Wearing a white ruffled dress shirt and a long pair of pants that look like a skirt if I don't move, my long silky black hair swayed gently against the breeze. As usual, I have my eyes covered in a black laced mask just in case someone spots me, having two different eyes colors are unusual in the Qaihong contient.
Lai Shufen tailed me like usual watching my surroundings to keep an eye out for me just in case I encounter a foe that's more than I can handle. Currently, I checked the earth to see if I could spot any animal tracks or magical beast tracks, I'll take on what I can get.
From time to time I would see a wild carrot or cabbage so I would store it away inside my storage ring, so far I have gathered around two hundred white carrots and a hundred thirty-two cabbages. I plan to give these to the village people and the hunted meat as well.
Since we are having food shortages and I need the villagers to be well and healthy to get any proper income from them I will feed them with what I can since asking for food to get delivered to this dislocated village is extremely expensive.
I had a meeting with a few merchants about them sending someone to bring my village some food but all of their prices were so high, that I would've gone broke in three months' time so I gave up on that idea.
Thus I decided to do some hunting and scavaging to feed my people and myself, but I should have enough food to last me for a whole year if I mainly just eat rice porridge, and bread for a few months.
Enhancing my eyes faint orange color heat signatures appear in my view looks like a bear that's in mid qi refinement realm. From the looks of it, I might wanna head up into the trees so once I catch up to it won't notice me right away.
Swiftly scaling up the tree trunk of a nearby tree I went onto the closest branch and began to jump from tree branch to tree branch, a few times I almost fell over but managed to steady myself by digging my nails into the tree bark.
Looking down a soft pink color bear grazed through another bear's corpse, tearing and devouring its cousin's flesh. Taking out my spear I jumped down from the tree branch with a spin, my moon essence flowed out of my body and cover my long spear. Spinning faster my spear cleanly cut off the soft pink barefoot.
It roars in agony and swipes its large claw at me, pulling my spear out of the decapitated bear paw I swiftly lean backward and rolled away to a safe distance or so I thought. It gather up a fireball in its mouth "don't tell me it's going to" before I can even finish that thought the light pink colored bear shot the beam of fire at me.
Thinking quickly I activated eight moon phases defense techniques Two moons appeared around me making a barrier to protect me from the scorching attack. They rotate almost faster than what I could almost keep up with, it feels lukewarm inside here.
No that I think about aren't moons elemental water? That must explain why I always smell like the salty sea, shaking my head I kept my eyes on the dying flame looked like that bear will die soon to blood loss.
The orange flame left smoke in its path taking this opportunity I thrust my spear forward and heard a gurgling sound and then a thump. Once the smoke has cleared I summon for Lai Shufen to my side "Lai Shufen skin the bear and sell its fur coat on the market" Lai Shufen nodded and began his job while I sat by a tree to cultivate a bit to recover my lost essence.
White streams of moon essence transformed into refined moon essence, feeling slightly proud of myself I open my eyes with a gentle smile on my features. I got up and checked on Lai Shufen who has finished gutting the beast and storing the precious meat away inside a small box that can fit twenty elephants inside.
"Lai Shufen let's head back, for now, I want to see if that formation master has arrived yet" Lai Shufen remain quiet and followed me without saying a word, it is a bit strange for him to be so quiet usually by now he should be scolding me about my safety.
Well, dwelling on it won't help me find the answers, I should just get back home before I meet some unsavory fellow. Entering back inside the village we headed straight to the butcher. A young slightly muscular man stood behind the counter with an apron stained in animal blood.
He stood up straight from his slouching position "Lai Shufen give them to him" my orders were loud and clear, Lai Shufen similarly pulled out the small box and open it; in his free hand a bag half of his size appeared.
He put the large sack of bear organs onto the counter "Princess? What's in this sack?" his voice trembled slightly, he open it up. "My lady I can't accept such valuable magical beast organs" he tried to pass the huge sack of bear organs back.
"You have a small family to think about so the least you can do is bring these to your wife and have her cook it for your two little ones" scolding him lightly he took the sack recently; I proceed to take out three cabbages and ten white carrots "Tell the wife I said hello" leaving him with that I left the butcher shop and headed home.
Once I had appeared at home the maids of my mansion shy away from my gaze "my lady we have run a bath for you" a smaller maid notified me, my eyes landed on her small form she looks unfamiliar. Did I always have this maid on my staff team?
No, I definitely didn't bring her with me "Jade!" a maid who looked to be twenty head snapped up to look at me.
"Who idea was to hire new help?" Jade trembled from my condescending tone the smaller woman backed away clearly shaken by my change of attitude. The maid known as Jade started kotowing banging her head repeatedly onto the wooden floorboards "It's my fault, my lady! I should have asked head eunuch first" she exclaimed with tears running down her pale cheeks.
Lai Shufen watched me from the side before grabbing the new girl knowing my next thoughts "Lai Shufen bring her to my study, so I can properly enlist her to my staff" Lai Shufen smiled lightly and walked away with the terrified young woman.
"Jade stop kowtowing! Go outside and receive twenty lashes by eunuch Chi" Her eyes are all red and swollen, she got up and headed into the backyard to receive her punishment "do the rest of you know why I acted this way?" my maids lower their heads even further.
"What would happen if a person you bring in here is a spy for my older siblings or even worst an assassin? If I died because of you maids' neglect to inform your superior I'll come back from the dead and drive you insane!" their whole bodies trembled knowing my words weren't for show.
Storming off to my study where the new maid sat on the chair fidgeting and Lai Shufen stood by the door with the usual serious expression he has when on duty; walking over to my chair behind my desk I force a smile onto my lips to help ease the poor women worries.
"My name is Qaihong Gho, I am the powerless eighth princess of the Qaihong empire" properly introducing myself, she spoke softly. "This humble maid's name is Fen Cong, I was recently released from nearby orphanage care, I heard a royal was in these lands so I thought I could try to become your maid" with glowing eyes I watched her body language closely.
"I see, what do you know from what the other maids have told you?" I asked Fen Cong gently "they told me not to disrespect you and that if I have to bring anything to you I must bring the item to the head maid or head eunuch" she mumbled quietly, I nodded my head.
I pulled a small bowl and a thick stick out of my storage ring along with a few herbs, mashing the herbs together "the way we do servant and master contract here is a bit different. Your life is still your life but everyone who works here has to take the paste of loyalty to become an official member" explaining gently I gently took the paste out of the bowl and rolled it in my hands.
"Swallow this and our contract will be complete this just ensures that you will never betray me" I explained, she nodded her head and obediently swallow the paste ball, her face turning red for a moment then a crested moon tattoo appear on her neck.
"You are free to leave and resume your duties" she bowed and left my studies. "Lai Shufen leave me alone I am going to go over some documents" ordering to leave he replied, "As you wish your highness" he left the room without another word.