After waiting for another hour in the large room with the other women, the head shaman finally enters the room with the king and his guards. Once again, Qian Lan kept her gaze down and refused to look at the king, even when she could sense him staring at her. The old priest walks in front of the king and announces the next test.
"Well done ladies, you passed the first test. For the second test we will be looking for something on your backs."
Qian Lan pause and ponders about what exactly they were looking for. Rather than waiting, she walks out of the crowd and towards the old shaman.
"What is exactly this mark you're looking for?"
One of the shaman's guards' steps in front and angrily yells at Qian Lan for being rude.
"How dare you question the high shaman's action!"
"Chill dude, all I'm asking is what she's looking for. I believe we deserve to know what's really going on here."
"Chill wa…what did you say?"
"Gosh, people of this time need's more vocabulary."
The shaman glares at Qian Lan before breaking into an eerie smile.
"Of course, we're looking for the chosen one."
"And what purpose is this so called chosen one supposed to serve?"
"That's only something the chosen one gets to know. Now, be quiet and join the others before I have you punished."
"Pfff, what a phony."
Qian Lan glares down at the shaman before turning her back and walking towards Yuhan who was freaking out. Once Qian Lan was back in the crowd, the high priest continues to talk more in regards to what was going to happen.
"Ladies, soon my servants will all bring you into a designated area. They will check you for a marking. Those who don't bear a mark will be asked to leave, and those who do will stay."
The shaman quickly exits the room along with the king who never once took his eyes off the angry Qian Lan. Once everyone was out of the room, Yuhan pulls Qian Lan into a corner and hits her on the head.
"Ow! What was that for?!"
"Qian Lan are you crazy?! I told you not to act like that with nobles and people of their statuses! What if you got killed for it?!"
"Then so be it! Whoever their looking for, they need someone with a marking on their body. Remember the other day? You told me I had a birthmark on my back, but I wasn't born with any birthmarks."
"You…you don't think they're looking for that mark right? That's way too convenient to be true."
Qian Lan knew she was brought into this world for a reason. With the jade bracelet still on her right arm and a random birthmark appearing on her back suddenly. Qian Lan knew it all had to mean something.
"Yuhan, we need to get out of here."
"What? Why?"
"I'm not going to sit around and be made a sacrificed for some god okay? I'm not even from here!"
Qian Lan grabs Yuhan by the hand and drags her to the door they entered through. Using all her strength Qian Lan tries to force the door open.
"Hnnngh! Damnit! It's not even budging!"
Ah Ying who was staring from the side lines quickly run to ask Qian Lan what she was doing.
"Qian Lan, what are you doing?"
"Getting out of here!"
"Wait, stop! You'll get in trouble!"
Qian Lan reaches for the door only to be sent flying away when someone slammed it open. Yuhan quickly moves to help Qian Lan up as numerous servants walked in. A middle-aged woman walks in and begins to direct the other servants. One by one all the women were taken separately by a servant. Qian Lan watched as Yuhan was dragged away in the opposite direction from her.
"Wait! Stop dragging her like that!"
All of a sudden, the woman slapped Qian Lan in the face suddenly.
"Slap!"
"You…. you damn hag! What was that for?!"
"Commoners are so uneducated! I slapped you for being ignorant and causing a scene!"
Qian Lan clenches her fist and slaps the old woman back in retaliation.
"Slap!"
"Hurt's doesn't it?"
"You…you damn girl! Guards take this woman out and beat her fifty times!"
"Hurt a hair on her head, and it'll be your head that goes rolling."
A soft-spoken deep voice appears from the dark hallway leading into the room. In comes walking the king with his guards.
"You…your majesty. Why are you here?"
"This is the holy temple of the water god. Everything in this kingdom is mine, so why can't I be here?"
"I..I didn't mean that…please forgive this foolish old woman."
Qian Lan's white cheek was now going red from being slapped so hard unexpectedly. The king moves in closer to Qian Lan and places his hand above her red cheek. Unsure of what to do, Qian Lan quickly takes a step back and moves away from the king's hand.
"I thought I order you to watch her."
The moment the king spoke out, two guards who blended into the shadows walked out.
"Our apologies, your majesty."
"We did not think this servant was going to harm Ms. Qian Lan."
The old woman finally realized she was now in a tough spot. Quickly falling to her knees, she crawls to the king's feet and begs for forgiveness.
"Please forgive me your majesty! I didn't know she was someone of importance to you. I am only following orders, please!"
"Oh ho. On who's orders?"
"I…it's the crown princess your majesty."
The king was no longer smiling and quickly dismisses the woman back to her duties. The king looked in silent as Qian Lan rubbed her red cheek.
"Qian Lan…does it hurt?"
"Not anymore. Thank you for caring about this lowly one, your majesty."
"Qian Lan don't talk like that. Talk to me like how you used to!"
"I apologize if I offended you in the past, your majesty."
The king snaps and drags Qian Lan off into an empty room. After dismissing his guards, he throws Qian Lan onto a wooden bed before seating himself across from her.
"What's wrong with you lately Qian Lan?"
"I don't understand what you're asking, your majesty."
"That's exactly what I'm talking about. Why can't you look me in the eye? Did I do something that you hate me for?"
Qian Lan finally looks into the eyes of the king and spits out her frustrations.
