Looking up a the clear sky with a clear head and sated desires Zhi Rui thought of everything happening around her.

The thought of it made chill crept up on her neck.

'it's slowly, getting me addicted to these small pleasures. I'm taking every opportunity I have to drink and fuck. I'm investing too much time in other subjects.'

Zhi Rui looked around at the people who were still passed out drunk and could picture herself with them.

Appalled, Zhi Rui looked down ad the ground.

Even if it was a blow form the enemy, the fact that it easily influenced her, making her forget why she was conquering the barbarian lands in the first place. filled her chest with self-disappointment.

She was forgetting herself and everything that made her onto the way she was.

Her rage at nature that so casually throws life around, her rage for being taught fantasies about romance, heroism, and happiness. Only to have the true nature of these things throw and rubbed on her nose.

Zhi Rui didn't resent the true nature of these things, she only regretted being taught to like and crave for those fantasies, instead of question them.

As a consequence she craved for these things so she held onto life in the tower, She had faith those things were real and stayed alive through hope.

Time passed and she went on living, she suffered uncountable times, heard and saw too many stories and ugly truths, her faith was gone and she finally saw things as they were. She looked around for a way out, but it was too late, she was old and powerless.

Her fantasy kept her mind sane and alive. That was what she used to think. But after letting go of them and seeing things as they were. She understood.

'I wasn't holding off insanity, I was living in it.'

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Two luxurious big war-carriages, stationed in front of Zh rui's lawless tribe. dwarfing every other structure around.

"Now that they reached here, they'll have some fun, then after two or three hours, they'll come."

Han Lee said to a dazed Zhi Rui.

He frowned to the simple nod she gave.

Since dawn she stood in front of her own place looking dazedly at the skies, She didn't even prepare a banket for the two chiefs of the barbarian people. At first, he thought it was some kind of power play.

But seeing her state he knew it wasn't that

He decided to wake her up.

"Alpha girl, you promised a way to attain our objective before morning, it's already past that. If you don't give me something at least tangible I can't help you in this meeting."

Zhi Rui looked at his face, with complicated emotions, she just revised everything she planned. And now she thought about how she could focus more on her objectives but then he came in and she finds her mind going to him repeatedly.

With that, she finally concluded she was infatuated with him.

They hadn't talked before, the interactions were simple, but he was a handsome mature man, with status. And his personality intrigued her.

Hearing his words she sighed. 'Let's just bone him later and get this over with.' She thought and looked at him.

Her eyes stern and serious made him looked at her and listen with the same intensity.

"I'm not an outsider, I'm a product of a barbarian deserter eloping with an imperial woman and having me. My mom soon killed him and herself after he drunkenly beat us both. I lived a shitty life until I grow curious of my barbarian heritage. I studied and was mesmerized by it.

I tried to cross the forest to enter the land, but I was too weak. There, I met my master. The heroic disciple of the light sect; Zhi Rui."

Han Lee froze for a second, his mouth twitched. Binca laughed in his mind.

Zhi Rui kept on "To resume all of it, she saved my life gave me some methods of cultivation and sent me on my way.",

Han Lee didn't hold it in and laughed.

Zhi Rui looked in his eyes sternly.

"I-I'm sorry it's just... I mean, that's nonsense! Zhi Rui went out of the light sect almost a month ago, you're saying you met her and became a level two in the meantime!? even If I believed that Where is the damn relevance to our issue!? and that background story. ..Did you just thought it up?"

Zhi Rui sighed in annoyance and kept on talking.

"I cultivated the body since small. When I met Zh Rui I was a level one ready to become level two, she gave me a level two core and taught me some other light sect spells. She offered some pointers and took me in as her personal disciple.

The relevance to our issue is that with the disciple title I can provide basic necessities in abundance; Water, food, and things that'll raise the overall quality of life to the barbarian lands."

"Alright, I won't even question the veracity, even if you could bring that. Our objective is self-sustenance and independence, not charity form the light sect. And that's not even talking about the issue with the light sect meddling in the mortal's affairs."

Zhi Rui frowned and became pensive.

She suddenly snapped her fingers.

"Glass." She said.

"Glass?" Han Lee frowned looking at her as if she were a nutjob.

