Seyran

Chapter 10: Dai Capital

As she was concentrating, she got distracted by muffled sounds coming from the deeper parts of the shadow of the nights, meters in front. The people behind were too engrossed in their talking to notice. Breathing low, she closed her eyes, more to test her abilities than any real curiosity. The cultivation could enhance the sense of audition and she wondered how much she progressed. From the voice she heard, it seemed to be a young man, who was slightly angry and actively reprimanding in soft tones.

"What are you coming back for? Do you wish to be their slaves? Go away!"

After which sounds of stomping feet in the ground could be discern. There was the soft whimpering of an animal too. In dissatisfaction of the results, he urged some more "Go already!" before running away in the opposite direction of the gates, but Seyran could hear the little animal followed right after.

Seyran just sat there, asking to herself 'Why were they more persistent when one actually set them free?' That servant too had refused to leave. Did they like it so much, being ordered around?

She let out a long sigh, which startled the animal on her shoulder but she paid it no heed, more concern about her future actions which, in the end, were all for a servant. Was it stupid? She knew no more. She just closed her eyes and resumed cultivating.

Huang had absorbed his fill of her mana by its claw so it wasn't really hungry. But sensing her qi, it could almost hear its stomach growl. Did it really matter that it didn't bring food today, if it asked will she give? Then it comforted itself. Of course she would give, after all, it wasn't its fault that it didn't bring meat, who would have cook? Wasn't it by its magnificence that they were here? How could she have come here otherwise? However the bird didn't even request that Seyran was opening her eyes to stare at it.

"Starting now cultivate to make your hunger disappear. I'll need all the mana and qi I can get" And she closed her eyes again. More over it seemed like she would do so until the day replaced the night.

The little bird felt wronged. There was a big gap between eating and letting the sensation disappeared okay! The mantis laughed and Huang's claws clutched it harder, to the point where it pleaded for help. In the end, to pass the time, Huang cultivated too, just so it could be immersed enough to not hear the mantis.

****

In the palace, rare were the occasions were the family dined together. During the evening meal, they would eat with their consorts, one of them or just alone. Shanlin was dining by herself when a servant reported the arrival of the right general, Mehwan. Those two had long been friend and the right general was also someone who instructed her when she was small so they didn't need to be overly courteous when they were by themselves. Shanlin invited the general to dine with her and asking her to forget about the rule of staying silent during diner, she asked her the reason of her presence.

As another set of bowls was brought, the general informed the royal advisor about their eagle's spies last reports. The eagle had been left in the forest to keep an eye on the crown princess. A month ago it reported her awakening and now it said that she left to find her servant. Shanlin just smiled her mood actually good, happy that the fake princess was still here.

"Who cared if she's searching for that boy? Let her come."

"She has a fire attributed bird as her contracted beast. It seemed it can use wind too and maybe more."

"So what? Isn't the second princess already in the Capital? Who is going to trust her when the time comes she claims to be my sister's daughter?"

"That..." Mehwan wanted to say that in the first place the reason why that princess went in the forest and defied her mother wasn't it for the sake of that young master? But she remembered that the queen was no longer here and the princess hadn't had enough time to really cultivate to the point of frightening them. She should be easy to deal with. So she had a smile on her face and lifted her bowl to eat.