LEGEND OF THE GOLDEN TIGRESS 108 The One Who Stood Tall

Xing brought Meimei to a secluded place inside the tournament ground and Shengli was with her. The awarding ceremony was going on as the Emperor was announcing the winner as the Commander of the Imperial Army.

Meimei was kneeling in front of Xing who was sitting in a short stool she found there and Shengli was standing beside her. Meimei was writhing in pain as her jaw was dislocated and even her face got swollen.

Xing looked at her with no sympathy, "Where is your boss?", she got to the point.

Meimei tried to spit on Xing but obviously could not and Xing picked up an arrow nearby and jabbed it on one of her fingers,

" Don't be overly dramatic! You tried to kill my father, the Prime Minister of this Kingdom. Yet, as a gracious Lord, I'm being this nice to you. Be smart, or I'll hand you over to the guards. You know how those guards 'interrogate' women! ", Xing spoke each word clearly in a gentle tone but her eyes were filled with darkness. Shengli knew this was not the typical Xing but stood by her side.

Xing chose Meimei because she stood out from others. As someone who had spent a lot of time in brothels she knew a courtesan when she sees one. But this one was like a sore thumb standing out. And from her behaviour Xing knew she was not someone from noble class and she saw the slave tattoo on her hand when she was pouring her drink. The slave tattoo used by a trafficking ring in the East possibly run by Shihong.

Xing could also deducted from her clothes and her well maintained complexion that she is no longer a slave but is living a better life. So why did someone who is known for mistreating women keep a woman close to him?

Meimei could not talk well but she told her life story to Xing which Xing found not necessary. She told her how her father sold her, how she was mistreated as a s*x slave, how the benovelent Lord Shihong saved her, how well he is treating her, how she'll give her life to serve his cause and so on and on.

Is this how that guy recruits loyal followers, Xing thought. By putting them through misery and then acting like their saviour so to command their loyalty? Scum!

"You know, your benovelent Lord is the one who put that tattoo on you", Xing pointed at her hand and Meimei shook her head not believing her.

So be it! Xing thought, She's not going to see tomorrow anyway, let her have her beliefs! Foolish as they may!

After probing, Xing found out that Meimei was here on her own volition as their Master's plan was not originally this. Meimei, the true follower of Shihong thought she'd help her master by killing the Prime Minister.

She also said that her Lord really loves her and is here to get her back and he'd eliminate anyone who harms her. Xing sneered as she remembered how he previously killed his own man before in the spring Banquet.

"Call for your Lord then! Scream!", Xing said and jabbed another one of her finger with the arrow point and then another one.

"Let your voice out, sweetheart! I really want to see how your Lord comes to rescue you!", Xing smirked holding Meimei's chin with the arrow. Shengli saw Xing acting cruel to a woman and felt something was amiss with her today.

Meimei cried pitifully and tried to suppress her voice as if she thought Shihong would come here if he heard her scream.

Just before Xing lost her patience, Xing could sense Shihong at a distance.

She stood up and looked at the distant group of trees and she could feel him standing on a top branch of a chinese parasol tree and Shengli got to her side and looked but in that thick group of trees he could not see Shihong. But he saw Xing smirking, "You came for her, after all! ", she muttered.

Shengli was about to go forward and get Shihong when Xing grabbed him by his hand, "What do you want?", Xing shouted in the direction of Shihong. Shengli was stupefied, 'I cannot even see him, how can he hear you?'. But Xing and Shihong seemed to be in a conversation and her eyes were burning in the colour of gold, like a tiger.

Xing eyes were focused on Shihong. She cannot see his face or him clearly but she had the feeling that it was him and she had that insatiable urge to kill him. She could hear his reply, "Give Meimei back!". His voice was mellow and soft as if one would drown listening to it. Mesmerising!

"I do not wish to. She tried to hurt my family", Xing said.

"Give her back, or else...", Shihong's voice carried a tint of mockery this time and it provoked Xing. It provoked her too much that she forgot everything around her and broke her vow and slashed Meimei who was kneeling beside her with the tip of the arrow she was holding by her throat.

Meimei slumped on the ground immediately as she bled out and her blood reached Xing's shoes and Xing didn't even notice it and she was entirely focused on the slightly disappointed Shihong.

So she really meant something to him! Xing was pleased. Shengli who was beside Xing tried to talk to Xing and was petrified when she killed that woman with no remorse.

She killed someone! This was her first kill and she is standing like she does not care! Shengli was worried. Shihong has this ability to make her lose herself! This kind of thing happened back in the library too.

"So, you could kill! ", Shihong's voice was heard by Xing and why does he seem so pleased?

