Midday had come and gone, and Zhang Lian couldn't stop thinking about the speech. She walked around her room, sometimes picking up her brush to write, but then she would pause, staring off into space.
Her thoughts kept drifting to the people who would be watching her, and the heavy responsibility of becoming queen.
She sighed softly as she felt the anxiousness, her hands toying with her robe. A tap on the door let her back to consciousness.
Zhang Lian looked around and discover that, she had been daydreaming again, and blinked with a sigh.
Her heart quickened as she went to the door, opening the door to find her uncle, Li Feng, standing there.
"Are you ready to give your speech?" He asked. "I've talked to everyone, and they agreed to let you become queen."
His expression remained calm, but inside, he doubted Zhnag Lian had prepared anything meaningful. "She probably hasn't written much", he thought, barely hiding a smirk.
"But it doesn't matter." He didn't care what the mortal thought.
Whether her speech was good or bad, it was already decided—Zhang Lian would be queen.
"Yes, I'm ready," Zhang Lian replied with confidence. But from inside she was nervous
Zhang Lian was still thinking about her upcoming speech when her uncle, Li Feng, reached into his bag and pulled out a dress. The fabric was a blend of black and white color, catching her attention immediately.
"This is a special dress," Li Feng said, holding it out for her to see. "With its automated cleaning feature, you won't have to worry about getting dirty. It's also more durable than any mortal clothes. It cost me five spiritual stones in Cultivation City."
Zhang Lian's eyes widened in amazement. She had never heard of clothes with such abilities before. "How can clothes do that?" she wondered aloud. But then another question popped into her mind. "Uncle, how did you know my size? And what are spiritual stones?"
Li Feng smiled, appreciating her curiosity. "This dress can adjust itself to fit you perfectly," he explained. "As for spiritual stones," he continued, reaching into his bag again, "they look like this."
He pulled out a smooth, shiny stone that sparkled with a faint inner glow. "This is the currency used by cultivators," he added.
Zhang Lian looked at the spiritual stone in wonder, her eyes reflecting its soft glow.
"Now, hurry and change into this dress," Li Feng urged. "Everyone is waiting for you."
Nodding, Zhang Lian took the dress from him, feeling the smooth fabric between her fingers. Li Feng gave her a nod before turning and stepping outside to give her privacy. Zhang Lian quietly closed the door behind him.
She looked around the room and spotted her cat, who was flying around. "Can you help me with my hair?" she asked.
The cat tilted its head, seemingly confused. "Host, how? I can't even touch a comb."
Zhang Lian said, showing her fist. "Then use your paws," she suggested, smiling as she began to remove her current white and blue dress. The soft fabric slipped off her shoulders and revealed her white skin & white undergarments.
Zhang Lian stood quietly, dressed in her simple white underwear and bra, which she hadn't removed since these are the only undergarments she has.
Zhang Lian carefully examined the black and white dress her uncle had given her, the fabric flowing smoothly over her hands like cool silk.
The design was nice, with a high collar and wide, flowing sleeves that gave it an air of elegance and power.
The dress was mainly black, with white lines that seemed to shine in the light, creating a striking contrast.
She began to slip the dress on slowly, starting by lifting it over her head. The fabric glided down her shoulders, soft and cool against her skin.
As she pulled it down over her breasts and then the rest of the body, she could feel the dress adjusting to her shape, the material tightening gently around her waist, highlighting her figure without being too restrictive.
The dress was fit on her body perfectly, wrapping around her like a second skin, with the black fabric criss-crossing over her breasts.
Next, she adjusted the high collar, which was around her neck.
The sleeves were long and wide, with the black and white fabric flowing down her arms.
She could feel the weight of the sleeves as they covered her arms elegantly. The skirt of the dress was not equal, with one side falling to her ankle and the other revealing more of her leg, if you look closely you can even see her white underwear from that revealing side and the white fabric falling down, behind her back.
As she adjusted the dress, she noticed it was still slightly loose. But then, to her amazement, the fabric seemed to come alive, shifting and tightening to fit her perfectly.
The dress fitted itself to her body.
Zhang Lian looked at herself in the mirror, turning slightly to see how the dress flowed with her movements.
The contrast between the black and white made her appear both powerful and graceful, the perfect balance for someone who was about to step into a new role.
Satisfied with the fit, Zhang Lian reached for her sandals, which were simple yet elegant; they were white as usual. She slipped them on.
Her cat had been patiently working on her hair, using its paws and claws to smooth it out as best as it could. Zhang Lian smiled at the cat's efforts, appreciating it.
With one final glance in the mirror, Zhang Lian turned and headed for the door.
She opened it and stepped outside, where her uncle, Li Feng, was waiting. He looked her over, his eyes taking in the sight of her in the new dress. He nodded approvingly. "You look good, niece," he said, in a calm voice.
Together, they headed outside. Just like the day before, Zhang Lian stood on her uncle's sword. With his help she quickly climbed on it and then, they both lifted into the air, her cat following behind them.
As they flew through the sky, the wind moved through Zhang Lian's hair, now perfectly styled thanks to her cat's efforts.
The city soon came into view, and they went down to the area where several cultivators and mortals were gathered. Most of them were outer disciples, and they had choosen the task of building the city to earn sect points.
No outer disciples dare to ignore senior brother Li Fend, so they all come to watch the show.
