JOURNEY TO THE VALLEY
"I have brought the robes." Mei Lin said as she entered the room.
Wei Lian stood silently as Xiao Hei undid the last spell of the illusion veil disguise. She waved her hand like before but nothing happened. She did not change back to her male form. She smiled happily.
She removed the royal robes and wore the maiden clothes that Mei Lin gave to her. Packed only the essentials: a few clothes, basic healing salves, and a pouch of gold coins.
The talisman of concealment her mother provided already clung to her forearm, masking her Qingyun Sect energy signature.
"It will be a long journey," Mei Lin warned, folding the Prince's robes neatly away.
"You are traveling to the heart of enemy territory as a woman with no status. They play by a different set of rules there. If they sense your energy..."
"I am aware of the risk," Wei Lian said, looking at herself in the mirror.
She had always seen her face every time she sheds the veil when she is in her room, but it was different this time. It was strange and freeing, yet terrifyingly vulnerable.
"Xiao Hei, are the mounts ready?"
"Hmm…" Xiao Hei crawled.
"What?"
"The Empress said we should travel like normal people do. We will cross the Yaounxi river." He replied in his human form, strapping a small pack to his back.
"What?"
"You are going as a normal little fairy Wei Lian." Mei Lin said. "A fairy with no powers, not as a warrior who almost attained the immortal state. So you will live like them. It is going to be hard, Lian Lian."
"I will try my best." Wei Lian sighed sadly.
"Don't worry, you have us by your side. I will always be a shout away." Mei Lin hugged her.
"I'll keep a close watch." Xiao Hei said and Mei Lin rubbed his head.
"Keep a low profile," the Empress instructed, entering the room to see them off. "Your step-brother, Wei Feng, is ambitious. The moment he realizes you've truly vanished, he might send people after you. He has spies everywhere."
"We'll be ghosts," Xiao Hei promised.
...
They slipped out through the secret tunnels beneath the palace grounds, bypassing all guards and spies. The night air was cool against Wei Lian's face as they began the long journey toward the land of black rock and fire cultivation.
The demon tendrils on her flesh had been subdued for the meantime. Her master had used a spiritual flower to help prevent it from ruining her spiritual veins. But she still has the curse and it has to be cured before three months or she will become a demon.
The next few days were a blur of hard travel. They avoided major roads, resting in small, neutral villages near the borders. Wei Lian had to learn quickly how to be a simple traveler, haggling for food and managing the rougher energy of the frontier. The coins that they had taken were slowly diminishing.
As they approached the Moiying Valley territory, the landscape became harsher, the gentle Qingyun mountains giving way to jagged, volcanic stone. The sun was hotter, and the spiritual energy in the air heavier—imbued with fire and earth, which aggressively aggravated the Mo Teng Curse in Wei Lian's arm. For hours, she was in deep pain.
Upon arrival in the main city of the Moiying Valley, they settled into a discreet inn. The city was bustling, filled with rougher warriors and loud marketplaces. Wei Lian's arm was getting bad and it only took Xiao Hei's constant intervention to keep it from being revealed.
She sent Xiao Hei to do a quick survey of the land. Where she should avoid and where will lead her to the shadow Dragon.
"He lives here," Xiao Hei relayed via their spiritual link, having scouted the area in his fox form. "A massive estate built of black rock on the edge of the city. Highly guarded, and the energy arrays around it are powerful. We can't just sneak in and talk to him."
"Hmm."
"you will need a real plan mapped out. Intruding this place is a death wish." Xiao Hei said again.
"We need proximity," Wei Lian decided that evening, her eyes fixed on the map Mei Lin provided. "A direct confrontation is too risky. We need a long-term plan."
"I already said that." he pouted. "so, do you have a plan?"
"Not really. But I can come up with one." She nodded repeatedly. "find out where Long Yue loves to go the most. We will start from there."
"What would you do if he turns out to be a homebody?" he asked her.
"There has to be somewhere else other than his dungeon."
Xiao Hei chuckled.
"I heard chatter at the market today," Xiao Hei said, sitting up. "Moiying Valley is hosting the major pre-tournament banquet soon. They're hiring temporary household staff to prepare and serve."
"How does that affect our plan in getting close to Long Yue?" Wei Lian asked tiredly. She fell on the bed laying flat.
"Long Yue is the strongest warrior in the land and that makes him an important figure."
"I know." Wei Lian said uninterested.
"What do the highly placed people do in Qingyun during our pre-tournament banquet?"
"They come stay at the palace and… oh." She gasped.
"Perfect," she said. "But what if they don't have the same rules as us?"
"Most of the rules in the nations are the same, although the nations are different. And I wouldn't make the suggestion if I didn't do my research properly."
"Really? Aww my smart little fox." She gushed, rubbing his head but he slipped out of her hand. "Cunning." she muttered.
"We need to find the Head Housekeeper, Madam Chen," Xiao Hei continued. "I saw her at a tea shop. She's strict, demands loyalty and discretion. She uses a basic energy scan on applicants. We'll need a good cover story that our talisman can support."
The risk was enormous. She would be completely vulnerable in the heart of enemy territory, potentially serving the man who cursed her. But with the poison throbbing a constant reminder beneath her skin, she had no other choice.
"And mind you, there are a lot of ladies who are applying for it. And you need to make the criteria totally." He told her.
"I will find a way to meet the requirements. Tomorrow morning," she decided. "We apply for the job."
"The selection is going to be tough and even if you will get in, there are a lot of other officials who will need serving. How will you get to Long Yue?" He asked. "And he is quite popular with the females. Everyone of them will want to serve him. How do you plan on standing out?".
"Leave that one to me." She smiled slyly.