"Leader, The lizard tribe has already a.s.similated or allied more than ten other tribes while we barely got two more," Blue-amethyst said.

"So?" Zhi Rui asked.

Sandworm stepped forward

"Our warriors are starting to get anxious, it's been a week of pure training, but they are not confident enough to fight a well-prepared lizard tribe."

Amethyst looked at him with wide eyes, "Oho! Paying attention to your own people? Are you feverish?" She mocked an laughed.

Sandworm squinted his eyes for a second and smiled. His shoulders relaxed. And the rigidness of his muscles was gone.

Hearing her pearls of laughter and getting no reaction, showed how he moved on from his failure.

He looked at her in the eyes with a smile. "Your nature as a woman is clouding your mind." He said.

Zhi Rui raised her eyebrows.

Blue-amethyst frowned and spoke.

"We should round up the men we have to do a surprise attack and cut the snake's head off."

Sandworm chuckled. getting a stare out of Blue-amethyst.

"Sandworm, today is the seventh day of the week, get some meat and booze, There's not training for today." Zhi Rui said.

"Yes," He said and did an unusual deep bow and turned to leave.

Blue-amethyst didn't look at him as he walked away from the tent. Her eyes were glued on Zhi Rui.

"Wondering what happened? For someone so sure of yourself you're looking pretty aimless now." Zhi Rui said.

"Why did you gave him that order? That was obviously a validation you gave him."

Zhi Rui laughed. "He lost, he thought, then changed and evolved. He showed he knows what I intend to do and is working in that direction. You, in turn, didn't. Besides the s.e.x, and leeching off my t.i.tle you're not doing anything else." Zhi Rui looked at her eye with a gentle smile. "You become complacent."

Blue-amethyst trembled. Seeing no reaction Zhi Rui sighed. "You may leave."

"N-No orders?" Blue-amethyst hated herself for stammering.

"I already said what you're doing wrong if you can't correct it, then I have no use for you. Though it'll be a pity since you're such a pleasant thing to mess around with." Zhi Rui said with her bright green eyes.

Blue-amethyst glared intensely at Zhi Rui. She turned around and slowly walked outside.

'Walking this slow... She wants me to appease her? Ha, so cute.' Zhi Rui mused.

She set aside the scroll in her hands. 'The lizard tribe will rush to a.s.similate or at least force an alliance with the rest of the tribes, his numbers will be triple of mine. When all the tribes are involved I'll raise my name in this land and bait the big fish.'

Zhi Rui nodded to herself. The barbarian lands are like the empire's army, only the most wealthy are level three and above. To storm through is easy, but she wanted to rule over, and gather resources, fear and cruelty is useful, but only enough so the people are kept in line and producing, the line between a tyrant and a venerable ruler is thin.

In Zhi Rui's years of tower maiden, amidst the torture, she had studied books about structures of governing. She wanted to find some kind of protection to herself, inside the light sect. History books, Politics, n.o.bility structures, religion, the rise, and fall of empires, she studied and came to her own conclusions

Thinking about how she already established her name in the empire and the light sect. Now, if she ended the war between the empire and the barbarian lands Her name would be finally ingrained in history. Then it wouldn't matter How much more strong those geniuses are if she won against them and earned the light sect, n.o.body would have a legitimate reason to go against it.

Zhi Rui smiled, She got up and in the middle of the night walked away from the tribe.

----

----

----

Zhi Rui reached the threshold between the forest and the desert. She jumped inside, jumping from tree to tree, finally, she saw a small wooden cabin that was recently built.

"HaHa, this must've been the second or third you built." Zhi Rui said.

"It's the second, she likes this kind of ambiance, so she's in a good mood."

Bai Hui's voice came from behind the cabin.

Zhi Rui went over walking and found a small clearing, it was early morning, they were seated eating some light meal using a cut thick tree trunk as a meal. they wore thick fluff clothing for the morning cold dew. It was a heartwarming scene.

"You speak as if half of the blame isn't yours." Yu Yan said and bit a small piece of bread.

Zhi Rui chuckled and pulled a rock to sit and eat with them.

They talked and laughed with a light heart, Zhi Rui's presence put a thin sheet of pressure on the beginning, but her words slowly put their guards down and five minutes later they were speaking as if they had always been friends.

