With the Princess’s permission, Si Shuo put on a show of writing a letter in Beast Text on a piece of Beast Skin right in front of her. Little Hong, in his Hunting Falcon form, then snatched it and delivered it to the Bai Xiao Witch Doctor.
With the Dragon Bone Token hanging from his neck, Little Hong could enter and exit Pingjing City at will. The very next day, Si Shuo received a reply.
"Princess, what a coincidence. The Bai Xiao Witch Doctor heard we were hosting the Five Countries exchange meet and hurried over. She’s already just outside the city."
When the Princess saw the reply, she was overjoyed, an excited flush rising on her wheat-colored face. She paced back and forth several times before clapping her hands and laughing. "Then I’ll have to ask the Si Shuo Divine Servant to accompany me to welcome the Bai Xiao Witch Doctor!"
Si Shuo smiled and nodded. ’Her males are always running around outside anyway. Xiao Cheng can transform, and Zhi Le can create clones. With them acting as a smokescreen, and with the Iron-eating Beasts on guard, no one will notice a few missing males at home.’
The weather was beginning to warm up. Ji Liang carried Si Shuo, practically skating the entire way at a speed no slower than those on riding beasts. He had an Ice Ability and could conjure an ice path of varying thickness, forming smooth ice skates under his feet. With the slightest push, he could glide a great distance. By flicking his snake-like tongue, he could also scout the path ahead, allowing him to evade obstacles or stop in time.
The other males ran alongside them, their pace swift but effortless as they each showed off their Divine Skills.
Before they even reached the city gates, they saw a large crowd surging toward them, looking like they were heading to a rally. Even the Princess, seated atop her Golden Lion, asked curiously, "Where are all of you going?"
The Beastmen were all focused on rushing ahead, and none were willing to stop. Finally, a guard managed to grab the arm of a round, white pig Beastman.
The Beastman cried out anxiously, "OINK, OINK! The Bai Xiao Witch Doctor is here, don’t you know? Let go of me! OINK, OINK! I’m going to watch the excitement! Maybe I can snag an elixir and add a few decades to my lifespan!"
With that, the white pig Beastman put on a burst of strength, broke free from the guard, and sprinted away.
Si Shuo’s expression darkened. ’She knew it!!!’
’That fox never fails to cause a huge scene. It would be an insult to his scheming mind otherwise.’
The Princess grew anxious as well, urging everyone to hurry. She even summoned a Crowned Eagle to ride, going on ahead.
Si Shuo turned her head, but before she could say anything, Yin Jiang spread his wings, scooped her out of Ji Liang’s arms, and followed close behind.
Standing on the city wall, they saw Xiao Cheng in the distance, across the chain bridge, dressed all in white and leaning lazily against a flower-adorned cart!
"Quickly, go and escort the Bai Xiao Witch Doctor over. On second thought, I’ll go myself," the Princess said. After giving an order to the guards at the gate, she led her people out of the city and flew to the opposite bank.
Si Shuo watched on her tiptoes. They dallied for nearly fifteen minutes before the Bai Xiao Witch Doctor—Xiao Cheng—finally gave a lazy wave of his hand.
The lavishly decorated wooden cart, pulled by four white crane Beastmen, flew over the abyss and entered through the city gates without any obstruction.
The Beastmen on the ground were packed into a tight mass, and Flying Beasts swarmed in from above. If not for the Protective Shield set up by the males accompanying the Bai Xiao Witch Doctor—Xiao Cheng—"she" probably would have been squashed into a pancake!
"Bai Xiao Witch Doctor, will you listen to our petitions during your visit to Pingjing?"
"...You are a Witch Doctor! You must remember the skills the Beast God granted you and think more of us Beastmen..."
"...Can we buy your Longevity Pills..."
The Beastmen shouted themselves hoarse, their heart-wrenching cries merging into a piercing cacophony that felt like it could shatter eardrums.
