“When are we looking to leave?” Xing asked.

“Yesterday,” Susu answered.

“Yesterday?”

“Yes...we spent three whole days in Anqing because you wanted to enjoy their Wine Festival. The Master is waiting for us!” She huffed.

“...but yesterday?”

“Yes, Brother Xing...yesterday.”

“Alright.”

“Good, now make sure everything’s fine with her before we leave, alright?”

“I’m a professional at this,” Xing said with a smile, holding up the soiled garment wrapping.

“Confident after one successful change, aren’t we?"

“Yes...that’s all it takes!”

Susu shook her head, pulled the door to their room and left, leaving Xing and the child to their machinations, which possibly would’ve been both of them doing nothing, but sleep. ...at least that’s what I hope, Susu thought.

She went down a flight of stairs, veil swaying with each step she made and bypassed the tavern keep.

She pushed the door open and the sun rays hit her eyes, making her squint. The rays spread across the Yellow Orchid Village, highlighting it simplicity in design.

The main street had multiple shops, bars and inns, for people traveling from Anqing to Longyan.

The streets weren’t as busy as you’d get once you’ve arrived at Longyan, as that was a true city, and not a small city like Anqing.

The whistling wind passed through the village, leaving trails of grass and dead leaves through the streets. All around her vendors were restocking their stalls, filling them up with both fruit, veg, herbs and spices.

It was strangely therapeutic for Susu, but it was no forest.

Despite how the wind ushering dead leaves into the village, it was still neat, but that was by design, not cleanliness.

The buildings were perfectly aligned on both sides. They probably were trying to make this into a town Susu thought. On her left, which was the south side of the village a paifang erupted. It was traditional in design but painted Yellow and White, obviously matching the village’s name.

Being a Parsonian in Huaxia wasn’t as taboo as being an Axsumite, but Susu never relented on wearing her veil, it made life for her easier, as she wouldn’t get suspicious stares, walking around freely.

The desire for people eyes to trace her up and down, was something she hated.

Especially from men.

Especially Noblemen, they had appetite for ‘exotic women’ as they would say.

“I do hope we can keep her safe.” Susu whispered, “Life’s hard, but it’s also beautiful.”

As Susu stepped down, she turned right, passing a soy and vegetable stall which only made her stomach growl. Her veil waft as she passed it by and waved off the vendor before he tried to draw her in.

The tallest building within the building appeared in the corner of her eyes. It was a tavern she passed last night but looked more like two shacks, one placed on top of the other.

Last night it carried a dingy and sour scent, mostly of piss and vomit, but as Susu drew closer towards it. She hoped the scent had been washed away.

The first ‘floor’ had a sign written in the characters read out as Yellow Mist Floor, whilst the second-floor sign read as White Mist Floor. It didn’t make sense to Susu, nor did she tied to decipher it. It probably has meaning to the locals She thought, but who knew what went through people’s minds when naming things.

Two men wearing yellow, red and black military robes stomped their way to the door, halberd blades reflecting the sun’s light like a mirror.

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As Susu was passing them, her eyes glanced left. Her veil may have appeared thick to onlookers, but for her, it was as thinner than paper, which allowed her to see through it quite easily.

The soldiers crossed their halberds the moment she passed, in an attempt to stop her from having any ideas of entering, not that she was, but soldiers had to be sure.

Why are they here? Susu asked , Bandits? Doubtful…they maybe here for the slaughtered Axsumites. I have to warn Xing of his behavior, ensuring he doesn’t arouse their attention.

Susu glanced down, noticing a jade seal attached to their waist. She read the characters gasped inwards. ‘Imperial Guard of Emperor Tian Yu’

Imperial guards? What…why are the Imperials Guards of the Emperor doing here? Surely not for the Axsumites? Susu mused.

She increased her pace, rounding a corner. She let the thought stay within her for a while, then she ignored it.

Susu went down the street, passing a few more stalls, then made a short left into an alley.

She knocked on the door once more and the old woman from earlier scraped her chair before attending to her. “You’re back.” The woman said shyly.

“Yes.” She said with a clasping her hands in respect. “Nana forgive me for my impudence but I’d like to buy more milk.”

“Baby drank all of that already?” The old woman said laughing in a hoot-like fashion. Susu’s stomach made her question herself. Did I mention the child? No…no, I didn’t. Susu flashed a shy child and nodded. “How did you know?”