"Hmpf", Xing snorted and she excluded a dark and menacing aura and she seemed to be enjoying it. Shengli never thought she would be this casual about killing someone and he felt his heart squeeze.

"What do you want from me?", Xing asked again. Why is he bothering me too much?

"Everything", Shihong laughed, "I want you to be left with nothing! And most importantly I want your Prince! He is My wolf!", he spoke in a serious tone making Xing's heart race.

The moment Shihong mentioned Shengli as the way she calls her ' My Prince', what's left of her rationality flew away and Shengli beside her felt a chillness in the air.

Shengli saw her furious and her glowing eyes accompanied her glowing hair. He knew what will happen next, the same thing happened at the library before. He tried to hold her hand and get her to calm down but he could not and he looked over to see if someone was watching.

Shengli didn't care about Shihong, but if Xing started doing weird things in a place filled with many people, even he and her father or the Emperor cannot stop the aftermath. She'll be sent to the gallows immediately charged with usage of sorcery or black magic and exterminated.

Shengli wrapped her arm around her shoulder and tried to calm her down but she was completely out of it.

Xing only had Shihong in her eyes and she could feel him turning back to leave. She took some steps forward and as she was holding a bow and arrow, she drew the bow "Prince or Wolf, he is mine!", she said in a deep, threatening tone and released the arrow.

"Try hurting my family again and watch me destroy you", she added.

Shengli saw the arrow's path, 'Isn't it going farther than a normal arrow could go? But something else is wrong with this scenario. Why does it feel like the trees are shorter? ', he looked down to see the ground farther from his feet and both of them were standing fifteen meters above the ground, 'What the... How are we above the ground', he stomped to feel as if he was still on the ground and was not standing in thin air. He wanted to alert Xing but her eyes were so focused and she clicked her tongue, "Missed his heart!"

Meanwhile, AoTian, Rijun and Lord Zhong who were searching for Xing to interrogate the one who tried to assassinate AoTian, stood frozen at what they saw. Xing was drawing the bow with Shengli's arm around her and both of them were standing fifty feet above the ground. The setting sun was behind her and was illuminating her golden hair and both of their robes were fluttering in the wind and that scene reminded of a painting of the war god about to shoot an enemy.

Rijun rubbed his eyes to confirm what he saw was real and AoTian was too shocked to believe what he was seeing. Lord Zhong gave a snort, " Seems like she is him!".

The Tianshi Emperor walked in air, the legends say, he'd walk over the enemy's camp and everything beneath his feet in his path will be reduced to dust! They won many battles just with his 'power', the stories said.

Who thought I could see it too! Lord Zhong was emotional.

"Xing! Snap out of it! ", Shengli who was uneasy by the way she was acting all this while and shook her holding her shoulders.

"What?", Xing looked at Shengli and her eyes regained it's original dark colour, "Why are you shouting?", she asked Shengli and she looked around.

Shengli saw her eyes widening and her heart beat increasing, "What have I done?", she said and she fainted almost immediately , mid-air. Shengli held her close and expected a fall but it didn't happen and they descended down.

Shengli only got relaxed when he felt his feet on the ground. Even though he trusted Xing, he was a little scared to be hanging mid-air.

Carrying her he turned back to see Rijun, AoTian and Lord Zhong. Behinf them was the Emperor and ten of his personal guards.

Shengli's heart skipped a beat when he saw all of them here.

How much did they see?

Shengli saw the limp girl cutely sleeping in his arms and decided take all the blame himself.

"It was the third prince who used black magic", he said to Lord Zhong.

"Mubai! Find out what happened there!", he shouted and Lin Mubai who was hiding in the foliage there came out and gave a bow. Shengli then walk past everyone who were standing there flabbergasted and took her to her home.

"Is he trying to test me?", Lord Zhong murmured. Why would he try to blame him for what she obviously did?

"What did you see?", he asked the guards who were around the Emperor who had seen everything they saw.

One of the smart one came forward. They had seen too much and heard too much that is highly toxic for their Iives. The only way they could live is by not acknowledging what happened before their eyes. Or else they will be reduced to ashes tonight.

"Lord Zhong, we were escorting the Emperor when that woman tried to attack Lord Táng and he killed that woman and Huang Shengli and Lord Táng left together", he answered kneeling in front of him and everyone followed suit.

"What else ?", Lord Zhong probed.

"We saw someone running into the woods and we became alert and sent some people to scout there and then we escorted the Emperor back to his courtyard ", he said.

"Then get to it!", Lord Zhong shouted and the Emperor and his guards who were confused like a twisted yarn, left the place.

"What are you two standing there spacing out for? Get home!", Lord Zhong shouted at AoTian and Rijun who nodded and left the place also.

Chapter end

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