The Bai Xiao Witch Doctor—Xiao Cheng—smiled and held up a hand, pressing it down in the air. As if they all understood, the massive crowd fell silent at once.
"Since I have come to Pingjing City, it is not merely to watch the excitement of the Five Countries exchange meet. Naturally, I wish to participate as well. You could say I was called here by the Beast God."
"I have heard that the Warriors from each country will be sparring at the exchange meet, so I shall liven things up for everyone and add some prizes to the pool."
"Twenty Awakening Pills, twenty Longevity Pills, and twenty Pregnancy Enhancement Pills! As long as a Warrior performs exceptionally and catches my eye, they can choose one of the three!"
Hearing this, the crowd erupted in a frenzy of excitement, as if they themselves could win the prizes.
"Of course, those of you in the audience will also have a chance to receive an elixir, depending entirely on my mood." The Bai Xiao Witch Doctor’s—Xiao Cheng’s—words stirred up a hornet’s nest, and the crowd began to roar even more ferociously.
The Princess watched with envy. ’Goodness, in all her time as a princess, she had only ever been revered by others; she had never experienced this kind of popularity.’
’As expected of the highly praised Bai Xiao Witch Doctor. Her influence is almost on par with my royal father’s.’
The whole way, the Beastmen followed in a massive procession. Yet the Bai Xiao Witch Doctor was good-natured, smiling and waving, tossing out pills here and there as if they were candy.
Even if they were just elixirs with minor effects that young female beastmen might tinker with, it was enough to make the crowd go into a frenzy to grab them...
By the time they finally managed to escort the Bai Xiao Witch Doctor from outside the city to the Princess Mansion, the sky was already growing dark!
"Princess, there’s no need to arrange anything for me," the Bai Xiao Witch Doctor—Xiao Cheng—said with a smile, stepping forward to link arms with Si Shuo. "I’ll just stay with my big sister."
"Even though my sister is from outside the forest, we hit it off immediately. It’s a shame we only exchanged a few words last time we met. Now that we finally have a chance to be together, shouldn’t we spend more time catching up?"
"Once the exchange meet is over, I’ll be back to wandering the world and traveling everywhere."
Si Shuo’s ears turned a little red. She—she could feel the softness of the Bai Xiao Witch Doctor—Xiao Cheng—and her arm felt like it was burning where they touched. Even as a modern person, she couldn’t handle such forwardness.
The Princess was both happy that she had managed to win over the Bai Xiao Witch Doctor through the Si Shuo Divine Servant, and disappointed that the Witch Doctor only seemed to acknowledge the Divine Servant.
"Alright, then I won’t disturb you two from resting. If you need anything at all, just send someone to let me know," the Princess said, nodding repeatedly.
As she watched them leave, a messenger arrived from the Beast King, summoning her to the palace to report.
The Princess felt a faint thrill of excitement. ’The title of Beast King isn’t exclusive to males. Although females have shorter lifespans and are generally not as knowledgeable or experienced as males in handling affairs, there have been some worldly and well-informed females who gained the support of many outstanding males and took the throne!’
’Which royal cub, so close to the center of power, doesn’t have a bit of ambition? Being ruled or being the ruler—it’s an easy choice for anyone to make.’
’Among her father’s children, she was rather mediocre in all aspects, with few accomplishments and little competitive strength. Now, by winning over two powerful Grand Generals in one fell swoop, she had finally caught her father’s eye.’
But when she rushed excitedly into the palace’s reception hall, the Beast King’s first words were a dissatisfied question: "Xue’er, why did you come alone? Where is the Bai Xiao Witch Doctor?"
Ling Xue froze for a moment. "Father, didn’t you send for me to come to the palace? You didn’t say to bring the Bai Xiao Witch Doctor."
The Beast King looked at her, at a loss for words. "Is that something I needed to spell out? The Bai Xiao Witch Doctor’s fame has skyrocketed recently. I can hear the commotion outside even from within the palace."
"She has entered the city. Should her first act not be to come and see me?"