of air to ease her throbbing temples. 

She walked around and smiled with pride, watching the well-dressed five-hundred square meter courtyard where the auction would be held. They arranged mind-soothing herbal plants to reflect an ambiance of peacefulness. But of course, the displays were also for sale. Qinfen's great brain in business was the architect behind the overall plan. 

The chairs and tables were carefully numbered for the invited guests. Walk-ins had to pay a hefty amount for a ticket.

After much exhaustive thinking, Lifen would auction one beauty fruit as the principal and final attraction. They had made the advertis.e.m.e.nts days ahead before Xian Lang's warning, so they couldn't change this part anymore. Perchance, she could gather an enormous amount to rebuild the entire city, aside from the walls to keep the city safe from those desiring to get their hands on the mines.

The leaflets they distributed said the auction income would be for the city's treasury and development. Originally, Lei Ming had written a workable plan to establish a steady stream of international trades before he received the edict of his wedding. He even drew the location of the trading posts to cover the different routes back and forth across the city.

Lifen was only following Ming's plan in this matter as she tried to ride along with the foreigners' entries in the city. Although she knew the Cleansing Fire people, aka Bernavoles entrepreneurs, had set their minds for the stone mines, she also viewed this as an opportunity to attract the other foreign merchants from other nations who only visited the city drawn by the power stones sales.

Her goal of diverting the cash flow of the Cleansing Fire organization while acquiring wealth to build the city, was like hitting two birds with one stone.

Concerning the city's defense system, Xian Lang and his thousand Chiangdas had helped in the shadows, building a strong defensive formation for the past days. In fact, with the Chiangdas help, who disguised as night shift workers to build and guard the walls while keeping their identities hidden from prying eyes, the fifteen-meter tall walls with hidden power stones were completed earlier than expected.

For the auction, she dared to sell the fruit, believing Xian Lang's men would be present tomorrow to keep the auction under control. Unbeknown to her, the enemy couldn't wait for the morrow and was now standing behind the gate, waiting for an opportunity to attack.

At this moment, Kuaile, Xinyi's nightingale, rested on a tree branch across Anjing pavilion's gate, minding her prey, a worm wriggling out from a curled leaf. As she flew down to grab it, a man in black suddenly hopped on the tree branch, throwing the worm away.

She flew onto a higher branch, irritated. 'Grr, disturbing this nightingale's meal is a sin against this Sorceress' assistant.' 

She mindfully glared at these disturbing humans who acted like birds. Her ears perked up as these humans whistled and tweeted as birds do, but incomprehensible to her. 'Are they communicating?'

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Out of a sudden, she saw these two men lifted an arrow from their backs and placed it on a bow. Her eyes followed their aim, making her eyes grow big. It was toward Madame Lei Lifen.

Lifen trudged toward the gate to place the last Kreg stone to complete the formation when a tiny bird flew straight on her face. 

"What the?" She stepped back and spotted Kuaile, Xinyi's nightingale, flying in front of her. "Little bird, why are you here? Do you miss your master?" She smiled and extended an arm for the bird to land on.

However, Kuaile didn't land but kept on chirping at her, fluttering its wings fast toward her cheek, as if pushing her to move back. Lifen had no other way than to keep on stepping back. 

"Stop it, Birdy. I need to finish my task now. Don't bother me. I believe your master will come home soon."

Annoyed, Lifen swatted Kuaile away to the side but didn't hurt her, just to get the bird off her way.

Being misunderstood and set aside, frustrated Kuaile. She twirled around the trees and called the other birds. "Help! Help! Xinyi's Ma's life is in danger. HEEEELP!"

Not for long. More birds came and fluttered around Lifen, stopping her from her tracks.

Across the gate, the men clad in darkness, sat on tree branches like birds perching in silence. The swords drawn under their black cloaks, bows stretched ready with arrows to hit their target, Lifen, who was approaching the gate while the governor's soldiers stood not that far from her.

The hunters knew their prey was no ordinary woman, so they wouldn't take her lightly. They knew she was a martial art expert while the Lei clan was renowned for their unique fighting style passed down from the Grand General Lei Ming. Thus, they needed her to be at their specific target points in the garden before they attacked. She had to be a bit far from her guard's reach or the abduction would fail.

But the birds blocked her path.

"Damnation to these birds." The man with a hat grunted. "What is wrong with these pests? Why are they flocking at her?"

Unfortunately, he was unaware of the other hunters, who also viewed him and his companions as prey. These were the birds and animals who answered to Kuaisu's call, ready to jump at these foreigners.

Hoo! Hoo! 

The owl hooted, sitting at the branch above the man with a hat. And the latter didn't mind it. 

But in the animals' ears, it said, "Birds, don't stop flying around her. Make her go back inside the house. Nightingale, call the panda now. Cat, go to the Prime Minister's room. Do anything to make him come here. Now!"

"Okay, I leave her to you, old owl," Kuaile said. "And thank you." She flapped her wings and went on her way. The cat meowed and ran off.

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In Xionmao's cave.

Xionmao stared at the shining cloth. He sighed nonstop, troubled on the flower mark he saw on it. He had seen this mark when he was still a cub when the first spirit guardians were sent in this world. 

'What is the meaning of this? This mark shouldn't be here. In that case, the lady Xinyi is from that bloodline? But this makes little sense. She is from Zeirean, but this mark isn't from Zeirean.'

He shook his head. Xionmao couldn't find any logical reason for this mark's presence as he looked closely at the multiple petaled mark. 

'If she is from there, of which shouldn't be, then why is it shining here? Don't tell me someone from her bloodline is in this world at this point in time?'

He shook his head again and again. He couldn't accept his assumptions to be true. 

'Who would dare come here, and what is that person's reason for coming? To get her back? That is not allowed according to the Great King's rule while she hasn't finished her task yet.'

His sighs were unending, for it was totally absurd for another being from another world to come to Chiji. Coming here was equal to a world-scale invasion. And this was against the Great King's commands.

While he was contemplating, Kuaile flew in.

"Panda, Panda. The lady governor is in danger. Men in black are going to kill her. Please, come." Kuaile chirped non-stop and landed on Xionmao's shoulder, shouting in his ear. "Please, protect Xinyi's mother. Hurry!"

Without a second, Xionmao zoomed out like a lightning and transformed into his human form with a mask on his face while running.