The cultivators looked up as Zhang Lian and her uncle landed. At first, they were confused by her appearance, the dress making her look every bit like a cultivator.
But then they remembered what their senior brother had told them: she wasn't a cultivator and they also can't detect any cultivation from her.
Still, they couldn't argue with appearances, and a few of them exchanged uncertain glances. "She might not be a cultivator," they thought, "but she certainly looks like one!"
....
Tension is in the air as Zhang Lian and Li Fend gently land on a plain wooden platform surrounded by ruins.
Newly constructed from wood, the stage was raised several feet above the floor. It had a whitish color to it.
With his arms folded, Li Fend stood motionless at the edge of the stage, observing the audience.
Zhang Lian walked forward without pausing, her sleeves flying in the breeze. As she arrived at the front of the stage, the villagers' whispers faded and they focused their entire attention on her..
A small group of cultivators, who had come merely to show respect to elder brother Li Fend, stood farther away. Their eyes were fixed on the new king's beauty.
Zhang Lian stopped in front of them, her clothing resting like a second skin against her body.
Her long sleeves hang down her arms, giving people a feeling of cultivator.
She made a small adjustment to the clothes.
She turned to face the assembly and raised her hands a little, palms out. She started up by saying, "Thank you, everyone, for coming today," in an authoritative tone. "As your future queen, I want to say that I am truly happy to see you all here."
The audience gave a quiet nod, their expressions displaying a mixture of uncertainty and hope.
Zhang Lian went on, surveying with her gaze while her tone became increasingly somber.
"Demon cultivators destroyed this city," she said, her voice growing heavier as she spoke. My own parents were among the many families that perished in the attack."
The crowd quieted down. "But from this tragedy, we have an opportunity to rebuild—stronger, better, and more just," Zhang Lian said, her voice growing softer.
As the audience processed what she had spoken, a wave of whispering went through them, they went a little emotional too.
She noticed an emotional resolve in a few eyes and knew she needed to take advantage of this opportunity to inspire them.
"I will be choosing new nobles based on your work and contributions, not on your lineage," she stated, lifting her chin.
A breath escaped the assembled crowd. "You mean we could become nobles?" said an older man who had been bowed by years of effort.
Zhang Lian nodded, her eyes firm. "Yes. Those who prove themselves capable and loyal will be given a position." She paused, letting the shock of this announcement settle in.
Zhang Lian's hands moved elegantly as she continued, "Furthermore, to encourage the growth of our kingdom, every family that brings a new life into this world will be rewarded. The kingdom will give 20 silver for each child born."
A murmur went through the audience, saying that, "they only earn around 20 silver for working hard for a whole year and now they would only need to give birth every six months to earn that much."
No one realized that it is a short term benefit not long term, but they were happy.
And, Zhang Lian said, her voice resounding, "if that child is found to have a spiritual root, their family will be rewarded in gold."
This was common in the past, so no one cares much.
Zhang Lian continues. "All children will now receive free education, which will lessen the load on parents. Free healthcare will be guaranteed so that no family experiences health related suffering."
A cheer erupted from the crowd. "Free education?" one young mother repeated, disbelief in her voice. "And healthcare?"
"And," Zhang Lian continued, raising her voice above the rising cheers, "for those who wish to learn martial arts."
"Its training will be available to everyone for free so there is no need to pay a high price to learn it from professionals."
The crowd's reaction was immediate, the cheers growing louder with each new promise. A young man, barely more than a boy, shouted, "We'll all have a chance to train! It's not just for the wealthy anymore!"
Zhang Lian nodded, acknowledging what he had said. "Yes, everyone will have the opportunity.
And if any tragedy befall parents," she continued, her tone calm, "the kingdom will take responsibility for your children until they are old enough to undergo their spiritual root testing ceremony.
If they don't have spiritual roots, they will be given land or a job by the kingdom, ensuring their future is safe."
"Thank you, Your Highness! You're a true queen!"
Zhang Lian allowed the cheers to continue for a moment, then raised her hand to silence them. "Lastly," she said, her voice was loud, "I will be selecting some of you—those with talent and dedication—to work with me directly to rebuild this city.
Together, we will restore it better than ever.
A young man with a determination walked forward, his voice quivering.
"You have our support, Your Highness! This city will be rebuilt, and it will be better than before!"
Zhang Lian smiled, seeing the optimism come back into their faces and feeling more confident.
She had given them a picture of a brighter future, and now it was up to all of them to make it a reality. Zhang Lian said, "Thank you all for coming," with a loud and clear voice. "Let us work together to build a kingdom that we can all be proud of."
As the crowd continued to cheer, Zhang Lian stepped back, her heart steady and calm.
A small, black cat with orange eye's about it appeared beside Zhang Lian as she was going back.
Zhang Lian could see the bright system screen it was showing had now closed. The same words she had just said were written on the screen.
The cat, tilting its head slightly, its big, orange eyes shining, "You did good, nya. Your delivery style was remarkable even though you were reading."
Zhang Lian glanced down at the cat, a slight smile at her lips. "I really did give a good speech, didn't I?" she mused, nodding in agreement with the cat. "Maybe in my past life, I should have been a politician."
The cat flicked its tail and followed behind her as she made her way over to her uncle, Li Feng, who had been watching the entire event.