"Ruzi, calm down now, we are going out to buy you a snow leopard cub." Rui Wei laughed softly as she crouched down and patted Ruzi's head.
"Didn't you said you wanted a snow leopard?"
"Hmm! The fourth ranked one!" Ruzi excitedly nodded his head.
"Haha, okay. Why don't we get you dressed up so we can pick Ruzi's pet?" Rui Wei said as she led Ruzi onto the closet.
After dressing up, Rui Wei then proceeded to call her henchmen. Rui Wei has registered the Cheng Household as a middle ranked nobility. Her current identity is an adventurer or what they call as wanderers.
She is under the supervision of three shadows who comes and goes weekly to check her movements. Today is one of the day that the shadows are busy. Since there is a bonquet to be held soon for the coming of age of the 3rd prince of the Huo Kingdom.
'Aha, no matter how tight your leash is, it won't matter if your leash is short.' Rui Wei mocked.
The Emperor of the Huo Kingdom is an extreme perfectionist. All the shadows in training must pass a hell-like training that tortures the very being of your humanity, after passing the training the Emperor would then pick few shadows to serve under him. The rest are then disposed.
The Imperial Family is constantly training shadows and manipulating them, distorting their world views so they can only look at the Emperor as the only man to be served.
Rui Wei has always put a great attention within the movements of the shadows, as their movements represent the Emperor's.
By simply watching them, Rui Wei predicts the changes within the Imperial Family, and once a sliver possibility of war sparks Rui Wei will immediately leave this Kingdom.
Rui Wei walked inside the carriage along with Ruzi.
"Huh, Young Mistress?" Sona saw RuiWei and Ruzi getting into the carriage, the carriage was magnificent, with a large character 'Cheng' written on the middle
Sona was about to call out Rui Wei, when the wooden talisman on her pocket moved subtly.
'Sona, I will be walking Ruzi around the town. I give you the permission to use the puppets as you like, the defensive and illusion array are already activated. ' Rui Wei's voice directly echoed inside Sona's head.
'The puppets? Oh, the one's that are used for fooling the shadows!' Sona's eyes flashed with excitement as she run inside the manor, she took out the wooden talisman, as she was about to put it on the front door she couldn't help but stare at it.
The wooden talisman was simple, it was rectangle, fitted to her hands, it is convenient to put in her pockets or for carrying since it is small and light. You can't see the engravings written on it since Rui Wei used the Essence of Qi to write the engravings.
This wooden talisman is Rui Wei's version of walkie talkie, one could freely communicate with the other around the distance of two mountains away. According to Rui Wei this talisman that Sona is worshipping is not even worth a street food.
'It is really a wonder how Young Lady comes up with the most innovative ideas and still call them a trash.' Sona walked inside the manor, she stopped at the center of the room, she took a deep breath and made a hand seal.
Light soon shone from below, illuminatIng the room.
The figures appeared in front of Sona. The figures were blurry and seemed unsteady.
'Huh? Did Young Lady forgot to shape them... Or is she possibly testing my capability?' Sona thought for a second and decided that it is the latter.
'Okay, I gotta do my best as not to disappoint her!.' Sona resolve herself as she readied to create the perfect puppets until her Qi runs dry!
**
At the Cheng Carriage.
Stolen story; please report.
Ruzi is sitting on Rui Wei's lap. Rui Wei gently supported Ruzi's chin with her left hand while her right hand is on Ruzi's forehead.
"Mama, what are you doing?" Ruzi curiously asked.
"Shh, " Rui Wei channeled her Qi to Ruzi's, she scanned his whole body.
Soul transmigration was a pretty common site for Rui Wei so she couldn't help but check Ruzi's soul.
'It's still the same as before.' If a new soul replaced Ruzi's soul, Rui Wei's Qi woulf have been rejected. Ruzi and Rui Wei's Qi were exactly the same.
Rui Wei knotted her brows as she stretched RuI's cheeks.
"Ah, I forgot to shape the puppets." She suddenly remembered Sona.
"Sona should be able to perform the handseals for the puppets by now, right?" Rui Wei laughed dryly.
"Me!Me!I know the handseals for the puppets! But I still can't put it to work. " Ruzi turned around excitedly. His voice drooped as he said the last sentence.
"Pfft.Ahahaha!" Rui Wei laughed at Ruzi, how could he be thinking of performing a 4th rank skill.
"You just need to practice more. " Rui Wei comforted.