"HaHa, wow, if I couldn't have the world, then a relations.h.i.+p like yours is what I would've aimed for. Trust the other regardless of benefits or enemies."

Zhi Rui laughed and got up and walked away, with a hope rock t in hands.

As she walked away, the feeling of coming back to reality dawned on them. They weren't paying attention and talked freely. they looked at each other than at Zhi Rui's back.

She had proven to be stronger, more aware and now, she showed how defenseless they were against her. there was a chance it was merely banter and hse didn' mean to do it. But a chill came over their spine. Bai Hui looked at his wife's frowning face and put his hands above hers.

"Somehow, this is the best place for us." He said.

Yu Yan squinted at him. He was talking about their silent agreement, they wouldn't pursue their ambitions for the sake of staying with each other.

She looked deeply in his eyes and sighed. "If she somehow becomes a monarch that yes it's the best for us, otherwise is just a road to death."

"If it's with you, it wouldn't be too bad of an ending either." He said nonchalantly.

Yu Yan froze for a second, she closed her eyes, crossed her arms and legs and turned her face to the side.

"Humpf, don't get all chummy. I betrayed my husband for a p.r.i.c.k like you if a better c.o.c.k appears I'll be jumping right into it."

Bai hui coughed and spilled the milk on his mouth. He stared dumbfounded at her.

Seeing as she was looking to the side and avoiding eye contact he understood it wasn't the usual arguments.

He sighed. "Then my only option would be to kill that c.o.c.k."

"But the thing with a better partner is that you can't go against him." She said, her voice steady and calm.

But Bai Hui knows her from long ago, and he saw something more. He softened his voice

"Oh, and what that partner would look like." He said.

feeling his tone of understanding made her even more uncomfortable and ashamed of talking. so she merely turned and looked at Zhi Rui far away.

Bai Hui sighed again. "She has used for us only if we're an item, she's rational and wouldn't mess with us, even if you don't believe that. You should believe in me."

"It's not that simple with her," said Yu Yan, "She's absurdly strong, ruthless, intelligent, strongwilled, extremely beautiful, competent, and her awareness with people is absurd."

She looked deeply in his eyes. "She somehow know our truths from lies, she's the first real threat. If somebody could enter our minds and mess with either of us, that's her."

Bai Hui showed and unusual stern eyes. "We were not meant to be, we were not destined together, we didn't like each other, there wasn't love at first sight, no romance, no infatuation, we very rarely agree or share the same opinions, as we got to know each other there was only raw hate. You disdained me like a slug and was indifferent. I despised your abilities and hated you for taking power from my relatives.

There was absolutely nothing that signaled the future we're living now. we're not together because of simple love. Love came after.

The real reason for us to be together is trust. If I'm incapacitated without arms and legs you'd stay with me and take care of me, as you can only trust me. And I would do the same, as you're the only one I can trust.

First comes disease and then love, that's our relations.h.i.+p. That's why we sacrificed ourselves, our interests and everyone else.

All so we could stay together and eat breakfast between nothing and nowhere."

His words were firm, and each word made her tremble. She did everything to hold back her moistening eyes and looked at him.

"If we're not backing out, then we should go all out." She said.

"How so?" He asked, he rarely saw his wife's eyes so bright.

"Zhi Rui will need people to govern these conquered lands. And our cultivation method is special if we do t right, we may raise a true under her but with our methods, it's possible to build a force, and she wouldn' be able to ignore our requests then."

Bai Hui, knocked his finger in the wood thinking. "The Huang clan?" He asked.

Her eyes turned dark and expressionless. "Yes, what happened to us when we ran to them, what they did, everything. we forgot that hatred but if we could grow now, and if we can use Zhi Rui, then we can destroy them and their whole family."

He opened his mouth, but he saw Zhi Rui was walking back with a smile.

"They are progressing quickly, you should train a lot too. You'll be getting inside the underworld with me. we'll fight death there."

She said and walked away.

On her way out she smiled. For the first time in a while, nothing too frustrating was on her mind and things were going relaxingly accord to the plan. Every step she took was exactly as she expected.

Zhi Rui sighed and enjoyed the peace.