"You want to know what's bothering me? Fine, I'll tell you. One, why is your soon to be queen a concubine from your dead father? Two, I haven't even done anything and I'm being targeted by that woman of yours and three, why are you and the royal temple lying about this being a competition?"
The king never once removed his gaze from Qian Lan. After a few minutes of silence, the king finally takes a deep breath and moves in closer to where Qian Lan was sitting on the bed.
"Well, don't tell me you're jealous?"
Qian Lan slaps her hand onto her forehead and couldn't believe what she was hearing. Lightly laughing, Qian Lan looks back up at the king.
"Not at all your majesty. I have no interest in joining a harem. I would rather die than waste away inside a palace, waiting for the affection of a man who's going to be too busy tending to his other wives."
"The harem life is not all like that Qian Lan."
"Yes, it is. In every damn drama I've seen it does. There are always women fighting and killing each other for the sake of a man. I used to think the women were stupid, until I realized it was also the man's fault. If you know you're not capable of loving all your wives equally why have more than one? You hated your father, your majesty. And yet, you're going to walk down the same path as him."
"I'm not like my father!"
The king stands up and paces around the room as he continues to talk to Qian Lan.
"I'm not saying you'll become like your father. I'm merely saying at this rate you will do nothing but bring more trouble to yourself in the future."
"Producing an heir is my duty as the king."
"Yeah, you do realize you don't need a harem for one kid, right? I know you weren't first in line, but you excel in everything when compared to your older brothers. That's why the people chose to follow you. I'm sure you had to fight for the throne, didn't you?"
"Of course, …. there's no way they would've given it up like nothing."
"Yeah, and here you plan to have harem and produce kids for the next bloodbath? I will never understand what you royals are thinking. You want to put your kids through what you did? Makes no sense."
"Qian Lan…. if I marry only one woman, will that create a better future for my future kids?"
"Naturally, that's the case. But that doesn't mean full blood brothers won't fight for the throne someday either. Have one wife will only limit that from happening. Or you can just teach your children to help one another and do what's best for the kingdom."
"Then…..Qian Lan. I'll go with what you want If you become my queen."
Qian Lan looks at the king in shock. The king quickly walks to Qian Lan and seats himself on the edge of the bed near Qian Lan. Quickly grabbing her hand, he holds her thing fingers within his hands.
"Your majesty, surely you're toying with me. One, I'm a commoner. Two, no one in the kingdom will agree and three, you have a crown princess already."
"The crown princess is just a childhood friend. I pitied her and named her my crown princess only until I found someone else deserving of that title."
"And you think that person is me? Let me tell you, your majesty. The one for you is not me. I mean…I don't even belong here."
"I'm serious Qian Lan. No one has ever been this honest with me. You treat me like another human being rather than sucking up to me to gain favor. If you agree I'll get you out of here right now and we can leave for the palace together."
Qian Lan knew the king was serious and sincere. With a heavy sigh Qian Lan slowly breaks free from the king's hand and moves back.
"I…I can't. You don't really love me, your majesty. You're merely interested in me because I'm different. That is something that will die over time. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go back and join the other women."
"Wait!"
The king grabs hold of Qian Lan's hand and looks into her eyes.
"Qian Lan, you knew about this tournament, didn't you?"
"More or less."
"If you know then why are you denying me and willing to go back out there?"
"Because I get a feeling this is why I was brought into this world. Someday I'll be able to tell you, but until then. Let it remain a secret."
Qian Lan breaks free and heads out of the room. She makes her way back to the other room and joins the remaining women who were still waiting to be checked. After sitting around for ten minutes the temple servants returned and took more women. Soon, it was Qian Lan's turn. Silently following a young woman, Qian Lan was brought into a small empty room with another woman waiting inside.
"What's going on?"
"Don't worry miss, we just need to examine your upper body as the mark can be anywhere."
"What mark?"
"Please stop asking questions and do as you're told."
The two women quickly pulls apart Qian Lan's upper robe and forces her to turn around as they looked for a marking. Once the women got to Qian Lan's back, they stopped muttering and went silent. The women quickly helped Qian Lan into her robe and drags her into another room. The women quickly props the doors open into a large room with windows. Inside the room, Qian Lan could see the king and the old shaman talking and sipping on tea. Once everyone was in the room; the women quickly greeted everyone.
"Your holiness, this is her."
The shaman places her tea cup down and walks towards Qian Lan.
"Are you sure it's her? She doesn't look very bright."
"Why you damn old hag. For someone about to kick the bucket you sure talk a lot."
The king was also now standing and walking to Qian Lan.
"You don't mean it's her, do you?"
"I'm afraid so, your majesty. As we agreed on, before the ceremony she will be in your care. A month from now we will perform the ceremony."
Qian Lan had no idea what was going on. Only thing she knew was something was going to happen to her in a month. The king nods in agreement to the old woman's words and heads out of the room; taking Qian Lan with him as well. Once they were out of the large rock temple, Qian Lan was now sitting across from the king with her hands tied.
"So…. your majesty, do you mind telling me what's going on?"
"Qian Lan, you knew, didn't you?"
"That I was possibly going to be chosen as the sacrifice? Yes, I knew."
"How?"
Qian Lan knew she couldn't tell the king she was from another time and that she's stuck in the past and happens to also be the owner to the real bracelet from the water god.
"Heh Heh….I wonder."