“Just a guess,” She said, “But I’ve always been good at guessing.”

“I see.”

“So, tell me, child. Do you have a problem producing milk?”

“Yes Nana, I don’t know why, but I’ve only been able to produce a cup full every two days.” Susu lied.

“A cup full? That’s horrible, your baby must be as small as a pebble.”

Susu laughed shyly, swaying from left to right, making herself seem innocent. “She isn’t small so you have to worry.”

“Oh? Then can you bring her over? Nana would like to hold her for a bit.”

“Hold her? Sorry Nana, but she’s been a bit cranky lately. I’m scared she might soil your mood with her tantrums.”

“Child…I’ve bored five children. I have twelve grandsons and eight granddaughters. A tantrum isn’t something that scares me!”

Susu laugh shyly and nodded. “Alright Nana, I’ll bring her over, but a little later right now she’s resting with my husband.”

“Ahh…I see, alright give me a couple of minutes. I still have a few cows in the back that haven’t been milked.”

The old woman went into the back of her store. She came back fifteen minutes later with two jugs of milk. A sigh of relief washed over Susu.

The old woman dropped the jugs into her and cracked a wrinkly smile. “So pretty under that veil,” She said. “Why hide it?”

“Prettiness isn’t everything Nana, especially in a world like this.”

“Oh? You sound like you’ve had you’re troubles.”

“Hasn’t everyone?” Susu said.

“Of course, why else would I have five children? But life is bitter sweet, like wine. When it’s sweet. It tastes good, but because you’re in a foil mood, it tends to be emptied, soiling your mood further.”

Doesn’t match your mood, sweet but bitter? What is she talking about Susu thought, confused.

The old lady lips curled into a wrinkly smile once more, then she shook her head as if she knew that Susu wouldn’t have understood her words. “You’ll understand in time…just like I did when I realised it when someone told me all those years ago.”

Susu stood there, still trying to comprehend what she was just told. The old woman patted her on the shoulder and went into the back of her store, leaving Susu to ponder.

What was she on about? Was it an old saying she’d never heard? Or was it some form of poetry she couldn’t comprehend?

All Susu knew was fighting and reading, and the majority of the books she consumed were martial arts manuals only to increase her prowess to the next realm.

As strong and fluid as she was in her martial arts prowess, she’d only broken through to the Divination Realm, something that bothered her.

She didn’t like that no matter how much she tried to settle her mind in meditation, she could always feel the meridians to her Core Dantian constrict, not allowing her the opportunity to enter the Accentuation Realm.

What must I do to remove this anger…resentment that I have? She asked herself.

No answer came, so she finally nodded at the old woman once more.

The old woman went into the back and brought out two large pots of milk. She placed them one by one in front of Susu, and then went back behind her table, making herself comfortable.

“Nana…I didn’t ask…”

“You’re leaving today aren’t you? The baby will need enough milk for the journey”

Susu stood there, stupefied she didn’t know what to say. She felt naked, as though the old lady knew who she was.

“Thank you, Nana,” Susu said with a bow, “I still don’t understand what you told me. But I’ll keep your words in my heart.”

“Good, don’t forget to bring the child for me to see before leave, alright?”

“I shall,” Susu said with a smile, picking the two jugs up from

Susu poured the milk into the pots, filling them completely, the picked them up one by one in each hand. She turned around and began to walk through the door. “Oh! Before you go since you can’t produce as much milk as you would like. Find and grind versen seeds and uoni plums. They are a milk preservative. They can also increase the nutritional value of the milk.”

Susu perked up, persevere? Increase nutritional value? “Thank you, Nana! Thank you! I’ll remember that!”

A wrinkly grin flashed across the Old woman’s face and she watched as Susu scampered off with the jugs in her hand.

Having the jars of milk would be the first step for Susu, her plan now was to acquire the versen seeds and uoni plums from the nearest herbalist in the village.

Her concern though, was if a herbalist had them in stock. The streets slowly got livelier with each passing second, cows, sheep, and goats from all the neighboring farms came and began to fill the streets, filling them.

Shouting matches for trade took place at a moment’s notice. Susu even heard a man trade three sheep for someone’s daughter in marriage. “I guess this is the life of a villager, a life…I gladly don’t have to live.”