---
The Long Auction house is the most famous Auction House within the Huo Kingdom, it is managed by the Emperor's cousin, Duke Huo Long. Which is only a false pretense since this Huo Long is one of the Emperor's Shadows.
Soon Rui Wei's carriage reached the Long Auction House.
The two entered the Auction House, they were welcomed by an attendant, the attendant led them to their private room at the 2nd floor.
The Long Auction house is a three story tall building. Every floor represents the status of each person, the people on the1st floor are lower ranked nobles, on the 2nd are the middle and higher ranked nobles and at tge third floor, only the selected few Imperial Family Members are allowed to sit.
On the 2nd floor, Nobles can bring their attendants or hire an attendant from the auction house to lift their numbers for them.
Ruzi has been eyeing his surrounding ever since they have stepped out the carriage, but he sat still beside Rui Wei.
"Ladies and Gentleman--" The host soon started the auction.
"As our first item, I think everyone would be familiar with this--" The host gestured the people to bring the item out.
The assistant bought out an square shaped item that was cladded in a black cloth.
'Huh?' Rui Wei felt a bad premonition.
'What is it?' She spread her Qi and scanned the whole auction house.
"One of the rarest Magical Beast, Snow Leopard Cub!" The host pulled the black cloth and it revealed a cage. Inside the cage is a small Snow Leopard, It's dark green eyes warily looking around, its fangs bared at the audience. Runes were running down it's body, restricting it's movements.
"Oooh!" The audience clapped, as they stared at the Smow Leopard Cub.
"As we all know, Snow Leopards are good at concealing, have a speed comparable to 5th rank Martial Artists, and they are guaranteed to reach the 6th rank once they reach adulthood!"
"Now, I wonder who will be the lucky one to get this cub! The starting bid is 1,000 gold!" The host excitedly shouted.
As soon as the Host finished his speech Rui Wei signed the attendant to lift her number.
"1,100 gold" Someone from below shouted.
The attendant looked back at her, Rui Wei gestured the attendant to do as she have instructed, the attendant seemed hesitant, but she still swallowed her saliva as she shouted.
"10,000 gold!" The attendant raised Rui Wei's number.
Silence overtook the hall. Although the Snow Leopard was rare, it wasn't worth that much, and there would more valuable items to be auctioned later on, why spend all your money on a cub?
"10,000 gold, going once, twice, thrice! Sold!"
As the host came to his sense he immediately finished his speech.
The people below muttered to themselves as they shot glances at Rui Wei's room at the 2nd floor.
Rui Wei also focused her gaze on the seat below.
'The General of Huo Kingdom, Xie Ding. What does he need a Snow Leopard for?' Rui Wei was perplexed.
The General could have simply request the auctioneer to sell the Snow Leopard on him before the auction started, why trouble himself in bidding?
As Rui Wei got what she wanted she immediately wanted to leave. She stood up and walked to the door, as she was about to open the door, she felt a powerful aura approaching.
"Wtf?!" Rui Wei stopped on her tracks and sat down again, Ruzi also sat back beside Rui Wei.
*Knock* *Knock*
"May I speak with esteemed guest over here?" A low voice echoed out from outside.
Rui Wei gestured the attendant to open the door.
As the door opened, it revealed the figure of a man, one of the Emperor's trusted aide General Xie Ding. He is cladded in whole black, with a saber on his side.
"I apologize if I may be straight forward, but I ask you to give me the Snow Leopard." General Xie's imposing manner scared the shit out of the attendant, she couldn't stop herself from trembling.
"Haha, now, now. Please don't be like this." Rui Wei smiled, but her smile did not reach her eyes. The room's temperature immediately went down several degrees.
Ruzi's eyes also turned dark as he stared at General Xie.
General Xie frowned his brows, he stared at the young lady along with the child beside her, although they looked young the aura they are emitting was not something to be trifled with. The Emperor has mentioned that there were some children from other clans visiting their kingdom.
'Are they the one that His Majesty is saying? Knowing His Majesty, I'm sure he already has his own plans. But, the Snow Leopard cub...' General Xie who has looked up to the Emperor cannot possibly thought that there will be a day that the Emperor would be outwitted.
"Please take this token. Count this as me owing you a favor." General Xie took out his House Token, and bowed down his head.
The House Token represents the whole Xie Clan, one can only think how valuable this token is.
Rui Wei almost choked on her own saliva as she saw that the General bowed down his head.
'Oi, oi. I thought you were a war freak?' Rui Wei's lips twitched.