"You're finally here." said the person in the carriage calmly.
Hui Lan's hands on the door frames were halted on the door frames.
"What are you waiting for? Are you not coming in?"
Hui Lan blinked once before making her way inside and went to sit in front of the elder silently. She looked up at the elder carefully before speaking, "Feng Furen?"
"Hm, it feels very odd when my daughter calls me that…" Feng Furen who had just put her book away looked up to the other person sitting in front of her before knocking on the wall of her carriage, "Let's go." Immediately, the carriage began moving forward.
The group of soldiers that had come with the Feng family went off with a tight security
Although Hui Lan knew it might still feel strange for Feng Furen, it seemed what the elder was going to do next was more important from now, "If I may ask, what will you do next?"
Feng Furen blinked once before staring at Hui Lan for some time, "I'm going to teach you."
After the elder had said such words, Hui Lan was slightly flabbergasted.
...Feng Furen, she was going to...What!?
"From now on, try calling me mother...so you would get used to it. Then, no one would find any faults from you." Feng Feng spoke calmly before Hui Lan, but inside, there was a new feeling growing in her heart that even she did not know.
"Ah?" Hui Lan was taken aback even more.
The elder did not say anything to soothe Hui Lan down and continued, "You do not need to worry about your secret for your secret is also my secret to outsiders. I will not tell your fathe-...my husband just yet. He would probably freak out more than I did." Feng Furen was still stuck calling General Feng as father to Hui Lan before changing it to 'her husband' instead.
Despite Feng Furen's reaction yesterday, Hui Lan tried to imagine how the Great General Feng would even react to such news…
...It was just that even Feng Furen was now helping her...why was that?
"Feng...Niang, why are you doing this?" Hui Lan was about to call Feng Furen as she used to but quickly changed when Feng Furen was about to say something about it.
Hearing Hui Lan's question, Feng Furen became silent for a brief moment before speaking, "Your mission…"
"My mission? You know about my mission?" Hui Lan's interests immediately grew on the mention of the mission that was given to her but was never disclosed whatever it was. Since coming into this time period, she only knew of an unknown mission which was very not much help for her at all.
Seeing Hui Lan's reaction, Feng Furen was reminded of her own daughter. In a way, they both seemed to share some kind of similarities between each other, "Your mission, I might have a grasp of what it might be, but Heaven's missions are never always predictable."
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but when you say Heaven's mission…"
"Yes, it is the same Heaven's mission that you have been given, Hui Lan. Sitting before you, I am princess Feng Nou of the ancient Ning Kingdom. I was the very first to be chosen as the candidate to carry out Heaven's mission." Feng Furen revealed her identity to the other to know.
"You are the first?" as Hui Lan asked, her eyes glanced over to the black jade bracelet that was on Feng Furen's wrist. It was that very same bracelet that had deteriorated into dust yesterday, but today, the bracelet looked perfectly fine.
...How was that possible?
Feng Furen revealed a small smile as she looked at the moon jade bracelet on Hui Lan, "That was my cousin's bracelet. Seeing you wearing it reminds me of her…" Feng Furen then looked up at Hui Lan before speaking, "I was the first Heaven's candidate along with Xiao Chao."
Hearing Feng Furen mention about her cousin. She began connecting the dots together. The person who had given her this bracelet was the Ice Queen Yue Lin...then Feng Furen must be Yue Lin's cousin. And Xiao Chao he was..." the peerless black owl...Xiao Mao's father…" Hui Lan spoke softly underneath her breath as she thought of Xiao Chao, that weird owl that was always speaking to her like he was an old man.
Once again, Feng Feng Furen revealed another smile, but this time her smile was even wider, "Xiao Chao, he's just not any owl."
"Oh?" Hui Lan tilted her head slightly.
"He's a majestic beast."
"Ah? He's a what…?"
"Hm, a majestic beast." Feng Furen affirmed her words.
"But he…"
"He looks just like an owl?" Feng Furen probed.
To that Hui Lan nodded her head silently in confusion.
