Si Shuo and her group planned to settle down in Pingjing. It wasn’t just because they might encounter more villains who used Horned Deer Beastmen to extend their lives here.
It was also because a place with a flourishing economy and culture was often more inclusive. Besides, everyone here aspired to improve their lot. It was only natural for their family to take this single, decisive step to put down roots and live here.
Shi Si had scented a total of twenty-seven Bone Tokens within Pingjing City. In a few days, as Beastmen from the other four Beast Countries arrived for the exchange conference, there would probably be even more Bone Tokens to sense!
But this was someone else’s territory, Pingjing no less. Plus, they had just endured a long, cold winter and had accumulated enough cultivation. Continuing to practice Cultivation within the Time Law would only yield diminishing returns.
So, after pinpointing the scattered locations of the twenty-seven Bone Tokens, they used Teleportation to return to the Princess Mansion.
Although Gong You still set up a Time Array, it was only to ensure everyone in the family got enough sleep.
After a dreamless night, Si Shuo woke up to a bright sky. Breakfast was prepared by the main kitchen of the Princess Mansion: roasted pork chops, roasted corn, grilled flatbread, and meat congee.
Si Shuo was a picky eater, so when she saw that the entire morning meal consisted of grilled food, a hint of dismay appeared on her little face.
"I know you like lighter food. Here," Yin Jiang said with a smile, stepping forward and bringing out the special breakfast he had prepared.
The wild corn had been picked just before it was fully ripe. When boiled, it was fragrant and tender, with a subtle sweetness. If Si Shuo didn’t gnaw on one every day, she felt her ’cat life’ was incomplete.
There was a tea egg, a steamer basket of shiitake mushroom and diced pork buns, a thick, golden millet porridge, and a bowl of goat’s milk with almonds.
Si Shuo couldn’t help but hug his waist. The males in her family were all so tall; thankfully the stone stool wasn’t short, or she’d only be able to hug their thighs.
Basically, whoever was at home with her would wait for her to wake up before eating. After living together for so long, they had figured out her patterns: the little female ate with more gusto when she had company.
The courtyard was quiet, with only two Iron-eating Beastmen standing guard at the entrance. Si Shuo looked at Yin Jiang curiously. "Did everyone go out exploring?"
Yin Jiang smiled and said, "You could say that. We all want to get to know Pingjing as quickly as possible. Before we came, we only knew what others told us, so the information we had was too one-sided and general."
"It’s better to go out and see it for ourselves. Zhi Le and Wei Ce went to check out the farmlands of Pingjing, Xu Chi and Gong You are looking at the schools and Martial Arts Halls, and Ji Liang and Xiao Cheng are checking out the shops on the street while gathering information about the power dynamics in Pingjing."
If they had tried to come to Pingjing on their own, it would have taken a great deal of effort. The olive branch extended by the Princess allowed them to get here in a single step.
However, for the foreseeable future, they would be tied to the Princess in the eyes of outsiders and couldn’t act independently for the time being.
"Excuse me, has Si Shuo Divine Servant awoken? Is the food to her liking?"
Hearing the voice from outside, Yin Jiang said helplessly, "From this morning until now, the Princess has already sent seven or eight waves of guards to ask about you."
Si Shuo smiled and nodded. "That’s normal. We’re enjoying the benefits of the Princess Mansion, so naturally, we have to contribute a little. Let’s go see what she wants with me."
The Beast World Continent had no shortage of land. However, within the Beast Cities, especially a capital city of a Beast Country like Pingjing, the land had long been monopolized by various families and tribes. Ordinary Beastmen had no way of owning their own fields, houses, or shops, and the gap between the rich and poor was particularly stark.
The Princess Mansion was enormous, like a park. Just walking back and forth a few times a day on her own two feet would have been enough to run Si Shuo ragged.
The males didn’t like her riding on Wild Beasts or being carried by Beast Slaves, and it wasn’t convenient for them to assume their Beast Forms, so they preferred to carry her horizontally in their arms.
However, Yin Jiang couldn’t shapeshift into a beast, but the pair of wings on his back was still usable. After asking where the Princess wanted them to go, he held Si Shuo and flew at a low altitude, bypassing houses, courtyards, rockeries, groves, lakes, and plazas before finally arriving at the banquet hall.
"Si Shuo Divine Servant has arrived," the Princess said. She had already been worn down by Si Shuo to the point of having no temper left. It was like punching a bale of wool; the moment things didn’t go Si Shuo’s way, she would simply be ignored.
Si Shuo gave a light laugh and a nod. Seeing that the banquet hall was filled with people, she didn’t ask any questions and simply sat down in the empty seat to the Princess’s left, which had been specially reserved for her.
"Si Shuo Divine Servant, you’ll find out after staying in my mansion for a while. I’m someone who enjoys hosting banquets. If you like them, you’re welcome to join anytime."
"If you prefer peace and quiet, you can come by once every three to five days to see if these noble females have any requests."
"Rest assured, with me here, what happened last night will absolutely not happen again! You can agree to whomever’s request you wish. It’s all up to you."
The Princess was quite open-minded. She was rather casual about recruiting Counselors; after all, the Princess Mansion was wealthy and influential, and could easily support an extra eighty or a hundred people.
As long as a Counselor could do something to bring glory to the Princess Mansion, she considered it a win. After all, the Counselors she chose were all highly capable; a single task they performed was more than enough to cover their living expenses.
Si Shuo’s eyes flickered. She smiled and whispered to the Princess, "Princess, I heard from the guards who brought us here that the exchange conference between the five Beast Countries is coming up soon?"
"Correct," the Princess said, her expression uncharacteristically serious. "This is also why I was in such a hurry to recruit you to Pingjing. Our Guanping Country is vast and abundant, with fertile lands. The problem is that life is too comfortable, and we’ve become somewhat complacent."
"At every five-Beast-Country exchange conference, we always rank first or second to last. In previous years, that was bearable, but this year, our Guanping Beast Country is the host. We’ll definitely be ganged up on and bullied by the other four Beast Countries."
"Every time, some of our land gets carved up, and we have to offer up quite a few good things just to send this pack of vicious wolves away."
Si Shuo nodded. "Princess, have you heard of the Bai Xiao Witch Doctor?"
The Princess’s eyes sparkled as she nodded repeatedly. "Of course! The Bai Xiao Witch Doctor’s reputation is immense. Even in our Pingjing, she’s top-notch!"
She gave a thumbs-up. "However, people saw her just before winter near the Ze Yuan River by Ningbei City, but there’s been no news of her since."
"Everyone says she might have left the Guanping Beast Country. Si Shuo Divine Servant, why do you ask?"
"Don’t tell me you know her? Everyone says that if we had the Bai Xiao Witch Doctor’s help, we’d be guaranteed to hold our heads high this time."
But the thought was fleeting. They all knew that the Bai Xiao Witch Doctor was from the Jiuzhou Beast Country. Even if she appeared at the competition, it would be for the Jiuzhou Beast Country. How could she possibly help them?
Si Shuo smiled, her lips pursed. "I’ve actually crossed paths with the Bai Xiao Witch Doctor two or three times. We’re on speaking terms."
"Perhaps I could help pass on a message, an invitation, to see if she might participate in this grand competition and bring some glory to our Guanping Beast Country."
The Princess immediately beamed. "That would be wonderful! If the Bai Xiao Witch Doctor comes, even if she does nothing, her mere presence would be enough to get everyone fired up and eager to prove themselves."
Si Shuo smiled and nodded along...