"The light sect is a small branch if compared to others. They have a need to produce some things for the interconnected store of the light sect, things like basic weapons and such. I saw in the library, there are weapons made with some special tempered glass that needs high steady temperature. They'll only need to bring a kind of spiritual flame and find someone to manipulate it. built a furnace here, and you're done. you got your trade. While you make weapons for them, you can make other things for trading. it all depends on your creativity."

'I want to laugh' thought Han Lee.

(Envy boy, remember to measure your actions.)Bianca said.

'But she's so damn pitiable! look! inventing all these lies, living in such a terrible place It's so laughable'

(Boy don't let the fulfillment of your sin cloud your mind. Zhi Rui is no fool. And helping her in this meeting is what we want if you laugh at her and then suddenly agrees to help she'll be suspicious of you then the small amount of positive view she has for you will become another source of suspicion And everything you did will be worthless.)

Han Lee pondered with hand in his chin for a while then stared Zhi Rui in the eyes.

"That's a barely believable sketch, but I'll need proof you have the ability to actually make it happen."

Zhi Rui used her storage pouch, took out a wooden token and used her energy in it.

letters fluctuated.

[Red-lotus] Disciplinary division, light sect.

"My name, and my place in the sect. I'm assuming you can see the veracity of the token?"

'Oh, so she became the lord of the disciplinary division?' Han thought. Thinking about how much she gained from coming back form that pagoda turned his insides upside down.

(Calm down boy) Bianca said.

Hearing no answer Zhi Rui spoke more.

"She can easily do this much, as long as it helps the sect too. And the thing about not messing with mortals. If the barbarians managed to invade the empire to some extent first. Then it'll make the light sects deal easy as they won't be able to attribute the invasion with the sect's action."

"You're saying that for it to actually happen I need to help you today? to convince those two tribe leaders to start an actual war?"

Zhi Rui nodded. "You don't need to tell me your answer now, in the meeting I'll know." She said and turned away.

"Wait!" Han Lee said.

"What?" Zhi Rui looked back.

"Did I do something? you seem uncomfortable with me."

Frowning Zhi Rui looked at the handsome men's eyes. "I didn't sleep, been fucking all night. Now I have to convince two old coots that their way of gaining daily wealth and power is wrong and that they should abandon it for a single time slightly above the usual again."

Zhi Rui's cold green eyes stared deeply at Han Lee, "I'm tired and pissed off."

She said and walked away.

'What's with her? maybe her period?' Han Lee thought.

(He~) Bianca chuckled (wrong naive boy, that was a way to push you way, she probably didn't do it with forethought but ultimately it's a defense measure, that means you're on the right track.)

'You're the mother, so I won't question'

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In the main hall, as it was a custom of the barbarians, food was eaten on the floor, a big circle filled with grilled boiled and roasted meat as well as wine and liquor sausages and some vegetables Zhi Rui sat cross-legged on a black cushion on her left Han Lee was seated on a pink cushion.

the place was decorated with colorful cushions of various sizes

But only two more big cushions across from them.

"Our alpha, the chief of the amber tribe and silver tribe had arrived."

The maid announced from the door.

Zhi Rui nodded and sipped her cup of liquor.

"HAHAHA! what a good young lady! these little things from the empire are so tasty, I could barely finish one form the moment I arrived, and there's another three for me to taste!"

"You're too damn vulgar, Fire-heart even if you're taking hooker form the empire you shouldn't announce it to the whole damn world."

"Oh, old Silver not prostitutes, old Cheng found some girls to sell, he complained about the emperor being an ass and that now he had to sell some things to make ends meet! HAHAHA!"

"Damn disgusting. I prefer some of his elk horses. that thing would outrun any of your mounts."

Hearing the voices coming to form the door, Zhi Rui felt her heart sunk. She looked at Han lee beside her with pernicious eyes.

"Oh!," he laughed apologetically. "Forgot to tell you, they're not old. only around thirty years or so, they are the younger siblings of the old chief leaders."

Han Lee shook his head with a laugh.

"They are so lucky, did you know? the old chiefs and their respective sons all passed away throughout the past year, leaving the throne for them to reign."

She heard of them but didn't have that last bit of information.

They are the useless second generation who lived of their family wealth. they barely got into level three at the age of thirty. And now they somehow were given the leadership. And Zhi Rui had to convince them to give up the daily dose of fleshly pleasures.

Zhi Rui sighed with frustration.