The elder saw Hui Lan's confusion and smiled, "Oh, he's just simply confined. Where he came, no, where we came from, he was the Great Panther Owl of the snowy tribe, Chao Chen. What makes majestic beasts different from other animals is their divine strength and power. Within them, they have a spirit and are morphed with the pure liquid from Heaven. They become your spiritual beast. Here he may seem like a normal looking owl, but it is just the visions that deceive you. His shape might make him look less intimidating, but his strength is still there…"
"What does he have to do with you…?" Hui Lan spoke all her mind out as the other person seemed to be in the mood to reply to her.
"Xiao Chao has everything to do with me. You see, both me and Xiao Chao, we share a connection between each other; it's called 'pure connection'. You can have many majestic beasts, but once you form such a connection, you are connected. If a human dies, the majestic beast is freed, or if a human dove deep into their dark abyss and their minds are turned and become a vengeful spirit the connection is torn."
"When you say he is connected to you, then why is it that I can talk to him and Xiao Mao…?" This was still very perplexing to her. Was it normal for anyone to be able to talk to animals?
Feng Furen smiled, "You are the first animal speaker generations of Heaven's candidates. You're very much like my cousin. However, before, speaking to animals was never hard. Sometimes the animals or majestic beasts would let you hear them. However, it was just that since the Great Punishment, the world was very much separated apart. Xiao Chao says that you haven't found your spiritual beast yet or you might have been separated from each other, but once you do, your talents will be fully activated."
"Is Xiao Mao not my spiritual beast?"
"I'm afraid no, but do not worry, he plays his part in your mission. Xiao Mao is very much different from Xiao Chao. We call creatures like him rides. They are half normal animal and half majestic beast; since the pure liquid is only from one side, his diviness has reduced. However, there are many kinds which will not be needed for you to know about this mission."
Hui Lan nodded silently before asking again, "Then would you have any clues about what my mission could be?"
"Your mission, Hui Lan, can only be meant for you to find it yourself. I am forbidden to speak about it by the higher ups,...but expect the worse." Feng Furen's eyes grew slightly colder as she thought of what the mission she had in mind was.
...She was the first of all and was given the hardest mission of all. Yesterday, what had happened had just erased all her efforts and it seemed...it was now for Hui Lan to finish it.
Hui Lan fell back into her seat.
...There goes her chance of finding about the mission.
"Oh, don't give up yet Hui Lan. You haven't begun yet." Feng Furen could see the distress coming from Hui Lan. She too could not help but be reminded of herself. The elder then continued, "Can you tell me about yourself then?" Since she had already told everything about herself and all she knew, she wanted to hear Hui Lan.
Hui Lan looked up and began her story, "I'm an eastern historian professor from…"
As Hui Lan began telling her story, the carriage was moving forward into the mountains, in particular, Mt. Yun.
At the very base of the mountain, the entourage was suddenly split into two different entourages with both heading onto different paths.
This would not be such a fuss if it was not for the shadow guards that were sent to follow the Feng family's movement.
However, while they were contemplating, some sort of dust was thrown towards them. Before they could dodge away in time, they had already sniffed the contents of it into their system.
Immediately, all of them dropped onto their knees and began coughing. They were coughing so much that some even fainted on the spot.
One of them who seemed to be slightly stronger than the rest was able to withstand it and decided to head back and get help while also informing his leader.
The shadow guard made his way back. He stopped at one place before heading into the corners of the Royal Palace and landed into Ping An Palace which had belonged to no one else but of the Empress Dowager.
The guard kneeled down in front of the Empress Dowager. After catching the scent of the powder from the guard the Empress Dowager Xin threw another kind of powder onto the shadow guard and immediately the guard stopped coughing.
...She still played these kinds of tricks ah.
"Leader, they went to Mt. Yun today. We were following them until the bottom of the mountain, but this happened…" The guard felt ashamed of himself for not being able to finish his tasks properly.
The Empress Dowager waved it off before speaking, "She is not your match nor mine. That is enough. Return back to the headquarters and practice more."
"Yes, Leader!" The shadow guard then retreated without any more words.
The Empress Dowager's fingers began tapping onto her chair as she thought away.
...Feng Nuo ah, what are you doing…?
...Mt. Yun was where master was. Why are you going to see master at a time like this?
"Call for the Emperor and General Feng for me. I want to have a word with them both." Empress Dowager Xin spoke in the end.
One was her family and one was like family that she had cut ties with.
.
.
.
At least, both should not cause the kingdom to be in chaos from personal reasons.