Rain spent all night and a good bit of the next day in the library. He assumed the maid had informed his mother of where he was and she had chosen not to disturb him. After admiring his looks for a quick sec, he decided to get started. He had always enjoyed books in his past life. They were a way of escaping reality. They weren't as vibrant as television, but they had the added benefit of his parents not getting annoyed with him. What parent would get angry at their child for reading? Not his.
Starting from the book he left off from, he began to read again. Though some of it was just praising ancestors or inflating egos the valuable info went like this:
First, there were other races. To be specific spirit beasts, demons and dragons.
Spirit beasts were a bit complicated. They would be hunted as resources for their cores, but a good bit of them were just as intelligent as humans. They normally appeared in their animal form, but their were three exceptions: Unique physique, specific racial trait, and a level of Grand Master or above combined with human like intelligence. Not all spirit beasts, regardless of power level, were intelligent and the lower their power, the less likely they were intelligent. The unique races and physiques were all intelligent. There were still some very powerful unintelligent spirit beasts in the Upper Heavens however. Intelligent spirit beasts had built societies in the higher Heavens, but here in the First Heaven they were mostly fair game it seemed. There were colonies however, the ones that resembled humans, that were apart of kingdoms. The Northern Kingdom included.
Spirit beasts were naturally stronger. Using no techniques, a cultivator would be beaten by a spirit beast of the same realm as him. This is one of the many reasons that techniques are so important.
Next were dragons. They were insanely strong naturally. They lived almost exclusively in the Upper Heavens. They had their own techniques unique to their race and were respected across the Heavens. They were just as intelligent as humans and had their kingdoms. It was rumored they were the backers behind the Liu family and the reason they were so strong. Though this was unconfirmed. They had a strong affinity for fire and a strong defense. They also had a dragon form and a human form which they could change into at will.
Finally, the demons. They were a bit more mysterious. They were naturally strong, but looked down upon for their blood techniques. They weren't hunted or declared enemies of humanity, but they weren't liked either. They mostly kept to themselves, it seemed. They also were naturally humanoid, though some differences would be apparent. Horns, wings, tails, were all possibilities.
Half demons could be seen every once in a while. Demons could show up anywhere after all. Half spirit beasts didn't show up due to differences in race, mostly. Half dragons don't exist. Not because it's impossible, but because they viewed humans as beneath them.
He didn't get much info on the above Heavens. The authors were from the First Heaven after all. He wouldn't concern himself with that information too much and just store it away for now.
He was mostly interested in the political situation, but that was for another time and another book. He was tired. This said, he decided to head back to the room, only to be faced with an alarming sight.
*A little while before, earlier in the day*
Mo Jing stood outside of a chamber. Currently, she was in the inner annals of the kingdom, she had requested to meet with the king yet again. Last time, she wasn't allowed due to her just requesting to move. That wasn't enough to pull the king out of whatever he was doing. Usually, in fact, she wasn't allowed to request a meeting. The king would just show up whenever he wanted and they would have s*x. However, she had told them that she genuinely had a good reason, something that would benefit the king, so she was allowed an audience.
A maid opened the door and beckoned her inside. Stepping in, she approached a chamber where she was told the person she was to meet resided. She expected to see the king, but, contrary to her expectations she was faced with a woman. One that she knew very well.
The king had two wives. He valued these the most and they were both the most powerful and influential. He also had six concubines. The concubines were women that the king valued for their physique or abilities. She was one of them, but, as mentioned a little earlier, she was valued solely because of her looks. She was very beautiful and was given the title of concubine solely because of this. This caused her to be scorned by the other concubines.
The woman in front of her was one such concubine. Mo Xiu. She was a vicious woman, proud of her status as concubine. She had two sons. As a concubine of the king, she was quite beautiful, but she still couldn't hold a candle to Jing.
'What is she doing here.'
Jing was confused. She had been promised an audience with the king.
"Where's the king?"
She had wanted to say, where is my husband, but had stopped herself due to knowing it would only get her in trouble.
"You think you would get him out to come and meet with you? Please. You do not have that right. You can tell me whatever news you have."
Xiu sneered. She raised an object in her left hand, a communication orb. It was glowing slightly, indicating that it was in use.
"He can hear you through this. Since you insisted it was sooooo important, he's listening in. If you actually thought he would come out and see you, you're more deluded than I thought."
Jing was saddened, but she still had hope. She didn't like Xiu and had thought that the king wasn't going to show up, devastating her, but hearing he was listening was enough. He would come after hearing her news.
"I'm p-p-pregnant and---"
"Ha hahahahahahahaha, are you serious?! Is that it? Hahhahahahaa. Man, you really are hopeless."
Xiu interrupted her, before she could tell them about the physique.
"B-but--"
"Did you actually think that was enough to get the king out here. You've got to be kidding. Nobody gives a shit about you and any number of kids you pump out of that disgusting body of yours? Not the king and not the kingdom! You are just here because you have some value as a c*cksleeve for the king to release his stress nothing more."
The words stung Jing, causing tears to fall from her eyes, but it was the next action that broke her. The subtle glow emitting from the communication orb, just switched off. Whoever was on the other line had hung up, not even giving her a chance. It was at that moment, Jing felt her heart shatter. She had left everything behind to come here as a concubine. Now what did she have?
Xiu stood up, striding over to Jing, before slapping her across the face.
"Know your place."
With these words, she left, telling the maids to throw her back to whatever corner of the palace she was living in.
And that was exactly what they did.